Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 32

Gram Chikitsalay Review: City Doctor vs Rural Quirks

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Dr. Prabhat Sinha is a young doctor from an affluent family, who voluntarily takes up a posting at a ‘Gram Chikitsalay’, a primary health centre in a tiny village, only to discover it’s in complete disarray: dysfunctional, with not even a road leading to it, stranded in a sea of illegal crops sown by a farmer. The idealistic health professional faces the uphill task of get it up and running to serve patients in the area. This sets him up for a tough life lesson: you can bring a doctor to the village, but that doesn’t mean the village will come to the doctor.

Created by Deepak Kumar Mishra, Arunabh Kumar, Shreya Srivastava, and Vaibhav Suman, the 5-episode Prime Original series ‘Gram Chikitsalay’ stars Amol Parashar as primary protagonist Dr. Prabhat Sinha, struggling to get any patients at the health centre he is posted in. Anandeshwar Dwivedi plays Phutani, the compounder, who’s confident the new big-city doctor will leave the village by the end of his first day – giving him the freedom to slack off and profit from the medical supplies sent to the center. However, Gobind (Akash Makhija), the ward boy, is more optimistic about working with the newcomer. So, what’s it going to be? Will the city boy flee after facing the hardships of village life, or stay on to fulfill his duties without compromising on his ideals?

The first episode is the strongest edition of the show, establishing the basic personalities of the primary characters of ‘Gram Chikitsalay’. Amol Parashar is the idealistic yet naïve Dr. Prabhat Sinha, sticking out like a sore thumb in the village, struggling to blend in, hoping all his issues would be solved by shooting written complaints to the government. The BP machine has been chewed up by rats? The compounder is selling free government medicines in black? Farmers are illegally growing crops on land meant for the health centre? No matter what problem he encounters, Prabhat’s first thought is to file a complaint. It’s another doctor who offers him some useful advice: learn to accept things as they are and fix your own problems.

Thus, the primary theme of the show is the classic ‘insiders versus outsider’ struggle. Even though Prabhat is the only qualified doctor around, the village-folk would rather consult the local quack, Chetak Kumar (entertainingly portrayed by Vinay Pathak), who literally googles symptoms, than give the government doctor a chance. The series, however, misses an opportunity to highlight that it’s not just a matter of trust, it also stems from a widespread (and long-held) misconception among the poor that government health centres are inherently unreliable.

Anandeshwar Dwivedi’s Phutani is one of the most hilarious characters in ‘Gram Chikitsalay‘, an apt representation of a corrupt, lazy, opportunistic government employee. However, Anandeshwar wasn’t completely convincing as a rural resident, something about his personality betrayed the character’s earthiness. Akash Makhija as Gobind, the young, enthusiastic ward boy, is an easy-to-like character in the series, a simple, friendly worker, who genuinely roots for Dr. Prabhat’s success. Garima Vikrant Singh portrays Indu Devi, a hard-working nurse who works on the ground, mostly on vaccination duty, while Santoo Kumar plays her son Sudhir, a minor character at first but one who becomes much more important in the climactic episode, in a turn of events that felt unnaturally dramatic. A minor character who stands out in the series is the cantankerous, perpetually drunk farmer Ram Avtar Singh, portrayed effortlessly by Akhileshwar Prasad Sinha. Living right next to the health centre, Ram Avtar is the one who illegally cultivates crops on government land, creating frequent headaches for the doctor.

Since season one of ‘Gram Chikitsalay‘ is only five episodes long (and it’s evidently made with the hope of being followed up with more seasons), I thought I’d be able to binge-watch it on a Sunday. However, despite its laid-back, comedic rural charm, the show is crafted in a way that doesn’t create significant curiosity or excitement about what’s going to happen next. The second half begins to slack a bit, getting overtly sappy in parts, with different characters either manipulating Dr. Prabhat for their own gains, or giving him sermons about village life. And these sermons get a bit much over time, dissonant with the story’s mostly light-hearted comedic tone.

The cinematography is simple, capturing the rustic charm of rural life, along with curiosities and customs of the northern hinterland.  Dr. Prabhat unwittingly finds himself entangled in local politics, courting politicians merely to promote his health centre, unaware of the complications that come with mingling with netas. An excellent background musical score keeps the doctor’s misadventures and struggles upbeat, even when things start to feel a little boring.

