Kunle Afolayan’s fantasy drama series, Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre, picks up brilliantly from where the pilot (the 2022 Anikulapo) ends. After the protagonist Saro (Kunle Remi), the horny-minded, son of suffering enriched by his libidinal valour, dies for the second time, he is sent back to earth to repay his debt to death before he can journey into heaven. Failure to do so would make him a lost soul who wanders with no resting place for eternity. But Saro owes a huge debt—he raised twenty souls from death when he was on earth—which makes his task daunting. Now a messenger of death, he returns to earth to begin a new mission.
The 6-episode series arrives with great anticipation, as an extension of the original Anikulapo, a spirited narrative that blended fantasy with a touch of realism. The first two episodes of the sequel series serve as a link to the 2022 film, establishing promising subplots and new characters. However, the subsequent episodes fail to keep up the momentum. Consequently, the rest of the series leaves us with meandering subplots and uninspired characters wandering around like ghosts in search of eternal abode.
It is established that Saro’s fate as a living or dead person is hanging on a thin thread. Unlike when he had the power to raise the dead, he is now at the mercy of the dead. This softens the story. Now, there is a need for a new fierce plot to drive the several characters to a climax that brings them together. The introduction of Bashorun (Owobo Ogunde) as a vicious warlord thirsty for power and dominion in the kingdom brings a new dimension to the story and elevates the tensions. Still, there is a huge sense of declining efforts as the series moves forward and the expanded story pulls its focus away from Saro and Arolake to loosely linger on Balogun’s quest for power, Arolake’s sudden wealth, and the ineffective battle between Awolaran (Lateef Adedimeji) and Prince Kuranga (Uzee Usman) for the King’s daughter, Omowunmi (Eyiyemi Afolayan).
The collaborative effort between Sola Dada and Kunle Afolayan, credited as screenwriters on the series, yields mixed results. Their writing suffers from inconsistency in plots and character development. Multiple subplots are introduced in an attempt to build a bigger world, but unfortunately, they lack cohesion and do not contribute meaningfully to the overarching narrative. Some of the character development, like Prince Kuranga’s association with Oyo which leads to his relationship with Princess Omowunmi, the daughter of the Oyo monarch, feels forced and disconnected from the main story. However, the series does have potential, particularly in its exploration of the Yoruba oral tradition of Ifa mythology and its emphasis on love, honesty, sacrifice, and human destiny. With some more focused writing, the series could have delivered a compelling examination of its themes rather than a mishmash of underdeveloped ideas still trying to pitch its case.
As a co-writer and director, Kunle Afolayan bears significant responsibility for the series’ shortcomings. While he demonstrates a strong visual style and flair for capturing the beauty of traditional Yoruba settings, his direction fails to rein in the whimsical and off-tangent screenplay, resulting in an unfocused narrative. With such a desultory screenplay—going from one subject to another in a half-hearted way, which becomes evasive and difficult to enjoy—it’s hard for him as a director to get a firm direction and acting decisions out of his mix of new faces and veterans. These issues lead to a tendency for the series to meander off course, which makes the viewing experience disjointed and possibly wearisome for first-time watchers.
Some actors deliver commendable performances. Kunle Remi returns with a mesmerizing performance as Saro, capturing the philandering and chaotic personality of his role. Owobo Ogunde’s portrayal of the lawless Bashorun is admirable for providing a haunting drama to drive the weak subplots. Gabriel Afolayan elegantly depicts the lovable Akin with dignity, despite being restricted as a mere admirer and messenger to Arolake. Deviating from her magnetic and authentic acting in the pilot, Bimbo Ademoye’s Arolake loses her magic as she is thrown into the unconvincing subplot of sudden, mysterious wealth and reunion with King Ademuyiwa (Taiwo Hassan). Some characters, like Sola Shobowale’s Awarun slightly rely on exaggerated expressions and melodramatic delivery, which could have been toned down for a more nuanced portrayal.
The lack of cohesion in this larger world and some of the unconvincing performances could have been addressed with serious character development. Kunle Remi and Bimbo Ademoye who showed potential in the pilot could have benefited from further exploration of the depth and complexity of their characters’ inner struggles. Similarly, with some adjustments, the actors behind supporting characters like Adedimeji’s Awolaran and Usman’s Kuranga could have benefited from playing their roles more fully and delivering lines with conviction if they were given actual meat to chew.
With all its shortcomings, what made the original two-phased pilot captivating was its spirited narrative that was both refreshing and humorous. The series, instead of learning from the flaws of the pilot and improving on them, relegates its Ifa corpus and Yoruba cultural inspirations to mere exotic visuals for a bland and padded story. Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre becomes elusive by confounding itself before wearing us out.
Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre premiered on Netflix on March 1.
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Side Musings
- Taiwo Hassan’s position as King Ademuyiwa is a mere aesthetic, his acting lacks conviction as the respected Alaafin of Oyo. Purely vibes and Isha Allah.
