ponreviews

[ponreviews]

Super Mario Bros Movie - Letsa Go!!

Categories: Action, Adventure, Comedy

Rating: 9/10

Synopsis:

Mario and Luigi are just your average plumbers starting their own business in Brooklyn. The brothers find themselves investigating some strange happenings within the sewers beneath the city. The next thing they knew they were warped into a strange universe. Separated, Mario desperately does all he can to get his brother back, teaming up with a princess and a.... mushroom?? to do it all while protecting the Mushroom Kingdom in the process.

Review:

For the first time, I'm going to make this review spoiler free! I think this is a perfect opportunity to get you to watch the movie if you haven't already. I'm still going to attach stills throughout the review like I normally do, but in this case, the stills shouldn't be huge spoilers (especially if you have seen the trailer).

I'll start a bit negative because let's face it, this movie is an obvious cash grab. It primarily feeds off of the nostalgia of older generations while also appealing to younger generations who enjoy Super Mario games. Because of this, there's not a lot of substance to the movie. Unlike other critics, however, I don't believe that makes this movie bad. I went into the theater with little expectations other than "the references should be there."

I was pleasantly surprised by the flow of the movie. Not one part felt like it was slowing down. I liked how animated and exaggerated the movements were. It's very fast paced and for Super Mario, that's perfect. I was surprised to find out how deep the references went. Like that rival plumber (Foreman Spike) does actually exist in the Super Mario lore. It was fun to learn a little bit about the references I didn't know about. I do wish they gave Charles Martinet a bigger role than just a cameo.

I had my concerns about Chris Pratt being cast as Mario, and I hate to admit it, but he was right when he said no one is gonna care about the accent. It's explained pretty well early on in the movie too. An exaggerated Italian accent for a commercial for their plumbing brand? Makes sense. I still don't like Chris Pratt as Mario, but that's just because I don't like him in general. I will note that my bias against him does not affect the rating would've been docked a whole point if it did. He plays the role well, but it's forgettable compared to the rest of the star-studded cast.

Jack Black as Bowser was PERFECT!! His personality fit the character they were trying to go for with Bowser. Same with Charlie Day as Luigi. We all know that meme. The conspiracy theorist Charlie Day meme. Need I say more? Also Seth Rogan?? As Donkey Kong??? That laugh solidified the casting for me. Anya Taylor Joy works as Peach. It would be wrong for me to say it was the perfect casting, but she does make it work. Overall, great performances by the actors.

Illumination should be proud of the animation. They were able to maintain integrity of the games' original designs while sticking to their signature style. It's hard to pull that off and have overwhelming praise. I particularly liked how bouncy (for the lack of a better word) everything was. It really was enjoyable. Going back to the "cash grab" complaint I had, I do respect them for it. It's smart to market the movie for kids while building on the nostalgia of the adults who grew up on the games. I see you Nintendo and Illumination marketing teams. Geniuses all of you. The best part about it is that it wasn't that weird mesh of animation and live action. It was all animated and all wonderful.

Overall, I definitely think this movie is worth the hype it's getting. You could tell everyone involved was just having fun, and that's where you find the best projects. The movie doesn't take itself too seriously, and it's even more amazing when the cast has fun in that project (and the premieres - shoutout Anya Taylor Joy and Jack Black for those wonderful outfits). All in all, if you haven't watched it yet, go! Watch with friends, family, or even alone! If you have watched it already, watch again if/when the movie hits streaming sites with others. I feel like it's a nice comfort movie, and we haven't had one like this in ages.

[ponreviews]

Love is Blind (Season 1) - Is Love Truly Blind?

Categories: Reality, Romance, Drama

Overall: 8/10

Synopsis:

15 men and 15 women talk and get to know people of the opposite gender, in pods that have a thin wall with no opening. If their bond is strong enough, one person proposes to the other in the pod, without seeing the person they connected with. Only after their engagement do they get the chance to see each other and give the possibility of marriage a shot at the end. All the participants have the end goal of saying "I do" at the alter, but will any of them get there? It's a trial that has many obstacles, will these couples push through to the alter and even long after?

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

Review:

What a way to start!! I know I'm wayyyy late coming into this show. In my defense, I didn't have much interest in reality shows aside from the Circle before. In any case, I'm here now and I'm going to get to the nitty gritty with this show. With Season 4 out, I want to just binge it all in one go, but my aunt wants to watch Season 3 and 4 together (yes I watched Season 2 already too and I'll get to that later haha). I will preface this review with I did watch Perfect Match before starting this, so I do know some things that happen on the show. They don't go too in depth about it in Perfect Match, but the overall gist is there.

I'll start off by saying it's a very structured experiment which I found really interesting. It's not just a dating show where they talk to each other behind a wall like I initially thought. Very heteronormative, but I digress. I do like how they pick participants local to one area so they don't have to go through the whole possible long distance situation. I mean, they're supposed to be getting married with close to little adjustment to their existing lifestyle. Makes sense.

You can already easily tell who moves forward with the engagement based on the amount of screen time someone gets. Like how fast Lauren and Cameron got engaged, The whole Barnett LC/Amber/Jessica situation, etc etc. The only one that I was surprised to see at the end of the pod phase was Kenny and Kelly but only because we got ~nothing~ from their relationship in the pods aside from the childrens' book thing.

I was surprised as they were reaching the end of their engagement when Kelly had reservations about getting married to Kenny. The whole time they were so healthy and happy, I hit snooze on their scenes. I totally thought they'd both say yes at the end. I feel like Kenny was rightfully upset at the wedding. Kelly led him to believe she wanted to marry him. In the end, she let vain take over and suddenly started saying she wasn't physically attracted to him. Even after friends and family assured her that he's perfect, she let doubt take over. She wasn't open about how she felt in the end. It was a good thing for the both of them that she said no in the end but shocking nonetheless. Glad that Kenny was able to find love again after the show ended.

Again, I already knew about Damien, Diamond, and LC from Perfect Match. I'm not gonna pretend like I didn't know things don't work out for them after the show. I had an idea of what happened based on the previews they showed on Perfect Match, but out of the three, I was most clueless about Damien.

I actually found myself siding with him for a lot of it. Love Gianina, and I stand with her, but I didn't get the hate against Damien... until After the Alter *cough* Francesca *cough*. It got intense in a lot of moments. So intense that the calm/wholesome scenes felt tense. It was a downward spiral from there. I'm glad Damien said no at the alter because Gianina couldn't see how toxic they were together, but I feel for her at the same time. She's just someone who wanted validation in love. I don't blame her. In fact, people would be lying if they say they don't. Damien is more reserved and Gianina is more outgoing. Sometimes, those personalities compliment each other well (a great example is Cameron and Lauren who I'll get to later), but in their case, they clash a lot. Damien saw that and said that he didn't want them to feel that way for the rest of their lives. Reasonable. But... again, all that respect I had for him went to the shitter in After the Alter. Even Francesca gave him shit at the end. I was confused about the whole interaction between Damien and Francesca because they kept establishing that they were just friends but had a consistent sexual tension. I can only imagine how confusing it was for Francesca. To be fair to her, she doesn't owe Gianina any respect, but Damien does, therein lies the issue with Damien.

I just got secondhand embarrassment thinking about LC. In Perfect Match she introduced herself as someone who got dumped, but from what I saw in this season she wasn't even top 2. I feel like production kept her scenes just because she had enough impact in the situation to just not be ignored. It didn't influence anything though in the end. I do admit that I do feel for her when it came to the situation with Mark in After the Alter. It's a touchy situation, and I'm one who believes they both had a hand in the communication error. However, Mark is most definitely a scumbag for that, and that sucks to see considering how much I liked him during the season.

