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Review: IVE - Baddie

The song embodies girl power and self-confidence, encouraging women to be bold and unapologetically themselves. The lyrics express the desire to break free from societal expectations and embrace individuality. Its catchy beat and upbeat melody make it an enjoyable listen.

IVE's strong and confident vocals are showcased in Baddie, with each member taking turns to deliver empowering lyrics. The song's music video features the members in stunning and fashionable outfits, exuding confidence and sass as they strut around the city. The visuals and choreography are well-coordinated, adding to the overall appeal of the song.

Baddie is a great addition to IVE's discography, showcasing their growth and development as a group while maintaining their signature sound. The song's message of self-love and empowerment is a timely and important reminder for listeners, especially in a world that often pressures women to conform to certain standards. Overall, Baddie is a fun and inspiring track that deserves a spot on any K-pop playlist.

#ive #kpop review #kpop ive #kpop

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Review: LIGHTSUM – Alive

LIGHTSUM made their debut last year with their debut track, Vanilla. It was a fun track and I thought it was enjoyable. Afterwards, they followed up with Vivace which was alright but didn’t have the same impact as their debut song. Now, they release Alive which is different from their past two songs.

Alive is what a K-pop girl group song should sound like. The song sounds charming and its bright energy is heard throughout the track. I don’t even mind the nonstop percussion that normally would annoy me. The vocals in this song are also great. It's what makes the chorus enjoyable to listen to. It has that spunky vibe that you normally would see from groups like Weki Meki or dare I say…CLC.

I also like Alive’s instrumental. Sure, it’s somewhat cut and paste from other tracks but I do like the sound that you can hear during the verses. Overall, I did enjoy this song more than I did with Vivace and I’m looking forward to more music from this group. 

Rating: 8

You can see the MV here.

#kpop review #kpop songs #song review #lightsum #kpop #cube entertainment

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Review: LE SSERAFIM – Fearless

There were rumors after IZ*ONE disbanded that Sakura was going to join HYBE. Now, many didn’t believe in it. I myself wanted to wait and see. If it happens, great. If it doesn’t then we move on. One year later, HYBE/Source Music announced they would debut LE SSERAFIM and Sakura would be one of its members. Not only that but Chaewon was joining as well. Both were popular members from IZ*ONE and one has to wonder what sort of name recognition these two will bring to the group. Let’s just say their debut had a lot of anticipation.

The debut song is a well-polished funky dance track and it’s fine for what it is. Fearless hooks you in immediately and takes no prisoners with its smooth melody and slick beat.

You can tell the producers were trying to be ambitious but not make it too over the top. The girls sang great and their vocal delivery made the chorus feel cool. There was no shout-talking which I appreciated and the rap part also stands out. 

In the end, this song is fun to listen too. Sure, its a bit simple and one can say its short. Still, I just find Fearless charming. It tries not to be too experimental and I like that.

Rating: 8

You can watch the MV here.

#le sserafim #kpop songs #song review #kpop review #kpop #sakura miyawaki #kim chaewon #lesserafim #kim garam

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Review: Miyeon ((G)I-DLE) – Drive

I really do like MiYeon. In fact, she’s my favorite member from (G)I-DLE. It’s been only a few months since (G)I-DLE made a comeback too so when I heard that MiYeon was releasing a mini-album, I was pleasantly surprised. You can say what you want about Cube Entertainment and believe me I have a lot of things to say about their mismanagement of their groups but I do like that they know how to promote each member of (G)I-DLE individually.

Let me just say MiYeon is vocally talented. She really was the one that made me like LATATA. Drive sounds very much like a TaeYeon song. It’s upbeat and it sounds like a sentimental ballad. I like that. The bright energy is heard throughout the song and the vocals are top notch. The chorus is great as well.

It’s pretty satisfying to listen and it has that sweet and warm kind of vibe. The melody isn’t too complex or overproduced and it delivers an eternal sound that is light, appealing, and playfully quaint. That's really all I got to say.

Rating: 8.5

You can watch the MV here.

#song review #kpop review #kpop songs #kpop #(g)idle #miyeon #kpop gidle

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Review: Dreamcatcher - Maison

When I heard that Dreamcatcher wasn’t going to be part of Queendom 2, I was a bit disappointed. They would have certainly brought a distinctive perspective to the show and I would have loved their performance stages. Instead, they have released their second length full album and let me say that I’m glad that they did. Dreamcatcher’s rock sound is pretty unique when it comes to mainstream K-Pop and I have been a fan of them since they first released their title track Good Night.

