I understand that I am a little late on this review, but I enjoyed this anime enough to recommend it. If you are looking for a new anime to get into, go stream Chainsaw Man on Hulu.
Denji was a normal kid, burdened by the crippling debt that he inherited from his father. He works it off by doing all the odd jobs and hunting devils. Denji and Pochita, a chainsaw demon dog he befriends, live on the scraps left after each payment. Denji’s life changes when he is sacrificed by the gang he owes money to. In order to save Denji, Pochita gives Denji his heart. Denji now has the power to turn his body parts into chainsaws. Denji gets recruited to serve with the Public Safety Devil Hunters to keep Japan safe from devils. With his new power and job, Denji can live the life he’s always dreamed of. A life with three meals a day, jelly on toast, and boobs.
I liked this anime quite a bit. The art style and animation are interesting, the concept is neat, and the story is fun. There is a bit of shameless fan service, and the tone does get a bit silly, but the story is good enough that it doesn’t matter. What I liked most about this anime is that the protagonist isn’t the traditional hero who is overly good with an unbeatable sense of justice. Denji chooses to join the Public Safety Devil Hunters because he gets to live a better life. He has a warm place to sleep, all the food he can eat, and for the first time in his life, people treat him nicely. There are some very interesting moments where Denji will doubt his humanity or selfishness, but he always does what’s right. Denji is slowly learning to be heroic even if his motives aren’t as righteous as his colleagues. It is also interesting to have the point of view of someone who has never had anything. What he values, his reactions to new experiences, and the way he finds motivation is a refreshing take on the protagonist.
The first season is on Hulu and I believe it does a great job of introducing the series. You get a good sense of the world and what drives it, a taste of the big bad and his powers, the stakes involved, and its cast of interesting characters. It reminds me a lot of suicide squad and I am interested to see where this series will take me. In the meantime, I think I will attempt to catch up with the manga.
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Series Review: Dragon Age: Absolution (2022)
In an odd unexpected twist and in the final moments of the year, I found a surprising little fantasy series that you should consider. It is a bit of a slow start, but when it picks up, it is worth the wait. It is a better fantasy series than Amazon’s Rings of Power, and one that is a more manageable commitment. Follow a group of misfits in one of their most dangerous heists yet. The inquisition has collected a group of adventurers to collect a magical item that will shift the balance of power in the world. But things don’t always go as planned, and now the party must fight off guards, zombies, mages, dragons, and even demons. Can they finish the job and make it out with their lives? You will have to watch to find out. While it may not be the best-animated fantasy series out this year, it sits in a good position within the genre. The voice acting is fantastic and the story is fine, but the animation leaves a bit to be desired. I am not a huge fan of the art style, but it isn’t terrible. My problem is that the fights and actions don’t feel as epic as they need to be. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t The Legend of Vox Machina. The series is based on the Dragon Age games, but I didn’t find it necessary to know any of the existing lore to understand the plot. The series does a great job of being independent and existing as its own narrative. The only real benefit of having exposure to the established lore is that you will understand some vernacular better. You won’t be lost without it, however, making this series a great place to start if you are interested in Dragon Age. I really enjoyed the villain choice for this series. It was a unique attempt at a villain that holds the narrative together nicely. The heroes are fun to follow and interesting enough to keep your attention. I like how the intrapersonal connections between the characters is what drive a lot of the narrative. The narrative isn’t perfect, some of it is rushed, but it was worth the commitment. Whether you are an avid fan of fantasy or looking to dip your toe in the genre, this series should be on your list. Whether we get another season, or it gets canceled, make sure you stream it on Netflix.
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Series Review: The Mosquito Coast (2021)
The Mosquito Cove is quite possibly the most boring and preachy thriller I have seen this year. The series has two seasons, but I couldn’t gather the strength to finish the second one. I try my hardest to finish everything I review, but this one proved too much for me.
The series focuses on a family of fugitives on the run from the US government. We don’t know what they did to become outlaws, but you will get clues throughout the series to figure it out. The family flees to Mexico where now they are also being hunted by one of the cartels. Trouble seems to be the only constant in their lives, and they seem to be running out of places to hide. This life puts a great strain on the family, and they keep finding it harder to want to keep going. Will they ever find a safe place to call home, or will their dark secrets catch up and destroy them?
