#Aletas

[sparklebeamx]

A small sad Tasim as a distraction of the short comic in the cut, cause uh a bit of spoilers I guess…? Just in case lol

Aletas angst vvv

Shout out to that one comment I saw on an alien stage video. Making me sad with this one QwQ

[wynncass]

me pulling up mass spectrometry graphs to explain why taledar is a better ship name than aletas

[writing-for-life]

Dream—Aleta Vidal

[taybatwo2]

I finally finished (mostly) the micro MICRO braids on G3 Catty. Each one was made up of either one or two hair plugs in order for it to blend in with her factory braids. She really needed to have a full head of braids (we know you can do it Mattel).

I finished sealing them with glue, but I should probably trim up the extra bits at the end that I couldn’t braid.

But if I trim them…I might have to re-seal them…and I’ll lose the length….uggggghhhhh

These are the smallest micro braids I’ve ever done for a doll (my other ones are usually three-four hair plugs).

Edit:

I finished trimming the extra bit on her hair and I didn’t even need to reseal very many of them.

She is so pretty.

So many braids!!!

I should start thinking about making her a luxurious black and pink fur coat.

[gameo-archive]

MY GAMEODEN IS HERE!!!!

"G: can you explain Edwin’s riding culture &/or how you researched? J: what do you think Charles’ relationship to his Indian heritage is? Fav 80's culture item you discovered? Is G faster than J or was that a choice? Rematch? 😀 Thx 1mil ❤️💙 2 u both"

Jayden, come on. I taught you how to pronounce my name. :D

Just kidding this is amazing.

(For some reason that I can't fathom, I am unable to post my transcript either on this post or on its own post. :( You can read the transcript on the chart if you want.)

[the-imaginative-hobbyist]

Hearing a lot of good things about this one, my interest just keeps growing by the day.

[shungieshrieks]

Who would win, a summoner or a necromancer? Starring @janearts's Roisia because I adore her character so much!

[who-do-i-know-this-man]

⚠️Vote for whomever YOU DO NOT KNOW⚠️‼️

[einmal-prinzessin]

Aleta

[littlealeta]

Spellbound (2024) Review [Spoilers]

Long post! Scroll down for a TL;DR and Aleta Rewrites Version!

I, at first, didn't want to watch this movie. But after hearing some surprisingly decent reviews, I decided to give it a chance. Coming out of it, I can understand why it resonated with some people, even if the writing is ultimately a mess. I think if this came out earlier, in the mid 2010s, without all the controversy John Lasseter has got into as well, I think this could've done a bit better among other simplistic films such as Home and Secret Life of Pets. And I probably would've liked it better myself back then, but alas, I am not a slightly mindless 17 year old anymore, and we live in different times where cute, heartfelt stories are not the only things a movie needs to be good. So, I must view this film objectively as it is.

I will have to say, though, the trailers hid way too much. It's not as horrible as they made it out to be, but still mediocre.

Story

So much to say here...

The story is a real mess. It literally pops off with the parents being monsters. We know nothing of their life beforehand at this point.

There are some good ideas here, like the dark emotions tornado. the parents being monsters concept and having the child be the one to parent their own parents sounds like it could be ridiculously funny, but the problem is, it doesn't do much to set it apart from other stories that have done this before, Brave and Spirited Away with the parents being creatures concept, Wonder Park with the dark emotions symbolism, and It Takes Two with two fighting parents going on an adventure. The monsters at the start could just be Eileen's annoying pets and there would be no difference.

I also like that the main conflict revolves around divorce, a theme that is rarely touched upon in media, especially for children. It's unfortunate that this doesn't come into play until halfway through the story. The message is very heartfelt and a good lesson for children going through this same situation.

There are some good scenes here. Like there's some creative and beautiful segments like the echo or the Look for the Light scene. Most of the humor is actually well-written, although, I probably could've done without the freaky friday thing as it doesn't really contribute to the story. There are a couple times where I felt the humor is tacked on, but other than that, most of them felt natural.

