#// I was so skeptical of the CGI at first but honestly?

[wendyfulmother]

I TOOK SCREENSHOTS OF THE VIDEO I FOUND ON INSTA AND

MY BABIES MY BABIES MY BABIES

[bodegadulac]

What did you think of the first phase of the WCU?

Hmmm, you know what. I'm reviewing it.

First of all Dragon from 2008, the movie that started it all.

I liked:

●Seeing her origin, how newfoundland fell and her sheer sense of powerlessness before triggering.

●The evolution from her first crude suit to a more regined dragon armor.

●I liked RDJ as Collin, i was very happed they picked up his stinger for the sequel.

●Teacher was a pretty good villain, hapoy they didn't kill him off.

What i didn't like:

●Gwynnet Paltrow's character was unnecesary, why would dragon need a secretary???

●It doesn't get how to make you feel stakes when the protag is an IA

●Terrence Howard as Rennick is just there, and how they changed the actor in the next film left a sour taste.

7/10

Then you have Lung: Dragon of Kyushu.

What can i say that hasn't been said yet? I was skeptic for them reimagining Lung as a hero but it just works.

I like how it set up Leviathan as the overarching villain of the phase, i like how it has that runaway vibe with Kenta running from the Yangban.

The CGI of his fight against Seven was pasable, and the post credit scene with Zero planning to hunt him down went nowhere. But idc, it was overall pretty good. 9/10

I would have killed for another Lung movie.

The ugly duckling of Phase 1, Dragon 2.

I honestly liked it more than the first one, Saint and the dragon slayers are an actual threat that works.

Dragons own issues with her nature are explored in a neat way.

I liked the teacher plot twist at the end, that he had been manipulating saint.

And please tell me the scene of Dragon and Armsmaster killing the Dragonslayers didn't fuck.

8/10, fun watch.

Theo my beloved. Golem fucked so much man.

A coming of age story about a young man leaving his nazi family behind.

It kind of gets completely interrumpted by the Slaughterhouse nine tbh.

Like i get you are building up a cinematic universe but having some guy show up, say "i will come back on a couple years and kill everybody and thats on you" and fuck off wasn't terribly great.

But the final fight against Hookwolf as a middlepoint between the nazi family subplot and the slaughterhouse 9 subplot worked.

6/10

I don't like flashback movies in big cinematic universes. Sometimes they feel like they don't mean a thing on the long term because most characters are dead so they won't affect that comes later.

Miss Millitia: the first ward shutted me up.

Hanah is a fucking great protagonist, all of the first wards are great.

I loved her bromance with mouse protector, i cried when she died.

What the fuck is Hugo Weaving playing Allfather????

Overall i feel like this is the best out of the Phase.

10/10

It all came to it. Protectorate from 2012.

Leviathan was pretty built up from Lung and Dragon so it felt like it worked. Jack felt pretty tacked on tbh.

I like how it sets up Scion as this cameo total force of good that can't affect the plot. Wonder what they will do with him.

I didn't like that Collin set a fucking nuke towards new york. I hope there are consecuences for this in the future.

Liked how director Armstrong got to assemble the tram through the movies.

I don't know how to feel about Blue Flechette, apparently her first costume in the comics was like that? Idk.

Scarlett Johansen as Queen aka Emily Piggot from the PRT was cool.

Honestly that what Protectorate is. Cool.

Even if that bastard Jack escaped at the end of the movie.

8/10

[renshengs]

Hi!! I see you post occasionally about cdramas. I went to China this summer and I learned a little Mandarin (like enough to say, “I don’t speak good Mandarin.”) Would I be able to muddle through cdramas with captions? (Also any suggestions on which ones to watch and where to watch them?). Thanks so much <3

ooh i hope you had lots of fun there! with subtitles i think you could absolutely make it through most cdramas; it depends on how good the subs are, honestly, because alas translating mandarin chinese to english (or any latin-based language, for that matter) is i think one of the most difficult language translations possible because the chinese language is just so rife with chengyu (idioms).

as for recs, i do have a handful i watched recently enough that i feel more confident in trusting my own taste LOL. i almost exclusively watch historical dramas, so these are definitely going to be very skewed to my personal preferences.

also, this will be long because i love my cdramas. bear with me!

word of honor/山河令 (2021)

episodes: 36

genre: wuxia (chinese martial arts fantasy; think of crouching tiger hidden dragon), dangai (cdrama adapted from a chinese gay romance novel), adventure, political intrigue

arguably the most explicitly gay cdrama that's come out in the last decade despite censorship issues in chinese tv broadcasting

a lonely ex-assassin retires and begins a slow 1-year suicide by poison, but his death plan is interrupted by a flirtatious (& dangerous) man with a mysterious background + a newly orphaned kid he accidentally becomes responsible for. cue politics and drama!

if you don't mind dealing with low-budget CGI—though the show is so immersive it hardly makes a difference—the story features: fascinating & subversive themes about life & morality, a well-written cast of bloodthirsty women, an incredibly charming found family, and an absolutely fantastic, dramatic, devoted slow burn between the two male leads

if you prefer more mature romance—lots of flirting & sexual tension between two highly intelligent & capable men who are 1) attracted to each other from the get-go 2) constantly trying to outmaneuver each other & figure each other out... this is the one!

if it means anything, i am recommending this one first because it's my all-time favorite cdrama! especially if you are queer like me :)

you can watch it subtitled on netflix or fully free & subtitled in HD on the official youku youtube channel

the double/墨雨云间 (2024)

episodes: 40

genre: historical, romance, political intrigue

if you too are tired of stories about shallow, badly-written girlbosses with no dimension... this is the show for you!

protagonist is a happy woman who gets framed for adultery & buried alive by her husband—she survives and returns to enact revenge upon those who hurt her & her loved ones by assuming the identity of the young woman who died saving her. she makes many enemies and allies along the way + catches the attention of the emperor's notoriously cold & keen-eyed right hand man, duke su, who eventually becomes her very supportive love interest <3

high stakes & a plot that makes you hold your breath, GORGEOUS cinematography

a long list of complex and important female characters, most of them nasty and corrupt, all of them sympathetic and interesting. the show is good at making you assume at first that their characters won't be done justice, but just wait :)

from your resident het romance skeptic: excellent dynamic! protagonist and her duke are both confident, calculating schemers always trying to outsmart each other, but eventually join hands against common enemies. extremely slow burn with lots of tension and a refreshing lack of miscommunication

you can watch with subtitles on netflix, youku, and definitely some p/racy sites for east asian dramas

mysterious lotus casebook/莲花楼 (2023)

episodes: 40

genre: wuxia, adventure, mystery

a heroic & famous swordsman suffers a defeat at the hands of his nemesis and vanishes and is widely presumed dead. timeskip a decade, he's been living in disguise as a doctor to escape the burden of his identity when the past he's been hiding from starts to catch up to him when he scams a talented & stubborn young swordsman whose past is connected to his

if you like sly 30 yr old protagonists, identity shenanigans, & mystery-solving with gay polycule undertones, this is the one for you!

as for potential shipping: if you like age gap stuff and/or devoted puppyboys and/or "A has idolized B (adult) since they were a child; now A is grown-up and wants to protect B" trope. OR if you like 30 yr old nemeses who act divorced. the 3 main guys all have chemistry; pick and choose your ship at will!

