Nouvelles critiques - TOP utilisateurs·trices

A cute, fun, and light-hearted romcom with a nice, brisk pace that manages to deliver a complete story in just twelve episodes. If I had one small gripe, it would be with the animation. It’s not terrible, but it feels a bit basic—maybe that's just the style of the original work, but the animation doesn’t quite elevate the key moments as much as it could. Some more expressive facial animations here and there would have made the whole "pseudo-harem" dynamic land even better. That said, the animation never outright detracted from my enjoyment. The music, on the other hand, was solid. It fit the romcom vibe perfectly—sometimes emotional, always pleasant. Story-wise, I was really satisfied. The pacing was spot-on, and I enjoyed seeing the full evolution of the central duo's relationship. Their playful back-and-forth was a lot of fun, with Eiji sometimes taking the lead and other times letting Rin shine. By the end, I was fully convinced their relationship would continue to be just as lively and interesting, and I found myself rooting for them more with each episode. Initially, Eiji felt a bit underwhelming to me, almost like he was playing second fiddle and letting Rin do all the work. But as the series progressed, he became more entertaining, and the show became more enjoyable because of it. Rin, on the other hand, was fantastic from the start. I'll admit, the whole "pseudo-harem" setup with someone as charming as Rin would be a dream for a lot of viewers. Throw in some cosplay, and you'd never get bored—every day would feel like the start of a new story. Big shout-out to Saori Hayami for her voice acting as well, and I can’t help but love the "cool-chan" vibes that totally reminded me of Yor from Spy x Family. All in all, Giji Harem is a solid, breezy romcom that I'd recommend to fans of fun, straightforward, and well-paced romances. 8/10.

For an anime about an OP hero with one seemingly underwhelming ability, which he’s mastered to absurd levels—basically a premise we've seen a million times—this actually wasn’t bad at all. First off, I gotta say: anyone who tries to claim that "parry" is a weak ability clearly hasn’t spent enough time playing Dark Souls. Anyone who's tried parrying there knows it’s an insanely powerful skill if you know how to use it. So, from the get-go, the whole “parry is useless” concept loses some credibility for me. That aside, there are the usual complaints: clichés and a few repeated jokes, like the hero being oblivious to how talented he actually is. It’s funny at first, but after a while, it makes Noor seem a bit clueless. Which is a shame, because Noor is what really carried this series for me. He’s the definition of a likable guy—hardworking, humble, unbreakable, and totally down to do the dirtiest jobs. I mean, cleaning sewage in a medieval town? That takes guts. He’s a grown man, not another overpowered teenager, and his well-earned muscles make him look cool wielding a sword almost as big as he is. I appreciate that we’re getting more protagonists like him this season; he's way more relatable than yet another Kirito clone. Unfortunately, the supporting cast didn’t stand out as much. In fact, I found myself liking most of Noor’s mentors more than his female companions. The story itself was pretty standard—your classic "zero to hero" journey—but with the added twist that he had to “parry” something in every episode. I do have to give props to the creators for sticking to the title; the challenges Noor faced were often surprising and sometimes genuinely funny, even if his cluelessness occasionally got frustrating (but I've already covered that). All in all, it’s a charming, straightforward fantasy series—something you can easily binge and enjoy without overthinking. I wouldn’t mind watching more episodes, and I even debated giving it a fourth star. In the end, though, I parried that idea, just like Noor would, and landed on a strong 3. 6.4/10.

Every plan is perfect until it’s met by Flaw and Improvisation at the door. There are plenty of films about losers who try to get rich by breaking the law, sometimes even for a good cause, and this one stands out only in how quickly it piles on plot twists that prevent the viewer from thinking too deeply about the childishness of it all. Given the overall nature of the film, you can gradually guess whether the ending will lead to the hybrid saying, "He who laughs last, laughs green."

