#I've already got a couple more episodes lined up to watch just for fun

[whatsagirltoblogabout]

I'm watching the flashback sequence at the start of 4.11 Family Business for research purposes (yep, research, mhm) and I paused to write some stuff down, then discovered that this was the frame I paused on:

I've been staring at it for an entirely unreasonable amount of time. The way you can see the shattered shards of his heart in his eyes... Matt Bomer is powerful as hell.

[mask-of-prime]

TLG: Final 10 Episodes Sketch Dump

September 2nd once again fell on a Labor Day, like it once did when the final 10 episodes of TLG dropped on WatchTLG (due to its early release on the old DisneyNOW app). The alignment of the exact day, month, and holiday five years later put me in the spirit to sketch away as I rewatched these episodes.

I was there when the countdown on the WatchTLG site had about an hour left. I hadn't seen a full episode of TLG until that point because I at the time thought I wouldn't be into it. I saw the synopses for these episodes leaked somewhere online and was doubtful yet VERY hopeful that the one with Vitani's Lion Guard was going to be a real episode simply because I wanted to see her in new content, regardless of my familiarity with the show.

When I binge-watched these final episodes with a friend, my relationship with the show improved as I went to watch the rest of the show over the next few months. I was so grateful to see so much content and worldbuilding for the TLK universe

Sketch descriptions under the cut:

1. Friends to the End

I've said this before in a review of this episode, but whether or not the writers intended this, their portrayal of irritability brought on by an anxiety attack is astounding. Kion's anxiety is piled up more and more when he's in a hurry to find a cure at the Tree of Life, Bunga repeatedly tells him he's becoming like Scar, and the rest of the group just "blind leading the blind"-in their journey SO badly because they're a bunch of unsupervised freshman-aged kids who are in their "Well I wouldn't go THAT far" or "Can I be the devil's advocate" phase.

This situation of fearing becoming like a shitty family member and being told you are by people when you're already in a vulnerable state is just SO vile and unfortunately so real. I found myself relating hard to this episode due to Kion's valid af anger in this episode, which is why I had to draw Kion claiming his "Don't you just wanna go apeshit??" era.

Kion is basically me throughout this episode and the entire first half of Season 3. It is SO HARD to get through this season sometimes when these same couple of lines keep coming at least once per episode. As soon as I hear Fuli saying "Uhh... Kion?" or "KION!!" I know exactly what's coming.

2. The Tree of Life:

Since we never get to see Sahasi and Ananda's color palettes they had in life, I took what I could make out from their spirit forms as well as some creative liberties, and came up with what they may have looked like on Earth.

Ananda is where Baliyo gets his freckles and dull, dark pelt, and where Rani gets her purple pupils, red nose, and dark tail. Sahasi is where Rani gets her richer pelt and where Baliyo gets his nose gradient, multicolored mane, and lighter tail color.

Fun Fact: According to some email responses from a member of the team who worked on TLG, they said that Sahasi was meant to be Janna's son, which for me, puts an end to a debate I had in my head where I was stuck between either him or Ananda being Janna's child: On one hand, I liked the idea of Sahasi and Surak being the foils of Mufasa and Scar, but also liked the idea of Ananda as Janna's daughter and heir since they looked so alike, as well as it solidifying the martriarchy headcanon I have for the Night Pride. Though the team member didn't straight-up provide Sahasi's relation to Janna and Surak as an absolute fact, rather it was simply the gist they got from the creation of Sahasi's character, it's an answer from a team member at all, which I can absolutely settle with. I decided to give him a similar fur color to Surak because of that.

3. The River of Patience:

I just HAD to doodle eepy Kion. It's like the one part of this episode that sticks with me outside the wholesome therapy dynamics and Kion heroically holding the flower between his teeth. This is basically him but if he fully succumbed to falling asleep waiting for the log.

4. Little Old Ginterbong:

Can I just say that I fucking LOVE Mama Binturong's character?? She's absolutely insane and constantly looks like an addict that needs her fix. She makes me nostalgic for some reason, and I think it's gotta do with her Mama Gunda vibes (which is odd because I wasn't even that young when I saw Tarzan II). I had to draw her doing the thing lol

5. Poa the Destroyer:

All I could think about throughout this episode besides the rare Evil Beshte is how insufferable Pinguino is. I mean it in kind of a good way, his personality is so ridiculous that he's made me laugh a few times.

6. Long Live the Queen:

Surprisingly, the sketch regarding this episode is probably the least expected subject matter out of anything I could've put here: An idea that's been forming in my head for a bit now was the idea of Bunga and Binga continuing the fostering/babysitting business of Bunga's "uncles". Bunga is shown to be a natural with young animals in a few episodes, and it continues in the subplot of this episode where he watches over Varya's cubs.

7. The Lake of Reflection:

The one thing that viscerally stuck with me in this episode was the unbelievably cute design they gave bby Cheezi. Had to sketch him.

8. Triumph of the Roar:

Obligatory Askari sketch because I actually love drawing him and making headcanons of his era. Looking back... he kinda looks like he's looking down at the events of the bottom drawing in slight disappointment.

9. Journey to the Pride Lands:

Drew Azaad (for what I think might be the first time) with the only thing he seemed to be doing throughout this episode -- taking any opportunity he can to comment about how much better cheetahs are at basically everything. He's fun to draw and I'd like to do more art of him one day.

10. Return to the Pride Lands

This is a sketch of what I deadass thought was gonna happen during this scene the first time I saw this episode lmao. At the time, the previous two episodes were fresh on my mind so I thought Kion was once again going to spam his tornado ability, but with Vitani as his subject for his demonstration. She already knew so little of the Roar as it was, given her absence throughout most of TLG's storyline, but could you imagine what she must've been thinking seeing how much Kion's Roar evolved?

[rhysdarbinizedarby]

‘Night Court’ – ‘The Duke’s a Hazard’ Post-Mortem Interview with Rhys Darby

NIGHT COURT -- "The Duke's a Hazard" Episode 212 -- Pictured: Rhys Darby as Alistair -- (Photo by: Nicole Weingart/NBC)

Rhys Darby is an accomplished actor and comedian that has graced many a popular and iconic franchise with his many skills in both arenas, and this week… he graced another. For Rhys played Alistair, the refined love of one Donna ‘Gurgs’ Gurganous on this week’s episode of Night Court on NBC, and we had the distinct honor of sitting down with Rhys to discuss all things, Night Court.

John Betancourt: I would love to start off by getting to know what it was that attracted you to the character of Alistair?

Rhys Darby: Well, I know the show, Night Court, watched it as a kid with my mum, have fond memories, and she passed a while ago. So, I felt like “I've got to do this, I want to do this for mum, because we used to watch the show together back in the day.” And the character, I can easily fit into those shoes. It's someone who's a posh Duke, that is a little bit clueless, looks down their nose at people but needs to try to fit in and needs to learn how to be bit more human. So those are all those kinds of traits that I like playing, I find the comedy that comes from that character is well within my wheelhouse. So, I decided to do it.

John Betancourt: Something I’ve noticed about Night Court that I think is wonderful, is how the quirks of every guest star are fully fleshed out in every episode. How did you as an actor bring those to life and make them feel so real?

Rhys Darby: I think that's the key with comedy is, make it look realistic. Because as soon as -- you can kind of over accentuate things to a degree, but it's got to be believable. And when you go past that line of believability, you don't relate. And I think it's finding that right line and kind of swaying and playing on that line. And that's where you get the physical comedy. You know, people in general don't necessarily, aren't necessarily hilarious when they're doing something physical. Unless well, certainly when, unless it's done by accident, in which case you do that thing where you laugh at someone and then you go, “Oh, I shouldn't have.” But you know, it's one of the reasons America's Funniest Home Videos was such a huge hit. But it's kind of like trying to find a grounded, slightly grounded character that is also an open buffoon. And you've got to fit the tone right of the show. And once I started working with the cast, I’d already seen some episodes of the new Night Court. So, I knew what the what the vibe was. And it's always been silly. So, it's always been like, a touch out of touch of reality. And that's my favorite type of comedy. So, it was it was easy to fit in.

John Betancourt: Now you’ve spent a lot of your career working in single camera shows, but you have done multi-cam. What do you have to do as an actor to prepare for that kind of shift?