I was going to put all three in one paragraph, but Diamond's situation needed her own. I already heard about how she was portrayed to be biphobic with Carlton. She was pretty caring and open on Perfect Match, so seeing that talk caught me off guard. Honestly, shit was bad with her, but that didn't absolve Carlton of any fault too. Her reaction to him coming out to her was not at all accepting or loving, but Carlton also expected the worst from her. That alone doesn't fault him, but although Diamond may have been ignorant at the time, you could tell she was trying to understand. Carlton's reaction at the pool, in the end, made her regress back to her assumption about bisexuality. I will say though, that comment she made on her way out definitely came from somewhere and was meant to be hurtful which really disappointed me.

It didn't help with Carlton's interaction with Lauren in After the Alter. Now, Lauren and Cameron were my favorites in the season, so I got pretty heated when Carlton reacted the way he did when Lauren addressed some issues. The woman was trying to help him and he took it as an attack, leading to the last person in the cast having to walk away from him, in the end.

This review is already getting really long BUT if y'all remember my Circle reviews, I can go oooooon about these shows. ANYWAY, I was so shocked when Cameron got down on one knee. It was so fast into the experiment! Still, from the get go, they were the cutest and had the least amount of problems. The two biggest problems were getting Lauren's dad's approval (which I'M SO HAPPY HE DID IN THE END) and Lauren's (reasonable) hesitation in the end. With both those concerns, Cameron was very understanding and never let Lauren believe she was going through it alone. GET YOU A PARTNER THAT LOVES YOU LIKE CAMERON LOVES LAUREN!! What I did find funny about their situation is that I imagine they were so drama free that production had to make Lauren's hesitation extra dramatic to make it look like it was a bigger issue than it actually was. Even in After the Alter, they were just vibing and enjoying their party. They barely got highlighted outside of their own home.

Now... The bulk of the drama. Let's start with Mark and Jessica. First of all, I'm including Mark in this because he was thrown in the wringer with Jessica. I don't like Jessica. I mean, in 2023, she's definitely unbothered and happy especially compared to Amber, but in the context of the show, I found her insufferable. Did you not see the scene where she gives her dog WINE??

I digress. Yes, Mark and Jessica had an age gap, 10 years as Jessica won't let us forget, but everyone participating in the experiment is prepared for marriage (or at least claimed to be). Jessica had Mark. Hook, line, and sinker. Mark was so tunnel-visioned with a future with Jessica that even when she does everything to push him away, especially when it came to Barnett, he stays with her. I liked the guy, but even while watching I was thinking "there's such a thing as toxic positivity" and it encompasses Mark's unwillingness to see how harmful Jessica was in their relationship. She did so much to sabotage their relationship and he forgives her every single time. I was really wondering how much it would take for him to actually end it, and it looked like it was a good thing Jessica said no because he never would.

Jessica was definitely this season's villain. Though based on how things went in After the Alter, that title might've gone to Carlton or Diamond had they gotten more screen time. In any case, I actually liked Jessica at first. I thought it was good of her to warn Amber about Barnett when he was juggling three women. Granted, her timing was so off because she only did it when Barnett backtracked on her, so it didn't affect Amber one bit. However, her crawling back to Mark is where things started getting shifty to me. The guy was clearly not the first choice and she ensured that he knew that. Then, even after the engagement, she scooted herself closer to Barnett to kind of get him to reevaluate his decision to marry Amber. Very weird. I am glad to find out that she is married now and completely unbothered. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Amber and Barnett (I think Amber more than Barnett tbh).

I applauded Amber and Barnett for not letting Jessica get in the way of their relationship. They were both so confident in each other that no one could get between them. The only thing that could was finances. When Amber was explaining her debts and living situation, Barnett was reasonably hesitant. It does kind of make sense that they would be the second couple in this season to be married. Besides Lauren and Cameron, they had the least amount of internal issues. Only finances seemed to be the problem with their relationship (other than some doubt in Barnett's family). Besides that, if they didn't fall in love in the pods, the certainly did during their engagement.

As far as predictability of the marriages went, I was right about Lauren and Cameron saying I do. I was most shocked about Kenny and Kelly. I find the show fun to kind of guess what couples make it at the end of the experiment. It can be dangerous to get invested in these people's personal lives though especially after the show. Of course people want to know how everyone is doing (hence why After the Alter is a thing), but it can be jarring to think about how analytical fans can be about picking apart their social media to find clues for alleged drama between cast members. Remember to be kind and know that you know maybe 1% of another person's life story.

[ponreviews]

PonUpdates No. 23 - I'm back... kind of

Um... hi!

I'm coming back to writing these reviews! Things are going to be a little different for a while as I try to figure out the best schedule for myself. I might not even go back to the queue that I had set up previously. I think it was getting so long that it became overwhelmingly impossible to keep up, and by the time I got to the title I put in there, I started to lose interest in taking it on.

Full transparency from me as we go through this new stage of ponreviews! I definitely won't be having a consistent schedule for a while. I'll probably even just write the reviews in the moment instead of a schedule. Keep y'all and myself on our toes LOL.

That being said: my inbox is still open for suggestions! I do have a couple in mind that I want to write a review for so keep an eye out for that!

Consider this a foot in the door, semi-hiatus, rather than a full comeback. But trust me, I will be back!!

[ponreviews]

PonUpdates No. 22 - Hiatus... Again......

Yup... That's what's happening right now. I'm going to be starting another hiatus as of today. It's of course not the ideal spot I want to be in, especially considering my endless list of reviews to catch up on. I do plan to dedicate a lot more time on getting reviews done. However, I do still have to balance my IRL responsibilities. I'll get back to our regularly scheduled programming soon. I just need to hyperfocus a bit.

It may be a bit too early to mention right now, but in January and February I'll be out of the country. I hope by then, I am back on a good rhythm with my posts. I will be pausing my posts/drafts around that time again if I do, just to give my self some time to enjoy my time on vacation.

I hope to not make the hiatus super long, but who knows? I do want to focus on IRL stuff more still and enjoy this hobby of talking about different titles. What I do know is that when I come back, you'll get some pretty interesting titles. I sure do hope I can get more done than my goal threshold. If I'm able to get at least one over my threshold I'll be able to give you a review for a title I think would catch people's attention.

In any case, I'll see ya on the other side!!

-pon 🤍

[ponreviews]

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - The Boy with the Lyre

Categories: Greek Mythology, Romance, Action

Overall Rating: 8/10

Synopsis:

Was it fate that brought Patroclus to Achilles? The great warrior in his childhood wasn't always so rough, as evident in the relationship between the two main characters. However, their reputations would cloud their image. Still, their love for each other grows. The war against the Trojans looms over the duo and tests their resolve in their relationship and their status all the same.

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

Review:

I want to start off by saying that this is an easy read, especially if you're into Greek Mythology and more specifically Achilles's story. If you are unaware, in Greek Mythology, Patroclus and Achilles were close companions. Some argue they are best friends while others claim they were lovers. The book explores the latter claim, with their romance blossoming as they grew up together.

This book is very much one I would consider part of what I would call "The Tumblr Collection" because it reminds me of 2013 Tumblr and how fanfiction dominated the site or at least my feed. The sexual scenes get pretty explicit too, though there actually weren't many. Considering Greek Mythology explores sex a lot, it's a bit surprising how little there was. However, in this story, sex wasn't necessarily the only thing on Achilles's mind.

I definitely liked the choice of telling the story through Patroclus's perspective. Achilles is obviously the more famous one, so having his story told by him is not all that interesting. By having Patroclus, who is much more ordinary than Achilles, tell the story, you get more insight in Achilles's internal conflict of God vs. Human and what he should be striving for. Patroclus being the center of Achilles's internal struggle makes him way more important to Achilles's development. Is Patroclus dead weight in Achilles's quest to be the greatest warrior or is he the reason Achilles is known as the greatest warrior?

