Top 10 TV Shows Of 2023

Hi everyone! As promised, I'm back with my Top 10 Favorite TV Shows of 2023! Again, this list is based on my personal opinions and may have spoilers. If you want a refresher, check out my Top 10 TV Shows Of 2013, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2014, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2015, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2016, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2017, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2018, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2019, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2020, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2021, and Top 10 TV Shows Of 2022 as well as my Favorite YouTube Videos and My TV Show OTPs & Ships lists!! Fair warning, there may be spoilers below so keep that in mind!

Coming in at number 10 is Transatlantic! This show actually isn't one I usually watch given that I usually lean towards more lighthearted stuff but I saw this show on Netflix one day and seeing that it was a miniseries I thought I would watch it out of boredom than anything else. I went in blind knowing nothing about what the show was about and who was in it which in a lot of situations is kinda the better way of doing something cause then anything good will surprise you! And that's exactly what this show did. Surprise me with how good it was! Any kind of story set in WWII is heartbreaking of course but I loved the tone this show took. It was able to balance dark with humor in a way that it didn't feel out of place. I loved all the characters and the main romances and I even loved the ending.

At number 9 is XO Kitty!! This show is sort of a sequel/spinoff to the All The Boys I've Loved Before film trilogy where it follows the youngest Covey sister as she moves to South Korea and goes to boarding school to be with her long distance boyfriend. It's an interesting show that's clearly trying to be a kdrama-lite but in a sense that it doesn't really hit any note as hard as it should in any situation. I did like the main cast and the plot was just light enough to turn my brain off with but I high key fell in love with who seems like the second male lead and it's gonna suck when Kitty totally doesn't end up with him if we do get a season 2.

Coming in at number 8 is Miss Scarlet And The Duke!! This is a show that I don't think I ever talked about loving on these Top 10 lists but given the fact that I actually seem to be a bit low on tv that I've watched this year, this gets a spot! Having said that I do really love this show! Something about it just makes it feel so low stakes that I forget that I watch this show and enjoy it once it's over! I adore the whole detective show set in a period piece thing that a lot of shows have been doing in the past few years and I love the intense chemistry between Eliza and William. I do wish there was a better reason for their will they won't they thing other than the fact that society would look down on Eliza if she was married to Will and still worked as a detective cause in all honestly Will as much as he gripes about her working doesn't seem like the man who would make her stop if they did get married so really their problem should be something more in order for us to believe their hesitance to be together.

At number 7 is The Witcher! This is a bittersweet entry on my list cause I have a feeling that I won't be finding any future season of this show to hit as hard as previous ones have since Henry Cavill is leaving and being replaced by Liam freaking Hemsworth of all people. Like I totally understand Henry's disappointment with this show (I see you every City Of Bones adaptation) but they couldn't find any other actor with a pulse to take over? It was especially sad that this was the last Henry Cavill season given that he and Yennefer have such good chemistry and this was the season that they were finally a team! The story is just ramping up and yet I have a feeling that this next season might be it's last unless a miracle happens and people really do end up liking Liam.

Coming in at number 6 is Star Trek: Strange New Worlds! In this past year I've really fallen down a Star Trek rabbit role cause I have been told for a while that Star Trek would totally be my thing but I was hesitant cause I'm a bit of a completionist so I knew if I wanted to get into Star Trek I would have to start from the beginning and go all the way through which is what I did and ironically Strange New Worlds became one of my favorites. Not only am I just a fan of modern day technology in terms of monsters and aliens but I just find the way the modern day tells stories to be more interesting. I love our main cast and especially Captain Pike who feels like the perfect blend of Kirk and Picard. Where Kirk was too much of an adventurer and constantly in danger, Picard almost never left his bridge. Both captains fit their shows (Next Gen felt more military in a fun way while OG was more about space adventures) but Pike brings this charm to his character that also makes me feel like he's worth following.

At number 5 is The Wheel Of Time!! I know this is probs a slap in the face to book readers since this show does stray quite a bit away from the source material but I'm just a tv watcher for this show and in all actuality I think this show is fun! Every week I'm sitting on the edge of my seat wanting more and I feel like paints the perfect picture as to how much I like this show. Moraine is so fascinating to watch and she really steals the show every time she's on screen. I love the world and the plot that this show follows and though I do think the pacing is strange (sometimes it feels like we're jumping from plot to plot and other times it feels like nothing's happening for episodes on end) in the end it keeps me entertained enough to put it this high on the list.

Coming in at number 4 is Loki!! This show is probs a surprise to no one given that the entire public is ranting and raving about how season 2 of Loki is singlehandly saving Marvel from flopping and given the fact that it's this high on my list, I sort of agree with that. Loki is still one of my most favorite Marvel characters and when I started this season I was a bit worried given that I liked season 1 so much and I was worried that season 2 would not hold up. In the end I feel like the first half of season 2 was a bit wonky and Sylvie really had no purpose in this season other than to be annoying but the way the finale saved this show was a work of art. I loved seeing how everything that happened after He Who Remains died was all a part of his bigger plan and how poetic it was that in the end Loki gave up the thing he actually wanted the most which was to not be alone for the thing he always thought he wanted which was a throne. If the rest of Marvel's phase 5 and 6 is written by the showrunners of this show no one would be worried!

At number 3 is Queen Charlotte!! I mean is it any surprise that a Brigerton season is on this list even if it's a spinoff/prequel and not a new season? Bridgerton has such a chokehold on me that I flip for any new content created by these showrunners cause they really do make the sweetest most romantic shows in a world where shows geared towards women aren't really made. This season followed Charlotte and George and we got to see them fall in love and make it work despite his mental issues. Bridgerton does this thing where each season it builds up the most dreamy men and they make you want to fall to pieces as they would give up their entire worlds for the women they love. How can you not watch and melt??

