Synopsis: A stranger is persuaded to work as a janitor for one night at a small amusement park in a quiet town. However, what he couldn't have imagined was that he was "trapped" in a dangerous trap, where his main enemies are animatronic toys thirsty for human blood.

Horror scenary has many facets, and in this movie, the idea is to create a relatively claustrophobic atmosphere by "locking" the protagonist inside a single place, focusing all his efforts on the idea that he must escape at all costs. However, while the script isn't particularly effective within this context, it manages (at least in some moments) to subvert the plot itself by presenting the audience with the twists and turns that make this movie at least "worthy" of watching (even if it's quite bad).

I know it's a bit antagonistic to say a movie is bad, but it's still worthy. On the other hand, it's easy to understand this when you watch this movie and give it due recognition for the purpose it sought to convey. Within the framework it operates, it's a worthy project, but it's still bad because it fails to capitalize on all the clichés it used to make itself justifiable. Specifically speaking, this is the kind of movie that has (albeit with difficulty) a better chance of appealing to a captive horror audience (and I speak as one of them).

In the plot, a stranger ends up having car trouble in the middle of the road. Cut off from everything (and everyone), his only chance to get out of there quickly happens by chance, when a resident of a neighboring town finds him "adrift", waiting for help. Unable to get money to pay for his car repairs (because he can't find a working ATM and also because the garage where his car is located doesn't accept any brand of credit card), he receives an unusual invitation from a third stranger: to work as a janitor for one night.

The deal is to work at a small amusement park called Willy's Wonderland for just one night, and after all the cleaning is done, he'll get his car back, fully repaired, and he won't have to pay for what was done to it. What he couldn't imagine is that, in reality, this arrangement's main objective is to keep him "trapped" in a kind of "mousetrap" that hides unimaginable dangers: animatronic toys that mysteriously come to life and want to make him their next victim. Ironically, what the toys don't know is that this victim is not ordinary.

While the script fails to capitalize on the clichés inherent in this genre (and the shortcomings are consistent, because the choices are excessively escapist, to the point of failing to generate any moments of great tension or scenes with more immersive suspense), it also features a protagonist who stands out from any other in this genre by being a character who "communicates" solely through "facial expressions" and his own actions. This makes the audience pay more attention to the physical reactions that emerge on screen.

Therefore, it is precisely in this aspect that the movie succeeds in bringing something different. Nicolas Cage, despite all the facial exaggerations, has constructed a character who is both uncompromising and cynical, with a touch of "methodism" that underpins a very mysterious personality (which, incidentally, is never revealed throughout the entire movie). Ironically, it is his character who becomes the movie's greatest danger, because it is not he who is trapped with the animatronic toys... but rather the animatronic toys that are trapped with him (and will be hunted).

The supporting cast is terrible (and even Cage doesn't deliver anything particularly positive here; what he does is merely "quirky" enough to become something curiously interesting), and the acting is subpar. Technically speaking, it is easily noticeable that the project had a low budget, because the set design is very limited, the scenes with the greatest concentration of "suspense" bring very subtle horror elements (despite the good lighting in some scenes) and the practical effects are too "stiff" to be taken seriously as a predatory threat of evil.

Kevin Lewis made no effort to make Willy's Wonderland more appealing than it actually is, and as the director, this is even more worrying because he's in control of how everything reaches the audience. With a plot that begins and ends without any substantial relevance (and the big mystery surrounding the events of the macabre amusement park doesn't bring anything new, despite still presenting a "two-sided" narrative thread), this is a generic horror movie, but one that, at the same time, has its "value."

Sinopsis: Un desconocido es persuadido para trabajar como conserje por una noche en un pequeño parque de atracciones en un tranquilo pueblo. Sin embargo, lo que nunca imaginó fue que estaba "atrapado" en una peligrosa trampa, donde sus principales enemigos son juguetes animatrónicos sedientos de sangre humana.

El escenario de terror tiene muchas facetas, y en esta película, la idea es crear una atmósfera relativamente claustrofóbica "encerrando" al protagonista en un solo lugar, centrando todos sus esfuerzos en la idea de que debe escapar a toda costa. Sin embargo, aunque el guion no es particularmente efectivo en este contexto, logra (al menos en algunos momentos) subvertir la trama al presentar al público los giros inesperados que hacen que esta película, al menos, "merezca" ser vista (aunque sea bastante mala).

Sé que es un poco antagónico decir que una película es mala, pero aun así vale la pena. Por otro lado, es fácil entenderlo al verla y reconocerle el propósito que buscaba transmitir. Dentro del marco en el que opera, es un proyecto valioso, pero sigue siendo malo porque no aprovecha todos los clichés que usó para justificarse. En concreto, este es el tipo de película que tiene (aunque con dificultad) más posibilidades de atraer a un público cautivo del terror (y hablo como uno de ellos).

En la trama, un desconocido tiene un problema con el coche en medio de la carretera. Aislado de todo (y de todos), su única oportunidad de salir de allí rápidamente surge por casualidad, cuando un vecino de un pueblo vecino lo encuentra "a la deriva", esperando ayuda. Al no poder conseguir dinero para pagar las reparaciones de su coche (porque no encuentra un cajero automático que funcione y también porque el taller donde tiene su coche no acepta ninguna marca de tarjeta de crédito), recibe una inusual invitación de un tercer desconocido: trabajar como conserje por una noche.

