Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 24

Dan Da Dan Season 2 Episode 2 Review: Jiji Goes Full Muscle Mode

Follow us on Twitter | Instagram

Woah! ‘Dan Da Dan‘ is back in form with the second episode of season 2, returning to its wild, weird violence and crazy new Yokai. The biggest surprise is Jin, a.k.a. ‘Jiji,’ who levels up from being the goofy, good-looking side character to a muscly, freakishly strong dude whose life completely changes in ways Momo and Okarun cannot fathom.

Quick recap of Dan Da Dan Season 2 Episode 1

Momo fights off creepy old men at the hot-springs with the help of turbo granny and then visits a local tourist spot where she learns about a local legend describing human sacrifices to a Tsuchinoko, a snake-like creature, to ensure a nearby volcano doesn’t explode. When Momo heads back to Jin’s house, she finds Jin and Okarun cornered by the Kito family (Jin’s landlords), which include the eerie men who had attacked her before.

The family reveals that the house is an altar to the legendary Tsuchinoko and that they intend to sacrifice Jin, Momo, and Okarun to it in order to protect the town. The episode of ‘Dan Da Dan‘ ends with the young trio fighting for their lives against the Tsuchinoko, which turns out to be a Mongolian Death Worm, terrifying and deadly.

Dan Da Dan Season 2 Episode 2

Titled “The Evil Eye,” episode 2 of the new season kicks off with Okarun, in his Turbo-Granny power form, attacking Jiji. However, it turns out he is actually trying to harm himself. The Mongolian Death Worm releases an energy that drives people to suicidal behavior. The main focus of this episode is thus Jiji trying to stop Momo and Okarun from hurting themselves. It’s strange how he isn’t affected, and in a twist, the episode introduces a new Yokai with a tragic past who quickly earns Jiji’s sympathy.

“You idiot, do not trust it!” Turbo Granny hilariously keeps warning Jiji about the new Yokai, but not very successfully. Flashbacks reveal the origin of this Yokai, whose past is tied to the creepy Kito family. You know, the ones performing human sacrifices to protect their town from a volcano, yes, the same folks who try to murder Momo, Okarun, and Jiji too.

Anyway, this is a fast-paced, tragicomic and entertaining episode. The first half is seriously tense, while the second half throws in some comical bits. Turbo Granny delivers most of the laughs in her cute, comical cat form, mostly by screaming at the kids for being stupid. Some of the humor also stems from shirtless Jiji, leaning into Dan Da Dan‘s recurring trope of characters going semi-naked whenever they’re in grave danger.

The animation style shifts noticeably throughout the episode, and given its dark themes of suicide and sacrifice, the color palette leans heavily into gloomy, dark tones. In contrast, the background music remains upbeat and energetic, especially during the action scenes, adding a great sense of urgency when the kids are fighting for their lives.

Can Momo and team really defeat the massive Mongolian Death Worm and the new, possibly evil Yokai? The episode ends on a pretty solid cliffhanger.

Stream Dan Da Dan on Netflix and CrunchyRoll.

Find the writer on Twitter and Instagram for more pop culture chatter.

Read Next: KPop Demon Hunters Review: Light Sticks Meet Dark Arts (Audio Version Below)

Leviathan Review: Two Teens & a Flying Beast Try to Stop World War in Epic Fantasy

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Weaponized bats, bomb-dropping pigeons, flying beasts, and Transformer-like war machines! ‘Leviathan’ (2025) is a gripping sci-fi reimagining of World War I, where the Central Powers, known as ‘Clankers’ wield advanced machinery, while the Allied forces led by Britain, called ‘Darwinists’ in the series, deploy genetically modified animals as weapons.

Directed by Christophe Ferreira, ‘Leviathan’ is based on the novel by Scott Westerfeld, illustrated by Keith Thompson, which follows two teens from opposing sides of war teaming up aboard a flying whale-ship. Just like the original work, the anime adaptation richly blends history, fantasy, and teen heroics.

