This is what you must prepare yourself for when you’re selected to train under Dash Wheeler, the ultimate racing champ.

But training with the Dash Wheeler to become a real life Hot Wheels Racer isn’t something that just anybody can do. You must be selected.

The team this year at the exclusive Hot Wheels camp—composed of the lucky few who have been selected—consists of cooperative Coop; easy-going Mac; brainstorming Spark; clever Brights and competitive Axle (along with his right-hand man, Sidecar).

Members of this bright, competitive, talented bunch must race one another, build high-quality tracks and solve plenty of problems. Last season, it was all about the glory of receiving the most Flame Badges and becoming Camp Champ—which Coop won. But this time, the scores have been reset, the stakes have been raised and it’s anyone’s race. But all of them—win or lose—will go home with important skills, lessons and new friends.

And that includes new racer Cruise. She’s the daughter of the antagonistic (but ultimately silly) Professor Rearview, who has tried and failed multiple times to wreck Hot Wheels City with his ridiculous inventions. Cruise and her dad are determined to beat the young racers and destroy Hot Wheels City forever. But as Coop and Co. learn about teamwork and friendship, they also learn what it means to be a good sport—and that means offering young Cruise kindness instead of taunting.

Yes, winning is important here. But the only real motto here is to never give up.

Racing in Real Life

If you were into Hot Wheels growing up (or if you’re still into them), you’re going to smile at Netflix’s latest original series, Hot Wheels Let’s Race.

This TV-Y animated series, co-produced by Mattel, is aimed at preschool and early elementary-aged kiddos who really love building Hot Wheels tracks and racing cars around for hours.

There are, quite appropriately, bright colors, twisty, mind-bending tracks that appear out of thin air, flame-admitting boosters and allllll of the Hot Wheels vehicles that you can possibly imagine.

With each 20-ish minute episode, the racers get to choose a new car with which to race and then they’re off, learning how to work together, solve problems and truly understand that perseverance and friendship are more important than winning. (Although winning is always fun too.)

This show has a few snarky attitudes and the occasional joke that borders on potty humor. But overall, it’s filled with lessons on cooperation, kindness and integrity—along with pulse-pounding music and enough stunts to satisfy the little thrill seekers in your home.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

The post Hot Wheels Let’s Race appeared first on Plugged In.

Twenty years ago, a brilliant scientist named Stephen Holstrom founded Logorhythms in pursuit of “digital immortality.” He discovered a way to scan a person’s brain and upload it to a virtual network, storing their consciousness as an “Uploaded Intelligence,” or “UI.” If you’re scanned as a UI, your physical body dies, but you can live forever in the digital world.

Holstrom died before his vision could be fully realized, but Logarhythms persisted, using somewhat shady methods to further their research.

Of course, none of this matters to 14-year-old Maddie Kim – until she starts receiving text messages from her father, who’s been dead—physically, at least—for two years.

Now a UI, he’s escaped from Logorhythms’ control.

Maddie’s not the only one making life-altering discoveries. Brilliant, troubled teenager Caspian Keyes has started to realize that nothing about his life is what it seems. His “parents” are undercover spies, his girlfriend is a hired actress, and he himself was created by Logorhythms to crack the secret of autonomous UIs. This revelation rocks his world – and it leads him right into Maddie’s path.

Together, Maddie and Caspian start unraveling the conspiracy surrounding Logorhythms’ work, and it becomes increasingly clear that these UIs could change—or destroy–the entire world as they know it.

LIFE, ARTIFICIALLY

Of the many controversial topics circling today’s culture, few are more hotly debated than artificial intelligence. Is it pushing us into a new era of technology? Is it leading to the ascension of robot overlords? The issue of AI goes hand-in-hand with discussions of creativity, individuality, and what it means to be human in the first place.

Pantheon touches on all these subjects and more. Don’t be fooled by the animation; there are plenty of mature ethical conundrums raised here. Is technology subject to us, or are we subject to it? At what point does it become unethical to cheat death? And what, exactly, makes a person a person?

Of course, you won’t find explicit biblical truth at the center of these questions, but that doesn’t mean Pantheon doesn’t occasionally hit the mark. When Caspian tries to convince Maddie that making a fully sentient UI would create “virtual gods,” she protests: “You can’t just keep making copies of people. That’s not what a person is.” It’s not exactly “made in the image of God,” but it’s at least on the right track.

