#also fong's character is intriguing

[pharawee]

Flirt Milk premiered a few days ago but I only just found the time to watch it... and so far I really like it? It's a fun and light Star Hunter show, so you get exactly what it says on the tin - plus a cast of interesting characters with interesting character dynamics (the awkward nerd is actually older than the rude troublemaker etc) with some solid film-making skills. I actually like that the characters are rough around the edges and not even necessarily immediately likable. It makes sense for them to act that way and leaves them with room to grow.

Of course then I made the mistake (every damn time!) of reading comments on mdl, and apparently people are really offended that when they're watching a Star Hunter show they're getting a Star Hunter show. 🤡 They're also really offended that the actors aren't up to their beauty standards~ (and what does that even mean?) which is just vile. Mdl comments - not even once.

But anyway, I'm invested now. Maybe this is another City of Stars rather than a case of Sunset x Vibes.*

*I'm so sorry, Sunset X Vibes - you just ultimately went where I couldn't follow.

[bengiyo]

I Feel You Linger in the Air Ep 8 Stray Thoughts

Last week, we opened with a short about the murder of historic lesbians as a chilling reminder about the era we're in as Euangphueng and Maey almost got caught, and Yai and Jom are so obvious that everyone picked up on it. There is no way to hide who you are when you love someone. Heteronormativity is a constant performance and we will always lose if we love. Looks like the uncle sussed them out and is now angling to arrange a marriage for Yai. Ming and Prik defended the boys. The boys had an erotic scene with oil that can now stand beside the end of ITSAY 3. Unfortunately, Jom is grating under this life of servitude.

Oh fuck yes we're picking up from the consent given at the end of the last episode.

Well that was nice. I really like the way these two look at each other, and the kissing felt really in character. It didn't feel like the two actors just making out. It felt like Yai and Jom.

Interesting. So the first time Jom saw himself in the past in the mirror was the first night Jom and Yai slept together.

I like how we already basically suspected that this is what happened to Euangphueng, but now we see how powerless she felt in the moments.

All of the queers keep promising things I don't think they can deliver.

Ah, here comes the horrors.

It's an interesting choice to cut away from the lesbians entering the horrors to this romantic scene with the gays. It's kind of a messed up reminder that some of us are experiencing the horrors while others are enjoying a nice moment and that much of the joy is temporary. It also acts as a release valve on the tension of the last scene.

Losing it over a flower whose name means misery having beauty and meaning for Yai because of his approach with it.

Of course the dad is spying on them, and harshly reminds Chan of the economic leverage he holds over him.

Euangphueng's monologue lands here from the slow delivery of details over the last two months and the confirmed history from today. This is well done.

Unfortunately, we already knew Robert was a rapist.

Tee is not one to shy away from the realities of the homophobia looming over queer people.

All of the women are going through it this episode goddamn. Robert has turned vigilant, and Khamsaen's mom wants Fong Kaew to stay away from Saen.

This scheming uncle sussed out that Euangphueng and Yai were queer and has clearly used it for his own gains.

This firefly date is so beautiful.

I'm so intrigued by the monk's assessment of Yai and Jom.

Despite my concerns about Jom being sick, I'm nervous about leaving Euangphueng and Maey where we left them.

Sometimes this all feels so suffocating. I feel like I need to hook up with a guy after all this. So much effort and angst to force us to conform. This was a heavy episode. I liked the balance with the honeymoon phase for Yai and Jom, but I'm still thinking about Fong Kaew, Maey, and Euangphueng. I also didn't forget how Yai's mom treats Prik or how she told Euangphueng to suck it up.

[sunflower-chai]

tonight i watched atla season 2 episodes 1-5! here are some thoughts:

s2e1 - general fong was making me so angry trying to trigger aang’s avatar state and he went way too far when he faked katara’s death. i just feel so bad for aang because he wants to help people so badly and so many people take advantage of him and use him and see him as “the avatar” before recognizing him as a person (and a 12-year-old kid at that). zuko and iroh are on their fugitive arc, always love a symbolic hair cutting. azula is… intense. but i kind of love her. even though i can tell she’s going to be a thorn in our side lol. she was able to play zuko like a fiddle, he just wants his father’s approval and it’s breaking my heart. obviously iroh saw right through it, but he’s so loyal to zuko he can’t imagine splitting up from him (more on that later 😭). AZULA CAN LIGHTNING BEND?! she is so cool. i got big dooku vs yoda in aotc vibes when iroh absorbed the lightning. OH ALSO very cool tidbit about aang being vulnerable in the avatar state and how it’s described as a defense mechanism. i think that’s a good way to make sure the avatar isn’t too OP. oh also love how zuko and iroh would rather go to the earth kingdom and potentially die than deal with azula. same honestly.

s2e2 - SECRET TUNNEL THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN!!! as soon as singing nomads showed up i knew this was gonna be the secret tunnel episode and i was so excited, probably too much lol. poor sokka. honestly i say that multiple times an episode. boy really goes through it. just. constantly. this episode was very focused on kataang, and i’m still not sure how i feel about them romantically. i think aang’s crush is very cute, but i think i prefer them as friends, at least right now. they obviously care about each other a lot either way, which i love. i feel like this episode was the predecessor to “did jyn and cassian kiss in the elevator?” but this time it was “did aang and katara kiss in the cave?” signs point to yes lol. iroh continues to be a delight and manages to get himself poisoned. i loved zuko’s conversation with song. he’s finally starting to see the negative effects of the fire nation on other people, possibly doing some reflecting (eventually). why’d he have to steal their horse-thing though lol.

s2e3 - I LOVE MAI. girl is so bored and literally asks to be killed because of it lol. also hints of a romantic past with zuko?? color me intrigued. kind of obsessed with the azula, mai, ty lee trio. the way ty lee was able to stop katara from being able to bend? idk what she did but that was epic. but you know what was more epic? sokka coming in with that trusty boomerang. no bending needed. i love him. love how ty lee decided it would be safer to join azula’s team rather than stay in the circus with azula hijacking the show lol. i continue to adore aang as a character. he is so compassionate, wanting to find bumi even though he surrendered to the fire nation and no one knows where he is. and returning tom-tom to his parents even though the husband is the fire nation governor of omashu. he’s such a good kid who wants to see the best in everyone.

s2e4 - all i could think of was luke on dagobah in empire strikes back lol. i love the swamp water benders so much. they’re literally florida men. it’s also cool to know there are other water benders beside those at the poles. katara seeing her mom was CRUEL. and sokka seeing yue. very curious who the girl that aang saw is. the guy who can bend the water in the plants?? that is so epic. when he was talking about all living things being connected i could only think about the force lol. it was so cool when aang used that connection to find appa and momo. i think it’s funny how sokka is so hesitant to believe in anything supernatural when his best friend is the LITERAL avatar who can connect with the spirit world and has crazy insane powers (though apparently that doesn’t count lol). zuko is back as the blue spirit. for someone so obsessed with honor, no wonder he doesn’t take well to begging in the streets. he was definitely avenging his uncle by attacking the guy who made him dance for money (that was so foul honestly good for zuko. screw him).

s2e5 - i INSTANTLY clocked that the mayor was chi-fu from mulan. ended up pausing the episode just to scroll the actor’s wikipedia page, and he’s also azmorigan from rebels lol. i agree with sokka, worst town they’ve ever been to. loved sokka as a detective, he is so stupid <3 kyoshi’s spirit appearing was so cool, and i loved seeing aang fight with her fans afterward. thank goodness my bro sokka got back his boomerang, he needs all the wins he can get lol. okay but ZUKO AND IROH PARTING WAYS?! i am not okay. frequently bought together, do not separate. iroh is so selfless though, literally all he wants is to ask zuko to stay but instead he lets him keep the horse creature and allows him to leave. i love him so much. best character for real.

[imreallyhereforkataang]

I'm unsure about how's the best way to articulate this, but I'm kind of surprised there's not more fan content highlighting the otherworldly aspects of Kataang, and a part of me wishes we could see a bit more of that.

I'd expect that most if not all fandoms frequently have an affinity for glamorizing aesthetics of characters and ships, and content creators who I know often look for ways to convey that sort of thing. I've also witnessed lots of people on this site claim that they first became attracted to a ship for its aesthetic because they saw embellishing artwork that didn't really highlight much about the characters' personalities, but was still gorgeous and impressive to look at.

