#Are You Human Too? OST Part 8

[phenixy-dunnhart]

WARNING ! SPOILERS for TLOVM season 3 and Campaign 1

I'm a bit sad with all the negativity in the tlovm tags following this new batch of episodes. Because all the usual appreciation and fun details pointing is drown in it. So I'll do my part and draw some light and appreciation for the following things:

"Allura can't teleport us 'cause we mind wind up in the ocean" Nice nod

The beauty of Glintshore sand? crystals ? I mean, I know the entire island isn't covered in it, but it's there and it's gorgeous

Vax and Grog banter, Pike and Vax friendship when she stole his badass line. Who says that the friendships in tlovm are not showed ? It's smaller because they're running out of time but if you keep both eyes open, you can catch the small moments.

How good was the delirium gas ?

Percy having bad Ripley PTSD ?Check.

Orthax forcing the (gas) mask on Percy's face ? Oh f*ck me that was so good.

Elaina's first appearence and Vex's heart torment ? Check

Vex fighting the gas messing with her mind and seeing Percy getting kidnapped ? Great

Her seeing Percy devoured by some hellish pain ? Awesome foreshadowing for Orthax feeding on Percy's soul

I won't dwell too much on ep 7 because I'm Perc'ahlia trash and this was pure gold but ALL their scenes.

And these two shots:

They're the last thing they think about before passing out. And look at them, they're looking at each other. Great parallels, great cinematography

You want more parallels ? You're not in enough pain ? I've got more ! How about this ?:

Percy cradling Vex because he doesn't want to lose her.

Vex cradling Percy because she lost him

MY HEART !!!!!!

Anyways back to our regular program: The color scheme in the factory is on point. Predominance of green during all Ripley's discussion with percy, some blasts of orange for Orthax.

This shot when they want to make us think Percy will go dark but also because he sincerly understand. He sees with her (green) eyes

Culminating in theses shots:

In the end, the true Percy is good (he's blue which is both his color and Vex's)

Then we got some nice Pike and Kiki character development with the delirium gas

Percy's fight with Ripley is pure display of his capacities and wits, not unlike Vex's fight against Saundor or Grog's fight against Kevdak. The fights with nemesis are always awesome, well choreographed and both characters and animators flexing.

And I like Grog's delirium both beacause it brings a bit of comic relief in this big painful episode but that's not all there is. Because when he gets out of it, he asks Pike if he hurt her again and you can't convince me that he didn't saw Craven Edge and the pain he inflicted Pike in his PTSD (not showed but we know)

Onto episode 8, love the Stilben flashback and the dead mystic cult leader being Taliesin.

The funeral was powerful and beautiful. The highlights being Cassandra crying her last family member and Vex'ahlia not saying the prayer despite being one of the Dawnfather.

Scanlan putting Kaylie's song music sheet on the altar for Percy breaks my heart. For him, he lost both of them and also he traded the life of his friend for moments with Kaylie (which he didn't even had, that's so sad)

Vox Machina assembling all of their allies with the beautiful OST was awesome while conserving this... heaviness. We're still grieving (at least I'm still am)

Vex and Syldor whole convesrsation. Laura Bailey, the talented woman you are and Troy Baker did a great job at humanizing him. though he's still a prick.

Vaxleth and Pikelan scenes were cute

We've got LARKIN mentioned and by Vax nonetheless !

Earthbreaker Groon and Grog doing the slapping hands/muscles flexing meme !

How brutal Thordak's attacks are in ep 8 and 9, all the people dying to rise up the stakes worked really well in my opinion.

Travis smarts piercing through Grog's 6 INT just like in the campaign

Earthbreaker Groon being a BAMF with that suplex

The teamwork going strong during all the fight

Zahra and Kash coming in to save the day. I love them your honor

My jaw dropped at Kashaw's badass magical attack. THAT WAS AWESOME and dropped further at his death. I couldn't believe it at first and as bold as a choice it was, I really liked it. Because it's a thing to kill NPC nameless army guys but killing a beloved character: that take some balls . And because of the unpredictability, the shock hit. I'm always here for the drama and it was beautifully done (the visuals for the Raven Queen and her powers are always as gorgeous as ominous).

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn also showing off her VA talent

In the end, every VM members getting his moment of glory :

Vex with getting the Syngorn army while being at her lowest/rock bottom ("The truth is the only bargaining chip at rock bottom", really nice parallels with the Stillben flashback + her using Percy's philosophy)

Grog destroying the lair

Scanlan getting them out of there at the peril at his life and ending up in a coma (nice subversion so there are not two dead party members followed up by two ressurections)

Keyleth being her badass elemental self (with her two gorgeous muscial leitmotives "blinded by the light" + "passing through the fire")

Pike being able to absorb Thordak -not red but- blue fire/laser which we saw went through Emon like butter. That's one MONSTAH move with beautiful beautiful colors (red yellow and blue mixing) look at this shot:

And Vax having the last kill, thinking of his mother doing this for Emon sure but most important for his mom, Vex and himself and what a beautiful shot and power move with the twisting golden and black torpedo that he is.

A great powerful death for a great powerful foe

And then some sorrow and sweetness. The Vaxleth back hug was adorable.

And that last shot of Keyleth after the confrontation with Raishan makes me long for more and to already be next week.

And that's some positivity and appreciation of CR work because they pour their heart and soul into these series and these characters and it's beautiful and I see it. I hope I could put some light on it at my small scale.

Have a great day and let's wait impatiently for next week and end of season 3

[toffeechad]

✰ BATTLE IN LOBOTOMY CORPORATION: THE TRUMPET OF TWO AU INFO ✰

⚠ TRIGGER WARNING: MENTIONS OF DEATH, ALIVEN'T AND ALSO N00SE RELATED IMAGERY INCLUDED. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK. ⚠

Do you want to proceed? (Click the read more block if yes, don't click the read more block if no.)

MAIN INFO

This AU has some parts of LobCorp & BFDI jumbled up together. The Agents get to take part in challenges. If their teams fail, one of the losing team's members get sacrificed to the Unnamed Fetus. You may be wondering, what would the abnormalities look like? Good question. For the abnormalities that have human-like bodies such as The Queen Of Hatred & Laetitia, they'd probably be based off the object that'll fit their design. For the abnormalities related to other categories such as Punishing Bird or CENSORED, they'll remain with the same design.

AGENT & SEPHIRAH INFO + DESIGNS (TW: N00SE INCLUSION ON FLOWER'S DESIGN)

Specifically by pattern, not only the line patterns on the robot are the same as the other, but also the colors are the same as the main color of that character's asset as well.

The sacrifice order of the AU is related to the BFB (presplit & postsplit) elimination order along with the TPOT elimination order.

These drawings were done way before tpot 9 truly came out, don't expect me to update their designs however!

OTHER INFO

SEFIROT BIOS

Loser: He was once a celebrity who was adored by his fans a lot, especially for Cake. He tried his best to aim for the perfect results and never gave up... but what he was trying his best to aim for became a personal obsession of his... it led him to a trap.

Black Hole: He's very strict when it comes to analyzing Abnormalities in the facility. But whenever he sees an employee from another team or his team die by being sacrificed, he gets extremely anxious. He has Thanatophobia.

Book: She's a dictionary trying her best to help out everyone with their problems so that she'd be appreciated. She has a habit of questioning her own sanity. Ever since Taco has been sacrificed, she's willing to befriend Bomby and Nickel during her breaktime in the facility.

Golf Ball: She's a scientist and mechanic who was formerly a responsible leader... but after suppressing the first 38 sacrificed victims together with the other employees, she tried apologizing to Puffball and Fries (with lowered cogito filters)... Yet she wasn't forgiven yet. They just stared at her angrily as if they're both in the brink of mutiny. Therefore, she then feels helpless whenever a trusted teammate of her dies.

Pencil & Match: Pencil's immature, whereas Match is positive at first. Both of them seem to only trust anyone that's affiliated with their alliance or their team.

Leafy: She was once a happy-go-lucky team member... until she was sacrificed. She just wanted to suppress abnormalities for the sake of helping out the facility. Although.... she's taking her duty too far.

Coiny: He's Pin's really sleep-deprived and mature best friend. While drinking his coffee, he mostly pretends to care for the other employees. While he was in his meltdown state, he struggles to control his own mind as if he had a mental breakdown.

Basketball: She's been through numerous agonizing moments ranging from 8-Ball's sacrifice to Robot Flower's memory loss. Someday, she'll find a way to get her back.... She deeply cares for Grassy's safety as well. She's in charge of handling physical materials for the facility. After the aforementioned events, she yearned for Bell to die soon as she'd enjoy seeing her suffer.

