#3. there are so many fave scenes i live for romcoms

[kocch]

just sketched some fave scenes of a current fave fic!

if you stay. byler x the proposal (2009). mike wheeler, threatened by the near deportation to his homeland, drags his assistant, will byers, into a fake marriage to keep working in the usa

[shitouttabuck]

Do you have any buddie fic recommendations for me? Sweet fluffy smutty idc I need something good 🥺

hiya! these are some of my faves off the top of my head and you’ve probably read most of them and if you’re like. nina. these are eighty percent fics by your mutuals. well i BECAME pals with them by adoring their writing and bullying my way into their lives about it <3

stitch my soul 30.5k by @onward--upward (soulmates au that genuinely changed my whole life i think about it daily—fair warning it’s a little heartachey, but in the best way)

it’s nice to have a friend 6.4k by @colonoscopys (a little domesticity i love this with my whole heart it’s so soft and sweet)

drench yourself in words unspoken 26k by @eddiediazes (everything is the same except eddie secretly writes romance novels and i reread this like once a month it makes me so happy)

the side effects of eating too many clementines 3k by @forthewolves (idk what to even say, no one writes love like amanda writes love, it’s a bigger-than-your-chest kind of feeling)

(this kiss is) something i can't resist 7.9k by @clusterbuck (family curse where eddie has to kiss his true love in one year or he’ll die, i laughed so much, EXACTLY the kind of romcom shit with a side of ridiculous i adore)

growing sideways 3k by @housewifebuck (extremely evan buck buckley is christopher diaz’s parent and you WILL cry about it)

left your mark on this heart 5.8k by @anxieteandbiscuits (buck thinks he has post-lightning heart complications but he’s just That stupid in love)

slip like freudian 4.4k by @jeeyuns (eddie diaz gets jinxed and is Extremely entertaining about it)

sundae kind of love 18k by @rewritetheending (okay this was the first morgan fic i ever read—and maybe one of the First buddie fics i read actually—and i think about the pier scene all the time! au where buck works at an ice cream shop by the beach)

maybe fall in love 1.8k by @try-set-me-on-fire (brick’s writing is just. unfailingly gorgeous but also 8 out of 10 times the most devastating thing you’ll ever read so this is a sweet, minimal emotional damage first kiss one???)

there’s always been a rainbow hangin’ over your head 8.7k by @alyxmastershipper (just the heartwarmingest of coming outs feat. the mug of my dreams. so so soft)

i think it’s my body wanting it the most by @transboybuckley (post-date that they’re not sure is a date, this is under a thousand words and i could not stop beaming i come back to it all the damn time)

you shaped this heart of mine 5k by justhockey (i haven’t reread this because it was such an enormous ache—in a good way—when i read it the first time, but god. god i love it so much. domestic sickfic)

i’ll scrawl it on every wall i see 29k by @letmetellyouaboutmyfeels (loosely a you’ve got mail au???? which is simply my favourite romcom in the whole world. this is so fucking funny as is everything they write and i adore it)

there ain’t language for the things i feel 1.8k by calvingseason (eddie buys buck a plant at the farmers market it is. so unbelievably soft)

i’ve almost certainly forgotten a bunch of faves so let me trawl through my bookmarks later and round some more up!!!!! highly rec ALL of these guys’ fics though SOME OF YOU are hell bent on breaking my heart these days and anon asked for “sweet. fluffy. smutty” and not hole-in-chest-in-shape-of-author's-fist, so

[wttcsms]

oh my god wait there's so many sorry i like. blacked out seeing balancing act ii LOL

please tell me about brace for impact akaashi... or making things up as we go osamu......... my heart surrenders kiyoomi??? where's the trophy suna?????? (sorry i picked so many you can just choose whichever you wanted to talk about haha)

(i love reading your thoughts about your writing. you're always so careful with themes and the portrayal of the character and the reader and your syntax is always so thoughtful it's so. good. so good!!)

AHHHHH okay im gonna try to refrain from yapping ur ear off but these are some of my faves so, speed running through 'em:

brace for impact starring rich girl w/ absent parents!reader x canon timeskip!akaashi; your family is good friends with his + because you're in your rebellious eighteen year old phase (you're described as an irresponsible, irreverent party girl + you have a string of one night stands and just overall demonstrate reckless behavior), your family asks if it's okay if you live with a twenty-two year old akaashi and have him watch over you. roommates to lovers, opposites attract, the whole nine yards!!!! one of my favorite lines i've written abt romance comes from this fic & it's a bit silly, but i think it does showcase love pretty well. reader is going to be a reformed party girl at this point, but she tells akaashi "you're my person. you're the one who would wake up at 2am even though you have to get up at 5:30 just to walk through frat party and search for me in the bushes because you know that's where i would be passed out in. no one else would do that for me. not a lot of people would do that for anyone." and an excerpt of one of my fave scenes:

making things up as we go!!!! oh so fun!!!! secret heiress to one of the biggest food companies in the world!reader x canon timeskip!osamu !!!!!!! SO FUN!!!!!!! reader is very bubbly and happy go lucky. you're working undercover at her family's company & no one really respects you. the truth is, you're set to inherit the business but you don't really like the business aspect of things. you're a literal ray of sunshine but you're so bad at your job that your coworkers get frustrated with you + everyone knows that you're rich. you're genuinely nice, but rich and pretty and practically un-hateable?? ofc ppl will get jealous and hate you anyway 😭 so you usually go to lunch alone, and you're a MASSIVE foodie. you find onigiri miya + you quickly become one of his regulars and the story is sectioned off in meals that you share (it'll make sense when you see the excerpt LOL) + there are SO many romcom scenes i want to write in it!!! but a big part of this fic is chasing your dreams, no matter what people say or how scared you are. reader actually wants to be a mukbanger LOL, or do food vlogging. because it's what you enjoy. and so you do make a mukbang channel & it's slow growing at first, and osamu doesn't reveal he's your first subscriber so one day you come running into the store, out of breath and so excited, and you're like "osamu!!! my latest video got 26 views and 2 likes and i got a new subscriber!!!!!" (i think i'll have him use that throwaway account he made to subscribe to also comment on ur vids to encourage you <3)

this whole fic makes u feel like ur listening to a really upbeat beabadoobee song <3 but we get really hot osamu, too. ugh i need the cliche fun moment where you're cooking together and for some reason, you get flour all over yourself and do that silly thing where you also get osamu equally messy since he's teasing you and you're both laughing and having a tiny "fight" where you're throwing flour at each other and then he totally ends up accidentally backing you into the counter and you're so close to each other that he could easily just lean down a bit and kiss you right then and there. reader coming into onigiri miya before they open and sitting all pretty while osamu is busy doing inventory and you pause mid-story because holy shit, how is he lifting so many bags of rice at a time and has his biceps always been so big and his black uniform shirt so snug???? i want him to be jealous of you going on a date until you come back like a day later to give him a recap and the restaurant your date chose was AWFUL and you're both foodies so you and osamu are bonding over how bad his taste is. know that there is going to be a scene where reader and osamu have an indirect kiss and you're totally freaking out about it (and he might be too 🤭) like you two share a straw because you want him to try your drink and you're practically shoving it in his face so he just leans in and sips it all casually and is like "ur right, it's good" and you're just thinking abt his lips touching the same straw your lips have and you're like 🤭🤭🤭 AND!!!!

reader and him totally bond over the fact that sometimes the dingiest restaurants that r tucked away in hard to find locations who serve their meals in not the most aesthetic plating have some of the best meals. something abt the sticky floors and faded outdated menus and elderly couple running the joint just hits differently. ugh and him and you start sharing meals bc reader wants to eat w him and it’s partly bc you're so alone but your philosophy is that food tastes better when shared/eaten with someone you care for and so maybe somewhere towards the end, you're like walking and he breaks off a piece of some snack and gives you the bigger half and you're like “osamu, i want to share all my food with you for the rest of my life.”

MY HEART SURRENDERS!!! one of my beloved followers requested an ex-husband to lovers fic with sakusa and the two of you have a kid but you both got married young and sakusa is a bit too prideful and a touch too silent when he needs to communicate so you two get divorced.

someone else asked for where's the trophy so that will be answered elsewhere hehe (this post is already obnoxiously long LMAO)

[vivalavi-daa]

K-Dramas (February-May 2022)

1. My Liberation Notes

About: Three siblings, exhausted by the monotony of day to day adulthood, seek to find fulfillment and freedom from their unremarkable lives

Interesting posters, lovely intro video, and beautiful sceneries that makes every scene & line that's being delivered seem poetic. These are what captivated me from the beginning. But it's not just that. My Liberation Notes is remarkable because it realistically depicts the mundane lives of adults that the actors said it feels like they are shooting for a documentary. The way they explore adults issues such as loneliness, working lives, family dynamic, and even highlight the introverts struggle is what really gets me... Every character has something that I can relate to. And that's why it's so easy to get immersed in the story.