El acuerdo consiste en trabajar en un pequeño parque de atracciones llamado Willy's Wonderland solo una noche, y después de limpiarlo todo, recuperará su coche, completamente reparado, y no tendrá que pagar por lo que le hicieron. Lo que no podía imaginar es que, en realidad, el objetivo principal de este acuerdo es mantenerlo "atrapado" en una especie de "ratonera" que esconde peligros inimaginables: juguetes animatrónicos que cobran vida misteriosamente y quieren convertirlo en su próxima víctima. Irónicamente, lo que los juguetes desconocen es que esta víctima no es común.

Si bien el guion no aprovecha los clichés inherentes a este género (y las deficiencias son constantes, ya que las decisiones son excesivamente escapistas, hasta el punto de no generar momentos de gran tensión ni escenas con un suspense más inmersivo), también presenta a un protagonista que se distingue de cualquier otro en este género por ser un personaje que se "comunica" únicamente a través de sus "expresiones faciales" y sus propias acciones. Esto hace que el público preste más atención a las reacciones físicas que surgen en la pantalla.

Por lo tanto, es precisamente en este aspecto donde la película logra aportar algo diferente. Nicolas Cage, a pesar de todas las exageraciones faciales, ha construido un personaje a la vez inflexible y cínico, con un toque de metodismo que sustenta una personalidad muy misteriosa (que, por cierto, nunca se revela a lo largo de la película). Irónicamente, es su personaje quien se convierte en el mayor peligro de la película, porque no es él quien está atrapado con los juguetes animatrónicos... sino los juguetes animatrónicos que están atrapados con él (y serán perseguidos).

El reparto secundario es pésimo (e incluso Cage no aporta nada particularmente positivo aquí; lo que hace es simplemente lo suficientemente peculiar como para convertirse en algo curiosamente interesante), y la actuación es mediocre. Técnicamente hablando, se nota fácilmente que el proyecto tuvo un bajo presupuesto, porque la escenografía es muy limitada, las escenas con mayor concentración de "suspenso" aportan elementos de terror muy sutiles (a pesar de la buena iluminación en algunas escenas) y los efectos prácticos son demasiado "rígidos" para ser tomados en serio como una amenaza depredadora del mal.

Kevin Lewis no se esforzó por hacer que Willy's Wonderland fuera más atractivo de lo que realmente es, y como director, esto es aún más preocupante porque controla cómo llega todo al público. Con una trama que empieza y termina sin ninguna relevancia sustancial (y el gran misterio que rodea los sucesos del macabro parque de atracciones no aporta nada nuevo, a pesar de presentar una narrativa de doble cara), esta es una película de terror genérica, pero que, al mismo tiempo, tiene su valor.

Sinopse: Um estranho é convencido a trabalhar como zelador por uma noite em um pequeno parque de diversões em uma cidade pacata. No entanto, o que ele não poderia imaginar é que ele estava “preso” em uma perigosa armadilha, onde os seus principais inimigos são brinquedos animatrônicos com sede de sangue humano.

O cenário do horror tem diferentes vertentes a serem abordadas, e neste filme, a ideia é trazer um clima relativamente claustrofóbico ao “trancar” o protagonista dentro de um único lugar, concentrando todos os seus esforços na ideia de que é preciso sair daquele lugar a todo custo. No entanto, apesar do roteiro não conseguir ser muito eficiente dentro desse contexto, ele consegue (ao menos em alguns momentos) subverter à própria trama ao apresentar ao público os desdobramentos que tornam este filme em algo minimamente “digno” de ser assistido (mesmo sendo algo bem ruim).

Eu sei que é meio antagônico falar que um filme é ruim, mas ainda sim é digno. Por outro lado, fica fácil de compreender isso quando você assiste esse filme, e lhe dá o devido reconhecimento dentro da proposta que ele quis trazer. Dentro da camada que ele trabalha, ele é um projeto digno, mas ainda sim é ruim porque não consegue se beneficiar de todos os clichês que usou para se tornar algo justificável. Especificamente falando, esse é aquele tipo de filme que tem (ainda que com dificuldades) maiores chances de agradar a um público cativo do cinema de horror (e eu falo como um deles).

Na trama, um estranho acaba tendo um problema com o seu carro no meio da estrada. Afastado de tudo (e de todos), à sua única chance de sair de lá rapidamente acontece ao acaso, quando um morador de uma cidade vizinha o encontra à “deriva”, esperando por ajuda. Sem ter como tirar dinheiro para pagar pelo conserto do seu carro (por não conseguir encontrar um caixa-rápido que funcione e também, porque a oficina onde o seu carro está não aceitar cartão de crédito de nenhuma marca), ele recebe um convite inusitado de um terceiro estranho: trabalhar como zelador, por uma noite.

O trato é trabalhar em um pequeno parque de diversões chamado Willy's Wonderland por apenas uma única noite, e após toda a limpeza ser feita, ele terá o seu carro de volta, totalmente consertado, e não pagará pelo que foi feito nele. O que ele não poderia imaginar é que, na verdade, esse acordo tem como principal objetivo mantê-lo “preso” em uma espécie “ratoeira” que esconde perigos inimagináveis: brinquedos animatrônicos que misteriosamente ganham vida e querem fazer dele à sua próxima vítima. Ironicamente, o que os brinquedos não sabem é que essa vítima não é comum.

