Category Archives: Series Reviews

Avatar: The Last Air Bender: a Netflix Series Review

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Recently some friends and I  binge-watched Netflix Avatar: The Last Airbender. We all sang along as soon as the theme song started. It’s not the same without the sing-along. I haven’t had so much fun in a long time since school started, and we have all been busy grinding away at our test prep and homework. 

We were happy to see all the characters we recognized, like Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko.

The characters were all so different but very relatable. We saw characteristics that we have and would use in day-to-day situations. Sokka’s fun and goofy jokes got us double over with laughter. At the same time, Zuko’s intense moments reminded us of the emotional rollercoaster we’re all on sometimes. Honestly, it felt like we were right there. These characters were so relatable that it got us thinking about things that happened to us in real life.

Each episode is more exciting than the next. We all kept saying let’s just watch this last one, then go to the park but it dragged on till the 5th episode, and my mom finally told us to get out and get some air. 

The Avatar: The Last Airbender animation is so beautiful. As a person who loves art, when I watch any movie, I focus on the art, especially if it’s animated. Of course, The Avatar did not disappoint. The animation is beautiful, and the storyline is just as good. It’s relatable, and I felt myself rooting for the good guys and wanting them to win. It reminds us that we all need family and friends to cheer for us. Whether you’ve been frozen for hundreds of years or are living your everyday life, you need that support system that will cheer you on to do the right thing and save the world from your evil opposition. The show defintely has a knack for making you feel like that more than you want to. 

It makes us talk about how important family, friends, and the support system help pull us through all the hard times.

The protagonist in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Aang, is only 12 years old biologically, but chronologically he’s 112 years old. He acted like a 12-year-old boy in these episodes.  He’s portrayed as a reluctant hero who spent a century suspended in an iceberg before Katara and Sokka discovered him while fishing. The three of them went on a quest to master the elements and save the world from the Fire Nation. 

This short review does nothing to prove to you how great the series is as it is animation, so watching it makes me appreciate the beauty of the art. As the writer, I love how the story tries to make it relatable to the typical person watching the show.

Being High school students, we are all busy and move through the bustle of everyday busy life. Still, it is good to remember to spend time with family and friends and just relax and catch up. A movie or series like Avatar is a great excuse to do just that. 

Happy binge-watching!

Bella H.

Onyx Storm Releasing Jan 21- Empyrean Series Review

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The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros is gaining a new addition on January 21, 2025: Onyx Storm. The book series has been extremely popular with only two editions so far: Fourth Wing and Iron Flame.

In a quick summary, the novel follows Violet Sorrengail joining the Riders Quadrant and her entire life changes. She begins to discover herself through physical and mental challenges, while gaining new friends, finding romance, challenging family dynamics, and battling larger political issues. The last book, Iron Flame, ended on a heart wrenching cliffhanger concerning the two main characters.

My thoughts:

The series has been an absolutely beautiful enemies to lovers with amazing world building. I often am a bit opinionated when it comes to some popular BookTok recommendations as the books serve as easy to read introductions to new readers and sometimes can be lackluster, boring, and/or repetitive. Sometimes this is manifested through its reliance on a certain trope to carry the story along. Although, I think is series has gotten traction for it just being a wonderful book. I enjoy the sociopolitical aspects of the books and it really brings out a popular dystopian political dynamic that I have seen showcased in book series like Divergent and The Hunger Games. I also feel the relationships between characters are realistic , even to some readers dismay.

Anyways, look out for Onyx Storm and I hope everybody who decides to read it enjoys it as much as I did.

The Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Review of the Nightborn Duet by Carissa Broodbent

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*Be advised this series is for older readers*

  • spoilers!!

The Serpent & the Wings of Night: Book 1 of the Nightborn Duet –

I give this book a 6.5/10 because I felt like it jumped around a lot. I feel like there were a lot of interesting storyline points, such as the Kejari, but for the main character was a bit too self-deprecating for my taste. I found it repetitive of how many times she would put herself down for being human, but I know specific readers enjoy that trope. At times the book was extremely immersive from how detailed Carissa was in the fight scenes and descriptions of others. I also really enjoyed how it was able to depict healthy, supportive relationships.

