My Hero Academia - Season 3 (2018)

The third season of My Hero Academia, which is based upon the manga, is 25 episodes long.  It is set in a world where 80% of the population has superpowers called Quirks.  It follows Midoriya (also known as Deku) who has the One For All quirk, giving him super strength.  He is currently attending the prestigious U.A. High School in order to become a hero.  The first episode is basically a recap, with around half of it being new animation.  It is kind of a throwaway episode and disappointing that they wasted one episode's time on it.  The second episode onward is fine and it starts with the summer camp arc that was hinted at the end of the second season.

Naturally, you wouldn't expect a summer camp involving all the of the young heroes-to-be to go without a hitch.  Even though you know that the League of Villains is coming, it's still surprising and cool when they do appear and escalates things much further than before.  Despite how powerful the students are, the villains are all shown to be incredibly adept and can easily take out Todoroki or Deku.  If there's one thing that My Hero Academia does well, it's raising its characters to unbelievable heights but then smashing them back down to reality...

Out of the new villains that are introduced, there are a few with awesome designs and crazy enough personalities that you can't help but like them.  From Toga and her crazy smile, to Dabi and his zombie-esque look.  The series continues to hit with the emotional scenes where Deku, idealistic to a fault, overcomes bad odds to achieve what he wants to be most, a hero.  As he is beaten down, he will find a way (which he sometimes pluck from out of nowhere, but forgivable to a degree) to reverse the situation, gain a bit more power, and get out of the situation.

This first arc, due to the different perspectives happening at the same time, will jump around in each episode.  It doesn't get too bad but can be jarring the first time it happens.  Each episode also spends a few seconds summarizing the events of the last episode.  The plot has an interesting under layer where it questions the perceptions of heroes, and thanks to the peace that everyone has had, they have become complacent.  The citizens are quick to blame heroes when things go wrong and it makes you question whether it is worth it.

On a more personal scale, Deku has to deal with the strain of having One For All in his body as he is still not used to it yet.  He continues to learn how best to use his abilities such that it gives him his own unique style, as well as not putting too much strain on his body.  He is often put into situations where he has to face the dilemma of doing the right thing and following the rules, or breaking it to do what he believes it.  These are an interesting insight as it'll leave you thinking what you would do in his place, since there are heavy consequences.

On the other hand, we have All Might being the number one hero and practically invincible.  He passed on his One For All quirk to Deku and throughout the past two seasons, we have seen his power get weaker and weaker.  You know that his final battle will be coming up but just don't know when.  Needless to say, it was emotional thanks to All Might's charisma, and we finally learn about his background and what drives him.

The next arc manages to raise the stake in a different direction and while the overall structure is similar to the sports festival from Season 2, it carries the same interesting execution strategy by the characters.  It expands the character roster by quite a bit.  Yet this is a double edged sword because those characters that you'd love to see again... don't reappear.  New characters also mean new quirks and while at first glance, some of them seem lame, they are used in creative ways.

Most, if not all, of Class 1-A now have a proper role and time to shine, allowing you to rethink about your impressions of them.  We get hints of what drives each of the characters, and allows you to feel the same adrenaline high when they work together well and succeed.  From the overly vain Aoyama to the ever annoying Mineta, the teamwork that the class displays (as well as inventively using their quirks during combat) gives them much needed character development.

This leads to one of the most irrational characters in the series, Bakugo.  Bakugo retains the same old personality which can make for some really frustrating scenes where his short temper makes him extremely unreasonable.  He is not even a rational person and his behavior is unsavory for a hero.  Yet Deku still treats Bakugo as if he is so awesome and the best friend he ever had.  You have to give credit to Bakugo though with his dedication in what he believes in and never wavering.

The end of the season wraps it up with massive character development with Bakugo.  While it doesn't heal the rift between Bakugo and Deku (and to be honest, it is too deep to ever heal), at least we understand Bakugo more, and their friendship is better for it.  One thing you'd notice is that the animators seem more comfortable with the characters with a lot more action sequences.  Humor is increased and there are some really funny scenes and gags but at the same time, some of these feel too silly or lighthearted to work in the scenes that they were placed in.  When this happens, it makes these jokes feel really random and out of place.

The music in certain scenes emphasizes the feelings that the characters must be experiencing, either from despair or redemption, to hope and success.  Some scenes has huge impact as you consider what the implications are, particularly as a huge antagonist, someone teased in the last two seasons, finally takes on a bigger role.  Each episode ends with you wanting to find out what is going to happen next.  The fact that the pacing manages to keep going strong is impressive.

