Weekly Check-in 11/07/2020

Hey guys how’s it going? This week somehow some way, I was able to read, listen and watch a lot.

I read two novels this week, two volumes of manga, five movies(yes five), and one podcast. Onto the media!

Novels

Shine

Hmmm this is a book that I will be discussing in more detail with Midwest Kimchi (check them out if you want). But my overall thoughts on this is as follows:

There were times when I felt lost with this story just with there are so many tiny conflicts on top of somewhat a romance plot. I mean yes I understand the point is that the main character is trying her best to become a K-pop star and the ins and outs of that. However, there were moments where I was unsure what the point of everything was. I also wanted something a glossary or translation or some explanation on some of the Korean cultural aspects since although I am a K-pop fan, I do not know everything about South Korea. Because of these points and most likely more in the collaboration post with Midwest Kimchi, I have to give this novel a 3 out of 5 stars or 3 sushi 🍣🍣🍣. If you are looking for a K-pop star novel that has a lot of knowledge of Seoul check this out.

Impossible Music

“When the song is over…what remains?” This book was one that I’ve only heard about in passing, but I am truly glad that I gave it a shot.

First before I continue on with the review there are some suicidal triggers, self harm, and a graphic car accident description that may make some readers uncomfortable. Also this author is not ownvoices in the Australian Deaf representation however, it is clear he did do his research so keep that in mind when you go into this book.

Back to the content itself, I have to say this was pretty refreshing especially since it talks about someone becoming deaf essentially overnight plus trying to figure out how to navigate it for the rest of their life plus their adult future. This kept me on the edge of my seat, I loved the discussions that were presented,etc.

However! I hated the way time worked through half of the story. Although it was labeled, I still got lost. So keep that in mind if that writing style bothers you. Overall though, I loved what the book brought to the table that the combination of music and Australian Deaf community was represented here. 3.5 out of 5 stars or 4 sushi 🍣 🍣🍣🍣.

Manga

Series Starter

Cutie and the Beast

This manga is one I have seen around that I was worried about getting into but I was pleasantly surprised. The art style in here is definitely one of my favorites now especially with their hilarious expressions and Momoka’s luscious hair. I am glad though at least on the relationship side of things, the age gap aspect of this relationship is discussed and explained thoroughly. In addition, I am truly glad this is going to be a slowburn romance plus a strong but loveable guy because that ticks my personal boxes. Overall, I would recommend this for manga readers like me, who may not care about age gaps and big strong men but know that there are some wrestling scenes as well so if that doesn’t interest you don’t read this. 4-4.5 out of 5 stars or 5 sushi 🍣 🍣 🍣🍣🍣.

Series Continuation

Perfect World

This series is one that reminds me of a soap opera in the best way. There’s also a lot of moral lessons that are presented especially in this volume. I feel that it was also about self- discovery along with the romances. Overall, I have enjoyed this series so far and I am excited to continue on. Because of these points, I have to give this volume a 4 out of 5 stars or 4 sushi 🍣 🍣🍣🍣.

Movies

Star Trek Beyond

This is a random movie that was on television this week that my dad and I watched. First, we were unsure what this movie was (sequel or otherwise). Essentially though, it was just like an isolated Star Trek episode (for two hours instead of one) so if you like those kind of movies/shows check this out. 3.5 out of 5 stars or 3 sushi 🍣 🍣🍣.

Radioactive

This movie is one that I was looking forward to especially since I was curious about more detail about Marie Curie’s biography. However, this is not just the Marie Curie biography, this is also how radium was born and utilized both negatively and positively. Which is good but also bad at the same time. The instances of the radium parallels were added in it felt like too random. Once put together at the end, it makes more sense but I still felt the randomness. There are also some spooky moments, so you may like it during the spooky season but overall it was a fantastic biopic. 3.5 out of 5 stars or 4 sushi 🍣🍣🍣🍣.

Judy

This week was mostly the biopic movie week since we also watched Judy. Did you know this movie was based on a musical? I certainly didn’t. I liked this one better than Radioactive because it took the last parts of her life and talks about how she feels plus the negative aspects of becoming a child actress. It made more sense in my opinion, plus Renee Zellweger’s performance truly feels like she did her research. Because of these points, I have to give this movie a 4 out of 5 stars or 4 sushi 🍣 🍣🍣🍣.

Maleficent and Maleficent:Mistress of Evil

These movies were ones I have had on my list and with the spooky season coming to a close, I thought it was the perfect time.

First, they gave me Wicked by Gregory Macguire vibes (and whenever we get that movie please soon!) I hope its like these movies. The world that was created was amazing! The cinematography was awesome as well. I think though my only issue with these movies was that some of the smaller roles fell flat and that the villains that were used felt the exact same as each other and I need more variety. Because of these points, I have to give both of these movies a 4 out of 5 stars or 4 sushi 🍣 🍣🍣🍣.

Podcast

Dub Talk

This week I caught up with a few episodes from the Dub Talk Podcast, I listened to a couple of episodes of anime that I have not heard of before (but after listening to the episodes I want to watch now), but also an episode about Tada Never Falls in Love (Which I posted about in this weekly check in if you are interested in my thoughts.) and I love this podcast because they are funny, well informative, and a variety of anime fans so that there is someone’s point of view always appearing to the masses. 5 out of 5 stars or 5 sushi 🍣🍣🍣🍣🍣.

The Week Ahead

The week ahead will probably be similar to this one except maybe less movies lol 😆 (not that I don’t like them!) But I want to try and use my car time and break times to my fullest. What about you guys? What did you read, listen, or watch this week? Let’s talk about this!