Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 119

Griselda Review – The Lady Narco Is Here

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…

Griselda Blanco is an angry young woman, betrayed, humiliated, and belittled by her mafioso husband over a debt he couldn’t settle. So she kills him and flees the country with her three sons to start her own drug empire in the city of vice – Miami. But it’s the 1970s, so the road to becoming a lady narco is one hell of a ride.

Loosely based on real events, the 2024 Netflix series “Griselda” stars Sofía Vergara as its titular star. Episode one begins with a punchy quote from Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar: “The only man I was ever afraid of was a woman named Griselda Blanco.” The words disappear to make way for a tense opening sequence, featuring an injured Griselda attempting to dress her wound while plotting her escape from Medellín to Miami, with her three young sons in tow.

Titled “Lady Comes to Town,” episode one immediately establishes a violent, gritty pace for the series, with the cinematography echoing the warm, burnt tones of crime-capers. While Griselda and her goons go about selling drugs and killing rivals, a parallel sub-plot follows Juliana Aidén Martinez as June, a police officer investigating drug cartels in Miami and figuring out a new woman in town is spreading her tentacles in the cocaine trade. This juxtaposition of two different women trying to rise in male-dominated industries, one in criminal circles and the other in law enforcement, culminates in poetic justice, where one ‘bitch’ (in June’s words) outdoes the other.

Over the course of six episodes, Sofía Vergara transforms from being a desperate, protective mother looking to start afresh to a ruthless criminal, killing everybody who stands in her way. However, this personality switch occurs too slowly, and there’s an unwitting sexism in the story execution – as if Griselda’s role as a mother supersedes all her other characteristics, which isn’t true at all. For the first four episodes, the creators prop up Griselda like some great wronged mother figure who is extracting her pound of flesh for her sons. One would expect a drug queen to be cold-blooded, calculated, and filled with unhinged rage, but instead, Griselda is often skittish, scared, and teary. The ruthless bloodlust mixed with cocaine-fueled madness only emerges in episode 5. For the first four episodes, the creators try hard to paint her as a benevolent ‘Godmother’ and then take a 180-degree turn, finally letting her be a dreaded, vicious linchpin.

Sofia Vergara shoulders both these personalities with aplomb, but she makes Griselda seem a lot more humane. The character needed to manifest the Jekyll/Hyde personality switch from the start, a woman who is compassionate to her friends and family, but brutally savage to others. Griselda was already knee deep in the drug business in Columbia and commits matricide in her opening scene, so treating the character with kid-gloves was unwarranted. And once you see what the real Griselda Blanco looked like, it also becomes too apparent how the creators unsuccessfully try to cake Vergara with make-up to make her look less attractive (a completely futile attempt) and more intimidating.

The series is choppily paced —while the plot moves at lightning speed, slow dramatic shots focusing on character expressions and movements create a sense of slowness. Episodes 2 & 3 delve into Griselda’s rapid ascent in Miami’s drug world, where she taps into an untouched market, namely “Rich White People” (also the title of episode 2). By episode 3, she emerges as a formidable force, securing a generous buyout plan from a wealthy drug cartel aiming to monopolize Miami’s cocaine business.

Episode 4 witnesses Griselda consolidating absolute power, but the subsequent two editions focus on her rapid downfall, leaving a conspicuous absence of the “good times.” After the considerable effort spent propping her up, one would anticipate the protagonist savoring some success, yet the series skips three years in a time jump. Griselda is now the ‘big bad wolf,’ living in a sprawling mansion lined with guards, throwing lavish parties where lines of cocaine are served as starters. The 70s disco era, glitz, and glam are all present in the mafioso lifestyle, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a Godfather-like aesthetic, but with more bling.

In this one-woman show, only a few others leave their mark with their limited screen time. Alberto Guerra is memorable as Dario, who starts off as Griselda’s rival, eventually becoming her bodyguard and lover. Martín Rodríguez is low-key amusing as Rivi, once a rival who swears loyalty to Griselda, turning into her whispering man, always putting ideas into her head. Martin as Rivi is sexy, dopey, slightly cuckoo, and undergoes the best character development in the show. He is barely noticeable in the first few episodes, only to evolve into Griselda’s right-hand man, akin to a snake in Medusa’s head.

