Music of the Week #378

Sneakin

Merry day after Christmas everybody, hope everything has gone well for you. I don’t have much to say because my time is completely focused on being with the family so I’ll leave you all in hopes that you get some quality time with your close ones too. I will say though that the other weekly posts might come out a bit later than usual for the aforementioned reasons.

Following the jolly theme of the holidays, this week’s theme is one of the overworld themes leading out of Crossbell and into one of the four pathways leading out of the city. While the SSS’s activity primarily has to do with Crossbell, certain assignments have the outer areas of the city-proper to be explored and for the first time in the series, we have actual means of an in-world fast-travel system by means of buses that will take you up to a point in the overworld.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure- Vento Aureo Episode 12: A mixed bag

I’ll be the one to say that I’m not 100% on Fugo’s backstory.

On one hand, they added more details to a rather ambiguous plot of Fugo that was to be later elucidated on his own spin-off novel but I feel like that said ambiguity in Fugo’s past only added to emphasize his unstable temper. Back in the original publications, the tidbit of Fugo’s past that was of interest was that he beat his instructors with a heavy book during his school years which caused him to be ostracized which led to where he is now. The anime however added a touch of pedophilia to the instructor Fugo straightened up so it makes his anger justified, although still reprehensible by law. I don’t quite agree with this sort of characterization since Fugo was completely in the right to beat up his instructor while the off-shoot novel made it so that the instructor made fun of his grandmother who he respected which triggered the beat down. I definitely prefer the violent outburst that way with an insult taken too far instead of Fugo directly trying to defend himself since that drives the point home on his inner violence compared to the justified decision Fugo got to doing while simultaneously being accosted for it.

Music of the Week #377

Lazin

Part 5’s OST dropped recently and hot DAMN is that main theme absolutely amazing. Out of Stardust Crusaders and Diamond is Unbreakable, I think Vento Aureo’s main theme is my favorite. The JOJO GOLDEN WIND chanting in the back really adds to experience. Some of the other tracks were great as well but I think the most standout one to mention, in context for the episode to drop this week, is Fugo’s theme which is downright terrifying to listen to. Hopefully we get to hear it play during the relevant scene this week.

This week’s theme is the seedy tune that plays in the back alleys of an otherwise clean looking town. Every city has its underbelly but the criminal underworld of Crossbell takes a slightly more side-ways form as the short but impressionable alley between the central plaza and the city’s entertainment district where a bar, odds shop, and the building the mob group Revache operates in. While the mob influence and corruption in Crossbell is a major playing factor, I wasn’t really able to believe the mob’s influence on a city that we explore so thoroughly with people so nice to be around. I guess it’s the unseen portions that really matter to be a bit rotten.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure- Vento Aureo Episode 11: Blood and Fire

I’m pretty sure Formaggio being the introduction to the Assassination Squad led to this fight to be 3 episodes. With how the beginning of fights were bleeding into the ending of other episodes, I fully expected Illuso to actually show up when the select trio were assigned to go to Pompeii

Have to give to Formaggio’s seiyuu, his work was damn impressive given that he’s such a minor villain in the grand scheme of things. His Little Feet call-outs were excellent.

Music of the Week #376

Free at last

With a bunch of free-time coming my way now, I feel like tackling something new that isn’t just my weekly recaps. I realize I’ve said something along these lines a bunch now but what I want to cover does pertain to a pretty big and slightly relevant topic so I hope I can fully deliver that if I’m not too busy playing games. Speaking of, I got to try the DMC5 demo and hot damn, I’m already in love. I’ll go over that another time though.

This week’s theme is that of the main cast’s, the Special Support Section. As mentioned previously, they’re the newly formed branch of the police incorporating people of different backgrounds to form a “quasi-Bracer” section of the police to win back the trust and respect of the citizens of Crossbell from the Bracer Guild’s monopoly over public trust. The SSS’s development is a lot more forward compared to the likes of Trails’ cast aside from the your main duo of Estelle and Joshua. Since the first and second games had the party members swapping around until the final chapter, the integrity of the SSS and watching them grow through their daily life is quite a fun experience, which is unfortunately not the same for the future entries into the series despite the fact that a school environment would allow for such developments to take place, who knew.

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure- Vento Aureo Episode 10: No Restraints

David Pro pulling out all the stops introducing the rest of the Assassination squad early. I didn’t expect this fight to go on for another episode but with that extended flashback, I really can’t complain. Hell, you can even recognize the silhouette of the guy who killed the assassination squad members. Anyone else recognize Bakugo’s voice coming out of Ghihaccio? Oddly fitting.

I don’t think I can say that for Narancia’s voice though honestly, his voice is still the most contentious out of me. I think the ASB voice nailed that tone so goddamn perfectly that hearing Deku’s voice trying to be a little gangsta-shit like Narancia isn’t working out at all for me yet.

Music of the Week #375

Almost there

It’s that sort of week so I was pretty busy to get this out on time. Jojo will follow as planned and everything else should be rightfully on schedule once I get this out. I don’t have much else to say other than I should probably get back to work so I can be around to post more later.

Thankfully, I have more to say about this week’s theme than what’s going on with the status of posts. Get over the Barrier! is the regular fight theme across both Zero and Ao and is one of the handful of motifs that is prevalent throughout the duology, and rightfully so. The common theme of Sky was of Estelle’s constant growth as a Bracer, be it becoming stronger to achieve what she wishes and to become more like her father and Joshua in terms of decision making and having that “sense” to discern things with more accuracy. The collective theme of Zero and Ao is getting over the proverbial barrier that inhibits the SSS’s power as at the end of the day, they’re a branch of the police. Power of course stands in the way of the group as well as compared to the cast of Sky, with their wide-ranging specialist characters from all corners of Zemuria and what we’ll see in Cold Steel with its rather crazy levels of power, the SSS are in most cases, very plain and grounded. Lloyd is probably the weakest out of all the MCs across the Kiseki subseries but that doesn’t detract from him from being a rather admirable character and his quest to cross those walls, be it of jurisdiction or strength, is a sight to see when push come to shove.