#ANYWAY I WILL REWATCH AND HAVE NICE THINGS TO SAY SOMEDAY BUT FOR NOW THE WASTED POTENTIAL HAUNTS ME

[milfbrainrot]

not to only complain about toa when i talk about it but that "that show bit me" post is actually... toa lol. at the VERY least it describes rott, but it also fits for how little certain spin-offs were taken advantage of for focusing on things a lot of us actually wanted to see.

[voxasks]

Kudos to whoever is running this blog. Despite very little we've seen of him, you seem to be in character! Vox is clearly mean and I respect you for following that. I've seen blogs of him and other rude characters from different franchises who always give nice or neutral responses at best and it kinda kills my mood for them because of how out of character they are. I don't mean to disrespect them but in my opinion, it's a bit frustrating. Some of your responses are also very funny! Take care! - ☢️ anon

( hey! that’s me, i run this blog hehe, i have vox refer to me as his editor, i like pretending that this blog runs by me telling him about the asks he gets and i write down his responses on here lmaooo

thank you for the things you’ve said! i didn’t really like vox but i saw there were a lot more alastor and lucifer roleplay blogs already (the characters i like more) and i didn’t see one for vox so i just decided to give it a go. after i made the account and got some asks i rewatched vox’s clips over and over and even did impressions of him just to get his energy right. i know that sometimes i do give seemingly low effort responses, but for the asks that i naturally have more to respond with, i genuinely sit down and think about things that are both funny and both in character for vox to say. and i’m so glad to see that it paid off. (but then it comes with the cost of me taking a while to respond to asks, whoops.)

and from the bottom of my heart, you don’t know what that means to me, seriously. i’ve been into drawing and musical theatre for as long as i remember now and after a while i realized i sort of have a knack for acting and writing? especially for voice acting, too. so the fact that you and a few others think i’m very in character means a lot to me! it lets me know that i have a shot at my dreams, cuz i kinda wanna make my own animated pilot on youtube someday.

i guess part of it also comes from the fact that christian borle is … ahem … fine as hell ANYWAY

BONUS FOR YOU FOR WRITING SUCH A LOVELY MESSAGE FOR ME : HERE’S VOX’S RESPONSE— )

“of course! i only hired the best editor on the market and she even offers to make my coffee! between you and me, s̶h̶e̶ k̶i̶s̶s̶e̶s̶ a̶s̶s̶ l̶i̶k̶e̶ a̶ f̶u̶c̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ p̶o̶r̶n̶s̶t̶a̶r̶ w̶h̶o̶s̶e̶ r̶e̶n̶t̶ w̶a̶s̶ d̶u̶e̶ y̶e̶s̶t̶e̶r̶d̶a̶y̶ but hey! less work for me, am i right?”

[livvyofthelake]

movie may 2024 ranked!

23. always a bridesmaid. i apologize to yvette nicole brown and i want to clarify that i DO support women writing mediocre movies. but i must be real i watched this for jordan calloway. and i didn’t care for him in this. he was a lovely character i’m sure it was huge for someone’s mom idk. not my buddy jake though! nothing more to be said frankly

22. the idea of you. bad! anne hathaway what do they have on you that got you to be in this…. prince sad eyes addicted to being in musical adjacent movies with bad soundtracks that no one has ever cared about listening to!!

21. the other zoey. mid… which was so disappointing because all three main guys are actors i enjoy… archie renaux someday they’ll let you be a real romantic lead but for now i LOVED you in shadow and bone season 2 episode whatever. literally you’re my flag alina you’re my nation. lol! josephine langford someday we’ll get you in a period drama queen and you’re gonna eat it up. your time is coming! drew starkey maybe someday they’ll let you be in something that is good <3 i believe in you!

20. thanksgiving. fun! and yet ranks low because well i haven’t thought about it since i saw it. not really much to say! addison rae served cunt and should have lezzed out with the final girl!

19. after everything. somehow not the worst after movie…? crazy i know. do NOT get it twisted it was still bad. it’s after 5… but idk. it’s after 5 i’ve been watching these freaks for five movies i was invested i cared i wanted them to live happily ever after forever… love won!

18. life partners. it was good but i could not get over that i hated the boyfriend so so so bad. i wanted jakey to dieeee fr. yeah he was fine. sure. whatever. as if this is even about him omg

17. dungeons and dragons: honor among thieves. too long frankly! but we had fun! and genya was there :)

16. plan b. my favorite part of this movie is that in the beginning when i first saw the best friend character i was like oh cute she has a gay girl best friend :) and then they started using he/him pronouns for her long distance relationship and i was so shocked and disappointed i didn’t even know what to think. and then they got to the long distance relationship’s band performance and it clicked to me that it was supposed to be a Narrative Twist that she was gay… and i was like ohhhhh haha YES! that was awesome lowkey. and the rest of the movie was nice as well <3

15. strawberry mansion. weird ass movie fr… fucked with it heavily! had me staring at the tv completely enraptured that was crazy. don’t have much to say other than that the experience of watching it was fun to ME. i was also very sick that day so take what i say with a grain of salt maybe? idk. probably won’t watch it again but it was nice!

14. música. well first of all they’re going in the timeless video 2.0 but let’s not even get into that because it doesn’t matter. anyway camila mendes we loveeeee you being booked and busy post riverdale <3 yess girl be in movies!!! um she is not the main character and this movie is not about her i just really like camila mendes!

13. asteroid city. kind of an odd one! loved the wes anderson rpf implications this narrative had! also really enjoyed that little alien freak!

12. the hunger games: the ballad of songbirds and snakes. and this was a rewatch but it counts because i said so. watched it with my parents this time who did NOT get it as well as they could have. which is what brings such a beloved movie to me down to number 12, THEY are the ones who dampened the experience NOT the movie!

11. buffaloed. what if there was a woman played by zoey deutch who sucked sooo bad. yay! when she’s literally a bad person who scammed people for money 😁

10. remember the titans. what if the most important thing on planet earth was FOOTBALL. and learning to not be racist. and denzel washington was there. and will patton was also there doing his adam parrish voice. i don’t mean to be hung up on that it’s just hard to ignore… i didn’t read those books i listened to will patton read them in his delicious south carolina drawl am i supposed to not recognize one of the distinct character voices he did consistently for four books get real. it was also an excellent movie <3 tee was there they can verify if you don’t believe me!!

9. anyone but you. what if we did much ado about nothing but hero and claudius were lesbians and beatrice was a modern day disaster woman and she’s suchhh a hater and so is benedick and they’re in true and beautiful love. also. and i will never be able to describe this scene in a way that will truly do it justice. when they were fake dating but needed to prove they were together and everyone went hiking. that was the funniest shit i ever saw in my lifeee it had me dying… also. the natasha bedingfield unwritten needle drop moments…. yesss bring back real cinema!!

8. crossroads. there’s just nothing like a shonda rhimes written feature…. she just gets it i fear. i wanted to hate jakey soo bad but alas he charmed me!! shonda your power!!! and britney got to sing and it was soooo fun <3

7. the birdcage. first of all cat grant was there everybody clap for her! secondly this is like a perfect comedy drama film… i could have broken my ribs from laughing so hard at this one i’m serious robin williams save meeeee…. it’s veryyy much a product of its time but i don’t think that’s a hindrance i think it’s beautiful <3 what if movies were made when they were made and we all loved that there’s added narrative context to it’s time!

6. the secret life of bees. i can’t get into it but let’s just all understand that this girl was huge. cried like a babyyyyy so bad. we literally love queen latifah she has never flopped. now if only people would tune in to that damn cbs and watch the equalizer…. (show my mom loves that i catch an episode of sometimes)

5. ever after. well i am a cinderella girl first and foremost. as i said on letterboxd you would genuinely have to do something vile and heinous to make me dislike a cinderella movie… i gave the camila cabello one five stars i LOVE cinderella… and i loved how in this one the prince’s name was henry yayy that happened to a buddy of mine! and i loved the whole look of the movie the costumes were slaying the production design was slaying drew barrymore’s shitty accent was slaying. just loved it…

4. the clique. they don’t even make movies like this anymore. because of Woke… the tweens yearn for problematic girl leads like claire and massie we need to give this back to them… i think everyone should watch this film i’m actually being so serious and real

3. city of bones. ok it’s cheating to put a rewatch so high on the list. don’t care! she’s my friend!!!!! it’s our ten year anniversary!!

2. mamma mia! here we go again. you might think that due to my hater moments when i started watching this movie i might not have liked it that much… and yet you’d be wrong the only reason i was initially disappointed was because i didn’t know what was going to happen and sophie and sky sang that breakup song and it made me so sad i had to stop watching. i literally love sophie and sky it was RUDE to do that to me… but anyway when i went back to finish the movie i realized it slayed sooo hard. and then at the end they all sang super trouper… yayyyyyy!!!!!!

1. damsel. i do not care if you thought this was bad. they made it for ME ok what everyone else thinks does not matter… it was for me the whole time don’t even worry about any of it. they put my girl millie bobby brown in a girlfantasy action flick… netflix stop making her be in stranger things and let her produce her fun little movies full time it’s so serious you can’t keep putting her back in the duffer brothers torture chamber…. millie we are getting you out of there!! i eagerly await the day you star in a feminist remake of the breakfast club or something or whatever. anyway. the winner of movie may because it made me really happy to watch :)

[thebreathofthewild]

i very much prefer the story of breath of the wild to the alternate timeline we got in age of calamity. not because i’m a timeline purist, i don’t really care much whether it splits off or not, but what DOES matter to me in a story (next to the plot itself) is mainly characterization, relationships and theme.

my main issue with age of calamity’s story isn’t just what they changed... it’s what they DIDN’T change, which then didn’t fit with the new stuff they’d written.

breath of the wild’s story is, in my mind, far from perfect, but it has a consistent, vibe, flow, and a character arc for princess zelda that i believe. more than an individual arc, it’s also a relationship arc with link. the development of that relationship is a key driver of the plot.

in age of calamity... despite reaching the same conclusion - that zelda saves link, her love for him activates her power - that development is absent.

i rewatched all the memories from botw and its like. bro. age of calamity can't even begin to compare. their relationship in botw has an arc.

every scene they're in together serves a purpose to establish a new relationship status or milestone. zelda goes through a Bunch of emotions about link: first quiet resentment, then Louder resentment at how he’s doing better at his role than she is at hers, then full-on ANGY, then admiration, mixed with guilt and regret for having lashed out that way to someone who would save her anyway...

from then, she humbly tries to be nicer through tending link’s wounds. she allows herself to be more playful and goof off with him, then Actually Opens Up about her insecurities - displaying true vulnerability when they're caught in the rain together. we know from zelda’s diary that link also shares his own troubles with her, and that she was trying to get him to open up was well. 

then, zelda’s excitingly sharing more hobbies (ancient tech) and hoping that maybe, just maybe, her research can substitute her lack of powers. in the same scene, link gets to witness a true relationship milestone: a parent yelling at your friend/gf in front of you. then zelda shows Even More vulnerability as she has a meltdown about her fears & insecurities at the spring of power in front of him (knowing he's there & not afraid to show him). at this point, she even allows herself to be angry at her dad, instead of solely blaming herself. 

then she gains further appreciation for link teaching her how to handle horses (and says she’s trying to be a bit more empathetic to the horse, as a metaphor for her being nicer to link and more selfless in general), sharing her faint hope for mt lanayru...  then that hope is crushed, and zelda decides to stay by link’s side (instead of urbosa hiding her) regardless of danger.

the calamity strikes. they flee together - which leads to zelda having a total beakdown, as the others die and link’s the only one she has left. the mix of guilt, despair and grief becomes too much, so she leans on him, both physically and emotionally, and he is always there to comfort her. 