Spanning 12 episodes, the series begins in an alternate history where Prince Aleksandar of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is forced into hiding by loyal soldiers after his parents, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Duchess Sophie of Hohenberg, are assassinated by a Serbian, setting the stage for a world war.

A parallel subplot follows Deryn, a young girl who dreams of becoming a pilot. Disguised as a boy named Dylan Sharp, she joins the British army and finds herself aboard the titular Leviathan, a massive and powerful airship that is the pride of the Darwinists. Onboard the vessel, she learns that their mission is to accompany Dr. Barlow, a renowned scientist, on an urgent journey to deliver a secret package to the Ottoman empire.

Prince Alek is on the run with Count Volger, a gruff Austrian officer, and Klopp, one of the world’s top mechanics. While hiding in neutral Switzerland, they witness the Leviathan crash into the mountains. Despite it being an enemy vessel, Alek defies orders to help potential survivors, leading to his first encounter with the fiery Dylan Sharp. From that point on, their destinies become intertwined. Alek, of course, doesn’t reveal his true identity, but during his time aboard the Leviathan and through interactions with members of the ‘enemy’ nation, he becomes increasingly convinced that the world needs peace, not war.

The animation by Studio Orange is fantastic, though it might feel a bit old-school to some viewers, it suits the historical-fantasy setting perfectly. The retro yet dreamy world of ‘Leviathan‘ is a visual treat, with the story taking viewers across the landscapes of Europe, Ottoman empire, and even America. The background score carries a nostalgic thrum, although a few vocal tracks come off as emotionally familiar and slightly stale. But music is a core them in the story, with Prince Alek finding solace in playing an instrument when he is consumed by anxiety, helplessness, or simply loneliness. Dylan too takes to singing at the end of her day, bringing her joy after a day full of hard-work and playing soldier.

The first few episodes swiftly establish the personalities of principal protagonists Alek and Dylan. While Alek is a young, sheltered royal, with an overtly idealistic view of the world, and a soft heart, Dylan on the other hand is more practical, brash, and has a clear-cut military attitude in her behavior, even though she is a fresh recruit. In some way, Alek and Dylan are quite similar, which is what make their characters click as ‘friends’. Since Dylan is after-all a girl, she sometimes gets awkward around Alek, but the Prince never really registers anything amiss for a long time.

In fact, I enjoyed the fact that ‘Leviathan‘ doesn’t reduce Dylan to a comic cross-dressing trope. She’s portrayed as just another soldier, often better than most. She is quick on her feet, unafraid, and always ready to volunteer for dangerous mission. Alek provides pacifist point-of-view in the anime, and even though he sometimes comes off as naively annoying, he makes a strong protagonist in the tale.

The first six episode of ‘Leviathan’ are well-paced, packed with adventure, violence, politics, and intrigue. It’s midway through the series that we’re taken to an alternate Ottoman Empire, which is famed for both its coffee, and elephant-shaped machines! Alek and Knopp find themselves in Istanbul, soon amidst rebels, planning a revolution against the oppressive regime, so we get French revolution style mutiny. At this juncture, a few new curious characters are introduced and there’s a mild romantic triangle between Alek, Dylan and a new rebel girl they meet.

I feel the last few episodes weren’t as exciting, even though the plot of ‘Leviathan’ only gets wilder, bringing in some really famous historical figures into action. The climactic episodes are set in New York, where Alek and Dylan team up for meet a world famous scientist, in possession of ground-breaking technology that could either plunge the world into violent chaos or bring lasting peace. In the end, it’s up to the two of them to see the war doesn’t worsen.

That the Darwinists would leave the fate of the world in the hands of two plucky teenagers is absolutely absurd, but since this is an action-fantasy tale, several subplots are understandably far-fetched. The last two episodes do feel a bit harebrained, but overall, Leviathan is a thoroughly entertaining watch.

Rating: 8 on 10. Watch ‘Leviathan’ on Netflix.

