Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 25

My Stubborn Series Review: Spice Over Plot, Baby!

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From love confessions, make-out sessions, aggressive flirtations, to full-blown quickies, the men in Thai series ‘My Stubborn’ do practically everything but work in their office. If you watch a lot of BL, videos titled ‘Thai BL on Crack’ might have popped up on your YouTube feed, where fans compile crazy moments – weird, hilarious, exaggerated, or bizarre – in Thai shows, and the entirety of ‘My Stubborn’ feels like ‘Thai BL on Crack’, with lots of sex. The creators make full use of the 18+ rating for this romance with lots of near explicit steamy scenes.

Some people have their their sexual awakening in a romantic setting by the beach or during a trip to the mountains or through their first love, and some people find what they want after being seduced by their older brother’s friend in the kitchen garden, like Jun in Thai Series “My Stubborn”.

Oat Pasakorn Sanrattana plays protagonist Jun, a cute intern, chased, harassed, confused, and sex-bombed by the older Sorn (Boat Yongyut Termtuo), a handsome senior at work who also happens to be an acquaintance. While already cozy with another woman, Sorn constantly gets intimate with Jun, eventually telling him they’re just “sex partners” but preventing Jun from forming a relationship with anybody else. Basically, Sorn spends most of his time being “in denial” about his feelings for Jun in ‘My Stubborn‘, stubbornly claiming Jun is too young to be taken seriously, although ironically, old enough to take to bed. So the primary conflict, if you could call it that, is the ‘situationship’ frustrations between the lead couple.

From the very first episode, ‘My Stubborn‘ sets itself up as a spicy, saucy ride, with minimal plot and maximum frisky business. Yoon Phusanu Wongsavanischakorn plays Jun’s older brother Tai. Though not biologically related, the two treat each other like family. Tai also works at the same company where Jun interns and finds himself caught in a romantic subplot with his close friend Champ (Punpun Punn Chirathanaphat). While Jun and Sorn’s relationship is messy, sweaty, and sexy, Tai and Champ’s dynamic lacks chemistry and feels painfully awkward. But at least that’s not the case between the lead couple.

Ironically, Yoon Phusanu previously starred in ‘Unforgotten Night’, a snooze-y attempt at ‘Fifty Shades of Grey‘-style steamy romance. In contrast, ‘My Stubborn‘ is practically a smut-fest. Twelve episodes long, this show is all spice and no story. If that’s something you’re up for, leads Oat Pasakorn Sanrattana and Boat Yongyut Termtuo turn temperatures up in their intimate scenes for the show. No modest K-drama shy dead-fish kisses here. “Do you know what the office’s fire escape staircase is for?” Sorn asks Jun in the final episode. When Jun innocently replies, “What?”, Sorn goes, “This,” and starts aggressively making out with him.

That said, ‘My Stubborn’ didn’t need twelve episodes. It could’ve been wrapped up in eight. Half the cast serves little purpose, and a lot of the content feels like filler. Still, if you’re tired of slow-burn romances where couples pine endlessly and want some fast-paced, NC-18 chaos – story or no story – this might just be your next guilty pleasure. And well, there’s always the fast-forward button.

Watch ‘My Stubborn’ on iQIYI.

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Also Read: ‘Heads of State’ Action-Comedy Review (Audio Version Below)

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

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Phew! The first few minutes of Chinese animated series ‘Lord of Mysteries’ feels like we’re watching the second or third season of some hit fantasy story! Too much information overload about ‘Beyonders’, transmigrators, secret groups, alternate worlds, celestial planes, and what not. For a second I wondered if I had hit episode 2 instead of the first chapter.

From the opening episode of ‘Lord of Mysteries‘, this is the basic plot I pieced together: Protagonist Klein Moretti is a ‘transmigrator’, someone who can travel to a different place and era. So he is from the future, where computers and cellphones exist, but he finds himself in a steam-punk, medieval alternate reality in 1352 AD. Klein needs to figure out a way to go back home in the future, so he decides to take the help of Dunn Smith, the captain of a secretive group called the Night-Hawks, that operates under the guise of a security company. Dunn Smith is also a ‘Beyonder’, beings that have supernatural powers and can rise to the level of Gods.

The animation is quite engaging, although it also feels very AI-generated in some parts. The designs given ‘Lord of Mysteries’ a gritty steampunk era edge, mixing Victorian-era aesthetics with modern elements. At times, the animation movements feel slow, as if you’re watching someone else play a mystery fantasy game online. And the character designs are very similar to those one sees in Japanese anime, giving them a familiar touch.

