Friday, July 27, 2018

All Might and Deku: a Relationship in Five Openings





My Hero Academia has been a darling of Animanga City ever since it strolled into town a few years ago. Kōhei Horikoshi’s superhero shonen adventure about a boy striving to become a hero against all odds has captured the hearts of even the most jaded manga fans worldwide thanks to a deceptively simple story that nonetheless touches some deep and prescient lessons on the risks and rewards that come with following your dream. The anime adaptation has also been praised for its stellar music, stunning yet succinct fight scenes, and overall tight narrative that breaths with the warmth, humor, and odes to the possible inherent to the source material

Whole volumes of hyperink have been dashed out on various aspects of the series, but I’d like to focus on just one tiny part of this brilliantly composed shonen epic: the anime openings.  That’s right, with the second half of season 3 underway and the fifth OP out, I will examine a theme I've noticed running through all the openings: the evolution of the series’ most crucial relationship - that between our hero-to-be Izuku “Deku” Midoriya and his mentor Toshinori Yagi, aka All Might, the world’s greatest hero. All five openings sprinkle little hints about where their relationship stood at the time, and show us how Izuku grows to see All Might less as an idol and more of a comrade and father figure as time passes, while All Might evolves into a more complex figure, with his own hurdles to move past. I won't give a play-by-play of all parts of each and every opening, as many others have before me. I examine the Deku-All Might relationship alone, with glances at other parts just to highlight their ever-changing dynamic.

Opening #1: The Eternal Longing

MHA’s first opening, “The Day” by Porno Graffitti, establishes in the first few shots what will be a recurring image in the rest of the openings: All Might standing in the light, his back turned to the viewer, while bathing in a shower of sparkles. We only get glimpses of the big man himself at first; parts of his body that, when combined, make a whole. We then cut Izuku, his huge eyes bursting with wonder as they fill the screen, and soon realize that we’ve been seeing All Might this whole time the way he sees him: powerful, godlike, and larger-than-life - so much so that Izuku needs to work up the effort just to glimpse him in full, magisterial form. Stuck in the shadow of All Might's radiance, Izuku can only stare in awe before stretching a hesitant hand out to touch him.  Perspective is key here, for we don't know how close Izuku actually is, but it doesn't matter for the metaphor at play. All Might represents the impossible goal, an ideal that seems too far to reach no matter what Izuku does.  At this point the boy is still an outsider, something the rest of the opening really drills in.  He wears a tense, unhappy expression the entire time, combined with frequent shots of him strolling through the rain lost in thought.  He seems detached and disconnected, either weighed down by the impossible goal of being a pro hero without a quirk; or, post meeting with All Might, now heavy with the burden of being a (potentially inadequate) inheritor of a tremendous power he has yet to understand, let alone master. Izuku seems locked in the role of eternal spectator, longing for a dream bigger than his ability to grab it, and the two don’t even share the same frame until the very end, with the fledgling hero now nervously under All Might's tutelage along with the rest of his new classmates.

Opening #2: The Dream in Reach  

“Peace Sign,” performed by Kenshi Yonezu, brings on a small but noticeable shift in the hero/protégé dynamic. Not much hints yet at the deeper relationship the two have begun to forge in the series, but Izuku’s perspective has certainly changed for the better. Standing from a high place, he sees All Might in the distance, leaping between skyscrapers, and smiles, something totally absent in "The Day." The top hero may remain out of reach, but Izuku's eyes now sparkle with a determination to catch up to him. The sky is clear and blue - again, a nice contrast to the first opening, where the dreary overcast mirrored Izuku's burdens and inability to see past his assumed inadequacy - and its reflection in his eyes matches the clarity of focus he now has due to his relationship with All Might and his newfound friends. With his mentor no longer an impossible hurdle to climb over, Izuka now has a course of action, a chance to make his dreams come true, and he's taking hold of it with gusto.  All Might isn't seen again until he makes his signature dramatic entrance towards the end, dropping down at the head of a group of our main characters.  Pay attention to how everyone is positioned: All Might stands at the front, while a line of first teachers, and then students, zoom out to finally reveal Izuku at the very back.  The message is clear: All Might is the goal, and Izuku is still at the starting line, behind a host of more experienced mentors and more naturally talented peers.  But while the race ahead will be long and daunting, it isn't as flat-out hopeless as it seemed before. And thanks to All Might, Izuku feels up to the challenge.

