Exploring The Saturn: Part 1

The Sega Saturn is one of the more infamous failed consoles. While it did decently well in Japan for a bit, the lack of Sonic games, infighting between Sega's US and Japan divisions, a rushed release, and 3D that paled in comparison to the Playstation and N64 meant it did not do well in America and was most-likely the biggest cause for Sega having to drop off of doing consoles. However, the benefit of hindsight is an interesting thing, as years later, collectors started to realize that Saturn wasn't entirely a lost cause of a console. It handled 2D games better than both the PS1 and the N64, it had loads of cult classics that were only available on the console, several iconic classics had their best (Mega Man 8) or most content-rich (Symphony Of The Night) versions on the Saturn, and once you realized just how many games were released solely in Japan, you get a console that had finally found its niche.

I've always been fascinated with underdog consoles. The Dreamcast is my second favorite console of all time behind the Wii for its many unique and original games, cohesive aesthetic, and ahead-of-its-time innovations. I still have a soft-spot for the Wii U and would even rank it over the Switch. And most notably, I wrote an entire post about how cool the Game Boy Color is. Having grown up with the Wii, I've been spending this past year or so really delving into the libraries of consoles I never got to experience (starting with handhelds like the Game Boy, Neo Geo Pocket Color, and DS before moving onto the NES and SNES) and it's been great. I discovered some new favorites (Starfy 3, Rocket Slime, Umihara Kawase), and gained more appreciation for many of the consoles themselves. But I was especially excited to check out the Saturn not just because it scratches that cult underdog niche, because almost all of its games are entirely new to me, the only ones I've played before now were Nights and Sonic R. So I wanted to document my findings as I explore the Saturn's library. The console was a failure, that can't be denied, but I want to see if its library is in fact better than people tend to give it credit for. So let's start with its launch lineup.

Virtua Fighter Remix: Virtua Fighter was the big system seller for the Saturn and it was... mixed. At the time, it was pretty widely-praised because no one had ever seen a 3D game of its caliber on a home console before, and it hard-carried the console's performance in Japan. However, people quickly realized that this port had some rough graphical issues, particularly with the lighting. When the 32X version looked better, that's an issue. So Sega quickly made a new budget version called Virtua Fighter Remix and handed it out to homes for free, which is the version I obviously went for. Remix is almost exactly the same as the original Virtua Fighter port, just with better visuals, so in terms of gameplay and content, this is still mostly what people were experiencing at launch. So what did I think?

Virtua Fighter Remix really impressed me. Being the first 2D/3D fighting game of its kind, I've often heard people say it hasn't aged the best, but aside from one particular aspect of the gameplay, I honestly couldn't really tell. For the first 3D fighting game, the developers nailed the character animations. Attacks feel weighty and movement feels natural, and right off the bat, there are so many different moves you can pull off ranging from throws to dodges to stomps. Each character has a few standard moves so that they're all on the same playing field, but they also vary a lot in terms of playstyle which keeps things both balanced and varied. I never got the impression that this is some watered-down fighting game prototype, it's a fun fighting game in its own merits with a great amount of thought put into its movement and balancing... well, except for one thing. Jumping feels off, there's no going around it. Characters jump like they're on the moon, which doesn't just stick out from the otherwise spot-on physics and animation, but also makes midair attacks feel pretty impractical for combat. This is probably the one thing about Virtua Fighter that agree hasn't aged all that gracefully, and is probably the one big knock I have towards it. Speaking of the animation, though, I have to say that I adore how Ring Outs work. Seeing characters ragdoll-physics themselves off of stages never fails to get a gleeful chuckle out of me, it's so charming.

It's always interesting to see how developers add content to arcade ports for their console releases, because most arcade games are way too short to actually be sold at full price. Namco, for example, added a Galaxian loading screen to their Ridge Racer port that, when won, would unlock more cars. Sega, on the other hand, tends to add a lot of cheat codes. Like, I've inputted in more cheat codes for these four games alone than in probably all the other games I've played combined. While on its surface, Virtua Fighter just has the standard Arcade and VS modes, some preset high scores to beat, and a few options like difficulty settings, the cheat codes range from alternate costumes to playing as the final boss Dural to a stage select that allows you to change the size of arenas (which in turn makes Ring Outs even funnier). And to think these aren't even the craziest secrets Sega packed into a game in this very launch lineup. As far as presentation goes, the Remix version looks great, with vastly improved textures and of course lighting. There'll always be a charm to the original polygonal models, but there's no denying Remix looks vastly better. And you know what else is better? The music. The original soundtrack was more FM/chiptune-heavy, but all the tracks got arranges to show off the new CD-quality audio and it sounds so good. The character themes are varied but equally energetic, the instruments sound super crisp, and it all has such a great arcade-y feel to it.

Overall, Virtua Fighter Remix is a fun fighting game! It may seem basic at first, but for the first of its kind, it nails (most of) the fundamentals surprisingly well, and has that classic Sega arcade charm to carry it even further. That first release may have been a bit rough, but I'm glad we got Remix to really bring out its fullest potential.

4/5 Stars

Daytona USA: Say it with me everyone, ROOOOOLLLLINNNNG STAAAAAAAART! 

Daytona USA is a stellar arcade game, dare I say, one of Sega's very best. Learning the controls and the tracks is incredibly satisfying, especially now that you don't need to put in a quarter every time you want to give it a go. There may be only three tracks, but they're all you need. Because the first time you play any of the tracks in Daytona USA, you will lose. It takes a while to learn the layouts and how to nail each turn, but once you do, Daytona starts to become oddly relaxing. It's effective in its replayability, even now I'm still coming back to it to play a round just for fun. And the Saturn port adds so much extra content to really make it feel like a worthy console release. There's still the Arcade Mode entirely intact, but there's also a Saturn Mode which comes with 10 extra unlockable cars, mirror mode versions of the tracks, and a Time Trial option. And that's not to mention the vast options menu that lets you modify the lap counts and difficulty, along with the many cheat codes like a super fast Maniac Mode and a karaoke mode that puts song lyrics on the bottom screen, as well as the ability to play as a horse. Not as someone riding a horse, just a horse. Why can't we get weird unlockables like this anymore?!