Juliana Aidén Martinez delivers a measured and professional portrayal of June, the lone woman cop determined in her pursuit of a possible woman mafioso in town. Her colleagues, bound by stereotypical thinking, dismiss the idea that a woman could be anything other than a girlfriend or a wife in the underworld. However, the creators take considerable creative liberty with the investigating plotline, making June’s involvement in the case more personal than necessary. Nevertheless, in the grand scheme of the drama, it effectively unfolds as a compelling “woman versus woman” tale.

Despite all the character development flaws, “Griselda” is entertainingly formulaic, and in a genre jammed with megalomaniac crime lords, this series manages to be a fresh tale of a woman making grown men cry, crawl, and die at her feet. If only all episode could’ve had the unhinged energy of the last two episodes, “Griselda” would’ve been so much more fun.

You can stream the series on Netflix.

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Don’t Look at your Phone – Short Horror Film Review

“Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very frightening” – these lyrics from the iconic Queen song “Bohemian Rhapsody” came immediately to my mind during the opening scene of the short horror film “Don’t Look at your Phone,” where the protagonist is sitting on a couch, thunder and lightning cracking outside, but she is busy buried in her phone. Thanks to our phones, we’re never really alone, so power cuts and sudden loud rumblings in the skies are no longer scary, not when a funny meme/video is always a second away.

Written and directed by Alex Magaña, the four minute short is a quick, fun cautionary tale about cellphone addiction. Chiaki Summer plays the nameless protagonist, who is lost in her phone when her boyfriend comes to say goodbye – he is leaving for an off-the-grid trip and hopes she’ll do fine by herself. So does she do fine by herself? Not really. Or it wouldn’t be a horror film!

With a straightforward plot and agenda, “Don’t Look At Your Phone” isn’t exactly scary in the traditional sense, but serves as a metaphorical reality check for anybody who shares a more than cozy relationship with their phone. Its sheer simplicity and relatable quotient of a woman getting lost in her phone keep the film amusing and are made eerily entertaining by Chiaki Summer’s portrayal of a seemingly normal young woman who lets her device take over her life.

You can watch “Don’t Look at your Phone” on YouTube. It’s also embedded below.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Episode 8 Review

Percy Jackson is having one hell of a ride, from the dangerous cliffs of Hades’ realm to the gilded golden corridors to Zeus’ Palace himself; the demi-God sure is going places.

Titled “The Prophecy Comes True”, episode eight of Disney fantasy series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” marks a mixed bag for the season finale. Episode 7 had ended with Percy (Walker Scobell), Annabeth (Leah Jeffries), and Grover (Aryan Simhadri) escaping the underworld, only to be met with Ares, the God of War, on the other side. So, this edition focuses on Percy and gang getting past Ares and then heading to Olympus for the biggest challenge – convincing Zeus to stop the impeding war without getting killed.

The first half of the episode was rather dull for a finale, especially because the cinematography continued to be dimly lit, and what would’ve been a very exciting one-on-one duel between two formidable rivals was almost laughably mediocre. There are some camp flashbacks of Percy practicing his swordsmanship that were much more engaging, simply because of better lighting. The much-awaited meet with Zeus wasn’t as intimidating, dramatic, or grand either, even though Mount Olympus did look pretty glitzy and shiny. And the even more anticipated emotional encounter between Percy and Poseidon was a little cringe-worthy; instead of being heartwarming, the feelings just didn’t flow right.

At forty minutes long, the second half of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” episode eight proves to be a lot more interesting. This is partly due to its setting in the demi-God camp, a colorful and happy-looking place. The uplifting mood is immediately established just by the setting itself, making it more enjoyable to watch. Just when non-readers might believe the story is concluding, unexpected plot twists emerge, closing the series on a thrilling note. Overall, it’s an enjoyable fantasy series, even though the creators haven’t been able to exploit the story’s full potential.

‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ is available to stream on Disney Plus.

