Welcome to the Fantasy Zone
This Zone is dedicated to the lesser known elements of anime hosted by the cast of Victory Script.
What weapon is the best?
Who will win in this Death Battle?
Is this costume practical?
You name it, it's all covered here in the Fantasy Zone!
To begin our mystery box series, we start with a guide to Universal Law in anime.
What is Universal Law?
Universal Law is the setting, plot and environment of any given anime, the so called laws are established to keep the story on the right path.
To use Death Note as an example, the setting uses real world physics, the supernatural element are the shinigami and the Death Note itself and no character has immunity to death as the rules of the Death Note are written in a way to avoid breaking the Universal Laws of the story.
How Do You Break Universal Law?
Universal Law is a very fragile tight rope to walk and can easily broken when introducing any story that involves character death or hard to explain stories like time travel or anything that changes fate; power of love and friendship is notorious for breaking this.
Case Study: A Good Librarian Like a Good Shepherd
As an immediate example lets look at this anime.
Based on a visual novel, the plot revolves around a library that sees it's so called Shepherds capable of changing fate but when it comes to a character predetermined to die, they are saved by essentially revealing the secret of the Shepherds meaning that said character is banished and has their memory erased, however the whole thing gets retconned to force a happy ending.
Case Study: Plastic Memories
This is also the same issue with tragic endings, it's often implied that Isla is the Giftia in the epilogue scene when she should've been deactivated, I'll cover this more with my article on Isla.
Decisions That Weren't Meant to Be
Negima has more than a few problems with it's story, everything from constantly making Negi an adult/teen just so he can fight at full strength, to an anime adaption with the same retconned predetermined death that plagues an already bad adaptation. Don't get me started on the fact that Negi marries Chisame Hasegawa
Isn't This Just Jumping the Shark
Jumping the Shark, Nuking the Fridge, yes I suppose it does follow the same concept, although this plagues longer running shows such as Shonen Jump titles, four examples include.
One Piece: Characters that should be dead but not.
Bleach: Fullbring is bull shit.
Naruto: Itachi's convoluted plan as well as Akatsuki's more bull shit Jutsus.
Hunter x Hunter: Gon's utterly stupid rage transformation.
Power of love and friendship is universally hated for pulling a victory out of nothing when it's obvious that a character is about to lose.
Plot armour is another name for it.
This will come as a bit of foreshadowing for Plastic Memories as the story draws comparisons to one of the anime on this list, for obvious reasons, spoiler warning is in effect.
10. Kamina from Gurren Lagann
The larger than life surrogate brother of Simon, died tragically in battle passing his legacy of freedom onto Simon, would be higher if he didn't die so soon into the anime.
9. Nicholas D Wolfwood from Trigun
After finally accepting the ideals of Vash, Nicholas is gunned down by Legato's group, ending his life slumped at the alter of a church.
8. Wizardmon from Digimon
Wizardmon sacrifices himself to save Kari and Gatomon from Myotismon, the sad thing is that because he died in the real world, he cannot be reborn.
7. Master Asia from G Gundam
Considering the franchise normally treats humanity as expendable it's all the more tragic seeing such a powerful man as Master Asia pass on considering his actions can often be seen as beyond human limits, further emphasized by his regret over how the Earth has essentially become a wasteland and was the first to realise this.
6. Sakae from Summer Wars
The 90 year old family head pulls off one of the most organised damage limitation plots as the damage from the virus becomes apparent, she would shortly pass on following a confrontation with a disgraced family member for starting the whole thing.
5. Stoutland from Pokemon
Ash's Litten was raised by the aging Stoutland and showcases that even a series that mostly features a Pokemon fainting after every battle it can still tackle a mature subject such as dying from old age, also the likely inspiration for Scarlet and Violet's Mabostiff plotline which had a happier ending.
4. Minky Momo from Minky Momo
Staged in the most tragic way possible when she is taken out by a toy store truck, made worse by the eerie sirens which sees a toy ambulance roll over to way Momo lies, the whole scene was so shocking it was blamed for causing an earthquake in Japan, how it came to be in first place was even more shocking.
