#Monk Movie Spoilers

[therandydisherproject]

Thoughts on the Monk Movie

Spoilers ahead, so be warned if you haven't seen it!!!

First off, I loved it so so so much. It was so fun to see all of those characters that I loved so much from my childhood back again. I really do hope that they make more because I would watch literally anything else that they decided to make.

I was really not expecting it to be as sad as it was, but it worked well. I was so worried for Adrian throughout the whole movie, but I think that it worked well. I think that a lot of people just assume they would 'see the signs' before someone they were close to decided to commit suicide and this really showed that that isn't the case.

This may sound weird but I'm glad that they didn't make him solving the case the thing that got rid of his suicidal thoughts. It's just a movie, but I really hope that he did end up talking to Molly, Natalie, and especially Dr. Bell about where he was mentally and I also hope we get to see him solve some cases from 'the freezer'.

The only things that kind of took me out of it were Molly being played by someone else and Sharona not being present, (although I should've expected that since we had never seen any pictures of her on set.) Also, the actress who played Molly did an amazing job and I really loved her character. It broke my heart that she lost her fiance :(

The second I saw the Billionaire I was like 'He did it. And if we get to the end and he's not in handcuffs I'm fighting everyone here.'

[abbycadoodle]

this is my way of fixing Sharona being written out of the show 😔 I like to think she becomes a full time nurse instead and she's occasionally involved in shenanigans :D

[whenthegoldrays]

Well I didn’t expect Mr. Monk’s Last Case to floor me like that with its ending.

[mothercetrion]

Johnny & Kenshi's "Relationship" in MK1

Well before MK1 was released, Ed Boon had this to say about Kenshi (and Johnny) and their roles in the story:

I was incredibly interested in this "relationship" from that moment and really hoped that it would pay off like he said. I think it has done so tenfold, and I wanted to compile their moments throughout the story together and go through their relationship arc, moment by moment, chapter by chapter, for everyone to enjoy.

This post contains spoilers for both Kenshi and Johnny's roles in MK1, as well as major plot points of the story itself. You have been warned!

To start, if you want to watch a compilation of their moments, you can watch this YouTube video by MKIceAndFire, which includes everything discussed in this post up to Chapter 7. 

Chapter 2: Their First Meeting 

The climax of Chapter 2 is the back-to-back events of Johnny’s wife, Cristina, leaving him, and Kenshi entering soon after. Kenshi is here on a mission: retrieve Sento from Johnny, no matter the cost. They fight, and Johnny wins. It’s here that they introduce themselves properly (or Kenshi introducing himself to Johnny), and Johnny learns more about his motives and why he needs Sento so badly. He does so to save his family, the Taira clan, from the Yakuza, which they joined for protection after the Siege of Aomori, according to Johnny. 

Soon after, Liu Kang, Bi-Han, and Kuai Liang arrive, where Johnny thinks that the trio is a part of Kenshi’s retrieval mission. After Johnny and Bi-Han fight, Liu Kang tells both Johnny and Kenshi about their new role as Earthrealm’s champions. Johnny openly questions Kenshi’s inclusion, still hardly believing his story about being part of the Taira clan. The chapter ends here. 

We know from here that Kenshi and Johnny openly do not trust one another and likely hate one another. For Kenshi, Johnny is the one thing in the way of his goal of saving the Taira clan from the Yakuza. When arguing with his wife, Johnny reveals that he paid 3 million dollars for Sento; considering that their impending divorce is over money, it makes sense that he is not willing to just give it to some stranger. 

Chapter 3: Bickering 

Johnny and Kenshi do not have many scenes in Chapter 3, with most of its focus being on Raiden, but the few scenes they have show us a lot about the state of their relationship. The four Earthrealm champions—Johnny, Kenshi, Kung Lao, and Raiden—discuss their circumstances and their training with the monks. Johnny expresses his desire to see Outworld to do research for the movie franchise that he hopes to make; according to him, they’ve been “cooped up” training for months. Kenshi sarcastically calls him selfless, and Johnny states that he’s only there to get Sento back, indirectly stating that they’re both only training for selfish reasons. Johnny also harshly calls him “Tattoo” as a nickname, not even using his last name as Kenshi does for him. 

When Johnny is defeated by Raiden in the mini-tournament set up by Liu Kang, the two glare at one another while Johnny exits the fight and Kenshi enters. The scene is adorned with dramatic music (relating to the tournament at hand) and a slow-motion shot of their expressions. The choices here are likely to emphasize the disdain they have for one another and the insane amount of tension they have between them. 

That night, before Raiden and Kung Lao fight, Johnny attempts to bet on Lao’s potential victory. Kenshi is open to a bet, but only if Johnny puts Sento up for grabs. Johnny laughs and says, “Not on your life,” revealing that he has not budged on his desire to keep Sento after all this time. 

They have a brief scene when the group leaves for Outworld where Johnny starts filming Kenshi. Kenshi turns with an annoying expression and knocks his phone out of his hand, much to Johnny’s shock. This scene is the last they have in this chapter that has any real significance, minus standing by one another. 

The few scenes they have in this chapter show that their relationship has not improved since they met a few months prior, even after spending every day together; if anything, it has gotten worse and more openly hostile. They judge one another’s reasons for being champions for Earthrealm and still do not respect one another. 

Chapter 4: More Fighting & Kenshi’s Blinding 

We play as Kenshi for the duration of this chapter. The two of them, alongside Kung Lao, are tasked with finding Shang Tsung for Liu Kang to question. Kenshi openly questions Johnny's inclusion on the mission and openly states that he would prefer Raiden to go along with them instead of “this one,” making it known that he does not value Johnny as a fighter or a teammate. Johnny protests and insists that he’s up to the job of finding Shang Tsung. Before they depart, they glare at one another once more. 

When out in the Outworld desert, Kenshi and Johnny begin to bicker once more. Johnny brings up the 3 million dollars needed to buy Sento and tells Kenshi that he would likely have Sento back in his possession if he were still with the Yakuza. Kenshi turns around quickly to yell at Johnny about the corruption that the Yakuza spreads and his desire to get his clan out, all while shining his flashlight on Johnny’s face.

After meeting Baraka and ending up in Shang Tsung’s laboratory, the three of them ambush Rain, Tanya, and Shang Tsung in an effort to save Mileena from what they believe is a Tarkat infection. Johnny makes the “get away from her, you bitch” reference that it feels like everyone has seen, much to Kenshi and Lao’s visible confusion. 

Kenshi defeats both Tanya and Rain in battle, and he briefly speaks to Mileena before her illness makes itself known. It is here that Kenshi does something he’s not done all of the story: he calls Johnny by his first name instead of just “Cage.” He asks for a hand in fighting Mileena, and Johnny hurries over to help. Johnny asks about a plan, and Kenshi states that the only real plan is to not hurt her. Johnny is visibly shocked and says that he’s more worried about “us” getting hurt than Mileena. 

