The Weeknd (USA)This man needs no introduction as The Weeknd has been progressively growing in popularity no matter what genre he undertakes. Some fans have been listening to him since the beginning and others jumped on the bandwagon with the catchy "Can't Feel My Face" or his Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack entry, "Earned It". I came in during the Beauty Behind the Madness era and solidify my devotion with "The Hills", a beautiful dark song. I have yet to go back two album entries, but I'm looking forward to it since there's some fan references to it with his latest song, "After Hours". Of course, during January, this track didn't exist. Fans were surprised with the catchy, somewhat cynical bop called "Heartless". Since Starboy [and a little My Dear Melancholy and Black Panther soundtrack], I've been ready for more and "Heartless" was everything and more for me (and fans)! The following month, The Weeknd dropped another new video to keep us craving more in the form of the 80's synth inspired "Blinding Lights". After seeing both of these videos and repeating both tracks over and over, my body is ready for this album to drop! Since I can't decide which music video to display [as you can tell by the links in the song titles], I'm going to share his amazing performance on The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert as I find the technical aspects (camera shots and set changes) extremely impressive! Honorable mention for the month of January is kpop girl group Everglow as I repeated "Bon Bon Chocolat" and G(I)-dle's "Lion" almost as much as The Weeknd.
Chanmina (Japan)As much as I don't need new artists in my life, somehow YouTube convinces me to click things because the thumbnail is so persistent. That persistent music video was "I'm a Pop". Naively judging the thumbnail, I thought it would be some beautiful kpop ballad, but it ended up being a trap influenced bop that mixed Japanese, Korean, and English into some sort of masterpiece I was never exposed to until February when it dropped on YouTube. Ah, YouTube, you do know what I like~ I don't know much about Chanmina, but according to the comments she's Korean and Japanese [possibly] and she's very underrated in the jpop scene. Something I know for sure is that she is very talented and is definitely what the jpop scene needs. She's an amazing singer, great rapper, and clever lyricist. I really enjoy her style and diversity among the few music videos I've seen. You have a refreshing song about not getting back into an old relationship with "I cannot go back to you" and bizarre, yet amusing concepts in "Doctor" and "Picky". I'm very much looking forward to delving into her discography further and supporting her musical journey! Honorable mentions for the month of February include catching up on 4 Miyavi albums [Fire Bird, SAMURAI SESSIONS vol.2 (which CHANMINA is featured on), SAMURAI SESSIONS vol.3 -worlds collide-, and No Sleep Till Tokyo], Birds of Prey: The Album, and BTS's "Black Swan".
Richard Jewell (2019, USA)Starring: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates | Directed by: Clint Eastwood
If you've seen my car v-log about this movie, then you already have a gist of how I felt about this movie. I knew little to nothing about the true events this movie is based on, but it made me interested in checking it out at some point. The story follows Richard Jewell, a man who dreams of being part of law enforcement, but often is seen as a bumbling fat guy stereotype. When he is presented a job as security at the 1996 Olympics, he discovers a bomb in an abandoned backpack during one of the concerts and saves the attendees and staff with his encyclopedic knowledge on crime. Richard is praised for being a hero, but soon the media and FBI suspect him of being the criminal who planted the bomb. Like most people, I'm most familiar with Paul Walter Hauser's more recent roles in I, Tonya and BlacKkKlansman, where he kinda plays a similar personality type in all three with some adjustments. I think he's a fantastic actor in all three of those movies, so it was great to see him as the headliner. The story was very gripping and kept me invested in Richard's struggle to prove his innocence along with his attorney and friend Watson and mother Bobi. The execution of ruthless media and heartless FBI agents were realistic and caused me much frustration on the treatment they gave Richard and Bobi. I don't know if the real people were faced with that much harassment, but I can definitely see it being true as we constantly see celebrities being constantly bombarded by paparazzi badgering them for answers on rumors and accusations. Lastly, I appreciate that the movie didn't depict some happy sunshine rainbow ending either by letting the audience know the true life fate of these real people.
