kotomo-00895 Reviews

Anastasia (1997)

Piece of Art

[10/10 · 26 October 2023]

Unlike Richard Rich, Don Bluth has always maintained an artistic line aimed at both children and adults. He's a great animator with a fine eye for detail.

Unfortunately, the price he paid for slamming the door on Disney was never to have had a flamboyant career.

Which is a shame, given the maturity of his work and the quality of his animation.

I've always regretted that real artists who don't hesitate to put things together and tell a real story are always relegated to the outcast section.

There's never any childishness or silliness in his work, but poetry, innovation and constant artistic research.

Given the quality of today's animation, especially feature films, it's clear that this generation of artists will not be renewed.

Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku (2023– )

Good MAPPA Serie

[9/10 · 2 October 2023]

An exciting 13-episode first season.

First of all, it's a MAPPA series, so there's a certain quality to it. Physical and psychological violence, and an attraction to the paranormal.

Philosophical dialogues, magnificent fights, an interesting soundtrack and magnificent credits.

The graphics are very pleasing, with a high level of visual research.

The story is set in Japan's Edo period.

The anime enhances the manga with a darker, more mature version. The animation is generally fluid and dynamic.

The characters are developed as the story unfolds. Every point is important.

Looking forward to season 2 in 2024.

Still, a series for informed audiences.

La princesse du Nil (1999– )

Great Stories from France.

[9/10 · 25 September 2023]

An excellent 26-episode French animated TV series by Bernard Deyriès, produced in 1998 and broadcast in 1999 on FRANCE 2.

The series takes place during the reign of Ramses II, regent from 1279 BC to 1213 BC.

Princess Néteb, younger sister of Queen Nefertari, wife of Pharaoh Ramses II, and her friend Mérempah, a cadet at the Kep, investigate ancient Egypt.

Smooth animation, pleasant graphics and an interesting soundtrack. The scenarios are very well worked out, and the atmosphere is much more detailed than in the PAPYRUS series.

The target audience is not infantilized, and will appeal to teenagers and adults alike.

But coming from Bernard Deyriès, that's a guarantee of quality.

Once again, the episodes show great maturity, and to my knowledge, only one DVD box set is still available.

Carnaby Street (2000– )

Interesting cartoon

[7/10 · 25 September 2023]

A series co-produced by Italy and Japan (Rever, NHK Enterprises, Canal+) broadcast only on Canal + (France) in 2000. Not available on DVD or bluray.

Studio Rever is known for series such as Caliméro, Montana, Sherlock Holmes and Reporter Blues.

An interesting series in the 90s, aimed at teenagers and pre-adults.

An unpretentious, unambitious cartoon that's still fun to watch.

The main themes are espionage, patriotism, fashion and music.

The graphics are very similar to those of series such as Reporter Blues, but the animation remains rather jerky, unfortunately.

I hope for a bluray release one day...

Superman: The Animated Series (1996–2000)

The Best

[9/10 · 22 September 2023]

Undoubtedly the best Superman animated series.

Remarkable graphics, soundtrack and animation.

A quality never before achieved by DC, which prefers to be childish and destroy its own characters.

Each storyline is very well worked out, just like the Batman TAS episodes. Mature, powerful and sexy characters reminiscent of pulp comics.

A very good exercise in style.

Some episodes are still bad, but on the whole, the quality remains constant.

I hope one day to see a series of this level again, but I don't think there's a very good cartoonist at DC anymore.

Very good Bruce Timm for a cult series and clearly the best successor to the Richard Fleischer and Ruby-Spears versions.

The Mysterious Cities of Gold (2012– )

Horrible

[2/10 · 22 September 2023]

All the faults of current French animation : Destruction of the original work for political quotas, Wokism, Misuse of 3D, Horrible graphics, Poor animation, Incoherent script, Inability to make a mature series without Japanese presence, Feminism, No respect for the original material, Infantilization of the audience, Media hype masking incredible artistic poverty, Silliness, The proportions of the characters and the great condor are disproportionate, and the soundtrack is insignificant.

