#yeah girls should stick together and i hate rivalry between women

[imsailorpluto]

Call It Love (2023), Kang Min-yeong

This one makes me awfully sad. There are lots of things one can label as "wrong" and "immoral". Life isn't all black and white, no matter how hard we try to make it that way. As a woman, I tend to side with other women any chance I get, no matter if it turns out to be a big mistake.

Dong-jin, even if you're played by Kim Young-kwang, I can't let you off the hook, sorry.

Their break up makes me think it was a bit of everyone's fault. Sure, we could just oversimplify it and say they weren't compatible in the first place. We still have no idea what he did, but she cheated anyways, so this is where we should just shut up all together. Well, maybe they were both too young and inexperienced to deal with their parents' burdens. It's best to learn on other people's mistakes, but this time neither of them could escape their own selves.

Dong-jin's mother is one peculiar women nobody would ever want to meet in any kind of circumstance. Her son avoids her best way possible, but she always finds a way back into his life, destroying everything she touches. Min-yeong comes from a disgustingly wealthy family (I mean the woman drives a Maserati, that car scene alone made me weep), it's only natural her life is full of problems as well; her parents never approved of her relationship in the first place. For a girl who seems to be hurried into getting married, is there anything else that's left to expect besides a tragic ending? Dong-jin tried escaping his mother's influence, more or less, but same thing can't be said for Min-yeong. My guess is both were in great pain which they couldn't get rid off due to coming from such different worlds while neither of the two knew how to patch the void in between. Inexperience.

Dong-jin's biggest mistake was hiding his true face from his partner while insisting on keeping the relationship going. He hid his background, his childhood, his wounds, his identity. Is having a meaningful relationship even possible without taking the mask off at some point? Yet that's something he could never do but still, from his perspective it must have seemed as if he's doing fine as a partner. That's not how it works, relationship is almost like a living being, and putting up a wall is always noticeable, even when the other side turns a blind eye.

Certainly, him not letting her in on his painful past has a great affect on all that lead to their break up. While Min-yeong was looking for support in the one she loved the most, she was not getting any reassurance back and she probably blamed herself for him not opening up to her. That's something women usually do. And what do people do once they can't see a way out of a difficult situation? They become (self-)destructive. She could bend over backwards but she was just not the one he would move his emotional blocks for. From what we can see in the series, he didn't really want to discuss their future together and he kept pushing her away, presenting it as if she might be the one to push him away, some day, when she learns the truth about him (if she ever does).

From that perspective, their whole situation smells like trouble. Big, big trouble. She said herself her goal was getting married and having a family. I can't blame her for wanting those things. Is wanting something she subconsciously knows Dong-jin would never offer so wrong? Is loving a person deeply to the point of being irrational and practically dumb so wrong? Ah, but desperate measures are always wrong. Why don't we all collectively just bury this woman alive, why would we understand anything that she went through? It's not like something like that could ever happen in real life to any of us, right?

Honestly, the show presents Dong-jin as if he were an angel and not a man with severe mother/father issues. He's portrayed as a kind hearted protagonist with a high moral sense, who drowns his sorrow in alcohol while lying on the floor for days after Min-yeong's mom sent him the wedding invitation. I can't deal with kdrama mom thing at all now, they're a different kind of evil, I swear.

The audacity of "I won't let you in and I won't marry you, but I won't let you marry anyone else either" is something known for ages. That's probably why her mom sent the invitation in the first place. And all of that together makes me think he didn't treat her like a decent human being. Not because he chose that, but because he doesn't have the capacity for it. Not having the capacity, being somewhat aware of it and insisting on the relationship, because the other person displays so much affection and love, is as equally bad as cheating. That is actually also cheating. A person doesn't have to get involved with anyone else to be a cheater. It's enough to hide their wounds and not be honest about it. That alone makes me think the reason why he pretended not to notice she was out dating someone else hides behind his feeling of utter guilt. Guilt for not being capable of providing her what she needs, to compensate for building up walls and wasting her time all along.

Dating emotionally unavailable person, heck, living with one, is soul draining. It hurts like hell looking at a person and feeling as if you're staring at a blank wall. The pain of having to go through that daily is worse than your partner actually cheating on you once or falling for someone else and breaking up. At least that's how I see it; the pain it puts you through is not even comparable. The reason behind it might be in the fact that for cheating one doesn't need intelligence at all. To lure someone in your life, make them stay and to calculate how much of which part of yourself you'll give in each and every moment, well... In my eyes that's way worse form of betrayal. It takes a lot of brain. That's manipulation at it's finest. There's something very dark and vile about it; it can play with other person's mental health in the most brutal ways, where outcomes may be even fatal. And we have it right there on the screen. Min-yeong became an alcoholic. She let a man with mommy issues and extremely low self-esteem drag her down to the bottom, while he then carried on with his life as the main victim in everyone else's eyes. That's something men who hate their mothers do very often.

Her side was never shown (at least not yet), how much she must have waited for him to change, to open up at least a tiny bit, how much energy and effort she poured into their relationship. How many times she tried to get thru his walls. Sure, she made a huge mistake by contacting his mother first, but I can't blame her. Imagine how desperate she was in that moment; she went behind his back to check his phone and steal his mom's number. Even thinking of doing that is hitting rock bottom yet she went on and did it without being aware of what desperation looks like on her. As any relationship, theirs must have had a great start. Keeping his character in mind, he was most probably an amazing boyfriend at first. Once the honey moon phase ended, first problems emerged. He probably pushed it all under the rug. Min-yeong's mistake was falling a bit too hard and not breaking up with him sooner, probably thinking she could change him. Could be she wanted to prove her parents wrong as well, but for whatever reason, it hurts to watch her scenes and think about her psychological profile.

