Entertainment
Now Playing: Run On, Love Story, Your Name Engraved Herein
Feel good and feel warm, because love is always in the air!
Love is in the air — only if you let it. If you’re looking for the best shows and films to watch, games to play, and songs and albums to listen to that will make your heart warm and fuzzy, look no more. Here are our recommendations for that much-needed dose of romance.
Editor’s favorite right now
Run On
Watch on: Netflix
MJ: Feel good and feel in love again. Run On brings us to a point in our lives where love is always in the air. It’s a romantic K-drama that reflects our daily lives — the mundane, boring days; the sleepless nights after a fight with someone; and the way we juggle romance and career on top of our personal and financial issues. It’s also high on growth, healing, and changing yourself for the better after meeting someone special.
The best entertainment device to accompany you
Samsung 4K QLED Q80T TV
A good TV goes a long way in upgrading your home entertainment experience. If you’re concerned about picture quality and future-proofing, the Samsung 4K QLED Q80T knocks it out of the park. It delivers one of the absolute best home cinema experiences.
REVIEW: Samsung 4K QLED Q80T TV
Shows to binge-watch
Goblin (쓸쓸하고 찬란하신 – 도깨비)
Vincenz: This is a story of a woman who fell in love with a goblin/도깨비 (dokkaebi) — or a powerful spirit in Korean mythology. This mythical creature was also responsible for saving her from her mother’s womb in an old accident. Other than them, there’s also the second lead couple between another woman and you guessed it, a grim reaper — which will also make your hearts warm and eyes wet at the same time.
P.S. This has one of the best Korean OSTs of all time. You can listen to one of its legendary tracks here.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Season 7)
Watch on: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video
Leez: I know, I know. It’s been a year since its official release. But, it’s been a rollercoaster of a show series. From barely getting through another season to getting picked up by a network, the show sticks to poking fun at each character’s caricature while pulling heartstrings with the same charming precinct. And, with the series’ favorite couple, Jake and Amy, who wouldn’t want to see two very different people ending up together?
Weightlifting Fairy, Kim Bok Joo (역도요정 김복주)
Vincenz: Female weightlifters may not capture the hearts of all men, but Joonhyung (portrayed by Nam Joohyuk, who’s also Nam Do-san from Start-Up) eventually fell for one anyway. They weren’t aware that they’re childhood friends at first, but that made it more interesting to watch. Aside from the cheesy yet heart-fluttering moments, you’ll also enjoy Kim Bok Joo (Lee Sung Kyung) eating A LOT of Korean food (and chicken) — a lowkey mukbang/먹방 perhaps? Spoiler alert: They were a real couple.
Crash Landing on You
Watch on: Netflix
Apple: I can’t stress enough how this K-Drama series should be on this list, even if most of you have watched it probably more than once just like me. Yoon Se-Ri, a conglomerate heiress from South Korea lands in North Korea after a paragliding accident caused by extreme bad weather and meets Ri-Jeong Hyeok, an army officer who risks his life just to bring her back to her country. In the process of all the danger and mishaps, they fall in love with each other and go against all odds, even being separated by borders, just to be together.
Reply 1997 (응답하라 1997)
Watch on: Netflix
Vincenz: Started off as friends, eventually grew up as friends? Or lovers? This is the show where the characters reminisce about their early teenage years in a late-night reunion. The petty and super-obsessed K-Pop fan is obviously the star of this show. There’s also some form of platonic love that you won’t expect. For a good start, I’ll recommend this one over the less-popular Reply 1994 and my most favorite (and also the most popular) Reply 1988.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
Watch on: Netflix
Rodneil: It’s been months since I finished binge-watching this series but I’ve since still been watching YouTube videos about it. Watched this at the height of the pandemic at a time that I was feeling really dead inside. It was the unexpected warm hug that I needed. The dynamic between Sakuta Azusagawa and Mai Sakurajima isn’t your typical anime romcom. It’s the backbone that this show is built on.
My Love From The Star (별에서 온 그대)
Vincenz: K-Dramas, like it or not, have been mixing “mythical” elements together in the real world. Cheon Song-yi, a star-studded female celebrity, has gone head over heels to a good-looking alien (portrayed by Kim Soohyun) from the planet KMT184.05 that’s been stuck on Earth for 400 years. Little did she know, she looked exactly like the princess he saved from an old Korean dynasty. IMO, their on-screen chemistry is enough to keep you going ‘til the end.
