#I’m not saying it’s a masterpiece but I am saying it more fun and iconic

[always-a-slut-4-ghouls]

You don’t understand, when I was at my worst with my depression, and every time I looked up at the night sky and grew scared of how small we are, how alone we might be, how short our time is, how I couldn’t comprehend infinity, how everything will end eventually, how everything I see way out there is long gone, I would panic. I would break down. The stars themselves scared me. But one day doctor who was put on Netflix and a comment on a deviant post reminded me of a deal I made with another user. If I watch doctor who they’ll watch the time travel show I thought was cool. I watched it on a whim, I’m not sure I’d even encountered it much on tumblr yet. But it made me feel less small. I began to actually look at the night sky without abject terror. I thought about how if you looked at it more like, idk, a learning adventure? When you heard new things about it, it wasn’t as scary. Something that could inspire writers to create such adventures and have normal people characters tag along… I got less scared. When everything started being galaxy print I thought it was pretty and not horrifying. It’s long been a trendy pattern of the last decade or so, perhaps a bit less, but I still see cool looking art inspired by images from space telescopes that were made to have different colors for invisible wavelengths so that humans could see… idk. It makes me happy. It’s like I’m less scared, and now I don’t even feel like I need there to be life on other planets for me to stop feeling alone, because there is so much life on this one! Even if I was the only human on earth, I still wouldn’t be alone just from being on this life filled planet. And I’m not the only human.

That’s not an experience I’ve had from many stories, it was one of those things that you encounter at just the right time for your view of the world to be changed for the better. Something that lodges itself inside of you and makes you better than you were before. I’ll always remember it fondly because of that. I know there is a lot I never watched and maybe one day I’ll catch up, but the fact is that what I DID see was enough to change me as a person. To make my existential dread just a little bit less all encompassing and inspire more curiosity in me.

[sitp-recs]

HP Rec Fest, Day 19

@hprecfest couldn’t come up with a better prompt on my birthday if they wanted 😂 my moment to be the horny on main has finally come (pun intended) and I had so much fun planning this rec post - it’s been a long time coming too, as naturally this was the very first prompt I checked when the fest started! You can probably guess just by looking at this rec list that I’m a big smut fan and champion. I love reading it, talking about it and reccing it. The fics I reread the most are PWPs and I’m even more obsessed when they offer hot dirty talk (am actually picky about it!) and exceptional character development. In fact, some of the most insightful, sensitive and sophisticated character studies I’ve seen come from deeply underrated smutty fics and I’ll die on this hill!

Today I’m breaking my own rule of only reccing two fics and avoiding stories I’ve recced before because a) this is too good an opportunity to scream about my faves again b) it’s my birthday and I can do whatever I want 😌 the Drarry rec was actually bit more challenging as my usual smutty favorites involve rare pairs. I’ve been working hard to highlight lesser known fics but this time I’m staying true to the request - which of course it’s completely subjective - and chose my favourite even if it’s a widely known and popular fic. I feel so privileged to be reading and reccing these masterpieces as a birthday celebration! You’ll find some of my favourite quotes below, as a treat 🔥

Day 19) fic with the hottest smut

Drarry:

Tales from the Special Branch by Femme (E, WIP)

“You slag," he says, but there's no sharpness to the words. They're warm and soft, and he stills, looking up at Potter, his heart stuttering. "Whore," Potter whispers. It comes out like an endearment, gentle against Draco's jaw.

Draco's eyes flutter shut. His whole body feels heated, flushed, every nerve ending aware of Potter pressed against him. The phial of lube is still clenched tight in his fingers; he lets it slide free, dropping to the coverlet beside them. "I want you," he says. "It's madness, I know. We've lost our bloody minds." He opens his eyes, and Potter's watching him, hair mussed, cheeks pink.

"I can't keep away," Potter says. He strokes a knuckle along Draco's face. "I don't want to keep away."

I considered going for a hidden gem but it was no use, I just had to celebrate this epic classic and stay true to my heart! when it comes to ust and smut imo this is hands down the hottest thing I’ve ever read. there are so many iconic and breathtaking sex scenes it’s impossible to pick just one; I’ve reread most of them more times than I care to admit and they all have carved their way inside my brain. I love how desperately wanton Harry and Draco are for each other in this fic! I keep replaying every dirty word, every slutty kiss, every chaotic and intense af sexual encounter they have over the course of this superb and deliciously long case fic/secret relationship series. at this point everyone and their dog has heard of, and read, this series but if you haven’t yet you’re in for a treat! block your schedule this holiday season and go grab some popcorn for this brilliant masterclass in writing, flangst and smut - so much top notch smut to feast on you’ll want to live in this universe forever. you’re welcome!

Rare pair:

Euphoria by birdsofshore (Albus/Scorpius + Albus/Draco, E, 37k)

"Please." I can see Al's legs quivering. They must be getting tired, hooked over Father's shoulders like that for so long. "Please, Draco. Fuck me. Fuck me some more."

Bloody hell. His words go straight to my prick. Father's arse cheeks clench, and he thrusts forward a little deeper into Al, as if he can't help himself. Al moans, and I don't know what's better, hearing it, or seeing my father's reaction to it.

"Very well." Father pulls back to a kneeling position, his hands gripping Al's thighs. I can see Al's hole stretched around the head of my father's cock. "Watch. You might learn something."

I double dare you to find anything hotter than this fic and believe me, I’ve read TONS of smut across many ships and fandoms. Am I biased due to my particular fondness for age gap and sharing/cuckolding kink? Maybe so 🌝 but I promise you this is unlike any other smut you’ve read before - it’s not only smoking hot with the kind of self-indulgent, relentless athletic sex that leaves you sweating (and horny), it’s also pov multiple written in the first person and how brilliant is that??? birds sells herself short in the AN saying this is just 30k of pure unadulterated porn but I’d argue this is actually a masterpiece, an extremely clever, nuanced and perfectly executed character study, mainly of Scorpius. I am impressed beyond words by what birds was able to deliver in 30k of yes, unapologetic kinky smut. DILF Draco, wanton Albus and sweet conflicted Scorp are a sight to behold and will live rent free in your mind after you read this 🪦

Bonus:

Utter Cockslut (A Worthy Cause) by Lokifan (Drarry, Draco/others, E, 7.5k)

Harry grinned darkly. “All right, Draco, get ready for the last few. Make sure you’re good for them; I’m a man who keeps my promises.”

Draco went up on his toes, craning round to see the next wizard. He strained to make out faces in the murky light; after being fucked by Weasley, he knew it could be almost anyone waiting for their chance to have him.

He felt anxiety shiver through him deliciously. Harry went and spoke to the wizards there, his voice low and businesslike. Giving them instructions on how to use him, maybe? Draco hurt from desire.

gangbang galore!!!! this fic has been one of my favourite PWPs to revisit for some years now. I’ll never get over Lokifan’s smut tbh, every fic was obviously written to check my personal boxes and the pacing, characterization and dialogue are so masterfully done I’m always gutted when it’s over. they’ve written smut for some of my favorite ships and they’re all equally delicious but nothing beats (hehe) this one: downright sinful and decadent as the summary suggests but also surprisingly very sweet! established drarry doing the nasty together is my comfort food and here you can feel how much trust and love they have for each other. Harry & Draco are 100% connected throughout the whole fic and the bits of playful teasing, desperate affection and tender aftercare in-between fucks made me swoon! this is a must read for anyone who loves to see Draco getting some diq and loving it, but also to my fellow Dron fans out there! their smutty times are deliciously hot and so funny too, with a lovable horny Ron being egged on by the devils. HBD me! 😂🎉

[whatareyoudoingwithamaserati]

yessss, two friends showed me jennifers body a couple years ago! the movie deserves every single bit of hype it gets, i had so much fun, it was delicious!

(if you have more recs? 👀👀 I love literary/audio horror but ive been too... idk, scared? because i don't know what i like when it comes to visuals?)

LET’S GOOOOO!!! I put off watching Jennifer’s Body for so long because I was worried it would not live up to the hype but MAN was it worth it. They have been plaguing my thoughts ever since. I am especially a massive fan of the costume design because they NAILED that shit!!

Admittedly I’m more into horror movies than novels (it is . So hard to read these days) and podcasts have never caught my fancy, but it would feel wrong to not recommend sign here by Claudia Lux and the ever infamous American psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. I actually haven’t finished American psycho because it is a dense read but my god it’s a beautiful masterpiece of a book and I did not expect it to be as hilarious as it is

Movie wise I tend to jump all over the place and watch whatever catches my fancy so this is. Not a very cohesive rec list and not full of very many older homoerotic movies but. I plan to watch more when I can

First and foremost I am an absolute die hard fan of house of 1000 corpses. I cannot put into words how much I love it in all of its weirdness. It was made by rob zombie of living dead girl fame and you can TELL in the best of ways. It’s got fun colour grading, excessive swearing, weird ass characters, and such a fun setting. I’d say it’s on the medium-heavy side of gore with a couple of body horror scenes and a good bit of blood and mutilation. The seocnd movie is good, third eh, but you don’t actually need to watch those two. They take the camp of the first movie and turn it into a more gritty realistic energy that is almost meanspirited in nature

I’m a HUGE cabin fever fan and I will recommend it at every chance I get, BUT! There is a caveat and that is that it is not only significantly gory but also that it is weird, campy, kitschy, and a real big fan of slurs, LOL. I think we hit several n-words, an r-word or two, and some use of faggot. Some of the later scenes are downright WEIRD but despite it all it is one of my favourite horrors with some really haunting scenes

Hellraiser in general is a wonderful franchise, I love Clive Barker’s choice to base the cenobites around a mix of BDSM and gay culture and how he characterizes pinhead, even if the later movies fuck it up a little. The 2022 standalone is a huge favourite in particular, I love the imagery and the cenobite redesigns that lean heavier into body horror as well as the cinematography. Jamie Clayton’s pinhead is fucking INCREDIBLE to boot

If you like erotic horror, X is definitely a good one to watch - the plot centres around sex workers determined to make an erotic film and make it big, with some immaculate commentary on desirability, beauty, and aging. Good bit of tits and ass in that one, as well as medium level gore. It also has two sequels, Pearl and MaXXXine, which are set in the past and future respectively. Pearl was secretly shot at the same time as X in the same location and focuses on the lust for fame, the need to make it big, and a youthful mania of sorts coming from Pearl. MaXXXine I haven’t actually seen yet so I cannot say much about it, but I hope to get to it soon!

The fear street trilogy is also a remarkably well done series that seamlessly covers one long tangled mystery throughout three different timelines, using the same handful of actors for each one! The use of setting and cinematography is so fuckint cool, the eventual mystery reveal is absolutely wild, and there’s even a canon queer relationship! The gore isn’t too bad, I’d say light but there are some moments that push it to a medium at best

Ready or Not is a movie I enjoy for a variety or reasons (I think the iconic shot of Grace in a ripped and bloody wedding dress is pretty big on the internet), from the setting to the storytelling to Samara Weaving’s fucking banshee screams, with medium-light gore (though the bits that do show up are impactful as all hell. Cabin in the Woods is fun as a deconstruction of the horror genre (and a story that theoretically makes every single horror movie made canon, wow), though it’s also just really fucking funny. Another medium gore!

Candyman 2021 is a brilliant take on an old legacy of movies (again, no previous ones need watching) with a wonderful exploration of gentrification, black trauma, and what makes the candyman the candyman. I know I keep talking about cinematography but holy fuck, the multimedia use in this film in particular. Immaculate. I feel practically obligated to recommend Deathgasm, which is an indie horror with some pretty wicked gore, if not just because the main characters are all metalheads, and as one myself, it’s SO COOL to see us as protags in a horror movie

Last but not least, Prey 2022. Holy fuck, Prey is an utter masterpiece. It’s the latest addition to the predator franchise, another one of those ones you don’t Need to have watched in order to watch prey, but havint seen them gives the watching experience a good bit more depth, with iconic lines being given a new spin. It’s technically a prequel to the first ever predator movie, focusing on one of the first few appearances of a predator on earth (ehhh debatable considering the canon of aliens vs predator but I’m ignoring that for the sake of conciseness), giving it more a more basic appearance and weapons, while also letting it kick absolute ASS. The plot is incredible, the cinematography is incredible, the CGI animals are so much better than ever expected, and it’s also the first ever feature length film to ever have an official Comanche dub!!! Holy fuck!!

As a bonus, though I haven’t seen it, Doctor Sleep also seems like a really well done movie! It’s based off of the Stephen King book set after the shining, reprising and revisiting a lot of iconic moments to tell a new story with fucking incredible visuals that put their own spin on the shining

[launching-a-thousand-ships]

Kurt Glee Rewatch: Home

Burt and Carol are such a wholesome couple. Prob the healthiest on the show lol.

These two are iconic. I also love how Kurt adds the armband bc even in a uniform, he needs to personalize it somehow.

He’s so supportive of Mercedes here... sadly not as much rest of the ep.

But also his expression at being told he has hips like a pear... awe. He’s so tiny though.

Cowboy wallpaper... *Kurt shudders*

Also, seems like ages since the Finn crush was a plot. And wow, Kurt going strong. 

Can I just say how happy I am they’ve started styling his hair? The bangs were cute, but like. This looks much better.

And yikes, Kurt... Mercedes is doing the right thing here, she’s having a very healthy lunch! And Kurt took the criticism so seriously like omg can he please eat real food. I get that he’s happy to not be bullied for once but like. Babe pls.

