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Jan 20, 2022
Belle is a film that builds upon director Hosoda's previous themes of finding meaning in a fractured family, struggling through adversity, and ordinary people becoming heroes. There's definite influences from his previous works and even from an ageless classic like Beauty & The Beast which come together to build an unexpectedly new experience.
The strength of Belle, is how its beautiful soundtrack is combined with the mysterious/lively virtual world of U. Music gives a feeling of togetherness, even in a world like U where one can escape to an online identity. The emotions characters feel while accessing that world are made real to the audience
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through what are some of my favorite tracks.
The story focuses on how the virtual world can be a source of freedom, but how the interface between the virtual and real is ever-present in modern lives. The film does an excellent job showing that people across the world from different cultures all participate in an online world. However, it does a poor job fleshing out the realism of U in the modern world and leaves you sometimes wishing for more development across the side characters. The story culminates in some really gorgeous scenes but there were also moments to suspend one's disbelief to leap over plot holes or apparent inconsistencies.
While Belle certainly has its issues, it conveys a world where the virtual and the real world co-exist/affect each other, and the people within them. While the virtual might feel like a dream-like fantasy far away from reality, it also serves as a bridge for those who may even be a million miles away. Seeing how in Belle's world, people can share strength and struggles through connecting virtually made this a very relevant and meaningful film for these modern times.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 23, 2021
Pompo: The Cinéphile asks what the gap is between a fun, wacky B-movie and a serious, critical masterpiece. Gene Fini, aspiring director, must realize what a master leaves behind to leap over that gap.
Pompo: The Cinéphile isn't a masterpiece. But it's charming, fast-paced, and in my eyes, a great film. It's aware that reasonable chunks of character development, several really beautiful cinematic shots, and good-looking characters, keep the audience at the edge of their seat without getting fatigued by the length of a masterpiece. Whenever Gene sees a fantastic scene, we as the audience can't help but agree.
If you want to watch
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a film about how old classic cinema and modern cinema still push film directors to make difficult decisions, this movie may be something very special. If not, this is still a film with great sound direction and voice casting. Kohara as Pompo and Ootsuka as Martin were really fun to hear with some great monologues. The sounds the characters make in different rooms and environments convey the changing sceneries.
A potential shortcoming of the movie, which at the same time also keeps it light-hearted, is that rather than strong antagonists, the story is more about fighting against the difficult situations a professional life throws at you.
Pompo shows off some wonderful shots of the film-inside-a-film, whether it involves a surfing beach babe or an overworked Gene summoning lightning from his keyboard. While it doesn't carry itself as a completely serious game-changer, you'll hopefully walk away with a smile and maybe a couple insightful thoughts about your own careers or future careers.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 20, 2015
One-Punch Man.
Sort of difficult to rate because it is incredibly easy to be swept up by the hype and afterglow one experiences post-finish.
I calmed down, thought carefully and in the end, I believe this show is a 10.
It is not the 10 some people give that reflects perfection.
Mine is a 10 where the outstanding aspects greatly overpowered its weaknesses.
I would have no problem recommending this show.
[Imbalance of OPM]
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Jaw-dropping animation from incredible talents paired with a rocking soundtrack. From hearing my laughter at a precise time every Sunday, my roommates realized I was watching OPM.
However, the story/characters are only passably good, due to the very nature of the comedy. Its wacky and lovable large cast lacks the character focus and development most top shows demonstrate. The protagonist, the man/legend, "Saitama," is an invincible Gary Stu character.
It was as much of a parody of the super-hero genre as it was a normal representation of it. Saitama mocks the concept of a near-invincible superman but as a plot device, he is no different.
How can you keep an audience hooked without the fear of loss?
One-Punch Man certainly did by being supremely entertaining. The general humor hit the mark for a majority of watchers.
A hype-packed opening! Comedic dialogue! Super-powered action! A relaxing ending! Then an episode preview!
Every single week!
