#Her design screams 'plot device'

[gutshank]

Bobble head ass troll child. Why did they make her head that big.

[trekmupf]

maybe the way we treat mentally ill people and prisoners is still not fixed huh

Pro

Super suspicious package is suspicious of becoming plot relevant

McCoy hanging out on the bridge again. Also he is absolutely incapable of standing without holding onto something in this episode (did I make a screenshot collection? Of course)

The way Kirk handles Van Gelder with the weapon on the bridge

McCoy being a good doctor! Also gives further insight into his character: scientific curiosity, gut feeling, good patient care. Also his close ups are so beautiful, He's so expressive, 10/10 Bone's face

Kirk and McCoy dynamic! McCoy having him investigate, Kirk implying he doesn't have great psych personnel, McCoy sending a woman he has history with to annoy him and it absolutely working

That weird dove, hand and rainbow sign screams danger cult

So many scenes between Spock and McCoy. When they properly work together it's beautiful (jk they're always beautiful even whenthey're verbally bashing each other's heads in)

Van Gelder's pain and suffering while trying to tell them what's going on is terrifying and sad, but it tells us a lot about who he is

Kirk like I can totally try the crazy people device on myself!

At first voluntarily but who could have known, it escalades

Dr. Noel is great! She has things to do, is a good doctor in her field, an actual character with ethics and a moral compass (not letting Kirk kiss her as he's not himself despite clearly being into him), and she gets shit done! I'd argue so far the most a female character gets to actually do in an episode

Spock's face when he sees them kissing is gold (also Spock's face when Noel first says “We've met”);

Another “he's dead, captain” by McCoy

Love the last conversation between McCoy and Kirk

More of Kirk's character: Is a very mentally strong person who to a degree can shake out of the machines manipulation twice, and is very resilient – it's that this trauma is still with him, McCoy and Spock are worried and he reassures them he WILL be fine with a slight smile (but he isn't yet) (Shatner's acting is SO good here)

The horrors of psychiatry / mind manipulation (conversion therapy, shock therapy, forced medication comes to mind), in the 60's extremely relevant but looking around now, still relevant today (sadly)

Van Gelder calling out Kirk: “You smug, button-pushing brass hat! Wash your hands of it. Is that your system?” is a great callout to the people in power ignoring the people in the system

The absolute horrific death of the bad guy by his own device – even though it was his own design, instead of turning the narrative towards “he deserved this” it's made clear that this was a terrible death that no one deserves. Shatner's acting of grief here is great, and this mood stays until the end of the episode

The set up of Dr. Adams being a great man in his field who revolutionized health care for the better having turned to the dark, experimental side and being dangerous – achieving great things or doing good should never stop people from questioning what a (famous) person is doing later on and McCoy was right to do so

Introduction of the Mind meld!

The tension and pacing of the episode are excellent; especially the scenes with the machine are horrific and hard to watch

I cannot overstate how much I love everyone's acting in this episode, but especially Morgan Woodward's depiction of pain, mental illness & urgency and Shatner's suffering & pain at the end

Cons:

Noel making Kirk think they had sex when he was vulnerable was and uncomfortable ( I think it can be sooort of excused by neither of them taking the machine seriously and her having to think of something they both know didn't happen - she clearly wouldn't have taken advantage)

Counter: Fake womanizer Kirk (non con due to hypnosis) Quote: "To all mankind, may we never find space so vast, planets so cold, heart and mind so empty that... that we cannot fill them with love and warmth" - Dr. Adams

Moment: When Kirk uses the mashine for the first time and the viewer realizes how invasive and terrifying this is – he doesn't even know it happened Summary: Great episode with an open political commentary still relevant today, interesting and well acted one time characters and more characterbuilding for the trio – Kirk as Captain putting himself front of the line to find out the truth while Spock and McCoy support him from the ship and swoop in when he needs them to (and them teasing each other a lot!)

Previous Episode - Next Episode - All TOS Reviews

[woodlnds]

My thoughts on the Five nights at Freddy’s movie, includes spoilers!

Just watched it tonight and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised :)

It’s definitely not the same as the games, though the designs and some of the lore is accurate, they did change up some minor things which is fine.

The movie seemed a bit short and rushed to me, which is understandable considering they sort of bunched up multiple aspects of two or three of the games into one movie. But I enjoyed the new characters and the plot for the most part!

Things that I thought was great:

- Carl the cupcake had a significant role

- Most of the band had equal screen time

- The balloon boy toy was funny

- They kept Foxy’s mumbling which was nice

- William/Springtrap was cool

- The springlock scene??? Didn’t think we’d get that!

- The OG music from the living tombstone at the credits was a surprise

Some things I didn’t care for or was missing from the games:

- Freddy’s “no power” song and light-up eyes was not shown

- None of the original jump-scare screams were shown

- What happened to the aunt??? She was last seen on the floor (dead?) but I guess we don’t know what happened to her lmao

- Vanessa was sort of a weird character to bring in, I felt her character was oddly out of place and strange, personally

- What was that torture device/freddy head about??

- The movie lacked the original ambience and idle music from the first game which I was looking forward to but didn’t see

- Lack of creepy breathing and laughing sounds from Bonnie/Chica/Freddy (foxy had some mumbles)

Overall, like I said, there’s some things about the movie and the game that are different in their own right, but the movie in itself was great and I enjoyed it! It felt to me like it ended open, which means we could possibly get a sequel/prequel in the future :)

[always-a-joyful-note]

gonna hit u with a wild ask for the character opinion game what're ur thoughts on

-jang hayoung (my favorite orv character if the main trio didnt exist)

-kim namwoon

-shin yoosung

-kujo tenn

-kujo takamasa (my favorite i7 character if i give myself over to insanity but i haven't yet so it's nagi or mina)

-natsume minami

BE WILD! AMAZING CHARACTER CHOICES BY THE WAY, Chitra! And thank you so much for the ask!

Spoilers for ORV and i7 under the cut

So Jang Hayoung.

To be fair, the fandom did have to deal with Jan Hayong being misgendered in a sense. I have my own thoughts about that but that's honestly a somewhat negligible point for me? Because THAT whole discourse is more kdj centred (own problems, hence the slight mark on ignore canon) but for Jang Hayoung herself??? Mildly obsessed. Wall of communication and her own character being a product of communication between author and reader. The way she embodies both miscommunication and breaking boundaries and walls with it. Her funny and hilarious crush on the Demon King of Salvation but clear disdain towards KDJ. She is neat and such a character but also such a self insert and I don't know. Like... she's a link between author and reader, she is her own person, she is waroed by the narrative, she's freer from the narrative than most. I love everything about her.

Kim Namwoon

I don't have many strong feelings about Kim Namwoon except that he deserved better but KDJ wouldn't let him deserve better because KDJ is a self-hating idiot. He is like the definition of a plot device character but if the plot was some guy's intense sense of self-hatred. He is well written in the sense that there was definitely more to the guy but that KDJ didn't let it be fully realised. But I do love their obsession with mecha. Very valid

Shin Yoosung

CHARACTER OF ALL TIME I LOVE HER I WOULD DIE FOR HER I WOULD -

Listen. Shin Yoosung is like a daughter to me, okay? Which I guess does note beat the KDJ reader self insert allegations but seriously. Her characters arcs (yes, plural on both)??? Her power? The fact that KDJ wanted to give her (and Gilyoung) the kind of childhood he couldn't ever have but that her hands were already sort of tainted with blood? Canon isn't real doesn't mean I hate what canon did to her, by the way. It's that KDJ hated what canon did to her and...changed it. Shin Yoosung is like what if you put a little girl with so much guilt and made her face the realisation of that guilt - that she IS or can be as bad as she currently fears. Also, she is so mean sometimes to Gilyoung and that is so real for her. (Kiss them is platonic, by the way)

Also. Older Shin Yoosung's aesthetic and gender. Yes.

Kujo Tenn

Insane, self-sacrificial, selfish, and Profession. As the Discord group put it: ableist icon, too. Tenn is like what if you mixed the yandere trope with the stoic soldier trope or something (don't listen to that I am literally just spitting nonsense here.) But for real....he's SUCH a well-written character that that itself drives me BONKERS. He's got such Eldest Child energy BUT - BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT - there is a youngest child inside him screaming for attention too!! (Which I think TRIGGER gave). You never can completely hate him even if you do think he should be slapped. As a treat. The writers just went OFF on his character and I could think about it all day and one day will try to articulate it all. He's just......neat

Kujo Takamasa

In my defense of the design thing....he really gives off SUCH Phantom of the Opera vibes, it's SO funny to me. I say beast unleashed when he's just a poor meow meow who should have used his money for therapy rather than the stuff he pulled in canon. Is he for me? Nah, not really. But do I find him hilarious from an observer's point of view? Absolutely

Natsume Minami

Minami and Sogo both made me realize I might have a vibe with characters who look frail and have white hair but are deeply unwell inside and express that through toxic violence of some sort. To be honest, my favourite thing about Mina is that he might be a subversion of the composer trope? Like a foil to Sogo. Usually, I think composers are written as tortured souls who want to express a deep but beautiful feeling in music. Mina is a tortured soul but his feelings are raw and ugly and frankly terrifying and he was encouraged to express those through art. Which is honestly great and makes me want to bite his character arc like a watermelon. Also, at this point, he's probably the only one holding ZOOL's bad boy image together because the others can act it out well enough but they're all so pathetic and sweethearts at heart (took some time getting there for Torao, though.) Minami is not a sweetheart in any sense or form, even if he is pathetic, and that's very cool of him

[lemonluvgirl]

The Effect (Part 3)

She woke the next morning feeling like a fly, struggling to fight its way out from underneath a sticky wave of encasing amber. 