Keep in mind that the arcade version of Daytona USA just has 2 cars and the three tracks, so even more than with Virtua Fighter, this port adds a ridiculous amount of extra content that only encourages replaying the game. However, while content-wise this port is far superior to its arcade counterpart, it does have its downgrades, particularly in the visuals department. See, just like with Virtua Fighter, Daytona USA was rushed for release. The graphics being more low resolution is a given, it was always gonna happen, but the far weaker draw distance and worse framerate could've been fixed. I know this because just like with Virtua Fighter, we got a rerelease in the Championship Circuit Edition. Unlike Remix, however, this wasn't just a graphical upgrade. It added some more cars and modes, but it also removed the lyrics from the music tracks and altered the physics (which the original version actually got spot-on). So overall, I think I'll still stick with the original Daytona port. Sure, it looks worse but the general art direction and vibe of the game can still be felt, and I refuse to play Daytona USA without Takenobu Mitsuyoshi's iconic songs playing in the background. Speaking of which...

Daytona USA's soundtrack is perfect. It's so fun and catchy and upbeat, you have to be heartless to not feel an ounce of joy listening to these tracks. Mitsuyoshi's singing isn't the most harmonic, and the words he says aren't the clearest, but the sheer energy he puts into his songs makes up for all of that. The man's an absolute treasure and, in my eyes, he's a big reason why Daytona USA works as well as it does. The King Of Speed and Let's Go Away are the obvious highlights here, but I just need to single out Sky High for pretty much encapsulating the feel-good "blue skies" vibe that I've always loved about the Y2K era of Sega. I wonder how much this game's general aesthetic influenced Sega in general, because you can really feel its design philosophy seep into much of the Dreamcast's library. Oh right, we're talking about Saturn Daytona. Well, the good thing is that I'd actually say, while the graphics are worse, the CD-quality Saturn remixes are way better than the already great arcade originals, mostly due to the higher-quality instrumentals and the clearer, less sample-heavy vocals. 

Overall, Daytona USA is a phenomenal arcade classic, but its Saturn port is a bit mixed. On one hand, the music is far better, and the sheer amount of content added is quite frankly wild. On the other hand, the graphics and framerate are far worse. However, fundamentally, the core gameplay and aesthetic that define this game are entirely intact, so while Daytona USA for the Sega Saturn may not replace the arcade original, I think it still stands alongside it as another great way to play this great game.

4/5 Stars

Clockwork Knight: During the Saturn era, Sega suffered from a lot of infighting between its US and Japan departments, particularly over Sonic The Hedgehog. As Sonic became a massive hit in the US but not in Japan, SoJ wanted to find a replacement for the iconic blue mascot, which lead to a bunch of Sega-made platformers early on that just couldn't quite live up to it, like Bug! which is actually really not very good. Clockwork Knight, on the other hand, is actually a really fun 2D platformer that deserves more praise.

Clockwork Knight is a platformer about a wind-up toy knight named Pepper trying to save a princess. It's a simple plot, but the neat wrinkle here is that since Pepper is a toy, the entire game takes place inside of someone's house. This premise alone makes Clockwork Knight stand out, since all the stages use toys and other household items as platforms and level gimmicks, ranging from sink faucets to toy trains to hanging mobiles. Even better, Clockwork Knight goes for a 2.5D style not unlike Klonoa, with 2D sprite-based characters in a 3D world where they could interact with background elements. The game doesn't take things quite as far as Klonoa does, but this alone makes for some especially memorable and unique level gimmicks and boss fights. It really is the creativity in the visuals and level design that carried Clockwork Knight because the gameplay itself is mostly pretty simple. Pepper has few moves, and there are really only eight levels before the game comes to a close. But it's a dense eight levels, with barely a moment of boredom. Clockwork Knight throws new ideas at you constantly in an almost playlike manner, and the sheer amount of things to interact with, hidden areas, and secret exits make it surprisingly replayable. I can't tell you how many times it took to get that secret bonus in 2-2.

For the most part, Clockwork Knight is a pretty easy game. There are multiple difficulty levels, but there are really only two things that would give you grief. First is the fact that there are no checkpoints, dying starts you at the beginning of a level, though it's not too bad since levels are a bit short. Second is the bosses, which can be genuinely tricky due to their abundance of moves and phases. This is a very dynamic set of boss fights, all of which use the background in some very interesting and creative ways. They also often have a lot of opportunities where they're open to attack, so risky players can race to find ways to whittle down their health as fast as possible. As far as the presentation goes, Clockwork Knight uses pre-rendered graphics which don't entirely look the best nowadays. However, the sheer effort that went into said presentation shines even through the poorly-aged elements. The bosses have super unique designs, the level locations fully utilize the house setting, each world is intercut by a pre-rendered CGI cutscene, each stage has its own unique invincibility and goal themes, and the game ends with a full-on musical number. Speaking of which, the soundtrack is, once again, really good! It's very jazz-heavy and gives the whole game a strong sense of musical identity.

Overall, Clockwork Knight is a really inventive platformer that I had a lot of fun with. It really is the creative setting, strong level design, and top-notch bosses that made this one for me, and even if it doesn't look the best nowadays, the effort put into the game's look and sound really shows. My biggest gripe here is really just that I wish it was a bit longer, but hey, maybe that's what the sequel is for?

4/5 Stars 

Panzer Dragoon: Panzer Dragoon is one of the biggest IPs Sega introduced during the Saturn era, and probably one of the more successful too. We got a whole trilogy of these things along with the XBOX-exclusive Orta and a remake a few years ago. I went into this first one mostly just expecting a straight-forward rail shooter not unlike the SNES Star Fox, but what I got was something way more demanding and mechanically complex than I was previously expecting.

So Panzer Dragoon is a on-rails shooter where you fly atop a dragon and gun down opponents with your blaster. You have a normal shot and a homing shot if you hold down the shoot button. At first, I was a bit confused as to why the devs didn't just have the dragon breath fire at enemies, but then I discovered what Panzer Dragoon's central mechanic is. Panzer Dragoon basically has a perspective system, so enemies don't just show up in front of your character, they can show up behind or to the side of the too. Thus, you can press L and R to turn 90 degrees and shoot those enemies down. On one hand, this is a really cool system that adds a bit of complexity to an otherwise simple formula. On the other hand, this makes the game incredibly difficult. There's a radar to help you track enemies but even then, you'll be having to do a lot of multi-tasking, especially during boss fights where you'll be darting your eyes around nonstop to keep track. It also doesn't help that unless you're facing directly forward, you can't dodge, which leads to several sections where you need to precisely shoot-down the enemies' projectiles instead. Panzer Dragoon is brutal, I couldn't even get past Stage 5 even on Easy Mode. Dying restarts the stage, and you only get extra credits by killing a high-enough percentage of enemies in a stage. 