Se por um lado o roteiro erra em não conseguir se beneficiar dos próprios clichês que fazem parte desse gênero (e as perdas são consistentes, porque as escolhas são excessivamente escapistas, a ponto de não conseguirem gerar nenhum momento com muita tensão ou alguma cena com um suspense mais imersivo), por outro, ele traz um protagonista se diferencia de qualquer outro dentro desse gênero por ser um personagem que se “comunica” apenas por “expressões faciais” e suas próprias ações. Isso faz com que o público preste mais atenção nas reações físicas que emergem na tela.

Sendo assim, é precisamente nesse aspecto que o filme consegue trazer algo diferente. Nicolas Cage, apesar de todos os exageros faciais, construiu um personagem descompromissado, e ao mesmo cínico, com um toque de “metodismo” que é responsável por fundamentar uma personalidade muito misteriosa (e que aliás, nunca é revelada durante o filme inteiro). Ironicamente, é o personagem dele quem se torna o maior perigo do filme, porque não é ele quem está preso com os brinquedos animatrônicos... Mas sim os brinquedos animatrônicos que estão presos com ele (e serão caçados).

O elenco de apoio é péssimo (e até mesmo o Cage não entrega nada de tão positivo aqui, o que ele faz é apenas meio “peculiar” a ponto de se tornar algo curiosamente interessante), e o nível de atuação é precário. Tecnicamente falando, é facilmente perceptível que o projeto teve um baixo orçamento, porque a cenografia é muito limitada, as cenas com a maior concentração de “suspense” trazem elementos de horror bastante sutis (apesar da boa iluminação em algumas cenas) e os efeitos práticos são “engessados” demais para serem levados a sério como uma ameaça predatória do mal.

Kevin Lewis não fez o mínimo esforço para tornar Willy's Wonderland: Parque Maldito em um projeto mais atrativo do que na verdade ele é, e sendo ele o diretor, isso é ainda mais preocupante porque ele está no controle de como tudo deve chegar até o público. Trazendo uma trama que começa e termina sem uma relevância mais substancial (e o grande mistério sobre os eventos do parque de diversões macabro não traz nenhuma novidade, apesar de ainda apresentar um segmento narrativo “bilateral”), eis aqui uma obra de horror genérica, mas que ao mesmo tempo tem o seu “valor”.

Have you ever tried helping someone but ended up making it worse? You have the right intention, but in the end, all seemed wrong? Well, you’re not alone because I know many of us have once done that. It’s frustrating because you just wanted to do good, but ended up aggravating the whole thing. Speaking of making it worse, the anime I recently finished has a character who had the right intention, but anyway, he ended up making the lives of the people he wanted to help worse. The series of his misguided decisions led him to plunge further into the depths of sinfulness. All he just wanted was to spread happiness, so where could he have gone wrong? Before I share my review, let’s get to know his first sin—the sin that led to the other sins he had done—Takopi’s Original Sin.

About the Anime

Takopi's Original Sin (Takopii no Genzai) is an ONA that first aired this year, June 28, and it just finished this August 2. This 6 episode-long sci-fi drama anime was animated by Enishiya and was based on the shounen manga written and illustrated by Taizan 5. I didn’t expect that this would really get adapted this year, I mean it’s prolly just a couple of years ago when I read this along with Oyasumi Punpun. Usually, the manga I read took more than a couple of years to be adapted, so I didn’t see it coming this year, so I got excited when I heard the announcement of its premiere. The first episode was already promising, and although it’s not totally meant to be enjoyed with enthusiasm, I still got hooked immediately with its animation art style and soundtrack. Anyway, so much for that, let me share with you my personal overview of what this anime is all about.

So it all started with the introduction of a strange octopus-like creature, which left his planet—Happy Planet in order to spread happiness to the other parts of the universe. Unluckily, he landed on our planet where he experienced hostilities, and when he was able to escape the dangers of being held captive, there he met Shizuka—the girl who fed and named him, Takopi. Grateful for what Shizuka had done for him, Takopi vowed that he would do everything and would use all his happy gadgets to make Shizuka happy. However, behind Shizuka’s calm and serious demeanor hides the ugly truth that Takopi couldn’t comprehend. All is well, until Shizuka lost the only creature that made her grounded and what happened after that was the unthinkable.

Determined to change the grim future that awaits Shizuka, Takopi constantly rewinds moments to save her. But in every changed past, the future is also altered until everything becomes a mess. The naïve Takopi finds himself confused about what he has done wrong. Sins keep piling up until Takopi realized something, and it’s the first sin he had committed. The root of them all—the one that sent him to Shizuka. How foolish! How could he forget that? Fate can be cruel indeed.

Compared to the manga, this one is quite lively and less heavy. Maybe because it’s colored and the soundtrack was cute and boppy? Or is it because I’ve read its manga after I finished Oyasumi Punpun? Either way, I still like how it was adapted, and although it wasn’t meant to be enjoyed in a wholesome way, my experience while watching it was something I couldn’t forget. I thought I wouldn’t cry because I already know the story and also how it’ll end, but it definitely hit differently when there are voices and visuals. The moment the last part started, tears suddenly welled up in my eyes and it wasn’t long when I started crying, but mind you—I’m not crying because I felt completely sad. Well, it’s the mix of melancholy and hopefulness, and its impact on me is more felt when I hear those words being said.

