heychrisfox's Profile - Reviews

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BirthdayFeb 22
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JoinedSep 15, 2016

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Apr 16, 2024

Kinpatsu Obocchama to Nihonjin Shitsuji (Manga) add

Mixed Feelings

Frankly, I don't hate it! The biggest struggle with this series is that it's an extremely simple concept with a very shallow premise. Cute young boy likes handsome butler, lighthearted goofs ensue. It's very pleasant, mundane, with no fuss to be made.

The series shines due to the main boy, as his reactions and feelings guide the minimal amount of plot that exists. He just finds his butler handsome and wants to be noticed, and that's sweet. All of the situations are very low-stakes and generally cliché, so nothing here is really surprising. Just some light hearted character interactions. The art is also quite nice. The ...

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Mar 23, 2024

Pokedance (Anime) add

Recommended

Okay, but how can you not have an amazing time with this? This short music video celebrating Pokémon Day is an absolute delight! The animation is fantastic, gathering a hodgepodge of ultra talented indie animators to show of their awesome dance and anatomy animation. All the styles are great, and the choreography is delightful. You only want to see the Pokémon? Don't worry, we have all the starters from all the gens, and they're all doing adorable dances too (we see you Fuecoco, you did a great job)! The song is fun, upbeat, sugary sweet, and makes you want to dance.

What more can you ...

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Jan 14, 2024

Aoi Uroko to Suna no Machi (Manga) add

Mixed Feelings

An odd little book. It has a very spritely art style that I enjoy, and a neat slice-of-life framing with a twist: the inclusion of a mystical beach that may or may not have mermaids off the shore. What outwardly may appear like a fantastical, fantasy story is actually a down to earth telling of a girl's life as she moves to a sleepy, beachside town.

An important thing to note is that if you're expecting anything more than a slice-of-life narrative, you're going to be disappointed. Similar to other slice-0f-life stories, it may at times seem a bit objectiveless, as it just kind of follows ... the protagonist, Tokiko, and her daily struggles. She's the new kid, she receives some bullying, she deals with new friends, dumb boys, liars, and other odd circumstances in her life. This is on top of her own awkward family situation, such as living with her single dad, because her mother ran off from the family without another word, yet also didn't actuate a divorce. Friendships bud and then falter, relationships sway and ebb, all like the ocean that dominates the town.

The reason I detail all that is to temper expectations. If you're here for fantasy weirdness and mermaids, that's not the focus here. It's a character driven narrative first, so if you don't like sixth graders being silly and living their life, you might be let down.

HOWEVER, let's address the mermaid in the room. Because that fantasy weirdness IS there, and it is built in this extremely slow-burn mystery. Our main character has a strange trauma at this particular town's beach, in their past. And there's someone, who she has seen in her past, maybe even in her dreams, that looks just like the odd, untalkative boy in her class. There's a man who lives by the beach who seems to more than he lets on, and why are all the adults so cagey around the kids, always beating around the bush? What is the weird festival that's approaching before summer break, and just what is behind that long, dark, scary tunnel? And why, just why, is the town so closely related to mermaids?

Fun, right? That mystery hook is just loads of fun, in this really childish, nostalgic way. Lots of little questions peppered around the narrative that make you really want to know the answers. But, being a story based around realism, with all these funky, fantastical elements, how much of this truly is a fantasy, and how much is truly a reality? That's the heart of these more mystical moments in the text, and because it's all intermingled with the slice-of-life moments, it's kind of like solving the mystery out of order.

The question becomes: is the mystery any good? And... eh, is the best answer I have for you. I feel like the ending wrapped up very suddenly, as if the author realized they were coming up to their deadline, and quickly tied all the plot threads together. And especially with a story that does feature some personal traumas for the characters, I feel like it kinda surfed by those serious moments, which were resolved quickly, not really allowing enough time to process and grieve what was just learned.

At the same time, you can tell the author really put their soul into this. It feels very intimate, and even though Tokiko isn't exactly a lively person - more introverted, simple, and kind in her demeanor - you really get attached to her life and want to see her do her best. And better than the resolutions is the build-up of the mystery. The times where the kids are exploring the fantasy-mystery elements is really fun, and not only feels like the Scooby Doo gang solving a mystery, but also leaves some endearing suspense and intrigue on exactly what is happening in this strange, little town.

