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In the world of entertainment in this case anime, it's usually a crime punishable by ridicule to not fall into the hive mind. One may find themselves victim of the hairy eyebrow simply for seeing something from a totally different perspective. In regards to the Slayers series, at least before Slayers Revolution and Slayers Evolution R; it was pretty much mandatory to at least think of Slayers Try as the inferior series of the franchise. Many of the complaints I heard about the series is the unfamiliar feel to its predecessors: "the comedy and silliness simply isn't the same", it's different", and other criticisms of ... that type. This brings me to believe that many people have a big soft spot for redundancy, and evolution can simply take a walk. Slayers needed to stray away from its usual path because its weaknesses really began to show in Slayers Next. Slayers Try has a familiar feel, but there is clearly something different here and it really isn't a bad thing. After this re-watch I firmly believe Slayers Try is the best of the first three seasons.

This story takes place awhile after the battle against Fibrizo the Hellmaster. As a result, a barrier surrounding the island which was put in place by the monsters has been lifted giving access to the outer world. Lina and Gourry encounter Zelgadis, and they're soon greeted by a woman named Filia whom later briefs them about a prophesy that will lead to the world's destruction. The crew gather and go off on this new adventure.

It's very important to mention that Slayers try doesn't feel as madcap as the previous seasons. There definitely is plenty of random comedy to be found, but there's more of a focus on plot progression, story development, and even character development for a new character. Surprisingly, Slayers Try is actually at its absolute weakest when it breaks away from the main story and focuses on the stupidity. Even the characters some times break the fourth wall mentioning the stupidity in a negative way, which can add to the fun.

When Slayers Try is focused, it definitely delivers an engrossing experience with plenty of very interesting back story, and the plot is frequently effected by all of this. The large amounts of story works very well in developing the character Filia and her people, as well as new threat Valgaav. I have to say that Valgaav is by far the most interesting villain in the series at this point, and is far away from the usual cookie cutter type meant only to push the plot. Filia was indeed a surprise and many fans were ticked because she received so much development while Lina and Gourry's budding relationship received no attention. I'm fine with this completely because Filia actually served a purpose, and there was more to her personality. Despite some small missteps in pacing, when compared to the last seasons I was surprised by the steady progression a majority of the time. I also liked the smaller details on how the outside world saw people using magic, with some of the populace seeing Amelia as an angel from heaven as she cured a person from an injury. It would have made for better storytelling had this story element been given more time.

I hope some people don't get things twisted though; there is still some good comedy like one of the early food fights between the crew involving some spaghetti, Lina's angry insults, along with Gourry's classic stupidity, and some in your face parodies that actually work. Also, the action is pretty stable too with some nice encounters against the main threats.

The animation is about on the level of Slayers Next which isn't a bad thing. The high energy attack battles are still just as vibrant, epic, and entertaining, and there's quite a bit of onscreen death. Valgaav has a nice design along with various others clearly indicating that some of these guys are from a different world. The darker settings still look just as great, and the soundtrack still does its job good enough. In regards to voice acting, the English dub continues to shine and Lisa Ortiz simply has Lina Inverse down.

It may be blasphemy to hail Slayers Try as the best of the original series, but swimming against the current has been my style for years; to those whom came into the first two series I highly advise to brace yourself for something kind of different. This series has plenty to offer while still maintaining something from its usual self.

Highs: Much better story and plot development, interesting new characters

Lows: Some weak filler moments, a tad bit of reused jokes

Based on the manga of the same name which was written by Tohru Fujisawa and directed by Masashi Abe. Tokko is an action anime that dabbles in the supernatural and Japanese mysticism. It involves a group of supernatural detectives taking on supernatural threats, in this case it's some type of zombie like creatures possessed by demons whom devour the living. Many naysayers hit on the unoriginal feel of the series, yet I can outright ignore just how derivative the story is, because the real problems are stale characters, unnecessary filler, bad story progression, poor interactions, plus a rushed and unfinished ending. This is more than ... enough to bury any title 40,000 leagues under the sea.

