ESSAYS
Personal stories, analyses, and explorations.

My Neighbor Totoro: Lessons in Faith and Forests
As an adult who is constantly bogged down by the realities of life and making compromises, My Neighbor Totoro is my go-to escapist film. But more importantly, it is a much-needed lesson in learning how to have faith again, and in being brave and believing.

Ponyo: Milk With Honey and the Magic Within
Andersen’s original tale is tragic, displaying the hefty price of love and selling your soul for immortality, while Disney gives the characters the most fairy tale-like ending. Miyazaki’s more nuanced approach is a profound interpretation that factors in a fresh perspective of youthfulness, nature and its interconnectedness, and a whimsicality that earlier versions don’t have.

The Mercurial Relationship Between People and Places
“Not just a green flag, but a whole green forest” became a popular phrase throughout the Asian drama fandom space in 2023, alluding to the likeable personality of the characters in the Chinese drama Hidden Love (2023). Of course, my curiosity was piqued and I had to see why everyone was watching this show. During my first watch of Hidden Love, I had no idea that its sequel, The First Frost (2025), was in the making, or that I’d love that sequel so much that I’d rush straight back into a rewatch.

When Life Gives You Tangerines: The Legend of Cycle-Breakers
Oh Ae-sun is a regular girl with hopes and dreams, but her story is emotional and profound. Through her, the series empathizes with women’s stories and puts them to the forefront, spotlighting earnest messages on our struggles, relationships, and joys.

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.

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.

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.