A lot of the mystery in the first three episodes is surrounding a missing notebook belonging to the Antigonus family, a powerful aristocratic family, which could hold key to several unanswered questions. Titled ‘The Fool’, Episode one definitely doesn’t adequately or effectively establish the core conflicts, and themes of ‘Lord of Mysteries’, so the move to release two episodes at first was a good strategic move by the creators. Except for the fact that protagonist Klein Moretti can ‘transmigrate’ and wants to go back home, we really don’t know much about his character, which can either pique viewer’s curiosity or tire out those who seek quicker gratification from their shows. It’s a hectic and cryptic opening edition.

I’ll be honest, I was tired by the first few minutes of the second episode and decided to watch the rest of it a few days later, along with when the third episode came out. ‘Lord of Mysteries’ didn’t reel me in with the excitement of “oh I need to know what happens next, I don’t want to wait an entire week before the next edition drops!”. Things get slightly exciting in the second-half of episode 2, where Klein Moretti begins to have a more direction in life, but the pacing remains erratic.

Titled ‘Beyonder’, Episode 2 of ‘Lord of Mysteries‘ starts with Klein Moretti joining the Night-Hawks under Captain Dunn Smith after agreeing to become a ‘Beyonder’. He is then dispatched on his first mission, to rescue a kidnapped child, since the Night-Hawks also operate as a security company. He hopes access to the secretive institution run by powerful beings will help him find a way home, and of course, survive. Luckily, each episode of the series (so far) begins with a quick explanation of who ‘Beyonders’ are and how consuming certain potions can help mortals start off their journey to becoming almost God-like in abilities.

The animation begins to stand out a little better in episodes 2 & 3, which see more action, and the creators also mix a few different artistic styles, instead of sticking to one template. For instance, now that Klein Moretti is a Beyonder, he gains seer-like abilities which can help him locate people. When he exercises these powers, the animation switches to water-paint style palette, which adds an intriguing contrast to rest of the animation design.

Intriguing new characters, demonic entities, magic, spirituality, tarot reading, new ancient languages (sounds like a paradox eh), bizarrely varied powers, alternate realities…. ‘Lord of Mysteries’ piles on lots of elements in the first three episodes of this steampunk-fantasy series. The creators justify the title, because where the show is heading, is a big mystery. All the online buzz about it being the greatest animated show of the year feels far-fetched, although it sure offers some fresh material.

The overall tone of the series is bleak, serious, and dark. I am a little on the fence about how I feel about this animated series; its pacing is choppy, and character personalities don’t exactly stand out yet, and there are too many things going on. Fictional kingdoms, fictional historical personalities, and an overdose of names. After a long time, I took down notes for a review!

Stream ‘Lord of Mysteries’ if the idea of a guy from the future time-traveling to an alternate past, where powerful secret orders with supernatural abilities thrive, sounds exciting. As long as you are a patient viewer who prefers visual styles over substance.

Watch Lord of Mysteries on CrunchyRoll.

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‘Good Boy’ Episode 12 Review: It’s Giving ‘Kal Ho Na Ho’ With Bloodied Action

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Shit! This was a roller-coaster edition of ‘Good Boy’, which starts slow, making Dong-Ju’s (Park Bo-Gum) ‘athlete with the golden heart’ act a little cliched and tiring in the first half, before flipping the switch to ‘dark mode’, where things get bloody violent.

Recap of ‘Good Boy’ Episode 11

Well, the only thing you need to remember is that Dong-ju finally breaks villain Min Joo-Yeong (Oh Jung-se)! Thanks to Jong-hyeon (Lee Sang-yi) following up on some crucial leads, he is finally able to get imprisoned criminal Golden-Bunny to reveal the scale of Joo-Yeong’s clout in Insung City. Dividing themselves into two teams – Han-na (Kim So-hyun) pairs with Man-sik (Heo Sung-tae), while Dong-ju and Jong-hyeon form Team B – the Olympian cops start hitting various locations to find out where Joo-Yeong must be parking all his cash, which helps him keep everyone, from the Mayor to the police commissioner, under his thumb. The episode ends on a hilarious high: the cops finally discover all the cash, while Joo-Yeong is left screaming in defeat for the first time.

Episode 12: Foul

This edition of Good Boy should’ve jumped straight to the aftermath of the season’s highest point: the police team celebrating their victory after seizing trucks full of illegal cash belonging to Joo-Yeong, crippling most of his criminal activities. Instead, the episode opens with a flashback to Jae-Hong’s (Tae Won-seok) Olympic days as a discus thrower. Dude wasn’t even part of the group’s mission to nail the villain’s hideout.

