Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 13
August 4, 2025
5 Reasons Why ‘Materialists’ Works with Its Familiar Romance
Follow us on Twitter | Instagram
‘Materialists’ dwells into a love conundrum as old as time – do you pick love or do you pick wealth? When films pit a rich boy against a poor boy in a romantic triangle, there are usually only two likely outcomes: either the girl chooses the wealthy guy, even if the sparks aren’t as strong, or she marries the broke guy, knowing it might mean a harder life, but one filled with more love (‘The Notebook’, ‘Sweet Home Alabama’). And then, of course, there’s the third possibility: she ditches them both and walks into the sunset alone, with her favorite beverage and book in hand. Or maybe she adopts a puppy or a bunch of kittens.
Written and directed by Celine Song, ‘Materialists’ follows Dakota Johnson plays as the smart, stylish matchmaker Lucy, navigating the high-stakes world of love, luxury, and loyalty in New York City. She’s built her life around connecting wealthy clients with their perfect partners, with little interest in her own personal life. But when the charming, wealthy and near-perfect Harry (Pedro Pascal) starts to pursue her, she finds herself giving romance a shot. And things get more interesting when she runs into her dashing but not-so-successful ex John (Chris Evans), who still makes her heart flutter a bit.
*Spoilers Ahead*
Here are five reasons that make ‘Materialists’ tick as a modern day romance:
1. Both Love Rivals Are Charming: Celine Song presents viewers with two incredibly charming leads, making it genuinely difficult to pick a side. In most love triangles, there’s usually one clear favorite, but ‘Materialists’ complicates that formula. Both Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans’ characters bring their own strengths and appeal, especially when you set aside the size of their bank accounts. Sure, the title might suggest that Pedro Pascal is the obvious choice, but the way the story unfolds makes it feel like Lucy can’t go wrong, either man would be a win for Lucy in his own way.
2. It’s Theatrical Without Being Over The Top: When we say ‘theatrical, what it means it that ‘Materialists’ often had a stage-like quality to it in many scenes. Some of the dialogues are too rehearsed, and lack the smooth spontaneity of natural interactions, obviously to sound more perfect than impromptu responses, yet, it’s not gratingly rehearsed.
3. Lucy Is Relatable: Okay, this should’ve probably been the first point, but Dakota has a quirky-awkward onscreen charm that seems perfect for her character Lucy. Sure, her portrayal is no different than some of the other characters she has played, in fact, she is also called Lucy in ‘Am I Ok?’, but it works. Like most women who might have a hard time deciding between ‘what the heart wants’ and ‘what the wallet wants’, Lucy knows the pros and cons of choosing between Harry and John. In the end, instead of relying on the man to get what she wants, she decides to get whatever she wants, knowing she makes enough to take care of herself.
4. Everybody Has Insecurities… And ‘Materialists’ Actually Gets That Right
Unlike most glossy rom-coms where everyone’s either flawless or conveniently flawed, The Materialists gives its characters real, oddly specific insecurities, like being too rich to be taken seriously or worrying that your dating profile screams “finance bro.” It doesn’t go deep-dive therapy mode, but it lets people be messy in small, believable ways. You watch and go, “Huh… I’ve felt weirdly that exact thing before.” That scene where Pedro Pascal’s Harry admits to having height-increasing surgery, and Lucy casually points to her nose and says its fake? It’s one of ‘Materialists’ most tender moments. In just a few lines, they’re quietly telling each other, “We’re not perfect, and that’s completely okay.”
5. The Characters Dress So Well, You Forget the Plot’s Been Done 300 Times
Like, who cares if you’ve seen this story before when everyone looks like they just walked out of a Vogue cover shoot? Half the movie feels like a high-end fashion catalog sprinkled with feelings. You’re not here for plot twists, you’re here for aesthetic inspiration and the occasional gasp at what Lucy is wearing.
Read Next: ‘My Oxford Year’ Review: Majors in Beautiful Bores
Also Read: The Village of Eight Graves Review: Wickedly Rich (Audio Version Below)
Find the writer on Twitter and Instagram for more pop culture chatter.
August 3, 2025
‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Is a Steady Leap Into Cosmic Chaos
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
If somebody used AI to spruce up the special effects in the 2005 ‘Fantastic Four’, it would most likely seem more ‘modern’ than Matt Shakman’s 2025 reboot of the Marvel superheroes. Seriously, ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ looks like it was made in the 1980s, but with fantastic special effects (except for a weird baby scene) and a cast that makes you believe they’ve been playing the characters all their lives.