But does this high difficulty make the game bad? No, not really, because it's all learnable. On your first playthrough, you're likely to get overwhelmed trying to learn how to change perspectives. But as you keep playing, you learn the enemy layouts, get a grip on the controls, and start to improve. I even discovered that there's no cap to how fast you can shoot, so you can quickly alternate buttons to shoot almost twice as fast and make boss fights go by a bit faster. What also kept me playing even as I sucked at the game was its impeccable art direction, setpiece design, and music, and how it all comes together. Panzer Dragoon has a lot of memorable visuals, like the sand worms in Stage 2, the waterlogged city in Stage 6, and especially that long-winding cavern in Stage 4, which reminded me a lot of the equally great Stage 4 in Touhou: Ten Desires. It makes every stage stand out as memorable, which is only bolstered by its unique and otherworldly artstyle, and fantastic orchestral soundtrack. It's hard to really describe the vibes Panzer Dragoon elicits other than it being exactly what you'd imagine a world of dragons to look like. Despite this being a short, linear rail shooter, it feels like the developers had a vision for this world, and I really hope the sequels will be able to further expand on it.

So yeah, Panzer Dragoon is yet another great Saturn launch title, who knew? If I'm being objective here, I might even say that it's the best of the bunch, with fun and deceptively complex gameplay, memorable stage designs, and a stellar presentation that really comes together. However, it's also really unforgiving and challenging, and even if I think the difficulty is mostly done well, this is the only game out of these four that I just was not able to see the finish of. Panzer Dragoon is a strong first step for the series, but I think there's room for its sequel to take things even further.

4/5 Stars

So, how's the Saturn so far? Honestly, pretty good! This isn't a bad launch (as you can tell by the fact that I gave all these games 4/5 stars), there's a solid game in pretty much every genre, and they're all super replayable and charming. They have their flaws and poorly-aged elements, for sure, but there's a lot of fun to be had with these gems, and the music is uniformly phenomenal. Let's hope the console keeps this up when I check out Virtua Fighter 2, Astal, Virtua Cop, and Clockwork Knight 2.

Yes Precure 5 Gogo (Series 5)

Well, the first time we got a sequel to Precure, it didn't go very well. The more I look back on it, especially after having watched two genuinely good Precure seasons, the less fondly I think of Max Heart. So when I got to the second (and last) sequel Precure season in Gogo, I was concerned. Would this be another Max Heart? Or will Toei actually pull it off this time? The answer: Probably both.

Yes Precure 5 Gogo starts with this fairy delivery boy named Syrup giving Nozomi this thing called a Rose Pact, which an evil museum called Eternal is trying to retrieve. So the Cures has to find four elders to use the Rose Pact to find a princess in a garden all the while keeping it away from Eternal, and I'm sorry, this is an excuse plot if there ever was one. For most of the show, they never tell us why Nozomi needs to find the princess. Splash Star had a similar plot, but there, saving that show's princess was a consequence of healing all of the fountains. In Gogo, we have no idea what any of the characters actual want with the Rose Garden aside from Syrup (who hopes it'll help him regain his memory), so the plot lacks stakes. It also doesn't help that the elders once again show up randomly rather than for defeating the bad guys at Eternal. It's also really hard to shake just how merch-driven this season in particular is, the Precures get all sorts of magic wands, DS transformation devices, and other toys that don't actually contribute anything to the story or even the fight scenes beyond obviously being meant to be sold in toy stores. Like, I get it, this is a big money-making kids show, and a bit of commercialization can feel charming and of its time, but Gogo goes a bit too far with it. Really, the main highlight of this season in terms of plot is definitely Eternal, because I do genuinely like the concept of an evil museum, the minor villains are far more diverse and memorable, Anacondy is a great sympathetic antagonist, and Bunbee's redemption arc is probably the best thing about the whole season. 

As far as the characters go, I'm a bit mixed here. The core five is pretty much intact, and are just as fun to watch as always. They may not have the strong arcs they had in Yes 5, but Gogo still makes sure to pick up where that show left off. The new characters, on the other hand, are very hit-or-miss. I'm split on Syrup. He's never annoying, his relationship with Urara is genuinely cute, and his character arc can be really engaging at points. As I mentioned, he's really the only reason why the main story actually has some degree of stakes up until the last few episodes, so he is genuinely important. However, he can also feel like a grumpy stick-in-the-mud that's not super fun to watch, especially in what are otherwise fun comedic episodes. Syrup is at his best in the plot-heavy episodes, but I just don't think he meshes with the slice of life stuff. Then, there's Milky Rose, Milk's human/Cure form, who I quite like. I already liked Milk, and it's nice that she's able to get more involved with the main cast. Having her keep her true identity a secret for a few episodes was kinda unnecessary though, it's blatantly obvious she's Milk. Finally, there's the elders, who just flat-out suck. They're dull, one-note, often grating, and bloat out the cast, at the cost of the few side characters we did have in Yes 5 getting even less priority and focus than before. Masuko Miko got it worst though, especially since she actually had a big scene in the show's opening, so her not having any actual presence feels like a massive disappointment.

However, even with all of my gripes towards the plot and characters, Gogo is still far better of a sequel than Max Heart was for one reason and one reason only: It actually feels like it has a goddamn soul. Episodes actually have conflicts, the characters feel actual emotions, I know this is the bare minimum but I guess that's just how bad Max Heart was. Even if Gogo felt like it dragged at points, it was still able to toss out some genuinely creative and weird standalone episode ideas, like the detective episode, the game show two-parter, the cooking episode, the shrinking episode, and a quite frankly ridiculous number of fairy tale episodes, albeit of varying quality. Once again, this is far more than I could say about Max Heart. If there's one thing I can unambiguously say Gogo improves on its predecessor in, though, it's in the visuals. While there are still some off-model expressions at points, this is a far more visually-polished and consistent-looking anime than Yes 5 was. The action is also leagues better, way more dynamic, energetic, and fluid. However, the issue with the overlong transformation sequences is still there, even worse now that there are six Precures to deal with. Speaking of transformation sequences, though, I can say that Gogo's designs for the Cure outfits are far better than the ones in Yes 5 as well. So overall, Gogo is at least a better, more polished, and more appealing show than Yes 5 on a visual level. Even the opening and ending themes are leagues better than the ones in Yes 5, which I thought were genuinely unlistenable.

