Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 153

Is ‘Mask Girl’ Season 2 Possible?

Major story spoilers ahead

Did you enjoy watching the Netflix series “Mask Girl” and are wondering like us if there could be a season two? While a spin-off on the same lines will be easier, a direct sequel is also quite possible. Even though there has been no talk from Netflix about a sequel to the show, considering how the show ended, there’s definitely enough scope for one.

While the 2023 installment of Mask Girl ends with main protagonist Kim Mo-mi dying, if we’ve learnt anything from shows around the world – nobody is dead until we see the body burnt or buried for sure. The climactic moments of the show feature Kim Mo-mi’s daughter Mi Mo wistfully watching her mother perform as a child. Since the show already hinted at how Mi Mo shared her mother’s passion for dressing up, singing and dancing, a sequel could focus on Mi Mo carrying her mother’s legacy forward by becoming a masked online performer herself. Basically, a literal “Mask Girl 2”.

Even though the series concludes with Mi Mo coming to terms with her mother’s criminal past and becoming at peace with her own situation, she is only a teenager and there’s a whole world waiting for her. And a season two could be quite exciting and could explore more diverse themes.

If you haven’t seen the series, listen to our quick recap of the show in under 5 minutes –

Film for Her by Orion Carloto – Quick Review

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Growing up, my father often told me that I’d never get any work done if I continued to daydream about my past. My mother always encouraged it; she said it’s the only reason why great artists are so respected. I never grew out of that – reminiscing.

Orion Carloto

I came across the poetry book “Film for Her” by Orion Carloto while exploring poetry titles available on my Kindle Unlimited subscription. Initially drawn by its simple yet striking book cover, I assumed it was the work of an independent writer. Intrigued, I decided to give it a shot.

This turned out to be more of a personal scrap-book, or like the title suggests, a film album of sorts for the author herself. It is filled with pretty photographs, intimate short personal essays, and, of course, a collection of poems. The content is tailored for the enjoyment of the author’s inner circle or fans. I had no clue that Orion Carloto is a popular YouTuber/model and discovered that only after looking up the author online, since the photos in the book featured model-esque individuals.

Some of the poems do have well-written lines that are enjoyable to read, but most of them were slightly repetitive and sounded like things you’ve already read in other poetry books with much better imagery. However, it might prove to be a good pick for younger readers who aren’t used to reading classical poetry, since most of Orion Carloto’s poems are about love, mental health and personal struggles, and are also easy to understand.

Through her poems, Orion reinforces familiar notions about writers, suggesting that one might require four cups of coffee, a pack of cigarettes, or a bottle of alcohol to ignite their imagination. And while this does hold through for many, I guess reading about the same things again and again becomes tiring. There’s not a lot of original thought in there. I enjoyed looking at the photographs more than the poetry in “Film for Her”.

Rating: 3/5

Read Next: It Won’t Always Be Like This – Graphic Novel Review

Also Read: The Madman’s Library – Book Review (audio version below)

Killer Book Club Movie Review – Scream for Teens

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

The Spanish horror film 2023 “Killer Book Club” (original title: El club de los lectores criminales) starts very true to its title theme – a woman is burnt alive in a library like room filled with books. The scene however shift to 6 years later, where eight college kids, who are part of a book club, become victims of a psycho clown killer. The clown writes and enacts their deaths, chapter by chapter.

Directed by Carlos Alonso Ojea and written by Carlos Garcia Miranda, the Netflix film “Killer Book Club” stars Veki Velilla as the primary protagonist, Angela – a published author and literature student. She becomes the target of a twisted, masked murderer, along with her seven other friends. These eight friends are all members of a college book club, united by their shared love for horror stories. Consequently, when an anonymous online user vows to end their lives while exposing their shared secret, they all begin to doubt each other. With an easy runtime of 90 minutes, the movie has a predictable plot which was like a mash of “Scream” and Netflix’s 2022 horror series “The Midnight Club”. And even though “Killer Book Club” does have a few well shot shocking violent murders, the overall effect is quite underwhelming.

