The mainstream hate toward Boruto is worse than mainstream hate toward Naruto was

 

I really don’t get it and more so given back in the day, hardcore Naruto fans were the reason the word “Weabo” was created. I have never heard that word used in reference to any other fanbase or with such distain before or since Naruto. Let’s not kid ourselves, sequels are a rare thing in Anime and Manga in general. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is an obvious exception to the rule but I won’t digress.

Boruto is a direct sequel to Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto created both series like it or not. He may not be personally heading Boruto as he did with Naruto but he is overseeing the Manga and Anime series. It is not a “pet project he’s not serious about” like many dismissed it as when it was first announced. He wouldn’t have bothered making a series out of it otherwise. The Naruto to Boroto movie would have been enough.

 

Naruto was mostly hated until his iconic battle with Pain. It was after this battle that Naruto finally earned the respect of universal respect of the entire Hidden Leaf Village. At that point, Naruto had truly arrived. To understand why that was such a big moment for Naruto plotwise, you need to trun back the clock to the night he was born.

At the very beginning of the series before he became a ninja, as a child Naruto is an outcast in the village due to circumstances beyond his control. The only people who really looked out for him were his first teacher Iruka and to an extent, the Third Hokage. We find out the reason he’s ostracized is because everyone in the village knows he is a Jinchruki: He is a vessel for not just one of the nine mythical Tailed Beasts but the 9th and most powerful, Kurama. The Tailed Beasts were sealed away for reasons I’ll get into later but what you need to know for now is they had to be sealed inside people with powerful chakra.

The specifics are revealed much later in the series but to understand what happened the night Naruto was born, you have to know who Kurama’s Jinchuruki before him was: His mother, Kushina Uzumaki. When Kushina was a little girl, the Uzumaki clan was known to specialize in sealing and binding jutsu. Her bloodline is why she was chosen to be the next Jinchuruki as the current one was nearing the end of their life. Her predecessor ominously warned her female Jinchuruki needed to be especially careful if they have children because the seal keeping Jinchuruki contained would greatly weaken.

By the time Kushina became pregnant with Naruto, she happened to have married he 4th Hokage: Minato Namikaze. It’s never stated but it’s likely the Third Hokage gave Naruto his mother’s last name to protect his life from those who might try to kill him when he was still a baby. Obviously knowing his wife was Kurama’s Jinchuruki, Minato took steps to protect the village by arranging for her to give birth far from the village in secracy.

Despite the prepwork, Obito found them and struck. Weakened from having just given birth, Kushina is unable to defend herself and is taken by Obito who breaks Kurama’s seal. Obito then unleashes Kurama on the village. Hundreds of villagers and ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village died before Kushina and Minato manage to restrain Kurama. Realizing they’re about to die after they’re impaled by one of Kurama’s claws, Minato and Kushina make the difficult decision to make the newborn Kurama the next Jinchuruki. Minato casts the Death Reaper Seal Jutsu at the same time, taking half of Kurama’s chakra to the netherworld with him. The remaining half is sealed inside Naruto.

A short time later, the Third Hokage finds Naruto and the bodies of his parents. He puts 2 and 2 together and realizes what happened before he was arrived. While Minato was busy dealing with Kurama, Sabutori Konahamaru was helping to evacuate villagers to safety during Kurama’s rampage. Most of the villagers obviously knew Naruto was the 4th’s son but the problem is their respect for Minato wasn’t extended to his son despite the fact his parents’ sacrifice is why the village wasn’t wiped out entirely. You have to keep in mind for generations, people had been taught to fear and hate Jinchuruki. Then Kurama got lose to night he was born. In their minds, Naruto was an accursed child.

 

 

 

From a very young age, Naruto aspired to one day become Hokage. He’s obviously the son of the 4th Hokage himself while the 6th Hokage Kakashi Hatake was his squad leader. When the third Hokage died fighting Orochimaru, legendary ninja Tsunade returns to become the 5th Hokage. In the timespan between the end of the Naruto series and the beginning of Boruto, Naruto achieves his dream by becoming the 7th Hokage.

The interesting this is the Third Hokage knew both of his predecessors AND the four who succeeded him. When Konahamaru was a squad leader, his team was made up of Juraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru. The three were known as The Legendary Sanin and later, they would each mentor a team of Kakashi’s Team 7: Naruto (Jiraya), Sakura (Tsunade) and Sasuke (Orochimaru).

 

Their rivalry with each other spanned almost 10 years to say the least.

Like Naruto, Sasuke Uchiha had quite a tragic family history. Due to politics, his older brother Itachi was forced to wipe out their entire clan and he did it in a single night. Basically, the Uchiha clan was feared for their powers. Generations earlier, the Uchiha and Senju clans–the village’s founding clans–were the strongest in the ninja world. Hashirama Senju, the first Hokage brokered an alliance with the Uchiha clan though he ultimately had to kill his longtime rival Madara Uchiha in the process.

By the time Sasuke was born, the Uchiha clan served the village mostly as police and though some like Itachi served as members of the Hidden Leaf’s Anbu Black Ops. Itachi was basically forced to kill his entire clan–except Sasuke–by Danzo to prove his loyalty to the village over his clan. The incident was covered up and explained to the rest of the village as the Uchiha clan preparing to rebel and they had to be annihilated. Knowing it was a lose-lose situation for him, Itachi left the village and joined the Akatsuki alone though Sasuke’s safety was assured since his latent powers hadn’t manifested yet.

Sasuke knew what his brother had done and held a deep-seated hatred toward him because of it. It wasn’t until much later whem Itachi revealed the truth that Sasuke learned his hatred was misplaced. When he was younger, he left the village feeling he needed to find other ways to become stronger. This leads him to Orochimaru, who himself was exiled from the village years ago due to his forbidden research and experiments.

Eventually, Sasuke learns the truth about the Uchiha clan’s dark past. Obito Uchiha–Kakashi’s former squadmate–fell into despair after their squadmate and love interest Rin was killed during a mission. Obito, who was long believed dead after that fateful day abandoned the village and founded the Akatsuki. Its mission: Revive Madara Uchiha and usher in the Infinite Tsukiyomi. Obito ultimately succeeds but let’s just say he’s made to quickly regret it.