It's never one sided, that feeling when relationship reaches the breaking point. People don't want to be the bad one, breaking up first. It is a bit pathetic, not ending a relationship and enjoying the victim role saying "I've been dumped" any chance possible. Meanwhile, those same people treat their partner so poorly it's evidently there is no love left there. I'm not trying to use this drama, nor Min-yeong's character to justify cheating. Of course cheating is wrong. What I'm trying to point out is the following. Dong-jin's move - not ending the relationship and choosing to live off of his partner's energy until she turned into a wreck - is also just as wrong, if not worse than what his partner did. She obviously loved him more. What a textbook example; men with severe self-esteem (and what-not) issues pursue gorgeous smart amazing independent girls, only to ruin their psyche, changing them into something, someone unrecognisable operating on survival mode. Sounds a lot like a parasite causing a disease.

Min-yeong's left miserable in the end. She turned into an alcoholic who, even after all the hell she's been through, still thinks she might have a shot with this guy who never even truly accepted her. Oh the brain fog. Oh the twisted perception. All the excuses she must have made for him until she fell into a hole they both dig up. While he just used her for tending to his wounded inner child. She must have been so confused and so lost, how messed up her head must have been when she couldn't even get rid of him. How do you get rid of a parasite? Without an intervention, you don't.

I'm good at writing apology letters for others, so why not writing one for her? So let's wrap this one up. In all honesty, Dong-jin probably took best years of her life while she waited for him to open up. What, they're probably in their late twenties, early thirties now? Imagine yourself living in a conservative society, where certain norms are expected, are even obligatory. I get that his mom made him miserable but she is still his mother. There is no other woman out there who could fill that role. Being in a relationship for god knows how long without introducing your "future wife" to your only parent, who is clearly still around, for whatever ugly reason he should have been open about, is wrong on so many levels. Min-yeong obviously loved him deeply. All she wanted was to marry a guy she loved and start a family, and not wait for him for 10 years to finally make up his mind. He knew they were not compatible, despite all the love. She was blinded, he didn't want to hurt her so he didn't let her go even though he should have. She tried to move on, but couldn't, because she wanted him. She wanted the person she could never have. She was hooked badly.

No satisfied woman would ever cheat, especially if she wants to commit to a man till the end of her life. At this point her actions look like a desperate cry for help, but her example is just another one in a sea full of such cases, no one will care once you're incapable of getting up on your feet; however, everyone will point a finger and be the first to judge and even cheer on as they watch you drown.

[365days365movies]

February 23, 2021: His Girl Friday (Review)

Should I have made more room for screwball comedies?

Because I really did enjoy this movie! His Girl Friday is the second Howard Hawks movie I’ve seen, but the first one I fully remember, and I like it quite a lot! Yeah, Walter was a slimeball, but an entertainingly slimy one. This is definitely a genre without a proper place in the modern day cinema landscape (cinemascape?), but it’s one that I’m happy to revisit at some point.

So, OK, I like the genre, but what did I think of the movie as a whole? Well, a few things. First of all, what’s with the title? My assumption is that it’s a reference to Friday from Robinson Crusoe, right?

It’s also a term used to refer to a personal assistant or loyal manservant, so I guess that makes sense. I mean, Walter and Hildy were technically equals, but Walter was also technically her boss. Plus, the loyalty thing definitely seems to be a factor in the end, so OK. Interesting choice.

Actually, I’m reading into this now, and...uh huh...uh huh...uh HUH...so, sexism? I mean, OK, it’s a movie from 1940, so I’m not terribly surprised. But, yeah, it’s about the duality of WO-man, as Hildy’s fighting between her urges as a woman to be a housewife, and her professional desires. Which, yeah, obviously got some sexism laced right in there, but I can see it. The ending where she cries in anger is supposedly representative of both emotional helplessness and inability to show how angry she is to a male authority figure. That’s according to an actual professional film critic, by the way.

OK, thing number 2. Walter being a dick is apparently intentional, and a common Howard Hawks trope to contrast his typically stubborn women. The movie’s pretty anti-marriage, and Walter obviously doesn’t change by the end of the film, meaning that their remarriage is FUCKT. 

And third, I did want to point out a funny moment that I didn’t mention in the Recap, when Walter’s trying to describe Bruce. He refers to him as looking like Ralph Bellamy, the actor who’s actually portraying Bruce in the film. And apparently, that line was an ad-lib by Cary Grant! Neat! He also ad-libbed a line where he called Earl Williams a “mock turtle”. And I tell ya, I love few things more than a good Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland reference.

But OK, enough of that! Let’s get to the Review! Recap, by the way, can be found here and here if you’re curious!

Review

Cast and Acting: 10/10

Yeah, they’re perfect in their roles. Fact of the matter is, I may hate Walter, but Cary Grant is fantastic as the fast-talking sleazeball. Rosalind Russell, who I had never heard of until this movie, is also FUCKING AMAZING as Hildy, seriously. And together, their romantic chemistry takes a major backseat to their rivalry. You’re not supposed to be a fan of them getting together, and it goddamn WORKS.

And hey, Ralph Bellamy plays a nice guy real well, and John Qualen’s Earl Williams is a convincing stressed sad-sack. Other side characters, of which there are many, are also pretty goddamn fantastic. No complains here, this was basically flawless.

Plot and Writing: 10/10

And the WRITING! OH MY GOD, THE WRITING! Not only is the speed of the delivery amazing, but the flow of the writing is unparalleled. You hear much of the dialogue at lightning speed, and the lot is convoluted in its own varied ways, but not once did I ever feel lost during this movie. While the original play was written by Ben Hecht and Charles McArthur (with Hecht aiding in the film script development), Charles Lederer is also a goddamn CHAMPION, as he wrote the majority of the film’s script. Look...it’s good. It’s REALLY good. It was also an innovation of the script to make Hildy a woman, rather than the man that she was in the original play and first film adaptation (called The Front Page), AND IT WORKS SO FUCKING WELL. Goddamn.

Directing and Cinematography: 10/10

Direction by Howard Hawks is stellar, and the film has a lot of life packed into it, including in the well-directed quiet moments. Cinematography by Joseph Walker is similarly stellar. I, just...THIS IS A GOOD MOVIE, OK?

Production and Art Design: 9/10

Outside of Hildy’s wardrobe, there’s not much wardrobe variation. And that’s it. That’s my ONE complaint, because this film manages to be visually memorable WHILE STILL IN BLACK AND WHITE. HOW IN THE NINE FUCKS IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?