It may be a slow paced drama, but that's its charm. Even when there are so many quiet scenes with no dialogues, I find it so refreshing to watch how much the silence speaks and how inner monologues could deliver deeper meanings to the stories. The lines make me feel that my uneasy feelings about life/the world feel validated while watching it.

My Liberation Notes is a gem with a genre that's hard to find & that makes it my fave drama of this year <3

2. Twenty Five Twenty One (2521)

About: In a time where dreams seem out of reach, a teen fencer pursues her ambitions and meets a hardworking young man who seeks to rebuilds his life.

2521 has everything you could ask for in a youth drama: heart fluttering romance, heartwarming friendship, and hopeful stories that encourage you to pursue your dreams. I knew I'd love it when it started out engaging with the introduction of young Hee Do & Yi jin who have a contrasting perspectives about the world. Yijin is a hardworking guy who starts to feel the weight of reality and feel lost, meanwhile Hee Do is a bright girl with an optimistic spirit. Her existence has brought Yijin to hold on hope and be brave enough to taste happiness that comes his way. I must stress, I love how they build connection in the pursuit of happiness together!! The friends to lovers excellency!

Asides from the two relationship, the whole friendship stories of the five are what makes it more gripping. Their characters development, how they bond with each other, and how comical & refreshing each scene of them together was. It truly brightens the atmosphere of 2022 <3

3. A Business Proposal

About: Hari, a regular employee, shows up to a blind date in disguise of her rich friend to scare him away. Things go awry when he turns out to be her CEO and makes a proposal.

1) I didn't expect the scenes to produce this much laughter and 2) I didn't expect this kdrama to be this nice & entertaining! Even though the stories is full of cliche & (even some cringe lines), they managed to get high ratings during its airing. It's no wonder though. Not only serving us with the leads' visuals, every character is interesting in their own way and both main & side romance are just as adorable. It's a light kdrama & that's amusing to watch. Definitely one of the best romcom to me!

4. Thirty Nine

About: Three best friends leaning on each other as they experience life, love, and loss on the brink of turning 40.

This drama was claimed to be heartwarming, when it turns out it is also heart wrenching at the same time. I was particularly drawn to the lessons that friends make life worth living and that love always perseveres. It's heartwarming to see the three best friends are so devoted to each other and try to be their happiest selves when they're together. The actors' chemistry is also overflowing more than I can expect. One thing I want to note about 39 is that I don't agree with some of the things in this kdrama (if you watch the drama you'll know). It's not a flawless kdrama but still, it's a decent adult friendship kdrama with impeccable acting & satisfying characters arc.

5. Shooting Stars

About: Daily lives of people in an entertainment agency and romance between a top star and a head of the stars' promotion team.

The trope is nothing new, it reminded me of kdramas like So I Married an Anti Fan with slight difference. I can't describe the trope well... and that, in fact, is what makes it appealing. The leads are friends who are also enemies who will (obviously) become lovers. Their interaction dynamic is really engaging to watch and wrapped in fun vibes. At first, I wasn't that attracted to the portrayal of the side characters though. But as I get to know them, they become more interesting & I realize that they're also important part of the story as they give us insight about the lives of people working in entertainment industry.

5. Tomorrow

About: A young man who is employed by a company of grim reapers in the underworld to save people's lives.

I was mainly fascinated by the visuals the whole time I watched this... and the plot is also compelling. A company of grim reapers? Interesting. A division of grim reapers whose job is to save people's lives? Sign me up. Also, with the team that consisted of two cool grim reapers (who behave like cats) who adopted a guy (who behaves like adorable puppy)? Amusing.

Each episode has different themes to tell, but it has a central story. Though dealing with serious issue like suicides, it is also combined with humour but stlll, those who feel vulnerable must be careful with the triggers. It's a supernatural drama with unique vibes and it's reflective with advices to give.

6. The Sound of Magic

About: a magician living in an abandoned theme park who helps a disenchanted teenager enduring her harsh reality.

I didn't expect it to be a musical drama?? although the title seems pretty obvious. But I like to be surprised & impressed though. As the first musical kdrama I've ever seen, the first few minutes is already intriguing. The characters have interesting stories, especially the mysterious magician. Tbh it felt kinda off to see the casts in their roles at first (the after effects of seeing them in their previous works) but their good actings as great actors help me got adapted to see their roles immediately. The whole musical performances always filled with magical & pleasant looking cinematography & I like that a lot.

7. The Killers' Shopping List

About: An odd murder case near the supermarket that leads the supermarket workers (Dae Sung and his mother) with Dae Sung's girlfriend to figure out the case together.

Watched it for the casts, and the plot seems new and interesting too. It is filled with misteries but seasoned with humours. I have watched two eps and it's not bad, but I am still waiting to be more enthralled though...

Kdrama recs: 7/?

[sugdenlovesdingle]

Can you recommend any good gay movies or TV shows or storylines in tv shows?

Depends on what you’re looking for anon.

Love Simon and Love Victor are both really good

the thing about Harry (a gay romcom from the guy who used to play Emmett in QAF)

Pride (you probably know this but it’s one of my absolute fave films ever so I had to mention it)

God’s own country (beware when watching with company - there’s some graphic sex scenes in it)

Chez Nous - a Dutch gay heist movie. it’s hilarious. A group of friends want to save their favourite gay bar from foreclosure so they plan to steal an expensive necklace from the museum during pride. If you don’t speak Dutch it might take some internet magic to find subtitles for it.

TK & Carlos from 911 Lone star. They’re cute but there’s only 10 eps of the show so far and they don’t get that much focus - but there will be a season 2.

I started watching Roswell New Mexico for Michael en Alex... but I like fanon more than canon (for now - there’s only 2 seasons and there will be a third)

Family Business on Netflix is a French comedy series and it’s absolutely insane (in a good way) - it has a minor lesbian character/relationship/storyline. It’s about a guy who wants to save his family’s butcher shop by turning it into a coffee shop (the kind that sells weed) It’s funny and there will be a season 2.

Ocean’s 8 is very very gay... but no-one is officially gay. Its just the way Cate Blanchett and Sandra Bullock look at each other.

Elite - on Netflix. A Spanish show about rich kids at a posh school. There are 3 seasons so far and Omar and Ander are in all 3. There is also some poly action in season 3.

Hollywood - on Netflix. A mini series from Ryan Murphy about the ‘old Hollywood’ of the 1940s, features a gay storyline

I started watching Dix Pour Cent on Netflix - a French show about an agency who represent actors. One of the agents working at the company is a lesbian and one of the assistants is a gay man (though a bit stereotypical). I’m only a few eps in but I like it.

ek ladki ko dekha toh aisa laga - a super cute lesbian Bollywood film. it’s on netflix.

shubh mangal zyada saavdhan - gay romantic Bollywood comedy. On Amazon Prime. (subtitles are a bit shit though so it helps if you speak Hindi - but you still understand it if you don’t)

Hartenstraat - a cheesy Dutch romantic comedy, features a gay couple, and the guy who plays Joe in The Old Guard!

Alles is liefde- Dutch version of Love, Actually where a gay couple is the wedding storyline. it’s set around Sinterklaas and it’s a bit outdated so there’s still some blackface with zwarte Piet.

Vis à vis - I call it the Spanish OITNB but that doesn’t really do it justice because it’s a really good show on it’s own. But still about a women’s prison, with a bisexual main character just like OITNB.

And it’s not really the same as the rest but there’s a documentary on Netflix called Life in the dog house. It’s about a gay couple in America who have turned their house into a dog shelter. It’s not a scripted show about a cute couple getting it on but I love it so. These people have devoted their entire lives to helping as many dogs as they can and it’s great. You should definitely watch it if you like dogs/animals.

happy watching anon!

