-ANIME LOG-
Yeah. Probably won't pour as much text for each anime episode I watch unless it's a finale and I end up piling up my thoughts for a bit of the anime overall, or if it is a standout episode.
Tower of God Season 2 - Episode 7
August 24th, 2024
Bootleg Enel kicks and wins but lets em fellas go after an act of selflessness- no wait its because he discovered something that was super useful to him. And because Viole didn't outright die from that.
I don't have much else to describe beyond that the goofball party ain't stopping even when warned from potential big danger after that encounter.
Maybe next episode has something bigger transpire.
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann - Ep 24 - 27 [Final]
August 24th, 2024
GIGANT DRILL BREAK LAGANN IMPACT
I have watched more the days before [long story short, my older brother pulled it to watch with me from the start back then, then we continued until 21, and I continued watching alone since]. So I will probably detail the previous days of watching that. But for now, long day and long stuff to describe, it was today when I watched the final episodes. Surprising sendoff to a friendly bunch, including the one guy that kickstarted everything into a legacy beyond his own.
Golgo 13 [2008] - Episode 50 - Arms of the Angel, Arms of the Devil
August 15th, 2024
THE FINAL EPISODE OF THE 2008 ANIME.
Spoilers: It doesn't do anything special with the opening or ending, unfortunately. It's not something to be expected in anything that doesn't go above and beyond with budget...but it would have been cool to see a callback to the first opening of the anime instead of the usual second opening and fourth ending- even if there's still something about that ending's calmer tune that can fit as a goodbye song to the very last proper adaptation of this once a formidable giant in the world of Japan [and arguably, only in Japan], as one of the first.
Golgo already had taken a job by a guy that is instructed to stay low- only to look smug when Golgo is gone [so you know that is totally going to go well], but then we get hit with a surprise.
The only way a man written as formidably near-invincible and cunning as Golgo to take a heavy hit [aside from just...making him not be him] is either writing a stack of supersoldiers to marathon him into near death...or an unplanned accident instead of a bespoke assasination attempt.
Yup, an oil tanker gets Final Destination'd with a broken tire, tips over and catches Golgo's car in the moment. He's actually left with a piece of shrapnel up his right arm- one that is stated in the hospital that could only be healed by a prodigy surgeon. And yes, we get a scene of Golgo trying to pick up and fail to grip something with a surprise sting of dramatic music to emphasize that, indeed, he might be SCREWED for good if that arm stays uncured.
The plot follows on after that with how the one miracle surgeon mentioned at the hospital is this Dr. Cutter guy, who is shown to read CDs with his fingers and a blindfold just to show he has the hands of an angel, and that he uses that incredible talent in his fingers to be as good as he is as a surgeon. And of course, Golgo finds him.
Now I'm going to be honest: Since this IS the final episode of the anime, while it is inconsequential on the long run as every episode is episodic and not really connected to each other, as well as not being this finale for Golgo's character, obviously, but in the extremely and extraordinarily rare case of you being interested into watching the anime start to end and don't want to get spoiled on the last one, I'll continue the rest in spoiler tags.
THE SPOILERS
The kicker with this episode is that, while we see at the very beginning that Golgo does NOT shake hands with anyone due to distrust- a fact that is also shown many times before in the anime and manga, not only he trusts Cutter to treat him fully, but to make sure his hands are that good, he actually went and felt Cutter's hands himself.
It doesn't sound like much, but when you are watching and/or working with a character that's characteristically inexpressive as a brick for the most part and always detached from people, tying this to the beginning "don't shake" moment and everything before it manages to express without words nor that much of personality stuff the idea that this hardened, legendary assassin so careful to not even shake hands trusts him fully. Even if at the same time, it also makes sense with how the idea of that one job with one functional arm with how calculated he is absolutely got to be a no-go.
So he does heal his arm, which is recovered in three weeks for the most part, and while he's off after Cutter's service, the starting client [Stantz] goes off to tell the guy he targeted, who is also Cutter's adoptive dad, that he sent Golgo for him due to how he is going to reveal an old photo of both of them in a terrorist group. Basically, the target was going to do that to take Stantz down even if it costed his reputation, and also his life as he nonchalantly shrugged off the threat when he heard of it.
Golgo eventually comes to the fray with a weird request he made to his one trusted gunsmith- one that we only learn of after he's done.
He delivers the job he was paid for. The target of the episode, Cutter's adoptive dad, was shot as he tried to hand over the key to him for the photo he wanted to reveal.
