#honestly the costuming and visuals of this drama is great!

[tytangfei]

Here is my favorite cdrama list of 2024! If you didn’t know: I've made a fav list every year since 2020. Check them out here: 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

These are mostly Chinese historical/period romance dramas. Honestly though, I haven't watched as many this year. So many dramas in recent times have had incongruent endings that I no longer feel as excited about dramas, so I've been watching fewer dramas. Still, here are my favs.

Best Overall Drama

Blossom: my enjoyment of this drama makes it a 10/10, but it probably sits more at a 9.8--marked down because of the storyline with the brother.

Most Delightful/Fun Drama

Love Game in Eastern Fantasy: The emotions, the comedy, the visuals, the fantastical, the cuteness! The ending was kind of hard to wrap my head around, but I loved it still.

Most Impactful Drama

Lost You Forever season 2 (and the entire drama overall): This drama made me mourned (for good and bad reasons). The good reason: I wept for tragic characters like Xiang Liu. The bad reasons: They assassinated Cang Xuan's character, for who knows what. And cut out so much of Tushan Jing. I still enjoyed this drama so much, despite what happened in the last 8 episodes. Xiao Yao is one of the most realist / pessimistic female characters I've ever seen.

Drama with the Best Soundtrack

The Last Immortal - How I decide this category is if I still listen to the OST months later. I still listen and think about this drama.

Best Costume/Design/Set Drama

Love of Nirvana - The Yueluo City folks and that whole production looked good. Their distinct styles were very good too.

Best Short Drama

Fortune Writer - Glad I caught this drama right at the end of December. Love when characters fight against fate!

Most Unexpected Drama(s)

Are You The One - Unexpected, in a somewhat bad way. I wanted a lot more angst, but didn't get it. Instead, I grew to really care for the side characters' relationship, a lot more than the main couple, honestly. Zhang wanyi is still fun to watch.

In Blossom: With Ju Jingyi's record, this could've been meh. But it ended being better than expected because of its commitment to the gothic horror suspenseful vibe and a strong start, with a great lead in liu xueyi.

--

What about you? What's your favorites of 2024.

[bengiyo]

Century of Love: A Muddled, Pretty Mess

Century of Love is a somewhat difficult show for me to rate. On the whole, I have to say that the final four episodes squander a lot of the fun and potential of the earlier episodes, leaving this to be a fundamentally unsatisfying, somewhat-incomplete project. Century of Love is another show where I find myself struggling with the idea of what the show could have been beside the reality of what it actually was. Thus, despite finding the show visually pleasing and sometimes-fun, it’s honestly rather forgettable now that it’s passed.

Rating: 7, Recommended With Serious Reservations

Runtime: 10 60+ minute episodes

Country: Thailand

Network: Netflix, One 31, oneD

Availability: GagaOOlala

Century of Love is about a man named San (Daou Pittaya), who has lived for a century in search of the reincarnation of his murdered love. Accumulating wealth for his family and receiving their care, they’re anticipating the seminal moment in which San will finally find Vad (Cookie Yada) again. In this case, all measurements indicate that Vad has been reincarnated as one of the most beautiful boys ever in Vee (Offroad Kantapon), and San has to unlearn his own internalized homophobia and presumptions if he doesn’t want to suffer a painful death. He must connect with Vee, and stave off attempts to steal the magic stone that’s kept him alive for a century. 

The show blends romance, drama, action, and comedy really well in the first few weeks of viewing, but then takes a steep nosedive over its final arcs. I want to talk about some of the things I enjoyed in this show before I criticize the back half too much. User @flowerbeasblog covers the significance of this as a queer lakorn airing in a primetime slot in their post. We also know that there were serious workplace safety issues on set (@singto-prachaya), and it seems like the director has distanced himself from the project by not even posting about it.

Daou Pittaya. I loved Daou in this role. He showed real chops as an actor. I felt the entire time that he was an old man in a young body. He looked worn and tired most of the time in a way that is recognizable in elders. His training as an idol clearly helped with his ability to perform the fight choreography (limited as it was). He was also beautiful, and the costuming department was so correct to put him in shirts that shows off his collarbones in every episode. 

The Family. I loved San’s family so much. I loved that we had members of all ages calling San great grandpa the whole time, and I loved the way they teased him across the show. Juu (Xiang Pornsroung) was a standout character, and it was obvious that War Jirawat was having a great time treating Daou’s character like an elder.

Offroad Kantapon. I thought Offroad was the best part of Our Days (2022), and I liked him in Love in Translation (2023). He’s good with Daou in this show, but seems like he struggled in scenes with others. I wanna chalk that up to the storytelling confusion later.  He has great scenes with Tuk Deuntem as the grandmother that I also feel like didn’t clear up with the themes.

Let’s get into the big issues. More than anything, this show muddled its messaging about accepting death and new life. There are clear guides to this early with Vee not remembering his prior life as Vad, and asserting that he personally would move on because there’s no way the old Vad would come back. 

The Mythology. This show really cocked up its own mythology, evinced best by the multiple episodes of hot potato they played with who got the five-colored stone. I’d have rather the show focused on the relationship with the goddess than the stone as a plot device. The show sidesteps the own question it asked about whether it matters who is reincarnated as Vad by having a doppenganger lie about what she remembers, and yet the stone responded to her, too? San choosing Vee regardless is a nice idea, but the show really let me down on not resolving its own mythology when it showed that Tao could predict exactly when San would run into Vad. Also, what the fuck was the deal with Chibi San (credit to @negrowhat)? Why does he have to rejuvenate as a kid, and then that just goes away? Finally, why was Pond Ponlawit even in this show? What purpose did Third serve in this reincarnation tale? There were hints he was going to be some kind of villain, and then it’s just dropped. 

The Villains. Speaking of villains, what was the point of Chen and nephew other than to extend the show by having people trying to steal the stone? Why did Third have no role in the reincarnation tale other than to share the face with Trai? We don’t learn anything interesting about Chen and nephew before they kill each other like an SNL sketch. 

The Themes Around Death. Early on the show set up a growth arc for San to grow beyond who he was at Vad’s death. He’s literally preserved the theater she died in until she returns. Vee is dealing with the impending death of his grandmother. The grandmother makes the choice not to continue living in pain and accept the life she has, asserting that every story must come to an end for it to have meaning. Then, San lies about his own impending death only to be saved at the last minute. I just didn’t really enjoy the way they handled this at all in the end. 

Final Thoughts. I’m really glad a lot of new people got to enjoy Daou and Offroad. I also really like the way this show handled its themes around bisexuality with Vee, and San coming to enjoy the intimate relationship he built with Vee. I thought there were a lot of really fun moments in the early part of this show, especially with them giving the audience exactly what we wanted from one scene into the next one (like Vee meeting Chibi Sun immediately). I will remember the costuming fondly, and I will remember the cast. Other than that, I will probably not return to this show, and that’s a real shame because it started off as something that felt like it could be a favorite.

Hopefully they hire Daou and Offroad for the idol romance BL that @lurkingshan has been asking for.  

[welcometothejianghu]

Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: 心宅猎人/Psych-Hunter.

Psych-Hunter is a 2020 drama about a hot young amnesiac who, accompanied by a rich psychiatrist with major daddy issues and a rich girl who cosplays as a cop, uses his Inception-style psychic powers to solve crimes that are part of a shadowy conspiracy orchestrated by a mysterious figure.

True story: Once I couldn't remember the English name of the drama, so I called it "House Haunters," and now my brain insists that's the real English title. If only!

Do not, under any circumstances, labor under the impression that this show is good. It's not. It's incoherent. The writing is bad. The villain is absurd. The vibe is comically melodramatic. People make inexplicable and out-of-character decisions all the time. Countless complex mysteries get set up with no way to resolve them. There's a thin lampshade hanging over it that blurs the line between bad decisions made on accident and bad decisions made on purpose, but the net result is largely the same. This is the show that first inspired my wife to declare something dumb as a guinea pig in a roller skate.

But it's fun. It's a sea of colorful chaos with brilliant pieces that shine through like strange gems. It knows how to work an atmosphere and does so to create some legitimately creepy moments. It spins a wild yarn filled with bizarre and loveable characters. And it has some twists that truly have to be seen to be believed. In the mood for some beautiful nonsense? Here's five reasons that despite everything I warned you about in the previous paragraph, I think this one's worth watching.

1. Psychonauts for Jazz Age homosexuals

Honestly, that phrase alone should let you know if this is the thing for you. But just in case, let me explain the basic premise of the show:

Jiang Shuo, a man who has lost his memory and been adopted by circus folk, is capable of jingling his keys and diving full-body into someone else's subconscious, represented by lovely and thematic dreamscapes. He does this to solve crimes. Sometimes he takes along a handsome doctor who seems like he might know more than he's letting on, by literally tying their hands together with a red string.

Also, when they do this, they get gorgeous steampunk magical girl costume changes, complete with the cutest little pony nub you've ever seen.

This show can be stunningly beautiful. It knows how to manifest dream logic eerily well. Most of these cognitions are gorgeous, and many are done with primarily practical effects, like it's a stage play. ...And it's good it relies on that so much, because the CG it has is kinda cheap and terrible! So, yeah.

(Side note for the DMBJ fans: This is directed by the same guy who directed Sand Sea, which I assume is related to how this both is a visual treat and completely falls apart on the back end.)

The reason I'm a bit surprised that this hasn't taken off more among the creative set is what a great piece of worldbuilding this Psych-diving is. These boys (and, once, the girl) get to short-term manifest bodily in someone else's materialized mental state, where the person whose brain they’re in neither controls the experience nor remembers what happened after it’s done. Were you writing weird Arthur/Eames fic a decade ago? I got a new best thing for you. Can you say freaky dream sex? Because I can.

The base premise should be more than enough to get your gears going. Come ready to get weird with it. There's so much potential here, and so much of that potential is incredibly gay and wearing impeccably tailored suits.

