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My Hero Academia: Fighting Fate | 4 x04 – recap

In the previous episode, Midoriya was accepted into his work-study with Sir Nighteye. By the end credits, Midoriya had run into their prime subject Overhaul while walking on patrol with Le Million also known as Togato. This episode begins as Togato and Midoriya, now going by their hero names Le Million and Deku, proceed with their walk. Just as their walk begins, a little girl bumps into Deku running from an alleyway with Kai Chisaki closely behind.

Continue reading “My Hero Academia: Fighting Fate | 4 x04 – recap”

Dr. Stone: Buddies Back to Back (s01, e12) – recap

Ginro teases Kinro for not having a gold spear while rejoicing over his new silver spear. Senku appoints Ginro the group’s bodyguard while they go out to search for sulfur ingredients for the antibiotic.

“Buddies Back to Back”

Chrome and Senku, Dr. Stone

The spear is also used for a sensor and turns black when the group needs to run away or they will die. Sulfer ingredients are dangerous.

Chrome, Kohaku, Senku, and Ginro make it to an area where they can gather materials for Rori’s medicine. They want to collect green water. But the hydrogen sulfide will kill them is Ginro doesn’t pay attention. 

Ginro sees a mirage of a beautiful girl in the water and almost gets killed because he doesn’t notice the sulfuric acid turning the spear black. Kohaku thinks she can outrun the acid, but Senku assures her that her speed won’t be enough to outrun the poison. 

The decide to great gas masks, but Senku makes Chrome stay behind in case the masks don’t work. Chrome is the only other person in the Kingdom of Science that knows how to create Rori’s cure and will pass down the knowledge. Chrome refuses because Senku is his friend. After some back and forth, Chrome and Senku agree to have each other back while gathering the materials.

Chrome and Senku, Dr. Stone

Meanwhile, Kohaku is approached by her father to take the place of her sister as the town priestess. She refuses and vows to save Rori using the medicine Senku and Chrome are planning to create. She is assured that Chrome loves her sister and thus will save her life. 

Senku and Chrome prepare to go back to the green lack again. Ginro is afraid so Senku takes his spear and they leave. 

Kaseki, our resident craftsmanis still around. He gives some knowledge to Ginro about being able to work through his fear versus giving up and letting his fear consume him using willpower. Kaseki made another mask to give Ginro a change to help Chrome and Senku. 

Chrome, Dr. Stone

Back with Chrome and Senku, Chrome slips and falls off the cliff headed straight into the green lake of sulfuric acid. Ginro arrives just in time to save his life. 

After a moment of heroism, Ginro freezes with fear after seeing his spear turn black. But Senku and Chrome help him calm down and gain control over his fear. And they obtain Sulfuric acid!

Fire Force: The Spreading Malice (s01, e09)

We pick back up from the previous episode of Fire Force, with Shinra jumping down from the rough on to Rekka’s face effectively stopping him from beating up Tamaki.

During their fight, Rekka’s inferno creating bug starts to try and jolt toward Shinra from inside its container. Rekka believes this is because the bug is compatible with Shinra and plans to capture him to use him for whatever the Evangelists’ grand plan is.

They engage in a fight and Shinra holds his own, but it quickly becomes apparent that Rekka is more experienced and therefore able to use his flames more effectively.

The Spreading Malice

Tamaki is caught up in the crossfire and pleads for Shinra to defeat Rekka. Rekka feels that he can beat Rekka in terms of mobility and takes to the air to fight. Rekka decides to use his arms. Shinra defeats Rekka with a huge burst fire kick from the ceiling, leaving him laying on the ground.

His goal is to create strong pyrokinetic from the children he takes and produce countless infernos to return the world to flames because its the will of the Evangelist. The main objective of his group is to turn the world into a second sun, a star.

During Rekka’s crazy rant, he says that he planned to kidnap the children so they can receive the Evangelists’ teachings. Shinra realizes his brother could have been taken from the scene of his house fire when they were young.

