Art and entertainment

I love movies and TV shows but one thing I don't like are adaptations. Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying people shouldn't make adaptations or they are bad. Most or half of my favorite movies and TV shows are adaptations. Generally, I don't like adaptations in film and TV. Here's why.

Adaptations feel lazy - No matter how amazing a movie and TV show adaptation is, I can't deny the script was practically ripped out of its original source. As a fan, I can't say I'm proud of the creators for creating completely original content. I feel the creators are simply creating adaptations because they can't create their own scripts.

Adaptations are predictable - If you see a movie or TV show adaptation and you're familiar with the original source, you're not going to be excited. Sure, there might be slight changes to adaptations but very few. Adaptations have to generally follow the basic plot of the original source to be considered adaptations.

Adaptations are a waste of opportunity - The resources used to create TV show and movie adaptations could be devoted to original content. I'd rather invest in creators who are willing to take creative risks than those who simply capitalize on what's successful.

It's a waste of money - If you're familiar with the original source of TV and movie adaptations, it's somewhat of a waste of money to buy the same story twice.

These summarize why I don't like adaptations in cinema. If I had to choose between original movies and movie adaptations, I'd prefer original movies.

Yu Yu Hakusho the ghost files is a classic noteworthy Anime! In this review, i'll give a mostly non spoiler review and spoiler review.

Non spoiler review

Story:

Yu Yu Hakusho the ghost files is about a young boy who is chosen as a spirit detective to combat evil on earth. Yu Yu Hakusho has one of the best storylines because the show breaks traditional norms of storytelling and takes completely different approaches! There are several very creative and impressive directions in the storytelling, making Yu Yu Hakusho one of the best TV shows! The plot and characters develop for better or worse!

Yu Yu Hakusho the ghost files has some of the best fights in TV history! The fights are not too long or short. They're at a perfect pace! I love how characters serve as commentators and better explain the fights in more detail. The fights often include strategy, intensity, emotion, internal and external conflicts blended so well together! Characters are pushed beyond their physical and mental limits which is what made the fights so memorable! I loved how the fights weren't determined only by skill against skill. Randomness as well as teamwork were also included in the outcome making it more suspenseful, shocking, and revealing!

Seasons 1-3 were the show's best seasons! I love how each season deals with different situations. Overall, I thought seasons 2 and 3 were the most brutal as the stakes were so high! Seasons 1 and 2 had several scenes involving Kuwabara which almost brought me to tears from how powerful they were!

Cinematography:

The camera angles were spectaular! I loved how the camera angles give you ariel views of the battlefields and move around as if you're spectating from a huge bird. The camera angles sometimes move slower, building more tension to Yu Yu Hakusho: the ghost files! Other times, the camera moves faster at capturing shots and becomes more shaky which also adds to the suspense! The camera sometimes films from a lower angle to make you feel just how powerful and huge characters like younger Toguro are!

Characters:

Yu Yu Hakusho the ghost files had mostly interesting, memorable, solid, and complex three dimensional characters. Even minor characters end up being lovable, memorable, and important to the development of major characters. Their personalities and fighting styles are complex. Heroes like Yoko Kurama, Hiei, and villains like Toguro have similar alternate sadistic personalities. When characters work as a team, their characters become more complex due to their changing relationships! As the show progresses, you see how each character in Yusuke's team needs one another physically and emotionally. Here's several characters which stood out to me.

Yusuke:

Yusuke is reckless, competitive, and intelligent when the situation is right. He has a kind heart and will fight for what's right.

Younger Toguro:

Younger Toguro is an interesting character because he's mysterious and silent. You don't know much about him which is scary! He's the type to save the best for last. His character was well designed. His powers are somewhat disturbing as you see his muscles bulge outwards! His shades make him look inhuman and emotionally distant from people.

Genkai:

Genkai is a very harsh teacher! She has alot of wisdom on her students strengths and weaknesses. She can sense when a student like Yusuke can go beyond his limits although he doesn't believe he can. She knows how to motivate him to do so. Genkai is hellbent on accomplishing her goals.

