Sean Akizuki's Fantasy Critic

Video game series can be full of strange retcons throughout the years -- no company excluded! I remember the Super Street Fighter II games -- the ones that introduced Fei Long, Cammy, T. Hawk, and Dee Jay. Eventually, Akuma became a hidden character in Super Street Fighter II Turbo . As a child, I had this thing for Cammy more than Chun Li. I believe it was a result of the American superiority mentality going on -- never mind I actually dislike MOST American localizations of Japanese shows (and the vice-versa can be very true).  It's quite funny how Street Fighter II V and the American Street Fighter cartoon came out in 1995. The American Street Fighter live movie was in 1994. Cammy's first non-canon adaptation was in the  Street Fighter movie. Cammy had two different adaptations. I prefer the Japanese Anime due to its better execution. Cammy was somewhat of a love interest for Guile in the American cartoon. However, Guile was canonically a family man and Ken Masters' broth...

The Marvel vs. Capcom series is built on a What-If storyline. Interestingly, Charlie was brought into the Marvel vs. Capcom series instead of Col. William Guile. Guile made his debut in the Street Fighter II series. Charlie's story was set up in the Street Fighter Alpha series -- which took place after the first Street Fighter game but before Street Fighter II series. Charlie made it into X-Men vs. Street Fighter   with a slightly modified version of his fate. Street Fighter Alpha 3 gave some interesting details such as how Cammy was made as a female version of the Dictator (which is just bad writing IMHO) and Charlie's death.  X-Men vs. Street Fighter has some what-if endings. However, Charlie's ending was confirmed canon. Charlie went missing and was assumed dead. However, it turned out that the Dictator decided to turn Charlie into Shadow. Shadow was a secret playable character in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter and a Special Partner in Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of...

  I wrote how the Sindel revelation in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath was pretty WTF . However, I realized that part of me enjoyed the Shao Kahn x Sindel retcon. I remember a quarrel I had over some a**hole who claimed he was Jerrod, I was Shao Kahn, and the woman was Sindel. The story back then was that Shao Kahn murdered Jerrod, forced Sindel to be his (but that woman reminds me of Mileena now), and adopted Kitana as his daughter. That was the story that people all grew up with. The story went on in Mortal Kombat (2011) . By then, I already overcome that so-called crush and recalled my real first crush. However, I still remember that A**HOLE and how he still messed up my life. I fantasized about performing a fatality on that A**HOLE and getting the woman back then. However, things changed when Mortal Kombat 11 came into the picture.  Mortal Kombat 11 truly shaked things -- perhaps for the worse. Sindel's ladder ending reveals that she came up with the story of how she was force...

I remember playing Mortal Kombat (2011) more than 10 years ago. Honestly, I feel like the game's getting neglected by Warner Bros. The game needed to get a remaster during the PS4 era. Now, it's the PS5 era. Mortal Kombat (2011) had paid DLC characters namely Kenshi, Rain (who's really THAT mistreated in the reboot trilogy), Skarlet (who was a rumored fighter back then), and the PS3-exclusive Kratos. Interestingly, Kratos was a guest character in the PSP-exclusive Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny . Kratos was banned from tournaments due to his exclusive status. As I was playing Mortal Kombat (2011) -- I found Kratos to be a fascinating guest character. God of War is supposedly a VERY VIOLENT SERIES. Kratos would fit more in Mortal Kombat than he would in Soul Calibur . Soul Calibur is rated Teen compared to Mortal Kombat . Kratos carried out his violence with less restraint. Soul Calibur wasn't really meant to be a bloody series. Why Sony tried out Kratos in Soul Calibur be...

It's understood that Conan the Barbarian (1982) had a more solid storytelling. However, after watching Conan the Destroyer -- I feel the movie that came after was a MESS. I may consider it a watchable mess now (unlike Conan and the Young Warriors released in 1994). However, I feel that Dagoth the Dreaming God was a wasted villain. Dagoth was supposedly the Bigger Bad of the movie. Queen Taramis of Shadizar the Wicked was the supposed main villain. However, Taramis' true aim was to release her master (and implied love interest) Dagoth from the statuesque form. Conan the Destroyer's plot had Taramis want to get the Horn of Dagoth. Two artifacts were needed namely the jewel and the horn. There was a watered-down version of Thoth-Amon  (played by the late Pat Roach) with a cheesy wrestling scene. There were the Protectors of the Horn. Taramis' deceptive personality was most likely the basis for Mesmira in Conan the Adventurer .  Sadly, the statue form of Dagoth just showed ...

