Reviving a franchise with a brand new day

Warning: mild spoilers.

Enjoyed Senior privilege at the movies. It was really gratifying that a 4:10pm screening was packed! Cinemas have recently been complaining about a lack of audience, but Marvel/Sony's "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" seems to have brought back the crowd. It wasn't all old folk, though. Young adults, teens and little kids were out in force to watch Spidey battle an unseen menace in his 4th MCU outing as the titular hero.

From the trailers, it looked like a Sinister Six kind of set up, but I'm glad the focus fell on only a few of the pantheon that was promised. I especially loved Frank "Punisher" Castle's portrayal. Normally unhinged and trigger-happy -- still is here -- he turns out to be a very good friend to Spider-Man and has his back all the way, well, maybe except for that one oops moment, 'nuff said.

Banner is here too presumably as a technical consultant for some new tech Spidey is building. This new tech foreshadows something dark in the future, although the tech already exists in rudimentary form which we've already seen Damage Control using elsewhere. But Banner is also here to help Spidey see that they both have monsters inside of them that they must keep under control, or the consequences will be devastating. Carrying the weight of the world on lone shoulders will do that to a guy.

Ned and MJ are Spidey's only humanizing force, especially now that Aunt May is physically gone. But because of Dr Strange's final spell in "No Way Home", they don't remember Peter. It was a clever choice to let all three characters age up. Through Ned's TikTok posts, we see time pass from when they were freshmen at MIT to graduation, to returning to New York -- which is about the length of time it took to make this movie. Chronologically, we're all caught up. Frank still calls Spidey 'kid' though, the old fart. But Peter can't decide if breaking Strange's Forget spell is the right thing to do, so circumstance decides for him.

Circumstance comes in the form of an identifiable character from the X-Men, making their MCU debut. Speculation about Sadie Sink's character is now confirmed. She plays 616's version of Jean Grey, telepath and telekinetic extraordinaire. But she is in her pre-X-Men self, needing guidance for both her psychological trauma and training in the control of her abilities which are quite terrifying. Which leads to the question: does Xavier's school already exist in the 616 timeline? Also, if the X-Men in the Doomsday trailer are native to 616 or yet another timeline -- like maybe the one Monica Rambeau ended up in, in 'The Marvels'. Yes, overlapping lore can be confusing, but so rich in universe-building potential.

And Damage Control, ever the representatives of everything that has gone wrong under the current political administration of the USA today. No spoilers here. Despite their friendly facade, we already know from past movies and TV series what the DODC are all about. Every time they involve themselves, everything gets worse. Apart from that one voice of reason in the 'Ms Marvel' TV series, Damage Control is usually bad news.

So, Brand New Day mission brief: Spidey has to solve the mystery of the attacks on DOCD, make the reacquaintance of old friends, control the monster he could become, survive a resurgent Hulk, and keep Frank from killing too many people. And make friends with a young, rageful, terrifyingly powerful mutant this universe hasn't -- overtly -- identified as a potential threat to humankind yet.

Overall, this is one movie that needs to be watched on the big screen. Though, easy for me to say on a $5 ticket. Grandpa flex.

Fish and chips at Nosh

When I drove past a new banner ad for Nosh claiming it served the best fish and chips, I had to put it to the test. The location is about 10 minutes' walk from my residence, so there's a major plus point already.

The restaurant is cosy, catering to a small number of diners, light piano jazz over the speakers for ambience. The service was friendly and responsive, upfront about payment options which was important because 'credit card' was not on the list.

I ordered the mushroom soup and sourdough appetizer which you can see as the empty bowl in the background. The soup's consistency was not as thick as most other places suggesting it's made on-site with fresh ingredients and it was served scaldingly hot. The sourdough was fragrant, soft with a satisfyingly crunchy crust. It seemed like a waste to dunk it in the soup so I enjoyed it between spoons, appreciating the texture and flavour even sans butter.

The fish and chips was, in fact, the best I've had in a long while. I chose the halibut over the dory because, what the heck, man? Of course halibut! It came coated in a lightly crisp batter, the way I like. The halibut tasted fresh and went down smoothly while the brittle crunch of the batter provided a nice contrast of things going on in the mouth. The salad was rocket and a couple of halved cherry tomatoes splashed with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar -- standard fare, but still rounded out the dish well.

My one mistake was in over-using the tartar sauce provided. It made the meal feel heavier than I wanted. Next time I'll ask for a sprinkle of classic salt and white vinegar, nothing fancier.

Oh, the 'chips' turned out to be interesting slices of potato cut into loose, wide spirals which they call 'sidewinders'. Never seen anything like that before. The groove on each chip suggests a machine rather than a hand cut. I ate them without ketchup 'cos they didn't need any.

A meal of this quality isn't cheap. $41 and change. So using a portion of my CDC vouchers, I let the government pay for it. Yay! A new place to use them up before they expire.

My Queen: a mental chess game in heavy metal

I'm overwhelmed right now. BABYMETAL's latest album "Metal Forth" released today along with another official MV, "My Queen" ft Spiritbox.

There are still a number of new tracks on the album that haven't had an official MV yet, so rather than reviewing the audio versions, I'll review each one as they get released as videos.

I will say, though, that overall, I enjoyed "Metal Forth". The previously released video tracks are all bangers. They're loads of fun to headbang and jump to, as already reviewed below. Which leaves the new tracks being more artistic in the musical presentation. At least, that's my first impression. Not speaking the language, I need more visuals to infer context, and I don't have that right now.

And that brings me to "My Queen". I'm picking up a serious, not fun vibe from this one. For me, it's a contemplative song, more rhythmic than melodic. BABYMETAL face off against Courtney LaPlante, Spiritbox's vocalist, on a chessboard. BM is the black queen piece, LaPlante is the opposing white queen. There is also the presence of The Evil One, so named by the credits in the YouTube description.

Through the song, the queens posture and move against each other. SU, of course, gets most of the vocals. Not to be upstaged, LaPlante gets a substantial verse that lets her vocals shine. LaPlante alternates clean, almost spoken vocals with her screams, then crescendos over screamed lines. While the song doesn't really invite the audience to sing and move along, it's still very intense, heavy and maybe even... uneasy. That dark bassline undertone creates a sense of menace that pervades all around.

The visuals suggest that this could be an anti-war song. Combatants face each other on a battlefield, but who put them there? Who's really planning the engagement? In the end, the players (The Evil One) win or lose. They can always start a new game. But it's those who've got their boots on the ground who've paid the ultimate price.