Veki Velilla sports a distinctly “Girl Interrupted” style haircut in the film – an unruly Caesar cut that gives the impression she took the scissors to her own hair. Strangely, the cut doesn’t appear to complement her character, making it a bit difficult to envision Angela as the ambitious student and mildly successful author she’s meant to portray. In the movie, all eight characters receive nicknames, yet hardly any of them seem to embody their respective roles convincingly. In fact, the decision to introduce eight suspects within a 90-minute story wasn’t a great idea from the start. There isn’t enough time to flesh out their personalities, so most viewers wouldn’t care much about anybody’s death.

The cinematography is good enough for a horror flick, with quite a few night scenes which are dimly lit but still have enough illumination for viewers to understand what is happening. Surprisingly, the “Killer Book Club” has very few jump scares, and the background music doesn’t have much character or recall value. Staying true to its title, the movie has some scenes shot in a pleasant looking college library and there are tone of book appearances throughout the runtime. With a small roster of character and more seasoned actors, this could’ve been far more entertaining.

You can stream “Killer Book Club” on Netflix.

Read Next: Mask Girl Review – Wicked Web of Delusions, Deception & Vengeance

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‘Satyaprem ki Katha’ Can’t Keep It Real

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Disclaimer: This was supposed to be a review but turned into a rant. Minor story spoilers ahead.

Wow! This film started with an unexpectedly lavish song that seemed like a mash of Karan Johar & Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s style, but with a South-Indian twist as the hero dancing in lungi in some parts while calling himself a “Gujju Pataka” (firecracker). This energetic chaos rushes through the rest of the movie.

Directed by Sameer Vidwans and written by Karan Shrikant Sharma, the 2023 Bollywood film “Satyaprem Ki Katha” is just as chaotic and mediocre as its opening song, even though the cinematography is a visual treat, but the melodies aren’t music to your ears. Kartik Aryan as Satyaprem is a slightly tweaked version of his character Bantu from “Shehzada”. Kiara Advani as the beautiful Katha is one of the few reasons the film is bearable.

There are several issues with the movie that can’t be overlooked just because the story eventually attempts to educate viewers about a taboo issue. Firstly, there’s Satyaprem, who failed his law exams. Instead of trying to find a job, he halfheartedly helps with household chores and daydreams about the girl he has a crush on. On top of that, he wants to marry someone without being financially independent. While the rest of India seems to struggle with parental pressure about marriage, Satyaprem is eager to marry someone despite lacking a job and any intention of getting one.

Now, the second problem involves the way Kiara’s character Katha is treated by those around her, some of which is unrealistic (I’ll address the unrealistic parts shortly). Katha tries to kill herself after her longtime boyfriend breaks up with her but is saved by Satyaprem, who trespassed into her house after he hears she is unwell. Those two aren’t friends or even acquaintances! So, apparently, entering a girl’s house just because you have a crush on her is deemed acceptable because he rescues her. We are expected to overlook his stalker-like behavior. Katha is sensible enough and rejects Satyaprem’s advances, asking him to leave when he visits her at the hospital. However, her parents are relieved that somebody is interested in their daughter (believing nobody would marry her due to her past affair), leading them to arrange her marriage to Satyaprem without even informing her. Katha’s father threatens to harm himself if she doesn’t marry Satyaprem and even ridicules her, saying he wouldn’t be unsuccessful in his attempt. Frankly, at this point, I didn’t even want to watch the movie anymore but still did (Yes, my fault, I completely agree).

While Katha’s problematic parents aren’t the problem since such individuals exist, her father’s personality lacks consistency. He’s portrayed as a wealthy man more concerned about his reputation than his daughter’s well-being. Such a man will likely marry her to an NRI groom abroad if he wants to avoid gossip. Therefore, it’s hilariously unrealistic that he marries her off to a middle-class unemployed man. And Katha isn’t financially independent either, all we know is that she has a failed singing career.

