Best of 2019 - Movies

Written by Shiggins

Opinion of the year!

Just like last year, I've decided to do my Best Movies list, and just like last year, I will be following the same rules. Several categories, three films per category, everything here is purely my own opinion, and I encourage you to share your own favourites down below too. We had a very busy year full of successes and bombs, and it's time to celebrate them! Oh and just so you know, these aren't in any order whatsoever.

Star Wars Episode XI: The Rise of Skywalker - Movie Review

Written by Shiggins

Forced.

Star Wars began in 1977 with one of the most popular and quotable sci-fi movies to this day. After that, The Empire Strikes Back came out and, to this day, is still considered one of the greatest sequels of all time. We had awful prequels with great ideas but poor execution, spin-off movies, tv shows, board games, video games, books, costumes, a rabid fanbase, a lovely fanbase... so if you're going to finish the entire story of Star Wars, you better be prepared to bring out as much creativity as you can to make the final entry worthy of such a legacy... So why didn't you, guys?

Note: This is a spoiler-filled review. Full spoilers ahead.

I gotta admit, I'll never tire of these posters though.

Fairy Tail 100 Year Quest Chapter 45 Review - Red Conclusion

Written by Shiggins

A non-Star Wars review?!

Yes, in a shocking twist, I'm releasing a Fairy Tail review in December! Despite there being a Star Wars film that everyone is talking about (and a Cats film that everyone is laughing about), I'm talking about a completely different story for now! Yes, Star Wars will come later this week, but for now let's just enjoy a fitting finale to the battle between two of the franchise's best heroes, not to mention two of the hottest rawr.

Superman vs Doomsday - Manga edition. Next up, Netflix!

Fairy Tail 100 Year Quest Chapters 42, 43 and 44 Review - The "Erza is Awesome but so is Laxus" Edition

Written by Shiggins

Cats in the church with a silver spoon.

Twists, gasps, turns and more! There's a fluffy tail, red lightning, girls trapped in cocoons, and weird gum! Do you guys need anymore than that? I don't! So here we are with another triple review, as Fairy Tail has really been killing it lately! Good on them!

Boom Raider! (Best bad-joke I could think up...)

Promare - Movie Review

Written by Shiggins

Thrill la Thrill.

Quickly becoming one of my favourite animation studios in Japan, Trigger have been getting some fame over the years for their distinct Gainax-influenced style (the two founders originally worked for Gainax and helped create Gurren Lagann) and unique stories, including Kill la Kill and Little Witch Academia. And now we're here with their first film release. Did they stick the landing, or should Trigger have never left the weekly schedule?

Okay, now just... lean in a little bit closer...

Note: Some minor spoilers ahead.

Frozen 2 - Movie Review

Written by Shiggins

Cracks in the ice.

So the first Frozen was released in 2013 and is currently sitting as the highest-grossing animated film of all time, unless you want to include this year's Lion King as an animated film, and is one of the most well-known Disney movies of the modern age. So obviously, you're going to have to go above and beyond to bring out a sequel worthy of the original, and the non-remake side of Disney has been doing pretty well this year so I'm sure that.... oh no, here we go.

Note: Minor spoilers ahead.

Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest Chapter 41 Review - Trump Card for a Counterattack

Written by Shiggins

From monthly to weekly.

So yes, it seems that 100 Years Quest has gone the weekly route instead of monthly. I must confess I'm happy about that because it means more Fairy Tail and more manga, but it's also got me wondering how to space out these reviews. Every week? Every fortnight? Well, until I've decided or someone gives advice, I'm going to go ahead and give this newbie a review. It has magical-growing bras!

She was naked before! (I mean, I'm relieved but I still demand answers)

Fairy Tail 100 Year Quest Chapters 39 and 40 Review - Cocoon Dragon Coocoo and Thicker than Blood

Written by Shiggins

Ghost and a shell.

After such a strong start to a character, I was really looking forward to a fitting finale. Sadly, get ready for some negativity in this review... but on the plus side, it's not all bad! And even more positively, it looks like we're going to be getting these chapters more frequently! Seriously, Mashima-senpai. Your work attitude is very impressive.

A very appropriate reaction.

Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest Chapters 36, 37 and 38 Review - Ghost Slayer Edition

Written by Shiggins

A whole new world?

Why has it taken this long to publish this review? Well, I kept trying to release an article or review! And as soon as it was released, oh look, another chapter of Fairy Tail! But here it is now, no more waiting or making excuses. You've got my apologies! We've got three chapters to look over. Let's hope they're awesome and not confusing at all in any way... Oh look, Natsu's in not-heaven. That's a great start!

How can you not love his monotone ass?

Ranking the Disney Remakes So Far

Written by Shiggins

The Mouse always takes a cut.

Disney's live-action remakes of it's classic films just won't stop being made, nor will they stop making money. At time of writing, Disney are working on GODDAMN TWELVE more remakes, not including November's Lady and the Tramp on Disney+, and so we're clearly not escaping this nonsense for a while. Despite my words however, does that mean none of them are of value? Is there no fun to be had? "Which ones are worth a look?", you ask me. Very well, let's take a look at them all and determine which, if any, deserve our attention.

Top 20 Batman Villains

Written by Shiggins

Making heroes go batty.

So since Joker is still making headlines and money, I figured now was as good a time as any to publish the ranking of Batman's best bads from best to 20th. Why 20? Well, it was going to be a top 10 but Batman's rogue gallery might literally be the best of all comic booky time, so I couldn't keep it at the usual 10. (Basically, it's the reason My Hero Academia's list is 20 characters long too!). Anyway, enough stalling. Let's see who's the best of the bad, as if it isn't obvious already!

Note: Spoilers for many origin stories below!

Joker - Movie Review

Written by Shiggins

Yes, he says "society".

Comic book movies have come far, haven't they? We've had great ones, awful ones, epic ones, funny ones, romantic ones, scary ones, stupid ones. We're even meant to be getting a horror movie about the New Mutants one day. However, I don't think we've ever had an Oscarbait one before now, so already Joker was turning a few heads and waggling some eyebrows before it was even released. Is there more to the film however that could possibly make DC reach the great heights it has missed since 2012, or is it just a desperate plea from yet another filmmaker to gain some recognition from Mr and Mrs Oscar?

Note: Minor spoilers ahead.

Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest Chapters 34 and 35 Review - New Assassin's and Ghost Dragon Wraith

Written by Shiggins

The skull kids are back!

Instead of an introduction paragraph this time, I'm going to give me thanks to everyone involved with translating and providing these chapters. I don't do it enough, and that is my sin. So before the review, here is everyone who deserves praise for their hard underappreciated work.

They even say to support the official release at the end. Another thing I don't say often enough, even though I do it consistently by buying the books.

Things GT Actually got Right

Written by Shiggins

With Dragon Ball Super's dub finally reaching it's thrilling end, and you're damn right I'm buying all the blu-rays, I decided to take a look back at the black spot of the canon, Dragon Ball GT, and relive the trauma we've all experienced at least once from it. And the result? It's still a pile of crap... but there are actually some things worth praising. And so, let's take a look at what few areas GT didn't complete mess up on.

Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest Chapter 33 Review - Pain

Written by Shiggins

Pregnancy pains.

Apologies for the later review, but work and such got in the way. I was considering waiting until the next chapter came out for another double-review, but I felt like people might want to read about this one more than whatever comes up next, and I figured it was too late to post my review on Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood. So here we are.

Agreed. He was even ranked 1st on the "Best FT Characters" article.

Alright, let's Talk about the Sony/Disney Spider-Man Debacle

Written by Shiggins

Marvel Kombat!

So I was going to talk about the theory that Rey is a clone, which I honestly was excited for, but my love for Star Wars will need to wait until I get this particular issue off my chest first. As always, the internet is screaming at each other over an issue, and I won't be mum on it for once. Disney vs Sony, who is to blame? Who should I, a humble fan of the MCU and the character himself, root for?

Well, OBVIOUSLY I'm using this picture.

Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest Chapters 31 & 32 Review - Opposing Fairies & Star Dress Mix

Written by Shiggins

Skinship.