But as police investigate, they actually find the rifle used- something that Golgo actually doesn't ever do [aside from Episode 2- but that's another long story lol], and notice that it was fitted for a left-handed shooter. And soon after that, we see Stantz getting called by Golgo with a single phrase.
"You should have followed the rules, Stantz."
Gone with a bullet as well, the detectives do come to ask Cutter on whether he knows of the reason why those two guys would get killed by what might have been the same guy, as they also found the same type of weapon used before but for a right-handed shooter.
And thus, Cutter comes to get not only how he actually went the extra mile to shoot his adoptive dad with a gun for his left arm, instead of the right arm he healed, then took Stantz with his right arm, and left both weapons there just for him to find out. Then on top of that, Cutter decides to leave the key in his dad's coffin as he comes to the conclusion that, with Stantz dead, he no longer had to use that photo that would have stained his beloved father figure's reputation to take him down.
"Duke Togo...alias...Golgo 13."
And the episode ends with Golgo riding on a guy's taxi into the sunset, marking the end of this one particular adaptation.
...Whew. I had been watching that since the very first days of January, and to think that it took since then until now to finally finish that. It's insane how time flies sometimes, eh? That was just weeks after I started this website, and Ring Racers, one thing that has taken most of my brain space since the day it dropped, dropped in April 24th.
Golgo 13 [2008] - Episode 49 - Armored Soldier SDR2
August 15th, 2024
My brother kept referencing Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker [the one game he completed] and it's funny that it makes sense why. Mostly.
This is one of those few episodes where it starts with Golgo already having done his job with a target, getting chased out by goons that manage to hit a few stray bullets into his escape prop plane- sending him into a remote island where he finds a bunch of anihilated soldiers and one live Arabian soldier that tells him that the place was a deathmatch actually set up for all of their deaths- only to get shot by...something.
Big ass mech. Hence the Metal Gear jokes. Although it also ringed a bell to me about that time I watched the Fallout series- watching the unstable pilot manning a humongous armored suit that seemed impervious to bullets in almost all places.
The SDR2 pilot was already looking kind of shaky, but when Golgo aims for a headshot into a thin opening for the face plate- only to find bulletproof glass, the pilot is still visibly shook and starts going haywire the more time passes without being able to get his hands with Golgo.
Eventually night falls and the mech tries to locate him with a night visor, but Golgo, carrying a flare gun that he used at the start to sway a heat-seeking missile to take down his plane, used a shot to blind him into manicly spending all his bullets and getting behind him.
One shot to the mounted turret's opening on his shoulder and the mech was gone. So what would you think that the aAmerican military man does after looking at this?
Yup, HE CALLS HIM IN TO HIS BOAT TO TRY AND CONVINCE HIM TO JOIN AS AN ADVISOR.
This obviously wouldn't fly, but what was emphasized further here is how this military guy was like "America's justice is the world's justice" and shit about the kind of things they could do with his knowledge without the need of investing in mechs.
You can guess what Golgo's reaction and action was. Yup, no reaction, one bullet of action. Seems that the labcoat man that made the mech didn't get shot, as the scene after the other one does is Golgo leaving in a hoverboat.
Tower of God Season 2 - Episode 6
August 13th, 2024
So Viole's mates end up meeting the whole team, as well as confirmation of that he is indeed who he is. It was obvious but him getting named by his old name was finally putting a circle on that, as well as also actually showing the motivation behind everything he has to do now.
The cliffhanger at the end of Mr. Protagonist spilling the beans to his teammate about why they can't fail a test timed up to Viole pulling up with the aura in his hand showing his eyes versus the intimidating stranger inside the creatue, finally standing up with electricity charging and-
I had been thinking of it at first, but guy DEFINITELY has to be inspired by Enel. Superiority complex, shirtless blonde with a bandana and electricity powers- although this guy has a striking tatoo with his name all over his back to make him look even more imposing. And it wouldn't be out of character either [Not only One Piece is obviously a big thing so it makes sense that it would influence, but I have to remind you that one of the characters from the previous season is named after a soccer player].
And to cap off, that final scene has the sample used in Blade's Vampire Night Club theme. You know the one. So yeah, this was another build up episode, but more significant than the one before- and it leaves right in the spot for a fight in the next episode.
