Yugi-Muto Reviews

Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

It must be destiny...

[6/10 · 15 March 2016]

Sleepless in Seattle is difficult for me to review. For the most part, I like this movie but for whatever reason I can't seem to bring myself to love it. It's somewhere between good and okay for me. I think it's to do with the idea of love this movie presents. It makes love to be somewhat of a fantasy (okay so that doesn't sound like a bad thing but stick with me for a moment). So Annie (portrayed by the lovely Meg Ryan) listens to the radio one day and hears a guy's story (said guy portrayed by Tom Hanks) about his wife dying and how he's been feeling lonely since then, unable to get back on his feet to start dating again. She begins to think that this guy sounds really sweet, she just can't stop thinking about him and it's evident that in her mind, she begins to play him up to be her Prince Charming. It's her perfect love, everything she wants, the only problem...she's never actually met the guy and I think this is where my problem stems from.

You've probably heard of love being blind, well this movie plays with that idea and the idea of love at first sight...or sound/thought/whatever. Anyway, here's my fundamental issue with the movie and why I can't bring myself to love this movie. It deals with the idea of being in love in a movie which is actually mentioned in my favourite line of the movie "you don't want to be in love, you want to be in love in a movie." How true those words are for a lot of people and even for me. The idea of that perfect person makes you fall for them because you picture them to be exactly what you want them to be and that's where my problem lies, because as much as I love the idea, it's not one I believe in. To me, love is about loving someone no matter what, accepting their flaws. Not everyone is perfect and although this movie recognises that, it's not something that is dealt with (and if it was and I missed it, then it wasn't in a way that was satisfactory to me since I didn't notice it).

Sleepless in Seattle is about the idea that love is blind, it can happen at any moment, at any any time and with anyone. That's how I interpret it. However, it never explores anything beyond that. It's almost like a fairy tale and maybe that was the point of it, but for whatever reason I wasn't satisfied. It only looks at the idea of romance but never explores it since you never really get to see the two leads together properly. Yet for some reason, I find myself wanting the two leads to meet despite Meg Ryan's character feeling like a stalker and when they do meet, I'm disappointed because it ends without us ever seeing them together as a couple or even as friends for that matter.

Is it a romantic movie? Yes, in fact it's very romantic since as I said, it plays on the idea of blind love but at the same time, the script is written in such a way that it makes me question everything and leaves me with an ambivalent feeling about the movie. I want to love it because the idea of love being blind is great but I can't because I don't believe in such a thing or at the very least, the movie wasn't executed in such a way that made me want to believe it. I strongly believe that true love, be it in a movie or in real life, is when two people know each other and without a shadow of a doubt, love them despite everything that might drive them crazy about the other.

Detective Conan: The Lost Ship in the Sky (2010)

The best Detective Conan movie so far...

[10/10 · 24 August 2013]

I have seen 16 of the 17 Detective Conan movies that have been released so far and out of all of them this one is by far my favourite.

So what's the story about? Well here is a little summary that I've written while avoiding spoilers:

The movie opens with a terrorist group breaking into a laboratory and steal a a deadly bacteria, later declaring themselves to be a group of terrorists known as the Red Siamese Cats who were destroyed 10 years ago. At the same time, wealthy adviser Jirokichi Suzuki has devised another plan to capture the infamous Phantom Thief, Kaitou Kid, baiting him with a jewel known as Lady Sky aboard his airship. To witness his battle against Kid, Jirokichi invites his niece Sonoko Suzuki and her friends, Ran Mouri, Kogoro Mori, Professor Agasa, the Detective Boys and of course, the protagonist, Conan Edogawa. However, while on board the airship the passengers realise that they are in for more than they bargained for and it is up to Conan to once again save the day, however this time, he has an unexpected ally.

As simple as the story sounds, it really is well made and leaves the viewer with a great feeling of satisfaction after the movie has ended (there is also a clip after the credits by the way.) The story has a flow to it without leaving much plot holes, the characters each have there own moment where the audience can connect with them and the soundtrack is superb as always.

Even if you are not a fan of Detective Conan, I would definitely recommend watching this movie.

Detective Conan (1996– )

One of the greatest animes of all time

[10/10 · 24 August 2013]

A breath of fresh air! Detective Conan, or Case Closed as it is known in some countries, is a wonderful anime with dynamic characters and an interesting plot, with additional just as fun sub-plots.

The story is about an intelligent high school detective who one day has the misfortune of being caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bearing witness to an illegal deal, Shinichi Kudo is knocked out by two members of a mysterious organisation which leaves no evidence behind of crimes. Gin, a ruthless, cold-blooded killer, pops a drug into our hero's mouth that under normal circumstances would kill him and leave no evidence behind in autopsy reports. However, luckily for Shinichi, a rare side-effect of the drug causes him to revert back into a child of about seven years while still maintaining his intelligence. Assuming a false identity as Conan Edogawa, Shinichi is determined to find the ones responsible, destroy them and reclaim his normal body.

Detective Conan is filled with enigmatic crimes for the viewer to solve before the main character can. The characters are lovable as well, the series manages to remain light-hearted and enjoyable for all ages while still retaining that crucial element needed to take it seriously as well and emotionally connect with the characters. Detective Conan is now more than 700 episodes in, with plenty of movies and OVAs and is still able to keep the viewer excited about the next episode, ready and kicking for more.

A definitive 10/10 that I would recommend to anyone in general to try out. I thoroughly enjoy this series and hope it continues for a long time. I also hope that I'll be able to live long enough to see how the series ends as well. (If you didn't enjoy this anime then there's something wrong with you. -_-)

If you loved this show as much as I did then I'd definitely recommend Magic Kaito, a spin-off special based on one of the most popular characters in the series (perhaps even more popular than Shinichi) and my favourite character in the series, the phantom thief: Kaitou Kid!

The Amazing Spider-Man (1977–1979)

One of my favourite Spider-Man adaptations to date...

[10/10 · 5 July 2013]

Honestly I can't get over how so many people disliked this show. I can understand why, but I still think they're being a bit unfair. Granted, the lack of actual comic book villains may be off-putting, and there are a great deal many differences between the comic book Spider-Man and this Spider-Man adaptation BUT the core of the character is still intact and and that is the most important thing. Also, you have to remember that this TV-Series was made in the 70's. You honestly can't expect to be wowed by special effects. And hey, I'm a 90's kid and yet I still love it.

Nicholas Hammond actually fits the role of Peter Parker rather perfectly, he even looks like him from the 90's animated series. Granted, he lacks Spidey's witty humour that we all love but I think in this show's case, that's a good thing. This show can be a lot of fun and has a very catchy theme song.

I hope that someday this show will get an official DVD release but until that day comes I'll just have to make do with my VHS copy.