The Boy and the Beast

The Boy and the Beast (Mamoru Hosoda, 2015)

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Rating: AQ=6, AP=6 / Comfy Combo

Scale O=3, Scale P=3, Scale Q=3, Scale R=2, Scale S=2

Anime, Coming of Age, Action, Adventure

I've never thought what it would be like to be raised in a world of gods with a god as my guardian and mentor. It's a fun concept. The story is charming--I loved watching the characters grow and really wanted to see them succeed and gain each others' respect. The Boy and the Beast also expresses what humanity has and lacks through the characters of  Kyuta/Ren and Ichirōhiko in a way I've not quite seen before. And the ending is bittersweet and beautiful. I love the idea that your mentor, teacher, father, loved one, lives on in your heart as a sword--your strength.

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Samurai Marathon: Three Outlaw Samurai

Three Outlaw Samurai (Hideo Gosha, 1964)

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Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

Samurai, Action, Complex Relationships

I enjoyed this one. It felt similar to many of the other samurai films--Ronin who are in the wrong place at the wrong time (or perhaps right place at the right time?). Questing honor, coping with guilt, and the ever-present corruption of those in power are all present here.

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Happy 2026!

Happy 2026! My favorite film I saw this year was The Dig (though it was not new). Favorite show was Andor season 2, definitely. But also Stranger Things season 5 was monumental in so many ways.

A few highlights were: watching most of the Coen brothers films and a samurai film marathon. 

My goal for 2026 is to watch more films from the last 5 years, get to the theater a bit more, and revisit some Shakespearean classics and other period dramas. 

Best wishes!

Stranger Things Season 5

Stranger Things Season 5 (Matt and Ross Duffer, 2025)

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Rating: DSQ=12, SP=8 / Decadence

Scale A=4, Scale B=4, Scale C=4, Scale D=4, Scale E=4

Retro, 1980s, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller

I don't think I've ever cried so much during a season finale. Or thought so long and hard about all the plot lines of a show. Stranger Things Season 5 blew me away--but in ways I didn't expect. While some of the story reveals and plot twists didn't surprise me, I was still captivated. And the epic "final boss" battle was fantastic and fun to watch, even though it wasn't necessarily phenomenal. 

What really got me in this last season was: saying goodbye to these characters, this story, to childhood and the past. We saw each friendship at its peak, most powerful and most vulnerable, then watched all the friends go their separate ways. I sobbed because of how real and deeply moving each performance was. I remember being a teenager and not wanting childhood to end. I remember the many events that broke the magical veil of childhood and the instances when I realized nothing would be the same again. Stranger Things captured all of that. Sometimes it is easier to see our own lives through someone else's story. And sometimes we need to have a fantastical/sci-fi show with monsters and terror and superpowers to see our broken world more clearly. I am so glad this show was created and lasted as long as it did. I'm sure to come back to it again and again.

Read my reviews of Season 1, Season 2, Season 3, and Season 4.

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