December 05, 2024

A Box, Alternate Realities and a Safe Word

December 05, 2024/ Brayden Lowe

Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you made a different choice? Whether it be applying for a job, asking someone out, or trying out for a sports team, we all have regrets and have wondered what our lives would be like if we took a different path.

The Box

Jason Dessen standing in front of a large metal box. — Image courtesy of las majores series

This is the premise of Dark Matter. Originally released as a novel in 2016 by Blake Crouch, it was later adapted into a TV show on Apple TV+ in 2024. Crouch was the lead writer for the show, so it stayed relatively true to his original work, with slight changes being made due to the change in medium.

Dark Matter follows Jason Dessen as he traverses through the multiverse. The show begins quite confusing as it switches between realities. We see the same character, Jason, in two different realities. The main Jason, known as Jason1, is jumped and later wakes up in a world which looks the same as his but one that couldn’t be more different.

The plot is centred around a box. An alternate version of Jason created a box which can traverse the multiverse. Inside the box is an infinite number of doors which lead to endless possible realities. The realities are centred around the person in the box and these realities can be a deadly virus taking over the world, the world freezing over, or the world being submerged in water. They can also be personal changes like taking a different career path, growing up in a different neighbourhood or your parents getting divorced.

Alternate Realities

Jason1 swaps realities with Jason2, the creator of the box. In Jason1’s reality, he is a physics college professor, married and has a son. In this reality, Jason gave up a promising career in the sciences to be with his wife and always had slight regrets. He is thrown into Jason2’s reality where this Jason pursued his career and created his invention of the box. As a result, he never got together with Daniela, which was his biggest regret. He used the box to swap realities with a Jason who had Daniela and never pursued his career, thinking he was giving the other Jason what he wanted.

Some of the best scenes of the show is watching Jason1, alongside Amanda, trying to find his reality. It takes multiple episodes and hundreds of attempts but eventually, he makes it back to his reality, but not without some complications. There were multiple close calls along the way, almost getting trapped in an ice world, almost getting crushed by collapsing buildings and running away from killer insects.

Safe Word

The ending of the show saw many slight changes from the book. For one, in the show, Daniela realizes that Jason2 isn’t her real husband. Even though they looked identical, their personalities were different, and he didn’t have any of the memories the real Jason had. For example, he gave his son ice cream containing peanuts, not realizing he was allergic. My favourite part of the show is when Jason finally returns home because I wasn’t expecting the events that followed.

Jason and Daniella surrounded by other Jason's. — Image courtesy of rotten tomatoes

After Jason’s return, he is quickly killed by Jason2. I was confused when this happened, it didn’t make sense for Jason1 to die so quickly. I had to rewind the show to make sure I saw it correctly. But then, another Jason showed up, followed by another and then another. Dozens of Jasons were entering Jason1’s world through the box. Because of Jason1’s endeavours to return home, he created alternate versions of himself with every decision he made. Something I’d never thought about.

This resulted in an action-packed end to the show as various Jasons tried to get Daniela and their son for themselves. Jason1 and Daniela had come up with a safe word so she could tell whether he was the real Jason or not. Watching Jason1 escape with his family and fight off identical versions of himself was suspenseful and truly entertaining.

A (somewhat) Happy Ending

The story comes to a satisfying end with Jason1 leaving his world and entering a new one with his family. The main difference was Jason2’s redemption. In the show, Jason2 redeems himself by saving Jason1 and his family, allowing them to escape. He realizes what he did was wrong and although he couldn’t stop the situation he created, he could at least help save Jason1 and his family. This redemption is something that doesn’t happen in the book.

Dark Matter is an interesting and unique take on the multiverse, it is one of my favourite shows in recent years and the book is thoroughly enjoyable, making it one of my favourite book-to-screen adaptations. There is no shortage of action, suspense and surprise as you watch Jason Dessen trying to return home. It’s a story which starts with regret but ends with being satisfied with what you have. It teaches us that what matters isn’t the choices you made in the past but the ones you make in the present because those are the ones that define your future.

Brayden Lowe is currently a professional writing student at Algonquin College. Brayden has been passionate about writing and telling stories since a young age. While creating his own stories, he also critiques everything he watches and reads, both the good and bad. He has been watching TV shows and movies his whole life but only started reading novels at fifteen. He now considers novels to be the purest form of entertainment and comparing his favourite books to their screen adaption is something he is very passionate about and a subject he could talk about all day.

December 04, 2024

When Two Mediums Elevate Each Other

December 04, 2024/ Nate Brown

I have seen my fair share of science fiction. I’ve seen good stuff, bad stuff, and everything in between. What I haven’t seen many of, though, is good adaptations.

Sure, there’s some good ones out there, and I’ve even talked about one before. Thing is, there aren’t many out there as good as The Martian.

Great Beginnings

Andy Weir wearing a flat cap speaking at a convention. — Image Courtsey of Fredrick M. Brown

Released in 2011 by Andy Weir, The Martian follows Mark Watney, an astronaut stranded on Mars after his crew believes he died in a dust storm. It doesn’t take long for the story to set the tone. I’m not sure if I can repeat the first ten words here, but if you have the book, or you search for the first couple of lines on google, you’ll get the idea. It’s genius.

Now, the movie doesn’t start the same way, but it still sets the tone perfectly. We meet the crew right away, whereas it takes multiple chapters in the book. They’re joking with each other, and Watney is right in the mix. From the first scene we know that these characters care for each other. It serves beautifully to strengthen the blow of them having to leave Watney behind when they think he’s been killed in the storm.

