This is Vantage POINT: A monthly moodboard for things that have been on our minds as of late, topics both fresh and familiar. We point you towards what to watch out for and what we think you should be enjoying right now. And if whatever we love becomes whatever you love (at least a little bit), then we’ve done our jobs.
TAKE A quick break with these Vantage favorites as you hurdle into the last stretch of the academic year. Whether you need something to procrastinate with in the heat of finals, or you’re already planning your summer break bucket list, we’ve got you covered.
LE SSERAFIM’s FEARLESS EP
Release: May 2
Korean entertainment company HYBE Co. has brought us some of the biggest boy groups in Kpop with BTS and TXT. Now, their newly debuted girl group LE SSERAFIM (an anagram for “IM FEARLESS”) is ready to be Korea’s latest hot topic. The release of their EP and title track, both titled FEARLESS, features a unique “funk-based alternative pop” genre rarely heard in K-POP. It’s likely that these six members are on their way to becoming the next trendsetters in the industry with their experimental sound and bold image.
Members Sakura and Kim Chaewon are already well-known for their activity under IZ*ONE, with Yun Jin being a previous Produce 48 contestant. It’s not too early to say that the whole group could potentially become one of the biggest names in Korea, seeing as their monster rookie era is only just beginning. - Kris
2 Good 2 Be True (2022)
New episodes every week
In this classic enemies-to-lovers trope, we get to meet car mechanic Eloy Borja (Daniel Padilla) who unfortunately makes a bad first impression on Ali Fajardo (Kathryn Bernardo), a bubbly and dutiful nurse. Their first encounter is not the most ideal after Ali catches Eloy at the scene of a crime. As they become more acquainted, however, the two find that their lives are connected in an unexpected way. Despite an ambiguous premise, 2 Good 2 Be True still promises to be a lighthearted romantic-comedy.
This is a much-awaited comeback for the love team, as the last time they starred in a teleserye together was five years ago—when they played the role of intimidating vampires. I vividly remember watching their shows on cable TV while eating dinner with my family when I was much younger and it was always a fun time. I might just give this one a chance! - Leila
Release: May 20
Our favorite animated anthology series is back with a third season, filled with its trademark adult science fantasy. Love, Death & Robots has displayed a massive range of animated and mixed-media storytelling for mature audiences through its use of horror, nudity, and thought-provoking thriller. What makes this series a captivating watch is its use of the soulless, cold, and metallic aesthetics of cyberpunk to convey the warmth and weirdness of human narratives.
While Volume 2 was a massive drop in quality from Volume 1, we still won’t give up on the showrunners to bring back what made the show so memorable the first time around. We are rooting for the nine new episodes to give us even more gratuitous violence, more provocative scenes, and more existential crises. - Kris
The House on Calle Sombra: A Parable by Marga Ortigas
This debut novel from Ateneo alumna Marga Ortigas is a multi-generational saga following three generations of the Castillo de Montijo family across some of the Philippines’ “national traumas”: The Second World War, the Marcos dictatorship, and life under the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. The book is a glimpse into the culture and history we already know, but with sharp and often witty commentary from Ortigas about the political landscape that hasn’t changed since. It has the charm of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude and shares the “family first” motto found in Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko. I honestly can’t think of a better time to pick this up, now that the past seems to be repeating itself. - Leila