Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 96
June 8, 2024
Lore Olympus Season 2 Review – Amusingly Epic!
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Malicious gossip, jealousies, Olympian scheming, God-level scandals, and mighty Goddesses on trial – Season 2 of Rachel Smythe’s webtoon “Lore Olympus” is a lot more exciting and fast-paced, as the creator continues to re-imagine Greek Gods at their colorful best (or worst). The primary focus of-course, continues to be the epic romance between Hades, God of the Underworld and Spring Goddess Persephone, and the challenges they face before their union.
Season one of “Lore Olympus” had ended with Helios’ revealing why the Spring Goddess who used to be known as Kore was re-named Persephone, which means ‘bringer of death’. Hades’ ex-girlfriend Minthe schemes with Thanatos and Thetis to expose Persephone’s act of wrath on earth, which was covered up by her mother, Demeter. Season two follows Zeus’s attempts to persecute Persephone while she seeks refuge in the underworld with her beloved Hades. However, Zeus is determined to “make an example” of Persephone for committing acts of wrath without his knowledge, although he has ulterior motives in doing so.
I love how season two begins with a sense of suspense—nobody knows where Persephone is. Her mother, Demeter, who has been living in the mortal realm, pays a surprise visit to Olympus and knocks on Artemis’ door, Persephone’s flatmate. It’s implied Persephone is taking a break to sort out her feelings about everything happening to her. Apollo is still harassing her, she cannot bear to tell the truth to Artemis (who senses something is amiss), she isn’t sure if she is worthy of Hades, and she is torn over failing her mother if she backs out from being a part of TGOEM (The Goddesses of Eternal Maidenhood).
For those who enjoy Rachel Smythe’s artwork for “Lore Olympus,” the illustrations remain just as colorful, adorable, dreamy, and sumptuous as before. In fact, it feels like there are a lot more engaging character sketches this time, especially because it also features some of the Gods and Goddesses in their Titan form, particularly in a section where Hades recalls how he and his siblings rebelled against Kronos to form the Six Traitors Dynasty. One of my favorite illustrations is Hecate in her true three-headed form; she looked wickedly good, and Rachel Smythe should probably let Hecate appear in her true form all the time.
“Zeus, there’s no easy way to say this, as, after all, you are my brother, and we are of the same blood. But you have left me little choice. I don’t know which part offends me more: the fact that she doesn’t pose any threat to you, and yet, you pursue her with an overinflated rage, masquerading as justice, or the fact that you know my feelings for her, and yet, you don’t seem to care. Blood of mine or not, if you proceed with this trial, I hope you are prepared to live with its consequences” – Hades warns his brother before the trial begins. Of-course, to little avail.
There’s major drama over Persephone and Demeter’s trial, which takes place in a proper court and is surprisingly hilarious as various witnesses keep rambling about their own personal problems. Hermes’ account is the most comical, as he tries to give “context” by going back to how he became friends with Kore before she got her new name. Persephone and Hades’ love and support for each other shine best during the trial, a fact that confounds and infuriates Demeter. Zeus grossly underestimates Hades’ affection for Persephone, trying to push his theory that the Spring Goddess is merely manipulating the King of the Underworld for her own benefit.
After portraying Persephone as a clueless, cute, pink cotton-candy kind of Goddess, Rachel Smythe finally gives the character a lot more punch in “Lore Olympus.” Persephone emerges as a young, independent, strong, wrathful Goddess with a mind of her own, even as she battles her insecurities. Minthe, has one of the most stand-out scenes in the season, as she finally faces Kore’s wrath first-hand, leading to a comically tragic fate. Hades, on the other hand, is completely head-over-heels in love and is surprisingly kind, thoughtful, honest, patient, and soft with her. In Gen-Z terms—Hades might be dark blue, but he is a totally bright green flag. At this point in the webtoon, it’s like the two are virtually married, and it’s super cute.
But many challenges still lie ahead for Hades before he can claim his queen of the Underworld. The climax of “Lore Olympus” season two delivers a conflict worthy of Greek Gods, featuring an unprecedented face-off that impacts all the major Olympians and takes place in the Underworld. The climax is so compelling that Rachel Smythe could have almost ended “Lore Olympus” right here. It will be interesting to see if Season Three can surpass the spectacles that unfold in season two.
