Sahil_Khann

Netflix's Devil May Cry should've been an easy win. Take Dante, one of the most badass and effortlessly cool characters in fiction and throw him into an action anime with fun writing, then let the mayhem speak for itself. The first two episodes are mostly just this, outside of some lame marvel jokes but man this show quickly forgets what makes DMC work which is pure badass action where demons are monsters, not misunderstood victims, and where Dante sure as hell doesn't need backup to handle the job and is the most charismatic character possible every second he's on screen.

I'll give credit where it's due, they (mostly) nailed Dante. He has been my favorite character ever since I was a kid and to me, his personality here is intact outside of the few aforementioned cringey marvel jokes. The animation, while nothing mind-blowing is very good most of the time and the action sequences in the show are always good, though they would've been much better if they used some of the moves from the games, they are still plenty badass and entertaining. The voice cast is fine too. JYB as Dante grew on me quickly but I hope they recast Dan back as Vergil because he is simply irreplaceable. I like the rest of the cast, not much else to say here.

I should mention that there's also a lot of fanservice here, for Capcom fans in general, not just DMC fans and it's all implemented very well, and as a lifelong fan I can't help but like it.

So, Dante is fine, and the animation is appealing enough... and then there's Lady. She should be a highlight, she gets numerous awesome action scenes, just as many as Dante if I were to guess. But the second she opens her mouth it destroys everything. It's like the writers forgot how to make a woman sound tough without drowning her in gratuitous, edgy swearing. It doesn't make her cool. It makes her sound like an immature teenager's idea of a badass and it drags down every scene she's in.

Another glaring flaw is how they nerfed everybody, Dante is somehow even significantly weaker here than his teenage DMC3 self and the demons are no different. They should be a threat but they are so weak and rarely pose any real danger.

But the show's biggest misstep is how it tries to make the viewer sympathize with the demons. Giving them tragic backstories and pushing the dreadful "humans are the real monsters" narrative cliche completely misses what makes Devil May Cry work. These are supposed to be forces of evil that Dante mows down with flair, not misunderstood victims. Suddenly we're getting sob stories about how Sparda did the weaker demons injustice and how not all demons are bad, how they don't all serve Mundus or seek chaos, blah blah blah. We already knew from the games that some demons aren't evil but what's going on here is an embarrassingly failed attempt at depth and symbolism that ends up being very unfaithful to the original canon. This, no jokes, feels like tumblr or reddit tier writing.

Also, why the hell is this set in the USA instead of DMC's signature gothic-industrial locales? Why not a new city similar to Fortuna or Red grave? But no, we get Adi Shankar's trademark "let's force in half-baked political parallels" approach again, just like with Castlevania. This dude needs to get over his hate for christianity, it seeps into everything he touches. Suddenly, demons are less "apocalyptic forces of hell" and are more oppressed victims of Sparda and the selfish human, there's a plot "twist" that the awful sixth episode leads into that further pushes the braindead "humans are the real monsters" cliche. This strips away all the franchise's stylized identity and the result is a world that feels as bland as the forced "depth" in the writing.

Furthermore, they attempt to explain the demon world and its connection to the human one with quantum physics and they also add some lore involving DNA that I won't spoil but what I will say is, all of it is awful and falls completely flat.

Overall, it's fine. The action and Dante's personality were the standout highlights that saved the show for me. However, the awful changes to the lore and characters really detract from what makes DMC work so well. 7/10.

I have eagerly anticipated this film's release ever since the day it was announced way back then and now it is at last here.

The Boy & The Heron is a visual spectacle, akin to most Ghibli films a single frame from this can be used as a solid wallpaper. They went overboard with some of the stuff here; even "minor" stuff like the flame animations and the cloth physics are sure to fill up oddly satisfying boards online when this drops on digital. If I were to make comparisons to previous Ghibli films and their artistic direction, I'd say this feels like an amalgamation of The Wind Rises and Howl's Moving Castle.

Joe Hisaishi's score is, as usual, magical, and it perfectly complements the movie. Kenshi Yonezu's Spinning Globe is also a beautiful vocal track that hits hard when it graces your ears as the credits roll.

The narrative is filled with a lot of symbolism, and while it presents a story that I do believe is better than its contemporaries, imo it could've been so much better.

I do think the story feels better after another viewing as there is symbolism to practically every single scene and every little mundane thing, but the characters themselves feel weirdly one-dimensional.

There are plenty of amazing scenes in the film that hit hard. It's just that I harbor a strong love and admiration for Miyazaki's old way of writing and I believe a narrative about a boy overwhelmed by his grief who's stuck between the cruel real world and an ideal fantastical one could gain a lot from that.

Ultimately, I can't complain much about this, as the film is lowkey a semi-autobiography and once you do learn a bit about Miyazaki's past a lot of the symbolism and character writing from the film clicks into place. I'd say the writing is a bit intentionally "messy" just like life. Some things don't get proper resolution and there just isn't enough time and in most cases, no second chances. I wish they kept the original Japanese title of the film, "How Do You Live?," As that would set a far more accurate depiction of what the film's all about. Also, Miyazaki made this film for his grandson, so this is pretty much his gift to the next generation. The film took home every major award and once again I can't help but lament that if Hollywood treated animation as a proper part of cinema Studio Ghibli would have like a dozen Oscars at this point. Now that Hayao Miyazaki is back full-time, I am once again patiently looking forward to his next project.

The Wailing is a brilliant thriller horror film. It carefully constructs a straightforward demonic possession plot, executing it with remarkable finesse. When the film picks up its pace, its every scene starts to brim with palpable tension, giving not a single breathing minute to the viewers. The audience is kept on their toes, reassessing every assumption they have made thus far, and this keeps up until the very last minute. The performances from the cast are good. Lastly, the direction is also pleasantly executed and goes very well with the movie's setting.

The Wailing was a very memorable experience that I won't forget anytime soon. This is an instant classic, that has earned its place among the best thrillers ever. I watched it a while back and still regularly think about its genius horror execution. This is horror cinema; Do yourself a favor and watch it.