I honestly do not watch anime for the sake of complaining but there is so much about Tokko to complain about. The characters are a real problem beginning at the top. The main character Ranmaru and his sister Saya have a relationship that can only be described as disturbingly creepy, while the rest are bland stereotypes meant to fill up roles. There's only one character by the name of Chief Kunikida who is funny as hell (English dub), and I doubt he was meant to be the real comedy relief.

The plot follows Ranmaru as he becomes intrigued by these monsters they face and he eventually meets the girl in his dreams, the sword wielding Sakura, and her team equipped to deal with this threat called Tokko. It appears that they are the only one's capable of killing these monsters. He learns a lot about them, plus the main threat which has a whole lot to do with him and the tragedy they all experienced that changed their lives.

Tokko drags its feet revealing smaller parts to the mystery, and the pacing is bad as it jams in more moments of Saya and the weak cast. I found no one in this worth attaching too. Ranmaru is the typical shonen guy that acts as if he's afraid of women, gets in danger, all that good stuff. The characters are so weak and can't carry the plot leaving only its story to try and save things which had plenty of potential. There's another organization to battle the creatures, other warriors of Tokko's type with one couple actually doing something weird to the monsters after they kill them. Unfortunately, a lot of this stuff goes nowhere and it's even more frustrating that the episodes contain more filler than substance. It also does a terrible job at foreshadowing; it's too obvious what's going to happen and who could be working something behind the scenes.

Even the production values are quite mixed; the action department consists of the quick swipes and falling body parts which gets old really quick, yet there are some nice moments of some brutal gore. The bullet holes to the face and eyes looks pretty cool, with monsters being outright obliterated into pieces along with blades through the head. It's a shame that the viewer isn't treated to a lot more of that.

The backgrounds of buildings, trees, and hazy flashbacks make good use of the visuals, yet still character backgrounds and CG background vehicles look awkward. I'll give credit to the creepy monster designs though; those baby-face looking, parasitic maggots, are something that will stick with you. Whenever I think of this anime those sick looking things come to mind. They are definitely the highlight in terms of designs. The J-pop soundtrack is just there, but the series BGM does have its moments where it tries to work with its horror-like atmosphere using static background music which works well in the hazy, choppy like flashbacks and visions.

In the end though, Tokko crumbles underneath everything it wants to do. I saw a professional review once stating that this anime is an unrelenting blood bath, and it's one of the most violent series ever created. Do not buy into this; the violence is pretty average when considering how violent this genre has been for awhile. In addition, it spins its wheels with not much happening until around half way, plus the ending is a serious jip. The only people I can see falling for this are the very easy to please. If you do not fall into that group then I recommend other dark action titles such as Speed Grapher, Basilisk, or Berserk. I agree that Berserk has a jury-rigged ending, but at least everything before the ending is very gripping and leaves a damn good impression. Tokko is simply boring and forgettable.

Highs: Decent production values

Lows: Lots of missed potential, undeveloped story elements, unfinished

Slayers was such a smash hit and a wonderful action/comedy series with so much potential it was a must that it would see a sequel. Thus, a year later Slayers Next would be released and fans could enjoy the newest adventures featuring Lina Inverse and crew. When moving into a new series which laid out the ground work so well in the original, one would hope that none of the charm is left out while along the way making some improvements. Slayers Next definitely sticks to what made the series great for sure: the wit, comedy, action, mild development, it's there; yet at the same ... time, outside of the visuals there really isn't too much improvement.

The plot follows Lina Inverse as she searches for a magical artifact called The Claire Bible which contains some very necessary spells for her. Her friend and comrade in arms Zelgadis wants the book in hopes to returning to his human form. The band once again comes together and it's off on a new quest.

