Image: AllKpop

Title: All of Us are Dead

Genre: Action, drama, fantasy

Director: J.Q. Lee, Kim Nam-soo

Scriptwriters: Cheon Seong-il

Cast: Park Solomon, Park Ji-hoo, Cho Yi-hyun, Yoon Chan-Young, Yoo In-soo, Lee Yoo-mi

Number of episodes: 12

Watching on Netflix

A high school becomes ground zero for a zombie virus outbreak. Trapped students must fight their way out or turn into one of the rabid infected.

After "Happiness," this is my second zombie series in 2022. The main distinction between this series and other zombie series or movies is that all of the main characters are high school students. They will attempt to survive without the assistance of adults. Even in some scenes, some of the characters realize that relying on adults will not get them anywhere. There is no guarantee that they will survive the zombie apocalypse.

The beginning

The story begins with the disappearance of Kim Hyeon-ju, a member of the bully student group who you will recognize from the first scene. She was imprisoned in the Science Lab after one of the infectious mice bit her. Who exactly is the trapper? Kim Byung Chul, the Science teacher is the culprit. To be completely honest, the zombie experiment and the main story of it will be started from Byung Chul's experiment.

Hyeon-ju was able to fly away after much struggle. She attempted to leave the Lab Science with a bloody wound in her head. She dragged her body to her class and passed out. The teacher, Park Sun-hwa, decided to bring Hyeon-ju to the infirmary with the assistance of some students, Nam On-Jo, Lee Su-hyeok, and Yoon I-sak. Little did they know, that incident will lead to the zombie apocalypse at the Hyosan High School.

Good introduction

I have to agree with one of the All of Us Are Dead reviews I've ever read. Despite the fact that there are a lot of characters, we'll get a good introduction to them in the first few episodes. As a result, we can sympathize with some characters as they struggle to survive the apocalypse.

Because the characters are high school students, it's unavoidable to include a romance story here and there. Well, I don't mind because the portion is fairly proportional. Nam-ra and Su-hyeok are my favourite couple Their character development is better than the others. Both of them also being my favourite individual character of all. 

To be honest, aside from the general conclusion that Na-yeon is extremely annoying, I also discovered that On-jo is not a particularly likeable character. I understand how she feels, but I believe she should be a character who grows strong while also maximizing her logic. Unfortunately, we couldn't always find that side of her. Her character to some extent put others into a dangerous situation. Sigh.

Then, about Eun-ji, how I wish she would be the one who will fight Gwi-nam. I mean, they have enough background to despise each other. As the main villain here, Gwi-nam has done a very incredible job. But, Eun-Ji's character hasn't been used well, imho.

 Conclusion

The plot of All of Us Are Dead, according to the majority of people, is quite predictable. I suppose I could agree with this because the source of the zombie virus has been revealed from the beginning. However, as a zombie series with a high school student as the main character, it has provided a fresh perspective.

I'm not sure if this is relevant, but the adult decision to abandon Hyosan's student has enraged me. I recall the Sewol Ferry tragedy when the adults told the students to stay where they were. The students drown and die because they believe they will be saved. But it's a similar decision.

The drama then goes on to discuss how people often sacrifice the minority in order to save the majority. It will be so heartbreaking if it is applied to some real-life cases.

So, this zombie story is quite enjoyable and give much more meaning than a zombie-apocalypse. If you don't really like a romance scene, just embrace yourself when watching it. 

7 out of 10 stars.

Sincerely,

Ra

Image: themoviedb.org

Title: Blue Birthday

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Thriller

Director: Park Dan-hee

Scriptwriter: Goo So-Yeon, Moon Won-young

Cast: Kim Ye-rim, Yang Hong-seok, Lee Sang Jun

Number of episodes: 16 episodes

Watching on WeTV

• A fantasy romance drama that goes back and forth between the past and the present through her first love that she lost to suicide on her birthday 10 years ago, and the mysterious photos that he left behind.

I watched this mini-series because of Mbak Dewi's recommendation. It's simple. I just wanna watch a really light series. Then, here is me, watching Blue Birthday. Hmm, perhaps this is the first time I've seen a Korean mini-series.