Clock: He's calm and collected. He doesn't really think there's a point to bond with Winner anymore. He's now in charge of recording everything that happens in the facility, especially for sacrifices. He has knowledge about time and cycles.

i suck at writing anyways, thank you for coming to my ted talk

[thats-the-teen-spirit]

Bring Me The Horizon - POST HUMAN: NeX GEn album review

Well I didn't expect to write a full BMTH album review today but here we go. The band officially blueballed their audience to the point that as soon as they passed the longest streak without releasing an album, they surprise-dropped it completely unexpectedly. Just a heads-up, I'm not familiar to the lore of the album, what the Nex Gen is or whatever but still, here's my review:

[ost] dreamseeker

This is the shortest and most basic noise intro they've done I think for a while, it's just sounds of steps and the fade in to the first track

2. YOUtopia

Way before the album was announced, back during the Survivor Horror album cycle Oli said something along the way that the Post Human series wants to explore each of their favorite and most played genres, one of which was "emo" as he said. Emo in a sense that MCR or Underoath was emo, not the old-school way. YOUtopia has definitely the MCR feeling to it, not as much as LosT has though but that is not the point. This song has a bouncy riff, catchy chorus (similar style to Werewolf, the song the guys did with Lil Uzi Vert on his latest album) and the most 'amo' feel outside of the singles for me. Great song, definitely will be played during concerts.

3. Kool-Aid

The last single before they dropped the album, possibly the most balanced song out of the singles. Very catchy chorus, even the first few seconds feel like the "you're gonna die in the pit" fright that I usually feel at concerts. The breakdown is crazy, it has a very death metal guitar solo, what more do you want?

4. Top 10 staTues tHat CriEd bloOd

When I first read the title I thought this would be the most emo song on the album. I was not wrong. The style of 80% of the song is pure pop punk. There's the old school blink-182-like riff, the chorus sounds like it's from a 00's teen movie. Sometimes in the song there are cheeky blastbeat parts which I adored with Super Mario coin sounds that were hilarious. Oh and there's the Poliphia-bridge that made me smile. This is gonna be a top song on the album for sure for me. It's just so unapologetically fun, it's crazy.

5. liMOusIne (feat. AURORA)

The most out of place song for me, it doesn't even feel like BMTH. It sounds like they hopped on the Deftones-core hype train with the 8 or 9 string low tuned guitar riff that is more Sleep Token than BMTH. Still it's a banger, the bridge by AURORA is really catchy as well. The outro of the song is probably my favorite of theirs outside of One Day the Only Butterflies... on the previous album.

6. DArkSide

DArkSide was the fifth single, and in my opinion the most basic bitch one. It just sounds like they wanted to rip off Linkin Park's Somewhere I Belong again, this of course doesn't mean that the song is bad. In fact it grew on me a lot since it got released. The lyrics are very edgy which is expected from a BMTH song but this song was also a bit too cheesy for me, it definitely goes for the safe radio play option that the band still needs to be as popular as they are.

7. ​​a bulleT w- my namE On (feat. Underoath)

If you read this review carefully you might have noticed that I namedropped Underoath earlier. Well, they are featured on the album. This one literally feels like an old-school Underoath song but with Oli's vocals and the modern hyperpop spin that they do through the whole album. At some point Spencer's vocals felt like they were originally be Jordan's which kinda broke my heart a bit, since the Oli+Jordan duo were my favorite songwriters in the scene. If you're a fan of Underoath you should definitely give this one a spin.

8. [ost] (spi)ritual

Intro=Dark Signs by Sleep Token, Lyrics=Fully Satanic, title=clever wordplay. It's a 2 minute long interlude that has some guitars in it so most fans will not be disappointed in it, the biblical references are there for the edge of it but are barely audible, if you're one of those fans who recently got offended by their latest marketing ploy (the Jesus one), then I'd suggest skip this one. Also it's BMTH, they have always been against religion in general so... don't be surprised.

9. n/A

This song broke me. The first two lines are: "Hi, My name is Oli and I'm an addict. I'm here cause I'm not quite all there". The guitar work is very simple in the beginning, reminiscent of Where is My Mind by the Pixies, but you can sense that something big is coming. This is the most personal song on the album, I haven't heard Oli open up this much about suicidal thoughts and addiction since Sempiternal. It also has a grotesque feel to it as he discribes how he would kill himself in various ways (jumping down a building, making love to a chainsaw, etc). This one is also pretty emo, but not just because of the lyrics, by the sound as well. Definitely will be landing on my playlist.

10. LoSt

Undoubtedly my favorite song on the album, i've been constantly listening to it since it came out last year. If there is a thing called "I'm not Okay"-core this is it. The breakdown is the funnest one through the whole discography of the band, the chorus is a clone of the aformentioned MCR song and the pacing feels like a pop punk banger with an easycore breakdown. Still 10/10 for me.

11. sTraNgeRs

It's kinda crazy to think about how much time passed between each single and the album itself. This song will always remind me to coming home from my ex-girlfriend whom I've completely alienated from at that point and humming to myself: We're just a room full of strangers. I know that the original meaning of the song is quite the oposite, it has a sense of unity and togetherness but still, my personal story overwrote this one for me and I cannot help it. This was the second single and in my opinion didn't age as well as the others but still a very good song.

12. Rip (duskCOre RemIx)

Some segments of the lyrics of this song can be found throughout the teasers BMTH put out in the past few years. This one is a purely hyperpop/heavy pop banger that is very common towards the end of the record. The pacing is again very pop punk and emo, but it has those glitchy effects and even a dance beat at some point. It's a fun one but the poppiest out of the whole record I think. Oh and there's a woah-woah post-chorus which is again, very pop punk. Also despite the sound is very happy and hyper the lyrics are very self-loathing and depict the disappointment Oli had with himself after relapsing during COVID. Just a not so fun fact.

13. AmEN! (feat, Lil Uzi Vert and Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw)

The heaviest song on the album that was premiered live in my home country last year. I'm really disappointed I missed that and am still salty about it. Anyway this song is the same as Darkside for me, it's not a bad one, in fact, the old school BMTH fans will like this one the most, but for me it's not as exciting. I'd rather listen to the random bullshit they come up with than Oli trying to replicate Suicide Season style vocals which tore his throat up back then. But back to the song, it also grew a lot on me, the choir breakdown will always be fun and the lyrics have very much the Hospital of Souls kind of feel and edginess.

14. [ost] puss-e

Speaking of randomness, this one is about the female genitalia. it's an interlude (as every song beginning with [ost]). I think it's the biggest brain fart they had since the Music to Listen to... EP dropped. The callout before the breakbeat is literally: What would you do for pussy?. It's a random noisy shitshow that people will be mad about just like they were during the amo era but this is still unfathomably BMTH at their finest.

15. DiE4u

It's crazy to think about but this song came out almost 3 years ago, back when Survivor Horror had its album cycle and people were still mostly locked up in quarantine. The lyrics are about addiction again, not surprisingly and were inspired by Oli's relapse that I mentioned earlier. During COVID he made some very bad choices that lead him to get on ketamine for the first time since I think 2013 or so. This song is basically him singing to the drugs, it's a little fucked isn't it? It definitely didn't hold up as well as LoSt or AmEN because back in 2021 Oli was still trying to spread the idea he had about making a new genre called heavy pop. Well, some of his ideas are on the album so I guess he was successful.

16. Dig it

The closing track of this massive album and again we're back to the topic of self-hatred. Oli is again very disappointed in himself to a melody that is similar to Something in the Way by Nirvana. Maybe that was an inspiration, since that song also screams self-loathing. Then there's the modern pop drumbeat, but still the instrumentals are very lowkey, it's clear that the intention is to focus on the lyrics. The closure of the track gets heavy as usual and we hear Count Your Blessings era vocals again. There is even a little snippet at the very end after a little silence, that the AI playing the album failed which means the album is over.

Overall it's a great album, I think Oli and the band ended up with a terrific record, however I still miss Jordan's work on some of the songs. Maybe some ideas were scrapped, maybe even reworked at certain points but I'll always miss his handprint from now on I think. All of the fanbase will be happy with this record I guarantee it.

[hedonists]

CJ OST first listen reaction under the cut. Spoilers ahead.

Too long; didn't read version: I love what they've done with this. I have so much respect for them as artists. To get this much for a deluxe album is insane.

(I didn't include every track because, for example, we obviously know Artificial Suicide live fucking slaps, I don’t need to tell you this)

1. C:\Projects\CJOST\BEATDEATH- the urge to overanalyze the ever living shit out of this is strong

2. V.A.N (feat. Poppy) - she is glory she is beauty she is everything

3. The Drain (feat. HEALTH, Swarm) - 10/10, duh

4. Terms & Conditions (feat. Bob Vylan) - first reaction: ????????, then: this kinda vibes

5. Hedonist [Recharged] (feat. WARGASM) - she's a bad bitch, she takes no one's shit.

6. Even - she's a 10/10, I love her; vulnerable vibes, 3 am rainy vibes, baby talk to me what's on your mind, do you need kisses, hugs, a shoulder to cry on? talk to me

7. Loading Screen - we love instrumentals in this house

8. Anything > Human (feat. Erra) - hands down best (new) track on this album together with Even, 100/10, fucking SLAPS; lyrics hurt my soul though, chorus instantly got stuck in my head, these men need several HUGS!!! (I seriously could scream about the lyrics all day because LORE)

9. Digital Footprint - instrumental. Slaps.

10. Nervous System (feat. iRis.EXE) - LORE. these guys want to shake their booties to some beats, love the tone of her voice, I can see why shes on this

11. C:\Projects\CJOST\FINDPEACE - one more chopped up interlude Noah and I'll hop on a plane and hunt this band down, WHAT IS HE SAYING?!