On the battlefield, even the queen is just a pawn in the player's hands.

Fantastic Four: it's all about the family

Disney-Marvel tends to focus on the family dynamic a lot. But it's only now that we finally get a long-awaited introduction to the Fantastic Four, and my favourite title growing up.

MCU's FF takes place in the 828 universe, so it's the first movie of the franchise to be set entirely outside 616. A different universe presents the opportunity to design the world differently from the usual realistic-familiar 'view outside your window'. On 828 Earth, supervillains abound, but all of them are kept in check by only one team of four superheroes. It's a world fully dependent on the four and is quite helpless without them. They, particularly Susan Storm (Vanessa Kirby), are the world's most respected policymakers. If any alien species were to land and ask to be taken to the leader, the Four would be it.

No surprise, then, that the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) makes first contact with them, announcing the world-ending arrival of the Devourer, Galactus (Ralph Ineson), who thankfully makes an appearance as the imposing physical being he is supposed to be and not a disembodied cloud. Sue's brother, Johnny Storm (Joseph Quinn), is depicted previously as a thrill-seeking pain-in-the-a**, but I'm glad that here he is able to play a key role in defeating Galactus -- using heart and brain over bravado and flame.

I love Ben Grimm's (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) character design, and I mean his physical appearance in which he appears stylishly clothed rather than just rockin' trunks the whole time, and also his personality who has come to terms with how he looks, so much so that it seems Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) is more broken up about it than Ben is. Ben's flirting with a grade school teacher in full view of her students suggests he's not too self-conscious of his exterior. Good for him!

When we first meet the Four, they are already an established world-protecting force. Their origin is re-told in a commemorative, almost worshipful, television documentary complete with mid-century soundtrack and editing style. The vibe is upbeat, orchestral with a bombastic swing and overall very optimistic. But the main point of the opening scene is to introduce Sue's pregnancy. She's carrying Franklin Richards, the most powerful being in the MCU, bar none. But for now, he's a baby whose parents hope to give the most normal of lives to. Sure, that's gonna happen.

The plot was quite a thrill -ride, as long as we don't ask too many awkward questions about the science of how some of the plot-devices could have worked -- like how would slingshotting around a neutron star using existing inertia accelerate a non-FTL spacecraft to near lightspeed? Also, the timeline plays fast and loose with how quickly the earthlings can coordinate globally to mount a defence response, and how long it takes for Galactus to arrive despite salivating over the possibility of satiating his eternal hunger once and for all. But once he puts boots on ground zero (it's always going to be Manhattan) Sue gets to show who's the most powerful among team Fantastic.

I quite enjoyed the movie. The setting was a weird blend of old-fashioned aesthetic meets super-futuristic vibes which applies to the people, their costumes, and their personalities as well. The theme of protecting family resonates consistently throughout. It's cheesy, and done so many times already, yet it still sucks us in because wanting to belong is so integral to our emotional make-up. Done this warmly, it's a great family film that makes a solid introduction to Marvel's First Family making its 'First Steps' as the next beloved superteam in the MCU (Go, Thunderbolts!).

Kon! Kon!: BABYMETAL goes Bhangra

BABYMETAL's 'Kon! Kon!' has dropped, adding one more official MV to the tracks included in the much anticipated release of the upcoming new album, 'Metal Forth'.

The video comprises 'live' performance footage, moving away from the story form MVs of the last few releases. I haven't yet read the translated lyrics, but the overall performance looks and sounds like there's less of a narrative, and more like it should be experienced in person being one with the rest of the ONE.

I've been juicing for my health lately, and this song similarly serves up a tasty blend of mixed flavours. Musically, there's classical Indian and straight-up Bhangra, supported by a foundation of driving metal. Linguistically, there's Japanese, English and Hindi, the latter two courtesy of Bloodywood's vocalists. The choreo is also inspired by classical dance blended with the high-stepping energy of Bhangra.

The words 'Kon! Kon!', I learned some time ago, is what Japanese folks think the fox says. Without knowing much more, I guess that the song title plays into the kitsune lore somehow.

Anyway, all the songs being released for BM's fifth album suggest a return to the super fun, super catchy kind of music that 'The Other One' was missing. Yes, 'The Other One' was beautiful and jaw-droppingly artistic -- a statement that the band has developed and matured from the kids people knew them to be. There's no doubt who they are today, so it's time to bring back the fun and the 'jumping up with the fox god'.

With every track released a banger so far, the new album can't drop soon enough.

Ironheart season 1 series review

 

Ironheart is a completely new MCU character for me. I know of her comic book existence, but her title came out years after I'd stopped my weekly subscription so I went into the TV series blind. True, we did get a glimpse of Riri in Wakanda Forever, but there wasn't enough world building for us to get to know her backstory.

What surprised me was that the tonality of series was nothing like I'd expected. With a name like "Ironheart" there was the potential for an overkill of goodness and sweetness and light, but thankfully there was none of that to be found in Riri or her story. Instead, the series is grimy and dark, the soundtrack is heavy with gangsta' rap, and any humour is kept way down to a minimum. This is neither a funny, nor even a fun show. Good for her.

Riri herself is nothing like the shiny hero the 'Ironheart' moniker suggests. Rather, her character is murky and morally ambiguous. Her 'Uncle Ben' moment results in the simultaneous loss of both her stepfather and half-sister or bestie (I'm not clear about the exact relationship), but instead of giving her moral clarity it puts her into survival mode. She will do anything to put a suit of armour around herself and her nearest and dearest. It's not altruism, it's selfishness born out of trauma

The name 'Ironheart' is never once mentioned in the series. Riri does not give herself a superhero name, only referring to the armour as a 'suit', so she sees herself and the suit as two separate entities -- no 'I am Iron Man' owning of the identity, so I suspect that the series only provides us a starting point of Riri's journey. The only name her alter ego gets is 'Ironhead', coined by her late stepfather, and this is the identity that sticks with her through the series.

Stubborn, unyielding, not in a good, heroic way, but a petulant, annoying way, at this point, Riri is far from being a hero. The morally questionable choices she makes throughout the series makes her quite unlikeable. She starts by being expelled from MIT, an by the time the series is over there is no redemption arc for her.

Is this a good narrative for the series to follow? Given the early review bombing of the series it doesn't seem like a crowd pleasing direction to have taken, but by giving a hero an absolutely rock-bottom starting point presents lots of potential for an epic redemption arc at some later date. Hopefully, that's the plan for her.

