AT THE SPEED OF NOOR

So I watched IMAGINUR with my friend F recently.  The movie reminds me of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in terms of subject matter and editing. Everything feels like a dream... but what if it actually is? Or worse,...what if it isn't?  The story follows Zuhal, a middle-aged writer trying to navigate his world which runs like a broken record (or, in the words of a hypnosis specialist in the movie - like a burger in which he is stuck) as he faces people and situations that make him question everything and everyone he thought was real. If you like sci-fi dramas with a dash of philosophy/existential crisis, it's worth watching!

Oto-Na-Ri revolves around 2 neighbors who only 'communicate' with one another through their connecting paper-thin wall. One is a photographer and the other is a floral designer, both passionate about (and en route to) pursuing their dreams. The Basics Movie: Romantic Prelude / Oto-na-ri / おと・な・り Director: Naoto Kumazawa Release Date: May 16, 2009 Runtime: 119 min. Genre: Drama / Romance / Youth Language: Japanese Country: Japan Source: Asianwiki My Review A pithy review doesn't do the movie justice, imo.  I almost wish I could rewatch it and do a thorough literary analysis about the depth and portrayals of its characters, the framing of scenes, the metaphors and symbolisms, the music/sound effects, the pace, the colors, the writing. It feels like I just watched a recorded version of a 2-hour play performed on an elaborate (real-world) stage.  It's beautiful in its plainness and hits like a mild slow-brew, leaving me with a lasting, satisfying aftertaste. The ending was ...

I've gushed about this Webtoon series last year while it was ongoing, and after months of not reading Webtoons, I learnt today that the series is complete so I read till the end and decided to write a review on it.

In Malaysia, there is an initiative called #SIGNON to promote Bahasa Isyarat Malaysia (BIM) or Malaysian Sign Language (MSL) . I've been meaning to join one of their BIM introduction classes  which they have monthly for free, but I could never find the time to go/I was worried to go alone. In an effort to be start learning MSL, I decided to invite some friends (which I was too shy to do before), and a few of ended joined me on the first SIGN ON session for 2020!

Update: As of Dec 2020, Carthreena has disbanded after releasing their acoustic ep of the album, which is available in their Youtube channel. The Basics Band: Carthreena Album: Breathe For Tomorrow Release: 2018 Country: Malaysia Genre(s): Post-Hardcore/Emo Language(s): English and Malay [Credit: The band's Facebook] Two versions of album covers for Breathe For Tomorrow Breathe For Tomorrow (BFT) is Carthreena's first album. 12-song strong with a range of tunes in both English and Malay, it is packed with energy served with a small side of mellow songs to balance things out. Here's the album playlist: The Songs Here are my thoughts for each song based on my listening experience, before I give my final thoughts on the whole album. Note: I also added in comments based on listening to these performed live, for comparison. We begin with ' Visionary Ghost ', which creeps in like a whispering apparition before picking up in intensity, especially t...

I've been listening to ONE OK ROCK for a few years now, and I found out around March 2019 that they would be coming to perform in KL as the opening act for Ed Sheeran. Naturally, it was a no-brainer. Missing their performance is not an option. I had to go. And so I did, with my sister and two of my Japanese-language teachers :)

The Basics Title: Mayonaka no Waltz / Midnight Waltz / まよなかのワルツ Format: One Shot Release: 2017 Genres: Romance, Supernatural, Vampire, Dance, Josei Status: Finished Synopsis: A girl makes the acquaintance of a monstrous creature who believes himself to be quite human. Source: Anilist.co My Review This is a oneshot comic that is part of a collection of manga by Nagabe that features anthromorphic animals. I have to admit, this theme is not something I am used to reading, but it was suggested to me by my friend Nana (with a content warning), so I was intrigued. This was a short read, but it made me contemplate a lot on the idea of identity... as a human being who is uncomfortable in the skin they were born in, as someone who struggles with impostor syndrome, as someone who always feels out of place etc. I appreciate manga (or anything really) that hands me questions to reflect on and/or leads me to feel stuff, and this does both.  I wonder if I'll ever find answers to all the question...

I found out that Hyde was coming to Malaysia through a Facebook ad that I almost scrolled past. At first I thought it was a scam or that I'd misread the poster until I landed on the organiser's event page , saying that he indeed was coming to KL in May 2018. In fact, it was the only stop he would be making in South East Asia in 2018. No words could explain how gobsmacked I was, but needless to say I have never bought tickets to something so fast in my life lol.

I generally avoid ongoing manga because I cannot handle things without closure, but since my friend  N highly recommended this title (with the promise that the chapters can be read by themselves rather than a continuous storyline), I figured I might as well try. Oh boy, what a wonderful read this was!

I keep being proven wrong that shoujo is mainly for the consumption of teenagegirls, because this is one (of many!) that is not only relatable but even enjoyable for even a grown-up like me.  I found the title while rummaging through MangaRock categories, as this was under the 'unlikely couples' category (or something like that) - and I'm so glad I did!

Satoko to Nada was recommended to me by my friend Nana who is also an avid manga reader, so I was not only intrigued by this series, I was genuinely excited to read it. This was the first manga I've ever read with a hijabi as one of its main characters. I coudn't wait to read it as soon as I found it online. It basically revolves around two housemates in America: a Japanese girl and a Muslim Arab girl who became fast friends despite having very little in common.