I review media. I categorize every piece of media into one of 4 categories:

• Shows, for anything that's serialized, such as TV Shows and Audio Drama podcasts.
• Movies, for anything that's one uninterrupted instalment with a large visual component, such as... Well... Movies (duh), musicals, and stand-up specials.
• Albums, for music albums and, sometimes, musicals, if I didn't WATCH them, and only listened.
• Books, for the written media, though it does include comics/manga as well.

You can find my Excel spreadsheet here, with the media I've reviewed up to this point with its corresponding ratings.

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Ratings:

• 5 - Very good.
• 4 - Good.
• 3 - OK.
• 2 - Bad.
• 1 - Very bad.
• 0 - Horrible.

A Human Made of Words.

This has been one of the best manga I have ever read.

Oftentimes, you hear about how an author "paints with their words" or something to that effect -- Hagimoto does something different. It's not painting, it's not even sculpting... They do something more akin to Prometheus shaping a Human out of clay. Every page pulls you in and forces you to face the characters in such a realistic way, that you simply can't help but wholeheartedly believe that they're real people; Breathing humans of flesh and blood, that just happen to be made of lines and words.

Something that bothers me to no end, when it comes to a lot of manga that deal with bullying and topics of self-harm and suicide, is that they are gratuitously violent. I understand that that sort of representation matters, but it falls flat more often than not, I find. Not in That's My Atypical Girl -- here, everything feels real. It's a little hard to explain, actually, because I feel like I can't possibly hope to do justice to the pages, but it simply feels like it happened.

It's reality; It's raw and hard to read at times; It's painful and violent; But it's true. It speaks to you in such an undeniable way, that it transcends its medium.

This isn't the sort of manga that transports you into its world; This isn't an immersive experience that makes you forget reality. No. This is the sort of manga that changes your reality. After reading this, the world of the manga becomes your reality. This has changed the way I think, the way I see other people, and I'm sure it has changed the way I act. It's the sort of manga that will stay with me, even if I forget it.

Truly, a life-changing experience, and a heartfelt depiction of depression, anxiety, and ASD.

It is a little odd how self-referential it is, though. It's not bad in any regard, mind you, it's not even off-putting, but it is just noticeable enough that you begin wondering how much the author wants you to pay attention to it. It is a manga about a mangaka, after all, so I guess it makes sense, in a way. Still.

Morita's art is good (and actually gets significantly better as the manga goes on, I think), but I would argue that it is by far the weakest point of this work. Occasionally, the characters do look a little off. I suppose this opinion is a consequence of my being spoiled with lots of very high-quality art in other manga, but I can't let it go unsaid.

I know I didn't really speak too much about the plot or the characters in this review, but I feel that I shouldn't. The characters are complex and deep, all of them; However, I can't bring them to life in a short Lemmy review, so I simply won't attempt to describe them at all. It would be a disservice to the work. The plot is moving and compelling; However, I can't make you believe it happened, so I simply won't attempt to summarize it.

Please, read this.

...and let me know what you think!

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Rating: 5/5

Read on Bato.to!

Blasting production, slashing vocals, heartfelt heartbreak.

Surface Tension is absolutely brilliant.

Every track is packed with granular guitar-heavy production and thrumming bass accompanied by small and sharp drums. It feels like driving really fast down the highway; the rusted engine shakes, trembles, and rattles, almost falls apart but somehow stays together for just another mile. It's a raw sort of feeling, like Dev is grabbing you by the shoulders and looking you in the eyes while she screams her lungs out at you. Still, she manages to find a few moments to take a step back, like in FACE and WHAT ABOUT YOU, which feature restrained acoustic guitars, before delving back into the thick production that's the hallmark of the project.

The vocals also leave nothing to be desired in both performance and variety. Dev is known for her generally weird demeanour and delivery, and she does go some rather weird places with her performance on several songs. DON'T PINCH ME might be the most intense example of this, but other tracks - like MEDIA TRAIN's second screaming half - also illustrate this rather well. I can totally understand how this might turn some people off to the tracks, but I think she always manages to strike that balance of artistic explosion and connection to the very emotional themes of the songs. She has no issue getting melodic - just listen to BROKE YOUR COVER and STUCK AGAIN - and she can keep a flow, but what really makes the album is how she mixes all the disciplines to paint this vivid picture of despair, frustration, and resignation, while never fully letting go of her silly personality.