Overall, ‘Gram Chikitsalay’ is an amusing one-time watch, rooted in village politics and community interactions.

Rating: 6.5 on 10. Watch Gram Chikitsalay on Prime Video.

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‘Super Chill: A Year of Living Anxiously’ Book Review

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

‘Super Chill: A Year of Living Anxiously’ is a small, quick comic book by Adam Ellis, which is a collection of snippets from his life, some comedic, some that are maybe mildly amusing, and a few are just eyeroll inducing. Adam anxiously worrying about how to respond to a stranger’s attempt to start small talk at a party: relatable for introverts or those with social anxiety. Adam drinking a healthy-looking green juice and expecting to look like Chris Hemsworth almost immediately? Meh. That’s just ridiculous wishful thinking. What grade is Adam in? He is a grown adult with a good job at BuzzFeed at that juncture in the book. (Or maybe not, since the anecdotes aren’t necessarily chronologically arranged, but he mentions quitting BuzzFeed in the second half of the book, after the green juice tale)

Well, I enjoyed Adam Ellis’ cartoony, cutesy artwork and illustrations, which were slightly reminiscent of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s drawings in the ‘Scott Pilgrim’ comics. A lot of his antics are juvenile but also sort of fun, so it’s an easy book to read. There’s no story here; it’s more of a visual diary, recording different incidents from the creator’s life, some of which are certainly imaginary or exaggerated for entertaining readers. It’s a whole package of varied millennial dread, and of course, you can include Gen-Z too.

The tagline for ‘Super Chill’ – A Year of Living Anxiously, feels over-exaggerated because one of the most serious problems that Adam faces in the book is not having an itinerary for his trip to Japan. Considering how expensive Japan is as a travel destination, that’s a very first-world ‘privileged person’ problem. The fact that he gets to go there alone is a fact that’s likely to raise more envious scorn from a reader who’s had Japan on their “want to go” list for far too long. Yes, that might include me too. Okay, but I get it, for those who have social anxiety, what seems “regular” to others might feel “overwhelming” to them, and Adam tries to show that in a casual, humorous manner.

From not drinking enough water, to hoarding useless crystals (sorry if you believe in their healing powers… truly), or calling his mom to make his hair appointment, Adam Ellis shares lots of funny and unfunny anecdotes from his life. The art, for me, made this a breezy read, and if you’re looking for something silly and “chill,” go give this under-150-pages book a read.

Rating: 3 out of 5. Super Chill is also on Kindle Unlimited.

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Eyestring Review: Eight Minutes of Creepiness

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Well, this was pretty creepy for an eight minute short horror film! Created by Javier Devitt, and Alena Chinault, ‘Eyestring’ stars Alena as Veronica, a young woman grappling with a strange string protruding from her eyes.

The film opens with Veronica speaking on what appears to be a therapy call, only to reveal she’s dialed into a randomized hotline where callers rarely speak to the same person twice. She shares her thoughts on loneliness and isolation, and is told to “follow your mind’s eye”, a piece of advice that marks the unsettling start of her mysterious eye troubles.

Just people touching their eyes can get a few people uneasy (including me), so the body-horror in ‘Eyestring‘ instantly made me uncomfortable and scared for whatever was happening to Veronica. The young protagonist scrambles around to find a solution to her weird problem. And as a viewer, your first thought is, “Why is she not going to an eye doctor?!” But then you think, oh well, she probably doesn’t have health insurance, and that’s truly the terrifying silent aspect of the tale: that people cannot afford healthcare. Is ‘Eyestring‘ a metaphorical criticism of the health system? Not sure.

The other way to look at ‘Eyestring‘ is through Veronica’s mental health perspective. She rarely steps out of her house, is lonely, probably depressed, and just when she is told to follow her “mind’s eye,” the creepy protrusion forces her out of her home, out of her comfort zone, pushing her to find answers to her problem. Although she doesn’t do a lot, eventually goes back home and simply starts resorting to simpler, desperate steps. And just when she thinks she might’ve solved her problem, things get worse!

Maybe it’s a metaphor for her not doing enough to cleanse herself from whatever it is that’s holding her back, so the darkness within her grows despite her superficial efforts to get rid of it. Damn, I wasn’t trying to turn this review into an explainer, but oh well.