The Perfect Lead

Mark Watney is, of course, the main character. He is, without a doubt, the best part of the film and the book. The title of this piece talks about mediums elevating each other. When I wrote that title, Mark Watney was who I had in mind.

Watney is one of the most interesting main characters I’ve ever read about. He needs to be, considering more than half the book is spent with him and solely him. That tends to happen when the story is about a man stranded on a planet, totally alone.

Andy Weir wrote Watney to be silly, strange, a little unhinged, but also obviously intelligent, and emotionally deep. When Matt Damon was cast, he had a lot to live up to. He did it brilliantly. It isn’t hard to see why he was nominated for best actor for this performance.

Mark Watney looking forward in a spacesuit with the words "Bring Him Home" overlaid on top. — Image Courtesy of 20th CENTURY Fox

Damon brings Watney to life perfectly. Every silly line he delivers, every moment of pain, he makes you feel the way the book makes you feel. This is what I mean when the two mediums elevate each other. The movie borrows lines from the book, and because of that, the movie is better. The best moments of the book are brought to life gloriously, and because of that, the book is better. Damon’s performance is so true, so faithful to Weir’s Watney that you can’t help but feel for him.

Elevation Through Tension

Tension is another place where both mediums excel. There is always a level of uncertainty, no matter where Watney is. It’s drilled into our heads that this is space, and this is Mars. They do not cooperate. There is a reason why it costs billions of dollars to get into space. There’s a reason why us, in real life, haven’t gotten humans to Mars. It’s hard, and The Martian reinforces that.

Every time Watney does anything involving anything, there’s a chance something bad will happen, and that’ll be the end of him. If not the end of him, a setback that will lead to his end.

When you see those moments in the movie, it gets your heart racing. You know that nothing will likely happen, but just enough things are changed in the film to make you think “hey, maybe something bad is going to happen”. Tension keeps you on your toes. There’s never a dull moment.

Thought Behind Each Moment

Soundtrack, supporting actors and wide shots are just as spot on. Each character is perfectly casted, and you can imagine them as their book counterparts. The music only makes the shots of the Mars landscape more incredible, and moments from the book when Watney talks about Mars are astonishingly well recreated.

The Martian isn’t a shot for shot, moment for moment adaptation. There’s bit and pieces missing and added, but it doesn’t take away from the overall brilliance. Every character is captured perfectly. Mark Watney is still the same funny guy stuck in the worst situation imaginable. Every heartbreak, moment of triumph, each one remains as impactful. There is no question in my mind that Andy Weir created a modern classic with The Martian. Ridley Scott brought that classic to life with one of the best science fiction films of the 21st century.

Nate Brown is a professional writing student at Algonquin College. When he’s not learning the tips and tricks of the craft, he spends far too much time annoying his family with useless movie facts, and every little gripe he has. His first attempt at writing happened when he was 7, and while it didn’t get very far, the writing bug took hold early, influenced by a childhood of reading. Dreams of his own stories turning into books and movies has led Nate to consume every piece of media he can, and critiquing everything was just a natural course to follow.

December 03, 2024

Blog Reader’s Guide to Adaptations

December 03, 2024/ Matthew Sgabellone

A hand with its thumb sticking out in space around plants. — image courtesy of Weidenfeld & Nicolson

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, written by Douglas Adams, was published in 1979. It found immediate success, selling 250,000 copies in three months. A novel like that was bound to get a screen adaptation. The novel received a TV series in 1981, and a movie in 2005. For simplicity’s sake, I will be reviewing the novel and the film.

There are many differences between the novel and movie versions of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. At the time, and based on the few people I talked to, it was a well-liked movie. It just didn’t work for me and many of the changes took away from the storyline, characters, and what the novel was.

Negative Thoughts

One difference I don’t blame the movie for; it does not show many internal thoughts and feelings. The characters in the novel showed a lot of emotion and internal feeling throughout that I don’t think translated well to the movie. A part that was left out entirely was Arthur’s internal, and eventual external panic that his planet had just been destroyed and had lost everything.

Arthur and most other characters were portrayed poorly. In the novel, Arthur is a confused, clueless Earthman who has occasional bright ideas that help the group in their mission. And Trillian is a smart, but kind and helpful voice of reason to Beeblebrox.

The movie ruins their characters by making the movie’s plot revolve around Arthur and Trillian’s love for each other. Suddenly Arthur knew what he was doing every step of the way even though he should have known nothing. Why? For love. If the novel made Arthur and Trillian have a romantic relationship, it was subtle and didn’t take away from the storyline.

Beeblebrox was a bit of a fumbling dummy in both. But the novel portrayed him as doing what he did because he could, and a part of his brain had been wiped. The movie gave him a real reason. You may think that’s a good thing, but he had something he shouldn’t have; tapes from a faraway planet that’s shrouded in legends.

I saw Ford Prefect in the novel as a smart man to help guide Arthur through the galaxy; it feels like the movie did the opposite. The only character I felt the movie got right was Marvin; he was still a lovable, depressed robot with many shining moments.

The other storyline I’d like to mention is Beeblebrox and his rival. The novel mentions nothing of a rivalry. The movie has them arrive at his rival’s home plant, cut off one of Beeblebrox’s heads (how without killing him? I don’t know) and make a promise (that I’m not sure they kept). The whole interaction felt unnecessary. If the movie wanted to do something with Beeblebrox’s rival, they could’ve met at Magrathea and raced to find The Question of Life.

Somewhat Positive Thoughts

What I liked about the movie was that it helped build upon what was in the novel. The definitions from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy were cleverly animated. I just wish they had also explained why a towel was so useful.