They fight Mileena, and Kenshi and Johnny win. Kenshi asks Johnny and Lao (again calling Johnny by his first name) to hold Mileena down so Shang Tsung can administer the serum needed to subdue her Tarkat symptoms. They do so briefly, and she eventually knocks Lao away and goes to bite Johnny’s face. Instead, Kenshi comes from behind, grabs Mileena by the straps of her outfit on her shoulders, and pulls her away, saving the life of someone that until just minutes before, he has been shown to hate. 

Then Mileena shoves Kenshi away just long enough to grab a pair of sai from a nearby table and gouge Kenshi’s eyes out. His blood sprays, and Johnny is hit in the face with the splatter. In the horror of the aftermath, he yells Kenshi’s first name for the first time, nothing short of terrified and worried. The chapter ends soon after this. 

This chapter is the official shift in their relationship. This chapter is when both characters finally refer to one another by their first names, though it is all we see of any sort of genuine appreciation of one another. Kenshi calls Johnny by his name in the midst of immediate danger; he needs Johnny’s help, and he’s visibly frightened in the scene itself. Johnny calls Kenshi by his name in the aftermath of the danger, when he just saw someone that he’s known for months lose his eyes in the most vicious way possible (and gets hit with his blood in the process). The shift is not seen until later chapters, but Kenshi going blind while saving Johnny’s life is the catalyst for the change. 

Chapters 5 & 6: New Bonds

In Shang Tsung’s laboratory, the first thing Johnny does when he wakes up is check on Kenshi. He says his first name again, asks him about his pain, and states that he will not forget that Kenshi saved his life for the price of his eyes. 

Johnny himself is the one to give Kenshi his blindfold, torn from his own armor and placed over Kenshi’s eyes with his own hands. He is the one to give him the medicine and relieve him of some of the discomfort from his blinding in his own way. Johnny is the one who adds to Kenshi’s iconic character design; it’s forever associated with him and his kindness. 

When they’re finally able to escape the laboratory, Kenshi asks Johnny and Lao to leave him behind. Johnny refuses and wants to save Kenshi’s life. Kenshi tells Johnny that he is “useless” and that their lives do not need to be risked to save him. (He once again calls Johnny by his last name here, instead of calling him “Johnny” like he did hours before.) Johnny insists that the Taira needs him, and they’re going to get him back home and get him help. 

They walk through the Living Forest together near the back of the group; Johnny is the one who guides Kenshi around. Johnny continues to look back at Kenshi as they’re walking around to make sure he does not trip or stumble. He makes a remark about a movie he did that Kenshi reveals that he has seen before. Johnny comments on how difficult the scene was to shoot, but he is proud of the outcome. Kenshi says that he can “picture it exactly” and smiles for the first time since his blinding, a strong contrast to his earlier depressed state. 

They continue until they meet Ashrah and debate whether or not to hunt Quan Chi. When Kenshi steps forward to go, Johnny firmly tells him no, citing that they need to get him home. He’s visibly annoyed and perhaps even frustrated when Kenshi insists that they need to find Quan Chi to find Shang Tsung. In the end, Johnny is the only one opposed to continuing their mission. 

The penultimate moment of their development is the scene at the end of the chapter in which Sento is returned to Kenshi. Kenshi tries to fight Quan Chi, and Johnny is quick to tell him no, stating that Kenshi will trip up the others. He then asks Kenshi for his sword, and Kenshi hesitantly agrees. Johnny does what was previously established as impossible and gives Sento back to Kenshi. Kenshi is stunned, and then he tries to reject Sento. The one thing he has wanted for all this time, the singular reason that he hates Johnny in the first place, he tries to reject it. Johnny insists that it’s Kenshi’s now because he saved Johnny’s life. “It’s yours,” he says, and he means it. 

Chapter 6 largely focuses on the fight between the group and Quan Chi, but it’s the chapter in which Kenshi’s sight is “restored” with the help of his ancestors. After a fight with Ermac, Sento is imbued with the souls of Kenshi’s ancestors, who promise to help him. He is then able to sense his surroundings in a new form of sight, allowing him to fight as he did before. He also discovers his telekinesis soon after. 

Johnny and Kenshi have a brief exchange about Sento after this. Johnny jokes that he severely underpaid for Sento when he bought it and asks if Kenshi knew what it could do, which he did not. Johnny tells Kenshi not to forget who gave him the sword; Kenshi promises that he will not. They go back to calling one another by their last names, but instead of earlier in the story, when they were distant from one another and not friends, the use of last names here almost feels…kinder. Maybe even affectionate? Like calling a friend by their last name instead of someone that you dislike. 

These chapters are what solidify their bond. It starts with Johnny’s worry and concern over Kenshi’s well-being and safety, something that continues through the rest of the chapter. He checks on him in the dungeon, he is the one to give Kenshi medicine when he knows he’s in pain, and he motivates Kenshi to continue living when they leave the dungeon (and makes it known that he will help him however he can once they get him home). He makes it known that he’s willing to give up on Liu Kang’s mission, something that could potentially save Earthrealm, for Kenshi to be safe after losing his eyes. It’s one of the first things that Johnny clearly takes seriously. Until this point, he makes jokes about almost everything, but when it comes to Kenshi going home, he’s all serious and makes his opinion on the matter known. 

Their conflict regarding Sento is also resolved here. Just hours before this chapter, Johnny brings up the 3 million dollars he paid for it and his unwillingness to part with Sento unless Kenshi gives him the money. However, after Kenshi saves his life, Johnny gives it to him to potentially repay a debt. Kenshi essentially traded his eyes for Johnny’s life, and Johnny recognizes the importance of such a sacrifice. To him, giving him Sento is likely only the beginning of what he does to repay him for what he did. 

Their value in Sento differs greatly. Kenshi wants Sento because of the value it has to his family and their well-being. While Johnny seems to appreciate Sento’s history, the sword is still something with monetary value and something that helps Johnny “project” a celebrity image to fans. He is his possessions; he is what he spends money on. But Kenshi’s blinding makes him realize, in the worst way possible, that some things are more important than money. 

These chapters (4, 5, and 6) also show Johnny and Kenshi saving one another’s lives. Kenshi physically saves Johnny from Mileena in the laboratory by pulling her off of him before she can bite his face off. Johnny emotionally saves Kenshi when he’s at a low point following his blinding; he is the one to motivate Kenshi when he calls himself useless and asks the others to leave him behind, even if it means certain death. Johnny also helps save the Taira clan by willingly giving up Sento, something that he knows means a great deal to Kenshi and the rest of his family. 

Chapter 15: A New Arc in Their Lives 

The pair make a lengthy absence until the later chapters of the game, and they are not seen together again until the final scene of the final chapter when they are eating at Madam Bo’s restaurant. They’re sitting together on the same side of the table while Johnny talks about the location of his movie. He turns to Kenshi with a smirk when he laughs, and Kenshi assumes that Johnny will be the star of his franchise, as he always seems to be. 

Johnny then asks Kenshi to be in a movie, stating that no actor can do things quite like Kenshi. Kenshi openly admits that he would love to, but his work with the Taira keeps him busy. (However, we see in Johnny’s ending that he still involves himself in the movie-making process.) 

Liu Kang moves to leave for Outworld, and Johnny stops him to thank him for bringing them on as Earthrealm’s champions. He quickly glances at Kenshi before stating that joining him has truly changed the arcs of their lives, just like Liu Kang said it would. 

