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Warning: This review contains spoilers

I love Kuroko no Basket, a lot, it's had a large personal effect on my life, and I've been waiting for the past 2 years for this movie as my most anticipated piece of media. I knew everything that would happen as I have read the manga previously, so this movie delivering what I want was more a question of adaptation than a question of the content itself. Considering that they decide to show The Last Game in movie format, time constraints were definitely one of my concerns, especially since the manga was extremely text heavy and was being published monthly, ... but The Last Game delivered me the perfect last hurrah for the franchise that leaves me more content than even the TV series ending which I thought was stellar.

The art of The Last Game is slightly different than the TV series with less notable shading and a lighter color palette, character designs look a lot sleeker and a lot of the Generation of Miracles members have had subtle changes to their appearances like Murasakibara's even longer hair or Midorima's combover. The visual effects for this movie are fantastic, usage of "The Zone" and "Perfect Copy" have never looked so crisp and a lot of the plays that are used are animated brilliantly. There are some still frames present, but these are edited well enough that they do not become an issue. There are a lot of dynamic camera angles used especially when it comes to high level plays, characters' bodies move especially fluid when they are doing streetball like maneuvers.

Sound in The Last Game is stellar, the traditional blend of electric and metal in the OST from the series stays strong bringing pure tension to every scene. The sound mixing is great, as there are certain moments like when they zoom in on Midorima's remote or whenever Akashi or Nash use the Emperor/Belial Eye that fit perfectly. The insert songs by Granrodeo and Kensho Ono (especially the latter) are in sync perfectly with the action on screen, Kensho Ono's "Against The Wind" might be one of the most tonally relevant insert songs I've ever heard. However the best thing about this movie by far is the voice performances. Huge props to all of the Seiyuu's who voice the Generation of Miracles but specific props to Jason Silver's awesomely hammy performance as well as Hiroshi Kamiya for displaying Akashi's struggle with his identity and his weaknesses as a leader and overcoming that all in the span of the film. Also the Engrish is fucking hilarious, classic KnB Engrish.

The plot is pretty basic, a foreign team steamroll the D Team and basically disrespect the entire Japanese race and their athletic ability. I don't think characters could be any more racist, basic or agenda driven than Jabberwock. But that's what makes them so easily detestable, I fucking HATE all of them, especially Nash and Nash's competence on the court and ability as a captain on par with Akashi just makes his horribleness even more infuriating. But this film is not about Jabberwock, it never was. This movie is a love letter to Kagami and The Generation of Miracles. Each of them gets adequate screentime and it truly feels like that nobody got shafted in this film which is something I thought the manga didn't do correctly as I was visably mad at Kagami and Aomine's misuse in the Extra Game manga but the get plenty of shine here. Kise and Akashi get major focus in this game and honestly although everyone held their own, they are by far the MVPs of this game. The fact that there was also less focus on isolation play and every single character was assisting others showed that the Generation of Miracles has grown, because they stopped operating as a team when they were at Teiko.

Aside from the game itself, I think the buildup and the ending were also substantial and necessary. Although I think 20 minutes for the introduction to Jabberwock was not necessary and it could have been done in less time, however there was never a point where I wanted to speed up the film to get to "the good stuff". The ending is sort of open and emotionally wrenching, I gave a spoiler warning but I absolutely do not want to spoil this ending, but it was bittersweet but still absolutely perfect.

It's been a long wait to see this movie, but after watching it I can confirm that Kuroko no Basket: The Last Game is everything I hoped it would be and more.

SPOILERS FOR SEASON 1 & 2 of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 and Awakening of the TrailBlazer.

Have you ever watched Gundam 00?

Have you ever watched Transformers 1 directed by Michael Bay or Independence Day?

You have essentially watched this film then, however despite that, I really think there is quite a bit of merit to this film if you seperate it in your own mind from the 00 canon (the Anno Domini timeline).

