I just finished watching the first episode of Macross Zero and wow… I’m completely blown away. The animation is simply stunning, with some of the most beautiful use of CGI I’ve ever seen in anime (and that includes Yukikaze). The first 10 minutes contain the most amazing dogfight sequence I’ve ever seen (eat your heart out, Maverick) and all of you Robotech geeks will crap your pants when you see the Fokker’s Skull Leader Valkyrie transform for the first time.
Unfortunately, it’s only half an hour long. I almost cried when the credits started rolling because it happened right when things started to hit the fan. There are 5 planned episodes, with only two currently available (no word on when the third one comes out). I’m not sure when this will be released domestically, but between Macross Zero, Yukikaze, Witch Hunter Robin, and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, it’s a great time to be an anime fan.
I also watched My Tutor Friend and Manner Zero tonight, both being Korean movies that had piqued my curiosity for some time. If you’ve spent any time perusing the site, you should know that I absolutely adore the films that South Korea is releasing. Somehow, they’ve managed to release films in genres that I normally wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole (e.g., romantic comedies, melodramas) that just have me wrapped around their fingers.
My Tutor Friend is going to be invariably compared to My Sassy Girl, as both share similar plots: two completely incompatible individuals meet through the most contrived and convenient of circumstances, and lo and behold, romance blooms.
Although My Tutor Friend doesn’t quite measure up to My Sassy Girl — the silly moments aren’t silly enough and the dramatic moments are dramatic enough — it’s definitely one I want to watch again before I make any final conclusions. If nothing else, I’ll watch it for the crazy fight scenes… and to see Kim Ha-Neul again. Ooh la la…
Manner Zero — also known as Conduct Zero — was totally not what I expected. It starts off with a crazy brawl that’s equal parts Bruce Lee parody/homage and Shaolin Soccer. Then it suddenly shifts into this strangely nostalgic high school buddy film (think Friend without the gangster motifs), before dropping in a sweet, quirky romance between the school bully and a mousy, bookworm-ish girl that reminded me, of all things, of Punch-Drunk Love… before slipping back into the crazy romantic triangles and Shaolin Soccer-esque shenanigans.
The film just jumps all over the place in terms of mood. At times, it’s sweet and refreshing (the first kiss scene was just so perfect), and at other times, it’s almost maddening and pretentious… and sometimes all at the same time. In this regard, it really reminded me of Ping Pong, a movie which really confounded my expectations and that I need to see again now that my expectations are a bit more grounded.