Coming in at number 2 is Gen V!! In an abrupt change of tone from the cute sweetness of Queen Charlotte to the darkness of the Boys world, Gen V definitely surprised me this year. I really don't know what I was expecting from a spinoff of the Boys other than maybe a fear that it wouldn't be as good or too CW-esque given that it follows teens rather than adults but Gen V really knocked it out of the park with it's cast and the story it told. I loved that it was just as dark and twisted as the Boys but there was light in this show with the cast cause they were young and naive enough to believe what the public believed about superheroes being forces of good. Our main cast really did want to do good and it was only their circumstances that prevented them from doing so. The final episode had one of the best moments with the appearance of Homelander who really popped up and you were like oh wow he's going to save the day only to remind you what kind of monster he was.

And finally my number 1 show of 2023 is One Piece!! This has to be the biggest shock of this year cause unlike a lot of people I'm actually not a fan of One Piece. I've never seen a single episode at first because I didn't like the animation style and then later cause there's like 1000 episodes to go through so the fact that I decided to check out this live action adaptation mostly out of curiosity was a thing especially after how hard Cowboy Bebop's live action adaptation flopped. After having watched it I have to say this show hit so hard. It's almost a perfect adaptation cause it actually took what the anime and manga did and condensed it in a way that made it easier to digest without taking away the essence. Every single person involved in this production was clearly a huge fan and it shows! I especially want to give a shout out to the showrunner Matt Owens and the main actor Iñaki Jasso who literally oozed charm from every pore and made anime tropes work in real life!

And that's the end of my Top 10 TV shows of 2023 list! I'll see you all tomorrow for my Top 10 Asian Dramas of 2023!!

xoxo Allie

Top 10 Movies Of 2023

Hello all my lovelies! I hope you've all had a great holiday season! It's that time of year again where I list my favorite movies, tv shows, and Asian dramas of the year! I've been doing these for about seven years now so you should know the drill but if you don't, I'm going to be listing my Top 10 Movies of 2023 from 10 to 1 with number 1 being my favorite movie of the year! If you're interested, I also have Top 10 Movies Of 2013, Top 10 Movies Of 2014, Top 10 Movies Of 2015, Top 10 Movies Of 2016, Top 10 Movies Of 2017, Top 10 Movies Of 2018, Top 10 Movies Of 2019, Top 9 Movies of 2020, Top 10 Movies Of 2021, and Top 10 Movies Of 2022 as well as my Favorite YouTube Videos and My Movie OTPs & Ships lists! 

Coming in at number 10 is The Little Mermaid!! So I really didn't have any expectations for this movie given the fact that it's another Live Action Disney movie and other than Cinderella I haven't really and truly enjoyed one of these adaptations but I went into this with a fairly open mind figuring at least the songs will be good and came out of the movie fairly content. By no means is this movie better than the cartoon like in the case of Cinderella but it's not egregious either like the Lion King adaptation. To be completely honest it's only on this list cause I didn't have anything else I enjoyed more. The casting was fine, the music was fine, and the cinemography was fine. I did like the way Eric and Ariel were given the same drive for exploration in order to give them another reason to be into each other other than the typical wow this person is handsome thing but Eric's adoption was also strange.

At number 9 is The Marvels!! Okay so this movie even being on my Top might be a bit of a surprise for anyone cause 90% of the public have decided that this movie is the worst thing in the world and is the reason that Marvel is on a downward slope and blah blah blah but to be completely honest I had a blast watching this movie! I mean yeah it's no Infinity War or Winter Solider but it's not Antman Quantomania either! I thought this movie was meant to be a lighthearted space adventure and that's exactly what it was! I mean yes the plot was a bit wonky and yes the whole singing planet thing was not needed but on the whole I think Iman Vellani's charm was just so good that I couldn't help but like this movie! She actually made Carol Danvers seem interesting and that's something after everything we've gotten so far in the MCU which makes her dull as a rock. And like don't get me wrong cause it's definitely not Brie Lawson's fault cause I found her charming in the Fast franchise so it's definitely the writing. I loved the cat space station scene and I loved the post credits as well!

Coming in at number 8 is Fast X!! Once again this is probably a surprising move to be on this list but sue me I'm clearly a sucker for movies where I have fun or I see the cast having fun over movies which are grim and dark! I've always been a fan of the Fast movies and I really don't care that much that they've become so unrealistic that cars are driving in space or people are literally coming back from the dead. I'm just out here to see big explosions and hear Vin Diesel say family! Jason Momoa was another pleasant surprise in this movie cause for once I actually really enjoyed the villain of one of these movies! He was totally playing a version of Joker with his unhinged craziness and I loved it. I also loved Alan Ritchson who played a double agent cause I'm obsessed with him and how hot he is.

At number 7 is Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves!! This might surprise you but despite how nerdy I am, I've actually never played a single game of D&D. Now this isn't because of some need to say that I'm too cool for something like that but just because no one I know plays so I've never had the chance to! I have however watched a lot of online D&D campaigns and I've seen VOx Machina so that's all to say that I'm familiar with the way D&D works. This movie was truly a love letter to anyone who enjoys D&D and that made me smile. I love that the whole story plays out exactly like a campaign but subtly enough that it  feels like this is what the characters would do in different situations rather than we're just acting out a campaign. I loved the nods to different stereotypical character tropes and I loved the ending and how it was so bittersweet! The movie was hilarious to watch and I loved every second!

Coming in at number 6 is Oppenheimer!! Another surprising entry but only because I think this movie would be higher on so many other people's top 10 lists. My reasoning goes back to everything I've said before. I honestly just prefer more lighthearted movies! Tbh I probs wouldn't have even watched this movie in a normal year cause this isn't even the type of movie I go for but with Barbenheimer sweeping the world this summer I ended up checking this movie out and enjoying myself. Given that it's probs an Oscar bait movie obviously everything was top notch here. The plot, the cinematography, the acting was all chefs kiss. I loved how dark and emotional the whole movie was given what it was about! My only complaint would be that it felt like it ran a little too long cause by like halfway through I was checking my watch like wow it's only halfway?