One thing that doesn't make sense about the story, though, is the parents gradually getting their humanity back after it was said that they would get it back at the lake. This was never explained. I believe I could subtly see the reason why that may be the case. The parents and Elliaan are starting to accept the reality of the marriage. But, there's not enough implication to connect that reasoning to the story, and it just feels contrived.

The way conflict gets resolved is often anticlimatic. Like, in the echo scene, the parents suddenly saying "Girl" for no reason and getting their humanity back felt rushed and contrived as well as Bolinar being able to somehow call in the other flinks during the big climatic moment.

Characters

The characters either don't really have much personality or feel one-note.

Princess Elliaan is just your typical Disney protagonist. She's cheerful, optimistic, good-natured, and a bit clumsy. She lacks any flaws, quirks, or depth to help her stand out.

The parents only show their personalities when they're fighting. They, too, have nothing to make them stand out.

The only characters who kinda have a personality are Bolinar and the Oracles, but even they feel a bit one-note. Bolinar's only characteristic is that he's perpetually negative, and he really doesn't contribute anything to the story. The Oracles, being minor characters, aren't very memorable.

Flink is just your average trouble-making Disney sidekick.

Animation/Music/Voice Acting

I love Princess Eileen's design, I think she's very cute. However, that is all the positives I have in regards to the animation. There are some different artistic styles used in some of the musical segments, but most of the animation is just your average 2010s 3D animation.

Music is alright. Most of it is not memorable. There are a couple of weird moments where it seems like the characters were talking more than singing. My personal favorite would be The Way it Was Before. It's catchy, and the sweetest and most heartfelt song out of them all.

The voice actors do well with both funny and serious moments. I have to give props especially to Rachel Zegler, for both her singing and her ability to convey emotions. I really felt her character there.

Overall/TL;DR

I give Spellbound 5.4 bells out of 10

The story takes too long to reveal itself and get interesting. There is barely a concrete arc there, it could easily be seen as a movie where "things happen". A lot of the conflict is resolved anticlimatically, too. There are inklings of a deep, emotional, and creative movie in there, but it needed some more drafting to get there. The comedic timing is mostly well-written, though, besides a few tacked on moments.

Characters feel pretty one-note and Elliaan is just your average Disney princess.

Besides a few artistic musical segments, the animation is mostly generic. Although, I think Princess Elliaan is very cute.

Music is ok, quite forgettable. The only catchy one being the heartfelt The Way It Was Before.

Voice actors did their jobs well, especially Rachel Zegler in terms of both her singing and emotional range.

It's passable enough for kids and those who want to Netflix and chill. It's a simple movie with a good heart and there's nothing wrong with that, but in terms of story and characterization, it's pretty bland with nothing much to make it stand out from other animated kids fare.

In an Aleta Rewrites story, I would of course start off with the parents being humans. Elli is harboring resentment for them due to their constant fighting and planned divorce and just wants everything to be peaceful again. Due to Elli's resentment, the parents themselves are having trouble going through with the divorce because they want to "stay together for the kid". Their fighting causes the parents to turn into monsters because this is how Elliaan sees them. At the start, I would try to do something a little more creative with the parents being monsters concept to set it apart from other movies that have done this before. Like, maybe instead of just having them be rambunctious creatures, show more facets of their personalities. Like, maybe the parents' personalities are still somewhere in there and they're trying to talk to Eileen or trying to help Eileen, but their monster sides just keep coming out and it just all ends in the wrong way. Also, show more of the parents fighting as monster forms instead of just acting like pets causing trouble around the castle.

Let Elliaan's growth happen more naturally instead of at the last minute. And her growth (her acceptance of the changes the parents want to make to their marriage) is the reason her parents slowly gain back humanity. Their adventure is a representation of Elliaan and her parents' journey to accept the truth that the marriage is not going to work out well. Show more symbolic elements of Elliaan's resentment and her growth similar to how you showed symbolic scenes of the parents fighting with the quicksand and the echo.