All Kurtcedes fights are in the cafeteria, apparently.

“Act as translator” Kurt, I thought you were doing well in your classes.

I love how protective he is of Burt. He really stepped into the caretaker role and even when their relationship was more strained, they both love each other and protect each other and I love it.

“Fate brought them together” gee Kurt, when did you change your name. I find it hilarious that this was all his scheme but it resulted in Burt and Carol being so besotted with each other. Who knew they could bond beyond just having dead spouses?

I am curious wtf Kurt’s plan was here. Like, did he think he’d get to spend more time with Finn but then Burt and Carol would break up? Was he hoping they’d get married?? This is such dumb teen boy logic. And I’m really not having the whole ‘predatory gay’ stereotype bc we don’t need to see that

He is very intense here. Like Kurt. Finn is clearly not comfortable here. and omg when he refers to Burt and Carol as ‘Mom and Dad’ like sweetie. No.

Again, Kurt is way too much here but omg the way he looks at Finn and then Puck mouths ‘Are you gay’ and I can’t stop laughing. 

But I do like how he sings the song, much smoother than Defying Gravity. ANd Mercedes is smiling at him and Brittana cuddle bc they like the song too, v sweet.

Not my fav Kurt song? But it’s nice. And I do like Kurt’s singing better than Finn’s. I find in general Finn does well at the upbeat/rock songs, but not a fan of the more ballad style.

Kurt’s crying at the end, he’s legit so in love. It’s also probably hard that he has just... no one to really talk to about it? We never see him discuss it with anyone. His dad is not ready for that kind of talk. And with the girls him being gay is fun for them bc he can talk about fashion etc, but lowkey him being gay is rarely about him liking boys? I mean, everyone knew bc of his clothes etc, he has never shown interest in an actual boy before. Him having feelings might break the illusion of the girls seeing him more as an accessory. 

I do wish he could talk about it with Mercedes though. She’d be a good voice of reason, and him having some sort of outlet could be helpful so he might be less intense around Finn.

I do appreciate that as soon as Finn is a threat to his dad, crush is on the backburner bc *Danger Danger Danger*

And you know it’s not intended as an insult, but how Burt brushes Kurt off and is so excited to talk sports. And you can see it on Carol’s face, that she spots it too and has sympathy for Kurt, while also happy for finn to have a fatherly presence. Ugh, this whole family dynamic, all 4 of them, best writing in the show.

Every Kurt and Burt scene is just a masterpiece. Kurt being passive aggressive, but Burt will call him out, try to talk it out.

And I love how you can see here that Burt is still in his beginning phases. ugh when he says “guy talk” and Kurt is just “I’m a guy” my heartt. Bc he is a guy but he’s a different type of guy and bc of that everyone treats him differently and just.

Burt is trying so hard, but he still makes these mistakes. And even though he accepts his son, he still has that ‘let’s just each do our own thing’ mentality.

But I am glad he does call Kurt out, asks why he fixed him out with Carol. Bc Kurt was being selfish about it, setting them up to get close to Finn, and now backtracking bc he feels like he’s losing his dad.

Bc his dad always comes first and just. Kurt s1 is so flawed bc he’s such an angsty/dumb teen and it makes him such a real character and fascinating to watch. Plus, his heart stays int he right place

Crush aside, s1 had some of the best Finn and Kurt interactions. I love how Finn knew right away that Kurt was hurt by Finn bonding with Burt. And Kurt isn’t even offended here by Finn not wanting to live with him bc right now his dad is his priority.

I’m so glad the whole ‘let’s break up our parents’ didn’t turn into a drawn out scheme. They quickly see how happy their parents are and accept that they’re together.

Bc different eps focus on different characters, I like how a lot of plots are wrapped up within the ep. The show has character arcs etc throughout, but I find I’m not a fan of certain plotlines going on for way too long. Like the fake baby, or Puck being the father, ugh or the student election. Those all had me like ‘just get on with it’ whereas character arcs, like kurt and his dad, the mercedes/troubletones, etc are much more interesting.

Aww I love them. And Kurt immediately says “I was wrong” and owns up to his mistake, yay.

So glad Mercedes got another song, but oof I want more of both of them performing with the cheerios! Only a few eps left of them on the team... And!! Apparently they cut a song from the ep?? Kurtcedes and the Cheerios were supposed to do Fergalicious (there are some pics of behind the scenes) and the fact that we missed out on that actively angers me.

K but first off, they’re at Finn’s house? Why was Kurt there? Was he visiting Carol? Did he just walk by?? I need answers bc it’s lowkey creepy lol

At least Finn has learned how Burt is legit the best dad and is happy to hang with him. And it’s well done, how Finn’s part is pretty wrapped up, but there’s still Kurt on the outside, bc it’s not all perfect yet.

I’ll say it every time. The best Glee writing went to this family dynamic. Mainly Burt and Kurt, but really the 4 of them together. I love it.

[kimchokejin]

this is about me/my blog i guess

howdy! 🤠 thanks for stopping by. this is a bts hate blog. i reblog a lot of gif sets, memes, text posts, etc. and talk too much in the tags. i don’t really make things aside from what’s already here

most of my personal info is already in my description so i’m honestly not sure what to say lol. i have tag game stuff and posts that resonated with me if you’re just trying to get a ~vibe~ but if you want to know more about me for some reason, feel free to message! sometimes i can take a long time to respond but i do like to talk to people! especially about bts or just music in general

believe it or not i am an adult 😬 so just in case i would like to ask that minors don’t follow/interact. sometimes i say things on here that i don’t think i should say in front of minors and i don’t want to put anyone here (including myself) in an uncomfortable position. thank you for understanding!

also just a heads up that i am white if that informs your decision of whether or not or how to interact. if you are white and reading this and have never heard of white supremacy culture (which is so much more prevalent and sinister than i think a lot of us realize), please check out this website (that blew my mind tbh and i’m just not sure how many people have seen this masterpiece?) and let’s talk about it 😊

ummm this was my result for my bts personality quiz that i am still embarrassed about yet still trying to improve. as you can see i project onto taekook a LOT luv u babes <3

ummmm i also made a bts song ranker

THAT’S_MY_(a few months ago)_OPINIOOOOOOON.gif

a long, unrequested, incomplete but occasionally updated list of things i will NEVER shut up about:

disaster libra jimin

rm drunk tweets

hobi’s (alleged) joints

tae’s espn

jin’s masochism

expensive girl namjoon interviewing pharrell for rolling stone knowing in the back of his mind that expensive girl exists and will never be deleted from the internet

yoongi being THAT fucking funny and no one noticing

namjoon never having some goddamn peace and quiet…ever.

vmin in the rm studio tour vlive

foreheard jin

feral tae

fluffy blonde jimin (my greatest weakness)

jin’s shoulders

namjoon spoiling everything

hobi’s frog doll with the tiny penis

namjoon. like just look at him i'm sorry

jungkook making fun of rrrrap monsta in the year 2021 namtaekook making fun of jimin's dance move in save me in the year 2022

daydream hobi SHORT HAIRED HOBI MORE MV HOSEOK YTC IN BUSAN HOBI

“let the beat in”

alt boy gen z icon jk

happy yoongi :)

lachimolala/carobonara (still)

tae in the glass case (and namjoon’s face)

tae having “just one bite” (and namjoon’s face)

jimin shy dancing

jin setting off fireworks in the morning

vmin sticker betrayal

rm putting rap monster as his legal name

rm insisting his sweatshirt is on right side out when the pockets were literally inside

rm not knowing they’re live

the spanking game

j-hope’s “keep one rolled” shirt J-HOPE’S CONDOM SHIRT

but also the whole keep one rolled/legalize it/heroin trifecta

when rm asked bts what food they liked in america that they couldn’t get in korea

jinmin fart skit

rm saying wow to yoongi’s butt

bts trying to cheat on taped run episodes

jungkook getting caught taking jimin’s tissue

tae pretending to get drunk off a water bottle?

anpanman 180524 (rip namjoon)

“oh hyuuuuung” *finger guns*

SHE SAID SHE SAID SHE SAID SHE’S FROM HAWAII

tata mic

“yeah baby i’m nervous!”

namjoon learning and growing over time <3

the lies behind your eyes fake love cover

the bwl dance set to juice by lizzo

this picture of 2seok

the memetic capabilities of the tragically overlooked bts hybe-sanctioned animated fanfiction universe story app

[d-criss-news]

20 Questions With Darren Criss: How Acting Has Helped Him Make New Music

While Darren Criss has graced our TV screens with a range of characters, from high schooler Blaine Anderson on Glee to serial killer Andrew Cunanan on The Assassination of Gianni Versace, he was last spotted just being himself, on our For You Page on TikTok. “I’m walking to rehearsal with a guitar on my back with a Trader Joe’s bag ... I did not bring an umbrella because I forgot that it was raining. I’m rocking that NYC musician life,” the Glee alum explained in the hilarious clip posted three days ago.

While Criss’ acting work has earned him acclaim and stardom, he leaned into making music during the pandemic. On Aug. 20, he dropped a new EP, Masquerade, featuring five new tracks that Criss says were inspired by the different characters Criss has embraced throughout his career. After Criss wrote songs for his musical comedy web series Royalties and Apple TV+’s animated sitcom Central Park before the pandemic struck the United States, he then used those experiences as a precursor to his new EP. As Criss continues to promote his new music, he answered 20 of Billboard's questions – giving us a peek into how his new EP came together, and how growing up in San Fransisco shaped him as an actor, singer and all-around artist.

1. What inspired your latest project, Masquerade?

Although I would have preferred that it come at a far less grim cost, I finally had the time. Before the pandemic, I had written 10 new songs for my show Royalties -- along with an original song for Disney and another for Apple’s Central Park. These were all assignments in which I was writing for a certain scenario and character. Go figure. It was the most music I had ever written in a calendar year. This really emboldened me to rethink how I made my own music— to start putting a focus on “character creation” in my songs, rather than personal reflection. The latter was not proving to be as productive. The alchemy of having this time and having set a new intention with my own songwriting and producing made me put on a few of my favorite masques and throw myself a Masquerade.

2. How do you think your background as an actor complements your music?

They are one and the same to me. I treat acting roles like musical pieces— dialogue is like scoring a melody; there’s pace, dynamics, cadence, tone. Physical characterization is like producing -- zeroing in on the bass line, deciding on the kick pattern. Vocal characterization is like choosing the right sonic experience, choosing the most effective snare sound, and mixing the high end or low end. It goes without saying that it works in the complete opposite direction. Making each song is taking on a different role literally and employing the use of different masques to maximize the effectiveness of the particular story being told.

3. On Instagram  you wrote that “Masquerade is a small collection of the variety of musical masques that have always inspired me.” Which track do you identify with most in your real life?

Everybody absorbs songs differently. Some key into the lyrics, some into the melody, some the production, some into vocal performance. When I listen to songs, I consider all of their value on totally different scales. So it’s hard to say if there’s any track I “identify” with more than any others, since I -- by nature -- identify with all of them. I think I just identify with certain aspects more than others. If it helps for a more interesting answer, I will say I enjoy the slightly more classical, playful -- dare I say -- more Broadway-leaning wordplay of “Walk of Shame,” but that’s just talking about lyricism. I enjoy the attitude of “F*kn Around,” the batsh--t musicality of “I Can’t Dance,” the relentless grooves of “Let’s” and “For A Night Like This.” All have different ingredients I really enjoy having an excuse to dive into.

4. What’s the first piece of music that you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?

Beatles audio cassettes: “Help” and “Hard Day’s Night.” I just listened on repeat on a tape-playing Walkman until my brother and I got a stereo for our room with a CD player in it, which was  when I just bought the same two albums again, but this time as compact discs.

5. What was the first concert you saw?It’s hard to say, because my parents took us to a lot of classical concerts when we were small. But I guess this question usually refers to what was the first concert you went to on your own volition, and that my friend, was definitely Warped Tour ’01. My brother and I went on our own— two teenagers going to their first music festival, in the golden age of that particular genre and culture. It was f--king incredible.

6. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid?

My dad was in private banking and advised really, really wealthy people on how to handle their money. My mom was, by choice, a stay-at-home mom, but in reality, she was my dad’s consigliere. They discussed absolutely everything together. They were a real team, and I saw that every single day in the house. They both had a background in finance (That’s how they met in the first place.) and were incredibly skilled at all the hardcore adulting things that I absolutely suck at. They were total finance wizards together. So of course, instead of becoming an accountant, I picked up playing the guitar and ran as far I could with it. Luckily, they were all about it.

7. What was your favorite homecooked meal growing up?

My dad was an incredible chef. For special occasions, I’d request his crab cakes. They were unreal. I’ve never had a crab cake anywhere in the world that was good as my dad’s.

8. Who made you realize you could be an artist full-time?

I don’t know if I’ve actually realized that yet.

9. What’s at the top of your professional bucket list?

The specifics change every day, but the core idea at the top is to continue being consistently inconsistent with my choices, and to keep getting audiences to constantly reconsider their consideration of me. But I mean, sure, what performer doesn’t want to play Coachella? What songwriter doesn’t want to have Adele sing one of their songs? What actor doesn’t want to be in a Wes Anderson film?

