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Jhanya & Ria's Recommendations — SubMonth #4 Special
- Jhanya&Ria's Corner
- Sep 25, 2021
- 10 min read
YOU THOUGHT LAST WEEK WAS SPECIAL?
Well, you’re in for an exciting read this week. Super surprise!! We've got a special review for you.
Today, we’ll be the ones submitting our recommendations! Since you guys have been the ones to recommend the subjects of our reviews, Ria and I thought that it’s time for us to make our own.
For the past 6 months, we’ve been mainly reviewing what was new, and what we thought would be interesting topics for you, our readers. But today we’ll be mini-reviewing and recommending our personal favorites. Some of the books, movies, and shows that made it in our 5-Star list.
Contents
Book Corner
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice is an 1813 romantic novel of manners. It tells us the story of the Bennets and British society during the Regency era. We follow Elizabeth “Lizzie” Bennet as she learns how to recognize actual good from superficial good in spite of her hasty and straightforward personality. She learns this through her interactions with the aristocratic landowner, Fitzwilliam Darcy, who himself has his own personality to deal with. Though mainly romantic, the book can also be considered satirical as it mocks British society in a lot of parts in the book. Jane Austen showed the world how knowledgeable and deep her understanding of social class and societal restrictions placed on women (and men).
I can already hear some of you go “meh” or “again?” when you saw Pride and Prejudice as my book recommendation LOL. In all seriousness though, P&P (Yes. That’s what I call it) has been with me since I started reading it around 4th or 5th grade and is my sensei for all things romance. For those who aren’t familiar with me personally, you must be wondering why a 5th grader is reading Pride & Prejudice. Well, the first books I’ve read were classics. No joke. The first books I remember finishing were Heidi and Adventures of Sherlock Holmes xD. Anyway, back to P&P. Up till now, it’s still one of my standards for Romance books. Jane Austen just had the formula for one of the most perfect “enemies to lovers” couples. She was also able to incorporate many different elements in her novel very well which makes it all the more satisfying to read.
If you haven’t read this book yet (yES yES), I definitely recommend starting as soon as you’re in the mood for a book. It’s definitely worth all the hype. I’ve read P&P ~7 times already in the past 8 years and I would read it all over again xD.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
J.K. Rowling
Synopsis: The war against Voldemort is not going well; even Muggle governments are noticing. Ron scans the obituary pages of the Daily Prophet, looking for familiar names. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses. And yet… As in all wars, life goes on (plugging BTS’s song!). The Weasley twins expand their business. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate - and lose a few eyebrows in the process. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Classes are never straightforward, through Harry receives some extraordinary help from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince. Here at Hogwarts, Harry will search for the full and complete story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort - and thereby find what may be his only vulnerability.
Since Jhanya already recommended Pride and Prejudice, (LMAOOOO) I had to think of another book I love so much to recommend. I actually thought of recommending Little Women, but I thought, “why not deviate from classics and recommend a fantasy book instead?” And the only books I actually thought of was the Harry Potter Series. I love all 7 books and the world that JK Rowling has created for us. But, out of all 7 books, my favorite would have to be Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The book has so many secrets within the pages and really showed us the lives of other characters, not just Harry (Draco!! Yes! we love Draco fans <333). We also saw how the world has become dark and we experienced heart-wrenching news and deaths. Aside from the darker side, we also see how our main characters have become teens. We see how Harry struggles with his feelings and, well, Ron and Hermione.
And of course, I’m a huge Potterhead! (Go Gryffindor!!!) So I definitely recommend reading the whole series, but my favorite is this sixth book.