to save text, last year i made a passionate powerpoint post explaining the whole show, spoiler-free, in more detail!

you can watch it with subtitles on iqiyi for free or on aforementioned [redacted] sites

love between fairy and devil/苍兰诀 (2022)

episodes: 36

genre: romance, xianxia (chinese high fantasy), adventure

high budget CGI? in MY cdrama? it's more likely than you think!

please ignore the horrendous english title. a translation of the original chinese would be "the parting/goodbye of canglan", canglan being the main characters. the story is tragic but ends happily!

on the surface appears like an old-fashioned good girl x bad boy love story, but is far more emotionally interesting & 100% deserving of its sheer popularity

brave & kindhearted low-ranking 1,500 yr old orchid fairy spirit accidentally soulbonds with a 30,000 yr old demon lord war prisoner who just happens to be the nemesis of her realm, except she reaps all the benefits and he just suffers (hilariously)

very star-crossed, VERY funny bodyswapping, & with far more heart and consistency than many people assume. the romance is difficult in ways that make sense! genuinely thought my picky ass would not be charmed by this show and found myself fully crying by episode 8

oh, and gloriously stunning costuming. everyone looks good, all the time, even when they're covered in blood <3

if you're interested, here is the powerpoint post that convinced me!

you can watch with subtitles on netflix, or iqiyi & viki for free!

a journey to love/一念关山 (2023)

episodes: 40

genre: historical, romance, adventure, political intrigue

also female-centric! an infamous and deeply complex assassin protagonist hellbent on revenge against the people who framed her finds herself making a deal to train a timid princess into becoming a political force of nature, ft. her supportive and equally capable male love interest, his group of incredibly lovable and memorable best bros, a gorgeous cutthroat young marquis with an oedipus complex & a complicated backstory (who absolutely steals the show whenever he shows up), & a headstrong tomboy princess with a sweet and loyal heart

a fast-paced plot that never drags + excellent soundtrack + incredible action scenes + a genuinely convincing crossdressing plot where the female character actually passes as a man

unreasonably funny considering the political drama. i truly cannot understate how Fun this was to watch, especially if you like deadly domineering women who are badly socialized and hilarious, and female characters establishing positive and meaningful bonds with each other.

if you've never watched a cdrama, i will warn that most of them Do Not Pull Their Punches when it comes to making viewers cry. this one has shakespearian tragedy levels of death, including of major characters

you can watch with subtitles on iqiyi, and i'm sure some [redacted] sites also

hoping this list can be of help to you, anon! i cannot state how happy it makes me to see anyone express an interest in watching cdramas. i grew up on them, their long dramatic storylines and star-crossed romances, and they shaped my taste in fiction in more ways than i can say. if at any point you get around to watching any of these, feel free to yell in my inbox about it, and most importantly have fun and enjoy! <3

[themosleyreview]

The Mosley Review: Late Night with the Devil

The easiest and sometimes over saturated genre of horror is the supernatural. Specifically, dealings in the occult, religious themes and the occasional demonic possession arc of a story can be fun, if its with a fresh take. Honestly, I believe every year there is at least 4 different possession films alone and they all are sourced back to the church one way or another. Every once in a while, you get a possession story that has a unique twist on the genre. This film takes not only the psychological road, but also the skepticism and illusionary work and I loved every second of it. The documentary / found footage element truly works in its favor in keeping you immersed in the story and the characters in a way that was refreshing and exciting. Its a small and contained story that felt more like a stage play at times than an episode of a late night talk show which also is a major plus.

David Dastmalchian is one of the most underappreciated character actors working in Hollywood and as Jack Delroy, the host of Night Owls with Jack Delroy, he shows that he can most definitely hold your attention as a leading man. The emotional depths he takes Jack on in some of the most subtle ways in his eyes was magical. Jack was definitely the classic portrayal of ambition and selfishness that overtakes his care for those he calls friends. I was absolutely enthralled with his performance and I can't stress enough how amazing he is. Rhys Auteri was fantastic and heartwarming as his sidekick, Gus McConnell. The two of them are your classic duo of host and comedic relief, but you get a deeper look into their friendship and I loved how he was the voice of reason in many scenes. Gus gets a moment that was visually grotesque and awesome in practicality. Josh Quong Tart was perfect as their greedy and intense producer Leo Fiske. Fayssal Bazzi was great and fun as a the first psychic guest Christou. I liked that through him, we see the level of skepticism in motion and the first taste of the paranormal that may or may not have happened. Ian Bliss was truly one of the biggest standouts and a great antagonist as the magician turned skeptic, Carmichael the Conjurer. Even though he was such a condescending and sometimes obnoxious guest, he had truly great arguments. He had the juiciest dialogue in the film as well. Laura Gordon was excellent as the parapsychologist and author, Dr. June Ross-Mitchell. Her connection to her patient was never understated and it was tense with every warning she gave about how unstable things could get. Ingrid Torelli was outstanding as her patient Lilly D'Abo. There are so many layers to her performance and the many visual tricks that are displayed on and around her. Once she becomes possessed, she gives a great physical performance even if its a bit brief. The amount of time used in her demonic state was well utilized and I liked that even when she wasn't under control of the other being, there was a sense of something clawing at the surface of her mind.

The score by Glenn Richards and Roscoe James Irwin was excellent and I loved the theme of the talk show and how much of an earworm it became for me. The use of silence is well used to punctuate the level of terror and eerie visuals. There are so many subtle touches visually happening at all times and one of my favorites happens once Lilly arrives. The cinematography was outstanding and I loved that the aspect ratio was correct for the time period and how the backstage footage was captured in black and white. It was a great breathing point for the narrative and the characters. The cgi effects that happen in the last bit of film sort of ruined the magic a bit and I wished that was more subtle in execution. With a genre that is overly saturated with the same type of story, this film truly takes a trip down an untapped avenue of the supernatural horror spectrum and it was a welcomed one. This was something truly special. Let me know what you thought of the film or my review in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

[highfantasy-soul]

Re: Netflix's live-action Avatar the Last Airbender

I was 12 when the animated series started airing.

I caught episodes as they came on Nickelodeon, but I didn’t watch it religiously start-to-finish. I caught episodes when they happened to be on and I happened to be watching TV (I was NOT part of the generation that had unlimited access to shows - tv/computer/video game time was strictly monitored in my household) so there were some episodes I saw over and over again, and others I never did see.

I think it was around middle/high school (honestly can't remember - it was one of the two) that the show got put on Netflix and I started watching it from the beginning with my brother and some friends. Needless to say, I've been a die-hard fan ever since.

I think the animated show is incredibly well done and the storytelling is super on-point for what I love in media. Zuko's redemption arc is still the best arc I've ever seen, and the character growth is amazing.

I had never really fallen into the 'it's not perfect, but…' way of analyzing media, so I never dwelt too much on its flaws - I'd much rather focus on the things it got right as literally every piece of media has flaws and things that could be changed to make it better.

So yeah, hyperbolically, the animated version of ATLA is 'perfect' - but since people insist on anything that's not perfect being drug through the mud and hyperbolically being called 'garbage', I guess I have to dredge up the things I didn't care so much for in the animated version while analyzing how the live-action handled it (or avoided handling it).

