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brucebocchi · 4 months ago

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Spring 2024 anime, Pt. 1: Ongoing/returning shows and the bench

yo! i also post this on my ko-fi! this is very much a labor of love, so if you liked what i wrote consider throwing a few bucks my way! thanks!

And we are back! This one came a little later because I'm much busier now than I was three months ago, but that's a good thing. It'll be a bit longer before I cover last season's new anime, so bear with me. I'm happy to say, though, that I didn't hate anything I watched this season! So there's that.

As always, the OP is linked in the title of each show. Check them out, there were some good ones this season!

Here we go:

Continuing & returning shows:

Delicious in Dungeon, second cour

Ahh, Dungeon Meshi. At the start of my review of its debut cour, I said that Dungeon Meshi is a difficult anime for me to talk about unprompted because it’s such a complete, self-assured work that saying anything about it besides “PLEASE WATCH THIS ANIME IT’S SO FUCKING GOOD” feels like a fait accompli. After twelve more episodes and spending the better part of a weekend binging the entire manga, I’m left with little else to say besides please watch this anime (and read the manga), it’s so fucking good.

Our adventuring party has managed to slay (and cook) the red dragon and resurrect Falin from its belly, but the victory came at a cost: They have managed to not only invoke the ire of the dungeon’s ruler, the “lunatic magician” Thistle, but Marcille’s use of forbidden resurrection magic has also raised another number of hackles. Reunions aren’t all happy ones and the dungeon is getting weirder.

This line break represents where I wanted to add so much more and just kept falling short. This continues to be an exceptional adaptation of an exceptional manga. For all the silly gags, for all the goofy potshots everyone takes at each other, Dungeon Meshi is a series with a beating heart worn permanently on its sleeve. The group dynamic remains superb, and no less so for the standoffish half-girl-half-cat Izutsumi joining the gang (my joy at seeing her added to the OP was indescribable). The ways in which everything interconnects make up only a fraction of this series’ unmatched worldbuilding; much hay has been made about how Ryoko Kui designed the dungeon as a living, breathing ecosystem, but there’s so much more of that within the human element as well, and the latter aspect looks to only improve when the show returns for the next season.

Dungeon Meshi is, without question, the best anime of 2024 so far, and I will be impressed if anything manages to overtake it in this year’s latter half. The manga became one of my favorites in record time, and I have little doubt that by the end of the second (and almost certainly final) season, one of my favorite anime of all time will indeed be Dungeon Meshi. Ahh, Dungeon Meshi.

KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!, season 3

When I reviewed last year’s Megumin-centric spinoff, I mentioned that I’m not quite as high on KonoSuba as other anime fans. I always thought it was a perfectly serviceable comedy isekai, nothing too special, but mostly worth the watch. Even after the letdown that was An Explosion on this Wonderful World! last year, I was still looking forward to the long-overdue third season. And pretty much as expected, what we got was fine. Just fine.

That said, I was instantly delighted to see Megumin once again surrounded by Kazuma, Aqua, and Darkness. And as is frequently the case when those four are together, shit goes south fast. Kazuma, hoping to heal the mental wounds he incurred in the Legend of Crimson film, gets his groove back when he’s invited to regale the adorable Princess Iris with tales of his exploits. As a noble herself, Darkness is mortified throughout this ordeal, scrambling to ensure that Kazuma doesn’t get beheaded for being a loudmouthed freak, and also that Aqua and Megumin don’t accidentally burn the palace down in their revelry.

KonoSuba gets a lot of comparisons to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, in that both are ensemble comedies in which the entire main group consists of awful people who don’t entirely like or trust one another. It’s a fair enough comparison, but what makes the group dynamic work for both shows is that the moral center is never a fixed point; the “voice of reason” among either group changes along with the situation to ensure the comedy stays fresh. And the fact that Lalatina Dustiness goddamn Ford has to be the voice of reason for the majority of this season should mortify you.

Darkness losing her mind aside, I didn’t really care for this arc. There was some interesting worldbuilding happening toward the middle of the season, but Kazuma acting way too eager about having a tiny, prepubescent girl calling him “onii-chan” just made my skin crawl, and I’m otherwise pretty much immune to the bog-standard “hey, laugh at this man because he’s a pervert” anime trope at this point. Fortunately, it only lasted for half the season, but unfortunately, it still felt an episode or two too long. The second half of the season followed Darkness’ forced betrothal to a gross noble from an earlier episode, and that arc also felt an episode or two too long.

Season 3 felt like KonoSuba both at its best and worst. The character dynamics are as rich as ever, even as Aqua and Megumin largely fell to the margins in favor of the larger stories. The smaller moments with the main four just bumming around their mansion are always just as entertaining as their larger exploits. The narrative seems to want to continue pushing Kazuma and Megumin together, nurturing the seeds planted in the movie, but later episodes also make a pretty good case for Kazuma and Darkness getting together; for better and for worse, those two absolutely match one another’s freak. Some of the gags this season were pretty darn good as well: This anime’s facials are already the stuff of legend, and we got some bangers here too (see above). For as loud as it often got, there were a few gags that centered on prolonged, uncomfortable silences like a late episode of Evangelion. And for as bored as I started to grow with the last arc, the punchline at the very end of the season almost made the whole thing worth it.

On the other hand, this show somehow got noisier. Some of Explosion’s funnier moments last year came from Megumin’s shrieking outbursts, so Studio Drive (taking over the main series from Deen) seemed to think that everyone needed to yell all the time now. It felt jarring; like watching season 4 of SpongeBob for the first time. I’m also not impressed by the fact that this series still seems to think sexual assault is just the funniest when it happens to men. It was a serious lowlight of the Legend of Crimson movie, and it just seemed to double down this time for a completely unnecessary segment in which Kazuma helps Dust get back at a creep, only for it to backfire on Dust and only on Dust. That shit sucks!

At the same time, it’s still KonoSuba, so ESH. If you made it this far, you’re pretty much along for the ride until it breaks down, so you take the good with the bad. Neither particularly outweighs the other, nor are they enough to push me towards declaring this show as either essential or unwatchable. It’s KonoSuba, and KonoSuba is fine.

Laid-Back Camp, season 3

The reigning champion of Cute Girls Doing Cute Things anime returns to the present day after the 10-years-later film, and it’s in fighting shape. Though the third season of Yuru Camp (another anime I refuse to call by its official English title) is in the hands of a new studio, it’s still full to bursting with all the gorgeous countryside scenery, tantalizing food porn, and whimsical music you’ve come to expect by now.

This is one that was on my backlog for the better part of a couple years, so I figured there was no better time to catch up than to time it with a new season hitting the air. Through two seasons and an original movie, Yuru Camp was peak slice-of-life: Low on conflict, heavy on cuteness, and brimming with personality. It does what it says on the tin; it’s a show about high school girls going camping, and by God are you getting high school girls going camping. And in the meantime, you, the viewer, get to learn the ins and outs of camping while discovering all these real-life, lovely spots along the Japanese countryside with Mt. Fuji always in view, and maybe help boost the local tourism economies once you go outside and touch grass.

The previous two seasons largely followed the girls’ exploits at school and out in the open as individuals and smaller groups before building to a big destination trip with all five of them, but season 3 takes a more, uh, laid-back approach. The first half follows Rin’s bike trip along with Nadeshiko’s hometown bestie, Ayano, until they meet up with Nadeshiko after her own solo excursion. We also get a quick peek at a heavily-fictionalized retelling of Chiaki, Aoi, and Ena’s outing with Toba-sensei, as well as a cherry blossom viewing trip with Nadeshiko and her sister, before the girls all come together once more for a nighttime hanami outing. It’s more of the same, and that’s exactly what you’re here for.

That said, the character work is the glue that holds Yuru Camp together, and it’s as wonderful as ever. Rin and Nadeshiko’s friendship remains a delight, and Hazel covered it better and more succinctly than I ever could in the Yuru Camp segment in her phenomenal video on countryside scenery in anime. Watching Rin bond with Ayano one-on-one on their own trip was a real highlight; they’d hit it off quickly in the first season, and it was lovely seeing Ayano working at Rin’s go-to bike shop in the movie, so I was overjoyed to see more of these two. More than anything, though, seeing a habitual loner like Rin connect so naturally with another person (and one who isn’t Nadeshiko, no less) just warms my cold, dead heart. The looser plotting also gives us the time and space to take in how the girls individually spend their downtime. Nadeshiko’s quickly becoming as much of an expert solo traveler as Rin, and her youthful enthusiasm about everything remains as endearing as ever. We even get to watch her becoming a train nerd in real time!

At the same time, the communal aspect of camping is a huge part of what makes this show click. Part of that, of course, has been watching Rin’s social circle expanding, but also in seeing how readily campers observe and aid one another. Nobody is “the best” at camping (except maybe Rin’s granddad), so none of the campers in this show have any reservations about going out of their way to help one another. Even an expert solo camper like Rin was a greenhorn at one point, so she’s always happy to give and receive help. The various campers the girls run into along their journeys are always ready with local information about good spots to eat, relax, and take in a good view as well. Even camping on your own, you’re never truly alone.

In that same vein, Yuru Camp is as educational as ever. Along the girls’ travels, we learn plenty about the myriad suspension bridges over the Oi River drainage basin, the various types of passenger trains connecting the countryside, torii gates along the mountains, and clever ways to build a camping menu around local crops. Yes, Yuru Camp is as much food porn as it is nature porn, and the dishes are sumptuous. On that note, my favorite thing I learned this season came from Nadeshiko’s drooling outbursts during the other OutClub girls’ camp retelling: It turns out that there’s an equivalent Japanese colloquialism to what we call food porn, specifically in the act of taunting people about delicious food they can’t have right now, and that is “meshitero,” or “food terrorism.” That is just terrific.