And yeah, it makes sense that content creators and consumers in fandom engage with works that make epic an idea that may be primarily based off the “what” of the characters, or the situations they find themselves in, rather than the finer details of the “who.” The resulting creation is similar to what happens when the personal elements of a legend get lost over time, while the sensational aspects continue to be retold and glorified. That sort of thing makes for extremely intriguing depictions of the original source material, even if it’s at the expense of some of the subject’s humanity. Though, even when that depiction becomes so far removed from the original that it's totally unrecognizable, I do think it's often still fascinating and creative, and maybe should be its own celebrated thing altogether.

It's just surprising to me, and kind of disappointing if I'm honest, that, based on the relative lack of fan content doing this, many people seem to either not recognize or not act upon how Kataang has that exact aesthetic potential.

If you were to keep the basics of their story intact but tell it through a different lens or genre, maybe dramatize it a bit, it would be so easy to emphasize how Kataang is literally like a demigod and a mortal falling in love. That on its own to me sounds like the premise for the epic love story fandom culture would traditionally find appealing. And it's really not much of a stretch -- that is one legitimate way to look at the pairing if you broke it down to its objective pieces, even if it's not the most focused-on part of their relationship in the original material (though it certainly is alluded to). The source material is much more detailed and personal, like watching a show where Oma and Shu are the main characters versus hearing the major beats of their legend.

For Kataang, we can definitely take it further with drawing out their major beats. The mortal comes into her own and is shown to be a force of comparable measure to the demigod, as she is his self-appointed protectress. She releases him from dormancy, bringing him back into the world to fulfill his grand destiny, and on their quest, she would become his teacher, both in training and in reacquainting himself with the new era. At one point she would even revive him and his line of divinity after watching him be struck down and killed. This mortal is his first devotee, and his personal connection with her makes her his attachment to the world and, in extension, the mortals he protects.

Meanwhile, the demigod is the personification of the mortal's faith, a vessel of the compassion she feels so deeply for others. He takes her places, literally and metaphorically, she never could have gone before, teaching her in turn about lost practices and new perspectives. He can legitimately bring her to the skies with a unique ability that no one else in the entire world possesses -- an ability that also defines much of what he stands for and what her world has been missing in his absence.

Not to mention how the mortal was one of the only people who believed this demigod would resurface, and the only person by his side from the start of meeting him in their warring environment. The two were born nearly 100 years apart, yet their connection and love is shown to transcend both time and space. Their elements and roles to the world and to each other can be represented by synergistic air and water, which are associated in canon with freedom/peace and change/virtue, respectively. And if one were going to dramatize Kataang's relationship and what it stands for, their exchange could reasonably be depicted as the bridge between the heavens and the earth (moon and ocean).  

Like, truly, their story is so mythical. The pieces are there. Think about how their theme is called "The Avatar's Love" and segments of that theme are reused for LoK, pointing to Aang's reincarnation cycle and how the love he feels transcends so many lifetimes, but he chooses Katara in this particular one. Think about what Yangchen says to Aang about the reason the Avatar is born a human and not a spirit, that the Avatar must live amongst humans and experience human emotions to recognize how precious the life is that the universe entrusts him with protecting. Think about Aang's chakras in The Guru, and not just the Love and Thought Chakras but nearly all of them, and how truly tied Katara is with his energy, his spirit. That can't be faked -- that's real, genuine influence, her touching his life in ways that highlight his humanity. Think about how Aang has a real-time vision of Katara without even intending to, and the only other being we see Aang do something similar (but intentionally) with is Appa, to whom Pathik says, "You and the Avatar's energies are mixed. You have an unbreakable bond."  

Think about the Pietà pose in The Crossroads of Destiny and all that symbolizes about Aang and Katara (honestly that alone should be enough because it speaks volumes), including their world savior/first believer dynamic. How Katara brings Aang back to life and says, "I don't know what I did exactly," thus giving fuel to the idea that saving him didn't just constitute normal healing on her end. Think about the visual parallel between her resurrecting him and her releasing him from stasis in the first episode. Think about Katara's extended opening narration in the pilot and how it evolves to when she meets Aang, with just as much trust in an idea as in what ends up being the real thing.  

Think about their relationship when Aang goes into the Avatar State, embodying his most divine form. How Katara is able to speak with and approach him, and how he can hear her and respond to her while in that state, honing all his past lives. Think about when Aang deals the heavy attack at Fong's base that would continue to haunt Aang for so long afterwards, which showcases how out of control he is here, yet his blow from all Avatars completely and deliberately avoids Katara while targeting everyone remotely near her. Think about how Katara is so unafraid of a raging demigod, even when the person underneath hasn't been acting like himself lately, that she doesn't flinch at the output of his anger and just goes to him as everyone else runs. Think about that visual where she grabs onto his arms and pulls him from the air that only he can bend to the ground she's tied to and into her arms. Think about how she always tries to catch him when he falls, because she is adamant about being his cushion to the earth.

Think about how Aang is the reason Katara gets to touch the heavens. Think about how he takes her on an epic journey across the world so she can learn waterbending and make the difference she's always wanted. How being with him, the one person with a divinely granted duty to the world and who will always choose her, puts her right on the foreground for making that difference. Think about how they can still waterbend together even if Katara can't airbend -- no one can besides Aang. Think about their push and pull of the water and how it highlights their equal footing, and that although, as the demigod he is, Aang can master all the elements, Katara is the mortal who teaches him mastery in the one they share between them.

I don't know, to me it's all so cool and awe-inspiring. Obviously the most important part of Kataang's relationship is how their personalities play off each other and how they treat each other, but in terms of this kind of grander depiction, I think of it more like Oma and Shu. We don’t know the details of how Oma and Shu acted towards each other, yet we hear the story about the power of their love and take inspiration from it.

So yes, I unfortunately don’t see this pronounced demigod/mortal iteration of Kataang very often in fan works, but it makes for a pretty dang fascinating legend to contemplate anyhow.

[kaiitykuppycake]

Why R U The Series is one of the best BL dramas out there and it's about almost nothing.

and it was a trip. A great one. One we are not soon to forget in our trails on the BL spectrum. I watched this whole show with my good friend and partner in BL crimes @ahhhnorealnamesallowed

THIS IS ALL MY OPINION AND MY THOUGHTS ON THE SHOW. WE JUST FINISHED IT AND I HAVE THOUGHTS FOR DAYS.

*SPOILERS AHEAD* (kinda minor)

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

The Plot: Okay, this is gonna be fast and loose. This show is a slice of life so therefore it has almost no plot (at least nothing over arching and complex) and it only centers around a bunch of kids going to university and most of them falling for each other. Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself. Zon has a sister, Zol who has been writing fanfiction about him and an upperclassman, Saifah, whom she saw him kissing by accident. When asking her to stop writing, he thinks he's cursed himself. This spirals him into a notion that ha's in a BL novel. On top of that, he is tasked with being a musical act with Saifah for the charity concert for the school (faculty?) soccer team. Hilarity and soft romantic stuff ensue as they prepare with Saifah teaching Zon guitar. On the other hand, Tutor is a sweet boy that is nice to everyone (except Fighter in the beginning) and helps anyone who needs it. His family is in heavy debt and he works to earn his own money and pay for school any way he can, especially with tutoring his schoolmates. He is good friends with HwaHwa whom he has known for years. He has caught the eye of his upperclassman Fighter whom he met as a freshman. Fighter is a shy tough boy who needs to get his grades up and has a big crush on Tutor and doesn't know what to do with it. His father has him dating Hwa, whom he doesn't love, but she loves him. The two navigate their feelings and sassy, steamy and emotional things ensue.

The couples: Fighter and Tutor are up there with my favourite BL couples of all time. Up there with the ranks of DeanPharm and WatTine. Their chemistry was so ON POINT and ORGANIC I could have believed Saint and Zee had been grown in the most wholesome garden known to man, it was just THAT believable. Their story starts with some friction and MAJOR sexual tension. Like so much that it's acted on once or twice in a couple of scenes before they even confess their feelings. It's valid of course because Fighter is too unsure of his feelings for Tutor so while they're getting close to being hot and heavy, he tends to blow it off as "teasing" *eye roll* which is its own can of worms, especially with how it fucks with Tutor's emotions in general. All in all, their coupling happens and once it does, you will treasure every moment of it. Every. Steamy. Moment. Honestly, these scenes were so good it was bordering softcore p*rn. I'm not kidding. Did I also mention their duality? Oh yeah. Tutor tops whenever he wants to and he has Fighter wrapped around his finger once they begin their relationship proper. It's one of the best parts seeing Fighter doing his job as a top but then Tutor throwing us a curve ball and rolling Fighter over to do the same. *chef's kiss* Refreshing.

