What am I Watching?
Jun. 13th, 2023 10:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
citrinedragonflyI've recently been watching various Asian series on Netflix, mostly in the horror/psychological thriller/dystopian genre lately. Squid Game was my first foray into the genre, about six months after everyone else had seen it and sung its praises. I enjoyed the moral questions it raised, and the arcs of the different characters, so I decided to try more in that genre. I've also been a big fan of Battle Royale - both the novel and the film - for nearly 20 years. So I'm familiar with some of the conventions the more recent things are going off of. These are the three most recent series I've watched.
Girl From Nowhere
A Thai series about a girl named Nanno, who is forever the new girl at school. And while at school, she ends up revealing the ugly truths about teachers and/or students, and delivering her own particular brand of justice to the ones who do wrong. It can be gory, and there's a lot of dealing with sexual trauma. If either of those aren't your thing, don't watch. Or find the episode where Nanno's at an all girls school where how beautiful you are determines your privileges on campus. That has some violence and gore, but no sexual assault. There are two seasons out, and rumors of a third season haven't died yet. I'd love a third season, because I want to see what certain recurring characters who debuted in the second season do, and how Nanno would counter them.
Alice in Borderland
A Japanese series that follows Arisu and his friends as they find themselves in a twisted mirror of Tokyo, where they have to play deadly games in order to survive. Along the way, Arisu meets a girl named Usagi, and the two form an alliance, then a friendship, and then...more? No spoilers! It has two seasons, and based on the finale of season 2, there really can't be more - at least not with Arisu, Usagi, and the group of characters that we end up following. There are so many references to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, not just Arisu and Usagi, that if you've read Carroll, it'll be a fun "spot the reference" in the middle of a very harrowing story about relationships, survival, and what people are willing to do or not do in order to survive and return home. The twist at the end of season 2 was genuinely shocking, and if you've not seen it, don't go spoil it if you intend to watch.
Re: Mind
Another entry from Japan, and one I'm currently in the middle of watching. It's 13 episodes, and I've just finished episode 9. It's definitely a psychological more than physical horror. The basic premise is that 11 girls from a graduating senior class wake up and find themselves trapped at a weird dining table in a room full of seemingly random things. Their feet are shackled to the floor, but other than that they're unencumbered, so there is some movement they can do. As they try to figure out where they are, who kidnapped them and trapped them, the girls start disappearing one by one - vanishing without a trace when the lights go out - which increases the tension. The story emerges in the extreme circumstance, and right now, I'm honestly not sure who is behind the plot. Every time the girls think they have it figured out, one of them notices something in the room that triggers a memory and has them questioning what they know, and everyone has secrets they don't want to share, but are relevant to the motive of their captivity. Each episode is about 20 minutes long, so I'll finish the series tomorrow.
And that is it so far. If anyone has any recommendations, based on the types of shows I've described, I'd love to hear them!
Oh, nearly forgot: I am rewatching my comfort watch of Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse as well. It is one of my all-time favorite shows, not just cartoons. It's fun, witty, meta, and the CG animation works really well. I'm fairly certain that most of the humor is aimed at adults, but the situations are easily accessible to Barbie's target audience of younger people. Plus, Nakia Burisse, who played Tanya in Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo is the voice of Nikki! I love when I find more recent projects that former Rangers have done.
Girl From Nowhere
A Thai series about a girl named Nanno, who is forever the new girl at school. And while at school, she ends up revealing the ugly truths about teachers and/or students, and delivering her own particular brand of justice to the ones who do wrong. It can be gory, and there's a lot of dealing with sexual trauma. If either of those aren't your thing, don't watch. Or find the episode where Nanno's at an all girls school where how beautiful you are determines your privileges on campus. That has some violence and gore, but no sexual assault. There are two seasons out, and rumors of a third season haven't died yet. I'd love a third season, because I want to see what certain recurring characters who debuted in the second season do, and how Nanno would counter them.
Alice in Borderland
A Japanese series that follows Arisu and his friends as they find themselves in a twisted mirror of Tokyo, where they have to play deadly games in order to survive. Along the way, Arisu meets a girl named Usagi, and the two form an alliance, then a friendship, and then...more? No spoilers! It has two seasons, and based on the finale of season 2, there really can't be more - at least not with Arisu, Usagi, and the group of characters that we end up following. There are so many references to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, not just Arisu and Usagi, that if you've read Carroll, it'll be a fun "spot the reference" in the middle of a very harrowing story about relationships, survival, and what people are willing to do or not do in order to survive and return home. The twist at the end of season 2 was genuinely shocking, and if you've not seen it, don't go spoil it if you intend to watch.
Re: Mind
Another entry from Japan, and one I'm currently in the middle of watching. It's 13 episodes, and I've just finished episode 9. It's definitely a psychological more than physical horror. The basic premise is that 11 girls from a graduating senior class wake up and find themselves trapped at a weird dining table in a room full of seemingly random things. Their feet are shackled to the floor, but other than that they're unencumbered, so there is some movement they can do. As they try to figure out where they are, who kidnapped them and trapped them, the girls start disappearing one by one - vanishing without a trace when the lights go out - which increases the tension. The story emerges in the extreme circumstance, and right now, I'm honestly not sure who is behind the plot. Every time the girls think they have it figured out, one of them notices something in the room that triggers a memory and has them questioning what they know, and everyone has secrets they don't want to share, but are relevant to the motive of their captivity. Each episode is about 20 minutes long, so I'll finish the series tomorrow.
And that is it so far. If anyone has any recommendations, based on the types of shows I've described, I'd love to hear them!
Oh, nearly forgot: I am rewatching my comfort watch of Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse as well. It is one of my all-time favorite shows, not just cartoons. It's fun, witty, meta, and the CG animation works really well. I'm fairly certain that most of the humor is aimed at adults, but the situations are easily accessible to Barbie's target audience of younger people. Plus, Nakia Burisse, who played Tanya in Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo is the voice of Nikki! I love when I find more recent projects that former Rangers have done.