In this story, Patroclus brings out the very human side of Achilles that we don't know him for, even though he is half human. We get to see a more vulnerable side to Achilles compared to the epics his story is based off of. He's, dare I say, more relatable and tangible in this narrative in a number of ways. The most notable to me is how restricted he is in the expectation for him to be "great" especially with his mother Thetis. Here, he wants to live a life with Patroclus away from all the fighting, but then gets engulfed in it because of his mother's expectations as well as the gods'.

Now for the cons of the book. One easy one to point out is that the story isn't new. However, that's solely based on preference. Of course the story isn't new if it's based off of Greek Mythology. However, depending on how the story is spun, it can be more interesting than the myth. In this case, it was hard to keep my attention on stuff I already knew about. It's probably the most negligible in regards to my critique of the book.

There's not much else in terms of my critique of the book. However, I wouldn't say this is the book that stood out to me as all that interesting. Again, it was hard to keep my attention. Granted, if I reviewed this book closer around the time that it came out, my critique might be different. Let's say, I reviewed this book around 2013. I would probably be all over this book and give it a 9/10 minimum. My fascination with Greek Mythology was much greater back then, so seeing an alternate perspective would've piked my interest a lot more. At this point though, I've seen a number of interpretations set up similarly.

In no way am I saying that it's bad. All I'm saying is that it fits a formula. 2013 me would rate this a 9, and 2022 me would rate it a 7. Taking that into account led to the 8 rating in this review. Both ratings are still high enough that I may still try reading Circe, another book by Madeline Miller, but that may still be down the line since I have other books lined up. Overall, it was a good read, and it brought discussions about the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. Could it have been a close friendship? A romance filled with passion? With your knowledge of Greek Mythology, read on and see for yourself.

[ponreviews]

PonUpdates No. 21 - Burnout

Hi everyone! It feels a bit odd to post on 9/11, but kind of fitting at least to not have a review up today. I did have my wisdom teeth removed just a couple days after my last update, and coming back to work was really difficult for me mentally and physically. I am starting to feel the burnout of balancing my work life, personal life, and creating content on here. I did stop working on my review for Black Clover to find that sweet spot between work and personal life.

I know what you're probably thinking, and unfortunately you're correct. This most likely means I have to go on another hiatus soon. I am wondering if I can just post these reviews on my own time as soon as I finish them instead of setting a schedule like I do now. I know I'm just a hobbyist and not a professional critic that has to be on top of the latest trends in film/tv/books/etc, but it does feel like I'm drastically falling behind regardless.

I still love this blog. I do appreciate every interaction I get! Even when I have posts that don't have any interactions, I find comfort in the fact that it's out there. I have reviews that still find its way to people's likes and reblogs months later. That's part of what keeps me going. I don't ever strive to be the most followed blog or have a viral post. Knowing that at least one person finds my content interesting is nice. While it is exciting to follow the trend and instantly review titles that come out recently, you can imagine the amount of stress that builds up trying to pump out content. I'm just one person running this blog, and honestly I hope to keep it that way.

I'm still very much open to suggestions. Suggestions are the best way to bring titles to the top of my queue to watch/read and review immediately. They're the titles I will drop everything else for. I'll even let y'all know when one is coming (but I'll leave you guessing on what it is). You want to know how much I would prioritize titles that are suggested to me? I would even post it during my hiatus!! Suggestions are in what I'd call an invisible queue. Just put it in my asks and I'll get to it!!

Thanks again for reading my posts! Hopefully, this isn't the last update before the hiatus. Regardless, I'll see you in the next one!

-pon 🤍

[ponreviews]

Itaewon Class: The Ultimate Revenge

Categories: Drama

Overall Rating: 6.5/10

Synopsis:

Park Sae-ro-yi had every reason to want to seek revenge on the massive corporation Jangga, as he was sent to prison after they messed with someone dear to him. What better way to take down the biggest in the food industry than opening a competing restaurant in the alleys of Itaewon? With the help of the friends he meets along the way, we see just how far Sae-ro-yi is willing to go.

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

Review:

If you asked me at the beginning of the drama, "Is Itaewon Class a good k-drama?" I would answer "YES!" with no hesitation. However, by the end I do not feel the same way. To start, the story has a great concept. Sae-ro-yi's father worked for Jangga, and he was killed by the eldest son (Jang Guen-won) of the CEO of Jangga (Jang Dae-hee) in a hit-and-run. Considering the already soured relations between Sae-ro-yi and Guen-won, things escalated when Guen-won wasn't punished for the crime and instead Sae-ro-yi was convicted for assault and attempted murder when confronting Guen-won. Instead of wanting to kill the two men responsible for his father's death, he chose another path of revenge, free-market competition. By opening up DanBam in Itaewon, he begins his quest for taking down Jangga by becoming their biggest competitor.

Sae-ro-yi easily became a favorite MC for me. I can easily say, Park Seo-joon did an amazing job with his character. Sae-ro-yi is kind of aloof, but he's educated. Yes, he didn't finish high school, but he had time in prison. He used that time to learn business so that by the time he got out, he would be prepared to open DanBam. Of course, it isn't perfect, hence Jo Yi-seo coming in. She was also one of my favorites early on. She's very blunt and strong-willed. I wish I could say that this is true through to the end, but unfortunately, I can't honestly say that now. Frankly, the two rival women in this series both annoyed the hell out of me by the end of it. Maybe part of it has to do with the age gap between Sae-ro-yi and Yi-seo, but most of it is how little Yi-seo develops in the story. I think if the drama didn't push the romance plot so much, the two main women wouldn't have been so annoying in the end.

I really wish that I can say I like the story too. I can say that the concept is there. It's why people want to watch it in the first place, but as the story progressed, it kept getting messier. On one hand you want to have a messy story. The drama is what everyone craves hence "k-drama," but like our bedrooms, we want an organized mess. Itaewon Class deviates from the organized mess to a junkyard, especially once the time skip hit.

If I didn't hate the story before, the time skip really did it for me. While the concept was impressive at the start, the execution especially towards the end took a nosedive. I cannot look you in the eye and say Itaewon Class is even a 7 because of this. I really wish I liked it, but all the little things add up. Of course, I will explain more of why I feel this way.

As I already mentioned the female leads are not characters I would root for. I've talked about the age gap briefly between Sae-ro-yi and Yi-seo, but it's not the only thing about their relationship that makes me uncomfortable. In fact, both Yi-seo and Soo-ah remind me of someone I know in real life in their own ways. Long story short, this girl is keen on the idea that she doesn't like my friend romantically and would rather keep things platonic. However, at the same time, she actively flirts with him when they're together and sees every girl he's friends with as competition and actively tries to keep him away from other girls. Now, the last part isn't like Yi-seo, but you can't deny that she did have Geum-soo wrapped around her finger. Soo-ah on the otherhand, fits that description to the T. She could never admit herself that she fell for him until it was too late. She led him on and couldn't accept it when he moved on.

It's hard to root for characters who remind you of toxic people in your life. Whatever redeeming quality they have is down the drain when you have a comparison like that. Of course, my opinion on the two women is just my own, and the reasons are specific to my experience (or more specifically, my friend's). My other qualms aren't as specific though. One thing that the show is prided on is the representation of the characters (a black korean man and a trans woman). While it's nice to see, the characters become tokens for their demographic.

