#also because naming a character ‘no climax’ or ‘no meaning’ is very funny

[fishing-lesbian-catgirl]

I believe in equality, which is why we need a mainstream yuri anime about a girl named Yaoi in order to also make the yaoi tag unusable

[gennianydots]

Me, a bisexual, watches The Mummy (1999) for the first time

Errant thoughts/me texting my friends about it:

Warning! Spoilers (duh) for the whole movie under cut

Woahhhh helloooo pharoahs mistress

Annnnnnd hello terrible cgi

Oh this burying imotep alive shit is definitely not going to bite us all in the ass again later

Guys i think i figured it out

Imotep is the mummy

We can all go home now

Alright we just met Brendan Fraser who got promoted because the guy with face tattoos chickened out

Run you 90s heartthrob pretending to be in the 1920s, run!

"Lets not kill the main character, just for the lols" - some guy who isnt the main character

Clumsy fmc is clumsy

Meshiver great word lol

An unwarranted kiss!

And now she is going to break him out of jail/save him from death lol

This is very goofy but Brendan Fraser looking exactly like george king of the jungle with his hair all disheveled back there made me giggle and brought back some of my childhood

Oooooo fmc prettyyyyy

Well these other idiots who are gambling on the boat and also looking for hamanaptra are gonna die

Probably from imotep eating their faces

Very suddenly the whole boat is on fire lol

Oooooo the bisexual is bisexualing

I mean me

I’m bisexualing

Evy is real pretty

A smoky eye? In this economy?

We got the camels. The quest is questing

Face tattoo guy! We missed you. (Not really)

Ok we have entered the spooky Egyptian burial site or whatever

This fucking stand off with the american team with the guns up and down is peak comedy

Guy who goes off on his own to find treasure destined to die a horrible death

"Dont put me down for mummification " lolol

Quality writing here

We're camping after finding imoteps carcophagus. And Tattoo guy is back! With his whole crew!

Comic relief brother is being funny

🧐Tattoo guy comes to kill them and then....just doesnt kill them????

He issues a stern warning instead like Brendan and Evy (idk her real name) will obey?

"What is a place like me doing in a girl like this " lololol top quality writing

Clumsy evy is clumsy and adorable when drunk

Evy: “I’ve never seen a mummy look like this hes still.. hes still...”

The boys: “Juicy.”

Haha! 🤣

YES YES AMERICANS AVOIDING ALL SIGNS THAT TERRIBLE DOOM IS UPON THEM IF THEY OPEN SOMETHING

SOMETHING SOMETHING DUMB AMERICANS

The fucking foreshadowing is killing me

Its so heavy handed

Guy who wears glasses has thelma moment

"MY GLASSES!" I’m COMPLETELY BLIND NOW!"

The mummy has awoken

And completely enamoured with evy

The mummy thinks evy is his beloved but then. Brendan STORMS IN and the mummy screams at him and he screams back and fires his gun lololol the mummy fucking ragdollssssss lololol

Oooo the cgi is so bad

And we got caught by.... YOU GUESSED IT FOLKS TATTOO GUY AGAIN

BENI GETTING USED BY THE MUMMY BECAUSE THATS ALL THIS CHARACTER WAS WRITTEN AS

the mummy hand popping out of the sand "LIKE DAISIES!"

Ahhhh! Tattoo guy has a backstory!

OF COURSE (evy is) gonna be a sacrifice

“Well well well. Let me guess...spring cleaning?” GOD BRENDANS QUIPS ARE SO BAD

BREAKING NEWS MUMMY IS TERRIFIED OF CATS 🐱

also ew mummy kissed evy

Nice job in the boils and sores, make-up team

I was right about the mummy stealing the dumb Americans faces 😈

Evy is taken by the mummy

Idk the mummy is kind hunky, it might not be so bad to live with him forever

“Hey winston!! Pedal faster!”

The QUIPPPPSSS

AND winstons dead

Thank you british government for getting us to the climax of the movie

Oooo the mummy has awoken stone ppl

And brendan found the treasure

Hahah i hate it when characters chuck the gun at the bad guys when the ammos out your last ditch effort fails every. time.

Also this like the 8th handgun we have chucked at an enemy- where are we getting all these handguns???

BRENDAN JUST LIT A DYNAMITE USING TATTOO GUYS BEARD WTFFF

And weasel character is a weasel womp womp

Brendan casually killing the cgi mummy priests and then the quip "mummies 🙄" is just so....something

Anddddd (the mummy) is dead!

What a dramatic death lol

And beni dies

👋🏼BYE TATTOO GUY!

SUNSET KISSES 😘 😍

And fin. Welllllp I’m super gay. Bye!

[intogenshin]

capitalism does breed innovation in Fontaine

I find it very funny (positive) that Genshin in Sumeru is like “capitalism is bad” and then in Fontaine they’re like “but...” and they give credit where it’s due —it does sneak lukewarm criticism, but they’re not trying to push an agenda (at least not one unfounded)

Chiori’s quest is all about the unregulated competition of free market, the miracle of capitalism. It’s not even subtle, just a representation of it, like it’s very in your face about it.

It also confirms my suspicion that the local entity acting as police force (matra/gardes) are an allegory for the role of the state in terms of how it interacts (or not) with the market under capitalism.

Interpret the relationships between designers in Chiori’s quest as the market: was it regulated in any form? Uther didn’t hold back in the dirty tricks he used against his competitor (these are characters in a story, so of course his motivations are more personal than just profit), especially using the power of public opinion against Chiori’s brand (which I find hilarious, considering why mob mentality was addressed in Alhaitham’s sq - but that’s a different conversation). At the same time, Chiori has an agreement with Chevreuse that allows her to deal with these issues independently so that the Gardes don’t interfere. It’s pretty much a nod to self regulated market.

Fontaine might have gotten its name possibly from the novel The Fountainhead, written by a woman with a boner for capitalism and anti-socialism, where the climax of the story happens in a court that the protagonist defends his 🗽freedom🗽 in and it’s basically an allegory for free market (a dumb one, but an allegory at that). So I promise I’m not pushing ideological nonsense into a gacha game on my own, I’m an innocent bystander.

In contrast, much of Sumeru’s narrative argues for solutions based on collectivism and integration. It comes across as a society where you can see the walls of the capitalist promise collapsing. It is also a capitalist society where market is regulated: Dori is a caricature of the market working against the regulations of the state, choosing to carry out illegal business instead. The matra in this case are representative of the state.

Back to Chiori’s sq, it does make an interesting point about the meaning of wearing fashion (we replace fashion with any good or service in the market) and how the consumers of a product give value to it. Chiori’s brand suffers a smear campaign that claims her clothes are worn by prisoners in Meropide, but it doesn’t go into it, instead choosing to highlight the virtues of those who succeed in the capitalist market: unlike her ex-partner who gave up in the industry and chose to go for conventional designs, Chiori chose to stand by her innovations despite all the risks and setbacks. She’s described as brave and committed to her dreams, unlike this bitter man who started the same as her but gave up. Capitalism is a game that only the bravest and most hardworking talented individuals win, after all 🙄

I have no complaints about the ideological exploration of capitalist theory, and it does good in using a character like Chiori who comes from a background where she was intended to serve the aristocracy exclusively and under strict tradition, so she finds the 🗽freedom🗽 of Fontaine more fitting for her goals.

I am, however, frustrated with the refusal to address more interesting topics within the narrative itself. Chiori’s quest goes briefly into it, but only as a mention: the cost of this freedom, the class inequality between the surface and the underground. Chiori’s brand fell in popularity precisely because people believed prisoners liked it.

Genshin still refuses to address the issue of ex-convicts staying in Meropide after finishing their sentences due to the prejudice they face in the “overworld”, and this is something the aq itself introduced (it is that deep, it’s not my fault). The overall existence of people living in the underground is quite awkward. It’s that tradition Genshin has of introducing very interesting topics and then never touching them, it’s getting boring.

I do hope this is a matter for a future event involving Kaveh, whose mother currently lives in Fontaine. Achieving a market in which innovation is appreciated in art is his dream, after all, but this contrasted with the reality of the cost in austerity kind of corroborates that his dream is an impossible ideal. He rejected Sachin’s research once, so I doubt he’d willingly accept this at all, he’s an idealist, but if there’s any reason to explore this part of the narrative in Fontaine he’s a strong one.

