#NIN-Wannabe

[gimmeshelter]

accidental great double feature today

[voidsentprinces]

PLD: Man fuck this Roegadyn, biggest asshole in all of Ul'dah. WAR: Man fuck this unyielding rage, I got a partner to protect. DRK: Man fuck Ishgard, biggest assholes in all of Coerthas. GNB: Man fuck the Garleans, especially that Sephiroth wannabe...biggest asshole in all of Garlemald now that Asahi is dead. MNK: Man fuck Gridania, biggest assholes in all of the Shroud. DRG: Man fuck Ishgard, biggest assholes in all of Dravania NIN: Man I'd fuck this Crow guy, but he's a loveable asshole. SAM: Man fuck the Sekiseigumi, biggest assholes in all of Kugane. RPR: Man Emet-Selch really just trolled this guy leading to generational trauma. Biggest asshole in Elpis. WHM: Man FUCK the Padjal, biggest assholes literally anywhere. SCH: Lets help this guy fuck this tonberry. AST: Man fuck Sharlayan and Ishgard, biggest assholes ever. SGE: No, seriously, FUCK. SHARLAYAN. BRD: No, serously, FUCK. GRIDANIA. MCH: No, seriously, FUCK. ISHGARD. DNC: Man, fuck cringe, embrace it, expel it and look cute doing it. BLM: Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, YOU'RE COOL! AND FUCK YOU I'M OUT! SMN: Man fuck Allag, ruining everything for everyone. RDM: Would you care to fuck this catman? BLU: FUCK THIS IM OU--*BOOM*

[sgiandubh]

La passante de la Place des Vosges/ The Passerby of the Place des Vosges: in praise of Caitríona Balfe

I have recently discussed, in as much detail as possible without becoming completely boring, S's memoir Waypoints. It is, no doubt, an interesting strategic step, aiming to buy much needed time and respite from unwanted fan attention.

But if there is a memoir I would probably read in a very different, almost sentimental way, that would be hers, not his.

We have an enticing idea of the way she writes, with this lesser known essay published by the totemic NYT just a day shy of her birthday, in 2017: The First Time I Left Home (and Fell in Love), which you can read online right here - https://shorturl.at/uTX12. It is a short, dense piece with a deeply personal, even sentimental, view of Paris in autumn and spring. Something very unusual for the feisty, secretive, almost paranoid C we all know and love (admit it, you do: fair's fair). It immediately grabbed both my attention and highlighter.

Writing about Paris, especially from an Anglo-Saxon/American perspective, is a very tricky affair. So much has been said and done, from Janet Flanner's priceless Letters from Paris and Paris Journal, to Anais Nin, to Edmund White, to Hemingway, to Orwell - just to name the ones that immediately come to mind. In this particular case, we'd be dealing with a nice PR fine tuning detail, with a relatively short lifespan, aiming perhaps to reach a more sophisticated demographic than Twitter banter or a three minutes long Q&A about the current season's antics. But a wonderful detail, nevertheless.

The year is 1998. A young 19-year old Irish model wannabe just landed in the chaotic brouhaha of Roissy Airport and the first contact is brutal, language being a considerable barrier. But before that, we are treated to a masterful bistrot snapshot, with a cheeky, self-deprecating sense of humor. I mean how perfect is this?

Quite a contrast to the dream version back home:

Touché. All the moody young Frenchmen are named Pierre, C. All. Of. Them. As for watching far too many French films, there's always been something very Nouvelle Vague about you, Jeanne Moreau and Jules et Jim & all that, and I have to say this is what I found immediately endearing. I am not talking about Claire Fraser: it is you, emphatically you. The kind of impeccably dressed woman one can find pretending to read Le Monde at Le Café de Flore's terrace in Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The kind of self-evident, celestial creature whose high heels are never heard on any pavement (what is your secret?). Late Jane Birkin didn't even come close, C., mark me. However, red lipstick stains look way better on the rim of a nervously half drunk cup of noisette coffee: but then, that is me.

It was not at all like that, of course, but then something happened just across the street from the Saint-Eustache church, at Quigley's Point, a long gone Irish pub I vaguely remember. Circa 1998, our own boisterous squad used to play darts and get plastered on cheap draft beer and that undignified, syrupy manzana Basque liqueur (idiots, I am telling you, but it was very cheap) at The Bombardier, on the Place du Panthéon, just across the Seine:

Thick brogue, a quick laugh, kind eyes and blonde hair. An interesting combo, for sure. No further comment except well, this is very personal, isn't it? You've said it yourself: sometimes (fun fact: always) the really important people have nothing to do with fantasies. But we know, C, we know.

