What can we foresee from the upcoming ‘Aníkúlápó’ series? We saw two presentations
The 2022 Netflix original movie Aníkúlápó, directed by Kunle Afolayan, has a sequel called Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre.
Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre opens with a scene that transports viewers back to the prosperous pre-colonial Yoruba villages filled with friendly locals, kind travelers, and bustling business.
Prime Video’s “It Blooms in June” is now available for streaming. In this series, which is a follow-up to Kunle Afolayan’s 2022 Netflix original film Aníkúlápó, Saro (Kunle Remi), the charming but shallow, petty, and dim-witted protagonist, is on the move.
A sort of light-skinned guardian forces him to return to the land of the living after his apparent death in Aníkúlápó..Is it just a coincidence that God is a white man? It’s unclear.
In the prequel, Saro had to pay back the money he had stolen from Akala’s gourd, which she had used to play god over who survived and who died. To gather the souls of everyone he raised from the dead violating the laws of nature, he must return as a spirit. He makes a pact with one of them right away and transforms into an Akudaya, one of the mythical Yoruba ghosts who returned to the earth in human form and establish new families far from their graves.
Saro will not lead a meaningful life and quickly reverts to his previous behaviors, even with the kindness of a second opportunity. He discovers a brand-new town with a friendly local population.
He instantly opens up shop, launches a palm wine bar, and begins courting the town belle (Oyindamola Sanni) with the aid of spirits.
Similar to the precursor, Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre toyed with the idea of bringing back the sexual liberation Yoruba women enjoyed in their communities until it became acceptable to physically assault women on the sidewalks of Lagos in the sake of preserving morality. While Awarun in Sola Sobowale’s novel meets a new suitor in Basorun, another young woman far away is having her sexual awakening at the hands of Saro, bringing with it the outlines of a society that for generations had not considered consent to be a factor in relationships.
Is she devoted to someone? Or is Saro a really strong predator? How Afolayan uses the “sexual” scenes is intuitive in some way, which makes them a potent case study for a moment when permission has become part of the group conversation. It is gray in part because it is obvious that Saro has given the woman more than she originally asked for.
But from the outskirts, among the friendly travelers and welcoming towns, one has to stop and consider how we got here, some two millennia later. It seems improbable that Saro would still enjoy the same level of welcome in contemporary Nigeria. Try finding a home in Lagos as an Igbo person. Undoubtedly, there are shards of that kind of generosity available to the most fortunate.
However, it’s no longer as blatant as it previously was, with those awful X postings advertising rental openings that had visible footnotes like “Yoruba particularly” or “No Igbos.”
Despite all, Afolayan’s reluctance to break out from the outdated Yoruba language the Nigerian film industry production traditions continue to be a barrier for both the series and his career as a filmmaker. At times, the concepts and conversation are overly didactic and repetitive, like preaching on traditional Yoruba morals.
However, there are causes for celebration when viewing Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre. If there is one area that Afolayan has mastered, it is building exquisite historical settings, locating antiques, and giving movies a realistic feel. The Kabiyesis’ opulent halls are lavishly decorated for the occasion.
Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre is a pleasure if you’ve ever wondered what the interior of those little cottages in big Nollywood movies looked like. And the towns are successful in appearing, for the moment, to be enormous cities. However, they’re not exactly ready for Apartment Therapy.
Whatever the case, fans will swarm to Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre when it launches on streaming on March 1, 2024, as it continues to be at the top of a new Nollywood project that aspires ardently for perfection. The issues with Aníkúlápó: Rise of the Spectre are more related to Nollywood than they are to the show or how Afolayan developed it. This demonstrates the progress made by the Nigerian movie industry
