Month: October 2026

Daughter of Sparta, by Claire Andrews

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Literary rating: ★★★
Kick-butt quotient: ☆☆☆

The author says, “My goal was to bring to light the often-underappreciated women of Greek myth and history—I wanted to give these women the stories they deserved.” It’s a somewhat odd goal, given there’s not exactly a shortage of them already. Hard to call the likes of Zeus’s wife Hera, goddess of war Athena, or Artemis the huntress particularly “underappreciated.” But what Andrews has done here specifically, is flip the script on the myth of Apollo and Daphne. Originally, it was the story of Apollo’s relentless pursuit of wood nymph Daphne, who ended up becoming a laurel tree to escape him.

That is, understandably, far too stalkery for modern consumption. In this version, Daphne lives in Sparta, and is a strong warrior. However, because she was not born there, she is destined to remain a Mothakes, an outsider. Regardless, she is still the gods’ choice, when they need someone mortal. Their divine abilities are waning, after someone has kidnapped the Muses, “the source of all the power of Olympus”, home to the gods. Daphne is compelled by Artemis to go on a mission to find and free them, with Apollo alongside her. This sends our heroine across the entire Hellenic region, encountering deities both benign and malevolent, as well as facing mythical creatures like the Minotaur, ending with a journey into Tartarus, where the souls of the wicked are punished. 

As a reversal, it’s fairly well-done. It reminded me of the other quest stories which pepper Greek mythology, such as the twelve labours of Hercules. I particularly liked how the gods covered the whole spectrum of characters. Artemis, for example, while clearly acting in the best interests of Olympus, has no hesitation in forcing Daphne’s co-operation, by transforming those near and dear to her, into animals. Determining where the loyalties of the others lie can sometimes be tricky, though if you’ve seen Wonder Woman, you’ll not be surprised by Ares’s allegiance. Daphne’s character arc over the course of her adventures was also an effective one, and she becomes battle-hardened, taking damage to the point she can barely walk by the final encounter.

I was considerably less convinced by the, sadly, inevitable romance which was developed between our heroine and Apollo. There were points where I would have welcomed turning into a tree myself, to escape it. The presence of so many deities, all with infinite powers, does become a bit of a “Get out of jail free” card on a couple of occasions, though the limitations resulting from the missing Muses do prevent this from becoming an excessive crutch. It’s an interesting twist on mythology, albeit one which has to bang a few square pegs in, to mould the narrative to its desired ends. I wouldn’t call it any better than the classical stories. Just a little different, and that’s no bad thing. 

Author: Claire Andrews
Publisher: ‎ Little Brown Books, available through Amazon, both as a paperback and an e-book
Book 1 of 3 in the Daughter of Sparta series.

Revolver Lily

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★★½
“Just when you think you’re out…”

Yuri Ozone (Ayase) was once one of the most feared assassins in all of Japan, before she vanished off the grid around 1914. A decade later, she is quietly running a brothel. As you do, I guess. Anyway, Shinta Hosomi (Hamura) is a young man, who can only watch as the rest of his family is ruthlessly slaughtered by a party seeking… something. However, he was told in the event of such an incident, to see out Yuri and she would help him. Naturally, this drags her back out of “retirement” – quotes used, since she’s not exactly of pensionable age – and into the middle of a battle between different section of the Japanese military, with war looming on the horizon. 

Fortunately, she has some assistance, in the form of Yoshiaki Iwami (Hasegawa). He’s a lawyer, and all round fixer, who is able to help provide Yuri with the information she needs to be able to survive. It turns out that Shinta is in possession of very valuable documents, which are the key to unlocking a large sum embezzled away in government funds. However, it turns out that these are only part of the matter, because whoever has these also needs pass-codes to access the funds, which are held entirely separately. If this all seems quite messy, and perhaps also not dissimilar to The Three Faces of Gloria… Yeah, I would say you are probably right there. With added coincidence, such as Yuri just so happening to find herself on the same train as Shinta.