The effects of taking the tonic two nights in a row made her slower than she usually was on most mornings. 

She slipped from her too cold bed, hands grasping for her sister only to come up clutching empty air. Her heart thundered in her chest for a few beats before she spied a second, smaller blond head peeking out from under the covers of their mother’s bed. 

Prim had obviously snuck in sometime in the night to sleep with their mother. 

Katniss breathed a sigh of relief at seeing the two of them sleeping blissfully. She dressed silently and hustled out of their small shack. Quickening her step to try and make up for lost time. 

As she passed by the empty house at the end of the road, the one that had stood empty as a warning to everyone in the district. 

The old Hawthorne home, that had once been full of three growing boys, their mother and one baby sister. 

Now it housed only ghosts. 

The Capitol refused to reassign it to another family, and instead left it to rot. 

A permanent reminder that being caught lying about your designation, and plotting to run away from District 12, was punishable by death. Yours and that of all your immediate family members. 

Katniss still gets shivers every time she passes it, remembering the tall, angry boy who hadn’t been able to hide his aggression well enough after his father died in the same accident that killed many of the miners. 

She had seen him a few times in the woods, setting traps and skinning his kills. 

She had even proposed a partnership between them once, him teaching her snares and her teaching him how to use a bow, but it was around the time the boy was turning fourteen. He had presented early, his alpha instincts most likely triggered by the need to provide for his mother and siblings after his father died. He was a maelstrom of emotions, the least of which was his annoyance. 

He quite literally did not have any time to waste on a twelve year old ‘pain in the ass’ as he dubbed her, when he was trying to keep his entire family alive and fed, and keep his nature hidden. 

He disappeared for a few days in the spring, and so did the Mayor’s only daughter. It was the only thing people talked about, how them disappeared at the same time could only mean one thing. 

She didn’t even hear the hovercrafts before they flew right past her head. The only warning she had was the sudden silence from every bird and animal in the wood. She hid herself in a rocky crevice and watched in mute horror as a net and spear attached to a cable were launched from the ship with lightning fast precision. 

When they reeled them back up, a golden haired girl, that she recognized from school, albeit a few grades ahead of her, was writhing desperately in the net and screaming the boy’s name. 

The boy didn’t respond, he couldn’t. The spear device had pierced clean through his body and he dangled limply at the end of the cable clearly dead or dying. 

 Then the ship was gone as quickly as it had come. 

She was left shaken and reeling when it was all over. The boy had been like her father, an alpha. He had found his true mate and they had stolen away together to the woods to try and eek out an existence away from 12 and the Capitol’s control. 

They had failed. 

And she vowed to herself, even if one day she did present just like her father before her, and became an alpha, she would never give into the instinct to take a mate. 

It was too risky. Mates made alphas vulnerable, made them so stupid things. Because the need to protect, the need to provide your mate and your children with a happy and healthy home was a strong one. One her father had struggled under while he was alive, silently sighing into her mother’s hair at night, whispering his desire to take her away from the district, and their too small shack, and the mines that that made her fear for his life. 

Her mother had been the sensible one, quieting his words with a kiss and telling him she would be happy even if they lived under a rock, as long as they were together. 

But then she fell apart after his death, for many months and they had almost starved. 

Would have too, if it hadn’t been for...

She shook her head to clear it from the distracting thoughts. 

She had work to do, and food to provide for her family for when they got home tonight. 

She finished walking past the abandoned shack in a hurry, not looking back except to reassure herself of it growing smaller and further away in the distance. 

[audiofictionuk]

New Fiction Podcasts - 8th February

Vennix the Mighty Audio Drama Vennix the Mighty is a hilarious and heartwarming podcast about an obnoxious demi-god and his ditzy priestess. It's a must-listen for fans of Hello from the Magic Tavern, Terry Pratchett, and the odd fart joke. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20231124-05 RSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2274972.rss

v12 : de la FIN le DEBUT Audio Drama 12 personnes enfermées dans 1 Dôme pendant 12 mois pour répondre chaque mois aux questions d'un gouvernement d'urgence afin de sauver l'humanité face à 12 évolutions d'un Virus (V12). Mais... Est ce vrai? Une histoire interactive qui varie selon vos choix. En parallèle, suivez les lives et discussions sur les vécus! https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240131-03 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f0bb55a8/podcast/rss

Artemis Ghost Audio Drama An amateur, dysfunctional team steals the score of a lifetime; a teleportation device. Except what they believed to be mechanical turned out to be biological instead. What are they to do with this unexpected addition to their crew? https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240201-01 RSS: https://feeds.castos.com/r34j9

Retrograde Audio Drama Three years ago the world ended in The Pop, an event where creatures from another world arrived seemingly overnight. Following the end of the end of the world Morgan and Kit, two losers are surviving through the apocalypse through wit and sheer luck. That is until they meet an unlikely third companion with unknown intentions. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240202-01 RSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2177054.rss

Flame & Fiction Audio Drama Whether you’re seeking a moment of escape, a touch of nostalgia, or simply a comforting companion for your day, Flame & Fiction aims to be that refuge where stories come to life and where the timeless tradition of sharing narratives around a fire finds its place in the digital age. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240201-02 RSS: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2295142.rss

The Parallel-O-Verse Audio Drama A self-taught inventor uses her quantum radio to listen in to alternate worlds. Tune in each month for strange and fantastic tales from parallel universes. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240202-02 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f1965a04/podcast/rss

Undefined depths Audio RPG A group of good friends join together to play Delta Green and laugh in the face of cosmic horror. Or scream into the void. It's anyone's guess which will happen. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240201-03 RSS: https://feeds.captivate.fm/undefineddepths/

Nuggets: The Audio Drama Audio Drama Nuggets is a series of small audio dramas designed to pack a big punch, as the show tagline says, "big truths in small doses." https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240131-04 RSS: https://feeds.transistor.fm/nuggets-the-audio-drama

Endwatch: A Shadowrun Actual Play Audio RPG Shadowrunners. Thriving in the margins, doing the jobs no one else can. While the Corporations run the world, Shadowrunner live on the edge, and for this team of ‘runners getting back together after a long hiatus, that edge has never been sharper. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240131-05 RSS: https://feeds.castos.com/qoovn

The Pride Of Kyro Audio Drama Led by the rich and powerful Kyro Carter, the Carter family was destined to take over the world. Kyro’s family owns an oil company, making every generation of Carters wealthy before they are even born. However, Kyro didn’t just hand spoon the fortune over to his children. Each of his five kids had to earn a piece of the family wealth by becoming productive citizens first. The plot thickens as the family’s personal lives become even more publicized when Kyro announces his candidacy for city council. It soon comes to light that Kyro’s candidacy is for his own personal gain, as family secrets start falling out the closet. The Carter children become trapped in Kyro’s web of deceit as they find out Kyro isn’t so perfect himself. Filled with suspense, drama, and passion, The Pride of Kyro is sure to entertain. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240203-01 RSS: https://feeds.captivate.fm/the-pride-of-kyro/

Here Lies Withered Lilies Audio Drama follow the story of our protagonist as they find a way to survive in a zombie Apocalypse. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240202-03 RSS: https://anchor.fm/s/f1a8dabc/podcast/rss

Journeys in the Dark Audio Drama Hunger is humanity’s constant companion. Cannibalism has blurred the line defining what is a human and what is a monster. And of course, the evil that brought the world tumbling down to its current state –the monsters from another realm– still stalk the land. Baulder and Hod are survivors. They live from day to day, chasing food and running from the perils of their world. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240206-01 RSS: https://feed.podbean.com/JourneysInTheDark/feed.xml

Keeping the Bones Audio Drama We reimagine and remix classic weird tales into found-footage stories set today. Drawing our inspiration from the likes of H.P. Lovecraft, M.R. James, and Algernon Blackwood, we shape these old tales into something that might just have really happened in our current world. Come on in, we've been expecting you. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240206-02 RSS: https://feeds.captivate.fm/keeping-the-bones/

Mango: Dead Serious Audio Drama Mango: Dead Serious is an independently produced feature-length podcast movie custom made for your earholes. After saving virologist Dr. Charlotte Fox from a vicious attack in the mountains outside Los Angeles, a mine dwelling recluse named Mango learns a virus has swept the globe causing a worldwide zombie outbreak. In order to continue her work on the virus vaccine, Dr. Fox must find her uncle whose last known whereabouts were 100 miles away in Joshua Tree. Mango, Dr. Fox and Mango’s dog Kismet embark on a dangerous mission to find Dr. Fox’s uncle, complete the vaccine and save the world from a zombie apocalypse. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240205-01 RSS: https://feeds.libsyn.com/508998/rss

Who's Taking Watch Audio RPG A D&D 5e actual play show where we improvise stories in our favourite worlds of fiction! Join us in our first arc, The Dragon's Might, set in the world of Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. https://audiofiction.co.uk/show.php?id=20240207-01 RSS: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/65bc17c0352c8700161fd698

[adamwatchesmovies]

Paprika (2006)

Paprika is a fever dream blast of inspiration that is simultaneously wonderful to behold and nightmare-inducing. It ends on a low note but the trip to that conclusion ensorcels you so completely you may not even care.

