Movie Review: The Breakup Playlist

The Breakup Playlist is a pretty informative movie, imparting a number of lessons about life, love and career that we can learn from.  First lesson: the music industry sucks; unless you're in it for the love of what you're doing, not only will you fade into obscurity, singing commercial jingles and singing in smoke-filled, half-empty bars until the wee hours of the night, you'd also remain poor.  That is, until luck, nostalgia or music camp lifts you up from poverty and hopefully allow you to live the next few years of your life in relative comfort.  Very realistic (and depressing) depiction, that.

Next: it shows us a Sarah Geronimo that is neither stuck in her tweens, nor is she acting like a pop-princess acting like an actress in her next tweetums role.  She's all grown up now and her maturity (and every improving looks) is a joy to watch.

The movie also tells shows us a Piolo Pascual who can act like a manly rock star, complete with singing chops; he's actually more believable than Ewan MacGregor in Moulin Rouge in that Piolo's voice does not seem to be altered or improved upon with digital effects magic.

And, as a straight man, I'd have to admit Piolo is quite the eye-candy, even without having to take his shirt off at all (well, maybe just once, but it wasn't fan service).

Last, but not the least, The Breakup Playlist shows us that even though the movie has its sad parts (it is about a breakup after all), the combination of catchy Pinoy pop tunes and an onscreen relationship that's pretty relate-able (at least to myself and the GF), did not turn the movie viewing experience into a cry-fest; in fact, we left the movie house with a happy heart.

The movie is very well made, with good production values, especially the sound effects part (notice how good everything sounded when Piolo leaves and enters his car) which is a surprise, since sound always gets the least amount of attention in local movies.

A majority of the locations were shot here in Quezon City, and there were no grand locations (like Sagada or Batanes), which is welcome, as the main focus of the movie is still Sarah and Piolo's relationship within the movie.

There were still blatant product placements (BDO, SMDC, TV PLUS), but not as much as your last Kris Aquino or Vic Sotto movie.

All in all, I'm glad we went to see this movie -- it's an incremental improvement over past efforts (in general), especially with good production values, excellent performances by the actors and a relationship that's pretty believable and not too contrived.  It's well worth your time watching this if you like Filipino movies (if you're a fan of either lead actors, then it's a no brainer).

Verdict: 4/5 Must See!

Details:
Genre: Romance
Release Date: July 1, 2015
Notable Actors: Piolo Pascual, Sarah Geronimo
Seen At: SM San Mateo

Anime Review: Aldnoah Zero Season 2

I was a bit disappointed with the first half of Aldnoah Zero, especially since I didn't know it had a second half (it ended with a cliffhanger).  However, after seeing the second part of the series,  I'm happy to say that Aldnoah Zero is one of the better series I've seen this year.

The first season of Aldnoah Zero (Episode 1-12) was basically the setup phase of the story, detailing the relationship and history between Earth and Mars (or Vers, as they called themselves).  Earth is technologically backwards by virtue of Mars having possession of Aldnoah Drive technology (or their ability to construct super-robots, as opposed to the rather pedestrian terran mechs).

This first part also introduced us to the protagonist Inaho Kaizuka, boy genius with the emotional range of a doorknob and Slaine Troyard, Terran punching bag of the Versian nobility.  My dissatisfaction with the first half of this series lies was due to how one-dimensional these two characters were.  Thankfully this was mere setup and the second season more than made up for the lackluster start.

And boy, the second season exceeded all expectations: the relationship between Inaho and Slaine blossomed from mere 'acquaintances' to an intense rivalry reminiscent of the Amuro Ray and Char Aznable of the original Gundam series.

While some of the secondary characters (including Princess Seylum) were given enough airtime for their chacters to develop, the meat of the series lies with Inaho and Slaine's development: their motives and the actions and the consequences thereof were explored in detail; so much so that this is probably one of the more character oriented series I've seen this year.  

The art and animation are top notch, which isn't surprising as the first season was up there in terms of both.  But much as it was enjoyable to see Inaho and Slaine's mechs go at it, their respective stories is the highlight of the series for me.

