"I hope I'm not too late".
You glorious bastard. You never are. You never are...
"PIKIIIIIITUUUUUS!?!?!?!?!!!!!"
The legend has returned. Greatest. Ending. Ever.
The progression of my face during "dat ending":
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) → (⚆ _ ⚆) → ( ಠ_ಠ) → (ಥ﹏ಥ) → (ಠ▃ಠ) → ┬──┬ ノ( ゜-゜ノ) → (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
I'm still left in shock...
I can't honestly say more about it than that in fear of spoiling it. It was a pretty nice and interesting take on the zombie movie genre and definitely something a little bit different (especially with that ending). Not sure how I feel about the movie as a whole so I'm gonna wait to fully digest it and let the ending settle in before a final rating. Probably a 7/10.
While ERASED finished on a positive note (especially with dat Airi ending!!), I can't help but feel that things were just a bit too predictable and cookie-cutter during the second half of the show. The first half of it was riveting and amazing, but the show really started to lose itself once Kayo's problem got resolved. Overall, it's a solid show and thriller, but it didn't really break any new ground especially with how everything progressed towards Yashiro being the way too obvious "ultimate villain". Also, it might have been a little rushed in the last few episodes and could have probably benefited from a 13th episode to add a little more filler and depth to the final sequences, Yashiro's motives/intentions, and the events post-time-skip.
I'll give the show a solid 7.5/10 or so. Not the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I was entertained. Plus, you can never go wrong with having too many loli characters ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
I'm not gonna lie. I laughed my ass off during 22 Jump Street (and so did the entire theater). While it might not have been as fresh as the first one, I enjoyed that the movie completely embraced the fact that it was a blatant money-making sequel and it made the movie all the better (essentially the complete opposite of how The Hangover/Crapover 2 handled it). It actually became quite a bit of the running joke and I nearly died during the credits. Hill and Tatum still have that amazing chemistry in this movie that we remember from the original and shared some pretty close and intense moments in their brolationship. This movie posed very real and deep questions that made me question my own bromosexuality and I loved every second of it. Definitely check this out if you enjoyed the first or love comedy.
Sword of the Stranger was definitely an unexpectedly great movie in my opinion. The relationship between Kotaro and Nanashi is developed very well (for a movie) and helps to drive the film forward. I loved the fluid animation and exciting choreography of the action sequences and the music always seemed to fit the mood. The climatic fight/battle-royal at the end was absolutely epic. While the plot was not too original, it served its purpose in getting Nanashi to kick ass and shut many mouths. And I actually liked how the ending was kept open showing how wounded Nanashi was after the battle and that there was no nearby town. I just hope that Nanashi didn't die (although all the hints show that he probably did with this being his last sacrifice).
I was kind of in the mood, so I watched this newest Netflix movie "When We First Met" with Adam Devine and Alexandra Daddario. Honestly, I kind of it enjoyed it. I'm a softie for romcoms, the Groundhog day mechanic and I love Adam Devine back from his Workaholics days, so this one was a fun watch. Don't expect anything breathtaking, other than some solid fun and shenanigans. I really liked the other female lead/co-lead as well (Shelley Hennig is her name). I haven't seen her in anything else before, but I'd definitely be interested in seeing more of her.
Well, after watching the first episode of Riverdale, I don't quite know what to think of it all yet. Riverdale seems to be more heavily influenced by the CW's style turning this into more of a darker mystery driven show than I had been anticipating. We'll see how everything shakes out as the first episode already had its hands full just introducing the myriad of characters here. Honestly, I think that they might have overdone it trying to jam too many characters into the opening episode. I really liked what was done in the recent Archie comic reboot but perhaps this mystery-story based approach is better suited for TV vs the lighter affair of the comics.
All that I know is that we need... more Jughead!!
Oh. Yes. Sir. One can never have enough Reigen in any episode. Fact. And now, my body is riddy for the final episode. This is my favorite portion of the buildup to the final confrontation where everything turns to pure awesomeness in the finale. Bring it on, Mob.
Very solid start with a nice little supernatural twist on the mystery genre. I'm on the edge of my seat to find out what happens next and I really liked both female characters introduced so far (Katagiri and Satoru's mom). I'm interested to see if Satoru's "revival" ability comes back into play in little parts while he's been sent this far back to the past.
This is definitely a show that I'm tempted to read the manga ahead of time. We'll see if my willpower can last...
The show that invented the "tit ribbon". Need I say more? A must watch.
