DEADLY CLASS : NOT YOUR REGULAR HIGHSCHOOL

Posted on January 20, 2022 by Mehareen Quraishi

“Deadly class” was an American television series released in 2019 developed by Rick Remender and Miles Orion Feldsott for ‘Syfy’ based on the comic book series of the same name created by Remender and Wesley Craig and published by ‘Image comics.’ It starred Benjamin Wadsworth, Lana Condor, Maria Gabriela de Faría, Luke Tennie, Liam James and Michael Duval. It was set in the late 1980’s revolving around the elite private academy ‘Kings Dominion’ where students were trained to become assassins.

This show purely exuded a school metted out with slytherin vibes minus the magic. A high-school for assassins whose subjects range from ‘The fundamentals of psychopathy’ to ‘AP black arts’ while their students are trying to balance a normal student social life while keeping up with their assassination homework was something I didn’t know I needed to watch until I did.

The show is set against the backdrop of the dark counterculture of the late 1980’s and the show’s way of navigating how the teenagers took the glooming reality of life that too of a future assassins in their stride while not totally becoming unhinged is something that I could relate to but also it makes you reflect.

In retrospect, that’s how high school felt for most of us, dark and pressurizing and our only advantage was we weren’t training to become future assassins with kids who were nothing less than total assholes.

The show sets its dark undertone just not through it grim setting, but also by establishing an high school culture with class system which ranged from a Japanese Kuroki syndicate to rats Aka students with no legacies to fall back on and left to survive on their own.

The protagonist Marcus monologue’s often makes you contemplate your views on life and manipulate you into viewing the show through his perspective. But it’s the other characters who are far more complex and nuanced example; Maria played by Maria Gabriela de Faría who while rewatching after reading the comics, I understood how interesting and nuanced her character arc really is which I believe would have come to full fruition in the second season if the show was not cancelled after one season. Due to the lack of its mainstream appeal, it got under the radar and got cancelled even though it had great potential especially with the massive cliffhanger, it ended on, it was completely unfair. I had to read the comics to cope with that fact which turned out to be an another amazing experience letting me appreciate more of the show’s pacing and creative twists made while adapting it.

The show let’s it’s first season to introduce the audience to the world of Deadly class and to let the characters develop more and become fleshed out which the comics didn’t had to timeframe to do. I loved the constant commentary on the pop culture of the late 1980’s backdrop in reference to movies, music bands, comics, etc… in the background which was able to paint a vivid picture of the life in the late 1980’s American teenagers.

It had some good action choreography for the genre it was dealt with and it had a diverse cast with each given appropriate space to shine through. The cinematography and art direction was one of my favourite in the recent times. The suspense with the finale was perfectly executed. My fav sequences has to be the chase from the finale. The last two episodes definitely takes the cake.

As much as I relished watching a show with perfect dark and gritty gore as it’s main core elements, it still might not be something that could be everyone’s cup of tea. Especially I have to remind you that the show ends with a massive cliffhanger with no season 2. You might have to read the comics further to know the plot which I believe are equally impactful to read while it’s final issue will be out this year marking its end. But you won’t regret watching it as it would definitely do its one job which is it to entertain you.

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“CRASH LANDING ON YOU” IS A PERFECT WATCH TO JOIN THE K-DRAMA FANDOM

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Mehareen Quraishi

“Crash landing on you” is a 2019-2020 South Korean television series written by Park Ji – Eun, directed by Lee Jeong Hyo and starring “Hyun Bin, Son Ye Jin, Kim Jung – Hyun and Seo Ji Hye.” It’s about a rich South Korean heiress who, while paragliding in Seoul, South Korea, is swept up in a sudden storm and crash lands in the North Korean portion of the DMZ, and meets a captain in the Korean people’s Army. He agrees to help her get back to South Korea. Over time, they fall in love with each other despite the divide and dispute between their respective countries.

What makes this show work is how it’s written in a humorous point of view despite the bleak political setting the story is set in. The show has its heart in the right place. The humour, drama and the story seamlessly blends with the characters.

It humanized the North Koreans to the viewers by portraying them in a different light rather than sticking to the usual stereotypes. The story concept was inspired by a real life event involving South Korean actress, Jung Yang. On top of that, the drama’s screenwriter was introduced to North Korean defector turned film adviser and writer Kwak Moon – Wan, who became part of the drama’s writing team. He helped in crafting the drama’s plot and in conceptualizing the setting and scenes in the drama portraying North Korean life.

