Don’t sleep on the invincible fighter girl and Gentry Zhao

As with every year, the final stretch of 2024 Some recent highs have emerged. Earlier this year, TV audiences took an interest in the likes of mysterious X-Men ’97, and dan da dan, They spent the weeks following their conclusions anticipating what was next. But here and now, we have a couple of cartoons worth dedicating some time to as the end of the year approaches.

The first is Invincible fighting girl, It was announced again for 2022 which began its just-concluded first season in October on Max/Adult Swim. The story revolves around a kid named Andy who embarks on a mission to become a legendary wrestler, which involves moving to a big city full of wrestlers and dealing with a number of former pros and aspiring talents, as he works to become the best of the best that no one ever was. If this sounds familiar, it’s clearly intentional, as the series has put the spotlight on anime – and My hero academy In particular, it is an integral part of its DNA. Whether you are hardcore My hero If you’re a fan or just know her by reputation, you’ll likely see shades of Deku’s story in this show, either through her music or watching Andi leave the accountants’ home on her island to become an apprentice to her now-retired childhood wrestling idol Quesa Poblana.

But just as it was fun to see the world of superheroes through Deku’s eyes, the same is true for Andie and her world. Invincible fighting girl She loves wrestling so much that she can’t help but be as infectious and charming as Andi and her friends — Craig, the opportunistic con man, and very Cultivate eight-year-old aspiring journalist Mikey – show how the world has been shaped by wrestling as the dominant culture, and provide some interesting nuance about what that looks like in all walks of life. Creator Juston Gordon Montgomery’s passion for the sport is evident at all times, whether it’s through the variety of (very good) stage names each character has, or how outdoor matches begin with wrestling rings dropped from space via satellite. Wrestling and boxing provided the largest and most theatrical stages for displaying sports stories Invincible fighting girl I found a sweet spot that blends the theatricality of wrestling with the melodrama typically found in shounen stories and popular tournament arcs.

There’s a similarly successful mix of teen melodrama and the supernatural in Echo Wu’s Netflix series, Gentry Zhao vs. the Underworld. Like with invincible fighting girl, It’ll sound like you’ve heard this before: The titular Jentry has turned 16 as the show opens and finds herself reawakening the fire powers she once suppressed, forced into heroism when her great-aunt Gugu gives Jentry back her childhood home to protect her from a murderous demon. Shadow Buffy the Vampire Slayer It has loomed large over superhero television for years, and Gentry It hits many familiar tunes. Love triangles, old people who are not what they seem, you’ve seen this many times before.

What makes the ultimate Gentry The work lies in how confident he is in himself; that it opening is an upbeat K-pop track that makes it clear that it wants the audience to have a good time as Gentry and her friends go through one horrific situation after another. Said situations often escalate to the point of supernatural chaos, etc Gentry Being more honest with its horror from the beginning rather than building on it over time is a pleasant surprise. At times, her playful (but still slightly messy) scares seem reminiscent of her Adventure Time Or even billy and mandy, Especially when fights start up or supernatural elements are used to inform the very good cast of characters, such as the love interests between Gugu and Gentry, her childhood friend Michael and the pretty boy Kit.

It came so late in the year, Gentry and Invincible fighting girl I can’t help but be seen as fickle newbies. They are both made of the same fabric, but the materials are used in different ways: invincible It’s literally an underdog story that puts Andy in a tough spot, mostly physical. It truly lives up to the show’s title as it has taken many beatings at the hands of more experienced opponents, only to come back and re-introduce it once again making for some of the most beautiful and amazing work of animation of the year. For the most part, things are lighthearted enough to suit audiences of all ages, although it occasionally flirts with heavier themes in the second half. These moments return to its wrestlers as they are energized once again to get back into the fight and give it their all, just like tales of the shounen past. Any full exploration of the dark side of wrestling in this world seems to have been saved for future seasons.

On the contrary, Gentry Seems more leaning towards a slightly older crowd. It’s no surprise that there are impressive fights and consistent humor, but its strongest moments come when the characters are forced to confront dark truths or unpack, often with a crowd of people watching intently. Much of the show has been informed by Wu growing up as a second-generation Chinese American teenager Texasappeared in an episode about Gentry’s class becoming possessed by racist ghosts From the Alamoor explore the brief presentation of Michael living as a second-generation Nigerian American. Not only is the series about the immigrant experience, but this place and its southern location gives it a vastly different energy than if it were on the coast, and the city ultimately feels like the real place Gentry has to be in order to want to have a place of normalcy here and not discover Her strength.

Whether you’re in the mood to see a teen grappling with Chinese mythology and raising her family or a girl battling a gang of curly-haired gladiators, Gentry Chow and Invincible fighting girl Each is worth seeing. It’s clear that both shows had a lot of thought put into it by their creators, and you can tell that Gordon Montgomery and Waugh gave it everything they had and then some. (Gentry It especially carries the well-intentioned energy of something that would work well as a movie, but gets more room to breathe and only be a 13-episode series.) It’s unfortunate that they’re so close to the end of the year, as it feels like they might have gotten more attention months ago. But hopefully things work out for Andy and Gentry, and we get to have more adventures with them very soon.

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