Team 7, which was fractured for some time reforms to ultimately save the world. After that, Sasuke challenged Naruto to a duel to settle their differences and decide which of them should become Hokage. The duel ended in a tie when they both literally blew each others’ arm off. Sasuke conceded to Naruto after the fact and would dedicate the rest of his life to protecting the Hidden Leaf Village from a distance. Naruto used Hashirama’s cells gain a new arm and later became Hokage after Kakashi.

 

 

 

In the interim while Sasuke was AWOL and Kakashi was pulled for some Anbu missions, Tsunade reformed the team. Joining Naruto and Sakura would be Yamato and Sai who themselves are both highly trained Anbu. Yamato was chosen because he was the only other ninja available capable to restraining Kurama’s chakra if need be. The mysterious Sai was added to the reformed team on behalf of Danzo, one of the leaders of the village to keep tabs on Naruto and kill him if he became a danger to the village. While Sai clearly had split loyalties, ultimately he decided to side with Naruto.

 

One of the longtime tropes of the series was Sakura’s one-sided crush on Sasuke. When Sasuke left the village, she took it especially hard compared to Naruto. She knew she had to become stronger and decided to train as a medical ninja under Tsunade. After Team 7 reformed and saved the world, she would succeed Tsunade as the greatest Medical Ninja in the world. Sai would go on to reform the village’s police force while Yamato would return to the Anbu. Naruto would eventually see, understand and accept the feelings of his longtime crush Hinta and they would get married.

 

That brings me to Boruto.

In case you don’t know, Mitsuki is basically one of Orochimaru’s clones but has a will of his own. Sarada is the daughter of Sakura and Sasuke obviously while everyone knows Boruto is Naruto’s son. Boruto also has a younger sister named Himawari. Initially led by the third Hokage’s grandson Konahamaru, after Sarada become a Jonin she was promoted to squad leader. They would eventually be joined by Kawaki, a young man Naruto adopted after a certain incident.

Those who hate Boruto need to understand the contrast between Naruto’s time and his son’s. Naruto’s generation of ninja would be the last to live through a ninja world in constant conflict. After the 4th Great Ninja War, the nations signed an armistice that is unlikely to be broken anytime soon. More so given Naruto befriended the leaders of the other nations and is now Hokage. You have to keep in mind the overwhelming majority of those who did the fighting and dying were children. Kids started training from a very young age and it was all they knew or was expected of them.

By the time Boruto becomes a a ninja, he laments the fact he was “born in the wrong era”. He has no interest in becoming Hokage but wants to become the strongest ninja in the world. Contrast that to the clumsy and awkward Sarada. I’ll put it like this: Her parents likely wouldn’t have minded if she decided to not become a ninja. Boruto told her while he has no interest in becoming Hokage himself, he wouldn’t mind being her right-hand man if she became Hokage.

On that note. For a long time, Boruto thought his father was lame. He knew his father’s duties as Hokage meant he couldn’t spend a lot of time with the family. It’s not that he felt neglected but he just thought he father should try to make time for the family. In contrast, Sarada never questioned why her father was almost never around. Sakura admitted she was basically a single parent and it was only by chance he was back for the birth of their daughter.

Both Boruto and Sarada obviously know about their families’ dark histories. The fact that Boruto idolizes Sasuke is interesting given Sarada idolizes Naruto. It isn’t until Naruto is abducted that Boruto actually begins to appreciate the legendary Shinobi everyone came to know Naruto as over time. Boruto stopped giving his father a hard time over sleeping most of the time he was home and actually started to respect him as father and Hokage.

 

 

The anime-exclusive arc in which Boruto and Sasuke go back in time and meet kid Naruto was quite the crossover to say the least. It was done mostly to show Boruto he and his father weren’t that different when the latter was his age. More notable was the fact Sasuke kept himself mostly hidden while they were in the past because during the time period they were there, in reality he had left the village not that long ago. He didn’t want to run the risk of someone who knew the Sasuke of that era recognizing him. Boruto asked him when they are alone where he was at that point in time. He doesn’t say but simply states at the time, he was a different person than the one everyone knows now.

After their business in the past was resolved, Sasuke wiped the memories of everyone they met. This is why when they returned to the present, Boruto had to tell his father everything he experienced. Some like to make the arguement this arc was done to win over fans of Naruto to Boruto. After all, it was anime-exclusive. Storywise, I think it was done to show Boruto the stories he heard about how his father was as a kid were in fact true.

In terms of where Boruto’s story is now, I think it’s in a very good place. I find it hypocritical many casual Naruto fans want to pretend they always liked him when they never did until after his fight with Pain. It wasn’t until after that fight that it suddenly became “cool” for casual fans to like Naruto. More so now when comparing Naruto to Boruto. Naruto’s generation fought and sacrificed a lot to secure the era of peace their children now enjoy. Sure, Boruto still has to worry about various threats but it’s nothing on the scale of what Naruto dealt with, nevermind the frequency.

As a reminder, Boruto continues the story of the Naruto universe like it or not. The story is primarily being told from Brouto’s generation now. Naruto’s story was told and he achieved his dream of becoming Hokage. Great. Even though the focus is obviously on Boruto’s generation, we do see what happened to people Naruto came to know along the way. For example Gaara became Kazekage, Shikamaru is Naruto’s assistant and Tenten opened an “antique” weapons shop in town.

Their stories were told already and are done. A new generation of ninja are getting their stories told like it or not. You’ll see familiar faces but they’re mostly in the background where they belong. Could Boruto surpass Naruto in terms of power? Yes, absolutely and more so based on what the Manga eludes to. Will the others see Mitsuki fight in Sage Mode? Signs point to that happening sooner than later. Will Sarada’s Sharingan become as strong as her dad’s? With enough practice and experience, I don’t see why not.

A real interesting scenario that was heavily teased when Boruto was nothing more than concept art was Himawari becoming a ninja herself. Until fairly recently in the anime, she showed little interest in following in her older brother’s footsteps. Mind you, the Byakugan manifested in her from a very young age. Like her aunt Hanabi, she is considered a prodigy by the Hyuga clan. If she underwent proper training, she would probably surpass her late uncle Neji who himself was a prodigy (for those who might not know, Neji died during the Fouth Great Ninja War).