And then, suddenly, it all falls into place: Stendhal would talk about a crystallization moment. It is that split-second when everything becomes very clear. A pact of sorts occurs and all barriers are lifted. For C, it happened in one of the perfect places of this planet, spare perhaps the Piazza del Campo, in Siena:

No doubt, by tomorrow evening at the latest, I will be crucified by Mordor, but this made me think of that - different setting and context, same type of seminal moment. Draw your own conclusions:

(SRH, Waypoints, Day Four: The Hard Road)

Important things happen, too, Place du Panthéon and this moved me to bits, even if this was not a happy ending. So shamelessly glad it wasn't, by the way:

For (and forgive me for ineptly tinkering with your words) "It’s true, you never forget your first love". And for that man on that random pavement in LA, that will always be you, passerby of the Place des Vosges. The wonder you are, despite anything else: it is perfectly irrelevant.

Jacques Brel says it best, in what is almost a prayer:

[dark-elf-writes]

Konoha: ahaha he’s so stupid. Such a dumb ass. Can’t even walk around and talk at the same time he’s so dumb.

Naruto: *activly helps win every major conflict Konoha has been involved in since he graduated and the one that happened the day he was born*

Konoha: lol he’s so dumb

Naruto: *breaks into the Hokage office steals a heavily protected scroll reaches himself a forbidden jutsu in like half an hour then kicks the shut out of a wannabe rogue nin with a body count*

Naruto: *finishes the jutsu his father Jiraiya and Kakashi couldn’t and can use it multiple times where it would kill anyone else*

Naruto:: *BECOMES A FUCKING SAGE*

Konoha: lol so stupid

[saintrocklee]

itachi uchiha is a drenched feral sewer rat and if you disagree that’s fine but you’re wrong. he just looks like that naturally and speaks in complete sentences; and those aspects of him are literally just thanks to his physical uchiha genes and his upbringing. like continuous etiquette classes and being forced to hang out with people like twice your age will do that to you, plus do you think mikoto is letting any of her sons use 3 in 1 shampoo? fugaku brought some home one time to try and save money and she beat him with a wooden spoon and then make him clean it so she could use it to cook dinner. the two things that make people believe he’s smarter than he is aren’t even really him. he can’t help that he’s pretty and he can’t help that he knows how to talk without sounding stupid. he was screwed from the start; imagine being told your whole life that you’re a genius. any time he opens his mouth he thinks he’s speaking for god himself because no ones ever told him otherwise. by the time someone tries to collect him it’s just some washed up snake nin with split ends that itachi can see without the sharingan. the next person to come for him is a washed up barbie wannabe that explodes shit for fun; itachi is a product of his own environment that should have never left the shelf. his vision is so bad he can’t see the mistakes he’s making and continues to traumatize everyone around him because it’s his idea and since when have any of his ideas been wrong? he also trusts the wrong adults and loves his country which is so cringe, imagine killing your whole family, third cousins included, because joe biden told you to cause they were planning to invade texas. dude is so fucking embarrassing and we all love him anyway cause he’s hot and his eyes are pretty. we’re just as stupid and blind as he is and if you disagree with me that’s fine just know you’re about to walk into 2023 being wrong.

[erathene]

@emmanuellececchi

YOU PLAY FFXIV *AND* YOU'RE A FISHER MAIN?! AM I READING THIS RIGHT??!!

If you would let me, I would love to add you as a friend in-game! 😍

(from a level 79 fisher wannabe who mains on NIN but hasn't played in literally months)

My dearest followers and mutuals and friends and lovers. I am going to extend one deadly serious question to you on this beautiful afternoon.

What is your #1 video game recommendation

[lamphous]

watching house md 5x02 "not cancer," which opens with a slo mo, overexposed montage with cool synth music in the background and in the split second it takes my phone to unlock so I can post said description + "social network wannabe ass...." I remember the banksy hotel that was gonna be soundtracked by massive attack and NIN. and then I close the tab.

