#Baddie Bride Tales

[ask-the-shiny-pokemons]

Deep thoughts

After the girls hug, Rimi is now calmed down.

Rimi is again available for asks.

Ask hints has been updated

MOD NOTE: And that's more than three weeks of making this update (well, actually I've only sketched one page during the first day, the rest are done since the last Saturday because most of the time I was slacking off...almost).

Thank you everyone who was waiting for this update. Again, I'm gonna leave the inbox closed for the time being since I'll answer some asks addressed to Rimi and Noelle that are in inbox for a while. After Rimi and Noelle will enter the event, the inbox will be opened once again.

Plus, I have crackship babies to do, so there will be some extra work too.

[bemusedandconfused-blog]

Claire watches Asian Dramas - Korean Fox edition

Goblin -the Lonely and Great God (2017)

Fantasy romance drama, with a great cast! 16 episodes at about 70 minutes each, plus 3 making-of specials. The story focuses on the Goblin, cursed with immortality until he meets a prophesied “Goblin Bride” who can remove the sword from his chest and release him from his torment. The secondary storyline about the Reaper (and his great hat), Sunny, and supporting character of a spoiled chaebol heir who does errands for his immortal employers, weaves together with the main storyline very well. I watched this one on Viki.com 

(Confession, it’s been awhile since I’ve watched it, so these are my lasting impressions rather than specific call-outs)

Pros:

Strong cast, everyone has a dramatic moment to shine

The scenes between odd-couple roommates Goblin and Reaper are comedy GOLD

Beautiful set pieces for the Goblin’s house and Reaper’s tea room/afterlife lobby

Love the mythology around the reapers and the afterlife transitions

Fun ghost characters!

Has a happy ending for all the couples if you don’t mind a time jump! 

Cons:

I couldn’t get past the age difference of the main leads. I’m not a fan of the grown-man looking character having a relationship with a highschool-age looking character. Not my bag. 

The “villain” is a cartoon baddie. And not that interesting, ultimately. 

Edited to add: the product placement in this one is extremely silly. Just FYI.

Tale of the Nine Tailed (2020)  구미호뎐

My new favorite Korean drama! Lee Dong Wook was so good in Goblin, I looked up what else he was in and found this fantasy romance drama, where he has the lead role as a 1000+ year old Nine Tailed Fox (gumiho) who serves as a kind of bounty hunter, capturing other immortals who break the rules, while looking for his reincarnated love. 16 episodes, about 70 minutes each, plus a making-of special. (Watched this one on Viki.com as well - I actually bought a subscription so I could watch it, after they hooked me with the first three episodes!)

Pros:

The female lead is awesome and competent! She is my favorite non-powered heroine from any of these shows so far, I think. 

Lee Dong Wook. What else do I need to say?

Great Found-Family ensemble cast. 

Actually, all the supporting characters are fantastic. There’s a Bear character (immortal spirit, like the foxes) who is in like one episode and I want to write fanfic about him. 

They call out tropes and avoid them as much as possible;

Cool action sequences

Love the mythology, and the set design of the Afterlife Immigration Office

Has a happy ending, at the very, very end! 

Cons:

We only get to see Lee Yeon’s tails once. ONCE. 

That’s all I can think of right now. I might edit this post later if I think of anything else. 

Touch Your Heart (2019)  진심이 닿다

No fantasy element to this one, just a standard workplace romance dramedy. Once again, the promise of watching Lee Dong Wook be stupidly handsome and talented drew me into another show. I did not have high expectations, as the summary described it along the lines of “spoiled, ditzy actress takes a job at a law firm to save her career, butting heads with the firm’s ace lawyer, a stern, demanding attorney”. I was expecting a bossy alpha type lawyer who was abusive until he learns to love the girl, and instead we got a charmingly awkward Mr. Darcy type, who is only stern because he cares about justice and doing things the right way. 16 episodes, about 70 minutes each. I liked this one so much more than I thought I would! It’s gonna be on my rewatch rotation, I think, which is easy since it’s on Netflix! 

Pros:

The female lead grows over the course of the show! She’s really only annoying for the first two episodes!

The main couple’s relationship is actually really sweet and wholesome, not unhealthy at all! 

It’s a very funny show, plenty of slapstick humor from the supporting cast.

Personally, I really enjoy the show-within-the-show storylines, so I enjoyed that we get to see a bit of her life as an actress

Playing with rom-com tropes with a wink and a nod; so good! 

No car accidents or comas! 

Happy ending! 

Cons:

Once again, Cartoon-Bad-Guy syndrome strikes. Stalkers are a real threat, but it’s harder to take them seriously when they’re mustache-twirling caricatures. 

I would have liked to see our heroine be more physically assertive and stand up for herself, but she learns to be brave in other ways! 

Edited to add: Product placement kind of disrupts the episode flow in a couple places. But not as bad as other shows I’ve seen. 

Last thoughts:

Half the show takes place in a different genre, as prosecuting attorney  Kim Se-won (male lead‘s best friend) and his prosecutor ex-girlfriend (Yoo Yeo-reum) are in a serious workplace drama across town; 

Lawyers probably shouldn’t watch this show unless they have a strong stomach for tv-lawyer speak. 

It’s a paint-by-numbers rom-com, but performing at the highest level of the genre, IMHO!

[pintsizeddeepthoughts]

25 of 250: Favorite Films - The Princess Bride

Not long ago, work colleagues and I got into a discussion about what our favorite films were. Given my categorical nature I could not resist writing down a list and, as a writing challenge, have decided to write 250 word reviews of my favorite 25 films of all-time. Note: these are my favorite films, not what I think are the best films of all time.

Directed by: Rob Reiner

Written by: William Golman

Starring: Carey Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant, Wallace Shawn

Year/Country: 1987/United States

If quotability is a measure of a film’s success, Rob Reiner’s The Princess Bride might be the most successful film of all time. Yes, that is hyperbole - and yet not quite. The film is an intoxicating blend of adventure, romance, fantasy, comedy, and satire, and at its heart is a fairy tale come to life. There’s a literal giant of a man with a heart of gold, a young man yearning to avenge his slain father, a swashbuckling pirate, a beautiful princess, and multiple baddies delicious in their twistedness. In short, there’s something for everyone.

Of course, William Goldman’s razor sharp script wouldn’t be nearly as magical without a topnotch cast at the peak of their powers. None of them were A-list talent at the time and came to the movie with varying levels of experience. Some (like Mandy Patinkin and Wallace Shawn) were experienced thespians, while others (such as Robin Wright and Andre the Giant) were newcomers. What mattered overall was that the cast gelled and the kindness and affection they had for one another is evident in every scene. It was as if they could sense they were making something magical and that spell entrances the audience.

Listed as a “cult classic” because of its modest box office returns, the film caught on via home release and subsequent reevaluations of the movie have rightfully put it amongst the best films of the 1980s. Like the best comedies, it’s more than just a funny story. It nourishes the soul.

[aer-in-wanderland]

 구미호뎐 | Tale of the Nine Tailed - Lost in Translation EP01

In which my sister and I sat down with a pint of mint chocolate chip and wrote down everything that occurred to us while watching the fan-subbed version of TotNT EP01. Contains mild spoilers. 

Prologue

We open with an excerpt from the Hyeonjoonggi (현중기・玄中記), which the internet informs me originated in China sometime between 265-317 CE. In Korea in particular, gumiho are typically thought of as being female, but this is an example of a classical text that says they can be either. From what director Kang Shin Hyo said at the TotNT press conference, the premise of TotNT began with the idea of challenging this base assumption by making the gumiho male and placing him in modern-day Seoul. I would translate the passage as follows:

When a fox becomes 100, it can become a beautiful woman, or become a man who has relations with women. A fox that lives for 1000 years communes with the heavens and becomes a cheon’ho (heavenly fox). Its gifts are like that of a powerful shamaness; it can perceive things more than 1000 leagues distant.”  

To my sense, the passage was introduced to show precedent for the existence of male gumiho in traditional folklore, as well as to illustrate that foxes over 1000 (cheon’ho) can be closer to deities than monsters.

On to the show. The year is 1999. I’m surprised the subs left ‘Fox Ridge’ untranslated as Yeou Gogae since it seems like it would be relevant information that the place where the accident takes place is somehow tied to foxes. 

When the imposter parents (who I believe are also foxes) chase little Ji Ah up into her room and her not-dad says, “You little brat!” (or at least, that’s what the subs we’re watching say), this is an example of what’s called ‘code switching.’ His phrasing is somewhat old-fashioned, which in this case helps to give the impression that he’s not human since it’s the cant of creatures in traditional fairytales. For anyone studying Korean, the line is, “요 년 봐라,” where ‘nyeon’ might mean anywhere from ‘girl’ to ‘wench’ or even ‘bitch.’  