There’s PLENTY of untapped potential for Boruto. If you’ve made up your mind and you don’t like it, fine. Otherwise, give it some time.

 

 

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Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai has been doing some deep storytelling for over a year now

 

This has become clear ever since the Dark King Vearn’s face was revealed for the first time two years ago. This past weekend, Anime fans we were treated to yet another shocking revealation about Vearn. I’ll get that in a bit but fair warning, MAJOR SPOILERS from here on out.

 

Up until the Disciples of Avan infiltrated Vearn’s Palace, the Enigmatic Assassin Killvearn only popped up occaisionally here and there to mess with them or assist someone. Avan’s surprise return from the dead–I’ll get to that in a minute–embarrasses and infuriates Killvearn so much, he challenges the legendary hero to a duel in another dimension. Despite the duel being rigged against him from the start, Avan survives and ultimately defeats Killvearn.

It’s revealed in a recent episode Killvearn was basically “on loan” to Vearn. As Vearn himself muses, his codename is Killvearn because he has orders to Kill Vearn–get it?–if his plan to conquer the Surface World (Earth) fails. When Avan broke his favorite mask, that made things personal and that’s why he challenged him to a duel. Mystvearn later reveals although Killvearn was an ally, he was only “assisting” Vearn as ordered by his real master. He made it clear he was under no obligation to die for Vearn like the others were.

 

 

Remember that episode where Mystvearn’s cowl was damaged and we partially saw his face? It turns out that was just the tip of the iceberg. Killvearn eluded to this during their first meeting in a flashback but when he laid eyes on Vearn and Mystvearn he immediately realized something was odd about them. Up until his clash with Lon Beruk, Mystearn noticably left the fighting to others and speaking of. Even though their battle ended in a draw, Lon Beruk cryptically remarked Mystearn was holding back but he didn’t know why.

Then the reveal happens and I’ll get into that in a bit. Something Mystvearn tells the Disiples of Avan before his identity is revealed is Vearn created to Dark Army for his own personal amusement. It wasn’t actually needed to conquer the Surface World. He alone would have been enough. You have to kill in mind to that point three of the Dark Army’s Generals were dead and two of the surviving three (Crocodine and Hyunkel) joined Avan’s Disciples. When his cowl comes off, it’s hard to dispute that to say the least.

 

 

Of the two surprise returns from the dead no one expected, hands-down this one was the most emotional for not just his disciples but Hadlar, who was still alive when he showed up. Avan revealed after his battle with Hadlar way back at the beginning of the series, when he cast Megante an amulet he was carrying kept him from dying but barely. The only reason he didn’t call out to Dai and Popp as they were preparing to set off was because he didn’t want them to see him in that state.

Avan later traveled to an underground labyrinth to train and though he became much stronger, Hyunkel pointed out an unconvenient truth when he returned: He was the weakest of them all. While Avan was away, the others fought one life or death battle after the next for quite a while. Avan reluctantly agreed with Hyunkel’s assessment but promised he would not slow them down. After his duel with Killvearn, Avan was the one who figured out and then revealed the secret of Mystvearn’s otherworldly power which I will get to in just a bit.

 

Hadlar had quite the sendoff to say the least. More so given in his final moments he acknowledged not just Dai but Popp and even his longtime nemesis Avan.

Hadlar challenged Dai to a duel knowing due to his body’s condition, he would die either way. Dai won the duel but Killvearn’s trap nearly got Dai, Popp and Hadlar killed…before Avan popped up at the very last minute to save them all. Before his transformation, Vearn remarked something always seemed to be holding him back.

When Hadlar decided to sacrifice his body for overwhelming power, Vearn knew he had made up his mind to win at any cost. Hadlar finally case aside his pride and put all his chips in the table. Even though he was clearly a villain, you couldn’t help but respect him by that point. He lived and eventually died on his own terms, even giving Avan an assist from beyond the grave during the latter’s duel with Killvearn.

 

The original wielder of the Demon Lance, Larhart was resurrected from the dead by Baran for one purpose: To help Dai in his upcoming battle with Vearn. Larhart shows up in time to help Hyunkel and Hym–weakened by their duel with each other–after they’re attacked by the Dark Palace’s guardian. Larhart remarks Hyunkel will likely never be able to fight again and takes up the Demon Lance to fight in his place.

It’s revealed in a flashback Larhart was Baran’s adopted son and in a sense a replacement for Dai whom he long believed dead. He received the training Dai likely would have gotten from Baran had they been together and their bond is likely why he was the only member of the Dragon Riders who was resurrected. Larhart reveals to Mystvearn when he catches up to Dai and the others although Baran was a part of the Dark Army, the Dragon Riders’ loyalty was to Baran and not Vearn. With Baran dead, his loyalty is with Dai.

 

I teased it up to now so here we go: Vearn split his body in two.

Myst is actually a Darkling without a solid body. When Vearn split himself in two, he placed his physically strong and younger body in the care of Myst who possessed it. Hence the name Mystvearn. Meanwhile, he created the Elderly body to retain his memories and magical powers. He had Lon Beruk create his staff to help solidify the rouse that he and Mystvearn were two different people. They were and at the same time they weren’t. While split in two, Vearn was able to use a Time Freeze Spell to be virtually immortal and recast it during every Solar Eclypse on himself.

Before his face was revealed, Mystvearn constantly said when backed into a corner he was forbidden from removing his shroud without Vearn’s permission. The reason was because it would be a problem if someone who knew Vearn’s true identity saw his face even by chance. This is also why Myst was and was not the “other” Vearn at the same time. To those who didn’t know their secret, it was likely assumed Mystvearn had Vearn’s name because it was given to him by the original or was an homage to him.

Killvearn probably figured it out and Avan put the clues together. The one time Avan used the Time Free Spell, he was caught in the rebound and was frozen in time himself. Vearn, on the other hand is powerful enough to use the spell without having to worry about the rebound. When Dai defeats the Dark King Vearn, he decides all bets are off and telepathically tells Myst he wants his former body back. The picture at the very top is his original form.

 

 

Just before his battle with Vearn begins, Dai gains a second Dragon Crest–his father’s. Now he wields one in each fist, allowing him to use his powers as a Dragon Knight fully. He is also able to tap into the knowledge, memories and experiences of all the Dragon Knights who came before him including his father’s. It’s worth keeping in mind Dai is just 12 years old but is probably the most powerful being on the planet right now–excluding Vearn of course. He’s come quite a long way to say the least.