Directed by Matt Shakman, with Josh Friedman, Eric Pearson, and Jeff Kaplan sharing writing credits, ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (Invisible Woman), Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (The Thing), and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (Human Torch). The plot is a step up from ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ : unlike Thanos, who wanted to wipe out half of Earth’s population, Galactus, the primary antagonist in this film, simply wants to devour the entire planet.
For those new to the ‘Fantastic Four’ universe, the film quickly offers a rundown of the team’s history and abilities through a special TV broadcast celebrating four years of superhero teamwork. We then learn that Vanessa is pregnant, Reed is low-key freaking out, and Johnny and Ben are thrilled about becoming uncles. But all their emotions are quickly overshadowed when a dazzling Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), an alien humanoid, arrives on Earth to announce that Galactus plans to consume the planet. The team then gets cracking on finding a way to defeat the new enemy.
Unlike the high-energy, violently hilarious ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’, this Marvel film almost completely discards the comedic witticisms the MCU is known for, so the first half of ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ feels almost palliative, but without being boring. And once all characters and plot points are established, the film has a stronger second-half, which is a pleasant surprise, considering how most movies struggle to keep up their momentum. But Matt Shakman and team steadily build up the pace and steam for this star-studded superhero tale.
Since I recently saw Pedro Pascal as the vulnerable millionaire charmer in ‘The Materialists‘, I thought I might struggle to see him as the brilliant scientist-turned-stretchy-superhero in ‘Fantastic Four’, but he slips into the role with extreme ease. That said, aside from using his powers to grab things, Mister Fantastic barely stretches at all until the climactic battle against Galactus, which was a bit of a letdown. Vanessa Kirby plays the Invisible Woman with a compelling confidence that’s somewhat reminiscent of the Scarlet Witch, and her powers seem a lot more potent too.
Joseph Quinn, of ‘Stranger Things’ fame, does most of the heavy lifting in the action department as Johnny, the Human Torch. Much of the sparse comedy comes from the friendly banter between him and Ben, often centered on how, while the rest of the world is panicking about Earth being crushed, Johnny is busy swooning over the Silver Surfer.
The standout scene in ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ is Galactus’s introductory sequence, it’s genuinely goosebumps-inducing. The superheroes appear like mere flecks of dust before him, while Galactus looms like a god from a world inhabited by giant Transformers. “There is no way these guys can defeat him,” I whispered to my cousin at the theater during the scene. And well, I wasn’t entirely wrong.
When Galactus finally arrives on Earth, he appears noticeably smaller than in his awe-inspiring introduction. As an action fan, I found the climactic battle underwhelming, not because of how the Fantastic Four ultimately outsmart the planet-devouring threat (that part made sense and was actually clever), but because of the lack of actual combat. The showdown felt more like a strategic trick than a true action spectacle. But then the end credits promise a menacing new villain on the horizon!
FYI: There are two post-credit scenes
Rating: 7 on 10. ‘The Fantastic Four’ is playing in theaters now.
Read Next: ‘Good Boy’ Review: Park Bo-gum Is All Punch, No Pause
Read Next: Pune Highway Review: Serves 90s Style Thrills (Audio Version Below)
My Sweetheart Jom Review: Village Variety Hour
Follow us on Twitter | Instagram
From fleeing to a village due to girlfriend troubles to finding new love amid the rustic charm of rural life, ‘My Sweetheart Jom’ follows the journey of city boy Yothin (Poom Nuttapart Tuntistinchai) as he begins life under the protective watch of the charming village chief Jomkhwan (Saint Suppapong Udomkaewkanjana) a.k.a. Jom, the titular protagonist.
Directed by Wun Songsak Mongkolthong, the 12-episode Thai series is based on the novel Wanjai Phuyai Jom (หวานใจผู้ใหญ่จอม) by Naoto. The first episode opens with a retro-sounding Thai song playing in the background, introducing the charming and hardworking village chief Jom through beautiful rural montages as he helps out the locals. The scene soon shifts to the big city, where 19-year-old Yothin (also called Yo) lands in trouble after flirting with a singer named Mixx (Songjet Sarochinee Pethampai). Her trigger-happy, unhinged boyfriend Zack (Aon Akadech Jaroonsot) attempts to murder Yo, prompting his parents to send him away to the village of Po Chai, where they trust Chief Jom to keep their son safe.