The Ministry of Health warns: Deer may cause brain cell loss! Wait, what? Deer! Why? Because DEER! Don't try to make sense of it, you won't win. You'll just end up thinking that Nokotan was probably born one day when a manga artist, under the pen name Oshioshio, went for a walk in the woods, locked eyes with a majestic deer, and thought, "If you were a cute girl, we'd be having a lot more fun!" And so, Nokotan was born, a manga whose entire joke hinges on that one magical word—Deer! Meanwhile, WiT Studio seemed to be going through an identity crisis. Maybe they were tired of hearing that all their recent works—Owari no Seraph, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, The Empire of Corpses—were just Attack on Titan knockoffs. So, they ditched the Titans and brought in some new directors, including the legendary troll Masahiko Ohta, the man behind Yuru Yuri and the unforgettable Umaru-chan. With a fresh approach, WiT was expanding its horizons, dabbling in more genres. Even Ohta got involved, directing Onipan!, which built its own loyal fanbase. It was time for their next quirky project, and with Deadpool still trending, they decided to go all in on breaking the fourth wall with something creative, unexpected, and... well, absurd. Enter: Nokotan. Legend has it that one day Yasuhiro Misawa got a commission to create the opening theme for an anime, with just one condition: the song had to include the series' name, "Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan." What the anime was about or how the song should sound? Nobody told him. So, while working on it, he repeated the tongue-twisting title in his head until he realized—hey, that could be a catchy chorus! And well, we all know what happened next. The creators decided to release that chorus to the world, and overnight it became a total meme. Word about the show spread like wildfire, and when the first trailer dropped, it was clear this was going to be completely ridiculous but potentially hilarious. Fans, including myself, started hoping for a new king of absurd comedy, maybe something that could stand alongside Nichijou and Azumanga Daioh. The hype was real. The full opening turned out to be addictive—millions of views later, it's still stuck in my head. Hours before the first episode aired (and even now, after the finale), people were playing the same chorus on a loop. So, did Nokotan manage to take the anime throne? Did it revolutionize modern anime? Sadly, I have to say... no, it didn’t. It quickly became clear that the whole series was built on one joke (deer) and endless variations of it. Fourth-wall breaking can be brilliant when done right, with a clever meta context, but you can’t just spam it and expect magic. I also realized I'm getting kind of tired of the constant self-aware shtick in so many shows. The jokes about Nokotan’s antlers were amusing at first, but after a while, they barely got more than a chuckle out of me. Even the deer cracker ads started to wear thin. The humor only really landed about half the time, and unfortunately, most of the best jokes were already spoiled in the trailers. The pop culture references were cute, but I would've liked to see more of them. The characters were likable enough—Nokotan was undeniably adorable, and I can see how caring for her would be fun—but she didn’t quite pull me into the "deer cult" (I’m sticking with Mitama). The other characters were fine too, though aside from Torako, they didn’t do much to stand out. What really hurt the show, though, was the botched English subtitles on Crunchyroll’s release of the first episode, which were probably AI-generated and made a rough first impression. Overall, my expectations weren’t fully met. I was hoping for something even more chaotic and high-energy. That said, don’t get me wrong—I don’t think My Deer Friend Nokotan is a bad anime at all. It kept me entertained, made me laugh a few times, and the animation by WiT Studio was solid. But given all the hype and what I thought this series could be, I’m left a bit disappointed. The humor, which was supposed to be the main draw, was often just... average. Nothing groundbreaking here—this deer-centric series is worth about seven out of ten deer (6.8/10). And I’ll end with this: you can’t stop the deer march!

What to do in Oklahoma when one doesn't live there... The Swabian gangsters from American backwaters can be visually appealing, in a way stylish, but here it becomes clear that they struggle to work with characters and the potential of their actors. Take, for example, the Brooklyn pizza man Frank Grillo, who clearly spends as many minutes in the gym daily as he uses the word "fuck" here, or Simmons, who got on his face what he will never have on his head again for the role. By the way, Scott Caan is not only resembling his father but also starting to "transform" into him through his acting.

After watching the last episode of Shōshimin Series, I felt an overwhelming urge to revisit Hyouka, and even after all these years, I’m still loving it. Oreki is a character I relate to so much, sometimes it feels like he’s speaking directly to my inner self. It’s not that I’m lazy—I just like to conserve energy, and when I do have to get something done, I aim to finish it as quickly as possible so I can get back to relaxing and, well, conserving more energy. I also adore Chitanda. She’s that curious, lively type who always means trouble, but somehow manages to drag you along with her energy. Who could possibly resist those big, bright eyes brimming with excitement and that iconic “I’m curious!”? I get Oreki so much—I've met a few girls like that who managed to pull me out of my comfort zone and push me to actually try. The chemistry between the main duo is one of my favorite parts of the show. But it’s not just them—the side characters don’t feel like background noise either. They contribute to the story and the solving of these everyday mysteries in meaningful ways. And speaking of the mysteries, they’re presented so well. Sure, sometimes you can figure out the twist early (though in my case, my memory might be kicking in since I’ve seen it before), but even when they’re dealing with seemingly trivial things, it’s always engaging. One thing I have to praise is the production quality. The animation is fantastic, even from the first episode. The way the show blends fantasy with reality in certain scenes is just magical (like Oreki’s first meeting with Chitanda or the moment she’s depicted as an angel). Kyoto Animation really knew what they were doing back in 2012, and the animation has aged beautifully, like fine wine. And the music—the soundtrack is phenomenal. The OST is great on its own, but pairing it with classical pieces from Beethoven, Bach, and others adds such a perfect touch to the mood of each scene. For a show set in a "Classic Literature Club" (where, ironically, they rarely talk about literature), I couldn’t imagine a more fitting score. All in all, even after all these years, Hyouka remains a solid 9/10 for me.