Saifah and Zon started with intrigue and ended with adorable. It felt earned even though they didn't have much drama to wade through, at least not as much as FighterTutor. They have a whole sequence of them going on a "date" to get a guitar pic and stuff to make one into a bracelet for Zon as Saifah teaches him how to play. It felt awkward and out of place with the lack of development their relationship had at this point, but they were leading up to it so it ends up working out. Their confession is full of awkward and ADORABLE wholesome energy. This whole couple's arch is so innocent and wholesome as they become more comfortable. Where FighterTutor can't keep their hands off each other, SaifahZon can't keep their eyes off one another. Do you want soft hand touches and forehead kisses without steamy make-outs? This couple is for you. I found it a perfect contrast in dynamic and romance compared to Fighter Tutor and it was refreshing when we got time to breathe.

the side couples: Honestly, I wish we had more time to develop and see them more. The actors had great chemistry and worked well together, but they didn't get enough time to develop as couples with all the time being dedicated to the two main couples. I think it's fully valid to stick most of the time to the main couples. that's what people come for, but I found it disappointing because I liked all of them. Here are my thoughts on each: Japan and Tanthai were cute. Blue, Champ and Dew could have had WAY more screen time ESPECIALLY with Champ and Blue which had WAYY more implication than Blue and Dew together. Junior, Natee and Zen are all Zon's friends and served as this series' equivalent of 2gether's Fong, Ohm and Phuak mixed together with both Man and Boss in their loud crackhead energy. They have their own dynamic but with my limited experience with series, they are the closest I could compare. They are all adorable and Zen kind of has a thing for Zol but that doesn't get far...Finally Hwahwa and Day are adorable but only seen a couple of times in the series. While Fighter is "dating" Hwahwa, Day is the main person taking care of her on her birthday and when Fighter dumps her. They're cute but I wish we got more of them.

My biggest con with this show is the fact that the side characters are hard to remember. They come in so randomly sometimes that once they cut to a random side couple like Japan and Tanthai, I had to stop and think whom we were in a scene with. It didn't take long to determine but it felt like we should know, but we didn't right away. This only happened with some characters but it could have been rectified with more time. No ones fault, just a nitpick that doesn't take much away from the overall series for me.

Overall, this series was a wonderful thing to have in my life for the few weeks my friend and I were watching it. It was well shot, SO well-acted, and it was generally beautiful inside and out. I HIGHLY recommend if you want to watch something you can just sit and relax to. It certainly brightened up my days.

[yesterdanereviews]

Secret Agent X-9 (1945)

Film review #426

Directors: Lewis D. Collins, Ray Taylor

SYNOPSIS: Shadow Island is an island in the Pacific ocean owned by American gangster Lucky Kamber. He has maintained his island’s neutrality during the war, but this has also meant it has become a hotbed for spies from all countries to visit and engage in shady activities. Secret Agent X-9 is sent by America to investigate a Japanese plot concerning something known only as element 722, teaming up with a Chinese agent and Australian spy to take on the Nazi and Japanese forces on the island.

THOUGHTS/ANALYSIS: Secret Agent X-9 is a 1945 serial comprised of thirteen chapters. The film takes place on Shadow Island in the Pacific Ocean, which has retained it’s neutrality on the ongoing World War II thanks to it’s owner Lucky Kamber striking a deal with the Japanese government. However, this neutrality brings in all spies from all warring nations, leading to a hotbed of subterfuge and sabotage. Japanese scientist Hakahima discovers an element known only as “722″ has the capability to replace airplane fuel when mixed with water, thus supplying an infinite fuel source. The head of the Japanese on the island, Nabura, devises a plan to send a criminal to the United States, whose face is altered by plastic surgery, to imitate the professor who discovered element 722 and get the formula from his office, which the professor himself believes to simply be a failed experiment. When Australian spy Lynn Moore learns of this, she informs her superiors, and the Americans send in secret agent X-9 to foil the plot, teaming him up with Chinese agent Au Fong. The setup to this serial is certainly one of the more interesting of the serials I have seen, with this island providing a unique setting for all the warring nations to scheme against each other. The back-and-forth plot of the protagonists sneaking around and attempting to foil the villains schemes is more typical of the serial format. However, there’s a good variety of settings and characters that keeps things interesting, alongside the tense relations between enemies that have to keep in line with the island’s neutrality. There is a lot of dialogue that simply repeats the plot points, but that’s not too uncommon for serials where viewers may not have watched all of the chapters.

The characters are a pretty interesting bunch, and offer a decent amount of variety. Many of the nations involved in the war are represented within these characters, with their own personalities that make them stand out. Secret Agent x-9 himself is played by a young Lloyd Bridges, and is definitely a strong lead, with his shiny blond hair, buff physique and charming personality. Au Fong, the Chinese agent, is played by Keye Luke, who played Kato in the Green Hornet serials, and is a good sidekick. Lynn Moore as the Australian double agent (who has an American accent) who pretends to work for Japanese forces with her radio broadcasts has a fair amount to do, particularly in comparison to other “token females” that are usually found in these serials. There’s also the Nazis that are fairly convincing in their full uniforms, as usually they are only referred to as a “foreign power” and never in the full uniforms. This goes a long way in giving the serial a convincing setting. The main protagonist is Nabura, a Japanese woman, who is played by a white American actress in makeup. This is not unusual at the time, but at least most of the other (male) Japanese characters are played by Asians. Her character comes across as sufficiently scheming and evil, but her portrayal by the actress constantly has her eyes half closed and looking at the floor as if she is reading her lines that are offscreen, which is distracting. Lucky Kamber, the owner of the island, in his portrayal in keeping the island neutral in the war, also has an interesting role as he tries to keep everyone else from tearing each other up. Other minor characters such as Solo, who sits at the same spot playing tiddlywinks for most of the film, and the French hotel owner Papa Pierre, also have their own personality and look which makes them fairly memorable and allow them to bring their own unique flavour to the scenes they are in. It is very rare to find a serial with such a varied cast and to make them interesting enough across the entire serial, but this serial definitely goes a lot further than others.

The setting of Shadow Island provides a decent variety of locations, from the casino, the Nazi ship and the hotel run by Pierre. They are all fairly distinct from one another, so the viewer can keep track of where they are. As mentioned, the characters all have a distinct appearance, from the Japanese soldiers to the Nazi uniforms, their is little doubt about who is who. Probably the weaker elements of the serial is the lack of action sequences, which revolve around the typical fistfights and car chases that you would expect to see. Most of the serial is focused on the intrigue and espionage played out through the characters, so it is important to follow the story. The cliffhangers aren’t too interesting, but there’s one or two novel traps the heroes have to escape from. Overall though, I think Secret Agent X-9 has an interesting and quite unique setup, alongside an array of distinct characters. The heroes are likeable, and the villains despicable, with a few morally grey characters as well to make things interesting. Some elements of the plot are a bit more typical, and the constant re-iteration of plot points can be a little tiresome. There’s less emphasis on action and more on espionage so perhaps some people (particularly younger viewers) may find it a little tiresome, but it distinguishes itself enough to make it a good and fairly unique example of the genre.

[salamispots]

Hi! What are your favorite artists and influences? And what are your favorite mythical creatures? :)

hi! and mythology creatures you say

and griffin hippogriff sphinx things. and merfolk (but yall already know that one haha)

OK so I always keep saying there’s too many artists/influences and whatnot but for once I’m going to (try) list all of the main ones -cracks knuckles-

Amei Zhao (I love her comics/stories/flowyness)

Atelier Sentô  (gorgeous watercolor comics and art)

Victorin Ripert (really playful art and shapes also there’s a giant mola mola banner art what’s not to love)

Shaun Tan (super dreamlike idk everything is beautiful period; their comic/book The Arrival is one of my top favs honestly)

reykat (everything is so strange and mysterious and beautiful)

nephelomancer (also very beautiful and strange and mysterious)

Natalie Andrewson (I love how effortless the lines feel and how playful/colorful)

Jen Wang (graphic novels and comics; work is gesturey and lovely)

Emily Carroll (I love her use of comic layouts -esp. online- and stories; mostly horror/creepy things)

Matt Rockefeller (every illustration is so chock full of story and moods)

Jonathan Mathiasen (really unique gorgeous style and thoughtful/mindful way of approaching art in general)

Zoé B. Simpson (beautiful solid style)

Heather Penn (beautiful comics and colors)

Hwei Lim (effortless feeling and elegant art)

Florian Aupetit (really intriguing illustrations and his lighting/colors are killer)

pixelpchan (tasty paintings; really interesting how he translates things into gouache)

Manu Arenas (sketches/style/shapes/comics are magical and natural)

Joy Ang (art shapes are really precise and lovely)

Arthur Fong (inks and style are really cool)

Kellan Jett (plein air and nice shape language)

Enrique Fernández (comics and shapes/style are amazing; I have his comic L’ile sans sourire and I still can’t believe it’s digital)

Tyler Crook (moody watercolor/painty style; worked on Harrow County comics!)

