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From Up On Poppy Hill is one of the two Ghibli films I never watched, Ponyo being the other. There is no specific reason as to why, I just never got around to it but recently, I finally decided to watch it. To my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed nearly every minute. As someone who sorely dislikes every film directed by Goro Miyazaki, I feel compelled to write a proper review for a movie of his that has truly earned every bit of my praise.

At its core, this story is a period piece, set in 1963, in Japan. The country is still recovering from the recent ... wars and trying to overcome its regretful past. It is a tale that encourages us to embrace our past, both its virtues and flaws, regardless of their severity. If you are overly adamant about erasing all of your past and pretending nothing happened then you will not only dampen your growth towards a brighter, peaceful, progressive, and tolerant future but you will also be disrespecting all those who were lost to it. As Shun states “There’s no future for those who worship the future but forget the past.” The students doing their best to halt the deconstruction of their Latin quarter clubhouse also symbolizes this message among other things; Willing to change and improve is the correct mindset but doing that by completely deleting everything just because of a jarring dark point in your history isn’t right. So, a personal conflict like the one in the film where the past starts to suddenly haunt the leads fits in seamlessly and it could've been perfect if it was executed and conveyed slightly better. Still, the narrative and the film as a whole hits right. The characters are very charming and the dub is cast with such sincerity that it only further elevates the good writing.

Umi and Shun are amazing leads. I love how effortlessly charming Shun is and Umi's character is such a breath of fresh air too. She is a dedicated, caring, and resilient young woman who tries her very best to balance her domestic responsibilities with her school life. She cooks for the family, she cleans, she makes sure everybody gets up at time and doesnt miss out on their daily endeavours, shes exactly the kind of woman that you find in most of our households here in Pakistan and Asia in general. So, seeing someone like that represented in something felt really nice to see. Even if her turmoil after the main reveal could've had better execution, it fits in serviceably. We can clearly see Umi is more shaken up by this then she has perhaps ever been by anything. Yet she still tries her best not to neglect any of her responsibilities.

The OST and animation are both top-tier. The score in particular is filled with so much joyful energy that I couldn't help but bop along at times. I see myself rewatching this film solely to vibe with the amazing tracks.

I have heard so many weird complaints surrounding this film and all of them are, in all honesty, baffling to me. Forgive me if this sounds pretentious but I strongly believe that the people who complain about this film "promoting" or "normalizing" incest simply weren't mature enough to comprehend any of it. These people would almost certainly unironically paint Final Fantasy 8 in the same light. The critical conversations surrounding this film have been astonishingly stupid to me.

The intent of that turmoil in the story was very obvious. It was to make both you, the audience, and the characters extremely uncomfortable by the big reveal. The chemistry between the two lead characters is so good that most viewers will likely be ‘shipping’ them, and then, suddenly, bam! The reveal happens. So, you would too be just as disheartened as the characters. I do wish there were one or two more scenes dealing with the shock, it would only add to the potency of it all but the subtle discomfort, revulsion, and disappointment these characters felt regarding it was excellent in my opinion.

I also feel that the internal conflict experienced by Umi after the central plot twist/reveal, how she felt betrayed by the past because of her newfound awareness of her father’s potential infidelity and the possibility that he was merely a pretender in all aspects, deserved much better execution. I’d rather that they say all of that outright as opposed to this, in my opinion, failed attempt at nuanced storytelling that was presented in the film. Overall, this is still a very good film. I recommend that you give it a watch when you get a chance, and please go in completely blind, I have even come across its synopses on multiple websites containing spoilers for some essential plot moments. If you loved “Whisper of the Heart” and/or “Only Yesterday,” this film is similar to those with how it writes its characters and how it beautifully highlights everyday struggles and joys of life. 8.5/10

I can’t, in good faith, recommend anyone watch this anime before reading the manga. It skips so much stuff, which naturally, takes away all the buildup and tension from every single moment.

