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Jun 5, 2022
As I grow up, I realize I value harmony increasingly much, in various aspects. One is anything that composes myself being in perfect tune; body, mind, emotion all streamlined to minimize internal discord and optimize my energy and mood towards creative pursuits.
Another is tied to peace in my external environment; I crave that my surroundings are tranquil, allowing me to recharge in peace from hustle-and-bustle and any other tests of life.
And yet another is tied to appreciation of art, be it music, fictional works or even culinary arts; I appreciate a lot when anything I consume, metaphorically or literally, leaves my senses pleased or
...
unsettled yet never disgraced, only to be digested smoothly and leave me with an impactful impression for ages to come. Just the right dose dividing medicine from poison.
For fictional works, I translate this into their elements being in a sort of “internal harmony” not unlike the first aspect; perfect balance within their own framework. Well then, how is my review related to that? Long story short, this work is a prime example of achieving such harmony.
Note:__ this review is spoiler-free.
~~~ [1. First, on setting…] ~~~
It should be made crystal clear that the setting is not in ancient China by any stretch, unlike what some pages claim. It is set in an Asian fantasy nation, apparently a mishmash influenced by real-life Imperial China during multiple dynasties.
For example, the custom of foot binding is referenced, yet is not as commonplace in Kusuriya no Hitorigoto as it was during certain dynasties in China. Also, certain plants (e.g. cocoa) were not present in China, not at least before the Columbian Exchange took place.
Either way, the primary setting is a huge palace complex, perhaps not unlike the Forbidden City, with a clear difference being the presence of trees. The secondary setting is the world outside the palace, the protagonist’s hometown specifically.
~~~ [2.Okay, but what of harmony?…]~~~
Time to elaborate. But first, I must point out the lynchpins of this manga: mystery and Maomao. Without either, the manga would be half-full. Mystery is its most prominent genre, with multiple layers of both episodic and overlapping mysteries.
The first are the most commonplace, often involving some medicine-related issue, with quite some counterexamples to break the mold and prevent the work from becoming formulaic and stagnant. The second are tied to characters' personal history, politics or even intrigue.
Now on to the next most prominent genre, it is probably drama. Often, it involves gritty realism on hardships people have to endure, especially women, but also court politics. However, primarily thanks to the unique perspective and antics of the eccentric protagonist, much historical slice-of-life and comedy is sprinkled alongside its mature and down-to-earth drama that prevents the work from becoming too sober, yet without degrading it to excessively silly.
Overall, as long as one is interested in the premise and is not alienated by the heroine, they can hardly find anything sticking out like a sore thumb. Mystery, drama, comedy, slice-of-life all meticulously ground in a spice mix pleasing the senses without upsetting the stomach.
Nonetheless, this is only one side of the coin. To conclude my point, it is imperative I elaborate on the protagonist and the rest of the cast.
~~~ [3. Maomao, court and town…] ~~~
It will become readily apparent the story is told by the perspective of its heroine, Maomao, and a lot of internal monologue is included, showcasing her thoughts and opinions. And her internal world is rich to say the least.
Looking like a plain teenage girl, she is actually more like a hyper-perceptive and intelligent… mad scientist, with a nearly obsessive like of anything potentially medical. “What does not kill you makes you stronger” could have easily been her motto. She is also quite complex, even paradoxical. Oddball with little social grace, yet confident and humble at the same time. Apathetic and insensitive, yet also surprisingly compassionate when push comes to shove.
Maomao aside, the male lead, Jinshi, is an equally hyper-perceptive and intelligent so-pretty-it-could-kill head eunuch. He is also quite a gadfly yet also social gracious, cunning and courteous. He is surrounded by mystery, one that is explored within the narrative.
Other denizens of the court include the emperor, his consorts, their ladies-in-waiting and other maids, guards and eunuchs. Outside the palace, the reader also gets to meet Maomao’s family and other familial people, among others. Not all characters are fleshed out, more so since Maomao holds the reins in this manga, but all play their given roles accordingly and glue together drama, comedy and mystery in one grand tapestry.
And that was "short story made long" on why this manga is a prime example of a work achieving internal harmony. I look forward to more chapters being released.
~~~ Hope you enjoyed my review! ~~~
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Feb 3, 2022
Today’s review is on Kowloon Generic Romance, penned and illustrated by Mayuzuki Jun, renowned for her After the Rain romance manga. The object of the review is also a romance, albeit an unusual given how few animanga are set in Hong Kong.
More precisely, its setting is based on Hong Kong’s Kowloon Walled City, a fort turned into a densely populated Chinese enclave after the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory was signed between Qing China and Great Britain on 1898, leasing the New Territories of Hong Kong to the latter. From the 1950s to the 1970s, it was controlled by local triads
...
and had high rates of prostitution, gambling, and drug abuse. By 1990, the walled city contained 50,000 residents within its 2.6-hectare borders.
