teen titans trouble in tokyo
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imaperson2
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it was pretty cool in my opinion. one of the people sort of resembled venom, so that was kind of weird.
Dread
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When the DTV was announced for TEEN TITANS, I and a few others took a look at the title and figured it'd not really advance the storyline as a whole much (as in, no return of Slade or what not) and instead would probably be "filler" like a lot of DTV movies for TV series are. Upon viewing it, that assertion about TEEN TITANS: TOKYO holds up, although despite that it still serves to please fans of the show (whose last season wrapped in January) with what the show did best, which was fun characters, fluffy action and bright colors. Those who were annoyed by this in the regular series, though, will be disappointed. It's no THE BATMAN VS. DRACULA, which was scores darker and better than the actual series. This simply looks like it could have been a 3-parter from the series. It continues from where the show left off, but very loosely and only in regards to the relationship between Robin and Starfire. Everyone else more or less plays to archetype. However, Cyborg seemed more one-dimensional and goofy than he was last season. He existed to say "Booyah!" and eat stuff, more or less like a lot of Season 1.
In fact, it looks so much like it could have been from the show that the animation looks the same, which is a drag. There were few errors, just usually you notice a different in quality when it's a DTV, which has more time and money usually than a series.
On the downside, it presents itself as a mystery, which doesn't hold up as within the first few minutes it gets obvious who the baddie is going to be, despite a last minute twist. And a lot of time is spent on comedy bits and Japanese homages, which is almost pushing it as NO SHOW in recent memory bent over backwards to imitate and homage anime and Japan as much as the TT show did. Naturally this one has them actually go to Tokyo to make it complete. I'm surprised the dialogue wasn't in subtitles (although I admit that could have been good for some of the characters who actually did speak Japanese, but whatever). On the upside, Robin and Starfire develop a little, Beast Boy has some good comedy bits, some of the action is decent (not the best of the show, though) and for once the villian has some loose motivation to his actions. It's a little generic but not as much as many of the episodes, as there was that mild twist at the end. And there are of course plenty of homages to anime. There's a lot to enjoy here, even if it won't win any awards for originality. It was more enjoyable than FANTASTIC FOUR has been so far, helped precisely because TT isn't always meant to be so serious with it's "deformed chibi antics", which can get annoying.
Plot Summary: Typical day in Jump City, and enter generic threat; a poorly colored bomb-hurling attacker named "Psycho-Tech". The Titans chase him for what seemed like a REALLY long time, but finally capture him. However, he only speaks Japanese and it's not until Robin translates it that he gets some answers; the guy was only following the orders of a villian named "Brushogun" in Tokyo who wanted him to attack the Titans, and who he deathly fears. Before Robin can press further, he vanishes mysteriously. So Robin leads the team to Tokyo to pursue this threat, although Beast Boy mistakenly feels it is a vacation. The team is out of their element across the ocean, though, in a bright city they've never seen with a language they don't know. Starfire's "kiss someone to learn their language" bit is played up well here, and her meeting with Robin from "Go!" is referenced.
However, once in Japan they see quite a few stereotypes, right down to a Gozilla-clone attacking the city. The Titans are as reckless as ever, never afraid of high property damage or smashing cars to trash their foes. I remember one sequence where Robin encounters a man that BB tried asking directions from moments earlier sitting in a subway car, which is then slapped aside by a monster's tail and crashes off the rails. Now, that man would probably have been injured or killed from that, but Robin nor the Titans don't lift a finger to help. The civilians seem to magically vanish DBZ style, albeit DBZ usually used the excuse of "we're fighting off planet/ in the plains". The monster is eventually stopped by a squad of elite Troopers, led by an Inspector who is a dead ringer for Inspector Zenigata from LUPIN THE THIRD, right down to his work ethic and attire. I forgot his name so I'll call him "Inspector". He and his troopers protect Tokyo, and the Inspector insists that Brushogun is merely a myth. At this point any intelligent lifeform would go, "he's the villian", and you'd be right. But patience. He informs the Titans to enjoy Tokyo as tourists but not to interfere with his policing, and off they go. Naturally, Beast Boy is anxious to explore (he begs them to visit a manga company building, only for it to be closed) and treat it like a vacation, but Robin naturally goes all sulky when he can't stop a villian. This puts a strain on Starfire, who wants to quit being a "hero" for a second so she and Robin can have some teenage romance.