This final scene with them is just the beginning of those new arcs. Compared to their first meeting, Johnny and Kenshi have found a new respect for one another and a bond forged in a shared adventure and what looks like conflicting goals. By this chapter, they have undergone an entire arc of their own, and their lives are changed by one another as a result. 

Their new arc is only beginning.

[healingwordswriter]

Why “Defying Gravity” from Wicked is a perfect song for Sun Wukong

Hello Lego Monkey fandom, this is really my first post ever as I often don’t post stuff but I really wanted to share this BECAUSE I love both musical theater, Wicked to be exact and Lego Monkey Kid of course. So this is an analysis on why I believe this song is perfect for Sun Wukong’s character.

Beware Spoilers for both Wicked the musical and the movie

Some context is necessary to explain why I find this correlation for those not familiar with Wicked. In the musical, “Defying Gravity” is the end of act one, and is one of the most important parts of the musical, not only for the story, but for the character of Elphaba as well. Elphaba the wicked witch of the west, had been discriminated her whole life for being different, for having a green skin which made her be isolated, so she often tried her best to win people’s approval her personal dream being meeting the wizard of Oz, hoping to get recognition and love by working with him. But after he falsely accuses her for a crime she did not commit, Elphaba realizes she can’t win love that way, that she doesn’t want to spend the rest of her life being walked over, so she openly defies the wizard, saying “he is the one who should be afraid of me” showing her true powers as a witch, saying proudly no wizard will ever bring her down. Of course, Oz from there on starts seeing her as a villain and a monster, but she is true to herself now and unafraid to defy the authority of the Wizard.

But now how this applies to Sun Wukong?

Despite having different contexts, Elphaba and Wukong share a very important trait with one another. That being, how both defied a high authority in their respective stories, defying everything everyone else knew. Being unafraid to act and make a change, having the enough confidence and bravery to say that no one would ever bring them down.

Sun Wukong is know in media as a character that is not afraid to challenge those who stand in his way, no matter how big they are, he doesn’t let anyone walk over him and is firm on his beliefs. Of course, in the past is true that he used to be selfish and impulsive before his journey to the west, but in LMK even before his journey, something he had clear like we have mentioned before, is that no one had the right to walk over him, less the emperor or heaven. No one had the right to tell him who he was or dictate his destiny just because he was a demon. So this rebellious side of him wasn’t only to cause chaos, this side of him also show us how since always, he was confident and genuine to who he was and his people in flower fruit mountain and most importantly, was loyal to his own beliefs and fought for said beliefs even if others considered him a monster or harbinger of destruction. Just like Elphaba. He will defy those who think he should be below them just because he is different, he will fight those who want to bring him down and he will be loyal to what he believes is worth fighting for.

Now with these clear we can see the lyrics, and how I interpret them is they were from Wukong’s POV specifically the last part:

So if you care to find me

Look to the western sky

Literally, he was in the western sky as he did a journey to the west, he was in the western sky traveling with his master and friends to get the scriptures. Literally you can hear west and think about him.

As someone told me lately

"Everyone deserves the chance to fly"

The monk always helped Wukong as a mentor and was the guidance he needed when he was out on control on his life, so I personally viewed this line as something his master told him, and he then used it as a philosophy to think everyone deserves to fly, to be free, to dictate their own destiny and life.

And if I'm flying solo

At least I'm flying free

To those who ground me

Take a message back from me

This, this is how Wukong starts to defy heaven, the emperor. He may be alone, but he is free, heaven more than once tried to have him tamed, to have him controlled, to ground him but he refuses this control. Even when they put the golden circle on him, he never stopped fighting for his independence and freedom.

Tell them how I am defying gravity

I'm flying high, defying gravity

And soon, I'll match them in renown

His legend to this day is still known, he started everything as he wanted the respected of heaven and in the end he showed them he wasn’t inferior to them, the name Sun Wukong is a name they will always remember.

And nobody in all of Oz

No wizard that there is or was

Is ever gonna bring me down

Just imagine it, Wukong in the sky, with his staff in hand, confident, strong showing his power, being imposing. Looking at everyone from his position, thinking about the choices he has done, reflecting on his life. And then he says it’s, how no one in all China, no Emperor that there is or was is ever gonna bring him down. He flies free, while the people in heaven scream in horror and anger, calling him names, seeing him as someone evil and cruel but Wukong is happy, finally free from heaven and those regrets that brought him down. He remembered how it feel like to fly and won’t forget it ever again.

And that’s pretty much the analysis, this song tbh could be applied to when Wukong first defied heaven with the brotherhood or if he is in a similar situation like in Black Myth Wukong in where he already did his journey but he is still fighting heaven for his freedom and independence.

Even so, in the end I believe Wukong and Elphaba share this free and brave spirit that defied the odds when no one else could. In the end I just did this analysis for fun and using Lego Monkey Kid Wukong mostly for this analysis, but hey it has never been a crime to mix to hobbies so.

To conclude all I can say it’s that I love these two pookies and to please go watch Wicked and LMK as the two are gems ✨

[arcanechariot]

watching for basil stitt (spoilers)

sure lets pick up another silly boy 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

the quality is potato but i still love him

short movie huh

tbf i have a similar reaction when i look in the mirror

body dysmorphia is a bitch

i feel like oscar just wanted an excuse to fuck up an apartment idk

same

eepy boy

god im feeling feelings rn

baby noooooo

idk what tone this thing is going for bc it seems to flipflop between funny and jovial to like depressing but im just getting that he has body dysmorphia and so doesnt wanna leave the house idk

we found it

hes such a silly lil guy (i cant see myself writing for him really but idk i guess we'll see)

hes just cute and troubled

monke

baby needs to go to therapy

yeah i....dont know if he'll be going on the roster like dont get me wrong hes cute but i wouldnt even know what to do with him

monke

im sure i could do a deepdive on this but like cmon i just started my period i dont have the energy for that

i mean to me it was just about a guy who was disfigured, developed some form of body dysmorphia, turned in on himself and began hallucinating? im?? sure okay

(ill stick him on the roster just to say ive collected him but idk if ill ever write anything for him)

[meraki-yao]

So I found this on Weibo and I couldn't stop laughing. This is incredibly niche but I feel the need to share and explain this to my friends on this side.

So the bottom half is the photos that we initially thought were the royal suitor photos before the movie came out, then realized it was in the texting montage, then confirmed by Matthew that this actually isn't Alex and Henry, it was Taylor and Nick chilling between takes.

NOW, the photo on top is a still from 1987 TV show adaptation of one of the four Chinese Classics: "The Dream of the Red Chamber". That is the main couple reading another classical Chinese novel (yes this is very meta) "Romance of the Western Chamber" together, and I think this book that they're reading is the first romance novel/love story to have the couple be in starkly different social standings yet be together in the end.

This isn't a case of parallel in the same sense as my posts putting firstprince and Rapunzel x Eugene or Simba x Nala or Jack x Rose together and finding similarities. In fact, the couple from Red Chamber is nothing like firstprince or Taylor and Nick, not even remotely close, and their relationship ended in tragedy: spoilers, the girl died of a broken heart and the boy lost the will to live and became a monk.

