#IT'S SO FUNNY. TO ME. LYON HAVING THE BEST TIME DESPITE BEING POSSESSED.

[ship-ambrosia]

Let's start with the most recent obsession taking over my life; Fairy Tail.

So I started it in January, I own the final volume, I've watched the last episode of fairy tail Zero, but I have three more episodes of the Tartaros arc to watch. Literally the next season is gonna start this fall and I'm still not gonna have it finished lol. Now that my class is over I plan to finish it before school starts again.

Anyway, my top ship from Fairy Tail is probably pretty easy to discern; Gruvia. I love Gray and Juvia as separate characters, Juvia is definitely my favorite female character and Gray is pretty damn close with Natsu for the top spot out of the guys. I loved Gruvia even before I started the fandom. Gruvia Week was how I met a lot of friends on tumblr, and how I found a lot of blogs that I admire as well as being the first showcase for my fanfictions, so in that way even years from now Gruvia will probably always be very special to me.

Here's some Gruvia Headcanons of mine:

- Juvia is, in my opinion, drop dead gorgeous. The most beautiful girl in Fairy Tail. I imagine if she was in real life she'd have that sort of eerie beauty, that like she's so perfect she seems like a vampire or something. Like very pale, ivory skin, elegantly shaped eyes that are so crystal blue, full lips, that unfair hourglass figure. She seems so shy in her appearance that I can't help but feel like one of the things that also alienated her from people aside from her rain was just how pretty she was. She either got lots of attention from people, or she got lots of jealous glares from people.

- I think it's pretty much confirmed at this point, but Gray seems to have even first considered himself with Juvia around Edolas/Tenrou Island. I don't think he really felt strong romantic feelings for her until the Grand Magic Games, mostly I think Lyon expressing his attraction for her really made Gray think "would Lyon have a chance with her? Would Juvia consider dating him? Hey wait, I don't want that to happen. Why am I jealous of the thought of Lyon with her?" I love the talk Erza had with him. Erza seems to have really looked out for gray, and she sees Juvia as a no-strings-attached kinda girl, a girl who just wants to make gray happy. Gray is terrified of getting too close to people and losing them, and I think the fact that Juvia almost died during the fight with the dracolings scared him even more than the fact that he DID die, especially after he realized what Ultear had done. But the moments between them during Tartaros for me, solidify their relationship. And unpopular opinion, I love the "confession" scene in the final chapter. It's in character. Gray isn't able to express himself fully yet. He's still scared. He thought he had lost Juvia again to Invel. So the "you're mine/you belong to me" felt like the best he could do.

- When they finally are officially a couple (whenever that will be) I wholeheartedly believe that, despite all of her crazy fantasies, Juvia will be terribly shy with any sort of affection. Gray tries to kiss her for the first time and she whacks herself (or him) on the head because she thinks it's a fantasy. Gray puts his arms around her and she screams and falls to the ground like a sack of potatoes (something I have physically also done lolol). Even though she is perfectly willing to strip after picking up his habit, I think the romantic feelings of such a moment would make any sort of intimacy/sex with gray very difficult with her. Basically like she sees it as her mind playing tricks on her. Not in an annoying way though, I see it being very endearing and gray would probably find it all very funny, considering how all-in she appeared to be about her feelings for him.

- They are a power couple. Ain't nobody gonna be able to defeat them when they're together. They are both so extremely powerful (my girl Juvia is so underrated; she was an S-class mage in Phantom Lord! She was good enough to be nominated as one for Fairy Tail too! Alongside Gray!) by themselves, together they will destroy anyone for hurting the other. And Unison Raids for DAYS

Second favorite couple is Nalu. I know I'm basic. I'm sorry. Natsu and Lucy just have so much chemistry, I can't help shipping them. I want to add that I ship pretty much any ship... I'm just naming my favorites. But yeah, I'm all for Nali, Graylu, Julu, Gratsu, Navia, Luli... whatever. Within reason, I'm up for any ship, really. Back to Nalu

Honestly I just love Natsu so much it hurts sometimes. And Lucy is such a good, relatable character. What I want more than anything in this world is for Lucy to get some love. And jealous Natsu. The possibilities are so good for jealous Natsu. I've heard a lot of different theories for why we didn't get an "I love you" from one of them in the final chapter, and honestly I love them all, so I'm not gonna sit here and explain those.

- Personally, I think Lucy was the first to consider a relationship, maybe even have a crush on Natsu. Any time anyone in the guild suggests it, gets Lucy madly blushing. But I think Natsu fell in love first. He probably didn't even realize what it was. But mix Tenrou Island, and Future Rogue killing Future Lucy... I think he really realized she was more than his best friend there.

- The post-Tartaros timeskip is such good angst for Nalu, but one of my favorite things to consider is that Lucy didn't seem to know where Natsu and Happy were. I love to think of her, following reports on all her other friends but having no idea where Natsu was, and how heartbreaking it would be. Not to mention, that moment Natsu finds the map. And he realizes that Lucy was so scared for him, that she was tearing herself apart because she couldn't find anything about him.