Music and Editing: 8/10

...Eh, editing was good, and music wasn’t very memorable. Some of the use of sound was still awesome, and sound editing was pretty goddamn spot-on, but the film editing as a whole and the score by Felix Mills and Sidney Cutner isn’t the best I’ve ever seen. So, yeah, there’s my problems with this movie. 

Here’s the scoop: 94%! Exclusive and all that.

I genuinely loved this movie, real talk. And I 100% recommend it, and WILL watch it again, hopefully soon! But OK, that wasn’t as much of a romance movie as I thought it would be. How about this? Let’s move forward in the century a bit, stick with the rom-com angle, and go for another notorious name in the leading role. And directing role. And writing role. And...controversial figure role, while we’re at it.

February 24, 2021: Annie Hall (1977)

[thirstyfortom]

High School Band AU: Ch. 9

Hope you like this! ^^

In your defense, you were really trying to pay attention. You really want to learn everything about Isaac Newton and the three laws of motion. Well, not everything, just… enough to pass the test tomorrow. You’re really trying, but the crumbled paper balls falling in your desk in the studying room aren’t letting you focus.

You didn’t unwrinkle any of them, if the sender notices you’re not having it, they’ll stop. Or that’s what you thought before the sixth or seventh little ball fell in your book. What the hell?

You look over your shoulder, there’s only one person sitting diagonally from your desk, but you can’t see who it is, because they are hiding their faces with a book. Well, trying, a few strands of hair at the top of their heads aren’t being covered. Red strands of hair.

So… Saeran or Saeyoung? Even though Saeran was becoming way less unbearable in the last few days - and it was about him, you’re pretty sure it has nothing to do with you trying to be more patient since he basically prevented a rape from happening with you – you two aren’t that close to the point of him trying to get your attention like this. Well, you’re not that close to Saeyoung either, you just forgot he doesn’t know that.

But it is Saeyoung, of course it’s him. And knowing the little you know about him, you better read one of these little balls or he won’t stop being a third wheel between you and Isaac Newton.

“Watchu reading?”  or… something like this, his handwriting can be a little hard to decode sometimes.

“Isaac Newton and the laws of motion.” You throw one of the balls behind you , nobody notices. Because, can you imagine, some people use the studying room to study.

“Spoiler alert: he dies in the end. Would there be more laws of motion if he hasn’t died? It’s open to interpretation.” You muffle a giggle and look at him, still using the book as a disguise.

“I know it’s u behind me and u r not really reading ‘Basic Principles of Genetics’”

“How dare u accusing me so unfairly? :O” did he really draw an emoji? Oh God…

“The book is upside down, Saeyoung.”

You look over your shoulder to see him turning the book to the right position and adjusting himself in his seat. Rolling your eyes lightly, you muffle another laugh.

“See? I’m learning EVERYTHING about Mendel and peas. In your face, MC!”

“Good, so go back to studying the peas and I’ll go back to Newton.”

You avoid looking behind you, you know it would just encourage him on keep exchanging notes. And though it’s fun, you really need to study right now!

And he apparently gets it, as the balls stop flying. You’re relieved! And… bored. Seriously, so bored… your eyelids are almost getting heavy. Where’s Saeyoung and the paper balls attack to keep you awake?

“Ok, tell me more about the peas.” You see him smirking when your paper plane lands on his desk.

“I know shit about the peas. Can I kidnap u in 15 minutes?”

“Such an improvement from when u used to kidnap me without asking me first.” Now he is the one holding his laugh, but he’s less discreet and some other students glare at him.

“I’ll be waiting for u next to the exit.” He lets the last note when passing next to your desk before leaving the room.

Well, you’ll apologize for ditching Isaac Newton. See, it’s not you, it’s him. It’s just not working and you think you should see other people. Saeyoung, in that case. He might be a handful sometimes, but he’s definitely not boring.

“I thought you wouldn’t come.”

“I really shouldn’t, to be honest. But this book is almost making me sleep. Especially now that you told me the end.” You stick your tongue out and he laughs softly. “So, where are we going, mr. kidnapper?”

“What kind of kidnapper would I be if I told you that? It’s a secret! Come on!”

You two take the bus. And you were worried about not having much to talk to him, but Saeyoung lets almost no blanks. He always has something to say about some place you’re passing by. And that is pretty comforting, actually.

“That’s our stop.”

“Usually it’s mine, indeed.” Yes, your uncle’s record store is just a few streets ahead. You noticed between all his blabbering that the way was being very familiar.

“Mine too.”

“Really? You live nearby?”

“No, I work nearby.”

“How come I never saw you before if we take the same bus?”

“Because you usually sit right there with your headphones and a resting bitch face that make people think you don’t want them sitting beside you.” Well, you really do use your phones and the… resting bitch face in order not to be bothered, especially by boys. But Saeyoung is a boy and he never bothered you. How long have you two been taking the same bus? How long has he been observing you? “And here we are.”

He stops in front of a store. A little bigger than the record store you work, the glass window and the light tones of yellow and white in the front gives even more depth illusion, but it’s an old building, for sure. And judging from the movie posters in the window, it looks old on purpose. It’s a video rental store.

You heard about this place before, actually. You passed by in your way to the record store and couldn’t help but thinking there is another shop lost in time very close to yours. You would imagine if the people who worked here were aware that the owner looks for nostalgia rather than profit, or would they really hope having a lot of customers.

“You’re not the only one in the band dealing with obsolete medias, MC.” Ah, so Saeyoung knows, just like you. “Come in.”

“Wait, it’s closed. Won’t your boss get mad?”

“It’s fine. He gave me those keys so I can come whenever I want. He doesn’t want to lose his only employee, after all.”

“And what do you do here?”

“Look at all these movies! What do you think I do?” you look around, yes, there are a lot of movies… how many of them did he watch? “I mean, I watch them, but there is another thing, come with me.”

He guides you to the back of the store, where the poster of a semi-naked lady is doing the shush gesture in a sexy way, and the warning “Do not enter if you’re under 18 years old.

“Come in, MC.”