I would also have Bolinar be more of the foil who often ditches and kinda gets in the way of Elliaan and her parents' adventure. His selfish attempts at trying to get back his body hurt their plans (more scenes like the acorn trail scene), until he grows to be more helpful in the adventure and realize his selfish ways.

[chernobog13]

The Sunday, March 23, 1947 installment of Hal Foster's Prince Valiant.

[florisgold]

OKAY LISTEN- THIS PAGE GOT STARTED WITH ONE PICTURE LIKE A MONTH AGO- IT'S EVOLVED A BIT I was told by too many people (two) to throw the boys here so fuck it, have them and a few hcs for them^^ also hello this has SO MANY SCENES from LTG (Aletas comic I'm in the works of making rn) and i adore making them close ups below ↓ 

[writing-for-life]

Dream—Aleta Vidal

[taybatwo2]

Another Mini-review of the IDW Monster High Comics!

The Howliday Haunt comic came out today, and ugggggh, it’s…..yeah.

Again, hopefully I’ll continue my in-depth reviews for these in January, but this might be one of my least favorite…so far…kinda…? I dunno these have me stupidly curious but I can’t say they’ve been amazing…?

It’s still giving Wednesday or Riverdale vibes or the MH Lisi Harrison books, and I have never been into those.

If you want to start in on my actual, full comic reviews you can start here:

A REALLY quick rundown, there will be spoilers:

Frankie goes in before her first day of school to map out her classes and hears Johnny Spirit whistling. They talk and flirt and she says he’s her first “fiend.” Cut to the present, students are still missing, there is a school dance coming up the “Howliday Haunt” and Johnny hasn’t really spoken to Frankie since but he is INCENSED that no one is worried about the missing students and are only talking about the dance.

Frankie can’t dance, and after Cleo blows off helping her to retrain her two left feet, Johnny’s music helps her to dance. Frankie wants Johnny to want to ask her to the dance and he does.

Doctor Frankenstein is still too busy to be a chaperone at the dance (and HE IS STILL IN THE SHADOWS. I HATE THAT). The three ghoul friends all dress up in their collector doll outfits (that Clawdeen designed), and all go to the dance (with Frankie riding on the back of Johnny’s motorcycle).

Johnny pours truth serum into the fog machine (at least he didn’t spike the punch bowl like most bad boys in high school films) to try and see if any of the students/faculty is behind the kidnappings. Nope! And Mr. Rotter vows to lock Johnny up until the school crumbles to dust (again…overkill). Frankie and Johnny escape (thanks to Frankie’s arm locking the doors shut behind them), and he rides off to search outside of the school for what happened to all of their fiends, while Frankie searches inside. He makes her promise to come home after everone is saved. She also kisses him…TWICE!

Pros:

The artwork looks nice.

The decorations for the Howliday Haunt are great.

They made Johnny look VERY handsome, younger me would have been doodling him in the margins of her school book instead of Andy Beast.

We get to see the three ghouls in their new Howliday lurks (and Frankie in her Stitched in Style) outfits. Robecca is in her SDCC outfit. And I think they look much better than the dolls.

We get to see some more background characters in this (Lothar, Johnny Spirit, Valentine, Spelldon, Lagoona, Manny, Holt, Clawd, Rochelle, Venus, Eyera, Kjersti, a shrunken down Gooliope, Toralei, Mr. Rotter, Frankie’s Dad, Bram, Jinafire, Viperine, Finnegan, Iris, Meowlody, Purrsephone, Spectra, Operetta, Deuce, Heath, Abbey, Jane Boolittle, and a witch named Brooke:

-note that Bram was not with Gory, Lagoona was not with Gil, and Operetta was not with Johnny and while Draculaura talked with Clawd she mentioned Poe too, and Frankie said she tried making another boyfriend again, which are all “mehs” to negatives to me.