Daryl Toh ( I love the digital-ness feeling of his work and his comics/stories; there was an old comic called The Dreamwalker Chronicles and that influenced me a ton/stuck with me)

Yvan Duque (everything feels like a fairy tale and a lot of his stuff is from gouache; art shapes)

Veikka Somerma (beautiful environments and shapes/colors)

Thomas Scholes (ornate and colors)

Tobias Kwan (everything is greaat sketches/paintings are dark moody and gorgeous)

Clio Chiang (how she draws/sketches people and uses different mediums)

Kei Acedera (really neat concepts/kinda dreamy and soft -honestly makes me think of cotton candy haha)

Dani Diez (beautiful shapes and colors; love his sketchbook stuff as well)

heikala (so effortless feeling and nice; also the videos of her processes are really relaxing and fun to watch)

loiclocatelli (beautiful gesturey and flowy art and I love his comics/compositions)

Alan Cortes (beautiful inky monstersss)

Sophie Li ( lovely art shapes/characters

Uwe Heidschötter (character style/shape language is really nice and balanced)

Kazu Kibuishi (what made me want to start making comics was his comic anthology called Flight; found a ton of artists through those comics)

Amy Kibuishi (one of the first webcomics I ever read online; I think right now she’s working on that same webcomic and it’s getting published next year?)

https://claystorks.tumblr.com/ (soft style and really good comics/stories)

Books/comics/etc:

Four Eyes by Joe Kelly and Max Fiumara (comic about dragon fighting rings and a boy who’s raising one? it’s great)

East by Edith Pattou (idk I found this book in junior high and it’s always going to have a soft spot in my heart; basically a retelling of East of the Sun and West of the Moon).

I, Coriander by Sally Gardner and The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (haha all my books/influences are ones I found in highschool/junior high; basically fairy tale-esque stories)

The Fisherman by John Langan (very good horror I think it’s one of my favorites)

Fairy Tales by Berlie Doherty and Jane Ray (my mom got me this book when I was a kid and the illustrations def. influenced my style).

Coraline by Neil Gaiman (drawings were really cool and I think that’s where I get the slight creepiness sometimes in my art from)

Laird Barron (recently found his work and they’re very good; horror story stuff)

The Screams of Dragons by Kelley Armstrong

Harrow County by Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook (mentioned it earlier but it’s very good)

Immortal Rain (Meteor Methuselah) by Kaori Ozaki (favorite manga, story is beautiful and so is the art)

Ancient Magus Bride by Kore Yamazaki (beautiful art and stories, also a favorite)

Kuutei Dragons (Drifting Dragons) by Taku Kuwabara  (the story/world is fun)

Ao no Flag by Kaito (story is very good/thoughtful)

Houseki no Kuni by Haruko Ichikawa (I love how fluid the lines are)

Sing No Evil by Jp Ahonen and KP Alare (art is great, story is interesting too, it involves music bands and a talking bear and …a possible accidental demon contract thing that makes you a little uh hungry in exchange for playing bangin’ music?)

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang (coming of age story in a way, it’s very good)

Most of the Ghibli movies haha (Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Tales from Earthsea, Porco Rosso, and esp. On Your Mark music video

Rise of the Guardians movie (idk haha this movie just got stuck in my head after I first watched it)

ps: will be adding more/editing every once in a while

[sablelab]

Covert Operations - Chapter 32

DISCLAIMER: This is a modern AU crossover story with Outlander and La Femme Nikita. LFN and its characters do not belong to me nor do those from Outlander. This is a complete work of fiction and as such is an entirely fabricated tale created in my imagination.

SYNOPSIS:  The wheels have been set in motion for the second phase of apprehending the elusive Sun Yee Lok of the Rising Dragons triad.  Jamie and Claire begin the first stage of their new mission, but one that could be dangerous for Claire as she goes deep undercover. A mystery man makes his appearance in a Hong Kong bar and he finally approaches Claire never knowing that Section One is using him to get to Madame Cheung.

THANK YOU for your support of this story thus far and I really appreciate you all for taking the time to read, reblog or comment. Previous chapters can be found ... https://sablelab.tumblr.com/covertoperations

 CHAPTER 32

 Jamie and Claire sat opposite to each other in the Section jet en route to Shek Kong Airfield a provincial airport in the New Territories. She watched as he worked at his computer going over last minute details of the profile while the other team members caught some shuteye on the journey.  Although they were beginning the first phase of the new mission and her deep cover, Claire’s thoughts centred on their evening spent in her apartment.  She placed a tentative fingertip to her swollen lips that still tingled from the sensation of Jamie’s against hers.  Covertly she glanced up at him as he typed.  He noticed her gesture and reciprocated the gaze before she lowered her eyes from his scrutiny, then closing them in fatigue, Claire soon fell asleep.

James Fraser watched her sleeping as he typed, knowing that the next stage of the mission may prove to be a little dangerous. Claire’s new deep cover profile with Madame Cheung worried him as it was fraught with danger and intrigue.  She would be on her own without him to back her up, but he would find a way one way or another.  He’d done some checking of his own on the so-called mystery man that had been Alain de Marillac’s’ informer and go between, but it was this Madame Cheung of the Rising Dragon’s hierarchy who was a conundrum.  

Just who was she?  

Women in powerful positions often had to assert themselves to rise within the ranks and were as a rule, more ruthless than men. There was no doubt in his mind that Madame Cheung wouldn’t have been able to rise to power within the triad to become a member of Sun Yee Lok’s inner circle, if she wasn’t a formidable woman. He was somewhat concerned, but if Claire could deal with Madeline she could surely hold her own against Madame Cheung.

As he watched her sleeping he also had visions of Annalise de Marillac who had been in Madame Cheung’s employ. His mental pictures centred on what the dead body of the beautiful girl had looked like. Jamie closed his eyes and felt his heart tighten in his chest, as his thoughts wandered to the woman who slept so peacefully opposite him en route to an uncertain deep cover mission.

What if it had been Claire?  What if he wasn’t there to protect her?  What if …

Shaking himself from that malaise Jamie peered over the top of his computer at his Sassenach while the jet winged its way back into the surreal world that they inhabited … and to the mission at hand.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The lights inside the smoky bar were a contrast to the colourful neon glow of signs that that lit up the sidewalk advertising the entertainment within.  Inside the premises, the lights were dim, and men congregated around the tables watching the nubile girl on stage wrap herself around a pole in all sorts of contortionist moves.  She probably wasn’t more that eighteen years old and here she was dancing half naked in front of a salivating crowd of local Chinese men and curious tourists out to experience the seedier side to Hong Kong.  It was a typical joint to many others that were scattered along Nathan Road in the Tsim Sha Tsui District at the tip of Kowloon Peninsula.  In this densely congested area of a square kilometre there were numerous shops, bars, nightclubs and topless clubs bustling with activity.  By day these entertainment areas were the front for hawkers’ wares, but they came alive at night and were a hive of activity for people seeking a good time.  

Once again Jamie’s team was in place in order to search for leads to those behind the death of the girl on the junk, the Rising Dragons and the owner of the Escort Service.  They were all in play in this Hong Kong bar waiting for the man who they knew would arrive shortly … the so-called mystery man that was Alain de Marillac’s contact to Madame Cheung of the Rising Dragons.  

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As she worked behind the bar serving customers their drinks, Claire Beauchamp watched the clientele gather around the bar and sit at the tables watching the show. Reporting in to Fergus Claudel she asked, “Any leads yet?”

“I’ve got visual but there is none. We still don't know why he's not here yet.”

“There’s a new man just walked in. He's sitting at the end of the bar.” Claire stated and to Jamie said, “Do you recognize him?”

“No.”  Then speaking to Fergus asked, “Can you identify him?”

“Give me a minute … I’ll see what I can do. Claire, give me a view.”

Claire slid a small cylinder forward and made her way over to him when a slightly inebriated man approached her with his empty glass in hand and sat on a bar stool next to the man who had just walked in.  The small camera lens inside the cylinder captured a visual of the men at the bar and the images of both of them appeared on his computer screen back at Systems.

“Hey!  Sweetheart!  Come here!” A slightly inebriated patron of the bar called out.

Walking over to the man, Claire asked, “Is there a problem?”

“Hit me again babe!” he stated giving her a lecherous look, indicating he would rather “hit” on her.