I was super excited for the film adaptation - again, announced while I was in high school. I was looking forward to it so much - then, well, we know what happened there.

Things were changed that didn't make sense to change (the pronunciation of character names, the 'test' for figuring out who the Avatar is, the poor bending where movements didn't align to what was happening with the CGI, casting of white people when the characters were always meant to be indigenous and all asian ethnicities, among other issues people have made many essays about)

So, when this was first announced, I was SKEPTICAL.

While the trailer looked good, it seemed very safe - I recognized everything in it and it looked well made, but like, that doesn't mean the whole thing will be good - or justify its existence.

I tried to ignore any 'leaks' or interview quotes because those are always misconstrued so much and people hear one sentence and create a massive narrative in their head about what that sentence means and usually, all their bellyaching assumptions they made from that piece of info is just a non-issue once the show actually comes out.

I didn't give any credence to people screaming about "Sokka isn't going to be sexist anymore?? It's ruined!!" or "They're going for a Game of Thrones tone?? They don't understand Avatar at all!!" or "No side-quests?? They don't understand the point of the show!!"

First off, invoking the demon that is Game of Thrones is just a marketing tactic - that's all it is: MARKETING!! Just like EVERY YA book for years was 'The new Hunger Games' now it's 'The new Game of Thrones' even when the story at hand is NOTHING AT ALL LIKE THOSE THINGS!! It's literally, let me cradle your face gently in my hands, JUST a marketing ploy to get you to see a recent title you DO recognize and have (assumedly) heard good things about (ie popular) so that you then pick up the thing that they slapped that name onto.

Creators rarely have say in what their creation is likened to, they're told by marketing companies to go with it (if they're told anything at all) and they just say "yes, marketing team I have no control over, whatever you say".

Also, a passing comment in an interview is off-the cuff and when someone makes a comment like that, people read WAY too far into it and it's usually not nearly as deep as people make it out to be. That's why I just wait for the actual thing to come out and just watch it and judge it based on what it is, not some narrative someone else has created for it based on half a quote from some random interview.

So going into this: why the live-action adaptation? Why was it necessary?

In my opinion, the answer to this question is the thing many fans hate the most: altering the original story.

A beat-for-beat remake isn't necessary - the original is right there, so in order to 'earn' the right for this adaptation to exist, that necessitates changes to be made that add to the themes, deepen the lore, and delve into different aspects of the world in ways a child's cartoon can't.

So, I'm looking for not a 1-1 remake, but rather an adaptation that enhances the themes, irons out some uneven characterization/pacing, updates the story just enough to really get what they want to across, and delve more directly into some of the harsher aspects of the war.

I have always felt that Iroh's involvement in the Fire Nation military was glossed over a lot in the cartoon - I suspect because he's supposed to be a good guy and we can't have our good guys be overtly war criminals responsible for the deaths of thousands of people.

The effects of hard decisions made during war are shown in the animation, but the decision making process itself is rarely talked about until the very end with the gaang's struggle to keep helping people while also knowing where to focus their energy and Aang's struggle finding a way to stop the firelord without killing him.

something this adaptation can do is actually show the people making the decisions - and directly talking about the horrible effects of it. I'll get to it later, but that's one of the major themes in Episode 4 that I'll talk more on then.

Especially in Book 1, like many first books/seasons, the worldbuilding isn't fully fleshed out and the themes that really come to fruition later aren't as tight as they could be at the beginning. If the adaptation can go ahead and seed/tighten the themes that become big deals later on here at the beginning, it will 'justify' it's existence as the story retold after the whole story has already been plotted out.

Just like with the Percy Jackson and Wheel of Time adaptation, those writing for the show have the benefit of knowing how the story ends and all the stuff that's added to the world building as time goes on that wasn't necessarily known by the authors when they wrote and published the first books - the benefit of hindsight allows the show's script to take into consideration these additions and seed them early on to make the story more cohesive and reinforce themes.

So, this analysis is going to be long and filled with minute details, beat by beat for the episodes.

I have seen so many takes that I just sit and scratch my head at and think 'that was so obvious in the show - how did you miss/misinterpret that thing so wildly?' that I guess what I took for granted as obvious in the show, others didn't, so here's me being pedantic and over-explaining everything so maybe others can see that 1) they aren't the only ones who saw this interpretation and 2) maybe others will see the scenes a different way

Still trying to decide how to break up the analysis as the episode recaps are going to be LONG and since people now demand to see all the citations for stuff, the character analysis posts will be long too as I pull direct scenes to show why I feel the way I do.

I don't want to overload the posts and make it so they're just annoying to read, so I'll probably break them up into the sections of the episodes and maybe break up the character posts.

[Masterlist of my NATLA thoughts]

[damselflyhill]

Jadyn started watching:

WOLFBLOOD

Teen show | Drama | 2012

So I've always been interested in niche teen shows and when I saw the intro to wolfsblood I knew it would be the show for me. Like the title implies, I've just started watching the first few episodes with no prior refrence or knowledge, so here are my thoughts so far.

Things I enjoyed:

The teenagers feel like teenagers. Finally a show that doesn't treat kids like adults ( or hires adult actors to play kids). While some of the actors look older than 14, how they express themselves and the conflicts the episodes present are very relatable to experiences I've had when I was at that age. I really wish that could jump back in time and give my younger self a chance to watch this show. My animal jam obsessed self would have loved this to bits.

The cgi is honestly not that bad for a show made in 2012. It's clever to only have them transform at dusk or night, I doubt the animated wolves would look good all lit up. The 2010s of it all is so nostalgic, the fashion choices and the animation really takes me back.

Things I disliked:

One word: SHANNON. I honestly don't understand why the writers decided to make her so unlikable. Yes the plot needs to be moved into the "werewolf revealed" episode but why would you make her compromise her friendship with Maddie in order for her to what? Prove that's she's the beast? It's one thing to be skeptical about how ur friend is acting, it's another to go completely behind her back, spy on her, steal her blood etc. How is she still considered a friend when all she does is try to manipulative Maddie into telling her the potentially life threatening truth? It's so difficult to watch how Maddie gets treated like a science project, while Shannon never has to deal with any consequences.

The first season is doing a good job developing the characters, their motivations etc. But I have the feeling that many of these classmate side characters are going to fade into the background once more wolfbloods get involved. This is just a theory though since I haven't even gotten that far yet but I'd be a bit sad if my guess is right.

Overall if you love cheesy camp pre-teen/teen media like Twilight or Warriors then I would recommend it. Follow for live updates about wolfblood and other media I'm consuming currently. If you have any recs for me lmk!

[nijigasakilove]

Date a Live V what a ride you were. The best this franchise has ever been and I’m so sad it’s over, but that was a beautiful finale that was narratively and thematically satisfying. Tears were shed at the end. Mio, you can finally be with your beloved ❤️

Congrats to everyone who came together to make this season happen. Could feel the love and passion that the studio and staff put into this. Was skeptical about wrapping everything up in one episode, but this had it all!

Starting off in Mio’s pocket dimension, the idea of Shido and Shin going Rizz for Rizz for Mio had me laughing so hard lmao. I was happy Shin actually told her he wanted her to move on and be happy and see new things. As I been saying after the last few eps, no way he’d want her continuing on this path, and having that verbalised had to feel like a tremendous weight off her shoulders.