I highly recommend this series, especially if seen in its entirety.  The interpersonal conflict between the two lead characters and the mech fights alone are worth the time you spend; having a half-decent storyline is icing on the cake.  If you love mech genres, then this one's a no brainer.

Verdict: 5/5 Must see!

Details:
Genre: Mecha, Politics
No. of Episodes: 12 (Second Season)
Date Aired: January to March, 2015

Movie Review: Poltergeist (2015)

I went to see Poltergeist thinking it was a horror movie; I was sorely disappointed.  Even compared to the latest Insidious (the third part), which set a pretty low bar as far as American scare-fests go, Poltergeist was even less scary.  Sure, there were some jump-from-your-seat moments, often involving loud noises and hands over children's shoulders.  There were some semi-disturbing imageries but the inclusion of numerous CG effects really detracted from the visceral aspects of more practical-oriented (read as: cheap) effects (think the first Insidious, or the first Paranormal Activity).

However, if you think of Poltergeist as a suburban Sci-Fi / Light-horror genre mashup, it becomes a bit more palatable.

I never really like it when horror films over-explain themselves; sometimes the scariest things are things implied by the filmmakers, as opposed to something spoon-fed.  This is why Japanese or Asian horror in general works for me: they don't give a too-too elaborate backstory, scary shit just happens, deal with it!  I remember having to shower with my eyes open for months on end or not looking at my monitor's reflection (back in the days of CRT monitors) because I might see something that I did not want to see, or feel a hand helping me shampoo my hair.  I fed my own scares, and it left me scarred and scared years down the line.

Poltergeist spoon feeds you: everything has an explanation; everything happens for a reason; everything has a step-by-step guide towards solving the issue at hand.  This attitude is very American in my view, as opposed to the usual Asian attitude of "lets just get the fuck out of here".

I've never seen the original Poltergeist in its entirety; I seem to associate it with a scene where, after chewing a drumstick, this guy tasted something wrong with his midnight snack and ended up looking down towards his maggot encrusted piece of chicken.  This scared me enough to keep me away from breaded chicken drumsticks for a few years (hey, I was a kid then).  I remember the TV part and some kids and something something something happened and, well, let me just say that I'm not sure how much this 'reboot' stuck to the original in terms of story.  But I do believe that the original Poltergeist was also a a Sci-Fi / horror mashup, since they seem to stick with the idea that ghosts or entities have physically explainable (and even repeatable) manifestations.

Even with the sci-fi angle, I find it hard to recommend spending 250 pesos of your money and watching it in a moviehouse -- it's just not worth it.  As a rental though, it might be good enough, or maybe via iFlix, should they decide to carry it.

Verdict: 1/5 Don't bother.

Details:
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1029360/
Notable Actors: That guy from Moon
Release date: June 24, 2015
Seen at: Eastwood Cinemawalk

Anime Review: Zankyou no Terror (Terror in Resonance)

It took me a while to finish watching Zankyou no Terror (Terror in Resonance); there was always something more flashy and seemingly more fun to watch and it remained in my queue for quite a long time.  Having determined to finish my backlog before tackling newer titles, I forced myself to re-start this series once more.

ZnT tackles the theme of terrorism at its core; while Japan is hardly a place you think of when it comes to terrorist attacks, it is hardly a stranger to such events.  Of course, in the traditional anime way, you get kids involved, though this also has precedence in real life.

As the series progresses, the unique premise gets diluted by your typical anime tropes: boy geniuses, grudges from the past, high school kids save the world.  This isn't really as bad as it sounds, but I can't help but feel that the series went a bit downhill from the rather promising start.

Still, I love the art and the animation was top notch.  The pacing was good and the thriller aspect of the story kept me watching (even after I'm done with my elliptical session).  Interpersonal drama and a few lighter moments kept things from getting too dark and dreary, and the ending was satisfactory.

