I’m feeling relatively concise this time, so here’s a quick recap of events that transpired in August.
- Spent a week bored out of my mind and boiling in my non-air conditioned home
- Traveled to Japan for two weeks with one of my best friends!
- Cleaned out my old room and packed away all the childhood memories
- Moved to New York and became roommates with one of my oldest friends!
It was weird not having work or school for an entire month. I’ve never really had a break since starting university four years ago, so it was simultaneously refreshing and agonizing to just relax. Guess that’s the type A in me.
television 🦇
Voltron: Legendary Defender // Netflix — Like I said last month, Voltron is freaking amazing. The majority of my binge-watching happened at the beginning of August—before my trip to Japan—so I caught up on the series before season 7 premiered. It was torturous being forced to take a break from the show, especially with all the news and fan content making its way to my corner of the interwebs, taunting me with their spoilers. But I am back, I’ve got high-speed internet, and I am ready for more galactic adventures. Bring it on!
Making It // NBC — What do you get when you put Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, and crafts together? The best competitive reality series ever! Crafters from around the country are given weekly challenges to make themed creations using materials that range from felt to wood to paper to pom poms to glitter to anything they can get their hands on. Aside from featuring crafting—which I love—the biggest draw-in is the hosts: Amy and Nick. Putting them together is always magical and super funny, but it’s especially wonderful for any Parks and Rec fans. Making It is wholesome, fun, and really inspiring for anyone creative. Plus, one of the contestants is a Vietnamese woodworker, and I’m rooting for him because I’m biased.
Devilman Crybaby // Netflix — Gotta say, this was one of the most bizarre shows I’ve ever watched and oftentimes I wasn’t sure how I felt about it as a whole. It was uncomfortable, disgusting, tragic, stunning, and riveting at different times throughout the story and all at once as well. Nothing I’ve seen has topped Devilman Crybaby in terms of relentless, heart-wrenching suffering—so far at least. Brutality upon brutality upon brutality, and it just didn’t end. And somehow it still managed to be beautiful despite it all. I was blown away.
films ❤
I, Tonya — Man, I wish I got to see this one in theaters. The film just sucks you in right away and doesn’t let go until the credits roll. I loved the mockumentary format because it allowed for some delightful and biting commentary from each of the characters and involved the audience in a direct manner that drives home the “authenticity” of the film. Having Tonya address the camera reminds you that this tragic, messed up story actually happened and that everyone—the figure skating bureaucrats, the media vultures, and the consumerist sheep eating this shit up—was culpable in her breakdown. She was a superstar. She was a victim.
Love, Simon — This film was absolutely magical. I couldn’t help smiling throughout the entire thing, because Simon’s story felt so authentic, so touching, and so relatable. He was the everyman—charming, supportive, and kind—and he deserved every bit of happiness coming his way. Seeing him open up about his sexuality and the support system he had was heart warming to say the least. And that scene in the parking lot where he defends his right to come out on his own terms? Fucking iconic. We need more films like this, for diversity and representation’s sake and just for the sake of good films about teenagers. It was nostalgic in the best way.
Searching — At first I only wanted to see the movie because it was #StarringJohnCho and was featured at the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival this past May. But Searching turned out to be one of my favorite movies this past year. Aside from the riveting plot about a father searching for his missing teenage daughter, Searching‘s highlight was in the way it was shot. Everything took place on a screen. We never got to “see” the characters through our own eyes; we saw their text messages, Google searches, Facetime calls, and social media posts on a laptop. Sometimes we left the computer to watch the local news or security camera footage, but almost the entire film was “shot” on a Macbook. It was neat. And super effective in making the story intimate and universal at the same time. Seeing the flood of bullshit sympathy posts from Margot’s so-called Facebook friends elicited some dark laughs in the theater and the plethora of home videos that kicked off the film were absolutely touching. Somehow the film managed to be funny, endearing, gripping, and novel all at once. Go see it.
miscellaneous 💫
L. Period Products — Organic cotton menstrual products with a mission. Every purchase supports women as agents of change and helps make health products more accessible to girls around the world. You can get them online, but I usually just grab them at Target.
Ponte Flare Cropped Pants // Uniqlo — I am in love with these pants. Aside from being stylish and comfortable, these flared culottes have pockets! And they’re big, functional pockets too.
Gold Pigeon Sandals — These babies were a lifesaver in Japan. I wanted to get comfy, durable sandals that would last through hours upon hours of walking over various terrain and considered getting Tevas to do the job. Gold Pigeon caught my eye instead and were $15 cheaper than their equivalent, so I gave them a shot. Not only did they provide ample support for my feet, but they also looked just like the Tevas all the Japanese girls were wearing. My footwear ended up fitting right in with the locals.
Japan ⛩
There were a plenitude of wonderful things I saw, ate, and visited during my trip so check out my upcoming post for a list of places, food, and coffee I loved in Japan.
m.o.c.h.a. 