Read Next: KPop Demon Hunters Review: Light Sticks Meet Dark Arts (Audio Version Below)

Tether Movie Review: A Quiet Storm of Grief and Guilt

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

It’s been three years since Leonard lost his daughter in a school shooting. Still inconsolable, he finally begins therapy, hoping to reconnect with his estranged wife and start anew. But when he runs into Gerald, a former school resource officer who was present during the tragedy, Leonard becomes consumed by rage, blaming him for failing to protect the children. What begins as a chance encounter spirals into a dark tangle of obsession, fear, guilt, and unresolved grief between the two men in 2025 film ‘Tether’.

Directed by Hariharasudhen Nagarajan and written by Anghus Houvouras, ‘Tether’ is a slow-burn psychological drama about trauma, emotional repression, and the human need for closure. Nick Giedris plays primary protagonist Leonard, the grieving father, whose anguish and anger is directed at Gerard (Ben Burton), the man who couldn’t contain the school shooting.

The first act of ‘Tether’ efficiently sets up the fractured dynamic between Leonard and his wife Amanda (Joanna Cretella), with their conversations teetering between frustration and detachment. Leonard’s reluctance to move forward has left Amanda emotionally drained, and her threat to walk away is what finally pushes him toward therapy. There, a composed yet empathetic mental health professional (Laura Faye Smith) helps him peel back layers of guilt and trauma. In a coincidental twist, Gerard, still haunted by the day he failed to act, also begins sessions with the same therapist.

The first half of ‘Tether’ employs minimal background music, relying instead on white noise and quiet tension. This minimalism enhances its bleak tone, though viewers expecting a more conventional psychological drama might find the silence slightly unsettling. The cinematography leans on long, lingering shots that center the actors’ expressions, underscoring the emotional gravity of their grief. Interspersed throughout are old home video clips of Leonard’s daughter, tender, sunlit memories that break the oppressive mood and remind us of what was lost. These moments are among the film’s most affecting.

What ‘Tether‘ does compellingly is offer two deeply human responses to tragedy. Leonard channels his sorrow into blame and obsession, while Gerard internalizes his failure, spiraling into shame and self-loathing. Ben Burton brings a convincing weariness to Gerard, a man teetering on the edge, whereas Nick Giedris’s performance as Leonard occasionally falters. A climactic emotional outburst meant to mark a turning point for Leonard feels oddly muted, almost as if the actor is holding back. For a brief moment, it even plays like a surreal, darkly comic misfire, making one think that maybe Leonard is only imagining things.

One of the film’s most quietly powerful elements is its depiction of therapy sessions. The dynamic between the characters and their therapist is often charged, even unsettling. Laura Faye Smith’s character endures everything from emotional dumping to thinly veiled hostility, and while some of her lines veer into self-help territory, her performance stays grounded and believable. In one memorable scene, after a particularly difficult session, she steps outside to light a cigarette, just a beat of release that humanizes her and subtly reminds us that even caregivers carry emotional burdens. It’s a small but thoughtful touch.

At under 90 minutes, ‘Tether‘ is a restrained, somber meditation on grief, guilt, and the lingering trauma of gun violence. While its performances are a bit uneven, and its pacing deliberately slow, it offers a charged look at two men forever changed by a single, tragic day.

Rating: 3 stars on 5.

Also Read: Sirens Netflix Series Review (Short Audio Version below)

Rachel Rising Volume 3 Review: Gorgeous Art, Mild Horror

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Titled ‘Cemetery Songs‘, Volume 3 of ‘Rachel Rising‘ by Terry Moore starts off with a stark panel of Rachel taking a shower at her place, after rising from death for the nth time. I’ve lost count at this point, that’s just the deal with this eerie, darkly comedic comic series: Rachel keeps dying and keeps rising, while trying to solve her own murder mystery, because she still cannot remember how she died the first time. Although, in Volume 2 she learns (and so do we) that a witch called Lilith is behind most things, and she plans to destroy the entire town over a centuries-old grudge.

Honestly, at this point, I am mainly sticking around for the gritty, detailed artwork, because the story is almost a rehashed version of what happened earlier: Rachel getting back from the dead, Earl trying to see if Jet really is dead; little serial killer Zoey being manipulated by those more evil, while Lilith goes around town performing weird rituals. And now that there are so many women in the tale, it’s becoming a little difficult to tell some of the characters apart! It’s the constant snow and eerie settings that make it worth a read.

