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Published on 12/30/2022 12:05 by gray

INTRODUCTION

In true blogger fashion, before the year ends I would like to share my top five songs, movies, and shows. I would also usually throw in a list of book recommendations in there but to be honest, I’ve actually read more online course syllabi and articles than books, so that would probably be for another time.

SONGS

This song literally gives me goosebumps every time I hear it, especially when it played towards the end of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever film.

Okay, I may be a little biased toward the entire discography of the Black Panther franchise but when this song played, it felt like a perfect fit for the scene even when I didn’t understand the lyrics yet at the time.

The entire “Nicole” album was so good, I’ve listened to it for days on end. However, this song gave me a kind of nostalgic feeling about first loves and past relationships, so this topped my list for that album.

In truth, I never planned to go to the Tokyo leg of Jeremy Zucker’s “More Noise!” concert. I mean I liked his songs, but I haven’t really had the time to dissect all of his discographies so there was very little chance of me wanting to go to his concert. But a friend of mine who’s been a fan for so long convinced me to go with her, and to be fair, she was right when she said I won’t regret it. His concert was probably the most memorable one I’ve been to this year so I started listening to all of his songs, which in turn just throws me back to that moment at the mosh pit when everything and everyone felt so close.

The chemistry between Jackson Wang and Bailey Sok in the music video, the choreography, Jackson’s vocals, and the instrumentals in this song? One big chef’s hand kiss for me.

MOVIES

Every single thing about this movie is perfect (the acting, the pacing, the editing, the wardrobe!), so I don’t think I need to elaborate much on what I liked about it. Everyone who worked in this movie deserves so much more credit than they’re getting right now because this movie was a labor of love right through the very core of it and it shows.

A very heartfelt homage to Chadwick Boseman, as well as an exciting sequel with the inclusion of Namor as the new anti-hero to Black Panther. I just loved how they were able to showcase indigenous cultures beautifully and with respect, from the creation of the lore of the Talokans to the observance of ritual traditions.

I’m not really a big fan of horror movies, but this film was really well made even though I was scared out of my mind, I would recommend it just for the sake of the movie being that good.

To be honest, I kinda liked its prequel (Thor: Ragnarok) a bit better, but Thor: Love and Thunder is a whole ton of funny and amazing on its own, with the introduction of new characters, as well as the return of old ones.

Growing up as a teenager who liked K-pop before it was cool, watching this movie gave me such a whiplash, thinking “hey, I’ve been through that!”. Mei and her friends are adorable as well and I just love their friendship so much.

SHOWS

I’ve watched Stranger Things since it first came out, so seeing the growth of the cast in time for the fourth season kinda felt surreal. Of course, we’re all still left to wonder what would happen at the last installment given all the irreparable damage Vecna has done in this season and I can’t wait to find out.

I honestly haven’t read the Sandman comic books myself, but I heard this was a good adaptation of the comics, so all is well. There were some dull moments if I’m being realistic, but the show gets intense as time goes by, with all the loose ends from other episodes being tied nicely towards the end. I’d love to see what comes next in the future seasons of this show.

This just gives me the incredulity of old K-dramas that the suspension of disbelief needs to be so strong at certain points, but just the chemistry of the cast alone carried this show. There were so many romantic and funny moments that left me reeling and truthfully, made me a bit sad when I found out that the show was ending.

As someone who’s a sucker for the 90s aesthetic, this show is a must-watch. Seeing Kim Taehee act amazingly in “The Handmaiden” and “Space Sweepers” meant that this show would not disappoint. I’m also glad that the show ended the way it did, because aside from being realistic, it also left an impression on me, with that kind of longing that you could only get from remembering the past.

This one is probably a crowd favorite. I haven’t met a single person who has hated this show at all. All of the characters of this show are loveable as hell and the progression of the show as they try to keep the peace between Westalis and Ostania gets ridiculous by the moment, but I can’t really blame them because it’s fiction so there’s supposed to be a certain threshold of suspension of disbelief for that, right? Also, this show is so popular that there’s just so much merch, store collaborations, and ads about it all around Japan. And well, is it obvious if I say that I’ve seen way too many people (regardless of age, gender, and race) dressed up as Anya during the Halloween season around Tokyo?

Written by gray

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