The cinematography is simple, straightforward, and the eye-thing is disturbing to say the least. Overall, ‘Eyestring’ is an interesting little film, and even though the ending is almost comedic and abrupt, it offers plenty of food for thought for the thinking viewer.

Rating: 7 on 10. The film is now on Alter’s YouTube channel.

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Loveyapa Review: Loud, Glossy Delhi-Style Take on Love Today

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

The romantic-comedy ‘Loveyapa’ is a glossy, shiny, Bollywood version of Pradeep Ranganathan’s ‘Love Today’, and is almost as entertaining, with a few aspects improved, and some other elements watered down. I could pretty much copy-paste my old ‘Love Today’ review, because ‘Loveyapa’ is quite faithful to the original in terms of core plot, big twists, and themes.

Directed by Advait Chandan, Loveyapa is an official remake of Love Today, with Pradeep Ranganathan serving as one of the producers. It stars Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor as lead couple Gaurav Sachdeva and Baani Sharma. The plot is the same: when Baani’s strict father, Atul Kumar Sharma (Ashutosh Rana), finds out that she is dating Gaurav, he challenges the young couple to swap their phones for 24 hours to see if they still trust each other enough for marriage after the exchange. Their future at stake, the young couple reluctantly agrees to the idea. But will their love survive all the digital secrets hidden in their cell phones?

The premise was fresh and fun when Love Today came out, and Loveyapa benefits from the zany plot, managing to be just as comedic in the first half, with the lovers scrambling to get their phones back, and then fighting over their discoveries. One of the few things Loveyapa does better than Love Today is the interactive graphics used to show the chats, messages, and other exchanges on Baani and Gaurav’s phones. These improvements are largely due to the fact that Loveyapa has a much bigger budget, 60 crore INR versus Love Today‘s modest 5 crore INR. So, the sets are also shiner, grander, and unlike the more relatable middle-class settings of its Tamil counterpart.

Ashutosh Rana is excellent as Baani’s strict father, who stirs up trouble in the couple’s cutesy, cringe-y love life by forcing them to exchange their phones, thereby exposing their double digital lives. Grusha Kapoor also hilariously plays Gaurav’s loud, dominant Punjabi mom, who is constantly upbraiding him for being glued to his phone all the time. One of the funniest montages in Loveyapa shows Grusha’s character repeatedly snatching Gaurav’s phone at various moments, right after he wakes up, at the dining table, in the bathroom, even while driving, chiding him each time with lines like “Not while eating!”, “Not in the bathroom!”, and “Not while driving!”.

Like the original, a crucial subplot in ‘Loveyapa‘ focuses on Gaurav’s older sister Kiran (Tanvika Parlikar) and her engagement to a dentist called Anupam (Kiku Sharda), who wins her heart with his kindness and transparency, while everyone else is skeptical of the match due to his being overweight. However, the misunderstandings and fights that erupt between Gaurav and Baani over their phone chats spill over to Kiran, as she begins to get suspicious of Anupam’s possessiveness about his phone. The diversity and differences between the two couples adds a fun touch to the runtime. The creators sprinkle in some fun Bollywood easter eggs: Gaurav and Baani are seen dancing in front of a screen playing Aamir Khan’s iconic Pehla Nasha, while Anupam and Kiran channel Raj and Simran from DDLJ in their pre-wedding shoot.

Junaid Khan’s debut film ‘Maharaj‘ saw him on more solid footing with a serious script, while the romantic comedy ‘Loveyapa‘ sees him falter here and there, even though overall, his performance is passable as a creepy guy who messages girls at random, asking for their photos. Comedy of course, is much more difficult to pull off than serious dramas. I said it in my review for ‘Love Today‘, and I’ll say it again: the lead ‘hero’ is made to look like a decent human being through the introduction of creepier dudes. So, what if Gaurav pretends to be single and flirts with women, asking them for their photos – at least he isn’t blackmailing them. L-O-L.

Baani, on the other hand, is naive, yet smart enough to keep her options open, never actively discouraging the male attention she receives online, keeping some of her guy friends on ‘the hook’. Khushi Kapoor’s portrayal of Baani has more life than her performances in ‘Nadaaniyan‘ and ‘The Archies‘, but her act is still not convincing or confident enough to pull off lead roles. The onscreen chemistry between Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor is lukewarm, although their bickering garners laughs, courtesy some casual, witty dialogues.

