Movie Review: Flow – A Beautiful and Thought-Provoking Animated Movie

Family Movie Night

Last weekend, I watched Flow with my wife and the little ones. I have to say, it’s one of the best animated movies I’ve seen recently. It’s visually stunning, and surprisingly, it tells the entire story without any dialogue.

Key Themes in the Movie

Flow has a lot of important messages, and it tells them in a way that everyone can understand:

• Staying Strong in Tough Times – The movie shows how different animals survive and adapt even when the world around them is falling apart.
• Working Together – Animals of different species form unlikely friendships to help each other, showing that teamwork is essential.
• Caring for the Environment – The movie shows rising water and ruined landscapes as a warning about how we are damaging the planet.

No Words, Just Visuals

One thing that makes Flow stand out is that there is no spoken dialogue. The story is told through the animation, the music, and how the characters move. This makes the movie feel deep and emotional without needing words.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a beautiful animated movie that makes you think, Flow is definitely worth watching. It’s a great film for both adults and kids, and it’s a good reminder of the importance of teamwork and taking care of the world we live in.

What Did You Think of Flow?

Have you seen Flow? What did you think about the movie? Let’s talk about it in the comments! 

Weekly Take: A Week of sickness

Last week was a bit of a rollercoaster. On one hand, it was a great week — on the other, I was sick the entire time. Yep, I got benched by the doc, so I was basically just home all week, drinking pills and sleeping non-stop. Not ideal, but rest was needed.

On a brighter note, something really exciting happened: Google finally approved my application for AdSense! That means the blog is now monetised and you’ll probably notice a few ads here and there. If they’re distracting or messing with your reading experience, please do let me know — I’ll try to tone them down where possible.

Now for something personal — my wife surprised me with a gift, and wow, I’m still smiling about it. I’m now typing this post on an Apple iPhone 15 instead of my trusty Xiaomi. It’s a big shift, especially since I’ve been on Android my whole life, but I’m genuinely loving it. Super grateful for the upgrade!

Back to the real world — it looks like Parliament approved the VAT hike. That 0.50% increase might seem small, but it’ll probably hit our pockets soon. At the time of writing this, it’s looking more and more official, so we’ll have to brace ourselves when it comes to shopping.

In gaming news, Nintendo finally gave us a sneak peek at the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. I’ve got to say — it looks incredibly tempting. Just like the original Switch, this new one seems like a game-changer. They also showed off some upcoming titles and how they’ll look on the device, and I’m now seriously considering picking this up instead of the PS5 I originally planned on getting this year.

On the streaming front, I finally started watching Severance after seeing so many people talk about how amazing it is. Since we’d finished everything else we were watching on Apple TV+, I decided to give it a try — and wow, what a show! I’m only a few episodes in but I get the hype now. Really well done.

I also managed to sneak in a couple of movies during my downtime. I’ll be sharing some of those on the blog soon. Just a heads-up though — I haven’t been watching a lot of movies lately, so if I mention one you’ve already seen, please don’t come for me!

Lastly, I’ve been trying to add more of these personal, behind-the-scenes posts to the blog. If you’re enjoying them, let me know. If not, I’ll adjust and keep the content flowing in a way that works for you.

Until next time — stay safe, rest when you need to, and watch something good.

Things I’m Excited to Watch in April 2025

Alright, I know I might be a bit late with this post, but hey, better late than never, right? Here’s a quick rundown of all the TV shows and movies I’m looking forward to watching in April. I’ve got a pretty diverse list from Crunchyroll, Netflix, Disney+, Showmax, Apple TV+, and Prime Video. Some of these have been on my radar for a while, and others are just popping up now. Let’s dive into it!

Crunchyroll

1. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes (April 7)
   I’m always here for more My Hero Academia, and this spin-off has caught my attention. It focuses on Koichi, a street-level hero using his quirk to save people even though he’s not officially licensed. Sounds like a cool, grounded take on the MHA universe.