“Sure,” she replied offering small talk while replenishing the alcoholic beverage desired. “Is that all?”

“One drink for you too, I'm buying.”

“No thanks, I don’t drink on the job.”

“C'mon, you'll see me in a whole new light.”                                                       

“I said no.”

The drunk suddenly became aware of the other man at the bar watching him as he tried to chat Claire up. Turning to face him he asked abruptly, “What are you looking at huh?”

“I don't like your attitude.”

“Really?” He sneered raising his hackles at the affront.

“Yeah, really. How much do you weigh?”

He became more defensive. “What's it to you?”

“I'm just curious.”

“220, so what?”

“Wow. I didn't realize they could pile that much crap on a barstool.”

Seeing that this altercation could quickly escalate into a barroom brawl, Claire Beauchamp quietly intervened. “Don't do this, please. Do you want to get me fired?” she replied trying to avoid a confrontation as the man got off his bar stool and walked over to the other man.

Hey … I'm just trying to teach this bozo some manners.”

Suddenly, a bouncer appeared and asked, “Is everything okay Claire? ... Do you want me to toss these guys out?”

Looking up, Claire shrugged and told him, “Yeah everything’s fine Rupert … just a misunderstanding … Jack here says that all the time.  Don’t you Jacky?”

Looking at Claire but still keeping his eye on the man he replied. “Hey sorry man … can’t blame a guy for trying to hit on a beautiful woman.”  Then looking at Claire sheepishly stated, “Well … what do you say?  Wanna get together sometime?”

“Yeah!  Sure! In your dreams!”  She replied cheekily.

“One day you’ll say yes … and then I’ll be waiting babe,” he mumbled winking at her.  Taking his drink Jack went off to watch the show leaving the guy at the bar behind.

“Whoa. What was all that about?”

“He’s a regular. Comes in every night.  He’s harmless really.  Here have a drink on the house.”

“Thanks.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Who was he, Fergus?” Jamie inquired a tad frustrated that things were moving too slowly for his liking.

“I'm not showing a match. He’s not in any of our databases.”

Switching to a different computer, he checked if the man’s details were on another computer database source.  

“He’s not listed … and more than likely ...  he’s an innocent like Jack there at the bar.”

“Stay with it Fergus and patch through if something comes up.” Jamie instructed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sometime later another man dressed in a brown suit and geeky glasses entered the bar and stood in the doorway casting his eyes over the clientele.  The last time he had followed a lead, was when a woman of the right description was last seen employed in the populous area in Central on Hong Kong Island. This area of a few short streets was packed with bars and popular drinking venues just a short distance from Central Police station and prison. However, that lead had proved fruitless as the woman had moved on. Acting on another tip off he’d had about a woman who had once worked in Hong Kong's vibrant bar and nightlife scene of Lan Kwai Fong, he had followed the lead to this bar. His informant had been casing this joint for a while now, and knowing that he was interested in tall, leggy brunettes, the information he’d given him had certainly raised his hopes. Perhaps this barmaid was the one his informant had located before but she had needed to keep on the move to escape the law and was now working here.

Backtracking his glance across the patrons once more, his eyes rested on the barmaid and his stomach knotted.  At long last his search was over.  He had found her.

He’d been looking for the woman he had seen at the airport for months now and he had been on many a wild goose chase in search of her only to come up empty handed.  It had taken a lot of called in favours to track her down, however, as he clasped eyes on her now, he smiled happily for it seemed that the woman working here was indeed the one he’d been searching for.  

This beauty would be worth big money.  She was gorgeous, brunette, statuesque and alluring all the qualities required by Madame Cheung who would be most pleased. A proposition formed in his mind, and he rubbed his hands in glee knowing that he had just hit the jackpot. Although he knew his asking price would surely be met when he introduced her to Madame Cheung, he thought he just might up the ante with this one … she was after all the “pièce de résistance.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The techie’s voice suddenly resonated in his headset. “Jamie.  Doorway.”

Jamie however, had noticed the man entering the club too. “Yes … I know. Perimeter teams converge. Possible target has just entered.”  He watched as the reedy thin man with thinning hair confidently approached one of the tables and sat down watching the girls perform.  

Lighting up a cigarette he sat back in his chair and surveyed the room while casting several glances over at the bar where Claire was working. Then as the drink waitress passed by his table, he caught her eye summoning her over to place an order.  “Get me a whisky sour …”

“Certainly sir.”  

 “… and give this note to the brunette barmaid,” he said leaning forward and placing a hundred dollar bill into her bra.

 “Sure!  Gee thanks!”

Geillis sauntered over to Claire and handed her the note that had been given to her by the target.  Indicating who it was, Claire followed her gaze and looked in the direction of the man at the table, the one who had just entered the club. She took the note but didn’t read it.  

Returning with his drink Geillis Duncan placed it in front of him. “Here you are sir.”

As the target took a sip he looked over towards where Claire was now reading his note.  She looked up. Catching her eye, the target nodded in her direction, smiled and raised his glass in a salute. Claire merely acknowledged him and then continued to go about her duties serving and talking to the customers at the bar.

Her rebuttal was a mere formality.  Mystery man never gave up the fight. He could wait all night if needs be.  So biding his time, he waited until the bar was clear of customers and the barmaid was alone.  He rose and made his way over to the bar.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Any new Intel, Fergus?”

“None yet. Do you recognize him?”

“No. Can you I.D. him?”

“See what I can do.” 

Jamie watched the overconfident swagger of the man as he approached Claire and took at seat.  Once he was seated, James Fraser too made his way over to the bar and sat a few stools away from the target.

“You getting all this Claudel?”

“Yes … I’m running his profile through our system as we speak.  Shouldn’t be too long if he’s there.”

“Good”

“Claire?”

“I’m ready,” she replied knowing that the mission profile was now really in play.

Having seen the man approach in the mirror behind the bar she’d ignored his presence for a moment, then without looking up Claire asked, “Good evening. What can I get you?”

“I’ll have vodka, rocks, please.”

“Coming up ... There you go,” she said as she placed his drink on the bar. “Enjoy.”

“Claire, give me a view.”

“Thank you,” he replied taking a sip of the drink, then when he placed it back on the counter, Claire Beauchamp used a large ring on her finger to scan the glass for fingerprints which were immediately transmitted back to Fergus Claudel in Section to analyse.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

At Section One, the bar scene appeared on his computer screen as the IT genius sat back in his chair watching the computer process the information and waited for any Intel to materialize.  While he was running the scan on the mystery man’s voice, the fingerprints on the glass were being analysed simultaneously as well. 

“Is it him, Fergus?”

“I'm not showing a match yet, but if he’s in any of our databases it will show a match soon.”

He switched to a different computer and in no time an image of a face appeared on the computer screen matching the description which Alain de Marillac had given them of his informant. At the same time the computer repeated the mystery man’s words and voice as it narrowed down the search processing the slight British accent.  After a few minutes a computer reading stating … “VOICE PRINT MATCH” … appeared.

“It’s a match Jamie … his name is Oliver Chan. A British citizen of Chinese extraction.”

As soon as the recognition data had been verified Claire was informed that she was now in play with the designated target. “Claire … It’s him.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Once the man had finished his drink, the target raised his hand to gain Claire’s attention again.

Making her way back over to him she asked, “Yes sir? … What can I do for you?”

“Well babe … it’s more what I can do for you,” he replied smarmily toying with his empty glass.

Jamie watched as the man began his spiel, one he had seen many times before when the target thought he could sway and impress Claire.  He watched as she merely reeled him in hook, line and sinker.

Raising her face she looked at the creep lounging on the bar as if he owed it. “Oh yeah?”

Staring her in the eye and with a wink he continued, “Yeah! … So tell me, what’s a good looking girl like you doing working in a joint like this?”

“Ah ... the pay’s good,” she replied flippantly.

“Well how would you like to work in a classier place?”  

“Nah … I like it here … the hours are good.”

“I can better that … in fact I can do much, much better than that. Are you interested?”

“Could be?  How much does it pay?”

“Let’s just say it’s lucrative … very lucrative.  It could be anything up to triple your salary here.  You may even be able to name your own price.”

“Hmm … Now … I’m listening,” Claire replied which only made Oliver Chan believe that he had her undivided attention.

“Good.  Perhaps we can discuss this at my table … in private.”

“Okay … I have a break in ten minutes … I’ll meet you then ...”

“My apologises ... I’m forgetting my manners.  My name is Oliver Chan.”

Then with a self satisfied look her way he got up to leave the bar, leaned forward and whispered, “You won’t regret it … I can assure you.  I’ll be waiting …?”

“My real name is Caitriona but everyone calls me Claire.”

