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Summer 2021′s Movies - My Top Ten Favourite Films (Part 2)

The Top Ten:

10.  WEREWOLVES WITHIN – definitely one of the year’s biggest cinematic surprises so far, this darkly comic supernatural murder mystery from indie horror director Josh Ruben (Scare Me) is based on a video game, but you’d never know it – this bears so little resemblance to the original Ubisoft title that it’s a wonder anyone even bothered to make the connection, but even so, this is now notable for officially being the highest rated video game adaptation in Rotten Tomatoes history, with a Certified Fresh rating of 86%. Certainly it deserves that distinction, but there’s so much more to the film – this is an absolute blood-splattered joy, the title telling you everything you need to know about the story but belying the film’s pure, quirky genius.  Veep’s Sam Richardson is forest ranger Finn Wheeler, a gentle and socially awkward soul who arrives at his new post in the remote small town of Beaverton to discover the few, uniformly weird residents are divided over the oil pipeline proposition of forceful and abrasive businessman Sam Parker (The Hunt’s Wayne Duvall).  As he tries to fit in and find his feet, investigating the disappearance of a local dog while bonding with local mail carrier Cecily Moore (Other Space and This Is Us’ Milana Vayntrub), the discovery of a horribly mutilated human body leads to a standoff between the townsfolk and an enforced lockdown in the town’s ramshackle hotel as they try to work out who amongst them is the “werewolf” they suspect is responsible.  This is frequently hilarious, the offbeat script from appropriately named Mishna Wolff (I’m Down) dropping some absolutely zingers and crafting some enjoyably weird encounters and unexpected twists, while the uniformly excellent cast do much of the heavy-lifting to bring their rich, thoroughly oddball characters to vivid life – Richardson is thoroughly cuddly throughout, while Duvall is pleasingly loathsome, Casual’s Michaela Watkins is pleasingly grating as Trisha, flaky housewife to unrepentant local horn-dog Pete Anderton (Orange is the New Black’s Michael Chernus), and Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story) and Harry Guillen (best known, OF COURSE, as Guillermo in the TV version of What We Do In the Shadows) make an enjoyably spiky double-act as liberal gay couple Devon and Joaquim Wolfson; in the end, though, the film is roundly stolen by Vayntrub, who invests Cecily with a bubbly sweetness and snarky sass that makes it absolutely impossible to not fall completely in love with her (gods know I did).  This is a deeply funny film, packed with proper belly-laughs from start to finish, but like all the best horror comedies it takes its horror elements seriously, delivering some enjoyably effective scares and juicy gore, while the werewolf itself, when finally revealed, is realised through some top-notch prosthetics.  Altogether this was a most welcome under-the-radar surprise for the summer, and SO MUCH MORE than just an unusually great video game adaptation …

9.  THE TOMORROW WAR – although cinemas finally reopened in the UK in early summer, the bite of the COVID lockdown backlog was still very much in effect this blockbuster season, with several studios preferring to hedge their bets and wait for later release dates. Others turned to streaming services, including Paramount, who happily lined up a few heavyweight titles to open on major platforms in lieu of the big screen.  One of the biggest was this intended sci-fi action horror tentpole, meant to give Chris Pratt another potential franchise on top of Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World, which instead dropped in early July on Amazon Prime.  So, was it worth staying in on a Saturday night instead of heading out for something on the BIG screen?  Mostly yes, although it’s mainly a trashy, guilty pleasure big budget B-picture charm that makes this such a worthwhile experience – the film’s biggest influences are clearly Independence Day and Starship Troopers, two admirably clunky blockbusters that DEFINED prioritising big spectacle and overblown theatrics over intelligent writing and realistic storytelling.  It doesn’t help that the premise is pure bunk – in 2022, a wormhole opens from thirty years in the future, and a plea for help is sent back with a bunch of very young future soldiers.  Seems Earth will become overrun by an unstoppable swarm of nasty alien critters called Whitespikes in 25 years, and the desperate human counteroffensive have no choice but to bring soldiers from our present into the future to help them fight back and save the humanity from imminent extinction.  Less than a year later, the world’s standing armies have been decimated and a worldwide draft has been implemented, with normal everyday adults being sent through for a seven day tour from which very few return.  Pratt plays biology teacher and former Green Beret Dan Forrester, one of the latest batch of draftees to be sent into the future along with a selection of chefs, soccer moms and other average joes – his own training and experience serves him better than most when the shit hits the fan, but it soon becomes clear that he’s just as out of his depth as everyone else as the sheer enormity of the threat is revealed.  But when he becomes entangled with a desperate research outfit led by Muri (Chuck’s Yvonne Strahovski) who seem to be on the verge of a potential world-changing scientific breakthrough, Dan realises there just might be a slender hope for humanity after all … this is every bit as over-the-top gung-ho bonkers as it sounds, and just as much fun.  Director Chris McKay may still be pretty fresh (with only The Lego Batman Movie under his belt to date), but he shows a lot of talent and potential for big budget blockbuster filmmaking here, delivering with guts and bravado on some major action sequences (a fraught ticking-clock SAR operation through a war-torn Miami is the film’s undeniable highlight, but a desperate battle to escape a blazing oil rig also really impresses), as well as handling some impressively complex visual effects work and wrangling some quality performances from his cast (altogether it bodes well for his future, which includes Nightwing and Johnny Quest as future projects).  Chris Pratt can do this kind of stuff in his sleep – Dan is his classic fallible and self-deprecating but ultimately solid and kind-hearted action hero fare, effortlessly likeable and easy to root for – and his supporting cast are equally solid, Strahovsky going toe-to-toe with him in the action sequences while also creating a rewardingly complex smart-woman/badass combo in Muri, while the other real standouts include Sam Richardson (Veep, Werewolves Within) and Edwin Hodge (The Purge movies) as fellow draftees Charlie and Dorian, the former a scared-out-of-his-mind tech geek while the latter is a seriously hardcore veteran serving his THIRD TOUR, and the ever brilliant J.K. Simmonds as Dan’s emotionally scarred estranged Vietnam-vet father, Jim.  Sure, it’s derivative as hell and thoroughly predictable (with more than one big twist you can see coming a mile away), but the pace is brisk, the atmosphere pregnant with a palpable doomed urgency, and the creatures themselves are a genuinely convincing world-ending threat, the design team and visual effects wizards creating genuine nightmare fuel in the feral and unrelenting Whitespikes.  Altogether this WAS an ideal way to spend a comfy Saturday night in, but I think it could have been JUST AS GOOD for a Saturday night OUT at the Pictures …

8.  ARMY OF THE DEAD – another high profile release that went straight to streaming was this genuine monster hit for Netflix from one of this century’s undeniable heavyweight action cinema masters, the indomitable Zack Snyder, who kicked off his career with an audience-dividing (but, as far as I’m concerned, ultimately MASSIVELY successful) remake of George Romero’s immortal Dawn of the Dead, and has finally returned to zombie horror after close to two decades away.  The end result is, undeniably, the biggest cinematic guilty pleasure of the entire summer, a bona fide outbreak horror EPIC in spite of its tightly focused story – Dave Bautista plays mercenary Scott Ward, leader a badass squad of soldiers of fortune who were among the few to escape a deadly outbreak of a zombie virus in the city of Las Vegas, enlisted to break into the vault of one of the Strip’s casinos by owner Bly Tanaka (a fantastically game turn from Hiroyuki Sanada) and rescue $200 million still locked away inside.  So what’s the catch?  Vegas remains ground zero for the outbreak, walled off from the outside world but still heavily infested within, and in less than three days the US military intends to sterilise the site with a tactical nuke.  Simple premise, down and dirty, trashy flick, right?  Wrong – Snyder has never believed in doing things small, having brought us unapologetically BIG cinema with the likes of 300, Watchmen, Man of Steel and, most notably, his version of Justice League, so this is another MASSIVE undertaking, every scene shot for maximum thrills or emotional impact, each set-piece executed with his characteristic militaristic precision and explosive predilection (a harrowing fight for survival against a freshly-awakened zombie horde in tightly packed casino corridors is the film’s undeniable highlight), and the gauzy, dreamlike cinematography gives even simple scenes an intriguing and evocative edge that really does make you feel like you’re watching something BIG.  The characters all feel larger-than-life too – Bautista can seem somewhat cartoonish at times, and this role definitely plays that as a strength, making Scott a rock-hard alpha male in the classic Hollywood mould, but he’s such a great actor that of course he’s able to invest the character with real rewarding complexity beneath the surface; Ana de la Reguera (Eastbound & Down) and Nora Arnezeder (Zoo, Mozart in the Jungle), meanwhile, both bring a healthy dose of oestrogen-fuelled badassery to proceedings as, respectively, Scott’s regular second-in-command, Maria Cruz, and Lilly the Coyote, Power’s Omari Hardwick and Matthias Schweighofer (You Are Wanted) make for a fun odd-couple double act as circular-saw-wielding merc Vanderohe and Dieter, the nervous, nerdy German safecracker brought in to crack the vault, and Fear the Walking Dead’s Garrett Dillahunt channels spectacular scumbag energy as Tanaka’s sleazy former casino boss Martin, while latecomer Tig Notaro (Star Trek Discovery) effortlessly rises above her last-minute-casting controversy to deliver brilliantly as sassy and acerbic chopper pilot Peters.  I think it goes without saying that Snyder can do this in his sleep, but he definitely wasn’t napping here – he pulled out all the stops on this one, delivering a thrilling, darkly comic and endearingly CRACKERS zombie flick that not only compares favourably to his own Dawn but is, undeniably, his best film for AGES.  Netflix certainly seem to be pleased with the results – a spinoff prequel, Army of Thieves, starring Dieter in another heist thriller, is set to drop in October, with an animated series following in the Spring, and there’s already rumours of a sequel in development.  I’m certainly up for more …