It's almost paradoxical how she manages to merge such seriously nasty criticism of her failed attempts at love and hilariously quippy lines.

Speaking of failed love; That's undeniably and unmistakably the theme of the record. Every song talks about it - which honestly could get a bit repetitive, if not for this album being rather short at just over 20 minutes - sometimes ravaging her past partners' blatant disrespect and failure to commit, sometimes more seriously introspective and questioning her own meek behaviour and lack of determination, while staying stuck in an unfulfilling half-relationship.

The one issue I have with her lyrics are that... Well... They can get a little awkward - and I don't mean in the emotional sense, but in the technical sense. The words just don't quite fit sometimes; she does get too absurd and silly at times, which does hurt. DON'T PINCH ME is by far the biggest offender, though MEDIA TRAIN does also get a little too crazy, in my opinion. It still has some appeal, but I feel like the insanity of the words and the mismatched-jigsaw nature of the verses take away from the overall emotional weight of the album, as a whole. That's, honestly, my only criticism of the project.

Mind you, I don't think any song on here is a skip - I'd actually argue that skipping any song here would be tantamount to sacrilege - but it does have low points; that's all I'm saying.

Now, I'd like to mention the MVs. I usually don't comment on them (or even watch them...) but this is one of those rare cases where watching sincerely adds to the experience. Every song has an MV and they're all insane - either in concept or in eclectic execution - but they're all incredible. The visuals are full of personality; you can really tell Dev loved making them. If you're like me and usually skip the videos, consider checking these out anyway. It's worth it, I swear!

I've listened to the whole thing front to back more times than I've bothered to count.

What do you think?

---

Best song: DROP YOUR COVER
Worst song: DON'T PINCH ME
Rating: 4/5

Listen on YouTube!

Recently, I watched both Mulan (1998) and The Iron Giant (1999), and I feel like these movies show two extremes of animation, in a way. As such, I felt like talking about them, a little bit.

First, I'll tell you where I stand on both, individually: I think Mulan is mediocre and The Iron Giant is a masterpiece.

Maybe on the surface, both these movies might not appear to have that much in common, other than having come out at about the same time, but I think they're actually similar, in a way. They both center the idea of breaking out from a mold, of going beyond expectations and cracking open social norms, even overcoming great discrimination and severe resistance.

In Mulan's case, we have a young lady living in a world where the expectations for a woman, or rather, what the world demands of a woman is to be pretty and bear children. War is a man's business, so much so that the simple thought that a woman might participate in the war is outrageous, and the act is akin to sin and very much illegal, worthy of the death-penalty, no less.

As for The Iron Giant, we have a living weapon that chooses not to be one anymore. People aren't just wary, they're scared, and they react violently, being ready to obliterate it at a moment's notice. The army is mobilized, nuclear missiles are launched!

Our two hero's - though, in The Iron Giant's case, the protagonist is actually Hogarth, not the giant himself - both struggle and succeed in proving to the world that they're more than what they're told they are. Yet, one comes off as bland and uninspired, while the other is a magnificent cornucopia of emotional depth and intense characters.

Why is that?

Well, many things.

I'd like to highlight what I think is perhaps the most jarring difference between these two movies: the villain, or rather, the main antagonist.

In Mulan's case, that is Shan Yu, the Hun. He's violent and ruthless, as well as immensely powerful and terrifying. There, you know everything there is to know about Shan Yu. Another antagonist is the counsel of the emperor, Chi-fu. He, at least, isn't strictly evil either - he does what he thinks is right for his people - but he's also just an asshole. He's a talking caricature. A joke. He wields power, and is therefore a danger to Mulan's objectives, considering he's strongly opposed to her being in the army and being a pompous prick.