Since Sumeru is failed capitalism and Fontaine is idealistic capitalism, I hope Natlan turns out to be actual socialism.

[akane-kurokawa]

Chapter 144 thoughts!

So they’re cutting ahead again, and I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, we’re still building on Ruby’s character arc regarding her feelings for Gorou, so it makes sense.

But on the other hand, the implication that they’re doing the entire movie chronologically means that Hikaru and Ai’s part of the movie together is over, which is ludicrous to me because Aqua’s “ultimate revenge play” fantasy that he’s been coming up with since childhood has ultimately just been “the Uwuification of Hikaru Kamiki”

I’m not too phased because I still think we’re going to return to it, Frill was confident from script alone that Aqua was trying to kill his father, and there was an emphasis placed on Ai denying Hikaru. I’m not sure why it hasn’t happened from a watsonian perspective (maybe hospital availability pushing those scenes up?) but from a doyalist perspective I could see it being the climax of Ruby’s character arc which she isn’t ready for.

It’s another one of those “I can’t really judge it until I’ve seen the rest of the arc” things so I’ll try to just judge it for what is is right now.

Melt looks so good as Gorou! I didn’t think much about the casting when it was announced but he’s really bringing the role to life.

Ruby chiming in to essentially go “no he wouldn’t fucking say that” is both funny and indicative to the entitled perception and attachment she feels to him. It specifically gives me a lighter version of Nino talking about Ai

I like how Melt talks about understanding Gorou here. He really is an understanding and empathic person and it shines through in his acting style. Him calling the role “cool” is cute to me.

Ruby really gets mean here in a way that almost comes off as out of character. It reads to me like her obsession is growing more toxic, or maybe some lingering cruelty from how she was behaving before, but it is a little jarring.

Melt’s interpretation of Gorou is spot on to me, he understands Gorou’s subtly and respect better than even Ruby does. (Though @aihoshiino pointed out to me that Gorou is implied by the anime and the chapter where his corpse is found to have had his keychain out the whole time in front of Ai. Still, in terms of his professionalism and hiding that he’s a fan Melt gets it)

It makes me wonder what his information is. He doesn’t know Gorou’s name (which makes sense since Gorou can’t legally consent to his name being used) but he knows his history with Sarina enough to guess she gave him the pin.

Also this dude! Glad to see him

The pin’s relevance to her turnaround feels very rooted in sentimentality. I really like the concept of it, but it feels a bit dangerously close to Comedy!Ruby from the Hikaru Ai scenes. I think I like it more here though, as it feels more in character and purposeful.

Crow girl in the tree like a creature is healing me tbh. I know a lot of people are skeptical of her and the supernatural element her presence enforces, but I’ve always found her so interesting and fun and I’m happy to see her again.

Thank you for asking about how she gets around, that’s been one of the goofy questions the server has been mulling over for a while now lol

Interesting that this location seems significant to her, considering her first appearance here, as well as the fact that her two reincarnation targets where here when they died. Her implying there may be more special people is interesting. I wonder if any more will come into the story, though part of me doubts it.

This might imply characters we’ve met have god attachments without even knowing it. Simple guess here would be Ai, there’s precedence for her to be connected to the “God of Entertainment.” Though even if she was, I’m sure what kind of relevancy that would have -if any- considering she is dead and confirmed never coming back, but it’s interesting to think about.

See? She’s such a goofball! Between this and Aqua bullying her into being an actor, she’s been a strong comedic pillar in this arc.

All in all, a pretty decent chapter, kinda annoying in its placement, but much better than having the skip week after last chapter.

[akashicpoint]

Alright, just finished with Ghenry's new video on Henry Cooldown (Go watch it /watch?v=AJHDivrRIl8 its good!) and I just wanted to slap some of my thoughts down because A. I haven't spoken on here in ages :' ) and b. I also didn't talk in the discussion about Henry in the discords when I should've :^) I'm literally just gonna ramble about my thoughts, so I'm going to put it under a read-more

While Henry was a last-minute character in the og, I do still actually believe that his goal would've been the same as Sylvia's was in the original ending. I never got to discuss this, but no more heroes assassins' fights reflect one another. Almost like an above-so-below type deal as Travis is pushed deeper into the cycle of violence. The climax of that reflection is of course the post-fight cutscene in rank 6 where Travis finally realizes what it means to be an assassin. So where would Henry fall into that reflection? While he is in rank 5 of course, I would like to focus on his actual post-game battle, as he is supposed to reflect the fight with Helter Skelter in the opening cutscene. Besides the obvious similarities in color schemes between the two, I'd also like to mention the line Travis says about Helter: "And there he was: this cat, well-dressed, cool. Couldn't tell if he was the shit, or just plain old shit." This could be applied to both Helter and Henry (both h names too wow amazing) in their styles and presumed attitudes. Here we see that Henry is "the shit" to Helter "plain old shit". Instead of Travis getting the upper hand and winning against Helter, we see the script flip to now have Henry killing Travis (In my opinion). Of course, we see how the game is now series-wise, but when the game was JUST going to be nmh1 I feel Travis was meant to die.

Also small side note, I like that Travis is on the same side of the screen when he both beheads Helter and is about to have the final slash with Henry.

Really gives the vibe that Henry is now in the position Travis was during their final blows. OF COURSE, this is just my opinion on that.

This is a very loose look at my reflection as above so below shit of course, when I get the time I'll refine that a bit more. NMH2 I have nothing to say because NMH2 had nothing to say or add to what little character he had at that point, but I do find it funny more people believe NMH3 is where Henry's character was assassinated and NOT 2. I feel that nmh2 really just put most characters on the backburner if they weren't Travis and to a lesser extent Sylvia. Henry definitely was put in there just because he was a fan fav and went "okay I guess?" Also yes, Henry doesn't have any character in nmh1 and 2 besides what HE tells us about him and we just have to assume that is his character and what we can infer about him based on how he acts or for me how he dresses. That's not a bad thing, and its improved upon by TSA and NMH3. NMH3 is great btw. Love what they did to Henry, still has the same goal as NMH1 but now a darker more fucked up version of him doing it and some added weight to it.

[this is him btw] I personally love that he became this way due to Marvel because yea that seems right for Marvel fans and also I'm reminded of the end cutscene in Moonlight Syndrome of Ryo fully losing his mind while looking at Mikas....something on the TV! (There's a lot more nuance to the change too but I can't make this SUPER long) I feel there are a lot of moonlight elements in NMH so I enjoy that. Also, his voice change doesn't bother me, and it's even funnier that no one comments on it.

While I'm not too on board with the hell theme personally (still enjoy it though). Love the idea of Henry being the devil LMAO. I always saw the phone calls Travis receives from Henry and Sylvia as another aspect of the as above so below point, so it's fun to see this brought into it. Side note, I assume Henry knows about Travis already due to having some hand in Sylvia's scheme/not scheme. It's definitely him on that answering machine. Of course! I could be wrong. Regardless, while I don't think Travis is in hell per se, I will say that the NMH series gives me a lot of Truman Show vibes with how it presents itself. Profiting off Travis's descent into violence. While Sylvia I feel wasn't a god in the first one, she's definitely become one as the series went on. It also wouldn't be the first time Suda has worked with god-like figures (Moonlight Syndrome) and could even relate her as a sorta Mithra-like figure. Of course, that's more of a shaky look at that theory. I still enjoy it though!

Hopefully (if youre reading this pls :^) ) Ghenry will do a more in-depth look at Sylvia in the future and how she's evolved as a character in the series! I have my thoughts on her, but I love hearing how others see her and her involvement in the series. I didn't talk about EVERYTHING and didn't go as in-depth as I wanted to because...I didn't want this to be any longer, but in the future I will try and talk more on my thoughts! (Or send me asks if you want ;) ) Also side note side note: Thank you Ghenry for including the best shirt from nmh1 in the video MIAMI BASS BABY LETS FUCKING GO.