12. Artificial Suicide [Unzipped] (feat. Thousand Below) - I felt that vibrating in my core. That’s all.

13. The Grey [Unzipped] (feat. Thousand Below) - this is what my generation would have called a "nightcore edit". Honestly? Not so bad. It’s intriguing. They were definitely having fun with these unzipped versions

14. The Death of Peace of Mind [We Are Fury Patch] - felt that vibrating in my core part 2; fic trailer enemies to lovers music, loop loop loop

16. Bad Decisions [Lofi] (feat. Dahlia) - sad chill vibes. if you wanna be sapphic and sad with me, let's be sapphic and sad together. love her

17. Just Pretend [Credits] (feat. Let's Eat Grandma, Chief) - oh I absolutely adore her voice, I genuinely love this version

18. C:\Projects\Cjost\Clearmind - dude idk what you're saying except "we're sorry" and "good morning"??

21. The Grey [Live 2024] - vocal Queen, masterpiece, impressive, stunning, earth-shattering, never done before, cannot be topped etc. etc.

22. What Do You Want From Me? [Live 2024] - this is probably what changed Noah's brain chemistry and made him decide that he's a club whore now. Can’t blame him, this goes hard

23. Nowhere To Go [Live 2024] - Folio's song 10/10

24. V.A.N [Live 2024] (feat. Poppy) - BARK

25. The Death of Peace of Mind [Live 2024] - this is what heaven must sound like

26. Just Pretend [Live 2024] - angelic vocals, what else is there to be said? Oh, also it’s 9 minutes long. Why? Find out. Might have maybe perhaps mayhaps cried just a little? Maybe. Definitely. It’s late. I love them. I love Bad Omens. The urge to hop on a plane and hunt them down to give them kisses and hugs is painful.

[kindaoptimisticsquirrel]

Trigun Bookclub Trimax Vol12 Part3

Vol01: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3  | Vol02: Part 1 | Part 2

Trimax: Vol01 Part 1Vol01 Part 2 | Vol02 Part 1Vol02 Part 2 | Vol 03 Part 1 | Vol03 Part2 | Vol04 Part1 | Vol04 Part2 | Vol05 | Vol06 | Vol07 | Vol08 Part1 | Vol08 Part2 | Vol09 Part1 | Vol09 Part2 | Vol10 Part1 | Vol10 Part2 | Vol10 Part3 | Vol10 Part4 | Vol11 Part 1 | Vol11 Part2 | Vol12 Part1 | Vol12 Part2 | Vol12 Part3

Final Part! Let's get this party started for chapter 7-9 of Vol12!

Chapter 7:

MILLY AAAAAH

hngng the way tiny Meryl is desperately trying to drag Milly away...oh my poor heart Oh look another asshole. You can step right over there to the guys-we-have-no-sympathy-with-couch and have a seat. I see there's still some free space next to Chapel.

Oh you mean he's awfully quiet for a guy who just lost his love, who realized his brother wants to kill him and all his friends too, who you have personally mutilated, who basically is leading the streak of shitty-days-in-a-row?? I'm not sure but maybe it's not completely unthinkable that he might not be up to conversation.

Also THAT.

Man, that panel.

That's Vash's bullets, right? Sweet. (also not cool because it's draining him, but the concept? Sweet.)

Btw I'm listening to the Stampede soundtrack while doing these chapters. Nearly every soundtrack is a perfect fit for the scenes one way or the other :D I fricking love the stampede ost

Livioooooo!!! Aaah our big cuddly cowboy has returned!

He's so cute!! Wanting to make a good first proper introduction and being nervous about it! Awww <:3

He's so cool!

I wonder if Vash knows how his ideals live through Wolfwood and in return, in Livio. He has just joined the crew but is already fully comitted to live by the credo to not kill. Livio's not half-assing things! Wolfwood would be so proud of you.

Although Knives was resoluted earlier, it's maybe one thing to end things in a quick swift strike, or see your brother slowly falling apart beneath you. Bit late to start caring now, Knives :( Do you, though, Vash?

Chapter 8:

oh no the playlist switched to the song I used to listen over and over while reading Wolfwood's last arc (it's this here. I never watched the show but it made me sad enough while reading).

Awesome Chronica Angel/Plant panel

Aaand we're getting some more plant knowledge! Well, the Independants though DO have a concept of self, right? The others are more like a hivemind.

(Comparing them to bees in my head caused me to ask the very interesting question: what if Vash, much like bees, communicated information by moving in special ways? I'm imagining he has his own special dance for "donut in northeast direction at 360m" that he would sometimes do in front of Wolfwood and Wolfwood just stands there perplex while Vash is hopping in loops and 8 figures. Hihihi)

Thank god Vash is so concentrated or he would end up destroying the northern hemisphere.

There's a lot to analyse in the way the blood is closing in on him and caging him in. But mostly we're feeling he's getting close to the end of his powers, mentally and physically.

While the page before has been very cruel I am laughing at what appears to be the opposite of a yaoi hand.

In a twisted way I believe Knives fully means what he says here. To him, Vash and him can never have peace in a world with humans. So the only peace he can get is being dead, since Vash will never accept Knive's ideas and path.

Trimax pages that would be pretty cool to have as posters, #34378

(they're not dead though, right? In the background?)

This panel is Nightow creeping up at us readers from behind and kicking us in the shins with a roundhouse kick

Before I just read these panels as Vash lying there, near-dead, but now I think these lights are the lives he's sensing in the city below! Plants or humans alike maybe?

And that tiny bit is giving him the strength to carry on...!

Heeey!! Hii!! Hi! <3 Hiiiya!

And woaah is that Vash's black hole bullet ripping through the clouds?? It could be that, but also Chronica established a connection at this precise moment, so that could be it, too.

I am not ok, look at how desperate my boy looks.

Noooo go awaaaay

Chapter 9:

Oh dear god it's Legato's backstory. I'm not sure how many screenshots I'll post...I like the title of the chapter though. "Two people against the world". That's Legato and Knives. All throughout Trimax, Knives never really seemed to care much for Legato though? I read in another post that this could have been different, before Knives met Vash again and became kinda obsessed? And that this could also explain Legato's complete hate for Vash! I like that hypothesis, but I can't recall who wrote that sadly!

Anyway, he knows how to make an entrance for sure. And he brought a friend to the party! Big iron lady...thingie...?

And I can't deny that it's a bit badass to directly stare into the eye of a laser of a big powerful space ship.

If that was even possible: Legato's admiration level for Knives has just risen another 100 points.

There's not really an explanation why Legato, as a human, has this power, is there? Let this be another myth that Stampede might unreval in their series for us to enjoy!

We are skipping the next few pages that we have all read to jump right to this spread here:

Because it's a pretty beautiful double page. If not for the cut off faces, this could look pretty peaceful!

This is...aw man. Legato's story is really cruel. I hate him but I also love his character. The perfect adversary for Vash, too. And Knives is smiling?? I'm sure it was Knives that gave Legato his name then. Must have been the best day in his life.

Phew!! Done with Vol12! Lots of great panels and pages to look at, again! Two more to go, then we're throught. I'll be a bit sad when it's over :( The bookclub has been a wonderful constant these past weeks!

[oogaboogaspookyman]

[IT'S A ME]

.

.

.

.

[1]

It's been decades since i have seen another mortal soul in front of me

My head had deteriorated alongside with the land, i feel like i died

*ya no wonder you look like a creep don't fuckin' touch Gf she's taken and doesn't accept absolute horrid creatures like you mfer*

[2]

Decades trapped inside this MOTHERFUCKING CONSOLE

Everything around me fell apart just like my brain, Super Mario is now no more

*dayum yeah that be rough but did i ask? Fucker?*

(I HAD DECAYED)

[3]

No turning back now, the damage is done

Let's see if you'd like it if i were to pull you apart too!

*yeah you a bitch fuck off go bother someone else, sonic.exe wannabe I AM GOD head ass bitchass dumbass stupid ass goofyass no bitches having ass*

[4]

I'm gonna have a lotta fun tearing you apart, inch by agonizing inch!

The both of you are gonna be my playthings 'till the very end!

*what did i fuckin' say. EXEs never change, it's all the same damn thing y'know, so cheesy it's even funny man shut up*

[5]

It's-a me, just Super Mario in the flesh!

This old plumber is gonna shove your innards inside a pipe, they'll never find your body before you rot!

*yeah yeah same ol' same ol' bs shut yo ass up you're annoying*

(you're gonna rot inside the pipes, and nobody will ever tell you're GONE)

[6]

It's been decades since i had seen another human being in my now godly presence

My humanity had become naught but a faint memory in the depths of my subconcious

Do you know the feeling of your soul watching your own body rotting and fading away, so powerless?

*don't fuckin' trauma dump on me you bitch fuck you, dipshit*

(ME, I HAVE DIED)

(YET, I CAN BREATHE)

[7]

Kill you

I'll kill you, rip you up into little pieces

Eat your remains, your innards, you're gonna die!

