#He’ll even the ‘filler’ episode added so much

[shiversdownyourspleen]

SPOILERS FOR THE BAD BATCH PREMIERE

Okay non-spoilers first

so…

HOLY SH*T HAOSHPWPKWJSI

Each of the three episodes makes for an awesome start that really builds on its core cast with a really solid tone that pulls you in and Crosshair is a standout as always!

Okay so spoilers

Two words

Project. Necromancer.

That entire scene in the third episode with Palpatine’s visit to Tantiss was executed so well and seeing the labs open up to a straight up SITH CULT room absolutely FLOORED me

The entire reveal was amazing and Ian McDiarmid still being able to play perfectly evil Palpatine after literal decades is amazing I love that man

And a STAND OUT so far is the Omega and Crosshair duo, all their interactions and the dynamic between them feels so real and both Dee Bradley Baker and Michelle Ang are great VA’s

Seriously what a great start to the season gang, we did it

[hazyla]

Woah woah, okay. So I just finished spirit of justic except for the special episode. Current thoughts from a foggy memory:

realizing this post is super long so it’s under the break, also soj spoilers

Implied that Phoenix and gumshoe correspond on their own when Phoenix mentions something to Edgeworth. When he’s questioned about it he just says something like “I have my sources…” and Edgeworth tells him to inform his source of a paycheck cut.

Even though Athena got a case of her own to do I feel like she didn’t have as strong of a presence and idk man balancing three lawyers kind of a crazy move

I found rayfa oddly charming because of her silly insults

Not utter dogshit but I see why people generally dont like dual Destinies and spirit of justice as much

My mom misses gumshoe

I did not call the queen being powerless like at all

if there’s another ace attorney game I want a dedicated scene about Apollo and Trucy getting told the truth

Hard to pick a favorite case but I think I liked case 2 and turnabout storyteller just bc it was pretty fun. Also can not believe Athena’s case was the super short filler one!

would’ve appreciated more Maya

cannot believe they just added on characters that were never previously mentioned. Oh yeah, there’s a secret fourth group gramarye member. Apollo? He actually has a brother and was left behind by his foster father at about fifteen or so.

Did the archaeologist guy just… steal a bunch of shit from Adrian’s exhibit? He had literally everything. Good god I wonder how he felt about that scroll having gravy on it

on the plane ride back why did Trucy sit (and fall asleep on) Edgeworth instead of idk her father. What did Athena really want to sit there or something. It’s very cute but also why

Actually Maya and Edgeworth should’ve sat next to eachother on the plane so they can debate about plumed punisher. “You gave away your one of a kind steal samurai themed watch FOR A RIPOFF KEYCHAIN” and then he throws her off the plane (personally, of the belief he would throttle ms inmee [not actually])

about that, it’s so funny to me that he ranted about the show to Datz, a guy he just met and is a revolutionary

Need to mention that Edgeworth’s cravat gets attacked by a dog, I don’t even have a comment I just need to iterate that fact

The breakdown scenes were fun and dynamic but idk I didn’t care for them that much

kind of thought they were gonna channel Apollo’s dad Jove fucking justice

It was funnier when I, for a split second, assumed that since nobody knew the name of his father that Apollo chose his last name to be Justice.

just now realizing that Apollo who shares a namesake with the god of music has two musician parents now

I am so happy that the 3d sprites look better than in dual destinies I don’t know if I could take it if they looked like that again

My mom’s favorite character design is Rayfa’s (but her favorite character is Susato who has nothing to do with soj)

Maya should get an “I survived TWO kidnapping” shirt because everyone wants leverage over Phoenix.

From what I saw online before playing the game I thought nahyuta would be super insanely awful, and then they introduce him as a level headed guy. Then I think oh he seems okay, and then he tells Apollo to go to the depths of hell and that he’ll be reincarnated as a piece of shit

When investigating phoenix tells Edgeworth that he think’s he’d like a gaudy house, to which Edgeworth is offended. And then Phoenix makes fun of him for his bright red sports car in his mind.

Would’ve loved a reference to some older characters, like Iris who is just like never brought up again. Anyways, what’s with spirit channeling families and being super fucked up

i am so sorry to say that Apollo looked like really good in that one cg with his hair antenna down (the one where he almost drowned) (not my best moment)

How in the world did Apollo survive as a teenager? If dhurke left him 10 or so years before this he’d be about fifteen? Did he just get dropped off at a boarding school, who the hell took care of him and how did he become a lawyer.

Why didn’t Amara just resume the throne herself? Idk if I totally missed something but isn’t she still a rightful heir

Khura’in spent EIGHT HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ON A LIE. THEY WERE DONATIONS. AND FIVE YEARS OF LABOR (Amara’s tomb)

So funny to me that nahyuta drags Ema around everywhere like a little ragdoll back and forth country to country

The pun names in this one were wild 🤪 (suggested emoji)

oh god what if Edgeworth and rayfa were to talk about plumed punisher

Yeah we’re back to this, edgey’s sitting in a rebel hideout with lizards hanging from the ceiling and he watches the plumed punisher??? I kinda forgot the timeline but either Maya is currently kidnapped or dhurke’s in jail “oh okay I’ll stay behind” “let’s turn on the tv” “what the fucj is this”

One time phoenix’s phone went off and I jumped out of my seat because I also have the steal samurai theme as my damn ringtone

I get that it’s just fun sprite stuff but where does nahyuta get all his necklaces? How does his floating ribbon work?

In aa4 with my vague recollection, there’s a scene that kind of made me assume Ace attorney definitely took place in some weird fantasy land that coexisted with real world. (It was something that had to do with the founding fathers? And apollo “yes I know what America is” justice, like they currently don’t live there. It was some exchange during the case where klavier’s guitar blows up). Guess how surprised I was when oh golly now they’re full blown Americans!

since I mentioned aa4 and I already got off track everytime my mom hears that song (which Apollo made his ringtone) she complains about it and gets bad flashbacks. She told me everytime she hears a piano arrangement she thinks about the case. Maybe it wore off by now but it was her version of blue badger

Uendo was my favorite witness

Yeah I don’t think I have anything else to say, what a nice note to it on.

Nope I remembered something, queen ga’ran made me want to use the royal we.

[stars-trash-18]

Home lll

Ngl this was kind of a filler chapter. but it’s what I got, if anything this will give you more background on reader and the planet’s history.

Again please message me about corrections about anything, especially if I use anything gendered or with racial descriptions. 

You did as promised, you delivered some crops and spare farming supplies. After that you turned your focus back home. You went about as normal, getting Attila to school, smoking meats, tanning hides, and prepping everything else for the monthly market. The town several miles from your ranch had a weekly market for smaller sales, but once a month they had a large fair to sell bulk items for better prices. It helped keep some income during the weeks coming in and when the fair happened it brought in tourists or larger buyers to bring in the bulk income for many of the families, including yours.

 Over the years you had gained the reputation of being one of the better ranchers to buy livestock off of. You cared for them like they were your own children and made sure that everyone walked away with a decent price, whether or not you gained a profit or broke even. 

Because of this the fair became one of the only markets you showed up to, you'd bring your products and had the city wives falling over themselves for the leather and furs, the galactic ranchers trying to outbid each other for whatever prized bull you brought with you, and the smaller families happy when you turned the wealthier business to them. Because, although you had a wider range of product than most other farmers, you made sure to make a sly comment about others like, "The Ferdorick's leather products are some of the finest, if you decide to buy from me i'm sure they'd make this hide into a wonderful jacket,". 

Something you valued so much more than the core worlds was the community that surrounded the outer rim planet, in planets like Coruscant people walked by the needy everyday. But here if someone needed shelter or something to eat the locals would give it to them, whether they were one meal away from the same fate or not, they still extended a hand and gave what they could. They did it for you when you ran, when you first landed with Attila balanced on your shoulders wondering what to do it was the Ganoris' who set you up in their spare bedroom, the Ferdoricks who taught you how to tan hides and gave you your first 5 head of cattle, and the Actorias who gathered the materials and taught you how to build and thatch. You were a stranger who was more dangerous than they knew, but they extended their hands to you and you work so that you can prosper and help them too. So when the Armorer landed on your doorstep you wondered if it would be wrong to turn her away, because you were tired of seeing people.

You enjoyed chatting with those you knew, but seeing so many strangers more than once a month made your social batteries drain. But you reluctantly invited her in and sat across from her at your table as you went about preparing the morning coffee. Already preparing yourself for the long day ahead. She sat regaly for someone who was so weary weeks prior, she reminded you of the tall bamboo stalks from your ex’s estate with how she could go from being bent with stress to tall and strong. She only watched you carefully as you moved around your small kitchen and rested a hand onto the table, only moving it to say no when you offered her a mug. 

“How can I help you today, is everything alright?” you inquired carefully, blowing the steam away to cool the sweet nectar of the gods. 

“Everything is alright in our new home, it’s been a long time since we’ve been able to call anything that,” she receded, her voice filled with warmth at her family’s good fortune before she continued.

“I’m here to ask if you would be willing to help us again, we’d like to gain some income but don’t know how we’d be received by the community and we’d prefer to stay as hidden as possible,” she breathed a heavy sigh when she finished. You blinked at her owlishly for a moment before giving her a calming smile and leaned back in your chair.

“I’d be glad to help, from what little I know of Mandalorian culture your people are famous for their care of those they consider family and it’s the same here,” You paused to sip your coffee before further explaining, “ There’s a story that the natives tell, the natives that have been here long before space exploration, that this planet was steeped in war but over time as the war dragged on the blood spilled by the fallen started to poison it, causing more to die from starvation than battle itself,”

“They came to the agreement that to preserve themselves they had to merge, it took many years but finally there was peace and balance, they shared their knowledge with each other and valued cooperation and helping others and that has remained the same since, they are wary of outsiders but would still help them at any cost, because with all the bad in this galaxy they hope to heal it one person at a time,” you finished before pausing again in thought, “But don’t mistake the peace for weakness mandalorian, the people of this planet will still fight if it’s the last thing to do, because though they prefer peace if you threaten their homes and family they fight like you wouldn’t believe, now onto the business at hand,” you chimed as you pulled your datapad in front of you.

“That was insightful, all the same. We'd like it if one of our own accompanies you to the market so you can show them how this planet works,” She replied thoughtfully, tapping her fingertips onto the table briefly in thought. “We understand that there are a few threats to you at the monthly fair but Paz has volunteered to accompany you to help carry your goods and some of ours with the added benefit of protection, from what i’m told you’re more than capable but at this moment it is the only labor we can provide,” she clarified. “ We'll give you a percentage of our sales since by extension we’re using your reputation to do so and to compensate for you teaching Paz the ropes, because what he learns with you he’ll bring to us,” she further revealed.

You huffed a laugh before waving your hand at her, “nonsense, here knowledge is free and openly shared, I’ll send you the coordinates for the public libraries and can have Attila look out for your children if you ever decide to put them into the school, besides you have more mouths to feed than I do and I could frankly use an extra set of hands at the market so this will go towards you’re payment for the land,” you receded. The armorer jolted for a moment at your news, her breathing seeming to stutter for a moment before she straightened further.

“Very well I accept the terms, I must ask however why you show us such hospitality,” she prodded, you understood what she really meant. She was trying to find any ulterior motive, and you could see why with how the mandalorians have been treated throughout their history. So you only thought for a moment before answering her, setting your mug down and looking to the floor to try and keep the memories at bay.

“I was running from someone who wanted me dead and to take my son, I was an intelligence officer for the resistance during the war so I knew that this planet would be the safest and furthest away, when I got here all I had was a small bag with necessities and little Attila slung over my shoulders,” You breathed in heavily to try and build a wall around the memories that flashed into your mind, trying not to get thrown into an episode, “I had nothing, but the people here took care of us, they helped me and as the saying goes taught  me to fish,” you smiled softly at the memory of the elderly patriarch of the Actorias lecturing you.

“So to repay them for their kindness is to pass it forward and no one is more deserving than the Mandalorians, you guys were really screwed over by history,” you finished with a slight chuckle and turning back to the mandalorian matriarch, who sat rigidly. She rose from her seat at the table and placed her arm over her chest and bowed slightly.