The scene where the DanBam group tries to enter a club is one scene that felt really out of place. It's great that issues like racism and transphobia are being addressed, but it feels tone deaf. To-ni's character was unjustifiably prohibited from entering the club because he was black. Yi-seo was also not helpful in the situation as she sided with bouncer instead of To-ni (one of many reasons why I couldn't get behind her character). Even when apologizing it didn't seem genuine. Sae-ro-yi retaliated by tagging graffiti on the club wall calling them racist. Other than that scene, the only other relevance is the grandma admitting she was racist and didn't approve of his father seeing his mother because she was black. To-ni has such a small subplot that it barely has any significance to the plot and makes his character just a token black guy in the show. Every plot point surrounding his character points to him being black, and it just didn't sit right with me.

Then there's Hyeon-yi. Her character is handled a little better than To-ni's but similarly, it doesn't sit right with me. I was confused at the start because I knew from the beginning that she was a girl, but everyone else was referring to her with "he/him" pronouns. When it came to them running into her at the club looking very femme, the shock of her being trans didn't hit as hard. The narrative that she's trans felt forced. When she was absent from DanBam, it was explained that she had transitioned and was in recovery. However, when she came back the only thing that changed is her fashion sense. Suddenly she was able to afford luxury clothes that made her "look convincingly feminine." The way the story handles her character is messy. Honestly though, the fault would pretty much lie with casting and costume design. Granted, the actress, Lee Joo-young, is not part of the blame. She did her best to represent the character well, and in fact, Hyeon-yi is my favorite character despite my misgivings.

Still, casting chose someone who isn't trans to play a transgender woman in Itaewon Class. While there is the argument that this would mean actors would need to be out of the closet before getting casted into trans roles (completely valid btw), it all comes down to the environment in which trans people are not being fully accepted. We can go back and forth saying that Korea is still working on their ignorance when it comes to this topic, but regardless of their intention, it needs to be addressed, if not as critique, hopefully a lesson for future Korean adaptations/productions and the representation of LGBTQ+ stories. Sure it will take time for transgender people to be able to express themselves more openly in a country that's still very traditional, despite their modern practices. Creating the space that allows them to be themselves will open opportunities to accurately portray their experiences in Korean media rather than cis people picking at only what they know and filling the spaces with assumptions.

If anything, I still applaud the story for addressing issues like racism and transphobia in Korea. Without even an attempt, we wouldn't even talk about it on any platform. There's room to grow, but Itaewon Class is on the bottom of the progression ladder. The only thing we can do now is hope that it can get better from here. Unfortunately, it doesn't change my overall opinion of Itaewon Class. The main women are irredeemable in my opinion and we're talking about the same story that has Jang Geun-won and Jang Dae-hee.

[ponreviews]

Pon Updates No. 20 - Current Works

Hey y'all! I thought I'd make this update more about what I'm currently working on and what I'm watching/reading to increase my stockpile. Granted, it may be a while before i'm able to get to it, I think it's still nice to give y'all an idea of what I'm working on.

First and foremost, I did complete the review that y'all can guess, which means I'm starting on the next one! I know I said I would do the guessing game for every review, but I realized that might be a bit much considering I go back to titles that I've reviewed in the past. What this means is that this next review is not gonna be a mystery! Why? It's Black Clover! Of course, I have Itaewon Class and the mystery review on deck, but since I've already posted a review for Black Clover, I feel like you shouldn't have to guess. The one I plan to review after is a new one though! I won't do the puzzle thing now, but I will say, I have talked about it before in previous updates!

Aside from that, from the previous update, you know that I'm reading Jennette McCurdy's memoir and will be reviewing that when I can! This is a title I feel like I can and should update you guys about my progress in this book. I had time to read through chapter 6 so far. I'm going to hold back on my opinions so that I have something to write in the review. But for now, I will say I do want to read at least one chapter a day (since I'm busy with work and other titles) from this point forward so I can prioritize putting this review out for y'all.

As far as what I'm currently watching and reading aside from Jennette's book, I'm also reading 2 manwhas (including TBAtE), I'm watching one k-drama, and also plan on watching ALL the One Piece movies (as long as they're not retellings of arcs). There's also a book that I have on deck after Jennette McCurdy's memoir. Notice how I didn't tell you the titles! They will slowly be revealed as the time comes to post about them. Now, even without knowing the titles, that's a lot concurrently! Five simultaneous titles! This and the backlog is very daunting as you can probably imagine. It's been over a year since I've revisited some of these titles.

That being said, I've put a pause on actively reading/watching titles from my list. Why you ask? I have 34 unique titles that I completed that are on deck for review, and a number of them are broken up into seasons/arcs... You can imagine how many reviews I have on deck. If I do the hiatus soon, I will probably try to get more than 10 reviews up and ready. Still, if you have recommendations for me, those will always take top priority.

Thanks again for reading and being so patient with me! I appreciate it a lot. See you in the next one!

-pon 🤍

[ponreviews]

One Piece: Post Alabasta - Pure Shenanigans

Category: Shounen, Adventure

Overall Rating: 7/10

Synopsis:

After parting with Vivi in Alabasta, the crew take off to traverse more of the vast Grand Line!! They stop over at a few different islands and this filler arc follows each of the Straw Hats as they go on little mini adventures before their next big stop.

[SPOILERS AHEAD THRU EP. 135]

Review:

This arc is a nice little break after defeating Crocodile in Alabasta. They got a little stowaway/new member Nico Robin. Of course, not everyone is fond of the idea of having Crocodile's right-hand woman on board the Going Merry, let alone be part of the crew. Chopper was especially hesitant since Crocodile's control over Alabasta had some similarity to Wapol's reign over Drum Kingdom.

The first episode follows Chopper since he stayed behind to watch the Going Merry while the rest of the crew look for some food. Little did he know that Robin also stayed behind to read a book. This allowed the two characters some alone time and Chopper to start opening up to her about Kureha. It's a nice bit since after this episode, you see that Robin and Chopper become really close.

The following episode has a particular focus on Nami. A suspicious salesman shows up on the Going Merry after Luffy fishes him from the sea with wares he tries to sell to the Straw Hats. None of them seemed to be interested in what he wants to sell, but Nami notices something in his pile of junk, quality paper. The Straw Hats are confused as to why she was so keen on the paper. She wouldn't say what she was working on and still kept her boundaries up with the crew. When Luffy ruins her map, she explodes and threatens to fine anyone who tries to disturb her as she remakes the map. This threat pretty much scares the crew so much that they don't try getting her until a waterspout heading their way gets really close. This part of the story may not have a huge impact considering its a filler but it does give us a little more insight on what goes on in Nami's mind. This may have been the true start of her knocking down the walls she built up. Of course, that actually started in Arlong Park, but it just goes to show that it takes a while for her to open up.

Then, we got Sanji. The Straw Hats get surrounded by the Marines in some fog, where they run into trainee Marine chef, Tajio. We get to see Sanji in a teacher role in this episode. Tajio struggles to remember how to make curry like the Chef wanted. Sanji decided to help him with the recipe all while being chased by Marine soldiers. It's not much, but we do see a bit of Zeff's influence on Sanji here. The style of teaching is similar when it comes to cooking. They both want their student to get it on their own, so they let their pupil take the reigns and only give the subtlest of hints. Considering it's filler (and this applies to all the Straw Hats as well), it's a nice way to show his interests and quirks.

After that, we get more insight on Usopp. The Straw Hats dock on an island right on time for a local fireworks festival. Usopp is fascinated by the fireworks made by one family that the townspeople were talking about. He meets Kodama who is a young fireworks maker on the island. She's determined to create an improved version of a massive fireworks display her parents made. Unfortunately, the original display went awry and resulted in the pair's death. I thought it was a nice way to show Usopp as someone who wants to improve his craft much like Kodama wants to improve hers.