Friend against friend. Trio against trio. Trio against friend. It's all so chaotic and painful! I mean, not really. In fact, there's surprisingly little emotional drama and conflict, but I suppose that's to be expected from a group that regularly beat each other up for fun, isn't it? Or are we all expecting Cana to tear up at the end and quote the best Pokemon movie? "They weren't meant to fight. Not like this..."

They must pay the actress a lot to get her in photos like these all the time.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Review - Colours of the Rainbow

Written by Shiggins

Colour me impressed.

So I know this isn't an anime or a film, but... come on, it clearly wants to be an anime and was influenced by anime, and it's worth talking about anyway. Consider this a rare exception, with the loophole that this is as anime as a non-anime can get. Netflix's She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, based on the original 1985 spinoff of He-Man, has gained some fame over the past two years, and it's not hard to see why. Does that mean we can treat it as the next Avatar: the Last Airbender or Gravity Falls? Well....

Note: Mild spoilers ahead for seasons 1-3!

Pumbaa's Dead Eyes

Written by Shiggins

Piggy Pain.

We've all got our complaints about the photo-realistic copy of Disney's Lion King, nearly perfected in 1994 by those who sought to bring joy and scale to an audience of all ages. I have many complaints I'd like to write about too, but I cannot think about them because all I see, whenever I close my eyes, are the eyes of a monster that seeks the end... the eyes of Pumbaa.

Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest Chapters 29 & 30 Review - White Out & Fighting Festival

Written by Shiggins

Old arc, new context.

Since we're up against a cult and this is currently the season before Autumn, would it be appropriate to call this "Midsummer"? Eh? Get it? ...Anyway, we're back with more Fairy Tail and a surprising return to one of the original Fairy Tail arcs, The Fighting Festival! Is this arc going to be as good as the original, if not better, or will it just be a cheap copy used to stir up nostalgia? Or neither? Or both?! Probably not both.

Summer breeeze.... makes me feel fiiiiine...

Vinland Saga First Impressions - Victory for the Vikings

Written by Shiggins

Rowing my boat.

I was originally going to title this "Attack on Viking", but then I discovered that this series was actually adapted by Wit Studio, the studio behind Attack on Titan's colossal takeover, and I decided against it since it just made me look like a smug jackass. The reason I'm telling you this is because I want it on record that Vinland Saga is as beautiful, awesome and worthy of your time as Attack on Titan, and I figured that out all myself. In the end, I still sound like a smug jackass!

Note: This is a quick mostly-spoiler free article about the first three episodes, and not a look at the series as a whole. However, there are inevitably some light spoilers ahead.

Spider-Man: Far From Home - Movie Review

Written by Shiggins

Goes down swinging.

The Infinity Saga is finally over! 23 movies, tons of tv shows (the best of which are cancelled because of stupid business decisions), games and cartoons inspired by the film designs, and way more to come. It's finished. And what better character to end on than the one Sony is refusing to give up to Marvel Studios, the icon of Marvel Comics and my personal all-time favourite... Mysterio Spider-Man!

Note: This is a spoiler-filled review. If you read this review, you will get full spoilers for Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far from Home. You have been warned.

Fruits Basket (2019) First Impressions - Aged like Wine or Squash?

Written by Shiggins

Romancing a cat.

If you're like me, your first instinct when starting your anime obsession was to search online for what's recommended for newcomers, and you came across a few names repeated on every single list. Dragon Ball, One Piece, Naruto, Fullmetal Alchemist, and of course Fruits Basket. The shōjo series that ran from 1998 to 2006 was a big success and is often seen as a staple of its genre, spawning an anime adaptation in 2001 and again this year. And it's the latter that I'll be looking at it here.

Note: Minor spoilers for episodes 1 to 13.

I really am curious about Japan's obsession with school. Is it just because of their target audience? Or is it.. A CONSPIRACY?!

Toy Story 4 - Movie Review

Written by Shiggins

Thinking outside the toy box.

Toy Story 4 does not need to exist. I think that's something we can all agree on, since Toy Story 3's ending was absolutely perfect and a great sendoff for the franchise that started Pixar's monarchy over animation. Doing a sequel after an ending as exemplary as that goes against everything I believe as a writer, so Toy Story 4 needed to do a lot to convince me this wasn't an awful money-grabbing idea... which it did.