The blue birthday

The plot begins when Oh Ha-rin discovers that her best friend, Ji Seo-jun, has died on her birthday. He died, ironically, in the photography club room. It's a traumatic event for Ha-rin that she won't be able to forget for a long time. Even ten years have passed.

Ha-rin went to an old photo-printing shop one day. She knew Seo-jun used to print his photos in that shop. Well, actually she accidentally saw Seo-jun's old film camera. As a result, she decided to retrieve the photo that had been left by Seo-jun at that shop.

When Ha-rin returned home, she realized that all of the photos taken by Seo-jun evoked a particularly painful memory. Ha-rin burned one of the photos without much thought. Then, when she wakes up, she is transported back in time. When Ha-rin realized what had happened, she tried her hardest to fix everything, including bringing Seo-jun back to life as best she could.

But, just like with what other's side, playing with time won't bring any good things. There are always consequences and prices that they have to pay.

What I like

This mini-series has piqued my interest from the start because it is about more than just love. The thriller aspect of this mini-series is captivating. I have assumed the entire series would have a twist. To be honest, I wasn't expecting the double, or possibly triple, twist that they provided in this mini-series.

Some of the twists that I didn't expect at all are, the fact that Seo-jun actually knows how to come back to the past and the actual culprit for Seo-jun's death. I really didn't expect that all. So, I was surprised when watching it. 

At first, I wanna complain about the unclarity of the time-travel's rule, but then, if you pay attention to every rule before credit, you will find out which one you can do and don't during your time travel journey. 

Even though the main story of this mini-series is about Ha-rin and Seo-jun's relationship, I think their romance is in enough level. Not that much sweet but also not lacking. Then, for someone who is looking for a mystery-thriller genre, you won't be disappointed as well. The story is really unpredictable and two thumbs up for the scriptwriter.

Conclusion

Wanna try a Korean mini-series with a very great twist? Just try to watch Blue Birthday. You will find a very interesting side of this mini-series.

Anyway, I didn't know that actually, the lead character in this series is Yeri from Red Velvet and Hongsoek from Pentagon.

8 out of 10 stars.

Sincerely,

Ra

Image: pinterest, edited by me

Judul: Goodbye, Paris

Penulis: Anstey Harris

Genre: Romance, Contemporary

Penerbit: Touchstone

Jumlah halaman: 288 halaman

Tahun terbit: 2018

Jojo Moyes meets Eleanor Oliphant in Goodbye, Paris, an utterly charming novel that proves that sometimes you have to break your heart to make it whole.

Grace once had the beginnings of a promising musical career, but she hasn’t been able to play her cello publicly since a traumatic event at music college years ago. Since then, she’s built a quiet life for herself in her small English village, repairing instruments and nurturing her long- distance affair with David, the man who has helped her rebuild her life even as she puts her dreams of a family on hold until his children are old enough for him to leave his loveless marriage.

But when David saves the life of a woman in the Paris Metro, his resulting fame shines a light onto the real state of the relationship(s) in his life. Shattered, Grace hits rock bottom and abandons everything that has been important to her, including her dream of entering and winning the world’s most important violin-making competition. Her closest friends—a charming elderly violinist with a secret love affair of his own, and her store clerk, a gifted but angst-ridden teenage girl—step in to help, but will their friendship be enough to help her pick up the pieces?

Filled with lovable, quirky characters, this poignant novel explores the realities of relationships and heartbreak and shows that when it comes to love, there’s more than one way to find happiness.

Pada sesungguhnya, aku hampir menelantarkan novel ini karena aku tidak membaca blurb dengan baik. Kisah perselingkuhan bukanlah kisah yang ingin aku baca sesungguhnya. Akan tetapi, akhirnya aku memaksakan diri untuk menyelesaikannya. Yaa, tetap tidak bisa menjadi novel favoritku, sih.

Grace dan kisah cintanya

Grace Atherton, seorang pengrajin alat musik yang tinggal di Inggris. Sehari-hari, ia memperbaiki alat musik, khususnya biola, cello, dan kawannya. Istilahnya, tidak ada alat musik serusak apapun yang tidak dapat ia perbaiki. Awalnya, Grace adalah salah seorang murid berbakat di satu sekolah musik. Akan tetapi, konfliknya dengan Nikolai, tutornya saat itu, membuat Grace hancur dan memutuskan untuk menjauh sepenuhnya dari dunia musik pertunjukan.

