Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 3

Reading Premchand’s Prema Over A Century Later – A Tale of Love, Fate, Defiance

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

It’s been over fifteen years since I last read a Hindi novel, so reading Premchand’s ‘Prema’ was my way of re-starting my journey into Hindi literature.

First published in 1907, perhaps Premchand’s ‘Prema’ is too simple for modern readers and yet, it’s not as hard to appreciate the plot when you think of it contextually. Set in Vanarasi (then ‘Benaras’), one of India’s holiest cities, Prema is a love story that attempts to recast ‘widow re-marriage’ in a positive light, since it was considered blasphemous by many at the time.

Premchand picked a complex, controversial issue and spun it into a relatable tale of love, affection, and rebellion. Prema is a beautiful young woman, engaged to handsome lawyer Amrit Rai. They’re both from wealthy, influential families, a match made with parental approval. However, when Amrit Rai decides to dedicate his time in doing social work, strange rumors fly in town about him converting into Christianity.

Again, as a modern reader, I found it peculiarly amusing that a young educated man’s decision to hold discussions about social reforms, build orphanages, and promote widow remarriage, was instantly interpreted as him abandoning his religion. Of course, it’s a deliberate ploy by the author to mock the religious elite.

Alarmed at the rumors regarding Amrit Rai, Prema’s influential father calls off the wedding, leaving the lovers heartbroken. But Amrit starts turning his attention towards a widow, first only out of concern, and then due to genuine affection. However, the entire town goes up in arms, ready to riot and burn homes at the mere mention of a possible ‘widow re-marriage’.

Ironically, ‘Prema’ is a side-character in this tale, despite the title leading the reader to believe she might be the titular protagonist. For almost 80% of her scenes, she is only weeping, or grieving. Amrit is the hero of this story, the handsome, dashing, idealistic lawyer, but not without his flaws.

For instance, in the climactic pages of the book, Amrit finds himself increasingly isolated in the society due to his reformative deeds and one of the things he is upset about is the fact that all his ‘servants’ stop coming to work. The upper class privilege is comical – on one hand Amrit dreams of an equal world, on the other, he thinks himself crippled because half his house staff quit. In-fact, you can’t help but wonder if his desire to marry a widow is an act of charity or love. Especially since Premchand rushes with the tale. But well, at least Amrit is not all talk and no work.

Overall, ‘Prema’ is an engaging novel, even if quite predictable. The climax is rushed, shockingly violent, and perhaps a bit convenient for the fates of the protagonists. Although some readers can seen the climactic tale as divine intervention, an ending that is innocently foreshadowed early on in the story.

I imagine this would’ve been a thrilling, tense, shocking tale of love, defiance, rebellion when it came out. Premchand’s language is simple, easy to read, and takes you back to a time when it was incredibly stifling to be a young woman. It’s a good reminder of how far we’ve come. If you, like me, are looking to explore Hindi titles as a ‘beginner’ reader in the language, Premchand is always a great place to start.

Rating: 3 on 5.

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ABO ‘Desire’ Review: Psycho Billionaire’s Playbook of Maniacal Love

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Chinese series ‘Desire‘ wastes no time introducing its outrageously wealthy and manipulative protagonist, Hua Yong. In the show’s opening minute, he glides through his opulent mansion in silken black robes, while a row of men and women kneel before him like courtiers awaiting their king. Strangely enough, they’re all ex-lovers of Sheng Shao You – the man Hua Yong is determined to pursue. Using his influence to study Shao You’s “type,” Hua Yong prepares to go to absurd lengths to win him over. So, if you’re in the mood to watch a gorgeous looking psycho scheme his way into his crush’s heart, go stream it.

Based on a novel by Nong Jian, ‘Desire‘ is set in the fictional Omegaverse universe, which the creators painstakingly explain in the first episode for viewers unfamiliar with its tropes. All you need to know is that humans in this world are divided into three biological classes, regardless of gender: Alphas (dominant), Betas (neutral with low fertility), and Omegas (submissive, highly fertile). There’s also a fourth, the extremely rare Enigma, so powerful and unique they’re practically mythical.

Actor Huang Xing plays Hua Yong, a beautiful, wealthy Enigma and heir to a business empire, who takes on a fake identity to romantically pursue Sheng Shao You (Qiu Ding Jie), a handsome, top-tier Alpha, also an influential pharmaceutical tycoon who only dates submissive Omegas. ‘Desire‘ thrives on the tension between pursuit and escape, Hua Yong’s calculated seduction of Shao You, and the chaos that erupts once the prey realizes the predator’s true nature.