The ending is a combination of kitsch in the style of Downton Abbey (everyone important gets their happy ending), and at the same time, there's plenty of time for the brawl between the SA and SS, the opulent beauty of the Zeppelin airship's interior, and a fight involving the Gypsy boxer (and future German champion) Johann Trollmann. But the only thing that truly matters is Fred Jacoby's awakening, as he realizes that nothing in the world is worth working for a propaganda rag. Yes, the denazification of Germany has been working since 1945, and this is the result.

It makes sense when a romantic comedy of a more or less typical cut lands in cinemas and makes a heap of money, that it is the work of Will Gluck, who broke the bank in a similar way twelve years ago with Friends with Benefits. And because I like all his genre pieces, I was also rooting for Anyone But You, but really failed to step into the same river in terms of quality. Everything looks familiar, the main duo is constantly bickering, there's the reminder of a forgotten musical hit, and the family melodramatically gets involved in the action, but none of those recollections is a good one. From the initial misunderstanding onward, pretty much none of the decisions made by Ben or Bey make any sense, it's not just the family of the main duo who end up getting unnecessarily stuck in heated and surprisingly unfunny situations out of their own incompetence but also the main duo themselves, I can't remember a single good line, most of the twists and gestures are forced... simply put, a total loss. I would rather have had another solid and honest modern adaptation of "Much Ado About Nothing" than this forgettable half-heartedness, which is nothing more than a waste of Glen Powell's time and abilities.

A scene-for-scene copy of the Danish original, all the way up to the climax, which is completely reworked here. The European and American versions are an exemplary illustration of the differing approaches to the viewer. In filmmaking terms, the American version is adequately well-crafted and is surprising thanks to the good direction of the actors and the excellent original screenplay, and it keeps the viewer in suspense as well as the original did. A psychological game with the unsuspecting characters and viewers, with a shocking point. Here the climax is made more tense solely through genre techniques, is more action-oriented and even incorporates the current trend of strong female characters. Compared to the uncompromising, almost torturously cruel European film, however, Speak No Evil comes off as a more ordinary and more easily forgotten work. ***1/2

An intimate analysis of the mental state of young Anne, who wants to have an “illicit” abortion at any cost, even though that could land her in prison (France in the 1960s) or even cause her death. Director Audrey Diwan, who had an abortion herself, focuses exclusively on the character of Anne, putting her in a position against society, from which she has to hide her situation and her intentions. Fearing the consequences, not even Anne’s best friends want to help her. Anamaria Vartolomei in the lead role acts as if her life depends on it and the viewer’s experience of her suffering is compelling, but the film needed something more to gain my adulation.

A creeping atmospheric psychological thriller with an interesting performance by Nicolas Cage and the reliably dreamy Maika Monroe, but a mediocre screenplay that combines a crime flick with a satanic horror movie and tries to surprise and shock with details, which don’t really work, and with insufficiently imaginative work with genre clichés. As such, the film remains engaging only on the audio-visual level. Kind of like the similarly hyped The Black Phone.

The creators are rational. If it were just a Czech version of Walter Mitty about self-discovery and beautiful things that don’t ask for attention, no one would go to the movie theater. If we add the pseudo-seal Ondřej Sokol, who reaches a different kind of self-discovery in comedic mode, a few people might show up. But when the whole thing is built on a relationship plot with generic parameters, many more will be lured in! In the last third, during the strike of the Mountain Rescue Service employees, it reached a lobotomized phase that could only be saved by one thing: the roll of the end credits immediately after the bear ended the WTF scene of rolling on the meadow by biting off Jakub Prachař head. Some might even come for the natural horror.

