#final review

[xiaoshengnu]

𝕰𝖒𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖊𝖘 𝖎𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕻𝖆𝖑𝖆𝖈𝖊 - final review

overview : episode no - 76 episodes, genre - historical (gongdou)

a timeless classic, the slay to end all slays (and I mean literally and figuratively) empresses in the palace follows the story of zhen huan as she experiences life in the palace, hardening her from a sweet young girl to a stony empress dowager. 

l⃣e⃣ t⃣’ s⃣    b⃣e⃣g⃣i⃣n⃣

when I say you will never find a more iconic show ever in the whole of cdramaland, I mean never. empresses in the palace is an absolute juggernaut of a drama, it is absolutely insane, the writing, the drama, the characters, the absolute minute little details and its respect of the viewer’s intelligence- an A* and beyond. and it's internet and cultural presence in china? IN. SANE. 

o⃣u⃣t⃣     o⃣ f⃣     t⃣ e⃣ n⃣

𝖕𝖑𝖔𝖙 - 9/10

𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 - 10/10

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 - 10/10

𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 - 10/10

𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕖 - 9.8

o⃣u⃣t⃣    o⃣ f⃣    f⃣ i⃣v⃣ e⃣

𝖍𝖎𝖉𝖉𝖊𝖓 𝖌𝖊𝖒 𝖛𝖆𝖑𝖚𝖊 - 💎💎💎💎💎

[ I know that when the drama first came out, it was considered pretty unique for how brutally it presented harem life, but even years later and amongst so many newer dramas which have borrowed tropes and ideas from it, I don’t think you’ll be able to find such an incredibly solid drama. a five gem.  ]

𝖗𝖊𝖜𝖆𝖙𝖈𝖍 𝖛𝖆𝖑𝖚𝖊 - ✨✨✨✨✨

[ it is so incredibly long and a pretty emotionally tolling drama - even longer than legend of haolan but it is just incredible, a full five star rewatch value ]

‘keep reading’ for detailed review

oh my god this drama.

oh my god.

where do I even begin? I remember watching my parents watch this drama when was I was still really young so I didn’t know what the show was called and what it was about, and although I didn’t remember the whole of this drama I could still remember some hazy snapshots pretty iconic scenes- like at the end where she does to sleep, or when she gets sent to the island- so when I finally decided to watch empresses in the palace a light bulb went off and I suddenly realised that THIS was the show that I'd remembered from my childhood. THIS was it. so it is quite nostalgic for me. 

it is honestly such a timeless classic, there’s nothing that will ever beat it. nothing. every fucking second of this thing has a purpose, and everything the characters say and do- and even the background of scenes have minute details which relate to the overall plot and trajectory of these characters. like the amount of YouTube videos analysing this one drama is insane. when critics praise a piece of visual art as a “living breathing organism”, “a masterpiece”- they mean this. 

𝖕𝖑𝖔𝖙 - 9

just. amazing. what can I say. there’s absolutely nothing that can beat this drama with how it wrote the plotting, the intrigue and the absolute cunning the women had to possess to stay alive in the palace. the ending of the drama is literally perfect. SO perfect. younger me thought legend of haolan was good- but compared to this? this is really truly another level. there’s so many instances in the drama where the drama never really tells you what exactly happened, but at the same time gives you just enough information to just guess what had gone on. equally, there are some times where there really doesn’t appear to be any scheming but with close analysis (and with the help of trusty youtubers) suddenly things become thrown into light. 

however, I had to knock down a few points because every plot has flaws and for this drama, I think it was mostly the use of tropes and the ‘female lead syndrome’ that sometimes quite clearly shows in the drama. There are also some areas in the drama where the plot does get shaky, but there is never not a reason why a scene is included in the drama. its just such a watertight drama. if you ever need to learn the art of show but don’t tell, this drama has it all. I love that sometimes it leaves it up to the viewer to work the plot out, which mirrors the way in which the concubines had to guess and predict in order to survive- which wasn’t always for certain or always accurate, almost literally pulling the viewer into the world of harem life.

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 - 10

I LOVE THE CHARACTERS UGH. I love them. they’re slays to end all slays. from zhen huan (the original girl boss, gatekeep, gaslight- FIGHT ME) to su peisheng- honestly so iconic. every single major character was well written, well developed and multi-dimensional, and no-one was evil purely for the sake of earning the drama cash. everyone in the drama gives you a reason to root for them, I found myself even feeling for the emperor in the end. 

𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 - 10

the production was beautiful- the lighting, costuming and makeup were literally so perfect it's unreal. so many iconic scenes came out of this drama- like the yimeiyuan (plum blossom garden) scene with it's beautiful moonlit set and plum blossom decked in snow.

 I love the designated colour palettes of the various concubines everything seemed very thought out to fit their personalities. consort hua was decked in bold colours and extravagant patterns, consort jing being calm and gentle was consistently dressed in soft blues and greens, while shen meizhuang is seen wearing mostly purples and pinks. one particular costume that lives in my mind rent free is zhen huan’s blue outfit with the white plum blossom embroidery in the episode 28- absolutely stunning.

𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 - 10

honestly, if you took a shot for every time I've described this drama as perfect, you would definitely be on the floor by this point. The acting was absolutely now flawless. at no point in the drama did I ever feel drawn out of the story by the acting- sun li is jaw-dropping as zhen huan, her duality is absolutely insane and her crying scenes- ugh omg so good. 

.

.