[fetteringthefoul]

10.12.2021 - 12:51AM

I just sketched an idea for this whole music project idea I had. I never really took the creative process as seriously as I should’ve. To be quite honest, the farthest I’ve gotten to making a legitimate piece of music was for a high school project I took on. Four. Bloody. Hours. That’s how long it took me to make a decent rhythm with guitar chords (is it rhythm?). Lo and behold, I ended up re-creating “Bother” by Stone Sour like a complete dumbass.

This, however, this is different. Not sure how, not sure why, but I just feel it. You know the difference between me, Prince, and Trent Reznor, is that those guys were talented. Me? I’m just some mechanical engineering student who is putting off C++ projects because my brain swells with how bad it overheats trying to comprehend such a thing.

I know it’s not 2007 where Tumblr is fresh with all these brand new ideas and where scene kids were a common site at your local mall (Is Blood On The Dancefloor even a thing anymore?). Either way, I am so much more comfortable at this than TikTok... I’m not photogenic for TikTok and I’m so awkward with a camera recording me.

Anyways, I managed to download Ableton on my new laptop and configure some stuff for StudioOne on this one. Now all I have to do is use my pea-brain to figure these programs out and make music with a very barebones understanding of music theory (it might not be an issue to make a good song but damn, does it bother me). Hopefully, I can pull off a “Pretty Hate Machine” thing where I make the whole thing myself. (I mean, Lil Nas X could do it too but...he used TikTok so maybe I might not be as lucky).

Well that’s all, I have to go plot a few graphs from some damn code string.

----- 1:02AM -----

PS - I made another account but I messed up my password so I can’t delete it. Rest in Peace old-FetteringTheFoul.

----- 1:58AM -----

[reddawnmultimuse]

Yes, it was bullshit but Deidara's pride--what little lived on--refused to let him take hand-outs. That's why he didn't take clothes he so badly wanted nor went to food banks despite being too broke to eat. If he couldn't do it himself than he didn't want it. Unfortunately, Sasuke was correct in him having to switch into the civilian clothes later since seeing an Iwa nin--nonetheless Explosive Corps member--would send up red flags for the wannabe-Akatsuki. Until then, the dress and heels stayed on and the Uchiha would have to get used to it. At least Deidara's ass looked great in it from how tight it was.

They walked on in silence for awhile, much to the blonde's gratitude. However, Sasuke just had to go and ruin it as not only was he talking again, but he was interrogating Deidara if he was a member of this new organization? Flabbergasted, Deidara stopped and stared at him for a long moment before puzzlement bled into anger.

"Like I'm telling you anything, Uchiha!" He snarled, white-knuckled fists shaking with outrage.

Why wasn't he surprised the Uchiha didn't trust him, though? No one trusted him, even after being a law-abiding citizen for over a decade; everyone still expected the worst out of him, be it his own family or total strangers. He was so sick and tired of it! Maybe once they got to Ame and found this new Akatsuki, he'd join just to spite everyone--and if their goals weren't ludicrous as the original Akatsuki.

Saying nothing else, Deidara stomped away--again. Damned be his ankles in these high heels but he didn't want to be near the Uchiha anymore until they got to Ame which was still a long, long walk. Days, even. Maybe he'd just make a bird and ditch him. But he couldn't do that. Fuck his life.

As Sasuke held out the clothes and the shoes for Deidara, the blonde stared at it, clearly surprised and confused. It made sense that he was; why would Sasuke care? He would wonder himself why, except that he wasn't cruel, and he had the odd sense that someone who was cruel had forced Deidara into these clothes. Blame the fact that Deidara was a man, the fact that Deidara had always worn men's clothes, or the fact that he was obviously treated so badly here... it wasn't hard to put two and two together.

There was a difference between Sasuke's being rude and harassing Deidara and Iwagakure attacking the blonde's identity and sense of self. No matter how much the Uchiha didn't care about Deidara, or even suspected him of being a spy for this new organization, he couldn't stand for that level of cruelty. He also just... couldn't watch that level of cruelty as they walked to Ame. It was distracting.

I have to stay in uniform so I can be identified. "Bullshit," Sasuke scoffed, because it was. Deidara's blonde hairstyle was identification enough. "You could at least wear the shoes. Besides, you're going to have to not be identified once we get to Ame. So you'll have to wear it when we get there." But he wasn't going to force him. Yet.