Then, the most ridiculous twist occurs – Satyaprem and Katha do get married, extravagantly, in a palace! Despite Satyaprem’s parents living in a modest one-room house where he sleeps in the hall due to a lack of his own room, they decide to have this grand Bollywood wedding. It’s these exaggerated weddings that make the average Indian person dream about having luxurious ceremonies, even if they cannot afford it. Oh wait, Katha’s parents are wealthy, so why not? Alright.

The rest of the story propagates the problematic notion that marrying the “right” person can “fix” you and make everything alright. Sigh. I intended to write a critical review of this film but got carried away with my opinions and ended up with a bit of a rant. With better writing and a slightly more serious approach, “Satyaprem Ki Katha” could’ve been a fantastic movie. However, the makers squandered the opportunity by focusing more on comedic details than strengthening the plot. Kartik Aryan as Satyaprem is annoying and cannot shoulder the few emotional scenes he gets in the film. The actual twist in the story comes in the second-half, and even though it’s a issue that deserves attention, the writers don’t do the right groundwork for dealing with their primary theme.

Major story spoiler ahead

After their wedding, Katha refuses to sleep with Satyaprem in the same room, claiming his snoring makes it difficult for her to fall asleep. After one-and-a-half-hour of the runtime, when Satyaprem manages to win wife Katha over, it’s finally revealed she was date-raped and is scared of getting intimate with anybody. While this issue is sensitively handled, and is the primary theme of them tale, it is introduced after more than half of “Satyaprem Ki Katha” is already over. Until then, it’s all non-sensical jokes and problematic plot points. Sameer Vidwans and team try to do a Ayushman Khurrana like movie, where a lesser explored premise is wrapped up in entertainment and laughs, but they aren’t able to pull it off like Khurrana’s picks.

Overall, “Satyaprem Ki Katha” is a messy, cringe-y movie due to all the unnecessary exaggerated and problematic bits. The writers seem to believe that adding a modern lesson at the end of its predominantly regressive story will make viewers overlook all its flaws. Although, the story does head towards a powerful climax, but everything is dramatized and oversimplified for a convenient “filmy” ending.

You can stream the film on Prime Video.

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National Film Awards 2023 Winners: Alia, Allu Arjun among recipients

The National Film Awards for 2023 brought forth a celebration of cinematic brilliance, recognizing outstanding talents and creations that won over both the audience and critics. Established in 1954, The National Film Awards is one of the oldest and most prominent film awards in the country. They were introduced to promote cultural diversity through the medium of film and is organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Here’s a list of the recipients who stood out in various categories:

1. Best Feature Film: “Rocketry”: Taking the top honor, “Rocketry” soared high with its captivating storytelling and powerful performances. The film’s ability to inspire and engage earned it the prestigious Best Feature Film award. Directed by Madhavan, who also starred in the lead role, “Rocketry” followed the life and trials of Indian Space Research Organization scientist Nambi Narayanan, who was framed for being a spy and had to fight a long legal battle to prove his innocence.

2. Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: “RRR” For fans across the globe, “RRR” struck the perfect balance between entertainment and meaningful content, making it the recipient of the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment award. After Oscars glory for “Naatu Naatu”, this is another accomplishment for team RRR! Directed by SS Rajamouli, the film starred NTR Jr and Ram Charam as two revolutionaries who fought against British oppressors.

3. Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration: “The Kashmir Files” – After achieving tremendous success at the box office and sparking nationwide discussions, “The Kashmir Files” proudly secured this special award for its story. Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, the movie had an ensemble cast and depicted the persecution faced by Kashmiri Pandits and its lasting political effects.

4. Best Director: Nikhil Mahajan for “Godavari” Nikhil Mahajan’s art-house style direction in the slow-burn film “Godavari” earned him the Best Director title. From the film’s captivating set-pieces, to a memorable background score, Nikhil Mahajan has made viewers sit up and notice his work.

5. Best Actress: Alia Bhatt for “Gangubai Kathiawadi” and Kriti Sanon for “Mimi” Alia Bhatt’s portrayal of “Gangubai Kathiawadi” and Kriti Sanon’s heartwarming performance in “Mimi” both earned them the Best Actress accolade.