In the near future, Doctor Atsuko Chiba (voiced by Megumi Hayashibara) uses the experimental DC Mini device to hop into her patients’ dreams and treat their subconscious using her alter-ego, Paprika. When people exposed to the device, including her boss, Doctor Toratarō Shima (Katsunosuke Hori), start exhibiting erratic behaviour culminating in suicide attempts, Paprika must explore the increasingly bizarre dreams they collectively share to find out who is responsible. How does the strange parade of creatures and living objects connect to her patient, Detective Toshimi Konakawa (Akio Ōtsuka), the scientists responsible for creating the DC Mini, Doctor Kōsaku Tokita (Tōru Furuya), and Kei Himuro (Daisuke Sakaguchi). More importantly, why is this happening?

The medium of animation is perfect for this kind of story. You would need so many special effects to bring the otherworldly sights of the dream world to life it would’ve basically turned into an animated movie anyway. Director Satoshi Kon has so many visual tricks up their sleeve. Paprika’s movements are inhibited only by her imagination. This is shown in the mind-blowing opening scene in which she moves from reflections on windows, to pictures on T-shirts to billboards and anything you could think of to get from one place to another. Many scenes show characters morphing or changing as their consciousness gets sucked into the never-ending parade of weird objects invading everyone’s dreams. When you see it, you don’t know whether to run for the hills screaming or force your eyes open so you don’t miss a second. The colours and creativity in these visuals are so dazzling it doesn’t even matter that sometimes you'll have difficulty understanding the plot.

The film ensnares you in this whirlwind of wonder and unease. You have difficulty differentiating reality from dreams, except when someone wakes up and points out how crazy things were a second ago. That’s the power of this story. And then, we get to the conclusion, which is a major letdown. Not only can you decipher the mastermind behind this big thing based on the character's design, the reason for everything doesn’t really make much sense. You’re left wondering if maybe the translation was bad, or if this story really wasn’t all that good and you were just swept up in all the razzle-dazzle. Ultimately, I say there is more to the film than just what you see. The mystery is compelling and the twist keep you guessing. It’s just everything before the conclusion was so great that when this generic ending comes around, it feels even worse than it is.

The last few minutes of Paprika will split audiences. Either you’ll love it and it’ll become a new favourite, or it’ll leave you with mixed feelings, meaning you’ll be blown away by the movie but content with just seeing it once... maybe two or three times. The sights within are nothing short of incredible so regardless of how you may feel about that finale, it’s worth seeing. (English Dub on DVD, May 24 2019)

[hollowwhisperings]

agreed.

the series made a point - multiple times! - that "hawkmoth vs cat noir = everyone loses". it was one of the key elements to maintaining the need for ladbug&catnoir to NOT know each other's true identities (and thus ensure the plot relevance of the love square).

there is no way to write a 14-year old facing their abusive parent in a way both consistent with the show thus far (s5 was all about emotional honesty & the series overall is idealistic)... and "kid-friendly".

it is a very, VERY bad idea to put a child in open confrontation with a parent like gabriel agreste.

not just dangerous in a "boss fight" kind of way but in a "you are putting a kid into a violent situation with their caregiver".

adrien (& thus cat noir) would NOT be able to fight his own father. hawkmoth/monarch could not be "taken down" without secret identities getting revealed because, for one thing, ladybug was only able to locate him because she LEARNED HIS IDENTITY. the "win" condition for S5 was the yoinking of gabriel's miraculous: i was very impressed by the boldness of the show in how the "ladybug vs monarch" finale went down. how much of its "something is OFF here" was deliberate versus being due to "we only planned for 5 seasons but got renewed for 3 more" has yet to be seen.

i suspect that gabriel "winning" was planned well in-advance, though the specifics of his redemption/changed!wish likely changed over time. the wish & "gimmi" were just too well-designed within the series lore to go unused. the full zodiac's worth of extra miraculous? THAT screams "this cartoon is trying to sell you merchandise"... standard practice for modern animation, tbh.

the extra miraculous DID allow the series to narratively set up its audience for how a "villainous victory" would affect the characters, their relationships with each other, and the story being told. shadowmoth's triumph, his claiming most every miraculous, was ALSO a very convenient means for the writers to get rid of all those "made for merch" super allies (from seasons 3&4) ahead of s5's Serious Plot Business.

oh! another reason why "cat noir vs gabriel agreste = everyone loses", aside from "do not try IRL" family dynamics, "hawkmoth is supposed to win" & love square retension for seasons 5+?

adrien is literally incapable of disobeying his father. not just because "do not try this at home" (effects of abusive family dynamics) but, like, actual magic. felix tried to get adrien's control ring from gabriel, like, 3 times? across different seasons? he kept failing. neither marinette nor adrien were going to succeed in ignorance where FELIX had failed (he had a whole villain arc about it). unless the writers wanted to write seasons 6+ of miraculous WITHOUT a lovesquare? ladybug AND gabriel needed to be oblivious as to HOW cat nr's presence consistently resulted in Bad Timelines for everyone: in the s5 finale proper, ladybug is only able to defeat monarch because... gabriel freaked out about how close her cataclysm-ready hand was to ADRIEN'S AMOK (&control ring). since ladybug is an idealistic teenager & gabriel was an increasingly immoral (& privately wealthy) supervillain? the ONLY way ladybug could have defeated monarch is via unwittingly threatening gabriel's son out of existence... or by killing him.

even then ladybug still - technically! - only defeated hawkmoth/monarch by getting gabriel agreste killed. from the POV of [future plot devices] & herself, anyway.

(that monarch was "dying via cat noir" anyway is just more fodder for the continued presence of the lovesquare/"ladybug & cat noir cannot reveal their true identities to each other")

for all the reasons above & more, cat noir could NOT have been present for the final battle against hawkmoth/monarch. it would have been a plot-holed character assassinating scenario RIDDLED with unpleasant, kid-UNfriendly Unfortunate Implications.

Honestly I think my take on the "Chat Noir was not there in the final battle" comes down to the fact that I kind of just don't think a satisfying final battle between Chat Noir and Monarch was actually possible.

I read a lot of fic, for example, and I've read the scenario play out a lot of times in a ton of ways and I've never been fully convinced of it tbh (and not because they weren't great fic!!). It seems just completely traumatic for Adrien in a way that the scenario inherently cannot properly focus on, because it's all happening in the middle of an action scene and Adrien is too busy being Mid-Battle to properly have a cathartic breakdown about it all. I mean, Chat Blanc already showed us what would happen if he did have a breakdown mid-battle (and why wouldn't he?). And though it'd be fun to have a big triumphant moment of him defeating his abusive father, Adrien simply isn't a character who would find that scenario triumphant, or cathartic, or anything other than viscerally traumatic.

Also, I agree that it's unfair that Chat Noir was not present— like it was unfairly tilted in Ladybug's favor— but I don't think it'd be fair if he was present, either. Because Marinette is, in fact, the main character. The main character whose character arc is primarily focused on her finding her footing as a hero and discovering all the responsibilities that come with that power (as opposed to Adrien, whose character arc is moreso about freedom and identity). And let's face it, in a fight between Ladybug and Chat Noir and Monarch, nobody would be focused on Ladybug at all. It's not about her. It's not her fight. She'd just be there as moral support and an extra set of hands, which really doesn't work for her character arc at all and is completely unfair to her!

