Hey guys, this is Sali and I'm off to do something I might regret. Reviewing episode 25 of Axess. The Japanese version, not the English NT Warrior one, although I will be mentioning it a few times to compare some things. Yay! And off I go.

I'll mostly be writing about how they totally deny logic in this episode, even though it's only a filler and it could be forgiven. The keyword is "could", because...look, I don't have problems with an anime that doesn't respect logic all that much, because c'mon, it's anime. But this is just overdoing it, even for Rockman standards, which started with a little blue robot destroying other robots that want to take over the world, commanded by an evil genius scientist. So, let me explain.

We start with a Darkloid scene, which is fine by me. I love the Darkloids; they're either hilarious or damn cool. Whoever tries to deny that Burnerman is one hell of a Darkloid shouldn't step before me, mark my words. Anyway, this time around we have Videoman getting the attention, which is totally unexpected after knowing that this episode is called Videoman Reloaded. Duh.

The whole plot in this episode is based around this oh-so-great movie named Star Potter. Get the reference to two of the most famous movie-series in the world? Good, because I won't bother to mention them, much like the English Dub version does. I kid you not, they're calling it 'that movie', 'the movie I wanted to see' or 'the so popular movie'. I mean... seriously? SERIOUSLY? America promotes fucking EVERYTHING in their shows, but you don't mention a collab between Harry Potter and Star Wars? Oh, bite me.

So, apparently that movie - look I can imitate professional voice actors! - is coming out on DVD and videotape. Remember, this show originally aired in 2003, so having videotapes around is not all that odd. We get to see Netto being all excited about it and wanting to rent it as soon as possible, because obviously he hasn't seen it in cinema. So, after he does a little virus busting in a video-shop and deletes a few of these flying eyeball viruses, we jump-cut to the day the rental begins. The Dub version just assumes Netto deleted those viruses only so he could ask if the shop had the movie in store. Ya selfish bastard, Lan.

But, Netto doesn't get the movie, because it would be boring if he did, so Enzan randomly appears next to him, because that's what he likes to do. You don't agree? I suppose you haven't watched the original .EXE episode 19 then. If you did, remember how they suddenly throw a random, silent shot of Enzan into the episode, although he wasn't seen in that one or the one before it at all? It's quite the same thing here, except this time they at least bothered to add a smooth transition to his appearance and his character actually plays a role in the episode.

And here's the next scene that makes fun of rationally thinking viewers. Apparently, Enzan has already seen the movie when it premiered, because he went to Ameropa on a business trip and saw it there with the actors themselves. The only real importance in this scene lies in seeing a snapshot of Enzan in a black suit. At least that's what I think.

So far, so good. But wait, he also says that he saw it, I quote, LAST WEEK. This is what threw me off entirely.

First of all, when the heck did Enzan fly over to Ameropa? Because of Netto and his friends - Enzan not included back then - flying over to Jawaii in .EXE, I'm pretty sure that even in their reality they can't just fly over to another country in one or two hours. Best example for that is and always will be Laika. And even if they could, what would be the point to just fly over there for a few hours before coming back for a business trip? See, wouldn't make sense. But we saw Enzan appearing frequently during the last episodes! What the hell? I could've understood this if he said about three or two episodes before that he would be away for a while, would that have been so difficult to do? You don't send a main character on an off-screen business trip without mentioning it. You just don't do that.

And then there's the even more unnerving thing about this statement. The movie's getting released on DVD one fricking week after its premiere? Don't they usually wait, I don't know, a few MONTHS before starting to sell those? Are the makers of the film trying to ruin themselves or what? God, this statement is so dumb.

I know they fixed this in the English Dub version, because they changed it so Enzan saw the premiere of the SECOND Movie on his trip not to Ameropa but to Sharo, so it kind of makes sense. Although I don't like the fact they make it sound like Enzan misused his position as Vice President to get invited. "I pulled a few strings and got invited to the premiere," isn't a sentence that makes you look good, y'know, Chaud? But hell, I still can't get over why the Japanese producers didn't notice what bullshit they were writing. I wonder where they get what they smoke. And if I could have some, so I would be able to enjoy their writing.

Well, at least we get this hilarious scene in which Netto is jumping on Enzan and hugging him, shouting something about Enzan being goddamn lucky, while yonder's sitting on a couch and trying not to spill his coffee while pushing Netto off his lap roughly. With this image in mind, let's move on.

We get a quick scene showing how Rockman with red devil eyes appears on a computer shortly before the electricity doesn't work anymore or in one case, a TV blows up. Here goes plot trying to be important in a filler. At least they blow shit up.