Is this the best book ever? No, not by a long-shot. But I would be lying to say I wasn't intrigued the entire time, both to see our kids learn, live, and grow, and also learn more about strange mermaids and ancient town legends. It's all good stuff, and even though it was hastily resolved in the end, it WAS resolved, and it leaves you feeling calm and hopeful. Can one really ask more than to experience a nice story? Because that's what you'll find here: calm, quiet moments, lapping away like waves on a beach.

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Sep 26, 2023

Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction (Manga) add

Recommended

What a wild ride. Who thought a story about a girl trying to help her friend hook up with the teacher by showing their boobs in the shadow of a giant spaceship would end in time-paradoxes, the end of all civilization, and a post-apocalyptic war between the USA, China, and Google? But hey, here we are.

This series was very weird. It feels unfulfilling by the end, mostly because a huge amounts of the various volumes that desperately wanted to discuss the worldbuilding of this world, but also completely unfocused the story from the heart, which is the two main protagonists. And because of the nature ... of the story, focusing on time paradoxes and alternate timelines, a bit of the story feels cheap at times.

But this series was never about any ongoing story. This was an emotional romp. The destination was never goal; it was the journey that counts, and you have to absolutely appreciate the journey you're taken on.

This journey is mature, it's bonding, it's heartfelt, and it's very, very sad. It's also very complicated, and very philosophical, readily wading not only into the idea of what modernity is, but also what post-modernity is. Which, as pretentious as it is to say, I think is something important with this piece of media. It's so disconnected, unflinching, and raw. It doesn't care how it's presented, because it understands that post-modern art shouldn't care about presentation or context. Everything is viral, everything simply exists, so context doesn't matter in the long term.

Instead, it invests all its energy into the context of itself, before reinventing itself, constantly, over and over. It never settles, it's always ready to flip over the table and start from scratch. This is something Asano has done before, but he's really wild about it here. And because of the epic scope of everything, it's hard not to appreciate just how much is going on all at the same time, and how interconnected it all is.

The problem with a story that both is highly contextual and also deliberately robs its own context through paradoxy is that is that, at some point, you're going to get invested into what the story is trying to say, and then the story will stop speaking to you. I went through that feeling perhaps 4 times throughout the series. I constantly felt comfortable, and then the series did something that deliberately was weird or discomforting. Then, predictably, I was lulled back into comfort, before the same process repeated.

That's a very unfun and unpleasant thing to experience and read. But isn't that the whole point of the narrative? To not get tied down by the life presented to you? To live life to the fullest, no matter what it is? And if that life doesn't work, there are infinite other lives and opportunities just out of reach. Is that a nice thing to think? Sort of. But we can get so attached to our conceptions of reality. To have that challenged, even in fiction, can be frustrating and weird.

Is this series good? I think it's very good. The art alone is astounding. Graphic design is Asano's passion, and seeing his title cards always brought joy. Seeing his gorgeous full-spreads always stunned. Seeing his rawness, the powerful art he could put to display, along with what is both one of the most vapid and most serious stories I've ever seen is just a treat. Does this story frustrate me? Yes. But damn, was it ever a good time.

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Jun 13, 2023

Itou Junji Kyoufu Hakubutsukan 10: Shibito no Koiwazurai (Manga) add

Not Recommended

I have said similar things in the past, but the more I read Ito, the more I feel like he's just a strange author. He has this habit of getting latched onto an idea, and turning it into this weird, creepy concept that becomes sprawling in scope. But he doesn't really know how to maintain that scale for long. It's like asking someone who is used to piloting a raft to begin captaining a cruise ship. Both of those things are technically boats, but the latter requires much more knowledge and responsibility, and the skills to maneuver one don't really translate.