Even though there were certain backlashes thrown at the crew for portraying a romanticized portrayal of North Korean soldiers and how the political and social issues were not highlighted at all. Still, it was applauded by many other North Korean defectors for portraying the different aspects of daily life of the citizens and liked the positive humanization of the North Koreans, who often did not get to see a positive representation of them on mainstream media.

The plot was skilfully crafted to avoid harsh criticisms by focussing more on the growing chemistry between the leads. It was very refreshing for me to watch how even the second leads were given adept recognition by portraying them as multidimensional and morally grey characters. It’s hard to find a show which shows the same love for the supporting cast as well as the main leads.

To me, what made the show watchable was its setting. It was fascinating to learn the little details you can pick up from the show by watching how North Koreans live. It’s also easier to detect the parts where it’s been romanticized such as the arc dealing with the military and how crossing the borders were shown. The golden nuggets from the show should be the supporting cast who no matter what kept the story light even when the plot became really intense in the end. I loved how they were able to show gossip between the woman in a community could be a way for them to bond and to knit a strong bond of sisterhood. I personally was more attached to the supporting cast than the main leads.

The main leads never let one dull moment pass in the screen. But frankly, I couldn’t engross myself into how intense the story was getting between the two. I was more hooked on to the light hearted part of the show. Nevertheless, the main leads did a perfect job in carrying the show on their shoulders.

Also if you are new to K – drama fandom, “Crash landing on you” is a perfect way to start your journey into discovering more such gems. You can Google the records its ratings broke yourselves, if you want to stop contemplating whether you should watch it or not. Bonus news : The main leads are actually dating in real life.

You can also follow me on Instagram through the below mentioned link for more multi fandom content.

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You can also watch the edits I made based on this show on my youtube channel below.

WHY YOU NEED TO REWATCH JODHAA AKBAR AGAIN?

Posted on March 14, 2021 by Mehareen Quraishi

Jodhaa Akbar is a 2008 epic historical romance film directed by Ashutosh Gowariker starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai Bachan. The movie is set in the 16^th century India and centers around the romance between the Mughal emperor “Jalal-ud-din-Mohammed Akbar” and the Rajput Princess “Jodhaa Bai”.

It’s a film I wanted to re watch ever since India have been going through religious tensions and the conspiracy theory of love Jihad circulating made me sit down and finally watch it. Because, I wanted to remember how India was secular in its religion and sovereignty. The love story between the royals who belonged to different religions , yet still were able to work on their marriage was soothing to watch among the political unrest unfolding in our country this past year.

Both the leads played their parts fairly if not perfectly. But you have to accept the fact, that they both look sculpted to play Royalty. Even if their acting was average, their insane chemistry makes it work. I loved how they had characterized Akbar as peace loving which he was and how Jodhaa was perfectly portrayed in a fiery manner as a testimony to her Rajput background. There is this scene where Akbar let’s Jodhaa know that she can divorce him as Islam allows it and she counters it with how her religion binds them for seven lifetimes. It’s a scene which I really loved because they did not let their differences separate them. Even though, it’s an marriage of convenience. They both did what they thought would do good to their Kingdom despite their religious sentiments by agreeing to marrying each other. But their mutual respect and admiration for each other wins them over. They were able to display a sensible relationship.

Other than the leads, sadly I didn’t find many of the supporting cast that memorable. Except Sonu Sood as Rajkumar Sujamal and Ila Arun as Maham Anga. I read that Sonu sood rejected other offers while filming for this movie as he wanted to give his best to his role which really paid off. Maham Anga was exactly how I imagined her to be, terrifying and manipulative at the same time. Ila Arun really did wonders with her eyes alone as she conveyed a lot of powerful emotions just through her facial expressions without the need of a monologue to let us know she is the villain here. Another important thing to appreciate in this movie is the soundtrack. It’s a gem. Most of us still tune into Jashne – e – bahara as its melody is what you call timeless.

Another major reason for me to watch it is definitely the aesthetics. If you are a fan of historical architecture and clothing especially from Indian dynasties, then this film is a visual treat for you. From the set designs to the clothing and accessories, everything looked on point. I also loved how they were able to differentiate the culture and architecture of Rajput’s and Mughals through colours. The Rajput’s were shown wearing bright colours and the Mughals were seen wearing gold, brown and beige colours. All the more appreciation for the designer Neeta Lulla and her team.

Lastly, if you are still not up for watching it because its 3 hours long. Trust me, it just won’t feel like it. It has an engaging screenplay with the love story set against the backdrop of Royal politics. Their love story is history but not something to forget about especially now when people are ready to let their differences separate them without understanding that our differences is what makes us unique.