Volume 3 collects issues #13 to #18 of ‘Rachel Rising‘ and the only really new angle in the story is the fact that Lilith and her posse of evil witches contaminate the town’s water supply. Not just that, they also find a scapegoat to take the fall for their actions. The primary arc of course follows Rachel as she, with the help of her friends, tries to figure out what’s happening and how to stop Lilith. Meanwhile, a mildly intriguing sub-plot show how the demon Malus is now in a priest’s body, trying to use Zoey as his puppet.

I feel like if I had read ‘Rachel Rising‘ during its year of publication (2013), I might’ve been a lot more impressed by this supernatural tale of witches trying to snuff out humanity, while beautiful young dead women keep waking up from their deaths. But I’ve read so much wacky stuff over the past few years that the story doesn’t hold much excitement anymore. For instance, I loved Junji Ito’s ‘Tomie‘ (2011), which is about a gorgeous femme fatale who drives men insane. Her lovers always end up killing her, but she keeps coming back to life, even when she’s been brutally hacked to bits, only to repeat the cycle of seduction and death.

‘Rachel Rising’ also feels pretty tame in its horror elements, despite some brutal deaths and creepy twists. Hopefully the next volume will pack more punch. Also, the fact remains: Terry Moore’s artwork in this comic series is fantastic.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. ‘Rachel Rising‘ is also on Kindle Unlimited.

Find the writer on Twitter and Instagram for more pop culture chatter.

Read Next: Butter Book Review: Keeps You Hungry Yet Satiated

Also Read: KPop Demon Hunters Review: Light Sticks Meet Dark Arts (Audio Version Below)

He Went That Way Review: Fictionalized True Crime Stranger Than Fiction

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

“This really (mostly) Happened” – says a disclaimer at the beginning of the film ‘He Went That Way.

Created by Jeffrey Darling (director) and Evan M. Wiener (writer), the movie is set in 1964, and follows an edgy, tense road-trip which goes wrong when Jim (Zachary Quinto), an entertainer traveling with his celebrity chimp Spanky (Phoenix Notary), offers a ride to a handsome young man called Bobby (Jacob Elordi), an unhinged criminal with a bad temper.

‘He Went That Way’ is of course a heavily fictionalized account that is based on the real life experience of Dave Pitts, who out of kindness had picked up a hitch-hiker, while traveling with his star chimpanzee, famous at the time for being the ‘only ice-skating chimpanzee in the world’, only to find out the young man was a murderer.

The film captures this bizarre road trip with a serial killer, a showbiz guy, and his celebrity monkey in a way that is largely discomforting for the viewer. Jacob Elordi brings an erratic, murderous energy to Bobby, giving the character an eccentric edge. You never quite know when Bobby will blow a fuse and kill someone, so full points to Elordi for embodying a young, restless, temperamental killer in ‘He Went That Way‘.

It was Zachary Quinto as Jim who felt unreliable and unconvincing through the film, his ‘good guy caught in a bad situation’ act rarely feeling right. In-fact, at the beginning of ‘He Went That Way’, when Jim offers the handsome Bobby a ride, you wonder if he has some ulterior motive to do so. He does. He just wants some company for a painfully long drive, so why not help out a hitchhiker in need? Except, Quinto gives off more of a creepy killer vibe initially. Or maybe it’s just how it seemed to me.

Honestly, I just wanted to see more of Spanky the chimp, who is criminally underutilized throughout the runtime. That said, Zachary Quinto deserves praise for his easy, endearing onscreen chemistry with the chimp. On the other hand, the rapidly weird dynamic that develops between Jim and Bobby during the road trip was just… well, odd. In some ways, this of course is also a thriller, because there’s suspense over what will happen to Jim and Spanky. Will they survive the trip or become the next victims of the serial killer?

Give this film a try only if the premise sounds interesting to you.

Rating: 6.5 on 10. Watch ‘He Went That Way’ on Netflix.

Find the writer on Twitter and Instagram for more pop culture chatter.