What works here in particular is the period atmosphere. It’s clear there was a lot of money spent on the production, with the mid-twenties era being lavishly recreated, in costumes, transport and decor. The action in general isn’t bad, with Ayase knowing her way around a fight sequence, though her enemies are strictly from the Imperial Stormtrooper school of firearm training. Even at close range, they are always too slow, too inaccurate, or both, to the extent their incompetence almost begins to feel like a running joke. But there are still some well-staged set pieces, such as one which unfolds in thick fog, giving an otherworldly, and almost ghostly feel to proceedings. 

Unfortunately, the film managed to lose my attention entirely in the middle section. With a running-time of 139 minutes, I felt there was a severe lack of focus in the central narrative, with too much attention on various political shenanigans i.e. Army vs. Navy, and secondary characters. I also found the obvious pacifist messaging rather trite, and somewhat ironic given both the copious amounts of violence on show, as well as the actual actions of Japan during the following decade, such as their invasion of Manchuria in 1931. Outside of the period setting, I had a strong sense overall of having been here before. While the action was decent, given the overall length, it seemed spread too thin to, alone, justify the movie’s existence. 

Dir: Isao Yukisada
Star: Haruka Ayase, Hiroki Hasegawa, Jinsei Hamura, Kavka Shishido

La Quinceañera

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★★★½
“Unhappy birthday.”

If it hadn’t been for the lack of an ending, this would likely have got a seal of approval. The problem is, this web series came out in 2017, and as we close in on a decade later, I am beginning to suspect we may never see all the loose ends addressed. It begins with a quinceanera party, the traditional Mexican celebration to mark the coming of age of a young woman. In this case, it is being thrown in honour of Alejandra Santos (Xitlali), whose father Reynaldo (Mendoza) runs a Mexican restaurant. She really doesn’t want to be there, and her doubts prove well-justified, because it gets gate-crashed by Chavo Del Rio (Retamal) and his thugs. 

I was going to tag this as “Die Hard at a quinceanera“, since initially that’s what seems to be happening. Turns out Dad made a business deal with very sketchy people to “hold” various items. When some of these go missing, he is blamed (it’s actually due to ne’er-do-well son Santiago and his pal), leading to the unexpected arrival of Chavo. Reynaldo’s denials lead to things getting very bloody, but Alejandra is able to get the drop on one of the thugs: there’s a death by sceptre which has to be the most symbolic weapon used, since Zoe Tamerlis used an iron to crack a rapist’s skull in Ms. 45. It’s after this, where things divert significantly from the expected route. 

I will admit that Alejandra’s transition from truculent teenager to avenging angel is rather abrupt. However, it does eventually become clear that she has a lot of heritage on her side, not least her abuela or grandmother (Reynoso), who clearly has some history of her own. Indeed, on the Del Rio side there’s no shortage of bad-add mujeres either: the matriarch, Bertila (Bertila Damas), has some very strong views on this topic. By the end, it’s almost girls with guns the whole way down on both sides (albeit for some quite loose definition of “girls”, in regard to their age!). There has been a lot of ground covered, in around only seventy minutes: this is a web series of seven episodes, each being little more than ten minutes long. 

I was very surprised to discover this was a Canadian production, filmed in and around British Columbia. There’s a strong Southwestern feel (something I’m familiar with, living just a couple of hours from the Mexican border), and I will certainly be checking out more from the makers. At first, I had concerns it would end up being more of a teen soap opera – think The OC, with a side of salsa. Fortunately, the company name, Luchagore Productions, is a clue that it won’t pull its punches: I think the moment I realized this was where a party guest had his mustache carved off his face with a machete. Yeah, it’s like that, and the red stuff flows like the Rio Grande thereafter. Just do not expect any resolution. 

