Review of Blue Eye Samurai

 

Indeed, revenge may give a pleasure, no scent of a woman or man can give,

Alas, revenge too shackles one in the seclusion, may or may not, with guilt.

The above two lines summarizes Blue Eye Samurai. In the fifth episode, the way in parallel three stories have been synchronously directed & told with impeccable animation, as in one theatre artists performing on stage, in another a flash back story of a fallen bride of a ronin, and in the last, Mizu‘s (the protagonist) battle, would make you feel how in depth the expressions of behind the scene animators/creators/artists must’ve gone. From the art of war to art of revenge to even the art of sex without even having once (peculiarity) as how Akemi (the princess) demonstrates while reciting a poetry; this adult animated series is blended with different flavours.

You’ve to choose between, being Happy or being Great, as the two never follow each other nor go hand in hand. Akemi chooses to be being great despite Taigen (her boyfriend) asking in the end otherwise; so as blue eyed mixed race Mizu disguising as a man, in the revenge till kill four men, in a now closed Japan from the outer World. More seemed like a classical version/adaptation of Kill Bill.

This also project the darker side of how once women were being treated, even today at many places around World, as being considered merely a fertile soil, born to give birth to the next in bloodline.

If the ‘blind’ swordsmith can make undefeated swords, then so as a samurai can fight ‘without’ the sword (soul) in its hands. And as I’m not an authentic historian herein, so can’t comment on whether it’s an accurate depiction of the 17^th century or a true story; but would give you a feel of the same with its aesthetics.

Was Mizu’s revenge merely restricted to being born as a mixed race in the now closed isolated Japan from outer World, or, was it more about what the four men did to her mother, or, the feeling of being dejected by the local natives; it was still unclear, because, the second reason of revenge was understandable; whilst in the third, it’s more of a societal problem in general, and in the first, more about being raised with complexes; thus on that part, the story wasn’t that lucid.     

All said and done, this adult animated series is indeed a good watch. 😊

© Pranav Chaturvedi

Review of Pluto

Even AI can’t evolve sans being subjected to suffering despite given billions of personas to choose from for evolution. And herein, anger in one’s memories resurrected a hero AGI, whilst of another gave birth to its antithesis. Pluto manga series, a masterpiece, I would conduce, especially episodes 2, 6, 7 & 8.  Albeit metaphorically based on the mid-east war of mid-00, and as an adaptation of Astro Boy, it was able to deliver the emotional relationships between human-robots, robots-robots, highly evolved AI - robots. At one point one would say, robots looking more evolved than humans. Be it their expressions, as an example, North No. 2’s longing to learn piano lessons & maintaining calm composure in its response; Uran’s powerful EQ to sense & smell even the remotest feelings, Europol’s detective Gesicht’s way of countering abusive humans, Epsilon choosing different path despite knowing being considered as a coward, was simply spectacular. Well, I didn’t completely agree with their theme: hatred produce more hatred, as, in one of my poems I’ve written that:

Hate isn't always a misdeed.

In 'love all' never always lies good deed!

Why context of Hate is discerned?

In verbatim, as it isn't defined with few terms!

The Robots adopting robots or human orphans, the way they’ve been nurtured by them, taken care of, such won’t be seen in any of the other flicks/series made on AGI/Robots so far. Abullah’s dilemma of being organic or synthetic, Atom’s relationship with its creator especially the scene when its dining & enjoying the flavours of food, Epsilon’s being more meditative than one who has spent decades on Himalayas, Gesicht’s quest in deriving meaning of his nightmares, Sahad’s swaying aspects between flowering tulips to being the most destructive, was absolutely fascinating. And indeed, Haas’s anger against Robots was justified as his father committing suicide due to job loss, brother becoming a criminal, but, even with the absence of highly evolved robots today, such things are happening everywhere; thus blaming robots isn’t the correct approach!

I would want to witness the evolution of AGI/Robots living with such similar or more Rights & Freedom.

Worth a Watch! 😊

© Pranav Chaturvedi