Either way, it has been completely demolished since 1994, just three years before Hong Kong’s handover from Great Britain to China. Apparently not so in Kowloon Generic Romance.
~~~ [1. How does this influence the narrative and aesthetics?] ~~~
First thing of all, the setting is dystopian in nature, far from a model city and tightly packed, albeit truer to modern reality and not grimdark at all. There is interplay of slow burn adult romance, sci-fi mystery and... wholesome slice-of-life, which can seem like a paradoxical combination, but stands solidly.
Its slow burn adult romance is contrasted by quick development of plot, and its slice-of-life in turn by a sci-fi mystery raising more and more questions on the true nature of its world. There are quite some plot twists, owing primarily to its mystery element. Speaking of which, there are two overarching mysteries, one on the female lead and one on Kowloon Walled City. I may not spoil details, but will note influence from classic cyberpunk.
On its environment, it can feel claustrophobic, overcrowded yet also oddly cheerful, authentic and packed with its fair share of surprises hiding in its corners. Immersion in this environment is aided by Mayuzuki’s quite rich and detailed artwork, be it character designs, the wasp nest architecture of the city or food porn shots, usually involving Chinese cuisine.
Themes treated include identity (whether it is meant to be inherited or rather forged), authenticity (in interpersonal relations and personal identity) and preservation of the old versus destroying it for the sake of innovation or moving on.
Connected to the last is the theme of nostalgia, interwoven into the very plot and especially important in order for the romantic chemistry to give fruit.
~~~ [2. On leads of Kowloon Nostalgic Romance…] ~~~
Reiko Kujirai and Hajime Kudou are both in their thirties and colleagues in a real estate business. On first sight, seems like typical work romance in work.
Despite that however, they have remarkably different personalities. Kujirai is an introvert and largely unconcerned with the rundown atmosphere of the Walled City, open into trends and prefers new experiences. Kudou instead is an extrovert, traditional, a creature-of-habit and more concerned over the Walled City’s condition.
Apparently mismatching, one thing that unites those two is nostalgia, over which many questions are raised. For example, whether it can be triggered by new experiences rather than sticking to old ones. Nostalgia aside, their chemistry can be sweet although I need to address an overarching issue: a “status quo bias”.
Some conflict and tension gets too easily bypassed or resolved for the sake of returning things to status quo and to keep a steady breezy tone, even in situations where some developments should have been questioned and pondered far more. Of course, I keep in mind that this could be intentional to make for thematic exploration and a tone shift on later chapters, but by all means this persistence of keeping status quo intact can feel jarring despite all the wholesome and interesting moments involved.
Either way, Kowloon Generic Romance is a nice, original read, one I look forward to getting more chapters released and one I wish it leaves me with nostalgia recalling it.
~~~ Hope you enjoyed my review! ~~~
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Feb 3, 2022
Fourth Mori Kaoru review, and the closing for the month! This one concerns an anthology; around 60% of this book includes short-middle manga stories and the rest includes mainly columns and single page illustrations.
Anthologies are rarely if ever my cup of tea, hardly finding myself too satisfied reading short stories, but in this one's case I enjoyed what Mori herself described as sort of a mystery stew and a platter of appetizers. Let’s elaborate.
~~~ [1. Side dishes for your drink...] ~~~
Stories-wise this anthology is unusual for Mori, as she frequently toys with or totally deviates from her trademark 19-20th century historical fiction.
For one,
...
three stories are set during the Victorian-Edwardian eras yet two are comedies, one of which is also a parody of the relationship between servant-master. On stories that totally deviate, this book includes three modern school slice-of-life stories, one of which is wholesome, another a comedy and another a drama set in an art school. There are also two sexy adult-oriented stories, one which features a head waitress in a bunny suit deflecting advances and one which is a hot play on the Japanese idiom “swim practice on tatami mats”.
Case in point, Mori Kaoru did not pen every story she included, for Sumire’s Flowers, the dramatic school slice-of-life story, is penned by Fukushima Satoshi yet illustrated by her.
~~~ [2. Surprise, those are luxury appetizers...] ~~~
Despite being renown on her ultra-detailed work on Emma and on Otoyomegatari, this anthology displays a side of Mori Kaoru I had only slightly referenced in my Otoyomegatari review: that there is nothing she cannot depict. This extends even outside her trademarks.
Be it a woman in a bunny suit in all her erotic glory, her iconic England-themed artworks to the more mundane such a middle schooler wearing glasses or the interior of homes and libraries, this woman can prove herself capable of creating an eyeful of everything. It should be apparent there is fanservice here and then, but case in point a story also includes mild nudity. Encapsulation is great in all stories, with frequent usage of blank space to make for contrasts with key details and smooth paneling.
Notable, in comparison to her other works, is that one comedy story in this anthology is drawn in a remarkably different artstyle. This was Mori's original arstyle pre-Emma, one which she cites as having been influenced by the works of a horror mangaka named Yousuke Takagashi.
