Random #6

 Dragon Ball

The most motivational and inspirational anime I’ve ever watched has got to be Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. Starting with the original DB which is pureness at heart with a young Son Goku heart of gold who can always laugh and have fun no matter what happens teaches the type of mindset that you need in life. As no matter what happens in life, you must think of the bright sight which builds strength of the mind, grown up Goku has this mindset but you can see it in its truest form in the original. Goku has this mindset which is how he is able to enjoy every day to its fullest without having all the tribulations stop his tracks as he has amazing mental fortitude.

OG DB Goku has that naivety as a child even as an adult which shows how he can do so much as he is not worrying about everything or doubts his worth and he has so much dedication you can’t help but be motivated like him. His dedication to everything is infectious in its final form, if you have seen a lot of Dragon Ball then you can relate to this; a lot of people who are massive fans of the series end up going to the gym and living more positivity just because of this anime. It goes to show that Dragon Ball is a pandemic for positive living, even if you have no muscle you’ll watch this and want to train like Goku and go Super Saiyan in everything you do too.

DB may be about mental fortitude but DBZ is about psychical strength. Watching DBZ was the most hypest anime I’ve seen, the show spans episodes training and gaining strength then fighting. It tests the cast's capabilities, sometimes when they had no hope of winning and all the odds were against them they pushed through and won. This type of storytelling was very infectious to me and made me want to go to the gym after watching. Finishing this show actually made me go to the gym more often as well. This show is so motivational that you’d want to be like Goku or Vegeta and the anime is amazing as well, and it just hits a chord in your heart about unwavering determination which just motivates you in every way.

The anime has a lot of lessons as well, Piccolo as a father figure, Vegeta as redemption, Goku as strength, Buu as the heart, Freiza as evil, Gohan as being yourself, Future trunks as being a hero. Gohan is very inspirational as well as he started as a weak baby but always had something which he worked to and saved everyone against Cell when it counted, that shows that weakness isn’t bad and shows you that you can get strong. Then after he could take his own path in academics and find love, which shows that you don’t have to be the person everyone wants you to, but the person you want to be.

Heavenly Delusion

Finally an anime with a unique style, some character similarities to Akira the movie, that’s not afraid to show gruesome blood. Set in a dystopian world, in good old pokemon fashion these kids or teens are set to explore this ruined world. The anime reminds me too of Girls’ Last Tour except not alone, just the concept of them being abandoned in this world. With monsters in this world called Hiruko that are super hard to kill, Maru has a power to kill them, the anime also deals with gender as Kiruko was a boy that nearly died but a girl gave her body to save him. So, it deals with their identity in a creative way.

The world is similar to that of the Walking Dead, where they are surviving in this world of desolation and come across some people now and again. I love this kind of dystopian world and it shows the aftermath of robots and technology that destroyed the world. The concepts in this show are a lot and there’s even a promised neverland kind of lab where these kids live and in the lab they are making the Hiruko man-eaters and doing experiments. I love an anime that has so many good ideas and pulls them off greatly, with sublime animation in this anime too that is so fluid it makes me think this will be a contender for anime of the year 2023.

There’s a huge mystery element to the origins of the Hiruko creatures and I think a good anime should have not everything told to you at once. This anime has a good pace of storytelling that makes you super invested in this show. When I first saw the anime I thought it was going to be super popular as this is the most original and unique new anime I‘ve seen in a while but it seems to be overshadowed a lot, but this is definitely a hidden gem to find which is always good. A great anime I believe should have a lot to be guessing and have you wondering which this anime has a lot of, this makes it super entertaining and anything can surprise you or shock you. It has a lot of ambition without feeling like it’s doing too much even at time’s the anime is chill dystopian bliss or comedic as well. Speaking of comedy this anime has it too and at times it breaks the tension of seriousness and makes you invested in these characters, so this anime for me does everything right. The main characters are substantial enough that they seem likable and attached to the show, it’s always progressing the momentum of their journey and the side plots with the lab that each episode is a treat to watch. This show is way above an 8/10, it’s a 10 or just below for me as I really appreciate shows that are so original and do new things or make new with old or existing stuff.

It also has a lot of heavy topics like death, trauma, triggering things etc. People rate anime with these touchy topics and think it’s bad because of them, but this show does them right and is not distasteful like others. Everything in the anime is purposeful, interesting and an anime that I felt had no cutting corners; it’s amazing when we get these types of shows and they get executed perfectly. If you want an anime where there isn't a boring moment and everything means something, this is the anime you must watch. It’s definitely one of the best new anime this year, that you must see!

Kaijuu No.8

The manga I will be showcasing is one I found really interesting, called Kaiju No.8. The story revolves around a world like Earth, but kaiju exists, but instead of giant creatures, they can be any size; Kafka wakes up one day as a half kaiju half Human hybrid where he can transform and become very strong. He discovers his power, but despite that, he is an old geezer, so his confidence is low, being old and "out of service," as one would say. Nevertheless, Kafka and his friend Hibino join the Kaiju fighting force and must keep his power a secret because kaiju are killed. He has to transform and help save his comrades and gets into some altercations. The manga is a fascinating idea; as someone who loves Godzilla and other kaiju, combining it into a shounen manga with action is a fantastic concept I haven't seen before, so it's an original spin on a monster fighting manga.

Kaijū No.8 has excellent action panels and enemies that are 10 feet or up to 100 feet like actual traditional kaiju, and you get to see them take on these behemoths with an actual plot involving the kaiju as some, if not all, can talk. It keeps you engaged as you don't know why Kafka is a kaiju and could be a mystery around kaiju. Not only that, but the manga also has comedy, which made me chuckle a few times. Even the Kafka kaiju form in the comedic art style is goofy but hilarious. Kafka, being a softy, has a big heart and tries to be the comedic relief as he cares about his colleagues while leading his double life. The art is also well drawn and detailed in serious scenes and sometimes has double-page art of kaiju, which will bring out the kaiju monster nerd in you. If you like One Punch Man, Marimashita! Iruma-kun, or Parasyte, then this is the manga for you. I can't wait for the anime next year, which will be hype!

Thanks For Reading!