Golgo 13 [2008] - Episode 48
August 11th, 2024
This one basically goes about one mafia boss who sends a hitmen to get three of a group that had info about him, only to get informed about Golgo 13 getting sent behind his ass, and of course, eventually gets shot by him.
The highlight would be in the bit of a woman with a son who, aside from being known by the sneaky hitman that took the three goons at the start, would show up trying to get Golgo to acknowledge that the little boy...is his. And the target of the day even tries to back up that claim by saying how the kid is surprisingly never shown to be afraid or scared when there was an earthquake and then later on when him and his mother are captured- literally saying that it must be Golgo 13's genes.
The real kicker here is the ending though. The targeted goons die, the mother dies because she was held hostage by the goons and was free for a moment but gets shot by accident by that one hitman guy from above...that ends up slipping in his knife from a beam [it was in a construction site], falls off and gives Golgo a chance to grab a gun with bullets to cap him off. And the kid is just nonchalantly sitting there with almost everyone dead around him.
Golgo looks at him, the turns around, and as he's about to leave the site, he just says- and I have to mention that this is in the Japanese dub-
"God bless you.", with a Japanese accent but in English.
My brother and I were actually surprised and also laughing from that with how saying that to your family members when you greet them or are leaving is common here in Venezuela (and I'd guess in other Latin American countries...maybe its normal in most places?).
In other words, he basically gave the kid his blessing, like a father to a son would. Which basically means he outright confirmed it IS his son- even if he obviously wouldn't take it. And before you ask, some construction guys appear right with a sunrise as the episode is ending, so don't worry about the kid actually being left stranded helplessly.
The episode was okay, better than E47 but nothing stand out at all, aside from the last target slipping like a dumbass with his own knife and Golgo 13 giving his newly discovered son his blessing as he walks off after another job done.
Golgo 13 [2008] - Episode 47
August 11th, 2024
Not gonna lie, this episode felt to me like something that I will easily forget later, so I'd put this on the bottom half of my [imaginary] episode tierlist from this. Long story short, it falls both in a some cliches while bringing up one plot point that is actually just...used to dismiss the prime suspect from the guilt of trying to catch Golgo 13 and yet isn't explained who actually did it- probably because it doesn't even matter anyways as the end just shifts to the guy that was hired to get him deciding to chase after Golgo 13 just for wanting to kill him rather than a job- and took his client with her on the car chase. I could explain better, but it's the fact that it doesn't give me a big reason to do so that lowkey impresses me in how...forgettable the episode is at the end of the day.
Golgo 13 [2008] - Episode 46
August 8th, 2024
This episode at first had started a bit off the unasuming side- hired thugs trying to kill a Hong Kong actor that goes into a scene about the father of a bodyguard who took the bullets for the actor mourning him, who also is the director of the movie the Hong Kong actor was intended to star. With how two rich Americans complained about what kind of effect the success of a movie with a HK actor on it would have in the country [I'm not kidding- that's basically the bad guy's reasoning...you can feel the nationalism as well as maybe the age of when that story might have been written at in the manga, but it is still a funny thought without thinking much on it in the sense that its this rich guy's whim to erase him], the director hires Golgo 13 to take care of his safety. Golgo wasn't going to take it until he hears the director say something particular, to which he decides to accept under one secret condition.
One scene of hired snipers and a thug inside the filming studio shot down later, and one exposition scene from the bad guy's reasoning later [while getting the "DIA" to go into it...you can guess what that is supposed to be], Golgo and the two chased are in a big building prepared for security...which ends up being important as the "DIA" actually pulls up with a whole squad of soldiers. It's kinda crazy out of context with how it looks as if they had, I don't know, Shadow and Gerald Robotnik inside that building to warrant a whole ass army sweeping the place, but it's just this Hong Kong actor of all things.
Golgo gets to take down several of the enemies through the assistance of the director through cameras, getting informed where are they approaching from and precisely countering each spot- including one moment where he uses special rockets to shoot soldiers on the floor above- all thanks to the gunsmith Dave's work making those rockets go through the otherwise bulletproof floors...until he eventually gets cornered into the main room with only one bullet and one grenade left.
