infiniticodner Reviews

X-Men '97 (2024– )

Move aside Avengers. Here comes the original kids on the block.

[10/10 · 16 May 2024]

I Can't...I just can't....there are simply no words to express how masterful this is. I mean 'Avengers: Endgame' level quality. This show will literally put you on an emotional roller-coaster.

For any company/director/producer that plan on doing reboots- this show is a template how to do it. Stay true to the original and build off of it. That's what they've done here, and the results are just magical.

Every single X-Men '97 show I've watched, I've had to re-watch AT LEAST 3 times: +The new lead-in/intro is epic- I never skip past it. Almost every opener is different.

+Too many Easter Eggs to count... +The dialogue is epic and masterful- there a VERY few shows that +match the quality here.

+The plot and the action is simply insane. So much happen so quickly, you simply cannot absorb everything in one sitting- hence the multiple re-watching.

+Somehow whatever show that comes after the last, is somehow better- consistently.

Just FYI, I wouldn't recommend kids under 13/14 watching this. This is not your typical 1990's Saturday morning cartoon. I'd be traumatized (or have nightmares) if I were to watch if I was 9, with a bowl of cereal.

But if I could give this show an 11/10, I would. Again, this has got to be the best show out there right now- whether its animated or not.

Summary: Rare masterpiece from Disney.

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)

My inner-child loved this.....

[9/10 · 21 July 2023]

Was going through some of the reviews here and found a lot of 3/4/5 out of 10- some low-ball reviews. Don't let them throw you, this movie was VERY well done.

I guess the audience that would appreciate this the most, would be those who grew up watching Transformers Beast Wars/Beasties from the late-90s. This movie was a bit of a homage to that series, and it was quite exciting to see them on the big- screen.

A couple of small issues I had with it: -the Maximals are supposed to be a lot smaller than the Autobots. Optimus Primal at full height is supposed be, at best reaching Optimus Prime's knee.

-Where is Rat Trap? He is the comical glue that binds the group together. His presence was sorely missed -Rhinox didn't speak at all- and he's the smart one.

Other than those nit-picks, I really enjoyed it, and may see it a second time. The throw-back beats from the 90s was cool as well.

Hopefully, we see the Maximals again in a 2nd film.

This movie was easily the best film since the Transformers movies first debuted- hands down.

The Slave Hunters (2010)

Respectable Drama

[8/10 · 26 March 2021]

I'm going to preface my review with that I'm watching this right after Empress Ki (of which I hold to a gold standard), so my rating may be a bit skewed.

Chuno is good, and the fighting for a TV series is respectably good. My only issue with it (as a Westerner) is that there are 4-5 separate stories happening at once- so it makes watching this a bit disjointed. Its not to bash the premise because when the stories do eventually come together (or affect each other in some way), it does become fun to watch. Also, the first few episodes require some background knowledge of the history of Korea- and while the blurb in the first episode intro does try to do that, its still a challenge to follow. Even as the series progressed, I think I only grasped about 60% of what the show/politics in it was actually about.

For me, I almost gave up watching this, until things started to pick up and come together around the 6th episode.

Another small gripe I have is the ending. It seems rather rushed and unfinished, with a lot of unanswered questions- and unresolved issues. As a series, 10-12 more episodes could have been easily added so the ending could be more clear.

But other than those pet-peeves, Chuno is great, and the OST music is quite good (almost movie like). The twists in this show also does make it compelling too-and organic, not manufactured (good job to the writers).

There's not as much waterworks here, as in Empress Ki, but its still amazing to watch how these actors can cry at the drop of a hat.

The Empress Ki (2013–2014)

Blew My Expectations Way Out of the Water....

[10/10 · 26 February 2021]

The first couple of episodes started out at (I would say) around 6.5/10 and 7.5/10. Because the show had to set a premise for what's going on, that's to be expected. Then, I guess the writers decided to strap-on rocket boosters to their scripts from episode 3 onwards, because the drama and acting literally takes off.

Some things to expect when watching this show. (You can even make a drinking game out of it):

1.> Virtually, EVERYONE cries in EVERY episode. In some situations its a bit over-done, but there are a good few episodes where you'd find yourself crying as well.

2.> They have two or three main background music that's played through the entire series. It would've been nice if the mixed it up a bit or added variations, but I'm just nit-picking here. But you might start to notice it as you watch on.

3.> There is no true good guys or bad guys in this show- even when it comes to the main characters. It's all mainly tragedy based on life circumstances. Even when the bad guys do eventually get their comeuppance, you'd still find yourself shedding a tear for them.

4.> The mind-games, cunning, fore-thought and stratagem in this show is INSANE

5.> All the characters really do mature as the series goes on, and you see it. Its a fascinating thing to watch, and when they do flashbacks, its amazing how far it shows said character has progressed

6.> The loyalty. The loyalty of some of these characters is something to behold- where they would stick together through thick and thin- and are willing to offer their lives at the drop of a hat. This goes both ways, for both the good guys and the bad guys.

7.> Those damned cliff-hangers. Let's just say I am so glad I didn't watch this, while this series was live, because it would drive me nuts waiting for the next episode. Then again, it took a substantial amount of self-control on my part, in pacing myself watching this. Because if you're not careful, you could end up watching 4-6 hours worth very easily.

8.> The eyes/eye contact. Half of the dialog is in the eye-contact, where there's no talking. It goes to show that it is possible to create a meaningful scene with very little-to-no dialogue, and deliver just as much impact.

Attack on Titan (2013–2023)

Too good for TV

[10/10 · 27 March 2019]

If I could rate this 15/10, I would. This IS the best anime I have ever had the privilege of watching. There is slowness in the the show but it is for a reason. You have to watch this with all your attention. If not, you are going to miss vital tidbits that all relate to the crux of the overall story.

The Good: -AWESOME story -Excellent pacing -Good character development -Mind-blowing soundtrack

The Bad: -Those damn cliff-hangers. If you're engrossed in the episode (which you will find to be the case for most of them, that 22-min running time is going feel more like just 6 min.) -Having to wait for the next episode. They cannot release these things fast enough. At least with the 3rd season, you only really had to wait a few months. After the end of Season 2, I believe it was a wait of around a year. If you're itching to see what happens next, the wait can be agonizing. -Death of characters. As mentioned before, almost no characters are safe. There are some characters you begin to care about who appear for 2-3 episodes, then they kick the bucket. This makes things VERY unpredictable.

I will say again, this series is EPIC (And I thought Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT was epic). Had no idea there was a higher level of anime awesomeness to experience ;p