7.  BLACK WIDOW – no major blockbuster property was hit harder by COVID than the MCU, which saw its ENTIRE SLATE for 2020 delayed for over a year in the face of Marvel Studios bowing to the inevitability of the Pandemic and unwilling to sacrifice those all-important box-office receipts by just sending their films straight to streaming.  The most frustrating part for hardcore fans of the series was the delay of a standalone film that was already criminally overdue – the solo headlining vehicle of founding Avenger and bona fide female superhero ICON Natasha Romanoff, aka the Black Widow.  Equally frustratingly, then, this film seems set to be overshadowed by real life controversy as star and producer Scarlett Johansson goes head-to-head with Disney in civil court over their breach-of-contract after they hedged their bets by releasing the film simultaneously in cinemas and on their own streaming platform, which has led to poor box office as many of the film’s potential audience chose to watch it at home instead of risk movie theatres with the virus still very much remaining a threat (and Disney have clearly reacted AGAIN, now backtracking on their release policy by instigating a new 45-day cinematic exclusivity window on all their big releases for the immediate future). But what of the film itself?  Well Black Widow is an interesting piece of work, director Cate Shortland (Berlin Syndrome) and screenwriter Eric Pearson (Thor: Ragnarok) delivering a decidedly stripped-back, lean and intellectual beast that bears greater resemblance to the more cerebral work of the Russo Brothers on their Captain America films than the more classically bombastic likes of Iron Man, Thor or the Avengers flicks, concentrating on story and characters over action and spectacle as we wind back the clock to before the events of Infinity War and Endgame, when Romanoff was on the run after Civil War, hunted by the government-appointed forces of US Secretary of State “Thunderbolt” Ross (William Hurt) after violating the Sokovia Accords.  Then a mysterious delivery throws her back into the fray as she finds herself targeted by a mysterious assassin, forcing her to team up with her estranged “sister” Yelena Belova (Midsommar’s Florence Pugh), another Black Widow who’s just gone rogue from the same Red Room Natasha escaped years ago, armed with a McGuffin capable of foiling a dastardly plot for world domination.  The reluctant duo need help in this endeavour though, enlisting the aid of their former “parents”, veteran Widow and scientist Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) and Alexie Shostakov (Stranger Things’ David Harbour), aka the Red Guardian, a Russian super-soldier intended to be their counterpart to Captain America, who’s been languishing in a Siberian gulag for the last twenty years. After the Earth-shaking, universe-changing events of recent MCU events, this film certainly feels like a much more self-contained, modest affair, playing for much smaller stakes, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less worthy of our attention – this is as precision-crafted as anything we’ve seen from Marvel so far, but it also feels like a refreshing change of pace after all those enormous cosmic shenanigans, while the script is as tight as a drum, propelling a taut, suspense-filled thriller that certainly doesn’t scrimp on the action front.  Sure, the set-pieces are very much in service of the story here, but they’re still the pre-requisite MCU rollercoaster rides, a selection of breathless chases and bone-crunching fights that really do play to the strengths of one of our favourite Avengers, but this is definitely one of those films where the real fireworks come when the film focuses on the characters – Johansson is so comfortable with her character she’s basically BECOME Natasha Romanoff, kickass and ruthless and complex and sassy and still just desperate for a family (though she hides it well throughout the film), while Weisz delivers one of her best performances in years as a peerless professional who keeps her emotions tightly reigned in but slowly comes to realise that she was never more happy than when she was pretending to be a simple mother, and Ray Winstone does a genuinely fantastic job of taking a character who could have been one of the MCU’s most disappointingly bland villains, General Dreykov, master of the Red Room, and investing him with enough oily charisma and intense presence to craft something truly memorable (frustratingly, the same cannot be said for the film’s supposed main physical threat, Taskmaster, who performs well in their frustratingly brief appearances but ultimately gets Darth Maul levels of short service).  The true scene-stealers in the film, however, are Alexie and Yelena – Harbour’s clearly having the time of his life hamming it up as a self-important, puffed-up peacock of a superhero who never got his shot and is clearly (rightly) decidedly bitter about it, preferring to relive the life he SHOULD have had instead of remembering the good in the one he got; Pugh, meanwhile, is THE BEST THING IN THE WHOLE MOVIE, easily matching Johanssen scene-for-scene in the action stakes but frequently out-performing her when it comes to acting, investing Yelena with a sweet naivety and innocence and a certain amount of quirky geekiness that makes for one of the year’s most endearing female protagonists (certainly one who, if the character goes the way I think she will, is thoroughly capable of carrying the torch for the foreseeable future).  In the end this is definitely one of the LEAST typical, by-the-numbers MCU films to date, and by delivering something a little different I think they’ve given us just the kind of leftfield swerve the series needs right now.  It’s certainly one of their most fascinating and rewarding films so far, and since it seems to be Johansson’s final tour of duty as the Black Widow, it’s also a most fitting farewell indeed.

6.  WRATH OF MAN – Guy Ritchie’s latest (regarded by many as a triumphant return to form, which I consider unfair since I don’t think he ever went away, especially after 2020’s spectacular The Gentlemen) is BY FAR his darkest film – let’s get this clear from the start.  Anyone who knows his work knows that Ritchie consistently maintains a near flawless balance and humour and seriousness in his films that gives them a welcome quirkiness that is one of his most distinctive trademarks, so for him to suddenly deliver a film which takes itself SO SERIOUSLY is one hell of a departure.  This is a film which almost REVELS in its darkness – Ritchie’s always loved bathing in man’s baser instincts, but Wrath of Man almost makes a kind of twisted VIRTUE out of wallowing in the genuine evils that men are capable of inflicting on each other.  The film certainly kicks off as it means to go on – In a tour-de-force single-shot opening, we watch a daring armoured car robbery on the streets of Los Angeles that goes horrifically wrong, an event which will have devastating consequences in the future.  Five months later, Fortico Security hires taciturn Brit Patrick Hill (Jason Statham) to work as a guard in one of their trucks, and on his first run he single-handedly foils another attempted robbery with genuinely uncanny combat skills. The company is thrilled, amazed by the sheer ability of their new hire, but Hill’s new colleagues are more concerned, wondering exactly what they’ve let themselves in for.  After a second foiled robbery, it becomes clear that Hill’s reputation has grown, but fellow guard Haiden (Holt McCallany), aka “Bullet”, begins to suspect there might be something darker going on … Ritchie is firing on all cylinders here, delivering a PERFECT slow-burn suspense thriller which plays its cards close to its chest and cranks up its piano wire tension with artful skill as it builds to a devastating, knuckle-whitening explosive heist that acts as a cathartic release for everything that’s built up over the past hour and a half.  In typical Ritchie style the narrative is non-linear, the story unfolding in four distinct parts told from clearly differentiated points of view, allowing the clues to be revealed at a trickle that effortlessly draws the viewer in as they fall deeper down the rabbit hole, leading to a harrowing but strangely poignant denouement which is perfectly in tune with everything that’s come before. It’s an immense pleasure finally getting to see Statham working with Ritchie again, and I don’t think he’s ever been better than he is here – he's always been a brilliantly understated actor, but there’s SO MUCH going on under Hill’s supposedly impenetrable calm that every little peek beneath the armour is a REVELATION; McCallany, meanwhile, has landed his best role since his short but VERY sweet supporting turn in Fight Club, seemingly likeable and fallible as the kind of easy-going co-worker anyone in the service industry would be THRILLED to have, but giving Bullet far more going on under the surface, while there are uniformly excellent performances from a top-shelf ensemble supporting cast which includes Josh Hartnett, Jeffrey Donovan (Burn Notice, Sicario), Andy Garcia, Laz Alonso (The Boys), Eddie Marsan, Niamh Algar (Raised By Wolves) and Darrell D’Silva (Informer, Domina), and a particularly edgy and intense turn from Scott Eastwood.  This is one of THE BEST thrillers of the year, by far, a masterpiece of mood, pace and plot that ensnares the viewer from its gripping opening and hooks them right up to the close, a triumph of the genre and EASILY Guy Ritchie’s best film since Snatch.  Regardless of whether or not it’s a RETURN to form, we can only hope he continues to deliver fare THIS GOOD in the future …