A round white robot with short legs, long arms, and small triangle eyes — image courtesy of Garth Jennings

I also really liked how the movie had a visual representation when the spaceship, The Heart of Gold, wasn’t in normality. It switched between many different objects, and Arthur throwing up yarn when they were animated to look like it was a good touch. My biggest issue with The Heart of Gold is that they didn’t do a very good job explaining what was so special about the ship.

At the end of the movie, Marvin saves the day and has some sort of awesome badass moment that the novel didn’t have. Also, Earth Mark II was scheduled to be destroyed in the novel, which is why Arthur stayed with Beeblebrox, Trillian, and Ford exploring the galaxy. The movie version was scheduled to stay and, in a love moment I liked, Arthur chose to stay with Trillian.

When I first watched Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy over a decade ago, I found it to be a great movie. Over time, I feel it’s a solid standalone movie. But now knowing the amazing novel it was based on makes it such a letdown.

Matthew Sgabellone is an Algonquin College student in their Professional Writing program. He has never worked a muti-day job, so he typically has a lot of free time whenever he’s not in school. He uses this free time to do writing and watch movies and motor racing. A lot of books he has read have been transferred into movies, and he’s always curious how his favourites did. He watches movies every week with his family, and they often talk about their thoughts once the movie has concluded. He has always been curious about more books to screen adaptations, and would like to take you along the journey of his findings.

December 02, 2024

Kaiju No. 8: A Monster-Sized Hit

December 02, 2024/ Jessica Eyre

Grey monster facing left with red background. — Story and Art by Naoya Matsumoto

Who said you’re too old to be a hero? That’s the question mangaka Naoya Matsumoto decided to answer when he published his science fiction manga Kaiju No. 8 in 2020, starring 32-year-old protagonist, Kafka Hibino.

Thank Goodness He’s Not a Kid!

A tale (almost) as old as time, shonen protagonists have classically been 15-year-old boys with only a few exceptions here and there. The most common trope in shonen anime/manga is a teenaged boy awakens latent powers and has to save the world from enemies that get tougher the further along they get in their journey. Example: Ichigo Kurosaki. He began his journey at 15 and fought stronger and stronger enemies as Bleach went on. But not Kafka Hibino.

Kafka Hibino Crashes Onto the Scene

Grey monster with blue accents facing viewer on red background. — anime produced by Production I.G.

The story follows Kafka Hibino, a 32-year-old man who helped clean up the leftover bodies of defeated kaiju, giant monsters that cause disasters.

For years, Kafka dreamed of joining the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force, a highly esteemed and powerful organisation tasked with eliminating kaijus. However, after failing the entrance exam over and over again for years, he gave up on joining the Defense Force when he aged out. Then, one day, a young man named Reno Ichikawa gave him hope, telling him the Defense Force had raised the age limit.

After saving Reno from a kaiju and being hospitalised, Kafka came face to face with a mysterious little kaiju. The kaiju forced its way into Kafka’s body and transformed him into Kaiju no. 8. Despite the drastic transformation, he continued to try and join the Defense Force, all while hiding his new kaiju form from the people sworn to eliminate a creature like him.

It's Got Everything I Ever Wanted

Kafka Hibino in kaiju form with mask cracked showing left eye. — Kafka hibino in chapter 7

For so long I was tired of seeing kids being thrown into situations where they shouldn’t be. I wanted something new. Something fresh. Well, I got my wish, and I cannot describe how happy I was when I first started reading Kaiju No. 8 and discovered Kafka wasn’t going to be your typical manga protagonist. He isn’t an inexperienced teenaged kid with latent powers being thrown into life-or-death situations. He’s an adult.

To my delight, Kafka wasn’t the only amazing character in the series. All the side characters are fun, unique, and special in their own way. There are a few teenagers in the Defense Force, but only a handful are younger than eighteen. To me, that’s a much more acceptable age than fifteen for side characters in a shonen.

However, there are also a lot of adults in the story. The captain of the Kaiju Defense Force division Kafka joins is a 27-year-old woman named Mina Ashiro. She’s Kafka’s childhood friend who inspired him to keep fighting for his dream even when things got hard.

It's not just the protagonist and his friends that make the story so amazing. Even though the animation is different from the art in the manga (as is to be expected), the action is nonetheless just as epic across both versions. I’ll be honest, I think the anime handles the action better than the manga, but that’s only because I can see the characters moving around and there’s music, colour, and sound effects. Nevertheless, both are definitely worth the experience.

On another note, the anime brought me my most listened to song of the year. The opening, Abyss by YUNGBLUD, has been on repeat for me since June, and it’s December! I’ve also watched the entire show twice in the past six months because I liked it so much.

It’s More Than Worth It

Kafka Hibino smiling broadly with his eyes closed. — kafka hibino in episode 5

Naoya Matsumoto’s Kaiju No. 8 was the most refreshing sci-fi shonen manga/anime I’ve encountered in a long time. I’ve seen too many anime to count and have read even more manga, and this one really stood out to me. It’s funny, action-packed, has excellent characters, a great story, and the anime has a killer soundtrack!

All in all, Kaiju No. 8 is an anime and manga well worth your time with an inspiring message to everyone. It’s never too late to chase your dreams. I think that no other protagonist in modern anime better embodies that idea than Kafka Hibino, who picked himself back up and continued to follow his dreams, even if it meant putting himself in danger to protect those he cares about.

So, head out there and see for yourself why Kaiju No. 8 is so amazing. Don’t just take my word for it.

