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Kyaputen Tsubasa: A Career Begins (1983)
"The passionate football prodigy"
The second episode resumes immediately after the intense stand-off between Tsubasa Ozora and Genzo Wakabayashi that marks the beginning of their rivalry, which will span throughout the first arc, commonly referred to as the Kids' Dream or Elementary School Arc.
Wakabayashi is astonished by Tsubasa's skill, accuracy and shot power. He appears to be dazed until the players from Shutetsu B team show up. He then challenges Tsubasa to prove himself by facing the entire team and attempting to score, as this will be the only way to determine whether he is a true football player or not. Tsubasa agrees, and what follows is another testament to the quality of this anime series. In a riveting sequence showcasing the dynamic animation style it has become known for, Tsubasa makes easy work of his opponents. In a mixture of skill and speed, he dribbles, evades, and nutmegs the whole squad before shooting on target.
The face-off against Shutetsu B Team is the highlight of this episode, filled with captivating moments that culminate in another showdown between Tsubasa and Wakabayashi, where their rivalry escalates into a bloody affair. This scene is particularly noteworthy for two reasons: it reveals the identity of the mysterious stranger as Roberto Hondo, the famous center-forward of the Brazilian national team, and showcases Tsubasa Ozora's resourcefulness while establishing him as a complete football player. As a result, Nankatsu's Elementary School's football team regains access to the Junior Football Ground , so that it can be used as their training facility until the upcoming tournament.
Regretfully, the pacing becomes uneven as the episode loses its momentum, dialling down on the action considerably until the final scene. Even though we are shown a defining moment in Tsubasa's past, the plot point that ends up sparking our curiosity the most is the undisclosed nature of Roberto Hondo's connection with Kodai Ozora, Tsubasa's father. Still, these fail to either captivate or reach the intensity of previous standout moments.
The episode draws to a close with a promising setup for future contests, as Tsubasa ultimately decides to face Wakabayashi as the newest member of the Nankatsu Elementary School's football team, who proudly accept Roberto Hondo as their new coach. The anticipation for their rivalry remains, although one could have hoped for a stronger conclusion, as Roberto's acrobatic overhead kick, while impressive, doesn't reach the same level of excitement as the previous episode's intense stand-off.
Kyaputen Tsubasa: The New Soccer Star (1983)
"Spreading his wings into the sky"
The series premiere marks the starting point of a young boy's journey toward becoming the greatest Japanese football player the world has ever seen. We meet Tsubasa Ozora as he embarks on this new chapter, relocating with his mother, Natsuko, from suburbian Tokyo to Nankatsu -- a place widely known to aspiring young football enthusiasts as the home of the prominent Shutetsu Football Team, recent winners of the national tournament.
The episode kicks off with an enticing glimpse of what lies ahead, offering a preview of the formidable adversaries Tsubasa will face in the early stages of his development as a professional athlete. Once he arrives at his new home, our main character wastes no time and explores his surroundings, hoping to find others as passionate about football as he is. Unrestrained, Tsubasa quickly captures the attention of local youth, be it for his dribbling skills or ball control. Most of them seem to harbour some form of resentment for the talented Shutetsu Private School's football team that Tsubasa aspires to join. However, theirs aren't the only eyes watching; a mysterious stranger, seemingly well-acquainted with Tsubasa's reputation as a youth possessing extraordinary skill and untapped potential, takes an unusual interest in him. But intrigue can wait, for shortly after, a face-off between the genius goalkeeper, Genzo Wakabayashi, and the captains from other sports teams, namely rugby, handball and baseball, ensues. This contest of skill showcases the exceptional animation style that this series has become known for, emphasizing fluid movement and dynamic ball play. Another highlight is the way in which Tsubasa chooses to challenge Wakabayashi, defying all odds and expectations. The subsequent stand-off between the two raises the stakes, fueling their rivalry and setting the stage for an epic clash between the local legend and the new kid on the block.
