Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 10

Revenged Love Series Review: Snakes, Scheming, & RomCom Hilarity

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Nothing mends a broken heart like vengeance or new love, and in ‘Revenged Love’, the protagonist gets two birds in one shot. When somebody is brutally dumped in a romantic comedy, the traditional way of revenge is to fake date someone hotter to make the ex-partner jealous, but in Chinese series ‘Revenged Love’ (逆爱), the protagonist Wu Suo Wei (played by Zi Yu) decides to steal his girlfriend’s new boyfriend Chi Cheng (Tian Xu Ning). Things get comedic when they fall for each other for real.

Directed by Gong Yu Shi, ‘Revenged Love‘ spans 24 episodes and is based on the novel ‘Counter Attack‘ by Chai Ji Dan, the same author behind the 2016 hit series Addicted, which was banned by the Chinese government for refusing to dilute its gay romance into a tame bromance. Fans will be relieved to find that ‘Revenged Love‘ isn’t wishy-washy when it comes to the sexuality of its primary characters. The plot follows Wu Suo Wei and his hilarious plan to seduce the wealthy Chi Cheng (Tian Xu Ning), who is dating Suo Wei’s gold-digging ex, Yue Yue (Sun Qian Yu), but is known to prefer men. In fact, Chi Cheng’s order of preferences seems to be: pet snakes > men > women.

Suo Wei turns to his newly found gay doctor friend Jiang Xiao Shuai (Liu Xuan Cheng) to teach him the art of attracting men and the two come with a whole bunch of funny ideas to win over Chi Cheng. In a twist, Xiao Shuai is aggressively pursued by wealthy playboy Guo Cheng Yu (Zhan Xuan), a close friend of Chi Cheng. Yeah, the plot is a familiar combination of co-incidences, trickery, silliness and delivers some exaggerated yet entertaining drama, generously laden with comedic moments.

From staging constant “accidental” meetings, fake-reading complicated literature, and playing basketball, to smoking cigarettes, pretending to love classical music, and even learning to breed snakes, Wu Suo Wei tries every trick in the book to catch Chi Cheng’s attention. The first few episodes of ‘Revenged Love’ are all about the ‘chasing’ game, where Sun Qian Yu’s Yue Yue (Suo Wei’s ex-girlfriend) is reduced to caricatured ‘gold digger’. While Suo Wei romance hurtles at a good speed, the secondary storyline following Cheng Yu’s efforts to win over Doctor Xiao Shuai is a lot slow-burn in nature. The snakes in the show serve as strong supporting character, although they progressively appear less and less.

While Zi Yu is comically cute as ‘Revenged Love’ protagonist Suo Wei, Tian Xu Ning is pitch-perfect as the fiendishly good-looking Chi Cheng and reminded me of Japanese actor Ito Asahi from ‘Futtara Doshaburi’. Their onscreen chemistry is fun to watch, especially in the first few episodes of the show, where Suo Wei often experiences ‘gay panic’ around Chi Cheng, while the latter often looks like he would devour Suo Wei in one bite. Tian Xu Ning suavely portrays Cheng’s dual personality, cool as a cucumber on the outside, but a maniac on the inside. He has ‘crazy in love’ eyes and often unsettles Suo Wei by blatantly flirting with him, which includes sending sleazy texts and memes.

Just like drag queens have fairy godmothers, Liu Xuan Cheng, who plays Doctor Xiao Shuai, is like Suo Wei’s gay godmother in ‘Revenged Love’, inducting him into the world of queer love and sex. Xiao Shuai has a flirty and feisty personality, although later episodes reveal he has a lot of emotional baggage due to an abusive boyfriend. Guo Cheng Yu’s character is probably the most under-developed in the series, although actor Zhan Xuan potrays him with a Don Juan-like flair: he is sexy, seductive, and has great onscreen presence. In-fact, there’s a lot of sexual tension between Zhan Xuan’s Cheng Yu and Xu Ning’s Chi Cheng, which works well for the series, because Xiao Shuai suspects the two might be more than friends.