From there we get a little more background on Zoro. We go back into his bounty hunting days and how he met Johnny and Yosaku. Even back then his dream is to beat Mihawk and become the greatest swordsman in the world. For the most part, this episode just provides more context in Zoro's relationship with Johnny and Yosaku. Besides that, we pretty much know everything there is to know about Zoro so far. I love Zoro, but out of the episodes in this arc, I think I was falling asleep the most here. "But Pon! Chopper's episode was him just him talking about Kureha with Robin! At least Zoro had a battle here!" Yeah, well, I am biased towards Chopper. Chopper's filler episode arguably had the most relevance to the plot because of his developing friendship with Robin. This episode with Zoro is just yes we know you want to be the best swordsman because of your dead friend. Call me insensitive, but every bit of information about Zoro was already established in the East Blue Saga. As a result, his episode was not as insightful or entertaining as the others. Additionally, it's a flashback rather than present day. We get flashbacks within flashbacks.

Of course, we wouldn't need to focus on Luffy or Robin in this arc. Luffy's story has to be explored in canon. Robin, on the otherhand, is too new to have any kind of background other than being Crocodile's right hand woman and now the Straw Hats' stowaway. At this point, only Luffy trusts Robin. Sanji is an exception because he's a simp. Everyone else is wary of her presence, and understandably so.

While we don't get much from this filler arc, we at least get some focus on the Straw Hats individually. And although we don't get focus on Robin, we see a more gradual acceptance of her being in the crew. On its own, this filler arc is just a bunch of one-shots following Luffy's pirate crew. It's not a bad way to describe the stories here. It's not the most exciting, but that's kind of the point. It's a cool down period after defeating a WARLORD in Alabasta. At least here, unlike Boruto's odd timeline, there's a clean transition between canon and filler. I'm still not expecting much when it comes to these fillers, but this one at least gives me hope for cohesiveness.

[ponreviews]

PonUpdates No. 19 - Can't be Too Careful

There are a number of developments since the last post. However, that doesn't mean there was a lot of progress. As you might remember from the last update: I had COVID. Fortunately, it wasn't too bad and I was able to test negative last week. Unfortunately, my mom got COVID right after I did. Before you say anything: No, she didn't get it from me. It's very likely she got it from work. In any case, I spent more time balancing work and taking care of her, which left little time to catch up on the titles and reviews.

That being said, I do have a major update to my list. I was planning to watch and review the iCarly reboot. Granted, it wasn't supposed to come up for a while, but I think it's better to address it now. This will be the first removal from my list. The reason is simple: I support Jennette McCurdy. And while Dan Schneider is not involved in the reboot in any way, he still benefits from the conversation that comes out of it. He is responsible for the hit shows that many of us know and love (iCarly, Drake and Josh, Victorious, Zoey 101 and All That). I will be reading Jennette's memoir as to kind of replace the new iCarly in my list. It's likely that my review for it will come sooner.

Aside from that, my progress was honestly stagnant. I'm personally not too happy about it, but I did plan things out this way. Hopefully, I can get more done by the next update! After next week, there's only one review left. I'm kind of worried about having to go on hiatus again so soon to catch up, but in the end, I think it will benefit me not to rush myself considering all that's happened in the past month alone.

Thanks for staying with me! I appreciate your support. I'll see you in the next one!

-pon 🤍

[ponreviews]

The Circle US Season 4: The Spiciest Season

Category: Reality TV, Competition

Overall Rating: 7/10

Synopsis:

The Circle is back with new contestants and new drama!! A sex therapist assistant, a 4'6" fireball, a 63 year old Italian mom, and so many other big personalities clash in this game where they don't even meet. They show that strategy and sincerity are two sides of the same coin. Who makes it to the end and wins it all?

[SPOILERS THRU SEASON 4 AHEAD]

Review:

First off, I should disclose how I talk about the catfish in the game. I've already started referring to them this way in my other two reviews, but I never formally said anything about it. So here's how it'll look for the rest of the review(s):

[Catfish Name]/[Real Name] **I'll also be referring to the pronouns of the real identity

Now that that's out of the way, we got a longer review than last time ahead. I think it's best to disclose my favorites to win from the first episode and go from there, chronologically. For me, Yu Ling was my favorite to win and then Frank. My favorite didn't stay the same and fluctuated between a number of people throughout the season, which I think is a good sign. Every single one of these contestants had respectable qualities to them. But that isn't to say that they don't get ugly... This season was talked about a lot and was definitely polarizing for a multitude of reasons like Season 2. However, the events that transpired were honestly what should've happened in Season 2.

I'll get to those events later on in the review. I don't know how else to start talking about this one but... Paul/Parker... She had no idea what she got herself into playing her dad, a fictional version of him that had no resemblance to her personality at that. I'm sure many of us felt secondhand embarrassment when she said she didn't know what a memoir was. She really struggled to convince everyone else that she wasn't a catfish from that point on, but she didn't even realize it before it was too late.

There's a good lesson in Parker's experience in the game, even if it was short. You don't really know what others think of you online. You can be so confident that you're on their good side, but in reality, they may have doubts about you. The challenge of coming in as a catfish is the fact that you have to impersonate someone else. A recurring theme that everyone talks about is how much catfish hunting goes on in the show, which added to Parker's struggle even more.

There are some success stories with the catfish this season though. And we can start off with Jared/Spice Girls. If you haven't seen this season, I warned you about spoilers. Baby Spice (Emma) and Scary Spice (Mel B) took to the Circle to spice up the game as Jared, the profile Frank chose to join the game after Paul/Parker left. Even after revealing they were in the game, they got some of the players fooled that Jared was real, and that was just enough for the prize money to increase to $150k!! It was a nice twist for the players because on top of the initial $100k, they got more money AND the realization that they had been talking to 2/4 of the SPICE GIRLS!!

Alyssa can relish in that moment the Spice Girls talked to her for who knows how long and I'm absolutely jealous. Given that they're extremely successful and don't need the money, Emma and Mel B left the Circle after their job was complete. Still, their presence caused a little rift of trust between some of the players, particularly about Rachel, who was a self-proclaimed Spice Girls fan. To be fair to her though, no fan is bound to know everything unless they're that creepily obsessed with them. Those questions too were very specific in the Spice Girls trivia game.

From this point, it starts to get a little shifty (though consistent with previous seasons). Crissa's elimination was a controversial one on twitter. A strong black female player was blocked early in the game and the justification is that she's a threat. It's hard to argue against it when similar instances happened in previous seasons. Depending on your view of what happened, Terilisha was a strong player in season 2 ranking 1st on day 1, but after being marked as a threat by Savannah, she was doomed to get blocked. Similarly, Khat ranked 2nd on her first rating and she was blocked the next time. In Season 3, Kai was consistently a strong contender only ever hitting the bottom once after the alliances were solidified. In the end, her popularity costed her. I will die on this hill, Kai deserved the win. Crissa was charismatic, but people she didn't immediately mesh with saw her as calculating just because she didn't immediately try to talk to them (when easily the effort goes both ways). Not once was Crissa strategizing in her game. People felt like her bond with Frank was gameplay, but they really were just chill. Alyssa specifically going after Crissa felt off too. Considering how much notes she has on everyone, she didn't try to get insight on Crissa? Added to that, you're suspicious of Crissa when your notes fill up your whole apartment?