- Even though they never really elaborated on the tension between Natsu and Lucy after he had left her, I do believe Natsu felt immensely guilty for what he had done. Going back to Gruvia too, I think Natsu and Gray both know they hurt and abandoned the girls who care about them most in the world, and would even sorta bond over that - like what can we do to make it up to them?

- Did I mention how much I want jealous/possessive Natsu? Not in a bad way where Lucy gets mad at him... just sulking Natsu, Natsu trying to have his arm around her/be around her at all times, yanno?

Ps, there are so many good Nalu gifs... how do I pick one...

Pss, dragon cry slayed me.

Okay last ship I'm gonna ramble about - my third favorite ship is Stingyu. A little less on the popular side, but it's certainly got more attention that I had originally thought. I love Sting, he's definitely right below Natsu and Gray for my favorite guy. And Yukino is so sweet, her friendship with Lucy makes me unbelievably happy every time it is brought into the spotlight. I love the angst of this pair, but also the sweet moments they share (Sting asking for Yukino to come back to Sabertooth, Sting punching Rogue when he accidentally groped her, their interactions during the Alvarez fight, and DONT even get me started on the Sabertooth spin off... you're telling me anyone else would react the same way Sting did?!)

- Yukino admired sting immediately from the moment she joined the guild. I'm convinced, because how would any girl not join a powerful guild, and not look up to the attractive, powerful dragon slayer at the top of it? Plus their magic together would be incredibly compatible. Sting was so certain she was going to beat Kagura, so I'm assuming he knew her strength, he thought she was strong, and he'd just be devastated that she lost. He'd be furious. But then he'd realize how awful it was when he finally realizes how terrible Jiemma treated them.

- Sting 100% put Yukino's guild mark back himself

- Sting is basically the jealous Natsu I want. That moment he punches rogue is so unexpected, like it was clearly by accident, he knows rogue better than anyone. I realize Stingyu is somewhat similar to Nalu, but like hey, sorry can't help it lol

- They probably end up together before any of the Fairy Tail couples, let's be honest. I think Stingyu has a pretty high chance of actually happening

Those are my top ships for Fairy Tail. I'm gonna finish off by saying that Jerza, Gajevy, Nali, Baccana, Rogerva, Lyredy, Stingue, Luli, Miraxus, Fraxus, Mirafreed, Kinabra, Luvia all follow pretty close in about that order. I really ship anything in this show cuz I love all the characters so much. And yes my blog is based around shipping, but I love fairy tail for more than just that. The story and the magic abilities are so incredibly fascinating. For me it's get hooked by the ships, stay for the story. Now if only I could finish the anime! Lol

Sorry this post was so long, but I've been wanting to do these sort of rants for a while? I've worked on this for like an hour now. I think the other fandoms will wait for other days. Right now, for sure I'll make ship rants about Persona 5, Fire Emblem, My Hero Academia, RWBY... and then maybe I'll just make some general rants lol

[doomonfilm]

Ranking : Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999)

Well, ladies and gentlemen, that time has come... I’m stepping outside of my comfort zone, and I’m officially putting down rankings for the directors I like.  I’m sure that, one day, I will contradict myself, and forever be shamed by my vain desire to document my musings, but that’s life eh?  If I’m going to start ranking, I may as well go with my hands down favorite director : Stanley Kubrick.

For this particular ranking group, we will focus on his films that received major distribution and theatrical release.  All films in his filmography prior and up to Killer’s Kiss will be omitted for the purposes of this list.  A.I. Artificial Intelligence will also be omitted, as this was not directed by Kubrick.

11.  Spartacus (1960) I don’t know, at this point, what number one will be, but I know with great certainty that Spartacus will be at the bottom of this list.  From what my fan-based research has taught me, Kirk Douglas took an opportunity to hitch his wagon to a rising director-shaped star, but Kubrick was not given the freedoms normally associated with his projects.  In my opinion, it shows, in spite of the fact that Spartacus is a much better film than many other Hollywood offerings.

10.  The Killing (1956) While a great film in its own right, The Killing falls low on this list due to the fact that the story is nowhere near as unique or controversial as a handful of the films that followed it.  The ending twist is a nice balloon burst of a moment, and top-notch performances across the board make it noteworthy, but it does stand within the shadows of giants within the canon of modern day cinema when placed against Kubrick’s latter work.

9.  Lolita (1962) The first true controversial offering in the Kubrick catalog.  He took what was already controversial material and embraced it fully, hiring Sue Lyon to portray Lolita at the age of 16.  The film pre-dated the ratings board, but pressure from the Hays code and the Catholic church forced Kubrick to tone down much of the story, opting instead for visual humor and symbolic moments to substitute for the outright eroticism portrayed in the original book.  Due to these restraints, the film does not pack quite the wallop it wants to, and is mostly controversial more so in nature than in execution.

