daily slice-of-life photo blog of a Gen-X dad
I just wrapped up the 10-episode Japanese drama The Hot Spot and I loved every minute of it. The humor was subtle and understated, which worked perfectly thanks to the excellent acting. I caught myself laughing out loud so many times!
After posting about it on Threads, I even got a few more recommendations, so I’m excited to dive into those next. If you’re looking for something fun to watch, give The Hot Spot on Netflix a try – I think you’ll really enjoy it!
Tonight, my buddy and I went to watch Wolf Children at our local theater. I went in knowing almost nothing about the film – just that it had a strong reputation among anime fans. And I’m happy to say, it absolutely lived up to the hype!
Wolf Children, directed by Mamoru Hosoda, is a beautifully animated film that blends fantasy and heartfelt storytelling. While some moments were lighthearted and a little whimsical, the movie also explored deeper emotional themes about family, identity, and growing up.
We usually see anime with subtitles and Japanese audio, but this time we saw the dubbed version and it was very acceptable!
If you’re a fan of anime films or just looking for a touching story with stunning visuals, I highly recommend checking out Wolf Children. Super!
My son and I are currently watching season 2 of Andor. While we’re enjoying it overall, some of the storylines aren’t holding our attention as much. There seem to be a disproportionate number of dinner parties and wedding scenes. In fact, I joked that someone could probably create a super-cut of Mon Mothma simply fast-walking through these social events, and it would amount to hours of footage.
I finally got around to seeing Moana 2 this afternoon, and while it has some flaws, I did enjoy it overall. The pacing was a little off, which I suspect is a result of the project’s transition from a TV series to a movie. That said, it was a fun, funny, and visually stunning film.
Just saw Colorful Stage: The Movie: A Miku Who Can’t Sing tonight. Going in, I was a total newbie to the whole thing, so the beginning was a little confusing. But, I’d say around the halfway mark, I was completely hooked, dying to know how the story would play out.
The movie’s music is really good! I’m already planning to check out a few of the featured “bands”, of which there were five: a rock band, hip-hop group, goth-lolita group, pop idol group, and an amusement park variety troupe. The goth-lolita group “Nightcord at 25:00” was my favorite. Check them out on Spotify if interested!
Oh, and for those who don’t know (like I did!), the movie is based on a rhythm game called Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage! That’s where all the backstory and lore come from. It’s actually super interesting when you start to dig into it!
Bonus: This song was featured in the movie for a few seconds. I liked it so much I had to look it up. So good!