Karim and Foein show up and Karim freezes Rekka mid-attack. They are trying to figure out their next steps when someone shoots Rekka from afar and reports that he has been eliminated. The sniper begins to fire again and ends up shooting off Foein’s arm.

The group goes on defense and the sniper’s retreat.

Who is the Evangelist?

Shinra deduces that there is a group that’s turning civilians into infernos and setting fires to hide their crimes. Among them are kidnapped children and one of those children could be his brother. Now, Shinra plans to go after the Evangelist.

Tamaki is prepared to accept her punishment for her role in Rekka’s plot. Special Unit 1 joins Special Unit 8’s investigation to find the Evangelist.

As a result of Tamaki’s role, she was suspended and Obi accepted her into the 8th for the time being. Arthur went missing during the apprehension of Rekka and hasn’t returned to the 8th’s base. He is shown walking in a windy desert at the end of the episode.

Is he going off on his own or could he be working for the Evangelist?

Fire Force: S01, E08 | Infernal Insects (recap)

Fire Force: S01, E06 | The Spark of Promise (recap)

Shinra finally reaches Hibana’s palace where the Special Force 5 are stationed. As he approaches the doors, he remembers how she incapacitated him in their last encounter in episode 4. He easily beats the 5th Angels Three attack and ascends the steps of the palace.

The Spark of Promise

Hibana and Iris, Fire Force

Hibana prepares to fight the Special Force 8 and tells Iris to watch. She has what I would equate to Survivor’s Guilt because she is still angry about her fellow nuns being consumed by fire. She is a 3rd generation fire user and can’t be consumed by flames. She made it out along with Iris, but the others burned and that changed her approach to life. She shuns Iris for still keeping her faith even after what she saw.

“A hunk of gravel like you doesn’t stand a chance of harming me. ” – Hibana

Shinra arrives to challenge Hibana. She uses a heatwave specialty move that gives Shinra vertigo. After she explains how she is incapacitating him, Shinra begins to power through to stand up to restart the fight.

Shinra says he’s going to save her from her delusions because she looks like she’s in pain. This fires her up and she knocks him out again. Hibana creates a blooming tree in the middle of her lair. The flower peddles burn him.

Shinra, Fire Force

Exploitation vs. Salvation

Iris tries to appeal to her past with Hibana to get her to stop attacking Shinra. But Hibana harps on the fact that she was less committed to her faith and survived the massive combustion at their orphanage. As a result of the orphanage burning, she turned to selfish gain instead of faith.

Shinra claims he’s going to keep getting up so that he can help her. He ends up knocking her out with a punch. We see a flashback of her creating flame flowers with the rest of her sisters at the orphanage. A head nun tells her to use her powers cautiously because they could hurt someone, but they were a gift from God.

Hibana and Nun, Fire Force

We see Hibana and Iris were not particularly close, but they walked in on the burning nuns together and that added to their relationship. The combustion even caused her to turn to a life of exploitation, believing that her gift was an abomination.

When Hibana wakes up from Shinra’s punch, Iris and Shinra are there. Shinra tells her he’ll be her hero and asks her to call him whenever he needs her. Hibana admits defeat and she and Iris rekindle a positive relationship. As a result, Special Force 5 and Special Force 8 become allies.

Fire Force, Hibana

Fire Force: S01, E05 | The Battle Begins

Dr. Stone S1, E7 | Where Two Million Years Have Gone (recap)

In this episode, Senku and Kohaku find a hot spring so that Kohaku can take the water to her sick sister, Ruri. Senku is thrown off at first because he believes that she confessed her undying love for him. She denies that she loves him, but confirms she likes his way of life. However, I do think she will fall for him eventually, but she is more concerned about her sister’s health right now.

The jug with the hot spring water in it is too heavy and Senku offers to carry it. He eventually falls over and decides to create a vehicle to help them transport the supplies. Kohaku believes the hot spring has healing properties. Senku knows it will not heal her sister, adding to the primitive origin. They arrive at Kohaku’s village where two guards will not let Senku in because he is an outsider.