The animation in this movie is some of the best honestly, the action sequences are greatly animated despite some weird choreography and the fact that the aliens that are fought in this movie have no ... real defining features. All of the upgraded suits get their chances to flex their new weaponry and maneuverability. Getting to see the powerscaling that happened between Season 2 and the time this movie takes place is also something, considering everyone has access to Trans Am now. The usage of CG for the aliens is actually rather natural. I still stand by the fact that this is one of the most beautiful anime movies I've watched.

Sound is really nothing that stands out, I loved the OST in the 00 series and also all the intro/ending songs from them, but nothing here really blows my mind. The voice actors in both the dub and sub do a solid performance especially the VA's for Setsuna and Graham as they take a lot of the spotlight in this film.

There are a lot of interesting setpieces in this movie that are action movie cliches, examples including Allelujah and Marie being chased by aliens and doing acrobatics for example as well as the entire final act. But the plot itself is all over the place. These aliens are invading Earth, but there is absolutely no reason why. Not only that but the entire theme was to understand what the aliens themselves are thinking, but that is not given to the viewer in any sort of direct way in TrailBlazer. In fact the philosophy of this film is really lacking when compared to the brilliance of 00 season 1 and some of the slightly less brilliant but still thought provoking questions in 00 season 2.

Character arcs are all over the place, Setsuna is the only one who's evolving in a way that makes sense following the series. Allelujah, Marie and Lyle all stay relatively the same, but at least Graham dropped the entire Mr. Bushido nonsense which is honestly one of the dumbest fuckest things ever which would have made this movie even worse. Tieria is absolutely useless here which is unfortunate because before Setsuna became OP as fuck, Tieria was easily the best Celestial Being meister and he had my favorite Mobile Suit. Now Tieria is like Navi from the legend of Zelda in which he just sits on Setsuna's shoulder spouting exposition (I know his physical body was destroyed in season 2 and he's been integrated into Veda, that's no excuse for him not to have bodies he can upload his being into). Louis and Saji are in this movie and don't really do much at all, considering the Qan-[T] no longer really needs the 00 Raiser, Saji is truly useless again and Louis' arc has been over despite the fact that it could have been expanded more since she's an innovator.

Oh yeah, there are some minor shipping things like Nena Trinity and Billy Katagiri, this makes no sense, but after Sumeragi bitchslapped Katagiri despite him letting her live in his house for 2 years. What even happened during that relationship? Of course Patrick and Kati are a thing, that was inevitable. But a lot of the Hetero couples they seem to be pushing just because they're hetero. Tieria x the curly haired Celestial Being associate despite the fact they have no chemistry really. Both Setsuna x Feldt and Setsuna x Marina have no soul to them, because I just can't see Setsuna as a romantic or compassionate person despite all the changes he's gone through. All of the old ships that have sailed are still great, Allelujah x Soma, Louis x Saji despite having no point in this movie. But enough about shipping, the plot overall is just not that great, aliens are there, why? Fuck you T-1000 that's why.


Overall while I did have immense amounts of fun watching all the explosions in this movie, some of the most fun in my life, there are many aspects of this film that are terribly written and ruin the 00 franchise as a whole, opening up a can of worms that can't really be sealed again.

For those reasons, Mobile Suit Gundam 00: Awakening of the Trailblazer gets a 6/10 from me.

Teisou Kannen Zero is a very interesting manga that focuses on the theme of family and sharing. When I first read it I was confused as the plot starts out of nowhere, but as soon as we get to delve into the inner politics of the Souma family the series took an interesting turn.

The thematic resonance of this series is strong as it is meant to break the sociological prison that is the institution of marriage. This is seen in one of our main protagonists Mitsuko as she does her best to rebel against this unfair practice of marriage by liberating herself and her ... body as she pleases. Truly a revolutionary. But not only is she participating in breaking the norms set by society, but is sewing the seeds of revolution inside of her 3 daughters. However, one of them is very adamantly against her actions, that is Kurumi-chan. She comes from the other side of the philosophical dilemma and is in favor of monogamy however she ends up turning to Mitsuko's side eventually. The other two sisters Sayoko and Souko have a lot of parallels with their mother and share her rebellious streak wholeheartedly.