THEN, finally, zelda has reached a point of loving link enough to be able to save his life, knowing he will do the same someday. which he does, and in the epilogue, she acknowledges both the pain of the past and how (because him remembering her is what unlocks this ending) he is a big part of the reason why she can accept herself now, even with her power fading & her role fulfilled.

that's an ARC, baby! 

i have my problems with botw as an overall narrative (especially its muddled messaging on whether zelda should be forced to have this traditional role), but i cannot fault how carefully they built the zelink relationship step-by-step without taking shortcuts. in these brief snippets, you see just enough to understand how zelda went from almost hating link to truly loving him.

by contrast... here’s the AoC zelink arc, despite having 3x the cutscene runtime: zelda feels quietly insecure, but doesn’t take it out on link. link saves her, as a bodyguard is supposed to. they exchange glances. they don’t talk / bond. link saves zelda again. they exchange glances. they don’t talk / bond... they flee together. then she saves link out of “love.”

that’s it. that’s literally it. 

AoC-zelink go from two (2) Meaningful Glances to zelda activating her powers, because of a bodyguard she has not spent one real second bonding with. 

link saving zelda was a turning point for their relationship in botw, yes - but here’s the key difference: it was a starting point, not the end destination. it made zelda re-evaluate how she saw link, because she was a dick to him first. THAT prompts her to try to understand someone who was kind and selfless despite how poorly she treated him. which leads to many scenes of them bonding more.

so, hot take: the real, original sin here which almost all of these issues grow from, is that they didn’t let zelda be flawed in age of calamity. 

because age of calamity-zelda was never a jerk to link, she has no reason to go out of her way to be nicer and get to know him when he saves her anyway. that’s just standard bodyguard stuff, and that’s all it’s allowed to be. they don’t share private moments of vulnerability. they don’t share at all, really.

because of this, their relationship - which became its own, organic thing in botw - is never allowed to grow. it stays knight & princess without any real flavor to it. 

i think this could be avoided if age of calamity-zelda was as strong of a character as botw-zelda was. neither is like, a literary masterpiece, but there’s a clear contrast. both are insecure and want to stop ganon, but... that’s all AoC-zelda is allowed to be, until she’s suddenly a Perfect Badass Goddess with no personality other than shouting “for hyrule!”

botw zelda didn’t just have that central insecurity. she has hobbies, she goofs off, she gets angry at people, she starts out with a huge inferiority complex towards link. she can be selfish and rebellious and clearly likes research more for its own sake than its ability to stop the calamity. she becomes nicer over time and more compassionate (unlike age of calamity, which treats it as given that she was always “boundlessly” compassionate), but that’s where she got because link was nice to her, not where she started out. 

and all of this fits into theme. age of calamity is a power fantasy in a notoriously over-the-top warriors franchise. its all about self-empowerment and looking good while kicking ass. breath of the wild is about exploration, slowly piecing together what happened 100 years ago and moving past grief into hope for the future.

i’ll put it this way - botw zelda had an arc to become a better person. aoc zelda only ever became a more powerful person.

[lenievi]

Hi!

I've looked it up in the Help center and it can be that your settings are set to not receiving messages from blogs you are not subscribed to? Or maybe I am just actually shadowbanned, who knows.

What you say about the show makes me sad and happy at the same time. I definitely would love to see as much of Kirk-centerd content as possible, because a) he is hot and I mean not only by his looks b) he differs the most from his fanon version I think and I like him better in the show c) I suppose he is a perfectly typical character for the 60's and I've read that Spock's inner conflict and it's popularity among the viewers was unpredictable, but ironically 60 years later the spockian type of character is familiar to me, but I have never actually seen a character like Kirk (probably because it's super old-fashioned lol) so yeah, I'm exited :>

But I will miss the McKirk interactions as well. I think there are not enough of them now, I hoped there will be more and not fewer :( And that exactly because of their complicated friendship as you described it (btw, sorry, I haven't made myself clear: I didn't meen that you saw any sexual relationships in the show, I meant that I haven't thought about them at all). Sometimes I just want to watch them interact but sometimes I just... I know it's silly but I always get offended on McCoy's behalf so sometimes I think it would be cool when after Kirk apologizes McCoy wouldn't forgive him right away because I am still angry at Kirk. My heart breaks every time Bones backpedals to "sir/captain". If I could write I would once write a sweet revenge fic, but now I think it doesn't contradict mckirk (don't listen to me, I'm just rambling ^^")

But overall I just think that sexual drive simplifies things, you know? In a story at least, because we have like set frames of how a romantic/sexual relationship should feel like and play out, but we have much less rules abot describing a strong friendship. That gives room to a lot of nuances (in theory) but I personally would never write something this complicated and I doubt that many people would. So romantic love it is.

Ok, I have to stop myself now before I write you another ill-structured essay. But do you have any thoughts about het-relationships (in canon or fanon)? I would be interested to hear them :)

P.S.: I wouldn't like to appear a creep but I've seen your post about discord. My friend made me recently create an account there and I was wondering how I could use it. It appears that I can use it to ask you if you would like to watch TOS with me someday? I mean, for you it would be rewatching and possibly in the wrong order (apparently not in the production one), but, yeah, anyway. *makes an awkward courtesy and disappers*

No, anyone can send messages to me. I tried sending a message to you, but tumblr says you don't exist. Trying to mention you like @justyouwaitenryiggins also doesn't work… but yeah, like I said, feel free to send a discord friend request! And we can talk over there!

Yes, Kirk as a character is really great in the show when you actually allow yourself to see the show without the preconcieved notions from pop-culture/fanon (but I also understand why some people don't like him, and I think your "he's old-fashioned" figures into it. You might see posts by me where I'm like wtf Kirk; I've had and still have a very complicated relationships with Kirk). I also agree that nowadays a character like Kirk is hard to recreate, because of those old-fashioned ways - positive and negative, and any modern Kirk needs to be tweaked to fit modern times. (At least I've been thinking around these lines for a while, especially in regards to the newest iteration lol)

Oh, it's not as if they aren't there, they're just less. It's just that they can sometimes be overshadowed (hence why it's the least popular), but if you pay attention, it's there, always. There's still a lot of scenes and moments to look forward to! They really have such a nice relationship throughout the whole show, and in the tos movies as well!

"I always get offended on McCoy's behalf" hahaha I know there's a lot of people like that, especially if their fave character is McCoy, but for me, it's a part of their dynamic, and a reason why I like it. But I'm also just a fan of messed-up relationships in general…

I personally don't think that sex simplifies things, but I also personally prefer to write stories that aren't traditional romantic/sexual relationships… which is why I like spones because I hc Spock on the aroace spectrum (and when I write McCoy with Spock, he's also somewhere on the spectrum), so it allows me to explore different aspects of "romance" that doesn't necessarily need to be traditional or follow a certain formula. With mckirk, it's different though... I'd actually love to write just platonic spones or mckirk but…. sometimes the characters want to kiss (or more). It's not my fault lol

I don't mind essays LOL I'm also better at rambling when I get a concrete topic, but if you search T'Pring on my blog, you'll probably find some posts on how I love Spock/T'Pring (but there might be also some Strange New Worlds spoilers) I'm also a fan of Kirk/Rand (Kirk's strong interest in Rand was basically the reason why I started to ship spones when I watched TOS for the first time, despite coming into TOS with aos!mckirk bias) - you could see me putting it into the Conscience of the King coda too. And I like several of Kirk's relationships with women in the show. If you're interested in something specific, just ask!

LOL I rewatch random TOS episodes all the time. I do think about the "continuity" in the production order, but I watch randomly now. There are some episodes I don't want to rewatch because I either find them boring or for other reasons, though.

[sttngfashion]

5.26 and 6.1 - Time’s Arrow

Oh my god. Y’all. It’s a new Fashion It So post. In the year of our Picard 2020. Yes.

For literal years, Charlie and I have been like UGH WE NEED TO DO TIME’S ARROW PARTS 1 AND 2 BUT IT’S JUST SUCH A MONSTER.

Well, I’m doing a complete rewatch of the series with my partner and we just got to these two, so IT IS TIME. 

We open in a cave in San Francisco, where Data and Picard are checking something out:

Rent for the cave is $6,000 per month

Showing them around is this guy in a Science Outfit:

He’s ready to go night biking

We’ve seen this look before in both Silicon Avatar and Devil’s Due, and it’s functional, yet cute. Basically a windbreaker in jumpsuit form. 

They find a couple of items in the cave, including a pocket watch from 1889 and also:

I left my head in San Francisco

IT’S DATA’S HEAD!!! And it’s been there for FIVE HUNDRED YEARS. What could have caused this? And why is Data’s head so absolutely terrifying?

Is that fondant

This head is, in a word, haunting. The 2020 of heads. 

Data and Geordi chat in Ten-Forward about what the presence of Data’s head in the cave means. Data says it means he’s mortal; that someday he will die, and that’s comforting. Spoiler alert: that’s not what it means. But it’s a nice conversation.

Also, Guinan is here!!!

Merlot My God!! 

Or maybe: Burgundy-lightful!! Or perhaps: De-Crimson-alize Sex Work!! Okay that last one was a stretch but I really think I missed my calling as a nail polish shade namer. 

Anyway, she’s here in her classic look of a pizza-sized hat and a flowing gown/coat/top/robe. The collar here is a little too close to a mock turtleneck for my liking and honestly - this is a little staid for our friend Guinan. I want a TEXTURE or a SWEEP or some WIDE RIBBING or some PLEATS. Don’t worry, though...she will get plenty more later.

Then there’s some plot which frankly we DO NOT HAVE TIME to get into but let’s just say: the away team goes to a planet, there’s a temporal disturbance, and Data ends up here:

Huge mood

Where are we? Or should I say WHEN are we??

Well that old-timey font is a good clue...also the horse

Are we in the Old West land of an off-brand Disneyworld? Are we going to ride something called Large Lightning Mesa Train Tracks? What colorful characters will we meet here?

Winner of 1893’s Mustache Medal

This type of ‘stache is called a Fu Manchu, after the character Dr. Fu Manchu. It’s not...a great look? But it is memorable, which is sometimes enough. He’s also wearing a simple black cap, probably made of silk. He’s keeping it cazh.

So where are we?

SAN FRANCISCO, OPEN YOUR GOLDEN GATE / YOU’LL LET NOBODY WAIT / OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR

Yes, it’s San Francisco. And it’s *eyes popping out of head like a cartoon wolf seeing a busty babe* 1893!!!! That temporal disturbance was...disturbing.

So who else do we have hanging out?

Please check out our Vaudeville act, Knit Cap ‘n’ Bowly

These dudes understand those famous Bay Area MICROCLIMATES, amirite? We’ve got a Henley. We’ve got a buttondown. We’ve got a vest. We’ve got a coat. No matter which way the thermometer decides to go, THEY ARE READY. Also loving the pop of forest green on Knit Cap’s knit cap. 

We also have a 49er:

No, it’s not Steve Young. I googled “famous 49ers” to complete this joke so if there is a more famous 49er please let me know

It’s a literal 49er. Since it’s 1893, this guy’s been hanging around in town for a while, and he’s also familiar with the layering techniques one must master if one is to conquer the Bay Area’s climate. He also has a kicky Colonel Sanders-type tie. He asks Data for money and gives him a few panhandling tips. He’s chill. We like him. But don’t get too attached if you know what I mean!!!!

Data decides he needs somewhere to stay, so he finds a hotel:

Brian.

Why is this so funny to me. Brian. Why would you name your hotel Brian. Brian!!!! I know it’s a last name but like...Brian. HOTEL BRIAN. 

This bellhop’s name is not Brian:

Where’s your hat, bro

He’s giving us a classic bellhop look, complete with too many buttons. He gives Data the very important information that there’s a poker game happening in the back of the hotel, which means: Data is about to be RICH rich. 

The poker game includes a few good looks:

Louie Anderson IS Wolverine IN a Lands’ End barn coat

Two plaids? Sir...I salute you

Colonel Sanders Goes to Carnaval

Data, of course, wipes the floor with them so hard that he wins their clothes:

Didn’t get that barn coat tho

Yes, that’s the actual vest and the actual hat of those guys from the previous scene. Oh, I love it. I love Data in a vest over his uniform and I love Data with a feather in his cap. Let’s call it macaroni.

