#review by lee

[toallthebooksivelovedbefor3]

So I just finished watching young royals;

First, I wanna say this better get a season 3 and 4.

Second, I love the way willie always a wanna talk whenever he and Simon fought. Despite Simon always walking away, I love how Willie always tries to communicate.

Third, it was love at first sight and no one can tell me differently. Willie literally fell for Simon the moment he saw him. He just didn’t know because he never thought he could feel intimacy for a boy. I’m sure he thought he was so sure of his sexuality until he saw Simon, I mean y’all saw the way Willie look at Simon at the initiation party. That was pure intrigue; a want to know who this boy is. And the way he chased after him when Simon left to look for Sara, he wanted to be in this boy’s company and don’t let me mention the way he went in for thirds and fourths when they first kissed -THE SHIRT PULL!!! Let me also mention when Willie asked Simon if he liked it there and we all know Simon didn’t but to not answer, Simon redirected the question to Willie and he said yes, even though we all know he didn’t. I mean he said himself he didn’t want to go to some fucking boarding school and he didn’t want to be around Annoying August. They only started to like the school because of each other and in that moment when they were hiding from September and Nils, I think there was a slight realization from Willie that he might like Simon in the same way he liked girls and from Simon that the prince might be gay.

Fourth, Felice. I didn’t really like her much in season one but season two? Felice came into herself. The transition from her straighten hair to curly/natural I loved that and if we get a season 3 (praying we do) I think we’ll see her explore her sexuality because I thought sis was in the closet when I saw pull out Maddie’s hair in s1ep1. Also in that’s same scene when she says she’s not hungry, I got an eating disorder vibe, don’t know if it’s just me but then I didn’t notice anything else relating to a ED so Idk.

Fifth, I seriously believe that there is something wrong with August mentally. I mean, there has got to be some kind of effect to him taking all those drugs. He needs help or Jesus, maybe both. I also believe he knew that Wilhelm liked Simon, just refused to believe it because of who Wilhelm was. I also believed he really loved Sara because in s2 we see him wanting to go after Sara but instead chose duty. I’d like to see more of their relationship explored.

Sixth, Sara, honey, I know you are a trying to help but sometimes the best way of helping is to not help.

Seventh, I love how they incorporated Omar’s culture with his character. Omar is Venezuelan-Swedish and at school we see Simon speaking svenska (Swedish), but at home it’s mostly Spanish with his mom mixed with svengelska (Swedish-English) with his sister and friends. I would like to see Simon speaking Spanish to Willie and him not knowing what to do or say because he doesn’t understand the language.

Eighth, Fredrika knows that Stella is in love with her and she wrote the poem, she’s just waiting for her to get some courage and confess, that’s a canon I believe will happen. But on the reals, Stella is a girl boss and Fredrika is a sweetheart and someone (Sara) needs to accidentally spill the beans so these two can be together. I love a grump-sunshine relationship.

Ninth, I wish I saw Erik and how he would react when the tape leaked. I fully believe he’d support his brother.

Tenth, in conclusion, young royals deserve a season 3 and 4 where we see how people will react to the Crown prince and his Prince consort, Felice and finding herself, Maddie and Felice? Maybe, Sara and August, August redemption because we all know he regretted what he did, STELLA AND FREDRIKA, 2nd and 3rd year to see how they’ll handle the pressure and the transition from teens to adulthood CONFIDENT WILHELM, the queen being a mother and getting to her son’s boyfriend, MORE WILHMON MAKEOUTS, rosh’s ex actual name, Wilhelm and Alexander make up, August and Wilhelm going from enemies to acquaintances (not friends bcuz I don’t think Willie would forgive him so quickly especially since he almost lost Simon), Simon realizing the pressure that Willie is under in the Royal Court, WILHMON PDA, Willie and Felice being bestie pt 3, Simon and Sara make up, Felice and Sara make up.

Any more you can think of feel free to comment.

