#the shows literal theme was PAIN but with aesthetic cinematography

[my-drama-heart2406]

I know you're not gonna believe it but by the end of the show Du shik was our baby.

Du-sik actually likes Hyejin a lot. Much more so than Hyejin does him. And honestly the pacing of this drama is shit. But Du-sik is actually behaving this way because he likes her. (I know it's fucked up).

The main problem(also a good point in a way) with this show is that it takes a looot of time in getting to the point.

He's actually a very broken person with a lot of anxiety and abandonment issues and puts up this confident, casual, friendly facade to hide that.

I wouldn't call it one of my favourite dramas, but I guess so many people on Tumblr liked this drama because the second half of the drama deals with a lot of issues. It's not something very bingeable and there's not the firey love and angst and pain(that we like), but Hometown cha cha cha kinda shows a realistic version of a relationship.

All it's the first show that I've seen where the first and second ml don't form an enmity over the fl. Infact this is the first show where they become very nice friends later on.

And I guess amid a sea of green flags, Hong Du-sik stands out because he's so very broken and damaged mentally that sometimes he does things that a typical green flag male wouldn't do, which is in line with his character. But still he tries his best for Hyejin.

I tried to make this post without any spoilers. But if it's 9th episode then their dating era should start very soon and things get better from there on.

Since you've come this far. Please go on

I'm done.

The only thing I ship Du-sik with at this point is perpetual singlness. I hate the idea of him and Hye-jin getting together, she deserves better. She deserves Seong-hyeon, but of course he must have some weird flaw or else she's just going to go with hormones because I don't know why else she would like Du-sik who treats her like crap (except when he has a whim and doesn't). I guess I finally have experienced Second Male Lead Syndrome

Also, I doubt anyone (mostly Du-sik) is going to apologize for assuming that Hye-jin was all privileged when it turns out her life sucked just as much as the rest of them. So what she's a little snobby and doesn't make friends quickly? She is a good person and I can't bear watching everyone crucify her for nothing.

Honestly I'm just confused as this point as to why so many people whose taste I respect like this drama. I hate it. I think the male lead is horrible. Justice for Hye-jin! Director for Hye-jin! Let my girl be free!

[mynonclicheblog]

If you have ever thought about watching Lockwood & Co. on Netflix, even in passing, please do so! Right now! This is your sign, it's the perfect time!

I apologize for being the asshole who cross-tags, I swear it's not normally me. But hear me out, I mean this with my chest: if you're someone who enjoys the YA genre whatsoever - especially when it comes to ~a group of young people~ banding together to ~fight off supernatural threats~ - then Lockwood & Co is perfect for you! (see I'm doing you a favor, just trust me😂)

It's about ✨the unique characters, the found family, the mysteries, the worldbuilding, the slowburn, the vintage/modern aesthetic, the soundtrack, the cluttered kitchen coziness, the cinematography, the attention to detail, the layers and nuanced storytelling!!!✨ It's literally the most captivating YA-led show I've ever seen, and I'm a big fan of Stranger Things and Shadow & Bone.

It's the character work in Lockwood & Co that makes it stand out from the rest. The main trio fills the hole in my heart. They're so unique and flawed and SHAPED, and the way they interact/work together is like crack for your soul. It's ridiculous how addicting their dynamic is.

Let's see what Twitter has to say...

This show heavily features themes of finding a family and a reason to live & die because of the home you've found with each other. I promise that you will fall in love with these precious, broken kids as quickly as I did.

Brief character descriptions under the cut, cause you're already this far, so why not?

This is Lucy Carlyle! She is wildly talented, takes no shit, and has suffered a lot in her past but holds so, so much capacity for loving others. She is sassy, practical, empathetic, and grounding.

This is Anthony Lockwood, aka tumblr babygirl who uses a facade of confident swagger to mask the well of pain he harbors underneath. He is charismatic, ambitious, reckless, and soft hearted.

And this is George Karim. He is the MOST precious bean who is a brilliant researcher, though struggles sometimes with feeling out-of-step. He is sarcastic, excitable, unashamed, and dedicated.

At the end of the day - all I can say is sorry for the brief invasion into your tag, but also THANK YOU for your consideration in reading this, and thanks in advance for checking out Lockwood & Co 😉💖✨ I cannot emphasize enough how much you won't regret it!

[lafiyahenry]

How Money Heist Uses Music

SEASON FOUR SPOILER ALERT! 