The Nastume Yuujinchou series is a powerful and heartwarming fantasy masterpiece among the anime world. I absolutely loved the series and couldn't stop watching till the very end. The quality through all 4 seasons was just superb without a hint of drop-off. The range of emotions and themes covered in Nastume Yuujinchou is beyond impressive. It would have me ROFL with Nyanko-sensei's antics in one minute to within Clannad-esque tears in the very next. However, what truly struck me was how N.Y. was able to find a duality/struggling conflict within all of these different themes and truly challenge the feelings and emotions of the viewer. This was done by creating such spectacular characters from Natsume and his family/friends down to the individual youkai that we meet for only a single episode. The creators do a magnificent job getting us emotionally invested in this world via these relatable and lovable characters. It's an amazing ride (and I hope we get another season) as we join Natsume on his journey as he learns to accept and understand his ever changing world, the people/youkai around him, and, ultimately, himself. This is right at the top of my list of must watch anime. Don't think. Just watch.
This is probably one of the funniest and most heartfelt animes out there. This is a great reverse harem show and you literally fall in love with almost every single character. They start out as your basic stereotypes but everyone has an amazing backstory that is expanded upon. Also, Haruhi is the best.
This is the most emotional anime that I've ever seen in my life. Probably my favorite anime ever so do what ever you can to watch this ASAP.
I have been wanting to watch A Ghost Story for the past month, so when my local theater started showing it a week ago as part of its Indie lineup, I couldn't wait. And I get why it has a 91% on RottenTomatoes and lots of positive reviews and all that but... man, is it a boring movie.
I get that it is a well-made with great editing, direction and some amazing long single-shot scenes. I get the poetic message that it is trying to send, and it does a good job with that. However, I just can't get over the fact that the entire movie is incredibly boring. I honestly could not wait for this movie to finish (which is tough to do with a movie that is less than 90 minutes long).
Imo don't watch this in theaters. Wait for it to come out on home video. At least you can fast-forward at home...
So I've been keeping up with Riverdale and, to my surprise, the show has become pretty solid. I was definitely a bit let down by the first episode, but the following episodes have done a pretty good job building the community and characters around Riverdale. It's definitely got some of that kooky murder-mystery vibe from Twin Peaks (which apparently was a drawing point for this series & with Madchen Amick playing Mrs. Cooper) and I'll admit that things are getting more interesting with regards to Jason's "murder" especially with some of the revelations in this episode. While it definitely isn't classic Archie (and probably shouldn't be thought of that way), it's got its own merits and has definitely improved with each episode.
"Better lawyer up, bitch..."
Baller. Status. Confirmed.
Only one word could possibly describe this show:
"AMAZING"
Greatest anime of all-time. ALL-TIME.
Just one episode in, I'm going to go out on a limb and call Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso as the potential sleeper AOTS. With a superb focus on music and its dynamic characters, I'm getting some early vibes of Nodame Cantabile reincarnated right here. Just listen to the OP once and you'll be hooked. It's also very cool that the anime will cover the entire manga as they're supposed to end at about the same time. This is a definite watch. As @ManiacB has stated, I just have to pray that A-1 doesn't screw this up because Nodame Cantabile + Moe = Winning.
This is such a powerful and moving anime that deals with the effect of the loss of a loved one and how much it can deeply change us, young or old. In particular, the anime focuses on the effect of Menma's death as a young child on the 5 remaining "Super Peace Busters" group and it's very interesting to see how much her death has and, more interestingly, not changed this once close group of friends. There is an incredible driving force of guilt and jealously that permeates throughout the show, and so this anime is ultimately a story about the journey to resolve these emotions in order to let Menma rest in piece. A lot of the characters may not be completely likable in certain ways due to each one having every obvious flaws, but all those serious flaws interacting with each other are the times when the anime shines best. This is definitely a roller coaster of emotion (perhaps some tears along the way) but I loved the ending which resolves things very nicely. This is a touching story and a can't miss if you're interested in a more dramatic and moving anime. Watch it!!
Sam: "Bran, why are you out here?"
Bran: "Winterfell doesn't have any ramps."
I finally finished the last 12 episodes in the past couple days after putting this on-hold for a few months. It was a solid show overall, 7/10, but the last quarter/third of the show was definitely not up to par with the beginning. I didn't really like how the show got so preachy at the end about "environmentalism" and precious Mother Earth. I felt like I was getting preached to by Miyazaki for the last few episodes and you could definitely tell that the manga material was a bit dated from that. Anyway, I had fun and enjoyed it but it failed to live up to the hype and the excellent start imo.