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A minor sub-plot of desire follows unsaid romantic feelings between Shen Wen Lang (Jiang Heng), Shao’s business rival, and his assistant Gao Tu (Li Pei En), an Omega pretending to be a Beta due to family baggage and past trauma. Hua Yong goes undercover as an intern at his friend Wen Lang’s firm, just so he can conveniently pop up wherever Shao You is. With sneaky charm and zero shame, Hua Yong starts low-key ‘training’ the Alpha, seducing him bit by bit with daily cookie deliveries and perfectly timed appearances.

Huang Xing & Qiu Ding Jie in ‘Desire’

‘I never understood what Sheng Shao You had that made you go to such great lengths. Now I fucking get it. You’re both lunatics…,’ Wen Lang hilariously mocks Hua Yong in the second-half of ‘Desire’. Huang Xing’s portrayal of Hua Yong is on point, he looks like a cold, scheming brat, however is almost-always in character as a ‘poor damsel in distress’ for Shao You, because that’s just his type.

Among the main cast, Li Pei En’s Gao Tu is the only working-class character, and also the one with most baggage, including an abusive, alcoholic father. Gao Tu relies excessively on suppressants and painkillers to hide his Omega identity, while flashbacks reveal his mother encourages him to do so. In the present, he is clearly in love with his Shen Wen Lang, someone very vocal about hating Omegas, so it gives Gao Tu more reason to suppress himself. Their romance had potential, but the pair gets minimal screen-time, because in all honesty, ‘Desire’ is all about the crazy billionaire Hua Yong.

Huang Xing, as the two-faced Hua Yong, is easily the most entertaining ingredient in Desire. If viewers can’t get on board with his blazing red-flag personality, it’s best to skip this show altogether. Hua Yong is terrifyingly powerful, yet masterfully maintains the facade of a “poor pretty boy,” always on the verge of fake tears to tug at Shao You’s emotions. Beneath that fragile exterior lies a calculating, dominant streak that he conceals with unnerving conviction, a dynamic that also fuels much of the show’s dark humor.

Qiu Ding Jie is cute as Shao You, although his character often feels one-dimensional, especially against the wacky Huang Xing. The two look great together, share decent onscreen chemistry, but for a show titled ‘Desire‘, the romantic moments are disappointingly tame, with abrupt edits cutting short any spark of heat between the lovers.

Li Pei En makes the most of his brief screen time as the troubled Gao Tuo, while Jiang Heng, sadly, is wooden as the pompous Wen Lang. Then again, maybe it’s not his fault, the script turns this “brilliant” businessman into someone bafflingly brainless when it comes to love.

Another minor subplot in ‘Desire‘ revolves around Shao You’s mission to find a cure for his father’s rare cancer. His pharmaceutical company is heavily investing in R&D while also eyeing rival firms for valuable research and breakthroughs. One name that catches his interest is the elusive, socially distant heir of a company called ‘X’, and of course, that mysterious billionaire is none other than Hua Yong.

Visually, ‘Desire‘ is stunning, with grand set designs that bring to life the glamorous world of powerful alpha men in a fictional country. Hua Yong resides in a jaw-dropping mansion, complete with infinity pools and breathtaking views. Much of the story unfolds in stylish flats, sleek offices and luxurious lounges, all styled with a professionally polished, high-end aesthetic.

The background score doesn’t do much to elevate the mood, relying mostly on bland piano tracks that blur into the background. At times, the costumes veer into outright odd territory, turning into distractions rather than style statements. To top it off, the production team overuses beauty filters to give the cast a glossy look unnecessary. Everyone already looks good; they didn’t need to be airbrushed into oblivion.

Sixteen episodes long, ‘Desire‘ might boast a gorgeous cast, but its storytelling is choppy, and sluggish. The dialogues drag on, over-explaining every emotion and slowing the pace for much of the show. The climactic episode was disappointingly slow, yet felt rushed, especially in wrapping up the stormy relationship between Gao Tuo and Wen Lang.

What ultimately gives Desire its edge, though, is the unusual omegaverse setting, and, of course, its unhinged romantic lead.

Rating: 6 on 10. ‘Desire’ is on iQIYI, Gagaoolala, and Viki.

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‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ Review: Grief, Gore, Ghosts Drive One of 2025’s Best Anime

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Goosebumps! That’s the word I’d use again and again to describe the first episode of the anime ‘The Summer Hikaru Died‘. I can’t remember the last time a psychological-horror anime, or any series really, hit me this hard, this fast. This is easily, one of the best anime series of 2025.

Directed by Ryōhei Takeshita, the anime is based on the horror-manga series by Mokumokuren, a complex tale of teen friendship, death, loss, love, loneliness, and monsters. Schoolboy Hikaru Indo disappears into the mountains for a few days and then returns home seemingly unchanged. But his childhood best friend, Yoshiki Tsujinaka, senses a dark truth: something else came back wearing Hikaru’s face. The imitation is nearly flawless, but every so often, the mask slips in subtle ways unnoticed by everyone else. Everyone except Yoshiki.