Basically, it would just be Chat Noir temporarily acting as the main character and having the worst time of his life in the most un-cathartic battle for him possible left completely traumatized with Ladybug in the background awkwardly trying to comfort him after the fact? And then the season ends? And then the next season presumably goes back to Ladybug being the main character? After a time-skip to the new school year? It's just an ending that I feel like is a lot better in theory than actually on paper. And you can probably make an argument for ways that it could be made to work, where it would enhance Ladybug's story in a meaningful way where she still feels like the main character, and would somehow be triumphant for Chat Noir despite it probably being the worst moment of his life, and somehow not make the rest of the series following feel like bonus content as opposed to a continuation of the story...... but, I dunno. I think it's a lot easier said than done.

The fact of the matter is, I've always been waaayyyy more interested in how the aftermath of Gabriel's defeat affects Adrien than the battle itself. Post-Hawkmoth defeat is one of my favorite types of fic for a reason, and it's because the aftermath can be so juicy, especially for Adrien as a character. I think whether or not Adrien is actually there in the battle itself has always been kind of irrelevant to me, because no matter how Gabriel is defeated, his defeat will have immense repercussions on Adrien's life going forward. And the way they did it, Marinette is now a part of it in a more active way, too. Which is good for her character!

( Also, if he was there to triumphantly defeat Gabriel, would that mean he would just.... watch his father die? of cataclysm? a-and.... nathalie would just.... die, too? so he'd have three dead parents after all that? who he watched all die (or, in emilie's case, saw her corpse)? or is this a scenario where MONARCH BEATS CHAT NOIR and still makes the wish? is that cathartic? for Adrien to lose to Gabriel? Frankly, I loved seeing Gimmi and The Wish, it's been teased for so long that I was expecting it, and I loved the fact that Nathalie got to live as her narrative reward for coming to her senses and trying to murder Gabriel with a crossbow. I like that we got to watch a full season of Gabriel painfully dying to a cataclysm— poetically inflicted on him by Adrien, but of Gabriel's own doing. I like that Nathalie has presumably adopted Adrien after having an arc of her trying to be a parent to him once she realized nobody else would, that's so much more interesting than any other alternative. I just don't see how all of these things, some of my favorite things that season 5 gave, can still all exist at once with Chat Noir present in the final battle in any way that's satisfying. )

[dady-issues-ig]

So the story so far

-Foreign conflict somewhat engaged (museum event went to shit "night at the museum scenario applied to a museum heist, foreign diplomats are the sole survivors)

-vampire made flesh from wax statue in the museum fiasco is roaming about

-moon hag engaged (cursed a character).

-reoccuring rival crew "moon bandits" of 3 random were-people and a skilled boss: slaughtered upon first encounter.

-cult of 1 dead illithid's thralls thwarted (1 worm in a child somewhere, I don't think they care though)

-hint to dragon cursed gorgons making crystal statues has been laid

-secret society of magicians hiding in a dwarven bar grazed upon

To do:

-Tie Inquisition threat to family of a player

-Introduce secret society properly through said inquisitors's body guards.

-hint at a scientist colleague of a player's master interested in vampires that went missing

-Introduce "spirit of the dead sea" an archfey of fossilized life form (sees through amonites, pacts through opalised remains)

-pit them against the main Thieve's Guild (through abduction plot hook or a mission to cross them)

-hint that one of the family members is a tinkerer then that such skill is sought after by a specific noble family

-have a second heist for a compromising papper (no rival crew this time, I learn from my mistake) on their guild's leader and an other hinting at conflict between two of the 7 ruling entities of the town

-the 1st papper denounces a family has being lead by a half-breed gorgon , 4 families as aware of the fact, one of which is designated as responsible for her being raised by cousins fittingly and assessing her suitability as head of the house comes the age of 13 and end of her tutelage at age 18. All sworn to never move to profit on the passing of the lord father and absolute secrecy. Existence of such paper suggests someone spilled the beans.

-have leader of guild state that promises between the 7 families are tied by fae like pact through a device the church lent in exchange for the city outlawing any other cult

-intel requested by the family overseeing population control (police), not a part of the

-intel given by the one responsible for border defense and mine security, the consequence was the death of every male family member, didn't catch hold on the head of it who was turned vampire by his second wife but took his heir from a first marriage (news kept secret, investigation will have to turn concrete through extended family and such)

-the Intel dealer handling this will be turned to lapis statue if he survives the heist (my players are messy)

-Condition of the trade might be to stop looking into any missing person reports (as the vampires have an out of town manor where they exfiltrate people for experiments on bringing the child back)

-hint through the spirit of dead sea that the town's mine has a secret depth

-within, a three faction conflict between duregares, renegade illithid dwarves+gnomes group (smaller folks keep their brain but still need brain to feed), illithids turning their "cattle" gnomes into agents under threat of family slaughter and their defective elder brain going bonkers makes it so that the whole cave network is a Bermuda triangle [maybe they're an experimental facility in wich they tried to ceromorphosise a wyrm and it went bonkers, tried to rip the brain apart, IT attempted to meld the beast into himself and now the hive mine has a screaming beast in it]

-after the second heist have the characters leave town, one's mob boss uncle wants them to investigate the provenance of the stone that made the museum come to life (swamps),

-their guild leader wants them to investigate the cousin of the half-gorgon's who is requesting resources to a small mining village in their estate, the baron of said town not reporting to the family head makes the situation ever shiftyer

-in the swamps a hah would inteine them in rescuing a lil girl, giving her to a group of dragonslayers and helping those guys take down a wounded dragon

-the dragon slayers tell them of a city where reoccurring odd events have lead them to request aid they cannot send.

-9/10th deserted city of coral nested in mountain/sea contact creek where sea elves have settled, thing is the higher levels of this stairs like layout might be connected to caves (underdark), the threat is a lesser illithid that is eating people

-he is from a colony that is surrounded by a sentient reptile monster's city (gorgons), giants and a terrifying beast that preys on them. His whole crew was decimated except for him. He asks for his brain to be taken back down. He gives them a vision of the beast and they can see its eggs are similar to the museum stone.

-returning to the swamp the hag awaits them she would have them settle a dispute between her favored villagers (refugee monstrous fish people who see her as a wrathful goddess) and some troublemakers (a well settled village of humans and gnomes) gives them a cool magic staff (with an effigy of the goddess she aspires to be so she can profit on the good deed).

-taking the refugees to the almost empty city takes a journey of "downtime" rolls I'd be excited about but I think they'll just slaughter whichever faction they fail a seduction roll on

°way later the mob boss uncle wants them to shake on a deal abroad (and asks the rogue to murder his sister in law there so he can inherit her family's cash),-that's the mother of the dwarf the nephew of the mob boss was wedded to, which lead him to run away, connect with his estranged uncle. Then he saw her again in the museum (but as part of the moon bandits, and he killed her and her whole team as she tried to run away)

°in the mining village a barbarian as sequestered his mermaid wife to charm goblin into mining his mine , the whole town went out of a job, there is just 2 families there. The orphans of miners were left to fend for themselves and are now successful teenage bandits;

The cousin of the half-gorgon family leader is requesting guards to slaughter the bandits so he can keep trading the local rare ore for his own personal gain, the local baron died, his son came back from studying magic abroad with his best friend and started experimented a path to bettering humanity by grafting magic mushrooms on goblins, he cacktailed himself the ultimate immortality mushroom juice and bursted in a seven color mess of mycelium.

His best friend, a rune mage, has been continueing the research aspect of "how to make the grafting broadly spread" and on a way to bring back his friend's mine to his decayed shroom fest of a body. He broke his own mind experimenting with the "mind rune"

Left alone he will turn the village into myconoids through tampering with the water supply. Interrupted he will rush his plan and stick a deffective rune crown on his buddy. Making the castle turn into a giant of stone held by mycelium, vulnerable to magical temperence, the elemental aspect of rock will make it an avatar and the moving castle will rise as the first stone titan since their felling 2 centuries ago. Killing the mage and fixing the crown will bring his ghost about he'll ask to be put down. Sparing the mage and fixing the crown will bring about a benevolent mushroom lych that will start a myconoid settlement far from civilisation.

The giants in the north are being slaughtered by 4 endgame paladins,

The town's hag is plotting to rob her mother of her power (a bheur hag turned Archfey of frost and famine, that imbued herself within the divine aspect of the moon that was corrupted down to a staff)

The swamp hag gave big stockholm syndrom to the girl, dragon hunters have the habit to bind teenagers and their "disfunctionnal minds" to nearby dragon eggs through a soul curse to weaken dragons with said character flaws. Making the kid an immortal with sorcerer inclination. She had pitied a black dragon against her nesting neighbor mercury dragon and robbed him of his egg. She wants the beast to burst out loyal and tameable.A liquid familiar, That way she will bring back the divine manifestation of magic through its corrupted form of a cauldron. She aspires to get the cauldron, staff and pact (divine manifestation of guidance corrupted into a pact "five fingers" of a dead hag turned Archfevil. Each finger offers the use of a "finger of death" spell. Turning one of your fingers into a black gnarly appendix. Doing it five times causes the hand to spread, turning you into a vessel for her body. Collecting the five original fingers is Myurn's plan.) she was also cursed by a parasite curse of barnacles that dig in her flesh for every lie she says. So she is on a virtuous journey to rid herself of this curse, gathering artifacts to embody the goddess she and other hags corrupted then devoured, through the players ,clear the name of said goddess and through curing her curse she hopes to cure the artifacts and as she was robbing the goddess name she hopes to robb her of her old divine attributes too.

