A2Z

If you watch only one film in 2025, watch Conclave. It has its flaws, one of which is its harsh view of the Roman Catholic church, but it is balanced by brilliant performances by every cast member. The story is compelling and believeable and the twist at the end is memorable, leaving you to ponder everything you have just witnessed. This is MY vote for Best Picture of the 2025 with an Oscar to Ralph Fiennes for holding the center of a complicated drama. Definitely worth a watch...or more.

Even as I sit watching, thinking "they've finally jumped the shark," GA manages to upend the storyline and surprise me. Now THAT takes creative chops! What the show lacks in storyline variety (i.e.endless romance), it balances with cutting edge medical know-how and surprising twists of fate. And no one is going to tell me that Shonda Rhimes (or her writers) don't watch anime because they've taken the -dere types off the animator's page and made them real. What matters most, in the end, is that you care about the characters (like them or not) and that's what keeps me a fan.

This 2015 movie prequel to the original 2013-2014 anime series shines light on Haruka Nanase's first year of middle school, along with his best friend Makoto Tachibana and swim teammates, Ikuya Kirishima and Asahi Shiina. The movie follows part of Koji Oji's original novel, upon which the subsequent anime was developed, highlighting the bonds formed between boys who love swimming for different reasons but who share the bond created by teamwork, friendship and dedication to mastery. Fans of the anime series will either love or hate this movie, as it doesn't dwell on the dynamics or issues established in the storyline about the teen-aged versions of these characters, but if you enjoy backstory and an in-depth look into what makes characters tick, you'll definitely enjoy it. The animation, sound track and seiyuu acting is top-notch, as one would expect from Kyoani. The movie also serves as a set-up for the anime series's Season 3 - Free! Dive to the Future which debuted in 2018. Kyoani has developed this franchise carefully and skillfully and Starting Days is one of the most delightful ventures of the project. It's worth your time.

Few anime hold a lingering place in my heart and mind. Free! is one such anime. Now a veteran series (begun in 2013), Free! tells a story about friendship, dedication to goals and triumph over adversity. There are plots and subplots, characters both major and minor that grab hold of one's psyche and a finale that satisfies. The only thing that detracts from the series is the insistence of some fans to tout romantic relationships between characters when friendship is the only thing that matters in the world of Free!, the strongest bond being between Makoto Tachibana and Haruka Nanase, best friends since childhood. Kyoto Animation steered clear of creating a BL story but, instead, embedded hints throughout the series so fans could make up their own minds about such things. In 2013 and 2014, a rivalry existed between those pairing Makoto & Haruka (Makoharu) and those pairing Rin & Haruka (Rinharu) as a romantic pair, but Kyoani wisely failed to resolve the issue in canon. Smart move, Kyoani. I just wish Google followed suit instead of allowing fanon answers to serve as official answers to questions posed by those who do not know the series. If you are one such person, know that none of the characters are romantically involved. Other than that, I recommend the series whole-heartedly if you're looking for a series that provides smiles, laughs, a few tense moments and a few tears, too. It is exemplary.