Opening #3: Face to Face At Last


Now we’re getting down to business. “Singin' to the Sky” by amazarashi is definitely my favorite opening by far - nothing else even comes close. Note the radical departure it makes from the other two in how Izuku - or rather, Deku - relates to All Might. Unlike the impossible dream in the first opening, or the distant yet obtainable goal in the second, All Might now squares face-to-face with him for the first time. The initial scenes show Deku dispelling some of a misty gray fog with his fist, before All Might, in typical dramatic fashion, comes spiraling out of the sky to land in front of him, bringing the sun and banishing the rest of the haze. They exchange warm smiles and clasp hands in a gesture of comradery. This shows just how close the two have become, as well as how their student/mentor relationship has blossomed; though Deku now charges down the path of a hero-to-be, he still needs his idol to light the way. Still, Deku activating his Full Cowl in the middle of it points to a central theme of this arc: despite all his admiration for All Might, he’s steadily moving out from the shadow caused by his blind admiration, slowly but surely making One For All his own. But there’s another change with the opening, and that’s with All Might himself. Until now, he's been more an idea (or ideal) than a person; he is Deku’s dream, his goal, and the few times we see him, he’s either posing or socking baddies in the face with his awesome self. But after Deku punches the title card into being, we’re treated to a more contemplative All Might standing on a rooftop, as images of his two masters flash by. In other words, All Might - or more specifically, Toshinori - is becoming a more human figure in Deku’s eyes. He’s flawed, he makes mistakes, and while he’s every bit the hero Deku and everyone else admires, parting All Might the myth from Toshinori the man is a significant step in how his student (and the audience) relates to him.

Opening #4: Deku Steppin’ Out


UVERworld’s "ODD FUTURE" continues the same theme developed previously, but with a few odd twists. For one, it’s definitely more Deku focused in the beginning, but 10 seconds in we’re given a major tease related to Toshinori’s background: the moment he received One For All, tying more into the expansion of the character as a person in our eyes. After that, we see him and Deku sitting together on a park bench. That’s it, really; they’re not posing, or locked in combat, or anything of the sort. They’re just kind of chilling, hanging out and enjoying each other’s company while cherry blossoms - known symbols of life, death and renewal in Japan - dance around them. This is the culmination of their relationship on a personal level; All Might has become a familiar and comfortable presence to Deku. But the real clincher comes at the very end, when Deku, rising from the ground, stares determinedly into the distance, while the swirl of smoke behind him clears to reveal All Might, staring off with him. Long gone are the days when All Might was practically a god to him, admired but so out of reach; he's become a mentor, a friend, a true comrade in arms setting their sights on the same goal. The fact that Deku stands in front is notable, for whatever goal lays before them, it clearly belongs to him. Deku's ambitions no longer orbit around being like All Might or making him proud. Right then, at the opening's end, it's all about his fight, his focus - with All Might behind him as if to say, “I’ve got your back.”