6. Best Actor: Allu Arjun for “Pushpa” Looks like Allu Arjun’s electrifying performance in “Pushpa” captured the hearts of the audience and the jury alike!

7. Best Supporting Actor: Pankaj Tripathi for “Mimi” Pankaj Tripathi’s perfect comic-timing in “Mimi” made the film an absolute entertainer, making him the recipient of the Best Supporting Actor award.

8. Best Supporting Actress: Pallavi Joshi for “The Kashmir Files”: Pallavi Joshi’s dual-faced performance in “The Kashmir Files” has earned her the Best Supporting Actress recognition.

9. Best Child Artist: Bhavin Rabari for “Chhello Show” Bhavin Rabari’s endearing performance in “Chhello Show” showcased his talent and potential, making him the deserving winner of the Best Child Artist award.

10. Best Original Screenplay: Shahi Kabir for “Nayattu” Shahi Kabir’s inventive storytelling in “Nayattu” stood out for its originality and depth, earning the film the award for Best Original Screenplay.

…and the list goes on.

Watch the entire list of winners of the 69th National Film Awards at the provided YouTube link.

Forget Me Not – Moving Short on Childhood Demons

Fear and insecurities are big emotions for a child, even though adults might often discount them as ‘childish’ behavior. The animated short film “Forget Me Not,” crafted by film students, masterfully brings to life the emotions of Ophelia, a little girl who feels neglected by her father because he is often busy attending to her younger sibling.

Created by Denver Colorado and Xime Garcia, this animation boasts hand-drawn artistry, featuring gorgeous backdrops that beautifully contrast with the simple character designs. In fact, it’s this simplicity that makes “Forget Me Not” charming, especially since the primary theme is about a child grappling with her inner demons. There’s a scene in the film which instantly reminded me of the classic novel “The Secret Garden” and Little Ophelia has quite the unexpected adventure in a hidden little garden full of surprises. The creators also include a captivating shot of scorpion grasses in full bloom. These blue-hued plants are commonly referred to as ‘forget-me-not,’ cleverly serving as a symbolic representation of the movie’s title.

With a seven minute runtime, the short film is a crisp emotional tale complemented by a nostalgic background score. While the actors’ voices occasionally come across as muffled, the judicious use of ambient nature sounds throughout the film’s duration remains crystal clear. This technique effectively imbues the garden with a sense of vitality and realism, transcending its animated nature. Overall, “Forget Me Not” is a poignant short film about the complex emotions of a child and how they can get swept away in their emotions if adults don’t keep an eye out for warning signs.

You can watch “Forget Me Not” on YouTube. It’s also embedded below.

It Won’t Always Be Like This – Graphic Novel Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Nine-year-old Malaka Gharib is looking forward to spending two months of summer vacation with her father in Egypt. However, she ends up spending most of her time with her future stepmom, Hala, a beautiful young woman who is quite unlike Malaka’s Filipino mom back in America. Every school holiday from that year on is spent in an almost similar fashion, although Malaka knows it won’t always be like this.

Drawn in a childlike doodle style, Malaka Gharib’s graphic novel memoir, “It Won’t Always Be Like This,” turned out to be a slightly chaotic but touching journey of a young girl and her relationship with her father’s new family. Malaka lives in America with her mother and only spends the summers in Egypt. So, the book is a mishmash of cultural differences between the Arab world and the American way of life, and Malaka’s attempt to fit into a place where she doesn’t know the language and is unfamiliar with customs, traditions, and beliefs.

As I started reading the book, I thought the illustrations were far too simple and basic compared to the kind of graphic novel memoirs I am used to reading. But the art style perfectly blends with the content, since Malaka is only nine when we meet her and remains a school kid for most parts of the book. Thus, the artwork lends an innocent lens to Malaka’s experience. Even though I would’ve probably loved to see the art evolve as Malaka grows up in the novel, that would’ve been a brilliant touch. However, the illustrations remain cute, crayon-like drawings throughout the novel, even as Malaka transforms from a naïve schoolgirl to a more empathetic young woman.

