The first novel I read this year! Here are my thoughts on Jane Hur’s historical drama.
4 days ago • Subscribe
More like this


Radcliffe Hall, by Miyuki Jane Pinckard
Today we’re doing something a little different, because I just read something so in line with our interests here at Okazu, that I wanted to immediately tell you…


Canary by Tijan Book Review
Mafia romances can be so captivating sometimes. The violence, tension, suspense, spice, all make for a great read that will keep drawing you in. It’s one of my…


Oh, So Trope-ical: Raised by Wolves
Well, no, I don’t literally mean raised by actual, you know, wolves, since, you know that doesn’t really happen, the myth of Romulus and Remus aside. But what…


Book Review – Firestarter By: Stephen King
It kind of hurts when you waste post-its on a book you didn’t enjoy…


Bride by Ali Hazelwood Book Review
If you’re active in the romance scene, you’ve probably heard of Ali Hazelwood. She is probably the most well known for her book The Love Hypothesis which gained…


Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa Book Review
Dark romance can be so addicting. The thrill of the taboo, the dark and moody love interests, and the sexual tension! All so good! Add in the spice…


By the “Book”
The thing about this show is that it slid right into the second season with nary an introduction to it. Well, in a sense, but there was the…


A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair Book Review
I was pulled in again to another Hades and Persephone retelling. I just can’t stay away. A Touch of Darkness takes the myths and legends of these two…


How to Vex a Vampire by Alice Winters Book Review
Recently, my social media has been flooded with book recommendations. Mostly my fault for joining a Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Facebook group and liking book related reels on…
“The Otaku Encyclopedia” by Patrick W. Galbraith | A Book Review
A few years back when I first decided that I wanted to start researching otaku culture, I put together a list of all of the English written literature…


Wolf Signs by Vivian Arend Book Review
Lately, I’ve been feeling some good shifter romance. Looking through Goodreads recommendations, Facebook groups, and Kindle Unlimited, I came upon this book. It’s the first standalone in a…


Neon Gods by Katee Robert Book Review
Here I am, back again to read some more Hades and Persephone retellings. This time we have an extra spicy and kinky book from Katee Robert that pits…


A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova Book Review
Lately I’ve been drawn away from comics and manga in favor of romantic prose. I’ve been sucked into the world and fandom of fantasy-romance that is often enchanting,…


A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley – Book Review
For the past couple weeks I’ve been reading some darker vampire romances that always involved life-endangering plots and tearful reunions after abuse. I really needed a break from…


Can You Judge a Book by Its Cover?
This post isn't nearly as serious as it sounds. I just want to talk about some book covers.
Can You Judge a Book by Its Cover?
This post isn't nearly as serious as it sounds. I just want to talk about some book covers.


Should you Judge a Book by its Cover?
#books #booktube #illustration Be sure to check out the WEBTOON series Sunset Phoenix by NeverDraws via the link! (And a big thank you to the author for sponsoring…


Last Of The Wolves (2021) review
“Kazuya Shiraishi delivers, with his sequel, another amazing and highly entertaining yakuza/police thriller.”


A Normal Family (보통의 가족, Hur Jin-ho, 2023)
Two brothers experience a moral crisis when their kids become the subject of a viral video in Hur Jin-ho’s steely drama.
Review: A Sealed Book (2022)
A Sealed Book 天之书 China, 2022, colour, 2.35:1, 93 mins. Chief director: Wang Yingjiao 王应蛟. Director: Wang Xiaogang 王筱刚. Late-stage director: Sun Xiaohan 孙晓寒. Rating: 4/10. Period fantasy…


The Cruel Prince by Holly Black Book Review
Continuing my read through of some more fantasy romance recommended to me through Instagram. This time, I’ve picked up The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, a well reviewed…
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey (Book Review)
A review of "The Echo Wife" by Sarah Gailey, an excellent near-future feminist drama about the other woman and human cloning


Hold Your Breath by Katie Ruggle Book Review
Series: Search and Rescue Book 1 Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Military, Mystery/Thriller Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of 5 Tropes: Grumpy/Sunshine, Forced Proximity, One Bed Trigger Warnings: Stalking…


The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni Book Review
There are days when I question my very specific tastes in the kinds of stories I love, and lately I’ve been drawn more and more to enemies-to-lovers stories…


Among others…
While I didn’t write any more than the 3 or 4 reviews I managed in 2023, I did watch a few things. And abandon plenty, but that’s another…


