#I understand that some people aren't happy with the soundtrack

[luccorvus]

Emmrich's theme is giving Danny Elfman and I can't help but

[toomuchracket]

you're the only thing that's going on in my mind (d word matty x reader smut)

cocky mean d word matty post-show on glasgow night 1 because i left that gig Fucked Up (see below pic that i took). canon, so girly is pregnant at this point. he goes a bit simpy at the end, but... fork found in kitchen. VERY slutty. enjoy! <3

“what the fuck are you two doing here?” matty's voice - loud, so as to be heard over the people outro - and face are aghast as he exits b stage to find you and mrs mac, the two of you standing in front of the security line at the back. “couldn't believe my eyes when i saw you lurking from up there.”

“well, we do work here,” comes the reply from beside you. 

you laugh, leaning back to stretch slightly before cradling your bump. “and the baby wanted to be up close and personal for the final song. she’s her father's daughter, after all.”

“jesus christ,” matty shakes his head, but the little smile on his face is unmissable. he steps close to you so ross and adam can get out, pressing a quick kiss to the bump before pulling you into his bare chest. “wasn't just the baba that wanted to see me there, though, was it?”

“hmm?” you look up at your boyfriend, a smirk on his pretty face.

“don't act clueless, sweetheart,” matty slings an arm around your shoulders as you both start walking back to the main stage, leaning to speak in your ear. “saw the way you were looking at me the whole time. and the way you crossed your legs when i opened my shirt - that was for you, by the way. wanted to see how you'd react.”

you can feel your cheeks burning. “was it… a good reaction?”

matty laughs, not unkindly, and kisses your cheek. “oh, baby, you're such a fucking sub,” he coos in your ear. “of course it was a good reaction; the sexiest woman in the world’s all turned on and needy for me. s'hot as fuck.”

“you're hot as fuck.”

“too fucking right,” your boyfriend holds out his free hand and brushes it against some of the waiting palms of the crowd, still leaning in to talk to you. “look at them, how excited they are, how happy. look what i fucking did to them, did for them. me.”

“no one else,” you all but breathe, shuffling even closer to him. “just you.”

matty hums, leading you through behind the stage and pulling you into a darkened alcove. his lips are on yours almost immediately, tongue slipping into your mouth and making you whine. “you're fucking desperate for me, aren't you, princess?”

fuck.

“yeah,” you whimper against him. “want you to fuck me.”

matty groans into your mouth, pulling back to hold your jaw. he smirks. “nah.”

you blanch. “what?”

“you don't understand? fuck's sake,” matty rolls his eyes. “no. i don't want to fuck you right now.”

“but…” you feel your lip trembling.

“good girls don’t say but, do they?”

you blink, looking sheepishly at the ground. “no, daddy. m'sorry.”

“that's better,” matty strokes your cheek. “now, instead of us running off because you're needy, i want us to go and celebrate with everyone, because i think i deserve to be celebrated - you agree, don’t you?”

you nod.

“good girl,” matty smiles, a smile that widens when you perk up at the praise. “if you're good enough at the afterparty, then i'll fuck you. understand?”

you nod again.

“words, princess.”

“yes, daddy. i understand.”

matty kisses you again. “let's go, then, gorgeous.”

and thus begins the most tedious ninety minutes of your life.

it wouldn't actually be a bad night if you weren't so worked up, you think - everyone's in good spirits, pleased with how well the show went, and the room is soundtracked by a cacophony of laughs and excited tones. you try your best to get involved in the conversations with your friends, all of them interjecting with their favourite moments of the show, but your focus is so elsewhere that you end up just sitting back and nursing your soda and lime.

elsewhere being your boyfriend, working his way around the conversations in the room and soaking up the compliments like a cat in a patch of sunlight. he's too busy preening to have made a dent in his pint, but he's as animated as he is when he's tipsy; there's a permanent smirk etched on his face as he incessantly talks, and the combination of that and his almost-unbuttoned shirt has you clenching. you don't want to look away from him at all, but god knows what else might happen if he catches you staring at him so openly, so lustfully, teeth biting your straw to beyond the point of use just to stay sane. best to keep your head down every time he turns his in your direction.

it shoots straight up when he speaks from right beside you, though, squatting to take your hand and talk to you. “fancy some air, darling?”

finally.

“yes please,” you reply, biting your tongue to stop yourself grinning too widely.

matty knows how excited you are, though. as soon as you get into the empty hallway, he pulls you in for a sweet hug, but the relief you feel from him touching you is somewhat overshadowed by the way he laughs in your ear.

“what is it?” you lean back just enough to look at him, your brow furrowed.

“you're just so fucking needy,” matty shakes his head, still giggling. “you thought i was getting you alone so we could get each other off, didn't you?”

“i- no.”

“well, good. because that's not what's happening.”

you feel your shoulders slump slightly. “okay.”

“i'll tell you why, but i need to ask you something serious first,” one of his hands caresses the bump. “you're not tired, are you? or sore at all?”

“no, i'm alright.”

matty tuts. “so why are you sitting in there moping, princess?”

your jaw drops. “i am not fucking moping.”

“less of the backchat,” your boyfriend says sternly. “and yes, you are, sitting there looking at the floor and not talking to anybody. told you to be good, remember?”

“i am being good!”

“what did i just say, princess?” matty holds your jaw; not painfully, but firmly enough that you can't look away from him. he looks fuming. “keep answering back like that, and you won't cum for a week. you're already on thin fucking ice as it is, after the way you acted in there. sitting silently just waiting for me to stop celebrating my night so i can fuck you - what a brat you are. a needy little brat.”

you'd be lying if you said his words didn't send a burst of heat straight between your legs. but still, you're curious as to where matty's newfound dominance has come from. “why are you being so mean to me tonight?”

he smirks. “because, darling, you asked me to. remember?”

oh, fuck. a memory crosses your mind, hazy with post-sex fog, matty's jaw dropping when you shyly say you wouldn't mind him being meaner in bed with you, whenever he felt up to it. “ah…”

“you do remember!,” matty looks satisfied. “that's good, because i'm feeling very selfish tonight. in the mood to be… worshipped, i'd say. have someone else do all the work. how's that sound, princess?”

“so good,” you whine. and it does - you'd do anything to touch him right now. “i'll do it now, daddy, if s’what you want.”

“bet you fucking would, gorgeous,” matty's hands trail down your body, across the bump, and back up over your tits. “so desperate for daddy to fill you up again, even though i've already done it. never enough for you, is it?”

you shake your head. “never. need you all the time.”

“greedy girl,” matty grins. “but it's actually hot that you need me so much. just wish you were better behaved about it.”

you nod. “i will be, daddy, promise.”

“prove it,” his thumb pulls your lower lip down. “take what i give you, and you'll get what you want if you keep being good while i finish my pint, yeah?”

“yes, daddy.”

“there's my girl,” matty smiles, and you glow. “now - open.”

you oblige, dropping your jaw so your boyfriend can spit into your open mouth; he opens his to tell you to swallow, but you've already done it before he takes a breath to speak. he groans, rubbing his thumb over your lips and smiling when you suck the tip. “that's more like it. good.”

“thank you, daddy.”

“you're welcome, princess,” matty presses a quick kiss to your lips before pulling you into a hug and murmuring in your ear. “colours still apply tonight, sweetheart, as always - you want to stop at any point, just say the word. you're alright now, though, aren't you?”

“yeah. all green here,” you whisper into matty's ear in return. “i love you.”

“i love you, too,” a kiss to your cheek, and matty leans back. the smirk has reappeared on his pretty face. “m'excited to fucking ruin you later.”

“please.”

your boyfriend kisses you again, taking your bottom lip between his teeth and dragging it to release. “half an hour. best behaviour, you hear me?”

you nod enthusiastically. “i hear you, daddy.”

“alright. let's go back in, then.”

matty takes your hand and leads you back into the room of your friends, helping you to get comfy on one of the sofas before slotting in beside you. he's as self-assured as he was earlier, but your attraction to that is more manageable now that he's actually touching you - a hand on your thigh, lazily drawing patterns into your trouser leg - and you know you only have to endure another thirty minutes until he takes you back to the hotel.

as it turns out, that time flies by, so much so that you're almost surprised by matty leaning in to tell you it's time to go. you nod, and he kisses your head before standing and helping you up.

“is that the two of you on your way?” mrs mac jumps up to hug you, patting the bump affectionately. “take it easy tonight, love. s'been a long day.”

“yeah, i will,” you smile. liar.

“take care of her, healy.”

“oh, i will,” matty smiles. not a lie. “night, everyone.”

after the chorus of well done agains and goodbyes dies down, matty leads you to the waiting car. the journey back is quick, and quiet, the only sounds the humming of the engine and the noises from the late-night glasgow revellers you pass. in fact, aside from thanking the driver, matty's silent the whole time until you get into the room; only once the door closes behind you does he speak, leaning down to whisper in your ear as he takes your coat from you. “colour?”

“green.”

“good. in that case - clothes off, on the bed, legs open. now. and don't even think about touching yourself.”

you're actually thankful of the order, because you're so wet that your underwear is starting to become uncomfortable. with a “yes, daddy” and a sloppy kiss, you practically sprint to the bedroom of the suite, kicking off your trainers as soon as you open the door and pulling down your jumpsuit so quickly you wouldn't be surprised if you ripped it. you chuck it onto the chair in the corner of the room, and your lingerie follows suit before you climb onto the bed as instructed, waiting as patiently as possible for matty.

he wanders in a couple of minutes later, can of coke in hand, and leans against the doorframe. the shirt he was wearing has disappeared, and you can't quite decide if you'd rather look at his chest or his smirking face. “can see how fucking wet you are from here, princess. jesus,” matty says, wandering over to you and looking hungrily at your soaked cunt. without warning, he brings his hand down harshly onto it; you yelp, and feel another gush to your core. matty giggles and repeats the motion, and the same thing happens. “you little slut, liking when i slap your pussy. dirty, dirty girl.”

slightly sickeningly, you don't think you've ever been so turned on in your life. all you can do is whimper as your boyfriend continues to slap your cunt, the noises turning to cries whenever he makes contact with your clit, and then to little mewls as he drags his fingers up and down your slit with a “so messy, princess, i think we need to clean you up.”

sighing with relief, you spread your legs even wider so that matty can comfortably get his head between them - you're surprised (and disappointed), then, when he holds a hand out and says “get up, and follow me”. but you oblige, of course, like the good girl you know you are despite what matty says and thinks. when he nudges you into the shower and takes the rest of his clothes off, you perk up slightly, and even more so when he removes the showerhead from the wall and kneels. “spread your pussy for me.”

fuck.

you oblige, but you must look terrified, because matty's eyes fill with concern. he strokes your thigh comfortingly. “colour, sweetheart?”

taking a deep breath, you reply in a shaky voice. “green.”

he doesn't seem convinced. “you're sure?”