2. Your friendly neighborhood circus family

As I mentioned before, Jiang Shuo lucks into the best possible fate that can befall an amnesiac: being picked up by carnies.

The troupe includes Ventriloquist Man, Really Big Dude, One-Eyed Acrobat, Other Acrobat, Cheerful Fat Girl, Boy Who Looks Like A Kid But Is Actually Played By An Adult So I'm Not Exactly Sure How Old The Character Himself Is Supposed To Be, and Silver Fox Circus Dad, who manages the whole crew. They're a ragtag bunch of performers who all live together in this cute little compound in some very nice slums, and sometimes they open the gates to their lavish compound and put on a circus show for all the common people!

Now: You know this is not going to be the wokest, most sensitive portrayal of body differences, because of course it isn't. But damn, it's pretty not-bad. The show treats all the circus members as valuable people worthy of affection, whose (occasionally exasperating) quirks are no more or less exhausting than those of the non-circus weirdos in the rest of the supporting cast.

I was half-expecting them to disappear after the first arc, but no! They’re a constant fixture through the show! They’re mostly there to support the show’s more comedic moments, but some of them get wrapped up in more emotional plotlines as well. And every now and then you get to see them actually do their circus shit, which is great.

I will admit that my fondness for them is related to how much I generally love fictional Freaks — you know, misfits who have banded together because society considers them unacceptably weird, but together their weirdnesses make them strong. When you find them, they’re usually the bad guys (e.g., the Gung-Ho Guns from Trigun, the Scorpion crew from Word of Honor) whose freak statuses make them formidable and occasionally sympathetic antagonists. But not so here! The Psych-Hunter Family Circus is good guy support all the way through to the final episode.

I know "found family" is a term that suffers from overuse, but that's the best way to describe what's happening here -- really, it's a family that's already found itself even before the show starts, and now they all live together as an unconventional collective of astonishingly flexible people. How did they find one another? Doesn't matter! What matters is that they all love and would do anything for their newest member, and they think it's great when he comes home with his attractive rich friends, who often arrive bringing snacks, which is really the best use for rich people, if you think about it.

3. Two hands, one ring

Now, if you've seen the series already, you know the moment I'm talking about. But if you haven't (and, statistically, you haven't), know that what I mean is the relationship between these two losers.

Together, Qin Yiheng and Jiang Shuo form the emotional core of the series. They're both drawn to one another because of mysterious circumstances that have started to align. Jiang Shuo's memory is missing, Qin Yiheng's dad has vanished, and all signs point to those absences as having something to do with one another.

Very early in the show, we see Qin Yiheng pull a "come with me if you want to live" on Jiang Shuo, giving the impression that he knows just what's going on in this crazy city. Except, no, he doesn't. Or does he? No, we're pretty sure he doesn't. Or he does, but he's forgotten what he knows, if he ever even knew it in the first place. Anyway, time to tie their hands together and jump into someone else's brain!

I'd say they're in love, but that's not quite it. Dr. Qin Yiheng, high-class homosexual, is in love with Jiang Shuo to the point where he's about to murder someone (possibly Jiang Shuo himself) out of frustration about it. Jiang Shuo, on the other hand, is much more sticking his fingers in his ears and going LA LA LA YOU CAN'T CATCH ME GAY THOUGHTS while trying get a girlfriend in an effort to pretend that all the shit they get up to together isn't tremendously romantic.

That is, until the scene that leads to the which-hand ring guessing game, at which point the burden of their relationship falls on Jiang Shuo (and the Inception parallels get unignorable) for exactly as long as the show will allow it to, before it freaks out and has to add another girl love interest just to make sure all the homos got no'd.

It's not textually gay, because seriously, have you met Chinese television? But it's pretty gay. Or, rather, I think Liu Dongqin (Qin Yiheng) is playing his character as a dedicated homosexual on purpose, and Hou Minghao (Jiang Shuo) is just ... kinda like that? I mean, everything I’ve seen him in, he gets real dreamy-eyed around strong men who pay close attention to him. Maybe it's just his thing as an actor. I'm not judging.

However, the main cast isn't just the two of them. One of the things that led me to this show was the promise of an OT3. And does it deliver on that promise?

Well ... sorta.

Qin Yiheng, Jiang Shuo, and Yuan Muqing are a pretty standard MFM not-love-triangle trio of Male Bestie, Main Guy, and Girlfriend (respectively). There's about five seconds at the beginning of the series where it looks like Yuan Muqing might be into Qin Yiheng, but no, that evaporates almost instantly and is never spoken of again -- and with it disappears most of their interactions with one another, period. So it's less an OT3, and more a case of bisexual cutiepie Jiang Shuo getting both a boyfriend and a girlfriend in a world where censorship will only let the latter relationship exist textually.

But damn if these boys aren't made for one another. Sure, there's a level of conscious comical queerbaiting to it -- I mean, there's straight-up an "only one bed" moment, so you know the show isn't stumbling into rainbow territory on accident. No matter how sexual or nonsexual or whatever you read it as, though, their dynamic is the spine that holds the story together. Really, it's almost sad how often the relationships are set parallel to one another, because when you do that, it becomes obvious how intense Jiang Shuo's bond with Qin Yiheng is, and how largely lackluster and comphet most of his canon romance with Yuan Muqing is by comparison.

Like so.

sidebar: The Girl

I am not going to go into a full-throated defense of The Girl this time, as I am wont to do, mostly because I think Yuan Muqing is full of potential in concept but so badly executed that there's really no hope for her. Her entire personality is whatever they need her to be in any particular scene. It's just that once in a while, what they need her to be is completely insane -- like, seeing-things-that-aren't-there insane -- and it's so great that it makes me mad! She could have been like this all the time! But noooooo

As it is, she has a perfunctory canonical romance with Jiang Shuo that's about as endgame as anything is capable of being (see point 5), and it actually gets pretty cute when it finally gets to the point where it's not just awkward obligation! But alas, it only does that so late in the series that it's not even worth it getting invested in it.

She is a creation of the show. She has no novel counterpart. Her entire function in the drama is to un-gay the dynamic between the boys. You can tell that she was initially supposed to have a different role -- to be the muscle of this trio -- but the narrative forgets pretty quickly that she's got that skill set, and she regresses to being The Girl. She makes dumb decisions that forward the plot. She gets put into danger whenever it's convenient. She demands Jiang Shuo do manly things for her because that’s what a girl is supposed to do, I guess? And then there are moments where she’s cool and crazy and it’s awesome! But they never last.

So if you are going to watch this, be prepared for the fact that the female lead is badly written to the point of frustration. I feel her actor is doing the absolutely best with what she's got; the problem is that what she's got is pretty crappy. Still, Muqing gets some pretty charming moments here and there, and I think it's worth hanging onto those and imagining the character she could have been, if the writers had cared just a little more, or even at all.

4. Powerfully surreal worldbuilding

I'm not even talking about the way people's psyches are structured according to dream logic -- the "normal" waking world is almost equally bizarre. The story takes place in sort of the real world c. 1930, except that a lot of things are off. For example, Japan and England are real locations, but China kinda isn't -- instead, the show takes place in a Shanghai-like city-state run by this moustachioed generalissimo with a faux Latin American dictator aesthetic. The place has its own flag and government and police force (where all the cops have coordinating surnames) and diplomatic relationships with other countries, so it’s clearly its own thing. But what that thing is? What it’s even called? Look, don’t worry about it. Nobody else is worried, so you shouldn’t be either.

You will, at every point in the series, be wondering if the show is trying to telegraph to you that Something's Not Quite Right Here, or if it's just making weird decisions for the sake of artsy weirdness. But don't worry -- there's absolutely no way to tell the difference between the two! Just roll with it.

There's a weird mix of universe rules happening throughout, where everything is mostly period-appropriate for a while, and then somebody builds a clock with levitating parts, or causes someone else to have very specific memory loss — or, again, swings some coins in front of a person’s face and gains the ability to treat their subconscious like a VR amusement park.

You can sort of reconstruct the evolution of this weirdness: The book has actual factual ghosts in it. Well, that’s fine for books, but TV isn’t allowed to have ghosts. But TV can have people who imagine ghosts, so long as it’s all in their heads. Okay, but you know jumping bodily into those imaginations isn’t actually a thing real people can do, right? Well, then let’s make it scientific. How can that be scientific? I don't know, it’s psychiatry. I don’t think that’s psychiatry. Look, it could be. Well, it’s definitely not psychiatry in 1930s Shanghai, and that’s the set we’re allowed to film on. Okay, what if it weren’t actually Shanghai? What if it weren’t actually 1930? What if all of this were at best a weird approximation of the period that adheres to no rules except the ones we want?

Once you’ve thought that, the sky’s the limit.

The show has a very inconsistent grasp on reality, and I am listing that as a pro instead of a con because I am choosing to embrace it as a deliberate choice rather than assume it’s the result of craven incompetence. There's something to be said, though, for how pervasively inconsistent it is. It'd be one thing if there were just a few plot holes here and there (and there are), but this is more along the lines of: We woke up in a mysterious boat and got taken to an island with a giant sea monster skeleton on the shore! What's that all about? Couldn't say! Was it real? Maybe! Moving on!

Let the number of "it's fine! who knows!" comments I've made throughout this rec indicate how much this is the kind of show you just have to roll with. If you are a nitpicker or someone who is troubled by unexplained nonsense, this is not the thing for you. If you love artistic magical realism and high strangeness, you will eat this up with a spoon.

And the lampshade that hangs over all of this worldbuilding is...

5. THE STUPIDEST POSSIBLE ENDING EVER

Okay, usually I am coy about when I think an ending has problems. I am going to drag this one out front and center: Psych-Hunter has an ending so jaw-droppingly, head-clutchingly stupid that I'm actually listing it as a selling point, because it has to be seen to be believed.