Also Read: Sirens Netflix Series Review (Short Audio Version below)

Revenged Love Episodes 9-10 Review: Snake-Napping & Sexual Awakening

Follow us on Twitter | Instagram

The cat’s out the bag in ‘Revenged Love’! Scheming protagonist Wu Suo Wei (played by Zi Yu) admits he has romantic feelings for Chi Cheng (Tian Xu Ning), his ex-girlfriend Yue Yue’s (Sun Qian Yu) new boyfriend, even though the plan was to break them up and move on.

Quick Recap of ‘Revenged Love‘ Episodes 7-8: Suo Wei instigates both Yue Yue and Chi Cheng’s mother through anonymous texts to accelerate Chi Cheng’s breakup. He also works to free the captive pet snakes to stop Chi Cheng from being manipulated by his father. On the other hand, the two men get closer, and also decide to become business partners by starting an art firm together.

In episode eight, Yue Yue hires goons to kill the only pet snake still in Chi Cheng’s possession, hoping to spend a snake-free life once they get married. Suo Wei happens to be visiting when the goons come for “Little Vinegar.” He tries to fight them off and is rescued by Chi Cheng before things get out of hand. The episode ends with a romantic moment between the lead pair, with Suo Wei clearly beginning to enjoy Chi Cheng’s attention.

Episodes 9 & 10 of ‘Revenged Love’

Sarcastically titled “Snakes Aren’t More Important Than People,” episode 9 begins with Chi Cheng’s father receiving a call about some of his son’s pet snakes dying. Soon, Chi Cheng learns that a truck is being moved from his dad’s company, most likely to relocate his beloved snakes. So the primary focus of the episode is his efforts to get his snakes back. But as the previews suggested, Suo Wei follows him and is seriously injured by a snake. Chi Cheng rises to the occasion and proves that Suo Wei means a lot more to him than some of his snake children.

The whole pet snake business continues to be a comical part of ‘Revenged Love‘, with Chi Cheng’s friend Guo Cheng Yu (Zhan Xuan) trying to steal them. There’s an armed face-off between three sets of goons over the snakes, so viewers are served some action scenes, which both Tian Xu Ning and Zhan Xuan pull off with action-hero swagger, despite this being a goofy romantic comedy so far. Doctor Jiang Xiao Shuai (Liu Xuan Cheng) also happens to be at the scene and is clearly impressed to see the men in action.

“This is the first time I am falling for a man,” even Suo Wei admits with glee when he sees Snake-dad Chi Cheng fight for his babies. Ten episodes down, and the Revenged Love creators are doing a fantastic job of keeping a consistent comedic tone in the story, even through the tenser moments. Besides, the romantic tension between the lead protagonists sees significant progress in these episodes, obviously, since Suo Wei has moved past the denial stage but is still struggling to come to terms with his newfound sexuality.

Episode 10 of ‘Revenged Love’, in fact, is hilariously titled ‘Can You Turn Straight Again After Being Bent?‘, where most of the focus is on Suo Wei dealing with his strong attraction toward Chi Cheng. He turns to his beloved master Jiang Xiao Shuai for advice on the matter, looking to kill his feelings. But in a twist, Chi Cheng practically threatens Xiao Shuai to make sure he convinces Suo Wei to seal the deal with him, or else he will go back to his “old ways,” which means targeting the men Cheng Yu is interested in, i.e., Xiao Shuai.

Zi Yu is incredibly comically-cute as Suo Wei, the confused, goofball in love, who from being disgusted as Chi Cheng’s sexual advances, is beginning to actively seek out his attention, even though he isn’t ready to take things to the next level. Tian Xu Ning’s portrayal as the ‘crazy in love’ Chi Cheng is driving their onscreen chemistry. The secondary romance between Xiao Shuai and Cheng Yu doesn’t see much development, which is absolutely fine, since we still have more than half-of ‘Revenged Love’ to go.

Overall, these two episodes are very entertaining, driven both by a comical script and engaging performances by the lead actors.

You can watch ‘Revenged Love’ on YouTube or Viki.