Jessica Eyre lives with her family and three cats in Ottawa. She spends her time writing, drawing, reading, watching anime and movies, playing video games, and generally avoiding people. She prefers to spend her time cuddling with her cats while writing her next story or getting lost in another book. With ten years of writing as a hobby under her belt and being on the Dean’s List two semesters in a row in Professional Writing from Algonquin College, she has plenty of experience in the writing world. She’s no stranger to words. They’re her first love and greatest passion – aside from cats of course.

November 14, 2024

The Boys: Superhero Parody or Reinventing Superheroes?

November 14, 2024/ Brayden Lowe

Do you like superheroes? Blood, gore and violence? If you answered yes to those questions, then The Boys is the perfect show for you. Released on Amazon Prime in 2019, it has become one of Prime’s most popular series. Based on the comic book series by Garth Ennis, the show has seen some significant changes from its original source material while staying true to Ennis’s original vision.

Superheroes or Supervillains?

The Boys takes place in the present day and follows a reality where superheroes exist. However, it’s not what you think. The main plot of the show follows a team led by Billy Butcher, known as The Boys. They are a secret government operation created to keep what they call “supes” in line by any means necessary.

The Boys is parody of classic superhero movies and comic books. Plenty of the supes in the show take clear inspiration from fan favourite heroes. The most notable example is Homelander, who is this universe’s version of Superman.

My favourite thing about this universe is how the superheroes are portrayed. The superheroes are a business and that business is corrupt. They star in their own movies and are created into products. Just like everything else, it seems like making money is their priority and saving the world comes second.

I like this portrayal because if superheroes were real, I think it would be similar to how they are handled in The Boys compared to something like Marvel or DC. There are some superheroes in the show whose focus is saving the world, but the majority are reckless, dangerous, selfish and evil.

Can Something Be Too Edgy?

Edgy is a great word to describe The Boys. The Prime series has had to tone down the amount of nudity and inappropriate scenes compared to the comics. Being a comic series, it’s easier to get away with being depraved so it was expected for the series to be more mellow. However, the show still has plenty of blood and gore and eighteen-plus scenes. There have been multiple instances where even I’ve had to look away. It still amazes me how they can make the violent scenes look so real.

Through the first three seasons, this didn’t take away from the story. It was a part of the show and what made it unique. But the fourth season has taken its edginess to a whole new level. Scattered throughout the season are plenty of “not safe for work” scenes which feel unnecessary and take you out of the story.

The recreation of the human centipede, Homelander being breastfed, and an entire episode centered around Hughie being stuck in a pleasure dungeon, among many others, makes it hard to immerse yourself in the story. It felt like they were trying to be edgy for the sake of it, and it showed.

Major Changes

Many changes were made from the original comics. Many storylines were scrapped or reworked along with many characters. A lot of new characters were added as well. One of the changes that stood out to me the most was the number of gender changes to characters.

A handful of characters were changed from male to female for the show. For example, Stormfront was changed to female, Victor Neuman became Victoria Neuman, and James Stillwell became Madelyn Stillwell. I like this change because it added more female characters to the show.

The biggest change from the comics for me was the character, Ryan. Billy Butcher’s wife, Rebecca, is assaulted by Homelander and later gives birth to his son. In the comics, Butcher’s wife dies during childbirth and her son is killed shortly after because he is born with superpowers. Ryan is merely a disturbing part of Billy’s past.

The show handled this completely differently and it massively affected the plot. Both Rebecca and Ryan survive and are put in hiding to keep Ryan safe from Homelander. Butcher believes his wife is dead until the end of the first season.

This change added a lot of character development for Homelander, who is far more complex in the show. He embraces his son and wants him to follow under his wing. In the comics, Butcher’s hate for the supes is derived from the death of his wife, and even though she is killed in the second season, Ryan becomes the prominent reason for taking down Homelander and the other supes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, The Boys is a screen adaptation that was done right. When comparing the two, I have to say the Prime series is the better version. Although both versions have their issues, the Prime series is the stronger of the two. The Boys is a fun and unique take on superheroes and it never disappoints as an entertaining watch.

November 13, 2024

I Robot: Genius and Predictableness

November 13, 2024/ Nate Brown

I Robot: Genius and Predictableness

The concept of movie or TV show adaptations isn’t something new. In fact, they’re extremely popular. There are good ones, bad ones, ones that should have never existed in the first place. Today, I want to dive into one of those.

The Book

I, Robot was authored and released in 1950 by Isaac Asimov. Considered one of the “big three” of science fiction, I, Robot is often viewed as his best work, or very near the top of that list. I can’t confirm if it’s truly his best because I haven’t read all his works, but I find it hard to believe it isn’t. To put it simply, it is one of the best pieces of science fiction ever made.

Asimov doesn’t just make you think when I, Robot. He makes you question everything you think, not just about robots, but everything you might understand and everything you don’t. He invests you in each character, connecting all their stories in such a way that makes perfect sense, and no interactions ever feel forced, or out of place. Asimov’s writing prowess is on full display throughout the book. The dialogue is the strongest I’ve ever read. The philosophical questions and problems he presents always have a conclusion (Not a solution, mind you!) that is genius, and it’s all because of three simple rules.

The Three Laws of Robotics

Every moment, every change in the plot, every conversation always circles back to three sentences. They are as follows:

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

As incredible as the writing is, credit needs to be given for how perfectly the laws complement every problem the characters face throughout the story. Unsurprisingly, a book called I, Robot revolves around robots. Everything from ideas of robotic religion, or how the laws could contradict each other. Asimov wraps it together perfectly with a mix of sarcasm, seriousness, and world-changing ideas.

