Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 35
May 22, 2025
Sirens Review: Sibling Drama, Trauma, and a Bougie Billionaire Boss
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
How far would you go to rescue your sibling from the clutches of a shady boss who might be an evil cult leader masquerading as a charming philanthropist?
Created by Molly Smith Metzler, the 2025 Netflix mini-series ‘Sirens’ stars Meghann Fahy as primary protagonist Devon, a bit of a train wreck from Buffalo, on a mission to drag her beloved baby sister Simone (Milly Alcock) back home from her posh job as assistant to billionaire socialite Michaela Kell (Julianne Moore) on a beautiful little island town. Devon sees Simone as a glorified servant in the grip of Michaela’s hypnotic personality, and she is convinced Mrs. Kell is a devious cult leader with terrifying skeletons in her closet. Simone, however, seems to truly love her job and the power that comes with it.
Spanning five episodes, ‘Sirens’ is a witty, satirical, (slightly) dark-comedy, which adds a dash of whimsy to the tale with background music that sometimes overemphasizes that “all is not what it seems.” Episode one starts off with Meghann Fahy’s Devon coming fresh out of jail and furious at a fruit basket from her sister at her door, all while Simone has been ignoring Devon’s SOS calls and messages to help with their aging dad.
The two sisters are poles apart, hilariously established in the pilot episode, when a sweaty Devon arrives at Simone’s workplace looking like a drunk emo hipster, while Simone struts around as if she is on the sets of Stepford Wives or vintage Barbie. Clearly, the sisters inhabit two different worlds, and maybe Devon just cannot digest the fact that her sibling doesn’t need her anymore.
Julianne Moore is the most enigmatic character of Sirens, the mysterious, wealthy Michaela Kell, the sort to organize fancy galas and pose for Vogue magazine covers. Kevin Bacon plays her billionaire husband Peter Kell, in a criminally short role, despite ultimately emerging as a crucial player in the tale. As the episodes unfold, viewers learn of the creepy co-dependent relationship between Michaela and assistant Simone, which includes using each other’s used gum. Eww? Yeah.
So maybe Devon’s suspicions that Michaela is running a cult aren’t all that baseless? Well, Sirens keeps a fun mystery over her character motivations and origins, slowly revealing that the story really isn’t as twisted or complicated as Devon imagines it to be. The wild Devon tries to play Nancy Drew around the island, stirring up trouble for her sister and often landing herself in tight spots too. The core theme is about the characters running away from their problems. Devon leaves her dad at the mercy of her boss, while Michaela and Simone are lost in the glamorous façade of the billionaire lifestyle.
Romance really isn’t a key ingredient in Sirens, although the messed-up romantic lives of the trio do take center stage in the last two episodes. While Michaela gets increasingly paranoid that Peter might be having an affair, Simone’s secret relationship with the much older Ethan (Glenn Howerton) brings much chaos. Devon, on the other hand, doesn’t believe in romance. She is an emotional train wreck whose coping mechanism includes having sex with the closest male available. Within 24 hours of arriving on the island, she already sleeps with two strangers. It was entertaining to see the female protagonist not attach any importance to who she beds. So, Meghann Fahy’s character is tangled up with three men, she has very little romantic chemistry with any of them, and that’s precisely the point.
Sirens thrives on the dramatic dynamics between its three lady leads, hilariously contrasted with Devon’s problem-child behavior. While Michaela and Simone are more like twin siblings, doing everything together (which of course is creepily comical), Devon is always drawing swords with the two women. The men are just accessories in their ascent and descent. But I am not going to complain about the token male representation in a series called Sirens. It’s a women’s world, and it’s pretty engaging. The climactic episode unfortunately feels too rushed, but delivers an strong, ironical ending, with no confusion over who the real ‘siren’ is.
Rating: 7.5 on 10. Watch ‘Sirens’ on Netflix.
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Blood of Zeus Season 3 Review: Titanomachy 2.0 Ends in a Cheat Code
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“Merey Karan-Arjun aayengey!” (Translation: My Karan Arjun will return)
That’s an iconic dialogue from the 1995 surprise Bollywood Blockbuster ‘Karan Arjun’, which follows two dead brothers re-incarnating to avenge their family. Heron and Seraphim in Blood of Zeus season 3 feel like the Greek Karan and Arjun, since technically, both of them get a second shot in the living world to avenge their family/lovers. Maybe the comparison doesn’t make sense right now, but if you’re a Bollywood enthusiast by any chance, you’ll know what I mean when you see the final scene.