He tucked the clothes and shoes in his backpack, shrugging it off. There was something else going on, but he would let the blonde figure out whether to accept Sasuke's kindness. It was very kind of him, after all. He caught up to Deidara fairly easily, walking with him for a while, before deciding to ask him, point blank.

"So, are you working with this new organization, or not?"

[sugiwa]

Ooooh would Naruto Izumi be a missing nin? I feel like she would be a missing nin. Like the hidden mist was bloody and she just noped out of there. Touya would def be in the akatsuki. Also she’d probably have a jutsu that could like, maybe not blood bend people, but like sense the water in their body or something. Also she def be a kenjutsu user

Since Madara was secretly controlling the Mizukage, I think Izumi would probably get an order that she didn't agree with and just be like 'Nope, this isn't worth it' and leave.

Izumi would probably make fun of Touya so much if he joined the Akatsuki--it's basically a boy-band full of wannabe edge lords to her. Every time she saw him she'd just shake her head in disappointment.

Tobirama was like the god of water jutsu, so Izumi would be like "I'm going to be even better than him." He was a really good sensor too, so I think she'd study his techniques and perfect them. She'd 1000% be one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, probably the Kiba swords which were in the bottom of the river when the previous owner died.

Shouto just follows her cause he's like "Kiri's not it." Natsuo, Fuyumi, and Rei settle down in the Land of Tea or something, while the twins cause general chaos around the Shinobi world.

[cannotunsee]

Cannot Unhear: Using A.I. to Make "Wannabe" a NIN Song

Artificial Intelligence attempts to continue a 15sec clip of "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls in the style of Nine Inch Nails.

[noisystrangerpersona]

GİZEMLİ NOTLAR 1. BÖLÜM

Lütfen yazım ve noktalama hatalarını görmezden gelin. Yorumlarınızı bekliyorum. sizleri çok seviyorum... Şimdi hikayemin 1. bölümüne geçelim.

                                  GİZEMLİ NOTLAR      

                                                              1.BÖLÜM

    Aklımdaki sorulardan uyuyar kaçıyordum…                                                        

Selam ben Bong-cha.Benim ailem normalde türkdür ama benim bilmediğim bir nedenden dolayı Güney Koreye taşındık.Burada yabancılık çekmiyeyim diye ismimi korece koymuşlar ismimin anlamı ise üstün kız demek.Neyse ben şuan 18 yaşındayım ve doğduğumdan beri Kore de yaşıyoruz.Ne kadar çabalarsam çabalayayım yine de insanlar tarafından dışlanıyorum.Ama artık pek de umurumda deyil. Annem beyin cerrahı, babam da komiser. Bu gün Korenin Busan şehrinden Seul a taşınıcağız. Ben Seulda doğdum ve 9 yaşına kadar orada  büyüdüm, sonra Busana taşındık ve şimdi yine Seula taşınıcağız ve ben yine nedenini bilmiyorum ama pek takmıyorum, sorgulamıyorum.Bana göre insan herşeyi akışına bırakmalı.

-Bong-cha ben geldim, diye seslendi annem evin anahtarını girişteki dolabın üzerine bırakırken.Neden bu kadar çok yer,ülke,şehir değiştiriyoruz şeklindeki düşüncelerimden kurtulmaya çalişarak anneme seslendim.

-Hoş geldin anne!

Annem odada olduğumu anlar anlamaz yanıma geldi.

-Kızım yemek yedin mi, açmısın?

-Yok anne, yedim ben. Babam nerede?

-Kızım onun işleri daha bitmemiş.1-2 saate gelir, merak etme. dedi annem bana gülümseyerek.Ardından ekledi “Neyse sen yavaş yavaş toparlan, biliyorsun 2 gün sonra gidiyoruz.”dedi. Gülümsemeye çalışarak “Tamam” dedim ve ardından annem odamdan çıktı.                

    Ne kadar üzülmemek için çabalarsam çabalayım yinede üzülüyorum çünkü burada çok sevdiğim kankam Soo Bin i bırakıyorum.O çok iyi bir kız , kısa kahverengi saçlı, zayıf bir kız, diyerlerinin aksine beni hiç dışlamadı.Bu yüzden onu bırakacağım için üzgünüm.. umarım dostluğumuz bitmez Soo Bin.Bu düşüncelerden sıyrılmaya çalişarak en sevdiğim ders olan fen bilimleri dersimi çalişmaya başladım yaklaşık 1 saat sonra kapı sesi duyuldu.Babamın geldiğini anlayınca testime geri dödüm.Yarım saat sonra çalışmaktan sıkılıp fen kitabının kapağını kapatıp,bilgisayarımı açtım. 2 hafta önce izlemeye başladığım diziyi açtım ve izlemeye başladım.

