I keep thinking, "Surely, somebody will save me"

Some stuff I've read and watched lately:


After The Rain (manga)

Recommended by Karafami readers, another slice of life manga about an age gap that isn't really romance(in the traditional sense) or smut. This was a beautiful read how it portrays the passage of time and emotions. It really encompasses the beauty and difficulties that come with each age and how we can inspire one another. The manga is really about dreams - giving up, rejection, distractions, inspiration, and finding meaning.


Call Me Chihiro (film)

Like the previous work, the film's synopsis is more scandalous than the story: A former sex worker starts working at a bento shop and spreads kindness to strangers. I was a bit hesitant how the female main character would be portrayed but she isn't a sexy tragedy or a manic pixie dream girl (or whatever quirky female characters are called). That being said she is an exceptional person who changes the lives around her, but she carries deep sadness inside herself. A very heartfelt film.


I used to find slice of life very boring but it is the perfect genre for me right now that i'm looking for comfort. The beauty of mundane life, eating together, found family, changing seasons... even though there's trauma and difficult situations in life, it's not the focus in the story even though it affects the characters. Stories that feel like swimming in the ocean. I would like to try writing a story like that, a character study where small moments are extremely meaningful. 




The Summer I Turned Pretty S1 (series)

I've watched Jenny Han's other tv adaptations To All The Boys I've Loved Before and XO Kitty, but this was the only one I hadn't seen. The series is a classic YA story about a girl growing up and suddenly her two childhood friends (who're brothers) like her. Suprisingly, this is probably the best YA series I've watched (after SKAM Norway ofc). Is the story a cliche? Yes, but it doesn't have that 2010 teen drama trashiness, the series is really well made and the cinematography is so beautiful. The series manages to be natural and emotional, and the characters seem very real. A true comfort series. Watching it I felt somehow normal. When it's summer and your childhood crush likes you back and Taylor Swift's "Style" starts playing... incredible. So yes, I will be watching the rest of the series.


Currently watching: I kept my 2026 fandom goal and finally started watching a C-drama! I'm halfway through Lighter&Princess, i will write about it more after I've finished it. I chose it because of Chen Feiyu (who played Mo Ran in the unreleased 2ha adaptation Immortality). It's a modern romance and I'm having so much fun with it.