It's unfortunate that women this chivalrous, bold and independent do not exist in real life. Despite being cheaters, every single woman in the Souma household is wife material, would marry and get cheated on. TFW there's no Kurumi at school, TFW there's no Souko in your workplace, TFW there's no Sayoko as your tutor, TFW there's no Mitsuko as your mother in law.

However the best character of the series is probably Newcomer Kun. He is an innocent cinnamon roll who needs to be protected. He's a simple man with a cute disposition and no ulterior motives. In a series full of the detestable, unpure, and the morally grey, Newcomer Kun stays true to himself through it all and stays humble. He is the hero that this manga always needed and is a stark contrast to the Souma family.

Aside from the main family and Newcomer Kun, there are various sidestories with minor characters. These don't offer much in terms of characterization, but do wonders for worldbuilding and setting the tone of the series. Yumi-Chan for example shows the flaws of the education system of Japan and just how corrupt it can be. But the theme of corruption throughout the series is shown as she falls into the same traps as her fellow educators.

The art quality of Teisou Kannen Zero in general is really good, although during the latter third of the series there are some slight stylistic changes, however it is still competently drawn. It really comes down to personal preference whether these changes are in your favor or not.

The final dialogue of the series is an epic meeting of ideologies on par with the Banquet of Kings in Fate/Zero (The subtitle of "Zero" being indicative of a deep series is a meta commentary I might make in the future). The various characters give their wildly varying thoughts on the construct of marriage and the debate is one to behold. What it means to be a man, what it means to be a woman, how relationships are maintained, it's really complex how wide the opinions on this topic is and the series does not try to force a consensus answer on the viewer.

However the one major problem I have with this manga is the ending, it leaves so many plot threads unresolved and it makes me hope for a sequel, maybe in the future.

Overall, Teisou Kannen Zero is a gripping story with a healthy main cast and vibrant side characters with a plot that is nonlinear in fashion and truly makes you think. I fully reccomend it and score the series with a final 9/10.

Moderator Edit: This review may contain spoilers.
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Mirai no Watashi is a very simple advertisement for McDonald's, even so, it has a sense of charm all it's own.

The artwork is superb and stylized in a sort of watercolor form.

The short starts off with our main character a young woman pulling up on her bike to McDonald's which has a very modern design, she has what looks like an instrument case on her back and there is some very light shadowing on the McDonald's restaurant's windows created by trees which is an astonishing amount of detail for an ad meant to encourage employment.

Our Main Character ... is called by a current employee at the McDonald's who is dressed in very sleek almost hipster like attire, with a bow, some sleek glasses that shine in the typical anime fashion, and a stylish cap, and it seems she is sweeping up the front of the store. After basic research, it is clear that Japanese McDonalds employees do have this style of uniform among others so it is accurate on it's outfit design.

However, there is one issue, the sign in the background leading to the drive through says 6:00 - 0:00 o'clock, now this is a problem for multiple reasons as 1) it doesn't say wheter 6:00 is AM or PM and 2) what is 0:00 o'clock? Even if this meant 12:00AM like I think it means, these are really strange times for a drive thru to be open.

This is followed by a scene where some students are ordering some food from her, but with this job being new she gets flustered, but at the same time the students are being cheeky as usual with some semi flirtatious dialogue. The Main Character then follows by blushing vividly, followed by the manager saying something that makes the students embarrassed as well. The character designs of the students are also very realistic and varied as it has a bald kid with glasses and two boys with different shades of brown hair. In the back, you can see another employee washing his hands, which accentuates the importance of cleanliness and hygiene to the McDonald's brand. The menu is bright and filled with colorful menu items, and the cash register even has the classic apple pie advertisements that are usually there.

What you see next are some devices meant to evenly distribute ketchup and mustard onto a burger, nearby you see an open bin of onions, it's obvious that our main character is starting from the bottom making basic burgers and is not yet trusted to handle the almighty Big Mac, the pride and joy of Mickey D's, it just shows that as a character she has room to grow.