This shows in Lovesickness. The ... story starts simple, grounded, with a few protagonists, an antagonist, and a spooky situation that gets some great scares and awesome visuals that are truly horrifying. Then the story is built out, showing the same concept but in new and inventive ways. It seems good, but then the strands become unraveled. Characters stop behaving rationally. It's understandable why the protagonist here would want to keep seeking out the various encounters with the evil forces here, because he has a personal connection to all of it. But when a woman insists upon confided a secret to him, and he says no, the woman just... continues to confide to him, and he continues to just deal with it? As someone who has been traumatized multiple times, and someone who is already suspicious of the weird things happening in this cursed town, this obviously crazy person harassing him nonstop rings no alarm bells?

And then the distraction comes in. Naturally, the story evolves into the whole town being crazy, with hundreds of victims and a creeping curse that affects anyone around. There's an evolution in the protagonists, things have really ramped up, and it feels like everything is getting close to a resolution of some sort. Even a scary, horrifying, negative resolution would be great. But the story basically resolves in saying, "Welp, town's crazy, but my involvement in it is done," and the story concludes there. I sincerely felt like I skipped some pages, and had to figure out if that was really the end of the story.

It's as if Ito has these fantastic ideas, writes them out. But then, at some point, he gets bored of the story, concludes it as fast as possible, and moves on to his next project. As someone with ADHD, I can super relate, but it's extremely jarring. This is coupled with just a sloppy writing style, where sometimes characters act against their characterization, and with a lot of various tropes and repetitive ideas that just become grating the more you read.

I still can't say Ito is bad. He is clearly unique, and has a spirit for creation that most don't. But he is most certainly an oddball writer, one who is inconsistent in quality at best, and confusing and easily-sidetracked at worst. His stories may sometimes be compelling, and even gripping, and he has a few bangers that are critical material. But he seems extremely overrated by the broader public.

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Apr 15, 2023

Suzume no Tojimari (Anime) add

Recommended

Suzume was good! It's a very weird film in a lot of ways, and has a lot going on. But it's also super entertaining and a delight to watch. It's hard to recommend. But I'll probably be seeing it again, so take that as you will!

I'm happy that it improved on all the things I thought were bad about Weathering With You. The best parts of Weathering With You were some of the best I had ever seen, but the worst parts were some of the worst I'd ever seen. It felt like a bad Hollywood blockbuster. By contrast, Suzume is much more balanced. It ... never hits those highs from something like Your Name, but also never fumbles, and sticks its landing in style.

It's a little long. It feels like the film gets caught up in trying to say too much at once. But it communicates well too.

I also love the themes the film explores. It touches on a lot of topics: loss, grief, and acceptance of the past; finding friends and loved ones wherever you go; natural disasters and the immense loss they cause; forging your own path; selflessness vs selfishness. That was a lot of themes, you might say. But the film seems to explore them all sufficiently throughout. The film feels cluttered with themes, in that way. But again, it only struggles with the quantity of things it's trying to do and say; the quality is on point, the whole way.

That's important, because this film is very focused on theme. Like many of Shinkai's films, it's aesthetic first, storytelling second. But their narrative team was able to weave a story that is meaningful throughout, even when it's getting distracted. It's wonderful to see Suzume making friends everywhere she goes in a world that doesn't seem like it should care; in the face of extremely difficult jobs, it always felt like there was support in the larger community. Additionally, it's wonderful to see the explorations of loss and grief. As this is one of the central themes, they really needed to nail it. And what's nice about the way it was constructed is that it never relies on a "sob story" that's trying to "get you." The grief of the situation feels rough and earned, and the characters trying to tackle that grief through their own agency also felt very empowering and nice.

I could ramble about the absolutely stunning animation and art from the Comix Wave films. But let's be honest, these films are ALWAYS going to be the leaders in absolutely stunning animation, visual effects, sakuga, and absolutely enthralling presentation. A+, no notes whatsoever, basically perfect. The same can be said about RADWIMPS. It's always nice to hear them again, and all their compositions are great. They capture these awesome orchestral highs, while their pop-rock songs capture that distinct style that Shinkai is clearly obsessed with. The main theme is beautiful and a tiny bit haunting. Also, there's this emphasis on classic city-pop featured throughout the film, and honestly, I'm here for it. Again, no notes, A+.

My favorite part was a neat exchange between the main characters.

"My family has upheld this job for many generations. I'll continue that. But it's not a profitable job."
"But it's still an important job, even if it doesn't pay?"
"Most people don't see the important job."

