Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 8

The Worst Ronin Review: Demons, Drunks, and a Headstrong Heroine

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

The cover art for ‘The Worst Ronin’ (at least the edition I was reading) features two samurais, with one of them holding a smart-phone, ready to take a selfie. It’s set in a fictional Feudal Japan, where people have TV, phones, and wi-fi, but they still ride horses and skirmish with swords. Clearly, a fantasy-action tale not to be taken too seriously! And I read it in that vein.

Written by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, and illustrated by Faith Schaffer ‘The Worst Ronin’ follows sixteen-year-old Chihiro, as she volunteers to replace her dad on a mission to kill a demon devouring children and terrorizing a village. Chihiro hopes to get a spot at a Kesi Academy, a famous training center for Samurai, that doesn’t enroll women. Chihiro’s idol Tatsua, a legendary samurai turned penniless drunk is the only woman to have been at the Kesi Acadmey and Chihiro hires Tatsuo to help her defeat the demon.

Tatsuo’s character is hilarious, and she is, of course, the titular ‘Worst Ronin’, once a famed samurai celebrated for single-handedly cutting down dozens of soldiers, even inspiring a hit film about her exploits (this is retro-futuristic Feudal Japan, after all). Now, she’s just a drunk wanderer taking on random odd jobs. She is difficult to work with, so even though she accompanies Chihiro on her demon-slaying mission, she shows no faith in Chihiro’s skills, constantly pulling the poor girl’s self-esteem down.

Chihiro, on the other hand, is a fairly typical protagonist, over-enthusiastic, convinced she can take on the world, without quite having the skills to match her ambition. But through relentless practice, she slowly grows into the hero she longs to be. And when she isn’t sharpening her sword skills, she is on the phone, almost like a Gen-Z kid, but in ancient Japan.

Given the comical tone of ‘The Worst Ronin’, I thought the graphic novel would just be a silly, funny story about older Samurai Tatsuo annoying the hell out of teen Chihiro. But Maggie Tokuda-Hall also packs in some shocking deaths, and violence in the tale, which was a welcome surprise. The women get to battle both supernatural demons, and regular evil men in their journey.

The art is cute and lively, and though the story sometimes bounces all over the place, it works as a delightfully silly action-fantasy fueled by friendship, family, vengeance, and loyalty.

Rating for ‘The Worst Ronin’: 4 on 5 stars.

Also Read: ‘Karna’s Wife’ Book Review (Audio Version Below)

Stay By My Side After the Rain Review: First Love, Identity Struggles, Soggy Side Plots

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All right then, here comes another Japanese drama about an office worker with low self-esteem issues. Kanade Shinichiro-san, the protagonist of ‘Stay By My Side After the Rain’ is also in the closet, has never been in a relationship, and has given up on finding romance, because his ‘first love’ didn’t work out. However, love finds its way to him through a fateful chance meeting.

Based on Rakuta Shoko’s manga Ameagari no Bokura ni Tsuite (雨上がりの僕らについて), ‘Stay By My Side After the Rain’ is a 12-episode drama that follows shy, closeted Kanade Shinichiro (Ikeda Masashi), whose humdrum Tokyo routine is disrupted by an unexpected reunion with his hometown friend, Mashiro Kosuke (Hori Natsuki). Kosuke is thrilled to reconnect, but what he doesn’t know is that Shinichiro once loved him. With no interest in rekindling a platonic friendship, Shinichiro confesses in hopes of pushing him away, Kosuke flips the script, claiming he feels the same way.

‘Stay By My Side After the Rain’ swiftly sets up its primary conflict and premise right at the start. In the final moments of the first episode, an anxiety-stricken, shamefaced Shinichiro hides his face and, through frantic tears, begs Kosuke to leave.

“I don’t want to fall for you again… so just leave me alone….”

The rest of the episodes follow the pair navigating the challenges of dating and starting a new life together as boyfriends. A bulk of the story also focuses on the sunny-faced, easygoing Kosuke’s difficult relationship with his mother (played by Kirishima Reika), while Shinichiro too is almost estranged from his entire family due to his inability to be himself around them. Amidst all their personal struggles, the cozy cafe where they cross paths again becomes their safe haven, a place for shared coffees, conversations and delectable sandwiches.