The Polish continue their successful streak with Netflix, delivering another solid film. From a technical standpoint, there’s really not much to fault—it’s well-made and has plenty of entertainment value. However, the ratings don’t quite reflect that, and I think it’s partly because, after a series of high-quality Polish films, the bar has been set really high. Perhaps the filmmakers got a little too ambitious here. The story is a fictional one, but it’s set in a very real time period, referencing not just one athlete but an entire phenomenon of athletes fleeing from a communist regime to the West. The acting is top-notch, with Eryk Kulm and Eryk Lubos delivering brilliant performances, and Adrianna Chlebicka holding her own as well. But the fictional angle feels a bit odd, and the screenplay doesn’t offer many surprises—it’s a mix of things we’ve seen before. At nearly three hours long, the film can feel like it’s dragging, but it’s worth sticking it out—the ending is genuinely beautiful.

Tim Burton is finally off the leash again, and honestly, it was about time. Where better to let loose than with the world he first introduced us to, packed with his signature quirky ideas? And he absolutely delivers. A sequel more than 35 years later is a bold move, but as a fan of Burton’s work, I can confidently say it was worth the wait. The only drawback for me was the somewhat rushed script. It opens up a bunch of storylines, then scrambles to tie them all together for an epic, totally off-the-wall finale that feels very Burton-esque. But by the end, you realize some things didn’t quite need to be there, didn’t make much sense, or were just unnecessary. Case in point: Monica Bellucci. Let’s be real—there are obvious reasons why Burton included her, but she didn’t add much to the story. That said, I’m still satisfied. This is what filmmaking should be—full of creativity, fun, and humor, with a cast that’s clearly having a blast.

When you have to start a Tim Burton film several times to get through it, you know something’s off. I finally managed to finish Big Eyes, and to be fair, the story seemed tailor-made for Burton—personal, unique, and quirky. Casting Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz was a smart move too; they were solid in their roles. But everything else felt like Burton was making a TV movie. It lacked his usual creative flair, and the script seemed flat, almost like it was written by a beginner. It’s rare for me to watch a biopic and feel like I’ve seen it all before, but with Big Eyes, I couldn’t shake that feeling.

This one felt a bit too “now” for me—too focused on today’s youth and their issues, with dialogue that sometimes felt like it was written for a toddler. That said, Jeff Goldblum clearly had a blast playing Zeus, and I have to admit, the soundtrack is a real highlight. The music choices were spot on. But even with a great score, the show falters by taking liberties with history, blending and bending it in ways that feel forced. It tries really hard to be funny, but that's where it misses the mark the most.

Before watching the sequel, I had to revisit the original—it’s been years since I last saw Beetlejuice. And yes, it still holds up beautifully. Tim Burton proved he was a genius back then, and I’m glad he showed Hollywood what he was capable of with this film. The sheer creativity, both in animation and ideas, combined with humor and fun, is unmatched. I can't help but wonder—how many directors today can pull off something like this?

For a Scandinavian crime drama, Blackwater is surprisingly slow-paced. While it nails the period atmosphere, you can easily go twenty minutes in an hour-long episode where almost nothing happens. And when the plot does move, it’s often focused on the religious cult, which honestly feels like a storyline that begs for a wake-up call. It’s intriguing in parts, but compared to other Scandinavian thrillers, this one drags a lot more than I expected.

It’s worth thinking about how many movies Hollywood cranked out in the 80s and how many of them were actually hits. I wonder if the ratio was as lopsided as it feels with today’s blockbusters. Nowadays, it seems like studios are greenlighting scripts that a producer 20 years ago wouldn’t even glance at. We’ve got dumb plots mixed with cringeworthy moments, all dressed up in a heavy dose of CGI to make it look flashy. But hey, slap a big franchise name on it, and it’ll sell, right? Godzilla x Kong is just another one of those mindless blockbusters that would’ve gone straight to VHS back in the day.

I went into this expecting a bit of déjà vu, maybe a nod to Nicole Kidman’s Big Little Lies days. But it turns out, even a talented cast and capable direction can’t guarantee a quality film if the foundation isn’t there. The setting—a world of multimillionaires and their detached behavior—just felt off, like a pure distillation of everything you’d want to root against. The result? An unlimited supply of boredom, making The Perfect Couple a painfully average drama.