#also...... i have seen 3 movies this year with channing (fly me to moon and blink twice). This man is insanely good i didn't know

[ayo-edebiri]

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) - Deleted Scene

[crowdvscritic]

round up // JULY 24

An unofficial July theme: optimism! 

From a rom-com about the possibilities of the Space Race, silly Minion antics, movie theaters making a comeback, traveling to new places, and the most exciting Olympics in years, things are looking up. July is also a great time to take stock of the year’s movie output. The writers at ZekeFilm rounded up our individual top five films and named our cumulative top five in our Best of the Year (So Far) piece. (I also did a deeper dive on my favorite film so far.) I'm not saying we've found the joy of a dull moment of precedented-ness, but these Round Up of pop culture picks gave July a more relaxed, celebratory feeling.

July Crowd-Pleasers

1. Fly Me to the Moon (2024) 

If you’ve ever watched a romantic comedy baked in misunderstandings, secrets, and false identities—think Pillow Talk or How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days—then you know the appeal of Fly Me to the Moon. Romances are about chemistry, which Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum have to spare, and comedies require a light touch, which is just what this semi-real retelling of the first moon landing needs. Read my full review for ZekeFilm or watch my review on KMOV. Crowd: 9.5/10 // Critic: 8/10

2. Despicable Me 4 (2024)

I have no new insight into this cinematic universe, and the plot points are so becoming interchangeable you could just read my review of 2022’s Minions: The Rise of Gru to understand what I thought of Despicable Me 4. All I know is Minions make me feel like I’m a giggling 6-year-old again, and I don’t care about the lack of innovation as long as that lasts. Crowd: 10/10 // Critic: 7.5/10

3. Twisters (2024)

The joy of Twisters is that in spite of its empyrean spectacle, it always stays grounded. Also, Glen Powell (and Brisket). Read my full review for ZekeFilm. Crowd: 10/10 // Critic: 8/10

4. Thelma (2024)

Imagine The Beekeper if Phylicia Rashad decided to go after the scammer criminals herself. Also, imagine she was 93 years old and could only use resources available to nonagenarians. June Squibb is hilarious as a grandma who doesn’t know when to quit, and Josh Margolin’s debut feature finds a sweeter center than Jason Statham did earlier this year. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

5. A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)

All hail sequels that are much better than they need to be! Though, in this case, keep your hails to a whisper. Lupita N’yongo, Joseph Quinn, and one endearing feline prove this franchise has legs—albeit spindly alien ones—and a heart outside the single family we saw in the first two chapters. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

MORE JULY CROWD-PLEASERS // About Time (2013) is an underseen rom-com that graciously does not overthink its time travel mechanics // I have never seen a commercial for Paddington (2014) or Paddington 2 (2017) that made me want to watch them—why were these charming, clever movies hidden behind gross-out jokes in their marketing? // The Great Debaters (2007) and The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society (2018) prove Glen Powell has always had it, and both films have plenty to recommend apart from his small roles // Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) may not be as vibrant as in the '80s but it does capture the same fun // Is Andrew McCarthy’s navel-gazing documentary Brats (2024) preoccupied with a therapeutic exploration of self? Is it extremely watchable for anyone with a love for 1980s popular cinema? Yes, and YES.

July Critic Picks

1. London! 

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford.” That Samuel Johnson quote is overused for a reason. This month I returned to the United Kingdom for the first time since a three-week study abroad trip in 2012. A few activities were repeats from my college days (Harrod’s, National Gallery, Westminster Abbey), and I’ve now seen Six on two continents (great on both). Aside from a quick day trip to Stonehenge and Bath, the rest of my time was spent in London, discovering new coffee shops with baked goods on every corner and packing in as many museum visits as possible. If you’re headed across the Pond anytime soon, these are my top new-to-me cultural picks: 

Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace

Christian Heritage City Walk Tour

Churchill War Rooms

The Design Museum, specifically Barbie: The Exhibition

High tea at The Rosebery in the Mandarin Oriental

National Portrait Gallery, especially the exhibit Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens

Natural History Museum, specifically the dinosaur fossils because Jurassic Park rules

Portobello Road Market, including standing in front of the Notting Hill Bookshop asking it to love me 

Roman Baths

St. Paul’s Cathedral, though make sure you’re warmed up before attempting to climb to the top

Stonehenge

Victoria and Albert Museum, which is extra special when you wait in the gift shop line behind Tessa Thompson, who seems just as lovely in person as she does on screen

2. Double Feature — Classic Espionage Thrillers: Saboteur (1942) + Mirage (1965)

Because we all need more plot twists in our lives. In Saboteur (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10), Robert Cummings is framed for sabotaging the U.S. war efforts and goes on the run to discover the real culprits in true Hitchcock fashion. In Mirage (8/10 // 8/10), Gregory Peck realizes he’s lost two years of memories and goes on the run to discover the real conspiracy in similar fashion to Charade (since they share a screenwriter and co-stars).