A lot of the time when there are laws or rules implemented in sci fi, you can tell when the author didn’t really think about how’d they use them effectively. They’re tossed to the side or worked around in lame and boring ways. Asimov, well, you can tell he thought about it. The laws are mentioned at least once every couple of pages, often more, and they’re never anywhere but the forefront of every person’s mind.

The Main Character

I’ve spent a lot of time raving about how great writing and dialogue is. The thing is, you can have great writing, but if the characters are boring, it won’t be interesting. It’s a good thing that Asimov knows how to make characters interesting. The story is told under the lens of an interview with Susan Calvin, the lead robopsychologist for United States Robotics (USR). There are parts told without her being present, but everything circles back to her. It makes sense as well. When questions about robotic sentience and consciousness come into play, who else but a person who studies their minds to be the main character?

The Movie

Poster Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox.

As much as I could go on about the book for another couple thousand words, unfortunately, the movie has to be mentioned as well. In 2004, I, Robot the movie was released, starring Will Smith. It was… not great. In terms of quality, there is no comparison between it and the book. One if an incredible masterpiece, the other is predictable nothingness. One asks questions that make you think, the other tries that but gives up halfway through in order to throw an hour of boring redundant action at you.

The brilliant characters that exist in the book just aren’t the same. Sure, Susan Calvin (Bridget Moynahan) is in the movie, and sure, she’s a robophychologist as well, but any personality, any interesting moments of dialogue she has are gone. She becomes an exposition machine, only providing information to the main character, Del Spooner (Will Smith). Never once do we get a glimpse of the intelligent, hard and intriguing version of Dr. Calvin.

For a movie that shares the same name, characters names, and rules as an utterly incredible book, I, Robot is a movie that falls short in every measurement of interest.

November 12, 2024

A Man Who Doesn’t Know What to be Called

November 12, 2024/ Matthew Sgabellone

In 2012, Swedish writer Fredrik Backman published A Man Called Ove. Three years later, it was adapted into a movie. 10 years after the novel, they released another movie titled, A Man Called Otto. I will be comparing and giving my thoughts on the novel, and the 2022 movie.

The biggest change between the two mediums is title and location. The novel takes place in a small Swedish town. The car the man drives is a Saab, and his name is Ove. In the movie, he’s in a small town in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The man drives a Chevrolet, and his name is Otto. For actor choices, I believe these changes were necessary. It’s probably hard to find a Swedish actor to market to North American audiences.

The novel opens with Ove trying to purchase a new device. He wants a normal computer. He’s got a tablet in his hands but wants something else. Ove finds the sales assistant useless, and brings in a manager, who isn’t much more help. Ove leaves without buying the box. The movie opens with Otto trying to buy 5ft of rope but is getting charged for 6ft. Everything above ensues, and although the movie doesn’t show Otto purchasing the rope, we see rope later. In the movie, this is the only purchase made, instead of the novel showing multiple. I believe this change was necessary. The novel doesn’t even show Ove purchasing rope, which is more important to the story.

In the novel, Ove works with the railway as a night cleaner; a job received when he was sixteen and worked until the end of his life. He would meet his wife, Sonja, years later at a train station. He fell in love with her and would sit with her on the train going the opposite direction for months, until she demands him to take her to dinner.

In the movie, Otto works at a steel plant. It is unknown how long he’s been working there, but based on future conversations, it was after Otto met Sonya. He would meet her at a train station after she dropped her book on the platform, and he boarded the train to return it. Since the train is going the opposite way of his ticket, he has to buy a new one, and Sonya chooses to help pay. Later, Otto tries to repay her, and she says, “take me out instead.” I prefer the way Otto and Sonya met in the movie. I wish the movie showed Otto riding the train multiple more times before taking her out.

In the novel, Ove doesn’t like cats, and so when one shows up, he refuses to take it. While they save the cat from freezing to death, we learn his neighbours are allergic, and Ove is forced to keep it. He takes the cat everywhere as he refuses to keep it in the house alone. The cat is badly injured; missing patches of fur, half a tail, and an ear. In the movie, Otto seems indifferent towards cats, and the cat is in one piece. I believe the man with a cat in the novel is better. He gets a cat, hates it, and must learn to live with it. While the man in the movie just got a cat and was like, “I guess I have a cat now.”

image courtesy of: Marc Forster and David Magee

The final thing I would like to mention is the man’s life. In the novel, we see a lot of Ove’s life. We see his life with his father; what things are like after his passing; and his relationship later in life with Sonja and her dad. The movie only shows us what happened when Otto met Sonya. I wish the movie had brief flashbacks to his time with his father and his life afterwards. It would be easier to connect with Otto, like readers did with Ove, if we knew more about his early life.

There are so many different things that I barely covered half the book. Overall, I believe that both versions are wonderful, and incredibly moving. It’s hard to perfectly replicate a 286-page novel into a 2-hour movie. Considering the restrictions, the movie did a great job representing American Ove.

November 11, 2024

Dorohedoro: Anime vs. Manga

November 11, 2024/ Jessica Eyre

They say the book is better, but that’s not always the case. However, this time I think it might be true for Dorohedoro.

Subpar Adaptations

Fans of anime and manga have had to put up with terrible, bizarre, or dissimilar adaptations for years, such as the 2016 Berserk adaptation. We didn’t get a faithful, well- received adaptation until Berserk: The Golden Age Arc – Memorial Edition in 2022, after Kentaro Miura passed away. It took the death of the beloved author to get a stellar adaptation!

Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa was also victim of a different adaptation. The 2003 version is wildly different from the manga, but that’s because the story wasn’t finished yet. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood in 2009 was much better and faithful to the manga.

Even One Punch Man by ONE is different. The way the characters look is unlike their manga counterparts. I love the show, but the style of the characters wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.

What’s Up With the Colours?

In the case of Dorohedoro, I watched the anime long before I read the manga. Normally I read the story first. Instead, I’d watched it at least three times before I started reading it. I enjoyed the anime! I thought it was awesome. I still do. But after reading the manga, I’ve started to look at it differently.

Dorohedoro by Q Hayashida is a dark, gritty, messed-up story about Caiman, a man disfigured by magic, trying to lift the curse placed on him. There’s a lot of themes and plot lines in the story, but in short, it’s brutal. Some of the panels in the manga were hard for me to read. But those same scenes in the anime almost made me laugh because of the animation style and lack of tone. The animation and use of bright colours honestly lessened the impact for me.

Don’t get me wrong, the anime can have pretty intense scenes, but I don’t feel like they have as much punch as they did in the manga. I think it was the decision to use a bright colour palette.

I would have been fine with a bright colour palette for the anime if they’d added more of the grittiness that the manga has. Keep the colours, but overlay them with texture, grime, and blood like in the manga. I’ve seen it done in other anime, such as Akira, Devilman Crybaby, and Bleach: TYBW. All three of those have brighter colours, but the texture and blood add a darker element to the scene.

That is Certainly an Interesting Face

Another choice the anime made was the design of the characters. I know the art style changes across mediums and characters will look different, but I found they looked a bit too different.

For instance, the first time I really noticed the difference was in En, one of the main antagonists in the series. I love En’s character in both adaptations, but I found it a bit strange that the anime chose to make him look, shall we say, handsome? In the manga, the first time I saw him I recoiled. He looked like a creepy gremlin of a man that instantly put me on edge. In the anime, I thought “Wow, look at this goofy-looking mushroom farmer,” and went on with my day. There wasn’t as much bang to his introduction in the anime versus the manga.

It's Not All Bad, I Swear!

One thing the anime did right is the humour. There are moments in the manga that made me chuckle and the anime made them even better, making me laugh aloud. The voice acting helped add to the emphasis of the moment.

A lot of the characters are goofy by nature across both mediums. Hearing them say the lines or jokes is a totally different experience from reading it. Audio helps with tone and inflection, which is lost when you read something.

Despite the differences and my critiques, both are incredibly good. They’re each worth the time, regardless of whether you think one is better. You lose something from each without the other.

But don’t take my word for it! Watch and/or read Dorohedoro and decide for yourself which one you like best!

October 16, 2024

Ready Player One: Unfaithfully Decently Made

October 16, 2024/ Nate Brown

When books are turned into movies, changes are often implemented. It could be to shorten the script, or to take out pieces that might not work on screen. One of the most famous examples is in Harry Potter, when they removed the poltergeist Peeves from the movies because of time constraints. These changes are often points of controversy for fans, as they feel like the product loses a piece of its identity. However, that’s not how I feel about Ready Player One.

Published in 2011 and authored by Ernest Cline, Steven Spielberg took it upon himself to turn the cult-classic book about everything 1980’s pop culture into a blockbuster movie. Financially it was a success, gathering over 600 million USD at the box office, but it left more than a couple of fans with complaints. Most of these stemmed from the immense number of changes made in the adaptation, almost to the point where it felt like a movie that shared the same name and some similarities, but nothing past that. It wasn’t an adaptation, but a modernization.

The story of Ready Player One is simple and fun. It’s the near future, and the world’s gone to shit. People spend most of their time in a virtual reality game called The OASIS. The creator of the game, a man named James Halliday died and released three keys locked behind riddles and challenges for anyone to find. They lead to the ultimate prize, his fortune of a quarter-trillion dollars, and control of the OASIS. Following our hero Wade Watts, we watch him through his journey to collect those keys, open the three gates, all while finding love and fending off the big bad IOI, a company that wants to take control of the game for their own nefarious means.

Does it Work?

The book and movie follow basically the same plot, but that’s where the similarities end. Sure, the characters might have the same names, but the bulk of the action is almost entirely different. That’s where most people’s gripes start with the movie. In the book, The OASIS is dominated by 1980s video games and pop culture. The movie takes a different route, modernizing it to a huge extent. There are still references, but it is clearly made for a younger audience. Maybe it’s because I’m younger, but I don’t think it’s a bad change. The term I came up with when diving back into this world is the very same as the title for this post. It’s unfaithfully decently made.

Every moment in the action doesn’t need to be the same for the movie to work. It can also be hard to have moments translate from a page to the screen. A regular sized dude fighting an undead king not in hand-to-hand combat but battling it out on two arcade cabinets might not look good on screen. Replacing it with a crazy race through Manhattan where people get eaten by King Kong makes it easier for a younger audience to get excited. Some people might hate it, but I can see the fun. Sometimes, that’s all you need.

So, why?

I think the answer is simple. Money. Ready Player One is a great book, but it’s also written with a specific audience in mind, 1980s kids. Every movie, every game, every song or artist referenced is from that time. Hell, one of the challenges in the book requires the characters to go through a Tyrell Corporation building from Blade Runner! It’s not something every kid going to the movies in 2018 is going to get, so they filled the movie with stuff like Minecraft, and Overwatch.