10.  How did your hometown/city shape who you are?

San Francisco. I mean, come on. I was really lucky. The older I get, the more grateful I am for just being born and raised there. It’s an incredibly diverse, culturally rich, colorful, inclusive, vibrant city. By the time I was born, it had served as a beacon for millions of creative, out-of-the-box thinkers to gather and thrive. I grew up around that. The combination of that with having parents, who were unbelievably supportive of the arts themselves, laid an incredibly fortunate foundation to consider the life of an artist as a legitimately viable option. It’s a foundation that I am supremely aware is not the case for millions of young artists around the world. I was absurdly lucky.

11.  What’s the last song you listened to?

I mean probably one of mine, but not by choice. I know, lame. But I’m promoting a new EP, what’d you expect? But if you wanna know what I’ve been listening to, as far as new s--t is concerned: a lot of Lizzy McAlpine, Remi Wolf, and Charlie Burg.

12.  If you could see any artist in concert, dead or alive, who would it be?

The Beatles is an obvious "yeah, duh." Sammy Davis, Mel Tormé, or of course, Nat King Cole. I would’ve loved to see Howard Ashman give a lecture on his creative process and his body of work.

13. What’s the wildest thing you’ve seen happen in the crowd of one of your sets?

I feel like just having a crowd at all, at any one of my sets, is pretty wild enough.

14. What’s your karaoke go-to?

The real answer to this I’ll write into a book one day, because I have a lot to say about karaoke etiquette. I have two options here: I can either name a song that I like to sing for me, for fun, or I can name a song that really gets the group going. The answer depends on what kind of karaoke night we’re dealing with here. So I will say, after I’ve selected a ton of songs that services a decent enough party vibe for everyone else, then I would do one for me, and that would be the Beatles’ “Oh! Darling.”

15. What’s one thing your most devoted fans don’t know about you?

What I have up my sleeve.

16. What TV show did you binge-watch over the past year?

Dave is a stroke of genius. There are episodes that I believe are bona fide masterpieces. Also, My Brilliant Friend is a masterclass in cinematic television.

17. What movie, or song, always makes you cry?

It’s A Wonderful Life.

18. What’s one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?

Get used to sharing everything about yourself and your life now, or more astutely, to the idea that you don’t necessarily get to control how your life is shared. I know it’s not really your thing, but you’re gonna have to get used to it, so start building up those calluses now. And don’t worry, all the stuff you love now will be cool again in your mid-thirties, so keep some of those clothes because you’ll be a full-blown fashion icon if you just keep wearing exactly what you’re wearing. Oh nd also, put money into Apple and Facebook.

19.  What new hobby did you take on in the last year?

I’ve always been a linguaphile. My idea of leisure time is getting to study or review other languages. This past year, I took the time to finally dive into learning how to read, write, and speak Japanese. Other than making music, it was one of the biggest components of my 2020-2021.

20. What do you hope to accomplish or experience by the end of 2021?

I hope I get to play live shows again.

[jaimehwatson]

Ranking Every Moneypenny

After experiencing the fever dream that is the 1967 Casino Royale last night, I can now say even more definitively that I have seen every James Bond movie, and I am therefore finally able to express my opinions on who gave the best performance as the franchise’s most iconic character: Miss Moneypenny.

6. Pamela Salem (Never Say Never Again, 1983) I feel a bit bad for this actress being cast as a replacement for Lois Maxwell in a weird low-budget knockoff Bond. The script just doesn’t give her much to do and she probably deserved better. However, it makes her the least memorable Moneypenny of the bunch.

5. Barbara Bouchet (Casino Royale, 1967) This woman is even more unfortunate, having been cast in one of the most bafflingly bad movies I’ve ever seen in my life. However, she’s one of the best parts of it, and I would probably rank her higher if it wasn’t such a tough competition with the Moneypennys from better movies. She’s the only Moneypenny to absolutely canonically get laid on-screen and I love that for her. Also, an honourable mention goes out to the never-actually-seen character of her mother, the elder Miss Moneypenny, heavily implied to have fucked David Niven Bond. Love that for her too.

4. Caroline Bliss (2 films, 1987-1989) A very solid Moneypenny I would have liked to see in more movies if the Dalton era hadn’t been so short. I love that she has glasses—very good look for the character. Her dynamic with Dalton Bond is fun and I love when she and Q try to help him a bit off the books with his revenge quest in Licence To Kill. I’m glad that general concept came back some of the later films because it’s very cute.

3. Naomie Harris (3 films, 2012-2021) I have a lot of mixed feelings about the Craig movies that I could go on about at length, but one of the things I do really like is that the later ones gave Moneypenny a bigger and more active role to play in the plot. Naomie Harris is great and I’d love to see her remain a part of the franchise in whatever form it takes after Craig. (Is it too much to hope for them to make a spinoff in which she and Lashana Lynch and Ana de Armas all team up to save the world together?) Also, the shaving scene in Skyfall is a masterpiece and I fully believe that it was foreplay and Bond and Moneypenny immediately fucked afterward.

2. Lois Maxwell (14 films, 1962-1985) OG Moneypenny. This absolute legend played the role across 14 movies and 3 Bonds and killed it every time. Especially memorable is her performance in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, absolutely breaking my heart in the wedding scene even before things get even sadder at the very end. She doesn’t quite make it to #1 on the list because of my own personal subjective emotional attachment to the Brosnan era, but I love her and she rules.

1. Samantha Bond (4 films, 1995-2002) GoldenEye is the movie that got me interested in James Bond, and remains one of my absolute favourites after catching up on all the rest. The other Brosnan films have a bit of a dip in quality, but I still thoroughly enjoy them all and Samantha Bond’s performance is always a highlight. Her relationship with Brosnan Bond is extremely cute and funny, and I wish their reunion at the end of Die Another Day had been actual canon rather than misuse of Q’s VR headset thingy. However, the fact that she’s on the clock using company equipment to watch James Bond VR porn is also very iconic. Plus her last name is literally Bond, so clearly being in these movies was her destiny. 10/10 best Moneypenny. Thanks for reading!

[gotta-get-back-to-hatchetfield]

An unsolicited take on the Twisted soundtrack from some bitch that can barely read music

Since we’re at the end of Twisted week I just want to add a quick(ish) note on the soundtrack because while I am so glad that the absolutely glorious and iconic lyrics get so much credit, I think not enough is said about the actual music itself. So, introducing an unsolicited take on the Twisted soundtrack from some bitch that can barely read music.

Twisted is unique among Starkid musicals in that the thing it’s parodying is also a musical and goddam did AJ rise to the challenge. Specifically I think the thing that makes the Twisted soundtrack so good for what it’s trying to do was the decision to sample Disney songs rather than either directly parody them or make them entirely original.

Part 1: Narrative

Firslty, using familiar Disney refrains acts like a shorthand to help you track the narrative, and allow you to draw on those emotions you’ve previously associated with the Disney equivelant of the song, almost like the effect of using a narrative/character trope. Good examples of this are ‘I Want Everything’ sampling ‘Part of Your World’ from the Little Mermaid and ‘Golden Rule’ sampling ‘Hakuna Matata’ and ‘Bear Necesities’ from the Lion King and the Jungle Book, because the Twisted songs fulfil a similar role in the story to the Disney ones they borrow from.

Book marking the narrative in this way, firstly makes it easier to follow what’s going on, which is important when you’re taking long ass detours about some guy fucking a tiger, but secondly it highlights where the plot deviates from the standard Disney narrative which is literally the whole point of Twisted. When Jasmine gets the standard Disney introduction of princess-that-wants-shit it makes it easy for us to connect with the character and understand the tropes she’s drawing from, by using the music to signpost to us that we have met this exact character before, not just in Aladdin, but in literally every Disney princess movie. This meas that the eventual character development she undergoes at the end, which is not typical of the Disney princess character arc, becomes more impactful. This is then where the decision not to rely too heavily on parodies really comes into its own, because (as far as I can tell) ‘The Power In Me’ doesn’t seem to sample any Disney songs, which signals to the audience that Jasmine has broken free from her trappings of her Disney character to become the Twisted character. This point is shown more generally by the fact that the songs in Act 1 sample Disney songs far more than in Act 2, because their role is to set up the tropes of a classic Disney story, whereas the songs in the second half exist to support its subversion.

( Fun note: The Starship soundtrack (my beloved) also uses this same trick. ‘I Wanna Be’ very clealry samples ‘Under the Sea’ from the little mermaid, and also serves a similar role in the narrative, ‘Kick it Up a Notch’ is very clealry in the style of every Disney villain song (and also what every Disney villain song wishes it could be) etc.. (and I do mean etc I could keep going on with this comparison ‘hideous creatures’ -> ‘kill the beast' etc...) )

Part 2: Humour

The contrast between hearing familiar Disney songs from childhood and Starkid style humour, really emphasizes certain jokes and takes them from funny to hysterical. My favourite example of this is the first joke of the musical which is hilarious and sets the tone brilliantly:

Jafar: and all the greatful citizens will say to me

citizens: fuck you, fuck you, fuck you

This joke, while hilarious anyway, is made so much funnier by the contrast between ‘Dream a Little Harder’ very heavily sampling ‘Belle’ from Beauty and the Beast. The sampled song sets our expectations for the kind of response we should expect to follow Jafar’s pronouncement, so then when the very un-Disney response of ‘fuck you’ comes along, still to the tune of the Disney version, our subconcious is taken by suprise which is one of the key ways that humour happens. The same thing is achieved by ‘I Want Everything’ leaning more heavily into ‘Part of Your World’ just as it comes up to some of the key punchlines in the song (e.g.’so the fuck what’, ‘I want the moon, I want to live on the moon, and eat it in a pie, and keep it was a pet, and wear it like a gemstone in my hair’). I also think this is why keeping ‘Take Off Your Clothes’ as a parody of ‘A Whole New World’, and also one of the only direct parodies in the whole show works so well, because the contrast between the words we expect to hear next (because we all subconciously know at least a good chunk of that song) and every single fucking sentence we actually hear makes it so much funnier than jus the lyrics alone ever could.

This is also yet another instance where I think they did just the right amount of sampling, because the contrast trick is an easy way of getting a cheap laugh on the night so would have been easy for them to lean into too much. But, the problem is since contrast jokes rely on a degree of suprise, once the audience starts to expect it (as would be the case if it had just been a soundtrack of 12 straight parodies) then it loses its power so by deploying it responsably and sparingly, it means it doesn’t lose its magic through the course of the musical and even on rewatches. There may come a day when I don’t spit out my drink on the opening joke but last week proved that it is not this day.

In conclusion the Twisted soundtrack is a masterpiece that feels exactly like a Disney soundtrack without straying too close to any actual ones that already exists. I also love the Brittany/Carlos pop cover of ‘A Thousand and One Nights’ as the end credits firstly because it fucking slaps and also because that’s such a Disney easter egg because they literally always do that.

It’s 3 in the morning and I know very little about either Disney or music so I might be wrong about some of the references so please feel free to add or correct any that I’m misidentifiying. Would be interessted to hear which ones other poeple have picked up on.

[littlemessyjessi]

“Tae and Jae”: Part 2 from the BTS 8th Member Series “Untamed”: Mae Jae:  The Gucci Twins Have A Day:   Fake Social Media + Imagine

Part Two to Tae and Jae’s day of adventure !

"Where are we going?"

Jae couldn't help but laugh at the bewildered look on Taehyung's face as he drove them further and further out into the middle of nowhere.

"Just keep going." she said. "It's not far from here."

"Where even is here?" he asked.  "It's pretty but I've never been here."

"That's kinda the point." she said.

"Did you bring me out here to kill me?" he asked, widening his eyes at her and pulling on his acting skills.  "Was this your equivalent of fattening up the pig?  Spoil me, feed me and then just bring me out here so you can bury me where no one can find me."

"How dramatic." she laughed at his faux face of terror.

His face melted back into his iconic boxy smile and he continued on before she directed him to pull off just ahead.

"Just sit tight and keep your eyes closed." she said before hopping out of the car.

"Well, this is it, I guess.  She's getting her weapon of choice out of the trunk.  I knew I should've been suspicious when she wouldn't let me help her with that big suspicious lump earlier. Good bye, cruel world."  he said dramatically out the open window.

Jae's laughter could be heard in the background.

Taehyung snickered a little as he could hear her moving around out there.

"Am I actually waiting for you to dig a hole?" he teased.

"Yah! Shut it! I'm working on something!"

He snickered again though he nearly hit on his head on the roof when she tapped him on the shoulder and he jumped.

"Ok, we're ready.  Come on." she grinned.

He cut the engine and climbed out, only to be ordered to shut his eyes again.

Jae took his hand and began to lead him forward a bit before they came to a stop.

"Ok, you can open them now."

It took him a moment to adjust to the brightness but when he did, his jaw opened in shock before his face squished in affection.

"Awwwww!!!! Noona!!!!"

Jae laughed as he clobbered her in a hug.

Tae never called her Noona unless he was particularly emotional.

There before them were two places set up for them to paint.

"I thought we could paint and watch the sunset." she supplied.  "We can go and get food afterwards and I know a place for a treat before we go home."

Tae squeezed her to him again once more before fishing his phone out of his pocket and snapping a picture of the easels and supplies.  

"I love you." he said as he looked down at the picture on his phone.

"I love you too, Tae." she chuckled.  "Now come on, let's make some masterpieces."

He let her yank him towards the set up and the two of them spend the next couple of hours painting the scene around them and chatting comfortably.

The both of them had missed this.  

