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tearasshouse · 4 years

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Vidya ramblings pt 3B

Previous list here.

Onwards and upwards to the B-tier games. I guess its a good sign that we have so much to play, and that the general bar for quality has risen so much year on year, such that B-tier games would easily slot into my A-tier list in a slower year, or C-tier games slotting into B-tier for that matter. I have to deliberately go looking for chaff these days, is what I’m saying. “B-tier games” sound worse than what they actually mean on my list: those I had very few qualms about, or their strengths were enough to compensate for their shortcomings and I generally looked forward to firing them up instead of doing so out of my completionist’s sick, demented obligation. So! Pat yourselves on the back, game devs.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia (N3DS)

I’m not an FE mark by any means, but when I’m looking for something to play on a Nintendo platform (3DS is the only one I own), FE games are invariably among the scant handful of their franchises I turn towards. Awakening was my first FE, so as a latter day entrant I have to judge all future games by that metric. I wouldn’t outright call Echoes the better game, although it is a better game in many aspects. The “feet on the ground” dungeon exploration is a nice addition; the art is absolutely gorgeous, the soundtrack is stellar, and despite not having the romances or pair-up feature, the combat was solid, even if the maps and objectives are very rote and frankly dull. The cast was very enjoyable, and plot well, it’s typical dragons and destiny and royalty will save the day, blah blah vanilla FE storytelling. It was a nice distraction in the early months of the pandemic, but I might have to give the edge to Awakening here. I am looking forward to playing all 3 routes of Fates sometime this year or the next though.

Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4)

Finally, I hear you groan, an actual 2020 release. Certainly the most lavish remake I’ve played since... RE2? I should have more nostalgia for this game, as the OG was technically my first JRPG and I’d spent an entire summer on it, with my friend’s PSX copy and his strategy guide laid out in front of me. But, I went into this with hype in check and nostalgia completely dulled, maybe because I actually am just a dried up, withered out old fart with a prune for a heart? Anyway, game is pretty good, there isn’t much to say about it that others haven’t already gushed over or criticized to death. I will say though that it’s been a while since a game’s difficulty tuning and mechanics absolutely kicked my ass. You need to learn the combat system in this or you won’t get very far, certainly not on Hard Mode anyway. I’m a bit wary about the 2nd and 3rd (possibly 4th?) entries in this project. Just how will they re-interpret the world map? How are they possibly going to tie everything up? How much of the OG game will be cut or reconfigured, and how much will be filler? Will we have to sit through more of those interminable “slide through narrow crevices to mask our shit loading times” sections? Will the environment textures actually load up properly?

Hades (EGS)

Yeah, it’s a Supergiant joint, and I’m a mark for Greek mythology, what more do you need? The only reason it’s on a lower rung here, and it’s not a fault of the game so much as what I look for in games. I’m just not much of an arcade-style, score attacker or rogue/rogue-lite player. If I wanted creative re-use of assets with super high replayability, I’ll go for a MP shooter, or an immersive sim. All that is to say that the game is rather short and repetitive (by design), and the drip-feed of story, character development, unlocks or trying out new builds and personal challenges just doesn’t do it for me. What is here is quality, through and through without a doubt and the whole 31 hours it took me to do my first clear (again, one and done - that’s all for me) were just good old fashion gaming fun.

Death Mark (PS Vita)

Vita means life! This game gets the dubious distinction of being the last physical Vita game I’ll ever buy (I was as surprised as you you must be, mhm!). The only reason it’s on the B-tier list and not the lower rung is a testament to its successfully creeping me out from beginning to end. Which is saying something, because it’s a typical horror story of urban legends manifest as hauntings and curses, done as a very low budget VN fashion. If you’re used to VNs with more QoL features like in ye olde Steins;Gates or some such, well, you’ll be quite disappointed here. No text logs, no touch controls, extreme reuse of very limited assets, etc. I understand that the dev, Experience are uhm, experienced DRPG makers, and that influence is certainly felt in the “boss battles” here, though they are somewhat clunky and use adventure game logic, which is to say not very logical or poorly explained. This is also on Steam, Switch and PS4 so... go forth and acquire.

Gravity Rush Remastered (PS4)

Unlike Tearaway Unfolded, I will say that the PS4 version is the way to go with superior controls, performance, visual fidelity, etc. You lose nothing by going to the big screen. Still one of the most charming things Sony has put out, and like it’s successor, it’s still a somewhat underbaked game. The definition of a cult classic or a B-tier perennial, simply swimming in well-earned 7s. This would rate higher (while still within the B-tier) had it not been my 3rd time going through this, but newcomers will be treated to something fresh and special. Anytime I get to shill for Gravity Rush is an opportunity I will gladly take.

Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (PS4)

The very definition of a B-tier game in my books! Well crafted and big budgeted enough by the task masters, technicians and actors at Naughty Dog to garner a guaranteed spot here. Again, I don’t mean to sound backhanded, but it’s really hard to truly love something this big, with this much broad appeal and craftsmanship. It really is everything that’s right (and wrong) with Sony’s (Western) first party output this past generation. I was slackjawed during the Madagascar car chase, touched during the dramatic moments between Nate and crew, the flashback sequences with Young Nathan were done really well (again, walking sim sections one and all), and UC4 reminded us about why pirate adventures are awesome (themes of obsession and seeking treasure at your own peril be damned). Crushing Mode in this one is truly diabolical (in the not satisfying, simply die-lots way), while the MP is... okay? Forgettable for the whole hour I devoted to it.

SOMA (Steam)

A downer of a sci-fi tale about post-humanism (or transhumanism?), deceptively snuck within a fairly spooky horror thriller. It’s made by the Swedes behind the Amnesia games, partly set in a curious recreation of my hometown of Toronto, about an average dude going through some pretty extraordinary circumstances, and none of it is treated with extraordinariness. It’s definitely a muted affair, and contributes to that grounded, depressing tone. Yeah the human race is long dead and the few consciousnesses left alive are going to live out the rest of their existences in virtual reality until the batteries run out, so what? Get to it, Simon. Smart and logical spatial puzzles underpin the walking sim aspect of the game, and though there’s the slight survival horror/stealth element, I played on Safe Mode cos I could only imagine how frustrating it would be to die to those things. Check it out, it’s great, but it’s not for everyone and in a pinch I wouldn’t want to play something like this, which is why it ends up here in the B-tier.

#2020 in review #vidya #gaming #tech #videogames #tl;dr #long post

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angelofberlin2000 · 5 years

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Photo: Emily Denniston/Vulture and photos courtesy of the studios

Keanu Reeves has been a movie star for more than 30 years, but it seems like only recently that journalists and critics have come to acknowledge the significance of his onscreen achievements. He’s had hits throughout his career, ranging from teen comedies (Bill & Ted’s) to action franchises (The Matrix, John Wick), yet a large part of the press has always treated these successes as bizarre anomalies. And that’s because we as a society have never been able to understand fully what Reeves does that makes his films so special.

In part, this disconnect is the lingering cultural memory of Reeves as Theodore Logan. No matter if he’s in Speed or Bram Stoker’s Dracula or Something’s Gotta Give, he still possesses the fresh-faced openness that was forever personified by Ted’s favorite expression: “Whoa!” That wide-eyed exclamation has been Reeves’s official trademark ever since, and its eternal adolescent naïveté has kept him from being properly judged on the merits of his work.

Some of that critical reassessment has been provided, quite eloquently, by Vulture’s own Angelica Jade Bastién, who has argued for Reeves’s greatness as an action star and his importance to The Matrix (and 21st-century blockbusters in general). Two of her observations are worth quoting in full, and they both have to do with how he has reshaped big-screen machismo. In 2017, she wrote, “What makes Reeves different from other action stars is this vulnerable, open relationship with the camera — it adds a through-line of loneliness that shapes all his greatest action-movie characters, from naïve hotshots like Johnny Utah to exuberant ‘chosen ones’ like Neo to weathered professionals like John Wick.” In the same piece, Bastién noted: “By and large, Hollywood action heroes revere a troubling brand of American masculinity that leaves no room for displays of authentic emotion. Throughout Reeves’s career, he has shied away from this. His characters are often led into new worlds by women of far greater skill and experience … There is a sincerity he brings to his characters that make them human, even when their prowess makes them seem nearly supernatural.”

In other words, the femininity of his beauty — not to mention his slightly odd cadence when delivering dialogue, as if he’s an alien still learning how Earthlings speak — has made him seem bizarre to audiences who have come to expect their leading men to act and carry themselves in a particular way. Critics have had a difficult time taking him seriously because it was never quite clear if what he was doing — or what was seemingly “missing” from his acting approach — was intentional or a failing.

This is not to say that Reeves hasn’t made mistakes. While putting together this ranking of his every film role, we noticed that there was an alarmingly copious number of duds — either because he chose bad material or the filmmakers didn’t quite know what to do with him. But as we prepare for the release of the third John Wick installment, it’s clear that his many memorable performances weren’t all just flukes. From Dangerous Liaisons to Man of Tai Chi — or River’s Edge to Knock Knock — he’s been on a journey to grow as an actor while not losing that elemental intimacy he has with the viewer. Below, we revisit those performances, from worst to best.

45. Johnny Mnemonic (1995)

The nadir of the ’90s cyberpunk genre, and a movie so bad, with Reeves so stranded, that it’s actually a bit of a surprise the Wachowskis were able to forget about it and still cast him as Neo. Dumber than a box of rocks, it’s a movie about technology and the internet — based on a William Gibson story! — that seems to have been made by people who had never turned on a computer before. Seriously, watch this shit:

44. The Watcher (2000) This movie exists in many ways because of its stunt casting: James Spader as a dogged detective and Keanu as the serial killer obsessed with him. Wait, shouldn’t those roles be switched? Get it? There would come a time in his career when Keanu could have maybe handled this character, but here, still with his floppy Ted Logan hair, he just looks ridiculous. The hackneyed screenplay does him no favors, either. Disturbingly, Reeves claims that he was forced to do this movie because his assistant forged his signature on a contract. He received the fifth of his seven Razzie nominations for this film. (He has yet to win and hasn’t been nominated in 17 years. In fact, it’s another sign of how lame the Razzies are that he got a “Redeemer” award in 2015, as if he needed to “redeem” anything to those people.)