At number 5 is Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes!! Of all the movies on my list this is the one that was probs the biggest shock to me while I was both watching this movie and after I left. I mean I love the original Hunger Games movies but I really and truly didn't expect this prequel to hit as hard as it did cause usually prequels and sequels never stand up to the original but low and behold this one did! I absolutely loved every moment of this movie from beginning to end. It was fascinating seeing how different this Hunger Games was compared to the 74th and the 75th cause of course like in real like the technology was poorer but more so it was interesting how differently the public viewed the Hunger Games compared to our present day. The characters were all fascinating to watch and Snow really hit the ball out of the park. My only complaint of the movie might be that Snow was played a bit too nice compared to how evil he was with Katniss but I suppose 60 years could change a person enough,

Coming in at number 4 is A Haunting In Venice!! This is another surprise movie that I was shocked to find out how much I enjoyed. If I think back to my favorite movie going experience this year it would be this movie over everything else! I'm always surprised every time another of these Agatha Christie movies come out cause I really don't know of anyone other than me who enjoys watching them compared to something like Knives Out which I never stop hearing people gush about. Murder On The Orient was my first experience of anything Agatha Christie and I fell in love with the way she wrote her mysteries. Yes Death On The Nile wasn't as good but this movie was perfection. I loved the haunted scary movie type of mood this film took given that it came out in October and I loved the way the mystery played out. For once you could actually follow along Hercule and discover clues alongside him in a way that you could yourself figure out whodunnit rather than it being some lame plot twist that was only there to show you that the detective was this genius. I totally figured out who the killer was very early on but I didn't guess how until the end!

At number 3 is Spiderman: Across The Spider-verse!! Honestly the next three movies on my top 1 are going to be pretty basic with no real surprises cause I feel like these three movies were universally loved! Spiderverse really did tell the best multiverse story I've seen so far. It was able to balance so many characters and worlds in a way that I was interested in them all while also making sure that you knew that Miles was our guy and the one we're still following and looking out for. So many movies (especially sequels) try to go bigger and better only to lose their main character in the jumble but this movie didn't. We followed Miles through his family problems and insecurity as we jumped from world to world and the ending truly shocked me cause I didn't see it coming even though all the clues were right there for you to see! I can't wait until the next move comes out!

Coming in at number 2 is Barbie!! Like I said earlier, is this any surprise? I mean seriously this movie shook the world to it's core when it came out and proved to the world with it's numbers how much women enjoy movies written for women! This movie didn't hit so hard cause it's a Barbie movie but because it was a love letter to women. I loved the plot, the acting and the sets oh gosh the sets! I truly couldn't believe that Mattel let Margo and Greta tell the story they did but somehow they did and it was everything. I loved that you could go see this movie as a child and enjoy yourself but if you're an adult you can catch  so many of the heavier moments. I don't agree with any of the criticism saying this movie is a man-hater cause honestly this movie was meant to be a parody of a lot of male focused movies.

And finally at number 1 my favorite movie of 2023 is Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3!! Once again no surprise to the general public but maybe it was a bit of a surprise to me personally. I enjoy the Guardians well enough as characters but I never find myself loving them as much as the public does so I was surprised watching this movie and crying as much as I did. This movie really was a love letter to saying goodbye to the Guardians as we knew them. It told such a heavy story but was able to balance it with enough humor that it still felt like a Marvel movie. Every character had a moment to shine and it reminded me once again why Chris Pratt despite how hard he'd been meme-d about recently is still a movie star. It showed me that maybe I can trust James Gunn to do Superman given that he's able to do more than just comedy. It showed me that Marvel fatigue is not a thing cause we're not all tired of superheroes but of bad superhero movies.

And with that we've come to the end of my Top 10 Movies of 2023 list. I'll see you all tomorrow for my Top 10 TV Shows of 2023!

xoxo Allie

Top 10 TV Shows Of 2022

Hi everyone! As promised, I'm back with my Top 10 Favorite TV Shows of 2022! Again, this list is based on my personal opinions and may have spoilers. If you want a refresher, check out my Top 10 TV Shows Of 2013, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2014, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2015, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2016, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2017, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2018, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2019, Top 10 TV Shows Of 2020, and Top 10 TV Shows Of 2021 as well as my Favorite YouTube Videos and My TV Show OTPs & Ships lists!! Fair warning, there may be spoilers below so keep that in mind!

Coming in at number 10 is Stargirl! The season that aired this year was actually the last one for this show which was totally heartbreaking cause it's this show show is a hidden gem. I always seem to forget about how much I adore it until I'm actually watching it and it makes me sad to see one of the last few dregs of the Arrowverse start to fade. Stargirl had everything you could want going for it from a fantastic cast who could act themselves out of a bag to great writing that never faltered to amazing fight choreography. The heart of this show was the Whitmore family and I loved meeting Starman this season too cause it gave us a wonderful new dynamic. The other Justice Society kids were a bit irritating at times which is one of the only reasons this show is lower on this list!

At number 9 is House Of The Dragon! Now like the entire world I was shocked over how much I ended up loving this show after the mess that was the ending of Game Of Thrones doubly so since I was never a fan of Dany. I wasn't expecting much from a whole show about the Targaryens but somehow I ended up falling in love with the show since it finally realized what it was that people originally loved Game Of Thrones for. We were all here for the backstabbing and politics of taking the Iron Throne not some ice zombies who had no motivation other than being evil. I loved that since there were so many more Targaryens here that we could get actual characters rather than one dimensional ego machines. Rhaenerya is both a kind and a loving mother and ambitious for the throne while Daemon is act first think later but so loyal to his family. Alicent wants her son to be King no matter how she packages her ideals and yet she was also manipulated into it so she's not just a new Cersei. The season ended on a fantastic cliffhanger and I can't wait to see what's next.

Coming in at number 8 is The Summer I Turned Pretty! Talk about a real surprise addition to the list not to mention one that's so completely different from every other action packed show on my list. Like look I'm a girl who enjoys rom coms too! No but seriously this show is based on a book series that I adored when I was young so I went into this show curious but not all that excited cause it's been a long time since I actually enjoyed a live action adaptation of anything only to find that the creators of this show were basically writing a love letter to the original book. The characters in the show were much kinder and well realized than the original book characters and I loved watching them live their lives on screen. Conrad and Belly had such intense chemistry that I was thankful that I shipped them even if I felt like Jeremiah's actor was cuter at first glance. I'm really very excited to see the rest of the series adapted now.