Ikeda Masashi’s portrayal of Kanade Shinichiro is painfully honest and relatable, especially when Shinichiro is gripped with self-doubt, fears, and general anxiety over his new relationship. But it takes time to warm up to Hori Natsuki’s interpretation of the more confident Mashiro Kosuke. There’s something about his delivery that makes Mashiro Kosuke’s personality and passions a little suspicious. Add to that the onscreen chemistry between the lead actors is more awkward than romantic.

The end credits song in each episode of ‘Stay By My Side After the Rain’ features a sweet montage of Shinichiro and Kosuke strolling around and casually spending time together, which reminded me of the ending sequence in ‘Cherry Magic’, the romantic comedy starring Kieta Machida and Eiji Akaso. I suspect my expectations may have been heightened by the visual similarity, but ‘Stay By My Side After the Rain’ is nowhere near as entertaining, romantic, or “feel-good” as ‘Cherry Magic’.

Now of course, ‘Stay By My Side After the Rain’ isn’t a romantic comedy, so laughs weren’t expected, but its dramatic intensity often comes from people orbiting the protagonists rather than the leads themselves. Aya (Yamada Maho), a pushy colleague of Shinichiro, unprofessionally pressures him to consider another coworker’s feelings, while Aizawa Sumire (Watanabe Miho), who has a crush on Shinichiro doesn’t accept his rejection with grace. Both these side characters are annoyingly entitled, demanding to know why Shinichiro can’t go out with Sumire, when he doesn’t owe them any kind of explanation. Thankfully, they grow up and become more supportive of Shinichiro later in the show.

One of the more compelling sub-plot in ‘Stay By My Side After The Rain’ is Kosuke’s fraught relationship with his widowed mother, Mitsuko, whose grief morphs into an unhealthy reliance on her son. Her constant demands threaten to stifle his identity, yet Kosuke hides the strain, presenting a cheerful front to others and clinging to his belief that hard work can conquer all. Shinichiro is surprised to learn this side of his partner and then two work to overcome their problem together, without becoming overbearing.

The cinematography for the show is simple, visually pleasant, with most of the story unfolding either at the cafe the couple frequent, or in their one-room apartments. There was potential for entertaining personal conflict between Kosuke and Shinichiro as they grew closer in the second half of ‘Stay By My Side After the Rain’, but the writers sidestep it, choosing instead to dwell on their issues with others.

Oh and the intimate scenes between the lead couple is so bland, they should’ve simply not shown anything, instead of serving awkward kisses. Even as their romance progressed, the intimacy between the pair remained like they were two friends hanging out. Instead of stretching on for 12 episodes, ‘Stay By My Side After the Rain’ could’ve been wrapped in 9 or 10 episodes. Although the last chapter does have a heartwarming end, which is preceded by Shinichiro reconciling with his parents.

If you’re looking for contemporary gay Japanese romances, this is worth a shot, some recent shows in the same genre that I rated higher are: ‘Futtara Doshaburi: When It Rains, It Pours’, Our Youth-Miseinen, Hishakai Shindo (Depth of Field).

Rating: 6 on 10. Watch ‘Stay By My Side After the Rain’ on GagaOolala.

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‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Episode 10 Review: Eerie Truths Uncovered

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Tanaka is a total psycho! Who the hell decapitates something that looks human right in front of a teenager?! Mokumokuren, the mastermind behind ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’, clearly wanted Yoshiki to suffer as much as possible. The poor kid just cannot catch a damn break.

Quick recap of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Episode 9

Kurebayashi Rie saves Yoshiki and Hikaru from a ghostly spirit at the restaurant and tells them about her own tragic experience with the supernatural world. The boys then visit old man Takeda in their village to find out more about ‘Nonuki-sama’, the mountain deity they think Hikaru could be. Takeda however is angry, cryptic and soon twists into something monstrous, and in a shocking crescendo, ghostbuster Tanaka appear out of nowhere, slices through Hikaru’s neck in one brutal stroke. The final seconds leave Yoshiki frozen in horror, shattered by what he’s just witnessed.

