I Watch Things #19: Winter Round-Up

The Walking Dead- I’ve made my like-hate relationship with The Walking Dead well known in the past. Long stretches of quality episodes always find a way to be completely undermined by one or two really bad ones. The first half of season four made this abundantly clear. A new executive producer subtracted some of the B-movie zombie flick and added more of character-driven narrative, akin to the Telltale game. Even the Governor manages to draw interest, but that soon dies within the final two episodes.

The second half does no favors early. Contradicting “lore” when Michonne uses her dismembered walkers as cover and inane contrivances which see the return of one particular character out of the blue. In typical TWD fashion, it manages to turn-around before too long.

I’ve always said Darryl has the potential to be the best character. He’s the one person who’s actually been made better by the outbreak. Rick and the crew are always trying to keep their humanity while Darryl tires to gain his. Having Beth bring him back from the brink, being around the real morally abhorrent; it displays a side of him the previous three and half seasons gloss over. It’s not just Darryl either, the entire cast is made better by a much more reserved approach. Divided, and facing more personal issues rather than “oh no, bad guys are going to attack our home,” the true weight of an apocalypse sets in.

But guess what. The finale, forgot to be a finale. You could argue the main plot is the group getting back together, but regrouping in a cannibal settlement isn’t exactly a resolution. People are going to die, that’s a given but what we’re left with is a tease. The plot has yet to hit its climax, which is why the finale would have made for a great penultimate for the season.There’s a whole lot of build-up to an obvious twist, and a fade to black.

Somehow, someway every time I say I’ve almost given up on the show it jumps right back. While never great it manages to keep being incredibly accessible with streaks of “this is almost as good as the game.”

Kill la Kill- I often advocate anime to those unfamiliar with the form. I would love to see a day where my social media is obliterated by anime talk, just like it so often is by Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead. Kill la Kill is the last place someone with reservations about the medium should dive in. I wasn’t sure of it myself when I started. The level of nudity and lewdness is hefty enough to make the biggest of otaku feel uncomfortable. Give it a few episode and you’ll realize this is far from the truth. Kill la Kill is unabashedly parodies and satires so much about otaku entertainment but in a fun, non-combative way. The plot is centered around the use of school uniforms to empower student-soldiers in a dystopian Japan, ruled by academies. The resistance force; these guys. Best of all, the lack of clothing isn’t specifically focused on one sex. Kill la Kill goes both ways, and does a good job in making sure it’s not just pandering to a male audience.

Despite the sexulization, Ryuko proves to be a better female character than a sizable portion of her counterparts across all entertainment. Which makes me both happy and disappointed. On one hand I love that even with what many claim to be fanservice,  Kill la Kill has many likable faces. On the other hand, Trigger didn’t have some profound artistic vision set to revolutionize storytelling. It’s an excessive animation with half-naked people kicking the shit out of each other because reasons.

From the masochistic gorilla sized Gamagori to the ironically nasal-voiced bandleader Nonon are likable in their own outrageous way. I love Ryuko for her loudmouth rebel, “I’m gonna smash your teeth out your ass” attitude but how she interacts with the others is just as important. It’s like watching a classic cartoon or video games characters with single-minded but highly stylized natures obliterate the living hell out of anything and everything. It’s simple and by no means intellectual prodding, but the target is hit.

With such buffoonery comes issues. The early pacing struggles due to some pointless episodes, and until the plot take a turn around episode 12, this continues. The other key weakness is how bipolar it can be. One minute Ryuko is nearly brought to tears and the next the zany Mako is being her usual loon-bag self. I personally found it charming, but certainly understand why others have criticized.

Kill la Kill isn’t the best anime of the past year, and it isn’t even the best of the more nonsensical stuff. It is however a testament to how diverse the medium can be when it wants to. Something sorely lacking in the west.

Plus, Hiroyuki Sawano- the composer for Attack on Titan- puts in some incredible work once again alongside some other talented artist. Case and point one of the best songs I’ve ever heard from an anime.