[strawblemon]

@yellowpikmn tagged me! Thank you!!

name/nickname: Alexis

gender: cis man, he/him, but any pronoun is fine

star sign: cancer

height: 170cm

fave bands: I usually say Daft Punk but they don’t often release things so I don’t listen to them that much these days

fave solo artists: Maybe Clara Luciani? Her song Ma sœur is my ringtone

song stuck in my head: Bobby Brown’s My Prerogative

last movie watched: a bad made-for-tv romcom while I was waiting for Fedex to come pick up a faulty pc I’m sending back... they never came.

last show watched: Lupin on Netflix

when your blog was made: 2014 I think? I don’t think I did anything with it until 2015

last thing googled: how to type œ on a keyboard

do you get asks: almost never, I did get anon hate once because I was critical of Pokémon Let’s Go

how many blogs you follow: 132 but my dash is sorta dead because most of them aren’t on tumblr anymore

reason behind url: my original one was duckmesenpai because Duck Hunt was my Smash For main, but after a while I got tired of the sexual connotation so I just renamed to duckicarus... but now I don’t like that it sounds like Caddicarus the youtuber...

average hours of sleep: 8+ but it depends on when I took my meds

instruments you can play: is Fuser the video game an instrument? If not, then I can sing

current outfit: ugly tee and old sweatpants, not planning on going anywhere today

dream trip: I want to go to both Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan in a single trip

favorite food: döner kebab, but there are no restaurants near me, and there’s a curfew at 6pm so I haven’t eaten one in months 😔

favorite song: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger, specifically the Alive Extended 2007 version always makes me imagine some cool climactic scene in a sci-fi story

top 3 fictional universes you’d live in: Pokémon for the cool pets, Animal Crossing for a peaceful life with no problems, NiGHTS into Dreams... so that I can punch my nightmares in the face

[femme-is-my-gender]

Lesbian ask game 5, with a twist 1-50 👀

OK BABE YOU CAN'T FOOL ME but you're cute and ily so

(I know you sent this like 5 days ago but this was a lot to answer and I wanted to get them all right because HAPPY 6 MONTHS BABE IF WE CANT GO ON A TRIP THEN THIS WHOLE DAMN MONTH IS OUR 6MO CELEBRATION 💕)

1. Their hair is fucking gorgeous I love the texture and its teal (I did the dye and cut!!!)

2. Their eyes are beautiful mid tone brown i love seeing the way the sun reflects off them 💕

3. Their age? Either a wise elder stuck in a teenagers mind stuck in an adults body or did you mean like in dog years?

4. We met on an app 🤷‍♀️ love finds you when you're not looking

5. S is very ticklish I don't even have to touch just wiggle my fingers in their direction and they fall over giggling

6. Their favorite song??? Idk if they have a #1 fave but their fav band is Mickey Darling

7. Their fave movie is avengers we watched it the other night at a drive in:)

8. Their fave book... idk babes a dork Harry Potter probably :P

9. Their fave TV show is She-ra honorable mentions for Avatar and My Hero

10. Their celebrity crush is........... me 😎

11. Babe wants a cat but allergies make that a uh problem (still trying to convince s to get a naked cat we will see how successful I am!!!)

12. There are SO MANY songs that make me think of them heres a whole Playlist but #1 is smother me and I'll follow you into the dark

13. Does s play sports.. well. Do you count the bedroom?

14. My favorite things about their body.. their dimples! Their hands! Their smile and the way their eyes crinkle when they do, the sound of a big belly laugh, their soft tummy and thighs to lay on, their butt is pretty cute too idk

15. My favorite personality traits! Don't get me started! The way they can uphold their boundaries firmly but not unkindly. The way they will get rude if needed to get someone to listen, the way they listen so intently when I talk about the Deep Stuff and the way they listen to my suggestions on the bad days even when they don't want to do what I suggest. The way they look at a new leaf unfurling on one of our house plants and the way they will talk and sing to my bird, the way they care so deeply for their loved ones and would do anything for them, the way they hold me almost every night bc its easier for me to fall asleep since I work early even though their work day ends right before I have to sleep. The way they rub my head and my back when I can't sleep and the way they absent mindedly rub their thumb on my hand or say I love you for the millionth time or do the arm jerk robot arm dance when they're excited or nervous and so many more i gotta go lay down....

16. Their style is emo boy/tacky 80s dad and I love it!

17. Our first date we went to a little vegan restaurant/bar then to an emo night at a bar! The bar double booked though so we didn't get the emo night we anticipated but thats okay!

18. A tiny detail they don't know I notice... idk I say most things I'm thinking outloud so if I notice something i say it lol no secrets here

19. Their talents! They are good at viddy James and they are good at cooking especially seasoning and just throwing random things into a meal, they are good at planning down to details, also the talents don't stop in the bedroom I'm just sayin

20. A tiny poem about S

Ways I say I love you that aren't outloud

Making sure you drink water

Scooting closer

Making you laugh

Asking how's your day been

Tracing my fingers on your skin

Giving us a clean place to spend our time

Encouraging you to try something new

Opening the blinds

Being your cheerleader

Baby you're my sunshine

You shine so bright and even on the cloudy days you're what warms my soul.

I love you.

Have you had any water today?

21. Do they have a tumblr? Yeah! Baby come off anon lol

22. What makes them laugh? Well any goofy noise or silly song i make up usually will get them, they're pretty ticklish so that works too also memes and cat videos

23. S is a Taurus sun with dominant Aries chart and im a sag sun with dominant Capricorn chart depends which app you ask but I say we are pretty damn compatible

24. Babe has always wanted to travel in general. I know Colorado was a plan for a while, Germany has come up before. I think as long as we are together and near a beach we both would be happy to go anywhere

25. Things that are interesting to baby are heros/magic people, babies, animals, romcoms and anything to do with live music

26. I realized I loved them like on our 2nd date! I was so stressed bc I had just gotten out of a toxic relationship and while I was totally over the romantic connection to that person I was still feeling alot of hurt and trying to recover and I met S while I was slutting it up on tinder and I was Not Ready to be in love again like I WAS but I was so scared of fucking things up between us by committing "too soon" but S was so patient and never pressured me but I could tell they had feelings and so did I but like I was better at hiding them. I love them so much I'm so glad we met.

27. Their favorite food group is comfort food/toddler menu: grilled cheese, nuggs, pizza, also their top fave is fideo

28. Babe hates alot of foods I don't know them all yet but bell peppers, onions, also new foods are scary but they will try something if I make it/want to eat somewhere they've never been which just makes me 🥰

29. Hogwarts house is slytherin!

30. Babes element? Well their chart is fire/earth heavy. I say earth is their element!

31. Something that makes baby angry is people being rude for seemingly no reason also people who don't respect boundaries

32. S is taller than me by like 5 inches i think

34. Idk if they want their name on here so

35. Their aesthetic is like kitchy/goth/boho vibes. Dark vibrant colors, lots of plants, lots of art, skulls, comfortable space with blankets and pillows that's pretty and interesting to look at

36. Well the first thing I bought them was a drink lol but the first proper gift was a stuffed sloth they had wanted for a long time bonus facts I had to snoop on their insta to find a picture of the sloth and zoom in/brighten the picture to read the tag and did some sleuthing online but I found it! His name is theo

37. Baby is def a night owl

38. I brag the most about babe's just general goodness. I tell anyone who will listen how good they make me feel and how they listen and give good advice even when I don't want to follow it, and their top priority is keeping me safe and secure and also they're really fucking hot but I can't say that normally.

39. S has some rings and a necklace they like to wear if they're looking Certified Fresh

40. I'm a vegetarian, babes not

41. Oh fuck idk what their fave school subject is I would have to guess lit/reading??

42. Their clique is skaters/emo/scene lol

43. We have been together 6 months almost exactly!! 😍

44. Describe their laugh. Oh my God, well there's the cute nervous/goofy laugh they do most the time, there's this snort/chortle they do when I'm being extra goofy that I love, and sometimes I get them to do the whole throw head back full belly deep laugh and my heart goes 🥰🥰🥰🥰!!!!!!!!!!

45. Nah they don't wear makeup

46. Favorite art medium? Like to do? Painting I think.

47. Babe plucks around on bass and ukulele sometimes and they're a PRO at belly bongos

48. S identifies with cats the most

49. Babe likes the outdoors but it's not their comfort zone so there's resistance when I suggest it but if I insist they end up having a good time. Idk if s would like camping though.

50. This picture is my wallpaper I love them so much and bought this shirt for them!!! (Fun fact I left the store and went home and later decided to go back and get the shirt bc I LOVE them and their tacky 80s dad vibes)

[k-odyssey]

Dramas I’ve Been Watching in April

It’s that time again when I tell you what I’ve been watching and if I liked it (without spoilers). As always it’s a long post so everything’s under the cut.