Anyone who has vivid memories of growing up in a time before smartphones, when you had to go to a cyber café to check emails and keep in touch with friends and family, will find Malaka’s experiences very relatable. It Won’t Always Be Like This” is embedded in ordinary daily life experiences of a young girl who must compartmentalize her life between the U.S and summer breaks visiting her father in Egypt. The author shares only the briefest glimpses of her American life in the book, probably because she has already written about it in an earlier memoir called “I Was Their American Dream”.

Malaka’s relationship with her stepmother, Hala, emerges as the primary theme of the memoir, even though the book meanders in between, following Malaka’s interactions with her cousins and anecdotal accounts of events that make her learn new things about Egypt. For example, there’s a few scenes where her father asks her not to speak in English when they go shopping because the vendors increase their prices if they think the customer is a foreigner. From trying flavoured Hookah for the first time; discovering her musical taste might not be as “cool”; enjoying beach trips with ten people jammed in one car; or getting heckled by teen boys; Malaka has bitter-sweet memories of growing up, like everybody else.

I loved the easy relationship between Malaka and Hala, how the two are more like sisters despite their age gap and do not share a hostile stepmother-stepdaughter relationship. “It Won’t Always Be Like This” is almost like an ode to the kinder stepmoms around the world, who treat their stepchildren as their own and form a lasting bond with them.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

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Also Read: The Madman’s Library – Book Review (audio version below)

Mask Girl Review – Wicked Web of Delusions, Deception & Vengeance

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

The year is 1989, and a cute little Korean girl is dancing on the stage to a pop song, thrilled by the applause of the audience. Her name is Kim Mo-mi, and she dreams of becoming a dancer, but she grows up to be a corporate drone who is often mocked by others for her plain appearance. She doesn’t fit into Korean beauty standards, is insecure about her looks, and thus moonlights behind a mask as an online performer called “Mask Girl” after office hours. When Kim Mo-mi finally gathers the courage to meet a fan in real life, things go awfully wrong and her life spirals out of control.

Spanning seven episodes, “Mask Girl” (Maseukeugeol) is based on a webtoon of the same name by Maemi and is a genre-bending Netflix series that blends multiple elements. There’s comedy, tragedy, love, lust, revenge, suspense, bullying, violence, trauma, fractured family relationships, and lasting friendships. The first episode, titled “Kim Mo-mi,” introduces Lee Han Byul as the protagonist. She loves the spotlight but struggles with her mundane desk job, even though she lives out her dreams on the internet behind a mask in the evenings. This contrasting double-life creates an intriguing comedic clash of two worlds, the differences enhanced by the cinematography. The office setting is pristine yet lifeless, with monochromatic colors pervading the scenes, while Kim Mo-mi’s house, the backdrop for Mask Girl’s performances, is all about glitter, bling, and color pop. Lee Han Byul is absolutely arresting as the protagonist, even though she is only featured in just the first two episodes, she captures the duality of Mo-mi, who is insecure, subdued in the day, but self-centered and hedonistic once behind the mask.

Each episode is cleverly named after a crucial character, providing them with a titular privilege and laying the groundwork for viewers to better understand their personalities. Episode two, titled “Ju Oh Nam,” introduces viewers to the socially recluse Ju Oh Nam, portrayed by actor Ahn Jae-hong. He is Mask Girl’s number one fan, and he obsessively adores the online performer, going as far as stalking her when he cracks her real identity. The episode features a colourful animated sequence where Ju Oh Nam hilariously envisions dancing with Mask Girl. This brief change in art style instantly evokes memories of the animated Korean series “Lookism,” which also explored the impact of physical beauty on a person’s life. Ju Oh Nam ends up rescuing Kim Mo-mi after another fan attempts to assault her. Shaken by the events, Mo-mi quits her job, undergoes drastic plastic surgery, and tragically ends up murdering Ju Oh Nam after he assaults her sexually. With a new face, she leaves the city to start anew. Unbeknownst to her, Ju Oh Nam’s mother is determined to track down and kill Mo-mi.