The team splits up, albeit are pressured into so by Brushogun from the background. Beast Boy chases a "typical anime schoolgirl" into what turns into a karioke bar, where he warbles on some horribly bad version of the theme and becomes a Female Otaku legend. Cyborg finds an "all you can eat" suishi place and true to cliche, puts his bottemless gut to the test of a stingy shopkeep. Raven searches for something to read up on Brushogun, but before she can find a bookstore, the only thing she is given that she can read is "Donkey Chewing Gum". However, soon all are beset by some villians; Beast Boy chasing off a pink catgirl out of DOMINION TANK POLICE, Starfire taking on a clone of ASTRO BOY (after becoming a GUITAR HERO phenom, no less), and Raven fighting another monster. Robin, elsewhere, fights another version of Psyho-Tech.
However, there is a twist. Robin goes a bit too far and seemingly murders him in front of a crowd, and he is promptly arrested for it, thus branding him and the Titans criminals in Japan. While the rest of the Titans engage in various battles, Robin finds himself freed by a mysterious benefactor ("Brushogun" himself, or so it seems), and vanishes into the underworld, swapping clothes with a mugger. His "plan" to weed out Brushogun amounts to "walking into the seediest bar in the worst part of town" and just beating the crap out of everyone there to scare the clerk into squealing. Good lord, how brash. The clerk reveals that Brushogun isn't a myth, that he did exist, but the Inspector and his Troopers got rid of him and suddenly Tokyo got new criminals. The Titans reunite and Starfire almost kisses Robin for a second time before they have more pressing matters. Raven looks up in a book the legend of Brushogun, which was a sort of INU YASHA plotline about an artist in the fuedal era who wanted to bring life to his art, so he did so using black magic, but at the cost of becoming some demonic thingie. Robin also notes that a bit of Psycho-Tech he collected was made of ink, and so he wasn't even real (thus Robin wasn't a killer).
Here's where the climax started getting too convient. Left with no clues except the script, the Titans head to the manga building because it apparently was the only place where a guy like Brushogun could hang. What, was there ONLY 1 manga place? Why not an art studio, a musuem? If they'd simply said, "hey, all of his minions look like manga characters", such as stated by Beast Boy who'd know, it'd have worked better. I'm always irked when I can single out one line that would make a work better that apparently professional TV writers and editors can't find. So they bust in and find Brushogun, only he's an old withered husk attached to a printing press who is obviously being made to work for someone else. Yep, the Inspector. Duh. As Brushogun was the only villian in Tokyo, the Inspector kept him about to keep the villians coming, so he could be a hero (his life's ambition). Brushogun, on his part, sent the first Psycho-Tech to Jump City against his master's knowledge specifically to lure the team there, so he may be freed from his curse. So, que in some fights with ink-minions (turns out even the Troopers are ink), a dive into the printing press and the Inspector turns into a giant monster that looks like a cross between Venom and a Hentai "Tentacle Rapist".
As this is following all the rules of TT, naturally not only is Robin the only one who can come up with a competant idea despite lacking powers, but he also is the only one who can save the day, which he does by yanking Brushogun from the giant "Inspector-Monster", allowing him to die in peace. The ending felt a little anti-climatic, especially as all of a sudden, everyone in Tokyo suddenly believes that the Inspector was evil and the Titans are good (off panel), without the least bit of realistic resistance, and are honored as heroes. It just doesn't fit after years of the Troopers protecting Tokyo from threats, the entire city would listen to the outsider Titans tell their side and instantly go, "oh, of course, you heroes now!" But naturally, Robin learns a lesson about "life is more than being a hero 24/7" and he and Star FINALLY make out. And they have a vacation in Tokyo.
Aside for a brief cameo from Aqualad during their Atlantic flight, there are no mention of any of the expanded Titans, despite the fact Bushido presumably hailed from this area. No mention of any of their villians and aside for referencing "Go!", you probably could have watched this episode anytime after Season 1 or 2. Heck, "Go!" could have aired about that time, too, and not effected matters.
Funny, fluffy, enjoyable but nothing substantial to pick apart aside for cameos from anime stars, much like the series. Fans of the show should enjoy it though. If you missed it, it'll be on DVD in November. I'd suggest a rental, though, as there's not much replay value (unless you're collecting the series and are a completist).