“That was all I needed so I’ll take my leave, but know that you have a clan of mandalorians in your debt, those who threaten you threaten us,” she said like a vow before she swiftly turned and walked out of your home. Using the jetpack you didn’t even notice light up as she took off back towards the bunker. 

~~~~POV switch to earlier that week~~~~~~

“Paz you don’t have to be the one to accompany the rancher, we can send one of our more experienced merchants to better learn the trade,” The Armourer explained with a hand to the front of her helmet in exasperation.

“I know, but if you send me it’ll be better to gauge how the people would react to us, I can also provide security,” He stressed, adamant about being the one sent to learn.

“From what you told me they are their own security, you just find them attractive,” Din teased his brother playfully, earning an elbow to the side gap in his armor from Paz and a groan from the Armourer.

“Enough you two, Paz if you’re so enthralled with the rancher I’ll grant your request now both of you out,” she reprimanded before waving her tongs at them in dismissal so she wouldn’t have to deal with their childishness.

As they left Din passed his brother with one last jab, “try to learn a little Verde”.

[panncakes]

blih ep 11 thoughts; (im actually more positive than i thought lmao i was just cranky)

yu zhens logic being ‘you have been avoiding me for days so i must throw you on the bed so you’ll look at me.’ very on brand with his type of insanity and ineptitude

also him being a Full Child when shi lei says he’s not going to the picnic and demanding he must go or else he himself won’t. if this man ever learns how to speak his mind he’ll be unstoppable probably and never stop claiming leilei as his lmao

amazing that shi lei now throws back yu zhen’s ‘you’re the boss i must be polite to you’ in his dumbass face; pure clown to clown communication

yu zhen should’ve grown a fucking spine and still gone after shi lei like he wanted to but i appreciate that that was his immediate reaction before the ex used professionalism as an excuse to make him stay. i have my frustrations but it does make sense for his character to be manipulated by the demand for professionalism (he truly does care about his and the shop’s image and prospects after all). this also ties in him being dumbfounded when shi lei tells him the ex is good for their workshop; because now he’s put in a position where his needs don’t line up with everybody else and their jobs and he just can’t put himself above that (this man did full on research to make sure it was beneficial enough to make the workshop nickel free because he didn’t want to do that just in his self interest… even though he’s the boss with a severe allergy… fucking dumbass)

there is an alternate universe where the little prince ends up with both the rose and the fox and we get good soft poly rep; it’s not this universe because the ex is a villain and i hate him so i’m glad i don’t have to go through that; but there’s an universe out there where these three dudes get to use their great chemistry for the greater good and it still has the scene of shi lei dreaming about the other two having s*x but in a very different context 😌

i might not like him but it does make sense the ex is likeable and charming when he wants to be; there is a reason yu zhen was so madly in love with him and i’m glad the show takes the time to show us that part of him; even if it is frustrating because all i want is fluff, it is good character work

also the scene between the ex and shi lei is good; it’s important. we have a very big contrast of two men who love yu zhen in their own ways and where the ex is very selfish and focused on himself (yu zhen did everything he has done to get back to me) shi lei is much more focused on yu zhen. it’s also why he so easily dismisses himself because listening to what the ex is saying it could very well appear like he’s right and shi lei is not confident enough to dispute any of it and yet still the ex can’t help but notice how much shi lei cares for yu zhen and it’s again good character work!! it’s just frustrating because there’s only one episode left!! this should’ve happened last episode!!

i like how they both acknowledge and accept each other’s feelings for yu zhen and on rewatch looking at the ex’s face i will not be surprised if this is the moment that will eventually cause him to accept yu zhen has moved on; unless they go full villain route of course and he’s gonna use it as ammo; it’s just interesting to me that the conversation didn’t end with him pushing the idea that yu zhen has feelings with him but ended with him realising the depth of shi leis feelings idk idk what it all means

i like what they are doing; i do; they are a slow paced show focused very much on character over plot; but half of it will be wasted if the final episode needs to be rushed because of it and that’s my main frustration truly (especially because although the side couple is cute, we have had a lot of filler/ad time with them)

gang, my beloved, i hope you get to go apeshit one day ❤️

yu zhen using shi leis name as a mantra to fall asleep??? because he sleeps terribly without him???? pain

see the way shi lei and the ex are makes me wonder if there’s more to the conversation we haven’t seen? did they just decide fine it’s up to yu zhen now? is it fully because shi lei is backing down and the ex is taking advantage of this? if someone would just communicate!!

what if next episode just opens with yu zhen full on decking the ex in the face lmao?

[punz4lyfe]

Pokemon Journeys Character Partnerships

No guys, this is not about shipping. The word “partnerships” doesn’t always equate to shipping, ya crazies.

Putting the Pokemon and Team Rocket aside, let’s look at Pokemon Journeys’ primary human cast. We got six characters (with good intentions), with Ash, Goh, and Chloe being the main characters and Professor Cerise, Chrysa, and Ren being major side characters. I mean, it makes sense as per usual anime tradition; the first three are young trainers and the last three are apparently what keeps the Cerise Lab functional, which is pretty much the main hub for this series.

And yet, even with all these characters, many of their interactions are severely limited.

As of now when I’m writing, over half of the episodes have only featured Ash and Goh working together, with only about three episodes of all three main trainers traveling together and Chloe barely getting any alone time with any of the boys at all. You can easily see this issue by looking back at my review for Episode 67 where I criticized how almost every filler episode focuses on just Ash and Goh getting involved with the episode’s plot, and yeah, it’s also a problem for non-filler as well. Like remember when Goh released his White Flower Floette? As shoehorned the emotion of that scene was, wouldn’t it make things a bit more heartwarming if Chloe was there with Ash to support Goh on this decision? Ignoring Raboot who came to Goh, Floette was the first Pokemon Goh ever had to release, so wouldn’t having his childhood friend be there with him make more sense?

Speaking of the fact that Goh and Chloe are childhood friends, what really bugs me is that they barely have any alone time together. The only few moments I can think of them interacting alone would be the first few episodes before Goh got completely accustomed to Ash and Episode 49 where they went to school together, but even that was pretty limited since Goh was mostly used to distract the scientists away from Chloe so that she could keep Eevee safe. And then Episode 57 kind of implied that she doesn’t like to spend too much time with her own childhood friend because she’s afraid he’ll just condescend her for her lack of knowledge of Pokemon compared to his. That’s honestly pretty shallow. Goh and Chloe are both new to being trainers, at the very least compared to someone like Ash or Cerise, so it would make a lot more sense if they developed their experiences together.

And why can’t Ash and Chloe have an episode together? Something like that could finally make a friendship between the two seem passable and hopefully drop out Chloe’s own shallow view of him.

At the very least Chloe is helping Chrysa get some development with the two hanging out and talking about Pokemon on a few occasions, but that also makes Cerise and Ren even more dull and lifeless by comparison. Honestly, interactions with other characters could actually give those two characters some actual, distinguishable personality traits and, yeah, I think we all know Ren could use some of that.

Maybe since Chrysa is having so much “girl time” with Chloe, maybe that should motivate Ren to have some “guy time” with Goh, perhaps helping Goh find more electric types or help him with some homework. (seriously, even though Goh can apparently have all the excuse notes / makeup work in the world to skip school, I’m pretty sure he can be easily classified as ‘truant’ since we’ve only seen him at school for one episode and even then he pretty much skipped the entire day due to Eevee) Perhaps he should’ve been the one who got caught in the big Gulpin ball with Goh instead of Ash considering the two already spend too much time with each other as it is.

Yes, Ash and Goh are friends and friends spend time with each other, but not 100% all the time, people. By that note, Goh and Chloe are also friends, so what’s your argument for the two barely having any episodes together while Ash gets all the time in the world with him?

And going back to Cerise, maybe we could get more character out of him instead of him being just a bland direction-giver most of the time. I’ve said this before, but Cerise’s only real gimmick can be summed up as this: “Hey, u 3 idiots, go to dis place cuz im too lazy on my ass to go to it myself”. Yeah, real interesting character, people.

I mean it when I say that I often forget Cerise is even Chloe’s father. Since Chloe is now becoming a trainer, instead of having Ash, Goh, or Chrysa do all the work in helping her develop, shouldn’t Cerise have some say in this as well? Maybe, as a parallel to Kukui letting Ash catch Rockruff, he could permanently put Yamper under her care, knowing it would help the doggo grow more to the point of even evolving. Or perhaps we could get an episode solely focusing on Cerise and what he does at the lab, finally putting out an excuse on why he doesn’t just go to the places he sends Ash, Goh, and Chloe to himself. Maybe he’s working on expanding the lab and finding new additions to it in order to make it more beneficial to the ever-growing number of Pokemon Goh keeps adding to it.

And let’s be honest, since Professor Cerise already sucks enough as a character, so not giving him any focus could easily lead him to be one of the most bland, boring, and annoying character the anime could ever have to offer.

[eijiroukiriot]

here are my thoughts of all the filler/anime original content (filler) added to the bnha anime except i’m not looking up a list this is just everything i can remember 

iirc there wasn’t really any filler in season 1 (probably because they had the least episodes to work with and a brand new show doesn’t really want to waste viewer time on boring/unimportant content) BUT season 1 did come with the first OVA which, although it was pretty forgettable, had some genuinely fun moments i.e. iida and uraraka’s very cute interactions and that part where 13 praises bkg like “he’ll surely become a beautiful hero” and sero’s like “well, he’ll never be beautiful”. i don’t have bad feelings towards it but since all the rest of the OVAs and even though i’m complaining about training exercise plots the show had just started and it was still a good way to get new viewers acquainted with the class 

okay so this is gonna get wordy but bear with me: since anime moved away from the “popular series air year round” structure to the “popular series air in 1-2 cour chunks at a time” the definition of filler changed a lot - in like the early 2010s all you’d hear is “naruto is unwatchable because of how much time they waste on meaningless filler arcs” and i’ve never watched naruto myself but i’d imagine the fact that studios were expected to air 50 episodes a year was a huge part of why it turned out like that. but since things are different now the game is more about “how much of our original story can we fit into a short burst of episodes, and if we have extra time, what can we do to expand on it” and i think bnha proved in season 2 that they were really good at playing that game! s2 does not waste any filler time. like. that tsuyu episode is one of the most beloved episodes of the season and a GREAT example of how to use an extra episode to give a minor character some time to shine while also checking in on some other characters (i’m not gonna get into jean man thoughts right now but Bakugou Makes Kids Cry was a really good scene to expand on how horikoshi first wrote that internship and sorta. a part of why everything after it feels less credible) 

s2 also had the OVA with the zombies and tsuyu’s backstory which only took up the first few minutes BUT made it so that OVA checked off both the boxes of adding something to the story while also just being fun to watch. that scene at the end where all might offers a mummified deku cake in the hospital and he’s just like “i can’t eat this” is just so good 

obviously i’m biased about pool episode but also i think krbks are the only people who came out of that episode really happy. other than really firmly establishing their friendship (which is actually really good & important buildup to kamino) it’s a pretty clunky way to recap the characters and not even all of the flashback sequences were really handled in a way that made sense. i think the concept of a pool episode/race could’ve been done better if they had spent more time on it but what’s there is fine and it’s always nice to see the kids being kids. still don’t get why the girls didn’t get to race though 

i remember being so excited when miss saiko intelli was revealed because that was one of the first anime original GIRLS and i thought everything about the fight with her was fun! very fun watching her and her weird school friends, very fun watching momo and jirou work together while shouji held tsuyu like a baby. i enjoyed it  

i hate that mystery episode. like. not all filler really has to add anything to the story, if it was a really fun and exciting episode that would’ve been just fine but the whole episode was just deku walking around explaining a mystery that the audience had no chance of figuring out on their own. i liked the shot where all the kids poked their heads out from behind a corner in a little stack though 

i don’t remember if it was that episode or not but i do remember there also being a scene with melissa sort of promoing the movie in the anime which i didn’t mind because it was pretty quick and well integrated

i liked the first episode of season 4! camera guy’s quirk was cool, there were a lot of fun shots of the kids, and i thought the moment with him and deku at the end was really heartwarming. i don’t 100% remember what it was but it was heartwarming 