“yeah. honest.”

“well, alright,” he presses a kiss to your thigh. “hold onto me if you need, yeah?”

“okay, daddy. thank you.”

“of course,” matty sits back on his knees. his face changes again. “now… let me clean my dirty girl up.”

aiming the showerhead at the floor, he reaches up to turn the water on, testing it with his free hand and adjusting the temperature dial accordingly. suddenly, with no warning, warm streams of water hit your clit; your jaw drops, and it takes everything in you to stop your legs doing the same. “oh my god.”

“tell me how it feels.”

“it's - shit - so fucking good, daddy,” you pant, eyes rolling back with pleasure, jaw shaking slightly. matty turns the water pressure up a notch, and you gasp. “fuck!”

matty hums. “d'you wanna cum?”

“yeah.”

“well, too bad,” all of a sudden, the water stops. you wail at the loss of stimulation on your clit, and matty scoffs. “what are you being like that for? thought you wanted me to fill you up again. you're telling me you don't want to cum on my dick?”

your legs nearly give out. “no, i do,” you whimper. “please, daddy, need you inside me.”

“hmm,” matty tilts his head, squinting at you. he sighs. “alright. you're doing all the work, mind you,” he stands and takes your hand again, before leading you to stand in front of the sink. “come on, princess. hands on the counter - wanna look at myself while you get me off.”

it's infuriating how hot you find your boyfriend’s arrogance - or, it would be, if you could think about anything other than the feeling of him brushing up against your waiting cunt. the desire spilling out of you isn’t helped in the slightest by the way matty’s eyes are locked onto his own reflection, as he moves and flexes and runs his hands through his hair and across his face.

god, he's fucking gorgeous.

and he knows it. “fucking look at me,” matty says - to nobody in particular, given that you're both already staring at his reflection. “no fucking wonder the crowd reacted the way they did tonight,” he laughs, tilting his head and opening his mouth slightly. “could've had any one of them, i reckon. bet everyone wished they could have me, just like this.”

envy draws your cheeks in. the thought of matty fucking someone else in your place sends a bolt of rage into your stomach, firing up your throat and shooting from your lips as a snarl. good girl be damned. “well, they fucking can't.”

matty meets your eyes in the mirror and smirks. “no?”

“no,” you grip the counter so hard your knuckles go white. “you're mine. besides, none of them could fucking take you like i do.”

he laughs. “oh, you're being a bitch. i like it.”

“just being honest, daddy.”

“well, show me how you take it, then,” with one hand, matty lines himself up with your hole; the other weaves itself into your hair, forcing you to keep looking in the mirror. “give me all you've got, you fucking bitch.”

you smile, saccharine. “yes, daddy,” slowly straightening your arms, you moan in harmony with your boyfriend as he fills you up. “fuck.” 

once you've taken a second to get used to the feeling of matty inside you, you bend your arms and pull yourself almost completely off him, before slamming back with no warning and watching in satisfaction as matty's jaw drops. “shit, princess,” he groans, steadying himself against the wall with his free hand as you repeat the movement, over and over. “yeah, you're fucking right - only you, my girl, only you can take me so fucking well. perfect fucking pussy, perfect fucking girl.”

you beam at the praise - matty notices, and laughs. “you like it when i tell you how good you are at taking my dick? little slut. but it's true. fucking built for this, weren't you? for me to fuck you and fill you up? you must be, to be so fucking greedy - already knocked you up and you still want my cum. fucking desperate,” he pulls you by the hair so your back is against his chest, bringing his other hand to your hip to use as leverage to fuck you even faster than you were already moving. “but i fucking love it. i fucking love you.”

“love you so much,” you whine, throwing an arm back and hooking it around matty's neck. “fuck, look at you. so fucking hot.”

“and all yours,” matty whispers in your ear, making you smile. his lips drop to your neck as he speeds up his thrusts, but his eyes never leave your reflection. he groans. “look at you, princess, my beautiful girl. all full of me. and those fucking tits - love them always, but i'm gonna fuckin miss the way they look right now when you're not pregnant anymore.”

“easy fix,” you giggle. “you'll just have to knock me up again.”

even if matty's hips didn't speed up impossibly more at your words, the noise he makes in response is almost enough to get you off. “i'll fucking do it, princess, if that's what you want. i'd do anything for you.”

“make me cum?”

“if you say the magic word.”

“please, daddy?”

he smiles, pressing a kiss to the side of your head and his fingers onto your clit; you moan as soon as they make contact, which only spurs matty on. “do it, then, princess. cum all over my fucking cock.”

your body reacts immediately to his command - all your muscles tighten and release, pleasure flowing through your nervous system and forcing a scream from your throat. matty groans as you grab hold of the counter again, the new angle letting him grab your hips and fuck recklessly into you, the syncopated rhythm a sure sign of his own imminent orgasm. “oh, fuck,” he whines, pulsing heat deep into your cunt and continuing to thrust into you. “fucking take it, princess, take it like the good little cumslut you are,” he stills inside you, still shaking from the aftershocks, resting his head on your shoulder. 

after a minute of mutual heavy breathing, matty looks up, meeting your eyes and beaming at you in the mirror. “i'm fucking knackered. worth it, though.”

“mmm,” you lean on your elbow. “thank you for indulging me, baby.”

“of course,” matty kisses your shoulder. “and you're unbelievably sexy when you're possessive, by the way. i'm getting turned on just thinking about it.”

you put your head in your hands. “oh my god, no, i cannot go for another round right now. i love you, but i need to go to sleep.”

“no, i agree, don’t worry,” your boyfriend laughs. “can you reach the tap, sweetheart?”

“yeah.”

“run that blue washcloth under the water and chuck us it, then, please?” matty inches out of you carefully, taking the flannel from you with a kiss and kneeling behind you with a moan. “christ, i'll never get over this sight.”

you huff out a laugh, hissing when matty gently wipes the flannel over your core with an “i know, baby, i'm sorry”; you perk up a bit when he stands and helps you straighten up, cradling the bump from behind you. “i love you, darling,” he kisses you. “both my darlings, actually. you feeling alright?”

“just sleepy. s'been a long day,” you snuggle into him. “proud of you. grateful for you. love you.”

“back at you, sweetheart.”

[unknown-cold]

Video is on YouTube but it is private now, but I found this clip on Twitter. You guys need to hear what Alex is saying here.

I think it's interesting to see this change that's happening with Caitlyn's character. And how the writers want to show us a character who's going to realize that revenge is going to cause a lot of problems and other things that they're going to show us in the rest of the episodes. Even the people on the show themselves loved Caitlyn and she's now more interesting than she was in season 1. In this interview, for example this interview here Alex Seaver (Arcane's soundtrack composer) says that Caitlyn is his favorite character and that she has an amazing arc this season. Everyone on the show is so happy with her arc. and I love that.

For me Caitlyn, Viktor and even Singed are some of the most interesting characters this season. especially the change that happens to Viktor and Caitlyn is so interesting to watch.

Unfortunately some people will never understand this kind of characters the writers are giving them, and instead, they focus on things that aren't the show's purpose like politics, I mean I know it's in the show but it's not the show's main purpose. It goes deeper than that, the show focuses more on the characters and the writers want to give you interesting characters, gray characters make mistakes rather than traditional heroic characters.

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

what's a good BL drama for fans who aren't innocent, but still get too shy during the nsfw parts, but also something more lighthearted?

(The Sign has traumatised me for life)

Hi 🤗 Thank you so much for this ask! And sorry it took me so long to answer 🙈

So The Sign has traumatized you and you are looking for something not that innocent, but not really with nsfw parts and kinda lighthearted? The difficulty was the not that innocent, but lighthearted part 😅 most not that innocent series I could think of have some traumatizing backstories or main plots or are way too explicit. But of course there are still a lot of good dramas, with a more lighter tone. And I hope you'll find something you like and haven't watched yet 😊

So lets go 💪

A Boss And A Babe

It was not my favorite show from last year, but it was okay. Cher is a very extroverted character with a big heart and a loose mouth. Gun is a strict boss who can't find sleep without listening to Cher's voice. It is a different start for the relationship than we are used to, but it worked for them and for us too. Both have to deal with some stuff, but the tone of the series is mostly lighthearted. There are some love scenes, but not explicit and very tasteful.

A Breeze Of Love

I have to mention A Breeze Of Love! It is my favorite show from last year and it has to be in any list I put up 😅 It feels so good to watch this show! I just get happy when I think about it. There are no nc scenes, but you know those two want each other, especially Lee Do Hyun. The conflict between these two has its start in the past and of course it catches up with them. The series tells us that it is okay and needed to be honest with yourself before you can be honest with other people and before you can open up to them and love them. It is such a heartwarming series. Sorry, I love it so much.

Bad Buddy

A classic. A masterpiece. Such a good series. Do I need to say more? A classic enemies to lovers, Romeo and Juliet, story. And so well done! Nothing nsfw, but a good story with good acting, a great kiss and a very good soundtrack. The story of two different people falling in love with each other and decide to be together against all odds. It is rightly a high rated drama. The chemistry is one of the best out there and you just believe those two that they slowly fall in love with each other.

Be loved in house: I do

A workplace romance. And again, there is some trauma from the past, but the series itself gives such a warm feeling. For a long time this was my feel good pick. It touched my heart and it was funny (the mom is the best) and it makes me happy. The boss has a problem with workplace relationships and forbids them, not knowing that this will become a big problem for himself in the future. The mains have great chemistry and I love watching them cuddle!