When I first watched it, I suspected the show ran out of time or money or something and just had to slap together the quickest possible ending ever. But no! This is the ending they meant! If you go back to the rest of the series, you can see that this is what they were (kinda) setting up the whole time! They just set it up so poorly and decided to make the twist hit at such a late point that not only is it complete nonsense, it actually renders moot the entire emotional stakes of the show! Absolutely incredible!

Now, as I've said before in other places, I don't begrudge the actual twist itself. I mean, it's stupid on its face, but I think they could have done something with it — if they'd had it happen halfway through the series, when the characters would have had time to adjust to the new knowledge. Instead, they slap it on at the last possible moment, when there's no time to have any reaction to it. It's just jarring and baffling, and then the whole thing's over.

I've seen lots of people say "season 2 when???" Season 2 never, friends. There was never going to be a season 2. The only reason you think this was an even remotely acceptable narrative move was that you were assuming that this would be the midpoint, not the end. You're having the same reaction I did, only I can tell this was always meant to be their spectacular dismount.

(To me, it's clear what happened: They J.J. Abramsed themselves into a cool premise for a mystery with no idea how to solve it, hoping they'd figure it out along the way. When they got to the end and still hadn't figured it out, they simply ... opted out of solving it.)

Now, if you want a normal viewing experience out of this show, watch to the end of the next-to-last episode, close your browser window, and have imagination adventures about how you think all the mysteries should resolve. But you're not going to. You are going to continue on to that last episode, and you are going to realize that nothing I could have said here could possibly have prepared you for this. And somewhere, I am going to feel the urge to cackle wickedly and not even know why. Except I'll know why. We'll both know why.

Want to watch this hot mess?

That baby's an iQiyi exclusive! But you can watch the first episode on YouTube, if you feel like getting a taste that way.

Look, I know I may have spoiled my pitch somewhat with that last selling point. After all, why would you bother watching a series if you know it has a shit ending?

I refute your objection thus: Knowing it has a shit ending changes the whole game, because it removes the feeling of betrayal that hits upon your discovering that the ending isn’t what you wanted. You know that already now, so there can be no betrayal. The ending goes from being an unpleasant surprise to being exactly the unexpected thing that you expected. With that in mind, you can dive right in (ha ha) knowing that you’ll never get the closure you crave, and therefore whatever you make up along the way is perfectly valid.

This is obviously a turnoff if you prefer shows that are like seeing someone start a magic trick, perform it without breaking a sweat, and walk off calmly, leaving you wondering how on earth they accomplished such an amazing thing. Think of this more as someone starting a magic trick, accidentally letting the rabbit fall out of their hat, saying “I meant to do that!” like thirty times, and suddenly vanishing through a trapdoor, leaving you wondering what the trick was even supposed to be in the first place — but they were really good-looking and well-dressed, so at least whatever they were doing was nice to look at while it was happening.

See? They're having fun.

[heizelnutlatte]

💬 Cosmopolitan Korea: On Jung Eunchae’s Fearlessness

- Actress Jung Eunchae becomes the most courageous on set. With the composure of ‘Okyeong,’ the elegance of ‘Kyunghee,’ the passion of ‘Gilyoung,’ and the freedom of ‘Haewon,’ she stands before the years that have passed and those to come. Let’s delve into Jung Eunchae’s fearless journey.

Q. Are you feeling the overwhelming response to the drama Jeongnyeon? At its centre is the prince of everyone’s hearts, ‘Moon Okyeong.’

I can definitely feel it, especially from older people recognizing me. I usually go around quite freely, but these days, they approach me a lot. It makes me happy to think, “Ah, this piece is loved by such a wide range of people across different ages.

Q. Did you know you were this handsome? How does it feel when people call you cool?

It feels amazing. Honestly, hearing “cool” feels even better than “pretty.” I think “cool” is the ultimate compliment. Hearing that thanks to Moon Okyeong’s charm makes me so happy.

Q. I heard even on set, your female colleagues called you ‘Prince.’

Initially, the staff jokingly started calling me that for fun, but later, everyone got used to it. I think I was called ‘Prince’ more often than my actual name, Okyeong. (laughs) At first, it felt awkward when younger cast members called me that, but over time, I got used to being a prince. The younger actors in the Maeran Guk troupe often huddled together and chatted like high school girls, and (Kim) Yoonhye and I would watch from the sidelines, saying, “Ah, they’re so adorable.”

Q. How did it feel the first time you stood before the mirror in full prince makeup as Moon Okyeong?

Gukgeuk drama makeup is much more intense in person. It felt awkward, and I worried whether my acting could break through such heavy makeup. But it turns out stage performances are meant to have bold makeup. It gave me a lot of energy to match the strong visual impact with my acting. I realized I enjoyed performing with a kind of mask on. And the prince’s costume? It’s made up of so many layers. When a figure like Hodong Prince steps onto the stage, towering like a mountain, without any other props, it’s all about the aura and posture. The costumes greatly helped create that.

Q. What was your reaction when you were offered the role of Moon Okyeong? Did it feel unexpected?

Since most of the characters I’ve played are feminine, it was unexpected and refreshing. It felt like an opportunity to show a completely different side of myself. When I met the director to ask why they offered me the role, they said they hadn’t seen me with short hair before but thought it would suit me. I trusted the director’s vision, and it worked out.

Q. The director has great taste!

(Laughs) Honestly, my personality and taste are quite neutral and boyish. I’ve never considered myself particularly feminine. So, with a character like Mun Okyeong, I felt like I wasn’t creating something entirely new but rather pulling from within myself.

Q. Becoming the object of admiration and affection, both inside and outside the drama, must be a first for you. How did it feel to play Prince Okyeong?

Receiving love itself is a fulfilling experience. While acting and even when off set, I carried Okyeong’s loved persona in my heart. I felt loved by so many colleagues and staff, making the year of filming incredibly happy. I attended an all-girls secondary school in England, where certain students would be admired for their sports skills or leadership. Back then, I was just a quiet girl. Playing Okyeong felt like becoming one of those admired figures.

Q. Okyeong’s appeal isn’t just about good looks or gallant actions but also a languid, sophisticated vibe. Was this intentional?

Okyeong has a mysterious quality—kind and warm to everyone but maintains boundaries. I tried to capture that enigmatic feeling. I often imagine what my characters are like when they’re alone. With Okyeong, I thought about what she’d be like outside her princely moments. Such musings influence my posture, expressions, and overall portrayal on screen.

Q. How is Jung Eunchae similar to Moon Okyeong?

Perhaps the perception of being calm and composed? (Laughs) People say I seem steady and measured, without major mood swings, and Okyeong shares those traits.

Q. When did you cut your hair this short?

Around August 2023. It’s grown out a bit since then. Cutting it felt like such a good decision. Although maintaining the length takes effort, washing and drying it feels like stepping into a new world. (Laughs) I also played Prosecutor Kang Soyoung in Your Honour with this hairstyle, and the director loved it.

Q. How did you prepare to portray a character more masculine than some men?

Performing on the Gukgeuk stage required exaggerated expressions, so I practised a lot. Monitoring myself, I realised my movements were feminine, which led to more effort in making my actions bolder and more masculine. But overthinking it made me feel robotic. I wondered if I was trapped in stereotypes of masculinity. Instead, I focused on natural body language—wearing neutral shirts and pants Okyeong might wear, moving in ways that felt authentic to the character. However, I consciously lowered my voice. Eventually, it became second nature, and even in daily life, people said, “Oh, you sounded just like Okyeong!”

Q. How was it working on a drama led entirely by female cast members?

It was an incredibly special experience. Male-dominated works are so common that you rarely hear, “Let’s carry this with just us guys!” I think the diversity Jeongnyeon represents is meaningful. The long hours of training for singing and Gukgeuk performances brought us close together, and those bonds carried into filming. It felt like real troupe life. Especially with (Kim) Yoonhye, we spent so much time as partners that we could read each other’s moods with just a glance.

Q. When you think about it, you've taken on quite a few gritty and androgynous roles, like Detective Kang Gilyoung in The Guest or Prosecutor Kang Soyoung in Your Honour. Do you feel a sense of exhilaration when portraying such characters?

A lot of people loved the Kang Gilyoung character. A female detective who relies on her physicality—it's a rare role, isn’t it? (Laughs) I practically lived at the action school, throwing my whole body into the performance. She’s such a fiery character, and I felt a lot of exhilaration playing her. Every character brings a unique kind of satisfaction, but strong characters like her are especially cathartic because they bulldoze through injustice and power like a tank. That kind of release is incredible.

Q. On the other hand, you’ve also excelled in roles that are deeply feminine, like Kyunghee in Pachinko or Hyunjoo in Anna, embodying traditional ideals like the perfect wife or a graceful lady. You seem to navigate the boundaries of masculinity and femininity seamlessly in your acting. How do you balance that?

Before Jeongnyeon, Pachinko Season 2 aired, and people who watched both often commented on the stark contrast between Okyeong and Kyunghee. I think everyone has both masculine and feminine traits. It’s just a matter of amplifying or suppressing certain aspects. I express these traits more dramatically through acting. Jumping between such polar-opposite characters has expanded not just my acting range but also my worldview and preferences.

Q. You've had short hair for about a year now. Do you feel like people treat you differently when you wear skirts and heels with long hair versus pants and sneakers with short hair?

Definitely. It’s made me realize how sensitive people are to appearances. They often make assumptions or frame you based on how you look. While I don’t think those perceptions define me, experiencing diverse perspectives has been interesting and has broadened my acting range as well.

Q. Kyunghee in Pachinko Season 2 is a truly admirable woman with inner strength. What gives Jung Eunchae her unshakable composure?

A genuine heart when working or interacting with people. That sincerity is what sustains me.