If you haven’t seen the Tamil original and are a Bollywood fan with a soft-spot for romantic-comedies, ‘Loveyapa’ is an entertaining affair, thanks to its funny, modern script that pokes fun at the dual lives people live online.

Rating: 6 on 10. You can watch ‘Loveyapa’ on Jio Hotstar.

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A Big Bold Beautiful Journey Trailer: Colin, Margot, and Magic Doors

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“It’s funny how the most beautiful place makes you feel the most alone, you know…”

The trailer for upcoming movie ‘A Big Bold Beautiful Journey’, teases a magical fantasy-romance starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell as two strangers brought together by fate, and a mysterious magical door.

The trailer begins with a rain-drenched wedding scene, where Sarah (Robbie) and David (Farrell) meet for the first time. What follows is not just a date or a budding romance, but an extraordinary adventure through enchanted doorways that transport them to pivotal moments from their past. Think Narnia, but with zero mythical creatures and more emotional baggage, so the only possible villains are the ghosts of the couple’s past.

Directed by Kogonada and written by Seth Reiss, the film promises a whimsical yet soul-stirring story where memory, regret, and second chances intertwine. Sarah and David, two single guests at a mutual friend’s wedding, find themselves pulled into a series of surreal encounters that allow them to confront both joyful and painful episodes of their personal histories. As they navigate this dreamlike journey together, the possibility of rewriting their future begins to emerge.

This marks Margot Robbie’s first major role since her massive 2023 success with ‘Barbie’, while Colin Farrell returns to a romantic lead after his darker turn as Oswald Cobb AKA Penguin in the live-action series ‘The Penguin’. While the trailer doesn’t reveal much about their onscreen chemistry, the fresh pairing alone is enough to pique interest.

From the looks of it, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey may just live up to its ambitious title, a heart-tugging, time-skipping tale of rediscovery and romance. The film is expected to release on September 19, 2025.

You can watch the trailer on YouTube, it’s also embedded below.

Retro Review: For Suriya Fans

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Suriya starrer ‘Retro’ is all about over-the-top 1990s masala, action, and a little bit of romance, even though it’s the love story that fuels everything in the plot.

Directed and written by Karthik Subbaraj, ‘Retro’ opens with a burglary at a gangster’s property, culminating in the gruesome murder of the watchman, who is survived by an orphan baby with a spear-shaped mark on its body. Taking it as a sign from ‘God’, the gangster’s wife adopts the baby, names it Paarivel Kannan, while her husband Thilagan (Joju George) only tolerates the child to humour her. Thilagan finally starts to see the boy as his son when a young Paari bravely fights off several goons trying to murder Thilagan in his sleep. Paari (Suriya) soon becomes Thilagan’s right-hand man, dreaded by rivals, but vows to abandon the life of violence when he agrees to marry Dr. Rukimini (Pooja Hegde), a veterinarian and the love of his life. And if you’ve seen enough action movies, you’d know this about a life of crime, immortalized in Hotel California lyrics – You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

The primary conflict thus in ‘Retro’ centers on Paari’s adoptive father refusing to let him walk away, especially since he plays a crucial role in an upcoming arms deal codenamed ‘Gold Fish’. This clash of wills leads to Paari assaulting Thilagan, landing him in prison, while Rukimini, disappointed in his choices, vanishes. The film’s second half follows Paari as he tries to track down Rukimini and win her back. His attempts include jail escapes, kidnapping, impersonating a comic, and even clashing with a bizarre cult. The plot goes absolutely off the rails, but not in a “whoa, this is wild and fun” way, more like “wait, what is even happening?” kind of chaos.

I had to do a double take at Pooja Hegde’s introductory scene in Retro, where she evidently looks nothing like her usual self, swathed in make-up several shades darker than her natural skin tone. The South Indian obsession with “fair” skin continues, and it’s frustrating to see brown-washing still practiced in 2025. Rukimini could’ve simply been written as fair-skinned, or they could’ve cast someone who fit the intended look. Hegde is charming as Rukimini, but the artificial brown face-paint is a constant distraction. And let’s be real, ‘Retro’ is all about Suriya; the creators could’ve easily gone with a newcomer for the female lead.