At number 7 is Blood & Treasure! I accidentally found this gem of a show on Paramount+ of all streaming services this year and I devoured both seasons of this show at a breakneck speed and now I can't get enough about gushing over it's virtues to anyone who'll listen cause I feel like no one has ever heard of it! It's basically The Mummy meets The Librarians which those of you who know me know are two of my most favorite things! Season 1 of this show was spectacular from start to finish but the reason this show is not higher on my list is cause season 2 lost me a bit though by no means does that mean season 2 was terrible! The basic concept for this show is that it follows an ex FBI agent who works with an ex master thief to hunt down a terrorist who's using stolen artifacts to fund their evil plots. There's romance, action, intrique, and mystery! What more could a person want?? 

Coming in at number 6 is Murdoch Mysteries! This is another show that I binged this year and to my pleasure is still currently airing! I absolutely love period shows and I'm also a pretty big sucker for murder mysteries and cop shows so the fact that this show combines all three is super fun for me. This show follows a police station in the late 1800s and early 1900s as they solve crimes using the science of the time. The charm of this show can be totally chalked up to the fantastic cast of characters and the interesting episodic cases. This show has been going on for 16 seasons which I've watched all of and I have to say that other than a few early episodes every case was fun to experience and none felt like retreads of previous ones. I adore that the entire main cast of this show has stuck around from the start unlike in a lot of long running American shows cause then we have seasons and seasons of these characters backstories to fall in love with. 

At number 5 is Superman & Lois! I cannot believe how in love with this show I am especially given I didn't particularly like the idea for this show when I first heard of it and how I wasn't all that into Lois when she appeared in the Crisis On Infinite Earths Arrowverse crossover and yet it has become my favorite superhero show on air right now! Along with The Flash (which is a whole mess that I still can't believe I'm still watching) it's the last of the Berlanti DC shows even if technically it's not an Arrowverse show anymore. It still has the best written Superman I've seen and the best family dynamic I've watched. I love that the Kents feel like a real family outside of the superhero stuff but with it they're unstoppable. The writing for this show is so tight and there is not one single character in this show that I don't care about.

Coming in at number 4 is Star Trek Strange New Worlds! Growing up I was always more of a Star Wars girl than a Star Trek one but really that's only cause I never really gave Star Trek a chance. I'd been watching Star Trek Discovery since it first aired years ago but I was never all that into it so when I heard that this show was a spinoff using three characters I enjoyed I decided to check it out only to completely fall in love. I think part of me has always known that I would enjoy the idea of Star Trek cause I love the ideals that it's built on and the concept of getting to explore new worlds and places but the problem is that most of the older Star Trek shows are so dated now whereas this show gave me everything I could want conceptually while also being in HD and using modern CGI! The characters are all fun, the worlds are exciting, and the episodic nature of this show works so well for me cause I get to enjoy seeing our characters solve problems quickly rather than having it drag out for 13 episodes!

At number 3 is Wednesday! I've loved the 90s Adams Family movie for years and years now so when I heard this show was coming out I was really curious though I didn't exactly have expectations for this show. It wasn't because I was so emotionally attached to the original Adams Family that I didn't want any deviation like some fans but more so cause I was open to seeing whatever new take on the Adams Family we got. Fortunately for me and as you can guess based on how high this show is on my list it was everything I could have wanted! Yes there was a lot less Adams Family than I thought and yes it did take me an episode or two to get used to how intense Wednesday was and yes the romances in this show were a bit of a mess but the acting, the writing, the music, and the cinematography more than made up for it! This show was everything shows like Riverdale and The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina wished they were. Once I realized that magic was real in this world I was so on board with the mystery and I loved all the twists and turns we got. Wednesday was actually able to solve problems without feeling like she had plot armor around her and I loved her relationships and her character growth. 

Coming in at number 2 is Bridgerton! While I'm so torn over whether I feel like season 2 was better than season 1, the fact that I binged this show the day it dropped and enjoyed it so hard makes it a no brainer to be so high up on my list. I just absolutely adore this show and the low stakes world it has built. We don't have nearly enough fun popcorn shows airing which makes this one feel like such a refreshing take. I truly thought that Anthony and Kate had more chemistry than Daphne and Simon no matter that I didn't particularly love the love triangle we got. I only imagine we went with that over another forced marriage cause it would be too similar to what we got with Daphne and Simon last season so I'm able to let it go not to mention the fact that it felt very in character for our characters to act the way they did. I can't wait to see how our characters grow and I'm excited to see which Bridgerton child is up next. Logic says it's Colin and Penelope over Benedict who is technically the next book Bridgerton!

And finally my number 1 show of 2022 is Leverage: Redemption! I feel like I've gushed about this show up and down all over my blog in multiple places before but in case you haven't heard the spiel let me sing it out again. This show is everything I look for in entertainment. It follows a group of con artists who work to scam bad guys out of money and prestige in order to help the people the bad guys have wronged. Each episode stands alone in terms of story but there's usually an overarching story hidden in the background that comes to a big end at the end of each season. The cast of this show is perfection and they're all competent and badass and I love watching them win over and over again. I do miss Nathan Ford as the leader from the original show and Hardison's cameos aren't enough to tide me from missing him weekly but Wilson's addition is definitely a welcome one as is Breanna. Each con is different and unique and I have so much fun watching it.