I’ve come to see the movie and book of Ready Player One as two separate entities. When comparing them, one can easily tell that one originated from the other, but it's also evident that they were created for two different audiences from two separate eras. Despite that, they both work. The plot is strong enough to hold the movie together, and it ends up being enjoyable all the way through. It might not be for everyone, but it works for me, and that’s all I care about.

October 15, 2024

Difference in Mediums: Indian Horse

October 15, 2024/ Matthew Sgabellone

In 2012, Richard Wagamese, an Ojibwe Canadian author/journalist, released a novel titled Indian Horse. Indian Horse won multiple awards in the few years after its release and, in 2017 after Wagamese’s passing, the novel was adapted into a film. Although both stories are told in different mediums, both are quite similar but have their differences.

Both stories begin with Saul as an adult sitting in a help group, narrating the story from his perspective. Keeping the introduction between the novel and film similar was a great idea because it keeps the narrative that this story is a coping mechanism for the character as he mentally goes through and experiences his childhood and life.

The novel begins with Saul’s backstory. It speaks about who his family is and their backstory, where he was born, and that his brother was taken to the Residential Schools. The movie mentions some of this, but it is hard to notice if you haven’t read the book. It begins with close ups of a horse, referring to Saul’s family backstory, and it shows brief flashbacks of him and his grandmother in the bushes the day Saul’s brother was taken.

After Saul’s backstory is hinted at, the movie begins the story when Saul and his whole family are on a river to God's Lake where they should be safe. In the novel, this happens in chapter six, after more detail about Saul’s backstory, and the journey to God’s Lake was given. Unfortunately, Saul’s brother passes away from sickness not long after the family arrives at God’s Lake. Following his mother and father leaving for town, Saul’s grandmother decides to change course with Saul, and they head towards her brother’s son’s house. But they never make it, as his grandmother freezes to death and Saul is found and taken to St. Jerome’s Residential School in White River, Ontario.

Once Saul was captured and brought to a Residential School, several chapters of the novel go in depth on the living conditions, language struggles, Saul’s building relationship with Father Leboutilier, and we learn about Rebecca, and how her death helped the students communicate. In the movie, there is not much talk about the living conditions, though there are many scenes that include it. In the found novel, we meet Rebecca through a flashback well after Saul has left the school, but in the movie, we meet her not long after Saul arrives.

The rest of Saul’s time in the school is the same. Some events in the movie happen in a different order to the novel. Saul is introduced to hockey, and his journey to getting better and becoming more immersed with the help of Father Leboutilier still happens. We see him training, watching Hockey Night in Canada, and the interaction that helps Saul leave the school. The major difference in events is that the movie doesn’t have Saul getting rejected from a big team because he’s Indigenous. It skips past Saul playing his first games with the Moose and instead it goes to them playing against their first white team, and it doesn’t take long until he’s recruited for a feeder team to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

In the novel, Saul has a conversation with some of his teammates about his worries with the feeder team, and his progression through the hockey ranks happens very slowly. In the movie things happen fast. Both versions still have Saul struggling to play without body checking and fitting in amongst the white players.

After Saul quits the feeder team, both have him working jobs, getting drunk, and on the move. Then they circle back to the help centre from the start of the story, where Saul struggles to tell his story. Both continue with Saul going to all the places from his childhood; he goes to the rundown school, remembers hockey, where he split up from his parents, and how poorly Father Leboutilier treated him behind the scenes. In the movie, the story ends when Saul returns to Manitouwadge where he played for the Moose. In the novel, the story ends when Saul’s first game since he quit the feeder team begins. Overall, the novel and film are remarkably similar even though some events are told in different orders.

I believe that Indian Horse the film was created and told in great memory for Richard Wagamese, the writer of Indian Horse the novel.

October 14, 2024

Golden Kamuy: Why it Should be Your Next Read (or Watch)

October 14, 2024/ Jessica Eyre

As an anime fan you probably grew up watching or reading Dragon Ball (Akira Toriyama) and the ‘big three’. Maybe you started with one of the greatest of all time, Fullmetal Alchemist (Hiromu Arakawa). Whatever the case, now you’re looking to move from the shonen genre for young teens to seinen, the genre for young and mature adults, and you don’t know where to start. Lucky for you, I know a great one to get you started.

Action. Mystery. Revenge. Golden Kamuy by Satoru Noda is an underrated gem of a historical seinen manga with an anime that’s just as exceptional. It may not be as popular as other titans such as Berserk (Kentaro Miura), Vagabond (Takehiko Inoue), or Vinland Saga (Makoto Yukimura), it’s nevertheless an incredible story with unforgettable characters.

Golden Kamuy follows Saichi Sugimoto, a veteran soldier from the Russo-Japanese war, and young Asirpa, an Ainu girl (the indigenous people of Japan), as they traverse the wild landscape of Meiji era Hokkaido to unravel the mystery of stolen Ainu gold.

From the first chapter of the manga and the first episode of the anime, Golden Kamuy lets you know that you’re in for an unforgettable ride. Both begin on the battlefield of 203 metre hill, a brutal battle fought during the siege of Port Arthur between Japan and Russia in 1904. The manga and anime showcase the violence of war and the human will to survive through the eyes of Sugimoto.

After the war, Sugimoto heads to Hokkaido in hopes of finding gold and striking it rich quick. He’s unsuccessful, not even finding a single flake. All hope seemed lost until a drunk old man tells him an interesting story about Ainu gold and the man who stole it from them after he murdered the men guarding it.