Pooja Hegde at an Event Versus in ‘Retro’

With an almost 3-hour runtime (1 hour 48 minutes), Retro is too long and veers into randomness in the second half. While Suriya is dashing as always in his action-hero avatar, the script feels not just set in the ’90s but like it was actually written then. Sure, it’s a masala action flick, and we don’t expect the brilliance of ‘Jai Bhim’ or ‘Soorarai Pottru’, but this is chaotic and mostly unentertaining, complete with a very unnecessary song-and-dance number in prison. Even Rajinikanth’s ‘Jailer‘ didn’t stoop to that (and no, ‘Hukum’ doesn’t count – that was a banger), despite prison life being a dominant theme. Besides, several scenes meant to be ‘funny’ in ‘Retro’, just fall flat.

Honestly, just watch this film if you’re a die-hard Suriya fan, and keep your expectations low regarding the plot.

Rating: 2.5 stars on 5. ‘Retro’ is on Netflix.

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

Night Swim Review: Horror Meets Chlorine, But Not Terror

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

A big house with a pool is the middle-class dream, very few attain it, and the horror film ‘Night Swim’ turns that aspiration into quite the nightmare!

Directed by Bryce McGuire, who co-wrote the film with Rod Blackhurst, ‘Night Swim’ follows Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell), a baseball player on hiatus due to his ailing health, as he moves into a new home after his wife, Eve Waller (Kerry Condon), lands a new job at a school. They have two children, teenager Izzy (Amélie Hoeferle) and the younger Elliot (Gavin Warren), both of whom are excited about their new house, especially because it has a pool. Advised to try water therapy, Ray is especially pleased to find that swimming in his backyard seems to improve his condition. But soon, the rest of the family begins to experience sinister events in the water, fearing that the pool may be haunted.

‘Night Swim’ actually opens with an intriguing cold-open, featuring the family living in the ‘haunted’ pool house before the Waller family moved in, clearly hinting a young girl might’ve died there. It’s something the real estate agent obviously doesn’t tell the Waller family, but who’d believe in a ghostly pool anyway? But the thing is, the first half of the film does have ample creepy moments, making the viewer worry especially when the innocent Waller children go in for a dip, only to experience dangerously supernatural events. It’s a little like ‘Jaws’, but instead of a killer shark, you have an unknown entity trying to kill those that enter the pool’s water.

Wyatt Russell who plays Ray Waller is the weakest link in the cast, he has very little screen presence and recall value, so it makes it hard to care for his character, even though he is supposed to be a charismatic baseball player. Kerry Condon has a better hold on her character as Eve, a hardworking mom who takes her kids seriously. So when Elliot complains he saw somebody asking for help in the pool, Eve believes him, while Ray dismisses it as Elliot’s attempt at creating a new imaginary friend.

Despite some eerie moments, ‘Night Swim’ begins to lose its creepy edge the second it reveals the ‘ghost’ inhabiting the pool, which turns out to be a hideous blob-like monster, that’s almost comical in appearance and not at all scary. The creators should’ve kept the spirit faceless or hazy, which would’ve made it more creepy and intimidating. The second-half then veers into folk-lore-ish territory, which really didn’t seem to be the case from the way the story unfolds until then.

Overall, ‘Night Swim‘ isn’t as terrifying as a horror film should be, relying on familiar tropes and revealing its primary antagonist too soon, which drains the mystique. While viewers do get an intriguing backstory about the pool’s sinister nature, it feels rushed and underdeveloped. If you’re a horror fan who doesn’t mind low-stakes stories and mild scares, it might be an ‘okay’ watch for when you’re running out of titles to stream.

Rating: 5.5 on 10. Watch ‘Night Swim’ on Netflix.

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Black Phone 2 Trailer: The Grabber Dials Up Horror Again

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Who knew horror fans would get a Black Phone 2?! A sequel to the 2021 horror hit The Black Phone, which starred Ethan Hawke as a terrifying serial killer called “The Grabber,” who abducts kids, tortures them, and murders them. If fans recall, the film ends with Finney (Mason Thames), the Grabber’s latest victim, fighting back and managing to escape, but only after killing Hawke’s character.