Titled ‘Truth’, episode 10 of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ opens with a terrified Yoshiki picking up Hikaru’s decapitated head, while the weird greenish-red entity pours out like alien octopi tentacles out of the body. It’s a crazy, horrifying, sad visual scene, where Yoshiki, not too surprisingly, desperately tries to attach the head back to the body.

Both boys end up in the hospital, surviving the violent incident, while Tanaka curiously backs out of the scene. In a stroke of luck, a classmate mentions something about a different deity worshiped by the Kubitachi village in the past, which leads Yoshiki to a breakthrough. He finally comes close to learning more about the mystical Nonuki-sama, and ‘truth’ is dark, twisted, and quite shocking.

In this edition of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’, Yoshiki is lost in his own thoughts, digging relentlessly into his village’s secrets, but every page he turns only underscores the depth of his unshakable bond with with Hikaru. Dead, alive, deity, ghost, or something far stranger, Yoshiki clings to the entity with a devotion that’s unmatched. It’s tragic, and perhaps even terrifying. To Yoshiki, Hikaru is everything, and losing him is not an option.

The climactic minutes of this episode leads the boys to the village shrine, where the ominous interiors rattle Yoshiki to his core. For Hikaru, however, the place awakens buried memories, and with them, dark secrets long concealed by the village elders.

Overall, it’s another gritty episode, which gets over in a blink.

Watch ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ on Netflix.

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Saiyaara: Raaz 2 Is Better Than This ‘Good Girl’ Fixes ‘Bad Boy’ Drama

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

The much talked about Mohit Suri film ‘Saiyaara’ has made its way to OTT and like many who missed it in theatres, I figured it was time to stream it.

Sabse pehele toh, what in the ‘Bachna Ae Haseeno’ opening was that?! Remember Bipasha Basu’s Radhika, abandoned at the altar by jerk Raj Sharma (Ranbir Kapoor)? ‘Saiyaara’ takes it up a notch, its lead Vaani Batra (Aneet Padda) is left waiting at the registrar on her wedding day while her boyfriend bails to San Francisco, sending only his parents as messengers. He is flying off to a new job and a wealthier girlfriend. Talk about being a rotten shit-bag. All this drama in the first five minutes.

Cut to six months later, Vaani walks into a media office for what looks like her first-ever job interview, only to be offered an internship instead. So, wait, you’re telling me this young Mumbai girl is fresh out of college with a master’s in journalism, and she was already getting married? Why sister?! And mind you, we still haven’t even hit the 10-minute mark. To actor Aneet Padda’s credit, she gets the ‘heartbroken, jilted lover’ persona perfectly.

Enter hero Krish Kapoor (Ahaan Panday), who storms into the same office, slams a journalist’s head against a table, and screams about reporters favouring ‘nepo’ kids over genuine talent. Which, I’m guessing, is the creators’ attempt at meta humour, because Ahaan Panday is Chunky Panday’s nephew. A nepo kid. But if Krish Kapoor is such an ordinary kid, why isn’t he slapped with charges for assaulting a journalist, while there’s plenty of visual proof of the act? Bollywood delulu logic.

Anyway… ‘Saiyaara’ is a bit like ‘Aashiqui 2′ meets Notebook’, where a superstar singer in the making falls in love with a girl battling serious memory issues. The lead pair grow close after Krish reads her diary without permission (for which she really should’ve smacked him, but doesn’t), and then hires her to write lyrics. While Krish works hard to achieve fame as a singer, Vaani’s memory deteriorates, and the two stumble through a formulaic script that isn’t enjoyable or believable.

For instance, at the fifteenth minute of ‘Saiyaara’, Krish Kapoor fights with all his band members, tells them to go to high hell right before a gig. So, he headlines the outdoor gig alone, and all the shoppers drop everything and start cheering him on, an unknown singer still, as if Michael Jackson himself has woken up from his grave to go busking at a Mumbai mall. Any indie musician working in the Indian music scene will scratch their eyes out at the absurdity of the spectacle. Forget that, remember Sonu Nigam singing on the streets of Mumbai disguised as an old man, and very few stopped to listen? Yeah, that’s how reality works.