Bake Me Please

You like cakes and a workplace romance between a cold hearted boss and a total ray of sunshine? This is the one for you. It gave me such a good feeling during december. It felt so cosy, even though the main conflict was... dumb... But nevertheless seeing Shin become more open and approachable and better understand the emotions and thoughts of others has melted my heart. And Peach was such a comfort character! Highly recommended.

Be My Favorite

This might not be the most lighthearted series out there, but it is such a good series. One of my favorites of 2023. It deals with grief and finding your place in life, acceptance and allowing yourself to love and to be loved for who you are. There are so many emotions and I was hooked from the first til the last second. Kawi is such a relatable character, especially in the beginning. I liked him and his journey a lot. And Pisaeng is such a sweetheart and I wish that every Kawi out there, who is looking for a partner, can find their own Pisaeng.

Cherry Magic

One of the most wholesome and perfect series out there. We have the japanese original and the current airing thai adaptation. The story is easy: Adachi (Achi) turns 30 and with that he receives the gift to be able to read the minds of everyone he touches. And that is how he learns that Kurosawa (Karan) has the biggest crush on him. Kurosawa is one walking green flag and he is so attentive, I love him. And Adachi is a shy sweetheart who could need a little bit more self-confidence. They are adorable together. The thai adaptation is also really good! I love it! And don't worry about nsfw scenes. At least the japanese version is very safe.

Hidden Agenda

I must admit, this is not one of my favorites, but it is cute and lighthearted for most of the times and the acting really improved. The Hidden Agenda is not so much hidden and I would have wished for some secrets and perhaps a longer period of pining and coming to terms with the fact that, hey I like a boy now. But it is cute and a good choice on a stormy sunday.

Jun & Jun

I wish they would have gone down the road with the scent-kink. That would have been so cool. But it is lighthearted and the dynamic of these two is great. It is a perfect watch for an afternoon. A workplace romance all around scents and when Choi Jun wears his glasses - chef's kiss! Such a good looking man. The plot itself is nothing very special, but good for a short entertainment.

Kiseki: Dear To Me

Kiseki, lighthearted? Well. I think it is not so problematic. Yes, it has a mafia plot, but the basic mood is more light. And you can just ignore the plot and concentrate on these two lovebirds. Ai Di and Chen Yi really safed this one for me. Their relationship is so fucked up in the beginning and to be honest, it doesn't get better, but cuter. Trigger warnings are blood and death and violence. But the nc scenes are chef's kiss, very well done, very beautiful and not that explicit.

Last Twilight

The show that ends this week and I don't want to let go of it! It was my highlight of the week. Day lost his eyesight because of an accident and needs a care taker. We meet Mhok, a young man who is condemned from his surroundings because he had spent time in prison, but whose character is just a soft green flag with the most respect for good people and with so much love to give. I want a Mhok in my life. He is such a sweetheart. And them together are such lovey dovey adorable puppies! Their dynamic is very natural and the chemistry is chemistrying! Plot wise a more mature bl, not that overly lighthearted, because it touches some sensitive topics, but I don't feel bad watching it. There is always this hope that keeps you warm.

Love Class 2

Okay, listen, the main couple deals with some trauma, but the rest is really cute and adorable and lighthearted! And the main couple is adorable too in the end. We have three couples, for a korean bl it has a really good nc scene (I got a little bit shy, but just because I had the feeling I needed to give them their privacy) and it has some nice kisses (indeed some of my favorite kisses of 2023 or ever). The story... Well... What story? Because there were so many couples, the story was a little bit flat. But every couple got their time and yes, nothing special was told, but in the end it made me feel good and I enjoyed it very much.

My Secret Love

And again, three couples, but more time to tell their stories. We start the series and the main cp with enemies and go on to fake lovers and of course finally to lovers. I liked the series. I liked the main couple and their differences and how they could make the other person rethink some of their actions, to become a better version of themselfes in the end. And the side couples were cute and lovey dovey.

Papa & Daddy

One of the really mature dramas about starting a family and the obstacles one has to deal with. It is a very realistic drama. It shows a short timeline in the life of this new family and their problems with themselves and the other parents and the child and their surroundings and how they try to solve these problems and to learn how to deal with homophobia on a new level, because now there is this child that needs to be protected and that is questioning their life as a family. I really loved this show. The second season... not that much, but it was still okay.

Secret Crush On You

If you manage to overcome the pure urge to turn it off while you watch the first or second episode because you cringe so damn much, you are gifted with a little gem. It is so lovely and the deeper message this one wants to tell us, I love it. You don't have to be perfect in the eyes of others, you can be a weird nerd and still be loved. You don't decide what other people find attractive about you. Just accept the fact that there are people who want to smack you and love you and protect you with all your flaws. Such a good series. And most of the times really funny!

Sing My Crush

I was so surprised when this came out, because I haven't heard about it before. And there is was. All of the epsisodes out and I thought, okay, I'll give it a try and I fell in love. The story of these two friends, one a musician and the other one his biggest fan, is adorable. They are so natural with each other and Im Han Tae is such a sunshine character. He is full of optimism and love, a total comfort character. And those two are soulmates. The development of their story felt so natural. Such a good series!

You're My Sky

I enjoyed this drama. It is build on pining and basketball and friendship and it has the brother from La Pluie, which is nice. I fell in love with the side couples, especially Sean and Aii, they are so cute. If you like sport dramas, this one is for you. It has a lot of sport. It is not the most lighthearted series, because all characters deal with some kinds of secret or obstacles to overcome, but it is well made.

Shout out to some really cute and lighthearted series without any nc scenes, but which feel just sooooo good and are simple a joy for the heart:

My School President

Our Dining Table

I Became the Lead in a BL Drama: Crank up Edition

Light On Me

Like In The Movies

Love Mate

Our Dating Sim

Old Fashion Cupcake

Semantic Error

Kieta Hatsukoi

Love Tractor

Okay, I have to stop! I hope this can help you a little bit with you to-watch-list 🤍

[queerpiratebrainrot]

ALRIGHT!I JUST WATCHED THE MIRACULOUS MOVIE AND I HAVE THOUGHTS! There will be spoilers ahead, so tread carefully

A list, in no particular order, just how they pop up in my head:

The animation was STUNNING! Just, props to the animators, I enjoyed the movie visually SO MUCH! From the use of colours and lighting, to the way they used all of that to upgrade the characters: it was absolute perfection. (though some of those close up shots of Hawkmoth were A Lot. But that was probably the point)

The absolute chaotic energy that both Tikki and Plagg (but mostly Tikki, cuz unfortunately. there wasn't a whole lot of Plagg, which I understand due to time, even if it is sad) is FANTASTIC! I adore Chaotic Tikki so much. She has my whole heart! That little scene of Tikki pushing Marinette's hand to Adrien's? Lovely. Tikki explaining absolutely nothing to Marinette when they first meet? Perfection. Just. Give me more Chaotic Tikki, please!

The soundtrack? WONDERFUL! I kinda knew it was a musical, I think, but I completely forgot, so when Marinette sang those first few notes, I had to catch up a lil, but DAMN I was excited! (sad we didn't get Ce Mur Qui Nous Separe (I don't know the english name oops), but it was still fun!)

On that note: Adrian having the most Disney Princess I Want song in the movie is just perfect. No other words needed. Best choice they could have made there.

ALSO on that note: Marinette's singing voice? BEAUTIFUL! It fits so well! I just couldn't help but enjoy her songs, if only for that.

BUT I didn't have to, because the music itself, without the lyrics was just so well done!

Slightly less good: The hawkmoth song was missing some flavor, in my opinion. It started out, and I was EXCITED cuz it started so HARD and then it didn'treally deliver, I think. It kind of kept in the same range and didn't really go up, ya know?

I really REALLY liked Marinette and Chloe's relationship. The way Marinette fired shots back at Chloe, and they actually seemed to be becoming more frennemies? Amazing. I wish we would've gotten more of that in the tv show, considering earlier seasons Chloe and her character developpement, but I really enjoyed it here, in the movie

I'm happy we got to see Gabriel and Adrian actually confronting each other. Both Adrian standing up to his dad (although the timing was a little off, more on that later), AND Gabriel finding out his son is Chat Noir and the resulting Crisis. At least there was some emotional pay off there! (looking at you, season 5 finale)

NOW on the timing thing: There just wasn't enough time. I understand that they wanted to do the superhero origin story for people who aren't familiar with the show but do go to see the movie, but I feel like they just didn't have the necessary time to create the emotional tension needed for the end scene to actually hit as hard as it could have. We got to see a hint of Adrian and Gabriel's relationship, and what was shown was great! But if we had gotten a little more of that perspective and tension, it would've felt better to watch Adrian stand up to Gabe and his parenting skills. And consequently, enjoyed more of the end scene with them figuring out each others identities. Genuinely, I was happy we got at least some pay off there, but it felt too easy. (which again, makes sense due to the limited time, but I feel like they should have made choice: either the Big End Fight with Hawkmoth, OR the Origin Story. And since they did kind of set up a possible sequel, I feel like the choice could have been made)

With the feeling of too easy: I had the same feeling of Marinette and her finding confidence in herself and Ladybug AT THE END! The sudden change during the montage, I liked and felt like it made sens, since we then, during the big battle, get Marinette's insecurities over only being confident when she's Ladybug and all that. That is wonderful and so in line with the core of who Marinette is as character, no matter what version of her we get, that I love it very much. I would have enjoyed a liiiiitle more time with the Angst, but it's allright!

MOSTLY CUZ: that scene where she's dragging Cat Noir's unconcious body onto the debris of the Eiffel Tower, and she goes 'Don't. Touch. Him.' through tears and with a broken voice? AMAZING! When I tell you I Went FERAL! My children! absolutely STUNNING

The actual fight of the end battle? Marinette surrounded by flame and a Paris that is falling apart? Ladybug in Hell, essentially? GORGEOUS! Cat Noir running up the Eiffel Tower to fight Hawkmoth? Stunning! The Eiffel Tower slowly collapsing, as Ladybug watches and cannot Do Anything to stop it? HEARTWRENCHING!

