Pocketbook Diary

Tea; Music; Movies; Books; Food; Life; more Food

[windi04]

TABLO X RM - Stop The Rain: Thoughts

I can't say a lot, it was just released like 2 hours ago and I randomly listened to it and suddenly realised why I considered RM my role model - and why I found comfort in his words. The lyrics are pretty dark, but it just resonated with what I'm going through atm.

Pls listen to it if you're up for it.

[windi04]

Dare I declare The Long Ballad a masterpiece?

Disclaimer: Before I begin, I have to admit that I prepared this review like a long time ago, but was unable to publish it cuz of some technical difficulties. Anyways, now I'm back, and while I write this review, I must admit that I don't know when the next (cdrama) post is going to be up.

I was aware of this, and many other hit series by Dilraba Dilmurat since I started watching cdramas like 5 years ago. And I've been gatekeeping her talents for goodness knows how long. Like, I started watching one costume drama which I didn't really like, and therefore didn't complete, and ever since that one I've been passing up on her works. Yes, I did watch those clips that come up on youtube, but never complete series, until now.

I honestly wasn't expecting much out of it. But I've gotta admit that it was an honestly pleasant surprise. There are so many things that I love about it, but maybe I'll start with the actors, which was I think the biggest twist of all (imo).

Yeah, even at this point Dilraba was kind of like a veteran so yeah, being amazing is literally the least she could do. Also she looks so pretty, I couldn't stop talking about her for weeks when I started to watch it.

But this time, let's give the spotlight to someone else, shall we?

Let's talk about Leo Wu, shall we? Please note that this is my first time seeing any of his dramas.

Ok, first impression: damn, he's hot. Anyways, I immediately noticed that he was almost always sporting this nonchalant/scowl face, so I immediately jumped into the impression that I've encountered yet another Chinese actor who would actually do much better as a model than an actor.

Enter the grasslands scenes, and boy was I so terribly wrong. Like that particular scene when his foster mom died, I - I'm speechless. He deserves a standing ovation for that scene. The despair!!!

With that, let's jump right into my favourite characters.

To be honest, there's so many; but Li Leyan and Hao Du take the cake. I'm genuinely so impressed by Zhao Lusi!! Like --!!

Ok, just for clarification, I don't hate her. And I'm pretty sure that I'd never ever implied that I do. But when it comes to her cdrama characters, well - I don't like the characters. Maybe there are lots of other cdramas out there that I haven't watched, but all these years I'd been desperately trying to prove to myself that it wasn't her, but the characters that I found unappealing - and The Long Ballad proved it right.

I think this couple actually share the best character arcs ever written in cdrama history - them alone would have been enough for me to call this cdrama a masterpiece!

I loved how at the beginning of the premise, Li Leyan/Princess Yongning was introduced as a weak/fragile/naive girl. Not that it's a bad thing - just that the world is too nasty of a place for such girls to live on their own (which was literally proven by the plot).

Then, cue the plot twists, and we get to witness her transformation step by step. I particularly loved how the writers kept using other royals/noblemen as contrasts to show the woman she'd become! Such a queen!!!

I know I spent a whole lot of time on Leyan when this was supposed to be a discussion on both of them, so here's a little bit of Hao Du appreciation.

Who knew our Mr. Bodyguard/Hitman was such a big softie?? If he was a bit more active, I would've straight up called him a golden retriever!! I mean, I don't think that's an incorrect definition either.

Why was I too stupid realise that the ship had begun construction in the first episode itself? When he picked up the amulet Leyan had dropped?? Ok lemme just shut up and blush into my pillow cuz he's too cute!!!!!

My other favourite characters include Xu Feng, Luo Shi Ba, and the rest of the Yanxing Sect (I'm also gonna include Situ Langlang in here cuz I think this is becoming too long), the desert tribe people (from Mobei and Monan), and finally A'Dou and Xiao Wu, who had perfect yet tragically untimely deaths.

Let me address Xiao Wu's death: it was one of the most painfully cruel deaths in the entire series. Like, they hadn't eaten in days, and Wu was sick. Leyan was carrying him on her back to the Luoyang city. Just a metre or so away from the city gate, right in front of the guards and all, he dies. Had they been like five minutes early, he would've possibly made it.