“Ugh, the sign…”

“It’s a sign, not a cop. Come in.” he grabs your hand and brings you inside.

You look around and most of the movies are piled in the corner. Oh, thank God, you were so sure it was going to be walls stuffed by VHSs and DVDs covers of women being filled in holes you’re not sure they should be filled… instead, there is a pair of DJ pickups, a sewing machine, two mannequins, and records. Lots of records.

“Recognize some of them?”

“You got them at my uncle’s store?”

“Most of them I bought online. I must say the hip-hop’s selection at your uncle’s store is not that vast. I even wrote a note and put it in the suggestions box you have there.”

“My uncle neverreads it, sorry. So… you’ve been there before I joined the band?”

He smiles while turning on his equipment. “I was looking for Tupak and you told me there wasn’t much hip-hop, but I could look it up.”

“Then you asked me for help, but I didn’t know where the hip-hop albums were, because… it was my first day.” He nods, putting his headphones. “Why didn’t you tell me before?”

“We’re not that close.” Oh, so he knows that. “And I don’t want you to think I’m a yandere stalker or something like this.”

“Well, this room is very yandere-ish. The mannequins, the pink light, I mean… I think the phantom of the opera would have something like this if he lived in the90s.” he laughs loudly.

“You know what’s funnier than your joke? Saeran said exactly the same thing.”

“He did?”

“Yes, you two have a very similar sense of humor. Too bad you don’t really like each other, you would have fun together.”

“I… I don’t really hate your brother, Saeyoung.”

“I know, and he probably doesn’t hate you either. He’s just… he doesn’t know how to express his feelings too well, I… think he meant something completely different when you told us that Rika wanted to kiss you.” And you know that by now. You could tell him you do, but… you don’t really want to remember that night…

“Gosh, when you put it like that, it makes me feel really ridiculous for even considering that.”

“It’s not ridiculous. Maybe you and Rika has that… hot rivalry tension like Crystal Connors and Nomi Malone in Showgirls, you know?”

“I can’t believe you’re saying something in my life resembles such an awful movie, Saeyoung.”

“Hey! It’s a great movie! Great quotes, great dancing moves, great, uhm… breasts.”

“Of course you liked the boobs.” Even under the pink light, you can see him blushing. “But it has a pretty cool sex in the pool scene… I guess.”

“MC, you’re 15! You can’t watch things like that, young lady!” and you know he’s teasing, since he basically dragged you to the porn section of the store.

“Tell that to my uncle. I swear he has no idea how to deal with a teenage girl.”

“Especially one like you, I suppose.”

“What is that suppose to mean?”

“I mean, you’re very… well, you’re very unique, MC. You know a lot about culture from past decades, and… you’re a salty little smug, and… stupid people can’t really hold a conversation with you for too long.”

“You know you could easily be describing yourself right now too, right?” another blush under the pink light, from both of you now. “So, uhm… the pickups, huh? So vintage, do you remix?”

“I try, but it isn’t as easy as doing in the computer. Here, listen to this.” He hands you one of his headphones, and you immediately shake your head according to the rhythm.

“Public Enemy.”

“Yeah.”

“That’s so cool, Saeyoung.”

“Thank you! My stuff in the laptop are better, to be honest.” He grabs his laptop in his backpack and sits on the floor, you lean your hands on your kness and bend down when he connets the headphones in the laptop. “See? I asked Yoosung to play the piano for me and I basically recreated the base in No Diggity by Blackstreet.”

“And the waves here are you singing?”

“Yeah. It’s me trying to… rap, actually.”

“Oh my God! Let me hear this!” you press the play before he can protest.

“It's going down fade to Blackstreet. The homeys got abby collab creations, funk like acne. No doubt I put it down never slouch, as long as my credit could vouch, a dog couldn't catch me straight out. Tell me who could stop with Dre makin' moves. Attracting honeys like a magnet. Giving them ig-asms with my mellow accent. Still moving his flavor with the homeys Blackstreet & Teddy: the original rump shakers”

And you could laugh and make fun of him, but all you do is:

“Shorty get down, good Lord. Baby got 'em open all over town. Strickly biz she don't play around, cover much grounds. Got game by the pound, gettin paid is her forte. Each and every day true player way”

He joins you in singing: “I can't get her outta my mind.I think about the girl all the time”

And he moves to the second part of the song: “She's got class and style. Street knowledge, by the pound. Baby never act wild, very low key on the profile. Catching villians is a no, let me tell you how it goes. Curve's the word, spin's the verb. Lovers it curves so freak what you heard.”He’s… he’s looking straight at you, like… he’s singing to you, like he means it.

Who knew he actually knows how to sing? You remember Saeran teasing him for not playing any instrument, but the thing is he doesn’t even need it. Look at what he has here, he sews the outfits for the band, reproduces beats for famous songs in modern and traditional equipment, he… knew you almost since your first day in this town. And yes, you weren’t close, and that’s a shame.

“So, uhm… pretty lame, huh?” he asks, taking you aback.

“Well, I don’t know if it is ‘ig-asms’ material… yet.” He laughs, and you chuckle from his laugh.

It’s just in that moment you realize how close you are, you can almost fell his breathing against your nose, his… exhilarating breathing, actually. Your eyes lock with his, and you’re so glad those guys couldn’t do anything to you at that party, because, if they did… this wouldn’t be your first kiss…

And it isn’t, because Saeyoung lowers his head and looks back at the computer.

“Don’t let yourself be carried by where we are, MC.”

“I…”

“You’re sorry, I know.” Oh… not really what you were going to say. “Don’t worry. I… I won’t tell anybody about this.”

“Saeyoung, I…”

“It’s fine, MC, really. Oh, it’s late, I… should walk you home, you have a physics test tomorrow, right?” what is he doing? Why isn’t even looking at you?

Of course he’s embarrassed, you would be too if someone tried to kiss you and you didn’t really want to, but… if he says it’s fine, why doesn’t he even act like it’s fine? Again, why doesn’t he even look at you? Like you’re not worthy of it?

“I can go home by myself.”