Other notable moments include the budding bond between Tsubasa and the captain of the Nankatsu Elementary School's football team, Ryo Ishizaki, as they become fast friends. On the other hand, Tsubasa's first interaction with Sanae Nakazawa is so unremarkable to the point that is doesn't even hint at what the future holds for them.
Overall, this episode delivers a well-paced and engaging introduction to "Captain Tsubasa." The standout scenes, particularly the showdown at Nankatsu's Junior Football Ground and the onset of the rivalry between Tsubasa and Wakabayashi, testify to the series' ability to set up the premise, develop character dynamics and offer thrilling football action that not only defies the laws of physics but also grips your attention and doesn't let go.
Ohm (2009)
"Ohm" (2009)
"Ohm" is the short film debut of writer and director Santiago Menghini, who is credited for both roles. The film was released in 2009 and stars Nicholas B. York as an unnamed scientist who appears to be obsessed with experiencing sensorial augmentation, or the transference of his senses, through the use of an electrical resistance named Ohm. He seems intent on immersing himself ever deeper in an unquenchable thirst for control or understanding of certain elements and materials, such as water, wood, vegetation and ice. However, the increasing levels of electrical current used to conduct this experiment exact a heavy toll on his body and mind, as well as on anything electrical around him. Alas, although it proves to be nearly fatal, the experiment ends up claiming his sanity, as he plans on taking things a step too far.
This short film is presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio, with grainy visuals, and a vintage look. The overall aesthetics and level of technology employed are meant to transport us back to the late 1960s or early 1970s, which were the height of sci-fi during the network era of American television. And, notwithstanding a few continuity errors, half-baked effects, and average editing, it is clear that a lot of effort, thought and work was dedicated to this project. The influence of TV shows like "The Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits" is also quite noticeable, as is Menghini's inclination towards the horror and sci-fi genres. I found "Ohm" to be a very decent first effort and hope that it was a mere stepping-stone in a potentially prolific and brilliant career.
Katasumi (1998)
Katasumi
Katasumi (1998) is the first of two short films that were written and directed by Takashi Shimizu, which serve as prequels to his feature film debut, Ju-on : The Curse (2000). This one focuses on the final moments of two schoolgirls, Hisayo Yoshida (Ayako Omura) and Kanna Murakami (Kanna Kashima), as they fall victim to the cursed spirit of Kayako Saeki (Takako Fuji). Its premise is simple, yet extremely effective, and showcases several characteristics of classic J-Horror movies, such as the monstrous embodiment of an evil entity, the vengeful spirit of a woman, an eerie or secluded location and a complete lack of a music score. The acting is also more than adequate and the ending is quite satisfying, despite being somewhat ambiguous. And, even though it is still one of the shortest short films that I ever watched, it remains a fitting introduction or companion piece to one of be most famous Japanese horror franchises.
Chakushin ari (2003)
Chakushin Ari
Takashi Miike's "Chakushin Ari", more commonly known as "One Missed Call", is a Japanese horror movie that is based on a novel of the same name by Yasushi Akimoto and revolves around a curse responsible for creating a chain of missed calls and voicemail messages on its victim's mobile phones from their future selves with the sounds, screams and the exact date and time of their own violent deaths. While the curse does serve its purpose and ends up working well for the story, you won't be able to ignore the fact that the rest of the plot feels incredibly formulaic and that you've already seen this being played out many times before. Regardless, Takashi Miike's direction does elevate this movie to a whole new level and his use of slow pans, precise framing, careful pacing and inspired sound editing helps create an intensely creepy and eerie atmosphere that will grip you for the most part. Once again, he is able to prove that he can be extremely successful at generating suspense and building up tension. The acting is also very good, with Ko Shibasaki and Shin'ichi Tsusumi delivering solid performances as Yumi Nakamura and Hiroshi Yamashita respectively. Now, you may find that this may not be the best Japanese horror movie you've ever seen, by any standards, but it can be genuinely scary, even though it can also be quite confusing and puzzling at times, particularly towards the end. Nevertheless, it's still interesting to see how well it holds up nearly two decades after its original release, especially when you take into consideration the fact that we now live in the digital age and that almost everyone owns a smart phone. But, be that as it may, it remains a thrill to watch and a must-see it to anyone who's into J-Horror.