[agent-cupcake]

OHHHHHH MY GOD I just got done reading ur 24k word count gojo behemoth of a fic, and I don’t think I’ve read anything that good in the x reader genre for so long.

you have a genuine talent for suspense, the entire time I was reading I was watching every event build up and couldn’t predict when shit was abt to hit the fan. I felt literal dread at the climatic confrontation u have noooo idea. the way you manage to write the internal monologue of the reader character as juxtaposed to gojo who believes she’s some sort of conniving brat vying for his attention?? delicious. the build up of isolating her from her family and friends?? scrumptious. shoko deadass warning her?? (the spanking?? nourishing). you’re great at conveying the emotions of the characters you write, even if it’s a ‘blank slate’ reader insert. THE CHARACTERIZATION OF GOJO??! I could write an essay but will refrain. all in all: I’m gobsmacked.

perusing the tags of ao3 and finding this gem healed my soul I think. teacher/student fic is a guilty pleasure of mine for gojo specifically, and naming the fic after that one ‘lost’ porno song is really just the icing on the cake. 10000/10, will definitely be reading again, you’re legitimately a super talented writer.

Thank you so much!!!!! This means so much omg

Something I really enjoy about writing longer stories is how they're kind of like a puzzle trying to get everything in order to build to the literal and literary climax. I'm always so happy when people tell me that they felt suspense or dread while reading because of course I know exactly what's going to happen, so I can't know for sure if it'll be effective. Basically, thank you for saying this <3

And also you have the person who requested this to thank for the plot of that fic, it's not something I would have thought of on my own and I'm very grateful that they gave me a prompt so many people enjoy. All y'all are freaks lmao.

As a final note, the title is funny but every time I see it pop up in my notifs I get that damn song stuck in my head and it's driving me crazy.

[amelikos]

Initial thoughts on chapter 4 based on the poster.

Stray thoughts on the upcoming chapter (link here for a translation).

Name of the arc is cool (and as someone who read BNHA, the fact we got a "Rising" chapter is pretty fun, since that series also had a pattern of important chapters having "rising" in their names).

Chapters have lasted two cours so far, so this one will probably last until the end of March. Which would make for a total of at least 23 episodes for chapter 4? I took into account the break we'll have at the end of the year since the anime is off at that time usually, and I guess we could also have another break somehow for some reason.

Liko looks so cool wearing Lucius's belt! She hasn't worn it since ep 26... I wonder if it's just for the poster visual, or if she'll wear it more in actual episodes.

I don't know if Basagiri are supposed to have scars on them but this one has one on its arm. Is it a situation similar to Lapras? Did something happen to the Six Heroes and some of them carry the scars even now? Either way, looking forward to seeing their personalities because I genuinely liked what they've done with the Pokemon so far (Rayquaza being genuinely an interesting figure who makes me want to learn more about Lucius).

Hogator evolved and so did Kanuchan. Not surprised since the current arc is all about growing etc, but still cool to see payoff! I guess Hogator will evolve during the last ep of chapter 3 then? To parallel Nyahoja evolving during the climax of chapter 2. Liko and Roy are going to battle according to the title for the last episode of September, so it could happen there.

Still funny to see Cap in the middle, all like "look at me" ww Which makes me think that it's actually pretty amazing that the current arc barely featured Pikachu, since Friede wasn't around as much. Like yeah, we had the seminars and Cap always appears there but not in the episodes themselves. Maybe that's why the current opening for this arc features him prominently for the last shot, like "I'm the mascot" ww Anyway, just a thought I had. It feels like they could be slowly moving away from having to feature certain aspects of the franchise all the time etc. I like Pikachu and respect him for carrying the franchise on his small back all this time, but I'm also thinking that Horizons handles the starters the best because the current trio of starters are all the kids' first Pokemon and are clearly meant to fit their designs/respective arcs (Nyarote fitting Liko's character arc and personality, Welcamo meant to push Dot etc) and every single one of them feels special for this reason. They are written to be special. Some of the past starters didn't really leave an impact on me... anyway. Horizons giving the "iconic" Pokemon to Friede was the best choice since he is the mentor character (Cap being there to guide the kids and help them grow stronger etc).

I love that the new characters we'll see are all women (I wonder who their VAs will be??). As expected from Horizons, my favorite shoujo anime. How will Horizons implement these characters in its own storyline. I'm not big into seeing the game characters in the anime if they divert focus from the original plot though. As long as they are there to push forward the original story (Lucius/Six Heroes etc), then it's fine. Horizons has been good with this so far, but I'm still a bit cautious.

Very much looking at Amethio on the right, who is looking back.. towards the main characters potentially? Also, it means they are not hiding the fact that he is appearing in this arc. Also looking at Friede. Hope he appears more in this chapter. I can't live off seeing him only in the seminars. And of course, pointing at the fact that Friede and Amethio's shard things are on opposite sides... Does this mean they'll cross paths again? I hope so, it would be neat.

Anyway, just thoughts for future reference as usual etc. I'm looking forward to the new opening and ending, and the visuals we'll get.

[moviemunchies]

Before this movie came out, there were some reservations about it–whether it would be good, or if it would even be released. There were problems with the state of the DC movie universe, for starters, and the weirdness going on with Warner Brothers management. Despite all of that, the guys at Warner Brothers insisted that this movie was coming out, and that it was “one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.”

It is… not.

Barry Allen is the Flash–a founding member of the Justice League and the fastest man alive. Upon getting a better grip on his power to travel through time, Barry decides that he can prevent his mother’s murder and clear his father’s name through a very simple switch-up. So he does that; except he’s thrown out of the timestream unexpectedly to his eighteen-year-old self’s life, where his mother is alive and he’s in college. 

Except everything’s changed! Because changing history isn’t only going to change the present, it also disrupts everything else, so Barry’s now in an alternate timeline. And in this timeline, Zod is invading and Barry can’t find Superman or the League around to help. So he’s got to figure out how to save the world, and then get home.

Yeah, it’s another loose adaptation of Flashpoint.

This movie was being billed as the thing that was going to reset the DC continuity for the movies and put it in the new state for Superman: Legacy. Except watching it, the movie is plainly not that at all–the way the universe is left at the end of this movie is not really compatible with whatever they’re doing with the new DC movies. The end result is that the movie feels pointless in its conclusion, a funny little one-off that affects nothing.

It’d be more forgivable if we’d had more time with this iteration of Barry Allen/the Flash. Instead, much like Superman in Snyder’s movies, we’re skipping straight to big stories without developing these characters enough to care. And now we’re getting no more of Barry Allen, or at least this Barry Allen.

Which is kind of a shame? Because I went into this out of curiosity, and I didn’t expect that much from it. I remember for the first third of the movie or so, I was having a surprising amount of fun. I liked this version of Barry. I enjoyed seeing his interactions with his fellow Justice Leaguers, and I thought about how I’d love to see more of these characters interacting. I’d love to see more stories about Barry, but I don’t think we will, at least not anytime soon.

Also, Ezra Miller went kind of insane in the last year or so, and that’s probably an admittedly good reason as to why they’re not rushing to make more anytime soon.

The multiverse is pretty weak here–people have written pieces as to why we’re all sick of the multiverse by this point, and that’s fair. Other than the main Plot itself, where Barry is in an alternate timeline, it only really comes up in the climax, to sort of say, “Hey! We remember all of these past DC iterations! Do you?” Okay, fine, that doesn’t make it good storytelling. It’s not terrible, it’s just not great, either.

Michael Keaton’s a fun Batman. I’m going to be honest with you–I never had much attachment to the 1989 Batman. I liked this take on Batman, though I don’t know if that means he should have replaced Ben Affleck, or even the Thomas Wayne from the comic; the decision to reference the Burton film felt more like fanservice than something that actually made sense.

Also! Question: why does Iris like Barry? By the end of the film, she’s clearly interested in him, and while we know he’s a great guy, the way he’s acted towards her throughout the movie isn’t very appealing from her point of view. She should be incredibly skeptical about his prospects as a romantic partner, if anything. It seemed like a typical ‘Nerd guy gets The Girl’ Hollywood trope than actually writing for the characters.

This movie feels like it’s had a dozen reshoots added to it, to try to make it appeal to more fans through references, and to try to make it fit or not fit in a new DC universe. And while it’s great fun at times, I’d have preferred if the movie only tried to tell a singular story. I would like an actual Flash movie that had Barry interacting with his own supporting cast and rogues gallery–because Flash has an amazing rogues gallery! Thawne! Zoom! Captain Cold! Mirror Master! These would be fun on a massive blockbuster budget!