There are some interesting concepts in this show that I wish were explored better. I like that there is a dark mystery that follows the family and causes friction between them. The parents did something bad in their past, but no one is saying what that is. The kids grow suspicious of the parents and each day become more defiant. You get the sense that the dad might be the bad guy, but this narrative takes too long to unravel, and I lost interest. I like the idea of having the protagonist be the bad guy so that we, the audience, can slowly learn to hate him along with the family. It would be interesting to be trapped like this family, knowing they should leave but have nowhere to go because of the situation. The series does attempt to touch on this idea, but it isn’t done well.
Eventually, you find out that the parents are wanted, environmental terrorists. This isn’t a spoiler; this series is pretentious about its environmentalism and anti-consumerism messaging. Every episode has at least two speeches about how humanity is destroying the planet or some anti-establishment criticism. It is tiresome. I don’t mind this type of messaging and believe them to be important, but not when it’s this abrasive. It is hard to have to constantly sit through a dull lecture when I was promised a thriller.
The pacing is a huge problem for this series. This story drags without ever getting to the point. As a result, there isn’t enough urgency or suspense for this series to work. I found myself mostly waiting around for anything interesting to happen. I kept hoping this family would get caught so I didn’t have to suffer through this series any longer, but the villains proved too incompetent.
The Mosquito Cove lacks the stakes needed to be considered a thriller. Anytime the family gets into trouble, whether they are being chased by the cartel or caught by the FBI, they easily escape through poorly written ex-Machina. This series likes to pretend to be technical and realistic but bends the rules of reality to allow the family a chance to escape. This isn’t even a family of highly trained spies. Instead, this is a normal family fumbling through the sloppiest of escapes.
I wish this series had the courage to kill off one of the characters. It would make for a better story to have the family deal with death on top of the danger. If one of the kids died, the dad would have to live with the guilt as he continues trying to hold his family together. The mother and the surviving sibling would want to leave but find themselves in a situation where escaping isn’t an option. It would create this crazy dynamic where they need each other to survive, but the grief has since split them apart. Honestly, anything would have been more interesting to watch than what this show actually is.
I couldn’t make it through the second season. It was clear this series wasn’t going to get better, and I have since run out of patience. You can stream this on Apple TV if you have a subscription, but I wouldn’t bother.
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Series Review: Blockbuster (2022)
I just finished watching the new Blockbuster series on Netflix, and I am here to warn you that it isn’t worth your time. This generic sitcom is a desperate attempt to cash in on people’s nostalgia about the time of video rentals. This is a series that is thirsty for the attention of a modern audience but lacks the charm and humor required to be considered proper entertainment. Even if you are starving for content, there are green pastures elsewhere.
The series is about the last Blockbuster left open and the crew desperately trying to save it from closing. This series is essentially a worse version of Superstore. A version with similar characters and story beats but none of the charm. Go watch any other workplace sitcom instead.
It is a shame that such a talented cast is wasted on such a mediocre comedy. The acting is fantastic, but it deserves better writing. Although Blockbuster makes an attempt at a cohesive story, the jokes are dated, the drama is boring, and the characters are generic. If you are not cringing at how hard this series is trying to make you laugh, you are bored by whatever is left behind.
The biggest issue for this show is how much it relies on pop culture references. Most of the jokes and references are already dated, leaving this series racing toward its expiration. I guarantee that in a couple of months, most of these jokes will be obsolete, leaving the series to fade into further obscurity. I have the unfortunate pleasure of being old enough to understand all the references made in this series, and I can attest that none of them were funny.
The tricky business of relying this heavily on pop culture references as it dates the work. Sure there are some references that remain timeless, and when used correctly, they hold meaning. However, nothing is guaranteed, so it’s best not to use them. You can always tell when a show or movie is lazy when it is desperately pandering to its modern audience. When shows or movies try this hard to be relevant, the script becomes a collection of trending hashtags that will no longer be trending at release. Blockbuster took a dangerous gamble in trying to appeal to both a general and modern audience, but it did not pay out.
I have little else to say about a series this lazy. It is unimpressive, uninspired, and forgettable. Don’t watch it. It may not be the worst show in the genre, but it is a waste of time. For those who don’t believe me, you can stream it on Netflix.
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Series Review: The Midnight Club
The Midnight Club is a huge waste of time. Even if you enjoy horror anthologies and mysteries, this is a very weak entry into either genre. I wouldn’t bother with this series even for the morbid curiosity.
The Midnight Club is a collection of poorly written and acted ghost stories that exist within a mystery. In a hospice designed for teens with terminal diseases, a club was formed to help cope with the ever-looming death around them. The teens gather every night to tell ghost stories and blow off steam. But there is something sinister is afoot. The teens see ghosts and hear voices that aren’t there. There is something about a cult, but I honestly stopped caring pretty early on.