*🖕😐🖕* (AUTHOR'S NOTE: wHEEZE-)

[8]

Decades trapped inside this stupid fucking console, left to ROT

I WATCHED MY OWN BODY DIE WITH MY OWN EYES

*yeah that's definetly traumatic but did i fuckin' ask* (author's note: MAN FUCK OFF)

(YOU'RE GONNA DIE LIKE I HAVE BEFORE)

[9]

LET'S NOT WASTE ANY MORE TIME

I'M ABOUT TO RIP OUT YOUR SPINE

YOUR SOUL WILL BELONG TO ME

YOUR FLESH WILL BE ALL MINE TO EAT

NOW THE BOTH OF YOU WILL BE MY PLAYTHINGS

YOUR FATE WAS SET IN MOTION THE MOMENT YOU LAID YOUR EYES ON THE CARTRIDGE

YOU CANNOT ESCAPE THE HELL YOU'VE UNLEASHED UPON YOURSELF

*oh no the track just became even more of a banger oh nooo this means bad things are gonna happen whatever will i doooooo fuck you*

[10]

NOW, LET'S SET THIS SHIT STRAIGHT, PLAY OUR ONE THRILLING GAME

LET'S PLAY TAG, SEE IF YOU CAN OUTRUN MY KNIFE, LITTLE BLUEBALLS BOY

*okay- out of character here- i love how i'm so like "man shut yo bitchass up i don't want no killer Mario tryna ruin my day fuck you" meanwhile for some reason Bf is canonically afraid for his life and his Gf's safety like- YOU'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE AND YOU SURVIVED BECAUSE THEY WERE FUCKING STUPID AS SHIT MY GUY oh wait good part incoming hol' up*

(GO ON)

(RUN OFF)

(TRY ME)

[11]

GO AHEAD AND TRY, RUN FROM ME AND DELAY THE INEVITABLE, SEE IF IT DOES YOU ANY GOOD, KEEP YOUR SOUL AWAY FROM ME

[12]

THE FLAMES OF MY HELLHOLE WILL SWALLOW YOU WHOLE BEFORE YOU EVEN SET FOOT IN YOUR MORTAL REALM

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU FUCK WITH THE WRONG FORCES OUTSIDE OF YOUR CONTROL

NOW YOU WILL PAY

*OOOHHHH*

*oh yo this is actually awesome hold ON YO*

*YOOOOO*

(IT'S-A ME, JUST SUPER MARIO, ABOUT TO SHOW YOU THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS)

[WE'RE GONNA HAVE SO MUCH FUN]

[JUST ME AND YOU]

[runawaymun]

Ohhhh Erestor for like. Everything! But if that’s too much 😅 just for the sleep one? Also glorfindel ;)

Erestor:

☾ - sleep headcanon

He's peredhel, so he sleeps... basically like a human. He needs somewhere between 6-8 hours per night, closes his eyes, and experiences REM.

★ - sad headcanon

I don't have too many of these for Erestor, but I do get sad thinking about, with regards to my headcannon that he was raised among the Haladin, that he basically watched everyone he grew up around die out while he was still pretty "young", and then on top of that-- being "Feanorian" he must have been so ostracized and lonely :(

☆ - happy headcanon

Love the idea of him going to Ost-in-Edhil and being taken under Celebrimbor's wing. I headcannon them as being very close in the second age, bonding over being basically the last of the line, y'know?

☠ - angry/violent headcanon

Erestor never yells when angry. He just gets very, very cold. He's also super calculating and tends not to react to things in the moment, but prefers to plan things out that will come to fruition later.

✿ - Sex headcanon

Sex positive ace :)

■ -  Bedroom/house/living quarters headcanon

EXTREMELY tidy. Mess drives him to violence! But he does have the innate human "clutter" thing of collecting objects (books, maps, notebooks, bird feathers mostly). And keeps these all in very orderly collections.

♡ - romantic headcanon

He's not a super romantic type, but if he's fixing your clothes/hair for you or fussing a lot then he probably likes you.

♥ - family headcanon

During the Third Age he lives up in the family's wing in Rivendell (with Glorfindel), and helps raise Arwen and Elladan and Elrohir. He's a huge part of their lives (and a favorite prank target).

☮ - friendship headcanon

He's one of those friends that you always want around because he's not afraid to call you out on your bullshit. He just has a very low tolerance for it. Especially for people who are too hard on themselves (which is why he's so good for Elrond).

♦ - quirks/hobbies headcanon

Bird watcher, likes collecting bird feathers and skulls, and is super into architecture.

☯ - likes/dislikes headcanon

Mess, sour food, & hates hot weather.

▼ - childhood headcanon

already answered here, but have another one: he didn't have any actual siblings, but he grew up well-liked with a small posse of human friends that he'd run around with as a kid. He was very bossy but like, in the kind of way that makes you want to listen to what he says, and always had strong opinions on what games they should play and how to play them.

∇ -. old age/aging headcanon

I'm not sure whether I have one of these due to him being immortal, though I like the idea of him developing a couple gray streaks toward the end of the third age.

♒ - cooking/food headcanon

He doesn't cook a lot, mostly because he can't be bothered. Like, he can, he just doesn't like to & considers it a hassle.

☼ - appearance headcanon

I like to model his face after Lee Joon-Gi :) He looks perfect to me for what I imagine Erestor to look like.

ൠ - random headcanon

Coffee drinker. Where does that coffee come from? I guess the same place that Middle Earth hobbits get their potatoes. 🤷

◉ - Any other question of your choosing

Glorfindel

☾ - sleep headcanon

Blanket hogger. Like obviously elves don't sleep in the way that we do, but he still hates being cold & when he does walk the paths of memory he 'sleeps' like a log.

★ - sad headcanon

Has regular balrog nightmares that he doesn't admit to. He's very macho about the whole balrog/gondolin situation but that shit was genuinely traumatic for him and yeah, he gets nightmares and phantom aches about it.

☆ - happy headcanon

Has a nickname for absolutely everyone. Calls Elrond 'winyamo' (kiddo). :) Elrond calls him 'grandpa'.

☠ - angry/violent headcanon

Ohhhhh he DOES do that sexy noldorin blaze-with-treelight when he's mad.

✿ - Sex headcanon

Very worshipful partner, kind of a horny bastard tbh.

■ -  Bedroom/house/living quarters headcanon

Messy. He doesn't mean to be, he just tends to leave things around and not put things away -- a bit forgetful like that.

♡ - romantic headcanon

Oh he is a mess when he's around his partner. 10/10 doting, hopeless romantic, pet names, the whole nine yards.

♥ - family headcanon

Also part of the peredhil family unit, plays pranks with the twins, and responsible for teaching all three of the kids pretty much everything they know about swordplay and footwork. It's not that Elrond doesn't train with them, it's just that Glorfindel's the main teacher in that regard.

☮ - friendship headcanon

Actually super good friends with Galadriel & they refer to each other by their Quenya names.

♦ - quirks/hobbies headcanon

Very fidgety/has trouble sitting still. Tends to pace during meetings.

☯ - likes/dislikes headcanon

Adores animals and melts for children. Absolutely can't stand spicy food.

▼ - childhood headcanon

I don't actually have one???? 😭 I have such a hard time imagining Glorfindel as a child actually.

∇ -. old age/aging headcanon

Mellows out considerably with age and kind of just wants to retire in a cottage with his husband. Please don't ask him to rule or do any politics. He just wants to settle down.

♒ - cooking/food headcanon

Loves to cook. Is very bad at it.

☼ - appearance headcanon

IDK I actually disagree with a lot of general depictions of Glorfindel, mostly because I think they're just a bit too fem? Idk how to explain it but he's a huge kronk-y himbo in my head, and a lot of Glorfindel depictions just don't look right to me.

ൠ - random headcanon

He still doesn't braid his hair back for fights, even though he really should.