The brothers continue to dominate the story, but let’s not forget it all started with the love-hate romance between Zeus and Hera, which is simply diabolical! And season 3 of Blood of Zeus returns with the consequences of their fallout, with the creators delivering a blood-soaked finale promised by season 2’s cliffhanger. If you’ve been following this animated show by Charley Parlapanides and Vlas Parlapanides, this edition kicks off with some unexpected deaths – major Gods are squatted like flies.
“The time has come for the Titans to return!” exclaims an angry Gaia at the end of ‘Blood of Zeus‘ season 2, awakening Typhon, a powerful monster, to the horror of all the Olympians. If you remember, the last episode ended with Hades betraying Heron’s trust by stabbing him, this when Heron was offering a peaceful power transition to the Olympians following Zeus’ demise. Although unlike other megalomaniac Olympians, Hades is driven by his love for Persephone.
Season 3 thus brings Gaia’s prophecy to life. She doesn’t just unleash Typhon, but also frees some other terrifying Titans who were imprisoned in Tartarus, so that they can end the reign of the selfish, scheming Olympians like Hera, Hades, and Demeter, among others. This sets the stage for another brutal, era-ending Titanomachy, and the creators surprisingly do not serve viewers the kind of earth-shattering war that ‘Titans Versus Olympians‘ deserves. Instead, a significant chunk of the season is spent on side-quests, the most important being Seraphim’s efforts to find a way to bribe Charon so that he can let his dead lover Gorgo get passage to the Elysian Fields and end her suffering as a wraith.
Eight episodes long, the creators spend too much time on Seraphim’s quest, at a time when the world order is dangerously at stake and Titans are wreaking havoc on Earth. Of course, Seraphim being Seraphim, doesn’t really care about what the Gods or Titans are up to. Heron, on his part, agrees to aid Seraphim, so for the first time, the brothers aren’t at each other’s throats and spend some quality time together, even if most of it involves almost dying or fighting others. Their brotherly bond is a slow-burn story of sibling love, as they eventually stand by each other through thick and thin.
The other sub-plot follows Hera’s efforts to bring back Zeus from the underworld so that he can help the surviving Olympians end the terror unleashed by the newly risen Titans. Hera and Zeus’ love story is the origin of toxic relationships in the Greek world, first she schemes to end him, then tries to bring him back. Anyway… after solidly setting the ground for an epic, violent war between the Titans and everybody else, the creators then cheat viewers by quickly wrapping up the beef in one episode! While yes, it was high time ‘Blood of Zeus‘ got a decisive “end of story” finale, it was far too swift. Although, to be fair, we do get a rousing emotional finale, which includes the signature tricks of the Olympians to get themselves an easier-than-usual victory.
The animation quality remains the same, although, given the grim war-like atmosphere that pervades all the episodes, the color palette of ‘Blood of Zeus‘ season three is dominated by darker tones and bleaker shades. My primary complaint with the animation remains the same: that considering the grand scale of its Greek mythology, the backgrounds continue to be lacking in detail and un-impressive. But since the characters are Gods, demi-Gods, larger-than-life figures, and demons, at least the character designs are engaging and expressive.
Usually, shows tend to feel over-stretched, but with all the side-quests packed into ‘Blood of Zeus’ season 3, the creators should’ve either added a bonus ninth episode to deliver a gorier, bloodier climax or extended the finale by 10–15 minutes. Fans hoping for an epic war that fractures the human realm might find the final showdown underwhelming, but the emotional payoff holds strong. Overall, this is a solid follow-up season that just falls short of reaching a truly titanic level of entertainment.
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May 21, 2025
Ranking ‘Love, Death & Robots’ Volume 4 Shorts from ‘Best’ to ‘Eh?’
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
If there’s one show I never want Netflix to stop making new seasons of, it’s Love, Death & Robots, the award-winning animated anthology that’s consistently delivered some stunning pieces in each of its four seasons so far. If you want to read a spoiler-free review of Volume 4, I’ll insert a link below, but in this article, I am going to rate the 10 short films that appear in the 2025 edition, so it’s going to be packed with spoilers. Also, the rank is in ascending order, from ‘best’ to ‘meh’!
