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Reviews
Shingeki no Kyojin: Memories of the Future (2022)
Mind-blowing. Simply mind-blowing.
While still not quite over the visual shock of seeing Eren's decapitated body toppling onto the ground, the viewers are once again led to another shock. But this time, it is a psychological one. Eren has completed his transformation: from a naive, impulsive young brat into a manipulative, calculating monster of the story. The twist in this episode is perhaps the biggest and most mind-blowing twist in the history of anime, and definitely among the best in the history of cinema. Isayama's brilliance is in how he has been hiding the answer right in front of our eyes by sprinkling hints here and there, yet we unsuspecting viewers never guessed the answer, only to be left in shock at the revelation.
The juxtaposition between Zeke and Eren in this episode is also beautifully laid out: both are born into this world - one curses his birth, the other blesses it. One was born special with the royal blood running in his veins, yet despises life. The other, born mediocre, yearns for specialness and lusts for life. "I was born into this world" drives the two brothers into two completely different paths in their quest for Eldians' salvation, with each brother believing that his is the only right path.
And hidden underneath the dark tone of this episode is the love that Grisha has for his sons and family. Attack on Titan, while making us our hearts sink at the sight of Eren transforming into a monster, is still able to put a smile on our face and warm our hearts at the reunion of two certain characters (only to make them sink back down at the last scene).
11/10. The scale is broken.
Shingeki no Kyojin: Two Brothers (2022)
Haters need to stop trolling
Seriously, a 1 for this episode? The episode was so well-received that haters felt the need to jump in and grade it down because their favs could never. Y'all need to get a job. But that just says a lot about the episode huh.
Anyway, in all seriousness, this episode was jaw-dropping, in myriad ways. The ruthless brutality, the epic tragedy, the mind-numbing twists - all come together to send us viewers on a roller coaster of emotions. My heart soared and sank. My eyes teared up and then popped out. Two Brothers is one of the best episodes AoT has offered, which says a lot about this episode.
Rang song (2021)
One of the most memorable horrors in recent years
The movie is reminiscent of The Wailing, Na Hong Jin's previous work. You can tell the two movies were written by the same person. Almost absent of jumpscares, an anomaly for horror movies, especially Southeast Asian horror, The Medium breathes fresh air into the genre. The movie started off excruciatingly slow, but the buildup was important for our understanding of the context. However, The Medium more than compensated with its last 45 minutes, where so many things were happening at once that the viewer doesn't dare to even blink or breathe. Its raw portrayal of possession and exorcism is incredibly unsettling. Brutal and merciless in its execution, The Medium is a haunting piece of work that leaves more questions than answers.
Shingeki no Kyojin: Children of the Forest (2021)
we are all children of the forest
25 minutes felt like 5 minutes in this episode. The forest metaphor was so poignant and on-point that it brought tears to my eyes. The whole sequence of Nicolo's rage and thirst for revenge was incredibly tense. There is nothing more heartbreaking than to witness the breakdown of a man's psyche as he started to lose his humanity to grudge and anger. Nicolo is no evil. Nicolo is all of us as we grieve the death of our beloved.
The small revelation about Zeke's plan also sent chills down my spines. And to top it off, Eren's nonchalant waltz into the room left my jaws agape. What a wonderful way to end this episode.
Attack on Titan once again proves that it does not need to rely on beautiful fighting sequences to keep the audience engaged. Its ability to capture our attention with narrative prowess and complexity repeatedly surpasses my expectations.
Shingeki no Kyojin: Guides (2021)
was gonna give 9/10 but eren's abs boosted it to a 10
I hate that exposition episodes like this one, the last one and S3's Bystander are woefully underrated. This ep's mystery buildup and suspense was great. The political scene becomes more entangled and realistic than ever, with a cult being formed in the hope that a God will salvage them all. Nationalistic sentiment is rising inside Eldia, but who could blame them when the whole world is out to destroy them, and all they could do is to fight to live?
And the cherry on top of all those mysteries is Eren's abs. All hail Eren Yeager.
