In 2016, I used to be a preview of the brand new anime season with buddies, as was our customized. We talked concerning the reveals we thought had potential, those we had been extra skeptical about, and the rest of notice. However there was one collection that appeared to return fully out of left area. A Taiwan-Japan co-production that wasn’t animated however fairly carried out utilizing puppets, and it was written by Urobuchi Gen of Madoka Magica fame?! Even when we doubtlessly didn’t find yourself liking it, we had to no less than give this Thunderbolt Fantasy an opportunity.
9 years later, and this collection has grow to be one in every of my absolute favourite works of fiction ever. The novelty of its puppetry by no means truly wears off, and it’s backed by strong writing and charismatic voice actors giving a few of their finest performances, in addition to a way of rigidity and pleasure that had me coming again for extra. So after I discovered that they might be doing the North American premiere of the feature-length Thunderbolt Fantasy: The Last Chapter, I made it my mission to attend the conference.
That is my evaluation of the film, however since then, the film has come out on Crunchyroll underneath the title Thunderbolt Fantasy -The Finale-. I like to recommend you simply get straight into watching it, however be happy to proceed if you need my ideas. Observe that there will probably be a MAJOR SPOILERS part on the backside.
The Fundamentals
Thunderbolt Fantasy is ready in a world as soon as ravaged by a warfare in opposition to demonkind, which humanity barely received because of the assistance of a collection of divine weapons. Within the lengthy years since this Warfare of Fading Nightfall, the weapons have been wanted by the righteous and the evil alike.
Once we first see the 2 essential characters of our story—no-nonsense vagrant swordsman Shāng Bú Huàn and white-haired pain-in-the-ass illusionist Lǐn Xuě Ya—they’ve simply met one another for the primary time, and each are holding their very own respective secrets and techniques. On the finish of the primary season, we study that Shāng isn’t solely a ridiculously highly effective swordsman who can wield a wood stick prefer it was actual metal, however that he’s additionally in possession of the Sorcerous Sword Index: a particular scroll designed to deal with all types of supernaturally highly effective weapons. Shāng carries it to forestall the weapons from falling into the improper arms, notably the Order of the Divine Swarm, a clandestine group in search of to beat the world.
However Lǐn the “Enigmatic Gale” has been much more, effectively, enigmatic. All through the prior seasons, he seems to only be an elusive trickster who finds pleasure in aggravating the highly effective. However within the penultimate chapter, we lastly study a fact even he didn’t know: Lǐn is definitely a form of “offshoot” of the Demon Lord who guidelines the Demon Realm, forged away and deserted to take away any of the chief’s weak spot. Lǐn thus has a revelation that the best goal to torment can be primarily none aside from himself.
Three different main plot factors assist create the backdrop for the tip. First, the chief of the Divine Swarm, Huò Shì Míng Huáng, seems to be the Emperor of Xī Yōu, the land which Shāng was attempting to depart. This implies the emperor was enjoying either side of the legislation your complete time. Second, one in every of Shāng’s outdated allies, a bard named Làng Wū Yáo (voiced by rock star TM Revolution!) is definitely half demon and is being forcibly reworked into an infernal god by his long-lost father. Third, the armies of Dōng Lí and Xī Yōu (the East and the West) are on the verge of coming collectively to combat a brand new warfare in opposition to the demons, although the previous doesn’t know a factor concerning the latter’s true identification.
The Last Chapter
I’ll admit that I don’t have probably the most rigorous grasp on the total story of Thunderbolt Fantasy. There’s loads I’ve forgotten through the years amongst all of the totally different plot threads, and I think many coming into this film can be in an identical state of affairs. Nevertheless, I truly don’t assume it is advisable have an encyclopedic information of all that has transpired to benefit from the movie. Along with simply being extremely entertaining, the characters all have such bombastic designs and larger-than-life personalities that it’s simple to establish what roles they every serve within the total narrative, even when the small print are slightly fuzzy.
That stated, the film is (as anticipated) not meant to be watched with none prior publicity to the present, and it does little in the best way of actively filling within the blanks for the uninformed. It feels very very like the conclusion of a long-running TV collection than a piece meant to face solely by itself legs. Issues occur quick and livid, not solely by way of the tempo of the storytelling but in addition the motion. The fights are extra advanced and relentless in contrast to what’s sometimes seen in Thunderbolt Fantasy, and rivals even the best martial arts combat scenes in historical past.
In a sure sense, that is PILI taking off its weighted garments and unleashing its full potential. The studio has a four-decade historical past of making action-oriented puppet TV reveals in Taiwan, and if you happen to evaluate Thunderbolt Fantasy to their different works, the latter usually flip into such unending frenzies of stylized violence that the notion of “respiration room” is a suggestion at finest. However motion in Thunderbolt Fantasy is slower and extra deliberate, emphasizing the drama over a combat choreography constructed on numerous particulars. In The Last Chapter, we get the perfect of each worlds.