Rhys Darby: Yeah, I forgot a little bit because I've done multi-cam a few years ago, I forgot how many times the script changes. So, I’d turn up at the beginning of the week, and like, start learning the lines. And then the next day, it's changed, the next day it’s changed again. So, by halfway through the week, I was like “Right, forget the lines. Just concentrate on being funny.” (Laughter) And the other, the other part of it so yeah, so prep isn't a big one. It's really kind of like, the fun of nailing the two different parts of it, which are the prerecorded pieces, which I had fun, I was able to do some improv in, so the subway scene. And then, and then there was a couple of other scenes, but there's that side of it. And then there's the completely opposite side where you've got an audience and you're performing in front of a crowd.

So, it's the best of both worlds. And I kind of kind of forgot, I think I kind of forgot that some stuff is recorded. And I was like, “Okay, we've got to learn this like a play.” And you don't. So, on the night, you also get a few takes, you know, and the crowd loves it when you guys change it up, when the writers come in and go “Try this line. Try that line.” So, yeah there’s fun to be had. And I can see why multi-cams are still a thing because it's a real coming together of all of these different kinds of features, to including the audience, that are that are participating in and helping create the final product and making this classic American art form. So, I think it's cool.

John Betancourt: So, I have to ask, how much of that improv stayed in the final cut?

Rhys Darby: There were some pieces, yeah. There were some… I have to have another look at it. But definitely in the subway scene when I took my coat off, and it fell on the ground. And then I just said something about “That's gone, we have to burn it.” That was all made up. There was probably another little piece that I had with Dave Foley, when we're having the dinner table all sorted, we're having little cups of tea, when he came in. And then stylistically I just chose how I was going to walk and how I was going to look, give my looks to the actors. And I changed that up every time as well. So, there was for, for a show that you know, for multi-cam, that definitely don't allow too much improv, there was certainly… the director was open to letting me have a few, do a few extra “Darby Takes,” shall we say?

John Betancourt: Now something that has come up often in discussions with the Night Court cast, is how the live audience just offers a vibe or energy. I’m curious as to what it does for you as an actor?

Rhys Darby: Well, as a stand up, you know, I'm used to having an audience laugh at me. It helps with the timing, it helps… give you a slightly raised performance, because you can hear a whole bunch of people laughing. So, you're not… you're doing.. you're matching the right tone that is required for that show. So, you're not, you know, subtleties aren't really going to play. So, yeah, I think it's just fun to do. It's fun for anyone who hasn't done that kind of thing. It's a good discipline to have down, at least give them a try.

John Betancourt: So, I can hear it in your voice now, just how much you relished this experience, what did you enjoy the most about working on this episode?

Rhys Darby: I think just working with the cast, I think, you know, meeting John (Larroquette) and the rest of them and having them be a real sweet family and welcoming me as a guest onto the show, working with Dave Foley again, because I haven't worked with him for a long time. So, catching up with him. And just being on a show, that's a bit of an institution. You know, I think those are the those are all the highlights, and the fact that it was just filming down the road from my house. So very easy.

John Betancourt: Oh, I bet the short walk made it amazing.

Rhys Darby: I don't often, I don't often get that. Because I'm always, like, having to fly somewhere or go stay somewhere for a couple of months or whatever. So that convenience, plays a lot into actors, jobs, it doesn't always happen.

John Betancourt: Now, regarding the legacy of the show, why do you think Night Court continues to endure?

Rhys Darby: Well, a number of things, the writing, you know, John Larroquette’s performance. And I think that just the nature of the show. How every week, you're gonna get a different situation of people that are in court, for some reason, for the most stupid idea, stupid reasons. And the interplay between the characters and their lives. It's just simply said, it's just a really good setting for a sitcom.

John Betancourt: Last question I have for you today, what does it mean to you personally to now be part of this franchise?

Rhys Darby: It means a lot. Because I've done a lot of stuff in my career. And I've been lucky enough to be part of some pretty big franchises, some pretty cool legacies. And when it comes to comedy, this was one of them. So that's why it was a no brainer to take. And yeah, and seeing the final result, seeing how funny it was, I was like, “Good, nailed it! Next!” (Laughter)

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Source: Nerds That Geek

[kaiowut99]

Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V TFSP Re-Translation Project (WIP) | Kiryu Story Event 3 & Duel Lines Test VS Yusei

Finished up work on finalizing my GX 117-119 subs a couple weeks back, so I got to work on translating Kiryu's story in TFSP here, along with his in-duel lines/bio; it's actually cool in how it's a post-Crashtown Kiryu who's been subdued for a while and wants to finally fire himself up again as a duelist, and how it loops in Team Taiyo along with Unicorn and Ragnarok here. Showing off his third event here, before going into an unrelated duel with Yusei to show off his in-duel lines; hopefully the duel isn't too long, I tried shortening it a little where able, but ultimately just ended up being as long as it was, haha. On the bright side, that gave me a fun time working in some of the anime OST to make it a worthwhile watch, hopefully! (Also pls forgive any audio stuttering; tried to fix as much of it as I could, wish the Windows Game Bar would record better 😩)

I've also been translating more of the character bios on the side, usually during my commutes to work to be more productive, lol; going in order there as of Yugi's, being the first one after the big five story characters from each game, and his through about Haga's (corresponding to the order they're listed in the List of Duelists in-game) are drafted and I'm up to Malik's now; I'll probably start editing them for in-game use once I do all of the DM ones.

With Kiryu set, that's a wrap for the 5D's character stories, so it'll be onto ZEXAL next; looking forward to that now that I've watched ZEXAL in full, and Yuma's story is already partially done from my work on the announcement video a while back, so I'll just give it another look and then go from there. But first, back to finalizing GX for a bit for episodes 120 and 121 as some dimension-hopping gets underway (along with another thing or two in progress). Stay tuned!

[adhdo5]

oh I am interested to ask if you had any spoilers when reading/watching mdzs the first time? especially did you already know _the thing_ with nie huaisang like you did with junwu or not?

also as I already said I really love your art your style is absolutely perfect >>>>>

Okay second query first THANK YOUUUUU I am so . Ahwhwhdhegegeg ;w; tht my Images are well received in the world

And first query second: I didn't! I went into CQL pretty much entirely blind –and really bc I knew it was in Mandarin and my friends were doing a watch party so I was like Oh I'll hang out and get some listening practice in! – and I had some REALLY good experiences for it. I did not even suspect the Thing with NHS and the friends I was watch partying with had a BLAST about this it was so funny reading the thread rewatchers were talking in after we finished the series bc I immediately LIKED NHS and I was going Omg yay NHS my perfect meetup boy right up until the Reveal during which I was like OH MY GOD???? MY PERFECT MEETUP BOY!!!!!!! and by god I've been Xiyao posting too much I need to NHS post again I love that guy so MUCH he's a solid favorite character contender and the first I recognized

The only thing I was ~spoiled on was Meng Yao getting a new name bc one of my friends slipped up and called him JGY once and I saw it before they edited the message, and that's only a spoiler in CQL (though tbh I prefer the pacing of how CQL introduces you to JGY, hot take; it's probably in solid part because I was show-first and am just biased toward the thing I knew first, but also the thing is . It was SO fun to meet and get attached to Meng Yao and then see him do more and more fucked up things and go UM . WHAT THE FUCK. literally Lan Xichen simulator)

More fun things from watching CQL blind

I fully bought the core misdirection, in part because I was kind of confused as to what was going on the whole time

When we started I was like "this is fun and charming! I like these characters and such I'm interested in seeing where this goes, though this isn't Seizing me like a new Thing or like Hannibal did it's not lifechanging" And then we got to Lotus Pier arc, and for like three days of episodes in a row (we would watch 2 eps a day) I cried every single time,and then I was like HEY GUYS... I THINK THIS IS LIFE CHANGING NOW

When we finally got out of the time skip I did some speculation as to who died and in fact called that it was Nie Mingjue because in terms of status quo changes "NHS is sect leader now" would function and give NHS something to do that he didn't have otherwise and NMJ was the most narratively killable

After WWX got stabbed at Carp Tower I was genuinely very afraid for a second that she was going to actually die for real, and my friends were like THIS IS A ROMANCE THEY HAVEN'T EVEN CONFESSED?? and I was like YEAH BUT WHAT IF THEY FINALLY CONFESS AND SHE SUCCUMBS TO HER INJURIES IN LWJ'S ARMS OR SOMETHING!!! IT'S SAD AND I'M SCARED??? and had to be assured that it's in fact not the kind of romance where Anyone Can Die™ and happy ending for the main couple is genre guaranteed. But there's a canon divergence idea for you

Before we watched the finale I speculated FURIOUSLY as to who was going to die. Hang on lemme get screenshots

I also remember saying something along the lines of specifically "I'm scared that Jin Guangyao is going to merc Lan Xichen and NO ONE is going to be happy about that, least of all Jin Guangyao" but I can't find it. Kind of yuri of absence about the actual Xiyao ending. Sorry I'm frenzying I just checked the clock and I have an hour to eat breakfast before we watch the finale

Bonus:

[knickynoo]

do you have any random alex keaton headcanons? i think you’ve done a couple already but i’m not to sure.

love your blog btw <3

Thank you!

