Reviewing Dojo: Favorites in 2018
Hello everyone welcome to my overall favorites over the course of the year. I've got to experience quite a few stuff, and ranging from good to bad, got to go outside my comfort zone a little bit and even try something new since starting this series. Today I thought I might just give a brief summary of all of my favorite stuff I have experienced over the course of 2018. There is no particular order in these lists so I hope you enjoy reading short thoughts on each medium.
Video games
I had a blast playing video games this year. I for the most part took a focus on games that I own but I did rent a few games and purchased a few games from current year either way I had a blast playing these games this year
* God of War
- A new entry that took itself in a bold new direction in its gameplay style, and a more humanized Kratos teaching his son how to survive. Well worth the wait time.
* Sands of Destruction
- One of the Nintendo DS's many rare and obscure RPGs in its library and it is a lot of fun. It's unique story and fun combat make it an experience that I was glad I got to play.
* Jūton
- A Titanic smash of an indie game where you fight Giants and mythical creature/characters of Norse Mythology. All created in a beautiful hand drawn art style.
* Valkyria Chronicles 2
- A sequel to the classic RPG War Game on the PS3 with a more light hearted tone but a substantial improvement over the classes, characters, and gameplay. I finally got to play this classic PSP game and I'm glad I got to play it. I am looking forward to playing the canonical 4 game in the franchise seeing as I don't have a PSVita to play Valkyria Chronicles 3.
* Metal Slug Anthology
- Retro gaming at one of its finest with the Metal Slug franchise. Play all seven games in this one collection as you run and gun against this game's portrayal of Nazis, aliens, and science experiments gone wrong. The games are hectic and simple fun and I hope to experience more retro games like this.
* Titan Souls
- Another Titanic Indie game using a 16 bit graphics style as you fight Giant enemies using nothing but a bow and Arrow where both you and the bosses can die in just one hit. This game turns the 1 hit KO boss tropes on its head and gave me a fairly challenging puzzle bosses.
* Wind Jammers
- Another retro game where you play competitive Frisbee to be world champion. Short, sweet, and fun is sometimes all you need in a video game
Animated Movies
Animation is my favorite medium. It is a shame that I didn't see a lot of them. At least when it came to western Animation. But I have found enough to make a short list of my favorites animated movies I've seen this year.
* Ernest and Celestine
- A charming and sweet story about the unusual friendship of a mouse and a bear.
* A Cat in Paris
- An a simple murder mystery movie with a nice art style and great suspense.
* Chico & Rita
- A powerful tale of love, fame, and sacrifice displayed in what I think is the 1920s or 40s. All of which involves two people from Cuba.
* Isle of Dogs
- A weird but very profound movie set in Japan involving and island made of trash in habited by dogs, and story involving political corruption.
Licensed Video Games
I seem to have really grown to like Video games based of a license more and more ever though I know that these types of games are kind of in the lowest rank of quality. Even so I found some games that I liked enough to make a list for this year.
* Berserk and the Band of the Hawk
- Another hack and Slash game under the style of Dynasty Warriors, disguised as the Berserk yet I enjoyed it nonetheless.
* Transformers Devastation
- One of the better titles involving Platinum Games and Activision we get a fun Transformers game that goes back to where it all started...Generation 1.
* Marvel's Spider-Man
- A Spider man game been under development for years and thankfully the payoff was well worth it.
* Dragon Ball Z Attack of the Saiyans
- One of the few times Dragon ball doesn't do a fighting game that surprisingly doesn't suck!
* The Mummy Demastered
- A rare example of a movie tie in game done very well. Yet is somehow more enjoyable that the movie it was based off.
* Steven Universe Save the Light
- A sequel to an App game with a phenomenal transition, this game is a game made for fans of the show with some substantial improvements to the gameplay.
* Ok KO Let's Play Heroes
- Another sequel to an app (this time taking place some time after the show) that not only has successfully transition but does a complete overhaul of the original game also done phenomenally well.
Anime Series
I had a fun time watching these anime. Some of which I wanted to watch for quite some time while others I watched out of pure curiosity.
* Gurren Lagann
- A classic Anime Mecha Anime from the 2000s, Gurren Lagann is an awesome show, with memorable characters, fun action, and with beautiful animation rivaling that of movie quality.
* Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood
- Released only just a couple of years after the original anime this adaptation of the Manga tells the same story much closer to the anime improving on its predecessors flaws, fleshes out the characters more, giving them a lot more depth and better character development, add more characters not present in the original anime, and topped off with phenomenal animation.