#young royals #prince wilhelm #wilhelm x simon #stella x fredrika #crown prince wilhelm #young royals season two #young royals season 2 #review by lee

[sincerelyhannibal]

#just quick and easy #had to post that smirk it was too good #not to #brennan lee mulligan #make some noise #d20 #shirt review post

[dlstmxkakwldrlarchive]

Partly for the prolific volume of projects artists release each year and partly for the fluid definition of an album (running anywhere from three to 13 tracks), an annual ranking of K-pop albums is never easy. As South Korea continues to extend its global musical influence, certain projects transcend hit-song compilations, presenting larger visions and conceptual narratives.

In 2023, stars like V, WOODZ and ONEW used their latest solo projects to share the music that inspires them at their core as artists and let listeners settle into sonic worlds they’ve developed.

[...]

First Place: Onew, Circle The First Album

While it’s somewhat criminal to think that 15 years after ONEW’s debut with SHINee in 2008 we only just received his first full Korean album, the singer-songwriter himself would say that now was the perfect time for Circle. A musical journey unlike anything released this year, ONEW shared that he had attempted to record the album’s title track before dropping his Dice EP in early 2022, but felt it wasn’t at the level of perfection it deserved and held onto the song. ONEW then involved himself in every aspect of Circle‘s production process, from meticulous mixing and mastering to tuning, beats, recording and mastering, attesting to the singer-songwriter’s dedication to artistic expression.

The single “O (Circle)” opens the album with an intriguing blend of electronica and strings, while its gospel-tinged chorus emphasizes lyrics about the circular nature of life and how memories, feelings and dreams are all fleeting. The 10 tracks on Circle develop unique transformations from start to finish: the breezy melodies in “Cough” are paired with loneliness-themed lyrics and a melancholy instrumental breakdown, while “Rain on Me” starts with aggressive acoustic guitar strumming before transitioning into an atmospheric, percussive ballad. Sweet surprises abound, too: ONEW scats on the jazz-rap hybrid “Caramel” and gives a glimpse into his indie-rock side on “Parachute.”

The album’s effortless flow is anchored by ONEW’s famously solid yet understated vocals. As Circle concludes with the tender piano ballad “Always” which addresses themes of loyalty and resilience, the listener wonders if it’s an allegory for ONEW’s public journey through health challenges, including vocal cord surgery. Even without any writing credits on Circle, ONEW’s presence is undeniably felt in this seamless collection that boasts an emotional depth brought on by 15 years in the game. That’s the kind of introspection you can’t rush or doctor through A&R but need to cycle through and arrive at when the moment is right. From scheduling this album’s release to the messages on the final track, time is definitely on ONEW’s side to deliver such a project. — J.B.

source

#231230 #shinee #onew #lee jinki #jinki #hard era #circle album praise #articles #eng #circle album review #billboard #long post #jeff benjamin #jessica oak #circle achievements

[weirdlookindog]

Horror Films are Fun

(ABC Film Review Magazine, March 1970)

#horror films are fun #vincent price #christopher lee #peter cushing #scream and scream again #abc film review magazine #1970 #1970s

[banghwa]

HELTER SKELTER (2012) - dir. Mika Ninagawa SIREN by SUNMI (2018) - dir. Choi Yongseok

#ksoloists #filmgifs #kgoddesses #sunmi #helter skelter #mika ninagawa #lee sunmi #erika sawajiri #**remember when lumpens mvs were good.... #**anyways i never kno how to tag my non bts gifs anyways. here u go. #**i swear i intended for these to be big gifs but i hate the colouring on some of these so bad that they need to be small. #**it makes the colours flow better anyways. #**ANYWAYS. sunmi helter skelter letterboxd review when. #*creations #*gifs

[squash1]

ok book club <3 what are we reading that’s actually good and would maybe fill the trc shaped hole in my soul???? and don’t say reread. unless you say reread the dreamer trilogy because i’m so close to giving into the urge.

please. please. give me your suggestions.

as a frame of reference here are non-trc books i love & would recommend (different content, same soul):

watch over me by nina lacour

in memoriam by alice winn

under the whispering door by tj klune

these violent delights by micah nemerever

the anthropocene reviewed by john green

summer sons by lee mandelo

a tale for the time being by ruth ozeki

i need an actual book club but tumblr took away my group chats :(

anyway love you please give me suggestions!!!!!