season 4 had a good amount of side arcs and the school festival arc was lighthearted and character-focused enough that i don’t think they had or needed any filler but also if i’m wrong please don’t correct me about it i like living with the mystery 

i just put this in the tags for that ask 1 second ago but season 4 ova was. boring. especially because they got 2 episodes to work with and decided to do another training episode. not much came out of it plot or character-wise other than 3 musketeers (is that what we’re calling them now .) working together and bkg accepting deku as a cane to lean on. those were good scenes but they could’ve shown them in a different scenario (like in team up mission!). idk what there really is to gain from making ovas anyway (unless they’re on a streaming service or something?) so i guess profit isn’t really the issue at hand but you gotta imagine that the people in charge know that another training exercise OVA isn’t gonna be the most exciting thing possible for fans. i’m not gonna demand that they make a fantasy au OVA or anything but if they had the resources to make 44 minutes of new animation and content it feels like a waste that they repeated what they already did without really fleshing anything new out 

[aspiestvmusings]

a part of you will still remain here 

NCIS:LA 12x06

Why did it feel so much like a final goodbye to the ops/osp - all his favourite gadgets and tech in that final scene? Why did it feel like he wasn’t just feeling  “sad” about  the fact that others could keep things running smootly without him and like he wasn’t needed and hence he was feeling down? Why did it feel more like nostalgia and him saying goodbuy to all his “old friends” (the inanimate objects at osp)? 

I know this isn’t his only appearance in S12. And I am faily certain there is still more to the whole “he was undercover in a tech company..that presented him with the opportunity for his current work” storyline, where he was actually undercover last year? At least they could make a whole storyline out of all of that...still. But... I have no high expectations at this point... #istillwishtheywillgothere 

But while Nell has taken over Hetty’s role seemingly seamlessly (she’s even wearing broaches like Hetty did...only thing missing is a cup of tea in her hands at all times), it seems as if they have enough staff up in ops with the new team members, and there’s no actual role for him to take over (the opposite: his role has been taken over by the newcomers on the team, who keep things running). So it makes sense he’ll be more like a guest character instead being there weekly. 

And that is a shame. Because last few seasons have made me realize that I did watch & like mostly because of the geeks, the Wonder Twins, and their antics in ops (sneaking cookies and coffee to ops behind Hettys back; practicing dancing in the armory; flying drones in bullpen; and their tech skills and talk), so considering this, and the fact that I have not “connected” with the new generation (the new team members/cast), I don’t watch this show live anymore, and I don’t always even follow the episodes more than having it play in background while I do other tasks. 

In the past I have “connected” with the new team members who were introduced: Deeks, Nell, Granger, Hidoko... I even liked Anna (as Arkady’s daughter, not as constant team tag along that she’s become), but for me the new characters, their introduction, their part in the team and all that just don’t work. So I have been “disconnected” from the show and new characters, who to me feel like “fillers for the week, while others will return”. (The only exception might become Roundtree) 

I have no interest in any of the character storylines. I don’t much care for Densi anymore (the troube with long-running shows...where it becomes too repetitive, and delayed and not really “believable”... when they come up with silly plots again and again... even if the final result is him FINALLY becoming a “real” NCIS agent...after all these years), I don’t care about any of the romantic plots Callen/Anna, Sam/Katherine. Or the personal storylines and character stories of new AND old characters alike. And this isn’t only due to the restrictions they have this season due to the covid restrictions... I had this issue last season already. 

So I kinda enjoyed this little trip down the memory lane with Bulletproof Beale. But before I/we chear “Beale is back!” we might wait a bit to see how it all continues (we know that all the Hetty storyline weirdnesses are due to the actresses age, health + now also the covid restrictions added to the mix), but even if they have to make it work with all those “restrictions”, and there is a reason why it is so random and all, it still seems weird to actually watch as part of ongoing storyline. It’s just so... “random” and “weird” 

For me this show really isn’t the same/the show that catches my interest without Bulletproof Beale, and Neric (not just the romance plot, but as nerd buddies and tech wizards). But while I do not realy expect much Beale, or Neric content the show will eventualy have to go and finish that storyline, too. Just like with densi and “whats in the box”, there is an unfinished thing when it comes to Nell & Eric. And that’s the “what’s written on those post-it’s”. So I am just gonna wait for the episode where that will be revealed. Cause that’s one of the things that just has to happen before the show wraps up for good. (they have not addressed any of the Nells mom & sister stuff really, or the Eric/Nell taking a break thing, and that is one storyline that should be explored, cause it was kinda dropped without any explanation or closer look. And that’s a shame). 

[ficmylife4]

First Reading BNHA 14-24

I’m very confused by the pacing of this manga so far. Was it meant to be an anime right away, so the manga was expected to just be bare bones and filler and more characterization would be added in episodes? 

After my complaints about how inconsistent Izuku’s characterization was, I guess that’s smoothed out now--by glossing over the extremes. Looks like this is going to be another one where a main character gets a difficult backstory with discrimination and horrible treatment only long enough to get sympathy points, and then completely forgets about it and acts mostly well-adjusted protagonist from then on. Izuku is vaguely curious that All Might wants him to announce himself at the Sports Festival at first--no desperation to get AM’s approval, none of the reckless and thoughtless need to be the best and prove he’s earned his place (fighting against internalized anti-quirkless bias), no tearful gratitude for what he’s overcome to get this far when he used to watch the festival on TV: no, it sounded like Izuku would have been comfortable and taking for granting participating in the middle of the pack b/c he’s a hero and that’s enough for him.

I’m a little disappointed that it seems like UA is just a backdrop, and actually learning isn’t going to be part of the story, which doesn’t imply good things about character development either. No build up about consider all the applications your quirk could have in unusual situations; it’s your first day, show Aizawa your creativity in using quirks you were never allowed to before. No build up to how to fight with quirks or strategize inside buildings or historical examples of teamwork to inspire you; first day of class, pair up and fight. You might have to think clearly in disasters despite the stress, we’re actually going to train for thi--no, real homicidal villains showed up, and obviously you don’t need any lessons or growth about how to handle attacks, everyone handles it pretty well. Two professional heroes are beaten bloody in front of students trying to protect them, no worries, the kids are almost on pro levels already. Mineta is the only one who actually reacts with fear and panic, and even he is fine afterward with no one reacting at all to the first time their lives were directly threatened or if they’re willing to be heroes now they know it’s about injury and overwhelming forces and ambushes, not celebrity and clean showy fights when expecting it on patrols. 

Bakugou’s smart and has been surprisingly calm and in control of himself. 

Shigaraki was a lot less childish than I was expecting from other things I’ve seen. He was observant, read Eraserhead and the battles well, could even keep up to notice what All Might did when he was moving too fast to see, wasn’t afraid to take a punch and get in close with EH, and he grasped his group’s limits well and expected to retreat soon after knowing Iida was bringing backup. He didn’t rave about his personal grudge or monologue about his own greatness or quirk, and admitted with a smile when All Might called him out on not really believing the party line he gave about wanting to send a greater message about the lack of difference in villains and heroes. He did react badly to the Nomu’s defeat, but it was brief, and he adapted well in his next attack to use Kurogiri’s mist. For someone I’d heard a lot about whining and throwing tantrums, he wasn’t nearly as self-centered as I expected about pain. After EH punched him away he just picked himself up off the ground, he stayed still to assess everything after Snipe shot his hand, and far from coddling him, I thought his discussion with Sensei while he was lying on the floor with bullets in every limb was chilling in the lack of concern for his pain showed by everyone in the room including him. Bleeding there, Shigaraki was still thinking about how the plan went and giving a report. He might not be an idealist devoted to a cause, but he was focused when it came to his own goal and unafraid to risk himself in it. 

I really don’t get why Izuku was able to not hurt himself for that one punch against Nomu? What was the audience supposed to take away from that? The first time he tried to punch a living thing, he didn’t injure himself, so he subconsciously was able to control it. Are we supposed to applaud Izuku’s inherent compassion that held him back from wanting to hurt the villain trying to kill Tsu even as he attacked to stop it? Are we supposed to think it sad he can automatically control it if it’s to protect his target but can’t to protect himself? He broke his legs jumping later so it wasn’t about the violence. Was the key he stopped thinking about his weak body, didn’t weigh the damage and decide it was worth it? Thoughtlessness is being rewarded now? I guess that matches AM’s brilliant strategy that he can’t hit hard enough against Nomu so he’ll just hit harder than he possibly can. 

What is this pacing? No room to think about the USJ attack or process any feelings from that or life-and-death situations, now showing off for the Sports Festival is so important! And again, no teaching or new stuff, they’re already expected to be hero material and this is just a showcase. But I guess Izuku isn’t worried about how far behind he is compared to the others, he’s ignoring reality and aiming for the top, without planning how to not use or safely use the quirk that breaks his bones to get there. Seriously, All Might, it’s his first month of school, the public isn’t anxiously awaiting the proof that a hero as mighty as AM is rising that Izuku has to send a message right now. No one outside the school even knows AM is planning to retire soon, and it’s not like there’s a shortage of powerhouses around. Why are the bragging rights of being able to be top of the class from your first month so much more important than learning to use OfA properly and rising up in the next year’s Festival? Unless this is a message about how the unreasonable celebrity demands to be perfect and capture the public’s fickle interest right away are taking time away from Izuku learning to be an effective hero, and the system shouldn’t be catering to the popularity contest so much?

[talesofafangirlwithadvr]

August Picks

And so we’re back for another end of month wrap up! Looking back I feel like I didn’t watch too many new things; I finished a few shows that I talked about last month (the 100, Blood & Treasure to name a few). I guess it’s good I watched less-maybe I went outside more? 

Spoilers....

DERRY GIRLS SEASON 2

You all already know how much I love this show, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’m starting with it I was SO EXCITED to hear that season 2 was coming to Netflix August 1st and I tried my best to drag out watching the episodes. But it’s really really hard when there’s only 6 of them (a half hour each) and they’re just SOO GOOD! So I finished in about a week, but I guess that’s better than a day. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I enjoyed season 2 more than season 1. I laughed so hard (and got a little teared up in the last episode-especially afterwards when it was over and I discovered that next season won’t start filming until 2020!) I LOVED the stories this season and how the adults got more of a major plot-line in each episode. At times I laughed harder at them (at the movie theater, Gerry making the sandwiches at the funeral). More people seriously need to check out this show. It’s hilarious and a quick watch that you won’t want to end. 

KRYPTON SEASON (SERIES) FINALE

Syfy’s Krypton ended a few weeks ago, but I was holding off watching it until last week. I know I had said this in my last review, but this season was tough for me to get into, but once I did then I was really enjoying it. However, once we got to the last couple of episodes I was losing interest again. Plus, hearing that the show was cancelled made it harder to finish. SPOILERS! So, we knew they had to defeat Zod and it made sense that he is now under the Black Mercy (like Lyta was), but obviously this is only a temporary fix. He’ll definitely find his way out; he’s smart. Then Brainiac and Doomsday are still an issue, so while things are safe for now things didn’t exactly get settled. Now I get they thought they’d get a third season so things would have to be resolved later, but this still feels like a lot. Of course I’m upset that we won’t see Jor-El getting rescued AND the next season build up with Brainiac taking him to Earth to create his very own “Superman” seems really interesting. But we won’t see it. Meanwhile Nyssa is off world and Lobo is back (he was funny so I was happy to see him again). Like I said, I’m not surprised the show got cancelled, but I think a third season would have been good. What do you think?

CATCHING UP 

ARROW