TRUE BESTIE.

To sum up, Suzume is just neat. Is it good? I think so. It's memorable, entertaining, and enheartening. Is it as stunning as Shinkai's other work? Maybe not, but that's holding him up to unfair expectations. Suzume is its own thing, and that's okay, because it's a good thing. While Shinkai is a fantastic director, one who really made something truly special that basically none of us will forget, it's important to watch him change and develop his craft with the teams he puts together as time goes forward. And Suzume is well crafted.

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Sep 17, 2022

Ame wo Tsugeru Hyouryuu Danchi (Anime) add

Mixed Feelings

Well-written

The biggest issue with this film was mixed messaging and missed expectations.

Given the premise of this film, it seems like it's going to be a band of crazy kids stuck on an apartment in the middle of the ocean. I interpreted that as a fun little romp, a silly adventure where the kids struggle, but bond, grow up, and have a unique time in their lives.

That... is not what happens. This film is surprisingly dark. It's more akin to a less dense version of Lord of the Flies mixed with Life of Pi than a cute, fun adventure movie. The kids are actually struggling here. ... They have to ration meals, struggle to survive, use their wits, and strain against the stress of their situation. Injury and chance of death is very real in this world. People's heads get bashed, people fall into glass, or slip off metal sharp metal poles. Starvation looms, tensions flare, life is on the line.

Look at the pictures and all the promotional material for this show. Would you say that description above matches it? This is the core problem: what looks, at first, to be a lighthearted and fun adventure is actual a survival story. And if your expectations aren't aligned with that, you're going to be a bit confused by the genre division.

But there are other issues at play. Namely that the screenplay is exceptionally convoluted and bloated. The reason for this seems to be that they came up with the core concept for the film, and had a strong idea of the ending, but had no idea how to fill the second act of the film. This film has it all. Of course the survival aspects are present, including all the struggles that come with that genre. But there's also shintoism, fantasy magic, light romantic tension, character drama, childlike joie de vivre, ghosts, nostalgic drama... there is so MUCH in this film, so many things that the film wants to say and address. And the problem with Drifting Home, just like other films that want to say a lot, is that it's hard to fit so many different, disparate topics and ideas into one film and make things cohesive.

At its core, Drifting Home is a character drama. It's about the kids doing everything they can to survive while also straining against each other's personalities. The problem is, the screenplay is a bit incompetent in this regard. The way Drifting Home interprets drama and conflict is through arguments. A problem will arise ("we're running out of food"), so the kids start to argue. The argument will talk about how there's no food, someone will say "we'll make it work," and then a third-party will say "we have to work together." Then everyone agrees to do their best. But then, hey, no food again, and the exact same argument happens, in the exact same way, just featuring different characters; then the argument gets resolved in the same way, everyone goes back to normal, until the next thing spawning an argument. The arguments also don't really change a lot; it's not like there are new problems that the kids argue about, it's the same core problems of trying to survive that always inflame tensions. This makes the arguing itself extremely repetitive and annoying, because you remember this same problem being resolved 10 minutes ago, but now they're just fighting again. It becomes nonsensical.

There's also an issue that the cast is quite large as well. Seven is a crowd, and although everyone has a foil to bounce off of, trying to characterize and give everyone a valuable arc in the film is a struggle within the screenplay. There's a whole lot of talking, yelling, brooding, etc., and much of this is inconsequential to the broader plot the film is delivering. This muddies everything, making delivering conclusions on everyone's arcs difficult. There's a scene near the end where all the characters have this emotional moment regarding themselves as characters. The problem is, it happens so suddenly, that it's over after a second, and feels extremely unfulfilling, because it doesn't feel like we had enough time to learn about everyone's personal situation for the moment to really pay off.

This is because a deeper core of this movie is the relationship between the two protagonists: Kousuke and Natsume. They're childhood friends, and childhood sweethearts, but also straining under the shared relationship of Kousuke's grandfather who passed away many years before. But because this film is a survival film, that core premise takes a back seat to them working together to survive. As such, we don't get enough time to see these characters emotionally bonding in a way that doesn't involve tension or conflict. The present day has left them both emotionally fraught, so it's difficult for them to act like real friends, especially in a survival situation; but we, as viewers, WANT TO SEE THAT, because we know they care about each other, and never get the opportunity to experience that outside of a couple scenes here and there, or outside of flashbacks.

