Sean Akizuki's Fantasy Critic

Conan the Barbarian (1982) carried the Riddle of Steel - something that's not really directly answered. Instead, it's a riddle that the audience is left to themselves to find out. It's already more than 30 years since the film was done. Watching this film as a child scared me out since this wasn't obviously for children. Now, it's time to try and answer the riddle by actually looking at the movie's events. The opening has Conan's father talking about the Riddle of Steel. Conan is told that he can't trust anyone but the sword. Conan's father points to the sword. The idea of steel's strength was the theme of the opening of the movie. This is what leads Thulsa Doom and the worshipers of Set to ransack Conan's village. Thulsa Doom collected all the steel weapons to expand his forces. Thulsa Doom also, for some reason, sells the children to slavery. Conan is forced to push a wheel with the others. Conan's tenacity to survives allows him to bec...

The 30th anniversary of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers is on August 28. However, I felt like writing this one since Power Rangers released a reunion movie called Once and Always . Robo Rita was created as a result of Rita's evil personality getting manifested in a robot body. Meanwhile, Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger seems to joke that Rita Kanisuka is actually the daughter of Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa - something that might make more sense than Thrax or that Emperor Zetto in Ressha Sentai ToQGer must be her big brother. I did write a post where I addressed Super Sentai's use of self-contained continuities vs. trying to use a timeline . Any Power Rangers fan who still argues that Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger would fit all Super Sentai series should just STOP.  Power Rangers has been operating mostly on a singular timeline. I guess I can give credit to Power Rangers Dino Charge  for how the show takes place in another dimension. I could always praise Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger and Dino ...

I guess I'm ready for another divisive OPINION post. I watched both Juuki B-Fighter followed by B-Fighter Kabuto . The two shows are direct sequels to each other. One show was a hit and the other was a FLOP. Okay, there will be SPOILERS ahead so if you haven't watched both shows - READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION. I finished both shows so I'm going to do this weird post. How does this go? I'm going to talk about how B-Fighter ended (and what the show brought up) together with how the show linked the direct sequel. So, unlike Kamen Rider BLACK RX where the hero dons a different suit, we have a new generation of B-Fighters . I guess the failure that's BLACK RX made Toei to swear to never upgrade the heroes and introduce a new hero huh? Still, I can't deny I can enjoy BLACK RX and B-Fighter Kabuto even if I'm totally aware that they're quite messy. It took something as messy as Saban's Masked Rider and Beetleborgs Metallix (which was worse than its previous ...

I guess the success of B-Fighter caused the launch of what's considered the messy B-Fighter Kabuto . It's really A MESS but it's a WATCHABLE MESS IMHO. Some Tokusatsu shows aren't so well-loved but I enjoy them. I'm aware how Kamen Rider BLACK RX was pretty much what caused that hiatus but I still enjoy it. I'm aware of how Kamen Rider Kiva is berated as Toshiki Inoue's lowest point but I like it. I can now enjoy Ressha Sentai ToQGer even if Yasuko Kobayashi was at her lowest point. B-Fighter Kabuto is often regarded as that Franchise Killer but it seemed Toei actually decided to let it happen. Just think that 2006 gave us Kamen Rider Kabuto - a show that seems to tell us Toei's not bringing back the Metal Hero franchise but hasn't forgotten it either. Granted, the show's pretty much a DIRECT sequel to B-Fighter . It wasn't too surprising that the B-Fighters do return to assist the heroes. Bailout? Maybe, maybe not. I do find the first team b...

I finished watching Juuku B-Fighter and I decided to check what was deemed a failure, B-Fighter Kabuto . I admit that there are a few shows that aren't popular but I enjoy them. Some of these shows are  Kamen Rider BLACK RX (which I see as a necessary failure), Kosoku Sentai Turboranger , Chikyu Sentai Fiveman (though Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive is miles better), and I could also say Kamen Rider Kiva was considered that low point in Toshiki Inoue's career. Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters initially didn't do well but somehow got vindicated by history.  B-Fighter Kabuto is a direct sequel to B-Fighter . The setting is five years later. Unlike Beetleborgs Metallix - the show uses a different set of heroes. I guess the people from Toei Ltd. learned not to repeat the whole Kamen Rider BLACK to BLACK RX move. I guess I'm only enjoying BLACK RX more as an adult because Saban's Masked Rider was way worse. Takuya is now sidelined to make room for newer characters. There were even episo...

I heard from the comments that the B-Fighter special finale was made due to production delays with B-Fighter Kabuto . Just how true is that? I believe I'll give B-Fighter Kabuto a shot to see if it's as bad as Big Bad Beetleborgs or will I enjoy it like I do with Kamen Rider BLACK RX ? I've watched what I call the "real finale" where Gaohm was finally destroyed, Gaohm leaves his legacy to the world with the Jamahl hole still going (reminds me of Ragorn's final trump card in Kosoku Sentai Turboranger ) and how Blue Beet finally defeats Black Beet. Those were what I'd call the "regular episodes". I even feel that the true finale was where Blue Beet finally defeats Black Beet and the Jamahl hole destroyed.  After that, we get two additional episodes. The setting is where Jamahl is finally defeated, the B-Fighters have their hot spring scene (which will NOT make it past TV-YY-FV), and how two previous shows were brought into the mix. I still feel tha...

Back then, I remembered watching Really Badly Done Beetleborgs and it did take the Super Blue Beet form. Yes, it was used to defeat the Shadowborg who was demoted to extra. Ironically, Nukus' counterpart in B-Fighter Kabuto was actually a secondary antagonist while Mother Melzard's counterpart was demoted to extra. So yeah, I'm glad I didn't finish Beetleborgs . Though, I'm not going to pretend Toei Ltd. hasn't made mistakes since... WHO HASN'T NOT MADE MISTAKES?! I feel that Super Blue Beet form is rather inflated. It was in 1995 when Choriki Sentai Ohranger and the Buu Saga of Dragon Ball Z were on -air. I'd say that the Buu Saga was nothing more than that overinflated toy commercial .  I wonder why Power Rangers felt copying Blue Beet's upgrade dform was a cool idea. Sure, there are times Power Rangers films their own footages. The Red Ranger Battlizers have been heavily used since Power Rangers in Space and have been used for a lot of seasons. I...