Meanwhile, out on the street, the plot is happening:

Beige: inescapable

This is our first taste of the decadent 1890’s sleeves that appear in this episode, and these aren’t even the best sleeves!! These are an amuse-bouche of sleeves. An armuse-bouche, if you will. 

Anyway, these two are aliens disguised as humans who are here to steal the 49er’s life energy. 

Pew pew pew

I told you not to get attached!!!

Back on the Enterprise, Guinan is doing mixology:

She would never call it something as stupid as mixology though

She tells Picard that he needs to go check out the temporal disturbance, too, even though captains don’t normally go on away missions, and then she gives him this look:

It’s that serious

When Guinan looks at you like this, you do what she says. 

Now this outfit is much better than the earlier one. We have some pleated sleeves, which I didn’t even think was a thing you could DO. We have some sort of functional(?) strap(??) across the front. We even have matching fingerless gloves which always make a look A LOOK. And if Picard wasn’t sure whether he needed to go on this away mission, she then gives him THIS look:

Okay now it’s REALLY serious

Back in 1893, Data is making something:

It’s actually just a really complicated and large music box that plays “I Left My Head in San Francisco”

He’s gotten his hands on some more period-appropriate clothing, including a bow tie and a vest. Since he’s not wearing arm garters and his sleeves appear to be the correct length for his arms, we can conclude that the shirt was custom-made, not ready-made, because Data is now a baller due to his poker earnings. 

Then, Data sees this in the paper:

I know her!! From work!!!!

Yes, it’s Guinan. In 1893. In a hat!!!!

We cut to the literary reception, which is honestly not as well-attended as I thought it would be, considering it got a GIANT photo of Guinan on page THREE of the paper, but okay. And who should we spy there but:

You’ll love my secret blend of 11 herbs and spices

No, it’s not Colonel Sanders. (Sorry, I really have Colonel Sanders on the brain because of that Lifetime movie.) It’s Samuel Clements, AKA Mark Twain. I had an English teacher in high school who explained the origin of his pseudonym (it indicates a mark of two fathoms, aka twelve feet, on a steamboat) and for some reason she shouted MAAAARK TWAAAAAIN when she told us that story so now her delivery of that line is in my head until I die I guess.

Anyway, it’s Mark Twain.

He’s wearing his iconic white linen suit with a black bow tie, and he’s also wearing a lot of prosthetics, because the actor playing him (Jerry Hardin, AKA Deep Throat from The X-Files AKA Melora Hardin AKA Jan Levinson-Gould’s dad) (was that too many AKAs) (you get it, right?) didn’t look enough like Mark Twain, I guess? In conclusion: what if eyebrow wigs were a thing?

Twain is having a chit chat with “Madame Guinan,” who is wearing what can only be called a sumptuous gown:

It’s 11:30 and the gown is sumptin’ sumptin’

There are so many ELEMENTS to this look! First of all: the color. Royal purple. Fit for a queen. Appropriate. 

Then: those sleeves! These sleeves are known as “leg of mutton sleeves” because they KIND OF look like a leg of mutton. Have you ever seen a leg of mutton? I haven’t. I’ve only seen these sleeves. Plus they have a stripe?? No, I don’t know why, but I LOVE IT.

The cuffs and the cravat bring this from “dress” to “lewk.” Top it all off with this hat and you have a true 1893 mood.

What bird is that feather even from

We get a few good extra looks in this scene as well:

Pink Lady is NOT wearing a corset

Look, sometimes you don’t have enough period-appropriate undergarments for all the background people and that’s fine. But I WILL notice.

Is that Loretta Lynn

I am loving all of this! That purple dress is fantastic, those stripes? I die. Military man has some fun flair on his shoulder, and there is a dude in a beautiful turban back there. Plus, another Black lady in addition to Guinan and That One Ensign Who Is On The Bridge Sometimes.

Data rolls in to the literary event in a different suit with a CRAVAT:

Craving a cravat

Data is like “we serve together on the same starship in the 24th century” and Guinan is like “huh” but then she’s like “okay” which...I’m not sure if I would believe that? But let’s just say it’s fine. 

Over in the 24th century, the literal entire bridge crew is checking out the temporal disturbance and I DON’T LIKE THIS AT ALL:

Blue Man Group...on ACID

These beings are like ghosts but also like Dr. Manhattan but also like pure energy. 

Then everyone goes through the temporal disturbance AND THE SEASON ENDS. 

Fortunately for you, this post will continue...right now.

Okay, so we’re back in San Francisco in 1893. You can tell by the horses:

Also the fruit carts

Samuel Clemens is strolling around with a reporter, telling him that he has a great story for him that involves time travelers and, like, protecting the nation.

Here’s the thing about this episode’s version of Mark Twain: he’s kind of a dick. Was the real Mark Twain kind of a dick? I just feel like Mark Twain should be JAZZED about meeting time travelers and not acting like a fuckin’ time cop* and trying to put the Enterprise crew on blast. 

Anyway I love his double-breasted vest.

See my vest

The reporter’s hat is technically period-accurate, but that style is SO associated with the 1930s-1950s that I would have gone with something else. He looks cute though.

Meanwhile, Data is wearing a three-piece suit:

My positronic olfactory synapses are interpreting something as...a fart

I hate brown, but this is fine.

Additionally, the beige baddies from before are back and this time, they’ve got a SNAKE CANE:

Love the snake cane, hate how they suck the life out of people

But we are not here for them, we are here to see our faves in period clothing. Our first look is at Riker, who is dressed as an actual cop, not a time cop like Mark Twain:

The past just had...so many buttons

I guess if you’re a time-traveling white man there are worse disguises than a cop. But WHERE DID HE GET THIS UNIFORM? I choose to believe that he found a cop with a similar large handsome body to his own and beat the shit out of him and stole his clothes. Now we can all enjoy imagining a cop being beat up.

The badge that Riker is wearing is a great historical detail; the SFPD started wearing them in 1886 and are reportedly the first law enforcement agency to have worn the seven-pointed star, which is now a common shape among sheriff’s departments across the United States.

But let’s move on to a better look: Dr. Beverly Crusher:

Curlz MT

Okay, now I have more questions. Beverly obviously wouldn’t beat someone up for their clothes, so where did SHE get HER outfit? And who did her hair? Did she do her OWN hair? Where did she get a curling iron? Does she know how to use a curling iron? Was it one of those ones that’s actually made of iron that you have to heat up in a fireplace? 

We will get answers to zero (0) of these questions.

We actually get a much better look at her dress later, so let’s focus on that cloak!!! I love it and I also love her hat. Okay, I guess I had less to say about those than I thought.

Bev and Will, along with the rest of the officers, have somehow procured a room/apartment in some lady’s lodging house. It’s cute!

They gave it 5 stars on AirBnB

This also raises questions. How did they get this room? How many bedrooms does it have? Are they sharing one large bed? If so, who has to sleep crossways at the foot of the bed and why is it Geordi? We will get zero answers to these questions as well, so let’s move on to arguably the hottest costume in this two-parter:

I’ll be in Holodeck 4

Whewwwwwww. He’s giving us a rolled sleeve. He’s giving us a casual tweed vest. The pants? They’re perfect. And he KNOWS how that slouch is working. It’s working VERY well. But the Irish landlady? She’s having NONE OF IT.

Absolutely NO nonsense

She needs the rent, but Picard charms her and she leaves. So I guess that’s how they got the room. Her look is knitwear-forward:

Eileen Fisher does sound like an Irish name

She’s got a shawl AND a cardigan! The cozy factor is OFF THE CHARTS. She also has a brooch, because a touch of fancy is always welcome. I will say that her hair is a little more fashion-forward than I’d expect for a woman of her age and station. This is straight up 1890s hair, and she would probably still be rocking an 1860s look, which isn’t as sweepy and would likely involve more braids. Still, she looks lovely. 

Geordi is also here looking dapper:

Make the collar as high as you can. I want to be sliced open by my own collar

You CAN go wrong with a three-piece suit, but it’s difficult to. He can’t wear his visor, so he has some kicky shades which we’ll get a better look at in a sec.

Back at the Hotel Brian (lol), the bellboy (who we learn in this scene is Jack London, inspired to be a writer by Mark Twain [citation needed]) lets Mark Twain into Data’s room and allows him to look around unsupervised. This is very bad hotel management. 

Great Scott

Then Data and Guinan show back up, and Mark Twain hides in an armoire.

One short day in the emerald brocade

I think one reason I love Guinan’s looks so much, both in the 24th and the 19th century, is that our color palette is very similar. We’re both winters. Bold jewel tones are the vibe. This one is in a beautiful deep green fabric with what looks like a velvet flocking pattern on it. The collar is also velvet, and I love that sleeve with a flounce on top like there wasn’t already enough fucking fabric on the sleeve so they just added a random piece to be like “yes, bitch. I’m a sleeve.”

Naturally, the hat is also jaunty af:

San Francisco’s hottest milliner is: Madame Guinan

This hat has everything: feathers, netting, a brim, an angle that makes you think it’s going to fall off but it doesn’t. We stan.

Meanwhile, Picard is setting up a sensor in a hospital while wearing a hat:

I’m bowled over

We haven’t even asked where Picard got these clothes, but I would like to point out that he’s dressed as a lower-class guy, while Riker is a cop, and Geordi looks like a gentleman. Was there even a discussion they all had about how they would disguise themselves? Was Picard like “I just really want to wear a beat-up bowler hat” and since he’s the captain, they extrapolated from there? This episode is NOT CONCERNED about any of this. They all have clothes, end of story. 

Bev even has TWO outfits!!

Hello nurse!!!!

I love this look. She still has her unlikely hairstyle happening, which means her nurse’s cap is sitting atop her voluminous hairstyle. (Not very practical, but realistic!) She’s sporting a simple striped dress and a button-on apron. (Look closely and you can see the two buttons holding the apron to the dress.) The fabric underneath might be cotton seersucker, but it’s likely a lightweight cotton or linen twill. You can see how closely her look matches these nurses from a similar time period:

Hello nurses!!!!

Deanna is also in this scene and this episode, but you wouldn’t know it from what she’s given to do. HUGE SHOCKER: TROI NOT GIVEN ENOUGH TO DO IN AN EPISODE. 🙃

She still looks beautiful:

Why aren’t capelets more popular

We never get a really GREAT look at her whole outfit, but I can tell you that it has a capelet, it’s in the red family, and the hat has a lot of business going on. For those reasons: approved. It has a flounce in the back too:

More fabric = more wealth

Sometimes I think about just how much fabric it took to make these old-timey dresses and I’m like...how did anyone get anything done?? It takes me like 4 weeks to finish a pair of leggings and those have like 5 seams and I own a serger. These historical bitches were sewing whole ass dresses in no time at all. 

Okay, so Bev is in this hospital and here come some more energy-stealing aliens, disguised as healthcare professionals this time:

I cannot take a medical professional wearing a LIGHT BROWN TOP HAT seriously, sorry

Bev AND this energy-stealing alien have BOTH managed to get their hands on the SAME nurse’s uniform?? I guess in the case of the alien, she is a shape-shifter, so she got her clothes from...that. And her hair. 

I hate this light brown top hat. If you’re going to wear a top hat, don’t DISRESPECT IT by making it BROWN, but if you’re going to make it brown, make it a good brown, like chocolate. Stupid energy-stealing aliens.

There’s a skirmish, the energy-stealing aliens disappear, and the real cops show up:

MOUSTACHE

Of course, the cops showing up is bad, because when has a cop showing up ever made a bad situation better? Never. Defund the police, but don’t defund handlebar mustaches. Those can stay.

Fortunately, Data has gotten a ping on that machine he was building before and shows up on a motherfucking HORSE:

Brent just wanted to show off

He’s back in his brown striped suit and red tie. Okay.