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“TO ALL THE BOYS” TRILOGY IS MY COMFORT WATCH

Posted on February 23, 2021 by Mehareen Quraishi

The ‘To All the Boys’ is a series of films based on the trilogy of novels of the same name written by Jenny Han starring Lana Condor and Noah Centineo as the main leads.

Its about an Asian American teenage girl who is a little shy. She feels every emotion deeply which keeps her tied to her roots and is sentimental in the way she views life. She writes letters to her crushes as a way to get closure and never sends them. But one day, it gets out without her knowledge. How her quiet invisible life completely changes after that forms the rest of the plot for the whole franchise.

The first movie in the series was an instant success with many critics hailing it as an modern day cult classic for teen romances in its fresh approach to a genre long used repetitively to attract a mass audience.

The plot has incorporated many classic romantic tropes, one being fake dating which eventually brings our leads together. The film works because it adds a old fashioned twist to a modern age love story. You also need to consider the general relatability factor in having an Asian American female as the lead on the big screen appealing to a huge audience who are going to feel themselves represented. Lara Jean’s racial identity is not used as tokenism for diverse representation on mainstream media. Instead, it’s used as a way to explore more of why she is feeling disconnected from the real world in the first place. Her Korean face masks, the K-pop songs in the background and the Korean food she eats, all are her connection to her ethnic heritage which she feels she missed due to her mother passing away.

It’s a way for her to reconnect with her mother. The author Jenny Han has disclosed in an essay she wrote for The New York Times that producers tried to coax her to whitewash the characters.

“Even before the book came out in 2014, there was interest in making a movie. But the interest died as soon as I made it clear the lead had to be Asian-American,” she wrote. “One producer said to me, as long as the actress captures the spirit of the character, age and race don’t matter. I said, well, her spirit is Asian-American. That was the end of that.”

I personally love this trilogy because of how each film explores the complexities of being in a relationship for the first time, something not many teen romances were able to elaborate upon. These films captured beyond the happily ever after. They were able to show the younger audience, that feelings are not something you can use to ground your relationship in. It’s more flaky, instead they were able to show committing to each other meant beyond the happy phase. Also the franchise scores brownie points for the genuine portrayal of a teenage romance in a social media absorbed world. The leads could easily say “you don’t even post me on Instagram anymore?” and it would feel like a very natural thing to add in a fight. They don’t look like the teenagers who are way too caught up in social media to focus on “real” life. Because these films normalized how our lives are getting more and more digitalized without making it sound alien.

But nobody can argue that the best film on the whole franchise was the first film due to many factors. It felt more raw and real. As films are more about how you can use the visuals to give more depth to the plot. The first film if you noticed it clearly has kind of a dull low lighting compared to the sequels whose colour palette looks more festive with bursts of colours. I think the first film was filmed in such a way to give more depth to the important shots where it’s mostly sunny in a way to make the ending feel more rewarding to the viewers. The sequels had this bright polished cinematography which made the twists hit us with little to no impact as we could feel the happy ending awaiting us in the next few shots mainly due to its colouring.

The wardrobe transformation of Lara Jean throughout the entire franchise was a huge let down for me personally. Because in “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” her style was more of chic and classy which gave her an edge. It felt a little opposite to how she portrays herself but still made her look as if she is not as plain and shy as she makes you think. In the sequels, her style changed into more of a girly girl, vintage, dressy one. Maybe it was to show her inner romantic. But I did feel a little disappointed.

The reason why this trilogy is my comfort watch, is for one, it has a good love story with an amazing chemistry between the leads, and two, it’s the kind of film you can watch after a bad day and still go to sleep feeling good inside. These reasons aside, I could always relate with Lara Jean. From her book and movie preferences to her ridiculous overthinking of every situation makes me team LJ any day. These films grows on you after a while. Even if you are someone who is not into rom coms. You can still give it a shot as a change from the dark themes our media consumption is full of nowadays. Some days, we all need a happy ending I believe.

Pro tip : If you are planning to read the books before you watch the trilogy. Just don’t. Save it for after you watch. Because that way you can savour them longer and it’s a perfect way to get closure from your soon to be favourite rom com couple.

If you are interested you can also watch the edits I made of this trilogy in the YouTube playlist I have linked below for you.

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BRIDGERTON IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST ‘ROMANCE’

Posted on February 15, 2021 by Mehareen Quraishi

Bridgerton is an American streaming television period drama series created by Chris Van Dusen and produced by Shonda Rhimes. It is based on Julia Quinn’s novels set in the Regency era London during the season when debutantes are presented at court.

