Historicals, whether it be a drama or a movie, when done right, are powerful motivators for their audience to learn more and appreciate history. Personally, I do have a soft spot for this genre, but when it comes to Kdramas, I have yet to make the deep dive into saeguks or historicals. My gateway to… Read More TV Review: Mr. Sunshine (Spoilers!)
During my formative years when I was a child, my mother made sure that most of what I consumed was very kid-friendly, and this also included a lot of edutainment shows that were big in the early ’90s. This trend also translated to my younger siblings, and to computer games as well. Because of this,… Read More TV Review: Carmen Sandiego (Spoilers!)
Stories that deal with time travel and the innate desire to change one’s past for a seemingly better future is a trope that we’ve seen in stories over and over again. However, no matter how many times the trope is used, we humans have an innate curiosity to see how indeed things would change and… Read More TV Review: Familiar Wife (Spoilers!)
As someone who grew up on the original “Mary Poppins”, I was cautiously optimistic about “Mary Poppins Returns”, aside from the fact that I thought that Emily Blunt looked fantastic as the titular lead of the movie, which is something as she is filling the legendary Julie Andrews’ shoes here. The result is a fun… Read More Movie Review: Mary Poppins Returns (Spoilers!)
To be honest, when I first heard that they were making “Bumblebee”, I didn’t want to watch it, given the track record of every “Transformers” movie except for the very first one. However, that changed when I saw the first trailer and learned that Travis Knight, the director of one of my favorite movies, “Kubo… Read More Movie Review: Bumblebee (Spoilers!)
I normally watch more tv shows than movies, but I am very happy that I was able to watch a variety of different kinds of movies in 2018. I was able to watch movies that were released in 2018 and older, to Asian films. I also was able to watch more Filipino films than before,… Read More My Year in Review: 2018 Movie Edition
We have barely just left 2018, and now, we are at the start of the second week of 2019. However, before we truly say goodbye to 2018, I’m hitting the pause button in order to review how my year was in terms of tv shows & movies. For this particular installment, I’ll be looking at… Read More My Year in Review: 2018 TV Edition
Sometimes, mashing up two genres together, combined with the right talents both acting and the creative department, can give us something new and refreshing. Rom-com meets spy thriller has definitely been done before both on the small and big screen alike, but “My Secret Terrius’”” script, self-awareness, adventures in babysitting, its great cast and characters… Read More TV Review: My Secret Terrius (Spoilers!)
When the trailer to this movie first came out, it got my attention because of the unique animation style as it made it feel like as if it was ripped out The of the actual pages of a comic book. Aside from this, I was eager to finally get to know the character of Miles… Read More Movie Review: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Spoilers!)
After the mixed reception that “Justice League” had, many began to anticipate as to how both “Aquaman” and the upcoming “Shazam” would fare, almost as if those two movies would seal the DCEU’s fate to continue or not. Although “Aquaman” got a bit messy at certain points, it did give us a visual feast in… Read More Movie Review: Aquaman (Spoilers!)
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you will know that OCN is a channel as crime and mystery thrillers are what I call my “fall back genre” or the genre that I like to watch when I can’t decide on what to watch next. Aside from this, I have a big soft… Read More TV Review: Player (Spoilers!)
Aside from “Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them: The Crimes of Grindelwald” (which was a HUGE disappointment in my books), the sequel to “Wreck it Ralph”, “Ralph Breaks the Internet”, was the only other movie that I was really looking forward to this November. I thoroughly enjoyed the first installment, and I loved that… Read More Movie Review: Ralph Breaks the Internet (Spoilers!)
Continuing with my recent trend of watching dramas from my 2017 watch list, I decided to round it up with another little drama that I knew had potential but wasn’t able to watch last year due to work and life-MBC’s “Radiant Office”. At the time, there was too much going on for me to be… Read More TV Review: Radiant Office (Spoilers!)