#i am also not really a fantasy person #BUT i like magical realism (i just don’t like the whole world building thing personally) #thank you #and maybe let’s all be best friends and read books together #trc #bookblr #book recommendations #book recs #the raven cycle #the dreamer trilogy #maggie stiefvater #nina lacour #alice winn #in memoriam #under the whispering door #these violent delights #micah nemerever #the anthropocene reviewed #summer sons #lee mandelo #a tale for the time being #ruth ozeki

[thatdoodlebug]

some satanic rites of dracula letterboxd reviews i enjoy deeply

#hammer horror #hammer dracula #the satanic rites of dracula #peter cushing #christopher lee #letterboxd #reviews #hammer #horror

[pricelesscinemas]

#letterboxd #movie #movie review #movie reviews #movies #movie recommendation #movie recommendations #review #reviews #brokeback mountain #ang lee #jake gyllenhaal #jack twist #ennis del mar #heath ledger #lgbt #lgbtq

[survivalistghost]

excuse me sir that’s my emotional support murderer

#kdrama #korean drama #review #tvn netflix #kdrama recommendations #crash course in romance #lee dong wook #choi chi yeol #doom at your service #mr ji im sorry #bad and crazy #vincenzo #ok taecyeon #song joong ki

[duahauuoplanh]

Scenes and camera angles in King the Land that didn't make to the final cut.

#it's still bizarre to me imagining the editing team reviewed these scenes with the director #and maybe casually said “nah we're not gonna add this to our episode.” #ok fine I might understand other scenes but the wedding scenes tho #like really? #Junho #Yoona #King the Land #Lee Junho #always next to Junho #It’s Junho’s season now #2pm #SNSD #I put my heart into every gifset I’ve made

[anarglitch]

Scott pilgrim takes off inhabits the same artistic space as the matrix 4, or even the final fantasy 7 remake. I mean this as a good thing. It has the distinct touch of an artist that made something that defined a generation revisiting the art that outgrew them a thousandfold with more maturity and different interests.

These interests usually skew meta, they're about what drives someone to revisit something made by a past version of oneself, about the experience of suddenly gaining more influence than anyone could reconcile, where criticisms of your work (which you also, no doubt, have many) become synonymous with criticisms of your culture. If you've been here a while, you probably know (and are tired of) what I'm talking about, manic pixie dream girls and aloof average male protagonists, toxic nostalgia, pick your theme and it's a video essay title.

Imagine having every read of your 2004 funny video game-coded coming of age comic reverberate infinitely toward every direction, people saying your main character taught a whole generation of men to be self-absorbed while the exact opposite type of people rant about how your secondary lead "ruined a whole generation of women" because of hair-dye or whatever. Imagine Edgar Wright makes a movie adaptation of your cute little comic that somehow launches the careers of half of the current celebrity pantheon simultaneously. How would that change you?

Well, for one, it makes you less relatable. The truth of an aloof nerdy guy dating in his early 20s is a lot more universal than the truth of an artist in his 40s forever defined by the event horizon of a thing he wrote half his life ago. The matrix 4 couldn't stop talking about how it feels to have created the matrix. The final fantasy 7 remake can't help but to constantly examine what it means to remake final fantasy 7. It's easy to see why someone would hate that indulgent meta trend, I'll probably never write a generation-defining story, why would I care about the first world problems of someone who did? It can feel distant, and at its worst it can feel insulting. Like it's pointing the finger at the fans, whispering 'you did this to me'. I get that.

I get that, but I love it.