Reading manga and watching the anime adaptation felt like a completely different experience to me because in manga, I pay much attention to the words rather than the illustration; however, whenever I watched anime, it’s the visuals that hooked me. I appreciated the expressions—especially Azuma’s, when I get to watch the anime. He’s my favorite character among them because he resonates with me. I’m also quite like him before, I always feel that if I have good grades and a reputation as a student, I would be more valued and loved. Yet it turns out that it doesn’t work that way because, like him, I realized that no matter how hard I tried, I would not surpass those who are born with natural gifts. Also, I can’t please everyone no matter how kind and understanding I would be, because there are people who will really not like me, just like how I don’t like certain people without any rational reason.

Yes, it seems unreasonable to feel that way, but that’s what I am, and fortunately, like him, I also experienced a life-changing Takopi-like moment which snapped out my people-pleasing nature. Of course it won’t fully disappear, but like Azuma, I stopped overstressing the problem of the people who didn’t want my help. I’m really thankful that even if it’s adapted, the message of Takopi’s experience didn’t change, and that’s—we can’t fix everything. There’s a limitation to the extent we can help people because the more you help them, the more you teach them to depend on you, and the plot of this anime creatively conveys the tragedy of that concept.

The varying timelines gave Takopi and me different perspectives, and it’s something that I’m really amazed about. The plot wasn’t that complicated nor superficial; it's just the one that will make you ponder for a while. The first time I encountered its story, I was really surprised by its twist because I’m at a loss for how Takopi will solve Shizuka’s problems. Her life was really a hopeless case, plus Takopi’s apparent ignorance of the depths and complexities of human emotions was quite stressing for me. But thankfully, the creator was able to address those issues well in just 16 chapters and also the anime covered them well in just 6 episodes.

Overall, my experience in watching this anime is a 9.5/10, and contrary to what most comments I read about its anime adaptation, it wasn’t that traumatizing nor totally grim for me; instead, I even felt hopeful after watching it. Its message was nice, and if you haven’t read the manga yet, it would totally go beyond your expectations. The cute art style is a far cry from the story it follows, that’s why if you’re interested in an anime with an adorable art style and unusual story, then you need to try watching this one and figure out for yourself what really is Takopi’s original sin

And before I end this up, I'll share with you its trailer, so—

Have you watched this anime already? Or you still haven't even tried watching it? Well, if you have something to share, then feel free to comment below. And that's all for now, minna-san! I hope you enjoyed reading my review.

Arigatou and tanoshinde ne~

Greetings, and welcome to all, anime lovers! 💗

Saludos, y bienvenidos a todos, amantes del anime! 💗

Hello everyone, friends of The Anime Realm, I hope you are all well, this time I want to share a new review, I will talk about an anime that I saw some time ago, today I will give you my opinions on the series: Masamune-kun's Revenge. It is the kind of series that catches you with its synopsis, or with its visuals... that's exactly what happened to me, and the main idea... is really crazy, the series begins like this, we have this boy, Masamune Makabe, who as a child was, well, chubby and was heavily bullied for it... and by the way, the girl he liked a lot, a rich and gorgeous girl named Aki Adagaki, not only rejects him, but gives him the cruelest nickname in the universe: "Pig's Feet". Ouch, right?! Imagine the trauma... but Masamune, instead of staying there depressed, takes all that pain and boom! He spends years killing himself in the gym, working out hard... he trains a lot, and completely transforms himself, gets super fit, changes his name and basically becomes this gorgeous and popular guy who, let's be honest, girls seem to love him. And what's his ultimate goal? He finds out that Aki goes to the same high school as him... so he comes up with this super elaborate revenge plan: make Aki fall madly in love with him, with her new self, and just when she's really in love, bam!, break her heart like she broke his.

A revenge plan within a romantic comedy? Very well noted... just that concept seemed super intriguing to me and, well, who hasn't felt like that at some point, like you're treated badly or judged just by how you look? Going into it, I already knew this was a romantic comedy, maybe with a touch of a harem, so you get the idea. You expect the typical misunderstandings, characters who clash and make you laugh, maybe a love triangle... or in this case, even more! And for a good part of the series, especially the first half, the real comedy that makes you laugh, there were moments when I laughed out loud.

Masamune's internal monologues and his reactions, almost always super exaggerated, when things don't go as planned... are brilliant. There's a scene... no, no, you have to see it!... where Aki leaves him cold, speechless, and that happens a lot... it's the pinnacle of physical comedy, the perfect timing, the brilliant execution, the dubbing, especially Masamune's original Japanese seiyuu, killed it! He gave it just that energy and that panic at times, which makes those moments so funny. I also heard that Josh Grelle does the English voice acting, and if you're familiar with his work, you know that must be incredible too. I might even watch it again just to hear it. The interactions between Masamune and the other characters almost always have that chaotic vibe that keeps things light and draws you in.