2. The Beginning After the End (April 5)
   I’m intrigued by this one. It’s an isekai-style anime that deals with powerful people who are reincarnated into a new world. The art and concept have me excited to check it out.

3. One Piece: Egghead Arc Part 2 (April 6)
   As I’m only on episode 710 of One Piece, it’ll be a while before I’m caught up with the rest of the world. But when I do catch up, you better believe I’m all in on the Egghead Arc. Luffy and the gang are in for some serious action on Egghead Island!

Netflix

1. Devil May Cry (April 3 -That's yesterday)
   Based on the famous game, this show is about Dante, the demon hunter, trying to stop a demonic invasion of Earth. If you’ve played the game, you know this one’s going to be epic!

2. Black Mirror Season 7 (April 10)
   It’s about time I start watching Black Mirror—people have been raving about it for years, and I’ve never been more ready to dive into those dystopian tech stories. I hear there’s a sequel to “USS Callister,” which I can’t wait to see.

3. You Season 5 (April 24)
   If you’ve been keeping up with You, you know Joe Goldberg is back, and this time, he’s dealing with his murderous past and a whole lot of family drama. I know someone who’s going to be very happy about this one!

Disney+

1. Andor Season 2 (April 22)
   Cassian Andor’s journey as a rebel spy is only going to get more intense, especially with the Empire’s grip tightening. I still need to finish season one, though, so I’ll be playing catch-up on this one!

Showmax

1. The Last of Us Season 2 (April 14)
   Joel and Ellie’s journey continues, and I’ve heard that the show gets even better this season. I’m excited to see where their story goes—especially with the introduction of Abby.

2. The Wild Robot (April 13)
   This animated adventure about a robot surviving in the wilderness has a nice blend of nature and tech. It’s a refreshing change from all the action-heavy shows, and I’m curious to see how it plays out.

Apple TV+

1. Your Friends & Neighbors (April 11)
   A hedge fund manager stealing from his affluent neighbors? This one’s got me hooked already. I’m excited to see how this story of secrets and danger unfolds.

2. Government Cheese (April 16)
   This surrealist family comedy set in 1969 San Fernando Valley looks quirky and fun. It’s got a unique vibe, and I’m all for some light-hearted but thought-provoking storytelling.

Prime Video

1. The Bondsman (April 3 - Thays yesterday)
   A resurrected bounty hunter hunting demons to seek redemption? Count me in. This one looks like it’s going to be packed with action.

2. G20 (April 10)
   This one has Viola Davis playing the U.S. President, defending the G20 summit from terrorists. What’s funny is that it’s based in South Africa, and with all the recent political drama around Elon Musk and Trump, it seems strangely timely. Can’t wait to see how this one plays out.

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Final Thoughts

There’s a lot to look forward to in April, and I’m definitely going to be busy catching up on shows! As I mentioned, I’m still working through One Piece (710 episodes in, so I’ve got a long way to go), but I’m excited to get caught up with the rest of the world on the latest arcs.

So, what are you excited to watch this month? Let me know in the comments, and feel free to recommend anything you think I shouldn’t miss!

Smart Home Update: New Additions and Lessons Learned

Last month, I shared my plan to slowly transform my home into a smart home. While I haven't started documenting the journey on my YouTube channel as planned, the progress has been steady—and it's been an exciting experience so far.

Beyond my Xiaomi Air Purifier, I’ve now added 5 new smart devices: the Mi Motion-Activated Night Light 2 and 4 BNetA Smart WiFi LED Bulbs. Here’s how they’ve been working out.

A Smarter Bathroom Experience

The Mi Motion-Activated Night Light 2 is a small, battery-powered light with Bluetooth, a light sensor, and a motion sensor. I placed it in the bathroom, and it’s been a game-changer.

