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Another absolute banger from Dad, Go-Getters is a certified ear worm that’s been stuck with me for the last few weeks, one I’ve found myself singing consistently and in the most random of places. The Holo ladies really know how to get my toes tapping and Calli's latest is just that. Really proud of her to have finally crossed the bridge into doing anime OPs and EDs, let’s hope herself and the others all get the opportunity to do more… Suisei does Dragon Ball! Watame for Ultraman! Korone for Super Sentai! Risu for Kamen Rider! The possibilities are endless and interchangeable.

Absolutely insane timing to release this on Judgement Day itself. I'll admit, I initially scoffed at the thought of a Terminator anime but then remember what franchise this is and very quickly changed my tune. This is basically a franchise with 2.5 good films, 1 solid TV show that got canned too soon and 1 pretty awesome video game, now we can add a brilliant anime series to its legacy. Gorgeously brutal animation, terrific voice work and sets a solid framework for an ongoing story that is, like the best parts of the franchise, as much about very human choices as it is about spectacle. ... There's propulsive action scenes, thoughtful writing and brilliant emotional dynamics between its cast of characters. The feature films may have become a lost cause, but Terminator Zero is just getting started. From action packed moments of pure adrenaline, to softer moments that will give viewers chills, this show delivers and does a great job of bringing something new and unique to this series by fully embracing the horror elements. Humanity’s battle against AI super-soldiers hasn’t been this fun in years.

It's been a good few years since I watched the first season of Demon Slayer but I still remember it vividly as if it were yesterday, I remember being so excited for this film and yet, I never watched it I missed its cinema run and thus never continued with the series, until now. Upon restarting my journey with Mugen Train, I was thrust back into the world of Demon Slayer without a second to spare and I am so happy to have finally watched it. Continuing the exceptional style and substance of storytelling I remember, one that sets my heart ablaze, in the best ... way imaginable, for amid the monster-slaying, there's a pointed celebration of how human weaknesses are our true strengths. The film manages to balance being outrageously funny, action-packed and emotionally devastating simultaneously, all rendered through first-rate animation that combines classic anime character design supplemented by outstanding CGI and swooping camera work. Slick and bright, with compelling world-building alongside an unabashedly earnest emotional core, the film fantastically builds upon a carefully constructed backstory for an unknown character that we soon trust and eventually cry over, Rengoku is undoubtedly the highlight of the entire film. Especially that final fight against Akaza which left my jaw lying somewhere on the floor. Combined with its incredible soundtrack, Mugen Train ends up delivering a Demon Slayer experience on a completely different scale and it's simply awesome. Emotional, intense, violent and, ultimately, beautiful.

Essentially playing like an episode of the show but stretched out to feature length, Konosuba Legend of Crimson offers an explosion of laughs, colour and all-around fun for fans both new and old. It definitely feels like the franchise has not lost any of the pep in its step, there's a fine balance between treating its characters with disrespect and love and it's something you can only experience with this franchise. Because the film has such a deep love for its characters, it has no problem making them as ridiculous as possible for a good laugh. The characters move with impressive fluidity and, because there's ... an inherent sense of ridiculousness throughout, the film has no problem contorting the faces and the bodies of its characters to better punctuate a gag with fun visuals. This also extends to its fight scenes, which also expand their scope to a feature film level with the colourful personality befitting the franchise. Due to the nature of it being a feature film without the restrictions of its usual television constraints, there are a few jokes that seem like they go a bit too far, but they by no means ruin the experience. The rhythmic nature of how the dialogue flows from one comedic situation to another keeps things moving at a constantly entertaining pace. It does just feel like you're hanging out with old friends again. Legend of Crimson is an all-too-appropriate explosion of all-around fun with pure laughs and ridiculous situations, it doesn't aim too high, but it's still a celebration of everything that makes this anime fantasy such a treat, a victory lap for the franchise that's also teasing a future burning quite bright, I wish I'd taken my chance to see this in the cinema when it came out.