Ride Your Wave (2019, Japan)Starring: Ryôta Katayose, Rina Kawaei, Honoka Matsumoto | Directed by: Masaaki Yuasa
Being the giving nerd that I am, I run an anime club at my job and we went to our first movie trip together. I was very excited to check out this movie as I did enjoy Lu Over the Wall and Night is Short, Walk on Girl immensely. Eventually, I'll do a review for both of these movies. Before suggesting this movie to my club, I checked out the trailer to see if it would be anything of interest to me and it seemed like a fun, wholesome movie. When we got there, I was not expecting it to be so many feels throughout the movie. Now, this isn't a super sad film, so you can leave the tissues behind. Firefighter Hinageshi Minato and a surfer Mukaimizu Hinako cross paths after Hinako's apartment catches on fire by fireworks. The two spend a lot of time together as Hinako teaches Minato how to surf. Watching these two characters interact with each other is total relationship goals and doesn't go overboard with its sweetness. The movie presents itself as a comedy and romance, but there is some drama that occurs at the peak of the relationship that my friends and I did not expect. Aside from the brilliant animation and appropriate soundtrack, I really enjoyed the balance of humor and drama. It really does handle emotions very well with Hinako. I'm very glad I was able to smile, laugh, and sadly go "aww" with my group of nerds. This was another enjoyable film by Masaaki Yuasa and I look forward to checking out more of his movies in the future. Honorable mention for the month of February is the highly entertaining Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn.
Manifest (2018, USA)Starring: Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Athena Karkanis | Episodes: 29
Premiering in 2018, this show follows a group of passengers on flight that disappeared for five years and were presumed dead until landing. Not knowing that so much time has passed by, the passengers attempt to adjust to their lives with their loved ones and investigate the source of their disappearance as well as the mysterious voice calling out to them. Along with The Good Doctor, Emergence, and The Passage, this was a show that I did a pretty decent job keeping up with on network TV. There were times I'd fall behind a little and had to watch it on DVR, but for the most part, I'm surprised how long it has survived since its premiere. Obviously it's not a bad show in the least, otherwise I wouldn't have chosen it as a favorite, but more of this type of show seems to be hit or miss with the general public. Then again, Lost was hit show with many seasons, so maybe it isn't all that surprising. From its premiere, I thought that the story and characters were very interesting and when the callings and conspiracies began, I got pulled in more and more. I will admit that there were moments where I thought the supernatural elements were going a little too far, but for the most part I'm still thirsty for answers on how and why this happened. I've really enjoyed this cast of characters and seeing Athena Karkanis again since a little known show called The Best Years. The story is exciting and definitely gets you involved on the mystery aspects from episode to episode. Definitely check it out on NBC or Hulu if you like dramatic, supernatural stories.
Handmaid's Tale Season 1 (2017, USA)Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Amanda Brugel, Madeline Brewer | Episodes: 10
Most of you already know how amazing and possibly traumatic this show is, but, as always, I'm late to the party with these popular streaming shows. The show is set in a dystopian future where fertile women are forced to be concubines to wealthy families with infertile wives. The rules seemed to be very regressive, at least in America in the world of the first season. Watching this show, I took into account of the commentary I've heard/read from friends about this being a realistic future for us and...I sadly see it. The situations these characters face are very infuriating and depressing, but in a good way. The story really makes you care about the well being or downfall of its main characters and you wish for things to go back to normal, despite "normal" not being the best, but definitely an upgrade from completely stripping away women's rights and choices. I haven't read the source material by Margaret Atwood and I don't think I want to as I fear it will infuriate/depress me more, but I definitely want to see how things go further down the drain in the show. If you haven't seen this show, I will say that this is definitely not the best show to binge watch. Watch 2-3 episodes at most at a time, take a breather, and then jump back in for a little more until you get through the whole season.