3. Gambit (1966)

Michael Caine and Shirley MacLaine are trying to pull off an art heist in swinging ‘60s style. What else do you need to know? Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

4. Making Movies by Sidney Lumet (1996)

Before The Big Picture podcast celebrated Sidney Lumet’s 100th birthday, I read his memoir/filmmaking guide and wished I’d read it years ago. The director of Network and The Verdict explains his filmmaking philosophies and techniques without getting too inside baseball or talking down to us. It feels like joining him in production meetings, sound stages, and editing rooms. I won’t look just at his work differently—these insights will impact my perspective on all watching going forward.

5. Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony

So far this Olympics has felt like the burst of joy and optimism I’ve wanted the Olympics to feel like since 2020, and the opening ceremony was full of all the pomp, circumstance, spectacle, sparkle, fireworks, Lady Gaga, and Minions I could ask for. 

MORE JULY CRITIC PICKS // Wicked Little Letters (2024) is a fun twist on the Parable of the Two Sons // The gender politics of Forever, Darling (1956) are silly today, but boy, did Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball have chemistry! // Death on the Diamond (1934) is a silly murder mystery set on the baseball diamond, but I can’t resist the St. Louis Cardinals as heroes // When Ladies Meet (1941) lets Joan Crawford shine in a rom-com

Also in July…

As Kyla and I continue the final season of SO IT’S A SHOW?, we dig into references Gilmore Girls makes to Sylvia Plath and The Bell Jar in ep. 141. What is the tragedy that Rory and Lorelai allude to? Is Gwyneth Paltrow any good at playing this poet in a movie? And why does Rory love her work so much? No need to finish that copy of The Bell Jar that’s been sitting half-read on your nightstand for years—we’ve got all the answers!

Photo credits: London my own. Making Movies. All others IMDb.com.

[brunhiddensmusings]

random movies/shows i just remembered were a thing

there is no point in any of this other then me being impressed that i remember all of this shit and reflecting on ‘i couldnt make this up if i tried’ a live action tv series of alice in wonderland, it was violently 80s an ‘alf’ cartoon series, that was MORE violently 80s an alice in wonderland cartoon series from the makers of the alf cartoon series which was only moderately 80s neverending story animated series that is somehow underwhelming enough it erases memory of itself a show where james earl jones sits in some kind of negative plane room that has a floor, doors, windows, a chair, and one lamp yet somehow no walls, the windows just kind of hover there. he told stories. how the hell did a show where james earl jones just tells soothing stories fly under everyone's radar? a live action reading comprehension series that featured a kid with magic gloves that rode a stationary bycicle to warp through dimensions that im sure no other human being ever saw so im partially thinking it might have been a hallucination except hallucinations typically have higher production values an animated glowworm movie that was trying to do with the glowworm dolls what MLP the show did for MLP the toys. it contained at least one song i can still remember the tune of 25 years later. there was a moleperson that gave off strong lesbian vibes who was rebelling against her biker vibe moleperson family an animated movie about ‘the lollipop dragon’ that seemed like there was other content on the intellectual property but ive never seen any, taking the form of a car race through whats essentially candyland to prevent liver and onion flavored lollipops being the new official christmas candy to be distributed by santa clause live action series that was only ever on at like 4AM where someone tells fairy tales that are slightly more disturbing then they should be while illustrating them in chalk which is one hell of a trick the animated series ‘mummies alive’ that was trying to basically copy/paste everything they could from the ‘gargoyles’ show but forgot to make it good not to be confused with the ‘tutenstein’ show, which somehow made less sense ‘dink the dinosaur’ a tv series hoping nobody noticed it wasn't actually land before time the animated series a live action series where a modern family was trapped somewhere that was a dinosaur infested jungle so they had to live in a tree house that was only just barely taller then the t-rex that was continually stalking them. the moon had claw marks on it i think? it was basically swiss family robinson but early 90s animated movie ‘the elm chanted forest’ that im more just baffled my parents were able to acquire something that obscure in their pirated vhs collection, i cant think of a possible reason anyone in my family would ever have been in the same room as a copy of this. like damned i havent even seen any of the youtubers that rate obscure bizzare movies even mention this fever dream. the highlight was probably when the talking mushrooms started breakdancing in a impressively racist manner like damned you raised the bar on racist cartoons somehow for about two minutes in an otherwise completely inoffensive movie from i think croatia. seriously its the best part, even better then when the cactus king summons his sapient weapon minions and engages his ferris wheel of doom to kill all the beavers

the animated series ‘superdave’ about a daredevil who gets repeatedly maimed, and repeatedly framed it as though he was a real person in the way jackie chan adventures does the animated series ‘wish kid’ where macully culkin aged 9 is granted basically fairy odd parents style wish abilities from a baseball glove. gilbert godfried its there, constantly, like hes almost there as much as the kid is holy crap i forgot the tazmanian devil got his own show for like five months yall remember when the ps1 first launched? when the game cases were strangely huge for no particular reason because they hadnt adopted the jewel cases yet and there were only like seven games available for the system and none of them even knew how to incorporate memory cards? ‘blazing dragons’ was a point and click adventure game that happened to be one of those seven games, eric idle was one of the people who made the game yet ive never met anyone who remembers playing the game or even hearing anything about it. yeah, this game had an animated series.... it was surprisingly witty in a were not even trying to make sense way that was purposefully avoiding explaining its world live action series ‘zoobalie zoo’ where people in the worst fursuits known to man just kind of exist in an almost entirely empty set where a handfull of circus cage wagons that i assume were their homes were the only structures outside of like two cardboard bushes why the hell was ‘mighty max’ not a cultural icon the way invader zim was, that show rocked so hard ‘the robonic stooges’ where the 3 stooges are robots jhon candy had an animated series where he played himself as a camp counselor. it.... kinda worked almost, blending the generic 80s camp movie ‘bad land developer’ formula with self aware complaints. it only stank a little the animated ‘happy days’ spinoff where they have a time traveling spaceship