I was struggling to find the other ones so now they’re all tagged monthly posts. (I don’t know that anyone else needs to find them, but I do. It’s like the index page on my blog.)

When the Weather Is Fine (finished)

Seoul music teacher leaves the city and her unfulfilling job for the countryside, reconnects with adorable highschool classmate. They heal from the past together.

Mentioned in the last post and all other my blog. I said it was feel-good and having finished it, I stand by that. The great thing is, even when what’s happening with the leads isn’t great, there’s always another storyline to balance things out.

It looks so good. I love the fashion, which is almost exclusively thick jumpers and warm coats and gloves.

There’s two readings of the ending, one more positive than the other. But either way the finale is worth watching for Jang Woo’s little speech about happiness and mundane things.

Meow, the Secret Boy (ep18 of 24)

Cat adopted by unwilling new owner discovers he can turn into a human around her.

Started this one last month with hopes of cute romcom but it’s too weird to ship at this point. For me anyway.

It is, however, ridiculously funny. But I can’t watch more than one ep at a time due to the aforementioned weirdness. So I haven’t caught up yet.

Cute second couple, though.

Skate into Love (finished)

Star hockey player is reunited with the girl he hated in primary school at age 18, decides to take revenge.

It becomes more about how to navigate a relationship when you have an entire childhood of history and Olympic dreams. Also meddling parents and manipulative admirers.

Did I fast forward a bit? Yes. It’s 40 episodes after all, and the drama is edited to be a bit slow I think. You can easily watch it at the 1.25x speed. There’s plenty of supporting characters with their own stories, some more interesting than others. But I still found it worth watching.

I love the leads! And they actually grow, individually and as a couple. They both make mistakes and apologize and move on together.

While I’m here, let me mention that there are decent kisses!

Here’s what I wrote about the drama in the beginning.

If you don’t mind spoilers, here’s more thoughts.

Joy of Life (finished)

21st century character is sort of reborn in what looks like ancient china, with memories from his past life intact.

It’s been a long time coming, but I finished it!

By a long time coming I mean I started this drama in... December? Which might as well be a century ago at this point. I mentioned it here in January if you missed that.

46 episodes is a lot for me, especially if the drama is no longer airing. If I don’t watch it as it comes out, I 100% will end up taking up to 6 months to finish it. That’s just my brain.

The drama itself is a delight! Both funny and heartbreaking. Lots of intrigues and politics, but not in a boring way. It definitely keeps you on your toes.

Wan’er being one my faves (I don’t care if some find her plain), I was sad to see her character fade in the background as the drama progressed. The lack of romance from ep35 or so might be why it took so long for me to finish it. I love my romance ok?

Also this is season 1 of at least 2, so the ending is... an interesting and shocking one.

A Piece of Your Mind (finished)

Two people dealing with the loss of loved ones help each other through the darkness. Also there’s artificial intelligence involved.

I thought the fact that there was AI would mean the plot would inevitably end up where it usually does for this genre of kdrama: some evil person or entity trying to acquire the technology through legal or illegal means. Thankfully, that never happens. It’s not that kind of drama but a sweet melo.

Did you know I love Jung Hae In? I have that one post about him where I say exactly that but in more words and I’m always happy when it gets notes. The thing is, I don’t mind that he’s been playing similar characters lately. On an emotional level, his portrayals always work. I can’t look away from his eyes. Especially if he’s about to cry. He plays “overwhelmed with emotion” so well whether it’s anger or sadness or love. Plus, I’m all for kinder and softer male leads.

I know Chae Soo Bin from 3 other dramas and they were all comedy I think. I didn’t know she had the range! It was a good surprise to find that she could play a more poised character. I love her in this.

Is it because I’ve been re-watching One Spring Night but this drama looks so bright! In a good way. I love the light and colours. Especially at sunset. Plus all of the snow in the beginning, and Soon Ho’s plants!!! Also I love how they film through windows and play with reflections.

I’m sad they had to cut 4 episodes but they managed to wrap things up pretty well.

So many great characters. And I love that there’s several very strong non-romantic relationships. Soon Ho and Ha Won for example. As someone who wants to scream anytime I hear “men and women can’t be friends”, I love that these two are best friends. Also the boarding house scenes were great. Especially once Min Jung and the medical student moved in.

More thoughts about the AI.

Hyena (finished)

How do I describe Hyena?

It’s an unusual love-to-hate-to-love. Two resourceful, rich-people’s lawyers cross paths and well, sparks fly.

It’s not cute and fluffy. They defend the worst people and with questionable means. They have ethics but they’re different from mine.

As I have mentioned here, it was Hee Jae that grabbed my attention. Joo Ji Hoon is a brilliant actor.

The drama is fast-paced and I watched it in like a week.

Read this post I wrote at the end if you want to know more and don’t mind mild spoilers.

The King: Eternal Monarch (ep2 of 16)

King with a tragic family history finds the door to a parallel universe.

Technically I’ve watched 2 eps and like 15 min of the 3rd ep.

I’ve decided to give it at least 4 episodes. I still haven’t caught up.

Main appeal for me: Woo Do Hwan. He’s not the lead though so there’s that.

I don’t usually pay much attention to that but since I edit them for this... the posters aren’t great? And none of the ones I’ve found have the standard format so I had to choose between cutting the title and cutting off half of Lee Min Ho’s face.

Love is All (ep4 of 26)

Historical romcom. I kinda didn’t pay attention to ep1 so I’m not super clear on why the male lead is hiding his identity but he is. He’s left the capital to become a county magistrate in a small (?) town. There he meets a romance writer who becomes his adviser.

They fight all the time.

Also she keeps unknowingly declaring her love for him because she knows him by name and has a crush on him, but he’s living under a false identity. So she’s annoying him a lot but also complimenting him all the time and he’s not indifferent.

Fun supporting characters.

Is it kinda cheesy? Yes, but that’s what I typically watch cdramas for.

[wackygoofball]

Gwenspiration: The Wacky Version Vol. 3 - The Moodboards

So, here I go again parading myself and tooting like there is no tomorrow.

As people still brave enough to follow me on Tumblr will know, I do a lot of moodboards, or at least I call them such. Others call them collages or storyboards or pictures with random text. Either way, for me, moodboards became a neat tool to somehow capture story ideas not yet anywhere near a level that I could write fic about them - or serve as inspirations for fics I am actually writing.

And it gives me opportunity to hoard unhealthy amounts of Gwen and Nik pics, in the name of moodboards. And science. And stuff. Whoozah!

So yeah, in this post, I want to share some of my personal favorites. A lot of them actually, because I can’t decide, really.

I will start off with a group of moodboards which took inspiration from the Marvel universe, since the Marvel universe was my gateway into the more active parts of fandom.

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An all-time fave is the Iron Man AU... I mean, what not to love about a JB AU with Jaime as sassy Tony Stark and Brienne as the not-taking any shit from you army doctor, am I right? But yeah, seriously, Jaime *is* the Tony Stark of the GOT universe, and I can’t be convinced otherwise. And neither should be you.

Also, the Iron Man suits just totally fit the color scheme for both, which made creating the moodboards all the better for me. Jaime and Brienne were made for armor, now in medieval or modern times, let’s not kid ourselves.

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Another Marvel fave has got to be Captain Westeros. Because if there is a female GOT Version of Steve Rogers, it’s gotta be Brienne of fuckin’ Tarth. This one is really close to my heart because it gave me a lot of feels coming up with plot bunnies for it, and the tragedy of those two people missing each other in time over and over again, always trying to protect one another, only to end up on opposite sides because of the machinations of others... *sigh*

And I mean, one guy loses an arm. The other is blond and strong... I don’t make the rules but this delivers me enough material to re-imagine this as a JB AU... so yeah, I do kinda make the rules after all. Anyway.

Since I realized that this post’s gonna get even looooonger, I decided to make a cut here and put the rest below, so not to have you scrolling for five hours.

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Although it’s not the most popular moodboard amongst my followers (you brave people, I can’t parade you enough for staying through the madness lol), I really, really love that Fantastic Four moodboard and the concept behind it. And I just know a lot of effort went into making Valyrian Steel Brienne, which took all of my three computer editing skillz brain cells. But yeah, here again, I liked to play with the idea of them not admitting to their love until shit hits the fan and then they hide behind that because... drama, angst, feels, pining, yadda.

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And we go from Marvel to DC little quick. Because Brienne is, most certainly, a Wonder Woman. Nuf said.