If there’s one glaring problem with “Revenged Love“, it’s the weird dubbing. It’s evident that several actors in the cast have not done their own voiceovers. While this is fairly standard in the Chinese industry, it can be quite distracting for foreign viewers. This problem persists for many episodes in the show, but at least the background score is engaging, featuring a few catchy English tracks that elevate scenes. Although, some sections could’ve benefited from more music.

The first 13–14 episodes of “Revenged Love” are briskly paced and engaging, but the direction in the second half shifts noticeably, becoming choppier. Plot-wise, fresh complications arise that test Suo Wei and Chi Cheng’s romance, even though they’re already committed boyfriends by mid-series, complete with Chi Cheng affectionately calling him “Wei Wei.”

Actor Liu Jun plays Chi Cheng’s legendary ex-boyfriend Wang Shuo, who enters the show in the second-half, stirring up jealousy and trouble between the lead pair. And despite his late entry, Liu Jun holds his own as the unpredictable, emotionally unstable, scheming ex-boyfriend. In the few scenes he shares with Tian Xu Ning’s Chi Cheng, the tension between them is palpable. There’s a love-hate gaze they exchange that makes their shared history as lovers believable and Wei Wei’s insecurities understandable.

In the latter half of ‘Revenged Love‘, the drama piles on, not just with the clichéd “ex-boyfriend” trope, but also a “sick parent” twist. Wei Wei’s mother, Li Ya (Qin Yue), faces a health crisis, and in a surprising turn, it’s Chi Cheng who rushes her to the hospital. She makes him promise to keep her illness from Wei Wei, sparking a chain of miscommunication and misunderstandings between the boyfriends. Even so, the show maintains an amusing balance between seriousness and comedy.

ian Xu Ning and Zi Yu are the stand-out stars of the show, with both their characters undergoing significant growth. They each start out as immature, hot-headed individuals. Tian Xu Ning’s Chi Cheng sees the most transformation, starting out as a blazing “red flag”: promiscuous, unreliable, moody, overly impulsive, self-centered, and obsessed with snakes. However, by the end of the show, his love for boyfriend Wei Wei outweighs everything, even his inflated ego.

Overall, ‘Revenged Love’ is fun, chaotic, and a pretty entertaining adaptation for BL fans who are tired of censored Chinese adaptations. The last few episodes suffer from sloppy editing and a rushed pace, but it’s still worth a watch.

Watch ‘Revenged Love’ on Viki or YouTube.

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The Turing Test: Short Film Review

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We live in an age where some people choose romantic relationships with AI chatbots over human partners. It seems unlikely that they would care if their AI companions failed the ‘Turing Test’, a measure designed to determine whether a machine can be as perceptive and intuitive as a human. For programmers, though, passing it is imperative.

Written and directed by Jaschar Marktanner, the short film ‘Turing Test’ follows a programmer’s efforts to train their AI to fool colleagues into believing it is human. Yet the AI’s unpredictable behavior becomes frustratingly challenging. It could either be a glitch or maybe the AI playing its human.

Running under seven minutes, the film opens in a stark, minimalist room containing only two white chairs. Soon, Sophie (Marlene Fahnster) and Alan (Richard Lingscheidt) take their seats, engaging in a heated debate about the ‘Turing Test’. Strikingly, their exchange lacks any trace of genuine human emotion, except for a few seconds, where one of them lets their mask slip.

From the moment their interaction begins, viewers are left wondering who is human and who is AI, especially since the conversation is clearly designed to push that very question. The ‘Turing Test’ is already underway.

Both Fahnster and Lingscheidt deliver performances so eerily mechanical that one might believe they were actual humanoid machines. The film is slightly reminiscent of ‘Ex Machina’, where the Turing Test was central, underscored by the tagline: To erase the line between man and machine is to obscure the line between men and gods.

The final minute reveals the true human, and the stark contrast between the programmer’s cluttered office and the sterile digital space of the AI interactions creates a striking visual divide. However, the short runtime keeps the film from truly pushing the envelope in exploring the blurred lines between programmers and their machines.