Spanning 12 episodes, the first chapter of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ starts with a frenzied, tense flashback of teenager Hikaru’s death in the dense forests near his village. Nearly six months later, on a hot summer day, as Hikaru and his childhood best-friend Yoshiki have an ice-cream, the latter finally picks up the courage to confront him.

“You are not Hikaru. Are you?”

In response, an eerie entity partially leaps out of Hikaru’s body, exclaiming it was doing its best to imitate the boy, that it likes Yoshiki and didn’t want to cause him any harm, as long as he promises to keep its identity a secret. The horror elements in the show don’t just stem from the entity’s eerie alien form, but also from the fact that ever since it descends from the mountains in Hikaru’s body, other ghostly entities and misfortunes begin to plague the region too. The locals believe a malevolent being is hiding among them, and Yoshiki wonders if its Hikaru.

Titled ‘Replacement‘, episode one of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ establishes most of this in the very first few minutes, setting the pace for the bizarre psychological horror story, 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. Most other school friends are blissfully aware of any change in Hikaru, except for a more perceptive than usual friend called Asako, a cheerful girl, with the ability to sense the supernatural.

‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ centers on Yoshiki’s psychological turmoil, his grief over Hikaru’s death and his desperate attachment to the entity now wearing his friend’s face. As the episodes progress, a strange, symbiotic bond begins to form between them. The entity openly admits its ignorance of its own identity, unsure of what it is, unable to comprehend death, but gradually grows dependent on Yoshiki’s friendship.

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 style leans into a more modernist, psychedelic imagery during the horror sequences, especially those depicting violence. The show’s stark contrast between its unsettling supernatural moments and the lighter, everyday school scenes make it visually arresting. The only thing stopping me from giving the anime a full five stars is that, frankly, the animation quality could’ve been better.

The emotional episodes are elevated by their background score and vivid ambient soundscape, filled with the hum of summer, the chirping of birds, and the drone of cicadas. Through sound alone, viewers are transported to the remote Kubitachi village, steeped in the tranquil beauty of the mountains. In its lighter moments, the show makes one yearn for the simplicity of rural life, but when ghosts and eerie entities appear, that same idyllic village transforms into a haunting nightmare.

While there are many interesting characters making their appearances through the anime, the two that standout most are a matronly woman called Kurebayashi Rie, and Tanaka. Rie can sense supernatural things and immediately warns Yoshiki that he is getting close to something ‘dangerous’. At first, she seems like a nutty lady with a bit part, but through the course of the show, she emerges as a major supporting character, who Yoshiki turns for guidance.

Tanaka, on the other hand, looks like he stepped straight out of Jujutsu Kaisen, he’s got that subtle Satoru Gojo-style swagger, friendly yet aloof, and constantly sporting sunglasses (though for entirely different reasons). He arrives in Kubitachi Village to hunt down the entity the elderly locals believe descended from the mountains. In one of the show’s rare comical touches, Tanaka’s sidekick is a pet hamster that helps him sound out spirits.

The conversations between Tanaka and the locals throughout the course of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ hint at a dark Indo family tradition of going to the cursed mountains to perform a mysterious ritual. There’s a cult-like sense of kinship, secrecy, and shared understanding among the older locals, who clearly know more about the strange happenings in the region than they’re willing to admit. The slow-burn suspense might be a challenge for impatient viewers, but I thoroughly enjoyed the pace and intrigue of the show.

The second-half of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ focuses on the boys’ attempts to understand what the entity really is, so they begin to do research on their village and its myths. Their digging leads them to dark, unsettling secrets about the region, all of it attached to a strange deity called ‘Nonuki-sama’.

Except for the minor glitches in the animation quality, all the other ingredients of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ are flawless. There’s constant tension and an ever-present suspense surrounding the fate of the two childhood friends. The voice acting is exceptional: Chiaki Kobayashi, as the emotionally charged Yoshiki, delivers a gripping narration, while Shûichirô Umeda playfully captures Hikaru’s impish charm through lighthearted giggles and laughter.

Hikaru and Yoshiki at a festival in ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ (Netflix)

Yoshiki’s crippling psychological struggles never feel repetitive, serving as a poignant reminder that grief takes its time to fade. Simple scenes where Yoshiki curls up alone in his bed, crying into his pillow, missing his childhood friend, leave powerful impressions in the show. There are pills lying around him, we never see him consuming them, but it is implied he is either taking something to help him sleep, or for anxiety, and stress. It’s not just the summer Hikaru died, but also the summer a part of Yoshiki is lost forever.