Okay, I have to ask. Does no one else in Seoul drive on Fox Ridge? How did Ji Ah have time to go home, get attacked, and then be returned to the scene of the accident (I’m assuming by Yeon) before anyone came across it? 

Also, how did Yeon know where to take her? He tells grown Ji Ah that he just happened upon her after catching the scent of blood, but I get the sense there’s more to the story than that. I feel like this is part of a larger pattern wherein Yeon goes out of his way to rescue someone and then pretends as if he didn’t.

Episode 01 Title Card: What Happened on Fox Ridge

According to Yeon’s alarm, our current timeline begins on Saturday, August 29, 2020, and he has a wedding to attend. 2020 yet no COVID19? I guess this really is a fantasy drama. ;p

The BGM playing while Yeon gets ready is called ‘The Fox's Wedding Day,’ or, more literally, ‘day when a fox goes to be married’ (Yeou ga shijip ganeun nal) and it’s actually Yeon’s theme. I was expecting his theme to be the track entitled ‘Gumiho,’ but I guess not lol

The sun-shower. In both Japan and Korea, a sun-shower is known as ‘a fox’s wedding’ (kitsune no yome-iri/yeou ga shijip ganeun nal), so this is already cluing us in that the bride is a fox (I say ‘bride’ because both these phrasings typically apply to a bride marrying into her husband’s house. The phrasing is different for grooms, who ‘receive’ the bride). This is what Yeon means when he arrives at the wedding hall and says, “That’s because a fox is getting married today.”

It’s strange to me that the bride’s identity has completely dropped out of the subs. She’s Yeou Nui (literally ‘fox sister’), a folklore character of the Brothers Grim-style horror school of fairytales. Her thing is that she’s a gumiho who preys on families with only sons who desperately want a daughter. She insinuates herself into their lives, brings calamity down upon them, and finally, eats their livers. Like most fairytales, there are many permutations of her story, but many of them feature her saying she’s consumed 999 livers. I understand where - absent this context - some people might have seen Yeon as the bad guy here (spoiler: he’s not). 

The subtitle here for Yeon’s line says: “But you need to know that changing your identity isn’t as simple as you think.” What he literally says is:

Yeon: How did you go to ground so completely? You think that if you change your face and your identity, your blood-stained past will change too, right? But changing lives isn’t as simple* as changing subway lines. [*Note: ‘simple’ is in English]

This is the first real dialogue we get from Yeon, and one thing it’s doing very intentionally is showcasing just how much he’s adapted to modern life. It does this both with the content of what he says (talking about changing subway lines), as well as with the amount of English loan words he tosses around. So I personally would have kept the bit about the subway in if I had been translating. 

Yeou Nui’s line was translated as, “Please forgive me,” but it should more properly be, “Spare me,” or “Let me live.” Yeon is an enforcer, not a judge. (Also, ‘forgive’ is another word entirely).

Yeon’s line that’s subbed, “Listen, you fox. How could you dare dream of having a happy ending after eating so many livers?” is the result of what’s called diagonal translation, which is an unfortunate side-effect of subtitling conventions. What he literally says is:

Yeon: Yeou Nui, after eating the livers of countless adoptive parents and older brothers* how can you dream of a happy ending? 

[*Note: The word he uses for ‘brothers’ here is 오라비들, which is a semi-antiquated word, and again, the sort of language used in folktales] 

Yeon’s line, “Here’s a piece of advice” is more literally, “Here’s a bit of advice stemming from experience,” which is the first hint we get in-drama that he’s been in a similar position. 

Nam Ji Ah

We get our first introduction to adult Ji Ah as she narrates the script she’s editing for her TV program on her way to the wedding hall. When Jae Hwan worries about her changing the script without the writer’s permission (again lol), Ji Ah's response translated literally would be: 

Ji Ah: Then let’s go with this. PDs’ livers have to be swollen or coming out of their bodies. 

That’s a pretty disgusting image in English, so I don’t blame the subs for changing it to something more sensical and less graphic. But as a cultural note, in Korea and Japan, having a large liver means to be gutsy or brave. Ji Ah’s character description similarly describes her as, ‘a woman whose liver is [so large it’s] coming out of her body,’ meaning she’s about as gutsy as it gets. 

Okay, call me a cynic, but I loved Ji Ah’s line about not being able to digest wedding food due to the choking atmosphere of forced happiness pfft 

Jae Hwan saying, “Who knows? You may meet your destined partner at a place like this,” as Yeon walks by in the background = Jae Hwan unwittingly hitting the nail of the head #1

Lol Yeon acting like a bored kid held captive at a dinner party while the wedding takes place. Bless Lee Dong Wook because I’m sure it’s all ad libbed. I feel like this could be a game: spot the LDW ad lib. 

The Wedding Hall Incident

When Yeon returns to her dressing room after the wedding, Yeou Nui changes tactics from begging to putting her hackles up and challenging Yeon. Linguistically, that’s marked by her code switching to an archaic cant. Yeon, however, remains unfazed and responds with the most modern thing possible, completely undermining her bravado:

Yeou Nui: Oh former master of Baekdudaegan, what authority have you to condemn us?

Yeon: Get a hold of how she’s talking (rhetorical). Hey, if it wasn’t for you I would’ve been watching American TV shows while eating ice cream today!

Okay, I love the way Yeon materializes his sword. I thought he was (un-)transforming his umbrella at first, but he later does it with a plank of wood so I assume he can do this with pretty much anything?

On the topic of his sword, I posted a gif set not long ago referring to it as a sa’ingeom (사인검), literally ‘Four Tigers Sword’ (referring to the year, month, day, and hour of the tiger when such swords were supposedly forged). You’ll notice it doesn’t have a cross-guard since they’re traditionally ceremonial swords rather than actual weapons. The first sa’ingeom were made during the reign of King Taejo (1392-1398), but I assume they gave him one despite it being somewhat anachronistic because they’re also said to cut down evil spirits and ward against calamity. Mostly, though, it looks really cool and is very traditionally Korean. 

Not for anything, but I love this BGM track that’s playing during the wedding hall fight (‘The Uninvited’). This short action sequence was so great. I wish we could have seen more of Yeon hunting down supernatural baddies. Also more of those gumiho eyes. More gumiho everything in general. 

As he stabs her, Yeon’s line to Yeou Nui in the subs was rendered as, “Don’t do something stupid like falling in love in your next time.” I would have translated this as, “If you’re reborn, don’t do something so [useless] as falling in love.” Again, for anyone studying Korean, the phrase is ‘사랑 따위" (sarang ddaui). ‘Ddaui’ means ‘such a thing as,’ and it’s always used to disparage whatever proceeds it. There’s no good way to communicate that disparagement in English grammatically, so I opted for ‘useless’ in an approximation. 

The BGM that plays the first time Ji Ah spots Yeon leaving the wedding hall is called ‘White Pupils’ (or literally ‘white eyes’). The imagery typically associated with that is death, so I’m curious what inspired the track title. Maybe they mean ‘white eyes’ like the fortune teller since it’s used at fateful moments?

“Who knows? That may be the story you were destined to cover.” = Jae Hwan unwittingly hitting the nail on the head #2

“Were they mass hypnotized or something?” = Jae Hwan unwittingly hitting the nail of the head #3. Thank you, exposition fairy. ;)

Okay, when Ji Ah and Jae Hwan examine the scene, Ji Ah’s line is subbed, “I need to see what that woman of this love story looks like,” which is ungrammatical in addition to being wrong. What she actually says is:

Ji Ah: I need to see the face of that protagonist of the Romance of the Age. [And I believe the ‘protagonist’ she was referring to is actually Yeon ;) This is bordering on meta, seeing as he’s actually the protagonist of the epic romance that is TotNT] 

Kim Soo Oh

The BGM playing while Yeon sits in the park people-watching and then looks pensively at his hand is called, ‘Thread Rings.’ Between that, what LDW alluded to in his VLIVE, and some still cuts I saw of deleted scenes from EP16, I’m convinced there was something more to those rings that got cut due to time constraints. ㅠㅠ

Fun fact: This scene between Yeon and Soo Oh was the first scene of the drama that they filmed.

When Soo Oh asks Yeon what he’s doing there, the sub for Yeon’s response was, “Nothing other than waiting for someone.” That strikes me as off in tone as well as pacing. I would have translated it as, “Just.....waiting for someone.” (which is literally what he says).

When Soo Oh asks Yeon why he’s waiting, the sub says, “Because a fox can only love one person till death.” I don’t really have a problem with that translation, but what he literally says is, “Once a fox takes a mate they never forsake them. Until death.”

