Disney's Christopher Robin Review - Oh my Childhood

Like with all live action remakes of Disney classics, I waited with baited breath in the cinema, hoping not to be disappointed by this new twist on an old tale from some of my favourite characters.

Keeping spoilers to a minimum, Disney's Christopher Robin follows the titular character in his adult life, seeming having lost his childhood whimsy to the world of responsibilities.

The film holds a somewhat melancholy feel, using de-saturated colours and murky fog within the 100 Acre Wood for pathetic fallacy. Until, of course, Christopher Robin finds his way once more.

From beginning to end, I found myself transported back to the days of when I was a small girl watching the cartoons. Stealing lines from those original episodes, the nostalgia was so strong that it made me emotional.

The film is such a delightful, charming homage to its source that you can forgive the human actors for playing their parts too zealously. Ewan McGregor carries the brightest of smiles, re-imagining an older Christopher both happy and mundane. He is a credit to the film. Though the rest cannot be said for other, minor human characters, they never manage to steal the shine from Pooh Bear and his friends from the wood.

I was ecstatic to find that Jim Cummings, who has voiced Pooh and Tigger since 1988 in the many animated series', continued his role in this film. It was impossible not to fall in love with the film's version of Pooh, still as nonsensical and just as silly and hungry for honey as he ever was.

I'm reserved in saying Christopher Robin was created with children in mind; more that it's a tale for those adults who are still a child at heart. There is mention of war and loss, of bankruptcy and cutbacks. Elements of the film will fly over the heads of children watching it, but Pooh is there to make them smile.

For the adults, it's a walk down memory lane, of nonsensical fun in the 100 acre wood, to remind them that there is more to life than mundane responsibilities, to tell them that loved ones are precious and that happiness can be found in the simplest of things.

I wholeheartedly recommend watching Christopher Robin. Take the family, take your friends, maybe even watch it alone and let the wonder of this innocent, loving film warm even the frostiest of hearts.

"There's always time for a smackeral of wonder" ~ Winnie the Pooh

Black Clover: A 'first impression' review.

With the new season of anime out and booming, I've had the pleasure of finding a few gems amongst the many wannabe successful shows.

Black Clover is a shonen anime from the same studio that's brought us Naruto, Bleach, Tokyo Ghoul and Yona of the Dawn. It follows a list of world-renowned shows so I had high hopes going into the first episode.

Review: The Last: Naruto the Movie

I'm going into this assuming that anyone who watches The Last will be aware of the Narutoverse and everything cannon that happens there. With that being said, here's my review on the final film of the main franchise.

Anime Review: First Love Monster/Hatsukoi Monster

I open by saying I stumbled onto First Love Monster on Crunchyroll. I was in the mood for a straightforward, fluffy romance and the preview image promised just that. A handful of good looking guys, a cute girl in a school uniform and a shota (a cute, young boy, typically found in fairly girlish clothing). It had the same feels of Kaichou wa Maid-sama at first glance.

Then I started watching it. I also tweeted once I'd finished it. It's a sweet and concise opinion of the whole show:

I have never said "what the fuck did I just watch" so much as when I finished First Love Monster. Holy crap 😱

— Sarah Smith (@WhenSarahSmilez) March 29, 2017

Mhmm. Cute and straightforward, it was not. Creepy, perverted and random are closer adjectives. Nevertheless, it does have some merits. Intentional or not, First Love Monster addresses some very real world issues, and does them subtly enough that it has you judging yourself continuously each episode.

Grimm: More Than Just a Fairy Tale.

While I was waiting to start my new job (yes, I've got myself a job! Three months after finishing university. Ahh, I couldn't be more happy!) I had a little bit of free time to catch up on some telly. Gotham, Once Upon a Time, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Grimm.

[NSFW-ish] Cute Demon Crashers - A Whole New Kind of Game

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE IS NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER READERS OR PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO BE JUDGED AT WORK. I HAVE TRIED TO KEEP THE ARTICLE AS TASTEFUL AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE, BUT THE GAME ITSELF CONTAINS STRONG SEXUAL THEMES.

I fell in love with The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

In my final year of university I was told I needed to compile a reading list of all the current and popular young adult fantasy fiction to help me write my own novel for my dissertation, and on that list I added The Raven Boys, a recommended read on the Waterstones website.

TokyoTreat Box July 2016 Review

Hello again. I'm back with another review of the monthly subscription box Tokyotreat, which delivers some of Japan's best and wackiest treats straight to your door (with no delivery fee!). This month's theme is Anime Characters and is filled with many old-school anime items as well as some new ones.

Tokyotreat offers three different plans: small, regular and premium boxes. Each one is filled with more treats than the last.

Let's get straight down to business and check out the small plan, which you can buy for $14.99 (or the equivalent exchange rate for your country via Paypal) per month.

TokyoTreat Box June 2016 Review

Today I'm bringing you a new review for the June Tokyotreat box! Last month's theme was matcha, but this month's is bizarre candies and I have never been so excited to open a box of sweets and treats. As I mentioned in the May box review, this month's box contains...

Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival: Turnip Prices and Teetering Friendships.

My friend was recently given Animal Crossing Amiibo Festival for his 21st, so naturally as a fan of the original games I had to try it out. We got a host of Animal Crossing veterans round, plus a couple of newbies, and gave it a test run.

TokyoTreat Box May 2016 Review

Loot boxes have been growing in trend recently and with more and more Facebook adverts popping up to tell me, I decided to see what the fuss was about.

There were many to choose from but TokyoTreat seemed right for me. It promises 13-17 different Japanese treats - this can be sweet, savoury or non-consumable - every month for $34.99 which is the premium plan. It roughly converts to £25 a month (conversion rates depending), with no shipping fee anywhere in the world!

There are also the regular and small plans which cost less but also give you less. I like my food. I had to get the premium plan. I compared it to a number of other boxes but TokyoTreat seemed the best deal to me.