But the point here is that this pair? This is our culture's Romeo and Juliet, our Pyramus and Thisbe. This scene in particular, this imagery of them reading in the garden together, has the same significance as the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet. Like, if you ask a Chinese person for an imagery from classical literature that depicts love, this is the image most people will say.

AND SOMEHOW THIS PHOTO OF TAYLOR AND NICK THAT WE ALL THOUGHT WAS ALEX AND HENRY LOOKS EXACTLY THE SAME AS IT

This is the most random connection and it's definitely a stretch but as someone who cried over the ship in the top half at the age of 11 I am so fucking amused by this comparison

[blueikeproductions]

Some Chinese trading cards based on TFONE came out, and they show off models of two of the other ancient Primes.

Spoilers obviously.

The movie shows us all 13, but because of the nature of the story we don’t really get a good look at any of them besides Alpha Trion.

These cards show off the designs of Quintus Prime and Micronus Prime.

Quintus takes heavy cues from his Aligned design.

But simplifies it greatly and pushes the design into a clearer Hindu god like direction.

I like to think he sounds like Apu and, per a friend’s idea, did this to the Quintessons:

Because all the Primes had Cogs, they all can Transform (which runs counter to Aligned’s idea of Amalgamous Prime being the first one to Transform and pass down the Cog, but then Aligned contradicts this with Nexus Prime being able to Transform also, so…), but into what we don’t know. Once more Quintus eludes us into what he turns into, though this design has notable wings, so maaaaybe he turns into a jet? At this version looks capable of Transforming, vs his Aligned & EarthSpark designs.

I still kinda prefer the monk design of EarthSpark Quintus, and I still like to think he Transforms into a G1 style Quint ship.

But I’m hazarding a guess the upcoming Age of Primes toy line will probably use the TFONE design as a basis, so maybe we’ll finally learn what he turns into.

The TFONE Quints do loosely resemble Quintus, so maybe this toy is already a hint at what Quintus Transforms into.

Micronus meanwhile looks like this.

He looks like a hybrid of the RiD15 Micronus and ROTB Rhinox.

I like that they kept the RiD15 body type, as I prefer Micronus being a squat, bulky guy like Hey Arnold’s Ernie Potts vs the hard to read skinny design they had for Aligned originally.

Still don’t know what Micronus turns into in TFONE, though the RiD15 design implies he’s a Buzzsaw like Jetstorm and Slipstream.

Funny enough, like how the movie never clarifies if the Quintessons were created by Quintus Prime, Mini-Cons, Micronus’ descendants in modern media, are never referenced as existing on TFONE Cybertron. The Miners are tiny until they get their Cogs, but they’re not supposed to be Mini-Cons, so. -shrugs- Modern media also says the Mini-Cons are native to Cybertron’s moons, a nod to their original creator, Unicron, being disguised as Cybertron’s moon in Armada; so maybe the TFONE Mini-Cons are up there chilling on the Moons, lol.

The movie made the wise choice to keep things simpler for casual audiences, but the modern 13 Primes are themed around certain races, genders, powers, and technologies, and it feels like writers are never sure on what to do with them because of this. Onyx Prime still makes more sense as the main antagonist for RiD15 because of the emphasis on animal type Decepticons, but they used The Fallen for rule of cool and marketable reasons. I feel like Cyberverse could’ve had Vector Prime as a central character due to the show’s habit of flashbacks and time skips over Alchemist/Maccadam, and Quintus Prime to better tie things to the Quintessons. I feel like Liege Maximo would’ve worked well in Cyberverse too but I don’t know what he’d DO either…

Still now that we have a better look at the TFONE Primes, they look cool, and I want to talk about the other designs once we get proper character models, so stay tuned for that.

My current guess now, until we get toys that say otherwise, is the upcoming Primes toys might use TFONE’s designs as a basis, as the intent was to use TFONE as the new backstory anyway. I suspect aspects of Cyberverse and EarthSpark might influence things though, as those who got a good look at TFONE Alchemist say he takes most of his look from Cyberverse Alchemist Prime.

So hopefully we don’t have much longer to see toy wise.

[divinityandfanfics]

“ My Love for You Never Died ”

DIVINE NEBULA

a/n: satosugu brainrot

blurb; “satoru and suguru were partners in highschool, as suguru began to turn evil, satoru fell inlove with another person; utahime. but, suguru still loves satoru.”

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ STARRING: GOJO SATORU , GETO SUGURU , IORI UTAHIME

WARNINGS:

mentions of murder, depression, character death, losing a limb(right arm), movie and anime spoilers(if you haven’t reached season 2) , suguru and satoru arguing infront of a kfc

SHIPS MENTIONED:

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗ SATORU GOJO X SUGURU GETO (not really)

˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗ SATORU GOJO X UTAHIME IORI

REMINDERS;

☆ jjk 0 timeline

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LOADING COMPLETED - PLEASE CLICK START !

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“suguru! let’s go on a date today!” satoru beamed to his bestfrie- boyfriend. “alright, alright, coming, satoru.” the other man said.

“maybe kfc today?” satoru asked the other raven-haired fella. suguru nodded, and they both walked over to a nearby kfc.

they both ordered the same meal, a little additions to satoru’s, but obviously, satoru paid for all of it.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

a few months later, suguru was deemed a criminal. the albino-haired male was just as surprised as everyone.

suguru? commiting a crime? that’s new. very new. that’s basically impossible! suguru was always the nice guy between him and satoru, so.. why?

and the crime he commited is murder. terrorism.

he found two girls in a small village who can use cursed techniques, whom he adopted, and wiped out 112 residents in said village. satoru couldn’t believe it.

“suguru! why are you doing this!?” satoru confronted him, infront of that same kfc they ate in three months ago. suguru turned back to face satoru.

“i have a question for you.” the dark-haired male blurted out. “are you satoru gojo because you are the strongest, or are you the strongest because you are satoru gojo?” he asked.

satoru was shocked, angry even. suguru turned back around, leaving an angry satoru.

“you know, you have the power to change the world, right? so you would know that if i were you, i’d use it to make the world a better place for jujutsu sorcerers.”

satoru tried to hit him with a hollow purple, or maybe just a blue. but, he couldn’t. he just couldn’t hit his.. suguru.

satoru left aswell, just wishing suguru will be back to his senses tomorrow or so.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

now, satoru was a teacher in tokyo jujutsu high. he met another teacher in kyoto jujutsu high, named utahime iori whom he always teased when they were in highschool.

utahime and he always bickered, well, mostly utahime. he would do the teasing, while utahime would make a fuss about it.

satoru found her interesting, often calling her ‘weak’ or of sorts, since she was barely a grade 1 sorcerer.

while satoru was called for the front entrance of tokyo jujutsu high, he rushed outside, seeing suguru in a monk’s clothes.

“long time no see, satoru.” oh that’s suguru alright, satoru never forgot the way his voice softened whenever suguru was saying his name.

he loved the feeling back then, but now, knowing that suguru had turned into a murderer, he didn’t feel that satisfaction anymore.

“what are you doing here, suguru?” he quickly asked.

