MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Wendell & Wild (2022)

Genre:

Family

Animation/Adventure/Comedy

Fantasy/Horror

Rating:

PG-13

Release Date:

October 28, 2022

Run Time:

1 hour 46 minutes

Directed by:

Henry Selick

Screenplay by:

Henry Selick, Jordan Peele

Based on the book by:

Clay McLeod Chapman

Production Co.:

Artists First

Gotham Group

Monkeypaw Productions

Netflix Animation

Netflix

Distribution Co.:

Netflix

Social Media:

Cast:

Lyric Ross, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Angela Bassett, James Hong, Sam Zelaya, Tamara Smart, Seema Virdi, Ramona Young, Ving Rhames

See Full Cast & Crew on IMDB

Plot Summary:

Two scheming demon brothers, Wendell and Wild, enlist the aid of 13-year-old Kat Elliot to summon them to the Land of the Living.

source

~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

Wendell & Wild is a film that deals with loss, grief, and healing with bits of comedy thrown in. The characters are people of color in a bankrupt town that is threatened by a big money company and it all seamlessly blends in a fun and spooky themed film. The main character is Kat Elliot, a teenager who had lost her parents in a car accident when she was a child. After spending years in foster care and juvenile detention, she is brought back to her hometown where the car accident happened to attend an all-girl Catholic school. While attending the school, demons Wendell and Wild visit Kat in her dreams and convince her to summon them from the underworld so that they can create the amusement park of their dreams and away from their controlling father. Meanwhile, Kat’s hometown is on the verge of collapse as the private prison company called Klax Korp threatens to bulldoze the entire town and all its residential homes. To fight off her demons and Klax Korp, Kat must come to terms with her parents’ deaths and learn to accept the help that her new friends offer.

Wendell & Wild covers plenty of coming-of-age and acceptance motifs as Kat learns to move on from her parents’ deaths and accept that the accident wasn’t her fault, but the film all comes together with the help of Kat’s new friends. At first, Kat is incredibly withdrawn and standoffish to keep others safe from herself, such as her new friend Raul and Sister Helley, but they refuse to let Kat deal with her demons alone. Raul is a rather shy and artistic boy with a big heart and Sister Helley is a strong-willed woman who cares for her students and understands how Kat feels. Raul and Helley often act as the voice of reason when Kat is negotiating with the demon brothers who promise to bring her parents back to life and stops her from contracting with them. It is with their help and persistence that Kat also faces Klax Korp.

With heavy topics on the surface, Wendell & Wild doesn’t forget to take a break. It is the horror and comedy film that we deserve with a good balance. This world accepts zombies and demons almost as if they were a daily sight. Klax Korp forces the demon brothers to resuscitate long dead town council members that would vote in favor of their private prison and the destruction of Kat’s hometown. No one alive bats an eyelash at the fact there are dead bodies walking around or a goat roaming freely everywhere. Every factor in Wendell & Wild is an accepted part of their world without being over the top.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on One Piece Film: RED (2022)

Genre:

Animation/Action/Adventure

Rating:

PG-13

Release Date:

November 4, 2022

Run Time:

1 hour 55 minutes

Directed by:

Gorô Taniguchi

Screenplay by:

Tsutomu Kuroiwa

Original Story by:

Eiichiro Oda

Produced by:

Eiichiro Oda

Production Co.:

Toei Animation

Distribution Co.:

Crunchyroll

Social Media:

 

Cast:

Mayumi Tanaka, Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura, Kappei Yamaguchi, Hiroaki Hirata, Ikue Ôtani, Yuriko Yamaguchi, Kazuki Yao

See Full Cast & Crew on IMDB

Plot Summary:

Uta —the most beloved singer in the world. Renowned for concealing her own identity when performing, her voice has come to be described as “otherworldly.” Now, for the first time ever, Uta will reveal herself to the world at a live concert. As the venue fills with all kinds of Uta fans—excited pirates, the Navy watching closely, and the Straw Hats led by Luffy who simply came to enjoy her sonorous performance—the voice that the whole world has been waiting for is about to resound. The story begins with the shocking fact that she is Shanks' daughter.