Bunny Drop (2011)Episodes: 11
This year, I decided to try MyAnimeList's 2020 Anime Challenge. Originally, I wanted to do the manga challenge, but...it looked too hard. Anyway, this was one of the entries I've chosen for the challenge and wow! I didn't expect to love this series so much. The story follows 30 year old bachelor Daikichi Kawachi who works a very respectable job, but wanders through life a bit aimlessly. When he finds out that his grandfather passed away, he returns to his childhood home and learns about his grandfather's illegitimate daughter, Rin. Since his family refuses to take care of her, Daikichi decides to take her into his home as a father figure. This show is so wholesome! I didn't know much about this show, other than seeing the name here and there through the manga cover. While I was watching this show, I loved this simple and cute animation style. I really enjoyed watching Daikichi's journey of fatherhood and seeing Rin grow along with him. It's very realistic! There were moments that made me smile, think, or frown; pretty much this natural emotional hill. It's definitely a different type of slice of life that I'm not used to, but I loved every minute of it and I probably bugged a friend or two about checking it out.
Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor (2007)Episodes: 26
This was another entry I've chosen for the challenge and once again [and obviously] I really, really enjoyed it. Before I jump into explaining why I enjoyed this series so much, let me tell you what it's all about. The anime follows Kaiji Itou who gets tricked by a co-worker and ends up inheriting his excessive debt. Not being able to pay off the huge debt, he is offered to join a gambling cruise to clear his debts, along with several other men who are in similar financial situations. Little do they know, these games of chance are not as simple as they seem. While finishing the first season of Kakegurui, I saw a video by Mother's Basement breaking down the gambling elements of the show and explaining how there are barely any tense risks in their games. As he was explaining this, he compared it to this show and how to properly show tension within gambling. Now, I love Kakegurui, but the more I watched this show, I could not breath! Yes, I agree that the risks seem a bit flimsy sometimes in Kakegurui, but its ridiculousness is what hooked me. On the other hand, Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor will totally wreck your every being! I watched Kaiji commit some petty crimes by stealing hubcaps and feeling kinda neutral towards his situation, but it seemed very realistic to people who just try to do whatever they can to survive this world. Once he began his game of rock, paper, scissors, I couldn't help but root for him and feel every emotion he felt throughout the game. It was definitely a roller coaster of feels! I will admit that during this cruise ship "arc" that I wish things would move along a little faster, but after that was when I really understood the appeal of the show and main character. The second half of the show is what definitely solidify my love for this show. It made me think of when I first watched Monster and that feeling of wanting to know "what's next" or "how does this get any worse". And also similar to my experience, I lost sleep because I wanted to know more. Despite me wanting to punch through my tablet every time Hyoudou Kazutaka laughs, I can't wait to jump into the second season and live action movies!
Gyo: The Death-Stench Creeps (2001)Author: Junji Ito | Volumes: 2
After completing Uzumaki years ago, I dedicated myself into adding onto my Junji Ito collection and read more. As I was looking at my manga choices for January, it was between this and another Ito manga, Shiver. Both are great, but my choice has more of a straight story, while Shiver is a collection of short stories. They are both absolutely worth reading, by the way. While diver Tadashi and his girlfriend Kaori vacation on the Okinawa coast, their relationship is tested when a mysterious and putrid stench enters their room, revealing an unusually fish-like creature. When they decide to end their trip early, the death-like odor follows them and soon witnesses an emergence of more sea monsters creep into Tokyo. When I bought this book, I was very excited to dive into it because it left such a mental scar in Buonaventura's mind when she was getting into Ito's work. After I finished it, I understood why. Much like Uzumaki, I realized this pattern between both stories: things never get better and it'll leave a bittersweet taste. This manga was kinda hard to look away from because of the grotesque imagery, but intriguing to push forward because of the content. Sure, I had a bit of a bumpy start because of Tadashi's girlfriend, but for the most part, I wanted them to make it. Ito never fails to bring the dread and insanity to his work, while keeping you hanging onto this trainwreck. This version of the book I have includes 2 short stories, "The Enigma of Amigara Fault" and "The Sad Tale of the Principal Post". A couple of my co-workers have mentioned Amigara Fault to me, when I told them I was finally diving into more of Ito's work, and how much it traumatized them. I totally understand now. As for "The Sad Tale of the Principal Post", it almost seemed like a dark humor tale...at least, that's how my brain translated it.