Now, let’s move on to other big movie franchises that give me all the JB feels:

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Jurassic Park (aka Valyrian Park) evidently holds a special place in my heart because JB fighting dinosaur-dragon hybrids and kicking ass while being disbelieving about what was bred out in Valyria thanks to some certain someones to rescue Brienne’s adoptive daughter Arya is just... a thing? For me anyway.

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More down memory lane, I don’t know how often I watched the LOTR movies, suffice to say it was a lot a lot. We had the extended versions DVDs of the first two and basically it was the one thing to watch when nothing was on (which was the case a lot). Either way. JB in MIddle Earth long after the days of Frodo et al. - why? Because I just loved the idea (and aesthetic) of Jaime as a ranger and Brienne as a knight of Gondor working in disguise. And Hobbipod. I mean, Pod as a Hobbit. Come the fuck on. And Tyrion as an asshole wizard. What could possibly go wrong? This moodboard was very time-consuming as I had to do a lot of edits (pointy ears, tiny up people, smudge Brienne’s face on a lot of Boromir and Faramir images, smudge Jaime’s face on a lot of Aragorn images, you name it). So yeah. No matter its popularity... I dig it. Despite not having read the books yet (I know, shocking), I continue to ogle at the idea and go like: Must. Write. But. Must. Resist. Either way. Mood.

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So yeah, I grew up watching these movies a lot, too (I grew up watching a lot of TV, period). And when Gwen was cast as Captain Phasma, I got a lot of JB juices flowing as a result. Mehe. I found it was a fun idea to play with, to basically *kill* Phasma so *Brienne* can come into play and assume her identity. And a rundown Jedi!Jaime who’s lost faith in himself and everything else safe for his partner in crime/resistance is just... I needz. So you gotta cope with it. I still adore this concept a lot even if others may not. :)

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This one’s just... gah. Feels. And I really liked the color scheme lol. And I watched Horse Whisperer A LOT. Because of feels. And horses. And Honor is a horse and he deserved better than be barbecued at Highgarden, dammit.

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The No Reservations AU definitely has to be in this post because I live for this dynamic. Brienne taking care of the girls, not knowing how, though, constantly doubting herself while always trying to be perfect and composed, not just in life but on the job as well. And Jaime being the laid-back guy who’s just a darn good chef but may carry his own baggage of problems that keep him from his happy ending story is just... mah jam.

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This one was a lot of fun to do because you don’t really think about Erin Brockovich when you say Brienne of Tarth in terms of character. But when you scratch away the boob jokes and the differences in where they come from, what you find are two hard-working women who fight for justice, so I found that close enough. And it was excuse enough for me to go down the lane of biker!Jaime because... dayum.

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Music and Lyrics is an all-time guilty pleasure romcom of mine. It’s so light and easy and I kind of love how everyone is basically a bunch of awkward losers. All the more perfect for Jaime as a singer (we need that in our lives after the infamous video Nik was in to sing to us about global warming...) and Brienne as the unexpectedly gifted songwriter. What I like about the moodboard per se is how the color scheme turned out because it’s all warm and bright and... makes me happy.

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Very much in contrast to the former stands this one. I still love the overall mood of it and I dig the story idea because I dug both The Prestige and The Illustionist because they presented something dark yet very different, which made it all the more appealing to put into a moodboard for me. While not the most well-known moodboard of mine, I keep going back to it time and time again to basically lust at all the illusions and magic and drama. And blue butterflies.

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What is there not to love about a Pacific Rim AU for JB, am I right? Right?! JB ain’t just compatible when it comes to the Drift, yo, that’s all I’m gonna say. Reasons why I like the moodboard a lot is that it’s very different, flashy colors, gigantic robots, and I was mostly alright with how the edits turned out. It is tough to get images that fit the angles, yo.

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Jumping back in time once more, I really adore this one even though it’s not one of my popular moodboards. I dug the fusion of elements from Cinderella Man while granting Brienne as the female lead more space to develop as a character and make her a badass sniper nurse who is about to get her doctor’s degree. And Jaime doing anything to make it work because he owes her a debt (and his love) by boxing his way to their shared life is just... nice.

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Another supposedly lesser known moodboard is this one, though I really adore it for its premise and the amount of work I put into it (all the giffing and moodboarding). I also found use for that image of Gwen with what looks like the veil of a nun, which was probably what had me inspired in the first place lol. The plot bunnies revolve less around Se7en and more the novel El ùltimo Catón (2001) because it has a nun solving a mystery revolving around Dante’s works. But Se7en gives us the Seven, which is a delicious parallel too hard to ignore. For me at least. If only I knew how to write crime, dammit.

Now, to  move more into the serial (smooth transition from serial killer to serial TV shows, I know, I know) way of life, here is some moodboards inspired by TV shows (although some have since gotten movies which I also took inspiration from... yadda):

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Childhood memory galore. I spent many weekends watching The A-Team with the whole family. When the movie came out, I was happy about the feels it gave me (and the “you spin my head right round” scene still cracks me up more often than it should). Either way. I found it absolutely necessary for Jaime to be Face, for Tyrion to be Hannibal, for Bronn to be B.A. and cuss at everyone and everything and Brienne giving us the strangest genderbend of a Howling Mad Murdock. It added some angst, which I always need because I am a thirsty hoe for it. In case no one noticed yet. Ha.

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This one is very remotely inspired by The Bletchley Circle and the Imitation Game (because both feature encryption and one features Charles Dance already, yo.) I just really dug the idea of Brienne being so good at this because she is such a straight thinker but being underestimated because “she a woman.” And of course her not being done just encoding messages but getting into action, very much to the dismay of the stupid soldier wanting to defend the bae from harm. What could possibly go wrong? Right. A lot.

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Then. Elementary. Let me count the ways in which I love that show... ALL THE WAYS. And I really dig it as a JB AU. I have so many thoughts and feelings, I can’t even begin to tell you. I especially had my fun basically making Jaime Sherlock without making him really Sherlock because that guy was the one who taught him how to be an investigator before disappearing and fucking up his life for bad. And Brienne as the army doctor turned sober companion turned private investigator turned love interest is just too delicious to ignore.

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Pants down I mean hands down, this may be the actual favorite (currently) amongst them all for the plain reason that I also grew up watching that series and still watch it and keep obsessing about it. Ever since Discovery launched and has since given me both joy and grief, I found myself intrigued by the premise of a JB Star Trek AU where Brienne would be standing *with* the Klingons during the war around the time Discovery takes place, and Captain Jaime Lannister having lost far too much to this war already to truly trust anyone, even less so a woman who ran to the Klingons, for what it seems.

You would not believe how many ideas I have for a fic based on it. You wouldn’t believe that I basically have a sequel to that fic already in mind. And you would definitely believe, knowing me, that I am nowhere near writing that fic. But a fangirl can dream and moodboard, right? The moodboard was such a fun way of going about it, not only for the edits but because I could sneak some secret Klingon messages in there. :)

Now, on to the last part, which are the moodboards not inspired by movies or TV shows primarily but really just spewed out of my wacky, wacky brain:

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This has a special place in my heart because it combines military and the traumas it comes with for JB and.... the aesthetic of farming. And both finding a kind of peace they didn’t know they were looking for as they struggle to adjust and find their way back “to normal” after the horrors they have both seen in war. And did I mention the aesthetic? And Jaime in plaid? All dirty and sweaty? Do I have to say more?

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Why this one? Because it combines angst and romance and falling in love twice because DESTINY. And paintings. I love me my artist AUs. So that was my go at it, combining it with the “mystery” to be uncovered about what history Jaime and Brienne actually share as he tries to put his memories back together.  Also. This moodboard gave me opportunity to try out new filters and create JB paintings. :)

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This one’s gotta be on the list since I also added the Horse Whisperer. Now it’s Dog Whisperer Jaime and Brienne who won’t give up on her dog who’s seen some shit in the warzone (as did she, but Brienne will put it all aside for her doggish best buddy, of course). While it’s not a very popular moodboard of mine, I really enjoy the premise of it and how the dynamics can so easily change between the two of them if you see it in comparison to the Horse Whisperer AU. Also. I just really think Jaime is a total pet person.

