Tag: 2009

K-ON!

K-ON!

K-On! anime series cover art
K-On!

Series Overview

K-On! (けいおん!) is a moe slice of life anime created by Kyoto Animation back in 2009. And, despite its age, it doesn’t feel very old. Sure, the girls use old cell phones. But, if you ignore that detail, the series feels like something that could have come out around 2016.

The series follows a school “light music” club. Basically, it’s a high school rock band. And that’s pretty much all there is to the series. It’s cute girls doing cute things — band edition. (Not to be confused with Sound! Euphonium, which is cute girls doing cute things — orchestral band edition.)

I thought K-On! was pretty good. And it seems that the general consensus today is that it’s a good anime. But, I was surprised to find that this isn’t how people felt about it when it first aired. Well, at least the more vocal people online at the time didn’t feel that way.

Mugi, Mio, Yui, and Ritsu from the anime series K-On!
Mugi, Mio, Yui, and Ritsu

I read through some old reviews from 2009 and 2010 and they were very different from what people say today. They talk about how bad the art is and complain that nothing happens in the series. Some even go so far as to say it marks the end of the genre.

“If K-ON! is the future of slice-of-life moe anime, then the genre is dying.”

Splitter, MAL 2009

In case you’re wondering, Splitter was last online on MAL in 2016. Rest in peace, Splitter. I never met you, but you can take this L.

Anyway, I actually rated K-On! the same score that Splitter did. But, unlike them, I enjoyed the series. And the complaints I do have are different than the ones I’ve seen many of these old reviews bring up. So, let’s start with the character complaints.

Light Music Club

Yui Hirasawa (guitar) is the main character of K-On! She’s also probably my least favorite of the 4 main girls. Why? Because she’s actually a shounen battle series protagonist in disguise. She has a “secret ability” that’s randomly revealed. Despite never playing an instrument, she has perfect pitch and can play music by ear.

At first, I thought the draw of Yui as a character was that she’s flawed. She was the one member of the band with no music experience. But, that got tossed aside in episode 4.

Mio Akiyama (bass) is my favorite of the original 4 members of the band. She has the cutest design and I much prefer her on lead vocals over Yui. I get that Yui is the protagonist and Mio didn’t want to be the lead singer. But, Mio is a better lead singer. That’s also why the ED is so good.

Azusa "Azunyan" Nakano from the anime series K-On!
Azusa “Azunyan” Nakano

Although Mio is the cutest, Ritsu “Ricchan” Tainaka (drums) has some of my favorite outfits in the series. She has a good sense of style. Personality-wise, I see her as a worse version of Sakurako from Yuru Yuri. She also might be the most forgettable of the group.

Tsumugi “Mugi” Kotobuki (keyboard) is Ricchan’s main competitor in the forgettability competition. The only reason I’d put Ricchan above her is that Ricchan has the same (close enough) hair color as Yui. Mugi is the rich girl of the group — her family’s vacation homes are used for training camps.

Azusa “Azunyan” Nakano (guitar) is the final member of the band. She’s a year younger than the rest and joined a year after the band formed. With her in the picture, Mio loses her top spot. Azunyan is a smaller, cuter Mio.

Oh, also there’s Sawako “Sawa-chan-sensei” Yamanaka.

Not What I Expected

I kind of assumed that K-On would be a bit more about the music than it was. Sure, I understand that it’s a moe slice of life anime. But, I guess things like Love Live! have spoiled me when it comes to music anime.

With Love Live!, it feels like we get a new song every episode. From what I remember, there were 2 songs the band played in K-On! And 1 of those 2 songs was only played once in episode 12. Also, the songs in the actual show weren’t as good as the OP and ED songs.

However, the K-On! anime is an adaptation of a 4-panel manga. So, I’d imagine that there aren’t too many song performances in the source material. And, while there not being many songs isn’t a huge issue, the somewhat repetitive nature of the series is.

Mugi, Mio, Yui, and Ritsu during a training camp from the anime series K-On!
Mugi, Mio, Yui, and Ritsu during a training camp

To give you an example of what I mean by the series being repetitive, there are 2 training camp episodes. The band also plays at their school festival twice. Basically, everything that happens in the first half of the series happens again. The only difference is that Azunyan is there now.