43. Sweet November (2001) It’s a testament to how cloying and clunky Sweet November is that its two leads (Reeves and Charlize Theron) are, today, the pinnacle of action-movie cool — thanks to the same filmmaker, Atomic Blonde and John Wick’s David Leitch — yet so inert and waxen here. This is a career low point for both actors, preying on their weak spots. Watching it now, you can see there’s an undeniable discomfort on their faces: If being a movie star means doing junk like this, what’s the point? They’d eventually figure it all out.

42. Chain Reaction (1996) As far as premises for thrillers go, this isn’t the worst idea: A team of scientists are wiped out — with their murder pinned on poor Keanu — because they’ve figured out how to transform water into fuel. (Hey, Science, it has been 23 years. Why haven’t you solved this yet?) Sadly, this turns into a by-the-numbers chase flick with Reeves as Richard Kimble, trying to prove his innocence while on the run. He hadn’t quite figured out how to give a project like this much oomph yet, so it just mostly lies around, making you wish you were watching The Fugitive instead.

41. 47 Ronin (2013) In 2013, Reeves made his directorial debut with a Hong Kong–style action film. We’ll get into that one later, because it’s a ton better than this jumbled mess, a mishmash of fantasy and swordplay that mostly just gives viewers a headache. Also: This has to be the worst wig of Keanu’s career, yes?

40. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (1993)

Gus Van Sant’s famously terrible adaptation of Tom Robbins’s novel never gets the tone even close to right, and all sorts of amazing actors are stranded and flailing around. Reeves gets some of the worst of it: Why cast one of the most famously chill actors on the planet and have him keep hyperventilating?

39. Replicas (2019) In the wake of John Wick’s success, Keanu has had the opportunity to sleepwalk through some lesser sci-fi actioners, and this one is particularly sleepy. The idea of a neuroscientist (Reeves) who tries to clone his family after they die in an accident could have been a Pet Sematary update, but the movie insists on an Evil Corporation plot that we’ve seen a million times before. John Wick has allowed Reeves to cash more random checks than he might have ten years ago. Here’s one of them.

38. Feeling Minnesota (1996) As far as we know, the only movie taken directly from a Soundgarden lyric — unless we’re missing a superhero named “Spoonman” — is this pseudo-romantic comedy that attempts to be cut from the Tarantino cloth but ends up making you think everyone onscreen desperately needs a haircut and a shave. Reeves can tap into that slacker vibe if asked to, but he requires much better material than this.

37. Little Buddha (1994)

To state the obvious, it would not fly today for Keanu Reeves to play Prince Siddhartha, a monk who would become the Buddha. But questions of cultural appropriation aside, you can understand what drew The Last Emperor director Bernardo Bertolucci to cast this supremely placid man as an iconic noble figure. Unfortunately, Little Buddha never rises above a well-meaning, simplistic depiction of the roots of a worldwide religion, and the effects have aged even more poorly. Nonetheless, Reeves is quite accomplished at being very still.

36. Much Ado About Nothing (1993) Quick anecdote: We saw this Kenneth Branagh adaptation of the Bard during its original theatrical run, and when Reeves’s villainous Don John came onscreen and declared, “I am not of many words,” the audience clapped sarcastically. That memory stuck because it encapsulates viewers’ inability in the early ’90s to see him as anything other than a dim SoCal kid. Unfortunately, his performance in Much Ado About Nothing doesn’t do much to prove his haters wrong. As an actor, he simply didn’t have the gravitas yet to pull off this fiendish role, and so this version is more radiant and alive when he’s not onscreen. It is probably just as well his character doesn’t have many words.

35. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) GIFs are a cheap way to critique a performance. After all, acting is a complicated, arduous discipline that shouldn’t be reduced to easy laughs drawn from a few seconds of film played on a loop. Then again …

This really does sum up Reeves’s unsubstantial performance as Jonathan Harker, whose new client is definitely up to no good. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is a wonder of old-school special effects and operatic passion — and it is also a movie in which Reeves seems wholly ill at ease, never quite latching onto the story’s macabre period vibe. We suspect if he could revisit this role now, he’d be far more commanding and engaged. But in 1992, he was still too much Ted and not enough anything else. And Reeves knew it: A couple years later, when asked to name his most difficult role to that point, he said, “My failure in Dracula. Totally. Completely. The accent wasn’t that bad, though.” Well …

34. The Neon Demon (2016)

One of the perks of being a superstar is that you can sometimes just phone in an amusing cameo in some bizarro art-house offering. How else to explain Reeves’s appearance in this stylish, empty, increasingly surreal psychological thriller from Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn? He plays Hank, a scumbag motel manager whose main job is to add some local color to this portrait of the cutthroat L.A. fashion scene. If you’ve been waiting to hear Keanu deliver skeezy lines like “Why, did she send you out for tampons, too?!” and “Real Lolita shit … real Lolita shit,” The Neon Demon is the film for you. He’s barely in it, and we wouldn’t blame him if he doesn’t even remember it.

33. The Lake House (2006) Reeves reunites with his Speed co-star for a movie that features a lot fewer out-of-control buses. In The Lake House, Sandra Bullock plays a doctor who owns a lake house with the strangest magical power: She can send and receive letters from the house’s owner from two years prior, a dashing architect (Reeves). This American remake of the South Korean drama Il Mare is romantic goo that’s relatively easy to resist, and its ruminations on fate, love, destiny, and luck are all pretty standard for the genre. As for those hoping to enjoy the actors’ rekindled chemistry, spoiler alert: They’re not onscreen that much together.

32. Henry’s Crime (2011) You have to be careful not to cast Reeves as too passive a character; he’s so naturally calm that if he just sits and reacts to everything, and never steps up, your movie never really gets going. That’s the case in this heist movie about an innocent man (Reeves) who goes to jail for a crime he didn’t commit and then plans a scam with an inmate he meets there (James Caan). The movie wants to be a little quirkier than it is, and Reeves never quite snaps to. The film just idles on the runway.

31. The Bad Batch (2017) Following her acclaimed A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, filmmaker Ana Lily Amirpour plops us in the middle of a desert hellscape in which a young woman (Suki Waterhouse) must battle to stay alive. The Bad Batch is less accomplished than A Girl, in large part because style outpaces substance — it’s a movie in which clever flourishes and indulgent choices rule all. Look no further than Reeves’s performance as the Dream, a cult leader who oversees the only semblance of civilization in this post-apocalyptic world. It’s less a character than an attitude, and Reeves struggles to make the shtick fly. He’s too goofy a villain for us to really feel the full measure of his monstrousness.

30. Hardball (2001)

Reeves isn’t the first guy you’d think of to head up a Bad News Bears–style inspirational sports movie, and he doesn’t pull it off, playing a gambler who becomes the coach of an inner-city baseball team and learns to love, or something. It’s as straightforward and predictable an underdog sports movie as you’ll find, and it serves as a reminder that Reeves’s specific set of skills can’t be applied to just any old generic leading-man role. The best part about the film? A 14-year-old Michael B. Jordan.

29. Street Kings (2008) Filmmaker David Ayer has made smart, tough L.A. thrillers like Training Day (which he wrote) and End of Watch (which he wrote and directed). Unfortunately, this effort with Reeves never stops being a mélange of cop-drama clichés, casting the actor as Ludlow, an LAPD detective who’s starting to lose his moral compass. This requires Reeves to be a hard-ass, which never feels particularly convincing. Street Kings is bland, forgettable pulp — Reeves doesn’t enliven it, getting buried along with the rest of a fine ensemble that includes Forest Whitaker, Hugh Laurie, and a pre-Captain America Chris Evans.

28. Constantine (2005) In post-Matrix mode, Reeves tries to launch another franchise in a DC Comics adaptation about a man who can see spirits on Earth and is doomed to atone for a suicide attempt by straddling the divide twixt Heaven and Hell. That’s not the worst idea, and at times Constantine looks terrific, but the movie doesn’t have enough wit or charm to play with Reeves’s persona the way the Wachowskis did.

27. The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) Reeves’s alienlike beauty and off-kilter line readings made him an obvious choice to play Klaatu, an extraterrestrial who assumes human form when he arrives on our planet. This remake of the 1950s sci-fi classic doesn’t have a particularly urgent reason to exist — its pro-environment message is timely but awkwardly fashioned atop an action-blockbuster template — and the actor alone can’t make this Day particularly memorable. Still, there are signs of the confident post-Matrix star he had become, which would be rewarded in a few years with John Wick.

26. Knock Knock (2015) Reeves flirts with Michael Douglas territory in this Eli Roth erotic thriller that’s not especially good but is interesting as an acting exercise. He plays Evan, a contented family man with the house to himself while his wife and kids are out of town. Conveniently, two beautiful young strangers (Ana de Armas, Lorenza Izzo) come by late one stormy night, inviting themselves in and quickly seducing him. Is this his wildest sexual fantasy come to life? Or something far more ominous? It’s fun to watch Reeves be a basic married suburban dude who slowly realizes that he’s entered Hell, but Knock Knock’s knowing trashiness only takes this cautionary tale so far.

25. The Devil’s Advocate (1997)

Very few people bought tickets in 1997 for The Devil’s Advocate to see Keanu Reeves: Hotshot Attorney. Obviously, this horror thriller’s chief appeal was witnessing Al Pacino go over the top as Satan himself, who just so happens to be a New York lawyer. Nonetheless, it’s Reeves’s Kevin Lomax who’s actually the film’s main character; recently moved to Manhattan with his wife (Reeves’s future Sweet November co-star, Charlize Theron), he’s the new hire at a prestigious law firm who only later learns what nefarious motives have brought him there. Reeves is forced to play the wunderkind who gets in over his head, and it’s not entirely convincing — and that goes double for his southern accent.