This was THE episode where I thought "The Last Man on Earth" really took off and came into its own. This episode set the tone for what I think will be a fantastic series. The introduction of Kristen Schaal's character added a hilarious dynamic to the whole situation. Her chemistry with Will Forte was immediately apparent. I could feel Phil's (comedic) "pain and suffering" and it made for some serious laughs. I was smirking throughout this one and the last dinner sequence in particular had me dying. This was a superb start to a very intriguing series. I've got my hopes set high and I can't wait for next week's new episode.
Yu Yu Hakusho is just a classic and riveting shounen from the glory days with an awesome English dub to boot (one of the few where the dub is better than the sub imo). There are so many great characters, laughs, tears and memorable moments all wrapped into this one unforgettable journey spanning 112 episodes. The best arcs are the Dark Tournament (season 2) and Chapter Black (season 3) sagas and I could watch them over and over again.
Do yourself a favor. Don't think. Just watch.
"El Psy Kongroo" has finally returned for one last finale (this is the official end to the series) and boy was it worth the wait. As an absolute lover of Steins;Gate (I'm possibly biased), this was a very fulfilling and emotional conclusion to the series and really did a good job of tying up loose ends and plot holes that still existed. As the original Steins;Gate was a story about the journey, struggles and decisions of Okabe through time, this movie gives Makise (one of my favorite tsunderes) a turn to shine and really emphasizes the feelings and conflicts of love that the current Steins;Gate world-line Makise was facing that were only touched upon in the OVA.
The continued development of the romance and the true revealing of feelings between the two time-crossed lovers were a treat, and the creators were able to give a more in-depth explanation of the reading Steiner ability and deja vu effect. I and, more importantly, Makise could also finally understand the pain that the current Okabe was still going through even though he had "saved" everyone which was a critical development in my eyes. I also really liked the difficult struggle between the "scientist" Kurisu and the "woman" Kurisu on the decision of whether to risk saving Okabe against his "wishes". The movie could have maybe touched a bit more on the other characters, but in 90 minutes, the resolution of the story between Makise and Okabe is the most important thing to nail down (and they definitely accomplished that).
It starts a bit slow (as do all Steins;Gate related things) but the emotional pay-off is well worth it in the end. You definitely have to have seen the series and OVA in order to get any of this. I loved the movie and it's a must watch for anyone who has seen Steins;Gate. This is the end that we have all been waiting for so don't delay and watch this immediately. Here's to one final goodbye and "tuturuuuu".
I love my rom/coms and my tsunderes and Toradora! certainly did not disappoint. It's one of the best anime rom/coms that I've ever seen (tied right with Clannad) and is a must watch if you have any interest in the genre at all. While the overall story may be a bit on the predictable side, there are plenty of surprising twists and turns along the way. The characters are what truly shine in Toradora! in how they develop and depend on each other to how each one of their flaws and fears are gradually revealed. The voice acting and music are superb as well. This is truly one of the best stories about the development of true love between a "Tiger and Dragon". Just watch it.
Trent Crimm, Richmond AFC. He back baebae!!
I went to go see Unsane tonight. Daaaaaaaamn. Soderbergh did a great job here. I can't believe the entire movie was shot on an iPhone. Crazy psychological thriller, and I really didn't know what was real or not for a good portion of the movie.
Definitely do NOT take a girl who is afraid of stalkers to see this movie. She will have nightmares for days after seeing this. Guaranteed. I even got freaked out as a guy.
I just finished bingeing Mindhunter as well and really enjoyed it like many others here. The show definitely had the whole David-Fincher-Zodiac-vibe going along with it (for obvious reasons), and I really enjoyed the pace of it all. The incarcerated killers were brilliantly acted with the portrayal of the killer Ed Kempfer as the star of it all. I really loved getting into the psychology of "serial killers" especially during a time when the field and knowledge around "serial killers" wasn't even really established or properly understood yet. Each different killer gave off their own unique and distinct vibe (with no copying of Hannibal Lecter), which only further added to the excitement in the show.
The first episode is pretty slow and doesn't give you a great sense of where the show is going, but the series really starts to take off in the second episode and I couldn't stop myself after that. Please give me a second season ASAP!
I have no idea how in the world this got a televised anime adaptation but... THANK YOU BASED ANIME GODS!!
Be forewarned though: this series isn't for the faint of heart. Buckle-up your NTR seatbelts and get ready for one hell of a ride ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