Mungkin hidup Grace terlihat biasa-biasa saja. Ia punya pacar yang sangat ganteng dan perhatian. Hanya saja, ketika di awal cerita, tersebutlah kalau sosok David Hewitt, penerjemah yang bermukim di Swiss tapi sering berkunjung ke Paris, sudah berkeluarga. Parahnya lagi, suatu kejadian yang sempat viral di internet membuat hubungan pernikahannya semakin berada di ujung tanduk. Sialnya bagi Grace, ia tidak bisa berlaku apa-apa karena semua kendala ada di David. Bagaimanapun, she only an affair partner for David.

Di sisi lain, ada sosok Nadya yang selalu dekat dengan Grace. Ia seorang remaja ceria yang terkadang membantu Grace menjaga toko. Sayangnya, di balik keceriaan itu, Nadya menyimpan berbagai beban yang bahkan Grace pun tak mengetahuinya. Kalau boleh jujur, kisah dalam Goodbye, Paris ini tidak hanya akan berfokus pada kisah Grace-David, tapi juga Nadya dan melalonkoli kehidupan remajanya.

Grace yang naif dan David yang egois

To be very honest, aku masih enggak mengerti kenapa seseorang memutuskan untuk menjadi selingkuhan. Mengapa begitu rela untuk bergantung pada hubungan yang tidak jelas? Yang belum tahu ujungnya kemana. Sebagai seorang perempuan, otomatis Grace tidak punya power untuk membuat David bersama dengan dirinya. Sedangkan, David bisa melakukan apa saja. Ia punya kontrol penuh atas seluruh keputusan yang ia ambil. 

Dan, pada akhirnya, layaknya seluruh kisah perselingkuhan, Grace menjadi sangat naif. Ia memaklumi seluruh kesalahan David dan berpikir kisah mereka lah yang akan berakhir bahagia. Bukan malah akan hancur sedemikian rupa. Di sisi lain, David adalah tipikal laki-laki seenaknya yang merasa bisa punya segalanya. Aku semakin sebal saat tahu David tidak hanya melakukan affair bersama dengan Grace, tapi juga dengan perempuan lainnya. He is indeed an asshole.

Satu hal yang akan selalu kupegang adalah, aku tidak akan mau, dan mudah-mudahan tidak akan pernah terlibat hubungan seperti itu. I won't fancy anything relationship that related to an affair. Never. Untungnya, dalam kisah ini, ada Nadya dan Mr. Williams yang berhasil membuat Grace sadar--meskipun agak terlambat. Yang penting Grace tidak menjadi senaif itu saja.

Dunia musik dan yang kusukai

Meskipun aku sebal dengan kisah utamanya, harus kuakui kalau Goodbye, Paris membuatku mengetahui dunia musik, lebih khusus lagi tentang biola dan cello. Salah satu hal yang menarik adalah, aku baru tahu keberadaan dari kompetisi pembuatan alat musik yang begitu termasyhur di dunia. Sebagai seseorang yang tidak begitu mengenal dunia musik, info ini menjadi suatu hal yang unik bagiku.

Lalu, salah satu hal yang membuatku masih bisa membaca novel ini sampai habis adalah, orang-orang yang berada di sekeliling Grace, khususnya Mr. Williams. Ia adalah sosok yang sangat sweet dan bisa memberikan kebijaksanaan dari sosok kakek berumur 80 tahunan. Mungkin, tanpa Mr. Williams, Grace akan tetap menjadi pathetic-silly-and-naive woman who still has an affair with a married man who is also an asshole. 

Kesimpulan

Jelas. Novel ini tidak akan menjadi novel favoritku. Berkali-kali aku ingin DNF saja saat membacanya. Bisa dilihat dari lamanya aku membaca novel ini, yakni sekitar 3 minggu! Hanya Tuhan yang tahu mengapa aku bisa menyelesaikannya tanpa membanting hape.

2.5 dari 5 bintang. Pengetahuan soal dunia musik dan karakter Mr. Willliams saja yang menolong novel ini di mataku.