Read: Love, Death & Robots Volume 4 Review
1. ‘The Screaming of the Tyrannosaur‘, directed by Tim Miller, is my absolute favorite in the anthology, not just because of its stunning animation (by Blur Studio), but also because it delivers a compact yet epic sci-fi tale set on a futuristic planet, where the ultra-wealthy exploit the poor by turning them into objects of amusement in blood sports. Elite socialites flock to a massive intergalactic battle arena, where some of the best warriors gather to compete in gladiator-like combat. They are pitted against each other along with deadly animals and must fight to the death. The last one standing wins. Told through the perspective of a fierce Japanese warrior, this short is a fantastic tale of violence, class divides, and what it means to be free. This is the seventh short in Love, Death & Robots.
2. My second favorite short is ‘Spider Rose‘, once again featuring top-class animation by Blur Studio, and also a sci-fi tale directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson. In case you’re beginning to think I have a soft spot for science fiction, I really don’t. It’s the more human element in Spider Rose that won me over. It follows a solitary, grieving woman living in a forsaken corner of the galaxy, plotting revenge against the species that murdered her husband. As part of a trade deal, she comes into possession of a cute alien pet, but only for a limited time. Spider Rose becomes fond of this pet, and they form a strong connection. In the end, she succeeds in taking revenge, but the damage to her space station is lethal. There isn’t enough oxygen or food left to sustain either of them. The pet’s owners won’t return in time. In a wild twist, she tells the pet it can survive by feeding on her, which it does. The pet is eventually retrieved by its owners. It’s a savage but profound ending, showing just how scarily self-preserving creatures can be. Spider Rose, satisfied after defeating her nemesis, lets herself be devoured to join her husband in the afterlife. Not that I loved it for the philosophy. It’s the darkly funny lesson that sold me: your pets will eat you if that’s the only way they can survive.
3. At rank three is ‘Close Encounters of the Mini Kind‘ by Robert Bisi and Andy Lyon, which plays out like War of the Worlds on cocaine. It opens hilariously with aliens landing on Earth, greeted by armed Americans. Though the aliens indicate peace, the humans attack instantly, triggering an apocalyptic war. Hundreds of UFOs invade, and a bloody, chaotic war ensues. The animation features miniature creatures, as the title hints. A misunderstanding ends the world. Epic.
4. Honestly, I’m a bit torn about what to place at number four, but I’ll go with ‘The Other Large Thing‘, directed by Patrick Osborne. If I were ranking purely on story, it would land higher, probably at number two. The concept is fantastic: a devious house cat dreams of world domination and seizes the chance when its owners bring home a robot that can understand feline speech. The cat tricks the robot into using the owners’ credit card to order more robots, launching a city-wide takeover alongside other cats and their robotic minions. The only reason it’s not ranked higher is that the animation style and color palette didn’t quite pull me in.
5. “Don’t fuck this up,” everyone keeps telling Donal Maguire, a Catholic priest chosen by an alien species called the Lupo for an important conversation in the short film “Golgotha“. So important that, if he fails, it could lead to war between humans and aliens. In my review, I mentioned how the “humans versus aliens” theme was becoming repetitive, but Golgotha is a witty little short about the fragility of the human race. The Lupo are a water-based species and believe Donal has found their messiah. They meet by the beach, awaiting a holy conversation. In the most comical twist of the series, their messiah turns out to be a dolphin, who tells them that humans are, essentially, assholes. The Lupo promptly launch their battleships. Donal says, “I fucked up.” The hyper-realistic animation had me doing a double take to confirm it wasn’t live-action, until the aliens showed up. What I liked most was how this short cleverly critiques ecological destruction. If aliens visited Earth today, they might very well decide we’re not worth saving. So keep saying “sorry’ and “thank you” to your AI bots before they take over the planet.
6. At rank six is the eighth short, “Zeke Got Religion”, directed by Diego Porral. I would’ve ranked it lower if I let personal biases kick in, because this story is about an atheist American soldier, Zeke, who begins to believe in God after encountering a demon raised by Nazi satanists during World War II. As an atheist, I found this borderline religious propaganda. But viewed objectively, the storytelling was crisp, the animation was excellent, and the WWII setting made it compelling. It’s a perfect blend of action and horror, and I love both, so Zeke Got Religion wins on entertainment.