Of course here come this loser Westcott ruining a great moment with yet another diabolical magic experiment gone wrong. At least that gave us a chance to see all the girls fighting together for the first time this season, even Nia back in the fight! Wish it wasn’t all cgi but oh well.

Mio’s sacrifice broke me man, but at the same time it’s thematically consistent. Mio started the episode by saying “Perhaps I truly did want to die this whole time” it’s no way she could ever let go of shin, so it’s fitting she saves Shido’s world and gets her reunion with her first love finally.

“You finally got to see Shin” 😭not a dry eye in the show or watching. Just beautiful, man.

That ending looked conclusive, but there’s still more to the story so I’m not sure. Honestly feels so good I almost want it left there because I’m not sure if the actual ending will be as good lol. Date a Live is kind of the last of a dying breed of that early 2000s/2010s urban fantasy genre. Strike the blood, Mahouka, Toaru, etc. :/ fun ride tho

review

Edit: oh yea, they tried pulling that Westcott sympathy shit at the end. Nah fuck him lmao

[writing-fanics]

The Flash Review 2023 / Let Me Say

Never done a review on a movie before on here but here’s mine.

So the The Flash has been in development hell for decades, multiple directors delays. Set backs and other things. Was supposed to come out in 2018 but didn’t. Multiple, controversies and reshoots.

Firstly, Ezra Miller before their controversy I’ll admit I’ve had a crush on them. Especially, when I saw them in Fantastic Beasts as Credence Barebone/Aurelius Dumbledore and then when I saw them as Barry Allen in The Justice League. I was absolutely in love.

I was a middle school teenager around, 14. and was mostly crushing on fictional characters and reading Killing Stalking. I still continued to crush on their characters and the actor themselves, and I still do on the characters not the actor..

don’t get me wrong I love some of Ezra’s work which is fine in my opinion. I’ve really only seen them in, Fantastic Beasts and The Flash. I haven’t seen Perks of Being a Wallflower yet which I’ll definitely watch eventually.

I understand, not wanting to see The Flash because of their controversy and the things they’ve done.

But… I will say that his performance as Barry Allen. Is very enjoyable and funny and goofy, what I expect from a character like the Flash. I mostly grew up liking Batman but Ezra’s Flash I immediately fell in love with I’m the past movies

Again, I understand not wanting to see the film because of Ezra. Which is totally up to you even I was skeptical of seeing it. But I went with my gut and decided to see a film I’ve been excited about since I was like 15 years old.

Actually Talking about the Movie Now

SPOILERS

So, I waited five years for this and the opening was great the first act amazing. I love that he needs to basically eat food or he basically isn’t at full strength. That aspect I love. The CGI…

The CGI babies reminded me of Renesmee, and the director said it’s because we’re seeing it from Flash’s perspective and since he’s fast. He sees things differently and it’s distorted. Him saving, the babies from the hospital goofy as fuck..

But I couldn’t stop laughing.. Elephant in the room, him putting the baby into the microwave.. I audible laughed in theater and was “like no fucking way he just put dat baby in a microwave, like it’s a some breakfast burrito.” the guy next to me laughed when I said that

when he went for the vending machine instead of the baby.. I laughed the dog slowly falling I laughed. I love the interactions between Bruce and Barry, Barry and Iris left more to be desired honestly. Since last we saw her was in a slow mo in Snyder Cut. (which also was pretty decent but could’ve been shorter if not for the slow mo)

Flash is knocked into the next dimension by evil lookin dude

in all a or one gets a 7/10

Act Two.. Eric Stoltz is Marty Mcfly

Barry going back in time was cool, I loved how they interpreted him going back in time. That was cool seeing all the things that happened was amazing.

Young Barry, is fucking annoying but honestly he stole my heart. Like legit he’s goofy as fuck and honestly I’d probs have a crush on him if I went to the same school as him. His introduction is hilarious, and how Future!Barry tackled him to the ground I laughed. Past!Barry life though is just….

Their interactions were just goofy and hilarious, and also they honestly kinda had that older brother and little brother thing going on in my opinion. Which also added to me liking their interactions and little quips.

Barry, losing his powers and just doing that goofy run everyone dunks on is just hilarious. I couldn’t stop laughing. Also, I had no idea who the fuck Eric Stoltz was.. and I was like Barry really just ruined back to the future by going back in time.

Also, even tho I hate Aquaman the fact he’s a dog in this universe. Omg..

Also the younger flash had me cracking up more.. the scene when he ran back into the apartment naked with a music instrument covering his parts. And slowly shuffled away I laughed.

seeing Micheal Keaton, I was so happy cause I absolutely adore Tim Burton’s Batman films. Especially, the sequel I love Catwoman in that one Omg!

Seeing him again, firstly as a disheveled man with th Gandalf beard I was like yo did batman? But seeing him in da suit. Brought back memories.. watching it for the first time on dvd when my mom bought it while at Walmart for me.

Kara, she was good I prefer her over Superman. Cause, gonna say it now.. I didn’t like Man of Steel. It was boring and I didn’t understand it cause of the constant flashbacks it got confusing. For little me.

But Amy Adams was in it so.. I was like ooh Giselle.

But I did get excited seeing Zod, idk why again I didn’t enjoy Man of Steel. But my stupid little ass liked Justice League it’s a guilty pleasure now but I was 14 when it came out soo. But I’m not surprised cause I also liked Batman V Superman and the Suicide Squad not The Suicide Squad (2021) < this one I love the first one no

Back to the Flash, I wish she was in the movie longer tho. When Barry saved her in the Russian base.. and said I got you and she repeated it back to him.. my heart..

also phasing the molecule scene I was like ‘He’s molecules got all rearrange’

6.5/10

Act Three…. zod kills babies now also bat nipples

so…we find out what happened to baby Superman.. Zod killed him when trying to find the key to remake Krypton.. yeah.. fuk Zod.

them preparing for battle was cool to watch but this act, also was the slowest. my mind started to wonder off about flash fanfiction I’ve read (on ezra’s flash before the controversy might I add).. then I went back to the movie.

so.. everything goes to shit real fast Batman dies. Kara dies. And both Barry try to fix it. and eventually older Barry realizes they can’t.

but the younger one who hasn’t seen lost, and is immature. Keeps trying, and I love how his suit gets darker and darker each time he travels back more and more sharp stuff starts appearing and eventually it’s revealed the guy that kicked flash at the beginning is Dark Flash.

which I figured out once I saw the stuff appearing on, younger flash. I’m all younger flash dies and dark flash ceases to exist.

Barry goes back and quickly disguised himself, and takes the cam of tomatoes his past self put in back onto the shelf not before having one last conversation with his mom. And I honestly teared up a bit. It was so sweet seeing him finally get to say goodbye to his mom.

and her giving him a hug. a twinge of me though she realized it was her son but she didn’t. And it was sweet.

the movie ends with his dad getting acquitted, and a hunted date for Barry and Iris and then fucking George Clooney is revealed as Bruce Wayne but he isn’t

also during one scene we see multiple versions of the Flash and Superman’s, we see the og and the one our parents most likely grew up on which I know has a lot of controversy. We see Adam West Batman. And Nicholas Cage Superman!!

omg I new from the way it looked it was him.