The bad guys eventually pull up to the room, trying to get a shot on the actor- but then Golgo pulls off the most creative shit I had seen in a while. Get this:
He closes the room's door, shoots a thing on the ceiling that breaks halogen gas and builds the air pressure for a while...and then grenades a wall TO MAKE THE BUILT UP AIR PRESSURE CAUSE AN AIRPLANE EFFECT SUCKING ALL THE SOLDIERS OUT THE DAMN WINDOW DAMNNNN
An absurdly creative way of writing a way out of a pinch situation, which is what made this episode quite entertaining with the escalation from the ways Golgo has to work around A WHOLE ASS SQUAD trying to get what they want. And the ending adds one more layer to the start, which I'll actually throw in a spoiler tag- as I remembered I can actually do that lol
THE SPOILER
The actor doesn't die to an attempted bullet shot because the director blocked the bullet. But after all is done, he says to not mourn him anyways as the one condition he did with Golgo in secret was that, as he would have to work with him and know of his secrets to prepare the building...he would have to bury his secrets with his life- so he would have been dead anyways even if he hadn't got shot by the bad guy. The layer that it adds to the beginning is the fact that the director said that he would put as many lives as necessary [I don't remember if he also said his own or not]- to which Golgo reacts and decides to agree while discussing the condition in secret. Basically, Golgo would have dismissed the basically-a-bodyguard job before listening to him being willing to give his life as long as the actor was safe.
And something like that, for how characters doesn't usually matter that much in the self-contained episodic nature of this anime, feels like a neat detail that is alluded but not explained at the start, and yet is paid off at the end, on top of it reminscing me of another Golgo 13 story that was similar but even cooler in how it was done- aside from how that story is exclusive to the manga.
All in all, creative episode, some fun stuff to be expected from Golgo 13's highly stated level of professionalism just to get a damn job done because it is his job.
Golgo 13 [2008] - Episode 45 / 1 out of 36000 Seconds
August 8th, 2024
Reserving this entry ahead of time as I'm going to be watching this anime episode with my brother after weeks if not months of not having kept up with this that we started a good while ago. Will update this when I do.
One episode later, and it was funny in how you could already tell the basic plot dragging out in almost the entire episode: Golgo waiting for the perfect moment to land a snipe on someone that's guarded behind three separate doors that need to be open [or specifically, two open, and the last one he needs to be peeking at the window.
Funnily enough, I already knew this one from the Golgo 13 arcade game, which has you do that specific shot in one of the missions, although its way more brief even if you still have only one or two chances to land that shot.
What added a bit more of a surprise was Golgo requiring a special medicine from this gym guy that would relax his muscles for 10 hours if needed, as Golgo needed to stay sit for a long while just waiting for the right chance to do the shot. Aside from a quip of his being [Do you not believe in your medicine?] giving the guy a second wind in actually trying to fill his at-first-considered-impossible request, and even funnier enough, him offering to massage Golgo out of his cramps post medicine, we see that Golgo actually needs a way to fire in the right time that doesn't involve his trigger finger...as it will be numbed due to the medicine.
He obviously gets the shot at the end of the day with a pretty creative method to pull the trigger, but there's a twist when Golgo actually does come back to the gym guy for his massage- the guy is surprised that "Golgo 13" managed to pull off a shot like that.
Yup, the guy made the FATAL mistake of actually naming this supposedly unknown stranger as Golgo 13. He reveals he was informed about his identity and tries to hill him for the bounty, taking the chance he IS basically paralyzed...but in the most crazy-prepared Golgo 13 fashion, he DID prepare a specific way out to kill him and get away. With how it is common within the anime, he of course would get away with it, but it was surprising the way they had to make him get creative/show the super-specific preparation he had to get out of THAT shit creek he was otherwise setup at unlike most other episodes.
Tower of God Season 2 - Episode 5
August 8th, 2024
The highlights were the return of Sergio Leonel Kun Aguero- oh, sorry, Khun Aguero Agnis-
Yeah if you didn't already know or hadn't been told of it before, they literally named a character after a well-known latin american [currently] retired soccer player. Okay but putting that aside-
The return of this fella from Season 1 since its cliffhanger and actually revealing that he actually got a damn clue about its plot twist, the new guy that he recruits hitting the Yamcha pose, and while the new cast was put into the sidelines basically the entire episode, the final bit where see what's Viole up to ends up with the return of that red haired woman.
...You know, the one who appears at the start to- well...if you have watched this as well then you know why that's kiiinda looking interesting, but if you haven't, then it might be a spoiler to explain in-depth.
That aside, not much to talk, really. It definitely felt like a setup episode just to update on this one character that hadn't been on since a good while to make it clear what is he heading to. Other than that, it's aight, but I guess I should expect more plot movement in the next episode whenever that drops.