Kansas City Irish festival review

New Netflix original is a refreshing take on modern teen romance. BY CECILIA MOHACSI PRINT CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF

From “The Kissing Booth” in May to “Set It Up” in June, Netflix has been on a roll with popular romantic comedies. But they aren’t finished yet.

Netflix’s latest rom-com “To All the Boys I’ve

Loved Before” is as equally charming as it is entertaining, and it’s sure to melt the hearts of viewers. “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” released

Aug. 17, is a refreshing take on modern teen romance. Based on the 2014 young adult novel by Jenny Han, it follows the love story between Lara Jean Covey played by Lana Condor and Peter Kavinsky played by Noah Centineo. Lara Jean would rather read romance novels than confess her feelings to crushes.

But that’s what happens when her secret love letters get sent out, and her quiet life changes significantly. She and Peter team up in a fake relationship to make his ex jealous and help Lara Jean throw off the other letter recipients. What starts out as an innocent, undercover plan with Lara Jean’s rule of no kissing and Peter sending love notes, eventually gets complicated.

Beyond the plot of the love story, Lara Jean’s school students, can relate with. From the stresses about driving and everyday life at school to changing

life is something people of all ages, specifically high relationships with her family as she copes with her older sister leaving for college and having a feisty little sister interfering, she is the typical high school student.

Also, both Lara Jean and Peter are missing a parent after her mom died and his dad left after a divorce. This connects them, and they help each other talk about their emotions.

Lara Jean and Peter’s relationship did not form without problems, but that’s what makes this movie more realistic. It is not the classic love at first sight or Cinderella story. The audience sees them grow together and work towards something real, falling in love with the characters along the way.

A unique aspect of “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” is that Lara Jean’s character was written specifically for an Asian-American actress, which is still not typically seen on today’s screens. But it does follow in the footsteps of rom-com "Crazy Rich Asians," an all-Asian cast, which also premiered in August.

“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” charms viewers from the start, and it’s worth re-watching a second or even a third time.

(Photo by MCT Campus)

IRISH FEST THE BEST OH YES

The Irish Festival on labor day Upon entering Crown grandest tents behind the weekend was hotter than a meat pie and twice as good. Center, the sight of green water flowing from the fountains on either side of the inlaid water feature of Crown Center. Inside were vendors selling history. Whether it BY AVA RAWSON entrance served as a greeting. be through ironic sayings PRINT CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF People were pouring in from plastered onto green shirts, every direction, funneling jewelry, blessings or kilts, into the ticketbooth and every booth inside the tent out into the gated festival had something with a story. ground. There were white With over 40 vendors, tents as scattered around half bringing the grand tent, Crown Center’s paths and the other on the perimeter and parkways with selling food from the open food everywhere windows of trucks and over you looked the counter of makeshift and music stands. coming Once tuckered out by from every walking through the maze direction. filled with Rugby jerseys and The herb filled candles, nothing first sight hits the spot like a traditional that greeted meat pie. These portable you after pockets of meaty goodness entering into are a perfect combination of the festival the flakey pie pastry, slightly was one of softened by the juice from the the largest and meat and the hearty. If meat (Photo by Ava Rawson) (Photo by Ava Rawson) pies don’t float your boat then there is always shepard’s pie, a meat pie with less meat and more potatoes, with some peas and carrots thrown in for good measure.

In addition to the shopping and the eating there were ten stages and all were in use with different performers, dancers, musicians, puppeteers and many more but all Irish, all the time. The highlights were the Red Hot Chili Pipers, if not for their music than for their ingenious name.

It seemed as though there was always music playing whether it be in the distance or right on top of you, the sounds of the electrifying and shrill call of bagpipes or modern musicians strumming gently on guitars singing a twist on classic Irish ballads. There was never a moment of silence, only good old Irish fun.