~~~ [3. Wait for the dessert...] ~~~
Once they complete the stories and read the related notes, the reader is treated by Mori to series of illustrations, most (but not all) of them on Mori's trademark works (Emma, Otoyomegatari, Shirley), commentary on Emma's anime, illustrations and notes to thank visitors to her manga's signings, as well as some of her research's fruits, namely facts on Victorian-era life and references on the role of servants in Agatha Christie’s works.
You could skip all those if you are interested only in the stories, but I recommend you give a chance to this part as well, even just to appreciate some gorgeous illustrations here and then, and to learn a thing or two on Victorian England. And if you are interested into Mori Kaoru as a creator and a person in general, it will hardly hurt at all to read patiently through everything.
Case in point, the book is hard to find in a stream, at least translated in English. It is highly affordable though (almost 10 dollars), and if you are interested in digital books you may immediately dig into it.
Either way, just like appetizers this book can be treated as an initiation to the main course of Mori’s lifework, or as a standalone taste sample of her peerless skill.
~~~ Hope you enjoyed my review! ~~~
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jan 3, 2022
To me, my 2021 (and life in general) can be likened to sailing in a brig through a highly tempestuous ocean to in order to reach and resupply at the next port, one which you may not even know if it stands anymore.
The weather seems to work against you. Your supplies are limited, and disease stalks around the corner. You carry various baggage, and may lose some in the occasional whirlpool. But once in a while, the air is warm, pleasant and blows to your port’s direction. You may have quite some opportunities to catch fish, and the lost baggage makes your boat lighter.
And in
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the end of the journey, there it is. The port. But it is far from the pristine shipyard city you would envision. There is a whole new set of challenges to navigate, such as dealing with totally different people and the local market’s workings. At this stage, one bears their own biases, emotions and morals and has to learn to deal with a new whole set of biases, emotions and morals, plus any overarching set of rules.
Why bother writing this odd parallel? Because I want to point out that some challenges during the journey of life stem from objective circumstances, yet others from intrapersonal and interpersonal conflict. There are many totally subjective barriers dividing mankind, such as language, religion, culture, etc.
But the greatest barrier might be the ego. Many people claim to be tolerant of differences, but in practice just want their feelings validated and themselves reflected in the outer world. When somebody truly different shows up, they often react with fear and aversion, even if in a more implicit, passive-aggressive matter. And quite often, it is exactly because they see themselves reflected in the “Other” that they react as such. You frequently are what you hate.
How does this review fit with these? It happens that Yuri Kuma explores exactly that: the barriers of the heart and the barriers imposed by society. It is time to elaborate.
~~~ [1. First with an introduction…]~~~
Yuri Kuma could be summarized as a demented fairy tale with a few sci-fi elements, and an allegorical commentary on the inconsistent attitudes of Japan towards homosexuality.
~~~ [2. Followed by details on its approach…] ~~~
Yuri Kuma thrives on visual storytelling, with images as a narrative tool on their own right. The work is highly symbolical, the whole tale serving as an allegory. One needs to focus more on the subtext rather than the context, as if taken too literally the story is going to prove very frustrating.
And even then, the story can prove to be disturbing for all its apparent cuteness. Either way, one will bear (pun not intended) witness to a narrative interweaving stigma, repression, lust, segregation and hypocrisy.
Nonetheless, allegory is not meant to be an excuse for certain writing issues I am going to note. First of all, the cast is often mistreated and there is much wasted potential. For one, almost all characters are mouthpieces, reduced to mere pawns in order for the allegory to work out, as the story gets too focused on a certain relationship, something especially apparent in later episodes.
Many characters are unceremoniously tossed to the garbage bin, certain intriguing dynamics are never fleshed out (thus undermining any further thematic exploration on e.g. abusive relationships) and some characters turn into total extensions or satellites of others.
Also, the story can occasionally be riddled with so much fanservice that it can bring into question where the allegory ends and where the pandering starts. And on pandering in general, sometimes it can become questionable for no reason, e.g. with a character essentially shipping their child relative with another child. And there is frequent silly and misplaced comedy, e.g. in scene climaxes, that often ruin tension and drama in a most awkward fashion.
Any qualifications or drawbacks aside, there are also symbolisms not connected to homosexuality, such as a superego/ego/id one, and there might be a few references to literature, as a character is a reference to Winnie the Pooh.
~~~ [3. Closing with notes on aesthetics…] ~~~
There is not much need to elaborate on visuals. Quite alright, quite some cinematic shots, and given how a fair deal of imagery are symbols, expect lilies and the occasional surreal scenery. There are also some nice fairy tale-inspired flashbacks.
On sound: I don’t particularly mind most seiyuu picks, but some could sound too squeaky and whiny to appreciate. Take my complain with a grain of salt, as I usually prefer deeper voices.