However, here's the thing with Chi-Fu: being a misogynist isn't special in this universe. Mulan's dad, while incredibly loving, also feels the same way about her being in the army. Sure, he loves her and doesn't want harm to come to her, but there's nothing in the movie that indicates he would've allowed her to go if her safety was guaranteed or something. It was simply, "not her place." Li Shang is the same! Even after Mulan saves his life, he doesn't change. Sure, a seedling of change may have been sown in his mind, but he disregards her warnings regardless.

The Iron Giant, on the other hand, doesn't have a villain. There's an antagonist, sure, Kent Mansley, but he's not evil. He's not violent, ruthless, immensely powerful, or terrifying. As a matter of fact, he's good. The government, as a whole, is also an antagonist, but it acts more as a force wielded by Kent which even then resists his misguided actions when the truth reveals itself.

The Iron Giant is set in 1957, during the cold war. People are scared - terrified, even - and Kent is no exception. We see what the kids learn in school through Hogarth, learning to hide under their desks to miraculously survive a nuclear strike... And then, an iron giant falls from the sky and starts eating cars! Kent definitely makes mistakes, and from our perspective - understanding the true nature of the giant - it seems that what he's doing is rather stupid and misguided. However, is it even? He wants to protect everyone! He just wants people to be safe, and he's a victim of the paranoia. He goes too far and lies, he exerts too much power, power he was not entitled to or ready to wield, and that led to terrible consequences, but he never aimed to harm. He wasn't a mindless, one-dimensional murderer. He was a civil servant trying to serve the public. His crime is fear and rashness.

Now, don't get me wrong. Misogyny isn't logical, so it does make sense that the character's aren't necessarily logical in their approach to it. It's about social norms, things that are taken for granted and left unquestioned. It makes sense that Mulan's struggle isn't just with the system, but with the unbending minds of those shaped by said system. However, I would mention that Mushu doesn't seem to have much of an issue with it, though he is painted as a bit of a cook and an outsider... Still, the antagonistic forces, the barriers that she overcomes are just that: they're barriers. Mindless barriers. The Iron Giant's antagonists aren't that at all, they're people. They're beings that have goals and objectives that go beyond "conquer China because me conquer" and "women weak because women."

There's a lot to both these movies, really, but that alone is enough to firmly place them on two very different tiers of animation.

Really, I found myself enraptured by every character in The Iron Giant maybe a thousand times more than any character in Mulan. Even Earl Stutz, the crazy fisherman, is more interesting than Mulan's companions. He, at least, tries to do something, instead of being comedy relief. He must have, what, 3 minutes of screen time? Maybe.

Overall, I feel like Mulan is populated by single-minded husks that sometimes say something funny and hit some notes, while The Iron Giant is a living and breathing world.

Brad Bird, I'm single.

But what do you think?

---

Mulan: 3/5
The Iron Giant: 5/5

More than meets the eye, again and again.

At first, things seem quiet and unremarkable. A cliché premise, cliché developments, cliché characters... Actually, things didn't seem quiet and unremarkable at all; Re:Zero seemed boring and uninteresting. More of that ever-pouring slop Japanese webnovels insist on becoming, more of that persistent stench of mediocrity and the unbridled numbness of barren creativity.

Re:Zero is just more of the same old, same old.

At first...

But, at first, even the normal is strange. Even as we're born, we cry. We're confused, lost, terrified as the world that we now take for granted assaults our senses and wrecks our mind and body alike. Voices endless, smells, feelings, all of it is so much---too much! What makes life beautiful aren't the large pieces that we all have in common, but the small distinctions that make us unique. One would assume death is the same, of course.

All one can do is assume death is the same. That is, of course, except for Natsuki Subaru.

Re:Zero throws us into the typical isekai fantasy world---it even tricks us for a bit!---but pretty soon we understand that that's not the case at all. Natsuki Subaru doesn't die. Or rather, he dies and is then reborn. He gets to try again. That's what Re:Zero is about.

What if you could try again? What if your biggest failures were erased and you had a do-over?

As a premise, this is brilliant. It's not the first time I've read a time-travel story with a somewhat similar outline---shout-out to Mother of Learning---but Re:Zero is unique enough from within what I've read to trigger that novelty factor.