Best,

Ra

Image: mubi.com

Title: Till We Meet Again

Release date: 10 July 2021

Duration: 128 minutes

Screenwriter and director: Giddens Ko

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Fantasy

Casts: Kai Ko, Gingle Wang, Vivian Sung

Watched at Cinepolis

Alam, who is struck dead by lightning, has lost memories of his life. While Alam is working as the god of love, persons with red strings, with his partner Pinky to reincarnate as a human being, Alan runs into Mi, who was his lover during his life and recalls his past. Although Mi cannot see him anymore, Alan couldn’t stop hovering around her, but at the same time, he also realizes that he has to find someone else to bond her red string to protect her in an uncertain danger.

At first, I have no idea where this move comes from. I was under impression that this was a Thai film. Lol. My bad. I didn't even read the blurb before. So, when I saw TWMA, I was perplexed since I didn't recognize the language. 

Alan and his death

One day, Alan died due to being struck by lightning. He has lost his memory and is unsure what to do after he dies. Alan agreed to be the God of Love after much thought in order to be reincarnated as a human. Together with Pinky, her partner, Alan tried his hardest to turn his black beads into white--the conditions if they want to be reincarnated as a human. When he encounters Mi, his girlfriend when he was alive, things start to go wrong. Alan has been doing everything he can to find the perfect partner for Mi. However, no matter how many red strings are linked to Mi, no successful bond can be formed. 

Gui Tou Cheng, on the other hand, a wicked spirit, managed to escape from the underworld. He wishes to take revenge on earth. One by one, he murdered his people. The irony is that Mi, Alan's girlfriend, was formerly of Gui's people in the past life.

A fresh story

To be honest, I don't really remember whether I've ever watched a Taiwanese movie. So, this is a new thing for me. Imho, TWMA gave such a fresh story. You can find a mixture of romance, comedy, and also fantasy here. At first, I got a little confused with the story. I mean, I really have no idea where the story will be going. But, actually, the premise about God of Love who can be reincarnated after they fulfil their duty is interesting. I  would love to know more about that part.

Unfortunately, TWMA is more focused on Alan and Mi's relationship. Not gonna lie, I know that the goal for this movie is to resolve Alan's past story. But, the execution is not really satisfying. I feel that Pinky's existence in this movie is not very meaningful. At first, I really like her character. Her character is quite unique, but then in the middle of the story, she becomes more irrelevant. Too bad.

Then, even though Gui Tou Cheng is the main villain in this story, the story around him is also very blurry. It really confuses me about the backstory for him. I think the writer wanna include everything so, in the end, the story is not very detailed.

For me, it would be better if they can dive more into the underworld scheme. It will be more interesting to see. 

Conclusion

I don't think TMWA is a bad movie. It's very refreshing to watch a Taiwanese movie with so many elements here and there. But, imho, the character development here is not really deep. Therefore, some confusion may appear after watching it.

6 out of 10 stars.

Best,

Ra

Image: Viu

Title: Happiness

Genres: Action, thriller, drama

Director: Ahn Gil Ho

Scriptwriter: Han Sang Woon

Cast: Han Hyo Joo, Park Hyung Sik, Jo Woo Jin, 

Number of episodes: 12

Watching on Viu and WeTV

Set in the near future, a high-rise apartment building has been newly constructed in the big city. The apartment building has residents from diverse backgrounds, but a new infectious disease breaks out. Because of the outbreak, the high-rise apartment is sealed off. The residents struggle to survive, while stricken with fear and distrust of others.

One day, Mbak Dewi recommended I watch this k-drama. I was hesitant to watch it at first since I didn't have a subscription to any other movie platform other than Netflix. But, because I was curious about this drama, I went to Viu, and thankfully, I can watch it for free. I couldn't recall which episode of Viu we couldn't access, so I tried to watch this k-drama on WeTV instead.

The modern zombie

After the COVID-19 pandemic was over, everyone in the world can live normally. We may walk outside without wearing a mask, and there is no quarantine or lockdown policy. All of that changed when a deadly new strain of virus began to spread throughout the city. Those viruses caused a disease namely mad people disease. Why is it mad people disease? Because they will become like a zombie who sucks blood from other people.