Space Dandy- I’ve said it on numerous occasions before, but if Shinichiro Watanabe is involved with an anime in anyway, I’m going to watch it. Besides sharing the director spotlight, Space Dandy is easily the outlier in his body of more serious-natured work. A parody of classic sci-fi along with a menagerie of all other sorts of goofiness, Dandy may be significantly more comedic, but the Watanabe touch is clear. The animation is gorgeous, the soundtrack catchy, and it takes influence from a number of sources but remains unique.

Admittedly it took some time to get comfortable. The first few episodes don’t make the purpose of plot abundantly clear. Sure enough, the humor really hits it stride and hints of an actual story are dropped.  It’s utter nonsense, but of the good sort. Dandy frequents an outer space Hooters-esque restaurant known as “Boobies.” It’s not high-brow humor by any means, but it doesn’t have to be when you’ve got a pompadour-touting protagonist who kicks it with a space cat and an awkward robot.

In the mere 13 episodes that is the first season, no big twists to the formula are revealed, but it seems a likely route for the second season coming this summer. While not Watanabe’s best work, there are no glaring flaws to speak of and I’ll be tuning in this summer for sure.

Golden Time- For all intents and purposes, Golden Time should have fallen flat on its unimaginative face. Set at a Tokyo college, a boy is starting to get a new handle on life after an amnesia causing event. There he meets some prototypical anime characters who just barely have an edge of individuality about them. It’s a rom-com which moves away from the high-school setting in appearance, but not in spirit. Yet still I rather enjoy it because Golden Time embraces its nature while managing to avoid too many predictable plots or missteps.

The theme which courses through the veins is self-identity. What truly makes a person? Is it the moments which has led up to their current self, or where they’re attempting to reach? Banri, our protagonist, consistently struggles with this idea as his memories of his past self slowly seep forward, much to the detriment of his current life. As someone currently in college, I perfectly understand the sentiment. I want to move forward, but to do so I have to deal with the effects of my past and continue to grow.

Of course I don’t have an apparition holding me back. Yeah, not the most graceful introduction, but old Banri’s ghost acts more as a visible conscious to no one but the audience. This does however change to some degree later on, but that verges on spoiler territory. It’s forced and the creators should have dropped the idea but were probably encouraged to remain faithful to the light novels. Which is a shame because it’s the one glaring flaw which becomes blindingly stupid at times.

There’s a fair few tropes, such as 2D-Kun and a childhood friend who just so happens to be a cute girl, but for the most part, the singular complexity holds it all together well enough to warrant a viewing.

The Best Shows of 2013

Huh, I suppose it’s time to do one of those obligatory “best of the year” lists. 2013 saw me further delve into my second favorite medium of entertainment via some amazing shows. I branched out into new genres and gained a much deeper appreciation for anime, amongst other foreign entertainment. In other words, I sat on my ass for a wider variety of reasons and watched plenty of new things.

So here are my top five shows of 2013. I don’t go into great detail, so fear not the deadly spoiler.

5. Arrested Development- Netflix has a done a wonderful thing. Thanks to their new initiative of creating “Netflix Originals,” there has been an influx of worthy dramas and comedies. Particularly the return of the short lived- but well received- Arrested Development.

True to form the Bluth family is back and stirring up all sorts of hilarious debauchery. Seeing the entire core cast return and practically not miss a single beat is a thing of chuckle-worthy beauty. What made the previous three seasons succeed is the ever-witty combination of crass humor and the more well thought out jokes.  No boundary is too far, as the writers know when to even make fun of themselves, which there is plenty of.

The biggest change is in the presentation. While Michael (Jason Bateman) is still the main focus, each episode tells the season’s story from a different character’s perspective. What this allows for is a culmination of laughter every time paths are crossed and doubly so in the finale.

While it takes a couple episodes to fully get back into the swing of things. Season four of Arrested Development is another welcomed addition to the best comedy out there.