And that's the end of my Top 10 TV shows of 2022 list! I'll see you all tomorrow for my Top 10 Asian Dramas of 2022!!

xoxo Allie

Top 10 Movies Of 2022

Hello all my lovelies! I hope you've all had a great holiday season! It's that time of year again where I list my favorite movies, tv shows, and asian dramas of the year! I've been doing these for about seven years now so you should know the drill but if you don't, I'm going to be listing my Top 10 Movies of 2021 from 10 to 1 with number 1 being my favorite movie of the year! If you're interested, I also have Top 10 Movies Of 2013, Top 10 Movies Of 2014, Top 10 Movies Of 2015, Top 10 Movies Of 2016, Top 10 Movies Of 2017, Top 10 Movies Of 2018, Top 10 Movies Of 2019, Top 9 Movies of 2020, and Top 10 Movies Of 2021 as well as my Favorite YouTube Videos and My Movie OTPs & Ships lists! 

Coming in at number 10 is Black Adam and guys to be completely honest I was so epically bored during so much of this movie! The only reason that it's even on my list of top 10 movies is cause I couldn't think of anything else that could take it's place! The saddest thing is that I didn't even go into this movie with high expectations so the fact that it fell even lower is really saying something. The movie's pacing was so off the whole time and there was so much focus on so many different characters that it felt like two different movies were shoved together. The fact that this movie is supposed to fit into the same world as the Justice League and Suicide Squad confuses the ever living hell out of me cause all of a sudden we have Amanda Waller running a superhero team in which we can enough heroes out there to have a shifting roster? Having said all that I did like the idea of Black Adam focusing on the fact that sometimes heroes aren't perfect like how they can ignore full countries being taken hostage by international gangs but the second a powered person shows up they arrive. I also loved Dr Fate's character and it was fun to see Aldis Hodge who I adored in Leverage. Superman's appearance deserves a shout out too but it has been soured since the movie released with the fact that Henry Cavill won't be returning as Superman again. 

At number 9 is Thor: Love And Thunder. I went into this movie curious because while I did enjoy Thor Ragnarok I had a few tonal problems with it. Unfortunately rather than fix those problems I feel like Love And Thunder doubled down on the abrupt shifts in tone which took me right out of the movie. I can't help but feel like this movie should have almost completely been about Jane and not Thor. I understand on a meta level why it had to be this way but I just could not get behind anything with Thor whereas Jane pulled on my heartstrings constantly. I also really hated everything with the Asgardian children and honestly that might be a little of me projecting cause I'm so tired of every big show suddenly making their leads parents. The only show that this has ever worked for me is Superman & Lois and that's only cause the kids there are fully grown themselves. It was also confusing how little screen time Gorr got for how much he was hyped up to be this big bad villain. All in all I'm over this and ready to move onto a different superhero who can balance humor with darkness.

Coming in at number 8 is Everything Everywhere All At Once. I didn't actually end up seeing this movie in theaters cause to be completely honest I didn't know anything about it until after Doctor Strange came out and everyone was dissing that movie to say this one was better so when I saw it come out on streaming I turned it on out of curiosity and I have to say it did not disappoint. It was everything everyone was gushing about! I loved the way it played with the multiverse and how it made you care about every version our main trio. I could not believe how emotionally invested I got into our characters and this just goes to show you that film makers should never use the excuse that there isn't enough screen time to invest in character development. The pace of the movie was perfect with the plot being slow enough to let you sit with scenes and fast enough to make it feel like things are happening. I laughed so hard at the rock scene but I also really loved the speech the father gave to the mother in the world she was a celebrity.

At number 7 is Doctor Strange: Multiverse Of Madness and I know you're laughing at me cause I literally just said that Everything Everywhere All At Once had a better multiverse but sue me I'm a sucker for comic book movies! I know that this movie had it's faults like America not needing to be a character in this or really even Christine who I was over in five minutes after of this movie but all in all I just had so much fun with this movie's plot and pacing. Yes I agree that this was a strange shift in Wanda's character after Wandavision where it felt like she was starting to heal but I could sort of understand why she went full on villain here after being corrupted by the Darkhold though I do wish we could have seen the transition on screen. Like what if Wanda originally showed up to help find America and Strange after they dimension hopped on accident but by using the Darkhold more and more to dream hop she actually got more and more corrupted into wanting to steal another Wanda's kids instead? Having said that I still loved the way this movie felt the closest to a horror movie the MCU could make (outside of Werewolf By Night) and I adored the Illuminati cameos!! 

Coming in at number 6 is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. My goodness did this movie had so much to do in it's limited screen time. We had to mourn Chadwick and figure out a way to move forward and on the whole I do think this movie was able to do that. I liked that we focused so much on Shuri and her grief and made it so though we were all trying to guess who the new Black Panther would be out in the real world, watching the movie made it clear that there was only ever one person who could take on the mantle. I do think that Riri wasn't exactly needed in this movie but everything with Namor was so incredible and interesting to watch that I didn't mind what didn't work. High key I was sympathizing with Namor more than anyone else and I couldn't help but feel like he stole the show. I was honestly shocked when he killed Shuri's mother and I was shocked that she was able to start to forgive him by the end and I can't wait to see where he shows up next. I am torn on Tchalla's son appearing at the end cause though it was sweet in the sense that Shuri knows she's not actually alone it was a bit cheesy to be like yeah he had a child offscreen.

At number 5 is Glass Onion. Though I wasn't the biggest fan of Knives Out you all know I love murder mysteries so I was definitely going to check this one out but then I started to hearing rave reviews and it made me even more curious. Rian is like really known for his plot twists and while sometimes they work and sometimes they feel lazy, here I thought the twist halfway through the movie was fascinating. The first half of this movie low key confused me cause it felt like a super straightforward and simple Agatha Christie style whodunnit only not as well done as one of her stories cause a good whodunnit is all dependent on the characters we're introduced to and here they all felt super one note and boring. That's when the twist hit and bam I was back on board! I do think the villain was kinda obvious from the start but I don't entirely think Rian meant to confuse us but instead make us look as society as a whole so it was fine for me.

Coming in at number 4 is Death On The Nile which is the second Agatha Christie murder mystery movie that has been released recently. Though Murder On The Orient Express is still up there as my favorite murder mystery movie this one was still a ton of fun. I love the way Agatha Christie writes her mysteries in a locked room scenario where we slowly remove each suspect from the list one by one. I was on board with the whole mystery and I loved the answer we got at the end cause I totally didn't see it coming just like with Murder On The Orient Express! I do think that Hercule's backstory was a bit unnecessary especially given that this is his second movie outing and it did take us away from the story each time but I've only seen this movie the one time in theaters so far and I feel like I need to give it a second shot to see if I feel the same way again.

