TV/Film Reviews 2/5

EDITORIALS

Aug 9, 20203 min read

Seven Deadly Sins..An Anime Review

At first, glance, while cool, I wasn’t sure this was an anime I wanted to jump into. I got some MAJOR Fairy Tales vibes from the preview and was lukewarm as I pressed the play button on Netflix. Before we talk about subbed vs. dubbed (which is a much larger conversation), I watched dubbed because I’m usually multitasking. But if I’m not, it’s subbed all the way. I immediately recognized Kirito (from Sword Art Online)’s voice. That’s where I first heard Bryce Papenbrook there even though he would continue voicing some pretty iconic characters up to the present. Hearing his familiar tone made me think I knew what to expect here. I was completely mistaken.

The first episode with “Little Gil” Sir Gilthunder plunges his sword into the ground like some ancient myth, was the perfect way to start the series. Gilthunder’s power over lighting and his obvious superiority to the average human stacked the deck against the diminutive Meliodas. His bright and happy demeanor let me know that he was going to be a problem. I didn’t know how powerful he would be, nor how soon we would get a glimpse. But the moment he said “full-counter” and reflected Gilthunder’s lightning, I knew I was in for a rollercoaster ride.

What I really like about Seven Deadly Sins is that none of the characters are too straight forward. I would say that Meliodas and Elizabeth do the expected more than most and their storyline is pretty obvious. What I like about the narrative as a whole is that on their journey to find each other, they find the other Sins. Their story is so multi-layered that it makes a VERY interesting series.

Without giving too many spoilers, I like stories that have changing motivations. Throughout the entire series, but especially through the first and second season, you never truly know who is good and who is evil. You see acts of terror on both sides, but the motivations speak in higher volumes than the acts themselves and that’s always engaging. Each of the Sins has a tragic past that in most cases reveals itself in the first season. But as we pull the curtain back even further, those deep pasts become chasms of mystery and tragedy.

Of particular interest to me, was Ban. I love a tragic character and he’s as tragic as they come. His nonchalant and devil-may-care attitude adds depth to his motivations. Unrequited love is also a strong quality that I find intriguing and Seven Deadly Sins is rife with it. It’s interesting how reflective of life this anime is in certain ways. The person you want doesn’t know it, someone else wants you and you can’t see and all the while everyone is going in a circle. The person you hated today, you realize was manipulated and as much a victim of circumstance as you are. The reasons behind a tale or some much more intriguing than just the tale itself. One of the criticisms that I often see levied against the later Dragonball series never shows its head here. The motivations of the characters, whether benign or not, feel real. As do their responses.

Seven Deadly Sins also does a very good job of keeping power levels progressing and seeming important. While they have the power to cleave mountains and lay waste to entire villages, there are reasons behind each action and escalation of power. Another element the Seven Deadly Sins has going for it, is the narrative reflection of the “sins” themselves. Much like anime intros are often teasers for what’s to come, the names of the Sins and the “sins” they represent contribute to their stories in interesting and sometimes unexpected ways.

Seven Deadly Sins comes with not only my seal of approval but a very enthusiastic thumbs up as well. It’s not to be missed!

Brian Joseph Lambert is the lead contributing writer and editor at Wingless Entertainment LTD. He specializes in bringing diversity to action/adventure, fantasy and sci-fi worlds. In 2017, while earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Full Sail University, he published his first novel, ASCENSION- THE CHRUSION SAGA BOOK 1. In 2019 he earned a Master’s degree in Entertainment Business and released JUSTICE- ISSUE #0 for Wingless Entertainment LTD and Konkret Comics. Brian's current projects include WAR FOR THE SWORD- THE CHRUSION SAGA BOOK 2, a CG animated feature film entitled, RUBICON and JUSTICE- THE FALL, an ongoing graphic novel with KONKRET COMICS. Brian recently was selected as a Reader's Favorite Book Award Finalist in 2019 for, ASCENSION- THE CHRUSION SAGA BOOK 1. Brian has edited numerous independent works including, Is’Nana the Were-Spider by Greg Anderson Elysée, Akolyte by Derek Allen, Nia Caler by Dorphise Jean and the upcoming Beyond 13th by Michael Ralph. When not writing or editing, Brian works on creating a functioning lightsaber so that he can pass the Jedi trials.

Concept Moon

Jun 14, 20205 min read

Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes? A Perspective Piece

Who watches the Watchmen? Everyone!

Admittedly, I came to the series a bit delayed. Some of my trepidation was caused by potentially retreading territory that I feel Alan Moore handled excellently already. I’m a fan of the Zack Snyder movie, but I was in no rush to see it rehashed. Imagine my surprise when it was something completely different.

