What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:
TV
Extraordinary You (2016) – Ep 12-16
These final few episodes of this show were a delight. I’m glad that our leads got to spend some time together before they were cruelly separated. Haru’s decision to choose his and Dan-oh’s happiness over being secure and getting to spend time in the manhwa seemed like the right choice. They got to enjoy being in each other’s lives.
The show also explored the nature of separation. The iconic (read: cringy. I’m looking at you Oh Nam-ju!) A3 were going to go on their own paths, but they would still find the time for each other. Graduation meant a departure from the place that they had spent their formative years. Baek Gyeong came to terms with Dan-oh not being in his life, and will hopefully find his own form of happiness. And of course, our leads were separated in a heart-wrenching scene. But the show gave us hope that these characters would find their way back into each others’ lives, even if they might be different characters with different surrounding, their souls would recognise one another.
Movies
Mulan (1998)
I am really looking forward to the live action version of this film, and with its impending release, I thought I would rewatch the original Disney version of this film. I have always been absolutely enamoured by Mulan, enjoying that she was the kind of person who was willing to stand for her country, to protect her family, and to adapt to any situation that she was put into. I’ll Make a Man Out of You gets me every time. She works hard and she gets the job done, the irony of course being that the first man to be able to do it is actually a woman…
Add to the mix Mushu, Cricket and a wacky band of sidekick and you’ve got the perfect comedy. But the movie balances it well with the more chilling scenes with Shan-Yu. He always scared me as a child, and still gives me the creeps every time I watch the movie. And of course, who can forget Li Shang. Something about his voice got me excited, and I savoured every scene between him and Mulan.
This movie definitely ranks as one of my all-time favourites, and it is always a delight to watch. I hope the new film can hold up in comparison.
Colourful Granny 