It might have been MONTHS in the making, but I FINALLY caught up and finished Arrow season 7. I was only 3 episodes behind, but it took me a very long time to complete. My main comments on this season was that the beginning was good and the rest was eh. I liked Oliver in the prison and while I was done with Diaz very early on I was happy to see that story-line resolved. Now, while I did take a very long time to watch this season in entirety (and that might be the main reason I feel this way), Oliver being in the prison feels like A LONG time ago (and a completely different season). When I look back on this season I really just think of him and Emiko who I was not a fan of. We lose Thea and welcome another half-sister who we learn knew about the sinking of the Queen’s Gambit before anyone else. The constant back and forth of trying to save Emiko got very repetitive and while I know Oliver as the hero could not give up on her fully, I wanted him to. I was also not a huge fan of the flash forward this year. At times I did like it, but I think the show did fine that one season when there was no added plot-line. The ending to this season was a disappointment. I was very curious how things with Felicity would end seeing as how she is not going to return for the final season. But overall it felt very much like a SERIES finale, which makes me worried for the last season. Will it just feel like a filler? How many people will return? Will we even be in Star City? Taking Oliver away like that sucked and I really hope he gets reunited with his children.

THE FLASH

As a big fan of all the CW Arrow-verse shows this past season I had a hard time getting into most of them and got VERY behind on episodes before just giving up on watching altogether. While Arrow was one that I was just a couple episodes behind for most of the year and Legends of Tomorrow I binged all at once the Flash and Supergirl dropped off my watch-list. This was sad for me because I had enjoyed these shows a lot, so now at the end of summer we’re giving it a second go! This month I began the 5th season of the Flash and am currently on episode 5? I only remembered the first 2 episodes, which shows you how long ago I stopped watching. I remember not being a huge fan of Nora West-Allen and this is mainly because they are making the actress seem a lot younger than she is. The mistakes she makes and her overall attitude feels better suited for a pre-teen/young adult rather than someone in their twenties. I’m still holding out hope that this changes as the episodes progress. I really love this idea of having Barry and Iris’ daughter in the past (because it feels very much like something Barry would do) and how they are still addressing the headline of the Flash’s disappearance. I feel like maybe as we uncover more about Nora’s past I will enjoy her character more. This season I like the return to the CCPD and Iris’ blog. Sometimes the alter-ego jobs get pushed aside and I am happy to see the return of Barry and Iris in the field as themselves. With this addition to her character plus the fact that Nora is being completely rude to her, I feel this is the most I’ve like Iris in a very long time. I love how she stands by her decision of keeping Nora’s powers a secret even though she hasn’t done so yet, and the fact that Barry is with her. I’m glad they’re finally taking her character to places outside of STAR Labs. I think Caitlin’s story-line of finding her father is really interesting as well as the origins of Killer Frost. This reincarnation of Wells will take some getting used to, but I already like his dynamic with Ralph (baby giraffe) and of course Cisco. (They are always the best.) I’ll continue watching and see if my feelings change, but I do feel that I’m getting invested again, which makes me happy. 

MOVIES

Descendants 3

Should I be embarrassed that I am putting Descendants 3 on this list and I am a lot older than the intended audience? Nope. While this DCOM came out at the beginning of the month, it has replayed on Disney Channel dozens of times already so I feel I have watched it fully or in clips many times. Out of the entire series this movie is one of my favorites. I like the songs and the overall plot. The idea of having one of the hero’s kids become a villain was genius and really said something about people’s innermost character. My main problem with this part of the movie was that I wanted more repercussions for Audrey. In the end she almost dies and they bring her back and everything is good because she apologies. But her intentions seemed real at the start of the movie. Could they vanish that quickly? (Now I know what you’re thinking...this is a kid movie. Of course she needs to learn what she did was wrong. But I think it would be even more interesting if she didn’t or struggled with it. Either way she should have had some sort of punishment. I don’t think they should have welcomed her back so fast.) I really liked meeting new characters from the Isle of the Lost, the new addition of VKs in Auradon and Hades. I wish all the new VKs would have gotten more screen time as well as Hades. From the promos leading up to the film he seemed really important and the actual BIG BAD of the movie. I would have liked to see a little more of that. But I did really like learning he is Mal’s dad. I loved seeing Uma, Harry and Gil working with the Auradon group. Again, this drove the message home about working together now matter what your background. There’s probably a lot more I could talk about but these are really the main moments that stuck out to me/my main concerns. I know I’ll be singing the songs for a very long time.  

Miss Austen Regrets

As a Jane Austen buff, it is probably very surprising to hear that I had not watched Miss Austen Regrets (2008) until last week. I knew about it, but am always cautious when it comes to a film adaptation of the author’s life; especially after Becoming Jane (which yes is a great movie, but not 100% accurate). It took learning that Tom Hiddleston was in the film to make me watch it. (I know, but just look at him. He’s got such a baby face.) :)

But a young and always good looking Tom Hiddleston should not be the only reason to watch this film (although it is a great reason). The movie focuses on Jane’s later years as she completes Emma. She visits her niece Fanny who is deciding who she loves and how to know what love is. In her early twenties, Fanny seeks advice from her aunt as to how to spend the rest of her life. Should she settle? Or wait for the man of her dreams? But what if he’s right in front of her? Her aunt, the author of romances, should have the answer, but in fact she believes she doesn’t. You get a little insight into some of Jane’s past loves and lots of echoes to Persuasion (one of the novels published after Austen’s death). I had just finished reading Persuasion for the second time and watching this film so closely behind it mirrored that tale of maturity, friendship and romance very well. Taken from the remaining letters between Austen and Fanny the movie feels authentic. Of course nothing can be 100% but I think Miss Austen Regrets does a very good job. 

BINGEING

THE WALKING DEAD

And so the summer binge continues on. Gotta say that I feel pretty obsessed with this show now. You know you are watching a lot when you start to have dreams where you are fighting walkers. (And yes, that recently happened to me.) Currently I’m in season 5. Just finished season 4 this week, which I think might be my favorite so far. I really enjoyed their time in the prison and while I thought the episodes with the illness dragged at times, once the Governor returned it really picked up again. (Although I didn’t love the stand-alone episodes focused on him.) Then watching the group be separated and anticipating the reunions between them all was great. Terminius definitely seemed too good to be true and I am happy that (right now at least) it seems to be resolved. Now we are heading to Washington. I like seeing the new characters that I know will be a part of the regulars. It does make me nervous about some of the originals. Losing Hershel was tough. I’m not ready to lose too many more. 

[rogers-sweatbands]

Where I Want to Be: Chapter 3

A Ben Hardy!Roger Taylor/Joe Mazzello!John Deacon x Original Character multi-chap.

Previous Chapters: Chapter 1 (x), Chapter 2 (x)

A/N: Here’s a little filler chapter. Sorry she took so long to be posted, I was just trying to set up the next few chapters in the best way possible !! I promise that the next chap will have a lot more drama !! Anyways, keep sending me your feedback ! Love to you always xoxo

Word Count: 2751

Chapter 3-

It was only 8 P.M., but Lane had already fallen asleep on her couch with a half finished cup of tea on the table beside her. The weather outside had been horrid: thunderstorms shaking her building ever since she woke up that morning. She gave herself the day to finally finish unpacking the rest of her moving boxes, having been in her apartment for more than three weeks at that point, it was finally time to complete that task. She had fallen asleep to an episode of Top of the Pops, sleep overcoming her 5 minutes into The Carpenters’ set. She probably would’ve been asleep until morning if her phone hadn’t woken her up, the ringing causing her to shoot up, her eyes blinking in surprise. She yawned quietly before walking into her kitchen.

“Hello?” She mumbled, sleep still in her voice as she rubbed the heel of her free hand against her eyes.

“Lane, love! What’re you up to this evening?” Mary asked, her voice too chipper for the state Lane was in.

“I was asleep on my couch until you called,” she chuckled tiredly. “But nothing of note. What’s going on?” Lane fought back another yawn as she leaned herself against the kitchen counter.

“The boys are recording an album tonight! Thought you might like to tag along!”

“An album? How the hell did they get that kind of money?”

“They sold Roger’s van to make it happen.” Mary laughed. “Went to a lot this afternoon and had it handled.”

“Roger must be ticked then,” Lane chuckled as she carded a hand through her hair. “Not sure if my presence will be much of a help if he’s already in a bad mood.”

“Oh, he’ll be fine! Plus, when have you ever cared about putting Rog in his place? Please come, I don’t want to be the only girl there.” Lane could hear Mary’s pout from the other end of the line. “If you come along, I’ll buy you tons of drinks the next time we go out.”

“That’s not necessary,” Lane giggled. “I guess I’ll tag along. No promises on me being awake for very long.” “Great! I’ll come pick you up in 20.”

By the time Mary and Lane walked into the studio, the boys were already deep in discussion with a recording engineer. He didn’t look thrilled to be working with some student band who appeared out of nowhere because they saw an ad in the local newspaper, but they paid him upfront and in cash so he didn’t have much room to complain. The girls settled themselves quietly on the couch at the back of the room, Deaky sending Lane a quick smile and wave before turning back to the conversation. Roger wanted to gag, seeing the way John looked at Lane and seeing the smile she gave him in response. He honestly didn’t understand it. John was so awkward, especially when he was around Lane… why did she seem to be so into him?

Deaky had almost evolved into a new person when he was around Lane. While he’d still get blushy and bashful at times, he wasn’t stammering over his words as much. They honestly couldn’t get him to shut up if they wanted to. He’d talk to Lane for hours, their conversation never ceasing as he’d attempt to make her laugh for the tenth time in a row.  He loved her laugh, thought it was one of the cutest things about her. The way her nose would scrunch itself as her lips would pull into a large smile… it was probably his favorite look on her. He found himself falling deeper and deeper into a trance when he was with her. Hours became seconds and he couldn’t wipe the smile off of his lips when she was around. Lane had a presence about her that he couldn’t explain.

Their meeting had come to a close and Roger slipped into the recording booth, ready to record the drumline for “Doing All Right.” He felt his chest tighten when he looked through the glass at everyone else. Lane’s arms were wrapped tightly around John, large grins spread across both of their faces as John talked directly into her ear, telling her something that he’d rather keep from the rest of the group. He saw her laugh, her head being thrown backward as her cascade of blonde curls followed. She shook her head at John, removing her arms from where they were wrapped around his neck only to gently push against his chest as she scolded him. He merely only chuckled in response and nudged her back, pushing one of her shoulders back causing her to fumble backwards. Roger sat at the drum kit and huffed, twirling his sticks between his fingers frustratedly.

“You ready to go, Rog?” Brian asked, pressing down on the intercom button. Roger tore his eyes away from the two of them and shifted his gaze to his friend. In all honesty, he wasn’t ready to play. He’d love to go throw his fist against John’s jaw first and get him the hell away from Lane. However, he simply gritted his teeth and nodded. At least he could channel his anger into his playing.

“Well this is a lovely surprise,” John smiled as he walked towards Lane, glad that their meeting was over so he could greet her. “I didn’t know you were coming tonight.”

Lane stood up and embraced him warmly, standing on her toes so she could wrap her arms around his neck. “Mary invited me to come along!”

“She wasn’t going to come originally! Told me she was ‘too tired.’ I apparently woke her up when I called at 8,” Mary called from the couch, a laugh falling from her lips.

“You were already in bed when she called? You’re turning into an old maid,” John teased, his chin moving down so he could speak directly into her ear. “What’s next, shaking your fist at young people in the street?”

Lane gasped as she pulled herself away from him, shoving his chest. “Don’t you dare start with me! I am not that old! I just had a big day is all.”

John laughed at her horrified expression and pushed her shoulder, making her stumble on her feet a bit. “I was only asking.” He put his hands up in mock defense.

Lane rolled her eyes before going and returning to her spot on the couch next to Mary, crossing her arms with a huff. “I ought to give you the silent treatment if you’re going to be that big of a prick.” Her eyes narrowed in on John’s, her lips pulling into a small pout.

John paled, his mouth falling agape. “I was only teasing! I’m sorry, it won’t happen ag-”

“Love, I’m only kidding,” Lane laughed, sending him a reassuring smile. “Sarcasm suits you, ya’know. I didn’t know you were this witty.”

John turned away from her with a small smile, his cheeks flushing a deep red. He both hated and loved that she had this effect on him. “Just trying to return the favor, love.”

They had been there for hours, the clock on the wall reading half three in the morning. The boys were exhausted, trying to get everything perfect in the small amount of time they had in the studio. It wasn’t ideal, trying to cram everything into a twelve-hour period, but it wasn’t like they could afford another session. They needed to get everything done that night. They had to push through.