Everyone returns to the boarding house to suss out the situation, and we get a look at what Riker is rocking underneath his cop jacket:

Suspend me daddy

You can see very clearly here how the collar is not actually attached to the shirt. This was a thing people in the olden days did so they could wear their shirt for multiple days in a row and just switch out the collar and cuffs so they looked clean. As someone who is wearing the same sweatshirt for the third day in a row, I support this method. (If you’re interested on more info about collars, here is a very enjoyable article about them.)

We are also blessed with a better look at Deanna’s sleeves and bodice:

Black lace cuffs? Decadent!!!

You can also see Geordi’s shades, which suit him really nicely. One thing I’ve been enjoying on this rewatch is just how well LeVar Burton can act without having his eyes visible. He’s great. Let’s just all think about how great LeVar Burton is for a second

And also Bev’s dress:

I legitimately want this dress

I don’t think those buttons are functional. Can you imagine how annoying THAT would be? But I am absolutely in love with this dress. Two paisleys, Beverly???? A goddess. I’m also dying for that brooch with the chain. A+ look all around, great work.

Finally, FINALLY, Guinan meets the rest of the crew:

When you meet someone you won’t actually know for 500 years

She is wearing a hat that looks like a toilet paper cozy. Did your grandma have one of these? They’re so stupid and I love them so much. 

Picard and Guinan meet for what is the first time for her, but not the first time for him, and honestly it is...sensual?????

If I got a m’lady from P. Stew I wouldn’t even mind

Patrick and Whoopi truly do some nice work in this ep. But we are here to yell about clothes, so: LOOK AT THIS DRESS ON AN EXTRA:

Gimme dat dress

I just want that dress to wear around my house. I legitimately bought an 18th century costume dress to do just that, so don’t think I won’t literally do this.

OKAY, WE ARE ALMOST TO THE END. 

The crew, plus Guinan, go back to the cave where this all started:

Cave Club, the only club that meets in a cave

We get a nice look at the bodice of Guinan’s dress here and guess what: MORE BUTTONS. Buttons on the lapels, and also buttons on the front panel with the pointy top. I wonder if she has multiple front panels for that dress in different colors, like a Swatch watch. 

Unbeknownst to them, Mark Twain followed them!! Then there’s a scuffle with the energy-stealing aliens during which a few things happen:

Data’s head flies off

Mark Twain gets sucked into the temporal disturbance

Guinan gets hurt

Picard stays behind to make sure Guinan is okay

So we end up with Mark Twain on the Enterprise, where he sees Worf, and he’s like:

Buh-WHAT

Worf is also confused:

This is...extremely perplexing

We have a few more looks back on the Enterprise, including Regular Guinan:

ShoulderSpreads™: The Bed Spread for Your Shoulders

I love love LOVE this outfit. The color is perfect, the shoulderspreads are perfect, the front draping is perfect. It looks like a velvet housedress from the 1960s except FANCY which is kind of my ideal aesthetic. And it’s red (my fave). 

We get a quick glimpse at the barber uniform:

Bitch let me pass, idc if you wrote Huck Finn

This barber does. not. give. a. fuck!!!! 

Geordi reattaches Data’s head, the one they already had, which means this whole thing was a ding dang closed loop. The reattachment also kind of diminishes the whole conversation they had earlier about how Data’s head in the cave meant that Data could die someday, because...he didn’t. He still might, but his head is back and he’s fine now.

Meanwhile, Picard is still back in 1893 and they have to go get him, but only one person can come back through the temporal disturbance, so Mark Twain is like “duh I’ll go get him.” 

And finally Guinan and Picard can talk about how their friendship spans 500 years!!!!

Hey girl

Hey

YOU’RE WELCOME

*abolish the police

[personinthepalace]

What do you think about some of my favorite (non-finale) episodes:

training day

disorder in the court

o vs the ballcano

flawed squad

cherry on top inator

odd in 60 seconds

16 and a half blocks

box trot

why did the chicken cross the dimension

Here we go! Please keep in mind that these are just my opinions :)

Training Day: slight confession, I didn't care much about this episode when I first watched it when it first aired haha. But my opinion on it definitely changed upon multiple rewatches. This episode changed the game! We finally understand Olive's PTSD and got an amazing introduction to OS best villain, Odd Todd! This episode had a big change in tone compared to the previous episodes, indicating that this show is more than just a fun kid's show- it can get serious and explore complex topics. So while it might not be one of my top favorite episodes, I think it is a GREAT episode that is very well written and acted and is a must watch for everyone!

Disorder In the Court: once again, another must watch episode since it is important to the story arc of season 1! One of the reasons I really love this episode is the focus on Olive's and Otto's partnership. Their friendship and trust is tested, but they come out strong in the end. Otto says one of my favorite quotes in the show, "Olive we're not just partners; we're friends. Nothing will ever change that." My favorite OS episodes are the ones that focus on the partners (in fact, my top favorite S1 episode is one that just focus on them during their plot). Also we get the return of Odd Todd which is always fun. And this is a court room episode, and they way they went about it is so fun. Between the two court room episodes in this show, this one was definitely the better one. Overall, I really enjoy this episode and can consider it as a favorite (I seriously need to make a list of my favorite S1 episodes someday haha)

O vs the Ballcano: I actually don't remember much about this episode, but Headquarters being flooded with the balls from the ballpit was such a fun thing to see! It must have been a fun day on set haha. Two things I really remember from this episode are Olaf losing his potato and O'Donahue shouting "Noooooo" during a flashback. I remember enjoying this episode though I don't know if I can count it as a top favorite

Flawed Squad: slight confession, when I first watched it, I thought it was one of the weaker episodes of the first batch that came out of season 2. But once again, upon rewatches, I find it much more enjoyable than I initally thought! I honestly didn't figure out the pattern at first, so that was fun to see Olympia and Ocean figure out. We got an Ocean and Olympia team up which was fun, and Owen being a cook was a nice touch! And if I remember correctly, this was the episode where Oona was trying to teach them to use the stairs, and then Olympia taught Ocean - I just find that hilarious haha. I guess the things I didn't care much about in this episode was the creature itself and the fake Big O/real Big O stuff. But overall while it isn't one of my top favorites, it is definitely an enjoyable episode with lots of gems I didn't notice at first

Edit 07/12/2022: okay I somehow convinced myself that the plot of Creature Whisperer was the plot of Flawed Squad??? Oops 😅 Anyway my thoughts on the actual episode: the first of the villain break-ins!! Anytime there’s a villain ensemble it is so much fun to watch and this was no exception. I found the ending a bit anti-climatic but then again these villains aren’t the brightest haha. Overall an enjoyable and very good episode that I liked but wouldn’t consider as one of my top faves simply bc there are so many great episodes in this season haha

Cherry-on-top-inator: now this is definitely one of my all time favorite episodes in S2! And maybe one of my top faves of the whole show haha. We get unhinged Oona who is completely fed up with her co-workers and just wants to destroy the gadget but they keep on interrupting. Crazy Oona is my favorite haha. All of the different forms of storytelling were so much fun!! My favorite is definitely the musical number with Olympia and Otis- it is also one of my favorite songs of the show (Odd Squad release the season 2 soundtrack PLEASE). But I love all the others as well especially Ohlm's film noir haha. Whenever it pops up on the PBS Kids player, you can bet I am going to watch it haha. So yeah one of my all time favorite episodes, and one I try to get everyone to watch haha

Odd in 60 Seconds: okay so I will confess that I am not a big fan of the Mobile Unit episodes. As a result, I haven't really rewatch these episodes and thus don't remember much about them. So this will affect my opinion of the upcoming episodes that you've mentioned. That being said, this episode is actually one of the ones that I remember really liking in Season 3. Now I don't actually remember much about this episode but the concept of villains coming in and trying to prove that they broke into the vault(?) was a lot of fun. I remember thinking that this was the best episode of s3 so I guess I'll stick with that haha

16 And A Half Blocks: I honestly don't remember anything about this episode. And even after reading the synopsis, I still don't remember much about it- Evil Sculptor coming to them for help sounds familiar but I still don't remember what happened. It is part 1 of the finale, and I remember thinking that the finale was okay overall? Like not the best (s1 still holds that title haha) but it was fine? But still I don't remember anything. So I honestly can't say what I think about this episode until I rewatch it haha

Box Trot: once again had to look up the synoposis bc I don't remember anything. I did find Seren's reaction video to it, and I fastforwarded through it just to get the gist of it. It seems like it's an episode with a villain ensemble which is always fun (honestly I think those are the better Mobile Unit episodes- when the episode focuses on a group of villains haha). Ahh and this also has orange Shapeshifter? Once again, vague memories haha. So once again, I can't really say what my opinion is of it, but since it has a villain ensemble I'm gonna say that I think it's one of the enjoyable Mobile Unit episodes?

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Dimension: okay so this came out as part of the batch of last OS episodes on the PBS Kids player last week. I initially watched it back in January (thanks VPN), but I was trying to rewatch these episodes since they are the final ones. I've watched the first two(?) episodes, and they are definitely a lot more fun than I initially remembered haha. But I still haven't rewatched this episode. From what I do remember though, the lesson was topography and it was kinda boring for me? But it also had the return of Logan so that was fun. Once again, I need to rewatch this episode to give an honest opinion bc I really don't remember much about it

And wow this turned out a lot longer than I expected haha. Hope that you enjoy my ramblings! And once again, these are just my opinions and a rewatch is definitely necessary for me to give an honest opinion haha. Thanks for the ask, and I would love to know why you love these episodes!! And feel free to ask my opinion on other episodes :)

Ask me anything about Odd Squad!

[jimsmovieworld]

THE RAMEN GIRL- 2008 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Very enjoyable. Very stupid movie.

Abby (Brittany Murphy) moves to Osaka, Japan to be with her boyfriend. He breaks up with her like a bozo and leaves her there by herself. Extremely upset, she walks into a ramen shop for food, its closed but they let her stay after she starts crying furiously. She enjoys the food so much she decides she wants to be a ramen chef. She keeps going back to the restaurant run by tyrannical Chef Mazeumi until he agrees to train her.

She doesnt actually know how to speak japanese until the last ten minutes of the film and he doesnt speak english so theres a lot of confusion. They speak to each other as if the other one understands what theyre saying then they get annoyed when they dont. When Abby meets a new Japanese guy/ love interest who speaks fluent english i assumed he would work as a translator but that somehow didnt occur to anyone.

Anyway, Abby watches Mazeumi constantly and memorizes his technique. She makes them exactly the same way he does and he says she has mastered the technique but they have no spirit. Ramen is treated as some kind of supernatural food in this movie. None of the stuff being said about it makes any sense.

Least of all when Abby gets advice from another Ramen Chef who advises she should "put her tears in it"

I thought this was a metaphor or something but Abby literally goes back to the shop and starts crying tears into her Ramen. She gives a bowl to a few of the regulars and they all start crying for some reason.

Now i really enjoyed this movie. The japanese setting and Brittany Murphy are both gorgeous. Liked a few of the side characters that help Abby along the way. But unfortunately the movie has one of the most rushed/ worst endings ive seen recently. It just comes out of nowhere and leaves so many plot points unaddresssed.

1) The boyfriend that breaks up with her at the start never reappears. He should have came back and tried to win her back but she turns him down this time. He needs his comeuppance and we get to see that shes grown and doesnt need him anymore! This was a big miss.

2) Mazeumi names her his succesor and then the next thing we see is her leaving for America. It felt so rushed. Hes a complete dickhead throughout the entire movie. Like a Mr Miyagi from hell. The scene where they finally connected a bit was nice but needed a bit more.

3) Mazeumis backstory of why he was so angry was that his son left him and moved to Paris. It keeps coming up throughout the movie and is never resolved. Seems odd.

