April - June Wrap-Up
What I read and watched during my hiatus
If you are new here, this is my Monthly Wrap-Up series, where I share quick reviews of the things I read and watched during the previous month. Or, in this case, previous months. Here’s the March post:
I recently went on a sort of hiatus, which is why I didn’t make one of these for April and May. Plus, I’ve been going through a serious reading slump, so there wasn’t much to talk about before. I’m starting to get back on track, and I was able to finish some stuff by the end of June, so here we are!
What I Read.
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Clarissa Dalloway is hosting a party, and she’s going to buy the flowers herself. The novel is set in post-WWI London, and it takes place over the course of a single day, during which we constantly switch from one character to another and get to see their inner thoughts as they navigate social expectations and complicated interpersonal relationships.
Dubliners by James Joyce
A collection of 15 short stories about the people living in Dublin in the early 20th century, portraying moments of everyday life from the perspective of children, young adults, and the middle-aged.
I’ll talk about these two together because they are intertwined in my mind. I read both of them for uni since I was participating in a literary event about Joyce and some of the seminars were going to focus on the relationship between Joyce and Woolf, so I thought it was a good opportunity to become more familiar with their works. I had already read Woolf, so I knew what I was getting into, but this was my first time with Joyce, and I was slightly surprised by how much I enjoyed Dubliners. It’s funny whenever you finally read a beloved author and realize people were right about them. Some stories were more impactful than the others, but overall I was captivated by Joyce’s style and his attention to the mundane moments in life—which are also the things I love about Woolf, just in a different way. Joyce is more “raw” in a way, more grounded, and cynical, while still allowing for moments of tenderness and beauty. Most of the stories are kinda sad or have a bittersweet ending, but that’s what makes them so striking. “Araby” really stuck with me, as well as “Eveline”, “Counterparts” and “A Painful Case”. I’m always interested in stories about people trying and failing to understand their feelings for someone else, and that theme is present throughout the book. With Mrs. Dalloway, I felt as moved as I did with To The Lighthouse. I just love Woolf’s stream-of-consciousness style; it makes it so easy to get lost in the narrative and to connect with the characters. I’m still wrapping my head around this book, so I don’t have a lot to say at this moment. This and Dubliners feel like they are in dialogue with each other, but they also focus on vastly different types of people, and of course we can’t separate the books from their setting. In both of these, the city feels alive, and the relationship between the characters and the place they inhabit is very important. I don’t know if I can even give these two a rating, but I really enjoyed them, and I highly encourage others to give them a chance; they are easy to read and quite short.
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo
Kim Jiyoung is an average Korean woman who recently had her first child. One day, she starts being “possessed” by other women in her life, and her husband worries about her sanity. The novel goes back in time, recounting Kim Jiyoung’s life from her childhood to the modern day, showing the struggles that women face in Korea.
I would describe this not as a novel but as a “written documentary”. The story is basically a report on the many problems that plague women in South Korea, pulling up statistical data and real events to back up the author’s arguments, which are pretty concise: women in Korea face gender discrimination from before they are even born, in every aspect of their lives, and the surrounding men, even the well-meaning ones, are complicit. This is not unique to Korea; many of the things that Kim Jiyoung goes through are things that any woman in any part of the world can relate to, and this is what makes the book so poignant despite its objective and clinical tone. As a novel, it’s alright, but as nonfiction, I think it’s interesting, especially if you don’t know a lot about women’s issues and you want to deepen your knowledge. 3.5/5
Go for It, Nakamura-kun! by Syundei
Closeted high schooler Okuto Nakamura falls head-over-heels for Aiki Hirose—despite never having spoken to him. Despite Nakamura’s awkwardness, he manages to slowly befriend his crush, and he also finds himself dealing with the hilarious antics of his classmates.
This was very cute and charming. The story is pretty episodic, and it leans more towards comedy than romance, which I don’t mind. The gags are hilarious, and I love that Nakamura is a bit of a jerk sometimes; it makes the fact that he’s so ridiculously in love even funnier. I thought the first volume was solid and had a nice ending, so I was disappointed by the direction that the story takes in the second volume. There isn’t a lot of progression or character development, and the whole situation with the teacher made me uncomfortable. I hope that the next volume clears things up and that the author was simply playing on those tropes for the sake of comedy, even if it would still be in poor taste. Still, I’m excited for the anime adaptation, I think the art style is super cute, and Nakamura is the kind of character that can be even funnier in animation. 2.5/5, the second volume drags it down a bit, but it’s still fine.