24. The Prince of Pennsylvania (1988) “You are like some stray dog I never should have fed.” That’s how Rupert’s older hippie pal, Carla (Amy Madigan), affectionately refers to him, and because this teen dropout is played by Keanu Reeves, you understand what she means. In this forgotten early chapter in Reeves’s career, Rupert and Carla decide to ditch their going-nowhere Rust Belt existence by taking his dad (Fred Ward) hostage and collecting a handsome ransom. The Prince of Pennsylvania is a thoroughly contrived and mediocre comedy, featuring Reeves with an incredibly unfortunate haircut. (Squint and he looks like the front man for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.) Still, you can see signs of the soulfulness and vulnerability he’d later harness in better projects. He’s very much a big puppy looking for a home.

23. The Last Time I Committed Suicide (1997) Every hip young ’90s actor had to get his Jack Kerouac on at some point, so it would seem churlish to deny Reeves his opportunity. He plays the best pal/drinking buddy of Thomas Jane’s Neal Cassady, and he looks like he’s enjoying doing the Kerouac pose. Other actors have done so more indulgently. And even though he’s heavier than he’s ever been in a movie, he looks great.

22. A Walk in the Clouds (1995) Keanu isn’t quite as bad in this as it seemed at the time. He’s miscast as a tortured war veteran who finds love by posing as the husband of a pregnant woman, but he doesn’t overdo it either: If someone’s not right for a part, you’d rather them not push it, and Keanu doesn’t. Plus, come on, this movie looks fantastic: Who doesn’t want to hang around these vineyards? Not necessarily worth a rewatch, but not the disaster many consider it.

21. The Replacements (2000) The other movie where Keanu Reeves plays a former quarterback, The Replacements is an adequate Sunday-afternoon-on-cable sports comedy. He plays Shane, the stereotypical next-big-thing whose career capsized after a disastrous bowl game — but fear not, because he’s going to get a second chance at gridiron glory once the pros go on strike and the greedy owners decide to hire scabs to replace them. Reeves has never been particularly great at playing regular guys — his talent is that he seems different, more special, than you or me — but he ably portrays a good man who’s had to live with disappointment. The Replacements pushes all the predictable buttons, but Reeves makes it a little more enjoyable than it would be otherwise.

20. Tune in Tomorrow (1990) A very minor but sporadically charming bauble about a radio soap-opera scriptwriter (Peter Falk) who begins chronicling an affair between a woman (Barbara Hershey) and her not-related-by-blood nephew on his show — and ultimately begins manipulating it. Tune in Tomorrow is light and silly and harmless, and Reeves shows up on time to set and looks extremely eager to impress. He blends into the background quietly, which is probably enough.

19. I Love You to Death (1990)

This Lawrence Kasdan comedy — the first film after an incredible four-picture run of Body Heat, The Big Chill, Silverado, and The Accidental Tourist — is mostly forgotten today, and for good reason: It’s a farce that mostly features actors screaming at each other and calling it “comedy.” But Reeves hits the right notes as a stoned hit man, and it’s amusing just to watch him share the screen with partner William Hurt. This could have been the world’s strangest comedy team!

18. Youngblood (1986)

This Rob Lowe hockey comedy is … well, a Rob Lowe hockey comedy, but we had to include it because a 21-year-old Reeves plays a dim-bulb, good-hearted hockey player with a French Canadian accent that’s so incredible that you really just have to see it. Imagine if this were the only role Keanu Reeves ever had? It’s sort of amazing. “AH-NEE-MAL!”

17. Destination Wedding (2018) An oddly curdled comedy about two wedding guests (Reeves and Winona Ryder) who have terrible attitudes about everything but end up bonding over their universal disdain for the planet and everyone on it. That sounds like a chore to watch, and at times it is, but the pairing of Reeves and Ryder has enough nostalgic Gen-X spark to it that you go along with them anyway. With almost any other actors you might run screaming away, but somehow, in spite of everything, you find them both likable.

16. Thumbsucker (2005)

The first film from 20th Century Women and Beginners’ Mike Mills, this mild but clever coming-of-age comedy adaptation of a Walter Kirn novel has Mills’s trademark good cheer and emotional honesty. Reeves plays the eponymous thumbsucker’s dentist — it’s funny to see Keanu play someone named “Dr. Perry Lyman” — who has the exact right attitude about both orthodontics and life. It’s a lived-in, funny performance, and a sign that Keanu, with the right director, could be a more than capable supporting character actor.

15. Something’s Gotta Give (2003) This Nancy Meyers romantic comedy was well timed in Reeves’s career. A month after the final Matrix film hit theaters, Something’s Gotta Give arrived, offering us a very different Keanu — not the intense, sci-fi action hero but rather a charming, low-key love interest who’s just the supporting player. He plays Julian Mercer, a doctor administering to shameless womanizer Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson), who’s dating a much younger woman (Amanda Peet), who just so happens to be the daughter of a celebrated playwright, Erica (Diane Keaton). We know who will eventually end up with whom in Something’s Gotta Give, but Reeves proves to be a great romantic foil, wooing Erica with a grown-up sexiness the actor didn’t possess in his younger years. We’re still not sure Meyers got the ending right: Erica should have stuck with him instead of Harry.

14. Man of Tai Chi (2013) This is the only movie that Reeves has directed, and what does it tell us about him? Well, it tells us he has watched a ton of Hong Kong action movies and always wanted to make one himself. And it’s pretty good! It’s technically proficient, it has a straightforward narrative, it has some excellent long-take action sequences (as we see in John Wick, Keanu isn’t a quick-cut guy; he likes to show his work), and it has a perfectly decent Keanu performance. We wouldn’t call him a visionary director by any stretch of the imagination. But we’d watch another one of these, definitely.

13. Dangerous Liaisons (1988)

Le Chevalier Raphael Danceny is merely a pawn in a cruel game being played by Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont, and so it makes some sense that the young man who played him, Keanu Reeves, is himself a little outclassed by the actors around him. This Oscar-winning drama is led by Glenn Close and John Malkovich, who have the wit and bite to give this 18th-century tale of thwarted love and bruised pride some real zest. By comparison, Danceny is practically a boy, unschooled in the art of manipulation, and Reeves provides the character with the appropriate youthful naïveté. He’s not a standout in Dangerous Liaisons, but he acquits himself well — especially near the end, when his blade fells Valmont, leaving him as one of the unlikely survivors in the film’s ruthless battle.

12. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009) In this incredible showcase for Robin Wright, who plays a woman navigating a constrictive, difficult life with more grace and intelligence than anyone realizes, Reeves shows up late in a role that he’s played before: the younger guy who’s the perfect fit for an older woman figuring herself out. He hits the right notes and never overstays his welcome. As a romantic lead, less is more for Reeves.

11. Parenthood (1989) If you were an uptight suburban dad, like Steve Martin is in Ron Howard’s ensemble comedy, your nightmare would be that your beloved daughter gets involved with a doofus like Tod. Nicely played by Keanu Reeves, the character is the embodiment of every slacker screwup who’s going to just stumble through life, knocking over everything and everyone in his path. But as it turns out, he’s a lot kinder and mature than at first glance. Released six months after Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Parenthood showed mainstream audiences a more grown-up Reeves, and he’s enormously appealing — never more so than when advising a young kid that it’s okay to masturbate: “I told him that’s what little dudes do.”

10. Permanent Record (1988) A very lovely and sad movie that’s nearly forgotten today, Permanent Record, directed by novelist Marisa Silver, features Reeves as the best friend of a teenager who commits suicide and, along with the rest of their friends, has to pick up the pieces. For all of Reeves’s trademark reserve, there is very little restraint here: His character is devastated, and Reeves, impressively, hits every note of that grief convincingly. You see this guy and you understand why everyone wanted to make him a star. This is a very different Reeves from now, but it’s not necessarily a worse one.

9. Point Break (1991)

Just as Reeves’s reputation has grown over time, so too has the reputation of this loopy, philosophical crime thriller. Do people love Point Break ironically now, enjoying its over-the-top depiction of men seeking a spiritual connection with the world around them? Or do they genuinely appreciate the seriousness that director Kathryn Bigelow brought to her study of lonely souls looking for that next big rush — whether through surfing or robbing banks? The power of Reeves’s performance is that it works both ways. If you want to snicker at his melodramatic turn, fine — but if you want to marvel at the rapport his Johnny Utah forms with Patrick Swayze (Bodhi), who only feels alive when he’s living life to the extreme, then Point Break has room for you on the bandwagon.

8. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) and Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991) Before there was Beavis and Butt-Head, before there was Wayne and Garth, there were these guys: two Valley bozos who loved to shred and goof off. As Theodore Logan, Keanu Reeves found the perfect vessel for his serene silliness, playing well off Alex Winter’s equally clueless Bill. But note that Bill and Ted aren’t jerks — watch Excellent Adventure now and you’ll be struck by how incredibly sunny its humor is. Later in his career, Reeves would show off a darker, more brooding side, but here in Excellent Adventure (and its less-great sequel Bogus Journey) he makes blissful stupidity endearing.

7. The Gift (2000) This Sam Raimi film, with a Billy Bob Thornton script inspired by his mother, fizzled at the box office, despite a top-shelf cast: It’s probably not even the first film called The Gift you think of when we bring it up. But, gotta say, Reeves is outstanding in it, playing an abusive husband and all-around sonuvabitch who, nevertheless, might be unfairly accused of murder, a fact only a psychic (Cate Blanchett) understands. Reeves is full-on trailer trash here, but he brings something new and unexpected to it: a sort of bewildered malevolence, as if he’s moved by forces outside of his control. More of this, please.

6. My Own Private Idaho (1991)

Gus Van Sant’s landmark drama is chiefly remembered for River Phoenix’s nakedly anguished performance as Mike, a spiritually adrift gay hustler. (Phoenix’s death two years after My Own Private Idaho’s release only makes the portrayal more heartbreaking.) But his performance doesn’t work without a doubles partner, which is where Reeves comes in. Playing Scott, a fellow hustler and Mike’s best friend, Reeves adeptly encapsulates the mind-set of a young man content to just float through life. Unlike Mike, he knows he has a fat inheritance in his future — and also unlike Mike, he’s not gay, unable to share his buddy’s romantic feelings. Phoenix deservedly earned most of the accolades, but Reeves is terrific as an unobtainable object of affection — inviting, enticing, but also unknowable.