At number 3 is Rosaline! I absolutely adore period pieces but what I adore even more is unique takes on stories that we know so well! After I watched Extraordinary You (the kdrama about a minor character in a rom com webtoon who comes to life and realizes that she's in a comic) I've had a soft spot for side characters finding new stories as well. I was a little thrown to find out this was actually a modern take on the story with how characters spoke as if they were in 2022 but once I realized that I was on board. This movie was absolutely hysterical and I loved the way it poked fun at the story of Romeo and Juliet and I loved that Rosaline was able to find herself a new love by the end. It was extra funny to see that our main lovers didn't even know what to speak of together once the excitement of being star crossed lovers wore off! If you like comedies this is for you!

Coming in at number 2 is The Batman! I mean at this point you should know that superheroes are everything to me but I was surprised at the fact that is a DC movie that ended up so high on this list rather than a Marvel one and low key when I was making this list I even forgot I had watched this movie this year cause it came out so early in 2022! I truly had a blast watching it. I mean yes there were some problems with the fact that I didn't really love Catwoman and Batman's chemistry and yes I wish we had gotten a bit more Bruce without the mask but I can pretty much either forgive or explain away any problems I had. I also loved that we went with Riddler as the villain here rather than another freaking version of the Joker even if I wish that Batman was able to a bit more detecting on his own. I loved the dark take on the world and the ending was so hopeful despite everything.

And finally at number 1 my favorite movie of 2022 is Bullet Train! I cannot tell you just how much fun I had watching this hilarious movie! I had been seeing trailers for this movie for months before it came out and I was so into the vibe but I was a bit worried going in cause I was afraid that sometimes when a trailer looks really cool it's just cause they picked the best scenes from a movie to showcase like was the case in Don't Worry Darling. Fortunately I was not able to find a single gripe I could have with this movie! It was so funny from start to finish and I had no problem with the pacing or the characters or the plot. In fact I found the plot twist to be so good! If you haven't seen this movie yet do it!!!

And with that we've come to the end of my Top 10 Movies of 2022 list. I'll see you all tomorrow for my Top 10 TV Shows of 2022!

xoxo Allie

What Shows Did I Finish This Week?

Hello everyone and welcome back! Let's dive right in shall we?

Bridgerton Season 2

Bridgerton Season 2 finally came this week and goodness I didn't realize how much I missed it until I started watching! As you all know I'm such a sucker for period dramas cause there's something so fun about the costumes and the dramatics and the fact that the romances are so much more intense than the modern day ones given that couples aren't really even supposed to kiss before they're married so the tension is so high! I went into this season pretty blind only really knowing that since this season would be following Anthony and his love story and that the actor who played Simon from season 1 was not coming back so I was curious to see how the show would write around that. Honestly I had a blast with this season which is interesting cause though I might have thought that Anthony and Kate had more chemistry than Daphne and Simon, I preferred the way the story was told in season 1. Like don't get me wrong I was all for the enemies to lovers thing this season tried to do but it was the love triangle that I despised especially since it was between two sisters! Beyond that though I loved everything else from the deep dive into Anthony's psyche to the way that Anthony and Kate were so similar as people all the way to Eloise discovering new parts of herself. Tbh I can't wait until we get to her love story season! I'm assuming that Benedict is next as he's the next oldest Bridgerton followed by Eloise and then Colin and I will be right here for it!

xoxo Allie

Winter 2022 TV Schedule

Hey everyone!! It's finally September which means that the Winter 2022 TV Schedule is about to start!! As per usual I'm going to be posting what shows I will be watching!! I'll be posting the air dates for all the shows I will be watching. These all air from January to the end of March!

SUNDAY

Kimetsu no Yaiba: Entertainment District Arc - Anime

Let Me Be Your Knight - Kdrama (Series Finale January 23)

MONDAY

Princess Connect! Re: Dive - Anime (January 10)

The Gilded Age - 9 PM on HBO Max (January 24)

TUESDAY

Life With An Ordinary Guy Who Reincarnated Into A Total Fantasy Knockout - Anime (January 11)

The Genius Prince's Guide To Raising A Nation Out Of Debt - Anime (January 11)

FBI - 8 PM on CBS
FBI: International - 9 PM on CBS

Superman & Lois - 8 PM on CW (January 11)

Our Beloved Summer - Kdrama (Series Finale January 25)

The One And Only - Kdrama (Series Finale February 8)

WEDNESDAY

In The Land Of Leadale - Anime (January 5)

Love Of Kill - Anime (January 12)
Orient - Anime (January 5)

Police In A Pod - Anime (January 5)
Tokyo 24th Ward - Anime (January 5)

Legends Of Tomorrow - 8 PM on CW (January 12)

The Book Of Boba Fett - Netflix (Series Finale February 9)

The Flash - 8 PM on CW (March 9)

Rookie Cops - Kdrama (January 26) (Series Finale March 16)

THURSDAY

Peacemaker - HBO Max (January 13) (Series Finale February 17)

Star Trek Discovery Season 4 - CBS

The Orville - 9 PM on Hulu (March 10)

School 2021 - Kdrama (Series Finale January 13)

FRIDAY

The Case Study Of Vanitas Season 2 - Anime (January 14)

The Legend Of Vox Machina - Amazon Prime (January 28)

Reset - Cdrama (January 11) (Series Finale February 3)

SATURDAY

My Dress Up Darling - Anime (January 9)

The Faraway Paladin - Anime (Season Finale January 1)

F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers - THDrama (Series Finale April 2)

Through The Darkness - Kdrama (January 14) (Series Finale March 19)

User Not Found - Kdrama (Series Finale February 12)

STREAMING

All Of Us Are Dead - Netflix (January 28)

Irregular At Magic High School: Reminiscence Arc - Anime (December 31)

Vikings: Valhalla - Netflix (February 25)

xoxo Allie 

What Shows Am I Watching This Week?