Q. You exude a certain elegance - from your tall frame, refined nose, and striking jawline to your gestures and voice.

Well, those features are probably thanks to DNA. (Laughs) But what people sense beyond that may come from my attitude toward life. I value everything—experiences on set, relationships with colleagues, and even the smallest tasks. I believe each seemingly mundane day is a precious one.

Q. You swept several Best New Actress awards for Nobody’s Daughter Haewon. Haewon was a unique and special girl, disliked by many but impossible to ignore. You portrayed her almost as if she were an extension of yourself. How has Jung Eunchae changed since then?

I was young back then. (Laughs) As a rookie with little acting experience, I felt a huge responsibility to do well. But at the same time, it was a period when I acted freely without overthinking or being confined by rules. It was a specific moment in my youth when I was deeply contemplating my life’s direction and my path as an actress. I still have those questions, but now I approach them more flexibly and lightly.

Q. When Jane Birkin said you resembled her daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg during Nobody’s Daughter Haewon, I agreed. You really do resemble Charlotte Gainsbourg.

(Laughs) She actually said that to me when we met on set. She mentioned how much I reminded her of Charlotte. That day felt so surreal, like a hazy, dreamlike moment.

Q. Out of all the roles you’ve played, which character resembles the real Jung Eunchae the most?

Kang Gilyoung’s rough, passionate nature and immersive focus, Okyeong’s steady demeanour and measured pace, Kyunghee’s peaceful disposition—they all reflect different parts of me.

Q. Does Haewon still live within you, or has she left you completely?

Haewon is… a character I hold very dear. She embodies my youthful struggles and wandering. Even though it’s a film from over a decade ago, she still feels vivid to me. The film has a very alive quality, and I love that. I also have fond memories of working with the late Kim Jaok, who played my mother. Certain scenes we shared are deeply meaningful to me, and I still think of her whenever I recall the movie.

Q. What kind of student were you during your boarding school days in England? It must have been a unique environment for an East Asian student.

I was a good student who didn’t want to stand out and focused on my work. But when I first moved to England and struggled with the language, I felt quite intimidated and lonely. Boarding school life pushed me to spend a lot of time reading and watching films, which helped me reflect on myself and develop my sensitivity. I loved delicate Korean films like Take Care of My Cat, The Art Museum by the Zoo, and One Fine Spring Day. Even now, Take Care of My Cat is a movie I revisit occasionally.

Q. You dropped out of Central Saint Martins to pursue acting. What drove you to make that decision?

Moving between home and school in a repetitive cycle made me question, “Is this what I’m meant to do for the rest of my life?” I majored in design, which involved a lot of solitary work. That sparked an interest in a completely different form of creation, one that involved more interaction with people. I had always loved films, so stepping into acting felt like a natural progression.

Q. How do people describe Jung Eunchae?

They say I’m more easygoing and down-to-earth than I seem.

Q. How would you describe yourself?

Someone who values naturalness and loves nature—a person close to being one with nature. I don’t enjoy artificial things.

Q. When does Jung Eunchae feel brave?

Bravery comes from tapping into something different from the usual. For me, that only happens when I’m acting. On set, I can do things that I wouldn’t in everyday life. In that sense, I’m brave every time I perform.

Q. When do you feel afraid?

I love being alone and rarely feel bored or restless during solitude. But if I imagine being alone indefinitely, that terrifies me. While I’m content knowing my family and friends are out there, the thought of being entirely by myself is scary. Humans aren’t meant to live alone. Even during tough times, I’ve endured thanks to the unconditional support and love of those around me.

Q. What kind of people become friends with Jung Eunchae?

Looking at the people I’ve kept close for a long time, they all share warmth, sincerity, and genuine kindness, even if they’re not great at expressing it. Another common trait is courage—people who have experienced a lot, found their balance, and are internally strong.

Q. Who do you consider strong?

I think strength lies in being human. People who are endlessly giving to those in need yet stand firm before obstacles. I aspire to be like that.

Q. How does Jung Eunchae compare to her Nobody’s Daughter Haewon days?

I’ve become stronger and will continue to grow stronger. I believe in that.

Q. When and where do you feel most fulfilled?

On set. No matter how tired I am, seeing so many people intensely focused on their roles inspires me. I think there’s nothing more admirable and profound than people who quietly and consistently do their work.

Q. Were there people on the Jeongnyeon set who inspired you in that way?

It was truly a learning environment. (laughs) The staff and cast were not only incredibly skilled but also mature and grounded individuals. I felt so lucky to be there, and I think everyone on set felt the same.

Q. With roles like Hyunjoo, Kyunghee, and Okyeong, you continue to show multifaceted faces. Is there a side of you you’d like to show next?

I feel like it’s the projects that choose me, rather than the other way around. Just like how Jeongnyeon and Okyeong felt like a gift of fate, I hope to encounter another serendipitous work and role.

Q. Where do you think Jung Eunchae currently stands as an actor?

I always feel like I’m at the starting line. Every new project feels unfamiliar, as if I’m starting from scratch. This work never feels completely familiar, and that’s why I have to muster courage every day. I imagine I’ll only be able to talk about reaching my peak when I’m much older—maybe in my 80s?

Q. I think you’ll age beautifully. Looking at Kyunghee’s styling, I thought you’d look stunning with silver hair someday.

I’ll do my best to live healthily and survive well. (laughs)

Q. What does Jung Eunchae believe in?

The most transparent representation of who I am is the time I’ve lived. I believe in those times.

Jung Eunchae - Cosmopolitan Korea, Dec 2024

[moononmyfloor]

In the 1st Quarter of 2024 Cdramaland...

2nd Quarter, 3rd Quarter, 4th Quarter

1. The First Drama I Watched

The Hope

Nothing can be better than a Zhang Ruoyun drama to start the year with. One of the best High School shows I've seen in the recent years, it had an amazing balance of explosive emotions of youth and jaded realism. It would appeal to viewers of all age ranges and I felt so so much nostalgia and relatability from beginning to the end. It was funny, it was smart, it was beautifully acted down to every minor role. (I pretend that last 30 minutes didn't happen, though)

.

2. Actors I Newly Discovered

Wang Qiang (as Li Ran from The Hope), Zheng Hehuizi as Yang Caiwei from In Blossom)

LOOK at that babie😭🥺. Don't you want to pinch his cheeks? One of the most darling characters I had pleasure of watching recently, I wish a bright, bright future career for Wang Qiang. He portrayed the classic outwardly-prickly, marshmallow-inside teenager archetype with amazing nuance.

And Yang Caiwei oh Yang Caiwei.... as one of the shows and characters that created quite the buzz recently, I don't have anything more to add to the discussion. I can only say: lady, thank you for taking up a role that is FINALLY convincingly scarred, unkempt, dirty and not strikingly goddess-y from the first glance, and playing her with such gusto the true, genuine beauty of the character was drawn out with no external effort at all.

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3. BGM I Fell in Love With

The Hope

This drama utilized music so beautifully than 99% idol romance dramas ever would. Atmospheric music that elevated the scenes with lyrics that fit, not to mention writing three whole songs to be FULLY performed in-drama for character purposes. It felt like a musical at times. Talk about dedication.

.

4. Best Wardrobe

Pan Yue's, from In Blossom, Legend of Shen Li (Only few)

I mean

How many costume drama wardrobes can top these embroidery and visibly high quality fabric? Not to mention they actually look wearable in daily life, and not just ornate for "main character's costumes" reasons. They are actually quite simple, if you think a bit- but immensely tasteful. AND

My FAVORITE thing about not just his, but all costumes in this show that I've rarely seen other dramas do is: They repeated the costumes! Many times! Almost all of them! And that added so much to the groundedness of the character. Rich young master having a runway-worthy wardrobe? Nothing new. Him wearing them again and again because that's what a normal, reasonable person does? I'm sold.

I loved the plain but in an elegant and carefree way styling of the two leads of Shen Li whenever they were having recluse times. *This* is exactly how I imagine immortals too- just vibing and not decked in gold from head-to-toe because they are simply beyond it. Whenever the show changed to the typical bejewelled guzhuang garb in heaven scenes, it immeadietely visually reduced the show to just another xianxia. First Till the End of the Moon and now this😭. Guys, pick a consistent style and rock it proudly! A signature look is very important especially if you are aiming to create an impactful all-powerful character! I see no reason the gods couldn't do all the grand court and fight scenes in these robes either, honestly that would've served drive home the nail that the gods function on a different wavelength than humans.

(Also Wtf was even that Shen Li in a Greek goddess like getup? [last image] Not that it's not pretty BUT *waves hands around helplessly..)

.

5. Best Posters

In Blossom, Legend of Shen Li, The Hope, Baking Challenge

In Blossom posters had a perfect balance of traditional Chinese ethereal elegance mixed with gothic horror mystery vibes.

I LOVED the "how I imagine the peaceful cottagecore fairytale like life of my great-grandparents" vibe of Shen Li posters. It's giving lore.

Really liked the "hooligan teens on retro album cover" aesthetic of The Hope posters too.

The whimsical food posters of Baking Challenge were also fun.

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6. The Drama that was Most Disappointing

Detective Chinatown 2

I didn't even know a Detective Chinatown S2 was even coming like...until it did and it was like a second new year because I LOVED that show and it was the most unexpected pleasant surprise of the year- especially when almost all the main cast members were returning. And the first few eps were amazing too and didn't do a disservice at all to the previous season and I got my hopes up thinking we'll get to see a continuation of the Roy Chiu-Janine Chang arc too... only for the show to pull the rug and did the exact same thing as the previous season- the main character withdrew from the story by midpoint. Oh my gods. I want to find this show's creators and give them a good shake. Have some Janine jiejie pics from first season though just for the nostalgia's sake.

