Tag: review

Review: ‘EX’ proves P1Harmony is ready for a broader stage

by Liddia Waterbury

P1Harmony’s EX hits with a bold pop attitude and unfiltered confidence, pushing their artistry into a more daring era.

P1Harmony’s debut album, Disharmony: Stand out, is edgy, masculine, has a superhero-like concept, and is heavily rap-oriented. Contrastingly, EX explores relatable emotions like self-doubt, empowerment and features strong synth-pop sounds. This album is designed to be catchy and features a more melodic vocal focus.

As P1Harmony’s first full English album, EX is filled with bright energy and excitement. The group shifts from its signature hip-hop edge into pop-rock anthems and electronic vibes, creating a fresh sound. This electronic feel coincides with the retro Game Boy theme of the album.  

An all-English release from this K-pop group isn’t unexpected. The leader, Keeho, is Canadian, and Jiung and Jongseob already speak English fluently. Even members, such as Intak, Theo, and Soul, who are still developing their English skills, have demonstrated strong motivation to continue learning. 

As well as being their first English release, EX is P1Harmony’s ninth mini album, featuring five songs. With this album, the group clearly aims to expand their global audience, connect with international listeners, and highlight their creative growth. 

“EX”, being the first track in EX, is 2 minutes and 53 seconds long and is built around synth-pop and crisp digital sounds. This track blends “80s synth pop” with modern pop elements. It’s a catchy song with a clear message of independence, self-respect, and empowerment, with the lyric, “Every girl deserves to have her exploration, have a little fun without an explanation.” Even though the track has a clean production, it lacks depth or distinctiveness lyrically and melodically.

“EX” also has a Spanish version, which keeps the same upbeat, catchy sound. It doesn’t change the vibe of the original. Hearing it in Spanish makes it feel fresh and exciting. The members handle the language well, and it’s clear they are trying to connect with more fans around the world. It also shows P1Harmony’s creativity, exploring Latin-pop. The track is fun to listen to and a cool choice for Spanish-speaking listeners.

The second track in EX, “Dancing Queen,” is 3 minutes and 31 seconds long. The members deliver strongly with clear vocals, like “their voices soar.” This song is light-hearted, romantic, and is about being captivated by someone dancing. It also tells a simple love story. This shows with the lyrics, “Just keep on dancing queen, you’re so sweet. You put a spell on me.” It sets a fun tone and energy for the album. However, the lyrics are straightforward and kind of familiar.

Similarly, “Night of My Life” has straightforward lyrical content. This song is the fourth track of this album, and it’s approximately 2 minutes and 12 seconds long. It arrives toward the end of the record, functioning as a kind of feel-good, carefree moment. The lyrics are quite simple, though there is variation to the members’ typical vocal roles. It’s about enjoying the night and letting go of tomorrow. The sound is light and energetic, evoking a crowd-friendly feel. Yet, the song sounds like a “less-inspired version” of what P1Harmony can do. 

“Stupid Brain,” the third track in EX, is 4 minutes and 2 seconds long. It has a mellow, reflective sound and captures the frustration of being stuck in your own head. The feeling shows with the lyrics, “Just turn it off, Just for a day, cause I don’t wanna live a life, tryna hold on while it’s slipping away.” The vocals carry emotional weight, allowing listeners to feel the overthinking and unease. This track isn’t flashy, like the big singles, but you can return to it when you’re in a quieter, more meditative mood. So this track is more relaxed than exciting.          

Over the five years of producing music with FNC Entertainment, P1Harmony reached a huge milestone. EX showcases the group’s intent to connect with a global audience and experiment with new genres, including pop-rock and Latin pop influences. EX also serves as a central theme for P1Harmony’s large-scale P1ustage H: Most Wanted world tour. 

With the tour, this album was released in various formats, including mini-album versions, Vinyl versions, and member compact versions. The mini-album versions, In-Game and Game Lovers, are both available for $31.99 each at Target. The Vinyl version can be found at Target for $29.99 and Barnes & Noble for $31.99. The compact CDs have a version of each member and are $19.99 each. All of these items can also be found online on multiple websites. 