The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King: Crowns of Nyaxia- Book 2 of the Nightborn Duet

Out of the two books I give this one a 7.5/10 and prefer this one over the other. The journey of the main character finding herself and her strength through the kindness of her partner supporting her was heartwarming. How she explored her relationship with grief was definitely accurate, but I felt it was annoying that she kept forgiving Raihn for literally killing her father. I loved how they expanded on their relationship and how they explored different parts of him. Thinking on the positive side, it does possibly dip into the concept of not holding grudges and forgiveness. The book is a good slowburn and my ratings are a bit low just because I have oversaturated myself in this genre.  

I do recommend this duology for people who are into action, fantasy, and romance. 

The Nightborn Duet by Carissa Broadbent is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Solo Leveling

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Solo Leveling is an action anime based on a light novel. It has one season and a second season set to release in late 2024. Solo Leveling is set in a world threatened by monsters; the only people who can fight the monsters are people with magic called hunters. The story’s protagonist is Sung Jinwoo, who was born with barely any magic but gets a second awakening after dying in a dungeon. Thanks to his second awakening, Sung Jinwoo gets the ability to upgrade his stats such as his speed and strength and to gain other special abilities just like in a video game. As you continue to watch the show you get to see Sung Jinwoo gain more power and fight many powerful beasts.

At the show’s beginning, the audience gets introduced to the main character who was given the nickname by his coworkers of the world’s weakest hunter. The first important thing we see the protagonist do is go into a dungeon with a group of other hunters. Very soon after, we discover that it was a double dungeon that had two dungeons, one of which was so dangerous that it killed almost every hunter that went into it including Jinwoo. What happens next is that he gets a reawakening and is given the ability to become more powerful through hard training. After discovering this we see Sung Jinwoo train hard each day until he becomes powerful to kill the beast who would’ve killed him instantly before. As we continue to watch the show we see Jinwoo become one of the most powerful characters we see in the show and watch him fight beasts such as knights and a three-headed dog.

Watching this show gave me a lot of fun. It had many qualities that fit my interests. These qualities include magical beasts, character development, and a powerful and likable main character. As I continued watching the show I gained more respect and started to understand the protagonist more and more. I also enjoyed the world-building the show provides. Getting to see how this world works was life-changing for me because of how bizarre and creative it is. The show also did a great job of showing how much Jinwoo changes throughout the show. For example, near the beginning, he fights some beasts he is no match to, but near the end, he runs into them again and doesn’t struggle to beat them. Therefore, Solo Leveling has many characteristics that people find fun and enjoyable.

Overall, Solo Leveling was a great piece of entertainment. After I finished an episode I immediately wanted to go to the next. It also had moments that had me on the edge of my seat making me wonder what was going to happen next. Once I finished the show it had me wishing season two would come quicker. I highly recommend this show to anyone even if they’re not familiar with the Anime genre. 

-Matthew R

Hannah Swensen Series Review (Overall)

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I love this series. Written by Joanna Fluke, the Hannah Swensen Mystery series is a mystery series about (OMG YOU GUESSED IT) Hannah. Hannah is a young woman who owns a delightful little cafe called The Cookie Jar. Seriously, I would love to go there. The decor and overall environment that I get from the place is so cozy. Based on the name of the cafe, I am sure you can figure out what their specialty is… cookies! Throughout all of the books, the author includes some of her recipes, which is cool, however the cookies WILL turn out crunchy. Maybe you love crunchy cookies, maybe you don’t, but it’s a good warning that her recipes will come out crunchy. 

Our beloved baker and store owner, Hannah, is not a detective. She got involved in her first murder by accident and then she gradually started getting involved more and more because she is really good at solving murders. Hannah gets help from her little sister, Andrea. Andrea is married to one of the murder detectives, Bill, at their local police, so she gets some of their clues from him. Andrea is everything you expect a little sister to be: attractive, resourceful and somewhat annoying (to Hannah of course, I think Andrea is hilarious). Together, the two of them solve the murders.

There is also a side plot about Hannah’s love life. Much to her mothers dismay, Hannah is not married. Although she is dating two guys at once (so far, I am only on the fifth book in a series with over thirty books), both of them are surprisingly ok with it? On one hand, she has the reliable, stable, good guy Norman. He’s a dentist that her mother is continually trying to set her up with. On the other hand, she has Bill’s hot detective boss, Mike. At my current point in the series, the two of them (the love interests) are both making out with her and sharing romantic moments with her, but neither of them have told her that they want to be strictly monogamous. So, yeah, there’s that.