5.  FEAR STREET (PARTS 1-3) – Netflix have gotten increasingly ambitious with their original filmmaking over the years, and some of this years’ offerings have reached new heights of epic intention.  Their most exciting release of the summer was this adaptation of popular children’s horror author R.L. Stine’s popular book series, a truly gargantuan undertaking as the filmmakers set out to create an entire TRILOGY of films which were then released over three consecutive weekends.  Interestingly, these films are most definitely NOT for kids – this is proper, no-holds-barred supernatural slasher horror, delivering highly calibrated shocks and precision jump scares, a pervading atmosphere of insidious dread and a series of inventively gruesome kills.  The story revolves around two neighbouring small towns which have had vastly different fortunes over more than three centuries of existence – while the residents of Sunnyvale are unusually successful, living idyllic lives in peace and prosperity, luck has always been against the people of Shadyside, who languish in impoverishment, crime and misfortune, while the town has become known as the Murder Capital of the USA due to frequent spree killings.  Some attribute this to the supposed curse of a local urban legend, Sarah Fier, who became known as the Fier Witch after her execution for witchcraft in 1668, but others dismiss this as simple superstition.  Part 1 is set in 1994, as the latest outbreak of serial mayhem begins in Shadyside, dragging a small group of local teens – Deena Johnson (She Never Died’s Kiana Madeira) and Samantha Fraser (Olivia Scott Welch), a young lesbian couple going through a difficult breakup, Deena’s little brother Josh (The Haunted Hathaways’ Benjamin Flores Jr.), a nerdy history geek who spends most of his time playing video games or frequenting violent crime-buff online chatrooms, and their delinquent friends Simon (Eight Grade’s Fred Hechinger) and Kate (Julia Rehwald) – into the age-old ghostly conspiracy as they find themselves besieged by indestructible undead serial killers from the town’s past, reasoning that the only way they can escape with their lives is to solve the mystery and bring the Fier Witch some much needed closure.  Part 2, meanwhile, flashes back to a previous outbreak in 1977, in which local sisters Ziggy (Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink) and Cindy Berman (Emily Rudd), together with future Sunnyvale sheriff Nick Goode (Ted Sutherland) were among the kids hunted by said killers during a summer camp “colour war”.  As for Part 3, that goes all the way back to 1668 to tell the story of what REALLY happened to Sarah Fier, before wrapping up events in 1994, culminating in a terrifying, adrenaline-fuelled showdown in the Shadyside Mall.  Throughout, the youthful cast are EXCEPTIONAL, Madeira, Welch, Flores Jr., Sink and Rudd particularly impressing, while there are equally strong turns from Ashley Zuckerman (The Code, Designated Survivor) and Community’s Gillian Jacobs as the grown-up versions of two key ’77 kids, and a fun cameo from Maya Hawke in Part 1.  This is most definitely retro horror in the Stranger Things mould, perfectly executed period detail bringing fun nostalgic flavour to all three of the timelines while the peerless direction from Leigh Janiak (Honeymoon) and wire-tight, sharp-witted screenplays from Janiak, Kyle Killen (Lone Star, The Beaver), Phil Graziadel, Zak Olkewicz and Kate Trefry strike a perfect balance between knowing dark humour and knife-edged terror, as well as weaving an intriguingly complex narrative web that pulls the viewer in but never loses them to overcomplication.  The design, meanwhile, is evocative, the cinematography (from Stanger Things’ Caleb Heymann) is daring and magnificently moody, and the killers and other supernatural elements of the film are handled with skill through largely physical effects.  This is definitely not a standard, by-the-numbers slasher property, paying strong homage to the sub-genre’s rules but frequently subverting them with expert skill, and it’s as much fun as it is frightening.  Give us some more like this please, Netflix!

4.  THE SPARKS BROTHERS – those who’ve been following my reviews for a while will known that while I do sometimes shout about documentary films, they tend to show up in my runners-up lists – it’s a great rarity for one to land in one of my top tens.  This lovingly crafted deep-dive homage to cult band Sparks, from self-confessed rabid fanboy Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim), is something VERY SPECIAL INDEED, then … there’s a vague possibility some of you may have heard the name before, and many of you will know at least one or two of their biggest hits without knowing it was them (their greatest hit of all time, This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us, immediately springs to mind), but unless you’re REALLY serious about music it’s quite likely you have no idea who they are, namely two brothers from California, Russell and Ronald Mael, who formed a very sophisticated pop-rock band in the late 60s and then never really went away, having moments of fame but mostly working away in the background and influencing some of the greatest bands and musical artists that followed them, even if many never even knew where that influence originally came from. Wright’s film is an engrossing joy from start to finish (despite clocking in at two hours and twenty minutes), following their eclectic career from obscure inception as Halfnelson, through their first real big break with third album Kimono My Place, subsequent success and then fall from popularity in the mid-70s, through several subsequent revitalisations, all the way up to the present day with their long-awaited cinematic breakthrough, revolutionary musical feature Annette – throughout Wright keeps the tone light and the pace breezy, allowing a strong and endearing sense of irreverence to rule the day as fans, friends and the brothers themselves offer up fun anecdotes and wax lyrical about what is frequently a larger-than-life tragicomic soap opera, utilising fun, crappy animation and idiosyncratic stock footage inserts alongside talking-head interviews that were made with a decidedly tongue-in-cheek style – Mike Myers good-naturedly rants about how we can see his “damned mole” while 80s New Romantic icons Nick Rhodes and John Taylor, while shot together, are each individually labelled as “Duran”.  Ron and Russ themselves, meanwhile, are clearly having huge fun, gently ribbing each other and dropping some fun deadpan zingers throughout proceedings, easily playing to the band’s strong, idiosyncratic sense of hyper-intelligent humour, while the aforementioned celebrity talking-heads are just three amongst a whole wealth of famous faces that may surprise you – there’s even an appearance by Neil Gaiman, guys!  Altogether this is 2+ hours of bright and breezy fun chock full of great music and fascinating information, and even hardcore Sparks fans are likely to learn more than a little over the course of the film, while for those who have never heard of Sparks before it’s a FANTASTIC introduction to one of the greatest ever bands that you’ve never heard of.  With luck there might even be more than a few new fans before the year is out …

3.  GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE – Netflix’ BEST offering of the summer was this surprise hit from Israeli writer-director Navot Papushado (Rabies, Big Bad Wolves), a heavily stylised black comedy action thriller that passes the Bechdel Test with FLYING COLOURS.  Playing like a female-centric John Wick, it follows ice-cold, on-top-of-her-game assassin Sam (Karen Gillan) as her latest assignment has some unfortunate side effects, leading her to take on a reparation job to retrieve some missing cash for the local branch of the Irish Mob.  The only catch is that a group of thugs have kidnapped the original thief’s little girl, 12 year-old Emily (My Spy’s Chloe Coleman), and Sam, in an uncharacteristic moment of sympathy, decides to intervene, only for the money to be accidentally destroyed in the process.  Now she’s got the Mob and her own employers coming after her, and she not only has to save her own skin but also Emily’s, leading her to seek help from the one person she thought she might never see again – her mother, Scarlet (Lena Headey), a master assassin in her own right who’s been hiding from the Mob herself for years.  The plot may be simple but at times also a little over-the-top, but the film is never anything less than a pure, unadulterated pleasure, populated with fascinating, living and breathing characters of real complexity and nuance, while the script (co-written by relative newcomer Ehud Lavski) is tightly-reined and bursting with zingers.  Most importantly, though, Papushado really delivers on the action front – these are some of the best set-pieces I’ve seen this year, Gillan, her co-stars and the various stunt-performers acquitting themselves admirably in a series of spectacular fights, gun battles and a particularly imaginative car chase that would be the envy of many larger, more expensive productions.  Gillan and Coleman have a sweet, awkward chemistry, the MCU star particularly impressing in a subtly nuanced performance that also plays beautifully against Headey’s own tightly controlled turn, while there is awesome support from Angela Bassett, Michelle Yeoh and Carla Gugino as Sam’s adoptive aunts Anna May, Florence and Madeleine, a trio of “librarians” who run a fine side-line in illicit weaponry and are capable of unleashing some spectacular violence of their own; the film’s antagonists, on the other hand, are exclusively masculine – the mighty Ralph Inneson is quietly ruthless as Irish boss Jim McAlester, while The Terror’s Adam Nagaitis is considerably more mercurial as his mad dog nephew Virgil, and Paul Giamatti is the stately calm at the centre of the storm as Sam’s employer Nathan, the closest thing she has to a father.  There’s so much to enjoy in this movie, not just the wonderful characters and amazing action but also the singularly engrossing and idiosyncratic style, deeply affecting themes of the bonds of found family and the healing power of forgiveness, and a rewarding through-line of strong women triumphing against the brutalities of toxic masculinity.  I love this film, and I invite you to try it out, cuz I’m sure you will too.