John had finally emerged from the booth, having just recorded the bass line for “Modern Times Rock ‘N’ Roll” for the fourth time, his eyes heavy and hooded as he attempted to blink back the sleep that was trying to overcome him. Only four and a half hours more… only four and a half hours until he could climb into bed and sleep for the entire day… only four and a half hours until he was out of that stuffy studio. He needed a cigarette, something to give him some sort of a pick-me-up that wasn’t a fifth cup of the burnt coffee from the dispenser in the corner. He slumped himself over to the coat rack, sifting through the jackets so he could go excuse himself for five minutes. However, as he searched through them, he couldn’t find his.

“Bri,” he yawned, rubbing his fists against his eyes. “Have you seen my jacket?” Brian wordlessly pointed over to the arm chair in the corner, the coat draped over Lane in a makeshift blanket as she slept. She was knocked out, her legs swung over the arm of the chair with her cheek pressed to the back of it. Her hair fell over her face in a curtain as she held the jacket over her tightly. John’s chest warmed for a moment, seeing her so at peace as she quietly slept in the corner.

“Told her it was yours when she grabbed it,” Brian explained, breaking John’s focus. “She insisted on grabbing it though… fell asleep right after you went into the booth.”

John smiled slightly as he walked towards her, sitting on the arm of the chair closest to her head. He gently pushed the hair from her face, his fingertips barely grazing her forehead as he smiled down at her. He was so used to seeing the other side of Lane, the spitfire whose mouth was always running, that seeing this side… the softer side, made his heart melt. She hummed quietly, leaning into his touch as her eyes blinked. She met his gaze with a small, sleepy smile, her eyes sparkling despite the exhaustion set in them.

“Sorry for stealing your jacket,” she apologized quietly, attempting to hold back a yawn (but failing). “I can give it back to you if yo-”

John stopped her as she shifted the coat off of her. “No, keep it. I don’t need it right now,” he reassured her, moving it so it was covering her shoulders again.

Lane sleepily nodded before shutting her eyes again, curling back up before falling back to sleep.

John stood back up and crossed to Freddie, his shoulder being used as Mary’s pillow for the last twenty minutes.

“Fred, mind if I steal a cigarette from you?” “Be my guest,” he smiled, shifting to get to his pack. “Sorry about yours being hijacked.”

John shrugged. “I don’t mind one bit.”

That statement was 100% true… even though John shivered his ass off while he smoked his cigarette outside, he was so happy knowing that Lane was curled up under it.

If you took one look at the boys when they all emerged from the studio that next morning, you would’ve thought they were all coming off a week-long bender, not getting off from pulling an all-nighter for work. They were nearly shaking with exhaustion, all of them fueled on black coffee and cigarettes alone. Everyone look disheveled as they stood on the sidewalk… well, everyone but Mary and Lane. The two girls had slept for at least a few hours, waking up when they were in their last two hours of recording for the night. However, they really didn’t look much better than everyone else.

“Well, I think we just recorded an album,” Brian chuckled before yawning. “Can’t believe we did it.”

“And you lot said it couldn’t be done!” Freddie teased, a wide smirk spread across his lips. “All thanks to my idea.”

“All thanks to my van,” Roger corrected Freddie with a large frown. “If we hadn’t sold my van we wouldn’t have had the money.” He placed a cigarette between his lips and lit it with a frustrated huff.

John rolled his eyes as he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Ah yes, the most extreme of sacrifices. Giving up the van that you’d fuck your groupies in.”

“You’re just jealous that I-” Roger started towards the younger boy before Brian’s hands gripped onto his shoulders.

“Let’s not do this right now. We’re all exhausted, let’s all just head home and go to bed. Yeah?”

Everyone nodded in response as they muttered their goodbyes, ready to head home.

“Lane, want to walk together?” John asked her quietly with a small smile.

She nodded tiredly before muttering a quiet “yes.” She rubbed the heels of her palms against her eyes before sending a sleepy wave to Mary as she and Freddie began to walk back to their shared flat.

A silence fell over the remainder of the group before Brian muttered a goodbye, leaving Roger, Lane, and John alone in front of the studio.

“John, I’m crashing with you.” Roger announced casually, sending a playful smirk to the other boy despite his visual exhaustion.

“Why’s that?” He asked flatly, too tired to deal with his bullshit in that moment.

“Your flat’s closer than mine. Won’t make it to my own before crashing.”

“It’s faster to get to yours if you take the tube,” John weakly protested.

“You want me to fall asleep on the tube then?”

John sighed as he tried to scrape his mind for another response to try and prevent Roger from coming over. However, he nodded in agreement with a large sigh. “Fine. C’mon then.”

The three of them walked along in an exhausted line, everyone too tired to say much of anything (except Roger who whined and complained every few minutes or so about having to walk so far). By the time they reached Lane’s apartment, the most she could give both boys was a small wave and a smile, muttering a sleepy “thanks for walking with me” before disappearing inside her building.

“You know, I’m pretty sure she could’ve found her building on her own at his time of day,” Roger commented as he and John began to walk the additional half block to his place. “Not sure why you insist on escorting her everywhere.”

John sighed and rolled his eyes. “I’ve told you this before, it’s because I’m a nice person. Maybe if you were nice to her, Lane wouldn’t have to yell at you every time she sees you. You’re a complete prick around her.”

“Nice person? More like you’re in love with her,” Roger chuckled dryly. “And I don’t need to be a nice person to get what I want from her.”

“I’m not in love with her!” Deaky snapped, whipping his head around to look at him. “And what do you want from her then? Not like she’s running to do you any favors right now.”

“Oh John,” Roger smiled. “This is a teaching moment for you then. When two people hate each other with so much passion, that passion has got to be let out at some point. She’s going to eventually crack and we’re going to end up in bed together. I give it a month tops.”

John honestly thought he was hallucinating when he heard what had come out of Roger’s mouth. There was no way that would actually happen, right? Sure, Lane hated him… but that wouldn’t mean that she would actually hate him that much.

“A good ol’ hate fuck, you know?” Roger added with a laugh.

“S-She wouldn’t,” John protested. “She’s not like that.” “Ah, I guess I’ll have to take your word for it then.” Roger smirked before winking.

And by God, John hoped he was right.

Tag List: @mimisfangirlfantasy @ceruleanrainblues @16wiishes@ayomercury @brianmaysnailpolish @bitchwilly @the-b-side @queenyezra @rogerinatrash @glasslark @harrysfetuscurls @magicwithaknife @tv-saved-the-teenage-girl

[kurogabae]

Tsubasa: Trainwreck Chronicles

And Why Bee Train Has Failed Me Not Only as a Company, but as a Concept in General; an Essay by Popular Demand

part 1 -- part 2

In part 1 (linked above) I spoke about the anime adaptations of the opening/introductions of our main cast through Jade and our first filler. These were episodes 1-16. Out of 26 for the season and 52 for the series. I don’t feel like my time has been wasted with pointless, endless, literally 30+ second long shots of characters staring at each other or into the distance for no reason. No. Not at all. Those moments added a lot of needed and organic tension and suspense.

Really.

But Sakura gazing longingly at a giant fish aside, we’re going to get into what is probably my most hated canon arc of the anime - Outo. Now, I loved Outo in the manga, it was an amazing world and it really kick started a lot of character and plot developments in TRC, not to mention that it was just generally a lot of fun. It was the longest world thus far and it had had the most characters in it as well. Outo was great. It’s one of my favorite worlds, right along side Piffle and fanon!Yama. 

Bee Train did me dirty guys. Real dirty. 

Outo:

So the animation swings wildly in this arc from “yeah that’s not so bad” to “Fai is that your hair or a giant yellow spider eating your head?” - pretty par for the course as far as the anime goes. Mostly. But then we have the changes to plot, both for the sake of the Children(tm) and... Just Because? It’s also in Outo that we start really noticing that whoever was in charge of directing the music usage was really just throwing music at the animation and hoping something stuck. 

I’ll try to keep this linear but I make no promises.

We start off pretty normal - arrive, greeted by The Ladies, whisked off to City Hall. Fai gives them all their delightful Outo names while Syaoran looks on in a mild panic. They buy the cafe and get attacked - and here I have my First Issue.

For some reason, probably to make me hate them more than I already do, they change the events of the Oni attack just enough that Kurogane doesn’t grab Sakura out of the way of the ambush, iirc Fai grabs her. This might seem like nothing, but the anime has kept Kurogane and Sakura’s interactions to basically zero and if someone were to only watch the anime they would miss out on a lot of very small but meaningful moments between those two. Also, it’s important to me okay!

Morning comes and plot is still basically on track - Syaoran and Kurogane become oni hunters and Fai and Sakura open the cafe. 

Now, when the family gets their costume changes, things get a little odd and the music is to blame. Sakura wakes up and goes to greet the family, who are all wearing what they’ll be sporting for the rest of Outo. As her view pans (ba-dum tss) over each of them a weird smooth jazz sort of music starts to play. I don’t know what to call it, but the tone makes it feel vaguely sexual/romantic, or at least like that’s what the intent is. Now if this had happened over Syaoran alone it probably wouldn’t have been weird, but funny. It doesn’t just happen to Syaoran though, Kurogane gets the music too (Fai is the first she sees and the music only starts playing as Sakura begins to look away). It’s a really strange music choice for this moment.

When Sakura changes into her cafe maid outfit and the boys see her it isn’t just a Sakura and Syaoran moment, which would be fine. If they weren’t playing that music again. And also Kurogane hyuus. At Sakura.   ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It was all very weird. I didn’t like it. Could have been just me.

Night one of oni hunting is here and so is another change that I don’t understand? Before when they added characters to the scene it was Sakura and I assumed it was them trying to give her more screen time, but Sakura is very much left out of this whole bit while Fai, who should be back at the cafe with her preparing to open up a business, is with Kurogane and Syaoran. Why? “I like to watch you at work, Kuro-sama.” (Which would have been simply amazing foreshadowing if we were ever going to so much as glance at Fai’s backstory in the anime, which we aren’t. Hell, at this point we don’t even know what it is because Celes hasn’t been published yet, so Bee Train is pulling this out of their ass. What a waste.)

Syaoran and Kurogane kill some oni, there’s very vague talk about Syaoran’s blind eye (they never outright say he’s blind in it, just that he “has trouble with it”), and we get to meet Yuzuriha and Kusanagi. Syaoran does not fawn over Inuki and I am once again personally insulted. It’s here that Kurogane learns about the names.

Fai manages to make it all the way back to the Cafe alive before Kurogane corners him. Also, even though Fai was gone all night with the puppies he still has a chocolate cake made and ready to serve to Yuzuriha and Kusanagi after they follow his and Kurogane’s immature murder trail home. Which is frankly bullshit. I know Sakura didn’t make that cake.

Syaoran and Kurogane don’t have to fight to prove their worth to the information seller, which is whatever I guess. Probably just trying to save time and budget, but that didn’t really help you now did it Bee Train?

Now, surprisingly, I actually liked the change they made to the bar scene/the fight before the bar. Fai and Kurogane don’t have their Moment in the bar, since this time they’ve missed Oruha and will have to come back. And instead of fighting on the way to the bar, the oni attack them on their way home. The song “Kaze no Machi he” plays over not only the KuroFai vs oni fight, but also sweet moments between Syaoran and Sakura in the cafe, effectively setting a very nice parallel between the two couples while still contrasting them. It’s a wonderful scene and it’s part of what makes me so extra mad at Bee Train for how they treated the whole series, because they clearly know how to do their jobs, they were just too lazy to give TRC the effort and care it deserved. 

It was a really great scene and I would suggest watching just that couple of minutes, even if you don’t watch anything else from the Bee Train anime, simply because of how well it’s put together. Was it all just a happy editing accident? Maybe, but it’s one that I love.

Of course, like all things I love, Seishirou soon shows up to ruin them. This time with bad special effects.

This is of course after a pretty much canon-compliant intro to Ryuu-ou and Souma, complete with Kurogane dropping his freshly injured boyfriend on the ground in shock. Followed by pouting that I will take as a personal apology.

It’s not enough to make up for the lack of drunken shenanigans. Not even close.

Syaoran’s learned that not all of life’s problems can be solved by kicking. Sometimes you need to stab them. He asks Kurogane to teach him, but unlike in the manga where this is a sweet, if somber, moment between just the pair of them, Fai is, again, on the scene where he shouldn’t be. He’s also acting rather bitchy and tells Syaoran that if Kurogane teaches him to use a sword he needs to be ready to kill with it. Now this new dialogue is fucked up on a couple of levels.

Firstly, this is the same night Kurogane just lectured Fai about valuing his own life and admitted to killing more people than he could count in order to protect what he considered important to him. I’m sure we’re meant to read this as a type of semi-protective warning on Fai’s part towards Syaoran, but it comes off as petty at best and out right cruel at worst, to both Syaoran and Kurogane. Syaoran because he’s thirteen and he just wants to help save the love of his life who he is convinced he’ll never get back. Kurogane because he’s having this thing that’s pretty central to him at this point in his life thrown in his face with venom and treated like a danger towards his own adopted son. 