Battles really really feel just like the characters are preventing with every thing they’ve, whereas the narrative and the characters’ particular person motivations present context to present their actions that means and weight. Lǐn fights his doppelganger, the Demon Lord, they usually naturally match one another transfer for transfer. Làng’s journey companion, a sentient pipa, has turned human and fights with strings befitting a former instrument. When he runs right into a yandere princess puppeting two magical corpses on the expense of her personal life drive with the intention to tackle Làng’s demonic father, the three-way back-and-forth is nonstop but in addition comparatively simple to comply with. And when Shāng lastly will get the prospect to wield a non-wooden sword after 9 years of avoiding it, his assault is all of the extra particular.
The plot twists and dramatic turns are all actually satisfying in a means that screams “epic finale,” and the respective fates of all the massive villains present excellent bookends to all their tales. The movie even touches on the origins of Shāng himself, and it was the very last thing I might have ever predicted. That being stated, I wish to focus on among the particulars of the ending.
SPOILERS SECTION
There are three main spoilers I needed to jot down about in higher element.
The very first thing is Shāng being in the identical firm as Marty McFly (Again to the Future), John Connor (Terminator), and Philip J. Fry (Futurama). Basically, he seems to be the son of Lāng and the blind harpist Mù Tiān Mìng, each with whom he fought facet by facet earlier than the beginning of Thunderbolt Fantasy. They understand their child is by some means the Shāng they know, and the couple offers him as much as the sentient pipa-turned-human, who apparently comes to boost him in one other realm in order that he will probably be prepared to meet his future.
I undoubtedly didn’t count on that, and primarily based on the viewers response, I don’t assume anybody did. I additionally genuinely thought he had romantic emotions for Mù, however I suppose it turned out to be extra filial. They hinted at Shāng being a time traveler of types in Season 4, and presumably earlier than that as effectively, however it implies the supply of Shāng’s unparalleled swordsmanship: the truth that the person has educated throughout time and house and dimensions since he was a baby. So he was the kid who saved everybody, and likewise acquired his personal mother and father collectively, to an extent. No less than he didn’t sleep together with his personal grandmother.
The second factor is the best way the chief of the Divine Swam is defeated, and the aftermath of his loss. There’s one thing slightly hokey however completely great about him utilizing all of the divine weapons of the Sorcerous Sword Index to rework into a big armored demigod. Part of me needs he was vanquished in a extra standard method, however I believe what occurs matches the story extremely effectively.
Shāng makes use of the one remaining blade, and whereas it appears to don’t have any impact on Huò, it appears to be opening up a rift within the sky. Realizing the true nature of the weapon in his hand, Shāng proceeds oto summon Bái Lián, the sage who initially created the weapons (and whom he met in Season 3). Bái Lián proceeds to forcibly convey the emperor into the void past and again house to his personal world the place the weapons got here from, and the place they’re now rusted and lifeless. The emperor tries to make use of his darkish magic to threaten Bái Lián however finds that he can’t type spells. Bái Lián tells him that had he arrived on this realm as himself, he would have retained his powers, however by tying his very being to the weapons, he’s now as inert as they’re, and the one factor he can do is reside like some other common particular person. His precipitous fall from world conqueror to commoner breaks him.
I really like this a lot. Not solely is it fairly cathartic given the state of the particular world proper now, however I actually discover pleasure in seeing somebody who believed they had been untouchable be laid low and made to really feel susceptible. The villain actually thought he was inherently superior and deserving of ruling over his whole world, and the truth that he can’t deal with the concept of fending for himself the best way everybody else does is the justest of deserts. (See additionally JoJo’s Weird Journey Half 5: Golden Wind). Bái Lián can be primarily based on a well-liked recurring character in PILI’s Taiwanese puppet reveals, so his presence on the climax can be a strategy to pay homage to the studio that made all this attainable.
The third factor is Lǐn taking on as Demon Lord. Hilarious. We get that foolish second the place Shāng sees by way of his disguise and refuses to duel to the dying with the Enigmatic Gale (“In fact it’s you. I’ve by no means even met the Demon Lord, so why would he wish to combat me?). We additionally get to consider simply how a Demon Realm dominated by probably the most egregious troll in all of existence would end up.
SPOILERS OVER
Concluding Ideas…and Extra
What a unbelievable trip. I’ve been informed that this film was initially presupposed to be a full season, and it does present to a level, however I nonetheless assume this was an exquisite strategy to shut the ebook on Thunderbolt Fantasy. It was the essence of this entire worldwide inventive endeavor boiled all the way down to a clear 90-ish minutes, and had me coming away grateful to have realized about it almost a decade in the past.
So these are my ideas on the film, however that is truly simply the primary a part of my Thunderbolt Fantasy protection from ACen 2025. There was a “purple carpet gala” to indicate off the puppets earlier than the screening, in addition to a Q&A afterwards with some reside puppet demonstrations. Much more thrilling, I acquired the prospect to interview the PILI employees and even check out one of many puppets!
I hope you’ll look ahead to it.