Rating: 4.5 on 5. You can read “Lore Olympus” for free on Webtoon.
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June 7, 2024
My Love Mix-Up! Episode 1 Review – Fun Start
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The first episode of the Thai series “My Love Mix-Up” is out and sets a fun tone for the high-school romantic comedy starring Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul and Gemini Norawit Titicharoenrak as leads Atom and Kongthap. It starts with Atom narrating a school legend about how writing down your crush’s name on an eraser can manifest into a real relationship. This is a small deviation from the original series, which features a mix-up over an eraser without any legend attached. Atom has a crush on the cute Mudmee (Pahn Pathitta Pornchumroenrut), but when she lends him her eraser with Kongthap’s name on it, it leads to hilarious consequences, as Kongthap thinks Atom has a crush on him.
Directed by Au Kornprom Niyomsil, the Thai show is based on the Japanese manga by Wataru Hinekure and Aruko. There’s already a very popular Japanese version of “My Love Mix-Up!” (Kieta Hatsukoi – 消えた初恋 ) featuring Mishieda Shunsuke and Meguro Ren as the lead pair. While the first episode of the Thai series isn’t as funny as its Japanese counterpart, it’s still cute and entertaining. Besides, the writers slip in several small changes in the plot so that viewers who’ve already seen or read the Japanese versions will have something new to look forward to.
Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul, who plays Atom, gives the role his own interpretation, which is endearing but not as comedic as Michieda Shunsuke’s portrayal of the lead character. Fourth has a natural confidence in his body language that doesn’t completely match Atom’s confused, silly personality. However, it’s only the first episode, so it’s too early to judge the part. Kongthap’s character is more straightforward; he is an introverted, serious, top student, so Gemini Norawit Titicharoenrak has an easier time slipping into the character’s skin. While Fourth definitely emerged as the stronger actor in their debut series “My School President”, round one of “My Love Mix-Up” goes to Gemini.
A lot of the dilution of the comical mood in the first episode is due to the choice of background music, with the creators using staple tunes that GMMTV shows have used in other productions. While some of the music blends well with the story, much of it does little to enhance the mood. Luckily, all the actors are entertaining in their bits so far, so episode one was a fun watch and makes you want to watch the rest of the show. However, I cannot believe they replaced the dog character with a cat! I do like cats, but c’mon, Mametaru the dog in Kieta Hatsukoi was the cutest thing about it. Fine, I will get over it.
You can stream “My Love Mix-Up” on YouTube.
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Duck And Cover Issue #4 Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Insta | GoodReads)
Plot overview of “Duck and Cover”: The comic series follows a group of teens trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic America after they escape a series of explosions and fearsome monsters.
Things got pretty fun in Issue #3 of “Duck and Cover” by Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque and the new chapter felt like a retro mash of the dystopian game “Fallout” and Netflix series “Stranger Things”. If Issue #4 begins with teen Del and his friends – Ollie, Junior, Jack, and Willow – heading towards an underground hideout they learn about in the last chapter at Willow’s house. When the friends finally reach their destination, they are blown away by what they find. The group will have to choose between quietly hiding or fighting the creatures who’ve taken over their world.
I love how Scott Snyder keeps Del’s passion for films alive through each issue. While the last one emphasized sci-fi tropes, this one begins with the salient features of the Western genre. “Nothing speaks more to the moral sensibilities of the motion picture than the western. Because maybe more than any other genre, westerns are about judgment. They’re stories that force us to take stock of who we were, who we are, and who we want to be,” say the opening lines. How films strongly influence and inspire the group is a pivotal theme in the comic book series.
About 36 pages long, this edition of “Duck and Cover” is packed with movie nostalgia, action, and twists, with the friends snatching a few moments of fun, before they take a life-changing decision. The artwork of-course is dynamic, animatedly cinematic, and striking. This is supposed to be the series finale and it gives the teens a triumphant photo-finish, but definitely leaves readers wanting for more!
Rating: 4 on 5. “Duck And Cover” is also on Kindle Unlimited.
