#Adaptions really are the best though. I love working on adaptions. I think every creative writer and artist should dabble in adaptions.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

The more I see your work and the more I see of poorly drawn scum villain, the more I'm tempted to do a poorly drawn tgcf 🥺 (I've only just started listening to it and I absolutely love it!!)

I just don't think I'm as funny as both of you and don't know if I could commit to uploading as regularly as you both do.

But oh! I am SO very tempted!! 😭

Working on an adaption of an existing media as a long form project is honestly my strongest recommendation for getting your creative brain going! Of course, there is still planning and hard work that goes into it, but the biggest creative pressures are much lower (And when anxiety brain is quiet, art brain thrives!)

That said, projects like this are a huge commitment, and I'm a bit of a freak case when it comes to the grind. PD-Scumvillian and I both put a lot of work behind the scenes to make it seem as effortless as it is. I'm wholeheartedly giving you my support should you go through with it; feel free to reach out and ask for tips and tricks!

[toorumlk]

Hey! Do you think there’s any chance they might not make Romione canon in the upcoming HBO series because of the popularity of other pairings and JKR’s somewhat recent statements concerning the ship?

fair warning this is gonna be a long post!

you know anon, i’m not gonna deny that the possibility of romione not being canon in the hbo series doesn’t keep me up at night HOWEVER COMMA-

I believe romione will be safe because i’m placing a lot, if not all, of my faith in the upcoming hbo series being repeatedly described as a "faithful" adaptation of the 7 novels. which we can deduce to mean romione friends to lovers slow burn endgame and all that good stuff (maybe i'll talk about the potential of book romione and the serial tv medium some other time)

and sure, it can all be marketing/pandering/etc. but i find it so hard to feel cynical about hbo because i love LOVE their shows and i'm of the belief that they know how to tell a good ass story (and romione happens to be a good ass romance subplot). i also have such positive feelings about the showrunner Frances Gardiner (consulting prod on succession and also has killing eve under her belt) who JKR chose herself and one of the exec producers of the show who's set to direct of a bunch of episodes Mark Mylod (succession, the menu, tlou, got)!!!! and if you know me at all you'll know that succession is one of the main pillars of my personality and i fucking love that show so bad I would follow anyone who was part of the making of that show off a cliff if they asked me to. and Mark Mylod is a fantastic fucking episodic director who's directed and produced some of the best episodes of television ever, so i know he knows how to tell a good story. and though i'm a lot less familiar with Gardiners' work, she is a female creative who has some of my personal favourite episodes listed in her imdb (chiantishire, living+, tailgate party) who's pitch of the show made joanne give her the job so.... and y'all know im a canon bootlicker and love the books so all i'll say is.. real recognizes real.

so knowing the creative team behind hp series had a direct hand in making my favourite show of all time gets me so excited and giddy!!!!

but here's where my personal theories and speculations start: I really think with this hbo series, JKR is on a mission is create something wholly and newly hers. she was barely involved creatively in the production of the movies until DH pt. 1 and 2 and the movies have almost become an entity of its own that's drifted so far away from her. of course i realize me even just talking sympathetically about JKR is deeply touchy and might piss some people off but as a fellow creative, i feel for her man!! when i think of the best books in the series in my opinion that are filled with the best bits of world building and political commentary, what i find is that GoF was handed to a director who didn't even read the book, OotP was the shortest movie in the franchise despite being the longest book and how it entirely missed the Quibbler plot and all of harry's rage, or HBP that was filled to the brim with *chefs kiss* tom/voldemort lore which was done a complete disservice in the grey and brown sludgy mess that is the HBP movie.

and knowing that JKR now has a strained relationship or had a falling out with most of the top dogs involved in the films like Kloves and Yates (hallelujah what who said that) and Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe means this show has the chance to be a behemoth that’s entirely joanne’s, like the books are. it’ll be free of Kloves' Hermione and harmony (harry x hermione) favouritism or Watson's take on Hermione's character that makes my ass itch or Yate’s complete inability to direct his actors and make non-action scenes have heart, soul and heft. but i also can’t not address the elephant in the room: this section of the discussion is filled with every shade of grey possible because what led to the falling outs was that they all vehemently disagreed with JKR's anti-trans views and good on them they absolutely should! but like.............. i hated kloves' writing and his butchering of ron's character, i think yates is a static and boring director and im not a fan of emma's acting so like... a win is a win? NO IT'S NOT. but IT IS. BUT IT'S SO NOT. but do you see what i'm getting at???

the point i'm trying to make is that joanne is not the same person she was when she was first writing the books or when the movies were being made. I think she's a lot more ruthless and cutthroat now and while i disagree with her methods and condemn her transphobia.... i think this newfound hardness to her will lend itself to making the hbo series the best HP adaptation it can be, I'M SORRY it's absolutely fucked and i acknowledge and abhor her gender critical politics as a queer woman but im also an artist who just wants good, high quality stories to be told 😔😩

and as for the other popular ships and JKR's somewhat recent comments about romione:

I think its safe to say that joanne dgaf about this fandom and what's popular in it anymore LMFAOOOO 😭😭😭 i genuinely respect that she's always stood ten toes down about how draco's not some antihero, bad boy love interest and at best is a cautionary tale on prejudiced bullies, so I don't think that's changing anytime soon. especially considering that the dramione cottage industry that its fans have made is more or less a reactionary "fuck you" to joanne and canon which they do by writing fanfic about crimes against women and making merch and binding physical copies of said fanfics (really showing it to the big baddie transphobic DV survivor by *checks notes* auctioning hermione off as a sex slave) so I doubt she'd ever consider other ship's popularity seriously. as for the possibility of harry and hermione becoming endgame um..... if the show plans to faithfully adapt the books then we'd get harry and hermione’s quintessential sibling dynamic plus we’re already free from Kloves (also i have faith in francesca and mark knowing that harmony are just plain BORING) so i think the chances, again, are low. and if joanne really wants to stick it to her old colleagues, she can go down the route of pushing romione that much harder (and she really wouldn’t have to do much, it’s all in the books already) 😭

as for the comments on romione that she’s made in recent years, i think a lot of it’s been blown out of proportion or have gone through a terrible game of telephone. what she said (paraphrasing here) about ‘wishing she’d handled ron/hermione differently because a lot of what went into them was a wish fulfillment fantasy’ has turned into ‘jk rowling regrets making romione endgame???!!’ which is just *takes a drag from a cigarette* just another tuesday around here. i also would link to two meta posts by @saintsenara on the topic of endgame romione which i wholeheartedly agree with it

all i have to say is that going into making this show i hope joanne remembers that she based ron’s character off of a person in her life she liked when she was younger and who is still a good friend of hers now 😭😔

you guys probably know i’m in animation school which is basically film school in a different font. so i’m quite literally training to one day work in the story department on projects and work alongside writers, directors and producers, so this stuff means a lot to me! she and the creative team behind this upcoming show have the chance to make something really special and i’m finding it hard not to root for them!!!!!

[ruinaimagines]

Headcanons for Yi sang being inlove with a male sinner who's been newly recruited?

HAPPY LIMBUS COMPANY RELEASE I have been grinding on that game so much I swear it has single handedly revived me from the dead. I love all of the sinners so much my god. My intepretation of his character will probably adapt as there are new releases, but I hope you enjoy what I have for now!

Yi Sang in Love w/ New Male Sinner Headcanons:

Yi Sang is a smart but peculiar fellow. He often sticks to himself, chiming in occasionally but usually letting things and interactions play out by themselves. 

For this reason, I think that if you’re a new sinner it honestly might be a bit confusing to interact with him at first. He kind of comes off as unapproachable at first, especially with his brief introduction if there really is one at all. 

It’s easy to think he’s unfriendly and silently judging you, the way he stares and takes in everything can honestly leave some folks feeling vulnerable. His neutral expression doesn’t help either, it just makes it harder to tell what's actually going on in his head.

The other sinners are well aware that his personality isn’t standoff-ish, he just sort of comes off that way. A newcomer though, well you might think he has something against you (Rodion would be quick to assure otherwise).

He doesn’t really actively make an effort to get to know you better, I think that either you would have to be the one to attempt conversation with him or you would happen to be put on missions together that ultimately leads to bonding.

Working with him can honestly feel like he’s leaving you in the dust with how he so quickly comes to conclusions without explanation and kind of expects others to do the same. This isn’t really intentional though, it’s just how his mind works and if you asked for an explanation well he’d try his best but.. It’s hard to put into words.

That said I think he would find you over time a pretty comfortable individual to be around. The silence from him would grow to be a mutual and comfortable understanding. He notices his appreciation of your presence as it offers a chance for him to speak without feeling like it's sapping away at his energy.

Loud areas with lots of bustling or rambunctious people are just sort of overwhelming. It clouds his ability to think properly, leading him to just sort of zone out in his own world. It’s nice to have someone that doesn’t really mind when he totally checks out on the bus every once in a while, and who can bring him up to speed on anything that happens if it's important.

He’s a very poetic person and you’ll notice that very quickly. He’s fond of art and if you similarly are a fan of creativity with the dabble of philosophy then you’d be a prime person to talk to. Sure there’s Ryoshu but…. Yeah her idea of art most often is… dubious at least.