The clergy prays to 3 archfeys who seek for humanity to stagnate, this why magic is outlawed.

Titania driven mad by her husband's death at the hand of powerful mages during the age of hubris has devoured the "divine" beast that was birthed from his crown (a deer) bc he refused her authority and that triggered her abandonment issues, leading all other non compliants Beasts to escape into the mortal realm. She has tasked a few to bring the others back. (That's what is feeding on the illithids up north, and why the egga it spits as poop as reality bending properties from illithids and such mad life {granting} properties from archfey upbringing) all her subjects fear being cannibalized by the queen. Her new husband a frost knight embodies winter and seals the border to the mortal realm (he drives his ice through the prayers of mortals but was originally a crocus dryad, originaly doomed to such short life she climbed the ladder for the power to remain alive. The third Maev, replaces Puck, she too is younger than the age of hubris, is the goddess of autumn death and blood. She is half seelie/unseelie and thus wields great power despite not being affiliated to any court. Her dominion and access to the mana well is often contested. She lives in a realm of blossoming flesh lays in a pool of blood down a shaft that connects both shadowfell and fey realm. The shaft is the manifestation of her heart being ripped by a foreign body entering the realms from the astral sea, it ripped a fragment of her domain and coalesced within the material plane as an object. She dumps the faith of mortals down that hole in hope to fill it and be one again.

A dragon king that mastered transmutation magick is sending animated gem people to search for treasures on the continent.

An aspiring Dragon Queen, a frost dragon litch has infiltrated the dwarven capital and has cursed them with mad greed as their bank is now her dead-dragon cursed hoard. So she puppets them into instigating a trans continental war between Mageocratic Conclave and Blessed Empire. In the city an order has risen, able to drive the curse through their body as a power source. Dwarves with draconic (ice) sub classes. She wants to bring the mages to their knees so she can trade her protection against them perfecting her litchdom.

A clan of roaming illithids has taken over a tribe of flesh-weavers (blood mages obsessed with grafting monster attributes and making living artifacts) they took over an elder dragon who is growing weak to elemental tainting (almost an avatar of the clouds) digging through his flesh, shaping it into a home and meditating around it's brain to preserve control over it and thwart the elemental contagion. They are growing fond of magic and made a pool of worms within the beast's brain... But no elder brain ... Oddly enough). The dragon roams a giant rift filled with clouds, consuming wyverns, stones, eagles and ships.

The north west of the empire has clans of woodelf who were driven out of the mining town, and Goliath living in hills and sea border that's kinda Scotland like. A perpetual storm has started there and losses of human and material are tremendous. A local hag "Marigold", has offered the Goliath main tribe salvation in the form of a wedding to a bourgeois family affiliated to one of the territories under 7Chateaux's control. Would be terrible if the wedding went to shit and both families alliances lead to a war between the empire and 7chateaux, the first feeds the second but the second supplies the empires limitless weaponry and ore. In the convoy, a wood elf maid pauses as the clan princess, who in turn pauses as a bodyguard (they are lovers) the hag will put you on this crossed lover aspect of things to distract you from her attempt to make you the catalyst to poisoning everyone at the wedding.

Marigold hope to ascend as a night hag by poisoning everyone through the hell-bees she lent the bourgeois's family generations ago, their honey was spicy and abundant making their wealth, but cursing any plant ever pollinated by them, a command word in giant, the original name of that clan, would turn any plant harvested into potent maddening poison. She wants to feed into this transformation the suffering of an entire half of the continent and embody war. Then she wants to profit from the subsequent famine to turn into a Bheur hag (giant like). She'll put you on a quest to subdue an insectoid Fey Beast so she can drive a plague across the continent and cycle back to a green hag. She wants to be accepted into the Feywild by driving apocalypse upon mortals. and - if you had learned of the 3 artefacts of hag godhood, she'll have you kill her kin and as she summons Titania to parley entree into the Feywild, she'll dump within her 5 fingers of death into the Queen , using her own power to suppress the Archdevil hag (if she succeeds in killing titania, she ascends as a god of death) if she fails, you now fight an Archdevil and her minions alongside a fairly hurt Fairy Queen.

Revealing the fey nature of his gods to an endgame paladin convincingly will turn him into a deer-like monstrosity as 17th level oath of the green makes the paladin take physical feature from his fae liege. They will be hunted by the other 3 (including the 4t, a pact breaker)

Puck was banished to the mortal realm, he is patron to a traumatized druid that protects the savage woods. She is scar tissues wrapped in a festering flesh smell and wolf scent. She inhabits the lair of a green dragon she mangled. She puts you on the lead to the castle and mushroom quest since she was the one to reveal to the mage his magic affinity, guilt prevents her from stopping him herself. She'll thank you with a "wand of a kind", dip it in anything's blood and gain its racial properties (only one race at a time) it's got goblin as she tosses it.

The vampires of 7chateaux turned a scientist and put him in charge of resurrecting their son, he keeps failing but his experiments lead him to give his bodyguard, beholder like anti magic eye, and ropper constitution.

In normal form he can use a reaction to vampirise a spell from someone he can see (explodes 1D10 thunder/heals 1D10 per levels of spell) if he heals more than he exploded that drives him to a ropper form where is eye is that of a beholder and his bite steals life and being caught steals 1D4s of HP. He is only is in this form for the amount of levels in the triggering spell. Alongside you could be 1 lessened beholder with a single desitegrate beam.

A city in the wild forest was turned into a mess of living thorns due to a desperate man repeatedly desecrating the druid cemetery for a hag.

Same hag is now plotting to use a neighboring town's old pact to make an undead dragonkin fey.

[ichchasharma-alevel-media]

RESEARCH AN PLANNING

RESEARCH (A)

PLOT IDEAS

Now that I knew we were going to be working on a short film this was the first area I chose to research. 5 minutes is too much for certain film makers an too little for others. For me, 5 minutes had to be just enough. There are three types of short films :

A live action short film

A documentary short film

An animated short film

We would be making a live-action short film that would require a script and actors who follow it. The genre of the film was also extremely important to decide on. The script, direction, mise en scene, camera shots, pace etc all will depend on it. After some careful research of the different types of genres that we could choose along with their characteristics-

romance

comedy

drama

thriller

I thought that we could execute a psychological thriller hybrid genre quite well.

Being a psychology student it also allowed me to already have some knowledge of the subject making it easier to get the technical things right. Once decided on the genre it was time to start writing. Up till now there was a vision in my mind for the script. I wanted to show a character's slow descent into madness. I already had ideas on how the slow progression to a mess, disheveled hair, screams could all portray it but was still working out the details. All the conventions and devices that are used with a psychological thriller

this is one example I studied to understand the mechanisms behind a psychological thriller.

In one of our team meetings, our production designer suggested a webtoon that also seemed to have a psychological thriller.

This is the webtoon-

After reading it, everyone was on board with using this webtoon as inspiration and a reference.

Now I had to start working on the plot. Last year I mad the mistake of adding too many scenes with too much happening at once, which also led to a loss of a large chunk of footage. This year I chose to write fewer but more intricate scenes that would completely capture the audience and help them engage with the story and characters better. Facial expressions had to be of the utmost importance. The humanity my character would portray will be playing a major role in creating a connect with audience. This is necessary since many might not be able to understand or relate to her disorder. Since I was planning on diagnosing our main character with a disorder- Schizophrenia, I also talked to my psychology teacher- Ms. Hetal.

[idontwanttowhy]

Review: The Penthouse: War on Life (Season 1) (2020)

The makjang that taught me I could like makjangs...me!

Synopsis

Hera Palace is a luxury apartment building designed for the wealthy, by the wealthy, to be an elegant safe haven. Sim Su-Ryeon and her husband Ju Dan-Tae live in the penthouse, the pinnacle of wealth and success. Cheon Seo-Jin and her husband Ha Yun-Cheol live a few floors below, where Seo-Jin covets the position of the "Penthouse Queen". Outside of the Palace is Oh Yun-Hui, a poorer former classmate and rival of Seo-Jin's. Their paths cross again as the families' children apply to the premier Cheong-Ah Arts School, run by Seo-Jin’s family. The parents will stop at nothing to ensure their child(ren) attend(s) the school.

Su-Ryeon, the queen of the penthouse apartment, soon discovers a secret that tears her world apart and vows revenge, just as Yun-Hui does everything she can to guarantee her daughter achieves what she wanted and more.