This series is good, but extremely predictable. For starters, all of the books are titled –Insert baked item Murder-. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cute, but very repetitive. The book contents are also very similar. To put it simply, every book starts with someone new coming to town, Hannah finding a body, Hannah solving the mystery with Andrea, Hannah figuring out who did it, the murder confronting her at least a minute after, someone saving her, and then the murderer getting caught.

I do love this series, albeit its predictability. It’s a really cute and comfy read that doesn’t make you TOO hungry. I love all of the characters and truly recommend this series to any foodies or mystery lovers who don’t want something too hardcore.

The Hannah Swenson Mystery series by Joanne Fluke is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Ready, Set, Love Review

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Ready, Set, Love is a Thai drama series that was released on February 15, 2024. The series language is Thai and it can be watched on Netflix. It features Thai actor Blue Pongtiwat Tangwancharoen, Kemisara Paladesh, and many more. 

In the series, men are outnumbered by women due to a pandemic that wiped out a significant number of men. As a result, only 1% of the population is men so it is rare to find a man in their world. However, these 1% of men have to live in this area called The Farm. Since it is rare to see a man, a game was created by the government to see which lady ended up with a man to marry and live on the farm.

Day, the main character, participated in this game accidentally when she won a raffle that her boy-obsessed sister put her in. She only went there for the food but somehow encountered Son, the male lead in the bathroom. It becomes a misunderstanding as Son thinks Day is a stalker but in reality, Day wanted an autograph for her sister. Turns out her sister collapsed due to her health condition so Day wanted to quit. However, the lady in charge of the game tells her the price which can save her sister’s life. 

As a result, Day ends up playing the game and somehow passes through the levels. Son, who almost rejects her in a round, recognizes her necklace and keeps her in the game. They fall in love throughout the show and they end up leaving the place with others.

I first encountered this show after I finished a movie so I decided to watch it because I got bored and it was the best decision ever. I ended up finishing the show in one sitting because it was pretty short. I love the storyline and I love how there were lots of plot twists and character developments. This show is definitely very entertaining and I recommend watching it.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (revamp)

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Recently a new tv series popped up on Disney Plus, the newest version of Percy Jackson and the Olympians was released on December 19, 2023. Nearly 13 years after the first movie was released, this second one coming in as a tv series proved to be way better than the first one. The movie that was released in 2010 got many low ratings (6.2 thousand 1 star reviews on IMdb), so much so that it stopped production after the release of Sea of Monsters. A main problem was the plot, many viewers did not enjoy how much the plot in the movie deviated from the plot in the book. Some said that it was like a completely different world. Many were also not happy with character castings, the characters often did not act like their given roles.

Now with the new tv series already out and pumping 3 episodes out, the reviews and feedback has been great. Walker Scobell cast as Percy Jackson was a hit. Many were surprised at their new image of Percy Jackson but were relatively satisfied. Leah Jeffries was cast as Annabeth, Charlie Bushnell as Luke, and Aryan Simhadri as Grover. They have been boosted to a new stardom as social media blows up with media frenzy over this beloved world. The actors portray their roles so perfectly that it leaves us on the edge of our seats. Yes, that is a cliche but it’s true!

TV shows and series that include The Summer I Turned Pretty also figured out a loophole to gaining an audience’s love. WIth the use of the newest hits on parts of episodes, viewers tune in more and soon the edits come rushing in like a tsunami on tiktok. Actually, I didn’t know that Percy Jackson got a revamp over the years and I stumbled upon a instagram post raving about the series. I was really confused as I thought they were talking about the movies released before, but a quick google search proved me wrong. I rushed to my computer and binged the last three episodes. Totally worth it!

When I Fly Towards You Show Review

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When I Fly Towards You or 当我飞奔向你 is a romantic comedy Chinese television series that was released this year, 2023. It was adapted by a novel called She’s a Little Crazy and it is directed by Mao De Shu. It can be watched on streaming devices such as Netflix. It features the main actors, Zhou Yi Ran and Zhang Miao Yi who play the main characters, Su Zai Zai and Zhang Lurang.

The show starts off when the main character, Su Zai Zai sees Zhang Lurang at a convenience store on a rainy day and she falls in love with him. After a while, they meet again at Jiangyi High School, where they both attend. Su Zai Zai is cheerful while Zhang Lurang is cold and introverted due to his family issues and constantly being compared to his younger brother, who is a genius. Zai Zai, and her friend, Jiang Jia, join friend groups with Lurang, Gu Ran, and Guan Fang, who are friends with Zhang Lurang over the years, their friendships with each other strengthen, and the love between Zai Zai and Lurang bloom.