It's the fundamental difference between wanting something that is like something you liked, and wanting someone that is from the same creator of something you liked. The difference between feeding the mona lisa into an AI and finding a new authentic da Vinci. You can't make something entirely new if you religiously stick to using the parts of something that's already there. The human behind the work will always have influences you didn't realize, thought patterns and aesthetic preferences that weren't entirely clear in their previous work, no matter how much you deconstruct it. More importantly, the human will also change, and this organic self-continuity will reflect on the art. I don't want the creator of something to hold their own creation with the same zeal as its fans, because someone who did that simply wouldn't have been capable of creating the original piece in the first place.

I don't want a product, I want art.

Scott pilgrim, the original, indulges the most earnest impulse we have-- that of self-mythologizing, of creating a narrative off of our own lives. To depict the mundane as fantastic, interpersonal relationships as adventures. It resonated with so many people because it was earnest, and it was also picked apart to hell and back because it was earnest. Its flaws were on display, and not just the ones it intended to show. But in my opinion, the opposite impulse, that of washing off everything that could be criticized and presenting the cleanest possible image of yourself through your art, is just... bad. it makes for bad art, or it just freezes you. The very first hurdle of creating anything is getting over that, then maybe the spotlight will fall on you. If it does, you'll get everything you ever wanted, but everyone gets to see through you.

So, how do you revisit something like that? You have two options. Either you take all the pieces and try to reassemble them exactly how everyone remembers it, signing your name as a formality, looking at a mirror in which you no longer see yourself, or you talk to it. You dialogue with your own work, with who you used to be. You travel in time and talk to yourself. You question them, acknowledge them but also teach them a thing or two. You don't respect the product, you respect the feeling. You find the same earnestness that made you put pen to paper for the first time, and you point it towards your new loves and fears. Maybe you make it less about the main guy, take the chance to develop your secondary characters, maybe you give the girl more agency. Maybe you summon the future and refuse its answers. Maybe you fight yourself.

That's the harder choice. It submits your new self to the scrutinizing eyes of a whole new generation, it risks alienating the people who identified with your previous piece. It's riskier, probably less profitable, and by any pragmatic lens probably a bad idea. But it's the only way you can make art. It's truth, the truth that got you there in the first place.

It's how you get it together.

#scott pilgrim #scott pilgrim takes off #review #bryan lee o'malley

[toallthebooksivelovedbefor3]

!!!A LIGHT IN THE FLAME SPOILER!!!

Sera’s confession in the pools of Divanash…let’s talk.

It wasn’t discussed in more depth and I’m glad it wasn’t despite it being something so serious.

I’m also glad Nektas, the chillest of them all was there with her when this was revealed because some people seemed to don’t know how to act when stuff like this is revealed and choose to be overly sensitive and tiptoeing around it, like it is something uncommon. It is very much common and very real. We don’t need to be tiptoed around or treated as glass, we just need to know that someone is there reaching out a hand when it feels like we’re in a dark room alone or when it gets too much to handle alone.

And not a lot of people know but anxiety is very strong as it’s portrayed, not even the powerful ones can run from it. I’m also glad we see Sera still suffering with anxiety and that Lathan did as well.

#jennifer armentrout #a light in the flame #sera #seraphena mierel #nektas #sera x nektas #asite book 2 #flesh and fire series #review by lee

[sincerelyhannibal]

#how is everyone doing #well we all know what this is about #so i will just leave it here #as an offering #brennan lee mulligan #d20 #dimension 20 #dropout #shirt review post

[underthebrightmooninterests]

(clip from Tale Of The Nine Tailed ep 4)

No I didn’t add that music, that’s the original lmao. You know, this might be the happiest fight scene I’ve ever seen.

#kdrama #kdrama review #tale of the nine tailed #tale of the nine tailed 1938 #tale of the nine tailed season 2 #lee rang #Lee Yeon #lee rang and lee yeon #lee dong wook #kim beom #kim bum

[buldakdrama]

5 must watch kdramas if you are in search of something unique

When it comes to Kdramas, you can expect a number of varieties in the plots. Some are plain rom-com, while others focus more on crime and thriller, some are painting ever-existing social issues in front of the audiences, while others are taking them to a trip of fantasia. All in all, you can get whatever you want here. 