* Aggretsuko
- A cute yet surprisingly relatable anime for adults showing the life daily life and struggles of our sweet little Retsuko.
* Devilman Crybaby
- Dark, Bloody, and disturbing as all hell this reboot to the old school anime delivers all that and more in this Devilishly action packed version of a classic anime/manga.
* The Devil is a Part-Timer
- Simple and silly but enjoyable.
* Your Lie in April
- Pretty cliche in some aspects but in others very alluring especially when it came to the musical performances of classical music.
* Tiger and Bunny
- Interesting concept for a superhero show and a pretty basic story but an enjoyable one nonetheless.
Songs/Musical Numbers
Reviewing songs and musical numbers turned out to be quite fun for me even though it was not my forte. That honor goes to Todd in the Shadows.
* Let's Only Think About Love (Steven Universe)
- Catchy, and energetic, this is such an enjoyable love song as well as basic recap after everything that has happened over the course of the show.
* Baby it's Cold Outside
- A classic song combining attraction, ship teasing and winter all in one.
* S.I.M.P. (Squirrels in my Pants)
- Just weird and flat out hilarious among the shows' music catalog.
* Road Trippin' Blues (Loud House)
- First time we get to see Lynn Loud Sr. sing in a musical number (considering his background) and it is just entertaining as heck
* If it's too hard to forgive (The Amazing World of Gumball)
- Somber and quiet and very truth true to real life, this song really gave you me the feels
* Skeleton Remote (OK KO Lets be Heroes)
- A short musical number selling a product in the veins of Music Man and it is catchy as heck and a substantial improvement in terms of lyrics and enjoyability.
* Lions Over All (Lion Guard)
- A stand out song among the shows iffy music catalog, Lions Over All is an awesome villain song well suited for the vengeful Lioness as well as being a nice homage to The Lion King 1 and 2.
* Friend that you need (My Little Pony the Movie)
- I'll review this song some other time. But for now I'll just say that the smooth enticing song is also very deceptive at the same time makes for easily one of the best songs in MLP FIM .
* I Wanna Be Evil (Eartha Kitt)
- I think I want to hear more of Eartha Kitt's songs because this song is Jazz song is such an entertaining romp.
* Fearful Pirate Don Carnage (Ducktales 2017)
- Dom Carnage as a musical ham and it is just entertaining as all the seven sea shanties.
* Acapalla Bears (We Bare Bears)
- Catchy Wholesome and fun is what I can describe the intro song and this extended version of the intro just makes me love never more.
* We Will Stand for Everfree (Equestria Girls Legends of Everfree)
- entertaining declaration of war song.
Live action movies
I kind of stepped outside my comfort zone and gave more live action movies a chance opposed to just flat out ignoring them like I usually do. Too bad My reviews on these movies kind of sucked though.
* Ip Man 2
- A solid entry with seemingly a better production value compare to the first.
* Ready Player One
- The biggest Pop Culture bomb in any film period and I love the heck out of this film.
* Lethal Weapon
- A classic movie that is pretty much the basis of all over Buddy cop movies yet to come and this movie is quite a good one to watch.
* Good Morning Vietnam
- A classic Robin Williams comedy as a talk show host in the Vietnam War and it is funny.
* Forbidden Kingdom
- A fish out of water story that involves a teen from the city getting sucked into a fictional world of Feudal Japan and it is the most fun Martial arts movie I've ever seen.
* Erased
- A typical action film Starring Arnold Swarzinegger and that is good enough for me.
* Harry and the Hendersons
- Funny, weird, and adorable.
* Mission Impossible Fallout
- Easily one of the best action movies of 2018.
* Platoon
- One of the more brutalily honest depictions of the Vietnam War and yet I like this movie quite a lot.
* Jumunji Enter the Jungle
- A sequel to the first movie while also being a complete satire of video games in general makes for one of the most hilarious movies I've seen this year.
* Shape of Water
- Beautiful, and touching. It shows that love comes from a variety of places.
Superhero Movies
I probably shouldn't have included this as a category but I've just seen so many of these movies this year that sharing these movies in the same category of regular or animated movies will just over crowd them.
* Black Panther
- I think this movie is a tad overrated considering the praise it gets but I like this movie just as much as the next person.
* Aquaman
- The most fun out of all the DCEU movies thus far.
* Batman Ninja
- This is basically Batman the Anime Movie and it is an awesome spectacle!
* Avengers Infinity War
- So massive, so epic, and with such a soul crushing ending. Yet I love this movie.