Highlights:

Great Detective Komachi's Entrance (episode 9): While most of Gogo was pretty middling, this was flat-out one of the best episodes of Precure I've seen so far. I'm already a big fan of mystery plots, but it also helps that this episode was just plain hysterical, from Komachi wearing a detective outfit, to all the characters' absurd accusations of each other, to that brilliant subversion where Bunbee pulls out a Hoshina only to get immediately destroyed, depriving the episode of any actual fight scenes.

Full Of Friendship, Making Lunch Together (episode 21): As seen in Yes 5's fifteenth episode, putting the Yes 5 team in a room and forcing them to cook will always be an absolute blast. I thought the funniest part of this episode was Milk choosing to cook with Karen and Urara only to find that both of them are practically useless in the kitchen, and then Nozomi storms in with her curry-and-chocolate-infused omelettes. Definitely admire the gesture, but I'm not sure that'll actually taste all that good.

Syrup Has Betrayed Us?! (episode 23): Just like in Yes 5, the midseason arc was in fact pretty good, especially this incredibly well-executed and animated episode. The dramatic sunset lighting really suited Syrup's struggle, as he gets dangerously close to handing Eternal the Rose Pact.

Dangerous! Five De Chance (episodes 36/37): When Gogo is firing on all cylinders, that's how we get episodes like Five De Chance. A Precure-themed game show hosted by Mr Magic where he challenges each of the Cures in individual challenges, all rigged against them is brilliant. It's chaotic, creative, fun, and genuinely tense, especially with that coin flip mindgame. The first half is definitely the stronger episode, though, it's far more inventively animated and really does a good job at depicting the Cures going out of their mind. Nozomi's round in particular left me in stitches.

Our Feelings As One! Miracle Of The Blue Rose (episode 47): This episode had a lot going for it. Milky Rose having to save the rest of the Cures, Bunbee betraying Eternal, the Cures getting new powers, and Boss finally getting to have a conversation with Flora. It's definitely my favorite part of what was otherwise a just okay final battle.

Overall, this was a far better sequel than Max Heart. I actually enjoyed myself while watching it. Milky Rose and Syrup were both far better and more interesting additions to the cast than Hikari was in that show, it had some of the best comedic episodes in the entire franchise, and I'd actually say the animation, action, and villain team were vastly improved over Yes 5. However, that doesn't change the fact that this season still feels pretty superfluous, with a drawn-out and fairly uninteresting central plot, the shafting of several of Yes 5's best side characters, and a level of commercialization that feels almost desperate.

2/5 Stars

How Umihara Kawase Teaches You To Speedrun

Umihara Kawase for the Super Famicom might just be one of the best pre-Ico pieces of proof for the "video games are art" argument. Everything about the game is meant to evoke feelings of childlike wonder, freedom, and expression, from the freeform grappling mechanics, to the surreal fish enemies, to the smattering of random objects like pencils around the stages, to that absolutely lovely soundtrack. My favorite trivia piece about Umihara Kawase is that some stage numbers are purposefully skipped to create the feeling that, even if you've seen everything the game has to offer, you still only feel like you've seen a piece of Umihara's vast world. It's a truly thoughtfully put together gem with a unique style and vibe unlike anything else on the console.

It also really, really wants you to speedrun it.

Yes Precure 5 (Series 4)

Splash Star is a tough act to follow, but it's not like people agreed at the time. Overall, that show was considered a bit of a disappointment for its similarities to Precure (which is wrong), so Toei decided to change a lot for their next Precure show. Instead of a core duo, we're getting a full Sailor Moon-esque team of five Cures this time. Will it pan out?

Yes Precure 5 is about a group of five students coming together to become Precures to find the 50+ hidden Pinkies (yes, that's actually what they're called) and protect this thing called the Dream Collet from an evil organization called Nightmare. This series makes a lot of changes from the previous three, like having a group of five Cures and having fairies that can change from human to fairy form, but not all of it works. The increased number of Cures means transformation/spell sequences take forever now, and since the main character now has a larger friend group, I feel like the robust side casts of Futari and Splash Star just aren't quite there. The side characters we do get in Otaka and Masuko Mika are fantastic, there just isn't enough of them. I'm not a huge fan of the fairies being able to become human either, for a bunch of reasons. There's the obvious elephant in the room with the fairy/Precure relationships that may also involve an age gap, but then there's just Coco, where it's really hard to reconcile his fairy and human forms are the same person. I blame the voice actor, he's obviously straining trying to do a fairy voice. There's a bunch of other issues I have with Yes's main plot though, beyond just the changes made. Nightmare being an evil corporate job is a really cool concept and I like seeing the employees try to climb the corporate ladder and make pay, but all the villains having similar-looking bug/human designs means they mostly feel like a step down from Dark Fall. I also don't love the Pinkies since they have a similar issue with the Heartiels in Max Heart, where the characters just find Pinkies randomly rather than for actually accomplishing anything. 

So I know this all sounds rough but, trust me, this isn't another Max Heart situation. Because while the plot is nothing special, Yes Precure 5 nails something equally important: The characters. Right from the get-go, Yes 5 established itself as a more character-driven Precure, with each main cast member getting an episode to themselves, to establish their personality, backstory, and character arc. Nozomi is the definition of brain empty (even if her rambling about dreams can feel a bit grating), Rin is a fun grounding force for the group, Urara feels like Hikari if she was done right, Komachi is a sweetheart, and best of all, Karen both has a fantastic character arc and a surprisingly affecting backstory that intertwines incredibly well. The fairies, human weirdness aside, are also solid. I especially like Nuts, as his distrustful personality and legitimate trauma is a breath of fresh air for the fairies. And best of all, the chemistry between the cast is great too. They feel like genuine friends, so even if the plot isn't super impressive, it's fun to just hang out with the cast for thirty minutes. It's a show where the slice of life standalone plots are far and away the best part of the show, and I'm fine with that. It's a testament to why I hate the concept of filler, because sometimes those seemingly innocuous episodes can be the things that make or break your show.