Back to Netto. Lucky kid got the video after all after looking for it in ten stores and is really happy about that, while the devil eye Rockmen are still destroying walls with sonic waves and making giant advertisement-screens and other shit explode. Netto rushes to plug Rockman in to one of the TVs, where he meets devil eye Rockman. I won't even point out the play and fast forward symbols appearing on that one's helmet at this point, because it's so fucking obvious they even hold the picture to show us. Oh wait, I just did point them out...

So, this devil eye Rockman can use both the rock buster and the long sword. Notice anything? Yeah, exactly the same chips Netto used when battling the flying eye-thingies. What a coincidence, eh? I wonder why it's like that, because I really don't have a clue. No shit. To quote LittleKuriboh: me woman, me dumb.

Well, Rockman's kinda losing to his own copy despite the fact it's a FUCKING COPY, so Blues comes to save the day before making fun of Rockman being defeated so easily. I can't help but understand the temptation he must have for doing that. Showing Enzan after Blues' appearance was unnecessary, by the way. Honestly, we know he's there when his navi is. Unless of course we're already in the Blues Retrieval-Arc, that would change things quite a bit. But since we aren't: waste of time.

Then we get a scene in which Enzan is teasing Netto, because it's his favorite thing to do when there are dangerous viruses out that as he's speaking are destroying the whole city's electronic systems. Oh wait, he also deducts that whoever does this must hold a grudge against either Rockman or Netto. Way to go, Sherlock. You should go play Cluedo sometimes, I'm sure you'd win.

MS. SALI KILLED THE PLOT IN THE DARKLOID FACTORY WITH THE SHOCK BUFFER! ...why are you looking at me like that? I know the Shock Buffer doesn't do any damage but only halves the one you receive. Calm down, folks. If I really wanted to inflict damage, I'd know what to pick, believe me. I've done my X weapons homework.

Nevertheless, now it's time for Videoman to explain it all, because otherwise we stupid people watching this show couldn't possibly understand. He's dragging on about it way too long, but essentially he's saying that he recorded Rockman with his flying eye-thingies and then made copies of him using his special powers, before inserting them in every Star Potter videotape there is. I would've never figured this out without that explanation.

To drive away all the seriousness that was just building up, we get to see a depressed Netto staring at Enzan's Flat-TV, listening to Enzan explain that the tape Netto rented was erased by the sonic waves he encountered earlier. Bad, I s'pose?

After watching Rockman and Blues delete a few of the devil eye Rockmen, Enzan asks around a few people if everything started to go ape shit crazy just after they tried to watch a Star Potter tape. Turns out that's exactly what happened, so now the characters know as well. We viewers are bored at this point, but who cares, the characters have to get to know somehow. Oh yeah, Videoman then tries to record something again but gets stuck with Bubbleman being in the way. God, Bubbleman's the only Darkloid I despise with my entire mind. I don't have anything to say against comic relief characters, hell; more than half of the characters in this show are there to make it funny or are at least being used like that often enough. Just look at Meijin. I don't know what you think about him, but he always rips a smirk off my face with his 'San wa iranai'.

But Bubbleman? Seriously guys, this isn't even funny anymore. It's retarded, lost its joke after the about bazillionth time and only stresses our nerves. But most of all its retarded. And with retarded I'm not talking about 'haha'-retarded but 'oh god not again'-retarded. See the difference?

I can only laugh about Meijin talking about that there's only one Darkloid that's able to do all this, but trying to make it sound mysterious by not saying Videoman's name. This scene is failing so horribly at being thrilling, it's just entertaining, but I guess in an unintended way. Then they off-screen go to a place we don't really get introduced to, but oh well.

Again, in the English Dub this makes much more sense, because Meijin isn't telling them WHO the only one possible to do this is, but the only place WHERE it is possible. This explains why Netto is actually surprised about seeing Videoman there, and most of all, how they knew about the right location to search for the bad guy. I'm not saying that the English Dub is better, because, god no, it isn't even close. I hate everything about it, the voices, the cuts, the added dialogue for originally silent scenes and the changed background music. But it makes more sense for this episode alone. Duh. That's the only credit I'm gonna give.

And here's where the madness begins. Videoman spots Enzan and Netto when they appear where he's hiding and promptly traps them in a Dimensional Area. We have the first coloring mistake here. Enzan's sleeves being red instead of black. Looks like he's wearing a jacket now. However, a second later in the next image it's fixed. Doesn't compare to Rockman losing his hair for a short shot in one episode of the original .EXE, but meh, I still like to point those things out.

On a funny note, even though the English editors are blurring the swords and are doing all that crap nobody would care if they didn't, they didn't fix the colors. Interesting, isn't it?

Then they're rushing in to where Videoman is, without using Cross Fusion beforehand, which doesn't make sense at all. I for my part would change into Cross Fusion as soon as I see myself imprisoned and get the chance to cross fuse, but, I guess that's why these two are the Net Saviors and I'm not. Or it's the fact I live in the real world and don't have a navi to cross fuse with, one or another. Anyway, they encounter Videoman quickly and Netto is trying to fool us into believing he didn't know it was Videoman beforehand. Better work on your acting skills Netto, I'm not impressed.

