What I've Watched

Dear reader(s), it is my pleasure to bid you welcome to, what I plan to turn into a new feature on this blog. Under the header What I've Watched, I'm going to talk about the shows I've been watching lately; old and new, live-action and animated and my impressions of them. I don't have much more to say, so let's cut to the chase:


True Detective (season 2)

The first season of True Detective was some truly excellent television, featuring great directing and cinematography courtesy of Cary Joji Fukunaga and outstanding performances from Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. Naturally, I was greatly looking forward to the second season. Well, season 2 is here and I'm half-way through and I have to say that, so far, its not living up to the standards of its predecessor. I knew that the new season would feature a completely different plot and cast of characters and I have no problem with that. However, I must admit that I find it increasingly hard to care about the various plots and sub-plots in this season. About the only time that the show has really clicked with me was at the end of episode 2 and the beginning of episode 3. Still, I'll keep watching, hopefully the show will improve in the second half.
The opening is great though.

Sonic Boom

This show, I must say, has turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Its pretty formulaic (almost every episode I've seen boils down to Eggman hatching some scheme, usually involving robots, and Sonic and friends putting a stop to it), but it compensates for that by being genuinely funny. Its not Steven Universe or anything, but its an amusing series that I don't mind watching every now and then.

Garo the Animation

Another show I'm enjoying. Garo the Animation may not break new ground among fantasy anime or take the genre to new heights (at least not from what I've seen), but so far, its a solid show that does what it does very well. The cast  may not count among the most memorable the medium has offered us, but the characters are engaging and I'm interested to see what's going to happen next.

Yuri Kuma Arashi

Not sure what to think of this one yet. It has all the weirdness, visual richness and symbolism that I've come to expect from Ikuhara's work, but it hasn't really grabbed me the way that Utena or Penguin Drum did. So far, my favorite episode was the one focused on Lulu and her past. I must admit, I got a chuckle out of her repeated efforts to kill her little brother. On another note, the absence of a lengthy musical interlude, like the above-mentioned shows had, is somewhat disappointing.

Ripper Street (season 1)

I've saved the best for last. Ripper Street is a crime-series set in London, shortly after the Whitechapel Murders and its absolutely brilliant. The three main-characters are well-drawn and expertly portrayed by their actors (including Jerome Flynn, who you may recognize as Bronn from Game of Thrones) and they are backed-up by a strong supporting cast. The show also does a great job of depicting Victorian London and many of the cases, involves the social, political and economical conflicts of the time-period. This is one show that I recommend without any hesitation and I'm really looking forward to watching season 2.

Well, that's it, for now. If you have any suggestions or recommendations for me, please, feel free to post them in the comments.