And it’s pretty darn egregious that, with everything that’s going on in Warner Bros, that they canceled Batgirl, a film with a female Hispanic lead, and kept straight on with this, when its star has actually committed crimes and threatened people.

I don’t know! I had more fun watching this than I expected, and that was a nice surprise! At the same time, this far from “one of the greatest superhero movies ever made” that was promised–I don’t know how someone even arrived at that proclamation, unless the executives decided “nostalgic references to previous movies” counts as quality. Given the state of Hollywood, that’s a possibility.

If you’re a massive DC fan, or liked other movies in this iteration of the DC universe, than you’ll probably have some fun with this movie. But is it a must-watch? No. Not even close.

[icarianarts]

Tagged by @lostcryptids for the “10 favorite characters from 10 different medias” thing so here’s mine ^_^ really fun excuse I won’t @ anyone for this so if you want to do it feel free!

1- Pit (Kid Icarus Uprising) Gender awakening and where I got the inspiration for my name from ^_^ the series means a ton to me, even if I don’t regularly talk about it. Pit as a character definitely resonated with me around the time Uprising released. Before it came out, I had just my personal projections from Smash Bros Brawl to put onto him.

2- Buneary (Pokémon) first actual Pokémon character I liked that wound up getting me into the series. I got into Pokémon pretty late for a kid and it was right around when Diamond and Pearl was the newest installation. Buneary was my girl and everyone in my extended family grew to recognize her because I had this doll I would constantly carry around.

3- Hot Pants (Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure) I have a lot more characters that are also under my “favorite character from this media” category for Jojo, but off the top of my head Hot Pants is a very enamoring character and I am forever so upset with how easily she was written off near the climax of Steel Ball Run. 😭 I no longer consider myself sapphic, but she was my bisexual awakening LMAOOOOO

4- Star Man (Mega Man 5) Probably another gender-envy character I had when I was still a deeply closeted 15 year old. I remember being madly in love with him and. LOL it’s kind of funny looking back. Still love his personality type he’s such a heavy inspiration for a lot of my characters. I took his star motifs as inspiration for my Fursona :P

5- Jeremy Hillary Boob PhD (Yellow Submarine) I don’t have any explanation other than obviously. I mean look at him.

6- Dainsleif (Genshin Impact) I’m too embarrassed to give a genuine answer to this one. Figure it out amongst yourselves.

7- Puck (Berserk) He’s the cutest thing in the world. I think he should have a deeply Italian American New Yorker accent and smoke stogies.

8- Akira Fudo (Devilman Manga) he’s the cutest thing in the world. He should go to little Italy some time.

9- Elaine (Seinfeld) genuinely we need more characters that are girls like her I am dead serious. She’s so real. To me.

10- Yoshi (Super Mario Bros.) My FIRST EVER character obsession. When I was 6 years old everyone at school knew me for being the Yoshi kid. I only ever drew Yoshi for like 3 years straight and that was an insane time for me. Teachers would identify my homework if I had forgotten to write my name immediately because I’d like have Yoshi drawn on it. They just knew.

[wowitscoldout]

I've just finished the fourth book of acotar, here's what I think of it. Spoilers obviously

Acotar as a series reads like a fanfic imo. feyre, which is a funny name because like most of the characters are fae, and feyre becomes fae so. It's a lil on the nose lmao. Anyway feyre is 19 at the start of this which I feel like is not nearly old enough.

She's real special, she gets a lil bit of every power of all the courts so she's like the avatar (atla not blue ppl). This irks me the wrong way because like, of course she'd be the avatar and she's married to the strongest man ever and she's super duper powerful and yadda yadda. I don't like her character arc. Like the first book sets her up as a girl who taught herself to hunt to survive and she's very strong and she's super swag, and then I feel like she just becomes like a Mary Sue. Like her figuring everything out under the mountain vs her just like, water bending and shit is such a contrast. She used to have to use her brain and now she can just "magic go" and it's over. She doesn't feel super complex once the whole mating business gets going.

Oh yeah, the mating business.

The most uncomfortable and awkward part of this whole series, the mating business. It's not quite omegaverse but good gods it's close. Everyone is now "males" and "females" which is just. Why?? I get they're not human but like "boy" and "girl" or "man" and "woman" is just. Idk, "male" and "female" is very Alpha Male Speak if u know what I mean.

So feyre is the mate of Rhysand (? these names are a nightmare) who is the aforementioned Most Powerful Man Ever, and they do sex like way more than they need to. And it's even worse because of the whole mating thing, gods I hate this whole concept so much.

The sex is not even that good, it's not very well written and for some reason the author doesn't say things like penis or vagina or pussy or dick or whatever, no no. It's, and I quote, "the length of him" and "the center of me" it's so silly. I'm violently asexual so maybe that's why I think the sex is so poorly written, but I've read better sex in fanfic I didn't read all the tags for, yk?

Anyway, moving on from the whole, mating sex thing, which is hard because feyre being Rhysand's mate is like a major plot point all of the time and I think that's silly, but anyway, the final battle was like, ok.

It was fine, it had like 8 climaxes, like what with the bone carver and his fam and the whatever was at the bottom of the library and the human ships and the other kingdoms and unleashing armen and going to the cauldron and ???? Idk it was not a very concise battle is all I'm saying.

Her sisters also become Powerful Fae which I suppose makes sense because of the whole dunking in the cauldron thing but it just feels cheap. Like they didn't earn that! At least feyre earned her avatar state, kinda, cause of under the mountain but these gals were a wrong place wrong time and now you're op situation which is just, so unsatisfying.

And the killing of the dad was odd too, cause like he was barely a character, he had like 4 lines I don't know why he had to die. I don't miss him is all I'm saying.

And then they all live happily ever after, or maybe not idk I don't have the fifth book yet.

It feels like a self insert story, like, "this is my character and she's so cool and powerful and all the boys love her and she's the only thing that can save the world"

It's a fine series, it's like a 5/10 for me. Too much sex, too much rape as a normalized thing that happens because "that's how it be idk what to tell u" and far too much like, just, yucky yucky stuff. Anything to do with mates just seems rapey to me, like the entitlement of it all, which is referenced and touched on in the book so I'm not making that up. And by the end of the fourth book feyre is 21, she can legally have a drink in the us, and she's fucking this guy who's like 500 years old which is GROSS!!!

It's Gross ok I said it.

The romance itself is sweet, I suppose, it was fine. I like Lucian as a character, I like Armen and Az and Cassian, Mor is fun too, and I like how Nesta keeps being an asshole, that's good, but at the end of the day, I suppose it's not my cup of tea.

I'll read the rest of the books when they're available to me but I'm not gonna be thinking about this story or it's characters much at all.

[doofus-and-dragons]

Thoughts on Red, White, and Royal Blue(Taking notes helps me retain information so ofc I do it about my media like a goddamn nerd)

Overall thoughts:

I give this movie a 4/10. The actors were incredible and the jokes landed where they were suppose to. I was really excited for the movie, and I probably would have loved it if I hadn't read the book first (I don't regret reading it first. I adore the book, probably going to reread it). For me, the pacing was just extremely distracting. I didn't know where I was at any point in time. By the time I would figure it out, I was somewhere else. I also think that the removal of certain characters (June,Rafael, and Leo), the sugar coating of Zahra, and the microdosing (idk what else to call it) of other characters (Nora, Bea, Percy, and Shaan) really takes allies away from Henry and Alex, along with major plot devices within the main story. I felt like the movie cut out a lot of scenes (Star Wars, historical letters, the Rumors, Henry's date with June, the campaign, Nora in general, Alex's reaction to the leak, and the exposing Richards to name a few) really hurt the integrity of this movie for me. I was super excited going in, but now I'm just kind of bitter.