All in all, this series is worth your time.  It's not bad, in fact, it's above average.  I just can't help but feel that this series would've been so much more if it dared to risk more during the latter stages.

Verdict:
3.5/5 - Well worth your time

Details:
Title: Zankyou no Terror (Terror in Resonance)
Genre: Realistic, Action Thriller, High School
Date Aired: July to September, 2014

Number of Episodes: 11

Food Review: Family Mart Agedashi Tofu Meal

Thank God I was able to take pics of this delightful meal; the guard told me (while in the process of taking pics to be uploaded to Fitbit) that I was not allowed to take pics of their food.  I didn't argue, but I'm guessing that he seems to be under the misapprehension that taking pics inside the store is the same as taking pics of the store.

In any case, having just devoured my meal (I was taking pics of the other meal in the ref), I was in a good mood and didn't argue the finer points of Family Mart policy (besides, I'm not sure if anyone ever won an argument with a security guard, short of one person or the other getting beaten up with an ugly stick).  Thankfully, I took pics before I finished my Agedashi Tofu Meal and, as you can see above, it looks pretty edible.

Serving Size
Now, my main reason for choosing this meal is two-fold: 1, it costs a reasonable amount of calories (424), 2, it had the most amount of proteins (18 grams).  My other choice was the Hainanese Chicken, and it was literally a few slivers of chicken with brownish rice; the tofu meal was significantly substantial in comparison.  The rice portion was a bit on the lean side though, probably in an attempt to keep the calorie count a bit lower.

Taste

The Agedashi Tofu tasted pretty good, and relatively faithful to the ones you encounter in Japanese Restaurants.  It came with meat (pork, I assume) and some spring onions.  It had mushrooms as well, which I managed to enjoy.  The rice was fragrant and is of higher quality compared to the over-the-counter ones you can buy.  Given the proportions of tofu VS rice, you could probably order another ball of rice and still have enough tofu to go with it.

One tip though, if you're bothered by cold spots in the middle of your tofu due to the uneven heating, you might want to ask the staff to heat the meal a bit longer.

Conclusion

At 150 pesos per tray, it's beyond my normal budget for daily meals.  However, given the taste and generous serving, I think this is just about worth your money.  There are a number of other options in this Fresh n' Lite series but they're all equally expensive.  The addition of nutritional information is a big plus (and selling point), but ultimately, this product will sell due to the taste and general health-iness, especially compared to other offerings.

I've seen a number of 'premium' meals in 7-11, and I'm hoping to try them out soon.  As it is, the Agedashi Tofu Meal will be part of my go-to meal rotation.

Verdict: 4/5 Expensive, but worth it!

Movie Review: Your Place or Mine

Your Place or Mine watches like an anime series localised for our consumption.  To be specific, it's a reverse-harem, where the protagonist seems to be surrounded by good-looking guys all out to woo her affection.  I like harem animes, and I have been wondering what it would be like to have the genders reversed.  I got my wish and I'm not too sure how well i like it.

But first off, let me get this off my chest: What is the deal with Bret Jackson's colouration?  I know it's not a good idea to judge a person by the colour of their skin, but his tanning-bed skin tone is really, really distracting.  It doesn't help that his features are quite caucasian, and his eye and hair colour makes him look more brown than is rightly normal.  Everybody else looked pretty much okay so either the camera hates him or he really should stay away from the tanning salon.

Ehem.  With that out of the way, let us proceed!

This is a story of a rich girl (Haley Saavedra, played by Andi Eigenmann) who, like every other rich girl in Viva-verse, is determined to spend her youth drinking and screwing around while pretending to be studying in some video-genic university.  She meets and falls into bed (while thoroughly inubriated) with rich boy (Russell Sandoval, played by tanning-bed dude Bret Jackson) who seems to think the world is his oyster (and will throw a punch or two at the first sign of opposition, too much time spent watching pro-wrestling, my friend).