4. Flowers of Evil (Aku no Hana)- Ignore the whiners who complain about the change of art style from the manga, Flowers of Evil is disturbingly delicious.

Masquerading as a simple slice-of-life comedy about high school boy- Kasuga- stealing his crushes’ gym uniform, Flowers of Evil quickly turns into a psychological fuck-house. As a witness to his “sin” classmate, Sawa, blackmails and tortures Kasuga to the brink. Each episode ramps up the tension as he is manipulated further and further into madness as the thought of social ridicule looms over his guilty conscious.

In a mere 13 episodes the arcs are profoundly significant. You may be wondering how high could the stakes possibly be when the biggest offense is a stolen gym uniform, but damn are there some catastrophic moments which put the human psyche on display.

As far as cliche sayings going, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” is an excellent descriptor for Flowers of Evil. Backed by one the most unsettling ending themes, and a incredible tease of the second season, you’d be a damn fool to miss out on this gem. At first you’ll be saying “what the hell am I watching,” but by the end you’ll question “why the hell haven’t I been watching?”

3. Game of Thrones- Is anyone honestly surprised by the fact that Game of Thrones continues to be stellar? Each season seems to electrify the not-so-cheery happenings of Westeros, and season three is no different.

Few shows could continue to add more characters and plots while managing to weave such a compelling narrative. Veteran faces such as Jaime and Arya have started forging their own paths- just as enjoyable as those before- while newbies like Berric and Lady Olenna solidify the foundations.

You can’t talk about season three without mentioning the now infamous Red Wedding. I’ll avoid spoilers, but this is scene is arguably more memorable than the execution in “Balor” of season one. Such gut-wrenching has surely caused more than a few to turn away from sheer fear of being subjected to any more pain.

While not ending on as great of a high-note as season two- splitting a book will do that- Game of Thrones continues to give good reason why it’s not only one of my favorite shows, but a cultural phenomena.

2. Breaking Bad- The end of a brilliant journey. Breaking Bad may not be my favorite show, but I can’t deny it’s holistically the most well put together I’ve seen. Every aspect is a showcasing of masterful talent and season five lights the final powder-keg , exploding into almost everything I had hoped for.

Walter and Jesse continue to be the best duo on television while their worlds come crashing down around them. What Breaking Bad gets that most other shows fail to truly understand is the art of storytelling. Pacing, misdirection, deep character arcs, and beautiful cinematography have always been a mainstay of the series and the second half of season five rises to the top.

Shows typically increase the tension in each successive episode- it’s a natural tactic- but the final half of season five excels in this manner. Being able to wait for Sunday to roll around for eight straight weeks has to be cause for some sort of accolade. Not a moment is wasted on letting the viewer breath while forging on to the conclusion.

Here’s where I tend to disagree with people though. While I enjoy the final episode, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Don’t misunderstand me. It’s a good ending, but not the ending I expected after five amazing seasons. So yeah.That’s my biggest complaint about the final eight episodes of Breaking Bad, and the only reason it isn’t number one.

1. Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin)- Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat! How could anything possibly top both Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad. By being Attack on Titan, that’s how.

Attack on Titan does to the shonen genre what Evangelion and Madoka Magica did to each of their respective homes. A strong will, courage, and friendship will not win the day: they’ll get you killed. While traditional stories are often told through exposition and dialogue, AoT imparts its tale through the action and the intense atmosphere surrounding it. In a world where humanity is on the brink of extinction due to the little understood man-eating humanoids known as titans, there is not a whole lot of hope and cheer.

Game of Thrones is notorious for killing off its cast no matter if they’re despised or fan favorites, and AoT -in many regards- makes GoT feel like a Disney fairytale in comparison. The oppressive world never lets up and when death arrives it’s not this played up event Hollywood has made mainstream. It’s often swift, brutal, embarrassing, and emotionally devastating. Imagine having to watch Red Wedding-like episodes several times in the matter of 26 outings, and potentially more considering a second season seems guaranteed at this point.