That isn't to say the film is all bad. It nails the visual aesthetics, and all the character designs are amazing. The animation is stunning as ever, which is to be expected from Studio Colorido and Ishida himself. There's also quite a lot of expertly crafted CG, which is rare in anime.

But a few good compliments and a nice initial vibe cannot combat the weight of a messy screenplay, which inevitably drags this film down from being better than it could have been. It's an unfortunate sophomore slump for an otherwise ultra talented director, and is a strong example of "telling not showing" and how a bloated screenplay can really drag down an experience. If this film had focused on its core ideals: nostalgia, drama, and character bonding, this would have been a fantastic experience. Unfortunately, it throws everything including the kitchen sink into the mix as well, along with an overly mature and dangerous tone, which drags down the entire production.

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Aug 27, 2022

Chikyuugai Shounen Shoujo (Anime) add

Recommended

Delightful! It takes inspirations from some of the best sci-fi narratives in the industry, and dilutes it into something fresh and unique. This series really wears its inspirations on its sleeve. It's a little bit Interstellar, a little bit Gravity, and a little bit of Her all wrapped up into one complete package.

The best part about Orbital Children is its pacing. Lots of people complain about this, and I can't fathom why. Orbital Children has a very brisk pace, at only half the episodes of a normal anime. Because of this, it stays quite focused on its core premises. It's a bit of an ... survival story, followed by an action romp, and then explores some deeper philosophical concepts.

This does mean the core story is fairly derivative; you've seen these stories before elsewhere, and probably have seen them done more competently. But originality is dead, and blending these concepts isn't something I've ever seen before. So the bravery of the show to try to tackle all these concepts at once is ambitious and interesting.

A better criticism is whether it explores these concepts well. And that's to be debated. The survival and action portions of the show are well done in my opinion. They use legitimate science fiction concepts to explore the ideas in the early portions of the show. Although they take a lot of liberties (this is more science fantasy), I appreciated a lot of the little details that other shows might miss: lots of logical talk of trajectories, gravity, pressurization, and more are all nice touches, especially in anime, which really enjoys hand-waving more scientific concepts. Because it doesn't take itself too seriously, it also means the scenes are fun. It's neat to see the kids solving puzzles for their own survival; it really feels like the deck is stacked against them any time a new problem emerges, and either by dumb luck, smart thinking, or good teamwork, they're always able to pull through to the next challenge. It really makes you as a viewer root for them as a group.

The show falters on its more complex and philosophical notions. Part of this comes from the concept itself. It wants to explore these deeper ideas of AI, sentience, and thought beyond the human consciousness; however, it also wants to explore ideas like God, fate, and purpose. These are really awesome ideas, and they were entertaining throughout Orbital Children's runtime. But you can definitely feel that the screenwriters were struggling a bit on how to accurately express "11th dimensional thinking." The complexity of these more complicated topics which you would see in something like Interstellar slip here; whereas Interstellar focuses its entire premise on these broader philosophical goals, Orbital Children has a much more limited time frame to explore the same ideas, and it shows in the delivery. There's a lot more hand-waving, stunted screenwriting, and slimmer resolutions to issues than I would have liked. It feels like characters lose a lot of agency around the climax, and that a lot of what ends up happening is no longer really in their control. It's still entertaining, but especially when the entire series up until the final bit is built around a team of quirky kids scraping by, the ending can feel like a jarring change of process.

That doesn't mean it's not entertaining though, or that the exploration wasn't sufficient. Beyond the slightly vague ending, it felt like the show said everything it wanted to say. The only struggles on display are what the show wants to be. Does it want to be a cute sci-fi featuring anime kids? Cool. Does it want to be a fun action romp in space? Cool. Does it want to be a philosophical musing? Cool. The problem is it tries to do all these things at once. It sticks the landing, in a way that many of its peers are unable to do, but it's fair to say that you could get a deeper experience if it focused on one of these higher-brow concepts more than one of the others. It spreads itself too thin; a piece of toast with a thin layer of jelly is still tasty, but it does leave you yearning for a little bit more.