8.  Eyes Wide Shut (1999) In the eyes of many fans, this was the true final film in Kubrick’s canon.  A heavily mysterious production preceded the release of this film, with then married stars Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman being famously quiet about the project when asked.  The film, like most Kubrick fare, found controversy in its erotically charged Bohemian Grove-esque scenes, but the film itself is a riveting tale about love, trust and commitment in the modern day marriage.  A fitting final statement from a true legend.

7.  Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) Although Lolita was a funny film in its own right, this was the film that truly showed me how intelligent a sense of humor Kubrick possessed.  It actually took me several viewings to truly understand the depth of the comedy, as many of the laughs are played as straight as the military men the cast portrays.  The subject matter itself is extremely dark, and at the time so relevant that it actually seemed to be occurring via the Cuban Missle Crisis.  Well before 2001 : A Space Odyssey made it crystal clear Kubrick was a genius, this film was a bold announcement of that fact.

6.  Paths of Glory (1957) Stanley Kubrick knew how to make a war film, and Paths of Glory was proof of that right out of the gate.  The film was only his second in terms of feature length full scale productions, but the elements he shows mastery of hint to the skill level of a seasoned veteran : the trench shots are a spectacle to behold, the tension of the trial (and subsequent executions) delivered both visually and within the narrative is pitch perfect, and the ending is one of the most tear-jerking and heartbreaking endings captured on film.  The young woman who would sing the song that scores this ending, as a matter of fact, later went on to marry Kubrick.

5.  The Shining (1980) Not many films can be an instant box office success upon release, only to find another life nearly four decades later as an endless source for interpretations, conspiracy theories and visual trickery.  The film famously took on a life of its own from the Stephen King novel in the hands of Kubrick, and people to this day debate the fallout of the production and the lasting effects it had on star Shelley Duvall.  What cannot be debated, however, is the fact that the film disturbs, frightens and intrigues in ways that few horror films can.

4.  Full Metal Jacket (1987) This film gets such a high placement on my list strictly because of sentimental value.  One late night on Cinemax, I stumbled across army recruits getting haircuts to the song Goodbye My Sweetheart, Hello Vietnam, and as a budding fan of Vietnam cinema I was hooked.  The following journey was one that changed me forever, particularly right around the halfway mark when who I then thought was the protagonist blew his brains out, and before I could process what happened we were waist-deep in Wei City.  Almost everything that was an earmark of Kubrick style was present in this film : deeply punctuating score for compelling moments, stark usage of color, unique framing (purposefully not done in widescreen format), a wholly intriguing story, and a significant connection to the real world.  This film, in my opinion, may be the best film to introduce someone to the films of Stanley Kubrick with.

3.  Barry Lyndon (1975) When I finally purchased the Kubrick collection in its entirety, this was the film I was least familiar with.  I never was a big Ryan O’Neal guy on top of that, so my expectations were pretty much non-existent.  The impact this film had on me, therefore, was more than likely magnified due to my lack of knowledge.  This is by FAR the most beautiful of all the Kubrick films... the story behind the lengths he went to for creating a camera that could shoot indoors and outdoors with natural lighting is legendary in its own right.  Every frame of this film is truly a painting, and the story is perhaps the most heartbreaking portrayal of Murphy’s Law I’ve ever seen committed to film.  Truly a spectacle to behold.

2.  A Clockwork Orange (1971) The most controversial of all Kubrick films, hands down.  Not only was the film controversial enough to cause public outcry due to copycat criminals emulating Alex and his Droogs, but Kubrick made the controversial decision to remove the film from British theaters in the midst of several high-profile court cases that directly attributed their actions as influenced by the film.  On its own merit, the film is a brutally straightforward and honest tale of a young monster’s criminal and sexual exploits, the monsters that try to take advantage of him for their sake, and the monsters created by opportunity when given the chance for revenge.  Kubrick took a standout book and made a nearly perfect film out of it, and a film that will undoubtedly stand the test of time despite production choices that make it instantly recognizable to a specific time period.

1.  2001 : A Space Odyssey (1968) Of all the films out there, and not just those made by Kubrick, this is one of the closest attempts and executions of what could be considered pure art that there is.  This film is astonishing on monumental levels : visually, it was way ahead of its time, and is scientifically sound on top of that... in terms of story, the tale is incredibly expansive, but flows effortlessly between incredibly long cycles of time while handling incredibly lofty concepts... as an experience, not many films force you to ask (and attempt to answer) deeply ambiguous questions about mankind, the nature of existence, and artificial intelligence, and I argue that no other attempt at an experience would be nearly as entertaining.  This is the true signal of genius in a catalog full of genius level work.

It’s not hard to see why many people, including myself, consider Stanley Kubrick to be the best to ever grace a director’s chair.  His catalog is truly unparalleled, and even his worst work is miles ahead of the best work of many contemporaries and directors that have emerged since.