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7. An Underappreciated Drama that Deserves a Rec

Baking Challenge

If you aren't deterred by barely-legible machine subs, give this one a try. It's a fun little food drama that doesn't take itself seriously yet has a lot of heart. And for The Untamed fans, there's our Lan Sizhui (Zheng Fanxing) in it, and he's still the same cutie pie!

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8. A Drama that I Found was Good but just Wasn't my Cup of Tea

Pegasus

I watched five episodes, it's a solid show, fun too, it's just that I'm not very into racing AND Hu Xianxu is still a baby in my head😭😂 To convince me that he's a rich CEO with his own romance and adult problems will take at least 20 more years!

I see him parading like this and couldn't help but want to laugh hysterically lol. IT'S NOT HIS FAULT. He's an amazing actor! But still..

I hope he doesn't try to force-rush his shift to adult characters, either.

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More posts by me

[micamicster]

Micaaaaaa I am in need of a good TV show. IWTV left me craving for some good writing, please help 💙 I know some of your all-time favourites are Black Sails and The Wire, I gave them a try, but I'm afraid they're a bit too bleak for me :(( Any good recs?

Bestie this is a great question and im honestly a terrible person to direct it to because the truth is I really don't watch a ton of tv! But I'm gonna do my best!

Beneath the cut find a list of shows I think are particularly well written, divided into vague and confusing categories based on how similar to iwtv they might seem?

<3 <3 <3

(Totally get Black Sails and the Wire feeling too heavy. The wire in particular is imo the single most upsetting thing thats ever been put on television so I completely get not being up for it. But if anyone else is looking for shows I think are really well written those would be good places to start! Black Sails would be my first rec for iwtv fans tbh)

Dramas with syfy/fantasy elements:

Russian Doll: for literally anyone other than you (who's already watched it!) this would be my number one rec. One of the best (and specifically best written) shows of all time, has those spec fic surrealist elements, combines comedy and drama, just love it.

Andor: I know, I was surprised too. But despite being a star wars tv show it actually has writers that do a? good? job? And Diego Luna is spectacular. (If black sails was too grim this might also feel that way given our knowledge of the main character's fate, but it might be worth checking out anyway)

I forgot what i was going to put here

Not sf:

Reservation Dogs: Taika Watiti can be hit or miss for me, but this show is the best of his particular combination of humor and pathos. Also he's just really good at writing kids? (I would be remiss if I didn't point out that he has been (rightfully!) criticized for the antiblackness of couple of minor characters who appropriate black culture pretty egregiously, iirc they don't feature after season 1? But it is a flaw to be aware of). Why didn't I put this with the sitcoms? My mind is mysterious even to me

Bad Sisters: great 1 season irish show about a group of sisters trying to murder their sister's abusive husband. Again a really strong writing combo of humor and genuine emotion!

The Get Down: still not over this cancellation it hurt me in ways I can't even begin to explain... anyway a great show about the birth of rap in 70s nyc with beautifully thought out costumes, music, writing, visual style <3

The Americans: two russian spys undercover as an american suburban couple in the 80s is actually a vehicle for a probing exploration of marriage and intimacy. Also pretty grim (the cold war. yeah.) so idk if it would be for you.

The Knick: nobody ever watches this when I rec it because it's too gorey but I don't care! I love it! Period drama about a public hospital in early 1900s new york.

Sitcoms!: (sorry I know you've watched half of these just wanted to include them in case anyone else looked at this list!)

Derry Girls: this show is just hit after hit. Best written show about teens in the world!

We Are Lady Parts: See this entire blog. Genuinely one of the best shows ever made

American Vandal: Ok technically this is more of a mockumentary than a sitcom but i wasn't sure where else to put it. Season one in particular is some of the best tv show writing I've ever watched it is perfect in every way!

MASH: 70s sitcom about a US military field hospital during the Korean War. At its best it's hysterically funny, absurdist, and bitingly furiously anti-war. (At its worst it's racist, sexist, and boring. It was the 70s) This show was a cultural phenomenon, but it has literally over 200 episodes so I would recommend just googling for a best-of list and watching a handful to see if it works for you.

Atlanta: Donald Glover's surrealist sitcom about trying to manage his cousin's rap career in Atlanta. That's such a bad explanation of what this show is about i'm sorry but I'm not sure how to do better.

Shows I've watched between 1 episode and 1 season of, thought to myself "wow! this show is amazing!" but can't in good conscience recommend because I never really watched enough of them to qualify as an expert:

The Sopranos: everyone says it's the best tv show of all time and i watched season one, said wow they're right! and still haven't managed to get back to it! The pilot itself is so fucking funny like... mobster goes to therapy for his anxiety had to have been the pitch of all time

Station eleven: LOVED the book, heard really good things about the tv show, thought the pilot was amazing, got busy and couldn't finish it.

Babylon Berlin: this has the darkly romantic, opulent qualities of iwtv so it might be for you! Unfortunately I've seen less than half of it so I can't promise it doesn't go off the rails.

Breaking Bad: people are right! it's good! It's also (at least in season one, the only season I've watched so far) like someone made a slapstick comedy about a man cooking meth. In a good way!

You might want to just watch a couple gothic romances to scratch that iwtv itch! Check out an adaptation of Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights!

WOW this is too hard. Just watch supernatural i guess

[chemicalarospec]

my dad invited me and my brother to watch Firefly with him and it's actually really good??? (idk why I expected it not to be-- probably because the last time I tried one of his old Spaceship Shows (the one with the puppets) it was too sexist and too slow to get through.) First of all it should have been ILLEGAL for them to not have a single Chinese character in this show, but as a Chinese person I do like the aesthetics of the show and how they mashed up traditional Western and Chinese styles. The pronunciation is hilariously bad (IF ONLY THEY HAD A CHINESE ACTOR, HUH), but I like it because it's funny. (Me and my brother do laugh out loud every time.)

But the characters are actually so good?? First of all we got THREE FOUR (I didn't count right lmao) female main characters, no smurfette principal here! One of them doesn't even have any implied romance so far okay technically River doesn't but I was thinking of Kaylee and she has a crush on Simon lol. Kaylee, my favorite -- I LOVE how her appreciation of girly feminine stuff is portrayed as something that should NOT be mocked and does not negate her more "masculine" role as the mechanic and that she can nerd out WHILE being feminine. There's also how Mal, the main character, and Zoe, his first mate, have a longstanding and deep connection that's entirely platonic! Men and women CAN just be friends! Do note, Zoe (who is awesome btw) is married to another man, the pilot who is honestly so far the most boring character, and Mal is interested in Inara. Who, speaking of, I also love how so far Inara's profession as a (unionized it seems!) sex worker is treated with respect. River is the most ~okay~ in terms of sexist writing as a weak and mysterious and mentally unwell but sexy woman, but since she's not the only woman it doesn't feel like a big deal. (I feel like she's going to become more grounded, at least I hope so because I want to see more of her personality!) Misogynistic comments are challenged when made! Of course the writing isn't perfect but it's a LOT better than what I expected (and if a modern show didn't do the things I'm praising here I would be offended btw).

Also River's brother Simon is a complete dandy (I think it would be stereotyping for me to call him gay lmao), I love that for him. Episode one he bleeds from his mouth like a dying c-drama boy-- I just had a Vision of the resemblance and now I can't get it out of my head, all he needs to do his open his eyes super wide and then he'd be a dying c-drama boy. He cares for his sister so much, it's super sweet even though he REALLY sucks at dealing with psychosis(? would that be the term to describe her episodes?). Book is an instant icon of course, he's just there forcibly being the moral compass lol. Christianity in space smh. Despite being mr sexism I also love Jayne's character - he's funny (love a guy who's always trying to kill) and the question of his loyalty is intriguing. Mal is a kind of a Generic Protagonist Man but his backstory is solid enough that means his brooding attitude actually makes sense. The "Badger" side character is funny/interesting too, and my bro says he looks like Captian Sparklez haha. (Wash (Zoe's husband) is there. Sometimes he's funny.)

Going back to the design, I am partial to Victorian or whatever aesthetics, so I love how they threw that in along with the cowboy thing, and there's a lot of individual pieces merging Chinese aesthetics with that that I think do a great job. It speaks to my mixed heart <3. The costuming is actually so fun (mostly speaking to crowd scenes), so many characters get to wear distinctive outfits . Also kind of Killjoys vibes because they say "shiny" haha. I respect how space shots have no environment noise, only cowboy music lollll. Visual effects are interesting; you can always Tell but it does seem to me the best they could do at the time.

Wow this post turned out longer than I expected. So a recommendation for Firefly I guess! Forewarning, the parts with the "Reavers" are pretty dark/grotesque -- actually, there's significant violence throughout the show, the Reavers are just the worst.

[xiaolanhua]

ok, so here are my thoughts about Till the End of the Moon:

First of all, i really enjoyed watching the drama, there were some things that i didn't like but it doesn't determine if is a good drama or not, just my personal preference.

Visuals:

Among all the xianxias i've watched, they really brought one of the best visuals and cgi. The photography and cinematography were also on point. One of the best things about the drama!

Characters:

I'm so glad i got to meet Tantai Jin, he is a complex and intriguing character played VERY WELL by Luo Yunxi, he definitely was the star of the show. The man really gave us the most unhinged, sad, pretty and mad human (or devil) being while using the most thin and neat eyeline and he's so iconic for that (he and dongfang qingcang would be besties, i feel it!)

Li Susu/Ye Xiwu are kind the kind of character that you love or hate or both, and honestly, i'm going with both. Really felt mixed emotions about her but i understand her character and why she behaved like that, Bai Lu once again did a great job <3

Also, shoutout to my favorite secondary characters Pian Ran (my beloved fox, i miss you so much), Qing yu (a cutie), Bai Yu (a puppy who loves his master so much) and my bad b*tch Si Ying (r.i.p baby you were mean but slayed).

