Professor Layton and The Eternal Diva

A film from one of Nintendo DS's best selling titles, which I'm quite a fan of, Professor Layton and The Eternal Diva is about Jenis Quatlane, an acclaimed opera singer, who wrote a letter to Prof. Layton regarding her friend Mirena, that passed away a year ago but appeared in the form of a 7 year old girl in front of her. She invited Prof. and gang to her latest opera performance and thus sparks off the quest to find the eternal potion, with a mystery game that the audience are forced to participate.

Althou it's a GV-exclusive film and showing only in 6 cinemas, there's actually not much publicity done on this and I would not have known of its existence had I not read the review in Today papers. The cinema has probably only 20 people.. and I actually went for Maki-chan's voiceover, not really for the show.

Then again, I prefer the game anyday. Point-and-tap fun and brain engaging (ok I admit I do use the walkthrough at times..).

The show is kind of boring for most of the 1st half, except for Inspector Growski's appearance, 'cuse me, chest-hair-bulging appearance. As he gets dropped/pushed/jumped into the shark-filled sea time and again, he'll squeeze the water from his hair off like a towel and his clothes will get more and more tattered, i.e. more and more chest hair bulging. Finally when Remi picks him up from the debris-from-the-exploded-Crown-Petone, he was seen hanging his clothes from the airplane, and squeezing water from his boxer shorts (and eventually losing it when Remi did a sharp drop), perpetually naked other than his heart-shaped chest hair, behind Remi in the plane.

Yes, his chest hair is THAT distracting (cant find a screen grab thou).. But he's funny! Probably the only funny character around.

The front part is trying too hard to imitate the puzzle game but thankfully there's more action in the later part of the anime or I'll probably jus doze off (I was actually yawning away...).

The music is good, with pipe organ + orchestra + opera. Can feel the tingles under ur skin.

But I still cannot accept the British setting Japanese conversation part.