4) Abbys escort friend who pretends to be a southern belle... what the hell was going on here. She turns up and says shes been beaten up and needs a place to stay. Then nothing happens. I looked into this after the movie and apparently scenes that were filmed but not put in the theatrical cut show a storyline of her being killed by yakuza members 😂😂😂

Obviously thats far too dark a storyline and doesnt fit with the rest of the movie so fine to cut it out, but cut all of it out then.

5) Abbys japanese boyfriend turning up at her new American restaurant that he somehow knows about despite them not being in contact for over a year.

That aside, thought it was a very fun movie and enjoyed it the whole way through. Will look forward to rewatching someday.

[franniebanana]

CQL Rewatch - Episode 6

What I learned from this scene: Jiang Cheng is really picky about women and Wei Wuxian is perfectly happy being without a woman (as long as he has alcohol), and THAT parallels what Lan Wangji says later on that he’s fine being alone too. A little thing, but it shows that while Wei Wuxian talks big about all the cute women in Yunmeng, he has zero experience and isn’t really even interested in them. Jiang Cheng, on the other hand, IS interested, but is terrible at talking to them.

Call me crazy, but I don’t actually think Lan Wangji walked in there just to punish them for making noise/disturbing others. By the way this scene is acted, it seems like Lan Wangji is genuinely curious about what they’re up to, to the point where it almost feels like he wants to join in. Like he’s really taken what Lan Xichen has said about making friends to heart. And that all is super cute to me if that’s true. Like he hears the noises coming from their room (maybe he was already going there to see Wei Wuxian anyway!) and thinks, “Sounds like they’re having fun! Maybe I can join.” I don’t think it’s outside the realm of possibility for him to think that way, albeit probably hesitantly. And it’s not like he walks in with a dour expression, ready to throw the Gusu Lan Sect rules in their faces. It’s not until he sees the alcohol/Wei Wuxian asks him to drink with them that he pulls the rules card out.

Lol his look here. DON’T. TOUCH. ME. The phrase “if looks could kill” was made for people like Lan Wangji. He has nailed that glare. But like, how ballsy is Wei Wuxian to suggest drinking? He KNOWS Lan Wangji will not willingly break the rules, and if he doesn’t know, then he’s a dummy!

I love how quickly this whole thing unravels for Wei Wuxian. He thinks it’s so funny at first—stick Lan Wangji with a talisman, get him to do what you say—only he has no idea that Lan Wangji has absolutely zero tolerance for alcohol and his response is to immediately pass out. The sheer panic in Wei Wuxian’s face and voice is delightful to watch, honestly.

I’ve watched this scene so many times in the last week or so. I like it better in the special edition, since we get more wangxian and more drunk Lan Wangji—two things that I will always take more of. The part I like is that it shows how much Wei Wuxian commits and takes responsibility for his actions. He gets Lan Wangji drunk, so he spends half the night making sure Lan Wangji is okay. It’s a very sweet scene: the two open up to each other about their parents and it’s a very unifying moment for Wei Wuxian, finding out that Lan Wangji has suffered, just like him—that he is a human being with emotions, parents, that he’s experienced loss too. Wei Wuxian, up to this point, has dealt with his troubled past by clowning around and being generally optimistic, which is obviously not how Lan Wangji has handled his own past.

Lan Wangji probably remembers nothing of their conversation (or very little) but Wei Wuxian, who can hold his liquor a lot better, remembers all of it. It’s still fun watching them grow together, even after watching this so many times. Every time they experience something together, it just brings them closer. Really calls to mind themes of fate and destiny, though I like to believe that fate had nothing to do with them falling in love.

And here’s where Lan Wangji says he’s fine being alone, to which Wei Wuxian basically goes, “EH?!” in his mind, but instead calls him and his father boring. And then things get a little heavy, since Lan Wangji fully admits that he has no mother (in other words, his mother is dead). I assume (and Lan Xichen says later) that Lan Wangji would never have divulged this information while sober and it’s interesting that Wei Wuxian never lets on that he knows. It’s kind of a shame, really, that they never talk about it again. He only talks about it with Lan Xichen, but it would have been nice to see the two of them really talk about their parents.

In my mind, they slept in the same bed. Like, not that they did anything, because let’s be honest: they passed out. In my movie, Lan Wangji would have passed out again, and then Wei Wuxian would have put him in bed, and then passed out right next to him. It’s sort of strange that Wei Wuxian dragged himself across the room to sleep upright on the floor. He doesn’t seem like the type to do something like that, and why should he care if they share a bed? Especially given the fact that he’s also drunk.

It’s also super cute how Wei Wuxian is only like half-dressed (I say half, but it’s more like three quarters): his overdress is not pulled all the way on. His shock, then laughter here kind of indicates that he doesn’t remember much from the previous night, or maybe he forgot, and then remembered. The amusement is short-lived, though, since as soon as Lan Wangji wakes, up, he flips the fuck out and drags them all to get punished. I kind of wish we’d gotten to see that, although I do love the way they wove in the conversation between Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen.

His fucking face. He goes from, “Ah, Wei Wuxian, that rascal!” to “Wangji, WTF?!” I love that so much. And the thing that makes it funnier is that Xichen was the one to suggest that Wei Wuxian might be a good friend for his brother, and now it kind of ends up biting him in the ass, since he’s KIND OF a bad influence. Obviously, the next scene shows that this hasn’t really had a negative effect on Lan Wangji, since he is willing to accept punishment for something he had absolutely no control over, even when Wei Wuxian chastises him for doing so, and announces to Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen that, in fact, Lan Wangji was forced to drink the alcohol.

Which brings me to the punishment scene. I like this scene a lot too. I love Lan Wangji’s tenacity here, how he refuses to try and get out of the punishment even though he drank the alcohol against his will. I love how Wei Wuxian immediately comes to his defense to try and get Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen to stop the punishment for Lan Wangji. This is a good contrast to earlier scenes when Wei Wuxian would not admit to breaking the rules and was always trying to make an excuse for himself. Here he doesn’t do that at all. He fully admits to breaking the rules and to dragging Lan Wangji down with him. I know Lan Wangji is upset here, but I think he’s mostly upset with himself for allowing himself to break the rules (even though he really had no choice in the matter).

Another great Yunmeng siblings scene. Wei Wuxian complaining about being punished and Jiang Yanli just keeping it real: you shouldn’t have broken the rules. She’s such a good big sister, though, because while her speech has a touch of disapproval, she’s still very sympathetic to their injuries. I do feel like she’s a little harder on Jiang Cheng, because she knows he’s better than that and he has to be better than that if he’s going to be a clan leader someday. As usual, she’s softer with Wei Wuxian, who she just has an abundance of sympathy for. And I don’t see that as a bad quality at all—I think she and her father are willing to see past some of his behavior because overall he’s well-intentioned and, as is discussed later on, he’s not going to be clan leader. His job will be to support Jiang Cheng, not to run the place, and he’s a fierce friend and extremely loyal to the Jiang Clan.

But anyway, this scene is cute how both Wei Wuxian and Jiang Cheng tell Jiang Yanli that they need more protein to heal and she should really add some lamb to the soup.

A few minutes ago, he could barely walk, and now he’s literally running down these steps. Maybe you don’t need that cold spring, after all.

RIP that other shoe that he originally kicked off right into the spring.

I love all of Lan Wangji’s expressions here and his responses to Wei Wuxian’s advances (I can only call them that, because he’s such a flirt here). You can totally read this scene that Wei Wuxian is just teasing and taking the piss with Lan Wangji, but I’m not going to, and I’m assuming, if you’re reading this, you aren’t either.

Wei Wuxian was delighted when he saw that Lan Wangji was also at the cold spring. He clearly went there for his wounds, but I think the wounds are all but completely forgotten as soon as he sees Lan Wangji.

I also love how shy Lan Wangji is, that as soon as he hears him coming, he immediately dresses again. He doesn’t leave, but he doesn’t want to be seen without his clothes on. That’s incredibly endearing to me that he is so modest. And then you have Wei Wuxian, who threatens to take off his clothes several times (although this is the only time he does it for reasons outside of teasing Lan Wangji). He does not care—he’s seemingly not modest about his appearance at all. I really do love all the contrast between these two characters—it’s not that they’re opposites of each other—it’s not that simple—but there is a lot of contrast which I think just keeps things interesting. I have nothing profound to say about it (or anything else, really), but I just find it really enjoyable to watch. And a side note, the contrast between Lan Wangji and Wang Yibo constantly leaves me in awe; it’s hard to believe that Yibo pulled off this character so well because he was such a goof on set.

Wwx: A lot of benefits come with being my friend.

Wwx: [immediately starts undressing]

I see what you did there, writers/directors.

But ironically, it turns out that a lot of not-so-beneficial things come from being his friend. Because Lan Wangji becomes so devoted to him, he ends up getting in a lot of trouble within his clan and without. Obviously he’d do it over and over if he had the choice, but the fact remains that Wei Wuxian becomes a pariah and, to a lesser extent, Lan Wangji was headed that way as well. Really, if Wei Wuxian hadn’t died, Lan Wangji might have ended up living with him in Yiling. That would have been quite interesting, actually.

I don’t care how many times I’ve seen this episode—this scene will kill me with its cuteness. Wei Wuxian so wants to be Lan Wangji’s friend here! He’s adorable! “Don’t leave me alone!” and “Come to Yunmeng, and I’ll pick lotus seeds for you!” and “There’s cute girls at Yunmeng!” Oh, wait, Lan Wangji doesn’t care about cute girls haha. I just love the change in the relationship. Wei Wuxian approves of and respects Lan Wangji and wants to be closer to him. It’s not just an interest or a fascination now—it’s something deeper. It’s the shared experience at Biling Lake, it’s the drunken confessions about their parents, it’s the 300 hits of the bastinado, and the secret cold spring pond where they can heal together.

Note how long it takes Lan Wangji to actually try to leave here. That’s telling enough on its own, how long Lan Wangji tolerates Wei Wuxian. He’s willing to put up with the jabbering and the endless chattering from Wei Wuxian. This is so much progress!

I have absolutely nothing to say here, other than that Yibo looks so fucking hot in this scene.

Because other than him and of course the headband, I find the stuff with Lan Yi to be kind of boring. I like her and all, but it’s just like, meh on all this Yin Iron stuff. I read about how this is just a big trope in cdrama, so it is what it is. Personally, I found the book to be compelling without all these shenanigans, but I understand that the written word doesn’t always translate well to the screen (especially when you are censoring the relationship between the two main characters).

Oh, and the rabbits are also fucking adorable. The more rabbits, the better.

Aaand now you’re married. Thanks, bye. Other episodes: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

[handonhaven]

Aye again my bestie, now am temporarily mad at Landon right now, baby you're two selfless why can't you be selfish for once you and hope is the same think gosh😭🤦 I just miss him yk and he's barley on scene and the limbo storyline getting boring now just come back please 🥺?.

1. Now for hizzie/ Lizzie saying she loves hope that scene was amazing & I thought hope's humanity was on but it wasn't, but i might be the only one who didn't feel the emotion in that scene I wasn't moved ( it's probably just me cause I finally reached my breaking point so I think my emotions are at it's lowest right now, I might have to rewatch the scene when am stable) but hey yay heretic Lizzie congrats to jenny and the fans who really wanted that.

2. Now for the Cleo & Kaleb scene on the bed and the kiss, am sorry but that scene reminded me about 1x08 handon Soo much I had to get off and go rewatch that scene again where hope asked Landon to be her boyfriend, I'm sorry that scene was nice but handon does it better 😭😭... Then you have the Finch & Josie bus stop scene that reminded me about the HANDON bus stop scene too omg handon hitting me harder and harder everyday I miss them Soo much💔, that finch and Josie scene was amazing as well!!!!!..

3. Josie/Kaylee leaving you will be missed and I wish kaylee the best in her future project's ❤️ the Josie and Lizzie scene was heartwarming but Josie could've gotten a better send off..

Anyways see you next year bestie Merry Christmas when It comes I love you ❤️🥺!!!!!!....