Even when living in the same home, it was still sometimes hard to get one on one time with loved ones.

People were busy and as you got older, it only got worse.

In the beginning, when they were all crammed into a tiny little place with way too many bunks in one room, there were around each other constantly.

It was true that Taehyung still ended up in Jae's room at least a couple of times a week.

The poor guy needed to hold something to sleep and he would much prefer if it was a person as a pillow.

Jae usually let him because it was him but she also pulled long hours in her studio so sometimes she didn't even get home until the early hours of the morning.

Recently, she'd been working on her own content as well and doing producer work for the company and it wasn't uncommon at all for her to come at nearly four in the morning.

Not to mention, she was planning a trip to go back home to see her parents soon and he knew first hand what a pain travel plans could be.

He felt really touched that she thought about him enough to plan ahead and spend the day with him.

It reminded him of the early days when she'd take them all out one by one for ice cream or noodles.

Her and Jin had always done that kind of thing.

The eternal big siblings.

After they finished their paintings they left them on the easels and laid back on the tarp to watch as the last few rays of sunlight dipped below the horizon.

"This has been really nice, Jae." he said, arms tucked behind his head.

"I'm glad you've had fun, Tae." she said. "We're not done yet though."

"I would've been happy just driving around with you." he shrugged. "You didn't have to do all this."

Jae turned to look at him.

"I know that, Tae." she chuckled. "I know you'd be happy cuddling up and watching a movie.  But I wanted to do it.  I like treating you.  All of you.  And I wasn't always able to do things like this but now I am.  We're all in much better positions in life now, financially, emotionally, a lot of ways.  And I think it's important to spoil your loved ones when you get the chance."

"You spoiled us in the beginning." he laughed. "I remember when you used to take me to the convenient store and let me pick out any candy I wanted.  It felt like I'd been on a shopping spree."

"It was just candy, Tae." she said with an amused look.

"Not to me it wasn't." he said seriously.  "It was a lot more than that."

Her features softened looking over at him.

While Big Hit marketed the two of them as 'the twins' he was still a few years younger than her.

He'd grown into such a good man and she was so proud of him.

Sometimes she forgot that Taehyung was younger than her though and would always look at her like his older sister.

She remembered that scrawny kid with the boxy smile and the effervescent personality.

She remembered how so many people didn't know how to handle Taehyung's personality.

What Taehyung remembered was how even when they didn't get along in the beginning, she'd still come and get him and take him for noodles or make him dumplings in the middle of the night.

"Do you remember when you got up at like three in the morning and made me dumplings because I was missing my family?" he asked suddenly, looking up into the darkening sky.

She laughed, "Yes.  I remember we weren't exactly close then but I could hear you in the other room."

Taehyung laughed, "I remember you walked out and I was fully expecting you to scold me for not being in bed."

"Sounds like me." Jae snorted.

"But you didn't.  You just walked into the kitchen, hair snatched into a bird's nest on your head and started cooking." he said. "I remember I just watched you for the longest time and then you just shoved me a plate and said- 'Here'."

"I wasn't that great at expressing myself back then." she shrugged. "Food was my love language."

"Kinda still is." he teased.

She shrugged, "Food is simple.  You can do a lot for someone by just letting them know that you care enough about them to make sure they're well fed."

The two of them looked at each other softly.

"I didn't always say it.  In fact, I never said it in the beginning.  But I'm really appreciative of you being there and taking care of us.  If it weren't for you and Jin, I don't know that I would've stayed.   Joon made it clear that we could do it and that he'd lead us.  That gave some reassurance.  But without you and Jin, I just don't think I could've handled it." he admitted turning back to the blossoming stars in the sky.

"Yes you could've, Taehyung." she said, eyes focused on his profile. "Because you're far more talented than you give yourself credit for.  I have no doubt that you'd have been fine without anyone else. But I'm really glad that I've gotten to be along for the ride to watch you grow. It's been a priviledge.  One that I hope I can continue to have for the rest of my life."

Taehyung refused to respond and instead just rolled over to cuddle her.

She laughed, rubbing her hand up and down his back.

"Oh you big softy." she said.

They laid like that for the longest time before she pulled him to his feet.

"Come on. Let's get this loaded up and then I'm taking you for japchae." she said, smirking when his face lit up.

He didn't need to be told twice and soon they were speeding off in the direction of a little spot that sold some of the best japchae she'd ever had.

Which was saying something because she'd had a lot of it in her years in this world.

They tucked into a booth and she smiled watching Taehyung happily dig into his meal.

She snapped a picture and uploaded it before she tucked in herself.

Only a few moments and she laughed when she saw that Jungkook had already commented, whining about wanting some.

"We have to pick pizza up before we go home." she said.

Tae's eyebrows lifted, cheeks puffed and mouth full of food.

It was a comical sight.

"Kookie is hungry." she explained and his eyes creased in a smile.

"When is he not?" he asked when he finally swallowed.

"He's a growing bunny!" she defended.

"He's only two years younger than me." Taehyung said.

"He'll always be my baby bunny." she said with determination.  "I don't care if he's sixty.  He's bunny forever."

"You're such a mom." he laughed.

"The same goes for you." she said. "No matter how old you get, you'll always be my rambunctious little tiger cub."

Taehyung's creased in a smile.

One that he was never able to fight off when Jae referred to him as her cub.

"When are you headed back to see your family?" he asked.

"In a couple more weeks. I still have to iron out a few details and finish up a song I'm producing." she said.

"Are you excited?" he asked knowingly.

"I am." she grinned. "It's been so long since I've seen them in the flesh.  And video calls just aren't the same."

He nodded knowingly.

He understood that.

He loved the BTS family that he'd come to have but it was different than actually seeing your relatives.

It was also something that none of them really got the chance to do very often.

Taehyung, himself, barely got to see his siblings and parents, and his grandparents, who had raised him, had been gone for a few years now.

"How long are you staying for?" he asked.

"Three weeks." she said, feeding her noodles into her mouth.

"Oh god." he said.  "Jimin is going to be a monster."

"Not my sweet baby Jiminie." she teased knowing full well how much of an absolute demon Jimin could be sometimes.

His brat energy was off the charts at times and when he was pouty he was a menace.

Taehyung rolled his eyes, "Yeah, sweet baby Jiminie. Suuure."

"Well, you two can cuddle each other while I'm away." she said.  "We both know you'll be sulky too."

"I'm offended that you would even suggest such a thing." he said. "I don't sulk."

"Mmmhmm, sure." she said, impishly looking at him over the rim of her glass as she took a drink.

He pouted at her and she nearly choked to death on the sprite.

He grinned evilly, "Karma."

"Shut it." she said, wiping the soda from her face.

"I'm gonna miss you when you're gone though." he said.

She reached out to pat his hand.

"It'll be ok, Tae." she said. "It won't be long."

"I know. And I do hope you have fun." he said but she could tell he was still fighting another pout.

"I'll call everyone all the time." she offered. "You can even sleep in my bed while I'm gone."

"Well, thank you for the permission but Tannie and I have already made plans to temporarily move in anyway.  And I will be raiding your closet while you're gone."

"I expected nothing less." she said. "Although, you act like you don't just walk in and do that anyway."

He grinned in response before leaning back and patting his stomach.

"My grandma would be proud." he said.

Jae laughed in response.

"Alright, come on, tiger cub.  I got one last treat, then we'll pick up some pizza for the heathens and head home." she said sliding out and pulling him to his feet.

He stretched and reached for his back pocket.

"Touch your wallet and you die tonight, Kim Taehyung." she said. "I already told you.  The next time, you will actually get a spanking right here in public."

Taehyung didn't say anything else.

He just hugged her from behind, chin on her shoulder while she paid the cashier and left a tip for the waiter.

He snatched her hand as soon as they were outside and swung them together like a child.

"You happy, Tae?" she asked.

"Very." he said.

"Alright, come on." she said.

He didn't fight her when she took the keys from him.

She could tell he was getting sleepy by this time.

He watched her while she drove them, weaving through the streets until they came to another stop.

Taehyung had nearly fallen asleep to the hum of the car and the feeling of the cool air conditioning on his skin.

"Come on, cub." she said tapping his nose. "Let's go."

He grinned when he noticed that she'd taken him to a hot chocolate bar.

The spent the next hour indulging in the delicious chocolatey treat, adding cream and marshmallows.

Even a few odd combinations here and there that Jae claimed were an abomination and that they should never speak about.

Tae had posted it to his social media and Jin had lectured Jae about giving him chocolate at this time of night as if Taehyung were four and then proceeded to call her and further assert his point.

"Kim Seokjin, you watch your tone or I'll sneak into your room while you're sleeping and lick your face." she said.

The fast and comical angry response that she recieved had Tae rolling with laughter when she put Jin on speaker phone.

"Jesus Christ." she said when she finally hung up.  "I can only imagine his blood pressure right now."

"That vein in his neck is probably popping out right now." Tae said.

"He's getting a little red in the face." she continued.

"Hair whipping back and forth as he shakes his head." Tae laughed.

"Fastest rapper in the world." she giggled.

"Activated when angry." he said before the two of them dissolved into a fit of giggles.

Eventually, they piled back into the car and after having stopped for pizza for the rest of the members, they sped away towards their home.

Taehyung was sleeping when they got there, all but laid out over the console to throw his arm around Jae while she was driving.

She poked his cheek until he stirred.

"Come on, big guy." she said. "Help me take everything in."

His face was pinched as  he struggled to wake up but he slowly helped her take everything inside anyway.

Jungkook, who had heard her car pull in, met them half way and snatched the pizza boxes out of her arms.

"You're welcome!" she yelled after him with a laugh.

"Thank you!" he called back before he disappeared from view.

When they finally made it in, the whole lot of them had surrounded the table like a pack of wild hyenas.

There was a mumble of greetings and thank yous.

The two of them parted ways to go and shower and change.

Jae was laying on her bed, scrolling through the pictures of the day when her door opened and Tae stood there.

Hair a fluffy mess and white tee shirt and pajama bottoms hanging on his frame.

He grinned before running and jumping on her.

"Oh god, Tae! Some warning would've been nice!" she laughed as he snuggled into her.

He looked the picture of innocence, head nestled in the blankets, eyes sparkling at her like a little boy up to no good.

She snapped another picture of him because it was just too good.

"Can I sleep in here tonight?" he asked.

She tapped her finger to her chin, pretending to be thinking before she smirked at him.

"I guess." she said, laughing when he grinned that boxy smile at her and called out for Tannie.

The pomeranian came bounding in and jumped on the bed, fully preparing to nest for the night.

They half watched something on Netflix for a while, half played on their phones, hands scratching idly at Tannie's fur.

She snickered as she watched him tuck his arm behind his head and take a selfie.

"Ooooh, Kim Taehyung and his selcas!" she teased and he almost shoved her off the bed.

However, a few moments later when she recieved a notification she couldn't help but aww.

'I have had the best day ever. Thank you for spending time with me and spoiling me today, Twinkie.  I love you so much. @BTSJae #VXBFFL'

He hid his face when he could see her reading the caption.

Jae smirked, typing out her own response.

'I'm glad you had a good day, pumpkin.  I always love spending time with you, baby bear.'

Taehyung peeked at his phone at the notification and shoved his face into the pillow with a groan of happiness.

She just chuckled and turned her attention back to the flat screen, just very thankful to be where she was in life.

--------- Part one is HERE if you missed it Bonus Content including a slightly jealous Jimin coming soon! ------

–

Hey loves! I hope you enjoy this! I’m trying out something new with writing for a while since I hit a major road block while I’m here in the hospital.  I hope you enjoy these!  If you’re interested in reading Jae’s full profile and the masterlist for this series you can find it HERE

I would love to know your thoughts and if you have any suggestions for other things to happen with Jae and the boys, just let me know!

I love you and I hope you have a good day, my loves.

Love,

Kenny

—–————————-@thickemadame​@frankie2902@pleasantdreamqueen   @becrazy–beyou@littledeadrottinghood @blackirisposts@therealmrshale @woodworthti666@thegreatirene@fanfictionandjunk@angelus320@alanlizzingtonshore@buriednurbckyrd@disneymarina@tubbypeachwriting@sullybot @georgiagrl1990 @whenallsaidanddone@mischiefnevermanaged94 @inumorph@congurl@centerhabit@bubblymusiclover13@qtmeryr@thisismysecrethappyplace@tnupsweetpie@alisoncdariel@hannahloveslife@wormyboi@blackirisposts@maggyme13@amethyst09@ibenkastberg@fanfics1717 @mrscasnovak@thickemadame @babygirl-barnes@theladyofmasks @aengsty@kalliravenne@witchygagirl@gruffle1@writtenbywolfie@kribbydahhufflepuff@leah-halliwell92@thelastwildangel@silent-browser@simplymagical@simplymagicalwritings@lilacflicker@malulucifer@minxyvixen@moncheriemoony@queenlexusloverofbts@criminalyetminimal@plus-size-reader@owenniasstars  @adventuresofnight@tuutifruuti@ tb-ctn@halobaby@tacobacoyeet@thickemadame@glassesandthunderthighs@accioxtina@sunnyoongles@valiantobservationkitty@poopypantsmc@memissbee@teenagesublimefan@lyn-g@milkshakelol@rubyroscoe1@abbyvonschweetz@1975weasley@lanoreeblake@rosaline-black@abbott27@aldu-p@sxturn-stars@oliviashea05@emilianamason@reallykosborne​@dracosbabymama​@ main-feetoffthetablefloatyflowersbumpinbillowinboobieskyralupinfloatyflowersselfhatedmika@thickemadame​​  hermione-grangers-wifezievyimas@gigit712​101killerokaylovirbutterfly-o-liesclementines-x@streets-in-paradise​stitchattacksofmiceandnita03

dreadwolfxoxo   pottahishotasf

glassesandthunderthighs

potter-head-phanatic

——- Also, just a reminder that I am open for commissions! Additionally, the only tag list I have is my permanent tag list but if you ever want to be added all you have to do is just go to the ask box and request to be added! It’s that simple and you’re in! I love you all! 