While the main theme of “Mask Girl” might seem to be the unfortunate effects of South Korea’s unrealistic beauty standards on the lives of those who don’t conform, the series also exposes the violent and patriarchal nature of the country’s society. It portrays how men feel entitled to bully, harass, and assault women who don’t submit to them. But it’s not just men, we also witness how women themselves perpetuate deep-seated misogyny by validating men around them. For instance, Ju Oh Nam’s mother labels Kim Mo-mi with derogatory terms like “bitch”, “whore”, “monster” despite mounting evidence of her own son’s problematic behaviour which led to his brutal death. Alas, the notion that “women are women’s worst enemies” remains true worldwide.

Ahn Jae-hong is eerily fitting as the socially awkward Ju Oh Nam, who becomes pivotal in transforming “Mask Girl” from a commentary on societal beauty standards into a saga of revenge. He elicits both pity and disgust in his portrayal of an obsessive fan with distorted notions of love and boundaries. Episode three introduces one of the primary antagonists, Ju Oh Nam’s mother Kim Kyung Ja, portrayed wickedly by Yeom Hye-ran. A hard-working single mother, she is deeply religious and unconditionally devoted to her son. This episode provides a comedic backstory to Kim Kyung Ja before she embarks on her own investigation into Ju Oh Nam’s mysterious death, aiming to eliminate Mask Girl. In a different story, Kim Kyung Ja could have been protagonist due to her fiercely independent personality who is relentless in pursuing their goals, but in Mask Girl’s narrative, she is undeniably a villain.

The beautiful Jae Hi-Yan takes on the role of “Kim Chun-ae” in Episode four. Kim Kyung Ja believes her to be the Mask Girl after her facial surgery. The pace of the series wavers in this episode and some of the plot co-incidences become too farcical to be enjoyable. The episode begins with a flashback story of another unattractive character who is bullied due to her average looks and exploited by her crush, who is on his way to becoming a K-pop idol. Just as interest wanes in the episode and the new character, a clever twist revitalizes the narrative’s intrigue. For the first time, “Mask Girl” showcases the strength of female friendships, a rare positive theme in the otherwise murky tale of beauty, bullying, violence, and vengeance. Despite the dark themes, the writers consistently inject moments of comedy through the runtime to keep the story largely entertaining.

Episode five leaps forward in time, shifting the focus to schoolgirl Kim Mi-mo (Shin Ye-Seo), raised by her maternal grandmother while her mother Kim Mo-mi languishes in prison. This segment of the story delves into generational trauma and how the young child grapples with the aftermath of her mother’s actions. Kim Mi-mo has never met her mother, but frequently changes schools due to bullying as the child of a murderer, often responding with violence to those who mock her. Child actors Shin Ye-Seo and Kim Ha-Neul, portraying Mi-mo’s only friend, take center stage, highlighting how friendships can offer solace in a harsh world.  Episode six shifts gears to the past, depicting Kim Mo-mi’s life in prison. Engagingly portrayed by former K-pop idol Nana, Mo-mi now sports an unrecognizably pretty face thanks to surgery and faces persecution due to the unfortunate turn her life takes. A lot of the prison scenes are in black-and-white, distinguishing the past, and some aspects evoke memories of the prison power dynamics in the Bollywood series “Scoop” starring Karishma Tanna, whose character undergoes similar experiences during incarceration. However, Mo-mi’s journey is grittier, as she relies on violence, deception, and wits to navigate her perilous life behind bars. Nana passes on the baton to actor Go Hyun Jung to play an older Mo-mi AKA Mask Girl, who is completely hardened by her years in jail.

Episode seven, the finale titled “Mo-mi and Mi-mo,” concludes the series with an emotionally charged chapter that feels almost like a different movie from what you initially started watching. It revolves around settling old scores, with a sinister and farcical twist altering the course of the narrative once again. After all the bloodshed, violence, and tears, viewer expectations are high for Mask Girl’s final chapter. However, some may find it slightly underwhelming due to exaggerated elements and plot changes that seem a touch too convenient to be fully satisfying. Led by a fantastic female-led cast, “Mask Girl” is a rollercoaster ride that doesn’t adhere to a single overarching theme. While it does address the negative effects of the beauty industry on the lives of those not deemed conventionally attractive, the series goes beyond appearances to reveal the problematic ways society objectifies and reduces women to sexual instruments. Besides that, it underscores the unsettling reality of how women are often blamed for “inviting” violence, highlighting victim-shaming. One can hide behind a mask, but for how long?  