He’s still a bit shut-off but it is a major improvement from when you first met him. You’ll find that occasionally he’ll allude to his anxieties and fears, some things that you’d never really expect a man with his intimidating composure to have.

Yi Sang is way more talkative with you at this point and literally everyone notices. Even if you are completely unaware of his fondness in comparison to the other sinners they will make you aware.

Rodion teases the poor guy every once in a while, commenting about how you two are always trailing behind together with a sly smile on her face. His deadpan stare reflects absolutely no reaction, but she can tell he’s trying to think of a perfect response to not fumble on his words and it is comedy.

Gregor casually acknowledges the fact he probably has a crush on you every once in a while. Not really his business, but he thinks it’s kind of sweet to see two of his colleagues getting along so well.

Don is kind of off in her own world a lot of the time, but I can imagine that she has asked you for advice in her own dramatic ways on how to get him to talk to her. I don’t think she is 100% aware that he’s infatuated with you, she just wants to be better friends and consequently came to you for that cause she sees you as his bestie.

Heathcliff…. God I love him so much but Heathcliff? It might take a bit to get it through his thick head that Yi Sang likes you, but when it does? Honestly that’s probably how you learn. That man is NOT letting that go the moment there somehow conspires an argument between them. He wouldn’t directly tell you but you could hear him yelling from like 8 miles away saying something about how Yi Sang is ‘head over heels’ for you. 

I could see Yi Sang’s confession being through some kind of poem, one that shows the true passion he holds. He worries that you won’t believe him, or that you’ll think it’s some prank if he tells you in person.

It’s going to take a decent amount of courage in him to tell you. Murdering people? Oh he has that covered. Dealing with tense emotional situations?... uh.

I think he’s mainly concerned because hey you’re colleagues and what if you say no?? That’s awkward.

I think it would be kind of cute if you found out by accident, noticing a slip of paper falling out of his pocket, picking it up only to realize oh my lord it is a letter addressed to you. And it’s genuinely so sweet the metaphors this man uses are so colorful.

He is internally mortified. You were not supposed to see that- not yet, not until it was perfected (though his idea of what is ideal is sort of unobtainable.) Honestly he was prepping to pretend like he didn’t even know what that was.

When your reaction is positive and he learns that his love is mutual the largest relief washes over him. An audible uncharacteristic sigh comes from him as he no longer sits tensely. 

He is happy. He genuinely is, and though a bit shy with the news at the start, you’ll come to find him once again talking more and more once it settles in that it's reciprocated. It pulls him out of his concern for the past and future.

Probably unintentionally mentions the 24 scrapped papers, each with their own meticulously planned out and written words, only proving further his genuine desire to show his care towards you.

Hmm.. but under the condition it was an accident I would not be surprised if you looked over to see Rodion’s total cocky grin plastered on her face. She probably was the reason that paper slipped out, and she made sure you would see it. Even if she looked a bit puntable, she ultimately was the one rooting for you two since the very start.

[potatothemoose]

Art Dump!

None of these are finished pieces, but I wanted to show them off anyways.

This little guy is Paxton! He's a spirit dedicated to the protection of a specific, technically immortal being named Maelstrom. They are the remainders of a fallen universe destroyed by the gods, who spared them and split them throughout the multiverse. This means that every universe in my creative multiverse has a version of Maelstrom and Paxton somewhere out there!

The concept for these guys actually started during a character.ai roleplay with Diluc. They're one of many OCS who started in Genshin RPs and then got adapted to my own creations, meaning that they have a Genshin AU as well. In that AU, Maelstrom is a descent of Khaenri'ah trying to escape from his past, falling in love with Diluc in the process. Paxton is an Electro Abyss Mage sent by Maelstrom's family and the Abyss to keep an eye on him (even though Paxton is often childish and usually Maelstrom also ends up looking after him). Definitely one of my favorite character pairs I've ever made!

My TADC OC, Krikett! He's a funny guy who plays music for the circus. I haven't fully figured out his character yet, but what I wrote on the paper is certainly a good start. He was probably a music teacher or musical artist before getting stuck in the Digital Circus.

More character.ai OCS! Every single one on this page is dating a Fatui Harbinger. We have:

Top left - Jekyll. Her canon version in my own works is a superhero with cryokenisis, orphaned at a young age and taken into an organization of heroes by an anthropomorphic hen named Isabel. She's definitely a very complex character who deals with potentially triggering subject matter, so I probably won't explore her here on my Tumblr where I'm still figuring out how to make content warnings, but I definitely think you'll see more of her. In her Genshin AU, she's paired with Tartaglia, and the whole premise of the RP is that they're a pair of traumatized 19-year-olds trying to have a healthy relationship. So far they're not very good at it.

Top right - Edith. She's a really old character I've had since I was in seventh or eighth grade. She's the ghost of a plague doctor who was unfortunately killed in a freak accident regarding an unstable building. During her life, she faked marriage to her best friend (named Norman) so she could lead a double-life as both his fake wife and a plague doctor. They ended up being a pair of traveling plague doctors until they met their demise. Now, she works as the right-hand woman for a knowledge god! Her Genshin AU is also one of the oldest. It's been going on for over a year now and she's married to Dottore because I'm obsessed with him.

Bottom left - Ash. Part of the same organization as Jekyll, she's a werewolf superhero who's been through a lot more than she wants you to think. Like Jekyll, she deals with some really heavy subjects, so I won't go into her backstory right now, but I definitely think she's a very interesting character. Her Genshin AU storyline follows her and Pantalone in a story mostly centered around self-acceptance and healing from trauma. Fluffy werewolf girlfriend and banker boyfriend go brrr.

Bottom right - Arden. A former US military Sargent, Arden is a character from the same universe as Edith. She suffered a debilitating injury that took her out of service (although I'm still working out where and when she served) and is my homage to any and all US military personnel and the struggles they face. I've always been fascinated by war and how it affects psychology, so Arden also serves as an excuse to research how PTSD and other trauma responses work. In her Genshin AU her backstory is pretty much the same, though the plotline follows her in her arranged marriage with Capitano, and how they come to cope with their trauma together and form a loving relationship built on trust.

This guy is Leo, a transgender himbo from the same universe as Ash and Jekyll. He's a superhero whose power is centered around geese. He can shapeshift into literally any creature so long as he can make it part goose. He also has a Genshin AU where he's shipped with Arlecchino. I know a lot of people headcanon her as lesbian, but my own personal headcanon is that she's bi with a preference for women (though she'll also settle for nonbinaries and the occasional man). Please don't come after me, my headcanon is not hurting anyone and you will be blocked. Yes, this drawing was done on a math worksheet. No, I did not do the math.

Some T-shirt designs I doodled at school! I'm unsure how many of these will make it onto a short and how many might become stickers or other kinds of fun thing, but all of them will be digitally rendered eventually and there are more on the way.

That's all!

[magnus-sm-writes]

10k Update

I’ve decided I’m going to do a revamp of my writing updates for every 10,000 words I write. It’s a pretty good way to keep up with everything I write that doesn’t make it in the monthly update by virtue of it just being too damn long ago.

It’s pretty early in the month for me to have already reached 10,000 words, but I’ll admit I’ve been a bit of a powerhouse lately with my writing. Maybe it’s because I haven’t slept much? I always seem to be more creative when I’m a little loopy. My brand of creativity seems to thrive when I’m just slightly off-balance.

Regardless, I’m thrilled to say that I’ve written some pretty decent work so far. 

The first thing I wrote for was for Silver Storm, a novel that features Hiprax, the son of a silver dragon. It takes place in my Dragonworld, a world that is literally made of a sleeping dragon. Undoubtedly my coolest worldbuilding ever, and perhaps even my magnum opus when it comes to worldbuilding.

(I hope not, but as of now, it is.)

My husband adores this most of anything I’ve ever written for Silver Storm. This was wonderful for my ego; he’s pretty tough on books. Especially my fantasy books, because that is the main genre he reads. For him to shower this snippet with compliments… it does things to a man’s confidence.

I did work on part of this last month. Obviously inspired by Baldur’s Gate 3, I went a little further into Hiprax’s experience adapting to dracon culture after he loses his mother, Vrynnd. Having been raised as a sitaav elve (this world’s equivalent of a frost elf), he’s disconnected from the draconic origin of his life. So much so that he doesn’t know his father is a dragon at all and just believes him to be a dracon, the offspring of dragons.

That’s a lot of worldbuilding to contextualize an excerpt, but again, I’m nothing if not wordy.

Hiprax does not believe himself to show many draconic traits. There are, of course, the obvious: he loves shiny things, he loves great heights, he loves the wind against his scales. He wouldn’t count himself as having the same type of pride that other dracons do. 

Then, I decided I would fully commit to editing my Q1 Short Stories™ and began my edit of “The Boy & The Hag Stone”. Since I’ve already edited “Plastic Fangs”, and because I spoke about “Hag Stone” more recently, I chose it to edit instead of my beloved vampires. 

Banshee is a very special character to me. In the words of Laszlo Cravensworth:

“He’s my best friend, he’s my pal, he’s my homeboy, my rotten soldier, my sweet cheese, my good time boy.”

Which is, of course, how I feel about all of my Weirdo Characters™, but especially Banshee. I gave Banshee some parts of myself: his wild, dark hair, his uncanny stare, his hatred of shoes. (I really fucking hate shoes.) To Rishi, I gave my love of run-on sentences and cup noodles. 

