#quick reviews

I'm afraid it's not very likely I'll find motivation to write a proper review, so let me just share my main impression:

Andor achieved what the entire Prequel Trilogy miserably failed to do. It introduced real politics into the Star Wars universe and took it very seriously. It also finally answered the question "why is the Empire evil, exactly?" by painting a terrifying image of a totalitarian and colonialist state that isn't cartoonishly evil but painfully real.

Just watch the show.

Even if you think the Star Wars franchise is not something that might interest you, watch Andor.

All 5/5 reviews are definitely recommendations. Most of this list was made before I started my review page so most don't have written reviews, but if you're curious and would like me to write one, feel free to message or comment. The bottom half are all linked with their written reviews.

All books marked with a * are unreleased books.

Rhythm of love - Neve Wilder

Dedicated - 5/5

Resonance - Did not read

Necessary Evils - Onley James - 10 out of 5

Unhinged - 4/5

Psycho - 4/5

Moonstruck - 5/5

Headcase - 5/5

Mad Man - 5/5

Lunatic* - TBD

Sons of the Fallen - Jaclyn Osborn - 3/5

Galen - 3/5

Castor - 4/5

Daman - 5/5

Gray - 3/5

Bellamy* - April 30th

Raiden* - October 27th

Alastair* - unavailable

For him - A.M. Johnson 5/5

Love always, Wilder - 5/5

Not so sincerely, yours - 5/5

Dear Mr. Brody - 4/5

To Whom it may concern - 4/5

Forever, Con Amor - 5/5

Flesh and Bone - Joel Abernathy (trans author) - 4/5

Exhale - 4/5

Bleed - 4/5

Shift - 5/5

Monstrous - Lily Mayne - 10 out of 5 perfection

Soul Eater - 5/5

Edin - 4/5

The Rycke - 5/5

Wyn - 5/5 - ultimate favorite

Gloam - 3.5/5

Moth - 5/5

Seraph* - TBD - Fall 2022?

Temptation - Ella Frank - 4/5

Try 4/5

Take - 4/5

Trust - 5/5

Tease - 5/5

Tate - 5/5

True - 5/5

Folk Trilogy - Lily Mayne - 5/5

Mortal Skin - 5/5

Forgotten Vows* - June 10th

Tbd* - Tbd

Vampire Kings - Loki Renard - 1/5

Predators - 1/5

Royal Pains

Pack Master* - August 5th

Moonshadow Den - Claire Cullen - 3/5

Run to him - 3/5

Run for home - Have not read

Official/MAL description: “Mitsugu Banba is a high school girl who finds meaning in donating blood. She frequently visits a blood bank to donate blood, despite being harshly treated by the nurse. One day, she encounters a beautiful girl who looks like she's from overseas at the blood bank. The pale girl looks like she's about to faint any minute, but then, she starts destroying the blood bank. The girl loses consciousness and Mitsugu takes her home...”

By: Peggy Sue Wood | @peggyseditorial​​

---

When I saw the above image online, I thought that this would be some kind of action-comedy. I hadn't read the brief description yet (as per usual), choosing instead to give a cursory glance at the genres before jumping in. 

I'll write now that the first episode did not disappoint. It was funny, there was plenty of action, and we get a good look at three focal characters in the short run time of 24 minutes. Though it did move very quickly plot-wise. At the start of episode one, we open with Mitsugu Banba--our a blood donation enthusiast MC--trying to donate blood for the X-number of times that month while two nurses turn her down (she's reached the limit). While there, she meets her soon to be love-interest and the deuteragonist, Mai Vlad Transylvania. Chaos ensues, and by the end of the episode, they're girlfriends with Mitsugu on a mission to start a blood donation club to supply blood to her girlfriend's hunger. 

I'd recommend it to anyone who liked Kill la Kill--as much of the animation, action, and comedy in Vlad Love remind me of Kill la Kill. In Vlad Love's animation, we see many exaggerated actions between characters that remind me of Mako Mankanshoku's dramatic motions when speaking or doing something. The color and shading feel reminiscent of Kill la Kill too, as does the random nudity of female characters (though the bodies are, as of episode 1, fully-censored and hopefully remain such, so that we don't enter into hentai territory). It reminded me so much of Kill la Kill (though not story-wise) that I went to check if they shared creators, and from what I can tell in a brief reading through the MAL pages, the two series have different creators, studios, and producers. Totally different teams, it seems. 

Oh, and the male presence is non-existent thus far. I don't think we've had one male character appear beyond the background though a few fathers have been mentioned, and casting leads me to believe there will be some soon. 