I could never be mad at Landon though. 😭 But it’s true, he’s too selfless, and him giving Ted his coins was so frustrating. Both he and Hope need to put themselves first for a change. And I miss him too, we barely get to see him and they’re doing nothing with the limbo storyline when they could’ve been doing a lot to finally show Landon after he was gone all last season, but no. And still more silence about all he just went through. I’m so tired of it.

And that scene with Lizzie was a lot! I thought Hope’s humanity was really on too, I was not okay. I didn’t feel any emotion in that scene either, it’s not just you, Hope should’ve been crying and having a breakdown, that’s what usually happens when their humanity comes back on. But with this show, they’ve often cut the emotion out of scenes that should be more emotional imo, so that’s why I thought it was just them doing that again, plus I’m often disappointed by this show so that’s why I believed it. 😭 So glad it was just a trick though. And yeah, Jenny finally got what she wanted for so long! So I’m happy for her getting to do that.

Those scenes with Cleo and Kaleb and then Josie and Finch did make me think of those Handon scenes too. Ngl, I’m not a fan of how they seem to be copying Handon like that with other couples. They did it with that one episode with Lizzie and Ethan too, with her mentioning a peanut butter blast. Idk why they can’t just let each couple have their own things, you know? I love how Handon has their own unique things and don’t need them doing the same kind of things with the other couples too, but anyway... Yeah, I thought the Josie and Finch scene was good too!

I wish Kaylee the best as well and hopefully she’ll find great new projects to do. But I agree, it was an odd send off for Josie and could’ve been a lot better. It was just a weird way to do it imo and didn’t make sense with the plot. But I guess if she ends up coming back someday, maybe they can do something better.

Aww thank you so much bestie, I hope you have a Merry Christmas as well, ily too!! 🥺❤️

[wavebiders]

Operation: "Ignore the Shitty Live Action Winx Show and Just Rewatch the Cartoon for the First Time in Almost a Decade" part 52:

Lord Stupid-Head Gets His Ass Handed To Him

Before I start watching lemme make fun of my child self for being gay: I remember how the dark!Bloom thing ends. Sky saves her by telling her he loves her or something. Which. Whatever. I don't care for the ship but that trope's always sweet

But I ALSO remember how itty bitty 7/8 year old me, who was definitely not gay and totally wanted a boyfriend like Sky someday, had Winx dolls. And that my cousin and I played a game that consisted entirely of Bloom or Stella going evil and the other having to bring her back

There were SIGNS is what I'm saying😂 Anyway I know the resolution is gonna be straight but here's hoping my child self got that idea somewhere and there's an angsty moment with the Girlfriends at least

That "evil" laugh is so fucking funny

I feel like Tecna's a season early with the heroic sacrifices here

It actually works out really well as a story thing that Aisha and Stella would be the ones to make it to Bloom and Darkar

1. They were the ones on the underground mission at the start of the season 2 so full circle 2. Aisha was the first to face Darkar so it makes sense she gets to face him at the end 3. Stella is in love with Bloom so obv she needs to be there

You can copy a codex??

Flora and Helia cute

DID STELLA JUST- dgfddhhhh fashion icon saves the day I stan😂

"Listen to us we're your friends!" I'll take it

I will from now on exclusively refer to Darkar as "Lord Stupid-Head" thank you so much for that Stella

The Sisters™️ combining their powers we love to see it

I can't believe Locket fucking died

Ah the ole "Boost Your Himbo" spell good choice

THE TRIX BEING SO DONE WITH THIS DUDE THEY'RE HELPING THE WINX YES!!!

Riven/Musa best canon ship

Aaand she's back to being the normal kind of adorable that isnt hilariously failing at being evil

Friendship😁

Finally I got Tecna/Timmy being a gamer couple!

Don't think I didnt spot Mirta and Lucy dancing together. That was nice

"You know Musa, I never would have made it without you guys. Especially not without you. You're my best friend" 😭😭😭

what a wingwoman too! I love her sm

Kiko!! With wings!!!

Those group photos🥺🥺🥺

[dreamerandcrazy]

Ok, so I haven't been able to comment much on my Riverdale rewatch mostly bc i'm watching it with my boyfriend and we have an agreement of no cell phones when we're watching, otherwise we can't pay proper attention to it. But I wrote down some notes about the episodes I did watch (I watched up until ep 6, which is very ironic bc apparently today is its anniversary, so yay for my perfect timing). I actually remember most of the stuff that happened in s1, so here's mostly a few things I paid more attention to or noticed about the characters and the ships, or things i'm able to look at through a different view now that i've watched all the seasons. Strap in if you want to see my notes, if not just scroll please, no ship or character hate here please. Also, feel free to ignore, this is really just a personal look in some stuff I didn't notice in my first watch.

- Betty's character used to be much happier and lighter in season 1. I know we're introduced to "Dark Betty" right in episode 3, but still, I feel like the way Lili played Betty in season 1 did not hold the same "darkness" as it does in the following seasons. The scene where she is dancing happily in her bedroom because she's going to homecoming with the boy she likes? The scene where she introduces Jughead to the Blue & Gold and gets him to work with her? Her genuine innocent happiness at seeing her sister again after so much time? The way she interacted with Kevin and Veronica? Those were all chef's kiss because she actually feels like a teenager in them. In all her girly glory, she radiates youth energy and it's a thing that was sadly lacking after s1. Btw this is not a critique at Lili's acting at all, I blame it entirely on Ras and his obsession with dark Betty.

- There's actually so many indications of Cheryl being a lgbt character in the first episodes that I have no idea how I missed it the first time. But then again, there were many indications with Veronica as well, and sadly that's not the path Ras chose for her.

- Jughead in s1 is truly so superior in so many ways that it's not hard to see why he quickly became such a fan favorite. I think even if he wasn't played by Cole Sprouse, he still would have conquered many fans' hearts. Sadly, the things that made Jughead such a loving and interesting character for me also fizzled out in s2 when the writing team decided to make him a woke serpent leader instead of allowing him to sticking to his true personality as a passionate mystery lover, a dedicated friend and very nerdy, which was very cute. I feel that we got some of that back for him in s4, which was good, but sadly s1 is where my love for him really stayed to stay. But I still care for him, and s5 has a promising storyline for him which i'm excited about, so let's see if s5 Jughead can become better than s1 Jughead.

- Going back again to Cheryl for a sec, I just noticed that the red lipstick actually wasn't that common for her in s1? At least not in the first five. I wonder when did it start becoming her trademark? Anyways, it's actually a really good look her and allows you to appreciate Madelaine's natural beauty even more.

- Also, did anybody notice how Alice lowkey figured out who killed Jason in ep 2 lmao, like... in episode two she legit says she wouldn't be surprised if the Blossoms themselves had killed Jason, which... is what happened LMAO, considering we know it was his father. And even more hilarious and tragically ironic note, in ep 6 she's laughing at Betty suggesting that Hal killed Jason because "do you think your father has the stomach for it?!"... Ma'am... i'm-.... 😂😂😂😂.

- This rewatch has reminded me of how much I adored and how I much I miss Josie and the Pussycats. The girls were such a nice addition to the cast, and their songs were so beautiful. I truly wish we get to see them again someday, but at the same time I also think the actresses deserve to be at a work place where they're given the treatment they deserve and not completely ignored and treated like extras.

- Archie/Valerie was super cute and is very underrated in the fandom, but i'm glad Valerie stood up for herself and didn't take any of Archie's or Cheryl's sh*t. Still sucks because they were really good together, though.

- Why was Jason not allowed to talk, lmao? Like, i'm sure it's become a running joke in the show at this point, but back when season one was airing what was the excuse for it? He appeared in so many flashbacks and scenes and we still never heard a single word ☠️☠️☠️☠️. I just want to know what was the reason lol.

- I liked s1 Reggie, but I feel like Charles Melton's Reggie is better because he actually feels like a douche with good intentions lol, and he has more of a personality. Most of the time I even forgot about Reggie in s1, but after s2 he definitely made me more aware of him. So for that, I like Charles Melton's Reggie more. But the actor from s1 still did a good job with what he was given.

From now on I will be talking about the ships, so bear with me, and know that I am a multishipper. Yes, I have my preferences. No, my word is not law, it's just an opinion, so please respect it.

- Bughead is still super cute in s1. I feel like from s1 they will always be my otp, even if I no longer feel as strongly about them now and have a different insight as to where I would like their story to go, and now I definitely see the problem others had mentioned before of how they kind of took over the show, which is something I kind of closed my eyes to before... But I really loved them in s1. It felt like a very juvenile teenage relationship, they didn't give much thought on why and if they should be together, they just went for it like teenagers usually do, and they were very very cute together.

- I feel like if you don't count Beronica (because they really were the best no matter what you say or ship), if there's a ship that deserves "best chemistry" award for s1 is probably Varchie. I lost my interest in them years ago, but this rewatch reminded me of why I actually loved them once. They never really became an otp for me, but Kj and Camila's chemistry in s1 was VERY GOOD, and I really liked them. Their kiss in the pilot was electric and the s&xual tension was OOF, and that chemistry carries on through the season. You can easily tell something will happen between them eventually. It makes me sad bc I don't know what happened after s1, but their chemistry from s2 onwards was just... not there for me. Which is ironic bc it's the season they truly started dating and they got a lot of smexy scenes, but I just... didn't feel it. But I'll leave that comment to my s2 rewatch. For now just let me enjoy Varchie's chemistry in s1 while it lasts because it was really good.

- Now we get to Barchie, who I made clear was the reason for my rewatch, so let's get to it. I LOVED the way Barchie was written in s1. I remember when I first watched Riverdale, I was curious about their dynamic but didn't put much thought into it because I loved Bughead too much and wanted them to be together, and I thought Barchie would be the traditional "first og ship" thing and wouldn't have a big follow up, but boy was I WRONG and am I GLAD for it. I'll talk more about their development in the next seasons when I get there, so for now let's focus a bit on s1. Just in like the first two episodes, there is so much Barchie foreshadowing, like, it's legit insane how it was right there in my face and I missed it the first time! "I have never felt what i'm supposed to feel with betty", "it's not my fault he doesn't like you", "I can't give you the answer you want"... Omg, those are obvious eyebrow raising "this will come back to bite you in the a$$" moments and it's incredible how they actually DO! I would call it clever writing, but like... it's Riverdale lol. So I really am just glad that the ship was done this way, i'm glad Barchie has the back story that they do, they've really come a LONG way and i'm happy I get to experience their whole growing storyline. It's also especially good because s1 actually provides you with scenes that show you their friendship and how they're so close, you see them hanging out, talking, their pictures together, everything was just really done well with them. Still have a bit of critique with the way Archie contradicted himself sometimes regardinf his feelings for Betty, but let's be honest, we've watched enough Riverdale to know that's just a problem with the writing.

- Kevin/Joaquin is still my favorite Kevin ship, i'm sad it's completely impossible to go back to them someday so for now i'll just be really glad it existed and that I got to see them even if it was short-lived. They had great chemistry and their kiss scenes always outsold.

- Beronica... sigh. Beronica. The most wasted chemistry i've ever seen on CW and I've watched a LOT of CW shows. There was so much potential there, s1 was practically overflowing with them and it's one of the reasons it became some popular. I remember when the Beronica fandom was the biggest one, ah, good times. Veronica and Betty were easily the best part of season 1, their friendship, their lowkey romantic moments, they were just superior in every way. This ship deserved better, not even just as a ship, but as a friendship.

- Veronica's s1 hair >>> Veronica's hair in seasons 2-4. I loved the side part and I am glad it's back in season 5, it looks so much better like that.

- Cheryl, as always, deserves better. Can't wait for her to meet Toni so I can watch again Cheryl finally get to love someone and be loved back, which is exactly what she deserves.

For now, that is all! I will probably make another post soon when i'm done with season one and from season two on I will be live-blogging the episodes since I will be watching it alone. Once again, pls, no hate, my thoughts are my thoughts. Peace.