Movie Corner
Knives Out
Rian Johnson
Synopsis: The circumstances surrounding the death of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey are mysterious, but there's one thing that renowned Detective Benoit Blanc knows for sure -- everyone in the wildly dysfunctional Thrombey family is a suspect. Now, Blanc must sift through a web of lies and red herrings to uncover the truth. (Google)
I spontaneously decided to watch this in theaters one day, and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Knives Out diverts all expectations despite having the same, classic whodunit story. At first, you may think that it has the same pattern as other whodunit movies like Clue (1985) and Murder on the Orient Express (2017)(yes I loved this movie!!!), but once you watch it you will be surprised. It went from a whodunit plot to rooting for the suspect to escape, and back to a whodunit LMAO. When I watched this for the first time, I was blown away at how I guessed the real killer, but couldn’t figure out completely what really happened because there were so many clues throughout the whole film that it will really make you feel confused. Rian Johnson learned his mistakes from SW Episode VIII: The Last Jedi and applied what he learned to Knives Out. He made a typical murder mystery, one of the most unpredictable and classiest films ever. And I’m so happy that he did.
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation
Christopher McQuarrie
Synopsis: With the IMF disbanded and the CIA hunting him, Ethan and his team race against time to prove the existence of the Syndicate, a highly-skilled terror organization, before they plan their next attack.
I have no idea how many times I’ve mentioned this, but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS MOVIE. I love the whole franchise, actually, but this movie is something I never get tired of. I actually memorize most lines 🤣 This is the fifth movie in the M:I franchise. It centers on Ethan, Ilsa, Benji, Luther, and Brandt, and the Syndicate. This movie is full of laughs and awesome stunts. They actually have stunts on a whole other level, I have no idea how Tom Cruise does it. However, my favorite character is Ilsa Faust. GUYS, SHE’S SO BADASS. I love her dynamic and synergy with Ethan and the whole group. She’s also my favorite female partner out of all that Ethan has had. I love her so much it’s unreal.
Definitely recommend this as a fun watch to lift your spirits and de-stress. It really placed a smile on my face after a long, gruesome day of online class.
TV Corner
The Good Place
19 September 2016 – 30 January 2020
The Good Place is an American Fantasy Comedy TV series that follows Eleanor, a deceased saleswoman who lived a morally corrupt life. However, she finds herself in a heaven-like afterlife in a case of mistaken identity and tries to hide her past in order to stay there. While trying to do so, she meets Michael, the architect of her town, and Chidi, Tahani, and Jason who seem to be in a similar, yet different situation as her.
When I started watching this series, I didn’t expect to like it, but I did!!! I was never really a fan of American comedies outside FRIENDS and stand-up, but I was pleasantly surprised with this one. For a comedy, it was very well written and planned for the majority of the series. It also finished early, meaning that the writers could have a proper conclusion and they don’t need to uselessly extend the series for revenue. The Good Place is unique for its genre and media. It’s pretty rare nowadays to find an original and new storyline amongst the cliche series we often see in mainstream media. Upon watching, I am convinced that this show had one of the most well-written fictional TV characters, Michael (Ted Danson). I don’t wanna explain much because it will spoil a lot in the series, but trust me when I say that Michael’s character growth is very profound (I think that’s the word) yet relatable.
Overall, the story has a unique premise that goes deep without losing its comedic charm. It can make one question life, but at the same time have you laughing your ass off all throughout the 4 seasons of the show.
FRIENDS
22 September 1994 - 6 May 2004
Synopsis: Follow the lives of six reckless adults living in Manhattan, as they indulge in adventures that make their lives both troublesome and happening.
I think we all know this tv sitcom, right? FRIENDS follows six friends – Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Ross, Chandler, and Joey – as they go through their life. This is one of the few tv sitcoms that I’ve never really gotten tired of and actually finished from season 1 to the last (plus rewatched more than a dozen times). Although this is a comedic sitcom, it brought us such iconic scenes and lines. From laughing your head off to crying to moving scenes, to shouting “WE WERE ON A BREAK!” and laughing to yourself because, honestly, they were on a break, NOT broken up. This sitcom never fails to bring a smile to my face and teach me several important life lessons of adulthood. #adulting
Albeit the 10 seasons, I don’t think you’ll actually feel it. Each episode got me wanting more so I really recommend this to everyone and anyone.
Drama Corner
Hospital Playlist
2020 - 2021
Hospital Playlist… Where do I even start with this drama?