Oddly enough, it is hard to explain what makes this show so good, without visually experiencing it firsthand. The basic formula looks like a decent vehicle for an extremely popular manga.
[Why is One-Punch Man Special?]
One episode left you with a huge smile, waiting for the excellence of the next episode. With one season, it delivered consistently amazing combat animation.
The passionate efforts of the voice actors and the product of beautiful frames coming together.
Nothing is left to imagination, as we see a fist collide with an evildoer or a deadpan stare in the wake of an opponent's seemingly unfathomable power.
From start-to-finish, the show made that all-important translation of source material to audience amazement.
However, it is not without weakness. In transitioning to comedy, it often lost a sense of human, relatable struggle. While the show had its meaningful moments, it centered more around explosive passion and quirky character intros.
Overall, it still became one of the most entertaining shows I have had the pleasure of watching.
Nothing about this show is particularly strange or alien, unlike some of Saitama's adversaries.
Whether you are a long-time anime veteran or someone who has just started, this series delivers. As anime, as entertainment, it is a shining star. A combination of gorgeous action, humorous characters, and lively pacing.
My verdict is that the sheer amount of enjoyment OPM offered overshadowed its average-to-good character/story design, a factor that cripples most shows.
It is a roller coaster of awesome entertainment that brings all sorts of watchers together for a good laugh and a fantastic ride.
ONE PUNCHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Dec 27, 2014
"What is the most important thing for a Santa Claus' job?"
A short adventure of an apprentice tonttu, Noel, looking to finding her answer to that question.
Story:
A holiday movie focusing on one particular journey that Noel and her friends at the Santa Company make on one fateful Christmas night.
For such a compelling premise of Noel's loneliness and a distanced father, I thought an opportunity was lost by leaving such relevant flashbacks out of the movie.
But that's dwelling on what could have been and not the present that was delivered to us.
Given the brief length of the movie,
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the simple relationships between the characters were pleasant to watch.
Art:
The part where Santa Company really excelled.
The character designs were varied and the animation well-done.
The environment and locations were pretty and the action surprisingly intense at times.
Sound/Voice Acting:
14 tracks reflecting Christmas
6 familiar voices of a star-studded cast
And a ChouCho song in the ending.
Character:
Cute characters for a cute Christmas movie.
Not much of a backstory for any of them but their interactions were fun to watch.
Overall:
I rather enjoyed this ambitious project by Kenji studio.
It's not a social commentary on the holiday season one might have expected but a lighthearted adventure of one girl's determination to discover what it means to be a part of the Santa Company.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Aug 19, 2014
Story: The plot is almost a copy of the light novel series, so adaptation-wise, they followed the script. However this story seems better told in words than animation, given its almost cliche cut-and-paste nature. It's the standard "magic knight saves princess" story with an ecchi direction. Possibly enjoyable for those looking for this kind of genre but unimpressive.
Art: The art style was somewhat simple with the shading almost exclusively reserved for blushes and cleavage. It was easy on the eyes but lackluster.
Sound: 12 episode harem fantasy doesn't have dramatic soundtrack, so the main focus is OP/ED. I found Sakakibara Yui's OP
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catchy but her distinctive style of singing isn't for everyone. The ED was cute but it seemed more appropriate for a purely slice-of-life show. Looking at the soundtrack as a whole, it delivered for the type of magic harem shenanigans the show was aiming for. It wasn't superb but appropriate.
Character: Standard tropes. The characters were not creative, even regarding character design. It's sometimes enjoyable seeing a cliche like a loli tsundere but there were too many cliches in this show. There's a static nature to the characters I didn't find enjoyable.
Enjoyment: If loli tentacle harem was the show you were expecting, it hit the mark. For everyone else, the ecchi was excessive and the show weak. It was somewhat fun seeing cliche after cliche but it got old quick.
Overall: A show I wouldn't personally recommend to many. The amount of effort put into the adaptation is mediocre but acceptable. Not the worst but almost niche due to its multiple cringe tentacle molestation scenes.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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