‘My Sweetheart Jom’ is essentially a light comedy, featuring caricature-like villains and a slow-burn love story, with the community spirit and the silly shenanigans of its younger characters driving the plot forward. The first half of the series focuses on Yo’s attempts to annoy the patient, kind-hearted Jom in hopes of being sent back to the city. And Yo isn’t the only person living at Yo’s village home, there’s also his feisty granny Jan (Noi Phongam), and three other teen boys who often play pranks on the newbie.
A parallel sub-plot also follows Yo’s experiences as a student, as he is forced to join a local high school to finish his studies. There he faces a whole new set of challenges, including bullies and an overly enthusiastic class belle who’s determined to become his girlfriend. Meanwhile, Jom deals with trouble of his own in the form of Yingyos (Somlek Sakdikul), the scheming former village chief who constantly tries to sabotage his work. So both school drama and village politics collide in ‘My Sweetheart Jom’.
Saint Suppapong Udomkaewkanjana portrays Jom with a likable, casual grown-up charm and is the most composed character in the series. Jom always handles emergencies with calm composure, though he occasionally goes overboard in playing the ‘hero’ during dangerously violent scenes. Still, aside from a few impulsive moments, Jom is a model citizen, his willingness to tackle and explain things with sincerity gradually win over the brash, hot-headed Yo, prompting him to grow up and view the world from a more mature perspective.
Poom Nuttapart Tuntistinchai is slightly stiff in some scenes, but otherwise manages to be convincingly entertaining as the city brat who slowly transforms into a more grounded, humble new version of his past self in ‘My Sweetheart Jom’. The chemistry between Saint and Poom is cute, and the make the age-gap romance work, instead of making it seem cringe-y.
Given that each episode runs over 40 minutes, ‘My Sweetheart Jom’ occasionally drags in pace and suffers from continuity issues. For instance, in one scene, Yo leaves his phone in a vehicle and is dragged away by goons, only for the phone to mysteriously be back with him moments later. In another scene at school, a student puts her phone down on the ground when someone interrupts her live stream, yet viewers can somehow still see what she’s doing, even though the camera should be facing the ground or the ceiling.
An important theme in ‘My Sweetheart Jom’ is Jom’s strained relationship with his father, who finally makes an appearance in episode 6. Unfortunately, the actor doesn’t channel the aloofness and disappointment he supposedly feels towards his son Jom for choosing the simple life of a village head. But well, even though the more serious themes in the show aren’t explored well, the silly comedic parts keep things entertaining.
The climactic episodes of the show add some unnecessary drama by bringing Jom’s ex, Thee (Heng Asavarid Pinitkanjanapun), to Po Chai village, clearly to complicate the growing romance between Jom and Yo. Much like the show’s exaggerated antagonists, Thee ends up being a scheming, villainous “evil ex” who provokes Yo to act out of character. Of course, since this is largely a comedy-drama, things wrap up on a happy note, though the final two episodes are messier than expected. Overall, ‘My Sweetheart Jom’ is an amusing series, especially if you enjoy watching city brats struggle through countryside life.
Rating: 6 on 10. Watch ‘My Sweetheart Jom’ on YouTube.
Read Next: The Village of Eight Graves Review: Wickedly Rich (Audio Version Below)
‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Episode 5 Review: A Ghost, a Flashback, & the Weight of Loss
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“Your only flaw is that hardcore emo persona.” Now that’s one way to describe Yoshiki, the other protagonist of the psychological-horror anime ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’. A school friend hilariously summarizes his personality while the boys are out playing claw-games at a mall. Yeah, this edition is a mix of school fun, and an unexpected new horror lurking in Yoshiki’s home.
Quick recap of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Episode 4Hikaru attends a summer festival in Kubitachi village with Yoshiki and his younger sister. Meanwhile, Tanaka, the man recruited by the village elders to deal with their supernatural troubles, comes close to finding the entity inhabiting Hikaru, and becomes convinced that something dangerous from the mountains has descended upon the village. The episode ends with flashbacks revealing that, in his dying moments, Hikaru thought of Yoshiki and begged anyone who would listen to keep his friend safe.
Episode 5 of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’Titled ‘Wig Ghost’, episode 5 starts of with Yoshiki’s little sister spotting a ghost in the bathroom, which completely freaks her out. Someone else’s hair clogging your bathroom floor drain will always be gross, which is exactly why long-haired bathroom ghosts have become a staple in horror stories. So, Kaoru refuses to take a bath again! The opening seconds immediately set the tone for a creepy chapter filled with unsettling events.