The visuals are clearly the most noticeable improvement with character designs, setting and static backgrounds appearing to be more crisp and detailed. Castles and underground labyrinths look a lot better, and there are also some pretty moments when the characters travel to other dimensions or alternate worlds. The final battle towards the end has a nice dark, end of the world like setting that truly feels as if this is the end. The battles look a little better as well despite the lack of choreography at times; the light shows are still something to get pretty excited about. The BGM is still just as good creating the right feeling for whichever situation is necessary.

This season sticks to its guns delivering the comedy along with action and it does succeed a good portion of the time; but one's enjoyment is clearly going to be decided on how much they bought into the characters earlier on. The first half of the series spins its wheels on delivering something of a plot. It's true that smaller details come into play, such as a major demon by the name of Gaav possessing a hidden motive to lure out Lina which leads into his personal feud with another demon; but there's so much filler taking place and stories that serve no purpose it's difficult to hide that this stuff is simply to prolong the series. I did have fun watching some of this, yet the lack of progress grew a little frustrating. The second half finally starts to deal with these plot threads that were introduced, and things to start get good, and I mean really good leading up to a couple of good battles and an ending worth waiting for.

Lina sees some development and becomes a bit more well rounded, and some of the side characters receive a bit as well coming together more as a family; the characters aren't even 60% developed but they really don't need it because their personalities alone carries the weight. Some of the battles are quite creative with nice outcomes and I loved their use of teamwork on some things.

In closing, although Slayers Next looks better and retains everything that made it special in the first place. It still suffers from the repeated jokes and obvious episode stretching; the jokes worked very well in the original because it was new stuff and many times unexpected. I like the characters a lot, still I need something more than watching Lina blast bandits to bits and watching the gang chow down practically every episode. It just gets to the point where some things aren't as funny anymore. I still recommend giving this a shot to everyone who fell for the original series.

Highs: Maintains everything that made it great, better visuals

Lows: Needed better progress, some jokes are redundant

Anime featuring characters fighting for whatever reasons has been a dime a dozen for as long as anyone can remember. I am a fan of these types of titles, but even I'll admit that they have grown quite stale over the years with so many of them borrowing heavily from Dragonball Z.

Fortunately, every once in a while something would show up with so much more to offer than just the next fight. Fighting Spirit aka Hajime No Ippo is one of those shows, and it has actually been among my favorite anime of this type for several years. The plot follows Ippo whom found ... a passion in boxing after being saved by another rising boxer by the name of Takamura. He goes on to set his goals in boxing, and then attempts to balance his boxing life with school and helping out his mother. He eventually finds his way into the ring and rivalries are created as he advances through the Japan Rookie Tournament.

This is one of those anime titles with so many positive things to say, that it's kind of difficult to know where to start. I'll mention first that the story is definitely among its strongest features. The writing team did quite a bit of research on the art of boxing. They not only tend to focus on the next fight, but also all of the struggles a boxer will have to go through in their training regimen preparing for a fight. There are some grueling moments such as following characters as they spar, run, and even diet to make weight.

There is rarely a dull moment to be found but the story elements would never be as strong if not for the characters. Ippo and the other boxers in his gym end up growing up to become something of a family, and the viewer will get to know them well enough. They do follow some of the standard Shonen anime clichés, but it's really difficult not to like this group. They are really big on horse-play, yet they know when it's time to get down to business.

The comedic moments mainly involve the main characters, and their antics fit very well within the show's style. There's a proper balance going on here for those whom despise that severe clashing of genres. The show really isn't that serious to begin with honestly, therefore there's no serious tone here to really sacrifice. Even the level of violence is pretty tame and does not consist of overly gory sequences.

Since I just mentioned the action in some form; the action sequences are brutal with plenty of hard-hitting blows. I must commend the production team for providing the bone crushing sound effects. The blows have a serious impact behind them that works very well into its atmosphere. Some of these confrontations can feel like a viewer is sitting right at ring side. The head shots, body blows, clashing of gloves, all are done with some meticulous detail. This also flows down into the animation; this is indeed a boxing anime and it tries to ground itself within the realms of reality, but the anime twist creeps up occasionally delivering some highly entertaining and exaggerated exchanges. I thought the character designs where creative and done well enough. There is a slight amount of reused cels during fights, however this should be expected since it is boxing. There's only so many ways one can move.