“Are you sure? It’s getting dark and…”

“I can take the bus, I’ve done this before a lot of times, you know?” he does.

“MC, you don’t…”

“Goodbye, Saeyoung.” You gather your stuff on the floor and walk out of there.

What happened? You could swear he wanted this to happen as much as you did, it’s like… it’s almost like… he was waiting for you to make a move just so he could push you away, why?

You were so close to him, but, then again… you and him weren’t really close.And he knows that.

← Chapter 8 | Chapter 10  →

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Grimoire of Zero 2 - 3 | SukaSuka 2 | Royal Tutor 3 - 4 | Kado 3 | Tsukigakirei 3 | Boku no Hero Academia 17

Advance warning for Royal Tutor 4′s commentary: I made a lot of bad jokes about sausages.  (Yeah...sometimes I can be too immature for my own good...)

Grimoire of Zero 2

So…dudes are called witches, too? Never seen that before, but who’s “He” exactly? Thirteen?

“I was a mercenary like you once. Then I took an arrow to the knee.” – Intentional meme insertion sub, or actual translation? Or it was in the original, and they’re playing it straight without knowing that’s a meme at all?  

The thing about fantasy shows is…couldn’t they at least have learnt how to make electricity in quite a few of these fantasy shows, if they have magic and whatnot?

Now all that’s left is to see whether SukaSuka can top this, because Grimoire of Zero has certainly made a good case in order to stay on my watchlist.

Grimoire of Zero 3

“I hate getting sweaty,” says the girl only wearing a dress and a cape/jacket thing. (clearly sarcastic)

Did this get pseudo-ecchi? That one statement makes even less sense than the massage/kiss scene in SukaSuka ep 2! Unfortunately for me though, I laughed at how sudden it was…

Seriously, is Albus a girl or a dude?!

This Formicum reminds me of Magical Otoge Ciel. (By the way, if you like slow meandering fantasies with a dash of romance, then you should try that game.)

Albus is a dude…welp, there’s my answer.

Well, I never. The show pulled a Heine on me.

“Throw that old thing away.”

I raise my eyebrow at exactly what that trader was up to with that jacket…

I think “brother” is in a non-blood sense. Like a “brothers in arms” sort of thing.

Technically, a wolf is from the dog family…

Well, even if this has a slow leisurely plot pace, it’s funny and that’s fine with me.

SukaSuka 2

So they’re all girls? Geesh, this setup looks kinda fishy (but I’ve wandered around enough recs that say this is not a lolicon setup, haha).

I went to some spoilers on this episode, thinking that it wouldn’t harm me too much since I was going to have to watch this episode anyway…well, I learnt about Ithea there.

Pudding? Or crème brulee? Not sure what it is exactly, but I’m rather partial to both myself, haha.

The thing about children, even weapons like these, is that the way to their heart is through food. Like most types of people.

Sometimes I forget this is a light novel (and I think it’s either an eroge or a romance game for dudes), but then I see the title…haha.

Which of these girls is Ren again? Redhead cat girl = Ithea, so I take it Ren is the purple one?

SukaSuka finally shows its true colours. It’s a shame it’s the top contender for putting on hold…

There was a Japanese part of the title, but to translate it along with the English would make the episode title seem like a light novel too. Either that, or the subbers were too lazy…haha. I know your feels, guys. Translating’s a hard job.

Even CGI keys are enough to start making me gripe, y’know.

Wait, so the swords have multiple names? Wasn’t one of them called Percival or something?

Willem isn’t much of a character, but Ithea is. I’m really taking a shine to her personality (in this case, personality < charisma, so do be mindful of that).

Is Kutori meant to be a tsundere? She’s shown shades of it before, but she’s not a severe one. The thing with tsunderes is striking the right balance between “obnoxious” and “endearing”.

If Kutori says “go out with me again”, then I’m slamming this thing on to the drop pile because it’s no better than Masamune-kun’s Revenge initially was.

…That’s close enough to count. I know every girl dreams of having a perfect first kiss, but really…even leprechauns do that? After all the fuss about “expendable lives” they just made?

There was a quote I made up once, and it’s the reason Angel’s Soliloquy exists. “Before I go, I want to make a mark on the world.” It mirrors Kutori’s scene perfectly…

Eeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhh, pseudo-ecchi is not quite what I’m in the market for. However, this venenum move is an interesting bait and switch.

Oh right, sometimes I forget “brave” = “hero”, even though it makes sense to think so. Then again, Rokka no Yuusha should’ve gotten me into that headspace. It really hasn’t, has it?

The pseudo-ecchi is what makes this show underperform for me. Even though the show has perfectly logical reasons why it needs to do such things and it has immense potential right now, I think it’s better if I let my feelings about the pseudo-ecchi simmer for a bit.

Heine 3

Ah, the glorious war of sibling rivalry…

These are familiar feelings I’m dwelling in here. As to why…well, what siblings I have, if any, will stay a secret between me, myself and I, okay?

I think that dramatic wind was meant to be…well, dramatic. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite work when there was no wind in the room. I’ll forgive it since it’s highly entertaining otherwise…

Sworn to secrecy? Is that a royal tutor thing, or a teacher thing?

“…running will not change things.” – I am painfully aware of that, as the writer of One Wish They Never Wanted.

How do you even spell “numbskull”? Was that a typo in the subs?

Well, it does seem like Leonhard is falling into a common pattern of “I hate the tutor!”, but at least he’s softening up now. (Update: I mentioned on the Boueibu chat that if he’s not “I hate the tutor!”, he’s all “Sachertorte!”.)

Heine 4

Awwwwwwwww no. They went and did it. They named a town Weiner. They’re going to go to the capital, Weiner!!!!!!! *Insert obligatory “Please excuse the interruption” sign here while the blogger laughs their butt off*

…okay, now that I’ve recovered from my laughter, back to the regular program. Don’t go gratuitously naming things in foreign languages if you don’t want to incur laughter (I once named a town “Mawashi” in one of my stories, only to find out a mawashi is a sumo loincloth…) Plus, I randomly skipped to a shot in the OP where the princes look smug as all get out. It’s kinda scary, actually, seeing them smug.

