Month: August 2023

Doukyusei (2016) #SherylPuthur

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Directed By: Shoko Nakamura

Screenplay By: Shoko Nakamura; Asumiko Nakamura (mangaka)

Voice Cast: Hiroshi Kamiya; Kenji Nojima; Hideo Ishikawa; Atsushi Kousaka

Language: Japanese                                                 

Genre: Romantic Comedy; Slice of life

Run Time: 1 hour

Doukyusei is based on the eponymous BL (Boys Love) manga by Asumiko Nakamura. Set in an all-boys school, it follows the romance between Hikaru Kusakabe and Rihito Sajou who are doukyusei or classmates.

The school is hosting a choir festival and each class is to put up a performance. During rehearsal with Hara sensei (Hideo Ishikawa), Kusakabe (Hiroshi Kamiya) happens to notice that Sajou (Kenji Nojima), the class top student, doesn’t sing along with the rest of the class. Kusakabe immediately assumes that Sajou must see himself as too good for these events. That is until, he accidentally catches him rehearsing quietly by himself, in the empty classroom.

Unsure of what prompts him, he decides to help Sajou practise for the choir festival and they begin spending time together. Complete opposites in personalities and interests – Kusakabe is outgoing and interested in making music; Sajou is quiet, introverted and devoted to academia. They nevertheless find their own private niche. Sajou makes time to attend Kusakabe’s late night band performance after his prep school, while Kusakabe walks with him till his prep school nearly every day.

The beauty of Doukyusei lies in the fact that it uses the most cliched BL setting ever – the high school, as well as the opposites attract trope. But it uses it to create a very heartwarming, realistic story about the absurdities and comedies of daily life.

In its portrayal of the anxiety of identifying as queer in a same-sex high school where frequently classmates couple out of proximity, lack of other options or plain curiosity, is realistic. The debilitating fear then of falling in love in such circumstances is beautifully brought through, after all, there is no guarantee that your emotions are going to be acknowledged by your partner after you graduate. It also then comments on the common trope that some people just ‘seem’ that way.

The film uses a lovely watercolour animation aesthetic and tells the story in an episodic style divided into seasons that explore the passage of time and growth. Especially since, people who spend time often, will eventually influence each other’s personalities or behaviour patterns.

The ordinariness, the overwhelming awareness of desire for your partner, the random tiffs, the equally random conversations that add to the comic and endearing element of the story is what makes it truly slice of life. “I’ll be waiting for you, darling” will forever be for me, one of the most adorkable moments of the film.

Who Rules The World (2022) #SherylPuthur

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Directed By: Yin Tao; Yu Yonggang; Shi Zhanli

Written By: Based on Let’s Try The World by Qing Lengyue

Cast: Yang Yang; Zhao Lusi; Leon Lai Yi; Zhang Haowei; Liu Ruilin; Huang Yi; Xuan Lu;Zhang Fengyi; Carman Lee; Jiang Kai; Zhang Tianyang; Wang Xuan; Zhao Zhuoting; Jiang Feng;  Ai Mi; An Yuexi; Wang Gang; Du Zhiguo; Li Jiulin; Ma Yue; Fu Bo Han

Language: Mandarin                                                     

Genre: Wuxia; Fantasy; Romance

Number of Episodes: 40

Run Time: 45 minutes each

A Chinese wuxia fantasy drama with an engrossing world-building, Who Rules The World follows two renowned members of the martial arts world Hei Fengxi (Yang Yang) and Bai Fengxi (Zhao Lusi) as they use their powers for justice. They each follow the code of honour in the martial arts world but differently – Hei Fengxi is elegant, restrained and calculating. Bai Fengxi is majestic, unbridled and altruistic. They have clashed on number of occasions but are, despite the sarcastic repartees, respectful of each other’s abilities. Since this is wuxia and they are martial artists, they have god-like abilities. They also understand each other intimately; a meeting of minds that comes from duelling and so are much like soulmates.

However, just as much as the series emphasises the connection or the red thread of fate that ties the two together, it equally depicts the unrest that is fermenting in the world.

The Dadong Empire holds the Empyrean Token which gives it the right to rule the world. The other six states – Yongzhou, Jizhou, Qingzhou, Youzhou, Shangzhou and Beizhou, function autonomously but must respond to the call of the emperor (Du Zhiguo). This system has worked well for decades. But when the story begins, we see that each of the states are vying for power and waiting for a crack in the force of the empire that they can exploit. So, when the Empyrean Token is stolen, it sets the wheels in motion for the fight for the title of ruler of the world or emperor.

