March 17, 2025
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Studio Ghibli — predictable, I know. What can I say: they’re popular for a reason. When considering the studio that made fan favorites like Totoro, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, and more, it’s hard to choose a movie to focus on for this section. Having just rewatched this specific masterpiece, however, I wanted to draw attention to the first Ghibli film I had ever watched — one that I feel doesn’t get nearly as much hype as it should. The film I’m talking about is Princess Mononoke.
Set in Muromachi-era Japan, the film begins with the slaying of a massive, writhing god-turned demon by the prince Ashitaka. This battle leaves Ashitaka with a curse, and he must journey through the west to find the Forest Spirit for a cure. Along the way stumbles upon the mining town that has been at odds with the animal gods, and also meets San, the adopted human daughter of the wolf goddess Moro, who fights for the forest. Through the efforts towards lifting the curse that plagues both himself and the forest, Ashitaka navigates making peace between the natural and industrial world.
If that plot summary sounds a little daunting to you, don’t worry. It sounds a lot more complex trying to write it out. Just think “profound and slightly dark fantasy film about connecting with nature.” In classic Ghibli fashion, Princess Mononoke is a glorious sight to behold — it’s almost entirely hand-drawn, and every frame looks like it could be in a museum. Everything about this movie is an unforgettable experience, and I just have to recommend it to anyone who’s never seen it.
Available on Max, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.
The Princess and the Goblin (1991) is my forever favorite animated film from childhood. In all honesty, I always thought this would be a movie I’d gatekeep ‘til the day I die. I should’ve known I wouldn’t hold true to that, considering I never shut up about the film and that I own a back-up VHS for my original VHS copy of this movie … if that says anything. It has a pretty princess named Irene (Sally Ann Marsh), her love interest Curdie (Peter Murray) — who’s the son of a miner — a literal scaredy cat named Turnip, and goblins who wish to kill the “sun-people” (humans). What more could one ask for?
“So, he left the path for a shortcut across a field and the moon went with him.” With words so magically written, I had no other choice but to sit down and read the book and watch the movie from which they came.
Although we are entering spring, and it is nowhere near Christmas time, the animated movie that I want to give a shout out to is Klaus. Released in 2019, this movie gives a fun twist on Santa Claus’ origin, creating a new story that’s far from any previous existing folklore. We follow the main character Jesper, who has grown up in the comfort and wealth of his father’s mail company. Because he knows his son is purposefully slacking off in his postal training with the intention of living off his family’s fortune, Jesper’s father gives him an ultimatum: take a job on a remote island and successfully mail 6,000 letters, or be cut off from the family wealth. Reluctantly, Jesper goes to the island, where he meets the unwelcoming townsfolk of Smeerenburg. While originally just sent out to learn more about being a responsible worker, Jesper ends up finding much more through friendship and a community that he unintentionally fosters.
February 25th, 2024, was an incredible day for all the “Richonne” (Rick + Michonne) shippers in the world. On this day in history, we were blessed with the on-screen return of beloved characters Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira), formerly from The Walking Dead (2010-2022). They’re now back in the limited series spin-off, The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live (2024), where the audience gets to see what these characters went through during the past five years after they disappeared, leaving fans wondering if these two unstoppable characters would ever find their way back to one another well into the zombie apocalypse.With this spin-off series, we get to see what Rick and Michonne have endured in their years split apart from each other. Rick was taken and brainwashed by the Civic Republic Military (CRM), fighting to get back to his family every day. Michonne helped new friends make it home to their families, only to lose them before reuniting with Rick. We get to watch as they help one another bring out a side of themselves they believed was lost forever, not only by remembering the history they have together but also by recalling their loved ones back home as well as those they’ve lost along the way. They then make the hard decision to stay and stop the CRM from hurting anyone else, even if that means they don’t make it out alive.