* Incredibles 2
- The most Anticipated sequel from Pixar and for the most part it delivered on the hype.
* Flashpoint Paradox
- A well executed story of the Flashpoint Story arc that I kind of wanna read the comics this movie was inspired by.
* Deadpool 2
- This movie does kind of repeats some stuff from the first movie but this movie still has the vulgar, hilarious, and awesome stuff found in the first movie and thensome.
* Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- I kind of regret not seeing this film on the big screen. Because this is a worthy follow up from the first one.
* Batman Bad Blood
- Highly enjoyed in the Batman Animated movies. I kind of consider this the Avengers Assemble of the Batman universe.
Web Animation
Not a lot of web animated stuff I've seen this year. Even so when they are good they are really good. Sometime they tend to be even better than mainstream animation. Even the ones with limited animation or flash seem to be better than most flash animated shows.
* Death Battle: Samurai Jack vs. Afro Samurai
- One idea I had for death battle came to fruition and this episode delivered on it. Also I'm a sucker for sword fights.
* TF2 Analysis: I Ship it
- Such a lot of silly nonsense happens in this episode and it is hilarious.
* Tirek's Therapy Session
- Dark griping, suspenseful, and insightful about Tirek as a character.
Anime Movies
Kind of underwhelming when it comes to anime movies. So many I wanted to watch but had not time to do it. Not to mention the good stuff I found to either just fine or being unable to get into. Even so, I've but I still found quite a few stuff I really liked this year.
* Evangelion 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo
- Definitely one of the most mean spirited out and depressing of all of the movie entries but I still find it more enjoyable than the big 180 shift in the original series.
* Expelled From Paradise
- Pretty basic Sci-Fi anime and a bit heavy on the fan service
* Castle in the Sky
- Beautiful, charming, and just downright epic. Arguably the most epic out all of Studio Ghibli's films.
* Naruto: Will of Fire
- Arguably my favorite out of all the Naruto movies.
* Boruto: the Naruto Movie
- A solid entry to the next generation of ninja.
* Your Name
- Beautiful and unique albeit a bit too slow for my tastes
* When Marnie was there
- Another good movie by Studio Ghibli.
TV Seasons
Easily the most fun I have had all year while doing these reviews. I'm quite surprised that I was able to have a lot of choices in spite of my bias against live action.
* Archer (Season 7)
- A well executed season with an intriguing murder mystery arc as the former agents of Isis tries to get back on their feet.
* Ok KO Let's be Heroes (Season 2)
- Has story arc as usual but on top of the show's usual comedy.
* Loud House (Season 3)
- While the show still has its duds the bad ones aren't nearly as bad as the ones in 1 and 2 and the good ones are some of the best episodes in the show.
* My Hero Acedemia (Season 2)
- A highly creative tournament arc and the point where shit is about to possible really get real for our UA heroes in training.
* Steven Universe (Season 5)
- Secrets revealed, changes occur in beach city, and we get to travel to Homeworld. Things are getting intense in this season and I am so excited for the rest of the season to come.
* My Little Pony Friendship is magic (Season 7)
- Pretty good season overall. A lot of the episodes weren't really ripe for reviewing but I still enjoyed it nonetheless.
* Ducktales (2017) (Season 1)
- Had a bit of a slow start but when it picked up it really picked up. Great comedy, great characters, phenomenal animation, and just a great show in general.
* Rick and Morty (Season 3)
- A bit of a mixed bag this season but even with my complaints I still enjoyed this season. However I am going to approach season 4 with cautious optimism.
* Littlest Pet Shop (Season 4)
- Finally finished the rest of the season. Again not a lot of the episodes were ripe for review but I found this season satisfactory. Not a lot of bad episodes to my surprise and the good ones didn't impress me.
* Bojack Horseman (Season 3)
- Our lovable washed up horse famous celebrity gallops his way to win a Oscar with all the hilarious comedy, and soul crushing realism about being a famous celebrity.
* Luke Cage (Season 1)
- I'm not the biggest fan of the Blacksploitation genre but when I get a good product I get a good product. Hence is the case of Luke Cage
Cartoon Shows
I love cartoons and all things animation. And I seen quite a few interesting shows.
* Black Panther The Animated Series
- An intriguing Mini series starring the first black superhero and storyline that is possible from the comics. Captain America Civil War made me a fan of the character and lore and I kind want to know more thanks to this mini series.