Movies to see
Your Name Engraved Herein
Watch on: Netflix
MJ: Love hits differently when you’re in a hopeless, damning place. Taking place after the end of Martial Law in Taiwan back in 1987, two men fall in love amid homophobia and social stigma. The story is both heartbreaking and romantic at the same time, but knowing that it’s based on a true story makes it hurt more when you realize the battles they had were real and hard.
Tenki no Ko 天気の子 (Weathering With You)
Watch on: Netflix
Vincenz: “I want you more than any blue sky” is what Hodaka Morishima said to Hina, a girl who can manipulate the weather. Between their sweet moments, sacrifices, and challenges, the two found love that changed the course of the world. Tokyo, at the very least.
Kimi no Na wa 君の名は (Your Name)
Watch on: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video
MJ: There’s no other anime film that can be as heartwarming and heartbreaking as Kimi no Na Wa (Your Name). It has the perfect visuals and music accompanying the storyline of longing and yearning for someone you can’t remember, playing with themes of fate, dreams, prophecies, and the connectedness between two souls through a red cord. No matter where you are, the love of your life will always find you. Even if it’s years apart.
Before We Go
Watch on: Amazon Prime Video
Rodneil: “There is no perfect. There will always be struggle. You just have to pick who you want to struggle with.” I was fresh-off an extended break-up when I first saw this and it hit all the spots that needed to be hit. I was drowning myself in a bunch of romantic drama for some reason and this one stuck. I haven’t seen it since, but I’m thinking I’m due for a re-watch.
Albums/Songs to listen to
“Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” by Taylor Swift
Stream on: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music
MJ: Suddenly it’s 2009 again. Taylor Swift re-recording her ‘Fearless’ album after all the brouhaha is a much-needed salvation for the humanity, especially this 2021. Love Story (Taylor’s Version) brings back memories from a decade ago — hopeless romantics wishing to be swept off their feet by someone like Romeo. Except this time around, we know love doesn’t always have a happy ending. Still, this song will make you want to feel love again, and go against all the odds just like Romeo and Juliet.
Lover by Taylor Swift
Stream on: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music
MJ: What’s not to love with Taylor Swift’s Lover album? It’s literally songs about love in different forms — self-love, love for other people whether they’re your friends, family, or even exes, and all the hopes and fears of being in love and/or in a relationship.
“Happy” by Oh Wonder
Stream on: Spotify, Apple Music
Leez: Alone this Valentine’s and embarrassing the strides you’ve been making to being better? This song is a mature take on a break-up. Moving on takes time and this song embodies a level of maturity of being happy for an ex who’s changed for the better without you.
“Someone Like Me” by TWICE
Stream on: Spotify, YouTube Music
Rodneil: The song primarily talks about having overwhelming feelings for someone but being coy about saying or showing it. Story of our lives, right? Lol. It’s my favorite TWICE B-Side track and something I put on repeat as I try to sleep. The girls’ heavenly vocals plus the overall vibe of the song just lends itself nicely as a lullaby.
“200% “by AKMU (Akdong Musician)
Stream on: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music
Vincenz: Other than being reminded of my crush of almost one-year, listening to this bright and poppy track by the dynamic siblings from YG Entertainment (same agency as BLACKPINK) always gives me good vibes. After several replays, this might actually mean that what I’ve been feeling for so damn long must be L O V E — and my heart probablyy says “I’ 200% (i-baek %) sure of that”. Also yes, that’s Nam Joohyuk (again) back in his early days.
“IL2LU” by James Reid (ft. Nadine Lustre)
Stream on: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music
Vincenz: We have to set aside James and Nadine’s current relationship status. This song has been so golden for me that it always gives me that ~love~ feeling where you have that someone who always reminds you that you’re loved regardless of your flaws and shortcomings. I may not have someone to share this but this is a song you can recommend to your… partner 🙄
“I Love You 3000 II” by Stephanie Poetri and Jackson Wang
Stream on: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music
Vincenz: This isn’t Stephanie’s original track (thus, “II” at the title) but I can feel the two-sided love story better with Jackson Wang’s vocals in it. I’m honestly not into the MCU but I’m pretty sure that’s (obviously) an Iron Man reference. Although I’m not dreaming of a Hollywood-like love story, the lyrics, their vocals, and the overall rhythm are enough to make me feel like I’m in love.