For those looking for a yuri-romance: the romance element is very one-sided at the moment, with Mai looking for a friend/meal ticket and Mitsugu seemingly infatuated by a pretty girl who can provide a reason for her blood donation-fetish. I'm hoping it will grow more by the series end, especially as other characters are introduced in the following episodes. 

Overall, I would recommend this series. It's light-hearted thus far, funny, and cute. However, please note that it may be a while before we see Episode 2. Why? Episode 1 aired on the 18th of December 2020 via a YouTube Premiere though Wiki tells us the release date is set for the 14th of February 2021. According to an article by Chris Beveridge on The Fandom Post, it looks like Amazon will be our main streamer for this series with the official release on 14 Feb 2021. Either way, looking forward to it!

For those who dunno what Villainous is, it’s a Mexican series that started off as a list of webisodes online back in 2012 that recently was made into a full on cartoon series.

I’m just gonna flat out say, it’s okay but I really don’t get why this show is so popular. I don’t think it’s bad but like most of us that grew up knowing Evil Con Carne (another cartoon that did the whole villain focus series), this seems to be just a rip off of that, though I will admit the series is better than Evil Con Carne. At least I chuckled at it. I don’t remember even remotely smiling at Evil Con Carne.

This series has good animation and I guess if you’re into something that’s like Hazbin Hotel, you may like this fine, but for me it just comes off as meh. The characters are basically your stereotypes. You got the main villain that loses his temper when things don’t go his way.  You got some Harley Quin esc character that’s obsessed with him. The only major interesting about her is that she’s an experiment I guess? When I first saw this character, I thought she was Franky from Foster’s Home of Imaginary Friends that simply went really nuts in one episode.

And of course, you got your two innocent characters that are are basically there for the slapstick torment, though everyone does get their fair share of karma so it keeps it from being too mean spirited. Again, not bad characters but we’ve seen them before and nothing really sticks out to me about them. 

I dunno, call me spoiled. After Hazbin Hotel and me being sick of reboots and series that uses the exact same premise of another series, I guess it’s really hard for me to see the gold in this series. I don’t mind reboots and series that reuses a premise that’s been done to death, but they need to do something that’s different and make it it’s own thing and sadly Villainous just doesn’t do that for me. It’s a step up from Evil Con Carne but not by much, at least in my eyes.

I’m not even going to give this a rating since for me, it’s just nitpicking and I don’t think it would be fair if I did. If you like the series, more power to you. I’m glad you can find something enjoyable in a series that didn’t do it for me and after watching the premiere still didn’t do it for me. I do recommend for those who haven’t seen it to at least view it once to draw your own conclusions. It doesn’t have anything bad in it for kids and if you want something to at least wet your appetite until October, this may work for you. Otherwise, the only other recommendation for you is Monster High and Ever After High if you want a more imaginative and heartfelt stories and characters until Hazbin Hotel comes out.

A quick encapsulation of my thoughts on some of the shows I’ve watched. Some in this list I provided a lengthier discussion, but in here it’s going to be brief. Watch out for spoilers. In no particular order. Also will get updated as I watch more dramas!

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (Korean)

One of my absolute faves. Beautiful OTP chemistry with just the right amount of sweetness and angst. I LOVE the soundtrack, too; not too dramatic and not too grating in the ears. I’ve rewatched this show countless times. 9.5/10.

Descendants of the Sun (Korean)

Probably the funniest drama I’ve watched so far. Lead boy is attractive as hell; lead girl irked me for a good while before I gradually warmed up to her. Story though is not that memorable. 8/10.

Goblin: the Great and Lonely Guardian (Korean)

Funny show with a great cast, although it can get a bit dragging what with all the repeated flashbacks and dramatic stares. I love the themes of the show, and also its soundtrack is probably the best I’ve heard in a drama. I had a soft spot for some of the characters (e.g. Deok hwa), although I didn’t feel the main romance at all (Goblin and Grim Reaper had more chemistry tbh). 8/10

It’s Okay, That’s Love (Korean)

Another favorite of mine. Soundtrack is amazing, and story is just brilliant. It has its own problems, of course, but they’re easily overshadowed by the more beautiful aspects of this show. 9.5/10

Suspicious Partner (Korean)

This is one of those dramas that was okay, but could’ve been better. Some conflicts (like the “your father is my parents’ killer” conflict) were for me unnecessary and should’ve been dropped. But the soundtrack was wonderful and some of the characters were memorable in their own right. 7.5/10

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (Korean)

An alright show with an alright story, characters, etc. And I’m saying ‘alright’ because it didn’t really stood out much for me; I developed neither strong affection for it nor aversion. That’s good in some ways, I guess. 6.5/10

My Love from Another Star (Korean)

