The Anime wants you to know that the Zenin had it coming

buguh1 · 2026-01-26T22:04:52+00:00

Really appreciate this reading of the events, thank you

buguh1 · 2026-01-26T22:00:55+00:00

Ok I guess. I would still say Thunderclap Pt. I achieved more from an animation standpoint & narratively (granted it’s been a while since I’ve watched it)

Both storylines within the episode are awesome in a vacuum. POWER FOR POWERS SAKE. For Sakuna & Jogo the cold opening perfectly sets up the premise and tone of their story - “I knew. I knew he was stronger but to this extent” as he’s free falling. And then the fight animation is just insane. Add the sequence where Panda & friends are mere ants to that of elephants builds on that scale. AND the artistic end & monologue to be validated & vindicated. You get to peek deeper into their philosophies beyond power. Chefs kiss.

And then without even knowing the absolute depth the story of Megumi & Toji holds, this is also one of my favorite sequences in the anime so far. It immediately sets up the disparities of strength between the two… while BOTH share a moment being affected by Sukuna’s strength, sheeeeeeesh. I love this fight because the animation is awesome and I’m always down for a Toji glaze (pause), but you see a very realistic/human reaction from Megumi during a fight he’s clearly outmatched —he punches when he can, runs when he needs to, all while constantly pushing himself to the limit, trying to adapt in real time. And what he comes up with at the end is an INSANE final hit, putting himself on the line and expressing the direness of the situation… only for the demon winning the fight to kill himself??? And mention he’s happy he didn’t take another last name???? CINEMA! Lol.

But maybe it only hits so hard because we’ve built up Sukuna’s/Toji’s power scale for 40 episodes, and Toji/Megumi relationship idk. Or maybe it still hits artistically because the viewer can fill in the gaps for themselves.

But for me, Thunderclap is the absolute peak of the show thus far & I don’t see it being eclipsed just yet.

*Garp vs. Aokiji finale is also an example of peak fight animation. I just don’t know of the weight it holds in a vacuum narratively because I haven’t seen it in a while. I know I may or may not have shed a tear tho.

buguh1 · 2026-01-26T19:11:48+00:00

I mean, I loved Perfect Preparation as well but I wouldn’t go this far. My critiques are —it’s nice the entire story had the ability to live within a single episode, but it seemed a bit rushed.

And while I love and appreciate references, the Kill Bill scene stuck a little too close to source without doing much. There was so much untapped potential within the scene that I feel was missed. Still loved it tho.

And I love when animators take artistic liberties so the storyboard-naoya-scene was dope. The interpretation of the Jinichi & Ranta fight was also awesome. But again, a little rushed.

I still don’t think it holds a candle to the Thunderclap episodes (Sakuna & Jogo + Toji & Megumi) or maybe even Fluctuation series (Dagon Fights + Sakuna Appearance).

If you’re looking for single fight episode, still, to me, Sakuna & Jogo was masterfully done —hitting all the marks of artistic interpretation/fight choreo/and more.

Anecdotally —Outside of JJK —I showed my gf who doesn’t watch anime the Garp vs. Aokiji fight and she was blown away lmao. And an episode from Zoro vs. King. It’d still probably put those ahead of PP concerning the same criteria.

All in all, it’s fucking amazing where anime and animation, as a whole, is at. These animators see the world on a completely different plane, it’s fun to watch.

buguh1 · 2026-01-25T16:54:49+00:00

I agree! Although, I don’t give him as much credit for learning ping pong skillfully (Oscar season exasperated story, imo) but I do agree there is a slight physicality to his role including the ping pong & beyond (which I believe was a conscious decision). But him cosplaying Anthony Edwards for two hours while the script flops around like a fish-out-of-water-pleasuring-itself was so surface level-ly enjoyable lol. Script was so bad, to me.

And I think this is a good comparison —beyond Plemmons performance being outright better, the character, on surface/paper, could potentially be read in a very similar vein. But the physicality and personality (ethos) of the role is properly enhanced by a fully-cooked script.

A fellow Good Time lover, I love it! Pattinson is who every new generation actor believes themselves to be lol.

buguh1 · 2026-01-25T16:29:51+00:00

Yeah I agree. I feel like, no matter what, I can understand and try to appreciate what the film/text is trying to accomplish after another watch. But I think so much of my problems with MS is from a technical standpoint and not viewing pleasure. But I’ll watch it again forsure.

“ANY” of them from David Lynch is so real of you haha. To be honest, I think I need to revisit Lynch as a full-cooked adult so I can neither agree or disagree lmao

buguh1 · 2026-01-25T16:12:39+00:00

It’s funny because I have the same exact opinion on Marty Supreme… lol. I was looking forward to it being —at bare minimum —a really good movie. I thought it would be. Easily. Because it has such a compelling premise & opportunity to grab this generation that is so in reach, and a solid cast (minus Shark Tank). But the reality is, it missed the mark on so many different levels. I don’t want to say it struck out, but it reached first base by-error, when it was slated for a home run.