Don’t let the animation fool you into thinking Pantheon is kid-friendly, either. It’s certainly not as explicit as other adult animation offerings, but language is still fairly frequent, as well as violence and some upsetting content. For instance: Maddie is bullied at school and told to end her own life. Caspian’s “father” is emotionally and physically abusive to his “wife,” though we find out it’s an act to force Caspian into maturity. Teenagers constantly find themselves in danger, sometimes at the hands of adults. Between all of that and the brain surgery required to turn people into UIs, a generally ominous aura persists throughout the series.

Pantheon asks some compelling questions about the nature of humanity and our relationship with technology, though not always with biblical truth as the goal. Still, it’s encouraging that even when Scripture is all but ignored, we still circle back to one of its most central messages: Human life is unique and valuable, and nothing, not even the most powerful of technology, can ever replace it.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

The post Pantheon appeared first on Plugged In.

Of course, not everyone feels the same as Coach Dan, namely his daughter Laurie. She hasn’t made a single play all season—not one hit, one catch, one game-winning throw. And she’s starting to believe what everyone is saying: that she’s only there because she’s the coach’s kid.

Laurie isn’t the only one stressing out before the big game, though. Teammates, parents and even the umpires are all facing their own insecurities, anxieties and fears.

But what they’ll all learn soon is, in the game of life, it doesn’t matter who wins or loses: It’s about how you look at it.

Some Wins, Some Losses

Win or Lose is the first original series to come from Disney’s Pixar. But it faced some heavy scrutiny even before it aired: In December 2024, Disney announced that it had pulled a transgender storyline from the series.

“When it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline,” a Disney spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.

The character still exists in the show (and is voiced by a trans person), but the verbal cues indicating gender identity have been removed. And given Disney’s proclivity for introducing LGBT storylines (2022’s Lightyear and Strange World both featured gay characters), there’s still a chance other LGBT characters could pop up. (Indeed, the janitor of the Pickles’ school behaves in an effeminate manner that may suggest same-sex leanings to some.)

There are some other heavy topics to be mindful of, as well. Laurie’s parents are divorced and still struggling to find a balance in their co-parenting. Rochelle, Laurie’s teammate, is being raised by single mom Vanessa, who is facing her own insecurities and challenges. And Frank, the umpire, after trying out a dating app, is heartbroken to learn that his ex is now engaged. However, these topics are largely navigable if parents are able to walk their younger viewers through them.

Some potentially less navigable issues include a few misuses of God’s name. Laurie prays to God, asking him for help during a softball game, but we also later see her mom doing a Tarot card reading. Viewers will be exposed to some mild violence (a girl gets walloped by a softball to the face, for instance) and occasional toilet humor.

Win or Lose does do a couple of things well. Parents (ahem) step up to the plate, reassuring their kids and helping them through difficult times. Friends are there for each other. And teammates learn that the most important part of the game isn’t winning or losing; it really is about having fun.

For parents, Win or Lose is far from a home run. Will it round the bases and slide into your home? It’ll be up to you to say whether this lands fair … or foul.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

The post Win or Lose appeared first on Plugged In.

Well, technically Dr. Gomez’s son, Michael, found the squirrels. But considering squirrels weren’t native to the archaic Middle East, it’s still a rather impressive discovery. But then the squirrels reanimate, revealing that not only are they not dead, but they can speak English, too.

Merle and Pearl, the squirrels, explain that they were vacationing in the Roman province of Judea about two millennia ago when they made the mistake of swimming in the Dead Sea. The saline waters dehydrated the rodents, freezing them in time until Michael found them.

Merle and Pearl take on the task of mentoring young Michael and his friends, sharing stories from their adventures in Judea—stories about Jesus, the Apostle Paul and other disciples.

Unfortunately, Michael and his family aren’t the only ones who know about Merle and Pearl. A mysterious man in sunglasses is doing everything he can to kidnap the nut-hoarding mammals. And the Gomez family will do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Let’s Crack This Acorn Open

Based on the book series by Mike Nawrocki, Dead Sea Squirrels is the latest offering from the kid-focused, Christian streaming service Minno. Each episode features a character (usually Michael or Merle) getting into some sort of trouble or hardship because of his or her bad choices. But then they’re reminded of stories from the Bible (usually narrated by Pearl) to help them find the right way to proceed.

It’s sort of like VeggieTales, which makes sense since Nawrocki co-created that series, too. But the series’ mysterious B-plot helps engage kids more, since they’ll no doubt want to return regularly to find out what’s happening to Merle and Pearl.