Hola a todos, amigos de The Anime Realm, espero que estén bien, en esta ocasión, les quiero compartir una nueva reseña, les hablaré de un anime que ví hace algún tiempo, hoy les daré mis opiniones sobre la serie: Masamune-kun's Revenge. Es el tipo de serie que te atrapa por su sinópsis, o por sus visuales.. así mismito me pasó a mí, y es que la idea principal.. está bien loca, la verdad, la serie comienza así, tenemos a este chico, Masamune Makabe, que de niño era, pues, gordito y le hacían bullying pesado por eso.. y de paso, la chica que le gustaba un montón, una niña rica y guapísima llamada Aki Adagaki, no solo lo rechaza, sino que le pone el apodo más cruel del universo: "Patas de Cerdo". ¡Auch, ¿no?! Imagínense el trauma.. pero el Masamune, en lugar de quedarse ahí depre, agarra todo ese dolor y ¡pum!, se pasa años matándose en el gimnasio, dándole duro.. entrena mucho, y se transforma por completo, se pone súper fit, cambia de nombre y básicamente se vuelve este tipo guapísimo y popular que, siendo honestos, parece que a las chavas les encanta. ¿Y cuál es su meta final? Descubre que Aki va a su misma prepa.. así que arma este plan de venganza súper elaborado: hacer que Aki se enamore perdidamente de él, de su nuevo yo, y justo cuando esté bien enamorada, ¡zas!, partirle el corazón como ella se lo partió a él.
Un plan de venganza dentro de una comedia romántica Anotadísimo.. solo ese concepto ya me pareció súper intrigante y, pues, ¿quién no se ha sentido alguna vez así, como que te tratan mal o te juzgan nomás por cómo te ves? Al empezar, yo ya sabía que esto era comedia romántica, quizá con sus toques de harén, así que ya te vas haciendo una idea, esperas los típicos malentendidos, personajes que chocan y te sacan unas risas, tal vez algún triángulo amoroso... o en este caso, ¡hasta más! Y durante buena parte de la serie, sobre todo la primera mitad, la comedia de verdad que te da gracia, hubo momentos en que me carcajeé bien fuerte.
Los monólogos internos de Masamune y sus reacciones, casi siempre súper exageradas, cuando las cosas no le salen como las planeó.. son geniales, hay una escena… ¡no, no, tienen que verla!... donde Aki lo deja frío, sin palabras, y es algo que pasa mucho.. es la cúspide de la comedia física, el timing perfecto, la ejecución genial, el doblaje, especialmente el seiyuu original japonés de Masamune, ¡la rompió!, le dio justo esa energía y ese pánico a veces, que hace que esos momentos sean tan graciosos. También escuché que Josh Grelle hace la voz en inglés, y si conocen su trabajo, saben que eso debe estar increíble también; igual y hasta me la vuelvo a ver doblada nomás por escucharlo.. las interacciones entre Masamune y los demás personajes casi siempre tienen esa vibra caótica que mantiene todo ligero y te engancha.

Ok, but the main thing, obviously, is what happens between Masamune and Aki Adagaki, the famous "Cruel Princess" ... seeing how Masamune tries to carry out his "Dead or Love" plan, wanting to make her fall in love with her but at the same time planning how to destroy her ... that's the center of everything ... and Aki ... is a case, she's super tough, yes, sometimes really mean with the boys who confess to her, and she always has that unfriendly face, as if she were made of ice ... but suddenly, boom!, you see a more fragile side to her, you know? Like she's insecure or doesn't understand anything about the "normal" world, about ordinary people ... and that makes her not just the "bad" one who needs revenge. There you kind of understand why Masamune could have fallen in love with her before, even though the truth is he behaved really badly... the series plays a lot with that doubt: Will Masamune continue with his plan of revenge or will he get crossed with old (or new) feelings?

It makes you think a lot about what he really feels and if revenge is worth anything in the end. Mind you, the secondary characters add a lot of spice! My favorite, by far!, is Yoshino Koiwai. She's like Aki's maid, well, more like his personal "assistant" because of a super old family vibe that forces her to always serve him... she seems super calm and like she listens to Aki in everything, but secretly, she becomes Masamune's secret ally for his revenge! And why does she do that? Well... it's complicated, maybe she wants Aki to learn something, to stop being so annoying, not so much because she's mean, or maybe not... that way Yoshino talks, without showing anything, all serious, almost without emotions, and how she manipulates some things, it's great...

When she talks to Masamune, "training" him (and almost always badly) on how to hook up with Aki... those are some of the best parts of the series! For me, she's the MVP that nobody expected, then there are others, like Aki's half-crazy fan club, who appear later, trying to protect their Aki from Masamune, and that creates some really funny situations. And there's also Kojūrō Shuri, this guy who looks like a girl but is super cute and really cool, which contrasts well with all the nonsense and crazy people, he's a character who never gets the importance he deserved, he needed more development too!

Ok, pero la onda principal, obvio, es lo que pasa entre Masamune y Aki Adagaki, la famosa "Princesa Cruel".. ver cómo Masamune intenta llevar a cabo su plan "Dead or Love", queriendo enamorarla pero al mismo tiempo planeando cómo destrozarla... ¡eso es el centro de todo.. y Aki... es un caso, es súper dura, sí, a veces bien mala onda con los chicos que se le confiesan, y siempre anda con esa cara de pocos amigos, como si fuera de hielo.. pero de repente, ¡pum!, le ves como que un lado más frágil, ¿sabes? Como que es insegura o no cacha nada del mundo "normal", de la gente común.. y eso hace que no sea nomás la "mala" a la que hay que vengarse. Ahí como que entiendes un poquito por qué Masamune se pudo enamorar con ella antes, aunque la verdad se portó súper mal.. la serie juega mucho con esa duda: ¿Masamune seguirá con su plan de venganza o se le van a cruzar los cables con los sentimientos viejos (o nuevos)?
Te pone a pensar un buen sobre qué siente él de verdad y si la venganza al final sirve de algo, ojo, que los personajes secundarios le ponen un montón de sazón! Mi favorita, ¡pero por lejos!, es Yoshino Koiwai. Es como la sirvienta de Aki, bueno, más bien como su "asistente" personal por una onda familiar súper vieja que la obliga a servirle siempre.. parece súper tranquila y que le hace caso en todo a Aki, ¡pero a escondidas, se vuelve la aliada secreta de Masamune para su venganza! ¿Y por qué hace eso? Pues... es complicado, tal vez quiere que Aki aprenda algo, que deje de ser tan pesada, no tanto por ser mala onda ella, o quizás no.. esa forma de hablar de Yoshino, sin mostrar nada, toda seria, casi sin emociones, y cómo manipula algunas cosas, es genial..
Cuando habla con Masamune, "entrenándolo" (y casi siempre mal) sobre cómo ligarse a Aki.. son de las mejores partes de la serie! Para mí, ella es la MVP que nadie se esperaba, luego están otros, como el club de fans medio loco de Aki, que aparecen más después, intentando proteger a su Aki de Masamune, y eso crea unas situaciones bien chistosas. Y también está Kojūrō Shuri, el chico este que parece niña pero es súper lindo y buena onda de verdad, que contrasta bien con tanto rollo y gente loca, es un personaje al que nunca le dan la importancia que se merecía, el necesitaba más desarrollo también!