Yuru Camp is in the hands of a new studio for its third season, and the difference is mostly negligible. This is a show that trades largely in vibes, and the vibes remain impeccable. Almost everything still looks and sounds great, but season 3 leans a little more heavily on CG for moving bikes and cars, and they do look markedly worse. Not immersion-shattering, but definitely distracting. The scenery largely looks less hand-painted in favor of a more photorealistic style, which does make me wonder about the actual level of artistry put into it, but that could just be me splitting hairs. Otherwise, it still looks like Yuru Camp, which is all you can ask for.

This show still rules though. I don’t often get intense in my praise of slice-of-life anime, and the ones that get me acting like that are the ones that go to wild lengths for the sake of a joke, like Nichijou and Kaguya-sama. I don’t know what it is about a show as lowkey as Yuru Camp that has me wanting to scream from the rooftops that “THIS FUCKING SHOW WHIPS ASS,” but I’m not questioning it. Maybe it’s cuteness aggression.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, season 2, part 2

And we’re back with more of the best-made anime that I can’t recommend in good faith to just about anyone.

The latter half of season 2 surrounds Rudeus’ aims for a quiet domestic life, settling down with Sylphiette and at the request of his father, Paul, taking his little sisters Aisha and Norn into their home (along with a very welcome reunion with their escort). Aisha takes after her mother, Lilia, and is eager to please and help around the house, but Norn’s last memory of Rudeus is of his violent reunion with their father. Norn idolizes Paul, so she doesn’t trust Rudeus and refuses to open up to him. While Aisha is content with working around the house, Norn wants to keep her distance, so she decides to enroll and board at the magic academy.

Norn’s apprehension towards Rudy and the mental anguish it causes her becomes an isolating factor in her daily life, leading Rudeus to believe that she’s being bullied, much as he was in his previous life. Rudy’s attempts at sticking up for his sister fall flat and lead him to realize he’s been projecting on her this entire time rather than actually reaching out to her. It’s these moments of learning and unlearning that nearly make all of this worth it; this was easily one of the best episodes of Mushoku Tensei’s second season, and frankly one of the best episodes of anime I watched all season. Another episode near the end also earned that distinction, but it got weird afterwards. Even in its lower moments, this season traded very well in the themes of family, growth, and loss, and those aren’t always tidy subjects to handle.

Because this is Mushoku Tensei, the cozy home life can’t last forever. Paul’s attempts at saving his wife have continued to fall short, so he calls on Rudeus and Elinalise to come and help rescue Zenith. Rudeus is conflicted; though he finally has the opportunity to save his mother and face his father as a man, Sylphie is now pregnant and he doesn’t want to abandon his wife and future child. As often happens at times like this, Rudy gets some face time with the Man-God who has been seemingly invested in his journey, and for once Rudy flouts his advice to venture out. Many reunions are had, including one that had been teased all season, and a lot of things go south from there. I was spoiled on some of what would happen in later parts of the series, so it didn’t come as a massive shock to me, but it still got weird, it wasn’t really addressed all that well, and people were rightfully put off by it.

On that note, I’ve given up on the idea of this series being about Rudeus improving as a person, because he’s done just about as much “improving” as he’s going to by now. As I’ve said before, he’s not quite the drooling pervert he used to be (he was actually doing great for more than half of this cour before a succubus attack briefly got the better of him), but his moral compass, even in his best moments, still seems to be poorly calibrated. I do see a side of him now that genuinely cares for others and actively wants to help, but it doesn’t erase his questionable acts, nor do I get any sense that he deserves to get the things he wants. I particularly don’t care for what’s already looking like a formula wherein sex seems to be his cosmic reward whenever he hits a low point or achieves something great. For a series that genuinely has such excellent worldbuilding and storytelling, that part feels cheap enough to undermine everything else.

But hey, a rapist died, so it’s not all bad.

I’m not sure I’d necessarily put Mushoki Tensei on the level of Frieren or Dungeon Meshi, certainly not thematically, but with all three off the air this upcoming Summer season, it’s been a minute since we’ve had a season of anime without one of those three lovingly-made fantasy series on the air. It feels like anime has a massive fantasy void now, and I desperately hope I’m proven wrong soon.

Urusei Yatsura (2022), season 2, second cour

The final run of the remade Urusei Yatsura ended on a strong note with an honest-to-God story arc! Lum and Ataru’s tempestuous situationship is put into stark relief with the fate of the world in the balance, except not really; Lum just wants him to think that because she’s fed up with his shit and that’s just how she operates.

Even as disjointed as this run has been prior to the final arc, there were still some gems this season. The time-travel segment where the gang tries to undo Mendo’s fear of the dark was a certified banger, Asuka’s violent androphobia is as funny as ever, and the introduction of Nagisa as a means of further muddying Ryunosuke’s whole gender situation was the most quintessentially Rumiko Takahashi shit I’ve ever seen. It’s the character comedy that makes Urusei Yatsura what it is just as much as the central will-they-won’t-they, and it was just as potent as always before the series hurtled towards its finale.

The four-episode arc to close out the all-stars run, similarly to the final arc of the manga and the final movie of the original anime run, centers on a blowup between our romantic leads over a colossal misunderstanding (sasuga Takahashi-sensei) involving a unilaterally-fated marriage between Lum and the prince of a dark planet, Rupa. Though Ataru and fellow dark-planeter Karula (basically Rupa’s own equivalent Lum) foil the wedding, a carbon copy of Lum created to ensure a proper exchange of vows tells Ataru that she’s over him. Ataru’s feelings are genuinely hurt, and he tells the real Lum that they’re through, and he returns to Earth with Karula, accidentally spreading spores of the dark planet’s enormous mushrooms.

Said mushrooms rapidly grow enormous when exposed to sunlight, so Earth is already in certain danger. Lum sees an opportunity to manipulate convince Ataru to finally get serious, so she sets familiar stakes: She’ll enlist Rupa’s help in destroying the mushrooms, but only if Ataru can beat her in a ten-day game of tag by grabbing her horns, just like when they first met. More importantly, though, she’ll let it all go if he can just say out loud that he loves her. And you know damn well by now that these two are both as stubborn as they come.

As I’ve said before, this is a shorter run, so we may not have the benefit of the entirety of Urusei Yatsura up to this point to be properly salivating for the finale, but I’ll be damned if it didn’t still hit like a freight train. The emotional climax was still meaty and satisfying in ways that made all of this worth it. Half of the joke of this series is that Ataru’s never going to get serious about Lum in a way that matters, but every time the mask slips is a well-earned shot to the heart. The ending is no different, and it made the shorter run still feel worthwhile.

And with that, that’s a wrap on a modern (if truncated) retelling of a legendary comedy manga. I’ll be forever grateful to this iteration of Urusei Yatsura for finally pushing me into getting into Rumiko Takahashi’s classic works, and I’m beyond excited that there’s also a Ranma ½ remake on the way. If David Production takes that one on as well, it’ll be in great hands.

Anime I Watched Two Episodes of and Will Probably Get Back to Later

I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince So I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability

I mean, you read the title.

This is less an isekai and more of a lateral reincarnation story; magic already very much exists in this fantasy kingdom, but this is about a guy who is very obsessed with magic but sucked at it suddenly gaining a wealth of talent and the opportunity to go absolutely sicko mode.

Lloyd’s existing knowledge of magic serves him well, and he becomes a virtuoso at a young age. He manages to subjugate a demon lurking in the palace’s library and turn him into an adorable familiar (and having the demon go from being voiced by Akio Otsuka to Fairouz Ai was a brilliant move) and just terrorize the poor little shit with his experiments and travails. The kid could basically do a Hollow Purple by the second episode. He’s kind of psychotic, and I love that for him.

This is definitely a comedy, but the comedy is kind of all over the place early on. Prince Lloyd is surrounded by beautiful young ladies-in-waiting who, uh, seem way too into him, and that kinda sucks. Lloyd himself is drawn and animated a little too lovingly for a child as well. It’s definitely uncomfortable in parts early on, but I’ve heard it lightens up on that and gets crazier in the parts that matter, so I’ll be coming back.

And it started with a menacing monologue from Takehito Koyasu himself, so of course my interest was piqued from the jump.

Oblivion Battery

It’s weird, I love both anime and sports, but sports anime was just something I never sought out too much until I picked up Blue Box recently (also please read Blue Box, it whips ass and the anime is gonna be incredible). Oblivion Battery’s debut coincided with the start of the American baseball season, so it seemed like a great time to hop in.

I can’t say I was too intrigued by the premise, though. The intentionally generically-named Taro Yamada quit baseball after middle school after getting utterly rinsed by the high-powered battery of pitcher Haruka Kiyomine and catcher Kei Kaname, so he enrolls in a high school without a baseball club, only to find that his classmates are… Haruka and Kei. Kei, as it turns out, took a bad hit to the head and has completely forgotten all about baseball, and now spends all of his time trying to be a comedy boke for unwilling participants. Taro and Haruka would like Kei to learn about baseball again, so they start up a new club, alongside other classmates who also quit baseball because of the titular battery.

Fine premise, but eh. The hook wasn’t enough of a hook for me, and even MAPPA handling the animation didn’t keep my attention for long. I’ll probably get back to it eventually, but I ended up watching plenty of other anime this season that felt like higher priorities.

Also, I’m pretty sure Oblivion Battery’s manga introduced a character named Aoi Todo before Jujutsu Kaisen did. I still prefer the latter.

YATAGARASU: The Raven Does Not Choose its Master

See, this one I probably should’ve picked up sooner, because it seems like it’s very much my jam, and I’ve seen plenty of praise for it. It’s a dense one, though, and I’d rather not cram it just to turn around and review it a few days later.

