Chiya-Pop Guff "May Edition"

Hello and Good Morning Everyone, Welcome to the May Edition of Chiya-Pop Guff. In Chiya-Pop Guff, I take a step back from the algorithm-fueled frenzy and just have a chill conversation about the movies I’ve watched, the games I’ve played, and the songs that have been on repeat — the kind of stuff you’d talk about with friends during a late-night call or a random cafe meet-up.

Whether it’s a random indie film that surprised me, a game I finally got around to finishing, or a track that got stuck in my head for days, you’ll find a little bit of everything here.

This was such a good musical movie. I vaguely remember listening to MJ’s songs when I was a kid, and even back then I loved the music — so watching this movie honestly felt like such travel back to my childhood. Hearing those songs again in a theatre setting, combined with the performances and visuals, was genuinely peak. And man, Jaafar Jackson was such a perfect casting choice. He did so much justice to the role that at times it genuinely felt like you were watching MJ all over again. He captured both the superstar aura and the emotional vulnerability behind it.

The musical performances are obviously one of the biggest highlights. The choreography, and recreation of iconic performances were done incredibly well. Watching those legendary songs come alive on screen again felt so goooooood. What also impressed me was how well the real-life moments were handled. The movie doesn’t just focus on the fame and spectacle; it also tries to humanize Michael and show the pressure, loneliness, and complexity.

Overall, I genuinely think this is one of the best biopics I’ve watched. It feels passionate, emotional, and visually spectacular while still respecting the legacy of one of the greatest artists ever. And honestly? This feels like such an obvious Oscar-worthy performance from Jaafar Jackson.

Another pretty basic movie from the lineup, honestly. It doesn’t really do anything groundbreaking or exceptionally unique, but it kind of delivers exactly what you expect it to deliver — flashy magic tricks, upbeat moments, chaotic energy, and that stylish illusion-heavy vibe that made the first movie entertaining in the first place.

The movie keeps that same fast-paced tone throughout, constantly throwing new tricks, twists, and set pieces at you. Some of the magic sequences are genuinely very fun to watch, especially with how creatively they’re shot. What I personally liked the most is that the movie still manages to stay unpredictable. At least for me, I genuinely couldn’t fully guess where everything was heading. The cast chemistry also helps carry the movie a lot. Everyone plays their roles with enough charisma that the movie never feels boring. It knows it’s not trying to be some deep masterpiece — it’s just trying to entertain you for two hours, and honestly, it succeeds at that.

Overall, I wouldn’t say this movie does anything extraordinary, but if you’ve already watched the first part and just want something fun and easy to watch, I’d still recommend it. Definitely not a must-watch, but a pretty enjoyable time if you’re in the mood for stylish chaos and magic tricks.

Another movie that carries that sense of yearning so naturally. At this point, it almost feels imperative for me to watch films that live in that emotional space, but Sir genuinely does it in such a quiet and beautiful way. There’s nothing loud about this movie. It doesn’t try to force emotions out of you. What I loved most was how subtle everything felt. The film pays attention to the smallest details — the pauses during conversations, the awkward silences, the way people look at each other but hold themselves back. It understands emotions that are difficult to express out loud. A lot of scenes feel unfinished in a very human way, like real life.

The performances are also incredibly natural. Nothing feels exaggerated or overly cinematic. The characters feel like real people trying to navigate emotions they themselves don’t fully understand. That realism is what makes the emotional moments hit much harder. I also liked how restrained the movie is. It never turns into melodrama even when it easily could have. It trusts the audience enough to sit with the silence and understand what’s happening beneath the surface. That kind of direction always leaves a bigger impact on me personally.

This is one of those movies that quietly stays in your mind after it ends. Not because of some huge twist or dramatic climax, but because of how honestly it portrays longing, connection, and emotional distance. A really beautiful film, and definitely one I’d recommend.

And the curse of a good show having a disappointing finale continues.

The earlier seasons of The Boys were genuinely so good that at one point it almost felt like the peak of modern TV for me. It was one of the very few superhero shows that actually understood what made the genre interesting beyond flashy powers and CGI fights. The satire, the violence, the politics, the character writing — everything felt sharp and intentional. It genuinely felt like the show that got superheroes right.

Which is why this final season feels even more disappointing.

