Culture Corner

The Arts Desk’s weekly picks for music, movies and more

By MAYA KORNYEYEVA — managing@theaggie.org  

“The Shire” by Howard Shore (2001)

If you are ever lost in the world and feeling hopeless, purposeless or weighed down, “The Shire” is sure to lift your spirits in every way. The carefree, airy violins float dreamily through the score and the flute carries you forth, as light as a feather — so much so that, when the joyous melody finally starts, you feel like getting up and frolicking. “The Shire,” created by award-winning composer Howard Shore for the end credits of “The Fellowship of the Ring,” is a token of gratitude for the beauty of J.R.R Tolkien's shire. The shire — the expansive, cozy home of the hobbits — is in many ways my ideal mental getaway: no commitments, no worries, just second breakfasts and running through the grass. “The Shire” reminds me to appreciate the little moments in life and to take in the beauty of the world around me: there is still hope, light and laughter, even when life gets hard. 

“Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” dir. Keiichirô Saitô (2023)

“Frieren” is a poetic and magnificently-animated love letter to the memories of the ones we hold dear. The show centers on Frieren, an elf mage that freed the land from evil together with the heroes from her party, Himmel, Heiter and Eisen. However, the anime takes an unconventional approach to storytelling; rather than starting at the beginning and following their journey to victory, the first episode finds Frieren departing from the group, spending years away and reuniting when all the members have aged, and she — as a creature with a lifespan far beyond humans or dwarves — unchanged. The rest of the series depicts Frieren as she deals with the deaths of her closest friends, learns to recognize the fragility of life and comes to terms with the deep feelings she had for Himmel. Through her journey to Aureole, the “land where souls rest,” Frieren traces the steps that she took and the memories she once created alongside new companions Fern and Stark, slowly beginning to recognize how much she learned in what seemed — to her — a mere moment of her life. This show is infinitely whimsical: a heartwarming and magical slice-of-life.     

“Hunter X Hunter” dir. Hiroshi Kōjina (2011)

It’s safe to say that this is my favorite anime of all time. The story follows Gon, a tenacious and spirited 12-year-old, as he journeys in his father Ging’s footsteps to gain the lucrative hunter certification. Along the way, Gon finds company in his fellow exam-takers, Kurapika, Leorio and Killua, the son of an assassin family and Gon’s best friend throughout the series. Gon and Killua’s yin-and-yang dynamic, which allows each to learn and grow from the other, is a testament to great writing and to the creator Yoshihiro Togashi’s character-building abilities. The main musical theme of the show, “departure!” by Masatoshi Ono is expressive and powerful, reminding viewers of the joys, wonder and hardships of adventure that form the anime’s core. Throughout the show’s six arcs — and 148 total episodes — the characters deal with the trauma of their past and the darkest of enemies, ultimately emerging stronger for it. It is a tale of resilience and unbreakable bonds: one that I cannot stop rewatching. 

“The Color Violet” by Tory Lanez (2021)

I’ve been obsessed with this song lately; I’m not quite sure if its the rhythmic ebb and flow of the synth beats, artist Tory Lanez’s melancholic voice, the saxophone solo that comes in during the third minute or the flow of the lyrics as he sings “Speedin’ car going 90 in the rain, She took my heart and filled it with nothing but pain.” It’s resonant, retrospective, idealistic — a song that truly evokes both the warmth of the color purple and the cold individualism of violet. Similar to one of my current favorite artists Don Toliver’s catchy and seductive beats, this song is about the simultaneous emotion of feeling both free and stuck in love; so much so that it bleeds into recklessness. In any case, it's perfect to blast in the car and reconnect with your emotions. 

Written by: Maya Kornyeyeva — managing@theaggie.org