ESSAYS
Personal stories, analyses, and explorations.
Gone With the Wind: A Treat for the Eyes, Not the Mind
Beyond its technical merits, many of which remain competitive almost a century later, Gone with the Wind falls flat as a romance film. The four-hour runtime dilutes the main storyline of Scarlett and Rhett's love with unnecessary scenes.
D-Day in Concert: A Breakdown of the Artist
One of the most intriguing things about Min Yoongi’s discography has always been his thorough exploration of different concepts of identity. Both his songs as SUGA of BTS and his robust solo career as Agust D are full of reflections that hit with a gut-punching earnestness. And out of all of his forays into the topic, the 2023 Agust D D-Day concert tour was the most revelatory into his views on art and its relation to the self.
Yes, I Really Flew to Europe for a Concert
You’ll often hear K-pop fans say that their favorite groups or idols saved and healed them. A lot of people outside of the genre roll their eyes and call that childish or dramatic. But it’s so very true.
You Should Watch Dungeon Meshi if You’ve Struggled With Disordered Eating
By the time I got to the first cooking scene, I didn’t care that I was about to see food; I wanted to know if our heroes could get sustenance in order to rescue their fallen ally.
Right Place, Wrong Person: Seeing What a Life is About
Namjoon presents his uncensored feelings through an eclectic mix of genres and an exploration of whether he’s been living the right way as both Namjoon, a guy in his 20s, and RM, leader of world-renowned K-pop group BTS.
Jimin’s Muse: Perfect, Blue
‘Muse’ is not Jimin saying, “I was sad, but now I’m happy and in love.” It is, instead, a refreshingly honest look at how one emerges from a low point—a cautious, curious exploration of how to love and be loved again.
Maybe the Real Friends Are the Monsters We Made Along the Way
The kids riding bikes, the crawling through gutters, the guardrails, the fence, the isolation in a crowd—when I saw “Domodachi,” I saw Hirokazu Koreeda’s 2023 film Monster echoing through every frame. It is a reference I did not expect and a word I have not related to Namjoon for a long time.
The Liminal Shades of ‘Monkey Man’
From the onset of the film, its protagonist—Kid, played by Dev Patel—is placed in the context of the animal-human-god trichotomy.
Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood: A Look into “LOST!”
RM's single, "LOST!," and its corresponding music video offer a thorough dissection of his perspective, desperate to finally overcome human communication barriers by literally taking you into his mind.
Love is a Losing Game
It’s safe to say we rarely see tennis through a lens like this. While broadcasted tennis matches commonly use overhead shots, capturing most of the game from a safe distance, the points of view in the Art v. Patrick match become more and more diverse over time, gradually diminishing personal space to reveal the secrets and motives of the characters one by one.
‘May December,’ the Frog Prince, and Adultification
Joe is a rich character, haunted without fully knowing it, and so many of Melton’s acting choices—from his manner of speaking to his body language—echo those unseen burdens.
The British Bard and Bollywood
What does it mean for a country that was once under British rule to adapt their colonizer’s stories as their own?
You’re at the Center, and So Am I
BTS’ music video for “Black Swan” is an example of a perfect dance film. It’s a kind of cine-choreo that perfectly utilizes elements of its setting—the theatre. And instead of using it as solely a stage, the theatre almost feels like a character itself as the camera rotates it to keep BTS in place.