If you think about it, Xiao Wu's death was the final step of Li Leyan's character arc. It completed her transformation. It was the final nail that hit her right in the middle of her heart, pinning her life's purpose into her. Still, tho, it's heartbreaking.

Speaking of characters dying, I think it's necessary to address Mimi Guli's death. Yes, I hated the fact that she had to die. But as a writer, I understand why she was written off. Had she lived, she'd have been the centre of a love triangle, which would've been strong enough to start its own war.

Between Mu Jin and Ashile She'er, neither can be undermined. But this whole thing would have been extremely uncomfortable since they were literally at the end of the series. Dragging off the plot with nothing but a mere love story would easily turned fans away. Hence, while it might still be a rather hasty and unprofessional solution, they chose to remove the common denominator from the equation.

Before I wrap things up, let me comment on one final thing: The switch between the live action and animation for the action scenes. Such a genius strategy - they must've saved up lots in the budget! But still, some scenes - particularly the finale scene when Ashile Sun carries Li Changge out of the fire - looked way too fake. Imo, it lowered the quality of the whole series. They could've completely animated it instead of doing both.

Overall, it was such an amazing show, highlighting themes of homelessness, belonging, identity crisis, war and peace, the public, and poverty. Perhaps my favourite part of the whole thing was the way they portrayed feminism, and its strength: by depicting both physical strength and the strength of grace and femininity.

So, do I recommend? ABSOLUTELY!!! (Although I'm pretty sure I'd never share anything about anything if not to recommend it.)

[windi04]

Hi!

I was watching the cdrama Ultimate Note but got the impression that it’s a part of a bigger universe, with one or more prequel shows. Can anyone tell me if there’s a specific order in which I have to watch this?

[windi04]

Fangs of Fortune: a review

This is my third time writing this whole damn review, so please excuse me if I sound like I’m absolutely done with this shit, cuz I kind of am, atp.

Anyways, I previously prepared long paragraphs describing everything I loved and hated about Fangs of Fortune, but I’m tired now, pls don’t be offended. I’m going to keep everything short and sweet. Maybe I will comment individually on each section later.

Music: Impeccable. 1000000000% satisfaction. Here’s a playlist I found on Spotify.

Costumes and styling: Top notch. Really intricate and elaborate, accentuating richness of culture and characterisations.

Setting: Humid. Surprisingly comforting. Probably first class leech habitat.

So many failed relationships. Note: different from doomed relationships. These couples are literally soulmates (?) who never got their happily-ever-after.

Exhibit A: Ran Yi and Miss Qi. Pure love untainted by stereotypes.

Exhibit B: Qing Geng and Fei. Literally yin and yang.

Exhibit C: Cheng Huang and Bai Ze (original goddess). I personally shipped them.

Exhibit D: Ao Yin and Li Lun. Unreciprocated love; take it with a grain of salt.

Exhibit E: Zhao Yuanzhou and Wen Xiao. The power couple. Almost made it, but fate had other plans.

Other non-romantic relationships: Bai Jiu and Ying Lei. Honourable mentions also include the Zhao Yuanzhou-Zhuo Yichen-Li Lun, Pei Sijing-Wen Xiao, Bai Jiu-Pei Sijing, Bai Jiu-Zhuo Yichen, and Pei siblings’ dynamics.

Ending: Not that satisfactory. Felt rushed, could have made it happier. Or at least let viewers deal with the tragedy and loss together with the survivors.

Bonus: Enjoyed confusing my family with out of context remarks about Fangs of Fortune. For example, (Bai Jiu shows up on screen) ME: HIS MOTHER’S A TREE!

Last words: Loved the cdrama to bits. Go watch it if you haven’t already!

[windi04]

Double Review: Dashing Youth & The Blood of Youth

Hi everyone, long time no see hehe. Lots of stuff happened, and I’m also kinda lazy by nature, so this blog has been inactive, which isn’t something new.