“Did you think our story was over?” the Grabber says ominously to Finney, as the boy stands frozen, holding a black phone receiver in the trailer for Black Phone 2. So, did the Grabber survive? Or worse… is his ghost back to extract revenge on his last victim? Seems like the latter!

That means Black Phone 2 is going to be scarier, deadlier, and maybe even bloodier, with the creators amplifying the supernatural elements in the story. “You of all people know, ‘dead’ is just a word,” the Grabber warns Finney over the phone. So even though Finney is no longer trapped in the ghastly basement of the serial killer, the iconic ‘Black Phone’ continues to remain a supernatural motif. And fighting the grabber while he was still human was already tough, imagine having to battle his ghost now!

Joining Ethan Hawke and Mason Thames in this sinister sequel are Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, and Miguel Mora. And just like the first film, Black Phone 2 is directed by Scott Derrickson, who has co-written the script with C. Robert Cargill. The idea, if fans remember, is based on a short story by the acclaimed author Joe Hill.

You can watch the trailer on YouTube, it’s also embedded below. The film is set to hit theatres on October 17. And if you need a quick refresher on what went down in the first Black Phone, it’s available to rent on Prime Video, or you can scroll below for a quick written recap.

Plot Recap of the First Film

The Black Phone is about a shy 13-year-old boy named Finney (Mason Thames) who gets kidnapped by a creepy masked man known as The Grabber (Ethan Hawke). This guy has been snatching kids in town, and nobody knows where they’re disappearing to. Finney ends up trapped in a soundproof basement with nothing but a broken black rotary phone on the wall.

But here’s the twist, although the black phone doesn’t work, it starts ringing. And when Finney picks it up, he hears the voices of the Grabber’s previous victims. They’re dead, but they’re calling to help Finney survive. Each one gives him clues or advice, trying to help him escape what they couldn’t.

Meanwhile, Finney’s younger sister, Gwen, starts having strange dreams that seem to show her where Finney is. She tries to convince the adults to believe her, but of course, they don’t take her seriously, at least not at first.

In the end, Finney pieces together everything he’s learned from the ghostly calls, faces his fears, and actually manages to take down the Grabber and escape. It’s intense, creepy, and surprisingly emotional, especially with the way the dead kids rally behind Finney to make sure he doesn’t end up like them. It will be interesting to see how the story pans out in ‘Black Phone 2’, with the masked killer back on the prowl!

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‘Good Boy’ Episode 2 Review: Olympic Squad Assembles

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‘Good Boy’ Episode 1 Recap: Five Olympic athletes turned cops find their paths crossing while working in different departments of the Insung Metropolitan Police Agency, as they get entangled in a case involving a notorious goon known as ‘Golden Bunny.’ Park Bo-gum plays Yoon Dong-ju, a former boxer turned cop working under his senior Min Joo-yeong (Heo Sung-tae), a former wrestler. The episode ends with Dong-ju fighting off a gang of goons after receiving a tip about Golden Bunny’s hideout. Meanwhile, Ji Han-na (Kim So-hyun), an Olympic shooter turned cop and Dong-ju’s crush, is attacked at home by criminals seeking incriminating documents that originally belonged to a murdered customs officer. Her ex-boyfriend Jong-hyeon (Lee Sang-yi), a fencer turned cop, rushes to her aid but is intercepted by armed henchmen, who he fights off in style. Shin Jae-hong (Tae Won-seok), who happens to be on traffic duty nearby, also does his bit in stopping some of the criminals.

Also Read: ‘Good Boy’ Episode One Review

Titled “Faster, Further, Stronger,” Episode 2 of ‘Good Boy‘ opens with the aftermath of the big fight, as Joo-yeong arrives with backup to rescue Dong-ju, to find that the young cop has already taken down the entire gang by himself and even managed to capture ‘Golden Bunny.’ The athlete-turned-cops make headlines for helping nab the notorious criminal, and Joo-yeong tries to capitalize on the win by getting approval for a special task force made up of former Olympians. Everyone agrees to join the new team (except Jong-hyeon) only to comically discover that the “special” team isn’t what they imagined.