𝖇𝖔𝖓𝖚𝖘!!

favourite character(s) :

zhen huan ( if your favourite character in this drama isn’t zhen huan, what are you doing???? she is an absolute icon in her own right. it’s literally impossible to not root for such a wonderful character- team zhen huan all the way )

consort hua / nian shilan ( ik ik, ik now she’s evil and everything, but I love her- she has a baseline which she will not cross and she does have a loyal heart. she loves the emperor almost unconditionally and while she would kill a concubine, she would never harm an unborn child. she seems to care for her servants, who are loyal in turn and I would argue that her being willing to employ a crippled eunuch is a sign of her more softer and caring side. and do I need even mention her snarky one liners?? slay. anyway that’s my essay in defence of consort hua )

ye lanyi ( a queen fr, she takes no-one’s shit )

.

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖗𝖊𝖜 (source mydramalist)

lead actors : sun li, chen jianbin, cha silfun

director : zheng xiaolong 

screenwriter : wu xuelan

[cococassey]

Kdrama: Lovely Runner (2024)

My Rating: 10/10

Final Review:

Guys, how to say goodbye to Sun Jae and Im Sol, who I fell so hard for these past weeks. It's like the writer and PD said, how do we make the most fun hopelessly romantic kdrama and drive our viewers crazy with giddiness and agony each episode?

Name another drama where the OTP's faces are always a few inches, staring longingly at each other. This might be too much on another show, but in Lovely Runner, we craaave for it lol. Where umbrella holding for the other, is not some trite cheap kdrama move, but signifies how Sun Jae/Sol will just do anything to shield the other from pain and harm.

Let's admit, the biggest pull of this show is how dreamy (and a doofus) Ryu Sun Jae is as a whole (equipped with Byeon Woo Seok's outrageously good looks). That cast and their chemistry are gold! It's so easy to make this another typical high school drama where the girl chases the arrogant popular guy who will slowly fall for the girl. But he is such a dork, charming our socks off with his awkward confession mishaps, and all that selfless pining! And his devotion to Sol, omg, like can we clone him for the better of mankind?

Sol, is no slouch too, traversing time and space to save him. As he has always saved her, she sacrificed so much for him too. Some are getting annoyed by all the noble idiocy, but the weighty circumstances in the show warrant it, and makes such good angst!

Spoilers:

Others are maybe bothered about the latest time reset, erasing all what has happened before. But him getting intrigued by her again as strangers, tearing up from unknowingly reading his OWN tragic love story, reading the lost love song he wrote for her, falling for her again and again despite the odds. Choosing her again and again in spite of the morbid consequences. OMG, simply swoony romance at its finest.

The conclusion did feel like there was a lot of drama magic for them to get together again, but I can't complain when it gives these two the happy ending they earned, darn it. The time capsule watch does feels like a deus ex machina, but at the same time it's kind of fitting too.

Undoubtedly one of the best epic romances, kdrama has to offer. THIS is why regardless of the language barrier, we love kdramas, they know how to do romance right. How I wish I can borrow Sun Jae's time travel watch and experience this for the first time all over again. Falling for these two yet again and again.

[romchat]

No Gain No Love: Final Thoughts

No Gain No Love is a great example of "vibes over everything" but I'm really going to miss this morsel of a drama come next Monday. Despite its many flaws, it was fun and touching--the perfect pick-me-up to start your week.

Would recommend if you enjoy dramas that:

Are committed to being deeply deeply unserious

And yet at the drop of a hat can become heartfelt about difficult topics in a refreshingly unfussy way

Have women characters who feel modern and real, and who get to be unapologetic about what they want despite what society might think

Talk frankly about sex and relationships

Don't rely on the main couple for the emotional beats of the story and instead explore the many types of love between friends, family, and everything in-between.

And if you're looking for something complex, meticulously plotted, and, you know, not borderline insane? Maybe save it for a rainy day. Like Hae-yeong’s box from the attic.

[ginnymoonbeam]

Okay so I will ADMIT that A Boss and a Babe was kind of a mess in the back half, plot-wise. What's most frustrating is that with a few fairly minor changes it could have all flowed together fine and not required this sad little disclaimer in front of what's about to be a post full of praise.

BECAUSE

I don't know what to tell y'all, I still love this show very very much. Looking back at my notes from the GMMTV 2023 showcase, this is one I wasn't even planning to watch, because it looked super cutesy and I'm bored by the "cold-hearted boss meets sunshine employee, learns how to smile" trope. I don't remember what got me to try it after all, but I can tell you the exact moment I really sat up and took notice: it was near the end of ep 1, when they do a classic "bump into you at the door and you half-fall into my arms" bit. Cher's eyes in that moment are doing SO much - there's the comic shock you expect, but underneath there's this startled vulnerability and a bit of awareness that falls just shy of arousal. I was intrigued.

Book as Cher was giving a layered performance from the beginning, making it clear that there's a lot more going on than just a chipper intern, and as the series progresses we get to see how much darkness he's covering with that upbeat energy. The script wobbles but his performance, and the full sense of Cher as a person, stays on point and rock-solid throughout. He's one of my favorite characters to come out of this year so far, and that's a highly competitive field.

Gun balances Cher perfectly. He was never cold-hearted, just sad and lonely and resigned to staying that way. It's Cher's relentless optimism that wakes him up to the possibility of happiness, but once he's awake it's his steady certainty that becomes an anchor against all Cher's anxieties. He's older, he's experienced, he knows himself and what he wants, and that enables him to make space for Cher to run in circles until he can finally settle down by Gun's side. I've talked before about how their dynamic feels like dancing, and I stand by that, even if the writing of the final third took them through some unnecessarily convoluted steps.