In short, I don't recommend watching this series, and urge people to go back to the magnificent 1982 series. The one by Jean Chalopin, Scott O'Dell and Soji Yoshikawa.

Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, the Movie (2023)

Dumbest

[1/10 · 22 September 2023]

Distressingly naive.

Yet an interesting use of 3D and rather fluid animation. An unpretentious soundtrack.

But the whole thing remains childish, immature, cartoonish, incoherent and naive.

I know it's for kids, but that's all the more reason to offer a quality program, knowing that adults are paying for it.

The script fits in a handkerchief.

The message is clear: there's no point, especially if you're looking at the ceiling next to your child.

There's been a lot of media hype about this series, and now it's been turned into a movie that should suit even the dumbest of us.

Not worth a good Studio Gihbli.

Seinto Seiya: The Lost Canvas - Meio Shinwa (2009–2011)

Best successor of Saint Seiya

[9/10 · 22 September 2023]

The best successor to the Saint Seiya myth. This is an OVA series.

Incredible graphics and animation. A beautiful soundtrack. The series remains dynamic with no downtime and a plot that unfolds with each episode.

I can't help but draw a parallel with the Netflix series Knights of the Zodiac, one of the worst series on this theme ever made.

The story fits perfectly with the rest of the mythology.

Ambitious animation that would have deserved a sequel.

This series only covers 1/3 of the original manga, which was unfortunately halted by studio TMS Entertainment for lack of revenue.

What a shame! Proof that money doesn't always go hand in hand with art!

My Adventures with Superman (2023– )

Immature

[2/10 · 22 September 2023]

A horrible series, nowhere near the quality of Bruce Timm.

It's for 10-year-olds, with a flagrant lack of maturity in the script and graphics.

It's an imitation of Marathon Studios' graphic style, with immature characters.

But where a Totally Spies would succeed, here it's a complete flop.

After all, Lois Lane and Superman are iconic characters. Not clowns.

There's absolutely no respect for the original material, and the whole thing remains very infantile.

Very cartoonish at times, demonstrating a lack of graphic skill.

Good for people who like wokism or feminism, but not for adults or purists. Avoid.

Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari (2023)

A tremendous waste !

[2/10 · 22 September 2023]

An interesting-looking series with a lively soundtrack.

But once the excitement of the first episodes has worn off, it becomes a very bland series.

The graphics are pleasant at times, but on the whole, mediocre, with catastrophic animation.

The proportions are very poorly respected and drawn.

A clear lack of budget and ambition.

Under the guise of a mature series, it turns out to be more for 10-year-olds, with a redundant storyline and rarely anything interesting happening.

The 2 seasons are dragged out to monotonous, insipid lengths.

Avoid it if you're looking for an original, adult series.

A pity, because the concept is rather interesting.

Cyrano 2022 (2001– )

French interesting animation

[9/10 · 11 September 2023]

Despite the fact that it's not a cult animation, it's above all a science fiction anime released during a period when French animation was capable of targeting something other than kids, but above all a French animation.

Synopsis : In 2040, in a futuristic, polluted world, technological progress has reduced crime and conflict, among other things.

But at the price of absolute totalitarianism.

Cyrano fights against the fascism of Trichelieu, the prime minister who wants to dominate the United World, and take the place of the current president, Professor Sarto. The latter is led by Valvert and aided by the Minister of Police, Guiche.

Trichelieu wields politics with implacable cunning. But he has a weak point: Roxane, his mysterious secretary.

Cyrano is helped in his fight by several comrades-in-arms who join him in defending the underworld: Chris, Bret, Roxanne and Francky the monkey.

Of course, you have to be able to see it in its uncensored version, and to date, unfortunately, there has been no video release for this anime.

We owe this work to Jean Chalopin, to whom we owe: Inspecteur Gadget, Les jumeaux du bout du monde, Cupido, Sophie et Virginie, MASK, Jayce et les conquérants de la lumière, Pole Position and Ulysse 31. Lots of Franco-Japanese production and the golden age of French animation for teenagers, families and adults.

It's not the best of animation, but an interesting story, which wanted to play on a more adult course, but censorship being what it is, didn't go through with the creative process.