However, it can get quite monotonous after a while. Since there are now a lot of rom-coms based on Boss-employee relationships or fantasy dramas based on non-human leads falling in love with the human leads, nothing is hard to predict. In this scenario, you must crave to watch something that has a refreshment to offer. Something that is not so predictable and leaves you hooked on the drama for good. And if you are looking for something just like this, then you are at the right place because I am about to suggest 5 must watch kdramas if you are looking for something unique. So, let’s get into it. 

1. Reborn Rich 

Trust me when I say Reborn Rich is nothing like the dramas we are used to watching even if it has that chaebol backdrop. This Song Joong Ki starrer is based on the revenge of an employee, who gets falsely accused and killed by his employers. Just on the moment he dies, he is reborn as the youngest son of the same employers but this time he goes back in time and starts from the start. Jin Do Jun now carefully plans his revenge as he claims his inheritance over the entire conglomerate. The twists and turns of the drama are really intriguing. In a moment Jin Do Jun is winning in the rat race and the next moment he is being interrogated by his girlfriend herself. But what is even more intriguing, is the ending of the drama! That unpredictable ending will keep you in a chokehold until you can’t comprehend what you have just watched. Additionally, if you have interest in business and finance then this one is a must watch for you. 

2. Celebrity 

Do you crave to have the limelight upon you? If yes, then let me tell you it comes with a caution. You might have to sacrifice more than what you can gain and all of it is pictured perfectly in Celebrity. This drama is the story of Seo A Ri, who accidentally becomes an e-celeb and completely despises what it has to offer. But soon she discovers the brighter side of the glam life she is offered and makes the best out of it, nonetheless, soon she finds herself succumbing to the darkness once she used to hate. This drama shows the downside of having an overly luxurious life and being addicted to social media popularity, which ends up costing A Ri’s life. But there is more to unfold. Celebrity is certainly intriguing but Park Gyu Young’s praise-worthy performance and the high-voltage cameos make it even better. If you want to watch a bad-ass female lead and a lot of unpredictable cliff-hangers then this drama is certainly a must watch for you.   

3. Remarriages and Desires

From the title the drama may sound to be one of the typical kdramas dealing with melodramatic plot but no, it’s not. Remarriages and Desires have a much heavier plot than you might assume. This one again is a revenge drama, but this time more on a domestic level. The drama focuses on a matchmaking agency called Rex, which signs up some of the wealthiest personalities of South Korea in order to match them up with their better halves. Seo Hye Seung’s not-so-simple life gets even more complicated when her mother enrolls her in as one of the members of Rex. However, she takes the chance of remarriage upon her unexpected encounter with Jin Yoo Hee, played by Jung Yoo JIn, there. Jin Yoo Hee is the person with whom Hye Seung’s ex cum late husband cheated her on and opted for a divorce. There begins the petty game of revenge and things get more and more intriguing by the end of the drama. However, only 8 episodes don’t do justice to the intriguing plot that it has. Nevertheless, this is one of the best dramas you can binge watch within a span of 24 hours. 

4. W - Two Worlds 

W is one of the most underrated suspense thrillers to ever be made, you can’t convince me otherwise. The plot of this drama focuses on two parallel words that are going on side by side and integrated by a door through a web novel. While Kang Chul, played by Lee Jong Suk, thinks he is pretty much real, Oh Yeon Joo’s sudden appearance in his life reveals that he is nothing but a character of a manga written by Yeon Joo’s father. Even though the backdrop of the drama hints at a rich guy falling for a random girl trope, it has a lot to offer. Your mind will go numb with all the predictions by the end. With an unexpected ending, an unexpected villain and an unexpected story development it becomes one of the must watches when you look for something unique. 