Anyways, I’ve been having some free time lately, so I binged some cdramas. Tbh I’m not a big cdrama fan… I find them mostly cringey and poorly written. Maybe it’s just the stuff I’d watched was bad, but it’s a shame that I couldn’t really enjoy watching anything since The Untamed, which was like one of the first cdramas I watched. Speaking of which, let me know if I should rewatch it. I want to invest in analysing the characters and the symbolism.

Anyways, back to the topic. I’d been trying to watch Dashing Youth for several months, and it honestly was SO GOOD. Yes, I had no idea that it was a prequel of another show, but because I was unaware of The Blood of Youth, I was basically always at the edge of my seat because I managed to avoid all the spoilers. Anyways, once I discovered this connection I immediately went onto watch The Blood of Youth once Dashing Youth ended.

Both the shows were pretty amazing, and as much as I want to yap about how much I love them, I also can’t. It’s funny - I’m actually a writer but I can’t write even when I want to. Kinda sad, really, my mind literally goes blank.

Anyways, I ADORE how the writers have used geography to lay out the cultures and design the settings. Also, at this point I have to mention that in most cases I tend to not enjoy wuxia dramas because of the exaggerated fighting scenes where everyone flies. But while watching Dashing Youth, I hammered into my mind to think of it as a legend, or a folklore. People tend to exaggerate when telling stories, so it’s only natural that the final interpretation is a bit unrealistic.

I loved the costumes and accessories, although I felt like Xiao Yu/Lord Chi’s costumes drew inspiration from the Fire Nation in ATLA, lol. His long capes also made it seem like he was trying to channel Ye Dingzhe vibes, which I think - given his aspirations of world domination - was what he was actually trying to do. Also why are they wearing long, heavy capes while fighting indoors? There are some other small issues in the wardrobe department, but overall though, it was pretty good.

I did realise that there were major mistakes made with timelines. I know that the shows were made based on a novel - which I have not read - but based on the two series alone I think that Dashing Youth did a poor job at getting the events in the right order. The biggest example of this is how Lei Mengsha meets his wife Li Xinyue. According to The Blood of Youth, they met while Lei Mengsha was travelling with his junior Baili Dongjun. But in Dashing Youth, he was a husband and a father long before he even met Dongjun.

And the women. The WOMEN!!! I never thought I would see such powerful women in a cdrama! Baili Dongjun’s mother, Yue Yao, Yue Qing, Ye Ruoyi, and even Hua Jin - not to mention Li Hanyi, Sikong Qianluo, Ji Xue, and Li Xinyue - such powerful women. Even The Untamed couldn’t introduce such queens to us. But I hate Yi Wenjun. She was the downfall of Ye Dingzhi.

Ye Dingzhi. Ye Yun. I never expected him to become the villain. He’s pretty much the Anakin Skywalker of this universe. Props to He Yu for pulling off this character marvelously! I mean, Ye Dingzhi suffered so much, but he still hoped. When Wenjun disappeared, leaving him alone with their 2-year-old son, he was desperate. Even when he actually became a demon, his conscience was pretty clear. As Ji Ruofeng said, “Good or evil, Ye Dingzhi deserves respect.” Heck, the Eunuchs who were there to kill him were literally trying to blink away tears when he committed suicide!

And Ye Anshi. I never thought Ye Anshi was Wuxin. But I loved his character. Despite being a monk, and a formidable foe, he was pretty chaotic and sassy. I mean, it would be weird if he wasn’t like that after he was carried across the country in a golden coffin.

It’s almost midnight here, and I want to sleep, so here’s one final favourite character before wrapping up.

Ok. I have more than one final favourite character that I want to talk about. So I’m going to wrap this up here. I might put out additional posts about them in the future. But I absolutely recommend y’all to watch them if you haven’t done already. I also found out that another series from the same universe is in the works, so let’s look forward to that too!

[windi04]

Le Sserafim needs to go on a hiatus

Ok, before you come at my throat, hear me out.

I am by no means a LE SSERAFIM hater. In fact, I was so hyped up since their debut because then I finally had a kpop group that released the kind of music I like. But over time, I also felt that their vocals were extremely underwhelming. It’s a pity cuz I was rooting for them a lot, and then they come across all that criticism, especially since their Coachella performances (again, I stress that I did not find them too pathetic since they had the ability to hype up the crowds, I think - I wasn’t physically present - although their vocals barely made it up to an average level).