Anyway, the first half of this episode overdoes Dong-ju’s “good boy” act, showing just how overtly sweet, caring, bunny-like, golden-retriever-level lovable he is, which of course Park Bo-Gum pulls off with charm, but it’s beginning to get tiring. Viewers don’t need constant, blatant reminders of how amazing he is. Besides, sorry, but Dong-ju’s decision to shoulder everything alone and not have the decency to tell his team and girlfriend Han-na about his health issues isn’t admirable, it’s selfish. I am getting Bollywood’s ‘Kal Ho Na’ vibes with Dong-ju’s failing health, where he’ll probably die in the end and Han-na will end up with the wealthier Jong-hyeon. (Gosh, that will be such a cliche, but not surprising for a K-Drama)

Oh Jung-se, as primary antagonist Min Joo-Yeong, is more dangerous, despicable, and entertaining in this edition. He no longer finds Dong-ju amusing, and this chapter focuses on him hitting back at the cops. He is done with playing with his prey and is coming for Dong-ju’s blood with all his wrath. With his ‘Punch Drunk’ syndrome getting worse, our ‘Good Boy’ hero cop isn’t as invincible as before. Although, like I said in a few previous episodic reviews, he continues to heal and rise like Wolverine.

With his cash gone, he falls back on Drug Demon’s (Lee Ho-jung) new candy for revenue. Lee Ho-jung’s brief onscreen interactions with Bo-Gum’s Dong-ju are delivering great, unintended chemistry. The Good Boy falling for the Bad Girl, now that would be spicy, but clearly, it’s not going to happen!

Overall, this edition was a mixed bag. The last half is tense, packed with disturbing violence that quickly dilutes the elation of the police team’s victory against Joo-Yeong, who is now bent on serious retribution. An interesting twist is thrown in during the final minutes, with the villains using their bag of tricks to corner and batter Dong-ju. It’s the trusty, reliable Jong-hyeon who saves the day, but the future looks very bleak for the team’s fight against Ilsung City’s mafia. Although episode 12 ends with a confident, furious Han-na swearing on getting some heavy payback!

Watch ‘Good Boy‘ on Prime Video.

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‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Episode 1 Review: Killer Blend of Grief & Horror

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Think I got goosebumps towards the end of episode 1 of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ (光が死んだ夏), the anime adaptation of the horror-manga series by Mokumokuren, directed by Ryōhei Takeshita. The animation might not be the best, but it’s gloomy, creepy, and already hitting some strong emotional punches with its opening chapter.

Plot overview: Teenager Hikaru goes missing in the mountains for a week near Kubitachi, a quiet rural village. Once he returns, best friend Yoshiki realizes something is amiss. “You are not Hikaru. Are you?” he directly questions his friend. In response, an eerie entity partially leaps out of Hikaru’s body, exclaiming it was doing its best to imitate the boy and didn’t want to kill Yoshiki. Stunned, a grief-stricken Yoshiki resolves to accept the entity in Hikaru’s body, thinking it’s better to have this shell of a friend than nothing at all.

Titled ‘Replacement‘, episode one of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ establishes all of this in the very first few minutes, setting the pace for the bizarre horror manga, where a parallel subplot shows an organization working to hunt entities like the one inhabiting Hikaru’s body. So even though a scared Yoshiki (voiced by Chiaki Kobayashi) wants to hold on to the ghost-like Hikaru (Shûichirô Umeda), there’s a threat of him losing his friend all over again. What makes the entity more confounding is the fact that it retains all of Hikaru’s memories.

In just 23 minutes, the pilot episode of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ captures a myriad of themes and emotions – an unknown alien-like entity content on pretending to be a human, teen Yoshiki struggling to cope with his grief, loss, and the bizarre new circumstances, and a village full of people who seem to have some connection to supernatural events and beings.

The character animation in ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ stays true to the manga designs, while the overall animation quality feels slightly dated yet still engaging. Yoshiki is tall, with a dark mop of hair and sad eyes that accentuate his serious demeanor, while Hikaru’s cheery personality is reflected in his bright white hair and a cute snaggletooth. The episode is elevated by its background music and vivid ambient soundscape, filled with the hum of summer, chirping birds, and thrumming cicadas. Although the animation does go more modernist and psychedelic in the horror scenes depicting violence.

Overall, this is an excellent start to what promises to be a complex relationship between a regular human teenager and the entity that has taken over Hikaru, blending horror with deep emotional tension. Chiaki Kobayashi voice as Yoshiki is emotionally charged, serving as a gripping narrator for this horror-anime about loss, friendship, and loneliness.