I won’t even go into the details because even two episodes in, there are darn near too many of them. This is a massive ensemble cast in and around a succession battle in a fictionalized, imperial Japan-esque kingdom created and ruled by yokai. We’ve got a battle of brides-to-be vying for the hand of an embattled prince, a cunning but resentful empress overseeing the proceedings, a possible spy or two, and a rambunctious little shit who looks like he got plucked out of Avatar: The Last Airbender getting roped into working in the palace. It’s a lot of moving parts, but I’m curious to see how they tie together.

Two episodes in and this show looks good, but probably not as great as it could. I know I’m spoiled on The Apothecary Diaries, but something like this already feels like it deserves better than some of the stiff character animation I saw early on. I’ll reserve my judgments for now.

YATAGARASU is continuing into the summer season, so I’ll take my time catching up on it. This one feels like it deserves to be sipped slowly, not chugged, and I’ll have my tasting notes in due time.

#anime reviews

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thoughts-on-bangtan · 11 months ago

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A Little Farewell

With about a week left to go we had our final OT4 weverse live today and it's safe to say, we were not prepared. But I'm very grateful that they did a live all together giving us a last dose of chaos, cuteness and giggles before we'll be left to fend for ourselves for 6 months before Jin returns to us in June 2024.

The live truly was a beautiful gift that kept on giving starting with Tae's new short haircut and JK hiding his now shaved head from us, Namjoon even claiming that JKs hair is shorter than his own (JK supposedly felt inspired to shave his head a little early after he met Usher, who has pretty short hair himself, and went for it), and Jimin practically getting offended by a comment saying they wanted to see him with a buzzcut. To be honest Tae's cute little haircut looks a little like he did it himself in the dead of the night but it also makes him look like we traveled back in time to 2013 or earlier. Adorable. After so long it was really nice to see them together again, and to generally have more than one Tannie in a live together.

Since the first leaks about their military service appeared a few days ago we've seen vminies talk among themselves, and not to mention the near constant fighting that's been going on between the two xkook camps, but seeing vmin being so cute together in this live, it felt reassuring. Whatever questions or worries we might've had, they were washed away. In a way it makes sense that Tae and Jimin didn't go together, even if we all would've loved to see them go together and make use of the buddy system, but that isn't the choice they made for themselves and that's okay. It's easy to see what vmin are doing more than just fine and that's all that matters. Admin 2 really hoped we'd get a vmin handshake or hand holding, and we got two! I mean, look at all this cuteness:

And then also Tae going home in five minutes flat and doing a small solo live which was basically just him being adorable and talking to Jimin, who was immediately in the comments, before leaving again. Love when we get to third wheel them, wow, I truly will miss that a lot.

At one point in the live JK mentioned that he'd wanted to go to the special forces as well, implying that for some reason he couldn't, which makes me wonder why. Was it because of his tattoos? Either way, it's nice that he'll instead get to go with Jimin and supposedly they'll be in the training camp where Seokjin is one of the trainers so that's cute.

Speaking of Seokjin, after so long it was adorable how often Namjoon brought up Seokjin in this live. Just Jin hyung this and Jin hyung that, very cute. And they also mentioned Hobi a bunch, how he's gotten cooler and more manly, which comes as a great reminder to basically all of us that the cute boys we've known until now, well, they'll probably fade away and get replaced by more mature versions of our beloved members in the next months and they'll return to us as a different set of Tannies. And that's okay. They're grown up men so it makes sense that eventually some of that aegyo cuteness will fade away and personally I'm very curious to see how things will turn out and what they'll be like in 2025.

And I'm very curious to see if idiots will respect Namjoon's and Tae's pleas for people not to show up for their entrance ceremonies. Especially since Namjoon asked for it in three languages to make sure everyone understood it. Unfortunately I have my doubts, since we know the maknae line have some of the most unhinged solos but here's hoping.

Now, what does this mean for us now? Well, it'll be quite a while until we'll see the members slowly returning one after the other so we'd like to take this time for a 'official' hiatus as well. Admin 2 is considering a temporary "rebrand" into a BL blog since they've gotten into Thai BLs in the last year, so that's something that might happen. Would any of you be interested in something like that?

But we'll still be ARMY, still love vmin and namjin, and once the guys will return, so will we, so don't worry, we're not leaving BTS any time soon.

Lastly, here's a blurry screenshot of a coconut headed JK running across the screen screaming THIS WAS BTS. A beautifully chaotic ending to this solo era. Let's see what the next months will bring us and what 2025 will be like when chapter 2 will come to a close and a new chapter of BTS and ARMY will open, eventually.

Thank you so much for reading!

#bts #taehyung #jimin #vmin #namjoon #jungkook #namjin

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umseb · 8 months ago

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Sebastian Vettel tests the Porsche 963

3/22/2024 - The Porsche Penske Motorsport works team and the winner of 53 Formula 1 Grands Prix, Sebastian Vettel, are looking forward to putting the Porsche 963 through its paces. This coming week, the German will take the wheel of the hypercar at the Motorland Aragón. Porsche Penske Motorsport forges ahead with its preparations for this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans with a 36-hour long run in Spain. Vettel has already spent extensive time in a simulator to prepare for the Spanish circuit in Aragón. At a rollout of the Porsche 963 on the test track at Porsche’s R&D Centre in Weissach, he turned his first laps in the hybrid prototype.

Gaining experience in the cockpit of a hypercar prototype

Sebastian Vettel enters new terrain with this test drive: for the first time, the four-time Formula 1 world champion will gain experience in the cockpit of a hypercar prototype. Since 2023, the Porsche Penske Motorsport works team and private teams have campaigned the Porsche 963 in the North American IMSA sports car series and the FIA World Endurance Championship WEC. After winning three IMSA races last year, Porsche Penske Motorsport succeeded in kicking off the 2024 season with a win in both championships. In the WEC, which also incorporates the Le Mans 24-hour highlight, the entire field including the hybrid race car will run on biofuel. This fuel has been used in the WEC since March 2022.

"I'm looking forward to testing the Porsche 963. I already got the chance to get a feel for the car during a rollout in Weissach," says Sebastian Vettel. "I've always followed other racing series, and my curiosity for endurance events encouraged me to just give it a shot. Now I'm excited about the long run in Aragón and I'm looking forward to my time behind the wheel. It'll definitely take an adjustment and some getting used to, but everyone in the team is very open and helps me. This will be a new experience for me. We will then see what happens next in this respect. At the moment there are no further plans for the future."

"We're delighted that Sebastian Vettel is interested in our Porsche 963," explains Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. "There was no question for us that we'd be thrilled to support his request for an opportunity to test and provide him with extensive preparation and plenty of time to drive our hybrid prototype. There's no doubt we'll learn a lot from his valuable feedback. Our 36-hour long run with Porsche Penske Motorsport and our works drivers at Motorland Aragón offers a perfect environment for this."

Getting to know the special features

Vettel has prepared systematically for the test with the Porsche 963. On March 14th he met the operations crew at the Porsche Penske Motorsport facility in Mannheim. The next day, on March 15th, the German completed an extensive simulator session at Porsche Motorsport. There, he got to know the engineers and familiarise himself with the special features and complex control systems of the Le Mans prototype. On March 21st he got his first taste of the Porsche 963 on the in-house test track at the Weissach R&D Centre. It proved to be an unusual experience for the 36-year-old: After 299 Grand Prix starts in Formula 1 single-seaters, it had been some time since Vettel had driven a racing car with a roof; previously only at the Race of Champions or turning demo laps.

Next week, Porsche Penske Motorsport will head to the 5.078-kilometre circuit at Motorland Aragón near Alcañiz to conduct a 36-hour long run. Joining Sebastian Vettel for the test are the works drivers Matt Campbell (Australia), Michael Christensen (Denmark), Frédéric Makowiecki (France) Kévin Estre (France), André Lotterer (Germany) and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgium). This endurance test serves as preparation for the highlight of the season in Le Mans on June 15th and 16th. As the record holder, Porsche aims to secure its 20th outright victory at the Circuit des 24 Heures. To increase the chances of the desired success, Porsche Penske Motorsport will field a third Weissach-made hybrid prototype at the French endurance classic in 2024. Mathieu Jaminet from France has already been confirmed to helm the No. 4 car. The customer teams Hertz Team Jota and Proton Competition have entered three more Porsche 963 race cars. Two Porsche 911 GT3 R campaigned by Manthey EMA and Manthey Pure Rxcing will tackle the new LMGT3 category.

#sebastian vettel #f1 #formula 1 #wec #fic ref #fic ref 2024 #not a race #2024 not a race #between saudi arabia and australia 2024

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thetirisfaltheatretroupe · 23 days ago

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The Curtain Falls on another Fantastic Performance~!

Thank you to everyone who came out and saw us perform tonight! This was one of our best shows to date, and the fact that we performed two long format plays and one short sketch is a brand new feat for us! We've worked hard the past few weeks to ensure the people who came out to Moon Guard's Dance of the Dead would enjoy their time with us, whether they popped in for a short viewing or stayed for the entire thing. The feedback we got tonight was amazing, and we're so happy people enjoyed! One thing we'll be sure to do with more preparation as we grow in the coming months is coordinate anchors for these events a little better. We do apologize for how inconvenient it was, the addition of our anchor tonight was rather last minute apart from the organizers at the Dance of the Dead, who were running their own group as well. Thankfully, we're having more people apply to us lately, and we'll no doubt come across someone who specializes in that sort of thing to help us out! But wow, to see so many people engaged with the stories we told, even the Altruist, which was one of our VERY few non-comedies! I'll admit, while we feel more at-home with humor, the drama in The Altruist was a huge draw for our crew, and we worked extra hard this time to up the ante on the eerie atmosphere. While the Tirisfal Troupe's part in the Dance of the Dead is over and done, we hope everyone goes out to enjoy the second night of the Dance tomorrow as well on Moon Guard. They have a lot of fun things in store, ESPECIALLY the Costume Contest, which they're actually in need of a lot more sign-ups for! With millions in gold-prizes, what do you have to lose?