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Another lesser known moodboard, I’d assume, but I really dug the premise of it (still do), and it was intriguing to do some edits to make Jaime’s hand *truly* golden lol. With people having developed strange mutations which aren’t nearly as much fun as they are in Fantastic Four AUs. What I liked about it was the idea that Brienne would have a kind of mutation/ability that links to the mind, since she is such a physically strong fighter that she may rather rely on that than on her own mind, fearing that she cannot control that with discipline the same way she can train her body with it. What unites the two is their strong wish to protect the people in their care, in a world on the verge of collapse forcing two unexpected allies together (okay, I totally expected it, but they didn’t). Either way. Much love for this one. :)

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Aaaand the last one (not of all the ones I made but the ones I picked for Gwenspiration). I really, really, really adore this one because I was so happy with how the aesthetic turned out and how the colors all match. And I dig the premise. Like holy moly do I dig it deep. Jaime and Brienne both serving in military, but on different fronts, and almost accidentally ending up writing each other letters? I mean... the PINING. And Brienne having to decipher Jaime’s chickenscratch. Yeah no, but for real. I just love the idea so much. That they are both committed to the cause while also yearning for a home, for peaceful times, for sweet, sweet love. And them meeting up and acting like stupid teenagers, only for drama to keep hitting because. It’s eh me angsty Wacky.

Either way. I dig the premises of a lot of my moodboards (in fact... basically all of them or else I wouldn’t be making them, I guess). I spared you listing all of them, though I listed a whole damn lot already. Moodboards are an awesome means for me personally to visualize and (re-)imagine. And since quite a few people seem to continue to be onboard with them, I am all the happier to keep making them.

That’s all for today.

Much love! ♥♥♥

*flies away*

[favekdramas]

3,4,7,9,10 and 15 for the kdrama ask! :)

Yay, thanks!!

3. Favorite couple?

Why did I write such hard questions? If I were to answer regarding recent dramas, I might just have to say Se Ri and Jeong Hyuk from Crash Landing on You...For older dramas, QIHM is a classic fave of mine. I could go on and on tho, I have so many!

4. Least favorite couple?

Kim Tan and whatever Park Shin Hye’s character was named in The Heirs. Toxic af. Same for all the versions of 

7. Favorite kiss scene?

This is always tough to answer, but one of my favorites is actually from Live up to Your Name (the first kiss). There are others, but that’s the one that popped into my head. (@florence-bubbles made an awesome gifset of some of my faves a while ago! Find it here.)

9. Most iconic confession?

I feel like The Master’s Sun has one of the most iconic ones. I mean, she isn’t really herself in that scene, but Joong Won confessing and kissing her to expel the ghost is pretty damn memorable.

10. Dumbest confession?

Why did I write such a hard question? Haha. Umm, I’d say Missing 9 because we never really got one. They beat around the bush, and then there was that dumb finale we don’t talk about.

15. Actors you want to see in a romance drama together?

I’d love to see Kim Seul Gi and Seo In Guk in a romcom together. And I just wanna see my homeboy Jung Kyung Ho in a romcom again. 

Ask me more! 

[lumalaya]

summer films ‘18

hi there! to clarify, this is a log of films i’ve seen this summer, not exactly films set in the summer, so if you’re here for that, i’m sorry?

anyway, here we go!

1. kasal (2018) / dir. ruel s. bayani ♡ 180525 ♡ girl is engaged to the son of cebu’s current mayor who is currently preparing for elections, but her ex comes back and tries to win her back ♡ cliche, i know, but trust me, this movie deals with this plotline in a very interesting way ♡ and come on, it’s bea alonzo and paulo avelino, two icons 2. high school musical (2006) / dir. kenny ortega ♡ 180614 ♡ iconic, i love troy bolton, thanks for reminding me ♡ i know sharpay isn’t that bad but she’s still a bully lol ♡ the choreography for when there was me and you got me dying i love it ♡  fave song: stick to the status quo 3. high school musical 2 (2007) / dir. kenny ortega ♡ 180622 ♡ my least favorite in the trilogy ♡ there was so much unnecessary drama they should’ve cut troy some slack ♡ i hate chad danforth, that’s all ♡ fave song: you are the music in me 4. high school musical 3: senior year (2008) / dir. kenny ortega ♡ 180622 ♡ my favorite in the trilogy! ♡ i still hate chad tho lol but i love taylor so much she’s my favorite character! ♡ i wish they elaborated more on gabriella though, because i like to imagine an alternate ending where she declines stanford and stays in albuquerque for another year which disappoints everyone and puts a strain on her relationship with troy. that would’ve been so interesting! ♡ fave song: i love all of them, but if i had to choose, the boys are back 5. kimmy dora 2: the temple of kiyeme (2009) / dir. joyce bernal ♡ 180626 ♡ the only reason i watched this was because i had a terrible pimple on my forehead and it reminded me of some horror movie then i realized it was this so i had to look for the particular scene ♡ the movie was really bad, as expected ♡ but i absolutely love eugene domingo!! she’s so talented i really admire her as an actress

6. before sunrise (1995) / dir. richard linklater ♡ 180630 ♡ this was the day my internet ultimately stopped working (for four days, if i may add) so i thought hey why not start that movie marathon i’ve been meaning to do ♡ i was excited to watch this because it’s a known pop culture reference, and also because it’s seulgi’s favorite movie ♡ it’s unique! it’s not easy to film a story that revolves around two people who’ve just met walking around in a city neither of them knows ♡ i liked this movie but it wasn’t that spectacular or anything, i think it lacks emotion and excitement ♡ but please, do not get off a train in europe with someone you’ve just met that is dangerous 

7. before sunset (2004) / dir. richard linklater ♡ 180630 ♡  i knew nothing about this so i was actually surprised to see the same actors nine years after before sunrise’s release ♡ i like this better than the first one! céline shows the emotions i was looking for ♡ it’s much simpler and easier to follow because it really is just them walking around and talking to continue the story because of the short amount of time they have together 

8. before midnight (2013) / dir. richard linklater ♡ 180630 ♡ this movie is the reason i watched the series! it was mentioned in it’s okay, that’s love so i thought i needed to watch this, and honestly, it helped me understand the characters from iotl a bit better! ♡ it ended up being my favorite film of the three ♡ it’s more complex than the first two because it introduces more characters and is set in more locations ♡ after years of watching and reading romcoms, this made me believe in love 