Some characters are great and are akin really to a breath of fresh air in the drama world. And while the premise is good, this show permanently irked me because of one thing: lead girl’s non-participation to the main plot. It involved her, but she wasn’t even aware of it. Nor did she have any active role aside from fawning over the lead guy mid to final part of the season. I know it was eventually explained but ugh, I still think it’s a great disservice to lead girl’s character. 7/10

Mischievous Princess (Chinese)

Guilty pleasure show of mine. I explained in my long review that this show is one of extremes—extremely bad and extremely good aspects. Costume, some of the lines, kung fu, and other aspects are way off. But the solid story and the memorable characters (Emperor!!!! Oh my goodness!) more than make up for it. This may not fit everyone’s palette, but damn did it fit mine. 8.5/10

Healer (Korean)

Watched it because of the rave reviews and while it didn’t disappoint, at the same time it didn’t really secure a solid affection from me. I like lead girl and the third lead, but Healer himself I didn’t warm up to right until the end. It has that political main plot which I like though. 7.5/10

Reply: 1988 (Korean)

Better believe the good reviews about it because it’s all true: this drama is a gem and is a must-watch. Only a few drama ever made me care about each and every character, and this is one of those. I only have a few teeny weeny complaints of course (like the ending and its treatment of my fave character), but overall, it’s all good. 9.5/10 (and before you ask, I am #TeamJungHwan.)

Crash Landing on You (Korean)

Didn’t live up to its hype, or at least not for me. It has a more coherent storyline and a better soundtrack than Descendants of the Sun, but the latter always made me laugh so there’s that. The main romance (and the main characters) kind of...bore me, and I easily found the side characters more interesting (esp the con man and the rat).  6.5/10

Fight for My Way (Korean)

I genuinely enjoyed this show. The leads were good and though I disagreed and was kinda annoyed with Ae-ra (lead girl) by the end of the show, overall I feel like the show really delivered a believable set of characters and story (funnily enough, I enjoyed the leads as friends rather than as a couple. Also, I would have preferred if the second couple never got back together? I don’t know). I like the fact that all characters have their own roles in the story and that no characters were there just for comedy. 8/10

SKY Castle (Korean)

All I can say is that this show deserves ALL the hype and praise it received. The story, characters, and acting from all the artists were just gripping and mind-blowing, and I was really on the edge of my seat with every episode. Needless to say, many tears were shed. 9.5/10

Signal (Korean)

The show was of course excellently written and almost-flawlessly executed, but it occasionally suffers from the overuse of prolonged eye stares and from some dragging scenes here and there (esp the “love story” scenes between the team leader and the missing cop--nope, not interested). Objectively, the show really is a gem, but it somehow didn’t pull at my heartstrings. 8.5/10

Love in the Moonlight (Korean)

Despite its flaws (’cause I tend to nitpick), I enjoyed this show quite a bit. Story is a little unpolished but is overall riveting and engaging. Lead couple also had chemistry (but really, lead girl cries every damn episode). 8.5/10

It’s Okay to Not be Okay (Korean)

It had a really solid start but it kinda lost steam in the middle and up until the end. Some of the characters were well-played (e.g. the lead trio) but others...were not that well-acted (e.g. the patients in the hospital). Also, if you’re looking for a good drama about mental health, this is not it. (The better choice is It’s Okay, That’s Love tbh.) 8/10

Dr. Romantic (Season 1) (Korean)

This drama is an absolute banger. Great story with twists that’ll make you hang on the edge of your seat, plus compelling characters with growth. In the end, I couldn’t be more proud of every single one of them. Also, the operation scenes were so awesome to behold. There were a few loose ends though, but those didn’t bother me as much. 9.5/10

Dr. Romantic (Season 2) (Korean)

As much as I loved Season 1, I extremely disliked Season 2. It lost the perfect balance of melodrama and medical life-saving that Season 1 had, and instead tipped the scale by a lot more towards melodrama. I didn’t feel any of the romances nor did I feel cast chemistry especially among the new characters. There were some good scenes of course, but not enough to save this season unfortunately. 6.5/10

Flower of Evil (Korean)

Absolutely wonderful kdrama up until the ending (because fuck that ending, sorry). Characters were phenomenal, and the story--while having a few jumps in logic--is overall masterfully-made. But I really have to dock points because of that ending. 9.4/10. 

Chicago Typewriter (Korean)

Would you believe that it took me more than a year to actually finish this show? That’s how much (or how little) interest I had for this show, sorry. Story was okay, even touching at some points. But the characters were a bit lackluster and the pacing was uneven. The only up-side is really the music. 6.5/10.