However, while there are a bunch of positives, there are some negatives.  Most of the season devolves into some really cliched scenes and subplots, which taint the show a bit considering that it can feel lazy and predictable.  This is doubly so when there are some extremely melodramatic scenes that feels over the top.  There is a filler right in the middle of an arc, which was surprising and annoying.  More so when the previous episode ended on a pretty big cliffhanger.  The filler is connected to the movie and it wasn't bad filler, just really out of place and in an awkward spot in the season.

Since a major arc ends a few episodes before the end of the season, you know that the final episodes will be more relaxing and be a setup for the next season.  This is true with it introducing new characters and just like the end of the previous season, gives a short spiel about the upcoming arc.

Overall, the pacing of the third season of My Hero Academia allows you to feel like it has achieved a lot.  Going through two major arcs as well as some subplots, it was an exciting ride.  While it feels like the tone got a tiny bit lighter with numerous gags, the second half bought back a lot of the intense action.  It's also good that the characters, especially Bakugo, end up having at least some of their grudges resolved, allowing you to be eager at what's next without being tied down with the same tired personality quirks.  My Hero Academia undoubtedly got better, which is quite an achievement considering how good the previous two seasons were.

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Book Review: Accel World 15: The End and the Beginning

Review:  #841
Title:  Accel World 15:  The End and the Beginning
Series:  Accel World - 15th volume
Author:  Reki Kawahara
Comments:  Continuing straight on from the ending of the previous volume, the team splits into two.  Haru aims to rescue Niko while Kuroyukihime aims to destroy the heart of the ISS Kit.  This means that the volume will constantly switch viewpoints which feel a little bit messy at times.  There are numerous points where a short summary of the events are repeated again and again, making it tedious.  While the protagonists feel overpowered, especially with their almost cheat level Incarnate Techniques, what they’re facing are even more overpowered.  It gets to the point where when a character we haven’t seen in a while returns unexpectedly, all sense of logic and rationalism are thrown out the window.  While the returning character was key to a previous arc, they were one of the more frustrating and annoying ones so your mileage may vary upon their reintroduction.  As per usual, the volume ends on a cliffhanger but this time, the series uses a very similar plot device as its central arc and it’s hard to get excited about it.
Rating:  6.5/10

Toy Review: Transformers Encore Big Convoy (Ultra)

Review:  #500
Name:  Big Convoy
Brand:  Transformers
Allegiance:  Maximal
Line:  Encore
Year of Release:  2019
Size Class:  Ultra
Mold Status:  repaint of the original Beast Wars Neo Big Convoy

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS:

Big Convoy is part of the Encore line, taking a mold from Beast Wars Neo and repainting it to look closer to the anime color scheme.

He comes in a similar box to the original but with the "Encore" label in the top right corner.

Also included is a card showing a (rudimentary) 3D model of the character.

MAMMOTH MODE:

One of the most unique things about this toy, and we have never had one since, is that Big Convoy transforms into a woolly mammoth.

This is an excellent alternate mode but as you'd expect with the Beast Wars toys, this mode is heavily reliant on panels and you can see all the gaps.  The only visible robot parts are from the back.

Big Convoy was an Ultra Class back in the day which was one step above Voyagers.  Above is a comparison against Titans Return Voyager Optimus.  Big Convoy is heavy and with the shrinking size of toys these days, he's probably heftier than Leader Class now.

There are two gimmicks here.  The first is if you pull the tab behind the head it moves the trunk (which is a softer flexible plastic).

The second gimmick is if you pull the ears then it moves the tusks.

Lastly, there is an attack mode of sorts but is basically opening up the mammoth and revealing the huge gun.  It's pretty stupid and forgettable.

An excellent beast mode and while he is static since the limbs don't move at all, it looks great and it still packs in some gimmicks.

TRANSFORMATION:

There is a reason why Big Convoy is the poster boy for shellformers.  The mammoth mode is literally a shell with the robot curled up inside, therefore going from mammoth to robot is easier than the other way around.  A third of the figure forms the gun and at least this is detachment, making it an easier time to manipulate the various panels.

ROBOT MODE:

Big Convoy has a striking robot mode, especially with the tusks on the shoulders.