The cast is extensive and varied, including several of the traditional isekai tropes while continuously subverting them in some of the most creative ways possible. Even Subaru himself, the MC, is a subversion of the typical isekai MC. He reminds me of Kazuma from KonoSuba, actually, at first.

That's always the point, isn't it? At first, at first, at first... There's always more than meets the eye.

If that was all that Re:Zero was, it would be enough to make for a good story. However, Subaru is faced with the flip-side of his condition: he loses all the good parts too. The pain, the suffering, the despair that dripped from the pages when he loses everything was at times so overwhelming I actually had to take a breather. It's like the Witch's miasma bled through the screen and seeped into my eyes---that's the only reason I cried, of course...

What if you had to choose? What if you could try again, but even then you failed?

The ever-growing pressure of his mistakes digs into your heart and crushes your very soul, I'm telling you. Seeing him come to terms with how much he's lost and watching him gather the courage to keep going... It's beyond fantastic.

My biggest gripes with the novel are the following:

• The translation is mediocre and littered with errors;
• Subaru does too much talk no jutsu.

Still, it's not a big deal. I'm used to reading webnovels, so reading a poor translation isn't a significant problem; I just expected more. Subaru's incessant yapping can get frustrating at times, but I can rationalize it by saying that, well, if he dies, he can just try something else. When it works, it's hard to say that that wasn't the best option so... I can't really complain... I just don't like it that much. Let it be known, though, Re:Zero isn't just Subaru's yapsesh; he very much works! He tries, and fails, and tries, and fails, and he tries again. He tries everything he can think of. What I love most, perhaps, is that he doesn't get random power-ups like you see in other series. He gets stronger by failing and learning. He improves slowly by trial and error. It's really satisfying to see him figure things out!

The world is getting more and more complex by the volume, by the chapter, by the page really. By Volume 15, it felt like the world had grown ten-fold, both geographically and lore-wise. It's so complex and enticing with so many mysteries to dive into. I can't wait to learn more.

I mentioned the extensive cast already, but there's really no reason not to bring it up again. There isn't a single character I dislike in this whole thing. There are characters that are very much despicable, yes, but there aren't any of those cliché "bad because they're bad" or "good no matter what" characters. Every character is either extremely complex, with believable and deeply emotional motivations, or simply not developed enough to tell just yet. After all, there's so many characters but only so many pages to talk about them. I don't think that's to the detriment of the narrative in the slightest, though.

Really, the only character I actually have sincere gripes with is Subaru himself! Specifically in regards to his choice of heroine. He's wrong, and I'll stand by that. He's the only character in the whole series whose motivation I question. You'd think this would be a big deal, but it really isn't. He's an idiot, an irredeemable moron. That's what makes his story so compelling: we get to see an irredeemable moron turn into a somewhat redeemable moron, little by little, life by life, death by death.

Is this the greatest masterpiece of the 21st century? The century isn't over just yet, but it's in the running; I'll tell you that much.

What do you think?

---

Rating: 5/5

Read on Witch Cult Translations!
Disclaimer: I read the Light Novel version of Re:Zero, not the WCT webnovel translation.

Peak romance!

I absolutely loved this show. I've been looking for some nice romance in the past few weeks, and this really hit the spot. It's a classic really, there's a reason this gets recommended every single time anyone asks for romance recs.

The way Lovely Complex explores insecurity is simply beautiful, the constant hesitation, the fear that you might not be enough, and the certainty that begins to come over you as you fail over and over again at achieving your goals. Your fears manifest, a confirmation that your own body, that which you were born with and cannot change, is wrong. But through all that, the persistence of the characters, the way they persevere through these tribulations, is truly inspiring.

The setting is very adolescent, and this is a love comedy so even the most emotional moments are somewhat light-hearted. I think that's good, actually, it keeps the story flowing; the show is incredibly well-paced. I said adolescent, because it is set in high school and that's what the characters life revolve around, but the themes are very mature. I mentioned the insecurity, which the main theme of the show, but many episodes also touch on what it means to be in love, to be in a committed relationship, and what sacrifices one must make to maintain healthy relationships with those they care for.