Find the writer on Twitter and Instagram

Read Next: KPop Demon Hunters Review: Light Sticks Meet Dark Arts (Audio Version Below)

Head Over Heels Episode 6 Review: Ji-ho Protects, Seong-ah Fights Back

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Ahahahahah… how is it that love rivals Bae Gyeon-woo (Choo Young-woo) and Ji-ho (Cha Kang-yoon) have more of what would classify as “cliched romantic drama moments” by this episode of ‘Head Over Heels?’ Now that teen protagonist Seong-ah (Cho Yi-hyun) has passed on her protective talismanic responsibilities to Ji-ho, the dude’s finding every excuse to touch Gyeon-woo to ward off evil spirits. So we get lots of pats, hugs, and even the classic falling into someone’s arms on the road, but this time with Gyeon-woo and Ji-ho.

Recap of ‘Head Over Heels’ Episode 5

Gyeon-woo catches Seong-ah performing a ritual dance alongside shaman Yeom-hwa, though the two women don’t actually know each other. Now that Gyeon-woo has discovered Seong-ah is a shaman, he brands her a two-faced liar and begins distancing himself. With five more days to go before the dangerous period, during which Gyeon-woo is fated to die, Seong-ah continues protecting him from evil spirits. A hilarious little sub-plot even sees her solve the baby ghost that’s attached to a classmate and poses constant danger to her crush. But new malevolent forces keep targeting Gyeon-woo, and with his growing resentment toward Seong-ah, her powers as his human talisman stop working.

Ji-ho (Cha Kang-yoon), who has a crush on Seong-ah, notices the tension between them. Instead of taking advantage of the situation, he steps in to mediate and even offers to become Gyeon-woo’s substitute talisman. Seriously, Ji-ho is shaping up to be the best character in ‘Head Over Heels‘. The episode ends with a touching moment, Seong-ah, heartbroken, cries alone in the rain until Gyeon-woo appears and quietly offers her his umbrella, hinting at a possible truce… and maybe the rekindling of their romance.

Episode 6 of ‘Head Over Heels’

This edition kicks off immediately from the rain scene, with Gyeon-woo not just offering his umbrella but inviting Seong-ah over for a cup of hot tea. While the two don’t exactly talk things out, the focus of the chapter is on Seong-ah finally discovering how Yeom-hwa has been tormenting Gyeon-woo since he was a child, and she takes a strong stand against the older shaman. With the help of her Spirit Mother Dongcheon (Kim Mi-kyung), the teen shaman also tries to contain the demonic entity lurking in the haunted house, a major danger to everyone in town. So viewers get lots of colorful, engaging shamanic rituals and supernatural elements in this segment of ‘Head Over Heels’.

Meanwhile, a large part of the episode is on the hilariously cute bromance between Ji-ho, as he tries to do his human talismanic duties by staying close to Gyeon-woo, creeping the latter out. That said, the feisty, energetic Choo Young-woo remains the central charmer in the series as Seong-ah, and she is back to scoring lost points with her first love, even though he nowhere near ‘Head Over Heels’ for her. Although with the evil shaman Yeom-hwa looming over them, and the dangerous cursed house filled with deadly spirits around the corner, there’s not a lot of time for romance right now!

At this point in ‘Head Over Heels’, I am feeling a little guilty that I haven’t mentioned Yoon Byung-hee’s portrayal of Do Ryeong, a flamboyant shaman. It looked like the character was going to be a cameo, but Do Ryeong has become a staple in the show, joining senior shaman Dongcheon in working to purge the cursed house of its evil deity and Byung-hee is simply brilliant in the part. He is comical, stylish, sassy, and wittily sarcastic when needed.

Overall, this was probably the most entertaining episode of ‘Head Over Heels’ yet, packing a lot of teen drama, comedy, and also supernatural suspense. The episode ends with a student breaching the safety talismans surrounding the creepy haunted house, which spells a lot of trouble for everybody. Things wrap up on an interesting twist, which bring lead pair Seong-ah and Gyeon-woo together, but under unpleasantly unexpected circumstances.

