This weekend, I ended up watching two different animated series simultaneously. Trese vs Jīsan Bāsan Wakagaeru. I could not have chosen two more opposing and different shows even if I had planned this meticulously.
So here’s my two cents on these shows…
Trese
This Netflix show is based on a Filipino comic of the same name, Trese. It was released in 2021 and has a total of 6 episodes. The central premise revolves around a hero saving the world from supernatural forces.
Plot Overview
The plot follows the protagonist ‘Trese’ who is the balance keeper between the supernatural and the human realm. The first episode opens with her helping the police solve supernatural cases until she ends up uncovering a bigger conspiracy that could throw the whole world into chaos.
Cultural Context
The story is based in Manila, Philippines and hence it draws heavily from the local Filipino folklore. It had me curious enough to stop and google the different terms to see what was being talked about. Even the english sounded accented, and that allowed for a truly immersive feeling.
On the contrary though, the english dialogues were pretty lack-lustre. If you do prefer listening to the original language, have no fear. Filipino language audio option is also available.
Story Telling
The creators seem to work on the assumption that the viewers already know the comics and the lore. Certain important points remain unexplained. For example Trese is supposed to be the prophesied 6th child of the 6th child. However, there’s no explanation of where her siblings are, except for a brief mention of the 5th sibling in the last episode. Aspects like this cause a lot of confusion and disconnect from the story.
It also seemed like all the characters were very flat and 2-dimensional. The good guys are really good, the bad guys are really bad. There is no character arc or emotional struggle at all. Even for characters that did have a grey arc, for example, Trese’s bodyguards, it somehow never got fully explored.
The story feels very rushed and compressed. The focus is so much on reaching the end, that even when a good character is injured or the world is about to end, it doesn’t feel impactful.
Overall Impression
The premise is fascinating to me and I really wish the creators had leaned in more into the cultural lore aspect. But unless you are already a fan of the comics, this series is entirely missable.
Jīsan Bāsan Wakagaeru
Grandpa and Grandma Turn Young Again or Jīsan Bāsan Wakagaeru is a Japanese anime based on the manga of the same name. It aired in 2024 and has a total of 11 episodes. As the name suggests, the central premise is about an elderly couple turning young again.
Plot Overview
This wholesome story follows the elderly couple, Shozo Saito and Ine Saito who live in the countryside as Apple farmers. One day, they find a golden apple growing in their orchard. On eating it, their bodies revert back to their younger versions.
Central Themes
The series is a slice of life style series that explores the idea of grandparents turning young again. The exploration focuses on relationships and fun, light-hearted what if’s? Everyone accepts the changes whole-heartedly and the couple resumes their daily life with only a few changes.
One of the cool things is that the elderly couple through it all are still so much in love. They have their hiccups and their own misunderstandings, but at the end of the day, their love always shines through. The couple are also kind and sweet in general. Their relationship with their kids and grandkids is sweet enough to give us diabetes.
The series also focuses on young, budding romance and the grandparents shipping their grandkids. It’s cute to watch different generations interact.
Community
Since the grandparents are the protagonists, the series inevitably focuses on the elderly community. It explores themes like inevitable friendships that grow from being neighbours for decades, and the eventual loss that comes along with it. It was so adorable to watch the community interact and participate in events, festivals and so on.
Overall Impression
I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who needs a break from the grim dark and a world of excessive bad news. It’s a great palate cleanser. Also, while I binge-watched this series, I would recommend watching one episode every evening. It indeed can be too sweet.
Parting Thoughts
I am not sure if it is because I watched the two series together, that the latter one in Trese vs Jīsan Bāsan Wakagaeru seemed to shine even more.
While Trese does have an interesting premise it never really pans out. It’s almost forgettable. Hence, by comparison Jīsan Bāsan Wakagaeru seemed even more sweet, wholesome and well-done. It’s not revolutionary or ambitious and it’s not meant to be. It’s supposed to be like a sweet popsicle on a hot summer day, and it fulfils that role perfectly.