Second, and big spoilers, if you’re watching this after Tokyo and Celes have been published (which at the time of the airing they were not) Fai telling Syaoran to “be prepared to kill” is fucked up. It’s clear in Tokyo that Fai has known for a while (we don’t find out how long exactly until Celes) that Syaoran is a clone. He also has known that Syaoran is a very real threat, basically a ticking time bomb. Fai would not be egging him on like this. 

So, the whole exchange is very drastically changed in tone by giving Fai a small handful of lines, and in my humble onion it isn’t for the better. 

Do you wanna know what is better though? The quality of these weapons compared to the everything else that’s been seen in Outo so far, and we don’t get better. The animation takes a noticeable dip from here on out. It’s especially noticeable because Bee Train has gotten into the habit of padding episodes with flashbacks and recaps of things we saw only a few episodes ago like they’re fucking Naruto and when you cut from one of the decently animated flashbacks to the current shitshow it’s really jarring.

Quality aside (for the moment) the puppies finally get their swords but before they had left, Sakura asks Syaoran about what he and Kurogane are planning to do during the day. It’s a fair question since they’re heading out early, but no oni can be hunted until night. For some reason he doesn’t tell her they’re going to get weapons? Or that he’s going to train with Kurogane? He just says “It’s nothing to worry about” and like... why? 

On several levels why. First we have the whole why have Sakura ask if Syaoran’s not even going to tell her anything - maybe to add tension, as if they didn’t have enough, maybe to add angst, as if they didn’t have enough. He’s got no reason to hide this. She knows he hunts oni, telling her he’s going to better arm himself would only be a good thing, hell if he really wanted to avoid saying that he was going to get a sword he could have said that he was going with Kurogane to get one since Kurogane’s broke the night before. Second, Syaoran not answering only makes Sakura feel bad and worry more and I’ve never been so frustrated in my life. Yes, Syaoran tries to keep things from hurting Sakura but in the manga he doesn’t treat her like spun glass.

And then Mokona just tells her anyway so honestly the entire exchange was 95% meaningless and I demand to know who made these choices so I can meet them in the pit!!

Really the purpose is probably to waste time and pad the episode, but there’s enough in Outo that they really shouldn’t need to do this? But hey, what do I know? I’ve only read this series 10 times and done I can’t tell you how many analysis essays on the characters and plot. Surely some hacks who probably only glanced over the material know better.

So now Kurogane is throwing rocks at Syaoran. Not a whole lot is different for a while - we throw rocks at Syaoran, we blindfold Syaoran, we leave Syaoran all on his own to wander the city, Ryuu-ou stops Syaoran from getting his ass kicked by oni that he’s too focused on puzzling out to dodge, they flirt, they flirt so much. 

Ryuu-ou takes Syaoran to see the Biggest and Prettiest cherry blossom tree in Outo, because Ryuu-ou goes big or not at all and he’s got a boy to woo. 

Meanwhile, Fai has gotten a piano for the cafe that he can’t play and Sakura can speak to musical instruments, kinda. After another TouYuki cameo where they don’t recognize Sakura, Fai leaves Sakura to look after the cafe for reasons I can’t recall but that are probably dumb. Oruha shows up and she and Sakura have a Magical Musical Moment where Oruha plays the deus ex baby grand and learns all about how Sakura can’t remember Syaoran and somehow sees all the memories that Sakura can’t see/doesn’t have and folks I could not tell you what this adds to the story other than more confusion to people new to the series and frustration to people who have read the manga.

Let me break it down - Sakura doesn’t have these memories. Yuuko literally took them away as payment, they no longer exist. If they try to exist Sakura goes through a soft reset as seen earlier in this arc. Oruha should not be able to access them, super special VR powers be damned. The memories aren’t there to access. 404: Childhood Friendship not found.

This is all without touching on the creep factor of someone casually rooting around in Sakura’s head without her knowledge or permission. Hasn’t she’s lost enough autonomy?

Magic Music Memory time over, Oruha leaves and we’re spoiled and shown that Outo is VR and not actually the world we think it is, ruining both a really neat reveal and the weight of Syaoran and Fai’s “deaths” later in the arc. Do you want suspense and angst or not Bee Train?!?!

After reading some notes I had on the anime I think Fai left Sakura alone to go drinking with Kurogane because it’s now that they have their Moment in the Clover bar and finally meet Oruha (who stopped at the Cat’s Eye, sang with Sakura and read her mind, and then popped back to Clover because fuck you). 

So. The dads are drinking and gathering info, the boys are flirting, and Sakura is doing what she did in Hanshin - where she enters zombie mode and autopilots towards her feather. Yuzuriha appears in the nick of time to stop Sakura from meeting Seishirou and for this I think she should receive a medal of some sort in all honesty. 

As the girlfriends make their way back to Cat’s Eye Seishirou summons a Giant Deku Baba (seriously, Nintendo should look into copyright) and attacks the boyfriends. Ryuu-ou has to, once again, pull Syaoran out of harm’s way as he stands there aghast at the sudden turn of events. Things get a little too close to becoming a very uncomfortable tentacle based hentai and everyone escapes with their lives and virtue intact.  

Syaoran tries to defend Seishirou’s honor because he thinks Seishirou has honor to defend, but no one is buying it. We also get a brief look at our resident Lava Lamp Dweller (who I might remind you all we never get answers about in ANY form in the anime) before we are swiftly moving along to another moment between Syaoran and Sakura where he’s pretty much lying to her face about things he doesn’t need to lie about and Sakura ought to chew him out. 

Why? Why Bee Train? This is so OOC. Rewrite this fanfic. 

It’s Tower of Terror time and Kurogane is Delighted about the 3% chance of survival he’s been handed. So far we’re back on track. Except we’re not.

Manga readers will remember looking back on this as one of our first Big Hints about Kurogane’s past - his hang ups about the demons leaving behind no bones or bodies of their past victims, implying that they’ve been eaten whole, and how that seemed to bother him. There’s the vaguest of hints that Kurogane still has a personal grudge with demons here in the anime, but it’s a lot less impactful and I don’t know how much meaning it would have to someone who didn’t have prior manga knowledge to fall back on. I feel like it falls a bit flat (especially once we see how Kurogane’s past has been sterilized for a younger audience).

Aside from that, the tower is more or less the same, bad hentai jokes and all. 

Things also go very similarly at the cafe - Sakura works herself up into a tizzy and passes out, Fai feels the first emotion outside of Guilt and Horny he’s felt in upwards of a century, and Mokona tells him that he’s fine and that no, that’s not heartburn it’s affection. 

Enter King Trashface. He’s holding the feather in some sort of weird space disco ball? Not the worst thing, just an odd choice? He and Fai exchange words (starting with Fai telling Seishirou to fuck off in the most polite way ever) - during which Fai’s animation makes it seem that the closer Fai gets to “death” the more his face distorts, which is terrible and hilarious. 

Before Fai gets turned into demon chow though, Seishirou calls him out on being Mr. Deathwish, especially since Fai is fighting without using magic that could very possibly save him. At this point Fai flashes back to his and Kurogane’s “how about we don’t die” talk earlier and Fai says that he might want to live after all. Which is like. Bullshit at this point in the journey. He doesn’t want to live, he really really doesn’t and the very fact that he’s not using his magic is proof positive of that (see: Le Court). Though also, even with a bum ankle he thinks he can take Seishirou until he pulls out the feather. At which point Fai basically tells Mokona to pay attention to how he dies so she can tell the others about it. Which is so... against what he just said?

This is well before we ever see even a manga version of Fai with anything resembling self preservation or a proper will to live, but we have enough of his character for the anime writers to know that this is a very big leap for him to be taking so soon. I feel like if they wanted to give him a hopeful outlook (which is what I think they were trying to do after coming off the scene with Sakura and Mokona) they could have had him seem more wishy-washy about it, or phrased it as a curiosity. “Something I didn’t expect has happened and I wanna see where it goes” is a much better way for him to have made the same statement. At least in my opinion.

Anyway, he dies and I find his death scene really funny because you just see his legs dangling slowly and it’s so... idk it might just be me but I couldn’t stop laughing. 

Now I am pretty sure Seishirou causes this but Outo starts glitching. Everything starts going full Matrix rainbows on us and all the NPCs vanish. Souma is worried about the game falling apart and Ryuu-ou and Yuzuriha are both worried about their potential love lives new friends.

Here we come to a few things I very much HATE that were changed. Once Fai is dead Sakura goes zombie again and starts to follow after her feather/Seishirou before the puppies get home, so only Mokona is there waiting. This means I have lost yet ANOTHER FATHER-DAUGHTER MOMENT!! It also means that when Syaoran runs after Seishirou and gets murderized she not only sees it happen but... dies? with? him? Because she hugs him while the game is transporting him out? I dunno. It’s bad and dumb and I hate it. 

So Kurogane thinks they’re ALL DEAD, which is great. It’s not like he isn’t already having a bad enough day. Not that you could tell by looking because the animation doesn’t have him emote at all. He looks basically bored as Mokona tells them that Fai is dead while Syaoran is a step away from a full on meltdown. @beetrain you do know that Kurogane has emotions other than anger and Fight Me(tm) right?

And now Seishirou is idk posturing? Bragging? He talks about how there’s no one left to oppose him now that the 13 year olds are dead, completely ignoring the pissed off ninja murder machine that has nothing left to lose that’s coming for his sorry ass. I don’t remember him being that cocky in the manga? Am I misremembering or did the anime somehow make Seishirou even more unlikable? Either way, Kurogane finds the slimeball and, to my extreme annoyance, only asks if he killed Fai and Syaoran - not Sakura - even though he believes all of them to be dead. The anime keeps doing this and I have ranted about it so much I’ll spare you the retyping. For now.

A quick list of minor things that happen that I dislike:

Fai’s coat and Sakura’s cloak both pull random appearing and disappearing acts between episodes

No one is even a little surprised when Syaoran’s sword sets itself on fire

The pacing could kill a man. Unfortunately Seishirou lives.

My soap opera isn’t real and this is

Seishirou knows Syaoran is a clone and drops hints about something we are never getting resolution to

Oruha, after allowing Seishirou to fuck off, just, you know, tells Sakura that she has missing memories of Syaoran

Memories that she somehow was able to access even though they no longer exist within Sakura

If Yuuko says no memories she means NO MEMORIES!!!

FWR watches the demon rampage across Edonis. He’s probably reminiscing. Like an asshole. 

Outo wraps up and is it the worst of the arcs? No. But am I bitter about the things that were done to it because it changed a lot of fundamental things about the characters and the plot? Yes. 

See you next time, where I’ll probably talk about more than one arc. Until then, have this.

[part 1] [part 2]

[burnouts3s3]

Yu Yu Hakusho, a review

(Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit unprofessional blog post written by an unprofessional blog poster. All purported facts and statement are little more than the subjective, biased opinion of said blog poster. In other words, don’t take anything I say too seriously.) Just the facts 'Cause you're in a Hurry! Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for Season (MSRP):  80 dollars for the entire series on Digital. 80 Dollars for the entire series on DVD. Animation Studio: Pierrot Licensed and Localized by: Funimation Entertainment Audio: Both English and Japanese Audio available Price per episode: 2 USD per Episode when bought digitally. 1.40 When bought in a season. (20 Dollars when bought per season vs 56 Dollars when bought individually). Length per Episode: 25 Minutes on average. 21 Without Intro and Ending song. Number of Discs: 4 DVD Discs per season. 16 DVD Discs in total. Episodes per Disc: 6 or 7. Bonus Features: Trailers for other Funimation licensed shows. Also on: Blu-ray, Hulu, Crunchyroll and Funimation Now, paid subscription services that allows dual language streaming of select shows. How much I paid: 160 Dollars/USD. (80 for the DVDs. 80 for the digital licenses for the show). Number of Episodes: 112 Episodes My Personal Biases: Gather round, old Toonami Faithful. Back in the 2000’s, I followed Hakusho closely when it was released on Toonami and Adult Swim. So, you can imagine, I’m heavily biased in favor of this series. My Verdict: Yu Yu Hakusho represents the last of an era. Not only is it a classic from the 90’s, but it’s a lean, matter of fact Shounen Anime that probably has the least amount of filler during a time Dragon Ball Z spent endless days on the Namek Saga. Still beautifully rendered, great score, fast paced action and one of the few Funimation dubs that manages to be more interesting than the sub script and you have one of the last few anime out there worth seeing. Buy it! KEEP IN MIND: Anime series and Western Television have very different formats when selling shows. While Western TV Seasons have one story arc that ends and begins within the season, Dubbed Anime is usually released in multiple volumes and releases. For example, While Yu Yu Hakusho each as 28 Episodes per season, Story Arcs, such as the infamous Dark Tournament Saga, beginning and ending points not found in an individual season. Author’s Note: The following review will be a review of the dubbed version of the show localized by Funimation Entertainment. While the majority of the scenes remain unchanged, the Funimation translated script contains additional dialogue, observations and jokes not found in the original version. Please keep that in mind. WARNING: SPOILERS Yu Yu Hakusho, a review

"And so it all begins. This boy's name is Yusuke. He's fourteen years old, and is supposed to be the hero of this story. But oddly enough... he's dead."