Marinette revealing herself to Adrian at the ball? AMAZING SCENE! (although i laughed and had to utter 'Real Subtle, Marinette' when I saw the ladybug wings on the back of the dress, which was, againg, stunning). The way the scene was framed like the rejection scene? WONDERFUL!

The glitter on Chat Noir's mask? I loved it! Such a fun little detail we don't get in the show!

Did not like the Plagg farting scene. Just. No thanks. It's cheap comedy and that runtime could have been spent better, with a better characterisation of PLagg and his relationship with Adrian. But whatever, it's fine.

THE LADYNOIR CONTENT AND BICKERING! JUST FANTASTIC! ladynoir stans got FED this movie, and I am HERE FOR IT!

So yeah, that was an incomplete list of my thoughts on the movie! Overall I really enjoyed it! I really liked this version of the characters and their relationships. They feel a lot more genuine and real in comparison to the tv show, in some ways. I had so much fun watching it, and will probably go a second time, to see how it'll feel like on a rewatch. And just to enjoy the vibes. I do hope we get a sequel, because I am Curious. And would love more Natalie content.

[sohcah--toa]

bullet train/マリアビートル details ~

Hello!! I recently dug up the Bullet Train script (if you search it up, you should be able to find it relatively easily!! I'm not sure if it's completely reliable but it seems to be the first version) and listened to the soundtrack. (It's awesome, you should listen if you haven't already!!)

There's a lot of stuff here about マリアビートル, I hope you enjoy reading 🥳 (It's really ridiculous)

-- 1 ) LEMON'S CHILDHOOD // BACKGROUND(??)

I attached a photo for reference in the book!! :D (there's highlighter marks, I'm sorry) His backstory is tragic and aahh noo 🥹... I won't say much on it because we're all thinking the same thing. In the script, this is carried over when Lemon passes out because of the water. But apparently, in the final movie, this isn't shown a lot. In the book and movie, they aren't brothers and have a considerably colder relationship, so I can understand why the childhood scene in the cut is so much more wholesome. (Still supersuper cool though!!)

-- 2) "I'm forever blowing bubbles"

The original reason why this song was chosen for Bullet Train was because of Tangerine's West Ham United sticker (turns out, that's a football club). Hey!! But wait a minute!! There's a funny coincidence because Ladybug in the book was trying to become a football star. He has a quote that's like "my friend told me that someone like me could either become a footballer or a criminal, so I did both" and he says that his first crime was stealing a football.

The song delves into themes surrounding fortune as well!! I love their music selection 🙇‍♂️😤

-- 3) THREE ASSASSINS/グラスホッパー REFERENCES

Okay this part (in a way...) contains spoilers for Three Assassins, which is the first book of the "series"! ! The story revolves around a guy named Suzuki, who appears again in Bullet Train!! He kinda-sorta becomes friends with Ladybug and it's like 😊 they are so happy. To be completely honest, Suzuki's a bit traumatised but so is Ladybug, right?? Lovely friendship!!

It's also so interesting that he's reading a hotel buffet menu because his wife used to love eating at buffets and he adopted the habit of hoarding all the food as well. He's on the train to meet with his dead wife's family (which was extremely difficult for him after her passing).

-- 4) BULLET TRAIN REFERENCES IN THE MANTIS/AX

There's this other book in the series called The Mantis or AX for the Japanese version. This one isn't talked about a lot but if you like family stories, this book is so so soo good. It really pulled at my heartstrings when I first read it but I can't say too much without spoiling everything. Anyway, it makes a few references to Bullet Train and literally starts with the main character, Kabuto (an assassin), having a flashback to talking to Tangerine and Lemon during one of his missions, where they had the same target so they worked together. The Twins really respect him, actually, but find it funny that he's so careful around his wife (YES KABUTO, AN ASSASSIN, HAS A WIFE). Some characters reappear so.. :")) yay!!

-- 5) 777

Ladybug comes back!! He comes back in the latest book in the series; 777. So far, the Japanese reviews have been pretty positive and I think there's an English translation coming in November!! 🥳 I like how the title is 777; 7 like 7 tails in Nanao (七尾), car 7, his favourite number is 7 (if I recall correctly), 7 the "lucky number".

-- 6) THIS GUY

No one asked but I heavily dislike the Prince in the book. (to be honest, who doesn't...) He's just mean for no reason and likes ruining people's lives, makes fun of poor Ladybug (this really isn't that bad compared to the other stuff he does) and yeah, the list goes on. Also apparently he (heavily) tortures other schoolmates and it's not like he gets paid for it like the Twins or the other guys. He just does it for fun?? OK!! The premise of his character is amazing and it's great to see a villain that's actually just straight evil but since he's designed that way, we are validated when hating him ww. He talks about politics as well for some reason... keeps referencing historical tragedies.... man.

-- 7) ASAGAO/THE PUSHER

The Pusher is back too!! Weee~ (not really)

In the movie, it seems as though this entire part got cut out which, like, is reasonable. I attached a photo from the Grasshopper (2015) movie for reference hahaha. The guy in the black suit is the Pusher!! Yeah, he pushes people!! (not in the fun way!!)

He is in charge of protecting Wataru from the Prince's guy, although he's reluctant at first. He's obsessed with bugs and stuff. Whenever he opens his mouth, it's probably going to be about bugs. The Pusher's also strangely poetic. Maybe it's because he likes old bands like the Rolling stones? Oh!! And he gets mentioned in The Mantis.

And speaking of the Kimura family, Yuichi Kimura says something very true and it's:

"who do they gotta make the train toilets so nasty"

-- 8) LADYBUG IS COOL

This is very much a fact. In Mariabeetle, he gets kidnapped when he's 8 years old because he gets mistaken for a rich kid (after he lost a bet with his wealthy friend and had to wear his "rich person backpack"), then in the place he's being held captive, he escapes by HIMSELF since his dad isn't able to give the guys money for his son back (since they took the wrong person!!). But heyy he's resourceful and smart.

AND guess what?? He gets traumatised because there was this other boy being held but Ladybug didn't save him and it's haunted him ever since. This is also one of the reasons why he ends up helping the Prince even though he knows it won't do him any good.

Obviously, it gets worse from there. He makes it back to his family and they're pretty happy. Unfortunately, they're far from rich and Ladybug has to study extremely hard to get into a college. Spoiler alert, he doesn't. THE THING IS!! He studied so hard!! It's just that during his exam, some kid sneezed on his paper and he wiped it, smudging all his work and even his name!! Nanao! No!!

-- 9) TANGERINE BOOK RECS

To the Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf

"We perished, each alone."

-> He really loves that quote. A lot. Also he's a Virginia Woolf fan!!

2. Forbidden Colours - Yukio Mishima

-> He's also a Yukio Mishima fan... I wonder if he's ever read "The Sound of Waves". What would he think about it? Hahaha this will keep me up at night 😅 (<- SLANTED EMOJI!!)

3. The Sailor who Fell from Grace with the Sea - Yukio Mishima

-> To talk about Article 41 of the Penal Code of Japan. (Mr Kotaro Isaka, the author, studied law, by the way!! It's interesting!!) However, here, Tangerine quotes Mishima on Article 41 ;)

4. Hemingway and Faulkner

-> Actually it's a collection so it's not really a book recommendation but these two people are real - Ernst Hemingway (the Old Man and the Sea guy) and William Faulkner. They didn't really get along, by the way, and even though they respected the other's work, they criticised more than praised. Sounds like the Twins.

5. Demons - Fyodor Dostoevsky

-> "Crime is no longer insanity, but simply common sense, almost a duty; anyway, a gallant protest."

I think the author is a heavy Fyodor Dostoevsky fan, just because he also referenced his works in Three Assassins.

6. Crime and Punishment ;D

-> "Science now tells us, love yourself before all men, for everything in the world relies on self-interest."

(CONT'D) yeahh this book was referenced in Three Assassins and one of the characters is obsessed with it. Glad to see that Tangerine is a fan too hahahaha.

-- 10) LEMON IS AWESOME

Opinionated text here but Lemon is plain awesome.

"Between the principal's name and Doraemon's gadgets, it was blindingly obvious which one was more important."

To each their own and I know he's a criminal but he seems like he has no enemies. Sounds very wholesome.

-- 11) HORNET THE MVP

She's in Three Assassins AND the Mantis!! Hypercool. In both books, the Hornet is a team of a male and a female. The female is eliminated (this word choice ww) by Ladybug but the male is still up and kicking, though Ladybug feels bad about it. They use poison needles, like the movie, but they trigger anaphylaxis, which is a really dangerous allergic reaction that causes body shocks.

-- 12) SUZUKI: PHILOSOPHER AND ECONOMIST

"If people knew that they might be killed by someone tomorrow, economic activity would grind to a halt."

... well 😅 take from that what you will.

(that's Suzuki!!)

Cela dit... that's all.... so long, I'm sorry. But thank you so much if you read until the end!! I hope you at least found it a bit entertaining!! :"))

[trenchcoatsbi]

Yippee time to do my favorite thing in thr world: Infodump /silly

-

Share your kin memories!

Honestly the amount of memories I've shared on this blog already are quite a lot lol

But I guess I'll share a small one for each of my main kintypes

Etho: I had a habit of literally curling myself around Skizz when I wanted to hug time. Like my wings and tail were fully wrapped around him. I also did this while sleeping apparently

Shadow Bonnie: the souls liked to play games in the secret backroom during the day! This lead to many silly moments :3

Sparrow: I actually didn't like water very much. Poor Spot and Racer had to force me to drink enough every day

Is there any foods from your kins that you can’t have anymore/miss? (Big Q asks for your favourite ice cream flavors)

Etho: You all do not understand how good watered down potions & campfire cooked meat tastes. Like sweet potions and good savory meat and you're chilling with your family. 100/10

Shadow Bonnie: I couldn't exactly eat, but Chi's cupcakes and Chica's pizza smelled good enough to count :3

Sparrow: I don't miss the food persay, but the experience of eating with the newsies!! Any food was the best food with those dumbasses /affectionate

... I can't really eat ice cream (milk doesn't like me :( ), but vanilla custard with warm caramel is always a first pick for me!!!