The BGM compliments the action and humor rather well, and I still enjoy both the sub and dub; personally I prefer the English cast simply due to some of the dialog and acting being laugh out loud funny.

Fighting Spirit clearly isn't without its flaws though. The series mainly follows the in-ring struggles of Ippo: all of his strategies, his coaching, and his courage during brutal beatings. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast don't even get this. The guys in his gym; their battles are quickly brushed upon and Ippo's rivals along with future opponents aren't really examined until they fight him.

Only with the mild exception of one opponent by the name of Takeshi Sendo, everything seems so easy for many of Ippo's opponents as they destroy competition. There's not a lot of explanation behind their strategies and character development is shaky for a lot of them. They seem to live more for the plot than actually telling an engrossing story. Their matches are so rushed when compared to their encounters with Ippo. Of course, some will likely point out Ippo being the star so he deserves the complete focus. If that's their case then I recommend they watch Baki the Grappler, as almost every fighter in that series receives some form of focus down to their personalities, styles, and even action segments. I'm not saying Baki the Grappler is better, but it does excel in this one area though.

Another gripe I have is actually with character development because Ippo is a real problem here. One would think that after at least 10 fights including some major ones and an opponent he defeated before, his confidence would be sky high. However, no such luck, he just doesn't seem to grow at all.

In closing, Fighting Spirit is an enjoyable anime that I can still sit back and watch after owning it for several years. Despite its flaws there isn't a single episode I can skip.The action is great, animation is very good, and the characters are memorable. The English dub which I enjoy a lot is well done, and I love the opening theme Inner Light by Shining Lemon the best; it's very energetic and hard-hitting like the battles. I highly recommend this title to anyone whom loves action anime.

Highs: Wonderful feel good story, interesting characters, great action, and very good animation

Lows: Some writing issues

I must say that I did not like the original movie Blood the Last Vampire, and I seen it a few times trying to find the overall brilliance. Sadly for me, it was nothing more than an exercise in advanced animation techniques. I praised it for very sharp attention to detail in regards to the visuals. However, I thought it was very close to worthless in other areas. The story left a lot to be explored and when I heard about Blood+ being a 50 episode series based on Saya; I figured here goes that missing part to the story. Contrary to what some folks ... would have you believe. Blood+ is not a sequel to the original movie, and the creators made no attempt to tie the two together. This is a separate story that examines Saya from a different perspective and explores her origin.

The first area I must hit on are the production values. In regards to the visuals, Blood+ is very beautiful with some very fluid animation frame by frame. These visuals are very close to top notch for a TV series. The animation during the battles are very good with nice choreography at times and the scenes can be violent and brutal, with lots of sword play resulting in dismemberments.

The backgrounds are simply gorgeous as they effectively combine with the CG. The ocean, river, and snow laden backdrops are outstanding, and it's the little things that appealed to my senses like high speed trains going by in the night time.

The character designs are also very pretty, and I thought it was a plus that the old school girl uniform wasn't being used to death to give anime perverts something to constantly drool over. Saya is seen in many different types of clothes, and most of the time she is very conservative. The fan service is kept pretty low and this is not something you will hear me complain about ever. Some of the villains look great too with some of the more powerful chiropterans having freakish appearances.

The soundtrack is also very well composed with some of the dramatic scenes being supported by a slow paced, melancholic piano backdrop. The opening and ending credits have some pretty nice themes as well and they do change later on.

Despite the heavy action feel of the original movie. Blood+ is actually a lot more character driven. Now don't get me wrong, there are several action scenes with some good sword fighting and heavy gore; but the characters are the main focus and I consider them a mixed bag for the most part. Saya is heavily developed as the story deals a lot more with her human side, and although she's a very flawed heroine in regards to toughness. She's difficult to truly dislike. Additional characters possess heavy potential for drama but most of the side characters are nothing more than mere stereotypes, and even though some may have a bit of depth it makes several of them no less annoying. Fortunately thanks to at least one key character death I can't say they were that bad.