Hello everyone and welcome back! I hope you all had a lovely holiday season and let's dive into what I watched this week, shall we?

FINISHED Bridgerton

So I was really very excited to check this show out cause you know I absolutely adore period dramas which is funny cause I know most people were interested in the fact that this show was produced by Shonda Rhimes but honestly her shows are a toss-up for me (Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder were fun until they weren't and For The People left us too soon.) What caught my attention right away was the sort of tongue-in-cheek tone of the show with how it balanced the plight of a woman back in the day when all she was good for was marriage with the humor looking back on it does now but I loved that the show never actually poked fun at it in a condescending way. A lot of period shows are written to have a lead who's "not like other girls" and hates societal conventions which are fun in their own way but it's so much more rare to find a lead who's the typical feminine character without having derision forced on her cause nowadays we like to believe that women have to be more masculine to be strong. Daphne is dutiful and kind but has her own backbone (and reminds me a lot of the House Tully motto) while Simon is riddled with a torturous past that he hides by acting like a scoundrel only to be one of the kindest men in this show. Those two made this show with their chemistry and you know I'm a sucker for enemies to lovers and watching a man who hates love fall head over heels. I also liked that a lot of Daphne's siblings had their own storylines though perhaps a bit more screen time for each of them would have been nice and I kind of wish the show had focused a bit more on the siblings being together but I have to say Daphne's mom was the best side character in this show alongside Simon's aunt which is why of course the two played matchmaker to have the kids together. I even liked that the show decided not to end after Daphne and Simon got married (cause there's more to a happily ever after than marriage) though I probably could have done without all the marriage angst and I especially didn't love the extreme focus on Simon not wanting children which I feel was poorly done cause I sincerely believe that children aren't the end all be all and I couldn't get why Daphne couldn't give Simon a second to breathe over it! Of course in the end they got their son and the two reconciled so happy endings all around? We also found out that the lady behind the gossip column ended up being Penny herself which was actually kind of unexpected cause I totally threw my vote for the tailoress!

I do wonder if there will be a season 2 for this show cause none has been announced but I know based on research that this show is based on the first book in a series of novels so it's possible that like this season focused on Daphne that future seasons might focus on other siblings? After all this show was called Bridgerton and not The Duke And I like the book it was adapted from but maybe that's all just wishful thinking cause I do think the story came to a pretty good end here!

FINISHED The Irregular At Magic High School Season 2 Episode 12 & 13

So because of the holidays and having to push back my weekly posts, I ended up having watched both the penultimate and finale episodes of the season before this review came up so I decided to combine them. We spent these two episodes continuing on with the introduction of Minami which I think was the purpose of these last 3 episodes after Lina went back to America. Minami is clearly going to be a main character from now on but I can't help but wish that the movie hadn't spoiled the fact that she dies cause it takes a little bit of the bite out of the apple! It does make me happy that she's here though cause she was sent by Maya to protect the others from a terrorist group was going to set up shop there. We also did learn that the girl we kept seeing over and over in this season was actually part of a branch family of the Yotsuba who are in charge of intelligence gathering. The more I see of the Yotsuba, the more I think they're so cool and I wish that we could spend more time there. Like Miyuki is supposed to be the new head right so why doesn't she spend more time learning about the Yotsuba and how it works. I mean I understand that since the show focuses so hard on the high school that we focus on Tatsuya's friends but it's also interesting how this second season also dialed back so much of Tatsuya's time with the military and in the end they were even a hindrance for him. I'm guessing that since he's a Yotsuba and has a vow to protect Miyuki that in the end everything else is just a means to an end. We were able to stop the terrorist attack but it really wasn't all that difficult and I didn't exactly worry either cause after everything a bunch of small-time magicians couldn't pose a threat. 

We haven't gotten a confirmation about whether there will be a season 3 but I really really hope there is one cause we're barely scraping the surface of this world and this story so here's hoping another season doesn't take years again!

xoxo Allie 

Fall 2020 TV Schedule

Though it's finally the fall season which should be one of the most exciting seasons of the year, because of the global pandemic, most shows didn't have the chance to film so our schedule is looking fairly dry in terms of anything but anime! Having said that, the show must still go on so listed below is my 2020 Fall TV schedule (September to December) with their air dates listed. Asian dramas are not included on this schedule cause it is harder to list which dramas I'm going to watch ahead of time but you can check out my What Dramas Am I Watching This Week list for my Asian drama reviews. As per usual I will be making a What Shows Am I Watching This Week list for my American tv show and highlighting them in pink so you can check those out too!

SUNDAY

By The Grace Of Gods - Anime (October 4) (Series Finale December 20)

Talentless Nana - Anime (October 4) (Series Finale December 27)

MONDAY

Fruits Basket - Anime (Currently Airing) (Season Finale September 14)

Sleepy Princess In The Demon Castle - Anime (October 5) (Series Finale December 21)

The God Of High School - Anime (Currently Airing) (Season Finale September 28)

TUESDAY

Ikebukuro West Gate Park - Anime (October 6) (Series Finale December 22)

FBI - 9 PM on CBS (November 17)

WEDNESDAY

Mr Love: Queen's Choice - Anime (Currently Airing) (Finale September 30)

Noblesse - Anime (October 7) (Season Finale December 30)

The 100 - 8 PM on CW (Currently Airing) (Series Finale September 30)

THURSDAY

Akudama Drive - Anime (October 8) (Series Finale December 24)
Star Trek: Discovery Season 3 - 8:30 on CBS All Access (October 15)

FRIDAY

Appare Ranman! - Anime (Currently Airing) (Finale September 25)
Rent A Girlfriend - Anime (Currently Airing) (Finale September 25)

Haikyuu!! To The Top: Part 2 - Anime (October 2) (Series Finale December 18)

I'm Standing On A Million Lives - Anime (October 2) (Season Finale December 18)

Tonikawa: Over The Moon For You - Anime (October 2) (Season Finale December 18)

Wandering Witch: The Journey Of Elaina (October 2) (Season Finale December 18)

SATURDAY

The Day I Became A God - Anime (October 10)
The Misfit Of Demon King Academy - Anime (Currently Airing) (Finale September 26)
The Irregular at Magic High School: Visitor Arc - Anime (October 3) (Season Finale December 26)

STREAMING

Mulan - Disney+ (September 4)

The Great Pretender - Anime (September 21)

The West Wing Special - HBO Max (October 15)

The Mandalorian Season 2 - Disney+ (October 30) (Season Finale December 18)

Bridgerton - Netflix (December 25)

Vikings Season 6 Part 2 (Final Season) - Amazon Prime (December 30)

The Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina Season 2 Part 2 - Netflix (December 31)

xoxo Allie

What Shows Am I Watching This Week?