Overall, Jaschar Marktanner’s short is a taut little film that edges into techno-horror territory in its climax, delivering a creepily-comic last second twist.

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Dan Da Dan Season 2 Episode 7 Review: Maid Café Pranks & Evil Eye Mayhem

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Momo Ayase’s close friends, Miko and Kei, rarely appear in ‘Dan Da Dan‘, but they take their BFF duties seriously, which includes embarrassing their friend in front of her crush!

Quick recap of Dan Da Dan Season 2 Episode 6: The Hayashi musicians launch into an electrifying performance to aid Granny Seiko in her exorcism ritual, meant to purge the “Evil Eye” yokai from Jiji’s body. But Jiji tearfully begs them not to banish it, insisting it only needs a friend. Surprisingly, Seiko agrees, and Momo, Okarun, and Aira promise to keep an eye on Jiji to ensure the “Evil Eye” doesn’t spiral out of control again. The episode closes on a hilarious note as Okarun, dragged by Miko and Kei to a café, is stunned to find Momo working there, in a maid’s uniform, no less! It’s her new part-time job.

Titled ‘Feeling Kinda Gloomy‘, episode 7 of ‘Dan Da Dan‘ season 2 opens with the hilarious scene of Okarun realizing he’s been tricked by the girls into visiting Momo’s new workplace, resulting in one heck of an embarrassing encounter. Which of-course generates a lot of laughs for both us viewers and the mischievous girls.

While the opening minutes deliver plenty of maid café comedy, the main focus of the episode is Granny Seiko’s attempt to train Jiji to control the Evil Eye, while Aira lazily watches them. The communal atmosphere at Seiko’s house adds a lot of warmth to the story, since all major characters in the show are camping at her place. Manjiro, the “Bootuber” priest, may have been absent during the Hayashi performance, but he’s still around too, and he doesn’t believe it’s wise to let such a powerful spirit remain within Jiji, no matter how talented, dedicated, kind, or strong he may seem.

The second half of this ‘Dan Da Dan’ chapter delivers some tense supernatural moments, as the Evil Eye is unleashed once again. Everyone scrambles to fight the possessed Jiji with their hot water bottles (remember, hot water deactivates the Evil Eye), though this time, it proves a bit trickier than before.

Funnily awkward interactions, mildly romantic moments, teenage bickering, supernatural mayhem, this chapter has a little bit of everything ‘Dan Da Dan‘ is known for. It closes on a spooky cliffhanger, with Okarun heading out late at night with Turbo Granny to train, determined to become strong enough to fight the Evil Eye yokai.

Stream Dan Da Dan on Netflix or Crunchyroll.

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Rachel Rising Volume 6 Review: It’s Die, Wake, Rage, Repeat

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Rachel wakes up after dying for the 100th time in ‘Rachel Rising’. Lilith is back from dead too. They fight. And the plan is still to stop the more evil Malus.

What’s even new?

Not much. Except for a new revelation about Rachel’s biblical connection with Lilith. Which didn’t even seem like much of a surprise. Flashbacks in earlier issues of the horror comic hinted at some sort of sisterhood between the two, but it turns out their bond runs deeper than merely being women feared as witches by religious zealots.

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Artistically, there are quite a few changes through the comic-book series. For instance, it’s no longer incessantly snowing in Manson, Rachel’s little town plagued by ancient malevolent entities, herself included.

Volume 6 of ‘Rachel Rising’ starts with a rain-soaked scene, where a fresh bleeding body is lying covered on the road. The town has yet another murder mystery to solve, and the body ends up in aunt Johnny’s morgue.

The plot is getting repetitive at this point, but I’ve grown fond of some of the characters, so it’s still entertaining to watch them chat, bicker, gossip, and plot. Lilith, who was out of commission for a while, is back on the scene, seeking both Zoey’s and Rachel’s help in her mission to stop Malus from unleashing hell on Earth.