As for Starfire and Robin? To quote Cyborg, "It's about time!"
Oh, and Raven's the spokewoman for Donkey Gum, "for some apparent reason".
In fact, it looks so much like it could have been from the show that the animation looks the same, which is a drag. There were few errors, just usually you notice a different in quality when it's a DTV, which has more time and money usually than a series.
On the downside, it presents itself as a mystery, which doesn't hold up as within the first few minutes it gets obvious who the baddie is going to be, despite a last minute twist. And a lot of time is spent on comedy bits and Japanese homages, which is almost pushing it as NO SHOW in recent memory bent over backwards to imitate and homage anime and Japan as much as the TT show did. Naturally this one has them actually go to Tokyo to make it complete. I'm surprised the dialogue wasn't in subtitles (although I admit that could have been good for some of the characters who actually did speak Japanese, but whatever). On the upside, Robin and Starfire develop a little, Beast Boy has some good comedy bits, some of the action is decent (not the best of the show, though) and for once the villian has some loose motivation to his actions. It's a little generic but not as much as many of the episodes, as there was that mild twist at the end. And there are of course plenty of homages to anime. There's a lot to enjoy here, even if it won't win any awards for originality. It was more enjoyable than FANTASTIC FOUR has been so far, helped precisely because TT isn't always meant to be so serious with it's "deformed chibi antics", which can get annoying.
Plot Summary: Typical day in Jump City, and enter generic threat; a poorly colored bomb-hurling attacker named "Psycho-Tech". The Titans chase him for what seemed like a REALLY long time, but finally capture him. However, he only speaks Japanese and it's not until Robin translates it that he gets some answers; the guy was only following the orders of a villian named "Brushogun" in Tokyo who wanted him to attack the Titans, and who he deathly fears. Before Robin can press further, he vanishes mysteriously. So Robin leads the team to Tokyo to pursue this threat, although Beast Boy mistakenly feels it is a vacation. The team is out of their element across the ocean, though, in a bright city they've never seen with a language they don't know. Starfire's "kiss someone to learn their language" bit is played up well here, and her meeting with Robin from "Go!" is referenced.
However, once in Japan they see quite a few stereotypes, right down to a Gozilla-clone attacking the city. The Titans are as reckless as ever, never afraid of high property damage or smashing cars to trash their foes. I remember one sequence where Robin encounters a man that BB tried asking directions from moments earlier sitting in a subway car, which is then slapped aside by a monster's tail and crashes off the rails. Now, that man would probably have been injured or killed from that, but Robin nor the Titans don't lift a finger to help. The civilians seem to magically vanish DBZ style, albeit DBZ usually used the excuse of "we're fighting off planet/ in the plains". The monster is eventually stopped by a squad of elite Troopers, led by an Inspector who is a dead ringer for Inspector Zenigata from LUPIN THE THIRD, right down to his work ethic and attire. I forgot his name so I'll call him "Inspector". He and his troopers protect Tokyo, and the Inspector insists that Brushogun is merely a myth. At this point any intelligent lifeform would go, "he's the villian", and you'd be right. But patience. He informs the Titans to enjoy Tokyo as tourists but not to interfere with his policing, and off they go. Naturally, Beast Boy is anxious to explore (he begs them to visit a manga company building, only for it to be closed) and treat it like a vacation, but Robin naturally goes all sulky when he can't stop a villian. This puts a strain on Starfire, who wants to quit being a "hero" for a second so she and Robin can have some teenage romance.
The team splits up, albeit are pressured into so by Brushogun from the background. Beast Boy chases a "typical anime schoolgirl" into what turns into a karioke bar, where he warbles on some horribly bad version of the theme and becomes a Female Otaku legend. Cyborg finds an "all you can eat" suishi place and true to cliche, puts his bottemless gut to the test of a stingy shopkeep. Raven searches for something to read up on Brushogun, but before she can find a bookstore, the only thing she is given that she can read is "Donkey Chewing Gum". However, soon all are beset by some villians; Beast Boy chasing off a pink catgirl out of DOMINION TANK POLICE, Starfire taking on a clone of ASTRO BOY (after becoming a GUITAR HERO phenom, no less), and Raven fighting another monster. Robin, elsewhere, fights another version of Psyho-Tech.