What was/is your favorite thing about Minecraft?

Etho: how fucking easy it was to build things. I think I would've screamed if I actually had to build a bunch of things from my mems ;-;

Who do you miss the most?

Etho: My husband. Phil has read through more then enough of me missing him lol. (Skizz come back where are you-). But I'd honestly have to say pretty much everybody that I was close to. I miss them for all different reasons!

Bo: Mari & Springy. Lefty and Molten are also up there! I think it's more so the memory of our deaths :/

Sparrow: Racer. The only person in any of my timelines that I had romantic feelings for and he's not beside me :(

What’s the best thing about being kin for you?

The people I've met along the way. And in my memories.

Sure, the bad memories hurt. They hurt a lot, but there's always the good ones to balance it out.

If I remember anything about the death games, I can just hold on to when I married Skizz, or hanging out with the Helsmits, or raising my kids.

If I can't get Henry's speech out of my head, I can instead think back to Mari needing to have his needles taken so he wouldn't stab Afton, or Springy getting crowned the 'King of Capitalist Checkers'

Or when I can't get Racer's cold body out of my vision, I think back to the secret kisses with him, or times in the lodging house when everybody was happy.

So I guess I can say the friends I've made, and the happy memories I would've otherwise never known about.

If you could swap your kins/kintypes, would you?

Nah. They're me, for better or worse.

I will say there's a character from a cartoon I've seen bits and pieces of that feels like she should be a kintype, but she isn't. It's kinda funny actually

What’s your favorite music? Additionally, do any songs help you get into shift?

I really like upbeat and fast paced songs :D My music tastes are a weird venn diagram of Pop, indie stuff, Rock, Musicals, & Vocoloid/simular stuff :3

Music 100% helps me shift. sometimes unintentally. some examples are:

Etho - Will I Find My Home, King of the World, Paper Rings, & Brother

Shadow Bonnie - The Kids Aren't Alright (Mari used it to pratisc guitar), Make This Puppet Proud, The Puppet Song, & the music box from fnaf 2

Sparrow - Almost anything from the Newsies soundtrack, Abandon Ship, Ribs, & Lost Boy

(hey btw, if you like vocoloid stuff check out the album Diary of Underage Observation! It's got some darker topics but the songs slap (shout out to another friend and me getting one song stuck in our heads for three days stright lol))

—Or use this ask game as an opportunity to share anything else you want!

send help I can't tell if I'm just hyperfixationing and projecting on certain characters or if they're me ;-; (my reaction to stress is apparently very simluar to depersonalization/derealization disorder which is. annoying. because I can not longer tell if my body feels wrong because gender, or kinshift, or that.)

If any of those that I'm questioning end up actually being kins, I'll do this again with them because I love excuses to infodump are my lives :3 Voidling Not!Anon

LETS GOOOO I LOVE INFODUMPS

the thing about memories is really super wholesome :)

[star-ar512]

if you don't mind tell me about this signalis i know nothing but your reblogs have me fascinated

hell yeah, for sure i don't mind. SIGNALIS is definitely a game that deserves recognition and i'll be perfectly happy to spread the word.

took my sweet time with this because i was debating whether include spoilers or not, and ultimately decided to not include them for the sake of new players.

not like they'd immediately ruin the whole story, as it is remarkably complex and many people who completed the game more than once claim to have needed to look up information to properly understand it.

so, i have not quite 100%'d the game yet, even if we're approaching that status; still, this game makes you want to play it again.

reasons why SIGNALIS is worthy of praise:

- stunning visuals. from the "basic" isometric 2.5D gameplay to the carefully crafted cutscenes; not to talk about the animations and the other scenes in the game that aren't 2.5D. there's a level of detail which is surprising.

the art is so "appropriate"? i can't convey properly how much i love the art.

- the intro. SIGNALIS' intro has to be the raddest and most breathtaking intro a game can have. it managed to overwhelm me even before the game properly began.

- this game includes a fuckton of secrets, only one playthrough is not enough to find them all.

also playing it more than once makes you appreciate what you thought was not worthy of attention or only caused you confusion.

- the game fucks with you. more than once. not elaborating on this, or it'll ruin the surprise(s)

- the game fucks you up and changes your brain chemistry!!! try to not cry every day after completing SIGNALIS challenge (failed).

- the soundtrack is incredible. definitely worth the $8 on bandcamp (hours and hours of your brain getting wrecked and repeatedly hit with an active stun prod. worth the exchange)

jokes aside, each single piece is extraordinarily fitting to each instance it is used in.

- the story is packed with raw fucking emotion. it can and will leave you bewildered more than once, especially during the first time you'll play it. then you'll just cry the next times

- the gameplay is so good??? like holy shit. it is rightfully challenging, but not impossible without a guide. i'd advise against using one, because you can progress fairly easily with your own brainpower; also it feels way more satisfying once you get what you have to do.

if you're familiar with these kinda horror games, they often make you feel like you're perfectly alone and that adds to the spooky ambiance. in this case, i felt like we were a little less alone, thanks to [this space intentionally left blank].

i got so "nostalgic" at like halfway i wanted to begin the game anew. this has never happened with any other game

- the care about every detail. at first, you'll probably think "yeah this is all disconnected"; but then...everything pieces together perfectly

- the intentionally left to interpretation story. some things are clear, many others aren't. that's the charm of the story, so many theories can be made about it.

when i first finished the game i was like "what? what the fuck? h huh??? bruuhhhhh"

it was clear everything wasn't. i didn't understand shit and it was so beautiful -> brings you to play the game again (2)

- women. robot women everywhere. robot women with abs and neck armor. robot women with guns. (also no feet!!!! for some reason that makes me feel comfortable)

robot women with deep voices and big hands.

extremely tall robot women.

robot women with broad shoulders and red eyeliner.

robot women with an undercut.

do you really have to wish for anything else?

- the protagonist is fucking crazyyyy?????? i love elster so much she's so hot and handsome and gay and sillyyy and done for. definitely one of the best main characters ever. no backing away until [redacted]

- as you probably could notice from all the fanart, this game relies heavily on lesbians. not saying anything else about this

i think this is enough. i don't think i can say more without entering the spoiler zone.

treat yourself and spend $10-15 (no, don't wait for a sale. this game is worth every single penny and more) on one of the best games on the steam/ps/xbox/nintendo store.

oh, also the physical release has a surprise, so if you come across one, definitely grab it

hope this was enough to introduce you to SIGNALIS! and hopefully made you want to try the game because it messed with my brain soooo bad (in a good way) ouughfhghhhhh

[turtlemagnum]

warning, long, spoilers

ok so, now that i've slept on it i think i can formulate thoughts on episode 1 in more depth. first of all, there's the good:

i liked the actors for the most part. the kid that played anakin, while admittedly not a spectacular actor, was also a little kid so i can't hold it against him. in terms of visual casting, i'd say he was about perfect, you can really see a resemblance between him and a young mark hamill, so whoever picked him out did a good job. the guy who played qui-gon and obi-wan were also pretty good, and they played off of darth maul really well in their fight. i'd honestly say it was one of the best parts of the movie, at least partially due to the fact that it was an almost completely nonverbal sequence with really good choreography. realistically i know that a double bladed sword is stupid, but they did a really good job of making it look plausibly capable in the fight. both the fake padme and real padme had good actresses, and all of these guys playing off one another in various ways really highlighted the best parts of the movie imo. shmi's actress was also really damn good, had an excellent way of portraying the weariness in her eyes, and when anakin left you could really feel like she was happy for him to be free but sad that she wouldn't be able to come with him. if there's any bad in the movie, the actors aren't remotely to blame. and that's without even mentioning how fantastic palpatine's actor was, really convincing as both a cunning yet outwardly honest appearing politician and a sith lord pulling the strings behind everything. 10/10 cast, really

i touched on this, but i honestly really liked the fight choreography for the most part. at least with the stuff with actual human actors, i'd put it all at about on par with the original trilogy. i will admit that jarjar bumblefucking around accidentally killing droids was, at time, pretty funny.

the soundtrack was good. it was a star wars movie, that's like saying your steak is good at a gordon ramsey restaurant, enough said

i honestly really liked the aesthetics of a lot of the world design. it's probably at least partially because i first became Burdened By The Curse by the kotor games which themselves heavily took from prequel era aesthetics, but overall i'd say most environments look nice.

i really liked any and all political aspects to the whole thing. from what i understand that's something a lot of people didn't like, but personally i'm not one of those Capital G Gamer types who thinks politics in media is a bad thing. it's really lovely seeing the flaws of the republic on full display, and you can really tell how they're gonna get exploited by palpatine in his ascent to emperorhood. i honestly really like what i've seen so far of the overarching plot of a liberal democracy slowly descending into the depths of fascism, weimar republic style.

i honestly really like all the foreshadow-y bits sprinkled throughout. the scene panning to palpatine at the end when yoda openly wonders if maul was the apprentice or the master, the jedi order being acutely aware of the dark trajectory of anakins future, it's all just so... mmm, chef's kiss. they really took advantage of the fact that we know where all the pieces are eventually gonna fall, some cosmic irony shit right there.

and now... The Bad;

ok so easily the worst goddamn thing about the movie was the racist shit in it, right? what with the whole greedy alien bug men with vaguely japanese accents, the large snouted, greedy, desert dwelling little freak with patchy facial hair and a vaguely jewish accent, the gungans speaking with a vaguely jamaican patois (couldn't tell you how many times they said "ting"), all of these were very easily the most uncomfortable parts of the whole damn thing, like holy shit george. i'd need a fucking crowbar to properly unpack all of that shit

springing from that, the gungans in general. aside from the racist shit they mostly weren't that bad, but i will say that specifically any time boss nass was on screen i wasn't having a good time. jarjar wasn't that annoying, but i do think that the movie would've been better either without him or with him written completely differently.