Sub: “How are you coping with that?” / “Not well.” > Literally: “Are you okay?” / “I’m not okay.” I actually like the sub here since it better conveys how precocious Soo Oh appears in this scene. He seems to alternate between precocious and adorably dim throughout the drama depending on who he’s with, though when he’s with Rang, it’s mostly the latter pfft

When Yeon turns down Soo Oh’s offer of friendship he says, “Your nose. I’m not big on men with runny noses. And human lifespans are too short to be friends with me.” Yeon's use of ‘men’ struck me as funny since I guess to someone over 1600 years old, an 8 year old and an 80 year old aren’t all that different. Also, Yeon giving serious life advice to an 8 year old is adorable. He talks to him like he’s an adult. 

The Afterlife Immigration Office

Between the BGM and the way the camera pans up the endless levels of shelving, did anyone else feel like Yeon entered Hogwarts for a sec? (not complaining) ;)

For the record, Yeon uses banmal with Taluipa and calls her halmeom (granny). In contrast, Hyeonuiong is pretty much the only character Yeon speaks to in jondaetmal and addresses respectfully as ‘elder’ (eoreushin). He speaks to Ji Ah’s parents politely as well, but it’s mainly because they’re her parents.

The text introducing Taluipa’s character wasn’t translated in the version we’re watching but it reads: ‘The god who rules over the River of Three Crossings (Samdocheon), the boundary between this world and the next.’ The hanja for her name (奪衣婆) refer to her traditional role, namely, removing the clothing of the dead for her husband to weigh on the Uiryeong’su (su = tree) to measure the weight of their sins. This is the same tree that the Uiryeong’geom (the wooden sword that appears in EP13), is allegedly carved from.

Lol Taluipa saying she has to keep up with the times but also using a computer that’s positively ancient (come to think of it, it’s probably from the 80s since that’s her favorite decade)

Again, I’m surprised that Yeou Nui’s character name dropped from the subs completely. The subs here just say, ‘the female fox.’

For Taluipa’s line, the subs say, “You’re to obey the order and capture who you’re sent after,” but that’s a loose approximation. More literally, it should be: “If the higher ups say to bring someone in, then you just have to bring them in.” I’m only mentioning it because the line implys that both Taluipa and Yeon report to someone higher up the chain of command. Otherwise they may be misconstrued as Taluipa’s orders. 

Yeon’s line, “My compulsory military service has gone on for 600 years. How could I not go crazy?” is hilarious when you consider that Korean men are required to complete 2 years of military service, and even that often feels like an eternity, so I think for any Korean, the idea of 600 years of it is just exceptionally cruel. The line is iconic enough to have been included in Yeon’s character profile.

I noticed this a while back, but ‘mountain god’ is being consistently translated as ‘mountain spirit.’ Technically, Yeon is (was?) a god, if a low ranking one in the grand scheme of things (the Korean word is ‘sanshin’ where ‘san’ = mountain and ‘shin’ = god). I understand the use of ‘spirit’ though, since he’s not a god as gods are typically thought of in western mythologies. 

Lol Yeon sticking his fingers in his ears (I would bet money this was also an ad lib)

Taluipa has a line that’s subbed, “Foxes never stay in debt.” More literally, it should be, “They say foxes repay eunhye no matter what.” You can find my explanation of eunhye here.

Wow, the subs really dropped the humour ball on Taluipa’s line here. First off, she says, ‘Right now’ in English. And while the sub says “Do you want your freedom back?” what she literally says is. “Do you want to be discharged?” (since Yeon had just likened his duties to military service).

On his way out, Yeon actually tells Taluipa, “Halmeom, you’re going to go to hell” (which is not the same as the underworld/afterlife as it said in the subs. Taluipa’s job is literally to ferry souls, so she goes to the afterlife all the time anyway). Also, when he says “I’ll pray for it everyday,” his phrasing is that of an elderly person pfft

As I mentioned, Yeon speaks formally to Hyeonuiong, who in return affectionately calls him Yeon-ie or Yeon-ah, which I find adorable.

Lol I’m not used to Ahn Gil Kang playing such a friendly character. Seeing him wheedle Taluipa with aegyo is hilarious. 

Code Red

Somewhat of a side note, I can’t help but wonder, is Shin Joo’s last name ‘Gu’ because he’s a gumiho, a la My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (2010)’s Gu Mi Ho-ssi?

I wish the subs had just left ‘Lee Yeon-nim’ as-is, instead of changing it to ‘Mr. Lee.' As a general rule, I’m in favor of preserving character forms of address when translating. 

Personally, I would have translated the name of Ji Ah’s TV program as: ‘In Search of Urban Legends’ rather than ‘Unveiling Urban Legends.’

I really like the dynamic between Ji Ah and writer Kim Sae Rom. “Should we fight?” / “Yeah, let’s fight~” How great is it that this drama doesn’t have a single catty, bitchy, stuck-up or otherwise obnoxious female character? 

For anyone keeping track, Shin Joo speaks to Yeon in jondaetmal while Yeon speaks to Shin Joo in banmal, underlining their master/retainer dynamic. 

Side note: There are actually multiple ‘types’ of jondaetmal: what I think of as ‘neutral polite’ (i.e. simply adding ‘yo’ to the end of all your sentences), the more formal polite (i.e. ending with ~[seu]mnida), that which elevates the subject, and that which lowers the speaker. The interplay of the four allows for varying degrees of politeness. The way Shin Joo speaks to Yeon is pretty much the highest degree. That doesn’t mean they aren’t close. Polite language can indicate distance but also level of regard irrespective of distance. This applies to Rang and Yoo Ri as well.

Again, Shin Joo calls Ji Ah ‘PD-nim’ but that became ‘that female director’ in the subs. PD-nim is a respectful (and non-gendered) form of address, and it’s perfectly suited to Shin Joo’s genial and deferential personality, so I wish the subs had just kept it. 

I read an episode recap where the recapper mentioned she wasn’t sure what Shin Joo’s deal was. At the time I was confused, but now I think I get it. In the subs, Shin Joo says, “When I’m a seasoned veteran? I’m now up to the point where I’m wondering if I’ve turned into an actual person.” What he actually says is:

 Shin Joo: No way~ How long have I been living in this (the human) world? Recently, I sometimes even have an existential crisis wondering, ‘Am I a person or a fox?’

[So he flat out says he’s a fox here, but that wasn’t reflected in the subs.] 

Fun fact: this was Hwang Hee’s first scene that he filmed with Lee Dong Wook, and the BGM as they exit is Shin Joo’s theme.

I love the way Lee Dong Wook played this scene where they pay their tab. That is all.

It’s only as Yeon and Shin Joo exit the restaurant that we see that the sign out front reads ‘The Snail Bride’ (Ureong Gakshi). This is another folktale in-joke, since the snail bride’s whole thing is that she cooks delicious meals for her human husband everyday. 

For the record, the Snail Bride (Bok Hye Ja) also uses honorific language towards Yeon and calls him ‘Lee Yeon-nim.’ I just assumed it was in deference to his ex-mountain god status, but it turns out she has a personal reason for holding him in high regard as well that we discover in the final episode.

As Yeon and Shin Joo walk away, Shin Joo’s line is subbed, “That show’s actually quite famous.” Since Korean doesn’t require a subject, the sentence is somewhat ambiguous, but I understood him to be referring to Ji Ah herself rather than the show since he says: “[Something is] really famous around the broadcast station.” 

Lee Rang

Lol Kim Beom. How are you 32 years old? 

I love how sharp and no-nonsense Ji Ah is. It’s so refreshing to not have to wait for the characters to catch up to what the audience already knows. 

Rang’s theme that plays as he transforms back into his suave self is so iconic. The music director (Hong Dae Sung) really is a genius. It’s funny when you think about how different Rang’s theme is from Yeon’s. 

Fun fact: Kim Beom shared in his Instagram LIVE that Rang ‘picking the wrong shoes’ was actually intentional. He was testing Ji Ah to see if she’d notice. 

Okay, Rang says here that he likes, “everything about her (Ji Ah) from head to toe,” (not in a romantic way but in a grudging respect/she’s fun to toy with kind of way) but what happened to that? Are we supposed to assume that he would have liked her if she hadn’t been the object of his brother’s affection? But he approached her knowing that’s who she was...? I don’t know. I do know I wish they’d had more scenes together. Their verbal sparring is great.

Side note: One Korean fan nickname for Rang and Yoo Ri that Kim Beom liked was ‘Hoket-dan,’ playing off the Korean for pokemon’s ‘Team Rocket’ (Roket-dan) and mashing it together with the ‘ho’ from ‘gumiho’ haha

Yeon’s obsession with mint chocolate ice cream is a hilarious counterpoint to his status as a cheon’ho and his ex-mountain god title. Point to the writer. In Japanese, this would probably be called ‘gap-moe’.