I for one, expected nothing more than some drama and romance to make it binge worthy when I first started watching the show. The scene where Daphne and Simon meet for the first time and the enemies to lovers trope was firmly established, I could feel myself going through so many shows with the same romantic trope used to create tension between the leads and prepared myself to watch a show which would definitely feel repetitive.

But it did not. That’s what surprises me the most. I couldn’t control myself from clicking on the next episode. Before I knew it, the show was over. And I was left with googling for the news when the second season would come out. All the reels in Instagram about how addictive the show is finally made sense.

Because it is. I can’t point out only a single specific thing which made me feel drawn to the show. Even though, I love it when romantic troupes are properly used. The show was much more than that. It was able to sustain the suspense of the main leads growth as a couple and the chemistry between Phoebe Dynevor and Regé – Jean Page was just perfect to make us ship them right from the start .

My most favourite part about watching the show is how diverse characters are represented throughout the show. It isn’t historically accurate. From its dresses to hairstyles, many of them were inspired from varied decades. But the most important of all, was seeing black people in aristocratic status when at that time in real history, they were actually subjected to extreme cases of mistreatment and abuse as a result of colonization. The show even has a scene where Lady Danbury talks to Duke Simon about,

“Look at our queen. Look at our king. Look at their marriage. Look at everything it is doing for us, allowing us to become. We were two separate societies divided by color, until a king fell in love with one of us. Love, Your Grace, conquers all.”

This scene hints at the fact that racist ideologies did exist in the ‘Bridgerton’ universe but not anymore after the King decides to marry a lady of colour. It does seem unrealistic that a royal marriage could put an end to racism. But it’s a show where they play the classical version of Thank you, next in the back ground. So expecting a realistic approach to the plot is laughable from the show’s context. Because the show aims to provoke you with passionate intense feelings of drama, despair and desire instead of provoking your political viewpoints. It’s a fun show to watch as its removed from the context of our historical past and reality. The creator of the show has said that they just wanted to reflect the world we live in today and appeal to the modern audiences.

It’s a swoon worthy show but I assure you. The little details the show has included in some scenes pointing out why marriage is important to a women in a time where financial independence is restricted to her made me love the show more. Because it had its spotlight on its women characters who are complex and intriguing. The shows portrayal of women friendships and sisterhood would definitely warm your heart.There’s this particular scene in the show where a seamstress and opera singer were talking about how they earn their own money and make their own way in the world while sipping wine. Even though they both tried to be gleeful in relishing their independence, it conveyed more about how financial independence meant the lack of romantic love in their life. It just made me a little sad about how their status and choices diminished their chances of having a family in the future.

There’s also this subplot of a gossip monger named Lady whistledown who was the gossip writer of that time serving fresh and juicy gossip about London’s high society. She is a mysterious character with some strong viewpoints which she tries to convey through the ruse of gossip. She directly or indirectly steers the course of some of the main characters journey in the story. She is a pretty important character who at times made you wonder who is she? Along with the cast. Her famous high society paper is the one that keeps the story going most of the time.

Also if you are a fan of historical romance with a touch of steamy intimate scenes in the midst of it. This one is for you. I personally don’t like watching very intimate scenes and that’s something which I thought the show could have toned down a little. But I know many of audience loved the show just for the glimpse of stairway romance involving a hot duke.

So if you are someone who is very much into historical romance, drama, high society and need some diverse representation from your favourite time period. You won’t regret watching the show.

If you are interested in watching some Bridgerton edits, click on this link below where I have linked the Bridgerton playlist of my own edits and subscribe to my channel if you want more fandom edits.

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Thought process

Posted on October 25, 2020 by Mehareen Quraishi

Should i take myself more seriously or not? For somedays this question is haunting me every minute. I need to find a solution to this question soon or i will find myself very confused.

The reason i am asking this question to myself is because even if i take myself seriously or not i usually get into problematic situation. And i know there is no 3rd option to this situation so i am thinking of either taking myself very seriously or not take me seriously at all. I have to go with either one of them because it seems i am not smart enough to adjust my seriousness according to the situation.

Yes , i too feel that adjusting according to the situation is the correct answer but what sometimes is the correct in the general sense doesn’t mean it will be correct for you in this particular situation.

What i am talking about is if i start adjusting according to the situation then i have to think about what others think whatever they think about. So in the both the scenarios where i either take myself dead serious or goofy i mostly dont think have to think about what others think about in that situation.