Some BLs are just romances that happen to be about two boys, and some feel distinctly queer, and ABAAB is the latter. Gun and Cher are both recognizable types: the older sadder gay man who holds himself back from life because he's learned to expect loss, and the staunch "ally" who hasn't yet clocked his own bisexuality. And then there are the side characters: Three and Zo, a longterm happy couple who act as a model for what Gun and Cher can hope for, and Porsche, the ex-turned-best-friend. When I talk about recognizable types... the ex to bestie pipeline is SO REAL in queer circles and you never see it in dramas. Porsche's whole introductory scene had me crowing with delight. (I also loved the implication that Porsche and his new boyfriend have some kind of open situation, and that his and Gun's different feelings on exclusivity were one reason they broke up. Again, SUCH a real dynamic.)

What can I say? My love for the characters and relationships is big enough to overshadow most of the plot problems: I really loved this show. It made me happy (almost) every week, and it's going on my rewatch rotation for any time I want to smile.

[xenonmoon]

Ok in the end I figured that no matter how fast I run (read: avoid writing the final 2016 review) I will never escape this demon (read: moving to the Bemis run) so I will eventually get tired after 2-3 km and have to punch them in the face anyway so buckle up

Some last notes after finishing the 2016 run!

Volume 1 notes Volume 2 notes

Ok this run's a fan favourite and we've talked to hell and back how good it is and all of that, so I will start with the Cons

Cons:

I think this volume's major flaw (and overall this run in a way) is the changes in the background that altered Marc's relationship with Bushman and his mercenary days. In this version of the story Raul is just a temporary employer like any other, they don't have history together, Bushman never tried to shape Marc into being a violent, ruthless mercenary. Marc never struggled between following Bushman's orders/walking his steps and standing his ground. There has never been a genuine internal conflict within Marc - his behaviour was coherent with what current-time-Marc would've done in this situation and the heroic attempt to thwart the villain's course of actions a natural consequence of this. Dr. Alraune's death wasn't even his fault. He did nothing "wrong" here, there was no "what the hell am I doing with my life" moment, there was no character growth after that simply because there was nothing for him to grow away from. Becoming Moon Knight wasn't even his choice and effort as a way to "repair the world" for the things he regrets having done during his mercenary days, he was manipulated into it by Khonshu, however you choose to interpret it. There was little space for agency in that. In this version of the story, Marc was just a troubled but good hearted guy caught up into a series of events. It washes out all the complexity that made the character interesting in the first place :/

Alters are once again treated as disposable plot devices for the protagonist to get on with the plot, as they were in the previous volume and the supporting cast was in the first. It's a bit of this run's thing at this point and ok, it works, but it's a bit sad to see this imbalance of importance between Marc and the others, despite making up for this a bit towards the end.

We see Steven's origin story with them as children and we get hinted at Commander's when they talk about toys, but we see absolutely nothing on Jake? Especially since the previous volume went out and about talking of this supposed long-term struggle between Marc and Jake but we see nothing of sort. Just a few lines during Elias' funeral and- we're not even sure if that was supposed to be Jake jumping out of the window or it was Marc again. Either way, it's not remotely the conflict that was talked about. And given it's not a reference to past comics, all it's left at the end is something pointing to a void in the narrative.

Speaking of Commander, he comes back during the rescue scene but he is completely absent during the final confrontation with Khonshu. We were told he was new so it's understandable that he's absent from the flashback but- what about the ending? This kind of betrays even further his placeholder nature, not a character that was meant to be carried on or become a part of the main cast. Sort of a B-lister alter. Mh

Where the hell is Randall? Ok, I'm all in for not cluttering the plot with unneeded stuff but I'm sure there could've been a way to treat this character interestingly? Or even mentioning him in some way? Lemire namedropped a lot of useless stuff over the course of this run so why not namedropping him too during the family scenes? Considering he's family?? I think he would've have been very useful as a character for an hypothetical Jake origin story or flashback if Lemire wanted to elaborate further on his violent background thing. Of the few things I'd salvage from Randall's earlier appearances there's the two brothers being often bullied or targeted by antisemitism at school. Jake could have been a response to that and an effort to keep his little brother (and later everyone society threw off a bus) safe and cared for. But there are endless possibilities for those characters dammit, I shouldn't do the writers' homework for them. (on a more subjective note - I'd have preferred they'd have shown more of this instead of the egyptian fantasy excursus. I you're following my rambles for long enough you know I love ancient Egyptian stuff but- it's always been the least interesting part of Moon Knight stories)

Mixed:

Ok listen, Elias' death scene works very well in the context of this story and I'm not mad about the change, but considering the original placement of that event (the end of the first run) and the huge impact it had on the character I'm left here wondering how is that moment in the MK system's life folding out in this "new" version of the story, if that happened at all, why did Steven give up being the system's host and all of that. How should I read further references to Elias' death, as Lemire's or the Moench's? I will probably choose on case-by-case scenario. It's mostly a me problem lol I'm kind of a perfectionist in this case. So it's not a con per se, more of a thing I've had mixed feelings about. Purely subjective.

I think I've talked about this before but I still have a lot of mixed feelings about the alters (or Steven at least) being introduced as imaginary friends. It works within the context of the story and all of that but it kinda reinforces the idea that the alters are some sort of separate extra things from an "original" one which is lowkey implied to be more important or at least with a more concrete basis than the others who are made-up beings. (plot twist: everyone is "made up" in some way or another. All people play their own characters in life, systems just happen to have a roster of them)

Pros:

I really loved the interlocking of past and present eventually converging into one narrative, it echoes the second volume with the alters getting mixed up with each other until they all arrive in the same place and there's the confrontation sequence. And another, final confrontation sequence happens here too but I'll get to that later

The pacing and the panel layouts are *chef kiss*. You already know how I love Smallwood and I think we can all agree on the art being gorgeous. I also appreciated the use of the visual medium to convey metaphors (like being sucked by a giant brain for "being lost in your mind" and such) and parallels (the "time means little here" sequence escalating into a meta level). It really also conveyed the feeling of going up against something some sort of eldritch being above human limits and comprehension, transcending the rules of time, space and medium. Gotta love some cosmic horror bits from time to time.