You can stream the series on Netflix.

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8 Exciting Animated Shows for Mecha Enthusiasts

Beyond the realm of Cybertron, where Autobots and Decepticons wage their timeless battles, lies a universe brimming with mechanized marvels and robot-driven adventures. If you loved shows like “Transformers” or even the more recent animated series “Mech Cadets” on Netflix, here’s a list of 8 other shows that you might enjoy watching!

Voltron: Legendary Defender – This show follows a group of space explorers who pilot robot lions that combine to form a powerful robot called Voltron. They defend the universe against evil forces. It’s a series you can totally binge-watch, with top-notch animation and interesting characters! It’s also available to stream on Netflix. Gundam Series – The Gundam franchise consists of various series set in different timelines, all revolving around giant robots (mobile suits) used in conflicts. Popular entries include “Mobile Suit Gundam Wing,” “Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans,” and “Mobile Suit Gundam 00.” “Mobile Suit Gundam” is available to stream on CrunchyRoll. Robotech – A classic mecha anime that combines three separate Japanese series into one overarching narrative. It features humanity’s use of transformable mecha to defend against alien invasions. Zoids – This series features battles between various mechanized creatures known as Zoids. The show spans different generations, each with its own set of characters and Zoids.Megas XLR – “Every kid needs a giant robot”! reads the tagline of these show where two friends discover a giant robot and customize it to fight off alien invaders. It’s a mix of humor and action, with a focus on the giant robot battles. The series is available to watch on HBO Max. Getter Robo Series – This franchise revolves around pilots who operate giant robots to protect Earth from various threats. It includes several series, each with its own unique take on the concept.Eureka Seven – While not exclusively about robots, this series combines mecha elements with a rich storyline and character development. It follows a young boy who becomes involved in the world of mecha piloting and adventure. There’s action, romance and some great animation work that will keep anime fans hooked to the show. Aldnoah.Zero – Set in a world where Earth is at war with a technologically advanced Martian empire, the series features battles involving advanced mecha technology. The show has a lot of exciting fights backed up by an engaging plot. Aldnoah.Zero is available to stream on CrunchyRoll.

The Magic Moonlight Flower and Enchanting Stories Review

Okay, I can envision enjoying reading this book as a 9 or 10-year-old; however, for an adult reader, the tales didn’t possess much magic, and perhaps a significant portion of the original charm was lost in translation. Perhaps. “The Magic Moonlight Flower and Enchanting Stories” is a compilation of four short stories by Satyajit Ray, translated into English by Arunava Sinha.

The first story, titled “Sujan Harbola, the Boy Who Spoke to Birds,” is an engaging tale about a young, impoverished boy who has no interest in studying and drops out of school to pursue a career as a professional artist, capable of flawlessly mimicking any bird or animal. How his talents earn him a fortune forms the rest of the tale.

While I grew up reading such captivating tales set in the lush Indian jungles, replete with magical fruits, formidable monsters, and an underdog battling against all odds to emerge as the hero, I still wouldn’t consider getting this book as a gift to a child. Why? Because three out of the four short stories essentially convey a single overarching message – that possessing adequate talent can lead to marrying a princess. In these stories, marrying a beautiful princess stands out as the ultimate reward for a hero. Although these narratives might have held greater relevance in the 1970s and 80s, their significance has waned over time.

Satyajit Ray has crafted more intricate stories, characterized by profound themes and multi-faceted characters; however, “The Magic Moonlight Flower and Enchanting Stories” does not include any of his more enduring works.

Rating – 2.5/5. You can find the book on Kindle Unlimited.

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Also Read: The Madman’s Library – Book Review (audio version below)