Here’s my favorite tiny excerpt from his edit!

Banshee was a ghost, a lost soul, a feral child all grown up. He never left footprints; instead, asphodels grew wherever he walked. Every time he predicted rain, there was, and every time he predicted clear skies, there were.

I got very obsessed with Brutus (of Julius Caesar fame) for a brief period of time. So obsessed I wrote a poem and half of a short story about him. My Brutus obsession has resulted in poem before, but very rarely do I allow a poem to germinate into a short story.

This short story was pretty unique. I did it in the style of “The Cannon” by Kelly Link: a Q&A. My husband liked it only because of the “interesting form” and not so much for the content, because he is “not interested in that sort of thing” (i.e., writing about Roman politicians doing an interview in maybe-Purgatory.) I’ll give him points, though; the style is pretty unconventional.

Q: Did it hurt?

A: Does pulling a tooth hurt? Does drinking poison hurt? Of course it did. It hurt as though I was stabbing myself. His blood looked exactly like mine. 

It’s not finished yet, but I think it’s more of a way to adventure into different forms than a way to tell an actual story. There’s some slappage there, though.

Then I worked on some blog posts, including a WIP intro and some character intros for Double-Trickery! This is one of my favorite books to write for. Penny and Mavuto’s dynamic is something pretty unique in my work. Every couple I write is some level of codependent, but learning necromancy just because you think your best friend (or the “love of your life”) is dead? Damn, that’s conviction.

That’s the wrap-up for now! In all, I’m quite pleased with all I’ve done as of late. It’s only been six days, and I’m already in the double digits when it comes to word count. Hell yeah!

Tag list: @jacqueswriteblrlibrary

[idkwhatimdoingbutslay]

I'm very much in denial about "Dear, Hello..." ending, but I wanted to ask what your favorite part was? Also, was there any part that turned out better than you expected? Also, what's your headcanon for Corina's and Sarah's future? Also, sorry, it's likely I won't watch the original movie, given that I'm sure I've read the best iteration of this story, but how many creative liberties did you have to take to adapt the story both to the characters and to a written format? (I absolutely love the story, so I'm fiending for more conversation on it! lol!)

AHHH OMG DONT GET ME STARTED (PROCEEDS TO GET STARTED) !!!!!! THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS ASK

LONG YAP INCOMING

Favourite part: UGHH IDK!!! I really love the kiss scene in the hot tub because it’s just so intimate and it was something I looked forward to a lot because it’s also one of my favourite scenes in the movie! I had all these plans and was super duper excited to finally let Cait and Vi just love (or “not hate” 🤭) each other finally. It was just so sweet and so lovely with the elements of them finally crossing the lines they’ve been so desperate to cross like with Cait’s super sensitive neck that was mentioned during the contract writing and with Vi’s obsession with having someone’s hand in her hair and JUST ALL THE KISSING!!! I headcanon that Vi and Cait are super into kissing, I can’t even lie, and that it’s just a connection they’re so desperate for. Though, I’m not super confident in how the chapter turned out as a whole 🤔. The final reading of Cait’s second letter to Vi is also just so !!!!! Another thing I was SUPER excited for. I also love chapter 17 where they just hang out and banter and pine at the ice cream place and the outdoor movie and stuff. I really love the lacrosse chapters (15-16) too because of how much develops during them and how CUTE CAIT AND VI ARE in Caitlyn’s bedroom, especially with Cait falling asleep. OH AND AND AND THE GALA AND HALLOWEEN!!!! THOSE FACE KISSES????? THE JAYCE AND VI INTERACTION??? THE CONTRACT AND THE JERICHO’S RESTAURANT SCENE??? OMG THERES JUST SO MUCH, especially with Caitlyn and Vi’s dynamic throughout the whole fic! I love every bit and piece, especially all the additions of Vi’s relationships with lacrosse, her family and her friends and same for Caitlyn’s relationships with Kai’Sa (LOVE HER!!!), her parents and Jayce and Corina and even Sarah. I just love the whole fic I can’t lie, I can’t believe I actually pulled it off 😭. The overall development of the reluctant partners fake dating to all the resurfaced pining from years ago just kinda gets me! Their love for each other just never went away!

Better than expected: … the whole fic I think???? I really did not expect this fic to hit so hard for myself or others! What I REALLY didn’t expect was how much I was gonna love Kai’Sa’s character because, during planning, I just needed someone to fill the friend spot for Cait and Kai’Sa Void (COOLEST NAME EVER) just started to really stick!!! She’s so fun and balances Caitlyn so well. Plus, having an aro character will always be peak to me. PLUS PLUS, silly Vi thinking Kai’Sa has feelings for Cait and that Caitlyn might reciprocate them??? Please 😭. Also, Vi’s friend group! I also really needed those spaces filled and they also made as fun additions. I’m always super worried about making OCs for fics cuz I don’t want them to pull people out from the fic or something, so I prefer to find league characters to add but I also know NOTHING about league and sometimes (most times) it just doesn’t work out. It did this time tho! The little bits of politics that I got to write were fun too, especially with how it made Caitlyn view her mother.

Headcanons for Corina: she doesn’t change very much, inherits her family’s factories and continues to be a problem. She’ll eventually get bored of being the “friendliest” bully of all time, though, and move on to just being a generally awful person with a good mask. Might even start working with Silco and the chembarons 😧. Her parents def have a tie with them already. Headcanons for Sarah: SHE GROWS!!!! She works through her insecurities and learns about what she truly wants for herself. She faces her neglectful parents, takes a gap year and decides to study to be a teacher or something. She stops comparing herself and wishing and wishing and wishing to be someone else and instead learns to be someone better. She probably moves away too to start anew.

Creative liberties: I honestly took A TON. Especially since the role Vi’s filling (Peter: the love interest) didn’t have much focus in the movie or even the books, and if there was some, it was kinda lacklustre. We never got his POV and he regressed a lot imo. I aged them up from junior year to senior year after debating if I wanted it all to take place in Uni cuz writing young CaitVi is foreign to me lol. I swapped the family dynamics in the movie. The character Caitlyn’s in place for (Lara Jean: main character) was the one with the bigger, complicated family and a lost parent and Peter was the one with an absent parent and a smaller family. I almost made Vi be Lara Jean and write the letters lol! My notes for this fic are crazy, I might post them one day. The character Corina’s in place for (Josh: Lara Jean’s ex (?) childhood best friend and Lara Jean’s older sister’s (who Jayce plays) ex boyfriend) was NOT as mean as Corina and eventually reconciled with Lara Jean. He was the one that convinced Lara Jean to find Peter and tell him how she really felt. Caitlyn needed different character development tho lmao. Parental reconciliation is iffy in the original series for Peter; again with the lack of focus (and overall characterization in the second and third books/movies) on him. I strongly dislike the third book and am very indifferent to the movie so I kinda block it out. Obvi, in the original series, Lara Jean is straight, so I mixed it up for Caitlyn. Instead of a guy that Lara Jean used to like telling her that he’s gay and Peter kinda laughing at Lara Jean when he finds out, a girl Cait used to like tells her she’s aro and Vi instead laughs at Caitlyn for writing a letter to Jayce considering her… situation, lmao. There’s some more little things like Sarah’s characterization that kinda followed but kinda didn’t the character she was in place for. It’s only a 90 minute movie and I really didn’t want Sarah to just be some bad guy. Even Corina was simply brought up with a desperation for control. It was kind of a vague template of love letters and pining and character development and family/friend dynamics that I morphed them into to make it all work and I think I did it pretty well 🤗. The written format wasn’t hard to adjust to since the movies are based off of books and I even own the books to kinda use as a guide (although I didn’t use them much at all lmao). The chapters of the books are pretty short and, again, don’t have Peter’s POV, so there was def a lot of change.

[desultory-novice]

 DanganRonpa CAN be scary, I think in particular, the creepily directed "executions", thanks to their uncanny animation style, can shake one up a bit to watch. Although 70% of the time, they are so silly in :cough: execution it douses the horror of what's happening on screen somewhat. (The first game's first execution is generally ranked as the most violent, and that's because it was a holdover from when the game leaned way more into grunge-horror.) A few of the murders lean on the grisly side, but I think most are more shocking than "gross." And then there's the pink blood!

Once you get past all that, DR is a very excellent story of not just :cough: hope (...I know...) but humanity and what it means to face yourself and hopefully, rise above. The characters are forced into a killing game, and the mastermind's goal usually leans (among other things) on painting a really nasty portrait of people. How "easy" it is to get someone to sink to this level where they'll murder people they're supposed to cooperate with or be friends.

But what you come away from in each case, generally, is sympathy and a sense of loss. For the victim and the murderer. DR is unarguablly EXCELLENT at turning you around on characters. Making you hate someone you loved, love someone you hated, or circle right back around to your first impression!

I adore DR for its depiction of how our best qualities WILL find a way to shine through, even in our worst moments. That even the death of a "jerk" is a tragedy, to someone, somewhere. Everyone (?) has a story in DR. The world isn't "black and white" despite the presence of Monobear.