As the show that started MARVEL’s Netflix universe, it is no wonder that “Daredevil” still remains as its strongest entry to date, that just keeps on getting better and better every season. And while the show’s second season, while still good, felt a little bit too busy and cluttered with the debut of characters such… Read More TV Review: Daredevil S3 (Spoilers!)
Sometimes, getting into a drama takes precise timing, and I think that most tv show watching veterans, and especially Korean drama watching veterans will attest to this. It took me THREE attempts to watch “Tunnel”, with one attempt getting me as far as four episodes, but it was only now that I was able to… Read More TV Review: Tunnel (Spoilers!)
Insurance investigations, a crafty con artist, family, and a tragedy whose truth was yet to be exposed to the world, was the name of the game in KBS2’s 2017 drama “Mad Dog”. Jampacked with interesting insurance fraud cases that served the larger narrative, armed with unusually smart and perceptive villains, and a whole lot of heart that… Read More TV Review: Mad Dog (Spoilers!)
With Spider-Man now doing his own thing within the MARVEL Cinematic Universe, Sony is now trying its luck once again with their own version of a shared cinematic universe with the recent release of “Venom” and with the animated “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”, which will be released later this year. And while some of us… Read More Movie Review: Venom (Spoilers!)
Western animated kids shows are sometimes hit or miss with me, but sometimes, there comes along a show that intriguing and just up my alley, that I can’t help but take note of it. And recently, I couldn’t help but notice that Netflix has been churning out some pretty interesting animated offerings for kids. “The Hollow” is… Read More Animation Break: The Hollow S1 (Spoilers!)
Good animated shows that appeal to both adults and kids are hard to find, so, when one comes that is very much up my alley, I immediately take a chance on it. Ever since “The Dragon Prince” was first announced, I was excited about it, especially as it’s creative team includes “Avatar: The Last Airbender” veterans Aaron Ehasz and… Read More Animation Break: The Dragon Prince S1 (Spoilers!)
The found footage concept has been done over and over again in many different genres. Because of this, it was interesting to see how this concept was revitalized in “Searching”, a thriller by director Aneesh Chaganty that transfers the video cam found footage concept to the laptop screen, keeping viewers engaged and invested in this story all… Read More Movie Review: Searching (Spoilers!)
Lately, Korean dramas have been pleasantly subverting old tropes by either flipping it on its head, or making them seem refreshing despite how many other times it has been used. It is also pretty refreshing when a Korean drama decides to focus and take its time on the development of its characters, while doling out… Read More TV Review: Thirty but Seventeen (Spoilers!)
Last year, when I was slowly but surely getting back into the Kdrama game, I decided to pick up “Voice” as I thought that the perfect way for me to ease back into it would to be to go for a genre that I am fond of, and“Voice” was definitely the perfect fit for me. So, when I… Read More TV Review: Voice 2 (Spoilers!)
Right now, Philippine cinema is in the middle of a very exciting phase in its history, with more and more independent films becoming more mainstream, and with the country’s Film Development Council working hard to bring Filipino films abroad and letting exposing local filmmakers to others in the industry. So, of course, as a fan… Read More Movie Review: Alimuom (Spoilers!)
When it comes to particular genres, one already has certain expectations about it. However, it becomes even more exciting and refreshing when those expectations are turned on its head, and what greets you is a premise and concept that you would have never have thought of before in that particular genre. Such as it was… Read More TV Review: Life (Spoilers!)
Anything that has a unique concept, whether it be science fiction or fantasy, is a soft spot of mine, especially as it is interesting to see how it will be executed as the show goes along. Sometimes, the main concept is just a convenient plot device or falls short of expectations, and sometimes, they manage… Read More TV Review: Chicago Typewriter (Spoilers!)
Finally, after three long years, the wait is over and local moviegoers can now head to the cinemas and watch the the sequel to “Heneral Luna”– “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral”. True to the first film, this one continues to criticize the bad habits and ways of thinking that still plague the Philippines today. While “Luna” serves to wake us… Read More Movie Review: Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (Spoilers!)