The couples:

The main couple were not a "healthy" one and i acknowledge that but Bai Lu and Yunxi's chemistry is off chart, i'm glad we had another drama with them giving us all kinds of feels because they are really great with that. Also, if you want to watch them being one of the most funny and healthy couples of dramaland, i highly recommend Love is Sweet, it has "corporate" plot but they make it worth it.

Pian Ran and Qing Yu deserve the title of "second couple", they were fun, cute and had great chemistry (the writers did they dirty 🤬)

On the other hand, unfortunately, this drama has one of the worst "second lead" characters/couple (bingchan/mo nv and xiao lin/ji wu). I didn't like them for a bit and could erase them in any timeline/plot, very weak and with nonexistent chemistry :(

Costumes:

You can really tell that they spend efforts with the costumes and i appreciate it so much because the dresses and accessories (specially Ye Xiwu's head pieces) were stunning!! The team responsible for the costumes deserve a raise.

Plot/ending/editing:

Yes, it's a xianxia, and yes, i knew what kind of drama i was getting into and i'm not a "sad ending" hater or whatever, but i feel like the mass cutting and re-editing for the drama to be broadcasted really downgraded the overall quality of the drama.

Who directed also made a mistake choosing to release too much scenes that weren't really needed and then fast forward scenes that were important to the plot, you guys know what i'm talking about? yep, the dream arc/bo're life.

The dream arc indeed was important, specially for character development and to understand about the ancient gods and the battle against the former devil god, but how they prolonged when it could be done without taking almost 9 episodes is really frustrating.

There's a tiny detail that really bothered me while i was watching that how they used the same location/wardrobe for multiple scenes. Like, they put the actors on a place and made them record different kind of scenes that were put on the drama and you CAN tell they did that because the editing didn't help. I don't know if they did that to cut expenses but is just a thing that throws me off.

Now, about the last episode: i was meh... the ending was more bitter then sad. And, yes, i'm totally angry because Tantai Jin did not deserve the ending he got 😭🤬 like, would it kill to explain better if he was gone for good ??? because that last scene was confusing

OST:

I admit that i only heard the OST when i was watching, it was great but not memorable :(

-

well, i think this is the larger post i've made about a drama and i'm sorry if something sounds confusing or is written poorly, english is not my first language (i know, is such a latino thing to say sorry about having a "bad" english 😬)

rating: overall: 8.2/10 acting: 9.5/10 visuals 9.5/10 plot: 8/10 editing: 6/10

[keepsmagnetoaway]

X-Men 125 (September 1979)

Chris Claremont/John Byrne

Can you feel it? Can you feel the plotline coming? Not long now to wait, my darlings.

Yes, we're back with mainline X-Men issues as various narrative plans begin to fall into place - although one narrative that I don't believe was ever planned, but which still radiates powerfully of this page, is a Jean-Moira romance. Hoo boy. Huge femslash energy here.

That's sadly not what this issue really has in store for us, though, although it is a Jean-focused one as the whole question of who Jean is takes centre stage again: is she even a person anymore, or is she a shell, hollowed out by forces outside herself? The narration here, indeed, does say she 'died' during the rocket flight incident: but that's still an over-simplistic way of understanding how she's being reshaped. Not just by the Phoenix Force, either, but also by the machinations of emerging villain 'Jason Wyngarde'. Hmmmmmmm.

I love this, of course, especially this use of sequential visual storytelling - you know, comics - to recapitulate and reencapsulate her history, the way costumes make characters in these stories, all of it. And then the costumes get really weird.

Really this issue verges on incoherent, it's working with so much: but as a character study and a curtain rising on the drama that's about to unfold it's great. (There's also some short-term villain stuff going on but honestly don't worry about it.)

[eldritchqueerture]

Okay I thought of something to ramble about and it’s the utterly bizarre and confusing relationship the CW show Riverdale has to chronological time. Apologies in advance for how long this rant will be.

Disclaimer: it’s been several years since I’ve watched Riverdale, and I never actually finished the show. This is all based on my memories. Also, I’m pretty sure the seasons I never got around to get EVEN weirder with their timelines.

So, season 1 makes the setting of Riverdale anachronistic as an obviously deliberate stylistic choice. The characters all have computers and cell phones, but they’ve also got rotary landlines, and the cars all look like they’re from the 50s, and the costumes tend to be vaguely vintage-inspired. Honestly I always found this element kind of fun - it’s a unique-ish style, and it pays visual homage to the era the original comics were set. (Side ramble: season 1 is both the most normal the show ever was and also the closest it ever got to being “good” in a traditional sense. Season 1 was a reasonably competent teen drama/murder mystery with an interesting aesthetic - it wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but it wasn’t terrible. And then it almost immediately went off the rails in ways that are wildly entertaining but a lot harder to take seriously. Post-season-1 Riverdale is, imo, the peak of “makes no damn sense, compels me though” tv)

And then in season 2(?), there’s an awkward cross-promotional thing where a bunch of characters go to the movies to see the 2018 film Love, Simon, and talk about how great Love, Simon is, and shuts generally urge the viewers to please go see Love, Simon - now in theaters. And it’s like. Oh. So it is set in the modern day, then? This is just a modern day town where everyone drives cars from the 50s?

And from then on it’s kind of hard to tell if the writers are trying to set it in a nebulous anachronistic dreamscape like in season one, or if it’s concretely set in the modern day - they kind of go back and forth.

And then. There’s the time skip. I can’t remember what season it is, but eventually, the writers announce that after the characters graduate from high school, there’s going to be a seven-year time skip, and the rest of the season will pick back up with the characters as adults. This seems like an idea that will accomplish a lot: it will allow the show to stop pretending that these clearly-in-their-20s-and-30s actors are fresh out of high school, it will allow the characters to take different paths after high school and then just pick up the story when they’re all back in Riverdale, and also, it will explain away why none of these characters are wearing masks or social distancing or at all acknowledging the global pandemic that is currently happening. Win-win. Makes sense. But then.

The characters are all about to graduate, and Archie is trying to decide what he wants to do after high school - does he want to go to college, or does he want to join the army? And right before graduation, he’s in the high school, and he sees a photo of a previous graduating class of Riverdale High posing in their uniforms before they go off to fight in what is very clearly WWII. And Archie hallucinates some soldiers in WWII uniforms during graduation, and that makes him decide to join the army. So WWII happened in the past. Makes sense so far.

And then the time skip picks up with Archie getting out of the army, and in all the flashbacks, it is very clear that he just fought in WWI. There’s trenches, and WWI-style uniforms, and Archie has shell shock (which obviously can and does happen in any war, but the way it’s framed in this feels very WWI-coded. I don’t know how to explain it, but it is.) So WWI is the present now?

And Betty’s post-time skip storyline is *just* Silence of the Lambs. Like she’s training to be an FBI agent and hunting down a serial killer and there’s a lot of VERY on the nose references. So the costuming and set design of her storyline is super 1970s, but then she meets up with Archie the WWI vet?

And THEN, in Veronica’s storyline there’s a scene where she’s arguing with her dad about his sexism and she says something like, “It’s 2021, dad, women aren’t property anymore,” and it’s like. ??? You just skipped seven years into the future?? Shouldn’t it be 2028? Was the show secretly a period piece set, very specifically, seven years in the past the whole time?? If it’s 2021 why aren’t any of the characters acknowledging covid? Was Love, Simon released seven years earlier in this universe?

And then Jughead gets kidnapped by Mothman.

sometimes i will learn things about riverdale and its just. more unhinged than i ever expected

[ashadhahaha]

Priscilla (2023) - A Review

Heya folks! Here's a new blog dedicated to films + TV that I'm watching.

I made a very hasty decision to see Priscilla (dir. Sofia Coppola) in theaters today. I knew a little bit about it, that it was Priscilla Presley's biopic and that it would be based on her own autobiography, "Elvis and Me".

I have many good things to say about this film. Perhaps the most stunning things are the mise-en-scene and the editing. As always, Coppola has a very compelling way of telling stories.

The montages!!! I love how Coppola and her frequent collaborator Sarah Flack cut together Priscilla. I can see Lost In Translation here a bit with the clunky, slightly off-beat cuts. It's intriguing, a little unsettling, yet rhythmic at the same time. My favorite is when Priscilla waits on Elvis the first time. The way she's suspended in her own girlhood while Elvis floods her brain and her life. What a way to watch the time pass. You get all the information you need, all the details, and in an interesting way that fits the film well.

Some of the montages feel a little too romantic, like I'm watching a teen drama, which I think is excellent. There were so many points in the movie I start to fall for the romance and have to remind myself how this began in the first place and the young girl at the center of it.

THE COSTUMES. Coppola very much has an eye for production design!!! I noted in an interview she tends to spend her time there more than most directors. You can certainly tell. Elvis and Priscilla and honestly the whole world feels so believable and immersive because of the amount of detail. Priscilla's hair being our visual marker as we move through time is a great device and it really allows us to see this progression as she grows up and tries to fit more and more into this world she didn't choose.

Jesus, every single frame in this movie is beautiful. The way Priscilla is LIT. OH MY GOD. From the very beginning, with Priscilla's feet walking into the frame over the pink carpet. Every shot is composed with intention and meaning and create a strong aesthetic language that we feel consistently throughout the story.

Coppola doesn't shoot a lot of coverage, so her scenes consist mainly of a static camera, a well-decorated set, and her actors moving and talking to each other. Some moments feel incredibly long, other feels short and sweet. The rhythm is pervasive and concise.

She also tends to shoot at a lower budget. The most expensive scenes were likely the huge montages! There's a particular montage of Elvis performing that's used to show passage of time and it's shot very simply. You can do a lot with a little. Just a single spotlight in front of him to cast a long shadow, one camera on a dolly, a couple silhouettes to represent the crowd. Elvis is dark, powerful, and stepping more and more into the role of superstar. The lower the budget, the more creative control one has and I think Coppola thrives with these kinds of monetary restrictions.