◉ - Any other question of your choosing

[koravelliumavast]

the best part of any adaptation isn’t the voice acting or the animation but rather the soundtrack and sound design. a kinda messy ramble.

first off i have no skin in the game. i’m not like a music major or anything so we’re not getting technical here. i did do band for 8 years however so there’s that.

now it doesn’t matter what the media is- movies and shows sound empty without their soundtracks. it adds an element to them that invokes emotions even if we don’t recognize it at first.

this is mainly because music is something universal that transcends language barriers. music is a universal experience. since before recorded history people have been using music to tell and enhance stories no matter the culture music is inherent in our lives.

and when you’re watching a show it’s no different. music plays a big role in our subconscious understanding and processing of the media. scenes without any music in them sound empty. as if they’re missing something. (because they are) and when there are scenes without music they are usually used for effect or emphasis to show the depth of a situation further.

one of my favorite recent examples of this is how after sukuna defeats mahoraga there’s not any music played again (until specialz) but the rest of the episode was full of the OST. just emphasizing how much that fucked up yuji which is another thing music does well with invoking emotionality. most any time i hear malevolent shrines theme- I literally get chills just from the whole way it’s orchestrated. (if you haven’t listened to it by itself i highly recommend it)

but it’s not just the soundtracks that do that. pairing it with the animation add just another sense of dread and urgency to the whole thing. like we know this is a bad scenario already. but the music layers onto that sensation even more. soundtracks change the way we see shows. watch a scene without the sound on and then watch it again with the sound on and there’s a big difference. or read the same scene. the soundtracks add depth.

often times as well, soundtracks tell their own story. sometimes characters have a very specific motif that is tied to them and it can be found repeatedly across the songs. sometimes they’re even respondent to the characters themselves.

my favorite example here is in trigun stampedes ost. knives’s piano will always overtake a song while vash’s themes tend to be more subtle and let the other themes shine above his own. and the twins are like that too. vash wants to coexist with humans- knives believed it’s impossible. the stampede ost also has its own story to it. as it progresses it gets further away from that “westerny” sound and starts to get more orchestral and cinematic

and that’s because music tells a story. this isn’t just evident in anime either. the hunger games soundtrack is very brass and drum heavy- sounds that are typically associated best with military strength and revolution and in thg they overthrow the government. despite it not having the same composers throughout the series- harry potters soundtrack gets darker throughout to reflect the tone of the series as a whole as it gets darker and more deadly. jurassic parks classic theme is very awestriking and instills a sense of wonder in a person- they cloned dinosaurs. that is a very awe inspiring thing to see. there are more examples but you get it.

of course. soundtracks aren’t the only thing that add depth to media- that’s what sound design is for. a gunslinging show wouldn’t be the same if there wasn’t a rumbling sound whenever there was a gunshot. the eagle screech is actually from a red-tailed hawk. these elements are often overlooked as well, since they stimulate our subconscious enjoyment of media without us really processing them because that’s what they’re there to do. enhance the experience of the show itself and make it feel more realistic

if someone’s wearing heels and walking on a tile floor and it’s clearly shown- you’ll hear a clacking sound because that’s what heels SOUND like on tile irl. it wouldn’t be silent. these are things our brains have learned to just process but not call big attention to, which leads people to often times just pass up the enhancements sound design adds to a series. but without those it would be empty and feel wrong. like something was missing. because it is.

[mikkouille]

Dear mutual @mashmouths taggie me for the game of 'Post the ten first songs on your 'On repeat' playlist on Spotify' or SMTH like that.

As I do not have a Spotify, idk what all that means, but I decided to eyeball it from what the randomiser of my phone seems to give ten times a day, from me local files.

It is a hard work of statistic 100% accurate nothing could go wrong (lie, girlie behind me in the train loudly licking chips crumbs off her fingers and chewing. noise unbearable. thought jumbled over it. the statistics have been messed up). Basically, just clicking 'next song' til I get one that makes me go oh yeh she plays all the time'. What's on my Bandcamp isn't on my local files so unfortsh we lose a whole lot of potential songs there. It's life.

1. Boris Farewell, honestly she's so good portable. I can vibe on my better audio equipment, I can vibe in the metro, in a crowd, she'll always be an enjoyable one no matter the sounds around me.

2. doechii Stressed, well damn so true. I must be stressed too.

3.Nature LIMBO, LIMBO LIMBO LIIIIIIIIIM BO LIMBO LIMBO LIIM

4. Moses Sumney Gargarin, it's hilarious how I'll hear this song ten billion times a week from shuffle, go 'oh what's that song it's nice- oh right of course' somehow there's a spell on it that makes me forget the name. but not that I like it.

5. Britney Spears Outrageous, it's not even my fave of its album yet my phone is OBSESSED with her. Outrageous. When I move my body OUTRAGEOUS when I'm at a party OUTRAGEOUS in my sexy jeans

6. THORNAPPLE As Above So Below, had a phase in my life where I looped that song for hours and then days nothing else, my shuffle never recovered I think.

7. vvv Oh dirty Leeds, I swear it's been months since I Voluntarily of my own clicked the song, she's part of the landscape of my shuffle.

8. ShinEE The Feeling, if I hit shuffle I am sure to hear it at a point or another. It's like the home screen at this point.

9. shygirl BAWDY, it's criminal how you will never witness the gay AMV that happen in my head when this song plays (10 times a day).

10. FLO Losing you, often in immediate succession with the previous one. Keep them on their toes....

++++bonus

for some reason my phone constantly plays christi interlude, but not any other song from the album... hey there sweetieeee I was just taking a look at your cHArt and OoOøh myYyi GOODNESS (goodness) You Are. experiencing THE most powerful transit right now. we have the FUOUL MOÖN. Today! At 24 degreeeeees of CAPricorn. we have PLUTO. the MAIN! planet of transfhow delightful ☺️ you were born on a Nyew Myoon :] that gives you such an OPTImistic EnErgy. you believe Anything can Happen. the woooorld is you Oyster :] the Symbol! of the New Moon... is the SEED star seed (star seed) SCA(???neverunderstoodthatword) thru the galactic Center to Evolve Humanity.

btw last time it played it, it immediately played Rina's Take me as I am and honestly the transition was so seamless to me. granted the child screaming in the BG of the train I was in did help blending stuff together but.

didn't put any song of The Kpopman's group BC it'd have been passé. cliché. frenchwordé. you can assume that yes, it throws some at me at regular intervals. Respect my privacy. (I think if I had to identify one that I'm fed the most it'd have to be Venom, every shuffle she'll be here)

Also I got songs from the game tho and aside from. the. mh. miss answers. which I respectfully skip whenever out cuz it's for in private. I have to ask my phone; what's with amdapor. carrying the dungeon ost pack...

-----

The total here is somewhat cohesive but also doesn't feel complete, alas it's all one can do with 10 songs...

Tagging; ppl who don't have a Spotify only.

[mirageofadesert]

Rating cdramas I watched as a newbie pt. 3

!! Spoiler Warning!! You can find part 1 and part 2 here!

The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty  8/10 

Acting: 9/10 World-building: 8/10 Production: 8/10 Storytelling: 8/10 Re-watch Value: 7/10  Pacing: 8/10 Bonus: I loved the intro and OST so much, I added it to my playlist.

I started to watch this drama a while back, but gave up after the second episode, because I couldn't follow the plot. I'm glad I came back after having watched more cdramas. Those gave me more background knowledge to follow to complex political structures and plots. After finally understanding the backdrop of the story, I was surprised to find out, that this show was vaguely adapted from a danmei novel.

While the story-line was interesting, it were the characters that really got me hooked, especially Wang Zhi. His character and story had so much more potential and I would love to watch a whole show with him as a main character. It kind of blew my mind that he was that young - and while his actions made you forget about it at times, the show manage to remind you of his youth in really great scenes.

Overall, the show suffered from the same problems many shows do: The story-line becomes to convoluted, the stakes don't fit the established tone of the show and some plot-holes are hard to overlook. For example, there should have been a better way to set up the empress as a warrior, because that came out of nowhere (twice). While the action scenes were great at first, when trying to raise the stakes during the last few episodes, it became over the top and felt out of place. In addition, some serious topics they tried to address (e.g. PTSD, domestic violence, human trafficking) didn't go anywhere and lacked consequences.

In spite of these problems, I loved the show and their main characters a lot. They did have great chemistry and I'm curious how a BL adaptation of this show would have looked like.  

---

Destined  7/10

Acting: 8/10 World-building: 7/10 Production: 8/10 Storytelling: 4/10 Re-watch Value: 6/10  Pacing: 5/10 Bonus: For Gu Jiusi charming mumbling and Liu Xueyi as the villain

The first episodes of this show were so great - I was having so much fun and I loved how the tone of the show switched by episode 9. In hindsight, I should have seen this as a sign, that the script would become messy: Stringing together too many impactful scenes, without letting the the story enfold. The problem with this is, that they lose their emotional impact and start to feel over the top and unrealistic. Somehow the ML is a playboy that does not care for women, but is also secretly one of the best martial artist out there even through we never see him practice during the episodes that follow his every day life in detail? It was just a bit too much lazy writing, trying to establish the path of the main characters. The idea was great, but the execution was a bit lacking. It's such a shame.

I think the riches to racks to riches story they wanted to tell was to convoluted even for 40 episodes. The ending was especially disappointing for me - but not because of how the main characters' story ends, but rather because of how they solved the succession problem. After making the question, what makes a suitable ruler, a focus point of the show, they make the next (next) crown prince some never before mentioned character off screen? It felt so unsatisfied! I feel like the show lacked a clear meta plot, a massage beyond the love story.

---

Light Chaser Rescue 5/10

Acting: 7/10 World-building: 7/10 Production: 4/10 Storytelling: 5/10 Re-watch Value: 3/10  Pacing: 6/10 Bonus: For not centering the plot on the love story alone.

I'm currently on a mission to watch Luo Yunxi (allegedly) mediocre filmography and Light Chaster Rescue was next on the list. It turned out to be a decent show! My biggest grievances is, that the rescue scenes lacked suspense and I think that's a budget and production issue. Some of the characters were quite flat and annoying and I'm not sure how much of it was insufficient acting skills or a bad script (I lean towards the latter).