3. Portgas D Ace and Whitebeard from One Piece
The Marineford war was something of a magnum opus for One Piece, a series that up until that point had stayed away from death restricting it to backstory but the impact of Ace and Whitebeard dying kick started the second half of One Piece, you know you've made an impact when Shanks shows up to end the war by presence alone.
2. Mahoro from Mahoromatic
In both Manga and Anime, a timer runs down in how long Mahoro has left to live, her final year spent looking after her late commander's son Suguru, but when she does die during an attack from an enemy force, Suguru becomes a victim as well which greatly changes his destiny, this is the only death that really nails in the impact it has on the person closest.
1. Maes Hughes from Full Metal Alchemist
But I don't think it ever tops how cruelly cut short Maes life was, made even sadder by how his daughter reacts at his funeral, too young to fully understand the situation and you're crying right now reading this.
Everyone knows a good transformation when they see one whether it be a makeover, power up or a magical transformation, there are your iconic ones like Sailor Moon but there are others that may not be as well looked at as you might think, got a whopping 25 entries with no restrictions, in no order either.
1. Beyblade G Revolution
Ming Ming is a magical idol of sorts as she's very much younger than the rest of the main cast but when she blades, she shows up in her true age dropping the UwU act.
2. Akazukin Chacha
Chacha is another unique one as not only does she get older everytime she transforms into her princess warrior form but requires rings worn by her two best friends to work.
3. Tenchi Universe
Azaka and Kamidake were often seen as mobile logs that protected Ayeka at all times but Universe gave them prominent forms as Royal Guards more akin to what were used to seeing whenever Tenchi and Ayeka battled, honourable mention to Achika for her battle form.
4. Sailor Moon
We've seen the scouts transform enough times to the point that it has it's own official run time in the Anime Encylopedia, but during the Sailor Moon S movie we were treated to Luna's human form, argubly one of the most beautiful transformations in anime.
5. Kiss Him Not Me
Kae Serinuma throwing a sulking tantrum over a dead anime character stops eating only to emerge as a bishojo attracting every guy in sight.
6. Suite Precure
Precure is no stranger to villain face heel turns but the former feline Cure Beat not only becomes a Precure but loses her cat form in the process, on the bright side she has guitar hair.
7. Wedding Peach
I like how utterly pointless the wedding dresses are in the transformations but they still showcase them every episode anyway.
8. The Incredible Hulk
A rare western example from the 90s cartoon of the Hulk in She-Hulk. Following the blood transfusion, the radiation doesn't make her so much angry but trigger what I can best place as pleasure making her flirty rather than angry.
9. Cinderella Monogatari
The simplest transformation on this list, an extra petticoat, a bow and an elaborate hairdo is enough to see out the royal ball for Cinderella.
10. Pretear
Himeno gets several costumes to wear but come with the added bonus of all her husbandos transforming into her costumes.
11. One Piece
Nico Robin going all giantess demon with Demonio Fleur, utterly terrifying to witness and insanely brutal to watch.
12. Dragonball Super
It's not Ultra Instinct or whatever passes for Gohan's latest Saiyan form it's Trunks' Rage Saiyan form after he snaps fighting Black Goku, his look resembling Broly in the eyes.
13. Mahou Shounen Majorian
We've seen young girls become teens to battle but how about young boys become teen girls, the dynamic here is less the TG transformation and more the dynamic between the duo as their relationship is bullying because the victim is too feminine, the irony.
14. Kiddy Grade
Eclair and Lumiere go through so many forms that it needs it's own entry to explain it.
15. Uta Kata
Here's the Kiddy Grade creator releasing a magical girl show with a different costume designed by a different mangaka every episode.
16. Magical Emi
The green haired magician girl is another girl to teen transformation but with a design that can only exist in the 80s.
17. Card Captor Sakura
The only time Sakura ever went through a transformation was the first time she gave herself wings complete with a dress that Tomoyo didn't design.
18. Hime Otogi Lilpri
Aikatsu and Pripara follow the same theme of costumes on cards but Hime Otogi Lilpri has the element of surprise on their side.