Perhaps the most powerful aspect of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died‘ is how it forces viewers to wrestle with an unsettling question: if someone you loved died, could you live with something else wearing their face? The anime doesn’t just stop at Yoshiki’s struggle, it mirrors the same moral dilemma through a tale taught in school, deepening the emotional weight. “Hikaru is gone, that’s not going to change, so even if he’s a fake, I want him to stay,” Yoshiki tells himself again and again, even as he silently carries the truth that the entity isn’t really Hikaru.

The entity, of course, is the most confounding yet oddly endearing presence in ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’, like an alien learning how to be human, who also becomes immediately terrifying when he unveils his true form. But as Hikaru, his childlike fascination with ordinary moments reminds viewers of the simple joys we often overlook: crying at movies, laughing at manga, savoring good food, or lighting up at a village festival. Through Yoshiki, he discovers companionship so profound that it forces him to question his own existence.

“Sometime, somehow, winter melts into spring. That night sky will become dawn tomorrow. Pour all your wishes onto a flock of clouds. And send it away to an unknown future. Without a sound… keep dreaming that dream. And secretly… keep seeking what you seek…”

These are the lyrics of “Shadow of Our Days”, a gentle, nostalgic piano piece Yoshiki and his classmates keep practicing for their school performance, one that Hikaru clumsily tries to learn as well. Its wistful melody echoes the show’s themes of fading youth and fragile friendship. When the choir performs it in Episode 7 of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died‘, the music swells like a farewell, accompanying scenes of Yoshiki and Hikaru spending a quiet day together before returning home to an uneasy confrontation.

A scene from ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ (Netflix)

From Episode 7 onward, ‘The Summer Hikaru Died‘ ushers in a new chapter in Yoshiki and the entity’s bond. I remember thinking, even with five episodes still to go, that I didn’t want it to end. It delivers the best of both worlds: a psychological horror wrapped inside a tender coming-of-age story, a combination rarely executed this well.

In the final stretch, Kubitachi Village takes on a life of its own, a place soaked in myth, fear, and whispered tales of strange sacrifices and rituals. The mystery of Hikaru deepens: is he a vengeful spirit, a divine protector, or a monster wearing a familiar face? As unease spreads through the region, the boys are caught in a web of truths too vast, and too painful, to untangle. The real horror lies in realizing that not every answer brings peace.

The last few minutes unfold by the sea, where the two friends finally lay bare their thoughts, and the animation and lighting of the water are strikingly beautiful. One moment they’re laughing by the waves, the next they’re a sniffling mess. An intriguing twist about the legendary “Nonuki-sama” the boys had been investigating in the previous chapters of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ is also revealed, though the friends remain unaware of it.

The closing chapter brims with emotion, giving Hikaru and Yoshiki a cathartic farewell as they gaze at the shore, uncertain of what awaits them. It’s the kind of ending that makes this season of ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ feel like a strong standalone story, while still leaving plenty of promise for a season 2. This is undoubtedly among the best anime to come out in 2025.

Watch ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ on Netflix.

Rating: 9 on 10. Watch ‘The Summer Hikaru Died’ on Netflix.

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The Woman in Cabin 10 Review: Keira Knightley Lost at Sea in Shallow Mystery

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

‘The Woman in Cabin 10‘ pulls the classic modern-mystery workaround, when smartphones ruin suspense, just set the story somewhere with no signal. A luxury yacht does the trick, with Keira Knightley playing journalist Laura Blacklock onboard a shiny vessel with no network or wifi. Though really, what’s stopping her from taking photos and videos when something shady happens?

Directed by Simon Stone (‘The Daughter’, ‘The Dig’), ‘The Woman in Cabin 10’ is based on a book of the same name by Ruth Ware. Protagonist Laura Blacklock, known as Lo, is invited by a billionaire to cover the maiden voyage of a luxury cruise. There, Lo witnesses a woman falling into the sea and immediately reports it. But when everyone on board is accounted for, and nobody believes Lo, who is left alone in her quest to uncover the identity of the mysterious woman in Cabin 10.

The best thing about this thriller is that it’s only about 90 minutes long, because despite the crisp runtime, it feels slow, boring, and tedious. We’re simply told Laura is a brilliant investigative journalist, and the odd choice of sending her to cover a fluff piece about a luxury cruise is framed as a break from her usual hard-hitting stories. Everyone on the cruise however treats Laura like she’s some hysterical, mentally unstable woman, which is downright insulting.

Now, of course, there’s the faint possibility that Laura might have imagined everything and that no one actually drowned. But ‘The Woman in Cabin 10’ sure as hell doesn’t work hard enough to make things feel that twisty.