Dead Sea Squirrels comes with the occasional moment of peril. There are some odd inclusions that older audiences will catch (a girl wearing a hijab attends Michael’s school, for instance). The Gomez family’s cat (and a few other creatures) repeatedly tries to eat Merle and Pearl. And Michael and his friends sometimes push boundaries more than they should.

However, bad behaviors are always corrected—used to teach viewers a lesson, not encourage mischief. Parents can count on nice, subtle messages about the importance of family, friends and good manners. And catchy songs tell Bible stories and reinforce Christian values, which is something many a parent can celebrate.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

The post Dead Sea Squirrels appeared first on Plugged In.

She towers over trees. She looms over houses. She and King Kong could borrow each other’s clothes (if Kong wore any). And if she has a good cry? Well, the hamlet of Boysenburg has plenty of extra canoes on hand if it comes to that.

But a little flooding is a small price to pay for having such a big—and kind—neighbor.

Tall Tales

Goldie’s backstory is not that complicated. She just kind of arrived. A stork just dropped baby Goldie into a tree one day, and there she was. Raised by a bird named Romeo and somehow given a giant set of clothes, Goldie is now one of Boysenburg’s most noticeable residents. And they’re happy to have her.

“Even though our flood-management and construction bills have been through the roof, we’re glad you chose Boysenburg as your home,” the town’s mayor says.

And he means it. In fact, most everyone in town loves Goldie. Well, everyone except for the grouchy antique dealer, Mrs. Petunia. And even she admits that the girl has her uses.

No one is happier to have Goldie around than her two comparatively short compadres. Teeny and Petey think the world of Goldie, even though her massive size and sensitive disposition can make playdates a little tricky. When Goldie decided to get a really special gift for Teeny, for instance, she brought Teeny a yeti. (Note: Yetis and parties don’t mix well.)

But even if Goldie might make an (inherently) big mistake now and then, her heart’s always right on point. As Teeny says, Goldie’s the type of girl who’ll move mountains for you. Literally. “They really do look better over there,” Teeny says.

Heart of Gold

Apple TV+’s Goldie may star a big girl. But its problems—at least to this point—are very, very tiny.

Sure, the mayor wears a pink bowtie, which some will take as a sign of his romantic inclinations. Yes, the town of Boysenburg is routinely destroyed, which surely must result in astronomical property taxes. And really, never invite yetis to parties.

But those amount to the smallest of quibbles in a show that sports a heart as big as Goldie’s own.

Goldie cares about everyone she sees. And they care about her. Those who are alarmed by just how big she is are soon won over by Goldie’s kindness and creativity. “I know I’m a little different,” she explains to some visitors. “But that doesn’t mean you need to treat me any differently.” (This message of acceptance is underlined with her friends, as well: Petey’s in a wheelchair.)

Goldie even comes with a wonderful message about adoption. After all, the whole town adopted Goldie as its own—and it couldn’t be happier about it. 

Moreover, Goldie isn’t just one of those sweet, sentimental shows that might teach great lessons to your kids but make adults roll their eyes. It’s fun, too: It comes with some of the whimsy we might find in, say, The Fairly OddParents, but with fewer problems and more soul.

Of course, all this could change. Goldie does not have a long track record as of this writing, and if it runs for several seasons, new problems could crop up.

But at this point, I hope it does run for several seasons. Goldie’s the type of show that I’d like to see more of.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out. )

The post Goldie appeared first on Plugged In.

These issues are relatively new, to be honest. Mark Grayson has always gotten along pretty well with his pops, Nolan. And, like most kids, he always wanted to grow up to be just like his dad.

But ever since he was 7 years old, Mark knew that he’d have bigger shoes to fill than most. While Nolan may simply look like a heavily muscled, mustachioed, middle-aged father, he’s actually the alien Omni-Man, Earth’s sworn protector. In a world filled with superheroes, Omni-Man is its most super—incredibly strong, really fast and nigh invulnerable. Oh, and of course, he can fly.

As 17-year-old Mark’s just beginning to develop and learn about his own matching powers, his famous father is acting pretty … weird. Like, murderously weird.

Seems like they’re overdue for a father-son chat.

It’s Botherin’ Time!

It’s not as if Mark doesn’t have enough on his teenage plate already. He’s in college now, and it’s pretty difficult to make a class schedule work when villains don’t exactly wait for you to get out of class.

Oh, there’s also that big thing about Mark’s father having his own Viltrumite agenda. He wanted to conquer Earth for the Viltrumite Empire, and he wanted Mark to join him in that goal. Mark, of course, being half-human, wasn’t too keen on the idea. And after a devastating battle, his father took one look at his mostly dead son and realized that maybe he did care a little about humans, more than he’d like to admit.