Our performance season for 2024 was about getting back on our feet, and after tonight, I think it's safe to say we're back in rare form! Our group, while still small, is capable of a great many things and filled with talented folks who are passionate about what we do, and from the bottom of my own heart I cannot thank them enough for all they've put into tonight's show!

We have one more major event planned for you all this year before we close out the year, due to premiere sometime in early to mid November! Stay tuned for the announcement sometime in the coming week!

And we hope you had an amazing time with us! <3 Here are some of the screenshots from the event!

#tirisfal theatre troupe #wyrmrest accord #horde rp #wow roleplay #world of warcraft #moon guard #dance of the dead

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captainsophiestark · 10 months ago

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The Best-Laid Plans

Platonic!Annabeth Chase x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for my personal fic writing challenge for 2024, Sophie's Year of Fic! Featuring a new fic being posted every Friday, all year long :)

Fandom: Percy Jackson

Summary: Annabeth's best friend and older sibling figure since she ran away at seven helps her execute the perfect birthday surprise for Percy in their first year at college.

Word Count: 1,306

Category: Fluff, Humor

A/N: To those new to the fandom from the tv show, weclome! This fic has hella spoilers for future books, so be warned

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

"I just want to do something special for him. It's his first birthday away from home, and I can tell it's bothering him."

I hummed, twirling my dagger and staring at the ceiling while kicked back on my couch. Such was the life of a demigod, that we fiddled with weapons like fidget toys.

"And there's no way you guys can go back?" I finally asked. Annabeth, my little sister in every way but blood, shook her head.

"We've got orientation for the next week and a half, including his birthday. It's the only reason we're here so early in the first place. We can't miss it."

I frowned. Annabeth and her boyfriend, Percy Jackson, had just started college at New Rome University. They'd gotten to the Bay Area yesterday, which I'd been incredibly excited about. Annabeth and I had been attached at the hip since I was eleven and she was seven, when we'd met as runaway demigods. Out of our little group, Annabeth and I had stayed the closest. After the Titan War, I'd decided to go USF, the muggle university in San Francisco. Leaving her had been the hardest part.

Now, luckily for me, she and Percy had moved out here too. Annabeth had finished unpacking and setting up her dorm room within a few hours of arrival, and so had some free time this morning to spend hanging out with me. Percy had not, so he was otherwise occupied on their last day before school activities started.

"Well, I'm happy to help with whatever you want to do, Annabeth," I said. She sighed, chewing at her lip and staring out the window of my apartment as she thought. "Maybe you could show him around the Bay Area? He probably hasn't spent much time out here, has he?"

"I really haven't either," she said. "I've barely been back since I was a kid."

"True..."

"Maybe we could go on a tour of New Rome? Percy told me he wanted to show me around, but I don't want to make him be the tour guide for his birthday."

"Yeah."

The two of us fell silent for a moment, thinking things through. Then, like a blast of lightning from Thalia, an idea hit me.

"What if you baked him some cookies or something? He's probably already missing his mom's baking."

Annabeth shot up straight in her seat, staring at me with wide eyes.

"That is the perfect idea. Can I make them here?"

"Of course! I'm not going to make you use the shared freshman kitchens."

Annabeth grinned, then stood and headed to the kitchen table. I watched her go with interest as she pulled out a notebook and pen and started scribbling away.

"Uh... Annabeth?"

"Making a plan. Don't worry about it."

I grinned to myself. My little sister was nothing if not predictable.

A few days later, Annabeth managed to sneak away from Percy and orientation to come back to my place for a baking party. Percy's birthday was tomorrow, so we only had tonight to get everything ready.

"I came up with the perfect plan," she said in lieu of greeting as she pushed past me and into the apartment. I smiled after her, joining her in the kitchen as she plopped down a massive bag of baking supplies. "I got the recipe, I timed everything out, I got a ton of blue food coloring. By the end of the day, the perfect birthday surprise will be completed."

"I'd never doubt a plan from Athena," I said, giving her a smile. "Just tell me what to do, and I'm on it."

"Right. Well, first we need to preheat the oven."

That was about the only part of the plan that ended up going off without a hitch. Annabeth didn't bake often, and she'd happened to choose a pretty difficult cookie recipe. I did my best to help, but I didn't have a lot of experience in the area either, so things went quickly off the rails. Just under two hours later, the two of us stood in the kitchen covered in flower, eggs, and bits of way too watery dough, staring at the absolute disaster of a mess we'd created on the counter.

"This was not part of the plan," she said. I couldn't help it—I burst out laughing.

"I don't know, I think sugar cookies are supposed to be so wet we can't pick them up," I joked. I turned to see Annabeth with a very serious frown on her face.

"I haven't had a plan fail this miserably in... a long time."

"Well, I think it's probably time for plan B. That can be your redemption."

Annabeth's frown just deepened, so I did what any good sibling would do and took it upon myself to cheer her up. By throwing a wad of dough in her face, of course.

Her mouth dropped open in shock as sugary, goopy dough dripped off her chin. Then she whirled on me with a fierce look and fire in her eyes that I recognized from the few times she'd really been on the warpath for capture the flag.

"That was a mistake."

She picked up the nearest glob of dough and chucked it at me as I tried to dodge. It hit me in the back with a thunk, and I cackled before turning around to reengage with a clump of flour.

The baking battle raged for a few fierce minutes, before Annabeth and I slipped in some dough on the floor while wrestling to smear more of the stuff on each others' heads. We collapsed in a heap, both of us laughing like crazy people.

"That was so worth everything that came before it," I declared, slumping against the nearest kitchen cabinet. Annabeth immediately followed suit, leaving us shoulder to shoulder in the middle of the mess.

"What about the cleanup that comes after?"

"Also worth it, especially since I have you here to help me."

Annabeth snorted, but didn't say anything. After a minute of comfortable silence, she sighed.

"What am I gonna do for Percy's birthday tomorrow?"

"Well, were the cookies the only plan?"

"No... He took me to one of his favorite spots in the city a few days ago, so I planned a picnic for the two of us there. The cookies were going to be the final surprise."

"Well, there you go then. The rest of the plan remains intact. If you wanted to, you could even make him a little coupon or something that promises 'one day of baking cookies' or something like that, and the two of you can pick an easier but still delicious recipe to try."

Annabeth looked at me with a skeptical eyebrow raised.

"Would you let us use your kitchen again?"

I shrugged. "Sure. Maybe Percy's better at baking than us. And even if he's not, having someone who can control water to help us with cleanup will at least make a round two of this easier."

Annabeth smiled and huffed a laugh, leaning against me.

"Thanks. For this, and for everything. I'm really glad you're here in San Francisco with us."

I smiled too, reaching out to put one arm around Annabeth. We'd known each other more than a decade, and we'd both changed so much. But our relationship had stayed the same.

"Any time, Annabeth. You know I'm always here for you." The two of us sat there for a minute, taking a breather and appreciating each other's company, and then I sighed. "Alright, time to get the cleaning stuff out. This is going to take hours."

"You know, I actually have a lot of coursework I need to get started on-"

"Nice try, but it's orientation. And even if you were in the middle of finals, you wouldn't be getting out of this."

"Fine. But next time, let's plan to avoid the massive kitchen food fight."

I grinned. "Sure. We can plan on that."

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury @kmc1989

Riordanverse: @valkyriepirate

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implausiblyjosh · 2 months ago

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Did The DVD Drive Help Sell PS2s?

This is a repost of a cohost post from AUG 13, 2024:

Someone made a weird claim on twitter about the PS2 and how important DVD playback was in late 2000, claiming that DVD players were under $100 by the end of 2000. It didn't smell right, but this screenshot they kept posting didn't make sense to me. Where was it coming from, who was saying this about DVD players?

I went to try and find where this screenshot comes from, and it's the Wikipedia page for "DVD player". I went and skimmed the 5 refs included in that article, and as far as I can tell, of the 1 webpage, 1 service manual, and 3 articles, none of them say this about pricing. Here's the specific version of the article I was looking at.

The closest we get is the EETimes reference in that wikipedia article, an article from May 2002 which has "With DVD player prices on track to drop to about $70 by year's end". That's not super helpful because it doesn't tell us where the prices are in May 2002.

The remaining four sources aren't very helpful either. The service manual PDF is lots of circuit boards, no prices. The webpage and and the other two articles are talking about the first year of the DVD player & format, which is about 1997. So that doesn't help us. Where'd this number even come from?

I checked the Talk page for the article, I'm seeing someone point out in 2008 that there were 0 sources on this article, and I'm not digging in the edit logs of the article itself to see when/where the references came from. So we know sometime between 2008 and 2024 these five sources were added, but none of the sources back the claim.

Trying to find articles about pricing from the time, I google "dvd player price in 2000" and get an IGN article from August 2000 that lists prices ranging from $270 to $3,000. To confirm my knowledge of the PS2 launch (because now I'm doubting what I know lol) I find a GameSpot article from May 2000 announcing the price and launch of the PS2, which is October 26, 2000 for $299 USD.