Opening #5: My Story


And now we come full circle with the aptly named "Make My Story" by Lenny code fiction. This one is all about Deku, with All Might faded into the background, with a few significant peeks here and there. For one, there’s a blink-and-you-miss-it shot 28 seconds in, where Deku hesitates while watching his classmates jump into the fray. He then gets a gentle push from behind by All Might, setting him off while Toshinori looks on in pride. The names are there for a reason; All Might’s muscular hand is the one giving him the push, showing that while Midoriya is still unsure of himself and whether or not he has what it takes to be the new Symbol of Peace, the spirit of his mentor - of the perfect hero All Might - still moves him forward. But it’s Toshinori - thin, frail, and newly depowered - who now stands behind Deku, waiting to give aid and advice if and when his successor falls. But there’s a bit of a down note in all of this, one shared with Deku's rival, the ever-temperamental Katsuki Bakugo. Towards the end, we see the image of All Might standing with his back to us as so often in previous openings. But the brilliant sparks of light and flowing cape befitting a dazzling Symbol of Peace have all vanished. He stands against a bare, stark-white background, as washed and faded as the powers he used to wield so masterfully.  His shadow trails behind him, connecting to both Deku and Bakugo. Both boys, for different reasons, feel the fall of the house of All Might as a more personal burden than anyone else, but for Deku in particular, the reality of it brings a daunting challenge: the Age of All Might has ended, and now, the Story of Deku truly begins - whether he’s ready or not.

These are just a few of the observations most readily apparent from a quick look at the openings; more could be mined by comparing lyrical content, as well as context from the show. But even with what’s given, the openings share much about the iron bond between Izuku and Toshinori - how it has grown, and where it may go next.
   

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Ant-Man and the Wasp delivers a fun and action-packed Marvel feast


Image courtesy of Digital Spy



Movie: Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas

Verdict:
Paul Rudd returns as The Incredible Shrinking Ex-Convict returns for his second film in the franchise alongside Evangeline Lilly and Michael Douglas, and while this new installment in Marvel’s most light-hearted series contains a few strange mood shifts and rushes a bit too quickly to develop its tragic villain, it sprouts with the right balance of action and laughs to keep audiences from shrinking back in horror.

In depth:
Over two years ago, I reviewed Captain America: Civil War, and amidst all the praise I doled out to the stellar cast and smart writing laid a short bit of eulogizing for actor-comedian Paul Rudd. With crack comedic timing and a spark of fun, Rudd's Ant-Man sparkled in the film along with newbie web-head Tom Holland, and I had promised myself that I would catch up with the first Ant-Man flick to see him in his native environment. Unfortunately, I keep promises the same way Ridley Scott makes quality films: inconsistently, despite my best efforts. Thankfully the newly released sequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp, is big enough to stand on its own, and strong character dynamics and a tight, streamlined story ensure an entertaining movie experience despite hitting a few snags along the way.

We start off with an exposition of the past, as brilliant scientist Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) reminiscence on how they lost Janet Pym (Michelle Pfeifer) to a quasi-mythical subatomic nexus known as the “Quantum Realm” during a mission gone wrong. However, knowledge that Scott Lang (Rudd), master thief-turn-new Ant-Man, had come back alive and well from that supposed point of no return fills Pym with hope that they can bring his wife home after 30 years. We then cut to Lang, our bumbling, lovable rogue as he entertains his daughter while under house arrest for his part in the scuffle back in Germany. His daily routine is dull, safe, and unspectacular, until Janet, whom he unknowingly encountered in the Quantum Realm, drops a line from the otherside in the form of vision. Perturbed, he makes a spur-of-the-moment phone call to the Pyms, who since Germany don’t exactly have him high on their Christmas wish list. This innocuous little action ends up kicking the whole plot off, as multiple parties hunt him and the Pyms down to gain access to the secrets locked inside his brain — with both his freedom and even his life on the line.

Not exactly the Wonder Twins here
Ant-Man and the Wasp is a very streamlined film, remarkable in its stark linearity compared to most Marvel movies. This isn’t a bad thing, as it avoids meandering through some distant tangent in the name of misplace "development" as so many movies do. Less really is more at times, and Ant-Man proves it by tunneling audience focus to the essentials: the teeth-clenched teamwork of our three main leads, and the various factions giving chase throughout the film.  