Maison is a good song from start to finish. Sure, there are some flaws but what song doesn’t? I didn’t like the chorus as much as I wanted to but the verses are certainly amazing. Dami’s rap part wasn’t bad either. This song starts out with an awesome guitar riff which I must say brought a lot of spark. The instrumental gets better as the song progresses into what sounds like halfway between a distorted guitar and rugged synths. As the song approaches towards the end, it starts to sound like a rock opera. I do love rock operas when it is done right and this song differently does it right.

In the end, Maison is a good addition to their already excellent discography.

Rating: 8.5

You can check out the MV here

#kpop songs #dreamcatcher #maison #kpop review #song review #k pop music #kpop

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Review: IVE - Love Dive

I really did like IVE’s debut single, ELEVEN. I felt like it was the best debut song that came out in 2021 and it made me an instant fan of the group. When I heard that IVE was making a comeback four months later, I had high expectations. I wanted their sophomore single to be good. I’m glad to say that after listening to it, I believe that this is a certified hit. I really do like this song. Maybe a little too much.

From the beginning to the first pre-chorus, this song had me hooked. The “Woos” in this song are such earworms. I also liked that there is no empty chorus. You wouldn’t believe how happy I am over that. This is what a K-Pop song should sound like.

The song is well structured. I didn’t mind the dance break which was very haunting and its transition to the final chorus was pretty smooth. Never did this song lose focus. While the melody does lack in certain areas, I found the overall song enjoyable. I appreciate when K-Pop songs don’t try to be too experimental. It really sucks the enjoyment of the song and it becomes a chore to listen to.

Rating: 9

You can watch the MV here.

#love dive #ive #kpop #song review #starship entertainment #kpop songs #kpop review

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Spider-Man: No Way Home - Review

Believe in the hype. That pretty sums up this movie. Now, while I think Spider-Man Into The SpiderVerse is still a better Spider-Man film, I think this is the best one made under Marvel Studios. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is great and Jon Watts did a wonderful job directing this film. Not only is this a great conclusion to a trilogy but a celebration of all the Spider-Man franchises that came before this one.

The film takes place after the last film, and J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) has revealed that Peter Parker is Spider-Man and the one that killed Mysterio. He is seen as both a villain and a hero. He also blames himself that MJ Watson (Zendaya) and Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon) got rejected by M.I.T. Peter decides to go to Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and asks him to wipe out the memory of everyone that knows Peter Parker is Spider-Man. This doesn't go well as planned and brings back villains from past Spider-Man films such as Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) and Max Dillon (Jamie Fox). Alfred Molina hasn’t skipped a beat and you could say that for the other villains in the film.

Like I said before, I really did enjoy this film. I also loved the surprises that came. Please go watch this film. Believe in the hype.

Other notable actors include Marisa Tomei (May Parker) and Jon Favreau (Happy Hogan).

#no way home #spiderman #marvel cinematic universe #marvel studios #marvel mcu #mcu spiderman

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My Name - Review

If you’re done watching Squid Game and are looking for other K-Dramas to binge on Netflix then My Name is a great drama to watch. The drama stars Han So-Hee as Yoon Ji-Woo/Oh Hye-Jin who after the murder of her father played by Yoon Dong-Hoon goes join the crime syndicate, DongCheonPa to seek revenge. Choi Mu-Jin, played by Park Hee-Soon mentors Yoon Ji-Woo and she joins the police force to become a mole.

There she meets Jeon Pil-Do, played by Ahn Bo-Hyun and they become partners. I really did enjoy the chemistry between these two and it was delightful to see both on the screen. The story itself was compelling and it kept me intrigued till the end of the final episode. While the reveal of the real killer wasn't that really shocking and I saw it coming early on, I still found myself surprised by the other twists that happened throughout the show.

I also like that Yoon Ji-Woo is a well-written character. She's really tough, and I really love her determination on trying to find her father's killer.

Other notable actors include Kim Sang-Ho who plays the police captain Cha Gi-Ho and Chang Ryul who plays Go Dong-Jae.

My Name is one of the best K-Dramas to come out in 2021.

#my name #k drama #korean drama #kdrama #netflix #netflix series

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Shang-Chi - Review

Shang-Chi is the first film I have seen in theaters for over a year and let me tell you this, I’m glad I saw this on the big screen rather than seeing it on Disney+. Shang-Chi is one of those movies that deserve to be seen in the theaters. The movie stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Awkafina as Katy Chen, Meng'er Zhang as Xu Xialing, and Tony Leung as Xu Wenwu. Now, I have seen Simu Liu act in Wong Fu Production shorts and in Kim’s Convenience and I really enjoy his body of work. He’s really great here and I can see why he was chosen for the role. Not only is Simu a charismatic actor but he’s also charming.