There is also a lot the audience has to do to suspend disbelief here. Tony's suit is powered by an arc reactor, Riri's suit makes use of solar and wind energy. While that admission makes her suit way inferior to Tony's, being able to generate that much power from the sun and wind requires a level of technology that should be putting the oil industry out of business for good. Eventually, Riri obtains an alternative source of power -- eldritch magic, which I suppose, is more believable (given how the MCU functions on anomalies) than maintaining the sun and wind angle. The criminal crew Riri joins is supremely effective in their combat skills, that is until they face the might of Riri's improv fighting style.

And Sacha Baron Cohen makes his long awaited MCU debut as Mephisto, the smooth-talking, contract obsessed demonic menace who by the end of the series may or may not have sealed a deal with Riri Williams. The question remains open-ended for now. Magic, especially of the Dr Strange style was not where I expected the story of another metal suit to take me, but here we are.

Overall, I did enjoy the series, though the main character did not endear herself to me. The tension, pacing and slow-burn revelations were intriguing enough to see where it all led to. I'd say it's a bold and interesting introduction to a fresh new face in the MCU.

Be kind and share

Disney's 'live' Snow White is now streaming. It's been much maligned, panned, and shunned by the movie-going public, going by its poor box office performance. The lead, Rachel Zegler, has also received much online abuse and the roasting hasn't stopped even though she's moved on to other projects.

The question is, did the movie deserve the hate it got? First. it's a remake of a beloved original vintage Disney animation, so already the audience is communicating to the studio to please stop re-inventing the wheel and make us some new stuff instead.

That said, this 'live' production fills in a lot of detail missing in the original that present teachable opportunities for parents to discuss with their kids after. Primarily, the nature of 'beauty' which is central to the story. Zegler is no mega-babe compared to the statuesque Gal Gadot -- Wonder Woman herself -- who plays the Queen. But that is the point of this movie: that beauty is not in the outer appearance alone, but the totality of a person and how they behave towards others. The one who is beautiful adds to the lives of others, rather than takes away from them. The Queen's favourite magic trick demonstrating long-term impact by comparing the fragility of a flower to the hardness of diamond is eventually reversed by Snow White. It's an important distinction that the original animation glosses over, but the 'live' version gets a bit heavy handed with.

Other lessons include how an ideal society functions. In Snow White's version it's when people are kind and share their resources with each other from the goodness of their hearts rather than from a political mandate. The Queen's way is essentially survival of the fittest (or fairest) pitting winners who can acquire and protect resources from others, and losers who can't -- a philosophy that turns the literally once-harmonious kingdom into a gloomy scrabble for individual survival. It's a criticism of the current state of the USA even before 47 took over, but it's probably so on-the-nose that it rubs the domestic audience the wrong way. Under the spectre of potential new wars, mass deportation, the new anti-DEI pushback, it does seem far-fetched that people being kind to one another can make it all better.

Also re-examined is the concept of 'true love'. How would a passing stranger of a prince experience 'true love' encountering Snow White's lifeless body and be motivated to kiss her without the suspicion of necrophiliac tendencies? In the 'live' version, Jonathan is no prince, but a selfish rogue whom Snow White influences to change his ways through mutual cooperation and suffering before love materializes between them. This added storyline could be a criticism against how modern men and women expect true love to occur between strangers meeting on dating apps and getting disappointed because no one will ever be 'the one' this way.

As far as the 'live' is a musical, true, there are a lot of song and dance numbers to keep the narrative lively. But the music was not particularly memorable other than the callbacks to some of the original's. The lyrics were also more tell than show, so sure, fun but overall meh.

'Live' Snow White I have mixed feelings about. I might have appreciated it better if I had kids to bring and have something to chat about with them later, but the movie was clearly not pitched to my demographic. Perhaps that's the reason this movie wasn't as profitable as it could have been: having fewer and fewer kids means less and less reason to pay money to watch movies like this, while the jaded and childless are hate-watching the movie that is not meant for them. Also, perhaps the overall positivity of the narrative can be annoying as it runs so counter to their normal, everyday experience of life. And their biased reviews are turning audiences off unfairly -- even audiences whom the movie is meant for.

Ohana means family

Why would there be a need to remake a beloved animated movie from 2002 into a 'live' action one in 2025? To be honest, this one is the first 'live' action Disney remake I've watched, but only because the original resonated so hard with me. Would the story impact a second time?

It's a narrative that plays well in animation. The premise of aliens on Earth makes for a silly, nonsensical plot, so the animated medium of the original blends the incongruous elements into a seamless, believable universe. 'Live' action, though, needs a more realistic and grounded treatment, backgrounded by the fantasy elements of life and technology beyond the stars.

The plot and characters are updated, and some of the original's plotholes which we allowed for creative license get more of a logical explanation in the 'live' version. And then there is the concept of what "ohana" entails that gets explored and enhanced as well.

Conceptually, the story is the same. Two tiny outcasts find kinship and bond with each other amidst a chaos that is often of their own making. Through their misadventures, they bring out the best of each other while the lives of everyone concerned with them steadily fall apart. Sometimes, destruction is required before something new can arise from the rubble.

Some things that get updated are that Lilo's (Maia Kealoha) penchant for photography is gone since today, taking pictures of random people without their consent is no longer socially acceptable. Lilo's outfit is less traditional and more current. Big sister, Nani (Sidney Agudong), has help from well-meaning neighbour, Tutu (Amy Hill), a completely new addition to the original cast.

The 'live' action has its share of controversy. The role of Cobra Bubbles, the social worker in the original is split between an actual social worker (Tia Carrere) and Agent Cobra Bubbles (Courtney B Vance) doing undercover work investigating the alien presence on Earth. This split role explains why an ex-CIA agent with alien contact experience is currently working as a social worker. We always wondered if it was something he did or said that got him such a demotion. Now we know better.

Spoiler Alert: making Jumba (Zack Galifianakis) the main antagonist in the 'live' version seems like a betrayal of the character from the original, but we have to remember that in the original there was no motivation for his change of heart. He was always about capturing Stitch, disassembling him, and remaking a better monster. In the original, after finally capturing Stitch, Stitch politely asks Jumba for help to which he makes an inexplicable turnaround claiming, "he's very persuasive". In the 'live' version, Jumba follows through with his original motivation and gets increasingly unhinged with every failure.