Yoon Sae Bom has just moved to her new apartment with her husband, Jung Yi Hyun. Well, two of them have a lot of histories, but let's say that they are the main couple in this drama. Sae Bom is a member of SOU (Special Operation Unit). She has a very sharp skill regarding survival ability. She is also self-righteous and unable to tolerate injustice.

Then, Yi Hyun is a detective who is also a former baseball player. He is very smart and has great intuition. So, when their apartment building was affected by the lockdown policy, this 501 couple try their best to make sure everyone is safe. 

The worst side of the people

This k-drama has shown the worst side of every person in La Ciel's apartment. In that life-and-death situation, every person just tried their best to seek advantages--most of it is about money. Start from Ms Oh who wants to be the resident representative, Gook Hae Sung, the 6th-floor lawyer who just want to find more client for his "legal advice"--which in my opinion he is a very useless lawyer or Oh Joo Hyung who is very manipulative--and endangered every resident with his ridiculous thinking.

In my opinion, this k-drama is incredible. It's very engaging from the very start. The pace is perfect--not very slow or fast. We can follow the story smoothly. Then, every problem that the writer throws can be solved one by one. 

What I don't really like...

Not gonna lie, I have to agree with Mbak Dew's review. The ending of this k-drama wasn't very satisfying. I feel that the conflict just ends abruptly. There are so many blank explanations from the story. I mean, in the 11th episode, there is still a climax for the story, it applied as well on the 12th episode. I just wish there will be any more episodes to explain the "calm-down" situation.

But well, Mbak Dew said that it could open the opportunity for the second season with an ending like that. Sigh... I'm just... not really satisfied with it.

Conclusion

I would like to suggest you watch this k-drama. Even though Sae Bom and Yi Hun is the main lead in this drama, you won't find a very romantic scene from them. So, it won't distract your focus from the action and thrilling scene. 

Then, not gonna lie, this drama is still very chill. I mean, you still can find one or two comedic scenes. So, there won't be a really over thrilling moment. If I compare it to "Kingdom", well, both of them are incredible. Let's just say that "Kingdom" is from the Joseon era and "Happiness" is from the modern one.

8.5 out of 10 stars.

Sincerely,

Ra

Judul: Almond

Genre: Young Adult, Korean Literature

Penulis: Sohn Won-pyung

Penerjemah: Suci Aggunisa Pertiwi

Tebal buku: 232 halaman

Penerbit: Grasindo

Novel remaja Korea, lebih kuat dari film dan menegangkan seperti drama!

"Almond" adalah novel yang memberi harapan kepada orang seperti saya yang percaya bahwa hati dapat mengendalikan kepala. Di akhir musim dingin yang panjang, tibalah musim semi. Di musim semi, saat tanaman tumbuh, emosi pun tumbuh. Jika emosi tumbuh, maka dunia pun ikut tumbuh. Selama membaca tulisan ini, hatiku selalu berdebar-debar. Di musim semi yang akan datang, tulisan ini akan menjadi sebuah petasan indah yang akan meledakkan seluruh emosi.

- Novelis Gong Seonok

***

Perasaan. Menjadi suatu hal lumrah yang pasti ada pada diri seseorang. Akan tetapi, hal tersebut tidak ada dalam diri Yoonjae. Sejak lahir, Yoonjae mengidap Alexitimia. Singkatnya, pengidap penyakit ini memiliki amigdala berukuran kecil yang membuat mereka kesulitan mengolah emosi. Maka dari itu, Yoonjae pun hidup dengan tidak pernah "merasa". Tentunya, keadaannya yang unik ini membuat semua orang memandang aneh dirinya. Dia berbeda dari orang kebanyakan dan menjadi tidak normal di mata mereka.

Yoonjae: Kisah Tiga Babak 

Secara garis besar, Almond terdiri dari tiga babak. Pertama, adalah kisah Yoonjae sedari kecil. Bagaimana ibunya yang seorang single mother mengasuh dan merawat Yoonjae. Menyadari bahwa Yoonjae bukanlah anak biasa, ibu Yoonjae pun menerapkan cara mendidik khusus Yoonjae. Bukan berarti itu hal yang mudah. Tak jarang ibu Yoonjae tak bisa menjawab pertanyaan Yoonjae yang cukup mendasar. Ataupun saat Yoonjae terlibat masalah, ibu Yoonjae tahu bahwa anaknya tak akan bisa merespons layaknya anak-anak di sekitarnya.