The series features a great amount of suspense and the viewer would more than likely be gripped to the screen while waiting for the next revelation. The plot follows Saya as she begins to exterminate the creatures called Chiropterans. Along the way, there are certain factions introduced and the lead antagonist is of course revealed with this character playing a huge role in Saya's origin, as well as things moving forward.

Blood+ is decent at best and had potential to be far better. However, the series has some pacing issues because it juggles many side stories. There are way too many side plots taking place and finding time for all these events plus character interactions were a lot of times distracting. I think several characters and situations could have been left on the cutting room floor, and this would have helped the story move a lot more fluid. I understand that a lot of these things played into Saya's character development, but this was one of those cases of too much character development, and as a result, it gave away Saya's actions in the final cut. The foreshadowing was so strong to the point where it heavily took away from the "deciding moment".

I praised the series for its use of drama, but due to the obvious I felt that a certain dramatic moment wasn't as strong as it should have been. In addition, some of these elements began to repeat themselves over and over as if the point wasn't made clear the first couple of times. I think these segments will differ from person to person all depending on how much they bought into the characters. Since I didn't really care for all of them some of the segments really didn't appeal to me much.

I will give this series credit for tonal consistency. There are some brief moments of comedy injected, but it's not the least bit forced nor does it distract from the serious nature of the content unlike Hellsing Ultimate, which is heavily damaged by its shifts in comedic moments. When looking at the style of Blood+ compared to that I have to say it's well written.

Blood+ could have been an amazing anime. It's definitely far from a bad title, but due to several issues in its storyline it just comes off as an average title. I didn't feel like it was a waste of time, yet I wish back then I didn't buy completely into the hype and simply put it off for awhile. In closing, I recommend this to most anime fans, those whom loved the original movie, and even those that hated it.

Highs: Production values, some interesting characters, ending

Lows: Pacing issues that really hurts main narrative

Whenever I was asked which time period I found to be anime's finest hour the 90's has always been my answer and I don't see my take on that changing any time soon. I find this time period the most ambitious as anime became quite more innovative expanding on multiple genres. Neon Genesis Evangelion, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell, Berserk, and various others are directly responsible for boosting the genre's credibility; and as a result anime was no longer something one had to be ashamed to admit they were actually fans of. Many series had plenty of depth and characters people could relate ... to and hold dear to them. However, some of these titles like the one's I mentioned took themselves very seriously. Eventually Slayers was introduced containing a well enough written story and a plot with some nice twist; but these elements clearly came second to the one thing that truly defined the series, and that was its comedy.

Slayers is one of the few anime series that can actually make one laugh each episode without over the top toilet humor. It rarely, if ever attempts to appeal to the sleazy part of the mind, and this simply wouldn't have been possible if not for the characters. Honestly, the characters aren't completely developed; it's their personalities that will win over viewers and I personally find it near impossible to come away disliking any of them.

The series follows a young sorceress named Lina Inverse, the bandit killer, whom is known for stealing from others and giving to herself. She doesn't follow the usual shonen hero stereotype. In fact, she considers dying for the sake of honor completely stupid and would rather look for any other option which includes spells capable of mass destruction. Plus she needs to be paid to help people no matter their situation. She later meets a dim-witted swordsman whose stupidity is simply classic, and the two take off to another town. The plot begins to take form when she learns that one of the treasures she had stolen is quite important to another party, and this begins a series of encounters where she makes new friends and new, relentless enemies.

Slayers is a barrel of fun through out its duration with Lina encountering other magic wielders and powerful enemies. The plot isn't completely straight forward since new objectives come into play to keep the characters busy. I can't stress enough how important the characters are because they're clearly the glue holding this thing together, and the stellar voice acting for the English dub has that "it" factor going for it. The dialog is witty and overall entertaining, it's definitely a highlight worth mentioning.