Shingeki no Kyojin: Deceiver (2021)
Deep and Poignant
After the climax in ep 6,7 and 8, we finally got off the rollercoaster ride to take it all in and contemplate about everything that just happened. However, this episode is gently sloping up again with the ways things are set up. Gabi's encounter with a character who we thought would play no role from the past marks a pivotal moment in this young warrior candidate's life. It opens up hope that if Marley and Eldia just understand each other, maybe there is no need for bloodshed after all. Once again, AoT's theme of retribution, atonement and hatred is repeated in the heated exchange between Gabi and Kaya. The surprising re-appearance of Kaya again highlights Isayama's masterclass writing.
Shingeki no Kyojin: A Sound Argument (2021)
not sure why this episode is rated lower than the previous ep
This episode clearly set things up for mysteries, such as Zeke's plot, reasons for Eren's change of heart, and Historia's sacrifice. It is a packed episode with many questions left unanswered, and I cannot wait to see these questions resolved.
We also have the fleeting feel-good moment of Eren and his friends talking where they clearly show their protectiveness over each other, which makes Eren's character development into a ruthless cold-hearted son of a b even more jarring and scarier.
Shingeki no Kyojin: Assault (2021)
Amazing yet incredibly hard-to-watch
Tragically epic. The direction and animation are amazing, which is to be expected given MAPPA's streak, but alas, how dark the story has turned. Yes, Attack on Titan, which is a show about Titans eating humans, has just got a lot darker, as if it was possible. This episode once again showcases the grim reality of war, where innocent lives are deprived and soldiers have to abandon their humanity to fight for their causes. I don't even know who to root for anymore, which is precisely why this episode was immensely hard to watch. A part of me wishes the show returned to where I knew who to root for, even if I sympathized with the enemies, but I know for a fact that this show has just become a masterpiece for this dark twist.
EDIT: FGS there are people complaining about the CGI? There is nothing wrong with it. It looks amazing, unless you pause the episode every few seconds to scrutinize it.
Shingeki no Kyojin: The War Hammer Titan (2021)
Simply epic
An epic episode that harks back to S1Ep1. Amazing artwork and soundtrack use. Scenes cut was weird at one point, though. And yes, there is excessive use of CGI, but overall CGI is done pretty well. I am bothered by CGI humans, however, but I was too busy screaming to care that much. It did diminish my enjoyment of the episode, but I still enjoyed it so much much more than I ever enjoyed any anime episode. So 10/10 from me.
Shingeki no Kyojin: Declaration of War (2021)
A visceral portrayal of reality
Declaration of War is the best episode so far of the season, rivaling the top episodes of the whole series. Once again, Attack on Titan has proven that it does not need to rely on bombastic, eye-catching fighting sequences or shocking plot twists, which the show definitely do not lack, to steal the breath of the audience.
The main setting of the episode is simple: two former comrades sitting face-to-face in a dank underground room. They were purely having a conversation, and yet the viewers were constantly kept on edge, because at the same time, outside of the room, a shocking truth was being slowly unfolded, and a declaration of war was going to be made, not just from Marley, but also from our protagonists.
However, despite the startling revelation, the highlight of the episode is, in my opinion, the gut-wrenching conversation that showcases the theme of the series - moral relativity. The conversation was not just Reiner's admission of guilt but also Eren's. While the former desperately begged for forgiveness, the latter calmly insisted that Reiner was not at fault, for they were one and the same. It is a visceral portrayal of humanity and its complexity. Nothing is black and white. The whole world is perennially grey, with everyone striving to survive and protect the ideals.
Eren's emotional maturity was, of course, impossible not to notice, because it was not only impressive but also incredibly jarring. It is difficult to recognize that this was the same whining, spontaneous, rancorous Eren of the first two seasons. Once again, Isayama proves that he is a master at not only narrative building but also character writing.
This episode marks a watershed in the course of events. From now on, it is no longer Eldians vs Marley, but Edians vs the world. It is no longer Eldians defending themselves against the Titans or the bad guys, but Eldians striking to reclaim their lost freedom. I cannot wait to see what lies further ahead.
