My Favorite Things: April & May

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. I hope you enjoy these personal picks!

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TV

Monthly Magazine Home

Na Young Won is a successful senior editor at the hit monthly magazine Monthly House. Although her glittering journalistic career spans a decade, her home situation is not quite as idyllic as those she spends her time reporting on. In fact, she lives alone in a rented house and happily makes adjustments as she sees fit. But when the magazine’s CEO Yoo Ja Sung buys the house and becomes her fussy new landlord, she is in for a shock.

Yoo Ja Sung proves to be a very difficult landlord to keep happy. For him, buying the house Na Young Won lives in is little more than another financial transaction. But as the duo starts to get to know one another, their attitudes toward the real estate market – and one another – start to change. Suddenly, Na Young Won starts to ask herself if she would be better off buying her own house…or beginning on an unlikely romance with her firm’s CEO!

Jung So-Min has become one of my favorite K-drama actresses over the years and this show has been on my watchlist for a while. The show gives an inside glimpse to the workers of the home magazine and all of their personal lives as well. Viewer get to see new friendships made, co-workers bond, and romance bloom within each episode. It’s comedic, but also has many heartwarming moments as well as the show is grounded in the realities that life brings us.

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Movies

The Little Mermaid

The youngest of King Triton’s daughters, Ariel is a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. Longing to find out more about the world beyond the sea, Ariel visits the surface and falls for the dashing Prince Eric. Following her heart, she makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to experience life on land.

I didn’t expect to be so emotional while watching this film, but I was. It’s a testament to why representation in media is so important and why people need to see themselves in the media they consume. It really struck a chord in me for how nostalgic it made me feel and the overall beauty of the film. The songs (including new ones) were so good and I love how immersive the film was. It made you feel like you were traveling under the sea with Ariel. It was a beautiful movie and Halle did a fantastic job as Ariel and putting a new spin on a classic Disney character. I would love to go see this in theatres again and I highly recommend this Disney live-action reboot.

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A Monster In Paris

Raoul and Emile accidentally release a monster from an eccentric scientist’s greenhouse and vow to track it down. They soon realise that the beast may not be as menacing as it appears and try to save it from a corrupt police chief.

This Fantasy animated film is highly underrated and I’m so mad that I didn’t watch it sooner. The animation is fantastic, the plot is unique, and the soundtrack is one of the best I’ve heard in a long time for an animated film that isn’t from one of the bigger animation studios. I still have the OST on repeat! The movie is a fun thrill ride from beginning to end and teaches the importance of not judging people based on their looks. This movie has a lot of heart which is why so many people, including myself, love it so much.

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Murder Mystery

A New York cop and his wife go on a European vacation to reinvigorate the spark in their marriage. A chance encounter leads to them being framed for the murder of an elderly billionaire.

For anyone who enjoys comedy and stories about amateur sleuths this movie is for you. It’s goofy, and whimsical, and takes viewers through idyllic locations while trying to solve a crime. I love how this movie doesn’t take itself seriously and pokes fun at all the common tropes we find in murder mystery media. Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston make a fun dynamic duo as a couple in this film and the rest of the cast ensemble makes this movie so fun to watch. I can’t wait to watch the sequel soon.

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A Tourist’s Guide to Love

After an unexpected breakup, a travel executive accepts an assignment to go under cover and learn about the tourist industry in Vietnam. Along the way, she finds adventure and romance with her Vietnamese expat tour guide.

Though formulaic in plot the star of this romantic comedy film is the cinematography and how it fills the viewers with wanderlust (and the travel bug). The director does a fantastic job of showcasing the beauty of Vietnam from the city to the rural countryside with beautiful shots of landscapes, food, and the heart of the people. This was such an enjoyable film to watch and the OST added to the overall ambiance too. The lead actors, Rachel Leigh Cook and Scott Ly have great on-screen chemistry and are a movie couple you can root for.

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Spirited Away: Live on Stage

Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award-winning animated feature film comes to life in this first-ever stage adaptation, full of dazzling sets, captivating musical numbers, and wondrous puppets of beloved characters. Adapted and directed by Tony Award-winner John Caird (Les Misérables), two unique casts and performances were filmed during the show’s acclaimed 2022 run at Tokyo’s historic Imperial Theatre, featuring Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi as Chihiro.

This was a breathtaking and phenomenal stage adaptation of one of my favorite Ghibli films. My friend and I went and saw Kanna Hashimoto as Chihiro and we both agreed that she and the rest of the cast did a fantastic job of playing the characters. What made this so entertaining to watch was how close it was to the film including the smallest details fans would notice if you’ve watched the movie numerous times. I was in awe the entire time from the costumes, special effects (the spirit bathhouse notable scene!), and the set. Highly recommended for any Ghibli fan!

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Podcasts

Baby, This is Keke Palmer

Keke Palmer has questions for days, about everything under the sun. From the existential to the inconsequential. From pop culture to pop science. From the meaning of life to the meaning of W.A.P. From life in outer space to “Where the eff is Tom from MySpace?“ And everything in between. Because Baby, this is Keke Palmer, and she is here for All. Of. It. Each week, the multi-talented Keke is taking you on a journey down the rabbit hole on a topic that she cannot stop obsessing over. She’ll also get deep with special guests, trying to answer the questions that keep us up at night. We are getting INTO IT.

I love Keke Palmer and her work in TV and films since she made her debut on the big screen years ago. Keke’s podcast feels like a chat between friends as each of her guests and she discusses various topics from imposter syndrome to growing up as a child actor. Her down-to-earth personality makes her relatable and the conversations are deep but also full of laughs too. I enjoy listening to this podcast as I work.

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Music

Best Friend by Laufey

A new to me artist is Laufey, who has such smooth vocals which are perfect for the Jazz music she creates. This bubbly jazz song is a great song about the singer falling in love with their best friend and confessing their love for them.

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So Special by Citizen Queen

Though I’m sad to see on the members have left this group, I’m glad to see they haven’t lost their steam. This track is one of my favorites since they’ve become a quartet. It’s fun, catchy, and has a throwback to that early 2000s sound that I love to hear in music.

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I Don’t Know You Anymore by Eric Nam

To be honest, I forgot about this song until it popped back up on my Spotify playlist recently. It’s a solid track and though it’s a breakup song it has a light and airy feel to it. Perfect for cruising in your car or song for the Summertime.

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What are some of your favorite things from April & May? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.