Because of that, I didn't feel bad when she was blocked the next round. I was definitely surprised though. I was expecting to see Carol/John on the short end of the stick. Controversial opinion: I am actually glad that Carol/John was saved over Alyssa. On top of her targeting Crissa, her beef against Yu Ling (although justified) was too much. If you're going to be mad at Yu Ling for picking Rachel over you, you should be just as mad at Bru for picking Carol/John over you. I have strong opinions about Alyssa because I really liked her at first. I'm also sure I'm not the only one who felt this way. I follow Sammie (from Season 1) on Instagram and on her stories she noted she wanted either Frank or Alyssa to win. But then after a while she changed it to Frank or Yu Ling. One can only speculate what went through her mind, but I doubt it's any different from my thought process. Granted in the finale, Alyssa apologized to Yu Ling and noted that her anger at her was misguided, but what's done is done.

From here, things could've gotten really messy. In fact, it was starting to mirror the clash between Savannah and Terilisha. However, it's where I started to really respect Yu Ling and Bru. My first impression of Bru was like Nick in Season 3. The main difference between the two is the strategy that they played. In the end Bru chose people he felt like he bonded the most, whereas Nick was all game plan the whole way through. The conversation between Bru and Yu Ling after Alyssa's blocking was what should have happened between Savannah and Terilisha. If the two women talked it out from the start then they wouldn't have such a dramatic falling out. But I digress. This isn't about Season 2.

Of course, trust wouldn't be rebuilt that easily, but Yu Ling and Bru were at least able to let bygones be bygones. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Carol/John. Even with the last newbies, Imani/Trevor and Everson, Carol/John couldn't bring himself back to where he was with the other players. His only fault really was that he came in as a catfish. Aside from Bru, everyone saw being a catfish as being deceptive. At least Everson was able to see John when it was time for him to go.

Once Carol/John got blocked, it seemed like most of the bad blood was gone. Even when Nathan/Alex tried stirring the pot between Bru and Frank, he couldn't cause chaos. The shocking double blocking and the last one before the final ratings was really something else. I was so sure Nathan/Alex was going to be blocked before Bru. In fact, I thought Bru would be at least in the top 5. Then, initially, I was shocked that Everson wasn't eliminated. Though thinking about it, it makes sense. Nathan/Alex tried to sour relationships over something that happened a while ago. Meanwhile, Everson was just vibing.

Now, let's talk about Nathan/Alex. There's a lot of mixed feelings about his game plan. Honestly, I think it's the same as Nick in Season 3. He's very calculating and I think it's kind of hypocritical of people to say Nick is a great player because of his strategies while Nathan/Alex is a horrible person for doing the same thing. Personally, I think part of this distinction is based on conventional attraction. Nick is more conventionally attractive than Alex, so people praise him over Alex when it comes to strategy. I acknowledged Nick for being a great player despite my bias against him, and I'll say the same thing for Nathan/Alex.

Let's get into this season's top 5, starting with Everson. He was an interesting player to say the least. I was initially put off by him because of the profile picture he chose. If I saw a profile pic like that, my first instinct would be to run. Still, what's great about this group is that they don't let things like that define the person behind the picture (unless they're a catfish). Everson was still able to be likable enough to get to the top 5 but only got himself to 5th.

Next is Rachel. Her spot makes sense to me. She was about 3rd or 4th the whole time in my internal ranking. She's likable but not nearly as outgoing as Yu Ling or Frank as examples. It's even possible that she was content with being 4th, especially considering her top 3 are the top 3. This is where I say, the top 5 here reminds me of the top 5 in Season 1: it makes sense and I would be fine with any of them winning.

As we break into the top 3, there's a lot to say about Yu Ling. I was surprised to see how many people didn't like Yu Ling. It's one thing to not like her because of the anti-virus decision, but it's another to not like her just because she's who she is. People find her annoying because of her personality and how exaggerated her expressions are. That just means she's comfortable and confident with herself. If you can't be that loud and obnoxious with your friends, I pity you. On top of that there are other people who were on the show who were just as loud (Courtney in Season 2 as an example). I'm actually shocked Yu Ling didn't get 2nd place. Of course, being in my personal top 2 to win, I would be shocked. That doesn't mean I wasn't happy with Imani/Trevor being 2nd in the end.

Now, I'm happy Trevor got 2nd, but I'm also glad that he didn't win it all. Why? Deleesa won Season 2! It doesn't feel right to give the $150k to someone who benefited from a previous season! That isn't to say that if he won I would be upset though. If he won, he won it through his own right. Looking at his game, he did win over very key players, without anyone figuring out who he was!! In the end it was just something fun for Trevor and Deleesa to be able to say that they both competed in the Circle. Still, very glad it went to Frank in the end.

You can't say anything bad about Frank. He doesn't have a bad bone in his body!! He was instantly one of my favorites from day 1, and to see his picture turn around at the end, it was very satisfying. Even on twitter, you don't see any negative comment about Frank. I think out of the 4 seasons, his win was the best possible win. He held no grudges and stayed true to his genuine self. He based his game on his bonds rather than strategy the whole way. Everyone can agree that he was the right person to give the $150k to.

Was this season the best one to date? Hard to say. I wouldn't say it's without fault. I mean, they casted Bru, who is a big TikTok personality with millions of followers. If he had won, the Circle would be under a lot more scrutiny, even if he was well loved in the show. Questionable choices were also made along the way. Despite all that, it was a wholesome end with Frank being the winner.

[ponreviews]

PonUpdates No. 18 - Semi-Hiatus

I was hoping I could manage with the stockpile, but COVID did hit me like a ton of bricks this past week. Of course, this means I went below the threshold for the reviews in my stockpile. The good news is: I don't have to completely halt my posts just yet.

However, expect more delays in getting reviews out there. Instead of a post every 5 days, there will be a post every week alternating between a review and an update. This would mean that the reviews would be coming out every other week. Currently, the aim date is Sundays 12 PM PDT (12 PM PST come the time adjustment in November).

For now, I'll give you a look at what's in the stockpile currently (kind of like how I did things before) and give an update on the one I'm currently working on. These updates are going to be more detailed to make up for the lost time between each review.

With that said, here's what I have so far:

The Circle (US) - You know I had to talk about this one!! I always come back to titles I've already reviewed. It's been some time since it aired, but I wrote the review with the details fresh in my mind!! Look out for this review NEXT SUNDAY!!

One Piece - This is another completed review ready to be posted. From this point forward, the reviews will be separated by arcs. I did make a noob move by trying to separate it by seasons. It made me think about how I approach reviewing series like this one. Now, unlike The Circle, I won't give you the release date for this review just yet. Who knows? I might be able to replenish more reviews for the stockpile by the time this one is up (this is highly unlikely but still possible).

Itaewon Class - I have been itching to talk about this one and was really hoping to get this one out as part of the 3x5 schedule (i.e. 3 reviews with one every 5 days), but alas, my hopes were crushed. Still, the positive is that this review is complete and is all queued up to be posted. Like One Piece, the release date is TBD for now.

That's it for my stockpile. "WHAT?? But Pon, there's only 3 how is it so low?" I've been releasing my reviews in groups of 3s and this happened to be the last set of 3 that I can post. On the upside, the way I'm spacing out the reviews gives more room for content and I can give myself some extra time to catch up as much as I can.

Now, I did say I would let you in on a review I'm currently working on. I thought I would make it fun and make it a game!! It'll be like Wheel of Fortune: I'll give you blanks to fill in while giving you one letter that's in the name and what type of title it is. If you can guess the title, I'll DM you a link to the review as soon as it's completed!! That's super early! You'll pretty much have the time between now and its scheduled release to make your guess.

It's time to reveal the current title:

_ _ _ S _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ S Hint: It's a book!!

Good luck! I'll see y'all in the next one!

-pon 🤍

[ponreviews]

In the Woods by Tana French - PTSD and Murder Mystery

Category: Mystery, Psychological

Note: I didn't watch the STARZ series Dublin Murders based off the book. Nothing from the show influences my rating here.