Sitting down after a long day of work, kicking your feet up, and cozying in to watch your favorite guilty pleasure show may arguably be one of the best feelings in the world. Perhaps the guiltiest pleasure of them all is reality shows. The competition, challenges, silliness, and most importantly, drama of these shows are what draws you in and keeps you watching every week, even when you can feel your brain cells die a little more with each episode. The epitome of reality TV has to be those in The Bachelor franchise. The Bachelor and The Bachelorette are shows that somewhat glorify cheating for a target audience that would go berserk if cheated on. Between the two shows, we get so much pettiness, heartbreak, and, of course, love. These two shows give us all the drama we could want — or do they?Bachelor in Paradise is a spin-off of the series we already know and hate to admit that we love. It brings all the emotion, conflict, and general stupidity of the original shows, but this time on a beach. The other big difference is the cast. Rather than having one bachelor/ette dating multiple people who are only there for them, there are an even number of guys and girls, and it is a bit of a free-for-all. The best part: all of the people in the mansion are former cast members. Paradise gives you a chance to see more of the people you love as well as the ones you love to hate. Each week, new people enter the mansion to shake things up, and whoever does not end up in a couple by the end of the week has to leave and go back to their boring single life. This show has become a staple in “Bachelor Nation” and is highly anticipated by fans every year. If you need a show that provides some great drama that you can witness but not be in the middle of, this show is a great option and is worth waiting for every week.
Have you ever wanted to enter the world of your favorite novel? To live in the fantasy realms we read of today in search of a modicum of escape from our daily responsibilities? That is exactly the idea presented by The Greatest Estate Developer.Suho Kim is a civil-engineering student who fell asleep while reading Knight of Blood and Iron, a fantasy novel. To his surprise (and disappointment), he wakes up lying on a country road as a character in his book: Lloyd Frontera — noble and resident delinquent. Naturally, his reputation with the local townsfolk, his family, and even the knight who monitors him is overwhelmingly negative. This is a problem he looks to solve the only way he knows how: civil engineering.
This web novel is currently available on Webtoon, but this is not where it first originated. First published on the Korean web novel site NAVER by author BK_Moon, The Greatest Estate Developeris being adapted on Webtoon by Lee Hyun Min, acting as writer and translator, and Kim Hyunsoo, the artist for this series. A great deal of this novel’s popularity is due to this adaptation, as it opened the story up to the English-speaking audience. Another factor in this web novel’s popularity are the faces made by Lloyd Fronterra, a special touch from Kim Hyunsoo. The Greatest Estate Developer is in the isekai genre, wherein a character is transported to a new world. In this case, Suho Kim is transported to the world of Knight of Blood and Iron.
constantly referencing Suho Kim’s previous life, where he lived in South Korea and worked as a construction worker. This is where a lot of isekai anime and manga fall short, as the usual trope is for the main character to be a nobody in their previous life and make a better life for themselves in this new world. For Suho Kim, this is not the case, as he had a job and a place to live, far from the NEET protagonists of the usual isekai, NEET being an acronym for “Not in Education, Employment, or Training”. This subversion is a welcome spin on the genre, as it’s the exact opposite situation.
Love it or hate it, The Twilight Saga is a staple of the early 2010s and had an extremely loyal fan base both at the height of its popularity and even now. Choosing between “Team Edward” or “Team Jacob” and fantasizing about being Bella Swan are things that a lot of people who were young adults at the time can look back on with fondness — and maybe a little cringing. I would, in fact, consider myself to be a fan of the saga, but I will also be the first to say the movies are a beautiful disaster. They are so awkward, cheesy, and bad that the series circles right back around to good. The main feelings one might experience when rewatching this series are nostalgia and secondhand embarrassment, which, in my opinion, is a pretty fantastic mix. There are some good things to come out of this series like: Robert Pattinson, memes, and some of the best soundtracks in Hollywood to date.
Amidst a whirlwind of stunning visuals and a killer soundtrack, Sucker Punch takes you on a chaotic journey through the mind of a young woman fighting for her freedom, but is it a breathtaking escape or just a beautifully crafted distraction from a muddled plot? If I were to think of movies filled with plot holes, Sucker Punch by Zack Snyder would be one of them. Although I love the cinematic elements and believe that the film was ahead of its time in some ways, I was left with so many unanswered questions by the end. I wish they’d filmed a second one that explained some of the plot holes. The visual appeal is there. That’s why I love that movie so much, but the story was lacking. The soundtrack adds to the dreamlike appeal of the action-packed yet haphazard plot.
When I was a kid, my taste in movies was nonexistent. I thought every movie that I saw was pure cinema, and each would quickly became my new hyperfixation for a week. One of those movies was Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked. I was obsessed with this movie, and I would watch it everytime I went to my Granny’s house. Since the Chipmunks are a group of singers, they sang a lot of popular songs throughout the film.