In addition - and it really pains me to say this Luo Yunxi's character was not written well and I'm not sure he was the best fit for the role. In the beginning Luo Ben was supposed to be self-centered and annoying. Still, the dialog was just not well written and no amount of excellent acting could save come of the lines. The whole over-protectiveness over his mute little sister was also not done well and made me dislike Luo Ben. Now, this might be quite controversial, but if they cast an actor, that does not fit the typical build of an rescue worker, it would have been better to actually make this part of the story. Ignoring it most of the time, made Luo Ben unconvincing. I think they tried to set it up in some ways (e.g. pointing out his tactical skills, driving ability and how the other members don't see him as suitable at first), but the drama failed to deliver it. In my opinion, it would have given the show a bit more depth and realism.

On that note... I would like to know if Luo Yuan actually signed CSL or if it was just some gibberish. Adequate representation of dis/abled people in media matters, so I really hope they got it right. I also had mixed feeling that she was only mute and not hard of hearing. I know it's possible, even if uncommon. It's obvious why they made that decision, but it felt (again) unconvincing.

Overall, I still enjoyed the show and the pacing was quite nice. I liked the long build up to the different characters joining the Light Chaser Rescue and how they did the big revelation later on!

---

Broker 6/10

Acting: 7/10 World-building: 6/10 Production: 6/10 Storytelling: 6/10 Re-watch Value: 4/10  Pacing: 6/10 Bonus: A research focused plot!

This one came as a surprise to me. After Light Chaser Rescue I expected another okay-ish drama, I only planed to watch for the lead, but I ended up really enjoying it. The initial premise of cooperate espionage is interesting and I wish they would have focused on that in the later part, instead of it become a family conflict with high stakes. The backstories of the characters were also a bit too wattpad. However, I got rather invested into the characters and story. The acting was good as well, with the exception of the white actors they hired, who were just horrible - barely being able to say their lines. It gave it some unintended comedy. As someone who has worked in research for the last couple of years, this show was really fascinating to watch (even through it's not realistic), but I liked to see a story-line like this in a drama! The patriotism was a bit hard to get used to, but I can't deny the anti-Chinese racism within the scientific community.

---

Thank you for reading my rumbling on the internet! I think next I will do a post about why I dropped certain shows and what I learned about myself as a cdrama audience by doing so!

[x3rrorx]

My personal rating on the OST:

1, 11, 18: C:\Projects\: I feel these 3 interludes are fine from the standpoint of its hidden message. If they didn't include one I wouldn't see the point in adding them, but they don't bother me either

6/10

2. V.A.N: It's ok but it's not my cup of tea. I'm not a huge Poppy fan. Her voice is too high pitched for my liking and this NOT against her as a person or the pseudo-relationship people attributed to Noah and her. It's just not my fav. The instrumentals on the other hand and REALLY good so...

5/10

3. The Drain: I know some people have said it is repetitive and I agree, but I do LOVE this song so much. There's something to it that I really enjoy and I don't get tired of it.

8/10

4. Terms & Conditions: I don't listen to rap. There's very few rap songs that I like. I also don't see the point in adding snippets of Artificial Su*c*de to it.

2/10

5. Hedonist [Recharged]: I did like this one. It made me feel like I was watching some anime opening. Although I wouldn't say it's their best one.

6/10

6. Even: I. LOVE. THIS. SONG. It's different, it's soft. It was a nice addition in my opinion. I enjoy how it flows.

7/10

7. Loading screen: I love Nichola's effort. It's ok, but it's just a filler in imo.

5/10

8. Anything > Human: Now, this is their best one. This is a banger. There's nothing I dislike about this song. Looove it!

10/10

9. Digital Footprint: It's just instrumental. It's cool. Sounds like rave music. Good background noise when you're feeling like having some company but not paying attention to it.

6.5/10

10. Nervous System: I also think this is good, not mind blowing but it's nice. The beat really get me.

7/10

12, 13: Artificial S/The Grey [Unzipped]: I didn't like these remixes. I don't like how they are speed up. I don't like that they cut the bridge at the end of The Grey. I could go on with my life without these two.

3/10

14. TDOPOM [We Are Fury] remix: This remix is what I expected the remixes sounded like. I don't looove it but I do enjoy it a lot. It's fun.

7/10

15. TDOPOM [So Wylie] remix: Why adding 2 remixes of the same song? It's not necessary. And I liked the previous one way more. I feel awful, but I wouldn't have included this one to the album.

4/10

16. Bad Decisions [lofi]: Another good background noise. Didn't hate it, didn't love it. I can play it with no skips if I'm working or something.

6/10

17. Just Pretend [Credits]: Same as above 👆🏻

6/10

19, 20, 21, 23, 25: Artificial S, Like A Villain, The Grey, Nowhere To Go, TDOPOM: All good live versions. I like hearing people screaming in the background. It's just cool but it's more of the same. Not complaining.

8/10

22: WDYWFM: My fav live version. It just sounds powerful and somewhat better than the studio version.

9/10

24. V.A.N Live: Amazing. I just love that you can hear the roar/bark. Sorry not sorry.

8/10

26z Just Pretend Live: First part, as expect as the rest of the live versions, but I am also heartbroken by the acoustic part. I was SOBBING. It feels raw and soft and it hurt me inside. Beautiful

9/10

So overall it was a good album. It was very experimental. Not mind blowing but I also didn't think that was the purpose of it, my main complain (besides adding some tracks that I didn't feel they were necessary) is that it is called CONCRETE JUNGLE and they didn't include CONCRETE JUNGLE. Not even the chant...

[ohsharethekmusic]

Song : Why Do We (English Ver.)

Artist : DMEANOR

Album : Are You Human Too? OST Part 8

[leamy-world]

Reaction to The Devil Judge (spoilers for ep. 9 & 10)

It’s been a while since i’ve last been on tumblr, but i got invested in this drama every week & the fandom’s analyses to not talk about it sometime! (Last time i was hooked, it was with Beyond Evil and i watched it by the time the finale already aired so i didn’t suffer from the weekly wait!)

So here i am, this is mainly self-indulgent with essay-long interpretations of some scenes in a totally random order, but i’d love to interact with whoever reads this if they want to react!

I’m sorry for the potential awkward phrasings, english is not my first language!

- The recap was nicely done and tied everything together, it made me realize so many things happened since the beginning! The repetition didn’t make me skip it, the narration was dynamic & fun.

- The ‘power display’ & threat Yohan showed to Soohyun (by lashing out at Juk Chang and strangling him, as proxy for Soohyun, in front of her while staring at her) were something …! She answered in the same fashion, passing by him saying she will ‘arrest Juk Chang’. I wonder how their next encounters will unfold.

- Many people already pointed this out, but Soohyun’s decision to leave Elijah, a minor, alone in her car (with its doors open, daring to tell her to stay there when she has no other choice anyway) + stop the gang alone and unannounced off duty was irresponsible. Anyways, i wonder if she will interact again with Elijah because they were adorable, i would miss it!

- The conversation between Soohyun & Gaon at his apartment (ep. 10) was interesting on both parts: 

It sounded casual, but Soohyun wanted to see where he stood in the Kang family and make sure he wasn’t in Yohan’s plans (i hope she didn’t seriously mean the ‘weird’ comment about Elijah, it’d be sad since Elijah enjoyed her company!).

Gaon was anxious professor Min told her about their last conversation (i think she’ll talk to him in the next eps). He also indirectly defended the Kangs by associating himself with them (« I’m pretty sure i’m just as weird ») and voiced his concern about Yohan, speaking more to himself than following the conversation at hand. 

When Soohyun changed the subject with the ‘i’m jealous’ bit, maybe it was to brighten the mood with a light-hearted comment, hoping Gaon would follow. And by the look of her pause right after, it seemed she was also expecting GO’s ‘positive’ reaction to her jealousy, giving in to the kind of teasing/flirt they have in their friendship. But deep down, it was also to voice her true unease about Gaon’s involvement with Yohan she had since the beginning and ep. 8. 

It’s obvious to us she meant she was jealous of Yohan. And GO could’ve understood it this way too, since she confessed to him multiple times and her feelings must be known to him (i think he takes it as a ‘joke’ given how many times she confessed and each time when he was crying, so maybe he thought, very reasonably, it was to cheer him up? I also guess he’s too absorbed by his current worries about the Kangs and her potential suspicion, to notice her attempts). 

But instead of that, he’s not in the same line of thoughts at all and picks up on the « rich », musing on what makes one’s existence rich, thinking Soohyun was envying Yohan’s position and life and proving her he’s indeed in a whole different world, empathizing with Yohan. 

She then looked like her face fell, until her eyes lit up again when he was about to admit she was precious to him along with his family.

By the way, this scene picks up right where we were left off in ep. 8, when Gaon tends to his plants:

« - Are you back for good? - Not really. They need some looking after. - You should come back, not drop by. This is where you live. - Someone there needs some taking care of too. - Take care of your own self, please. - What about me? I’m living a shamelessly comfortable life. Soohyun. - Yes? - What are you thinking about? - Nothing. By the way, Gaon … » (i wonder what she was going to say!)