Watch ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ on Netflix.

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‘Good Boy’ Episode 11 Review: Park Bo-Gum Goes Full Vigilante Mode

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Give Oh Jung-se’s stellar performance as the bad guy in Korean action-drama ‘Good Boy’ so far, maybe it was high-time viewers did get a flashback to his origin story in the crime ring. And we do get served, even though it’s not as exciting or substantial! And it does sort of help explain his soft spot for the boxer-cop-protagonist Dong-ju (Park Bo-Gum) and why he hasn’t gotten him murdered yet, although his patience is running thin.

Recap of ‘Good Boy’ Episode 10

The Special Investigation Team comprising former Olympic athletes, led by Man-sik (Heo Sung-tae), is finally disbanded. Everybody is demoted except for Jong-hyeon (Lee Sang-yi), who is still recovering from his injuries after the dockyard shootout and asks ex-girlfriend Han-na (Kim So-hyun) if they can start over. The episode largely serves as a filler, with flashbacks and some lighter moments between characters. However, in the last few minutes, Dong-ju meets Min Joo-Yeong (Oh Jung-se), which inspires him with a new idea to hit back at the villain: he starts attacking his criminal businesses all by himself. The episode ends with Dong-ju making it to the news as an unknown hooded crusader taking down criminal establishments.

Episode 11: Countdown

This edition of ‘Good Boy‘ begins with a flashback of Dong-ju from his Olympian days in the boxing ring, where he talks about the best attack being one your opponent least expects. The story then shifts to the present, where Dong-ju hits another illegal establishment run by Joo-Yeong, taking on a mini-army of thugs by himself. His mentor Man-sik (Heo Sung-tae) quickly figures out that Dong-ju has been busting thugs, and so does crush Han-na (Kim So-hyun), who hasn’t been able to reach him. Jong-hyeon (Lee Sang-yi) gets discharged from the hospital and gains new evidence that might help the team get leverage against the villainous Joo-Yeong.

Just like the last episode of ‘Good Boy‘, this chapter once again features Joo-Yeong inviting Dong-ju for a meal, warning him to stop his activities or he’ll end up dead. But our hero cop obviously tells him to sod off, cryptically saying “the countdown has begun.” Most of the episode then follows the disbanded special team getting back together outside their regular cop hours to aid Dong-ju in his new strategy: find where Joo-Yeong is hiding his cash so they can cripple his power.

While the primary focus is on the good guys, we one again get a brief flashback into Drug Demon’s (Lee Ho-jung) past too, which frankly is beginning to feel unnecessary at this point and maybe Joo-Yeong should’ve gotten a more substantial back-story. Regardless, this is overall a very entertaining episode, which is slowed down only during a romantic moment between Han-na and ‘Good Boy’ Dong-ju, because their onscreen chemistry felt more awkward for the first time.

Kim So-hyun is given an emotionally heavy scene, but she doesn’t quite deliver it with conviction, which ends up undercutting the steamy romantic moment that follows. For the first time in ‘Good Boy‘, the romance felt unintentionally cringe-worthy. Ironically, it’s the awkward teamwork between love rivals Dong-ju and Jong-hyeon that turns out to be far more entertaining, as the two spend the second half doing some solid groundwork together.

Anyway, the episode is largely entertaining, with a generous amount of comedy, some of which comes from the cops trying to track down a sneaky Russian who works for Joo-Yeong. Park Bo-Gum is comically cute and endearing in the last few minutes, where he and Lee Sang-Yi’s characters keep looking for a “smoking gun” against the antagonist, and Bo-Gum’s ‘Good Boy‘ hilariously keeps sending selfies to taunt Joo-Yeong. ‘Countdown‘ ends with one of the biggest high points of the series so far, which is very satisfying. But since there are five more episodes to go, things are probably going to get bad soon.

Watch ‘Good Boy‘ on Prime Video.

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Mrs Dalloway Book Review: Moodboard of Regrets

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

What in the pass-the-protagonists-like-parcels was this? In some measure, ‘Mrs Dalloway‘ is brilliant, Virginia Woolf manages to wrap up a lifetime of stories, memories, and inner thoughts in just one pleasant London day. But it’s also annoying, because just as you get familiar with one character, the narrative jumps to someone else.

Most literary critics seem to be in awe of the “stream of consciousness” technique used in ‘Mrs Dalloway‘, a novel literary device for 1925, the book’s year of publication. However, Fyodor Dostoevsky did it better in ‘Crime & Punishment‘, which came out in 1866. And yes, some readers might find both books absolutely tedious, but I definitely found ‘Crime & Punishment‘ far more engrossing than ‘Mrs Dalloway‘; though I can’t say the same for Dostoevsky’s other works. ‘The Idiot‘ and ‘Notes from the Underground’ didn’t have the same impact, were dreary as hell, and now I’m too scared to try The Brothers Karamazov.