source

~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

Opposed to One Piece: Stampede, where the main antagonist felt empty and one dimensional, One Piece Film: RED gives Uta the entire spotlight. It is set after the Wano arc, nearly one thousand episodes and chapters into the main story of One Piece. The Straw Hat Pirates travel to Elegia to see a live concert from the world-famous singer, Uta. Although Uta is an antagonist for only one film, she’s fully developed with motivation and backstory that makes her compelling to watch. She is the adopted daughter of Red-Haired Shanks, the pirate that inspired Monkey D. Luffy to become a pirate in the first place, but she was left behind as a child on the island of Elegia after a devastating attack that left the island barren and desecrated with only its former ruler left alive to raise Uta and help her develop her singing skills. After several years, Uta is a talented singer who invites people to Elegia and over den den mushi or transponder snails to watch her first ever live concert. Although she wants to create an era of peace and joy through her music, the cost is over seventy percent of the lives of the world’s population as the effects of Uta’s singing sends her listeners’ souls into a dream of which they will never awaken from even if she dies. One Piece Film: RED is both entertaining and terrifying thanks to Uta and Ado’s performance.

Gorgeous. Beautiful. We love Ado’s music in this house. It is easily a five-star film simply for Uta’s character and Ado’s voice but I’m knocking One Piece Film: RED down a star simply because it felt like the Straw Hats didn’t matter. Luffy is the only one that mattered though because he is Uta’s childhood friend and subsequently understood how she feels. The rest of the crew are there because they happen to be the protagonists of the main One Piece series and are just tools to stop Uta from destroying everything, which is fine for the moment. The final fight is intense and the cameos from fan favorites like Katakuri are fun, but I didn’t feel a sense of unity or relationship between the Straw Hats or majority of the characters. Similar to One Piece: Stampede, from an outsider’s perspective, the Straw Hats are a pirate crew who know a lot of the other characters and we just accept it with no explanation or build up. “These characters seem to cooperate very well in combat. I have no idea how they know each other, but this film seems really cool,” is what I would say if I had no knowledge of the Straw Hats. I know these characters and I’m willing to see this movie in theaters, but it’s not something I would, for example, bring my cousin to, who is becoming interested in anime.

My biggest chagrin to this film with music and a singing antagonist is that it failed to cameo my favorite crew, the Kid Pirates who are a music themed crew inspired by punk and metal specifically.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on How to Keep a Mummy (2018)

Genre:

Animation/Comedy/Fantasy

Series:

How to Keep a Mummy

Season:

1

Rating:

TV-14

Episodes:

12

Run Time:

24 minutes/episode

Aired:

Jan 12, 2018 to Mar 30, 2018

Plot Summary:

High school student Sora Kashiwagi is accustomed to receiving bizarre presents from his father, who is on an expedition around the world. Unfortunately, these gifts have been nothing but nightmares. As a result, when his father sends him a huge package from Egypt, Sora prepares himself for the worst, only to be greeted by Mii-kun—a cute, pint-sized mummy! While initially wary, Sora soon learns that Mii-kun is harmless, a delicate creature yearning for attention.

Throughout their amusing day-to-day lives, the unlikely pair meet other people with unique pets, while also strengthening their bond together. Although keeping a pet is a difficult task, Sora is set on caring for the lovable Mii-kun.

source

Cast:

Mutsumi Tamura, Keisuke Komoto, Ai Kayano, Himika Akaneya, Seiichiro Yamashita

See Full Cast & Crew on IMDB

~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

Everything must be cute.

How to Keep a Mummy the anime is a short feel-good anime with the cutest supernatural companions. The plot follows Sora Kashiwagi, a high school student, who is a pleasant character. Sora is friendly, considerate, optimistic, and most importantly open-minded. He frequently receives strange and borderline dangerous gifts from his traveling father to the point that he is unphased by them, albeit bracing himself for any possible danger. The tiny mummy, Mii-kun, and main attraction of this anime is subsequently welcomed into Sora’s home with little convincing. Mii-kun is shy, sweet, and clingy like a tiny kitten. He’s endlessly adorable and if anything bad were to happen to him, I would commit arson.