Overall Rating: 6/10

Synopsis:

Knocknaree was certainly a quiet and peaceful suburb just outside of Dublin. However, a sudden disappearance of 3 children in 1984 shook the neighborhood. One came back with bloodied shoes but the other two were never to be found. Unfortunately, that kid was so traumatized that he couldn't remember a thing about what happened. 20 years later, Rob Ryan is now a Dublin detective handling a case in Knocknaree that has an eerie similarity to the traumatic experience he had way back when. What would he uncover with this new case? Can he put the pieces together?

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

Review:

This was a fun read. I know my low rating doesn't really show that but it really is! Murder mysteries are always a fun read. It's like you're solving the mystery with them as they gather all the clues and piece them together. That being said, that's true for any murder mystery. It's a fun plot, but it's filled with holes. Unfortunately, the characters are pretty bland in my opinion as well. I have a number of issues with the book. Most are not major and can be explained by the context of the story. Others… not so much.

Before we get into that though, let's talk about all the good in the story. For one thing, the number of characters and thus the number of suspects is large. It makes the the mystery of it all very interesting because there are multiple people (or groups of people) who would have a motive for killing Katy Devlin. From a conspiracy with the local government to her own family, the scope the murder case had was astronomical. For a long time, the reader can be convinced it's a number of different people based on how focused they are on each suspect. Tana French does a really good job at diverting the reader's focus.

She also does a great job in sliding hints that it was actually Rosalind who was the mastermind behind the murder. From the grip she had on Rob's emotions and attraction to her quick and heavy hatred towards Cassie, these details swing between a grieving sister who just wants justice to a genius who almost got away with inciting the murder of her own sister.

However, the end felt a little rushed, almost as if there was pressure to keep the book at a page limit. I can understand if this was the case, but I don't know. I can't be sure. It felt too easy for Rosalind to confess her crimes to Cassie. Then again, Rob was wrapped around Rosalind's finger, so it would make sense to show that it would've been that easy if Rob wasn't infatuated with Rosalind.

Rob, himself, is the unreliable narrator of the story. A lot of my critiques about this book boil down to that statement. No resolution for what happened 20 years ago? Rob's trauma was so deep he wouldn't remember it anyway. The only reason why this one bugs me so much is because the whole story revolved around it. The moral dilemma of having involvement with a related case, going back to Knocknaree in general, and all the fragmented flashbacks seemed like there would be a genuine connection at the end. "But Pon! You said it yourself! He's an unreliable narrator! Not everything can be resolved in the end." Yeah, but that can't be the explanation for every inconsistency in the story.

Despite the inconsistencies and dependence on Rob as an unreliable narrator, the story is much more interesting than the characters themselves. The characters are cookie-cutter tropes with a sprinkle of "I'm not like the others." That made it pretty difficult to root for anyone. Granted, that's not the point. The story makes the reader step into the role of detective, alongside Rob and Cassie. As a detective, you don't want to put your personal feelings on the case. Any amicability of a character is null and void (if there even was any in the first place).

That's what really makes this a fun read. You play a part in the story (although with no influence whatsoever). It's almost like you're shadowing the detectives on this case. You're not influencing their decisions but you try in your own mind to solve the case yourself. Still, you can say that about any murder mystery. Aside from that, nothing else really stands out. It's a great story with the story outsmarting the reader at every page, but there's not much else that's memorable about it.

[ponreviews]

URGENT PonUpdate - COVID

It seems like it's finally time. I tested positive for COVID-19. Personally, I'm more upset at the fact that I even got it after successfully avoiding it for so long. I'm not sure how long or how bad it's going to be, but I feel like the worst of my symptoms subsided. I still have them, but they're not as bad as when I first noticed the symptoms.

Why am I making a post about this? I only have one post that i can guarantee on its scheduled date in queue. I'm not sure I can finish more reviews before I start the semi-hiatus while in this state. I will definitely try though. I do have more free time since I can't really do anything for work. Still, I should take the time to rest and recover. I know the world is more prepared to handle the virus, but it's still not one to be taken lightly.

Thankfully I have a good support system to take care of me while I'm not in the greatest health. I hope I can get more done for y'all to see, but for now, I anticipate after the next review we will be starting the two week interval between the reviews.

Thanks for being patient with me! I'll see you in the next one.

-pon 🤍

[ponreviews]

Bridgerton (Season 2) - NEWTON!!

Category: Period, Drama, Romance

Overall Rating: 6.5/10

Synopsis:

It's a new social season in the ton, and the eldest Bridgerton, Anthony, is ready to find his future bride in one of the debutantes. The Sharmas are introduced to the ton from India, and Edwina, the younger sister, hopes to find her match as well with the help from her sister, Kate. A chance encounter triggers the beginning of a complex love story between a Vicount and his Vicountess.

[SPOILERS AHEAD FOR BRIDGERTON SEASON 2]

Review:

Daphne and Simon were polar opposites when it came to their story, but now, Kate and Anthony are essentially the same person. They both have a responsibility to their families and want what's best for them above all else. Kate wants the best future for Edwina even if it meant never seeing her again, and Anthony would get married to carry on the Bridgerton name as the eldest of the family, sacrificing his own happiness to do so.

Personally, I think the dynamic between Kate and Anthony was a lot better than that of Daphne and Simon. However, the story flowed a lot better with Daphne and Simon than Kate and Anthony. One thing to note is the amount of changes from the books to the show. While I believe what occurred in the show's second season was a lot better than what occurred in the corresponding book (disclaimer: I didn't read the book. I'm basing it off of what other people said happened), I preferred the story of Season 1 over Season 2. Major changes, including what was supposed to happen in the bee scene and Edwina's character overall, drastically changed how the story flowed despite having the same happy ending.

I absolutely adore the Sharmas. Their individuality and family story is what really brought the season together. Kate is easily a well loved character with her independence and strong will. Let's not forget Edwina and Lady Sharma though. Lady Sharma's story of falling in love with a commoner and moving away from the ton was probably the most romantic thing in this season, considering much of Kate and Anthony's story is sexual tension.

Edwina's changes from book to screen is actually one of the few times I find it okay to deviate from the book. Originally, her character's main purpose was to be a gateway for Kate to Anthony and vice versa. She was the one with the sense of responsibility and didn't want to marry Anthony for love. Edwina's hopeless romantic character in Season 2 added to the drama in a good way. There's new conflict that pushes Kate away from Anthony with Edwina genuinely falling in love with Anthony which makes for when Kate and Anthony actually do accept each other's feelings, the climax is intense (yes that's meant to be an innuendo).

Many of the changes to the book's original plot are actually good, as noted with Edwina. The bee scene is another one. Lady Featherington, Lady Bridgerton, and Lady Danbury were initially supposed to catch Anthony sucking on Kate's breast (to expel the bee's venom of course). Because of that, Kate and Anthony were supposed to be forced to marry. The rest of the story follows how they fall in love during their marriage. The thing is, this book scene would make the story very similar to the circumstances of Daphne and Simon, which wouldn't be as interesting the second time around.

This review is already pretty long with all the positives. Now, it's time for the reasons why the rating is that low. It was essentially a culmination of a number of things that made me want to rate it a 6.5. Not all the changes were beneficial to the plot. Even areas that don't see changes are somewhat questionable. It is a mesh of inconsistency and raises a lot of questions.

Anthony was nowhere near my favorite Bridgerton to say the least. Considering my opinion of him, my rating for this season is pretty high. His development in the show overall is a bit ragged. An example of this is how Sienna lost all relevancy in this season. Granted, the season takes place much later than the original season, so it would give Anthony a chance to get over her and really repress his feelings for anything or anyone. Considering how strongly he felt about her, however, it's strange that she's not even a thought that crosses his mind. I expected some turmoil with Anthony going into Season 2, but it didn't happen the way I was anticipating.