Nobody stands out in this generic thriller, especially since we don’t even know who the victim is, making it hard to care about what might be happening. By hiding the victim’s identity, the film undermines its own mystery, there’s no emotional stake or plausible motive to fuel suspicion. There could’ve been ways to make things entertaining even with a faceless victim, but those options aren’t visible in this thriller.

The climax is melodramatic, silly even, and feels like it’s out of a thriller novel from the last century. If you’re a Keira Knightley fan, this film might be more enjoyable than the average thriller cluttering the genre.

Rating: 5 on 10. Watch ‘The Woman in Cabin 10’ on Netflix.

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Good Boy (2022) Review: Man Bites Man in Weird ‘Dog’ Thriller

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Maybe this was the pitch for the 2022 Norwegian thriller ‘Good Boy’: What if Christian Grey from ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ was younger, slightly poorer, millionaire not billionaire, and an anti-social psycho who is into puppy play?

Interestingly, there is also a 2025 American horror film by the same name, a haunted house tale shot from the perspective of a dog called Indy, a beautiful Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. So when Prime Video threw ‘Good Boy’ as a recommendation on the home page, I quickly mistook this Norwegian film for the dog horror flick and clicked ‘watch’ at lightning speed.

Of course, the gross error was made evident in the very first few minutes, which was briefly horrifying: watching a handsome young man cook a meal in a fancy mansion and serve it in a dog bowl to another man who’s dressed like a dog. What the hell? But then again, it sounds weirdly interesting, doesn’t it?

Written and directed by Viljar Bøe, Good Boy follows millionaire heir Christian (Gard Løkke) as he starts to date Sigrid (Katrine Lovise Øpstad Fredriksen), a young student. Christian is handsome, charming, and the perfect date, that is, until Sigrid finds out he lives with an unusual roommate called Frank (Nicolai Narvesen Lied), a man who dresses and behaves as if he were a dog.

“What’s his deal?” Sigrid wonders. So does the viewer. And Viljar Bøe takes viewers on a slow-burn, unsettling ride that promises to be as bizarre as bizarre goes. Too bad that the writers then opt for the easiest twist to explain what really is happening in Christian’s world.

Weirdly, early on in ‘Good Boy‘, Sigrid’s flatmate Aurora (Amalie Willoch Njaastad) casually admonishes her for being judgmental. It’s a not-so-subtle plot device targeted at the viewer, it’s basically the director telling us: “Hey, relax, it’s not such a big deal, just see where it goes.” And it works. Aurora convinces both Sigrid and the viewer to lower their guard for a bit and figure out what Christian and Frank’s deal is. It works out well enough for thriller fans. Not so much for Sigrid.

Gard Løkke plays Christian as the perfect eccentric millionaire fantasy, charming yet awkward, the type who cooks elaborate meals and surprises the girlfriend with breakfast in bed. Still, something about him never feels right (and not just because of the man-dog living situation). Katrine Lovise Øpstad Fredriksen sells Sigrid’s naïve affection well, but the script loses steam halfway through.

Although ‘Good Boy‘ moves at a slow pace and lacks the tense energy of a thriller right from the start, but at least the unique plot about a grown man having a man for a dog keeps one intrigued and invested in the strange events. But as soon as Frank utters his first human words in the film, the mystery completely shatters.

Nicolai Narvesen Lied, who plays Frank, the titular ‘Good Boy’, spends most of the film hidden inside a disturbing canine suit, his presence constantly unsettling. The climactic scenes hint at his backstory but only in passing, leaving viewers to fill in the blanks. And the moment you start doing that, the plot holes begin to pile up.

At its best, Good Boy works as a cautionary tale about the weirdos lurking on dating apps, and how you can never really be too careful about who you agree to have dinner with. At its worst, it’s just another kinky, offbeat horror flick you might accidentally stumble upon while you were in the mood for a ghost story with a real dog.

Rating: 5.5 on 10. ‘Good Boy’ is available on Prime Video.

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‘5000 Kilometers Per Second’ Is A Beautiful Blurry Ride That Fades Fast

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

If nothing else, this graphic novel seems to move at the speed of ‘5000 Kilometers Per Second’! Set across Italy, Norway, and Egypt, Manuele Fior’s (translated to English by Jamie Richards) dreamily drawn book starts off with a mother-daughter moving into a new flat, while two young friends, Nicola and Piero, peep at them through their window. In seven minutes, Piero is in love with new neighbor Lucia.

But, ‘5000 Kilometers Per Second’ (original title: Cinq mille kilomètres par seconde) isn’t really a romance, instead, it’s like a flipping through a painted snapshots of a lifetime of memories, selected by the author at random. Piero and Lucia barely meet each for the first time and the graphic novel shifts to years later in Norway, where Lucia arrives to study, leaving her life in Italy behind. It feels like the novel was missing pages, like somebody tore off a section of pages, leaving you to piece whatever might’ve happened in between.