However, there is a twist. Robin goes a bit too far and seemingly murders him in front of a crowd, and he is promptly arrested for it, thus branding him and the Titans criminals in Japan. While the rest of the Titans engage in various battles, Robin finds himself freed by a mysterious benefactor ("Brushogun" himself, or so it seems), and vanishes into the underworld, swapping clothes with a mugger. His "plan" to weed out Brushogun amounts to "walking into the seediest bar in the worst part of town" and just beating the crap out of everyone there to scare the clerk into squealing. Good lord, how brash. The clerk reveals that Brushogun isn't a myth, that he did exist, but the Inspector and his Troopers got rid of him and suddenly Tokyo got new criminals. The Titans reunite and Starfire almost kisses Robin for a second time before they have more pressing matters. Raven looks up in a book the legend of Brushogun, which was a sort of INU YASHA plotline about an artist in the fuedal era who wanted to bring life to his art, so he did so using black magic, but at the cost of becoming some demonic thingie. Robin also notes that a bit of Psycho-Tech he collected was made of ink, and so he wasn't even real (thus Robin wasn't a killer).
Here's where the climax started getting too convient. Left with no clues except the script, the Titans head to the manga building because it apparently was the only place where a guy like Brushogun could hang. What, was there ONLY 1 manga place? Why not an art studio, a musuem? If they'd simply said, "hey, all of his minions look like manga characters", such as stated by Beast Boy who'd know, it'd have worked better. I'm always irked when I can single out one line that would make a work better that apparently professional TV writers and editors can't find. So they bust in and find Brushogun, only he's an old withered husk attached to a printing press who is obviously being made to work for someone else. Yep, the Inspector. Duh. As Brushogun was the only villian in Tokyo, the Inspector kept him about to keep the villians coming, so he could be a hero (his life's ambition). Brushogun, on his part, sent the first Psycho-Tech to Jump City against his master's knowledge specifically to lure the team there, so he may be freed from his curse. So, que in some fights with ink-minions (turns out even the Troopers are ink), a dive into the printing press and the Inspector turns into a giant monster that looks like a cross between Venom and a Hentai "Tentacle Rapist".
As this is following all the rules of TT, naturally not only is Robin the only one who can come up with a competant idea despite lacking powers, but he also is the only one who can save the day, which he does by yanking Brushogun from the giant "Inspector-Monster", allowing him to die in peace. The ending felt a little anti-climatic, especially as all of a sudden, everyone in Tokyo suddenly believes that the Inspector was evil and the Titans are good (off panel), without the least bit of realistic resistance, and are honored as heroes. It just doesn't fit after years of the Troopers protecting Tokyo from threats, the entire city would listen to the outsider Titans tell their side and instantly go, "oh, of course, you heroes now!" But naturally, Robin learns a lesson about "life is more than being a hero 24/7" and he and Star FINALLY make out. And they have a vacation in Tokyo.
Aside for a brief cameo from Aqualad during their Atlantic flight, there are no mention of any of the expanded Titans, despite the fact Bushido presumably hailed from this area. No mention of any of their villians and aside for referencing "Go!", you probably could have watched this episode anytime after Season 1 or 2. Heck, "Go!" could have aired about that time, too, and not effected matters.
Funny, fluffy, enjoyable but nothing substantial to pick apart aside for cameos from anime stars, much like the series. Fans of the show should enjoy it though. If you missed it, it'll be on DVD in November. I'd suggest a rental, though, as there's not much replay value (unless you're collecting the series and are a completist).
As for Starfire and Robin? To quote Cyborg, "It's about time!"
Oh, and Raven's the spokewoman for Donkey Gum, "for some apparent reason".
HR-PUFF&STUFF
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they were.DOG LIPS said:I could of sworn I saw the kids from Akira watching a TV screen at one point.t:
Rowen
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I actually really enjoyed this movie. some bits where dark & some bits where light. i also liked the whole robin murder angle. but i for one did not know that the inspector was the main villian
. i thought it was kantaro from (the quest )episode. where robin went off to another country to train with the true master.
cause when i heard the main villians voice, i swear it sounded just like kontaro. or maybe it was because the same voice actor, who played kontaro, was voicing the inspector.
im surprised nobody picked this out yet, even you Dread didn't notice this: when robin was fighting the inspector at the end. he pulled out his GUN!!!!!! & SHOT!!!! at robin. thus robin being the hero he is, he deflected all the bullets, back at the inspector. but with all the episodes ive watched, never! i mean NEVER! have i seen a gun in this cartoon show.
my theory is, since this was a DTV, they could do alot more then they could when they where in thier prime time slot . i just wonder how dark the whole trigon arc would have been if they put it in DTV format, & kept it as dark as the episode "Birthmark" was.