Inspector Zenigata did nothing wrong! 😤

Possibly one of the most lavish uses of CGI animation ever, Lupin III: The First is an absolute visual treat, full of joy and zaniness, a charming and old-fashioned adventure romp. It's an unspooling like a mashing of James Bond and Indiana Jones, but equally reminiscent of The Adventures of TinTin's stylings. The animation has fun playing with the laws of physics, it frees itself from the constraints of anatomy with gorgeous fluidity. Yes, the story may be rather straightforward and its twists are easy to predict, but it doesn't make the movie any less fun as the film manages ... to pull it off with exceptional speed and scale. Matched by its incredible vocal performances and simply magnificent score by Yuji Ohno, Lupin III: The First balances a hilarious sense of humour with genuinely exhilarating adventure, making it perfect for newcomers and hardcore fans alike.

17 years later and Gamera is finally back on our screens! It's about damn time!

Hiroyuki Seshita has more than made up for the Godzilla anime trilogy with this. Granted the frankly awful 3D character models don't blend at all with the 2D backgrounds nor more stylistic kaiju designs but for what it's worth, the writing is actually rather decent despite the confused tone which can't decide if it wants to be for kids or adults. It constantly vibes like one of those 80s "band of kids go on an adventure" movies, e.g. The Goonies which is probably why I liked it so much, it also ... pays homage to every Gamera movie and iteration although much more from the Shōwa era than the superior Heisei trilogy. Helps that the episodes are 45 minutes long which makes it feel like linked mini-movies as opposed to an actual series. The music by Shuji Katayama is awesome, every time Gamera appears he is accompanied by a rocking guitar riff and the songs by WANIMA are pretty fabulous as well. The voice acting is all pretty good but no one really stood out to me in either language. Overall, Rebirth is a particularly fine return to the screen for our loveable giant turtle. It's not perfect but I would gladly take more if they could iron out the animation issues.

I was originally gonna save this till tomorrow, but I thought, aw hell let's finish this now and thus I am concluding my little mini-marathon of the Golgo 13 movies with the belated sequel to The Professional, Queen Bee. I'd forgotten how much I liked this one as it's a fairly underappreciated and ambitious follow-up to its predecessor despite a massively reduced budget and much easier-to-follow plot. For being only an hour long, it doesn't waste a moment, it's a very harsh and gritty political thriller that keeps Golgo in the background as this omnipresent threat while the movie focuses heavily on the titular Queen ... Bee and her campaign. The movie leans on its style quite a bit, both visually and sound-wise, which are both to be expected from an Osamu Dezaki movie, but ultimately feels undercooked due to its short length, it's got plenty of ideas and commentary but it never quite comes across smoothly enough to really stick the landing.

Before viewing the two live-action adaptations, this was the Golgo 13 I was most familiar with but even then, sitting down to rewatch The Professional after all these years certainly brought back some memories as before today I wouldn't have been able to tell you what on earth the plot of this movie was because I couldn't for the life of me remember. However, saying that there is one thing that has stuck with me over the years and that is the movie's incredible opening credits, easily one of my favourites ever combining the use of everything from stop motion to the first ever use ... of CGI in an animated movie.

Unfortunately, the movie gets bogged down in an increasingly baffling plot that will have you scratching your head at points trying to fathom everyone and anyone's motivations, the writing isn't great and leaves you not caring for the characters for the majority of the runtime but the film is so visually abstract that you can forgive it with great use of split screens, freeze frames and occasional lapses in colour, even if there's the occasional stiffness in its characters. Early 80s animes certainly have a beautifully distinct vibe to them, a sultry soundtrack, overly harsh shading and eye-popping use of hypnotic colour lend Osamu Dezaki's film a look that remains ageless even today.

Arguably Calli's weakest song to date but still just as groovy and as much a feel good bop as the rest of her discography. There's still a lot to admire from her here be it the video, animation which looks great for what it is (not gonna win any awards especially in comparison to the likes of Mera Mera) or the actual lyrics, I think I'd still put CapSule near the top for the most part but that doesn't stop Let's End the World from being an absolute banger. Still waiting for the day she does another duet with the ID crew for a cover ... like The Baddest, hopefully with some more input from EN Council.

We love you Dad Reaper.

The Hololive ladies are many things but they most often than not forget that they are idols. Gura herself in a past life was a Meme Queen and dropped plenty of bangers left right and center, Reflect is no different.

While the song isn't really to my taste the video itself is godly so easily raises what is otherwise an okay song in my books to a different level entirely. Gotta give it to the EN ladies and Hololive in general, they can hold a note no matter what language they're speaking. No matter the age they hit different every time.