Fine, by the very first half hour of ‘Saiyaara’ we must reconcile to the fact that this is a brainless, over-the-top Bollywood love story, where shy, forgetful, Vaani Batra falls for ‘bad boy’ singer Krish Kapoor… because who knows why. Although of course, she ‘fixes’ him with her kind presence and lyrics (yeah, it doesn’t really seem like it though, he continues to have anger issues until the very end of the film). The couple’s romance gets complicated because Vaani’s jerk ex re-surfaces from America and starts messing with her head.

At least the self-centered Krish’s obsessive love for Vaani in ‘Saiyaara’ makes sense: she is a girl, and a pretty one at that. Everything else is a bonus for him, especially how she keeps forgetting things, so it’s easier for her to tolerate his obnoxious, dominant, loud, annoying personality. An alcoholic absent father is thrown in the mix to justify his behavior. Of course.

‘Saiyaara’ is largely insufferable, filled with screams, fights, twists, and yeah, some nice songs. But you can just go stream the music on YouTube without having to watch this whole film, which is over-bloated at its 2 hour 30 minute runtime. This movie’s ‘watchable factor’ is in the same league as Netflix romances like ‘Nadaaniyan’ or ‘My Oxford Year’. But hey, if that’s your jam, you do you.

I remember Mohit Suri’s 2009 horror movie Raaz 2 being more entertaining than ‘Saiyaara’ (saw it in a theater back then).

Rating: 1.5 stars on 5. Watch something else on Netflix.

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle Review – The Battle Bits Are Hoot-Worthy

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

“This Infinity Castle is insane!” yells protagonist Tanjiro Kamado as he races through the dizzyingly maze-like dimension in the film’s opening minutes. His exclamation perfectly conveys the jaw-dropping animation that brings the castle’s endlessly stretching realm to life. The animators at Ufotable absolutely deliver, living up to, and perhaps even exceeding, all the hype surrounding this arc. Take a bow!

Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) fans will unanimously agree that the closing cliffhanger in the Hashira Training Arc was absolutely iconic: Nakime strums her wooden biwa, plunging the entire Demon Slayer Corps into the depths of Muzan’s Infinity Castle. It set up the perfect ending to build high anticipation for this movie, which promises to deliver the mother-of-all showdowns. Non-manga readers should brace themselves for lots of flashbacks, blood, and deaths, of both demons and slayers.

With a whopping 2 hour 35 minute runtime, the ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ movie opens with a sombre flashback of Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the corps now dead Big Boss, instructing Gyomei Himejima to brace for Muzan’s attack. “You must all endure a battle until the sun rises,” Ubuyashiki warns. With no sign of the fabled Blue Spider Lily, Muzan Kibutsuji of-course wants Nezuko, the only demon in history to laugh in the face of sunlight. But the Corps won’t let that happen, not without a fight to the death.

Ufotable has chosen to adapt the Infinity Castle arc as a trilogy of films, and this installment itself unfolds in three acts. The first act follows Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho squaring off against the psychotic Doma, an Upper Rank Two demon who looks like he’s cosplaying Harley Quinn. He’s got the blonde hair, the pretty face, a red-and-black jester patterned shirt, and of course, the crazy eyes, wicked laugh, and sadomasochistic streak. Shinobu’s beef with Doma is personal: he fatally wounded her sister Kanae Kocho, the former flower hashira.

In fact, all the Hashira vs. Demon face-offs in ‘Infinity Castle’ are deeply personal. The second act centers on fan-favorite Zenitsu (the hoots in the theater at his entrance were ear-splitting) as he battles the new Upper Rank Six, Kaigaku. Once his fellow trainee under Jigoro Kuwajima, the former Thunder Hashira, Kaigaku rises to Rank Six after Daki and Gyutaro’s deaths in the Entertainment District arc. He constantly mocks Zenitsu as a crybaby, unworthy of being a slayer, only to get his ass handed to him.