EX proves that P1Harmony isn’t afraid to take risks and redefine their sound. Their mix of catchy pop energy and fearless lyrics shows how much they’ve grown as artists. Each track carries a sense of freedom and ambition that matches their bold new direction. With this album, P1Harmony steps confidently into a new chapter, ready to connect with fans around the world. 

Album Review Chart

Album Title: EX

Artist: P1Harmony  

Released: Sept. 26, 2025

Number of Songs: 5

My Grade:  B

by jhshyphen

Review: Atmospheric pop meets honest storytelling in MUNA’s debut

by Chloe Newton 

MUNA’s debut album About U, released in 2017, is a neon-lit diary of heartbreak, self-discovery, and resilience. It doesn’t feel like just discovering an album; it feels like a moment in time, like standing on a city rooftop at midnight, overwhelmed by possibilities.

MUNA is an American indie-pop trio formed at the University of Southern California. The members Katie Gavin, Naomi McPherson, and Josette Maskin combine shimmering synth-pop production with deeply emotional lyrics, often exploring LGBTQ+ identity, trauma, and empowerment. Their music exists in a bittersweet space between crying on the floor and dancing through the pain.

The opening track, “So Special,” immediately sets the emotional tone with a questioning vulnerability — “Now I know I’m not so special,” a line that conveys a sense of genuineness and rawness, leaving listeners feeling seen. 

Graphic by Chloe Newton.

“I Know a Place” rises like an anthem for belonging: the powerful and hopeful chorus “I know a place we can go/Where everyone’s gonna lay down their weapons” sounds like an offering of safety and strength. In early 2018, MUNA released some acoustic versions of their songs, including “I Know a Place.” The shift was not just musical – it was political and emotional. The United States was coming out of the second month of Donald Trump’s first term in office, a time when fears around LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, and civil liberties were heightened. 

Many queer people and allies felt a renewed urgency to protect one another and speak out. In this acoustic version, it carries a sharp accusatory tone: “Even if our skin or our gods look different/I believe all human life is significant/I throw my arms open wide in resistance/He’s not my leader even if he’s my president.” The adjustment is powerful, and instead of focusing on harm already done, the new line turns toward collective resistance and resilience. This version also stripped away the glittery pop polish of the original. What remained was raw voice, raw emotion, and raw community, almost like a rally cry whispered directly into the listener’s ear. Releasing this version when they did made the song feel like a response to the moment one of MUNA’s first moments, where they leaned into visibility, encouraging their listeners to stay loud. 

Meanwhile, “Winterbreak” is icy, aching, and melodic; it captures the sting of someone who lingers in memory like cold air through a cracked window. The repeated confession “This is the love that we won’t get right”  feels painfully honest to listeners.

The standout emotional knockout comes in “If U Love Me Now”, where the lyrics depict a painful struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts, when MUNA is questioning if they are “deserving” of love and expressing a desire for their partner to leave, as heard in the line “If you love me now/ You should just let me leave.” This gives the song intimacy and a heavy feeling, but ultimately a very hopeful and important message on the exploration of mental health within a relationship.

This album to me felt like peeling back the layers of some heavy emotions- the songs explore uncovering pieces of identity, vulnerability, and power. They move between quiet introspective thoughts to glittering liberation, a duality that makes the listening experience personal and immersive. 

Some production elements blur together mid-album, creating moments where tracks sound sonically similar. However, the emotional clarity and lyrical depth keep the record grounded. 

Available on streaming platforms; physical CD copies generally retail around $10-$15 USD depending on the store and edition. 

This album discusses trauma, heartbreak, queer identity, and emotional vulnerability. The suggested sensitivity rating is PG-13 for emotional intensity and mature themes.