5. Speed (1994)

Years later, we still contend that Speed is a stupid idea for a movie that, despite all logic (or maybe because of the utter insanity of its premise), ended up being a total hoot. What’s clear is that the film simply couldn’t have worked if Reeves hadn’t approached the story with straight-faced sincerity: His L.A. cop Jack Traven is a ramrod-serious lawman who is going to do whatever it takes to save those bus passengers. Part of the pleasure of Speed is how it constantly juxtaposes the life-or-death stakes with the high-concept inanity — Stay above 50 mph or the bus will explode! — and that internal tension is expressed wonderfully by Reeves, who invests so intently in the ludicrousness that the movie is equally thrilling and knowingly goofy. And it goes without saying that he has dynamite chemistry with Sandra Bullock. Strictly speaking, you probably shouldn’t flirt this much when you’re sitting on top of a bomb — but it’s awfully appealing when they get their happy ending.

4. River’s Edge (1987) This film’s casting director said she cast Reeves as one of the dead-end kids who learn about a murder and do nothing “because of the way he held his body … his shoes were untied, and what he was wearing looked like a young person growing into being a man.” This was very much who the early Reeves was, and River’s Edge might be his darkest film. His vacancy here is not Zen cool … it’s just vacant, intellectually, ethically, morally, emotionally. Only in that void could Reeves be this terrifying. This is definitely a performance, but it never feels like acting. His magnetism was almost mystical.

3. John Wick (2014), John Wick: Chapter Two (2017), and John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum (2019)

If they hadn’t killed his dog, none of this would have happened. Firmly part of the “middle-aged movie stars playing mournful badasses” subgenre that’s sprung up since Taken, the John Wick saga provides Reeves with an opportunity to be stripped-down but not serene. He’s a lethal assassin who swore to his dead wife that he’d put down his arms — but, lucky for us, he reneges on that promise after he’s pushed too far. Whereas in his previous hits there was something detached about Reeves, here’s he locked in in such a way that it’s both delightful and a little unnerving. The 2014 original was gleefully over-the-top already, and the sequels have only amped up the spectacle, but his genuine fury and weariness felt new, exciting, a revelation. Turns out Keanu Reeves is frighteningly convincing as a guy who can kill many, many people.

2. A Scanner Darkly (2006)

In hindsight, it seems odd that Keanu Reeves and Richard Linklater have only worked together once — their laid-back vibes would seemingly make them well suited for one another. But it makes sense that the one film they’ve made together is this Philip K. Dick adaptation, which utilizes interpolated rotoscoping to tell the story of a drug cop (Reeves) who’s hiding his own addiction while living in a nightmarish police state. That wavy, floating style of animation nicely complements A Scanner Darkly’s sense of jittery paranoia, but it also deftly mimics Reeves’s performance, which seems to be drifting along on its own wavelength. If in the Matrix films, he manages to defeat the dark forces, in this film they’re too powerful, leading to a pretty mournful finale.

1. The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), and The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

“They had written something that I had never seen, but in a way, something that I’d always hoped for — as an actor, as a fan of science fiction.” That’s how Reeves described the sensation of reading the screenplay for The Matrix, which had been dreamed up by two up-and-coming filmmakers, Lana and Lilly Wachowski. Five years after Speed, he found his next great project, which would become the defining role of his career. Neo is the missing link between Ted’s Zen-like stillness and John Wick’s lethal efficiency, giving us a hero’s journey for the 21st century that took from Luke Skywalker and anime with equal aplomb. Never before had the actor been such a formidable onscreen presence — deadly serious but still loose and limber. Even when the sequels succumbed to philosophical ramblings and overblown CGI, Reeves commanded the frame. We always knew that he seemed like a cool, left-of-center guy. The Matrix films gave him an opportunity to flex those muscles in a true blockbuster.

#keanu reeves #keanu reeves movies #ranking #vulture

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plotbnuy · 3 years

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Book Review: The 22 Murders of Madison May (Minor Spoilers)

Sometimes I think I have a bit of a sixth sense when it comes to window shopping. I tend to always shop for things the same way: wander around until something catches my eye. This applies to everything, really. Clothes, games, shoes, I always find what I need by glancing through aisles or shelves. I spotted Max Barry's work in a small, independent bookstore while I was out getting lunch with family. I'm not quite sure if it was the title, or the vibrant yellow cover that caught my eye, but nevertheless I became fixated on reading it. Before long, I'd obtained it in audio form through my local library.

I wasn't quite sure of what to make of the first chapter. I hadn't read anything about the book, going in completely blind, so I was a bit curious of the premise. A young real-estate agent, while trying to sell a house, is approached by a man her age, named Clayton Hors. He tells her he's from another world, and that in this other world, Madison and himself were lovers. Something happened to her, and now, he claims, he wants her back. She tries to lie her way out, but of course Clay sees through her, and thus Madison May is murdered.

At this point you could assume, having not read the back of the book, that this was a story about a mysterious but insane serial killer, and you'd be right. We get to see the investigation of this crime through the lens of Felicity Staples, a New York reporter. Inadvertently dragged in, she starts digging deeper into the case, and starts to uncover a conspiracy. Before she can confront the killer, or a suspicious man from the crime scene, she's thrust off a subway platform into an entirely new world; not quite different from her own New York, but very much not the same.

Thus, our story reveals it's true identity: a slasher/thriller sci-fi hybrid. Once this was established, I was completely on-board. In fact, I finished the novel in only two days! Max Barry's riveting storytelling really shines in the first two thirds, as the story then begins to switch between the perspectives of Felicity Staples and another Madison May: the same, but different. This setup is incredibly simple, but effective. Felicity must find a way to stop Clayton, or else Madison May will be murdered in this world and every other. It's intense and thrilling, though there are times where the story slows itself down a lot. I appreciate how well the rules of this universe are established, but sometimes the story's simple premise gets bogged down. This is probably the novel's greatest weakness: the pacing. Parts that should be rushed are dragged, and others that need more attention sometimes get rushed through. It can be disorienting, especially in a plot filled with alternate realities.

I enjoyed Max Barry's writing style generally, though. His descriptions are concise and effective, giving enough detail without feeling bloated. It makes much of the story dialogue driven, which I really like, even if sometimes conversations come off a bit clunky or long. The real highlight here is the perspective changes between Madison and Felicity. Getting to learn about what kind of person Maddie is through different versions of her is absolutely fantastic; actually, the premise of alternate worlds or realities is used with great effect overall. It's exciting to learn what's different in each world Felicity goes to through the eyes of someone who's trying to figure it out for herself.

The final third of the story is possibly the weakest and least consistent, but it contains an utterly breathtaking climax that pays in spades. I wish certain parts could have been paced differently - I think Maddie's parts here take too long and Felicity's are too short - but I still think it ends pretty well. Many things are left fairly ambiguous, and there are some problems I have with the actual ending, but the payoff of the climax helps alleviate this.

For a novel I find fairly simple, I've been thinking a lot about Madison May. Even with its problems, I would highly encourage anyone interested to go check it out for themselves. If you enjoyed hearing me talk about it, I think I want to go more in-depth with my analysis of the story in another post (this post is already pretty long) but if I've convinced you to read it, do give it a shot! Thanks for reading, see you again soon!

#book review #the 22 murders of madison may #max barry #review #scifibooks #alternate reality #thriller #murder #minor spoilers

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ramajmedia · 5 years

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Erica Review: A New Type of Movie Night | Screen Rant

With each decision in Erica, player feel closer to unraveling a mystery, all the while knowing a single playthrough will only just crack the surface.

Gathering a few friends on the couch to watch a movie has evolved over the years. There were the days where someone had to own the movie (likely on VHS), followed by the hallowed days of Blockbuster. Now, practically every movie is available in some form online, be it streaming or download. But the ways we watch movies aren't the only things that have changed; it's also the ways we interact with them. Erica may not be the first interactive live-action fiction game, but it's a shining example of where the medium is heading.

Netflix's Bandersnatch is the most easy comparison to make when playing Erica. While the former is formatted like a film and the latter a game, they share a certain logic and level of interactivity. Other games with a heavy story focus, like the Quantic Dream and Telltale catalogs and the recent Mad of Medan, are certainly predecessors to Erica's easy-to-pick-up gameplay and dialogue-branching narratives. But what sets this PS4 exclusive apart is the way it embraces its movie-influenced roots.

Related: Black Mirror - Every Reference To The Pig Prime Minister In Later Episodes

Erica tells the story of a young woman plagued by visions, who becomes entangled in a dark conspiracy involving her deceased mother. There's the mysterious hospital known as the Delphi Club, strange symbols, and deadly hallucinogenic perfume. The game has all the workings of a spooky cult thriller. The haunting score from Austin Winitory (Journey) perfectly cements Erica in its genre, as do the rich visuals.

Shot almost entirely in live-action (with some CGI in more interactive-heavy close-ups), Erica truly straddles the line between film and game. From a perspective of length and price, it makes a hard right towards movie categorization. At around 2 hours per playthrough, the game is best played in one afternoon or evening, ideally with a group of friends to argue about dialogue options. And the $9.99 price tag is perfect for those to indecisive to choose a movie to rent. Why watch a movie when you could be in control of the main character in one?

Well... Erica sort of answers that question. Throughout a single playthrough, the player(s) will make about a hundred or so odd choices (estimated), leading to plenty of different endings and hidden scenes. It's a fascinating premise, and one that for the most part, works. The performances and arresting cinematography help to color a confusing script. There's too many ideas left uncovered, and paths left unexplored after one play; the game wants you to hop into the action again and try to make different decisions. It's what makes Erica different from a film; a film must stand alone after one viewing, a game can feel incomplete... but that doesn't mean it's satisfying.

The primary gameplay in Erica is making decisions for the eponymous character, whether that be through dialogue or actions. Players can decide to answer a phone or go down a hallway after a disturbing vision, they can choose to be aggressive or docile, etc. Other interactions include using the PS4 gamepad (the only part of the controller one will use throughout the game) or a mobile device (using the companion Erica app via PlayLink) to slide open curtains, brush fog off a window, or maneuver open a dresser drawer.