. i thought it was kantaro from (the quest )episode. where robin went off to another country to train with the true master.cause when i heard the main villians voice, i swear it sounded just like kontaro. or maybe it was because the same voice actor, who played kontaro, was voicing the inspector.
im surprised nobody picked this out yet, even you Dread didn't notice this: when robin was fighting the inspector at the end. he pulled out his GUN!!!!!! & SHOT!!!! at robin. thus robin being the hero he is, he deflected all the bullets, back at the inspector. but with all the episodes ive watched, never! i mean NEVER! have i seen a gun in this cartoon show.
my theory is, since this was a DTV, they could do alot more then they could when they where in thier prime time slot . i just wonder how dark the whole trigon arc would have been if they put it in DTV format, & kept it as dark as the episode "Birthmark" was.
Dread
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That's quite true, I didn't catch that. Between some old Batman episodes and anime I usually don't remember how big a deal it's become to see REAL guns get fired at cartoons anymore (at least at characters who aren't defined as bulletproof, like Superman). But you're right, it was one of the few times an actual gun was used.Rowen said:I actually really enjoyed this movie. some bits where dark & some bits where light. i also liked the whole robin murder angle. but i for one did not know that the inspector was the main villian
cause when i heard the main villians voice, i swear it sounded just like kontaro. or maybe it was because the same voice actor, who played kontaro, was voicing the inspector.
im surprised nobody picked this out yet, even you Dread didn't notice this: when robin was fighting the inspector at the end. he pulled out his GUN!!!!!! & SHOT!!!! at robin. thus robin being the hero he is, he deflected all the bullets, back at the inspector. but with all the episodes ive watched, never! i mean NEVER! have i seen a gun in this cartoon show.
my theory is, since this was a DTV, they could do alot more then they could when they where in thier prime time slot . i just wonder how dark the whole trigon arc would have been if they put it in DTV format, & kept it as dark as the episode "Birthmark" was.
The "murder" subplot was also a little dark. They had to use Psyho-Tech's pink "ink" in the place of blood but the message got across. Robin's usually been overly brash and violent when it comes to fighting crime so that was kind of a good surreal moment. Of course, immediately after escaping he simply walks into a seedy bar and pummels everyone there (lawbreaker or not) to get some info, but whatever.
TT's Robin has been shown as "intense" to put it mildly so it was IC.The Trigun arc and other arcs probably would have also been darker not only on DVD, but if their target group was different. JLU, say, was targetted mostly at the over 16 crowd, the PG-13 crowd, which is probably part of what did it in eventually. TT usually went for PG.
Wolfwood
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Dread said:
Okay, this will sound random, but anywho...
A long time ago (8 years?), I saw a bit of an anime that I really liked. I tried finding it, but I wasn't sure of the name. Reading the catgirl bit though and seeing that name suddenly sparked my memory. Thanks Dread, now I can finally watch it
Rowen
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Going back watching it for a second time. i got to pick up on all the little things i missed the first time. & i enjoyed it much more my second time through. i figured this thread would at least go up to 5 to 6 pages already, but i guess not alot of people on the SHH didn't watch this movie.
Dread
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No problem. Glad I could help.Wolfwood said:Okay, this will sound random, but anywho...
A long time ago (8 years?), I saw a bit of an anime that I really liked. I tried finding it, but I wasn't sure of the name. Reading the catgirl bit though and seeing that name suddenly sparked my memory. Thanks Dread, now I can finally watch it
Maybe this topic hasn't had much traffic because TT's not as popular around here anymore and the movie didn't have too many far-reaching plotlines that it finished off, aside for the Robin/Starfire stuff. If Slade was the main villian I'm sure we'd have seen more traffic here.
I probably won't watch it again but it was fun for what it was, and that's all that matters.
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