I think I've done a couple of headcanon posts focusing on Alex and Ellen as a couple, but idk that I've done one exclusively for Alex. Hmm.

• In "A, My Name is Alex," we learn that Alex was frequently under extreme pressure from his teachers to always have the right answer at the ready, be an example of a perfect student, accept the social isolation as the price to pay for being "special" and so on. We'll, I headcanon that at some point in his childhood, Alex attempted to go on strike. He had a pep talk with himself before school, telling himself he would refuse to answer any questions no matter how many times the teacher called on him.

He didn't even make it to lunchtime. The teacher's perplexed and disappointed expression, combined with his own fear that others would think he didn't know the answer was enough to break him.

• Alex played soccer as a kid (canon) but he wasn't particularly good at it (headcanon). He joined at the urging of Steven and Elyse, who had hoped it would help him make friends, but just ended up being that kid who thought he knew more than the coach and who tripped over his own feet several times a game. The times he managed to score goals were mostly accidental. Steven and Elyse made every effort to show up to each game and cheer him on.

• Even though Alex makes fun of his father's job a lot, he does watch every documentary Steven has a part in making and then sits with him after to discuss his favorite aspects of it.

• The orange juice obsession started as a young child and only strengthened as Alex got older. He'll drink other juice if that's the only option, but he never chooses it over oj. He can also do a blind taste test and tell (with near perfect accuracy) what the brand is. He prefers homemade, though, which Steven occasionally makes in large batches. Steven and Elyse often have to remind Alex to drink water.

• Alex is an amazing cook, and he's not shy about taking charge in the kitchen and whipping up a meal every so often. (this is actually kind of canon, as there's an episode where he makes his famous "Pasta Alex" for his family) He mostly sticks to picking recipes from cookbooks, but he's also got a natural talent for knowing what flavors will work well together and can pull together a good meal without any specific instructions.

• When Alex hasn't made a trip to his local bank in a while, the manager and tellers call the Keatons to make sure he's okay.

• As Mallory ventures into and becomes successful in the fashion world, Alex is one of her biggest cheerleaders. She has a line of sweater vests, and he's thrilled whenever a new one is released. He agrees to be her model in some of the advertisements for them.

• Shortly after Andy is born, Alex starts a college fund for him. He doesn't tell him parents and secretly squirrels away money over the years. Between this and the fund his parents start, Andy can pretty much go to any school he wants by the time he's old enough to start thinking of colleges.

• Despite his attitude about success and his desire for immense wealth, Alex ends up being very generous with his money as he makes his way up the ladder in the business world. He tried very hard to hide his big heart, but he can't deny that he likes helping others in need. He makes frequent, anonymous donations to many charities and also does volunteer work with Ellen.

• Oh yeah, I have to include the mention of my headcanon that Alex and Ellen end up finding each other again and getting married. Duh.

• Alex is autistic, and it's something he eventually comes to realize a little later on in life, once the condition starts to become more widely understood and recognized (especially in adults.) It's actually Ellen who connects the dots, and it's that moment of realization where a lot of things fall into place. It explains his difficulty with emotions and relationships, his need for sameness and why things fall apart for him when things change, the black and white thinking, and the way he struggles to see things from other people's perspectives, his strong obsessions, and his very obviously savant-like talents. (His ability to do extremely complex math as a toddler, identifying coins by their sounds, easily memorizing entire passages from books and board game rule books, etc)

Alex thinks it's an absurd suggestion at first, and she drops the topic for fear of upsetting him, but it stays lodged in the back of his mind. He becomes so completely absorbed in proving that he does not fit the criteria or the little list on the paper Ellen had shown him that he can't focus on anything else. Which, you know, only goes to prove her point even more. Eventually, he relents and admits she's probably right. Getting to that point of acceptance (and maybe even seeking professional resources) is one of the best things that happens to Alex.

(And as a little bonus headcanon, I think a similar chain of events unfold when Alex goes to talk to Elyse about the whole situation. She listens, and though she's a little overwhelmed, she agrees it does fit. Later on, she goes to Steven with a printout or a book about autism and is like, "He got it from somewhere," to which Steven goes, "???? Elyse, what are you talking about?? Please let me get back to making my elaborate chart detailing the electricity usage of every person in this house. Also, I hope you didn't buy a different brand of napkins again or I'll have a nervous breakdown." And Elyse is like 🤦🏼‍♀️)

Thanks for the ask! This was a lot of fun.

[help-me-find-a-name-please-lol]

CM HOTCH/REID HEADCANONS

My headcanon about Hotch leaving in Season 12, Reid's reaction, and trying to have it make some kind of sense.

Disclaimers:

This is the first rewatch of the later seasons I've done since it aired on TV, and I've only just finished Season 12 episode 4 (I do, however, know the early seasons ridiculously well).

From LDSK onwards, I only ever really watched it for Hotch, Reid, and the Hotch/Reid dynamic. I didn't really watch it after Hotch left, but caught bits and pieces because my roomates did.

Yes I know why Thomas Gibson left the show and why they had to suddenly wrap up his character. No, I don't condone violence in the workplace. I also never dove deeply into the behind-the-scenes lore of this show, cast and crew interviews, etc etc. This will purely be relating to the show as it was depicted on screen, and my love for the characters as their own entities.

I am not going back to fully source which eps all my observations come from, cos I'm supposed to be working on an assignment rn and CM transcripts are a ducking nightmare. I just wanted to put this idea out there cos I think we all need a bit of self-soothing after the crap they fed us to write Hotch out of the show.

Also fun story I just came back to finish writing this after being interrupted by what I though was someone trying to break into my house at 4am (heard a noise, gate wide open, can't see anyone but damn, scary. My town's big on crime, too). SO my thoughts may now be even more disorganised thanks to the adrenaline crash headache I'm currently experiencing.

So anyway like I said, just finished watching S12E04 Keeper, during which Reid gets a call we don't hear, is visibly upset by it, and takes a bit of prodding to discuss it with JJ and Rossi. He then reveals that he was just told his mother left her care facility on her own and was found wandering confused around a casino. He takes minimal convincing to head back to Quantico and lines himself up another couple of days off to visit his mum (yes I'm Australian, this is how we spell it lol).

MY HEADCANON: This is when Hotch called Reid to tell him that he was going into witness protection and wouldn't be coming back. (Exactly how much was discussed on the phone vs possibly being discussed/explained later in person is of course open to interpretation, but enough for Reid to know Hotch wanted to say goodbye and to not tell the rest of the team).

I know that his mum's issues are an ongoing valid storyline. But this is why it was also a plausible excuse for Reid to come up with on the spot as to why he was upset.

Another thing that makes it entirely plausible that the phone call was about Hotch is the long, significant staring Reid did at Prentiss as she walked away after they discuss what supposedly happened with his mum. To me that could scream that Reid was actually dealing with something team-related, and was already grieving how it would affect the other members of his team that he's keeping it from. He could have gazed down or elsewhere to communicate his worry for his mum to the audience, but he specifically turned and watched Prentiss leave, looking all angsty.

