Category: Television Reviews

Shout! Factory Dialed up the Tokusatsu ♡ with 2 Complete Series this Month!

This month brings Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger and Kamen Rider Ryuki to home video, courtesy of Shout! Factory.

Tokusatsu Series Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger on home video!
Available to order on Amazon USA

Shout! Factory

Before Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, there was Super Sentai! This original presentation consists of many series only a superfan of the Tokusatsu genre can make sense of. Not only do we have the (fill in this blank) type ranger titles, but also there’s Kamen Rider and Cyborg 009. They’re all part of the megaverse, a term I’d rather use than meta.

What’s offered started hitting Japanese airwaves in the mid-70s, and to know where everything crosses over means really remembering all that’s been broadcasted since. Thanks to Shout! Factory for providing me with the releases lately, and they’re definitely shows I’m proud to play for my young nieces and nephews in hopes they’ll become fellow otakus.

First, I’ll look at what’s released this week and work backwards:

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Looking at Lockwood and Co from a Realistic Paranormal Investigator’s Perspective

What we see from Lockwood and Co is in how often they fail to understand the needs of a ghost who was once human.

Lockwood and CoNow playing on Netflix

Lockwood and Co has a ghastly problem. They can’t put a stop to the numerous hauntings around London alone. That is, nobody wants to help this supernatural problem-solving agency since they are like the black sheep of the industry. They are not ghostbusters, and nor are they an offshoot organisation similar to the Society for Psychical Research.

In this world wonderfully conceived of by Jonathan Stroud, these ghosts have an agenda. They want to harm the living but I’m wondering if they’re united or just separately acting out. The five books Netflix plans to adapt will show what the plan is. I haven’t read them, but after watching the first season, I feel the need to.

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Revisiting the 80s in Absurdist Fashion. Night Court is Back!

In Night Court, the mix of humour and empathy made the early series special which the new continuation strives to achieve.

Night Court 2023NBC’s Night Court is back in session, and instead of giving us a series laden with nostalgia, there’s some updates to show that life has moved on for some, others stuck in a rut, and the new faces are replacing familiar ones. That is, a few members of Harry Stone’s courtroom have either retired or have passed away. Although the first two episodes don’t have the zest that the original series had, I waited for the next releases to judge if the series is solid sitcom gold or not.

So far, John Larroquatte still got it as Dan Fielding, the character he plays. He’s a far cry from the irrepressible version from long ago, and to see how he developed to that state is why I’m loving this show. Although he was really hesitant to return to working at the old haunting grounds, the new young magistrate has high hopes that he can do what his collegue from long ago could offer. Be empatic and keep people from going to jail.

In the latest, “Dan V. Dating,” he’s certainly getting challenged in more ways than one. So far, this is the best episode to date, and it suggests that this series is more about Dan than the other characters. Hopefully that’ll change as the character arcs for the others get better. This new Night Court needs to better balance the narratives between the five. I’m finding the newcomers are basically replacements of those those performers who sadly passed away. Nothing’s been said about what happened to Christine Sulliven (Markie Post) or the others. She will always be that perky ray of sunshine and Abbey Stone (Melissa Rauch) gives similiar vibes. Had she lived, I’m willing to bet the producers would have put her on the bench once again.

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Jinkies! After 6 Episodes, HBO Max’s Velma’s Unexpected Turn Is With Why Crystal Cove Is….

Just because HBO Max’s Velma uses the same font as the Scooby Doo cartoons to implies some relationship, this series has gone astray.

VelmaIs it safe to say HBO Max’s Velma exists in a different continuity than all the past entries in the Scooby-Doo Universe combined? Although there are some references to the canon and an homage to other Hanna Barbera cartoons, it’s tough to say. At least the respect for everything Frank Welker did for this series (he voiced Scooby and Fred) is acknowledged, but I honestly do not think this inclusion is meaningful.

Not even George Jetson reference warrents a laugh. But to be fair, I’m giving my evaluation after watching the first six episodes. One missing factor is in how the main characters do not really respect each other at the start. There seems to be a rivalry between Daphne and Velma, which gets worked out later. Elsewhere, just why Norville matters is put into a strange place, and as for why Fred is a haspin needs a better explanation. They know each other mostly because they’re the same graduating class at Crystal Cove High. Just how they clicked to become a team still hasn’t happened yet.