Hello everyone and welcome back! Let's dive right in shall we?

The Alienist Season 2

I actually ended up enjoying this second season a lot more than I enjoyed the first and I think a major part of that is cause I ended up waiting until all 8 episodes of season 2 were out before binging them. In that sense I could remember all the hints from previous episodes and I did not forget important points week to week. It also helped that this season's mystery was much more interesting to me than last season's where I spent much of the time confused as to who was who and who was doing why. I thought it was interesting to have this season focused on Sara rather than Laszlo and it was pretty fun to watch her come into her own as the badass detective she was. I also really liked that our villain for the season Libby was in a sense a parallel to Sara with the two sharing a similar childhood and the only difference being in what people they became. In another world Sara might have been insane with Libby the sane one. I also really liked that the way the story played out reminded me a lot of a Criminal Minds episode with us learning about what made the criminal into who they were now and how they devolved to a point where they couldn't hide it anymore. I also low key want to shout out Goo Goo who was the absolute most devoted man I've seen in a drama with how he took all of Libby's craziness and did everything with her wishes in mind. The side romance with Laszlo and Kate was fine as well and the only thing that didn't work for me was where Sara and John's relationship went! I was high key heartbroken and a little furious that John ended up marrying Violet cause she got pregnant even though it's clear that John will never love Violet the way he loves Sara and the whole time I kept waiting for her to realize that the reason she can't pull the trigger on marrying John is cause she's afraid to lose him and herself and it's like she should have known that of all people John would never force her to become a stay-at-home wife or mom!

I haven't heard if there will be a season 3 but honestly this second season was a surprise to me too so who knows! Part of me does feel like everything is wrapped up in a tighter bow that the first so I'm leaning towards this being the end.

Fruits Basket Season 2 Episode 20

This wasn't my most favorite episode of this season but I think I am fairly glad that we got a slightly less emotional one anyway cause last week and the week before were so Rin heavy which made them heartbreaking. I do think it's fascinating that the show is still trying to hide what relationship Yuki wants from Tohru when it's pretty clear after last week what he wants from her and I also can't decide if I understand why Yuki and everyone around him is treating this as pathetic. Is it just cause Yuki's a guy and guys shouldn't want to lean on girls for strength? Either way I'm fairly certain that Yuki sees Tohru as a motherly figure the same as Rin did cause they didn't get that love and affection from their own mothers. Speaking of mothers, we saw Yuki's again for a quick second and it looks like her talk with Yuki in the hallway showed her that maybe she was a little too cold and uninterested in Yuki growing up so she attempted to be kinder this week. I can't help but feel like of all the parents, Yuki's might not be that terrible cause to me coldness is a little better than out-and-out abuse like Rin got. It was also interesting to learn more about Machi and Kakeru's family life and how they're apparently half-siblings with Machi being born to the main wife and Kakeru to the mistress though Machi was younger. It all felt very Korean chaebol drama to me but in a fun enough way. I still think they're trying to set up a romance between Yuki and Machi but I can't decide what he would find in her that would make him love her unlike every other Sohma couple I've met to this day. Maybe when Machi opens up a little more?

Lucifer Season 5 Part 1

Honestly the first thing that I want to say about this season is damn what a cliffhanger! I am a little pissed that Netflix decided to release this final season in 2 parts rather than just one chunk like it did with season 4 but I do wonder if it was partly due to the whole coronavirus thing so rather than hold off on releasing the whole season, Netflix thought it best to release what they finished. Either way it was about damn time that God finally appeared in this show cause he's such a big part of Lucifer's story that it's a little crazy that he hasn't shown up in person yet! Overall I think I enjoyed this first half though there was one glaring point that I hated and one that I didn't entirely understand. Chloe and Lucifer finally got together and it was oddly sexy as hell which is funny cause until they hooked up, I didn't realize how much chemistry they had. I know it's been like 5 seasons but I was never all that invested in their romance and I don't know if I still am but I do know I love the idea of their romance. I mean they're literally soulmates and I adored that Chloe realized that Michael was pretending to be Lucifer from just one kiss! Speaking of Michael, he was kind of the worst this season and he was the one point I didn't understand cause it's like Michael is supposed to be an angel right? So then why did he seem to hate humans so much and want to ruin Lucifer's life? I'm hoping that God came down to finally shut down Michael's idiocy. I also liked that Dan found out the truth though I wish that we had gotten a little more time for him to sit with this fact other than having most of his reaction be offscreen but I do have to say that his random bromance with Lucifer this season was everything. Now we just need for Ella to find out the truth!! The final thing I want to talk about is where Maze's story went and how much I hated it cause it's ridiculous that the writers have nothing to give her except having her randomly side with the villain every season cause she's pissed at one thing or another Lucifer did rather than just sit down and talk to him. It also high key made me miss Eve but the way Maze was heartbroken makes me worried that it portrayed Eve as a terrible person for "abandoning" Maze when Eve really just went to find who she was without a man in her life.

We haven't actually got a release date for the second half of this final season but here's hoping it's soon. I would like God to take Michael away, tell us what's going on with Charlie and maybe what he meant by gifting Chloe, Eve to come back and live happily ever after with Maze, and Ella to find out the truth!

xoxo Allie