What's a heck of a lot less plausible:

His mum, who has been in care since Reid became a legal adult, suddenly escaping her care facility, despite having been in care for well over a decade and who now needs even more supervision due to Alzheimer's on top of her Schizophrenia. Yeah, escapes happen, but to make it all the way into a casino and being found in a confused state? When this didn't happen before Reid flew up and got her diagnosed her with Alzheimers? Even though she'd been getting some increased freedoms for doing well on her new meds prior to her sudden worsening with the Alzheimer's onset?

Hotch leaving without saying something directly to Reid first. Yeah, I'm a shipper, and I know Hotch has his son to think about, but I call BULLSHIT. Hotch knows all about Reid's abandonment issues and there is no way he'd want to end up on the same mental list Reid keeps alongside Reid's father and Gideon. When Gideon went AWOL, Hotch returned from suspension, despite the fight he knew it would cause with his wife, because "the team" needed him. Then Haley stressed "no, they need Gideon". Fully believe this was all just about Reid (I also kinda low-key believe Haley had an inkling about Hotch's thing for Reid but anyway). Hotch, Reid and Morgan functioned as a team while Gideon was on leave after the bomber case, Morgan didn't even really want Gideon to come back and would not have been that thrown by his absence. Reid however we all know was very emotionally-involved. And it's Reid that Hotch pulls aside to get his head back in the game (and who then gives them a breakthrough in the case shortly after, at Hotch's encouragement). When Gideon had officially left and Hotch addressed the team about it, he mostly directed what he was saying towards Reid, when he said that he couldn't explain why he'd left the way he did, etc. And when Hotch was trying to decide whether he'd take over as section chief after Strauss left, again he was addressing the team but pretty much turned and spoke directly to Reid when he said something along the lines of "if I decide to leave the BAU, you'll be the first to know". He also saw how much it killed Reid to be lied to about Prentiss (and you can see he felt like shit about it during Reid's assessment). This man. Would NOT. Have left Reid without saying goodbye. That's the hill I'm dying on. On top of that, Hotch is always the most emotionally-compromised whenever Reid is in danger, and he knows it (he let Gideon know he was currently a terrible example of "handling things emotionally" while Reid was being held by Hankel, resulting in Gideon's weak reassurance of "We'll get him"; when Reid got on that train with Elle he tried to stop it then immediately went to chat with the sniper; when Reid was in the cult compound he had to hand off negotiations to Rossi; when Reid was protecting Owen Savage; heck he practically yeeted Morgan out of the way when Reid was trying to talk down Maeve's stalker and they heard a gunshot. Etc etc.). And whenever Hotch gets emotionally affected by other things (eg that defence attorney for amnesia/coma guy, or regarding his brother), Reid is the one who can break through that and keep him steady. Reid is VERY IMPORTANT to Hotch and I don't see him hurting Reid in what to him is the worst way someone could do it.

Reid being so chill about Hotch suddenly leaving without saying goodbye. Goes without saying, yeah? But I'll say it. I get that they've been trying to paint him as more emotionally-mature and that he was able to handle Morgan leaving, but it is SO not the same relationship or circumstance and Reid would not have taken Hotch's departure in stride like that. I get that they also wanted the show and its characters to move on as quickly and as apparently unaffected as possible, but it still clearly flies in the face of proper characterisation. Reid is brilliant and back when he was being held by Hankel, I'm sure he could have found any number of ways to communicate with a specific team member at that moment, but he chose Hotch. He knew Hotch would be the only one capable of putting his ego aside at being "picked to die" and to listen properly to the rest of Reid's message. Once he confirmed that his message was correct and that he was in a cemetery, Reid was so sure that Hotch understood his message and would be coming to save him that he let his guard down for the first time. I think he only picked up that gun and shot Hankel with it in the end to just superstitiously make sure that the bullet never did reach Hotch (and to "free" Tobias, or whatever. Either way Hankel wasn't going for the gun or to use Reid as a shield when he turned to face off with the FBI and any of them could have taken him down easily). They've only been getting closer and closer over the years, on-screen and off (Fist-bump anyone? Always standing close together? Plus Reid's been teaching Jack magic tricks and was the one to get him smiling and laughing after Hotch got arrested by SWAT, which you know would make Hotch even more gooey for him). They're 100% an army of 2/hyper-competent power couple (take for instance the way Hotch and Reid were mirrored against Garcia and Kevin when she referred to her own pairing as the President and Vice-President after the bank blew up?) who can probably achieve 90% of the team's success level on their own. That super-serial-killer chick may have talked about Reid losing a "protector" in Morgan, but Hotch has always been the one Reid has come to or looked to. He was pretty distraught about the idea of Hotch leaving to be Section Chief, not that long ago, too. Also, constant super-crush behaviour which I could list but this post is already very long. Reid would not just immediately go "Prentiss is our leader now, this'll be great!". FFS.

Anyway we all know the way they wrote Hotch off was bullshit, hence the suuuper-long monologue to explain everything that's apparently happened off-screen, and yeah he'd totally enter WITSEC without even telling the team (until he decided to resign) when Peter Lewis had already hacked it once and killed the person on it before the team figured out who he was after and got there 🙄. All of it is super implausible. But to me, nothing more so than Reid's poor imitation of shock/surprise and almost total lack of emotional reaction. Him knowing beforehand, because Hotch already said goodbye to him, is the only thing that will ever make me be at peace with this crap from an in-universe POV.

This could all be shot to pieces in the next ep lol, but for now I'm just glad my brain has a way to make sense of it.

[wolfkitty42]

My Thoughts On The 2023 HoYoFair.

Wow. This year was full of utter gems. I'm just going to link a couple of the ones I especially enjoyed, and put my thoughts on them below.

I was extremely hyped up for Shadows in the Sand. It's always been a quest I enjoyed, and Jeht is by far one of my favorite npcs. (Although I hope some day she won't just be an npc... Make her playable, Mihoyo!) While I felt like the short was a little rushed, it was still a wonderful tribute to the quest. I love the reveal at the end with Jeht removing her mask. It was also nice to see Lumine!

I was also very hyped up for Times Changed after seeing teaser images for it. I adore Lumine's new outfit! I didn't really enjoy the short that much, but I admire the quality of the animation. If you're looking for Genshin fan animations to watch, try this one!

When I saw PROGENITOR: Albedo had gotten a second episode, I was thrilled! For those who haven't seen any of this series, I highly recommend checking it out. Here's hoping we'll see a third episode next year!

I actually only got onto the stream right before Riptide started. I love this song! The animation is beautiful and I think the singing and lyrics fits Childe's personality very well. Check it out!

Writing on the Wall is genuinely one of the most amazing songs I've ever heard. Up until hearing this, I have been a Kaveh hater. Sorry! Haikaveh just didn't really appeal to me that much, and... That was pretty much all of the widespread Kaveh content I had seen. I knew Kaveh had more nuance in his character, but I felt very unmotivated to look into him.

That being said, this song helped clarify what I knew about him. I started crying halfway through the song. (And okay I'm sick with a cold so my eyes are already leaking 24/7, but still!) Writing on the Wall perfectly captures the feeling of losing motivation to finish your art. At least for me, I used to often find myself making paintings for friends. This became incredibly demotivating over time because I felt like I had to perfect details and I lost the sense of fun in drawing. Over the past year and a half, I've been trying to draw for myself more.

This song spoke to me so much. The lyric about the architect remaining inside their buildings especially stood out to me. You can see an artist in any of their works. Even if there's no written signature, every stroke and line is a signature in itself.

So... Am I converted to being a Kaveh fan now? Honestly, I'm not sure. That being said, I do have a c6 Kaveh... (cough cough Baizhu pulls x3). Maybe I'll finally try building him.

[befuddledcinnamonroll]

Bake Me Please - final thoughts

So, funny thing, I kinda kept forgetting I was watching this one. Which probably says something about it. To be fair, there is just so much content right now, and a lot of it is just more ripe for tumblr shenanigans, so those shows are more on my mind. But the special episode just came out, and reminded me I should finish this one.

It's definitely not bad. It's well made, well acted, and has a coherent plot, which is not something you can take for granted in BL. But it's not something I see myself revisiting.

Cons:

The plot was just ok. I didn't feel deeply invested in the bakery business story line. Also, the public in the story acted so entitled? A shop is closed for a day and they act personally insulted? It kinda ticked me off. I like cake as much as the next person, but that's no reason to be a jerk about it.