[pair-annoyed]

Anime I Watched This Fall

My first semester of college is officially over and the December holidays are upon us! I hoped to make one of these posts sooner, but I have been incredibly busy with schoolwork. Now that things have slowed down, let’s take sometime to reflect on things I’ve watched. 

These anime are listed in chronological order and encompass everything I’ve watched from 9/1/2020 - 12/15/2020

Like always, they will be rated on a 1-10 scale; 1 meaning complete garbage, 10 meaning masterpiece. I will offer my thoughts on what I did/didn’t like about each show!

1. The God of High School - 6/10 

Despite the stellar animation from MAPPA and my high expectations, I was really disappointed by how this series was treated. Most of the story’s crucial elements were handled poorly. I finished this series feeling more confused about the plot than when I first began. The power system is really cool, but poorly explained. More time should have been spent on exposition and world building for this series, instead the fights were given the most screen time. 

2.  Doukyuusei - 7/10 

I really liked the style of Doukyuusei. Granted, this was another movie I chose to watch primarily because of the hype surrounding it. The dynamic between Kusakabe and Sajou is an interesting one, and I also enjoy how the movies different acts were separated by the seasons. However, there's nothing that really sets Doukyuusei apart from other romance movies, its a little generic. Still, I enjoyed it nonetheless. 

3.  Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season - 8/10 

My opinions on Re:Zero’s second season are biased. This was, by far, the sequel I was most hyped for during the summer/fall anime season. I was so happy to see the story’s continuation and I’m looking forward to the season’s second part coming sometime in January. Re:Zero is one of my all time favorite series because of the way it handles it characters and power dynamics. I also really enjoy the show’s psychological aspects. If you haven’t already, give Re:Zero a try! 

4. Saint☆Oniisan (Movie + OVA) - 8/10

This was a wonderful comedy. I wasn’t sure how the subject of Jesus and Buddha living together would be tackled, but it was handled wonderfully. I was laughing for pretty much the entire movie. I love the art style and little references to both Buddhism and Christianity, plus the incorporation of Japanese culture. Saint Oniisan is a bright comedy, with two eccentric main characters. If you like a show that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and need a good laugh, I can’t recommend this more.

5. Clannad: After Story - 10/10 

Never, while watching anime, did I cry as much as I did while watching Clannad: After Story. I didn’t realize how much I related to Okazaki until I saw him grow up in After Story. I was left sobbing, especially after episode 18. I still, to this day, cannot listen to the Dango song without tearing up. The original Clannad is nothing special, but the continuation of its story its something heartfelt, emotional, and down-to-earth. I love Kyoto Animation with all my heart, and Clannad made me appreciate everything the studio has done just a little bit more. Thank you Clannad, for reminding me about the kind of person I strive to be. 

6. Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu - 5.5/10

The art in A Whisker Away was beautiful. The story itself, however, is nothing too enjoyable. I found it difficult to like our protagonist or her love interest. Nothing about this movie is inherently memorable. The emotional climax came far too early which made the second half of the film seem long and drawn out.  All in all, the movie has a wonderful concept, I just believe it could have been so much more emotional than it was. When I watch a move, I like to empathize with the characters. It’s difficult to do when the characters aren’t given the proper exposition to be empathized with. 

7.  Shikioriori - 6/10

This is less of a movie and more of a collection of short stories. Flavors of Youth is something you shouldn’t watch on an empty stomach, all of the food looks incredible. The same cannot beside for the rest of this feature. The stories themselves seems heavily clichéd. Much like A Whisker Away, the initial premise is intriguing, but the execution results in something that comes across as trying too hard and carries no emotional weight with the viewer. If you plan on watching, pay more attention to the artwork and animation than the actual plot. You won’t be missing anything. 

8. Vinland Saga - 7/10

Vinland Saga helped me get out of the rut that Clannad: After Story. Not only does this show have a great story, its action packed with lots of interesting fights. I especially enjoyed all the Nordic history embedded within the show. Its really unlike any of the other historical anime I’ve watched. I will say, it’s gory. But, compared to all the other things I watched this time around, I finished this series the quickest. Its good, its graphic, its fast paced! 

9.  Mononoke Hime - 7/10

It’s ironic considering how much anime I’ve watched that I have yet to watch all of the most classic Studio Ghibli films. Princess Mononoke is grittier than most other Ghibli films I’ve seen, but it’s message is positive and its characters are wonderful. I can’t really speak ill towards classics like these. I guess maybe my one complaint is that this movie could’ve been a faster pace. Other than that... I really enjoyed everything Princess Mononoke offered! I understand why it’s so popular.  

10. Howl no Ugoku Shiro - 8.5/10 

Can you believe it took me this long to finally watch Howl’s Moving Castle? Me neither!! This movie is so endearingly beautiful. I loved every second of it, from the characters to the soundtrack. So many iconic things come from just this one movie. I would like to take this time to thank my best friend for reminding me that Studio Ghibli films are wonderful! Thank you for watching this with me, I loved it! All in all, I regret not watching this sooner! 

11. Toradora! - 6.5/10 

Toradora took me a while to finish, just because I lost interest about halfway through. But, I powered through it, and ended up really enjoying the show! I’m not the biggest fan of the ending, but that’s just a personal preference. Somehow, this show also made me cry? I’m not entirely sure why because Toradora! is probably the thing farthest from sad. Apart from the show’s dull slice of life moments, it was super cute! A much needed light-hearted romance. 

12. New Initial D Movie: Legend 1 - 5/10 

Full disclosure, this is the only thing related to Initial D that I’ve ever watched. My band and I watched this expecting to hear some of that iconic Initial D music, itself all we got was a mildly confusing story about different types of cars. It was cliché and frankly a little boring. Although, I am still considering watching the original Initial D just so I can hear the music in the way it was original intended. I’ve got no other opinions on this movie. It’s best not to watch these movies without the context from the rest of the franchise.  

13.  Uchuu Patrol Luluco - 7.5/10

I didn’t really understand why people enjoy studio Trigger so much until I watched Space Patrol Luluco. I loved all the fun references to other studio Trigger works. I loved the humor, and I loved all the bright colors. The animation was extremely high energy, and the art style fits the show’s premise. Each episode was only 12 minutes long so it was a super quick binge. If you’re looking for something quick, light-hearted and comical, this is the perfect show to watch.

14. Orange - 7/10 

I owe a big thanks to a tumblr mutual for recommending this show to me! This holds the honor of making me cry by episode 3! I honestly did not expect the subject matter of this show to be as dark as it was. Usually when I see the genre ‘shoujo’ I do not associate it with a love story like that of Orange. The heavy subject matter made it a little too close to home for me, but I still really enjoyed this series. It reminds me off all the good times I had with my friends in high school, and of all the regrets I carry with myself to this day. 

15. 3-gatsu no Lion - 7.5/10 

March Comes in Like a Lion is another show that was a bit of a slow burn for me. Each episode left me feeling emotionally drained, so I had to take a lot of breaks while I was working on watching this series. Shaft, the studio behind this anime, holds a special place in my heart because I loved their work on the Monogatari Series. March Comes in Like a Lion is a little different. It’s driving force it is characters, and it was cathartic to watch our main character transform through the entire duration of the first season. I know the show’s second season is much better, so I’ll be starting that soon! 

16. Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei - 8/10 

I loved how artsy and smart The Tatami Galaxy is, but honestly I couldn’t watch too much at once cause it would hurt my head. I also couldn’t watch this show while I was tired because the speaking rate is much faster than typical anime. The Tatami Galaxy is so unique for its medium. I loved the different time loops and the crazy animation. The characters were fascinating. The dialogue, although very fast, it also fantastic. There’s an element of humor to this unique story telling, and I enjoyed ever minute of it! 

Currently Watching:

Hunter x Hunter - 6.5/10 (As of Episode 30)

I pride myself in having watched a lot of shounen anime, but I was reluctant to start Hunter x Hunter for years because I thought I would find it boring. I was oh so very wrong. Considering great shows like Naruto and Fairy Tail that fall under the same category, I expected Hunter x Hunter to be subpar in comparison. It gets a low score for two reasons. One, the power system was introduced a little too late and now I’m wondering if all the fights post episode 30 will involved nen in some way, shape, or form. Two, its still on hiatus. 

Two Cursed Additions For This List

Please to do not let these be representative of my anime taste. 

1.  Yarichin☆B*tch-bu - 4/10

I am a CLOWN for not knowing this was 18+. The only reason I watched this was to see why everyone was talking about the pink-haired boy with the glasses and tongue piecing. I know why now, and I regret it. This was a massive mistake on my part. But hey, at the least the art and ending song kinda slap? 

2. Euphoria (Dropped After 1 Episode) - 2/10

If you know what I’m talking about when I say Euphoria, I am so sorry. And no, I am not talking about the HBO series. Seriously, don’t google this. Don’t watch this. Don’t interact with anything related to this. You’re probably wondering, “Then why did you watch it?” I did not watch this willingly. You see, I have a very bad habit of starting anime and then taking months to finish them. I made an ultimatum with a friend, lost, and then was forced to watch this a punishment. Not a fun experience. I’m very glad there are no GIFs of this on tumblr...

[klarolinelibrary]

This week, for our first 'loyal reader,' we had a chance to chat with Ennie, a very enthusiastic and passionate reader. Keep reading to find out what she has to say about her start in the fandom to her favorite story.

KCL: For our first question we would like you to introduce yourself! What's your name or alias? And could you mention your username?

Ennie: Hi! My name is Ennie and my tumblr username is @enniec123.

KCL: Thank you for allowing us to interview you. We are really excited about this. So let’s jump in with this question: how and when did you join the Klaroline fandom?

Ennie: Yeah, of course! I joined the Klaroline fandom because my friend is really into the show and had been telling me to watch it for a long time, so I binged all 3 shows in spring 2020.

Before watching the show, I knew the bare minimum, which was that he's a bad guy and she's a good guy, very black and white. I also knew that Klaroline was a thing and was kinda confused as to how they could be together because they were on opposite sides. Keep in mind, I knew basically nothing, and I had only really read friends to lovers ships before watching the show. Next, I watched the iconic 3x11 scene, then immediately saw why they were so loved and jumped on board so fast.

KCL: Would you say after watching the memorable 3x11 scene, that it was what drew you to Klaus and Caroline ship? Could you explain what exactly drew you in?

Ennie: 3x11 is definitely what drew me into them. In my opinion, there was nothing really platonic about that whole scene. First of all, the words he used and the way he said them were really soft and different compared to what we had seen before. Until this point, we knew him as the ruthless killer, then he becomes softer and is telling her that there is a huge world out there, waiting to be explored. The other part was that he leaned in really close while talking, and he could have put his blood in a glass and give it to her, but instead, he offered his arm, brought her close, and stroked her hair.

KCL: You answered that beautifully! Their first scene together is definitely one of the most popular ones here in the fandom! After falling in love with the Klaus and Caroline ship, do you remember the first story you've read?

Ennie: I was kind of shocked that I remembered which fic brought me into reading more Klaroline, it feels like it was forever ago, not 9-ish months. Before TVD, I was reading Gendrya fics from the GOT universe, and I knew that as soon as I started reading Klaroline fics I would not be reading other fics anymore. So, I waited a few months after finishing the show, and I think around August/September-ish I saw that one of my fav Gendrya writers also wrote 3 Klaroline fics. Then I was like "ok, maybe ill read them and see what happens."

My first fic was either Right Place, Wrong Time or When Life Changes by @psychvamp25. Then I binged all of @honestgrins one-shot/drabbles. Everything snowballed from there, and here we are today.

Right Place, Wrong Time is the fic that made me start to love time travel fics and the viking era fics. When Life Changes made me love the period fics and the ones that they were together for a long time. Then I read @bellemorte180's Original Caroline fic and I was a goner. Original Caroline is definitely one of my favorite tropes.

KCL: It's impressive that you still remember your first story! And it seems like you have spent a lot of time reading. On average, what would you say is the number of hours you have spent reading stories?

Ennie: It honestly depends on how busy I am. I like to binge stories, and read till like 2 am. I know it's a very bad habit, and I am working on it. If I am busy then maybe 1 hour-ish during the day and 2 at night so 1-3 hours. If I have a break in school, then I would read for an entire day. If I have more time while it's a school week, then maybe 3-8 hours a day, sometimes more depending on how late I stay up… I realize now that I have a problem. Yikes. A lot basically.

KCL: That's nothing to feel bad about! We’re sure that there are many others who are on the same boat as you, we certainly are! Since you do a lot of reading, do have any favourite authors? Could you share a couple of them?