About U stands out with sincerity-an electrified love letter to survival, vulnerability, and chosen identity. A debut that does merely introduce MUNA, but invites listeners into a shimmering, earnest world of healing.

by jhshyphen

Review: Texas Roadhouse sets the stage with southern style

by Cherish Brown and Kaylin Bowman

“Legendary food, legendary service.”

This is the motto of a restaurant that most definitely blew us away with its Texas-themed atmosphere and incredibly delicious food. Texas Roadhouse! Texas Roadhouse is one of the great restaurants out there. Its first location opened in Clarksville, Indiana, in 1993 by Kent Taylor. The vision for Texas Roadhouse began with a dream sketched on a cocktail napkin, a dream that was soon turned into the reality that we are reviewing today.

The Texas Roadhouse we visited was 757 Lewis and Clark Parkway, Clarksville, IN. Let’s start with the looks. This restaurant is Texas-themed, and they definitely rose to the occasion. With country music in the background and an armadillo for a mascot, we’d say this is the most southern place we’ve been to.

When we got inside. It was quite busy. There were people in almost every booth. We walked through the sea of customers and got to the line to get our seats. Cherish gave them her number, and we waited for a text to let us know we could proceed to our seat. We waited and walked around the mall for about 45 minutes, and then we finally got the text. That was actually pretty good for the large number of people there.  

When we got to our table, they started us off with our drinks and asked if we wanted any appetizers. When our waiter arrived, he was very energetic and full of joy to be serving his customers, and it was a pleasure to have him as our waiter. When our waiter first came to our table, he complimented Cherish’s hair and made us laugh a lot. We had a great time with him and the other waiters in the restaurant.

We both got our drinks, Cherish got a lemonade, and Kaylin got a Dr Pepper. They were both about 4 dollars. They offer many different drinks, including Coke products, lemonade, sweet tea, and water. Ages 21+ can hang out in the bar, where they have margaritas, cocktails, beer, wine, and their famous margarita “The Legend.”

They started us off with complimentary rolls and peanuts as soon as we arrived at our table. The rolls were nice and fresh and came with two types of butter, regular and cinnamon. When Cherish bit into the roll, it burned her mouth because the rolls were so hot, but overall, they were really amazing.

When our food came to the table, it was nice and hot as well. Kaylin got the Chicken Critter dinner for $14.49, and Cherish got a kids’ mac-n-cheese for $5.99. According to Kaylin, the chicken was crispy, juicy, and flavorful, and Cherish’s mac-n-cheese was cheesy and rich,  surprisingly good for a kids’ meal. We both had fries as one of our sides, and Kaylin had corn, too. The fries were so hot they burned our mouths, but they were nicely seasoned.

Overall, the food was really good, the rolls were amazing, and we enjoyed our stay there. When it was time to pay, we both paid half; Kaylin paid with a card, while Cherish paid the rest with cash. Everything was excellent. The staff was nice, the food was spectacular, and the atmosphere was amazing. The only complaint we had was that the floors were a little dirty. Other than that, we had a great time with Texas Roadhouse’s legendary food and legendary service.

Restaurant Report Card:

The Place: Texas Roadhouse

Address: 757 Lewis and Clark Parkway, Clarksville, IN

Phone: # 812-280-1103

Hours: Mon-Thu 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri-Sun 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m

Reservations: https://www.texasroadhouse.com/order/action/waitlist 

Food: A+

Service:  A++

Accessibility: A

Our Grade: A+

by jhshyphen

Review: ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ is a great, sad movie

by Gabriella Kraft

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a very emotionally intelligent movie. You need that emotional intelligence to fully understand the movie and grasp what’s happening as the movie gets more intense.

This film is a single movie with no sequel. It follows Charlie, played by Logan Lerman, who is going through a lot as a freshman, suddenly being befriended by two outgoing seniors, played by Emma Watson and Ezra Miller, who begin teaching him what life is really about.

Director Stephen Chbosky has a habit of making emotionally intense movies; for example: Wonder, Nona, Dear Evan Hansen, Rent, and the live-action Beauty and the Beast. These are all very emotional, high-tension movies.