7. Now that I’m near the end of the list, I must say all the shorts were fantastic in their own ways. It’s only the next three that I’d call “meh” or unimpressive. But even “For He Can Creep”, at rank seven, had standout elements. Directed by Emily Dean, the short is a classic devil’s bargain story. Satan seeks out a poet in 18th-century London and demands he write an epic glorifying the devil. But the poet’s cat stands in Satan’s way and gathers a feline gang to defeat him. It’s quirky, and cat lovers might enjoy it. The Doctor Faustus influence and historical setting were great, but the animation was underwhelming. The cats looked hideous, as if created with basic 3D tools or maybe not by humans at all.
8. Okay, I really liked the basic idea behind ‘400 Boys’ by Robert Valley, but the mixed style of animation instantly made me wince, it’s retro-futuristic, but in a weirdly unappealing way. The story is set in a war-torn human city, where bands of super-powered men and women are constantly battling each other for turf supremacy, however, a new gang on the block, nick-named ‘400 Boys’, terrorize everybody. Now the twist was wicked – the boys are actually giant babies, and the character designs for the giant fighting babies was awful. They looked like someone picked up old plastic babies from the 1960s and animated them digitally. Also, when the action involves giants five times the size of humans, it gets dull fast. I didn’t enjoy this one.
9 and 10. It’s a tie between Can’t Stop and Smart Appliances, Stupid Owners. Can’t Stop is a marionette musical tribute to the Red Hot Chili Peppers by David Fincher. It opens Volume 4. Smart Appliances, Stupid Owners is a simplistic short where appliances complain about their owners. While it had the potential to be funny, it felt too out of place in this otherwise gritty and imaginative anthology.
Overall, volume 4 is of-course a totally binge-worthy series, but it needed more shorts and definitely more theme variation. Which short was your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
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May 20, 2025
You Never Heard of Me Issue #4 Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“Come on! Time to be heroes of love!!”
Characters who love playing cupid and meddling in other people’s romantic lives? Always a fun trope! Issue #4 of You Never Heard of Me by Iolanda Zanfardino and Eliza Romboli follows William and Allie as they scheme to get their siblings to fall for each other, among other wholesome missions.
This issue opens with a surprising twist, Colin, the campus bully, approaches William for advice, believing he’s great at talking to people. Turns out, Allie’s efforts to nudge William into using his psychic powers for good are really paying off. The chapter leans heavily into the “friends helping friends” energy: bonding, supporting each other, and yes, trying to orchestrate love stories.
Issue #3 of the comic-book series revealed how Will, the protagonist who can glimpse ‘the best’ and ‘worst’ moments of people’s lives simply by touching them, sees a potential ‘happily ever after’ for his sister Charlie and Harper. Even though instant sparks fly between the two, Charlie is too busy juggling academics with basketball, while Harper is swamped with work at the diner, so the two let go of the chance of going on what could’ve counted as a date. But in Issue #4 of You Never Heard of Me, William and Allie try to be matchmakers and rekindle what could’ve been.
The artwork continues to be the true star of this comic-book series, the line work, exaggerated facial expressions, action-oriented compositions, combined with a vibrant color palette makes ‘You Never Heard of Me’ an entertaining visual experience. The golden flashes that burst across the panels when William taps into someone’s memories are still a standout, contrasted smartly against the comic’s otherwise cool hues.
Some pages take a detour into side characters, including William helping a total stranger. While it adds a layer to his growth, it doesn’t push the main story forward. The latter half shifts focus to Allie and her sister’s backstory, which adds emotional weight, but just when things start to resonate, the issue wraps up. It might’ve been more effective to keep the narrative anchored to the central trio – William, Allie, and Rory – especially since this is the penultimate chapter.
Still, there’s hope that all these moments will culminate meaningfully in the finale. Until then, William’s world continues to be a visual treat worth diving into.
Rating: 4 on 5.