AC Overall: 9.5/10, clicked for the hype, don't regret ANYTHING

I was intrigued by the dark and glamorous poster on Viki for Penthouse 2, and then like ~magic~ (or by silicon valley’s graceful listening devices and tracking systems) it would pop up randomly, and my “For You” page on TikTok became a kdrama recommendation hub (possibly for other reasons too, that shall not be mentioned), with Penthouse (tied with Vicenzo) being the most recommended. So I caved. I didn’t really know what I was getting into, but I knew it would be a departure from my newfound gems (slice-of-life dramas) and my og diamonds-a-dozen (rich-man-poor-woman-who-have-met-in-childhood-but-forgot-and/or-are-forced-together-with-a-sprinkle-of-trauma), but I didn’t expect THIS. A MESS of a drama that reminded me of the telenovelas I watched in high school for Spanish class. 

My emotions ranged from shock and surprised that so many bombs were dropped so quickly (spoiler alert: someone dies within the first few minutes of ep 1) to disgust at the things the characters would do to each other (and themselves tbh), to awe at the way the plot just kept. on. thickening. It had been a while since I had been so enthralled by a drama. It’s so ridiculous it’s fascinating. Wild facial expressions, screaming contests and bitch-slaps galore, this drama has everything I didn’t know I wanted. So without revealing too much, I suggest you stop reading rn (unless you’ve seen it) and give it a shot if you don’t mind a little violence and lots of screaming. You never know, you might surprise yourself and like it too. And it’s best watched not knowing anything. I will warn, though, that to enjoy it, it’s best to keep in mind that it’s overdramatized. Don’t take it too seriously.

AC Review (Lots of spoilers)

Again. Read if you dare. And buckle in, because this is a whole essay:

So, lets start with how amazing the cast was. From Seo-Jin’s twitching red lip to her daughter Eun-Byeol’s crazy wild eyes (I really had to look away when she was on screen most of the time, it was a bit much tbh) to Yun-Hui and her Ro-Na’s screaming matches, the actors and actresses brought everything (and in Seok-Hun’s case, consistently nothing) to the set. Kudos to them. They did that.

That being said, though, it also made the first few episodes really hard to watch. Bullying is a tough for me to watch on screen in general, especially with how it’s portrayed in kdramas. True Beauty is another recent kdrama that stood out with the bullying scenes in the first few eps too; it seems kdramas bring it to another level that makes it especially hard to swallow. So that, paired with it being a makjang, made the bullying of Min Seol-Ah by the Hera Privileged really intense?! Grown-ass adults AND their children?! The ABUSE! There were so many moments during the bullying scenes that I was thinking “I can’t watch this. This is so bad”. I’d look away when the kids would interact with Seol-Ah, and I came very very close to stopping the show altogether because of how harsh they were, and still cringe at the thought of it. But the parents’ storylines kept me in, and the harshness of the bullying made the revenge arc have that much more of an impact too. [Still, I really wanna know what the hell all that is about. I know about Han and the often violent themes of a lot of (popular in the US and/or my circles) Korean movies and stuff but, it would be interesting to know more. Why does it seem that much more violent than what I’m used to seeing in American and British shows? Food for thought...or maybe it’s just me.]

Anyhow, back to lighter things. The side parents, especially Lee Gyu-Jin, the not-so-sharp lawyer and momma’s boy, were hilarious most of the time and a good comic relief from the drama surrounding the main three families. And of all people, he was the one to figure out Seo-Jin and Dan-Tae’s affair? Wild. Kang Ma-Ri, the mom whose husband is “in Dubai” i.e. prison, and works secretly as a masseuse/exfoliating lady at a sauna, seems to have an interesting story that I really hope gets expanded upon in later seasons, being that she’s able to maintain wealth and keep up the charade. Still, them and their children were god-awful, also torturing Min Seol-Ah and later Ro-Na, though not as intensely. 

Speaking of Ro-Na, I was not a fan of hers at all. In the beginning she read as a brat who didn’t understand, or want to understand, where her mom was coming from when she said she shouldn’t sing, and was disrespectful at so many moments. Screaming in her face and all that. If I ever did that to my mom...But by the time she got to Cheong-Ah and was also harshly bullied (though not as badly or life-threateningly as Seol-Ah), I did feel some sympathy for her because no one should have to go through that. And from the teachers too? Ughhh. Which is why I was sooo happy when Gu Ho-Dong the PE teacher showed up and attempted to punish the bullies, and even the moms.

Su-Ryeon was pretty much the only redeemable character for me. She had good intentions throughout, and had remorse for not being able to take care of Seol-Ah despite her ignorance of the body-switch and bullying. Even Yun-Hui got a second chance with her at the end, despite being Seol-Ah’s ultimate killer. Yun-Hui seemed like she’d be redeemable at first, but she ended up just like the others in her willingness to forgo morals in order to get what she wanted, which...became muddled. At first her motivation was giving Ro-Na the life she couldn’t live because of Seo-Jin, but then once she got into Hera she exposed herself as also consumed by personal greed and even coveted the Penthouse Queen position despite Su-Ryeon’s kindness toward her. She was not as bad as the other parents but showed her “true colors”, especially towards the end of the season. Her hooking up with Dan-Tae made me sick. She and Seo-Jin became two sides of the same coin. All things (wealth) aside, had it been Yun-Hui slicing Seo-Jin, basically the same shit would’ve happened. I rest my case.

The whole Logan Lee thing was nice, and effective, but near the end he and Su-Ryeon were giving away their identities a little too soon imo. Su-Ryeon’s first mistake was revealing herself when she trapped the parents; it was so unnecessary, and I felt like from then on sooo many mistakes were made that ultimately led to her death. But, until the very end she cared about her step children despite how harsh they were towards her. Which is why she remained my favorite character. 

I could go on and on and on about all of the things that happened throughout the season, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed the rollercoaster Penthouse had me on! I’m usually not into overacting but for whatever reason this show’s ridiculous situation + overacting combo made sense to me.

P.S.: Dr. Ha was my second favorite character, probably because he was so level-headed and although he was involved in the mess, he was much less central to it. And had the sense to get a psychiatrist to check Eun-Byeol out. Although, it did have me wondering...where were you for the past 15 years or so of her life, when she was developing this way?? sIR

[mandalhoerian]

i've been in the far orbit of this argument for a while and I'm really baffled why people can't be understanding of each other's perspectives and i'm sorry for what you're going through...

i want to have a little break-it-down for reblog's sakes if anyone wants to put this in their blog because there is MUCH to be said about the non-MC and you are the MC angles. spoiler alert: there is no wrong answer. it's about respect & understanding.

you are the main character

This perspective is all about inclusivity and self-insertion, which is honestly such a big draw for otome games in general. The idea is simple: you’re not just playing a game--you’re imagining yourself in the game. Your avatar is customizable, so you can tweak your appearance to reflect how you see yourself, or even how you want to see yourself. It’s like being dropped into an isekai where you’re not just some regular person--you’re someone special.

and HEY, who doesn’t want to imagine themselves as this badass, idealized version of themselves? In this game, you’re a cool hunter, you’ve got skills, you’re navigating this wild sci-fi/fantasy world with monsters and powers & oh yeah, you’ve got a literal aether core in your chest. That core isn’t just a plot device, it’s a metaphor for potential, for becoming something more. The game practically screams, “Hey, this could be you! Look how powerful and capable you could be!” It’s empowering in a way, and I totally get why people love this angle. It’s fun to imagine yourself as the one charming the LIs, holding your own in battle, and rising to the challenge of this world.

For people who vibe with this, it’s about escapism and self-expression. You don’t want to read about someone else being awesome, you want yourself to be awesome. It’s the ultimate power fantasy.

key word: power fantasy. which brings me to

you are NOT the main character

The argument here is that while the game tries to sell the MC as us, it just......... doesn’t land for a lot of players. Let’s start with the fact that this is a Chinese game, and the default character design is heavily rooted in East Asian beauty standards. Which is fine. It's their game, I'm not complaining I'm just telling it as it is. Yes, the skin tones are inclusive, and I’ll give them credit for that, but the body type? The facial features? The overall aesthetic? It’s not exactly universal. I mean, take a good look at my big fat ass and tell me how I’m supposed to feel immersed when the MC is a slim girl (despite all the "abs" talk.) Like, she’s cute, sure, but she’s not me. And definitely not you. (Don't talk to me about "she has to look like that because she's a hunter, remember". all of us know that's not the case. it's about beauty standards.)

And then there’s the way she acts. Oh boy,,,,,,,, Sometimes it feels like she’s actively trying to make the worst decisions possible. It’s one thing to be flawed, flaws are human and relatable, but there are moments, especially in the Sylus arc, where I’m sitting there like, “Girl, what are you doing?!” She makes choices that I would never make, and it pulls me right out of the story because it’s not even a matter of imagining myself in her shoes anymore. It’s like watching a character in a TV show make a bad call, and you’re yelling at the screen, but it’s not like you can change what happens. That's okay, though, it's not a sin. She has her own personality, her own reactions, and her own story, and while that makes for a compelling narrative, it also makes it really clear that she’s not us.

