JOKE - 2022 Panic Haishin! (2020)

A Societal Snapshot

It maybe titled Joke, but it's not funny. On the surface t's a psychological race between a celebrity,Sawai (Iplayed by kuta Toma) trying to regain his popularity via streaming and a fan. Beneath the surface Joke is an interesting take on tech, especially A,I. tech, and the control we give it in our daily lives . In short Joke is a sad commentary on what we are all becoming due to Covid.

The writing is creative and clear. The director did a good job. The 45 minute special primarily takes place in 1 room. The production quality is fairly high overall? Some may think It too short, but I think it's the perfect length. If you've ever watched an anthology, the length won't bother you. It's like an episode of the Twilight Zone. It's basically a one man show. Toma does a great as Sawai, especially as he began to piece things together.

Music? There was music? I seriously don't remember. The re-watch is 50% maybe a little less. I am interested to know if there are missed clues.

Overall, I liked Joke. Is it ground breaking? No., but it is entertaining and thought provoking.

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Finally some another Toma's work after ages. I really enjoyed this special but can't give a higher score because it was just too short for me. They should have made it into proper film and develop both characters and plot. That way I would be able to develop a more reasonable opinion. The story itself was interesting, refreshing, kinda funny yet thrilling. It had much more potential. I really liked the "theatre of absurd" vibes and lowkey sci-fi features of this special. Toma's acting was on spot, as always. I am glad it got subbed, did not expected it.

PS: Rewatch Value is low because I am not the type of person who rewatches films/dramas. Also, there was not much music to rate. And I tend to rate things quite strictly, so some people might give a better rating.

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Be aware of the Genre!

Excellent acting, writing, direction.
This is a tension filled horror short about a comic and a "joke" gone very wrong. There is another important aspect which ends up controlling the story. But, talking about it would be a major spoiler. Part of the fun/stress of this story is figuring out what is actually going on before the protagonist does.
When I watched this I didn't pay attention to the Genre. I watched because of the cast and writer. at some point I debated not continuing to finish it. In the end I'm glad I watched it but don't plan to watch again. Nearly the entire time is spent in a windowless space set up primarily as an internet studio.

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