Sean Akizuki's Fantasy Critic

So okay, here's Liu Kang arriving and somehow I'm kinda upset that the younger version doesn't look like a younger Robin Shou -- I mean didn't we have Brigitte Wilson, the late Trevor Goddard and Linden Ashby as the basis for the models of Sonya Blade (and in extension, Cassie), Kano and Johnny Cage? Liu Kang's aged form looks like an aging Shou so why not use the younger Shou's appearance for well the younger Liu Kang here? Tthe trailer hype is there. I don't like how less scary the Revenant Liu Kang costume has become based on the story trailer though. I think about seeing the latest videos where he has his nunchucks further giving him the Bruce Lee reference all the while making him the Chinese version of Ryu. Like Ryu, he's got a friendly rival (Kung Lao is Mortal Kombat's Ken) and they were beating off big-time antagonists (Shao Kahn and M. Bison/General Vega) then one unique feature is the darker side. Mortal Kombat could've created a se...

Old skool or new skool? Why not both, right? It's just like I tend to prefer older Super Sentai and newer Kamen Rider or how I prefer classical music while enjoying new school technology. MK11's probably convoluted storyline where Kronika the Keeper of Time seeks to restore balance (and she's the anti-villain main antagonist) has caused both past and present to collide. She hopes to restore the balance of time but may be doing some things unethical in the process. What's so cool about this trailer in spite of the rather sh*tty song? I'd like to point out how this can create confusion if two eras collide. We also see past Jax meeting present Jax. Both Liu Kang and Kung Lao from the past soon meet their Revenant selves -- just imagine Ryu clashing with a future version of Evil Ryu in a time paradox! We also see what could be Liu Kang's newest fatality and Jax's would-be fatal blow. Sidenote, I just wish that they molded Liu Kang's face after a younger...

Just look at this FREAKING TRAILER. Yes, Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa is somehow given his tribute some time after MK9. The first tribute he had was when the phrase "Your soul is mine!" was used there though... You may notice that the younger Shang Tsung looks eerily similar to Ian Anthony Dale. So why didn't Tagawa voice the older Shang Tsung for the first part of the tournament? I wish that they used Tagawa's younger self as a template for MK9 Shang Tsung -- just like they used Brigitte Wilson's and Linden Ashby's faces in spite of neither cast member voicing said character. For me, this is a good throwback to the now elderly actor!

I could go ahead and still not think about Lightspeed Rescue at all while watching GoGoFive and I thought Time Force's toning things down actually worked their way. But I wonder what REALLY happened for these shows to get a budget cut in the form of only 40 episodes?! You can think of several reasons why I think these shows NEEDED extra episodes before they ended. There are several stuff that the American side had that the Japanese side didn't have which I will discuss over and out. I may be a huge Timeranger fan, I still think it's Yasuko Kobayashi's best work but I think Ransik was more entertaining than Don Dolnero -- especially with how he's a futuristic version of Dr. Giba from Jiban. Ransik had some depth in spite of his tendency to suffer from character decay -- you can think of how Hirohisa Soda ended up turning Garoa from a genuine threat to an idiot. Maybe we can also talk more about Trust and Triumph probably needed to be a two part arc. I would ha...

Megaman is one series that I was obsessed with in my late tens and early teens. Then I thought that I do still have an obsession with Megaman (to a certain extent) but not as far as to "must have every Megaman item and game" -- I just want to gather all the favorites that I played in the NES, PSX and PS2 games. Note that I won't be ranking them according to collections such as Anniversary Collection and Legacy Collection and neither will handhelds be mentioned here since I have NO handheld systems. Games like Megaman NAVI and Megaman Star Force won't be included. Spin-off games like Megaman Legends 2, Megaman Legends and Misadventures of Tron Bonne will be included. But I'd actually rank them by series as to avoid confusion but I'd actually also rank the series ACCORDING to my preferences. This won't cover up an entire list either and I still am getting hesitant to get Megaman 11 and play Megaman 9 and 10 too... I. Megaman X series -- my favorite X s...

One of the many reasons why I don't like Power Rangers is the tendency to add comic relief characters that usually go nowhere. Power Rangers Ninja Steel had its own comic disasters known as Victor and Monty -- they're even far worse than Bulk and Skull. Now are we seriously transporting Cassidy and Devin from the overrated Dino Thunder to create the siblings Ben and Betty? The first episode just shows how the writers may just intend to waste them. I can stand comic relief but not when it goes to the point like Bulk and Skull from MMPR to Zeo, Professor Calamitious errr Phenomenus from PR in Space to Lost Galaxy, Casidy and Devin from Dino Thunder, Boom from SPD, Spike from Samurai, Cassidy and Devin then it's really not worth it. I always find it to be rather humiliating than funny if you're tasked to play such roles -- such as when Ben and Betty nearly injured the mayor or their stun gun that doesn't work. So really, what's with the writers with how they ar...