Even the way scenes start seemingly right in the middle of things. Priscilla's life is moving at a pace she can't really control. She's completely at the mercy of Elvis and his wants and desires. And it's so observational. We're just watching these people exist. It gets unbearable the more Priscilla is barred from living her own life. She's trapped behind the gates of Graceland. Alone.

I love that first scene when she first moves in with Elvis and she's kind of wandering around this huge home. She sits in the chair, then she scoots back and crosses her legs. Then she looks out the window. Then she's playing with the piano. She's trying to imagine herself there, feel herself growing into it. It's foreign and she's so out of place. Still, she tries to force her own belonging. What a great use of negative space!

The world always feels like it's going to choke the life out of Priscilla. Like it's against her and swallowing her up at the same time. Coppola proves again how well she portrays isolated, lonely characters.

I also think Elvis was portrayed pretty fairly. He's sensitive, but troubled. There is love between them, but it's complicated and a little sinister and Priscilla spends much of the movie convincing herself it's worth sticking around for. I think this biopic is a step in the right direction of highlighting a more unseen perspective. Again, Coppola was a great choice.

& those are my thoughts! :3

ashadhahaha

[ryttu3k]

Semi-final votes and comments, now in finals order! First, the scores I gave them, with a reminder that these can and absolutely do change between semi and final.

10/12: Australia 8/12: Norway, Portugal, Moldova, Finland, Slovenia, Albania, Austria 7/12: Serbia, Sweden, Czechia, Belgium, Lithuania, Poland, Armenia 6/12: Israel, Cyprus 5/12: Croatia 4/12: Switzerland, Estonia

No numerical score for the auto qualifiers.

And, my initial comments!

Austria: Okay, this one is making me grin and is also pretty catchy. 8/12 just for doing something genuinely different!

Portugal: Oh shit this is fun. Energetic torch song in Portuguese with a red dress I'm pretty sure the singer nicked from Conchita Wurst (complementary). I'm into it! 8/12

Switzerland: Oh no, a Heavy Topic Song™. Listen I respect it but is it really Eurovision? 4/12

Poland: I feel like I'm watching an aerobics video from the 90s. Produced in Spain. Which is odd, since they're Polish. On the other hand, I am jiggling my leg! Maybe it's Second Semi Final Syndrome's lower standards? 7/12

Serbia: Staging is really strong this year! Oh we're straight video game now. Wasn't sure at first but it's definitely growing on me! 7/12

France: I'm giving them nul points based solely on being a Mr Bean enjoyer. Okay no it's not bad. Ballady vibes but could be a banger.

Cyprus: Australia's back-up entry! He came 7th in the selection show last year (Voyager came second). …yeah no dull. Oh well. 6/12

Spain: Yeah I'm gonna have to wait to see the whole thing, but looks interesting. Maybe not my thing, but interesting!

Sweden: Loreen is back, too! I do wonder about this, previous winners returning tends not to play out great unless you're Johnny Logan. …It is a bit panini press, yeah XD Yeah honestly I'm not feeling this, definitely not as much as Euphoria, which I goddamn adored. It's still really solid, it's just lacking something? I suspect it'll win XD;; 7/12

Albania: Oh there's the drama. Not in English, rad costumes! 8/12

Italy: Eh, doesn't really do much for me.

Estonia: Nifty a cure for the fact that I've been awake for nearly two hours and it's only 5:20 AM. *faceplants on the keyboard 4/12

Finland: “When your sleeves say Met Gala but your chest says Vicks VaporRub.” The fan favourite! You go dude bust out of that box. I'm not actually 100% sold on it musically, but the presentation is top notch. Oh hey I really dig that last bit, actually! Rainbows! 8/12

Czechia: Oh these visuals slap. Not 100% sold on the song itself but the presentation is really cool. 7/12

Australia: Yeah here we go! Honestly so glad we're closing the show. Very synthwavey vibes but like, synthwave goes rock. And our old friend, the wind machine! And a keytar! Fuck yeah that's a closer! 10/12

Belgium: God this gets points just for not making me fall asleep. The Ballroom vibe is fun as hell too. 7/12

Armenia: Oh god this is so slow. Armenia, it's 5:13 AM, it's too early for a slow song. There we go, picked up! Yeah, aside from the slow start, this works. 7/12

Moldova: Welcome back, Pasha! I did love Lăutar. Oh shit this is fun as hell, really digging the staging and costuming, it's got some fun folky elements but amped up. 8/12

Ukraine: It's kind of giving 90s boy band, alas.

Norway: Oh this is a strong start! Costuming is dramatic, it's got energy, I dig it! Oof, that high note didn't quite hit, though. 8/12

Germany: ‘Blood and Glitter' is a hell of a title. They look like they're gonna be fun as hell!

Lithuania: Slow start, but some big vocals to save it a bit. I'm sorry I'm so tired. 6/12

Israel: It feels listenable but in the most generic way possible? Like, “Okay, start with interesting visuals, put some soaring vocals in, now do a rap bit, now do a dance, now end with pyros!” Like objectively I'm not sure there's anything wrong with it but it just feels… generic!! 6/12

Slovenia: Points for not English + I kinda want the lead singer's shirt + it's funky + band! With instruments! It's certainly no Maneskin, but yeah, definitely favourite of the night so far! 8/12

Croatia: Myf (Australian commentator) just described them as bonkers so I am eagerly awaiting this. …It is indeed bonkers! Not sure about the weird military-esque vibe but it's also giving somewhat cheerleader? Okay this is basically nigh unlistenable but it does get Bonkers Points™. 5/12

United Kingdom: It's certainly not bad! It's just very… more of the same, I guess?

So starting out with a really fun one, Australia and Finland have not-great places in the very middle of the pack, and we're ending with something very… samey. Well, we'll see how it goes!

[mermaidsirennikita]

Thoughts on the oscar noms? (…and the current drama surrounding it)

Honestly, I need people to realize that Barbie was a cute movie that was ultimately meant to sell Barbie dolls. It had a great set design, really cool visuals and costumes, some fun jokes, and a very good performance from Ryan Gosling. I think Greta being snubbed is weird because the movie was very CLEARLY. DIRECTED. But then again, Wes Anderson does that a lot to mixed results with the Academy, so. A very clear and strong eye does not always please them. If we're gonna talk about women (because apparently the Oscars allow only one lady director) who directed films very smartly, I would say that Celine Song is a better choice. Past Lives was such a good movie, and I think her direction really helped communicate a story in which a lot was left unsaid, pairing well with the actors.

And I'll be real... I need people to get that the movie was always more about Ken. Ken had the best script. Ken had the best arc. Is that right, for a Barbie movie? I don't know, dude. But I frankly don't blame the Academy for nominating Ryan and not Margot, because Margot had nothing great to do and she didn't elevate the material. She was good, she was charming. Ryan was performing a lot more. I like America btw, but I don't get that nom lol.

Also, stop complaining about I'm Just Ken, it was great, let us have fun song nominees.

Best Picture: I don't know why Barbie is there, the Oppenheimer sweep has been boring and though I liked the movie, as a film it was absolutely nothing without Cillian and to me that does not a Best Picture make, Killers of the Flower Moon or American Fiction should win but won't, Maestro is a joke, Past Lives deserves but also deserves more noms, haven't seen Poor Things, Anatomy of a Fall, or Zone of Interest (though at least filmtwt can stop complaining about it not being well-marketed for the Academy) yet. I liked The Holdovers, but that was before I found out the director is uhhhhh a very very bad man.

Best Actor: Leo was snubbed and I do think him campaigning for Lily so hard had something to do with it but that was legit one of his most interesting, un-Leo performances; Bradley is a joke; happy for Colman but haven't seen Rustin yet; Cillian should win and I think he will but Paul G could dark horse it--I don't think his performance was Oscar-worthy but he was good and he's been picking up his fair share of awards; Jeffrey Wright was amazing in American Fiction and if anyone should dark horse it it's him. I'd still give it to Cillian. If this was up to me, I'd toss out Bradley and throw in Teo Yoo, who was so so good in Past Lives. But the Academy is sending a HARD backlash message to Asian creatives after the EEAAO sweep, imo.

Best Actress: As I said, I don't care that Margot wasn't nominated and I don't think she should've been, and imo her best performance was easily I, Tonya; I haven't seen Nyad so no comment on Annette, same with Sandra for Anatomy, and I think Carey had moments in Maestro but she overall was not one of those "standouts in a horrible movie" actors; Lily should win and absolutely killed her performance and dominated her movie, but I am worried that Emma could take it. I'd toss out Carey for Greta Lee.

Best Supporting Actor: Everyone needs to stop saying Sterling snuck in because he was deeply moving in American Fiction and is lowkey highkey one of the best actors working right now; RDJ basically just did Leslie Odom Jr. in Hamilton and F. Murray Abraham in Amadeus but with his RDJ cadence of speaking he can't drop to save his life, but he's taking this for a career Oscar; I hate that Charles isn't there, but if it wasn't him I'd give it to Sterling or De Niro, who gave one of my favorite performances in his career and was SO disgusting and menacing in Killers. Haven't seen Ruffalo, so if it was up to me depending on his performance I'd toss out RDJ for Charles Melton and possibly shuffle some other people around.

Best Supporting Actress: Lol Emily was horrible in Oppenheimer and I'll die on that hill, generally liking her as an actress; Da'Vine will win this and she was amazing in The Holdovers but the director really sours it for me; happy for Danielle, haven't seen TCP; America shouldn't be there but whatever; I literally though Nyad was about a mythological creature until I Googled last night and found out it was about a swimmer.

Best Director: This is going to go to Christopher Nolan for one of his better movies but not his best because that is FAR. AND AWAY. THE PRESTIGE. Should go to Scorsese, his direction for Killers is why (to me) that movie still felt like it was moving at a clip despite the length.