How to Keep a Mummy is a short twelve-episode anime that can be binged in a few hours, which leaves character development much to be desired, but what we do get are short escapades that show you how close Sora is to his friends. Sora is helpful to his friends who end up attracting other little creatures of their own such as a baby oni or ogre-like demon, a baby dragon, and a friendly baku that eats nightmares. Sora’s friend group consist of Sora’s best friend from childhood is Tazuki, Asa a very cheerful girl, and their last addition Daichi. This group of four do their best to babysit their respective creatures, keep them hidden from those unwitting to the supernatural, and spend their days together as summer break approaches. They hang out at Sora’s home, attend small festivals, and bond over their adorable new friends. It’s a rather refreshing anime where the supernatural is welcomed and formerly imposing monsters are transformed into cute companions.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Devilman: Crybaby Season 1 (2018)

Genre:

Animation/Action/Fantasy

Horror Anime

Rating:

TV-MA

Release Date:

January 15, 2018

Season/Episodes

1/10

Run Time:

25-28 minutes

Based on the horror manga by:

Gô Nagai

Production Co.:

Aniplex

Netflix

Science SARU

Distribution Co.:

Netflix

Social Media:

      

Voice Cast:

Koki Uchiyama, Ayumu Murase, Megumi Han, Ami Koshimizu, Atsuko Tanaka, Rikiya Koyama, Avu-chan, Kenjiro Tsuda, KEN THE 390, Subaru Kimura, Young Dais, Hannya, AFRA

(For full cast and crew on IMDB)

Plot Summary:

With demons reawakened and humanity in turmoil, a sensitive demon-boy is led into a brutal, degenerate war against evil by his mysterious friend, Ryo.

source

泣き虫の高校生・不動明は、幼なじみの飛鳥了と再会し、

危険なパーティに誘われた。

そこで明は見る。悪魔に変わっていく人々を。

そしてまた明自身も……。

source

~~~

*My Thoughts*

Short, ten episodes, yet captivating, that is what Devilman: Crybaby is. It is a Netflix series that follows Akira Fudo, a track student, and a boy with a heart of gold, but one day his childhood friend Ryo Asuka appears. Ryo brings him to a Sabbath, more like a rave, where everything turns sour when Akira is possessed by the demon Amon and turned into what he calls a Devilman. The conflict is easy to follow and although characters are quickly introduced and tossed aside rather quickly, Devilman: Crybaby will get its audience somewhat attached to them. Although there are minor details to different characters sprinkled into each episode, they eventually tie up into the final episodes. What do we learn by the end? Humans are the demons and vice versa.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Blood of Zeus 2020 Season 1

 

Genre:

Animation/Action/Fantasy

Anime

Series:

Blood of Zeus

Season:

1

Rating:

TV-MA

Episodes:

8

Run Time:

26-38 minutes per episode

Release Year:

2020

Series Directed by:

Shaunt Nigoghossian

Series Writing by:

Charley Parlapanides, Vlas Parlapanides

Plot Summary:

A commoner living in ancient Greece, Heron discovers his true heritage as a son of Zeus, and his purpose: to save the world from a demonic army.

source

Cast:

Derek Phillips, Jason O'Mara, Claudia Christian, Mamie Gummer, Jessica Henwick Elias Toufexis, Chris Diamantopoulos, Adetokumboh M'Cormack, Matthew Mercer, Melina Kanakaredes, Danny Jacobs, Matt Lowe, Adam Croasdell, Jennifer Hale, David Shaughnessy, Fred Tatasciore, Vanessa Marshall

See Full Cast & Crew on IMDB

~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

Blood of Zeus (2020) is an original Netflix animated series. Taking from Greek mythology with gods, titans, giants, and particularly the union between a god and human to create a demigod, Blood of Zeus makes its own demigod in the form of Heron. He is a man raised as a commoner and ostracized by the polis in which he and his mother live. Heron is raised without the knowledge of his true parentage until it is too late. He loses the people that he lived with for years, his beloved mother, and essentially everything he owns. He is then thrown into the role of the hero who must save the world. Along with Heron’s side of the story, Blood of Zeus jumps around from different characters mainly Zeus, Hera, and Seraphim, one of the series’ antagonist. And in that short summary, the Blood of Zeus (2020) does everything right. The protagonist and the main antagonist are revealed with fluid storytelling along with the conflict of the gods and giants. But not only is Seraphim introduced as an antagonist, midway through Blood of Zeus, twists and turns bring Hera in, shining radiantly in all her jealous glory, as another antagonist. 

 

 Blood of Zeus had a perfectly executed story, albeit a bit rushed, nice artwork and animation, but it didn’t deliver something new that could get me hooked. With only eight episodes, the series put in every bit of exposition needed to build up to the final fight i.e. a lot of death, a training montage, Seraphim’s struggles that lead him into the man he is during the present storyline, and Heron’s emotional struggles which he overcomes to fight the final fight. There are some unanswered questions by the last episode that make me curious, like the final whereabouts of Hera or if Seraphim drops his pride and rage to save himself from suffering. I am also interested about how Heron will later advance his relationship with his half-siblings Apollo and Hermes, as they seem to be the only two who accept Heron before he became a hero. While I do enjoy Blood of Zeus, I will unfortunately drop it as a three-and-a-half-star worthy watch.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Uta Koi (2012)

Genre:

Historical Romance/Comedy/Drama

Animation

Air Dates:

Jul 3, 2012 to Sep 25, 2012

Episodes:

13

Original Title:

Chouyaku Hyakuninisshu: Uta Koi

(超訳百人一首 うた恋い。)

Based on the manga written by:

Kei Sugita

Directed by:

Ken'ichi Kasai

Written by:

Tomoko Konparu

Plot Synopsis:

Uta Koi tells the "super-liberal interpretation" of the Hyakuninisshu anthology compiled during Japan's Heian period of 100 romantic poems from 100 different poets such as The Tale of Genji's Murasaki Shikibu.

source

Voice Cast:

Junichi Suwabe, Yuki Kaji, Aya Endou, Saori Hayami

Find the full cast on MyAnimeList.net