But nothing is as it seems. For when Bai Fengxi ends up entrusted with the Token, by a dying commander of Jizhou, who requests her to hand it over to the crown prince Huang Chao (Leon Lai Yi), Hei Fengxi who examines it, reveals that it is a fake. The idea that a fake token could be circulating means that there is more to this than meets the eye and that there might be deeper plots underfoot. This incidentally is the central theme of the series because none of the characters are necessarily who they seem. Nearly all of them are hiding another identity.

Hei Fengxi and Bai Fengxi themselves seem to have a greater stake in this fight. They are not nearly as disinterested as they should be as members of the martial arts world. It is implied that they have close connections to one of the six states – Yongzhou for Hei Fengxi and Qingzhou for Bai Fengxi.

The series goes into the inner workings of each of the states and the internal politics aimed at fulfilling personal greed. We see battles for succession within the states and how it spills over into world politics. Equally how external forces try to interfere in these battles so that it works to their advantage – to annex a state embroiled in civil conflict. Especially in the case of Yongzhou, through the figure of the third prince Feng Ju (Liu Ruilin), we see how self-destructive it becomes, through his fascinating portrayal of jealousy and cynicism.

The series explores ambition and the compromises one makes to fulfil it. On the other, it also shows what might happen when you discover something more important than the desire for power.

Who Rules The World continually surprises the viewers in the turns it takes. The pace is measured in the beginning so that the viewers can follow the world-building but the deeper it goes into the political machinations in the narrative, it starts to hurtle ahead, with each subplot taking the action further. The chemistry of the lead actors brings out the sense of timelessness to the romance as well the maturity of people who have grown together. It finally is about what do you truly fight for and what makes you a ruler of the world.

Red, White & Royal Blue (2023) #SherylPuthur

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Directed By: Matthew Lopez

Screenplay By: Matthew Lopez and Ted Malawer

Cast: Taylor Zakhar Perez; Nicholas Galitzine; Clifton Collins Jr; Sarah Shahi; Rachel Hilson; Stephen Fry; Uma Thurman; Ellie Bamber; Thomas Flynn; Malcolm Atobrah; Akshay Khanna; Sharon D. Clarke; Aneesh Sheth; Juan Castano

Language: English                                                  

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Run Time: 2 hours

Red, White & Royal Blue is based on the eponymous bestseller by Casey McQuiston. It is a romantic comedy of enemies into lovers.

On the one hand, we have Alex Claremont-Diaz (Taylor Zakhar Perez), the son of the first female American President Ellen Claremont (Uma Thurman) and on the other, Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) of the English Royal Family. They had met many years ago and did not get along too well due to a misunderstanding. Things continue along in a cold war of sorts till matters come to a point of no return when Alex and Henry bicker at the wedding of Prince Philip (Thomas Flynn), Henry’s older brother. This tiff causes an international incident because they end up toppling the 75000-pound wedding cake.

The White House and the Palace agree that there needs to be some PR damage control done to salvage the situation. They thus force the two to spend time together in public events to spin the story that they are actually great friends.

The time that they spend together, helps them understand each other’s’ worlds, leading to a non-platonic relationship. But is it possible for a Prince of England to reveal his deep affection for a man, especially when he is the First Son of the United States of America?

Red, White & Royal Blue is a fun rom-com but it does seem rather too neat. Like a well-scrubbed, neatly polished narrative. While it doesn’t seem fair to bring in a comparison with the novel, since film adaptations of books are generally rather criticised. But the book has something that the film adapts only in parts – the ordinary and the messy.

Some of the best moments in the film are what seem like run-of-the-mill, unplanned, messy moments that bring the heart into the story. Alex and Henry messaging each other or Alex’s conversation with his mother.

The novel has many of such moments especially with Alex’s sister, a character snipped out of the film, or the complicated elements of his parents’ marriage, even Henry’s relationship with his sister Beatrice (Ellie Bamber). The book acknowledges the imperfections of life and the beauty that comes from it. It is a much more political story and yet is unabashedly a feel-good romantic comedy.

Red, White & Royal Blue is a well-cast film with good performances but it does suffer from being too sanitised. The film tones down the romantic sexual tension that is inherent to the film and necessary to a story of people falling headlong into an enriching romance. It then becomes like a pretty candy bar that was left out too long and is now a little dry.

It is, nevertheless, a fun, enjoyable watch.