Another character that goes out of relevance here is Simon. The character doesn't play a huge role since he's out of the spotlight this time around. Plus, we knew Rége-Jean Page would not show up in Season 2 for the longest time. His absence isn't the biggest problem with Season 2, but we do miss out on some small moments where Simon helps the new couple navigate through their tumultuous relationship.

While there are a multitude of breathtaking quotes from the characters, but one in particular made me want to exit Netflix to take a break from watching for a while. It was a scene where Anthony tells Kate that he can teach her many ways to please a woman. I don't remember the exact quote and I don't care to. It made me want to throw up at how dudebro Anthony is. I wouldn't be so adamant about this quote if he had significant development though. Yes, he accepts his feelings and chooses happiness over duty. Yay! But he's still overbearing and pompous.

Lastly, it's the one thing that everyone is talking about. Penelope, aka Lady Whistledown. The end of Season 1 revealed the identity of Lady Whistledown to the viewer, so everyone was dying to know what scheming Penelope was and still is up to in Season 2. However, as I kept watching, I started to wonder if the reveal was done too early. In the books, the reveal wasn't done until Colin's point of the Bridgerton siblings' love stories. While the reveal in Season 1 left us in awe that Penelope could have so much power and brought so much respect towards her, Season 2 may have put that into question. Of course, it's still early as we've gotten through only 2 of the siblings thus far, but it was heartbreaking to know that our favorite duo, Eloise and Penelope, broke up. And yes, Penelope was absolutely self-serving this season to break up Theloise via Lady Whistledown.

We certainly got a rollercoaster of emotions, tension, and development with the characters this season. It's hardly consistent, but that doesn't mean it's all bad. In fact, I enjoyed it a lot. I just couldn't ignore the smaller things that added up. Lower ratings from me doesn't necessarily mean it's unenjoyable. It mostly just means I left more confused than when I came in. And this season did that for me. It wasn't entirely cohesive, but the messy development can make for great entertainment. I'm expecting Season 3 to be just as messy if not messier. It's rumored that Season 3 would be about Benedict. We don't really know how he is romantically as his endeavors aren't as dramatic as his other siblings so far. He may be more relatable than his older brother and nowhere near as perfect as the eldest of his sisters. We will just have to wait and see, but hopefully not as long as we did for this one.

[ponreviews]

Boruto: Genin Mission Arc - Real World Responsibilities

Categories: Shounen, Adventure

Overall Rating: 3/10

Synopsis:

Having just passed their graduation exam from the academy, Boruto and his classmates begin their missions officially as genin for the Hidden Leaf. This arc follows their first missions as teams. Much to Boruto's dismay, the missions are not to his liking as they seem to not be as dangerous and exhilarating as he had hoped. However, the two missions the newly branded Team 7 take on prove to be much more complex than what he initially thought. Lessons are to be learned in this arc, but what's the biggest takeaway?

[SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE GENIN MISSION ARC]

Review:

I'll be frank. If each mission was a standalone plot, I would say it's done really well. However, that's not the case here. We have 2 missions in the span of 3 episodes that's supposed to really introduce Sarada, Boruto and Mitsuki as the new Team 7. Like the previous arc, it would've done the anime better to expand on the first mission in the Green Bank. 2 episodes feel like its resolution came way too fast for Boruto to even gain anything from it for his development. Unfortunately, so far, that's no shocker. Even in the School Trip Arc which spanned more episodes, Boruto doesn't really change or learn anything.

The benefit of the doubt here is that Green Bank is considered Filler in the Filler List found online. If you expect any form of development in Boruto, it would not be there. Still, the second mission is still considered anime canon. "But Pon! Anime canon isn't canon in the manga!" You are absolutely right! However, I'm not reviewing the manga here. I'm reviewing the anime. Whatever is listed as canon, manga or anime, should have a steady flow. However the contribution that the second mission in this arc has on any of the plot is near zero.

Notice how I didn't say it's zero exactly. It did one thing and one thing only: introduce the concept of the villains of the next arc, the Byakuya Gang. I've watched pretty far into Boruto at this point. I normally don't mention that here in my reviews, but it's important to note that none of the anime canon stuff here carry over to future anime canon arcs. It just feels like it's trying to stitch together the other arcs, but there's no lasting impact from them.

There is one massive inaccuracy in this arc that bugs the shit out of me and it revolves around the geography of the Naruto universe. The Green Banks is said to be located on the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, but those two nations do not share borders at all according to the map. Even if the Green Banks is a filler story, it feels like careless oversight to get this wrong. It makes me wonder how bad these inaccuracies are going to be in future arcs. Pretty much what this tells me is that the studio is just pushing out random shit with little to no oversight. I really wonder if Kishimoto is actually okay with how this story is playing out in the anime.

Now that I got the negative stuff out of the way here are some positives!! I noted as standalone stories, these missions do well with the only fault of being too short. When connected to the main plot it has no significance, but when you look at it separately, you can see Boruto actually develop. It's unfortunate that with each mission he seems to forget the lessons that came with the previous.

The missions have a decent beginning, end, and overall conflict for what it's supposed to be. Boruto goes from complaining and whining to understanding what needs to be done and what ignorant perceptions he would need to throw away. Again, it's unfortunate that his development is thrown in the garbage after each mission, but at least his incessant bitching isn't persistent in a singular mission.

As you know I already watched the Byakuya Gang Arc, so I wish I could continue this review with what is shown there. For now, I will leave it as I do have more to say for sure.

[ponreviews]

Pon Updates No. 17 - That New New

It's about that time again. By now, I'm sure y'all are getting the pattern, or at least what I intend the pattern to be. We're going to get something new which I'll get to in a bit. You probably noticed in my previous update that I mentioned five straight reviews of titles I've already reviewed.

This batch includes the other two titles, which again, I will get to in a bit. The significant part of this batch is the introduction of a new category of reviews, BOOKS! That's right, I'm adding books to my arsenal. On New Year's Day, I went with my cousin to a book store and I decided then and there I would make it a New Year's Resolution to read more books, particularly fiction. I specify that because I already read tons of books at work, primarily work related, but there are some interesting reads. I may change my mind and add these books to review as well. I'm gonna be honest and say I am not doing well to uphold my resolution completing 2 fiction books in 6 months.

For the time being, I'm adding the books I read to the top of my titles on deck for review. Otherwise, I'll never get to it. It's not a priority like revisiting titles are. However, it is close.

With that being said here's what to expect in the next couple of weeks.

Boruto - 07.14.2022 Ah. The bane of my existence. Fun fact: this one is the reason why I decided to split up my reviews into seasons/arcs. Don't worry! I do try to space them out as much as I can. At the very least, I need a break from all of this. Until then, I think it's good to emotionally prepare for this one.

Bridgerton - 07.19.2022 With the release of Season 2 earlier this year, you know I had to talk about it! Now Season 3 and 4 are also confirmed, and as much as I want to go off on a tangent, I should hold off until it is time to make the review. I'll keep an eye out for any more news, but to avoid spoilers I won't mention it here.

In the Woods by Tana French - 07.24.2022 Here it is! The first book review on PonReviews!! This was the book my cousin was recommending on New Years. The inaugural book review is coming a lot later sooner than I expected! It'll be a nice change of pace, and now my title pool is much larger for it.

After this set of reviews, I may slow down the pace. I'm not sure yet though. My main concern right now is burnout. I am handling a lot more in my day job, so it gives me less time and energy to work on these reviews. However, I don't want to stop of course. I'm still working on finding that balance between my job and my hobby (these reviews).

Thanks again for reading!

-pon 🤍