5. Extraordinary You 

Now this might seem to be an unhinged suggestion but wait, this is different. Extraordinary You is not a typical highschool romance as it seems it be, there are more. The drama is set within a comic novel. Yes, you read it right, within a comic novel, where all the characters are highschoolers and totally unaware of the fact that they are not even real. Until one day Eun Dan Oh, played by Kim Hye Yoon, finds out the truth. She then tries to change her pre-written fate at all cost as she doesn’t want to die at an early age. Changing her fate becomes even easier when she meets Haru, played by Rowoon. But things are not at all easy as it seems. The drama has a very unique plot indeed but it also has massive cringe alerts. So, please proceed with caution if you are not into sweet talks and PDA. Nevertheless, the unpredictable ending of the drama makes it a good addition when you want to watch something unique.

So what are you waiting for, get your spicy chicken ready and start binge watching these dramas if you have not already. I will see you in another post, another day.

-- Admin Nika

#kdrama #kdramas #korean drama #kdrama review #netflix kdrama #kdramadaily #kdrama blog #kdrama recommendations #buldak drama #buldak drama: reviews #buldak drama: recommendations #reborn rich #song joong ki #celebrity kdrama #park gyu young #remarriages and desires #jung eu gene #w #lee jong suk #extraordinary you #rowoon

[use-ur-inside-voice]

Past Lives: How can a movie be so beautiful yet painful?

I watched Past Lives this past Tuesday, and I have some thoughts. I won’t necessarily speak to the movie itself, but instead to how this movie made me feel. After I left the theater, I felt this wave of sadness rush to me. I couldn’t shake the feeling of sadness as I thought about Nora and how her story is so similar to the stories of other immigrants. I know that a lot of people have been taken with the romance in this movie, but I think we all need to step back and refocus for a bit. This is a movie about immigrants, and how immigration can impact everything and everyone. As I was saying, I couldn’t shake this feeling of sadness after leaving the theater. I could only think about my mother, and how her life would be different if she didn’t immigrate to the U.S.

Would she still be a nurse? Would she have followed her passions of being an English teacher or a lawyer? Would she have more kids? Would my sisters and I know our mother tongue fluently instead of constantly asking, “What does that mean?” Would I be close with my grandmother whom I never see or understand? Would I feel the pressures of having to be extremely successful in order to feel like my life was worth it? That my parents’ pilgrimage to the U.S. was worth it? That their sacrifice was worth it? How would being the eldest daughter be if not for my immigrant parents making me feel like I need to be the saving grace of the family? Would be mother be happy? Would we be happy? 

Every so often, my parents pull out their old photo albums and show me who they once were. Photos of large smiles on faces I don’t recognize. Photos of friends, aunts and uncles at parties that I have never met. Seeing my parents light up at the photos and hearing them go on and on about what life was like when they were in their home country. The community they once had, the lives they lived, the happiness they experienced. I could see the longing for those memories in their eyes, full of glee and sadness at the same time. 

My parents, especially my mother, speaks in the future tense. “Once I go back home...,” “I’m going to walk on the beach...” “I can’t wait to see my sisters again...” “I hope I can see my mom one more time...” It pains me to think that the life that my mother lives is not one that she longed for. It’s not a life she wanted. She longs for something I can not give her. And so I’m left with the thought of what would life look life if my parents never won a green card in the green card lottery? Would my mother be happy? 

Past Lives is a beautiful yet painful reminder that the life of an immigrant can be upended in seconds, whether for better or worse. It is more than just a love story, in fact, the romance between the two main characters acts as a vehicle to show us the real meaning behind the movie. Who were we? Who are we? And who will we become? It is sometimes too painful to think about what could’ve been, but something I learned from Past Lives is that it is also beautiful to reminisce on the past, embrace the present, and look forward to the future. I hope someday my mother can go back to her home country and live out the rest of her days, and I hope once she does that I never have to ask, “Would my mother be happy?”

#past lives a24 #past lives #past lives movie #past lives nora #past lives review #movie review #past lives movie review #a24 #pastlives #hae sung #greta lee #teo yoo #celine song #Celine song a24