~~~~~

**My Thoughts**

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

Chouyaku Hyakuninisshu: Uta Koi or simply Uta Koi, is a thirteen-episode anime with vibrant artwork that captures the beauty of Heian period poetry. Kimono with floral and seasonal designs to match the poems being recited, little historical facts dropped into the anime, and an opening theme song that matches the loosely interpreted history behind it, all bundled with twenty first century humor. The anime seems lively and comedic at first with anime characters’ trademark exaggerated facial expressions, but each little episode contains a mini lesson from the poet’s life in the luxurious court life of Japan at the time. The anime may have thirteen episodes, but each is split in half to tell the story of a different poet. Uta Koi focuses on the most famous of Heian poets such as Ono no Komachi, Ariwara no Narihira, Murasaki Shikibu, Sei Shonagon, and Fujiwara no Sadaie. As such that the anime does not have a definitive storyline. It does, however, have an overarching theme of love and passion being brought into the world through poetry. It is a very nice and quick anime to watch in your free time, but my only criticism is that the viewer might need to know a bit about Heian era literature to fully understand or enjoy this series.

My rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Dies Irae (2017)

Genre:

Action/Adventure

Magic/Gore/Romance

Anime

Series:

TV series

Rating:

R-17+

(violence and profanity)

Episodes:

11

Run Time:

23 min per episode

Release Date:

Oct 14, 2017 to Dec 23, 2017

Directed by:

Susumu Kudou

Producers:

Genco, Crunchyroll, DMM pictures, Greenwood, My Theater D.D., Brave Hearts

Visual Novel:

Dies Irae developed by Light

Adaption:

Dies irae ～Amantes amentes～ by Kazuomi Minatogawa

source

Plot Summary:

On May 1, 1945 in Berlin, as the Red Army raises the Soviet flag over the Reichskanzlei, a group of Nazi officers conduct a ritual. For them, the slaughter in the city is nothing but the perfect ritual sacrifice in order to bring back the Order of the 13 Lances, a group of supermen whose coming would bring the world's destruction. Years later, no one knows if this group of officers succeeded, or whether they lived or died. Few know of their existence, and even those who knew began to pass away as the decades passed.

Now in December in the present day in Suwahara City, Ren Fujii spends his days at the hospital. It has been two months since the incident that brought him to the hospital: a fight with his friend Shirou Yusa where they almost tried to kill each other. He tries to value what he has left to him, but every night he sees the same dream: a guillotine, murderers who hunt people, and the black clothed knights who pursue the murderers. He is desperate to return to his normal, everyday life, but even now he hears Shirou's words: "Everyone who remains in this city eventually loses their minds."

source

Cast:

Kousuke Toriumi, Ken Narita, Yui Sakakibara, Ayaka Fukuhara, Hitomi Nabatame, Takeshi Maeda

See List of Cast and Characters

~~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

Dies Irae was one of the most hyped anime for Fall 2017. It wasn’t that bad but my interpretation of it is the equivalent of someone about to give a speech, clearing their throat repeatedly, and subsequently leaving without saying a word. Dies Irae looked great but every episode left me confused, lost, or conflicted. It had great visual prowess including CGI, lots of explosions, or blood. I thought each episode would bring me closer to understanding the main idea of Dies Irae but as a viewer who has not read the light novel or visual novel, it was choppy with no decisive end in sight. The Order of the 13 Lances seem to have a purpose while interfering with Ren Fujii’s life, but it’s hardly made clear half way through the eleven episodes. It just seems like the Order of 13 Lances wants to cause chaos despite following orders. The synopsis’s “a group of supermen whose coming would bring the world's destruction” isn’t helpful either. The synopsis and plot told me very little because any antagonistic force or even a protagonist can enjoy some thorough destruction.

