Bran Castle: Where Dracula Meets Quirky Charm

Buckle up, folks, because we’re about to dive headfirst into the captivating world of Bran Castle, better known as ‘Dracula’s Castle’! If you’ve ever wondered where Count Dracula might’ve hosted his undead soirées, this is the place. Before we explore this Transylvanian gem, let’s add a touch of humour to our garlic necklaces and garlic-rubbed stakes— it’s going to be a thrilling ride! Fangtastic Host … Continue reading Bran Castle: Where Dracula Meets Quirky Charm

Demographics in Manga (Part 2): Shoujo and Josei

Without getting derailed  this time, the first demographic I will be discussing fairly extensively in this part is shoujo. The word ‘shoujo’ itself translates to ‘young girl’ and is a demographic that targets young girls and women from approximately around the ages of 12–25. Commonly associated traits with shoujo manga are: use of the female-gaze, introspective dialogues, focus on emotions/emotional storytelling (even within plot and … Continue reading Demographics in Manga (Part 2): Shoujo and Josei

Demographics in Manga (Part 1): Shonen and Seinen

Manga, in simple words, are comic books originating from Japan which borrow the qualities of both visual and narrative storytelling (including dialogues, any possible point-of-view narration and speech/thought-bubbles). They are mostly published in black-and-white print with a few exceptions and are read from right to left. Though nowadays manga has become somewhat of a mainstream form of entertainment (especially because of its booming popularity in … Continue reading Demographics in Manga (Part 1): Shonen and Seinen

Cricket, Spirit, and Class

Whether it’s a specific player that has made you an active follower of the tournaments (we don’t blame you, Naseem’s fangirls), a specific rivalry which makes you put everything on hold and stand anxiously in front of the TV, or just gathering with your friends in the neighborhood to play street cricket— no matter what your reason for loving the game is—there’s something about it … Continue reading Cricket, Spirit, and Class

Vivienne Westwood; The Epitome of Female Footprint in Fashion

Picture the corseted confines of the Elizabethan era clashing with the free-spirited flapper dresses of the 1920s. Fashion’s paradoxes unfold— how what we wear can both mask and reveal the complexities of our world. Fashion has been just the medium, showcasing how it both obscures and unveils the multifaceted nuances of each era throughout human history. Despite being associated by the majority as a “female-oriented” … Continue reading Vivienne Westwood; The Epitome of Female Footprint in Fashion

The Good, the Bad and the Horrible (Live-Action Anime Edition)

Live-Action anime. A phrase that I’m sure causes any animanga enthusiast to cringe (I sure do). When anime started taking the world by storm, studios wanted to quickly capitalize on that success, resulting in the monstrosity nobody asked for. Bluntly speaking, anime usually never works in a live action format: the horrible character wigs, over-the-top dialogue, and revolting CGI is something straight from a nightmare! … Continue reading The Good, the Bad and the Horrible (Live-Action Anime Edition)

Just for The Aesthetic: The Superficial Face of BookTok

Ever scrolled endlessly through Instagram or TikTok and kept seeing those same five books a million times? If you mistakenly picked one up in the last few years and decided to immerse yourself in a new world, you probably found yourself cursing at the writer for their lack of creativity, or, even at capitalism for publishing it in the first place. BookTok might as well … Continue reading Just for The Aesthetic: The Superficial Face of BookTok

The Hub of Nostalgia: Cartoon Network

Now and then, while I surf through the channel list, I stumble upon the memory lane of all millennials and Gen Z: Cartoon Network. Back in the day, all of us came home and turned on the television to watch this one channel which gave us our childhood dreams, motivation, inspiration, happiness, and drama — overall great entertainment. Cartoon Network was at the centre of … Continue reading The Hub of Nostalgia: Cartoon Network

Dreams: A Walk Through the Annals of History

Enter the absurd world of dreams: a lawless land where you can murder and get away with murder, see floating babies in the sky, or get chased by barnyard animals (not talking about Riverdale here). A dream is somewhere you can be anything or anyone you want to be, although it is not you who governs the bizarre plotlines and mystifying visions. You close your … Continue reading Dreams: A Walk Through the Annals of History

Barbie: the Woman, the Myth, the Legend

This review of Barbie comes fashionably late because I live in Lahore. As we all know, the Punjab Film Censor Board took it upon themselves to save Pakistani society from the clutches of Western propaganda by banning Barbie. Their excuse was “objectionable”, and “LGBTQ+” content. Having watched both Oppenheimer and Barbie, it’s safe to say that from an NSFW point of view, Oppenheimer far outranked … Continue reading Barbie: the Woman, the Myth, the Legend