I may have enjoyed it more if there was a bigger goal the girls were working toward. Or, even if their goal was different in the second half of the series than it was in the first. I guess that’s what the second season is for, though.

And the last thing I want to mention is the final episode of the anime. The final episode was the most boring of them all. That should never be the case. Anime should end on a high note. It’s no wonder the second-to-last episode was titled “Final Episode.”

Conclusion

In the end, I gave K-On! a 6/10. It was an enjoyable episode, and it was almost a 7. It’s right on the edge between those ratings. But, from what I understand, everyone likes the second season more than the first. So, I’m expecting to rate that season higher when I eventually watch it.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server to discuss anime with other members of the community.

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My review of Season 2 is available here.

Spice and Wolf II

Spice and Wolf II

Spice and Wolf II anime series cover art
Spice and Wolf II

Season Overview

Spice and Wolf II (Ookami to Koushinryou II / 狼と香辛料II) is the second season of the Spice and Wolf anime series. A lot of people describe this season as being more focused on romance than economics. But, I don’t know that I agree.

The arcs within this season are still very economics-heavy. And rather than focusing on romance, I’d say this season focuses more on dependence. Both Holo and Lawrence realize how dependent they are on each other’s companionship.

Don’t get me wrong; there’s definitely romance in this season. But, I wouldn’t say this season focuses on it. Instead, it sets up future romance by testing how our protagonists feel about each other. All the way up until the final episode, I wouldn’t call Holo and Lawrence romantically involved.

However, I will say that the two display affection more this season. Right at the start of the season, Holo is leaning against Lawrence on their carriage as they make their way to the next town. And she comments on how Lawrence would previously not have wanted that level of physical contact with her.

In most respects, I’d say that Spice and Wolf II is better than the first season. I enjoyed the relationship between Holo and Lawrence more. And, there was a surprising amount of suspense even though I knew everything was going to work out in the end.

The two parts of this season that are absolutely worse than the first season are the OP and ED. I watched the OP and ED of the first season every time, and I still enjoy them to this day. But after watching the OP and ED of the second season once, I skipped them every other time.

Holo Leaves (Twice)

As I mentioned, there are some suspenseful parts of this season. The first is when Lawrence agrees to a bet against another merchant for ownership of Holo. And by ownership, I mean the other merchant wants to marry Holo and Lawrence just wants to win her back (and make some money in the process).

The suspense comes in when Holo gets mad at Lawrence for hiding information he received that her homeland has been destroyed. She storms out and spends the rest of the arc with the man who challenged Lawrence to the “duel.”

Despite the fact that it’s obvious Holo and Lawrence are going to end up together again, the series did a great job at making the stakes feel real. There was the question of whether Lawrence would win the bet, and there was the question of how he and Holo would make up after their fight.

Holo having a meal with you from the anime series Spice and Wolf II
Holo having a meal with you

In the final arc of the season, Holo is sold off by Lawrence for 2,000 silver coins. Okay, that sounds pretty bad. But, it was all part of a plan that Holo herself agreed to. Lawrence didn’t want to go through with it until Holo questioned his trust in her.

The plan was for Holo to be pawned off to the church for the 2,000 silver coins, which would then be used to buy up furs. This would cause the price of furs to skyrocket, leaving Holo and his “partner in crime” to make a huge profit.

A portion of that profit would then be paid back to the church for the return of Holo. Again, we know Holo and Lawrence are going to end up together. But there are still a lot of unknowns on the way to that conclusion.

Gods and Men

One of the more interesting aspects of this season is the logistics of a romantic relationship between Holo and Lawrence. Both have put thought into what their future together would look like. And both, understandably, have their reservations about it.

For Lawrence, the biggest hurdle to get over appears to be the fact that Holo isn’t human. Holo is one of the pagan gods. The fact that she can take on a human-like appearance doesn’t change that. And so Lawrence has questions about both the practicality and morality of being romantically involved with her.

In search of guidance, Lawrence asks Dian, an expert in pagan mythology, if there are any legends about humans and pagan gods mating. Dian tells him that there are many examples of that, but doesn’t elaborate any further.

It’s curious that Lawrence specifically asks about mating and not simply being romantically involved.