2.  THE SUICIDE SQUAD – the most fun I’ve had at the cinema so far this year is the long-awaited (thanks a bunch, COVID) redress of another frustrating imbalance from the decidedly hit and miss DCEU superhero franchise, in which Guardians of the Galaxy writer-director James Gunn has finally delivered a PROPER Suicide Squad movie after David Ayer’s painfully compromised first stab at the property back in 2016.  That movie was enjoyable enough and had some great moments, but ultimately it was a clunky mess, and while some of the characters were done (quite) well, others were painfully botched, even ruined entirely.  Thankfully Warner Bros. clearly learned their lesson, giving Gunn free reign to do whatever he wanted, and the end result is about as close to perfect as the DCEU has come to date.  Once again the peerless Viola Davis plays US government official Amanda Waller, head of ARGUS and the undisputable most evil bitch in all the DC Universe, who presides over the metahuman prisoners of the notorious supermax Belle Reve Prison, cherry-picking inmates for her pet project Taskforce X, the titular Suicide Squad sent out to handle the kind of jobs nobody else wants, in exchange for years off their sentences but controlled by explosive implants injected into the base of their skulls.  Their latest mission sees another motley crew of D-bags dispatched to the fictional South African island nation of Corto Maltese to infiltrate Jotunheim, a former Nazi facility in which a dangerous extra-terrestrial entity that’s being developed into a fearful bioweapon, with orders to destroy the project in order to keep it out of the hands of a hostile anti-American regime which has taken control of the island through a violent coup.  Where the first Squad felt like a clumsily-arranged selection of stereotypes with a few genuinely promising characters unsuccessfully moulded into a decidedly forced found family, this new batch are convincingly organic – they may be dysfunctional and they’re all almost universally definitely BAD GUYS, but they WORK, the relationship dynamics that form between them feeling genuinely earned.  Gunn has already proven himself a master of putting a bunch of A-holes together and forging them into band of “heroes”, and he’s certainly pulled the job off again here, dredging the bottom of the DC Rogues Gallery for its most ridiculous Z-listers and somehow managing to make them compelling.  Sure, returning Squad-member Harley Quinn (the incomparable Margot Robbie, magnificent as ever) has already become a fully-realised character thanks to Birds of Prey, so there wasn’t much heavy-lifting to be done here, but Gunn genuinely seems to GET the character, so our favourite pixie-esque Agent of Chaos is an unbridled and thoroughly unpredictable joy here, while fellow veteran Colonel Rick Flagg (a particularly muscular and thoroughly game Joel Kinnaman) has this time received a much needed makeover, Gunn promoting him from being the first film’s sketchily-drawn “Captain Exposition” and turning him into a fully-ledged, well-thought-out human being with all the requisite baggage, including a newfound sense of humour; the newcomers, meanwhile, are a thoroughly fascinating bunch – reluctant “leader” Bloodsport/Robert DuBois (a typically robust and playful Idris Elba), unapologetic douchebag Peacemaker/Christopher Smith (probably the best performance I’ve EVER seen John Cena deliver), and socially awkward and seriously hard-done-by nerd (and by far the most idiotic DC villain of all time) the Polka-Dot Man/Abner Krill (a genuinely heart-breaking hangdog performance from Ant-Man’s David Dastmalchian); meanwhile there’s a fine trio of villainous turns from the film’s resident Big Bads, with Juan Diego Botta (Good Behaviour) and Joaquin Cosio (Quantum of Solace, Narcos: Mexico) making strong impressions as newly-installed dictator Silvio Luna and his corrupt right hand-man General Suarez, although both are EASILY eclipsed by the typically brilliant Peter Capaldi as louche and quietly deranged supervillain The Thinker/Gaius Greives (although the film’s ULTIMATE threat turns out to be something a whole lot bigger and more exotic). The film is ROUNDLY STOLEN, however, by a truly adorable double act (or TRIPLE act, if you want to get technical) – Daniella Melchior makes her breakthrough here in fine style as sweet, principled and kind-hearted narcoleptic second-generation supervillain Ratcatcher II/Cleo Cazo, who has the weird ability to control rats (and who has a pet rat named Sebastian who frequently steals scenes all on his own), while a particular fan-favourite B-lister makes his big screen debut here in the form of King Shark/Nanaue, a barely sentient anthropomorphic Great White “shark god” with an insatiable appetite for flesh and a naturally quizzical nature who was brilliantly mo-capped by Steve Agee (The Sarah Silverman Project, who also plays Waller’s hyperactive assistant John Economos) but then artfully completed with an ingenious vocal turn from Sylvester Stallone. James Gunn has crafted an absolute MASTERPIECE here, EASILY the best film he’s made to date, a riotous cavalcade of exquisitely observed and perfectly delivered dark humour and expertly wrangled narrative chaos that has great fun playing with the narrative flow, injects countless spot-on in-jokes and irreverent but utterly essential throwaway sight-gags, and totally endears us to this glorious gang of utter morons right from the start (in which Gunn delivers what has to be one of the most skilful deep-fakes in cinematic history).  Sure, there’s also plenty of action, and it’s executed with the kind of consummate skill we’ve now come to expect from Gunn (the absolute highlight is a wonderfully bonkers sequence in which Harley expertly rescues herself from captivity), but like everything else it’s predominantly played for laughs, and there’s no getting away from the fact that this film is an absolute RIOT.  By far the funniest thing I’ve seen so far this year, and if I’m honest this is the best of the DCEU offerings to date, too (for me, only the exceptional Birds of Prey can compare) – if Warner Bros. have any sense they’ll give Gunn more to do VERY SOON …

1.  A QUIET PLACE, PART II – while UK cinemas finally reopened in early May, I was determined that my first trip back to the Big Screen for 2021 was gonna be something SPECIAL, and indeed I already knew what that was going to be. Thankfully I was not disappointed by my choice – 2018’s A Quiet Place was MY VERY FAVOURITE horror movie of the 2010s, an undeniable masterclass in suspense and sustained screen terror wrapped around a refreshingly original killer concept, and I was among the many fans hoping we’d see more in the future, especially after the film’s teasingly open ending.  Against the odds (or perhaps not), writer-director/co-star John Krasinski has pulled off the seemingly impossible task of not only following up that high-wire act, but genuinely EQUALLING it in levels of quality – picking up RIGHT where the first film left off (at least after an AMAZING scene-setting opening in which we’re treated to the events of Day 1 of the downfall of humanity), rejoining the remnants of the Abbott family as they’re forced by circumstances to up-sticks from their idyllic farmhouse home and strike out into the outside world once more, painfully aware at all times that they must maintain perfect silence to avoid the ravenous attentions of the lethal blind alien beasties that now sit at the top of the food chain.  Circumstances quickly become dire, however, and embattled mother Evelyn (Emily Blunt) is forced to ally herself with estranged family friend Emmett (Cillian Murphy), now a haunted, desperate vagrant eking out a perilous existence in an abandoned factory, in order to safeguard the future of her children Regan (Millicent Simmonds), Marcus (Noah Jupe) and their newborn baby brother.  Regan, however, discovers evidence of more survivors, and with her newfound weapon against the aliens she recklessly decides to set off on her own in the hopes of aiding them before it’s too late … it may only be his second major blockbuster as a director, but Krasinski has once again proven he’s a true heavyweight talent, effortlessly carving out fresh ground in this already magnificently well-realised dystopian universe while also playing magnificently to the established strengths of what came before, delivering another peerless thrill-ride of unbearable tension and knuckle-whitening terror.  The central principle of utilising sound at a very strict premium is once again strictly adhered to here, available sources of dialogue once again exploited with consummate skill while sound design and score (another moody triumph from Marco Beltrami) again become THE MOST IMPORTANT aspects of the whole production. The ruined world is once again realised beautifully throughout, most notably in the nightmarish environment of a wrecked commuter train, and Krasinski cranks up the tension before unleashing it in merciless explosions in a selection of harrowing encounters which guaranteed to leave viewers in a puddle of sweat.  The director mostly stays behind the camera this time round, but he does (obviously) put in an appearance in the opening flashback as the late Lee Abbott, making a potent impression which leaves a haunting absence that’s keenly felt throughout the remainder of the film, while Blunt continues to display mother lion ferocity as she fights to keep her children safe and Jupe plays crippling fear magnificently but is now starting to show a hidden spine of steel as Marcus finally starts to find his courage; the film once again belongs, however, to Simmonds, the young deaf actress once and for all proving she’s a genuine star in the making as she invests Regan with fierce wilfulness and stubborn determination that remains unshakeable even in the face of unspeakable horrors, and the relationship she develops with Emmett, reluctant as it may be, provides a strong new emotional focus for the story, Murphy bringing an attractive wounded humanity to his role as a man who’s lost anything and is being forced to learn to care for something again.  This is another triumph of the genre AND the artform in general, a masterpiece of atmosphere, performance and storytelling which builds magnificently on the skilful foundations laid by the first film, as well as setting things up perfectly for a third instalment which is all but certain to follow.  I definitely can’t wait.

Notes on Supergirl 3x14

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

I've been annoyed with the show for a while now. Season three came out of the gate with four solid eps, and then draaaagged for another seven; before finally putting things back in order: slamming a season's worth of Lena's 'development' into reverse so she can actually have her own worldview and agenda once again; giving the Legion a hidden agenda so they actually have some narrative juice; giving Alex and Kara a genuine ideological conflict for the first time since... I can't remember, and actually having a plan for the World-killers because of it; and, important to me especially, the re-emergence of Winn as a recognised problem-solver.

Which brings us to 3x14, a MASSIVE episode for Winn, and, in terms of scale, a massive episode in general: the two major action sequences are of a kind you'd expect from a season finale; they've landed a *recent* Academy Award Nominee for a guest star; there's a frank discussion of later-life mental illness, and an insight into J'onn's specific attitude toward his adopted race; and a hilarious sequence of our heroes just... hanging out.

In short, in just a few episodes (which, by sheer coincidence, would all have finished being scripted *after* AK was suspended and fired for being a mediocre sex-pest)... they fixed the show.

THEY FIXED THE DAMN SHOW.

Notes below the cut (it’s a long post this week):

- "People being addressed as soldiers going into battle before actually just trying something fun and silly" is one of my favourite tropes, and that look Winn and Kara exchange is one of the best indicators of their long-standing friendship we've seen in a long time (Winn is, of course, Kara's best friend. You many have heard her give statements to the contrary. THESE ARE LIES).

- The choice to have the characters, all played by actors who can sing, do 'karaoke voice' instead of their actual voices is a good one. Having Kara do Beastie Boys side-steps the whole 'we've heard her sing' problem; J'onn and Mr. J are both wonderfully appalling; and Alex letting the lyrics of her ballad run on as she stops to drink is, as the kids say, a Mood (I'll come back to Mon-El and Winn at the end).

- THERE ARE *STILL* NO ALIENS AT THE ALIEN BAR. WHAT HAPPENED TO KEVIN? OR BRIAN?

- James's constant need for validation crashing against Lena's particular brand of emotional - and literal - unavailability is a good choice; we've not really seen James's interest in Lena manifest outside of her needs until now, and it's the first time he's had a relatable problem since 1x06. And pairing him up with Mon-El for this scene - who's having his own issues right now - is nice.

- Speaking of which, Imra's telepathy: is this the show telling us she definitely *doesn't* have mind-control powers, or that Mon-El - currently not the most reliable expert on the Legion - doesn't *know* she has mind-control powers?

- "FELLOW DRUNKS!"

- I'll admit, James was my least favourite option for who could be Winn's emotional support in this episode, given his long history of being really quite bad at it; but in this first scene, he's actually pretty good, providing Winn with the avenues he needs to avoid the old-school masculinity coping methods he's trying to use instead.

