Good day to you all! I’m continuing forward, finishing up posts I’ve been putting off for the past five months. It’s been quite therapeutic for me, and I’m getting excited to start on several essays. (I know the idea of writing essays for fun seems strange to some people, but I enjoy the challenge!)
Anyway, this is how I rate things!
- No redeeming qualities whatsoever, visually, aesthetically, or as a story.
- It was so boring I could barely pay attention, or it frustrated me SO much I couldn’t finish.
- I had a headache, but I somehow made it through. This category is also for when I absolutely DESPISE something I’ve watched or read.
- I could make fun of it because of how bad it is or because it lacks any real merit.
- It’s not good, it’s not bad. It’s just blah.
- There were various interesting aspects, but nothing to really gush about.
- A solid story. Good characters, plot, and visuals. However, it’s not amazing.
- I genuinely enjoyed watching/reading it. I could see/read it again with friends.
- A great experience! As a film/show, it is visually stunning and has an incredible story that I could go back to multiple times. As a book, I could do the same.
- Near Perfect (nothing is perfect.) It has become one of my favorites. I could also write entire articles on it.
Books
Gallant (2022), 6/10
Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.
Olivia knows that Gallant is hiding secrets, and she is determined to uncover them. When she crosses a ruined wall at just the right moment, Olivia finds herself in a place that is Gallant—but not. The manor is crumbling, the ghouls are solid, and a mysterious figure rules over all. Now Olivia sees what has unraveled generations of her family, and where her father may have come from.
Olivia has always wanted to belong somewhere, but will she take her place as a Prior, protecting our world against the Master of the House? Or will she take her place beside him?
Synopsis via Goodreads
I wanted to give this book another chance and decided to listen to it rather than read the physical copy. Julian Rhind-Tutt did a great job bringing this story to life, and I think Manuel Šumberac was a fantastic illustrator. But. . . I still don’t like this story. It is incredibly depressing and hopeless. I kept waiting for evil to be vanquished and peace to come to Olivia’s family but I waited in vain. I don’t hate this book, I just can’t see myself ever truly LOVING it.
The Restaurant of Lost Recipes (2014), 10/10
Chef Nagare and his daughter Koishi serve their customers more than delicious food at their Kamogawa Diner down a quiet street in Kyoto. They can help recreate meals from their customers’ most treasured memories. Through ingenious investigations, these “food detectives” untangle flavors and pore through old shopping lists to remake unique dishes from the past.
From the swimmer who misses his father’s lunchbox to the model who longs for fried rice from her childhood, each customer leaves the diner forever changed—though not always in the ways they expect…
Synopsis via Goodreads
I already talked about the first book in this series and still feel like it was written for people like ME. I need stories like this one, where the stakes are low, and people find lost pieces from their lives through their recreated recipes. I can’t wait to listen to the third book when it finally has an audiobook!
Where the Stars Meet the Sea (2020), 7/10
A broken man. A fiery young woman. Neither one’s heart will come away unscathed.
Juliet Graham fervently counts the days until her twenty-first birthday, when she can claim the inheritance that will grant her the freedom she has always craved and the guardianship of her younger brother. Until then, she is trapped under her aunt Agnes’s domineering will. When forced to accompany the family to a house party at Shaldorn Castle, Juliet’s only objective is to keep to herself. That is, until a chance encounter with a boorish stranger stirs up an unexpected whirlwind of emotions in her. Thrown off-balance, Juliet does the unthinkable: loses her temper and insults the man—who turns out to be her unwilling host, the Duke of Halstead. Fully expecting to be sent away, Juliet is surprised when the brusque and callous duke instead takes an interest in her.
Drawn to the duke in unguarded moments, Juliet finds herself more and more intrigued by the man who shuns Society’s rules as completely as she does, and over the next few weeks, their unlikely friendship deepens into a connection neither expected.
But even as Juliet comes to recognize her true feelings, her scheming aunt issues an ultimatum that threatens the future she was just beginning to hope for. Juliet must choose: either break the promise she made to herself years ago, or lose the man who has captured her heart and soul.
Synopsis via Goodreads
I’ve read this book too many times. Honestly, it is cheesy and formulaic, and I don’t ever feel like the characters are REAL people with legitimate thoughts, feelings, and problems. But sometimes I need romances like this. It’s like sometimes eating cotton candy when you need a sugar rush.
The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog (2016), 7.5/10
On a dark night in 1242, travelers gather at a small inn. It is the perfect night for a story, and the tale on everyone’s lips concerns King Louis IX of France, who has declared war on three children possessing incredible powers: Jeanne, a peasant girl who sees visions of the future; William, a young monk with supernatural strength; and Jacob, a Jewish boy capable of healing any wound. Accompanying them is Gwenforte, a greyhound magically returned from the land of the dead. Their abilities will be put to the ultimate test by demons and dragons, ruthless knights, and inquisitors. From humble villages to lavish banquet halls, these three unlikely friends—seemingly worlds apart, yet united against oppression and injustice—will traverse France to carry out a mission as vital as it is perilous.
Synopsis via Goodreads (and Google Translate)
I enjoyed this story, especially because I visited some Medieval locations in Greece and Europe last year. I’m glad I’ve studied Medieval European culture BEFORE reading this story. It meant more to me because I could recognize many of the references and inspirations for the characters and locations. It didn’t become my new favorite book this year, but I hummed happy tunes as I delved into a historical fiction novel with WEIGHT to it.
