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ArielSol
Reviews
Kingudamu (2019)
I really loved this manhwa and was so disappointed with the anime
I was relieved to see a live action retelling of the sweeping manhwa. I was so good, even in a bootleg translation, that I really wanted to see this tale done justice to. Unfortunately, the half drawn, half cgi anime was just impossible to watch - I just couldnt enjoy it - but the movie, while not taking in the whole gallery of characters the writer creates, does a great job with those it does present. Excellent job! I'm so happy this great story got another chance in live action!
If you like korean manhwa or anime, I urge you to try this story. The books currently have something like 700 chapters - maybe more since I can only read the translated editions - and follow an orphan boy named Shin. He's not your typical hero - he is, in fact, a bit of an idiot, though he runs into some amazing characters from Chinese history. It's set in the warring states period of ancient China where a young man who will one day become the nation's first emperor has been ousted from his position by his own brother. One of this king's 'doubles' was a boy who grew up as a farm slave with Shin and the two became proficient at swordplay by constantly battling each other. When Shin's friend, Hyou, was recognized as a doppelganger of the king, he was recruited for that duty until he returned to the village, mortally wounded, to beg his friend to serve his king and defend him from assassins. Shin does, because it is his friend's dying wish, but he's not one to automatically bow down to any king. One of the most charming things about the hothead Shin is that he has much wiser people around him and the's not quite stupid enough to ignore them - the king, well done by the man who also plays Hyou, and a the mercenary named Ten, who they won't figure out is a girl until way into the manhwa's double digit chapters. Worth a watch, and I am going to do it again.
The Legend of Vox Machina (2022)
I was a casual watcher of Critical Role, so far, so good.
My son started me watching CR. I wouldn't normally have watched a bunch of guys playing D&D, but I recognized so many of the voice actors that I had to watch. I don't think I watched closely enough to know the story as well as my son does, so the story is fresh for me and I still get to enjoy Laura, Travis and Liam doing what they love. Lots of fun!
D.Gray-man (2006)
Third and fourth seasons are leagues better than the first two...
No spoilers - Only the first two seasons of this anime have been dubbed in English by Funimation, an excellent organization that does quality work bringing anime to American audiences, but sadly, those two seasons of the four that were produced by Dentsu and TV Tokyo, are nowhere near as well done as the last two.
The first two seasons, which this review addresses, loosely follow the manga, but include extras and filler that don't have the clarity or maturity of the source material. These extras may come from other peripheral publications that this reviewer hasn't seen, but they bog down and trivialize the story almost to the point of making it boring. I've now seen all the anime and read the available manga (which continues the story long past what has been animated) and the shortcomings of the first two seasons of the anime are GLARING.
D. Gray-Man, seasons 1 & 2, are worth watching if only for the wonderful dubbing work that Funimation does, but their only real purpose is to set up the situations, characters and storyline for the third and fourth seasons. It's a shame that Funimation has not bought the rights to these subsequent seasons, partly because of a lack of enthusiasm for the first two (which is, IMHO, warranted) but also because Dentsu is asking (so I am told) a great deal for the rights to the later seasons, because if the first seasons of DGM had followed the manga as closely as the third and fourth seasons have, I believe it would have been a smash hit.
I find the first seasons watchable, but only once. While I'll go back time and again to watch episodes from the third and fourth seasons, the only episodes from the first two that I can watch again are the ones that most closely follow a chapter in the manga. The fillers bore me silly.
This series is worth a watch, but if you want to do the world a favor, add your voice to the people asking Funimation to buy the rights to and dub the later seasons. I call the first two seasons of this series a 7, but the last two are 12's!
Stardust (2007)
The most original fantasy I've seen in years...
I wasn't expecting to like this movie as much as I did, but from the start, it enchanted me. It followed no 'formula' but made it's own way through the classic quest, with stops along the way in the realms of historical romance, fairy tale, fantasy, comedy, action adventure and the always popular coming of age. Neil Gaiman is a favorite of mine anyway and his touch; lyrical, with a hint of darkness, but a core of good, is somewhat reminiscent of 'The Princess Bride'. But unlike that film's simplistic story, 'Stardust' is much richer and more detailed, conveying its tale with wit, charm and the perfect measure of comedic quips from its surprisingly star-filled cast.
I won't give anything away, but to say I was delighted is an understatement. Do see this one.
Earthsea (2004)
This sucked...
Horrible... The producers of this farce ought to be ashamed of themselves for this piece of garbage. Why on earth did they even bother to buy the rights to the title and characters? This tale had NOTHING whatsoever to do with the lyrical tale Ms. LeGuin wrote. Bad acting, bad plot, trite situations... Maybe they should read the work they tried to malign - they might learn how to tell a story. In an age when we have still flawed but markedly superior book to film adaptions available such as the Harry Potter films and LOTRs, this disrespectful treatment of Ms. LeGuin's lovely work is an outrage. . .
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Probably going to be the worst of the three...
It really astounds me that people could consider this film, with it's blatant editing blunders, jumbled plot and unjustifiable changes to the storyline, better than FOTR. It is a good film, but better? Not by a LONG shot.