Impadalko

Machado de Assis is, without a doubt, one of the greatest writers of Brazilian literature. While often grouped with the Realist school, Machado is truly sui generis, being a writer ahead of his time. Papéis Avulsos is a great illustration of this with its stories approaching a surrealist aesthetic with a realist approach. Two stories clearly highlight this unique style: “A Sereníssima República” and “Uma Visita de Alcibíades”. The premises of both are absurd: the former about a society of spiders, the latter about the resurrection of an ancient Greek in modern times....

Project Hail Mary was an enjoyable watch. The premise is interesting: aliens do exist and they are an immediate threat to human life, not in an intentional way but due to their life cycle. This feels refreshing as it is still a great narrative conflict without the direct violence often introduced with extraterrestrial life. The strongest part of the movie is Rocky. Their ingenuity, quirky behavior and child-like curiosity make them adorable....

Witch Hat Atelier is an amazing anime constrained by the short duration of its first season. The 13-episode run is not enough to properly develop most characters beyond their basic motivations and leaves the series in a criminal cliffhanger. The season ends at a moment of peak tension, which feels unnatural and is likely a symptom of the rigid episode schedules anime productions face today. It is refreshing to watch an anime in which power is derived from skill rather than innate abilities....

The O Homem Cordial is a collection of essays centered around the eponymous essay that comes from Sergio Buarque de Holanda’s magnum opus Raízes do Brasil. The choice of essays feels disconnected, as the book attempts to be a broad introduction to the author rather than defending a central thesis, which makes the reading experience weaker. The essays themselves are taken from larger books. This has mixed results, as some of them have a clear central thesis, such as O Poder Pessoal, but others are open-ended and less focused, such as Experiência e Fantasia....

Finished: 2026/07/19 ...