Yuri Kuma’s music is excellent, starting with its stunning OP, which is a hypnotizing and bittersweet electropop track, sang sultrily by Bonjour Suzuki. However, the rest of the music deserves credit as well, including some highly dramatic inserts, a catchy disco ED and perhaps one of the most otherworldly/alien insert songs in existence: Wall of Severance.
All in all, Yuri Kuma is an unusual piece of work, with creativity, originality and thought placed behind its production, but also with flaws acting as barriers that prevent it from reaching its full potential. Likewise, us humans as well are barricaded by our own barriers that keep us away from evolving to our highest selves.
~~~ Happy New Year everybody! ~~~
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Jan 3, 2022
This year was full of surprises for me, including ones that let to triumphs and joys, wake-up slaps and re-examination of attitudes. If I count summarize 2021 in two words, it would be “rebirth” and “maturing”.
Sometimes, both require pain, sacrifices and quite some reality checks. They can be a product of interpersonal conflict, existential or survival stress, but either way may lead one to explore the most underdeveloped and shunned aspects of their personality and lifestyle. All in all, though I believe it is always for the best that we embrace change as the natural state of things, for being too persistent to positive illusions
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and ideas that don’t serve us anymore can make life more stressing than what it can already be.
~~~ [1.How does Sonny Boy come into this?] ~~~
For one, its presentation is a surprise on its own. An unorthodox and bold approach that is more reminiscent of literature, as well as some 00s adult anime, such as Texhnolyze and Lain. But that aside, it explores topics such as existence from a philosophical point of view, intolerance and dogma, anarchy and authority, man-nature relationship.
Let’s elaborate further.
~~~ [2. An introduction on the story…] ~~~
The story starts as described: in a school that has been transported and isolated to another dimension, with several students suddenly gaining superpowers and the school descending into anarchy. No need to write more on plot, it is best experienced. I will note this though: do not be misguided by the mystery genre to believe that SB is a whodunit or a mystery narrative with explicit answers to each and every enigmatic situation or circumstance. It is neither.
~~~ [3. Continuing with details on its approach…] ~~~
It should be emphasized that a significant part of the plot is composed of allegories, not unlike works of Kunihiko Ikuhara. Those draw inspiration from various ideas from branches of social science (such as political science) and literary works (e.g. Robinson Crusoe).
By no means is one required to have read them to understand where the anime comes from, but it is imperative for one to march with the mindset of paying more attention on why something is shown rather than what is shown, i.e. on subtext. Expecting too explicit answers will only lead to disappointment and frustration.
I will not dig too deep in thematic exploration, but will note first of all that is highly iconoclastic, bringing into questions many aspects of human experience and society, such as religion. It is also a fundamentally nihilistic anime, but one that turns out to be oddly empowering and positive. Rather than depressing and bleak, it turns out to be cathartic, didactic yet bittersweet.
To elaborate a bit on the statement, let us take the assertion of moral nihilism, which is that nothing is intrinsically moral or immoral. Though many would assume that a person that espouses such a belief tends to be unscrupulous and even sociopathic, the thing is, such a belief could be used in a beneficial and productive way for mankind in general.
Realizing the total subjectivity of our values can make us more understanding towards the big picture, more compassionate towards individuals that would otherwise be brushed off as "Others", and can also help us realise how our lifespan and potential is wasted away in favor of collectively building Towers of Babel.
~~~ [4. A few details on audiovisuals…] ~~~
Sonny Boy is unusually beautiful, and harmonious in direction. Characters look as if rotoscoped (not sure if they are indeed), with mostly natural expressions, builds and movements. Scene transitions never get abrupt, the pacing is slow but smooth (and quite comforting, especially if after having watched a more fast-paced show) and animation is fluid. There are some art shifts throughout the show, and quite some cinematic shots (including some with nice “denpa”).
Many backgrounds surprised me much, as they reminded me of some 70s style anime, such as Future Boy Conan, or canvas paintings, not unlike initiatives taken by quite some other experimental anime (e.g. Texhnolyze) to include panels inspired by works of real-life painters.
Sound does not falter behind, and in fact it could be the true glue of this show. Rather than loading scenes with overwhelming noise, a great deal of Sonny Boy has no music (outside key moments), which I found to be a refreshing change and helped me with interpreting and paying attention to the show without being distracted by too many sensory stimuli.
~~~ [5. Last but not least, a few parting words…] ~~~
I am getting increasingly fond of this show as days pass. The ending was among the most oddly cathartic if bittersweet experiences I had in a while.
It also made me happy to see that creators dare to tread into the less-walked paths of animation, to deliver something that could face scrutiny and alienate a fair part of its audience, but it will definitely change some others for years to come. I am not sure I totally espouse its beliefs, perhaps outside moral nihilism, but I can totally state it appealed to both my intellectual and emotional sides, both the more detached and the more compassionate ones.
I look forward for more such works, and can only hope that at least a few of whoever decided to read my review is inspired enough to try, and perhaps to appreciate this unique seasonal.