The acting is bad, and somehow the writing is worse. Scenes that exist outside of the ghost stories fair a little better, but barely. The biggest issue I have with this series is with the ghost stories. The stories are generic, and often parodies of better horror stories or movies. This would be fine if the intention was to parody, but it isn’t. This is a serious attempt at horror with very little value. Each story comes with an overbearing and poorly read narration that kills any tension the story could have. Some of the stories recap events that have occurred in the series, making this a redundant and uninteresting mess.
I wouldn’t mind if this show was a horror anthology if there wasn’t so much narration. I wouldn’t mind the stories if they didn’t take away from the overarching mystery. This series feels like several different shows, and none of it is cohesive. I often forgot there was a mystery tying the series together. I can’t tell you how many times I almost gave up on this series because nothing of note ever happens. This series has ghosts, tragic backstories, cults, death, and none of it matters.
The pacing is terrible. There is a lot of filler in this series. Most of it comes from the ghost stories, but there is a fair amount of self-service. The ghost stories are often interrupted by snide remarks or criticism from the other characters, and it kills any suspense the stories have. There are minutes dedicated after the stories to remark on how great the story and storyteller are. The main character won’t go an episode without talking about how smart and talented she is. It is infuriating how pretentious these characters can be.
The series does have a few interesting moments. I liked how the kids dealt with their mortality and talked about their illnesses. There are some interesting conversations about the social struggles they face due to their illness, but there isn’t enough to make it worth your time. Other than their illnesses, the characters have no depth to them.
Don’t watch this show because it is bad. The characters are flat, the plot doesn’t matter, and the acting isn’t even good. But if you don’t believe me, check it out on Netflix.
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Series Review: The Umbrella Academy
I love the Umbrella Academy, and this new season did little to change that. It might not be the best season, but it still holds up against up well against the other shows in the genre.
The Umbrella Academy is an orthodox way of looking at the superhero narrative. The show is about a family of superhumans adopted by an eccentric man with selfish intentions. The seven members of The Umbrella Academy endured a traumatic childhood where their father raised them to be superheroes. They struggle as adults to adjust to normal life because they are restrained by their traumas. Now that the end-of-the-world is at their doorstep, they must learn to work through their issues and save the world. Can they do it?
I haven’t read the comic, and I can’t make a comparison between the two mediums. As a series, however, it is fantastic. The story is great, the acting is solid, and the soundtrack is amazing. Sure, some of this series is bogged down by family drama, but that’s the point. The Umbrella Academy isn’t just about superheroes saving the world, but about people trying to work through trauma.
It is important to note that these are not traditional heroes. They will mess up a lot, they will act selfishly, and sometimes not act heroically. The show does a good job of showing how the pressures of heroism take their toll on each member. Each member has a moment of crisis that they have to deal with, and they don’t always deal with it well. The charm of this show is the constant state of crisis they seem to find themselves in because they are flawed. As a result, it is fun to see how experience changes each character throughout the series.
The Umbrella Academy is one of few narratives that handle time travel and multiverses well. I never felt overwhelmed by the jumps, changes, or the number of narratives because of how well the story is told. Everything in this series is held together by a mystery that will keep most audiences guessing till the end. I think by the third season you should already be able to solve the mystery, but with all the changes in the timeline, it can be hard to know for sure.
I recommend you watch this series. It is full of fun action, serious moments, and some fantastic music. This series is well done, and there is enough of it to keep you busy for a while unless you end up binding it in one sitting. If you do, I don’t blame you. Check it out on Netflix.
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Series Review: Shining Girls (2022)
If you haven’t watched Shining Girls, you need to stop reading this and check it out now. This well-made and confusing mystery is worth every twist and turns it throws at you. You can stream it now on Apple TV. Trust me, this show is at least worth the free trial.
Years after her assault, Kirby is still having trouble adjusting to life. She plans to move to Florida in hopes that starting anew will help ease her trauma. But before she can make her move, a recent murder of a woman changes the course of her destiny. The details of this new murder are frighteningly familiar to hers. Could this murder lead to the identity of her assailant? Determined to put an end to her nightmare, Kirby must now piece together a mystery that gets more confusing the more she uncovers. Will she be able to solve the mystery of her assailant, or is this whole ordeal an obsession-induced delusion?
This show understands how to establish proper tension. If you are not at the edge of your seat throughout this series, you are not paying attention. This is a disorienting trip that gets more confusing as you go. It all makes sense in the end, but you might need to watch this show a couple of times to catch some of the nuances. I liked that I was consistently confused throughout this series because this confusion is frightening. Kirby doesn’t know what is going on and it scares her. We get to experience a similar fear.
