Sean Akizuki's Fantasy Critic

I'd like to recall some guilty pleasures I had in the past. Aside from Power Rangers -- Dragon Ball was another franchise that Toei relied on for a cash grab! In fact, I'm actually wondering if Dragon Ball has become as overmilked as Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers . It was that feeling of being left out if you didn't have any things the other children had. I remember whining over not having a SNES or the other systems. It was also because of the Dragon Ball Z games -- most of them aged badly. It was more on buying a game related to Dragon Ball Z than a good game. It may have been crappy BUT you know -- you gotta have it to fit in. The other children would even brag about how they were able to play with the Kamehameha or brag about the Dragon Ball Z games they had. We had a PSX in the early 2000s. Yeah, it was that time when the PS2 was too expensive. I'm thankful that I never had everything I wanted either. It taught me that if I want something then work for it. To ...

Transformers like any franchise -- is subject to wear and tear. That may explain why Hasbro allowed Toei Animation the liberty to adapt Transformers for the Japanese audience. Was it to avoid toys from going to waste or what? The Pretenders concept never made it into the G1 cartoon after Season 4. The events of "Rebirth" were utterly ignored by Transformers Headmasters -- a series that tried to connect with G1but ended up better off non-canon. Killing off Optimus Prime a SECOND TIME was just uncalled for. Eventually, Rodimus Prime left midseason and was replaced by Fortress Maximus. G1 Galvatron was replaced by the more competent G1 Scorponok. It also introduced a concept that would befit for Star Saber. Star Saber merging with V-Star is a blatant reference to Fortress Maximus combining with his ship Maximus. Fortress Maximus wielded the Master Sword in the Japanese continuity. Masterforce was a Japanese-exclusive and events happened in Japan. Heck, Minerva who's suppose...

Transformers characters have varying heights. For example, it can be noticed that Optimus Prime is much taller than his other comrades such as Bumblebee. Meanwhile, the Decepticons were more or less close to each other's heights -- except for some of Soundwave's miniature robots like Laserbeak. It was normal to have one character taller than the other. However, there's one thing worth noting in Transformers: Victory . Unusually, Deathsaurus was made as TALL AS A COMBINER!   Who can remember this scene from the G1 American cartoon? I wonder if the Japanese side overlooked Megatron's height vs. that of a combiner. G1 Starscream once used Bruticus to try and get Megatron to relinquish leadership. The Combiners are obviously bigger than the tallest non-combiner characters. Megatron was easily grabbed. I remember one scene in Transformers: Headmasters where G1 Galvatron got seized by an Autobot combiner. Why was Deathsaurus purposely made THAT TALL compared to his predecesso...

Beast Wars was a show I originally didn't like. However, it was all part of the same continuity as Hasbro would have. I didn't understand the concept of contracts and adaptations as a 12 year old. I used to think that Beast Wars was merely having the OG cast become the cast. I heard that was the plan BUT that was THANKFULLY changed. The Maximals and Predacons are successors to the OG factions of the Autobots and Decepticons. I wonder why Hasbro decided to create two new factions. What's funnier is that Predacon was also the name of a Decepticon sub-group. There was some element of familiarity needed. Which was probably why the leader was called OPTIMUS PRIMAL and we have Beast Wars Megatron. I always find it confusing whenever fiction decides to pass a title -- such as how Tekken passed the King mantle to another person in Tekken 3  or how the Robin mantle got passed from Dick Grayson to Tim Drake. Dick became Nightwing after some time. It was good to name the new Optimus P...

Is it a clearance sale of sorts? I feel it's really come to that. At first, I was excited to see what Hasbro could do with Power Rangers . However, it seems that neither Power Rangers Beast Morphers or Power Rangers Dino Fury could budge a thing. All they've been doing was, "Well, it's bring back Mighty Morphin' !" like Saban did in his second re-run. It's a shame really when companies that I grew up with become douche-y. One may have grown up with Adobe software but found out, "Oh! I have to pay this much to use Adobe software per month?" I have the feeling with Disney, Marvel (now owned by Disney), I even feel the same may be happening to Warner Bros., Capcom, and maybe even Bandai-Namco. Hasbro too? This might be a controversial move one way or another. Cast members do have the right to feel bad . This was what could be found last month: But the auction’s also reminded fans how Power Rangers hasn’t always been treated the best by its various o...

There's always the problem of milking the franchise, right? Apparently, Transformers started to stale in America so it was time to try something new. The comics created the Pretenders and the Powermasters -- two concepts that were integrated into the Japanese-only Transformers: Masterforce Anime series sometime in 1988. At that time, Super Sentai had been established and trying to mix the formula of Transformers with Super Sentai may have been the aim. I wonder if Toei planned to make it live but instead chose the animation route? Either way, it was time to bring back Optimus Prime -- OR NOT! The concept of Powermaster Optimus Prime was from the comics. An alien humanoid known as Hi-Q would bring back Optimus Prime. An alien from Nebulon named Hi-Q became the partner to rebuild Optimus Prime. Hi-Q was the obvious professor-type character. Given Optimus Prime's role as a senior commander -- I believe it's fitting that Hi-Q would be the perfect partner. However, the concept w...