The film is set in a Pittsburgh suburb in Pennsylvania and cost $13 million. The musical score of the film goes perfectly with the movie; all the song choices fit very nicely. I liked how well they show Charlie’s anxiety, PTSD, and his slowly coming out of his shell and back into it. However, I disliked how they are seniors, and he’s a freshman; it feels like they are grooming him, especially in certain scenes.

It’s a very popular movie with a motion picture and sensitivity rating of PG-13. To showcase how popular it is, some reviews from Rotten Tomatoes say, “I think for the first film this guy who wrote the book and has adapted it for the screen has done a terrific job, and I really found these characters sympathetic.”

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a heavy, heavy book. It contains some of the hardest moments that teenagers face,” stated another critic. “I also think that there’s something so incredibly special about this book that every adult can understand.” 

There were some bad reviews, but “some” as in 2 or 3. There are a rare few who don’t like this movie, and I think it’s because they don’t fully understand it. They may have watched it too young, or they simply think it’s too heavy a topic to be in a movie. Either way, it’s a great movie to watch if you need a good cry or if you just need a really good sad movie.

Some of my favorite quotes from the movie are “We accept the love we think we deserve”, “Things change. Friends leave. Life doesn’t stop for anybody”, “ And in that moment, I swear we were infinite”, and “I would die for you. But I won’t live for you” I feel like quotes really grasp what this movie is trying to convey and just how heartfelt it really is.

I watched this movie at a young age, when I couldn’t fully understand what was going on. But as I rewatch it when I’m older, I fully grasp what’s happening now. It’s such a good movie that I feel like everybody should watch it at least once in their life. It’s crazy what age can do to someone’s understanding of certain subjects.

Movie Review Chart 

Movie Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller

Director: Stephen Chbosky

Writers: Stephen Chbosky

Rated: PG-13

My Grade: A

by jhshyphen

Review: Haunted Hotel scares up interactive Halloween frights for its guests

Annual Halloween field trip provides plenty of scary thrills, props, and characters

by Ricky Cummins

If you are looking for an extreme haunted experience, the Haunted Hotel in Louisville pulls no punches.

The moment that hotel visitors arrive it is clear that you are in for a roller coaster ride of fright and fear. The actors have no beliefs in personal space or boundaries and they can and WILL touch, grab, throw, and pull you around as you move through the hotel. I got pinned up against a wall, pushed down, and pulled by the hair. This haunted house is not for the faint of heart.

From narrow corridors to open rooms, the Haunted Hotel has everything that you would look for in a haunted house. If it’s not the flashing lights, fog and chainsaws or the makeup, props and atmosphere, there will be something that would at least startle you. 

“Zizzle,” an actor who interacts with the crowd, looks on as JHS students and teachers prepare to “check into” the Haunted Hotel in Louisville on Sunday night, Oct. 26. Photo by Ricky Cummins.

The wait is the worst and best part. The long lines and loud surroundings can be a little much for younger or older people, or just people who are impatient. But my favorite part of the waiting line was Zizzle, an actor who engages and has fun with the people in line. He is well known for his “sparky” performance and his iconic yellow smiley mask.

When it comes to accommodation they could do a little bit better, but overall is still pretty good. If you don’t want to get thrown around or pushed, they will give you a glowstick to show to the actors or to wear so you don’t get the full ride of what’s to come. The actors will still touch you, though.

My overall verdict would be a 4.5/5 star review. The only reason I don’t give it a 5 is  because they send in people too quickly. Multiple times my group had to stop and wait for the group in front of us to get ahead so we could go. Other than that, I had a great time. I would highly recommend it.

  • Haunted Hotel
    • 3000 S. 4th Street
    • Louisville, KY 40208
    • hauntedhotelky.com
by jhshyphen

“Elemental” Is a Mix of Vibrancy and Heart

By Lacy Blanton

“Elemental” (2023) is the newest animated film produced by Disney and Pixar. Although marketed for young viewers, the film has two adult stories to share: one of romance and the other of immigration.