Two Dragon Knights existing at the same time is unheard of to say the least. When Human forces or Darkling forces becomes too powerful, a Dragon Knight will be born to bring balance. Baran turned on Humanity and joined the Dark Army after his wife Soala, who was a former princess was murdered just to get to him. Dai, who was a baby at the time went missing and presumed dead. Vearn figured out before long Dai was Baran’s long lost son and did everything he could to keep Baran from coming in contact with Dai for as long as possible.

When the two finally met as enemies, Baran didn’t hold back. Eventually, Dai defeated him but barely. Baran went into hiding from Vearn for a time but when he returned from exile, he decided to help Dai fight Vearn. He died fighting Hadlar but not before mortally wounding him, allowing Dai to later defeat Hadlar.

 

Maam has quite the interesting history with Avan’s party to say the least. For one, her parents were two of Avan’s party members in his younger days. Later, Avan gave her the magic gun she used for most of the series. After her Magic Gun broke, she left the group to train as a Martial Artist. Her master? Brokeena, another of Avan’s party members. Popp, on the other hand was trained by another of Avan’s party members: The Great Sage Matroviv. Popp learns the ultimate spell Medroa from him.

It was heavily teased throughout the series but Popp finally admits his feelings to Maam. Doing so allows him to do his part in casting the Kaglimmer spell Maam and others risked their lives to get. Maam’s parents were a Warrior and a Priest while she ended up training to become a Martial Artist. Popp is a Mage turned Sage himself. Any kids they have are guaranteed to be obscenely strong!

 

…Whew, I covered quite a lot more than intended there.

Things are starting to get really interesting to say the least though. You can catch Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai on Crunchyroll on that note.

 

 

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10 Webtoons that need an Anime or Live Action Adaptation

There is no more denying Webtoons are here to stay. The majority of Webtoons are Webcomics. Manwha (South Korean comics) and are South Korea’s equivalent to Japan’s Light Novels adapted to Manga and Anime. Some Webtoons actually have gotten an Anime or live Action adaptation. Noblesse, Tower of God (Webtoon still ongoing) and God of High School are three of the most known to get Anime Adaptations while the still ongoing True Beauty and So I Married the Anti-Fan are two MEGA popular Webtoons–both Webtoons still ongoing–that recently got a Live-Action Adaptation. The three Anime adaptations I mentioned are all on Crunchyroll while the two Live Action Adaptations I mentioned are both on Viki. You’re welcome.

 

I’m now going to present two groups of 10 Webtoons I’ve been following that I think should get an Anime or Live Action Adaptation. To be fair, I won’t put a Webtoon on both lists. I say that given some listed could easily be adapted for both.

 

Ok, first here is my list of 10 Webtoons that I’d like to see get an Anime Adaptation:

 

1. Hardcore Leveling Warrior: The series finale was a few months back and man oh man was it EPIC. I won’t get into plot spoilers but the Webtoon’s pacing lends itself quite well to about 8 to 10 story arcs. If they want to split it that way, this could be 5 or 6 seasons.
2. I’m The Grim Reaper: Personally, the storytelling would be better adapted to a Live Action but this would need an Anime Adaptation because it would be much more cost-effective. It’s a supernatural horror and has a way of pulling you into the deep end out the gate.
3. Gul: One of the most HILARIOUS Webcomics ever made. There’s a lot of crass humor so this would get the Mature rating.
4. The Advanced Player of the Tutorial Tower: This is a Webtoon that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Guy gets trapped in a Tutorial for 12 years. Guy finally gets out. Guy is MASSIVELY OP. Hilarity ensues. The video game mechanics employed require this getting an Anime adaptation.
5. 66,666 Years: Advent of the Dark Mage: This Fantasy Drama is quite interesting and doesn’t take itself too seriously. The MC is OP for the era he reincarnates into but he’s quickly learned to fear the only beings who are a match for him: His parents. Especially his boarderline psychotic Lord and Swordmaster of a father.
6. Weak Hero: Another Webtoon whose storytelling would be better suited for Live Action but I feel like it would be safer to make it an Anime. A Live Action adaptation would require a LOT of creative changes to make it fit. More so given how graphic some of the fight scenes get.
7. God, Please Make Me a Demon!: Demon gets reincarnated as a human girl. Demon Girl’s powers gradually return whenever she does good deeds for others. Hilarity ensues. It doesn’t get any better than that.
8. Villain to Kill: A Hero is betrayed, killed and reincarnated as a VIllain. It’s quite the juxtoposition to say the least. Now secretly living as a member of the other side of the divide, the MC discovers Villans might be much more complex than he had been led to believe as a Hero.
9. The Gamer: A video game addict wishes life was like a video game. Wish granted. I don’t want to say any more than that without spoiling anything but this would be so easy and fun to adapt as an Anime.
10. I Get Stronger The More I Eat: Last on the list but the only Isekai! A guy with a OP eating-related skill is transported to a Fantasy world. As the title implies, he gains the abilities of whatever he eats. Did I forget to mention he never gets indigestion?

 

This is quite a nice mix. All but the first are ongoing Webtoons by the way. Do yourself a favor and go get caught up. Tower of God, The God of High Schol and Noblesse all got Anime adaptatins. You can find them all on Crunchyroll.