“meh, just wanted to see the new special grade in here.” suguru poked at yuuta, who was frozen in his hold. “you know, a special grade meeting a fellow special grade?” he smiled at satoru.

nanako, the sand-colored haired girl he adopted spoke up. “master geto! can we go to that one store me and mimiko talked to you about?” she pouted.

“ah, yes, nanako. just wait for me.” suguru said before turning to the light-haired male.

“tonight, in shinjuku and kyoto, i will unleash cursed spirits all across the land. i call it.. the night parade of a hundred demons.” suguru shot a smug grin at satoru before leaving.

satoru knew that they needed to go there in order to protect the non-sorcerers.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

it was a set-up, while satoru was in the location of the night parade, he found out that suguru was in tokyo jujutsu high.

aiming for yuuta okkotsu.

so he started to hurry up, worrying for his students.

while yuuta went to fight with suguru.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

right after suguru’s fight with yuuta, his right arm got cut off in the process, and he lost.

now, suguru was sitting with his knees to his chest, back pressed against a house’s cold wall.

as he was sitting in silence, satoru appeared.

suguru was surprised to see him. “why are you here, hm?” suguru asked the male with snowy hair.

“just here to kill you.” satoru answered.

─ “well, you can do that now.”

─ “any last words before you go, suguru?”

“i know you have fallen in love with that girl; utahime you loved to tease in highschool,” suguru stated.

satoru’s eyes widen.

“what about her?” satoru asks.

“just wanted to tell you that.. for me, it’s still you, satoru.” suguru said, smiling.

satoru frowned, before killing suguru.

maybe, suguru, if you didn’t turn out like this, it would still be you.

[itsawritblr]

I am SO fucking sick of "shock" endings.

SPOILERS for the British version of "Professor T," Season 3.

.

.

So. I've been only moderately interested in the crime drama Professor T. I only watched it because Ben Miller plays the titular character, and I loved him in Death in Paradise. So far I haven't really enjoyed the series, because it's yet another attempt to amp up the quirkiness factor of the main character in a detective series in a not very likeable way. He's Monk, really, but with plastic gloves.

Anyway I tuned in to the Season finale just because I was cynically curious how they would end the season. I was already pissed about what they'd done with his ex-lover, DCI Christina Brand, who allowed the already fucked up professor to go to jail rather than reveal the truth which would have cost her her job. After he'd been there for a while and was on trial for attempted murder she finally confessed and quit. Asshole.

I was stupid enough to allow the finale to raise my hopes. Jasper learns the truth about his father's death, reconciles with his mother enough to peel off his ever-present gloves, and to cry and feel happy. Meanwhile, DS Dan Winters proposes to DS Lisa Donckers and she accepts. Huzzah! Happy endings all round!

But this is British TV. They don't do happy endings. (Looks like this story arc was part of the original Belgian series. If so, fuck you Belgium.)

In a nutshell, this happens to DS Lisa Donckers.

So she's run over and dies slowly, and Jasper arrives just in time to witness his protege's dying gasps, and is so traumatized he puts his gloves back on, signalling that he is again separating himself from the world. And of course she hears her fiance's voice calling for her on the phone as she dies from being crushed by a car. And of course DS Winters arrives too late and there's the woman he'd asked to be his wife dead in the road.

Are we having fun yet?

The writers wanted the audience all happy for Jasper and looking forward to his full recovery from a terrible childhood, but oopsy do, they were just jerking us around. Fuck you and your Happy Ending, we can't have Healed Jasper because the series can only exist with an emotionally crippled, psychologically screwed up main character. We'll add new characters next season, but don't get too attached, because we may kill them off as well just to keep you on your toes.

Maybe some people like to play "Who Dies This Season?" I don't. I don't like books, movies, or TV series that mistake emotional manipulation for good storytelling.

I miss Ben Miller as Richard Poole in Death in Paradise . . . Oh. Wait. They killed him off, too. They didn't have to kill him. They could have just had him return to London, to his roast beef, perfect tea, and the snug in his local. But nooooo. It's funner if the character the audience luvs diiiieeeess.

[jujutsukgojo]

We'll meet again

suguru getou x reader

Summary: You want to scream, to kick and punch him for the lack of humanity behind his eyes and the nihilism in his smile. A charming man, the embodiment of evil. Tw: jjk spoilers, getou being himself, mentions of minor character death, may have editing mistakes? an: was minding my business until he choked me out of nowhere, unprovoked.

Everything happens at once. You've woken up to a nightmare, not unlike the one that scared you the night before. The horrendous fear that grabbed you while your eyes were closed has clawed its way to reality. The vision you had in the dark had grown in the day as you woke up late. That relentless terror from your deep sleep robs you of life's light in the noon.

Outside your humble apartment in Mr. Yamamoto's house, you spot the worst thing in your life. It is an absolute massacre. You have no idea what’s causing it. The scene is something out of a horror movie. Things that are invisible are chomping people in half, drilling into them to reveal their innards. These people who you haven't known for very long have screams that will stay in your mind forever, like they will be etched in your heart. 

  It’s like electricity zapped you for a second. Now overcome with numbness, you close the door silently. You walk away from it breathing heavily. Is Mr. Yamamoto okay? Through the side door, you will be able to see the rest of the house. Can you physically or mentally do it? He’s a nice old man. He deserves to be checked on. You slide the door open and see him being dragged. There’s no reason to panic. He’s gone, too. Mr. Yamamoto’s body is disappearing in what looks like gulps.

  

You walk out of his living room quietly, without missing a step, and go through the house. Mr. Yamamoto’s house is large and old. He couldn’t take care of it by himself, so he offered a part of it as an apartment. Since his aging body couldn’t handle all of the strain, he had you work on the upkeep of the place as well as his kimono rental shop that is next door. It’s a popular tourist spot that has been up for ages.

  Is anyone there? Maybe Mr. Yamamoto is there. He could still be in his same old spot, touching the delicate silk of history. He’s probably putting a kit together for tourists to rent. You exit the house and walk a little way down the street to the shop. You step on limbs and what feels like slime. You aren’t brave enough to look down. What you need to do is check to see if Mr. Yamamoto is inside his store and will probably open it up since he sometimes forgets.

  You notice it has a broken window. Crime has been low these days, so it was most likely a couple of kids. It's not something to stress about. Mr. Yamamoto will be ticked off though. You enter the store and try to turn on the light with no avail. The electricity, you believe, was paid. 

 You go into the back room to the left to sort out some of the merchandise. Suddenly, you’re grabbed from behind by something you can’t see. The door of the farthest room in the hallway is open. Your shoulder hurts a little by the shove of the invisible force.

  “Get over here.” You look up and see a man in a bun and splatters of blood on his pretty face. His eyes are slim, and his face chiseled. There is no smile or hint of kindness. He'd be pretty if it weren't for the lack of humanity.

  Before you can talk, he puts his hand up and points to a monk’s attire. Recently, Mr. Yamamoto went to a kimono auction or something and purchased this. You scolded him for it since you rarely, if ever, see a monk. So, who would buy it?

You get up and grab it. “You think I should put that on while I look like this? Where’s your common sense?” 