Selain itu, di babak pertama, Yoonjae juga mengisahkan tentang neneknya yang juga ikut merawatnya. Nenek dan ibunya memang memiliki sifat dan pemikiran yang jauh berbeda. Akan tetapi, pada akhirnya mereka tetap mau menerima Yoonjae dan terus mengajari Yoonjae untuk bisa adapt dengan kehidupan.

Bagian kedua dari Almond mengisahkan bagaimana hubungan antara Yoonjae dan Gon. Keduanya tentu bukanlah sahabat bagai kepompong. Bahkan, mulanya mereka adalah musuh--kalau itu bisa disebut sebagai istilah yang tepat. Melalui Gon, Yoonjae mulai memahami bahwa manusia seperti dirinya juga bisa menjalin hubungan pertemanan.

Bagian terakhir, mengenalkan Yoonjae dengan Dora. Aku pikir, kisah Yoonjae tak akan ada sisi hubungan romantisnya. Ternyata aku salah. Ternyata penulis memberikan flavor ini pada kehidupan Yoonjae. Satu hal yang cukup unexpected buatku. Well, setidaknya, dari bagian ini kita memahami bagaimana Yoonjae bisa merasakan cinta layaknya yang lainnya.

Perasaan dan Norma di Masyarakat

Tentunya, membaca buku ini cukup sulit. Dalam artian, kisah Yoonjae bisa memunculkan rasa iba. Bagaimana mungkin seseorang tidak bisa merasakan emosi? Bagaimana mereka bisa tidak pernah merasa takut, sedih, bahagia? Apakah tidak terlalu hampa? Akan tetapi, akan lebih tepat kalau disebut mereka tidak tahu rasanya.

Menurutku, penulis berhasil mengangkat tema yang tidak biasa. Setidaknya, aku belum pernah membaca cerita dengan tema serupa. Apalagi mengambil sisi penyakit satu ini. Yang aku cukup surprised, aku pikir judul Almond di sini tidak akan merujuk pada satu hal yang nyata--ibu Yoonjae percaya bahwa memakan almond setiap hari bisa membantu pertumbuhan amigdala Yoonjae. 

Aku cukup menikmati kisah Yoonjae di sini. Kebingungan Yoonjae cukup tergambarkan saat harus menghadapi situasi yang belum pernah ia tahu kemungkinan kejadiannya. Penggunaan sudut pandang orang pertama juga membuat kita bisa lebih bersimpati pada Yoonjae. Setidaknya, itu kesan yang kutangkap di sini.

Lalu, mau tidak mau, novel ini juga akan mengajak kita untuk mempertanyakan apa sih yang sebetulnya disebut dengan normal? Normal dan biasa menjadi kata yang sulit untuk didefinisikan dalam kamus Yoonjae. Akan tetapi, hal tersebut menjadi kontemplasi tersendiri buatku. Yang disebut normal dan biasa adalah apa yang disetujui oleh masyarakat dari dahulu kala. Apa yang menyebabkan itu normal dan biasa? Ya, karena hal tersebut diakui "normal" dan "biasa" oleh masyarakat.

Dengan demikian, standar nilai akan dipegang oleh konsensus yang berada di masyarakat. Ketika ada yang tidak sesuai, ya berarti mereka yang "menyimpang: Melalui novel ini, penulis mengajak kita untuk melihat dari perspektif yang terpinggirkan dari apa yang ada di masyarakat. Kisah Yoonjae pastinya tidak selalu kita temui di masyarakat. Akan tetapi, kemungkinan bahwa orang-orang seperti Yoonjae hadir di masyarakat, sangatlah mungkin.

Kesimpulan

Tak ku sangka aku bisa membuat review yang cukup panjang untuk bacaan kali ini. Apakah ini semangat tahun baru? Mungkin saja demikian. Almond sangatlah tepat bagi kalian yang ingin memahami kisah pencarian identitas diri. Terlihat cukup grande, ya, tema dari novel ini. Tapi memang itulah tujuan yang ingin dicapai dari penulisnya.

4 out of 5 stars.