Ohm's character. I'm just at a point in my life where the "he's a horrible jerk to everyone but I will love him out of it" kind of story just doesn't sit well. Probably a side effect of knowing too many real life people who have dealt with incredibly shitty partners longer than they should have, because "maybe he'll change". Helpful tip - they're not going to change. Not without a lot of self-awareness, a good therapist, willingness to put in the work, and a lot of time.

I had major, major second lead syndrome here. Not just because of how gorgeous Poom is, but his character Guy was such a sweetie. Sure, he had a couple of weak moments, but overall he was so incredibly supportive. Peach, he was right in front of you!! How you did not smash that man is mind-boggling.

Pros:

Peach was a cutie. This is the first thing I've seen Guide in, and I adored him. (No, I haven't watched IFYLITA yet, it's on the list!). But seriously, look at this smile:

Also, Poom. I mean, look at him. I'm not at all surprised that he's already filming a show where he's a lead with Up, because he absolutely has the "it" factor. His characterization of Guy is a big part of what made him seem irresistible.

The entire cast did have really good chemistry. Guide & Ohm were good together in their cute little moments.

The friends were well-characterized. Once they got over their romantic angst, they were really fun as a group.

We get to add another sweetheart gay rights grandma to the list.

So overall, it's fine, but not amazing. Has some good fluff if you can put up with the grumpy romantic lead. And keep an eye out for Poom in My Stand-In!

[housewarningparty]

3x014 Bad Girls that's the tweet. Bad Girls has been the next epsiode I've had to watch for ages and I was looking forward to it so much cause even I know Bad Girls is the iconic episode but there has not been a good time to watch but now I finally had the chance so here's the midseries update.

But before I get there I wanna say Beauty and the Beasts is a really interesting episode, not necessarily for the episode itself but that you can read the entirety of the Angel/Buffy relationship that I've seen so far in Series 3 cause you can read them in both sides of the abusive relationship (I forget their names this was pre me writing notes) imo, Angel's obvious he's textually a metaphor for the abusive boyfriend who changed after sleeping with Buffy, it's directly textually said in this episode and a bunch back in series 2, but also Buffy did kill Angel immediately after getting his soul back (absolutely justifiably yeah) before he even knew what was going on and he gets sent to the hell dimension for 100 years but is still instinctively protecting Buffy like the girl who protected the boyfriend who hurt her. And so they've been locked in a death spiral of breaking up and getting together ever since which is in theory neat but also admittedly it is starting to get tiring since its starting to feel like just a holding pattern until we can move on and Angel gets sent away for his spin off (the extremely meleodramatic one we see in The Zeppo was incredible though)

Speaking of Zeppo RIP Cordy's screentime but I do enjoy her existing now entirely to hunt Xander for sport it's what she deserves. Didn't even get to star in The Wish which was her mirrorverse episode, I remember being surprised how quickly she figured it out and then she died immediately. Also shout out to my boy the Master coming back for the runback against all odds getting a 2:1 record against Buffy, 1:1 was already an absurd record that I didn't see ever being matched but surely 2:1 cannot be touched.

Anyway I spent too long here not talking about Faith, love her, one of my favourite notes from Bad Girls '♡ "Hey girlfriend" What could she mean by this?' I also have from Revelations 'Faith is all alone and has no friends :(' and she's also very fun to watch so you got the triple threat of barely disguised innuendo, sad and greatly charismatic on screen so always fun to watch. I really enjoyed by the way in Revelations the way that Gwendolyne Post loved walking around with her arms not in her sleeves and behind her back and then she gets beaten by cutting her arm off. And the way the episode ends with Faith incorporating the little lesson from Gwendolyne into her world view about only needing Spartan Quarters is a nice tiny set up for future heel turn. Also the start of the recurring thread of her wanting to spend some time with Buffy but she has to blow her off for Angel issues, oh I just saw in my notes for that episode 'Angel Buffy trapped in cycles, in same scene its explained once the glove is attached it cannot be removed. Metaphor'

Helpless was great as a more horror focused episode, I got distracted part way through by a random Watcher who I was sure I recognised, it turns out he's in Star Trek Enterprise, a show I've not watched but the only one I recognised on the list so I guess it was that, I just think it could've been more effective if even with his last minute change of heart Buffy still had a bit of a rift with Giles from the whole poisoning her deal

I do admittedly have a couple of notes of "Why does Oz exist? Because outside of some good lines in Amends I never really get much out of him, I don't always like Xander but he's got that good recurring roll of acting out whatever's Buffy's dealing with but in miniature but Oz just kinda feels like he's just there.

Amends incidently such a good episode, amazing character episode for Angel, "It's not the demon in me that needs killing, it's the man," I have that line written down with the note of 'Sick'. I also love that despite being called amends few actual amends were made and it more had the idea rather you need to continue to live and make your amends as a process rather than as a singular act. Also it's Christmas and he gets visited by ghosts of past, present and future so y'know its fun

I love the Mayor as a Big Bad, I think he's my favourite so far its just such a demenour y'know, Angelus is incredible as a character like a more personal nemesis and I had great fun with the Master but the Mayor is really doing it for me. I loved the gag in Band Candy where he points out the sewer really needs more maintanence while they're delivering the babies to the snake and then that's actually a set up for Buffy to grab the gas pipe to set it on fire.

Anyway Bad Girls. First appearance of my friend Wesley he is so different to he was when I watched Angel its incredible how buttoned up and how much of a loser he is, I love him. And so much incredible Faith/Buffy content, which is fitting for this to be her approaching Heel Turn to mirror with Angel to Angelus back in S2. From my notes '"You don't get it you killed a man," "You don't get it, I don't care" she says as she cares deeply' The last thing I wrote down for Bad Girls is 'I want to eat this episode'. Also I dunno if its anything but I also noted down Faith and Buffy really hit it off next level style this episode after Buffy got drowned and her getting her drowned back in 1x12 is what created the branch Slayer line that got to Faith, its neat even if its nothing.

I've written too much I need to send these more regularly if this is how much I'm going to put down, great stuff great stuff.

Well! Glad you're enjoying S3!!!!

Beauty and the Beasts is another example of the kind of Buffy episode that's just some character's current conflict acted out by the MOTW. Gets m every time.

Gwen Post was great because it shows the first deep fissure in Buffy and Faith's relationship and reintroduces Angel to the rest of the crew in a spectacularly disastrous and dramatic fashion. Also love how it sets up Faith's recurring S3 weakness of "literally any adult who's nice to her" which is funny/sad given the fact that the character trait she is most obviously trying to manifest for herself is 'badass rebel loner.' How's that traumatic childhood and almost complete lack of support system working out for you, Faith? Pretty good it doesn't seem.

Oz is a much loved character (including by me!). I think he's sweet and funny and I enjoy him showing up - but aside from when he's actively wolfing out or being cheated on for Willow's character development he is pretty extraneous. Finally, a male sexy lamp.

Agreed re: Helpless, The Mayor, Faith having no friends, Buffy and Angel's whole mess winding down . Interesting point about the drowning too! Hadn't thought about that before. Huh.

I'm glad you're having a good time! Can't wait for your Bad Girls thoughts!

[icecoffee90]

Top 9 Shows

Thank you for tagging me, @jerzwriter!

Okay, this list was so hard to narrow down and I'm sure I still forgot some, lol.. I was addicted to TV shows at one point (it all started with House and Heroes in about 2008 and lasted for years), I've barely watched anything in the past couple of years, though. Alright, let's get to it! I'll TRY to keep this short..

1. Will & Grace: Smart humor, top-notch physical comedy, amazing cast.. Is it perfect? No. No show is. I once saw a video in which Megan Mullally said something along the lines of "our worst episode is still funnier than the best episode of other comedy shows", which I respectfully disagree with, but it's definitely high quality entertainment! The reboot (or the last 3 seasons, whichever you prefer) admittedly wasn't that enjoyable, but the original finale sucked, so at least the characters got the ending they deserved!

2. Pushing Daisies: I love procedurals and I love shows with a supernatural aspect, so a combination of the two is an absolute win! This show deserved much more than just two seasons! I should rewatch it for a third time soon..