I did like how Henry and Alex's actors had some (from my pov) really good chemistry. That or they're just really good actors. They are, but like...differently. loved Oscar, loved the charcarization as a whole (other than maybe Bea (she felt kind of bland) and Zarha (she felt sugar coated). As a whole, all the actors (and yes, I do mean all) did an amazing job. Set design was absolutely breath taking. Most of the music was spot on (still salty about "Your Song" being cut out but yknow), and I'm a band kid and a theater kid so music means a lot to me. I loved the little metaphors, like when Alex gave Henry the key to his house (a bold choice, but it worked). I feel like Ellen deserved more of a "Im struggling to find an election balance and a mom balance" arc that Book!Ellen got, but Uma Thurman did a great job with Ellen. She didn't play too hard into the accent, and it was tasteful (much appreciated by the by). Loved Amy (wish we could have seen he do crafts tho...and her dog). LOVED it when they decked Henry out in commoner clothes!

So, yeah. My review of the movie is a 4/10. Here are the notes that better explain my personal opinion. If you enjoyed it, I'm so happy for you/gen.

Notes:

• The lack of June as a character takes away so many plot points and character building opportunities from all of the characters

• The loss of Leo as a character takes away from much of the drama not only within the First Family but also within the debate

• Who decided Miguell as a character???seems like they took that Post reporter from the book and turned his affection to Alex instead, which I guess they had to since the tossed June.

• I love Ellen,  Oscar, Zahra, Amy, Pez (why can't they ever call him pez?), Nora, and Shaan. 

• The movie is moving really fast.  I can hardly keep up with.  I'm constantly in a state of "Wait, where am I?  Why am I here?  This isn't supposed to happen yet is it?"

• I can't explain it, but Henry has very gay

• Where's Rafael?  He's like the reason for the climax (lmao)

• Sending him to Texas? But he's not supposed to be there yet! 

• I'm so lost that I can't keep up with the movie.  I can't even enjoy the sap from the email reading because I'm really confused.

• The acting is really good!  The pacing is just off.

• I hate this Miguel guy. 

• HENRY IS SUPPOSE TO BE CONFORTING HIM BECAUSE OF THE BETRAYAL

• Not enough Bea

• I am enjoying this 20 Questions scene, very cute yet very sad

• Zarha is suppose to be angrier at him for being awake.

• Henry in the closet will never not be funny to me.

• "...good morning!" -Prince Henry of Wales, 2023

• "And my sister" "awww I didn't know that!" "Yeah she was really happy for us."

• "Tetnhically I'm the spare!" "Not talking to you sir!" So funny!

• I'm assuming Miguel is the leak

• I'm back to being confused.  Also, not enough Amy.  I need more of her.  I need to see her dog Johnathan

• "She happens to be a he....and he happens to be henry..."

• Ellen is the best mom I love her

• I WANTED TO SEE ELLEN'S POWER POINT COME ON AMAZON :(

• Love how he's got a University of Texas Austin hat (it's not UT to me I'm from Tennessee, UT is University of Tennessee)

• Love how they Texas-ified Henry

• Sad we didn't get the kimonos

• So Oscar is Sen. Of Texas??? I thought that was Ellen before elected?

• Haha gays

• Needs more Pez

• Ok, wait, I know where I am! The start of the week of sad!

• Already? It feels like I've been sitting here for like half an hour.  I'm not retaining any of this.  God the pacing is killing me

• Also they didn't include them Skinny dipping which is honestly tragic

• Sad gay prince hours

• *megamind meme* No bunk beds?

• Bea calling him Hen is the world.  That's it. 

• WHY AM I ONLY GETTING ONE SCENE WITH SHAAN?

• Alex was suppose to be angrier, making a scene.  Shaan needed to almost throw him out. I need more Shaan.

• Eye opening for Henry time ehe

• Did he put his ring on the mantle I didn't catch it. 

• He was suppose to have make up time THEN go to the museum I'm lost again

• I can't help falling in love" and not "your song is" a choice

• They didn't bring up Sampson :(

• Wait he was suppose to put the ring on the chain.  It was sweet to give him the key tho.  I see you "key to my heart" symbolism.  I see you and I love you.

• DAVID!!!BABY BOY!!!

• Where's Zarha's anger? Alex's concern?  AHA Zarha and Shaan engagement real??? 👀

• Miguel is the leak and I dispise him.

• No meeting with the king? No Catherine? No Phillip getting hot tea spilled on him?  Tragic.

• Henry not getting to get a word in is tragic.

• I love Alex's speech it's so heart wrenching

• I need to see zarha's anger- oh Shaan is into it isnt he?  Love those two!  They are the true heros of this movie. 

• "I'll break the sound barrier for you" 🥺😭

• Henry playing Yankie doodle and Alex playing God Save The Queen is wonderful

• "Im white and upperclass so my affection comes on strings"

• Alex fidgeting with Henry's ring 🥺

• Stfu Pip, the fact you're the only one sitting on the side of the king is telling

• Stfu king Mary (he has no name just king so he's king Mary now).

• "Uh-bec-becu-because!!" 🙄

• Bea needs to spill tea on Phillip pls

• We don't get to see Alex's rslley speech? We're already at the election?

• No Zarha/Shaan makeouts? Srsly?

• No Liam? Where did the bikes come from?

• This movie has so many plot holes, it's like driving down a secret highway...

[pastelwitchling]

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

⭐⭐.75 stars

Wow. I'm struggling to remember what I just read. In all honesty, I thought I'd be furious after I finally finished, but I'm just tired.

So here's what I liked about the book:

- The main characters. I really loved Elisabeth, Nathaniel, and Silas.

- Silas. I know I mentioned him earlier, but he deserves another note all to his own.

- The action scenes. They were really well-written and exciting, and I like that Elisabeth wasn't some master swordswoman from the beginning. It felt like she really earned the weapon throughout the story.

- Silas.

- The friendship between all three of them.

- Silas.

- Also, the climax at the end in the library. The books, all the sacrifices from so many characters, even the whole scene when Valentine summoned Raziel, this glowing otherworldly being, as our badass teenage female main character fought to stop him, and then the way Raziel scoffed at Valentine for being a weak mortal, way in over his head and tried to kill him was pretty cool...

Oh. Sorry, that's The Mortal Instruments. I don't know how I got those two mixed up. I meant the whole scene when Ashcroft summoned Archon, this glowing otherworldly being, as our badass teenage female main character fought to stop him, and then the way Archon scoffed at Ashcroft for being a weak mortal, way in over his head and tried to kill him. My bad.

- The epilogue.

- Silas as a cat. Favorite thing.

Things I hated:

- The COMPLETE lack of world-building. Name it; the libraries, the towns, the manors - we don't get more than two chapters in every place, and NONE of them are properly described in a way that feels remotely immersive or real. I have no idea what the library in Summershall looked like, and when she goes to the city? That's a laugh; it's Victorian London. There isn't a single difference. The time setting is all over the place, the only magic happens occasionally in the sorcerers' homes and the final climax, and while the grimoires were clearly inspired by the ones in the Restricted Section from Harry Potter, which could've been amazing, there is NONE of the character. We're just TOLD what the books are like and what they do instead of getting to see or hear any of them, and for a book that FOCUSES on these grimoires, it seems like if you were going to put any extra effort in giving life to one aspect of the book, it would be the libraries.

- Nathaniel and Silas are the sole sources of comedy we have in this book. Everything feels very much like, "This sounds funny, doesn't it?" and no, it doesn't. It's a good thing Elisabeth is such a brilliant, brave character because my god, her humor makes me wince.

- This book clearly should've been a series, because there are waaaaaaaaaaaay too many plots going on, too many places that we don't spend any time in, too many characters that we don't get to know before they're gone again, and that's what's so infuriating about the book as a whole. There is so much potential for every one of these places and relationships, but instead of establishing any of them, we're there for a chapter or two, and then we leave. When Elisabeth kept referencing past events in the last third, I was struggling to remember any of them because there were just way too many inconsequential characters and places that were never thoroughly described anyway.

- Nathaniel and Elisabeth's romance. Here's the thing. The author apparently came out with a disclaimer on goodreads that the romance was only a subplot, and not the main focus. Fine, you can do that, but if that's your plan, you have to a) establish all the other places and characters Elisabeth runs into. All of them have to be immersive, have to feel real, have to have some meaning instead of just something else on the page so that we feel the weight of her journey as an individual. And b) you have to understand then that the romance can't be rushed when it does come. You can't have an entire 2/3rds of Nathaniel and Elisabeth never talking, never even really being around each other, and then have them willing to give up the world for each other. And guess what? You didn't do either of those two things.