Dir: Gigi Saul Guerrero
Star: Mia Xitlali, Mathias Retamal, Mauricio Mendoza, Gabriela Reynoso

Canaan

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★★★★
“The Land of Hope and Despair”

I’ve to say this anime show is kind of unusual. While after the show there were some attempts to use the story as the basis for a manga series, it is not based on one – unlike what feels like 95% of all anime – but instead on a “visual novel”. I have absolutely no knowledge what a “visual novel” is. Wikipedia has this to say about them: “Visual novels are often associated with the medium of video games, but are not always labeled as such themselves. They combine a textual narrative with static or animated illustrations and a varying degree of interactivity. The format is more likely referred to as a visual novel game.” Well, so much for that. I guess it is similar to these old, “choose your own adventure” books of my youth, where you would make a choice at the end of the page, and depending on your decision would turn to a specific, other page, therefore creating an individual story narrative.

Canaan was inspired by a bonus on Wii visual novel 428 Shibuya Scramble. The game itself, I believe, featured live cut-scenes with real actors, but had extra content consisting of drawn anime-style images. As the game was extremely successful at the time of its 2008 release, it is unsurprising that an anime spin-off was produced in 2009. The original concept was by Type-Moon, with anime studio being P.A. Works. The original visual novel could go into different genres, depending on the protagonist the player chose. So it’s significant that the genre of the anime series also changes over time. In the beginning it can rightly be called a mystery, since you have no idea what happens here and why. Yet at the very end, it is full-blown action with a conspiracy plot sprinkled in, and elements bordering on science fiction. Albeit more “science fact”, because they are not far from possible reality, though quite exaggerated.

The new story starts two years after the “Shibuya event”, a viral attack on a train in Tokyo. Reporter Minoru Minorikawa journeys to Shanghai to find interesting stories, accompanied by young assistant photographer Maria Osawa. Osawa was involved in the event and came close to death, but was saved from the deadly virus by her father Kenji. Due to her trauma she has no clear memories of what happened there. In Shanghai, “there are a lot of stories, if people only opened their eyes to see them”, as Osawa puts it. A number of mysterious deaths lead her to meet Canaan again, a mysterious girl who once saved her life and that she longed to see once more.

Obviously, the girls feel strongly for each other and there are traces of the so-called “yuri” genre (girls in love) here. But Western audiences should be careful not to think this equates to lesbianism. Yuri is seen by many fan-girls in Japan as something “pure” and “cute”. Many fans would feel embarrassed if something so concrete and direct as sexuality was superimposed on such a relationship. I guess there are cultural particularities that cannot translate 1:1 into our Western cultural understanding, because they are so very different. Anyway, what’s at stake here is much bigger. One problem is, there are a lot of different things, elements and characters introduced at the beginning, which initially don’t make sense at all. Only slowly, as the story progresses, is it revealed how they connect with each other. I wonder if players of the game maybe had it easier?

We are introduced to all the main characters in the first episode (of 13), but they still have to meet each other and their knowledge is not the same. Minorikawa feels there is a story that he can’t quite grasp, Maria is happy to meet Canaan again, but after a key incident realizes that her friend is a trained assassin. Santana, the aggressive owner of a Karaoke bar, with his mute buxom employee and girl friend, Hakko, also doesn’t reveal his big, dark secret. There is a girl called Yunyun popping up in several different jobs around the city. And why are we being shown dangerous terrorist Alphard, who just escaped a prisoner transport and obviously plans something big, together with her companions, Lian Qi and her servant Cummings?

Then we are confronted with some words at the beginning that we do not yet understand, such as UA virus, borners and unblooms. I’m not really complaining, because I’m actually in favor of a movie or series not giving everything away too early. It’s fine if audiences for once have to work things out for themselves. I liked that aspect of the show very much, but can understand that those less impressed, or just here to see some battling babes, might be disappointed, or unable to connect with the show. Though, you don’t have to be an academic to understand the story. As the story progresses and the blanks are filled in, bit by bit, you start to see the whole. There is also more than one story being told. The characters all have individual parts and roles in the big picture, and are driven not exclusively by “the big thing”, but also more personal motivations.