Holo standing over the skeleton of Lawrence from the anime series Spice and Wolf II
Holo standing over the skeleton of Lawrence

On Holo’s end, the questions that need to be answered are a bit different. She knows that romance between gods and men is possible and she’s not concerned about the relationship itself. What she’s concerned with is what comes after.

As a pagan god, Holo is immortal. As a human, Lawrence has a very limited lifespan. To Holo, the lifespans of humans seem to last for mere seconds. Even so, if she were to stay with Lawrence for the rest of his life, she would be greatly affected by his death and the loneliness she would feel afterward.

I don’t know how Holo’s concerns are going to be resolved, or if they even will be. Maybe the question of Lawrence’s mortality will be brushed aside and forgotten. Maybe Lawrence will gain immortality or Holo will lose it. Or, maybe there’s not a happy ending to their story.

Perhaps the answer to this question lies in the recently announced new Spice and Wolf anime project. It’s not yet known if this is a third season, but I can hope.

Conclusion

I debated giving Spice and Wolf II a 7/10. But after thinking about it more and comparing it to the previous season as well as other anime I rated that score, I decided that an 8/10 is more appropriate.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server if you’re interested in discussing anime with other members of the community.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and Key Mochi~ for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika and Senpai tiers respectively this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

Kanojo x Kanojo x Kanojo

Kanojo x Kanojo x Kanojo

Series Overview

Kanojo x Kanojo x Kanojo: Exciting Life With Three Sisters (Kanojo x Kanojo x Kanojo: Sanshimai to no DokiDoki Kyoudou Seikatsu / 彼女×彼女×彼女~三姉妹とのドキドキ共同生活~) is a slice of life romance series of the harem variety. It’s an OVA series consisting of three episodes.

The series follows Haruomi Shiki, a high school student who’s forced to evacuate from his hometown due to a volcanic eruption. As a result, he ends up living with his childhood friends, the Orifushi sisters, who have a spare room due to the death of their father some time prior.

Upon his passing, Mr. Orifushi left his business, MinMin Ice Cream, to his children. MinMin is a small shop, more of a stand really, that has been on the decline ever since Natsumi, the eldest Orifushi daughter, took over the day-to-day operations.

Mafuyu reading a book from the Kanojo x Kanojo x Kanojo anime OVA
Mafuyu reading a book

Now that Haruomi is in the picture, he’s determined to help the Orifushi sisters revitalize their father’s ice cream shop. But the arrival of a much larger competitor, 101 Ice Cream, just across the street from MinMin isn’t going to make things easy.

Ultimately, it’s going to take the combined effort of the Orifushi sisters, Haruomi, and a few of Haruomi’s classmates if MinMin is going to stand a chance of survival. And, that’s one of my favorite things about this series.

Kanojo x Kanojo x Kanojo isn’t simply a harem series in which various girls fall for our hero. Nearly every character has a role to play in restoring MinMin to its former glory. I won’t say they’re all relevant to the story, but even the one who isn’t is still a unique enough character for her inclusion in the anime to be worthwhile.

Main and Supporting Cast

From the overview section, you know basically all there is to know about Haruomi. The only extra piece of trivia I have for you regarding him here is that the “Haru” in his name means spring. Why is this important? Because the Orifushi sisters are named after the other three seasons.

Natsumi is the eldest of the Orifushi sisters. We don’t have an actual age for her — or any of the characters for that matter. But I’m going to assume she’s in her early 20s. She’s out of high school and works at MinMin full time, where she apparently drinks Bacardi Black rum while on the job.

Akina is the middle Orifushi sister and is in the same high school class as Haruomi. Honestly, I think Akina is the least interesting of all the girls. She’s basically just the vanilla option. And while vanilla is nice sometimes, it’s never been my first choice when it comes to ice cream.

Akina, Midori, and Suzu from the Kanojo x Kanojo x Kanojo anime OVA
Akina, Midori, and Suzu

Mafuyu is the youngest Orifushi sister as well as the best character in the entire series. Not only is she simply the cutest, but she’s the most complex. She’s a quiet middle schooler who enjoys reading. And while it may not seem like she’s that interested in helping out with MinMin, she often indirectly leads Haruomi to solutions.

