#Just my personal onions on things

[lexicals]

Aaaa okay I've finished the novels now too. Gonna put my thoughts down on them and how they compare to the tv version

So overall I think I like the novels better, the interiority you gain from the format adds a lot I think and it definitely benefits from not having to hold back on things like the gorey side of the supernatural elements (and yes, the gay as hell elements). I think that same lack of restraint in the writing adds a lot more comedy - while I thought the tv version was very funny, I found the books hilarious, and I think a lot of that is down to not having to pull punches on how outrageous wei wuxian gets to act, which is the core of the comedy so much of the time. I also felt that the ending was a lot more coherent, which makes sense given how much was cut out of it for the tv version, and obviously it's nice to have a confirmed post-canon marriage and continued adventures! The post-story cases were a lot of fun, I think some of my favourite parts were getting to see the two of them interact with their little gaggle of juniors and help guide them, it's very sweet.

As for criticisms, I have to be honest, the more mature scenes really weren't for me. I wasn't a fan of the blurry lines of consent (it felt like the aim was consensual non-consent, but... it still didn't sit right, especially some of the dream sequence stuff) and a lot of it felt fetishising to me, but then I suppose it's something to be expected from the genre, so I can't complain too much about it. I liked the fact that the in-universe homophobia was acknowledged and taken into consideration, but sometimes it felt like it was being played for titillation rather than taken seriously - again, though, genre conventions. It also felt like there was an underlying tone of colourism to the character descriptions, but honestly you could probably level that critique at the tv version as well. These were things that soured the experience a bit for me, but the overall read was still positive, and I did really enjoy the story even despite knowing what was going to happen already. It's a good tragedy when you're reading along thinking "maybe it won't happen this time" lol.

I find myself a bit confused as to what wei wuxian's actual cause of death was - obviously the tv version makes it very clear cut, but the book only calls it "spiritual rebound" and doesn't really elaborate or directly show anything from after the massacre, so it felt a bit vague. I suppose the idea is that he lost control during the siege and was torn apart by his own power? Not sure if I've missed something there or if it's just not very clear. It's not a huge annoyance but I was a bit surprised they didn't get into it more than passingly.

Anyway overall it was a really good read, and now I get to go read all the good fic that's out there :3 It's even poked my writing itch a little which hasn't happened in ages - idk if I'll actually follow through with it or just keep my musings to myself, but it's nice to have a nice big brain space to play in after a long time of not having one. I'm glad I finally got around to this after seeing other people talking about it for such a long time, it's been a while since I had a series grab me like this so it's been a lot of fun.

[icewindandboringhorror]

What would you choose? :0c

(note: original image is from HERE (link) - but I edited it to add a wider variety of options.. also added $3 extra to the total, even though I know that makes it more uneven lol, I thought if you're adding 10 whole extra items, the money to spend should at least be increased slightly, if that makes sense..)

[ravenwolfie97]

i have successfully made malanga fritters from In Stars and Time and God are they good bros

[thepandalion]

help I'm going insane over deltarune and Undertale stuff again

[droodlebug]

i'm for sure not finishing veilguard. i set it down a while and tried again and ahh i'm just not enjoying it. the characters dont have a depth im looking for.. the insertion of a writer's white guilt onto the elves that are based on real life indigenous people and have been in-games enslaved and treated horrifically and are the ones who don't have "real" gods that are actually just blighted tyrants. everything with taash and the qunari. the gameplay was fun for a while but then it made my hand so numb i couldnt do anything for a week. the last straw was taash's gender talk that suddenly turned into picking a cultural identity for them to align with out of nowhere and then soon after learning that Another antagonist is of course an elf. starting to feel like their implying that all elves become evil when given power jfc. i think i'm actually done with it it started making me feel gross and bored. i don't care if you enjoy it or not, everyone's got a different threshold it just crossed mine.

[giantkillerjack]

One of the things I love about Glass Onion is the way that the camera and music work together to tell nonverbal jokes.

Like when Benoit basically has to hold Miles' hand to get him to the conclusion that someone reset the puzzle box Benoit lies about receiving:

Benoit asks if it's possible that someone reset the box, and Miles then declares that someone must have reset the box like it is this huge reveal - and the camera zooms out while the music subtly swells as though he really has figured out something smart, when actually he literally restated what Benoit just said.

[unikhroma]

you just can't put jokes in your work anymore cause people will earnestly be like "no guys this is part of The Lore"

[bmpmp3]

yesterday in vocal synth news

[thigiocamap]

i think i just don't really personally like fanart of rei from eva that focuses too hard on trying to make her some inhuman creepy bodyhorror-type thing. she was just a girl. there's that tragedy in her never being able to live a normal life and being abused from the moment she was born, and i just personally don't like exotifying her existence for cheap spook material. yeah they use her for creepy imagery in the show itself to begin with but idk. she's a deeply sad character and it's just not my thing to see fan works that lean into her being So Spooky And Creepy instead of more solemnly appreciating and respecting her

[running-in-the-dark]

a random thing I just thought about: I had chicken pox when I was a kid, I think maybe 9 or 10? I remember being sent to my grandma's house for two weeks until I was better. I always thought that made sense so that my youngest brother, who would've been quite young, didn't get it too. but I just remembered that I'm pretty sure my other brother also had it at the same time?! and he stayed at home. so I think my mother just didn't want to deal with me when I was sick.

that would also explain a memory I have of lying on the couch when I was sick and my mother bringing me a bowl of soup. I was so confused. I remember that feeling so clearly. like 'what is she doing? why is she being so nice and giving me soup?'. I genuinely didn't get it.

every other time I was sick it was just: stay in bed with no entertainment or company whatsoever, and shitty home remedies - seriously, having onions strapped to my ears NEVER made my ear aches any better, and having thyme essential oils put on my pillow + in an oil burner thing in my room only made my face hurt (I'm allergic or at least very sensitive to most scents), and homeopathy... well obviously that didn't do anything.

so, I guess I'm glad I was at my grandma's for those two weeks. at least I got to lie on the couch and watch tv all day! and she was nice to me! I'm sure she made me lots of soup, or whatever I asked for.