What defines this film is its animation, the Infinity Castle unfolds like a living labyrinth, its fluid 2D designs so seamless that viewers feel trapped in the maze alongside the slayers, as they frantically and breathlessly run across the endless corridors. The result is a visual head rush, heightened further by flashy battle set pieces. The pacing falters during emotional flashbacks, a now-familiar device in Demon Slayer arcs, where viewers are yanked away from a brutal showdown at its most intense moments.

In the climactic act, Giyu Tomioka joins forces with Tanjiro to clash their swords against Akaza, the Upper Rank Three demon who murdered Rengoku in ‘Mugen Train’. So for Tanjiro, it’s time to avenge his beloved senior. Elsewhere, the Ubuyashiki children frantically map the labyrinth of the Infinity Castle, relying on the Corps’ shrill but indispensable Kasugai Crows, whose eyes and wings play a decisive role in the war against Muzan Kibutsuji.

Were it not for the overlong flashback to Akaza’s human days, a detour that drags like the Infinity Castle corridors, this film would have hit near-perfect pacing. The finale slows to grant the ruthless Akaza an almost heroic redemption (which felt undeserved), with his forgotten human memories flickering to life after Tanjiro’s sermon mid-battle. The contrast is kinda comical, Giyu dismisses Akaza’s chatter with cold silence, while Tanjiro gives him moral lectures.

Akaza also gets some of the film’s coolest action sequences, amplified by an electric guitar riff that faintly echoes Dragon Ball Z’s iconic ‘Rock the Dragon’ English theme song, during his fight with Giyu and Tanjiro. And seconds later, Giyu unleashes a Water Breathing form that conjures a dragon. Co-incidence? Maybe. Maybe not.

Many principal characters are sidelined to brief cameos, Nezuko, Inosuke Hashibira, and even Gyomei Himejima, the strongest of the Hashira, is reduced to simply running through the castle in search of Muzan. The demon lord himself stays hidden, orchestrating events from the shadows, leaving no doubt that the true confrontations are being saved for the remaining two films.

Overall, ‘Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle’ is a treat for longtime fans. But newcomers beware, you’ll need all 63 episodes and the Mugen Train film under your belt to fully enjoy it. And if you tap out halfway, well, this film was never meant for you, my friend.

Rating: 8.5 on 10. Watch Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle in theaters.

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‘The Moths Will Eat Them Up’ Short Film Review

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‘The Moths Will Eat Them Up’, created by Luisa Martiri and Tanya Modini, tells the story of a woman’s late-night train ride that turns sinister as a man subjects her to a chilling game of intimidation through creepy stares and subtle threats.

At just 14 minutes, the short film opens with a moody shot of moths circling a streetlight as the protagonist (Ling Cooper Tang) walks alone toward the station, where four men are already waiting. It’s the kind of scenario that would put most women on edge.

Things only get worse for Ling Cooper Tang’s character when she boards her train home, which is mostly empty, except for a handful of male passengers. One of them (played by Kevin Spink) starts to intimidate her throughout the ride, starting by deliberately brushing against her.

‘The Moths Will Eat Them Up’ unfolds as a tense psychological thriller, where a lone woman grows increasingly terrified of a stranger lurking in the corner, as if waiting to do something devious. With each approaching station, the train becomes more deserted, heightening her fears and anxieties. What happens if they’re the only two people left on board?

Ling Cooper Tang embodies every woman who’s ever felt unsafe in a public space, making the viewer worry for her until the last minute. The climactic twist however delivers a swift supernatural resolution which is far too metaphorical and feels too good to be true. Regardless, this is an interesting one-time-watch that captures the daily dread of women navigating spaces dominated by men.

‘The Moths Will Eat Them Up’ is on YouTube.

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Dan Da Dan Season 2 Episode 11 Review: Run! It’s a Killer Kaiju!

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

“Momo-san, that’s no ordinary Kaiju! It’s a space Kaiju!” Okarun shrieks in the opening minute of the latest ‘Dan Da Dan’ chapter. Viewers are instantly thrown into frantic action, screams, and monster mayhem.