You had them barely have any conversations, and then Nathaniel was ready to give up "everything, anything" for her, and it doesn't make sense. They didn't have any chemistry. If you insisted on having a romance, you could've cut out the cringey kiss and all the "tension" that wasn't even there, and kept everything else. Then at the very end, in the epilogue, they could've kissed and THAT would've been the start to their relationship, which would've felt more earned because they were clearly close friends first that went through a lot together at fought at each other's side. As it stands, it felt like you either wanted the romantic storyline but didn't know how to build up to it, or didn't want it at all but figured it should be there because... guy and girl. I don't know, it didn't work.

- The whole thing about the libraries demonizing all sorcerers makes no logical sense. They have grimoires on EVERYTHING. How do they claim to be the "wardens" of literal knowledge, and yet feel so differently than an entire town does? I mean the town clearly is indifferent to them at worst and idolizes them at best, and yet even the library IN THAT TOWN has archaic beliefs about magic? Even with all the access they have to history books and the truth? It just felt like plot convenience.

- The weird man vs woman thing that came up a few times when it clearly didn't make sense either. Like in the scene with this physician. She gets him alone, rambles about how the owner of the house and the town's most highly-esteemed sorcerer is actually plotting something evil, she catches sight of her reflection and ADMITS she looks sick and unhinged, violently grabs his arm and hisses at him, and then when he doesn't believe her and says she's suffering from delusions, she says "yes, of course, this was just another man unwilling to hear what he doesn't want to hear from a girl."

Ummm. NOOOO? He thinks you're crazy because you LOOK and SOUND crazy. You didn't present the truth well at all. And I know that this is a legitimate issue of the time (I'm assuming, since again, the book does such a terrible job at presenting whatever time period we're supposed to be in; I know it's the 1800s, but what does that mean in a high fantasy, WHICH IS WHAT THIS IS?), but the author didn't show the right scene for that at all. This isn't a guy unwilling to listen to you because he thinks you're a stupid girl. It's a guy unwilling to listen to you because you look sick and you're throwing claims around about a highly-respected person in society. AFTER YOU'VE WOKEN UP FROM SUPPOSEDLY PASSING OUT. It's just a weird addition that comes in maybe two more times in the whole book, and no, neither of those scenarios make any sense for it either.

- The books gets weirdly more poetic in the second half, and it just makes things sound confusing.

- The weird attack when the grimoire gets damaged and Nathaniel thinks it's his fault when it very clearly isn't? This isn't a matter of me defending him, this is a matter of me legitimately not understanding how he even kind of came to that conclusion. It just felt like a poor way of revealing to him that he was having nightmares again. That's the whole book in a nutshell; good intentions, but terrible executions.

I'm sure there's more that I'm forgetting, but like I said, I'm tired. I'm done, I'm glad it's over, onto something else now.

[lokittystuckinatree]

I’m baaaaack

I’m eating pancakes and drinking an entire glass bottle of San Pellegrino. It’s 2:30 am.

This movie is genuinely so freaking…weird

Thor basically says Loki hasn’t been acting like himself lately. We don’t know what Loki is like in a healthier place. So why do so many people swear TVA Loki can’t be a version of OG Loki’s true self? For example, I find Loki’s personality in the Loki Series reminds me most of Loki in Dark World. Makes sense. Same period of life, different timelines. I theorize season 2 Loki will be very Dark World esc from what we’ve seen

That scene where he shapeshifts into different people to drive Thor crazy reminds me of his shenanigans at the TVA.

when Loki said Thor “likes (his new friends) so much,” did it sound sarcastic, resentful, jealous? I could be imagining things. He may just be mocking his brother’s friends. Too subtle to tell.

Loki is definitely into Steve

and I’m definitely into Sif

Odin is the real villain

Is it embarrassing that Thor and Loki driving that spaceship and the exchange that leads to “you just decapitated your grandfather” and then Loki driving super sexily and “TA DA” is possibly my all time favorite MCU sequence? A bit, however cringe is dead. So many iconic quotes from those scenes.

Dashingfrost canon methinks… “FLeXibLe”

Whenever Loki exists in this movie I want to lick my screen

The only woman whose love you’ve prized will be snatched from you! *cut to Loki crying at a random McDonalds in Oklahoma* I wish Thor was there to roast him back

I need to stop quoting Loki but “Satifaction is not in my nature,” is such a tragic line coming from such a tormented ambitious dreamer of a person…he’s an enneagram 4 for fvcks sake. He spent his whole life chasing a rainbow…Ouroboros, serpent chasing it’s own tail. (Possibly also the name of that new Loki character?)

Legend says, every scene in Thor the dark world can spawn up to 13 Loki character analysis metas. His character growth in this movie alone means so much to me. I can’t stop pausing every 3 seconds and dissecting his character. Dark World is a Loki masterclass alongside Thor 1, and in my opinion more important to understanding his character than Avengers.

Selvig went insane cause of Loki’s mind control via the mindstone… The mindstone altered Loki himself to a lesser degree. I wonder how much…incharresting

Why is Loki the only one who ever has a goddamn plan? At least Thor helped for once. Meanwhile Jane is like “wait, is Loki actually a good person?” I’d talk about the plot but it’s convoluted and very blah in every way. Loki is the plot, to be honest

Me whenever Loki “dies”: he’ll be fineeeee

The anomalies/portals in this movie are still super funny

Mjolnir on the coat rack, so iconic. Even funnier knowing Loki’s wandering the desert off screen with a stab wound this whole scene. Who said this movie was bad I just want to talk (the plot is sketchy but it’s fucking hilarious. Easily one of the funnest MCU movies)

Sometimes I too daydream about faking my death, Loki. Go to therapy. (Oh wait that’s what Mobius is supposed to be )

The suspicious face Loki made in guard disguise lol. So subtle so subtle I’m just picturing him eating trail mix, mildly concerned, while the convergence goes down.

I forgot this entire part of the movie. Ya know, the climax. With the important bits and stuff.

Thor: basically advocating the throne. Loki as Odin: did I - did I just get a fucking happy ending?

When you speak, do I never hear Mother’s voice? Potent use of double meaning and dramatic irony. *Sentimental Loki noises* He loved his mom so much bruh I’m choking up.

And eventually, Loki did finally choose being a good person over being a great ruler. Ironic, as Loki was a better person and better ruler than Odin ever could be. The soft way he talks to Thor in this scene…it’s so funny, because on one hand, Loki is a phenomenal actor (and a theatre kid lol) but he’s also not acting a lot of the time. He meant most of what he said to Thor, and in Avengers he was at his worst but much of what he said was projection… he hides his true self behind a mask. The Loki series got something right at least…

Loki is so fucking neurodivergent

The Thor/Jane end credit scene. They’re endgame in my head, Marvel

The end

LCU (Loki Cinematic Universe) Rewatch Part Three here we come!

Thor: the Dark World

Oh Gods I forgot how…indescribable this movie is. I have no words. The outfits and settings look so real and the elves look so fake?

Me every time I see Loki: oOmMgGg Hiiiiiiiiiii 😘

“Mother did I make you proud?” And the whole way he handles this scene…How did anyone ever take him seriously - no wonder he went off the rails, that’s his greatest fear

“Do you not feel the gravity of your crimes” ok this is pure speculation but going off of what we know about Loki’s moral and emotional system - he’s capable of remorse and empathy, but he tends to compartmentalize and bury guilt and shame, repress and conceal his true feelings, and rationalize, minimize and justify his actions instead of accepting what he sees as weakness, so yes, I’d imagine that deep down he absolutely fucking feels it. And it don’t feel good.

Loki justifies his imperialism genocide and violence in an imperial genocidal militaristic society but the second he becomes king he decreases military intervention something something (one of the good bits of Ragnarok)

“I don’t enjoy hurting people” But Odin does. And so Loki pretends to.

BOOOOOO Odin no one likes you BOOOOOOO SCREW YOU

oMggg Sif hiiiiiii. Look at her, Thor. LOOK at her! With your eyes! She prettyyyyy

Odin and Thor: talking about Thor’s love life. Loki probably: rocking back in forth in his cell because no one’s ever gonna love him. Another Loki at the same time: chasing his soulmate across spacetime because she pulled a Loki on him and he finds that endearing

The sets and ambiance of Asgard are gorgeous how do I move there

Yet another obscure character I don’t remember, Darcy’s in the comics now I’m so proud, Selvig’s lost his last marble, so have I Selvig, so have I

The weird gravity/time space anomaly/warp thing in that abandoned building actually makes for a fun scene. You cannot change my mind on this. The Aether is pretty creepy though ngl.