The ending just feels incomplete. Instead of properly concluding the arcs and themes the show had been building for years, it almost feels like it’s brushing things aside in a desperate attempt to expand the universe even more. You can clearly feel them setting up future spin-offs and projects instead of focusing fully on giving The Boys the ending it deserved. Vought Rising, yeah, I’m looking at you.

What frustrated me the most was the pacing. The earlier episodes move painfully slow with barely any meaningful progression in the actual storyline. It feels like the season spends too much time stalling, circling around the same tensions without really advancing them. But then suddenly the final few episodes rush through major events so quickly that nothing gets enough room to breathe. Big moments happen, emotional payoffs arrive, and before you can even process them the show is already moving on. Antony Starr especially continues to absolutely carry scenes as Homelander. But the writing just doesn’t feel as focused or confident as it used to.

I genuinely don’t know what went wrong, because with how incredible the earlier seasons were, this could have been one of the greatest TV finales in recent years. Instead, it just ends up feeling rushed, uneven, and weirdly empty. Not terrible, but definitely far below what the show was capable of.

Drake really hyped this album up so much just to deliver something that’s mid. With the amount of buildup around ICEMAN, I genuinely thought this was going to be one of those career-defining moments, something that could sit in the same conversation as DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar in terms of impact and replay value. But yeah, that expectation didn’t really match what we actually got.

The biggest issue is that the album feels a bit too safe. It doesn’t take many risks, either sonically or thematically. You can tell Drake is still in his comfort zone — smooth production, familiar flows, emotionally detached writing — but there’s nothing here that really pushes him forward as an artist.

.This really was a lyrics on a song from his album. I nearly died laughing.

There are moments where you can hear flashes of potential. A few tracks have solid production, and the atmospheric beats do create a nice vibe here and there. But the problem is none of it really sticks. It doesn’t have that one track or even a strong core idea that makes you want to revisit the album again.

Overall, ICEMAN ends up being a disappointing release considering the expectations. Not terrible, not unlistenable, just very average. It needed more identity, more risk, and something that actually separates it from his usual formula — but it never really gets there.

This one didn’t really land for me at all. Going into Maid of Honour, I wasn’t expecting anything groundbreaking, but I still thought it would at least have a clear identity or a few standout moments. Unfortunately, it just felt flat from start to finish. The biggest issue is that the album doesn’t really know what it wants to be. The tracks feel disconnected, like they were made in the same general space but not really built to belong together. There’s no strong narrative or sonic direction that ties everything into a cohesive experience.

Vocally and lyrically, it also feels pretty safe. There are moments where you can sense some emotional intent, but it never fully translates into something that hits. A lot of it feels like it stays on the surface instead of digging deeper into anything meaningful.

Overall, Maid of Honour is just underwhelming. It’s not offensive or unlistenable, it’s just forgettable. The kind of album you finish and immediately don’t feel like revisiting.

Haibiti unfortunately falls into a very similar category for me — a project that doesn’t really do anything particularly wrong, but also doesn’t do anything memorable. The album feels very repetitive in its structure. After a couple of tracks, you start to notice a pattern in both production and delivery, and it never really breaks out of that cycle. There’s a lack of experimentation or variation that makes the listening experience feel a bit stagnant.

The production is probably the strongest part, but even that feels restrained. It sets a mood but doesn’t evolve beyond it. There are no real peaks or shifts that keep the listener engaged throughout the full runtime. It’s consistent, but in a way that becomes monotonous. Lyrically, it doesn’t offer much depth or standout moments either. Some ideas are interesting on paper, but they don’t translate into memorable execution. A lot of the emotional weight feels muted, like it never fully arrives where it’s supposed to.

Overall, Haibiti is just not something I’d return to. It’s not a bad album in a harsh sense, but it’s very forgettable. It plays in the background, and that’s unfortunately where it stays.

And that’s a wrap for this month’s edition of Chiya-Pop Guff. A bit short but it is what it is.

Whether it’s a cozy film, an emotional video game journey, or a movie you watched just for the plot , there’s always something worth sharing over a good cup of chiya.

Thanks for reading — genuinely. If anything here made you curious, made you smile, or made you want to queue something up for the weekend, that’s all this newsletter is about.