When Yeon tells the man behind the counter, “When I’m indebted to someone, I’m obligated to return the favor,” he’s once again talking about eunhye. As a fox, he’s supernaturally bound to repay good deeds done for him. As far as I’m aware, this is unique to the drama and not part of the traditional gumiho lore. 

Yeon eating ice cream like a happy kid XD Lol Lee Dong Wook, how are you 39?

Fun fact: Yeon’s line when he answers Rang’s call, “The number you have reached doesn’t exist, you punk” was an ad lib by Lee Dong Wook. The combination of the formal phrasing found in a typical voicemail recording followed by ‘you punk’ is particularly funny. It’s so witty I actually wouldn’t have known this was an ad lib if LDW hadn’t confessed as much himself. 

“Let’s meet.” / “I refuse.” /  “I’ll set your house on fire.” Hahaha What is with these brothers? Are they 1600+ and 600, or 16 and 6? Are the zeros silent??

Bus 1002

Ji Ah: “If possible, pick a different dream. I’ve been on the clock for 22 hours straight now.” I like Ji Ah so much. She’s unpretentious, intelligent, honest, driven, resourceful and witty. 

Lol As Ji Ah struggles with the old man, you can hear Yeon offscreen urging the driver to get moving. Only he calls him, ‘driver yangban.’ Yangban is originally a word for a nobleman, but much like the word ‘lady’ in English, what was once a term of respect is now...not. lol Also, I’m pretty sure this was another ad lib by Lee Dong Wook since it happens entirely in the background.

This scene with Ji Ah piggybacking the old man is so classic spooky-folktale. I love it. 

"You’re the only person I saw.” *Close up of the totem pole* They managed to make that whole sequence creepy despite nothing actually happening. Cool cool cool. 

So our old drunkard is revealed to be a Mokjangseung (mok = wood). Jangseung in general are totems that stand at crossroads and the entrances to villages. tvN published some backstory info explaining Ji Ah’s past with this particular Jangseung and why he elected to save her which I translated here.

Aaaand we’re back at Fox Ridge. I can’t believe I only just noticed this, but the episode title could refer equally to the accident in Ji Ah’s past and this bus accident in the present. 

Of course Rang staged the accident at the site of Ji Ah’s greatest trauma. Also, the fact that he knows that about her is telling. 

Appropriately, the BGM playing as Ji Ah arrives at the scene of the accident is ‘Fox Ridge’ (Yeou Gogae). Iconic.

Back over to Yeon. The first time I watched this I wondered where on earth he was heading in that downpour but it turns out he was in pursuit of Rang, who had given him the slip. 

Seeing Yeon limping injured through the rain ㅠㅠ  Also, while Yeon later tells Ji Ah he carries his umbrella everywhere because he hates his fur getting wet, he clearly isn’t bothered here, choosing to keep it sheathed on his back instead. I guess all bets are off when he’s in Gumiho Mode. 

Detective Baek and Ji Ah speak in banmal and he calls her ‘Nam Ji Ah,’ which I assume means they’ve been friends for a while. 

Wow, good for Ji Ah for having made note of the exact number of passengers in the midst of all that chaos. I certainly wouldn’t have. 

Hospital Encounter

So after Rang gave his brother the slip, Yeon realizes the next day that he’s at the hospital thanks to the news article Shin Joo reads out to him. Idk but I like that shot of the two of them heading out. There’s something vaguely Avengers about it. Which is maybe not surprising given that was another early influence for the show. 

I liked this conversation between Ji Ah and ‘Soo Young.’ We get to see Ji Ah’s own resolve and drive in the advice she offers: “Even so, I hope you’ll become strong. It’s way more fun to be a PD than a victim.” 

As with when he arrived at the wedding hall, the cinematography + BGM as Yeon approaches the hospital with his red umbrella is just A++ 

The BGM playing when Ji Ah spots Yeon approaching the hospital information desk isn’t on spotify or anywhere else that I’ve seen. It reminds me a bit of the ‘Tubular Bells’ theme from the Exorcist (a movie I actually haven’t even seen). If anyone knows what it is, I’d love to know. 

“My only talent is my face~” pffft  Also, decidedly untrue. 

When Ji Ah tells Yeon, “Yes, I’m scouting you, but not for that,” She literally says, “but not for that genre.”

And now the subs say ‘Fox Ridge.’ Okay, then. 

When Yeon says, “From the sound of it, it won’t be well made,” ‘well made’ is in English. Again, the peppering of English through Yeon’s speech makes him sound more modern.

When Yeon says, “Plus, I’m very devoted” his line is more literally, “Plus, contrary to how I look, I’m the devoted type.” Are you saying you look like a player? pfft

Yeon is such a big softie, so why does he keep threatening to kill people? Does he not realize they might take him seriously?

For this entire conversation (interrogation?), both Yeon and Ji Ah are switching back and forth between polite speech and banmal, almost on a sentence by sentence basis. On the whole, it gives the impression of a verbal sparring match.  

“It’s not as if this was a blind date. No thanks on a second one.” lol I do enjoy cheeky Yeon. 

Oh, I love that Ji Ah thinks on her feet. Using her leather bag to lift Yeon’s fingerprints was a smart move. Although, I’m not entirely convinced it would work that well in real life. 

The ‘grim reaper’s outfit’ exchange was a coordinated ad lib between Lee Dong Wook and Hwang Hee. I mean, of course it was lol Casting Lee Dong Wook is the gift that keeps on giving. 

Was that supposed to be Yoo Ri entering ‘Soo Young’s’ hospital room in those boots?

Minor detail, but ‘Soo Young’ calls Ji Ah ‘eonni’ meaning ‘older sister.’ It’s common convention in Korean to refer to people by familial ‘roles’ that fit their general age range even when you’re not actually related. I could digress, but I guess I just find it jarring when they have her addressing Ji Ah by name in the subs since Ji Ah is older and virtually a stranger. 

Okay, when ‘Soo Young’ hears that Ji Ah lives alone, the smile she gives is effectively creepy. 

The contrast between ‘Soo Young’s’ narration and the events of what actually happened on the bus that we see as viewers is great. Point to the director. 

Wow, Rang really just slaughtered a whole bus worth of innocent people without a thought. I feel like we all managed to forget that about him as the show progressed. Hats off to the writer and to Kim Beom’s compelling performance. I actually worried initially that Rang would remain a one-note character because that would have been such a waste of Kim Beom, who is a fantastic actor. I’m so glad that wasn’t the case. 

I love the subversion of viewer expectations when it turns out that Ji Ah knew all along that ‘Soo Young’ wasn’t who she claimed. This is something TotNT does repeatedly and well. We get both the dramatic tension of her being in danger and the satisfaction of her having had the upper hand all along. Point to the writer.

I’m pretty sure Ji Ah knocked that pitcher over with the express intent of using a shard from it as a weapon. Point for character consistency. Past or present, Ji Ah is apparently a ‘stab first, ask questions later’ kind of girl.

The Brothers

“Hey you! I clearly told you I didn’t want a second date?!” Haha Oh, Yeon. 

I saw comments from Korean fans about how Yeon burst into her house with his shoes on here, and now I can’t not think of them when I watch this scene: ‘Entering the house with your shoes on...in the Republic of Korea...Ha...’, ‘Even if you bust the whole house apart, you have to take your shoes off before entering...’ lol

I love Yeon’s line that’s subbed as, “As if, brother.” In Korean, it’s “Do you want to die, little brother?” The word he uses for ‘little brother’ is ‘아우야,’ which, while still used occasionally today, is an antiquated word Yeon might just as easily have called Rang 600 years ago. It’s also, in contrast to the first half of his sentence, quite an affectionate term of address. 

Rang’s line subbed as, “It’s a long story, but the family has a dirty past,” should more properly be: “It’s a long story, but you might say we come from a broken home.” Saying they have a dirty past makes it sound like they’re the mafia or something. Also, as a fun language note, the expression is literally ‘a bean-powder household.’ 

“Are you worried I’ll be sucked into the Underworld?” should be: “Are you worried I’ll go to hell?” Not sure where they got ‘sucked into.’ Rang just means when he dies. Also, I wish the subs would do a better job distinguishing between hell, the underworld, and the afterlife. They’re three different words. 

“It’s because you embarrass me, that’s why.” Lol at the way Yeon covers his eyes. That’s definitely another ad lib from Lee Dong Wook. 

When Rang calls time here, he actually calls Yeon ‘hyung.’ I suspect this wasn’t in the script but rather something that slipped out subconsciously on Kim Beom’s part, since the writer was clearly saving that word for when it would hurt us viewers the most. ㅠㅠ

Yeon’s line is subbed, “Old habits really do die hard,” but it should properly be: “You still haven’t fixed that habit?”