The primary focus of this edition of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ is on the ‘wig ghost’ haunting the Tsujinaka household. When Yoshiki shares the tale with his friends, Hikaru offers to investigate the truth, confident that Kaoru is telling the truth. Yoshiki is reminded of the warning that getting close to Hikaru could only attract more supernatural beings into his life, so he wonders if the new ghost is the result of his proximity to the entity. But of-course, the childhood friends show no signs of drifting apart. If anything, they’re dangerously close.
The animation continues to complement the show’s eerie, slow-burn tone, with muted, dark tones dominating much of the visual palette. What makes ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ visually arresting, however, is the stark contrast between its unsettling supernatural moments and the lighter, everyday school scenes. In this episode, for instance, the spooky wig ghost scares the life out of poor Kaoru, only for the mood to shift abruptly to Hikaru, Yoshiki, and their classmates excitedly frying chicken during a cooking lesson. Then again, the atmosphere rapidly changes when the friends find themselves experiencing a chilling ‘out of body’ experience, similar to what happens in episode 2, where the entity spills out of Hikaru, making Yoshiki extremely uncomfortable.
While this episode isn’t as emotionally charged as the rest of the anime so far, it delivers an unexpected childhood memory that shows the two friends fighting as kids. It’s an interesting flashback, one that highlights the depth of their friendship and reveals that Hikaru wasn’t always cheerful or optimistic, and could even hurt Yoshiki with his words. But amid the childish fight, young Yoshiki makes an offhand remark about how it’s only natural for all living things to die, ironically, a truth his older self now struggles to accept in the wake of losing his friend.
The episode ends with an interesting cliffhanger that suggests Tanaka might be closer to solving his case, but since I do not want this anime to ever end, let’s hope that’s not true!
Watch ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ on Netflix.
Read Next: The Village of Eight Graves Review: Wickedly Rich (Audio Version Below)
It’s a bird, it’s a plane… No, its Warner Bros. finally getting SUPERMAN right
By Manisha Ail (Twitter | Instagram)
When the end credits for Superman (2025) started rolling, I was basking in a euphorically happy daze, barely engaging in my sister’s and my Hollywood movie-watching tradition of calling out Indian names from the credit scroll.
The last time a character-driven, comic-book movie had given me such a high was Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins (2005). Nolan’s reboot was a love-letter to an iconic character that resonated with audiences worldwide. When I walked out of the theatre in 2005, my heart was full, because finally, someone who loved Batman like I did, had told his story. James Gunn made me feel exactly like that with his Superman today!
That said, Superman (2025) is far from perfect. It has HUGE plot holes you could drive a truck through, especially if you grew up as a fan of the DC verse. But after the disgraceful way this character had been handled lately, now that they FINALLY got the heart and soul of the movie right, the imperfect window-dressing barely bothered me.
At the risk of pissing off all Snyder fans out there, the DCEU Superman sucked! Man of Steel (2013) was conversely horrifying and boring to watch at the same time, notwithstanding its commercial success. The eventual failure of the DCEU verse is a testament to that. If the only thing that differentiates Batman and Superman in your universe is the colour of their costumes (and not by much), you have already shot yourself in the foot.
There was no tedious back-story to wade through for the world’s most famous illegal alien (remember Snyder’s dong-shaped Kryptonian ships, ugh). Gunn puts us right into the thick of it as the movie starts off with an active-in-field Superman taking heat for stopping a war between two unfortunately named, fictitious countries.
I later read that this storyline had ginned up a lot of controversy, but comic books have always held up a fun-mirror to the real world (case in point: U.S. President Lex Luthor). Right from the get-go with a bloodied and battered Superman being rescued by an unruly Krypto, Gunn had me rooting for his hero.
Focusing on Superman’s learned humanity rather than his biological alien origin made me emotionally invested. In comparison, by the end of Man of Steel (2013), I honestly did not care if Zod defeated Superman or vice versa (I wanted a meteor to smash them both).
The movie has a primary-coloured palette, fights are pictured against clear skies, capes and tights look red and blue, and Metropolis does not look like Gotham. David Corenswet plays a characteristically dorky Superman, with his deep dimple, sexy baritone, and granny panties. He captures Clark’s/Superman’s sincere naivete in a verbal joust with Rachel Brosnahan’s (The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel) Lois Lane, who has a lot more to do rather than being a rescue object for the man of steel.
For all the reviews I had read about the story being too character-dense, not a single supporting cast is superfluous. A special shout-out to Edi Gathegi’s Mr. Terrific, who plays a beleaguered genius surrounded by dummies, to Sherlockian perfection. Wendell Pierce’s Perry White has two lines in the movie, and that is all Gunn needed to establish his character and get me invested in his success. That is storytelling at its finest!