Watch ‘Head Over Heels’ on Prime Video.

Find the writer on Twitter and Instagram for more pop culture chatter.

Read Next: KPop Demon Hunters Review: Light Sticks Meet Dark Arts (Audio Version Below)

Alienated #4 Review: Grandpas, Graduation & a Missing Alien

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Plot overview of ‘Alienated’: Earth is deluged with the bodies of dead aliens, but one family finds a survivor and attempts to understand what happened to his species. What happens when their secret guest is discovered, especially at a time when alien cults and shrines are rising in popularity?

Issue #4 of Alienated by Taki Soma and John Broglia kicks off with a funny scene at a comic-con-like event to celebrate aliens and UFOs. It’s called an “annual Alien conference.” The obsession over the dead aliens continues to grow on planet Earth, which means if TJ’s live alien is discovered, all hell would break loose. And if you remember, Issue #3 had ended with a shocked TJ finding out his alien friend is missing.

Also Read: Alienated #3 Review: High on Potential, Light on Progress

So this chapter of the comic book series focuses on TJ recruiting his grandchildren Lily and Winter to help locate the alien before something disastrous occurs. Meanwhile, Frank, the old dude who basically kidnaps the alien, tries to communicate with the creature while also trying to get the word out in the media that he has a surviving alien with him.

After being ambivalent about this series so far, I can say this is probably the first time I definitely enjoyed reading an issue of Alienated. It’s entertaining to see how teens Lily and Winter are loyally attached to their grandfather and rush to his rescue when needed, even when the emergency is as bizarre as locating a missing alien. The kids even miss their graduation ceremony for the mission and get in massive trouble with their parents, but refuse to let TJ’s secret out.

The artwork continues to be engaging, and it helps that the creators use color, because quite frankly, the story isn’t exciting or gritty enough to work in black and white. Besides, for instance, toward the end of this issue, TJ hilariously dresses up like a thief out to rob a bank, in black shirt, black pants, black beanie, to rescue the alien, which wouldn’t have the same comical effect if this weren’t a color comic.

If you like the sound of a low-stakes sci-fi story about a grandfather and his grandchildren befriend an alien, who slowly learns to talk, ‘Alienated’ is a decent title to try out.

Alienated is also on Kindle Unlimited.

Read Next: Butter Book Review: Keeps You Hungry Yet Satiated

Also Read: Shubeik Lubeik Review: Fantastic Blend of Magical Realism (audio version below)

Head Over Heels Episode 5 Review: Get A Friend Like Ji-ho

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Dangerous haunted houses, shamanic ritual dances, wacky ghosts, teen love, heartbreak, Korean fantasy-romance ‘Head Over Heels’ is delivering entertainment in multiple shades. And just when teen shaman Seong-ah (Cho Yi-hyun) starts to believe her first love, the handsome Bae Gyeon-woo (Choo Young-woo), might finally be returning her feelings, her secret spills out, bringing their budding romance crashing down.

Recap of ‘Head Over Heels Episode’ 4: Gyeon-woo begins to warm up to the cute, stalker-ish, but adorable classmate Seong-ha, who unknown to him, is protecting him like a ‘human talisman’ and is also in love with him. The two start to hang out more, share some sweet romantic moments, sparking jealousy in Seong-ha’s friend Ji-ho (Cha Kang-yoon).

A parallel subplot shows Spirit Mother Dongcheon (Kim Mi-kyung) trying to solve the mystery of a haunted house inhabited by lethal cursed spirits. Turns out, evil shaman Yeom-hwa (Chu Ja-hyeon) has made a pact with a deadly demonic spirit, making it formidable and almost impossible to defeat. Flashbacks reveal Yeom-hwa knew Gyeon-woo since he was a child, mistreating him while claiming to ward off his misfortune, leading to his hatred for shamans. The episode ends with Gyeon-woo finally discovering Seong-ha is a shaman, marking a setback in their blossoming friendship.