In this post I’m unfolding one of the hypothetical scenarios created by my imagination, in which there is a way to salvage the group from its dissatisfactory vocals. But for that to happen, LE SSERAFIM need to go on a hiatus, for at least five months.

So within this time period they fall back to their trainee schedules, with EXTRA emphasis on vocal training. Like, starting all the way back from the basics, practicing everyday for five months straight. Ideally, I would suggest like a 70:30 ratio between vocals and dance, as they already are pretty competent in the latter category.

In the meantime they can have the freedom to enjoy some moments of relaxation in between the heavy training schedules. It would be best if they actually start taking care of their voices - unfortunately the kpop industry is a place where nearly 0% attention is paid in that field - it might not do much compared to the raw talent that you’re born with, but it might help those who did not start this journey as vocalists.

Anyways, I’m not the most well-versed in terms of voice training, but the girls might get somewhere if they are drilled through some basic music theory and thorough voice training lessons. After the time period is up, they can finally start focusing on their comeback for like two more months (completely an assumption; I have no idea how these things work), and sort of re-debut as a rejuvenated version of LE SSERAFIM.

I’m pretty sure that was a long read, but thank you for bearing with me to the end. That being said, I can’t guarantee any success in this method, although I did go through something like this while I was in the brass band in middle school, and it helped me later when I actually started playing complete songs. After all, it’s not like hybe would actually read this and follow through, this is pretty much a fantasy, a fanfic, if you can say that.

[windi04]

I just finished watching the kdrama 18 Again, and I’m crying. Let’s just take a moment to appreciate everything that our parents are doing/ have ever done for us. Let’s just put down our devices and sit down with our loved ones and just appreciate the fact that they are doing a good job carrying the burdens of life against the strong currents of challenges.

See you in the next post, take care!

[windi04]

I attempted to draw Kim Taeri as Na Heedo from Twenty Five Twenty One, but I’m still doubtful as my sister couldn’t recognize her.

[windi04]

Seasons of Blossom

I finished watching this kdrama yesterday and I absolutely loved it! Its such a sweet, pure and heartbreaking documentation of love, loss, and moving on.

in this fanart I sketched today we have Han So Mang(So Joo Yeon) and Lee Ha Min(Seo Ji Hoon) in the background, with Lee Jaemin(Kim Mingyu), Yoon Bo Mi(Kang Hyewon), Choi Jinyoung(Yoon Hyun Soo) and Kang Sun Hee (Oh Yujin) in the front. I drew them without references, in the way that they were retained in my memory, and therefore might not be accurate.

That being said, it’s an amazing show to watch. Now go enjoy!

[windi04]

Dear Legend of Awakening fans, I need your help.

I watched the series a while ago and fell absolutely in love with the characters and the plot!!! I didn’t expect it to happen, cuz it has all these flying-dancing-sword fights that just look so damn unrealistic, but I liked it nonetheless.

Correction: I LOVED it!

anyways, I wanted to comment on it with a series of fanarts, hereby starting with my favourite character Mo Lin. You won’t believe it when I say i stopped everything to mourn him when I learned he died, then had an entirely different celebration when he was resurrected! Yes, I know that this is not the most perfect fanart of his, since,

I drew this without any reference

It’s been a while since I watched this show

I literally said f*** u to all the art techniques and basics and drew without even sketching the proportions.

In fact, I’d not be surprised if the only thing that registers him as Mo Lin is his earring. But just leave your comments on how you think I did.

ps: constructive criticism only. Don’t post mean stuff.

[windi04]

Yep. Watching Mr. Queen was most definitely the right decision.

I can’t even believe that I straight up ignored this masterpiece for three whole years!

Time travel, Joseon, and a body swap????? I mean, the writers went to the extreme!!!!! It was the perfect revival I needed - let’s just ignore the fact that I’m not very much better that I was before watching it, just a tad bit more entertained, ok?