If your entry level DVD player is $300 in August 2000, I don't know how easy it was to find players "under $100" by the end of the year, and definitely not by the PS2's launch date of late October 2000. Based on looking through some articles at the time, we're looking at something that cost the same as a budget Sony DVD player at the time, but also played video games. It's hard to say how much that drove sales, but I did a quick search for "ps2 launch sales", looking for articles before 2001. I found a CNN article from the PS2's launch day that says:

Perhaps the most important perk, the PS2 can play digital versatile disc (DVD) movies, a feature that Sony hopes will make the $299 console a standard appliance in North American homes. The game pad controls the DVD functions with a relatively rudimentary interface, allowing users to skip ahead, pause or view special features.

In Japan, the presence of the movie player has reportedly driven up sales of DVD movies.

Based on quick searches from articles at the time, T\the evidence that the DVD feature helped PS2 sales is way more evidenced than the idea of $100 DVD players by the end of 2000. Hell, trying to find something that gets me close to that pricing claim is a CNET article from 2002 which says:

The cost of DVD players fell more than $200 within two years of their introduction in 1997 for nearly $500, according to Peddie Research. And the price slide hasn't stopped. Although the Consumer Electronics Association says the average price of a DVD player was $193 last year, consumers can now find players for less than $100.

Looking at it all, it seems like the DVD functionality was a selling point according to Sony and articles at the time of the launch, so. Idk, seems like the DVD feature was important to sales of the PS2!

The above was adapted from a thread I made on Twitter. I'm adding the following new thoughts!

I woulda been 6-ish when the PS2 launched, so what I know first-hand of the era is skewed. Listening to people I trust talk about games has given me the impression the DVD drive and playback was important to the PS2's sales and initial success, making for a solid foundation for people to develop a shit ton of amazing, system-seller titles for the platform. It's a hand-in-hand situation, not an either-or situation. Based on what I remember growing up, the PS2 was a good investment for a video game household that loved movies but didn't have the funds to get a DVD player and get a game console. For us, the PS2 was a best of both worlds situation.

But that's kinda... not the point? It wasn't difficult to find these sources talking about price, but it shoulda been easier. Articles talking about DVD player prices should have been in the Wikipedia article, but weren't. That's super strange to me, a wikipedia article about a large and important type of media player has only 5 sources, and more than half of them are talking about it's first year. Google search should have been a lot better to allow me to find more sources from the time, because it was hard to find any coverage of the launch day vibes of the PS2. Thinking about this more after the fact, I think I need to learn how to search magazine scans because I know gaming print magazines at the time would have said something about DVD playback and how important it may or may not have been!

Idk where to end this. Seems like there's a weird bit of misinfo on the DVD player Wikipedia page, which seems hard to correct because I'm not sure where to look for better sourcing. Someone should do something about this I think!

#cohost import #wikipedia #twitter #dvd player #ps2 #josh average rants

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jmagnabo92 · 10 months ago

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GGSB Fest 2024 - Quidditch

@goodgodfathersiriusblack

Prompt - Quidditch

When Sirius is freed after POA, he takes custody of Harry and plans to be Harry's biggest fan for his quidditch aspirations.

AO3

***

One of Sirius’ favorite things about sneaking around Hogwarts before finally capturing the rat was watching Harry’s games that year. So, when he finally gets freed (and custody of Harry), he immediately plans to attend all of Harry’s game, thereafter.

Over the summer, he and Harry discuss all of his past games, which were rather interesting. Sirius had never expected that Harry wouldn’t exactly have normal games, and he’s just grateful Harry’s survived them.

“Well, next year, I’ll be there cheering you on and making sure your games are as safe as quidditch can be.”

“You’re going to come to my games?” Harry questions, uncertainly.

“Of course I am,” Sirius states. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well, I mean … none of the other parents come… as far as I can tell,” Harry offers. “Just figured, it wasn’t a thing wizard parents do.”

“Well, it’s a thing I will do, you know why?”

Harry shrugs.

“Because I’m a Godparent, and godparents are better,” Sirius says, half teasingly. “Now, what do you say to helping me decorate a game day shirt to wear?”

“Game day shirt?” Harry asks, confused.

“Well, yeah. Your biggest fan has to have a special game day shirt.”

Harry flushes, looking pleased. “If you’re sure…”

“I am.”

***

Although Sirius had assured him that he would, in fact, come to the game, Harry wasn’t sure if he believed him or not.

Yet, the second they walk out onto the field, Harry can’t resist looking for him and sure enough – there he is: Potter Fan Club shirt in the center of the Gryffindor section, right underneath Dean’s Potter banner.

Sirius yells to him about knocking them dead, and Harry grins. It doesn’t matter what he says… he’s here just to cheer him on and that means more to him than he can say.

***

Naturally, Sirius continues going to the games (and Harry wins every one) for all of fourth and fifth year. Then, when Harry receives his letter for year six, he gets a surprise – Quidditch Captain.

“I’m captain?” Harry asks, somewhat surprised.

“You can’t be surprised, kid,” Sirius states. “You’ve managed to single-handedly win a game for them, you’re a natural on a broom, and a natural leader. With most of the original team gone…”

“Yeah, but … I thought… Katie.”

“She’s a good player, but she doesn’t want to be a leader and she’s not as good as you.”

“It’s a lot of pressure… to be Captain,” Harry states, uncertainly.

“It is, but I have no doubt that you’ll do great,” Sirius states, grinning brilliantly. “And if you want, we could talk through some strategies… maybe you could go to that training camp you’ve been eyeing overseas?”

Harry lights up. “Really? ‘Cause I thought you said I didn’t need it.”

“You don’t, but you did mention joining the professionals for your career and you’ve got the talent, so…”

Harry grins. “I’d like that – all of it.”

“Then, let’s celebrate – to the new Gryffindor Captain.”

***

Sirius couldn’t prouder as he watches Harry win the Quidditch cup for the fifth year in a row, second as captain. He’s still wearing his slightly worn ‘Number One Potter Fan’ shirt that he and Harry created the first summer they finally got to live together.

He’s always going to be Harry’s number one fan and judging by the scout approaching him… that’s going to continue to the professional world of quidditch.

He makes his way towards his kid, happy to see him smiling and chatting with England’s scout.

“Oh, there he is!” Harry says, cheerfully upon spotting him. “Pads! This is the England Scout, Cory Feeny. He wants to recruit me.”

Sirius grins as he offers his hand to Mr. Feeny. “Of course he does, first Hogwarts student to play all seven years – win five years in a row, twice as Captain. Come on, kid. You’re a recruiter’s dream.”

Mr. Feeny laughs. “He’s right, Mr. Potter. Any team would be lucky to have you – so, when would you like to come and properly try out? We’ve got an opening for seeker, and while would normally have public tryouts, if you’re interested and the rest of the team meshes with you…”

Harry looks to Sirius. “Can I go this weekend?”

“What about N.E.W.T.s?”

“I’m ahead in most subjects and it’d only be a few hours… besides, didn’t you always say that sometimes we do better when we take breaks?”

Sirius laughs. “Using my own words against me, alright then. We can check it out. Saturday.”

“Perfect, see you both then.”

***

Of course the tryout goes perfectly. Harry fits in with the team naturally, and the offer is fairly amazing.

Naturally, Harry’s going to take it, and Sirius is going to be his number one fan into the professional world.

***

“Go Harry!” Sirius yells as he watches his godson in his first ever – though likely not last – Quidditch World Cup. It’d taken a few years of a hard training and getting to the finals on more than one occasion, but Harry was nothing if not determined.

He’s not the youngest seeker to make it – that fell to Krum, who did it while still at school – but it’s close. Especially at only twenty-one.

Sirius is watching him zoom on by, thrilled that he had on a new number one fan shirt (this one dedicated to England – his old one folded up and pinned to the wall as if a trophy on the living room wall). He’s always going to be here for his kid – cheering him on win or lose (although he’s still only lost a handful of times as a professional and once as a Hogwarts player).

Suddenly, he dives.

He’s seen the snitch and though his fellow seeker (Krum) has seen him as well, Harry’s further ahead and gets there first.

“AND POTTER HAS IT – ENGLAND WINS THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP!”

The crowd erupts in cheers and Sirius is thrilled when the teams make it up to the box and he’s able to congratulate his kid in person.

“I did it!” Harry cheers as he throws his arms around him.

“Yeah, you did! Congrats, Kid! Always knew you could do it.”

“Just like you’ll always be my biggest fan?”

“Always.”

“Good.”

#sirius black #harry james potter #sirius and harry #sirius and harry saturday #good godfather sirius black

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jbaileyfansite · 11 months ago

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Interview with 'Bustle' talking about Fellow Travelers, Bridgerton and Wicked

Showtime’s Fellow Travelers explores a star-crossed romance between Tim Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey) and Hawkins “Hawk” Fuller (Matt Bomer) set against the backdrop of America’s Lavender Scare: the persecution of LGBTQ+ government workers in the mid-20th century.

Tim and Hawk, who both work in politics, meet at a party in 1950s Washington, D.C., and quickly strike up an on-and-off relationship, which carries on for over four decades. Their meetings are urgent, secret, and steamy — enough for Out to dub the historical drama “one of the sexiest shows in recent memory,” thanks in no small part to an erotic toe-sucking scene. But the most vulnerable moments between Tim and Hawk have little to do with sex.

“The most intimate scenes are not the physical ones, but the ones where they’re really looking at each other and being kind to each other,” Bailey tells Bustle over Zoom. “Those felt really, really joyful. In those dark periods, that’s what these characters live for.”

In the relationship, Bailey’s character is pious and submissive — a far cry from his brooding, Mr. Darcy-coded character on Bridgerton. The actor is “grateful” that many of those fans will follow him to the new show, which is based on Thomas Mallon’s same-named 2007 novel.