- Winn making ABSOLUTELY SURE that his Winslow's dead, even before they tried to put him in the ground, is on point.

- Mary. MARY. The writers knew they had Tony-award-winning Steppenwolf alum Laurie Metcalf on board, and it SHOWS. She's nervous and tentative, but she's also forthright; she takes over the space when she feels she ought to (a lot of her funnier asides could have been put in Cat Grant's mouth with no problem), and physically, tangibly awkward when she doesn't; and Metcalf runs through the gear changes as only a pro of her stature can. In her first scene, she's anxious, yes, and she's having difficulty separating Winn from the little boy she left behind; but it's also clear that THIS IS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF HER LIFE, even if it isn't her son's. Mary is a catalyst for Winn's pain, but has a whole existence outside of it. That's good writing, that is.

- Speaking of Winn's pain... DEAR. LORD. That story goes toe-to-toe with any crappy parent story you've ever heard (and blows all of Lena's solipsistic crap out of the water); and Jeremy Jordan, having done so much with so little every week, completely sells that this is a story he's been waiting two decades to tell, and how being left alone with no-one to be *except* his father's son absolutely broke him.

- The Flying Monkeys sequence is the best action scene this show's ever done. Better than Reign. Better than Crossfire. And again, Mary and Winn: every time they're not focused on the time they've spent apart, it's almost like they were never apart at all.

- Winn calling out James for suggesting he forgive Mary is absolutely on point; and James admitting that he was a selfish, sulky little brat after his Dad died as an argument of how it could have been just as bad if she'd stayed is interesting (James is making it up to her now, though, by... never going home for a single holiday. Ever. Still, baby steps). His argument will also end up applying, subtextually, to his relationship with Lena; stop being ungrateful for the time she's not there for you, and just be happy for the time that she is. It's what she needs you to do. She's got her own stuff going on.

- "He doesn't always get the credit, but he keeps us going around here." Kara's gentle tribute to her friend (her BEST friend) and the adaptive, outside-the-box thinking that's been keeping everyone alive for years is wonderful; not just for what she says, but for how comfortable a rapport she has with Mary, while never forgetting that being told how great her son is by *Supergirl* is as good, if not better, than hearing it from the President herself (and if Mary needs that... it could be arranged).

- On a downer note, anytime a show starts talking about a side character as the "heart of the team" or somesuch... it's usually not a good sign for that character.

- I'm not ready to go into Mr. J's illness yet. I have a personal relationship to stories like this, and I can't write about it in this format. But Carl Lumbly is still ABSOLUTELY the best.

- And I'm not the person to get into J'onn's opinion on his own blackness; except to say, in a week when David Harewood met with British MPs to discuss the 'accidental' deportations of the Windrush migrants, this is a BIG DEAL.

- Since I'm doing asides into side plots: Mon-El and Kara. His apology - agenda-free this time - is honest and heart-felt, and his full disclosure about *why* he's apologising now raises interesting questions: at what point is this honesty defined as over-sharing? Where is the line drawn between being 'open about your feelings' and 'demanding emotional labour from others'? Kara has a firm boundary - they are *not* going to talk about his marriage - and he respects that. But should he have told her about it in the first place, even if it does lead in to the new information about the World-killers? I've said before: Supergirl is the only show with a significant male audience that, whether you believe it should or not, actually tackles questions of what healthy masculinity *should* be (albeit with varying degrees of success), and it's good that they're keeping it up.

- Mary's story is not only an important reminder that the men who commit mass-murder often begin by terrorising the women in their own homes; but also, in the context of Childish Things, addresses Winn's misunderstanding of his own fears. Winn has always believed that his father was a good person, until one day, when he just wasn't; and Winn believed that any time he didn't keep a lid on his own anger, any time that he might use that part of himself to stand up and say 'no' against those that would hurt him, the same would happen to him. But Winslow Sr. wasn't a good person. It took a long time for his anger to consume him, a long time for his battles against perceived slights to affect anyone except Mary. Winn has little to worry about.

- And her decision to take the gun and take on Toywoman(?) alone is immediate, consistent, and believable. She's been without her son for twenty years to protect his life. He will NOT be taken from her now.

- Delightful stunt-casting for Toywoman, by the way (If you haven't watched The Silence Of The Lambs recently... go do that).

- The second action sequence: not as good as the flying monkeys, but still has some banging moments, as the 'heroes' drop out to handle various contraptions to leave Winn to rescue Mary.

- Speaking of contraptions: "Cloth Magic." Comics Mon-El fans, that's got to feel good.

- How many times did Mary have to sit through New Hope when Winn was a kid? I'm guessing 'more than ten'.

- Winn being offended at the idea that he's going to be killed with something as pedestrian as a *firearm* is the absolute business, and annoying because it's a beat I'd already gotten it noted down for my own fic series.

- "You haven't just survived, you have EXCELLED."

- Mon-El *butchering* a song now synonymous with a TV show that *LIVES* in the kind of masculinity he's been used to deconstruct (again, with varying degrees of success) is a solid piece of work. As is his apology.

- Okay, this episode isn't exactly what we all wanted for Winn. No-one has hugged him. No-one has told him they love him. Kara has not re-iterated that he is, in fact, her best friend (because he is). He's not designing the Valor suit. We didn't get to hear him sing. And his twenty-year-long trauma of being alone in the world is resolved a lot more speedily that it really ought to be. But that doesn't matter. Those are indulgences, and that's pretty much what fan-fiction and the Miscast performance videos are for.

    What this episode *does* do is reiterate the show's mission statement once again: We, as a people, are at our best when we depend on each other. Forgiving when we can. Understanding when we can't. And more than anything else, simply being there for each other. Whether it's supporting each other through a personal crisis, or through the decline of a loved one; teaching each other new skills, or helping to mend a beloved outfit; or even, sometimes, just having the courage or shamelessness to perform karaoke with your mum; the same truth remains:

    WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER.

- Which is why it's perfect that the show end on Lena. Alone. Keeping the truth from the people she's closest to. She hasn't told James. She won't tell Kara. She's just there, trapped inside the box in which she's imprisoned her oldest friend, with no-one else there to help or to guide her. For all her claims that Kara Danvers is her hero... ultimately, the only person she will ever truly depend on is herself.

   And it's all going to go horribly, horribly wrong.

-LyraWatch: I'm bringing it to a close. It's now been eighteen episodes, and nary a mention of if they're still together or where she's gone. It's so very unlikely that she'll be brought up again.

-LenaWatch: 14 episodes (record high: 16). Most likely at this point, Winn and Lena will have a scene at some point after it's been revealed she's been working on Sam (and has probably made things worse); and Winn will, for the third time, have to help bail her out of the war-zone-like situation she'll have created through her own hubris.

Could you do a DVD commentary on chapter 3 of Desert Sand? Maybe right after Goodnight rescues Billy, or their fight, or the part where Billy tells him about his nightmare of never seeing him again.

Thank you for the ask! Someone already requested their fight, so I’ll go with the scene right after Goody rescues Billy!

(***copy-paste disclaimer that this is NOT under a readmore because my blog’s black background makes reading long things a chore, so SCROLL FAST IF YOU’RE NOT INTERESTED!***)

                                                      *

They walked back into the room of their saloon and Goodnight lit a couple of the lamps, casting the room in a soft glow. It was hard to believe it was the same place they’d stood only hours ago when they’d both been screaming at each other.

ambience ambience ambience. I know what’s coming in this scene, the audience knows what’s coming, and I like to think of Goody lighting the lamps as though he’s ‘setting the stage’ for the scene. Gotta get that ~romantic mood lighting~ in somehow

This time Goody kept reaching out as though to check Billy was still there, and every time he did, Billy would lean into him unconsciously. He was holding Goodnight’s coat around him, the one Goody had gently placed over his shoulders in the cave.

awww boys. Safe to say their fight is long forgotten

“Go sit down,” Goodnight said gruffly, and Billy shucked off the coat, taking a seat on the edge of the bed as he watched Goodnight walk around the room, filling a wash basin and grabbing the first clean rag he could find. He brought them over to the bed where he pulled up a chair, sitting across from Billy.

I feel like I kept having to pay an inordinate amount of attention to the chairs in this room lol. The chair Billy’s knife cleaning equipment was on, the chair Billy was in earlier, which is the same chair Goodnight brings over to the bed now, don’t forget the other chair needs to be near the bed as well for later, just. ajdksh. chairs man.

He dipped one of the rags into the water and held it up to Billy’s chest, suddenly uncertain. But when he flicked his eyes up to Billy’s face he was decided, and pressed the cloth to one of the cuts on Billy’s chest.

Billy didn’t even flinch. Just kept his eyes trained on Goodnight as he slowly dipped the cloth in the water again and found a new cut to gently press the cloth to.

“Goody I’m fine,” Billy said. He suddenly gave a tired laugh. “They hadn’t even gotten started. This is just from fighting with them.”

side note, I was STRONGLY against any actual torture of Billy taking place in this sequence of events, and was never even remotely tempted to include it. It felt kind of gross, and I could barely even think about it to be honest. When I’m writing, the characters generally feel like they’re doing their own thing and I’m just a mouthpiece, but when it came to the concept of torture, it would have felt like *I* was torturing Billy, and if I didn’t have to, why would I? I’m not against writing or reading violence, but I feel like sometimes there’s a certain…cavalierness towards inflicting bodily harm in fic. I think it’s situationally-dependant of course, but sometimes I find it very uncomfortable and questionable when drawn out. Not to mention PoC bodies are already treated with enough disrespect in mainstream media, and I wasn’t about to add to it here. This is all making it sound like I debated with myself on whether to include a torture scene, but my point is that I didn’t have to think about it at ALL. I wanted the threat of the gang of brothers to feel very sinister and real, but there’s no doubt in my mind that including actual torture towards Billy in this particular context would have been gratuitous, gross, inappropriate, and completely unnecessary. Very glad I went the way I did. I know this all probably sounds overly-vehement lol, but I felt quite strongly about it at the time.

