Favorite EP
Cavviar - Cavviar
Wax is an artist that I've been following for a long time, so to hear he was doing a throwback 80's project got me excited. This whole EP was a blast to listen to and easy to jam out to as well. It really captured the style and the music video for the opening number grasped some of the humor behind the music also. If you check out the project, you'll be treated to no duds and my favorite of the five tracks, "Temptress in Gold". Honestly out of the three projects I've heard Wax on in a month's time, this has to be my favorite of them all.
Favorite Album
4eva is a Mighty Long Time - Big K.R.I.T.
Big K.R.I.T. has always been an artist that I enjoyed from afar. I'd hear songs here and there that I'd like, but neglect to check out more. With the new release, though, I believed it was best that I'd ignore that trend and finally listen to a whole album. I was simply blown away!! The first disc presents the southern sound that is at its finest, while the second delves into the mind behind the artistry. This was truly mastery of the craft and I knew that I've been missing out all these years. If you've ever been curious or love southern hip hop by way of Outkast, UGK, 8Ball & MJG, this is one to listen to.
Favorite Music Video
Lemon feat. Rihanna - N.E.R.D.
The announcement of a new N.E.R.D. single made me giddy! I immediately opened up YouTube and saw this gem of music. The fun vibe of the beginning let me know that N.E.R.D. really is back at it, then the switch up with Rihanna rapping had me "bouncing around, bouncing around, bouncing!" Allowing Mette Towley to be the amazing dancer she is loose to the jam embodied how the song made me feel. Now whenever I hear the beat start up, I have to warn people it's about to get "mad ethnic right now." Once you hear it, you might want to join me!
Favorite Anime Discussion
Black Clover Sucks - Manime Matt
Manime Matt is a newer channel to my subscriptions on YouTube and I really enjoy his content from his delivery to opinions. Black Clover has been hated on by many already and I can definitely see many of the flaws that people have brought forth. Matt here plans to take a small page from Digibro's book and plans to point out everything wrong with the episode, similar to Asterisk War Sucks. The small reason why this is one of my favorite discussions though is the fact that I still watch this show despite its issues (maybe because I'm watching the dub, but who knows.) Still, this is a fun little series that Manime has going that is entertaining to watch and I think others may believe so, too. Let me know.
TELECiDE (Japan)Sometimes you get in a YouTube recommendation hole, meaning you start clicking those related videos on the side and just go down the rabbit hole of music. I have no idea what led me to this band, but I can assure you it was probably some badass female jrock band. I adore finding new female talent in the jrock and visual kei scene, so it was refreshing to find these talented ladies. On the plus side, they seem to be bilingual with their lyrics, which is a trait I've found in bands like Pay Money to My Pain, coldrain, and sometimes SiM. TELECiDE blends dual vocals of singing and growling to a mix of hard rock, metalcore, and electronica. I believe my finger first landed on "Tied Up Memories" and then to "Cycle of Addiction". The more I listened to them, the more I wanted to see and hear. Their sound is very versatile and palatable for foreign ears, if you're looking to share something with your non-jrock friends. Unfortunately, I have yet to properly delve into an album or anything, but I'm looking forward to what else they have to offer their fans.
Raw (2017, France)Starring: Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, Rabah Nait Oufella | Directed by: Julia Ducournau
It's no secret that I love weird, artsy, and usually foreign films. Every year, I go through IMDb's list of upcoming movies for half of the year and return to it around the summer time to fill in any gaps. This movie was on my watch list and I knew I wouldn't see it in theaters. As usual, my workplace is very diligent about getting new movies and providing a service where you can request such odd gems that most of the public don't know about it. I watched a couple reviews in my YouTube feed and I still was unsure what I was getting myself into. The movie follows Justine who is starting her first year of veterinary school and was raised a strict vegetarian, like her older sister who attends the same university. As part of the program, the upperclassmen put the freshmen into a hazing ritual that involves them eating raw meat. This presents a problem for Justine, but her sister Alexia shows her that there's no harm and she'll get over it just like her. Unfortunately, the first taste of meat causes Justine to develop an unusual craving for human flesh. Watching this movie was quite the experience. It was just enough weird with a sprinkle of art that kept me interested throughout the duration of the movie. There were things I didn't expect from it either like the turn to cannibalism and the unusual bond between Justine and Alexia, but I enjoyed it a lot for being different and engaging. This movie is definitely not for everyone for the obvious reasons, but I know some people can't get on board with subtitles either. But if you aren't turned off by some delicious gore, I do want to warn you not to expect the typical horror movie treatment. Think of it as a coming of age story similar to Ginger Snaps.