I have watched Money Heist religiously since season one. It’s one of the most amazing pieces of art I’ve witnessed. It’s written beautifully, the cinematography is clean, crisp and aesthetically pleasing at all times, the characters are portrayed in such a raw way; we see their flaws and love them nonetheless. After four seasons, they feel like our family too. But yesterday as I sat down to binge watch the latest season, from the first episode I could tell that something was different... and it all began when Berlin opened his mouth and sang. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3xtWk9VJ5s

For those of you who live under a rock, or simply don’t appreciate the finer things in life, Money Heist or La Casa De Papel is a Spanish television heist crime drama series. It’s told from the perspective of our badass female protagonist, Tokyo. A man called The Professor has assembled a team of eight people, all code-named after various cities, to rob the Royal Mint of Spain. The plan is well thought out and we see things progress in real time. What’s even more amazing is that we are on their side. We want them to get away! The heist is a heist for the people, a revolt against the government. There are allusions to Robin Hood where the gang gives money to the poor and so they’re supported by the public. The themes that we see are  anti-fascism, anti-capitalism, and just plain resistance. We also see themes of passion like love, friendship and betrayal. If you’ve seen the show, you know how important music was in the first seasons. Case in Point: Bella Ciao. 

Everybody who has seen this show, knows this song. Bella Ciao encompasses everything that the show is about. It is an Italian protest song that  was modified and adopted as an anthem of the anti-fascist resistance by the Italian partisans between 1943 and 1945 during the Italian Resistance. One of the first times we hear it is in a scene between The Professor and his brother, Berlin, while discussing the plan for the heist. The song feels like hope. It rings of freedom. It quickly became a fan favorite and an “anthem” of sorts. It is simple, catchy and the feeling that rises in you when you sing, becomes infectious. So, the story has always been connected to music but this season was done differently. Let me explain. 

Everybody loves Latin music. Show me someone that doesn’t want to gyrate their hips and take shots of tequila when they hear Latin music and I’ll show you a psychopath. Just the fact that Money Heist is a Spanish television show, they were destined to greatness where any soundtrack was concerned. The theme song “My Life is Going On” by Cecilia Krull is sung in English which is interesting because the music used in Seasons 1 and 2 are Primarily Spanish.  Don’t get me wrong, there are English songs  mixed in there but it predominately is Spanish sung. In Seasons 1 and 2 the music is also scarce compared to 3 and 4. In this article is shows exactly what music was used. But the question is about how the music is being used. 

In the earlier seasons they used music mostly to set the mood and color of the scenes. When using the song Bella Ciao, it was personal to the Professor and Berlin who had learned it from a grandparent. From then, it was adapted to the whole gang who now use it as their personal anthem for resistance. I believe that the soundtrack is developing with the characters as the seasons go by. It’s becoming more personal to them through the use of diegetic music. 

Diegetic Music is a big term that literally means that the music  is part of the fictional setting and so, presumably, is heard by the characters.

 Diegetic = heard by the characters, for example Bella Ciao & Ti Amo (the song Berlin sings for his wife) 

Non- diegetic= My Life is Going On (Theme Song), the music that the characters do not hear. 

For Seasons 3 & 4 there was definitely a bigger budget and more attention paid to the musical selections but there was definitely increased use in diegetic music. We hear Van Morrison’s Days Like This in S4 E2 with Palermo getting ready and we know that the music is heard by him because he sings along (making it diegetic). This song choice is abnormal for the Money Heist that we knew in seasons 1 and 2. It’s not sung in Spanish and it’s not Latin either but it gives the scene a depth to it. Music itself is a Universal language and no matter race, ethnicity or nationality we all understand what the scene is saying, through the music. The tool of irony is being used as well. The music in itself is hopeful and Van Morrison sings about better days but the team isn’t in the best place. One of their own is captured and being questioned by the police . It weirdly makes the scene feel nostalgic and it’s just one of the scenes that really stood out to me while watching it. 

Another great example of diegetic music in Season 4 is when in Episode 5, Nairobi goes to encourage the workers in the forge that are melting the gold and we hear “Fuego by Bomba Estereo”.  She has the music played in speakers while the workers work and we see her sing  the beat of the song. The song sounds personal to Nairobi and her character. It sounds like her. The choice of music in this scene represents Nairobi and her presence in the Forge, how she motivates and takes charge of the men. She asks them to perform their tasks with rhythm! The music has now represented the character.

There are many more examples of how the music is used brilliantly but the real prime moment of awe for me was Nairobi’s death in S4 E6. Damian Rice’s Delicate? It smashed me to pieces emotionally. This is non-diegetic music, the characters themselves have no idea the music is playing. Just like with Days Like This, the song is neither Latin nor sung in Spanish but because of the universality of music, most people understand what is going on subconsciously. Rice’s woeful voice, the slow tempo of the song and heavy use of strings? We know instantly that this is painful. We are visually seeing a beloved character dead and audibly we hear a musical expression of the team’s pain. We see them crying and bawling but we actually don’t hear them. The song that is playing is expressing everything the Director wants us to feel in that moment. 

I could go on and give infinite more examples of when Money Heist had made the right choices regarding music, but then this blog post would be entirely too long. I was born into a family of musicians and have played music for most of my life. So, when a film or television show has done amazing work and placed thought into the creation of an audible landscape that keeps audiences engaged and interested, I have to stan! Hats off to the composers Manel SantistebanIván and Martínez Lacámara for a job well done especially the evolutions from season to season, which they have handled well. 

WE’RE READY FOR SEASON FIVE, NETFLIX! 

Love, Lafiya.