Rental Family. A movie about loneliness, lies, social norms, and what it means to exist and feel alive. Here’s a review (with spoilers). I remember watching Brendan in movies like George of the Jungle and The Mummy when I was younger.
Bocchi the Rock. An anime about an introvert who dreams of becoming popular and having many friends. As an extreme introvert myself, I think Bocchi’s struggle is less about introversion and more about social anxiety, bordering on depression and hikikomori. While part of it might be exaggerated, I think we can relate to many of her emotions. The anime explores these themes in a lighthearted and funny way. I especially enjoyed Bocchi’s solo compositions, which express her thoughts and feelings well. It suggests many of our struggles stem from the mind and the stories we tell ourselves.
Project Hail Mary. A science fiction movie based on an award-winning novel. Judging from the reviews, the book is more technical and science-heavy, while the movie more accessible and has broader appeal to a wider audience. I’m glad I brought my two boys to see it, as we all enjoyed the humor and the film overall.
PS: My boys borrowed and read the original novel (as well as The Martian). That alone is worth it.
Detective Conan the Movie: One-Eyed Flashback.
It’s interesting how the anime turns Mori into such a cool character. I also like Detective Morofushi, who is modeled after Zhuge Liang from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. That said, when an anime releases a new movie every year, it is hard to maintain a consistently strong story. From memory, only two or three Conan movies have touched me.
Zootopia 2. The animation is engaging from beginning to end, and the chemistry between Judy and Nick remains strong. Still, I think the first movie was more original and more thought-provoking.
Recent Anime. I watched a few episodes of Witch Hat Atelier, Akane-banashi, and Daemons of the Shadow Realm. It is still too early to say how much I like them, but Witch Hat Atelier stands out for its beautiful animation, likely inspired by the innovative techniques Kamome Shirahama used in her manga. Its opening shares similarities with Fullmetal Alchemist, whose creator Hiromu Arakawa also wrote Daemons of the Shadow Realm.
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