Synopsis (via AsianWiki): Hospital Playlist (“Wise Doctor Life”) depicts the stories of doctors, nurses, and patients at [Yulje] hospital. 5 doctors all entered the same medical university in 1999 and are now friends who work together in the same hospital.
To be honest, the synopsis says it all. And this is what makes this Kdrama stand above all other Kdramas, especially medical dramas. At first one may seem skeptical of the show because of its “plain” premise, but I think that’s the charm of HosPlay. It does extremely well in depicting the lives of doctors, and other medical professionals without the intense “medical problem-solving moments” that all other med dramas have. HosPlay showed that you don't need constant stressful situations and kill-worthy villains to make the near-perfect drama. Its characters, chemistry, script, storyline, cinematography, soundtrack, and the cast really checked all my boxes for the perfect Kdrama. I don’t really have any complaints on this drama other than how confusing the first episode is for a first-time watcher. I know a lot of people who wanted to and actually dropped the drama after the first episode because of how confusing it was. It really takes time to familiarize yourself with the cast, and as someone who is bad with names, it was a real struggle figuring out who was who in the first ep where they really just introduced everyone.
Hospital Playlist S2 (I watched S1 a month after it aired) is also the very first Kdrama I’ve patiently watched weekly and I’m glad I did. It was such a satisfying and fulfilling journey. Don’t be mistaken. I started watching Kdramas in the early 2000s to 2010s but never really wanted to wait weekly because my fam and I can just watch it all in one go LOL. I highly recommend this Kdrama to everyone! But make sure it isn’t your first Kdrama because it’s too unique from other dramas and might confuse your expectations for Kdramas in general. It’s very heartwarming and comforting to a point that you know you won’t be stressed while watching it (except, of course, if you had to wait for 2 weeks to watch S2Ep11 after that cliffhanger).
(GUYS listen to their OST, especially the drama versions!!! Like legit!!!)
Falling Into Your Smile
2021
Synopsis: Tong Yao earns a spot as the first female player in the all-male ZGDX team and grows closer to the team leader.
There are actually quite a few Asian dramas that I absolutely love, but, currently, I am super obsessed with Falling Into Your Smile. It is a Chinese drama that centers around Tong Yao, a fresh college graduate who loves playing video games, who becomes a professional gamer. There she meets Lu SiCheng, Xiao Pang, Lao Mao, Lao K, Ming Shen, and Xiao Rui. What I love about this drama is the reality it shows the viewer to the life of being a gamer. It’s not all about playing games and competing. In reality, along with becoming a famous gamer comes obsessive fans, unmatched rivals, and horrible competitors. The drama not only took us on a wild ride but a fun and scary ride. And of course, the romance in the story was super cute. Lu Si Cheng equals tsundere.
Overall, this drama has all five stars for me. The plot, characters, and morale really hit it right. AND! A huge bonus to the visual effects as they showed super awesome fight scenes inside the game itself!! Recommending this to all who love a good romance and reality.
(I just want to flex that I recommended this to Ria. And she finished watching it first even though I started earlier xD)
Final Thoughts
Jhanya: Once again, a huge thank you to everyone who submitted their recommendations over the past month. We really enjoyed them and can’t wait to hear more from you again. To be honest, it was a real challenge choosing only one to review (ex. 4 songs for the Music Review this month xD) and it’s a shame that we couldn’t review more books and movies from you guys huhu This SubMonth has been very fun and I can't wait for the next one ;D Thank you for all the support you guys have given us over the last 6 months! And we hope you continue to do so in the future <3
Ria: We loved all your recommendations, unfortunately, we weren’t able to review all of them. Nevertheless (heh the kdrama xD)(n.o.), I think that this special review was a great way to end our special Subscriber Month. It’s a give-and-take 😉 Anyways, I had lots of fun this month and I really hope we can have another Subscriber Month soon!! Regardless, be sure to look for our post next week, we, of course, still have some great content for you!! See you guys soon xx
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