In a world where the four natural elements (Fire, Water, Air, and Earth) are the anthropomorphic inhabitants comes Ember Lumen: A young Fire woman who’s the daughter of “Fireland”-immigrants, living tucked away in Firetown, a district of Element City. Her family and culture mean everything to her – evident through her goal of becoming the next owner of her aging father’s convenience store. Just when she believes her future life is all figured out, Ember meets an unlikely friend (and her very unlikely Prince Charming), Wade Ripple: a young Water man, through certain circumstances. Their relationship may appear to look doomed from the start as the societal belief of Element City is that “elements don’t mix”, but that idea may be challenged as Ember and Wade grow closer as friends, and even a little more than that. 

One of the main highlights that can draw any person into watching the film is its animation. Almost every scene was beautifully colorful; from the backgrounds, locations, and character designs. The greatest comparison of its style is of a watercolor painting – vibrant, fresh, yet so calming. Its shimmering flair never grew too overwhelming for the eyes to see and multiple scenes had something new for viewers to see, such as the Lumen’s bustling convenience shop, the ‘Cyclone Stadium’ and Brook Ripple’s (Wade’s mother) aquatic luxury penthouse.

The character designs were remarkably impressive by how much their movements were reminiscent of their real-life counterparts. The artists and animators truly embraced the concept of the characters being their respective elements in scenes of having them display their own unique abilities, to how they can struggle or benefit from another elemental force. 

Both stories of Ember’s family, and the love story between her and Wade balance with each other. Impressively, they even intertwine at times. The Lumen family’s struggles and resiliency as Fire people residing in Element City is a reflection of what many real-life immigrants in our everyday world experience. It’s something insightful and inspiring to see. 

As an animated movie: was it a rom-com, and was it romantic? Very much so! Wade and Ember had an adorably wholesome relationship thanks to their chemistry, appreciation for each other, and willingness to help lift one another up. Wade intuitively goes out of his way to make Ember happy, and the latter is always attempting to protect him from her parents’ distrust toward Water people. Being of different elements: the couple is a perfect metaphor of an interracial couple – It has its difficulties, but they make it work out of means of true love. 

The film had a way of making the audience feel for the main characters. All you wanted was for Wade and Ember to be happily together without any challenges, and for Ember to have the best of both worlds with her parents, career, and her newly found love.

Peter Sohn, the director, was inspired to create “Elemental” based on his own personal experience of being born to Korean-immigrant parents in 1970’s New York City. To hear such an inspiration that originated from childhood is a highly vulnerable yet special thing. When watching the film, you could feel the love that Sohn had poured into it with scenes or background information on the Lumen’s being native to Fireland. 

Around the time of its release, “Elemental” received generally positive reception, with merely a few mixed reviews from critics; praising the picture for its visuals but pointing out how the storytelling felt underwhelming – a very unusual detriment for a “Pixar” flick. While it doesn’t live up to the sheer masterpieces of “Wall-E”, the “Toy Story” franchise, “Finding Nemo”, or even “Soul”: “Elemental” is still an enjoyable, heartfelt picture that tells a mixed but balanced story of an opposites-attract romance, the importance of family and their sacrifices they make. No matter any accusations of “underwhelming” storytelling from critics: the vibrant animation, endearing lead characters and their bond, and the director’s inspiration outway such criticism.

As a self-declared “Pixar” fan: this wasn’t a definite favorite film from the company’s collection, but nonetheless, a charming picture that one can hold dear to them for a long time, and that can be most likely said the same for Peter Sohn. 

    

by jhshyphen

Strike Hard: A Review of Cobra Kai Season 3

It was only a few years back when the YouTube Red series Cobra Kai premiered to an eager base of fans ready to experience an action-comedy drama that brought back fond memories of the blockbuster film, Karate Kid. Despite a great fan following on YouTube Red, Cobra Kai only felt its giant boost when it finally debuted on Netflix in the summer of 2019, reaching the #1 spot on Netflix’s top ten most watched shows, and #1 in Nielsen Ratings nationally (Nielsen ratings measure audience viewership and ratings nationwide).