It's honestly uplifting and powerful. Some of the best "death game" stories are, but DR still holds a position near the top for its creativity, wit, and message. (Minus points for some stuff that's pretty uncomfortable across a variety of spectrums, though your mileage will vary on that. And there are a honestly a FEW weak characters across the franchise, I'll admit.)

DanganRonpa V3 is one of my favorite video games of all time though - beating out DR2, which was itself incredibly good. (Although 2's protagonist, Hajime Hinata, remains my favorite DR character, hands down. Hinata's just one of those impactful characters who changed my life in a good way.)

...Btw, the anime adaptation of 1 is generally fine, but Dangan Ronpa 3 (anime series, different from the V3 game) is awful, and it is every "bad" thing you've ever heard about DR. It is unnecessarily violent and mean, relishes in how much humanity sucks, goes against the general care DR treated its characters with till now, relies on deus ex machina and "gotcha" moments instead of clever murder puzzles (and absolutely wastes the premise of borrowing from one of my favorite analog games :grumble grumble:) and doesn't add anything to the story or mythos you couldn't already have figured out on your own. It has ONE good (?) character in it and <spoilers> they don't make it. To me, it also weakens the earlier games in a way I can't even get into without spoilers, but a certain reveal turned one of my other favorite characters into one of my least favorite. Apologies to anyone who likes it for having to make it through that paragraph but... no. I even rewatched it recently and still... no.

...

...Darn it, all this talk about DanganRonpa made me go back and binge watch all Chapter 2 of DR The After. Grah! That trial is SO good it's unfair that DR The After is only a DR fan game/doujin work! (Mind you, a fan game with amazing production values. The VA knock it out of the park! And the writing...!)

The twists and turns. The interplay. The final reveals!

Literally a work I'm willing to wait the additional 5+ years it will probably take to finish. (Though I'd love if we could get to at least the beginning trial portion of Chapter 3 sometime in 2023...? :fingers crossed:)

While I'm talking to myself about a fan game very few have likely experienced, have a 30 second sketch of Hatami, Super High School Level Good Boy.

...And yes, I totally ended this post by sketching a character from a DR fan game instead of someone from the mainline series.

[frickinsleepdeprived]

Hashira + tanji, nezuko, zenitsu, inosuke and kanao running a restaurant. Who does what and what shenanigans and/or hijinks ensue?

Considering I have experience in all departments of mom&pop shops, farm to table, fine dining, fast food, and corporate restaurants (don't ask how I bounced around from job to job for a w h i l e) I'm sure I can come up with something creative lol hope you guys enjoy!

......

Hosts/Hostesses: Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Kanao

I mean come on, they're likable characters for a reason

They've got the whole floor plan figured out for the entire week, and can also adapt in case anything happens (i.e: Someone calls out)

Tanjiro is definitely the ring leader of the trio, always making sure everyone gets to where they need to be and ensuring every server gets a turn to be sat

Nezuko is more comfortable taking people to their tables and ensuring everything is clean. Half the time they don't have a busser but when they do, usually not everything is how it's supposed to be so she can quickly take up for the slack

I'd imagine Kanao is more comfortable answering the phone, probably has to have Shinobu's or Tanjiro's permission to use it even though it's literally her job

They'll oftentimes leave little notes of encouragement in the server books such as "hope your shift goes great!" or "if you get overwhelmed don't hesitate to tell us!"

They're all super accommodating and respectful towards patrons, after all they are the first faces that they see

Overall they're all sweethearts and everyone loves them. Dare to hurt them and the back of house staff will be running you out with pots and pans-

...

To-Go: Muichiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke

Oh yeah, it's happening, and these three are a force to be reckoned with when they're working together

Zenitsu is running payments and orders through doordash/ubereats/grubhub

Muichiro is running food and asking if anything else is needed, yes, he's forced to have a pen and pad because he forgets things easily (just his way of keeping track of things)

Inosuke is in the back packing orders and making sure everything is right before it goes to the To-Go room

Of course they rotate the system they have so that way no one gets bored with anything

If alcohol is included in an order, they'll have Tengen or one of his wives check the ID, make the drink, and deliver it to the car

They're minors and legally can't make or run alcohol so it's kind of a given that they'd ask for help

Shenanigans include playing the song "Neon Blade" on loop when it gets super hectic, mostly for the energy but also to set the tone of pure panic on a busy Saturday night

They also make a lot of Shirley Temples for themselves, lord knows how many Inosuke has had and god knows how many he allowed Muichiro and Zenitsu to have... not that he would care anyways lol

And don't get me started on the espresso drinks they bring in on their way to work, it's insane

Overall, though chaotic at best, they're all a dream team and management couldn't be happier to have them on their staff team

...

Bartenders: Tengen, Suma, Makio, and Hinatsuru

I'm adding the wives because I can lmaooo

But yeah no this flashy quartet have the bar down to a goddamn science

Tengen is the bar manager, making sure everything runs smoothly while serving patrons

Hinatsuru is head bartender, working right under Tengen so really she's the true manager of the whole thing lol but she keeps things running well with Tengen

Makio is the assistant bartender, apprenticing under Hinatsuru. Everyone loves her and she keeps the bar lively with jokes and a fun presence

Suma is the barback, making sure all of the bar glasses and dishes are clean and cleaning surfaces when necessary. She's the real money maker of the bar everyone thinks she's so adorable

They don't let their relationships with one another interfere with work, if anything they keep it a huge secret and tell everyone they're "roommates" just to keep everything professional

Their cocktails and drinks are all top tier and they have drinks named after every staff member that works there

They're flair bartenders, naturally so because Tengen thinks that bartending should be a show and not something to just watch aimlessly

And for the love of Christ do NOT fuck with their station or anything in it, the wives will have a cow

They adore the servers, hosts, and to-go staff, they're always the first to step up when something goes wrong (more specifically Makio)

When they're all closing the bar they just make it as fun as possible despite any complaining or fatigue they may be experiencing

Overall they are the real power couples and there's nothing that can separate them

...

Back of House: Gyomei, Sanemi, Obanai, and Genya

Also including Genya in this because there's absolutely no way that they can handle that shit with just three of them back there

They all switch stations daily so there's really no telling what could go on as far as a day to day workday goes

However the one thing that does remain consistent is the constant bickering between Genya and Sanemi, which is fitting because they're brothers

"Genya- my bitch in CHRIST the sauce isn't supposed to be this salty-"

"What does it matter to you? Besides... you're just a prep cook."

Cue the fist fight that Shinobu and Rengoku have to break up-

Aside from that, Obanai is a dishwasher, occassionally will work the fry station but that's only if he's up for it

Gyomei kind of does a bit of everything, you can say he's a jack of all trades in the kitchen

Sanemi is not only a prep cook but also the salad guy, he has very little patience so it's just easier for him

Genya works saute, it's just something that came easy for him and he doesn't have to be near his brother

However one thing is for certain, come for any of the front of house staff and they will definitely cook you into something-

They also make food for the front of house workers in case they're hungry... no management doesn't have to know

But despite their problems, they're the real assets to the restaurant and honestly work too hard for their own good

...

Servers/Key Holders: Rengoku, Shinobu, Mitsuri

They're fast, friendly, even doting on their patrons that they serve

But fuck around with Mitsuri one good time

She will put you through a window no hesitation

Regardless though, they're all super helpful when they're working as Key holders, which are basically shift leads

They kinda float around everywhere all at once, making sure everyone does what they need to do

If the hosts need help bet your ass Shinobu is with them all night

Rengoku will help in the kitchen if need be, button down on or not

Mitsuri kinda floats in limbo between working as a server and being a key holder. Basically fixes any fuck ups that happen in the system

They're always leaving little notes of encouragement for the younger staff members, always praising how hard they work

Though they are very parental with the way they manage, always asking "why" instead of demanding things be done

Rengoku will 1000% pick up the slack where it's needed, half the time he's not even serving or managing, the man is bussing tables

Which kinda leaves Shinobu and Mitsuri to float around and see if anyone needs anything

The amount of coffee and energy drinks they have on a daily basis makes all of the other staff members wonder how they're still alive

But overall they work hard and there's nothing that will ever change their management style

......

I need a fan service episode of the demon slayer characters running a restaurant right fucking now-

I hope you enjoyed though! Let me know what you want to see next!

[freshmangojuice]

8 SHOWS TO GET TO KNOW ME

Tagged by the effervescent @mystrothedefender. Thank you 🥰

Every time I do a list like this or share my Spotify wrapped or whatever, people love to tell me how insane I am.

This is the series I have watched the most times. We got the DVD box set when I was about 10, and I had all 7 seasons on a loop for about 6 years straight. It’s why I am the way I am.

A spin-off of a spin-off of a sci-fi movie from 1994. I cannot express to you how much I love Stargate Atlantis. The only time I’ve ever paid money for a photo-op at a convention was for a group photo with Richard Dean Anderson, David Nykl, and Christopher Judge.

Current obsession, very recent. Like I only started binging it less than 2 months ago recent. But it has touched me so deeply, I know this is a love that will last. You’re seeing this on my Red Dwarf blog so I don’t even need to tell you.

Completely faultless. Pobably the best writing in anything ever. I’m waiting to watch it again so I can experience it with a bit of freshness. Cannot recommend enough as long as you don't mind the violence, gore, rampant vulgarity, substance abuse, and abuse of women, children, and minorities. I promise it's really good and I'm not a sicko. It also had a movie that rocked my socks.