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Night Dream Review – Dreamy and Dotish

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

The Thai series “Night Dream” has finally made me understand with glaring clarity what Gen Z means by “situationships,” a term I learned in 2023. Let me write down the plot, and you’ll spot the situationship by yourself – Night and Dream (yes, those are the names of the leads) used to be best friends in high school, slowly developing more than platonic feelings for each other. But Dream moves away, ghosting Night after spotting him kiss Namwan, another friend. About four years later, the two meet again at a cafe run by Dream, and Namwan also shows up minutes later, making Dream assume she is still Night’s girlfriend. Namwan had kissed Night all those years ago after asking him out, but he said he isn’t sure if he wants to date her. So four years later, Namwan and Night are still hanging out, holding hands (but apparently nothing more than that) and are still in the ‘not sure’ phase. For four years? WTF? Which is confusing as hell for everybody around, especially Dream.

Directed by Ball Kanathorn Tabvilai, “Night Dream” is based on a novel by the same and stars Ohm Thanakrit Chiamchunya as aspiring author Night, while Toosafe Krittawat Suwanich is the sensitive Dream, who runs a cafe specializing in mini pancake rolls. Jina Thanchanok Sanguansitthikul is their third-wheel, Namwan, who is either too dumb to understand what is going on, or just manipulative and selfish. (Psst… it’s the latter). Night isn’t just bad at his dating life but might fail his final year of literature – his professor refuses to give him a passing grade until he revises his romance novel, which supposedly reflects zero knowledge of love (obviously). Maybe meeting Dream again will finally teach Night a thing or two about love.

Spread over six episodes, the plot of this series is harebrained, but if there’s something I’d give full points to the creators for, it’s the cinematography. “Night Dream” looks like a soft, dreamy, spring themed romance in almost all its frames. It helps that leads Ohm Thanakrit Chiamchunya and Toosafe Krittawat Suwanich look great together as Night and Dream, in-fact, even Night and Namwan make a cute pair visually. And there’s a third love rival introduced in the fourth episode called Day, portrayed by Jeff Nathadej Pititranun, who frankly has more chemistry with Dream. So it’s #DayDream versus #NightDream in this tale, sort of. I mean, Nanwan never had a chance. Not if in the very first episode we know she had been holding hands with her crush for four years. LOL. She gets points for perseverance though and does have some positive character development towards the end.

Anyway, “Night Dream” the series is a cute-ish, silly love story, with the fourth episode ‘love rival’ twist making no sense. The soft-pastel shaded palette and the pretty leads make it just about watchable.

Rating: 5 on 10.

You can watch “Night Dream” on YouTube or on the YouKu APP.

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By A Thread Issue #3 Review

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Plot overview: A slimy shroud that annihilates everything in its path consumes large portions of the Earth, compelling people to inhabit small slivers of land referred to as needles. The protagonist, Jo, resides on Needle Three, facing perpetual terror from a Darth Vader-like villain named Charon. When a mysterious traveler suggests the existence of something better waiting to be explored, Jo and their friends decide to risk everything in their quest to find a place where they could potentially start anew.

It feels like an eternity has passed between issues 2 & 3 of “By A Thread” by Scott Snyder, Valeria Favoccia, and Whitney Cogar! Seriously, I thought I might have to read the first two issues again to brush up on what had happened, but thankfully that wasn’t necessary and the story came back to me.

The third issue begins with a flashback showcasing protagonist Jo and his friends playing ‘spin the bottle’ when they were younger. Readers get to witness how he acquired the black scar that extends from his hands, neck to face. Soon, the scene shifts to the primary characters discussing their favorite movies from back when things were still normal, when an unexpected guest turns up… What they encounter makes them question the traveler and their decision to trust a stranger.

While I still don’t know where the story is headed, the artwork keeps things vibrant and engaging. Blue and purple are the dominant shades this time around, although the color palette completely changes in the last few pages. Some of the action scenes are expertly illustrated, with pages that dynamically capture the tense energy and fluid movements of the fights.

This issue revolves around movies, stories, and unexpected endings, making the film geek in me very pleased with this chapter. But at just about 25 pages long, this issue feels too short and ends in the blink of an eye. However, the unexpected and wild cliffhanger leaves readers wondering about what will happen next.

Rating: 3.5 on 5. The series is available on Kindle Unlimited.