It turns out there were secret viral experiments, conducted on the population of a small town by the CIA, through the criminal organisation “Snake”. This caused most inhabitants to die, while the survivors developed extraordinary abilities, but with downsides. For example, Hakko can’t speak anymore because her voice creates waves that affect the brains of those who hear her, and could kill them. Yunyun needs medication to not die before her time, and so on. The aim of the experiments was to create another Canaan, as she is a natural-born synesthete (don’t worry, I’ll explain shortly), who was brought up and trained, like Alphard, by the terrorist Siam. Alphard felt betrayed when Siam gave the new girl the same name as her – Canaan – and Siam started to change under the influence of positive-minded Canaan. So she killed Siam. This backstory was included as a bonus with the visual novel, but since you couldn’t assume viewers had played the game, it had to be mentioned in the anime, and becomes a key reveal here.

Synesthesia is a special condition some people are born with, meaning that some sensory perceptions can be “taken over” by other ones. For example, sound can be perceived as colours by these individuals. But it can take many different forms. In Canaan’s case, she “sees the colour of people”, meaning she can tell how they feel right now, as every emotion has a specific color. When she loses this ability at one point in the story, she feels helpless. With that said, the series does not portray synesthesia realistically, rather like some kind of superpower, more or less.

A confusing element is that the characters sometimes do not act or speak as we in the West would. Therefore, it can be quite the task to figure out why they do what they do, and what their motivations are, as they do not necessarily express themselves in a clear manner. Take Alphard, who lets Canaan off the hook more than once. One may wonder why she does that. But if you listen carefully, it becomes clear: Alphard defines herself through her own hatred, and wants Canaan to feel the same. She needs Canaan to be at her best when they fight. She does not just want to overcome Canaan, but destroy what she sees as the embodiment of Siam’s corrupted spirit. In a way, they are fighting about the value of the philosophical legacy belonging to their stepfather and teacher. That’s no small thing for an action story.

You could say that this is about two women finding closure with the past. Their different attitudes to deal with it become clear: While Canaan suffered as much from the loss of Siam as Alphard did, she was able to move on and establish a new positive relationship with Maria. While Alphard, despite becoming head of the terrorist organization “Snake”, has been eaten up by her hatred and suppressed feelings of guilt. She also can’t reciprocate the obsessive and essentially destructive feelings her “little sister” Lian Qi had for her. Oh, yeah: Lian Qi… She would be a feast for a psychiatrists’ conference! On a deeper level this is not really about bombs, anti-terrorist summits, political maneuverings (the US president and his VP don’t leave a good impression here), human experiments or even the big shoot-outs. It’s about the loneliness and isolation the individual characters suffer, and their hope of finding love and possibly redemption. There is a deep, poetic quality in the series, expressed in the dialogue, often less matter-of-fact but hinting at deeper meanings or feelings.

Some of the scenes depicted here are graphic and definitely not appealing. One scene involves a woman having sex with a dead man which, while you understand the intention behind it, is painful to watch. Another shows surviving town inhabitants that have lost their minds and appear very much like zombies in their behavior. The “unblooms” mentioned above, die a terrible death when they come into direct contact with sunlight. I definitely wouldn’t call this an appropriate show for younger teens. The grown-up storylines recommend it for older viewers, who can better appreciate the nuances it offers. At the same time, the drawing style is very beautiful – as to be expected, given those involved in the production – and the score invokes a haunting, dynamic, sometimes even epic and melancholic feeling.

The final showdown between opponents – not necessarily enemies – Canaan and Alphard is memorable. The audience wonder who will survive, the filmmakers having already demonstrated that they have absolutely no qualms about killing off main characters. While avoiding spoilers, I must say I have never seen a character exit a story in such an incredible manner! The very last scene, which is kind of an Easter egg, coming when the end titles play and after it, suggests a potential continuation of the story (similar to the open ending of Arcane) that never happened. That said, the resolution felt very fitting and “round”, so to speak.

Dir: Masahiro Andō
Star (voice): Miyuki Sawashiro, Maaya Sakamoto, Yoshino Nanjō, Kenji Hamada