Unfortunately, Slayers is far from perfect as certain jokes become quite redundant and it clearly takes its time making it to the end. On top of this, there are several encounters that lead no where and after awhile any type of interest for a certain rival battle is all but gone. The animation is a mixed bag by today's standards, and even for its time it wasn't among the best either. There really isn't much for choreography during the battles, but what is present can be very good as they battle with huge, epic attacks. The character designs work into the comedy at times as well and everything is fairly good to look at. I especially like various backgrounds as some castles and dungeons differ from one another. This series also has some great music that works properly for each segment, and they give battles that extra bit of life.

Slayers is definitely an old series to check out and it's a breath of fresh air from the overly bloody type packed with pure sexual humor and overtones. The laugh out loud moments definitely overshadows the boring ones. I highly recommend it to the fantasy, magical girl, comedy, and action fan bases.

Highs: Memorable characters, great soundtrack, funny comedy, and plot twist

Lows: Decent animation, mild redundancy

The Dragon Ball Z movies had become the living definition of money grabbers after the 7th movie. Many non fans would actually argue even before that. The movies were severely lacking in creativity and imagination, to where the writers found themselves either resorting to gimmicks or just playing copy and paste with stories. Therefore, I remember coming into this expecting the same thing, which was why I put it off for way over a year after its US release date. When I finally gave it a look; I was surprised with the solid effort as it did manage to work well with its key elements; ... the action, plot, and even the comedy held my attention to actually consider this a good movie.

The plot follows the same pattern as any DBZ movie; a threat shows up that could destroy the world or even the entire universe, and Goku must face this threat. This time around the culprit of mischief is a mutated being by the name of Janemba whom is completely responsible for the living and dead to collide. Goku engages him in battle which leads to quickly being pushed to his limits. I guess this movie will only be about as great or bad to you all depending on how well DBZ comedy and action jells with you.

The movie constantly flips between Goku's battle and his sons battle with the undead. The latter is completely comedy motivated all the way down to the visuals and it does work at times. I actually laughed during Frieza's return, plus the parody on Hitler down to some of his dialog, where he even admits that he should be recruiting these super strong blond guys. It's rare to find a DBZ movie where the comedy can make you do something other than groan. However, it's the serious fighting that will grab everyone's attention. It contains the usual Super Saiyan gimmicks plus Vegeta makes a very predictable appearance. The fighting is fun to watch, but again, the comedy has moments where it shines here as well concerning the Fusion technique.

Although I enjoyed the movie; I will admit that some of the scenes drag and I doubt this is due to multiple watches. I always felt this way about this movie, and even at 48 minutes I wanted it to end. The villain Janemba is the living definition of cookie-cutter, completely lacking any type of personality which is something that had been plaguing the DBZ movies for a very long time, probably after the Return of Cooler. All he does is just grunt and laugh, and that really isn't cool.

The visuals are much better here than in the TV series. The animation is a lot more crisp and vibrant. Although there is a heavy re-use of cels during some combat, there are moments of sharp blows and some type of action choreography. I liked the backgrounds this time too. The Other World where Goku and Janemba battle in has some pretty cool details, such as a rectangular shaped blood pond just floating in mid-air, and a forest made from sharp metallic needles. There are other elements indicating they are fighting in a different world, which is a good change of pace from the usual mountain and vegetation like areas. There is also a second, more manga like style during the comedic living and dead conflict. The designs at times are more cartoony with a darker outline here. I thought it was fine for the most part, but I probably wouldn't have been able to tolerate that had the movie been longer.

The voice acting for the English dub which is the only one I can tolerate, is fine for the most part except at times the dialog can feel awkward, as if the cast are just creating plot holes or something. It just sometimes feels strange. In any case, the usual Funimation suspects show up for the party, with Chris Sabat delivering a solid performance as usual playing Vegeta. Plus I will always admire Kara Edwards range playing both Goten and Videl. I would have never noticed it was the same person if not for the credits. The BGM rock score works well with the action, but don't come into this expecting Cooler's Revenge or Broly: Legendary Super Saiyan.