some of the CGI looks janky. i will say that unlike the stuff retroactively added to the original trilogy, it tends to look a lot more "natural", which is to say it looks like it was designed to be as such from the beginning. frankly, i find there to be a certain charm to the jankass CGI, but at the same time if it were shot with practical effects i probably wouldn't be like "hmm, this would've looked better with CGI", y'know?

the dialogue was, at times, rather clumsy. the whole "are you an angel?" thing gets memed a lot (with good reason), and frankly i think the movie would've been better without it, but it's not movie ruining or anything.

honestly, aside from our First Point here, i think the most egregious thing was the fucking pod-racing part. a complete lack of visual clarity, was mostly just CGI and noise, terrible section. i've heard people talk about how some movies will have sections that are there for the audience to leave for sustenance refills/bathroom breaks as to not miss anything important, and i think this is likely a peak example of that. absolutely wretched, pacebreaking, with barely anything remotely interesting happening

[corruptedforce]

respond to the prompts out of character!

what made you pick up the current muse(s) you have? I wanted to write Anakin for years, but I don't half ass pick up any character. It's one of the reason why I keep my multi under 15, at all times. I have to have them fleshed out. I've been fascinated by Vader since I was a child. All my friends had Leia Halloween costumes. I just wanted to be Vader. Anakin intrigued me, as well, as I got older. I ALWAYS loved Hayden as Anakin. But, I spent years before ultimately choosing to write him. I had to learn mannerisms, ways he fights, his quirks, his emotional responses, and Vader, because Vader is Anakin.

is there anything you don’t like to write? Look when you play one of the biggest villains in pop culture, there is not much that is off limits. I refuse to ever write or AU him, as a Rebel. He would never be a rebel and I would never write him as such. I also only very rarely and only really for I think one or two people, will write him not falling. His fall is extremely important to what the chosen one prophecy needs, to fufill. I'm not huge on fix-it. I mean, sometimes I enjoy them and I will never change Hayden as Anakin's FC. I don't ship him with other males, with the exception of one and it's writer specific. I don't write smut on him to just write smut, but if it fits, I'm okay. I also don't auto ship.

is there anything you really enjoy writing? Angst, pain, drama, things that make you cry and hate life. I love happiness if we have like something dramatic too. The prequels are a tragedy. They just are. Anakin's life even before his fall, he may have been married, but he was at war. He has brief times with Padme for instance, when he does have happy moments, but war is something that was a lot of his life. I lean towards his destiny more towards trying to create a healthy family dynamic, that didn't exist.

how do you come up with headcanons? I have things knocking around my head and sometimes I get asks. I'm currrently working on one, for three days now based off someone asking me what I thought of one quote.

do you write in silence or do you play music? usually, the TV is on.

do you plan your replies or wing them? I wing them mostly or for the most part, I don't pre-read the previous reply always. I mean, I will sometimes, but with certain partners, I know how I'll react. Sometimess, I have to calm Anakin or Vader down if it's angst before I reply because he's a mess, who will say things, if I don't. But, my best rp partners understand his reactionary responses.

do you enjoy shipping? I love shipping. Just not having it forced on me. I'm open to a lot, if it it makes sense. I also love many types of connections.

what’s your alias/name? Tanya

age? Older than 30. I'm at the age where it says years young on Tumblr.

birthday? April 21st

favorite color?  Cubbie Blue

favorite song?  Anything off the Sons of Anarchy Soundtracks by lately Day is Gone by Noah Gundersen and Come Join the Murder; Also, Lightning Crashes by Live is a song I listen to a lot, Anything by Bob Seger when I need to feel close to my mom

last movie you watched?  Red Dawn (not my idea)

last show you watched?  One Tree Hill

last song you listened to? Ainsi Bas La Vida by Indila.

favorite food?  Tough Guys by REO Speedwagon

favorite season?  sprinter. it's that time in February - March, when it's like 70 but not miserable yet.

do you have a tumblr best friend?

For the last year and half and some change, 100% it has to be Mica (mayxthexforce) and Tori (bchemianrhapscody). With Mica, I have talked to her more than I have talked to anyone, in a time when things were really hard for me, after I lost my mom. But, there are others in the Star Wars fandom, and those are people who have been my friend, even when lies were told and I lost long-term friends. Some people aren't like bestie status but I adore them so much. More recently, I have been talking a ton to @story1ines of late and she is quickly becoming a close friend who I bombard with messages. I also adore @xx--ofmanythoughts--xx, who listens to my baseball ramblings.

I have been on tumblr rp for 13 years and there are people who have come and gone. I will always still communicate with the ones I was the closest to in the world offline, but I forever love my first rp friendship, the Rachel to my Puck, my main Tara to my Jax who I wrie with on Discord only now, the only Wendy I will ever accept to my Jax, my one and only Athelstan and Philippe @mcnsieur, who even though I don't talk to everyday by any means because life is busy, I literally can message her anytime. So many other people I am not remembering.

TAGGED BY: @mayxthexforce

TAGGING: @galaccias, @bchemianrhapscdy, @cagedpotential, @writtenxbeginnings, @story1ines, @mcnsieur, @xx--ofmanythoughts--xx

[i-heart-hxh]

the funny thing is that I can relate to gon on a personal level. the whole feeling guilty, taking the blame, and explode when things are too much. so to me, the way gon react after knowinh kite's death, is totally understandable. but it still makes me sad to see ppl wrongly interpret his actions and ignored his feelings. like he went though hell too during the whole arc. anyway we know that he regretted his action and he apologized to killua but his action had also caused a crack in their friendship. something that is unfortunate and I think that why the separation is needed to repair it.

but still hurt and I hate it.

and I finally get to meet alluka and I have to say that I still haven't warmed up to her. aside from being a factor in killugon separation, something about togashi introducing her in the series and we are heading to the dark continent arc? makes me wary of her. sure she's cute but well it let's just say, she isn't my fave characte.

I hope the movies are as good and I get to see my boys again. need them to heal this broken heart 😭 (2/2)

I'm glad you finished it! Thanks for coming back to give your impressions!

I agree about the way some of the fandom sees Gon and especially Gon's actions in Chimera Ant arc. It's such a shallow way to view the series and it surprises me how many people don't have compassion and understanding for what Gon went through. His feelings of guilt and his issues with self-esteem that lead up to what happened are present throughout the series--it makes a lot of sense when you go back and watch or read it again, there's so much foreshadowing and build up. I have no doubt Togashi was building in this direction all along. It's frustrating seeing people reacting to Gon's trauma without considering his age and all the reasons it makes sense for him to react the way he did. Even though we didn't see much of his perspective during Chimera Ant arc, it's clear how much pain he was in.

I do think the separation is ultimately good for them, though it certainly makes me sad, too--especially because we haven't gotten a reunion yet. 💔 (As I said in my prior meta, I have a lot of hope that we will eventually, though, assuming Togashi is able to keep working on the manga.)

I'm happy you're going to read the manga next! It's the original, after all, and there are some things that were left out or are a bit different than in the 2011 anime. Plus of course there's the next arc, even though Gon and Killua aren't present. The movies are not widely considered "good" LOL, and they're not technically canon because they weren't written by Togashi, but at least they're something you can consume to help with the post-anime heartbreak. The 1999 anime is also worth watching, though it deviates a lot more from the manga than the 2011 anime does (in some ways I like and some ways I don't like, personally). The atmosphere, art, and soundtrack are distinctive and lovely.

I like Alluka myself and I'm curious about the role she and Nanika will play going forward, but to each their own of course! You're entitled to your own opinion on her. She was a factor in the separation, sure, but Gon also wouldn't be healed without her.

My experience is that the broken heart from HxH doesn't go away if it truly resonates with you (and it sounds like it did for you!), but there are a lot of ways to cope with it--consuming the series multiple times in the different formats available, reading/writing meta and fanfics and looking at/drawing fanart, and commiserating with other people in the fandom. Hang in there, I remember how intense that feeling was at first! I'm always happy to discuss more if you have any particular topics you want to talk about!

[pixelchills]

This is not a dump on your story, I love it very much. I just have a visceral reaction to any character I like getting treated horribly like the animutants being treated as sub human. It angers me cuz I have the same reaction to that irl with my fellow medical co workers of color and different ethnic backgrounds n they are some of the nicest people I've ever met like why?? I just want to get the characters out of there and show them they aren't lesser than and protect them 😭

I know the direction this story is headed and it's gonna kill me to read but I will! I'm usually only into soft, found family, happy endings, just straight up fluuuuff...I was like that alot with undertale too 😆 but your story just has me by a hook and won't let me go!

Ah yeah, I understand your reaction 100% and honestly, I don't blame you for feeling that way, as I feel exactly the same lol. Just wanna jump into the universe and save all of those poor mutants treated so unfairly in the world they're living in.

One of the reasons why I've promised a lot of fluffy chapters between the action as well is because, besides all the unfair horror and drama, I feel that the characters deserve good things too. Who said I wasn't going to write a happy, family-oriented ending? Hehehe... There is a chance.

I'm glad you enjoy my story even if it's not exactly your cup of tea. The Animutants vs Humans idea comes from some of my favourite anime/manga series; The Promised Neverland, Shiki, Tokyo Ghoul etc. All of them have the concept of humans vs. monsters, and the main characters trying to survive in the world that seems to be built against them. And which side exactly is 'the monster' there?

Shiki's soundtrack has been, especially, a big inspiration and I tend to listen to it when brainstorming for the story.

Have a listen and settle for the unfair universe I've created for them yourself:

[jezabatlovesbats]

Alright, fine. I’ll talk about Wish.

Here are some ideas I had for how I’d redo it. It might be bad, but I’ll give it a shot. Here goes nothing…

- I would've changed the title to something like The Wishing Star, or The Kingdom of Wishes, or Asha and the Wishing Star. 

- I'd keep the 2D-3D animation blend. I can see why they'd want to go with that. It's like, a nod to all eras of the Disney studio's animation. But, it would look better however possible. 

- I think we should redo the entire soundtrack to make it way less pop. The best movies from the studio have Broadway-ish soundtracks. I've read on YouTube comments and such that it's better for musicals to focus on the story and themes and not pop replay-ability. Not every song needs to peak on the charts like We Don't Talk About Bruno did. (We can probably keep At All Costs, though.) 

