I’ve been holding off on watching Netflix’s live-action One Piece series because I was afraid they would ruin another of my favorite anime. As a long-time fan, I needed this series to be good. I can forgive Netflix for a lot of the garbage they put out, but I could never forgive them for ruining One Piece. That said, I did my best to come into the series as open-minded and unbiased as possible. I didn’t rewatch the anime, stayed away from spoilers and news, and didn’t even watch the trailers. I wanted to go into this series as removed from the source material as possible because I didn’t want my experience to be affected by nostalgia or fandom. After sitting through the series, my only complaint is that I didn’t start it sooner. If you haven’t watched it yet, you need to do so now!
The series covers the events through the Coco Village arc. This is a condensed version of the events, but the changes made are appropriate and appreciated. For those unfamiliar with the source material, Luffy dreams of being king of the pirates and sets off to find the crew that will help him find Gol D. Roger’s infamous treasure, the one piece. But the sea is a dangerous place, full of pirates, marines, and monsters. Despite having the powers of the Gum-Gum Fruit, Luffy has a lot to learn before he can be king of the pirates.
I love how faithful of an adaptation this series is. The attention to detail is astounding. The costumes, the sets, the characters, and the story are a perfect interpretation of the source material. I can’t believe how good of a conversion Netflix is capable of, especially after all the garbage I’ve sat through. As a fan, even though I haven’t seen the first season in a while, it made me giddy to catch the subtlest of references.
But you don’t have to like anime to enjoy this series. It has a fantastic cast that shares excellent chemistry, fun and exciting action scenes, and a well-written and tight season. I was afraid they would drag this out like streaming services tend to do, but One Piece gets to the point and leaves viewers wanting more.
I can spend hours talking about the series, comparing the versions, and overanalyzing the plot, characters, etcetera, but I’ll leave you with this: Go watch it now! If you are a fan of the series, this is the adaptation you didn’t know you wanted. It makes me hopeful for Avatar the Last Air Bender live-action series Netflix is also working on. If you’ve never seen One Piece, or even know what it is, this series is going to make you watch the anime. I know it made me restart it all from the beginning. If you do start watching the anime, I recommend you skip the filler episodes. One Piece isn’t as bad as others when it comes to filler, nor are they bad episodes, but when a series is this long, it’s nice to get to the point. I love the live-action and can’t wait for there to be more!
High Score Girl is one of the cutest animes I’ve watched on Netflix
High Score Girl is an adorable anime you should be watching if you have a Netflix subscription. It has a great protagonist and a cute romantic story, and it will make you feel a series of emotions you aren’t ready for. At the very least, this series should be on your watch list.
Hasuo is a hardcore gamer with a one-track mind. He obsesses over video games and spends all his time and money playing them. Ono is a quiet girl who comes into his life as the first challenger to beat him at a fighting game. From that moment, Hasuo makes it his goal to beat her. He spends the following years perfecting his technique to prove he is the better gamer. But what draws Hasuo to Ono isn’t a simple rivalry, it is something much deeper. Will Hasuo ever come to terms with his true feelings, or will they be lost in the chaotic sounds of the arcade?
What I like most about this series is Hasuo as the main character. He is a bit clueless, and that cluelessness can be frustrating at times, but it is a flaw that he works on actively to fix. By the end of the series, Hasuo isn’t the same clueless kid obsessed with gaming, and it is a delight to watch him grow to that point. I don’t want to overshare because I don’t want to ruin the experience, but it’s a very cute love story and I am ready to watch it again.
The cast is full of fun and colorful characters with terrific voice actors who help Hasuo on his journey. I loved watching how his relationship with the people around him evolved the older he got. Watching the impact others make on Hosuo and vice versa makes this anime incredibly charming.
I loved how video games are used to emphasize emotions and important moments in Hasuo’s journey. Hasuo understands the world through the lens of video games, and it is interesting how the story meshes the video game world with important character moments. As he grows, his relationship with video games changes, and it is interesting to see how that affects this view of the world. The tone of the series is a little over the top for a slice-of-life anime, but I believe it does a wonderful job of emulating the loud and colorful vibe of a classic arcade.