Even bigger spoiler alert: Many fans of the original are upset when at the conclusion, Nani relinquishes custody of Lilo. In the original, Nani and Lilo remain as a family under the auspices of alien providence. In reality, aliens have no jurisdiction to enforce such protection once they leave the planet. It makes sense for there to be a more enforceable solution in the 'live' action, and that is for Tutu, who has been portrayed as a surrogate mother figure to both Nani and Lilo to take custody of Lilo. 

Meantime, Nani is allowed to pursue her dreams studying Marine Biology, which again to many fans looks like a betrayal of the wholesome original ending when then family gets to stay together. 'Live' action Nani is accused of 'girlbossing', which is not true at all. First, Nani has to be persuaded to go to university, having won a full scholarship, and has turned down the offer time and again. She finally goes when Lilo tells her to go because that's what their parents would have wanted for her.

So what does this mean for the 'ohana' concept that was so central to the original? While ohana means family, it isn't limited to the nuclear family. The concept of family includes found family (which was part of the concept in the original) and now includes Tutu who is also found family and has been part of the extended family this whole time. Ohana also includes family members who are deceased and whose wishes are still respected. When no one is "left behind or forgotten", that includes Nani too. Despite being Lilo's primary caregiver for most of this movie, Nani needs care from her ohana too, which Tutu provides. Girlbossing would actually be Nani taking care of Lilo all by herself, but ohana brings the village to raise the child.

And finally, in 'live' we get to see Lilo achieve personal growth and gain some maturity. Animated Lilo gets everything she wants at the end, but at no personal cost. In 'live', Lilo decides she cannot be a selfish brat any longer, agreeing to part with Nani for a time so that Nani can become who she needs to be. Lilo does say "I like you better as a sister than a mom", so she makes the sisterly decision to let Nani go. This way, Lilo proves that she is ohana to Nani as much as Nani has proven time and again that she is ohana to Lilo.

While I generally believe that it's time Disney starts making original content again, Lilo and Stitch 'live' gives us a little more insight to the animated original. But I draw the line at making yet another 'live' remake of its sequels. Once is enough.

Two branches, one tree

Well, here's a melding of two worlds I did not expect. The original Karate Kid and its remake turn out to be parts of the same Karate universe. Legends brings them all together and shifts everybody west to the gritty streets of New York.

Having regained his confidence after Xiao Dre's (Jaden Smith) victory in Beijing, Mr Han (Jackie Chan) restarts his school of kung fu. His prize student, Li Fong (Ben Wang), is already skilled in martial arts, but lives under the shadow of his deceased older brother. His Mom (Ming-Na Wen) forbids Fong from any further fighting due to the circumstances of her older son's death, and moves them both to New York for a fresh start.

Of course, the Karate Kid formula gets Fong in trouble with his newfound girlfriend's (Mia, played by Sadie Stanley) ex, Conor Day (Aramis Knight). The game now is to win the 5 Boroughs Championship of which the Conor is 5-time reigning champion.

While Conor is intense and ruthless in training, he's not really played up as a bully. Fong already has his own inner demons to fight. It takes both Mr Han and Daniel la Russo (Ralph Macchio) to combine forces and get him in shape for the fight both physically and mentally.

Yes, in a flashback at the beginning of this movie, the legend of how Miyagi-Do Karate came from Han kung fu roots is told. It's satisfyingly respectful that the late Pat Morita's Mr Miyagi is remembered as the common link between Mr Han and Daniel-san. "Two branches, one tree".

It is important to set up how skilled a fighter Fong is right at the start. He impresses Mia's dad, Victor (Joshua Jackson), who becomes Fong's student in using kung fu to train for an upcoming prize fight. This way, we see our protagonist as a trainer rather than as a trainee, an interesting break from formula. This leaves Fong's training by Han and Daniel to be more comical as the two coaches discuss and demonstrate their strategies using Fong as a practice dummy.

What's not clear to me, though, is the need to bring in the discipline of Karate as the 5 Boroughs tournament doesn't seem to be specific to any single discipline. The portrayal of the tournament felt rushed. There was little build up in getting to know the opponents, their motivations and stakes. Conor and Fong looked evenly matched going in, so despite being down by a few points in the early game Fong didn't look like he was in trouble. Then again, perhaps that wasn't the point. Fong's demons have more to do with his response after the match to fulfil his redemption arc. Another nice variation of the formula.

Overall, Legends brings a fresh take to the Karate Kid franchise, thrilling to view as a first-timer, yet heavily nostalgic for those of us who have followed this narrative since the '80s.

Eh, Minecraft movie

'A Minecraft Movie' did not resonate with me. Although I don't play the game, I thought I would give the movie a go as lately video game-based movies like Sonic and Super Mario Bros were decently entertaining enough. Perhaps Minecraft was meant for a younger audience, but the audience around me was mostly children and it didn't seem like they were very entertained either. While not disruptive, thankfully, the kids maintained a low-energy level of polite watching. The occasional question seemed more frequent than laughter.

What didn't work for this movie is the open-ended nature of the source material. The game is mostly about learning to interact with the environment by discovering new materials and crafting recipes, then becoming creative in reshaping the environment with these new discoveries. The game raises the stakes from time to time by sending waves of hostiles for the player to defend against. But it is up to the movie to design a motivation for these attacks. While the main villain's arc does fit the overall theme of how society represses creativity by showing how the different characters react in either healthy or unhealthy ways to their own experiences of repression, really, the chief antagonist has the least provocation to overreact as she does. Without strong motivation for the villain, the stakes are uninteresting.

The humour tends to lean too hard into slapstick. Jason Momoa's character, "Garbage Man", is the butt of most of the jokes. Tough guy gets scared and screams like a little girl. Tough guy gets his ass kicked by cannon-fodder level enemies. Tough guy falls down a lot. It gets old after the first couple of gags. He does swoop in later to pull off a spectacular save, so I guess he finally learns how to play, but frustratingly, his process happens off camera. Jack Black's character, "Steve", takes the mentor role, playing the straight guy to Momoa's goofball. Black sings funny, improvised songs but again, once too many times to be funny every time. Sure, the 'rule of three' is there for a reason, but humour is in the escalation of each of the three stages. Here it's just the same thing repeated and falls flat.

