How Uzumaki and The Penguin saved TV (for me).
Greetings folks!
I wanted to talk a little about some of my favorite TV shows at the moment. The truth is that I haven’t been keeping up with TV in the last year. After shows like Succession and Barry ended, I didn’t find myself that interested in watching new TV shows. Instead, I have been rewatching some of my favorites from years past like Dexter and Better Call Saul. Recently, with the start of two vastly different shows on very different networks I have been excited to sit and watch new episodes. These shows are Uzumaki and The Penguin.
This unlikely duo has reignited my love of Television and I look forward to seeing how the season continues in each. If you are unfamiliar with either of these shows, let me briefly explain.
UZUMAKI - A Haunting tale of Japanese Horror
Uzumaki is an ANIME based on the MANGA of the same name by Juni Ito. Junji Ito is a legend in the world of manga for his depictions of HORROR and the MACABRE and I have been a huge fan of his since I first read UZUMAKI back in 2009. Since then, Ito has released many different works but UZUMAKI remains as one of the best. In UZUMAKI you watch as a small Japanese town descends into madness after the mysterious appearance of spirals that begin to intertwine with the residents. The town spirals (get it?) into madness as the curse spreads and affects everyone in different ways. One of the most visually striking MANGA I have ever read has turned into one of the best ANIME adaptations I have had the pleasure of watching. The music, the animation, and sticking to the source material will surely make this an extremely fun experience.
UZUMAKI airs every Saturday on Cartoon Network as part of their ADULT SWIM: TOONAMI block of television and can be seen on the MAX streaming service as well.
THE PENGUIN - A Flightless bird can still climb to new heights
The Penguin is a television show based on the villain of the same name from the classic comic book series, BATMAN. This version of Oswald Cobblepot has done away with his depiction as a short, incompetent folly to Batman. Instead, the show re-invents the titular character into a man searching to climb the ranks of the criminal underworld with both cunning and ruthlessness. The series takes place after the events of the 2022 movie THE BATMAN, directed by Matt Reeves. The first few episodes have proven to be spectacular and are closer to a crime drama in the style of classic television shows like THE SOPRANOS and THE WIRE. Oz Cobb, as he prefers to be called, has been playing all sides on his mission to create his own empire in GOTHAM CITY. I have been at the edge of my seat, watching as the episodes play out . Colin Farrell is unrecognizable behind the prosthetics used to bring Oz Cobb to life. He most certainly deserves an award for his depiction of this character.
THE PENGUIN airs every Sunday on HBO with the new episodes on MAX immediately after it airs LIVE.
Both shows have been great so far. Uzumaki is a fantastic depiction of the classic manga and stays true to the source, The Penguin creates its own vision of what the source material would be in a modern and grounded setting. I highly recommend you check out both shows but The Penguin is a can’t miss on Sunday nights. Thanks for reading, and as always…
Excelsior!
-Alex