Perempuan tanah jahanam (2019)
Unoriginal, uninspiring horror movie that is surprisingly well-received by Western critics
Western critics have lost their minds. I cannot believe this piece of garbage received a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. I guess you cannot trust critics' scores nowadays anymore because anything that is remotely decent from a minority movie-maker gets raving reviews from the critics.
Storyline: 3/10. The story is nothing original. A woman travels to a village to unravel mysteries about her past, unknowingly putting herself in danger. I have resigned myself to the fact that horror movies these days are rarely novel, so I only hope that a horror movie can do the tropes right. This movie cannot even pull that off.
The storyline is forced and unnatural. The so-called twist is ridiculous. Characters make incomprehensibly stupid actions contradicting their previous beliefs just so that the plot can move forward.
Direction: 4/10. I'm being generous with a 4. The jumpscares are so predictable that I almost laugh. The movie just recycles many typical Asian horror tactics, like oh-it-is-just-a-joke scare and loud noises when there is nothing happening. Sometimes you get a meaningless zoom into a random object like a bathtub. You'd think something scary happened in the bathtub but nope, the director just wanted to throw that in there because he could. The ending is so cheesy that I broke into laughter.
I'm giving him some kudos because he found a good setting.
Characters: 1/10. One-dimensional characters who are so stupid that you want them all to die.
Soundtrack: 1/10. Nothing special about it.
Enjoyment: 3/10. It was hilarious in some parts, so I guess it was entertaining.
Zhuo mi cang (2016)
Wasted potential. Watch for annoyance.
The story has potential. The set-up was suspenseful. A man and his family are seemingly stalked by his ex-convicted older brother, who is coming for revenge. Woven into the story is not just the mystery of who is doing it, but also the mystery of the older brother's innocence.
However, as the story progresses, nothing makes sense. Subplots are created, emphasized, and then abandoned. Viewers are constantly bombarded with scenes that suggest the convicted brother's innocence, clearly left intrigued as to whether he committed the rape or not, but the truth is never revealed. The brother, who has apparently been playing a great role from the start, just suddenly fades into irrelevance. Yes, he is the typical red-herring ever so present in thrillers, but his character's backstory which has been emphasized so many times throughout the movie being abandoned like this is just so vexing.
The real culprit, on the other hand, makes no sense. First, her motive is insane. Second, the fact that she is able to wrestle an adult, well-built man while wearing a heavy helmet that limits her vision and almost wins is absurd.
Additionally, the police and security in this movie do not do their job properly. They receive an emergency phone call reporting an intrusion and arrive at the scene, but instead of breaking down the door, they politely knock and wait patiently outside. What the heck are they waiting for? The culprit to open up and turn themselves in? Similarly, the security sees the culprit walking around in the garage, but instead of rushing down to apprehend the individual, they leave the main character to go down by himself, sit back and enjoy the fight.
Shingeki no Kyojin (2013)
I would have given this 7/10 in 2013 but after Season 3 my rating has changed
The first season nailed animation, direction and visuals, but the storyline leaves much to be desired. Although there are plenty of shocking moments to capture your attention and leave you wanting for more, the plot is just not that complex. It is precisely what the title says: attack on titans. This season merely shows us a bunch of characters running around slaying Titans left and right while dropping dead right and left. Characterization is also mediocre. The three protagonists are quite one-dimensional, especially the main protagonist, Eren. It does set up the scene nicely, though, with developments that foreshadow a much deeper story. If anything, season 1 is a great example of tropes done right.
However, season 3 blows me away. The art, which is already amazing from the start, has actually improved, along with the visuals. The story becomes incredibly layered, and we see great character development for Eren and other recurring characters. The story suddenly deviates from generic shounen to arguably era-defining that describes humanity, freedom, and the price we must pay for it. Season 3 is a great example of genius writing. Episode 11's ending is an "ah-ha" moment where you realize everything ties in together and that the author must have planned everything from the start. SnK is a perfect balance between story and action. I hope Season 4 will not disappoint, but for now, this show gets 10/10 from me. Simply amazing.
Devilman: Crybaby (2018)
Devastating yet beautiful
You may disagree with the arguably nihilistic message of this series but calling this series trash is utterly foolish. (I also do not believe that the author meant for it to be nihilistic).