But it's not like the plot is entirely a wash either, there is quite a bit I do like. While I found most of the villains to be pretty meh, Bunbun is an easy highlight among them. Unlike most major villains, Bunbee gets familiar with the Cures right from the first few episodes, so you can see them develop more of a full-on rivalry than you'd get with a shadowy antagonist who only reveals itself at pivotal episodes. I also really like the added focus on secret identities here. There isn't the threat of the fairies having to leave the moment they're found out, so normal civilians can spot the Cures fighting, Nozomi can walk up to another student and tell them about what's going on, and we now have the aforementioned reporter Masuko Mika trying to get a scoop on the Cures. This means Yes 5 doesn't have to conveniently knock out side characters in the general vicinity all the time, and the Cures can feel more like superheroes whose actions have a noticeable impact on the town they're protecting. I also didn't hate the romantic subplots here. Logistically, they're weird as hell, but it's well-written and Nozomi/Coco and Komachi/Nuts have genuine chemistry with each other. Not saying CocoNuts wouldn't have been even better, but honestly if the fairies were just explicitly high school students, I wouldn't even care.

I should probably also bring up the spilled milk in the room. Like with every other Precure series, we get a new fairy halfway through the season, and this series' third fairy, Milk, may just be one of the most hated Precure characters period, and it's not hard to see why. Milk's debut episode echoes the debut of Chibiusa from Sailor Moon in a lot of ways, she suddenly shows up, terrorizes poor Nozomi, fauns over Coco and Nuts, and claims she's better than everyone. However, despite all that, I don't hate Milk. It helps that Chibiusa slowly became one of my favorite Sailor Moon characters, so I've learned not to judge solely by first impressions. But also, selfish gremlin Milk was executed way better than selfish gremlin Chibiusa was. Milk's antics are often a bit more grounded than Chibiusa's (rather than pulling out a gun, she accidentally commits fraud, which is way funnier), her traumatic past is revealed really early on rather than withheld until it's too late for you to care, Milk doesn't get away with everything and is usually scolded by Coco and Nuts, and most of all, it never feels like the show is saying "But Milk is Nozomi's daughter so you have to like her!". While a massive nuisance at first, Milk is able to remain fairly enjoyably selfish as she slowly mellows out throughout the course of the season.

As far as presentation goes, though, Yes Precure 5 honestly kinda feels like a step down. Splash Star was such a treat for the eyes, with clean lineart, stunning vistas, and fluid action scenes especially near the end. Yes 5 doesn't quite have that. The character designs can often feel a bit off-model (especially Cure Mint, poor thing), the animations can feel unnatural and janky at points, and all the genuinely impressive bits of action are bogged down by like a dozen transformation sequences back-to-back-to-back. Yes 5 also tries to go for a bit of a painterly style, with its backgrounds being flat and drawn, and each episode ending with a sketched version of the final frame. Neat idea, but it doesn't quite work in practice because it makes the world the characters are inhabiting feel less natural. In Splash Star, the beach town felt like a real place and as if it was a character in and of itself. Yes 5 feels like it takes place in some weird magical girl void by comparison. In addition, the music is a bit weaker, and the opening and ending themes don't really impressive. As a whole, the show still looks mostly fine but it's definitely the least impressive looking Precure show so far. 

Highlights:

Big Crisis! The Nightmarish Invitation/The Five Girls' New Power (episodes 23-24): As I mentioned, I really liked the midseason ending arc, a tense two-parter episode where the group gets into a fight, faces their worse nightmares, and Milk actually apologizes (and only three episodes after her debut too, take that Chibiusa). I loved how surprisingly creepy this episode was, from the aforementioned nightmares to those damn masks, but the team manages to come away with a stronger bond than ever.

Big Scoop! Exclusive Coverage On Pretty Cure 5 (episode 33): While this show is a bit weak on side characters, Masuko Mika is an absolute gem. A great agent of chaos who gives off Aya Shameimaru vibes in the best way possible, and yet, her character arc was also impeccably executed. After spending so much of the show as a comic relief, this episode reveals her biased articles led to most of her friends leaving her, which instantly turns her into a more tragic figure. And it only took Mika realizing what she did wrong to finally get to interview Precure, ending her arc on the perfect note.

Protect Milk! White Knight Karen (episode 34): Horseback sword fight, enough said.

Take Back The Dream Collet (episode 47): Despair wins. I absolutely loved how dramatic those last five minutes were. Milk getting the mask put on her may have just been the prettiest shot in an otherwise unimpressive-looking show, and the twist that the entire Pinky hunt has been for nothing was shockingly cruel. 

Hope Vs Despair, The Final Showdown (episode 48): This may not have been the final battle, but this episode had the true emotional climaxes to Yes 5. First, there's the Cures telling each other their dreams for the future, capping off almost all of their character arcs in one fell swoop. I love this trend of having the Cures talk about what they want to do after the final battle, but this was easily the best example of it for its impact on the characters. And then Coco and Nuts do the same thing, when they learn all the Nightmare workers were also fairies (a great twist by the way), and give a very passionate apology. Hope wins.

Pretty Cure 5 Of Hopes And Dreams (episode 49): Leave it to Precure to once again save the best fight for the end. The choreography and editing is far tighter in the fight with Desperaia's shadows than in any other Yes5 episode. Otherwise, this is a solid finale, even Desperaia feels a bit too much like Nehellenia from Sailor Moon (though far less villainous), and I really like how realistic the ending is. The Cures don't immediately achieve their dreams, sometimes they even face setbacks, but they have each other and will keep trying until they make it.

Overall, while the overall plot isn't super interesting, the visuals are unpolished, the romance is iffy, and overall it just doesn't reach the heights of Splash Star or even Futari, I had a fun time with Yes Precure 5. It's a strong character-driven Precure with satisfying arcs and cast members you want to see hang out, and stays consistently enjoyable throughout. And the whole hope vs despair thing definitely appeals to the Madoka fan in me.

3/5 Stars

Precure Splash Star (Series 3)

Sequel Precure series like Max Heart are actually pretty rare. Most Precure anime actually start anew with an entirely new cast, setting, and set of antagonists. Splash Star had the tall ask of being the first Precure anime to do this, and it couldn't have made a worse first impression. And that's a shame! Because once you get past a rough pilot, Splash Star is far and away an improvement than its predecessors.

