How Does It Hold Up: The Mentalist

Growing up, I would watch this show whenever it was on. I never watched it in order, since I would catch it whenever I could. So, when I found the entire series in order, I hopped in to watch The Mentalist. Now, I have had the honor of watching this former “psychic” work with the California Bureau of Investigation to solve the murders, hoping to find the serial killer that killed his wife and daughter.

I will admit, the first five seasons had me completely captured. I could not stop watching the show, hoping to catch clues before they were fully explained on screen. If I caught onto something before everyone else, I would be ecstatic; if not, I would spend time trying to figure out what I missed. By season 6, I stopped caring as much, and it took me a while to get to the next episode. Season 7, while good, wasn’t necessarily why I got really into the show. I didn’t have the same intrigue, or the same characters I spent six seasons falling in love with. Overall, it was good and really holds up, but it might be a while before I get back to it.

Gunhead

A guilty pleasure of mine is crime noir. They are over-the-top and dramatic. Now, while I think they should primarily be in black and white, I’ll give this anime a pass. No Gun’s Life absolutely nails the dramatic crime noir style by being dark, gritty, and having way too many internal monologues. While noirs are usually old-school crime-solving, this had a very different style. In a future where cybernetics are the norm, there is still the gruesome underground lurking about in the city. While I was expecting a general low-key styled noir, I was not expecting there to be thought-provoking disscussion.

In a world with cybernetics, there are people who support its use, those who vehemently oppose it, and those who do not know what to do. It really brings up the topic of what it means to really be human, especially when one of our protagonists has a revolver for a head. What does it mean to be a tool of the establishment? Do we have as much of a choice as we believe? Either way, this anime was filled with characters to love, characters to hate, and those to be conflicted about. My attention was grabbed the entire time.