Why can’t Lilith pick a lane? On one hand, she wants to annihilate Manson and everyone in the little town; on the other, she wants to win ‘God’s’ favor by defeating Malus. So… does she hate humans or not? Rachel almost half-solves her murder mystery, but still has a mission to complete.

The only bit that was perhaps slightly uncharacteristic in this volume of ‘Rachel Rising’ was the cutesy, sweet blossoming romance between Rachel’s best-friend Jet and the nerdy, gentle-giant Earl. The sprinkling of their unlikely romantic bond was perhaps the only fresh offering in these chapters.

Well, there’s only one more volume to go, and I am hoping we get an explosive finale, because things are beginning to lose steam in ‘Rachel Rising’. It’s Terry Moore’s excellent artwork that’s keeping me around.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. ‘Rachel Rising‘ is also on Kindle Unlimited.

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6 Ways ‘My Girlfriend Is the Man!’ is Different From The Webtoon

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The Korean series ‘My Girlfriend is the Man’ is adapted from the webtoon of the same name (내 여자친구는 상남자) by Massstar. The plot follows Park Yun Jae’s (Yoon San-ha) comedic trials after his beautiful girlfriend Kim Ji Eun (Arin) turns into a guy (Yoo Jung-hoo plays the male Ji Eun) and they need figure out how to solve the bizarre-fantastical situation. Until then, Ji Eun goes by the male name Ji-Hoon.

Just by watching the first few episodes of the show, fans of the webtoon will be able to see major differences between the two mediums. And since the webtoon was still ongoing when the series started airing, clearly the writers of the live-action show had to take lots of creative liberties with how they would shape the story. Here are six major ways the live-action has already deviated from the original story of ‘My Girlfriend Is the Man’.

1. In the webtoon, Kim Ji Eun lives alone, however, in the live-action version, she shares her flat with her older sister Kim Ji Hye (played by Choi Yoon-ra).

2. In-fact, in the original comic, Kim Ji Eun doesn’t even have a sister, but three older brothers who she rarely gets to meet. In the live-action series, Ji Eun only has one other sibling.

3. One major way the series differs from the comic is the fact that Ji Eun’s original self, essentially her girl form, gets a lot more space, since Arin who plays Ji Eun is a big name and is billed as a primary protagonist. So there are a lot of flashbacks in the show, or scenes where Yun Jae imagines Ji-Hoon as Ji-Eun. The comic focuses more on Ji Eun’s struggle as a man AKA Ji-Hoon.

4. In the comic, Kim Ji Eun is mostly clueless for the first weeks about why she turned into a guy, but in the live-action series she and her sister are already aware that it’s some sort of generational curse that runs in their mother’s side of the family. So the sister’s get matching tattoos, hoping it will serve as a marker if one of them ever changes.

5. In-fact, the series goes a step ahead in the very first few episodes and shows a flashback where Kim Ji Eun’s parents show the sisters photos where their father is with a man, and it’s supposedly their mom! Although, this little change in ‘My Girlfriend is The Man’ makes one thing strange: why doesn’t the mother also tell the girls how the curse is reversed when she tells them about it?

6. Another major difference between the webtoon and live-series is the fact that Ji Eun’s sister gets a significant romantic sub-plot to herself. In the comic, the siblings are only in the background. While some might enjoy this, others might not be welcoming of these new distractions.

Well, these are some ways in which both versions differ. What changes did you like or didn’t?!

‘My Girlfriend Is The Man’ is streaming on Viki.

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Weapons Movie Review: Six-Act Horror That Swaps Jump Scares for Slowburn Terrors

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

After portraying the victim of a Satanic cult in ‘Apartment 7A‘, the prequel to the horror classic ‘Rosemary’s Baby‘, Julia Garner returns to the genre with ‘Weapons‘, playing a teacher suspected of being a witch when 17 of her 18 students vanish on the same night.