This show is very loosely based on Alexander Dumas’ The Three Musketeers, which is a story that has been adapted on screen many many times. This one, however, is my favourite. I have never been so inspired by a show. Besides everything I made in my Red Dead days, the most I've ever contributed creatively to a fandom was Musketeers. Which is interesting because as an historian I shouldn't like this show at all. But what can I say? The characters and the stories hold everything up so well it's easy for me to ignore all the historical inaccuracies.

I still think about Rose Tyler. And Martha. And Donna. And Wilf. Not such a fan since the Moffat days which is a real shame. But Doctor Who was so important to me growing up I can’t not include it here.

One of the best comedies ever made ever. I’ve loved the six idiots since childhood when I got really into horrible histories (which led me to a degree in history that's been interrupted). I’ve also loved everything else they’ve made (I wish I had more room to include Yonderland) but Ghosts is really special.

I wish I could include more historical reality shows here too because the genre is quite important to me. As a student, I invested a lot into researching the early 2000s fad, and I may still go back to that project and eventually work on producing a better version of historical reality television. That's my dream. Frontier House is a favourite though and a really good introduction to the concept.

Tagging @gothwizardmagic @goalpost-head & @fandomsinabluebox1998

[dragonwysper]

Saving this to discuss with my animation teacher later, because YEAH THIS IS A NOTICEABLE PROBLEM. And the worst part? A lot of companies/films that try to 'pander' to the group that wants original stuff and who wants more detailed animation and detailed physical effects and good rep and a grounded, logical perspective on anything at all don't get any kind of widespread recognition. Some of the most incredible films I've seen in terms of artistic skill, detail, and grounding have barely been cult classics. We gotta be really really loud about the kind of stuff we enjoy. We gotta share it with eachother and have big, public discussions about it. We can't let examples of the quality of work we're so desperate for fade into the background, because this is how we got here.

Like look at Into the Spiderverse. It's an incredible film in every way, shape, and form, and it was noticed for that. Granted, it can't be considered an original work, and it's made by a very well-known company, but fuck if it isn't a damn good film. And people saw it and noticed it. Very loudly, in fact. And now? We have Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which is a new film in very much the same position as Spiderverse. It's playing up nostalgia for a long dead horse, and is also blatantly trying to ride the success of a VERY successful artsy film. But people love it, because by god at least they're doing something different that what they've been doing for actual decades that feels rich and full of actual effort and color and art.

We got The Last Wish because we loved Spiderverse, and that is our lesson. You want something? Be LOUD about it. They're only stifling themselves because they want to make money and think everybody prefers old works to originals. If we show them that they'll get money from creative and daring films, then we can at least start to get some stuff that mimics love and art and effort.

So now, because I want to encourage everybody to discuss obscure stuff that is the epitome of quality in at least one designated area, I'm gonna give some short rambles about some of my favorite films of all time, beginning with a long rant about my favorite and then descending in no particular order.

MFKZ/Mutafukaz (2017) - fucking stellar animation. Like, beyond anything I've ever seen, coming just short of Spiderverse (and maybe Cartoon Saloon's stuff, though even then, only if you prefer their art style imo). It's so incredibly dynamic and fun, and as a bonus, features The Toxic Avenger and Guillaume Houzé in its soundtrack, which makes for a spunky, techno feel and enhances every bit of action. This instantly became my favorite movie upon watching it for the first time a few years ago. It absolutely has its problems (pacing is way too fast to catch even most of the story on your first watch-through, some portrayals are potentially problematic (though I can't comment on that), and it's a bit of a disaster in terms of the logic of the plot itself). But I don't think that detracts from the pure visual candy this film is.

Birdboy: The Forgotten Children (2015) - similar style and quality of animation to MFKZ, but this time, the plot is much more parsable. It's very dark and nihilistic, but with undercurrents of hope that are oh so important to remember especially in this day and age.

I Lost My Body (2019) - beautiful animation and a wonderfully crafted dark atmosphere.

The Hallow (2015) - best practical effects I've seen in a long, long time.

The Ritual (2017) - a rare example of a book-to-movie adaptation that's better than the book (without the book being shit). Movie stays mostly true to the book, except it adds in complex metaphors for trauma. Also the sound and creature design are both top tier.

Lights Out (2016) - not the best executed horror film, but displays an absolutely terrifying concept.

Buried (2010) - much better executed with an arguably more terrifying concept, since this one is based in reality.

The Last Unicorn (1982) - this movie was my childhood. Stunning animation, and just, so so beautiful in just about every way. I have yet to read the book it was based on.

Annihilation (2018) - fascinating horror/scifi/fantasy film. Features an almost entirely female cast, and some incredible creature, environment, and sound design.

Upgrade (2018) - another horror/scifi movie! I love the soundtrack of this one so much. Plus, it has a really interesting premise!

fucking constant reboot remake reboot remake reboot remake reboot remake!!!!!!!!!! the tv has only been around for like a century you literally cannot be out of ideas already

[its-all-papaya]

now I fear I will be the one struggling to sleep tonight T-T

27!!! third times the charm !!!

get to know me

us in an endless loop of guilt? sounds about right.

27. Three things you love about yourself.

nah u knew what u were doing here 🤨 everyone knows i DON'T love myself at this current point in my life 🤧 i'll try my best though

i want to make people happy. there was a bit ago my work friend group took a stupid online buzzfeed-esque quiz assigning us like fruits with personalities, and one of mine was "genuinely wants their friends to succeed" and everyone in the group chat was like "so accurate!!!" and i was like 🥹. also when my boss gave me the bad performance review this spring, i cried in his office and he was like "this is why i hired you! you genuinely care so much about your team!" which. is a weird thing to compliment someone on when you're demoting them. also like... that should be industry standard. but i still like that comes across ig!! basically yeah, i think that i very passionately want the best for everyone and everything in my life.

i think i'm a good writer. feels like a gimme in this space, but that's always been a really core part of my identity. i've been writing creatively since i was like six years old and while it sometimes kinda sucks mentally these days, overall it's one of the things i think i'm best at.

i think i'm... kind of adaptable? it's wild to say bc i HATE change and LOVE routine but i do think i am able to change things once i've mourned. i've been reassigned at work every three months for the past two years in ways that require me to literally relearn my job, and i've made the most of that every time (re: bullet point one). i don't WANT to change, but if i'm made to, i'm usually pretty quick about adjusting. professionally but also personally. last spring when i realized like "hm. i think that i'm never going to be in a relationship again and i'm probably going to die without ever having sex" i was just like. okay! cool! even though, like most girls probably, i'd spent the entire first ~24 years of my life fantasizing about my wedding and future partner(s).

all of these feel like back-handed compliments to myself i'm ngl, i'm just like REALLY at a spot in my life where i'm not really proud of or happy with who i am. but i also just do not have the energy to fix any of that rn. it's whatever!! i'm also rlly good at pretending to like ppl i hate, so that's good news for myself!!

[sarahderpy]

My Bold Journey

My Journey

(my creative space)

  My creative space is alive solely because I’m still learning how to live . While I’m an open book when asked specifically I’m very hidden even though I appear on the outside transparent I’m very opaque and hard to understand, if I were to describe myself. Rather than being blunt and direct I use creativity to show what I’m feeling , living , experiencing and its meaning,  when trying to communicate . I see creativity not just in an art aspect , but in living overall .

I say this literally , my creativity is just based off of love , life and experience . I love seeing what people have or are currently living though . From the way I was raised with love , respect and freely being able to push my boundaries of whatever I wondered , is what keeps me going . I struggle with showing empathy on the forefront. Through creativity I can be more open , curious , vulnerable and direct. My creative process is far from being an organized process . I think I keep it alive best during whatever I happen to be experiencing in my life at the moment, though you will notice I tend to show this through humor as being my way to connect and interact with others. Seeing everything around me , my children , my parents , everyone I’ve come to meet or have come across, is truly what keeps my creativity alive . It’s knowing that everyone I see is so exceptionally talented and creative . My main hope is to remind people and show people that they are truly so important, because of their own creativity , despite their ability to explore it. 

Everyone that has played a role in my life is ultimately my creative inspiration.

In my life right now I’m on a new life journey . My life has revolved around social media as my escape from reality and really became the cover or my mask,  to sway from my real life story. I think most people my age, grew up nearly the same as I did. My generation grew, as social media did too . We felt the need to have to be what we saw and doing it quick and fast paced, so that we never got behind on what was constantly changing and being noticed. I think we learned to adapt that sort of lifestyle growing up,  leading us to not being able to slow down and get to be who we want to be. Or better yet who actually are.

  At this point in my life, I find myself embarking on a new chapter—a journey of rediscovery and reconnection with my authentic self. Social media, once my refuge from reality, has now become a mere facade, masking the complexities of my true narrative. Like many of my peers, I've navigated the evolving landscape of social media, its highs and lows mirroring my own journey of self-discovery.

I want to push everything I can through my own boundaries that I’ve built around myself over the years .