It should come as no surprise that AoT took the anime industry by storm this past year. Tetsuro Araki (Death Note) is a highly talented director who had a lot to work with in manga author Hajime Isayama’s work. Paired with one of the best composers in the business, Hiroyuki Sawano, who created a soundtrack with few equals, and each and every second of AoT is a tension filled nightmare.

If you’re an anime fan, you’ve more than likely made the logical choice of watching or intending to watch Attack on Titan. If you’re not an anime fan and you have some sort of aversion towards the genre, STOP! You’re only cheating yourself out of the best show of 2013.

Honorable mentions:

Oreimo- A comedy anime about otaku culture and the more socially unacceptable sides of it.

Kill la Kill- A farcical, parody/satire anime that’s off-the-walls and into your face with everything that’s missing from American action shows.

House of Cards- Game of Thrones’ political machinations sans the fantasy and mass violence, and full of “Netflix Original” and Kevin Spacey.

I Watch Things Too: Why Haven't You Seen Oldboy?

Man of Steel- What? How the? Did they just? Why?

I’m at a loss for words, so I’m just going to come right out and say it. Man of Steel is one of the worst movies I’ve seen in some time. And I’m not just saying that for dramatic effect. In case you haven’t gathered, much of my day is spent in front of a TV. By a quick glance at the law or probability, I’ve encountered numerous bad films, but this was one of the worst in recent memory.  Rarely do I have the desire to stop mid-way, but I almost did just that on several occasions.

Within the first 45 minutes there is a distinct lack of a driving conflict. Rather than taking time to develop characters, Man of Steel putters about. The opening scene of the destruction of Krypton feels, for lack of a better term, alien and out of place. Not to mention it drags on for far too long. After the rude welcoming, things only manage to get worse as the story becomes disjointed and contrived. The narrative jumps back and forth between flashbacks to a young Clark Kent and present day Superman in such a repulsive manner. It’s shocking Christopher Nolan, who had a hand in the story, was in anyway involved.  After all, this is the man responsible for Memento, a hallmark among non-sequential storytelling.

After a long-winded and incredibly poor exposition, nearly every character falls flat. The love story between Superman and Lois Lane is forced in during a couple small exchanges.The rest of the cast is no better. Antagonist, General Zod, might as well have been shouting “I’m evil because reasons,” the entire way. We’re told what he wants to do, and yes it isn’t so wholesome, but the lack of depth makes the reasoning feel hollow.

Then there is the matter of Superman. Oh, how they’ve botched that poor fellow up. Now I’ve never been a fan of the man in red and blue, thanks to the whole Superman paradox, but the idea of a darker film intrigued me. In retrospect, maybe it’s not such a good idea. Watching Superman smash around without a single care for collateral damage is downright out of character. I’m honestly half-surprised he doesn’t beat Zod over the head with a bag of kittens. It would have almost been more fitting than him playing the good guy.

When it comes down to it, maybe it was just a poorly handled film and the a darker Superman is possible. I know the subject has been touched upon in some comics, but I have to wonder what would happen if a truly well made film covered such a thing.

Before I close this out, I do feel obligated to prove that Man of Steel isn't completely devoid of quality. There’s a span of 10-15 seconds during the final fight that aren’t entirely horrible.

So yeah, Man of Steel has 10-15 seconds of mediocre entertainment. What a masterpiece, right?

Kill la Kill- Episodes 1-9- If the all around over the top insanity of Kill La Kill proves anything, it’s that what qualifies as acceptable levels of violence and sexual content in on entertainment is very much a case to case matter. One thing is certain though, Trigger Studios put a whole lot of work into making a highly distinctive style, and it paid off big time. While the surrealistic animation is reminiscent of older works, several other elements are mixed in with great success.  From the color palette to the zany character design, Kill la Kill is a visual treat.