Midori Byakudan might be my second favorite girl after Mafuyu. She’s the class president and one of Akina’s friends. She ends up helping out Haruomi by translating recipe notes that Mr. Orifushi had written in English before his passing.

Suzuran “Suzu” Himenohara is the wildcard of the series. I can’t actually think of any way she helped with the whole MinMin situation. But, since you never know what kind of antics Suzu is going to be up to, she’s one of the more interesting characters in the series.

Does Hard Work Pay Off?

Now, I’ve included a few spoilers for the series already in this review. But this is where I’m going to get into endgame spoiler content. Does the hard work that Haruomi and the girls (except Suzu) put into MinMin pay off?

Normally, you’d expect the answer to be yes — unless this was the first season of a Love Live! series. However, rather surprisingly, all of this hard work actually doesn’t pay off. Well, at least not in the way you would expect it to.

You see, there’s an ice cream competition that both MinMin and 101 enter. And throughout the course of the series, everyone is doing their share to come up with the perfect flavor for MinMin, which turns out to be a lavender flavor. But in the end, MinMin actually loses the competition despite everyone’s best efforts.

Natsumi Orifushi from the Kanojo x Kanojo x Kanojo anime OVA
Natsumi Orifushi

So, does this mean that MinMin failed as a business and had to shut down? Well, no. And this is the part of the anime I don’t like all that much. 101 actually closes its doors — at least of that location, it’s a chain — before it even officially opens them.

You see, it turns out that one of the board members of 101 actually used to work at MinMin under Mr. Orifushi. And after tasting MinMin’s lavender flavor, he realizes that he made a mistake when he left to work at 101.

I know that having MinMin win the competition in the end thanks to all their hard work would have been as generic of an ending as it gets. But at the same time, the actual ending is extremely unsatisfying. It’s almost like nothing that was accomplished throughout the series mattered.

At least it was thanks to the lavender ice cream that 101 closed and MinMin survived. But winning because the competition forfeits isn’t how anyone wants to win.

Conclusion

I’m actually very conflicted about my rating of this series. On one hand, I love it. It’s probably the anime I’ve rewatched the most amount of times. But on the other, it’s very generic. So, with that said, I guess I have to give it a 7/10. I might come back and bump it up to an 8 later. We’ll see.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman and Key Mochi~ for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika and Senpai tiers respectively this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

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To LOVE-Ru OVA

To LOVE-Ru OVA

To LOVE-Ru anime series OVA cover art
To LOVE-Ru OVA

OVA Overview

The To LOVE-Ru OVA (To LOVEる -とらぶる-) is a six-episode OVA series that comes between the full seasons of To LOVE-Ru and Motto To LOVE-Ru. Normally with an ecchi series like this, you would expect the OVA to be much better than the TV series because it can be less censored (as was the case with Kiss x Sis).

However, as you’ll see, the To LOVE-Ru OVA didn’t capitalize on this very well. I’d say it was either on-par with the first season of the series, if not actually worse than it overall.

1. Rito becomes a Woman

The best episode of the OVA was probably the very first one in which Rito is turned into a girl after he accidentally activates one of Lala’s inventions. Originally, the device was supposed to be used on a girl to alter her breast size so that it would perfectly match Rito’s preference. But when Rito crashes into it, it does more than just that to him.

Riko (Female Rito) as seen in the OP of the To LOVE-Ru anime series OVA
Riko (Female Rito) as seen in the OP

So, why is this the best episode? It can be summed up in two words: Uncensored yuri. This episode probably had the most uncensored content in it out of all of them, which if I’m being honest, is the main draw of the series. Additionally, because Rito was turned into “Riko,” we got more yuri scenes than average.

2. Rito and Mikan

The second episode was my least favorite of the six. I really like Mikan, but the episode that focused on her wasn’t a particularly ecchi one. It did have a really good ad break card of Mikan though, so it gets some bonus points for that.

This episode focused more on Rito and Mikan’s relationship as they grew up. When they were children, Rito used to do everything possible to make his little sister happy. But now, he spends most of his time with Lala, which makes Mikan feel tossed aside. As I said, it’s not a very good episode.

3. Welcome to the Southern Resort!!

Episode 3 had the potential to be the best episode of the series, but then it dropped the ball. This was the obligatory beach episode in which twelve of the girls in the series all go to a private island resort together. Also, adding to its potential is the fact that Rito was turned into a dog, so he wasn’t really there.