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Dragons of Wonderhatch Series Review – Magical. Almost.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Japanese high-school student Nagi is an imaginative teen who dreams of flying in the sky and sees colors in sounds. When a young hero called Tyme magically appears in her house through a bookshelf, accompanied by a tiny dragon, the two along-with Nagi’s friend Son embark on an adventure of a lifetime to seek out a great warrior named Akuta, in order to save Tyme’s homeworld called Upananta.

The magical realm of animated dragon-riding heroes collides with the mundane real world of humans in the Disney fantasy series “Dragons of Wonderhatch” (Wandahatchi: Soratobu Ryu no Shima). Unlike “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” or “Space Jam,” where cartoons and humans exist in the same plane, this series seamlessly flits between anime and live-action. Directed by Hagiwara Kentaro, the cinematography in the show is top-notch, laden with scenes and shots that are a visual treat.

For an episode-by-episode review of ‘Dragons of Wonderhatch,’ click here.

Nakajima Sene portrays Nagi, a kind, creative, and serious character who resides with her father, yearning for her mother—an artist who was obsessed with drawing a different world adorned with floating islands and fantastical beasts. As it turns out, this world is not just a figment of imagination, but a tangible place called Upananta. Out of the eight episodes, only episode 6 doesn’t feature any scenes of the animated worlds, otherwise, each edition is laden with colorful sections of Upananta, where warriors are trying to find a way to save their world from collapsing.

Okudaira Daiken takes on the role of Tyme, accompanied by his adorable dragon companion Guphin, as he find his way to Japan seeking Nagi’s assistance. His mission is to locate his hero, Akuta, to join forces and find a way to save Upananta. Nagi, joined by her childhood best friend Son, embarks on a thrilling adventure with Tyme, forming a trio whose friendship becomes a delightful highlight of this series. Okudaia Daiken is endearing as the young, cheery, idealistic Tyme, who funnily enough, is probably the weakest warrior in the series, but with the biggest heart.

Mackenyu, in the role of Akuta, contributes an interesting sub-plot revolving around quickly becoming jaded with the real world in Japan and giving up hope of fixing anything. While Akuta represents older cynical adults who give up on their dreams, the younger Tyme symbolizes the stubborn will of a younger generation determined to change their fate. Meanwhile, Morita Go plays Space, one of the primary antagonists in the tale, who is also stuck in Japan, but has a dangerous misguided plan in his head to save Upananta. The script takes a good dig at adult conspiracy theories and the politics of how “good versus evil” works.

“Dragons of Wonderhatch” is unevenly paced, with moments that may feel slow or even unwanted until a backstory towards the end makes the larger picture clear. However, the show’s redeeming qualities lie in its visually enchanting elements, a delightful cast, and a subtle yet harmonious soundtrack, making it a worthwhile watch. The vibrant animated realm of Upananta, reminiscent of iconic series like “Dragon Ball Z,” and the picturesque scenes of coastal Japan, bathed in captivating shades of blue, offer viewers captivating visual compositions.

Episode eight, the climactic edition of the series, fails to live up to the story expectations that the creators built up throughout the show. It was very random, scattered, and ultimately disappointing. However, “Dragons of Wonderhatch” (Wandahatchi: Soratobu Ryu no Shima) is an exciting new addition to the fantasy world. If you’re looking for a unique plot where the worlds of anime and live-action meet, definitely check this one out.

Rating: 7 on 10. You can stream “Dragons of Wonderhatch” on Disney Plus or Hulu.

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Badland Hunters Review – Dystopian Funsies

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Korean society has collapsed due to devastating earthquakes, and now alligators roam its streets, hunting for food or becoming prey themselves. Yeah, I think just with its opening scene of an 18-year-old trying to kill a gigantic reptile with his homemade bow and arrows, establishes that the 2024 dystopian action flick “Badland Hunters” is for mindless fun. Half the film feels like a video-game, where the main character is simply on a killing rampage, rapidly murdering one bad guy after the other.