That was before Nolan took off into space. Since then, he’s sired a child, Oliver, with another alien race, one who eventually ended up under the care of Mark’s mother, Debbie. And at the accelerated rate he’s growing, it’s not long before he gains his powers and wants to fight alongside his big brother, too.

Is that all? No, it never is.

That’s because even if Nolan is questioning is commitment to the Viltrumite goal, the rest of his people don’t exactly take no for an answer. They’ll come back in full force.

And if Mark has trouble fighting one Viltrumite … how about a whole attack force of them?

Uck, Uck, and Away!

We live in an age besotted with superheroes, so perhaps it’s no surprise that we might have more revisionist superhero stories than straightforward good-doers on the telly these days. From HBO’s Watchmen to Amazon Prime’s own The Boys, television has plenty of dark, satirical, incredibly problematic superhero stories to choose from.

Invincible resides in an interesting cubbyhole in the classroom of superhero revisionism. As an animated show, it can feel lighter and more true to the genre at times. (Emphasize the words at times in that sentence, if you will.). It can feel even a bit ludicrously whimsical, even—like The Tick, perhaps. When Omni-Man took Mark to pick out his very first super suit, I immediately thought of Edna from The Incredibles.

And from what I know of Invincible’s source material (a series of comics created by Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker from Image Comics Universe), the story has more on its mind than just dissecting the genre; it may seek to tell its own gritty and even aspirational tale of fall and redemption, infused with some of the dynamics of Greek tragedy.

But, yowza, does this show go dark. And red.

The carnage here is pretty extreme. Heads are crushed. Guts are strewn. Blood is shed by the bucket. You might think that the show’s animated imagery would lessen the impact of all that gore. But for me, at least, it actually made it worse. Ink can still give more detail than even the best CGI can, if not the same realism.

Sexual content is inescapable, too, from tight, almost nude-appearing costumes to characters talking about behind-the-bedroom-door exploits. LGBT characters take center stage. Language can be quite colored, as well, including f-words.

Invincible sports a pretty amazing cast of voices behind the characters, from Oscar-winners (J.K. Simmons as Omni-Man) and A-list comedians (Seth Rogen) to the great voice actor Mark Hamill himself (yes, that Mark Hamill).

This story seems to be heading toward some interesting places. But to get there, you’ll have to stomach some pretty grotesque content. That’s a journey I’m not willing to take. And for many, Invincible might be—or perhaps should be—unwatchable.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

The post Invincible appeared first on Plugged In.

His name is Peter Parker. He was bitten by a radioactive spider. And for the last few months, he’s been the one and only Spider-Man.

The elements are the same. The details, however, are where you’ll see that things are very much different.

Because in this timeline, Peter Parker never got to attend Midtown High; that school got shut down following damage from a fight between Doctor Strange and an alien symbiote.

Because of that, Peter Parker never met MJ or Ned or any of the other characters in the Tom Holland Spidey universe. And that’s why he swung a different direction to get to school. That’s how he ended up saving Harry Osborn from a group of muggers.

So, when he returns home, it’s not Mr. Tony Stark whom he finds chatting with his Aunt May in the living room; it’s Norman Osborn, looking to offer Peter an internship at Oscorp Industries.

Yes, that’s quite different from the stories we know. But for all those differences, you can still count on one thing: Peter Parker is still your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Not Everything Sticks

Sure, Captain America “can do this all day,” but it’s Spider-Man who doesn’t have an issue returning to the limelight, over and over.

Since 2000, the character’s gotten 10 feature-length films and six shows as the main character. And with more in development, the web-slinging teenage vigilante shows no signs of slowing down.

Enter his seventh show since 2000, the animated Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, which places Peter under the mentorship of the villain Norman Osborn. And fans of Marvel will likewise immediately recognize the names of other heroes and villains who appear in the show, such as Nico Minoru, Lonnie Lincoln and Jeanne Foucault. In fact, the roster of comic characters in this show provides Spider-Man with a hefty number of potential opponents he’ll eventually have to fight.

It’s no problem for Spider-Man, since he’ll swing a fist just as easily as he’ll swing on a web. And if you’re interested in watching a Spider-Man entry, you probably expect to see some violence (PG, this time). But in case you aren’t up to date on some of the other characters, Peter’s newest best friend, Nico Minoru, is openly bisexual. And should she follow the route of the comics, we’ll see her soon develop into a powerful sorceress.