3. Sherlock: What can I say? I got hooked immediately with "A Study In Pink", I rewatched it at least 4 times while waiting for episode 2 to air in my country.. Welp, I couldn't wait, I binged the next 2 eps the next day, lol. To this day "The Reichenbach Fall" remains the best episode of any show I've ever seen and that's the reason why, despite the abomination the final season was, Sherlock made my top 3.

4. The Last of Us: Do I even need to say anything?! I doubt there is anyone who missed everyone and their mom singing the show's praises after each episode, lol. Episodes 5, 6 and 8 were pure television gold! The only reason I didn't put the show higher on my list is that we've only seen one season so far and it's still not clear in which direction season 2 is gonna go.. 🤷‍♀️

5. Only Murders in the Building: Another show that got me hooked with the series premiere already! Of course, the main reason I started watching it was the main trio of actors, but the show is about so much more. I love getting to know the character's backstories as we're trying to uncover the killer.

6. Schitt's Creek: Okay, what can I say about this show? Like with Will & Grace, the first season may not have been "all that" (just my opinion), but from season 2 onward it became a comedy gold! The characters quickly grow on you and make you care about all their highs and lows.. And Moira f**king Rose is hands down one of the best characters on TV ever!

First, a little fun fact nobody asked for: I've finally gotten around to watching this show when covid started and my timing couldn't have been worse - I binged the entire thing within a week, I had one episode left the day the penultimate episode aired and then I had to wait a whole week for the finale! 😩😂

7. Person of Interest: A great procedural with an interesting "twist" (for a lack of better word).. But again, aside from the 'cases', you care about the characters as well. I remember there were at least 2 eps which made me cry.

8. Young Royals: Am I a little too old to be enjoying this show this much? Maybe. Do I care? Hell no! But I'd argue that rather than a teen show, it's a show about teenagers. I originally had no intention to watch this show, but I read a fan review which was very positive, so I figured that I might as well give it a shot and if nothing else, I'd at least pick up some Swedish (Boy, was I naive, lol! The opening scene already showed me that I'll be lucky if I learn 2 words.. 😅). Ahem, sorry, to the point - all I know is that no other recent show had me looking up release Dates and actually worrying that there won't be another season. The show just sucks you in. And it is about so much more than the main romance arc! But apparently I'm partial to the "idiots in love" trope, lol.

9. White Collar: Did I mention that I love procedural dramas? Lol. The main reason I started watching this show was that I fell in love with Matt Bomer's character on Chuck and I simply wanted to see more of the actor. Little did I know how much I'd be enjoying it, even though I didn't agree with each and every of Neal's decisions. Although, if I remember correctly, it was also starting to run out of steam toward the end. I know everyone was hoping for a reboot, but now I'm not sure it would be the same without Mozzie.. 😔

Honorable mentions: Chuck, Monk, Abbott Elementary, The Good Wife..

I'm sure I'm still forgetting many others but this is probably enough.. 😅

They may have already been tagged, but I'd like to see what shows are on @dr-colossal-pita's list (feel free to ignore!)

[airenyah]

so i was tagged by @lurkingteapot to list my 9 favorite tv shows. i find it difficult to define "favorite" so i'm just gonna list a whole bunch of current faves, past faves, and other series that stuck with me or have a special place in my heart for whatever reason.

tagging @magsimags @newyearknwwme @swabianhotpocket @killiru @gaym3bo1 @ranchthoughts @gillianthecat @feralmuskyscentedhoepran @telomeke – feel free to ignore this if you've been tagged already or if you don't feel like participating <3

here are mine in alphabetical order (bc i really CAN'T do a ranking):

(details under the cut)

bad buddy series:

you've seen the state of my blog for the past 1.5 years. i'm not even gonna elaborate

galavant:

I MISS GALAVANT EVERY SINGLE DAY. it was gone too soon, even if the renewal for a second season was a huge surprise (forever sad we couldn't get a 3rd season).

please this series is so funny and entertaining and just iconic. the dialogue is SOOOO quotable and the songs are so funny and amazing!!!!!!!!!! (i mean hello it's alan menken!!!!!)

it's got badass ladies, a pathetic little meow meow king, A DRAGON (i super believe in tad cooper <333), an army of gays, pirates who are the lords of the sea (except for the part with the sea), a knight in shinging armour who is some over-muscled chauvinistic self-indulgent egotistic stingy prissy narcisissy jackass in a caaaaaaan, and so much more

PLEASE IF YOU LOVE DISNEY MOVIES AND MUSICALS AND FOURTH WALL BREAKS DO YOURSELF A FAVOUR AND GO WATCH THIS LITTLE GEM OF A SERIES. PLEASE. it's my favorite thing ever <333333333

fun fact: the title of my blog which goes "oh poop, i got gravy on my tummy flowers!" is a quote from this series

moonlight chicken:

this is one of the 3 series that i've rated as a 10/10 on mydramalist, so i HAD to include it and well. it's just. i don't know how to put it into words

this series and the characters just feel so real. i like how every single character has their own baggage to carry and how they all come together and influence each other. and i really like that this isn't your standard fluffy romance story. actually, one of my favorite things in this series is how the break-up between alan and wen is a major plot line. and i like how messy it all is, how long it takes them to actually draw the line. again, it just feels so real.

not to mention there's a deaf character!!!! please heart and li ming were just so wholesome 🥺🥺🥺 and li ming's relationship with his uncle was just so endearing

once again i am begging gmmtv:

FIRSTMIX MAIN COUPLE SERIES WHEN????

can we please, PLEASE, have another series with earth and fourth as an uncle/nephew duo?? fuck romantic actor pairs, give me familial ones!! you've already let fourth keep the same mother* two series in a row, let him keep the uncle too!!!! *(on that note: i ADORE lookwa. i don't fuck but she's a milf)

orphan black:

i'm not sure i ever actually finished this series (i think i'm still missing the final season??) but i just HAD to include it bc tatiana maslany, okay. tatiana maslany. that's it, that's all i'm gonna say

skam (norsk):

you had to be there

supernatural:

og followers will remember when this was still a spn blog. yes, this show makes the list. once a spn blog, always a spn blog*. free me.

*fun fact: this started as a spn blog and that's something that's actually still visible in my tagging system. spn is the only show where i don't tag episodes as #series abbreviation 1.01 but i tag the ep by the number itself without specifying the series

the brightest star in the sky:

during the pandemic my mom came to me and said "you need to watch this series. the male lead reminds me so much of your brother". i watched it with her. she was right. the male lead is exactly like my little brother. to the point where there was this one scene where the male lead was criticizing the female lead's outfit and my mom and i laughed and went "[brother] would totally say this too" and only a few days later my brother and i had a conversation about clothing over lunch and my brother said almost exactly the same thing as the male lead in that one scene and i looked at my mom in surprise and went "did you tell him about that scene????" as my mom was cracking up and shaking her head that no, she had not.

although, when i say the male lead is exactly like my brother, that's a lie. in fact, he's a mix of both my brother and an old friend of ours who was always like a second little brother to me (the two of them actually had similar personalities when they were teens)

and the female lead reminds me of a female friend that was also in the friend group with us (and who is one of my brother's best friends)

in fact, the dynamic between the male lead and the female lead reminds me very much of the dynamic between my brother and said female friend

all in all, the main characters are just very familiar to me and remind me of people i adore and that's why this series has a special place in my heart. (even if i constantly want to punch zheng boxu. sibling love <3)

theory of love:

ok i know this is kind of a controversial one, bc people seem to either love it or hate it BUT. just know that this series and especially the khaithird plot was made for me, and me personally <3

this series came to me at exactly the right time. it was like a mirror to my own life at the time and brought a lot of catharthis. i was going through a "break-up" with my own personal irl-khai back then and this series helped me deal with that, helped me get over him, and reconfirmed to me over and over again that i had taken the right decisions.

theory of love is also the thai drama that i've seen the most amount of times (i've watched the khaithird plot 27x that i've counted as of july 2nd, 2023) (though by now bbs is a close second with 22 full watches that i've counted as of july 2nd, 2023 and it might surpass theory of love at some point now that my personal irl-khai is no longer relevant in my life in any way. you know what that is!! growth!!!! the day bbs surpasses tol is the day i really, truly AM well and over my irl-khai)

you're beautiful:

ok. ok. hear me out. this is a kdrama from 2009, right?? but i didn't watch it until november 2021 where i'd had quite a day and in the evening was super exhausted and just wanted a zero-braincell show to watch and this happened to be on netflix and looked like the perfect thing for my state

little did i know it was gonna be a million-braincell show for me.