Yusuke Urameshi is a delinquent more likely to get into fistfights with classmates than attend class. Scolded by everyone, from his alcoholic mother to childhood friend, Keiko, to his principal, Yusuke ditches school. But when a young boy is about to be hit by a car, Yusuke literally dies protecting the child. As a ghost with the help of a surprisingly cheerful Botan, the Grim Reaper, Yusuke learns that there was something of this life worth living. When Yusuke returns to life, he becomes a Spirt Detective, assigned from Spirit World to hunt down Rogue Demons. With the help of his classmate, Kazuma Kuwabara, and two enemies turned teammates, the Fox Demon reborn Kurama and the mischievous Hiei, Yusuke faces a whole slew of opponents he’d never thought he’d face. Has it really been 25 years since Yu Yu Hakusho first debuted in Japan? It’s hard to imagine Yu Yu Hakusho being made the way it was. This 112 Shounen Anime series managed to end on a complete note. Think about other shows in the genre. Shows like DBZ, Naruto, Bleach and One Piece manage to have over 200 episodes each and filled with filler and theatrical released movies. Other Shounen shows like this, like Soul Eater, manage to end on 26 episodes or around 50. But then there’s Yu Yu Hakusho, a show that had over 100 episodes with little to no filler but never achieved the merchandising empires Dragonball and Naruto had. Even Bleach, a series that had popularity drain out by the end of its run, was able to span more episodes and had more theatrical releases. One of the key successes was limiting the cast to a group of familiar but complex faces. The Team of Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei and Kurama were all memorable, but the interaction within the group was so great that it could span a couple of episodes. Each had a different morality and perspective. The Main character was a smart-ass with a potty mouth with a deep sense of morality, Kuwabara seemed to have a strong sense of honor and persistence, Kurama had a collected calm of a general while Hiei was always getting into trouble for his own reasons. Not only did the four manage to make each scenario interesting but the interaction with one another is something to be written about for the ages. One of the things I found surprising was how beautiful the animation manages to hold up. Granted, it still uses 90’s tricks such as speed lines and fade outs, but each fight seemed not only well choreographed but colored and detailed in a way that made me come back to watch more. Add to that, Togashi’s emphasis to make fights more strategic and detailed, and I found myself rewatching old fights again and again. Looking back, the fights always thrilled me but as I grew older, I appreciated Kurama’s fights more. That’s not to say Yusuke’s, Hiei’s or even Kuwabara’s fights were bad, but they generally devolved into “who’s stronger” fistfights with fireballs. Kurama’s usually revolved around a sense of strategy and out smarting his opponent with plant based wapons. The series got a number of dubs but the most famous one by far is the English version by Funimation Entertainment. I know Funimation gets a lot of flak for its translation issues, but Yu Yu Hakusho manages to use localization to its benefit, in that they make Yusuke, the loud mouthed delinquent that had little cares for the world, extremely likable and funny. Fans will recognize veteran voice actors such as Chuck Huber (who voiced 17 in Dragonball Z) as Hiei, John Burgmeier (Who voiced Tien) as Kurama and Chris Sabat (Who voiced Vegeta, Yamcha and Piccolo) as Kuwabara. Each shows a surprising amount of range as each character (especially Sabat) and manages to rival their Japanese counterparts. But Justin Cook steals the show as Yusuke Urameshi. That’s not to say Nozomu Sasaki, Yusuke’s Japanese Voice Performer, does a bad job, but Justin Cook manages to bring Yusuke to life thanks to some adlibbing and great comedic timing. (While Cook voiced Yusuke, he also acted as the Line Director at Funimation).

The Funimation Script took liberties from the original source material and added additional lines not found in the original version. But, I feel this is one of the times where it benefits the scripts as well as the personalities. Yusuke’s additional dialogue not only manages to be funny but also solidifies the fact that if Yusuke were a real person, he’d be a pain in the ass to deal with. The soundtrack is a masterpiece. Another Yusuke, Yusuke Honma, composed the soundtrack. It not only managed to be dramatic, but comedic, emotional and powerful at the same time. Struggle of Sadness manages to be one of my all time favorites to listen to.

The clear fan favorite out of all the story arcs is the Dark Tournament. When Yusuke is forced to compete in a life or death tournament involving some of the strongest demons out there, he’ll have to gather up his teammates and duke it out with some of the series most memorable opponents. It not only manages to be a good tournament arc, but also a great training arc and a lesson in mortality vs immortality. If nothing else, get the Dark Tournament saga. Verdict: Do you like Shounen Anime? Do you like owning a series and paying far less than for other long running series? Are you a fan of 90’s anime? IF you’ve answered yes, Yu Yu Hakusho is definitely a show to check out. Don’t let this one miss you! Full Price!

[precuredaily]

Precure Day 066

Episode: Futari wa Precure Max Heart 16 - “Nagisa’s in high spirits! In top form with your lucky color!!” Date watched: 18 August 2018 Original air date: 22 May 2005 Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/eIUG1zR

Remember all my praise for the last episode’s animation? Yeah....

Hot off the heels of one of the best episodes in the show so far comes one of the most mediocre. The best thing it has going for it are the gags, but the animation is awful and the plot is at times contradictory to what’s been established.

The main plot centers around Nagisa having a string of good luck, which she overly relies on to get her through her midterm exams. I’ll give you one guess how well that goes. The other ways her good fortune manifests are by winning a melon while grocery shopping and then running into Fuji-P on her way home, where they talk and he thanks her for her show of support at his soccer game. Probably the most fortunate thing is that she manages to not make a fool of herself. On her way to school the next day she’s running late but manages to avoid the Vice Principal’s lecture to the other late students by sneaking past him. So lucky! Honoka briefs Nagisa and her other friends on the history of fortune-telling but warns her that she shouldn’t rely solely on luck to pass her exams. She should have listened.... that night she studies only the questions she believes will be on the exam and turns in for the night, while across town Honoka is still studying. She gets a visit from a new Heartiel, Intelligen, who admires her studiousness, but decides not to bother her. The next day at school, it’s time for the exams. Unfortunately Uraganos appears and turns the Statue of Tomorrow into a Zakenna! The girls realize something is awry when all their classmates fall asleep and a giant statue moves around outside. They transform and fight it off before defeating it, and then the girls all hurry back to their exams. At a later date, Hikari is at Akane’s place showing off her good scores, Honoka has also gotten good scores, and Nagisa is upset because she guessed completely wrong about the subjects she’d be tested on and failed. Everybody cracks that that’s pretty much normal for her, she realizes Mepple is (slightly) yellow (her lucky color) and begs him to change her scores, which he protests is impossible, and we close on this shot.

As far as substance goes, there’s not much to work with here, it’s a filler. It does introduce a new Heartiel, Intelligen, who admires Honoka’s work ethic, but a few other things happen for no reason. Puran finally goes into the Chairect at the start of the episode with no fanfare. I guess she got her fill of purity? They do not say anything about it.

I mentioned that there’s some contradiction in the Dusk Zone’s activities, so let me elaborate. Circulas first encountered a Heartiel, Puran, in episode 13, and was taken aback by the strong power of light she emanated. In episode 14 he brought this up to Baldez and Baldez told him to investigate further, so he makes it a point to try to learn about the Heartiels in his subsequent attacks. However when they bring it up in this episode (before even going on the attack), Baldez recognizes their description as being part of the Queen’s resurrection. He knows about her life, heart, and twelve wills, so for him to wait until now to bring it up makes no sense, and if he knew all along, why did he repeatedly ask Circulas to get more information? Once to confirm his suspicious sure, but multiple times? It’s only been 3 episodes but it feels like a lot longer. (maybe that’s because of how I rewatch parts of episodes for screenshots and review purposes) It’s annoying.

How about some positivity? Well I already talked about the gags Nagisa gets into with her brief spot of good luck. The Vice Principal gets to shine for a bit in this episode, it’s been a long time since he showed up. For starters he’s lecturing a group of students who are late about their responsibility as students of the school in front of the Statue of Tomorrow, which comes back to haunt him later. Uraganos happens to decide to track the girls down at school on the day of their midterms and he hops the fence like it’s nothing. A completely unfazed VP demands to know who he is and what his business is. Uraganos answers mostly honestly, and the VP informs him that the students are taking an exam right now and he’ll have to come back later. Keep in mind that Uraganos is easily twice as tall as the VP, four times as wide, and is beet red. He does NOT look normal but the VP somehow doesn’t notice or care, and turns him away like it’s nothing.

Come to think of it he did something similar with Gekidrago in FWPC... Anyway Uraganos is turned away by the VP and starts to accept it as he’s not particularly smart. Then he realizes he’s got the physical advantage and marches back in after the VP has gone on his way. He turns the Statue of Tomorrow into a Zakenna, which haunts the hallways for a few minutes, confusing the VP as he believes it’s a student at first. It takes him far too long to realize it’s a statue, and a walking one at that. Speaking of not so smart....

The actual fight between the team and the (now giant) Zakenna is fun. Uraganos tries to separate Luminous from the fighters but he doesn’t really do anything, there’s a great bit where the monster starts windmilling with its long hair to fend off the girls, but Luminous just freezes it with Heartiel Action and the duo perform Marble Screw Max to defeat it. Hikaru’s toy of the episode is a kite, by the way.

Pink Precure Catchphrase Count: 1 Arienai

[yondamoegi]

You know, even since Season 2, Wakfu went downhill. Don’t get me wrong, the quality of art and animation upgrades with every season. It’s beautiful! So colorful and dynamic, it’s pretty amazing!

But the story, oh the story, it’s kinda bullshit. A fastfood junk kind of story. The season 1, when the story just began, it was a good solid traditional journey. We didn’t know anything about the characters, so the show took its time to define heroes and villains, themes and motives. The story progressed naturally, the main conflict beats mixed with filler-ish breather episodes. And it didn’t have so many loose threads dangling around.

Season 2 had much more of that. Like, why the fuck is Remington there? He didn’t bring anything useful and didn’t change during the whole season. And he was there til the end, like a walking ad to his own series! What the fuck?! Also, the foggernaut fleet near the end! They weren’t related to the main story, they just appeared suddenly and stayed til the end, again. I think they were an ad to the new class added to the online game. Other than that the ending was lackluster with Gouldart as Deus Ex Machina. Still, pretty okay season.

The Season 3 depends on you already knowing the heroes and watching the specials. And maybe reading comics, I dunno. Depending on so much outside media, it’s weak on it own. Well, it does give you an exposition of the events that happened before, but for the new viewers it’s a lotsa of unrelated info they didn’t get to see themselves, and shallow characterization for the veteran fans of the show. Also, the pacing is off. The conflict is racked up from the beginning and doesn’t get down to allow the viewers breathe. The structure of the episodes is repetitive, since they have to beat/challenge a set of obstacles, and it doesn’t help the pacing. The pacing is off, it’s too fast to let the events to set in. So, everything is too much and repetitive and meaningless.

The whole season feels like a mess of good scenes, ideas, and conflicts that weren’t connected properly so they don’t fit well with each other.

I still don’t remember when and how did Grovy become a god, and the fact that he was a god is very important to the plot of the Season 3, and it’s driving me nuts. And he’s conflicted because as a reincarnation of a god, he had lotsa other wives and children in his past lives. Apparently. Only three episodes left til the end and I never saw that conflict again!

Yugo is having crisis with his immortality and is torn that he’ll never be with Amalia because of that. WHEN DID YOU START THINKING LIKE THAT, BOY?! That was sudden.

Ruel had a wife, but it was presented with flashbacks and foreshadowing, so it didn’t bother me that much.

Amalia’s Problem followed her from the earlier seasons. They should be resolved by now, no? And her dad is suddenly ill, maybe he got sick in the specials, but I honestly don’t remember. And it bothers me.

Eva’s fine, but she doesn’t has much screentime.

All that results in cheap drama. The cheap drama started in the specials, but here it’s pretty ridiculous.

The only good character is Elely, her in-season story started in the season, and she acts in her character and tries her best to solve the conflict. She’s capable, she’s smart, she has some spunk, she’s a good egg.

This all wasn’t that surprising, since it started in season 2. I still love the series, it deserves praise for the animation alone. And so I watch it more like a spectacle it is.

P.S. Adamai is a creep.

[thong-in-the-twist]

Thimble 19화

1화 2화 3화 4화 5화 6화 7화 8화  9화 10화 11화 12화  13화 14화 15화 16화 17화 18화 19화 20화

Morning air is crispy and harsh, invading your nostrils with every inhale, burning your insides on its way to your lungs. It’s hard to keep your eyes open, frost biting at your face, and you exhale shakily, blinking away tears gathering in corners of your eyes.

You rub your hands together, knuckles red and swollen, and with a sigh you hide them under your jacket.

