maandag 22 juni 2020

(Average+) A Whisker Away

Movie in one sentence:
The Cat Returns returns.


Movie in more sentences:
 
High schooler Muge isn't optimistic about her life after her parents' separation, making her the ideal victim for a shady mask salesman to offer her a new life. Of a cat.
When transformed into her new body, she is found by a classmate who opens up to her, causing her to instantly fall in love and see her chance to happiness with him.

But the boy can't stand her human self, making her dependable on her cat mask, but a choice has to be made and nothing is for free.


Fun idea, it's a high "average+", but it still felt lacking. The relationships needed more screen time and the end battle was laughably clunky. They should've made the salesman a neutral party; leave magic cat world and that whole ordeal out of the story.

But well, I was entertained enough to keep on watching and understood, and respected, the dramatic points it tried to discuss. Maybe better as a series, though.
I don't know, in any case, worth a watch.



woensdag 17 juni 2020

(Average+) Miss Monochrome -The Animation-

Series in one sentence:
It's a joke, i
t's a joke, it's a joke, it's a joke, it's a joke, it's a joke, it's a joke.

Series in more sentences:
 
A machine projected, AA battery-powered robot girl with unexplained wealth gets the unsatiated desire to become a pop idol one day, but after getting robbed by her servant, has to involve random people to help her achieve her goal of surpassing the current number one idol; a seemingly immortal girl she swears to have met before in the far past.


There's a healthy sense of humor in this, if only because so little is explained and the character finds instant success in anything but her dream career for the majority of the series, but nothing made me smirk. The show has this slow, almost bored vibe to it. The pieces are there, but it didn't manage to excite me.

The songs are less original and inspiring than what I've heard people on Youtube create with Vocaloid software. I don't feel enriched after watching Miss Monochrome, but I can see there's a fun story hidden in there, so, well, there's no harm in checking it out for yourself.

And I lied, one joke made me laugh; the poster for the introvert, genderbent Monochrome. That episode was good enough to get its own series. I'd say it would've been better.



woensdag 10 juni 2020

(Average) Fushigi Yugi: Eioden

Series in one sentence:
Teenage girl gets teenage married and teenage pregnant, while another teenager with teenage problems also thinks her teenage crush on her teenage husband is worth getting a series.


Series in more sentences:

The follow-up to Fushigi Yugi (and the OVA).

Miaka and Tamahome get married and await their child, but a troubled girl with a crush on him can't contain her jealousy and uses the ancient book to start up another disaster scenario in need of a priestess saviour, forcing Tamahome back inside as well and be her partner.

But an evil version of the god Suzaku is spawned, that feeds off the girl's paranoia and vengeful feelings. He tries to kill the still clueless reincarnations of the original Suzaku Seven heroes before they can save everyone once again.



Who the Hell is this girl, then?

Why to any of this
. There are only 4 episodes and the audience is immediately asked to accept a teen pregnancy, the random misunderstood villain and her relationship with the original cast, the boring Tamahome as again someone's love interest, the weird and hastily inserted backstory of the emperor's one-month wife, the repeated erasure of the consequences that death brings when the heroes instantly become their normal and adult selves, and the reasons given for why anything is happening at all.

It could've been an interesting watch, but it isn't, and even if it was, it'd be a pointless addition to what should've finally been Miaka and Tamahome's happy ending.