One thing to note before watching is that High Score Girl makes a lot of references to classic-era gaming. You don’t need to know anything about gaming to understand the story, but you’ll appreciate the references if you do. The series will often stop to explain important references, so you shouldn’t feel lost. Aside from being a cute love story, High Score Girl is a proper love letter to an era of gaming that is slowly disappearing.
High Score Girl is a fantastic anime to throw on if you want something comforting and cute to watch. The animation may be a bit wonky, but it gives the series its charm. It has great characters, fantastic voice actors, and the cutest story you’ll ever sit through. Go stream it now on Netflix, but make sure you grab something to cry into when you do.
Praise Petey is the forgettable cartoon that you should be skipping
I just watched Praise Petey, and am struggling to remember what it was about. This unimpressive animated series fails to leave an impression and entertain its audience. This is a boring series that you are better off skipping.
Petey is a New York girl living her best life. She has a plain fiancé, an amazing best friend, and her dream job. Petey finds her life in shambles when her apartment burns down, her fiancé cheats on her with her best friend, and she gets fired. With nothing to hold her in New York, she moves to a sleepy country town that her estranged father ran in secret. But this is no ordinary town. It is a cult, and Petey is now their leader. What will Petey do with her new power?
Praise Petey isn’t the worst adult animated series I’ve seen, but it isn’t worth watching either. The jokes aren’t funny, the story is boring, and the commentary it makes is lazy. Praise Petey attempts to redefine traditional female comedy by poking fun at the motifs associated with strong comedic female characters. The problem with this series is that it tries too hard to be raunchy, quirky, gross, and metacritical that it lacks focus. The series jumps quickly between jokes and gags hoping one lands, but they rarely do. Instead of redefining the genre, it does what other shows have done before, but not as well.
Praise Petey is a boring waste of time. You can watch it on Hulu, but you’re going to forget you did. Go watch anything else.
Mech Cadets: a surprising little animated series I ended up enjoying
I am honestly surprised by the string of good luck I’ve been having with content I have been streaming on Netflix lately. After a season of terrible original series that nearly broke my spirit, I’ve found a few good animated series that made my Netflix subscription a bit more justifiable. Most of these discoveries were by accident, but I will not complain when I know how terrible the alternative can be.
I started watching Mech Cadet because it was the first thing to pop up when I opened up Netflix. I didn’t have high hopes for the series because it looked cheap and clunky, but was surprised when it turned out to be a solid series about Giant robots that wasn’t Gundam. The series isn’t perfect. Mech Cadets was made for a younger audience. There is a general cheesiness to the writing, and the animation is clunky. But if you can look past the flaws, the series is entertaining.
Stanford Woo is a janitor at Sky Corps Military Academy. The academy trains future Robo pilots. It has always been Stanford’s dream to become a pilot but didn’t get into the program. Only a selected few can join the academy, and even fewer become pilots. Stanford finds himself expelled from the academy, and his dreams crushed. But fate has other plans. When Stanford is at his lowest, a Robo falls from the sky and bonds with him, making him a pilot. But what should be a happy day is marred by danger. Deep in the vacuum of space, an ancient enemy inches closer to an unsuspecting Earth. Will Stanford and this new generation of pilots have what it takes to save the world?
I liked this series, flaws and all. It was a fun little sci-fi series with enough action, solid storylines, and decent character development. It is cheesy, but the cheesiness gives the series its charm. This series has a unique art style that grew on me the longer I watched. I like how everything looks like a painting. The animation is a bit clunky but does enough to tell its story. The voice acting is fantastic, even when the writing isn’t great.
What I liked most about the series is that the stakes felt real. I knew who was going to survive and where the story was going, but it didn’t matter because it felt like there was a chance that I was wrong. There was enough suspense, tension, and build-up to make the story exciting. Mech Cadets may not be the best sci-fi story, but it is entertaining.