 

Ok so now here’s 10 Webtoons I’d like to see get a Live Action Adaptation:

 

1. Your Throne: This is a psychological thriller and has plenty of good drama. Not even Hollywood could mess this up that’s how well done this story is. The series is currently on hiatus but with the way it’s written, it’s ready to be adapted anytime for either TV or a movie series.
2. Devilish Romance: The plot’s similar to God, Please Make Me a Demon! but it’s a Rom-Com. The Live-Action version would probably lean a bit more in the Drama aspects of it though.
3. Get Schooled!: Arguably one of the most iconic Webtoons EVER. Two ex-soldiers are hired by South Korea’s Department of Education and can legally beat up students. Yes, really. This could easily be adapted and have each case done in any sequence. There’s not pressure to adapt every case from the Webtoon either for that matter.
4. See You In My 19th Life: What would you do if you could remember your past lives? Would anyone from your previous life believe you when you met them again? What if you were killed in your previous life and needed their help in your new one? Those are just some of the plots in this drama and it could probably be a movie series if done right.
5. Mom, I’m Sorry: Arguably one of the most emotionally charged Webtoons EVER. It wrapped up a few months back and it just plays itself out very nicely as a Drama. Even better is the supernatural elements are pretty minimal and it plays itself out for a pretty good live-action drama.
6. Let’s Play: This Romance Drama is just amazingly well-written. It lends itself quite well to either a western or eastern live action adaptation.
7. Back to You: This Slice of Life Romance is quite special to say the least. Unrequited love gets a second chance but things hardly go as expected. The Webtoon recently finished which is always good!
8. Marry Me!: I wanna see this adapted on Viki as a Romance/Slice of Life so bad, it’s not even funny. There’s absolutely no way it can be screwed up either.
9. Good Luck, Hero!: This is what you call a reverse-Isekai. Some characters from a fantasy world die and are reincarnted in modern South Korea. This one has quite an interesting plot to say the least and lends itself quite well to a live-action adaptation.
10. Return of the Mad Demon: The first chapter of this Webtoon is a legit gut-buster despite being an Action/Thriller. That’s because the main character is legit insane. You never know what he’s going to say or do next, that’s what makes the Webtoon such a treat.

 

Like I mentioned earlier, True Beauty and So I Married The Anti-Fan both got Live Action Adaptations. You can catch them on Viki.

 

For context, I only listed Webtoons I read myself that are on the Webtoon app. I have about 100 Webtoons cued but I’ve read about 70 of them from what I can remember. I’ll probably update this post later with some honorable mentions but for now, I want to keep things on these in particular because of their outstanding storytelling.

 

 

 

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Former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo assassinated

 

I happened to be watching NHK Japan last night when the shocking news broke that Japan’s former prime minister was shot. He was taken to a local hospital unresponsive and was later pronounced dead. He was 67 years old. Abe Shinzo was Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister. He was in office for 12 years before declining health forced him to step down in 2020. Abe was prime minister while Bush 43, Obama and Trump were president.

Tributes are pouring in from not just across Japan but around the world. The former prime minster’s assassination has also shattered the sense of peace and safety from gun violence Japan has long enjoyed since the end of World War II. Japan has long been known as one of the safest countries in the world. For context, it’s very common to see preschool-aged children using public transportation unattended in Tokyo and Osaka. For the most part, tou do not need to look over your shoulder when walking around at night.

While the assassin was arrested on the spot, the body blow he dealt to Japan will be felt for some time. The assassin was a former JSDF soldier and made the gun he used himself. Personally, I am concerned that may have permanently shattered the collective sense of safety from random gun violence the people of Japan have enjoyed for generations.

Many Japanese officials condemned the assassination as an attack on not just Democracy but an attack on Free Speech. Abe was speaking at a public event in Nara at the time he was killed. One of the so far known motives behind the assassination was the assassin held hatred toward what’s being referred to as a “certain group” he mistakenly believed Abe was affiliated with. Yes, someone really felt they needed to kill the former Prime Minister over something like that.

Given this was a politically motivated killing, even though he was no longer a government official at the time, the assassin will likely face the death penalty when convicted. Assuming that happens, The Japanese government has a policy of not telling the condemned in advance when they will be executed. Capital Punishment is extremely rare in Japan but given the nature of Abe’s assassination, it’s not a stretch to believe it will be off the table. The condemned don’t know when they’ll be executed until the day of. On that day, a guard will go to their cell to take them to be executed.

 

 

The day before Abe’s assassination, manga, anime and trading card game fans were already rocked by the sudden and untimely death of Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi. Takahashi was found dead off the coast of Okinawa wearing diving gear after being spotted by someone passing by. He was 60 years old. His death is presumed to be accidental drowning.

 

In the early 90s, Takahashi’s fascination with Egyptian Mythology inspired him to create the Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga. The Manga was adapted into an Anime and more famously, inspired a real world trading card game. Not gonna lie, I spent around $1,200 on the TCG between 2002 and 2009. I wrote about it here. To save people a click, here’s one line that sums up that experience for me: Trading Card Games are a massive time and money pit. If you’re not careful, you might not be able to get out on your own.

 

While the Yu-Gi-Oh Franchise is nowhere near as popular s it once was 20 years ago, it currently lives on in anime, manga, the physical trading card game, the new official digital trading card game (Free to play) and video games.

 

 

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PAX East staff member dies from COVID-19 four weeks before Anime Boston 2022

 

Gamespot shared the tragic news Tuesday afternoon.

PAX East took place in the Boston Convention Center in Boston last weekend. Although the event required all attendees and staff to be vaccinated, to that point Massachusetts and Boston had recently ended their mask mandates. Both the Boston Convention Center where PAX East is held and the Hynes Convention Center where Anime Boston is held are state property managed by the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA). This is one of the situations where one death is too many. That much goes without saying to say the least.

I decided to pass on going to Anime Boston this year and likely next year in part due to these concerns. It’s easy to forget in general, conventions are a breeding ground for viral outbreaks because you have hundreds and thousands of people in enclosed spaces. I last attended AB2018 on that note. The larger reason I am not attending Anime Boston is simply because I don’t have the money right now and need to prioritize things.

That aside, I am sure the folks who manage Anime Boston will work with Hynes staff as well as the Sheraton Hotel which also hosts some events to mitigate the risks of the convention becoming another super spreader event as much as possible. Like PAX East did last month, Anime Boston does have a vaccine mandate for all attendees and staff and this was announced in October. According to what I’ve been reading on Anime Boston’s official forums, they decided to go with a mask mandate despite relaxed posturing at the local, state and federal levels on masking guidelines.

The only time you can be maskless is when you’re eating/drinking. You need to keep it on even if you’re a solo panelist like I typically was because then convention staff would have an increased risk of getting infected while cleaning the stage and microphones after you finish. Since you’re using a microphone, your voice will carry just fine with a mask on. All you have to do is slow down and properly endunciate to be heard and understood.