It's light and generally feels smooth to use, though sometimes it is difficult to tell the interaction a player should input before the choice timer runs out. Other times a press might be too fast or too slow to successfully turn a knob. After a few clunky minutes, players will likely get used to the necessary movements, just as the story starts getting more involved and interesting.

Erica, like many of the games in its aforementioned category, is difficult to judge. Should it be thought of as an interactive film or a short-fiction game? Looking at it as a film, the story is hit or miss; a times intriguing and disturbing, other times too game-ified to feel immersive. There's clunky dialogue and strange, stilted delivery among stronger performances. As a game, interaction is limited and options can seem a bit to hand-holding. But as a game and movie hybrid, as neither one nor the other, Erica somehow works.

Perhaps it's because of the novelty, assisted by strong production values. With each decision, the player feels closer to unraveling a mystery, all the while knowing a single playthrough will only just crack the surface. The days of streaming services may be in full swing, but in a niche corner of the popcorn-entertainment and chill night-in, leave a space for interactive stories. Because if Erica is any indication, they'll be here to stay, and that's not such a bad thing.

Next: Hunt: Showdown Review - Bungled Bayou Action

Erica is out now on PS4 for $9.99. The companion mobile app is free to download on iOS and Android/Google devices. Screen Rant was provided with a digital copy for the purpose of this review.

source https://screenrant.com/erica-review/

#screenrant

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gamerszone2019-blog · 5 years

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Erica Review - Grab The Popcorn

New Post has been published on https://gamerszone.tn/erica-review-grab-the-popcorn/

Erica Review - Grab The Popcorn

Erica never lets you feel at ease for long. In one scene, a character teaches Erica how to play a song on the piano–you’re encouraged to memorize the cute little melody and try to perform the correct timing. But just when you start playing along, somebody suddenly starts coughing up blood everywhere, it’s messy and gross, everyone starts screaming, and the vibe is killed. In Erica you have to treasure those sweet breaks before they’re swiftly swiped from your hands and replaced with a solid helping of worry, stress, and a side of confusion.

A fully filmed playable thriller in which the titular character is on a mission to help solve a murder case that she has strange family ties to, Erica utilizes some subtle yet effective film-inspired techniques–like match on action and screen wipes triggered by touchpad interactions–to tell its enigmatic tale. To progress each scene, you choose dialogue options and make various adventure game-like actions. The game bounces back and forth in time between Erica’s childhood with her father to the mess that is modern-day life, in which she has to move to a strange hospital her late parents helped create for her own safety.

Erica, played by real-life actor Holly Earl, is a relatable, if malleable, protagonist. Earl regularly looks like she’s bewildered or uncomfortable, exactly how you feel as a viewer in most of the situations. She seems thoughtful and patient, but other than that there isn’t too much of a set personality for her. You decide through your in-game choices if she’s more passive or aggressive or unhelpful during the case, and because of the high stakes murder circumstances, switching her attitude and approach never feels abrupt nor out of character. Even if you spend most of the game being rude, you can be friendly to someone and it doesn’t feel weird. Your reactions, and in turn Erica’s, are likely to change frequently during a playthrough every time new information pops up, objectives change, and new, incredibly peculiar characters enter the picture.

Somehow, every new character you meet is more suspicious than the last. Everyone talks to you like they just poisoned the food you’re eating. There’s a sequence in the courtyard where you can choose a girl to hang out with and get to know better, and right after you pick a possible pal to spend the afternoon with, the head of the hospital says, “Just remember that some of the girls here… Uh… They can be quite manipulative,” and just walks away. The guy is nowhere to be found after that, and you’re left sitting there wondering why would he say that–and before you know it, you’re overthinking every interaction because you don’t know which person he was insinuating was going to manipulate you. All of the secrets, ulterior motives, and Erica’s own faulty memory cause for some very intriguing “Trust nobody, not even yourself” gameplay.

Perpetual disorientation is the central feeling of Erica, and it’s what keeps you searching for the truth no matter how many crooked obstacles stand in your way. The plot is ever-changing and chaotic; you’re attempting to solve a crime by talking to a plethora of weirdos in an unfamiliar, creepy place while having stifling flashbacks of your messed-up childhood. There’s so many forces clashing and intense situations going on that you find yourself yearning to make sense of even the smallest mystery just to feel grounded. There was a time where Erica was being gaslit by a character and I ended up shaking my fist and yelling “She’s not crazy, you’re just lying!” at my TV–but even though that character annoyed me I kept listening to them in case they accidentally dropped a small hint to steer me in the right direction, and they did. Erica is a striking example of a whodunit that’s heightened by its enthralling characters, shady occult science, and recollections of previous trauma.

From the overall murder case to smaller questions like what kind of hospital you’re staying at, there are a number of mysteries weaving together concurrently throughout Erica. It’s easy to miss context that’s vital to understanding the full picture. You might get an answer to a question that’s been burning in your mind for the last half hour, but that answer could be a truth that presents new pathways to choose from or a lie that leads you astray. That mystery management is exciting and makes every experience with the game its own curious, isolated thriller molded by whatever answers and stories you care about at the time.

You can use either a DualShock 4 controller or a companion phone app to play Erica; the latter is smooth and seamless for the most part, while the former is bogged down by a clunky implementation of touchpad controls and is the far less preferable option. As you move through the narrative, you alternate between selecting which areas to explore, choosing dialogue options like “contempt” or “desperation,” and performing no-stakes everyday actions like cleaning the fog from a mirror or turning on the sink. Potential actions are shown as silhouettes on-screen, and there’s also a mock trajectory of where to swipe your hand on your phone if you’re using the app. The inputs are all done by small, comfortable hand swipes, not extending to the full horizontal or vertical reach of the screen.

Most actions are intuitive, and you feel like you know where to swipe and what you can do before the game even tells you. There’s a moment where you and a detective walk up to an empty reception desk that has a bell sitting on it, for example. I lit up when I saw it and I started tapping on the screen a bunch–Erica didn’t hesitate to mimic my actions in her world and ding away, so much so that the detective swatted her hand off of it because he got annoyed. The straightforward motions make navigating trouble-free, and being able to quickly deduce what moves you can make adds a connection to the moment-to-moment gameplay. It keeps your focus on the important things, like figuring out what the heck is going on in the story.

Choices and quick-time events happen every 30 seconds or so, which may sound overwhelming, but it isn’t so in practice. Most of the time, they aren’t high pressure actions; they’re a chain of a few choices, and those chunks are separated by longer cutscenes every so often. They do eventually get mundane and feel unnecessary, especially if you choose to use the DualShock 4, though. The game is controlled entirely with touch, and while the swipes are supposed to be a convenience for your hands, it’s difficult to perform them on the small DualShock touchpad without your fingers slipping off or hitting the joysticks. There were also a few occasions where the companion app was slightly unresponsive, which is something that can have game-changing consequences if it happens at a critical moment. It takes a second to get back into the game’s rhythm after there’s a blip in the controls. They’re small things, but those shortcomings pull you out of what is otherwise a really engrossing experience.

In general, the filmic elements are integrated so carefully that it’s a genuine and mostly calculated mix of two mediums. Erica is in the middle of game and movie, and a lot of small mechanics add up to show that. For example, the character Erica is an artist, and there’s a scene fairly early on where you can flip through the pages of her artbook. Looking through a character’s personal items is a common feature in interactive adventure games, but the detail that went into shooting the natural angles of each flip makes it an even more intimate way of gaining insight into who the character is. Outside of the footage itself, all of the trophy pop-ups are paused until you complete the game, which goes a long way to keep you from getting distracted. It’s a small, fitting touch for a game that values story so much.

Perpetual disorientation is the central feeling of Erica, and it’s what keeps you searching for the truth no matter how many crooked obstacles stand in your way.

There are also some sneaking situations that are made better by the film aspect. There are always conversations happening behind closed doors, and because you have so many questions that you need answered, sometimes you have to be a weirdo and eavesdrop on people. If you peek out for too long or open the door too fast, they’ll see you, stop their conversation, and share an awkward glance with you. Because it’s footage of actual peoples’ facial expressions, it makes you cringe a little more–and that is one of the most high-tension fail states I can imagine.

The whole time, the game marinates you in a constant anxious energy that fuels a curiosity for the dodgy, mysterious world that you’re influencing. Some scenes you’re just holding a book or a photo and staring at it for details, but since it’s paired with an insidious sting it transforms what would be a normal occasion into bitter dread. There are flashbacks, dreams, and abnormal things happening frequently; oftentimes you’re forced to decide on the one secret you want to uncover the most and drop the others. Should you pick up the phone that’s been ringing in the lobby or check out that weird ghost thing in the hallway? There are some decisions that are straight-up difficult–high-stakes ones where, in the bottom of your heart, you don’t know what the right thing to do is, but you know you have to do something. Those times will have you wishing that this game was just a movie, but Erica is more than that.

Erica has a strong, fleshed-out narrative full of twists and turns that each bring their own unique piece to the story. Its cryptic tone is carried through the audio, visuals, and writing; it never lets you relax. Sometimes weird controls jolt you out, but there is an abundance of enticing threads to follow, and it’s a treat to be able to mold your own adventure out of it. Using a combination of crisp cinematography and FMV-specific game mechanics, Erica never fails to hook you into its haunting, mysterious world.

Source : Gamesport

#Game Reviews

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jockpersecution · 5 years

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The Great Forgetting, James Renner

This is my first wholly bad review! I thought this book was really, really bad. I really like conspiracy theories, sci fi that seems like it’s just set in present reality until you get farther into the book and realize it’s off, and I liked the idea of the “gradient” - introducing people to the theory slowly, waiting till they accept progressively one more-out-there idea to introduce the next. It went so so wrong……

Spoilers below, but I wouldn’t recommend reading it anyway.