It's beautiful.

The production quality is top notch, though very much outdated. It's Toei, the animation and music are both great, and the voice acting is fantastic too. Especially Nobu-chan, Higashi Saori might just be the GOAT. I'm not even joking, this was an all time performance by her.

What do you think?

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Rating: 5/5

Watch on CrunchyRoll!
Arr🏴‍☠️!!

Dumb fun!

TikTok has been repeatedly and forcefully shoving GTA gameplay-attached clips of the movie Tag (2018), directed by Jeff Tomsic, down my throat. Perhaps my watching of this modern masterpiece is symptomatic of my as of now undiagnosed Stockholm syndrome, and a direct consequence of an easily influenceable mind. Regardless of my personal psychological shortcomings, this movie is surprisingly good.

I came in with VERY LOW expectations, but turns out it's just dumb fun. Ed Helms, Jon Hamm, Jake Johnson, and Hannibal Buress (hunk alert, wee-oo) all delivered good performances if you close your eyes, plug your ears, and pretend you're watching another movie, that is. Jeremy Renner and Isla Fischer, however, did actually pull off some pretty nice scenes. They didn't overplay the slow-motion shots, and I think they were pretty humorous. The action was well-choreographed and creative.

After the movie was over, I started immediately scouring the internet for self-hypnosis techniques in order to forget the incredibly odd Rashida Jones love-triangle arc. I was unsuccessful, but I believe I can keep on living through the sure-to-come recurring nightmares of bad, senseless plot lines.

The main plot, on the other hand, was decent. Nothing too special, but it's a whimsical concept! Really, isn't that what movies are all about?! ^(No.)^ Regardless, knowing it was based on a true story made it way more fun for me than it otherwise would've been, and the constant suspicion of basically anything Jerry did was very funny, IMHO.

At the end of the day, I think a relatively short movie that makes me laugh and occasionally flashes some cool visuals is worth watching.

What do you think?

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Rating: 4/5

Pretty good!

Ovrkast. hits us with some nice delivery every time, it's clear this dude really knows his way around a beat. His voice is very interesting too, he puts tons of emotion in every word, and I love it!

The lyrics are nice too, he talks about his insecurities as an artist, his confidence, his goals and ambitions, his life and his art. He's passionate about music, and he says it with his chest. It's inspiring really, it feels great.

The beats are pretty good too, some nice samples... But they're a bit flat, and the drums are just fine. Nothing to write home about really, but they do their job I suppose. The focus is the vocals, so it's not a big issue.

Overall, it's a nice EP. It doesn't have the depth I would like, it's rather short too, even for an EP, so it feels more like a sample of what ovrkast. could do than a full-fledged project. There's some really good stuff in here, but also some very mediocre stuff. Still, I'll be looking out for what he does next.

What do you think?

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Best song: RESET!
Worst song: SHUTUP!
Rating: 3/5

Listen on Soundcloud!

Brilliant lyricism with better production.

This album is, simply put, incredible. Earl didn't disappoint on any level, his bars are emotional and packed full of meaning. He really is a word-smith. Topics of depression, loneliness, colonialism, and reflections on culture. And he manages to do all this with his signature flows and delivery; I think there's nobody out there right now that sounds quite like Earl Sweatshirt. He's unique, and that's fantastic.

That being said, the production is just on another level. The Alchemist might be the greatest producer right now. If you don't believe that, I beg you to check out this record, because he really knocked it out of the park. He did a bit of everything, more rhythmic beats, more melody, but all of them with incredible, soulful samples.

This album has 2 versions, the original and the streaming version, which have 3 different tracks. Both are very good, but the original version is a bit better. my brother, the wind is way better than Mancala.

Overall, this is a fantastic project that you should definitely check out, if you haven't yet. The lyricism just blows damn near every other album released this year out of the water, and the production is on another plane entirely. What's there not to love? But hey,

what do you think?

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Best song: Vin Skully
Worst song: Mancala
Rating: 5/5

Streaming version.

Beautiful and emotional!