[carcarrot]

has no one made an edited version of tsb thats like. just the sparks parts lol

[pidgefudge]

there's a certain beauty in the disconnect between me curled up crying silently on my bed and my father who refuses to leave my room nagging me every ten seconds to stop lying down and sit up for some bullshit reason that not even he understands

[icewindandboringhorror]

Misc. photos from the past year or so ~

[nebuvoid]

caught up with the frieren manga btw (just in time for its indefinite hiatus 😭). its almost perfect. personally i could do without the shonen fight arcs inbetween the peaceful traveling and doing sidequests for people and having wistful memories about old loved ones that hurt your feefees but. i get why its there. frieren is getting to know people more, that also means shes more involved in current conflicts. the demon king was defeated long ago but that doesnt mean theres no lasting consequences. humanity endured for thousands of years before he was defeated so there must be a lot of strong factions around, otherwise they all wouldve been exterminated - and now of course theres internal conflict. it makes sense. it also acts as a nice contrast between the sleepy reminiscent parts.

......but i still wouldnt have said no if there wasnt shonen arcs stop roping my girl into your internal politics shes trying to do a pilgrimage.

[phoenixyfriend]

Why do the meals I make always look SO INCREDIBLY YELLOW. Like, they are pretty yellow/brown, but never as yellow as they look in photos.

Anyway. I have no idea what I'm doing, and I'm not entirely happy with this (not enough veggies), but it was edible and I liked it enough for seconds, so that's good enough for me.

This was:

Half a large onion (diced large) (slightly burnt whoops)

Butter + water

Tofu (diced small)

Garlic, vegeta seasoning, sweet ground paprika, chili powder

Miso paste

Eggs

Rice vinegar

Avacado oil (added because I decided I needed to supplement the butter)

Soy sauce

Japanese curly noodles

Would have added, if I had any on hand: carrots, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, maybe green beans.

tbh I kept adding water every time it got low (or ran out, that's how I burned the onions) to reduce because it took so long for the water for the noodles to boil. Eventually gave up and swapped which pan was on which stove ring.

[corvidcorgi]

On Making Appealing Recommendations

Something that I think about periodically re: telling people the thing they like is worse than the thing you like, and the thing you like would make them so much happier if they only just tried it, is--

Not only is this ineffective because it makes them resent you, so they are less likely to try your new thing, it also makes them doubt you.

Specifically, they'll doubt your taste.

Sure, you know all the reasons your thing is good (objectively the best, your thing is perfect, so much better than their thing). But they know all the reasons their thing is good.

If I like a book, and you tell me, "That book sucks, you should try this book instead," what I am hearing is, "We don't like the same things, so the thing I am recommending is not something you will enjoy." It's not just that you sound like a jerk and I don't want to associate with you, it's that you are telling me that the book you like is substantially different from the book I like. You're putting down my taste, which makes me doubt yours.

My opinion on good, intensive recommendations is that they are a lot of work, because I'm a perfectionist. I like to do something along the lines of this format:

[title]

[work type if this is not a specific list of books/shows/etc.]

[link to the work if it can be found legitimately through the internet, like a podcast, fic or webcomic - otherwise, resources on how to find it, like Bookshop.org or Libro.fm]

[genre - I personally like to include information on both tone (YA, comedy, drama, etc.) & content (romance, horror, fantasy, sci-fi, etc.); I'll also usually put LGBTQ+ main/supporting characters here]

[a short, informative summary, 3-4 sentences max. If you can be punchy that's good, but prioritize info over style.]

[optional: plot-relevant fanfic-style tags, like Enemies-to-Lovers, Found Family, Fake Relationship, etc.]

[optional: similar media, and a brief description why*]

[optional but polite: content warnings (I sometimes include the Ao3 style options "No Warnings Apply", "Choose Not to Warn", or my personal addition, "May Have Forgotten Some")]

* for example, if I'm recommending the podcast Wolf 359, which is an audio drama about a small group of bickering coworkers trapped on a space station by their evil megacorporate bosses, I might mention the show Firefly (rag-tag found family of misfits traveling together on a spaceship) or the podcast Girl in Space (space station isolation audio drama with explicit anti-corporation messaging)**.

** I have not seen or heard all of Firefly or Girl in Space, and what I have seen/heard was a long time ago. These are just examples.

As I said above, this is obviously a fuckload of work. This is why I don't make a lot of recommendation lists (there is one on this blog that I made five years ago, and a couple that I made for friends in college, also several years ago). You don't have to do this.

Because what the idea boils down to is this: if you want me to like your thing, do not talk shit about what I like. If you do that, I no longer trust you to tell me what I'll enjoy. Tell me the positive aspects of your thing and what to expect from it. That's it. That's all.