Hiei:

He's a mostly cynical character who keeps his distance from others. Similar to Kurama, Hiei is very intelligent!

Kurama:

Kumara is very intelligent and usually three steps ahead of his opponents! I love how its hard to know what he's feeling as he barely shows emotion through his body language.

Kuwabara:

Kuwabara is similar to Yusuke. They're both determined and have strong wills. Kuwabara is a man of principles and empathetic at times.

Botan:

Botan is helpful and optimistic but she's clumsy. It was hard to watch Botan be put in situations where she had to commit immoral acts for the greater good! You could see Botan was morally conflicted!

Shinobu Sensei:

Theme:

I felt the overall theme of Yu Yu Hakusho: the ghost files was the importance and value of being human despite all of your shortcomings. Yu Yu Hakusho: the ghost files teaches you shouldn't aspire to be something that you're not.

Animation:

Yu Yu Hakusho: the ghost files' animation is among the best i've ever seen! I love how when light emits from characters powers - the animation has tons of different colors - blue, red, purple, white, etc. The colors have different contrasts throughout the show. I love how the animation blends different types of animation together. Proportions and bodies become warped to emphasize the power characters have! The animation is highly detailed. Its probably at its peak in season 2!

Dialogue:

The dialogue in Yu Yu Hakusho: the ghost files can be light and humorous but also very intense! Some of the show's best dialogue was around the end of season 1 when Kuwabara fought in the four saint beasts arc! I love how despite having no fight scenes, the dialogue is still interesting. I don't find myself usually wondering when characters are going to start fighting.

Acting:

The voice acting is incredible! All of the actors are deeply immersed in their roles especially the voice actor who plays Kuwabara! You can feel the intensity and energy of the voice actors especially during fight scenes as they emphasize specific words, scream, change their tones of voice, etc.

Soundtrack:

The opening theme of Yu Yu Hakusho: the ghost files overpowered the rest of the show's soundtrack. Yu Yu Hakusho's opening was very catchy, upbeat, and solid! I loved how the vocals shifted from being rhythmic to being melodic! Yu Yu Hakusho is a rare show which doesn't need a full soundtrack.

In conclusion, Yu Yu Hakusho: the ghost files is one of the best TV shows of all time! I don't think Yu Yu Hakusho the ghost files can ever be recreated. I'm unsure if that's unfortunate or fortunate. I highly suggest buying Yu Yu Hakusho seasons 1-3 on DVD!

Spoiler review

Story:

Yu Yu Hakusho the ghost files is about a young boy who is chosen as a spirit detective to combat evil on earth. Yu Yu Hakusho has one of the best storylines because of how the plot and characters develop for better or worse! There are several very creative and impressive directions in the storytelling, making Yu Yu Hakusho one of the best TV shows!

Unlike most TV shows, the main character dies early in Yu Yu Hakusho the ghost files! That course of action in the story is one of a kind! As if things couldn't get any worse, Yusuke struggles with the internal conflict his life is meaningless so he has no reason to return to life! Other characters struggle to motivate him to find a way to live again!

Another very creative plot development is watching Yusuke's enemies become his friends! Difficult circumstances forced them to form alliances with him. As time goes on, you're left worrying if they're loyal to Yusuke or wouldn't hesitate to betray him when they no longer benefit from him! They don't become heroes but shift from being villains to anti-heroes!

There were several flaws with Yu Yu Hakusho. I thought the humor was very forced. Characters like Hiei make repeatedly fun of Kubawara's intellect. If all you can do is make jokes at someone else's expense, it becomes cheap humor. Repeated jokes on Kubawara's intellect became filler material. While almost all of the characters were lovable and memorable, they still needed more development. I felt some were character archetypes that were copied and pasted into the show to some degree. For example, Keiko started off as a very strong character who played an important role in the plot and Yusuke's development. Eventually, she was reduced to being a typical love interest around seasons 2-3 and didn't feel necessary to the show anymore. She just became a typical love interest who felt forced in the plot simply to please fans of her relationship with Yusuke. I would've loved to see another character develop more instead of her. I had mixed feelings about the final season. I was satisifed with the ending especially when the characters don't fully know their purposes yet. I was dissatisified with how the last season felt somewhat bland. I felt it was a rehash of season 2 to some degree.