basically, i ended up being really entertained by it, saw that there were remakes, decided to check those out too and well. it got my little actor brain going. i started analyzing the acting (comparing esp the og korean version with the taiwanese remake) and it turned into this whole thing where i wrote pages and pages of notes in a google doc. i learned a lot through that and luckily we had camera acting classes at drama school during that period, so it was perfect timing. i suddenly understood so many things and what an effect it can have on the viewer if you do (or don't do) something a certain way

(oh and then a year later i inflicted this series on a uni friend of mine and it turned into this whole acting analysis project after i'd mentioned about something about acting and went "wait, i have THE perfect example for what i mean where you can see it first-hand." we had a great time and then binged the entire series during semester break. i'm planning on getting her into thai ql too, but unfortunately we're both super busy and don't really have time to watch series together)

honorary mentions:

ever night: i watched only the first season, though. and it's been a while since i saw it (3 years ago during lockdown) and so i don't remember the plot very well but... beautiful cinematography. loveable characters. fantastic acting. also the special effects when the main character did those "spells" (forgot what it was called) looked so cool??????

why r u: that was my first thai bl. the one that pulled me into the world of thai drama. considering how i'm mostly a thai drama blog now and the rebranding started with this series i couldn't not mention it, could i

my school president: it has to make the list just for episode 6 alone (gun desperately wanting to know which person from the music club tinn likes but being terrified ask and deep down knowing the answer already anyway but not feeling ready to hear it???? ooooooof that's so me-coded). anyway, all in all it's just a very sweet and wholesome drama and i'm still listening to a bunch of the songs a lot

the fosters: i was obsessed with this back in 2015. i stopped watching it shortly before the jonnor break-up bc i was busy at the time and when i saw the spoilers about the break-up i couldn't be bothered to catch up. but yeah, i was really into it for a while as well

andi mack: i've made multiple gifsets of that show. i don't gif a lot so yeah. considering that i bothered to sit down and make gifs for this, i think andi mack deserves an honorary mention. i wasn't suuper obsessed with it but i did quite like watching it

merlin (bbc): it's just very entertaining ok and the characters are fun to watch and have fun dynamics

[mimbotomy]

Writing Ask Game: 7, 28, 48, 49?

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

I don’t entirely know if it totally counts as world building, but probably what I’m doing with Kassandra and Ikaros’ bond in the Children of Kephallonia and Not a Malákes Ravenclaw and every other AC Odyssey fic I will write from now until the end of time bc it’s so fun. Their relationship was already a huge part of my other fics, but I think that having them be able to talk to each other and have actual conversations gives me a really cool way to show Kassandra’s thought process and inner dialogue and just really deepen their bond.

28. Does anyone read your fics before you post them? If so, who?

My friend auroralykos is the closest thing I have to a beta writer in the sense that we send each other snippets of our WIPs and talk about our ideas.

48. What’s the last fic you read? Do you recommend it?

I got engaged a couple weeks ago and am hoping to get married in October, so wedding planning has pretty much entirely taken over my life and I haven’t had a huge chance to read or do anything other than stress 😬 But according to my history on AO3, I last read the fic Duty and Sacrifice (A History of Rhaenyra the Blessed by Archmaester Glydayn), which has been updated twice since I last read RIP. I personally find it hilarious that that’s the last fic I’ve read, since I haven’t actually watched more than 1.5 episodes of the House of the Dragon, but it’s a great Rhaenicent fic that doesn’t really bash any characters. Highly recommend!

49. What are you currently working on? Share a few lines if you’re up for it!

As said above, I haven’t had much time for anything other than wedding planning, but when I've had the time, I’ve been working on chapters 4 and 5 of There is No Escape… and a little bit of my new fic idea that is completely ridiculous but super fun - Alkibiades is stuck in a time loop of the day Phoibe and Perikles die trying to save them. But that fic is just outline right now, so here’s a few lines of chapter 4 of There is No Escape…, now that I’ve finally figured out Zagreus and Meg’s conversation 😅

“Wait!” he holds up his hands, hoping that she sees it as the call for the parlay it is and not a threat from the Twin Fists of Malphon, “I have a question for you.” She lowers her whip slightly, “Go on.” “Have you ever met a mortal who didn’t deserve to die? Who died too young?” Meg gives him a strange look. “I am the first of the Furies, Zagreus,” she says slowly, “My duty to this House, my very nature, is to punish the worst humanity has to offer. The humans I meet, each and every one of them lived too long as it was.”

Ask me more!

[otakween]

One Pound Gospel - Episode 1

Omg, this was so fun! I actually found it more enjoyable than both the manga and the OVA (so far anyways). They just packed so much into one episode and the editing style was so fast paced that it felt really exciting. The music and acting was also really great and there was way more background detail to take in. The experience of watching the fighting was improved too because it was more "real" (more sweat and blood) and easier to follow. It's only episode one, so let me dial my praises back a bit until I watch the whole show lol...

Notes:

My stamina for hour long shows sucks lol. I've spent most of my life watching 20 minute anime which has damaged my attention span. At one point I thought I was almost done and I was only 38 minutes in 😭 That's not saying anything about the show, this is just a me problem.

I'm very new to dramas. In fact, I don't think I've ever watched an entire drama before (unless you count that weird 009-1 live action I watched). I got nothing against them, I just have too much other stuff taking up my time.

Lots of bad hair in this lol. I also noticed Kosaku was doing the "t-shirt over a long sleeve shirt" thing. Vintage 2008.

Boxing is so unappealing to me irl. It's one of those sports I might watch once just to say I did and then never again. That being said, I think the boxing/training scenes were done very well in this.

They replaced Kosaku's male coach with a female one! I actually really like this change. The manga was a total sausage fest and this new character seems to have a really fun dynamic with the rest of the cast. I liked her "badass tomboy" backstory haha

The random embellishments they added (some minor characters) were good. The manga's plot was probably way too basic for an hour long show and the additions they're making make Kosaku/Angela's world feel more fleshed out.

Food glorious food! I loved all of the food shots. Some looked yummier than others...(I've never tried oden but the oden they showed looked very...grey/beige).

Comedy was on point, I chuckled a couple of times (already more than I can say for the manga!) The actors have good timing.

I was low key impressed with the special effects. The scene with the basketballs flying towards Kosaku and the scene where Kosaku and Angela meet and things go all magical were standouts.

Kosaku gets so desperate for water that he tries to drink rain water...how does this work again? How do boxers-in-training not drop dead if they can't drink water? Can they drink other liquids (although most liquids have water in them)?

That katsu beef bowl looked simultaneously disgusting and amazing.

Just like the OVA, they switched up the plot to be more dramatic. We see Angela/Kosaku's meet cute again and it's slightly different from the OVA. It seems like Kosaku's Christianity is less prominent? (So far anyways). Like I'm pretty sure he wore a cross in the manga.

Didn't expect to see a title screen halfway through the episode. Is that common with dramas?

They switched things up at the convent. Mother Abbess is the nice, easy going one now and "Sister Millie" is the strict one. Love the casting for all of the nuns. They look iconic.

The scene with the kids trying to feed Kosaku was so tense lol. I don't think anyone could have blamed him for giving in to temptation in that scene! (The kids were really cute. And such talented chefs!)

Sister Angela suddenly caring VERY MUCH about Kosaku's career felt strange, but it felt strange in the manga too so...good adaptation?

That was funny that the coach also had a similar "meet cute" with Angela as Kosaku 😂 I want to see the crack ship fanfic

I feel like they aged up Onimaru. It was cool seeing an older character. His story was really touching, way more here than in the manga, in fact lol. They took away the pregnancy plot line which had horribly sexist dialogue and replaced it with Onimaru wanting to impress his (elementary aged) son. It was actually hard watching him lose one last time 😭

Wtf was Onimaru wearing in his intro scene? I think it was supposed to be a kind of kooky outfit, but no one acknowledged it so I was like "???"

