Lupin III: Legend of the Gold of Babylon (1985)

 Lupin III: Legend of the Gold of Babylon (1985) dir. Seijun Suzuki/Shigetsuhu Yoshida, Tokyo Movie Shinsha

Somehow feeling even worse, although while waiting for the heatdeath of the universe is novel, I'd figured watching another flick might hurry that up.

The Castle of Cagliostro (1979)

 The Castle of Cagliostro (1979), dir. Hayao Miyazaki, Tokyo Movie Shinsha

Feeling pretty down, so why not revisit one of my favorite films and probably what got me into Lupin the 3rd in the first place?

The Mystery of Mamo (1978)

 The Mystery of Mamo (1978) dir. Soji Yoshikawa, Tokyo Movie Shinsha 

By 1978 Lupin had moved beyond the Green Jacket series and the lived action version. The second series, ('Red Jacket') was already in it's third season and more successful than the previous series. How would the first animated Lupin do?

Animation Block: Lupin the Third

Having heard of the passing of the famed manga creator Monkey Punch, and being on an old school anime kick, why not take a look at his famed creation?

Animation Block: Fist of the North Star 2

Like I said earlier, if Toei had stopped with the first five stories, I would have been fine with Fist of the North Star but they didn't.

Part 2 opens up some time later. Ken became savior of the century's end, reunited with Yuria and defeated Raoh. So, everything's going to work out, right?

Animation Block: Fist of the North Star

It's been a while, but I finally finished all 152 episodes of Fist of the North Star. Quite a bit to unpack here, but right now I'll focus on the first series.

Animation Block: Sherlock Hound/Famous Detective Holmes

Funny as it may sound, I was never a huge anime fan as a youth. Of course, back in my day it was called Japanimation, and the only things that came to mind were Voltron and Robotech. I wouldn't really get into the whole scene until the 90's, but even today my exposure and knowledge of the medium is sadly lacking.


So, when I heard that famed director Hayao Miyazaki did a Sherlock Holmes series in the 1980's, well, that's something you need to track down.

The show itself was a joint production between Tokyo Movie Shinsha and the Italian company RAI. Thanks to issues with the Doyle estate, Miyazaki left after six episodes by the time the issues were cleared up, with the rest of the series being handled by director Kyosuke Mikuriya.

As for the show itself, it isn't the most faithful adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. If anything it seems more inspired by the Universal series than the Doyle stories. Sherlock Hound is still the droll consulting detective, whereas Dr. Watson is clearly inspired by Nigel Bruce's Col. Blimp take on Watson. Inspector Lestrade similarly draws on Dennis Hoey's portrayal as the bumbling Scotland Yard inspector. Mrs. Hudson is probably the biggest departure, here portrayed as a young widow with a past as an aviator and quick with a pistol.

As for the episodes themselves, not terrible but nothing really stays with you. Hound and Watson usually get dragged into solving seemingly impossible crimes, usually carried out by Professor Moriarty, here seen as far more comedic than most portrayals. Thanks to Miyazaki though we do get to see plenty of light aircraft fighting over the English countryside.

A pity that Miyazaki didn't stay with the series, but overall not bad. The entire series was released on DVD, so worth a shot if you can get it from a anime standpoint. If you're a Holmes fan, it might be worth a rental at least.

Everything I Need to Know in Life I Learned From Gurren Lagann

by: Jesse Baruffi

1. Sometimes, you have to ignore reason and attempt the impossible.
2. Evolution cannot and should not be stopped.
3. If you can't believe in yourself, believe in those who believe in you.
4. Eventually though, you will need to believe in yourself.
5. A surprise attack is useful, but it only works once.
6. The world needs people who are reckless, but it needs people who are cautious just as much.
7. No matter how special another person is to us, we shouldn't try to become them, even if they're gone.
8. But our lost loved ones live on in us, and they can inspire us to be better.
9. Even though sometimes we must consider doing what is practical over what is right, it's better to find a way to do both.
10. You should always be there to punch your friends in the face when they need it.
11.Even if we gain the power to do so, we should not bring back the dead. The world has to make way for the next generations.
12. Just because humanity is capable of doing harm or evil doesn't mean we deserve to die.
13. Kissing the busty redhead will probably get you killed. It's still worth it.
14. Grow, adapt, evolve, never run away, and never give up.
15. If you dare to be awesome enough, nothing can stop you.