For people who lean toward the “non-MC” argument, it’s frustrating because the game is selling this experience as one where we’re supposed to see ourselves in the MC, but she’s written in a way that feels so disconnected from how many of us would act or feel. It’s hard to immerse yourself in a story when the character representing you feels so far removed from who you are or who you want to be.

so what?

Honestly, I think this boils down to what you’re looking for in the game. If you’re someone who loves the “you are the MC” vibe, then you’re probably willing to overlook or even embrace the gaps between you and the character because the customization and the overarching narrative of personal growth are enough to make you feel seen. But if you’re in the “non-MC” camp, then every time the MC makes a cringe-worthy choice or the story reminds you that she’s more of a predefined character than a blank slate, it’s going to take you out of the experience. (This was me in "No Defense Zone", I had to put my phone down and do laps around in my room out of second hand embarrassment.)

Maybe the real issue here is that the game is trying to have it both ways. It wants to tell a story with a strong narrative and a compelling lead character, but it also wants to let players insert themselves into that story. And honestly? That’s a tough balance to strike. It works for some people, but for others, it ends up feeling like a half-measure that doesn’t fully satisfy either camp.

At the end of the day, I think it’s okay to feel a little jealous of the MC because, in a way, she isn’t us. She’s her own character, living her own life in this world, and we’re just along for the ride. And whether you see her as “you” or as “another character,” what really matters is how much you’re enjoying the story. So let’s keep discussing it, but maybe we can stop tearing each other apart and harrass people over it. It’s okay to love the game for what it is—or even for what it isn’t.

Guys I may be mentally insane but ... Why do I low-key feel jealous of MC when I see clips of the upcoming cards... Especially the Sylus one..

IK SHE'S MEANT TO BE US BUT 😭😭

[woomycritiques543]

BIG QUESTION:

Why couldnt they have had Andreaphulus as Stolas’s arranged marrige instead of having Stella as the main villain of Helluva Boss? 

He’d be much more of a threat, a cooler design, and in general would be much cooler (get it?) of a villain than just a random nagging woman with a phone that Stolas could kill in an instant. (and his brother if he tried hard enough.)

Stella’s just... generic?

She doesnt do much. She just leaches off of Stolas and yells.

How boring is that? In a world of fantasy cretures and super powers, they just choose a wine aunt to be the main villain of this “demon fantasy show” instead.

I dont care about her screaming at her husband. I dont care about her melodrama. Or any of the melodrama of late season one and season two. 

She’s boring, predictable, and a overall unpleasant and annoying antagonist with no likeable qualities. She’s just a plot tool for Stolitz fans to cry about. She doesnt have anything of value to her, and could have been cut out of the show entirely and it would be 30% better than what we ended up getting.

You’re allowed to have villains be evil and still be enjoyable characters.

Hell! You’re allowed to have a character be rootable and flawed! You dont need for them to be absulotely awful (*cough!* Stolas *cough!* Loona) to be a nuanced character. If Vivziepop wasnt so hyperfocused on demonizing the female characters who dislike the male ones and actually made them well- their characters! Instead of just plot devices to be angry at the male characters 24/7 and instead- being their own person with goals, likes, dislikes, etc rather than for their character to just be “bitch!” and that being about it. “BUT MALE PEOPLE CANT GIVE BIRTH!” And???? This is a fantasy story with demons. It doesnt need to have human-like sexual dymorphism. Hell, you can have Andrephulus be trans-sexual if you want them to have human anatomy. The “arranged marrige for an heir” plot still could have worked (even better!) with a character with an actual ability that matches/competes with Stolas. Instead of a random lady that despite the show acting as if Stolas was helpless and “couldnt” defeat her- he’s shown to have been able to get around her in a few minutes and could have divorced her at any time. Its not like his father needs her anymore (they had a kid already) so she could have been kicked out- right after Via was born!

Stella’s that much of a useless character. She doesnt do anything but sit around and laugh at Stolas all day, or scream on the phone. Its been multiple episodes, thats clearly enough time to show your villain as a actual threat. So why not have had a character like Andreaphulus be the villain instead?

So much potiential. So much lost potiential...

[queenklu]

k-drama reclist!

Hello! While most recent fic is off to the betas and I’m waiting for new inspiration to strike, I thought I would write a love letter to all some of the best shows that have touched my heart this last year or so. As always, these rulings are 100% factual and correct, and categories include such necessary requirements as Is It Gay?, Blorbo Squad,  and Does the boy cry?

Tale of the Nine-Tailed

Plot: Producer of an urban supernatural tv show with ZERO CHILL keeps finding herself running into Actual Supernatural Beings who mostly try to eat her, except for the weirdest of all, a Nine-Tailed fox who’s working off his debt to the underworld and mostly moping about the death of his long lost love. The first half of this show feels like early spn in the BEST way, and the second half genuinely ruined me for most tv romances. Chemistry? Off the charts. Is it gay? No, but the het romance is so fucking good I forgive it. Do the boy cry? Y E S. Did not realize how starved for Men Feeling Emotions I was until I started watching asian shows, jfc. Women? multifaceted bamfs. Blorbo squad? Yes we ARE actually going to adopt his evil brother kicking and screaming and he will just have to feel some feelings about it. Music? I’m not joking when I say that half of my spotify top ten were songs from this soundtrack. Rewatchability? I’ve watched it twice and would watch again.

Beyond Evil

Plot: What’s a word for someone who’s SO outta fucks to give that he’s totally fine being suspected of his sister’s murder again because at this point it’s funny? That’s Lee Dongsik, a Been There Done That Detective who’s been kicked back to his shitty home town, which immediately starts popping up murders exactly like his sister’s from 20 years ago! And who should come on the scene but Starving For Affection Being Right Detective Han Juwon who is here to FIND ANSWERS!!(TM!)! Though mostly his methods seem to be marching up to potential murderers and begging them to confess. Anyway this show is a fucking DELIGHT of twists, turns, out-loud gasps, and sizzling hot Will-They-Won’t-They(Arrest Each Other For Murder). Is it gay? MMMMMMYES. Look at that gif! Are they gonna fight? Fuck? Who knows, least of all them! Do the boys cry? mueheheheheheeeeee. multiple times. in the rain. DELIGHTFUL. Women? Multi. Dimensional. What a concept!! No useless love interests! Will fuck you up and egg your car! Blorbo Squad. A+++ food family, work family, fucked up misfits who are going to get each other through this if it kills them. Additional notes: someone on the internet described this show as Hannibal (without cannibalism) + Hot Fuzz, and that is...not inaccurate.

Crash Landing on You

Plot: When Mega Rich Design CEO Seri accidentally parachutes into North Korea, and is somewhat reluctantly rescued and hidden by an army officer and his squad of blorbos soldiers. This is a really fascinating glimpse into the differences of North and South (and from what the internet says, former North Koreans agree that the depictions are pretty spot-on) and all the ways people are just...people, when it comes down to it. Chemistry? Phenomenal. A slow blossoming of two people who have been injured in very different ways and the ways they can grow together despite increasing difficulties. Blorbos? The best. I miss them. The genuine delight I feel seeing any of these actors again in other shows cannot be expressed. Music? I mean, FUCK, the music is its own character, own plot device, own heartbreak. FUCK. Rewatchability: I’ve watched it twice and I want to watch it again RIGHT NOW. Additional notes: Court Lady Choi AND the King from Mr. Queen are in this show!! MY LOVES!

Tomorrow

Plot: Desperately unemployed millennial accidentally falls off a bridge and winds up in a coma, where he strikes a deal: join the “elite” Grim Reaper Squad trying to prevent suicides, and he’ll get out of his coma faster! WARNING: Because this show deals with suicides in all shapes and forms, this show is not going to be right for everyone. ALSO, because our team leader is going through some shit on her own, I would argue that the first suicide attempt she handles is Not Great. However, she does learn and they all get better together. Do the boys cry? Yes, even the Big Bad (who I think would especially appeal to a certain demographic of tumblr seeing as he looks like a Korean Kylo Ren). Chemistry? BDE (Big Divorce Energy). Women? GOOOOODDD IS A WOOOOMANNN. Also, the women in this are allowed to make bad decisions! Blorbos? Kinda weird that our own entry character into this behind the scenes world winds up as more a blorbo than a main character. This isn’t a complaint, I love him and love seeing this actor again from The King’s Affection. Our giant puppy man WILL make friends with everyone, and that’s a fact. Additional notes: This show is both a good watch and a hard watch. Make sure you’re hydrated and have tissues on hand, especially for ep 9 which fails Does The Dog Die.