Buuuut… and this is where things started to get a little down for me… the series isn’t perfect, not even a joke, to be honest… one of my biggest issues was with Masamune himself, I mean, yeah, how cool that he got his act together to change, but man! He gets so hung up on revenge, and on top of that he gets too carried away now that he’s handsome, that sometimes it’s hard to cheer him up, there are moments, especially later on, when it seems like he doesn’t get anything or that the world revolves around him, and that’s like… meh. You understand why it all started, his pain and all, but what he does afterwards, sometimes you say come down from that cloud a bit… it also doesn’t help that they hardly tell you anything about how his vibe with Aki was really before, beyond the fact that they happily rejected him at least in the first season, a little more context there would have been cool to connect more, right?

Or to better understand what’s up… what is he looking for besides revenge? And then there’s Neko Fujinomiya… this seemingly perfect, super sweet, and pretty girl appears out of nowhere, transfers to the school, says she’s already met Masamune (and he has no idea), and boom! Almost instantly, she declares her love for him… that kind of threw me off, for me, it was the ultimate cliché, I swear. The fragile beauty with the mysterious illness? Check! The half-baked, barely believable story to justify why she likes Masamune? Check! Her whole thing adds a melodrama that felt super out of place with the comedic tone of the series, and in the end, I didn’t feel like it affected the main story or the important characters… it just feels like pure filler, really, and completely useless.

I got tired of her character, and I would have preferred if they used that time to develop other plot points, like the one with the school representative, Futaba Tae, who seemed interesting but they just left her there, forgotten… that brings me to the end. Phew, the ending, folks… Without spoiling too much, let me just say it felt so… unfinished, it left you with a what face! After 12 chapters of plotting, mystery, and characters sort of changing, it was all over… there wasn’t a second season until years later, and since I saw this anime while it was airing, it was confusing… if you decide to watch it, obviously you won’t feel that way, you’ll just keep going and see the ending, but at the time it felt weird.

Peeeero… y aquí es donde la cosa se me empezó a bajar un poquito… la serie no es perfecta, ni de chiste, la verdad.. uno de mis rollos más grandes fue con el mismísimo Masamune, a ver, sí, qué chido que se puso las pilas para cambiar, pero ¡mano!, se clava tanto con la venganza, y encima se le suben los humos demasiado ahora que está guapo, que a veces cuesta trabajo animarlo, hay momentos, sobre todo más adelante, en que parece que no capta nada o que el mundo gira a su alrededor, y eso como que... meh. Entiendes por qué empezó todo, su dolor y eso, pero lo que hace después, a veces dices bajate un poco de esa nube.. tampoco ayuda que casi no te cuentan nada de cómo era en serio su onda con Aki antes, más allá de que lo rechazaron feliz al menos en la primera temporada, un poquito más de contexto ahí hubiera estado chido para conectar más, ¿no?
O para entender mejor qué onda.. qué busca además de la venganza? Y luego está Neko Fujinomiya.. aparece de la nada esta chica que parece perfecta, súper dulce y guapa, se cambia a la escuela, dice que ya conocía a Masamune (y él ni idea), y ¡pum!, casi al instante le declara su amor.. eso me sacó un poco de onda, para mí, fue el cliché con patas, se los juro. ¿La belleza frágil con enfermedad misteriosa? ¡Check! ¿La historia medio sacada de la manga y poco creíble para justificar por qué le gusta Masamune? ¡Check! Todo su rollo mete un melodrama que se sintió súper fuera de lugar con el tono de comedia que traía la serie, y al final, ni sentí que afectara la historia principal ni a los personajes importantes.. se siente como puro relleno, la neta, y bien inútil.
Me cansó su personaje, y hubiera preferido que ese tiempo lo usaran para desarrollar otras ondas, como lo de la delegada, Futaba Tae, que parecía interesante pero la dejaron ahí nomás, olvidada.. eso me lleva al final. Uf, el final, amigos… Sin spoilearles mucho, déjenme decirles que se sintió súper… inconcluso, ¡te deja con cara de what! Después de 12 capítulos de armar la trama, el misterio y que los personajes medio cambiaran, todo acabó.. no hubo una segunda temporada, hasta años después, y yo que ví este anime en emisión, si resultó confuso.. si deciden verlo, obviamente no sentirán eso, continuaran y verán el final, pero en esa época se sintió extraño.