I’d give this act a 4.5/10 was slow

i guess im total the film is a B- it isn’t great but it’s good.

Ezra as the flash is great, i haven’t really gotten into the CW flash show I tried to but I wasn’t feeling it like I was with Gotham.

But from a cinematic stand point, I love Ezra Miller as The Flash. Despite, their controversy their version of the Flash/Barry as honeslty meant a lot to be growing up especially since I’d just moved across the state again from

Washington state to NC leaving behind my friends and a house I loved which I had a little place under the stairs. And my own living room. but since we moved I have none of that no place under the stairs for me to escape to when my adopted siblings get on my nerves.

i have a room but the loft is right next to it, and whenever they’re being loud I can hear it full volume and I wished I had a place under the stairs again.

Yes, Ezra Miller deserves to pay for the actions they’ve done spend some time in jail (even). And not get off with the slap on the wrist. I’m happy they’ve said that they’re getting help I applauded that but I’m still upset by the things they’ve been accused up especially for someone who enjoys the things they’ve been in.

But, I didn’t let that destroy my enjoyment of the film and seeing Barry again I couldn’t be even more happier and honestly my 14 year old self in me was still crushing on Barry disassociating him from the actor that portrays him.

In all..

Ezra Miller, should be held accountable of their actions and spend some jail time. Stay away from the camera a bit and get the help they need, and then and only then we’ll see what happens. Honestly idk this is my mind set I’m sometimes a very forgiving person depending on the circumstances.

I’m a fan of Ezra’s work that won’t change.. since he’s impacted my young teenage years for being in Fantastic Beasts heck I still have the Credence Barebone Lego dimensions thing. And then being as the Flash..

But as of now.. I’m absolutely heartbroken by the things they’ve done.

[I won’t turn off comments on this I will delete any hate towards me or anyone else if needed]

[empty-pizza]

thoughts on nona the ninth john 5:18

You couldn't explain it away. there were no strings or magnets. No illusion of the witch or whatever.

umineko reference

john will never ever be as cool as beatrice though

i'm going to take this as implying that john had canonically read umineko. this enhances the reading experience in a way i'm not sure i can truly explain.

okay hang on. i haven't read a page of this chapter yet but i'm cooking something.

these memories seem like god explaining things to alecto, even if harrowhark is viewing the memories. when would this have occurred? perhaps in the early days after shit got funky. alecto was the first one, wasn't she? and she was a monster in some way.

so why would alecto need all of this explained to her? there are many possible reasons but here's one: whatever magical thing happened to her could be the same magical thing that happened to nona. take some souls, be it gideon's or harrow's or a mix, do something funky, and you get some Weird creature with a brand-new outlook on the world and very little memory.

this is just a random guess of course, but it would be a really cool way of tying the present events to the larger lore. it would narratively connect the fact that we're reading about Nona, in her position, to everything else that was going on at the end of last book.

anyway back to reading.

damn, cytherea was british. explains a lot about her actions in book one.

"We all thought of you right away, what it could mean for you."

i think an earlier chapter also implied something about like, Alecto having been sick or something like that, but i don't think i have the full details yet, so it's okay that i forgot

LMAO they fucking streamed it. i mean honestly, that's perfect. it's one of those things that's really obvious but i've seen a lot of stories shy away from. when like, yeah, you can just show the world you're magic. people will be skeptical at first, claim cgi, but it will get you independently verified, and keeps you public enough that you can't be gotten rid of.

[ghostscrown]

Okay okay okay. So now that I calmed down a little (just a little) let's talk about these first two episodes of pjo (there's gonna be "spoilers" ig, and also it may be a little disorganized lmao) :

I LOVED it.

Starting with the slightly "negative" points... There isn't a lot. My only complains are that it was a little fast paced, but I was expecting it because it's a 8 episode season and they had to make choices to keep the quest being the main part of the season, so the first episode being Percy before he goes to CHB and the second being him to CHB before being claimed by Poseidon makes perfect sense. They really had to make the beginning fast paced and put a lot of exposure for the new fans at the same time, and it was still honestly very well done !

The second (and last) complain I have is Gabe wasn't as abusive as in the book, however we only saw him at the beginning of the story for now, so it's very possible we get flashbacks or character's conversations about it later on or, anyway, we're gonna see how he acts on the news and all, so I'm not that worried about that for now, I think we still gotta wait.

I also know some people are complaining it doesn't take place in the 2000's, but come on guys, Rick said multiple times already the story was supposed to be timeless and was always taking place at the time you read the book so everyone could identify, and that for the same reason, the show was going to take place in current time. It's old news.

Overall, I think the changes made perfect sense to adapt the story ! There was the pjo humor, they adapted it perfectly so it could go from "specific humor of Percy POV" to something you can see even if obviously, live action oblige, this is not an "only Percy telling his own story POV" ; they managed to keep the same vibe, and it was important to me so I'm really happy about it ! All of the changes so far were really in character. Dionysos trying to trick Percy into giving him alcohol was genius exposure to explain "the gods need demigods to do things for them".

I was skeptical when we saw in the trailer that Percy had Riptide for the minotaur fight, but it all makes perfect sense now ! It was also a genius exposure to explain how Riptide always goes back into his pocket, without changing the fight that much !

Percy's lines were all so good ! Walker was really in character ! Actually, all of the actors were incredible ! Annabeth really had that Annabeth vibe even if we still didn't see her that much ! Her interactions with Percy were really good and fun, I can't wait to see them become friends in the next episodes !

Luke was amazing too. Really giving that big brother energy. His betrayal is gonna be heartbreaking, I just know it.

Chiron and Dionysos are just PERFECT. Sally too ! Her scenes with Percy were so emotional.

And Grover ? He was just amazing. Really showing how important his friendship with Percy was. Sally making him swear he'll protect Percy was an amazing scene. I CAN'T WAIT to see how they introduce his trauma with what happened to Thalia after that, I can feel it's gonna be interesting. They removed his fake disability, but I can see why they did that – for the same reason they gave Chiron a prosthetic leg, so his disability isn't just a "disguise". There was nothing like that to add to Grover's story so they just removed the fake disability and I think that's for the better.

They really got into the confused emotions of Percy thinking he was going crazy at the beginning and I love them for that because thinking you hallucinate things like that must be terrifying- It made me empathize with Percy about that even more than in the books, I think that's one of the things added in the show I loved the most.

I'M SO GLAD they seem to have removed the weird "crush" thing between Annabeth and Luke, too. That was a weird part of the books and we all know it. I wanted them to remove it from the show and it seems that it's what they did for now.

The CGI was actually very good ! I was afraid when we saw Riptide going from pen to sword in the trailers because it wasn't what I imagined at all, but it was actually good looking in the show ! Same for the claiming scene !

I feel like these were really the exposure episodes, they were doing their job really well and I can't wait to see the next ones to see the plot diving deeper into the story !