I've come to realize that the person I once was—the person I am today—is the key to unlocking my future potential. Embracing vulnerability and pushing beyond the boundaries I've erected around myself, .My hope is to connect with same minded  people, as I strive to inspire others to reignite their own creative passions they once imagined  . I love seeing what people do creatively on every level . As a mother, I take joy in witnessing the boundless imagination of my children, embracing each endeavor as a step towards self-discovery, exploring every idea that comes to their mind. Knowing that things may not work out , or in the end finding that it wasn’t our niche is overwhelmingly beautiful. Knowing that we are just that much closer to finding the thing that works and eventually getting to our end goal of it all. Living and understanding every moment, with  gratefulness, whether its temporary or permanent .

I think that we stop ourselves from chances and opportunities because we are so focused on who we think we have to be .

I have started to push through my own confidence which I have always had a hard time with. Something new I’ve just started as a fun side adventure is my podcast which will be a huge step in showing more of what goes through my mind , in full clutter mode. I also hope to get back to creating in other ways that I stopped focusing on . In my spare time I secretly love sewing , crocheting, reading singing and acting and hope to really bring back everything that I let go from myself over time . I will admit I’m scared, worried , vulnerable , naive and completely uncertain with everything changing right now . However this new chapter is really to focus on reliving and finding who I am again and allowing my life to be viewed from a new perspective creatively.

My mantra, "Stay Derpy," encapsulates the essence of my philosophy—a reminder to embrace life's inherent absurdity and to approach each challenge with a spirit of curiosity and resilience. Through my podcast and various creative pursuits, I aim to peel back the layers of my cluttered mind, inviting others to join me on this journey of self-exploration.

 This quote by, Sholem Aleichem , 

“Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor.” Is one that ultimately describes what I mean best when saying to “Stay Derpy”.

I think we all have a little bit of fool in us especially when we lack the experience that we dream of . We start the game of life with no experience and tend to pretend to be naive later in our lives. so the reality is we are fools to not play the game. I honestly believe that we have to be the fool to experience our fears and battles if we want to gain any wisdom in the end .

In reflecting on my journey, three pivotal elements stand out: alignment, self-truth, and passion. If you're reading this, I sincerely hope you recognize that you possess all the necessary tools to align perfectly with your dreams. everything you need to be aligned perfectly in this life you naturally possess. And I say this as someone who has not gotten to where I hope to be and dream of being .Your innate talents, even if yet undiscovered, are the keys to this alignment. As someone still striving to reach my aspirations, I understand that each of our paths is unique and not meant to mirror another's.Life may present us with challenges and setbacks, but it is through these experiences that we gain wisdom and clarity, ultimately guiding us towards our true path.

The essence we contribute to the world lies in the authenticity of our truths and the fervor of our individual passions. We are already on the perfect trajectory for our own journeys. While I can't promise an easy road—I'm learning firsthand that it's far from that—I liken life to the board game "Life," slow-paced and challenging but worth every move when played along side the players who you love, trust and keep as close company . Embrace life's whimsicality; therein lies the wisdom to maintain alignment. 

So allow yourself to experience the foolishness of life , so you can gain the wisdom needed to stay aligned . I believe in you and hope you remind yourself always to Smile and forever Stay Derpy!

I’d love to continue to connect with every level of creatives . Let’s continue to build new paths  , create new ways of bringing together audiences and creativity through meaningful conversation, online virtual collaborations and blending of communities through diverse interactions online and offline .You can reach out to me on Instagram and Facebook under "Sarah Slurpie," or directly through my website SarahSlurpie.com or email at sarahslurpie@yahoo.com. 🙂

Who knows, I might even add you to my top 8 on MySpace! 😉

To my biggest supporters and inspirations in my life ,

Savannah Lucy and Brett Elvis my every reason to stay inspired and whom i am forever inspired by I love you both always and beyond infinity. 

 Thank you Mom and Dad ,your decision to be in my life is a blessing beyond words.  Thank you dad for being my guide of wisdom and sensibility during times I need it most. Mom thank you for continuously inspiring me on how to remind myself of realizing my strengths , and remembering how to live not just through others but through myself.  Your continuous guidance reminds me of my strengths and how to live authentically. You are everything I hope to be with the strength and respect and resilience you’ve taught me I aspire to embody.. 

To my friends, each of you has left an indelible mark on my journey's various chapters. . 

     And to the universe, thank you for this incredible, bold journey.         

 So mote it be. 🦋-Stay Derpy 

Sarah Slurpie

[starlight-time-machine]

Week in Review

03/24/2024 – 03/30/2024

Sunday

Week 7 of missing Cipher Academy

WORK IS FINALLY FINISHED GOD FINALLY I CAN READ BOOKS AND MANGA AND WATCH MOVIES AND TV SHOWS AND ENJOY LIFE WITHOUT THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES HANGING OVER ME

Undead Unluck with another amazing chapter as always. I like how Lan contrasts Beast by being motivated by her own personal grudges, and I like how this loop’s Ichico bucks so hard against the previous narrative of her dying for Nico’s gain. With Fuuko so far away, I really hope Nico and Ichico figure out a creative way to take Lan down by themselves.

Okay yeah, I think I’m going to drop RuriDragon. It’s a cute manga, but the translation voice is annoying me too much and I can’t comfortably get into the groove of the story. I wish the mangaka all the best, though, and I hope their new schedule works out for them.

It’s so funny seeing Oshi no Ko just carry on like normal as if they didn’t just drop a grenade in the last chapter lol but oh boy let’s give some characterization to Melt, who I honestly don’t really care about. The bit at the end was funny at least, and I hope the god child beefs it at acting.

Aghhhgh it’s hard to enjoy these cute heartwarming moments of Momo and Zuma bonding when it’s so obvious that it’ll never go anywhere because all signs point to Momo ending up with Otarun… I wish the mangaka wouldn’t introduce secondary love interests unless they were serious about giving them a shot at “winning” by the end… (Fruits Basket you’ll always be famous for this.)

Chainsaw Man!

Woah literally everything is happening in One Piece right now… First off, thank you Oda for the drop of Lucci/Kaku sustenance, I did vaguely ship them ten years ago when I watched Enies Lobby for the first time. It’s always cute seeing Luffy’s Looney Tunes fighting style, and wow now that ancient giant armor thing is arriving…

I’d been saving the Undead Unluck season finale for when I was done my work thing, and I’m so glad I did… This was the chapter that got me fully hooked on UU, and seeing it adapted so beautifully and as the end to the whole season was so incredible… Not only was the action fantastic and fluid, but they really nailed all the emotional beats… Anno’s voice acting was amazing and I cried basically the whole way through his monologue and the ENDING AND THAT FIST BUMP AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I cried so hard I literally gave myself a headache… The ending of this arc and knowing what Anno means to Tozuka gives this story so much more weight and meaning to me… Anno’s desperation to be known and heard and understood may have some more life or death stakes in this context, but I think his feelings are relatable to anyone who’s ever wanted to convey something through their art. And to have the whole crux of the arc and the fight’s success on his sacrifices and message is so moving, and that perfect title drop of “To You From Me” gets me every time. This episode was just so so so so perfect, and I really hope that the anime will get more seasons after this. It’s definitely been a bit of a bumpy ride in terms of quality, and Tozuka’s ambitious ideas don’t always translate well to a weekly anime production, but I think at its core, the team always knew when and how to hit the big emotional moments and I really appreciate them for that. I’m just glad that the anime has such a distinct vision, and isn’t just another soulless carbon copy shounen adaptation. I have Undead Unluck as a whole ranked at a 9/10, but the anime by itself will be a 8/10 for me.

Monday

The new Game Changer episode was interesting, but truth be told I found it a little boring. There were a few funny moments, and I liked all the prop design and how they found new art-themed challenges for them to do, but in terms of comedy there wasn’t much there (not that I was expecting much from people who are professional artists and not comedians).

I finished reading Downton Abbey – A Celebration, and it was perfectly mid. Just a little companion book to the show where you can get some extra details about the characters and how their actors perceived them and some interesting details about the historical period and the set design. If I cared about Downton as much as I did Succession I’d probably devour this book, but for what it is it’s just fine.

Played a little itch.io game called Flesh, Blood, & Concrete and it was pretty fun. The Soviet atmosphere and the meat aesthetic were all on point, and it even got me with a jumpscare, but I appreciated that the tenseness of the horror was punctuated with some moments of levity with Nika (who I found super cute). I think it communicated its themes clearly for such a short game, and I had a fun time exploring each apartment and collecting an ungodly amount of little trinkets. 7/10.

Felt nostalgic about Undead Unluck after finishing the anime so I decided to reread some of the manga since I sped through it so fast the first time through. I remembered most of the key hype moments, but I was surprised to see just how many smaller plot elements I completely forgot. Seeing Feng and Shen’s fight with more context makes it so much more compelling, and also funny when you think about 101 tsundere single father Feng. I think I was so shocked at my favourite character dying that I’d forgotten most of everything else in the Summer arc, but this time I could really appreciate Shen and Mui’s bond and Mui coming into her own as a Negator. But the real highlight of this readthrough was seeing Fuuko’s growth as a fighter and a character – her world’s opened so much after meeting Andy, and now she’s out there being social and getting to know and love people and expanding her own understanding of her ability and it all feels so natural but satisfying. She really is one of the best protagonists I’ve ever read in manga…Tozuka has the “emotional beat heightening a climactic action moment” thing down to a science. I also appreciate the humanization of the UMAs – they’re creatures being used by God, too, and if they could turn against him in Ragnarok then that could really turn the tide. But regardless, I like that they have their own personalities so that each quest can feel unique and not just a monster of the week situation. The competing strategic moves between Union and Under are fun, Andy and Fuuko independently coming to the realization that they’re in love is fun, the Spring fight is soooooo so much fun; once UU hit its stride it’s just been peak after peak. Dang I actually teared up at the end of the Spring fight…Spring is just so cute and sympathetic.