We then see our main character shovel some fries into a medium sized McDonald's fry package. However if you look closer, there is what seems to be a rusted over deep frying basket with no competent handle, this is a health hazard to both the customers who are eating food cooked in these rusty baskets and the employees who could potentially get burned thanks to the lack of handle on the basket.

Our main character then almost makes a fatal mistake that could have potentially cost her her employment at the great fine dining institution at McDonald's by almost spilling the fries on the ground. The animation in this segment of the commercial is exaggerated in a good way, our main character, charming as ever has her hat jump in the air and conveniently fall back into place same with the fries which defies physics as we know it, the lady in line with what is presumably her son has her lips transform thick and red, and the male employee who probably would have to help clean the mess in his panic has his entire body confirm in upwards arcs in fear. In the background we can see the various demographics that consume food at the culinary bistro of excellence that is McDonald's, high school girls are having a nice long gossip in line while in the background you can see an old couple enjoying the day, the male in the older couple is wearing a fedora, the true pinnacle of class, and the donation box is filled to the brim with coins, showing that McDonald's patrons truly care about charity and the needs of others, this store is truly family.

The older woman suddenly comes in to help calm down the main character whose eyes have now turned into stylistic swirlies and the boy at the counter blushes, showing that he has best taste in best girl Manager-Chan, he has a fetish for older women, best boy has a bastion of best taste.

What we see next as an audience is shocking, not only is the double cheeseburger that is being wrapped have a lower patty that is missing it's depth, but it also is handled as haphazardly as a hockey puck, being slid across the table, despite this the burger looks like it's shaped well and not impaired in any way, so this is forgivable. But it is accurate that McDonald's skimp on the meat, 10/10 realism.

What comes next is the key scene of this entire short, showing the existential theme of passing on the torch of the McDonald's love down to those younger than you. The true power of McDonald's is not it's greasy fries or it's hamburgers that taste of paper mache, no it's not even the rare occurrences of the godly Shamrock Shake (R.I.P best menu item), it's the power of love that makes McDonald's what it is, for McDonald's is not just a corporation, but it is a family, as seen as our main character gives a small child a Happy Meal, the true token of childhood happiness for any youth born this century. The little girl accepts the Happy Meal with all the warmth in her heart, and our main character now gives a thumbs up, the ultimate signal of affirmation to Manager-Chan who returns in kind showing their own sisterly relation. With such emotional dialogue as "senpai" and "good job" that warms the heart.

Next is the shake machine, which is producing a strawberry shake, it did not top off near the top of the cup, but that's ok as the machine gave it's all with it's detailed texture pumps did what they could.

Consequently, next is a scene in which our main character is helping spread the McDonald's love even more by giving flowers to a Manager-Chan who is now retiring and wearing casual clothes with her hair down, which is the best look for best girl. All of her coworkers are behind her cheering our Main Character on in support as well as Manager-Chan in her new endeavors.

Final the scene pans out to show a photo collage of all the memories that our Main Character has had at McDonald's with all of her greatest friends, along with a notebook, a collared shirt and some cute pens.

She closes the literal door on them signifying despite losing her most valuable coworker she is prepared to move on with the day to #MakeMcDonald'sGreatAgain

She smiles and puts her cap on exclaiming proudly "Yes".

What we see later is the next generation, a young girl looking at the extremely well designed McDonald's poster and our Main Character smiling taking the same place that her former boss did, showing the parallels between them and how McDonald's creates winners.

Charlie Sheen

#Winning

With the fullest smile, the commercial now ends with the classic McDonald's jingle sung in a kawaii voice, followed by a full shot of the cast.

Overall, this anime has some fantastic themes and character development creating parallels of itself in such a short amount of screentime.

The only thing that makes it not a masterpiece is two factors:

1. The sign which has times that do not exist and even by the end of the commercial it still is not fixed.

2. McDonald's does not serve Shamrock shakes 24/7 like it's supposed to.

So I leave Mirai no Watashi with a well deserved 9/10