Directed and written by Zach Cregger, ‘Weapons‘ opens with an eerie sequence of little kids waking up after 2 a.m., climbing out of bed, stepping outside, and running off into the night. Nobody knows where. Seventeen children, all classmates, vanish from the same town on the same night, all leaving at exactly 2:17 a.m, a fact captured on several home security cameras, leaving the town shaken and parents desperate for answers. Some direct their anger and suspicion toward the young teacher, Elizabeth Gandy (Julia Garner). “Why only her class?” one angry parent demands.

‘Weapons‘ is intriguingly divided into six distinct chapters, each centering on a different character linked to the mystery of the missing children. Some of these connections don’t become apparent until the second half. The first two chapters follow Elizabeth coping with the fallout of becoming the town’s “witch.” Then the focus shifts to angry dad Archer, played by Josh Brolin (‘Dune’, ‘Avengers’, ‘What If…?’), convinced she’s guilty and determined to run his own investigation. Elizabeth however thinks Alex (Cary Christopher), the only child who didn’t disappear from the class, might hold the key to the mystery.

The third act turns to Paul (Alden Ehrenreich), a cop friend of Elizabeth, who admits he’s not directly involved in the case. As a viewer, you start to wonder why we’re following someone who might have nothing to do with the central conflict. And the fourth act of ‘Weapons’ is even stranger, following druggie/petty thief James (Austin Abrams) after a tense encounter with cop Paul. But James’ perspective ends up being a dynamic stretch, it’s well-paced, slightly comedic, and starting off as an extremely random thread that entertainingly winds its way back to the missing children.

Benedict Wong (‘Doctor Strange’, ‘3 Body Problem‘), as the unsuspecting school principal Marcus, gets to headline the most horrifying chapter of ‘Weapons’, where the supernatural antagonist is finally revealed. From the fifth act onward, the gore, blood, and horror elements take over, turning the story into a chilling, dark horror comedy. Folklore horror, creepy rituals, and bloodied twists dominate the second half of the film, with some moments played subtly and others diving into over-the-top body horror, like a scene where a character, in self-defense, peels the skin off their assailant with a literal peeler, as if shaving vegetables for dinner. Yes, get ready to squirm in discomfort and disbelief.

The climactic act of ‘Weapons’ turns the focus on Alex, excellently portrayed by child actor Cary Christopher, a quiet boy, revealing how he ended up being the only student in Elizabeth Gandy’s class to not disappear into the night. The truth is twisted, sad, and sinister. The slow-burn pace pays off by culminating into an ending that’s terrifying and comedic at the same time. Since the narration is non-linear, some of the POVs feature repetitive scenes that could’ve been trimmed down for a tighter runtime. Also, there are some plot points that do not make sense, for instance, the lackadaisical attitude federal authorities show towards the lone survivor, showing no inclination to monitor him.

Minor flaws apart, ‘Weapons’ is an unconventional horror film, with its first three acts leaning into a cinematic ‘true-crime’ style, before jolting viewers with a violent, unhinged second half. The plot leans into some familiar genre tropes yet surprisingly steering clear of the usual jump scares and throat-shredding screams. Director Zach Cregger even slips in a hilarious tribute to the cult-classic The Shining, mirroring the iconic scene where Jack bursts his head through a door (check the movie poster if you’re a younger viewer with no clue what I’m talking about) with one of his own characters.

‘Weapons’ wraps up with a wacky, satisfying finale, giving its protagonists, and the audience, definitive closure. If you’re a horror fan, it’s well worth a watch.

Rating: 8 on 10.

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‘Better Than The Movies’ Review: A ‘Rehash of RomComs’

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

One of the funniest things about reading ‘Better Than the Movies’ was the fact that it starts with a quote from ‘Notting Hill’, which stars Hugh Grant, who was ‘oh so delicious’ level heartthrob in the film, and only a few days ago I had seen him playing a creepy murderous wacko in the horror film ‘Heretic’. It’s just the ‘handsome young charmer’ versus the ‘serial killer uncle’ image that made me laugh. Yeah, nothing to do with anything actually in the novel. Anyway….