Hope you enjoyed my review!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 3, 2022
I often read that Japan animation industry has been becoming creatively sterile. People point out to productions becoming increasingly intended to aesthetically appeal to broader ranges of to-be customers’ tastes, rather than studios and staffs being in them for the sake of art.
Many also point out to narratives becoming excessively focused at easily digestible material, such as teen romance and isekai fantasy, rather than dare to write more thought-provoking stories and perhaps even alienate a fair part of the watchers, for the sake of trying something different. Many others point towards more ruthless business practices and mistreatment of staff (especially animators), stripping the last out
...
of each and every incentive to go above and beyond themselves.
As for me, I have been detached from those topics and discussions for a very while, I do not often watch seasonal productions and I do not have access to enough data to provide for a more objective outlook. Plus, the animation industry was never charity to begin with and in the end, commercial anime are both art and product.
But I can clearly state this: works such as Odd Taxi, the current object of this review, can run against the idea of anime industry decaying as a whole.
~~~ [1. On story and characters…] ~~~
Odd Taxi interweaves two overarching mysteries: one is related to the protagonist. Another is a big-picture mystery on the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a high school girl.
On the protagonist Odokawa, a brief introduction: he is a flat, introverted, sharp-tongued 41 years old taxi driver walrus. He is more than a bit odd, and with a mysterious and apparently troubled background. During his taxi work, he meets and discusses with many characters, until he gradually gets pulled to the big-picture mystery.
His condition and past form the more “personal” part of the mystery, one which can actually be “solved” before one reaches the conclusion, not unlike in a whodunit. It does require quite a bit of attention to detail though, perhaps even revisiting previous scenes to unite the pieces, and even so one can fall out of line in their judgment of Odokawa.
[Note: I am rather skeptical over the depiction of Odokawa’s visual agnosia, whether similar cases have ever occurred and if it actually treatable, but as a twist I will not pretend it was not surprising, enjoyable and touching.]
Other characters in Odd Taxi are a mixed bag. Some are from sectors of the entertainment industry (e.g. idols), others are Odokawa’s peers. Some are well-developed (e.g. the alpaca girl) for their length, though most are one-dimensional as there is hardly enough time for the show to invest evenly in everyone. Some just steal more of their spotlight.
All characters become entangled in the above-mentioned big-picture mystery. This mystery is much more easily explained; although one of its aspects on the girl’s ultimate fate raises too many questions. Not going to spoil, but I can discuss if you have already watched the show.
A final note on the overall mystery aspect: there was genuine attention behind not making it too easy to solve and to mostly make sense. E.g. a red herring was used and there was a very funny use of the Chekhov's Gun principle.
Some sociological and psychological themes connected to contemporary life are interplaying, such as social media amplifying narcissistic and delusional tendencies. There is plenty of dry and often caustic humor, and many memorable and actually witty lines that deviated a lot from being tropey. I was almost surprised at the beginning that this show lacked a comedy genre tag.
One point of criticism is that despite its merits, this story ultimately can bite off more than it chews. For example, non-idol aspects of the entertainment industry were hardly built on, e.g. given the presence of a rakugo master and a duo of comedians competing with others. Instead, the first character was connected extremely shallowly to the show and the two comedians were hardly seen “in action”, rather than solely discussing on their fans feedback and arguing on how comedy should be. This point is mostly related to the series’ length as it is a 13 episode series with too many themes and characters crammed together. If this were a 24 episode series it could have worked even better.
~~~ [2. And on audiovisuals…] ~~~
As apparent, the characters are depicted as anthropomorphic animals. This could be off-putting to some people’s aesthetics, but nonetheless I would insist that even those people give the show a chance, and for a good reason.
Quite frankly, though, I’m rather mixed towards visual production on its whole. Some backgrounds did catch my eye, but animation was often poor. CGI especially was neither technically smooth nor in harmony with the rest of the scenery, standing out like a sore thumb.
Soundtrack and voice acting are matching the tone and context of this modern mystery, not too much to say. One complain though was on a gangster who raps all the time instead of normally talking, a choice I found to be too “just because” and clumsy.
To conclude, presence of anime such as Odd Taxi run against the idea of the anime industry decaying as a whole. Its mystery narrative provides for an original spectacle and actually can push watchers to think, all without being too alienating. There are flaws tied to its format and it's not pristine in technical aspects either, but to call it sterile would be unfair.
~~~ Hope you enjoyed my review! ~~~
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 5, 2021
Don and capos, Stands, Italian architecture and a banger OST. What could go wrong with this spicy combination? Much, apparently. For all of this part’s technical merits, there are quite some points I feel the need to address, as it “being Jojo” can make shielding it from criticism too easy, by the excuse of it being campy and self-aware.
~~~ Let’s proceed with the review. ~~~
[1. On both story and characters...]
Much like the pre-part 4 series of the franchise, this part follows an action adventure approach, the story this time involving a (literal) gang journeying throughout Italy while fighting mafiosos.