Ok it's time to address the elephant in the room. The fucking finale is GOLD. I'm ready to forgive every sin Mr. Lemire committed in this run just for that few last pages. I think this scene is so powerful because it embodies the desire of a lot of people to step up for themselves and win back their peace from an oppressive power – whether it may be. It’s a sentiment a lot of people can understand and relate to. I'm not even strictly talking about systems. Everyone at some point in their life has had their own bird-in-a-suit they really wanted to crush under their fingers so to finally have some quietness. It’s also one of the super rare cases Moon Knight’s illness gets treated by the story with the tact and respect of a real condition and not a narrative device, a glamourised funny quirk or the butt monkey for some really unpleasant jokes. In that moment Marc, Steven and Jake are a person with a serious condition that can’t be fixed or just forgotten. And in doing so the narrative sends a wonderful message to everyone struggling a similar battle: “I will never be cured. This is always going to be who I am. But I can still live. I can still have a life. And I won’t let you ruin that for me anymore” You can heal the trauma but you can’t change how a person is or how their brain works just because it doesn’t conform to your sense of normality. In a world and culture where it seems that as soon as you fall a bit out of the neatly pre-assembled boxes of society you’re treated as a disgusting waste of space, having something saying that’s ok and you’re still entitled to exist in this world just as anybody else can be life-changing to some, even if they come from a work of fiction. I’m sure there are people out there whom hold this run dear close to their heart because of these last lines. This is why I love well-crafted stories that touch readers' hearts, offer solace during difficult moments, or even change their lives altogether. In the context of Moon Knight this is also a huge breakthrough since the character’s condition, which is one of the core parts of what makes the character well- itself, has been more or less consistently swept under the carpet after the end of the Moench run. It’s a breath of fresh air after decades of suffocating denial. “But Xenon” some might say “this woke obsession with representation in the recent years is getting into the way of writing characters that are actually functional to tell a story!” The only obstacle on the way of a compelling, useful and respectful use of a character with a real-life condition is just the willingness of the author to put some god-forsaken effort on it and do their research, for Thot’s sake. The success of this run to the point of being the inspiration for the MCU series is the proof it can be done. It might not have been super great here all the times, but it set a new baseline on the portrayal of the character upon which future authors can build.

Now that i got it off my chest,

Final thoughts:

Not gonna lie, despite my criticism this is one of the runs I always suggest people to read when they ask me for comic recommendations. It might not be an accurate representation of how Moon Knight stories usually are / are supposed to be, but it's a well-written and wonderfully illustrated self-contained story that gives a nice introduction to a number of very different aspects of the character: the supporting cast, his struggles with mental health, his alters -despite Jake not being on point but the concept is There- and his origin story. It's great for casuals or people just mildly curious because it doesn't ask too much prior knowledge of the character, gives you a delicious bite of everything and leaves you wanting more.

Probably one of those runs that is better enjoyed if you don't know the comics version of the character, even.

And a better introduction to comics!Moon Knight for people coming from the MCU series than whatever the hell is going on with CotD, that's for sure.

[fake-married-my-dead-fiance]

Review: The Red Sleeve

I felt like it was so unbalanced. The ML and his struggles and journey were so well written and well acted (and King Grandpa), but the FL was flat and boring and confusing and it drove me insane.

She keeps saying that she wants "freedom/choices" but the drama never makes it clear what she would be losing or gaining as a concubine. And please don't explain to me, because my problem is the drama should have explained. They did explain for the Crown Prince, I totally knew and understood his sacrifices and his state of mind, but not hers. And then even in the latter half of Ep 16 when she is a concubine, sure she can't leave the palace, but she still sees her friends a lot. She has to wait for the king, but she also used to stand around waiting for hours to give him his medicine, so... Every so often the female characters would say something about their lives sucking, but they never really got into it in a meaningful way. And just saying, "We're stuck here", I mean wasn't the FL basically stuck there as a maid? Wasn't society in general pretty restrictive for women? Just telling me every so often that life sucks isn't enough!

Even the other female characters seemed to be less well-written than the male ones. Princess Hwawan was delusional, The Evil Concubine of Evil was cruel to the FL before she even had a reason to be jealous, the King's mother was just kind of flat, The Evil Head Court Lady had a great motivation for her plots and then they ruined it by making her motivation jealousy, and then the Queen Dowager, my beautiful Queen Dowager got character assassinated in the second last episode!

I think the Queen Dowager was trying to gain some influence over the king but I hated this because it made her look petty and she was such a rational character for the whole show:

Even her fight with Princess Hwawan wasn't petty, it was about establishing her power. What was this? So dumb. Why do you keep destroying your female characters drama?

And to go on about how dumb this was, the FL could have taken this out! She had no reason to refuse to work for the Queen Dowager the second time. Her options were, explicitly:

The king will rape you

The Evil Concubine will Keep Evil-ing

Work as a Court Maid for the Queen Dowager

And she takes none of the above? I don't tell me she gave into love, she looking like someone was stabbing her the whole time she was being prepared to sleep with the king.

Uhhh.... and then her wonderful "defiance" at the end is to never tell the man she loves that she loves him? Am I supposed to find that strong of her? I mean it's a messed up relationship all around but what?

The drama also never gets into the happy parts of her life with the king, they basically skipped the whole part with her kid. Having a kid is pretty cool since her only other option was virgin. And I wouldn't bring this up, except her friend died to have a relationship, so the drama brought this up. There are clearly things the FL has gained.

I wish I liked it, I respect the people who recommended it, but it didn't work at all for me.