Some of the party guests have some nice new outfits (Spelldon is a standout).

Johnny dressing up for a dance is putting on a loose tie and that checks.

Johnny calls Frankie “Stitches,” and I can’t help but think that is cute and something HOLT WOULD SAY.

Lore “Additions:”

Johnny said the reason he looks like a greaser and was in detention for 3000 years was because time is “screwy” there. Frankie has a kidney from a guy named Larry.

Frankie apparently met him the day before she started school because she was mapping out the halls beforehand. He became her first “fiend,” then they didn’t talk because he didn’t want to drag down her popularity.

Johnny has a ghost motorcycle.

that also checks out.

Johnny is in detention because he didn’t follow “orders and rules” and “tricked [Nightmare] onto the roof.” Which is kinda small potatoes in my opinion.

You can touch ghosts in Monster High if “you truly believe you can.”

You can only listen to ghost music on a “dead” medium like CD’s (I think Operetta recorded her music and it didn’t need to be on a dead medium…)

The school of Monster High responds to characters (specifically Draculaura after she spilled some of her blood) like in G3 (minus the blood). TW: blood…self harm…?

Frankie lost her right leg to a “Golem Retriever playing fetch.” An actually funny pun. And now has two left legs and can no longer dance except to the sounds of Johnny’s music (or thinking about his music).

There is now a “Monstrous Monarch” contest at Monster High.

Cleo thinks that Frankie dyes the white streaks in her hair.

We get to see the Stein’s mansion. It’s fine.

Draculaura might have alluded to having dated “bad boy[s], or girl[s] or non-binary[s].” Why does she thinks everyone has had that phase….👀👀

Witches can make truth potions (and it reveals that Purrsephone has a crush on her best friend’s date -her sister’s or Toralei’s date….?, Bram took out Jane Boolittle as part of an elaborate bet, Jinafire rigged the Monsterous Monarch vote -we never got the results of it btw-, Mr. Rotter takes ice cream from the -student- creature lounge, Draculaura is tired of trying to be perfect, Clawdeen is afraid of being with Toralei because she might/did screw it up with Toralei, Clawdeen thinks Cleo is a better dancer than her, Cleo likes Clawdeen’s fashion designs and misses talking about designs together and she misses Ghoulia -who is still missing in this-).

Cons/Nitpicks:

I am still not feeling the story. I don’t know why they are putting these random pairings together (they are not written badly here, but it’s just like…WHY?!? She has such good chemistry with Jackson and Holt, and with Andy and kinda with Neigthan if you REALLY wanted to go that route). But why the flirting with Manny in the Halloween special? And why the love connection with Johnny? Probably because it would make me curious to buy the floppies and THIS SUCKER DID! Johnny and Operetta broke up because “they worked better as band mates.”

All three main ghouls are drawn the same height. I badly want Draculaura to be as tiny as she was in the show, and Frankie to be as tall she was too!

Frankie trying to make another boyfriend (his first words were: “AI is legitimate form of creative expression” to show that he was brain dead and that it didn’t work out but it’s okay, HE HAS AN EXECUTIVE JOB IN SILICROW VALLEY). I hate it ALL!!

Abbey has been repeatedly looking annoyed or bored at Heath in this whole comic run including in this issue in this panel:

Toralei doesn’t have her thicker stripes, cat nose, or orange blotch.

Deuce’s outfit at the dance….his fashion sense has taken a nose dive since him and Cleo broke up again.

And some of their new scary puns just don’t feel natural (in my opinion: “school bloody” instead of “school body” is not an upgrade. “Wormy” instead of “worried.”) *shrugs*

What are your thoughts? Are you loving these? Hating them? Forgot they existed? Are you really hoping I’ll get back to it and actually upload my longer reviews with full page artwork (me too!)?

Did you have a Nostalgia Critic flashback when you saw Johnny with his loose red tie and black jacket?

NOW YOU HAVE TO LIVE WITH THAT IN YOUR HEAD TOO.