Not much to note, other than that
...
unlike more heroic if still flawed characters of previous parts, the gang are antiheroic if still relatively noble, ruthless and occasionally, downright sociopathic (often in a comedic way). This on its own is okay, serving as a refresh to prevent Jojo from becoming stagnant, and can set the tone for more mature thematic exploration and bolder if dark comedy, alongside (a)typical Jojo campiness and exaggeration. In practice however, I hardly found this approach working, because of plenty of poor or unremarkable writing.
One of my primary qualms was how often and blatantly inconsistent and convenient this part could get, even for Jojo. From a huge “Araki forgot” on an established effect of Golden Experience, to a never explained revive to some (admittedly minor) details such as a radio magically reforming after braking, there was too much carelessness to brush off.
There was also excessive rule-breaking connected to Stands. From some Stands becoming fully tangible to humans (consistently established throughout Jojo as being impossible), to an user operating with two Stands, to a post-mortem Stand operating on its own, I believe there was quite some disrespect to Jojo’s own rules and setting. It did not help that this part is less comedy-oriented than say the third, as it became harder for me to suspend any disbelief.
Another qualm was the plot becoming too monotonous and predictable, in part due to the nature of its cast. Most characters reverted to the formula of Stardust Crusaders: many more disposable villains, less recurring and hardly any with some sort of complexity. This extends to the main cast as well, as their interactions could be frequently amusing or heartwarming, but outside Bruno and Abbachio they are too static and/or limited in traits. And yes, this includes the protagonist. Outside Bruno, I hardly found myself caring too much for anybody else. The main villain was also a dramatic downgrade to the previous part’s, mostly because of the sheer nonsense behind their personality disorder. Anything else I say will veer into spoiler territory so I’ll leave it here.
That is not to say though I was fed up with each and every aspect of the story. Comedy could sometimes really hit the spot, including its darker jokes and memes, and I could enjoy the changes of scenery. Some battles could be entertaining and dynamic, such as a frost-skating-snowboarding-gunfighting battle and an original urban dogfight.
Also, one note on a detail (not a spoiler, but something only one who completed understands). Unlike other people, I don’t mind the Requiem, it can be perfectly justified, from previously established details. Also, its power can make sense, if one wraps their mind around the "cause and effect" aspect.
[2. And on audiovisuals...]
I find character designs to be hit-or-miss, way too extravagant in hair and fashion sense. Not much to say on those, just a matter of preference.
There is plenty of good background artwork, including natural or semi-natural landscapes (e.g. Italian countryside), iconic Italian cities (e.g. of Naples and Venice) and landmarks (e.g. Pompey). In fact, as somebody who has travelled in quite some of those regions and cities, I was delighted to see the attention behind their design. Animation was functional but not too remarkable; most of fights get carried by direction in this part. A point of criticism on the production is the occasional poor CGI used for water, which could look jarring when juxtaposed with the drawn backgrounds and characters.
On audio, it’s highly impressive. Despite relative lack of too renowned seiyuu, voice acting was great, and certainly on its finest during the more memetic scenes (such as the infamous licking and beatdown scenes). There were many memorable sound effects, such as zippers opening, revolver fire, fighter machine guns, ice breaking, you name it. Sound was never ill-matching, and music was harmoniously blending with scenes in question.
Speaking of which, I daresay this part includes the richest Jojo OST so far. And no, I won’t limit this to mentioning Giorno’s iconic orchestral-jazz theme. There is a surprising variety of genres among its tracks. The openings are dramatic and pompous rock-orchestral pieces, whereas other tracks (e.g. leitmotifs or endings) run the gamut from techno to erotic R&B to ominous orchestral. One is even a terrifying track with biohazard sirens, one which I would expect to encounter in a horror-mystery game or slasher movie. I'm including the last, listen to your peril.
All in all, there is frequent technical competence in this part, but could not enjoy that much because of its flaws becoming too transparent for me to ignore. Consistency, for one, can and does matter, and lack of it can pose problems for a narrative.
~~~ Hope you enjoyed my review! ~~~
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Dec 5, 2021
It would be imprudent of me to claim part 4 is the best animated part, given how Stone Ocean currently airs, but I can confidently claim it is the more balanced and polished pre-part 6 addition to the Jojo series, and easily the most cinematic.
Nonetheless, it's being judged here both within the continuum of Jojo as well as a standalone.
[1. On both story and characters...]
Unlike the previous parts which are country-to-country adventures, here the setting is much narrower topologically: the suburb of Morioh, S city. Without going into too much detail, the heroes are called upon to uncover and confront stand-related dangers plaguing their suburb
...
while exploring its various corners.
There are quite a few slice-of-life and suspense elements, the first of which serve to break the mould of repetitive Stand battles, and even serve to toy with or subvert the very concept of a Stand battle as established in Stardust Crusaders. Examples include an original sniper duel in the countryside, and an Italian cuisine episode.
