Friday, January 4, 2019

FIF#73-Hero Mask


In the near future, the law of London is presided over by the Capital Police Department.  The Special Service of Crime (SSC) is the unit called in to deal with the worst of the worst.  James Blood is the best agent the unit has but even with his unique skill set, he’s unprepared for the case that just crossed his desk.  The death of a shared mentor brings James into the orbit of the beautiful Sarah Sinclair, who was the last person to see their teacher alive.  Making matters worse is the sudden escape of several high profile killers once thought dead, one with a score to settle with James.  Unless James and Sarah can discover what case their mentor was working on and solve it, a whole new wave of destructive crime could tear London apart.

Up until it appeared on my list of Netflix recommendations/new releases list at the beginning of December, I had no idea something called Hero Mask even existed.  But I saw the promo and a couple of things stood out: everyone loves their coffee and the main character had stolen Phoenix Wrights haircut.  Needless to say I didn’t know what to expect when I loaded up the first episode.  I can say for certain now that ive finished it that I wont be continuing on with it.  I know that I usually save that decision for the end of my First Impressions but this is just bad.

First off, what kind of world is this?  Even Ghost in the Shell starts off with a brief narraration that gives us a small idea of the world Section 9 inhabits.  Is this the far future?  What makes the SSC so special, is it their tech (probably)?  The show seems less focused on setting up a firm foundation for this universe and instead is as gung ho as it’s central protagonist to get right to the action.  And there’s problem number two: the action and editing.  The action is nothing new and I cant believe a high octane car chase could feel so boring.  It isn’t helped that we are barely on a single frame for a second before cutting away to something totally random, half of which is the single expression face of the Chief of James’ unit.  That and it feels like it’s borrowing so blatantly from action films like Blade Runner and The Bourne Supremacy (that second one very specifically for how the car chase ends).  So yeah, the been there, done that vibe doesn’t help things get off to a good start either.

Speaking of Phoenix Wrights haircut being taken, what kind of a name is James Blood?  Was Maverick Mc Bad Ass not a suitable substitute?  I remember trying to mention his name to a friend and accidentally called him Jason Blood (less accidentally and instead I just didn’t bother to commit the full name to memory).  Yeah, our hero is a few letters off from sharing a name with a DC Comics character who can turn into a demon…and that guy deserves an Anime more than James Blood.  James is so by the numbers even his rebellious, no need for rules attitude feels dull.  Oh and his mentor gets killed.  Yep that’s the mystery that will probably run the course of this series.  And to add further Phoenix Wright comparissons, his new attorney in training partner is also connected to his dead mentor (except she’s not his mentors sister but still fate draws them together).  Ugh, I think you can tell why I gave my verdict on this right away.

Hero Mask wants to be either the next Ghost in the Shell or Psycho Pass and fails to even climb into the lower levels of that legendary duo.  It’s a standard crime procedural with a boring world that has no explanation; a maverick hero with no charm or quality; a mystery that has been done way past to death; and the animation isn’t even that pretty to be honest.  There are far better scifi police shows out there to check out (like the two I just mentioned plus Patlabor or hell even Death Note would be a better fit, at least we have a reason why people suddenly drop dead in streets that’s pretty unique).  Pass on Hero Mask, im sorry I gave it time im never getting back.

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