The Sinner (2017, USA)Starring: Jessica Biel, Christopher Abbott, Dohn Norwood | Episodes: 8
I like Jessica Biel and I like mysteries, so when I saw commercials for this mini-series, I immediately set my DVR to record it. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch it while it was airing due to show conflicts, but eventually I did some short spurts of binging during the month. Oh, boy...this was quite the trip! Jessica Biel plays Cora Tannetti, a young mother that's dedicated to keeping her husband and son happy from day to day. One day, they decide to take a trip to the beach and while observing a small group of beachgoers in front of them, she suddenly snaps into a violent rage and kills one of them. Once she's brought back to reality and taken into custody by the police, one of the investigators is determined to figure out why Cora committed such an out of the blue crime. What set her off? The show does a fantastic job of keeping you hooked into the narrative and making you questioned what sort of trauma or situation could've triggered Cora. Could it be that she's tired of her tedious life or is it something from her past? These are the type of mysteries I enjoy to watch. I love solving things along with the cast of characters, because not only does the investigator want answers, Cora wants to know as well. Biel does an excellent job of getting us to sympathize and care about her character. I didn't want her to be punished for her crime, because she seemed like a simple woman who's just trying to do her best in this world of monotony. Christopher Abbott, who plays Cora's husband Mason also does a great job of adding onto that sympathy for him and his family. He's confused, frustrated, and lost on what to do with himself and their family, which is heartbreaking to watch.
Inuyashiki (2017)Episodes: 11
No, this isn't related to InuYasha, despite the similar name. Coincidentally for me, this series comes from the mind who created Gantz, Hiroya Oku. Why is that a coincidence? Well, around the time the fall season began, I finished the first season of Gantz without even knowing the two were related, until fans and reviewers mentioned it. Once I approached about episode 2-3, I saw the similarities in tone and execution, which added that little bit extra enjoyment I was already feeling about the show. From the very first episode, I knew I was in for a strange and crazy journey and, so far, that first impression has only increased with its craziness. The show follows 58 year old husband and father Inuyashiki Ichirou. He is often mistreated by society due to his geriatric appearance, but is often abused and underappreciated by his family. Things get a little better when he befriends an abandoned dog, which is super adorable, and that picks up his spirits a little when he finds out that he has cancer. Trying to build up the courage and find the time to tell his family about his diagnosis, he is blinded by a beam of light and is miraculously cured...in a way. What really happened to Inuyashiki is now he is a robotic hero of sorts. Well, actually, he's a robot and has taken on the heroic role with his new abilities. What he doesn't know is that there is someone else built exactly like him. Anime YouTuber Mother's Basement made a small compliant that the first episode or so didn't give the viewer a chance to develop any feelings for the main character and his situation, but I beg to differ. I immediately felt sympathetic and angry for Inuyashiki, especially seeing his family abuse him so. I feel like you don't have to see him get constantly abused or underappreciated, you can kinda fill in the blanks that this has been happening for years. As the story moves forward, the other similar being to our main character is introduced to us and, boy, was I a little unnerved by the discussion of One Piece. It really brought the story and danger level up a couple notches and I became seriously invested on what's to come. I haven't quite hopped on the MAN WITH A MISSION bandwagon, but I did enjoy their intro for the show, "My Hero". It has a catchy chorus that gives a seriousness, yet feeling of hope that our hero will be here to save us. And yes, I did steal this review from my own post on TreasureBox Press. XP
Handa-kun (2013)Author: Satsuki Yoshino | Volumes: 7
It always gives me such great joy when I'm able to complete a manga series, especially a long one. Of course, this isn't one of them. So, things I didn't know about this series while I was reading it: this is a prequel to Barakamon, which I've never heard of, so that didn't change anything for me...except I'm kinda interested in checking it out eventually. Anyway~ The story follows oblivious Seishuu Handa who possesses good looks, intelligence, and admirable calligraphy knowledge and skills. He’s a popular high schooler with a surprisingly paranoid sense of thinking. His best friend Takao Kawafuji convinced Handa that his classmates’ admiration for him was actually a form of bullying, so throughout the series Handa thinks that everyone hates him or is trying to sabotage him in some way. In reality, he ends up helping his peers and gaining his own personal fan club that adores him. At first, I was baffled how Handa could be so gullible to Kawafuji’s game, but it proved to be an amusing story with a handful of quirky and fun characters. I enjoyed how certain situations seemed to turn around and gain Handa a follower or two; his charm truly cannot be beat, whether he knows it or not. If you don’t want to leave out a volume or simply want more of the short comics sprinkled throughout the series, volume 7 will be quite the treat for readers as it’s full of extra laughs and shenanigans. At some point, I’ll get around to checking out the anime and following the older, more mature Handa-kun in Barakamon.
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