If Princess and the Pauper taught me anything, it’s that royals need to know what the commoners’ lives are like so they can give the people what they need.

Heine is much more stick than carrot when it comes to Leo, if you get my drift.

Nice hat, Leo. (semi-sarcastic) But mmhm *nods*, I like myself a dude in a suit. That’s probably part of the reason I like Kashuu (Touken Ranbu), eh?

The Ring…? *thinks of stringyhaired ghosts* Nah…

Such Genos, such wow, Bruno…

Weiners strike again…actual ones this time. *snickers*

Kasekrainer - apparently it’s a weiner *snickers* with cheese.

“It’s so…vulgar.” Says the one holding a weiner. *snickers*

Oh. I don’t think any show I’ve seen before has pointed out the Kabuki rule (aside from Boueibu, which coined the term). Plus, Licht is pulling an Akoya (see ch 8 of the Seifukubu manga). I always thought he was more Ryuu than Akoya, but now that I think of it, he’s fairly equal parts of both.

The lesson is that it’s the people you were meant to pay attention to, right?

…I was right on the mark! (Fortunately for this show, it’s been enlisted into the taglist for this season and it’s strong enough that I can disregard this one niggle I have with the show. Predictability has killed a show before, y’know – see my take on Divine Gate.)

Get out, Licht! Out of the carriage! (I get at what you’re hinting at, but I take it to be objectifying women.)

Is it Heine’s birthday soon or something?

Exaggerating Heine’s size seems to work in the show’s favour somewhat by giving it something viewers can remember it by. Also, it means they can make tiny Heine plushes for fangirls.

The sweep of the room and CGI’s kind of obvious, but it works well in this case.

Well, it seems I was somewhat on the money for this guess too. Really, predictability’s not much of a niggle for this show, actually – the predictable and non-predictable parts put together actually are the source of its strength, since the viewer goes in, knowing the brothers are intended to be stereotypes. The predictable parts give it a “path that’s been well-trodden” feel, if you get my drift, but it’s executed well and that’s all that matters.

How did Kai manage to keep a bird without suffocating it?

The show’s hit its stride right now, but you can still tell there’s something brewing under the surface – either political intrigue, Heine exploring his past or even both – so I’m willing to keep this show on until it shows its full potential. If that means keeping it on for its entire run of 12 episodes, I’m fine with that.

Kado 3

Gonno (the reporter): unintentional point of hilarity in this show. Does Gonno or his crew even deserve CGI? I guess we’ll find out.

Another point of unintentional hilarity (for me) is when Shindo explains human concepts to Shunina, but at least those make sense plotwise.

Anisotropy. (…by the way, I admit most physics concepts are beyond me - hence the Wikipedia pages.) Those kanji are apparently pronounced ihou, by the way.

The snarls of translation, showing up in a show like this…y’know what? I keep loving this show more and more.

I bet Saraka’s a tsundere…

“The plan is that all passengers will be released in a month.”

Oh, Shunina. Now you’ve gone and done it…You know the implications of introducing something stronger than nuclear tech to the human world? Absolute warfare.

Ooh, man. The stakes just got raised…!

Tsukigakirei 3

I LOLled so hard at Kadoyama, since I think Kadokawa does stuff like that writing contest…

Kagura? Not the one from Gintama, is it?...Nope, it ain’t. Not this time.

Shiatsu? Wuh?...Okay then.

I was just thinking how it’s odd I chose Tsukigakirei over something like SukaSuka, since I used to reject everything that had romance as a major genre in it. I almost got caught up in a romance myself after I started changing my mind on that front, so maybe that’s why I’m now a fan of otome games now…Then again, if there’s one thing I have horrible tolerance for, it’s ecchi and pseudo-ecchi is almost as bad as the real deal.

Notice Akane is in red, while her name means “madder”, which is a type of red.

This N.book runs Windows…? I think so, at least.

Akane has a koi cover. It’s interesting, because most shows I cover don’t involve phones with covers.

There appears to be something on Azuchi Castle behind Kotaro.

There seems to be one shot of the track where the people all look CGI…

I don’t know about athletics much, but why do people need to record the tailwind? Unless it adversely affects the runners, I don’t see why they have to do that.

It was obvious the staff skimped on the budget with that one still shrine scene.

Panaconic, LOL.

I’ve never seen anyone drum on tyres before. Must be taiko practice.

Did I just see a blue Jibanyan in the Macca’s? Well, well. Wonders never cease…

“I’m starving.”

Ike shoes, LOL.

As soon as I saw the glasses guy (the one that teaches Kotaro drumming) look upon the duo (Kotaro and Akane’s) meeting, I was like, “I bet he ships them.” Then again, not everyone’s a shipper, eh?

People online have stated it’s Souseki, not Dazai. Just a tip.

I just wonder…why is it the dude who asks first, all the time? (That’s just a gripe I have, speaking from experience.)

Boku no Hero Academia 17

It’s fine to have a recap once or twice, but this is the third or fourth time…shonen really does have a problem with this stuff, and it’s sadly pretty much built into the genre…

I actually don’t know how to read that kanji (strategy), LOL.

Oh yeah, you’re not meant to smoke on all types of school grounds.

I thought it was Uraraka and Iida right from the start of team-making time. he knows those guys’ Quirks best, so it’s easy for him to make strategies with them.

Huh? Not Iida? What a twist!

Tokoyami, eh? Just what I wanted. (i.e. I said I wanted to see more Tokoyami in the past – not sure if I said it to the Boueibu Skype chat or here – but here he comes!)

Interesting set of moves they’ve made in this episode. It just goes to show you why I keep this at the top of the list – it’s kinda laggy while it gets itself set up, but once it starts rolling, it never stops! Yah! Yah! Fight, Midoriya! Fight, everyone in the cavalry battle!

[365days365movies]

February 6, 2021: Romeo + Juliet (1996)

From the top!

Two households, both alike in dignity In Fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross’d lover take their life; Whose misadventured, piteous overthrows Do, with their death, bury their parents’ strife The fearful passage of the death-mark’d love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove, Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage; The which, if you with patient ears attend, What here shall miss, our toil shall strike to mend.