Uzumaki follows the story of Kirie and Shuichi as they go through their daily lives in the spiral-infested fictional two of Kurozu-Cho. The story builds upon every weird and horrific encounter taking place in this city with great immersion and well-placed reveals. The anime takes away most of the manga’s charm by simply rushing through so many of these stories. Even episode 1, animated quite nicely, skims over a lot. Then, the second ... episode straight-up jumps from chapter 2 in the manga to chapter 8, attempting to fit in chapters 5, 6, and 7. I’m sure you can imagine how this would take away all the impact from the reveals. That intense slow burn that makes these horrific reveals land is sadly utterly missing here. The sequence of events is also all over the place due to this pacing.

And man the animation…. Don’t even get me started on the animation, it is abysmal. The first episode was mostly very well done. It had some shots where it looked like a black-and-white flash game but other than that it was good. But episode 2? It nosedived into an active volcano, both in pacing and animation. The third episode is much better than the second but it also ruins iconic segments from the manga by rushing through them. This show as a whole just fails to do the manga proper justice. With how much time this took in the oven and how much hype was around the entire thing I was very hopeful that this will finally be that one Junji Ito adaptation that does his work justice, but sadly, it just takes away so much of what makes Uzumaki memorable.

The best thing about the show is its OST, which fits in seamlessly. It was composed by the same person who did Hereditary, so they actually got a guy who knows what he's doing. I also really dig the backgrounds, they have been very well done thus far.

The manga is a beautifully crafted and paced artistic work whose every page is eye candy. I own a hard copy, despite living in Pakistan. It was worth every rupee. Even as someone who usually dislikes world-ending Lovecraftian horror stories, Uzumaki is one of my favorite manga. I waited a very long time for this, so, I’m very sad to see the project turn out this way. Do yourself a favor and read the manga before you watch this.

This is a fairly well-animated show with an amazing English dub cast. The animation can sometimes look off but all around is very good and Harley in particular has never been animated any better. Even if the writing doesn't click and isn't to your liking there have been entertaining action segments in every episode thus far. The cast dynamics have been really enjoyable; Harley and Deadshot in particular have had great team synergy and comedic chemistry.

It is very cheesy though and for some people that might be a turn-off and it is as of yet missing the edginess that accompanied that cheesiness in other recent ... suicide squad media. I don't mind this one bit as the jokes aren't that big of a problem to me; Even when they don't land because of how hard the voice actors are working here and the action is present throughout the show. Admittedly, the writing is very basic and predicatable. Also that ending song animation is yikes, I don't think I have cringed this hard in a while.

The main story being like this isn't that much of a problem for me and I think everybody expected that as it seemed obvious from the get-go, the character dynamics, action, and performances carry this show and I do believe these aspects will keep me going till the end but that is also because I don't have any other priority on my backlog. I believe what sets this show apart the most is that it is such a deep breath of fresh air because of how insanely saturated the superhero genre has become this decade. Even if the main narrative is fairly generic, at least, this is a very unique take for a superhero production.

I have eagerly anticipated this film’s release ever since the day it was announced way back then and now it is at last here. The Boy & The Heron is a visual spectacle, akin to most Ghibli films a single frame from this can go for a solid wallpaper. They went overboard with some of the stuff here; even “minor” stuff like the flame animations and the cloth physics are sure to fill up oddly satisfying boards online when this drops on digital.

If I were to make comparisons to previous Ghibli films and their artistic direction, I’d say this feels like an amalgamation of ... The Wind Rises and Howl’s Moving Castle. Joe Hisaishi’s score is, as usual, magical, and it perfectly complements the movie. Kenshi Yonezu’s Spinning Globe is also a beautiful vocal track that hits hard when it graces your ears as the credits roll.

The narrative is filled with a lot of symbolism, and while it presents a story that I do believe is better than its contemporaries, imo it could’ve been so much better. I do think the story feels better after another viewing as there is symbolism to practically every single scene and every little mundane thing, but the characters themselves feel weirdly one-dimensional.

There are plenty of amazing scenes in the film that hit hard. It’s just that I harbor a strong love and admiration for Miyazaki’s old way of writing and I believe a narrative about a boy overwhelmed by his grief who’s stuck between the cruel real world and an ideal fantastical one could gain a lot from that.