Silently, you go towards him and undo his clothing. He is stripped down in front of you, yet you aren't embarrassed or anything. It feels like nothing.

In the room is a washroom. You open its creaky door and grab a wet cloth to clean him; mainly his face, neck, and hands which have caked blood on his fingernails. Although a bath would be best to get every area, there’s no tub so he’ll have to settle for this. The man isn’t complaining.

 After drying him off, you begin to dress him. It’s a process and takes knowledge to do it. Luckily, you have done this long enough to be able to do it correctly and efficiently. Mr. Yamamoto is adamant on you learning all about traditional clothing. He holds the culture and art with pride. 

The man doesn’t speak as you work. Every tie and drape go without a word. Somehow, it fits his long legs. He’s tall, so at first glance you didn’t think he’d fit it right. 

  After tying everything together and adjusting all of the parts, he is done. Without asking, you undo his bun and run your fingers through it. It’s silky and long. You try to grab his fringe but it’s too short and slips through your fingers. You gather half of his hair and place it in a bun, letting the rest fall down to its length.

Once you finish, you back away with your head down. He clears his throat and puts out one foot. Ah, he wants the full thing even though he can definitely put it on himself. You leave the room and search in the clear bags that are there for kits. You grab different sizes of socks and shoes. This entire time, you haven’t said a word. On your knees, you go through the socks and sizes. His feet are a bigger size, so you only have one pair of shoes that fit him. Mr. Yamamoto didn’t think that through all because he himself is small.

 Now done with the full thing you stand up again and ignore the ache in your knees. The man comes towards you and grabs your throat, some of his fingers grab a hold of your face. This man’s eyes are cold, distant, and scary. They are void of true life and light and are filled with the same savagery those invisible forces have.

  He appraises you, turning your head in different directions. His eyes trail down to your chest then to the rest of your body. It's creepy and feels disgusting. His entire being is repulsive. If you could run, you'd take off and head to the showers just to scrub off the filthy feeling of his eyes. Still, you don't move or breathe. You make no move at all. For some reason, you lie in wait. Waiting for an instinct other than freezing, something to feel other than disgust. You would settle for tears.

The man who still has a bit of youth to him surprisingly, stares at you. He's thinking. Breathing in every decision to make concerning you. 

He drops you. You manage to land on your feet. He gazes at the hand that touched you with a revolted look. Monotonously, he says, “Juno, finish her. Do it wholly. I don’t want to see a drop.”

You can’t see it, can’t hear it, but you can feel it somewhat. It is a chill that raises your arm hair, that disturbing feeling of anxiety, like something is in the room with you. It’s moving around, fluid and smooth, circling you with ease. Is it a snake? That sensation of a cool surface caresses your arm. Your body is tense with dread, with adrenaline, that realization that something's mouth is open and is ready to bite. 

  Survival instinct? What is this word that encompasses that and fear? You can't think of it, not when all you can really see is that man's back.

  The man is walking towards the door. Finally, that presence, if you can call it that, comes at you. You could swear you could sense that its mouth is open. You can finally feel something. As quiet and quick as a mouse, you open the window and jump out before that fear can come at you again. What is in there? What is that man?

-------------------

Suguru feels a crisp breeze, his fringe moves slightly. He turns around and watches his curse look around, circling the room for a bite of you. Suguru knows for a fact that you aren’t a sorcerer or a window. Is it a higher than normal curse energy? Your fight or flight senses must be better than most. 

He sighs. So close yet so far. It's kind of tragic how close to perfection you are, just to miss the mark and be totally useless. Well, not entirely. You did help dress him without complaint or tears, and didn't make a curse out of fear. Although regular humans have no room or right to this world, you could be the exception for a servant's purpose.

“I’ll be sure to see her again.” 

[it-begins-with-rain]

Movie Recommendation: After Sundown

** On Netflix in some territories, you can also find it fully subbed on Youtube.

In 1961, two events converged.

A powerful sage warns of a disaster that will claim the life of Phloeng, the son of an aristocratic family who own the stunning Sitthikornkan Castle. The only way to save Phloeng's life is to bind his destiny to that of another.

Far away, an orphan named Rawee, who has been raised by his Buddhist monk uncle, is sent away from the remote temple he calls home. His uncle is sending him to live in the city with a close friend- Phloeng's grandfather.

Rawee is the perfect candidate to bind Phloeng's destiny to, saving the man from a terrible fate. He agrees readily enough, more as a way to repay Phloeng's family's warm acceptance of him. The man himself Rawee finds tedious.

But Rawee's presence in Sitthikornkan Castle stirs the ghost of Phloeng's grandmother, who died decades ago.

Rawee is descended from the man who she blames for her death, and she will stop at nothing to destroy Rawee and claim his soul. As Rawee and Phloeng's animosity blooms into love, the spirit becomes more violent and aggressive, willing to do anything to kill the intruder.

Can Phloeng and Rawee find a way to save themselves and one another?

Or will the sins of the past be replayed in the present, once again ripping apart budding lovers?

Spoiler below the cut

The entire ending summarized in one GIF:

[quitealotofsodapop]

Any plans or spoilers on how Reborn!SWK meets his LEM?

Can Qi Energy be involved somehow? Like they were reborn as a Shadow spirit LEM met in the Shadow realm and just drag him to meet them or something? Sorry QE was my favorite in the movie, still sad what happened to them. 😅😅🥲

Hehehehe, I drafted this out immediately after watching the film :3

Reborn!SWK is a menace to society/his sworn pilgrims and I love him.

Reborn!Xuanzang/Tripitaka trying so hard to be the cool one. In hindsight he had no idea wtf the manfruit was, and he didn't even get a moment to be like; "Oh sweet Buddha this is a Texas Chainsaw Massacre-temple. Imma faint." so he could reject it. Man gets the "captured princess" treatment for the film.

Ao Lie/Bai Longma absolutely stealing the role as the most beautiful horse.

I adore Reborn!Sha Wujing in all his nerdy Abe Sapien-esque glory.

Reborn!Pigsy to Xuanzang; "No matter what your tear is for, I will wipe it." sounding a bit fruiter than expected with knowledge of lmk freenoodles :👀:

I've only had Qi Energy/"Fruitie" and hour and a half and something happened to him :(

Pure Wind and Bright Moon are the meanest femboys I've encountered thus far in my Journey to the West media tour. I will summon my Reborn!LEM for express purposes of karma.

If Yuandi had ID'd Xuanzang as not remembering his past as GC, then it could have been a hilarious moment of Yunadi not understanding why Xuanzang sees good in him.

How this SWK meets his LEM is very much tied to the rift caused by Yuandi and Qi Energy/Fruitie I did say that Reborn!SWK's *MK* had "already lived it's first life".

Spoilers under Read More

QE/"Fruitie"' = Reborn!MK/Qi Xiaotian >:3

He takes on a new form after his and Yuandi's deaths in the film. After all Energy cannout be destroyed, only transferred. A form resembling the species of creature he most adored in his short life; a monkey demon. However, the effort expended by sealing/merging with Yuandi leaves the newly formed soul neither living nor dead. A little shadowy shade in the shape of an infant.