Overall though, Orbital Children is criminally underrated. It's definitely worth the time, especially because it respects the viewer and doesn't waste any time getting to all its diverse points. It says what it needs to in half the time, does so adequately, and remains entertaining throughout. You can't ask for much more from a piece of media.

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May 31, 2022

Ryuu to Sobakasu no Hime (Anime) add

Recommended

If anything, this film defines Mamoru Hosoda. He is stylish. He is messy. He is emotional. He is disjointed. He is pure in his message. He is convoluted in his execution.

He is completely flawed and that's why he's good at it. He leaves the flaws. They're there for all to see, no matter how embarrassing.

That's the whole premise of this film. That we're all flawed, in the face we show the world and the things we see in ourselves. And even then, he is flawed. We see all of this film's flaws, and it's still a VERY GOOD FILM despite all of them. This film ...

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Mar 28, 2022

Jigokusei Remina (Manga) add

Mixed Feelings

What a bizarre book. And not in the horrific way.

The one thing I've learned in reading more of Junji Ito is that he is sincerely not a very strong storyteller. He is an artist first and foremost, one who absolute nails horror in a way that basically no other creative person on the planet quite can. The visuals and the concept of Remina is unparalleled. Evil planet comes into existence, seemingly in tandem with the birth of a young and now budding pop-idol who is boosted to fame due to the planet being named after her. When the planet decides to destroy all of existence ... though, things don't go well for anyone involved.

Sounds awesome right? Here's the rub. Similar to Uzumaki, while Remina excels in concept and artistic representation, it completely flops in execution of its narrative. A lot of criticism I have seen of the novel is that there seems to be no purpose to any of the central premises of the story. The planet just exists, and it's doing all these terrible things? And why? No reason is given. I believe this is the strongest part of the story, however. Because it catches this intangible, Lovecraftian, nihilistic view of the world: sometimes horrific things happen for no reason, and there are no happy endings. That's the part I love about Remina.

The part I hate about Remina is literally all of the rest. Why does the entire global society suddenly become insane? Because plot! How does an evil cabal of witch hunters who seek Remina's death suddenly gain instant power over all humanity? Because someone needs to be the antagonist! Why do these people think that killing Remina will somehow stop the advance of the planet, with no evidence? Because it gives the main cast something to do! Why is Remina caught in a love triangle between the people trying to save her? Well, the story would be a lot shorter without that, and it gives a reason for people to betray her. So plot!

This is the issue: a concept is only good until the story gets rolling. If the concept is great, but the narrative is mediocre, then the entire story suffers. The most interesting parts - learning about the evil death planet, watching society collapse, empathizing with the protagonists - that falls to the wayside by brutalist depictions of random violence and basically people just acting kinda loopy.

This is compounded by the characterization of the central cast. The "damsel in distress" trope that many Ito stories rely on is back in full force. Remina is the main character, but lacks any agency in the story. She is thrust into pop-stardom against her will, even actively expressing she doesn't want this; she is targeted by literally the entire world for death; and for the majority of the plot, she is literally pulled around by the men in her life. At no point does Remina DO anything herself. She never has a heroic moment, she never fights back against the forces that intend to harm her; she's just kinda there, as the central protagonist, getting yanked around by literally everyone around her.

In a story about loss of control and agency, maybe you could rationalize that style of protagonist. Unfortunately, all the other characters are one-dimensional. Guess what the cowardly fanboy does? He acts cowardly and is a fanboy. Guess what the mature and brave guy does? He acts bravely and maturely. Guess what the defensive and obsessive guy does? Acts defensively and obsessively. If there were more nuance to the people surrounding Remina, maybe you could say that Remina lacking agency is fine. But the reality is that all the central characters in the story have no change throughout the story, and are little more than vehicles for Remina to get from one plot point to the next.

In short, man, Junji Ito is a very messy author. I can still sort of recommend this book, because at least it's short and to the point, rather than meandering and long such as Uzumaki. But I wish the story about an evil death planet had more to do with the evil death planet, rather than gratuitous violence of a helpless protagonist I can't relate to or empathize with.

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