Ultimately, I can't complain much about this, as the film is lowkey a semi-autobiography and once you do learn a bit about Miyazaki’s past a lot of the symbolism and character writing from the film clicks into place. I’d say the writing is a bit intentionally “messy” just like life. Some things don’t get proper resolution and there just isn’t enough time and in most cases, no second chances. I wish they kept the original Japanese title of the film, "How Do You Live?," As that would set a far more accurate depiction of what the film’s all about. Also, Miyazaki made this film for his grandson, so this is pretty much his gift to the next generation. The film took home every major award and once again I can't help but lament that if Hollywood treated animation as a proper part of cinema Studio Ghibli would have like a dozen Oscars at this point. Now that Hayao Miyazaki is back full-time, I am once again patiently looking forward to his next project.

I am beyond surprised that Capcom actually gave Onimusha to a team that cares about the source material that they are adapting. This, in my opinion, is an amazing adaptation with superbly choreographed fight scenes and plenty of likable character moments.

The only shred of hope I had for this adaptation came from the fact that Takashi Miike was at the helm of the production as director and he is most likely the reason why action scenes look as amazing as they do. I think on its own, the show is still good, but as an adaptation of Onimusha, it is great.

Animation:
To start ... it off I don't think a lot of people will be fond of the CGI. I had no problem with it because the hand-drawn backgrounds looked amazing and so did all of the fights. There are so many genuinely epic shots and camera angles used here, both in and out of action sequences.

Also, the art style is just super on point, there are some areas where the color grading straight made me feel like I was watching a video of one of the games, especially when it comes to the backgrounds.

Story:
The story is fairly basic, it just follows Musashi and his companions while they go on an adventure and face various foes along the way. I think many people would rather love to see an adaptation focusing on Samanosuke or Jubei, but what we have here is genuinely good and can be treated as its own “game” because it perfectly fits into the Onimusha franchise.

Character:
As I briefly mentioned earlier, the anime focuses on Musashi traveling with a bunch of other characters as they go on an adventure. All of these characters get a lot of time to shine and akin to most of the games all of these are very memorable; I would argue that the show even has some of the best characters in the series.

Conclusion:
Amazing action sequences, really likable characters, respect for the source material, & stellar choreography all make this an easy 8/10 for me and as a Capcom adaptation this is like a 9/10 lol, because they never give their IPs to people who care.

Pluto is a mature adaptation of one of the most iconic arcs of Astro Boy. The manga, by the same name, is widely considered a masterpiece and is a deep passion project for the writer. I want to keep this mostly spoiler-free. I would highly recommend going into this blind, and if you love Seinen anime/manga, you will have an absolute blast here. Pluto comprises some of the most well-written and heartfelt characters whose story reaches a perfect end.

Every single character from the original arc in Astro Boy has been given justice in this remake. Atom (Astro Boy Himself) and Gesicht are the main ... leads of this show and both of them never fail to keep me engaged. The suspense is all very well done and the conclusion to it all is personally among my favorite endings in fiction. Pluto, isn’t just any story focusing on humans and robots, it is THE story focusing on humans and robots.

Going into Pluto I knew we would get a brilliant adaptation because the project was led by Masao Maruyama. He founded Madhouse and MAPPA, who specifically founded this new studio to adapt extremely well-deserving and overlooked mangas akin to Pluto. The animation is stellar for the most part, but at times some special effects don’t go too well and make the scene look weirdly blurry. Overall, they have done justice to the source material and it is as good of an adaptation as any fan could’ve asked for, 10/10.

Moreover, some of the other masterpieces he produced are Monster, Perfect Blue, Death Note, Hunter x Hunter (2011), Nana, Trigun, Hellsing Ultimate, Paprika, Kids on the Slope, and Tokyo Godfathers, among many others, the guy has been the driving force for masterpieces left and right. Also, the music composition is being done by Yuugo Kanno, who is well known for his extremely popular JoJo opening themes.

The Mangaka Naoki Urasawa is well known for his genius in developing murder mysteries or suspenseful tales that get increasingly interesting as you read. He has genuinely created some of the most masterful stuff in modern entertainment, and to finally see this manga by him get such a phenomenal and passionate adaptation feels so good; I waited for so long to get one. I hope that Pluto is successful enough that we get one for 20th Century Boys, which is another manga by Urasawa.