Lost in thoughts, Gaon’s mixed emotions when he said Yohan was not rich (« he’s not rich. If you get to know him, Kang Yohan is really poor. ») were very well depicted by Jinyoung’s acting: the soft voice and the ghost of a smile that convey understanding and endearment, leaning on his counter in a relaxed stance, but also at the same time the stare lost in the space, maybe to all the memories tied to the Kangs and Yohan, and the tension in his left lip corner by the end of his sentence which betray his sadness and empathy with Yohan’s life. After this, when he became aware of Soohyun’s gaze, it’s like his bubble popped. He looked surprised with his eyes widening, and was fidgeting a little, then changed the subject to himself.

And « I have you, Soohyun » sounded truly grateful but also sad and conflicted, GO lets his worries show when she’s gone, maybe wondering if they would be bound to be against each other one day as he continues to side with Yohan, menacing to jeopardize their friendship to the point of no return. In these kinds of stories you expect these kinds of twists, but i grew fond of the cast send help

- I loved how Yohan’s confession to GO about his brother was filmed: the camera faced head-on his pain, slipping unbeknownst to him through the façade he always showed to protect himself. But this time, despite his (late) attempts to dismiss these feelings both for him and Gaon to regain composure (the hand gestures to hide his tears, pretending to be tough with the  « there’s no such things as innocent people », drinking away his sorrow with a bitter laugh that rings hollow), all this façade fades out in front of Gaon literally by being blurred out in the shot, as if he clearly sees his pain through (his silhouette appearing clear-cut between Yohan’s gestures). I know it’s a pretty classic shot but it fit well with this scene. He clenches his jaw in the next shot, moved by Yohan opening up. 

- The dinner scene was really moving …! Especially when you put the colder tones the kitchen had when we first saw Yohan have dinner by himself next to this scene, full of light in contrast! I wonder when the OST playing will be released, it was so beautiful and reminded me of My Mister’s OST (especially Rainbow!). I look forward to the lyrics, because most of the time the OST gives more layers & depth to the story and the characters! (please don’t let it be about Yohan’s budding feeling of a true ‘home’ ;;) I didn’t realize it upon my first watch, but Gaon really took the cutlery hostage, it cracked me up!

- The parallels in this show will be the end of me: Yohan went from the « i’m so sick of this place » (ep. 5) to asking K to drive him « home » with a delighted smile. 

- I liked the parallel of Yohan’s reaction to GO/Sun-Ah sitting in his office chair, impeding on his space (he reminds SA to stay out of it, the first time politely, the second time almost grimacing, his jaw clenched: « Just because you’re the head of the OSC doesn’t mean you can barge in like this (…) So please stop barging in like this. », while he says nothing to GO)

- At the beginning of ep. 10, we have Yohan saying he doesn’t like «  hanging out with people » & by the end of it, Soohyun saying « My childhood’s best friend is hanging out with a rich guy ».

- These two episodes gave more insight and nuance into Sun-Ah’s character, which was very nice ; and also Cha Kyung-Hee’s comeback (and her last confrontation with Sun-Ah!!!!)

- The people following Juk Chang also targeted sexual minorities according to the subs i had, i wonder if it will be addressed again sometime in the drama. 

- I loved Elijah’s « hacking » technique scene, i felt proud too! I always look forward to her scenes (and Kkomi’s too haha)! And her reaching out Gaon’s shoulder for the first time ;;

- The ‘humans lose their minds when they think they’ve lost what they have’ ……… repeated twice by YH ………… It will hit hard and all those lines will come right back at us viewers, but i’m not prepared haha! And also for the ‘if you want revenge, don’t hesitate’, i hope it doesn’t foreshadow a future revenge Gaon will execute without hesitation aaaaaa

Also, what lawyer Ko said about himself in ep. 8 may apply to Yohan’s case by the end, will he atone for what he did someday? (« I’m no longer a lawyer. I’m just a criminal. When all this comes to an end, I’ll pay for what i did. »)

- I really loved Yohan’s efforts to take into consideration both Elijah’s (he refrained himself from acting rashly like the last time she went out and listened to her) and Gaon’s feelings (stopping him from endangering himself recklessly, not forcing him onto the revenge path lest he’d regret it afterwards, and helping him to face the truth rationally). 

- « She’s hungry for affection. No matter how much you hate the world and the people in it, you can never live alone. You always need someone to rely on. As long as you’re a human being. » Many people commented on it, Gaon must speak from his own experience and empathizes with both Elijah and Yohan’s situation. These two episodes showed how Gaon cares for the Kangs more openly, and i live for it! 

- Give me that domestic scene where Gaon plays cards with YH, the nanny and Elijah! And also more K and lawyer Ko scenes!

- Jinjoo’s and Gaon’s intervention in the trial were gold! And Satie’s Gnossiennes rearrangement playing in the background during Juk Chang’s speech, it’s the cherry on the cake haha

- By the way, there was also an arrangement of Rachmaninoff’s piano concerto no. 2 during the first charity event Yohan went with Jinjoo in the earlier episodes, it was also beautiful!

- GO’s Awkward Smile. I have no words, it is now forever imprinted on my mind.

Have a nice week and take care!

[ofgentleresolve]

1 3 8 for Mana and Lam!

@thegreenswillcome || another munday meme i am late on 😅 ( multimuse opinion corner prompt. )

1. where did you get your idea for them?

mana: hahaha fun story there xia- mana actually started off as a shitty self-insert in the ace attorney rpc + a ton of teenage angst...that being said, over the years, i think one that has remained with her all throughout is the fact that she supposed to be an ordinary human...like, she has no super special powers or destiny tied to her- she's just an ordinary person who was simply given some of the worst hands in life :'D

lam: so actually lam started out as a character for a short story i did for class before i made him mana's high school history teacher. and then about a year later, i thought 'bruh what if i put all of my high school and college anxieties into a muse and the multiplied that by three?' and that's how lam was initially born. robin as always been a huge part of his story too although how she's been incorportated as changed over time!

3. do you have any npcs you’d like to talk about more?

mana: there are quite a few individuals who i could talk about like all the adult figures in her life and how they've all failed her as a child in one capacity or another...however, that's a depressing topic so maybe i'll go with calum's roommate, irene lee. irene is basically mana's antithesis- when they were in college, she was also friends with daniel ( whom she had a crush on ) and calum and more or less wanted to be friends with mana too. the only problem was that to mana, back when they were in college, irene often came off as well-meaning but tone-deaf. like she meant well....but also often failed to take context into account and would say fairly simplistic/blank statements that ultimately wouldn’t help anyone. this is the main reason that both daniel and calum ultimately were more comfortable with confiding in mana.

lam: answered! but also c*ocaine donald and his friendship with lam?? techncially he was robin’s ex at one point, so i’d have to talk about robin too....anyways i feel like most of his development tends to come spontaneously so i’d like to keep it that way for now ^^

8. what songs remind you of your oc?

mana: strangely enough, music isn’t actually something I associate mana with nearly as much as say, her boyfriend or some of my other ocs....that being said, the ost would be more on the softer, resonant side...lots of fruits basket osts ( i don’t want to blame anyone anymore and i will protect you for example ), pleasure by WARPS UP also comes to mind but that’s also for the entire blogs itself. that being said, mana is technically the muse that this blog’s theme was initially based off of :P that and the finale music for legend of korra- it’s got a somber theme BUT there’s a sense of hope. okay yeah, music that is soft, but there’s an undertone of hope and change to it- that’s the kind of music i associate with mana <3

lam: lam, on the other hand, i used music A LOT as inspiration. in particular, porter robinson. basically if it’s more mellow electronic music, again with an undertone of hope, that’s probably gonna remind me of lam....blasting electronic music is usually his way of coping with the bad moments :/ but for specific examples.... mirror, get your wish, and trying to be alive!!

[oogaboogaspookyman]

Today: Cartoon Cat in...

{RERUNS}

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

[1]

{Let's have a rerun, BUDDY}

*let's muthafuckin' go brother boutta wreck yo shi*

[2]

{It's showtime, this time i'm not pulling any punches, all the bets are off the table!}

*yeah yeah keep yappin'*

[3]

{Turn on the stage lights, i'll bend your femurs!}

{By the time i'm done with you there will be nothing left of you to find!}

*dayum*

{I will not let my little mice get away!}

[4]

{The fun i'll have, ripping you to shreds till there's only your blood remaining, i'll feast on your flesh and bones!}

*uh huh yeah okay*

{It's just a rerun of my favorite episode again!}

[5]

Quit the threats and show off what you have to offer already

I'm getting tired of hearing the same story all over again

{THEN WHY PERSIST}

{WHY PERSIST}

[6]

{THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU ENTER THE HOME OF THE UNKNOWN}

{HUMAN}

[7]

{Oh now you got me in a bad mood, i didn't lie when i said all bets are off the table}

{You entered my home uninvited and challenged me like i can't snap you in half}

*oh no he's angy now lol*

[8]

{THIS IS WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE, YOU COULD BE REPLACED}

*holy shit*

{YOU DON'T MATTER, YOU DON'T MATTER}

{I COULD TAKE YOUR ROLE JUST FINE}

[9]

{It's showtime, this time i'm not pulling any punches, all the bets are off the table!}

*why do i hear The Good Part coming*

{I DON'T LIKE MY PREY GETTING AWAY}

[10]

{Turn on the stage lights, i'll bend your femurs!}

{By the time i'm done with you there will be nothing left of you to find!}

*good part??? Hello???*

[11]

{I'M AFRAID YOU'VE MADE IT TOO FAR}

{This is the end, i have reached my limit so just PERISH ALREADY}

{I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR GAMES}

{This feline is getting ANNOYED}

[12]

That's all folks!