Goodnight scoffed. “Would you just let me take care of you for a change?”

Billy nodded and Goodnight continued to dip the cloth into the water, finding new abrasions to treat, dabbing them gently, droplets of water rolling slowly down Billy’s chest.

semi-gratuitous…the intent with the physical details was less voyeuristic and more wanting to convey the intimacy of the scene, but still…..LBH has a great chest and that can’t be helped

“You okay?” Billy asked him suddenly.

“Me?” Goodnight asked incredulously. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

Billy shifted, the muscles in his chest jerking as Goodnight dragged the cloth over them. “I’ve never seen you shoot anyone before.”

and I feel like up until now he had figured he never would either. I think he had just kept thinking of Goody as the warm, mostly gentle guy he rode with, who was more comfortable with talking his way out than shooting his way out. I think Billy even had a hard time associating Goody’s kill count - once he learns about it - to the Goody he knows. So yeah, when he saw Goody in action, and saw just how fast and intuitively he handles a rifle and how mercilessly he can take out 4 people in the blink of an eye, he’s not….‘scared’ exactly, but he’s certainly updating his image of Goody, and much more aware of what he’s capable of.

Goodnight was quiet for a long time as he continued to dab at Billy’s cuts.

“You know,” he finally said in a low voice. “I used to have this commanding officer in the war. And he’d always tell us ‘you have to hate what you’re firing at’.”

ayyyo we all know that line. This is my version of where it might have come from. Goody definitely seems like he’s putting on a bit of a show for the townspeople in that shooting lesson scene, and I like to imagine he was using a lot of the things he heard as a young soldier. And also that screaming of YOU HAVE TO HATE WHAT YOU’RE FIRING AT’ seems so out of the blue that it felt like Goody putting on a bit of a General persona. Of course it’s entirely possible Goody did have a lot of rage in the war, and hated what he was firing at, and I think there’s a world of possibility for writing Goodnight’s relationship with anger, which is something I’ve only touched on. But in general I felt like there was a touch of affectation to his shooting-teacher routine, and I also had a hard time picturing a young Goody who hated what he was firing at, so this was meant to be my little ‘aha!’ moment for that line, and suggest that Goody was channeling a former officer of his (also meant to be the same officer mentioned in Goody’s nightmare in chapter 1 of this fic)

Goodnight looked up at Billy. “Never really understood what he meant until now.”

oh he does not feel one bit of remorse for those particular killings.

“I’m sorry,” Billy said again, and Goodnight looked at him surprised.

“What the hell do you have to be sorry for?” Goodnight asked, wringing out the cloth and dipping it into the basin again.

“I was being an idiot,” Billy said. “And they never would have got me if I hadn’t been drinking.”

possibly why Billy isn’t much of a drinker? Not because of preference but because of his own security

“And you wouldn’t have been drinking if I hadn’t been a total jackass,” Goodnight said, running the cloth over Billy’s ribs, gently over the bruises.

I definitely underuse the word ‘jackass’, it’s a good one lol. And the ‘gently’ here is certainly further apology from Goody

“I was a jackass too,” Billy said quietly. And then his normally composed face suddenly crumpled and it shocked Goodnight more than if the man had sprouted wings.

same here tbh. Wasn’t planning on it, and I don’t know if it interrupts the flow of this scene, but also I’m not really sure if this scene could have done without a moment of vulnerability from Billy. He’s certainly been in hairy situations before, but I think this is one of the first times he’s felt he had something more to lose

“I thought I was going to die,” Billy said, shuddering as he tightened his jaw. Goodnight tried to shush him but he continued: “I was scared I’d die and leave you thinking that I didn’t…that I don’t…”

THAT I DON’T LOVE YOU

“Hey hey hey,” Goodnight murmured. “You’re here okay? You’re here.”

Billy took in a rattling breath and nodded. And then he was looking back at Goodnight, equal parts baffled and amazed.

it’s not that he didn’t KNOW Goody was eminently capable of being a badass, but again, he doesn’t always equate the Goody he’s seen more of with the Goody he knows to be an extremely proficient killer. But yeah, Billy is very impressed, but mostly by Goody being a silvertongued devil, and rescuing Billy in a way Billy could not

“I thought I was dreaming when I heard your voice in there,” Billy said in disbelief. “And then you came around the corner. That’s when I stopped being scared.”

“Yeah well good for you, I was petrified,” Goodnight muttered.

“I wasn’t,” Billy repeated. He smiled a little. “You could talk the devil out of his pitchfork.”

I LOVE this line and it took me AGES to think of it lol. I thought forever about a good line that included ‘devil’ (for the sake of Goody’s next line), and Goody’s verbal capabilities, and I was thrilled to come up with this one, and I love how fond it comes across, even without me specifying said fondness in the following line lol

The line of his mouth was fond as he looked at Goody who was getting the last bits of dried blood.

Goodnight just shook his head.

“I’ve seen the devil,” he said seriously. “And that wasn’t him.”

He worked his way back up Billy’s chest, his lip suddenly quirking up beneath his ashy beard.

“The devil’s got the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Those were just four shitheads on donkeys.”

full disclaimer, I find the cadence of ‘four shitheads on donkeys’ hilarious every time lol

Billy burst out laughing and Goodnight chuckled as he finally dropped the cloth into the basin, his work here done. “Not the end of the world,” he said gently.

‘his work here done’ has a slight double meaning in that yes his work of cleaning Billy up is done, but he also got Billy to laugh, and that’s when he feels that he did take care of Billy and that Billy really be okay

Billy suddenly sobered up. “No. But if they’d killed me, it would have been the end of my world.”

Goodnight looked into his eyes. “Mine too.”

there it issssssssssssss

Billy stared back at him. “Goody…” he said in a hushed, almost ragged voice, his eyes flicking down to Goodnight’s mouth.

Goodnight took in all of Billy, his chest that was still beaded with water and glistening slightly in the glow of the lamp…the sparse hairs on his arms that were standing on end, the skin around them studded with gooseflesh…the way his fingers were still digging into the sheets, the way his breath had quickened, his chest rising and falling almost imperceptibly…

I’m always back and forth on how much I like ‘gooseflesh’ in that paragraph…I felt it was time period appropriate but I may just change it to goosebumps sometime lol

Goodnight finally dragged his eyes back up to Billy’s face. His eyes were warmed brown by the light of the lamps around them as he stared at Goodnight longingly.

Goodnight ached for him.

for better or for worse I’m a fan of italics, because sometimes I just feel that where the emphasis goes in a phrase makes all the difference to how it comes across. ‘Goodnight ached for him.’ sounds almost matter of fact, but ‘Goodnight ached for him.’ sounds…aching. To me at least lol. Sometimes I feel like I should just trust the reader to bring their own emotion/emphasis to the text, and I feel like that’s probably how writing is supposed to work, but…..idk, sometimes I hear the story so clearly in my voice, and italics feel like the only way to get it across

“Goody,” Billy said again.

“Yeah?” Goodnight breathed, eyes lost to Billy’s own.

“Tell me what you want,” Billy whispered for the second time that night.

The air between them was so thick and heady it could have been cut with a knife as the moment hung suspended.

And then Goodnight was surging forward and kissing Billy, claiming his lips with his own.

THEY KISSED THEY KISSED THEY KISSED. To be perfectly honest, I wish I could have made the kiss itself PERFECT. I think it’s pretty good but….when one’s invested so much in the buildup, you really just want the kiss itself to be unquestionably RIGHT haha. I think this is CLOSE to being right, but I feel like it’s just shy of being exactly what I wanted. I’m also never sure about the ‘claiming his lips with his own’, but I felt like ending the sentence right after ‘kissing Billy’ sounded too abrupt, and there needed to be a slight followup to the statement. What follows is one of the better love scenes I think I’ve written, but I feel like the kiss itself just a couple degrees off from being what I wanted. The part directly before though, of ‘The air between them was so thick and heady it could have been cut with a knife as the moment hung suspended.’ is EXACTLY what I wanted though, and it’s a slight callback to the shotgunning scene where the air between them is thick with smoke and ‘There wasn’t even enough space between their lips for the edge of one of Billy’s knives.’, and here there’s knife imagery again, but this time they make the final ‘cut’ :)

                                                     *

Thank you for the suggestion! 

The most important girl code!

Hi pretty gals out there! We all know that there are million, billon of girl codes all over the internet but there is one thing that everyone of us knew and that is skin care! We all have different routines, some have day time routine, night routine, and many more, routine means “ a sequence of actions regularly followed; a fixed program” thanks google, this means considering yourself doing a skin care must not be only when you think of it, it must be continuous, to clearly see the effects, some has 21 step skin care, but it only make sense if your changing your pillowcase / bed sheet every 2 weeks, sounds interesting right? Now let me share to you my own perspectives about what we call “skin care” let us have a brief history about skin care in the Ancient Egypt  Though cosmetics have likely existed for even longer, the first evidence of cosmetics stems from Ancient Egypt, approximately 6,000 years ago. Not only were cosmetics ingrained into their everyday routines, they were also extremely important culturally. Aside from beauty purposes, Ancient Egyptians used cosmetics for a variety of reasons, the first being for mummification, burial traditions, and honoring their Gods and Goddesses. While that may be a bit far off from how we typically use cosmetics today, they had similar reasons for using them in their everyday life. Ancient Egyptians also used cosmetics to protect them from the elements — mainly sun rays and insects. As mentioned in the history of skin care, Ancient Egyptians had the same reason for doing skin care to protect them from sunrays and insects. Through this beginning people innovate things to become easier, convenient and skin-friendly. The 1990’s brought incredible discoveries in the skincare world, many of which are used by skincare companies today (including Cirem Cosmetics!). The roles of Vitamins A, C, E and B were discovered to help premature aging. Hyaluronic Acid was also found to  provide unparalleled benefits to skin. Antioxidants and natural ingredients replaced hormonal and steroidal ingredients, and the natural benefits of vitamins and acids began to be recognized. It really pays to be beautiful, but when you’re naturally beautiful, it’s effortless to do skin care methods. I believe all women are all beautiful, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder, with beautiful, glowing and radiant skin, we can all be beautiful, here are my own tips to achieve Korean glow or natural glowing skin.