[syncopatedid]

Got gifted by friends to go watch the fan screening of The First Slam Dunk movie and it was the best present ever! I wasn't even a big fan of the series and had forgotten nearly everything about it going in, so I figured it'd be a good time for a refresher, maybe entertaining enough for a solid 8.5/10? But no! Turns out it exceeded my expectations. 10.1/10!! Heck, it was so good that I found myself thinking the movie trumps the movie of my favourite Kuroko no Basket! Whenever Shohoku made a basket score, the whole theatre (all 1500++ fans and 3 storeys strong) erupted in cheers and applause. Team Shohoku was out in full force at the gallery that day! Few thoughts on movie (bit spoilery but not too much):

I was very surprised to discover that Hanamichi was not the main character in this movie! Instead, this story focused on another member of Shohoku and much of the movie is from his POV. A risky (?) but interesting gamble adopted by the creator, no doubt, but one that paid off handsomely. I said (?), because I did wonder if fans of hot favs Hanamichi and Rukawa might be turned off by the idea of having another member take the spotlight, because they may feel it would steal screen time away from their mains. I suspect that is the reason why the marketing of this movie seems to keep the fact that they're going with another member as mc under wraps. The synopsis I have read for this movie used the synopsis for the Vol. 1 manga, which had little to almost no relevance to the actual movie itself other than the fact that Hanamichi is in it (but it's not even his POV this time)! The promo materials too, felt like they were very intentionally not pushing any one member into the spotlight but rather, promoted them as a team. So naturally, I think most would assume Hanamichi would still be the main POV. But! I don't think it's a deal breaker at all, because not only did the POV from someone else other than Hanamichi give a new perspective to what we already know from the manga/anime, it still retains enough presence of the team and key moments with the other members that call back to the source. I mean... my personal fav was "Specs" back in the day, and they practically benched him for the entire movie and I didn't even miss him that much, ahaha. They did kind of sub him in twice? But we don't even get to see him play. :*) Ultimately, it is Shohoku we are watching in the finals, playing the match of their lives. The reason why I loved this movie and why I didn't feel as much for the original is that as a manga it was a product of its times. It was all shonen all the time, meaning the bulk of the story was getting your feels from the adrenaline, testosterone-filled matches. This movie still had a lot of that for sure, but it had something else which I felt the source was never great at -- a deeper, heartfelt dive into the backstories and motivations of an individual. The "otoko no roman" aspect of the story always felt thin and glossed over quickly in favour of it playing out during the matches, as that was how shonen manga were mostly like at the time. In this movie, however, it switches between the moment in the match and flashbacks to the past. Every personal struggle off the court hurts so much more but it just made his and their achievements all that much sweeter. I must have shed tears at least three times in this movie. There is drama, but all the emotions felt warranted and never hit the point where I thought was pandering or excessive.

Speaking of team matches, it would be remiss of me not to mention the animation choice. I was skeptical when I saw the trailer because it seemed like a weird mix of CGI and traditional drawing and I wasn't sure if I'd take to it, but this movie made it work! The CGI motions were all natural-looking enough, yet had this 2D animation feel to it that I honestly can't tell you where the CGI began or ended except there were probably CGI elements somewhere because of the fluidity of certain moves that I feel only CGI can achieve. It felt as if they had rendered all the motions in CGI, then went back and hand-painted over every CGI frame so it looked like a 2D animation before splicing it all back together again. I liked it a lot, and the style blended well and lends an interesting flavour to the look and feel. The camera angles and the way the final match is animated also really felt like you were watching a real-life NBA match from the spectator gallery! I guess the art style of Inoue sensei always bordered more on realism, but it got me thinking yeah, these guys are how real basketball players feel like! Huge gorillas, towering giants AND pretty bad boys. Go big or go home, as they say! It was a most immersive experience. Anyway, please go watch it if you have the chance! I can’t recommend it enough!

[pcrtgasdace]

Thoguhts on the one piece live action? I was skeptical at first but I’m kinda excited now 👀 and who would you like to see cast as the rest of the crew?

I am excited! At first I was skeptical too, long before the cast was announced actually... because the reputation of live action adaptations speaks for itself... But this cast? They've charmed me, honestly. And I think it says a lot that Oda chose them and met them and agreed with the choices.

The cast ifself exceeds such strawhat energy and they are all so genuine and excited!! And you can see them trying not to let the pressure get to them by being optimistic. I mean, they've done their research, they're interactive with the fandom, they're fans themselves and I'm optimistic overall that their acting performances will be well done.

I am not nitpicking about certain changes in character design like the lack of Usopp's ridiculously long nose or Sanji's eyebrow. They look fine as it is. I think people have to realise that when adapting into another medium you can't just do it 1:1... it wouldn't work, it would seem like a cosplay movie that doesn't take itself seriously. Being open for creative changes is the only way to look at a live action and so far I'm actually looking forward to see what they've accomplished. And I can't wait to introduce others to OP this way, especially my dad, lol.

I am not setting my expectations too high, but if the OP LA show can at least be entertaining in it's own right and be a somewhat cringy but still fun watch, I am totally fine with that! I am not expecting a master piece. I just hope they don't squeeze too much into little episodes.

The CGI is something I am not too fond of, regarding the sea dragon mostly, I am sure they could do better, but I thought Luffy's stretching looks just as ridiculous as I imagined! In a good way. Because that's his power! The devil fruit is meant to be crazy and silly! And I think with the shot we've seen it looked fairly decent.

I was impressed that they did the green hair with Zoro, I was actually not sure they'd do it because it's hard to get the right tone in real life and make it not look bad. But they did a good job, honestly. The action sequences we've seen so far also looked promising.

I love that the team and cast are dedicated to be close to the source material as possible, but still take different approaches and do minor changes.

I am so excited about a lot of things actually, seeing little Luffy and SHANKS (Peter Gadiot as Shanks is still a casting I am so so hyped about!). Luffy's and Zoro's meeting and the little girl trying to feed Zoro the rice balls... they've already casted those characters so we will definitely get to see those moments and I am wondering how emotional Arlong Park is going to be - especially the Nami-stabbing scene (if they even do it, but I'd really hope they won't erase this fundamental moment).

If the LA ever gets that far, I could see Anya Chalotra actually as a nice Robin, even though she isn't Russian she's got the tan and looks and she can act. But then again, I don't really have a preference - I trust the team to find the right people. Though I have seen some fancasts like Elizaveta Boyarskaya and Yulia Persild that I liked.

Yasmeen Fletcher as Vivi, also a fancast, but a good one.

I am pretty open about that, I mean, see how nice the cast is we got. We don't need big Hollywood names. But then again, if big Hollywood actors WANT to be a part of it, then why not? Jaime Lee Curtis loves One Piece and it would be awesome if she could play Dr Kureha. I am pretty sure if the show suceeds and continues that they'd invite her into this. Anyway, it's still time left and we can only wait and see how the show turns out. Either way, I am optimistic and even if it turns out bad, it won't change my opinion of the cast - they don't deserve any hate or negativity for simply doing their job. You can't make everyone happy and that's it.

[yurisorcerer]

This is an interesting one. I kept going back and forth on it while watching the premiere but I think I'd say my overall impressions are positive? It's complicated.

What we have here is a future setting where massive flooding has sunk a good chunk of humanity. The state of things is telegraphed via the small-seeming islands that our protagonists live on; lots of overgrown buildings, using oil lamps for light and heat, that kind of thing. In the midst of all this we're introduced to our lead, Natsuki, who's being lent a submersible by his "friend", the generally scummy Catherine. While diving for salvage into what used to be the city he grew up in, he finds an android sealed in a capsule. This is the titular Atri, and the rest of the episode is about Natsuki, Catherine, and innocent schoolgirl(?) Minamo interacting with her.

