My Favorite Things: April Edition
My Favorite Things” is a monthly segment where I share my personal and current favorites in seasonal products, health & beauty, food, decor, movies, TV, and more. Hope you enjoy these personal picks!
TV
D-Day
Synopsis: When a natural disaster strikes Seoul, a team of medical doctors and emergency personnel struggle to deal with its aftermath.
This Kdrama really pulled at my heartstrings! The two leading actors Kim Young-Kwang and Jung So-Min (2nd drama I’ve watched her in) did a fantastic job of portraying their characters along with the rest of the cast. The show mainly focuses on how people react after a natural disaster from (mostly) a medical standpoint since the majority of the show takes place in a hospital. It was thrilling and engrossing to see not only how people reacted to various situations, but the politics that occurred within the hospital too. One of the main things I appreciated about the show is that even though there was romance, it was very light and it stayed in the background.
Tonari No Seki Kun
Synopsis: The series follows a girl named Rumi Yokoi who is constantly distracted by her neighboring classmate, Toshinari Seki, as he indulges in elaborate hobbies and somehow never gets caught in the process.
I’m back to watching anime on a regular basis and how I missed it. Tonari No Seki Kun was one of the funniest anime shows I’ve seen in a while. Though each episode had a somewhat predictable structure and a short format it manages to always keep the viewers entertained. As the series starts out you’re shocked by Seki’s outlandish behavior, but as it moves along you along with Rumi are delighted to see just what he’ll do next. This anime had me laughing constantly and the episodes I enjoyed the most are with the robot family. Plus the ending theme song is snazzy!
Over The Garden Wall
Synopsis: A miniseries that centers on two half-brothers who travel across a strange forest in order to find their way home, encountering odd and wonderful things on their journey.
How did I miss this series?! I saw the comic version at a shop which prompted me to check this show out from my local library and I was not disappointed! I loved the animation style, plot, characters, and even the songs. What I enjoyed most about Over The Garden Wall is that it’s a clever animated series that reminded me of shows such as Gravity Falls. The story is layered with sub-plots, viewers have to decipher a mystery, and it has some deep metaphors as well. I wish I would see more series such as this on TV nowadays. Ultimately, the show is just one big adventure and each episode brings new surprises.
Music
Fingertip by GFriend
Again another K-Pop group I’ve been somewhat sleeping on. I’ve liked GFriend’s music since their debut, but this has to be my top favorite song of theirs. The melody for Fingertip sounds like one big 80’s galactic disco party and it’s such a funky song to dance to! As usual, the group’s choreography is on point and I love how fitting the MV is with the song.
Super Riser! by Nanidato
So I’m late to the game and have just (really) discovered the wonders of Soundcloud. I found this song through one of my favorite vloggers, Kristina Grace, in one of her most recent videos. Super Riser! can best be described as Japanese disco and the song reminds me of one an 80s anime. Nanidato has other amazing tracks on Soundcloud, so if you like this song, you should check out the others too.
Hard Times by Paramore
Paramore is back! *inner fangirl squeals with joy* One of my favorite bands since late middle school has returned with new music. Their newest track Hard Times is reminiscent of their old sound with a bit of new flavor. It’s got that fun mix of pop and rock, and Hayley’s vocals are stellar as always.
Movies
Beauty and the Beast
Synopsis: An live-action adaptation of the fairy tale about a monstrous-looking prince and a young woman who fall in love.
This film was gorgeous! The cinematography and costume design blew my mind! Emma Watson did a spectacular job as Belle, though her vocals weren’t as song as the original singer in the animated movie, I think she did a pretty god job. I also though that Dan Stevens portrayal of the Beast was done well, and the rest of the cast was splendid. Belle is my second favorite Disney film of all time so I was watching this movie like a hawk to catch any differences. I appreciated that it didn’t try to copy the original scene for scene, and that it gave more back story to leading characters as well as the addition of new songs. The only thing I was really disappointed with was how Lumiere was designed and the voice acting, I just wasn’t feeling it. I’m looking forward to a few of the newer live-action movies Disney has planned for the future.
Boo! A Madea Halloween
Synopsis: Madea winds up in the middle of mayhem when she spends a haunted Halloween fending off killers, paranormal poltergeists, ghosts, ghouls and zombies while keeping a watchful eye on a group of misbehaving teens.
Nothing like a feel-good Madea movie to bring you out of the dumps. Though this movie wasn’t the strongest out of the Madea film series, it still didn’t stop me from laughing out loud during the course of the movie. The cast brings some recognizable faces from the viral video world and the return of some favorite characters from previous movies. If you’re looking for a fun movie to make you smile and laugh, I’d recommend this.
Blind Detective
Synopsis: A cop is forced into early retirement due to retinal damage. But after witnessing a bank robbery along with a female inspector – who believes he has acute senses – they team up in hope to solve the case.
This movie was great! The two leads Andy Lau and Sammie Cheng do a great time of keeping the audience entertained with their action scenes and the witty banter between the two characters. It was fun, fast-paced, and I enjoyed the plot. There was a good mix of romance, comedy, and (gritty crime) drama. The only downside to this film is that I felt it should have been cut down on time, it seemed a bit drawn out in the latter half. There are some sensitive scenes in this movie, so be advised.
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What are some of your favorite things in April? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. 🙂
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Hardly any of your April items are familiar to me (which is weird – we usually have quite a bit of overlap!) but I enjoyed reading your post about them all the more. For April viewing, I just loved River, a short BBC series which completely swept me away (exploring mental health and grieving and friendship and various kinds of love). For books, Claudia Casper’s The Mercy Journals (a dystopian novel which just won the PhilipKDick Award really impressed me – a very quick but memorable read that managed to be entertaining and really thought provoking too).
Here’s to a good May!
Thank for reading! 🙂 Oh, I hadn’t heard about River, I love mini-series by BBC, so I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the rec. The Mercy Journals sounds interesting, it’s been a while since I delved into the dystopian genre, I need to get back into it.