Minor things: loved the relationship between the senior Court Lady (Seo?) and the Chief Guard. I didn't think the group of four friends with the FL had good friend chemistry. I wish they had dwelt more on the tragedy of 12 year old concubine Hong and her shitty, shitty brother trying to be the uncle of a prince. I hated that the FL forgave him, her death was totally his fault because of his ambition.

The 30 year time jump was hilarious because no one looked 30 years older, they just gave the ML a lil beard and called it a day.

Also, after the king banished the FL and she was living with the princess, she should have just avoided the king that day. You think it would be simple enough to tell her very nice employer, "The king ordered me to stay out of his sight I need a day off." That's a royal command, her employer likes her, it shouldn't have been a problem. It just felt contrived.

And is she allowed to say no when she was recalled by the king's mother? That wasn't clear.

[gunsatthaphan]

Hallo Freundin! 👋

I will share my random ramblings with the class this time around. 😇 So here we go!

Okay, I’m going to put this out here. About Between Us. For clarity: I watched the Uncut Version. (My bank account is very grateful that Between Us is finally over. 🥲) So I don’t know how much and what got cut. But anyways, here are my two cents. Do with what you want. 😌

I don’t think Between Us was bad. Not at all. But if I am very honest, it did disappoint a little bit. (Which tbh, seems almost impossible to avoid with the enthusiasm and anticipation I felt about it beforehand. 🙈) Maybe it’s the extensive number of plotlines, or the fact that the main plotline felt a bit dragged on in the end.

But I think there’s also another reason. (And correct me if you disagree.) To me, it felt as if the stories were told in the wrong order. Particularly, the WinTul story was started way too late. So that when they had their resolution, it seemed unrealistically quick to me. In contrast, for some reason the romance between Manow & Pruek remained a storyline for the entire series. And I am seriously still wondering what was so pressing that it remained a “problem” to solve for 12 episodes. 🫠 It was also the weakest storyline because Manow’s insecurities were never fully elaborated on. And so it seemed to me like the odd one out.

I thought Bee and Prince had a really strong storyline. And both that storyline and WinTul’s created a strong parallel to the main theme (me thinks) of Between Us itself. While it doesn’t have the theatrics of UWMA, it does serve strong motifs about “finding yourself,” “forgiveness,” “feeling inadequate,” and “getting to know someone else.” Plus, more importantly: letting someone get to know you.

While WinTeam put up the question: how well do you know someone when there’s just the physicality? WinTul sort of gets the reverse question: how well do you know someone when you don’t know what they look like? The overarching idea is that you don’t, unless you take the time. But at the same time, you do, better than you think. The story of Bee and Prince gave a whole new spin on this story by inserting the issue of status and celebrity into the mix. And the contrast between the private person and the public persona (bonus points for getting real about the pressures of being queer and a celebrity).

Tldr: I would have started with Bee and Prince, then put in Win and Tul, and end with Manow & Pruek. 🤓

Oops, I’ll quit the rambling! 😅 I just cannot stop talking about this show. 😍

Love,

— Thel. 💚

hi there Thel!!! 💜

thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts!!

Generally speaking Between Us was a phenomenon for me because it had so many tropes & aspects that I usually don't like such as the mains not getting together until the last second, an abundance of side couples, characters acting juvenile, repetitive scenes & lines, certain stories going in circles etc. but for some reason none of that bothered me too much here? 

Like we had 5 couples which is usually way too much and not all of them were 100% satisfactory but I think they did a really decent job with giving them an equal amount of both screentime and development. WaanTul had the perfect slowburn for me and I'm okay with how they wrapped it up but the ending was not appropriate for the overall pacing. It went at 30% speed for 11.5 episodes and then it went to 100% within seconds lmao. That could've been handled a bit better imo. But as I said I'm okay. Also I don't think it was told in the wrong order. To me the narrative made sense and felt coherent but maybe that's not what you meant lol.

Manaow and Pruk had a good story setup but it remained a setup and was not delved into as much as it should have so I agree with you there. I still liked them and their energy a lot though. to be honest they might be one of my favorite het pairings in a bl. I really really like them and I would 100% watch their show if they had one. 

Prince and Bee did not catch my attention at all in the beginning. I had no interest in their story as I was over the celebrity x mundane trope and also I'm not a fan of Benz. BUT that changed towards the middle of the show. When they actually got together and specifically their conversation in the bathroom was where I was like okay. I like this lol. They had a very nice conclusion and their chemistry became a lot better over time. I liked it. 

So overall all of these little stories had their little flaws but they did good. And I agree with what you said about the plots fitting into the overarching theme of the show which is getting to know each other, letting others in and offering a safe space to the people you love because that was indeed the common ground for all stories. And it’s also something that wabisabi generally does very well with their shows imo. Most of their productions are similar and they’re known for their cheesiness lmao but they do offer a very heartwarming portrayal of relationships and friendships, also the antagonist not being a person but your own inhibitions is something I really like and they did an excellent job with showcasing that in BU as well. Which makes it a flagship wabisabi show in that sense but in the best way possible imo. It’s exactly what I appreciated about UWMA too. 

I ended up giving it an 8.5/10 which, considering I went in in zero expectations, is almost like hitting the jackpot lmao. I’m very happy with how it turned out and I’m glad we can talk about it here lol. 

thank you again for sharing and have a lovely day! 💜 

xxx

[arimarureviewsya]

Final review: Raya and the Last Dragon

Yeahhh, the impact of the good scenery and few good character moments didn't stick with me very long, and I think the lasting taste in my mouth for this movie is just not good.

Mostly, the themes of "trust everyone all the time", even if not intended, are just bad. And how much it was harped on made large parts of the movie fully unenjoyable to watch. I stand by that this movie would have benefitted greatly from a longer format, be it a serial show or an extra movie. BUT, without a major adjustment to the theming it would have still been severely lackluster.