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Kare no Iru Seikatsu – Living With Him Review
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Plot overview: Ryota Natsukawa looks forward to living a carefree, independent university life, away from home, chores, and babysitting his younger sisters. However, he is in for a surprise when his mother suggests he share a flat with Kazuhito Tanaka, a childhood friend, to save costs as they get into the same university. Not as close as before, the shy Ryota isn’t sure what living with a popular athlete will be like, but not only do the two rekindle their friendship, Ryota begins to face an identity crisis when he realizes Kazuhito has romantic feelings for him.
Based on a manga of the same name by Miyata Toworu, the 2024 Japanese romantic-drama “Living with Him”/”Kare no Iru Seikatsu” (彼のいる生活) stars Ryuga Sato and Sho Sakai as leads Kazuhito Tanaka and Ryota Natsukawa respectively. Directed by Kato Ayaka (Taikan Yoho / Zenra Meshi), the series spans eight episodes and is a standard “friends to lovers” tale, with a lot of familiar ingredients that make it borderline bland after a couple of episodes.
“Living with Him” (“Kare no Iru Seikatsu”) maintains a steady pace as a slow-burn romance filled with pining, misunderstandings, and a few funny moments. Ryuga Sato and Sho Sakai earnestly portray new university students navigating the uncharted territories of first love. However, the series lacks memorable moments between the two characters. Their chemistry fluctuates between awkward and cute, despite numerous flashback scenes intended to illustrate their warm childhood friendship and why Kazuhito intensely crushes on the down-to-earth Ryota.
The cinematography is simple, though sometimes the daylight shots are too bright, as if the cameraperson forgot to adjust the white balance. This might have been deliberate, but it doesn’t always look visually appealing. Since many scenes take place in Ryota and Kazuhito’s shared flat, much of “Living with Him” (“Kare no Iru Seikatsu”) achieves a domestic-intimate tone, though this doesn’t necessarily reflect the proximity between the characters.
The show lacks youthful energy, except for the few scenes where Ryota’s sisters, Saki (Arai Miu) and Mana (Akitani Mone), interact with him. Saki and Mana both have a huge crush on Kazuhito and don’t hold back from displaying it, constantly cheering for him whenever they are around. The climax is laid-back, cheery, and avoids descending into a clichéd sentimental ending. One just wishes the characters could have had their resolution a little earlier.
Director Kato Ayaka should’ve made this into a smaller 5-episode show like “Old Fashion Cupcake”, as things feel dragged out by the last three episodes. Regardless, “Living with Him” (“Kare no Iru Seikatsu”) is a decent one-time watch for those who enjoy a cute, slow romantic drama exploring the “friends to lovers” trope.
Rating: 5.5 on 10.
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June 6, 2024
She’s Running on Fumes Issues #3 & #4 Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
I don’t know how to feel about issues #3 and #4 of “She’s Running on Fumes” by Dennis Hopeless and Hilary Jenkins. These new chapters were quite frustrating to read, and the artwork felt even more chaotic.
Recap of Issues #1 & #2 of “She’s Running on Fumes” – Jeannie, a mother of two, finds herself trapped in a life of crime after her husband Jodie gets into a fatal car crash and loses 4 kilos of cocaine. Instead of running away, Jeannie starts working for a chop shop, but things only get worse when her good-for-nothing husband is released from the hospital and begins to lose his mind.
Issues #3 and #4 follow Jeannie’s continued chaotic journey of stealing cars and making money to pay off the missing drugs. However, in a big twist, she finds something that could resolve her financial troubles. Yet, things only get worse for Jeannie, especially as her husband Jodie starts to recover and goes back to being a nuisance. It was really frustrating to read because the protagonist sticks around with the jerk out of guilt over how it would look to abandon someone who was recently hospitalized. But what does that get her? A shit ton of problems.
“She’s Running on Fumes” continues in the same vein as the first two issues: Jeannie constantly getting into messy situations because of her husband. Author Dennis Hopeless does a great job of painting Jodie as a completely despicable criminal who doesn’t deserve to have a family, let alone someone resourceful like Jeannie. There are some mildly funny moments in the chapters, like how in issue #2, Jodie was hallucinating and talking to his feces, freaking his family out. Although I am not a fan of potty humor, similar jokes continue in these issues.