If you have kids, throw this on. It is a solid cartoon, and you won’t hate having to sit through it. If you need some decent background noise, you might end up watching more of this than you think. Mech Cadets is a solid option if you have Netflix and are looking for something to watch.
Romantic Killer: The cute reverse harem that I didn’t plan on loving
If you haven’t watched Romantic Killer on Netflix, I strongly recommend you do so now. This series should at the very least be on your watch list, especially if you like anime. Romantic Killer is a cute anime with a lot of heart and exactly what you need if you are looking for comforting anime.
Anzu is a girl obsessed with video games with no intentions or time to find love. Unfortunately for her, a wizard appears and uses their powers to make her life into a dating sim. Anzu suddenly finds herself surrounded by hot guys and forced into situations that will decide her romantic future. Will this wizard succeed in their mission to help Anzu find love, or is she really as incapable of falling in love as she believes she is?
This series was originally intended as background noise as I built my gunpla kit. But my gunpla went unfinished as I quickly became absorbed into Romantic Killer’s silly and quirky plot. This series has a delightfully charming story with fun characters and a vibrant art style. I love how resistant Anzu is to the situation, but she is still willing to learn and grow from it. I love the awkward and hilarious situations the wizard puts her in. The only thing I don’t like about this series is that there isn’t an end yet, and I need to know what happens. I don’t want to get too detailed with this review because there is a bit of mystery to the plot that leads to its heartwarming resolution. The resolution and how all the pieces of the narrative connect is what makes this series special. I’ll admit that some of the plot points are a little forced, but it doesn’t matter when the result is this cute. I should go without saying that I love this anime.
Regardless of what you think of anime, you should watch Romantic Killer at least once. It is cute, dumb, and very entertaining. It can be slow, especially during setup, but it is worth the journey. If you have Netflix and need something fun and comforting to watch, this is your answer.
I couldn’t find the trailer in English, but there is English dubbing and it is solid.
Peacock’s Twisted Metal series is campy, cheesy, and bad, but I liked it?
I will start by saying that if you are a fan of the Twisted Metal games, you will be disappointed by this series. This isn’t the dark and twisted narrative that is the main draw to the franchise. This is a cheap and cheesy action series with a Twisted Metal theme. This series is bad. The writing isn’t great, the acting is inconsistent, and the CGI is horrible. But it isn’t the worst video game adaptation I’ve seen. Despite its many flaws, I had a lot of fun with this series. I enjoyed the games, and won’t deny my disappointment that this series isn’t a true adaptation. But I am also a fan of cheesy campy movies, and that part of me adored the general ridiculousness this series carries.
The world has ended. In a post-apocalyptic America, major cities have walled themselves off from the desolate wasteland that surrounds them. But not everyone can live in the cities. The undesirables are cast out, forced to fight amongst themselves in the ruins of the old world. Cities use these outsiders to trade goods with each other. These people are called milkmen, and milkmen are expendable.
John Doe is a milkman hired for the most important run of his life. If he can complete the delivery on time, he can enjoy a peaceful life inside one of these cities. But this won’t be an easy delivery. The roads are unforgiving, full of death and mayhem. Does John have what it takes to make it back alive?
The series is a prequel to the twisted metal tournament. The tournament is run by a mysterious figure who pits the best drivers around in a fight to the death. The winner of the tournament gets their wish granted. The story is pretty cool until it isn’t, but I recommend you watch the cut scenes or summaries on YouTube if you want the real story. The series exists as its own narrative, and while it does have some fun Easter eggs, I am not counting it as canon. It’s best to watch this series disassociating the two narratives, or you will have a bad time.
I enjoyed the series, but it isn’t for everyone. This series is bad, but it’s the fun kind of bad. There is an attempt at a story. It isn’t great, but it’s fine for how cheap the show is. There is a bit of humor, both intentional and not, but don’t expect this to be the action-packed mayhem it promises to be. The CGI looks terrible, and they use a lot of it. All of the action is CGI, and it is hilarious. I recommend this series to people who enjoy watching bad campy movies for fun. Everyone else, it depends on how much cheesiness you can stomach.