If you want a fun story about a "chosen one" and their ragtag team of misfits going on an epic adventure to unite nations and save the world, just watch ATLA.

3/10

[blockbustercatalog]

Lessons in Chemistry

This is a review of Lessons in Chemistry (2023)

Beware spoilers below.

Final rating: 3/5

Pre-viewing Assumptions

(In the interest of honesty, this is written after viewing, I am attempting to remember my Pre-Viewing assumptions)

I saw a single clip on tiktok, and added it to my viewing list. It was the scene of the (assumed) main character (Brie Larson) speaking to a love studio audience. A woman compared something permeable membrain something to a skin condition and Potential Main Character (Brie Larson) encourages her to pursue medical school.

I thought the show was about a TV star (Brie Larson) building up woman and subverting misogynistic men. Also I thought it would be very science based. Perhaps Potential Main Charcter (Brie Larson) would be a rich fancy lady was large and in charge.

I was a little worried Main Character (Brie Larson) would be dismissive of 'typical' women, who preferred fashion and childbearing over the pursuit of knowledge.

Post-Viewing

(I did watch most of this before deciding to do a review blog, same with the next few posts. Once I catch up with reviews:media the format will change.)

The show has one (1) season and eight (8) episodes. I watched it all in about 3 sessions.

I absolutely finished it. I was interested in the show, but not 'awake til 2am' interested. I didn't expect that the show would be mostly pre-show, but it didn't bother me.

I immediately identified with Elizabeth Zott. I was very much a young girl uninterested in 'usual' girl interests. Love that she didn't change in that aspect as she fell in love and became a mother.

As soon as Elizabeth and Calvin Evans interacted I knew they would have at least some sort of romance. I worried it would be Calvin trying to 'encourage' her to be more feminine, both in appearance and behavior.

Needless to say I fell in love with Calvin. The scene where he tries to teach Elizabeth to swim. She looked so goofy in her swim gear.

He, unsurprisingly, died. The few scenes from the 'future' showed no evidence he was still around. I did think early on that he would turn out to be a dick and they'd broke up, but no, he was incredible.

I did NOT predict the baby. Mad wasn't hinted at in the future scenes, but as soon as she threw up in the middle of the night, 💡.

What a weird choice to fake us out about Mad. Why pretend it was one little girl, and then go 'sike' it's this other child?

I liked the episode from 6:30s point of view, but what a WEIRD choice from a show about chemistry. Very jarring switch between episodes. On no, Calvin got hit by a bus, anyway, here, listen to the dog's feelings about it.

Lots of religion talk, but makes sense with the time period. Calvin and Wakely's friendship was amazing. I loved that episode, being able to see Calvin's life and feelings change as he accepted Elizabeth into his life.

From Elizabeth's POV it really seemed like he took everything in stride. I'm really happy we got see how he struggled, not with Elizabeth specifically, but having to open his life, and caring and thinking about other people.

HATE that priest from the boys home, what a dick. Calvin was so close to gaining a home. But, then, Calvin's entire life would be different, he might never have met Elizabeth.

I think Harriet Sloane is an incredible character, her storyline is amazing. Unfortunantly it very much seems like her arc was mostly used for a character growth for Elizabeth. And while I love Elizabeth's character growth, learning to see the effect she has on other people, she never really did anything for Harriet.

Harriet and Elizabeth absolutely care about each other, but the relationship feels so onesided. Harriet gave her support/advice in raising Mad and was a stepping stone in Mad finding out more about her father.

Elizabeth did show up at Harriet's protest, and used her show to advertise said protest, both actions which seemed to have... no real effect. Harriet still lost the case against the freeway.

Speaking of, Elizabeth's brother, John Zott was also just used for character growth. I will admit, he was the catalyst for her turning to chemistry, but other than that? I guess there was the 'living a lie' moment that turned Elizabeth to being true to her beliefs, but other than that he was there to die and further personal growth.

It just feels a little cheap that both of the character's stories that were minorities (Harriet being African-American and John being gay) were just used for character growth. Elizabeth did more for Laurel Moore (literally got her a job) than Harriet. Plus John legit dies (bury your gays, much?), via shooting himself.

Im not saying Elizabeth didnt do anything for Harriet, they just didnt have any scenes to suggest she did. I think John's story could have ended with him running away or dying in a much more natural/accidental way, and worked just as well.

Production wise, it was good. Nothing super special or stand out, and it fit well with the themes. I did really like that in the 6:30 episode (still a weird choice) that the people were muffled/silent. Good way of portraying the unrealness that comes after a loss like that. Still, would have been better if the POV was a person, not a dog.

Nothing special about soundtrack, other than fitting very well with the time period.

Um,,, I think thats it tbh.

3/5 stars

[claudeleine]

thanks cliff!!

[zenith-thecreativesphere]

Final Review before the final portfolio hand in

The culmination of my efforts was the final presentation, held in the last week of July. This pivotal event provided a platform for invaluable feedback, particularly concerning the intricate nuances of furniture design and section detailing.

Armed with these constructive insights, I am diligently refining my work, meticulously incorporating the received feedback. My current focus centers on materializing the suggested enhancements by crafting a detailed model that encapsulates both furniture and roof design.

This iterative process underscores my commitment to delivering a comprehensive and refined project, guided by the guidance received and propelled by an unwavering dedication to excellence.