Even though there are two interesting twists in the tale, the storytelling feels flat. It’s just one disaster after another, and not very entertaining at that. As I mentioned in my review of the earlier issues, “She’s Running on Fumes” is like a typical American crime story, focusing on a woman’s struggle to hustle her way out of the quicksand of crime. Perhaps the next issue might be more compelling.
“She’s Running on Fumes” is also on Kindle Unlimited.
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Maamla Legal Hai Review – Fun Cast Makes a Strong Case
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“Just remember, only their coats are black, not their hearts,” the narrator of court-comedy drama “Maamla Legal Hai” tells viewers at the beginning of its first episode, referring to the quirky lawyer characters that make their way through the eight part series.
Directed by Rahul Pandey and written by Kunal Aneja and Saurabh Khanna, the Netflix series is set around a group of lawyers working at the District Court of Patparganj in Delhi. Ravi Kishan leads the ensemble cast as Visheshwar D. Tyagi, an ambitiously astute lawyer who is running a campaign to become the President of the Delhi Bar Association. His biggest rival is the goon-like Mahinder Phorey (Yashpal Sharma). VD Tyagi’s biggest cheerleaders are junior lawyers Lakhmir Mintu (Anjum Batra) and Sujata Negi (Nidhi Bisht), who try all sorts of tricks to win the elections. Another subplot follows Harvard-educated Ananya Shroff (Naila Grewal), who is looking to start her legal career without any help, which proves to be a comedic uphill task.
Very Delhi in its flavor, “Maamla Legal Hai” shines best when its lawyer characters casually banter among themselves about food, clients, and offbeat cases. From a monkey who steals money to a parrot that swears and harasses women, and a convict who wants to get married while in jail, the District Court of Patparganj is often plagued by wacky cases. Each of the eight episodes delves into a different case story, and while some are hilariously entertaining, others feel contrived and boring. For example, the episode where the lawyer community tries different tactics to tackle a menacing monkey is far too long-drawn and annoying.
Apart from the occasional witty writing, Ravi Kishan (Khakee/Laapata Ladies) emerges as the strongest ingredient in “Maamla Legal Hai”, playing Visheshwar D. Tyagi with flair. Kishan’s Tyagi is a jovial, scheming lawyer who believes his biggest flaw is his lack of fluency in English, unlike an elite barrister. This is why he tricks the Harvard-returned Ananya into writing an op-ed piece for him after hearing her use English words that are not part of his regular parlance.
Nidhi Bisht is also very entertaining as small-time lawyer Sujata Negi, who has been struggling for 15 years, working from a makeshift bench outside the court like many others in Delhi’s heat, rarely ever getting a chance to fight an actual case and make a decent living from it. Her practical, middle-class personality is clashes well against the upper-class Ananya, who is new to the law game and is far too idealistic in her ideas about the justice system.
From wittily exploring class-divides among the lawyer community and the internal politics that plagues the legal circles, “Maamla Legal Hai” is largely light-hearted in nature. While the writers aren’t able to make it a consistently humorous satire on the legal system, they do deliver an entertaining watch with the family, as long as you don’t mind some of the cuss words used in a few of the episodes.
You can stream the series on Netflix.
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June 5, 2024
Spaceless – Short Film Review
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“Sometimes… where you are, where you want to be, and where they let you be… it’s often not the same.”
Directed by Jatuphong Rungrueangdechaphat, the Thai short film “Spaceless” is inspired by a song by Getsunova and stars Jespipat Tilapornputt and Bible Wichapas Sumettikul as the lead protagonists Tul and Garn, close friends with a complex history.
At 19 minutes long, “Spaceless” opens with a somber scene of Garn in a hospital, with Tul wishing him a speedy recovery. Flashbacks reveal how the two met as nervous 21-year-olds several years ago while auditioning for lead parts in a series. The audition leads to a steady professional collaboration between the two, and as they become close friends, Garn begins to have unrequited feelings for Tul. So even though they are in close contact due to work, the space between them begins to grow.
