Joy Hana

Excellent movie! Went to an advance screening in the UK, and has since watched it once more with plans for further rewatches. Well shot, paced and well written - complimented by excellent acting from each performers, this is an outstanding and beautifully directed Godzilla (ゴジラ) movie. The themes, heart and spirit are tackled in a wholesome unforced way, you will be tagged along for the journey that feels worthwhile. Consequences feel earned and despite the large scale colossus threat epitomised by Godzilla, there is a grounded approach that connects you to what is going on screen. You really can feel elation or fear at varying points, especially on first viewing. In the few iterations of Godzilla I've watched from both Japan and US (G Vs Mothra and G Vs Ghidorah being my first), this is the first time I've felt in fear of the king of the monsters. At both times thrilling, terrifying and heart warming, this is a brilliant film! It told what it needed to tell - you won't feel cheated in spending 2 hrs 5 mins, the sound design and soundtrack is strong with fantastic reworking of the original Akira Ikufube's soundtrack. Even if you are not one for reading subs, this won't bother you (maybe as much) with this film. Watch it at the cinema, it's worth the ticket!

My favourite work of fiction of all time! It has heart, it has unbelievable world-building, the world feels alive, so many memorable characters even if they are not the main protagonists or antagonists, peak story telling and emotional beats. It's been going on since 1997, and there's a reason people are still hooked. It's a wonderful crew, it's a wonderful genius story by a genius imagination. I'm just in love. Like a probable many, I was initially put off watching or reading this story as I thought it looked wacky and childish. It took 9 years for me to finally check it out, and I think these qualities, besides others, only enhance its fantastical absurdist world, elevating themes and story points. (Granted, it's not perfect, the imperfect negative flaws - some imperfections could be charming - are out balanced by its vast strong points)

On a rating of out of 10, this star rating would reflect an 8/10; and as a long time fan of One Piece with some medium understanding of the different mediums, e.g. manga, anime, live action (you get the picture), this rendition of the story holds pretty strong for a live action adaptation. Realistically, none of the manga/characters can be fleshed out exactly as their 2D counterparts. Therefore, in terms of the live action cast, I think they worked pretty well with the material they've been given, with some stand out performances from Emily (Nami), Iñaki (Luffy), Jeff (Buggy), and to some degree Morgan (Koby). Tbh, I can't fault much of the acting of all the cast; rather I would nitpick at some narrative and directorial choices made in some sequences. I think there were some scenes that could have been improved slightly with a different choice in approach, however, overall, there's not much I hated in this live action. Considering it's with real actors, on a mostly real set, it almost felt old school film making with heavy focus on the story and character, albeit a bit ham fisted into 8 episodes. Regarding dialogue, it's a bit cheesy admittedly, however, again packing all the bright gems in 8 episodes... plus considering it's based on a shonen manga, it'll do. A lot of the delivery doesn't feel cringey at all, and that's again down to the actors and the scenes they've been set up in and that's a positive thing! My partner and I binged the whole 8 episodes in one day 'coz we enjoyed it a lot! It was a solid 8 for me and it hadn't faltered. Now I'm rewatching with the original Japanese VAs.

Poetic and a beautiful quiet piece that is more cerebral and emotionally varied than the first season and is equally just as fascinating. As mentioned by other viewers and what new viewers will find, it does not have the same jump scares as the first, which is a great second instalment as it offsets any expectations from the Haunting series giving the same formulaic tone. It is hardly boring and ever probing, with exquisite retellings of its source materials. My boyfriend and I both enjoyed this just as much as the Hill House story and appreciated that the team had gone in the direction of telling a ghost story with a different tone, as opposed to what is expected in mainstream visual media. It reminded me of the various kinds of ghost stories out there, which includes heartbreakingly sad types.