Feb 09 2009
#42-#44, “Cooking Master Boy” thru “Noir”
“Cooking Master Boy” was my first Chinese anime series and it was alot of fun to watch. It took a few minutes to get used to the Chinese dialogue, as it moved a little faster than I’m used to so in some cases the subtitles went a little more quickly than I could read. But once I managed to focus properly I found the show very delightful. It revolves around a young boy working in his deceased mother’s resturaunt, who finds himself in a cooking challenge to rival all cooking challenges when a master chef arrives to take over. The characters here are sweet and cheerful and an eclectic mix of archtypes. While the animation is old-school looking and a little worn out, the story more than makes up for it. Aside from wanting to watch the next 51 episodes, I also found myself hungry for Chinese food as soon as this first episode was over.
I adore Miyazaki movies. They are such a lovely mix of beautiful animation, complex and in-depth storytelling, and well-crafted characters, that each one has been a joy for me to watch. And though I had a few doubts before watching it, “Porco Rosso” did not let my love of Miyazaki films down. Here we have an ace pilot, cursed to bear the contenance of a pig because of a poor choice made during his youth. Now he lives on the edge, courting disaster, bad guys, and enemy governments at every turn, and hoping in his secret heart of hearts to one day leave his porcine curse behind. This is the first Miyazaki film that did not center around a female character, which I thought would seem strange, but it didn’t. Porco is an ingenius creation - tough but sensitive, driven but haunted. There was humor, there was romance, there was action and suspense. And there were those wonderful Miyazaki touches. I am very happy to add this film to my Miyazaki collection.
“Noir” is confusing and fast-paced and a bit disturbing. In some anime these elements would lead to a show that is nothing more than a giant mess of bad plotting and irritating characters. So far in “Noir” these elements seem to add up to a fascinating series. Two young women with different pasts seem to be set on a path for the same future, as they meet up and become a deadly assassin team. But while at first they can’t think of a reason they would be connected, as they journey together their shared relationship comes into the light. This is a dark series, as any about a pair of assassins would be. There is violence and gun play, but there are also some very moody and introspective moments as well. This is a show that sucks you in with its mysteries, and I am interested to see how well it lives up to them when it finally reveals its answers.