The morning after it aired, the internet was already abuzz with new Watchmen developments. That was my second and most stifling source of reluctance. I read the words “Tulsa Massacre” and had no desire to watch those events unfold. Rosewood, Roots, 12 Years a Slave, Birth of a Nation, and countless other films have visited the cruel and torturous past of my forbearers. I had no desire to see that. Much like the trepidation many felt when confronted with the truth in When They See Us, the reality of those events is traumatic, it’s felt on a soul-wrenching level. As the first notes of the piano score started and the black and white film played on the screen, the palpable fear of Will Reeves’ mother unscored the masterpiece unfolding in front of me. The Tulsa Massacre is rendered with frightening realism. It was hard to hold back the tears as I watched a recreation of the destruction of Black Wall Street. Damon Lindelof did an excellent job of creating the emotional center of Watchmen’s narrative.

Make no mistake, while Watchmen starts in tragedy, it is an all-out assault on a multitude of social issues, namely Systematic Racism, and White Supremacy. Nightsister shines as the heart and soul of the Watchmen series. Much like Laurie Juspeczyk functioned in the original graphic novel, all plot threads go through Regina King’s Angela Abar/Nightsister at one point or another. She brings heart, wit, charm, and depth to the role. Being the masked police officer, Nightsister, spinning out of the events of the White Night and “Redfordations,” the symbolism is apparent. In a blistering attack on the insidious nature of white supremacy’s infiltration of current law enforcement, Nightsister’s mentor and fellow survivor of the White Night, Chief Judd Crawford, played by Don Johnson, is a member of Cyclops and its successor, the Seventh Kavalry unbeknownst to anyone. Chief Crawford’s assertion that he’s, “trying to help you, people,” before he dies at Will Reeves’ behest in an elegant strike at the subversive nature of history’s rebranding of the bloody colonialism that birthed this country.

There’s so much to unpack, that I will be covering each character in depth throughout the year, dissecting their motivations, racial or otherwise. Again, Watchmen is a masterwork, turning the microscope of the human condition directly back at us. America has an ugly tradition of racism and Watchmen explore it in interesting ways. From the Seventh Kavalry wanting to obtain the powers of Dr. Manhattan and its allegorical similarities to the phrase, “everyone wants to be black, but no one wants to be black,” to the implications of the Seventh Kalvalry themselves being “culture vultures,” by co-opting the Rorschach mask as the new symbol of their rebellion, Watchmen is a non-stop commentary, not for the faint at heart.

An interesting observation is the character of Looking Glass. By all appearances, to include speech pattern and stature, Looking Glass is a perfect candidate for the Seventh Kavalry. What we don’t know as the plot unfolds, is that Looking Glass is the new Rorschach. Down to the way he’s more comfortable in his Looking Glass mask than he is with no mask at all, Looking Glass puts on his “face,” the same way Rorschach did. His analytical observations of suspects and then the events themselves are fundamentally the same. He’s even locked inside the Seventh Kalvary stronghold leading up the climax of the series, just as the original Rorschach was. Looking Glass is disturbed and opposed to the Seventh Kalvary and their beliefs, as much as Rorschach was to crime. While not as extreme in his methods, Looking Glass is every bit Rorschach. He even succeeds where his spiritual predecessor fails; he captures Ozymandias, played by Jeremy Irons (more on Ozymandias in part two, I promise). But let’s get to it. Let’s talk about the revelation. THAT revelation.

I will say, I’m honestly disappointed by how the relationship between Hooded Justice and Captain Metropolis was portrayed. While I understand that they had to pack so much inside that single episode, but I wanted a further exploration of their relationship. I was interested in how it was sparked, what led to it, how it was even broached. The dichotomy of Captain Metropolis wanting a black body against him and inside him, but not wanting the responsibility that came with loving a black soul is an issue black people deal with daily. Captain Metropolis wanted to feast on Hooded Justice’s body and share a bed, but not share his struggle nor his life. That

speaks to Captain Metropolis knowing the issues plaguing Hooded Justice’s existence, but his careless indifference spoke even louder. It reminded me of the current thought of “not alienating your allies,” or “finding common ground,” among the treacherous waters of systematic racism, bigotry and white supremacy. Captain Metropolis was completely fine turning a blind eye to the bloody war that Hooded Justice raged, but still wanted that untamed rage inside him. It’s the fetishizing of black pain, black culture, and black power. I would have loved a deeper exploration of that dynamic. I understand why it couldn’t happen, but I wanted to explore that relationship more. Captain Metropolis is an observation of America’s obsession and disregard for black pain and suffering. It needs to be explored, not just in film, but in reality, as well. As I take a deep breath and look over my notes for Watchmen, I realize that like the troubles of racial America, my thoughts can’t be compartmentalized into a simple one-off article. The potency of the topics at hand course through my veins as I type each word. Like the exploration of Captain Metropolis, the exploration of Watchmen deserves time to gestate. So, I welcome you all to Watchmen, the Life and Times of the black struggle in film and life, a blog series by Brian J. Lambert.

