INFOTAINMENT BOOK REVIEW

MY GRANDMOTHER ASKE ME TO TELL YOU SHE’S SORRY

By Abigail Coronel

My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry by Friedrick Backman is a heartwarming story about how our lives are intertwined into one beautiful tapestry. It sensationally captures the wonder and beauty of human relationships through the eyes of a young girl named Elsa.

Elsa is a seven-year-old child whose candid and clever observations of the adult world made her alienated from the other kids in her school. Thankfully, she has her grandmother to assure her that she is not as different as the others say, for she, too, is as unique as Elsa. Her grandmother molded Elsa’s imagination by telling her fantasy stories about The Land-of-

Movie Review

HIDDEN FIGURES

(2016)

By Jocheved Labata

What you are capable of matters more than the color of your skin, but this wasn’t always the case. In a time where freedom is not granted and equality is not given, one could either accept fate as it is or gamble against uncertain odds.

Taraji Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae star in Hidden Figures, a movie based on the real lives of three African-American women who made NASA’s historic space missions possible. They were regarded as “human computers” along with other women who could perform mathematical calculations by hand. When gender inequality and racism were at their peak, these women never wavered in achieving what they wanted.

Katherine Johnson, played by

Album Review

LET TREASURE, TREASURE YOU

By Jea Piencenaves

On January 11, 2021, the self-composing, multi-talented boy group TREASURE finally released their first full-length album, THE FIRST STEP: TREASURE EFFECT, which features the song MY TREASURE as its title track. On February 15, 2022, they made a comeback with their second mini album, “THE SECOND STEP: CHAPTER ONE.”. With this new album, TREASURE fans will be able to see a more mature side of them because of the band’s extensive growth and increased scope. The album begins with a piece, “JIKJIN”. It is an intense hip-hop dance song where the bold lyrics stand out. It portrays TREASURE’s determination

Game Review

Determination: A Retrospective Review of Undertale

By Benjamin Caspillo III

Series Review

“The Summer I Turned Pretty”

By Sheila Mae Garcia

When you are plunged into the depths of a mountain and find creatures you have never seen before, will you fight or befriend them?

The 2015 indie-made pixel role-playing video game Undertale takes you on a fantastical adventure of monsters and more, a-la Alice in Wonderland. The player controls a lost child navigating their way through the “Underground”, where monsters and their descendants are condemned to eternity by a man-made magical barrier.

Garnering multiple accolades, most notably winning the “Original Role-Playing Game” in the NAVGTR Awards, and the fact that it is also a video game acknowledged by the Pope himself; it has almost outshined most triple-A

How do you spend your summer?

Each one of us spends our summer differently. Some enroll in extracurricular activities, apply for a summer job, and stay in a beautiful beach house, just like the setting of the series. Jenny Han, one of this generation’s famous young adult writers and best known for her To All the Boys series, surprises her fans with another adaptation series of The Summer I Turned Pretty on Amazon Prime Video.

The first season of the series consists of seven episodes centered on the background of the characters and a glimpse of what the trilogy series would be about. Belly, a 15-year-old Asian-American girl (portrayed by Lola Tung), is turning 16 and will be celebrating her birthday

Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas. Elsa considers her grandmother her only best friend. Unfortunately, grandmothers cannot live forever, and Elsa’s life turns upside down when her grandmother dies early in the book.

However, this story takes an exciting turn when Granny leaves Elsa with a bundle of envelopes addressed to the neighbors living in their apartment building. Now, Elsa’s task is to send them to their respective recipients. It seemed like an easy task, but as Elsa listened to their stories, she soon realized that she had a lot to learn about her Granny’s life. This book is fun and entertaining to read. Although I said it is fun, it can still pull your heartstrings and

Taraji, can deal with any number presented to her. Her accurate calculations on America’s space missions were a huge contribution to its success. Mary Jackson, portrayed by Janelle Monae, is an engineer at heart and is only being held back by society’s judgements. She would have already become one if people never measured capability based on skin color. Dorothy Vaugh, played by Octavia Spencer, is a natural-born leader who is also an expert when it comes to machines. She never gave up on proving her worth and has expertise that even men have failed to have.