“Claire.”  He looked at her before saying, “Hmm ... That’s a lovely name.”

“Thank you.”

“Mesmerizing and classy … just like you my dear.  I can see that we are going to have a very rewarding relationship,” he replied confidently.  “See you in ten.”

  *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ to be continued

[clndys]

listen! i’m so jazzed fam! i’m beyond hyped about this !! i’ve been stalking this rp since the first acceptance and i’ve been so obsessed with the utter perfection that is each and every one of these characters. okay, that’s enough gushing for now.

so heyyy! ciao bella! it’s your friendly neighbourhood trash queen. nah, i’m just kidding, i’m actually the inspiration behind drake’s hotline bling. ha! no, i’m actually so basic and boring it’s laughable. but for real, i’m vee (she/her) and i’m coming at you from the EST. i’m in love with my child cindy and i can’t wait to share her with you all and hopefully you love her like i do! i’m honestly down for building connections with everyone - fair warning, i will hit up your messages with head canons in all caps. i don’t make the rules. so hit me up if you wanna plot or talk or just gush about our characters like were twelve years old and having our first crush ok. 

this intro might be hella long and i’m so sorry you have to deal with my extra ass so read on at your own risk.

is that jennie kim eating at patsy’s? oh no, that’s just cindy seo. my fault for thinking anyone relevant would willingly come here. if you don’t know cindy, she is a twenty one year old who works at bert’s bookstore around town, she is known as the zealot. kind of intriguing, huh.

so breakdown of the fam situation:

she was 100% a last ditch attempt to salvage a failing marriage. cindy being born just solidified how much her parents had grown apart so they got divorced not too long after she was born. 

her dad travels the world for his job as a photo journalist so she rarely sees him.

her mom got remarried a few years after the divorce was finalized and girl knew what was up cause she married a rich. cindy’s life kinda flipped upside down. she was living in this huge house and going to fancy ass schools.. the whole bit.

cindy’s step dad and her never really bonded and things got worse when he decide to run for governor when cindy started high school. she made his life hell basically. protesting left and right and generally making a scene 247. he basically blamed her for losing the election.

she moved in with her aunt in milford for her senior year of high school. she doesn’t speak to richard at all and things with her mom are still strained af.

if you wanna know more about the dirty details just hit me up

okay fun personality tidbits!

she’s a no bullshit kind of girl. wanna play games? want to skirt around the truth and lie about what and how you’re feeling? cindy is not the person you want to be talking to. she’ll call you on your passive aggressive evasive behaviour faster than you can say ‘um I don’t know.’

feminist. advocate. social justice warrior.

she’s loyal af. she’s the first one to jump into a fight for her friends and the first to defend them. but she’s also not everyone’s cup of tea. she’s hella argumentative and confrontational and literally never shuts up, like no one asked for your opinion cindy! but she doesn’t care. you like her or you don’t kinda thing.

hella intimidating at first glance. she’s just such a strong personality you can’t possibly ignore her, you know? 

cindy refuses to label her sexuality. she’s never wanted to fit into a box and she’s not about to go in willingly just to make a bunch of stiff white folks happier. and okay it is a little bit satisfying that people get into such a tizzy when they realize that they can’t slap a label on her like it will somehow make her easier to define.

cindy can be confident to the point of arrogance and opinionated to the point of bulldozing people with weaker objectives. sometimes she gets so caught up in fighting that she doesn’t stop to consider the people who get in her way. she’s strong willed and bold in her actions but that can lead to her acting before she thinks, condemning without taking the time to try to understand.

but she's also just a girl. she’s a human being and she craves the same things we all do. she’s a lot softer then she seems to be. she’s not all hard edges. not even close.

she’s all about connections with people. the people she wants to be around are the ones she feels a connection with. things draw you to other people bc you find them attractive qualities.

she’s basically a mix of kat stratford, lily evans from harry potter, clarice fong from the gifted, samantha brogens, noora sætre from skam and lisa simpson all wrapped in one.

i tried to make this shorter and easier for you guys but if you wanna know more honestly just hit me up and i’ll go all night lol

[loopy777]

One thing that bothered me about the Lin/Tenzin/Pema triangle (well besides it existing at all) is something that wasn't mentioned. Namely whether Tenzin broke things off with Lin before hooking up Pema. Back when it was revealed and up to Book 1's finale, I'd be inclined to consider that Tenzin was upfront, as well back then for whatever cynicism Book 1 had it seemed to trying for some optimism. As of Book 2 for the most part, I probably won't be surprised if Tenzin was also a cheater.

Eh, I don’t think it ever made anyone look good. Even if Tenzin was up-front, the relationship really was heading into dysfunction, and everyone acted honorably, then Lin is still a jerk for holding an active, angry grudge for decades that she took out on Korra. And it couldn’t be that her feelings were all that hurt, because she got over it after one conciliatory conversation from Tenzin, so her previous attitude must have been simply about pride.

If Tenzin cheated (which I doubt, as even after Book Spirits I don’t seem him as the type to act deceptively without being corralled into it by other people), then at least it makes more sense for Lin to hold onto that bitterness. It still doesn’t explain how she got over it so easily, but maybe she just got into the habit of loathing him as a person, and then saw signs that he had changed?

Really, I don’t need headcanon to find every single thing about Lin Bei Fong to be both intriguing and far too frustrating to be fun. Lin may be second only to Korra herself in terms of characters with massive potential that were utterly betrayed by the stories they found themselves in.

[itsalycenotalice]

Five-0 Redux: A warning from McGarrett’s past reminds us of what matters most

By Wendie Burbridge / Special to the Star-Advertiser May 6, 2017

For the most part, fans watch “Hawaii Five-0” for more than just the pretty scenery,  shoot-em-up action, and intense drama. Not that viewers don’t enjoy that part of the hit television show, it seems as if they want more than just a typical police procedural.

Earlier this week, I was talking to former principal and personnel director of Hawaii’s public schools, Wendell Staszkow, about “Hawaii Five-0.” Like most Hawaiians, Staszkow watched the original Jack Lord, James MacArthur, and Kam Fong version, which aired from 1968 to 1980. Today, as an “ex-pat” living in Las Vegas where he works as an admissions counselor for UNLV, he watches the reboot to get a weekly dose of his island home– and because his daughter writes this column. While we were talking on the phone last Sunday, he said the best thing in all my years of writing about the show.

“Sometimes I want to watch “Hawaii Five-0” just to see them chase the bad guys, lock ‘em up, and then go have a beer,” he said.

I had to laugh. I’ve had fans around the world tell me what they like and love about the show, but my dad wins the “best fan quote” award in seven seasons. Because while the plot my father presents is simple, easy, with no frills– these are usually the kind of episodes many of us enjoy the most. Sure, we like the car chases, and the gun fights, and the funny subplots with our secondary characters– but all in all, give us the good guys catching the bad guys, add a pau hana beer to the mix, and that is a great show.

So this week’s episode had me a little trepidatious. The episode, written by Rob Hanning and directed by Krishna Rao, was titled “He keʻu na ka ʻalae a Hina” which means “a croaking by Hina’s mudhen.” The title comes from a traditional ʻōlelo noʻeau, or Hawaiian proverb, that means “a warning of trouble, as the cry of a mudhen at night is a warning of distress.”  The cry of distress comes from Naser Salaam (Omid Abtahi), an inmate at Gitmo, who McGarrett (Alex O’Loughlin) once showed great kindness to after he was captured by McG’s SEAL team ten years earlier.

Salaam asks McGarrett to come to Guantanamo Bay, so he can tell him in person about an impending terrorist attack on Oʻahu. He tells McG that if there is anyone who McGarrett loves on Oʻahu, “to get them off the island, and get them off now.” When McGarrett brings the news to his team, they are beyond skeptical. Yet, McGarrett feels that Salaam is paying McG back for the way McG treated him when he was being interrogated for information.

I loved the flashback scenes between McG and Salaam. While they were painful to watch, as Salaam has obviously been beaten and tortured, it is McGarrett’s actions that make the scenes between them so important. McG treats him with dignity. He brings him a prayer rug, allowing him ten minutes to pray. He gives him a meal after he has not been fed for a week, even though he is reprimanded by the CIA Operative (Terrell Clayton), who is in charge of gaining intel from Salaam. He sits with Salaam, speaking to the prisoner like a man and not as his enemy. He brings Salaam water as it is obvious he has not had any in days. It’s implied that McGarrett has brought Salaam clean clothing that also covers him appropriately for his prayer time. All of this tells us that McGarrett has tried very hard to treat Salaam decently, with respect, and kindness.

