Tonight we saw The Mandalorian and Grogu, and honestly, what a fun movie! I’d recommend it even if you’re not really a Star Wars person. Mariko isn’t a huge fan, but she has a soft spot for Jabba the Hutt. So when more Hutts showed up on the big screen, she was thrilled. It was pretty funny to see her light up like that.

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I went to the theater tonight with a friend to see The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and it was a blast. Lots of action, genuinely funny moments, and some fun cameos from other Nintendo characters. Loved it!

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Bay and I went to the theater today to see The Apartment. Neither of us had seen this 1960 classic before, but we knew it was considered essential viewing for movie buffs, so we were excited to experience it on the big screen.

I found it very entertaining and also fascinating as a glimpse into what life might have been like back then. Of course, it is a movie, so who knows how closely it reflects reality, but it felt believable enough. Some moments were genuinely shocking, like the doctor slapping Fran multiple times to keep her from falling asleep, and the wild office party with drinking, dancing, and making out right there at work. The casual attitude toward cheating on spouses was also surprising.

Aside from those eyebrow raising moments, I thought the movie was excellent. I especially enjoyed seeing actors I recognized from other films all together here, and in their much younger years.

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We saw the movie Rental Family today and it was great! At first I was a little worried that the story might turn into a series of short episodes that followed Brendan Fraser’s character from job to job, kind of like an episodic J-Dorama. But it turned out to be a real surprise. The plot tied together beautifully and the ending was fantastic. The movie was funny, heartbreaking, and absolutely gorgeous to look at. There were even a couple of clever twists that I did not see coming. I highly recommend it!

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Tonight my friend and I went to see The Boy and the Beast at Alamo Drafthouse, and it was such a treat! The movie was both fun and hilarious, with a story that felt wildly imaginative from start to finish. I have no idea where Mamoru Hosoda dreams up these worlds, but I really hope he keeps them coming!

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Several people had told me that Kpop Demon Hunters was amazing, and one person insisted it was terrible. Either way, it looked interesting, so I decided to give it a watch. And you know what? I really liked it! The character design is cool, the voice acting feels natural, and even though the story was kind of basic, the whole thing was still a very fun movie. I’m glad I gave it a shot! 😁

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Viewing the Summer Wars‘ climactic ending from my recliner at the theater. 😆

Fun movie!!!

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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.

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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!

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To see other years’ lists, click on the “List Love” menu in the top navigation.

Books

• • Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant: A Memoir by Curtis Chin (8.5)
  • The Island of Sea Women: A Novel by Lisa See (9)
  • Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (8)
  • The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan (8.5)
  • The Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan (8)
  • The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan (8)
  • Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen (7)
  • On Gold Mountain by Lisa See (8.5)
  • Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: A Novel by Jamie Ford (9)
  • The Lotus Shoes: A Novel by Jane Yang (8.5)
  • The Galaxy, and the Ground Within: A Novel by Becky Chambers (9.5)
  • The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (7)
  • Remarkably Bright Creatures: A Novel by Shelby Van Pelt (7.5)
  • Wizardom Legends: Temple of the Unknown by Jeffrey L. Kohanek (7.5)
  • The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan (7.5)
  • Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain (7)
  • Beethoven: The Universal Composer by Edmund Morris (7)
  • Dispatches from Parts Unknown by Bryan Bliss (9)
  • Tor the Dungeon Crawler Box Set: The Complete Death Goddess Cycle by Jeffrey L. Kohanek (8)
  • The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (7)
  • Free Ride by Noraly Schoenmaker (7)
  • Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (8)
  • I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger (8.5)
  • Virgil Wander by Leif Enger  (7)
  • Life’s Missing Instruction Manual: The Guidebook You Should Have Been Given at Birth by Joe Vitale (4)
  • Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami (8)
  • The Art of Simple Living: 100 Daily Practices from a Zen Buddhist Monk for a Lifetime of Calm and Joy by Shunmyo Masuno (7)
  • Water Moon: A Novel by Samantha Sotto Yambao (6)
  • Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (9.5)
  • The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon by Grace Lin (8)
  • We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida (8)

See my current reading list at GoodReads, or my 2025 Year in Books.

Movies and Dorama

• Cunk on Life (8)
• Natsumi’s Firefly / 夏美のホタル (7)
• Pocahontas (6.5)
• Star Wars: Skeleton Crew S01 (8)
• Dr. Coto’s Clinic Season 2 (7)
• Dr. Coto’s Clinic (2022) (6.5)
• Moana 2 (8)
• F1 (7)
• Long Way Home (7)
• Severance S1 (9.5)
• Severance S2 (9)
• Where Does the Sea Begin / 海のはじまり (8)
• Kpop Demon Hunters (7)
• Little Big Women (7.5)
• Wicked Little Letters (7)
• The Story of Pearl Girl (7)
• Mickey 17 (7)
• Rental Family (9)
• Chihayafuru: Full Circle (10)
• Avatar: Fire and Ash (7)
• The Apartment (8)

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