media update: March

Don't ask me why this media update is so sparse, considering that, like just about everybody else, I was self-isolating at home for a huge chunk of March.  I mean, I DID get a job near the beginning of the month, but it was part-time and I only worked a grand total of 9 days before the place I worked drastically cut down hours and then shut down entirely until further notice.  True, the libraries were closed, but I still have a Kindle Fire loaded with books that I could've been reading this whole time.  Aside from Hidden City and anxiety attacks/avoidance naps/stress diarrhea and vomiting, I'm not sure where my month went.

TL;DR fuck you, COVID-19.  Fuck you HAAAAAAAAAAAAARD.

Asterisks denote something I particularly enjoyed or found especially worthy of my time; double asterisks are reserved for the creme de la creme.  As always, your mileage may vary.

FICTION

1. The Perfect World of Miwako Sumida by Clarissa Goenawan:  Ryusei is devastated when Miwako, the object of his (unrequited) affection, dies by suicide.  He and her best friend Chie travel to a remote village where Miwako spent her final days, hoping to find out what caused her to take her own life.

2020 total so far: 10


NONFICTION

1. Strung Out: One Last Hit and Other Lies That Nearly Killed Me by Erin Khar:  A memoir of the author's long struggle with heroin addiction.

2020 total so far: 5


MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Citrus+ by Saburouta

2. Food Wars! vol. 34 by Yuto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki

3. The Legend of Korra: Ruins of the Empire vol. 3 by Michael Dante DiMartino and Michelle Wong

4. Rin-Ne vol. 32 by Rumiko Takahashi

5. No Longer Human* by Junji Ito (based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Osamu Dazai):  Ito was an inspired choice to illustrate this, because although it isn't pure horror like Ito usually draws, it does look at human existence through a very bleak, existential lens.  600+ pages flew by.  (Content warning: suicide and child sexual abuse)

2020 total so far: 15 volumes of manga and 3 graphic novels


MOVIES

1. Child's Play:  In this reboot of the 80s killer doll classic, Chucky is an AI-enabled doll whose safety protocols have been tampered with by a disgruntled factory worker.  Now that Chucky doesn't have any restrictions against violence or other bad behavior, he's ready to protect his friendship with young Andy at all costs.  I could have done without this movie resorting to the tired and offensive cliche of killing cats in a horrifying way---my first reaction to seeing a cat in a horror movie is always one of great dismay, because almost without exception, it's a goner---but it's not bad, and Mark Hamill is obviously enjoying himself immensely as the voice of Chucky.

2. Belladonna of Sadness:  In this utterly bizarre Japanese animated movie from 1973, Jeanne is raped by the lord of her village on her wedding night.  She then makes a pact with the devil to become a powerful witch.  I can't say as I've ever seen anything like it before; it is very strange and surprisingly explicit, especially for its time.  It starts getting REALLY trippy around the 45-minute mark if you want to time your edibles accordingly.

Side note: I need to add a couple of warnings here.  The first, obviously, is for sexual assault.  It's not made out to be "hot" (and it makes me sick that I even have to type that, but unfortunately that's a trope); it's depicted with absolutely no ambiguity and doesn't shy away from showing Jeanne's utter physical and emotional devastation.  The other warning is for a few extended sequences of flashing lights, which can trigger seizures and (for me) migraines.

3. Zombieland: Double Tap*:  Set ten years after the original, this sequel finds the gang holing up in the White House and enjoying themselves until Little Rock takes off and they go on a road trip to find her.  Funny and very entertaining, especially a one-shot action scene set inside an Elvis-themed motel.

2020 total so far: 26