While Jes Tilapornputt is accustomed to playing lead roles, the latest being a leading part in the Thai remake of “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim”, Bible Wichapas Sumettikul’s last series was “KinnPorsche”, which marked his acting debut in a supporting role as the antagonist Vegas Theerapanyakul. Unlike his completely unhinged ‘bad boy’ character from “KinnPorsche”, Wichapas Sumettikul adopts a soft-romantic persona in “Spaceless”, portraying someone in a melancholic one-sided love. Jes and Bible make an interesting on-screen pair and display significant chemistry despite the limited runtime.
If you’re in the mood for a short tear-jerker about falling for someone cannot love you the way you love them, “Space Less” is the perfect pick. It’s got a tragic, emotional climax, and is well-shouldered by the lead actors.
You can watch the film on YouTube.
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She’s Running on Fumes Issues #1 & #2 Review
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
It’s the 1980s. Jeannie, a young unemployed mother of two kids, is debating whether to leave their father, Jodie, who is always getting involved in petty crimes, when a terrible accident changes their lives. Caught in a tight spot with debt to dangerous men, Jeannie can either run away with her kids or stick around and work her way out of the situation she is in.
Created by Dennis Hopeless, Hilary Jenkins, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, comic-book series “She’s Running on Fumes” reads like an old-school drama about a mom trapped in a mess that involves a mountain of medical bills, missing drugs, intimidating goons, and a nuisance of a partner. The story is narrated by Jeannie’s kid, who narrates how life got real bad for the family due to a car crash.
Issue #1 of “She’s Running on Fumes” sets the primary premise of the story: Jeannie must clean up the chaos Jodie has created after his accident leads to the disappearance of 4 kilos of cocaine. It sort of reminded me of the crime series “Griselda.” Although that’s about a mom running away with her husband’s cocaine to start a new life, Jeannie’s plans to start over, on the other hand, are halted because of drugs she didn’t even know existed.
The artwork in the comic is a mixed bag for me. It’s quite chaotic, with lots of scratchy lines, which sort of complements Jeannie’s train wreck of a life. Even though I didn’t like the art much, it’s easy to see how others might enjoy it a lot more. The comic book panels look like a mixture of crayons, sketch pens, and watercolors, and since it’s a colored comic, it’s much more vivid than the average black-and-white series.
With each issue being only 24-25 pages long, I’m not sure where “She’s Running on Fumes” is heading. However, in issue #2, Jeannie decides to embrace a life of crime to pay off her debtors. So far, the story resembles a typical American crime drama from the 1980s, focusing on a female protagonist who dabbles in dangerous side hustles to keep financial troubles at bay. If that sounds intriguing, pick up the comic book series.
“She’s Running on Fumes” is also on Kindle Unlimited.
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June 4, 2024
Knock at the Cabin Review – Shyamalan’s Accidental Tragicomic Thriller
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Of all the things M. Night Shyamalan intended his 2023 bizarre thriller “Knock at the Cabin” to be, I don’t think comedic was part of the list. It’s supposed to be a tense horror-suspense story about four strange individuals barging into the beautiful forest cabin of a family on vacation, threatening them to make an impossible sacrifice. It metamorphoses into a wacky, cult-like movie about a friendly family versus armed psychos who claim an apocalypse is around the corner. While the plot is intriguing, most of the cast just didn’t seem convinced of the outlandish premise while acting their parts, not even the ones who believe in the apocalypse—and that was somehow quite funny.
Director M. Night Shyamalan has co-written “Knock at the Cabin” with Paul Tremblay, and Steve Desmond, and the film opens with an intriguing scene of eight-year-old Wen (Kristen Cui) catching grasshoppers when a hulking stranger called Leonard (Dave Bautista) approaches her. It’s a strange scene, you don’t know what Leonard’s intentions are, he seems intimidating, but is friendly with Wen, and their first interaction sets the tone for the rest of the story – you don’t know whether the strangers are loonies or legit. Leonard and his comrades —a nervous Adrianne (Abby Quinn), an aggressive Redmond (Rupert Grint), and a frantic Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird)— attempt to strike a horrid deal with Wen’s dads, Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge), after breaking into their cabin and insisting the family could save the world from an apocalypse.