O’Loughlin is always so good in these intimate scenes. He can tell you so much with his eyes and his face. When he removes his ski mask, so that Salaam will see his face, we know he means to gain the man’s trust. As McG talks to him and spends time with him– man to man– rather than enemy to enemy, we can see how his actions reveal his desire to show Salaam that not all men are cruel.

Likewise, Abtahi is equally as strong in each scene, using his eyes to tell more of his character’s story. His character doesn’t speak much, just watches McGarrett for clues on how he is expected to act. It was intriguing to watch the two men play off each other. Both O’Loughlin and Abtahi make these simple, stripped down, scenes work on a much deeper level.

It is this strong use of these quiet scenes, peppered between the bigger and bolder scenes of action, and the Five-0 team chasing the bad guys, that help to make the episode so strong. It is in these scenes, with no special effects or stunts, where we can see how well “Hawaii Five-0” tells a story.

For me, it’s what saves the story. The impending terrorist attack seems so unlikely. Yet when it is coupled with the flashback scenes, showing the development of Salaam’s admiration of McGarrett, that helped to give the terrorist plotline a much stronger frame of reference.

While the Five-0 team chase down Salaam’s tip– to search for intelligence using the code name or phrase “Cain Allah.” With Jerry’s (Jorge Garcia) outside-the-box thinking they realize that perhaps it was an attempt at pronouncing Hawaiian words. So the closest to the word “cain” would be the word “kane” (pronounced kah-nay) or Hawaiian god of the sky, and instead of “Allah” the phrase “ala” as in “the way of”– which means, as McGarrett translates, “the way of the sky.”  

Lou (Chi McBride) and Kono (Grace Park) search a travel agency, Ala O Kane, and find that it is actually a front for a “Hawala” which is a traditional way used in the Muslim world to transfer money. It was a way for families to send money home and is mostly based on trust and honor. Yet the team finds all of the paper records of transactions and quickly send the names to Chin (Daniel Dae Kim) who finds a link to a supposed suspect, Adnan Khalid (Nick Shakoour). Khalid is a naturalized American citizen living and teaching in Hawaiʻi, and as they search for him the show gets to turn on their high-powered action.

Five-0 storms Khalid’s house and find a planted video that announces Jihad and the reason for the terrorist attack. The video is set to be uploaded at 6:20 that evening, but they still do not know where Khalid could be. Lou and McG stake out a mosque in Mānoa and have Chin call his burner phone– as it rings, the two chase the owner of the phone, only to have him try and escape on a motorcycle before he is fatally t-boned by an oncoming car.

Once McG turns him over, they realize it was not Khalid they were chasing, but someone else. Seems as if Khalid is being framed to make it look like he is the one orchestrating the terrorist attack. As Lou and McG continue to search for a possible target, they find a photo on the dead bad guy’s burner phone and make a connection to an empty downtown office building.

They think it’s odd that an empty building is going to be attacked. But as they head toward the building, Lou sees that it is in the flight path of oncoming planes. Chin checks all 6:20 flights and realizes that a Marine, who was killed trying to arrest a high-ranking Al Qaeda leader, along with several members of his unit, are on a flight arriving shortly after 6:20. It is also scheduled to fly right over the empty office building.  

I think this is where I start to notice the extreme difference of the stunt work of the show versus what it was just a few episodes ago. Stunt coordinator Eric Norris is obviously a complete professional, but his stunts are far more violent and brutal than they have been in the past. While I don’t normally mention that, I sometimes think perhaps too much violence doesn’t work for this show. We want our team to live and not limp– or have so many black eyes. I’m not trying to be a baby– but really, does McG have to get beat up so bad every week? His shiner at the end was awful. Kudos to the make-up team because it looked so real, I hurt for the guy.

So the team realizes that the terrorist attack is that they are going to shoot down the plane filled with innocent civilians and marines– and race to the roof to stop it from happening. McG ends up crawling up the side of the office building, using little more than the fingerhold ledges, to make it onto the roof. I suppose good shoes and gloves helped. Kono and Lou have a standard shootout with two goons protecting the roof access door, so the real terrorist can shoot down the plane with an over the shoulder rocket launcher.

Once McG gets to the roof, the fight that ensues is not at all pretty. McG stabs a knife into the bad guy’s groin and takes a few good punches before he finally just picks up the rocket launcher. When he blows our unnamed bad guy to dust with a well-aimed rocket, we’re pretty excited/shocked/surprised. Good thing the building was empty because the rocket sure left a mark, as well as a small fiery crater.  

I suppose that means that my dad got his way this week. Five-0 did chase some very bad guys; they saved the innocent, the framed Khalid; they stopped the terrorists from killing the Marines who were bringing their hero friend home; they had a couple of high-speech car chases and cool gunfights; there was a motorcycle stunt; McGarrett risked his life crawling up the side of a building and engaged in some slick hand-to-hand combat–  before taking someone out with a rocket launcher.

And the team ended up having beers and shrimp fried rice at Kamekona’s, where we also tied up the humorous moment of the episode. Humor is always important for an episode and this week didn’t disappoint with Gerard Hirsch (the beloved Willie Garson) returning to again ask Kono to come to his rescue. This time, Adam (Ian Anthony Dale) helped Hirsch with a business plan to expand his crime scene cleaning business. Adam helps him rewrite the plan and shows it to Kamekona (Taylor Wily). Kamekona gives Hirsch the money to expand, thus becoming his partner in cleaning up crime.

So, Dad, you win. This week’s episode had all the parts you like– but it also had the kind of scenes that reveal so much about the character of Five-0. It is those moments that help to show the deep feeling of justice that McGarrett upholds no matter what he faces or what returns from his past.

SOURCE - http://www.staradvertiser.com/2017/05/06/features/five-0-redux/warning-mcgarretts-past-reminds-us-matters/

[twh-news]

Skull Island' Review: King Kong Kicks Butt In This Gorgeous Pulp Adventure | Forbes

Kong: Skull Island opens in North America on March 10, 2017 courtesy of (among others) Legendary and distributor Warner Bros./Time Warner Inc. The film, budgeted at around $185 million, is both the start of a would-be franchise and something of a backdoor pilot for what the Dream Factory hopes will be a cinematic universe involving the likes of King Kong, Godzilla and other famous beasties. We’re getting Godzilla: King of the Monsters (a sequel to the 2014 Godzilla) in 2019 and Kong vs. Godzilla in 2020. So as you can see, there is more at stake than a single movie.

That’s the inherent risk of this whole expanded universe game. Under normal circumstances, Kong would merely be responsible for making enough money and audience approval to justify its expenses further installments. But since it’s the backbone of an expanded universe, a responsibility that Godzilla did not share, it has the extra burden of justifying and creating excitement for what comes next. Once again, Mr. Kong, we ask too much of you.

The good news is that, should this film do well and get decent reviews, it will go that much further in dispelling the conventional wisdom that Warner Bros. is a house of horrors due to the ups and downs of DC Comics movies. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them earned $811 million worldwide and mostly positive reviews while The LEGO Batman Movie scored raves and solid box office. If the Skull Island is a well-received hit and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword avoids utter embarrassment, there is frankly only so much grief we can give the studio no matter how good or bad Wonder Woman and Justice League turn out to be.

The Review:

Kong: Skull Island is high-quality pulp fiction. The picture is a briskly paced and character-driven adventure that just happens to be a big-budget monster mash and part of a would-be cinematic universe. The film has a game cast amid stunning visuals and gorgeous cinematic sights. It may not be the eighth wonder of the world, but this King Kong revamp is often quite beautiful.

While the film is technically a prequel to the Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla, it stands entirely on its own in terms of content and visual style. The 2014 monster mash was a grim and foreboding affair, shrouded in darkness and mystery while offering the barest hint of humanity amid its jaw-dropping visuals. Skull Island goes almost the opposite route, plunging us immediately into the world of its quirky human characters and wasting little time giving us what we came to see and delivering most of its thrills in broad daylight.

Regarding cinematic foreplay, this is less Jaws and more The Host. While both styles have their merits, Dan Gilroy, Max Borenstein and John Gatins’ witty screenplay keeps us entertained and intrigued during the exposition and earns our investment in those who will soon fight for their lives. While I wouldn’t argue that this is a course correction, as Godzilla (which I didn't care for beyond the visuals) certainly had its merits and its fans, it is encouraging that the second film in this continuity can be so different regarding tone, focus and style. This is a possible signal that Legendary and Warner Bros.’ monster universe might well be filmmaker-driven.

