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migusilva
Reviews
Beef (2023)
Season 1 Review
I've heard this series will have other seasons but I want to review current season 1. The episodes began with a really good pace and the characters were really deep in their motivations, however episode 10 was horrible and it alone ruined the whole series. You don't go from an action packed episode to a slow drug infused 20 minute dialogue about how life is complex. The main problem for these characters (until episode 9) is that they can't hold on to anything. Nothing is forever. Love is conditional. All that existential dread. However, what are you going to show next? There is no future for this series unless it's going to focus on the problems that all the previous episodes brought. Where do you go after you've discovered that nothing is worthwhile? My bet is that the series will start to dig into identity politics (which already existed a lot in this series) and end up being trash. Another point is that this series should not focus only on western vs eastern lifestyles. They're in the US to have better lives and that is what they received when compared to other countries. I hope that future seasons show other people instead of Amy and Danny. They don't have a chemistry (like the series implies). The only thing they have in common is that they're Asian.
Blame! (2017)
Beautiful but empty
I don't understand how this story can be considered science fiction or cyberpunk. It doesn't have scientific elements, only machines that do fantastical stuff without any explanation. There are no cyber elements to it besides the use of words for some the fantastical stuff.
Aesthetically, I would say that it's more apocalyptic than cyberpunk. It's an endless landscape of shapes (not buildings) that occupy the horizon while the place still gives you claustrophobia.
In terms of plot, the story lacks many things and it doesn't really have any meaning. It's bleak and pointless. The beginning is the end and the end is the beginning.
Exception (2022)
Interesting Japanese Science Fantasy
Exception is more Science Fantasy than Science Fiction. It doesn't dwell into details about technology or what each scientist does, it's based on aesthetics and philosophy. This can be seen in the way that each scientist dresses according to their own style instead of the trademark white lab coat, and how they are constantly asking about human nature and what is morally correct. More fantastical elements can be seen in the shape of the spaceship and the way technology works. These elements aren't negative plot-wise, however there are parts that required further development. The basic premise of the story is that humanity is fleeing Earth because something is wrong there. Exception doesn't elaborate on what is going on and leaves two possibilities: A) aliens ruined Earth somehow or B) humans ruined Earth and adopted alien technology. After fleeing Earth, humanity is frozen in cryogenic sleep in order to travel into deep space while another ship is used to terraform a planet for them. Upon a giant fish shaped ship, a 3D alien printer copies people to start the process while humanity doesn't arrive. The story doesn't explain how humans mastered these alien machines but somehow they are capable of duplicating it. Many problems appear after one copying process doesn't work and a person is made like a "monster" (more like a dragon). Most of the team wants to kill it except one of the scientists. This is one the best parts of the plot because it's essentially Pro-Life instead of the Pro-choice stance that Netflix loves to utilize. The story continues but it doesn't dwell so much into ethical questions like: Do printed people have souls? Are printed organisms human? Is all life sacred? And many others. The antagonists are essentially propelled through emotions: They don't want to let humanity to live on the planet because it means that the existing life forms will die and it's the first time they met aliens. That doesn't make sense since that means humanity will die and humans are life forms. The ending is very provocative because, despite being beautiful, it leaves the viewer with an empty feeling. Are they really humans? Was this worth it? Why did they leave Earth?