Also Read: Love, Death & Robots Volume 4 Review (Short Audio Version Below)
May 19, 2025
‘Fred & Rose West: A British Horror Story’ Review
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The 2020s are going to end soon, and much has been written about the isolation wrought upon the average city dweller by the digital world, where people don’t know their neighbors anymore and kids rarely play on playgrounds. But after watching ‘Fred & Rose West: A British Horror Story‘, a Netflix true-crime documentary that revisits an infamous serial killing case that came to light in 1994, it seems that “knowing your neighbor” didn’t amount to much. For years, Fred West murdered several innocent young girls without anybody seemingly getting a whiff of it. And while some were aware of dubious activities in the Wests’ lodgings, they chose to “mind their own business.”
Directed by Daniel Dewsbury, ‘Fred & Rose West: A British Horror Story‘ is divided into three clear chapters: Fred, Rose, and the trial, and incorporates police recordings that only became accessible recently. In what might seem incredulous, the Wests, who lived in Gloucester, England, came under the police radar in 1994 after some of their children told social workers that the couple would joke about their sister Heather being under the patio. The girl had vanished several years ago, and the parents never even filed a missing person report. So the police decided to dig up the patio, an action that led to a series of shocking findings that shook the UK and invited a media frenzy. There were a staggering number of victims, and their house in Gloucester was a true “house of horror.”
The case is infuriatingly sordid, spanning several years and multiple victims, including their own children, with telltale signs that were completely ignored by many. Most Netflix documentaries are longer than necessary, and while ‘Fred & Rose West: A British Horror Story‘ isn’t short either, it fails to provide proper insights into several aspects of the case. I had to look up the case online to fill in several gaps, such as what really happened to Fred’s first wife and children. And even though the second episode is titled “Rose,” that section of the documentary largely keeps its focus on Fred. The “trial” episode is haphazardly executed. While you would expect a chronological explanation of what transpired during the trial, with interviews of legal experts, an oddly timed segment with a victim’s relative (whose interview was already featured in the second episode) randomly disrupts the courtroom narration.
While the whole point of the documentary was the never-heard-before police recordings of Fred West, the creators give the criminal too much space. Some more perspective from police officers, journalists, and surviving members of the West family would have made this a more compelling investigative documentary. If you don’t know anything about the case, this might interest you.
Fred & Rose West: A British Horror Story is on Netflix.
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Inglorious Basterds is Leaving Netflix Soon, Here’s Why You Should Watch It
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Before Inglourious Basterds bids adieu to Netflix on June 15th, so do yourself a favor and hit play before you miss it. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, this 2009 war film is anything but conventional. Set during World War II, the movie follows two parallel plots – one led by a fierce Jewish-American soldier (Brad Pitt) and his crew on a Nazi-killing spree, and the other by a French cinema owner (Mélanie Laurent) with a personal vendetta. With Christoph Waltz delivering a bone-chilling performance as Colonel Hans Landa, this isn’t your average war movie, it’s violent, stylish, and weirdly hilarious.
If you’re still on the fence, here are four fun reasons to watch it before it vanishes:
Brad Pitt’s Southern Drawl is Peak Tarantino AbsurdityLieutenant Aldo Raine’s “We’re in the Nazi-killin’ business, and cousin, business is a-boomin’” sets the tone. Pitt plays it campy, gruff, and totally over-the-top, and it works.Christoph Waltz Deserved That Oscar
Hans Landa is one of cinema’s most charmingly terrifying villains. Waltz makes sipping milk feel menacing. If you’ve never seen his legendary opening scene – you’re in for a ride.A Spaghetti Western in a War Movie’s Body
Tarantino flips the genre on its head with his signature flair, long dialogues, unexpected humor, and stylish violence set to Ennio Morricone-inspired music. It’s a war movie made for people who hate war movies.The Ending is Wild, and You Won’t See It Coming
Let’s just say, history gets…revised. Drastically. And it’s incredibly satisfying.
So, grab some popcorn and carve out two and a half hours – Inglourious Basterds is leaving Netflix soon, and it’s one hell of a ride you don’t want to miss. But if you must know, it’s also on Prime Video!
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Weak Hero Class 2 Review: New Friends, Bigger Fights
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Remember how Weak Hero Class 1 ended with protagonist Yeon Si-eun (played by actor Park Ji-hoon) transferring to Eunjang High School after he seriously wounds his chief tormentor and gets blacklisted by the bully’s influential father? The climactic scene shows Si-eun introducing himself to his new class, and then being targeted by a new bully during the break. And thus, the violent cycle of bullying begins again, or so the cliffhanger of season one indicates!
