Reviews
Eikoku ikka, Nippon o taberu (2015)
I didn't expect it to be educational and entertaining
This follows a British family who go to Japan so the father, a journalist can sample Japanese cuisine.
Like most anime food shows it goes into detail about what's in the dishes, which definitely whets the appetite.
I have been enjoying these types of shows lately, and this one makes it fun with the kids being a bit culture shocked by the new environment, but warming up to it through how delicious the food is when at first all they want are burgers and pizza.
It's worth the watch if you enjoy the fish out of water being adventurous, and checking out another country's specialties.
It's also an added bonus they mention tricks of the trade in how sauces are made even more delicious.
I wonder if this show will continue, but even if it doesn't it was worth it.
Okashi na Tensei (2023)
I've just started
I already see a similarity with Ascendence of a Bookworm, since the main character is aware of his new reincarnation, as well as Restaurant to Another World, and Jobless Reincarnation.
3 anime series I have become a fast fan of, so this is definitely along those lines of entertainment and comic relief with food.
The start of this anime reminded me of Shadows House, with the faceless former living main character before he is reincarnated.
There is definitely comedic story and the food scenes are in the right slice of life for what I look for in these genres, so I'd say it's worth the watch if only to be entertained, and get the great food scenes.
Hanada Shonen-shi (2002)
Didn't know I would get a sprawling dramadey
This show, while I was hoping for a dubbed version as well, was amazing to find.
It starts with drama surrounding a mischievous boy who runs in front of a truck and nearly kills both himself and the driver, but instead it takes a turn, and it focuses on his adventures seeing ghosts and helping some of them cross over, when he felt like it or was threatened by the ghosts to do so.
It's poignant and not without heartstring-pulling, but also how much trouble he gets into from his own creation, as well as with the help of the ghosts, sometimes is hilarious and sad since it follows a kid who whilst not neglected may get the wrong kind of attention, despite possibly being well-intentioned or the family way.
Great if you can find it and I'm glad I had the chance.
The Island (2021)
I've read the book..
It won't matter if the original story is known, the two main characters are represented, but like the other review mentions, it is a loosely based re-telling of Robinson Crusoe.
The soundtrack which is entrancing, has me return to it, and keep looking for a copy, but the animation is also psychedelic, and thrusts a fantasy full of allegoric wonder in your face, and gives impression of what it must have been like in the late 60s/70s, if it was as hippie dippy as entertainment makes it seem.
This is for those interested in a pleasant, artsy pastime movie, and there's very few moments which would be depressing, with exception to a few which drive the story forward; one of the movies I'd leave on in the background for the ocean sounds.
That Great British Documentary (2023)
Interesting viewpoint, at the least
I wasn't planning on reviewing until seeing the only review given was slightly biased in its tone.
It's steady cam most of the time, but Joan literally says she's a documentary-maker right at the start of it.
She speaks of her close relationship with her father, whom was white and where she got her love for film-making and documentary film. She speaks of how helpful he was to her, and about his career. She's also quite abrasive in tone, so I understand why most people wouldn't necessarily find the narrator sympathetic.
She also is given permission to catch her father's death on film, not something you necessarily want to watch unless informed beforehand.
Not to say it's explicit, but she does state fairly early on it's to express her desire to explore death and her fresh mourning of her father.
Although it does take you out of the real-time viewing when she's speaking of mourning and simultaneously editing shots for her documentary.
I watched nearly 7 minutes before skipping ahead, since she starts following protests and was more about finding out about where her West Indies ancestry coming into play with how different countries perceive her skin tone and culture, and I have seen more cohesive documentary series which capture the same, and my addition was merely to offset the fairly unkind review left, which seemed to go slightly askew with it's suppositions.
If you like art films and biopics, this may be a good study piece, otherwise it is very raw footage.