In closing, Anime Boston is taking the situation VERY seriously and more so after they were forced to cancel in 2020 and 2021. For those who don’t know, 100% of all Anime Boston staff and board members are not paid for what they do. Anime Boston’s parent company the New England Anime Society (NEAS) is a 501.3(c) Nonprofit. Everyone who works behind the scenes is doing it because they believe in what they’re doing first and they want the convention to be a success second. Not just for attendees but also for the staff who will be on the ground as well.

I will be watching things from a distance this year and possibly next year but I’m sure Anime Boston’s attendance this year will much lower than attendees are used to. Since 2012, Anime Boston’s attendance has exceeded 20k. Its peak was in 2017 when the attendance reached 27k. I’m sure Anime Boston staff are expecting attendance to be closer to its early years when it peaked around 10k. I would be very surprised if attendance exceeds 10k nevermind 15k this year and likely next year.

COVID-19 aside, it’s also true the entrance fee has also been increasing in recent years. When I first started going back in 2010, a weekend pass was $50. This year, it’s $95 if you preregister and $105 at the door. I did consider just getting a Sunday pass–and I am considering that for next year–but right now I can’t justify spending the $50 or $60 to be there for basically 5 and a half hours (closing Ceremonies starts at 3PM and lasts an hour). Not this year at least.

 

 

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Japanese parents expressing concern over Sexually Explicit content in Anime

 

It’s hard to ignore the fact it’s becoming more and more commonplace in mainstream anime these days. Last year, Fire Force creator Atsushi Ōkubo weighed in on the subject that involved one character known to randomly lose their clothing in a Manga scene. He addressed the controversy around this character’s semi-nude trope directly by basically saying “So what if some people don’t like her showing so much skin in almost every scene? I dont give a damn.” through the scene. We’ll have to wait and see if this scene is put in the anime once the story reaches that point but it probably will be.

Most Anime fans in the West are already well aware of this but Japanese media is imfamous for being very…”liberal” in regards to its depictions of sexual content, violence and immorality in general for decades. The difference is until about 20 years ago, such content was strictly 18+ even in Japan. What happened? Foreign demand for Japanese media sharply increased, that’s what. Many consumers in North America and Europe who didn’t like their country’s “Censorship practices” took a strong liking to Japanese anime and manga because in general, western consumers felt Japanese media appealed to “mature audiences”.

Even when Anime began to become mainstream in North America and Europe about 25 years ago (late 1990s), most of what made its way to the West was relatively tame compared to most what was available in Japan at the same time. The West almost exclusively got select Shonen like Digimon, Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO), Pokemon, Dragonball Z, Inuyasha (started in the late 90s, Manga premeired earlier in the 90s) and Sailor Moon back then. All of these were geared toward kids and youth so even in Japan they were mostly tame, the one exception from that list being Dragonball Z (edited fo graphic content outside Japan).

It wasn’t until the mid to late 2000s that we really started to see the kiddie gloves coming off because by that point, anime airing in the West exclusively ran on Cable/Satellite. There was less of a need to edit anime for graphic content. Bleach, Death Note, Naruto, Samurai Champloo, Code Geass, Fullmetal Alchemist and Cowboy Beebop were all trail blazers in their own right and opened the floodgates for anime globally. Toward the end of the decade, anime streaming services were starting to take off. This is to say nothing of the West being introduced to the artistic genius of Hayao Miyazaki earlier in the decade via Disney’s Studio Ghibli.

It was during the 2010s that we really started seeing more non-Shonen going mainstream. We would also start to see Shonen that didn’t have fighting or flashy action sequences at the end of the decade like Food Wars and Dr. Stone. By 2014, Crunchyroll had become the anime streaming giant it still is now though Funimation would also launch their own streaming service. It was also by the mid-2010s that Anime’s Global Golden Age would be over after almost 20 years. At this point most anime, manga and even many Japanese RPGs were noticably being made with older consumers in mind. Why? Demand from foreign consumers was driving profits to new heights and the industry was adjusting accordingly.

 

 

That brings me back to the main topic. The fact that Japanese parents are raising concerns about Sexually Explicit content in anime tells me there is a more social awareness in Japan on what exactly their kids are being exposed to.

World’s End Harem, which recently premiered on Crunchyroll is a blatant attempt to make an obvious Ecchi appealing to “General Audiences”. How so? The basic premise of the story is about a man who wakes up after 5 years in cryogenic sleep to a world where Males are virtually extinct due to a viral outbreak. His primary mission? Impregnante as many Females as possible weather he wants to or not. The Manga it’s based on has actually been around for some time. While it IS true there is an actual plot, that is obviously not what the uh…”appeal” is if you know what I mean.

It’s interesting to note the reason there has been an uptick in anime and manga with sexually explicit content in recent years is because demand for it has sharply risen. Not from Japanese consumers but from consumers outside Japan. Most consumers from inside Japan don’t understand it and they DON’T like all the “Fan Service” for that matter anywhere near as much as they know many people outside Japan think. I do think it’s only a matter of time before Japanese artists and studios pivot on their own because most of them don’t want to be stereotyped for this anymore.

 

This is to say nothing of content sexualizing Female characters characterized as pre-pubescent and content depicting or promoting incest, usually between sibings becoming mainstream. This kind of content you usually had to put in some effort to find but mostly due to Western influence, we are seeing more of it in the mainstream. Japanese society is starting to recognize it as the problem it truly is and I am hoping they can discourage it personally.

 

 

 

 

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Crunchyroll announces Funimation, VRV and Wakanim’s libraries will merge with theirs

 

Crunchyroll broke the news this morning on their website. They have also given a partial list of what they have moved so far and more will be coming over time. If you already have a Crunchyroll account, you do not need to do anything. If you have an account with Funimation, VRV or Wakanim Crunchyroll is offering 60 free days of premium which they will send you via email.

I forgot to mention it on this blog but Funimation bought Crunchyroll last year. One of the biggest questions those of us with Crunchyroll Premium subscriptions had been wondering to now is what it means for us. Sony, which owns Funimation could have simply done the opposite. Most would agree browsing Crunchyroll’s catalog regardless of platform is way more user friendly than Funimation’s even after the former’s revamp two years ago.