Well then, in the end, what's up with Masamune-kun's Revenge? For me, it's one of those series that has its good things and its bad things, the main idea is really cool, and yes, there were parts where I laughed a lot, plus there are characters that break it, like Yoshino... it touches on those themes of people being superficial and how they treat you, depending on how you look, and that gives it an interesting point, the animation and all, well, average, nothing out of this world, but it does its job, and the dubbing, the Japanese at least, is good... but it doesn't fully get into how dark or complicated the revenge thing could have been, and many times it falls into the same old clichés of romantic comedies... the protagonist sometimes falls bad, some secondary stories are kind of weak..

Something I must say is that the second season tries to fix many things, there is a little more development in Masamune, we know much more about the characters' past, and there are a few plot twists that I really didn't expect, and that surprised me... the ending was something that I expected, I liked it, and I thought I would hate it, then this second season helped a lot to improve this anime a little bit! So, do I recommend it? Mmm, if you are looking for a light romantic comedy, to pass the time, with jokes and you don’t mind that the story doesn’t feel linear, then maybe you will find something to like, especially at the beginning.

The initial idea does pique your curiosity for a while, but if you are looking for characters that really change quickly or a constant development, you might be disappointed, I’m sure there are better romantic comedies out there, that leave you happier, it’s entertaining enough to binge-watch on the weekend, yes, but it could have been so much better. Now, to give it a rating… I think I’d give it a… 7/10. It’s watchable, yes, take a look if you were curious, but take it easy, lower your expectations, and well, that’s all for today, we’ll see you in the next reviews, take care! Bye!

Bueno, entonces, al final, ¿qué onda con Masamune-kun's Revenge? Para mí, es de esas series que tienen sus cosas buenas y sus cosas malas, la idea principal está bien chida, y sí, hubo partes en las que me reí bastante, además de que hay personajes que la rompen, como Yoshino.. toca esos temas de que la gente es superficial y cómo te tratan, según cómo te ves, y eso le da un puntito interesante, la animación y eso, pues está bien, normalita, nada del otro mundo, pero cumple, y el doblaje, el japo al menos, está bueno.. pero no le entra de lleno a lo oscuro o lo complicado que pudo ser el rollo de la venganza, y muchas veces cae en los mismos clichés de siempre de las comedias románticas.. el prota a veces cae mal, unas historias secundarias están medio flojas..
Algo que debo decir, es que la segunda temporada intenta arreglar muchas cosas, hay un poco más de desarrollo en Masamune, conocemos mucho más el pasado de los personajes, y hay unos cuantos giros de guión que realmente no me esperabas, y que me sorprendieron.. el final, fue algo que no me esperaba, si me gustó, y pensé que lo odiaria, entonces está segunda temporada ayudó mucho a que este anime mejorará un poquito! Entonces, ¿la recomiendo? Mmm, si andan buscando una comedia romántica ligera, para pasar el rato, con chistes y no les molesta lo que la historia no se sienta lineal, pues tal vez sí le encuentran el gusto, sobre todo al principio..
La idea inicial sí te pica la curiosidad un rato, pero si buscan personajes que de verdad cambien rápidamente o un desarrollo constante, tal vez se decepcionan, seguro hay comedias románticas mejores por ahí, que te dejan más contento, está entretenida para echarte un maratón el fin de semana, sí, pero pudo ser muchísimo mejor. Ahora, pa' ponerle calificación… yo creo que le doy un… 7/10. Se deja ver, sí, echenle un ojo si les dio curiosidad, pero váyanle con calma, bájenle a las expectativas, y bueno, esto es todo por hoy, nos veremos en las próximas reseñas, cuidense mucho! Byebye!

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The title itself hooked me. “Unwanted” and “Undead” in the same sentence? That’s the kind of odd combination that makes you curious. And you know what? I told myself, Let’s see how messed up this gets.

I expected a cheap, zombie-infested fantasy with predictable plot points and half-baked characters. What I got instead was a strangely heartfelt, unexpectedly deep story about resilience, transformation, and the human will to keep pushing forward even when your humanity is literally taken from you.

The story kicks off with Rentt Faina, your average, run-of-the-mill adventurer who’s been struggling for years to make it big. He’s not blessed with overwhelming talent, he’s not the “chosen one,” and his name doesn’t exactly inspire fear in the guild halls. But he’s persistent — that kind of stubborn persistence you can’t help but respect.

After that, one day he is on a dungeon quest, and he comes across a monster that is far beyond his abilities. A dragon. And not the good-natured kind. In a nutshell, Rentt does not walk away out of that fight, in fact, he does not walk away at all. He dies. And this is where it gets interesting: rather than waking up in some afterlife he returns… as a skeleton.

At this point you would expect the main character to crumble into pieces, rage at the heavens or undergo some sort of existential crisis, and he does, to some degree, but Rentt is oddly composed. The speed with which he makes decisions, Okay, I am now undead, is almost unnerving. Well, I guess this will work. This is when I knew that this was not going to be that run of the mill overpowered fantasy story. It was a survival story.

It is also one of the finest aspects of The Unwanted Undead Adventurer, the pacing of the change in Rentt. It did not hurry. We are allowed to see him go through these difficulties, which include learning to live in an entirely new skeletal body, working out what he can and cannot do, and establishing methods of maintaining the appearance of a typical adventurer so that he does not scare off the people that surround him.

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The manner in which Rentt continues to struggle on even losing everything there is to lose is somehow encouraging. No family. No genuine friends that know the truth. No human countenance. But still, his ambition is not different: to rise to the adventuring heights. But now, the stakes are changed, all he has to do is hide his secret and remain alive enough to continue the pursuit of the dream every day.