What even is this ‘Stream of Consciousness’ technique?

Well, if I had to explain it in simple terms, it’s a narrative style where the author gives readers uninterrupted, unfiltered glimpses into the mind of the principal protagonist, or in Mrs Dalloway’s case, through multiple characters.

Imagine Person A sitting in a café, waiting for friends to arrive, and thinking about multiple things at once. So the sentence might look like this (completely made up by me, sorry):

I wonder if I should get the hot Americano or the iced Americano. A hot coffee would be better for today’s weather, but this place is supposedly famous for their cold brews. Shit! I hope I locked the door right. I remember slamming it hard, but it’s not like there’s anything valuable at home—the laptop is with me. I should’ve bought that cute blue bag I saw online. Who knows if that brand will have a 60% sale again? But no, no, no, good thing I didn’t, the month is ending, and this time they better credit our salaries on time. Oh no, it looks like it might rain… the clouds are getting darker, why is the damn weather so unpredictable. I should’ve carried an umbrella. OMG, OMG, that little dog crossing the street is adorable, I wish I could get a dog….

Let’s Look At The Plot of ‘Mrs Dalloway’

The novel unfolds in a single day in London, starting off by introducing the wealthy Mrs Dalloway, who is throwing a party in the evening and wants it to be perfect. With an ex-lover unexpectedly showing up, and a few other surprising events occurring through the day, the principal point of the novel seems to be the outcome of the day. But unlike the title, the plot doesn’t follow its titular protagonist the whole day, instead, the author keeps jumping the POVs (points of view) in the novel, juggling between multiple characters.

If I had to pick three primary characters, it would be the superficially lively Mrs Clarissa Dalloway, a typical upper-class British woman in her 50s whose biggest anxiety for the day is ensuring her party is a success; but an old flame called Peter Walsh comes to visit her the same morning, so her thoughts often go back to the summer she rejected him and chose to marry her current husband, wondering if she made the right choice; Virginia Woolf also dives into the mind of Peter Walsh, returned from British Colony India, hoping to marry a much younger woman, although meeting Clarissa throws him into the throes of agony once again, making him once again the young, passionate man in love with her; and then there is Septimus Warren Smith, a British veteran of the Great War (it wasn’t called World War I yet), married to an Italian woman, a decision he makes only to keep his mind off the horrors of war, but unfortunately, he keeps wanting to die and hallucinates eerie events.

Back to my take of Mrs Dalloway

Listen, if you thought that sentence was long, Virginia Woolf writes almost one-page-long sentences in ‘Mrs Dalloway‘, which, quite frankly, made me lose the stream of narrative more often than not. The first half of the novel is certainly impressive, as the author describes a bustling London day. It starts off with Mrs Dalloway heading out to do a little shopping before her big party, and then the author jumps to different characters to show what’s going on in their minds. The inner worlds of Clarissa and Warren Smith offer a striking contrast to the reader, one obsesses over parties and past loves, while the other is caught in the psychological turmoil of warfare and its lasting effects.

But as the novel progresses, the thoughts of these characters become annoyingly repetitive, with only Virginia Woolf’s descriptions of London streets, scenes, and smells offering some refuge from their suffocatingly boring thoughts. Then the author jumps between various uninteresting characters, which include Mrs Dalloway’s beautiful young daughter Elizabeth, her history tutor Doris Kilman who despises the shallow Clarissa, Warren’s worried wife Lucrezia, and a few others. The problem is, by the time 60% of the novel was done, I was simply not interested in knowing what happened to any of them. It was absolutely difficult to read through the next, even when the end was very close by, it made me want to abandon the novel.

London in 1927 (Source: Wikimedia)

With Warren Smith, the most complex and intriguing character in the novel, you sense from the very beginning that there are only two possible outcomes: either the poor, tormented man will end his life, or he’ll be sent off to some kind of mental institution. Of course, I won’t spoil what actually happens in case you decide to read ‘Mrs Dalloway‘, but the point is, as the characters drift through the pages, readers like me become increasingly indifferent to their fate. In a story teeming with varied characters, not getting the reader to care for anybody? Not a good sign.