Ennie: I have so many favorite authors. Here are a few: @galvanizedfriend (Yokan), coveredincolors, @honestgrins​ (honestgrins), @helpless-in-sleep​ (perfectpro), @helpfulfairy​ (helpfulfairy92), @lalainajanes​ (LalainaJ), @misssophiachase​ (misssophiachase), @klarolineagainnaturally​ (klarolineagainnaturally), @bellemorte180​ (bellemorte180) and @lynyrdwrites​ (LynyrdLionheart).

This was really hard to choose.

KCL: We are so lucky to have so many talented authors in this community, where we can always enjoy reading new or rereading stories from them. Before we dive into your favorite story, what are you currently reading so we can add it to our reading list?

Ennie: I am currently rereading Endlessly by @slstmaraudersjple. Another one of my favies.

KCL: Thank you for sharing! We will definitely be checking it out. So far, you have mentioned your first stories and your favorite authors, but what would you say is your favorite KC story?

Ennie: Only Human by @peacefulvillagefairone is one of my favorite fics. Besides The Wolf 2, I will say this is definitely my favorite story.

KCL: We love that story too! It’s one of our favorites! In your own words, could you give us a brief summary of the story?

Ennie: I suck at summaries because I end up spoiling it, but I will try my best.

Caroline is human and wants to know more about Klaus because he doesn't open up a lot to her. She gets sent back in time to when the originals were human. From that point on, she goes on an adventure to try to get back to her time but not before trying to dodge trouble that comes her way.

KCL: That was such a great summary! And what was it that you loved about the author’s writing style?

Ennie: In my opinion, the story is very light. There is a lot of fluff but there is also a lot of plot. It's centered around time traveling and I really love that. It's about the adventures that they go on and how Caroline gets to see different versions of Klaus.

I think that the fic is a fun ride. It's a non-thinking story which I really enjoy. Don’t get me wrong, I love really analytical fics that make me think a lot, but when your brain needs a break from real life and you don't want to think a lot then this fic is perfect. There are some mysteries in the fic that make you think but it gets revealed soon and there are a lot of hints so it's a fun mystery to solve without deep diving into it.

KCL: Our next question is what made you fall in love with the story? Was it the chemistry between Klaus and Caroline? The conflict in the story or maybe the character arcs?

Ennie: I thought that it was a different story because it starts with Klaus and Caroline getting together when she was human and then time traveling. I loveeeee domestic and established kc and the fic shows them being physically together but not mentally together if that makes sense.

The fic shows the progression of their trust and how deeply they fall in love with each other. While I do love fics that start with them not together, sometimes I want a long fic with a lot of fluff. This story has a balance of plot and fluff. It's a beautiful story. It's on the longer side but it makes me really happy. If I'm feeling down, then I skip around the fic to reread my favorite parts.

KCL: We agree! We enjoy a good story of Klaus and Caroline in a domestic setting too. And for our last question, what would you want to say to readers who haven't read your favorite story yet?

Ennie: I hope you read it and it brings you joy and satisfaction like it did to me.

Letter To The Author

To @peacefulvillagefairone,

Thank you for creating such amazing stories. Only Human has a special place in my heart. It was one of the first fics I have ever read and I am in love with the plotline. Time travel fics are so fun and you wrote it beautifully. I can't spoil anything for the fic but I really love a certain someone. I think that he is such a good character and the matchmaking cracked me up. The convos between present and past were so amazing. The characterizations were on point. The story is so fluffy and full of plot and it makes me so happy when I read it. When Klaus, Caroline, and the OC are together, it's so sweet. I loooovvveeeee their moments, esp the ending. The story has so many of my favorite tropes all wrapped up in 120k words *chefs kiss* Thank you once again for creating this masterpiece and sharing it with the world. 💖

From your loyal reader,

@enniec123 🍊

[postmodernmulticoloredcloak]

So I hear that the symptoms of coronavirus include interest in making virtual visits of museums, apparently. Here are some museum websites that can fulfill your thirst for virtually-visitable art. The asterisk means I have been there. This is by no means an exhaustive list. I don’t even know why I am doing this.

- Pinacoteca di Brera - Milan *

Brera is the art academy of Milan and the most iconic museum, which contains Italian artworks from the renaissance to modernity including various masterpieces. I also recommend visiting it in person because the neighborhood of Brera is the art district of Milan and it’s really pretty although having lunch there in slightly overpriced, but then what isn’t (really if you are in Milan skip the touristy food places, have Chinese or Japanese, trust me). There’s also a lovely little botanical garden tended to by the botany students. Long story short when you come to Italy visit Milan instead of overcrowding Venice.

- Museo del Novecento - Milan *

This is a stunning exhibition and you also should go there (it’s in Piazza Duomo you can’t miss it) but in the meanwhile visit the website, that contains a selection of masterpieces. They opened a few years ago and it was free to visit for a while as a gift to Italian people, which was really nice of them. It’s not expensive now either and it contains a lot of works by very important artists of the XX century so it’s very worth it.

- Museo Poldi Pezzoli - Milan

Can you believe I’ve never been there? But there’s a lot of stuff in there. The website is not complete yet apparently, but there’s already some interesting things already, including little Japanese sculptures that now I want to go and see.

- Pinacoteca Ambrosiana - Milan

Leonardo, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Raffaello, Tiziano... they’re also digitalizing ancient manuscripts, and there’s also a fuckton of drawings and manuscripts by Leonardo. [Everybody liked that.] I fucking need to go there.

- MAUTO (Museo dell’Automobile) - Turin *

Guys. This is so fucking cool. “But I don’t like cars” you might say. Yeah, me neither. But the ancient cars are so fascinating. If I remember correctly there are also things such as the driving license of the first ever woman in Italy to get a driving license. Visiting the real place is better because the halls are very well done so if you happen to be in Turin drop by.

- Museo Egizio - Turin *

Listen this is the biggest Egyptian museum outside of Egypt and it’s awesome, although the site is sort of confusing but I’m pretty sure there are digitalized resources so if you’re into ancient Egypt try it. Right now the museum contains a temporary exhibition called Archeologia Invisibile (invisible archaeology) and it’s possible to make a virtual tour of the exhibition which is really cool. It focuses on methods and techniques used to study mummies and other kinds of artifacts. Just click on the link and you’re yeeted inside the exhibition.

- Musei Reali - Turin

Actually a group of museums, there’s an online catalogue. There’s a museum of antiquity, modern paintings, even the royal armory (armeria reale). Yeah there’s swords. You can study the blade now.

- Palazzo Madama - Turin

An array of Italian art through centuries.

- GAM - Turin

The gallery of modern art. Weird stuff. Memeable.

- MAO - Turin

Sick of Italian art? Yeah, understandable. Then it’s time for the museum of Asian art! Stuff from all around Asia, from the Middle East to Southeastern Asia. I want to go there. Let me go there, virus.

(Palazzo Madama, GAO and MAO also offer virtual tours with Google Arts and Culture but idk how that works. Links here, under “scopri”.)

- Galleria degli Uffizi - Florence *

The Uffizi Gallery is the quintessential Italian art museum and you really want to check it out. If you visit it in person, make a booking, queues are infinite. (People with disabilities skip the queues in all these museums though, if you are disabled and intimidated by these places with superqueues don’t be, just approach the personnel and you have the right to just get in.)

- Galleria dell’Accademia - Florence *

You might have heard of a lil statue called David by Michelangelo. Yeah, it’s there. But there’s also other things, although since the David is so famous no one really cares about those. Give them some love.

- Actually there’s an online catalogue of most museums in Florence, several of which sound super interesting, but it says they’re having technical problems and the picture don’t load. Maybe save the link, forget about it, and then after some time discover it again, idk. Or consider visiting Florence in person after the coronavirus goes away, I guess. Do yourself a favor and save up and get a real Florentine steak.

- Gallerie dell’Accademia - Venice

I have been in Venice for half a day and just a little tip: you (or someone that travels with you) are in a wheelchair? Consider making a plan for visiting Venice that includes this: go in fact somewhere else. In the meanwhile visit this site, although I can’t figure out how to turn it into English, but I’m sure you can handle a little Italian.

- MUVE - Venice

Actually it’s possible to make a virtual tour of various museums/palaces in Venice with the Google Arts and Culture project, which sounds great. You figure out how it works, the link should explain. I’ll do it myself one of these days.

- Peggy Guggenheim - Venice

XX century artworks, including some by the most famous artists like Picasso, Magritte, Dalí, Kandinsky etc etc.

- Musei Vaticani - Rome *

Did I call the Uffizi the quintessential Italian art museum? I stand by it, but. I mean. The Vatican Museums, you know? It’s a place you should visit at least once in your life. All of Rome actually. They say it’s too big and chaotic but don’t listen to them, listen to me, you must visit Rome when you can. Ask someone for tips on where to eat that is not a tourist trap, and you’re fine.

- Musei Capitolini and all the civic museums - Rome (at the top of the page, click on “all the museums” and you see a whole list, for each museum you can visit the collection)

All collections online, by rooms or subject. The Musei Capitolini is the main museum in Rome except the Vatican, but I also recommend the Centrale Montemartini which is a collection of ancient artifacts located in a repurposed thermoelectric center, which must be fascinating to see in person. I’m planning on visiting it the next time I’m in Rome. (I’ve only been twice, briefly, okay.)

- Museo Ebraico - Rome

It’s located by the Tempio Maggiore, in the neighborhood that was the Jewish ghetto in Rome. There are many other Jewish museums in Italy but I have been right outside this one. It was closed though.

- Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea - Rome

Apparently the largest gallery of contemporary art in the galaxy or something. Worth checking out I think.

- Galleria Nazionale Barberini Corsini - Rome

This contains some super famous paintings, by Caravaggio and others.

(There’s like 285375 museums in Rome I can’t check all the websites but I’m pretty sure I checked the major art ones.)

- Museo della Resistenza - Bologna

Feeling like nurturing your antifascist spirit today? Good.

- Museo Archeologico Nazionale - Naples

Good pictures, very interesting stuff. Statues, mosaics, epigraphs, and so on.

- Museo di Capodimonte - Naples

Very interesting although I don’t think you can browse the site in English. Then again it’s mostly pictures, so.

There’s literally a billion museums in this country and some have very confusing websites which are giving me a headache so I’ll stop here.

A few outside of Italy I can recommend:

- Archaeological Museum - Athens *

I was there and we had a slightly eccentric guide and it was very interesting.

- Museo del Prado - Madrid *

Physically, it’s huge and the halls are numbered in a confusing way that forces you to back and forth and by the end we were exhausted. Maybe online it’s less vexing...

- Museo Thyssen - Madrid *

I loved this museum. Loads of famous artists and interesting stuff.

- Museo Reina Sofía - Madrid *

Yeah we had a lot of time to visit museums in Madrid. This is where the Guernica painting is, you might have heard of it.

- Musée d’Orsay - Paris *

Awesome museum, they have those in Paris, what can you do. I haven’t visited the Louvre because we didn’t have the time, but it also offers an online tour.

- National Gallery - London *

Lots of Italian artworks, actually, and more.

- British Museum - London *

Well, there’s everything from everywhere, because of reasons.

Okay I mean there’s plenty of hyper-famous museums with online resources and you can find them just as much as I can find them, so. Have fun.

[i-am-just-a-kiddo]

As usual, thank you @vishcount for letting me do this as well!! ❤ I always love talking about my music. I tried to narrow it down to songs that I’ve added to my playlist(s) in the past 2-3 months. 

Rules: spell out your url with song titles, then tag as many people as there are letters in your url

Am breaking the rule and not tagging that many people, but only my usual suspects: @cortue, @the-cloud-whisperer, @intyalote, @isabellaofparma, @sassyassassy, @not-saying-revolution-but - no pressure to anyone, I just thought maybe someone wants to share their music as well (which I’d be happy about)!

I continue under the cut:

I mmortale by Måneskin

I’ve noticed that I prefer  Måneskin’s slower songs but they sure have a few bangers. This is one of them, I’ve only recently added it to my playlist and I’m lowkey obsessed? 

A dvice  by Taemin

am absolutely obsessed with this one? Taemin never disappoints but with this one I felt like it was sepcifically tailored for me for some reason. I love the manic dark energy of this, but at the same time it’s a chill enough song to just listen to on a daily basis? a masterpiece

M askhara  بشار مراد مسخرة  by Bashar Murad

This is the mood for summer tbh. Depressed but funky? Let’s make the best of it. I absolutely adore his voice and I sincerely hope he’ll release more songs because I need them to live. Am also very much into his political and queer themes, so I dearly recommend for everyone to check him out!

J 'ai demandé à la lune ft. Louis-Étienne Santais by Ghostly Kisses

I’ve always adored Ghostly Kisses and her voice is so stunning? French fits her quite well. I think I even added this to my wkx character playlist? we love a multifacetted man. 

U nderneath The Mask by Royal & The Serpent

Another one from my Wen Kexing character playlist - i think this is kind of self-explanatory? This song is amazing with headphones and high volume. I’m always very much into songs that capture wkx’s valley master energy. 

S un Goes Down by Lil Nas X

while Montero/CMBYN was absolutely iconic, this song just made me bawl my eyes out? it’s so lovely and I wish it was longer. somehow he managed to captured this queer coming of age feeling perfectly and i’m very much sensitive to that. bless his soul ❤

T orna a casa by Måneskin

along with Vent’anni, this is my favourite song of theirs. I could listen to this on loop (which I do) and I never grow tired of it? The way the song steadily builds up and reaches this peak near the end is absolutely amazing. This also sort of became an inspiration for my Wen Kexing and Gu Xiang fic? The lyrics somehow speak for them, it’s so sad and tender and wow, I want to bury myself in this song. 

