OHHHHH MYYYY GODDDD THIS SHOW IS SO GOODDDDD PLS PLS PLEASEEEE. I can't believe it took me 2 years after it was initally released in 2022 to discover this gem. I'm really hoping more people watch it since it's been recently added to Netflix - I NEED TO FIND PEOPLE TO TALK TO ABOUT THIS HJHCSKAC. If you watch this PLEASE go in blind. Basically this entire year was just me finding shows that were released years ago on Netflix THEN realising how good they are...
What I thought the show would be like after starting the first episode is NOT how I imagined the show would progress and eventually end; it was like layers were being peeled away each episode, making you question everything. Yes, I'm being vague as hell on purpose but also I still need to process this whole show myself LMAO.
I was either constantly crying or smiling as my heart melting with warmth. It was the perfect film to watch after coming home on a cold, rainy day. I finally understand what people mean when they say that they have a favourite movie. Everything was perfect. Characters, dialogue, cinematography. THE CHANGING COLOUR GRADING OH MY GOD IYKYK.
It made me so happy to feel as though the book had come alive through this movie. Too many quotes to count. I'll have to make a page for it, definitely.
Jo's words on wanting to be loved but also wanting freedom and to lead a feminist life struck a chord in me. Truly, if I were a girl in a book, this would all be so easy.
The ending was so abrupt - it felt like the movie was cut short straight in the middle. Other than that, I really liked this movie. The retro-style aesthetic coupled with the grainy film appearance made the flashbacks feel like a 20th century Taiwanese film, a vibe I definitely appreciate. The strained father-daughter relationship hit very close to home, and got me a little teary to be honest.
This was also the first time that I watched a movie with dialogue in Hokkien (Taiwanese), and was beautiful to hear. Hokkien is one of two of my ancestors' native dialects, and a dying language. When Pin-Jui's Ah Ma told him to "diam7 diam7!" (be quiet), it made me chuckle, thinking of the times I used the same word to get others to shut up.
What made me want to watch this show again? Perhaps it's because I'm on a bit of a vengeful streak, and school is becoming increasingly more unbearable. Nanno is in no way a good person, but it's entertaining to see revenge being served in the context of the corrupt halls of educational institutions.
First of all, let me start off by declaring that I have a massive girl crush on Saoirse Ronan. Second of all, the mother-daughter dynamic hit wayy too fucking close to home. Like, what do you mean we were arguing one moment and then getting along the next?
This is my ultimate comfort show. The drawings, the soundtrack, the droll but endearing sound of Bee's voice - it all lulls me to a calm when I'm feeling low. Puppycat is indeed the cutest (2 cute 2 poot, in fact!), and I love every character to bits. I wish I could immerse myself in this world.
Basically, I have the entire screenplay of Before Sunrise and Before Sunset annotated because I just love it that much. Definitely making a shrine for this - there is no way I'm fitting every quote I love in here.