[xiaoshengnu]

𝕸𝖞 𝕵𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖓𝖊𝖞 𝖙𝖔 𝖄𝖔𝖚 (2023)

overview : episode no - 24 | genre - wuxia

yun weishan has only ever known darkness. brought up and honed from a young age to become a spy under the mysterious sect wufeng, she longs for freedom. the drama begins as she is sent on a mission into the gong family, the enemy sect of wufeng. if she succeeds, freedom she gets. surrounded by schemes and treachery with possible death looming on both sides, yun weishan must navigate the dangerous waters of the gong family and her own turbulent emotions towards her target, gong ziyu.

l⃣e⃣ t⃣’ s⃣    b⃣e⃣g⃣i⃣n⃣

YALL THIS DRAMA. THIS DRAMA. this drama was simultaneously the worst and best thing I have experienced in a long time. however, if I could only use one word to describe this drama, it would 100% be stunning. the drama is absolutely stunning. from the music to the costuming to the makeup to the actors- this drama's visuals is quite frankly something never seen before in chinese dramaland- its so dark and brooding and so cool. the plot on the other hand...? let's get into it.

o⃣u⃣t⃣     o⃣ f⃣     t⃣ e⃣ n⃣

𝖕𝖑𝖔𝖙 - 3/10

𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 - 7/10

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 - 7/10

𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 - 10/10

𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕖 - 6.7

o⃣u⃣t⃣    o⃣ f⃣    f⃣ i⃣v⃣ e⃣

𝖍𝖎𝖉𝖉𝖊𝖓 𝖌𝖊𝖒 𝖛𝖆𝖑𝖚𝖊 - 💎💎💎💎💎

[ honestly, this drama is pretty unique I have to give it that much. in every way. the characters? the premise? and the style? I think the visuals alone grants it it's five gem value. ] 

𝖗𝖊𝖜𝖆𝖙𝖈𝖍 𝖛𝖆𝖑𝖚𝖊 - ✨✨✨

[ despite the plot that is quite literally held up by like two stitches, I would probably rewatch it for the characters, but probably not think too deeply about the drama's construction as a whole because honestly- it would frustrate me to no end. ]

‘keep reading’ for detailed review

 𝖕𝖑𝖔𝖙 - 3

okay- hear me out y'all. I know people absolutely LOVE this drama and I am one of them, but I have to admit the logic in this plot sucks ass. like it really sucks ass. recently i heard a youtuber describe the characters as people who thought they were zhen huan but in reality were just a bunch of xia dongchuns and it really made me laugh- and guys... unfortunately, its true. some of the methods that the characters use to scheme and idk "verbally spar" honestly were just so- sigh. so ridiculous.

generally speaking, I felt that the drama didn't really have a "thread" or a central purpose, which I think is mainly a result of the build up to the ending. it failed to answer so many questions and instead made it worse by creating even more. overall, the plot kind of just felt like wading through a gigantic mud marsh with pointless confrontations and plot points popping up everywhere. the scriptwriters gave the drama a super complex framing that they just weren't able to do justice. two powerful sects and two people from completely opposing sides. one is an assassin-spy that initially (?) yearns for freedom and one is the leader of the sect that she is trying to destroy. add to that all the scheming that goes on the gong family. and a lot of childhood trauma. that's a shit-tonne of emotion and plotting to deal with which you can't realistically develop to a good quality within just 24 episodes.

I also got the vibe that the scriptwriters were scared to pin point any of their characters down for the sake of mystery, which honestly instead of making the drama better, really just made it worse. so many characters' motives were constantly doing 180s and big revelations were thrown in without any evidence of it being interlaced with the rest of the drama (I'm looking at you Big Plot Twist At End of Drama). like, the general concept was amazing, show-stopping, fantastic, never seen before, but then came the execution and it all just sort of fell apart.though I did enjoy the plot and watched the show until the end, ultimately I felt that there was honestly just too many frustrating flaws to justify it getting anything higher than 3. I loved the drama all the same though, the concept, the music and cinematography was just insane.

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘 - 7

ugh all the characters in this show where literally sO COOOLLL. they all had such distinctive characters, styles and personalities, it was amazing. honestly, literally never seen before. their tragic backstories were so so heartbreaking. while plot wasn't fantastic, the drama was pretty good at establishing and handling the characters and their emotional attachments to each other. its kinda funny to me that for a drama which marketed romance as it's main thing, the non-romantic relationships were so much better written. I loved yun weishan and yun que's relationship to their master han yasi and the relationship between xue chongzi and xue gongzi. and omg, gong ziyu's relationship to lady wuji? brought me to tears.

speaking of the romance department; I found it really hard to invest in the ships. while I approved of all the pairings and thought a romantic dynamic between them would be very interesting, it did feel like the storytelling was yet again lacking. I couldn't be sure wether I could really invest and ship the romance between shangguang qian and gong shangjue bcs both their motives were so unclear, and neither of their feelings towards one another were never really explored properly? and while I definitely understood yun weishan's attraction to gong ziyu, I didn't really get why gong ziyu loved her and risked so much for her which made some of his actions seem really silly and hard to stand by. overall, for the romance, i think I liked what it had the potential to be than what we actually got.

𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖉𝖚𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 - 10

Y'ALLL. time to talk about my absolute FAVOURITE part of this drama. THE PRODUCTION. the colouring, the lighting, the sets, the cinematography?? the makeup? the music? the costume design?? THE COSTUME DESIGN?? its quite obvious that a huge amount of the budget for this drama has simply been poured into the design, like I've seriously never seen a drama shot like this ever before and it was absolutely insane (though they definitely had to cut down on the cast and extras, the whole drama has this weird kind of empty feeling for a manor that is so rich and famous and so tightly guarded, like yun weishan didn't even get a personal handmaiden) I remember seeing the trailers for this show and literally screaming- the drama itself did not disappoint. I would even go as far to say that I would watch this drama completely just for the aesthetics.

𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 - 7

in my personal opinion, no complaints about the acting, it was pretty great. although it's pretty dramatic at times and everyone speaks at the volume of a whisper, at no point in the drama did I get taken out of the show by the acting. esther yu really slayed in her new assassin role which was so fun to watch especially since most of her roles thus far have been rather cutesy and light- and her marital arts scenes ate- in fact all the martial arts scenes ate in my opinion. I think even the side characters did fairly well, it was all very nice. no complaints.

.

.

𝖇𝖔𝖓𝖚𝖘!!

favourite character(s) : 

yue gongzi ( who doesn't love an angsty angsty man? he's literally the definition of that teary wet cat meme and I love that for him ) 

xue chongzi (yet another angsty man- you can see a pattern forming lmao- his arc at the end was literally so heartbreaking. one of my favourite characters from this show fr. )

.

𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝖈𝖗𝖊𝖜 (source mydramalist)

lead actors : esther yu, zhang linghe, lu yuxiao, cheng lei

director : guo jingming, luo luo

screenwriter : guo jingming

[applebuttercringe]

Jayce's speech to Viktor was bad.

IMO

So, the final speech Jayce gave to Viktor about finding beauty in imperfection, and how our flaws make us human, that’s a fine sentiment but the specific examples he used ruined it. He used Viktors disease as an example.

Viktor was dying from a disease caused by Piltover mining in the fissures polluting the air. It was a preventable disease forced onto him by a corrupt system. He was slowly and painfully falling apart. “I can feel myself rotting” type stuff. Was he supposed to have appreciated that?

Jayce wants him to have appreciated the simple beauty of dying a slow painful death while your best friend is too busy being a councilman to be with you and your mentor is roadblocking your only possible cure. That was the imperfection that he was misguided to want to solve? The show is really saying Viktor was misguided, or not appreciative enough of being human, to not want to die young. He was giving up his humanity when he fought to live.

Viktor should not have just accepted it, that isn’t just part of being human. It isn’t a beautiful flaw you learn to love. He did nothing wrong by taking his life into his own hands and taking every possible chance to live. Even when no one believed in him.

I’m sure there are more charitable interpretations but that line really rubbed me the wrong way.

[junkanimate]

And we're back

[trashyshrew]

[xenonmoon]

Some last note before moving to MK 2016 volume 3:

Pros:

I really like the subversion of the "it was all a dream" trope. It being "all a dream" doesn't actually solve things, it makes them even worse and messier

Pacing is great, using switch frequency and entity of the bleedout among each one of them to build tension towards not the final act of this volume's plot but what appears to be the middle one, turning instantly in a moment of surprise when all parallel stories instead of converging with each other drop out into Marc's. The second part with the confrontation instead of escalating again it de-escalate step by step from action to calm, heartfelt moments until only Marc is left, alone. Nice

I keep thinking using different artists and scenarios for each character is a BRILLIANT way to have a visual rendition of how different alters filter the situation through different lens

Despite being a bit cartoonish/exaggerated I liked how frustrating the police interrogation felt with its ableism towards Jake. Makes you feel the character's powerlessness in that situation

Leaving Vengeance (and the latter part of the 2006) aside, since they only features Jake and in a very ambiguous way that's very passable as Marc With A Different Name, Steven and (proper) Jake hadn't had a real active role in the narrative outside when Moench was writing them. It's nice and refreshing to finally see them back as being part of Moon Knight as they should be.

Steven's narrative is how the Bendis run should have been and you can't change my mind

Love love looooove how Lemire recontextualised the dubious writing the character's had over the years into Marc's point of view - how he thinks about his condition and how to deal with. He also does a plentiful of acknowledgements that are a HUGE step forward to stop considering having alters as something bad - despite still thinking he need to get rid of them to be "sane". But will get back at this with the volume 3

Cons:

Jeff Lemire possibly only read the first volume of the Epic Collection, so he knows the basics of the Oldies but not enough to use them effectively inside the plot. They're either "extras", background stuff, namedrops, or very vague and/or ooc. This leads to their appearances being one of those cases when the callbacks are best enjoyed if you're in the middle of the spectrum between not knowing the characters and knowing them fairly well: you either just heard of them (and/or seen very marginal stuff) or remember them by long faded memories. One of those cases where elements and/or a product holds itself up for most part by nostalgia or a very shallow knowledge of the source.

This also lead to potential thematically relevant characters to be cut out of the narrative, like Morpheus.

Jake's characterisation is. I don't know how to describe it. It was fine and fairly coherent with Moench's up until the confrontation scene, when by the way Marc talks to him it seems backbuilt almost from scratch to fit Wood's heavy drift (or switch with Marc's, can be also seen as that). That resulted in a weird superimposition between him and Moon Knight and while he is not identified as "the evil alter" it flies dangerously close by being at least the violent one. This is 99.9% what inspired MCU Jake's (I can't really say characterisation since we see him for like 2 seconds but. actions?). Detaching itself even from the last bits of Moench that the 2016 still kept the MCU incarnation took a long turn away from the comics' original concept and well. I think the moon knight tag is full of self-explanatory examples of the domino effect it caused on the long run. Sighs

Despite this run's approach to MK's condition being revolutionary in the context of the history of how this character has been written after the original run closed, there are some bits that are still based on misconceptions around how the condition worked - meaning, the core theory according to which there is one "real" or "original" identity in the system and the others all formed later and- ugh that they are or used to be childhood imaginary friends. Surprisingly, the original Moench run which was written back when people knew next to nothing about the condition is more accurate on this point since it treats all three (four considering MK) more or less equally as different identities of the same individual

Let's talk about Commander. I get it, Lemire needed an alter to function as a "placeholder" to Marc for the tripartite altered narrative that dominates the heart of this volume, but you can feel by the way he's treated that's kind the throwaway one. Or, at least, the most throwaway one once its purpose in the narrative is fulfilled

That's all I could cook up for this volume! Moving to the third and final one!