Where Two Million Years Have Gone

Petrification, Dr. Stone

Senku is excited about finding the village and wonders where all of these people came from. He deduces that they were born post petrification due to their primitive nature and assumes he will be able to take over the village.

He encounters two guards that will not let him pass. So he tests their intelligence by creating bubbles. They don’t know what the bubbles are an immediately take a defensive stance and scream for Chrome, their village sorcerer.

Science vs. Sorcery

Chrome arrives on the scene and explains away the bubbles while popping them. This surprises Senku and he is excited that another person interested in how the world works is alive.

Chrome tries to amaze Senku by using crystals to create various colors of fire, but Senku can deduce how he achieved the fire. Seeing Chrome’s passion for sorcery makes Senku think of Shishio.

He tells Chrome that Shishio would eventually try to kill him because he too is interested in how the world works and even though he doesn’t understand everything, his existence and abilities would challenge Shishio’s purified world.

Arithmetic

Senku, Chrome, Kohaku, Dr. Stone

Chrome challenges Senku to a battle of numbers and puts up his entire lab as collateral. Whoever wins takes it all. Senku crushes Chrome easily and takes his lab for his own, but invites Chrome and the two guards to join him and Kohaku in the Kingdom of Science.

Kinro, one of the guards is settled in his ways and tells Senku that he can not come into the villages because “rules are rules”. Kinro does ease up after Senku puts a gold coating over his spear.

Kinro, Senku, Dr. Stone

While looking through the resources he gained from Chromes inventory, Senku gives shouts out to Dragon Quest and Monster Hunter.

Kohaku heads into town to see her sister, Ruri. Ruri turns out to be the priestess of the town and she is sick. Kohaku and Chrome are trying hard to figure out what can save her.

Chrome

Senku decides to tell Chrome what happened to the world with petrification over 3700 years. Chrome is overcome with grief and hope and vows to help Senku rebuild.

Senku Antibotic, Dr. Stone

Senku says he can save Ruri with an antibiotic.

Dr. Stone S1, E6 | Two Nations of the Stone World (recap)

Dororo (2019) is a re-imagining done right (review)

When I found Dororo I was instantly hooked into the story. I didn’t realize it was a re-imagining of the 1969 version until I googled, but this is a remake done right. This new iteration is honestly tragic. As uncomfortable as the first few episodes made me, I wanted to find out how the story ended. Season one of Dororo is 24 episodes and it has one of the best opening themes I’ve ever heard. And contrary to other named anime, the title of the show has nothing to do with the main character. This anime evoke a lot of emotions with the story telling and really makes you invest in Hyakkimaru as a protagonist.

What is the story about?

In a world where war has ravaged every village in the area and famine, sickness and natural disaster have become the norm, a domain lord named Daigo makes a deal with demons to gain prosperity and rule over his land.

His deal was sealed at the expense of his firstborn son. As his wife was giving birth, demons fed on each body part leaving him without skin, ears, nose, eyes, or limbs. However, the child still lived because the God of Mercy saved his head.

16 yrs passed and that child, now named Hyakkimaru, is a skilled samurai even without his limbs and senses. He can sense auras and when he meets Dororo, a witty little girl with a gigantic heart and will, she begins to travel from village to village ridding them of monsters. Soon Dororo, Hyakkimaru, and a traveling monk realize that every time he kills a demon he gains a part of his body back.

By the end of episode 12, Hyakkimaru meets his family that sacrificed him for their “greater good”. This encounter alters his motivations. He no longer just wants to survive. He vows to kill every demon and regain all of his body parts, break the deal between his dastardly father, and the demons.

The second half of the season surrounds Hyakkimaru fighting for his body no matter the cost. He risks his humanity in the process and almost loses it. However, Dororo, Biwamaru (the traveling monk), the guardian who raised him, and his mother assure that he gains his salvation.

He even resolves his issues with his brother before becoming whole and going off on a journey without Dororo. He leaves Dororo to make sure he appreciates humanity since he came so close to losing it trying to get his body back.

Why should you watch Dororo?

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, Dororo is unlike anything that I usually find enjoyment in. It has a very deep and involved story and watching Hyakkimaru’s transformation from mute assassin to a man fighting for a life that was stolen from his is very cool.