[ghosttrolls]

Take this as an opportunity to talk about what makes you happy pls! ^^

I really like to make stuff! I've talked about it here and there before but I'm kind of always working on something. Whether it be writing "Can You Adopt a Ghost?", making fan comics, or trying to reinvest my time into Trollhunters, I've got something up my sleeve most of the time.

And that's just fandom stuff. Like, I paint - acrylic, oil, watercolor. My apartment is covered in art that I've made - drawn with sharpies, made with charcoal, I have this huge drawing I made with oil pastels... sketches made with graphite, studies done in crayon, I've tried almost every medium at some point. I collect comics and graphic novels, and I'm working with a writer on creating my own, and I just love the idea of visual storytelling and getting to tell my own someday.

I love music and making playlists, and I'm so glad Spotify has the discover weekly feature because it's kind of hard for me to discover new music that fits my tastes on my own. My liked playlist is nearing 2,000 songs long, and yes, I have them all downloaded. When I build playlists I only go off of songs I know, so they're all from my liked playlist... I have an interesting system, I guess. I've shared one of my playlists here but it didn't get any traction. Maybe I should just share more?

I make little animals out of tiny tiny beads, mostly lizards, just for fun, and I give them out as gifts. I know at one point I tried to sell them but that was never the reason I made them anyway. I just like doing it.

I also play video games - I'm no gamer god, very average and often poor - but I do it often, because I find it fun. I play breath of the wild a lot. Yesterday I played mariokart for the first time since I moved into my apartment... and I still got first place every time. 😎 I also have PC games like fallout and hades and some other stuff, but I honestly play on the switch more often right now.

I like to cook, too... but it's been too hot and I've been too tired to really make much stuff lately. It was SUPERHOT just over a week ago and it was actually dangerous to turn on the oven or stove... but one of my favorite quick things to make is veggies roasted in the oven. Chop them up, cover them in olive oil and garlic pepper and salt, and toss them in a 425 oven for 20 minutes (or until the edges look slightly burned). Perfection every time. Throw in some sausage or something for protein if you want.

And finally, I love to watch cool and fun movies and TV shows! I could try to list my favorites but I'd be thinking for half an hour and end up with 30+ titles, so I'll just say: if it's animated I probably enjoyed it. I love to rewatch things often, because certain stories just scratch that itch - and somehow for me, knowing how it'll end doesn't ruin the fun. Because of this I have all the dialogue from the Incredibles memorized, and I associate Mr Blue Sky with Megamind exclusively, and I forget that in the original Little Mermaid movie Flounder was also a kid, and not a father of 10. You can ask me about any of that if you want. Honestly ask me about anything animated and I'll probably have an opinion to talk about.... I watch so much stuff.

Anyway. Suffice to say there's a lot of things I just really enjoy doing. I'm happiest when I'm doing something that I get to decide on, it's just nice. I'm never bored at home because I fill my life with stuff to do on purpose. It's pretty good that way :)

[woo-do-hwan]

The June Review

Dramas & Films I watched in June

The Romance of Tiger and Rose (2020) [9.5 out of 10]

I finally watched this so I could stop avoiding spoilers and tbh it did not disappoint. I finished this in about 2 days and I honestly don’t know what to do with myself now. I might have to start calling Lu Si the comedy queen because of the one heck of the performance she put on. I also loved the chemistry between the leads and by ep 10, it was so obvious the male lead was so in love with her, my heart just burst for them. The couple also reminded me of Donghua & Fengjiu in some instances bc Han Shuo is whipped for his woman just like Donghua is. Anyway... I might have to go rewatch this bc I feel empty inside now. 

My Dear Lady (2020) [6.5 out of 10]

I watched this curiously because of the summary but it seems most of the plot happened towards the end of the drama and by the end it felt rushed. I also got bored often watching most of this but the acting was still good. 

Kore Wa Keihi de Ochimasen! (2019) [8.5 out of 10]

I do truly enjoy watching some jdramas bc they’re just 10 episodes with no exaggerated or lengthy plot line and this was exactly it. It also had the subtle romance plot which doesn’t take the majority of the 10 eps which I quite enjoyed. And pretty much each ep came with a different story which I also loved with odd exception of the romance plot and the two last episodes. 

Kleun Cheewit (2017) [7.5 out of 10]

This isn’t my first lakorn and it certainly won’t be my last either. The chemistry between the two leads were amazing. I’m not sure what else to say... felt like they dragged out some parts and some things were a little so-so but good drama. 

Mystic Pop Up Bar (2020) [9.0 out of 10]

This is probably one of the best dramas I’ve watched this year, at first I wasn’t planning on watching it but I decided to give it a try and little did I know, I was going to be hooked two episodes in. I did mostly watch it for the back story (with the young actors) and I hope when they’re older they might consider doing another drama together. But I’m a sucker for tragedy & angst which I also try to avoid most of the time going into dramas (this is a very odd combo). The plot was great. A great drama, and I notice this also applies to books, when the audience guesses and already knows of the plot twists before they are revealed. It’s quite satisfying when all the pieces fall into place and that is exactly what happened. Mystic Pop Up Bar also kept it light-hearted bc you needed the humour after watching some of the angsty scenes, phew. 

Someday or One Day (2019) [8.5 out of 10]

I guess you could say this is a murder mystery for most of the episodes. The twist and turns are quite unexpected and I quite enjoyed watching. Greg Hsu could have my heart any day of the week. (this list is getting longer and longer with each passing day)

Want More 19 (2018) [7.0 out of 10]

A short web drama. I mean... the main reason I was here was for Day6′s OST ‘Chocolate’ It’s a great song. Also an amazing band. Again, it’s just a breather in between long-winded dramas. 

The Legend of White Snake (2019) [7.0 out of 10]

I know I said below another drama review that I had changed my ways and don’t skip through things now. Well... I skipped through this one mainly because I got fed up and bored, this consistently lasted through a whole chunk of eps. So I kind of skipped to the end... I didn’t miss much if I’m being honest and I wasn’t a fan of the ending. 

Tokyo Tarareba Musume (2017) [8.5 out of 10]

I went through a phase of watching dramas but regretted not paying enough attention to them the first time I watched them, either by skipping through the episode or just missing out episodes in general. Now that I’ve changed my ways and want to fully appreciate dramas, no matter how good or bad, I decided to rewatch this. There’s nothing better than watching Sakaguchi Kentaro be an angsty af man. Anyway, I enjoyed this very much. Jdramas have a lovely charm about them by not being too long and don’t drag out the storyline either. 

Good Casting (2020) [8.0 out of 10]

A better title for this show would be Chan Mi and her sidekicks... I wasn’t really a big fan of her character. She was literally everywhere & I think that’s where the plot falls... maybe I would have liked it more if we actually had a chance at seeing more of the other main characters. I think I was trying so hard to find a reason to like it but there wasn’t much to like about it. The premise of it sounded so appealing but again, it was just another drama that fell short. 

When My Love Blooms (2020) [7.5 out of 10]

Let’s be real here... I was watching this for Park Jinyoung & Jeon So Nee, I don’t know about you all. Honestly... I felt like Jinyoung & Jeon So Nee’s storyline would have worked well in a standalone drama. That would be quite interesting to see. Anyway, great chemistry between those two as well. I can’t say much for the present day storyline, easiest way to put it, I didn’t like it. But I suppose it’s what I get for a melodrama with the added extra drama tag. (Note to self, stop watching melodramas) 

My Woofy Poofy Love (2018) [8.0 out of 10]

It’s quite refreshing to watch short web dramas like this in between heavy dramas. You are angst free while watching fluffy web dramas. This was pure sweetness and very uplifting to watch, especially because I’ve been watching some heavy dramas recently. 

Where Your Eyes Linger (2020) [10 out of 10] (BL)

I’ve never given out a 10 before, they’re rare, extremely rare. Perfect actors, perfect length of episodes, perfect storyline. I loved it. I loved the way it reeled you in the first couple of episodes, with the fluff and the humour, then it eased you in and gave you a taste of the angst to come before completely ripping your heart out. And they gave us a kiss! A KISS! It was one of the softest kisses ever. PLEASE GIVE US SEASON 2... Ahem. At the moment, it is one of the best dramas I have seen this year. (I’m going to have to compile a list at the end of year of the best dramas, aren’t I? There’s bound to be more than one, Mystic Pop Up Bar is heading for a Best Drama crown this year too) Anyway. Go watch it, it’s worth it. 

The King: Eternal Monarch (2020) [7.5 out of 10]

Okay, if you follow me, you’ll know I was watching this for Woo Do Hwan and also Kim Kyung Name (you might have not known that one) and the queen Kim Go Eun. I mean it’s definitely not the best drama I’ve seen all year, it’s only June, there’s plenty of time for another drama to come out and impress everyone. But with this one... there was nothing really keeping me there except those three. My interest did peak around the middle episodes but died down quickly after. I wasn’t in love with Kim Go Eun/Lee Min Ho pairing but that’s just me, certain episodes they clicked with me and others they didn’t. I wanted more out of that final ep but I don’t at the same time. I wanted to see more of everyone’s life instead of the brief snippets we got, not to be biased but I wanted more to see more of Jo Yeong. I guess you take what you can get... we were teased with so much, the excellent cast, the hype for it and having a well known writer behind it but having watched it, it was a big let down, for me at least. 

Born Again (2020) [7.0 out of 10]

For an overall mystery/crime/fantasy/melodrama drama (If we can call it that) it wasn’t that bad... if we exclude the horror of the romance plot. The writer glorified what Jang Ki Yong’s characters did and that was not okay, he clearly needed help. Main Female lead ended up with the wrong guy. Lee Soo Hyuk deserves better. The stylist and him need a raise for his outfits during the later episodes when his past self takes over his current body because hot damn he was pulling that off better than any other character I’ve seen in a suit. 

My Holo Love (2020) [8.0 out of 10]

I loved the beginning of the drama but my interest died down after the plot was revealed (an evil man wanting the AI)... but I did however love the last scene of the series, that was a nice way to end it. 

Novoland: The Castle In the Sky (2016) [7.5 out of 10]

I just struggled to get into the storyline, I’m not sure whether to go back and watch the “happy ending” (ep 29) because I was fine with how they ended things. 

Maybe, Maybe Not (2019) [8.0 out of 10]

This a web drama, sweet and short ^.^

Long Time No See (2017) (BL) [8.5 out of 10]

This is just a short little drama, I loved the chemistry between the leads and it was very action packed for the few episodes it had. 

Snow Flower (2019) [Movie] [7.0 out of 10]

There is just something about Japanese movies... and sometimes dramas. It’s hard to explain, where they can be the most melancholic and beautifully filmed thing. It’s the odd feeling I get when I’m drinking coffee and it’s raining outside and I’m just overwhelmed and feeling nostalgic. Have you ever watched a film where you thought it was good, not extremely good, just good and not really have any qualms with it. This was the movie. Setting itself to be a sad movie with it’s summary surrounding terminal illness, but it’s hardly reflected upon. It focuses more on the romantic side of things which I didn’t mind. If you’ve got 2 hours to kill then it might be worth the watch.

Secretly, Greatly (2013) [Movie] [8.0 out of 10]

Worth a watch. It’s a good spy action movie with the comedy elements added into it as well. 

[samclownchester]

Supernatural Rewatch 04x14

Sex and Violence

(Next Episode | Masterlist | Previous Episode)

Ah yes, the Siren episode where Dean has a male Siren :0 surely this is proof that he is attracted to men!?!!?

*deep sigh*

Listen, I think Dean is bisexual, I really do, however I hate when people point to this episode as proof of that because it is clearly doing something very different, and subversive in its own way. If you see him as being sexually attracted to Nick then … I mean, I guess. Whatever. Everyone has their own interpretations. But Sirens are not necessarily sexual beings, that’s what they’ve been painted as by a lot of media, but they are just supposed to lure you in with your greatest desire. What this episode tells us is that, as much as Dean likes sex, it’s not his greatest desire. Or, on another level, romantic love is not as important to him as platonic love is.