At night, as soon as you walk in, the light turns on automatically. What I love most is that it’s not too bright, just enough to guide you without fully waking you from your sleep. And the best part? It has the coveted spousal approval! That alone makes it a worthy addition.

Smart Lights That Listen (Mostly)

The second addition to my setup is a pack of 4 BNetA Smart WiFi LED Bulbs. Setting them up was straightforward using the BNet IoT app, which allowed me to connect them to Google Home.

With Google Gemini’s latest update, I can now control the lights using just my voice—whether it’s turning them on/off, changing colors, or scheduling them to turn on at specific times. And let me tell you, there’s something satisfying about saying, "Turn the lights red at 6 PM," and seeing it just happen.

One Small Glitch…

While everything has been smooth, there's one annoying issue: sometimes, the smart lights randomly turn on in the middle of the night. No warning, no command—just boom, bright light at 2 AM (I figured out this glitch).

Now, this is where my spousal approval is in danger—because if this keeps happening, having smart lights in every room might be off the table. I need to figure out whether it's a software issue, a network hiccup, or just some ghost playing tricks on me.

Final Thoughts

So far, my smart home journey is progressing well. The motion-activated night light is a definite win, and while the smart bulbs are impressive, they come with minor quirks. The next step is to troubleshoot the random light activation before expanding the setup further.

Have you had any unexpected smart home issues? Let’s talk in the comments!

Weekly Take: Tech, Scrum & A Bit of Chaos

Last week was a rollercoaster, but overall, it was a great one—except for the fact that my phone’s screen decided to glitch from Sunday to Wednesday night. But hey, technology has a way of humbling us, right?

Talking Scrum & Fielding Questions

One of the highlights of my week was finally getting to chat with my colleagues about my learning journey since the year began. If you’ve been following along, you know I’ve been diving deep into Scrum. First, I completed the Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) certification, and now, I’ve just wrapped up my Certified Scrum Master (CSM) certification.

The best part? I got to answer questions about what a Scrum Team looks like, what each role entails, and how everything comes together. It felt great to take the floor and share what I’ve learned—no hesitation, no second-guessing, just pure knowledge-sharing.

And the journey doesn’t stop here—I’m now preparing for the Advanced Scrum Master certification. The deeper I go into Agile and Scrum, the more I realize how much there is to learn, and I’m excited to level up even further.

Tech Highlights: AI Madness & Corporate Chess Moves

On the tech front, I’ve been playing around with ChatGPT’s new animation creator, and I have to say—it's impressive! Like everyone else, I jumped on the trend and transformed myself into a Studio Ghibli-style animation. Then, for fun, I also tried the LEGO-style version. The results? Pure magic. Now, let’s just hope OpenAI doesn’t get sued by these companies for stepping into their creative territories.

Speaking of weird things happening in tech—Elon Musk pulled a strange move by selling X (formerly Twitter) to his own company, xAI. Honestly, I’m still trying to figure out what the endgame is here. To me, it just looks like he reshuffled his deck, but who knows? Maybe he has a bigger strategy in mind.

Google’s Surprise AI Drop

Another big moment last week was Google’s launch of their newest AI model, which, if I remember correctly, has "2.5" in the name. They’re calling it their most advanced AI yet, and here’s the shocker—they released it to everyone for free. I genuinely expected them to give premium users early access for a month or two before rolling it out to the general public, but nope—surprise, surprise—Google had other plans.

Fixing the Phantom Light Bug

On the home automation front, I finally figured out why my lights kept turning on in the middle of the night. Turns out, it was a turned on something I didn't understand when setting up and after some troubleshooting, I finally fixed it. No more random midnight wake-up calls from overly enthusiastic lights!

Wrapping Up

So, that was my week—a mix of Scrum, AI experiments, fixing smart home bugs, and some questionable corporate decisions. This is the first of my weekly takes on everything happening around me, and I hope you enjoy the ride. Let’s keep the conversation going—what stood out for you last week? Drop a comment and let’s chat!