Well, well, well. Here we are yet again.
I actually found out from a friend of a friend what this show actually is. Maybe it’s common knowledge for people watching the show, but I had no idea it was essentially a crossover, long overdue, celebrating some of the time-honored superheroes of Japan’s past. That only makes me love the show more as the stereotypical nature of this series really lends itself to the idea of what I think of when I hear “superhero anime”.
It’s the whole package that seals the deal. Normally, these types of tropes are picked apart and some are chosen and some are not. In particular, I mean the tropes of standing for justice, cheesy lines, calling out dramatic (kind of lame) moves as you do them, being completely outmatched and then suddenly being superior, and the power of friendship.
There are more, of course, but I feel this genre is often dissected and amplified to an unwatchable amount.
Situations like Naruto’s friendship-no-jutsu borders on insanity, Shirou’s claim for a champion of justice in Fate/Stay Night (2006) is, well, an abomination, Natsu using cherished memories to boost his firepower in Fairy Tail is horrific BS, and it’s even become a joke in a lot of shows to meta-comment on the oddness of calling out your move names. This show is the epitome of these tropes, but by no stretch do I dislike it. The fundamental lameness and straight-laced state of the show seem to harmonize perfectly. Those are just some post-show thoughts I had. An attempt to pinpoint why it is I see so many things I normally dislike but still enjoy the show.
We have to talk about Dammy’s backstory. This man self-proclaimed himself the ’embodiment of perfection’. When he first started talking about this perfect being I thought he’d be referring to Takeshi. A sign of respect maybe. Nope. His cockiness is on par with even perfect Cell and perfect is literally in his name. I almost feel bad for him, what with the human experiments and all. Obviously, there’s still some good in him but we’ll have to see if Takeshi will be able to draw that out to any worthwhile extent. Dammy’s power also is wildly diverse. He can steal special moves and he can also apparently control certain objects. I’m tempted to say rocks, but the bowling balls and pins aren’t made out of the earth, I don’t think.
Emi still gives no cares. They’re in the middle of a crisis, she asks how long they’re staying. She can’t think of a wish so the case can’t trade owners and, simultaneously, she takes a steaming crap on Takeshi’s wish (I can’t blame her). Then she even tries to give the case to Dammy! What a destructive protagonist. She was neutral before, but now she’s just evil. If an anti-hero gets justice done like a villain, Emi is a goddamn anti-villain because she’s really not helping the heroes.
Wait. Classic curry redemption scene, saving the day. We all see those band-aids, Emi.
What are some other notable things that happened this episode that I’m missing?
Dammy will probably lay off for a while until he can convince himself he’s evil again. The league of villains is splitting up, but succubus chick is staying for the genes. Sure, whatever. Z has alluded to the fact that the case is still in his possession. Seeing as he didn’t make a rebuttal against Raja, maybe there’s a reason he’s hiding it. Emi finally used it and in its… all-powerful-ness… it slammed an extremely expensive satellite to divert the meteor by a few miles. Couldn’t have found a better way to get that done? Magic basically exists. You don’t need to make a legitimate reason really. It’s a magic pencil.