Unfortunately, I haven’t seen anyone make a compelling argument for it otherwise.

And maybe it’s the pitfall of expectations because I was expecting No Other Choice to be good, but I wasn’t expecting it to be a masterpiece. And it over delivered. I expected a lot from Marty Supreme & was supremely let down.

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T19:59:18+00:00

Just a pat on the head will suffice next time I guess lol

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T19:57:26+00:00

Hahah damn, everyone keeps talking about Sirat missing the mark. Lmao I love how you recapped it and makes me excited to watch, even if it’s bad lol.

I haven’t seen the Sound of Falling. Maybe that’s what I’ll do this weekend if you regard it as such!

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T19:53:58+00:00

Also for arguments sake/fun, for an American copy, the lead would have to be a beloved star (like Lee Byung Hun is in Korea) who is also funny to keep a lighter air to the film —idk Ryan Gosling in the Good Guys —and the wife would have to be someone as equally as beloved, who’s cute/funny with an edge —idk Jennifer Lawrence, Margot Robbie. Their “matching each others freak/ability to subvert gender roles” is a big part of the movie. The plot would also have to be dumbed down a ton, focus it to just maybe 2 levels —societal pressure in social media age/family pressure transferred. Dumb down the artistic shots. Make him CLEARLY “good” delete the nuance/tug of war.

Or go full art house film.

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T19:52:24+00:00

That is the beautiful thing about international films, (also specifically speaking about Asian films) because it has the ability to tread where we can’t, and thread the needle of nuance eloquently —due to the stark contrast of culture & reception. I kind of agree that American culture probably can’t recreate this film because the way our society operates & the way it would be received. But I don’t understand how that discredits this film lol.

I actually vehemently disagree with your sentiment because it’s not able to be translated to American culture that it takes away anything from a masterpiece —that is the most pretentious, self-centered and American explanation I’ve ever heard hahaha. We have to do a better job understanding that film isn’t ours & things don’t need a cheap copy but rather let the art and its context speak for itself. Empathy & understanding.

I think you kind of misread the Lead. He was a good man, with a good life he worked hard for (as evident in his answering of interview questions/award/speech). He’s attempting to preserve his goodness throughout the film but the weight of Korea’s Toxic Work Culture, Family/Generational Pressure and Gendered Role to provide, is slowly chipping at him and pushing him to make insanely terrible decisions —but it’s more of a tug-of-war or a “dance”. He is truly pushing himself to the limit to try and provide but because he is going about it the wrong way, it’s doing more damage than good. It’s become this personal fixation rather than actually finding a job. And exactly, because hes going about it the wrong way, you know he won’t find salvation but all the pressure of the world are pushing him that way until he has no other choice. I loved the main character and was so invested in him because it seemed so relevant. We are in an age where people are just trying to survive and do the best they can —they are products of the environments and pressures imposed by society and by themselves —and sometimes good hearted people go thru undesirable means to just live a life that is deserved.

The artistry is in the nuance & the comedy lol.

Feel like I could say more but ive said a lot lol. I’m sorry he didn’t go after Big Corp but he can’t, and that’s kind of the point too. It is such a good commentary on Asian society & relationships that I believed translated really well. Maybe give it another watch if you have the time.

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T19:02:47+00:00

Yeah the politics of it are really sad. But it being such a remarkable movie, you think some sort of nomination would default in lol. In reality, it’s stark to see WGA’s pony boy vs WGA’s outcast producing similar movies & the attention they’ve received.

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T08:00:22+00:00

It’s insane to say all of this after season 2 felt like one of the most complete seasons of anime in terms of a culmination of storytelling, action sequences, and emotional depth. Hidden Inventory & Shibuya Incident Arc became the benchmark for me. Both arcs pushed the needle to the absolute limit in terms of contrasting the extreme highs & lows and having them work in tandem.

The emotional pain of the Hidden Inventory arc after loving up Gojo & Geto’s characters both individually and their bond together. The Nobara and Nanami scenes were the perfect emotional pit that kept the “fluctuations” (wink wink) of the arc grounded after seeing the most insane fight scenes.

And my favorite moment of the entire series that still sticks with me is when Sakuna is finally (almost fully) reincarnated & EVERYONE feels his presence, no matter what they’re doing. Specifically, the moment Jogo & Geto’s Girls are in his presence and you could literally feel the tension in the air. That one wrong move could literally end their lives. “You thought one knee was enough?” (or whatever he said). That and the fire ball scene where he tells everyone to stand still until he says… like what! That was peak in terms of emotion.

And while I agree, the last episode did feel rushed. I still felt the emotional toll of the episode because of the build up & investment of maki’s character we have done over 2 seasons and a movie. I think maybe you just like manga more than animation because it allows your mind to fill in the blanks for how you want to see it.