‘Better Than the Movies’ by Lynn Painter is a bit of a rehash of the many high school “enemies to lovers” tales out there, even though the “enemy” part is mostly imaginary. Teen protagonist Liz Buxbaum is a hopeless romantic, constantly watching her late mother’s favorite movies and living as if she belongs in a fluffy ’90s romcom, ready to fall into the lap of the “love of her life” at any moment. Her neighbor Wes Bennett is a “pain in the butt,” constantly fighting her for a parking spot and giving her a hard time. But when her childhood crush Michael returns to town and seems super close with Wes, Liz is willing to make peace and strike a win-win deal with Wes if he helps her win over Michael. Which, to Wes’ credit, he does quite wholeheartedly.

The primary reasons I’m giving ‘Better Than the Movies’ 3 out of 5 stars are that Wes turned out to be a super sweet romantic lead, and I was able to finish the novel in less than three days, so it didn’t disrupt my reading pace. Liz Buxbaum, on the other hand, is the typical teen high school lead: she schemes, lies, and treats her close friends poorly for the sake of a guy. Also, for a romance book, the romance was thin, and the comedy was middle-school level, relying mostly on Liz falling, tripping, over having someone puke on her. Ugh.

Also, for foreign readers or those who aren’t movie buffs, the constant stream of film references might feel alienating. ‘Better Than the Movies’ is a YA romance published in 2021, and it seems to target teen readers or early twenty-somethings, many of whom are unlikely to connect with the 1990s and early 2000s rom-com references the book leans heavily on.

Thankfully, Lynn Painter keeps the drama minimal, doesn’t cram in too many twists, and ends the story on a cute, happy note. But I will not be reading the sequel.

Rating: 3 on 5 stars.

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Revenged Love Episode 24 Review: Wraps Up with Rushed Happy Endings

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

‘Revenged Love’ has come to an end and what a random but happy finale! A worn out Chi Cheng (Tian Xu Ning) gets exonerated after the real culprit surrenders himself in the embezzlement case. And instead of a thrumming emotional re-union, viewers are served a comedic water fight: Guo Cheng Yu (Zhan Xuan) and Dr. Xiao Shuai’s (Liu Xuan Cheng) playfully attack Wei Wei (Zi Yu) with water-guns to celebrate his boyfriend’s comeback. Chi Cheng joins in the fun too.

Recap of Revenged Love Episodes 22-23: Chi Cheng is arrested for embezzling funds at his art firm, even though he didn’t commit the fraud, but he takes the entire blame to protect Wei Wei, since they don’t know who fudged the accounts. It turns out Yue Yue’s ex-boyfriend bribed an employee at the company to mess with the accounts. While Chi Cheng’s family blames Wei Wei for his imprisonment, Wei Wei does all he can to get his boyfriend free, which includes spending his life-savings and selling his childhood home for all the legal expenses. Episode 23 ends with the lovers meeting at prison for the first time after several months, and Chi Cheng is devastated to learn about the new developments.

Revenged Love Episode 24

Titled ‘I Have a Home Again’, the finale begins with an interesting development: Chi Cheng’s mother has warmed up to the idea of Wei Wei being her future son-in-law, especially after learning about all the running around he has been doing to free her son. It turns out Chi Cheng’s father chose not to bail him out as a way of teaching him a lesson. Talk about having a harsh dad. Still, the entire family eventually reconciles and accepts Chi Cheng’s relationship.

Episode 24 of ‘Revenged Love’ runs just 35 minutes, at least ten minutes shorter than the average duration of earlier episodes. All the passion and playful tension between Chi Cheng and Wei Wei is missing from the climax, though they do share some cutesy romantic moments. One can’t help but wonder if there were additional scenes left out of the final cut, especially since the creators sped up the airing schedule by releasing back-to-back episodes on Saturdays and Sundays, when they originally aired only on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Anyway, it’s a rushed farewell to the lead protagonists, with both couples in ‘Revenged Love’ getting their happy endings. Thankfully, the finale avoids any last-minute ambiguity or open-ended twist, closing instead on Wei Wei and Chi Cheng sharing a blissful moment in his childhood home, wrapped in each other’s arms and smiling.