Awkafina is also wonderful and I really did like her character. She has great comedic timing and I really do enjoy her one-liners. I also liked her character’s banter with her mom. It was so relatable. Hope she appears in future MCU films.

The chemistry between Simu Liu and Awkafina was also great.

The film itself was entertaining. I did love the fantasy martial arts elements and the fight scenes were all so great. Thank goodness, there was no shaky cam. Big kudos to director Destin Daniel Cretton. He did a fantastic job at not only directing the film but also wrote the film as well. Again, I do enjoy the usage of Chinese folklore and for the most part, felt like watching a Hong Kong fantasy film.

Oh, I have to mention Tony Leung. He is a legend and I liked that he was playing the villain of the film. He isn’t your typical villain and unlike other MCU films, he is so fleshed out. His backstory is also something you’ll be invested too.

I felt invested in the characters and their stories and I would recommend fans of martial arts films and the MCU to watch this in theaters.

Other notable actors include Michelle Yeoh and Benedict Wong.

#Shang Chi #Simu Liu #Awkafina #MCU #Marvel Cinematic Universe

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The Suicide Squad - Review

I saw the first Suicide Squad back in 2016 and I didn’t mind it but I didn’t like it either so coming into this film I had low expectations. The Suicide Squad is written and directed by James Gunn and believe me when I say this but I think I like this better than the first Suicide Squad. Heck, I think this is my favorite DCEU film so far.

The film stars Idris Elba as Robert DuBois (Bloodshot) who was convicted for shooting Superman with a Kryptonite bullet and Margot Robbie who plays Harley Quinn. Harley Quinn has to be my favorite cinematic DC character. There’s also John Cena who plays Christopher Smith (Peacemaker). I do like his acting in this film and he does play a hysterical character. Sylvester Stallone also did a great job being the voice actor for King Shark.

The writing is great. I really do like James Gunn’s wit and comic timing. The dialog between Christopher Smith and Robert DuBois is remarkably hilarious. I also like the chemistry between all of the characters. It’s overall an enjoyable film and it’s really entertaining.

Some other characters from the first film do come back including Amanda Waller played by Viola Davis. She’s more evil and terrifying in this film compared to the first one. There’s also Rick Flag played by Joel Kinneman who I like more in this film than in the first film. Can’t really say that about Captain Boomerang played by Jai Courtney who I forgot was in this film.

I do recommend seeing this film and you can see it on HBO Max.

#The Suicide Squad #HBO Max #DCEU #DC Films #Suicide Squad #Harley Quinn #Margot Robbie #John Cena

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What happened to MCU’s Helen Cho?

Dr. Helen Cho (Claudia Kim) was introduced in Age Of Ultron and was somewhat an important character throughout the whole film. She was a South Korean geneticist that was first seen helping mend the wound of Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner). She was the creator of the Regeneration Cradle and helped create Vision. Yes, she helped create Vision!

Throughout the film, it had seemed that she knew the Avengers real well. Even getting invited to a party at Avengers Tower, and asking if Thor (Chris Hemsworth) was going to be there. One can assume she has worked with them for a while now. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) was even impressed by her advanced technology.

She was part of the main plot when Ultron (James Spader) decided to create a synthetic body using her machine. Something that she is against. She was hypnotized by Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and even survived getting shot from a laser blast.

We last see her touring the new Avengers Campus which implied that she's been working there. So, what happened to her? She wasn't mentioned or seen again ever since. Is it too much to ask for her return to the MCU?

I'm aware that there could be a lot of reasons why Helen was never seen again. Claudia Kim might not be interested in playing the character, but it does seem odd to introduce an intelligent character, suggest that she's part of the MCU moving forward, but then suddenly forget about her.

Helen is the only Asian woman so far to appear significantly in a Marvel film and at that time was such a big deal. This was long before Shang-Chi.

#Helen Cho #Age Of Ultron #Avengers #Claudia Kim

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Black Widow - Review

While I did enjoy the film, and I love Scarlett Johansson playing Black Widow, I thought to myself if a prequel was really necessary moving forward. I think they should have released this film after Captain America: Civil War. It would have made sense.

Taking place after Captain America: Civil War, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) is now a fugitive on the run for violating the Sokovia Accords. Meanwhile, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) comes in contact with a substance called Red Dust and is no longer under the control of the Red Room. Belova then sends the antidote to Romanoff, in hopes that she will return to help. We are also introduced to TaskMaster and we get a family reunion of sorts when both Romanoff and Belova break Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour) out of prison. They need him to find Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) who knows where the Red Room is.