Other shows that I have feelings about (but maybe not wholly good feelings) below the cut:

Vincenzo: stunning cinematography, great writing, great blorbos, //absolutely NO chemistry between himself and the leading lady.// It sure says something when the lead male has better a better chance of romance with the leading lady’s dad. For all that, though, the Big Bads were fantastic, the fight scenes were stunning, and the character arc of Vincenzo and his mom was where the actors in this really shone. 9/10

The Devil Judge: I wanted to like this show. The first half was really solid, deliciously gay, and full of found family. But none of the characters actually...grew? Or changed? Ultimately unsatisfying. 6/10

Crowned Clown: STUNNING, PHENOMENAL acting. Prince and the Pauper if the Prince was also a fucking psychopath. Absolutely riveting for nearly all of it, but the last episode works too hard to shoehorn the story back into plausible historical fiction, and it loses a lot of impact for it. Yeo Jin-goo (also from Beyond Evil, Hotel Del Luna) REALLY flexes all of his astounding acting muscles in this and pulls off the coin flip of both characters flawlessly. TW: for rape of a young teen, near rape of the queen. 9/10

Hotel Del Luna: Since I mentioned it above, there was one point where I was watching HdL and CC at the same time and Did Not Realize Yeo Jin-goo starred in both of them??? Part my own face blindness, part completely different contexts. TBH I enjoyed everything about this show except for the last 20 minutes, which fucked up an otherwise deeply impactful ending. This is a show about death, revenge, growth, and moving on. I also didn’t feel like the main ship was all that good, but the blorbos will be with me for a good long while. 8/10

The Rookie Historian: Do Not Watch This Show. jfc. Everything good about the premise (Prince who writes romance! Girl who hates his books!) was wiped off the map within the first few episodes. If this show had been a tight 8 eps the pacing wouldn’t have been so off? But it was grueling by the end and we gave up and read a synopsis of the last four eps. Did not feel like we had missed out by quitting early, should have quit even sooner. 2/10

My Only Love Song: Pure fluff, but pretty fun fluff if you’re looking for something light. The time traveling van was the best part of this show, and needed more air time. 7/10

100 Days My Prince: Thoroughly enjoyable! Delightful use of face blindness as a plot point! Main ship cute as hell! OHO! 9.5/10

My Shy Boss: Some fuckery near the end, but mostly pretty solid. GREAT Phantom of the Opera vibes, no real bad guy only bad choices made by delightfully complex people! Maybe the true friends were the anxiety disorders we tackled along the way. 9.5/10

[nightmarerodent]

Even more Adventures Kids head canons because boredom and I enjoy screaming into a void.

- Crystal and Silver have an agreement. He will open up to people more, but only if she stops being so hard on herself.

- Yellow is probably responsible for at least one person’s death.

- Pearl has tried for years to make Silver laugh with no success. It was to the point where he thought his senior was just unable to… then Gold faceplanted after failing a skateboard trick. Turns out Silver can laugh… at Gold.

- Red’s nerve damage shows it’s ugly head at the worst of times. Particularly when he’s trying to look cool in front of the new kids.

- Black had a total fanboy moment when he first met Red.

- Platinum has tried to teach Sapphire how to read. Keyword: Tried.

- Emerald and Pearl are not to be left alone in a room together. Their brain cells cancel each other out and things catch fire.

- White thinks Silver’s red Gyradose is the coolest thing she’s ever seen.

- Gold has been universally banned from every game corner in existence.

- X and Silver have something of a brotherly relationship and the younger would occasionally accompany the redhead on his travels. Silver can see himself in the young loner, a dark reflection of what could have been if he didn’t have Blue (or Gold) in his life. If X ever needs to talk or get away from things, Silver would be there, no questions asked.

- Sun is probably the biggest penny pincher any of the others have ever met. This annoys Blue because it means he never falls for any of her scams.

- Ruby loves the Alola region. The vibrant colors and exotic flowers give him so many ideas for new dress designs.

- Green is the most intimidating person on the planet.

- The fact that everyone just casually accepts that Silver is a wanted fugitive concerns Black. But hey, if everyone’s cool with it…

- The first time X battled Red he almost won. They have had several rematches but he’s never gotten as close to pulling a win out from under the undefeated champion as he did that first time.

- X and Y were very surprised to hear that the Alola duo had befriended Zygarde.

- Gold and Silver bicker like an old married couple. ( because they are one)

- Looker has only made the mistake of trying to arrest Silver once. Never. Again.

- Sapphire sometimes helps Crystal out with the kids at the Pokémon Camp. Her natural understanding of the outdoors and Pokémon is invaluable. Now if only she could stop getting her group into unnecessary danger…

- Y has considered hiring a therapist for everyone on several occasions.

- Yellow has sketches of everyone and their Pokémon in her sketchbook. She’s gotten very good at capturing the realism on paper.

- Blue, Yellow, Ruby, and Platinum get together at least once a year for tea.

- There is currently a betting pool for who will get together first, Red and Yellow or Ruby and Sapphire.

- Only two people are allowed to touch Silver’s hair. Blue and Yellow. Everyone else runs the risk of getting clawed in the face by Weavile.

- Pearl is a man of strategy, of carful plotting and execution. To bad Diamond is the exact opposite.

- Ruby has convinced White to perform in several contests. She’s coming along like a true natural.

- Though not all of the identities of the DexHolders are known, they are an infamous group among trainers worldwide. They are known to be powerful. They are also known for getting into all kinds of trouble, so if you see a kid holding a small red device, update your insurance plan.

[ironclark]

The Second Half of the Halloween Keyblades!

PUMPKIN CARVER -

A Keyblade modeled after the Academy seen in Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later! This Keyblade is designed to have high combo modifiers. The hiltguard of the Keyblade is that of a jack-o-lantern, with several knives coming from it. The shaft and hilt is designed after a stylized kitchen knife hilt, with the teeth being an axe with a Jack-O-Lantern face. The token is that of a pumpkin with the Hillcrest Academy tie.

The world logo comes from the fact that this Halloween movie takes place in the Hillcrest Academy instead of Haddonfield. The name comes from the tradition of carving pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns on Halloween. 

SCREAM STREAM - 

A Keyblade modeled after the livestreaming experience of Halloween Resurrection! This Keyblade is designed to have high thunder techniques. The hilt guard of the blade has several monitors, referencing the streaming theme of the movie, with the teeth of the blade being a recording camera, with a kitchen knife flair. The token is a pumpkin with the ear mounted recording device. 

The world logo is that of the Myers Home, where the entirety of the movie takes place. The name comes from the two major aspects of the movie: Screaming and Streaming. 

DEVIL'S EYES -

A Keyblade modeled after the grim and gritty Rob Zombie's Halloween (2007). This Keyblade is designed to have high damage with short reach. The shaft and hilt ar designed after a tombstone, with the teeth having a blade added to the tombstone. The token is designed after Tommy's halloween costume seen in the movie. 

The world logo is the return of Haddonfield! The name comes from Loomis' description of a young Michael Myers' eyes. 

PALE DEVIL -

A Keyblade designed after the pale horse motifs of Rob Zombie's Halloween II (2009). It is designed to have long reach. The hilt of he blade has another jack-o-lantern but with a pale gradient. The Teeth of the blade is a pale horse head modeled after Myers' memories of his mother. The token is that of Laurie's Halloween costume.

The world logo is again Haddonfield, but with a dilapitated pumpkin. The name comes from the movies' themes of a Pale Horse, as well as the conception that Michael Myers' is the Devil. 

VOICE OF OBSESSION -

A Keyblade designed after the fresh look of Halloween 2018! It is designed to have peircing damage. The hilt guard is an extremely modified knife handle, with the shaft being an exaggerated scaplel. The teeth of the blade is designed to be the mouth of a Jack O-Lantern. The token is a pumpkin wearing the hat that Allyson wears during Halloween. 

The world Logo is a refreshed design of the original Haddonfield. The name comes from Micheal Myers' obession with killing in Haddonfield as well as Laurie Strode and her obsession with Myers returning. 

ESSENCE OF EVIL - 

A Keyblade designed after the fiery nature of Halloween Kills! It is designed to have high fire damage. The hilt and teeth of the blade are designed as stylized fire, referencing the begining of the movie. The handle and shaft of the blade is a baseball bat, referencing Tommy's chosen weapon against Myers and other inmates. 

The Logo is again Haddonfield, but this time on fire! The name comes from a line from Laurie, that Michael si the essence of evil itself. 

EVIL INFECTS - 

A Keyblade designed after the fresh begining of the end in Halloween Ends! This Keyblade is designed to have high damage at combo beginners. The hilt of the blade is designed after Corey's motorcycle that he rides through the movie. The teeth is designed to be three kitchen knives, of the three movies, but coming from a fresh pumpkin, a fresh begining.  The token is Corey's scarecrow halloween mask.

And finally the World Logo is the last Haddonfield. The name comes from the plot of Michael's Evil infecting Haddonfield.