“Doing something like Bridgerton, which is such a populist celebration of a show, what I loved, and probably a reason I was led toward Fellow Travelers,is the opportunity to guide people [to] stories that are slightly more niche,” he says.

As for Bridgerton, Bailey will return as the newly married Anthony when the show returns in 2024, and he’s excited for Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan (aka Colin and Penelope) to “completely thrive” in Season 3.

Could Season 3 include more LGBTQ+ storylines? “I’m always hopeful for inclusion in that way,” Bailey says. “There’s so much that Bridgerton has achieved in storytelling, and there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that with the brilliance of Shondaland, everyone’s gonna see themselves in the story at some point, I’m sure.”

Below, the actor opens up about filming Fellow Travelers, his role in the upcoming Wicked adaptation, and the rom-com legend he’d love to work with.

Fellow Travelers depicts more of Tim and Hawk’s relationship than we get to see in the book. What was it like to act across all the decades?

That’s exactly what drew me to it. So much of [what drew me to it] was about talking to [series creator Ron Nyswaner], and understanding how much of his own experience he pulled into it. That really set the bar, I think, for the level of commitment that I was excited to give.

I love Tim as a character. I’ve learned so much from him — about the way he deconstructs the hands that are given to him, and the way he’s constantly searching for truth. He operates in kindness, even though he’s flawed.

What was the most interesting thing you learned?

I’m obsessed with the inclusion of the Frankie and Marcus storyline [and] understanding how the civil rights movement and queer liberation movement really intersected. The queer Black spaces were more robust, and they created a safe haven [for] the white, queer people coming into them — whereas it didn’t work the other way around.

Tim drinks a lot of milk in the show. How much did you go through while filming... and what kind?

My milk appreciation has evolved! I think it was oat milk — but yeah, bless Tim and his milk habit. He’s obviously not calcium-deficient in any way, which is good.

You’ve been open about the busy filming schedule between Fellow Travelers and Bridgerton. I’m sure making each season has to be a little different — so what was most special about Season 3?

The thing that’s special is the overwhelming love that you feel. Every year, it’s a different lead character. So, tonally, it shifts. Even in the way that they market each series, you see the tonal colors, the passion, the different ways in which people can fall in love.

The personal experience of suddenly being exposed on Netflix, it’s life-changing. [Being on the show] makes you feel the need to be stabilized in this industry, but it’s also the thing that gives you [stability].So it’s a really lovely thing to be able to go away and to come back. We’re a tribe.

Speaking of life-changing roles, how did you and the Wicked cast keep up during the SAG-AFTRA strike?

I felt particularly sorry for Cynthia [Erivo]. As we were getting near the end, there were so many big moments that were about to be filmed. So [holding onto those] simmering [moments], it must have been really hard for her. But we’re always in touch and bonded by such an extraordinary experience thus far, and I’m sure that experience will only get wilder and more brilliant.

You’re killing it in these different romantic roles. Is there a rom-com you personally gravitate toward — maybe a festive one at this time of year?

Well, I watch Love Actually every time I do my tax return. That is the ultimate antidote to stress. Richard Curtis’ anthology of incredible rom-coms is basically a grounding for wanting to be an actor as well. I’d be really excited about the idea of a collaboration [with him].

Source

#jonathan bailey #jonny bailey #bustle interview #bustle #fellow travelers #bridgerton #wicked #interviews #interviews:2023 #lgbtq+#lgbtqia #NEW!

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ksclaw · 10 months ago

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Ups and downs

2023 was a year of... Ups and downs.

Downs

My mom had a blood clot in march, but thankfully, she got help ASAP. She's up and at it again, with very little side effects. It was, needless to say, a very nasty experience, which only added to-

Had a rough time at my retail job. Had a breakdown. I've spent the past 6 months on sick leave, recovering as much as possible. Not something I'm proud of, as it's affected everything from giving me stress and anxiety, to being unable to work on my art and fanfics (art's slowly recovering, writing... ehhh)

Third and worst, having to saying goodbye to my dog, Sara in october. She was 13½, but I can't help wishing we could have had more time.

Ups

I was able to get in contact with a really nice psychologist. He's been incredibly helpful, and has helped giving me tools to deal with my stress and anxiety, among other things. I'm still far from being 100% (I'd say I'm at least... 50, maybe 60%), but it's good to have someone to talk to.

I have also been approved for a special course through the jobcenter, for a psychoeducation course, done by specialists who help out autistic people such as myself. Paperwork is still being done on some parts, so waiting for news there, but it's a positive step forward.

And finally, in late November, we brought home little Lunte. We were looking for a dog for myself, but it ended up being my mom who fell for him and *hard.* I don't mind though, because I have no doubt that mom also misses Sara.

And come on, how can you say no to this little face?

It's a challenge for my mom to have a puppy again, but I'm doing my best to help her out.

If I had to have a resolution, my biggest goal is just... general recovery. Not gonna lie, my earlier mentioned breakdown's been kind of building itself up since 2020, but... yeah, could have done without the nervous breakdown and the misery piled on top. So yeah.

All in all, I am not sorry to see 2023 go. But here's to hoping 2024 will be a little more positive.

#rambles #end of the year #long post

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adamwatchesmovies · 24 days ago

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Uglies (2024)

Oh, the Young Adult Post-Apocalyptic Dystopian/Fantasy Novel Film Adaptation genre. How I’ve missed you. Uglies is a film cut from the same cloth as Divergent and The Darkest Minds. Its villains are obvious, which makes everything that follows evident. The romance and "shocking" revelations that follow are sure to have you rolling your eyes. Any potential it might’ve had is buried in overused ideas. Even if you haven’t seen where this clone's original genetic material comes from, you’ll be holding back laughs. I can’t wait for the sequel.

After the planet’s dwindling natural resources nearly caused civilization to collapse, a new society emerged to solve all of humanity’s problems. Genetically modified orchids provide free, renewable energy and humanity’s worst traits are expunged after they undergo extensive cosmetic surgery at the age of sixteen. Tally (Joey King) cannot wait to become one of the “Pretties” but when her best friend, Peris (Chase Stokes), undergoes the procedure, she has second thoughts. His personality has completely changed. Her uncertainty doesn’t go unnoticed. The city's lead scientist, Dr. Cable (Laverne Cox) assigns her a mission - she will remain one of the "Uglies" until she infiltrates the rebel group that lives in the surrounding wilderness and discovers the location of their leader, a terrorist named David (Keith Powers).

There are some good ideas there. Until you’re sixteen years old, you’re forced to live outside the city in restrictive dormitories. You’re told by the authorities that you need to be fixed and that you don’t fit in but that someday, you will. Once you undergo the surgery, you’ll start a new life “over there” with all the beautiful people living in this place you’re not allowed to visit but know is filled with non-stop revelry, fireworks and fun. If you grew up in a society that broke you down mentally every day, you’d do just about anything to get that carrot they've been dangling. Wanting to belong is something we can all relate to. With everyone over the age of sixteen either part of the corrupt governing body or brainwashed, it makes perfect sense for young heroes to be the driving force of rebellion and change.

The problem is that when we see this world in action - and I’m going to blame director McG here - every cell in your body says “This is wrong”. You take one look at Joey King. She looks fine. The “Pretties”, however, have a distinct sheen of special effects and makeup and the way they act/talk makes you immediately uneasy. When Dr. Cable tells Tally she can’t have the things she’s always wanted until she investigates this mysterious terrorist who operates outside the city, you know who the villain is. Even before we meet Dr. Cable, you’ve got this entire society figured out. From minute one, you’re waiting for our protagonist to catch up to you and scenes of flying skateboards can't make up the difference.

In the film’s defense, it’s got a good message. It’s what's on the inside that counts, and as a bonus, it doesn’t beat you over the head with it. The performances are… fine, so are the special effects. It’s not like anyone acts illogically or there are glaring technical errors, it’s that you feel like everything in this movie is beneath you. There are no interesting twists or revelations. There's nothing new to see. We never dig into Tally’s psyche enough for us to doubt our initial impression of this society. This world's sales pitch isn't good enough to make you think "You know, maybe they're an idea here worth exploring". No one who isn't brainwashed could see the idea of “Uglies” and “Pretties” as a good thing but the society isn't even sinister enough to be interesting and the secondary crisis is the definition of "underwhelming".

For me, the joy in Uglies, The 5th Wave, The Mortal Instruments: The City of Bones, etc. comes from seeing the boxes I know it will check get checked. Does the enemy become the friend? Does the transparently evil-looking character turn out to be evil? Are the protagonists anguished, system-smashing teens? Is there a plot-relevant scar or tattoo? Will victory come at the expense of a vaguely important, but ultimately useless supporting character? Is there a city surrounded by walls or a barrier? Will the first love romance get broken up? What’s the film’s equivalent of “Muggle” and what are the factions called? I’ve made a game out of it, where everyone watching gets random cards and the one who gets the most points once the credits start rolling wins.

Uglies is not worth your time, not when you could re-watch the Hunger Games, Harry Potter or even the Twilight and Maze Runner films but when/if the sequel comes out, I’ll be there. I want to see what comes next so when it comes to Uglies, do as I say, not as I do. (October 4, 2024)

#Uglies #movies #films #movie reviews #film reviews #McG #Scott Westerfeld #Joey King #Jacob Forman #Vanessa Taylor #Whit Anderson #Keith Powers #Chase Stokes #Brianne Tju #Jan Luis Castellanos #Charmin Lee #Laverne Cox #2024 movies #2024 films

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malachiwardyt · 10 months ago

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I love your channel and art!

Thank you! I'm glad I can make videos you've enjoyed, and I hope to continue doing so into 2024 and beyond. Specifically, I have some big projects planned for this new year and, as my most popular series by far has come to a close, it seems that these new beginnings will have plenty of room to develop.