I wonder if we'll ever reach Toy Story Infinity... and beyond!

Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest Chapter 27 Review - Wood God Dragon Aldoron

Written by Shiggins

Another good arc has begun to sprout?

Yes, wood you believe that we're finally at the next God Dragon already? I woodn't have believed it myself, since I wood have thought that Mashima-senpai wood like to spend some more time barking up another tree for a while. But oak course we had to get to the root of our story eventually, and so here we are.

Mahogany.

Alright, I'm done with the puns. For now.

Why woodn't he look at you, Juvia? You're great!

Top 10 Bleach Girls

Written by Shiggins

I really miss Bleach.

For the longest time, Bleach was considered one of "The Big Three". It was able to stand alongside Naruto and One Piece due to it's popularity in the West, but it eventually lost favour and had an ending more rushed than the Flash's medical exam. However, I want to remember Bleach whenever I can, despite it's final chapters, so here are the top 10 female characters of the entire Bleach series. Both anime and manga, but canon only!

Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest Chapters 23 to 26 Review - Knock on Wood.

Written by Shiggins

From end to beginning.

A strange review this time, with half of it focusing on the end of the Mercuphobia arc, and the other half focusing on a very strange repetition (and possibly homage) to Edolas. It might feel like it's taking forever to progress, but at least we have a fun time until then, and we're getting some much-needed character development too, so can't be too upset with it.

Juvia, that umbrella is going to break.

Pokémon Detective Pikachu - Movie Review

Written by Shiggins

The very best, like no-one ever was?

If you had asked me ten years ago what I would have wanted to see from the first ever live-action Pokemon film on the big screen, I can assure you that this isn't the answer you'd get. Justice Smith pairing up with a Pikachu voiced by Ryan Reynolds, who is also a detective. No Red or Ash, no Gym Leaders, and not even any of the famous regions that Pokemon are known to explore. What's even stranger than this however? Well... I think they made a very wise choice.

Weekly or Monthly - The Difference between Manga Releases

Written by Shiggins

Something for readers to digest.

So a friend asked me what the big difference between the two really is, and it started quite the discussion. What better reason did I need to write up an article about it, and ponder which of the two is preferable for long and short-term reading? Which is more helpful for us, the reader, and for the story itself? Does it even matter? (Yes, it actually does.)

Avengers; Endgame - Movie Review

Written by Shiggins

A Marvel.

22 films, 11 years, over $4 billion spent, with a box office of $19 billion (and rising), Marvel have created the most absolutely successful movie franchise in history, by adapting all these heroes of classic comic books and bringing them to the big screen, most of them for the very first time. From Iron Man to Avengers: Endgame, I've watched every single entry, and now I'm here to review the ultimate finale. In the end, did it succeed? Did Endgame truly give us an ending worthy of wielding the Infinity Stones, the hammers, and whatever other item you could find in this film?

Note: FULL SPOILERS AHEAD! EVERYTHING IN THIS ARTICLE IS A SPOILER!

Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Villain Ranked

Written by Shiggins

Fear them, if you dare!

So obviously I had to celebrate the release of Avengers; Endgame with more than just a simple review of the movie. I considered ranking every film, but then I got the idea to rank the villains instead, from Iron Man to Endgame, and so here we are. It's a personal list, of course, so feel free to comment your own favourites down below after having a read. And because of the vast differences in time and budget, only the movie villains are on this list! So no Kingpin, Kilgrave or Cottonmouth this time, sadly.

Note: Spoilers for every MCU movie.

Shazam! - Movie Review

Written by Shiggins

Is the DCEU finally starting to take flight?

As you are no doubt aware, the attempts by DC to create their own ripoff incarnation of a cinematic universe hasn't been going so well. Batman vs Superman, Suicide Squad and Justice League were all received disappointingly by both audiences and critics, but their individual movies have been doing great, to the point that Warner Bros are apparently focusing more on solo adventures from now on! Wonder Woman is the best female-led superhero film so far, Aquaman made over $1B, and now we have Shazam! here to see if lightning can strike twice in a row, which makes me wonder if this new suit is actually an unsubtle message...

Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest Chapters 19 to 22 Review - The Ignia Fanclub Edition

Written by Shiggins

Ignia is Ig-bae-a.

So I had to sacrifice a review or two because of Eden's Zero, but we got here in the end. We're past all the Diabolos stuff, and now our heroes are... still fighting Mercuphobia. Huh. Well, that's a shame, but wait! What's this? A new challenger approaches! And he might be freaking amazing!

Get used to this, until I inevitably get disappointed.

Dumbo (2019) - Movie Review

Written by Shiggins

Dumboo!

So I was working on my Fairy Tail catch-up review, when an incident occurred and I was dragged to see the newest of Disney's live-action remake plague; Dumbo. Never let it be said that I am close-minded, because I went in with some expectation and hope. It is directed by Tim Burton after all, who used to be one of my favourite directors. After this however, maybe it's best if I just start locking the door to my poor malnourished brain.

Note: Some spoilers ahead.

Top 10 Worst DC Movies

Written by Shiggins

DC's turn!

Well, I did Marvel's worst movies ever (CLICK HERE), and Shazam! is now coming to cinemas with positive reviews, so now is as good a time as any to write up the DC version! And while DC has had some of the finest comic-book movies in history, such as 1978's Superman and the Dark Knight, it has had a beautifully painful history of bad ones too, with a few far too recent ones for my liking. Anyway, no point wasting time. The ten worst DC movies!

Eden's Zero Review - Chapters 21 to 36

Written by Shiggins

Okay, here we go...

Finally, caught up on Eden's Zero! Hiro Mashima's newest series has now been fully captured by my eyes, and here is my supremely brief summary of the chapters, as well as my own thoughts on how its doing and what could be next. Let's not waste time, and get right in!

Review of Chapters 1 to 20 (CLICK HERE)

Anyone else noticed how much better this series is doing when Happy is broken or quiet?

Captain Marvel - Movie Review

Written by Shiggins

Kree-ative fun?

Well, it only took 21 films but the Marvel Cinematic Universe finally put a female superhero in the lead. The closest we had prior to this was Ant-Man and the Wasp, but the Wasp still had to share the spotlight, so it's at least a nice change of pace. But more importantly, does Captain Marvel work as a strong movie that can stand alongside the others?

Even aliens need to wear 'Murica colours.

Eden's Zero Review - Chapters 11 to 20

Written by Shiggins

Part 1 of the catch-up!

As I said before in another review, I had decided to give Eden's Zero some space to grow and develop, since it seemed to be following Mashima-senpai's usual formula of a slow uninteresting introduction before the story finally creeps up in full. Has it happened yet? And even if it hasn't, does that mean there is nothing of value? You'll have to read here to find out!

Reviews: 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9&10

I feel sorry for whoever has to make the XXX parody of this one. Half the job is done already!

Top 10 Naruto Girls

Written by Shiggins

Ninjagirls! Ningirls! Nin... Female characters!

Well, this one wasn't as easy as the Dragon Ball version (CLICK HERE)! Naruto's female roster ranges from the wonderfully absurd to the absurdly wasted, and it can cause quite the internal commotion when trying to decide who is the best and who is the 10th best, especially when you're aware of a certain fandom war that raged for years during this series' runtime... Anyway, here's my top 10, while I catch up on Eden's Zero!

The Promised Neverland - Why do we Love it so Much?

Written by Shiggins

Promise of a fun series!

With the Promised Neverland having now finally hitting the screens, something I've been waiting for for over a year now, anime-only viewers are getting to adore the series as much as I have all through 2018. As I sit back and watch the reactions, I notice how much love is going around however, and I start to wonder why exactly that is. We've seen many shows get this sort of popularity before, but for different reasons. What reasons have we got to love the Promised Neverland so much?

Note: For the anime viewers out there, this article will be mostly spoiler-free of any manga moments.

Fairy Tail 100 Year Quest Chapters 17 & 18 Review - Water God Dragon & A Painful Choice

Written by Shiggins

Moisture and madness.

With Diabolos temporarily out of the picture, it's time for us to return to the main story of our predicament, fighting dragons to the death, and another twist on our time with Touka. Do both plots work this time though? Well...