Lastly, despite the PG rating, viewers should note that light language is used, including “h—,” “a–” and misuses of God’s name.

And because of those things, not everything in this show will be as friendly as a neighborhood Spider-Man.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

The post Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man appeared first on Plugged In.

At face value, you might conclude that Ranmaru simply loves his gig. But Ranmaru is hiding a secret.

He’s a vampire.

And a 15-year-old boy named Rihito is the real reason Ranmaru is staying at the bathhouse.

Ten years ago, Ranmaru collapsed outside of the Koi Bathhouse on the brink of death. Though initially frightened, 5-year-old Rihito eventually invited Ranmaru into the bathhouse to stay. And Rihito’s innocence and purity immediately mesmerized Ranmaru.

You see, the vampire has a particular—ahem—taste when it comes to humans. And Ranmaru finds pure, virgin, 18-year-old boys particularly delectable. So Ranmaru devised a plan: He will work at the Koi Bathhouse until Rihito’s 18^th birthday. Then he’ll indulge in Rihito’s blood.  

It’s been a decade since Ranmaru first met Rihito, and things are pretty much the same. Sure, Rihito is 15 now, but he’s still the same innocent kid as before.

But that innocence is threatened when Rihito starts high school.

On the first day of school, Rihito falls in love with a girl in his class, and Ranmaru realizes his plans could unravel. So, Ranmaru vows to protect Rihito’s virginity until his 18^th birthday.

Then, he’ll have his reward.  

Bloodsucker

Based on the Japanese manga series Baban Baban Ban Vampire by Hiromasa Okujima, Netflix’s new anime series Babanba Banban Vampire contains some bloodcurdling content.

For one, Ranmaru frequently acts according to his violent vampire nature. Some scenes feature him biting into the necks and shoulders of various characters, who bleed as they painfully pass away. Additionally, Ranmaru’s desire throughout the series is to drink Rihito’s blood. Sometimes, Ranmaru is almost overcome by this desire, and he thinks, “I could drink him dry right this moment.”

As you might’ve guessed, even more troubling than Ranmaru’s vampiric desires are the sexual suggestions that underscore these longings. Ranmaru explains his blood-drinking preferences by saying, “I only settle for 18-year-old virgin boys.” Ranmaru’s statement seems to refer to more than his culinary taste in humans.

For example, when Ranmaru thinks about Rihito’s purity, he sometimes experiences physical arousal. Ranmaru also looks longingly at Rihito’s unclothed body—which viewers do see—as he bathes in the bathhouse. And the overall relationship between the 450-year-old vampire and the 15-year-old boy appears alarmingly intimate. Additionally, Ranmaru reveals that one of his ex-lovers was another man, for whom he expressed his love by biting his flesh and drinking his blood.

Adding to the sexual undertones of the series are frequent scenes featuring animated nudity. Apart from some bare backsides, nothing critical is seen, but the show is animated in such a way that critical features are barely hidden. (Readers of this review should note, however, that much of the nudity is due to the show’s setting in a traditional, single-gendered Japanese bathhouse, or sento, in which complete nudity would be considered acceptable—and not at all sexual.)

Additionally, while the show’s narration is entirely in Japanese, its subtitles employ harsh profanity, including the f-word, “h—” and misuses of God’s name. And of course, since the show features a vampire protagonist, there are references to Ranmaru’s superhuman abilities and talismanic forces. 

If you’re looking for a family-friendly animated show about vampires, I’m inclined to suggest Hotel Transylvania instead of this Netflix anime. After all, Babanba Banban Vampire probably contains far too much disturbing sexual content, nudity and profanity to suit your family.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

The post Babanba Banban Vampire appeared first on Plugged In.

That’s why the Belmonts are still stuck in the vampire-slaying business centuries after Trevor Belmont of Castlevania fame cut the head off Dracula himself. And in 1792, Richter Belmont is caught in the middle of the French Revolution, using the family’s favorite whip to literally crack some heads off vampire bodies.

But what’s most notable is that whereas Richter used to only kill one vampire every couple of months or so, now he’s killing two or three a week—and rising. It almost seems as if the vampires are multiplying faster than Richter can kill them. But turns out, this uptick in bloodsucker activity can be pinned to a soon-to-be fulfilled prophecy.

One helpful vampire gives him the news just before Richter administers the killing blow:

“Before the moon is full, the Vampire Messiah will come—the ‘Devourer of Light,’ who will eat the sun.”