[dreaminginmysoup]

Okay so this is what I'm going to spend my lunch break on ig. I am... so sorry, this got away from me.

I've actually gotten this a bit, WHY Infinite of all people?? He's a War Criminal (assuming that Mobius has an equivalent to the Geneva Conventions), he's a terrible person with no remorse, he talks like an anime villain, he's a badly written character in a badly written game.

BUT, he's also my babygirl.

I'm kidding- kinda- but the appeal in Infinite for me lies in a couple of different aspects of his character.

Let's start with the surface level reasons.

It's early 2022 and I just saw Sonic 2. I am now sucked into a brand new hyperfixation that will destroy my life. In my rush to consume as much sonic content, I go and watch playthroughs of the most recent mainline title: Sonic Forces. And there I see him, Infinite. He's a villain's villain, sadistic and with a flair for the dramatic, and you can't tell me that his theme song doesn't go hard as hell, because it does.

In that moment, I was thrown back like 10 years to when I only listened to Linkin Park and had a fixation on drawing wolves. In a way, he was nostalgic for me. 12-14 year old me would have gone feral over this guy, and now in my 20s something primal was unlocked.

He has a very simple color palette and design, but it's also very iconic, and I think most of us can appreciate a good mask, the white dreads and skeletal patch of white on his back also add to the appeal of his design. He's an unrepentantly edgy character, and for a game that came out years after that stopped being cool, that is very, very charming for me, he feels like a time capsule for the late 00s and early 10s trends, which considering forces probably began development in the early 10s, isnt too surprising.

So let's get into the more detailed reasons why (I am so sorry for how long this already is, it got away from me I swear)

Now the thing about Infinite is that he isn’t... very well written, honestly. But we all knew that. The main game gives us nothing except that he's evil, Episode Shadow gives us that Shadow "destroyed" his squad

I'm still in denial about them being dead

And the dlc also highlights his inferiority superiority complex "I am NOT weak" yeah we know the memes, and that's what he's most remembered for, unfortunately for him.

The comics probably give us the most, which still isn't a lot, but shows us him with his Squad, people who seem to have trusted him, even if that didn't serve them well in the end. It also shows us Infinite’s "deepest desire"- a desolate world, and how he's willing to team up just to get that and then...

That's it!

There's some more reading between the lines we could do, but this is going to be long as is ;_;

So a big part of the appeal for me is wondering about the possibilities for him and his character. How close was he to his Squad? Why did he want a desolate world? How much was the Ruby's influence versus his own desires? What was he like before he met Eggman, and when it was just him and his squad? What was his childhood like? What's this guy's deal???

I like thinking and wondering about character motivation, especially when it isn't made clear, and Infinite is one of those mostly unclear characters despite being a major antagonist. And that's the fun in him! The lingering question of why he's Like That is so interesting to explore.

He's a War Criminal. He's a terrible person with no remorse. He talks like an anime villain. And I like to think of in universe reasons WHY he's like that, or if he really is even like that at all, or if he could be redeemed. Think about how Sonic fans like to bend over backwards to explain Shadow’s terrible writing in various media, that's me with Infinite except I have only scraps to go off of, but by God, that won't stop me from making it into a meal. Infinite is a character full of possibilities and potential and if SEGA can't see that, then I'll just do it myself with the like 6 other Infinite fans out there. Also just saying, but I would trust Ian Flynn to give him a redemption arc in the comics, SEGA PLEASE-

In short: he's my babygirl.

infinite-likers tell me why you like him, i want in on this party too

[soupbabe]

Part 4 Characters Reacting to You Saying That You Can Hold The World in Your Hands and Then Holding Their Face

One lengthy ass title, but I've seen this concept from multiple blogs and that shit is so cute?? I live for cheesy fluff so much

~ Josuke Higashikata~

You were hanging out in Josuke's living room, watching him play videogames

It was fun for a while, but 10 min in you got bored and decided to mess with your boyfriend, who blushes easily

"Hey Josuke, I wanna show you something! " You quickly scooted yourself in front of him, not really caring about the game over screen going off in the background

"Hey! C'mon, what's so important that you couldn't wait?" You looked at him with a mischievous smile, "I can hold the world in my hands! " You proceeded to squish his face between your palms and you could see his face turn a light shade of pink and a dorky smile spread across

I don't care if this sounds out of character, dude is the type of guy to say "Aw shucks" unironically. That's exactly how he responds

Did you tease him about his response? Absolutely. Did he get you to stop laughing at him by kissing the tip of your nose? Of course

~Okuyasu Nijimura~

You both were walking around after a date at Tonio's and were goofing off

"Hey Oku, did you know I can fit the entire world in my hands?" "Sorry to break it to you Y/N, but I don't think that's possible. " Queue the plopping your hands gently on Okuyasu's face. "No, look, you're wrong!"

It took him like 5 whole minutes of him trying to understand until he actually got it.

"Huh? Oh,,,OH AWEE BABY THATS SO SWEET" Okuyasu brought you in a bone crushing hug, crying about how that's the cutest thing someone ever told him

He brought his hands up to your face and scattered kisses all over to show extra appreciation

~ Rohan Kishibe ~

Rohan isn't a man to get easily flustered so lately you've been trying to get him off guard and hope for a blush, maybe stutter if you're lucky

It was one of those rare occasions where you were able to get Rohan to take a break from his work and just have him relax with you while you're watching TV

Maybe while in this peaceful atmosphere you could catch him off guard and get him to blush

Quickly you turned towards the artist and held his face in your hands and with a giddy smile you say "I can't believe it, I can fit the entire world in my hands!"

He just kinda deadpanned and with a smushed face "Darling what are you doing? That sounds so cheesy too"

Mission failed. We'll get em next time

In the middle of pouting over your failed attempt, you missed the silent laugh that Rohan made at your statement

~Jotaro Kujo~

Please don't do this I feel like you'd end up causing an accidental ptsd flashback once you say "the world."

~Yoshikage Kira~

Everyday he managed to fit in you and him time before he gets dressed for work and that's usually just you two cuddling and good morning kisses

You were someone who filled up the housewife/househusband role in the relationship, so you savored these moments knowing you wouldn't be able to see him that much throughout the day

"Sweetheart, want to know something fascinating? I can fit the entire world in my hands." It was then you gently cupped his face and gazed into his eyes lovingly. "See?"

Yoshikage gave a small chuckle and held onto your soft hands, soaking up the attention your hands gave him

It wasn't until you tried to move your hands, Yoshikage gripped onto them. Not too harsh, but just enough to keep them there

"No no, keep them there. Let's just stay like this."

~ Yukako Yamagishi ~

You both are a pda couple, typically the cheesy romantic lines and gestures came from Yukako though

But pulling stuff like this wasn't uncommon and you usually said things like that when she gets upset by something

She could be fuming and all you have to do is not even say anything, just gently hold her like you're in a romantic novel and she's already better

"Awe sweetheart, you're my entire world too! I love you so much!"

Neat. Now you're the one being doted on and being squeezed by your surprisingly strong girlfriend

If anyone laughed at or looked at your failed attempt at being the romantic one in the relationship weirdly, she will threaten them and force them to encourage you to do more like that for her :)

~ Toshikazu Hazamada ~

Shh lowkey based off of a headcanon that Hazamada does enjoy drawing a lot and one of his inspirations was Rohan (before Rohan's episode tho)

You were at Hazamada's house, hanging out in his room while he sits at his desk drawing something in his sketchbook

While he was busy, you were giving some affection to his stand, using Surface as a temporary cuddle buddy and using it to give it's user some attention while he's stressing over each hand he draws

Don't get me wrong, you love Toshikazu, but it was getting annoying how often he seemed to neglect giving you proper attention and leaving his stand to do the work for him

"Hey Kazu, look I can hold the world in my hands!" You held the wooden stand close to you and giving it a lil cheek kiss, knowing it was a pet peeve of his when you give too much of your time to his stand rather than himself

Hazamada really went 👁️👄👁️ when the dummy even made a laughing motion at him "B-but why not me!? Am I not your world!?"

"Huh? Oh yea, don't worry honey. I still love you, but right now Surface gets the special boyfriend privileges since it pays attention to me."