I really liked this show. I was sceptical at first... I think it's very easy for shows that surround something seemingly inconsequential (such as a high-school club) to severely overplay how much people actually care about these things. Hibike! Euphonium did this very well though, from the onset. I guess it's about managing expectations, and what the audience can expect from the characters by showing what the characters expect from each other. I really liked the set up.

I love how distinct each character is too. They have unique personalities and interests, though a bit cliché (the big silent guy, the bubbly girl, the cold beauty). The main character though was just something else. I really, really liked her! I love how she treats the people around her, it felt very human, I think this was just excellent writing. She's cold sometimes and bursting with emotion in the next scene, but it never feels out of place. We really get to explore how she sees the world and what she values in relationships, as well as how much she's willing to sacrifice in her personal life to achieve her goals. I just love Kumiko.

The animation was very good too. I guess that's to be expected from KyoAni. What I really appreciated, as someone who has played in a band for many years (trumpet), is that they didn't try to make the performances magical. A lot of sports and art anime (Haikyu!!, Blue Lock, Blue Period) depict their subject as sort of nigh-magical, with colours flying everywhere and cool names for special moves. Hibike! Euphonium leans more into realism, it doesn't try to make music seem magical, it just lets the music be magical, if that makes sense. I thought it was beautiful; in a way, it's the animation holding back, but it's just really well done.

The music of course was just fantastic. Don't have much to say on this subject in particular, it's a music anime, it has great music. I will say that I loved how much silence there was. Especially before and after an emotional performance, they just let the notes hang, letting the emotion build. Beautiful, I say!

The one criticism I have is that it's very short. It's only 13 episodes, and there's too many loose ends. I WANT MORE!!! Well, there is more of course but it's in the next season, which I haven't gotten to YET. This show is definitely worth a watch.

What do you think?

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Rating: 4/5

Watch on CrunchyRoll!
Arr🏴‍☠️!!

This is a pretty cool movie.

The plot is very interesting, and there's tons of tension! Definitely keeps you on your toes as the pressure mounts for the main characters, especially in the undercover scenes. There wasn't really a point where I thought anything in the main storyline didn't make sense; the motivations of the characters are as clear as they should be, and the emotional weight of the story is perfectly translated every time. The immense stress that they're under is very compelling, and the inner struggle of the characters is fantastically depicted.

That being said, I thought some of the side characters and side plots were superfluous, not developed enough, or just straight up didn't make sense. Inspector Lau's fiancé's novel is a bit on the nose, and Yan's relationship with his psychiatrist came out of nowhere.

The acting was pretty good, especially for the two main characters and their respective handles. Some side characters were also pretty cool, I really loved Chapman To in particular.

The cinematography had some highs for sure, but also some lows. There were some shot transitions that looked like someone just pulled up WMM.

Overall, it's a cool film. I decided to watch it because it's highly rated and from Hong Kong. I'd previously watched Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love and absolutely loved them, but Infernal Affairs simply doesn't compare. It's OK, and definitely worth a watch, but it didn't blow me away.

What do you think?

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Rating: 3/5

Good music.

This is a nice project. I really like the vocals, Cody's more masculine voice and Juli's very feminine tone mix perfectly, and their harmonies are divine. That being said, individually they're both pretty good singers, though Juli is quite a bit better than Cody. The rhythms are pretty cool too, they mostly sing in a very "traditional" way, very melodic, but they also go for weirder rhythms once in a while, like in the song Muriel's Big Day Off, which I thought was cool. Regardless, they always sing their hearts out.

The lyrics are also pretty interesting. The songs strike me as rather spiritual in nature, even when they don't mention religion or spirituality. They're pretty abstract, which I think is pretty nice and matches well with the ethereal vocals. Some songs tackle themes of hope, continuing despite things not going your way, loneliness... It feels nice to listen to this, at least on that level.

The instrumentals are where this album falls short. There's some passages where they go for something a bit different and it goes great, but there's just a lot of strumming guitars and muted drums basically all the time. It stars to feel like a background hum, and it just gets annoying. I guess it has a sort of lo-fi charm to it? I don't know.

Overall, I think it's a nice album with great vocals, interesting lyrics, and lots of emotion.