Promises and Pomegranates by Sav R. Miller Book Review
Oh boy, if you like some dark, spicy romance, you’ll definitely find all that and more in this new recommendation of mine. Promises and Pomegranates is a dark…


Book Review: 500 Essential Anime Movies by Helen McCarthy
"this is deliberate misinformation"


Tokyo 24th Ward – 08 – Crane Game
Managing to bake a Golden Sunrise comparable to his dad’s nets Shuuta the location of the guy painting over Ran’s Kaba tags. Zeroth tells Shuuta that while he’s…


A Bird Among Dragons: Remembering Toriyama Akira
On a recent trip to Japan, I walked past a shrine. Next to that shrine were statues of Dragon Quest monsters. Seeing them reminded me of the sheer…


Book Review: ‘Things Remembered and Things Forgotten’ By Kyoko Nakajima
More usually a fan of non-fiction books about Japan it was with some uncertainty that this book was purchased on the back of the author’s reputation alongside a…
Honor Among Thieves
Preview (opens in a new tab) It is often said that Edgar Allan Poe brought us the detective fiction novel, although there had to have been some kind…


Interview: Cowboy Bebop Costume Designer Jane Holland
"Immediately after getting hired, I consulted the youth in my world who watch anime! And they issued a warning, 'Māmā Holland, don't f*** it up'. I took them…


Yellowface Is A Crazy Experience (Book Review)
It really was a crazy experience reading this.


Thinking fast and slow: A book review
Hey guys what is up welcome back to my blog I’m so thankful that you guys took the time out of your day to read my blog post.…


Book Review: Tokyo Swindlers Lacks a Payoff
The book Tokyo Swindlers is the basis of a new series from Netflix. Here's why our reviewer says you can give this con a pass.


Book Review: Tokyo Stories: A Japanese Cookbook
Tokyo Stories is a journey through the boulevards and backstreets of Tokyo via recipes both iconic and unexpected! Though having published other books (his humorous biographical essays ‘Tune…


Book: A Spirited Manor by Kate Danley (O'Hare House Mysteries #1)
I picked up this pretty thing while roaming around the "free" section on the Kindle store. It sounded interesting and the cover was pretty s...


The Blue Wolves of Mibu Volume 1 Manga Review
Soon to be an anime series, The Blue Wolves of Mibu is a safe bet for fans of the Shinsengumi historical subgenre.


yume by Maison book girl (Album Review) ► J-Music Exchange/Rate
Hello and welcome back to another J-Music Exchange/Rate review! This one is actually a bit of a special one since this is the very first Exchange/Rate review on…


King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair Book Review
After reading through what there is of her Hades and Persephone series, I found that I really liked St. Clair’s writing and her dedication to research. With this…


THE BOOK 2 by YOASOBI (Album Review) | J-Music Exchange/Rate
I already considered this group’s music to be excellent but I was curious… 🤔 Hello and welcome back to yet another installment of the J-Music Exchange/Rate segment! This…
Popcorn pulse 118: War Wolves
Oh shit, is it the movie show again? How about a movie about soldiers who are werewolves? No, not Dog Soldiers, we’ve already done that. We’ve got War Wolves[2009] who…
The Underrated “Book Love” by Debbie Tung
Okay I know that this should be a manga column, but this happens to be a e-graphic novel that I discovered the library I work...


The Book of Bushido by Antony Cummins
The Book of Bushido by Antony Cummins summarizes the landscape of bushido history and thought. Cummins touches on the contradictions found in the various writings that form bushido.…


Book: The Stone Child by Dan Poblocki
This is one of my earlier reviews, so I can say right now that I have absolutely no recollection of what this is about. This is the first…


Book: A Baby for the Lumberjacks by Chloe Kent (A Baby for Them #1)
A Baby for the Lumberjacks by Chloe Kent is the first of a supposedly trashy romance trilogy. Fortunately for me this was not the case. Wel...


Book: A Baby for the Bratva by Chloe Kent (A Baby For Them #3)
The final installment in the A Baby For Them trilogy, A Baby for the Bratva by Chloe Kent! Now, this one is only slightly different from th...


First Impressions: No Honour Among Thieves Demo Review
No Honour Among Thieves is an upcoming LGBT crime-thriller visual novel developed by Tris Ravens—the project was on Kickstarter, however the team working on it was unable to reach…


Burn the Witch (Volume 1) – Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover
There exists another side of London. One where dragons exist and are used within society. However, human contact is restricted as it can lead to dark dragons that…


Among others… (with list)
Following on – now with list of titles below the pics. (Ideally, I’d still like to review all of these but the time it’d take me to do…