Directed by Heo Myeong Haeng, “Badland Hunters” has a barely there plot that follows Nam San (Ma Dong-seok), a badass hunter on a mission to rescue teen Han Suna (Roh Jeong-eui) taken in by a group who claim to offer safe haven to youngsters but their facility is run by a mad doctor (Lee Hee-joon) conducting dangerous experiments on children. Nam San is joined by his young protege Choi Ji Wan (Lee Joon Young) and a former special forces officer Lee Eun Ho (Ahn Ji Hye) in his plot to infiltrate the crazy doctor’s heavy security fortress and save Han Suna.

The cinematography of “Badland Hunters” brings to viewers a dusty ‘end-of-world’ Korea which looks like a mash of a bunch of post-apocalyptic movies, think “The Walking Dead”, “Bird Box”, or “All of Us Are Dead”. While there are no zombies in this film, it does features some peculiar genetically mutated human beings, courtesy the experiments of the mad doctor.

Ma Dong-seok gets to play a one man army as Nam San in “Badland Hunters”, who goes around beating the bad guys, doesn’t matter what their numbers. Some refer to him as ‘the beast’. But Nam San is a beast with a soft heart for kids – he is like a foster dad to 18-year-old Choi Ji Wan, and is quite fond of Han Suna, a young girl who lives with her aged grandmother and often brings beautiful sketches to barter with him. Ma Dong-seok plays the textbook “tough exterior, soft interior” archetype with ease, making him pretty likable. I can imagine him playing the character ‘Big Man’ if Netflix ever decided to make a Korean version of the fantasy series “Sweet Tooth”.

The first half of “Badland Hunters” is only mildly amusing, featuring forgettable skirmishes, but the second half of the film delivers grittier and gorier action scenes. The camera follows the protagonists in violent face-offs akin to first-person shooter games, which can be pretty fun to watch for action fans. Lee Eun Ho also gets to kick a lot of butt as Ahn Ji Hye, a fearless fighter who doesn’t let power corrupt her. All in all, it’s a decent flick if you’re just looking to kill some time, but don’t expect too much from the storyline.

You can watch “Badland Hunters” on Netflix.

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Masters of the Air Episodes 1-2 Review

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“What?”

“You’ve been up (flying). Two missions. You didn’t tell me it was like that.”

“I didn’t know what to say…”

Austin Butler and Callum Turner portray American Air Force officers Major Gale Cleven and Major John Egan, nicknamed Buck and Bucky, leading the 100th Bomb Group in England for an offensive against Germany in the 2024 World War II series “Masters of the Air.” Created by John Orloff, who co-produced the series with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, this historical drama excels in its world-building and is based on a book by Don Miller. Uniformed air force officers, in large numbers, embark on bomber planes to combat Nazi Germany, but little do the young men realize the harrowing realities of smoke-filled skies that will immerse them in blood, screams, fear, and regret.

Episode one of “Masters of the Air” opens with a party, far removed from the vagaries of war, with the primary protagonists enjoying themselves with pretty women before being sent off to the front. While the first few minutes make one wonder if this is going to be one of those showcases that glorify war, with pompous heroics and masochism on display, the doubt is dispelled soon enough when the story takes a somber turn.

The boisterous and loud John Egan, also known as Bucky, is the first to embark on flying missions, experiencing firsthand the terror and danger of real-life combat. The bombers they fly are called “Flying Fortresses,” each carrying 10 men, so losing a single bomber means losing 10 lives. However, once the men safely return to the ground, they quickly drown their fears in booze, music, and dancing. Callum Turner’s Bucky handles it the best, maintaining a defiant optimism that if anyone is going to survive the war, it’s him and his buddy Buck. Austin Butler as Major Cleven is dashing in uniform, embodying the image of a dreamy American hero; however, his character is soberly practical and grounded, in stark contrast to his more bumptious friend.

Anthony Boyle portrays Lt. Harry Crosby, is turning out to be one of the most amusing characters in the show. As a navigator suffering from extreme air-sickness, he is seen puking his guts out while reading maps to guide the pilot. Crosby’s scenes in both episodes generate a curious mix of grossness, humor, and anxiety, as his comrades’ lives depend on his accurate map reading. A few other supporting characters are also introduced in the first two episodes and the friendships and camaraderie between the men make “Masters of the Air” very entertaining. One of the high points of the story is the palpable animosity between the American officers and their English counterparts, with a comedic bar scene highlighting just how much the supposed allies despise each other. The contrasting accents, phrases, and manners of speaking between the two nationalities add an extra layer of subtle hilarity to the scene.