To Strip the Flesh by Toda Oto
Chiaki Ogawa is a trans man bound by societal and familial expectations. He’s been postponing his transition for his father’s sake, but he eventually realizes that being true to himself is the only way that he can be happy—and that the people around him are more supportive than he may have expected.
I talked about this manga a couple of weeks ago on my list of Pride recommendations, and the more I think about it, the more I love it. I read this in one sitting; it’s very captivating. Being a one-shot, there are certain limitations when it comes to the character development and the plot, but the author still managed to flesh out not just the protagonist but also the people around him. With very little time, we get a full picture of Chiaki and his relationship with his dad, as well as his friendship with Takatou, which was one of my favorite parts. Even if I’m not able to 100% relate to Chiaki, this story reminds me of my own experiences learning about trans issues in high school and seeing people I care about dealing with gender dysphoria and societal pressure to present a certain way. I love how raw and sincere this manga is and the fact that Chiaki was never alone in his journey. It’s really beautiful and touching, 5/5.
What have you been reading? Do you have any tips for getting out of a reading slump?
What I Watched.
Ascendance of a Bookworm (Season 3)
Myne has settled into her position as an apprentice at the cathedral, and she’s the closest she’s ever been to making books available to the masses. However, her ambitious plans to improve society are met with resistance from those who don’t like the idea of a commoner gaining this much power and possibly upending the market with her innovations. Myne’s dreams and her desire to keep her family safe are seemingly at odds, and if she wants to protect her loved ones, she has to start making allies.
I’m shocked at how underrated this show is, because it’s genuinely one of the best fantasy series currently out there, and it’s been around for a while now. I get the animation isn’t very flashy and there’s almost no action, but if you are looking for in-depth worldbuilding, political intrigue, and great character writing, this is perfect for you. Season 3 really amps up the drama; we get into the darker side of this world, and the conflict between Myne and the nobility stays at the forefront throughout. As the plot becomes more and more complex, it becomes necessary to shift away from some beloved side characters, but there’s a new character introduced this season that quickly became a personal favorite. I think this season is the strongest so far, but the entire show has been great since day 1, and I can’t wait to get more (hopefully soon).
5/5 I love Myne, and if you are a fan of Frieren and Maomao, you NEED to watch this.
Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun
There is a rumor about a ghost that lives in the girl’s bathroom and can grant any wishes—for a price, of course. His name is Hanako-kun, and he’s one of the many supernatural beings that are said to haunt Kamome Academy. Nene Yashiro loves the occult, and she also happens to be desperate for a boyfriend, so she goes to the girl’s bathroom to ask Hanako-kun for help. Things don’t go as planned. She ends up becoming Hanako-kun’s assistant, and together they fight the many ghosts that keep wreaking havoc upon the school.
A fun monster-of-the-week type show, but the main draw it has is the unique art style. Season 1 in particular blew me away, I loved how they used “paneling” in the animation to imitate the feeling of reading the manga, it reminded me of Ping Pong the Animation, which is high praise. The second season doesn’t take as many risks artistically, but the show maintains its distinct style, and I’d recommend Hanako-kun just for the visuals alone. The plot and characters are pretty straightforward, there’s a good balance between comedy, romance, and Scooby-Doo shenanigans that keep the show interesting. I feel a certain shojo influence in the way that the romance is written, which I appreciate. Nene is a great main character, and I love the trio dynamic between her, Hanako and Kou, all three of them bounce off each other well. Hanako and Nene’s relationship is super sweet, with a dash of horror to spice things up a little. 3.5/5 A cute little show.
The Apothecary Diaries (Season 2)
Maomao returns to the inner palace, back to her position as food taster for Concubine Gyokuyou. As before, she gets involved in a series of medical mysteries, but it quickly becomes apparent that these aren’t isolated cases but instead pieces of a grander conspiracy involving a foreign envoy and rebel factions within the kingdom. Despite her wishes to remain apart from court intrigue, Maomao is forced to come to terms with some uncomfortable truths.