Quick recap of Dan Da Dan Season 2 Episode 10: Viewers are introduced to Kinta, a geeky newcomer obsessed with Okarun’s rising popularity with girls. His curiosity turns into stalking, which accidentally pulls him into Okarun and Momo’s search for a golden ball believed to be our hero’s lost family jewel. The hunt takes a wild turn when a Kaiju suddenly appears out of nowhere to face the trio.

Episode 11 of ‘Dan Da Dan’, comically titled “Hey, It’s a Kaiju”, kicks off with pure pandemonium, with Momo, Okarun, and Kinta running for their lives from a towering beast. With few choices left, the protagonists decide to fight back, soon realizing the Kaiju is extraterrestrial. Meanwhile, Aira and Jiji arrive on the scene, and Jiji is tasked with getting Kinta to safety, while the others face off against the space Kaiju, which Aira hilariously dubs “Barfzilla.”

The face-off is total bedlam, with Aira unleashing her Acrobatic Silky form while Momo and Okarun join forces as usual. But instead of strategizing, Momo and Aira waste most of their energy hurling insults at each other, turning the first half of the battle into a comically chaotic mess. The only thing missing was Kitty Turbo Granny, whose sardonic one-liners would have added an extra dash of madness.

The way everyone freaks out at the sight of the Kaiju is absolutely hilarious in this chapter, with the animators capturing shock, surprise, and fear in inventive, playful ways. To highlight the Kaiju’s extraterrestrial nature, they drench the scenes in eerie green tones, shifting back to regular colors whenever the monster is not around. The animation is playful, vibrant, and top notch in this edition of ‘Dan Da Dan’.

Things slow down for a few minutes in the second half, when the characters catch a break by retreating to Granny Seiko’s house to brainstorm a plan to defeat the giant. Okarun proposes a clever strategy, with Kinta, the resident sci-fi geek, finally proving useful by adding his own ideas. The resulting plan is delightfully over the top, promising plenty of fun in the next episode.

Stream Dan Da Dan on Netflix or Crunchyroll.

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Inspector Zende Review: When Catching a Killer’s a Comic ‘Picnic’

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Manoj Bajpayee slips into his inner mongoose as Inspector Zende, a Mumbai cop on a covert mission to hunt down Carl Bhojraj: the slippery snake of a serial killer who has slithered out of Tihar jail.

Directed by Chinmay Mandlekar, this crime comedy is loosely inspired by real events, and stars Jim Sarbh as Carl Bhojraj, “Interpol’s most wanted criminal,” modeled after the infamous murderer Charles Sobhraj. Dubbed as the ‘Bikini Killer’ and ‘Swimsuit Killer,’ Carl makes headlines for escaping prison. The story then follows a team of Mumbai cops, led by Manoj Bajpayee, determined to hunt him down and lock him back behind bars.

Sachin Khedekar appears as Inspector Zende’s superior, while Bhau Kadam, Onkar Raut, Harish Dudhade, Bharat Savale, and Nitin Bhajan form his undercover team tasked with nabbing Carl Bhojraj. Their pursuit takes them from Mumbai to Goa, where Carl is suspected to be roaming on a blue Rajdoot and plotting his next grand escape, this time, from India to America.

One of the cops’ biggest challenges is keeping the operation hush-hush, they don’t want to share credit with either the Goa or Delhi police if they manage to bag the snake themselves. Whenever someone asks what he’s doing in Goa, Inspector Zende’s reply is simple: “Picnic”. Manoj Bajpayee and his squad make for an entertaining bunch of bumbling cops, always a step behind, missing Carl Bhojraj by a whisker a bunch of times.

Even as a spoofed version of Charles Sobhraj, Jim Sarbh nails the role, oozing the easy charm and sly menace that once let the real-life killer to charm, manipulate, and ultimately murder his victims. He should’ve been cast to play the serial-killer in Netflix’s critically acclaimed series Black Warrant too.

‘Inspector Zende’ is most relatable when it’s emphasizing the middle-class quirks of its Mumbai cops, from the thrill of their very first flight, to Zende’s wife scrambling for a borrowed suit, to the earnest cop who tallies every chai and taxi fare for the office accounts. These touches are fun, though sometimes laid on a bit thick.