     Gözlerimi açtığımda saat gecenin 3.30 uydu.Film izlerken uyuyakalmıştım.Bilgisayarı toparlayıp masama koydum ve yatağıma geçip uyumaya devam ettim.

2 GÜN SONRA

Uyandım.Elimi yüzümü yıkayıp,üzerime mavi kot pantolonumu ve siyah kapşönlü tişörtümü geçirİP,uzun koyu renkli saçlarımı topladıktan sonra aşağı,kahvaltıya,indim.

-Günaydın Bong-cha. dedi annem ve ardından babam ekledi

-Kızım valizini hazırladın diymi saat 15.00 da evden çıkmamız lazım.

-Evet hazırladım ,merak etmeyin…Bu arada ben kahvaltıdan sonra Soo Bin ile buluşup vedalaşıcağım… dedim üzgün bir sesle.

-Tamam kızım ama geç kalma, unutma 15.00 da evden çıkmalıyız.dedi annem gülümseyerek.Bende başımı tamam anlamında sallayarak kahvaltıma devam ettim.Kahvaltıdan sonra hızla evden çıkıp Soo Bin ile kararlaştırdığımız aynı zamanda en sevdiğimiz kafede buluştuk.Çok üzgün bir hali vardı ve bu beni üzmüştü, sesizliği bölmek için selam verdim.

-Selam Soo Bin…

-Selam… dedi üzgün bir sesle.

-Aaa hadi ama gidicem ve seni böyle üzgün bırakmak istemiyorum. dedim.

-Nasıl mutlu olabilirim.Küçüklükten beri tanıdığım,tek ve en iyi arkadaşım gidiyor Bang-cha…

-Anladım. Ben de üzülüyorum ama lütfen bu günü mutlu bitirelim…Olur mu?

-Tamam. Haklısın.dedi mahcup bir sesle.Ortamın sıkıcılığını bozmak için hemen söze girdim.

-Eee ne yapalım?

-Hımm bir düşüneyim… dedi mutlu bir sesle.

-10 yaşında tanıştığımız parka gitmeye ne dersin?

-Park mı?

-Sevmedin mi?

-A yok bayıldım hadi kalk gidelim Bong-cha. dedi heyecanlı bir sesle.

Ben de ardından sırt çantamı alıp koştum.Parka vardığımızda Soo Bin ile eski anılarımız geldi aklıma.Parktaki bankların birine oturup konuşmaya başladık,saatler sonra konuşmamızın sonuna gelmeye başladık.

-Aa! annemler saat 3 den önce gel demişti unuttum. Annemlerin çıkmasına 1 saat kalmış, benim hemen gitmem gerek. dedim aceleyle.

-Tamam Bong-cha. Sen gidebilirsin güle güle. Dedi ve bana gülümseyerek sarıldı.

-Tamam Soo Bin kendine iyi bak tamam mı? Ben varınca ararım.Güle güle.

-Tamam, sende kendine iyi bak…

Vedalaştıktan sonra hızle eve doğru yürümeye başladım.Ve bir anda çok korkutucu bir şey oldu.Birinin beni takip ettiğini anladım. Hızlı adımlarla eve doğru yürümeye başladım ama adam çok hızlıydı birden yere düştüm.Adam hızla yanımdan geçti ve bir not düşürdü yere. Korkuyla, elim titreye titreye notu açtım. Notta  Buradan gidin yoksa sonu çok kötü olacak küçük hanımefendi…

Yazıyordu.Korkuyla, hızlıca notu kapatıp eve doğru koşmaya başladım.Eve soluk soluğa vardığımda kafamdan binlerce soru geçiyordu.Bu adam kimdi? Bizden ne istiyordu? Biz ona ne yapmiştik? Gibi binlerce soru geçti aklımdan.Annemlere fark ettirmeden odama çıktım.Düşüncelerimden sıyrılmaya çalışmak için BTS adlı bir kpop grubunun So What şarkısını açtım.Şarkı tam da beni anlatıyordu.Sonra annem içeri girdi.