Transformers have gone some through multiple changes. The great toy massacre in Transformers: The Movie was just one phase. Eventually, the Headmasters were introduced in the canceled Season 4. That's the problem with most American shows -- the tendency to milk the franchise until it's dry. New gimmicks were needed to keep the Transformers toyline alive. The Pretenders toyline came. Ironically, the Pretender gimmick was never put in a new season based on the American Transformers  continuity!  Scorponok was the maker of the Pretender technology -- within the Marvel Comics continuity. However, it's said that the UK comics had retconned that idea. Some forms would be that familiar and be carried over into the Japanese-only continuity. It's possible Hasbro didn't want the concepts to be wasted so Toei Animation and Takara (the toy makers) to do the Japanese-only continuity. Hasbro usually chose to ignore it as non-canon to their side. Beast Wars made ZERO mention of th...

 Is it me or is the Power Rangers franchise still stuck with Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers nostalgia since 2011? It's already 2024 meaning 31 years have passed since 1993. We have to change certain stuff over the years like getting a new OS, switching to a new brand if that brand you're clinging to STARTS TO SUCK, and another  Mighty Morphin' hype for the NTH TIME? Like WUT? Wouldn't it be better if Power Rangers started to focus on moving forward rather than getting stuck in the 1990s? It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Power Rangers is a KID'S SHOW. Let's say that the audience was seven years old in 1993. Let's add 31 years and we get 38 YEAR OLDS. Some of them may even be buying toys at Toys R Us for their children, godchildren, and nephews! Dryed Mangoez's author Jeff got it right when he said this: People of all ages will want to spend their money and/or their parents’ money on things they actually like and are invested in. When th...

It's time for some nostalgic 1990s. Right now, it's no secret that I hate most of the Disney bland live action remakes. Heck, I have even ZERO INTENTION to watch the upcoming Snow Woke movie. Okay, but I enjoyed the Aladdin live action remake -- to a certain extent! I have nothing against Emma Watson as an actress but she wasn't the right person to be Belle IMHO.  I was making comparisons of Kaia Gerber looking like Belle. What I noticed or never noticed was that Belle (1991) kinda looks like an animated Cindy Crawford. The same kind of face model was also used for Quest for Camelot by Warner Bros. I believe it's a coincidence like certain celebrities from one country after the other -- have a lookalike. I don't think Disney's animators had Cindy in mind when they made Belle. However, there's the possibility that they did. With Kaia Crawford Gerber lacking her mother's mole -- she does look closer to Belle!  It's probably just a coincidence. It's...

Make no mistake that Shao Kahn is probably my top favorite Mortal Kombat villain. However, I belong to what might be a cult following for Shinnok the Fallen Elder God . I can imagine that if I existed as a villain in the Mortal Kombat universe -- I may have become a member of the Brotherhood of the Shadow instead! I bought Mortal Kombat 11 for one good reason -- I was excited to play as the villainous Shao Kahn! I even bought PS credits for the reason that I wanted to play as Shang Tsung portrayed by Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa! However, I'd like to stress that Shao Kahn may have become the Emperor of Fanservice in  Mortal Kombat . Shao Kahn would be in the list of iconic characters such as Heihachi Mishima in Tekken , the Dictator in the Street Fighter series (introduced in the second game too), Geese Howard in Fatal Fury , and there can be a lot more. Shao Kahn was already a household name especially when he was first introduced. Mortal Kombat II makes it known through the introduction ...

Be forewarned that this article will be full of my biases. Let me remind people I used to like Power Rangers until I saw more of Super Sentai . I wrote an article pointing out what Power Rangers did better for the American audience . A recent article from Screen Rant talking about what might be an unpopular opinion or not. It's all about how Rita Repulsa's and Lord Zedd's final fates made the original incarnation look INSUFFICIENT . I'd say that was the fault of THE GREED because  Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers could've just wrapped up as planned. Lord Zedd could've been reserved for a totally different adaptation for Gosei Sentai Dairanger with an entirely new team of rangers. Instead, we know how Mighty Morphin' extended up to 150 episodes (three seasons), the story got overcarried into Power Rangers Zeo and got wrapped up in Power Rangers in Space . Space  may have saved the franchise but I found it incredibly hard to watch after watching  Dengeki Sent...

  I remember reading IGN's article on Super Sentai . I can understand why IGN thinks in that certain way -- even when I DISAGREE . There are cultural differences. I addressed that issue when I guest-wrote for JEFusion but decided to stop any form of guest writing for personal reasons. I'd like to address these stuff that would be better for the AMERICAN audience. It's because cultural differences play a crucial role in international marketing -- which includes LOCALIZATION of a product or REMAKING IT for a different demographic! Those are still considered ADAPTATIONS when it comes to business!  Power Rangers' has that good old diversity I wrote an article talking about Power Rangers showing what it means to be truly American . America is a multiracial country -- making it easier to have a diverse group. Japan lacks that kind of diversity plus language barriers. Non-Japanese cast members in Super Sentai are as rare as diamonds. The diversity of the American audience wo...