The screenplay for the one hour and forty-minute runtime is engaging, although some flashback scenes meant to explain Eric and Andrew’s life with their daughter Wen don’t add much emotional heft to the tale. Child actor Kristen Cui, who marks her debut with “Knock at the Cabin,” is probably the most likable element of the film. She is expertly directed by Shyamalan to portray Wen as a curious, intelligent child. Dave Bautista (Dune 2/Guardians of the Galaxy) is strange as Leonard, the leader of the strangers’ pack, who is constantly checking his watch and constantly spooking Wen’s family with his end-of-the-world talk.
Ben Aldridge portrays Andrew as the more practical, assertive, and logical of Wen’s dads, convinced that Leonard and his group are part of a bizarre, homophobic extremist cult targeting their family. In contrast, Jonathan Groff’s Eric is slightly more vulnerable and malleable, so you never know when and if he will break. “Knock at the Cabin” is able to maintain suspense over the motives of the strangers, are they simply nuts or are they really God’s chosen ones to end an apocalypse? Who knows! But, like I said, Abby Quinn, Rupert Grint, and Nikki Amuka-Bird just don’t sell the eccentric parts well, despite spirited performance, which make “Knock at the Cabin” feel like an improv stage play rather than a sombre thriller with religious overtones.
Maybe M. Night Shyamalan should’ve pushed the eccentricity a little further and costumed the doomsday prophets in elaborate dresses, just to add a touch of deliberate hilarity, or perhaps turned this into an out-and-out horror comedy; I feel like it might have been far more entertaining. In its current form, “Knock at the Cabin” is a slow-paced, mediocre thriller, which was a decent one-time-watch for me.
You can stream “Knock at the Cabin” on Netflix.
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June 3, 2024
A Part of You Review – Well-Acted but Hackneyed
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As soon as Swedish teen-drama “A Part of You” (Original title: En Del av dig) begins, it established that protagonist Agnes lives under the shadow of her older sister Julia, who is bold, beautiful, outgoing, and popular. Not just that, she also has a crush on her sister’s boyfriend Noel. So when Julia dies in a road accident, Agnes copes with the loss by trying to emulating her sister, from her clothes, make-up, to even attitude and gestures, which soon begins to disturb those around her, leading to a much needed intervention.
Created by Sigge Eklund (director) and Michaela Hamilton (writer), “A Part of You” (“En Del av dig”) stars Felicia Maxime as 17-year-old Agnes, a nervous, shy student vying for a part in the school play. The story centers on how she copes with her sister Julia’s (Zara Larsson) death, exploring themes of grief, loss, and identity crisis.
Any viewer familiar with young-adult drama can predict the events of “A Part of You” within the first ten minutes. If it weren’t for Felicia Maxime’s standout performance as the turbulent Agnes, who often behaves like a brat as a way to process her feelings, I would have likely stopped watching the film midway. She keeps switching effortlessly from an awkward “plain-Jane” to an exuberant, flashy teen living it up at parties. Her role in the school play gives her plenty of opportunities to showcase a vibrant range of emotions, and she nails every single one.
In fact, most of the cast shoulders their parts well. It would have been nice to see more of Ida Engvoll as Agnes and Julia’s mom, Carin – she is vividly moving in her brief cameo as a shattered mother who loses her child. Edvin Ryding, who previously appeared with Felicia Maxime in Netflix’s “Young Royals,” plays Julia’s boyfriend, Noel. He earnestly portrays a young man struggling to deal with his girlfriend’s death.
However, despite the powerful emotions of grief displayed by the various teen characters, the impact is diminished because Julia’s presence in the story is minimal. Her brief portrayal is rather stereotypical, and although there are some surprising revelations about her at the end, they too border on being clichéd.
Overall, “A Part of You” takes a formulaic approach to grief. The timeline of the story is unclear, except for the presence of smartphones, which might be intentional to give it a broader appeal. If you haven’t seen many teen dramas or young-adult movies centered on the themes of loss, you might find this Swedish film more satisfactory and cathartic than I did. The young cast definitely makes it worth a one-time watch.
Rating: 5 on 10. You can watch “A Part of You” on Netflix.
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