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[rogueslayer452]

++ Both Crazy Rich Asians and To All The Boys I Loved Before are Asian-led, with the former being an all-Asian cast, films (on the big screen and Netflix, respectively) that have gained a lot of positive reception from audiences and critics alike. Both have succeeded in charming audiences with being adorable and hilarious romantic comedies, something that we haven't had in recent years since the genre itself has dwindled significantly in light of superhero and action films dominating the box office. It also proves once again that representation absolutely matters, and that it is successful. But it's absolutely disgusting knowing that production companies still wanted to whitewash these projects. Ugh. I'm glad the creators stood their ground and didn't give in.

There isn't much Asian representation in Western media to begin with, the Asian-American experience in particular. We need more of this kind of exposure, which hopefully will get more stories out there that focus on other aspects of different Asian cultures, without erasing/whitewashing or any of that offensive nonsense.

++ Lately, I've been watching a bunch of booktube videos. Not any one person specifically, just randomly searching things. I don't quite know how it started, I think there was a video recommendation of someone reviewing a book that I watched and I just continued going down the rabbit hole. It's very fascinating since it is a different side of YouTube that I wasn't that familiar with, since I do watch a lot of YouTubers but most of them are entertainers in some form. This is just a book community on YouTube talking about, well, books. Though it's interesting, after watching a number of different booktube videos specifically reviewing or talking about YA™ I'm realizing that it's not my preferred genre. Don't get me wrong, I've read books that have been categorized as young adult throughout the years (as seen in this brief but fantastic video discussing the evolution of young adult fiction), but the recent YA™ subgenre that has exploded in the market lately is completely different and while it's not to say that I won't read it if it captures my interest since I'm definitely not dismissing the entirety of YA as a whole, it's just not something I normally gravitate towards. My personal reading preferences tend to lean more towards horror/suspense, mystery/crime thrillers, with some science fiction and gothic literature added in.

Comments

[frelling-tralk.livejournal.com]

I’ve been thinking of checking out To All The Boys I Loved Before, although tbh I did wonder if I might be getting a bit to old to connect with it these days lol, but the reception has certainly been positive enough that I want to give it a try. It is a nice change to see romantic comedies being promoted and doing well, instead of the usual action and Sci Fi films which I’m quite honestly sick to death of.

And thank goodness that Hollywood didn’t get away with whitewashing those projects! Hopefully the success of those films, as well as Black Panther, will convince more studio executives not to be so rigid about the leads needing to be white

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I'm not quite sure about the book since I haven't read it, but the positive reception the Netflix movie has gotten has been delightfully overwhelming. Many say it's adorable and charming, and a lot of it is due to the chemistry between the characters, which is quite nice. Romcoms are a rarity these days, especially adorable ones where you can just lose yourself in the fluff. Plus, the "fake relationship" trope? Probably one of the best things ever.

Hopefully the success of those films, as well as Black Panther, will convince more studio executives not to be so rigid about the leads needing to be white

I doubt it'll happen, but we can make small steps into the right direction. But the change must happen on the inside of the industry which, let's face it, don't don't give a shit about representation.