Samurai Rabbit: The Battle Kitty Bubble Chronicles-Renegade Animation #60
It's all Netflix, all night long on Renegade Animation! This time, Captain Kaye and The Animation Guru take a look at Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles, Doug Langdale's adaptation of the hit comic books, Battle Kitty, the new interactive series based on Matt Layzells' Instagram comic, and Bubble, Wit Studios’ take on The Little Mermaid!
Hey, it’s THE STREAMIN DEMON here again to introduce you to another Renegade Animation! Here, Mike and Cameron look at not one, not two, but three animated projects from Netflix, the streaming service that TOTALLY cares about animation, Samurai Rabbit, Battle Kitty, and Bubble! Take it away, Mike!
Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles
“Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles is a loose adaptation of Stan Sakai's comic book Usagi Yojimbo, taking place in the far future of Neo Edo. On paper, this isn't a bad premise, and the series is generally enjoyable. It has a solid voice cast, the fight sequences are well choreographed in spite of admittedly cheap looking CGI animation, and I like the architecture of the futuristic city. The biggest problem comes down to pacing. It takes a while for the story to really gain any momentum, and Yuichi Usagi can be a frustratingly inconsistent protagonist. However, once it finds its groove, that's when I became more invested. Because of the current state of Netflix Animation, I have no idea whether or not we're getting a second season, despite the tease at the end of the finale.”-Captain Kaye
Battle Kitty
“Battle Kitty is an interactive animated series on Netflix, and it is kind of awesome? It can be quite the sugar rush at the start, a silly, fast-paced CGI romp with humor only I would find amusing. However, the deeper into the series you go, the more fascinating the story becomes, and the more each characters gets developed. I understand that a lot of people are (rightfully) upset with the way Netflix has been mistreating a lot of their animated properties, but that's all the more reason why it's imperative to continue supporting what they still have in their catalogue!”-Captain Kaye
Bubble
“Bubble is a post-apocalyptic anime film from Wit Studio, directed by Tetsurō Araki, from a screenplay written by Gen Urobuchi, Naoko Sato, and Renji Ōki. Gravity-defying bubbles rain down, cutting off Tokyo from the rest of the world. The city skyline becomes a playground for young people competing in parkour team battles. Hibiki plummets into the sea but is saved by a girl with mysterious powers. Let's get one thing out of the way first, this might be the best adaptation of The Little Mermaid since the Disney version, and probably the only one to actually stay true to the original ending from Hans Christian Anderson's fairytale. So building an epic post-apocalyptic film around said ending was a pretty bold move, but it honestly really paid off. I already knew I was going to love this movie the second we were properly introduced to Hibiki, our main protagonist with ultra sensitive hearing. Of course, since this is Wit Studio, the animation is obviously a feast for the eyes. And you can tell Tetsurō Araki is at the helm by the way all of the Battlekour sequences are choreographed, which instantly reminds you of his work on Attack on Titan. Speaking of which, the score was composed by the legendary Hiroyuki Sawano, who always gives 110% to any project he works on, and this is no exception. I don't really have much to say in terms of negatives. The main through line of the film is pretty straight forward, and while the rest of the Blue Blazes team aren't quite as developed as Hibiki, they all have distinct personalities and play a crucial role in the third act climax. Bubble is a movie I wish I could have seen on the big screen, with its gorgeous visuals, world-ending stakes, and Sawano's sweeping music! This is one of the best movies I've seen all year, and I hope everyone gets a chance to see this!”-Captain Kaye