It’s hard to believe that “To The Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolf came out after ‘Mrs Dalloway‘, because I found the lighthouse novel mind-numbingly boring, at least the literary prose in Clarissa’s tale often shines, laden with vivid imagery, and rich metaphors. Here’s an example of a sentence that really caught my eye in the book – Such are the visions which proffer great cornucopias full of fruit to the solitary traveller, or murmur in his ear like sirens lolloping away on the green sea waves, or are dashed in his face like bunches of roses, or rise to the surface like pale faces which fishermen flounder through floods to embrace. (This isn’t necessarily the best sentence in the book, just one I happened to highlight early on, while I was still enjoying the story and the regret hadn’t kicked in).

What, of course, also sets ‘Mrs Dalloway‘ apart from other literary heroines of the time is Virginia Woolf’s bold declaration of Clarissa’s love for her friend Sally Seton, even if it’s something she only expresses in her mind. Clarissa is fluid in her affections, reminiscing fondly about her crush on the vivacious Sally, even though her romantic feelings are more fiercely torn between Mr Dalloway and the emotional Peter Walsh. Despite being in their 50s, there’s a youthful romantic charm in these long-lost lovers, creating a certain suspense over whether there’s a chance they might rekindle their affair. Although again, knowing Mrs Dalloway and the importance she attaches to public appearances and social status, you know nothing is going to change.

Wars might rage across the world, people might die miserably, but life is always a party for somebody, somewhere. We must live on. That’s essentially the essence of this book. My principal takeaway from reading ‘Mrs Dalloway‘ was that Virginia Woolf can definitely write to the envy of many authors, her prose has aged well, with many lines spun like gold, but does that make her a good storyteller? I really don’t know. If someone wrote this exact same novel today under the ‘historical fiction’ genre, I’d rate it even lower.

Rating: 2 on 5.

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‘Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel’ Review

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Okay, so the thing is, I’d never even heard of American Apparel until this edition of the Netflix documentary series Trainwreck. If you’re a non-American viewer like me, it’s a clothing retailer that became widely popular for its “sexy, cool” ad campaigns and was one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. in 2005. ‘Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel‘ focuses on how founder Dov Charney charmed new employees, got them to work overtime, and eventually turned into a boss from hell.

Featuring several interviews with former American Apparel employees, most of whom started at the bottom and rose to high positions, the documentary shows how many recall joining the company while very young. Unlike traditional firms, Dov Charney and American Apparel did not bother with résumés, interviews, or any of the other tedious hiring formalities. Instead, most employees were simply hired if they had a certain “look” or passed the “vibe check” for the company.

An ad for American Apparel

American Apparel’s USP lay in its simple, hip clothing paired with an outrageously sexy ad campaign featuring provocative photos of everyday young people rather than professional models. This was backed by the promise of ethically made, 100% American-manufactured apparel, not outsourced to exploitative sweatshops. While the media criticized the company for its near-pornographic ads and high manufacturing costs, the brand was simultaneously soaring in popularity among consumers.

On the surface, American Apparel seemed like a great success story, but when the recession hit, both the company and Dov Charney came crashing down. While the documentary doesn’t entirely justify the use of the evocative word “cult” in its title (Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel), former employees do admit to being swept up by Dov’s magnetic personality, describing a workplace that felt more like his personal clique of minions.

Dov Charney. (Source: Netflix)

Fifty-four minutes long, the documentary is a fast-paced look at the dark side of fashion apparel and what happens behind the scenes. What works best for this ‘Trainwreck’ edition is the fact that creators have access to several video tapes featuring an unhinged Dov Charney caught on camera screaming and swearing at his employees. There’s no dearth of photos, videos to emboss over the interviews, although, in the last few minutes, the documentary features voice-actors recalling some damning testimonies by former employees who were abused by Dov.

Just like ‘Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy’, this coverage of American Apparel misses the opportunity to take a more investigative approach, opting instead for an emotionally driven narrative. Regardless, it’s an interesting look at the power dynamics, manipulation, and abuse of authority by the founder of a once hugely successful company.

Watch ‘Trainwreck: The Cult of American Apparel‘ on Netflix.

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Dan Da Dan Season 2 Episode 1 Review: Of Spooks, Snakes, Screams

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Remember the criminal cliffhanger ‘Dan Da Dan‘ Season One ended with? Momo and Okarun are at her friend Jin Enjoji’s hometown after he asks them for help dealing with his supposedly haunted house. Momo heads out alone to explore the town, finding herself surrounded by frightening predatory men when she goes to take a dip at a hot spring. As the men menacingly circle closer towards Momo, episode 12 of the anime series ends!