Unlike Marvel however, DC cannot get away with lacklustre villains. Comic book Lex Luthor is my favourite adversary. A plain human powered by righteous anger, he is the Batman of DC villains! Unfortunately, Lex has only had cringe-worthy outings in live-action movies. Nicholas Hoult’s Lex is not my favourite (Michael Rosenbaum in Smallville still has that honour), but his portrayal does redeem this character significantly.
While he gets the dethroned, jealous prince of Metropolis part right, Hoult is simply not menacing enough to be Lex. He is still better than ninety-nine percent of Marvel villains and hundred percent of live-action movie Lex Luthors though.
It is a shame that Superman (2025) missed to garner audiences in India thanks to people losing faith in the DC verse and Marvel superhero fatigue. This was a fun family movie that would have had audiences cheering. My sister who has never read a comic book and never liked Superman, said she would not mind a rewatch, and it is a good product that can convert an agnostic. It took DC twenty years and James Gunn to get it right. Way to stick the new take-off!
Rating: 4 on 5 stars. Superman is currently flying in theaters.
Review by Manisha AilA doctor by profession and a writer by choice. Manisha was published as one of the winners of Write India season 1 and holds a secret love for poetry too. She can be reached at missilemyra@gmail.com
Also Read: DCeased Review – Perfect for Horror/Dystopian Fans!
Read Next: KPop Demon Hunters Review: Light Sticks Meet Dark Arts (Audio Version Below)
August 1, 2025
‘My Oxford Year’ Review: Majors in Beautiful Bores
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
What is it with writers never tiring of serving the same ‘bad boy’ cliché, where the romantic male lead is introduced as a wealthy jerk who hides behind tables to escape confrontation from his latest ‘exploit,’ but then redeems himself as, ‘Oh no, I’m not so immature, I just have profound daddy issues and a health condition that only makes me seem like an prick. But if I find the right girl, I’ll die for her.’ Zzzzzzzzzz. ‘My Oxford Year’ has the exact same kind of lead, just that since it’s Oxford, he knows literature, poetry, and wants us to believe his character isn’t boring us to tears.
Directed by Iain Morris, the film stars Sofia Carson as the primary protagonist, Anna De La Vega, an ambitious American girl with a lucrative job offer from Goldman Sachs in hand, which she defers for a year to pursue a dreamy academic life filled with poetry at Oxford. There, she meets the handsome Jamie Davenport (Corey Mylchreest) and begins an intense love affair that’s supposed to be only “casual” at first. But then things get heavy, predictable, and snooze-worthy.
It’s not even like I have very high standards when it comes to romance, I rated Sofia Carson’s ‘The Life List’ a 7 out of 10, even though it was a sappy, predictable film too. But at least Sofia had great on-screen chemistry with Kyle Allen, who played her romantic interest. In ‘My Oxford Year’, the sparks between Anna and Jamie are more like damp firecrackers that won’t light.
Even the few friends Anna makes at Oxford aren’t interesting. Many of the character interactions have a pretentious, high-school-drama feel, especially in the first-half. The only reason I was able to power through the nearly 2 hour runtime was the picturesque cinematography. The Oxford campus is a sight to behold, and well, visually, the leads look good too, even though their chemistry is lack-luster. So, yeah, this is a beautifully bland romance.
I remember calling Netflix’s ‘One Day’ exhausting, and that show explores similar romantic themes, but compared to ‘My Oxford Year’, ‘One Day‘ feels like a masterpiece. Unless you’re someone who rarely watches romance films, this one will likely feel painfully recycled, with nothing fresh to offer.
Rating: 3 on 10. ‘My Oxford Year’ in on Netflix.
Read Next: The Village of Eight Graves Review: Wickedly Rich (Audio Version Below)
Dan Da Dan Season 2 Episode 5 Review: The Group Chaos Is Back!
Follow us on Twitter | Instagram
The entire gang of ‘Dan Da Dan’ is back under one roof – Momo, Okarun, Jiji, Aira, Granny Seiko and Turbo Granny in her cute cat form – which can only mean one thing: utter comedic chaos!