I mean, c’mon. It’s Shakespeare, I practically had to.

Which is why it may come as a surprise to hear that I think this play is overrated, far too overexposed, and honestly stars two of the most obnoxiously immature protagonists that Shakespeare ever wrote. Which is not to say that I don’t like it, but it is to say that it isn’t my favorite. Which one is my favorite, you ask? Eh, I vacillate between a few, but I might get into it, we’ll see.

Weirdly fitting, though, since this film is directed by a director who also isn’t my favorite. Can’t say I have a definitive favorite director either, but Baz Luhrmann ain’t it. To be fair, I haven’t seen Moulin Rouge (probably should, huh?), but his turn on The Great Gatsby...wasn’t my favorite, I’ll just leave it at that.

And while we’re into it, lemme just address Romeo and Juliet adaptations on film real quick. To be completely transparent, before today...I’ve only seen one adaptation of the play: Franco Zeffirelli’s excellent 1968 turn on it, and it’s a fantastic adaptation at that. Sone of you, however, may now be realizing that, if I’ve only seen one adaptation of the play...there’s an extremely glaring omission to my film repertoire.

Yeaaaaaaaaah...we’ll get there, I promise.

But, of course, the adaptations only scratch the surface of this plays influence. See, the whole point of the rivalry between the Montagues and the Capulets is that it’s SO OLD, that nobody truly remembers why it started in the first place. Because of that, other romance films have sought to supply a reason for that rivalry.

In other words, the two protagonists destined to fall in love often come from two backgrounds, if not families, that class. And, yes, only ONE FILM that I’ve watched this month doesn’t do that. Dirty Dancing and The Notebook make their “ancient grudge” class-based; low-class vs. upper-class. Even You’ve Got Mail makes it about money, although that one’s a little more of a stretch. In any case, versions of this trope have lasted for centuries, and it’s...maybe poisoned romantic cinema? I mean, there’s a reason they all seem similar. They’re all taking from a classic. And, yeah, more of them than you’d think use this formula. I mean...

Hell, if you think about it, both of them are technically dead by the end.

Anyway, jumping right smack dab into the ‘90s, where teen heartthrob of the decade, Leo DiCaprio himself, is cast to play the titular teen boy, and sort-of popular at the time Claire Danes is cast as the titular teen girl. Put them together, and you have a hatred that will last for centuries. Because yeah, they HATED each other apparently. Let’s watch! SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap

...Look, here’s a quick recap of a story that EVERYBODY KNOWS.

Two families hate each other, and each has a teenage kid; a boy named Romeo and a girl named Juliet. They see each other at a party, they IMMEDIATELY get those teenage hormones a flowing and fall in love at first sight. They talk a few times, then decide to get married. Romeo’s friends say, “Dude, her family’s all dicks,” and Romeo says “naw, dude, she’s hawt,” They hook up, and they get secret-married. But, since they can’t be together in life, and since Juliet’s supposed to marry a whole other dude, Juliet runs to the priest and says, “hey, fake my death real quick?” He gives her a potion, she pretends to be dead, Romeo finds out (after one of his friends is killed by Juliet’s cousin), and runs to her side. Dude then ACTUALLY kills himself with poison, only for Juliet to wake up, see his dead body, and then kill HERSELF with a KNIFE, and then the families find out, and the Prince comes by and just says, “Goddamn, you guys are dicks. So much so that you killed your kids, congrats.” And that’s the end.

Yeah. Two hours of play and movie (nice touch, by the way, Luhrman) compressed into a paragraph. And yet...I���m still gonna recap this movie. Glutton for punishment, I guess. And with that said...

It all starts with a newscaster, speaking the lines of the Prologue in the guise of a newscast, which is...very neat, actually! That’s followed by...Pete Postlethwaite saying the whole thing over again, backed by a hell of a lot of fast cut editing.

...Oh God, it’s a Luhrmann movie. I forgot. Also, uh...really trying to stretch out that runtime to make that 2-hour mark, huh, Bazzie? I admire that you’re trying to stick to that “two hour-stage” quote from the Prologue, really I do...but you had to repeat the Prologue TWICE to do that?

As the lines flash on screen, we’re also introduced to out major players, whom I’ll just introduce as they come up. After a little montage of the movie to come, and a confirmation that the ancient grudge has broken out into a gang war on the streets of Verona Beach (clever), we jump in the car of a few Montagues: Sampson (Jaime Kennedy), Benvolio (Dash Mihok), and Gregory (Zak Orth).

At a gas station, they meet some Capulets, specifically Abra (Vincent Laresca) and a few others. After some thumb-biting, they all draw their swords. Which are guns that have sword written on them. Well, that’s just silly.

This standoff is interrupted by the arrival of another Capulet: Tybalt (John Leguizamo). This, of course, leads to a swordfight (ugh), during which all players are, just...REAL dramatic with their movements, holy shit. In the process, Sampson’s shot (or...stabbed, I dunno), and the gas station explodes.

It’s war in the streets now, as Tybalt and Benvolio are eventually intercepted by Captain Prince (Vondie Curtis-Hall), the chief of police for Verona Beach. He reads out his rage upon the heads of the families. For the Montagues, these heads are Ted (Brian Dennehy) and Caroline (Christina Pickles); and for the Capulets, they’re Fulgencio (Paul Sorvino) and Gloria (Diane Venora). Is...is the grudge taking place because one of them is named “Ted,” and the other is FUCKING “FULGENCIO”? Because that’s one hell of a dichotomy.

Captain Prince lets them all off with a warning (I mean, no, they should ALL be arrested), and Caroline and Ted question the whereabouts of their melodramatic emo son. That son is, of course, Romeo (Leonardo DiCaprio), who laments poetically about how fucked up his family is.

Hanging out at a decrepit carnival (because of course he is), he’s soon found by Benvolio, and he laments on the lack of love between their two families. They bond over talk of women, and decide to secretly go to a party held by the Capulets that night to check out some girls.