The biggest flaw was choosing to bring back Genkai from the dead. Her death would've deeply impacted Yusuke for the rest of the show. Her return to life made Toguro's impact on Yusuke and his friends much less powerful. If Genkai stayed dead, it would've been much more interesting to see how Yusuke would grow without her. I can already imagine what could've happened if Genkai stayed dead. Yusuke would've probably gone through a severe identity crisis. Yusuke would've lost the insight Genkai gave him on his flaws especially when he needs it the most at very critical moments. He might've been tempted to take the same path younger Toguro took as a result of her death. The stakes of the battles that came after her death would've been raised higher than before.

Cinematography:

The camera angles were spectaular! I loved how the camera angles give you ariel views of the battlefields and move around as if you're spectating from a huge bird. The camera angles sometimes move slower, building more tension to the show! Other times, the camera moves faster at capturing shots and becomes more shaky which also adds to the suspense! The camera sometimes films from a lower angle to make you feel just how powerful and huge characters like younger Toguro are!

Characters:

Yusuke:

Yusuke is reckless, competitive, and intelligent when the situation is right. He has a kind heart and will fight for what's right.

Younger Toguro:

Genkai:

Hiei:

He's a mostly cynical character who keeps his distance from others. He respects his teammates to some degree even though he tends to hide it. Deep down, he's vulnerable and afraid of connecting with others for fear of abandonment. Similar to Kurama, Hiei is very intelligent!

Kurama:

Kumara is very intelligent and usually three steps ahead of his opponents! I love how its hard to know what he's feeling as he barely shows emotion through his body language. He can be unpredictable especially after he "tests" his opponents and searches for weaknesses he can exploit. He's willing to take some damage if it means gaining advantages such as more knowledge of his opponents. He's kind which can be a strength and weakness!

Kuwabara:

Kuwabara is similar to Yusuke. They're both determined and have strong wills. While other characters have multiple powers, Kuwabara usually only has a spirit sword. Kuwabara is a man of principles and empathetic at times.

Botan:

Botan is helpful and optimistic but she's clumsy. It was hard to watch Botan be put in situations where she had to lie to characters like Keiko for the greater good! You could see Botan was morally conflicted!

Shinobu Sensei:

He's probably one of the most complex characters as he has multiple personalities, each with their own fighting styles and abilities. What's disturbing about him is his unpredictability! When he changes personalities, i was frightened from the way he has his eyes closed as he stands motionless and the battle's paused briefly.

Theme:

I felt the overall theme of Yu Yu Hakusho: the ghost files was your love for power should never overshadow your love for others. Once your love of power causes you to abandon those who love you, you'll lose your humanity and become evil like the show's villains. Yusuke realizes this at the end of the show which is why he shockingly lost. If Yusuke won the match, Yusuke would've likely ended up like younger Toguro due to his obsession to become stronger at all costs.

Animation:

Dialogue:

Acting:

Soundtrack:

Tom and Jerry show is a classic unforgettable TV show! I'll be reviewing Hanna and Barbera's Tom and Jerry, Gene Deitch's, and Chuck Jone's. For this review, I'll include a non spoiler review and a spoiler one!

Non spoiler review:

Animation:

The animation in Hanna and Barbera's Tom and Jerry show was spectacular! I loved the classic feel of Tom and Jerry even though it had a "foggy" texture. I loved how the characters could take different shapes and colors! I loved how the animation changed slightly in some episodes.

Gene Deitch's version of the Tom and Jerry show had the worst animation. Almost everything looked awful and poorly designed with some exceptions.

