Netflix is continuing its journey through the maze of the world of souls And Make My Day it is his latest release in the platform. Initially presented as a feature film, the 8-episode miniseries with a duration of approximately twenty-five minutes each features famous names such as the creator Yasuo Ohtagakifamous for having made numerous science fiction manga and works such as Moonlight Mile And Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt (which we advise you to recover on Amazon), Makoto Honda which is the director of the series and the Taiwanese studio 5 Inc. who handled character design and animation. The main characteristics of the series are the originality of the artistic style and the story, but let’s discover together the strengths and weaknesses of both.
Make My Day: a new world that is all too exploited
The story is set in an uncertain future where humanity discovers a new energy source called Mr. As often happens, the improvement of life has only benefited the wealthiest, relegating the poorest to tiring and humiliating jobs. So here is that the Sig is extracted on the planet Cold Feet by convicts forced into hard labor who fight daily between life and death. Among them is Jima prison guard whose only dream is to earn enough to be able to move to another planet together with Marie, the girl he has always been in love with, and the disabled old man who has always taken care of him after he was orphaned.
Unfortunately, however, the excavations of Mr have awakened some ancient and terrifying monsters aliens starting to kill everyone in front with no fear of human weapons. Thus begins a general escape with the upper echelons of the army who prefer to sacrifice civilians to save themselves. Jim will have to collaborate with a dangerous criminal to save himself and those he loves, but also to safeguard the shred of humanity remained.
Impressive art style, but not perfect
The most intriguing aspect of Make My Day, as well as what is most striking since the trailer, is the particular 3D animation that sufficiently captures the essence of human emotions and the realism of the scenes. It is important to underline, however, that it is one very divisive artistic choice which may like as strongly disappoint. In some ways the whole visual rendering seems to approach the old video games for PlayStation 1 or Nintendo GameCube, but at the same time some elements are similar to live action thanks to the simple and detailed character design.
Overall we are not talking about a homogeneous artistic style and it is characterized by some imperfections that could make you turn up your nose on several occasions. The facial expressions, at times, they are over-emphasized even in a comedic way or the animations of running and fighting, due to their woodiness and lack of sinuosity, leave much to be desired. At the same time, however, the more complex elements such as machines and unknown creatures, similar to giant tardigrades, a result that is particularly pleasing to the eye. In all of this, however, the dark and futuristic settings that improve the overall visual experience even if in some cases the oversaturated colors confuse the objects in the foreground with those in the background.
An old story with current connections
What the miniseries fails most is the plot, which never particularly impresses until the end and is reminiscent of all the tropes and clichés of sci-fi stories from the 70s and 80s. The story, in fact, turns out predictable immediately and anyone can immediately predict what will happen in the end. The original elements they are very few and can be glimpsed in the initial phase and in the motivations that drive the creatures to attack anyone who is in front of them. THE twists they’re fairly phoned-in and unglamorous, yet the emotional backstory of the main character manages to effectively tug at the viewer’s heartstrings.
The creators, however, were quite skilled in inserting csocial rites throughout the story. There are, in fact, references to the class society and how the privileged don’t hesitate to exploit the luckiest even when everyone finds themselves in the same dangerous situation. Criticisms even on more controversial topics such as the prejudice against criminals by ordinary citizens or how to settle on a new planet exclusively for the benefit of one’s own species by harming the native inhabitants, inevitably raise important debates that can easily be linked to our society as well.
The themes surrounding the show, in fact, take up problems that, currently, many people suffer from all over the world. Including these topics even in a sci-fi reality only demonstrates how the human character can remain unchanged over the centuries and is an important artistic choice that helps the viewer to get ideas and create conversation by placing the series as a basis. Immediately, for example, it will be understood how monstrous creatures are not really enemies and the creators tend to underline this several times during the episodes to make it as clear and limpid as possible. Merit of this last aspect must also be given to the voice actors who did an incredible job of bringing the characters to life. Every emotion is conveyed perfectly and audiences will feel an innate connection to the characters. Even the sound sector and music they play an important role in creating an atmosphere that will make viewers eager to watch the next episode.
Conclusions
Make My Day, therefore, has all the elements to be an interesting sci-fi art experience. L’3D animation of high technology is the most intriguing aspect of the show because it manages to create an immersive and, not infrequently, memorable experience for the audience, but it is also somewhat divisive due to its non-trivial flaws. The characters also show real emotions and the viewer is bound to relate and empathize with their stories. although, therefore, the plot lacks originality, still manages to keep the viewer glued to the screen the entire time. After all, history takes up numerous important and delicate themes that also concern the society of which each of us is a part. This series, therefore, could be considered as a sort of warning for human society that is increasingly pushing itself into the destruction of its own planet and the experimentation of advanced equipment to explore and conquer new worlds in the unknown and boundless universe.