Director Chinmay Mandlekar takes what could have been a gritty noir about a serial-killer chase and spins it into a crime comedy, a gamble that pays off only in parts. The lighter tone makes ‘Inspector Zende’ more family-friendly, steering clear of sex, sleaze, or steam, though it doesn’t shy away from a few violent murders. Yet, it’s not riotously hilarious either, and the comic tone robs the story of the edge that a darker treatment could have offered.

It’s an unusual cocktail: cops who look like tourists on holiday, yet are chasing one of the world’s most wanted criminals. The result is a sunny, silly caper best enjoyed as a one-off escape.

Watch ‘Inspector Zende’ on Netflix.

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Inspector Zende Review: When Catching a Killer Looks Like a Comic ‘Picnic’

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Manoj Bajpayee slips into his inner mongoose as Inspector Zende, a Mumbai cop on a covert mission to hunt down Carl Bhojraj: the slippery snake of a serial killer who has slithered out of Tihar jail.

Directed by Chinmay Mandlekar, this crime comedy is loosely inspired by real events, and stars Jim Sarbh as Carl Bhojraj, “Interpol’s most wanted criminal,” modeled after the infamous murderer Charles Sobhraj. Dubbed as the ‘Bikini Killer’ and ‘Swimsuit Killer,’ Carl makes headlines for escaping prison. The story then follows a team of Mumbai cops, led by Manoj Bajpayee, determined to hunt him down and lock him back behind bars.

Sachin Khedekar appears as Inspector Zende’s superior, while Bhau Kadam, Onkar Raut, Harish Dudhade, Bharat Savale, and Nitin Bhajan form his undercover team tasked with nabbing Carl Bhojraj. Their pursuit takes them from Mumbai to Goa, where Carl is suspected to be roaming on a blue Rajdoot and plotting his next grand escape, this time, from India to America.

One of the cops’ biggest challenges is keeping the operation hush-hush, they don’t want to share credit with either the Goa or Delhi police if they manage to bag the snake themselves. Whenever someone asks what he’s doing in Goa, Inspector Zende’s reply is simple: “Picnic”. Manoj Bajpayee and his squad make for an entertaining bunch of bumbling cops, always a step behind, missing Carl Bhojraj by a whisker a bunch of times.

Even as a spoofed version of Charles Sobhraj, Jim Sarbh nails the role, oozing the easy charm and sly menace that once let the real-life killer to charm, manipulate, and ultimately murder his victims. He should’ve been cast to play the serial-killer in Netflix’s critically acclaimed series Black Warrant too.

‘Inspector Zende’ is most relatable when it’s emphasizing the middle-class quirks of its Mumbai cops, from the thrill of their very first flight, to Zende’s wife scrambling for a borrowed suit, to the earnest cop who tallies every chai and taxi fare for the office accounts. These touches are fun, though sometimes laid on a bit thick.

Director Chinmay Mandlekar takes what could have been a gritty noir about a serial-killer chase and spins it into a crime comedy, a gamble that pays off only in parts. The lighter tone makes ‘Inspector Zende’ more family-friendly, steering clear of sex, sleaze, or steam, though it doesn’t shy away from a few violent murders. Yet, it’s not riotously hilarious either, and the comic tone robs the story of the edge that a darker treatment could have offered.

It’s an unusual cocktail: cops who look like tourists on holiday, yet are chasing one of the world’s most wanted criminals. The result is a sunny, silly caper best enjoyed as a one-off escape.

Watch ‘Inspector Zende’ on Netflix.

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Wednesday Season 2 Review: Death Is Recession-Proof and So Is This Franchise

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram | YouTube)

Summer vacations are for traveling, partying, dancing, video-gaming, live-streaming, karaoke-ing…. but teen psychic Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega) is busy tracking down a serial killer from a cold case. On brand.