“Mundo” by IV OF SPADES
Stream on: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music
Vincenz: If you’re in for some retro-sounding OPM together with powerful vocals and lyrics that are both sentimental yet appreciative, then you have to listen to this! Tagalog/Filipino may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I assure you, it’s one of the best languages to listen to, especially in a love song. For some weird reason, this song made me remember someone I used to like 🤮
Folklore
Stream on: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Disney+ for Folklore: Long Ponds Studio Sessions
Apple: Not exactly a mushy album since this album talks about different feelings and emotions about independence, freedom, one-sided and hidden love but who wouldn’t be envious that Taylor Swift actually co-wrote ‘Exile’ and ‘Betty’ on Folklore with her current beau, Joe Alwyn under the pseudonym “William Bowery”? I would also want the kind of love that they share — where you are even in sync with someone when it comes to making music.
Games to Play
Final Fantasy VIII
Play on: Steam
Rodneil: Squall and Rinoa. Yep. If you were disappointed that Aerith and Cloud weren’t endgame in FFVII, Squall and Rinoa have a similar dynamic and it’s one of the pillars of the game’s story. For sure, this is more than just the romance between the two, but their dynamic adds some spice to the larger story of the game.
Now Playing is the GadgetMatch team’s favorite games, movies, TV shows, and more each month. If you’re curious to know what we’re into at the moment, this is what you should check out. So grab your popcorn, get some drinks, and enjoy what’s now playing!
Entertainment
SEGA, Netflix announce Crazy Taxi film adaptation
1st in planned slate of film adaptations, including Sonic and STRANGER THAN HEAVEN
SEGA and Netflix have announced a new Crazy Taxi film adaptation. This will usher in a new collaboration era with the parties also developing adaptations for Sonic and STRANGER THAN HEAVEN.
Such a slate of future adaptations reflects the range of SEGA’s library as it draws on Netflix’s experience bringing beloved game worlds to new audiences.
The first project features Crazy Taxi, which will be written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. The beloved writing duo was behind the 2025 reboot of The Naked Gun.
Also on board to help helm the production are the same visionaries behind the Sonic franchise: Neal H. Moritz, Toby Ascher, and Toru Nakahara.
Crazy Taxi has been an arcade hit since 1999, putting players behind the wheel of a fearless cabbie racing the clock through chaotic city streets.
There’s flying off ramps, dodging traffic, and chasing tips with punk-rock energy that has become the series’ signature.
The latest title in the franchise, Crazy Taxi: World Tour, is set for a 2027 release. You can watch its trailer below:
Entertainment
Now Playing: Resident Evil
Horror and comedy join forces in Zach Cregger’s latest masterpiece.
The intersection between horror and comedy is separated by a thin wall of air. In modern times, we’ve seen comedy legends, such as Jordan Peele and John Krasinski, make the successful jump into horror. Some have theorized that laughter is a pain response, which links it to the adrenaline-filled thrill of experiencing horror. Personally, I believe that mastering comedic timing also complements the timing of scary moments in horror. Comedy-trained directors just get it. That’s why the melding of the two genres is always something to look for, and that’s why Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil is a must watch.
Coming from last year’s Weapons, Cregger established himself in the annals of horror history, despite learning the art of filmmaking from cult comedy classics like Miss March and The Whitest Kids U’Know. Weapons (and Barbarian before it) expertly balances the essentials of horror with dark comedy. If you’ve seen either of these movies, then you know what you’re in for with Resident Evil.
Based on the games or the past movies?
Resident Evil is tagged as second reboot of the movie franchise after 2021’s disastrous attempt, starring Kaya Scodelario, which barely registered a hiccup in the oeuvre of Resident Evil films. However, like 2021’s failure, Cregger’s take bases itself primarily on the events of the games, specifically around the plot of Resident Evil 2.
Bryan, a medical courier played by Austin Abrams, is tasked with delivering a top-priority package to Raccoon City. Unbeknownst to him, the way leading into Raccoon City (and the fabled city itself) is already overrun with mutated monstrosities.
And so, Bryan, a courier inexperienced with combat (much less surviving against zombies), must fight his way into the city to deliver his charge.
A worthy protagonist
Over the years, the franchise has seesawed between capable action heroes, like Leon Kennedy, and those who can barely survive, like Biohazard‘s Ethan Winters. On that scale, Bryan falls deeply into Winters’s side of the spectrum. He’s ill-equipped to survive a zombie apocalypse. He even admits that his barebones knowledge of guns comes from videogames. He attempts to shoot locks, thinking they’d work as they do in games. He is not a character you’d want to follow if you’re looking for a gruff man gunning down hordes of zombies with a machine gun.
But that’s exactly what makes this horror film worth watching. Bryan is us. Though there were times I was screaming at the screen because he wouldn’t do the obviously logical thing of running away from blatant traps, our fragile protagonist mimics how we would all react in a horrific situation: a deer in the headlights stuck staring.