Fusion Reborn is among the better DBZ titles. It actually tries to be a better movie and succeeds. Plus it can probably rope in new fans despite it not really fitting into main continuity. It appears to be taking place at some point during the Fusion Saga, but this is hard to buy into. In any case, if you're a fan of DBZ than check this out. If you're new and heavily interested in DBZ, I recommend starting with the TV series first season, then the Dead Zone movie only if possible. Others with no interest or knowledge, there is far better anime out there to invest your time in.

Highs: Clean visuals, action and comedy that has good moments

Lows: Has its weaker moments too, plus a cookie-cutter baddie

When I look back on the very first DBZ movie, I always find it ironic how it's actually among the best in the line up. Each of the following movies venture the exact same path, which is to provide the viewer with low brow entertainment through lots of action and comedy. I have no beef with this. The problem is, once you get pass the first batch of movies, you start to sense the lack of innovation and even creativity. They become unbelievably gimmicky and that feel of a cash in is all over the place. Dragon Ball Z is definitely an anime series you ... must be a die hard fan of to consistently enjoy.

Dragon Ball Z: The Dead Zone is a pretty fun title. It feels a lot more like the Dragon Ball series, as it takes the viewer on a near non stop action-filled ride. Almost from the very beginning, the action begins and rarely lets up, and it's actually a real joy to watch. The production values pretty much delivers; the battles do utilize that boring reused cel format, but the energy attacks and minimum choreography provide the fun. Especially during one of the moments when Goku is dodging and blocking various attacks from the combined might of the main villains goons.

There are also some nice background shots of the palace they battle in, and later on in the destroyed ruins of the place. The battles at different points takes place during the evening under an orange sun set that looks really nice. Now normally when it comes down to voice acting, I prefer to watch the dub because that way I can focus better on animation and music without having to look down at subs. This is one of those rare moments I can't tolerate the dub though. The voice acting itself isn't the problem, but there's this one musical scene that takes place with Gohan that is far better in the sub, because it actually contains the song. While in English, the entire scene feels bland. On top of this, I do believe the sieyuu is far better, with the legendary Kamiya Akira voicing lead villain Garlic Jr and Masako Nozawa voicing Goku. They had some really good chemistry going here.

The plot follows Goku as he tracks Gohan to the villain Garlic Jr. Garlic gathers the Dragon Balls to make a wish, and from here fist start flying again. During the later movies, characters will appear only to be taken down in record time. Here, characters like Piccolo and even Krillin are used pretty well.

One of the main problems I've always heard about this movie was the 45 minute length. When looking at the fact this is a franchise flick that rarely has a good plot to work with anyway, and a majority of the time the action scenes aren't breaking any new ground. I just can't see length as a problem. If anything, Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone feels too ordinary even for that time.

Overall, this is a solid movie that actually fits into main continuity, something you won't see often in the later movies. The action scenes do depict character deaths yet it's nothing over the top. The movie feels child friendly for the most part. Fans of the series will more than likely enjoy this. Newbies really shouldn't start here since character development is non existant. For them, I recommend coming into the first season of the main series. If that piques your interest enough to move further, then go ahead and give this a shot.

Highs: Short and to the point, knows what it wants to be

Lows: Average at best, mainly for fans of franchise

Well, the dismantlement of Broly continued with yet another horrid entry into the DBZ line up, and it's really sad too when considering Broly was a character with so much potential. He was probably the most interesting character since Frieza, and he had this certain charisma about him that seemed to disappear with each sequel. Now Bio Broly is probably the most hated DBZ movie and rightfully so. Personally I have a hard time billing it as the worst or my most hated, because I can think of at least two that are truly horrendous. The writers try to tie this one into the main ... series despite there being no way it can possibly fit, plus commit other sins along the way.