- For the soundtrack, I would have taken a similar approach to the SpongeBob Musical, where each of the songs are from different songwriters they’ve worked with. Like, one song from Lin-Manuel, one from the Lopezes, one from Alan Menken, etc. As I saw in one comment, they could even bring in Elton John and Phil Collins. Another way I would’ve done it is have all of them collaborate on the soundtrack together. That would have been impactful. 

- Probably change the designs of the characters, the architecture and backgrounds of Rosas, and the music so that they better represent the Iberian peninsula/Andalusia. There's so much to work with from that area. Some of the characters' names can be changed to better fit the area, too. But I'm not from that area, nor am I of that heritage, so I'm not sure how that would be done. 

- The name of Rosas can also be changed so that it fits in with the theme of stars and wishes. I was thinking something along the lines of Estrellas. 

- What kind of a name is Magnificent? I thought of changing King Magnifico's name to something like King Maximilio. He can be called Maximilio the Magnificent (Maximilio el Magnifico). 

- I was thinking that Asha is his and Amaya's adoptive daughter. 

- The major supporting characters would be Star (as that shapeshifting humanoid being), Dahlia, and Sakina, who can be Asha's (biological) aunt.

- I'm not sure if Valentino would be there as well, honestly. 

- @annymation’s rewrite had the king and queen have a pet bobcat, and I think that's cool! I think they could have an Iberian lynx or something!

- I like the idea of Asha having a human friend group, and I understand basing them off of the 7 dwarves. While I've heard people say that there doesn't need to be so many of them, we could possibly make them all work. We've just gotta give them more recognizable character traits and more to do in the story. (Off-topic, but Bazeema looks like an OC I would make.) 

- I'd also keep the beginning of the movie having a storybook being opened and read from. But, what I think I'd want is for there to be some opening credits with a song, like in Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland. The prologue song can be about, well, starlight and wishing or whatever. 

- For the actual plot of the movie, and for Asha and Star's dynamic, I'd have it be pretty similar to these ideas because I have none of my own: 

^ Read the description.

- My ideas aren't exactly like these, of course. They're, like, adjacent to these. Do you understand what I mean? 

- Anyways, Rosas (or whatever it's called) wasn't founded by Maximilio and Amaya. It's been there. They're just the current rulers of the place. It's painted as this happy, colorful place where all of your wishes can come true just like that. You can do anything or be anything you want to be. 

- I wouldn't make Asha pessimistic. I'd make it so that she's living idyllically in her kingdom, which, like I said, is marketed as the world's greatest kingdom or something. But then, she learns the hard truth about the way it's run when she hears of the people's untold suffering. 

- Sabino can be a poor old man that Asha meets, and he can be her very first encounter with someone who knows the truth about what's going on. 

- Basically, there's a false sense of equality and equal opportunity at play in this kingdom, and the rulers don't care about what the people want and won't do crap about the kingdom's issues. It's basically this, except it’s actually happening.

- So, when Star is summoned down, Asha hopes he'll be able to fix everything in a snap because her parents told her the stars were capable of anything. But, he can't do that. He, of course, helps her on her journey, and she challenges her parents, who aren't who they claim to be and all that. 

- A scene where Asha's friends and Sakina explain their wishes would probably be good.

- Maybe the rulers colonized the stars. Like, they exploited them and their power to only benefit themselves, and that has a really negative effect on them. So then maybe, when Asha wished on the stars, they saw it as a chance to save them, and so they sent down Star. 

- So Asha feels like her happiness is tainted because of what she knows now, but she keeps her mind open and tries to fight for a better future where all the people's wishes can come true.

- When the rulers are defeated and the stars are free, Star wants to stay with Asha because they've caught the feels for each other. It's kind of a Ponyo-like ending because Star has to give up his magic in order to do that. Maybe he could change his name to something like Aster or Esteban. 

- When he becomes human, he sends his magic up into the sky, and it takes the form of the wishing star. It's there to remind people that the stars will be there to guide you, and they'll help anyone in need.

- The theme I had in mind for this is like, No one’s wishes can really come true unless we’re all truly free to make them. In other words, don’t be greedy or ignorant and actually care about people. 

[jeff-from-marketing]

Hi, I'm going to be autistic about Halo for a minute, you're welcome!

I fucking love these games, I think Halo: Combat Evolved was probably the first FPS I played (not first shooter though, that title probably goes to Ratchet and Clank) and I very much have fond memories of couch co-op with various Halo games with friends and family. Genuinely one of my biggest wishes for a very long time was to have all the games available on PC, not just Halo: CE and Halo 2. And also the Forge mode for Halo 5 at one point but... we don't talk about Halo 5.

The thing I love about them so much beyond just the gameplay (which, let's be honest: varies quite a bit even among just the Bungie titles) is the stories they tell. Yes, there's the whole "humanity as the underdog" element that's pervasive throughout: people just trying to fucking survive as the seemingly unstoppable armies of the Covenant approach closer and closer to putting humanity in its grave. And yes, there's the questionable ethics of the Spartan program (among all the other shit ONI gets up to) as well as the ever alluring "big damn hero" aspect in the form of said Spartans. But that's not what I love about it.

What I love is that how well it puts a face to the enemies you're facing. This also ties into why Halo 2 and 3 are my favourite of the main trilogy. The Covenant aren't just some faceless collection of aliens with the only nebulous goal of "exterminate humanity." They have a detailed structure to things, a way of order, their own views of the universe. And going even further, each species member of the Covenant has their own views on top of that. Going even further you also get groups within those members with differing views and ideologies. Hell, you even get to play as a member of the Covenant in the form of the Arbiter in Halo 2, giving you a first hand experience of it all. Which is why it is awesome getting to see what happens when those views are challenged; getting to see the Covenant fall apart, not because of humanity's doing, but just simply because certain knowledge caused a Great Schism among their people. Seeing the Sangheili (among other members of the Covenant) turn against their former masters; seeing the Arbiter turn from an enemy to a valuable ally. It's all so good. And it ends so wonderfully with Halo 3 as well.

Even the Flood get similar treatment. They're not just mindless creatures, they're actually scary with their intelligence. Gravemind in particular being a fantastic example of how to do creepy and unsettling while still being very intelligent.

Even Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach have fantastic stories in them as well, not to mention the soundtrack of the former. Both of which being fantastic stories of humanity just simply trying to survive more than anything, even when the Covenant are at the front door. But again, particularly in ODST, they're not just one track enemies you fight. ODST specifically introduces the greatest fren, and I will take no criticisms on that front. It's just very very good, highly recommend basically the entire Master Chief Collection.

I'm a little more negative under the cut, particularly about Halo 4 onwards. Feel free to stop here if you just want the feel goods and me being very happy about a very cool thing, I won't judge!

So you can imagine then, with all the cool things I just went on and on about, my sheer disappointment when every game from Halo 4 onwards does absolutely fucking nothing with any of that. As much as I have grievances with modern Bungie, they did the right thing by ending Master Chief's story with Halo 3. I'll be honest and say that Master Chief was never a super exciting character to begin with, which is also why the enemies being so well detailed sticks out so much to me. The world around Master Chief is fascinating: Chief himself is not.

You don't need Master Chief for a good Halo story.

Halo 3: ODST (to my understanding) is really highly regarded, and Halo: Reach is also (while not perfect) still a great game. Their stories hold up really well without the inclusion of Master Chief. The sections of Halo 2 that centre around the Arbiter are really solid and are some of my personal favourites in the game. The time for Master Chief had ended, he had a great send off in Halo 3. So why the fuck did they drag him back from the proverbial grave? There are so many other aspects of the universe they could explore.

We just saw the Great Schism and the Covenant fucking collapse in on itself, giving rise to a whole bunch of new splinter factions with differing ideologies. One of which being the Swords of Sanghelios lead by the Arbiter, actively working to make allies with humanity, which not all the Sangheili (let alone other former Covenant members) agree with. That alone offers a fuck load of things you could dive into for storytelling potential. I would pay good fucking money for a game with the Arbiter as the main character. It's already criminal that he's relegated to player 2 status in Halo 3.

Or you could take the ODST route, show us what the Human-Covenant war looked like from other angles when you're not a super soldier. Could even use this to do some wild experiments gameplay wise! Maybe a more grounded/tactical style game as a UNSC marine, or something with more stealth/subterfuge as an ONI operative or something.

Hell you can even do a Halo: Reach and just focus on another squad of Spartans (no Halo 5! bad! that's not how you do it!) if you really think you simply must have Spartans for some reason.

There's just so much of the universe to explore, so many other stories to tell. Yet apparently they're more interested in beating the dead horse that's called Master Chief until there's not even any solid bones left. It's genuinely a shame, there's few things that make me more sad than wasted potential of a really cool thing. Especially when all the other games beforehand have done such a great job.

[uh-e-rinnie]

wanna talk about my feelings in regards to tss, thomas as a creator and stuff, so feel free to ignore whats under if you'd rather not read

sanders sides is taking a while.

and im not entirely surprised about that, as much as i give thomas the benefit of the doubt I do get what everyone is feeling in regards to the delay. The hiatus has taken a hit to thomas's growth as a creator, and outside of the eyes of a fan and more in the eyes of a business, it's a shame that such a thriving fanbase of what's honestly a really great piece of media had to go this way.

Aside from my feelings as a fan of the show, I genuinely feel bad that the circumstances are how it is now. There's a lot that could have been done with TSS in the time its been gone that would have been great for Thomas' business. Risk doesn't only arise from doing things, it also arises from choosing not to, and that's definitely the case here; the risk has evolved into the consequences.

That being said.

Under the eyes of skepticism I do think that Thomas has room to rebuild on the foundation of his business. Yes people who feel torn apart and deeply hurt as fans may never want to return to engaging with the T-man's content, and that's completely valid. Not only with TSS but also with actions Thomas has done that they don't agree with, some I don't agree with too.

Though my opinion on Thomas and his content wasn't as positive as it used to be (not saying its completely negative), I do leave room for the possibility of improvement. I am not clinging too much on the hope that Thomas may apologize openly about things that I believe shouldn't have been done, but have; It's so easy for people to say that we should apologize we should show people we're sorry, but its a lot harder to do. Realistically, my expectations of it aren't much. Just as how I'd expect it from any other person. The toughest thing to do is admit fault, the toughest thing to accept is most people won't.

