The End of The F***ing World is a television adaptation of the comic book, The End of The Fucking World. It was released on Netflix worldwide on 5 January 2018. I'm usually not a fan of Westerm dramas (I prefer reading or watching Taiwanese movies) but The End of the F***ing World's dark humour caught my attention. What do you know? I finished all eight episodes in one sitting.


It’s a bit of an aged-old story now: boy who doesn’t understand feelings, therefore, doesn’t believe in love meets free-spirited girl. They fall in love until tragedy strikes. Nicknamed modern day Bonnie and Clyde, The End of The F***ing World takes things up a notch with James notoriously proclaims his fantasy of murdering someone, namely Alyssa, the girl with an uncensored mouth.


I love The End of The F***ing World! I announced it on Instagram immediately after finishing The End of The F***ing World's season finale and persuaded all my friends to watch it. In fact, I love it with such a burning passion, I'm writing an entire post about what I love about The End of The F***ing World, and already wrote another on my favourite quotes from Alyssa and James.

A few quotes from the newest Netflix release, The End of the F***ing World, reminded me of you. Us. The aberrant yet remarkable feeling we shared that left me curious and cautious, all at the same time. Like Alyssa and James, who each had their own reasons for their actions — perhaps selfish, but definitely genuine. Maybe some would even see them as cries for help.

Episode 1

Alyssa: I get these moments when I have to lie down because everything feels sort of too much. And I look up and see the blue, or the grey, or the black, and I feel myself melting into it. And, for like a split second, I feel free and happy.

—

Alyssa: I'm not saying he's the answer, but he's something.

—

Alyssa: I kind of think I could fall in love with him.

Episode 2

Alyssa: I’m bad at apologising to people, but sometimes I know I should.

—

James: Sometimes I just... Let things happen. Even though I don't want them to. I'm not sure why.

—

Alyssa: Do you want me? What? Do you want me, or do you just go along with things?
James: I want you.

Episode 3

Alyssa: Sometimes James feels like a boy I could love. Like really love. Then other times he feels like a total fucking stranger.

—


James: As a rule, I didn't dance. But it was hard to say no to Alyssa.

—

Alyssa: I thought you said you wanted me.
James: I did.
Alyssa: Liar.
James: I tended not to feel things. For a long time, I was good at it. Good at feeling absolutely nothing. I didn't even have to try. I just, didn't.

—

Alyssa: The world is fucking bleak. I guess I try and do things to forget that it is. Keep busy, keep blind. I thought that's what me and James were doing.

—


James: Being with Alyssa had started to make me feel things. She made me feel things. And I didn't like it at all.

—

James: When her eyes were closed, Alyssa looked a lot less angry.

Episode 4

Alyssa: It's strange. A lot of the time you don't register the important moments in your life as they happen. You only see that they were important when you look back.

—

James: I realised that she was scared of me. That felt kind of unfair. I'd been her protector.

—


James: That was the day I learned that silence is really loud. Deafening. I think maybe my dad spent his whole life trying to avoid silence. When you have silence, it's hard to keep stuff out. It's all there, and you can't get rid of it. I used to be able to get rid of things, banish them. But I knew after that day, it wouldn't be so easy anymore.

—

James: I was never Alyssa's protector. She was mine.

Episode 5

James: I knew she was probably long gone but it seemed important to try.

—

Alyssa: He saved me and I left him. I'm never going to see him again and it's my fault.

Episode 6

James: As the hours passed, I realised that I felt different. Sort of new. She'd come back for me. We were really doing something, going somewhere, and it felt good.

—

Alyssa: His trust in us is kind of heartbreaking But what are you going to do?

—

Alyssa: I think I'm starting to feel a bit more like myself. Sometimes I think I feel more like myself with James than I do on my own.

—

Alyssa: Sometimes you realise you've had a thing keeping you going that might be a lie. When you actually really understand that, 'that the whole thing might have been a lie the whole time, it's like you swallowed a stone.

Episode 7

Alyssa: So what do you think of him?
James: (Sometimes it was important to lie.) Yeah, he's all right.
Alyssa: All right?
James: All right like good.
Alyssa: You don't get it.

—

James: Alyssa felt far away from me. It was like we'd gone back.

—


James: I can't do it
Alyssa: Are you crying?
James: No.

Episode 8

Alyssa: Normally, I always kiss him first.

—

James: Are you OK?
Alyssa: Can I say something? Can we wait? Just for a bit. Like, I don't know, for a few days. Is that OK?
James: Yeah, of course.
Alyssa: I think it is OK. We've got, like, our whole lives.

—


Alyssa: It's like we're on the edge of the world. Like we're safe. Only, we're not.

—

Alyssa: It's much easier to think someone's the answer if you haven't seen them for years. Because they're not really real. People can't be answers. They're just more questions.

—

Alyssa: I love him so much.

"Returning to where dreams began"

Caught Take Me to The Moon a few days ago, on my birthday. It's obvious by now that I love everything Taiwanese so watching Take Me to The Moon was naturally a requisite on my birthday. If I can't travel to Taiwan, then I'll bring Taiwan to me. I won't drieve too much into the movie yet because I want to keep the movie review for another day but Take Me to The Moon spoke to me.


For those unaware, my decision to quit my job and go back to studying for a degree full-time was heavily influenced by my love for Taiwan. I wanted to work in Taiwan but in a country with more than 5 million degree holders, it was difficult to secure an interview with just a diploma. Without a degree, even when I got a job offer, it was near to impossible to negotiate for better pay.

I used to be an advocate of following your dreams. I was so sure that I could do anything as long as I put my heart into it. I believed unless your dreams scare you, they're not considered dreams. I didn't care if relearning Chinese was going to be tough or that chances are slim, I was bent on furthering my studies for a remote possibility of working in Taiwan after graduation.

As I worked towards relocation, I met many obstacles that eventually waned my enthusiasm. People constantly told me to be realistic. The salary in Taiwan will never be comparable to Singapore's. I won't be able to send money home or live comfortably. I have family and friends in Singapore who love me, I shouldn't leave them behind.

I ended up in the paper chase. I forgot what was I working for. I accepted that my dreams were unrealistic, and I should stay in Singapore to be a filial daughter, a good friend. I stopped speaking of my dreams to move to Taiwan.

Take Me to The Moon reminded me that dreams were never about money — it's about your happiness, and nothing makes me happier than Taiwan. It's not about leaving the people I love behind to start anew. It's about forced independence, getting out of my comfort zone, and me growing as a person. Most importantly, it is about being in a place that comforts me.

Watching Take Me to The Moon felt like I was returning to where my dreams began. I still can be that wide-eyed girl who believes dreams do come true.

Preferring to read a book if I was really interested in a story, I'm not particularly entertained by watching movies — every time I step into the theaters willingly, it's always for a Taiwan movie. I can't explain my attraction to them, but everyone knows I'm pretty damn passionate about my Taiwan movies. I've been counting down to the days At Cafe 6 (六弄咖啡馆) hit the shores of our sunny island, announcing daily in the office that I'm one day closer to catching the movie.


Before my movie, I did a quick google search and every Singaporean blogger who reviewed the movie raved about it so naturally, I was thrilled. Expectation breeds disappointment and I'll start by saying the movie fell flat of my expectations.

Yes, I wept. Not once, not twice, but I wailed for a grand total of FIVE times throughout the movie, yet I'd say that I was disappointed by the movie. A self-proclaimed Taiwan movie addict, let me explain why I walked out of the theater feeling upset by the outcome of the movie.

(Warning: lots of spoilers ahead)