Even with such a huge piece removed for the gun, he has heaps of kibble, mostly around the legs and waist.

The headsculpt is familiar and is on a balljoint.

While Big Convoy may be around the height of a Voyager, he is much bulkier and heavier than one.

One of the great things about the Beast Wars figures was that they packed plenty of articulation, to the point where it is still decent to this day.

Big Convoy has various balljoints and hinges, however, the various panels on his legs often get in the way.

The other great thing is that the figure packs in heaps of gimmicks.  Underneath each forearm are flip-out tonfa like weapons.

Thankfully, his large footprint makes him stable in most poses.

Open up his chest and you'll reveal a vacuum metalized matrix.

The matrix is removable and can be held by any figure with 5mm fists.

On each leg are missile launchers, these are spring-loaded and at times, feels like they are too easy to fire, especially when you're trying to adjust the legs.

However, how can we forget about the huge gun?  This is formed from around one-third of the mammoth and is a beast of a gun.

The gun has a 5mm post and since it is so big, it's extremely unwieldy.

If you don't want to use it though, it can store on his back.  Of course, this restricts him arms somewhat.

Even with the huge piece on his back, Big Convoy manages to keep his balance well.

Lastly, his shoulder pieces can be flip up to reveal non-firing missiles.  You can also angle the gun stored on his back in such a way to make it an overhead cannon.

TakaraTomy haven't skimped on the paint applications which helps justify the high price.

A fantastic robot mode that still holds up to this day and packs in so many gimmicks it's crazy.

OVERALL:

It's a testament to the designer when Big Convoy is still so much fun today as it was back when it was released.  While the aesthetics has aged the various gimmicks and solid feel of the figure is a massive plus.  Big Convoy is worth your while if you have the means.

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Assassin's Creed Unity (PS4)

Assassin's Creed Unity is the first game in the series to be released for the next generation of hardware.  Thus you would expect some sort of improvement, whether it is the graphics, gameplay or even just how well it runs.  First things first, Unity was a technical disaster at launch, with a huge amount of glitches.  It is pretty much mandatory to download the patches in order to get rid of the worst of the glitches.  You'll still get some here and there but it is a lot more playable now.

The improvement in graphics is noticeable as the textures for buildings are a lot better than the flatness from the PS3 games.  That being said, the graphics aren't stellar and has aged by now since the character models looks a bit devoid of details.  The number of NPCs on the streets is one of the most impressive aspects of the game.  It is visually striking when you are just walking in the city and so many people are out and about.  It loses its appeal fairly quickly though once you realize that it means Arno cannot free-run along the streets without bumping into people and slowing down.

The story is a revenge plot and overall fairly forgettable.  Arno's father dies when he was young and from then on, he was pulled into the Templars vs Assassins conflict.  The story takes place in France during the French Revolution (but no one speaks with a French accent).  As expected, Arno ends up being inducted as an Assassin; this origin story ends up being very familiar.  Arno shows promise in the beginning with witty remarks and charming attitude but quickly loses that once he becomes an Assassin.

Unfortunately, the game's story becomes bland and boring very quickly; in the end, it ultimately becomes inconsequential.  All the characters are unlikable and the Assassin's Creed is depicted once again as being overly restrictive and set in their ways.  It actually makes the Templars look better...  The game is set in 18th century Paris.  The city has a denser cluster of buildings, as well as taller ones, feeling like a return of what it was like during the Ezio trilogy.  This is good news since scaling tall buildings was always what made Assassin's Creed fun.

After the simplified controls of the last few games, Unity brings back the two button approach to free-running.  You press the trigger the run but X to ascend and O to descent.  Having two buttons for ascending and descending is confusing at first but once you are used to it, the descending option works really well as you don't accidentally fall to your death now.  Despite that, there are still a lot of the existing issues to the series where your character, Arno, does not go where you want him to go.  One of the most annoying situation has to be when you have carefully set up a distraction and then tried to climb something and Arno DOES NOT GET ONTO THE THING YOU WANTED.  He'll end up getting detected and swarmed with guards.

There are also situations where to lessen frustration, Arno is able to make massive jumps.  There are accompanied by awkward animation where Arno initially starts to make a short jump but then the game realizes it needs extra distance and forces Arno across.  This can break the immersion at times.  Arno runs super slow too and coupled with escape sequences where he DOES NOT climb to where you want, and it is a recipe for more frustration (that's the theme of the game, frustration, frustration, frustration).