Well, thankfully, season 2 of ‘Dan Da Dan’ dives straight into the tense hot springs scene, where Momo fights off the sleazy old men trying to harass her. Titled “Like, This is the Legend of the Giant Snake,” episode 1 of the new season then follows Momo visiting a popular shrine in town, where she learns of a horrifying mythical snake which is both feared and revered by the locals. Meanwhile, some weird old ladies knock on Jin’s door, instantly creeping out Okarun, and their intentions are clearly sinister.

So the opening episode of ‘Dan Da Dan‘ Season 2 is all about legendary snakes, town folklore, and creepy old locals who seem more formidable than vile ghosts. As usual, Momo teams up with Okarun to fight new villains, this time with Jin on their side. Turns out, Turbo Granny also snuck into Momo’s bag to have herself a little vacation, so we get to see her usual amusing antics in her cute cat form while still being a pain in the ass.

While the crazy-wicked humor and psychedelic-level colorful animation styles are noticeably missing from this ‘Dan Da Dan’ episode, the art style is still engaging and the story entertaining. Instead of far-out alien antagonists, Jin’s haunted house introduces spine-tingling, eerie human character the teenagers must fight, if they don’t want to die in the sad little town. And despite being humans, these characters are drawn like exaggerated grey ghouls that serve as an entertaining contrast to the teens.

This might not be a killer opening for the new season of ‘Dan Da Dan’, but it promises a wild ride in the next few chapters, and there’s some Dune-inspired terrors awaiting the protagonists. Keeping it spoiler-free and cryptic you see. Besides, if the first season is to go by, nothing strengthens teen bonds like fighting crazy people, demons, and aliens together. So this might just turn out to be a great ‘bonding’ exercise for potential love-rivals Okarun and Jin too. In case you forgot: Momo used to have a huge crush on Jin, which Okarun is aware of, just as he is aware of his own romantic feelings for her.

“Like, This is the Legend of the Giant Snake” ends with teens literally falling into deep deadly trouble and they must strategize how to save themselves from what would’ve been certain death for ordinary teens. But well, Momo and Okarun have their supernatural spiritual powers to aide them, although, the ending scene suggests Okarun is going to cause more problems than solutions in his supernatural form!

If you’re a patient viewer, I’d suggest waiting for a few more episodes of ‘Dan Da Dan’ Season 2 to release before you start streaming. But if not, go ahead and enjoy it one week at a time, this way is fun too. And if you’re reading this much later, congratulations, you don’t have to wait like the rest of us did for all the episodes to drop.

Stream Dan Da Dan on Netflix and CrunchyRoll.

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‘Heads of State’ Review: John Cena, Idris Elba Lead Politically Wild Action-Bromance

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

What if action star Arnold Schwarzenegger’s dreams of becoming U.S. President came true? Well, John Cena gets to live out the “action star turned President” fantasy in the action-comedy ‘Heads of State‘, while Carla Gugino gets to break the glass ceiling and Hillary Clinton’s dreams for a few seconds. Oh, and Priyanka Chopra plays another version of her character from ‘Citadel‘, and Idris Elba gets to be Britain’s first Black Prime Minister.

So basically, ‘Heads of State‘ is simply a wild action ‘fantasy’ comedy, imaginative only in giving us fictional ground-breaking political characters, while the rest of the plot is just a rehash of all the big-budget action movies we’ve been served in the past. Think Gal Gadot-Alia Bhatt starrer ‘Heart of Stone‘, or Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry’s ‘The Union‘, or even the Bollywood spinoff of ‘Citadel‘, but with lots of political satire.

The plot is about Russian terrorists (obviously) stealing big tech to target U.S. President Will Derringer (John Cena) and UK PM Sam Clarke (Idris Elba), to destabilize NATO and world peace (how can it be less than world peace?). Priyanka Chopra plays Noel Bisset, a senior MI6 agent who ends up with the task of protecting Clarke and Derringer from the crazy Russians. Chopper crashes, car explosions, train chases, and lots of guns, grenades, and deaths follow. All the lead actors get some really cool action moves through the runtime, although, ironically, John Cena gets the least combat-ready character in the film.

You know within the first few minutes of ‘Heads of State’ that you need to let your brain take a break and enjoy this action mayhem. Which, by the way, begins with a stunningly shot La Tomatina fest in Spain, where Noel Bisset’s team of spies are brutally ambushed by notorious global arms dealer Viktor Gradov (Paddy Considine) and his team. The story then shifts focus to the turbulent political relationship between actor-turned-President Will Derringer and UK PM Sam Clarke, who meet for a summit and end up spending a lot more time together than they’d like when they are nearly killed by the Russian antagonists.