Chuck Jone's Tom and Jerry's animation was the best. It was high-quality with beautiful colors and shades. The characters and backgrounds had very neatly shaped forms.

Cinematography:

The cinematography in the Tom and Jerry show was good. I loved how in many episodes, the camera was at a perfect angle. The camera wasn't too far away or too close. It was at mid-range where you could see the background and characters. It made you feel they were constantly at war with each other. I think we rarely (if ever) got a close-up or wider camera shot. The cinematography was fairly consistent in all of the Tom and Jerry versions.

Story:

The plot in the Tom and Jerry show is extremely simple revolving around a cat chasing a mouse. Nonetheless, the Tom and Jerry show amazingly managed to add a ton of creativity to the story! Tom and Jerry could be exciting and suspenseful due to its unpredictability! The anticipation of what you knew was going to happen filled you with dread. When other characters were introduced, the Tom and Jerry show became more interesting as Tom had to try different approaches to catch Jerry! I loved how the pacing of Tom and Jerry was chaotic. Sometimes, characters moved at a slow pace. Other times, they moved very fast only to stop completely and move at a slow or medium pace.

I disliked how Tom and Jerry talked sometimes. It didn't feel like they would authentically talk. It feels like they were forced to because the creators couldn't think of nonverbal ways of expressing themselves.

Gene Deitch's Tom and Jerry stayed true to the original to some degree while adding a new interpretation to the show. Tom's owner was really disturbing! He was brutal and sadistic. He made the show more dreadful to watch!

Chuck Jone's version of the Tom and Jerry show was probably the weakest of them all. Some episodes were good and funny but they didn't have the same energy as the original. I love Chuck Jone's other works such as Looney Tunes but I didn't think he was suitable for Tom and Jerry. His version of Tom and Jerry felt more like Looney Tunes. Chuck Jones' specialty is Looney Tunes. I felt Tom and Jerry didn't have strong nonverbal communication in Chuck's version compared to previous versions. The pacing of Tom and Jerry in Chuck Jones' version felt too consistent compared to the original. Chuck's version didn't feel as chaotic as the original Tom and Jerry show.

Soundtrack:

I loved the swing jazz in the original Tom and Jerry show! What makes Tom and Jerry special is the music. Though the Tom and Jerry show had little to no dialogue, you can feel the characters talking to you through the mostly instrumental music. It's the music that expresses the characters' excitement, curiosity, sadness, joy, etc. It shows you what they're doing. The music makes the characters look like heroes. The music constantly shifted from style to style. It could be melodic and full of energy only to abruptly stop then play at a slower tempo. The Tom and Jerry soundtrack had no set structure. It felt chaotic and improvised which brought the show to life!

Gene Deitch's version was close to the original Tom and Jerry's soundtrack. Chuck Jones' version was good but the soundtrack was too predictable at times. For example, music with the same pace and rhythm plays for several episodes during chase scenes.

Theme:

The overall theme of the Tom and Jerry show is life is chaotic. Tom and Jerry appeal to me so much because there are technically no heroes or villains. Tom and Jerry both have heroic and villainous traits. Both have the same goals but different means of achieving them. Jerry might be small but he's intelligent. Tom might be big but he's not as intelligent as Jerry. They might be friends one day but enemies the next. Life's not what it seems.

Overall, I felt Hanna and Barbera's Tom and Jerry was a classic masterpiece! Tom and Jerry show is a must-have collection, especially for fans of animated cartoons! I highly recommend buying the Tom and Jerry show on DVD!

Spoiler review:

Animation:

Gene Deitch's version of the Tom and Jerry show had the worst animation. Almost everything looked awful and poorly designed with some exceptions.

Chuck Jone's Tom and Jerry's animation was the best. It was high-quality with beautiful colors and shades. The characters and backgrounds had very neatly shaped forms.