Directed by Tim Burton, Paco Cabezas, and Angela Robinson, season 2 of the hit Netflix series spans eight episodes and follows protagonist Wednesday as she returns to Nevermore Academy for a new semester with younger brother Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez). When brutal killings erupt around Nevermore and a vision warns Enid’s (Emma Myers) life is at risk, Wednesday starts to investigate the murders with Thing at her side. In a surprise, parents Gomez Addams (Luis Guzmán) and Morticia Addams (Catherine Zeta-Jones) move into a guest house on campus after Morticia is invited to chair a charity gala for the Academy.

Also Read: Wednesday Season 1 Review: Wickedly Good

All the elements that made me fall in love with Season 1 of ‘Wednesday’ are back in Season 2: crime, murder, violence, horror, mystery, fantasy, teen drama, and an excellent soundtrack. I was hoping for more nefarious villains, but the antagonists in the follow-up aren’t as wickedly evil as they could have been. Still, I was more than adequately distracted by a zombie! Owen Painter plays ‘Slurp’, the zombie Pugsley secretly adopts as a pet on campus.

A whole bunch of new exciting characters are added to the Wednesday universe for season 2, including new Principal Barry Dort (Steve Buscemi), new music teacher Isadora Capri (Billie Piper), Dr Fairburn (Thandiwe Newton) who looks after inmates at the Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital, and Joanna Lumley as Wednesday’s grandmama Hester Frump. However, the standout new cast member is teen actor Evie Templeton as Agnes Demille, a new student who leads the Wednesday fan club at school.

This time, the show also delves into the rocky relationship between Morticia and her daughter, and Catherine Zeta-Jones is perfection as Mrs. Addams. For the first time, Morticia and Gomez in this live-action adaptation truly embodied the iconic cartoon counterparts I grew up watching as a kid (I loved The Addams Family on Cartoon Network, so yes, I have a nostalgic bias for this series).

Meanwhile, a side plot tracks Principal Dort trying to squeeze a donation out of Hester Frump, with some help from Bianca Barclay’s (Joy Sunday) siren abilities. Grandmama Frump, a fabulously wealthy mortuary mogul, delights in reminding people that “death is recession-proof.”

Friendship, family, and supernatural mayhem are the main themes in this season, with Wednesday’s need to protect Enid from a grisly death serving as the driving force in the tale. A lot of clues point Wednesday to the Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital, where several dangerous ‘outcasts’ are patients. Hunter Doohan is also back as Tyler Galphin, kept imprisoned in the psychiatric facility, who once again gets to go on a rampage. However, they’re also new antagonists in this season, newer faces with their own private agendas, all scuttled by our nosy psychic protagonist. Fred Armisen reprises his role as the eccentric Uncle Fester, who breaks into Will Hill, to uncover its secrets and help his niece crack her latest case.

From lavish camping trips to grisly deaths, murderous crows, electric shock therapy, psychological duels, and sword fights, ‘Wednesday‘ Season 2 dials up the gothic violence. The soundtrack soars, with a standout scene in episode 4 where the new music teacher delivers a haunting piano rendition of “Zombie” by The Cranberries, underscoring bloody chaos in intercut sequences.

Episode six brings a riotous body-swap twist, with best friends Wednesday and Enid forced into each other’s shoes thanks to a meddling spirit. It’s a showcase of versatility for both leads. Jenna Ortega is hilarious as she channels the bubbly, colorful Enid, while Emma Myers nails Wednesday’s deadpan murder-eyes. Their impersonations are so convincing that, for a moment, it almost feels like they dubbed each other’s voices, but that’s not the case.

Forget romance, this season thrives on friendships and family drama, with even the villains stuck in their own messy households. One of the biggest twists grows right out of those ties. As for Pugsley? Nobody explains why he’s suddenly at Nevermore (though, sure, it’s convenient to keep both Addams kids in one school). Poor boy winds up as bait in the finale, and in classic Wednesday fashion, she seems far keener on sacrificing him than staging a heartfelt rescue.

Some fans may argue that the overcrowded cast leaves Jenna Ortega with less room to shine as the deadpan, murder-obsessed Wednesday. Still, the season closes with the promise of wilder adventures ahead, another semester ends, and Wednesday rides off on Uncle Fester’s motorcycle, ready to chase a case that’s more personal than ever.

Watch ‘Wednesday’ on Netflix.

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