Tuesday

I really did blank out most of the early parts of the Ragnarok Arc from my mind because oh my godddddd I remembered that Rip and Latla tragically die but this was so… Because Tozuka imbues all of his characters with so much pathos, the Negator vs Negator fights always have such insane stakes and tension. I’ve really grown to like Rip on this readthrough…Akira was so right, he’s a nice guy who’s had to kill that part of him in order to achieve his selfish goals, and seeing him fall against Andy was genuinely heartbreaking…

Wednesday

Andy vs Nico was less hype for me – the momentum of the battle felt a little start/stop as Nico has to painstakingly explain just why he’s doing all this and why he’s so tragic, only to turn on Ghost relatively easily in order to grant Andy the win. It’s one of the lesser Negation reveals for me, but it was still decently enjoyable to read. Billy vs Ruin though ohhhhh my godddddddd Billy’s tragedy is a lot easier to understand and empathize with for me, even without the dead wife and kid stuff. The strength of his powers relying on people hating him means that he was always fated to be a villain…doomed by the narrative, one could say… But this coming into conflict with his genuine affection for the others and how it made the fight harder for him was a fantastic story beat, as was Ruin finally seeing him as a threat and giving him the upper hand because of it. And Billy promising to stay alive long enough to see Tatiana die…I haven’t talked about her much, but Tatiana is also another favourite character of mine (this manga is just filled to the brim with good characters) for the strength she’s exhibited in the face of incredible difficulties. It’s both cute and sad to see her behave like an adult when she’s so young…

Thursday

Went outside and got pho with my friend

Friday

Leftover pho tastes sooooooooo good. It’s too bad that today’s DunMesh episode wasn’t food focused, but of course I still enjoyed watching it a lot. The sight gag of the label rolling along with the dragon meat was amazing, and Chilchuck being forced to admit his human emotions for once was so cute.

Drag Race was just fine, as usual. I always get nervous for makeover challenges because my favourites tend to go home on them, but I’m glad to see Nymphia get by. I’m a little worried that she’s fading into the middle of the pack, and that she’ll have to lip sync against Q next episode… I really hope she can win the next challenge so that she can stand toe to toe with Plane and Sapphira in terms of track record.

Saturday Went outside again. When will it end

[smeemyselfandi]

Every movie of 2022 I’ve seen till  3/31/2023 ranked best to worst

1. Everything Everywhere All at Once- A Masterpiece. So creative and interesting. It had me glued to the screen.

2. Guillermo Del Toro's Pinnocchio- Pinnocchio been told many times before but this somehow brought a great retelling of it.

3. Tar- In my opinion has the best performance of the year.

4. The Northman- This is my favorite Robert Eggers film so far.

5. The Banshees of Inisherin- Really liked it but felt like something was missing and I don't know what.

6. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish- Wasn't a masterpiece as people say but still a lot of fun.

7. Bones and All- Surprised this made the list so high but it was probably the best "horror" film of the year.

8. The Batman- Best Portrayal of Batman but a bit too long and slow.

9. Babylon- Best scene of the year probably.

10. Avatar: The Way of Water- I enjoyed it way more than I thought but it still had problems.

11. Scream- 2nd best Scream. But still not close to the original but A for effort.

12. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever- The lead was the problem but mostly everything else was fine.

13. The Whale- Acting performance is great but a bit cheesey for me.

14. Turning Red- Fun family film. Nothing special

15. White Noise- It's weird but I really liked some of it and some not so much.

16. Hustle- A basic sports story but doesn't make it bad.

17. Thor: Love and Thunder- I'm surprised I liked this more than most people but I thought it was funny and fun.

18. Jackass Forever- Not as good as the others but is expected cause of their age.

19. Glass Onion- A bit stupid but I think that's the point? Still a lot of fun scenes.

20. Prey- I wanted to love this but was a bit bored.

21. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness- I was so hyped for this and so disappointed. Still not bad though.

22. Men- Freaky movie. A bit too freaky for me.

23. The Son- Suprised by the bad reviews. I thought this was fine.

24. The Bob's Burgers Movie- Just felt like another episode instead of a big epic movie.

25. Lightyear- Basic as basic can be and they ruin a character.

26. Wendell and Wild- Wanted to love this but the characters were too bland.

27. Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers- Funny at the start but gets old after a while.

28. Clerks 3- Tried to be too emotional instead of funny.

29. The Greatest Beer Run Ever- It's fine but I barely remember it.

30. Woooooooo! Becoming Ric Flair- If you seen any Flair doc then this is pretty much what you've seen.

31. Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons- Robin was better than I thought but another forgettable DC animated film.

32. Barbarian- Comedy horror or serious horror. Pick one cause this didn't work for me.

33. X- Basic horror. Nothing new or special.

34. Nope- So dissappointing. Hated most of the characters and felt the thing in the sky was dissappointing.

35. Fresh- Going in blind as possible might help but the stupid poster spoils it.

36. Black Adam- So many characters wasted to feed The Rock ego.

37. Sonic the Hedgehog 2- Better than the first I guess but still a crappy adaptation.

38. Morbius- I didn't hate this as much as others but it was still pretty crappy.

39. Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse- The Super Hero Girls are boring and not enough Multiverse.

40. Smile- Thought it would be a fun horror but I felt it was trying too hard to have a message then to have fun with the silly plot.

41. Texas Chainsaw Massacre- Just stop. You're almost ruining the first which was great.

[smokeybrandreviews]

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Back For the Very First Time

It’s the end of the year and time i look back on my cinema-going journey over these past twelve months. This one is special because it’s the first since the Boof, that i actually got to go to the theater, itself. I’ve seen a ton of flicks this year had to make up for lost time, and there’s still one i want o check out. I probably won’t see that one, The Whale, because my city is an uncultured cow-town and we never get movies like that in their initial limited run. It’ll probably make it’s way to these parts sometime in January but know, if i had seen it before the turn of the year, it’d probably be pretty high on this list. That said, these are my top films of the year. I recommend all of them because they were wildly entertaining.

10. The Batman

This was a disappointment. I mean, it’s good, super grounded, and actually adapted something new but, at the same time, it was wildly underwhelming. I’ve seen it a few times and with each viewing, I'm less enamored with the entire concept of Battinson. The film, itself, is amazing and i do believe it was one of the best releases this year but I'd be lying if i said it didn’t expect more from Matt Reeves. It feels like a palette swap of The Dark night, like Reeves just watched all of Nolan’s films and stole his homework. Best Batmobile ever brought to film, though.

9. Hellraiser

I was all over this when it was announced that The Hell Priest would present feminine. If you know anything about The Hellbound Heart, then you know that this single change, mad e the new Hellraiser the most accurate adaption of that novella. And then it wasn’t. They cribbed a bit from Barkers yarn but did something wholly original with the lore, with the world, and i dug all of it. This isn’t the Hellraiser i know but it’s a Hellraiser i want to see more of.

8. The Northman

I’m a sucker for my Shakespeare adaptions and this is straight up Hamlet, but with a wildly brutal presentation and the meticulously crafted narrative from Robert Eggers. This man is fast becoming one of my favorite creatives. Dude literally only has three entries on his filmography and they’re all bangers. They’re all on my all-time list. It’s absurd how deft a storyteller this man is. His vision is only matched by his creativity and The Northman really drives that fact home.

7. Pearl

The dark horse A24 entry that made the list at the finish line. I was tempted to put X on this thing but then Pearl quietly dropped and i was absolutely captivated by Mia Goth. I’ve always been a fan of her work but Pearl really demonstrates why i love her so much. his is every bit her film as it is Ti West’s. Goth absolutely devastates as Pearl and it’s a macabre pleasure to witness. X was good and genuinely deserves a spot on this list but Pearl is everything that film was and so much more.

6. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

This one was surprising. It’s the rare sequel that is better than the original. I didn’t expect to like the first Sonic film as much as i did because of how derivative it turned out to bee, but, borderline cliche aside, i had a blast with Sonic 2. It’s weird to see but i think Hollywood is right on the cusp of properly cracking video game adaptions. Detective Pikachu, Arcane, and now this? Yeah, this feels like Batman Begins just dropped and Iron Man is just a few years away. We’ll see how Mario does next year.

5. Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness

This thing should have really been called Wanda Maximoff and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day because, goddamn! Who’d have thought that the Scarlet Witch would be up there with Killmonger, Thanos, and every villain MCU Spider-Man has faced, as one of the best antagonists in the entire MCU. Honestly, for my money, MoM was the most entertaining entry from The House of Ideas and i say the knowing i like Wakanda Forever more but this thing is re-watchable. I don’t see myself ever watching Black Panther II again. That one hurts. This one is fun.

