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Recently finished Maggie Stiefvater's new novel, The Listeners, and while it's definitely not my favorite work of hers, her prose remains as spellbending as ever. It took me a moment to acclimatize myself to the amount of characters and plot threads, which can get confusing at times. But all of it creeps into your heart without you realizing it, ready to hit you like a truck in the final act. I believe Maggie herself has mentioned this is the type of novel that invites re-reads, and I can't help but agree; it's probably easier to immerse yourself in its world once you're familiar with it. Anyway, I recommend it to fans of the author's style and historical fiction with dashes of magical realism.

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Seems like we're ending the week with three bangers:

Killin' It Girl by J-Hope (feat. GloRilla)

It's the weakest song he's released this year imho, but it certainly allows him to fully embrace his ravishing appeal.

Lemon Drop by ATEEZ

Along with Work, this is probably my favorite ATEEZ title track in the last 3 or 4 years. Love the sensual summer vibes!

1&Only by XLOV

Wow, they're really pushing the boundaries of K-pop boygroups with this aesthethic, sound and choreography. Very impressive.

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Happy 12th Festa, BTS!💜

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WELCOME BACK JIMIN AND JUNGKOOK!

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💜

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Tried watching Good Boy and, while I'm not sure if I'll keep watching (cop shows just aren't my thing), Park Bo Gum is on fire in this drama. He lights up the screen every time he shows up.

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Predator: Killer of Killers

Movies watched in 2025

Predator: Killer of Killers (2025, USA)

Directors: Dan Trachtenberg and Joshua Wassung

Writer: Micho Robert Rutare (based on a story by Dan Trachtenberg and him)

Mini-review:

OK, that was really f**king cool. After Prey, we already knew the Predator franchise was in great hands with Dan Trachtenberg, and this new animated movie highlights that even further. This format, coupled with the different period settings of the stories, allows for some truly impactful and creative kills. And then it surprises you even more with the final act, which I won't spoil. The animation itself is pretty striking, clearly drawing inspiration from the success of the Spider-Verse saga and Arcane. But it's not all style over substance: the first two stories pack an impressive emotional wallop, too. I really hope Trachtenberg keeps experimenting with this universe, cause Killer of Killers proves he knows what he's doing.

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It was high time we got an original track MV for Le Sserafim's Japanese comebacks! The song's way too short, but it makes great use of their vocals and it's catchy as hell. They're really building a fantastic Japanese discography.

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The Haunted Palace

TV Shows/Dramas watched in 2025

The Haunted Palace (2025, South Korea)

Directors: Yoon Sung Sik and Kim Ji Yeon

Writer: Yoon Soo Jung

Mini-review:

I started this mostly because of the cast, not really expecting to love it as much as I did. Historical dramas are usually a bit of a struggle for me, but I had no problem keeping up to date with this one every week. On paper, its constant mixture of genres shouldn't work, and yet it turned out to be very fun and engrossing. The writer does wonders with both the romance and the supernatural intrigue, which the cast delivers without flaws. Yook Sung Jae and Kim Ji Yeon make for two super likable leads, and Lee Ji Hoon brings his characteristic intensity to this thoughtful King role. Oh, and the production values also surprised me to no end; the CGI is among the best I've seen in a K-drama, and the costumes, sets and make-up were simply sensational (just look at the Colossal Shadow!). Now that it's over, I'll certainly be missing my weekly dose of The Haunted Palace.

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So, ILLIT just released one of the best homages to the magical girl genre I've seen in K-pop. What a stunning comeback trailer!

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This sounds like a pop song from the late 00s in all the right ways. It's definitely up there with my favorite Enhypen title tracks. Oh, and I love the visuals of the MV!

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Bones and All

Movies watched in 2025

Bones and All (2022, Italy/USA)

Director: Luca Guadagnino

Writer: David Kajganich (based on the novel by Camille DeAngelis)

Mini-review:

This has been at the top of my watchlist for years, and I'm so glad I finally looked it up. I can certainly see why it was so divisive, but I found it to be a thoroughly mesmerizing experience. It presents quite a few fascinating moral issues, which propel the central romance. And it works, thanks to Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet's luminous chemistry and acting. Mark Rylance and Michael Stuhlbarg offer truly creepy performances, too. Plus, the whole thing is a visual wonder. You can tell from the very first scene that it was shot on film; like, this is how movies are supposed to look. There are shots that look like paintings. So yeah, kudos to Arseni Khachaturan for his cinematography work. Anyway, with Bones and All, Luca Guadagnino continues to build an inimitable filmography.

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Lost in Starlight

Movies watched in 2025

Lost in Starlight (2025, South Korea)

Director: Han Ji Won

Writers: Kang Hyun Joo and Han Ji Won

Mini-review:

I think this is the first Korean animated film I've ever seen, and it's definitely a great place to start. The aesthetic and vibe clearly draw a lot of inspiration from Makoto Shinkai's work, but having adult characters as leads gives it a somewhat more mature feel. The writing is pretty solid too; although the movie's length is around 90 minutes and things develop pretty fast, the central relationship never feels rushed, and it earns the emotional wallop of the final act. Also, Kim Tae Ri and Hong Kyung prove to be surprisingly good voice actors. Then there's the beautiful music, which is more than up to the task of playing a key part in the story; I can see myself playing these songs a lot in the coming weeks. So yeah, Lost in Starlight is a worthy animated romance with a dash of science fiction.

P.S. That's one gorgeous poster.

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The Oen High group (called aoen) is finally debuting and, while the song is a bit too generic for my liking, they clearly have a lot of potential. I'll be keeping an eye out for the rest of the songs and future releases.

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So, two of my favorite 3rd gen groups just released new music on the same day:

2 Months by Dreamcatcher UAU

This subunit consists of my bias line, so it's basically like a dream come true. I know some people are upset about the sound change, but I think it really suits them. I can see myself playing this all summer long.

Everlasting by N.Flying

They're finally back as a full group! Their music remains as nostalgic and emotional as ever, and Hweseung's vocals are nothing short of heavenly.

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I was hoping for more music videos, and she just went and made one for my favorite track on the album. Love how quirky it is!

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Nobody does emotional ballads like IU. Her voice always sounds so rich in this type of song. And the MV is really nice, too. I hope she makes more of them for the rest of the album, cause all the songs are fantastic 👀👀👀