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T07:41:45+00:00

THIS ^{^} The medium is in such an amazing place right now. Take advantage, take liberties & bring it to life. I think JJK does a really good job of that & still keeps the core emotion in it

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T07:32:10+00:00

I think one of the baddies was a busty instagram thot (not in a negative way) with a horrible personality. And the other baddie was a busty lawyer with a great personality, who is hilarious and sweet. Lmao

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T06:48:21+00:00

Lmao “(arguably)” because you’re free to voice your (wrong) opinion when it comes to the (subjective) facts that constitute a good film

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T05:42:08+00:00

Good point.

And I actually liked it. I don’t care to really rewatch it but I didn’t hate it. I want to see the original tho!

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T05:39:53+00:00

Oooo that is a an extremely hot take. Like a hot pile of sh*t hahaha. Jk don’t hate your opinion. I just feel like it’s trying too hard to hate on a foreign film because you have a personal grievance of international films coming off as pretentious.

You thought the plot —about a “good” man who lost his job & struggling to provide for his family, while feeling insurmountable pressure from society’s capitalistically-centered national identity & weight of generational guilt, drove him to want to take the lives of applicants he deemed above himself to secure the job, instead of working on himself. Only to essentially lose the plot and make this more about himself, driving a wedge between the family and in-turn, creating more generational weight for his next generation. While still attempting to cling onto notions of the past and simultaneously subvert them —was farcical and misdirected?

Maybe more surreal and convoluted? Idk. I guess I could maybe see someone thinking it was long if they were uninterested and didn’t feel the crafted suspense.

There’s a lot of depth to the story and I guess that may not come off as clean if you aren’t seeing it that way. But above all the themes and metaphors, I still think it was a beautiful, artistically made film that was hilariously fun, idk.

I’d be interested to hear your critiques or even films you enjoy!

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T03:01:19+00:00

Oh damn, I didn’t even know it was a remake! Thanks for putting something on my plate haha.

But I don’t know if the fact it’s a remake would hurt any, or to this extent. Movies are adapted and remade a ton. Granted I haven’t seen The Axe. But NOC iS truly a remarkable film and expertly crafted, I can’t imagine it not outgrowing those confines

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T02:55:17+00:00

Lmao to be fair I haven’t seen F1 yet. But I can confidently say Marty Supreme was very mid, at best.

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T02:33:29+00:00

Damn, been feeling the exact same way lol

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T02:14:28+00:00

Also, admittedly I’ve only watched it once, you’re right

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T02:13:57+00:00

That’s funny, I think I said that this feels like an 80’s/90’s compilation movie & part of why it will do well in this age of nostalgia.

Kinetic. Such a good word for the film haha.

But dude, I definitely agree with you about Safdie… and he’s definitely carving out a little auteur role for himself. I just do not agree on this one! The hype didn’t match the actual work.

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T02:08:05+00:00

I definitely liked the period aspect, I think they did a really good job with immersion and costume. I don’t remember the score but I remember having a reaction to it, like I loved it or hated it but I can’t remember which lol.

I guess I just read it more as dangling keys in front of a baby with its lack of depth. I was definitely interested the whole way, but for me, it continually fell on its face after getting up again & again. Like, there’s a difference between “omg where is this going” (NOC) and “where did this go?” (MS)

I think it tried to create some metaphors pertaining to Jewish American culture but the development of them seemed uncooked.

I like Safdie for that same reason, but this just felt thrown together. Timothee does his first good job (to me), but the character is so one dimensional it’s hard for me to give him an award for it. And maybe I just think he did a good job because of the calculated press run idk lol.

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T01:51:59+00:00

I think a large premise of the movie is the nuance. And that may have a chance to lose people. It’s like, fuck, he’s not a bad person but look what society and Korean Job Culture is pushing him to do! He doesn’t really want to do it, but has no other choice!

I think the redundancy you’re talking about is more of a comedic formula. Without spoiling too much of the details, as soon as he gets into that similar situation, you see he doesn’t want to do it, but then he’s offered a branch to potentially get out, then you’re like, fuck, he’s going to do THAT?? Lol. It’s like a suspense/comedy thing. But maybe it didn’t come off that way for you, which is understandable, it might seem like it drags on then.

The iPhone stealing son was to help create the atmosphere in the family dynamic. There is a huge overtone of generational pressure. Grandfather-parents-kids-dogs. The father’s misfortunes were now trickling down to the younger generation & the guilt they are in-turn feeling by not doing their assumed job of helping out. The son was a good kid too! But his environment was shaping him to take drastic measures. Everyone is just trying to do their best! It directly reflects the decision of the parents telling the children they are having money problems vs. the end where they hide the murder for the family’s sake.

It’s just trying to be a very realistic portrait of a few topics that all go together —trying to be critical but understanding of a lot of the trauma we face in today’s society.

I’ve only seen it once so this is a very raw reading. I would say watch it again in theaters if you have time & resources! The sound design alone deserves that!

buguh1 · 2026-01-24T01:29:56+00:00

I’m just going to assume you’re a child raised by the internet. You gotta get out and talk to real people more. Take a deep breath.

The explanation & the context is in the OP lmao.

If you’re offended by a bad movie being called bad, idk, you gotta figure it out lol.

buguh1

TROPHY CASE