I should however bring up the clothing, or rather the lack there of it. At first I was bothered by Ryoku’s outfit; not the one shown above. It came off as nothing more than uncreative pandering, but the further I progressed the more comfortable I became. It’s not just the female characters put on display: it’s everyone. Really, the skimpy clothing plays in with the bonkers tone. If it bothers you, I understand, but I’d suggest questioning if it’s all that bad in comparison to the nonsensical violence. That’s not too say either of them should be removed, because they play quite well together and Kill la Kill wouldn’t be Kill la Kill without them.

What surprises me most is the story. It’s no Death Note or Cowboy Bebop, but it doesn't need to be. It’s shit-brain crazy. I mean, the premise is there are school uniforms, Goku uniforms, which give their owners superhuman powers. School council president, Satsuki Kiryuin, has employed them to enforce some sort of dystopian society, hell-bent on world domination. The resistance? Well, besides Ryoku, there is an organization call NUDIST BEACH destroying all the Goku uniforms. At times the narrative seems to get a little too in love with the nonsense and forgets to have any real progression, but it’s mostly oozing with all the right kinds of filth and stupidity. Characters as just as loveably insane too. There isn’t a single one who feels too ordinary. Each has their quirks which are ready to burst at any second.

Simply put, Kill la Kill is overflowing with creativity in a farcical, semi-parody, off-the-walls and into your face sort of way. It is everything American action TV is not, and I love it!

Iron Man 3- How does one properly go about making the first post-Avengers Marvel film? Well, just ask Iron Man 3’s director, Shane Black.

Iron Man has always been amongst the stronger super hero films and the third does nothing but accelerate the series to new heights. Tony Stark's struggle with PTSD after the events of The Avengers is a refreshing taste of character drama the genre has rarely touched.  With more than a few unpredictable and unconventional twists- including one which breaks down expectations at the most opportune time- I have to say this is one of the better written super hero flicks. It doesn't try too hard to be dark like Man of Steel or even The Dark Knight Rises. There’s a healthy balance of upbeat Tony Stark wit and the grizzled super hero veteran behind the armor.

Of course Iron Man isn't Iron Man without some new toys, and bombastic action. Is it anything we haven't seen before? No, but it's just as good as any of the previous movies. There are explosions and men in metal suits shooting rockets and flying about. What more could you ask for? The final brawl is a bit underwhelming though. Most of the action shots not containing Iron Man come off as filler. Besides a select few, everyone feels inconsequential to the outcome of the brawl.

All in all, Iron Man 3 is certainly my favorite in a well made series. It doesn’t do much to better the action, but as far as story and characters go, it’s a cut above the rest.The best part, and the main reason I watched though, was to see if Shane Black still possessed the ability to direct. At this point I think it's safe to say he can, so bring on Death Note!

Oldboy- Rewatching movies isn't really my thing. There are simply too many options to spend any amount of time on second passes. Oldboy, well there's an exception if I've ever seen one. Which is odd considering its one of those films whose biggest punch is the late twist.

That doesn't mean there’s a lack of substantial quality elsewhere.

The premise? Drunken letch- and protagonist- Oh Dae-Su is kidnapped and held captive for 15 years with only a TV and his thoughts to keep him company. After being released in circumstances just as mysterious as his disappearance,  Oh Dae-Su seeks revenge on those who imprisoned and framed him for his wife’s murder. In the process, to learn the why and who, several twist and turns are made, culminating in one hell of a final 30 minutes.  Attempting to get a peek at your phone, or even taking a bathroom break is rendered useless by the constant tension.

The action is no slouch either. Beautiful cinematography supports fights chock-full of personality. They’re few and far between, but it’s the rarity which helps make them so enjoyable. Extended periods of juicy narrative are punctuated with fast-paced and brutal action scenes.

What kills me though is that so few people have seen Oldboy. Unless, you’re an entertainment junkie like myself, you’ve more than likely brushed it aside because of the foreign film labeling. News flash! There are some incredibly talented creatives outside of the U.S. or wherever the hell you hail from.

So jump on Netflix this instant and look up Oldboy. You better take a bathroom break beforehand though, otherwise you’ll be in need of some new apparel.