So tell me guys what should i do about this???

This short piece is written by my elder brother who you can follow on Instagram @abuzer.qurishe

WHY YOU MUST READ “A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE” SERIES?

Posted on August 27, 2019 by Mehareen Quraishi

“Sleep is good

And books are better.”

-Tyrion Lannister

The “Game of Thrones” final season was all the buzz when its last season released due to its disastrous finale. But book readers of the show knew, they can still hope in getting a much more satisfactory end of their favourite fantasy series. So, before you guys get into how you are not book readers. Read this article to decide for yourselves.

PROS:

1.IN-DEPTH STORY:

Firstly remember, this whole franchise is George R.R. Martin’s imagination. He’s the one who created this breath-taking fantasy series from scratch. The show adapted the book into a television series and improvised. So, only the author can give you all the tea you have been missing out from the show. The books contain very different sub-plots revolving around “Dorne” and the “Iron Islands” with a wide range of side characters who never make it to the show. But it’s fair considering how much story you can jam into a ten episode per season series. The plot in the books has Prophecies in its centre to widen its storyline and in shaping the character arcs of certain characters such as “Cersei Lannister” with her “valanquor prophecy”. Unlike the show, in the books, its extensively used to justify Cersei’s motives. The books help you gain a fresh perspective on the storyline.

2.POINT OF VIEWS OF CHARACTERS:

The show is a visual treat, but to our visceral appetite, it somehow falls short. The show has done an amazing job In portraying characters multidimensionally and going as far as showing us the side characters in depth by crafting them with the same love as the main leads. But only to destroy all that character development in the end by stuffing all the narratives in a haphazard manner and made the plot look like a forced outcome. Here the books have done an amazing job. The whole franchise is written through certain characters point of views which is refreshing to read. Arya stark’s character is one which took me by surprise in the books. Arya in the show is portrayed as a brave, inquisitive girl who magically knows what to do next without a doubt . But reading the books reminded me of how she was just a child forced to grow up too soon. She is actually scared and often times feels helpless but just masks it all well to appear brave outside to protect herself. It makes her seem more humane. Reading about her inner turmoil in the books made me connect to her more than I ever related to Arya in the show.

3.A1 STORYTELLING:

It’s no big surprise that George R.R. Martin is a fantastic storyteller which made his books transformed into a million dollars worth TV show with a massive fan following around the world. But you must read the books to experience it first hand. His complex storytelling with attention to intricate details in weaving the myriad storylines of the “Game of Thrones” universe makes it a delight to read.

4.DISCOVERING THE “GOT” UNIVERSE IN DETAIL:

By that, I am referring to the physical structuring of the fantasy world in the books. The show did it’s fair share in bringing the “GOT” universe to life. But the collection provides the original setting with its vivid descriptions of exotic ‘Dorne, enormous Castle Black, dazzling Qarth and the whole structuring of the Free cities’ which pulls you into the story and let’s you visually experience by keeping your imagination wild.

5.EXTENSIVE HISTORY:

Every single thing in the books has a rich history to make you better understand the plot. The books gives you so much material to wrap around your head. The sub plots make it even more interesting. Secretly, we all love having the upper hand in knowing the extreme details compared to the one’s who have only watched the show. So, what better way to prolong the experience than rediscovering your favourite series in a whole different light?

CONS:

1.TIME CONSUMING:

Lets face it, the plot of “Game of Thrones” couldn’t be contained in 200 pages or less per book. George R.R. Martin is the kind of author whose books are an amazing slow burn read. He carefully structures the complicated storyline in a slow pace and makes it interesting enough for you to commit yourself into reading it. But, I was not kidding with the time consuming part. The page count of the entire collection of books is 5,300 and counting. It’s very long. But I assure you, it’s worth it.

2.LACK OF SHOCK FACTOR:

If you have seen the show before reading the books. There is a high chance, you won’t find certain plot twists in the books such as “the Red wedding, the purple wedding, etc.”… as impactful. But still, its interesting to compare and contrast as to how it unfolds in the books. I can assure you that there are so many details and twists in the book which you would have never seen in the show which will make it up for the known information in the grand scheme of things.

3.FRUSTRATING TO WAIT:

After reading the books, it’s natural to yearn for the next one. But in our case, it’s a little difficult. It’s not unknown that the last book released from the franchise was 9 years ago and the next book is yet to have a release date which makes it all the more frustrating to wait. But do we have a choice? Just believe in “All good things come to those who waits”.

As for me who has finished reading the books, “my Watch for the next book has started”.

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