I think Levy took acid. Or became a Nichijou character.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part - Movie Review

Written by Shiggins

Let it (Le)go!

We currently live in a world where a movie based on an anime, directed by Robert Rodriguez and produced by James freaking Cameron is coming out the same week as a sequel to 2014's The Lego Movie, and yet I wanted to see this more than Alita; Battle Angel! Is that a sign of how much I loved the original Lego Movie, or how much I wasn't interested in Alita? The answer is... yes.

Note: Minor spoilers for Lego Movie 2, but full spoilers for the first. So go watch the first, if you haven't already. If you have watched it before, go watch it again because it's fun!

I still can't believe a product placement movie franchise is THIS good.

11 Ideas I'd Like to See Dragon Ball Try Next

Written by Shiggins

Dragon Ball is Super!

This franchise is showing no signs of slowing down, and I am showing no signs of getting sick of discussing it, so I thought now was as good a time as any to discuss where we'd like to see the franchise go next and what it could bring to the table for 2019. So without further ado, here are 11 possibilities I want to see Dragon Ball try next.

Note: Full spoilers for Dragon Ball Super and Super: Broly. 

I'd be crazy for NOT showing off Universe 11 here considering the article's title.

Dragon Ball Super; Broly - Movie Review

Written by Shiggins

A Super Saiyan worthy of the legend?

I've never been a fan of Broly's character from the original trilogy of films, but I'm a minority. Fans of Dragon Ball Z adore Broly and remember his great design and brutality, and so he has become a staple of the franchise, despite never being officially canon. Thanks to Akira Toriyama however, Broly has returned with his first appearance in the true Dragon Ball continuity. Is the original creator enough to make even a cold-hearted monster like me actually gain an appreciation for the behemoth?

Note: This is a spoiler-free review about the movie, but there will be some regarding Dragon Ball Super's ending.

Don't worry. Vegeta is not Broly's bitch this time.

Top 10 Dragon Ball Girls

Written by Shiggins

Let's get feminine!

I'm really glad Super exists, because writing this list and keeping it full of relevant female characters would have been a lot more difficult for me. Not to say that there aren't plenty of women in the original, Z, movies, video games and even GT, but very few are worth remembering. Thankfully, there are now dozens to choose from and so, across every major Dragon Ball property, here are the Top 10 female characters of the Dragon Ball franchise!

For the Fairy Tail version, click here for what the fans voted back in 2016!

How Bumblebee Differs from the Transformers Hive

Written by Shiggins

More than meets the eye?

So I finally saw Bumblebee, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. While it isn't the greatest film of the year or anything, and it is clearly influenced by Brad Bird's fantastic The Iron Giant, Bumblebee is charming, cute and has some decent action scenes. It's only when I got home and gave it some real thought did I actually realise how much there is to talk about with this film, at least in regards to the franchise it is technically connected to.

Note: This isn't a review, because I felt it was more interesting to discuss what the film does and what it could mean for Transformers, rather than focus on the film alone. There will be minor spoilers ahead.

"Lay low, and wait for all this to blow over."

Fairy Tail 100 Years Quest Chapters 15 & 16 Review - Turning White & Ash and Dark Clouds

Written by Shiggins

I love it when I'm right.

Yes, to everyone's surprise I'm sure, I was actually proven correct in one of my theories about a new Fairy Tail character! Admittedly, it was an obvious theory that I'm sure 80% of you guessed, but I still wanted to point out that I'm in the majority! Why? Because victories should always be boasted about to the point of causing people to hate me and regret it. It's why I'd make such a great politician.

Whoops. Wee translation error there? Well, it doesn't matter. These translators do a great job, and mistakes are human. Thanks for all the reading material, guys! Sincerely.

Best of 2018 - Movies

Written by Shiggins

Movies galore!

2018 was a bloody long year with so much crap for everyone, but at least the films were fantastic! Unlike the Best of 2018 - Anime article, this one will feature several different categories, a few of which you might find surprising. 3 movies to each category, and no movie can be repeated twice! With those arbitrary rules out of the way, let's start 2019 by remembering the best thing 2018 gave us; The cinema pictures!