The thief managed to hide the 20 kan of gold (an old Japanese unit of measurement equal to 75 kilograms that was worth 80,000 yen in 1904, but 800 million yen in modern terms, or 7.3 million Canadian dollars) before he was caught and thrown in Abashiri prison, a real prison that still stands today.

While there, the thief tattooed the location of the gold on other prisoners’ bodies. He he told them to break out and he’d split the gold with anyone who escaped. Later, all the prisoners were transported by the government to another location as they hoped to find the gold for themselves, but all of the convicts escaped along the way.

Intrigued, Sugimoto pressed the old man for more details, only for him to fall asleep. At first Sugimoto doubted the legitimacy of the story, but when the old man tried to kill him, he knew the story was true. Sugimoto soon discovered the old man was one of the tattooed prisoners after a bear attacked and killed him. Shortly after that, he met Asirpa, a native Ainu girl, and told her the story of the gold.

To his surprise, she’s the daughter of one of the men murdered by the gold thief. From that moment on, they both agreed to work together to find the gold and get revenge for her father.

Golden Kamuy is one of the most historically intriguing manga I’ve read to date. The attention to detail in the culture and way of life of the Ainu people isn’t something I’ve seen before in a historical manga.

The history isn’t the only thing I love about it; unlike Berserk, it isn’t as gruesome or violent. Yes it has its moments of blood and gore, but it isn’t excessive. It uses those moments to drive home a point or showcase the brutality of some of the characters. Every drop of blood is shed with a purpose.

Another aspect of Golden Kamuy I enjoyed is its comedy. Though the story can become dark and depressing, with moments where some of the characters experience post traumatic stress, it never fails to make me laugh. The humour can be goofy and over-the-top, but it adds to the charm! It doesn’t take itself as seriously as Vinland Saga and that unseriousness makes it fun.

If you’re looking for something exciting, with real historical events and culture, action, adventure, mystery, revenge, a cast of unforgettable characters, beautiful art or superb voice-acting, then Golden Kamuy is the manga or anime for you. I won’t tell you whether the anime or manga is better; that’s best left up for you to decide, dear reader.

October 14, 2024

A Thrilling Experience: Jack Reacher Screen Adaptations

October 14, 2024/ Brayden Lowe

From the pages of gripping thrillers to the big screen, the Jack Reacher adaptations have sparked immense debate from fans and newcomers. But what makes these adaptations click, and miss? Join me as we take a deep dive into Lee Child’s iconic character and explore how Reacher has translated from book to screen.

Lee Child’s Reacher novels were first adapted to the screen in 2012. It was adapted from the eighth book in the series, One Shot. The film had mixed reviews from fans and critics and one of the main critiques of the film was the casting choice for Reacher. To begin, casting directors are one of the most underrated jobs in the TV and movie industry. How many times have we said after watching a movie that that actor was perfect for the role, or we couldn’t see anyone else playing that character?

That was not the case for this film. Tom Cruise was casted as Reacher and at first, you might think he would be the perfect actor because who’s better to star in an action/thriller than Cruise? However, he didn’t fit the role. Throughout the novels, Reacher is described as a 6’5, 250-pound male. His size is what gave him an advantage against his foes. But Cruise is only 5’7 and although he portrayed Reacher’s intelligence well, his physique can’t be overlooked by a fan of the novels.

Lee Child’s novels were adapted for a second time in 2022 on Prime Video, this time it was a TV show. The first season was based on the first novel in the series, Killing Floor. I prefer the Prime series over the movies. The first reason was the actor they cast to play Reacher. Alan Ritchson was casted and fit the bill for Reacher much better than Cruise.

The first season of Reacher was one of the best book adaptations I’ve watched. I watched the show first and got into the books after watching the show and when I read the novel for the first time, I was surprised by how much they stuck to the source material. They made only minor changes from the book, and I felt they were well thought out. It’s hard for me to choose which one was better. If I had to choose though, I’d say the book is still better, but the first season was a ten out of ten adaption.

Less can be said about the second season. Season two was based on the eleventh book of the series, Bad Luck and Trouble. It was released a year after the first season. It was still a good and enjoyable season, but they strayed away more from the source material, and it showed throughout the season.

My least favourite change they made was in the season finale. It was a slight change but one that had a significant impact on me. In the finale, Reacher runs towards a helicopter that’s beginning to take off, jumps and hangs off the bottom of the helicopter before climbing inside. In the book, he hid inside the helicopter before it took off. I did not like this change because Reacher is just a normal guy, yes, he is big and strong, but he doesn’t have superhuman strength and hanging from a helicopter as it flies through the air seems a little unrealistic. It’s a minor change but a big one to me.

A change I did like in season two was giving more of a role to the character Gaitano Russo. He was a Detective for the New York Police Department and had a much larger role in the show than in the book. I liked this change because of the relationship he had with Reacher. Russo reluctantly partnered up with Reacher and the remaining members of the 110th Unit and the rivalry between Reacher and Russo was very enjoyable.

The screen adaptations of Jack Reacher have their highs and lows. It’s hard to say if the screen will ever fully capture the essence and relentlessness of Reacher. However, the Prime series has portrayed him better, and I highly recommend the Prime series over the movies.

With great power comes great responsibility. When adapting a book to screen it comes with a lot of challenges. Not only are you trying to make a good story but you are also trying to satisfy the fans of the book because there is nothing worse than seeing our favourite novel being turned into a bad movie or show. In this blog, we will be exploring the process of book-to-screen adaptations and giving our personal opinions on the works because we love stories just as much as you and there is nothing better than complaining about what went wrong and what we would have done better.

Book to screen adaptations