Episode 5 of ‘Head Over Heels’

This edition starts with Gyeon-woo questioning Seong-ha’s intentions and distancing himself from her. Ji-ho notices the sudden frigidity between them and tries to help patch things up, but to no avail. Seong-ha tells Ji-ho she needs to protect Gyeon-woo for five more days from bad spirits and ghosts so he can avoid his fated death and turn his fortune around. However, she cannot say this to Gyeon-woo, since he is convinced she is a fraud and a liar.

Seong-ha is heartbroken, but despite the sad turn of events, she is determined to find ways to protect her crush. Besides, she also has a troublesome baby ghost to deal with, that’s attached to a classmate at school, putting Gyeo-woo at risk. So the focus of this episode of ‘Head Over Heels’ remains on the hot-and-cold relationships between the lead pair, with Cho Yi-hyun continuing to shine as the cute, energetic, emotional Seong-ha.

But it’s Cha Kang-yoon who’s likely winning over viewers as Ji-ho, head over heels in love with Seong-ha, yet selflessly supporting her efforts to protect Gyeon-woo. When the teen shaman can’t be around her cursed crush, it’s Ji-ho who steps in to help the lonely, miserable Gyeon-woo, patiently enduring his stormy moods and icy attitude. That said, Choo Young-woo is shouldering the tempestuous moods of Gyeon-woo with conviction through the series so far.

While not as entertaining as the first four episodes of ‘Head Over Heels’, the series is still pretty entertaining, and its beautiful cinematography keeps things engaging. There’s some progress in the haunted house sub-plot which gives viewers an eerie supernatural contrast against the teen romance problems the younger characters are grappling with.

Watch ‘Head Over Heels’ on Prime Video.

Find the writer on Twitter and Instagram for more pop culture chatter.

Read Next: KPop Demon Hunters Review: Light Sticks Meet Dark Arts (Audio Version Below)

‘Nyaight of the Living Cat’ Episode 1 Review: Beware the Purr-demic!

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Who knew cuddling a kitty could mean doom? From the looks of the first episode, you need to be a fan of two things to be able to enjoy the anime ‘Nyaight of the Living Cat’:

Apocalyptic talesCats!

Based on a manga written by Hawkman and illustrated by Mecha-Roots, the anime version is directed by Tomohiro Kamitani.

The plot’s wildly hilarious and mildly horrifying: a global pandemic, dubbed the ‘Nyandemic’ (died laughing when I read that), caused by a virus found in cats, begins to turn human beings into felines if they come in contact with cats. Set somewhere in the future, ’20XX’ according to the creators, ‘Nyaight of the Living’ unfolds in a world where 90% of humans are said to own pet cats, which makes the spread of ‘Nyandemic’ super easy.

Episode one opens with a tense scene of three friends running for their lives, reminding me of ‘Ghostbusters’, as two of them wear big backpacks that loos like proton packs. packs. Protagonist Kunagi (voiced by Masaaki Mizunaka) loves cats, so ‘Nyaight of the Living‘ comically explores how the cat-lover reluctantly fights the creatures he loves to survive the Nyandemic. He is accompanied by high school student Kaoru (Reina Ueda) – stern, strong, constantly reminding Kunagi they no longer live in a world where they can pet, stroke, cuddle, or go soft on cats. Do that, and you’re dead as a human!

Flashbacks in the second half serve to explain the connection between Kunagi and Kaoru, who, funnily enough, used to work in a cat café together. The animation is pretty simple, the designs doesn’t stand out like other animated shows currently airing (think ‘Dan Da Dan’ or the hyped ‘Lord of Mysteries’), but it has an engaging late-2010s nostalgia to it. The cats are all cute, so the show blends horror and humor well.

Overall, the opening edition is pretty fun. In fact, if you do love cats, you’ll have a blast watching it, it’s wild, comedic, and pure fun.

Watch ‘Nyaight of the Living Cat’ on CrunchyRoll.

Find the writer on Twitter and Instagram for more pop culture chatter.

Read Next: Lord of Mysteries Episodes 1-3 Review: Hectic, Cryptic, Erratic

Read Next: KPop Demon Hunters Review: Light Sticks Meet Dark Arts (Audio Version Below)