Quick Recap of Dan Da Dan Season 2 Episode 4A volcano erupts in Jiji’s hometown, and protagonist Momo gets creative, using the corpse of the Mongolian Death Worm as a giant hose to stop the magma from spreading. The crazed cultist Kito family fights her, and soon, the evil Yokai-Jiji arrives to kill everyone. Thankfully, Momo finds support from the Bootuber priest, and in one of the zaniest twists of ‘Dan da Dan’, the alien Mantis shows up to help, complete with a giant spaceship and Momo’s granny, Seiko Ayase, as backup. Together, they contain the volcanic disaster, subdue the deranged Kito family, and seal the evil Yokai-Jiji inside Taro’s body (the creepy anatomical model). The episode ends with an emotional reunion between Momo and Okarun.
Dan Da Dan Season 2 Episode 5Titled “We Can All Stay There Together,” Episode 5 begins with an intense ritual to exorcise the ‘Evil Eye’ Yokai from Jiji’s body, which is currently sealed inside Taro. Unfortunately (and comically), the ritual fails, but Seiko discovers that water can temporarily subdue the muscular, out-of-control Yokai and allow the goofy Jiji to regain control of his body, at least for a while.
After missing in action for the first four episodes of ‘Dan Da Dan’ Season 2, the vain Aira Shiratori joins Momo’s squad for an elaborate group meal. In fact, even Manjiro, the Bootuber priest, and the Alien Mantis with his tiny alien son gather at the Ayase house for food. But Aira steals the spotlight by throwing a tantrum over not being invited to Jiji’s hometown to help him with his haunted house problem, after which everybody’s attention shifts to handling the ‘Evil Eye’ Yokai situation.
This edition doesn’t feature any crazy violent face-offs, so the animation style shifts back to a regular colorful palette, which entertainingly matches the spirit of this largely light-hearted chapter. And after the over-the-top madness of the last episode, you’d think things would get slightly boring, but that’s far from what happens.
Fiery rituals, awkward little romantic exchanges, back-to-school fun… episode 5 of ‘Dan Da Dan’ is fast-paced, comically-chaotic, and thoroughly entertaining.
Stream Dan Da Dan on Netflix or Crunchyroll.
Read Next: The Village of Eight Graves Review: Wickedly Rich (Audio Version Below)
July 31, 2025
Head Over Heels Series Review: Cho Yi-hyun Lights Up Shamanic-Rom-Com
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Teen rom-com fluff and dark supernatural forces find an unusually entertaining balance in the 2025 drama ‘Head Over Heels’, which is all about a teen’s quest to save her ‘first love’ from deadly ghosts. Park Seong-ah is a teenage shaman, busy juggling ghosts, demons, whiny customers in need of talismans, and high school exams. And just when she resolves to study harder, she falls head over heels in love with the handsome Bae Gyeon-woo, a client dragged by his grandmother to see the shaman because he is almost always in mortal danger.
Directed by Kim Yong-wan, the Korean series spans 12 episodes and is adapted from the webtoon Gyeonuwa Seonnyeo (견우와 선녀) by An Su Min. Actor Cho Yi-hyun plays lead protagonist Park Seong-ah, known as the ‘Heaven and Earth Fairy’ to her shamanic clientele, to whom she appears in a veil. International viewers might recognize Cho Yi-hyun from the hit Zombie series ‘All of Us Are Dead’, where she played a pretty annoying character, but is absolutely cute and endearing in ‘Head Over Heels’.
Choo Young-woo is the broody, aloof new student Bae Gyeon-woo, who despises shamans, unaware his classmate Seong-ah is one. With death looming and spirits chasing him, she does everything to protect him, even if she seems like a clingy, unhinged girl. This also sparks a comedic love triangle, as Seong-ah’s only friend at school, the charming Ji-ho (Cha Kang-yoon), is in love with her.
In a refreshing change, instead of acting like a typical jealous love rival, Ji-ho selflessly helps her protect Gyeon-woo from deadly spirits and malevolent forces. Their mission gets complicated when a wicked older shaman called Yeom Hwa (Chu Ja-hyeon) seems intent on making Gyeon-woo a scapegoat in her plans to serve a dangerously evil deity.
Creepy haunted houses, wailing baby ghosts, mischievous spirits, and vivid shamanic rituals: ‘Head Over Heels’ draws viewers into a richly imagined world governed by its own rules of demons, ghosts, Gods, and the underworld. On the sides, we get some high-school comedy, featuring teens haunted by creepy campus ghosts, which quickly begin to target misfortune-magnet Gyeon-woo. Unfortunately, the ghostly stuff rarely gets spooky enough to scare viewers, but it complements the largely light, entertaining tone of this supernatural teen romance.