Season 2 of Weak Hero kicks off with a cold open: a dramatic rainy scene where dozens of students clash with each other, while Yeon Si-eun runs toward them, possibly to intervene and end the fight. “I have to catch everybody, if they start to go over the cliff,” his familiar voice says in the background. Things then rewind to a few weeks in the past, showing Yeon Si-eun living a surprisingly solitary and low-key student life. However, when timid classmate Seo Jun-tae (Choi Min-yeong) decides to stand up against the school’s top bully Choi Hyo-man (Yoo Soo-bin), Yeon Si-eun once again finds himself caught up in violence. But this time, Si-eun plays ‘savior’ for Jun-tae, like Su-ho (Choi Hyun-wook) had stepped up for him in the past.
Also Read: Weak Hero Class 1 Review: Brutal Beatdowns for Action Fans
A lot of new primary characters and antagonists are introduced in Weak Hero Class 2, including red-haired Park Hoo-min (Ryeo Un), who looks more like he jumped out of a Japanese manga than a Korean webtoon. Park Hoo-min is a quirky, comical, brawny basketball player who is feared by everybody on campus, but he’s a strong anti-bullying advocate who keeps villains like Choi Hyo-man in check. Park Hoo-min’s character instantly reminded me of Vasco from Lookism, the 2014 Korean webtoon that came out before Weak Hero Class 1. Like Vasco, Park Hoo-min likes to defend the weak, even though he doesn’t have his own gang. Actor Lee Min-jae plays his friend Ko Hyeon-tak, and soon, these two, along with Seo Jun-tae, become Si-eun’s new friends.
While the rivalries and enmities in Weak Hero Class 1 were more personal, the creators escalate the scale in season 2 by introducing an organized group of thugs called the ‘Union,’ which has members in every school in the region. Led by Na Baek-jin (Bae Na-ra), a model student with great grades and a violent streak, the Union makes money through various illegal rackets targeting high school students, like stealing phones, bikes, or taking on ‘hit jobs.’ Si-eun’s Eunjang High School is the only school that isn’t part of the Union yet, and for some reason, Bae Na-ra is hellbent on getting Hoo-min to join the gang. This leads to several violent confrontations between the Union and Si-eun’s new group of friends.
Bae Na-ra, in his introductory school scene, looked like he was a teacher at the high school, he could pass off as someone’s dad and didn’t look like a teen at all! It was hilarious to have to believe he is a nerdy kid moonlighting as a gangster after school hours. Even Ryeo Un as Hoo-min seemed as if he must have failed the same class at least five times (which might as well be the case) but his character brings much-needed comic relief to Weak Hero Class 2. His antic even make the perpetually sad Se-eun crack a smile now and then! Ryeo Un gives Hoo-min a gregarious, larger-than-life appeal and serves as a great breather in Si-eun’s grim, dull life. Choi Min-yeong (foreign viewers might recognize him from the Netflix series XO, Kitty) is perfect as the mousy Jun-tae, both believable as a teen and someone who’d be an easy target for bullies. Jun-tae’s optimism, simplicity, and ‘never give up’ attitude are both adorable and comical.
Just like Weak Hero Class 1, this season too delivers several brutal beatdowns, with episode seven, the penultimate chapter, setting the stage for a massive showdown between the Union and the boys of Eunjang High School. Again, this series is perfect for action fans, with relentless fights and a crazy finale that’s almost war-like in nature. We get a rain-soaked, cinematic face-off between rival gangs in the climax, and while the setting is epic, the action execution feels just a tiny bit underwhelming. The action choreographers needed to up their game for the curtain-call violence, which is supposed to be a wild wager to possibly end the Union’s tyrannical rule over high schools.
Once again, while Park Ji-hoon is excellent as the brooding, exhausted, emotionally spent Si-eun, he is often overshadowed by other characters in Weak Hero Class 2. Over-the-top, gritty, and often exaggerated – you’d think all the kids are mini-Wolverines given how often they get beaten to a pulp, then recuperate like nothing happened – season 2 of Weak Hero is a binge-worthy follow-up for fans of the series, despite its flaws.
Rating: 7.5 on 10. Watch Weak Hero on Netflix.