I did identify with the theme of repressed creativity, however. I've been trying to be more creative in the last couple of weeks working on some personal projects. But I'm finding that my more responsible commitments have been holding me back from fully realising my creative goals. I recognise I'm still at a learning phase and so my creations are still super crappy, but having the discipline to keep practicing will eventually get me where I want to be. Baby steps. So, while I may not have enjoyed the movie as much as I hoped to, I still appreciate the encouragement I got from it.

Ne Zha 2 was a lot

Added another $16 to Ne Zha 2's over $2b gross earnings to date. It's pretty bold to make the titular character look adorably un-cute. Ne Zha's design is that of a short, pug-nosed, gap-toothed troll, but his charm is more in his heart to stand against adversity while overcoming prejudice over his disadvantages acquired from birth. It's not easy for a person of demonic heritage to live among and be accepted by human beings.

In this episode, Ne Zha's demon self has to be hidden from the gatekeepers of immortality, or his quest to save the life of his best bud, Ao Bing, will fail, resulting in the destruction of his hometown by Ao Bing's pissed-off dad, the Dragon King. That is a summation of the main plot, while the sub-plots involve other factions pursuing their own selfish agenda and pissing each other off both by grand design and more often by a blind sense of self-righteousness seeking to do good, but causing an intricate mess of chaos instead. It's a case of everybody being a hero of their own tale, while being the villain in someone else's.

It's a complex, ambitious piece of storytelling accompanied with spectacular animation, which is what people are mostly paying to see. The scenes are stunningly rendered and beautifully composed, inspired from classical Chinese-Taoist themes. There is an epic sense of scale as the camera moves from individual character detail to a zoom out shot taking in the murmuration of entire armies swarming in formation, colliding in battle in a way that we can almost see each individual combatant within the swarm at the same time. It's breathtaking to behold.

While technically impressive, the storytelling could have been more economical. Perhaps some references to mythology are lost in translation, given my woeful lack of context. Some scenes felt draggy, and I felt myself dozing off at one point. My poor brain was having to keep track of which faction was doing what to whom for what motivation, and I probably needed that micro break. Also, the process of attaining immortality was confusing as Ne Zha had to succeed at beating up a series of random critters that are minding their own business -- but without much sense of progression of difficulty level -- in order for him to be granted immortality. Yet, the same deity who granted him immortality was busy making thousands of immortality pills for... not sure whom exactly. So is immortality gained by beat-em-up, or by swallowing magic pills? Unclear.

Which leads me to the observation that magic in this universe has no rules. Magic is wielded as a convenient deus ex machina. Want something to happen, just name a mystical device/spell and there you go. How powerful a character is depends on what things they can name at the time they need it. If that's the only rule, it's a bit cheap, sorry to say.

Ultimately, what carries the story is Ne Zha himself and his small but loyal group of supporters, namely his parents, his mentor, and his counterpart, Ao Bing. They are all pure of heart, sincere in their intentions, and courageously brave the turmoil they are thrown into. These qualities are what an audience can get behind, especially when balanced by the main character who is also an obnoxious stinker who learns and grows throughout the movie.

Stay for the mid-credits scene. I enjoyed it as whichever studio got to animate this part had the most fun with it. We could have used that type of humour sprinkled more liberally through the rest of the movie as the fart and toilet jokes weren't doing it for me.

Overall, I enjoyed the experience, though I also feel that the movie suffered from too much of a muchness. When Chinese cinema learns the value of 'less is more', that's when I think it will be unstoppable.

Focus on POTUS in MCU's Captain America: Brave New World

MCU's Captain America movies usually have some political statement to make. Brave New World, Cap's 4th outing, draws a parallel between newly elected POTUS, Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) and the real-life current POTUS. Both have done and are still doing morally questionable things, and although much of their misdeeds are public knowledge, they have still been given the mandate to be the country's top decision-maker.

What's different about Ross is that his misdeeds are misguided attempts to keep the country safe by all means necessary, including the use of deadly force resulting in heavy collateral damage -- a callback all the way to the MCU's second movie, The Incredible Hulk. That legacy carries over to his initiation of the Sokovia Accords resulting in the unintended(?) disbanding of the Avengers during the brutal Civil War conflict. By this time, Ross is convinced that regardless of his political success, he would never win back the love of his daughter, Betty (Liv Tyler). As such, he seeks to redeem himself by negotiating a global peace treaty over the fair and equitable distribution of a new element that seems to have more potential than even vibranium. This new element is found in the body of Tiamut, the Celestial that arose in the Indian Ocean, but whose full emergence was prevented by the Eternals in their own movie.

Current real-world POTUS has opposite designs for national self-sufficiency at all cost. 'nuff said.

The mantle of Captain America now falls on Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), formerly Falcon. He bears the shield with a sense of inadequacy, feeling that Steve Roger's boots are too big to fill. Moreover, Wilson does not have any super-soldier enhancement, and clearly cannot match OG Cap's physical prowess and abilities. Wilson does have the advantage of aerial combat and makes use of his natural empathy to deescalate tense situations. Without enhancements, Wilson has his own approach to dealing with powered individuals, preferring to use words over fists, although fights can end a bit anti-climactically for a hero-fest. It's not that he can't use his fists to end a fight -- as he does with Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito) -- but he prefers not to.

BNW is a straight up comic-book movie. There's enough action and fighting through a varied palatte of threat levels to keep the pace breathless. But because Wilson is already such a good guy from the start, his character arc doesn't have that many legs. By the end, he's gained a little more confidence in himself as Cap's successor, but we already knew that he was worthy. His costume design is also busier than I like, but that's an aesthetic quibble. It was President Ross who kept my attention for this movie. He had the broader character arc with more to redeem himself from and more to seek forgiveness for. His resolution is a bit of wish fulfilment for us in the real world, but it is in taking personal accountability and responsibility for his past missteps that finally brings Ross peace.

Overall, while political enough, I feel that the previous Captain America movies had more emotional depth and higher stakes. BNW tried to create a bit of a besties dynamic in the Sam Wilson-Isiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly) pairing, but the Wilson-Bradley friendship doesn't run so deeply that the audience roots for them as we did with Steve-Bucky. The biggest impact of BNW on the greater MCU is the tying up of some loose ends from previous movies while vaguely pointing the way forward with the discovery of a new element to exploit, and a cryptic prophecy delivered in the sole end credits scene. Generally a good movie, but seeing as the supporting character stole the show, it doesn't top any of the previous installments of MCU's Captain America movies, at least for me.

Going with the 'Flow'

The first time I watched this trailer, I was instantly hooked. But being a more arthouse project, the film got a very limited run. Glad I got a ticket to today's screening at The Projector -- and the very first time I took advantage of the senior citizens' price.