Their interactions are a bit fraught and this is where I started getting a bit skeptical. Catherine's first instinct is to sell Atri despite the fact that the robo-girl is clearly human in all but biology, and the idea is taken seriously throughout the episode. Our characters go so far as to head to an appraiser. My immediate first reaction to this was very negative, and it's definitely still possible that Atri (the show) will faceplant here, but I *think* what we're actually doing is drawing a parallel between Atri herself and Natsuki with regard to the commodification of bodies. Natsuki, you see, is disabled, and only gets around with a prosthetic leg (which is noted to be old and finnicky; it locks up on him a few times throughout the episode and he has to break out an extendable cane). Natsuki needs money for a replacement prosthetic, something that will just allow him to live a comparably normal life, and Atri is considered a faulty machine---the appraiser outright calls her a collector's item. There's a difference in what *kind* of struggles they're facing, but the connection is there, or at least the show seems to think it is. At the episode's conclusion, Atri offers "I'll be your leg!" to Natsuki. It's definitely meant to read as heartwarming, but it's a touchy subject to be sure, and I'm not sure how well the show handles it.

In general this seems like it could be a recurring problem. The series is definitely treating Atri's status as a trade good as a bad thing, but there's still something weirdly patronizing about the way she's immediately super grateful to Natsuki for, say, buying her shoes. (I would argue that if you're responsible for another human being, keeping them clothed is a pretty basic thing.) I think I'll want to give this a few more episodes, seeing how it handles this whole setup, before I come down firmly on one side of liking its writing or not.

The visuals are a much less complicated thing to enjoy, though. They're honestly just pretty great! I've seen a few people say that they're bad which really puzzled me, the character animation is excellent throughout this first episode and the environments are fantastic. It may just be the title and the fact that I've watched it recently, but some of the shoreside scenes actually reminded me a little bit of AIR, another A-title anime based on a visual novel, just in how well they convey the feeling of summer, even if the overall goals of these anime are clearly quite different. The CGI isn't the best, but it's kept to a minimum and restricted to places where it logically makes sense, such as the submersible itself, so I wasn't bothered. Also there's a visual trick early on where some of Natsuki's memories of living on the surface play out through the port windows of the sub, and that's just really a lovely thing.

Enjoyed this overall I'd say, looking forward to seeing how Natsuki deals with the legacy of his late marine geologist mean butch grandma over the next few episodes.

[all-souls-matinee]

Quick-bite reviews: The Haunting (1963) dir. Robert Wise + The Haunting (1999) dir. Jan de Bont

Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House has been adapted several times over the years. All have made a number of changes to the book (the 2018 Netflix adaptation to the point of being original fiction), but the core story is about a group of people dealing with the challenges of living in a haunted house. Doesn’t get more classic than that.

Something my brother brought up immediately is that the ‘63 adaptation is worth watching just from a movie-making and horror history perspective. It’s incredibly atmospheric, blurring the line between a real and an imagined haunting as the group conducts their academic study of the paranormal. Our protagonist Nell is struggling with mental health issues, and realistic ones brought on by life circumstances and perceived threats to her sexuality rather than the “craziness” we see portrayed so often in movies. That realism sticks for the rest of the cast; Nell is overly sweet and incredibly angry by turns, Theo is a femme lesbian (almost unheard of for a 60s movie!) with a kind heart but a cruel sense of humor, Dr. Markway has an odd confidence to him yet a strained relationship with life outside of his career. Maybe the least complicated character is Luke, a money-hungry skeptic set to inherit the house, but he was also a favorite. The story itself isn’t totally my thing, featuring a lot of internal monologue in voiceover and some weird pacing choices that lean toward the gothic, but the acting and characters really shine and that does a lot for a film. 

The ‘99 remake is one of the worst things ever made... but also totally, totally worth a watch. I was wondering aloud at who saw the character-driven original and thought ‘this needs a killer fountain, it needs a circus room, it needs bone explosions,’ but de Bont made his career on action movies like Speed and Minority Report, so there’s our answer. While the ‘63 adaptation leans hard into the psychological angle of the book to make Hill House into a character, the remake tries to get that same effect by literally bringing the house to life through CGI. I want to say it fails completely where the original succeeded, but I honestly loved the set design and some of the gruesome kills in this one (yes there’s murder now. There’s also a mystery? Like a Scooby-Doo mystery), so we’re at an impasse. All of the changes they made are just kind of like that; shoutout to the sexuality stuff in particular, as the 90s decided ‘yeah, sure, Theo can be a lesbian. That thing from porn where it’s hot when girls look at each other’s boobs and kiss but are also straight.’ The characters really took a beating alongside the premise, but at least Luke is still fun (here played by Owen Wilson, which must’ve been confusing that being his brother’s name and all.)

There is one scene in each movie that I’ll point to as a good summary of both. In the first Dr. Markway sits with a shaken Nell, getting her to open up about the death of her mother, and tells her that she’s too in her own head, that she needn’t frame herself as a martyr and that she’s instead a person with all the complexities and contradictions personhood entails. In the second, Nell is thrown against Rodin’s gates of hell in her nightgown in order to save all the CGI ghosties of the house. A perfect imitation of Christ on the cross.

Buy a ticket? Make the first one a homework assignment and the second one a bad movie party assignment. Happy Halloween!

[beepboop358]

Hey, do you think a march release date is possible? I sadly don’t think it is , I mean they finished filming early September and it always takes about 6-8 months to finish the editing right ? I really wish it is going to be released earlier than expected. ( some actors said that it is coming earlier than we think and we all think it’s summer so maybe if we are lucky …)

Hi anon!

At this point I have no idea LOL. As far as editing goes, it depends on how much CGI they are doing this season. Season 3 had the most CGI of the seasons yet, and it seemed to take the most time to put together, understandably. Season 3 wrapped in November of 2018 I believe, and the season came out in July of 2019 which is 8 months, so if they are doing about the same amount of CGI and effects this season, it should roughly take the same amount of time. If they filmed most scenes in order, then they could have been editing as they go, which would reduce editing time in post-production, and if thats the case it may be out sooner. But if they were skipping around a lot for COVID safety reasons, filming smaller scenes first, etc., then they’d be less able to edit as they go, and just like season 3 (depending on the amount of cgi), so wrapping in September of 2021 puts us in early summer of 2022, assuming they did not do any re-shooting. It’s possible we will see a March release, but we just don’t know all the details about how they shot and how much cgi and editing needs to be done to really say that it is a a likely possibly. So honestly I just have no idea 😂. If they did do a March release, they are going to need to pick up the marketing ASAP, and they haven’t yet which makes me skeptical. Both season 2 and season 3 announced release dates roughly 6 months before the season came out, and we haven’t gotten a release date yet so i’m assuming we’re looking at the same time frame. Unless they’re planning to just do a cold-drop and be like “SUPRISE! here’s season 4!” LOL. Did any of the cast say anything about it coming earlier than summer? I haven’t seen any of them talk about it. I hope we get some news soon, it’s been months!!