The scene wherein Dorothy Vaughn declines a job promotion because the women in her department were not given the same opportunity as her, has to go straightforward for their dreams and values they believe in without any calculations. The second song in the mini album called “U” is an MZ style serenade for the fans, also known as TREASURE MAKERS. It is a song that confesses love in a pure and innocent way. The next song, Darari, which went insanely viral on the social media application TikTok is the melody you sing without knowing after falling so deeply in love. TREASURE’s angelic voiced vocalist, Bang Yedam, took part in the composition and lyrics of the song. Another song from the album is a song that contains the message of hope to those who feel alone. “It’s Okay” is a ballad song that features games made in the mid-2010s while having the graphics of a game made in the 80s. in Cousins Beach, where they go every summer with her family.

Its whole selling point is that you can win almost all encounters without fighting. This is unusual at the time where video games are almost always centered on killing creatures to progress the story. But the novelty does not end there.

As you play, the game also plays with you. It makes the player think about their perception of media, almost taking them in a meta-narrative reflection. Sometimes the characters inside the game do not speak to the main character but instead the player themselves. Despite being a game entirely made in 2D, it reaches beyond the screen.

Like any other young adult film, this series also has a love triangle between childhood friends. Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno) are brothers who are both in love with Belly, who in the first season is a heartbreaker. At first, you will think that it is a cliché story. However, what makes it different is that Belly is independent in making her own decisions and does not allow others to influence her.

Also, the series does not solely focus on the main character but also highlights supporting casts and the themes of loss, moving on, family, friends, youth, and summer love. It is a relatable series for those who are yet to discover make you catch your breath from crying. The first half of the book is full of Granny’s fairy tales about The Land of Almost Awake, but as the story progresses, these fairy tales become an allegory to the real world that teaches you the power of human relationships and empathy. The book is filled with Backman’s wit and humor and his ability to capture your emotions, especially nostalgia. Backman’s writing style is captivating and touches a part of your soul. You will love all the characters in this story because of their depth and backstories. It also makes you a different person after reading the book. I highly recommend this book if you love to read the slice-of-life genre and/or want a good cry. made me believe that ambition will never be a valid reason to be selfish. It imposes a realization that other people are not the stepping-stones to success, but only your own hard work. This way, success will be much more fulfilling, and you get to enjoy the most of it. the members’ sweet vocals and mellow rap with a touch of a guitar. There are songs that you can only listen to through the CD only. The songs Best Friend Forever and Gonna Be Fine were first heard through their web drama premiered in 2021. There is no doubt why TREASURE is one of the leading groups in the K-pop scene these days. The boys are indeed a multi-talented group as they never failed to daze the fans (and even non-fans too!) for their sharp choreography, eye-catching music videos, powerful rap, and majestic vocals as they convey the message of hope, love, and happiness through this album. their identities and interests. In addition, the series shows that sometimes you have to let go of things and be brave when you choose someone to love.

Dreams are realities in-waiting, and it’s up to you to make it happen. Hidden Figures is a great movie that is worth watching because it inspires not just women, but all people, to never stop believing that dreams really do come true. No matter how hard and impossible things may seem, the universe will grant you the things you deserve in life as long as you never stop striving to accomplish them. And if you can’t find a way to realize your dreams, you create one.

What is your role as a Player? Why are you killing? Why are you sparing?

The soundtrack plays a major part in this reflective journey. The game is wrapped in memorable music, created solely for it by its developer. You will find yourself hearing themes, the characters’ inner thoughts laid out through instrumentals, being played on different occasions.

Undertale presents itself as a love-letter to the entire RPG genre. It has accumulated a multitude of avid fans around the world, cementing its stay as a pillar of gaming history. For its core themes are essentially timeless. When faced by the unknown, will you offer violence or kindness instead?

Aside from the storyline, the soundtrack of the series is something to look forward to as it fits every scene. Taylor Swift’s “Lover” and “This Love” were also featured, adding magic and sweetness to the series.

Overall, this series is for you if you want a perfect summer watch with a great soundtrack. It will also teach you about summer love and the essence of growing up.