What's on Screen? : My Little Lover

I know it's been a while since we had a "What's on Screen?" post. This is partially because I haven't been able to stay focused or pay attention well enough to get more than 5-10 minutes into a show or film. But the past two nights I managed to find a way to keep focused.

My Little Lover
ten episodes

By now I'm sure many of you know I am very fond of fantasy in various formats. So the fact that the show I binged was a fantastical romantic comedy should be no surprise. What may be a bit more of a surprise though is the fact that it was in Japanese. I watched it with the subtitles on, because I don't know Japanese myself. But I think this helped to keep my attention on the show.

Why do I say this? Because I was watching the screen to see the action, as well as watching to read the text to know what was being said. I also had audible cues fromt he soundtrack and characters that helped in comprehending what was going on. I guess it's not a huge surprise, I've been watching a few things over the past months in this manner.

Ah! But what did I like about "My Little Lover"? I enjoyed that it was cute, and didn't rely on sexualized humor. Things were very pg compared to television shows that are on currently.

I also loved the costumes. The person who made the doll costumes for Chiyomi paid close attention to how the dresses look in their miniature size in reality, and made sure that the dresses the actress wore were a match. I loved seeing the cute pieces they had her wear during the show.

Enjoyment of the series was also found in their use of fairytale ideas. They compared the situation to events that occured in various fairy tales. Frequently saying that the situation was similar to the legend of "the one inch princess". I currently don't have enough gumption to research and see if that's a real fairytale or one simply used for the story.

The show is based on a manga series that was written in serial form in the mid 1980's. This particular televised interpretation is the third one. I am unsure on if I will go out of my way to watch any of the earlier ones. But for now I am happy to have completed watching this one.

Would I watch this show again? Yes. I think I enjoyed it enough that if I was to be asked to watch it again I would. But I don't know if I want to watch this particular show alone again though. So I do recommend "My Little Lover" to those of you who may be interested in foreign film or tv. It's adorable, sweet, and charming. I really did enjoy it.

On Screen : Cinderella and Four Knights

It seems like yesterday I was writing about the Korean Drama Goblin, and how exciting I found it. To be honest, reality television has nothing to offer me, so I'm looking for alternate options. KDrama seems to be one of my chosen interests. My most recent one being Cinderella and Four Knights.

To be honest the title seems a bit misleading at first, but as the 16 episodes wrap up it all makes more sense. There are multiple storylines layered up to create a semi realistic plot line, with a number of facets to keep the watcher interested. The love triangles are a bit hard to see as realistic, but when you hold it up against the problems in reality television, this is a piece of cake to follow.

The music is wonderful also. The show is 16 episodes, with about an hour spent on each episode. So you can binge it and enjoy the music without coming to hate it for repetition sake. I also enjoy the facial expressions the actors have, and the different outfits worn throughout the series.

I'm not going to spoil it. I just wanted to let you know I enjoyed it. If you watch it let me know what you think.

What's on Screen? Goblin

I have to admit when a friend of mine messaged me and recommended that I watch a show that is currently being shown in Korea I felt a little bit of skepticism. I worried that the subtitles might distract from the action on the screen. I worried that there might be missing subtitles. I worried that it wouldn't be something of interest.

But I decided to go ahead and started watching the first episode. A week later and I've seen every episode that has been aired so far. (13) Which is an accomplishment since I'm not always interested in keeping up with a show.

If you're not interested in spoilers and simply want to explore the show blindly, please go here : Goblin, otherwise continue below. I'll try not to write too much.

image from http://www.hancinema.net/

To be honest I wasn't sure what to expect. But I have to admit that the show pulled on my heartstrings frequently enough that I was shocked. It's been a while since anything I've been watching moved me so. I cried a lot, I laughed a lot.

I have to say the storylines are entwined, and it's amazing that the depth isn't distracting. I love the layers of the characters. there's a lot of curiosity, and mystery. Tons of things to be interested in learning about,

I recommend it if you're in love with the idea of how different fantasy ideals are represented in the media. I suppose if you watch Supernatural, Grimm, or remember Charmed and Buffy you may find it interesting.

I'm babbling but I don't want to ruin it for you. But I give it a great big approval stamp.

EDIT: As of 1/24/2017 I've seen all 16 episodes. When I wrote this there had only been 13 available on the site I watched on. But again, totally worth watching the whole thing. The last 3 episodes provided all the closure I needed. I'm much happier (and soggier, I cried so much).

What's on The Screen? : Joker

You know a lot of the time we like to stay in our comfort zone when it comes to films. Usually because there are hesitations. When it comes to foreign films a lot of people don't like reading subtitles. Then the next complaint I've heard is that the audio doesn't sync. In this instance I chose to watch the film with the subtitles. And it was worth all the reading.

Joker is basically a comedy film based on the idea of a forgotten village. We get to see them trying to get help for their home, and we also get to see them use aliens as a means to an ends. But what I liked most about the film was the music. The music was wonderful and makes you want to dance. I might not know what they're singing about, but it's great to listen to.

The reviews I read after watching the film were fairly negative. Which surprised me since I thought it was a rather creative storyline. It was fresh for me, and was fun. I do recommend the movie if you have the time and patience to red the subtitles. The costumes for some of the aliens were amazing. So if you're interested in some unique costumes, take some time and look them up. You won't be disappointed.

Oh! And side note, just because you're the wild card doesn't mean you can't amount to anything. Sometimes that's what makes you able to win the game.