• My first HUGE problem was the RIDICULOUSLY inappropriate relationships. Sam, who’s a COCSA /& CSA survivor, is 13 and her abuse is still ongoing when she first gets with the protagonist, Jack, 17 at the time. She’s removed from her abusive household and then is still with Jack at 17/ 21. And then, when they find Jack’s best friend Tony about to kill himself, Jack…gives his gf and bff permission to fuck to cheer him up…? So their weird relationship of them both sleeping with her continues for a while. Tony says that Sam doesn’t like how delicately Jack treats her because she was abused- and there’s then a scene where Jack is thinking about how badly he wants to scream at her aggressively when he doesn’t like what she’s saying. He doesn’t though- he just tells her to shut up and pulls her to kiss him. For a while, I thought maybe the author was trying to write him as a flawed protagonist. By the end though it seemed clear the reader is supposed to like him and care if he lives or dies. Two other main relationships - between Jack’s sister and Mark (said to be abusive but not for this reason) and with Cole also had this age gap. Always with the woman as the younger one. Interesting, Renner! This being presented as acceptable was what condemned this book to me - it made it so, so hard to read.

• The only character I found likeable (Cole) also gets with a 13 year old girl as a 17 year old at the end (I had hoped he would be gay, too - he seemed slightly coded as such and is constantly called a fag and such by the Hilariously Homophobic Right-Wing Old Man) and then dies

• The men who control the world-brain-control devices are revealed to be Jewish holocaust survivors. So you get those conspiracy theories in there.

• I really wouldn’t necessarily mind using the names of real celebrities and scientists - that could add to its setting in the present. But saying these real people (Hawking was the main one) pioneered the mind control scheme is a bit sinister, I know I wouldn’t like my name used this way

• Boiling water doesn’t get rid of the flouride. This one is googleable.

• I’m guessing the writer took some notes from Gran Torino in building the Loveable Right-Wing Old Man. The jaded Vietnam war vet who uses anti Asian racial slurs but really is a good person and really doesn’t hate Asian peoples - rescues an early teens Vietnamese girl who’s being prostituted, hides her in his apartment for an extended time, until another man breaks in to rape and kill her - at which time Loveable Old Man kills this guy.

• Here’s a short example of the obnoxious writing style and subtle judgements the author interjects

“She was round but not unattractive. Dark hair. Dark skin. She was forty-five. A Navajo. Full-blood. One of the librarians from section twelve. Biographies.”

• “She sat and he offered her the pipe. It was marijuana, or like marijuana in the way a freshly picked berry from the forest is like store-bought fruit. This was uncultivated, wild pot. It smelled of damp earth and time. If history had a smell, thought Sam, it would smell just like this. She held in the smoke and then let it out slowly like he’d showed her to do when they were kids.”

I don’t know if the author is trying to prove to us that he HAS in FACT had sex and smoked weed, but what is this? Weed is in fact better when cultivated, is not native to the area of Alaska and can probably not be grown outside in that area, and is never going to smell like “damp earth and time” holy fuck this is corny. Also I love wild berries, but the best berries are fresh home-grown berries. Author should go to the farmer’s market.

• This one is nsfw but I have to include it. Keep in mind Jack (21) is dating Sam (17) & Tony (21) is his best buddy. Super creepy & consistently the type of relationship represented in the book, and while I expect sex scenes in novels I don't expect weird sharing kinks in sci fi thrillers.

“Jack hugged his friend.

‘Get off me before you give me an accidental boner,’ said Tony.

Jack backed away and Sam swam to Tony and hugged him. Then she laughed. "Not a moment too soon,” she said.

Sam looked at Jack. She was seventeen now. A young woman who’d kicked off her fears in the years since the county fair and that scorching August in her when they were kids. There was a question in her eyes, and they were so close in so many ways she didn’t need to voice it. Jack nodded, smiled, and drifted on his back toward the beach. Sam turned to Tony and slipped her legs around him. She leaned forward and brushed her chest against his.

'What are you doing?’ He whispered.

'Making you feel better,’ she said. She took his right hand and placed it on her left breast. Then she moved up his body and placed her mouth on his. His lips were softer than Jack’s. Almost feminine. He broke away to look for Jack, but he was stepping out of the water already, giving them privacy. 'It’s okay,’ Sam assured him.

In a moment Tony was tossing her clothes away. And then he was inside her, she was around him, and when he came, he bit her lip and she moaned softly.

They took Tony back to Jack’s dorm at Miami U and later that night the three of them climbed under the flannel blankets of the narrow bed. Tony kissed Sam as Jack spooned up to her from behind.“

rating: 👎👎👎👎👎

The first part of the book was intriguing! Even though the book let me unsatisfied, it did really pull me in for a while. Unfortunately I didn’t care at all about any but one of the characters - I was either very neutral or actively couldn’t stand them. The writing felt clunky at times, but if I’m being generous I can say it may just not be the style I prefer. The things I explain above just put the nail in the coffin and move it beyond simply very mediocre.

#james renner #the great forgetting #novel #i feel like my posts should make it clear idc if a book is 'problematic' but this is sinister lol #book #review

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kihocrystal · 8 years

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Fall 2016 - Final Impressions

It’s a little after New Year’s, but here’s what I thought of the animes that I finished this past anime season! There’s 12 reviews here, which you can find under the cut! All of them are listed in alphabetical order for your convenience~

Ajin Season 2 - 8.5 / 10 (B+) YMMV on whether this season was weaker than S1, but this is still a very good continuation (& conclusion???) to this series~

animation: Yup, this show is still CGI animated (by Polygon Pictures), which is the thing that tends to drive people away from this show the most. I still don’t mind it, because it’s actually really good for anime CGI! Character expressions and models are still good, and the action (despite the low frame rate) also isn’t bad either! There’s good use of dark lighting and muted colors as well.

characters: The cast (on both sides of the conflict) are good this season as well. Kei and Tosaki team up this season, which allowed for interesting character interactions and situations. Satou is still crazy as ever and doing crazy shit (even when his goonies start defecting from him), making him one of the best (if not *the* best) anime villain in 2016. His attitude of treating countless killing like a game makes him very fun to watch. Poor Kaito got ignored for most of the season again, but at least he swoops in to save Kei in ep. 11(?). Izumi and Tosaki got some development this season (mostly for their relationship + Izumi’s backstory), including a mini-arc in the middle of the season. Even though said arc was debatably filler-ish story-wise, it did jumpstart a change in their relationship, which was good to see.

story: This season picked up where the last season left off, and quickly leads into Tosaki and Kei’s teams working together to put a stop to Satou’s schemes. The initial episodes had a lot of training segments for the new team, but outside of that, the plot progressed like a good thriller should. There were several tense moments (even when the hero team would watch things unfold on their TV) that were entertaining to watch unfold (especially when the hero team finally put their plan into action and *still* weren’t a match for Satou). By the end, though, it was good to see them finally take him down (along w/ Satou being unfazed even when his own men leave him). The finale has a good sense of conclusion to it, but is a bit more open-ended than I was expecting (which probably wasn’t a good idea, since this ending is anime original to begin with) :/

This season was a good conclusion to a really good series, that’s one of 2016’s many highlights. If you like a good thriller (and can accept the CGI animation), you shouldn’t miss this one!

Bungou Stray Dogs S2 - 8.5 / 10 (B+)

I enjoyed this season more than season one! It’s a really fun & well-animated action spectacle!

animation: BONES did a great job with the visuals again this season (which is par for the course for them)! The realism-leaning art-style works well here again (along with its muted / darker color palette), and it still makes good use of comedic animation and deformed expressions (which utilizes thicker outlines as well). The animation itself is also very good, as action scenes have (for the most part) very good fluidity and special effects! The action and fights deliver quite well, and is one of this show’s strongest aspects.

characters: The main cast is still fun to watch, and all show off their badass qualities in one way or another! While not every character got much development this season, there were some notables that did, including Dazai, Atsushi, and even Akutagawa (to an extent)! The first four episodes gave a spotlight on Dazai’s past with the Port Mafia, plus had its own cool lead (Oda) that had a complete arc of his own. The other episodes gave the supporting cast some time to shine and show off their badassery too (from all three factions). Seeing all the different superpowers that come into play (including the new ones from the Western author-inspired Guild) was cool to see as well!

story: The first four episodes feature a prequel arc involving Dazai and two new characters (Oda and Ango), then the last eight episodes pick up where season one left off. The prequel had a notably darker feel to it, and also had a lot of dramatic weight to it. It definitely has a case towards being the best segment of the entire series! The remainder of the season is no slouch either; it may not be as heavy or dramatic (even though it does have its darker moments), but it has great action and shows off its large cast well. The final two episodes had a great climax too, as Atsushi and Akutagawa teamed up to beat the Guild’s leader (Fitzgerald) in an explosive fight, and even saw Kyouka FINALLY get her happiness in the end!

I had a really good time with this season, which was a notable improvement over its first! If you like action anime or are interested in its literature-inspired themes / characters, you should check this one out!

Flip Flappers - 8.5 / 10 (B+)

this is a really fun and crazy action magical-girl-esque show! Think magical girls meets FLCL :D

animation: Studio 3Hz is a relatively new studio, but they did a great job with the visuals! Everything looks bright and colorful, and they brought a lot of crazy worlds to life within Pure Illusion (snow world, horror film-esque boarding school, Mad Max-esque world, you name it!). The character’s large eyes and jagged-looking hair takes a little getting used to, but it comes out looking great anyway thanks to the awesome animation! Which, yeah, the animation is pretty great! Not every episode is a fluid masterpiece, but the action scenes overall have very fluid movements and smears! However, there were some fanservice-y moments that got kinda uncomfortable at times (I’m looking at you, robot episode…). Other than that, this show definitely had the most flashy and crazy visuals and animation out of any show this season~

characters: The main cast was very quirky, to put it simply! Cocona was the “straight-face” during all the chaotic adventures, and Papika was full of optimism and enjoyed the whole ride! I liked their relationship and how it grew over time, even though it was queerbait-y at times. I also liked Yayaka, and how she stayed by Cocona, even when she was working for the enemy. The other members of both factions didn’t really get much screen time (outside of the two twins Yayaka worked with), and the later-revealed Nyunyu, despite being touted as the Third Child, didn’t do much either. Dr. Salt (and Mimi later on) get some good backstory though, and play big roles in the climax. The final arc in general gives more depth to several characters (including the main duo), turning what we knew about them on its head!

story: The main premise starts out as the main duo going from world to world within the mysterious Pure Illusion dimension, in order to collect amorphous fragments. The first half of the show is mostly episodic, as each episode features a different creative setting that they must travel to (and most likely fight against Yayaka & the enemy faction). These episodes range from action spectacles to more grounded & atmospheric (it’s kinda like Alice in Wonderland!) The show’s second half takes a notably different approach (at least partially explained by a change in lead writer), as it becomes more story-driven with a big focus on exploring several main character’s backstories (& them coming to a head in the climax). Cocona’s mother reappears and acts as the villain in this final act, so the conflict feels more personal to them. I really liked seeing all the secrets being revealed, and watching the final battle play out! The final episode had some callbacks to the first episode, and helped brings things full circle, which was nice!