9. gone girl (2014) / dir. david fincher ♡ 180701 ♡ i knew nothing about this film except that there was a girl and she was missing and the plot is unexpected? ♡ i won’t say much on this because it’s amazing when you watch it without knowing anything ♡ but it is CRAZY it hecked me up so much wow ♡ will try reading the book when i can!! 10. the grand budapest hotel (2014) / dir. wes anderson ♡ 180701 ♡ my first wes anderson film (finally) ♡ bored me at first because sadly, i can’t relate to rich european men who live in hotels and have sex with elderly women ♡ but it is so much more than that! it’s funny and deals with loyalty, the war, and crap immigrants go through ♡ yes, the cinematography is unique and beautiful, but i couldn’t appreciate it much from years of seeing wes anderson stills on my social media ♡ i went into this without knowing anything about it, but i wish i’d watched the trailer beforehand because that would’ve helped me appreciate it more 11. the fault in our stars (2014) / dir. josh boone ♡ 180702 ♡ i was bored and looking through my sister’s hard drive and i thought hey why not watch sad western teen books-turned-movies i used to glorify years ago ♡ it was alright but knowing every line, song, facial expression that would come next made it worse ♡ john green’s cameo is so awkward it’s almost funny ♡ i hope i never meet an augustus waters in my life 12. if i stay (2014) / dir. r.j. cutler ♡ 180703 ♡ part 2 of sad western teen books-turned-movies i used to glorify ♡ the story is pretty good but the film itself isn’t as good as i remembered ♡ i’m still so in love with jamie blackley after four years he’s so handsome and his voice is beautiful ♡ chloe moretz’s acting is really awkward though it’s almost painful to watch ♡ it made me want to reread the sequel where she went though! 13. she’s dating the gangster (2014) / dir. cathy garcia-molina ♡ 180705 ♡ i started this with an open mind and some expectations because although i hated on it for no reason years ago, i wanted to give it a chance ♡ but i’m sorry it really is bad ♡ kenji delos reyes is manipulative and selfish i hope i never meet a guy like him 14. grave of the fireflies (1988) / dir. isao takahata ♡ 180706 ♡ two siblings in the middle of a war ♡ watched this because a friend wanted to rabbit with me! ♡ i haven’t seen a ghibli film in a while so this was refreshing ♡ really sad though :( 15. 10 things i hate about you (1999) / dir. gil hunger ♡ 180706 ♡ guy is paid to date girl lol ♡ julia stiles is so beautiful :( i love her ♡ pretty funny actually! ♡ also watched this because friends wanted to rabbit with me :> 16. i’m drunk, i love you (2017) / dir. jp habac ♡ 180707 ♡ i finally, finally watched this ♡ not gonna lie it disappointed me? so many people loved it but for me it was eh ♡ paulo avelino’s character was pretty lacking for me, i wish they’d elaborated more on him ♡ but i liked the group dynamic because they’re not the wholesome, fake happy kind of friends, seeing them interact made me feel like they’re people i really know in real life (which made me miss my own friends) ♡ even jasmine’s character felt real because she’s probably someone i’d know HAHA ♡ fun fact: i’ve listened to the song lloydy long before watching this because i mean? a song about john lloyd? sign me up 17. that thing called tadhana (2014) / dir. antoinette jadaone ♡ 180708 ♡ another film i finally watched after multiple pop culture references ♡ i actually kinda liked it! it literally has a spiel about john lloyd of course i do but it gets better when the main characters become comfortable with each other ♡ i find it interesting that the director also directed love you to the stars and back which is another film that revolves around two people, both dealing with stuff, who’d just met and decide to go on a journey together ♡ the characters also feel pretty realistic/relatable once you get to know them 18. the spectacular now (2013) / dir. james ponsoldt ♡ 180709 ♡ part 3 of sad western teen books-turned-movies i used to glorify ♡ the only reason i rewatched this was because it was the shortest of the films i had at the time and i needed something to pass the time while loading episodes of svt club ♡ i mean it’s okay? not bad not good and i don’t even like miles teller ♡ shailene woodley perfectly plays the part of the awkward oblivious girl (and that’s not a compliment) 19. the breakup playlist (2015) / dir. dan villegas ♡ 180716 ♡ this film was so refreshing to watch?? sarah portrayed a youthful musician just starting out so so well i love her so much what a great first sarah g movie for me ♡ piolo made me fall in love with him and later on hate him, as he should ♡ i love opm kaya seeing the gig scene, some actual artists like ebe dancel, and looots of covers of songs like wag na wag mong sasabihin by kitchie nadal and with a smile by eraserheads ♡ i understand now why people love paano bang magmahal HAHAHA 20. barcelona: a love untold (2016) / dir. olivia lamasan ♡ 180717 ♡ alright so remember how i absolutely hated sdtg? ♡ I LOVED THIS FILM SO. MUCH. ♡ kathniel matured a lot in two years and i think they were perfect for this!! they really showed certain struggles of young adults and did not disappoint ♡ it also shows filipino values for family, utang ng loob, ofw struggles, etc ♡ and of course the cinematography is beautiful HUHU i mean it’s barcelona!! 21. my annoying brother (2016) / dir. kwon soo-kyung ♡ 180721 ♡ honestly took me a bit to get into it  ♡ i expected it to be funny and although it did make me laugh a lot why were there tears :((( ♡ kyungsoo is so, so, so talented i admire him so much as an actor now ♡ really hits you in the feels! a really beautiful story about two brothers 22. so i married an anti-fan (2016) / dir. kim jae-young ♡ 180724 ♡ meh ♡ it took some getting used to seeing chanyeol being all snobbish and cool instead of his usual loud happy self ♡ of course it’s overdramatic for the comedy, but the hate-turned-love isn’t even that good lol it’s just unreasonable but whatever ♡ the lead girl reminds me of arci munoz HAHA 23. wonder (2017) / dir. stephen chbosky ♡ 180725 ♡ we watched this during my summer program and i was actually pretty excited because i remember loving the book! ♡ this honestly teaches you a lot not even just from the perspective of children but also as teenagers, parents, friends, etc ♡ i thoroughly enjoyed it!

[42inchtv]

Some Thoughts On The Best Movies Of 2018

Honorable Mentions: “Aquaman” (dir. James Wan), “Avengers: Infinity War” (dirs. Anthony and Joe Russo), “BlacKkKlansman” (dir. Spike Lee), “Blockers” (dir. Kay Cannon), “Eighth Grade” (dir. Bo Burnham), “First Reformed” (dir. Paul Schrader), “Isle of Dogs” (dir. Wes Anderson), “Mary Poppins Returns” (dir. Rob Marshall), “mid90s” (dir. Jonah Hill), “Ocean’s Eight” (dir. Gary Ross), “On the Basis of Sex” (dir. Mimi Leder), “A Quiet Place” (dir. John Krasinski), “Roma” (dir. Alfonso Cuarón), “A Simple Favor” (dir. Paul Feig), “Venom” (dir. Ruben Fleischer)

10. “Vice” (dir. Adam McKay) A thing about “Vice” is Shea Whigham (49) plays Amy Adams’ (44) dad and Christian Bale’s (44) father-in-law — and the movie makes no attempt to hide the fact that they all look the same. It's a weird and imperfect film, but I'm oddly drawn to it -- despite the fact that many of the negative things people have said about this movie are very true. Perhaps that's why I keep coming back to Boots Riley's tweet-review: "Adam McKay makes movies that get me mad because he does several things that I wish I did first. In 'Vice,' he doesn't just break the 4th wall -- he breaks it and comes and sits in the seat next to you with popcorn and hot sauce. I don't think he makes film, he makes theater." There is something transfixing about "Vice." It's a trainwreck, a complete blank-check movie, the work of an auteur who was not told "no" once during the process. So this thing rattles off the rails early and often and features performances and tones so wildly divergent that it feels like something entirely different than regular movies. But put it this way: I'd rather watch a movie like “Vice” than “good” movies like “First Man.” McKay goes for it here in a way that seems reckless and irresponsible -- as if he'll never get the chance to make another movie so why not throw every idea he's ever had at the screen. There's something laudable to that kind of ego and arrogance. “Vice” condemns everyone, including the audience. After what we’ve done, it’s the movie we deserve.

9. “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” (dir. Susan Johnson) Did everyone who bought high on “Set It Up” watch “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” and feel slightly awkward? A winning coming-of-age romcom that should stand proudly next to “10 Things I Hate About You” on the list of awesome teen movies that people watch forever.

8. “If Beale Street Could Talk” (dir. Barry Jenkins) If there was a better scene this year than Brian Tyree Henry’s section of Barry Jenkins’ lush, wondrous, absolutely stunning “Moonlight” follow-up, "If Beale Street Could Talk,” I didn’t get around to seeing it.

7. “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” (dirs. Ethan and Joel Coen) The James Franco section feels incomplete and hurried — why wasn’t it axed completely after Franco’s sexual misconduct allegations? — and the Liam Neeson section is dark and slow. But the other four parts? Instant, rewatchable classics, some of the best things the Coen brothers have ever done. My fave at the moment is the Tom Waits one, but the Zoe Kazan segment is also not without its pleasures. For a movie exclusively about death and dying and the relative fleeting nature of life, “Buster Scruggs” is a delight. It’s an exception to the premise of the film: how could life be meaningless when this exists?

6. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (dirs. Peter Ramsey, Robert Persichetti Jr., Rodney Rothman) As we've gotten further away from 2018, it feels like few movies from that calendar year will stand the cultural test of time. In five years, will people still talk about even the year's best gems, "The Favourite" and "Widows"? Maybe? At this rate, "A Star Is Born" will live in infamy, an Oscar front-runner that was basically shut out in the final calculus; even a film like "Roma," a wonderful movie that deserves its many awards, feels somewhat diffuse. Alfonso Cuarón's intimate epic has barely made a dent now, at a time when even the worst Netflix movie becomes meme fodder for weeks on end. All of which is to say, if one movie from last year winds up being *the* movie from last year, allow me to submit for consideration "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." Its message is more powerful than the pablum of "Green Book" and it just seems so damn modern? Transformative? There's a reason "Spider-Verse" caught the attention of the zeitgeist. It's a now movie -- a dazzling, scattered, boisterous affair that's super funny and legitimately sweet. I slept on a lot of this the first time I saw "Spider-Verse" (literally, being a parent is tough sometimes!), but with clear eyes and full hearts, I watched it again and fell super in love. Time to re-do the 2018 top-10 list.

5. “Widows” (dir. Steve McQueen) How would “Heat” look if it were all about systemic white supremacy? A lot like “Widows,” apparently. What a blast of pulp fiction, with a stacked cast just knocking the crackling dialogue out of the park at every turn. Viola Davis was the headline story here, putting in a complex turn that feels comparable to Robert De Niro in “Ronin.” But the real star is Daniel Kaluuya, who delivers the best villain performance since Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh. Build a statue for him in lieu of his guaranteed Oscar snub.