Sony could’ve merged Crunchyroll’s library with Funimation’s but thankfully they decided to do it this way instead. For me it also means Crunchyroll is strong enough for Funimation to do this at least. Funimation itself is not going away. They will still Dub and license anime. Their streaming service is simply merging with Crunchyroll’s. They are calling it the world’s largest anime streaming library for a reason but the caviat is it’s the largest LEGAL one. I don’t use pirate websites–never have and never will–but I know a lot of people in low-income countries who do. They use pirate websites because they simply can’t afford it in their country or in many cases Crunchyroll isn’t available in their country. Much will need to be done to address this problem to say the least.

 

 

 

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Fruits Basket and Fullmetal Alchemist: Two Manga that got two different anime adaptations

 

 

It doesn’t happen often but Fruits Basket and Fullmetal Alchemist are two Manga that would each get not one but two different Anime adaptations. In both cases, both Anime ended up having huge fan followings. Both anime employ the same characters (and same voice actors) but the difference is the storytelling.

In the case of Fullmetal Alchemist, the first Anime doesn’t follow the Manga. The second anime released over 10 years later–titled Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood–is a complete adaptation of the Manga. I was able to confirm it myself when I got the entire Manga series over the course of 3 years. The second one was more well received because it followed the story from the Manga which the first one doesn’t. I am not familiar with the Manga version of Fruits Basket though I have seen both Anime. The first one leans more into RomCom but the second one leans more into Drama and is clearly more serious. The second version was promoted as “reimagining the original story” and most agree the slower pacing–and the greater emphasis on developing the new supporting characters added–helps tell a better and expanded story. The focus is shifted from the Soma Curse itself to the relationships and interactions between various people.

 

The number of Anime that deviate from the source material over the years is just way too long to list all of them. Here’s a few notable examples of Anime that deviate from the source material:

 

Contrary to popular belief, the Manga preceeded everything else. Those who are familiar with the imfamous English Dub for the original series already knows how much 4Kids, which did the English dub changed from the Japanese version. Upper Deck, which localized the trading cards in the U.S. and Konami, which localized the video games followed their lead. Did you know Dark Magician was really Black Magician in Japan? Likewise, Summoned Skull was Summoned Demon. Black Skull Dragon was–you guessed it–Black Demon Dragon. The names were changed due to concerns of blowback from Conservative parents in the U.S.–it was marketed to kids as a reminder–and more so since even with the changes, there was no avoiding the occult themes. That alone, most can understand.

What made no sense was several characters being renamed. Teala became Tea, Junnoichi became Joey and Honda became Tristan. The only change to Yugi was the spelling for his last name (Motou became Moto). THAT pissed off a lot of people who were familiar with the source material and speaking of. What was the first season in the U.S. was actually the second season in Japan. The first season that only Japan got prominently featured Yami Yugi using pranks and curses to deal with troublemakers he encountered, often in gruesome ways. Naturally, they wouldn’t have been able to get away with it in the U.S. since as a reminder, kids were the target audience for marketing purposes.

One other thing that was a major pet peeve for me as someone who played the Trading Card game–and I was pretty good back in the day–was duels in the Anime followed their own rules separate from the TCG. This created a lot of confusion especially for those who watched the anime thinking the rules were the same.

 

 

The Anime is now the longest running ever with no signs of slowing down anytime soon 23 years later. Pokemon fans have had a love/hate relationship with Ash since the beginning but mostly hate. The hate comes from the fact in each region, Ash doesn’t evolve most of his Pokemon and doesn’t catch a lot of Pokemon either. Ash leaving all of his Pokemon but Pikachu behind before going to the next region is also viewed by most as needlessly handicapping himself. Ash has racked up quite a few powerhouse Pokemon that if he used them, he would’ve dominated in some of the regions he would later visit. It certainly wouldn’t have taken him 21 years to become a League Champion to say the least.

It goes without saying the anime follows its own story separate from the games each saga is based on. At the time what’s now officially known as the Indigo League Saga first aired, Pokemon Red and Blue came to the U.S. Those games would be joined by Pokemon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition about 18 months later. Pokemon Yellow adapted some of the story elements from the Anime such as Jessie and James replacing four Team Rocket battles from Red/Blue and Giovanni having a Persian on his team each time you battle against him. Unlike Red/Blue in which you’re forced to choose from Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle you will be able to get all three of them in Yellow by the time you finish your business in Lavender Town. Why? Because Ash gets all three of them by that point in the Anime. You can find a Pidgeotto in Viridian Forest and can’t use a Thunder Stone on the Pikachu you start with in Yellow for the same reasons.

Pokemon Yellow also made some balancing changes with most of the Gym Leaders. The Pokemon the first 6 Gym Leaders were known to us by the time Pokemon Yellow dropped on that note. To help offset not having a Water or Grass Pokemon at the beginning of the game, the wild Mankey and Nidoran (Male and Female) you catch in Yellow do learn Double Kick early on so you can get past Brock’s Rock Pokemon without having to trade. Both of Brock’s Pokemon also had their levels reduced by two each. Misty’s Pokemon and levels are unchanged but unlike Red/Blue, she will not Full Heal status ailments you inflict on her Pokemon. Lt. Surge uses a single Pokemon when you face him: A level 28 Raichu with Mega Punch and Mega Kick just like in the Anime. Erika uses the same team she used against Ash in the anime (Tangela, Gloom and Weepinbell). Koga adds a Venomoth to his lineup while Sabrina uses Abra and its evolutions. Blaine’s team is unchanged while Giovanni has a Persian replacing a Pokemon in Viridian Gym (same for your other two Giovanni battles).

As folks who followed the Anime for years know, Ash is joined by Brock and Misty for the Indigo and Johto Sagas. Misty leaves after the Johto Saga and Brock leaves after the Sinnoh Saga. From the Hoenn Saga to the Kalos Saga, Ash would be joined by the Female protagonist from the game (May, Dawn, Serena) or Gym Leaders (Iris, Cilan, Clemont). It actually wasn’t until the mobile game Pokemon Masters EX that we found out the official names of Gen 5’s Protagonists (the in-game avatars you play as): Hilbert (Male), Rosa (Female), Nate (Male) and Hilda (Female). In addition, Gen 7’s Protagonists are named Elio (Male) and Selene (Female). None of them appear or are mentioned in the anime.