“If you don’t find it until the end of the next month, this woman will die.” This should actually be: “If you can’t find [that] by the next end of the month, your woman will die.” The subject is actually omitted so it’s unclear to what exactly Rang is referring, which is intentional. I also understand hearing ‘your woman’ (ni yeoja) as ‘this woman’ (i yeoja), but when they later flash back to this conversation they use a different take in which the line delivery is clearer and I’m confident it’s ‘your woman.’ This also explains Yeon’s confusion, since at this point he didn’t even know she’d been reborn. 

I Waited for You

For anyone wondering how Ji Ah got into Yeon’s apartment, apparently his house code is 0000 lol

From his expression as he discovers and then watches the video she secretly took of him, I feel like Yeon is impressed with Ji Ah in spite of himself and I’m 100% here for it. 

For the record, from this point forward, Yeon and Ji Ah use banmal with each other. Ji Ah has a tendency to speak to many of the supernaturals in banmal, which is honestly the opposite of what I would have opted for in her shoes. 

Yeon’s question of, “How did you come here?” could mean either, ‘What brings you here?’ or ‘How did you get [in] here?’ in Korean, and honestly they’re both valid haha

Minor note, but she actually says his Korean age is 36, which would be 35 by the typical reckoning...except he’s actually ~1636 so it’s a moot point, really. 

Ji Ah’s line, “Now I can proudly say that it’s fate,” translated more literally would be: “At this point, it really is fate and not coincidence.”

I feel like Ji Ah’s strategy of throwing herself off the balcony here is possibly the only thing she does in this entire show that strikes me as dumb. Like, I’m pretty sure if Yeon hadn’t been both benevolent and able to fly (and she had no guarantee that he was either), letting her just fall here would have been the easiest way for him to resolve the matter/the only thing he could have done. 

Yeon’s line, “Did you just test me?” is one of the rare instances in which he code switches to archaic speech. I guess using his gumiho powers put him in a Gumiho frame of mind. ;)

On the whole, I prefer the instrumental OST tracks to the lyrical ones, but ‘Blue Moon’ is just sooooo catchy. I wish they had continued using it more. 

And that concludes Episode 1. I’ve never posted anything like this before, but hopefully it was at least mildly interesting. Let me know what you think. 

[fiftytwotwenty]

Movie Monday - Aug 17th, 2020

"Best Coming-of-Age Movie"

Stand By Me (1986):

August 17th, 2020... 8/17/20... Eight, Seventeen, & Twenty... What a perfect date to discuss a coming of age movie.

Summer is coming to end and School is quickly upon and in today's current climate it seems like adulthood is being thrusted more and more on youngsters... again, no better time than now to discuss a coming of age movie.

What exactly is a Coming-of-Age tale? Well, it's a story of growth (physical or psychological) which brings you closer to adulthood - usually a story where the protagonist is forever changed.

Almost a 34 years ago we were graced with Stand By Me - an 80's Movie that takes place in the 50's - and boy-howdy is the film staked.

Stephen King provided the source material for the film - based on his short story The Body. Stated to be one of King's closest writtings to an autobiography which is probably why we get such real, likeable characters.

Moving into the screenplay you have to give it up to the writers, Raynold Gideon and Bruce A. Evans, for delivery such believable-honest-accurate vernacular and portrayal of youth. So many movies now a days have kids talking like mature adults (Juno) and the adults acting childish (Edge of Seventeen / Mean Girls). With Stand By Me you get a authentic vibe that allows you to immerse into the story.

The film was helmed by Rob Reiner. Robbie Reiner had a string of great directing hits in the 80s and mid 90s (This is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, A Few Good Men, The American President) - the dude low-key influenced people's childhood almost more than Speilberg. Reiner uses his creative talent to make emotional pivots from funny to sincere to villanous to tearjerking all throughout Stand By Me giving it great depth.

And of course the acting...

Jerry O'Connell as Vern was true greenhorn as Stand By Me was his first acting gig. He is honestly one of my favorite characters from the film and most notably the first definition of "Adorkable".

Corey Feldman was just coming off Goonies and really showed his versatility as he moved away from Mouth's "smooth" style to the dark, damaged portrayal of Teddy. Feldman would have been 13/14 years old during filming.

Wil Wheaton - before he was a nerdcore, pop icon - was holding his own as the lead, Gordie, who gives a sweet, intelligent light compared to his costar counterparts. Makes you wonder if he never became a Trekkie.

As the misunderstood bad boy with a heart of gold we have River Phoenix as Chris - who in some ways was probably a misunderstood bad boy with a heart of gold in real life. Shit - Phoenix delivers - a true leader of his crew.

And of course, as our baddie, Keither Sutherland. His character makes you want to spit - for what he was going for in the film - this is a good thing.

OH! And the Narration is Impeccable!

Together our four teen leads head out on journey in the search of dead body and fame only peel back the layers of their lives to expose hardships of being a teen. A journey that alters their outlook on life. This movie at times is depressing, but as our four whipperscamps illustrate you can always find some humor while in the shit with your friends.

If you haven't seen Stand By Me I strongly encourage you to do so - even if your an adult - this movie will probably serve a piece that will help you reflect on your own childhood and friendships of the past - sure you and your gang may have never tracked down a corpse - but I sure-as-shit bet you has some great time singing tunes from the radio and telling jokes.

Give it a try:

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Boy (2010)

Eighth Grade (2018)

[janearts]

[WIP in question.]

Have you ever sat down and designed a canon armor for her?

I continually return to this armour, so I suppose that’s the closest I’ve ever come to drawing a “canon” armour set for Bree. I like playing with the idea that Bree has become the fairy tale knight that she dreamed would save her from the Circle Tower as a child.

I got carried away with my reply to your second answer, so the rest is below the read-more!

For that matter, how much time does Bree actually spend in her armor?

I go back and forth on this one. Most days I’m convinced that Bree would be most comfortable dressing as whatever version of ‘Peasant Girl’ entered into her head that day or wearing the Chasind and Tevinter robes that she would find during her travels.

But then I get to thinking about how unlocking the Arcane Warrior tree is a pivotal moment for Bree and her growth during the narrative of DAO. She has this new ability that allows her to pour some of that steely resolve and strength of will that she feels but is not reflected in her physique–an Amazon warrior she ain’t–into her actual corporeal form. Those memories endowed by the spirit of the Arcane Warrior give her a martial confidence and courage that she didn’t have up until that point. I think she’d be encouraged to put down her staff and robes and pick up heavier armour and weaponry. I specifically chose plate armour and a sword & shield for her for the reason specified in my answer above.

I also go back and forth because I just frikkin love thinking about her using her mage’s staff like a giant hunk of inert wood instead of a tool to channel her magic (like here and here). I get all bent out of shape when I have to think about her battle moves with a sword and shield. >:IIII

Also, it’s just awesome that Bree, a cute, sweet, pampered noble’s daughter is going around whacking the crap out of baddies :D

Thank you!!! But I cannot stress enough that Bree spent a solid chunk of the 5th Blight bumbling and fumbling around, combat-wise. She was absolutely useless as a fighter prior to the Broken Circle quest when Wynne was able to take Bree under her wing and especially prior to the spirit of the Arcane Warrior literally hot-wiring her brain with some old ass memories. She whacked things with her staff out of sheer panic. Ok, so she did better than Princess Buttercup during the ROUS scene from Princess Bride–that woman just poked the thing with a stick–but there was still a lot of shrill, panicked screaming for Alistair.

[wazafam]

When a cast member leaves Saturday Night Live, they can either disappear into obscurity and occasionally return to the show to do a fan-favorite impression – which is the most common path – or become a huge A-list movie star like Eddie Murphy or Bill Murray – which is rare, for obvious reasons.

RELATED: SNL: 10 Best Movie Parodies

A bunch of immensely talented performers in the latter category, from Mike Myers to Chris Rock to Adam Sandler, came to prominence in the 1990s. Some of the funniest comedies of the ‘90s starred Saturday Night Live cast members (and one of them was directly adapted from a recurring SNL sketch).

10 Tommy Boy (1995)

Chris Farley was close with all his SNL castmates, but perhaps none more than David Spade. The duo united for Tommy Boy, the tale of a slacker’s attempts to save his family’s business with the help of a snooty accountant after his dad dies.

Farley and Spade’s chemistry proved to be so electric that they reteamed for another comedy, Black Sheep, but it was nowhere near as well-received as Tommy Boy.

9 The Wedding Singer (1998)

Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore have made a few romcoms together over the years, but their most memorable collaboration is still their first, The Wedding Singer.