Lala jumping into a pool from the To LOVE-Ru anime series OVA
Lala jumping into a pool

Unfortunately, there were (I think) three times in the episode that were just literal slideshows. Before the ad break, after the ad break, and I’m pretty sure again later in the episode, a song played and we got a slideshow of the girls doing beach activities. And in case you were wondering, the slideshows were censored.

The one good part of the episode, though, came when the girls all went into the sauna together. That was uncensored.

4. Trouble Quest

Trouble Quest was an odd episode. In it, a few characters were transported into an RPG world and had to defeat the demon lord (Kyouko) in order to rescue princess Lala. I say it was odd because a fantasy world is clearly a setting you can do a lot with in an ecchi series, but they opted to reuse the same gag something like three or four times instead.

It really felt like they were throwing in a fantasy world episode so they could check a box rather than because they wanted to tell a unique story or do unique gags with it. But, it was the only episode to include Kyouko, so it gets a bonus point for that.

5. Nana and Momo

I don’t remember Nana and Momo being introduced in the first season of To LOVE-Ru, but I guess they were since they appear in the OVA without an explanation of who they are. Of course, I did know who they were even without remembering their introduction in season one.

And for anyone wondering, Nana > Momo > Lala.

This episode was pretty basic. It involves Nana and Momo trying to determine if Rito is right for their sister. Nana doesn’t believe Rito is a good match, while Momo does (and sort of wants him for herself). They start off by simply spying on Rito, but eventually transition into manipulating events around him to see how he reacts.

Overall, I would say this was the episode most similar to the main series. It didn’t really have any special gimmick or setting. It’s just a simple story about Rito being messed with by some of the female cast.

6. Draft, Metamorphose, Hand & Tail

The final episode was actually pretty good now that I’ve had time to think more about it and write about the preceding episodes. This one was split into three parts that each told a different story following different characters.

First, we start off with what could have been the best episode of the OVA if it was an entire episode long. The first story follows Yui Kotegawa around school after the loses her panties. It’s a thrilling tale of one girl’s adventure to find her lost panties without anyone realizing she isn’t wearing any.

Part two was probably the weakest of the three. This one follows Mikan and Peke as they track down a thief who stole Mikan’s bag while she was out shopping. And the third part is about Rito’s hand getting stuck to Lala’s tail, which, in case you didn’t know, is a very sensitive part of a Devilukian’s body.

Conclusion

Overall, I think the To LOVE-Ru OVA is a 6/10 just like the first season of the anime series. However, I would place it as a slightly lower 6/10 than the series. As I mentioned at the start, I just don’t feel like it took enough advantage of the fact that it’s an OVA.

While I don’t have much to say about the ED, I will say that I might like the OP of the OVA more than the first season. I do really like the first season OP song, but I think the entire package of the OVA OP may have been better.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button ❤ down below. Also, follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server if you’re interested in discussing anime with other members of the community.

Finally, I’d like to thank HeavyROMAN for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

Redline

Redline

Redline anime movie cover art
Redline

Movie Overview

Redline (REDLINE) is an original anime movie created by the studio Madhouse. Those of you familiar with Madhouse probably know that they’re pretty good at animating things. And that was just as true in 2009 when Redline came out as it is today. This movie looks amazing from both the art and animation perspectives.

The movie tells the tale of JP, a racer who ends up participating in the Redline — the most extreme motor race in the galaxy. The only rule in the Redline is that there are no rules. Well, except for the rule about all the vehicles needing to be powered by standard engines, not hover engines.

But as we learn early on in the movie, the Crab Sonoshee Sea is a hovercar, so I guess even that rule isn’t enforced.

JP's TransAM20000 from the anime movie Redline
JP’s TransAM20000

Because there are no rules, that means the racers can do anything within their power to win. There’s no set course, so they can take whatever route they please to get to the finish line. And weapons of all kinds are allowed, so there’s no shortage of vehicles decked out with heat-seeking missiles and the like.

However, the racers don’t only have to worry about each other. Redline is a race that only takes place once every five years somewhere in the galaxy, and this particular year, it’s taking place on Roboworld. The problem with that is that Roboworld is a militaristic planet that has taken a stance against the Redline.