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May 17, 2025
Heesu in Class 2 Webtoon Review: Cute, Fluffy, Silly
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Aigo! (Those who’ve seen enough K-dramas will know it means ‘OMG’ in Korean)
This is such a super cute webtoon about teen crushes, sibling dynamics, and playing a meddling cupid in other people’s lives. Matchmakers make romances go round in ‘Heesu in Class 2‘, a comedic, silly, sweet romance by LEZHIN creator Lily. Although honestly, the artwork isn’t always the best, it’s cutesy enough to keep fans of fluffy romances around.
The plot follows Heesu, an adorable high school student hopelessly in love with his childhood best friend Chan Young. But Chan Young is almost always dating someone else, so when handsome neighbor and classmate Kim Seung Won suspiciously starts spending more and more time with Heesu, the protagonist starts to have a change of heart.
It’s fun how there isn’t a ‘love triangle’ in the tale, nor does it force an ‘enemies to lovers’ trope by making Heesu have any superficial issues with Seung Won. In fact, it doesn’t even serve a typical ‘friends to lovers’ progression either. Seung Won already has a crush on Heesu, due to his cheery attitude and adorable smile, and approaches Heesu on the pretext of seeking dating advice, because Heesu is popular on campus for dishing out successful romantic solutions (yep, a dating-advice ‘guru’ of sorts, but without any dating experience, lol). And in a little twist, Chan Young himself cheekily plays a sneaky cupid for the two classmates, something that the live-action adaptation of ‘Heesu in Class 2’ completely omits.
If there’s one familiar trope the webtoon embraces, it’s the classic ‘opposites attract’ dynamic. Heesu is sensitive, possessive, easy to read, kind, cheerful, clumsy, and almost always smiling, while Seung Won, the class president, is a serious nerd, hard to read, and almost robotic in demeanor. Chan Young, on the other hand, is like a sportier version of Heesu, and perhaps the most emotionally perceptive character in the whole story. When Chan Young realizes Seung Won has a crush on Heesu, he immediately joins forces with Seung Won’s best friend Ji Yu, a lively and extroverted girl from another class, to help bring the two boys together. In a hilarious twist, Heesu misunderstands the situation and assumes Seung Won likes Ji Yu, leading to both laugh-out-loud comedy and a touch of heartache.
Also Read: 20 Differences Between Webtoon and Live-Series ‘Heesu in Class 2’
Honestly, I decided to read the webtoon version while the Korean series was ongoing, after seeing several fans complain online about how different the show is from the original comic book version. And they’re right about it! While the series introduces new romantic stories and is a lot more serious and philosophical in tone, the webtoon is breezier and funnier. Except for some extra last few chapters that focus on a secondary couple, the webtoon is wholly focused on Heesu’s life, be it his puppy love for Chan-Young, or his confusing new feelings for Seung Won, or his attempts to play matchmaker for other schoolmates. At home, he is usually busy with his three older chaotic sisters, all of whom look like varied cute versions of Heesu with longer hair.
The artwork in the webtoon is pretty simple, and sometimes the creator just scribbles through scenes. However, the character design for Heesu is adorable, he looks like a happy little bunny with a wild mop of black hair. On the other hand, if it weren’t for different hair-colors, one would have a hard time differentiating between Heesu’s best-friend Chan Young (in light pink-ish hair) and his future boyfriend Seong Won (brownish hair).
Overall, ‘Heesu In Class 2’ is an entertaining, fluffy high-school romance, so if you’re looking for something light-hearted, pick it up!
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3 Hard-to-Adapt Classics: Why These Books Aren’t Movies (Yet)
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Some novels seem tailor-made for Hollywood. Others, despite their legendary status, remain untouched by the screen – not due to lack of interest, but because they defy adaptation. Whether it’s due to sprawling internal monologues, controversial content, or surreal storytelling, here are three popular classics that remain stubbornly unfilmed.
1. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail BulgakovWhy It’s a Classic:
This Russian literary masterpiece weaves together three storylines: the Devil visiting Soviet Moscow, a reimagining of Christ’s last days, and a love story between a tormented writer and his muse. It’s philosophical, political, satirical — and deeply bizarre.