* Hilda
- A review of this show is currently in the works softer now I'll say this show is just so unbelievably charming. Easily one of the best Netflix cartoons
* Summer Camp Island
- This show is just too PWUECIOUS for words. With our main kid couple, sense of humor, and charming atmosphere.
* The Dragon Prince
- Another review in the process but this cartoon is a solid action show with likable characters.
* Miraculous Ladybug & Cat Noir
- Cheesy, action packed, and fun as heck on top of a progressive introduced this season things are about to get real for our Miraculous heroes in the next season.
* Craig of the Creek
- Solid and charming cartoon about a group of kids and their adventures in the creek. Kind of reminds me of my youth before I discovered video games.
* Big Hero 6 the series
- A follow up from the movie we see a another solid TV show among Disney's line up of cartoons.
Guilty Pleasures
I was unsure whether or not I should include this category but I decided to do it because I found myself liking quite a bit of stuff that I know is not the best quality for one reason or another.
* Big City Greens
- It's a generally mediocre cartoon that I found myself enjoying for its strange charm.
* Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom
- After looking in at some of the more extensive reviews after the movie came out put things into more perspective of my original review. Even though the movie is bad I still can't help but enjoy it due to my unconditional love for the franchise.
* Solo a Star Wars Story
- The stuff that were bad in the movie were noticeable and good stuff we're not that good but none of it was bad enough for me to out right dislike this movie.
* Venom
- Flawed on many levels. Yet I still like this movie quite a bit.
* Disenchanted
- Easily the biggest mixed bag of the year for me. In spite my issues with the show so far the main heroine, the interesting world, some of the jokes, and the season finale kept me invested in the show. I'm curious to see where the story is going to go from here.
* Ratchet and Clank
- My love for the video game franchise must be really blind if I can't bring myself to remotely dislike a painfully average movie.
* Godzilla (PS4)
- Love the different approach this game did in the long haul but I still cannot call this game good or even halfway decent.
Cartoon Episodes
Lots of Cartoon episodes I have reviewed this year and there was so much to choose.
* Steven Universe: Reunited
- A lovely marriage involving everyone's favorite fusion, and epic battle involving the Crystal Gems and Yellow & Blue Diamond. At it is amazing!
* Miraculous Ladybug & Cat Noir: Crimson Moth
- A pretty standard modern finale you can find in any action cartoon (or any show with a semblance of action) but boy did this show go above and beyond where our duet fight every villain they have ever faced in the show.
* Big City Greens: Cyberbullies
- I am curious to see another show tackle the concept of cyber bullying.
* Rick and Morty: Rickshanked Redemption
- Well. This is a hell of a way to open a season.
* Amazing World of Gumball: The News
- This show pokes fun at mainstream news with a variety of art styles and it is hilarious.
* Loud House: Really Loud Music
- I love musical numbers and this one is easily one of my favorites
* Craig of the Creek: Under the Overpass
- Things are gonna get real in the shows future.
* Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel
- Awesome crossover episode in the show.
* Littlest Pet Shop: Paint a Picture, It'll Last Longer
- Most relatable episode to me as an artist.
* Ducktales (2017): Shadow War
- Magica De Spell makes a splash when she finally makes her big showtime and she had one hell of a magic show.
* We Bare Bears: Hurricane Hal
- A relatable episode to me. The episode is also quite intense.
* My Little Pony Friendship is Magic: A Health of Information
- Quite an intense episode with the most interesting execution of the show's lore.
* Ok KO Let's be Heroes: Crossover Nexus
- Cartoon Network fan service set into overdrive! So much you can do if this gets to be explored more.
Overall favorites of 2018
I think it is arbitrary that I would give the year exclusives a category.
Live action Movie: Ready Player One!
- I grew up in this culture. So it is natural that I would love this movie.
Web series episode: I Ship it!
- So funny in its silliness.
Guilty Pleasure: Disenchanted
- Bunch of things that worked well enough and a bunch of things that rather rough but found myself liking overall.
Animated movie: Isle of Dogs
- A strange little movie that I oddly stuck in my mind for its originality and themes.
Licensed Video Game: Spider Man
- Best Spider-Man game period!
Song/Musical Number: Let's Only Think About Love
- Such a catchy little love song. In a different perspective as well.
Cartoon: Craig of the Creek
- Such a charming, entertaining show
Original Video Game: God of War
- Worthy of being one of the best games of the year.
Anime: Devilman Crybaby
- A bloody, heartbreaking, fun, and disturbing time this anime was.
What were your favorite things you experienced in 2018? Comment down below if you want. And I'll see you guys next time on the Reviewing Dojo.