Gantz (2000)Author: Hiroya Oku | Volumes: 37
As my job builds its adult manga collection, I was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar title on the shelf. After seeing the first season, I never really thought about reading it, but I'm very glad I did. Looking over my quick review of the series, I enjoyed it, but I felt lost in places. Reading it clarified some things for me and in turn made me like the story and characters more. While I was reading the first omnibus (which contains volumes 1-3), I totally forgot how mature the content was. From the blatant nudity and graphic violence, I was surprised all over again. The story follows cynical high school student Kei Kurono waiting for the subway to go to school. While waiting, he sees his classmate Masaru Katou saving a drunk man who has fallen on the tracks, he joins in to save him until Kei and Katou are hit by a train and sent to an unusual apartment occupied by some potential dead strangers. Kei, Katou, and the strangers have to obey the mysterious orb in the middle of the room called Gantz to gain points. What are the points for? It's a mystery to me, you, and the characters and we all want to know why. I'm so happy I was able to read the first omnibus, because it revitalized my interest in the series and I hope I can slip it somewhere in my anime challenge.
Wolverine: Old Man Logan (2009)Author: Mark Millar
I still feel like I'm new to the comic book/graphic novel world, despite maybe reading this medium for 5 years or a little more. [Who's keeping up at this point.] This is my first foray into X-Men comics and I was definitely not disappointed. After seeing Logan, I wanted to check out the comic books and the story definitely brings something different to the table. The book starts in an unknown future where the nation is divided into territories and relationships among some well known Marvel characters have shifted. Logan tries to live a simple life with his wife and family, of course he gets roped into a cross country adventure that changes everything. This entry into Logan's journey is supposed to be a standalone story, according to Goodreads, but there is a series of Wolverine: Old Man Logan that does somewhat connect to Millar's blueprint. So far, I have only read volume 0 with volume 1 waiting in the wings. After finishing this book, I was instantly hooked into this world and Mark Millar (once again) does a fantastic job with his storytelling. I had so many feels towards the end and I was sad when the journey was over, but it's nice to know that there is more, related or not.
A Whole New World (2015)Author: Liz Braswell
Originally, I wanted to praise Angie Thomas's best selling debut The Hate U Give, but I ended up doing a comparison/Unwrapped video about it instead. The book is fantastic and I couldn't put it down! If you haven't read it, you definitely should. So, I'll talk about the first entry in the Twisted Tales "series". I mean, they're alternate universes of classic Disney tales. At first, I had the "Beauty and the Beast" story on my to read list, but saw it wasn't the first of the Twisted Tales publishings. So, I clicked the link and found out that "Aladdin" was the beginning of the alternative journey. Most people are familiar with the Disney version of Aladdin, which comes in handy when reading. Of course, I think it would be just as enjoyable if you haven't seen the Disney classic. This version of the story plays out the scenario of Jafar getting the lamp before Aladdin. The events that occur are, for the most part, not that surprising as he does achieve the lamp somewhere towards the middle of the movie and uses the Genie for his own selfish gain. In the book, it is way more sinister. Yes, the story does borrow a lot of its ideas and dialogue from the movie, but I think it gives it some sort of familiarity that helps you connect and understand the twist in the tale. Once Aladdin and Jasmine team up with the lowly gang of "street rats" of Agrabah, I was ready to join the revolution and rid of Jafar. No more happy fun times or sometimes playful Disney villain; Jafar is very serious about his agenda of being sultan. I'm looking forward to checking out the other Twisted Tales and seeing how they mix the known with the unknown.
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