It was one of the most satisfying kdramas I’ve ever watched, and yes, I did decide to go with the flow and stop trying to evaluate everything as it will make me disappointed with everything, but still, this is a finely crafted work of art, consisting of complicated characters with character arcs that extend over multiple different levels, an interesting, well driven plot, and literally a rollercoaster ride of emotions on top of its dominant feature of comedy. (I think that is one of the longest sentences I’ve ever written, btw.)

Let me just be honest when I say I’m not very good at writing this kind of stuff, but my main point is this: if you’re an idiot like me who hasn’t watched it yet, GO WATCH IT RIGHT NOW!

Or whenever you have time to spare. Just don’t drop out of school or work just to watch it, if you get what I mean.

[windi04]

hi!!! I’m back after a while and here’s what I got after drawing wonyoung without using any references. Aka I drew this by memory and I’m not even a hardcore fan of ive or kpop in general.

So here she is, Jang Wonyoung.

I hope you liked it.

[windi04]

Roses and Their Thorns

Alexa Woole, who fails to escape her fate at the Redwood Towers, has to follow her brother's footsteps and refine her c...

[windi04]

What literature actually is

When you are an advanced level student studying literature without going to tuition classes, people have a lot to say to you. Most of the time, it’s something like,

You have to memorize entire poems and the biographies of the writers

Your marks depend on the way your teacher/ examiner thinks

It is very difficult to get marks and should be avoided if you’re attempting to get straight A’s

However, after studying literature for nearly five years, I can testify that these opinions are - in fact - rather correct, though there are certain things that I would like to clarify.

so, in short, literature is,

1. Understanding texts thoroughly and seeing society as presented by them.

2.Writing ALL the correct points rather than elaborating the ones with most examples.

3. Paraphrasing through most of the text because you can’t remember proper examples, then using certain words/phrases from the text in your sentences with the use of quotation marks.

4. Being open and frank about what you feel and sticking to one opinion.

5. Writing additional 2-6 pages yet still under the same time limit that you had in your junior years.

6. Being so invested in the text/question/argument yet being unable to savour it because you’re in a time crunch.

7. Just wasting pages and pages of what you think is the right answer just to get a handful of points.

8. Witnessing your confidence being torn to shreds while your teacher marks your paper.

9. Never knowing the right answer.

10. Never being able to predict anything; from questions to results.

11. Learning to never expect anything big out of what you write.

that’s all I can think of rn, but I still should the opinion that everyone should actively learn literature as it can impact humanity in marvelous ways.

[dotdotcloud]

JAKE & SUNOO string art🧵

[windi04]

🔥

[haerinsii]

R U NEXT **R U RIGGED**

okay so the finale lineup is..interesting..Jiwoo isnt in it so its a immediate no, but what's so annoying are the people HATING on Wonhee ''she doesnt deserve to debut'' ''shes talentless'' ''flop'' and all that other bullshit, the ppl saying that are people that never actually watched the show and only watched random clips on tiktok. Wonhee is talented for her age and improved allot during the show. And before the favorism was showing up EVERYONE was praising her vocals, if you gon talk ab facial expressions then where was the same reaction for Ruka (still lowk mad ab her being eliminated but oh well) And what annoys me the most is that these ppl saying those rude ass stuff are also the people that comment that ''minors shouldnt debut cs of the hateful community'' like YOU are the hateful community, YOU make it a hateful community putting the blame on her for something YOU should blame the JUDGES on (whom i got beef with) Same with Ena, girl is 12 and got hated on on tiktok (literally one of the best vocalists in the show but okayy...)OBV to young too debut but you know what my point is. And then the same ppl that hated on a 12 year old CHILD be saying its a hateful community..bitch you the hateful community itself, if you jealous js say so...

[windi04]

I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE I'M MATURE

BUT WHY THE HELL IS EVERYTHING WRONG WITH THE FINAL EP OF R U NEXT??

WHAT DARK BUSINESS HAPPENED BACKSTAGE FOR JIWOO TO NOT DEBUT? AND JEEMIN AND JEONGHYUN, NOT TO MENTION EVERYONE ELSE THAT GOT ELIMINATED IN THE LAST TWO EPISODES??