Meanwhile, Fulgencio is speaking about this whole mess to Dave Paris (Paul Rudd). D...Dave? Really? We’re keepin’ fuckin’ Benvolio and Balthasar, but we had to name Paris DAVE? Guys, a little consistency with the name shit, PLEASE! Anyway, Dave (uuuuugh) is the governor’s son, and very wealthy, while also being a suitor for Fulgencio’s daughter.

That daughter is, of course, Juliet (Claire Danes), who’s being attended by her vain mother and kindly Nurse (Miriam Margoyles). As her mother’s preparing for the party, she talks up Paris as a suitor, although Juliet doesn’t seem SUPER into it. And s the Nurse tells her to “seek happy nights to happy days,” we go to Sycamore Grove, and to another party.

And this is where we meet my favorite character (everybody’s favorite character, let’s be honest): Mercutio (Harold Perrineau). Mercutio has been invited to the Capulet’s party, and invites Romeo to come along, in disguise. In the process, he gives one of the play’s most famous monologues: Queen Mab’s Speech. It’s truncated here, ad to be frank, Perrineau’s performance is a bit...over the top. But, it ends up to be fairly effective.

Also, Queen Mab is ecstasy. Yeah, that kinda dulled by enthusiasm for the whole enterprise, I ain’t gonna lie. But Romeo lies with Queen La, and they head to the Capulet’s party. And we’re about to hit PEAK LUHRMANN, people.

Look, I’m lame, I’ve never really done drugs, ecstasy included...but it FEELS like I’ve taken something now. And Romeo’s now trying to sober-up a bit. He dunks his head into a sink in the bathroom, and looks at a tropical aquarium that’s in there. And through that aquarium...

However, Juliet’s quickly spirited away by Nurse, and brought to dance with Dave. Romeo, meanwhile, gives his “Did my heart love till now” speech, and DOESN’T SAY THAT SHE DOTH TEACH THE TORCHES TO BURN BRIGHT??? Seriously, the beginning of that speech is completely deleted. That line, in and of itself, should’ve been left in.

Anyway, Romeo and Juliet speak, and the teenagers kiss...a lot. And yeah, they do kiss in this scene in the ply, but not that much. Immediately afterwards, they discover their family alliances, and Romeo and Mercutio flee the party. Romeo heads back soon after, and, well...you know the line. But soft...

This movie...LOVES water, huh? We see both Romeo and Juliet from underwater at separate points, they see each other for the first time through an aquarium, they’re making out in a pool right now. I mean, I’m sure there’s some symbolism to that, but I’m not sure what it is yet.

Anyway, the two starcross’d lover come just short of crossing stars, and they IMMEDIATELY get engaged to marry.

After a bit of ‘90s music whiplash, we meet Father Laurence (Pete Postlethwaite), a botany-loving priest, and soon-to-be ally to the young couple. Romeo asks Laurence to wed them, despite the fact that Romeo actually was in love with a woman named Rosaline. But, yeah, she’s one of the unseen casualties of this play, only sometimes making it into adaptations. As Romeo speaks to the Priest, I think this is a great time to mention that there is a FUCKTON of Jesus and Christian imagery in this movie. Water and Jesus, goddamn.

The Priest agrees, believing that a marriage between the two could bring peace to Verona Beach at last. We also get a bunch of quick edits showing various parts of the Luhrmann Shakespeare Cinematic Universe, all backed by a choir boy singing “When Doves Cry.” This is an...unusual movie.

It also seems that Tybalt has issued a challenge against Romeo, which Mercutio and Benvolio muse upon. They meet with Romeo on the beach, and as they hang around, their revelry is interrupted by the arrival of the Nurse. She gives him a warning not to fuck with Juliet’s heart, which he says that he won’t, as they’re planning on marrying. She appears to approve, but Mercutio seems not to. Definitely going with a more superficially mercurial take on the character, which fits. But that’ll be more apparent later.

Nurse goes to Juliet, and...OK, is she supposed to be Italian or Hispanic? Because I feel like I’m supposed to be mildly offended, but I don’t even know what she’s going for here. Anyway, the wedding time approaches, and the two get wed in secret. But on the beach, Tybalt has come to go after Romeo. Romeo tries to make amends, even giving up his “sword” to him, much to Mercutio’s anger. Which, uh...he’s not gonna stand for.

And, of course, Mercutio’s fatally stabbed while defending Romeo’s honor. He lays A PLAGUE O’ BOTH THEIR HOUSES, and dies. Romeo’s PISSED, and immediately goes to kill Tybalt. That leads to Romeo’s banishment, although they consummate their marriage before he takes off. Also, Juliet KNOWS that he KILLED HER COUSIN...but it’s Leo, I guess, and...hormones.

Romeo’s banished and goes to Mantua, AKA a trailer park in the middle of the desert. Juliet, meanwhile, is commanded by her father to marry Paris, although she REALLY isn’t into it now! She goes to Laurence and, yeah, threatens to kill him AND herself if he doesn’t have an idea. Hormones, man. They’ll fuck you UP.

Laurence’s solution, of course, is to have Juliet pretend to have killed herself by drinking a potion. No idea why he comes up with this idea, or has the skill to make the potion, but some questions aren’t meant to be asked or answered. He also says to that he’ll send a litter to Romeo, to let him know what the deal is.

Juliet pretends to kill herself, and it interred with her relatives. Meanwhile, Romeo’s cousin Balthasar (Jesse Bradford) comes by the desert, having just gone to Juliet’s funeral, and tells him that Juliet’s dead. And since Romeo never got the goddamn letter, he’s decided, “Well! Guess I’m gonna kill myself.”

He gets some poison, then goes to Juliet’s tomb, which is...decked in neon crosses. I mean, it looks nice, even it’s very, uh...over the top. Goddamn.

And, at this point, you know how this goes. Romeo drinks the poison and dies, Juliet wakes up JUST after, then kills herself as well, and the parents of both parties arrive to see them both dead, along with the Prince, who says “Y’ALL ARE DICKS,” and bounces.

That’s Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet. And it’s a movie. Yeah, that I’ll give you. What did I think? What rating does it get? Well...I’ll elucidate in the Review.