Why It’s Hard to Adapt:
Censorship and controversy: Its religious themes and critique of Soviet life made it untouchable for decades. Even now, some countries may find the content politically sensitive.Tone juggling: The novel swings between absurd comedy, theological reflection, and tragic romance – all within a few pages. A film risks flattening this rich tonal mix.Visual complexity: Magical realism elements like talking cats, witches, and Satanic balls require enormous creative precision to not look ridiculous.2. Nightwood by Djuna BarnesWhy It’s a Classic:
This 1936 modernist novel is a pioneering work of queer literature, famous for its poetic language and bleak portrayal of love, identity, and loss in 1920s Europe. It was championed by literary greats like T.S. Eliot and William Burroughs.
Why It’s Hard to Adapt:
Dense, abstract prose: The novel reads like a fever dream, with long, symbolic monologues that resist straightforward translation to dialogue or visuals.Nonlinear structure: It’s less about plot and more about mood and internal decay. That makes it difficult for traditional narrative formats to capture.Queer themes handled subtly: Adapting it with sensitivity and authenticity, while preserving its haunting ambiguity, is a high-wire act few studios are willing to attempt.3. Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas PynchonWhy It’s a Classic:
Considered one of the most important postmodern novels of the 20th century, this labyrinthine book mixes science fiction, war history, psychology, and conspiracy theories into one sprawling narrative centered around V-2 rockets during World War II.
Why It’s Hard to Adapt:
Length and complexity: At nearly 800 pages, it contains over 400 characters, countless narrative digressions, and shifts in tone and genre.Unfilmable scenes: The novel contains bizarre, surreal, and sometimes explicit content that would be almost impossible to portray without alienating audiences.Pynchon’s own mystique: The author is famously reclusive and has resisted adaptation efforts. That might be more than a coincidence – the book almost dares filmmakers to try.These classics continue to thrive in the world of literature precisely because they resist simplification. They invite deep reading, not passive watching, and maybe that’s the point.
Would you want to see these adapted, or should they remain untouched? Let us know which other literary giants you think are impossible to film.
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Mala Influencia – Bad Influence Review: ‘Mala’ Indeed
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A wealthy businessman hires a young man to be a bodyguard for his daughter after she becomes the target of a malevolent stalker in the Spanish romantic-thriller Mala Influencia (Bad Influence). The problem? The bodyguard is fresh out of prison, super hot, poor, and potentially a bigger problem for the dad than the unknown stalker. Lol. Like seriously, this is my fault for streaming a movie that sounded like it would deliver an overload of clichés right from the start.
Directed by Chloe Wallace, Mala Influencia stars Alberto Olmo as lead Eros, the handsome ‘bad boy’ who is paid to ‘protect’ high-school teen Reese (Eléa Rochera) by her father Bruce (Enrique Arce). Why does Bruce trust Eros? Because Eros is a foster kid whom Bruce had been visiting as part of an orphan program for years. Reese is outraged that her dad wants her to have a bodyguard at school, and Eros is in it simply for the money. But as a lot of girls start to drool over Eros at school, which makes Reese see him in a new light too. It’s the classic rich girl falls for poor boy. And while at least Reese is an aspiring Ballerina, Eros doesn’t have any evident talents, unless we’re counting facial features.
In the very first fifteen minutes of the film, Bruce tells Eros, “Don’t even think about it,” when he catches Eros staring at Reese while she is swimming. Any sane dad who doesn’t want an unwanted affair between his bratty daughter and the hot guy he hired to spend all his time with her would immediately fire him… and there ends the story. Doesn’t Bruce watch movies? When the rich, clueless dad finds out his precious daughter is dating his “employee,” he fires Eros and demands they end their “fantasy.” To which Eros snappily replies, “You set up this fantasy.” One point for self-awareness. Ha ha.
A lot of people at school are nasty to Reese for no reason, and then the predictable romance between her and Eros begins. You’ll most likely forget that there is supposed to be a stalker giving her trouble — that’s how harebrained Bad Influence is. Alberto Olmo and Eléa Rochera are actually convincing in their parts; it’s just that their parts are bland, their story boring, and I lost interest quite fast. Regardless, I did see Bad Influence through to the end to find out who the ‘stalker’ is, and the reveal was extremely underwhelming, to say the least. Unless you’ve run out of options for a mildly steamy teen romance, do not bother to stream this film.
Rating: 2 on 10. Watch something else on Netflix.
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