A Different Kind of Love by Son Lux

Son Lux are artists I never grow tired of and their recent releases have been amazing as usual. This too, made it on my wkx character playlist - as you see I’m putting a lot of songs here that are on there. Son Lux does that haunting atmopshere so perfectly and I think wkx’s fragile view of love fits right into this.

K in by CLANN

Until recently, CLANN was an artist that I had exclusively listened to while writing a little mermaid AU two (?) years ago - especially their album Unseelie was perfect for the vibes I needed. Howevery recently I’ve listened to the album Kin Fables while writing and I’m very happy I rediscovered them. I dearly recommend to simply put on their albums and listen to them in one go, it’s a magical experience.

I ntrovert by Little Simz

I know a few songs by her and she is so damn cool, I really want to get into her music properly at some point. All I’ve heard so far is exactly my taste and I realised that I don’t listen to much rap by female artists which I want to change. Gosh this song is just so powerful. 

D eath No More / Смерти Больше Нет by IC3PEAK

I dig IC3PEAK so much, truly one of the best gems I’ve discovered in the past few times. Absolutely adore the combination of visual and musical medium, which makes a stunning art piece? Also their creepy vibes fit to my wkx playlist once again. I remember finding them on youtube and just going through all their videos, it’s just so good. 

D im by SYML

Am stilll so grateful that dear Vishie showed me SYML back then because they quickly turned out to be one of my fave artists? Every song is so wonderful sigh. And yes, this too, is on my wkx playlist and I’m incredibly happy about it. the lyrics just scream for it, tell me I’m wrong

O rgel오르골  by SHINee

recently I’ve been in my SHINee mood again and rediscovered this song for me. I think The Misconception of Us is one of my favourite albums of theirs and Orgel is just so groovy? Am obsessed with the instrumentals and their voices playing off them. Idk mate, am just SHINee trash

thank you again! gosh this was fun but I noticed that I barely had time to discover new music in the past months which is so sad. I’ve only been relistening to artists on loop like Brockhampton, Gazzelle, Tamino and Shinee, but I’ve barely added new? Am surprised however that Sevdaliza, The Dumplings and BEWHY are msising from this list because I’ve discovered those some time ago.

[canonicallysoulmates]

Hello! I used to be a J2 fan , love their chemistry/friendship/relationship, very rare and special, but been really disappointed with Jared ,and Walker is really a bad quality tv show, like a 90 hallmark show. Do you like walker for Jared or do you genuinely like the show? What are other shows you like? Have you watch justified? Deadwood? Those are really good “wester show” even though let’s be honest Walker is actually a soap opera.

Just surprised that so many people like it in 2020 it seems so outdated .

A J2 fan who wish the best for their relationship.

Hi,

Let me just reel in the protective fan in me real quick cause I do acknowledge that taste is subjective and Walker is not going to be everybody’s cup of tea. And that’s okay. It’s not for everyone, I acknowledge and I accept that. 

That being said, when I say I like Walker I mean I genuinely like the show, it has honestly become the highlight of my Thursdays; I look forward to the new episodes, I’m invested in some of the characters, I love Cordell, I love Micki, I love Trey, I love Cordell and Micki’s friendship, I think Trey and Micki are cute af but there’s also things I don’t like and I don’t hide it, I don’t like how the kids are written, I don’t care for the wife character, I hate the flashbacks, don’t really care about the wife mystery. 

I don’t bullshit y’all, if I only watched it for Jared, or if Jared was the only part that I liked about it, or I didn’t like it I would just say that, I’m not gonna pretend to like something just because one of my boys is involved in it. 

Now, I won’t lie, would I have checked out this show if Jared wasn’t involved in it? Probably not. I checked this show out because of Jared; I don’t have the CW so if I wanna watch a show from them I gotta either find a livestream to watch it or I gotta check week by week or binge it after the season airs, and that’s just a pain in the ass so a show has to really be worth it. 

I am doing opinion posts for this series you can find them in my opinion on Walker tag if you want to see my more in depth opinions on all the episodes that have aired so far. 

Some other shows that I like that are currently airing are: Lucifer, The Mandalorian, Bull, Bob ❤ Abishola, Resident Alien, SEAL Team I don’t talk about this show much but it’s one of my favorites. Some shows that I like that have finished airing: Friends I don’t care what anyone says it’s still funny af, Scrubs, Psych, The Golden Girls they’re iconic, Hannibal which I haven’t finished yet but is a great show. 

I have never watched Justified or Deadwood and to be quite frank I have no interest in either of them, I know they’re supposedly great shows but I have never seen anything about them that makes me actually want to watch them.

Is Walker the perfect show? No, it hasn’t even reached its full potential yet. Is it something revolutionary or groundbreaking? No. Is it deep, and thought provoking and meta? No. Is it something you have to watch with a pen and paper as if you were playing a Clue game and requires more of your attention than an exam during finals? No. 

But is it an entertaining hour of tv? Hell yes! Does that mean it’s a must-watch show or a show for everybody? Most certainly not. Like I said at the beginning, it’s not gonna be everybody’s cup of tea, if you like mature, dark gritty shows or you find it hard to invest in characters and their emotional on goings this ain’t gonna do it for you, but if you like light, family friendly shows you might like this. 

Listen I won’t deny that a big pull for the show is Jared, you wanna see him on screen, and you’re rooting for his character to get his shit together and his family to heal, but I think another one of the reasons so many people like it is that we had a hell year with 2020 and 2021 is not going much better but for an hour at least on Thursdays you get to kick back and lose yourself in a world that’s a little bit better than the shit reality we live in, it’s entertaining and fun especially if you watch it along with your friends. You compare it to a 90′s Hallmark show, there’s actually a very big audience for that! And it means it would get syndication for years to come which is a good thing. 

Not every show has to be an immediate groundbreaking high quality masterpiece to be a diamond. 

And not every show is gonna be loved by everyone. Actually, no show is ever loved by everyone.

[thepriceofbeingaroseisloneliness]

TOSHIYA PERSONAL INTERVIEW SPECIAL HEADBANG VOL.27 TRANSLATION 2/2

The upcoming new chapter of the bassist who established himself while evolving his playing style in the middle of fierce battles he experienced overseas. “When it comes to digital releases, it just feels like data” “I don't think there is another album that makes me want to die so much inside while I’m listening to it as this one (laughs).“ “If I have the opportunity to do music out of DIR EN GREY, this is the genre I want to try “ “If there's a world in front of you that you didn't know before, look at it, and if there's something you think that would be even better, you can pick it and bring it home.”

Notes before reading:  This is the second part of personal interview of Toshiya from the magazine Headbang Vol.27 released on 18th August.  The interview is 11 pages long, this part covers the last 5 and a half. You can read the first part here. You can get the magazine at Amazon Japan or CDJapan.  Feel free to correct me if you spot any mistake or any confusing parts.  

----- ----

Text by Hiroko Goto (First part here) - Even as the start of a new chapter, I think it will be a great time for those who have been waiting for it. I’m looking forward to the reactions towards the new single.

T: That’s right. Also, this time, it’s the first time we are releasing a single in this way, so I wonder how is going to feel. It’s a little wait-and-see.

-Because Dir en grey have never been available in almost any music streaming services before too. This time, are you releasing the single in this format due to Corona?

T: That’s right. Originally, we tried to put it out as a physical one.

-I see. Do you see this digital release format as something positive?

T: I have no choice but to think positively for the time being (laughs)  Because if we release a single, and it’s not going to listened, there is no point on doing it but, after all, as we do it, if there is a way for people to listen to it, I think it should be used. However, to use any method to release it because there is a way to do it, I think that’s different for me. While we were carefully checking those aspects, I think I would like to take into consideration several things. Simply, because I’m a coward (laughs). It’s kind of scary because I feel like the songs are all over and the songs are our best asset. After all, I want to cherish/value them. Of course, I think there are many positive things in distributing them but now that we are doing it, I think we must distinguish between plus and minus sides of it. -Especially for Dir en grey, the package is usually elaborated and you can also feel the sense of commitment/pickiness on it.

T: That’s right. When it comes to digital releases, it just feels like data. So that’s why it’s a matter of the value of the things. The value that you can give it them, or the level that you can take it at. I would like to think about the future as I’m looking at this release.

-After this single, what direction do you want to move towards from now on as a part of Dir en grey?

T: As a band, while constantly incorporating what seems new to us, we want to challenge both, our activities, and songs. Right now, once again, we want to try it with the feeling that Dir en grey can do anything。

-I see. Comparing yourself to the Toshiya from the past, you have a better judgement about what you can do and what you can't, and you want to think about it properly. Each member thinks that way as well, so I think it would be nice if you could absorb each one’s good points and bring it to the band. Nevertheless, as everyone simply has a different age, a different personality, and the environment in which you grew up is different, I think there are different things that each of you want to do. Among them, for me, I don't think it's necessary for each of you to achieve 100% of what each one of you wants to do. Combining several % well, I think you are a band that eventually will reach the 100%. If you can keep that way, there  will  simply always be an interesting taste and you can keep being an exciting band.

“The first band I came across was Guns N' Roses. It was an encounter that felt like ‘what on Earth is this?”

-From here, I would like to ask you about the 'Inspirational albums'  you have selected and approach your personality when it comes to music. Personally, I feel that your musical tastes are less visible than the other four members.

T: Hahaha. I get that a lot (laughs).

-Are you aware about the things that are not appealing to you?

T: I am. I mean, I know what I like, but I don’t know why I like it (laughs) Basically, I like music.

-You chose 20 albums in particular, what was your criteria in order to choose those?

T: I simply chose these ones because I think these might the ones, I was listening to at the time I was more sensitive/impressionable by music.

-There are a lot of works from the 80's and 90's as a whole, Were you listening to these before you got in the band? T: There are also some that are after the formation of the band and I also include some that I was listening to before playing in the band. There are many from the time when the band was formed, and we made our debut.

-The genres are quite wide, it’s firmly pressed line-up to of iconic masterpieces. In what specific areas have you been affected by them?

T: For example, Guns N'Roses 'Appetite for Destruction' (1987), when I was in middle school, I was like ‘What on earth is this?’ when I came across them. It was a time when LA metal (80s metal/glam metal) was popular. Van Hale was also very popular, and Europe's "The Final Countdown" was being played all around. That's how I met Guns, but the first thing I heard was 'Use your Illusion I','II' (1991). Then, I heard there were more amazing (from them) albums before those, so I listened to 'Appetite for Destruction'.

-When you came across Guns N’ Roses, did you think "the band is cool"?

T: It’s a very stupid idea but, it was a time in which music was equal to delinquency, and live houses had the image of being a sink/den of iniquity* (laughs). At first, I was like ‘What is this?’ and then I got interested. Including such an atmosphere, I think it was cool and I had a strong sense of admiration.

*a place where immoral or illegal things are done.

-When you go from there in chronological order, what kind of transition are you going through?  In your selection, there are a lot of grunge (albums) too.

T: That’s right. Exactly after that, the wave of grunge came. But if you say which one is the one ruling the movement,  for me it’s not Nirvana. When I dug down while listening to that genre, I personally fell in love with Pixies. It was a time in which listening to one artist made us feel more connected. Here and here there would be good friends, here and here there would be people that you don’t get along with. I got worried about that when I listened to them. I went to see Pixies’ performance in Japan a few years ago and it was really good. If I have to say something about that time, at the Pixies live, the lighting goes red through one song and it's just red.I was impressed by the effect of only using that colour in the scene. After that, when we talked about what kind of production we wanted to do on our tour, I said "I went to see Pixies and I  said “ I want to do this in the same way because such lighting was interesting" (laughs)

-Is that so?

T: It's a band that's influenced me from that perspective.

“I had a friend who liked thrash metal. He told me that this kind of music existed”

-While there is a trend from hard rock to grunge, on the other hand, there are also metal elements  you are interested in such as Metallica's “Master of Puppets” (1986) and Pantera's “Vulgar Display of Power” (1992), which are known as masterpieces. When did this kind of metal music get into your life?

T:  When I was in high school. At that time, I had friends who liked Metallica and slash metal such as Pantera and Slayer. I learnt  this music existed, and I started listening to it.

-This didn’t come to my mind until now but, in fact, some of them can be called the roots of metal.

T: Yeah, I really liked it. I also liked to listen to the band that guitaris Steve Vai made as a solo band under his name (Vai). When I was in high school, I had a lifetime friend who was shredding his guitar and looked like a bakateru* guitarist (laughs). I had a lot of fun. *Bakateru (A Japanese made-up word from  “baka” and “techniques”) is a person who plays an instrument using simple/stupid techniques that made them look like professional players.

-That’s good (laughs) While there are hard rock and metal in your choices, the overall impression is that there are many bands and works with a slightly downer atmosphere.

T: Certainly, I think I like downer style a little (laughs).  Stone Temple Pilots has also a part of hard Rock and a strong grunge effect, bit I like the indescribable downer feeling. Then, I chose Alice in Chains for the selection. Alice in Chains is another downer band that I like. When I first heard it, I couldn't understand it at all. I didn't even know what was good about them (laughs) From them, I like Dirt (1992) which I chose this time for the selection.

-By the way, it has the same name as your apparel brand….

T: It has nothing to do with it (laughs).  But, as it is an album I like (even if it has the same name) I guess it’s fine.