Cobra Kai builds on the legacy of the Karate Kid movie series, while also exploring the full story of what happened then and what has happened since.The two enemies from the first movie, Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) are now middle-aged men. Still their lives seem to be rooted by the consequences of the original film’s ending, where Daniel kicks Johnny in the head and wins the All-Valley Under 18 Tournament, all thanks to his wise and great mentor, Mr. Miyagi (played by late Pat Morita). 

The show released its third season on January 1, 2021. So without further ado, we’re going to strike first, strike hard, and show no mercy with this review of Cobra Kai’s third season.

– – – – Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead! – – – –

Season 3, much like the previous seasons, has received a lot of critical and audience acclaim. We start the season revealing the consequences of what happened at the end of Season 2: Johnny Lawrence is broken and giving up on life again, Miguel Diaz is in a coma, Johnny’s son Robby is hiding from the law enforcement, and Kreese is operating Cobra Kai.

The Plot

By far, the plot of the series is brutally compact with a lot of poetic throwbacks to the film trilogy. However, I believe the third season’s plot sells us short. We see a semi-repeat of Season 2 with Miguel helping Johnny impress girls and Johnny growing his relationship with Carmen Diaz, Miguel’s mother. Even the season finale depicts a rematch of the fight that literally happened in season 2. Among many others, an interesting one is the rehashing of the whole love triangle with Robby getting angry at Miguel and Sam “falling in love again.” The season seems to be reiteration of what already has happened, which is a key recurring theme in the series. Hopefully the creators of the franchise take the lessons they bring to the table: to their hearts as well.

The Narrative

The plot isn’t so great, but there is a plus side to that: the season becomes redeemed by the narrative. A narrative is often binding, no matter how expansive. Like Star Wars. The third season follows the Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai dynamic, but it isn’t the teachers fighting it out this time. It’s the students. Sam LaRusso is willing to take things into her own hands, Hawk won’t stop bullying Demetri. Robby is willing to live by the Cobra Kai creed, you have a lot of the key character arcs of Season 2 culminating to their greatest peak. You can tell the story is being a little lazy, but essentially it just ends up like the Return of the Jedi from the Saga of Star Wars. The story has way fewer risks, but the result is somewhat more appealing: This season brings a renewed focus to the new characters — building their relationships, building their motivations for future seasons.

The Layering: Shading it together

What Cobra Kai’s third season does, is what movies and television series are constantly trying to do right. The layering. Adding motivations to characters, so you know it isn’t some white-headed nose-less wizard just trying to do stuff because evil is something to enjoy (if you didn’t get that reference, please search up “JK Rowling”). There is a composite and uniform slate of ideologies that make Cobra Kai so compelling to watch. This is why I believe the show has broken so many records to achieve ultimate success.

In season 3, we see the story delve into John Kreese’s background. A bullied teenager, with a mother suffering from mental problems on the verge of committing suicide, who then ends up enlisting to go to Vietnam. He fights in the war, loses his best friend to Vietnamese soldiers after failing to learn the “no mercy” lesson taught by his military superior (NOT EVEN REALIZING that his military superior actually withheld information about his girlfriend’s fatal car accident). As this storyline develops, Cobra Kai becomes dark very quickly. Kreese then ends up being forced to fight with his military superior. In this scene, you see the brutality that has formed the man we saw in Karate Kid and learn more about this season.

And here’s the bigger theme of Cobra Kai: everyone, in their own way, makes sense. Kreese failed to learn “strike first, strike hard, no mercy!” And when he did, he lost people he cared about, he suffered mentally and physically, but most of all: the regrets of those failures create the “monstrosity” which exists in the founder of the Karate Dojo: Cobra Kai. But we’re only skimming Kreese here, when we explore Daniel LaRusso, we explore Johnny Lawrence: you realize their fighting isn’t even over ideologies, of whose karate teachings make more sense. It’s about the people they care about: Daniel cares about Robby, he’s learned to accept Miguel-Sam’s relationship. Johnny has begun to care more about Miguel’s mother: he isn’t shy of who he WAS, when he talks to Ali; returns to the Karate spotlight by launching his dojo.