The trip that Rentt took would not be as impactful without the characters that revolved around him. Then we have Lorraine, an adventurer and alchemist who is also an alchemist who proves to be one of the characters he can trust in the shortest duration. She is a sharp, low-key, funny, and refreshingly down to earth girl who is not afraid to tell you like it is, but will still assist you in finding a solution.

And then there is the guild and the other adventurers and even the monsters that Rentt encounters. All interactions seem to remind a person that he is always on the edge of a razor between retaining his secret and being unmasked. It is tight, but not in a way that is suffocating, more of a low tone drone that keeps you on your toes.

What surprised me was that I thought I was only getting a fantasy adventure with skeleton fights and dungeon crawls. I got that, sure, but I also got quiet moments where Rentt reflects on his existence. What it means to still have dreams when you’ve technically lost your life. What “humanity” means when you’re no longer human.

The anime sneaks in these philosophical undertones without ever getting preachy. It makes you think about identity and persistence in a way you don’t expect from something with “Undead” in the title.

In terms of animation, The Unwanted Undead Adventurer does not attempt to impress with fancy battles or unrealistic sceneries. Rather, it is more inclined to darker, duller palette befitting an undead character of Rentt. The tone is somehow heavy, even a little bit damp stone walls of the dungeons of which he visits can be sensed.

The monster designs are well made, particularly the skeletal Rentt. They hit that perfect eerie/functional balance so you are always reminded that he is no longer human without it feeling gross.

Why I Didn't Stop Watching

Midway through the season, I noticed that I was no longer watching to see what happens. I was observing to notice how the mindset of Rentt changed. Was he ever going to find a cure? Would he lose more of himself to undead nature? Could he continue to care about adventuring once the truth reached the people that he cared about?

Each episode left me with enough intrigue to press the Next Episode button because I was actually interested in this gawky, stubborn skeleton and his silent perseverance.

Watching The Unwanted Undead Adventurer felt… weirdly personal. Not because I’ve ever been a skeleton (at least not that I remember), but because I’ve been in those moments where life strips away the things you thought defined you. Rentt’s story is about accepting those losses and finding new ways to move forward, even if the path doesn’t look the way you imagined.

In the end, Rentt might be “unwanted” by the living world, but his story reminded me that our worth isn’t tied to how others see us. It’s tied to how stubbornly we keep going when the odds are stacked against us.

Thumbnail is designed by me on pixelLab and other images are screenshot from the movie

I was a 10-year-old girl when I first heard about that movie called Karate Kid. By the time the second installment came out in 1986, I was 12 years old, a teenager who liked to watch these kinds of movies, so talking about Karate Kid for decades was talking about a classic. When the new version starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith hit theaters, I saw what we could call a refresh of this saga.

I can't fail to mention the famous series Cobre Kai, which brought together so many of the characters from the original saga, but recently a new movie came out in which Jaden did not participate, but Jackie Chan did, and it presents us with a new story while retaining that spark of the saga.

Karate Kid Legends introduces us to a young man who avoids his mother and spends a lot of time training with his great-uncle Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), who is the master of a kung fu school in Beijing. This young man, named Li Fong, is forced to move to New York because his mother has found a new job in that city.

Li's mother strongly emphasizes that her son must avoid martial arts, as her eldest son and Li's older brother was stabbed to death by an opponent after a martial arts tournament.

After arriving in the Big Apple, Li meets a young girl from school and her father, who own a pizzeria near his home, and becomes involved in their lives, as they are about to lose everything. After the surprise arrival of his great-uncle in the city, he encourages him to support them, arguing that his friends' problems are his problems.

This film achieves a more direct connection to the original saga, first because at the beginning it shows scenes in which Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel LaRusso about the origins of Miyagi-Do karate and the relationship between the Miyagi and Han families. Shimpo Miyagi, an ancestor of Mr. Miyagi, ended up in China while fishing off the coast of Japan. The Han family took him in and taught him kung fu, which became known as Miyagi-Do karate upon his return to Okinawa.

On the other hand, the events of this film take place after the Cobra Kai series, and William Zadka and Ralph Macchio (Daniel LaRusso) are also part of the cast. The latter joins Mr. Han to train Li for the tournament.

Now, talking about what I liked about the film, I can say that I enjoyed seeing how the young man managed to adapt to his new life thanks to the support of the sincere relationships that accompanied him in the process, as well as how his great-uncle came from so far away to see how he could help him.

Karate Kid Legends highlights the value of friendship, the importance of a true relationship of this kind, how friends support you in everything, There is also humor, which is evident in some moments, such as when Li's mother goes to pick him up to tell him the news of the move and a girl comes out to meet her, creating a very funny scene, and also when Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso train young Li together for the tournament and each one suggests what they think is best, and the poor young man ends up getting beaten up from all sides.

Another thing I liked was seeing how the relationship between mother and son heals. She wanted nothing more than to protect her son and prevent something like what happened to her older son from happening to him, but when she sees his determination and courage, she ends up supporting him.

As for the actors, I loved their performances. The young man who plays Li's rival does a great job; he really comes across as so arrogant and conceited that he becomes repulsive. As for the Lapini family, the actors who play the father and daughter give great performances, and obviously the icing on the cake is Jackie Chan.

Finally, although it is not a super original story, it retains the essence of the Karate Kid saga, which is none other than personal improvement, believing in oneself, and the value of empathy and friendship.