Suspense elements are especially prominent during the second half of the series. Combined with (a)typical Jojo campiness and madness, creative Stand battles, and the aforementioned slice-of-life elements, Morioh's setting kept me constantly in an impression of viewing something "uncannily familiar".
It's somewhat hard to explain, but the idea of a mundane, commonplace Japanese town crawling with oddities and dark secrets that lurk in the alleys, corners and in plain view reminded me of Higurashi and even Uzumaki, two horror media that despite being a far cry from even slightly resembling Jojo involve quite some "horror in plain sight".
On characters, there is a much lower ratio of disposable ones and a much higher of reoccuring ones. Some remain static whereas others develop, and some are even fairly complex and compelling, such as Rohan Kishibe. There are also characters from previous parts, who via interactions with the new cast serve to connect the part to its predecessors. The selection of a "big bad" for Jojo is nothing short of brilliant. It's one thing to write an actually menacing and terrifying villain, and another to actually establish them as a person with their own lifestyle, morals, preferences and points of view.
I am obliged to point out some flaws, first of all that the story could become too inconsistent or illogical occasionally. An example is a Stand User around the first third of the part, who was perfectly informed on Jotaro's Stand power, without any explicit statement over how they came to know of it. There were also some missed opportunities. For example, Araki introduces a chef, whom he could have used brilliantly as a plot device given this chef's skills and potential, but instead he was totally left out and wasted.
Another was a delinquent flashback that did shed some light on a character trait of Josuke, but did not further build on such an important scene. I believe Araki must have attempted to use this flashback similarly as a plot twist not unlike one in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, only to have forgotten.
[2. And on audiovisuals...]
Aesthetic from beginning to end, part 4 is very pleasant to behold and easy on the ear as well.
Character designs retain typical Jojo traits such as prominent eyebrows and a campy sense of fashion, but are also far more "sculpted" and not buffed to exaggeration. There is healthy variety in individual builds, expressions, etc. Backgrounds alternate between ones of mundane urban landscape (e.g. interiors of buildings) and more unique and memorable scenery (e.g. sunflower fields).
What really surprised me in this part was direction. There was plenty of creative camerawork that made for memorable highlights and amplified the suspense . Another aspect was the color choice in the sky, which made for an overall sickly, "miasmatic" atmosphere. Even a couple of episodes make clear that this part is not limited to a faithful adaptation, but has a clear creative vision behind.
On audio, it does not falter either. Most seiyuu matched perfectly with their characters (even if I preferred some over others), and included a dream cast of quite prominent voice actors such as Sakurai Takahiro, Daisuke Ono and Ohara Sayaka alongside less prominent but nonetheless successful ones.
Audio direction is harmonious, including both timing and delivery of lines, sound effects selection (e.g. Killer Queen's sound effects) and overall, sound was never grating or ill-matching. On music, it is noteworthy how apart from upbeat pop-rock tracks that it includes some quite unusual tracks, such as Killer. This is the main villain's leitmotif, a classical piece that brilliantly encapsulates their personality.
~~~ Hope you enjoyed my review! ~~~
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Dec 5, 2021
Now that I completed most parts and anticipate Stone Ocean coming tomorrow, I feel occasioned to review some parts, starting with this, somewhat covering both seasons.
I've read many times that Jojo is love-or-hate. That's not the case, because if it were true everyone would rate it either extremely low or high, and it would probably have a much lower overall rating on any of its parts. But it does have some elements that might alienate many people, and also has writing issues that might annoy many others.
~~~ I notice this especially in part 3. ~~~
[1. First on story...]
Part 3 is an adventure in a
...
"monster of the week" format, where the heroes go from point x to point y and fight some new stand user, until they reach Egypt to fight the vampire Dio.
(+) The positives of the story are quite some varied if occasionally crude comedy, frequent scenery changes and quite some originality and variety concerning the heroes' adventures and misadventures in each new location and country they visited.
Part 3 is also highly self-aware of its nature as fiction, and frequently turns scenes that would be totally nonsense or even poor writing as part of its kooky charm.
(-) Its downsides are tied to the story getting too convenient and too inconsistent. From new abilities appearing out of nowhere (I'm looking at you Jotaro, and you Polnareff and Kakyoin), to characters being used, dropped, and reappearing, and being dropped again. Back and forth.
Also, scenes and incidents (e.g. several stand battles) that could be summarized (or even excluded) in half an episode are opened up and extended for one or two, making the series unnecessarily "stretched out" and at times, exhausting (especially in its second season).
[2. Then on characters...]
The interactions of the heroes' crew with the environment and with each other is the strongest character-related aspect, and they are often key to this part's comedy. Now as for the villains, most are one-dimensional, and only serve the purpose of presenting a new obstacle. Their powers range in originality and coolness.
Several have immense power, but using it unwisely they get defeated too easily. Others have extremely limited or weak powers, but wield them at the right time and place, even if they end up losing. I believe the last users tend to be the most memorable and fascinating.