The plot follows Mr. Satan as he volunteers Android 18, Goten, and Trunks, to compete in a tournament for his life. Their battle and soon investigation of the hideout leads them to a cloned version of Broly in a test tube, he breaks out and the rivalry begins anew.

Now the movie does surpass the last sequel in terms of action only. The action segments are nothing to brag about but they're not completely horrible either, plus they're well dispersed through out. The animation has some decent choreography once in awhile, sadly, that's about the only good thing I can think of. The character designs are rather bad for the Bio-Warriors, and nothing seems to stand out. Broly's new design was just so awful to look at, I mean wow. I also couldn't get into the BGM much either, the music was boring and it really didn't help matters.

I couldn't stop scratching my head with this horrible story. I just about hopped out of my seat when I first saw this movie. I couldn't understand using the shaman from the last movie in such a big role here whom probably didn't even have ten minutes of screen time total. I also wondered how he learned so much about Saiyans, much less the Legendary Super Saiyan, along with his name. I thought the Saiyans were a secret from everybody, and because of this, I found the story nearly impossible to buy into. I also couldn't get over Trunks pulling off Goku's signature move the Kamehameha Wave. I mean he should have been pulling off his father's move the Galik Gun for backstory and character development sake, and Broly is just horribly written here. In the last movie, he came off as a one-lined dimwit, here the dimwit is still intact only he has no lines at all. Seriously, Number 18 is the only one in this movie I find tolerable. She clearly wears the pants in the marriage with Krillin, and I found her dominance when giving orders, plus selling her services to Mr. Satan to be downright hilarious.

When looking at the bright side, at least the Broly chapter is finally over and the next movies in the franchise are very watchable to straight up good. If you're not a fan of DBZ then you can leave this alone forever. If you are then it should be seen only for completion sake.

Highs: Android 18

Lows: Just about everyone else

Broly: The Second Coming is quite possibly the worst out of the DBZ movies. I mean this movie is absolutely terrible from the beginning to around the last three minutes. Dragonball Z has always been something that was heavily focused on its action. Unfortunately, the action takes a backseat to some horrible and very annoying comedy, and it doesn't even deliver on the action when it finally gets there. Also, like the previous movies, this is not something a newbie can jump into. Someone new to the franchise will be completely lost, but for the fans, this actually feels like it could have taken place ... at some point during the Great Saiyaman Saga.

The plot follows Goten and Trunks as they search for the Dragon Balls to make a wish. Their journey ends when they meet up with the blood thirsty Broly whom confuses Goten with Goku. This begins a cat and mouse game that sees Goten and Trunks doing whatever possible to stay alive until someone stronger can battle Broly.

Do not come into this movie expecting anything you saw in Broly's first appearance. Now the first movie wasn't great by no means, still though, it managed to excel where it counts for the most part. Plus it had a more interesting cast to work with. Here, the pacing is atrocious, and I find this movie very difficult to sit through to the point where I have to hit the fast forward. Trunks and Goten are the main characters here and their ridiculous antics are at their peak. These two characters are barely tolerable in small doses, so giving them their own movie can only be described as cringe-inducing. The plot is incredibly boring, and a person may think that things would pick up when Broly finally makes his appearance. Unfortunately, the writers saw fit to turn Broly into a one dimensional idiot that had a hard time killing two Saiyan children and a human girl. I found him to be very disappointing when comparing him to his first appearance. The action scenes completely lack imagination and are uninspired.

The production values aren't half bad though. I didn't have an issue with the animation, and the light show during the final moments is a plus. The action doesn't consist of the reused cel combat, but I was actually missing at least that much, since the rest of the action was so weak and slow. The BGM attempts to add some type of flare to the action, but it simply cannot save these poor segments.

So what do you get when you have a movie with very bad comedy, rotten action, and a weak antagonist? Well, you get Broly: The Second Coming, and I wouldn't recommend this to anyone other than serious DBZ fans. This flick is that bad.

Highs: Ending

Lows: There are way too many