Necrotongue

Excessive hype usually makes me cautious, so I kept my expectations low. I wasn't disappointed, but I also wasn't swept away by a tsunami of excitement. It was a classic pilot that introduced the characters, setting, and circumstances of the upcoming story, where it seems I won't have anyone to root for. When it comes to drugs, I dislike the producers, distributors, and end-users, so I'll likely remain a strongly impartial viewer. Guy Ritchie is clearly evolving, moving away from the humor that marked his early films... Let's wait and see where it goes from here. / Lesson learned: A stoned chicken shouldn't be handling a shotgun.

This episode was pure, delightful madness. I had a great time watching it. The main difference between Japanese and American comics is that in Japanese ones, characters actually die — and they do so in quite unexpected ways. So, yeah, I enjoyed the battles and even felt some tension. But then came the gardener's transformation, and I nearly died laughing. I have to count that as a positive because anime and Pokémon are just quintessentially Japanese. / Lesson learned: I wonder what that yokai was compensating for with that enormous axe? :-D

Overall, the series is almost exactly meeting my expectations. Almost. Unlike the first episode, the following two lacked that certain something. That said, the Japanese creators have nailed the fight choreography, the CGI doesn't bother me, the visuals are quite stunning, and I find the Japanese characters much easier to distinguish compared to their Korean counterparts. If the creators can step up their game in the remaining episodes, I'll gladly bump up my rating. / Lesson learned: Some yokai behave surprisingly human, and some humans are too much like yokai. Just like in real life.