Comics
Wash it All Away (2017), 7/10
With an endearing protagonist and luscious art, this seaside slice-of-life story offers tranquility in the chaos of the modern world. For two years, Wakana Kinme has run a laundry service in the seaside resort town of Atami, where she’s built a fulfilling life making friends with the locals and visiting hot springs. Although Wakana has no knowledge of her own past, her cleaning services safeguard memories imbued in customers’ precious items.
Synopsis via Myanimelist
My one criticism of this series is how overly sexualized it is. I see no reason for it because it is meant to be a happy-go-lucky slice of life. I did think the premise was sweet and wholesome (outside the random bath scenes), and will go back to it later to see where the story goes.
I Woke Up as the Ugly Duckling (2020), 6.5/10
What good is being reborn as the duke’s daughter when you’re the shame of the family? While her siblings were talented and beautiful, poor Sylvia was called fat and ugly, with a rumored bad personality to boot. Acting out for her cold father’s attention only got her exiled from home and made her take her own life. But when the new “Sylvia” wakes up five years before her death, she could care less about the snarky opinions of others–she’ll live this life her own way. In a world crawling with demons and thieves, she must use all the resources at her fingertips and prepare to survive on her own. Once she does, it’s goodbye to her family and the naysayers… so why are the people who never cared about her before starting to take an interest in her?
Synopsis via Tappytoon
This series is worse than I remember. Miss Sylvia overcomes every obstacle WAY too easily, and the story felt too rushed. I wish the romance was fleshed out more, as well as the overall villain. His plan made “sort of” sense, but I didn’t have time to really understand it. Meh, I didn’t hate reading this, but I’m glad it’s over.
Movies
Flipped (2010), 9/10
When Juli meets Bryce in the second grade, she knows it’s true love. After spending six years trying to convince Bryce of the same, she’s ready to give up–until he starts to reconsider.
Synopsis via IMBD
I don’t have anything more to say about this movie. I rewatched it on a whim while on my way back from Thatcher, AZ, with my family and liked it as much as before. If you HAVEN’T seen it before and like light-hearted romances that take place in the 1950s and 1960s, you will probably like it.
Frankenstein (2025), 8/10
Dr. Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist, brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation.
Synopsis via IMBD
You should appreciate how lenient I am with this movie. Mary Shelly’s book is one of my absolute favorite stories of all time. I was looking forward to this movie because I thought it would FINALLY be a faithful adaptation. But it was more of Del Toro’s version of the story. Now, it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL, and the practical effects, especially for the reanimated bodies, were intricate and fantastically rendered. The acting was also great. But I can’t rate this story higher because I like the original story more. Plus, I think that although Del Toro has great ideas, costuming, and effects in his movies, he struggles with plot execution.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), 7.5/10
Steve Rogers, a rejected military soldier, transforms into Captain America after taking a dose of a “Super-Soldier serum”. But being Captain America comes at a price as he attempts to take down a warmonger and a terrorist organization.
Synopsis via IMBD
I’m still a huge fan of Captain America as a person and think we need more people like him in the world. He was genuine, honest, and strove to fight for what is right, even when he had physical limitations. Some parts of the plot are a bit watered down, but I like how much work the filmmakers put into making this story authentically FEEL like the 1940s, from the commercials, advertising, technology, and costume and set design.
Fantasia 2000 (2000), 8/10
An update of the original film with new interpretations of great works of classical music.
Synopsis via IMBD
This movie is small parts boring (aka, the whales) and most parts breathtaking (aka The Firebird, and Rhapsody in Blue). I don’t think it has the same feeling as the original Fantasia (1940), but I look forward to when Disney makes something like this again. (Hopefully, after it becomes less corporate).
Shows
Witch Watch (2026), 7.5/10
In ancient times, some witches married their familiars, who had taken human form, giving birth to a lineage of ogres. One such ogre is Morihito Otogi, who while appearing completely human, still retains the inhuman strength of his bloodline. Nico Wakatsuki is a young witch and Morihito’s childhood friend, but as part of her education, she had to go to the Witches’ Holy Land to train and part ways with Morihito.
Years later, just before Morihito’s first year of high school, Nico returns home with one goal in mind: to claim him as her familiar. While most witches choose a cat or a bat, Nico has her heart set on Morihito in more ways than one. Although seemingly oblivious to her true feelings, Morihito and Nico end up living together under the same roof with both of Morihito’s parents elsewhere. While reluctant at first, Morihito accepts his new role, determined to help Nico seamlessly fit back in with human society and protect her from fated disaster.
Synopsis via Myanimelist
There are parts of this show I found genuinely hilarious! Most of that has to do with the voice actors, especially the one for Kanshi Kazamatsuri, played by Caleb Yen. The story felt sort of. . . meh, but I didn’t mind it. I definitely won’t watch this show AGAIN, but I enjoyed it for what it was: a lighthearted romantic comedy with some fantastical elements thrown in.
A Nation of Tteok (2025), 8/10
For every celebration and season, tteok is a staple. Discover how this traditional rice dessert weaves through Korean life, heritage and culture.
Synopsis via Netflix
There is something absolutely fascinating about learning the history and culture behind food! I have watched most of the episodes of this Korean series and hope they continue making them. I had no idea rice cakes were such an integral part of Korean culture. I assumed the Japanese equivalent (mochi) was the original, but I have now learned better! I recommend this if you like lighthearted shows that showcase different cultures. Warning, you’ll want to eat everything they try!
That is it for February! I’ll see you for the next post in March.
From the Perspective of an Old Soul 