The anime required more character build up, even a few more flashbacks would have fixed that. The main character, Ren, was simple as a protagonist: a young man who wants to live a normal life, has childhood friends, got into a fight with one of them, and tried to move on, but now has to deal with the past and he isn’t normal. Ren must deal with not only his past but the coming of Order of the 13 Lances. Supporting characters in Dies Irae include his childhood friends Kasumi Ayase, Rea Himuro, Shiro Yusa, and a new girl, Marie. Each of them deliver very little to the story except for Marie, who gives him the power to fight back.

Overall, the story is lacking but the animation is amazing from the opening sequence to the battle scenes in each episode. If the plot was fine-tuned and motives made clear, this first season would have given this anime a higher score.

My Rating:

MARIAH's THOUGHTS on Juni Taisen: Zodiac War (2017)

Japanese Title:

十二大戦/Juni Taisen

Genre:

Action/Anime

Series:

TV series

Rating:

R-17+

(violence and profanity)

Episodes:

12

Run Time:

24 min per episode

Release Date:

Oct 3, 2017 to Dec 19, 2017

Directed by:

Naoto Hosoda

Producers:

Sotsu, Mainichi Broadcasting System, AT-X, Studio Mausu, Tokyo MX, Avex Pictures, Shueisha, BS11, GYAO!, A-Sketch

Adaption:

Juuni Taisen by Isin Nishio and Akira Akatsuki

source

Plot Summary:

The record of the bloody battle between the twelve proud warriors—

The 12th Twelve Tournament that gets held every twelve years... Twelve brave warriors who bear the names of the signs of the zodiac fight each other for the lives and souls. The participants are twelve very strange warriors: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

The victor of this tournament gets to have one wish granted, whatever the wish may be. The one wish they want granted—

Who will be the final survivor?

source

Cast:

Tomohiro Nishimura, Cho, Yoko Hikasa, Shun Horie, Ayane Sakura, Saori Hayami, Takuya, Kousuke Toriumi, Hiromi Igarashi, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Yuuichirou Umehara, Hiraku Midorikawa

source

~~~~~~

*My Thoughts*

Note: This review contains NO spoilers

What you see is what you get, when you watch the trailer for Juni Taisen. The Chinese zodiac in human form, twelve warriors, bullets, blades, and an all-out death match. I enjoy Juni Taisen because it includes all the aforementioned materials and doesn’t detract from its planned ending i.e. random romance or side jokes. Okay, maybe just a little…The twelve episodes include short battles and a backstory for the characters. The series plays with suspense by dedicating each episode to a character’s backstory and tries to get the viewer to grow attached to them, even if it’s a few minutes before they are butchered. The character designs are so appropriate for each animal in the zodiac that it is predictable, not that I’m complaining. Although, Nezumi’s rat ears look strange.

The intro and outro scenes for Juni Taisen leaves much to be desired and hardly reveal anything about the characters, the series, or their abilities. The intro and outro force the viewer to watch the episodes, but it gives the warriors cool battle poses. Save for Nezumi, who just looks fabulous. You can say it’s trying too hard to hype the series. I admired the artwork though because the transitions and mysterious vibe it gave but included in the artwork is some CGI. I thought it is unnecessary, but it intensifies the battle scenes and makes the characters look cool.

Complaints? There were many complaints or criticisms against Juni Taisen floating around the internet but specifically, the predictability of the battle royal and the lack of depth to the overall story. Because of the Chinese zodiac story or just an observant eye, the viewer will know the winner. That doesn’t change the excitement of each episode, the wonder of each warrior’s special ability, or how each of them dies. I’m glad I followed through to the very end. Even to the light novel readers or the manga readers, it’s sensational to see the words and images turn into a motion picture and brings the story to life. While the series is a bit superficial and all about the action, it touches lightly on several messages like steroids, morality, or war. The viewer will particularly see steroids from Uma’s episode.

I wouldn’t overlook Juni Taisen because of its brevity or predictability. While it isn’t the best anime of the fall season, it was entertaining.

My Rating:

manga cover

Illustration for anime