But something as insignificant as the military government that rules over Roboworld declaring war against any Redline participants who make landfall on their planet isn’t going to stop the race. In fact, for racers and fans alike, that probably just adds to the excitement of the event.

Racers

“Sweet” JP is the protagonist of the movie. He’s a purist when it comes to racing and refuses to equip his TransAM20000 with weapons, opting instead to win with his raw talent and speed. Backing up JP there’s Frisbee, his mechanic who works with a mob boss to rig races, and Old Man Mole, a junk parts dealer.

The dynamic between JP, Frisbee, and Mole is one of my favorite aspects of this movie. I think the scene that illustrates this best is when Frisbee goes to visit JP after the Yellowline race. We learn a lot about their relationship just through their body language.

Sonoshee “Cherry Boy Hunter” McLaren is the female lead of the movie and JP’s love interest. Her dream is to win the Redline, and unlike JP, she’s willing to do so at any cost. Sonoshee is a cool character, and I’m almost positive she was named after Bruce McLaren so that just gives her bonus points.

Sonoshee McLaren from the anime movie Redline
Sonoshee McLaren

Boiboi and Bosbos are two female racers who make up the team SUPER BOINS. Their car is able to transform into a female-formed mech. Unfortunately, these two don’t get very much screen time, which means their theme song also doesn’t get played much.

LynchMan and Johnny Boya are two bounty hunters who make up another team. You can kind of think of LynchMan as Captain Falcon if you’re familiar with the F-ZERO game series (or Super Smash Bros., I guess).

Todoroki and Miki make up another team, as do Trava and Shinkai. These two teams aren’t really all that important, but Trava and Shinkai get more screen time than Todoroki and Miki do. And connected to Trava and Shinkai there’s an independent racer and member of the Roboworld military, Little Deyzuna.

The final two Redline racers are Gori-Rider and Machine Head, who are both independent racers. Gori-Rider is a gorilla-like police officer with an extremely violent sense of justice. Machine Head is the reigning Redline and primary rival of JP in the race.

The Good and the Bad

Let’s start this section off with the things Redline does exceptionally well. As I stated earlier, both the art and animation are amazing. I don’t think I have to say much more about that though because you can just use your eyes to figure that much out. The soundtrack is also amazing — and is one I regularly listened to long before watching the movie.

Character and world-building are two other things Redline excels at. Despite many of the characters not having all that much screen time or that many dialogue lines, we learn a lot about them through their actions, body language, and even speech patterns. The characters in this movie are built on the “show, don’t tell” foundation.

Likewise, the world(s) in which Redline takes place is built on a similar foundation. Yes, we’re told specific information about Roboworld and its moon, Europass. But the vast majority of the world-building comes from physically seeing the world and the various creatures/people who inhabit it, as well as how those people interact with the world in which they live.

Just looking at the background characters from the start of the movie, between the Yellowline race and JP’s arrival on Europass, we can learn a lot. We learn that the Redline (and its preliminary races) are a huge cultural phenomenon for people of all ages and backgrounds throughout the galaxy.

It attracts the young, old, rich, and poor. It even has casual fans, hardcore racing fans, and those who see it as a business opportunity.

JP feeling the need for speed from the anime movie Redline
JP feeling the need for speed

Now, I don’t really want to discuss the bad part of Redline too much, but I have to at least touch on it. The entire inclusion of the Roboworld military is bad.

They’re basically Robo-Nazis who don’t want Redline to happen on their planet because they don’t want the galactic media to discover their biological weapons. And that’s a pretty generic and boring plot. But it gets worse. None of these antagonists are very good characters — they’re basically just villain tropes.

Also, despite how bad the villains are, the movie always cuts to them at the most exciting moments, thus ruining the hype. If there’s one way to kill excitement in a movie, it’s cutting from edge-of-your-seat action to a bunch of boring characters talking in a dark room.

Conclusion

If you cut out all the parts of the movie involving the Roboworld military and just replaced it with more scenes of the actual Redline race, I think this movie would be a 9 or 10. But as it currently stands, I have to give it an 8/10. I definitely enjoyed it and would be willing to watch it again, but it has its issues.

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