I enjoy Kaiju No Kami's reviews even if he gives low scores to some of my favorite shows. I may have been a fan of Kosoku Sentai Turboranger but I enjoyed his negative review of the show. I may no want to rewatch VR Troopers after watching Chojinki Metalder . Kaiju No Kami's review of the said show highlights some weak points. Compared to most shows -- Metalder was way more serious. Sure, Kamen Rider BLACK was Darker and Edgier but it has a huge fanbase. Hikari Sentai Maskman was also more serious than usual -- it still managed to get a one-year run. However, Metalder only had 39 episodes and why is that? Why did it get rushed? Watching Kaiju No Kami's review -- it can be easily understood. The show's target audience was children. If most of the viewers were teenagers to adults -- who's really going to buy the toys?! I even feel that Metalder's design isn't really all that cool TBH. Maybe, I can say that there were too many Neros warriors put at once. I coul...

Before Haim Saban had the greenlight from Toei to produce VR Troopers -- there was the 1980s Jikuu Senshi Spielban . Sure, the late Soga Machiko may always be remembered as Witch Bandora in Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger . However, I think some people may have noticed that Despera was used as Desponda (who had Andrea Harmon for the U.S. footage). Blink and one may miss that some of Desponda's footage involves Machiko's face instead of Harmon. I only knew it when I was in college. VR Troopers was a strange mix -- it used Chojinki Metalder footage along with Spielban in the first season. It was later I noticed that Ucchu Keiji Shaider footage was used. It was that time I was still ignorant about international marketing and felt Toei should sue. I learned it was a contractual agreement. Dislike Power Rangers or any American adaptations all I want -- those shows can't be bootleg! Yes, that's why I've heckled a group of people who call Power Rangers BOOTLEG because no matter ho...

  Some people grew up watching reruns of the 1980s cartoons such as He-Man and the Masters of the Universe , The Transformers , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , or G.I. Joe. I decided to compile some of the 1980s villains that got more dangerous in the remakes. For better or for worse -- some of these villains that got more dangerous in the remakes.  Cobra Commander (Sigma SIX)  Okay, this Cobra Commander still has the zany antics like the 1980s villain. However, Sigma Six created a Cobra Commander that you'd be afraid. What makes Sigma Six CC more dangerous is that he can actually FIGHT ONE ONE ONE. This Cobra Commander managed to give the Sigma Six team a run for their money more than once. Duke even learns the hard way that this isn't like 1980s CC. Sigma Six CC has a darker, more menacing personality. I could imagine how Sigma Six CC would probably get rid of Serpentor immediately.  What I think was the wrong target market. What made 1980s CC relatable because...

Cartoon villains are defined by some form of stupidity -- even the leader! I wrote about G.I. Joe's toxic partnership between the COBRA Commander and Destro . Now, it's time to discuss Hasbro's other show  The Transformers . Starscream became the Trope Namer for The Starscream. It's because Starscream was infamous for his directly challenging Megatron. If Cobra Commander had Destro then Megatron had Starscream. Destro never made his treachery secret and neither did Starscream. This makes me ask, "Why would Megatron ever tolerate Starscream for TWO SEASONS STRAIGHT?"  One needs to take a look at how Destro and Starscream operate. Basically, Megatron needs Starscream as much as Cobra Commander needs Destro. Starscream has high intelligence and is a weapons specialist -- like Destro. Starscream is also the Air Commander -- something Megatron also needs. Without Starscream -- Megatron probably wouldn't have the resources to cook up typical Saturday morning vil...

Street Fighter characters get revamped in the Marvel vs. Capcom series . One of the biggest revamps done was with the Dictator (Bison in the U.S., Vega in Japan). Bison was pretty much a charge-based character in the mainstream Street Fighter games. Playing as them can be challenging unless one knew the secret of holding downwards-back instead of just holding back to effectively use them. X-Men vs. Street Fighter and its follow-up Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter introduced the M. Bison incarnation that I love the most. After playing the Street Fighter Alpha series -- I felt that Bison's usage of a special move Psycho Crusher wasn't my style. Instead, having Bison use the Psycho Shot in its place and a Psycho Crusher as a highly damaging Super Move was the way to go. Sure, later games gave Bison a Psycho Crusher as a special move and a Super Psycho Crusher as a super move -- mostly for Level 3 only. The Marvel vs. Capcom series gave us an upgraded version of Bison from th...