Month: January 2016

“Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds Zexal” Season 2

Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal Season 2The second season of Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal 5D’s covers episodes 27 to 64, with some season 3 and 5 episodes added, and is titled Earthbound Immortals for English-language viewers, though my DVD has the original title. The story spins around the waging war between the United Signers and the evil Dark Signers. The box set is very similar to the season 1 box set.

You open the box and see four individual DVD cases, each with two discs. By combining the Season 1 and Season 2 box sets, you will have the complete series of Yusei and Jack. You might be sad to know this is the last DVD release for Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s because there are 3 seasons in total.  The third season is estimated at only 30 episodes, none of which are dubbed. For that reason, the set will not be released. No telling if that is a final decision.

With all that packaging of the series out of the way, the second season of this anime adventure takes place much like the first season. Some episodes are not well dubbed. For example, the time Jack goes to Nazca, where he receives his Red Nova Dragon, and Team 5Ds face another opponent during the WRGP tournament.  Other episodes with questionable dubbing are the Divine Temple and Ark Cradle Arc.

The anime is filled with many monsters going against other monsters, like in Duel Runner Tournament, Duels for Fun, and Plot Build.  As I wrote earlier, you will be surprised to see some of Season 3 and 5 in the set.

All in all, the set looks and seems perfect for any anime fan, but with the added episodes from the preceding seasons and some dubbing flaws, it feels haphazardly put together. But I don’t think it is a reason not to purchase or view the episodes.  Being an Amine fan or fanatic is all the reason to own this set.

“The Giant King”

The Giant King 3D DVDDirected by Prapas Cholsaranont, The Giant King is a pretty simple and easy story for kids to follow. RAM is the creator of all robots and thus controls them. Pinky, voiced by Bella Thorne, is sent by RAM to terminate the giant robot Zork, voiced by Russell Peters, given that he is broken. Zork doesn’t want to fight, so when Pinky seizes Zork, a huge explosion occurs and buries them both for many years, until a junk robot, voiced by Nathan Barnatt, unearths them.

A robot battle happens, and a thousand years later, the two sworn enemies, Zork and Pinky, wake up chained together with no recollection of who they are or how they wound up together. They decide to search for answers and begin wandering the barren wasteland. They are in search of RAM, the creator of all robots, making new friends and a few enemies along the way. But when their memories are restored, and they discover they are true enemies and your RAM really is, their newfound friendship is tested by the deep-rooted battle of long ago. RAM shows up and decides to destroy them both, but their wacky friends decide to help them stop RAM.

The Giant King is a truly wonderful animated movie, with its charm and silly characters. The robots teach worthwhile lessons about helping your friends, never forsaking your dreams, never backing down to peer pressure, and never buckling under adversity.

The movie originated from Thailand, where it received seven nominations, and was translated for American distribution with English voice casting. It is a wholesome, family movie.