What do you think?

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Best song: The Great American Picnic
Worst song: Oklahoma Nova Scotia
Rating: 3/5

Listen on YT Music!

Insane and interesting production!!

The production really is the crowning jewel of this project. There's quite a bit of variety; some are very melodic, some get pretty loud and distorted. There's a lot of different sounds used in the beats too, reminiscent of those singer-songwriter songs, bedroom pop. There's some very nice vocal chops spliced in, there really is a bit of everything, and it's really nice.

The rapping and singing is great as well. Beenzino himself can pull off some nice flows, but I don't really like most of the features. I must admit that I do not know Korean (I just translated the lyrics), so maybe it's actually really awkward, but it sounds good at least. Maybe a bit too much ad-libbing going on though. Still, he sounds very good on every track.

The lyrics are interesting too. The whole album just has this odd melancholic vibe to it. Beenzino talks about desperation, how boring he thinks his life is, and about making it big. He reflects on his past mistakes, particularly at the end of the album when he talks about his addiction and getting a second chance to do things right. There's also a lot about the overwhelming anxiety that comes with trying to make it in the industry, and the pressure that comes with the prospect of failing.

Overall, I'd say this is a nice album, definitely worth checking out. Still, there's a lot that doesn't quite work.

What do you think?

---

Best song: In Bed/Makgulli
Worst song: Change
Rating: 3/5

Listen on SoundCloud!

Iconic for good reason!

It's a bit of an old-school style, which makes sense considering it's a 29 year old project, but I wouldn't even say it sounds particularly dated.

The production is simply put: ICONIC! Very melodic, heavy on keys, and tons of vocal samples as well. Very chill. It's just very pleasant and easy-to-stomach, which actually really contrasts with more recent hip-hop, which can get pretty industrial and loud with it's production. Not Illmatic. I think it's what they call boom bap, but I'm not particularly knowledgeable about genres/styles.

The rapping is also immaculate, of course, it's Nasty Nas after all. He's very technically proficient and pulls out a few different flows, though I must say he goes for a very 1994 style every time. The lyrics don't fall behind either. Plenty of fun and sharp similes every verse; notable exception being the one about being bisexual.

The message is great too. A lot of love for New York and talking about living and growing up in New York, a lot of bragging and talking about his success. He talks of his struggles, but also finds time to brag about his abilities and success.

One thing I will say is that the chorus are usually not very good. They're not horrible or anything, just not as good as everything else.

What do you think?

---

Best song: N.Y. State of Mind
Worst song: One Love
Rating: 4/5

Listen on YT Music!

Visually stunning and a brilliant cast!

The visuals are by far the most striking aspect of this movie. They're absolutely brilliant! I'm sure the black and white color-scheme and the odd aspect ratio play into this, but it's more than that; it's incredible cinematography, and it really helps tell the story and explore the intense emotions of the characters.

More than that, the acting is incredible, especially Frances McDormand, she really blew me away, though Denzel Washington was also fantastic. And Kathryn Hunter as the three witches was absolutely ridiculous, especially that scene where she continuously contorts her body... It really freaked me out, I loved it!

I thought the plot was great, but the pacing was a bit odd. The series of events, and the escalation of the situation felt somewhat rushed and disconnected. I've never read the original play, so I can't say if this is just how Macbeth is or if it's the movie.

What do you think?

---

Rating: 4/5

Arr 🏴‍☠️!!!

Great punk.

This didn't blow me away, but it's certainly good music.

It's intense, with lots of guitars and charismatic vocals. The lyrics also have lots of personality. Some songs have a more introspective tone, while others take more of a critical look at the world and at people, like in the song Big Dick.

Overall, I think this is a rather poignant project, because it's 34 years old and so much of what is criticized in the songs is still very much alive. Some has even gotten worse, like the mass surveillance depicted in The Tower.

I got tired of waiting because I found out there's only a very very fine line between biding one's time and wasting one's time. Do you know what I mean?

• Tired of Waiting

This album is about how fucked things are, the lies everywhere, the injustice that festers everywhere. More than that, it's about patience running out, time running out, and disillusion. It's very emotional, and I like it.