-Kızım? Sen daha hazırlanmadın mı?

-Ee şey…Unutmuşum…

-Tamam kızım sen hemen hazırlan ben çıkıyorum.

-Tamam anne hemen iniyorum bahçeye.dedikten sonra valizimi ve odamı son bir kez kontrol edip aşağı indim.Son bir kez eve bakıp içimden “Hoşça kal” diye mırıldanıp arabaya doğru ilerledim.Arabaya bindikten sonra kendimi ağlamamak için zor tuttum ardından kafam dağılsın diye Itzy nin Wannabe şarkısını açıp dinlemeye başladığımda yavaş yavaş uykuya dalmaya başladım.Uyandığımda hava limanına varmıştık.Zamanın nasıl geçtiğini bile anlamadan kendimi uçakta buldum ve biner binmez uyumaya başladım.Eğer uyursam üzülmem diye düşünüyordum aklımda onlarca,yüzlerce,binlerce soru vardı.Bende bu soruları uyumakla geçiştiriyordum.

---

Umarım 1. bölümü sevmişsinizdir.

Sizce bu adam kim?

Bong-cha ne yapacak?

Yorumlarınızın okuyacağım... lütfen okuduysanız yorum bırakın...

Sevgilerle Gece öylesine biri)

Dip Not: Tüm hakları saklıdır.

[th3fragile]

[luna-rainbow]