Concept Moon

Mar 10, 20204 min read

My Hero Theory

The first time I saw Deku, I kept wondering, “why is this kid crying so damn much?” I didn’t realize at the time, that it was part of the point. Deku is not only the star, but he’s the emotional center of one of the most highly touted anime/manga productions, My Hero Academia. There’s no end to the memes that show Goku and other top-tier anime passing the torch to My Hero and Fire Force and Dr. Stone. It’s truly a great time in anime. As if there was ever a bad time.

As a quick aside…

With the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the 7 others on the fateful helicopter, My Hero’s author, Kohei Horikoshi shared a special illustration with Deku wearing the Nike Zoom Kobe 1’s. That’s an awesome show of admiration and hits at the emotional tethering that My Hero is known for. But I digress.

#RIPKOBE #RIPGIGI #MAMBAMENTALITY

One thing I’ve always loved doing is connecting different properties or franchises to make a cohesive story. If you watch iRobot, Terminator and The Matrix, you get the timeline (some good and some bad) of the entire Man vs Machine war. It takes a little imagination sometimes, but it’s a pretty fun thing to do. Imagine how excited I was when I scoured the internet and found that someone had already started a thread that featured My Hero. Wait. If you can believe it, it gets even better. Not only does it feature My Hero, but it also features everyone’s favorite bald, mild-mannered hero, One-Punch Man! Yes, there is a theory that connects My Hero and One-Punch Man. And it’s (not surprisingly) very plausible. (Read Here)

The story goes that Saitama (the titular On-Punch Man) is just the latest wielder of One for All. It makes sense, as his powers seemingly pop up from nowhere. And his explanation of 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and running 3 miles a day is a little flaky. Also, he’s used this regimen to “break his limit.” Doesn’t that sound like “going beyond… Plus ultra,” to anyone else? I think so. Also, the planet is overrun with villains and the world’s governments have created the Hero Association. That sounds a lot like an alternate timeline/extended timeline where the League of Villains won and the power had to be passed on. Even the “hero-hunter” Garou reminds me of a certain hero-killer, Stain. It’s more than a coincidence, but it’s also so much fun.

But what if it didn’t begin there? What if, like my unofficial Man vs Machine Saga, I’ve found the secret origin of One for All? Now before you try to kill me, chill out. I know that My Hero has explained how One for All was born and what’s brought us to our current time. But let’s have some fun.

The 2011 anime, Tiger & Bunny, produced by Sunrise entertainment chronicles the early days of heroes and villains. Here, the heroes fight crime while promoting sponsors and competing for the title of “King of Heroes” on Hero TV. It’s not far-fetched to think that when quirks first began popping up, that the fascination with them grew to rock star status. In an age of media glute, it makes sense that they would be watched and adored in a competitive format. But let’s delve a little further. Wild Tiger and Barnaby Brooks Jr. have similar powers. Powers that augment their physical capabilities, but only for a limited amount of time. What’s interesting is, that once Barnaby shows up, Wild Tiger starts to gradually lose his powers. Coincidence? Let’s add another layer. The previous top hero, Mr. Legend was a holder of the “100 power,” now possessed by Barnaby and Wild Tiger. Mr. Legend's powers also faded in time for Wild Tiger to take over. Now it might be a stretch, but it’s a fun one.

The next is the hero Fire Emblem and the “dark” hero, Lunatic. Both of them use flame powers. Fire Emblems are traditionally red, whereas Lunatic wields blue and green flame with greater control. Sound familiar? Even though his quirk isn’t passed down like that, is it possible that Endeavor learned to use his fire to run up walls and make spears from watching Lunatic? Or Fire Emblem? It’s completely possible.

Just imagine, watching Tiger & Bunny, you’re seeing the beginning of the Golden Age of Heroes. You’re watching the world before All for One nearly brought the world to its knees. You’re watching a more naïve world, that has yet to need All Might. Then as My Hero Academia begins, you see the aftermath of All for One and All Might. You see the fall of heroes and the eventual rise of Deku as THE hero. Then fast-forward into the future and One-Punch Man shows us what the world became if villains were let to flourish as Deku passed One for All down another generation. I know, I know... It’s not canon, it’s a little far-fetched even. But a guy can dream, can’t he? With a little imagination, you have a great successor to the Prequel/Original Series/Sequel format that deep in our nerdy hearts, we want.