We just hit 1.75k subscribers on YouTube, which is really exciting. Our community is growing very quickly, and I love to see that people want to see more from me. In order to help with that goal, I want to do something a bit special. You can consider it a celebration of 1.75k, a returning of appreciation, or just a way to balance out the information I put out on Twitter, YouTube Community Posts, and Tumblr, but I thought it might be nice to give y'all a sneak peak at the next video's art piece.

It's just one part of a much bigger drawing, obviously, and all of it is still in the sketching phase, but, if you've enjoyed the videos and the art so far, I think you're going to want to stay tuned for this next one! The Magnus fans in the audience (which, lets be honest, are most of y'all. I doubt very many people are around to watch me play Cult of the Lamb or something XD) in particular should get excited.

Anyways, I'm glad you've enjoyed my content, and I hope you're excited for what's coming in the new year. Good night, Tumblr people!

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brwnsugcr · 11 months ago

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goals for the new year. 🤍

2023...what a magical year you have been.

I can say without a doubt that this year was That Bitch and I hope that for whoever is reading this, including myself, may 2024 bring even more magical moments, may my fellow writers and artists be inspired to create, and - a gentle reminder to sit up straight...are we taking care of ourselves? are we drinking water? - may you be consistently finding new reads on ao3. <;33

here are some of my personal goals under the cut. you don't have to read if you want.

...I knew you couldn't resist.

writing goals.

ah, yes. my bread and butter.

y'all have made a girl feel so welcome this year. <3 I cherish you more than you know. I especially wanna thank two special cuties @luckycharming (this woman has been by my side for 10 years okay she ain't goin' nowhere) and @powerful-niya for inspiring me and holding my hand as I publish more and more naruhina content. I can't thank my gworls enough.

anyways...😏

let's get one thing straight. rarepairs have always been a part of my Brand, and that ain't stoppin anytime soon. I fully intend on bringing my sasufuu / kakasaku / shisaku / kakarin, etc. lovin ass in 2024.

basically...team seven and their (my) love interests.

the pilates princess will continue in 2024 as my main project! I predict it may be about 15-20 chapters, depending on the flow of the story? I never plan these things. DON'T LOOK AT ME

deeefinitely wanna write more sasufuu to fill up the tag! my gosh...the hold they have on my scalp -

and more girl friendship fics !! which is also my bread and butter !! and I haven't written one in a long time !!!

did I mention more sasufuu in 2024

personal goals.

dis part really for me <3

get more tattoos. I mean this goes without saying. oh my god. ohhh my goddd. mid-year 2023 was the moment everything changed and I started considering things for myself that I would have never thought of doing before. between oct-dec, I have gotten my first tattoo, my ears repierced, my nose pierced, and two (technically three?) more tattoos before christmas ?? I have never felt so pretty. 🥺

get snatched. okay, so since 2020 I have been on a weight loss journey and I'm currently in a plateau. I know I have to push myself harder to get to where I want to be, and I know I can do it!

#jas speaks #posting this for *moi* but friends are welcome #!

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black-arcana · 8 months ago

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INTERVIEW – LIV KRISTINE TALKS MUSIC, NEW BEGINNINGS + MORE

If we are honest with ourselves, we may ask… what defines us? A very lofty question to ponder, the truth lies in finding a place between the light and darkness of life, all while still being able to remain grounded on earth. This could mean something different for everyone, but for Liv Kristine salvation is within music, family, and helping others.

Known by many in the Metal world as the Scandinavian Goth Queen, Kristine has left an impression throughout the last three plus decades of her musical career. First doing so as a part of Theatre of Tragedy, then with Leaves’ Eyes, she has also cleared a path as a solo artist. Taking with her experiences – some good, others bad, and others heartbreaking – Kristine finds deeper meaning in everything as she looks toward the future.

Recently returning in 2023 with the exceptional, must-listen River of Diamonds album, now in 2024 she reflects on the past with the recently reissued, remastered edition of her 1998 solo debut album Deus Ex Machina. Truly exciting times, Kristine recently took some time to reflect on the trials and tribulations of life, finding a way to see through it, plans for more new music, plus much more.

Cryptic Rock – A lot has happened over the last decade with you musically, as well as personally. Briefly tell us, how would you describe the past ten years of your life?

Liv Kristine – Yes. There’s been a lot of change… especially in 2016. That was in mid-end January, the beginning of February 2016, when I was forced to leave Leaves’ Eyes. I was just left with a lot of doubt. I thought – How am I going to continue producing and releasing albums, or go on stage with this frequency of great disappointment? I was very disappointed; because Leave’s Eyes was my baby too. It was all about my Norwegian heritage; it had a concept which was really tightly linked to my own persona and history.

I had to get up again, and of course, take care of my family, moving home, etc. This is to go along with all of the stuff that goes with a divorce… it is just terrible. Those times were really harsh. I knew times were going to be really rough and busy for a couple of years. You always need a couple of years to stabilize after such a traumatic experience. I saw that there definitely had to come something afterwards; something much lighter and brighter.

I worked really hard day by day, having different jobs. Eventually, people kept coming into my life I learned to trust and to embrace. I also met my now real husband, Michael, who asked me the question, “Do you really want to continue singing? Do you want to continue being an artist? Will you ever go on stage again?” As I thought about that question, I really started crying because it’s such a big part of my life. It’s just so personal as well as authentic. There is this deep connection to you all out there.

That frequency kept me going and promised my husband, “Okay, if we do this together, I will continue with what seems to be my way of serving the world, of serving the universe.” At the same time, what came out of those stressful times, and having different jobs, is that I’m now devoted to working with children with special needs. I have a 100% job, next to music, working and supporting children with special needs. I’ve come to a point in my life where I’m really grateful for everything and for any experience. Under the bottom line, that is who I am. It’s due to my experience for which I am so grateful. You guys are still around… it means something. It’s all worth it.

Cryptic Rock – Wow. It sounds like it has been a pretty crazy, turbulent ride. All together, you have a very interesting story to tell that follows your career. There was Theatre of Tragedy, and we know what happened there, and then there was Leaves’ Eyes. It has to be tough to deal with such letdowns. What would you say your key to move forward through the disappointments has been?

Liv Kristine – It’s this inner call that there is this true, authentic version of yourself which really wants to manifest. If you survive tragedies, traumas, really rough situations, and a lot of stress, that’s a clear sign that you’re actually getting closer to your true self.

River of Diamonds, my latest solo album which was released last year, is actually about that path. Seeing the diamonds, seeing the light in the darkness. When do you see the stars and the planets in the horizon, when you look into the universe? It’s only in the darkness.

I think that both experiences, brokenness and beauty, belong to our experience which is called life. It is that time given to us between what we call birth and death. If you manage to survive, as stated, it’s a clear sign that you’re getting closer to your true authentic self.

Theatre of Tragedy – Theatre of Tragedy Theatre of Tragedy – Aegis Massacre (1995) Massacre (1998)

Cryptic Rock – That is definitely something that you feel when you have children. It is really inspiring to see you have pushed forward through everything. You mentioned the album River of Diamonds. Released last year, it is new, but also harks back to your earlier days. It has a very Theatre of Tragedy sound. Returning to a more Gothic Metal sound, tell us about the creation of this record.

Liv Kristine – Yes, you’re so right. It’s Tommy Olsson, who is the producer and the composer of the album. Tommy was the guy who composed the third release by Theatre of Tragedy; 1998’s Aégis. Tommy and I both left Theatre of Tragedy… he left just around the period when I was gone. We got together again and it was just something that happened all of a sudden. I’m so grateful that Tommy kept sending me songs; I think I have received about 35 compositions. I was free to choose, to pick, and just to go with the flow.

Tommy has always been very patient with me; because I needed time to get settled, to take care of my family, my jobs, etc. Plus there was everything that happened after 2016… which was the year when Tommy reached out to get in touch. Between 2016 and 2023, when the album was released, a few years passed by, but I needed that time. I needed that space. I needed to really feel the flow of creativity returning to me after a stressful period. Tommy is definitely the right guy to work with going back to that well-known sound of Theatre of Tragedy. It was a great corporation.

Cryptic Rock – It certainly was. If people are not aware of the River of Diamonds, hopefully they are learning about it, because it was one of the biggest surprises of 2023. Will there be further collaboration between you and Tommy?

Liv Kristine – I’m sure there will be. As we are talking now, I began working with new compositions for my seventh solo album. I’m just going with the flow now. I’ll see what comes from Tommy’s side; if he wants to sit down and compose. I know he has a 100% job himself. We’ll see what happens. Sharing this release with Tommy was absolutely magic.

Cryptic Rock – It really is a great listen and hopefully more will come from it. You also recently re-released your debut solo album on March 1st. Released for the first time on vinyl, it is also available as a double CD, which also has some unreleased bonus tracks as well. It’s almost like being reborn in a way, because you have a new life now. Did it feel like this was a great way to revisit the past, be reborn again, and re-show this material to the world?

Liv Kristine – I couldn’t have said it in a better way. Thank you so much. It’s exactly that. I recently turned 48 years old on Valentine’s Day, and I consider myself to be just in the middle of life. It just feels amazing to be here with everything I am and everything I’ve experienced. The work leading to the release of River of Diamonds was like writing a book. I believe, if I hadn’t released the album, I would have released a book.

Now, being just in the middle of everything and feeling better than ever, it’s like a second half of my life has just started. Re-releasing Deus Ex Machina is just the perfect moment to just round it up. Back then in 1998, when Deus Ex Machina was released, I was a student. I was still a singer of Theatre of Tragedy. I had just left Norway, moved to Germany, and I was touring with Theatre of Tragedy. It was a very exciting time.