Thanks for the ask! Hope you’re well! xx

[skullsandwineglasses]

Ancient Love Poetry (2021) - Episodes 1-3 First Impressions

This is not bad so far. I’ve seen a lot of mixed reactions about this drama, but it’s actually pretty decent. I heard that it’s being ripped apart by audiences in China, but some people on reddit mentioned that the drama is actually good, but people are just critical of Zhou Dongyu and Xu Kai. AvenueX was skeptical of the drama, but I find that her reviews of xianxia dramas can be kinda harsh. The drama hasn’t finished airing yet so there aren’t many ratings and reviews on MDL, but the drama currently has an 8.3 on there, which I think is a pretty decent rating even though it’s likely to change as more people finish the drama. Most of the dramas that I’ve enjoyed also average at around an 8.3 on MDL. 

Plot

The plot is pretty fast-paced. The leads develop feelings for each other really early on. The opening does a good job of establishing the personalities of the characters and drawing you into the story. A drama will successfully draw me in if it raises enough questions and establishes enough plot points to make me curious to see what will happen next.

The FL has a different background from the FLs in other xianxia dramas. Shang Gu is destined to become the leader of the 4 realms, but she’s been spoiled by her guardians Zhi Yang and Tian Qi, so her powers are underdeveloped. The FLs in other xianxia dramas tend to start off as a nobody/underdog, but Shang Gu starts off as the most highly regarded figure in the realm. She’s basically a princess. Her guardians are played by Li Ze feng and Liu Xue Yu respectively, and they’ve always had such strong performances as supporting characters in other dramas, so it was a pleasant surprise seeing them both here. Their characters have great brotherly chemistry, and they provide comedic relief. 

The ML is your stereotypical stoic, brooding, emotionally suppressed, and powerful immortal. He has no interest in women, that is until he’s tasked by Zhi Yang and Tian Qi to be Shang Gu’s mentor in order to help her unlock her powers. All the women in the immortal realm crush over him, but he couldn’t give a rat’s ass about it. Very typical. 

Chemistry

The ML and FL’s relationship reminds me of Bai Zhi Hua and Hua Qian Gu’s teacher-student relationship in Journey of Flower, which was the first xianxia drama that I watched. But, unlike Journey of Flower, Bai Jue and Shang Gu are less like teacher-student, but more like bickering enemies who eventually develop feelings for each other. 

My issue is that they develop feelings for each other too soon. And so I don’t really feel much chemistry between them, even though I want to. Bai Jue teaches her a few moves, helps her unlock her inner powers, they accidentally touch and get too close physically, and bam, feelings start to form. These are immortals who are thousands of years old. How are they able to develop feelings so easily and quickly? Especially Bai Jue who’s know by everyone to be lofty, emotionless, and misogynistic? 

There was only one moment when they were able to emotionally bond, and that was when Bai Jue misunderstood Shang Gu. Shang Gu was trying to fulfill the challenge he gave her, but he mistakenly thought that she was greedy. When he realized he misunderstood her, he began to soften towards her. But this event alone wasn’t convincing enough to make me believe that someone as cold as he is could fall for a spoiled and obnoxious girl like Shang Gu. 

They could have made it so that his character secretly enjoys Shang Gu’s loud antics because it makes his home more lively. That’s usually how they do it in other xianxia dramas where the bubbly FL is the manic pixie dream girl who uproots the ML’s quiet lifestyle and he falls for her against his better judgment. But no, they don’t do that in Ancient Love Poetry, so Bai Jue falling for Shang Gu felt forced. 

Acting

I’ve loved Zhou Dongyu since seeing her in the 2010 film Under the Hawthorn tree. But because I’ve seen people criticize her in Ancient Love Poetry, I was prepared to be disappointed. But honestly, it’s not that bad. Even her costuming isn’t that bad. She’s not impressive, but then again, it’s not an impressive or complex role. A lot of actresses are capable of playing her type of character, and a lot of actresses already have. But Zhou Dongyu delivers, and she does well with what she’s given. 

Xu Kai isn’t terrible, but he could definitely be better. Like what I mentioned above, his character is the stereotypical xianxia ML. And so there have been plenty of actors before him who have shown how to portray a cold, stoic, and resistant character who’s slowly moved by the FL: Cheng Yi in Love and Redemption, Wallace Huo in Journey of Flower (although he also got a lot of flack at the time for being expressionless), and Chang Chen in Love and Destiny. The key to playing this kind of ML is that you’re emotionally suppressed, which means that you try to be emotionless, but there are moments when you can’t hide your emotions and they break to the surface. It’s all about the internal struggle where you pretend to act one way but feel another. As an actor, you need to be able to convey subtle and nuanced microexpressions that reveal how your character truly feels. 

Granted, Bai Jue is a little different from Bai Zhi Hua and Sifeng who forbade themselves from falling in love, but Bai Jue is more like Jiu Chen and Ye Hua who just have never known love before and is now experiencing it for the first time. But for all of these MLs, the common thread is that they undergo a change in character. In these first 3 episodes of Ancient Love Poetry, we keep being told by other characters in the drama how Bai Jue has changed “so much” since agreeing to mentor Shang Gu, but I don’t see this change in Xu Kai’s portrayed of Bai Jue. 

On reddit, I’ve mentioned how I've seen Xu Kai in The Legends and Arsenal Military Academy and IMO, Xu Kai doesn't really do well in roles where he has to be stoic and emotionally reserved. But he did really well in AMA where his character was a flirty, spoiled rich kid who eventually matures during his time at the academy, and it made me realize that he's capable of acting when given the right opportunity. His character was full of life and the complete opposite of his character in The Legends. He can be really expressive when his character warrants it, but when the character is supposed to be brooding, he doesn't bring enough nuance to his expressions and instead defaults to being flat and unmoving.

I also feel that Xu Kai’s performance was a little better in The Legends than in Ancient Love Poetry, but then again, I’ve only seen 3 episodes of ALP. I don’t know if it’s because his costar was Bai Lu and he felt more comfortable with her, or if it’s because Bai Jue is a character who’s supposed to be old, experienced, and wise, and Xu Kai is still too young to pull off that kind of role. He also looks incredibly young. He’s my age, and I’m just in awe of how clear his skin is and how it still looks like he has some baby fat. I’m also not a fan of his costuming. I like how Zhou Dongyu’s hair frames her face to make her look more delicate, but Xu Kai’s wig seems to flatten his head. I also think he looks better in dark robes like in The Legends, or his leather trenchcoat in AMA. He looked more rugged. But his white clothes in Ancient Love Poetry takes away from his character’s demeanor as a powerful immortal, and unlike Wallace Huo who’s older and thus is able to pull off dainty and delicate white robes, Xu Kai’s baby face doesn’t really pair well with it. 

Other notes:

The CGI is probably some of the better CGI that I’ve seen to date, and I’m not going to lie, I’m pretty impressed. Objects magically appear and disappear almost seamlessly, and characters teleport smoothly. 

Still waiting for the OST to come into full effect. It probably won’t happen until later in the drama when there’s more angst and emotion, but I also find it weird that they don’t have an opening theme? It’s just Zhou Shen singing some vocal effects, but no actual song. 

Overall, I’m going to keep watching. I’m a sucker for xianxia, and I love comparing the similarities and differences between different dramas, so I’m looking forward to seeing how this goes and whether it’s as bad as people say it is.