You get a controlling mother who seems determined to make her daughter unhappy (Jackie Lou Blanco) by setting her up in an arranged marriage, who, despite a few plot twists still seems to make decisions based on how much grief she'll cause her daughter.  Whose idea of motherhood is telling Haley that she cannot teach her how to cook because, asking her daughter rhetorically, "does she look like the type who knows how to cook".

Yaya to the rescue.

After an hour of watching these selfish and self-centered characters run around causing themselves unnecessary grief, I was left so devoid of sympathy that even the arrival of Teddy Bear Jr. Andre Paras as your typical anime childhood friend (with all the plus points that entails) still failed to elicit any sort of the expected sympathetic response from me.

So to cap this off, I'll just write down a few more of my observations:

• Haley likes walking out and/or running so she'll get chased.  She walks out on her boyfriend, she walks out of meetings (repeatedly), out of bed, etc.  She did this like five or six times
• So much product placement.  The movie went through as many food outlets, complete with external shots, as the number of times Haley walked on out people
• Almost every character here is a selfish prick.  Family members moreso.  With brothers like those, who needs a better set of villains
• What's the deal with that lecturing lawyer or doctor or shrink, extolling the virtues of a pragmatic marriage?
• Haley seem so determined to make herself unhappy!

Ultimately, even by anime standards, the plot is overly contrived, made worse by the fact that the characters elicit so little sympathy, you would've cheered them on in their misery.  I think I am not the target audience for the story or the movie, but I did not set out to spend 190 pesos just to hate the thing I'm watching. Try harder please, Viva.  And Russell, stop supporting the tanning lotion industry, you could actually act decently and might have a future in the industry and I'll probably have to watch a few more of your movies, just hopefully with a more normal skin tone.

Verdict: 1.5/5  Skip it.

TL;DR:
+ Production values seem to be decent, though outdoor locations seems to all be within Quezon City
+ Bret Jackson shows promise
- Contrived plot
- Poor pacing
- Some gaps within the story (how did Haley and Seth become chums all of a sudden)
---- The characters, ugh!

Details:
Title: Your Place or Mine
Genre: Reverse-harem Teen Drama, Wattpad
Release Date: April 29, 2015
Notable Actors: Andi Eigenmann, Andre Paras, Jackie Lou Blanco

Anime Review: Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend/Heroine

Here's another surprise series that took my heart and flew away with it (in no less than 12 episodes + 1 fanservice ep).  Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend (Saekano in short), is a harem anime series of the meta sort, requiring a bit of level up before being able to really get into the series.

As it is, I feel like I'm missing 20% of the in-jokes mentioned, and there seem to be a lot of things lost in translation (culturally specific stuff).  But despite that, the only thing I can say about this series is that IT IS TOO DAMN SHORT.

Personally, I do feel that this series is a cross between  Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (or Haganai) and The World God Only Knows.  Both are harem type animes, and both are well worth your time watching.  In Saekano, you get the generic high school protagonist who is the love interest of just about every interesting girl out there, who joins/forms a club/blog that eventually helps the group/circle develop their relationship/infatuation with the main guy.

The anime is quite self-aware, often mocking it's own use of over-used tropes, breaking the fourth wall (well, maybe 3.5) several times.  I liked these breaks, and the story, simple as it is, moves along as the main focus is always about character interaction and development.

The first half of the series is pretty devoid of fanservice (upskirts, pantyshots, strategically placed/misplaced camera angles), but the latter third is rife with it.  The 13th episode (or episode 00) is pretty much a fanservice episode and, while I'm not complaining, I'd like to consider myself (slightly) above such antics (right).

The art and animation is top notch, reminding me of the Monogatari series with its use of different coloured lines, but without the overly stylised (and distracting) stuffing, though they did have their share of head-tilts.

If you like harem anime, bump this up your queue (if you haven't seen the series yet, that is, it's in a lot of must watch lists, near the top 5 usually).  I've half a mind to rewatch it since it is really too short.

Verdict: 5/5 Must Watch Immediately!

Details:
Title: Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend/Heroine
Genre: Harem Anime, Slice of Life
Date Aired: January 8, 2015 – March 26, 2015
Number of Episodes: 13