Ergo Proxy

I must be honest. I didn't like Ergo Proxy at first. I found it messy and had not much of an element of suspense that makes me want to watch on. However, things began to change slowly as I progressed into the series, and I soon found an intriguingly deep focus on the psychology and mentality of its protagonists. In the future, humans and androids each assumes a purpose, and this "raison d'etre" consumes them throughout the series, drawing parallels from theories of philosophy. Amidst the chaos and mess of the perceived future, I somehow felt compelled to sit back and think of my very own raison d'etre.

Happy Birthday Mum

There exists a lady, who's the fairest of all
To her children always standing proud and tall
She can play every role
A best friend, a teacher, a motherly soul
Looking and fixing our every loophole
We hear too, she likes red
But there's no denying Korean dramas are her fav'rite
And here's this lady
Whom you just can't catch any day
Deserving of a great Happy Forty-ninth Birthday.

District 9

Warning! This is not your usual alien fare. District 9's unique method of cinematography had me gripped from beginning to end. Shockingly intense and truthful, it explicitly portrays both physical violence (thus the M18 rating) and deep emotional trauma. This is the type of show that makes people stick to their seats for awhile even after the movie had ended. Though the end was clear to all, I left the cinema silently pondering, if there could have been another way things played out.

4 stars.

Eden of the East

Eden of the East is a short 11-episode anime series. Behind the main storyline of twelve chosen individuals tasked to play a 'game', this plot carries an unusually deep undertone. To put simply, it deeply discusses the strange hypocrisies in the human nature. Who will stand up and be the 'bad guy' when the time comes? Why do people choose to see the bad over the good? Why do people only cherish things when they lose it? These are just a few questions being tackled in the series. It is a stark but cruel reflection of our societies. It is said such societies need some form of tragedy to avoid an imminent evolutionary standstill. Are we at such a precipice?

Already back to black?

Insanity has arrived. 2767 new homes were sold in July - compared to the 1825 sold in June which already topped the previous peak in Aug 2007. What is the world (or rather, Singapore) coming to? Has the foam grown into bubbles? With newfound paranoia emerging regarding a "second wave" of economic turmoil, we are once again fraught with the all-too-familiar uncertain trepidation. The rally last night also left me somewhat unconvinced. Are we really back to black?

Up

Pixar and Disney has once again scored with UP. A heart-warming and deep movie punctuated with funny moments, the show was also well-paced from the start to end. For me, the most meaningful takeaway was the scene which Carl "left the heavy baggage so as to fly". It reminds us that it is never too late (or too old in Carl's case) to start your own adventure.

4 stars.