This was definitely one’s of the season’s best action and visually-impressive shows! If you like magical girl shows, or like “trippy” anime like FLCL or Space Dandy, you should check this out!

Fune wo Amu - 8.5 - 9.0 / 10 (A-)

A really good laid-back slice-of-life drama about making a dictionary! The premise *sounds* boring, but it made for one of the season’s best shows~

animation: ZEXCS hasn’t been around much lately, but they did a nice job here with the visuals! The art-style leans more towards realism, but leaves out enough details to keep that “anime” look. The backgrounds look nice as well, and the color palette as a whole makes good use of muted colors (it definitely gets the show’s overall feeling of realism across!). The animation is fine as well, though it’ll break out a nice & fluid walking sequence at times too (even if it’s a little clunky). The mid-episode sections involving the dictionary mascots were bright and colorful, and used thick lines (making it very distinct from the main show). The visual style overall is a nice complement to what’s happening in the story (and helps it be beautiful at times too).

characters: The main cast is not that large, but they’re all fun and laid-back; not to mention they’re ADULTS, which is great to see in anime. Majime is a good lead, as he starts out kinda socially-awkward but his passion for words breaks through (& he becomes more confldent over time too!). My favorite character was definitely Nishioka; I really liked his outgoing & suave personality who helped get things done in his own way (+ didn’t take shit from third party contributors either!). His VA performance by Hiroshi Kamiya also was a big contributing factor. The other co-workers were enjoyable as well (to the point where Matsumoto’s eventual death was an emotional moment ;~; ), and had a good group dynamic. Even though the main two significant others (Kaguya and Miyoshi) didn’t have tons of screentime, their personalities & how well they bounced off of their partners made up for it. Even the later addition of Midori to the team was good, as she learned to appreciate dictionary-making as well.

story: The premise of following a group of people making a dictionary sounds kinda boring on paper (heh heh), but the execution more than makes up for it. The atmosphere and story-progression are very down-to-earth, and it does a good job showing how interesting words and definitions can be. The character arcs also add intrigue to the show, including Majime falling in love with Kaguya and Nishioka being transferred out of the dictionary department (that particular arc added a lot of depth to Nishioka’s character & was a great watch!). The mid-episode chibi-dictionary segments have little trivia bits about dictionaries, but they’re not that memorable otherwise. There’s a big time skip slightly later than halfway through the series; it takes a little time for the viewer to adjust, but it goes back to business as usual in no time. The final episodes show the last steps of finishing the titular dictionary, ending w/ a finale episode that wraps up everything really well in a poetic (& even kinda emotional) way.

This show is definitely underrated, and is one of the season’s best shows for sure! If you like laid-back slice-of-life shows (even if it’s about an unusual subject matter), then check this one out for sure!

Haikyuu: Karasuno vs Shiratorizawa - 9 / 10 (A)

(Note: this review is written in a different style from the others; I was initially gonna use this style for all my reviews like in past seasons, but I lost my notes for three reviews I wrote afterwards due to computer issues. I ended up switching to a different style when rewriting them, and it just kinda stuck for the others...)

Really good third season! it focused on just one match, but it was a big one!

animation:

Production I.G. hits it out of the park, as always

INCREDIBLY FLUID & DYNAMIC movements (spikes, quick movements, jumps, etc.)

gotta love those action lines & varying thicknesses of the outlines :D

not to mention the 3D camera in the final spike of the match!

just… an incredible action spectacle! a feast for the eyes~

characters:

this whole season is just seeing the team come together & show off their skills!

each character had their own moment of badassery along the way :’)

the star of the season (or… MVP, if you will :P) was *definitely* Tsukishima!

he finally got emotionally involved in his volleyball! (that fist pump ;~; )

plus he was a great strategist & was a huge asset to helping Karasuno win!

we also got introduced to Shiratorizawa’s players in detail!

each guy got a decent amount of backstory… just not a lot

the one who got the most focus (besides Ushijima) was definitely Tendou!

he was very much a “joker” character; always wanting to mess w/ his opponents

shout-out to coach Ukai, whose seiyuu passed away before the show started airing ;~;7

his old seiyuu’s final line was a great line to go off on ;A;

story:

the entire season was dedicated to just one final match!

it created good suspense too, just like a real sporting match!

especially since it came down to a deuce in the final set (out of FIVE)!

there was a lot of back-and-forth action too (i.e. quick changes in momentum)

while the story was simple, it had great execution and attention to detail!

the final moment when Karasuno won the match was great as well!

it has an open ending as well (since they still gotta go to nationals! plus Kageyama got a training camp invite!)

overall, this was a great continuation that kept up what this show is so good at delivering~

Hibike Euphonium 2 - 9 / 10 (A) a great conclusion to a really good show about a high school band!

animation: Kyoto Animation does a stellar job yet again! Muted color palette, shiny highlights & lighting (like they’re glowing!), great fluidity in the animation (like w/ walking, running, concert scenes), effective character animation (i.e. small movements). Character art-style is a good mix of moe and realistic characteristics. Just a great looking show all around!

characters: The group dynamic of the cast (i.e. the band itself) remains strong, but there were some characters that got good development this season! The first half had an arc involving Mizore and Nozomi, whom we didn’t really know previously! The second half was more centered around Asuka, who had a great character arc! Even Kumiko had good development in this half of the show (since she was dealing w/ the situation involving her sister Mamiko as well)! It was great seeing her take action after seeing her in an observer role for most of the show prior. We also got some insight into Taki-sensei’s past, which led to a small character arc for Reina as well (even though it still involves a relationship w/ a massive age difference :T).

story: This season covers the rest of the school year right from where S1 left off. Most of the plot is related to the previously mentioned character arcs, which were all executed wonderfully. Even though the drama isn’t focused as much on the band’s competition progression / preparation this time around, we do still get to see them compete on the big stage and even reach their goal of the Nationals! The finale also brings the show to a fitting conclusion, as the third-years graduate and the band starts anew. It’s nice to see a definitive ending in an anime~

I probably enjoyed this season even more than the last one, and it’s definitely one of the best shows of this season. If you like character dramas (and/or shows about orchestral bands), you should definitely check this out!

Magical Girl Raising Project - 7.0 / 10 ( C ) unfortunately, this was one of this season’s lowlights… it’s basically a bad madoka derivative :/

animation: This is one aspect of the show that I liked (done by Studio Lerche). The art-style is very rounded and cutesy (which is fitting for a magical girl show). What is *not* fitting is how much they try to pull off “sexy” character design elements, like skimpy outfits and big boobs / clevage; it just really clashes w/ the “moe” art-style. The character designs themselves have a mix of different tropes (witch / cowgirl / dog / goth lolita / etc.) too. Animation-wise, it was a mostly standard effort (not bad, but not good either). The fight scenes could’ve used more fluidity as well. Shout-out to the ending theme by Nano, whose one of my fav anisong artists!

characters: Just like the character designs, the group of personalities here is also a mix of different tropes that are played mostly straight. There were characters I really liked personality-wise (like Top Speed, La Pucelle, and Hardgore Alice), but there were also characters I really hated (I DISLIKED THE ANGELS FROM THE MOMENT THEY FIRST SHOWED UP; THEY’RE SO MEAN-SPIRITED!!!). Mostly though, I felt indifferent about a lot of them, which made their death scenes have little to no impact on me. Their backstories mostly tend to be shown in the same episode that they kicked the bucket, which also didn’t help matters. Said backstories in question also seemed to use every tragic backstory trope in the book, which just kinda made things ridiculous. Also, both Calamity Mary and Cranberry were built up as legitimate threats over the show’s run, but were defeated rather anti-climatically (especially the latter), which was kinda lame.

story: The premise is basically Battle Royale meets magical girls, as the cast is forced to kill each other to survive. At least, that’s how it starts, but then certain characters (like Swim Swim and Calamity Mary) start killing others just for kicks. I actually didn’t mind the first four episodes too much (outside of the mean-spirited antics of Ruler’s gang): the setup wasn’t bad and the death scenes of Ruler and Nemurin were executed (*ba dum tsh*) in a somewhat-interesting way. However, after that point the gore and EDGE goes into full force, as fight scenes and deaths are shown in such a dark (& even quick) manner that they don’t have the impact that they should have. (The lone exception to this is Hardgore Alice’s death scene, and not by much. Heck, I even fist-pumped when the two angels died...) They even tack on some purely-for-shock-value stuff at the end of some of these deaths (like Sister Nana’s piss trail after her hanging, or the reveal that Top Speed was pregnant after her death.) Lastly, the final episode makes the whole ordeal feel not worth it in the end, since Fav gets what he wants out of the killing game in the end (even though he himself gets killed), and it feels like the survivors are just worse off in the end.

This show joins Daybreak Illusion in the dubious “bad madoka ripoff club.” It’s hard to say which one of the two I dislike more, since they both are bad in different ways. Either way, this show is one that I would probably advise that you skip.