Thor and Jane are so cringe together. I love them. They also break my heart

The plot of this movie is really…something

Loki and Frigga’s bond actually makes me teary I know they didn’t have the best relationship it was strained and toxic at times but omg they care about eachother so much I’m getting emotional…she genuinely was the only person Loki truly loved in a healthy way. And he fucking lost her. FUCK

Cut to me relating to Loki so much it makes me physically recoil. I’d get into why but I’m not trauma dumping today.

“I don’t know why Loki helped the dark elf get into the palace”…lol stop lying to yourself you know the reason very well. You have the same resentment and lust for chaos inside you that Loki does…that desperate grief that makes you want to burn down the world that burned you. you know. I see my worst in Loki, and his story gives me hope that I can change. There’s a good chance I will die young (medical shit) and Loki dying young also gives me comfort.

This movie is peak Loki. I just fucking adore the little shit. I just aahfhkjkmng *aggressively squeezes*

Heimdall is underrated

Someone on discord said Frigga autocorrected to Fridged on their phone and Frigga’s dying and that’s all I can think about rip…bruh this scene hits a lot harder after my dad’s death ✌️

HE WASNT EVEN ALLOWED AT HER FUCKING FUNERAL FUCK YOU ODIN DRINK BLEACH!!!!Anyways I forgot how cinematic and heartbreakingly beautiful the funeral was

YOU CAN SEE THE SPARK LEAVE HIS FUCKING EYES IM GONNA FIGHT ODIN IN A DENNYS PARKING LOT. I’m ending on the Loki illusion scene for tonight because it’s 3 am and I’m in emotional distress.

How can anyone watch the illusion scene and the deleted bits and actually believe Loki is a cold hearted psychopath? I have this fucked up headcanon that Loki almost attempted suicide after Frigga’s death and either stopped himself…or Thor showed up right on time. I can’t prove it but I know it’s true by gut instinct.

There’s something so weirdly profound about someone who seeks out death being unkillable. Character who thinks he represents death actually represents life. That’s something the Loki series actually did well. They definitely screwed up his character in places, but I can see the backbone of what they intended. I don’t know how to explain this, but I don’t ship Sylvie with TVA Loki, I ship her with Pre-Ragnarok Loki. Aka, I characterize TVA Loki as closer to OG Loki than he is thus far.

There’s a tiny detail about Loki that makes me go feral. You have to psychoanalyze a little, but Loki doubts his brother even cares about him, so whenever Thor says he feels betrayed and threatens him, Loki smiles. It means Thor cared. It means there’s hope. Negative attention is better than none at all. Disappointment is better than apathy. I wish I didn’t know how he feels.

[wixelt]

okay, more concise cleo thoughts. how is she involved in the story. firstly i think ascribing a bit of cartoon logic to amphibia characters and how they view the world in, similar to how the hermits don't really question there being monsters everywhere because that's how the world works. this particular idea comes in that amphibians will be sort of used to monster-of-the-week like adventures happening being normal. that said, when do we meet cleo first?

well that's simple. quarreler's pass. in this new version of quarrelers pass cleo nabs the plantars away from the olms, and while at first they think she's their rescuer it becomes clear very quickly that cleo is trying to eat them. out of the frying pan into the fire. and of course the siblings work together to get out of her clutches and in the process do something that they think kills her. im thinking cause a bit of cave to collapse on her. after that they don't really think to mention her involvement cause it did seem pretty monster-of-the week like. just another strange encounter.

i dont think they even nessisarly realize that she's not from amphiba, since she is green, and who knows what getting zombified does to an amphibian?

im also here taking advantage that of all of the hermits, cleo is one of the one who can sustain the most injuries before dying since she can kind of just put herself back together, so im thinking she does actually get to have major injuries causing her to have to find replacements from the local population, if she can manage to find something about the right size somewhere.

i think it would actually be interesting if she does then try to kidnap someone else when people go to visit mother olm. i kind of think it would be funny if it was sasha and cleo ends up lettng her back to the group when sasha mentions beging cleo's replacment on the new G team. after that im not exactly sure how cleo infuleunces the climax, but those are some more ideas.

(Sorry for the wait. Busy schedule & motivation drought. :P)

Cartoon logic applying makes sense. Different worlds have their own internal rules, & it makes sense those extend to inhabitants' expectations. Just like the Hermits accept most worlds are plagued by undead due to a long ancient cause, the folk of Amphibia accept attacks by roaming beasts & cryptids as an uncommon but present part of life (think about how casually they accept Hiber Day).

So yes, "Cleo" (Sprig & Polly don't know her name, nor have reason to ask) proves to be an unexpected spanner in the happenings of Quareller's Pass, though from the siblings' perspective her "rescue" & attempted eating of them's just another danger among the many they've run into. After they think they've killed her, her vague description to the rest of the group doesn't stand out among the other Amphibia beasts they ran into.

False & Grian wanted to keep an eye on the sibs - False & a more thoughtful Anne opposed to kicking Sprig & Polly out, a bit disappointed in Grian for agreeing to it (don't worry, they have a talk & that's resolved by episode end) - but Hop Pop insisted they stay with the wagon & let the kids work out their issues. This means they only have a vague description of a green, gangly frog-eating beast to go on. There's a pang of familiarity, but neither can place it.

It's only a week down the road that the two sit bolt upright & realize that had to be Cleo. They're too far forward now to turn back, though. Cleo's got to be still kicking, though, as what Sprig & Polly did wouldn't have killed a Hermit, even one as out of it as Cleo.

Especially Cleo, actually. They're made of tougher stuff than most.

(The replacement frog limbs she has when they see her again are concerning, though, even if she insists she got them from burials. Her memory of that time's vague.)

The two - maybe three, if Xisuma's with them by then - resolve to head back that way once they get the opportunity.

Unfortunately, with everything else going on, it falls by the wayside time & time again. By the time True Colors rolls around, they're finally prepping a group expedition out of Newtopia to collect Cleo.

But then the obvious happens, & it isn't til mid to late Season 3 that Cleo's actually reunited with the other Hermits.

And on that reunion, Sasha's the immediate target, for Cleo. She's strong, & is made of "better meat". Sasha mentioning the G-Team snaps Cleo out of their flesh hunger for long enough that the group's able to pin her down & apply the concoction they brought with them to temp-cure her hunger, bringing her fully back to her senses.

I'm not sure how Cleo influences the climax yet either, but you can bet that, like the other Hermits, she's a strong asset to the resistance.

In the meantime, though? Cleo gets to show Sasha, Anne & the others just what she's capable of when she has her mind, armor stand voodoo & all...

[amelikos]

Some character notes and episode notes for HZ025, writing them down for future reference.

Liking the way they are seemingly spliting the Explorers into duos with Sango and Onyx, and Spinel and Agate (who are working together offscreen). Sango and Onyx might argue, but the way Onyx immediately sent his Pokemon to protect hers when they were attacked by Cap and tried to warn her not to snap was good. They play off each other well and it's fun how they're just not listening to Hamber at all and are unruly. I hope we see more of the Explorers interacting like that, because I really enjoyed seeing Sango and Onyx at play.

Diana is cool and I liked how she distracted the Explorers and bought time for Liko and the others. Her interactions with Hamber were interesting too, and I wonder what she means by the Explorers being Lucius's friends. Is Gibeon just using the name "Explorers" because he wants to follow on Lucius's path? Or is he an acquaintance of the original Explorers and related to them? Was Lucius betrayed by his friends? I am curious about the story there. At the very least, Gibeon and Hamber seem to know Lucius's story but not Amethio and the others.

I wrote separate posts about Amethio and Friede's battle. It was an interesting one and I liked that their battle only reached a conclusion now in the climax of the first arc. Amethio's VA absolutely nailed his line deliveries during the episode, especially the more emotional lines, like when Amethio realized he lost and said Soulblades's name. He cares a lot about his Pokemon and that was nice to see. I'm looking forward to the path he'll take after this loss.