Before I talk about all the things Precure Splash Star does right, we need to talk about what it does wrong, which is pretty much just the pilot. It's especially worth comparing it to Futari's far superior pilot. Futari's first episode quickly and efficiently established Nagisa and Honoka's offbeat dynamic, set up the anime's lore, introduced all of the side characters and how they know each other, and even got to show off some of the anime's iconic hand-to-hand combat. In comparison, Splash Star's pilot is pretty much identical, but worse in every single way. We all know Saki and Mai look pretty similar to Nagisa and Honoka, but we never actually get to see how they or their dynamic differs from them since the episode instead fixates on repeatedly telling us about how they met five years ago. We get like one or two scenes in the school, but we don't actually get to meet many of Saki's friends like we did with Shiho and Rin. Once Flappy and Choppy appear, they lay on the exposition pretty thick rather than slowly dole it out over the next few episodes. And the big action showcase at the end of the episode is really short and lacking in any sort of kinetic choreography. As a result, Splash Star's pilot paints the show as just being a worse version of Futari. It's a failure of a first episode on pretty much every level.

Thankfully, the pilot is by far the worst episode of Splash Star. Right from Episode 2, the series begins to really establish itself. Splash Star is about Saki and Mai trying to restore magical fountains scattered around their beach town and stop the evil Dark Fall from destroying the all-important World Tree. While Saki and Mai and their two fairies Flappy and Choppy may start out seeming like clones of their Futari equivalents, but the differences become apparent fast. Where Nagisa is cynical and pretty down-on-her-luck, Saki is far more cheerful, determined, and earnest. She tries so hard and I adore her for it. Mai is a bit more similar to Honoka, but she's also more spacey and introverted, with less confidence in herself. As much as I adore NagiHono's mid-battle quips, there's something about Saki and Mai's more supportive and natural dynamic that really does it for me. The beach town location also really helps Splash Star stand on its own, as it comes with a comfy vibe, beautiful vistas, and a fantastic score that gives off some serious Chrono Cross vibes.

And there's a lot of elements that I thought were vast improvements over Futari. The villains are far more visually varied and memorable, Saki's love interest Kazuya has way more depth than the bland Fuji-P (and it helps Saki doesn't become a stuttering mess everytime he's around), Saki's sister Minori is far more lovable than the bratty and tropey Ryouta, Pollun's replacement in Moop and Foop are genuinely adorable and likable without driving me up the wall, and most of all, the way the show deals with interpersonal relationships is wonderful. The closest thing I can compare much of Splash Star to are those heart-warming moments in Nichijou. It's obvious that the cast of Splash Star cares about each other, and they're always willing to be supportive and show how much they care no matter what. While characters do get into arguments every once in a while, the arguments never feel forced, the characters never drag it out, and it's always used as an opportunity for more bonding and growth. And none of this feels cheap or ploying, it's all incredibly genuine and natural. The beach town setting helps with this, it feels like there's a strong sense of community within Splash Star's beach town that forms the beating heart for this series. 

But the real highlight is the series is absolutely Michiru and Kaoru. They're a lot like Kiriya from Futari, that one villain that tried to spy on Nagisa and Honoka by joining their high school. But to put it frankly, I just think they're a far better execution of the concept. Michiru and Kaoru are given a bit more time to learn about being human, and actually get the chance to properly become Saki and Mai's friends (though slightly reluctantly). I like how they start off unknowledgeable to the point of coming off as accidentally cruel to the other classmates, and not even knowing how to eat until a student offers them food. It all falls in line with the anime's themes on community, and Michiru and Kaoru's character arc about slowly and naturally becoming a part of the beach town is super compelling. But best of all, unlike Kiriya, they actually manage to redeem themselves without dying... well, kinda. Michiru and Kaoru get erased halfway through their series, but their disappearance lingers with Saki and Mai in a way Kiriya's death didn't, and they end up managing to return in a phenomenal final ten episodes about the two fighting fate and finding a found family with Saki and Mai. It's a truly fantastic way to cap off Splash Star, and makes for easily the best ending to a Precure season so far.

Highlights:

Softball Is The Bond Between Parents And Children (episode 15): This episode encapsulates everything that makes Splash Star great, taking a neat premise and running the bases with it. I love the idea of an Uzaina/Zakenna being used to interfere with one of the characters' life, and Saki's bizarre softball throws and screams "I'm in bad form!" are incredibly funny until you start to realize it's all a metaphor for losing your touch. The rest of this episode is super heartwarming as both Mai and Saki's mom try to help her regain her mojo in various ways, culminating in some truly beautiful sunset-lit scenes on the beach. 

Shine In The Night Sky! Friends In Starlight (episode 21): The midseason arc of Splash Star is all fantastic, but I wanted to highlight each episode individually. Friends In Starlight is both yet another visually stunning episode, boasts a strong darkly comedic premise, and leaves a big impact on the plot. Michiru and Kaoru repeatedly getting interrupted every time they try to kill Saki and Mai is great, especially as each interruption leaves them increasingly unsure about actually going through with it. And the final few minutes are fantastic, from Michiru and Kaoru realizing Saki and Mai are fighting for them to Mai picking up on their real identity.

A Big Surprise! Michiru And Kaoru's Shocking Confession (episode 22): What a tense episode. Saki and Mai's face off with Michiru and Kaoru felt increasingly inevitable as it went on, and what we got of it in this episode definitely lived up to all that buildup. I like that Michiru and Kaoru brought actually hand-to-hand back into Precure, and Saki's speech that nearly got them to turn was so well-executed.

Finally Showdown! Menace Akudaikan (episode 23): This one needs no introduction. Considered one of the most heartbreaking Precure episodes in general, Menace Akudaikan has Michiru and Kaoru finally redeem themselves and change sides... only to have to sacrifice themselves to save Saki and Mai. This is Uranus/Neptune levels of devastating.

Moop And Foop Make Their Entry! Wait, Who? (episode 24): While Kiriya's death was pretty sad, it didn't leave much of an impact on the leads outside of Honoka occasionally remembering him. That is not the case in Splash Star. The entire first half of this episode is Saki and Mai mourning Michiru and Kaoru, made worse by the fact that no one else remembers they even exist. It's heartbreaking. Oh yeah, and Moop and Foop debut.