Next stupid scene. Come on, did you ever see a kid do a somersault backwards out of the stand by using only one hand to push him off the ground before landing about five meters from where he started? How the HELL did Enzan pull that stunt off? He's defying gravity and somewhat ignores the limitations of his twelve-year-old human body in the process. Even the other episodes don't over exaggerate THAT much. Did they originally plan for them to be in Cross Fusion already and then forgot to change the scene after deciding to let them cross fuse later? It's the only thing I can think of to have this make sense. Or maybe I'm giving them too much credit and they did it on a whim. Sounds more likely, actually. And by the way, if someone's trying to argue with "it's just Anime!" then we'll have one less person living on earth.

So, big surprise, now they both cross fuse, oh my god how totally unpredictable. Netto uses a Mini Bomb right off the bat and thus wastes one of the five battle chips he has in total instead of just using his buster that would do the same amount of damage while being more accurate at the same time. But who am I to dare criticize how the great eleven - or I guess he's twelve already in Axess, I'm really not sure, I only know he is 13 in Beast, which is kinda two seasons later - year old Hikari Netto decides to fight? Videoman records the Mini Bomb, before dodging it. Like a boss.

Please applaude now for a scene that scarred me for life, although I may be overreacting. Look at R Blues' fricking HAIR. Why does it look like... THAT? It never has in the entire series! And it never will again! Best thing about this: this episode has situations that make his hair wave even stronger, but it keeps its form like it normally does then. Made out of delicious fail, would you like some too? Comes with loose strands today, yummy.

Videoman then reveals that his yellow eye-thingies were recording Rockman while he fought them. Netto is surprised. The viewers aren't. Rockman states he always thought that something weird had been going on. Yeah, we all know he didn't.

After Netto and Enzan take down a few more Rockman copies - I can't imagine how much steam Enzan is able to let off by beating them - they find themselves surrounded. And I find the next mistake, even if it's only a minor one. The red part of R Blues' helmet going down to the end of his black strands is wrong. Normally, the strands are longer than the red part. Yes, I notice something like that. Because I notice anything related to Enzan. I'm an Enzan-tard.

So, Videoman's tape is slowly wearing out, making the Rockman copies bullshit. Enzan notices that, give him a cookie. After having a two seconds long flashback, he uses a battle chip that gets him an oversized dumbbell. The copy Rockmen are doing exactly nothing while Enzan talks to Netto for about another 6 seconds and that one's getting himself an Elec sword. After he has it, the copies start attacking. Wow, their timing needs maintenance.

Long story short, Netto taps Enzan's dumbbell with his sword to create magnetism and delete all the copies.

Now egghead feels like a genius, which he practically is if you keep Rockman standards in mind. C'mon, Hikari-hakase and Meijin getting outwitted by Laika at the end of Axess didn't strike you as odd? I have nothing against Laika, I love this character, but these two adults are supposed to be brilliant scientists.

Whatever. The next copies Videoman is trying to create are a bit fucked up because of that magnetism wave- oh no wait, Enzan says his tape is worn out so it has to be that way, my bad. Videoman gets pissed about that and uses his final playback. Which fails horribly, as his tape's getting torn apart and the copy he created shows Bubbleman's mouth, which somehow reminds Enzan of Japanese fish eggs. Not sure why.

And because I'm not sick of pointing out these details yet, here's another little coloring mistake. The white part on R Blues' helmet is colored red. Yes, it's the helmet again, don't ask me how they managed to fuck the same thing up twice in one episode, let alone it being different mistakes.

So, Videoman's finally deleted for good, all devil eye Rockmen disappear, end of story. But of course, Netto's still down because he couldn't watch the Star Potter movie. Guess he'll just have to download it illegally like, I don't know, normal people do instead of renting it? But wait; here comes Enzan in his motherfucking limousine, showing us again how awesome it is to be rich by arranging a meeting between the two of them and the three main actors of the movie. No, that's totally not showing off.

And the episode has to make its most crucial mistake a minute before it ends. Apparently, the actors are in Japan because the SEQUEL TO THE MOVIE IS BEING PROMOTED. You heard right. The sequel is promoted a FUCKING WEEK AFTER THE FIRST PART! WHAT THE HELL? I even checked three times to make sure I didn't misread the scenes, and it turns out I didn't. Enzan and Netto even get to see the special screening of part two.

God am I glad this was only a filler.

Well, that was me mocking about this episode. The funniest thing is though, I actually like it and enjoy watching it. Don't know why, but I guess I'm just unable to dislike .EXE episodes in general. I'm a nerd.

If you read until now, I hope you enjoyed this, even though I don't know why you would.

So long.