I like Yelena Bolova. She had great witty one-liners and was overall a great character and based on the after credits, we’ll see more of her in the future. Possibly in the Hawkeye TV series on Disney+. Florence Pugh is amazing and her chemistry with Scarlett Johansson was pretty great.

I also like Natasha's back story. It's all so interesting. Tell me more about how she escaped the Red Room. Tell me more about why she killed Dreykov's daughter. Tell me more about Natasha's fake family. How she knows Clint. Tell me that story.

I didn’t like Dreykov (Ray Winstone), who just comes off like a stereotypical Bond villain. I wish I knew more about the Red Room. Also, TaskMaster isn't really fleshed out for me to care about her backstory.

Still, I’m happy that I saw the film and I would recommend it to those that are Black Widow fans.

#Black Widow #Natasha Romanoff #Scarret Johansson #Yelena Belova #MCU #Marvel

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Zoetic -Review

Zoetic is a short film written and directed by Julie Zhan and Wesley Chan and stars Julie Zhan and Dawn Ying Yuen. I am a big fan of Wong Fu Productions and I am also a fan of Julie Zhan, so I had to check out the film when it got uploaded on Wong Fu's YouTube Channel. Let me just say I really did like this short. It's beautifully filmed and I do like the cinematography.

The story is about Emma (Julie Zhan) trying to get her mother, Jackie (Dawn Ying Yeun) back into dating and things don't go so well at first but Jackie eventually meets Dave (Phil Morris) and it seems like there was some kind of a connection. Emma asks about the date at home, and Jackie tells her that she wasn't interested in continuing dating and belittles her by calling her a child. It frustrates Emma and this is where Julie Zhan's acting shines.

Julie Zhan's acting is wonderful and I want to see her do more serious roles. As for the film itself, I really did enjoy the story and it was so relatable. I can understand being called a child when you are a full-grown adult. I have been there.

It reminded me why I became of fan of Wong Fu's more serious short films. There's something about them that makes me want to want to watch more. Overall, I enjoyed the short film and I would recommend everyone to watch it.

Check it out here.

#Wong Fu Productions #Wesley Chan #Julie Zhan #Youtube #Asian Short Films

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Raya And The Last Dragon - Review

I finally got to see Raya and The Last Dragon on Disney+ and let me tell you I’m glad that I watched it. It’s a fun fantasy-adventure that has elements of South Asian folklore. The film is great and I really enjoyed the world building and overall story. The movie stars Kelly Marie Tran as Raya, a warrior princess trying to restore peace back in Kumandra. She is looking for SiSu, played by Awkwafina, who is the last dragon

The film starts out telling the story of Kumandra and how it was once ravaged by Druun who are evil spirits that turn living creatures into statues. Sisu used a magic gem and vanished Druun, reviving the people of Kumandra but the dragons did not come back. A power struggle for the gem divided the nation into five tribes based on their placement on the dragon-shaped river. Fang, Heart, Spine, Talon, and Tail. 500 years later, Chief Banja (Daniel Dae Kim) trains his daughter Raya to protect the gem. He firmly believes that the tribes can be united once again.

He invites leadership of all five tribes in hopes to bring peace but things don’t turn out like he has planned. Ray befriends Nammarri (Gemma Chan) and she shows her where the gem is located. Nammarri then betrays their friendship and tries to steal the gem for the Tribe of Fang. The gem breaks apart into pieces and Druun awakens, turning Raya’s father and others into stone. Six years later, Raya is looking for Sisu and the other pieces of the gem in hopes of turning her father back to human.

Awkwafina’s comedic timing as SiSu is great. She’s a real funny character and I wanted to see more of her. I also like Raya and Nammarri’s dynamic rivalry. I feel like it's different from other Disney animated films. Kelly Marie Tran did a wonderful job at voice acting. On another note, I do want to see both of them become Official Disney Princesses.

Other notable actors include Benedict Wong as Tong, Sandra Oh as Virana, Thalia Tran as Little Noi. You can check this film on Disney+.

The movie is directed by Don Hall and Carlos Lopez Estrada and written by Qui Nyuyen and Adele Lim.

#Raya And The Last Dragon #Disney Animation #Disney+ #Awkafina #Kelly Marie Tran

[internetluda]

Luca - Review

Luca is an extraordinary animated film from Pixar and is directed by Enrico Casarosa who also wrote and directed the short film La Luna. I love this film and it is probably in my top ten favorite Pixar films. I might even like this film better than Soul.