You can watch ‘Revenged Love’ on YouTube or Viki.

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Param Sundari Trailer Feels Like Chennai Express Meets 2 States

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The official trailer for ‘Param Sundari‘ deserves credit for not revealing too much of the plot… unless the twist is that there isn’t much of one. Directed by Tushar Jalota, the film stars Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor as the titular characters, Param and Sundari. From what the trailer reveals, Param appears to be a stereotypical North Indian boy who assumes all of South India is “Madrasi,” while Sundari hails from the serene backwaters of Kerala. The two fall in love and must navigate cultural differences, which seems to form the heart of the story.

Visually, the trailer is pleasant and the lead pair looks appealing, but the snippets we see are not particularly thrilling. ‘Param Sundari‘ comes across as a mix of Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Chennai Express’, Chetan Bhagat’s ‘2 States’, and the Netflix romantic comedy ‘Meenakshi Sundareshwar’. The familiar setup might work if the execution brings freshness, but from the looks of the trailer, the film leans heavily on tried-and-tested tropes.

Sidharth Malhotra and Janhvi Kapoor share good on-screen chemistry, and Janhvi, draped in elegant sarees throughout the two-minute-forty-second trailer, is a visual scorer. The film will need more than just pretty frames to stand out in an already crowded rom-com space. Perhaps the narrative will surprise viewers with stronger character arcs or unexpected plot turns beyond the usual “North versus South” banter. Or not. Who knows!

‘Param Sundari‘ is scheduled to release on 29 August. Watch the trailer on YouTube, it’s also below.

Sakamoto Days Episode 16 Review: Slice, Slice, Deaths

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Okay, maybe I am little more easily pleased than the average viewer of ‘Sakamoto Days’, but this was definitely one of the best editions of the anime this season! It was all about slicing, dicing, blood, blood, blood, and more blood.

Aptly titled ‘Slice Slice Dance’, episode 16 starts off right where the last episode of ‘Sakamoto Days’ ended: with primary antagonist Slur enters the JAA (Japanese Association of Assassins) headquarters with his sidekick Gaku. Their mission is to wipe out the ‘corrupt’ organization. Naturally, an unprecedented bloodbath follows. Although a surprise entrant stops them temporarily, and no, it’s not Taro Sakamoto.

Although, sure, Sakamoto and Shin do turn up at the JAA building, since they learn about Slur’s plan from the crazy Apart, who tried to kill Sakamoto and Heisuke at the Tokyo tower, not too long ago. So, this episode also brings Sakamoto face-to-face with Slur in a very violent showdown. In a twist, it turns out they do know each other. Not too surprisingly, Slur’s first reaction to seeing our chubby protagonist is to comment on how out of shape he is.

Slur and Gaku’s character designs stand out a bit compared to the rest of the assassins in ‘Sakamoto Days’. Slur could easily headline a corporate romance manga, while Gaku radiates the grit and swagger of an action-fantasy hero. You could simply pick up Gaku, drop him into a show like ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’, and he’d fit right in. Honestly, they look more “main character” than Sakamoto and Shin combined. Hehe. Still, I am always rooting for Shin! (Also, Lu, but she is missing from all the action in this chapter)

True to its episodic title, this edition is all about “Slice, Slice, Dance”… but it’s the dance of death. Slur’s exact logic behind wanting to wipe out the JAA is unclear, although it seems he wants to raze the institution and start something of his own. Maybe become the “Lord of Assassins.”

Fast, casually furious, and dripping with enough blood to rival a gory horror flick, this chapter of ‘Sakamoto Days’ delivers pure adrenaline. Gaku’s basically the Grim Reaper cosplaying as a human, and every fight scene cranks the intensity to eleven. With sharper animation, it could’ve been legendary, but even as is, it’s a bloody good time.

Only the last few minutes of the episode shift the action from JAA, to provide some lighter, comedic moments from the barbarity brought upon by Slur and Gaku.

Watch Sakamoto Days on Netflix.

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