If a season 2 is planned, it’ll be interesting to see his rekindled relationship with Dororo especially since she is of age now. Hyakkimaru’s journey surrounded him getting his body back. Now that arc is complete, what will the next adventure bring them?

Fire Force: S01, E05 | The Battle Begins

In episode 5 of Fire Force, we find out that Princess Hibana knows the secret to spontaneous human combustion. Of course, she won’t share. She and the rest of her Special Force 5 members have a perverted way of doing research. We find that out during her examination of the abnormal inferno, Miyamoto.

The Battle Begins

Princess Hibana, Fire Force

If you recall, the last episode of Fire Force (The Hero and the Princess), Obi agrees to let Hibana research the reason for Miyamoto’s consciousness in his inferno state in exchange for her sharing her findings. However, Hibana is not sharing and that forces Obi and the rest of his unit to storm Special Unit 5 to get the information.

Shinra also wants to fight them because they jumped him in the last episode. Iris (the nun in special unit 8) goes to visit Hibana first.

Spoiler alert, that is her sister. However, she has turned away from the convent and is now taking part in perversion.

Iris, Fire Force

Based on the end credit scene, something happened at their convent and it must have caused Hibana to lose faith while her sister, Iris kept hers.

During Iris’ visit to see Hibana she fails to sway her back to the light and a battle commences between special unit 5 and special unit 8. Hibana thinks she’s lured special unit 8 to her, but they were already coming.

3 angels of the 5th, Fire Force

By the end of the episode, Arthur ends up beating Miyamoto who has become a pet for special unity 5. Maki and Hinawa take out the 3 angels of the 5th. Shinra heads to confront Hibana and Obi is en route.

Fire Force: S01, E04 | The Hero and the Princess (recap)

Fire Force: S01, E04 | The Hero and the Princess (recap)

In this episode, Shinra comes across finds out that the man he fought at the rookie tournament is named Joker. The ashes that caused the explosions in the air are the ashes of dead infernos.

The Hero and the Princess

After finding out this news, Maki sends Arthur and Shinra on a mission to rescue a dog. They end up running into the Fire Force mascots that we met at the rookie tournament. The man mascot named Mamoru was recently surrounded by citizens shouting “hip hip hooray” for some reason. He didn’t like it.

While Shinra and Arthur are still around, he tells them about Miyamoto. Miyamoto is a former fight fighter that killed four people for fun. Today is the day his verdict is decided by a judge.

While in court, the verdict is announced as not guilty due to psychological reasons. Miyamoto stood in the center of the courtroom with a smile on his face because he knew he would get off.

Moments after the verdict was announced, Miyamoto sparked and transformed into an inferno. However, he is still self-aware. During his transformation, he lit everyone in the room except his lawyer and the judge on fire.

He later killed the judge for passing judgment, but during his preparation to kill his lawyer he was thwarted by Shinra and Arthur her flew over to the scene as soon as they got word from their chief. The rest of Company 8 arrived, but Miyamoto managed to escape causing Shinra to chase him.

Shinra catches up to him and almost lays him to rest, but he ends up being distracted by Miyamoto’s tactics. This left enough time for the captain of Special Fire Force 5 to arrive at the scene with her troops and detain the inferno.

Shinra attempted to fight the entire company 5 but the numbers overwhelmed him. Fortunately, Obi and the rest of company 8 arrive. Obi and the captain of company 5, Princess Hibana agree that company 5 will take the subject and study him FOR SCIENCE and share the information they acquire.

Self-aware infernos are not common and they have the resources to study the subject. Obi is still weary but goes along with these terms.

Fire Force: S01, E03 | The Rookie Fire Soldier Games (recap)

Dr. Stone: Fire The Smoke Signal (s01, e04) | (recap)

When we last left our heroes, they were gathering supplies to make gun powder in preparation to shutdown Shishio’s plans to kill off adults still in their petrified state.

