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Dec 28, 2024

Mob Psycho 100 III (Anime) add

Mixed Feelings

Spoiler

I had a tough time writing this review. This season, despite its highs, left me feeling somewhat empty and it was only after I decided to rewatch the previous two seasons in search of answers that I was able to put my finger on the why. So I’ll largely be reviewing this from the pov of comparing it to the other seasons.

Season one had a slow start but the interesting characters, premise and animation laid the foundation for a promising story. The final arc made it all worthwhile and elevated a season that seemed to struggle to find a more meaningful voice.

Season two on the ... other hand took all the show’s most successful aspects, built on them and delivered a fantastic piece of media as a result. And while I know this is largely a coincidence as the show follows a pre-established narrative, it still makes for an unbalanced run. Looking back, it’s hard to comprehend that MP’s second season is as long as the other two with how densely packed it is with excellent arcs. And that is largely why season three falls flat. As another reviewer said, MP suffers from a degree of repetitiveness. Which would be less of an issue if the repetitions improved with time rather than decline in quality.

Besides suffering from a lack of anything new to say, season three also seems to fail to capitalize on the story’s strong points. Season two’s dynamic camera angles are gone, leaving the animation feeling lackluster and static. The characters that made up the majority of the series’ appeal are either simply there or stuck in storylines that feel rehashed or obvious. Two of the season’s main arcs focus on Dimple and Reigen’s relationship with Mob which are both dynamics I feel were already sufficiently fleshed out in previous arcs.

Speaking of arcs, this is a good place to touch on the series’ final arc. A culmination can either make or break a series. More often than not it’s the latter and sadly this appears to be the case here. I was given to understand that Mob was already aware of Reigen’s lack of powers, at the very least the Separation arc did a good job of implying he already knew that and chose to stay by Reigen’s side regardless. So having this be the revelation at the season’s climax felt a bit jarring. I suppose there’s something to be said about Reigen finally choosing honesty but again, this was all handled much better in a previous arc already.

Moving away from the specifics, this arc also felt poorly executed in the way it handled its secondary characters. Many of them felt like they were just there for screen time’s sake. Then there were arcs like the Telepathy Mini Arc which was so pointedly trying to waste my time that I found myself fastforwarding through it without a second thought.

All of that said, I do think the season had its highlights. The concept of Mob reconnecting with his second self was executed well and Mob’s relationship with Tsubomi was rather interesting. And yet, for all its virtues and spectacle, this season ended with a duller bang than anticipated. An unfortunate ending given its role as concluding the series as a whole.

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Dec 15, 2024

Mononoke Movie: Karakasa (Anime) add

Mixed Feelings

A Mononoke story that doesn't feel like Mononoke. Often times I find that series that get revived after a long time lose some of their original elements and just feel slightly 'off' because of it. Most often, the element that gets lost to time is atmosphere and in Mononoke's case, that is a key component. This movie definitely suffers from that.

The key elements of a Mononoke story are definitely there. The gorgeous art, the subtle horror, the creeping tension, all wrapped in plentiful symbolism and an intriguing mystery. However, in trying to recreate the original's success, some aspects have been cranked up to eleven, and ... others have been lost because of it. While the art is certainly as gorgeous as I remember it, it feels like this movie doesn't give the viewer the time to stop, breathe and appreciate it. The pacing is wild and and the same is true of the soundtrack, making me wish for a moment of pensive silence that would allow me to process what I'm watching and for the tension to build properly.

In other words, the film suffers from a dire lack of 'empty space'. In Japanese culture, the concept of 'ma' refers to 'an artistic interpretation of an empty space, often holding as much importance as the rest of an artwork and focusing the viewer on the intention of negative space in an art piece'. In art, this empty space is literal; in music it's the pauses between sound; in martial arts, the distance between fighters and in a film, I would say, it would be the more slowly paced scenes between intense action. Some describe 'ma' as an intentional pause that invites contemplation. And this is what this movie lacks severely.

I don't know if this is because of the desire to cram as much content as possible in a limited runtime, an attempt at holding the viewer's attention or simply an attempt at celebrating the original series' core elements gone overboard. (A change in scriptwriters might be the most likely cause behind it all.) Whatever it is though, it interferes with the buildup of tension and the film's overall pacing and, at least in my opinion, makes for a distinct difference in tone.

Another one of my complaints, albeit a more minor one, is the change in the main character's design. His pre-transformation form didn't bother me as much but I found the decision to change his second form quite baffling. I find the white hair and golden markings to be more striking though this could just be my personal bias speaking (dramatic visual changes without any rhyme or reason have always been my pet peeve).

All in all I would describe this film as over-saturated. And yet somehow the lesser in comparison to its predecessors because of it. I would recommend you watch it, if only for the art itself, but I would caution against expecting the same experience as watching the original.

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