First step:

You must know your skin type ( normal, dry, oily, and combination ) you can do research, but it’s safe if you’ll consult your dermatologist

Second step:

Some products works for other people but not for all, this means you need to do a trial and error for you to know what products your skin is suited. The products that I use for a daily basis are astringent, facial wash, toner, moisturizer, lip balm - that’s for day but at night I have different products, when you got home and have your make up on, you can use eye make-up remover or cold cream, the reason why to use eye make-up remover is that it is more concentrated, you can use it to your whole face, compared to micellar water, it leaves residues to your face, now when you remove your make up, proceed to washing your face with a facial wash or beauty bar, anything your face deisres, then put toner, if your toner has a tingy sensation, better change it because it might be too strong for your skin. Then put night cream in a circular motion, but not too harsh because it can cause wrinkles, then put eye cream to help brighten your dark circles, you can put eyelash growth if you want to, then finish your routine with a mist, when you spray your mist, it should feel like air then you can feel the hydration. A good mist must feel like air so that it blends with the products you use, if the holes in your atomizer are big, then it might probably wash of the products.

Third step:

I guess you already knew what products best suits your skin type, by using the products that suits your skin type, you will see the effect in just 2 weeks.

Fourth step:

You need to maintain the care that you are giving in your skin that’s why you need to apply the products religiously

Fifth step:

Now that you knew the products that best suits your skin, continue it until you achieve what you want to achieve, note skin care does not apply overnight, it must be done religiously.

Sixth step:

Just continue your routine if you feel like it’s the right product for you, but if you choose to try new products, it’s not bad but it might destroy the routine you’re doing.

 Now that we’re done with skin care,  let’s proceed to cosmetics.

Everything that you apply to your skin that makes you feel beautiful is called cosmetics. With a great canvas, your make up will look beautiful, this means, when you apply make up on a healthy, glowing skin, your make up will seem to look natural and not harsh. If you’re beautiful enough, and put something that catches attention, even if it’s not make up people will tend to say you’re wearing make-up even if it’s not, that’s the power of beauty, but it can only efficient if you have the beauty inside and out, because there’s no amount of make-up that can mask an ugly heart, make up is for the eyes, but attitude is for the heart. Beauty catches the eye but personality attracts the heart. Here’s a brief history about ancient cosmetics Ancient Egyptians, like us, also  used cosmetics for makeup purposes. Makeup  was created using a variety of products including metal ore, copper, water, oil, animal fat, and precious stones. The original smokey eye, now iconic in Ancient Egypt, was created using kohl. Despite its beauty, kohl unfortunately was made from burned almonds, coffee, soot, and lead. As we now know, lead can be deadly, especially when exposed to it over time. Egyptians also used a clay called red ochre to decorate their lips, nails, and cheeks (forming the original lipstick, nail polish, and blush). Henna was also used for makeup and to create designs on the skin, similar to how we use Henna today. As you can see, the materials they use are toxic for our skin, it can cause cancer, it might blind us and it can burn our skin, as early as Ancient Egypt we can already reflect that it pays to be beautiful, no pain no gain. There are make-up trends that is only grounded for some people, meaning not all look or trend fits all, it has a chosen facial features, some may look good on others but look hilarious at you, vice versa. Now let me share to you my make-up procedure (p.s this is my own make up procedure so it is not same as other beauty gurus out there, it’s your own choice)

First step:

I do my brows, it’s up to you how you want it to look, but it must be gradient, light shade going to dark, you start by putting the product at the arc of your brows until the end brows, you can add an arc if you want it to look daring, then after filling it in, go to the begin brow, as much as possible, when filling in the begin brow, do not get a product, just use the excess that you used to fill in the arc and end brow. Then clean it with a concealer to make it neat and on fleek.

Second step:

The skin! Make sure your face is clean and toned, then proceed to primer, primer is the base of the make-up wherein it serves as the boundary of the makeup products from your gentle skin, by applying primer, it helps your face to be protected from the harsh products.

Third step:

Foundation! The best way to check if the foundation match your color is to swatch it on your neck, if it disappears, then it is your shade, some might look white but, it will oxidize later on, apply the foundation with a foundation brush to a certain area then blend it with a beauty blender, then apply this to your whole face (include the neck) by doing this technique, you are sure that you blend your foundation well.

Fourth step:

Concealer, conceal your under eyes, or the redness in your face, when it comes to pimple marks or pimples, better use color corrector. Same technique with foundation, apply the product then blend with a beauty blender

Fifth step:

Baking! Baking does not only apply on making pastries, but it is applicable in face also, baking originated from our queens, they use baking to set your foundation and concealer, so that it’ll last more than it’s supposed to last, baking is introduced by the drag community.

 Sixth step:

Eyes! Prime your eyes with the concealer, it is better than eye primer, then choose a transition shade, a shade that is close to your skin color, then blend it in circular motion, the direction is going inside the eyeshape not going outside the eye. The apply the next color you want but make sure it is complementing with the first shade, don’t be afraid to blend, more blending means more harsh lines are reduced. Then apply eyeliner on it, the put on your falsies! Do not curl before putting falsies, there’s a special eyelash curler intended for falsies.

Seventh step:

Countour! To make your face shape more bold and flex brow bone and jawlines, also to sharpen your nose, the add highlight on top of the contour.

Eight step:

Brush of the baking powder, the add your blush then set it all with your face powder

Ninth step:

Lippie! If your eyeshadow is dark, put a lighter shade of lipstick, so that you’ll give emphasis to your look if you want to emphasize your eyes, then glam up your eyes and put nude lipstick, if you want to emphasize your lips, put a bold color, rock it then put minimal make up on your eyes.

Tenth step:

Flaunt your make up look, to be an inspiration to other make-up enthusiast or gurus.

 References:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/routine

https://cirem.com/blogs/cirem-blogs/the-history-of-skincare

https://int.eucerin.com/about-skin/basic-skin-knowledge/skin-types

Tokyo Ghoul:re Chapter 125 Review

A war is upon them and after series of hardship and misery there is a time to uplift the spirit of two. As one would expect a love paring to be confirmed by the end, Ishida has decided to confirm it once and for all, and what way to do it by going all the way. As comical yet realistically it can be with the two being amateur at it, it ends on an emotional level that we were seeking for and I don't mean it as a paring fan.

Yes, Touka and Kaneki did kiss, so I lost my bet, but gladly to accept the loss. This chapter actually only focus on the process of their love making and that's it. On the surface, it sounds pointless and unnecessary; however, Ishida understands that this is actually a necessary moment. Much like younger target audience series with the process to kiss, this is the presentation of an awkward beginning but once finally accustomed, it's all set and love is presented in a sublime way. 

Last chapter was the startup for their love to become known to each other. What I like is how Kaneki actually kiss back, confirming that not only he loves her, but no longer backing away. Going back to the older chapter, it already indicated that he does love her, but trying to avoid the complications, hence he felt embarrassed to hear Sasaki made it too obvious. It was only matter of who will make that move first and Touka is the one to start.

I love the fact that these two are or were by the end legitimately virgin that watching them engaging the sex routine is like watching a romantic comedy with cliche virgin character. Basically, it's actually pretty hilarious; thus, making this chapter pretty enjoyable. Kaneki's reactions are priceless. He has zero idea on how to feel about this, including the desire to grab Touka's breasts. So upon touching them, he has this bedazzled look like Goddess has appear before him.

It's more humorous as it goes on further, including him looking pretty lost when he realizes her bra is still attached. When Touka was removing them, Kaneki has that look of "Oh my! I'm going to see them for the first time! Praise the sun!" Make that two suns, Kaneki. His mind is mixed with comical comments; though underneath that, there's a genuine deep emotion that I'll cover later.

Touka's reactions are pretty funny as well. She may be tough, but she's a rookie at this, so her reaction felt realistic. She got awkward when Kaneki was making a possible goofy expression. Touka taking out her shirt is funny because how it halts the scene for a moment. I would say that she does lead him on to proceed to do what he can do to her. So I guess you can say she's his tour guide.

Did I just say that...

Perhaps the funniest one to me is when the sexual intercourse procedure finally begins. It's the moment of virginity is no more for both of them. Because of that, the first step is a rocky start in a sense and Touka's reaction got me laughing. Kaneki look like he accidentally stabs her. At least they become comfortable after that first step. 

In a way, you can say the whole procedure of two newbies is, for lack of better word, adorable. It has a charm of two characters that are new to love and trying their best to make it work and they certainly succeeded. It's just not without awkward beginning and humorous reactions from the two. In that regard, that makes me like the pairing more so than ever.

As comical it can be to watch them work it out, it presented in a touching way. No pun intended...Lets go with sincere. What makes it necessary is how it can tell a story of one or two characters and their emotional depth. Kaneki has been troubled for a long time and so now as Touka. With Kaneki, you can read his thoughts and expressions that this is unheard of; something he wouldn't imagine to happen in his life. Because love is new to Kaneki, it ends up being an uplifting spiritual moment that he needed for a long time.