Recommended jdramas last decade

Given that the ratings list isn't exactly diverse and lots of interesting dramas didn't make the top cut, I thought I'd come up with a recommendation list. I remember back in the 2000s J-dramas were all the rage but now there seems to be much less interest in them outside of Japan, but that doesn't necessarily mean the quality is less! My preferred genres are more on the tense and action-packed side, and I rarely watched rom-coms or slice of life dramas until more recently. Nevertheless there are some very topical ones that are worth mentioning. Police procedurals 1) BOSS 1 & 2: another one of my perennial favourites. Set at the pace of American procedurals, equipped with snappy humour and quirky characters, it is the perfect amalgamation of funny, touching and gripping. 2) Strawberry Night: the original series with the gorgeous Takeuchi Ryoko and Nishijima Hidetoshi is leagues above the remake. It's much darker than BOSS but perhaps more resonant because of it. 3) Kinkyuu Torishirabeshitsu seasons 1-3: similar to BOSS, this cast consists of veteran supporting actors who play off well against each other. The cases range from satisfying to acutely dissatisfying, just as in real life. 4) Keiji 7-nin: similar to KinTori, the cast consists of some solid veteran actors, and the cases range from triumphant to depressing. There are some interesteing back stories to the characters, but it's not as well developed as you might hope. 5) Zettai Reido season 3: I tried to go back and rewatch the first 2 seasons, but it's a completely different story. Consisting of mostly a young green cast, somehow the actors have fit the roles so well that it doesn't irk. The cases mostly end on a note of despair and helplessness, as the system rolls over and quashes anyone in its way. 6) CRISIS: for the longest time I confused this with BG as the set-up of the characters are quite similar. It's very well-made, but again the characters function in a morally grey territory and is an interesting digression from the usual straight procedural. Crime solvers 1) 99.9 seasons 1 & 2: quirky and humorous, but also full of heart, and with Kagawa playing the straight foil to MatsuJun's insolent lawyer, it is almost perfect except for the lack of insipration in its cases. 2) Unnatural: I still consider this to have one of the best developed back-stories and characterisations of any crime-solver or police procedural. The script is by Noki Akiko, and it has a sensitivity to it that is not often seen in this cerebral genre. 3) Galileo seasons 1 & 2: released back in the day when Fukuyama Masaharu was still hugely popular, this was long enough ago that I don't actually remember what I liked about it, except that I do like and recommend it. 4) Kagi no kakatta heya: out of Arashi, I've never thought of Ohno as the best actor but when the role fits him, it fits like a glove. Based on a manga, it has the occasional unrealistic plot holes that comes with this genre, but overall it's well-produced, funny and the 3 main characters play off each other to hilarious effect. Medical dramas 1) Code Blue 1 & 2 - Hayashi Koji has a remarkable grasp on the mentality of young doctors. The first two seasons of Code Blue are on my perennial recommend list 2) Black Pean - I hesitated about whether to put this down, but there's actually very few medical dramas I recommend even though I watch a lot of them. I did enjoy Black Pean for its production quality and the dedication of the actors, but the script is an absolute let-down. 3) DOCTORS seasons 1-3 - this subversive drama straddles medical and comedy, and Sawamura's character slowly turned from a straight, obliviously helpful do-gooder, to an outright calculating manipulator but with the best of intentions. It is a fascinating premise for a main character and I'd recommend it purely for that. Rom-coms 1) Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu - I really shouldn't put something I couldn't keep watching as the top, but apart from the fact I couldn't stand the 2 main actors, the story was an interesting philosophical exploration of what a live-in relationship means in practical terms. 2) Hotaru no Hikari 2 - again this was so long ago I couldn't remember much of it, except it was nice and sweet, although I think the first season was better contained. 3) Watashi ga ren'ai dekinai riyuu - I'm not quite sure this qualifies as rom-com as the characters didn't all get their happily ever after (which is actually quite rare in Japanese dramas). The story revolves around three women, each progressive yet conformative in their own ways, and how they dealt with the social expectations of courtship. A nice watch and probably a realistic window into how romance works in Japan. Underdog victories 1) Doctor X series 1-6 - Look, as much as I HATE this series as a medical drama wannabe, it is the defining story for the underdog against a conservative hierachical paternalistic world. It is full of impossible triumphs, no bad outcome ever happens and the main character never loses. 2) Shitamachi Rocket 1 & 2 - arguably the series that started the Ikeido Jun craze, it turned something boring and nerdy (rocket and machine engineering) into gripping rollercoaster drama. Well-acted and well-scripted, it made you cheer for the characters even as your real boring self acknowledge how ludicrous their victories are. 3) Grand Maison Tokyo - this is a story of redemption through the shared love of food, brought together by a team of great actors who clearly had great fondness of each other. There are some silly moments, but a lot of it was touching, sweet and highly rewarding, just like a beautiful meal. 4) No Side Game - I tossed up putting Riku-Ou in as well, but in the end I thought No Side Game was slightly better. Both based around sports (marathon and rugby, respectively), it's full of hot-blooded idealism about loyalty, teamwork and dedication, a shounen manga fairytale for adults. Slice of life 1) Gibo to musume no Blues - I'm really not a "slice of life" person, but this drama exceeded all expectations. It starts off odd and a little slow, but each episode will make you laugh and then cry a little about what it means to be family, all the silly moments, the frustrating moments and the tender moments that we share. 2) Ie-uru onna (season 1) - I'm not too sure this quite fits in "slice of life" or comedy, because the main character really is rather odd, but the first season had some beautifully reflective stories, again about what it means to be family and what home means to the different people in society. I don't know what happened in the 2nd season, but it's definitely lost that evocative touch. 3) Jimi ni sugoi! - maybe because the publishing industry interests me, but I thought this was a very cute series with some good inside tips about publishing, but also can be drawn to reflect on how people should view their vocation. Almost a rom-com, not quite a comedy, but a really nice light-hearted series with Ishihara Satomi at her most radiant. 4) Watashi, teiji de kaerimasu - this was a surprisingly sweet take on difficult problems that aren't necessarily unique to the Japanese workplace - the clash of generational values, the internal sense of inadequacies and the people who are deterimentally unable to say no. The main character, rather than being the focus of growth as often happens in these dramas, turn out to be the mediator as she uses her previous painful experiences of burnout to guide others through their own struggles. Suspense 1) 3-nen A-gumi: while prone to hyperbole and melodrama, this was a very nice fable of adulthood and the idea that once you are an adult, you must take responsibility for the consequences of your own actions, told through the microcosm that is Class 3A. Highly recommended. 2) BG: slick and well-produced, as many of KimuTaku's dramas are, it had action and suspense in good measures but unfortunately wasn't quite carried by the plot. Each individual case was interesting enough, but the main plot was rather convoluted and disappointing. 3) Ouroboros: almost similar to Toma's earlier Maou, it was cerebral, suspenseful and full of a sense of inevitable tragedy. The ending was more than it could chew, but it gave a good effort. 4) Kazoku Game: one of those rare dramas that really suited Sakurai Sho, where he was the intelligent and highly sociopathic and slightly psychotic home tutor for a highly dysfunctional family. A fascinating watch. Comedy I have to say this is a genre I struggle with. I'd happily watch slapstick and screaming in an anime, but live action is just awks. There's been some popular ones that I haven't watched but have heard good things about: - Tami-Ou: the sleazy prime minister accidentally swaps body with his extremely introverted son, and they both have to try and continue the facade. - Kyou kara ore wa: high school kids pretending they're better than they're really are, we've all been through that. This is not an exhaustive list by any means. There's a lot of well-reviewed dramas that I hadn't been able to catch, especially in the first half of the decade. There's a bunch of highly popular dramas that I hadn't been able to continue, but clearly they've got their appeal to the Japanese audience. I think in general Japanese dramas do human drama very well, especially the various relationships we have in our lives and how they interact. It's not great at doing the K-drama fairytale romance. I hope the list helps people try out some new things, or you could check out the top ratings list for other safe bets.