Hyena (Korean)

Quite an enjoyable drama overall. Story is quite good, but the show particularly shines with lead girl, who maintained that charisma all throughout. I had more uneven feelings with lead boy though; I rooted for him at the start, and then got annoyed with his character, and eventually he was okay again. 8/10

Prison Playbook (Korean)

A masterpiece of a drama (as expected from PD Shin). Story is good, but the characters are phenomenal--never one-sided, always layered and nuanced (exc probably for one character). All in all, I think this is a pretty good drama to introduce to non-K-Drama watchers. I enjoyed this drama thoroughly. 9.5/10 

Beyond Evil (Korean)

Another thriller must-watch. The tempo was kind of slow at the beginning, and the first few episodes are actually confusing as hell, but by the middle and end of the show, every single thing was just *chef’s kiss*. This show is probably not for everyone, but it damn did it went straight into my fave list. 9.5/10.

Vincenzo (Korean)

This show honestly surprised me. They were able to nicely blend in some of the more darker themes with humor. It takes time to get used to the ridiculousness of some elements, but overall this was a fun, fun show. I really wish they removed the romance element though as it was unnecessary. 9.0/10

Squid Game (Korean)

Such an enjoyable series that doesn’t miss on anything. Every episode is a treat, except probably the last episode (which is widely considered as the weakest). The show is probably the most “rated” kdrama I’ve watched as well. 9.0/10

The Light in Your Eyes (Korean)

I liked the themes, and I understand that the show is one that is supposed to make you think (which I appreciate). Show is overall excellently made but I guess I just wasn’t attached to it that much. 7.0/10

D.P. (Korean)

Good show with lots of twists and heart-wrenching moments. There were moments during the last episode that made me scratch my head, but that did not lessen my enjoyment of the whole show. 8.0/10

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (Korean)

Overall a light and relaxing show to watch, although a few episodes (especially when the lead girl and the lead boy got together) were waaaay too sweet for me. I literally had to pause and watch some horror games just to balance the saccharine overdose. 8.5/10. 

Stranger (Season 1) (Korean)

Childish Gambino - “This is America”

“This is America” is the sensational new song and music video from Childish Gambino and it is a perfect example of symbolism done absolutely right. In fact, to merely dive into a detailed analyzation of what this means or what that means is completely doing it a disservice. To feel the impulse to dissect a symbolic piece of art the way one would hop onto reddit threads after leaving a screening of, let’s say a David Lynch film, has become almost instinctual. However, I find that with “This is America” that impulse becomes reductive to the songs message. What you see is what you get and what you hear is exactly what you’re supposed to.

When action picks up in the video it’s shot with an extremely tight depth of field. The camera claustrophobically follows the flashy dance moves of Donald Glover and company while violent and religious images are chaotically choreographed across the intensely white-lit warehouse. At a couple significant points in the video the violence is dealt with in shockingly upfront ways. It’s harrowing and challenging images that linger long after the next YouTube video queues to play.

The music brilliantly juxtaposes African rhythm and gospel against modern overblown trap and Gambino’s deceptively simplistic rhyme scheme and lyrics. To say the lyrics are too simple is to miss the point entirely. What good would a fire 16 bar verse have provided that countless in the decades of hip-hop haven’t already. Gambino chooses to speak in what has now become a universal language of pop music while still managing to speak on the societal divides that will continue to plague us. This is stunningly accomplished allegorical filmmaking. This is unique and potent musical song craft. This is America and Donald Glover has his finger on its fucking pulse.

RAW (2016) dir. Julia Ducournau

8/10 Excellent horror movie reminiscent of Ginger Snaps. A unique coming-of-age story with a supremely satisfying conclusion. Fantastic performance by Garance Marillier. SO GOOD.

1. Progress Report:

Yandere Night Drama CD: Track 1,2 and 3 are now 100% written, which means I’ll be able to record a first sample to share :) Look forward to it soon!

Prison translation: is on hold for the moment. Your feedback has been amazing but all the funds for it are currently being put on the Jumin daki (I’m sure you -and your wallets - all understand. T_T)

2. Quick Reviews

Dream Daddy: is overpriced. The concept is cute and the art pretty, but I’m sure those who tried it too will agree with me that it is not fully voiced as it advertises (it’s grunted and sighed, which could be described as partially voiced, at best) the routes are way too short, and the lack of setting options (no history of the dialogue, no way to adjust the music vs the grunts of the characters, no text-skip, etc.) makes for an irritating experience. Grab it on sale, if you must.

The House in Fata Morgana: is a gem. My friend and I joked that it was the House of Never Ending Misery, since every character goal seems to be to surpass the other in terms of tragedy, but it was truly a fantastic experience. The art is gorgeous, the music is beautiful, the story carefully plotted and executed...It’s a labor of love, it shows, and at 30 hours of gameplay just to go through the story once, 24.95$ is definitely a steal.