Finally after three years since “Heneral Luna” first graced the big screen in the Philippines, its sequel, “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (Goyo: The Young General)”, will finally be released. In order to get ready for it, I decided to revisit the first in director Jerrold Tarog’s planned historical epic trilogy, “Heneral Luna”, and watched the short film “Angelito”, which bridges the gap between… Read More Movie Review: Heneral Luna+Angelito (Spoilers!)
I admit, I have a soft-spot when it comes to slice of life stories that feel very grounded, has a lot of life lessons in it, and really uses the entire show to explore how our main characters grew throughout the show, even though it may get emotional at some point. That’s the reason I… Read More TV Review: Your House Helper (Spoilers!)
For some, the Korean drama romantic comedy is a genre they’d lap up the instant it arrives on the docket, but for some, like me, it takes some persuading, and the right timing. Thankfully, “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?” was a welcome sweet and light breather from my usual heavier fare, and it was worth… Read More TV Review: What’s Wrong w/Secretary Kim? (Spoilers!)
Unlike the previous years, I’m glad that I was able to get a chance to watch some films at this year’s Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP) (Festival of Filipino Films). I decided to choose films that were a little bit different , and whose premises I found interesting. As you all know, the first PPP… Read More Movie Review: Pinay Beauty (Spoilers!)
Lately, Philippine action films have been serving up grit, grime, blood, and tough as nails action heroines. We had one in Anne Curtis’ Nina Manigan in “Buy Bust”, and here, in “We Will Not Die Tonight”, we have Erich Gonzales’ stuntwoman Kray. Shot in only eight days, this film has an interesting premise, a great… Read More Movie Review: We Will Not Die Tonight (Spoilers!)
Robot themed Korean dramas have been around for some time, but seem to have picked up steam last year, and it doesn’t seem to be losing steam yet. Earlier this year, we had MBC’s romantic-comedy “I’m Not A Robot”, which had a science fiction premise but didn’t really focus on it; and this time, we have KBS’ “Are… Read More TV Review: Are You Human Too? (Spoilers!)
August is the month in which the entire Philippines celebrates our national language, Filipino, and at the same time, the rich cultural heritage of the country is also celebrated. So, it is no wonder that I’ve been trying to put more emphasis on Filipino films this month, especially as two big local film festivals- Cinemalaya… Read More Movie Review: On the Job (Spoilers!)
In the past few years, there have been several Korean remakes of American and British television shows, but it looks like they are on a remake spree this year, and it doesn’t look like they’ll stop anytime soon. To be honest, I haven’t seen all the remakes, but from what I’ve seen with the Korean… Read More TV Review: Life on Mars (Korea) (Spoilers!)
The magic of childhood and nostalgia is very hard to beat, and sometimes comes in handy when remakes, reboots and revivals of childhood favorites are done well. This time around, instead of giving us a straight up adaptation of “Winnie the Pooh”, Disney decided to ask the question as to what would happen to Pooh… Read More Movie Review: Christopher Robin (Spoilers!)
Action is a film genre that comes in many forms, and every country has their own version of the action film, from fast car chase scenes to epic fight sequences. It can have a complex plot which sets up and whose narrative weaves through the action sequences; or the entire movie can just be about… Read More Movie Review: Buy Bust (Spoilers!)
In life, and nowadays, when it comes to choosing what to watch next, sometimes, taking that leap of faith and choosing something that you are not sure with is definitely worth the risk. As mentioned before, even though I’m a little bit of an old hand when it comes to watching Asian dramas, I still… Read More TV Review: Miss Hammurabi (Spoilers!)