It’s the unlikely, comedic bromance between John Cena’s Will and Idris Elba’s Sam that makes ‘Heads of State’ quite entertaining in parts. Besides, if Donald Trump can be U.S. President twice, so can John Cena’s fictional, brawny Hollywood action star version. As an action fan, my favorite part in the film was Jack Quaid’s cameo as Marty Comer, an American agent who briefly protects Will and Sam from armed terrorists. Quaid, known for playing Hughie in hit show ‘The Boys’, delivers a line – “They say never meet your heroes” – which only fans of the show will recognize as a darkly fun easter egg. In The Boys, Hughie is scarred for life after doing exactly that.

In fact, there are plenty of easter eggs, movie references, and meta humor in ‘Heads of State’, which is an over-the-top action fluff that’s slowed down in the second half by a completely unnecessary romantic sub-plot. One of the funnier moments comes when Carla Gugino’s character tells John Cena she’s always known he’s jealous of her superior acting skills, a line that feels both personal and hilarious, because let’s face it, it’s probably true.

The climax for ‘Heads of States’ is dragged out, the action sequences more chaotic than exciting, and the editors could’ve easily cut out at least ten minutes of this film. If not more. I had more fun watching John Cena’s nonsensical action-comedy ‘Jackpot!’ than this. But again, if you’re looking for a low-stakes, no-brainer flick for the weekend, this isn’t a bad option.

Rating: 2.5 stars on 5. Watch ‘Heads of State’ on Prime Video.

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Outer Banks Season 2 Review: Doubles the Drama, Halves the Sense

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sunita (Twitter | Instagram)

Season 2 picks up right where Season 1 of ‘Outer Banks’ ended, diving deeper into the high-stakes treasure hunt that ties the Pogues (a tight-knit group of teens from the Outer Banks) to a centuries-old mystery. With danger chasing them across borders and waters, the Pogues face ruthless enemies, impossible odds, and emotional crosswinds, all while sticking to their motto: “nothing to lose.”

Spoiler-Free Summary

Created by Shannon Burke, Jonas Pate, and Josh Pate, Season 2 of ‘Outer Banks’ kicks off with with John B (Chase Stokes) and Sarah Cameron (Madelyn Cline) on the run in the Bahamas, trying to recover the $400 million in gold that Sarah’s father, Ward Cameron, stole and shipped out of Outer Banks. Meanwhile, back home, their friends (Pope, Kiara, and JJ) work to clear John B’s name, as he’s been framed for murder.

As the gold slips through their fingers, a new mystery surfaces: the hunt for the Cross of Santo Domingo, a valuable religious artifact connected to Pope’s ancestry. This brings in a new villain, Carla Limbrey, and sets up deeper roots to the story.

The season is packed with chases, betrayals, fake deaths, and narrow escapes. Ward fakes his death, Rafe becomes increasingly violent, and the Pogues face defeat after defeat, until they end up stranded on a deserted island, which they jokingly name “Poguelandia.”

What to Expect

More action: Car chases, boat battles, shootouts, everything gets dialed up. Global expansion: The story moves beyond the Outer Banks to new international locations.

New characters: Fresh faces add both help and danger to the group’s journey.

Emotional growth: Friendships and relationships are tested in ways fans haven’t seen before.

Higher stakes: It’s not just about treasure anymore, legacies, justice, and survival come into play.

What Works In S2 of Outer Banks:

Action-packed storytelling.

Ample car chases, ambushes, and treasure hunts. High-stakes treasure twist (Cross of Santo Domingo, Big John’s return) kept suspense high.

Strong cast chemistry: Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, Rudy Pankow consistently deliver believable friendship dynamics through the episodes. Their camaraderie remains entertaining.

New characters & stakes: Cleo’s introduction and Pope’s ancestral storyline adds depth to the proceedings.

What Does Not Work As Well:

Overloaded plot! There are multiple storylines and unbelievable coincidences peppered through the season, which makes ‘Outer Banks’ Season 2 feel less thrilling than the first edition. Some parts tend to test both viewer patience and logic.

Cheap dramatic devices makes things worse. The creators resurrecting major characters, which felt like contrived shock-value twists from the early 2000s.

Inconsistent writing: Many characters are degraded to absolute stereotypes… you kind of want to continue watching just to find out who comes back from the dead this time.

Final Verdict

While not nearly exciting as ‘Outer Banks’ Season one, this follow-up remains bingeable for teen‑drama fans: It’s fun, ride-or-die sequel that ramps up thrills, if you’re in for escapist action and dramatic cliffhangers, it’s a guilty pleasure worth watching.

Rating: 3 on 5 stars. Watch ‘Outer Banks’ on Netflix.

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