The mysteries are still fun; they are more interconnected than in season 1, and I liked how everything came together in the end. This was a much more cohesive season both in regard to the plot and on a thematic level. The story is much darker this time around, and things become more nuanced. I thought the portrayal of the late emperor and his victims was great. I like that things aren’t black-and-white and we can see the emperor as a three-dimensional character while still prioritizing the feelings of the survivors. However, I thought the rebellion plotline was a bit convoluted at times, and the “villain” was somewhat underwhelming. I did love the Shisui and Suirei moments and I thought Shisui’s character arc was beautiful.
I loved Maomao and Jinshi this season. I wasn’t a big fan of the romance at the beginning, but I’m starting to be more open to it. They are extremely dynamic and entertaining characters on their own, and I feel that they have more chemistry as the story progresses. I wish their moments were given more gravitas, though. I enjoy the comedy, but it definitely undermines the emotional impact of some scenes, which I hear are a lot more serious and romantic in the light novels.
4.5/5 Overall I think I liked this season slightly less than the first, but I still love the show.
The Fall dir. by Tarsem Singh
A little girl meets an injured stuntman while they both recover at the hospital, and they quickly become friends through the power of storytelling, as he spins a fantastic tale of gallant rogues and vengeful heroes.
I knew from the very beginning that this was going to be one of my favorite movies ever, and I was right. I’m obsessed with media that center around storytelling and the relationship between a story and its audience, and this is what this movie is all about, the impact that narrative has on people and how we use stories to understand the world we live in and ourselves. There’s a deep love for cinema that permeates every scene, especially during the “fantasy” segments. Lee Pace’s performance is so heartbreaking, but he also nails the absurd bits and he has so much chemistry with the little girl here, who was also a great actress, she totally killed that. There’s a lot of deeply tragic moments, but also a lot of hope. It’s a beautiful movie, visually stunning and full of details, there’s so much that I probably missed on a first watch. Easy 5/5, it’s one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.
Sinners dir. by Ryan Coogler
The Smokestack twins return to their hometown to open their own juke joint with the fortune they made working for the mafia in Chicago. They gather together members of the community to organize the grant inauguration, including their cousin Sammie, a preacher’s son with a voice so beautiful it may be able to raise spirits—both good and evil.
Everyone already hyped up this movie, and I’m here to be part of the Sinners propaganda. There’s so much effort in every aspect of this movie, and it's palpable. The acting, the singing, the costumes, the special effects—everything is perfect. There are so many scenes in here that are absolutely breathtaking, and there’s one in particular that, once you watch it, there’s no way you will ever forget about it; everything in the movie circles back to that one moment and what it represents.
Seeing as the movie is all about the power of music, the songs had to be good, and they didn’t disappoint. I love how the story uses music to convey how different communities interact with one another and how art can be used to bring people together, but it can also be a tool to assimilate minority groups under a single culture. There’s a big emphasis on solidarity between marginalized people, a sentiment that is bastardized by Remmick, even if he himself was part of an oppressed minority. The complicated relationship between the Irish and people of color is very interesting and nuanced, and I think the movie does a good job at making Remmick likeable without erasing the fact that he’s still a white man trying to appropriate Black culture for his own benefit.
I really liked the ending, I can see why some people may dislike the post-credits scene or find it corny, but I thought it made sense with the themes that the movie wanted to explore, and it felt like a direct follow-up to that one scene in the middle. The past, present, and future are all tied together, and I think that’s one of the key messages of the movie, so I get what they were going for with that final scene.
Also, I thought the way that vampires are depicted here was really cool and unique. We are living in the Vampire Renaissance, and I’m loving it. 5/5 If this doesn’t sweep the Oscars next year, what’s even the point?
It’s been a couple of rough months (a rough year, to be honest), but I’m glad to be back. Things are going to change a little around here, I’m still trying to find a way to continue writing without overworking myself, so I won’t be making many promises for the future. July should be more chill, since the semester is finally, blessedly over, and I think I’ll use this month to catch up on some shows and finish some of the things on my TBR. It’s been a very mediocre year in terms of reading, and considering how packed next semester is going to be, I need to use my time wisely this month. Expect a lot of fantasy in my next wrap-up.
If you have read or watched any of the things on this list, let me know what you thought about them in the comments!
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Next Week: Mid Year Wrap, What Worked and What Didn’t.
Apothecary diaries was so peak im so excited for season 3. I can’t find any sites that have the light novels translated or i’d gobble that up asap