Honestly, I had planned to watch this show since my friends were talking about it months ago. I did not get the chance to due to my school work causing little free time, but thanks to Thanksgiving break, I had lots of free time. I used that time to finally start watching the show and I enjoyed watching it. I am not finished as of now but I’m nearing the end of the show.

I liked how the show showed the struggle of being constantly being compared to someone because personally, I have experienced being constantly being compared to someone. It’s not in academics specifically but another reason why and it’s so frustrating, so I liked how the show portrayed that. I also loved how the show showed us the struggle of unrequited love between Jiang Jia and Shen Qian Yu. However, I did not like how everyone in their friend group except for Guan Fang got together with someone they deserved because honestly, Guan Fang is my personal favorite. I loved his character and the way he took care of his grandmother. Overall, I really like this show and I definitely recommend watching it when you have free time!

Business Proposal Show Review

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Business Proposal is a South Korean romantic comedy show that was released in 2022 after it was adapted from the Webtoon version of Business Proposal. It can be seen on Netflix and other streaming sites. It features the main lead actors Kim Se Jeong Ahn Hyeo Sop, Kim Min Gue, and Seol In Ah.

The story starts off with Kim Se Jeong who plays the role of Shin Ha Ri who goes as her friend, Jin Young Seo on a blind date for money. On the previous blind dates, Shin Ha Ri effortlessly made sure that the blind dates would not want to get together with her friend, Jin Young Seo. However, this time, Shin Ha Ri ends up on a blind date with Kang Tae Moo, who ends up being the peculiar boss of her work. Shin Ha Ri tries her very best to get him to reject her so that her deed is done but despite what she does, Kang Tae Moo does not seem to be declining her. Instead, since Kang Tae Moo is pressured by his grandfather to get married, Kang Tae Moo decides that he wants to get with Shin Ha Ri. 

This causes a problem for Shin Ha Ri because Jin Young Seo starts to complain to her and interrogate her. Shin Ha Ri denies her accusations and says that Kang Tae Moo is the odd one. After this, Jin Young Seo ends up setting her up for one more fake date, and she confesses that she did this for money. As a result, Kang Tae Moo threatens Shin Ha Ri and orders her to act as his fiance. After a while into this “fake” relationship, they start to develop feelings for each other but soon Kang Tae Moo finds the real identity of Shin Ha Ri and finds out that she is an employee of his company, GoFood. Due to his frustrations and his trust being broken, Kang Tae Moo decides to get “revenge” by overworking Shin Ha Ri. In the end, they both confess their feelings and get together. 

Personally, I liked watching this show in 2022. I have never read the Webtoon version of it, but thanks to the show adaptation, I might consider reading it. This show really brought me joy. Usually, watching long videos tends to bore me but watching these episodes, time went by so fast and it felt like 10 minutes instead of an hour. This show was really entertaining and I liked the plot a lot. I definitely recommend watching or reading Business Proposal.

Kimi ni Todoke Review

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Kimi ni Todoke, also known as From Me To You, is a Japanese romance manga written by  Karuho Shiina and adapted in different ways such as the Netflix adaptation. The anime has two seasons as of now, but a third season is confirmed to be aired on Netflix.

In the story, the main protagonist, Sawako Kuronuma, is misunderstood and is called a ghost because of her appearance and because she resembles the ghost from “The Ring”. The high school student is often called “Sadako” which is the name of the ghost she resembles instead of her actual name, Sawako. The protagonist lives this life until Kazehaya Shouta, the popular guy at school talks to her and actually calls her the right name. 

Because of Kazehaya, her life started to change and she started to make friends and be happy despite the obstacles she faced such as rumors and many misunderstandings. Sawako and Kazehaya then start to like each other and they get together by the end of season two. 

I really like this show and I definitely recommend watching it. I love how their interest in each other develops and I like how friendship is portrayed in this anime. The main leads are super adorable and I like their interactions. I suggest watching the anime first instead of the Netflix adaptation because the Netflix adaptation is more complicated to me but it’s my personal preference. Like I said, I definitely recommend watching it, especially if you want to feel giddy and happy.