'Flow' is a beautiful piece of storytelling. There isn't much of a plot but a journey as we, the audience, literally follow the flow of wherever the story takes us. In a world seemingly left behind by the human population, our protagonist, the black cat, lives a relatively comfortable life in an abandoned house probably once occupied by a sculptor with a cat obsession. For some reason -- which isn't important since cats don't ever ask 'why' -- the world is flooded in a deluge that drowns all but the tallest of peaks. The cat is able to swim to a boat cast adrift, only to find it is already occupied by a capybara. Thus begins the tale of a boat that eventually collects an odd assortment of stranded animals: a materialistic lemur, a golden retriever, and a heron secretary bird injured while protecting the cat from hostiles.

The animation is smooth, and while it betrays computer graphics, the style looks like every cel is painstakingly painted. Each animal behaves like it should, and anthropomorphizing is very limited to how the capybara, heron, and to some extent, the cat quickly figure out how to steer the boat using the rudder. Through the journey, we are treated to scenes of bravery, compassion, heroism, generosity and of course, conflict, as this microcosmic Noah's Ark learns to trust one another and eventually care for each other.

What I also love about this movie is that there is no human dialogue at all. Each animal makes its own sounds, but meaning is communicated through tone and body language The artists must have studied the movements of each animal carefully, and faithfully reproduced them convincingly on screen. As I'm watching them, I'm also thinking about my animals at home. Would they be able to survive as ably if their human owners unexpectedly disappeared?

There's an obsession over mirrors and reflections as a recurring theme. Clearly, the movie is an allegory about unity in diversity, and how different talents complement each other when contributing to the greater good. The goldie gains the cat's trust by mirroring its movements, so there is a strong statement that's being made about what we can accomplish together as we navigate the chaos and uncertainty of living in our reality.

But I also detect an undercurrent of caution against selfishness too. The boat picks up a pack of dogs stranded in rising waters, but almost immediately they cause problems for the original crew. Although not outright hostile, there is a conflict over ownership of the things the lemur has brought on board. They also eat all the fish the cat had worked hard to catch. And when their help is really needed to save a life, they bail. While it was a moral obligation to save their lives, there really was no time to set boundaries and conditions before taking them on board.

Overall, this movie is more of an experience than anything else. It moves from one situation to the next. Some are breathtakingly gorgeous, others are tense and ominous. Like the current that keeps the boat moving forward, so too do we go with the flow.

Katsu craving

Had a katsu craving, but didn't feel like going to the usual place and wanted to try somewhere else. Wandered around Takashimaya's basement food offerings and found this place, Kimukatsu. Just what I was looking for.

A healthy chunk of breaded pork, crispy on the outside, tender inside. I like that when I order the garlic option (original, cheese, and garlic being the top sellers according to the counter guy) it isn't shy on the garlic. I also like that the sauces come in dipping saucers, and not slathered on top so I get to control how much or little flavour I want in every bite. Left is teriyaki, right is shoyu, if I'm not mistaken.

What's unique is the rice that comes individually portioned. It's a nice touch to have a staple that isn't dished out of a generic pot but rather is specially cooked just for you. Please don't make the mistake of eating the rice directly from the wooden steamer and make a mess. Take the extra step to scoop it out into the empty bowl provided, like a civilized person. Thank you.

Honestly, I initially thought the pork may not have been enough for the amount of rice served, but taking polite bites and alternating the meat with the shredded cabbage and pickles, the whole set proved just right. I wish they'd also provided a napkin to deal with cabbage whiplash, but there was a box of facial tissues fully on display on the counter, and not difficult to reach for, at least from where I was sitting.

Finally, the matcha was more robust than I expected. More like a proper beverage than a tea. Maybe it's because when ordering I said 'matcha' instead of 'green tea'. Would that have made a difference? Anyway, it was a satisfying finisher to lunch.

Nice to have a second option to the usual, with comparable quality for a marginally lower price too.

Lingering for lox

Went for my semi-annual teeth cleaning. They do a very thorough job, getting right into the crevices to eradicate food debris and stuff. So with a little guilt (and no prior breakfast) I sought out the nearest available nosh and the M&S cafe was it. Time to put back what the dental hygienist had taken out.

I immediately gravitated to the salmon and cream cheese bagel without thinking about it. My mouth already tasted bloody from the oral scouring not 10-minutes earlier, and I worried that the bagel might be so well toasted that every bite would erupt into shrapnel, as I've experienced in other places before.

Thankfully, the bagel here was soft and fluffy, with a light, super-fragile crust for the tiniest crunch. The salmon (lox) came in a generous portion, complementing the cream cheese -- an unusual combination, but somehow it works. The sandwich (?) included lettuce, dill and a pickle slice, subtly sweet-sour, adding a fresh flavour to every mouthful.

The cappuccino was milky and smooth going down. Good for sipping while people-watching, but because parking was expensive in the area, I couldn't hang around as long as I would've liked.

Deadpool & Wolverine review: more super than human

[Minor spoiler warning]

The long-awaited, much-promised Deadpool & Wolverine is finally here! I loved the first two of Deadpool's movie outings because of the very personal emotional stakes driving them. But with D&W, the scope went so broad, trying to cover so much ground that the overall flavour fell flat for me.

There's a lot to like about the elaborate set-pieces, spectacular fight choreography, and the always on-point sound and music design. There's plenty of fourth wall breaking, some quips eliciting 'ooh's from the audience for the burns delivered to all and sundry. Fight scenes were impactful, with I'll-burn-in-hell-for-laughing use of improvised weaponry, and every punch, stab and slash so viscerally sold, it's breathtaking. And when you have two main characters whose main super thing is healing fast, the action is non-stop, save for brief periods of exposition, and sometimes for interactions with an impressive list of cameos returning to the MCU stable.

What seems off about this latest Deadpool movie is that seeks to accomplish too much. It gives loads of flash and bang, but less of the heart and pathos that previously kept us sympathetic and rooting for what would otherwise be the erratic, annoying psycho that he is. For one thing, the colour palette really pops in D&W, making a clear departure from the moody, muted, grainy look of the earlier Fox-produced iterations. In addition, the stakes in D&W are set so high that it's easy to lose focus on the really important issue that's driving the plotline. Deadpool was a 'love story', Deadpool 2 was a 'family movie'. The unlikely narrative threads eventually and deftly wove themselves into exactly what each story promised to be. But in D&W, the foundational element wasn't clear, or if it was there, I didn't notice it.