What really makes this show work so well is the acting. Elisabeth Moss is a fantastic actress, and watching her cement herself in this genre has been a treat. The fear she emotes helps create the tension that drives this narrative. The chemistry with the rest of the cast is what gives this show its substance. Together they create one of the strangest thrillers I have seen this year. We cannot ignore Jamie Bell’s frightening performance as the series’ villain. Without him, we wouldn’t have the compelling narrative this turns into. You should at the very least be watching this show for the acting. I wish I could say more, but I don’t want to ruin it.
If you are a fan of thrillers and mysteries and don’t mind being confused, check out Shinning Girls on Apple TV.
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Series Review – Roar (2022)
Image by Ian Lindsay from Pixabay
Roar is a horror anthology series on Apple TV that deals with women’s issues. Each episode is a different scary story that tackles a specific issue. The show deals with subjects like discrimination, sexism, and abuse, to name a few. If you like shows like Black Mirror, you might enjoy this more than I did. Ultimately, while many of the concepts were interesting, I was left with a disappointment that makes it impossible for me to recommend this show.
There are a few technical issues that are hard to ignore with the acting and writing, but ultimately the show’s biggest issues are with the pacing and endings. The endings ruin this show for me. The show does a decent job at setting up an interesting narrative, only to fall flat as it struggles to achieve its empowering and happy ending. As a result, this show becomes very preachy, and the narrative suffers for it. I don’t mind morals of female empowerment, but in Roar, it seems forced and out of place.
Each episode is limited by the same simple formula. A woman encounters an issue that gets personified into some kind of magical and inexplicable presence. The presence can be a disease, a person, or even a monster. The idea is that the issue the protagonist faces is tangible and something they can overcome. There is some solid setup and buildup, but it is all wasted on some ex-Machina. The protagonist will always easily overcome their ordeal, and the episodes will sort of just end. It is very anti-climactic and a waste of some interesting concepts. It also creates an issue with the pacing that I cannot overlook. Halfway through the episodes it feels like there is a sudden rush towards a happy ending.
As is tradition with these types of shows, not all the stories are good. Some stand out, but it is always a gamble on what you are going to get. If you enjoy this type of storytelling, you might have a better time than I did. I would suggest you skip it because none of the stories are good enough to earn a recommendation.
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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – First Impressions
Amazon has just released its Lord of the Rings show, and I have to say, I am addicted. I am not the biggest fan of the series, I haven’t read the book and have only watched the Hobbit, but this show definitely sparked my curiosity. I am living proof that you don’t need extensive knowledge of the lore to enjoy this show, but having the wiki open might help you get a deeper understanding of what is going on. If you are intimidated to get into Lord of the Rings, don’t be. It is a very in-depth fantasy, but it is well done.
This is a prequel to the series as it details the events that led up to how they crafted the rings. So far there are only two episodes out for the series with new episodes coming out weekly. The acting is fantastic, the story is interesting, and the setting is beautiful. The first two episodes do a great job at introducing the different factions, setting up the world, and getting you hooked for more. They spent a lot of money producing this show, and it shows. My only complaint is that I have to wait another week to see what happens next.
If you are patient, hop on this show immediately. If you aren’t, wait till it is all out. I am definitely excited to see where this series will go.
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Series Review: A League of Their Own (2022)
I haven’t seen the movie this series is based on, nor can I comment on its historical accuracy, but I can definitely recommend it because it is a good show. If you are on the fence, don’t be. Go, stream it now.
The series follows one of America’s first women’s baseball teams. The series focuses on the adversities they faced and how they overcame them. The series covers social issues such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. While I do have to admit that it addresses these topics in a fantastical wholesome manner, it does so respectfully, and I can’t take issue.
This show is incredibly wholesome with a fantastic cast, a fun narrative, and a lot of baseball. The characters are unique, and watching them grow and become a team throughout the series is truly inspiring. The Peaches face a lot of obstacles because they don’t fit the traditional role society has assigned them. They just want to play baseball and be who they are, but that isn’t what a traditional woman is. The show does a great job at showing that the traditional woman is a myth, and it instead broadens the definition by including a more inclusive representation of womanhood.
It is inspiring to see all that these women had to endure and to see what they accomplished. This is an important narrative and one that needs to be told. My only complaint is that the narrative is a little too whitewashed, but the intent of this show is to be wholesome and fun, not real and heavy. I’ll let it slide. You need to watch this show.
You can stream this on Amazon with a Prime membership.