It goes without saying the anime follows its own plot separate from the games. There is also a reason we have not seen another game like Pokemon Yellow that incorporated elements from the Anime. Ash-Greninja (Distributed via Sun/Moon’s Demo) does not count on that note since the unique abilities Ash’s Greninja displays was for cross-promotion purposes. This special Greninja can’t be bred on that note and its special ability is nothing to call home about. The reason we have not seen another game like Pokemon Yellow either main series or otherwise incorporate elements from the Anime is simply because they are two different worlds. Pokemon Yellow proved they were meant to stay on separate tracks.

 

 

The second half of Attack on Titan’s final season begins next month and fans of the franchise have been following it from the very beginning over 5 years ago. The pacing of the release of the anime has been held back to ensure it does not outpace the Manga and that’s because the anime has no filler episodes or filler arcs. On that note. In times past, studios would develop filler episodes or filler seasons that have nothing to do with the source material due to network obligations. Not anymore. This is one of the benefits that come with a series being on a platform like Crunchyroll or Funimation.

Everyone remembers the original Dragonball Z anime from the 90s that not only had filler episodes but drastically slowed down storytelling and pacing. When the reboot Dragonball Z Kai was released first on Nickelodeon and then Adult Swim, they cut out all the filler and the difference is like night and day. By the time Dragonball Z Kai was beginning to wind down the Buu Saga, the then new Dragonball Super was well into development.

 

…Whew.

 

I think it’s become obvious by now there is a new appreciation by the industry to just stick as close to the source material as possible when making anime.  Fans are willing to wait and with streaming services, they can work at their own pace. These days, more Anime is adapted from Light Novels or Web Comics than Manga and it’s just as well.

 

 

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I recently started reading and watching “So I Married the Anti-Fan”

 

The lengths they went with the K-Drama to stay true to the source material–the Webcomic, which was adapted from the Light Novel of the same name–is why I have decided to read the Webtoon and watch the K-Drama at the same time. I finished reading Episode 24 of the Webcomic (On Webtoon) and just started Episode 2 of the K-Drama (on Viki).

Without spoiling too much, the pair is about to start filming their reality TV show in the Webtoon while the pair are separately dealing with the immediate aftermath of their imfamous exchange at JJ’s Nightclub in the K-Drama. That’s where I’m at right now with both Mediums. I plan to read the Webtoon version first, then get caught up in the K-Drama version. The Webtoon version was only recently released and was actually released to promote the K-Drama, which is a bit further ahead in the story. As a reminder, both were adapted from the Light Novel of the same name. From what I’ve read, the Light Novel was first released back in 2012 so…yeah.

 

It was easy for me to see why this series was so popular in both mediums: It gives audiences a deep dive into the Idol Culture both South Korea and Japan are known for.

 

That’s a good segway into this video:

 

Here’s the original song it’s based on by Bo Burnham:

 

The dark side of the idol industy in Japan and South Korea has been getting a lot of attention in recent years as more and more former Idols and people from the industry talk about their experiences. Basically, the purpose of your existence is to play a role until it’s no longer profitable. You almost never have time for relationships and often don’t get to see your own family much. When their American and European counterparts start to feel mental health-related burnout, they will just take time off. Not in Japan and South Korea due to cultural differences and expectations. That’s how brutal the Entertainment industry Complex is in Japan and South Korea. Your life is literally no longer your own.

I’ve read stories of Male idols basically having to meet with their girlfriends in secret for their girlfriends’ safety. Why? Because if some of the more crazy fans found out, their girlfriend’s life would probably be in danger. Yes, really. Some people literally worship JPop/KPop Idols to the point they feel their perception must be maintained no matter what. It’s even worse for Female Idols though this is more widely known. More often than not, idols are not allowed to be seen “out of character” while in public if they haven’t completely changed or disguised their appearance.

Both Male and Female Idols who find love after getting into the business is usually kept a closely guarded secret if their love interest is not a public figure or celebrity. If they found love before getting in the business, they have some leeway with both their agency and fans though. If a Female Idol gets pregnant, how the agency handles it depends on if her relationship was publicly known or not. If it was publicly known, they’ll announce it and she’ll have time off until after she gives birth. If the relationship wasn’t publicly known, they will have her take time off and will usually arrange for her to not be publicly seen for at least a year. In more extreme cases, she may even be forced to quietly have an abortion. Why? Because profits over people that’s why.

As far as most Idol Agencies are concerned, the Idol is a product of their making and they can do whatever they want with you as long as you’re profitable. When you’re no longer profitable, they show you the door without compensation. You are not even entitled to royalties. The Agencies ensure that. Some former Idols actually do find Indie success but without the backing of their former agencies, most are forced to find some other kind of work. More so if they left their former agency on bad terms. You’re nothing more than a cog in the machine. That is the Idol Industrial Complex in South Korea and Japan. It used to be like that in the U.S. too but not as much these days.

…What does all of this have to do with Anti-Fan you may wonder? Read and/or Watch and see for yourself =)

 

 

 

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Netflix’s Live Action version of Cowboy Bebop is clearly trying to be respectful to the source material

 

More so given the overwhelmingly negative reception it’s received so far from fans of the Anime. I get it, everyone remembers the disaster that was Netflix’s Death Note. Clearly tthis time will be different though.

 

Here’s a side by side comparison with the opening title sequence for both the Anime and the Live Action Version:

 

 

As of now, we know that there will be at least two seasons.

One noticable omission from the first season is seems to be Edward. The interesting thing about Edward is contrary to the name, Edward is actually a girl. If you pay attention, Edward’s gender isn’t mentioned or clarified until the episode explaining her backstory near the end of the series. My guess is the producers were either not sure how to write her story for the first season or they may be planning to make her genderless.

 

Netflix dropped this almost 3-minute teaser I assume to convince fans of the anime to check it out. Given they kept Tank! (the song from the opening sequence), which is one of Anime’s most iconic tracks ever that should be enough for people to know this project is worth checking out at least. I plan to watch along with a few other stuff whenever it is I renew my Netfix subscription. Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop premieres on November 19.

If you’ve read this far and havent watched the anime before–what the hell is wrong with you if that’s true–you have quite a few options:

1. Toonami/Adult Swim (Cartoon Network)
2. DVD/Blu Ray
3. YouTube

…Pick one.

I have it on Blu Ray but first watched it on Toonami/Adult Swim when it was first released way, WAY back in 1998. Toonami has been airing it in reruns ever since.

 

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