The film tells the story of our titular character Luca (Jacob Tremblay) who is a teenage sea monster living off the coast of the Italian city Portorosso. He spends his day herding a school of fish. One day, he meets Aberto (Jack Dylan Grazer) who shows him around the surface and his hideout. He dreams of owning a Vespa scooter. They become human once they come onto land and become friends. Luca’s parents Daniela (Maya Rudolph) and Lorenzo (Jeff Gaffigan) find out and threaten Luca that he has to move with his uncle that lives at the bottom of the sea.

Aberto and Luca run away to Portorosso and meet Giulia (Emma Berman), a teenage girl who wants to win the Portorosso Cup. There is an individual that is preventing her from winning the race and that is Ercole (Saverio Raimondo) who is basically a local bully. Alberto, Luca, and Giulia decide to become a team so that they can win the race, win the grand prize money, and buy a Vespa scooter. I'm starting to see a theme here.

I really do love the scenery and the background art in this film. Not to mention, I really like the character designs. In the end credits, they have illustrations of the characters and they are really cute. The story itself is a coming-of-age fantasy and somewhat an advertisement for Vespa. I really enjoyed the story and the characters are so entertaining, especially Luca’s parents. I did find Alberto and Luca annoying but that’s how teens should act. Luca wants to learn things and go to school while Alberto is afraid of losing a friend

Check out Luca on Disney+. You won’t be disappointed.

#Luca #Pixar #Disney+ #Animated Film #Movie Review

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Wish Dragon - Review

Wish Dragon is a charming animated film directed and written by Chris Appelhans and stars Jimmy Wong as Din, John Cho as the Wish Dragon and Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Li-Na. The story is like a retelling of the classic Aladdin story but it takes place in modern day Shanghai.

Din wants to reconnect with his childhood friend, Li-Na who moved away with her father to live a better life. He receives a teapot after meeting an old man while delivering food and discovers that inside the teapot lives a wish dragon named Long that can grant three wishes. The dragon must serve ten masters before he can go free to the spirit world. Let’s just say that Long has his own back story and I think it’s great.

You can relate to Din, he's such a likable character and has the same problems similar to other teenagers growing up in an Asian household.

There’s also three thugs that are chasing after Din and are looking for the teapot. I really did like the villain of the film. Not to mention, the henchmen were hysterical. The cast did a really good job at bringing the characters alive. I also loved the character designs and the clean animation. Sony Animation did a wonderful job at capturing what Shanghai, China looked like.

I really do like what Sony Animation is doing this year. They are just killing it when it comes to animated feature films. Not just with this film but with The Mitchells Vs The Machines. These films should had been released in theaters.

Other notable cast members include Contance Wu as Din’s mom and Will Yun Lee as Li-na’s dad.

I highly recommend this film. Not only does it tell a good story but it has characters that are enjoyable to watch. You can watch it on Netflix.

#Wish Dragon #Sony Animation #Netflix #Chris Appelhans #John Cho #Jimmy Wong #Natasha Liu Bordizzo

[internetluda]

Sweet & Sour - Review

I really do like Korean romantic comedies when they are entertaining so when I saw Sweet & Sour pop up on my Netflix interface, I decided to check it out. It stars Chae Soo-Bin who I adored in Strongest Delivery Man.

Da-Eun (Chae Soo-Bin) is a nurse that meets Jang-Hyeok and they immediately connect. Da-Eun would sometimes take naps near his side, stop him from smoking, and steal meals. It’s so precious.

He is discharged but he can't stop thinking about her so he finds her phone number and decides to call her. She then invites him over and he sleeps over. The next morning, he replaces a light bulb and makes her breakfast. There is a point after they start dating that she gives him sneakers that match her own and they go to Jeju Island together. It is then he promises to lose weight.

He does, and we are introduced to a new actor (Jang Ki-Yong) playing Jang-Hyeok. He gets transferred to a corporate setting and that’s where he meets Bo-Yeong (Krystal) who forms a love-hate relationship. At some point, they start to become closer.

Da-Eun and Jang-Hyeok don’t really get to see each other due to work and things become complicated. What's more frustrating is that Da-Eun tells Jang-Hyuk that she is pregnant but he treats it like it's a burden. He doesn't care about their personal lives. There is a point where Da-Eun has an abortion but Jang-Hyeok doesn't know how to comfort her.

That is when the film decided to go bat-shit crazy. That ending? I mean, what was that?

SERIOUSLY, WHAT WAS THAT? I really did wanted to like Sweet & Sour. It had a lot of potentials to be a great romantic comedy but the twist came out of nowhere and I felt like the film just fell apart.

#Sweet & Sour #Sweet And Sour #Netflix #Korean Movie #Chae Soo Bin #Jang Ki Yong #Krystal #Korean Romantic Comedy