Being a Norwegian young woman born somewhere in the nowhere of Norway, between the fjords and the mountains, I was then in the middle of everything. The world responds to something you are doing because you love it so much. Everything we did with Theatre of Tragedy was something we really burned for; something that came from the heart. The world starts reacting, and then there is fame and there is success. Obviously, Massacre Records was interested in releasing the solo album, and I’m still grateful for that. It feels like this moment is just perfect for the reissue of Deus Ex Machina.

Cryptic Rock – Agreed, It is a great time to re-release. It is a good way to also reintroduce some people to an album that perhaps they have not heard in a while, or who have not heard at all.

Enter My Religion Liv Kristine – Vervian Reissue Allegro Talent Media (2022) Napalm Records (2014)

Cryptic Rock – That is very interesting. For this re-release, the whole album is also remastered, correct?

Liv Kristine – Yes. Everything is remastered. As you already mentioned, there is bonus material. We got hold of an old hard disk and we have added a couple of demos from that. We recomposed “Portrait: Ei tulle med øyne blå,” a traditional Norwegian Folk song, which was recomposed by Geir Bratland (the keyboardist of Dimmu Borgir). It’s just perfect because he’s Norwegian too. He knows all about this Norwegian traditional stuff. I’m very happy about that. We changed the artwork, added new pictures, and everything is just perfect now. I’m very happy that we really got hold of the original material for it.

Cryptic Rock – That is great to hear. On top of this, you also have re-released the song “3 AM,” featuring you with Nick Holmes from Paradise Lost, as a single. A great song with clear chemistry between you two, what was it like connecting with Nick?

Liv Kristine – Absolutely. It was a great honor to work with him. Back then, in 1997-98, I was already a huge fan of Paradise Lost. I remember that cold morning when we picked him up from a tour. He was touring Europe Paradise Lost, they had played a show in Germany, or were about to play a show in Germany. We went there by car with Massacre Records, we knocked on the door of the tour bus, and Nick was a little bit tired. I think because I guess there had been some partying going on after the show. Nick was ready though and was in a good mood. He went with us to the studio, asked for a cup of tea, and a slice of bread with marmalade.

The frequency was just so open-minded and open-hearted at the very first time we met. Later, during the times when touring with Leaves’ Eyes, we toured with Paradise Lost, and it was always a pleasure and an honor to meet Nick again. I really appreciate his direct way, his transparency, and he always being himself. I appreciate that.

Cryptic Rock – Those are great memories. Talking about collaborations, you have done plenty of them through the years. Whether it be for your own material or offering your voice to others’ material such as with Cradle of Filth’s “Nymphetamine.” Do you enjoy collaborating with others like that?

Liv Kristine – Definitely. In the period when I was really busy fixing my life and taking care of my family, I still got numerous offers to join in on different projects and bands doing corporations. That really helped me financially and also to be present somehow. I wasn’t ready for my own album though. My mind wasn’t clear enough and I was just too stressed out. I’m really grateful for that because there were a lot of opportunities. I have a really long list of which I’m really proud. It all began with Cradle of Filth back then, with “Nymphetamine.” It has continued even up until today. I’m still receiving offers to work with bands and different projects. I love that. It’s a very nice way to be creative in different ways and to have an open mind; because you receive a song, you receive different input, and then you start working with it.

Cryptic Rock – It is very exciting and keeps everything open. You also had collaborations on your latest album, River of Diamonds. You had Fernando Ribeiro from Moonspell on it too. There is also a history with you and Moonspell from touring together. history there too.

Leaves’ Eyes – Lovelorn Leaves’ Eyes – Vinland Saga Napalm Records (2004) Napalm Records (2006)

Cryptic Rock – That is great to hear. So you have the re-release of Deus Ex Machina and the new album River of Diamonds out now. You stated that you are already working on new material. What can people expect from that? Is there a timetable for that right now?

Liv Kristine – There is no timetable yet. I don’t really like timetables. I’m very eager to continue song by song. I really like to work track by track to concentrate on each and every one, and then continue with the next. I realized that the lyrics I’m writing are darn honest. I think I need to stick to that; because every solo album I’ve released so far reflects a chapter in my life. I could never do anything else than being authentic. When I recently started writing lyrics, listening to the new tracks, I thought, “Well, there is no other way around. Just go for it. Just go for the soul stuff.” Everything that comes from the soul, that’s it! That’s the words I want to sing, and that’s the messages I want to convey through my music.

Cryptic Rock – When it arrives it will be exciting. As you said, it has to come naturally.

Liv Kristine – Yes, it has to. I promise you it won’t take six, seven years.

Cryptic Rock – That is good to hear.. Through all of the trials and tribulations, you seem to have a very positive outlook on things. That is a challenge, because people could become bitter when trouble comes their way. There are two directions you could go – you can either become bitter and wallow in your own misery, or you could move forward. You have chosen to move forward. How do you keep that optimism? What is that light for you?

Liv Kristine – Thank you so much. Yes, it’s absolutely true. Of course there are moments when you keep asking those questions that don’t really make sense such as – “Why me?, Why is this always happening to me?” You kind of fall into that victim role. It happens to everyone though, especially when you don’t feel the earth. When you don’t feel grounded anymore, you don’t feel heaven or whatever, you just lose touch with your soul. Then it feels like, “Okay, I’m being delivered on a silver plate, and that’s it. That’s supposed to be my life. I’m just trying to exist. I’m not thriving. I’m not growing.”

For me, what was the instant remedy was actually going out in nature; even if it was just a 10-minute walk with my dog. I realized that I had to work on one thing, and that is not falling into the victim role. Secondly, if something’s hurting in your soul or in your heart, there is no other way around but to go inside. Maybe you would need a good friend. Maybe you would need a sole partner to be with you when you’re doing that. However, when you’re going into the depth of your soul, you will find a lot of darkness. It’s so important to have a really trustful friend around you who doesn’t tell you what you would like to hear. A friend that tells you there is another perspective to things and to situations. It is – A, we can fix this. B, we can fix this. C, we cannot fix this right now, but it’s going to get fixed. I really appreciate my dearest friends. There are a few of them.

Of course there was meeting Michael, my husband and my sole partner. When I was feeling despair and unsafe on this planet, because of all of that stuff going on, I always thought about my son. I always thought about all those moments we have had and all the happy moments we’re going to have and this deep connection between the two of us.

I have to say nature helped me a lot. Motherhood helped me a lot. Falling in love again with my new husband, that helped me a lot. I’ve always been someone who feels deep empathy with other people too. So, during COVID, I started working with other people really trying to heal their traumas; to find ways to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Sometimes you just need some practical advice. Sometimes you need some soul advice. You need someone to give you some direction. Sometimes it is just an embracement, a smile, or just asking someone, “How are you? Really, how are you?” It all comes down to getting to know yourself, to go into acceptance, and then to look forwards and take what’s there and use it. It is taking all the experience and using it for what comes. You will feel so whole and rich in the end… and so experienced. It’s a pleasure and honor to help other people out there to see the light in the darkness.

Cryptic Rock – Yes, it is a wonderful thing. We need more of that in the world, especially right now. It seems like the world is off its axis. You mentioned how you feel like you are in the middle of everything at this point. Life is never linear, but if we do something right, it is earning wisdom. What would you say the biggest piece of wisdom you have learned from everything has been?

Liv Kristine – There is so much talk about manifestation now out in the world. People are trying to manifest their happiness. I come to the point which is that – yeah, you can manifest a nice car, you can manifest Gucci glasses, and you can manifest holidays in the Bahamas. However, those are things that make you happy maybe instantly or for shorter periods. You have intentions and you want to manifest them. That’s something you do for the 3D world. That’s the physical world we’re living in.

Then there is another dimension. That is what I would like to call your higher self. That’s where your spirit is and your soul. When you go in there and start manifesting, you start getting in alignment with who you really are. You say – What do I really want to do? For me, it was really knowing that I need to serve the world as a singer, handwriting lyrics, singing words about healing, and that life is both beauty and broken.

I need to go out there and serve the world supporting children with special needs. When I realized that, things started to happen. I got a much better job, people turned to me for comfort, for dissolving their trauma and helping them. You’re sending out these frequencies about who you really are in your soul. When there is resonance to that, and there must be a resonance to that, that’s real growth. That’s the real manifestation.

Liv Kristine – River of Diamonds Liv Kristine – Deus Ex Machina Massacre (2023) Massacre (2024)

Cryptic Rock – Absolutely. It seems from what you are saying that maybe we hold on too tightly at times looking for that happiness.

Liv Kristine – Absolutely. We look around in our 3D world, in the physical world, and that is material-oriented. It might give you some happiness for a while, but it kind of goes away. It dissolves. That might be a burden in the end… what if you’re not able to pay for your big car? (Laughs) It’s very interesting when you tap into this field.

Cryptic Rock – Yes. Just to elaborate further, it is about becoming grounded with nature. Sometimes people think that’s kind of hippie-ish, but maybe you should go run in the grass barefoot for a little while. It connects you with the earth. The connection is real.

Liv Kristine – It is a real feeling. It absolutely is true. I feel that every time I’m going to a certain place in the forest. I’m living in Switzerland with my husband and my family now. There is a spot in the forest where I really think that something is magic and frequencies can reach me. It’s a place of stillness too. I really liked going there. Nature is so important.

I heard somewhere that the pulse or the frequency of love is the same as the frequency of Mother Earth, when we met the frequencies of the Earth. That’s the love frequency. I think there is something to it. Nature is so beautiful. It’s all about love, and that’s where you’ll find oneness and wholeness. It’s so rich.

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#liv kristine #interview

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