Fruits Basket: Manga Review

Fruits Basket is one of the select few manga series I've finished completely, and even more amazingly, reread. When I first picked it up, I was admittedly put off by the art (yes, "pretty" as it supposedly is). There really is such a thing as too-big manga eyes, and FB definitely went overboard with that. But the story was cute, so I stuck with it and once Kyo got involved I was hooked. Initially, the series didn't seem like much more than your typical romantic, meaningless high school manga. But once the story got into full swing, you start to see that it has surprising dimension, with characters that are each deeply complex with their own histories, tragedies, and motivations. It's a fascinating read for a rainy day, because as sad as some of the story arcs are, at the end of the day this is a tale of optimism. Note some spoilers ahead.

Hotel King: Post-Episode 9 Thoughts

This show is complete crack at this point. I can't even - the feels, the fauxcest, the incredible chemistry - everything's perfect. I think I like Lee Dong Wook and Lee Da Hae better here than in My Girl, because there's so many more stakes embedded in the premise and their interactions are tinged with this layer of forbidden longing that makes everything so much better. I'm even glad this is a longer show, because that'll really allow it to milk the multiple layers of conflict.

A New Leaf: First Impressions

I'm trying to stop starting so many new dramas, but was curious enough about A New Leaf to go ahead and check it out. So far, I like it. It's not entirely addicting, but it's cute and a fairly low-commitment show. The OTP doesn't exactly get me in the heart, but I can see some chemistry and promise.