- The story’s ending doesn’t provide closure and raises open-ended questions. Saro can’t fulfill his prerequisite third death because he lost the power of death given to him by an angel at heaven’s gate. However, it’s unclear why he’s being threatened and disturbed by the three ghosts to lead them to the afterlife when he isn’t dead and still has 17 more souls to kill.
- On the path to heaven’s gate, we see Bashorun in the front, the three souls Saro killed (again) as debts to repay death walking behind Bashorun, contemplating if he could take them in. Since Saro, their assigned driver to the afterlife isn’t dead, the ghosts shouldn’t be on the path to heaven yet.
- After a huge loss, Kuranga’s kinsmen stomped the palace to forcefully take Princess Omowunmi to Ede. Would Awolaran, now bold and courageous, fight to save the love of his life and bring her back to Oyo? Well, we shall see. But do we still want to see it? Do we have a choice?
- Saro appears to Arolake in a dream and pleads with her to care for his wife and son. We don’t see him dying nor are we told he is dead or alive. If that’s a cliffhanger, it has no suspense to hook us to yearn for a new installment or closure.
- One feels that Kunle Afolayan’s career so far should have led to a more convincing epic showdown on this unprecedented scale of a TV show, but, unfortunately, he muddled things up with his overreaching intentions to make a grand series like Game of Thrones.
7 Comments
This Reviewer assumes that the series is a complete story when it is just the beginning of the story(ies) that the Anikulapo series is evolving into. If not, the Reviewer would have approached the series as the beginning of a long story, and understand the reason for opening many subplots that the following seasons will build on. I did not have to watch the interviews granted by Kunle Afolayan and other actors before understanding that the Rise of Spectre, is the beginning of a story and not its full picture. However, the Reviewer may check Shock.ng posts for snippets of interviews about the movie to probably have a better understanding of the movie. I expected that would precede the Review as an avid reader of WKMU film reviews.
2. In history, the Alaafin of Oyo is not nearly as fierce as the Reviewer expects. The Alaafin holds absolute authority, but relies heavily on the Oyomesi on certain decisions and could be deposed by them. The strongest character of the council would be Bashorun and sometimes the Aare Ona Kakanfo. I think that the choice of Taiwo Hassan is perfect. He holds the capacity for that dual personality – (soft and weak, and could be hard and obstinate). Perhaps we must come to terms with the humanity in the thrones of our history not the romanticised and often imagined fierceness. However, I will agree with you that I want to see an even more fierce Alaafin.
3. The story’s ending should be open-ended as it is the beginning of a story. However, a close reading of the story with an open mind not one that is looking for errors to point out would reveal that the chain given to Saro is the passport that provides the souls passage to the afterlife. The chain is the instrument Saro was given to use in accounting for their souls. From the conversation between Saro and Onibode, one would see that the greatest punishment for a dead soul is wandering around in the afterlife and eventually becoming a statue on the road to the afterlife. The Onibode threatened Saro with this before he accepted the mission. So, do you get why they need to hound him till they are duly accounted for and sent to the afterlife?
4. I guess my response in ‘3’ above provides context for why the souls started following Bashorun who was the new custodian of the chain. It is their passport to the beyond. The three dead souls were even shown stating that they were not sure if Bashorun would be able to lead them to the afterlife… but then, we need to wait for the next season to see what happens.
5. I am eager to see the evolution of Awolaran from a gentle, loving, and timid personality into a fierce, righteous (or not) character. I am eager to see the relationship between Awolaran and Akin evolve. We saw the fierce side of Akin when he beheaded the spy in one swift strike. We saw glimpses of his cunningness, stealth, and focus. I look forward to seeing how he links up with Awolaran in the the following seasons. So, yes, I look forward to seeing how Awolaran’s character evolves.
6. Saro and Arolake’s last scene together makes me want to see what happens to Saro. It appears to indicate that Saro’s journey is effectively over as the chain that bears the burden of debt has been inherited or greedily snatched by another – the Bashorun. I expect a scene or conversation at the ibode of the afterlife to put this to rest in the next season.
7. So, I think that Kunle Afolayan has started a storm with this story. The scale is unprecedented. I hope he gets enough funds to complete the story or complicates it further…at least for the sake of the Nigerian film industry. I think that he is delivering on his words, and yeah…since the scale is unprecedented, it may appear as ‘overreaching’ to some people. But lovers of art, film, and Nigerian video films will know that “Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre” is blowing open a standard of filmmaking in Nigeria. I look forward to what Directors like Kemi Adetiba would do with the dreams enabled by the first season of Anikulapo the series.