The second episode focuses on the 100th group’s mission to bomb German U-boats in Norway. It’s largely a tense edition, with surprisingly upbeat last few minutes that do not involve combat efforts. “Masters of the Air” might lead some viewers to expect an expert group of men triumphantly bombing enemies, but it’s a chaotic dive into the skies, where things are scarily uncertain. If you enjoy historical war-based narratives, this show is worth watching.

You can stream “Masters of the Air” on Apple TV+.

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Last Twilight Review – Cloudy With A Chance of Fluff

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Actors Jimmy Jitaraphol Potiwihok and Sea Tawinan Anukoolprasert sure have come a long way from their stiff delivery and lukewarm chemistry in the multiverse body-swap series “Vice Versa” to the soft romantic drama “Last Twilight.”

Directed by Backaof Noppharnach Chaiwimol, the 12-episode show follows a rowdy young Mhok (Jimmy Jitaraphol Potiwihok), who is fresh out of jail, looking for mechanic jobs, when a chance encounter leads him to become the caretaker of the rich former badminton player Day (Sea Tawinan Anukoolprasert), who is losing his eyesight and is already nearly blind. Day lives with his overprotective chef mom and an older brother whom he resents, spending his days confined to his room. However, Mhok brings him out of his shell, and the two begin to share a unique bond.

Day and Mhok’s story is quite similar to a major romantic subplot from another GMMTV show, ‘Moonlight Chicken,’ where the protagonist’s younger brother becomes the caretaker of a deaf teen from a wealthy, overprotective family. In both shows, the moms are problematic in their treatment, preferring to keep their disabled sons at home all the time for their ‘safety,’ unwittingly eroding their confidence. But it does become a slow learning experience for both Day’s mother and his other friends, to understand, empathize and treat Day with the respect and love he deserves.

Jimmy Jitaraphol Potiwihok emerges as the star of “Last Twilight”, who smoothly transitions from a good-for-nothing ‘bad boy’ to a responsible caretaker for Day. While Jimmy has already romanced Sea in “Vice Versa”, their chemistry was pretty non-existent in that show, but the two have vastly improved in this series. Jimmy as Mhok, looks completely smitten by Day and even though Day cannot see it, Mhok’s eyes are always brimming with affection for him. The gradual friendship and romantic development between the primary leads is sweet and believable. Throughout the episodes, Mhok reads a book called “Last Twilight,” an inspirational fantasy story about a blind girl named Mee, which lends a lot of strength and motivation to Day. The moments of reading between the characters help establish a palpable intimacy between them. Besides, it was heartwarming to see literature play a major role in pushing the story forward.

Sea Tawinan Anukoolprasert convincingly portrays the nearly blind Day, who is capricious, moody, and unpredictable at times. However, his character’s exceptionally mean behavior towards his older brother Night (Mark Pakin Kunaanuwit), which was quite odd in the first few episodes, and leaves viewers anticipating a solid back-story to the bitterness between the brothers. Unfortunately, the reasoning provided lacked depth and failed to be entirely persuasive. Mark Pakin Kunaanuwit (who was very endearing in “My School President,” by the way) looked a little miscast as the older brother Night. Even though he is older than Sea in real life, he gave off more of a younger sibling vibe. Night also has a romantic sub-plot, he falls for Mhok’s friend Phojai (Tipnaree Weerawatnodom ), but their story was poorly fleshed out and felt like a token progressive side-story in the tale. Night and Phojai could’ve used a little more space in the series for the climax to feel heartfelt and emotionally resonant because it hinges on a significant event in their lives, which serves as a backdrop for Day and Mhok’s relationship progression.

Apart from Mhok, an older character named On, portrayed by the cheerful Kun Kunchanuj Kengkarnka, serves as a great source of encouragement for Day. On is also visually impaired but doesn’t let that get in the way of living life to the fullest. On is always engaged in something creative, participating in marathons, fun workshops, and even finding his future wife on a dating app.