[sonicasura]

Balan Wonderworld Review: Favorite Costumes Part 2

Before we get started, I like to say something. I ABSOLUTELY DESPISE TIM TRAPS. If you don't know, there is a specific plant that tends to appear in certain levels called Tim Traps. A carnivorous orange flower that's favorite meal is TIMS. If you kick the plants, you can free your Trapped Tim or prevent one from getting trapped for a short period of time. Problem is if the Tim is trapped for too long, your baby is gone for good. Chapter 3 and Chapter 5's Act 3 are loaded with these annoying plants. To the point if I can't find the trapped Tims, I exit out of the game just to save my poor fluffballs. Ain't sacrificing my little birds for Drops and Trophies! Mini rant over.

Rules are the same as before. I'd be ranking both a Common Costume and Rare Costume. Common Costumes are easily to find whether it be in multiple levels and Rare Costumes are those that rarely appear or are difficult to get.

I'll be doing my favorite Secret Costume after playing all Act 3s for each chapter. Now let's begin.

Chapter 7

Common Costume- Floaty Flower

The Flower Fairy and greatest glider found in the main story. Floaty Flower is a costume that can be found in the Act 1, 2 and the Boss Act, it offers a slower descent but faster movement than the hover for Soaring Sheep.

I love this costume not for its aesthetic but a cute Easter Egg I found in Chapter 7 Act 1. On rare occasions, this costume is an NPC that actually flirts with you! Some NPCs in certain chapters act differently from their standard counterpart. They often try to disguise themselves or runaway. Catching them grants you a free costume of the one you caught.

Floaty Flower will appear and follow you, similar to a shy school girl with a crush. If you go to her, she will run which is a similar action to any shy person getting approached by their crush. Also... I think there is some lore hidden in this one that might be quite sad if it's directly linked to Cal, the human whose heart created this particular world. If so then... OOF.

Rare Costume - Paladin Puncher

A knight fights with his fists than a sword. This costume can be found in Act 2 and is a stronger version of the Pumpkin Puncher that can break iron or ice blocks. He's a bit slower than his Chapter 6 counterpart but perfect breaking the more blocks and defeating spiky enemies.

I also love the fact this costume goes against the traditional tools of a knight. Knights often fight using swords, shields, lances and rare occasions bows or axes. If you give me one who PUNCHES or straight uses martial arts to fight then you got my vote in seconds.

Chapter 8

Common Costume - Snow Fairy

Elegant dancer of ice and snow. The Snow Fairy costume allows the wearer to walk on air for a short period of time and can in found in Act 1 and Act 2. This costume does have a shorter usage time than Air Cat but makes up for it with the added elevation.

I absolutely adore how elegant and beautiful this particular costume is. You can compare the Snow Fairy to myths often related to fae or hidden in the freezing mountains. An otherworldly beauty that makes any hardship worth seeing just a being before your eyes. Being a reindeer type Faun just adds to the mystique and creating snowflakes to walk on is a perfect extra touch.

Rare Costume - Amadeus

Sophisticated pianist. A costume that can only be found in Act 1 and is a performing costume. Now I am a big fan of piano covers, whether it be covers of game osts or actual songs, there is rarely any piano music I don't like.

I love the fact he's wearing piano keys as a collar and even has a tutu made out of those very keys. A very creative take to a normally grounded instrument. And the big white wig is a nice touch since it's often portrayed with pianists in various media.

Chapter 9

Common Costume- Iron Panda

Adorable crusher. Iron Panda is a costume found in Act 1 and Act 2 with the ability to break iron blocks using both its jump and weight. This costume is surprisingly fast for a rather large and heavy form, perfect for fast stomps on enemies or quick getaways if you have rare costumes you don't want to lose.

This costume reminds of a rolling Russian Doll with a panda theme. Very adorable, the bluish purple color suits the white very nicely and I love that sleepy look on its face. The large blue dots on its sides are actually the arms too, they mimic panels! Only thing that unnerves me is when the costume turns their head by a 90 degree angle. Super creepy when using it.

Rare Costume- Merry Ghost

Cute and Spooky! The Merry Ghost is a costume that can be found in Act 2 and gives the ability to constantly float. It's main purpose is to avoid ground hazards like poison swamps and has a larger slightly floaty jump. The only downside is that you can't harm enemies with this, it's only for quick mobility.

Very adorable especially with the stitched rag cloak covering the body. It has this Mimikyu sort of vibe but also a Casper the Friendly Ghost aura too. Friendly spirits are often tossed aside for more vicious or antagonistic ones in a lot of media. Getting an adorable friendly one just adds points in my book and a good pal for Casper.

Chapter 10

Common Costume - Inky Blaster

Yuji Naka's take on a squid kid. This costume can be found in Act 1, Act 2 and the Boss Act. She allows the wearer to throw fast globs of rainbow paint at opponents or targets and is decently agile.

Love that her hands are paintbrushes and is based on the octopus. Tentacles mimicking the frills of a dress and used for hair and feet? A very creative take and splattering rainbow paint on the annoying types of Negati (looking at you ya divebomb happy Pelican and destroyer of most of my good costumes) is very therapeutic.

Rare Costume- Air Unicorn

The first unicorn I like?! This costume can only be found in Act 1 and allows the user to walk on air farther than Air Cat. The practical godfather of mobility, and recovery. You won't believe how many times this costume has gotten me to very difficult areas and saved me from death via falling into the abyss.

It is a very tricky costume to find but if you turn around, there's a large paintbrush on the wall. You need the Double Jumper to get on top but you'll be able to see a hidden mirror. That is where the Air Unicorn is located.

I won't lie that unicorns are not my preferred mythological creature. I live in America where unicorns tend to be oversaturated to oblivion and don't get me started on My Little Pony. The show isn't my cup of tea but I do have some followers and friends who are fans. People have their own opinions and it's rude to question them about it.

I honestly love the elegant but cute design, the purple, pale pink and cyan just fit well with the white, I also love that the mane mimics a paintbrush tip and the large light purple collar of fur is a perfect touch to this fine design.

Chapter 11

Common Costume - Bulldozer

A man's punny best friend! This costume can be in Act 1, Act 2 (?), and the Boss Act. It lets you push special construction blocks and you can boost the push speed by button mashing.

They definitely took a lot of creative for costumes in Chapter 11 amongst the other ones in my opinion. Fire Stations tend to have some animal companions with dogs being the most common but instead of a Dalmatian for the design they used a Bulldog! 😍

Like the aforementioned machine, this good boy is bulky, has the appropriate color scheme and even the hands turn into bulldozer's shovel when using the ability! I love the fact his tail is wagging when you push a block and it wags faster if ya button mash!

Also the name is a pun!

Rare Costume - Fiery Blaster

Pyromancer of Lions. The Fiery Blaster costume can only be found in Act 2. It gives the wearer that ability to throw large fireballs alongside fire and lava immunity. If you hate lava levels or have difficulty with this Chapter's boss then I recommend getting this Costume.

First thing I like to say about this particular design is how they use the colors. Looking at the mane, you can see how the red and darker red are patterned in a way to mimic flames. The dark red fur on the feet are even in fire like a pattern. The outfit such as the yellow and brownish kilt alongside the gloves spewing fire around the wrists just reminds me of a fire dancer.

I can see this fella wielding one of the torches a fire dancer uses and just put on a spectacular show.

Chapter 12

Another loveable version of a beloved icon. The Invisible Man costume can be found in Act 1, Act 2 and the Boss Act. It has the power to turn the wearer invisible for a period of time and become undetected to enemies that aren't bosses.

Agile and perfect to deal with enemies who are very annoying or are difficult snipers. You don't know how satisfying it is to give the more aggravating Negati an invisible middle finger by sneak attacking them. I have lost many costumes whenever enemies got the drop on me so it's fair to dish out payback.

I love how this design takes aspect from the popular icon but also have it relate to their human counterpart. Bandages were used by the original Invisible Man to cover skin his normal clothing couldn't cover in public and made it easier for him to disappear when needed.

The shoes and arms being covered in bandages and some of the bandages being used as bangs for the hair is a nice touch.

Rare Costume - Jolt Tiger

Immovable Taser. This costume can only be found in Act 2. It grants electricity immunity and create a barrier when you stand still. One of the better costumes for baiting particular enemies. You do have to be careful because a single itch will stop the barrier.

If you don't know, the Tiger is my Chinese Zodiac and electricity is one of my favorite elements. Love the yellow lightning bolt flairs and even the black stripes mimic lightning too! I also like the will o' wisp pattern on the stomach and the large tuft of grayish fur around the chest. The design puts it above the Sun Walker.

And that is it! The next thing I will cover is the level design and it's music. The bosses will be done last since it's good to save the best for last!

Until next time folks, see you back in Wonderworld.