Finally, this is the first film review from What Kept Me Up that I completely disagree with sha. It appears to lean more to the trend of some ‘acclaimed film critics’ who are neither here or there most of the time, than to the facts presented by this movie. There is a bunch of loud and ‘accented’ fellows whose default position to anything and almost everything (feature film) produced from Nigeria is negative. They are eager to get the mics at all the X spaces. But then, they are free to express their minds and to reflect on how they really feel about the films they watch…afterall there is only a little films can do if you are too troubled inside. This site protected me from them in the past. When I watch a movie and I need an honest review, I come here and I have never been disappointed before until now. I recommend that the Reviewer watch the season again, this time without the cloak.
I forgot to add this. There are stories or positions of Ifa on greed, the nature of men, and second chances for men; this series is bringing them to life! This is why people who are familiar with the Ifa corpus and history celebrated the story. Perhaps it would help if in the coming seasons, they (the scriptwriters) add the Ifa narration to the story as the Reviewer would have expected. This is the only point at which I agree with the Reviewer and that is only in part!
Thank you, I thought I was the only one that saw these things
1. First, thanks for reading and taking the time to tell us what you feel about my review. I clearly understand that the series is the beginning of my stories.
I interviewed some of the actors and I know that the series extends. I interviewed some of the actors and I know that the series extends. But instead of carefully executing the stories to create in-depth connections, they are half-heartedly done and jumbled together to stretch the time. This muddled up the series. For instance, Arolake’s sudden, mysterious wealth is to show that there are rewards for good deeds. But it’s more of a filler that contributes little to the series.
(The gnome pitied Arolake for her circumstances and rewarded her for her good deeds After the egbere helped her with the unfinished pouch of money, she continued helping the poor in society, which shows how good-hearted she is.
But that’s a blind imitation of D.O. Fagunwa’s fantasy stories like Ogboju Ode Ninu Igbo Irumole & Ireke Onibudo. I don’t like how it’s executed in the series. To me, it’s a mere filler to extend the time.)
2. I never expected Alaafin to be fierce. I understand the operations of the old Oyo political setting and also know that Bashorun and Are Ona Kakanfo wielded great power as warlords. My concern is how Taiwo Hassan flatly executed his role.
3. An open-ended closing movie/series is supposed to hook the audience and pique their interest in the next sequel/series or a closure. The pilot episode perfectly did that. This doesn’t actually get it right because it seems like a mere afterthought. It would have been better if it ended with the path to the afterlife and showed us where the Onibode tells Bashorun to stop and ends there rather than the bland closing scene.
4. Saro raised the three souls from the dead when he had the power of death. To journey to heaven, Onibode requests that he must kill the souls again. However, due to some circumstances that changed the course of his mission, he couldn’t fulfill it.
A. But Bashorun is now in possession of the chain given to Saro as a ticket for a new life and to enable him to pay his debt leading the souls to the afterlife instead of Saro. The blind old lady who sees without her eyes told Saro that the chain or, ticket (okun emi), in this case, mustn’t depart from him. We are not told what would happen if the piece is taken from Saro, but, by logic, shouldn’t he be dead? I agree that he is now an akudaya (which defies human knowledge), and the series is mythical, but logic shouldn’t be discarded in the story. He should pay for departing from the ticket (okun emi) given to him by the Onidode.
B. Since Saro raised and killed the three souls, he is their assigned driver to the afterlife. But transferring the role to Bashorun because he possesses Saro’s ticket (for redemption) doesn’t automatically make him their driver. The ghosts are tied to Saro because of his impact (good or bad) in their lives. Bashorun, on the other hand, has no impact, whatsoever, on their lives.
Onibode or other mysterious creature could provide answers to the conundrum. But we are left to assume things.
5. I look forward to seeing the evolution of Awolaran and Akin from gentlemen to gruesome men. We saw a glimpse of Akin fierceness. Judging by his demeanour and response to his father’s high-handedness, it’s clear that Awolaran has his father’s cruelty lurking in his heart waiting to be unleashed when needed. But, again, maybe it’d be well-written and executed is the question.
6. I slightly answered this in my extensive reply in 4.
7. As you said, Kunle Afolayan started a storm with this story but the storm seemed to go overboard and confused him. He could have introduced a few subplots in this series and reserved some for the next one. In fact, apart from Bashorun’s quests for power and dominion, which is good, Awolaran and Kuranga’s battle for Princess Omowumi is half-assed and poorly executed. I see his lofty vision but halfway through the journey, the vision blurred.
Addendum: I know about these things in the Ifa religion and divinity. They are properly used in the pilot but here, the series strays and almost derails into a mere fantasy and love drama.
Dear Reviewer,
Thank you for taking the time to explain your position further. We all hope that the next production gets better..at least for the sake of industry… I look forward to more reviews from you!
Keep up the good work!
Cheers!
Hi,
Thanks for your argument. It gave me a chance to expand my review to clarify my argument against the series and also spurred me to write another piece to defend my review.
If enough time is given to research and development of the screenplay, which is the basis of any film/series, the director and the actors won’t struggle to execute their roles. I look forward to seeing what they have to offer in the next episode.
Again, thank you for probing my work. People like you are needed for us to do our best.
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