Luckily as the newly formed creature cries out for a parent that it's never had; a kind figure guiding lost souls with their lantern hears them.

Reborn!Six Earred Macaque: "Oh dear... what horrible being would abandon such a defenseless creature?" Reincarnated QE: *delighted baby monkey chirping!* Reborn!LEM: *picks up QE and holds them tight* "Don't worry little one. I'll take care of you." Reincarnated QE: *tries nomming on LEM's glowing ears*

The shadow wielder dubs the baby; "Xiaoqi/Xiao Qi/效气" for their boundless energy even as a hungry newborn. And so Reborn!LEM continues on their own journey with a little stowaway in tow.

Both the pilgrims and the shadow wielder cross paths in the Slow-Cart Kingdom. Where a monk is captured, a pair of monkeys bond over unwanted suitors and an unexpected addition to their party, and a primordial energy spirit tries their best to tell the pilgrims that they're all better now!

[mx-nii]

Oh my god.

KING OF SCARS & RULE OF WOLVES SPOILERS BELOW- READ AT UR OWN FUCKING RISK:

SO- I was scrolling through Zoyalai fanart, as one does when they can’t sleep in the middle of the night, and I saw some of David and Genya and got sad bc- well we all saw season 2 and read ROW.

ANYWAYS: I was starting to get lost in thought about my beautiful durast and his equally beautiful tailor and then IT DAWNED ON ME-

IN THE SHOW, WE GET NO SUN CULT, NADA. NO HINTS TO IT (unless you count whatever that thing was in Novyi Zem w the townspeople and the hand thing, but I think that was like the Grishaverse version of the cross, yk?)

BECAUSE THERE IS NO SUN CULT (the name of those fuckers escapes me, sue me), THERE’S NO WHAT’S HIS FACE- THE GUY WHO’S BODY THE DARKLING ENTERS AND ALL THAT SHIT- THE MONK. If there is no sun cult, there’s none of him, and so the darkling needs someone else’s body for Lizabeta to do her whole thing thang.

So what my theory is: when tragedy struck at the dumbwaiter, there was no body. If you’ve scene any movie or show, or read any book then you know: they ain’t dead unless you see a body. AND EVEN IF YA DO SEE A BODY, WATCH YOUR BACK (cough cough, last page of KOS, cough cough).

ANYWAYS- what if, because we didn’t see David’s body, HE GOT DRAGGED TO THAT PLACE WHERE JURIS AND LIZABETA AND WHATS HIS FACE (bear dude) ARE? WHAT IF LIZABETA IS HOLDING HIM THERE FOR SAFE KEEPING? MAYBE THE SHADOW MONSTERS BROUGHT HIM THERE, OR THEY’RE HOLDING HIM SOMEWHERE ON LIKE REGULAR PPL LAND-

all I know is I have a feeling that the darkling is gonna come back in David’s body. I HOPE they’ll get him out of David’s body, but truth be told, the plot of ROW escapes me so idk if the monk lived after everything. Hopefully David will though, so we can get David’s proper farewell.. if ya know what I mean.

[littleragondin]

After Sundown (2023)

Synopsis:

Saengrawee has spent his life in the temple with Luang Lung Chanthakorn. When he turns 21, Parit – an old friend of the monk – comes to take him away, to live in Phra Nahkon with Parit’s family. As he settles in the mansion, Rawee starts getting plagued with nightmares, and visions of a ghost. Parit’s grandson, Praphloeng, comes back to Thailand at his parents’ demand. They worry about a prophecy who warns that if Phloeng does not bind his life to a soulmate by the time he turns 25, his life will be in grave danger. Said soulmate can’t be from Phra Nahkon, nor be a woman (according to mdl). Luckily, Rawee fits the bill, and despite their mutual dislike, the two men accept the ceremony. But while they learn to live with each other, and Phloeng’s presence is able to soothe Rawee’s nightmares, the ghost’s apparent grudge against Rawee only seems to deepen …

this shot is just too pretty

Non-spoilery review:

It was not a very good movie, all in all. I think it worked with a lot of ideas that, while not necessarily groundbreaking, were good enough to make a nice romance and an interesting horror story. The reluctant soulmates/fake marriage tropes are beloved for a reason, and can make for a compelling journey. The newcomer in the house mysteriously targeted by a ghost that seems to know him is also pretty classic, and when used well can be ground for a good, creepy mystery. The problem here is that imo, the execution was sub-par.

To begin with, the horror is not well integrated to the story. While I liked all the ghost scenes – tense and efficient, and in 720p at night the ghost freaked me the fuck out let me tell you – they were not well integrated into the story. Outside of those specific scenes, there is no sense of something terrifying happening to the main protagonist of the story, he doesn’t seem worried not curious about any of it, focused as he is on his romance.

And that’s where for me, it went from ‘not great’ to ‘not good’. Because with how much time is spent on the romantic parts of the story, I still can’t believe how little development happens. They are reluctant to even be in the same room a moment, and straight up acting like a married couple the next with absolutely nothing to justify this. Zee and NuNew share a lot of soft, romantic scenes, but they felt disconnected from each other, and because there is no showing of their feelings gradually changing those scenes, for me, lacked any emotional impact. That said, the two of them work well together, and the chemistry was chemistring alright when they were on screen. Still, with characters that don’t have a big personality and a scenario that has trouble holding itself together, there is only so much chemistry can do.

So yeah, for me After Sundown failed both as a horror and as a romance movie. I had no emotional investment in anything happening (which also made the reveal/conclusion at the end fall flat), the pacing was not good and actor performances alone (which were mostly good across the board) could not save this one.

Tl;dr: I gave this one 5/10. I would only recommend it if you really really really miss Zee and NuNew and just want to see them act cute with each other while not being bothered by the absence of actual story and the presence of a few good jump scares. Also if you just want to see Nammon wet and shirtless, just skip to 1:12:00 =3

Below the read more, I will go a little more into the reveal at the end, as well as a few pet peeves I got through the movie. It will be full of spoilers.

The reveal about the ghost:

I hated how we got nothing about the ghost during the whole movie except that she thought Rawee was someone else (the monk/his uncle) and wanted to kill him for it, and then 20 minutes before the end you get that huge, 10-minutes long info dumping flashback explaining who she is, what her relation to both the family and Rawee’s uncle is, how she died and why she is so vengeful. My first thought was ‘that’s a movie I would have liked to see’, followed by tons of ideas on how it could have been, you know, actually made part of the movie and not just stacked at the end like an after thought. 1 hour 20 minutes in, and you have no notion that there was a tragedy in that house, that Parit has A Mysterious Past regarding his sppuse, or that the ghost is actually linked to the family in any kind of way. It’s fine if you don’t want the protagonist to find out until the very end, but there should be stuffs to clue us, the audience, in, otherwise the reveal comes and you’re like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ okay I guess. Show us a picture of her in the house, maybe hidden away so we know Something Is Afoot, have some of those final flashbacks interwoven into Rawee’s nightmares (maybe make it so they’re misleading, showing her under a different light). Make the scene where Parit comes to the temple and meet the monk, after all those years, far, far more charged so I can feel that they’re not just old acquaintances but share something so much deeper. That they share both love and guilt. Just mention the fact that Phloeng's father never really knew his mother, that she died when he was small and I don't know, maybe they Don't Talk About Her Anymore. Give me something basically.