This entry to this franchise is simply odd. Just because the title uses the same font as the Scooby Doo cartoons implies some relationship, it’s just an odd duck out. As for this group of teenagers to work as a team, it might manifest in the remaining episodes. Shaggy might adopt a dog, but maybe this canine was in his imagination all along. Fandom recognises him as a drug addict and as for that canine; perhaps we’ve been interpreting those past series through his eyes all this time!

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Is The Really Loud House Absolutely Needed? Weighing In 10 Episodes Later.

After ten episodes, The Really Loud House is showing some semblance of enjoyability. We have tales that don’t always focus on the hijinx Lincoln is up to.

The Really Loud HouseOn Nickelodeon and YTV
(Please check local listings for showtimes)

Catching up with The Really Loud House during the winter break was tough. This series debuted back in November of 2022 and I had reservations. What I really wanted was a better output of the cartoon series than this live-action version. And although a new season is promised, it won’t be coming soon.

Not everyone will like the fact this adaptation tries too hard to be just like the animated counterpart. All the wigs and turning an otherwise beautiful family to their drawn version doesn’t really work. A handful of performances are even spot on; Out of the entire cast, Brian Stepanek stands out as the least zany. His approach isn’t as over the top emotional as the drawn version, and somehow he channels just the right amount of pathos from his toon persona to real life.

Even though some of that magic is gone in this adaptation, I see the direction is no different from the classic sitcoms, namely Brady Bunch and Saved by the Bell. Somehow, I managed to continue watching past the cringe worthy first four episodes. It’s mostly about Lincoln Loud (Wolfgang Schaeffer) who sometimes break the fourth wall and his best friend, Clyde (Jahzir Bruno). The latter is one of the few voice over talents making the transition to the reality show. The side stories concerning his sisters are just that.

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An Animated Christmas Carol 12 Day Countdown to the Holidays

Thankfully, the animation medium has been kind in terms of how often Charles Dicken’s holiday classic has been reinterpreted. By my estimate, out of the many available to view versions that’s out there, I can make a list of my twelve favourite animated Christmas Carol adaptations.

A not so Animated Christmas Carol CoverThankfully, the animation medium has been kind in terms of how often Charles Dicken’s holiday classic has been reinterpreted. There isn’t that many when compared to how many times it’s been remade in live-action! By my estimate, out of the many versions that’s out there, I have a list of my twelve favourite animated Christmas Carol adaptations to enjoy every year. I have even included television specials. To be current, I considered Netflix’s animated release, Scrooge: A Christmas Carol, and unfortunately have to say this merry CGI musical is better off skipped.

Had Charles Dickens known about the legacy his tale had upon the entertainment industry, I’m sure the copyright law would have been changed to ensure his estate would get some payment. Sadly, his works are in the public domain. Thankfully, many productions acknowledge this author in the playbill, but in terms of his descendants getting royalties, I’m sure they’re all screaming, “bah, humbug!”

According to Collider.com, the earliest version is Marley’s Ghost (1901), directed by Walter R. Booth and produced by R.W. Paul. This work is impossible to find. Next is most likely Harold M. Shaw’s 1914 silent film short, and many more takes were made before Alastair Sim gave us the most beloved take with the 1951 motion picture. I have to give credit to the 1938 production; this actor made the character memorable, and he’s included in this list of animated works. They are ranked going from least to best:

The Stingiest Man in Town PosterThe Stingiest Man in Town
(Rankin/Bass, 1978)

This studio’s take is a departure from their cheerier stop-motion holiday works. In this earlier time, their holidays specials were on air every time December rolled around, and kids grew up watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman.

Although this work is a departure from style, and that the work was done at Topcraft, a Japanese animation studio, this title is worth noting because many of the animators would later be key staff members for Studio Ghibli! In regards to why this take is memorable is because of Tom Bosley. He lends his voice to play a bug named B. A. H. Humbug to narrate the story. Anyone who remembers this actor from Happy Days (He plays Howard Cunningham) will appreciate this take.

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