[3. Last but not least, on audiovisuals...]
Not much to say on character designs, given how their build is divisive to fans. As for me, I want to note I liked how Araki designed women at first, but then found them too similarly drawn. Animation quality seems relatively consistent, but animation is not too remarkable. It's mostly direction that draws the most out of the scenes. I liked many backgrounds, especially when they involved landscapes, like a city on the banks of the Nile or an Arabian desert.
I think audio is the biggest asset of this part's production, be it voice acting, choice of sound effects and delivery and timing of lines. The mostly hard rock music didn't leave me with too much of an impression, but often pumped me up for the action and insanity to follow.
~~~ Hope you enjoyed my review! ~~~
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jun 10, 2021
No matter their genre, whether they are animated or live-action, short or feature, films can serve many purposes:
1. Some merely amuse.
2. Some are opportunities to poke fun at them.
3. Some aim mostly at touching their audience with emotional scenes.
4. Some express social and political ideas.
5. Some bring into question the human condition.
And some don’t seem to make any sense. Might be because of a confusing and hard-to-follow storyline, because the reference material is hardly accessible, or because the creator wants to mess with his audience, or all three and more. Does Adolescence of Utena belong here? I’d say yes and no.
Ikuhara
...
can be a trolling creator and a fan-proclaimed madman, but also one of the most social-aware people to grace anime industry. Let’s begin the review, there will be no spoilers.
~~~ [1. Things to keep in mind …] ~~~
a) Adolescence of Utena can be watched standalone, but I don’t recommend doing this. This comes from a person who watched a few episodes of the series, then went for movie, completed the series and then re-watched the movie. Some original series’ elements will fly over the viewer’s head, some parts are affectionate references to iconic and memetic scenes and much character context may be missed. And on top of that, some scenes supplement or build upon certain ones at the series.
b) This movie thrives on visual storytelling, employing imagery themselves as a narrative tool. Although the case with every work directed by Ikuhara, here the usage of metaphors and symbolism is uninhibited, and surrealism reaches extreme heights. There is also bizarre and offbeat humor at parts, that contributes as part of the film’s charm.
Best not to take anything too face value, especially during later parts where any semblance of literal story is drowning in a sea of allegory and madness. I would also recommend against nitpicking details on first watch, but to go with an empty and open mind intuitively absorbing information.
c) Many people recommend approaching this movie as metaphor after metaphor for growing up, and might be fine to direct the viewer and not confuse them too much.
In my opinion though this may also peg down the mind and not liberate it enough to provide for alternate interpretations and explore the thematic richness behind. With enough patience and imagination, one can appreciate more than just a deranged coming-of-age story or yuri romance. One of my favorite interpretations is an intrapersonal one, e.g. bridging and integrating our personality traits no matter if considered more “feminine” or “masculine” by society and tear down delusions that don’t serve us and hold back our potential.
Outside thematic interpretation, I guess the film can be seen as a sequel, a parallel universe, or even a separate microcosm depending on how one views it.
~~~ [2. Briefly on characters…] ~~~
Given it’s a compact retelling of the series not all will be fleshed out, and on top of that understanding some requires the series as a point of reference. Original concepts from the parent series remain present, like the Rose Bride or the duel to drive, as is the prince.
Utena and Anthy are different from their series’ versions, Utena being more masculine-looking, introverted and reserved, whereas Anthy is more assertive, and more openly displays free will and emotions, and boasts a different if still feminine appearance.
Other characters are mostly limited to few but very memorable scenes and their roles are either changed from the original series or “flanderized” to an extreme. Some operate more as symbols; however it is noteworthy that the presence of one of those can probably shed some light into an important character of the series and how he came to be raised this way.
~~~ [3. Closing with technical aspects…] ~~~
a) Visually it’s way much of an upgrade from the series, the most animated Ikuhara work by far and eerily beautiful. Going hand to hand with the extreme surrealism, Ohtori has been transformed from an already atypical school to a Hogwarts-like landscape.
The resulting architecture blurts the line between a sci-fi setting and an almost schizophrenic dreamscape, including among others shifting animated segments and overlapping classroom boards. Colors are more vivid, camerawork is dynamic and fluid, and whatever fencing scenes present truly feel as action scenes, and the car scenes are nothing short of a majestic narcotic.
Unlike in all Ikuhara’s series, there is no repeated sequence made to create a pattern. It goes without question that there will be tons of imagery used as symbols in very creative ways, and Ikuhara’s stage play direction shines only second to Penguindrum’s.
b) On sound, I don’t feel I need to say much. The music is largely choral rock and orchestral pieces, but what makes them distinguishable is sound direction, for they blend better into sequences in comparison to the series.
If I am to distinguish two tracks, it’s a ballad playing during an iconic scene, and a unique insert version of Rinbu Revolution, both sung by Okui Masami.
~~~ Hope you enjoyed my review! ~~~
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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