Sandler plays the titular wedding singer and Barrymore plays a bride-to-be that he falls for. The Wedding Singer is one of Sandler’s sweetest, most grounded movies.

8 Analyze This (1999)

Harold Ramis’ Analyze This stars Billy Crystal (who hosted SNL before becoming a cast member) as a psychiatrist and Robert De Niro as the mob boss who he befriends after an unfortunate chance encounter.

Co-written by Ramis and Manchester by the Sea’s Kenneth Lonergan, Analyze This is a delightfully dark comedic romp. SNL legend Molly Shannon also appears in a supporting role.

7 Dogma (1999)

Kevin Smith’s controversial, but affectionate religious satire Dogma stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck at the height of their Good Will Hunting fame as a pair of fallen angels who discover a loophole that can get them back into Heaven.

Since the success of their plan would prove God to be fallible and make all of existence moot, everybody in the universe is determined to stop them. SNL cast members Chris Rock and Janeane Garofalo appear alongside such icons as Salma Hayek, Alan Rickman, and George Carlin in the movie’s star-studded ensemble cast.

6 Rushmore (1998)

Wes Anderson wrote the role of industrialist Herman Blume in his second movie Rushmore with Bill Murray in mind, but didn’t expect him to take it. Murray read the script and was so impressed with Anderson’s vision that he not only took the role; he’s appeared in all of Anderson’s movies since.

RELATED: 10 Funniest Quotes From Rushmore

Murray stars alongside Jason Schwartzman, who plays Blume’s prodigious 15-year-old friend Max Fischer, and Olivia Williams, who plays the schoolteacher they both fall for.

5 Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (1997)

Mike Myers forced the 007 producers to rethink their strategy after ridiculing all the tropes and traditions of the Bond franchise in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Myers’ hysterical title character mixes the style of Bond with ‘60s swinging culture.

Myers also plays the villainous Dr. Evil, a spot-on riff on megalomaniacal Bond baddies, and SNL’s Will Ferrell appears in a small role as one of his henchmen.

4 There’s Something About Mary (1998)

The Farrelly brothers brought their distinctively crass comedic sensibility to a love story with There’s Something About Mary. Cameron Diaz stars as “it” girl Mary, and Ben Stiller plays her high school prom date who wants to get back in touch with her. Unfortunately for him, just about every creep in America – including the private eye he hired to find her – is obsessed with Mary.

SNL cast member Chris Elliott plays Stiller’s seemingly harmless married friend who turns out to be Mary’s most dangerous stalker of all.

3 Groundhog Day (1993)

Bill Murray finds himself living the same day over and over again in Groundhog Day. He plays Phil Connors, a TV weatherman who gets stuck reliving his most painfully mundane assignment – covering the Groundhog Day celebrations in Punxsutawney – again and again.

RELATED: Groundhog Day: 5 Ways Phil Connors Is Bill Murray's Best Character (& 5 Alternatives)

After the initial fun wears off and he realizes the time loop won’t let him take his own life, Phil finds a new purpose in his life when he falls for his producer Rita (Andie MacDowell). Chris Elliott also appears in this one as Phil’s cameraman.

2 Happy Gilmore (1996)

While Adam Sandler’s breakout hit was Billy Madison, his first true classic – and the movie that solidified his status as a comedy superstar – was Happy Gilmore.

Sandler plays the title character, a hothead hockey player whose grandmother is being kicked out of her home. When he realizes his aggressive hockey tactics can be transferred to the golf course, Happy enters a tournament in the hopes of using the prize money to buy back his grandma’s house.

1 Wayne’s World (1992)

Mike Myers and Dana Carvey first introduced the world to Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar in a recurring SNL sketch, but the subsequent movie adaptation showed audiences their lives outside their public access show Wayne’s World.

With plenty of fourth-wall-breaking and no regard for realism, Wayne’s World is a ton of fun. Along with The Blues Brothers, it’s one of the only bona fide classic feature-length comedies adapted from an SNL sketch.

NEXT: SNL: 10 Great '80s Comedies Starring Cast Members

SNL: 10 Best '90s Comedies Starring Cast Members | ScreenRant from https://ift.tt/3c5jBL3

[theragamuffininitiative]

The Princess Bride, a Musical: Dream Cast

To begin this post, allow me to just point out that this site exists???

...moving on- I don’t feel like I need to explain myself on this one. The Princess Bride. Dreamed up by your friendly neighborhood Ragamuffin as a stage musical. Let’s go.

Links to examples of the actors showing off their skills are included with their names. :)

Westley - Colin Donnell /// Buttercup - Patti Murin

This entire post was inspired by this interview, so I am ay-okay 100% letting these two cinnamon rolls ham it up on stage together as the heroes of our story.

While Colin may be most familiar as the goofy best friend on Arrow or a doctor on Chicago Med, theater fans have been loving him as Fiyero in Wicked, Billy Crocker in Anything Goes, Monty in Violet, Frank in Merrily We Roll Along and etc. His real life wife Patti also has a happy resume including stints as Glinda in Wicked (not the same production sadly), Linda in Holiday Inn, and now as Anna in the upcoming Frozen musical.

Both have quite the theater career with some television and movie acting on the side, so it’s safe to say they’re qualified for the roles. Honestly, it’s a good thing they started it or I would have never been able to decide on who to be the leading man and lady. ;) Please listen to them sing. Angels, the both of them.

Inigo Montoya - Diego Luna

@mybrainsonvacation gets the credit for this one!

Honestly, the hardest part of this entire thing was, naturally, Inigo. Such an iconic role. Literally what can you do. But Diego most certainly has the acting chops to do it justice, and although he’s not familiar around the stage, he does sing! I think Diego would bring to life an all-new Inigo in a perfect homage to the heroic Spaniard that is so beloved to us all.

Fezzik - Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson

The Rock has been a favorite for playing The Muscle for a long time and recently showed another side of himself as Maui in Disney’s Moana. Please watch the video I linked too under his name as well, it is precious. As far as actors go, I can think of very few others who could come close to filling Andre’s wonderful shoes on the Brute Squad.

A close runner up however came from @affectbreathe in the form of Mark Ruffalo on stilts and I would totally absolutely go for that every time too.

Prince Humperdinck - Will Swenson

thanks go to @pontmarius for this choice!

Tony nominated Will is no stranger to playing both the princely and the villainous and has enough charisma and lung power to make a positively excellent Humperdinck. He has all the charm, all the humor, and all the rugged good looks to make that dubious hunter a true bit of stage gold.

(I have to mention that I also considered Cheyenne Jackson, he would also be good, just sayin’)

Vizzini - Max Casella

also a @pontmarius call and what a call it is

While perhaps not the most familiar face to many of us, Max has such a starry career. Known best to me as young Racetrack in the original Disney film Newsies. While, much our misfortune, Max hasn’t done much singing in recent years, he was Timon on Broadway, and also the loveable penguin Tip in the questionable Little Mermaid sequel. I can just imagine the song version of the iconic Iocane powder scene and it delights my soul.

Tyron Rugen (The Six-Fingered Man) - Leslie Odom Jr.

Most everyone in the musical theater community, Hamilton fans or not (Aaron Burr, sir), is probably familiar with this guy’s work. Astounding Tony-winner Leslie’s smooth singing would mesh well with the dangerous, soft-spoken Count. And, in case anyone has missed my mentioning of it, his chilling performance as Peter Collier on CBS’s Person of Interest show he is more than capable of being the baddie.

Miracle Max - Jeremy Jordan

Who can pull off our most beloved and crazy healer as well as dear Billy Crystal? Probably no one (that goes for this whole thing basically), but I can think of few actors better suited to adapt this role than Jeremy. His incredibly versatile acting styles do him credit, as well as his kookiness aaaalmost Martin Freeman caliber face-acting. The more I think about this, the more I like it.

It should be mentioned I am also tempted by Lin-Manuel Miranda for this one, but we all want to put Lin in everything, let’s give the guy some space. ;)

The Grandfather - Mandy Patinkin

Yeah, so, if you thought I wasn’t going to do any kind of homage casting you are dead wrong. (Just wait til you get to the supporting roles, oh boy.) Mandy is not only our dear, beloved, wonderful Inigo, but he’s also a Tony-awarded veteran of the Great White Way himself - my personal favorite being his role as Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden. I included just one link, in which Mandy’s character is telling another story to another little boy, but do a search for Mandy’s singing and experience that unique joy for yourself. Having Mandy as the Grandfather telling this tale as it moves through the songs and the acts would be absolutely magical and I could never conceive of any one else being better suited for this part.

see my up-coming reblog for the rest of the cast!