Pond in front of you is frozen solid, and bushes around it covered with heavy snow. Everything around you is white and sleepy, reminding you of mournful days. In the end – white is color of loss and mourning.

Your breaths are visible, and you should be uncomfortable in this weather, but you had to go out, feeling restless.

Childbirth Office was set up some three weeks ago, like it was customary. Your birthing bed was already put together, and they changed its position with every moon. You’ve been already instructed as to how you should behave while going into labor, to ensure safeness and longevity of your child. You know that as soon as you’ll go into labor, they will burn talisman ensuring quick labor, and they will mix it with warm water and feed it to you. You know that you’ll have horse reigns handing from the ceiling for you to grab on, and small figurines that supposedly will protect you from evil and illness.

You should be inside even now, waiting for it to happen, laying on your childbirth bed, lined with silk, straws, linen, horsehide and oiled paper. You should be inside, having only pure thoughts, and await the time divine powers decide it’s time for you to go into labor.

But being idle is such a nuisance.

You can recognize this state. Palace is sleepy, calm, but you can recognize the signs of its busy life underneath the snow. Just like year before everyone is waiting for King’s heir. Everyone is waiting for you to give birth, like they waited for, then Crown Princess, to do so. You know that as soon as the news of the gender of your child will be out the wheels in the palace will start whirling. All the preparations will be pushed into motion – that’s why everything is idle, they are waiting and praying.

“It’s been almost a year.” You say, to nobody in particular, and you can hear Woo Palace Lady murmur something behind you, and you ignore her. Almost one year ago Queen went into labor – how ironic it would be if you went into labor exactly the same day, one year later?

Part of you wants that – but you know that it’s not something you have control of. Nowadays you can’t even control your bladder.

Your belly is huge and swollen, and you have forgotten how your feet look, and you have already resigned to a fact that when you sit down you are going to stay in that position until someone helps you up. There is no comfortable position, and no food seems to be tasty. Your body is heavy, and truth be told you are tired of this whole ordeal.

You want it to end.

But you can’t think about that, such impure thoughts could be fatal to your child.

Once again you focus on the white world, sun not yet rising, grey skies only adding to your melancholy, and you think of your first child. There is a pang in your heart, and you caress your belly with your right hand, reassuring yourself. You never touch your belly with your left hand, not with the mark burned in it.

This child will be your shield, this child will be your sword, this child will be avenger sent to avenge its older sibling.

The sound of snow creaking under someone’s boots is unmistakable and perfectly audible in the quietness that surrounds you. You don’t react to the sound, though. Had it been someone that needed the introduction, your maid would have already alerted you. And since she didn’t do that, it’s either your doctor or your lover.

“My Lady.” Words are those of a doctor, but voice is not. King comes to stop next to you, also looking at the frozen pond.

“Your Highness.” You answer his greeting, with a slight bow of your head. It’s not that you are feeling brave enough to bow only like that – you just can’t risk anything deeper.

“Aren’t you cold?” He asks, and he keeps his voice steady. You don’t hear worry nor scolding – and you are grateful. In the earlier moths of your pregnancy you snapped at him, not even realizing what you were doing, child growing under your heart making you moody and irritate. King was surprised and taken aback, with eunuch Hong frozen in place, and you were fuming, unable to see your own wrong doing.

It was a reaction to very similar question, that was worded only in your best interest. And yet King bowed his head and apologized, and asked eunuch Hong to bring you rice cakes.

Later, through usual gossip channels, you’ve learned that King was so delighted with receiving scolding from you, because he used to hear stories about his mother fiery temper during pregnancy from his own late father, and if only it made him feel more like expecting father, and not like King awaiting an heir.

He indulged you every step in the process. He run to you as soon as his official duties were fulfilled, he stayed with you, he ate with you, he studied in your room, and never once it occurred to him to take your place as the most important person in your chamber – even if it was rightfully his.

“I am.” You answer truthfully, and you allow your left hand to fall down from under your jacket, where it was resting on top of your right – which in turn rested on your stomach.

King immediately reacted grabbing your hand, and holding it between his arm hands. At this point your marked hand is good enough for King, but not for his child.

“It’s stuffy inside, isn’t it?’ He asks, and you inwardly praise his choice not to urge you inside, and you turn your head to him and smile. He is looking at you, eyes warm. He looks at peace, and suddenly you feel at home as well. Your bladder is not yet calling you, so you decide to relish this moment for as long as you can, and you use his hand holding yours to guide him closer, and King obliges, and carefully embraces you from behind. This way, you can be close without worrying about the child. His warm hand splays on your belly, and you have to smile, your eyes rising to look at the grey skies.

“I can’t stand the nurses monitoring my every move, and showering me with their good advices.” You say finally, and you can swear he has to stifle a laugh.

“And you’ve yet to give them a lecture? It doesn’t sound like you, my dear.” My dear. He started calling you that, but he was still shy with it. You loved the sound of that. “The woman that doesn’t fear the King, shouldn’t be stopping herself from scolding mere nurses.”

“Yes, but those nurses are going to be at my side when I’ll go into labor, and I need them liking me then.” You say, not happy about it. It was Woo Palace Lady that reminded you about this small detail the first time you were about to lose your temper.

“Sounds about right.” Both of you fall silent, and you have nearly forgotten about Woo Palace Lady, eunuch Hong and King’s whole entourage behind you. It’s never only the two of you. “But soon it will be over.”

“Did you hear that, child? Your father is running out of patience.” You say jokingly, and King caresses your belly.

“I do think that it’s your mother whose on the edge here. Maybe it’s better for you to let her calm down, before you come – so the first words you hear won’t be scolding.” King laughs, and minutely holds you closer. Then he whispers, making sure that only you can hear him. “As soon as it’s over, you’ll be Bin. I will make you my Bin.”

There is a thrill running through your body. A Bin. First rank concubine. It’s only a step lower than queen. It’s so much closer than your goal than Sukwon is. But you can’t yourself be thrilled, as it may lead you astray.

“And if it’s not a son?” You ask, sounding more vulnerable then you’d like to. You hate feeling vulnerable, since you are vulnerable.

You have to give it to King – he stumbles for only a second.

“Well, then it will be Sukeui.” Sukeui. Second lower rank. It’s still higher than Sukwon, exactly 4 positions up, but it’s still not enough. And King must feel your defiance, because he continues. “And we will try again.”

He doesn’t say: as long as we need to, but you can hear it, and it warms you up to have such a ferocious and powerful ally – but you know that you can’t be sure that he’ll be at your side for the rest of your life. Love can turn into hatred, and if it ever does, you need to have a shield by then. A son.

All you need is a son.

It feels like a filler episode, all sleepy and calm, but people asked me for interaction with King, and I still haven’t decided how to proceed with her child, so here you go - a proof that I remember about Thimble.

[icharchivist]

@tsubasayorukage  submitted:

So, I am fairly new to the D, Gray Man series. I’ve watched a couple of episodes and some clip compilations…I discovered it because I needed a faceclaim for a character with black hair and blue eyes and I settled on Kanda. XD Actually, a friend of mine uses a picture of Tyki for one of HIS characters…XD So when I saw the fight between the two all I could think of was our characters duking it out, ha ha. 

I found the characters to be really interesting! I love the way the Noahs interact with each other; there are some really funny moments there, and apparently they live “human” lives, too? 

Though the villains seem to always be going after Lenalee from what I saw; is there a reason for that?

But anyway, while I was watching some clips today, I felt really sorry for that little guy in the cage that wails, “Aaaaaallen Waaaalker.” XD I have to wonder if the only way for it to get out is if Allen dies, though Tyki seemed to indicate that it could be let out before then…

Like I said, I don’t know much about the series, though I tried reading the Wiki once and got a bit lost. ^^; 

I don’t understand why people are badmouthing the author and the series. I like that the main character doesn’t seem like the typical shounen hero. Heck, I didn’t even know it was considered to be a shounen series…

Ooooh Heya, welcome there! :D

Kanda is an amazing faceclaim omg, i’m glad it had you be able to discover dgm! (and also A++ for your friend’s faceclaim, and no wonder, it must have been funny once they fought in the manga :’D)

I’m glad you find the characters interesting and yes, i completely agree, the Noah are amazing. I honestly had a huge Noah-obsessed phase when I was younger, and I just adore the family dynamic between them. It’s refreshing to see, i love them.

Aah as for Lenalee, there’s two things about it: if you watched the anime, you likely mostly saw the fillers episodes. In the begining of the series, she handles herself a lot, the anime somehow added a lot of fillers of her being a damsell in distress and having the guys rescue her. (it’s to notice that, once they meet Lavi, they immetialy go on the track of Cross and barely stop on the way. They meet Krory on the travel, but I think that’s the only detour they make before meeting Anita. Everything you see is fillers otherwise - hell if Kanda is here, it’s filler, because Kanda isn’t supposed to come back until far later)

The other thing might be a little spoilery, but by some point in the manga (after the Attack on the Boat), some… strange things happen to Lenalee, which makes the Noah suspect she may have the Heart of Innocence. From that point, and especially because of Lenalee’s physical issues, she ends up hunted down by the Noah, because they try to get to her. If they can destroy the Heart of Innocence, all Innocences will be destroyed, and they will be the definitive winner of the war.

(I personally don’t believe Lenalee is the Heart, but that’s another debate - it still means that after the Boat attack, the enemies are trying to reach her)

But before the Boat attack, aside from Road using her as a doll, everytime Lenalee is in trouble is because of Fillers. 

Usually I mention that the manga is far better than the anime, mostly because of that - timeline issues, since the anime squeezed a lot of fillers in a time where they should be rushing to get somewhere, and that the anime decided to develop it… a little ooc. 

Lenalee is especially the one who suffered the most from it since apparently the anime studio didn’t know what to do with her and mostly made her a damsell in distress. It’s especially a problem imo because then Lenalee’s arc is about her feeling Helpless,  and that people already are upset because of her arc in that part of the manga, and I think the anime makes it even more frustrating because it makes you think from the start that she is always helpless anyway, which is a real disservice to her character.

(I could legit talk for hours about the character arcs, especially in the ark’s arc, but when i start mentioning the innocence i’m biased af because of my theories about the Heart, so i’m. Not the best to talk about it either.)

And omg!! ye that little guy in a cage :’D I always felt so bad for him! but we never see him back again, so i don’t know if he could ever be free. It seems to me like it was probably something the Earl created, hopefully without any sentient being… Hopefully. 

But also, the little being in the card acts like a list - he has the name of multiple people, not just Allen, inside his cage, and if Tyki says he’ll be free, it will be once all the names will be erased - and the names won’t be erased until the person dies. (which is a cool gimmick and also some more “Names are important” kind of things). so unless Tyki kills everyone in that list, the little thing will stay trapped :’D

But ye, the manga can be a little hard to follow, i can understand, especially with just the wikipedia entry. (also god knows what was put on the wiki, i don’t trust it). But i’m glad you still find the plot interesting kjdhfdkjhf!!

As for people, people are just mean. I agree with you, the fact it’s not a traditional shounen is what driven me to that story, and i find it unfair people try to hold it to that standart. I don’t even really see how they could expect that from it, and honestly it reassures me that, even by having seen the anime (which for me already made the manga more Shounen-y), you can tell it’s not really a traditional shounen.

It’s considered a Shounen because it was published in the Shounen Jump back when it started. It was in the same magazine as N.aruto, B.leach, O.ne P.iece and the likes. So people expected it to have a Shounen structure which is… unfair.

idk if it’s how it works in Japan either, but in France, we used to refer about “Shounen that don’t respect Shounen structure” as “Dark Shounen”. Manga like Fma and dgm fell into this category, because while it targetted a young audience, the themes were more heavy.

But honestly I don’t even know if this characterization exist outside of France so…. 

But ye I truly don’t get what people are expecting, especially by chapter 226, about the rest of the manga. It just makes me sad bc the author put so much work into her story, especially since she had to struggle all that time with terrible editors who belittled her, with how much she had to fight for her plotlines to happen, and how much she has to fight against her health. That’s so unfair for her, and especially when you see how gorgeous the manga is and how much thoughts was put in the narrative, it’s just so unfair people bashes her for that.

I would rather people to leave dgm alone rather than people being rude af about it :/

but anyway ;;-;;

Thank you for your sweet message though!! it makes me happy that you still enjoy the story from the little you’ve seen!

Take care!!! ❤❤❤