Years worth of story is skipped, with the second-half jumping to both Piero and Lucia briefly re-uniting in Italy, as ex-lovers who haven’t seen other in a lifetime. Their reunion is bittersweet, sad, and leads to a climax that once again simply throws off the reader from a moving bike-ride: it feels abrupt, as if only half a tale was handed out to you. At least that was my immediate feeling when I finished ‘5000 Kilometers Per Second’, a rush of disappointment. However, on second thoughts, the story does end where it should, but large swathes felt missing.

A panel from 5000 Kilometers Per Second

What stands out most in Manuele Fior’s storytelling is the way his watercolor-like art gently exposes the illusion of wanderlust, showing how the idea that chasing your dreams across the world doesn’t guarantee happiness. As Lucia begins a new life in Norway, Piero pursues archaeology, heading off to an excavation in sun-drenched Egypt. And even though they leave home to follow their heart, they often feel displaced, realizing they’ve traded comfort for disconnection. Fior rarely needs his characters to spell it out; the ache of homesickness seeps through the panels in the second-half.

The hand-drawn artwork gives ‘5000 Kilometers Per Second’ a paradoxical allure, modern yet nostalgic, intimate yet sweeping. The novel opens on a buoyant note, with sunlit yellows and lush greens coloring its Italian setting, perfectly reflecting the warmth of youth and summer. When Lucia moves to Norway, the palette shifts to shades of blue, capturing not only the cold of the Nordic landscape but also the quiet melancholy of distance and loss. My only complaint with the illustrations? I had trouble differentiating between Piero and his friend Nicola in the first few pages and had to re-read it.

The main protagonists in ‘5000 Kilometers Per Second’ aren’t particularly memorable; there’s hardly any space for real character development. The one exception is Hilde, Lucia’s Norwegian landlord, a charming blonde divorcée, who leaves a stronger impression in just a few pages than the leads do across the book.

Fior paints Hilde beautifully: cutely practicing Italian and getting ready to welcome Lucia, offering warmth and kindness that make her instantly likable. She is the kind of person anyone would want to meet when living abroad for the first time. It’s proof that Fior can create deeply endearing characters, he just doesn’t linger on them here. Nicola too seemed to be a flamboyant, fun character, but is quickly forgotten, and makes the briefest appearance at the end.

If you’re in the mood for an artistic meditation on how life drifts by in quiet, fleeting moments, ‘5000 Kilometers Per Second’ is worth a read.

Rating: 3 on 5.

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Gen V Season 2 Episode 6 Review: Cooking, Chaos, and a Bigger Crossover

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Note to the rare viewer who is still watching ‘Gen V’ without having seen ‘The Boys’: Maybe watch it?

Oh well, it’s jailbreak time again in Gen V Season 2 Episode 6. It was hilarious how quickly Marie’s (Jaz Sinclair) plan to rescue Cate (Maddie Phillips) with help from Jordan (London Thor/Derek Li) and Emma (Lizze Broadway) went kaput! And just when it seemed they’re completely alone in their fight against evil Dean Cypher (Hamish Linklater), surprising new allies emerge.

Quick Recap of Gen V Season 2 Episode 5:

Marie, Jordan, and Emma are almost immediately captured when they attempt to rescue Cate from Elmira, the prison-like facility where supes are experimented on. Dean Cypher is determined to push Marie to realize her full potential, whether that happens on campus or inside Elmira doesn’t seem to matter to him. Meanwhile, Sam (Asa Germann) visits his parents and learns that his mental health struggles are hereditary and have little to do with Compound V.

The episode concludes with Cate breaking free from her cell and helping the others escape as well. Marie rushes to find her sister Annabeth (Keeya King), who was also being held, only to discover she’s dead, but using her powers, Marie brings her back to life.

Titled ‘Cooking Lessons’, Episode 6 of Gen V begins with a super fun, even if predictable twist: a friend comes just in time to save Team Marie’s ass from Dean Cypher’s personal zoo. Now they’re all fugitives on the run, with no coherent plan, unless you count Emma’s hilarious suggestion that they drive off to Canada.

Two new characters (well, not exactly new, they’re from ‘The Boys’) arrive on the scene just as things get dangerous again, offering them both aid and refuge. As Marie and the gang lay low in a swanky safehouse, they start plotting their next move, while their enigmatic host serves up cooking lessons and a proposition that could change everything.

This episode’s spotlight is firmly on Marie Moreau, because, you know, she just casually resurrected her sister. Through a new revelation about ‘Project Odessa’, the covert Vought program behind her creation, we learn why Cypher is obsessed with refining her powers. It’s a revelation that feels more like confirmation; Marie’s potential has been hinted at all along, and this chapter finally turns speculation into certainty.