You can stream Twisted Metal on Peacock.
Silo: The fantastically suspenseful sci-fi mystery you should be watching, or at the very least reading.
Silo is a fantastic sci-fi mystery full of suspense, action, and conspiracy. If you have an Apple TV subscription or need a reason to start one, check out this series.
Earth has become a toxic and uninhabitable wasteland. The few remaining survivors live now live in an underground silo where life, for the most part, is peaceful. Everyone in the silo serves their purpose, settling into a routine that is decided for them. Most don’t questions the silo’s designs or the founders’ motives. Some get curious and ask the questions that peel at the veil of this carefully crafted façade, but they don’t last long. There is something wrong with the silo. A secret too big to keep hidden forever.
Juliet is a gifted mechanic who spends her days keeping the silo running. She does her job passionately and has never been curious about anything that isn’t mechanical. This all changes when she finds herself wrapped in the silo’s biggest conspiracy. Now Juliet finds herself searching for answers that will destabilize the peace in the silo. Will Juliet finally be the one to uncover the truth, or will she be silenced like all the rest?
Silo is a fantastic thriller with a well-crafted mystery, terrific acting, and a beautiful rustic aesthetic. Some actors aren’t great, and there is a bit of filler I would skip next time around, but the series left me wanting more. I started reading Wool, the book the series is based on, because I couldn’t wait a week for the answers. Once you binge this series in one sitting, I recommend you read the book or at least listen to it on Audible. It is a fantastic piece of science fiction. I’ll link some free copies of the audiobook below for those interested.
I enjoyed both versions almost equally. I loved the TV series because the actors did a great job portraying their characters, I enjoyed the attention to detail in the world and mannerisms, and I liked that the series felt more like a thriller. There are some suspenseful moments in the series that kept me at the edge of my seat even though I knew what was going to happen. I enjoyed the book because it felt more like a mystery. I felt like Juliet got more answers in the book. There are also details in the book that were left out that I felt were done better. I can’t tell you which version I enjoyed more, but I do recommend you dive into them both.
If you haven’t seen this series yet, it is a great time to start it. It is a fantastic mystery set in a fascinating world led by a great protagonist. My only complaint is that I’ll have to wait for season 2 for more answers, but I guess I can read the books in the mean time.
this version of the audiobook isn’t finished, but it does cover everything that happens in the series. It is also the better of the free version
This version isn’t as good, but you have both parts:
High Desert: An unimpressive Apple series you’re okay skipping
The Last Thing He Told Me: The slowest suspenseful thriller about unconditional motherly love
Jury Duty: The wholesome mockumentary that will leave you smiling
If you are looking for a dumb and fun series to get into that doesn’t check out Jury Duty. This quirky and wholesome show is sure to put a smile on your face.
Ronald is summoned to jury duty where he will serve with a collection of quirky characters. What Ronald doesn’t know is that there is no trial, and everyone else there is an actor. Ronald will sit through one of the most ridiculous court experiences ever held, but he also makes some friends along the way.
Ronald thinks he is in a documentary, the series is cut like a very silly one. The actors all do a fantastic job of staying in character, although there are a few moments in the series that almost break them. The concept is interesting, and surprisingly, it works great. The characters are quirky and fun, the situations are awkward and hilarious, and Ronald is a wholesome guy that brings it all together. As good as the actors in this series are, this show wouldn’t have worked without Ronald. He is kind, easy going, and he rolled with whatever wacky scenario they threw at him. The show will throw some ridiculous curves at Ronald, but he rolls with them in the best possible way.
The unpredictability of Ronald gives this series its charm. In other shows, you can kind of guess the direction the jokes and plot will go. In Jury Duty, you never know what hook Ronald will take, how he is going to react to the situation, or if he will figure it out. I enjoyed this spontaneity because it created some hilariously dumb moments.
This series is dumb good fun in the best way. If you haven’t watched it yet, check it out on Prime Video if you have a membership.