[homeisforpeoplewithhouses]

Naruto Episode 396 Liveblog

So basically I'm doing my liveblogs again simply because I'm loving this arc, plus now I actually can do them without people crying that I'm a nature blog.

I'm loving the amount of Shika in this so far, as well as just small elements from the rest of the K11.

Straight off the bat though, I'm noticing that the quality of this episode is down from the previous two, with there being some weiiiiird shit going on with some of the faces,  to clarify;

So this Chuunin exam is runnin a bit differently. I assume as much (its not much of an exam if it runs the same every year is it). 

Wait, WHAT.

WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON.

Oh hold on, Naruto doesn't have a sexy jutsu that has brown hair which means that this is...

Yeah.

Also Neji's talking about Naruto is very cute

Also apparently a great deal of people who take the Chuunin exam arent very young, or are at least in their late teams because look at these guys

Because not many people have that type of stubble or goatee action at fourteen (although pictue number two guy is just scraggly enough that he could be) 

Shikamaru apparently played too much Dangan Ronpa in the designing of this fucking exam because'

Also shout out to fuckin' lazybones Shika for saying "this is a drag" during an international exam. Good hustle, Nara.

If you consider this canon (which if the story quality continues, personally I am), then this further leads credence to the fact that this is where Shika and Temari started hooking up and getting closer. 

Shikamaru designing the most sadistic test possible is also further fuel to the flame that he's been playing way too many psychological visual novels. Or Saw. Probably some midground between the two. 

Neji apparently is haunted by a mini-Naruto who sakes his butt. Okay Neji, that's... okay. But kudos for using him to solve the question.

The teamwork going on between various nin is really touching, because it's nice to see some other ninja doing something.

Tenten confirmed for spiderwoman wannabe. 

And then I'm loving this fuckin' weird connection between Shino and Fuu because honestly, out of anyone in the Naruverse, I've always seen Shino and Fuu getting along best.

Also there's an odd interaction with Sakura being very snarky towards Naruto; claiming he wouldn't be able to answer the 30 point question right, but then I realised it's because Sakura is actually still in her mostly pre-SHippuden mindset here, so she hasn't quite matured yet. Also shoutout to SP for aging Sakura too far in the wrong direction.

Hiidden rain nin continue to have coler designs than even some of the main cast.

Kinda creepy though.

It's interesting to see a blend of verbal attempts to solve the issue as well as those with sensor jutsu which are capable of beating the barrier. I'm really interested to know why and how Fuu uses sound the way she does, or if it's a special jutsu.

Interesting to see more than one nin ccan do sand based jutsu, although I'm curious to see if theres a discrepancy in the way he uses it (Vin has assured me that something is in fact wrong with it, so I'll check once he wakes up)

Alright now things get interesting,, with Neji and Hinata doing something involving the Air palm (Seperate from the Vacuum Palm), and we get to see some more about that technique with the ball and creation and such.

Also shoutout to SP for giving us so many Neji moments this time. Thank.

Good way to end the episode, looks like next weeks will have POLITICAL STUFF

yay

see ya then!

[unkillability]

in my grandmothers quiet stuck up wannabe gated community type neighborhood where everyones uptight freaks w nothing better to do than take pictures of regular normal fucking people & teenagers walking home from the bus bc they look ~suspiscious~ & quote unquote 'punk' to post on nextdoor app or the nighborhood facebook page & call the police non emergency number, im going 5mph below the speed limit 6:40pm 36°f outside iced roads windows open blaring NIN closer as loud as my speakers will allow