Occultic;Nine - 7.5 / 10 (C+)

An interesting story that is ultimately weighed down by its ridiculously fast pacing…

animation: A-1 Pictures made this show look quite good (and interesting)! The art-style makes good used of painted background, muted colors, dynamic lighting + shadows, and fuzzy / jagged outlines on characters! Certain characters (like the murdering minor) are drawn more realistically at times too. The visual direction had some interesting angles from time to time (but also made some scenes rotated for no real reason). Also, WHY ARE RYO-TAS’s BOOBS SO BIG??? THEY’RE IMPOSSIBLE BOOBS

characters: The main cast has a good mix of personalities; I liked seeing the characters bounce off each other. Shun in particular had a fun personality (which owes a lot to his VA’s performance), and I liked Asuna’s later introduction (since she was an alive detective who could talk with the dead to an extent). Gamon (and a couple others, like Sarai) could get kinda annoying at times, since he tends to say a lot without much pause. However, they don’t get a ton of development. Gamon at least gets some backstory involving his dad, and Aria has backstory involving his dead brother (said story is kinda messed up too). I also liked how Ryo-tas was revealed to have Aveline possessing her from time to time (which made her suspicious leading up to it).

story: There’s a lot going on in this supernatural sci-fi mystery; a bunch of mysterious events (including murders and a mass drowning) lead a group of teens to uncover a big conspiracy and put a stop to it. The story is definitely hard to follow at times, since they throw lots of info at you (not to mention a lot of technobabble). It gets more interesting once the twist at the end of episode 6 occurs (as most of the main cast is revealed to be dead / ghosts), along with more reveals. There’s a lot of interesting ideas here (not to mention the story has a definitive ending), but it’s really held back by how *fast* the pacing is. Episode 1 is infamous in how fast it goes (seemingly sped-up dialogue, little pauses in-between dialogue & other scenes, etc.), but even though it gets better after that, it’s still a big issue. I actually started adjusting the playback speed to 0.9x after seeing someone else suggest that on r/anime. The final episode is kinda bittersweet, as the organization is defeated and Gamon gets to see his dad again, but Gamon seems to still be stuck in the spirit realm (and the epilogue I felt was too short).

As a fan of the Sci;Adv series, I had a good time with this one, even though it’s far from the best show this season. If you’re a fan of other shows in that series (like Steins;Gate or Robotics;Notes), you’ll find something to like here. Just remember to adjust the playback to 0.9x speed for a better time :P

Show By Rock!! # - 7.5 / 10 (C+)

Not *as* good as season 1, but I still had a good time with it!

animation: BONES did good visuals this season too, as it has the same quality and style as season one. It’s very bright and colorful (and shiny!). Animation fluidity was mostly fine, with better fluidity during most performance sequences. The CGI returns (and is of the same quality as in season one, which is a good thing), but doesn’t show up as much.

characters: The main cast is fun to watch, just like in season one (and honestly, the cast is the biggest draw to this show)! Plasmagica got a few focus episodes that helped develop them slightly more (Retoree & Cyan). ShinganCrimsonZ definitely got more focus this season, as they played a role in the Arcareafact and Bud Virgin Logic arcs, along with learning more about Rom + Shuzo’s past, along with Aion’s past! The new villain Victorious was a simple evil villain, but I didn’t think she needed a dark backstory to justify her being evil (what’s wrong with her just simply being an deity of darkness?)

story: Plot progression was very simple this season, as most episodes revolved around character arcs (or focus episodes). There was an overarching plot introduced in episode one, but it didn’t have much relevance again until the last third of the season. I enjoyed the character-based episodes, as they either showed us more fun hijinks with the crazy fun cast, or helped flesh them out a bit more. The final episode particularly saw a decline in visual quality (ex: the big collab performance that was built up over the past two episodes was shown in sub-par 2D animation) and just had weird execution overall.

If you enjoyed season one, you’ll probably enjoy this one as well! Check this series out if you like fun characters and music performances~

Shuumatsu no Izetta (aka Izetta the Last Witch) - 8.0 / 10 (B)

This was a fun & enjoyable historical fantasy fiction show! Nothing mind-blowing, but I had a good time with it~

animation: This show had good visuals overall! The art-style for the characters is very similar to what I call the “A-1 Pictures” art style (as seen in shows like SAO). I liked the painterly backgrounds and muted color palette, which presented the historical WWII setting well. Animation-wise, the fluidity is really good, especially in the early episodes. The action looks great to start, but diminishes in quality over time (even though it’s still fine by the end). However, I did like how creative the action could be at times (like using trains and spears as aerial weapons!). Bonus mention to the great opening theme song by AKINO with bless4!

characters: The cast was fine overall, but the stars of the show were definitely Finé and Izetta. Finé is a strong leading lady who doesn’t flinch in the face of terror (which is fitting for royalty like her!), and Izetta is a good fighter in her own right w/ her magic! I also liked seeing their relationship play out, even though it has some queerbait-y moments. The side characters had fun personalities, but none of them were super-standout either (though some on both Elystadt and Germania sides got a little bit of focus / screentime. A good example of this was Muller, who at least had his character arc come full circle).

story: The premise is based in an AU World War II, where a small country gains the help of a young witch to help fight off the looming superpower threat. The first few episodes started out relatively strong, with several good action scenes showcasing the two female leads and Elystadt’s main cast. The overall quality kind of dipped after that, but there were still some good moments there. I wish Sophie being a major player was foreshadowed a bit better, and the quick love(?) arc involving Ricelt could’ve been done better (or tied into the main story more). The finale didn’t quite go back to the early-episodes quality, but it still had fun story & action beats, and wrapped things up in a conclusive way.

Even though the rest of the show didn’t *quite* live up to those first few episodes, it’s still an enjoyable, action filled time. If you enjoy fantastical historical fiction shows, you’ll find something to like here.

Udon no Kuni no Kimiro Kemari (aka Poco’s Udon World) - 8.5 / 10 (B+)

This was a really sweet show about the themes of family! It’s easy to compare it with shows like Barakamon and Sweetness & Lightning, but it forges its own identity by the end~

animation: LIDENFILMS doesn’t have a *ton* of prior work, but they did a nice job with the visuals! The art-style is quite distinct; it has pretty watercolor backgrounds and a bright color palette (it looks kinda like a storybook in a way!). The characters have rounder-than-usual eyes (especially with the kid characters) and all have long, white highlights on their hair and bodies! The animation itself isn’t anything special, but it gets the job done for a cute slice-of-life show like this one.

characters: The main cast was very down-to-earth and enjoyable to watch! The main lead Souta got some great character development over the course of the show; I enjoyed seeing him re-discover his love for his hometown and for his family (including his deceased dad). Poco was also a really cute kid; him being a tanuki allowed for some good supernatural stuff towards the end of the show. The side characters were also really good! They all had fun personalities and had good interactions with Souta and Poco (Hiroshi falling in love with Rinko comes to mind); Rinko in particular got some good development towards the end (as she had uncertainties about being a mom, and Poco helped give her confidence!). I don’t have any comments about the Gaogao-chan segments & its characters, because I skipped them every episode ^^;

story: This show follows the daily life of Souta, who just returned to his hometown after time away, and Poco, a tanuki who meets South and starts spending time with him. A lot of the story progression involves small events with the main duo, like hanging out with Mai and her kids, or spending time with Nakajima or Rinko. The story’s main core though is learning about Souta’s situation (his falling out w/ his parents + hometown, him moving to Tokyo, his leg injury, etc.) and seeing how Poco changes his perception of all of these aspects over time (with the power of cuteness, family bonding, and even some supernatural flashbacks!). The show as a whole is really adorable to watch; not to mention quite heartfelt and emotional at times! It really gets the feeling of “family” down, especially with an atypical family like this one. The final episode definitely tugs on the heartstrings, as Poco shows Souta how much his father truly loved him, and the two have to go their separate ways ;~;

This show was definitely the most pleasant surprise of the season for me, along with being one of the season’s most underrated shows (alongside Fune wo Amu)! If you like slice-of-life shows, or enjoyed Barakamon and/or Sweetness & Lightning, you should check this one out!

Yuri!! On Ice - 8.5 / 10 (B+)

A very enjoyable sports anime about ice skating, that also features one of the best examples of an LGBT couple in all of anime!

animation: MAPPA did a really nice job with the visuals! The art-style leans a bit more towards realism, but also makes good use of cartoon-y expressions + comedic animation. (I also get a kick out of how similar Yuri K. looks to Parasyte’s Shinichi, since both shows have the same character designer :P). Animation-wise, the fluidity is definitely above-average and the figure skating routines look great as well, especially considering it’s done in all 2D animation! (There are some routines later in the show by supporting characters that sacrifice staying on-model for consistent fluidity, though).

characters: The cast as a whole is fun to watch, and has a good mix of personalities. The standout characters for me were definitely Yuri K. and Victor; I liked how both had goofy and serious sides to their personalities. Seeing their relationship develop over time (and how it helped both characters learn and grow) was one of my favorite aspects of the show, as it never failed to put a smile on my face! (It also helps that it’s one of the best-portrayed LGBT couples in anime, period!) Yurio was also a good rival, who really showed growth in his character (and his respect for Yuri and his grandpa) over time! The other supporting characters (mainly the other skaters) were also enjoyable, even though they didn’t get much focus development-wise (besides JJ, kinda). They still had fun interactions with each other and the main cast (especially in episode 10), so I still definitely liked having them around.

story: The story follows Yuri who, after reaching a low point in his career, gets his idol Victor to coach him through the next ice skating season, in order to win gold! The main story progression takes Yuri through each of the competitions leading up to the Grand Prix Finals, just like most sports anime. While the drama and suspense coming from the competitions themselves isn’t as strong (in comparison to other sports anime like Haikyuu, anyway), the routines are still really good and the feeling of competition still gets across. (Besides, the most effective serious and triumphant moments for me came from the ups and downs of Yuri and Victor’s relationship, anyways :P). The episodes also kinda felt fast-paced at times (not nearly as bad as Occultic;Nine, though); perhaps a nitpick, but it was noticable. The final episode ended things on an open-ended but good note, as Yuri falls just short of Gold (and Yurio wins!) but is determined to win next time (plus Victor decides to un-retire and the two of them do a pair skate at the end!!! Yay!!!)

This was definitely one of the season’s best shows that will surely put a smile on your face! If you like sports anime or romance shows, you should go watch this for sure!

#Ajin #Bungou Stray Dogs #Flip Flappers #Fune wo Amu #Haikyuu!#haikyuu #Hibike! Euphonium #Sound! Euphonium #Magical Girl Raising Project #Occultic;Nine #Show By Rock!!#show by rock #Shuumatsu no Izetta #izetta: the last witch #udon no kuni no kiniro kemari #Poco's Udon World #Yuri On Ice #Final Impressions

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