Spoilers ahead

Shishio and Senku, Dr. Stone

Yuzuriha asks Taiju to tell him what he was going to say 3700 years ago before the green light turned everyone into stone. He refused but promised to tell her after they save the world.

Senku finished gathering the materials to create the gun powder. The materials include sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate. With all of the ingredients together Senku, Yuzuriha, and Taiju begin the packing process. During the packing process, they create an explosion they send a smoke signal in the sky.

Yuzuriha, Taiju, and Senku, Dr. Stone

Senku believes that Shishio can be negotiated with. This is a call back to episode 3 when Taiju offered to take hits to stop Shishio from breaking the skulls of petrified adults.

As Shishio is looking for Senku, Taiju, and Yuzuriha he says that he’ll have to kill Senku if he’s already made the gun powder.

Taiju notices another smoke signal in the sky. But, they don’t know if it’s a volcano or actual people trying to reach out. The group opts to build their fire in hopes that they can confirm more people in the world. They run out of materials to keep the fire going, so Taiju goes to find more firewood.

“I don’t mind getting my hands dirty to stop that.” – Shishio

Yuzuriha, Senky, and Shishio, Dr. Stone

Shishio arrives moments later and swiftly takes Yuzuriha hostage by knife-point. He claims that making weapons of science and reviving older generations will allow them to fight over their own established interests.

Shishio will accept being the bad guy if it means stopping old reality from resurfacing. He threatens to take Yuzuriha’s life if Senku doesn’t give him the recipe to the revival serum.

Senku bluffs that he doesn’t care about her, but Shishio slices Yuzuriha’s hair off without hesitation leaving both Senku and Yuzuriha stunned.

“I know longer have a reason to let you live.” – Shishio

Shishio then gives a long speech about how he never had anyone to care for and that is why he will always win. He blames Taiju and Yuzuriha for Senku’s lack of leverage.

But, Yuzuriha is prepared to give her life to save the world. But he gives up the revival recipe anyway.

Shishio drops Yuzuriha in favor of Senku. Claiming that they could have been friends under different circumstances, Shishio give Senku an ultimatum.

Abandon Science or Die

There’s a cute flashback of Senku’s life. We see his father’s sacrifice to get him supplies. We see his research and experimentation. And most of all we see his love of science.

Yuzuriha whispers out to Taiju. Somehow, they have a psychic connection because he suddenly runs toward his two friends after witnessing several more smoke signals in the sky.

We’re left with a cliffhanger as Senku accepts his fate because he will not abandon science.

Did Taiju make it in time?
Does he Taiju take the dagger for Senku?
Does someone else show up to help?

Dr. Stone S1 E3 | Weapons of Science (recap)

Fire Force: S01, E03 | The Rookie Fire Soldier Games (recap)

During this episode, we finally get to experience the Rookie Games that Obi mentioned in episode two. We find out the Special Fire Force 8 is being closely watched by two people.

Remember the man who caused the disturbance at the last inferno incident? He’s one of them.

The other person is a special force member. We later see him among the other groups during the rookie tournament.

As a result of their research, we find out the Special Fire Force 8 group was created based on Obi’s moral compass. In the past, Obi refused to follow orders at the expense of losing a life and was put into a chief position as a result.

Season 1, Episode 3 | The Rookie Fire Soldier Games

During the rookie tournament, squad one is there and Shinra notices that their chief (Leonard Burns) was on the scene the day his mother turned into an inferno. Shinra approaches him to inquire about that day (12 years ago) he tells him that he doesn’t remember.

“I need your attention, Devil footprints”. – Mysterious Man

Fire Force

When Shinra, Arthur, and Tamaki (a rookie from squad one) start the tournament relay, they race to a mock burning building. The goal is the take care of the mock inferno and return to the starting line.

Shinra’s main focus is to finish the drill quickly so that he can get back to Burns and question him some more. Shinra enters the building first by flying over the others and bypassing the bottom floor.

He finds two force members knocked out by a mysterious man. The same man that caused the disturbance at the last inferno sighting in episode two.