It is a good film with some well done action scenes that will leave most fans satisfied. After all, this time around the movie features every single one of the main characters of this legendary franchise getting together to take down this new threat. I'm glad to inform you that it mostly does justice to all of them other than Jill being a bit extra at times (in her mannerisms, not the action sequences) and Rebecca's introduction scene with Chris being a bit meh. Also, sadly most of the characters don't get that much time to shine as the movie's main character is Jill and ... the story predominantly focuses on her.

Action:
The animation is great and all of the characters look superb. I do wish they kept Leon's jacket all the way through and that Jill had a new outfit but those are minor grievances as everything else looks on point. The film does justice to all of these superhuman characters by showcasing their amazing survivalist and acrobatic abilities, though I wish there was more of this. Resident Evil has always had the strongest characters in the genre and their strengths are on maximum display here. All the characters get their time to shine and they look really badass too, sadly Leon Kennedy who is my favorite gets little time to shine in the later half but I still loved to see him back.

Characters:
Let’s be real, the characters are the reason we are watching this movie. This is the first time many of them have interacted with each other for the first time and their interactions are great, I only wish there were more of them. As mentioned earlier all of them get to shine and share the screen with each other. This is basically an Avengers film for RE fans.
I am very happy to announce that Leon is finally over his depressed arc from RE Damnation, RE6 onwards, and is now back to his full charming non-depressed goofy self from RE4.
For all of them other than Chris Redfield, this is the latest version we are seeing of them as the movie takes place after RE6 and Rev 2. I loved to see them all return, it made me feel like a child finally reuniting with his favorites in the continuity. Thank God, the movie is canon, otherwise no idea when Capcom would have these characters make their apperance in a new game again.

Story:
The main story is meh, it literally only exists to get the characters to come across each other and present us with many spectacular showdowns. I don’t mind the story being ignorable cause it was never intended to be anything special, all of us are here for the interactions and action sequences, but most of all to see our favorites finally return.

Conclusion:
In the end, I highly recommend it, I really enjoyed it even if the action wasnt as good, and frequent, as I had hoped. It's the sequel to RE Vendetta and is fully canon, I loved seeing all of these characters back and together and the movie does all of these legendary videogame characters plenty of justice. I'm only taking off a score because Leon didn't get to shine that much and Jill was a bit out of character at times. 8/10.

This is the best Detective Conan movie in a long time. The story is great and how it all comes together near the end is just very satisfying to watch. I really like Amuro, he's one of my favorite characters in the show, who sadly doesn't get much exposure. So seeing a movie heavily focused on him tell a very enjoyable story was a delight.

The narrative is very enjoyable and even tense at times. The twist is alright, I saw it coming but it will be surprising for people who aren't that accustomed to the mystery genre. They do great character development for the characters ... and the movie is also paced nicely.

If you are a detective Conan fan who hasn't watched the show or films in a while then you should consider giving this one a shot. I'm also very hyped for the next Sherry/Ai focused movie 26. I love her dynamic with Shinichi/Conan, she's easily the best female character of the show. Going forward I hope the films keep improving and we get awesome canon fanservice out of them. I'd say this game is a solid 8/10 in my eyes.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was incredible. I was concerned because of CGI animation, but it becomes almost unnoticable after the initial 10 minutes or so.
The fighting is very good throughout. The action scenes are very well choreographed and the music is also decent.

The fanservice is legit perfect. They did Piccolo and Gohan justice and they also did justice to every other character that appears in this. I legit had a huge smile on my face from start to finish.

I went in expecting nothing extraordinary but I was blown away this shit legit made my day. Highly recommend it 9/10

One of the best lewd mahwa imo and my personal favorite one.

Characters:
While most of their designs are generic and nothing special, they are all well drawn and have fairly unique personalities. They tie into the central story well too. My favorites are Gihyun and Nayeon. They have pretty good development through the story and have a satisfying conclusion in the final 97th chapter.

Story and Art:
The story is somehow actually pretty decent and interesting compared to most other stuff of this kind which just includes the most pathetic lazy stuff you have ever read. I knwo the story isn't what most people ... are here for but I am stll going to discuss it in my review. This one actually makes you care for some characters and makes you want to see the ending. The art style is pretty well done and the coloring is also quite good!

Overall verdict:
Read it. Its great, It is unique compared to your average smut manga or manhwa and the quality never dips.