Cinematography:

Story:

The Tom and Jerry show is extremely violent. It's one of the most violent children's shows I ever saw! There are a bunch of sodomy scenes. In one episode, Tom swallows a woodpecker then it drills small holes all over his stomach. If I remember correctly, Tom swallows the woodpecker again then it busts out of his eardrum. The woodpecker drills a huge hole through his teeth. I was shocked and felt Tom's pain as it was inflicted on him! There were subtle references to death. What makes Tom and Jerry so brutally violent is not just the violence but the concept of seemingly endless torture. I felt Tom was in hell in the sense he couldn't truly die and was constantly suffering in all aspects.

Tom and Jerry were hilarious. I loved the subtle references to world war 2 in one episode.

Soundtrack:

Theme:

The Silver surfer animated series is one of the best classic animated series that was sadly short-lived. I'll give a few spoilers for this review on Silver Surfer the animated series 1998.

Story:

The Silver surfer animated series is a very dark show. What makes the show terrifying is the power dynamics! The villain is almost invincible! The hero is almost powerless against him! Noran Rad is forced to make evil choices and sacrifice his humanity to save his homeland! Ironically, he loses his home despite his best efforts! Despite the complex power dynamics between the hero and villain, Silver Surfer the animated series 1998 somehow finds a way to cleverly use internal conflicts. Most TV shows use the average external conflict formula - villain fights hero, hero beats villain, repeat. This show is unique because it takes a completely different approach! For example, Silver Surfer might've saved his home from destruction and gained the power cosmic but it becomes a curse. He's the object of hate and scorn because of his association with Galactus. How cruel and terrifying!

I love how the Silver Surfer goes through character development internally. You can see how traumatized he is by his choices! One of the most appealing features of the Silver surfer animated series was the vast number of civilizations! For once, the earth is not the main focus of the show as it is in many other shows.

While it's unfortunate the show was canceled, I felt the last episode was somewhat of a fitting end for the Silver Surfer animated series. It was dark because it showed the Silver Surfer was willing to fight against Galactus to the very end no matter what the cost! I don't see a way for the Silver Surfer to defeat a villain as powerful as Galactus. At the very least, a stalemate could've been achieved which would've made Silver Surfer the animated series 1998 an extraordinary show.

Animation:

The animation was similar to the X-Men animated series. The only difference is the Silver surfer animated series used more cel animation. It worked perfectly! I loved how the show used cel and 3D animation with purpose. The Silver surfer animated series 1998 used cel animation to greatly enhance the huge size of planets and ships! The animation made villains like Galactus more terrifying!

Cinematography:

The Silver surfer animated series 1998 uses wide camera shots so you can see vast landscapes, civilizations, and the depths of space! Sometimes, the camera shoots from a close-up angle that shows how inferior the Silver Surfer is from Galactus' perspective.

Dialogue:

The dialogue is poetic and expands your vocabulary! Aside from the voice acting, the dialogue dramatically helps you relate to the characters.

Acting:

The voice acting was very well done! Galactus' voice actor did such phenomenal work with his voice. It was condescending, deep, and cold. Galactus was terrifying not only because of the animation but the voice as well! It had presence. Galactus and the Silver Surfer articulated their words very well!

Soundtrack:

The Silver surfer animated series had a solid powerful opening theme! It was catchy and got you excited for an epic thrilling adventure through the galaxy! It's very rare for an animated show to have an opera-based theme.

Theme:

The theme of the Silver Surfer animated series centers around loss, the moral dilemma of destroying innocent lives for the greater good, and the consequences of our choices. Sometimes, despite our best efforts to save people - people and circumstances force us to choose "necessary evils" for the "greater good." The choices we make impact the world around us for better or worse. What we think is right might actually be worse for ourselves. We think self-sacrifice is noble and virtuous but the reality is it might spell disaster for those around us. The power we gain might corrupt others to be worse than us or plague us with guilt as our choices create more destruction. The power we gain might isolate us from those we love due to our dehumanization. The Silver Surfer the animated series 1998 captures these themes very well!

In conclusion, the Silver Surfer animated series is one of the best animated series! I highly suggest buying it on DVD for best results!

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