Best,

Ra

Image: Suara

Title: Stand by Me Doraemon 2

Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama

Directors: Ryuchi Yagi, Takashi Yamazaki

Writers: Fujio F. Fujiko, Takashi Yamazaki

Release date: November 20, 2020

Nobita travels to the future to show his beloved grandma his bride, but adult Nobita has fled his own wedding. Can he ever be a good husband to Shizuka?

***

Setelah di tahun 2021 aku sama sekali tidak menulis di blog, mari kita coba peruntungan kembali di tahun 2022. Jadi, setelah aku iseng scrolling di Netfliz, akhirnya aku memutuskan untuk menonton Stand by Me Doraemon 2. Aku butuh film ringan yang tidak akan membuatku pusing.

Tentang Nobita

Pada sesungguhnya, Stand by Me Doraemon 2 ini sedikit memiliki koneksi dengan film pertamanya yang dirilis pada tahun 2014. Nah, ini jadi permasalahan karena aku sudah lupa sebagian besar jalan ceritanya. Jadi, ada beberapa scene yang aku tidak menangkap maksudnya. Tapi, kalau pun mau menonton film ini secara stand alone juga enggak masalah, sih.

Premis dari film ini sebetulnya juga sama seperti sebelumnya. Nobita di masa sekarang melakukan perjalanan waktu untuk memperbaiki kesalahan ataupun ketidakberesan hidupnya, baik di masa depan maupun masa sekarang. Nobita di masa depan ternyata masih mempunya rasa insecure tinggi. Hal ini membuatnya lari dari acara pernikahannya sendiri. Padahal, Nobita dari masa sekarang berjanji untuk memperlihatkan pada neneknya di masa lalu mengenai calon pengantinnya. Alhasil, Nobita dari masa sekarang berupaya sekuat tenaga untuk memperbaiki masalah dari Nobita di masa depan. Tentunya, dengan bantuan dari Doraemon yang selalu mendampingi Nobita.

Nobita yang Tak Pernah Berubah

Well, pada dasarnya, Nobita dalam segala macam seri maupun film, tidak akan pernah berubah. Ia akan selalu merasa insecure, self-centered, dan betul-betul bergantung pada orang lain, khususnya Doraemon. Aku sih berharapnya Nobita dewasa memang jadi lebih dewasa. Sayangnya, di film ini tidak terlihat demikian--kelihatan sih sebentar di scene terakhir. Tapi, kan... tetap tidak menunjukkan kedewasaan dari Nobita secara keseluruhan. 

Kalau dipikir lagi.. ya memang begitulah karakter dari Nobita. Kalau Nobita tidak berlaku demikian, maka tidak akan ada Doraemon yang saving his ass. 

Bagiku, film ini menjadi film hiburan semata. Sejalan dengan tujuan awalku, aku sedang tidak ingin menonton film yang berat. Jadi, membuka tahun 2022 dengan menonton film animasi ini cukup relaxing. Aku tetap suka dengan visual effect di film ini. 

Oh, iya. Salah satu hal yang baru aku tahu dari Doraemon Universe adalah nama Christiane Goda. Aku baru tahu kalau itu nama pena Jaiko! Astaga. Kuakui aku memang tidak mengikuti manga Doraemon.. jadi aku betul-betul tidak tahu siapa itu Christiane Goda. Bahkan, aku baru tahu kalau nama asli Gian adalah Takeshi Goda. Smh. 

Kesimpulan

Menurutku, kalau nanti ada Stand by Me Doraemon 3, premisnya tidak akan jauh-jauh dari Nobita di masa depan yang menghilang di saat-saat genting. Alasan utamanya pasti soal dia yang merasa insecure. But, let's see. Siapa tahu aku salah.

Hmm. Aku jadi penasaran, kalau untuk Stand be Me, apakah film ini akan menjadi reguler seperti Detctive Conan? Atau ini special occassion saja? Mungkin nanti aku harus cari tahu soal ini.

6.5 out of 10 for Doraemon's time machine.

Ps. Konsep waktu di Stand by Me ini menurutku yang paling tak terbaca. Apakah betul-betul enggak ada konsekuensi dari bertemunya dua orang yang sama dari dimensi waktu yang berbeda?

Best,

Ra