The idea this episode plays with is that the most important person in the world to you doesn’t need to be a romantic/sexual partner, which I think is GROUNDBREAKING.

It establishes early on in the episode that the siren doesn’t differentiate between different kinds of devotion. The one guy’s mom wasn’t a romantic threat to the Siren, but she was the most important person in that guy’s life, and so she became the Siren’s target.

“But Ray,” you say “the siren didn’t try to give that guy a new mother figure. It was still establishing a romantic/sexual connection with him! So why would it try to imitate the brotherly bond with Sam instead of just drawing Dean in with sex/romance?”

And the answer is: because Dean wouldn’t have responded to that. The guy who killed his mom surely loved his mom, but he probably still had a desire for romantic connection, hoping to get married and have his own family someday or something like that. I don’t think Dean has that. Sure, he wanted Cassie to understand him, and he has dreams of settling down with Lisa and Ben (and I’m not saying he has no romantic attraction to those women but you can also attribute that to amatonormativity) but at the end of the day what matters to Dean is connections that parallel his relationships with his father and his brother.

SAM You poisoned him.

MUNROE No. I gave him what he needed. And it wasn't some bitch in a G-string. It was you. A little brother that looked up to him, that he could trust. And now he loves me. He'd do anything for me. And I gotta tell you, Sam, that kind of devotion? I mean, watching someone kill for you? It's the best feeling in the world.

The Siren makes it clear that what it wants from its victims is not romance or sex, it’s devotion. It wants people to kill for it. That’s what it considers “love.” It saw that Dean was more likely to kill out of a brotherly devotion rather than a romantic connection, so that was the angle it went for with him. Dean would never prioritize a romantic relationship over his brother, he just wouldn’t.

And the thing about Nick is that … he’s not a carbon copy of Sam, instead he is everything Sam has never been, accentuating the things Dean wants that Sam lacks. He bonds with Dean over cars and music, two things that Sam has never really had an interest in, and, crucially, he doesn’t push for Dean to explain himself; he easily trusts his plan, and we know Sam has always pushed to understand the why behind everything they do.

DEAN It's kinda hard to explain, but I have my reasons and they're good ones, so you're just gunna have to trust me on 'em.

MUNROE Yeah. OK. I guess.

DEAN Thank you. That's actually nice to hear.

And, especially because Dean has already been feeling distrustful toward Sam, he falls for it.

This reminds me of in 3x01 when Dean is cornered by Lust, one of the seven deadly sins, and she isn’t able to have any affect on him. Like, we all know that Dean likes sex, but when it comes down to it, when he faces monsters who literally prey on people based on their sexual desires ... it doesn’t work on him. Lust got her head dunked in holy water and the Siren had to find a work around. 

The Sam/Cara subplot is obviously supposed to be a red herring, to make us think we know who the Siren is, but is also tells us a couple of interesting things about Sam and how his attitude toward relationships has changed.

First of all, we know he’s back in contact with Ruby, but we can also assume that after 4x04 they had some sort of break-up and we don’t know what their dynamic is currently like. There is also the possibility that they’re not/never were exclusive but given how monogamous Sam is I find that hard to believe. But who knows? That being said, he doesn’t seem to have any qualms about having a one-night stand with Cara.

DEAN You gonna say goodbye to Cara?

SAM Nah, not interested.

DEAN Really? Why not?

SAM What's the point?

DEAN Well, look at you. Love 'em and leave 'em.

Remember in season 3 when Sam said that he was going to become more like Dean? Remember last episode when Sam said he needed to “grow up”?

So, what I think is going on here is that Sam thinks he’s setting aside his kinda “childish” desire for relationships to last. Obviously, this isn’t actually a childish thing to want, but our society kinda paints one-night stands as like … I don’t know a masculine and mature thing to do? And Sam feels like he needs to become this … tough, masculine, unsentimental person. (You know, go against that gentle nature of his).  (also the demon blood is affecting him.) Additionally, this ties in to the idea that building connections isn’t worth it in their life. It’s something he pushed back against in Season 1, but Sam has started to learn that making any kind of relationship last is basically impossible in their lives, and he has stopped trying.

Now, the only reason the Siren had any luck turning the brothers on each other was that there were already issues arising between them.

Dean’s issues with Sam

Dean covertly finds out that Sam has been calling Ruby and lying to him about it. He pretends to have not heard Sam’s phone call and gives him an opportunity to just tell him who he was calling, but instead Sam lies, and Dean hates being lied to.

DEAN Well, I don't know when it happened. Maybe when I was in hell. Maybe when I was staring right at you. But the Sam I knew, he's gone. … And it's not the demon blood or the psychic crap. It's the little stuff. The lies. The secrets.

As a type 8, betrayal is a very difficult thing for him, and he responds pretty extremely. But it’s not just the betrayal, he also feels like his little brother has fundamentally changed. And he’s … not wrong? Sam is changing, he is a very different person than the faithful, sentimental, nerd that we met in season 1. Dean is scared of those changes.

Sam’s Issues with Dean

Sam has always hated being controlled. He didn’t like being ordered around by John and now he has Dean breathing down his neck and disapproving of everything he does.

SAM So I need your say-so to make a phone call?

I do understand why Dean is angry that Sam is hiding from him that he is talking to Ruby, but also Dean has a tendency to hate the idea of Sam having a life outside of the two of them and that’s not cool. I’ll probably talk more about this later. 

SAM OK, fine. You know why I didn't tell you about Ruby, and how we're hunting down Lilith? Because you're too weak to go after her, Dean. You're holding me back. I'm a better hunter than you are. Stronger, smarter. I can take out demons you're too scared to go near. … You're too busy sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. Whining about all the souls you tortured in hell. Boo hoo. … You're not standing in my way anymore.

Hey, remember in Season 3 when Dean said “you’re stronger than I am” to Sam? Remember how I said that was gonna come back later?

Obviously later in the episode Sam claims this was just the Siren talking but ... we all know this was coming from somewhere. But it’s something Sam, in his normal state, would never say. (Like, taking that dig at Dean for his guilt about Hell?? Man, that’s cold.) But on some level it’s things Sam really believes. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was something Ruby had told him though … But anyway, this episode shows us that, somewhere inside Sam considers Dean a burden, and feels like he’d be more successful without him. This obviously doesn’t outweigh the love that Sam has for Dean, but especially at this point in his journey, when he’s all messed up by Ruby and Demon Blood, they’re thoughts he’s been entertaining.

W*nc*st shippers DO NOT interact

[marshmallowgoop]

Kill la Kill the Game: IF: “Quick” Ending Thoughts

I’ve been thinking about Kill la Kill's OVA because I finally finished IF. I've definitely wondered if the game's story would mess me up as badly as that extra episode did. 

Dramatic, but the OVA really put me in such a funk when it dropped. Thoughts of rewatching it turn my stomach. 

But in the end, while I do have gripes with the game's story mode, it ultimately doesn't make me feel sick like the OVA does. I'll write my in-depth thoughts eventually (maybe after eight months again), but tl;dr, the game does what the OVA doesn't: it respects Senketsu as a character.

And since my own investment in the anime overwhelmingly stems from Ryuko and Senketsu's partnership and camaraderie, for me, personally, the game's simple choice to honor that Senketsu is a person is... meaningful. It's what I wanted from the OVA.

I'll save most of my blathering for that future blog post, but I do want to highlight some of my favorite moments from Ryuko's final two IF episodes because it's fresh in my mind, and, well... I just want to gush for a bit. Major spoilers for the game to follow.

✄ First, I think it's hard to capture Mako's "Hallelujah!"s in a 3D format, but these lines are cute:

Mako: I bet Lady Satsuki just wanted some friends, too! And now, she’s got a whooooole buncha naked friends!

I've said similar things before, but I love how Mako doesn't hesitate to see Satsuki⁠—who is so often treated as greater than human—as an ordinary girl who just wants friends.

✄ But more to my main motivation for this post, Ryuko and Senketsu's interactions are the real fanservice of Kill la Kill. (For me, anyway!)

Senketsu: What do you mean? What edge?

Ryuko: Senketsu... I got a batshit-crazy idea.

Senketsu: Don’t you always?

Ryuko: You know it! Anyway, do you think you can do what it’s doing?

Senketsu may worry (and who wouldn't for this girl?), but he also admires Ryuko's creativity and ingenuity, and it's so precious.

✄ I really don't have a lot of constructive things to say about their moments together. Ryuko and Senketsu are just absolutely adorable in these final episodes.

Ryuko: There’s nothing the Primordial Life Fiber can do that you and me can’t. Nothing.

✄ Babies. 10/10/ A+.

Senketsu: Reckless is our middle name!

Ryuko: Damn right!

✄ Seeing Ryuko smile in Senketsu-Kisaragi is such a joy, too. That didn't really get to happen in the anime.

Ryuko: I guess this future can happen, too!

✄ And while I do get a kick out of "more comfier," Ryuko talking about how good Senketsu-Kisaragi feels makes my heart melt.

Ryuko: This is... Senketsu-Kisaragi... It feels way warmer and more comfier than usual. I feel unbeatable!

Did I lose way too many Bloody Valors and go for this line more than I should have purely because it's sweeter than sugar? Yes, yes I did.

✄ They remind me of a butterfly, especially from a distance. That Senketsu's teeth come to resemble wings makes me so emotional. Their good communication allows them to soar, or they're both emerging from their chrysalis, flying out into the world....

Idk symbolism, but I love.

✄ IF excels in the details. Subtly emphasizing Ryuko and Senketsu's growing bond, Senketsu speaks more when playing dual-wield Ryuko, and his sp.C complaint that Ryuko's making him dizzy changes to support. With Kisaragi, for the first time, Senketsu has something to say for each super.

Ryuko: Let’s go all out!

Senketsu: I’m ready!

Ryuko: Let’s fly, Senketsu!

Senketsu: Right, let’s step on it!

✄ Senketsu also speaks in Kisaragi—also for the first time—during normal battle. I caught the lines, "Don't bite your tongue!," "I'm starting to sweat!," and "Leave it to me!" 

Senketsu telling Ryuko not to hold back with “Don’t bite your tongue!�� might be my fave, but the lines all highlight how their teamwork has grown.

✄ I'm really bad at RPS, so I lost this final battle, um... a few times, let's say. But one thing that got me is that even when fallen over, Ryuko and Senketsu would still float. Not even a KO can bring them down!

✄ On that note, I'm sure I'm the only one who finds this amusing, but that Ryuko casually floats along in Senketsu-Kisaragi just 'cause she can makes me smile, especially considering her angry stomp-stomps only moments before. They flyin' now.

✄ That Ryuko seems so offended that Houka would say Junketsu-Shinzui is stronger than Senketsu gets to me, too.

Houka: It’s [Junketsu-Shinzui’s] way more powerful than your Senketsu.

Ryuko: Do I look like I give a damn?!

✄ But back to the battle, of the three options that can trigger the SEN-I-SOSHITSU, these lines are unquestionably my favorites:

Ryuko: If I get to be like this someday, then I’m all for it. But first things first! I gotta get back to reality and make sure I get it!

Just Kill la Kill me with cute, why don't you?

✄ "Ryuko! I can feel your blood surging!" is a line that sounds like it shouldn't be adorable, but it is so adorable. They are adorable.

Senketsu: Ryuko! I can feel your blood surging!

Ryuko: We got a lot riding on this. We can’t lose this one!

✄ This makes me feel so many things.

Ryuko: Hey... Senketsu? When this world disappears... what’ll happen to us?

✄ Kill la Kill makes me feel so many things. It's weird to have finally played to the end of IF after all this time. It's weird that there's no content waiting for me anymore. 

The game got mixed reception, but if this is it for the IP, I'm good. Unsure, but hopeful. That's a nice end.

Ryuko: Oh.

✄ tl;dr, I'm sure this is an unpopular opinion, but to me, the story of the Kill la Kill game is a more satisfying send-off for the series than the OVA.