The plot is pretty-straightforward, with the romance being cute, fluffy, and sweet, but the story often becomes mawkishly sentimental. However, the aesthetic cinematography and pleasant background music in “Last Twilight” cover-up for most of its plot problems. The original soundtrack titled “Last Twilight” (ภาพสุดท้าย) sung by William Jakrapatr is a beautiful love ballad, some of its beats reminiscent of the song “Just Friend” by Nanon Korapat for “Bad Buddy” the 2022 romantic-comedy. In-fact, a lot of the musical pieces in the backdrop are the same as “Bad Buddy”, which isn’t surprising, considering both shows are from the same production house and have been directed by Backaof Noppharnach Chaiwimol.

The last two episodes were disappointingly cliched, with a ridiculous ‘grand gesture’ sequence that is typical of romantic stories, you know the ‘run to the station/airport to stop your lover from leaving’ kind of scenes, with some humor added in which wasn’t funny as intended. Overall, “Last Twilight” is a fluffy, ‘feel-good’ romance, but it is marred towards the end by a weak climactic conflict, an overload of clichés, and a chaotic-cheesy last episode. Watch the show if you are looking for a romance with diverse characters and positive representation of disabilities.

You can stream the series on GMMTV’s YouTube channel.

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An Embarassment of Witches – Graphic Novel Review

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Insta | GoodReads)

Who doesn’t know that one person who is so self-centered that they’ll make every conversation about themselves, and not even take a breath to ask you “how have you been doing?”. If you don’t, congratulations on having avoided one of those.

The graphic novel “An Embarassment of Witches” by Sophie Goldstein and Jenn Jordan is a magical fantasy book which follows childhood best-friends Rory and Angela, who are just about stepping into the adult world. Angela is nervous about doing an internship at a cryptopharmocology lab run by Rory’s mom, an incredibly successful and domineering woman, while Rory is having a nervous breakdown because she was supposed to be flying with boyfriend to Australia to look after dragons (yes) but instead they break-up after he talks about wanting to open up their relationship just before boarding their flight. So, Rory moves back with Angela, and the two friends navigate the chaos of their new lives, because even witches have problems and magic cannot solve everything.

Rory is the selfish one, who is always rushing into new relationships, making everything about the boy, and discounting the feelings of her best-friend Angela, who is quite the doormat, so she always gives in to the whims and fancies of Rory and is always there to clean up her mess. But when Rory decides to not tell her mom that she didn’t go to Australia, it becomes difficult to keep Rory’s secret as her mom is her new boss. This leads to quite a few problems between the friends, who already have a lot of other things to worry about.

The artwork in “An Embarassment of Witches” is delightfully bright, colorful and upbeat. The pages are dominated by a distinct color-scheme which is dominated by blue, green, and purple shades. The world-building is visually engaging and some of the character illustrations reminded me Marajne Satrapi’s works (Persepolis/Embroideries). For a book about witches, there isn’t a whole lot of magic happening, but the panels are filled with talking animals, flying carpets, and a few spells here and there. Also, it’s laden with dozens of pop culture references that will be fun for readers who like spotting easter eggs. And Rory’s familiar animal is an owl, which may or may not be a nod to Harry Potter’s owl Hedwig. So, there’s a lot of scope of over-reading things in this magic-themed novel too.

While Rory’s character isn’t likable at all, it’s a pretty solid representation of how some people get too drowned in their own world to take notice of others. I do wish the writers had shown some redeeming qualities about her, although all we know is that she is very capricious and up for impromptu plans, so she is often tagged as “brave” by those around her. Angela, on the other hand, is a kind soul and a bit of a scaredy-cat, who rarely stands up for herself and is easily intimidated by people and situations. The creators also pack in an interesting sub-plot about Rory’s difficult relationship with her divorced parents.

“An Embarassment of Witches” Overall is a fun exploration of friendship, especially the kind that spans years, starting out all hunky-dory but getting complicated over time. But there’s nothing a little heart-to-heart cannot solve, and so Rory and Angela’s story ends on a ‘feel good’ note.

Rating: 4 on 5. The graphic novel is also available on Kindle Unlimited.

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