A great anime starts with the storyline. The series starts off as a typical shounen. The main character is turned into half-demon, and he is now set on annihilating all the demons in the world to protect humans. Sounds familiar? The excessive gore and sex, along with the typical story at the beginning may bore you. But do not be fooled. Devilman Crybaby proves us all wrong in episode 9 when things went down hill incredibly fast. No one expected that twist.
The author portrays the goodness and evil in all of us, the depravity that is always inherent in humans. Once threatened, humans will revert to its tribalistic violent self. Some people hate this message, calling it anti-human, but history has proven that this may very well be true. China's cultural revolution where daughters and sons turn against their own fathers and mothers is proof that paranoia can push humans to the brink of losing their humanities. By the same token, devils are not all bad. Even Satan himself knows how to love.
One criticism leveled at this anime is the excessive gore and sex. They think it is fan-service. I don't think so. I do think it is excessive, but it serves a purpose: it illustrates the depravity and the animal inside us humans. Such a context highlights the greatness of our hero: even as the world descends into madness, he still retains his humanities and desire to protect the people he loves.
The series is dark but not hopeless. Even in a world of madness, love still prevails. The ending gives us hope: Satan finally learns to love while the world starts anew. Perhaps in the next life, humans will not turn against God's teaching. Perhaps in the next life as Satan realizes the humanity within him, he will not try to decimate everyone anymore.
The art is unique. People say it's bad but it really is not. It just takes time to get used to. The director has a distinctive art style. Even if the art is not great, it cannot make an anime trash.
One problem with this anime is the pacing and the focus on the devil residing within the main character in the first few episodes which is soon to be dropped later on. The latter is merely a red-herring I suppose.
Kimetsu no Yaiba (2019)
Amazing animation, decent editing, yet mediocre storyline
This anime is overrated imo. The animation is definitely top-notched, no doubt about it. But here are where the faults lie:
1. Mis-matched music. They need to do better with music editing. Some battles' epicness is taken away by the un-epicness of the background music.
2. Too much internalization. I know internalization is part and parcel of animes but goddamn the main character just won't shut up for a second.
3. Above all, the anime has a mediocre and typical storyline. The main character sets out on a quest to find the cure for his sister. To this end he must fight demons, which is basically like every other shounen anime ever. That's it. There's nothing else to the story. No depth. No complexity. To make up for the lackluster storyline, the author just includes some fanservicing scenes with cute adorable characters. If you're just looking for well-animated fighting sequences, this is the anime for you. If you are looking for animes that raise philosophical questions to make you ponder for days and days, look elsewhere.
Kimi no na wa. (2016)
Breathtaking animation. Simplistic storyline.
The animation is top-notched. The sceneries and images are simply breathtaking. The premise of the story is interesting enough, but pretty much linear. It is an intriguing story but not the type that is stuck in your head after weeks of watching for it raises no philosophical questions or contains any life messages. There is no depth or complexity to the story. This is no Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, and to see it having as high ratings as the latter disappoints me.
Wu Assassins (2019)
Horrendous acting + script + music
Gosh where do I begin
I gave it 4 stars because it has potential to be great, and the fighting sequences are quite cool.
Unfortunately those are the only redeeming qualities. The series suffers from horrendous acting by both supporting and main cast. Iko focuses too much on his English that he sounds robotic at times. And Yingying is such an amazing actress than whenever she appears I want to gouge my eyes out.
The storyline is a rip-off of Avatar the Last air bender and Wendy Wu Homecoming Warrior lol. It's nothing original, but hey at least if you exploit it right, it can be entertaining right? Nope. The series starts off pretty okay, and then just goes awry with boring one dimensional villainous characters. Don't expect too much character development.
OH AND DO NOT FORGET THE MUSIC!! Hiphop music plays at the most inappropriate times and is just so out of place that you can't help but turn off the sound. You're anticipating something suspenseful? Hiphop! Epic revelation is unfolding? HIPHOP music (and not good hiphop music, mind you, like trashy hiphop). Thrilling fighting sequences? KPOP/HIPHOP!