He constantly asks himself if this is real; reinforcing the thought of never expects this to happen in his life. Perhaps the last chapter did show a flag of need of a help based on his expression. It’s hard to say at this moment, but that would probably give a reason for Touka to take action. It could be very well be the reason on why she asked him about his virginity because Kaneki is a body with a little soul remaining, ready to fade out.

The visual and its sequence is well crafted to show how it would look like in a real life if this were to be the very first time for a couple to engage a sexual intercourse. It can be humorous and it can be heartwarming in a sense of embracing happiness. There are plenty of realistic reactions or approach, including on how Kaneki continuously reaches to her for a kiss. There is some subtlety atmosphere when it comes to a page of them in the position ready to make a move. It’s a sublime way of how two have become closer. It’s not about pleasure for those who want to see them in action, rather the emotional ride that pulls them together.

What stole the show are the last couple of pages. Kaneki begins to cry after he begins to have sex with Touka. Without saying the reason why, it’s clear that he has finally received the happiness that was long forgotten. It reminds me when he addressed to Akira that he was lonely, so his words are genuine. Now, he has found love and happiness with Touka.

It also refers back when Sasaki met Touka for the first time, shedding tears almost the exact same way. This is happiness. After they were done, Touka looks happy and Kaneki sleeps soundlessly. That made the chapter so great. It’s as if the fans are rewarded with tenderness of a pairing confirmation and Kaneki finally achieved love and happiness.

If only I know the next arc is the finale.

I only say this because now, I have to worry about the potential death among them. The arc that is closing in is emphasized deeply that it will be an all-out war and it’s almost guaranteed for high death count from the two. The fact it happens now only raises a question: why now? I have seen series that a pairing becomes canon in the midway and ends on a sad note. Whether they split up for a very long time or one dies, it’s a scary experience that I wish Ishida would tell me his long-term plan. I would Area 51 his secret if he wants me to; yeah, I said it,

Now don’t get me wrong. It could be a huge bluff on his end and the story could transpire to Kaneki having a family early on and work around there. I don’t know but this next arc is going to be a life changing event.

The chapter only focuses on their love, but underneath the surface, it’s an emotional ride. From laughing at them trying their best to sincere and gentle expressions of something that was once lost, it is a pretty meaningful scene. We may be afraid for what’s to come for them in the next arc, but for now, let’s embrace the once in a lifetime happiness that Kaneki truly deserved.

A deeper look at my favorite anime: Natsume’s Book of Friends

Wow, I have been running this blog for four years now. That’s a long time to spout out my shit opinions on everything. One thing that has surprisingly not changed though has been my favorite anime. I feel bad because my original review for the series was written 4 years ago. I had just started college, I had no real sense of objectivity and boy, I LOVED Natsume’s Book of Friends obsessively.

Since I hit almost 400 watched anime series on MyAnimeList, I think it’s safe to say now I know what’s good and what isn’t good, and it is good. With the manga series now going on 20+ volumes, the anime renewed for a sixth season, and the Nyanko sensei merchandising coming out every little crevice in Japan, I think it’s safe to assume Natsume’s Book of Friends is loved by many, but why? And especially, why do I like it? I’d like to take a second, deeper look at why this anime works, and hopefully convince you to give my favorite series a try!

A look into traditional Japanese lore and mythology

First off, I wanna talk about the awesome designs and mythology that thoughtfully goes into each youkai character. Yuki Midorikawa is a wonderful author and if you read the manga, you’ll see she breaks down each storyline at the end of the manga as to why she chose/designed the youkai in question, and how they fit into the particular plot. It’s not quite shallow like “it looks good,” and it’s not always entirely original. Some of the youkai designs are taken from actual Shinto mythology, where the idea is that almost everything has a spirit.

Her designs remind me a lot of a similar series, Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro-san, which also is about the world of youkai and how they can have an effect on the world of humans. Back to my main point though, the yokai are thoughtful in design. They are beautiful, terrifying, cute, hilarious, and overall a delight to the senses. There is variety in not only their design, but their personalities and character development as well. It’s very good that this series is focused on making youkai as human as possible without having them be human.

Also if you’re interested in learning more about youkai, NHK World did an awesome Begin Japanology about it, and it’s a DELIGHTFUL watch.

Takashi Natsume is a relatable and deep character

I understand relating to characters. Characters have to be relatable for the real immersive experience to really get into the media they’re in.  Nothing makes me more upset than a dull, passive main character intended for projection. Then again, I’m also a little hesitant about people who say an anime or an anime character “saved” them. This anime came out when I was recovering from a very hard time in my life, so naturally, I related to Takashi a lot. I wouldn’t say this anime saved me though. I was already healing and had the support I needed, and when the anime ended, I didn’t stake my life on it. That’s just unhealthy.

It is healthy, however, to have an outlet like anime to learn and understand complex emotions, situations, and put your own life into perspective. The reason why I related so much to Takashi, aside from the rough childhood (nowhere near as rough, my parents are alive and healthy) and his anxiety is that he distanced himself from both worlds. He doesn’t want to get close to people in the fear of hurting others and being hurt, and at a time I was just learning to understand and really make friends with people, it was really relatable. Takashi hides, not just his ability to see Youkai from others, but the issues it brings from the friends who know he has this ability. When he is deeply suffering, he’s afraid to get people involved in the event it’ll hurt them. He’s burdened in later seasons with keeping more and more secrets, and you can see it’s hurting him trying to not hurt others. Nothing is quite as awful as when you finally break and you end up crying in front of the person you most of all didn’t want to involve. You feel vulnerable and open, and seeing Takashi reach that breaking point in “The Long Way Home,” I really felt for Takashi deeply. No major spoilers here (as this episode mostly takes place in a flashback), but this is the first time Takashi really truly feels selfish enough to ask for something: a loving home when it’s offered to him, and the thought of it just crushes him and I hurt thinking about it.

Quality animation and aesthetics

Okay, sliding that emotional stuff aside, let’s get back to the technical parts of the anime. This anime is beautiful, and what’s really great is it didn’t necessarily start out this way. The first two seasons of Natsume’s Book of Friends don’t have the best animation in the world. The anime relies heavily on scenery pieces, close-ups, gentle slow motions, and some hyper animated action sequences. It’s hard to balance those well without trimming the edges somewhere. Upon rewatching some episodes with my friend I kept nothing places where there were long frames of animation with lots of mistakes in it, but it didn’t necessarily detract from the overall aesthetic.

The style and animation for this series over it’s, so far, five seasons of animation is so fluid. It really makes me grin thinking that only the studio has changed, yet the entire core crew appears to still be around. It gets more beautiful every episode, sometimes the style gets more and more smooth and fluid, other times its more serious and ridged. Still, the soft color pallet that stays throughout the anime, the gentle soundtrack, and sketchy, softer shapes in the series remain very faithful. Also, considering how people complain about adaptations in general, it isn’t a perfect adaptation.

Takashi’s hair and eye color are changed from silver to a kind of deep hay or gold color for the anime. The series is so episodic, the arrangement is almost entirely out of order to where the anime has had to change the seasons of some episodes just to get them to fit into the timeline, unless that season pertains to the storyline of the episode itself. It’s so freaking weird and neat.

That Soundtrack

The soundtrack, which you can listen to a majority of on YouTube, is beautiful. Sometimes it’s weird and a little other worldly like the youkai themselves, or it’ll lull you into a comfortable, at home feeling. I own most of the soundtrack, it’s entirely relaxing and just melts me when I listen to it.

Midorikawa’s other work, Hotarubi no Mori e, also has a gorgeous soundtrack composed by (I THINK) the same person who did the Natsume’s Book of Friends soundtrack, so if you like this soundtrack, you should check out Hotarubi’s too. I especially recommend the title theme if you want some painful feelings.

A lesson of empathy and developing themes

I’m not sure I’ve seen many anime longer than this. I’ve tried many, but it’s hard to start a series when it already has so much material out there. I was fortunate to start it from a little after its Japanese debut, and to have grown with it. I love watching the characters grow and develop as well.

While the series is very episodic to where at this point, I can watch any episode, and I even got someone to watch an episode from each season a few weeks ago, there is continuity. Takashi is a growing boy. He grows, physically and emotionally throughout the series and those differences are striking between seasons one and five for example. He’s is so withdrawn at first, shy, avoids eye contact, and is extra jumpy. In season five, he smiles more genuinely, allows himself to laugh, and finds himself leaning more towards trying to be open towards his friends, the youkai, and the Fujiwaras. Seeing him open up melts my heart. It makes me honestly proud of him like someone would be for their child, which I know is silly, but I’ve been watching this show for ten years now. Ten years is a commitment, folks!

Takashi, in the first few seasons, is very skeptical, fearful, and anxious about anyone and everyone getting near him, especially youkai. Watching him develop into this character that’s determined to be kind, to treat youkai like he would a human, and give everyone the benefit of the doubt no matter if they deserve it or not, is endearing.

I think it’s character writing at its best, and it’s not just Takashi that changes, but the people around him. From the people he cares about opening up as well and growing, to the youkai making an effort to understand humans and their customs, to even Nyanko-sensei becoming attached to Takashi beyond being prey, but a friend, is very exciting to see.

This series means a lot to me, and it’s one of the reasons I decided to start pursuing writing, opening this blog, and making an effort to find anime like it. If you try out Natsume’s Book of Friends and have any thoughts you’d like to share with me, I’d love to hear them. If you want similar anime to it recommended to you if you already like the series and are looking out for something new, talk to me.