From episode one to until the finale, Cho Yi-hyun powers ‘Head Over Heels’ as the spirited teen protagonist living a double life. At school, Seong-ah is always tired, sleepy, and quite clueless about what teens her age do, and post school, she is the hardworking, famous ‘Heave and Earth Fairy’, catering to long lines of clients, all under the watchful eye of her mentor Dongcheon (Kim Mi-kyung), a powerful senior shaman. Her crush on the gorgeous Gyeon-woo is hilariously superficial at first, but as slowly learns more about his hard life and talents as an archer, she only falls deeper in love.
Choo Young-woo becomes much more entertaining to watch in the second half of ‘Head Over Heels’, when his character is possessed by a mischievous young ghost. He shifts from a cold, brooding heartbreaker to a fun-loving troublemaker with a dangerous streak. His on-screen chemistry with Cho Yi-hyun is adorable, even though their romantic moments are lightly scattered across the 12 episodes.
Actor Cha Kang-yoon as Ji-ho, however, won me over faster than Gyeon-woo, as he is easily the most likable character in the series. Not only does Ji-ho support Seong-ah in all her shamanic chaos, but he also becomes a pillar of strength for Gyeon-woo during his darkest moments. So, alongside the sweet slow-burn romance between Seong-ah and Gyeon-woo, ‘Head Over Heels’ also delivers a comically heartwarming bromance between Gyeon-woo and Ji-ho.
A significant portion of ‘Head Over Heels’ explores antagonist Yeom Hwa’s complex ties to both Gyeon-woo and Seong-ah. Chu Ja-hyeon is electrifying in the role, delivering just the right dose of wickedness. But Yeom Hwa isn’t your typical one-note villain, her descent into darkness stems from a tragic past. Unfortunately, her backstory feels a bit repetitive, as a similar version of the same trauma is also assigned to a minor character in the series.
Yoon Byung-hee is fabulous in his portrayal of Do Ryeong, a flamboyant Shaman who often helps Seong-ah in her missions, and provides additional comic-relief in the series. Park Jung Pyo who plays Gyeon-woo’s new Archery coach is also very likable in his small role, acting as a much-needed mentor to the new student.
The final episodes of ‘Head Over Heels’ deliver a flurry of twists, including the arrival of an ‘evil deity’ that becomes a constant thorn in the side of the main characters. The spirit is wildly unpredictable and nearly impossible to exorcise, raising the stakes significantly. Some of the shamanic elements don’t always make much sense, it feels like the writers made up rules on the fly, but with supernatural stories, you just have to go along with it, as long as things don’t get too outlandish.
Overall, ‘Head Over Heels’ is a well-paced, consistently entertaining series, supported by engaging visuals and memorable performances. It’s a great pick for anyone looking for a genre-bending romance where dark supernatural forces collide with lighthearted, comedic teen love.
Rating: 8 on 10. Watch ‘Head Over Heels’ on Prime Video.
Find the writer on Twitter and Instagram for more pop culture chatter.
Read Next: The Village of Eight Graves Review: Wickedly Rich (Audio Version Below)
My Girlfriend Is The Man! Episodes 3-4 Review: Sleepovers and New Rivals
Follow us on Twitter | Instagram
The gender-bender confusion, chaos, and comedy continue in the Korean romantic comedy ‘My Girlfriend Is The Man!’ starring Yoon San-Ha as Park Yun Jae, whose girlfriend Kim Ji-Eun (Arin) wakes up as a handsome young man (Yoo Jung-hoo), turning their dating life upside down.
Recap of ‘My Girlfriend Is The Man’ Episodes 1-2:College student Kim Ji-Eun is horrified to find herself transformed into a man, while her older sister Kim Ji-hye (Choi Yoon Ra) initially mistakes her for an intruder. However, thanks to matching tattoos and flashbacks revealing that their mother had warned them about a generational curse, one that temporarily turns the women in their family into men, Ji-hye soon accepts that the man before her is her younger sister. Park Yun Jae, on the other hand, struggles to come to terms with the change, so the couple decide to remain friends until she turns back.
To avoid confusion, Ji-Eun names her male version Ji-Hoon and confides her secret in best friend Choi Yu-ri (Park Joo Won). Comedic complications arise when Yun Jae’s sister Yun-a (Lee So Won) develops a massive crush on Ji-Hoon and asks her brother to play cupid. Meanwhile, Yun Jae’s friend from work, a playboy called Min Hyeok (Hur Hyun Jun) also begins to get too friendly with Ji-Hoon. Episode 2 ends with Ji-Hoon joining Park Yun Jae and Min Hyeok for a boys’ sleepover, only to wake up the next morning in her female form once again.