House M.D.: Pilot (2004)
Everybody Lies
It's not that usual for a television series to be able to successfully establish all of its character dynamics and interactions so accurately in the very first episode, but House, M.D. manages to pull it off. This episode, commonly referred to as "Pilot", also known as "Everybody Lies", was extremely well written by the show's creator, David Shore, and expertly directed by Bryan Singer. It begins by introducing Rebecca Adler, a kindergarten school teacher who becomes the very first patient in the series, as she experiences the early symptoms of her mysterious condition while at work. The case eventually reaches the hands of Dr. Gregory House, the head of the Department of Diagnostic Medicine, who finds it boring and is initially reluctant to take it on, but is ultimately persuaded to do so by his best friend and colleague, Dr. James Wilson. As the storyline progresses, we get to witness House's unorthodox approach to both life and medicine, whether it's through his interactions with the members of his team, which is comprised of Dr. Eric Foreman, Dr. Allison Cameron and Dr. Robert Chase, his boss, Dr. Lisa Cuddy, who is the Dean of Medicine at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey, and his patients, whether they suffer from common or rare medical conditions. Think of Gregory House as Sherlock Holmes with a lab coat even though he hardly ever wears it. He is a doctor who is not interested in treating people, just diagnosing and treating the illness, with very little regard for his patients' fate. This makes him one of the best characters that has ever been written for television, as he is both awesome and flawed and we get to see that during every differential diagnosis, every conversation and every scene in which he is involved in. His swagger is defined by his demeanour and he is truly at his best when he is either being arrogant, dismissive and sarcastic to people or just popping pills and quoting Mick Jagger. One thing is for sure... well, maybe two things: I'm hooked and I'll keep watching.
Housewife (2017)
"Housewife" - Movie Review
I had the opportunity to watch "Housewife" during the 11th Edition of the Lisbon International Horror Movie Festival, Motel X, in September 2017. Having watched Can Evrenol's brilliant and nightmarish "Baskin" last year, I was really excited to watch this movie in the midst of fellow horror movie aficionados. Not only that, but the only preview I could find on YouTube was actually quite compelling, so my expectations were at their peak as I entered the movie theater. Alas, as my initial excitement faded, my expectations would soon be laid to waste. While the movie had a promising start, it quickly went astray. The acting was mediocre, at best, but all I kept wondering was why on earth would any studio hire a non-English speaking cast to speak in English for the majority of the time when these events are not even occurring in an English speaking country? It's distracting, to say the least, and adds absolutely nothing to the story. Furthermore, while most of the dialogue focuses on exposing who these characters are, what they do for a living and how they came to know each other, not much of it is truly dedicated to clarifying some of the most meaningful aspects of the story, such as the identity of the old lady in the painting or the importance of the pendant that she wears around her neck. We can try to guess and speculate, but we never really know for sure. Plus, the nudity, sex, blood and gore also feel gratuitous and bear no significance to the story that we're being told. They're just randomly thrown into the mix. The only hint of purpose is only provided at the very end, where all threads are tied together, but the ending itself failed to have much of an impact as I wasn't invested on these any characters to even care about what happened to them. There was simply not enough meat on these skinny bones. In conclusion, the acting was wooden, as there was very little chemistry between the actors themselves, the characters were underdeveloped, the plot was weak, the story was insubstantial and the on-screen violence, even though it was well executed, served little purpose apart from attempting to shock the audience. If you are a hardcore horror movie fan or if you're into H. P. Lovecraft's body of work, feel free to check this one out. However, I personally think that here are far better movies out there for you to watch, so I suggest that you don't waste your time on this one.