What do you think?

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Best song: Tired of Waiting
Worst song: The End of All Things
Rating: 4/5

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BRILLIANT!

I absolutely loved this!

It can be so loud and overwhelming, the guitars ringing in your ears, the drums and the bass pounding at your skull... But then there's soft melody and peace.

The lyrics are great, each song is a different story written very poetically. These songs aren't written anything like typical pop or hip-hop lyrics, it feels so intimate. Like you're being told a story by the campfire, or just an account of events, except there's blaring guitars. The vocal delivery matches the instrumentals: overwhelming and intense, or quiet spoken-word.

It's hard to put into words exactly how I feel about this album. I think the song Don, Aman is the best example of what makes this album so great. It's like the calm before the storm when you're alone on a rocking boat, that intense feeling of tension, expectation, waiting for things to fall apart when there's nothing there yet. And it's lonely.

What do you think?

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Best song: Nosferatu Man
Worst song: Washer
Rating: 5/5

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Hilarious and action-filled!

Finally managed to watch this movie, and the wait was worth it!

The music is impeccable (as usual), and the comedy is on point. The action is great as well, with tons of thrilling sequences with interesting character designs and well choreographed fights. The environments were also fantastic, with disgusting, slimy scenes everywhere, which really drove home the whole idea of "perfecting" the world being a complete sham.

The plot doesn't leave anything to be desired either. It's interesting and thrilling. The main villain does a fantastic job of being hateable! I thought it was great acting by Chukwudi Iwuji, really outstanding job.

The only thing I didn't like too much was the very notable lack of stakes. Well, obviously there were stakes, but I never got the feeling they could actually fail to get the job done. I never thought that they might actually lose, for once. On one hand, that kinda sucks, on the other hand, it's a comedy-action movie that has great comedy and action. I don't think the lack of tension is a big deal.

What do you think?

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Rating: 4/5

Arr 🏴‍☠️!

Witty lyricism and biting commentary.

This is a nice album. By far the best part is the lyricism and commentary. Open Mike Eagle is extremely witty and pulls off some great one-liners and very creative and nerdy rhymes on basically every song on this EP. More than that, he manages to also provide great commentary on politics, the economy, and the entertainment industry, as well as his personal struggles with the systems that rule our societies.

That being said, nothing else really stands out on this project. The beats are good, most of the time, but can also fall flat and feel mute. Mike's vocal delivery isn't the best either, his singing is mediocre at best.

I really liked the features though! MC Paul Barman and Milo really nailed it on Trickeration.

What do you think?

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Best song: Dark Comedy Late Show
Worst song: Raps for When It's Just You and the Abyss
Rating: 3/5

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A bloody smile, forced.

This album sounds beautiful. The guitars are great, and the vocals are really great. The screams just pierce your soul and shake your bones! There's plenty of similarity between each song, but they manage to make every track feel distinct and separate, yet connected. Some songs get beautifully melodic too.

Sometimes the line delivery leaves something to be desired, though. It feels weirdly unnatural, the way some lines are read individually regardless of whether or not they're a continuation of the previous line.

I really appreciate how every track flows into the next, like a tape. It makes the project feel like a single entity rather than a collection of tracks. It's almost like they're playing the songs back-to-back and we're just in the room listening in.

The lyricism is brilliant, if a bit unhinged. This album is written with viscera and splattered across the walls like the guts of a dead whale. It's disgusting, and a bit horrorcore, but it's just so emotional. It never feels overdone or nasty for the sake of shock, it's just raw emotion portrayed in a grimy sludge of words.

The lyrics really are the best part about this album. The themes of failure, regret, depression, indifference, and of taking part in life and community despite not wanting to and having to deal with the consequences... It's loud and powerful. The absurdity of continuing on despite all the horrible things that happen every day permeates this album; it's just fantastic.

These lyrics really stuck with me:

We were fed our first communion
But the bread turned to flesh
As we chewed, and boy we chewed

• lily pad pupils

What do you think?

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Best song: floral organs
Worst song: 9/12
Rating: 4/5

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