The Power Of Miracle! Pretty Cure's Big Transformation (episode 30): Ms Shitataare was easily one of my favorite of the side villains, not just super hammy and super fun, but as this episode shows, perfectly willing to betray the other villains if she doesn't get her way. And it says a lot that Ms Shitataare's hilarious betrayal was the highlight of this episode considering it also had Choppy and Flappy getting captured, Gohyan getting to fight for the first time, and biggest of all, Saki and Mai getting entirely new Precure forms. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this the only time that happens in the whole franchise? That's huge.

Now's The Final Round! Fight, Nagichuu Softball Club (episode 35): Why are the sports episodes so good?! Two seasons worth of Nagisa's predictable lacrosse wins conditioned me into thinking Saki's team would triumphantly win at the last second... but it didn't happen. Saki lost. The whole softball game was so tense, so well-animated, so perfectly-executed that seeing Saki lose felt a massive punch in the gut. But I also think this episode was necessary, and packed a good message for the kids watching the show. I criticized Max Heart for feeling artificially positive, but this kind of realistic hopefulness is exactly what I want from Precure. Also, I can not express how happy I am that Kintoleski is so far the first and only villain to not interrupt an important sports match, huge respect for the guy.

Culture Festival Arc (episode 36-37): Splash Star had been building up to the culture festival for a while now, and these two episodes were not a let-down, resolving the arcs and subplots of a whole bunch of characters, particularly Mai and Kenta/Miyasako. But there's also a pretty top-notch action scene in the forest, an absolutely hysterical horror house subplot, and quite possibly the cutest SakiMai scene in the whole show. 

Welcome Back! Michiru And Kaoru! (episode 42): Michiru and Kaoru finally return, and they make a hell of a triumphant return in this episode, but while that's all fantastic, I need to talk about Princess Filia for a bit. Remember when Max Heart promised that we'd get to see Nagisa and Honoka living with Wisdom and the Elder only for them to move out only a few episodes after for no reason? Well, once again, Splash Star actually gives me what I wanted by having Princess Filia spend time in Saki and Mai's world... albeit in the body of the cat Korone. So cool so see the high entity actually do stuff this time, and Korone's deep male voice gives me Sakamoto vibes in the best way possible.

A Sudden Twist?! Who Is The Mastermind?! (episode 47): Futari's Dark King was certainly menacing, but it's not like he was all that interesting of an antagonist. As cool as his design is, Akudaikan isn't much different, which is why the twist that Goyan was his real creator is so great. The manipulative Goyan was always the more interesting villain, you spend more time with him and it's never quite clear what he's thinking at any given moment. So the big twist about him works because it's surprising, makes sense, and in my opinion, makes the finale better than if it was just a standard fight against Akudaikan.

The Final Battle! The Stolen Land Of Greenery! (episode 48): Ah yes, the infamous Dragon Ball Z episode. No seriously, the action in this episode is straight-up a DBZ fight. There's flying, laser beams, Super Saiyan transformations, teleportation, giant balls of death and destruction, screaming, nonstop punching, and it's fucking awesome! As a whole, Splash Star's action has been a lot weaker than in Futari, but they really saved the best for last. This whole episode goes ridiculously hard. 

But that's just the first half. Because the second half not only has Michiru and Kaoru finally turn into Cures, but it also has Goyan flat-out destroy the goddamn Earth. THIS IS KIRBY LEVELS OF MOOD WHIPLASH! WHAT IS THIS SHOW?! 

Reach To The Top! The Eternal Starry Sky Of Friends (episode 49): What a perfect ending. The final battle may not have had the same WTF-ery of Episode 48, but it was just as fast, well-choreographed, bombastic, and over-indulgent in the best way possible. The Spiral Heart Splash Star was the best title drop I've seen since Bocchi The Rock (which isn't that long ago, but trust me that's a compliment). And the epilogue was fantastic too, giving everyone the happy ending they truly deserve and letting Michiru and Kaoru live. Oh, and the fairies actually properly leave this time!

Overall, Splash Star really won me over in the end. While it made a pretty bad first impression with its pilot episode, it quickly managed to improve on the things Futari did well while also carving out its own identity. The characters and their relationships to each other felt far more natural and developed, the villains were far more entertaining and interesting, the plot escalated at a perfect pace, I loved the distinct beach town setting, Michiru and Kaoru's subplot was so freaking good, and the entire final arc was absolutely top-notch. 

5/5 Stars

Precure Max Heart (Series 2)

Almost every Precure season stands on its own, with a new cast, new mascots, new costumes, and a new setting. Max Heart is the rare exception of being one of two Precure seasons to be a direct sequel to another season, in this case Futari. Does Max Heart justify the concept Precure sequel seasons? Hard no! 

Precure Max Heart is about the resurrection of the Queen (aka last season's Big Good) and the Dark King (aka last season's Big Bad). After being wounded by the Dark King last season, the Queen gets split apart into her heart, her life, and 12 fairies called Heartiels. Thus, this season's main storyline is pretty much a race between Nagisa and Honoka to bring back the Queen before the villains, a team called the Shitennou, do the same for the Dark King. The twist is that the Queen and Dark King's life have both found themselves in kids named Hikari and Hikaru (later revealed to be siblings). Hikari ends up joining Nagisa and Honoka as the third Precure, while Hikaru has no idea what the hell is going on and spends the whole season goofing off with the Butler Zakenna. As far as plot goes, it's alright? It's a solid conceit for a sequel and the core "gotta catch em all" structure of the plot should give the season a good amount of momentum, but it doesn't work in execution. The Heartiels just appear most of the time, rarely do the leads ever have to do anything to get them, so it leaves Max Heart just feeling like a 47-episode-long waiting game. And most of the potentially intriguing elements are either revealed super early (Hikari's identity), blatantly obvious (Hikaru's identity), or completely wasted (Elder and Wisdom rooming with Nagisa). To put it simply, this storyline couldn't have supported a full season of anime, and it definitely doesn't help that I didn't find Hikaru or the Shitennou all that interesting.