-And, when it comes to downer works, you listed “OK Computer" (1997), from Radiohead. T:I don't think there is another album that makes me want to die so much inside while I’m listening to it as this one (laughs). When I was in the states with Yoshiki producing the single, I have the impression I listened to it a lot.

-Radiohead also has had several changes through their career, but if you have to choose, is this one?

T: If you ask me which one from Rahiohead I would pick, as expected it’s this one. Maybe I like feeling like dying (laughs)

“If I had the chance to play music elsewhere, I would like to try an industrial band”

-(Laughs). As for genre, you also included industry albums such as Nine Inch Nails and Ministry.

T: I like industrial because I have the strong impression  it’s not only about the band sound. For me, it has something, like asking for the impossible. If I have the opportunity to do music out of DIR EN GREY, this is the genre I want to try, an industrial band.

-I definitely want you to try to do it.  I can tell you are listening to music with several components but, what are your roots as a bassist?

T: After all, I like Guns's Duff McKagan the most. The one who shocked me like “This…. this is bass!” was Japan’s bassist Mick Karn. I felt like ‘What’s this?’.  He had the magical image of a man that lived in Greece (laughs). I also like the bassline of Alice in Chains or Stone Temple Pilots, which I mentioned earlier.

-I see.

T: Also, in terms of bass, Pantera's 'Vulgar Display of Power' was made in a way that the original cd was only vocals, guitar and drums (laughs). But in their 20th Anniversary Edition (Deluxe Edition In 2012) I was happy to be able to hear the bass properly.

-When it comes to types of bassist, rather than someone who slaps the bass, comes to the front, and stands out, many artists (bassist) have the image of keeping the groove.

T: That’s right. Originally, I didn't really like finger playing or slap bassists. My first motivation was Guns, so I had the image of rocking, like holding the base down and playing with a pick. To me slapping had an image of a fusion style.

-In fact, considering your own play style now, I think they are connected.

T: They are. However, there was a moment when my thoughts changed a bit in that aspect. When I went abroad and went together on tour with Deftones and went to festivals, the bassist Chi Cheng looked very cool. KORN was on the same tour, so I was watching Fieldy’s playing as well.

-It was at the "Family Values ​​Tour" in 2006.

T: That’s right. That was the moment in which there was a change of era not only musically but also of my self-consciousness. Of course, I still liked my play style then, and of course I still like it now, but the idea that I can only do that, and I can only do that…. I started to want to see more things (that I could do). Compared to that time, there is a lot of information, isn’t it?

-Indeed.

T: There are a lot of ways and you choose yourself from that huge amount of information, so you can pick only the good things. But at that time, there wasn’t that much information available, so all I knew was from my own experience. It was like that for things, the length of my ruler was fixed. That…. it overlaps with the story of 'Clever Sleazoid' that I mentioned earlier, when I starter to look overseas, I realized that I could clearly see that “this kind of world exists”. I started to think differently about it, hating without trying it. If there's a world in front of you  you didn't know before, look at it, and if there's something you think would be even better, you can pick  it and bring it home. Looking back at it again, I think my playing style has changed since we made a full-scale expansion overseas and  I turned my eyes to overseas.

“Deftones are the band that influenced me the most once I saw them playing live and went on tour together with them”

-From Deftones, you chose White Pony' (2000)

T: I was shocked when I first heard them. As I said, at the time I saw them live and went on tour with them, if I had to say an album that I felt strong about and affected me, it would be this one.  I think their latest work at the time of the tour was the 'Deftones' (2003) or 'Saturday Night Wrist' (2006), but when they played the songs of 'White Pony', the audience went crazy. I was very impressed.

-From that perspective, many of the bands you chose have co-starred with DIR EN GREY. Are there other bands that impressed you?

T: We were with Metallica together at overseas festivals, but after watching it live, I thought it was really amazing. Since Pantera stopped before I could see them, it was nice I was able to see Metallica. In that sense, I was very excited to be at the same festival when Faith No More restarted their activities. I originally liked it and thought I couldn't watch it anymore, so I was excited when I realized I could see them live.

-That sounds good.

T: Also, we had been with Alice in Chains in a festival.Then, I heard from the dressing room that the guitarist was playing the guitar all the time. I remember thinking “Ah, I like that guitar” (laughs)

-As expected, you have many stories with the bands you were appearing together.

T: That’s right, that's a good thing (laughs)

-You've appeared together with Tool at OZZFEST JAPAN 2015.

T: That’s right. At that time, Tool was active, so we also have appeared together at overseas. I didn't actually watch the live then. Thankfully, I had the opportunity to watch them from a wing* of the stage later, which was really amazing. It feels like being on a trip. Thinking that way, I think I might like bands that makes me go a bit on a trip.

*The wings are the hidden areas to the left and right of the stage

-Also, since Japanese bands were not going abroad as much as now, that you were actively expanding and constantly playing overseas, looking at it, it seems like a good era.

T: Now, I think we were able to go abroad at a really good moment, so it was really a good era. I think it's normal for nowadays bands to go abroad but there are bands you can't see live now; at that time, I could see the music scene. It was good that we were able to go there at that moment.

-Tool’s '10,000 Days' (2006) is the newest work you've mentioned. Since then, there has been a big change over time, and now there are more choices such as music streaming services. Has the way of listening to music, or the variety of it, changed?

T: At that time, you couldn't hear a CD unless you bought it. Furthermore, in the old days, you couldn't afford to pay about 3000 yen each time you buy an album. There are many works that I was interested but I couldn't listen to. In that sense, I think it's a good time to listen anything. But at that time, I paid for listening to that one album, and since I bought it, it was nice to listen to it for a long time. When it comes to streaming, it sounds like "something  you are playing while doing another thing”. Going back to what I talked about, that's why it's a scary part, and I'm still a little behind the times.

-As you are in the artist creator side, you feel like you want people to face your work firmly.

T: As expected that’s it. Well, it’s the selfishness of a creator (laughs). That’s the truth of these things, to be honest, I think that music and magazines are just for entertainment. Because, if had to think about if I will live or die tomorrow, I think I would pick food, not music or books (laughs). If you think about it in that way, I wonder what really entertainment is.I think that because of the entertainment, it is possible to obtain the richness of a human heart. It has become more difficult than it used to be, to determine what kind of value to add there.

[marnie1964]

Karate Kid/Cobra Kai survey

i'm gonna consider myself tagged

It’s the year 2021 and you’re obsessed with The Karate Kid. How are you feeling?: an unexpected turn of events but it's passing the quarantine, i guess!

Did you grow up with TKK or are you new to the series?:  to be completely honest, i don't really like the movies? i didn't vibe with them as a kid and when i went back and tried to watch them this year i couldn't make it all the way through.* i think they're well crafted movies, but i've never liked relatable young boy wish fulfillment (i couldn't even get thru harry potter as a kid), and i think the first one is guilty of burying the lede twice over with regards to mr. miyagi and later the relationship between kreese and johnny. and lucky me--these are exactly the areas that cobra kai delivers on.

*except for the third one, which imo is a camp masterpiece and also genuinely heartbreaking. it's the only one that allows daniel to be an genuine pain in the ass. i think i've finally figured out what the target audience for cobra kai is: people who's favorite karate kid movie was tkk3 (me).

We gotta do the basics. Favorite character: johnny! what is a man but a miserable pile of bruce springsteen lyrics? or aimee mann lyrics? or mountain goats lyrics? or otis redding lyrics? or--fuck, have americans ever written songs about anyone else? i have an unreal amount of good will towards this man and his late-life struggle for recuperation. he's the heart of the show both in terms of his relationships with other characters and in terms of zabka's chemistry with the other actors.

my deep dark double secret fave is kreese. he makes me feel real anger in a way that's usually reserved for characters in vince gilligan shows. i'm a bit obsessed with him and his preoccupation with johnny and later johnny's teenaged son (I Have Thoughts). the show does a great job of making what he did to johnny--and all the years and years and years of fallout from that--feel really real, which makes him one of the most viscerally despicable villains i've ever come across . it's unironically among the best portrayals of domestic abuse i've seen, may god have mercy on our souls. the decision to pop out from behind a fucking cardboard cutout of himself to scare daniel in tkk3 was also a hilarious galaxy brain move. aspirational stuff.

also--shout out to daniel-san. the writers really had to work their asses off to make him into a character that appeals to me, and i think they did a great job of it. he's a cringey tool who's capable of displaying a surprising amount of integrity under the right circumstances! he's tom wambsgans! he's pete campbell! he's wonderful i love him!

Favorite ship:  johnny & daniel (what if mysterious skin was a sports comedy??)

Underrated character: the True and Correct answer to this question can only be aisha, although i don't think she was actually underrated by anyone besides the writers. chozen is also lowkey my favorite katate child because c'mon, he had everything (spear fights! ziplines! teen death matches! formfitting disco-era polyester button down shirts worn with gold chains!)

Underrated ship (don’t say therapy, lol):  uhhhh... the only teen couple that could have been interesting is tory/aisha. they were cute together and their friendship rang true to me. it's that thing where you're the new girl and you're conventionally attractive, but on the inside you know you're a freak so you immediately gravitate towards the most obvious female outsider. i lived it, bay-bey!

i also think there are interesting things to explore with carmen and johnny's relationship. i don't know if the writers are even aware of it (i lean towards no b/c men amirite) but the entire premise of carmen's character is that she chose to live in poverty to protect herself and her son from a bad man with power. she's thereby the exact opposite of johnny's mother, who (at least by his understanding) married hollywood film producer shmarvey shmeinstein to provide her son with a better life. so, there's a lot to unpack in his attraction to her. also they're super hot hur hur i like sexy nurse thing hur hur.

Wax On, Wax Off or Sweep the Leg?: i can't look directly at it, but sweep the leg. zabka what the fuck man.

Which of Daniel’s dumb little outfits is your favorite?:  i don't think i've seen anyone mention this one yet, but the football jersey with the sweatpants. it makes him look so small and huggable, i wanna pick him up and set him on my shelf or something.

Character from the films you most want to return, who’s not Terry Silver: bring back ali's lesbian girl gang!!! or else--dutch. he was funny and iconic, i loved his exaggerated offended reaction to everything daniel said or did in tkk. also, i'm tacky so i'm a sucker for aggressively bleach blonde hair. the SCANDALIZED wasp couple standing behind ali and johnny in the spaghetti scene will also do. or terry's secretary (an mvp--i believe the original actress has passed away so in my heart of hearts she's portrayed by j. smith-cameron).

Scene that lives in your head rent-free: the whole character development speed run that johnny does from sweep the leg to crying while handing daniel the trophy to getting strangled in the parking lot by his beloved teacher. i'm especially transfixed by that last bit--what's the thought process of a man who decides to publicly execute his teenage student via strangulation? why did none of the many bystanders call the police? johnny is the real kitty genovese, prison for everyone.

from the cobra kai series proper: daniel's decision to greet johnny with a big hug after not seeing him for 35 years and never actually being friends with him (I Have Thoughts), the heinously creepy scene where johnny is repeating the cobra kai mantra for miguel and his entire disposition completely changes (demonic possession shit), and johnny's tiny go-ahead-and-kill-my-abuser nod (his face is so stoney after being so animated at dinner) coupled with daniel's shaky little sign of relief (macchio is really the cutest when he looks scared).

it goes without saying that every johnny & miguel scene lives rent free in my HEART.

Will Anthony LaRusso ever be relevant?: anthony becomes relevant for one (1) episode next season when amanda and daniel finally get around to putting him up for adoption.

You live in The Valley and are forced into the karate gang war.  Which dojo do you join?:  i enter the cobra kai dojo decked out in all of my snake-themed clothing and jewelry (it's a lot). i approach kreese and explain to him that the open mouth of a snake, viewed head-on, is a yonic symbol. i am permanently banned from the cobra kai dojo.

(seriously though, assuming i'm a teen in this scenario i think i would have vibed with tory/miguel/aisha. dimitri and sam would have driven high school me up the fucking wall though. the cobra kai style looks like more fun/better exercise. do i also genuinely believe most young girls could actually benefit from someone yelling no mercy down their neck? maybe so 💖)

What’s your training montage song?:  50ft queenie - pj harvey (it takes place in the alison bechdel feminist karate dojo ofc)

It’s the crossover event of the century! Which TV show are you combining with Cobra Kai for an hour-long Saturday night special?: it's a full episode flashback to the time johnny got arrested in albuquerque, new mexico. johnny's court-appointed attorney is a weirdly hot babe who seems like a super straight laced killjoy at first, but soon reveals herself to be an unhinged woman. one thing leads to another, and johnny winds up in bed with her and her loser husband. there are lots of great themes about punitive justice, people's ability to change for the better (and worse), and what makes someone "good" or "bad" to begin with, but mostly it's just really hot sex. the husband tries to sell johnny a prepaid cellphone and johnny tell's him that cellphones are never gonna catch on, cause who want's to be bothered by people all the time like that?

better call saul. it's a better call saul crossover ep.

(fwiw think that greg 'hbo succession' hirsch should also be terry's cousin greg on the non-roy side. think about it--the roys are small people, but cousin greg is really tall?? and who else is really tall, and a blue eyed brunette to boot? terry silver. it all adds up! this never becomes relevant to the plot, in any case, i'm just considering it canon until the writers come to my house and explicitly tell me i'm wrong.)

Tagging: anyone who's interested 😘