[ask-the-shiny-pokemons]

(@gimmigardens ) Jade@Noelle: “You seemed pretty worried about that stone of yours, are your parents going to steal it from you or something? You can’t trust anyone when it comes to your valuables, gotta keep a close eye on them. That’s what I’m trying to teach my buddy anyways but he’s seems to be in the opinion that family should steal from each other. What about you huh?”

My ma is after the rare things at my home. She stores them in her safe and even leaves the home with it. My neighbors thought she's a weird bitch, and I couldn't agree more... So, that's why I'm nervous about my belongings at my home. I don't have a safe to store them... Well, I think I'm gonna hurry up before she-

Didn't ya checked an end table's drawer, Noey?

Oh, right, I haven't thought about it, haha... Anyways, back in a sec...

Noelle opens the drawer.

PUT IT BACK, PUT IT BACK!

Noelle puts her Mega Stone back to the drawer and comes back to Jade.

Well, it looks like it's safe...for now...

She nervously smiles. Somehow, the glowing stone is connected to the events in different universe.

[ @gimmigardens ]

[recentanimenews]

The Manga Revue, 4/16/18

Today’s super-sized Manga Revue comes to you courtesy of Patriot’s Day, my second favorite Massachusetts-only holiday. (The first is Evacuation Day, a thinly-disguised attempt to give Boston’s civil servants permission to skip work on St. Pattie’s.) In addition to a bumper crop of links, I have two reviews for you: volume four of D&D cooking extravaganza Delicious in Dungeon, and volumes three and four of everyone’s favorite backwoods culinary adventure Golden Kamuy. Looking back on food manga’s early history in the US, who could have predicted that readers would be feasting on such a wide array of titles in 2018, from Sweetness and Lightning and What Did You Eat Yesterday? to Giant Spider & Me: A Post-Apocalyptic Tale, Food Wars!! Shokugeki no Soma, and Toriko. Maybe the North American market is finally ready for an Iron Wok Jan renaissance…

Delicious in Dungeon, Vol. 4 Story and Art by Ryoko Kui Translated by Taylor Engel Yen Press, 192 pp. Rated T, for Teens (13+)

If the first volume of Delicious in Dungeon was about assembling a posse, and the second and third about turning monsters into meals, then the fourth is about friendship — specifically, the strong emotional bond between Laois, Marcille, and Falin — and revenge, as the gang finally comes face-to-face with the Red Dragon. The showdown takes place inside a walled city whose narrow, maze-like streets give them a strategic advantage over their Godzilla-sized foe. And as exciting as the fight is, the real payoff is what follows, as Laois and Marcille discover that bringing Falin back from the dead isn’t a simple proposition. It’s in these moments that Ryoko Kui proves a more deft storyteller than we initially realized, effortlessly shifting gears from comedy to drama without mawkishness or cheap jokes. Instead, we’re allowed to contemplate the real horror of being eaten alive — as Falin was — and the real possibility of a character dying for good.

If I’ve made volume four sound like a bummer, rest assured it isn’t. Seshi gets his turn in the spotlight with a lethal display of culinary bravado, while the rest of the gang endures its share of fumbles and miscommunications on the way to catching their dragon adversary. Though I suspect the next volume of Delicious in Dungeon may revert to its monster-of-the-week formula, that’s OK, since Kui has left the door open for more moments of earnest reflection. Recommended.

Golden Kamuy, Vols. 3-4 Story and Art by Satoru Noda Translated by Eiji Yasuda VIZ Media Rated M, for Mature (18+)

The strengths and weaknesses of Golden Kamuy are neatly encapsulated in a conversation that happens midway through volume four. Asirpa coaxes Sugimoto to try fox meat, to which he responds, “You know, I’m not out here to try all the delicacies in Hokkaido.” In this exchange, author Satoru Noda tacitly admits that Golden Kamuy is more compelling as a study of Ainu culture than a bloody frontier adventure, a supposition borne out by the series’ frequent and fascinating detours into the food, medicine, and mythology of the Ainu; I’ve learned more about bear-hunting techniques from the last two volumes than I did in forty-five years of walking the Earth.

Golden Kamuy is on weaker footing when introducing new characters and subplots. None of the other gold-seekers are fleshed out as carefully as Asirpa and Sugimoto, reducing them to mere obstacles despite Noda’s efforts to give each villain a unique motivation for wanting the treasure. The newest baddie — Kazuo Hemni — exemplifies this problem to a tee: though he’s been given a particularly grisly backstory to explain his murderous proclivities, he’s such a textbook sociopath that he barely rises above the preternaturally-calm-and-savage type. His main function seems to be ramping up the body count, rather than complicating Asirpa and Sugimoto’s quest in a meaningful way.

The art, too, sometimes has a perfunctory quality; in several scenes, Noda’s use of a Photoshopped background doesn’t mesh well with the hand-drawn elements, resulting in an image that inadvertently calls attention to its artificiality. Noda’s use of perspective, too, is sometimes a distraction. He has difficult drawing bodies to scale, especially when he’s depicting Asirpa and her family, some of whom look more like Smurfs than people in their head-to-body ratio.

Still, the camaraderie between Asirpa and Sugimoto, and the well-staged action scenes more than compensate for the occasional roughness of the execution or flatness of the characterization. Golden Kamuy continues to entertain, horrify, and educate in equal measure — something I can’t say for any other manly-man manga that’s currently being published in English. Recommended.

Must-Read Reviews

Sean Gaffney offers a thoughtful appraisal of My Boy, pronouncing it “a good, meaningful work, told with a deft hand,” while Chris Galaver declares Seiichi Hayashi’s Red-Colored Elegy a classic. Over at NerdSpan, Keith Hendricks checks in with Delicious in Dungeon and One-Punch Man.

New and Noteworthy

Again!!, Vol. 1 (Rebecca Silverman, Anime News Network)

Again!!, Vol. 1 (Michelle Smith, Soliloquy in Blue)

Again!!, Vol. 1 (Ross Liversidge, UK Anime Network)

The Ancient Magus’ Bride, Vols. 1-8 (Michelle Smith, Soliloquy in Blue)

Children of the Whales, Vol. 1 (Faith Orcino, Anime Ushi)

CITY, Vol. 1 (Ian Wolf, Anime UK News)

CITY, Vol. 1 (Martha Cornog, Library Journal)

CITY, Vol. 1 (Ross Liversidge, UK Anime Network)

Cutie Honey a Go Go! (Evan Bourgault, Boston Bastard Brigade)

Cutie Honey a Go Go! (Sean Gaffney, A Case Suitable for Treatment)

Devilman Grimoire, Vol. 1 (Robert McCarthy, Otaku USA)

Fire Punch, Vol. 1 (Theron Martin, Anime News Network)

Goblin Slayer, Vol. 1 (Bill Curtis, Yatta Tachi)

Goldfisch, Vol. 1 (Kathleen Townsend, Looking Glass Reads)

Kenka Bancho Otome: Love’s Battle Royale, Vol. 1 (Rebecca Silverman, Anime News Network)

Kenka Bancho Otome: Love’s Battle Royale, Vol. 1 (Katherine Dacey, The Manga Critic)

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 1 (Rebecca Silverman, Anime News Network)

Laid-Back Camp, Vol. 1 (J. Caleb Mozzocco, Good Comics for Kids)

Mermaid Boys, Vol. 1 (Sean Gaffney, A Case Suitable for Treatment)

Monster Tamer Girls, Vol. 1 (Sean Gaffney, A Case Suitable for Treatment)

Monster Tamer Girls, Vol. 1 (Justin, The OASG)

Moteki: Love Strikes!, Vol. 1 (Mehsi, Twirling Book Princess)

Moteki: Love Strikes!, Vol. 1 (Sally, Sally After Words)

Moteki: Love Strikes!, Vol. 1 (Michelle Smith, Soliloquy in Blue)

My Boy, Vol. 1 (Eric Cline, AiPT!)

Nameless Asterism, Vol. 1 (Erica Friedman, Okazu)

Real Life, Vol. 1 (Carlos Frigo, The Fandom Post)

RWBY (Jason Bradley Thompson, Otaku USA)

Saga of Tanya the Evil, Vol. 1 (Sakura Eries, The Fandom Post)

Slumbering Beauty, Vol. 1 (Faith Orcino, Anime Ushi)

A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School, Vol. 1 (Melina Dargis, The Fandom Post)

Though You May Burn to Ash, Vol. 1 (Justin, The OASG)

Tokyo Ghoul:re, Vols. 1-4 (Dustin Cabeal, Comic Bastards)

Waiting for Spring, Vols. 1-4 (Krystallina, Daiyamanga)

The Young Master’s Revenge, Vol. 1 (Leroy Douresseaux, Comic Book Bin)

The Young Master’s Revenge, Vol. 1 (Anna N., The Manga Report)

your name, Vol. 1 (Brittany Vincent, Otaku USA)

Ongoing Series

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 6 (Gabe Peralta, The Fandom Post)

Assassination Classroom, Vol. 21 (Eric Cline, AiPT!)