Is Nostalgia Getting too Much?

Let’s face it, the nostalgia on Cobra Kai makes you laugh, cry, scream, and take the show even more seriously. The past is what makes Cobra Kai’s present all the more endearing. It’s the basis of Cobra Kai’s success. The return of the old characters, and settings, and more importantly the dividing attitudes of society on survival in the real world. Cobra Kai, using this very nostalgia, has transformed this show into one about the hard route with a slate of moral values, and the shortcuts without an exact slate of moral values.

But we reach a point eventually in season 3 and ask ourselves: has the nostalgia reached its peak? Season 1 and 2 masterfully depict the continuation and evolution of what once was, while keeping core ideas intact. Season 3, meanwhile, is reminiscent of the post-Lucas Star Wars films. We see Daniel finding out about a whole new karate technique (Luke projecting himself across the galaxy), old villains who are now supposed heroes like Chozen (Boba Fett saving Baby Yoda), and a bit of copy-paste from Season 2 (Force Awakens copying A New Hope).

There’s very little at stake in Season 3, but….

There’s a Very Good Setup
Sam LaRusso, Miguel Diaz, Robby Lawrence, Tory Nichols, Daniel, Johnny, Demetri, Kreese and his gang … everyone has something to look forward to in the next season. Everything is suddenly at stake. The All-Valley Tournament next time isn’t some beef-bashing on love triangles: A dojo will close, a set of values will triumph, characters reach the peak of their arcs. No matter the shortcomings and great moments from Season 3, the fourth season will be worth the watch. 

Written by Yousaf Quereshi

by EmperorYousafQ

Movie Review: Frozen 2 is a Dark, But Magical Story About Change

When you hear there is a sequel to a movie coming, your first reaction is that it will never amount to the first movie, or it just won’t be nearly as good or not good at all.

Frozen 2 is not one of those sequels. The six years were worth the wait; you could tell that the movie was well thought out and well made. The storyline is magical and dark. The story of Arendelle might not be as bright and pleasant as a usual Disney kingdom. The story can pull the heartstrings of the youngest of kids and the oldest of adults. A little boy in the theater asked aloud, “but, why?” during a sad scene. Kids could grasp the concept even though it got dark at times, but it was still intriguing for the older audience members.

Photo: Disney

The movie touched on the subject of growing pains and how everything changes and that you probably don’t want things to change. Olaf is mainly the one who realizes these changes. Elsa picks up on them too, but in a different kind of way. Anna seems not to see any changes, even when one affects her. Worrying about the changes in the future can remind you of the past and how it affects your future. Looking back at the memories of Elsa and Anna’s parents, they told the two of them a story of an enchanted forest. That’s where the story continues. There is a lot more than their Norwegen kingdom and the mountains where Elsa’s castle is. Even a whole sea more.

In the last movie, a whole lot of questions were left unsolved. What actually happened to Anna and Elsa’s parents? What was the parent’s story? Most importantly, how did Elsa get her powers? All of those questions will be answered in ways you probably never expected, and in a more-complicated-than-expected way. There are new questions to wonder about now. The movie ends on a cliffhanger, leaving speculation that there will be a third movie. There is more to continue with many new characters. Maybe Frozen will continue like the Ice Age saga and have five movies.

Once again, the music is excellent but different and original. The band, Panic at the Disco, even covers one of Elsa’s songs that is the first song played in the end credits. The movie features a song with Kristoff and his trusty reindeer Sven. The music is once again an absolute earworm, but you won’t be able to stop yourself from listening to it. Elsa also once again shows off her architectural skills with her ice powers during one of her main songs.

All the way around, Frozen 2 is a must-see, and if you stay till the end of the credits, there is a fun short scene like there was in the last Frozen movie.

Written by Marni Scholl

 

by mscholl252