Rudd is still an absolute joy, and seeing him in his home series drew out even more of his magic. He somehow always finds the right balance in his scenes: between a generous giver and a selfish cad; or between a dashing and competent hero, and a bumbling yet well-meaning oaf. This is nowhere near as easy as I make it sound, and yet he accomplishes it with a natural flair and humor. Lilly pays Hope Pym with quiet strength and brilliance, being the main draw for the flick’s frenetic fight scenes, her graceful yet precise skills as a fighter forming a perfect contrast to Scott’s improvised power brawling heavily reliant on the element of surprise. It’s nice that she avoids falling into the dreaded “girlfriend syndrome” as in the old-school Marvel films, though based on what I understand, the previous movie was one of the MCU's worst offenders. Rounding out the power trio is Hank Pym, the surly yet brilliant scientist played by the legendary Michael Douglas. A good veteran actor can turn even a polished turd of a flick into a chance to shine; an actor of Douglas’s caliber, supported by a well-stitched plot and an equally competent cast, goes beyond that, bringing the complex character of Pym, with all of his complications and insecurities, his drive and arrogance, to life.

Though the MCU as a whole tends to veer away from grimdark and peppers its films with a
Expect to see scenes like this. A lot.
dash of humor, Ant-Man and the Wasp stand out in just how light-hearted it is, even compared to other relatively “fluffy” movies in the franchise like Spider-Man: Homecoming. Lang, of course, is a signature driver in this, always lightening the mood with a bumble or a short quip that, through smart writing and perfect timing, usually avoids poisoning the atmosphere. Still, the film occasionally suffers from the tragically overused trope of “We don’t have time for this!” - typically uttered by Hank Pym when Scott and Hope spend longer than necessary getting doe-eyed with each other.

But it’s Michael Peña, reprising his role as Lang’s partner in crime Luis, who gives the film its real comedic kick, being a fulcrum of its infectious and good-natured humor in rare moments when the focus isn’t on our main cast. What could have been an obnoxious or even offensive caricature of an ex-con morphs into one of the most endearing and enjoyable parts of the film.  Peña plays off everyone around him so naturally as equal parts nervous motor mouth, dutiful sidekick, and sarcastic devotee. He brings a quiet charisma, and pulls out some truly Abbott and Costello level of comedic artistry that at times threatens to steal the whole show. Standing out in such a talented cast can be tough, but Peña manages to snag scenes right from under the noses of cast-mates - even in the middle of an action scene supposedly out of his element.

If I could finger once area where the movie lacks, besides the rare points when bathos interrupts pathos, it’s in the construction of its principle tragic villains: the quantum phaser and assassin Ghost, played by Hannah John-Kamen, and the incomparable Laurence Fishburne as her handler Dr. Bill Foster, an old "friend" and rival of Hank Pym. I have nothing against how the actors played their roles; John-Hannah steps up admirably as a troubled yet dangerous loose cannon on the brink of desperation, while Fishburne is as much an old movie hand as Douglas or Pfeiffer, so a strong performance from him is almost a given. But how Marvel handled their motives rubs me a bit wrong.  Ever since Homecoming, the MCU has apparently heeded the criticisms of their infamous shallow villain problem, and have worked hard to reverse the trend. In most cases, like the brilliant rendition of Erik Killmonger a la Black Panther, it flows near flawlessly from an organic development over the course of the film. But here, it feels like the creators tried a little too hard to stress Ghost’s tragic backstory; it feels rushed, and comes off as played up in order to make her seem sympathetic. Even the private talks she has with Foster feel ham-fisted, as if plugged in solely to make our antagonists, particularly Foster, look more noble by repeatedly drumming ad nauseum how there are certain line he will not cross.  

Besides the above critiques, though, there’s not much to complain about. The heavy tilt towards the silly and optimistic may be an acquired taste for some, but I find it refreshing, similar to Homecoming’s more down-to-earth approach to the superhero paradigm. Janet’s actions in the end (no spoiler) can come off as a deus ex machina if you squint hard enough, but only rank pedants would comb the plot that closely to find something to criticize. Ant-Man and the Wasp is far from perfect, but this smart, funny, action fantasy flick proves just the right size to pack a serious cinema wallop.

Grade: B+