While I don't want to deny Super Sentai does have its struggles such as trying to get toy sales up, trying to find a way between children and older fans but there's one thing you can't deny -- it's been Toei all throughout! I know Toei has cancelled some things that are probably no longer feasible like the Super Robot Anime series (which probably lost relevance because Super Sentai was able to give more cool toys) or Metal Hero (its decline started in the late 90s so we've got no new entry after Robotack) but will it soon end up doing the same to Power Rangers? Try to think about it -- the once hit Power Rangers series is not as hit as it used to be. It's been changing co-owners from Saban, to Disney, back to Saban and now Hasbro. I even wonder if Hasbro can even save the franchise with Power Rangers Beast Morphers ? Chances are probably slim considering the bad name Power Rangers had for itself. Want a summary of the timeline of Power Rangers' seve...

One of the many reasons why I personally still don't like Power Rangers aside from the tendency to add people like Bulk and Skull (or lately the siblings in Beast Morphers) is the licensed use of fight footage from Toei. Sure, we've got Saban, Disney and now Hasbro paying for the use of fight footage but do you know how AWKWARD it gets? Here's going to be a bit of flashback to how awkward it gets... If you've rewatched Mighty Morphin's first season -- you will realize that there's the poor attempt to edit out ZYURANGER from the Japanese equipment. It's because the U.S. exclusive morphers write "POWER RANGERS" instead. Hmmm, I wonder what excuse will Zordon have or what excuse did they have for this badly done edit? One could also talk about the awkwardness of transitioning from U.S. DIY stunt scenes from the main cast to American suit actors (who borrow the suits from Toei and make their own suits for some original footage) then mixing i...

I remembered how I initially disliked Cassie Cage's rather Miley Cyrus-esque appearance in Mortal Kombat X. But now, we've got a more developed Cassie who looks like a younger Brigitte Wilson. This is a more refined look for Cassie herself than what MKX did with her with the rather boyish look. But this one is pretty much more refined than what MKX had to offer. After all, remember the conversation she has with Liu Kang in every match? Liu Kang does say, "You've got your mother's face!" She did have Sonya's facial features though the look was pretty much unrefined. I guess this new look signifies a more mature Cassie -- a Cassie that matured after defeating Mortal Kombat's version of Loki (Shinnok) into submission the same way her father did 25 years ago. Meanwhile, I kinda want to explore this part. If Kung Jin is indeed gay and a woman in his past life (sorry but I don't like LGBT stories since I'm straight) but I kinda like the ...

Excited? Nervous? I admit, I'm getting excited at the prospect of my favorite MK villain of all time Shao Kahn returning (though I still get a bummer over Netherrealm's rather unfair treatment of Shinnok as a fallen Elder God) as rather pre-order DLC but let's focus on the story. The trailer now gives the plot of where Kronika who is probably the Elder Goddess of Time (similar to Kali in Indian mythos) goes back in time to talk to Shao Kahn. Shao Kahn who possibly had the most badass finish when the Elder Gods destroyed him for violating the rules of Mortal Kombat was most likely revived by Kronika in the process. Both past and present collide together in this game. I doubt it Kronika is the bwahahahahahaha type evil villain -- maybe she's just a neutral character who is in charge of keeping with the Yin and Yang of the Universe. Raiden's actions have upset the balance of Yin and Yang. She has gone as far as to go down into the Netherrealm to get its current rule...

Power Rangers Beast Morphers has begun and I thought I'd skip it (and maybe I won't even bother to sit down that LONG) but I'd like to give some criticisms. Hasbro has taken over yet I wonder why it's still STUCK IN NICKELODEON?! Yup, I'm looking at you Nick for ruining many beloved classics such as how Spongebob is no longer funny (and it should've been cancelled long ago to avoid ruining more childhoods of those who once enjoyed it), Fairly Oddparents' new characters are anything but interesting or somehow the network's bad decision making is a good reason why producer Butch Hartman left the network. Now, I'd like to raise my valid concerns on the first episode.  The first episode has been focused on 100% American footage but we know many mecha and certain in-suit fight scenes (and I always find the transition between PR unmorphed fights to Japanese footage to be just plain weird) will end up using lots of Japanese footage in later episodes....

Just reading how Power Rangers is stuck with the regular/super formula SINCE 2011 hasn't been Super. So really, why do we have to even have that SUPER UNNECESSARY summer break then we get the Super season? Power Rangers is pretty fine running WITHOUT a break. If it ain't broken then don't fix it but why are we seriously getting the summer break huh Nickelodeon?  This really makes me want to really further badmouth Nickelodeon as reported by Power Rangers Now : Power Rangers Beast Morphers is staying true to Nickelodeon’s format. When Power Rangers Beast Morphers premieres in 2019, it will air 22 episodes. This follows the same format the franchise has rolled out over the previous 8 years – with 20 episodes airing alongside two holiday themed specials: one geared towards Halloween, and another geared towards Christmas. Each episode will have a 30 minute runtime, with commercials. While not a format fans have loved, it’s a format fans have become accustomed to da...

I just didn't like the prototype that looked a lot like Ronda Rousey. Instead, they decided to go for the more refined Brigitte Wilson look.  One is Brigitte Wilson all hot and young and the other is Brigitte Wilson who's still hot in her 40s. I just wish that MKX tried to model Sonya's face after Wilson's current look to make it look more obvious that 20 years have passed, rather than making her still look too young to be a woman in her 40s.