19. Miraculous Ladybug
Our second western entry focusses on Shrinking Violet Goth Girl Juleka who becomes Purple Tigress.
Looking at the pictures, you wouldn't guess it was the same person, well it is the power of clout.
20. Interspecies Reviewers
Our randy Reviewers decide to transform into women to see what sex feels like in their shoes, five star ratings all round.
21. Marchen Awakens Romance
The talking hammer weapon Babbo comes with some extreme forms including a gargoyle, a sexy goth angel and OP Puss in Boots.
22. Kuragehime
I could include any character makeover in this show but Mayaya's is the most dramatic, goes to show what the promise of capsule toys means to an Otaku.
23. Tokyo Mew Mew
The best choreographed transformation sequences in all of anime.
24. Star Twinkle Precure
They sing their transformation sequence, why didn't anyone else think of that?
25. Ranma 1/2
Will need it's own entry really, girl Ranma you always wonder who's really in control of the body, Ranma or the cursed drowned girl.
Smell that burning? It's hot take time!
"Anything shonen does well, magical girl anime do better"
No it really doesn't, Magical Girl anime follows a different set of rules, the main difference is as Megamind calls it presentation, for example Sailor Moon's most memorable battles are usually the last episodes of the current season, in comparison Dragonballz have big long battles but some of the most iconic moments such as Goku and Vegeta's first beam clash wasn't even the finishing blow, some exceptions do exist but skew the line of the genre.
"I despise hearing Hiroshi Kamiya's voice"
Let's see a selection of his work.
Some decent performances there, not seeing why you hate him.
Real talk, It's difficult to judge a foreign language from the point of view of a non native speaker, I have plenty to say about the dub casts but the original Japanese voices not so much.
"Death Note would've been better through L's perspective"
Fairly convinced they've already done this but to answer the take, L isn't strong enough to hold Death Note together as a lead, the whole appeal of Light is that his practically childlike take on morality is what makes Death Note such a compelling story from his point of view because at no point does he consider that what he's doing is wrong.
"Most mecha shows would be better if they just removed the mechs considering how little they actually mattered"
I wouldn't say most but there are a few examples of mecha being added as an after thought, Rayearth, Code Geass, Nadesico and Escaflowne all spring to mind in this regard but at the same time, said shows would barely get off the ground without some thing that could be marketed as merch, like it or not it still has to make money.
"Infinite from Sonic Forces was a good character"
No, he was awful! It's the absolute culmination of god awful edgy 2000s and the absolute worst of fan character culture, how can anyone look at this jackal thing and not cringe from how hard he's trying at being an edgelord only to be humbled by Shadow the Hedgehog.
I wrote the following hot take on the YouTube channel Anime America Podcast for their Hot Take Video.
"Clamp are great artists but terrible writers"
My biggest surprise was that it got read on the actual video.
The host Robyn laughed at the hot take which was a better reaction than I expected followed by what I can assume good examples of Clamp's works.
Responding to the Examples
Robyn gave me the examples of Chobits, Card Captor Sakura, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles and Wish, Robyn admitted herself that Wish was a guilty pleasure rather than a good story.
I found Chobits hard to follow, Card Captor Sakura never seems to do anything other than re-trace old steps every season, there's never a more grandiose reason for Sakura to keep obtaining Clow Cards.
Tsubasa is exactly what Nelvana wanted Card Captor Sakura to be but Li Syaoron is about as effective at leading a story as Goku is dieting, he's really not suited to the job, not helping is what they made Sakura into.
There is a Theme
One of the things I notice about Clamp's works is that they don't seem to flow well the later into the story nor do they seem to end in a good place.
Rayearth should've finished with season 1 but we all had to endure the melodrama of season 2, Angelic Layer had to change their plot and ending in the anime because the manga's plot and ending was so stupid.
Don't get me started on the whole X debacle or the Clampverse links.
I Don't Hate Clamp
To make it clear I don't hate Clamp, I'm just frustrated by how close they can come to a really great story but ultimately throw it all away, but I still love works like Card Captor Sakura, XXXHolic and Rayearth. They are supremely talented and really set a high standard for art that is distinctively theres and no one elses.