Going Batty

Any vampire who can eat the sun is bad news. Vampires burn quicker in sunlight than someone as white as me does. But as for this Vampire Messiah (a countess named Erzsebet Bathery), well, she presents her own spiritual issues for families to fight.

Notwithstanding the whole “we’re going to drink your blood” issue, Erzsebet is said to have munched her fangs into Sekhmet, the Egyptian goddess of war, which, according to Egyptian mythology, is descended from the sun god, Ra. Well, Erzsebet/Sekhmet is tired of all that sun, and she’s ready to do whatever it takes to quench the burning ball. And when someone makes a passive reference to Christianity, a representative for Erzsebet scoffs.

“Not that Messiah,” she says. “The real one.”

Fortunately for us, there’s a nearby monastery whose abbot should surely stand against such blasphemy and villainy, right? Hah. You couldn’t be more wrong. Don’t you know that those Christians are just, like, the worst? Yeah, they go around oppressing everyone they can find, so it’s no surprise when the abbot is a fanatical evildoer, too. Sure, he’s still opposed to this whole Vampire Messiah thing. That’s why he’s been using black magic to create “night creatures,” demonic entities serving him in an attempt to squash the vampire threat. In his eyes, he must take on the role of Judas Iscariot—that is, to betray his friends and faith in order for salvation to occur.

Noc-turn Your TV Off

The irony of both Castlevania and Nocturne is that, despite being centered on perhaps the most Catholic-based game ever made, it sure holds a grudge against the Christian faith. We noted as such in our review of the previous TV series, and little has changed in this sequel series.

The show almost seeps with its disdain for its central protagonist’s Christian background, and it instead elevates many pagan beliefs as more noble and heroic.

We’re not disregarding some of the atrocities that some within the Church have done. The history of the Christian Church is complex, and it often falls short of what it should be. But Nocturne condemns the religion along with the people, making a viewing feel a bit like a show writer’s personal grudges slipped into the final draft. As for us, the evil religious man is a tired and uninspired trope.

And like its predecessor, Nocturne is filled with bloody violence and bad words. F-words and s-words sully the dialogue, and plenty people and vampires alike are slain in extreme splashes of blood. In addition to those issues, viewers will also have to deal with a few homosexual relationships, including when two nude male characters have their critical bits obscured. And a nearly nude demonic woman makes an appearance as well.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out. )

The post Castlevania: Nocturne appeared first on Plugged In.

You see, five years ago, Taro Sakamoto was the world’s premier hitman, revered by others in his craft and feared by all evil men. But then he fell in love with a convenience store clerk, Aoi, and the two got married and had a child. She told him that they could only be together if he promised to stop killing people—and for five years, he’s held true to his word.

But the Boss doesn’t care about a love story. No hitman can just walk out of the business without his say-so. That’s why, after searching for Taro for years, the Boss demands that Shin slay the man.

And as Shin looks on the former hitman, he can’t help but think the job will be simple. Taro gave up the criminal underworld to run a family convenience store … and with all the noodles and sitting around at the cash register, he’s grown fat.

But as the bullet fires from Shin’s gun, a piece of candy fires from Taro’s mouth, deflecting the bullet. A few moments later, and Shin is unconscious. He wakes to a warm meal and friendly smiles. Touched by the kind experience, Shin abandons the Boss and starts working in the convenience store, too.

That’s one threat down. But now that Taro’s location is known, there are plenty of others who’d like to take down the once-famous hitman, too.

And they’ll take whatever chance they can get.

Silent Killer

Mix legendary fictional hitman John Wick with a scene from Spy x Family, and you’ve got Sakamoto Days, the story of a hitman-turned-fatherly convenience store clerk whose peaceful life is continuously threatened by adversaries from his former occupation.

But make no mistake: though Sakamoto Days is a comedy, it’s likewise filled with all the action and violence that comprise your standard John Wick film. Taro’s enemies fall by the dozens, shot, stabbed and strangled. And though watching Taro catch a bullet with chopsticks may be a cool scene, it means there are only moments before that adversary meets a blood-soaked end.

If the animated violence doesn’t get you, the language might, since in the first episode alone, we hear an f-word and four s-words. Oh, and as a sidenote: Shin can read minds, so do with that what you will.

Sakamoto Days looks as if it may come with some sweet moments and messages that, for once, praise the peaceful life of a family man above the blood-covered action hero. But Taro’s circumstances often require that action hero to emerge, leaving those sweet moments tasting a little metallic.

(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)

The post Sakamoto Days appeared first on Plugged In.