4. Prey

Bro. Bro... Look, I've been wildly transparent about my love for all things Xeno. I love the Alien franchise and that means, by proxy, i love the Predator franchise. I’ve gushed about my love for Machiko Noguchi, the first human Predator. I’ve lamented about the missed opportunity to adapt that original AvP story line to film and hat would be lost when The Mouse House got a hold of the franchise. Prey proved me wrong. This thing is the best Predator film released to date, outside of the first, i am DYING to see what comes next. F*cking brilliant watch, all day and a real throwback to the Eighties where you had to work around tech limitations to tell your story.

3. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

This movie was an exercise in pain. I liked it, i did, but it was a rough watch. Ryan Coogler has crafted a genuinely emotional dirge requiem for Chadwick Boseman and the character of T’Challa. His shadow looms over this entire film and it weighs on your psyche as you watch. It’s heartbreaking but incredibly beautiful. It is, admittedly, flawed in a lot of places but i still enjoyed it. I still enjoyed how much love was put into this film. It’s gorgeous and a legitimately sweet good-bye to Wakanda as we knew it.

2a: Nope

Nope is one of the most authentically black films i have ever seen. This sh*t just hits different. Like, watching this thing makes me feel like i would react in the exact same ways as Em and OJ. Seriously, this is how my cousins and i would act if Jan Jacket showed up over our house. I love that. I love this movie. It’s not as good as Get Out but i think it’s the most accessible film Peele has ever made.

2b. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

I just watched this thing a few days ago and I'm still enamored with how brilliant Glass Onion is. From top to bottom, this is a tour de force in film-making and i adored every second of it. Rian Johnson gets so much sh*t for The Last Jedi but this man can craft a film with the best of them. Also, he wrote the f*cking thing! I forgot to mention that in my review but he wrote that whole movie. Story, script, screenplay; All him. It just frustrates me how brilliant this man is, and how sh*t The Last Jedi turned out.

1. Everything Everywhere All at Once

This one is easily the best film I've seen all year. Everything about it absolutely screams masterwork. This one was my A24 entry for the year an I'm glad i made the effort to check it out because, holy sh*t, is this film fantastic! Never mind all of the pretty blatant brilliance that i covered in my proper review, i just really respect the f*ck out of this trend in film to deal with generational trauma. We saw a lot of this during the year with films like Turning Red, Encanto, and even a little bit in Shang-Chi but Everything really put in the work with this sh*t. I left that theater feeling. Just, feeling. I reflected on the scars i have from my parents and how they have shaped my own worldviews. It’s rare that a film leaves me that introspective and i have to give full credit to this movie for allowing me to experience that, after so goddamn long.

Honorable Mentions: Turning Red, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Blonde, X, Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe, Tár, Morbius (For the memes), The Black Phone, Jackass Forever, Bullet Train, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Barbarian, V/H/S/99

Not Jurassic World: Dominion, though. Never Jurassic World: Dominion. That movie was terrible. Worst than Fallen Kingdom and THAT was a whole ass exercise in masochism just to watch.

[smokeybrand]

Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Back For the Very First Time

It’s the end of the year and time i look back on my cinema-going journey over these past twelve months. This one is special because it’s the first since the Boof, that i actually got to go to the theater, itself. I’ve seen a ton of flicks this year had to make up for lost time, and there’s still one i want o check out. I probably won’t see that one, The Whale, because my city is an uncultured cow-town and we never get movies like that in their initial limited run. It’ll probably make it’s way to these parts sometime in January but know, if i had seen it before the turn of the year, it’d probably be pretty high on this list. That said, these are my top films of the year. I recommend all of them because they were wildly entertaining.

10. The Batman

This was a disappointment. I mean, it’s good, super grounded, and actually adapted something new but, at the same time, it was wildly underwhelming. I’ve seen it a few times and with each viewing, I'm less enamored with the entire concept of Battinson. The film, itself, is amazing and i do believe it was one of the best releases this year but I'd be lying if i said it didn’t expect more from Matt Reeves. It feels like a palette swap of The Dark night, like Reeves just watched all of Nolan’s films and stole his homework. Best Batmobile ever brought to film, though.

9. Hellraiser

I was all over this when it was announced that The Hell Priest would present feminine. If you know anything about The Hellbound Heart, then you know that this single change, mad e the new Hellraiser the most accurate adaption of that novella. And then it wasn’t. They cribbed a bit from Barkers yarn but did something wholly original with the lore, with the world, and i dug all of it. This isn’t the Hellraiser i know but it’s a Hellraiser i want to see more of.

8. The Northman

I’m a sucker for my Shakespeare adaptions and this is straight up Hamlet, but with a wildly brutal presentation and the meticulously crafted narrative from Robert Eggers. This man is fast becoming one of my favorite creatives. Dude literally only has three entries on his filmography and they’re all bangers. They’re all on my all-time list. It’s absurd how deft a storyteller this man is. His vision is only matched by his creativity and The Northman really drives that fact home.

7. Pearl

The dark horse A24 entry that made the list at the finish line. I was tempted to put X on this thing but then Pearl quietly dropped and i was absolutely captivated by Mia Goth. I’ve always been a fan of her work but Pearl really demonstrates why i love her so much. his is every bit her film as it is Ti West’s. Goth absolutely devastates as Pearl and it’s a macabre pleasure to witness. X was good and genuinely deserves a spot on this list but Pearl is everything that film was and so much more.

6. Sonic the Hedgehog 2

This one was surprising. It’s the rare sequel that is better than the original. I didn’t expect to like the first Sonic film as much as i did because of how derivative it turned out to bee, but, borderline cliche aside, i had a blast with Sonic 2. It’s weird to see but i think Hollywood is right on the cusp of properly cracking video game adaptions. Detective Pikachu, Arcane, and now this? Yeah, this feels like Batman Begins just dropped and Iron Man is just a few years away. We’ll see how Mario does next year.

5. Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness

This thing should have really been called Wanda Maximoff and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day because, goddamn! Who’d have thought that the Scarlet Witch would be up there with Killmonger, Thanos, and every villain MCU Spider-Man has faced, as one of the best antagonists in the entire MCU. Honestly, for my money, MoM was the most entertaining entry from The House of Ideas and i say the knowing i like Wakanda Forever more but this thing is re-watchable. I don’t see myself ever watching Black Panther II again. That one hurts. This one is fun.

4. Prey

Bro. Bro... Look, I've been wildly transparent about my love for all things Xeno. I love the Alien franchise and that means, by proxy, i love the Predator franchise. I’ve gushed about my love for Machiko Noguchi, the first human Predator. I’ve lamented about the missed opportunity to adapt that original AvP story line to film and hat would be lost when The Mouse House got a hold of the franchise. Prey proved me wrong. This thing is the best Predator film released to date, outside of the first, i am DYING to see what comes next. F*cking brilliant watch, all day and a real throwback to the Eighties where you had to work around tech limitations to tell your story.

3. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

This movie was an exercise in pain. I liked it, i did, but it was a rough watch. Ryan Coogler has crafted a genuinely emotional dirge requiem for Chadwick Boseman and the character of T’Challa. His shadow looms over this entire film and it weighs on your psyche as you watch. It’s heartbreaking but incredibly beautiful. It is, admittedly, flawed in a lot of places but i still enjoyed it. I still enjoyed how much love was put into this film. It’s gorgeous and a legitimately sweet good-bye to Wakanda as we knew it.

2a: Nope

Nope is one of the most authentically black films i have ever seen. This sh*t just hits different. Like, watching this thing makes me feel like i would react in the exact same ways as Em and OJ. Seriously, this is how my cousins and i would act if Jan Jacket showed up over our house. I love that. I love this movie. It’s not as good as Get Out but i think it’s the most accessible film Peele has ever made.

2b. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

I just watched this thing a few days ago and I'm still enamored with how brilliant Glass Onion is. From top to bottom, this is a tour de force in film-making and i adored every second of it. Rian Johnson gets so much sh*t for The Last Jedi but this man can craft a film with the best of them. Also, he wrote the f*cking thing! I forgot to mention that in my review but he wrote that whole movie. Story, script, screenplay; All him. It just frustrates me how brilliant this man is, and how sh*t The Last Jedi turned out.

1. Everything Everywhere All at Once

This one is easily the best film I've seen all year. Everything about it absolutely screams masterwork. This one was my A24 entry for the year an I'm glad i made the effort to check it out because, holy sh*t, is this film fantastic! Never mind all of the pretty blatant brilliance that i covered in my proper review, i just really respect the f*ck out of this trend in film to deal with generational trauma. We saw a lot of this during the year with films like Turning Red, Encanto, and even a little bit in Shang-Chi but Everything really put in the work with this sh*t. I left that theater feeling. Just, feeling. I reflected on the scars i have from my parents and how they have shaped my own worldviews. It’s rare that a film leaves me that introspective and i have to give full credit to this movie for allowing me to experience that, after so goddamn long.

Honorable Mentions: Turning Red, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Blonde, X, Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe, Tár, Morbius (For the memes), The Black Phone, Jackass Forever, Bullet Train, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Barbarian, V/H/S/99

Not Jurassic World: Dominion, though. Never Jurassic World: Dominion. That movie was terrible. Worst than Fallen Kingdom and THAT was a whole ass exercise in masochism just to watch.