This man claims to have information that Shinra is interested in regarding his life, mother and brother. But to get all of the information he has to choose between being a devil or a hero. Shinra sticks to his goal to be a hero which prompts a fight to start between the two.

During the fight, the man tells Shinra bits and pieces of information regarding the happening 12 years ago. The most important fact that he shares is that Shinra’s little brother is alive. This information catches Shinra off guard, but he holds on to his morals and continues to fight. The mysterious man controls ashes to cause explosions in the air.

Shinra, fire force

Arthur and Tamaki finally make it up to the fight. At first, they think it is a part of the drill, but after almost getting blown up by the scattered ashes in the air, they have to cling on to Shinra. Shinra props the two unconscious officers on his shoulders and prepares to fly out of the building through the roof.

As the building begins to explode, Shinra manages to escape and get everyone to safety.

Who’s hiding the truth?

Burns, Tamaki, Fire Force

Captain Burns comes over to thank Shinra for saving Tamaki, Shinra is suspicious of Burns now so humbly accepts his praise and thanks.

Obi approaches Shinra and congratulates him on a job well done. Shinra is still taken back about finding out that his brother is alive and is curious about the mysterious man that he fought. He asks Obi who can be trusted now that he knows bits and pieces of information.

Obi opens up that the Special Fire Force companies are not monolithic. They each answer to heads and the actions of each force mainly benefits whoever is backing them. As a result, Special Force 8 was created to monitor Forces 1 through 7. They are also tasked with finding out exactly what causes spontaneous human combustion.

Obi expresses that he does not trust the Fire Force and chose people that he knew were trustworthy for Fire Force 8.

Previous Episode – Season 1, Episode 2 The Heart of a Fire Soldier

Dr. Stone: S01 E01 | Stone World (recap)

I’ve never heard of Dr. Stone before it’s release this month, but if every human turned to stone and centuries passed before my stone cast broke away and I was intact, I’d want a friend like Senku awake too.

There was not a lot of character development in this first episode, but we at least know that if you stayed conscious during your petrified stone state, eventually you would crack open fully aware of what happened.

Season 1, Episode 1 – Stone World

Yuzuriha Ogawa, Dr. Stone, crunchy roll

We meet two important characters right away, including Senku (a scientific genius well above his high school years) and Taiju (a standard high school boy with a mega crush on Yuzuriha – a girl he plans to express his feelings to outside of school).

Unfortunately, before Taiju can express his feelings a bright green light spreads through the land and petrifies every human alive. Doesn’t matter if they are inside a building or outside, they turn to stone.

“The date is October 5, 5738” – Senku

We follow Taiju through the seasons and years that pass after the green light flooded the earth. The animals take back territory and nature reclaims the structures that were built during the human-dominated era.

Taiju managed to stay conscious during the centuries that he was petrified due to his obsession with confessing his love for Yuzuriha. Eventually, his stone cracks away and he is miraculously okay.

He has drifted quite a ways away from the schoolyard where he planned to confess his love, but he manages to make his way back to the school’s previous location. Luckily he finds Yuzuriha still there in her petrified state. He also sees a messaged etched into the tree behind her.

“Follow the river idiot” – Senku

Senku Ishigami and Taiju Ōki, Dr Stone, Crunchyroll

Senku leaves a message scratched into the tree behind Yuzuriha’s head. The message prompts Taiju to meet up with Senku who has been awake for 6 months and managed to stay awake by counting the days to prevent himself from going unconscious.

First of all, can we just take a moment to appreciate the trust that Senku had in his friend Taiju?

He expected his friend to be alive. We see that he has those high expectations at the beginning of the episode as well. Senku offers Taiju a love potion to win Yuzuriha’s heart, but Taiju says no.

Turns out the potion was actually gasoline, but Senku had no doubts that Taiju was going to say no. We’ll probably see that same expectation through out the entire series until something drastic happens and trust is broken.

Maybe.

Turns out Senku, being the scientific genius we know him as, has figured out a way to de-petrify humans from their stone state. Senku and Taiju create the formula and test it out on birds until they get the combination correct!

Finally, the bird is freed of the stone!