Hikari, aka Shiny Luminous, was always going to be fighting a losing battle from her concept. The beating heart of Futari wa Precure was the relationship between Nagisa and Honoka, which leaves Hikari as a bit of a third wheel. But it definitely doesn't help that Hikari is literally a blank slate by the start of the series, having just awakened as the Queen's life. Hikari's sole personality trait is being nice. She takes everything super seriously and spends much of her scenes seeming detached from the rest of the cast. Unlike characters such as Mepple, Wisdom, and Akane, Hikari lacks the wit or energy to bounce off of Nagisa and Honoka. I also hate what she adds to the fight scenes, since her transformation into Shiny Luminous pretty much always marks the end of the fight. It leaves Nagisa and Honoka feeling kinda useless for most of Max Heart, since battles are won not by their own skill or determination, but by Hikari deus-ex-machina-ing whenever she finds it most convenient. Hikari's "fish out of water" status could at least lead to some fun comedic moments, but aside from a few episodes, this rarely ever happens. 

Another issue I have with Max Heart is just how many fairy characters we have here. Season 1 had Mepple, Mipple, and eventually Pollun, along with Wisdom and the Elder. Season 2 adds in not just the irritating Lollun but 12 different Heartiels each with their own personalities. I love cute characters and some of these Heartiels are legitimately fun (Pation and Intelligen in particular), but there are points where the whole screen is flooded with cutesy high-pitched fairies and I just couldn't take it anymore. But as bland as I found Hikari, the Shitennou fare even worse. You can tell the writers learned practically nothing from the Seeds Of Darkness, because this is yet another set of dull, identical-looking villains with zero personality or depth. When my favorite antagonist of the season was the oblivious little kid who spent most of it wrecking the evil base, you know you're doing something wrong.

But hey, at least there's the school-related slice of life stuff, right? Eh, kinda. It is true that the school is easily the best part of Max Heart. Nagisa, Honoka, and their classmates are still super fun to watch, the show continues from last season and puts the cast in new leadership positions as graduation looms, and there is a fair share of neat storylines. Max Heart is probably at its strongest whenever Nagisa is dealing with being lacrosse captain, and trying to figure out if lacrosse is what she wants to do with her life. However, just like with the main storyline, there are also plenty of episodes that don't really have a plot, instead boiling down to the characters going to a location and having fun there until the villains show up. And whenever there is some sort of conflict, expect it to be ripped straight out of the previous show, like the lacrosse championships, Honoka's birthday, and most egregiously the return of Fuji-P. However, while the majority of Max Heart was a massive slog, it actually manages to end on a solid note. Around the late 30s, the episodic storylines start to improve a bit, the animation gets a bump, and plotlines start to resolve on (mostly) satisfying notes as graduation loomed. It was definitely an improvement, but still way too little too late.

Highlights:

An Aspiring Upperclassman Is A Close Friend?! (Episode 15): This episode was one of the few times it felt like Max Heart actually lived up to its fullest potential, at least as far as slice of life is concerned. Hikari's fish-out-of-water status is actually explored as she starts making friends and gets roped into a basketball game, the fairies are kept off to the side, the plot gets less priority over actually entertaining character interactions, there's a pretty well animated basketball scene, and NagiHono fangirls Nao and Miu are genuinely really fun additions to the cast who actually play off of all the main characters incredibly well. Wait... this is their only appearance? Unbelievable!

Infinite Darkness, Eternal Light (Episode 45): I never grew to care about Hikari, but the characters did, so when she disappears and everyone but Nagisa and Honoka forget about her, it still hit surprisingly hard. Infinite Darkness, Eternal Light has such a crushing and hopeless atmosphere to it, especially as it builds up to the return of the Dark King.

Open The Door! The Story Begins From Here (Episode 47): How the hell is this finale so good when the rest of the show is so mediocre?! Nagisa and Honoka's relationship is giving front-billing here, every scene with the two of them is phenomenal. I love the opening where we see their childhood, that scene where they talk about what they want to do after the battle is over, obviously the graduation scene too, it's those emotional touches that really elevate this finale. Because this is also an action-packed episode, with some of the best action and plot twists in the whole series. I mean, we get Queen physically fighting the Dark King with the Earth as their battlefield, how can you even top that?! Hikari's storyline ends on a very satisfying and emotional note as well, and while I'm not as fond of Mepple and Mipple not saying goodbye this time, I think it works so that we don't just get a repeat of last season's ending. I may not have liked Max Heart all that much, but I'm much happier with where it left the cast.

Overall, Precure Max Heart is a disappointing followup to Futari wa Precure and a pretty poor show on its own merits as well. Despite an intriguing premise, Max Heart refuses to do anything actually interesting with it and instead goes for a passive plot where the cast rarely faces any engaging conflicts or difficult decisions. The bland or unlikable new characters bloat out the cast, and the stuff that Max Heart does do right are usually ripped right out of the first show. There's a fair share of solid episodes, the returning cast from Futari is still as likable as ever, and the final stretch is solid, but otherwise, this was a massive step down.

1/5 Stars

The Hype Aversion Issue

I was in the middle of writing a rant about science-fiction. See, I've been struggling to get into a lot of hard (or relatively hard in the case of anything Star Wars related) sci-fi shows such as Battlestar Galactica, The Expanse, and worst of all, Andor, so I wanted to try and parse through why they weren't doing anything for me. My conclusion was these shows because they seemed to prioritize realism or being gritty over telling good stories, but pretty far into the rant, I started to wonder... what even was my evidence here? That Battlestar Galactica was a direct response to the Star Trek Voyager's Year Of Hell, a divisive storyline that even I couldn't defend? That Andor was made by a guy who doesn't usually write sci-fi? That's just not grounds for an argument and I knew it.

Even if they weren't for me, it's not like all hard sci-fi specifically exists to stick it to Star Trek. And even if it did (looking at you BSG), it's not like the people working on them weren't also trying to make the best products they could. The Expanse is based on a book based on a TTRPG, Andor was just Gilroy giving his own unique take on a fairly malleable universe, and even BSG was less of a "screw Star Trek" project and more of a "let's do what Star Trek couldn't" project. Even with my personal bias towards formalist art, I definitely can't say that these shows would be better if they were more colorful and light-hearted. So why was I getting so mad? Why was I willing to write a whole rant on stuff that wasn't even true? But then I realized something. My rant wasn't based on those shows, it was based on what I've heard about those shows...