[souljellied]

What would you have changed about the Kim Possible live action?

To start on a very oddly specific note: I get what they were trying to do with all of Kim's random flips and tumbleturns etc, but it really highlighted to me that some movements which look fine in a cartoon look absolutely unnatural in real life. I think they did some cartoony things great - Drakken and Shego still have big Cartoon Villain energy to them, and the school setting looked almost exactly as it does on the show which was neat!

But some of the action visuals did not translate well to live action. I'm not sure what I would have changed exactly, but the scene where Kim's running for the schoolbus and does a bunch of unnecessary flippy stuff went straight into Narm territory to me and that's the one I'm thinking about here. Keep the flips for the fight scenes, maybe?

Changing the setting: A timeskip with an older Kim and Ron would have allowed them to take the plot in a bigger and more grandiose direction. Replicating the animated show felt like a waste, really. Give Drakken and Shego some huge mega death laser (I can't remember what schemes they've done exactly... something they haven't done, but big and ridiculous and overambitious) or find a way to bring the aliens back! Dip into some of the show's lore (Team Go, Global Justice, or any of the bizarre worldbuilding around the fact that supervillains walk around everyday places in their costumes and no one bats an eye!)

Seeing Kim and Ron in university or jobs would fit with that theme of 'taking a step up' that just makes sense for a big budget movie. Fans of the show already saw Kim in high school, let's take the chance to see her somewhere different (in a setting that we're not constantly visually comparing with its animated counterpart).

Monique. WHERE WAS SHE I'M SO MAD. Same for the other secondary/tertiary characters, even if it's just cameos. Felix, Zita, Josh! The characters, even the less prominent ones, help make the world of KP what it is. It would have been nice for the movie to acknowledge more of them. I'd have liked the movie to have given us more things that built upon the world we knew and loved instead of ditching half of it.

Drakken and Shego were honestly great and so was Ron's casting. Kim's vibe felt... off. She's got insecurities but the movie put too much emphasis on those insecurities IMO. Kim's charisma is intense though, so I get it's hard for a young actress to pull off.

All in all, something dramatic and plotty and funny and ridiculous and grandiose that felt bigger than high school drama, really.

[thescrapbookingscientist]

Bimonthly Media Roundup

- King's Maker (Webcomic) - I'll talk more about this next time after I finish it, for now I love the concept and character designs and think there's some good ideas here in both visuals and individual scenes, but overall think the execution is pretty flawed in actually displaying court politics and the effect on the people as a whole given how little we see of anyone not directly involved in the rich boy love drama.

- Wicked (Movie) - I gotta admit, I went in with low expectations but this movie really surprised me, it was genuinely very good. I had some issues of course, I think they stopped songs too often, I was hoping to get more school life scenes between Glinda and Elphie, I thought the Boq plot line was underdeveloped, but those didn't really affect my overall enjoyment with how good everything else was. The pacing was surprisingly good even with the long run time, the costuming and set design was fantastic as was the choreography, the chemistry between Glinda and Elphie was amazing and every actor did a great job in their rolls, both from an acting and vocal sense. The Menezel and Chenoweth cameos were admittedly pretty self indulgent but honestly I enjoyed them, it was neat to hear them sing together. Honestly would pay to see it again, hate to encourage the splitting movies into 2 parts trend but maybe that was the right call here to keep the non musical sections interesting. I will remain skeptical of part 2 given it's the lesser of the two soundtracks but I am still very hyped to see these versions perform 'For Good'. Overall a win for musical theater fans.

- Ennead (Webcomic) - Everyone is allowed to have a piece of media that they like but would never recommend to anyone they know and that's Ennead. I adore the setting and art, I like a lot of the characters and their designs, I do actually like the protagonist and the main romance as problematic they are, and I genuinely think the plot is pretty interesting. But man does it have a lot of content that I would not want to try to justify to my peers like geez. Other than just being kinda egregious I'd also criticize the Eastern beauty standards of making the half cast lighter than they should be and being a bit embarrassingly self indulgent at times, but I will still be eagerly awaiting each chapter.

- The Case Study of Vanitas (Anime) - While this had a rough start it get's more interesting the longer it goes, I like most of the central cast as well as the vampire hunters and their dynamics, Vanitas's backstory gives him very poor babygirl energy, Noe just straight up IS babygirl, and I still quite like the designs and aesthetic of the series overall. I still don't think the narrative progression or sense of humour is great but I'm more positive on it overall than not, we'll see how the rest of the series goes.

- EPIC (Musical) - I've been listening to random tracks from this for awhile now and finally decided to listen to the full set list. It's pretty good, a lot of good vocal talents, the songs are mostly catchy with a few standouts, it's got the usual leitmotifs that we all love, and plot wise it's always got interesting stuff happening courtesy of its Odyssey adaptation. I really don't gel with it's themes or have a strong attachment to most of the case, but I'll reserve judgement until the last saga comes out. For now I'll say that most of the songs by gods or monsters go hard and that Morgan Clae's cover of Get in the Water haunts my soul in the best way.

- Arcane (TV) - Will also wait to give final thoughts on this but man the contrast between Jayce and Ekko's alternate reality trips was so funny every time it cut between them. Like I understand it was emotionally devastating for both of them but Ekko is over here living in ideal future dreamland then it cuts to Jayce eating raw meat while crawling around on a cave floor. Insane choice.

- Dandadan (Anime) - Still fun so far, like that each introduced cast member retains the idiot ball of being stupid and silly and that the aliens got a chance to be sympathetic.

- Dungeon Meshi (Manga) - Farcille placed #2 in the top tumblr ships of 2024! Let's go Lesbians!! They deserve that for real.

- Genshin Impact (Video Game) - Okay so Fontaine has by far been my favorite region plot wise, like wow the story is dynamic and unique and interesting with an actual full interconnected story and likable complex characters who have genuine emotional moments with eachother like wow, who knew Genshin could do it? Landscape wise I haven't explored the majority of the region and still have a bunch of side quests to do, but I do like the whole cast and hope to see them in more events. I've had Navia as one of my favorite units for awhile and now that I've seen her story I can say she's one of my favorites in the game, a really good character to watch and play as I love her. I also just got Neuvillette, so excited to use him.

Listening To: EPIC concept album (All of them), Hard Sell and The Well by The Crane Wives, Re:Your Brains by Jonathan Coulton, Stick Season and Feeling Good by Reinaeiry, Red Wine Supernova and HOT TO GO by Chappell Roan, Wicked Soundtrack, Dream Girl Evil by Florence and the Machine, Ruler of my Heart Sua cover from Alien Stage, Dial Drunk cover by Chloe Breez.

[frightnightt]

THE EXORCIST: BELIVER

★★

Year: 2023 Directed by: David Gordon Green Starring: Leslie Odom Jr., Lidya Jewett, Olivia Marcum, Ann Dowd, Linda Blair, Ellen Burstys and Jennifer Nettles Genre: Horror Duration: 111 mins (1h 51 min) Production: Universal Pictures / Blumhouse Productions / Morgan Creek / Rough House Pictures

This sequel to the famous 1973 film "The Exorcist", has everything we wanted, some of the original cast and not one but two possessions, what could go wrong? A lot of things.

This film follows Victor and his daughter Angela’s story. After 12 agonising years of mourning his wife’s death, they almost seem like a normal family, but obviously something had to go wrong. One day Angela and her friend Katherine disappear into the woods and return three days later with no memory of what happened to them and acting really different from their usual behaviour. Their families try everything in their power to figure out a way to help their precious daughters but Chris MacNeil, the one person who witnessed things like this before, is the only one that can help them.

Directed and co-written by David Gordon Green, "The Exorcist: Believer" was probably one of the most anticipated films in 2023, given the success of the first “Exorcist” film in 1973. It was gore, bizarre and never seen before. The problem this film was facing, was the extensive number of exorcism films and the special effects we have nowadays. Everything you can think of is out there on the internet, so there’s a lot of competition.

Nevertheless despite all of the possession films ever made, visually it was great, equally creepy as the prequel. Warm toned contrasting with the cold and dark story.

The costume design was also really good, reviving the same possessed image, nothing new but it did the job.

Another positive thing was the acting, impeccable, and bringing back Ellen Burstyn was the best part. Not only was it a sequel, it linked characters from two different eras, using these and a few elements ,like the famous Tubular Bells, to make the audience remember the first film. But this particular thing was made purely to distract the audience from the lack of backstories, wasting a lot of potential.

What I think was the weak point, it’s the story, beginning with the main focus of the film which wasn’t the possession itself, it was the trauma and painful memories of Victor and her daughter.

There’s a thing with horror films nowadays, they always have some type of speech about how precious life is and how important it is to keep your family close but honestly I'm tired, I miss the time where horror films were just horror films, no drama, just pure gut wrenching creepy stories. Like some of the classics, take "Possession" for instance. This 1981 film cuts right into the chase, first the main characters are introduced, explaining a bit of their day to day routine, slowly building up tension with the wife’s weird behaviour. But once we know what’s really happening to her, the rest of the film still stays as pure suspense, trying to find a way to understand what’s happening. It allows the audience to make their own conclusions.

With this new exorcist approach, once we know Ellen Burstys’ character is the only one that can help them, all this build up tension disappears with her speech, explaining that the only thing that will sort them out is love, making the storyline predictable and of course a happy ending.

This film is full of clichés and cheesy lines, especially the climax. Victor assembles a team of “believers” (let’s call them that way) to defeat the demon by the power of friendship, apparently. Once they’re all together one of the most used lines in films starts “If anyone wants to leave, better leave now, because once we start, there’s no stopping”, making him the hero and losing half the audience interest because the climax didn’t even look like a climax.

Films nowadays startle the audience, which is a cheap and easy way to pump out a ton of sequels without having to come up with an original scary concept that's frightening on its own, but on this new exorcist film, they even failed to include scares.