Marie’s long-awaited reunion with her sister Annabeth doesn’t go the way she’d hoped, as Annabeth makes it painfully clear she wants nothing to do with her. Meanwhile, Emma shares an awkward conversation with Sam, who not-so-subtly hints at wanting to rekindle their relationship. Poor Cate still hasn’t regained her powers, but she does stumble upon an idea that might help her restore her mind-bending abilities.

The most entertaining parts of this Gen V episode come from the new cameos; plot-wise, there’s some forward momentum. Cypher, of course, sends someone to track down his runaway subjects, so there’s a bit of bloody, violent action to keep things lively, but nothing that will have regular fans gripping the edge of their seats.

With the way Gen V is unfolding, it’s starting to feel like the show is merely the prelude. Marie’s journey seems destined to culminate not here, but in ‘The Boys‘, where her power, purpose, and fate will finally collide with the larger world of supes. Marie is being built up as a potential equal to the ultimate supe: the ruthless and near-invincible Homelander.

Stream ‘Gen V’ on Prime Video.

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Steve Review: A 24-Hour Battle for Burned-Out Teachers

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Steve is the head of Stanton Wood, a sprawling “reform” college for troubled youth that’s barely hanging by a thread. When Steve’s deputy is asked about the work, she candidly admits, “It’s exhausting, complicated, demanding work, and it’s destroying us. We are underpaid, understaffed, and chronically under-resourced.” Yet, she adds that despite all its challenges, she adores the young men they’re trying to teach. A sentiment Steve echoes.

Created by director Tim Mielants and writer Max Porter, the 2025 film stars Cillian Murphy (‘Oppenheimer’, ‘Peaky Blinders’, ‘A Quiet Place 2’) as the titular Steven. In a frenzied 90 minutes, the story unfolds over a single chaotic day at Stanton Wood, where a TV crew arrives to film a feature on the struggling institution. Unfortunately, the so-called “students”, a volatile mix of aggressive young men, seem to be on their absolute worst behavior. Actors Tracey Ullman, Emily Watson, Simbi Ajikawo, and Youssef Kerkour plays Steve’s colleagues at the college.

The primary drama centers around Steve’s struggle to keep Stanton Wood running, as he quietly grapples with his own mental health struggles. Jay Lycurgo plays deuteragonist Shy, one of the young students, introduced in the very first minute, listening to music, having a good time, but as the day progresses, he hears some disturbing news from home and begins to unravel.

The film uses the perspective of a meddling TV crew to frame much of its narrative, lending it the texture of a behind-the-scenes documentary. As the crew moves from person to person, asking deceptively simple questions like “How would you define yourself in three words?”, the film quietly reveals flashes of each character’s inner world. Steve’s own reply – “very, very tired” – lands with both humor and heartbreak.

Gritty, intense, and unrelenting, Steve delivers a visceral portrayal of how draining and thankless a teacher’s life can be when faced with volatile, neglected youth. The film’s pace and tone are so immersive that the audience is likely to feel the same exhaustion its characters endure. I was freaking stressed while watching it.

Yet, for all its realism, the film stumbles in its depiction of the students’ supposed redeeming qualities. We keep hearing how they’re misunderstood or capable of change, but all we see are outbursts, insults, and violence on repeat. The film forgets the simplest rule of storytelling: show, don’t tell. Occasionally, the relentless string of crises feels too neatly stacked, like the creators were determined to pack an entire school year’s worth of disasters into one exhausting day.

On the other hand, the film stirs deep compassion for the burned-out teachers of Stanton Wood, all of whom genuinely care for the boys in their charge. Cillian Murphy is excellent as the weary yet steadfast Steve, running on fumes but still radiating empathy. It’s never explained why he keeps giving so much of himself, but perhaps that’s the essence of teaching: the ability to nurture hope where most would only see trouble.

Rating: 7 on 10. Watch ‘Steve’ on Netflix.

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4 Reasons Why Diary of a Ditched Girl’s Amanda Is a Bit of a Walking Red Alert

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Amanda, the protagonist of Netflix’s ‘Diary of a Ditched Girl‘, is a 31-year-old woman who works alongside her sister and mother in their family-run art-and-design business. Single for over a decade, she finally decides to give dating a serious shot, only to quickly burn through a series of men who are, to put it mildly, walking red flags.

But here’s the kicker: Amanda herself often exhibits behavior that makes her a bit of a red flag too. Actor Carla Sehn brilliantly portrays the flawed Amanda, nailing the chaotic personality, while Moah Madsen shines as Adina, the grounded sister who’s infinitely easier to root for.