The human element also took a backseat in D&W. The Deadpool franchise had strong supporting human characters -- Vanessa, Blind Al, Dopinder, Weasel, and Peter, but while they featured in the 1st act (minus TJ Miller's Weasel), their presence was mostly reduced to a photograph Deadpool would look at now and then to remind himself and us what was 'real'. Instead, D&W tended to focus more on the superpowered folk, which is it's own kind of fun, but it's disappointing when there's more super than human in this sort of narrative.

Of the three Deadpool movies so far, I'll say that the first two have tied for first place as my favourite, while D&W clocks in as a close second. It's fun, there's lots of verbal and visual humour in the ridiculous situations D&W get involved with, there's lots of exciting 'whoa'-inducing scenes, and it's still not a movie to bring small children to, which is a big plus. Still, I wish it had more of a point other than being a celebration of itself as the latest arrival in the MCU.

Godzilla Minus One: Monster and Metaphor

One one hand, Godzilla Minus One is a classic monster movie. On the other, the monster is a metaphor for one man's war trauma and his struggle for redemption.

The monster movie is a breathtaking visual experience. Godzilla is terrifyingly portrayed. There is the slow build with the appearance of schools of dead deep sea fish. Fins appear out of the water, like in Jaws, but they are multiple, ominously spiked, and enormous. Where the fin in Jaws announces a presence of dread and terror, Godzilla's fins herald a force of nature that paralyzes us in our helplessness. This is a creature of sheer destruction. While apparently mindless, it is certainly indiscriminate, flattening buildings, machines of war, and people in its wake.

Toho studio once shot actors in rubber suits campily stomping on miniature city skylines. This time, it's moved on to much more realistic levels. Whatever effects -- practical or CGI -- are being used, we are present at ground zero, every impact a gut punch. As scenery is literally blown away, so are we. Watching Ginza getting destroyed is like watching a tsunami made of earth and rubble instead of water, and the aftermath is devastating to behold. Even if we weren't already invested in the human characters in this movie, we still feel the tragedy of each life lost to every 'holy s...!' moment. This is one movie that deserves a cinematic rerun. I'd buy a ticket right now if it got one.

Godzilla, the metaphor, is equally impactful as an exploration into trauma and survivor's guilt. Our hero, Shikishima, should have already been dead even before the start of this movie. A kamikaze pilot who makes an emergency landing on a friendly airstrip without releasing his ordnance is by all accounts a deserter and a coward -- and he knows it. Given a second chance to makes amends, he freezes instead, and watches as everyone dies around him.

A two-time survivor, it's painfully ironic that he has lived although he has nothing to live for. Arriving home to war-devastated Tokyo, he finds he has outlived his parents who perished in the air raids. Between the war and Godzilla, Shikishima is rendered passive and helpless, but also alive bearing an overwhelming load of guilt because of it  And like his guilt, Godzilla grows every time he survives another certain death moment.

Meanwhile, he has picked up a sort of family: a girl and a baby, neither of which are biologically related. They move into his place uninvited, but he does nothing to evict them. His passivity is also a kindness, and slowly they become important in his life. He takes on a risky but well-paying job for their sake. However, because of his trauma and guilt, he stops short as a provider but they never become a full-fledged family.

During Godzilla's attack on Ginza, Shikishima again -- and not of his own accord -- survives but suffers another painful loss. With the threat of yet another attack on Tokyo, Shikishima finally understands what motivates a person to sacrifice themselves. He had no real connection to his country before, so he couldn't die for it when he was a kamikaze pilot. Yet connection to country still isn't enough motivation to fly a plane into the enemy. It's one's connection to time -- someone in the past to avenge, and someone's future for whom he would give his life to ensure. It is at this point that he takes control of his life and makes a plan to defeat the monster rampaging through both his city and his psyche. When you have something to live for, then you will be ready to die for it. There are no heroes in such a sacrifice, only redemption. Yet, he will be remembered as a hero whose sacrifice mattered, instead of being one of his fellow kamikaze who sacrificed themselves for something that ultimately didn't.

The Marvels: Generally satisfying, with some inconsistencies

I didn't even know The Marvels had been released last week. With so much talk and rumours of release dates being pushed back, I stopped paying attention. If not for a chance mention on my socials, I might not even have got a ticket for today.

Warning: spoiler-y review ahead.

The Marvels unfortunately has had the lowest opening weekend of all MCU movies, and quite undeservedly so. It was a fun story (I liked it better than Quantumania), but perhaps the stakes were hugely disproportional to the battles that were mostly fought hand-to-hand in a champion takes all contest. And since there were three heroes against one villain, it didn't really seem like a fair fight. And for the most part, the villain was sort of fighting with one hand tied behind her (yes, her) back. Perhaps that was the point. Dar-Ben's backstory puts her in a position to want to do something to save her people, the Kree, from an impossible situation, but the odds are very much stacked against her. I understand the heroic courage that drives her, and the desperation plus revenge motivation behind her awful choices, but her approach to grand theft cosmos was doomed from the start. You can't save your people's homes by destroying other people's homes -- a very pertinent message for the crisis in Gaza right now.

The movie begins in utter confusion, reflecting the Marvels' own sense of what-is-going-on as they abruptly switch places with each other. Like us, they get dropped into situations with no context, either in the midst of hostilities, or bringing hostiles into previously peaceful locations -- specifically the Khans' living room which gets gratuitously wrecked in the process. It's fun to watch Mom and Dad Khan tag-teaming to fight off two fully trained Kree warriors, and not being very successful at it. In the aftermath, their house has a new skylight which wasn't there before. It's ok, Nick Fury's SABER will pay for the damage, I'm sure.

The confusion gets some clarity when people stop punching and shooting each other and start talking. Everything has to do with Kamala's family heirloom, the twin of which Dar-ben has found and is using to open unstable portals in space-time to aid her nefarious plan -- like Dr Strange stealing forbidden books from Wong's library, but on a much grander scale. It's the energy from these unstable portals that causes the location switching, which eventually they learn to coordinate and turn into a fighting advantage, leading to some interestingly choreographed fight scenes.