But maybe that's just me.

I think if Thomas does things right, and keeps his word on what he's saying in the video (a possibility which I cannot adequately measure right now). Then yeah, I think he definitely can build back from his foundation.

At the same time, I still wish him all the best. He's made mistakes in his business practices and made decisions I don't necessarily agree with, but he's not evil. I don't want this potential to fall apart nor do I wish for it. I hope he remains well, especially with the condition he's got going on.

On a lighter note.

Though we haven't seen it yet; It's nice to hear what he has planned with the season finale. Especially on the part of original music; If there's a lot of it, It would work well in his favor to release the season finale original music as a compiled soundtrack. Ofc I don't have much knowledge on music so I can't say much.

It's nice to hear him doing song writing, he's a wonderful singer and I'd be happy to hear more original songs from him.

I'm glad to hear a possibility on cartoon therapy's return. I won't comment much on it cause I don't know what to expect, it's been years. But It's a very comforting series for younger me, and I'm sure it will be for a lot of people.

Short paced content featuring some of the characters may seem a little bait-y and I understand if people feel that way. To me this is just business, and it's fun to see these characters out of the usual setting or plot they're stuck in. I think It'll be fun.

I also understand Thomas wants to mature somewhat in his content, whether he verbalizes this thoroughly or not.

Anyway, I'll be dropping a bit more opinions here and there but It's nice to hear from Thomas again. I hope he keeps his word and we get the content weve been waiting for, as well as enjoy the new content we may get. Wish him all the best health-wise.

[watching-pictures-move]

Put On Your Raincoats #21 | Double Chinn Double (Double) Feature (with Hyapatia Lee)

By the time the '80s rolled around, Bob Chinn, best known for his collaborations with John Holmes (the inspiration for Boogie Nights), had been directing movies for over a decade. For much of that time, he'd been making them for peanuts (in an interview with the Rialto Report, he recounts being once asked to make a movie for five thousand dollars, which was handed to him in fifties on the spot), but in the early '80s, he was directing for Harry Mohney's Caribbean Films, working with respectable budgets (by porn standards). Some of these films starred Hyapatia Lee, one of the most popular porn stars of the era and one of the first contract girls. Now, I suspect these aren't necessarily the defining works of Chinn's career, and I do intend to get to some of his movies with Holmes. But Vinegar Syndrome had a sale and there were two double features of their collaborations going for dirt cheap, and because I am weak and foolish with money, they ended up in my cart and a few weeks later in my grubby little paws. How did this happen? Through the magic of Canada Post, of course! Anyway, what I found was that these didn't represents any extremes of artistic ambition. They were neither seeking to elevate the genre, nor were they hackwork. Rather, they represent a happy medium, movies that seek to deliver the genre's goods in a polished, diverting package. Slick cinematography, courtesy of Jack Remy. Catchy theme songs that wouldn't sound out of place if you caught them on the radio. Flashy titles. Lee recounted the atmosphere on set as one of professionalism and engagement, where everyone present wanted to do as good a job as possible. Chinn claims to have been losing interest in his work at this point, but the results onscreen are the result of confident execution by somebody who had been doing this kind of thing for years and knew how to put the production's resources to good use.

The first one I watched was The Young Like it Hot, where the operators at a phone company worry about being replaced by computers. To keep their jobs, they scheme to go the extra mile in helping their callers. As this is a porno, most of this help is sexual in nature, as when Rosa Lee Kimball stays on the line while an obscene phone caller played by Bill Margold finishes. (In an interview on the DVD, Margold says after shooting his scene, he was invited to record additional dialogue. Being the method actor that he was, he insisted on whipping it out during the recording session despite the lack of cameras.) Sometimes they are informative, as when Bud Lee (real life husband of Hyapatia at the time) explains why the perineum is referred to as taint ("cuz it taint cunt and it taint ass"). But the highlight of their efforts are Shauna Grant's increasingly life threatening home improvement advice to one poor sap played by Joey Silvera. Hyapatia Lee is ostensibly the star, and has a certain charisma, playing the supervisor, but this is really an ensemble piece, and she's joined by more experienced actors like Kay Parker and Eric Edwards. The latter I've occasionally found bland elsewhere, but he has a nice obnoxious quality that serves him well as the villainous manager whose idea it is the automate the operators' jobs. The movie reflects a very real concern (that's very much still an issue in the modern workplace), but overall this is a breezy, affable comedy.

A bit more serious in tone is Sweet Young Foxes, a coming of age story whose dramatic parts are more sensitively realized than I expected. The screenplay was written by Deborah Sullivan, Bob Chinn's wife at the time, and this is a case where a movie definitely benefited from having been written by a woman, and it seems like an earnest effort to capture the anxieties and yearnings of its young women protagonists. Lee moves closer to a real starring role, and is joined by Cara Lott and Cindy Carver as her friends, who aren't quite as strong actors as her but do have decent chemistry. I can believe they're friends even if their line delivery can be stilted. (That the movie has a good ear for genuine sounding dialogue also helps.) Kay Parker is especially good as Lee's mother, hitting some of the same notes as Taboo, and has a credibly emotional masturbation scene in front of a mirror that did not leave me unmoved. (In what way? That's none of your damn business.) This was shot by Jack Remy, the same cinematographer who worked on The Young Like it Hot. That movie looked nice and slick, but this one is a little more stylish, with the solo sex scenes in particular resembling magazine centerfolds. There's also some nice new-wave-ish music that shows up on the soundtrack, which I certainly didn't mind. I do wish some of the sex scenes didn't run quite as long (the previous movie kept them refreshingly concise) as I'd prefer more of the runtime was dedicated to the dramatic elements, but what's there is still good.

Body Girls goes back firmly to comedy territory, where Hyapatia Lee and the members of her gym are trying to win a bodybuilding contest despite a rival gym's attempts to undermine them. This comes in the form of a pair of schlubs in yellow tank tops who break into the gym after hours to sabotage their equipment, only to be foiled by Hyapatia and her girls who just happened to be having sex in the locker room as people do. Of course, despite Lee's attempts to teach them a lesson (which depending on your proclivities, may have the opposite effect), they don't give up, and during the contest threaten the judge at gunpoint. Not one to take things lying down (okay, poor choice of words here), Lee finds a way to influence the judge back in her favour. (The judge is played by Francois Papillon, bringing a dopey charm to the character as he fumbles through his lines in his French accent.) Her method is pretty ridiculous and certainly in service of genre requirements, but I did laugh.

Now, there's probably a dilemma in audience sympathy here as both Lee and her rivals are cheating, but Lee's methods are more agreeable and directed at the judge instead of her rivals so I guess we ought to root for her. She's also buoyant, charismatic and has a real star quality, and is joined by such fan favourites as Shanna McCullough and Erica Boyer, all of whom sport wildly different hairstyles. As can be expected given the exercise theme, most of the ladies have toned, athletic bodies (and given the decade, voluminous coiffures), with the exception of Tigr, who brings a wiry punkish energy that stood out to me despite her limited screentime, and she also performs the miraculous feat of making a mullet look cute. (I'd previously been moved by her work in Kamikaze Hearts, the great mockumentary about a porn production and her relationship with Sharon Mitchell. She didn't stay in the industry for too long, but I'd be interested in seeing more of her work.) The screenplay was written by Lee with her husband Bud (who plays the judge's assistant with an agreeable presence that's neither too alpha nor too schlubby) and is full of exercise-related dialogue. Most of this is pretty clunky and calling it wordplay might be a bit generous ("sexercise" features at one point), but I did appreciate the effort. Also as is requisite for the premise, the longest set piece in the movie is an orgy in Lee's gym with the various participants snaked around different pieces of equipment. I must note that one of the male actors resembles Barry Gibb and that Francois Papillon is shown to wear a tiger-striped speedo. Did I enjoy the movie? Yes, but not for reasons cited in that sentence.

At the end of Body Girls, Bud Lee suggests to Hyapatia, "Let's get physical", which is the title of the next movie. (Body Girls also features a character looking at dirty magazine with stills from Sweet Young Foxes and ends with a plug for some of these other movies, anticipating the MCU's narrative and marketing strategies by a few decades.) Now, all of these movies have had decent theme songs, but the one in Let's Get Physical has lyrics that are plagiaristically close to those of Olivia Newton-John's 1983 hit. (The delivery however is more shrill but not unpleasing.) This movie is a drama where Lee plays a dance instructor trying to put together a ballet performance despite her strained relationship with her impotent husband played by Paul Thomas. (In the interview I listened to, Lee speaks well of almost everyone she worked with on these films, with the pointed exception of Paul Thomas. If there was bitterness behind the scenes, it arguably helps their performances.)

Lee wrote the screenplay for this one, and unlike Body Girls with its surface level references to bodybuilding and exercise, the dialogue here feels packed with knowledge of the real thing, which is understandable given Lee's real life interest in dance going back to her childhood. (I looked up "Luigi jazz dancing" after finishing the movie and was pleasantly surprised to learn it was a real thing.) This movie goes all in on her star power, and features a number of dance numbers that seem genuinely interested in the form rather than just leering at the performers. (There is one scene where the song Lee dances to sounds suspiciously like "Beat It".) I did appreciate that the sex scenes were kept relatively concise and tied into the dramatic aspects, although in some cases, the choices made could be goofy, like the scene where Lee makes love to her student Shanna McCullough while Thomas, in a dramatically justified but still awkward gesture, watches from another room and jacks off. (I assume he's playing the audience in this scene. Also, McCullough's character remarks "I've never done this before" when going down on Lee, and yeah, okay Shanna.) Other highlights include a car stunt that may or may not have been lifted from elsewhere but still looks decently executed, as well as a dream sequence where Thomas (or his character at least) plays the piano and sings a song. This is held back a bit by the genre's demands, like when it places a completely superfluous sex scene at the end after Lee's reconciliation with Thomas, but on the whole this is probably the best one of the lot.