The combat system is somewhat familiar and still heavily skewed towards countering but the biggest difference is that Arno is weak as all else.  He will die in a few hits, enemies are damage sponges and the game heavily discouraged fighting.  The developers added in dedicated buttons for parrying and dodging based on timing, which you then use to your advantage to counter strike.  Unlike previous games where you could counter kill, fights drag on for far too long and is extremely aggravating.  There are a variety of weapons and tools at your disposal to aid you.  It is still as awesome as ever seeing the various attaching animations of your swords, pistols and axes as Arno completes the final strike on the enemy.

What made previous games awesome was how overpowered you are, now, it is just plain annoying and frustrating in the early parts of the game when Arno cannot hold out on his own at all.  Dying in two hits is NOT fun when the stealth mechanics are so shoddy already.  Enemies are a lot more aggressive, everyone carries firearms and they will never miss.  When it forces you to go into combat situations with more than three enemies, it is frustrating.  It wouldn't have been so bad if the guards were not so FREAKING overpowered, even with your armor upgraded, they can kill you in two hits, so what is the point?!

To be fair, the end game where you can afford better equipment, the game is a lot better.  Playing missions again when you know where to go and what to do also makes it more bearable and actually more fun as you are not so lost anymore.  There are a lot of difficult missions in the game.  For some reason, you are forced into scenarios where it is out in the open teeming with guards.  You are supposed to spend a lot of time trying to find ways to stealthily get there but if you are even detected, ten guards will swarm you.  It can get frustrating particularly since if you die, all your progress is undone and you have to restart from the very beginning.  It can feel poorly designed and is a huge deterrent to finishing the game.

The missions are supposed to be sandboxed but this is also its major flaw.  You have no idea what to do, and in the case of enemies that are situated inside buildings, how the hell you are supposed to get in.  Unity has a high focus on character customization with heaps of different components to the outfits that he can wear.  The clothing has various effects such as improving health and stealth abilities.  Arno himself has skills that you can unlock.  However, the decision to lock basic assassin abilities like double assassination, blending in crowds and using guns behind the skill tree is a poor decision.

Arno wouldn't be much of an Assassin if he doesn't have an arsenal of stealth abilities up his sleeve.  You'll be tasked with secretly assassinating certain targets and to aid this, Arno can climb various structures and kill unaware enemies from cover, ledges and above.  It is satisfying when you can pull off a kill and then escape without alerting anyone.

As the games goes on, the modern day story aspect becomes more and more irrelevant.  Unity's take on the modern day portion significantly hampers the flow of the story.  You are forcefully pulled away from France into "rifts", where Arno runs through other time periods of France.  The main story doesn't take too long to complete.  To compensate, there are swathes of side activities from sidequests to upgrading buildings to, of course, collectibles.  Like any Ubisoft open world game, there is an absurd amount of collectibles, 400+ this time.  There are 500 icons on the map at the same time, this is just overkill.

On top of horrible designs, if you have the free DLC Dead Kings installed, then its placement is prime target for you to accidentally selecting it to fast travel instead of the icon right next to it.  The DLC is accessible very early on and once you enter it, you have to finish the first mission before you can exit, which is a terrible design decision.  It doesn't even give you a warning before you enter it.  This just serves to further infuriate you about Unity.

On a slightly more positive note, due to the disastrous launch with the numerous crippling bugs, Ubisoft made the story DLC Dead Kings free for all players.  The Dead Kings DLC tries to add in some new elements to keep things fresh.  However, nearly everything it adds fails.  You get a guillotine gun which acts as an overpowered ranged weapons a slow-ish melee.  Then there is the lantern which you have to keep refilling with oil and uses it to light up ways or solve puzzles.  This is an annoying gimmick and the puzzles make no sense.

The DLC takes place in a new separate area, which is similar in size to Versailles.  Despite that, Ubisoft still managed to pack in 50+ collectibles.  It only takes around 2-3 hours to complete and the missions aren't too bad but they are the exact same structure as the main game.  The story isn't too much to write about either, as it is Arno collecting a relic.  As it is more content for free, you can't complain about it too much.  Overall, Assassin's Creed Unity really feels like it took 50 steps back in terms of features and gameplay.  It stripped out what made the series fun and made everything else a tedious chore.  It is at its core, not fun to play, easily the worst Assassin's Creed game and just one of the worst games in general.

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