They are too late to save the first of Dar-Ben's targeted worlds, and it's uncertain if they do save the second or not -- a disturbingly unresolved plotline. It's also the world with what I felt as a silly, unnecessary Bollywood type culture thrown in just because. Gratuitous. Carol has personal ties with this planet just to raise the stakes a little, but I don't see that the Marvels did enough to save it. I hope we'll find out in time to come, but if that world perished, it'll be one more thing on Carol's conscience.

Of course, Dar-Ben targets Earth next, and it's for all the marbles. Monica does a heroic thing, and Carol gets a redemption. I thought they might use Carol's redemption act to de-power her so that she can be less OP enough to fit into the new MCU team-up storylines moving forward, but she still looks none the worse for wear after her cosmic feat of strength. And while Kamala gets to go home with a souvenir after her space adventure, Nick Fury (especially after the events of Secret Invasion) is going to be very unhappy with two new alien populations living on Earth, one of which he knows about, and one which he doesn't... yet.

But it's Monica's epilogue that is probably going to trigger the next phase of the MCU, if you stay and watch the end credits. There is one final end credits scene, but in my screening the screen went into screen saver mode and there was only sound. I couldn't see a thing, but the sound was unmistakable. Was it important? Probably not. Stay for bladder-holding bragging rights, if you want.

Sushi at Keyaki

The most expensive nigiri sushi I have ever ordered. This is Keyaki, Pan Pacific Hotel. Today commemorates educators, and I spent it using the $50 restaurant voucher I picked up from the raffle held during our staff appreciation dinner over a week ago. It was the 30th prize, or something.

Keyaki is on the 4th floor of the Pan Pac. It's located within a gorgeous Japanese themed roof garden. The place is so Zen, I couldn't find the main entrance. Good thing I bumped into the chef who kindly beckoned me to follow him. Along the wall opposite the koi pond, there's a section that looks gold-painted. It's a sliding door that I walked past a couple of times, wondering if I needed a sling ring to open a mystical portal or something.

Once inside, the staff greeted me very calmly and politely, and seated me immediately. I inquired about the T&Cs of my voucher, and that turned out to be a smart thing to do. It only applied to a la carte items on the menu, so thankfully I didn't go whole hog to order the $280 omakase first, only to find out later that the voucher would have been no good.

So that was how I ended up with this selection of 7 pieces of sushi and a dessert. Left to right they are: tuna belly, striped jack, blue fin tuna, salmon, scallop, sweet shrimp, and sea urchin. The setting was so fancy, I couldn't bring myself to dump the wasabi into the shoyu and stir it up into the salty, pungent, pasty condiment that we like to do here. It had to be eaten properly. Take a pinch of wasabi, balance it on the fish side (actually, is this how it's done?), pick up the piece with chopsticks, turn the piece upside down, and carefully dip the fish side into the shoyu before putting the whole thing in your mouth in one bite. Chew a slice of ginger between pieces to reset the mouth, getting it ready for the next flavour.

My big mistake was to start with the tuna belly which I knew I should have saved as the piece de resistance, but I couldn't help myself. As soon as I tasted how good it was with the fatty texture and hint of fish oil, instant regret. It would have been the perfect finishing move, but no, I made it my opening gambit instead. The remaining 6 pieces were still very, very good, regardless. Each piece was fresh and flavourful, the urchin tasted like cream of ocean. Each piece drew a breath of appreciation, and I had to close my eyes to focus on the different textures and flavours that they literally brought to the table. 

I hope wait staff, Agnes (I think), interpreted my facial contortions to mean that I was enjoying the food. She was attentive to refilling my green tea, so she must have been watching her tables closely.

Dessert was this mango ume jelly served like a parfait with a topping of mango ice-cream. The strawberries were a surprise, but they added extra colour and a light, tangy twist to what would have been overwhelmingly mango. The portion was bigger than anticipated, and I'm speculating that perhaps 2 mangoes were involved as some of the mango cubes looked a slightly different shade from the others. The ume jelly was oddly fluffy, so that was another interesting texture for the mouth to enjoy.

One thing, though. After finishing dessert, I felt light-headed and became wheezy. My nose started to run. I know these symptoms: allergies. What could I have been allergic to? Running through the ingredient list in my head, I zeroed in on the jelly. Plum wine jelly (umeshu???), to be precise, and I am allergic to alcohol. I underestimated the potency of plum wine and was now experiencing the consequences.

Step one: don't panic, keep absolutely calm. Step two: breathe slow and deep -- get as much oxygen as the thoracic constriction would allow. I sat there for a while like that until I felt ready to pay the bill. $80 balance remaining from the $50 voucher. Not bad, I was prepared to pay more. Decided to walk my condition off, so I hoofed it to the MRT station for a ride home. As expected, by the time I got back, the allergic reaction had worn off. I'm fully functional again, with quite a lunch to remember.

BABYMETAL return to their Japanese roots in 'Metali'

BABYMETAL has gone home to Japan with their latest single after touring the world for creative inspiration. 'Metali' features the most traditional Japanese instrumentation since 'Megitsune' from a decade ago. It opens with the strings of (presumably) a shamisen which continues to be prominent in the music throughout. Likewise, the musical composition sounds East Asian, reminiscent of some traditional Japanese festivals involving music and interactive chanting. Yet, the main instrumental accompaniment is straight up metal, rhythmic and heavy, unrelenting and powerful. That, I'm guessing is where guest musician, Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine), comes in to seamlessly blend West with East.

SU's vocals are almost aggressive: still melodic, but tends to be inspired by their fellow contemporary Japanese female-led metal bands, a genre arguably pioneered by BABYMETAL, so it's come full circle with the original taking inspiration from those they inspired. It's also notable that this is the first original BABYMETAL song released with MOMOMETAL as the official third member of the new trio. The chorus sounds nice and full again with the voices of MOA and MOMO combining as one to aid with the heavy lifting.

The theatrical narration midway through the track adds to the sense of homecoming. The voice is as yet uncredited, but I'm speculating it could be MOMO's given her experience with musical theatre during her early career. It could just as well be SU's or MOA's, though, as they, too, are vocally versatile.

I just looked up the translation for "wasshoi", which is repeatedly chanted, and indeed it is a word that is used in traditional festivals to get everyone in sync and work together to lift a shrine for a grand parade. It's a homecoming for BABYMETAL, and they've brought the whole world back with them for the party!

'Metali' dropped on 18 August 2023, and is available on YouTube (above), and on Spotify. Probably elsewhere too.

Edit: Big surprise! It's not just new music on YouTube, but a whole new official music video! This band gives so much, and keeps on giving. And I was there for the premiere!