Liko and Roy's battle against Zir and Conia was simple and nice. I like that they are gradually progressing at their own pace. Perhaps they'll be able to face Amethio eventually? (if they still need to oppose him at that point)

Zir and Conia retreating immediately before things get too bad for them is always kind of funny (but also, I like that they aren't sticking around just for the sake of it and that they run away for their own safety).

Diana saving the Pokemon in the castle before fleeing herself was a nice touch. She really cares about them and wanted to make sure everyone was safe!

Cap vs Sango and Onyx was cool. I like how Cap keeps being very independent in terms of battles and can handle things himself. Sango snapping against Cap was also fun because of the VA joke since Sango and Cap share the same voice.

The end was interesting. Ever since Lucius talked in HZ012 for the first time, I knew he was the narrator for the first lines in the first episode so it's interesting that they were featured again. I wonder where they'll meet Lucius's friends, the other heroes.

[chainofclovers]

Ted Lasso 2x9 thoughts

It’s no secret that I absolutely adore Coach Beard; he’s one of my favorite characters on the show, and he’s so well-written and well-acted that somehow I tend to be both perfectly satisfied with the details we see and truly curious to understand more about the way he thinks, what’s really happening re: his professional and personal devotion to Ted, where he comes from and where he’s going. I don’t need to know his name beyond the name he wants to be called, but I want to know why we don’t have any other names for him. And I don’t need him to be a bigger focal point of every episode, but I very much needed this episode’s world-exploding reminder that every single character on this show has a rich inner life, full of joys and troubles.

“Beard After Hours” is like a movie, but one that scatters its climaxes and puts off its resolutions...because it’s not a movie. It’s episode nine of a twelve-episode season of TV. When the episode ended, I felt this almost frantic “But he needed to break up with Jane for good before the end of the episode!” feeling. I was so pulled in by the idea of being able to tell an entire story in one night, of going on an odyssey alongside a complicated hero, that watching Beard and Jane find each other in that club felt as intense as the fact that we don’t know if Ted responded to Rebecca’s voicemail and we don’t know what’s going to happen with Rebecca and Sam and we don’t know who isn’t getting married and who is having a funeral in 2x10 (I mean, I have my strong suspicions, but still!) and we don’t know if Richmond will be promoted back to the Premier League. And on and on. I didn’t mind feeling desperate for the story to resolve even though I understood after thinking about it for ten seconds that of course it couldn’t resolve yet. Or ever. Or yet.

I’m a big fan of the TL episode recaps/reviews Linda Holmes writes for NPR, and I have to quote something from this week’s directly because it so perfectly explains my feelings:

The power of the scene where Beard dances in the club isn't that it's a beautiful romantic climax. It's that it's an explanation of why he cannot seem to extricate himself from this bad relationship. What makes the worst relationships so dangerous is that they have elements that feel good that are very hard to get elsewhere. Beard knows that; he tells it to God. What's concerning isn't that Jane makes the world seem more interesting; what's concerning is she's the only thing that does. That doesn't take away from the joy of the dancing; it just tells you that even happiness is complicated.

I love Holmes’ perspective here so much, because it articulates something I was struggling to figure out: how it can feel so legitimate, like such a (temporary but nonetheless powerful) relief, for Beard to find Jane in that club and to have this moment of euphoria as his night nears an end. How it is possible to experience that relief on behalf of a character while fervently wishing it could end differently, because it’s so clear from the abusive text messages and the toxic calls and the manipulative interactions that Jane is terrible to him and they’re terrible for each other. But Beard knows this. He knows it when he hugs Higgins in the parking lot after Higgins is honest with him in a way Ted and Rebecca and Keeley have not learned how to be, and he knows it when part of his prayer includes the clear articulation that Jane isn’t the cure for what “ails me.” He’s inching closer to greater self-knowledge just as Ted is.

And the two big resolutions that really, really needed to happen did. I didn’t know I needed Paul, Baz, and Jeremy to get to wrap up their own night out on the pitch at Nelson Road, but I did. It brought actual tears to my eyes. And the other resolution was Beard showing up with the other coaches’ coffees for their meeting to watch the game film. As interesting as it would have been to see what Ted would have done if Beard hadn’t shown up, I’m so, so glad that he did. He’s got a messed-up face and some truly epic pants on, but otherwise this is just Beard showing up for work, showing up for his friends. It was incredible to realize that Beard and Ted haven’t been exaggerating when they’ve referred to his sex-and-drug proclivities in the past. The night documented in 2x9 might have been particularly scary and violent and euphoric and awful and meaningful, but this type of all-night adventure isn’t a foreign concept for this guy. In all the other episodes of this show, when we see Beard we’re seeing someone who might have been out all night, who might have spent the hours the sun was down desperately pushing himself closer to whatever edges he could find.

I don’t really want to touch upon all the allusions in this episode. They are abundant, they are well-documented, and also I haven’t even seen the movie After Hours. I enjoyed this episode for its allusive qualities and I enjoyed this episode for what it was and I feel like I have to be at peace with the fact that I’m never going to pick up on every single reference on this show and that is okay.

So, yeah, if this entry on my tumblr dot com blog seems remarkably devoid of references and allusions, it’s not because I’m not into it but because I find it too overwhelming to actually write about.

Very into the Misplaced and Discovered box at the Crown and Anchor. (That’s what Mae wrote on the Lost and Found box at the pub, right? Whatever it is, it’s so funny.)

Beard hallucinating Thierry Henry and Gary Lineker was truly upsetting and a great indicator not only of how broken things are between the Richmond coaching staff right now but also how deep Beard’s self-loathing might go. If you’d asked me before Thursday if I thought Beard loathed himself, I would say no. That deepening of knowledge alone makes 2x9 worth it.

James Tartt and his friends in the alley. Such a nightmare. I go back and forth on how much of the night was real, and part of me has decided all of it is, short of the images of Henry and Lineker. (And even that is real to the extent that it was a way of articulating what was in Beard’s head.) But watching Beard in physical danger brought on by the same abuser who had him so upset in the first place. It was a lot.

I’m so excited that Paul and Jeremy and Baz got some spotlight this episode. It was so wonderful to see them out of the pub. I love that they ended up telling the Oxford snots who they really were. They got to see Beard going to bat for them and smoothing over the situation socially, and that actually made it more possible for them to end up being truthful about themselves. Because they have nothing to be ashamed of, and they deserved the magic of that night. (And for it to end on Nelson Road. Every feeling. Oof.)

I feel like I barely have anything to say about the trouser-mending lady or the many places Beard goes or his key-dropping or the nightmarish feeling of wanting to be home and being unable to be home. It all happened and we all watched it and again, it was a lot. But I do feel incredibly moved and fascinated by the fact that Beard very obviously still hasn’t been home when he brings in the coffee. He’s had to sleep at the club for Jane- and key-related reasons in the past, and this time it’s not that he’s slept there but it still feels like a kind of homecoming he was robbed of for the entire night. Ted and Roy and Nate are there. He’s gotten their coffee orders correct. Ted is growing and evolving (he wants to learn from what’s happened, he’s insisting upon it even when the others resist) but he’s done a really perfect (almost romantic in its loveliness) thing by presumably spending his evening following a breakdown of his own speeding up the game film to 10x speed and adding Benny Hill. Ted is not OK and Beard is not OK and Nate is not OK and Roy is pretty OK but could very easily be not OK because he’s just joined a coaching staff with a whole lot of not OK. But they all showed up.

I am very into the realism of the lights being off in the club other than the coaches’ office (@talldecafcappuccino pointed this out!), and the way we’re seeing their desks from a different angle because this episode is unfocused on Ted. It really added to the mindset of being hungover and exhausted and unable to go home or even to know exactly what home should be; even this warm, familiar place feels off even as it’s a relief to be back there.

I am excited to return to our regularly scheduled programming with the full cast of characters, but I really adored this episode for what it taught us about Beard and what it illuminated about the humor, pain, and complexity of each person who inhabits this universe. Beard may not be loud about his long-standing beliefs or about the things he’s learned, but there’s a lot happening in there and I appreciated getting to spend 43 minutes with him and (in the case of the ticket he scrawls on a piece of paper so the pub guys can get into Nelson Road) the moments he sets in motion.