Going from the holiday break and diving straight into CES 2020, the team hasn’t really had plenty of time to watch or play much of anything. It’s been a busy time so there aren’t a lot of recommendations here. But they’re still worth checking out!

Movies to see

Parasite
Vincenz: We know Parasite has been making rounds online and I attest to its excellence. It shows the common divide between the rich and the poor (as represented by the Kim and Park families), but you’ll never really know what happens next — especially when greed arises. It honestly made my jaw drop and my mind was utterly confused while watching it. The astounding cinematography makes this film a whole lot better. No wonder it bagged several awards globally.

Steven Universe The Movie
Leez: During the holidays, I rewatched every episode of the cartoon series Steven Universe and rediscovered the best scenes, songs, and episodes. It’s an amazing cartoon series and the movie cuts deep with concepts of trauma, grief, and growth. Steven is all grown up in the movie and everything seems to be set in place until a pink inverted heart gem appears. There’s singing, fighting, and a ton of crying. If you haven’t seen it, get on it. It’s a lovely series and a stunning movie.

Shows to binge-watch

Great Teacher Onizuka 
Rodneil: A former biker gang member decides to pursue teaching after he saw how he can get closer to high school girls that way. While he didn’t start off with the best intentions, the titular character Eikichi Onizuka discovers his passion for teaching while solving his students’ troubles in the most unconventional ways possible. This show is perfect for a few laughs and a few life lessons.

You Season 2
MJ: Joe Goldberg is back! If you didn’t feel that much love for him in the first season, you might be conflicted on how you’ll cheer for Joe this time around. While it’s not good to romanticize a stalking psycho, You made sure you’re going to love Joe. And yes, we want a Season 3.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine
MJ: There’s a reason why a sitcom situated in a police precinct got a cult following; not because of hype but because of its quality. It’s absolutely funny (without the laugh tracks), has a diverse representation, and tackles pressing social and cultural issues subtly. The series is about to premiere its seventh season, so it’s time to binge-watch again from Season 1-6. Oh, they’re also working on Season 8 already! You better catch up.

Albums/Songs/Podcasts to listen to

Psycho by Red Velvet
Vincenz: Other than the mesmerizing visuals of Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, Joy and Yeri, the song is highly addictive. Speaking of addiction, the lyrics talk about a love that makes one go “Psycho.” It’s an extreme love-hate relationship — one that’s probably bad for you but you just can’t get enough of —  just like a drug. The part before the last chorus states that “everything will be okay” — and I felt that. Prior to RV’s Korean recording, there’s an English demo which you can listen to for a better feel of the song.

Pwede Ba (괜찮을까) by Lola Amour

Vincenz: I was browsing my Twitter timeline when a popular schoolmate (slash vocalist of the local indie duo Ysanygo) promoted this track through a quote tweet. At first, I didn’t mind but when I saw a lot of mutuals sharing the same song, it made me curious to actually try and listen. The mellow tune goes well with the Korean lyrics. Listening to it feels like I’m in an episode of a melancholic K-Drama. It’s actually a Korean version of the already existing Pwede Ba (written in Filipino) that was released 2 years ago.

Dive feat. Chris James – Hot Shade, Mike Perry
MJ: If you need a good pick me up song, “Dive” has that upbeat melody that will make you want to move and love life. If you happen to be in love with someone else, the lyrics will resonate with you as it tackles diving into the unknown with your love interest, and following him/her wherever your hearts lead to.

Polaris by BLUE ENCOUNT
Rodneil: I have a weird emotional attachment to My Hero Academia and one of the reasons is how good the opening songs are. “Polaris” — the show’s current opening theme — is such a rush of energy. When I need to get going, I just put this on and I almost feel like One for All is surging through my body. It’s a fantastic picker-upper.

Games to play

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Rodneil: If you’re the type who goes on an annual re-watch of Dragon Ball Z, Bandai Namco is giving you another way to relive the popular animé series by putting you right in the middle of it. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is the entire series but in RPG form.

Cities Skylines
Vincenz: I’ve been a long-time fan of games that lean into city building / urban planning. SimCity has been around for ages but after several years, other developers had their own take. I played Cities XL Platinum prior to this (which is honestly good but just lacks certain features and a bit slow even with high specs in mind) but this game is on another level. With the mods and assets you can install, building cities is limitless. You can even control the growth of the city, underground systems, transportation, traffic, and more. With the video above, it shows that you can even have a glimpse of your city just like a regular person riding a train.

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!