While Godzilla was called “the first post-human blockbuster,” Kong: Skull Island is as much about watching the likes of John Goodman, Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson chew scenery as it is about King Kong and the various monsters of Skull Island. But fear not sports fans, you get a whole heaping of monster mash action throughout the 118 minutes. If you’ve managed to go this far without knowing too much, especially if you’ve avoided the most recent trailer (note: do not watch the final spoiler-filled trailer), I’ll try to be as vague as I can.

Set in 1973 as the Vietnam War winds to a close, the film follows a group of motley outsiders, including a discredited scientists (Goodman), a professional soldier (Hiddleston), a cynical war photographer (Larson), a geologist (Corey Hawkins), a biologist (Jing Tian) and the head of the chopper unit tasked with flying these folks into uncharted peril (Jackson). Goodman and friends are heading to Skull Island to conduct a land survey. Things almost immediately go to hell.

Shot by Larry Fong, the guy who almost had me giving Batman v Superman a positive review, this is an utterly beautiful motion picture. The naturalistic visuals, imbued with a particular hot orange vividness, gives the film an absolute authenticity of time and place and at least the appearance of realism even when we are clearly watching special effects. I saw this in glorious 2D, but I imagine it’s worth the IMAX 3D upgrade as the broad daylight action will probably survive any 3D glasses-related dimness.

And the title creature is a marvel, standing 100 feet tall and exuding animalistic menace no matter which side he’s fighting on at any given moment. His major introductory beat is a superb action sequence, even if it’s structured more for action-adventure thrills than horror or intensity. The film manages to humanize its main monster without being overly patronizing. This Kong is a protector of Skull Island. But if you get into his turf, he will bat you out of the sky without thinking twice.

Even after the monstrous stakes are established, there is still a relative focus on the humans attempting to survive and make it to a planned pick-up spot. Along the way, they stumble onto World War II soldier who has been living on the island for 30 years. Said MIA (John C. Reilly) provides comic relief, a surprising poignancy and plenty of exposition. Reilly quickly becomes Skull Island’s MVP.

Most of the survivors are focused on not dying, while Jackson allows his grief over first act casualties to turn him into a Captain Ahab figure. It’s an expected turn, but one which allows the survivors to have a conflict more potent than merely running away from scary monsters. The rest of his soldiers are slice-of-life characters, drawn just vividly enough so that you’ll briefly mourn when one of them cashes out.

Hiddleston is in full brooding rogue mode, even if he gets one moment of almost comical heroism. Goodman is superb, as always, although Booker and Tian fall back a bit once Reilly’s starts scene-stealing. Larson is fine, even if she is somewhat hobbled by being the only major female character. There are refreshingly few “beauty and the beast” interactions between the great ape and the empathetic photojournalist, which is a good thing since we're getting an actual Beauty and the Beast a week after this movie, but she doesn’t get much else to play in the film’s latter half.

The picture loses some of its character focus in the second act as certain characters split off from other characters, which leaves some of the more interesting folks out of sight and out of mind for a while. But the finale comes together in an exciting and satisfying fashion, delivering a climax that pays off the film’s Apocalypse Now and Moby Dick themes while providing the required monster mash action. And while there is less of a sense of awe to be found than Peter Jackson’s more overtly romantic take on this story, there are any number of gorgeous moments of vivid cinematic beauty and iconic imagery.

Kong: Skull Island is an action spectacular that offers large-scale monster mayhem, moments of cinematic poetry (like the grand moments of Kong standing tall amid the sun-drenched carnage) and memorable character work by a cast of overqualified thespians giving it their all. Skull Island is the very definition of a complete package. While the movie exists due to its IP and hopes for a larger cinematic universe, it justifies itself as high-quality popcorn entertainment and works as a piece of pop art unto itself.

While I admit will admit that the overall effect is less wondrous than the Naomi Watts/Adrien Brody/Jack Black fantasy, that’s also because movies like King Kong are a lot more commonplace than they were in 2005. Whether you prefer Peter Jackson’s epic romantic adventure or Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ lean and mean war story, they exist side by side along with the 1976 remake as artistically valid interpretations of the 1933 classic. Kong: Skull Island is a confident, pulpy, character-focused, big-scale adventure story that just happens to be a backdoor pilot for an expanded universe. That’s how it’s supposed to work.

P.S. Yes, there is a post-credits sequence, but it is terrible. It feels like it was shot during a lunch break and is not required viewing to understand Godzilla: King of the Monsters or the untitled Kong versus Godzilla movies. If you have to leave when the film ends, don’t feel too badly about it.

[skullmoss]

tbh i should watch more of zack snyder’s films because like i don’t think he’s the strongest director, obviously, but the way in which he films the male body in the films i have seen by him intrigues me.

he is very much a Male Power Fantasy filmmaker but watchmen, for example, made people uncomfortable due to 1) dr manhattan’s nakedness (which is just inherent of the character because of the comic) and 2) the sex scene between dan and laurie due to how the male character of the sex scene was filmed. (and, as an aside, yes that sex scene was awkward, long, and drawn out for a scene that was short in the comic, but i won’t continue to belabour the point that the awkwardness is intentional and that it’s not supposed to be a sexy sex scene but indeed is intentionally awkward and weird.)

you also have 300 which glorifies the literal sprayed on physique of the male power fantasy, and you have specific shots of bruce wayne and clark kent in batman v superman which lovingly films the male body in such a way that it’s a balance between a power fantasy and a sexual fantasy and it genuinely intrigues me?

i am very sure it is unintentional, and we need to also look to his cinematographer for his more recent films, larry fong, as well

but.

there is something there to zack snyder’s cinematographic direction of the male body that intrigues me.

[kristarichie-blog]

Scorpio Sun Virgo Moon Mixes.

Normally in astrology there are pair of marital relationship significator earth which specify just what type of companion they will acquire. Moynier, research study top writer Randal Paniello and also James Day from the Scripps Organization from Oceanography, found that the proportion from zinc-66 to zinc-64 in moon stones concerns 3 to four times higher than either Earth or even Mars. However try to experiment with the sowing and also the Moon periods, and create keep in mind of exactly what vegetations do better throughout each stage. When the moon leaves Libra and gets into the fixed water sign of closelipped Scorpio, the time could become intriguing in the very early mid-day. The MOON Crew would love to seriously give thanks to the observing outstanding providers without who exceptional services this task would be dramatically even more daunting. Schram, Logan Huffman and also Cynthia Waltros give excellent support in the acting field. The Moon is currently a dead world, as well as the tip that this as soon as possessed water appears fairly international. This seems to be to alter form coming from one time to the next because the moon revolves around the Earth. Although throughout his administration Goldin had actually overseen projects like the Mars Pathfinder, the Hubble telescope servicing goals as well as the ISS (Global Space Station), Goldin had originally organized to ensure an affordable manned lunar task to the moon. In Australia, 9 System programs Good Morning America on its terminals in metropolitan areas, and local associates SC9 as well as NBN, on a one-day problem (using Australia and the United States performing other ends of the International Day Line) each Tuesday with Friday coming from 3.30 to 5:00, Saturdays coming from 4.30 to 6:00 as well as Monday early mornings off 4:00 to 5:00 a.m. (Nine does not broadcast the Sunday edition of the program). Thanks Yang Fong and once again, good morning to every person and also happy Chinese New Year. As well as there is yet another concept that the moon was actually a component of the early the planet that received dilated into room. Proteus is highly cratered and is the largest irregularly designed known moon in our solar system. When to plant specific, it gives information yard vegetables, whether to grow those on a brand new or total moon time, and so on Witcheries or witches use the cycles of the Moon as component of their ceremonies, commencements as well as events. Some of the best important and also forgot characteristics a really good leader must have is consistency or even of a routine. Early this night, the Libra moon squares managing Pluto in Capricorn at the same time that resists upstart Uranus in Aries, finishing a cardinal T-square. China introduced its 1st moon orbiter, the Chang' e-1, in Oct 2007, accompanied by a blaze of chauvinistic disinformation commemorating the country's technological adeptness. In reality, anyone who has ever seen Check Out onlineportal4fit.info a total solar eclipse is going to certainly tell of the display from observing the dark sphere of the Moon cross in front of the Sunshine during the course of the daytime. Yet along with your Moon Board info, you possess yet another measurement of your private picture to consider. and access to an essential selection of information regarding yourself. IF you are actually seeking a cool and also uncommon present suited for a girl or a boy that doesn't break the bank, this Uncle Milton Moon in My Space may be simply what you are actually searching for. The blonde figure on that graphic is actually known as Yachter Moon and also she is actually the principal character from claimed series. The moon is actually a target from even more frequent collisions, as this does not have an atmosphere, which will guard it off the smaller cosmic physical bodies.