Every year, I make it a point to attend at least one fan convention. This year, so far, Asia Pop Comic Con is the only one I have attended as of late. This year, aside from the usual Hall M (Marvel) and Hall N (Netflix booth), they upped the ante by bringing in Hall D… Read More The Kat’s Con Chronicles: Asia Pop Comic Con 2018
Starting today, dozens of fans of pop-culture are celebrating their favorite fandoms at Asia Pop Comic Con, one of the biggest pop-culture fan conventions that happens annually in Manila, Philippines. I have been attending Asia Pop Comic Con since it began, and since then I have eased my way into cosplaying. This time around, I… Read More The Kat’s Cosplay Chronicles: Ruby Rose (RWBY)
Dramas that talk about healing from one’s past, and that deal with facing particularly traumatic past events in order to move on with one’s life is definitely something that isn’t uncommon when it comes to Korean drama fare, as we’ve seen with dramas like “Just Between Lovers”. However, this time around, in MBC’s “Come Here… Read More TV Review: Come Here and Hug Me (Spoilers!)
Asian dramas that feature food prominently in their show (not counting the hearty or high class meals that are featured in almost every Asian drama) are not that uncommon, but having food based shows sometimes becomes a comforting calm in the midst of the usual tropes, while making you want to either make or… Read More TV Review: Wok of Love/Greasy Mello (Spoilers!)
Lawyers, gangsters, rogue agents, detectives and judges are several things that Korean dramas have been rife with recently. When it comes to the legal/thriller/crime genre, many times, we try to look for something new, whether it be a new concept or a tightly written plot that surprises the audience all the way until the end.… Read More TV Review: Lawless Lawyer (Spoilers!)
Aside from the “Ant-Man” films being interesting stand-alone films in their own little corner (pun intended) of the MARVEL Cinematic Universe (MCU), “Ant-Man and the Wasp” also has the distinction of being the first MARVEL movie to come right after “Avengers: Infinity War”. While the film is a great palate cleanser from “Avengers: Infinity War”,… Read More Movie Review: MARVEL’s Antman & the Wasp (Spoilers!)
More often than not, regardless of whether it is a Western or Asian movie or a Western or Asian television show, we viewers are often presented with premises or synopsis that, on paper, make you wonder if it’ll be any good or if they’ll be able to pull it off well. And sometimes, the title… Read More TV Review: I’m Not A Robot (Spoilers!)
Aside from original offerings and ideas, there have been a lot of remakes of American and British television shows hitting kdramaland as of late. Among those is the Korean version of the American television show “Suits”, which aired under the same title and ran for sixteen episodes on KBS. Now, many things can go wrong… Read More TV Review: Suits (Korea) (Spoilers!)
Move over, Danny Ocean, there’s a new crew in town, and headed, by no other than Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett! Fans of the “Ocean’s Trilogy” franchise had a field day when it was announced that these two A-list actresses would be headlining the sequel movie of sorts, with an all female powerhouse cast. While… Read More Movie Review: Ocean’s 8 (Spoilers!)
Before superheroes came into their own in the cultural zeitgeist of today, fourteen years ago, audiences were treated to a different kind of superhero movie with Disney Pixar’s “The Incredibles”. At the time, the notion of superheroes reigning supreme was just something that happened just once in a while, allowing us to be witness to… Read More Movie Review: The Incredibles 2 (Spoilers!)
Every now and then, amidst the myriad of Korean dramas that crop up every year, there are a handful that are good solid dramas that are not only timeless, but a precursor of things to come and that mark a milestone in the evolution of Korean dramas. tvN’s “Forest of Secrets/Stranger” was definitely one of… Read More TV Review: Signal (2016) (Spoilers!)
Ever since the last season’s finale, with the knowledge that the series was going to end with its third season, and with the announcement that “Trollhunters” was just the beginning of a three series shared universe, fans of “Trollhunters” have been wondering how the series would end, and what the future would be for this… Read More TV Review: Trollhunters S3 (Spoilers!)
Over the past few years, the independent local film scene has been booming with well made, well acted, and meaningful films. It has come to the point in which movies like “Birdshot” have become available for streaming on Netflix, and to the point in which smaller local film fests are attended by more and more… Read More Movie Review: Citizen Jake (Spoilers!)