Here are four reasons why Diary of a Ditched Girl’s leading lady might actually be her own worst enemy.

Warning, major story spoilers ahead.

1. She’s Overly Self-Obsessed

Despite struggling with self-esteem issues, Amanda from ‘Diary of a Ditched Girl‘ is, paradoxically, also incredibly self-absorbed. This comes through most clearly at work, where she often leaves her sister Adina to handle the heavy lifting while she flirts on her phone or obsesses over her latest crush. Instead of supporting her family business, she treats her workspace like a waiting room between dates.
Throughout ‘Diary of a Ditched Girl‘, Amanda behaves like a bratty younger sibling, so it’s genuinely shocking when the show reveals she’s actually the elder one. Her immaturity, and her inability to prioritize anything over her own emotional chaos, makes her hard to root for.

2. She Lacks Basic Courtesy

In one of the show’s more cringe-worthy moments, Amanda goes on a date with a man she met on an app and proceeds to openly flirt with someone else over the phone. Sure, her date is no bundle of excitement, but come on, basic manners shouldn’t be optional. If someone you’re out with spent half the evening giggling at their phone instead of engaging with you, you’d probably walk out too.
Moments like this show how Diary of a Ditched Girl uses Amanda’s behavior not just for humor, but as a reflection of how modern dating apps have turned emotional maturity into a rare commodity.

3. She Has No Real Sense of Self

After seven long episodes of Diary of a Ditched Girl, it’s difficult to pinpoint what Amanda actually likes, beyond chasing men. Her sister Adina, on the other hand, has genuine creative drive, channeling her energy into her artwork. This quality of Adina shines through in an episode where she spends hours and hours handcrafting cosplay costumes for herself, Amanda, and her boyfriend, for a mere party.

Amanda, meanwhile, drifts through her relationships with no real identity or ambition outside of being desired. Her character feels hollow not because of poor acting (Carla Sehn is great), but because Amanda herself seems to lack purpose beyond validation.

4. She’s Ungrateful (and Sometimes Plain Mean)

Originally, I planned to stop this list at three points, but then I remembered the costume fiasco, and it’s just too telling to leave out. Adina spends hours making fantastic costumes for a party, and Amanda even seems thrilled at first. But the moment she learns her crush might show up, she throws a tantrum, declaring she hates her outfit because it’s “not sexy enough.”

Instead of thanking her sister for the effort, Amanda sulks and blames Adina for not making her “look good.” Diary of a Ditched Girl is full of such moments, where Amanda’s selfishness and insecurity overshadow any sympathy the viewer might have felt for her. Okay, maybe that’s not entirely true, because, Carla Sehn definitely makes Amanda pretty relatable in parts.

Well, anyway, while ‘Diary of a Ditched Girl‘ is packaged as a comedy about dating disasters and heartbreak, its real strength lies in showing how people like Amanda can be both victims and perpetrators of emotional messes. The show isn’t just about being “ditched”, it’s also about the ways we sabotage ourselves while searching for love. And in Amanda’s case, the biggest red flag might just be staring back at her in the mirror.

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‘Wedding Veil of the Proud Princess’ Review – A 7-Minute Fable of Vanity and War

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“Once upon a time, there lived a princess, who was the most beautiful princess in the world…”

Thus begins the tale of ‘The Wedding Veil of the Proud Princess’, a seven-minute animated film by Anna-Ester Volozh and Lucy Maud Montgomery. It tells the story of a vain princess, known far and wide for her beauty, with a long line of royal suitors vying for her hand. But the princess sets a near-impossible condition for marriage: she will only wed a king who conquers all kings.

Narrated by Pik Sen Lim, the animated film unfolds like a children’s fantasy book come to life. As Kings across lands go to war with each other for the princess, the great beauty starts to embroider a stunning wedding veil with the help of her handmaids, possibly for a wedding that might never take place.

Meanwhile, the battles rage across kingdoms, each valiant suitor determined to claim the princess for himself. The film’s palette shifts dramatically, from serene blues to fiery reds and oranges, visually echoing the chaos and bloodshed of war.

The 2D animation is lovely, it’s got a slight old-school charm about it, with some scenes having a hand-drawn quality to them. The princess’s snow-white complexion and icy-blue robes create a dreamy visual, one that perfectly reflects her frosty vanity. If you enjoyed the animation styles in films like ‘Secret of Kells’ and ‘My Father’s Dragon’, you’d definitely find the visuals of ‘The Wedding Veil of the Proud Princess’ appealing too.

Does the princess find her groom in the end? The climactic twist is dark, sombre, and cleverly wraps up this tale of greed, ambition, and of-course – vanity.

Watch ‘Wedding Veil of the Proud Princess’ on YouTube, it’s also embedded below.