Since the basic character profiles of all the main protagonists has been established, episode 2 of ‘Good Boy’ was a lot more entertaining to follow. It focuses on Dong-ju’s cute efforts to woo Han-na, but the primary focus remains on the Police departments continued efforts into investigating the Golden Bunny, and the hit-and-run case involving the customs officer. If you remember, episode one already strongly indicated that rampant police corruption and insiders might be responsible for letting the criminals have an easy hold over their turfs.

Park Bo-gum is adorable as the cheery, optimistic Dong-ju, although his character’s flirting with Han-na borders on stalking, something another character even jokes about. Will he eventually melt the nonchalant Han-na’s heart? It seems highly likely. That said, Lee Sang-yi as her ex-boyfriend Jong-hyeon is also smart, handsome, and suave, definitely a strong rival for Dong-ju. But at this point, it isn’t really a love triangle, and there’s no real suspense about who Han-na will eventually choose. It would be interesting if the writers threw in a twist and let her stay single or perhaps even pick the ex-boyfriend.

Heo Sung-tae, as their senior Min Joo-yeong, gets the most comical scenes in this episode and is effortlessly funny in his parts. The second half of the episode shows the cops receiving a tip-off about the location of some goons, and this time, almost the entire special team arrives on the scene to fight the bad guys. Only Han-na is missing in action, as she goes to deliver some documents. The action sequences weren’t particularly exciting in this chapter, but it does end with a solid twist: Dong-ju makes a major breakthrough in the hit-and-run case.

You can stream the series on Prime Video.

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A Man’s Skin: Graphic Novel Review

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

‘A Man’s Skin’ is a fast-paced gender-bender graphic novel that could’ve been so much more, but is surprisingly not as wild or experimental as some readers might expect it to be. But okay…

Set somewhere in Renaissance Italy, ‘A Man’s Skin‘ by Hubert is a graphic novel that follows Bianca, a young lady from a wealthy family, betrothed to Giovanni, a merchant only a few years older than her. While everyone thinks Bianca is lucky to be engaged to a handsome young man, she is unhappy about not knowing anything about him. Through incredible luck, Bianca learns from her godmother that the women in her family have been passing down “a man’s skin” from one generation to another, a magical costume allowing the wearer to look and perform authentically like a man. Known as Lorenzo, Bianca is thrilled to wear the skin, as it enables her to befriend Giovanni and finally get to know him. However, wearing a man’s skin throws Bianca deep into the vulgar, sexual world of men, where she eventually becomes friends with Giovanni but learns he prefers men over women.

The illustrations in A Man’s Skin by Zanzim are colorful, cartoonish, and deceptively simple, lending a playful tone to an already fantastical tale of a woman transforming into a man. Bianca’s transformation into Lorenzo goes far beyond mere Renaissance cross-dressing, it’s a magical metamorphosis that allows her to fully embody a man, convincingly enough to deceive Giovanni completely, even in bed. Naturally, this leads to Bianca feeling confused, hurt, angry, and emotionally shattered; after all, she manages to win over her future husband, but only as a man. And once they marry, her problems are far from over.

Hubert comically contrasts Bianca’s double life with the religious fanaticism of her brother Angelo, a Christian priest who constantly preaches about sin and aggressively campaigns against premarital sex, extramarital affairs, and sodomy. There are strong clashes throughout the novel between the puritanical churchgoers and the more liberal French bourgeoisie. Although Angelo harbors a strong hatred for women, is completely misogynistic, and as hinted by Bianca herself, he is probably in the closet himself.

While becoming Lorenzo allows Bianca to experience the freedoms of being a man in a patriarchal, she surprisingly limits herself to exploring the city only in Giovanni’s company. She does, of course, indulge in a few wild escapades, like posing naked (as Lorenzo, which to her feels like a costume) for a renaissance painter, or causing mischief among religious fanatics, but her world largely revolves around Giovanni. First, she tries to befriend him; then she falls in love with him while wearing a man’s skin; and eventually, she marries him as herself, doing her best to make the marriage work. As Lorenzo, Bianca is able to see first-hand the double-standards of society against women, so ironically, becoming a man helps her become a feminist. In the end, she does find her footing, running her household by her rules, but her journey there could’ve been far more exciting.

Overall, “A Man’s Skin” is an entertaining journey through a fictionalized France, one teetering at the edge of moral conservatism and sensual liberation, where tradition and desire wrestle on most pages.

Rating: 4 on 5.

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