Also, at least Parit and Luang Lung Chanthakorn were aware of what was happening/who she was, and no one ever thought of, oh, I don’t know, do something about it? Warn the guys?? Why on earth did the monk say yes to sending Rawee back there knowing what the fuck happened in there and the responsibility he had in it? Come on.

Smaller things and Pet Peeves:

Ok this one is just for, like, random grievances I had with the movie.

First of all, Rawee’s lack of curiosity. You don’t have to make him an amateur detective, but that guy who grew up in a temple (so I assume at least a little spiritual) starts having nightmares and visions and doesn’t question it for a second? Doesn’t think oh, maybe there is something going on, maybe if I find out what the spirit wants and why, I could get rid of it? Nothing? I know my own curiosity is probably skewing my opinion but I wanted to shake him and beg him to ask even one goddamn question! Please!!

The “secondary couple”. Okay, so, this one ties up more to the romance aspect of things. We set up Pudson to be a sort of rival to Rawee, the spurned, jealous boy who hates the one who took Phloeng away, but there is never… I mean I’m pretty sure we never see him and Phloeng in a scene together, even, and all of this amount to nothing. Never actually hurts Rawee, never confronts him or tries to actually get Phloeng, this never leads to any tensions between Rawee and Phloeng… Then Kraiphop, the chauffeur, who is being so nice to Rawee and who makes Phloeng jealous once. Less of an actual rival to Phloeng, he’s presented more like a kind man who might help Phloeng realizes that he actually like Rawee. But the jealousy scene happens after we have seen them basically act chummy and nice to each other so it doesn’t work either. And then!! 35 minutes before the end, we get thrown a bone that oh maybe Kraiphop actually kinda likes Pudson, who may fall too, but that’s so brief, and then completely left hanging, I don’t see the point of having those characters. And I say that when it gives us Nammon shirtless and wet, so you can imagine…

Finally, and those are both the smallest and the most annoying of all (alright I might push it a little). That single voiceover we have maybe a third in?? There is that breakfast moment where Rawee’s voice says something along the line of ‘uh, since I sleep by Phloeng’s side the nightmares are gone and then there is never EVER another voiceover during the whole movie? Could you not have found another way to show not tell this? This irked me so bad lol

And then, MDL tells me it’s supposed to happen in 1961, and while the (very cool) car Phloeng rides seems to agree, the rest of the aesthetic screams Khun Chai to me (not just because it’s the same house I swear) which is 1942-something so like … two decades earlier. It’s not a lot but it added some confusion post viewing I guess.

[thekimspoblog]

For the record, I did finally see "American Fiction" a few nights ago. I am recommending you watch this movie, so I don't want to spoil it too much, but I wanted to share my thoughts.

When a slice-of-life movie is done well, I can really enjoy it, but if that aspect fails, a movie can become very cloying and tedious. In this case however, it was done well. "American Fiction" is a very cozy, very digestible movie that just follows this one family through the highs and lows of their summer. There are multiple subplots which have little to do with eachother, let alone the main story, but that's okay; it feels more realistic that way and the subplots are quite charming in their own right. The dialogue expresses familiar sentiments from other movies, but in a way that still feels fresh. In a sense, the trailer almost feels like a prank on the audience; white moviegoers were promised a mean-spirited satire on race relations, and instead what we got was 90 minutes of black people existing comfortably with minimal conflict. But if you're disappointed, that's on you. Setting aside the politics altogether, it's just refreshing to - every once in a while - watch a quieter movie about normal people being kind to eachother. Nobody has to die in order for a drama to be good... well... almost nobody.

The A-Story is basically just a rip-off of Spike Lee's "Bamboozled". Like I said, the story we saw in the trailer really only made up less than a third of the plot. And if you're upset about the bait-and-switch, "American Fiction" succeeded at what it was trying to do, but... also if you really wanted a movie about a writer pushing the envelope of prejudice for personal gain, you can still just go and watch "Bamboozled". For that matter, "Bamboozled" was already vaguely the same plot as Mel Brooks' "The Producers". I guess my main question is what it says about the psyche of white people, when you compare "American Fiction" to a movie made 24 years prior which had basically the same premise. Does it represent improvement, that a film can make the same social commentary without resorting to the same extremes to get the point across? Or have we grown more sensitive; is "American Fiction" a more toned-down version of the story simply because you could never make "Bamboozled" in the PC world of today? I hope it's the former. You probably couldn't remake "Bamboozled" today, but more importantly, "American Fiction" couldn't have been made in the 90's; the imagery of Monk's book was so commonplace back then, I don't think it would have occurred to white audiences that anything was even amiss. On the other hand, I think the white people in "American Fiction" are somehow more cartoonish; I remember a few moments while watching "Bamboozled" where I went, "Oh shit! Ok, I have said/done/thought stuff like that IRL", and I never had that moment watching "American Fiction". I call the movie "digestible" and "cozy" because I was able to get through the whole thing and not once did it feel like the movie was attacking me. But again, even if your movie sets out to make white people uncomfortable, that's still centering the story too much around our emotions; "American Fiction" had the more important goal of simply telling a story where black people are allowed to be happy.

The cringe comedy is extremely funny. This is the main reason I'm recommending the movie as lighthearted fun. Half the jokes boil down to "Jeffery Wright is annoyed" (and IMO that itself is enough to sustain a film), but there were also some lines of dialogue which completely caught me off guard. The movie is still more CUTE than it is FUNNY, but for a "cute" movie I was laughing almost all the way through. The other film I'd compare "American Fiction" to is "Dan in Real Life", and I definitely prefer this one, both in terms of likeable characters and quality of dialogue.

Spoilers ahead! I liked how the story had three endings, and like "Clue", the audience is left to pick which one they want. I still won't be spoiling what happens but I did want to talk about this part: It's fine that Ending A was never explained in detail; Monk has made his feelings about the situation pretty clear at this point; anyone with two braincells to rub together can use their imaginations and guess what he would have said at that podium. Ending B is pretty obviously the correct answer. Not only does a "rom-com" ending fit with the tone of the rest of the movie, but I think it gives the best resolution to what the story was actually about. I said none of the racist characters made me embarrassed about my own behavior, but that doesn't mean I didn't see Monk's personality flaws as a reflection of myself. "Tortured artist realizes at the 11th hour that his judgmental attitude has been isolating him from the people he cares about" is a theme I very much relate to, and it's the kind of story I've been wanting to write for years. Ending C was a little bit predictable, but still worked as the climactic punchline. It was the moment the story went from feeling like an unintentional ripoff of "Bamboozled" to a more direct parody of it. Ending D causes the rest of the story to become confusing, but it at least retroactively excuses some of the more contrived/cliched moments which happened at the beginning of the film.

So yeah. In conclusion, good movie, little forgettable but pretty damn funny. Go see it. Jeffery Wright is a DILF and I could watch another 90 minutes of him meandering around the beach, staring soulfully out at the ocean.