Episode 3-4 of ‘My Girlfriend Is The Man’Okay, this series isn’t generating the kind of laugh-out-loud comedy its plot is capable of. Although, Episode 3 does start on a hilarious note: with Yun Jae punching the living daylights out of Min Hyeok to keep him from realizing that Ji-Hoon oppa has turned back into a woman. This quick transformation helps erase any doubts Yun Jae might’ve had about his beloved Ji-Eun turning into a dude, but unfortunately, she soon goes back to being the taller, stronger, hotter Ji-Hoon.
The new episodes also introduce actor Chuu as Kang Min-Ju, a junior who has just returned from abroad and wants Yun Jae to be her boyfriend. This sparks jealousy in Ji-Eun, who can’t really stake her claim on Yun Jae while stuck in her male form. While Chuu is undeniably cute, the character comes off as quite annoying, bordering on vamp territory, even though the creators use light, playful music to frame Min-Ju as an adorable, funny addition.
Park Joo Won as Ji-Eun’s nerdy writer BFF Yu-ri had the funniest scenes in these episodes of ‘My Girlfriend Is The Man’. She turns bright red every time she’s around Ji-Hoon, unable to handle her bestie’s unexpected hotness as a man, with her heart practically leaping out of her chest whenever they get close. Joo Won nails the role with spot-on comedic instincts. And much to Yoon Jae’s annoyance, his friend Min Hyeok is suspiciously clingy with Ji-Hoon. Basically, a lot of comedy hinges on jealousy, envy and insecure moments of the lead pair.
A subplot involving Yun-a’s crush on an old classmate isn’t particularly engaging and only slows down the pace of ‘My Girlfriend Is The Man’. Yun-a’s antics are more entertaining when her sister is involved in the chaos. Interestingly, the sisters finally come clean to their parents about what’s happening, but not before a mildly funny scene where the parents mistakenly assume Ji-Hoon is Yun-a’s new boyfriend.
Yoon San-Ha is super endearing as the confused Park Yun Jae, and Yoo Jung-hoo plays the part of a woman stuck in a man’s body with casual flair. That said, it does sometimes feel like they should’ve just switched roles, since San-Ha has the soft, cutesy vibe down, while Jung-hoo has this naturally manly edge. But well, that’s kind of the whole point, right? Ji-Eun’s supposed to be too dashing and awkwardly masculine in her male form in ‘My Girlfriend Is The Man’.
Overall, these two episodes of show are quite entertaining, but the writers aren’t maximizing the comic potential of the plot.
Watch ‘My Girlfriend Is The Man’ on Viki.
Read Next: KPop Demon Hunters Review: Light Sticks Meet Dark Arts (Audio Version Below)
Groupies Comic-Book Series Review
Follow us on Twitter | Instagram
“Wow, we’ve really made it. We’re with the band. And not just any band. The up-and-coming, everybody wants a piece, we’re gonna be bigger than The Beatles, achingly hip, band of the moment.”
The five-issue comic-book series ‘Groupies’ by Helen Mullane and Tula Lotay is a dreamily drawn, glossy-yet-dark tale of beautiful girls being brutally murdered while touring with ‘The Moon Show’, the hottest band in town. Is there a serial killer on the loose, or is the devil demanding its price for the band’s meteoric rise to fame?
Every issue follows a different young woman, two of whom are caught up in a seductive tug-of-war over Si, a grungy heartthrob from ‘The Moon Show‘, who might remind some readers of a young Kurt Cobain. Almost all chapters of ‘Groupies’ are soaked in sex, drugs, and messy egos, balancing rockstar glamour with gruesome, possibly demonic killings.
However, since each chapter is less than 30 pages long, the moment you get familiar with one character, the narrative moves on to someone else. None of the characters are particularly memorable, even though their designs are mesmerizing. Needless to say, the beautiful artwork by Tula Lotay is the highlight of Groupies, with her illustrations smoothing over some of the plot’s weak points. Tula Lotay draws the women like seductive sirens and Greek goddesses wrapped in hip clothes from the 1960s and ’70s.
There’s considerable suspense around the mysterious violence unfolding throughout the issues, but unfortunately, Groupies ends with a randomly abrupt climax that makes little sense. If you’re the kind of comic-book reader who reads for the art, this series is worth checking out.
Rating: 3 on 5. ‘Groupies’ is also on Kindle Unlimited.
Read Next: The Village of Eight Graves Review: Wickedly Rich (Audio Version Below)