Every situation feels more frightful. You don’t know how you’d react. He doesn’t know how he’d react. We’re just stuck trailing along for his ride. If he lingers too long looking at a zombie about to bite him, you have no choice but to look along with him. As a horror protagonist, he’s perfect.
When a camera does the work
Of course, inept protagonists aren’t new to horror. Practically all good horror films will feature a helpless hero standing up to the monster. See: the “final girl” era of horror.
Resident Evil elevates this trope by allowing the camera to do the heavy lifting. The film’s expert transitions into first-person perspectives and over-the-shoulder ones amp up the frights. When Bryan sweeps a room with a gun, the camera takes you down to the muzzle. You become the one sweeping along with him. You see the darkness as he does. The style creates an impressive layer of immersion that brings you into his trauma. Plus, if we’re going with comparisons, the transitions feel like a game taking you from a cutscene back into control of your character.
And it’s not just the perspectives, too. The film mimics several tense moments oft found in horror games, like gingerly creeping through a thin ledge when one false move can mean plummeting to your death. Resident Evil also has scenes in a dark tunnel, the sewers, and an overrun hospital. It’s a veritable who’s who of horror settings. But they all just work. It’s like you’re in a Resident Evil game.
When goofy becomes scary
But that’s enough of how the movie was made. How scary is it?
Taking them from their respective contexts, each monster is goofy. There’s an infirm zombie spewing acid bile that Bryan just bullies around. There’s a seemingly innocent young girl with a tentacle foot. There’s a zombie katamari.
And if that’s not enough, the casting is filled with masters of comedic timing like Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, and Austin Abrams himself. The first two play bumbling representatives of Umbrella Corporation, people who are too incompetent to do their job. Abrams is the bumbling everyman who can’t make heads or tails of what’s happening. Comedy is a living, breathing presence in this film.
But that’s not to say that this is a comedy film. The horror is still top notch. Cregger just knows how to time everything right.
Unlike modern films today, like in The Conjuring universe, Resident Evil is not a scare-a-minute film. It will not bombard you with jumpscares.
Now, to be fair, there are a fair bit including fakeouts. In fact, under normal circumstances, I’d dislike how many there are. But here, each jumpscare comes with a lengthy period to catch your breath. The film gives you time to relax, to laugh, and, eventually, lower your guard for the next scare. It’s a balanced pace that’s kept up throughout the entire film.
This is exactly how you should pace a horror movie.
Should you watch Resident Evil?
Even with its uniquely comedic style, Resident Evil is one of the most faithful adaptations of a video game I’ve ever seen. Like a game, Cregger’s pacing knows when to let you, the viewer, breathe and when to thrust you back into its monstrosities.
Humor will always go hand in hand with horror. Though the responses to these two categories are technically different, they’re both genres about facing the unexpected. On the box, Resident Evil says that it’s a horror film, but it’s so much more. If you want to laugh, cry, and cower in fear all in the same movie, this is the movie to watch.
Entertainment
Max vs 100 will feature Max Verstappen race against 100 go-karters
The live event will stream at midnight on September 17.
As a child, one of my favorite thought experiments is to imagine who would win in a fight between my favorite characters at the time and a number of other random beings. For example, will Superman prevail against 100 Magnetos? Those are the ways I kept my young mind occupied. Now, as a former child, I still do the same thing but with more realistic people, like imagining if Steph Curry can win against 100 high schoolers. This week, ESPN and Disney+ are making one of those imaginary fights real: Formula 1 legend Max Verstappen versus 100 go-karters.
In an upcoming live event streaming exclusively on Disney+, Max vs 100 will pit the four-time world champion against 100 go-karters from everywhere in pop culture. This gaggle of 100 will include popular content creators such as Twitch streamer ExtraEmily, car photographer Larry Chen, and NBA shooting coach Chris Matthews.
All 101 drivers will race around one of the most iconic tracks in Formula 1 history, Silverstone in England. The track will be reconfigured to match the special race.
Of course, this is more than just a parade of go-karts. Max Verstappen will start at the back of the grid, meaning he has to overtake all 100 racers to win. Now, the Dutch driver is no stranger to winning from the back. In 2024, he won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix despite starting from P17 (out of 20 racers). Max vs 100, though familiar for the driver, presents a different challenge. Can he overtake 100 times to win the race?
Max vs 100 will stream live through Disney+ on September 17, 12:00am PHT.
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