Battle Angel Alita: Deluxe Edition, Vol. 3 (David Brooke, AiPT!)

Case Closed, Vol. 66 (Sally, Sally After Words)

Dimension W, Vol. 8 (Melina Dargis, The Fandom Post)

Dragon Ball Super #33 (Siddharth Gupta, All-Comic)*

Dragon Ball Super #34 (Siddharth Gupta, All-Comic)*

Dreamin’ Sun, Vol. 6 (Aaron, Manga Energy)

Elegant Yokai Apartment Life, Vol. 4 (Eric Cline, AiPT!)*

Golden Kamuy, Vols. 3-4 (Dustin Cabeal, Comic Bastards)

Good Night Punpun, Vol. 7 (Dustin Cabeal, Comic Bastards)

I Hear the Sunspot: Theory of Happiness (Josh Piedra, The Outerhaven)

The Isolator, Vol. 3 (Alisha Taran, Reality’s A Bore)

Kiss Him, Not Me!, Vol. 13 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Comics Worth Reading)

The Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service Omnibus, Vol. 2 (Kathleen Townsend, Looking Glass Reads)

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Vol. 13 (Dennis Amith, J-Ent! Online)

Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt, Vols. 5-6 (Dustin Cabeal, Comic Bastards)

My Hero Academia, Vol. 12 (Trevor Richardson, AiPT!)

My Monster Secret, Vol. 10 (Aaron, Manga Energy)

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 2 (Helen, The OASG)

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 3 (Sean Gaffney, A Case Suitable for Treatment)

Sweet Blue Flowers, Vol. 2 (Melina Dargis, The Fandom Post)

Sweet Blue Flowers, Vol. 3 (Erica Friedman, Okazu)

Sweetness & Lightning, Vol. 8 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Comics Worth Reading)

Takane & Hana, Vol. 2 (Johanna Draper Carlson, Comics Worth Reading)

Takane & Hana, Vol. 2 (Anna N., The Manga Report)

A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School, Vol. 2 (Alisha Taran, Reality’s A Bore)

Tokyo Ghoul:re, Vol. 3 (Leroy Douresseaux, Comic Book Bin)

The Water Dragon’s Bride, Vol. 5 (Aaron, Manga Energy)

W.I.T.C.H., Vol. 4 (Kate O’Neil, The Fandom Post)

Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 11 (Sean Gaffney, A Case Suitable for Treatment)

your name, Vol. 3 (Helen, The OASG)

your name, Vol. 3 (Alisha Taran, Reality’s A Bore)

From the Vault

Butterflies, Flowers (Megan R., The Manga Test Drive)

Kabuki: Flower (Megan R., The Manga Test Drive)

Master Keaton, Vol. 12 (Dustin Cabeal, Comic Bastards)

Pink (Trevor Richardson, AiPT!)

Swan, Vol. 1 (SKJAM, SKJAM! Reviews)

Tokyo Ghoul, Vol. 1 (Trevor Richardson, AiPT!)

Voice Over! Seiyuu Academy, Vol. 2 (SKJAM, SKJAM! Reviews)

* Denotes a digital-first or digital-only release

By: Katherine Dacey

[ask-the-shiny-pokemons]

Rimi and Noelle went to a place where no one can see them. They decide to wear some formalities, where Rimi ties her hair and put a shirt with tie, and Noelle puts her outfit from Gala. However, she still has her sleeping pants on.

Once they done it, they back to the summit.

Y'know, Noey? This event is not so big as a previous one, but… I think we have so much fun regardless, yeah?

So true. So many friends to make. I'm not gonna count some troubles we've got.

They both make some deep breathes to forget what happened to them. For Rimi, it was a "small" talk with a strange hybrid Eeveelution and of course the trouble communicating with a "Purrloin". Noelle had trouble with a sassy Absol which almost caused her to forcefully mega evolve.

Soon after, Rimi is putting her paws behind her back. Noelle is very nervous what's Rimi is planning.

Noey… I'm gonna be honest with ya. I didn't expect to be in this place at all. I know it gives us terrible memories, but that's not very important. So sorry if I picked a place for this special day.

Ya don't need to apologize, Rim. This place is also gonna give us some good memories because at least it's not our Dragonspiral Tower.

Rimi stays silent even after Noelle's words. She sees through her eyes and blushes.

W-w-w…

Go on, Rim! I'm rootin' for you!

Y-YES!! sob

Noelle cries because her beloved made a proposal. If it's not their time together at the school, she might simply say "no". Rimi put the engagement ring to middle finger on Noelle's paw.

As they engaged, everyone come and see the event. Noelle decides to show it to everyone.

Rimi and Noelle are now engaged.

[ background by @/lightofunova; cameos including @idolmelodies, @luckykatsranch, @the-feral-one, @mezuni-and-willow, @sphaeramjourney. I hope I did them justice. ]

[ask-the-shiny-pokemons]

A mysterious letter has appeared!

“Hello friend! You've been invited to this year's Mask Festival! The event takes place at Kokochiyoi Village, the largest village in Kitakami! Come join us for food, games, fireworks, and of course-”

Oh? Halfway through the letter, the handwriting changes.

“Hello there!! It's me, Kenji! Aya really wanted me to invite some of her friends to the festival this year, so I thought I'd send you an official invitation! I also made you a couple masks with the help of a close family friend! If you're a feral or anthro, wearing them'll give you a gijinka form! Don't worry- you won't actually turn into one! It's just an illusion that only works on the villagers, so they won't freak out when they see you. If you'd like to bring a different mask but still want the illusion powers, just take the bells off the masks and onto your own!

Aya, me, and my husbands all hope to see you soon!”

C-can we just don't... Because we REALLY had a long night yesterday...

Ah, don't worry, it won't happen until next month. We have plenty of time to prepare.

Right. So, we should buy some yukatas for us because-

Actually, I think I have an idea myself. Why we take our suit jackets from my this year's birthday party and-

NO WAY WE DOIN' IT, GIRL! WHAT ABOUT EDIE AND...THAT PINK WEAVILE???

Nah, I don't think they would keep it. But I'll call them just in case.

Ah, k...

Rimi and Noelle are preparing for the Mask Festival.

[ @asktheoger ]

[ask-the-shiny-pokemons]

(Inkdot @ Rimi)

[Inkdot skated up to Rimi, smiling] “Heard you were getting married, so, I decided to come by and say congrats!”

[ @ask-inkdot-pkmn ]

[ask-the-shiny-pokemons]

(@pokege-ne-project ; Shadow) "Oh, oh, congrats on the engaging!!" While not fully understanding the concept, she's still wanting to cheer on what seems to be a good thing. "If it's okay, what do you want to do with Rimi afterwards?"

Well, we'll eventually gettin' married, but not for now. First I need to meet Rim's parents. I've met her pa when I was in his recording label headquarters. I've never met her ma even if she runs the malasada shop. I was here before, but only saw Rim working and other clerks. I'm pretty sure her mom is very busy woman these days. After that? Well, I dunno yet... Maybe a pre-wedding honeymoon or explorin' different worlds, regions, universes. It's how we like to do very often, aside from the music.

[ @pokege-ne-project ]

Asks until Rimi return: 2/3

[ask-the-shiny-pokemons]

“Congratulations on you’re engagement!” Cherry greeted Noelle with a bright grin, she held out a pink box to her, “I over heard about it and wanted to give you two a small present early. It’s just some cupcakes and baked goods I made. Oh! And if you two ever need help with outfits or baked goods for a party I’m happy to provide free of charge!”

Noelle gladly takes a box and put it on counter.

And Outfits? We're SO glad to have them! I-I think I have some ideas ...

She excitedly types on her Rotie. She shows a note to Cherry.

"Preferably suits w. ties, based on our vibes and personalities. Dark colors."

I don't want Rim to hear that yet, so I show ya the note. If you want to design them right now, or...sketch it, I would glad. If not, that's fine. Our wedding is not coming for the next 6 months or somethin' at least.

[ @ask-gimmiventures ]

Asks until Rimi return: 3/3

[ Rimi will back after the next post. ]

Oh! It seems the Rimielle's house interior has been changed. Wonder, why?

[ask-the-shiny-pokemons]

After engaging, Rimi and Noelle are now back to their pajamas once again.

They come back to the summit and made a bed out of a blankets. They also found one long pillow to sleep.

They both lie down together.

Good night, Noey. yawn

yawn, Night, Rim… Sweet dreams...

They both fall asleep. And they'll stay until dawn comes…

The event is now concluded for both Rimi and Noelle.