If a blu-ray version comes out, I'll definitely buy it, hoping for a remake of this series better reworked just for video. We can always dream...

The Usual Suspects (1995)

Very Brillant

[10/10 · 11 September 2023]

One of my favorite movies.

It's a brilliant film that, like a fairy tale, tells a gripping story from beginning to end, leaving us imagining everything.

Today, this film may make some people smile, but as long as the element of surprise is maintained, it remains a great movie.

Great actors, an intelligent and well-crafted story.

A well-orchestrated final twist.

A film of well-controlled suspense. A simple gangster story that takes on fantastic overtones at times. A film noir.

The lines are incredible. The elements of the film fit together like a puzzle, with every detail counting.

Great Bryan Singer.

Evil Dead Rise (2023)

A Real Disaster

[2/10 · 11 September 2023]

A real disaster that doesn't even come close to the 1981 masterpiece.

A failed attempt to relaunch a franchise.

It's just a feminist work that, as usual, like a Terminator or Star Wars, just serves to shoot down a franchise.

This film doesn't really deserve any analysis. Cartoonish acting, inconsistencies and big blunders... It's just 1h35 of women fighting each other over whether or not to swallow kids. The men are killed off right from the start... Lol!

But the film's atmosphere remains interesting. But it's not enough to make a film intelligent.

A sort of Mary POPPINS version of gore, but one that ends up leaving a wry smile on your face.

The Evil Dead (1981)

Masterpiece

[10/10 · 11 September 2023]

After a series of short films with his pals, Sam Raimi created Within the Woods (an improved version of Clockwork) in 1978, which served as a draft for his first film.

Book of the Dead, later renamed Evil Dead, was released in 1981.

Strongly inspired by authors such as H. P. Lovecraft, the myth of the Necronomicon finds a magnificent echo here. I'm also thinking of Robert Bloch's novel, which may also have served as inspiration.

Excellent acting, a screenplay with unlimited possibilities and a gory, gloomy atmosphere.

The first of a trilogy, and unquestionably the best, this film is pure enjoyment in every sense of the word.

A veritable rollercoaster at a time when making films still meant something.

Make no mistake, this is a buddy film that's fun from start to finish, free of conformism, censorship, feminism, politics and other disgusting self-righteousness.

For the discerning cinephile.

Captive (II) (2023)

Satanism

[2/10 · 11 September 2023]

An interesting but morally dubious film.

The atmosphere remains mysterious and the acting is of TV-series quality. The cinematography is rather interesting, and the images are well crafted.

The script fits in a handkerchief.

The less demanding can only be delighted.

But given the subject matter and possible parallels with current events, ending the film on the victory of evil, or rather of those who possess blood, is immoral and gives credence to those who kill for blood (cf. Adenochrome).

All this under the guise of a beautiful wrapping (love) to pass the pill.

Satanism has a bright future ahead of it.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (2021– )

A mature masterpiece

[8/10 · 14 August 2023]

Probably one of the best "isekai" for me where all the ingredients are there for all audiences of this type of series.

An incredible storyline, well-balanced fan-service, pleasant graphics, a beautiful soundtrack, fluidity in the animation, magnificent fight scenes... It's clearly not for kids and that's good !

We focus on the story we are told and not on knowing what to think. I hope that the anime will go to the end of things by not following other productions where wokism, cancel-culture, feminism, right-thinking, censorship and self-censorship, puritanism and other morals of society that tend to forget that we are talking about an "Isekai" !

X&Y (2023– )

Interesting but Messy

[7/10 · 6 August 2023]

This is a Chinese animation.

The concept is very interesting with a very creepy atmosphere. A lot of suspense and overall, a nice surprise for 2023.

Despite a pleasant graphics and a gripping story, the animation remains overall very jerky. The narrative is disjointed. As it is a Chinese series, there is a lot of self-censorship, even a lack of maturity in the exploitation.

We feel the lack of means and ambition for fear of shocking. A bit like the current Japanese animation, a feeling of unfinished.

If a season 2 comes, I hope the directors will go deeper. Otherwise, you might as well make a series for a 10-year-old audience.