4. Black Panther (dir. Ryan Coogler) Marvel's own version of “The Dark Knight,” “Black Panther” is the best MCU movie yet, a legitimate epic in league Christopher Nolan’s superhero classic but with a central conflict that feels like an extension of “Do the Right Thing.” Months later, Michael B. Jordan’s towering performance still rules: he’s every bit as impressive as Heath Ledger was as the Joker.

3. “A Star Is Born” (dir. Bradley Cooper) The closest thing to "Hamilton" released this year, Bradley Cooper's meme factory focuses on who lives, who dies, who tells their story. There’s a lot of Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical in “A Star Is Born" and the film is structured as such, up to a literal heart-clutch final moment that makes me cry just thinking about it (and rivals Eliza’s last gasp in “Hamilton”). Enough has been written about "A Star Is Born" that more isn't necessary, but let's just pause here to praise Cooper, the Actor, for a performance so great that it's easy to take him for granted.

2. “Mission: Impossible - Fallout” (dir. Christopher McQuarrie) What if “The Dark Knight” but Tom Cruise? What if “Skyfall” but “Mission Impossible”? That’s “Fallout,” the best action movie since “Mad Max: Fury Road” and the best blockbuster in a great year for blockbusters. To use overdone online parlance, this movie fucks. From the jump too, with a prologue that combines elements of the first “Mission: Impossible” with a hilarious cameo and the Wikipedia entry to “Rogue Nation” to set the tone for what’s to come. “Fallout” is a masterpiece of action cinema – to wit: the second act is basically one giant action sequence segmented into separate movements – and a tightly wound spy game that does just enough with Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt and his IMF team (Rebecca Ferguson remains a highlight) to make the characters worth caring about. A relentless, special movie – the best Cruise has done since “Edge of Tomorrow” – “Fallout” feels like the end of this beloved franchise. And why not? How do you top perfection? Why would you even bother to try?

1. “The Favourite” (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos) The funniest movie of the year, “Mean Girls” in corsets with Rachel Weisz absolutely effing owning in the Regina George role, “The Favourite” is maybe the only perfect movie of 2018. Weisz, Emma Stone, and Olivia Colman are all incredible, a trio of co-leads in the tradition of “Goodfellas,” “Zodiac,” or “The Social Network.” Yorgos Lanthimos’ film belongs in the same zip code as those classics from a quality standpoint as well, with a sharp-edged script that powers the proceedings to its downbeat, darkly comic conclusion. And while this is a movie all about those aforementioned women, don’t sleep on at least one man: Nicholas Hoult, who hams it up with an abandon reserved for Ryan Phillippe in “Cruel Intentions.” A true classic.

[cassiejade]

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller my rating: 2 out of 5 stars

I thought I would enjoy this a lot more than I actually did, The entire book description sounded like it was right up my alley with everything that I like about fantasy and this one has pirates and sirens! And while those elements were cool and I did enjoy it, everything else about it fell really flat for me. The writing was a little slow since there is a lot of character narration for everything. that. she. does. or. thinks. about. It got real old real quick. Also, it was very troupey and predictable. My very last complaint is that the MC is basically a red-headed version of Aelin Galathynius.

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas my rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Alright back to the Night Court! I don’t know how I feel about this, I saw someone else describe it as a behind the scenes novel and they are so right. Yet I feel like there are some plot points that will be vital knowledge for the next book and there was nowhere else to squeeze them in so insert novella here. I always enjoy getting a little bit more insight into the characters lives after a big event like winning a war and saving the world. I was pleased to get that in this and it felt like a bit more closure to Feyre and Rhysand’s story then ACOWAR did.

I’m Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl by Gretchen McNeil my rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I honestly don’t know why I read this and I don’t know why I didn’t DNF it, probably because I’m trying to read 200 books this year…

Anyways the Manic Pixie Dream Girl is one of my least favorite troupes ever and the MC remakes herself into a Manic Pixie Dream Girl. It was so cringey. I haven’t cringed this hard since I read I Believe in a Thing Called Love, that was also super cringey.

The MC, Bea, is a hardcore Math Lover, looking at going to MIT, and is one of the biggest outcasts in the school. Her first BF is stolen from her by the new girl who is 100% your Manic Pixie Dream Girl (I’m just going to type MPDG for future references,) on the second day of school. Bea decides to come up with a formula to make herself and her two best friends popular and Bea is going to become a MPDG.

This was super RomCom in book form and I experienced a lot of secondhand embarrassment for Bea. I will say that this book made a great argument for why I don’t like the MPDG troupe and that’s this quote here “Women are not on this planet exclusively to inspire men and make them happy. We have our own dreams and needs, our own shit to get done. We run companies, countries, international organizations. We’re not props, and we’re certainly not here to cater to men’s egos.”

The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss my rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I was intrigued with Auri the moment we met her in The Name of the Wind, while shes kind of a MPDG, I really enjoyed her whimsical and tender outlook on the world that she lives in, I do wish I had learned why she acts this way, why does she live in the Underground?

This book is mostly Auri narrating her thoughts and kissing everything. But stars for a fun character that I feel like I don’t see in fantasy that much, whimsical writing, and a really cool setting.

The Trials of Apollo: The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan my rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I don’t know why this wasn’t a full 5 star read for me, I enjoyed this very much and I think it’s my favorite of the Apollo series so far, there was just something missing and I cant nail down what it is that I would like to see. I mentioned in my March Wrap Up that an issue that I had with The Dark Prophecy is that Apollo had so much character development in book 1 only to have basically hit reset in book 2 and he started off as if he hadn’t learned or grown after book 1 at all. There was a bit more of that in this book as well, he did seem to recall what he’s learned about the demigods a bit faster.

Also, the pacing of this book reminds me a bit of the Heros of Olympus and how those plots were laid out. Once it felt like things were about to really get going, the book ended. I had the same feeling with House of Hades like “Okay cool now the plots really moving, now we’re getting there, oh there’s only 5 pages left…”

Wild Embers by Nikita Gill my rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This was beautifully written. I loved the fairy tale retellings that she wrote out, there was a lot of girl power inspiration. This book really made me want to take on the world, it made me feel like there was someone in the corner with me. I don’t know if that makes sense but its how I feel.

Until Friday Night by Abbie Glines my rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I really thought I would like this a lot more than I actually did. I adore small town settings, they are one of my favorite book settings along with boarding schools. I live in a small town so its a bit relatable to me. I loved Maggie’s story, that girl broke my heart so many times and I was just glued to the pages of her story. West broke my heart too, I grieved for what he was going through, but I loathed his douchey alpha fuck boy logic and way of life. He treated so many girls like trash but yet there was this one special girl! Ugh, also why is that every single sweet, innocent, and naive ALWAYS smells like vanilla. Has anyone else picked up on that?

Amy and Rogers Epic Detour by Morgan Matson my rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I loved this! Omg, the road trip was just amazing and all the character growth was fantastic. I was glued to these pages and influenced to start planning my own road trip.

Under the Lights by Abbie Glines my rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Oh, look more douechy fuck boy bull shit. I mean these books are southern soap opera-esqe style books and I never watched any soap operas but I guess you just can’t have a soap opera setting without a bunch of douchey alpha males. *rolls eyes* these stories are just summed up with the line of “Women can’t win/damned if you do and damned if you don’t” and boom I think that sums up Willa’s entire existence.

Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit my rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I’m happy I read this, it could have been better, be more inclusive of Women of Color, at the same time I would it be really relatable. I don’t know another woman who hasn’t gone through all the things that have been discussed.

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen my rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This book could have easily been a hundred pages shorter and the story would be about the same. So the pace was slow, and most the characters weren’t really all that likable.

The Song Rising By Samantha Shannon my rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Oh holy shit, this was insane! I still can’t quite sum up how I feel about this because my brain is still a little blown after finishing this. I can’t wait for the next one, I am dying to know what comes next!

Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel my rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Honestly, I didn’t love this, I feel like the plot would go from super fast to super slow, there was no consistent pacing. And sometimes I just got bored with the story. Idk I guess I just wasn’t fully into it

Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout my rating: 3 out of 5 stars

There was something about this story that was just so addicting and I realized while reading this, it has been so many years since I’ve read Twilight that it had to point out to me how similar these stories are, but this one is just so much better. There are so many similarities though.

That was is for May. My favorite of the month was Amy and Rogers Epic Detour and my least fave was Under the Lights, I’m just so tired of douchey alpha male troupes.

May 2018 Wrap Up Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller my rating: 2 out of 5 stars I thought I would enjoy this a lot more than I actually did, The entire book description sounded like it was right up my alley with everything that I like about fantasy and this one has pirates and sirens!