not to be confused with the one where the partridge family lives in the year 3000, or when casper the ghost lives in space.... im beginning to see a trend here ‘starship troopers’ the CG series where surprisingly nobody ever died an animated series about a green rabbit on a spaceship that i only recently learned also was not a fever dream from when i was 8. all images i see of it only convince me more that im still hallucinating its existance i cant rmember the name of it but a live action series about aliens living on earth, all the adults have actual costumes to disguise themselves as humans but the baby, who is apperantly the ruler of the universe, is a disturbing pink puppet. also they have magic powers instead of technology and the theme song was ‘wishing on a star’. memories of this show still occasionally haunt me but it was still better then charles in charge just on novelty value there was a ‘jhonny quest’ reboot that aged him up and incorporated CG for a kind of cyberspace setting for the sole purpose they had a villian that was a quadrapallegic but could do things in the cyberspace setting, yet really nobody should have cared because the cyberspace setting wasnt connected to any real world imput devices so he was just the main boss of his own videogame why are you picking on this man. they were foggy on if haji actually had magic powers or just really hardcore yoga skills, and one fanatical zealot villian who basically escaped from the place they keep the well written batman antagonists you remember the ‘the way things work’ book? it had illustrations on every concept of physics and mechanical processes that used mammoths to explain everything from the screw to the lever to sewing machines to integrated circuits. yeah, it had an animated tv series .....somehow not to be confused with ‘cro’, an animated series about a mammoth that was frozen, thawed in the late 80s, was able to talk, and was a framing device for his stories of a weirdly sexily drawn caveman teen that invented all technology

it was basically ‘the croods’ but better and 30 years earlier a live action series based on ‘harry and the hendersons’.... im surprised they could create enough material for one full episode like seriously where do you go from there? its surprisingly hard to think of a story for ‘were a modern 80s family who has bigfoot as a roomate’ an animated series where a basketball player, baseball player, and hockey player are secretly superheroes. there was also a hardcore badass old lady who did most of the work. wayne gretszky was the one nobody respected the pocket dragons had a show. yes, a show based on collectable porcelain figurines that were marketed for their cute value on home shopping network CG series ‘vanpires’, yes it was about sapient cars that were vampires and actual live children who turned into cars that were vampires. that is all oh yeah, there was a back to the future animated series, i thought i repressed that better speaking of repressed memories, i cannot escape the knowledge that ‘super duper sumos’ and ‘mega babies’ existed, booze cannot erase this knowledge

[armyvetswife]

My 2 cents worth on Kdramas

So, earlier this year (2018) my 12-year-old granddaughter turned me on to Kdramas.

Started out with 'Boys over Flowers' in January and we're still arguing about which one of the guys Jan-Di should have ended up with....Gu Jun-Pyo or Yoon Ji-Hoo. Since I'm a sucker for the whole Soul Mate thing (been married to my own soul mate for over 30 years) and Ji-Hoo became my favorite right from the start, I actually wasn't too happy with the way things turned out in the end.

But that's all beside the point and the only thing that matters is that it only took this one series to get me completely and absolutely "hooked" on Kdramas.

Since Kim Hyun Joong became my first favorite as Ji-Hoo, I started looking up other parts he starred in and came across 'Inspiring Generation'. Wow! What a difference! The character of Shin Jung-Tae is just about as opposite of Ji-Hoo as it can possibly get. But I guess that's what makes a truly great actor, and Kim Hyun Joong was simply amazing playing the part....even though it bothered me to see that handsome face getting beat up way too much.

But then it was also 'Inspiring Generation' where I found what would become my next favorite...Song Jae Rim, in the character of Mo Il-Hwa.

I can't quite pinpoint what it was that endeared me to that part, but of course I had to once again look for other Kdramas, featuring Song Jae Rim. And that's when I came across 'Moon embracing the Sun' with Song Jae Rim as the King's swordsman, Woon.

Absolutely loved Jae Rim in that part and still do, even after having watched the entire series about a dozen times by now. I also liked Song Jae Rim in 'Goodbye Mr. Black', even though his wasn't a main character role, but didn't care much for the part of a hitman/killer Mr. Kim he played in 'Two Weeks' since I really don't like my favs playing "bad guys". Of course, watching 'Two Weeks' made me find another new favorite...Lee Joon Gi

Okay, so I just said I don't like my favs playing "bad guys", but the main character, Jang Tae-San, isn't really a bad "bad guy" and if that story doesn't tear up your heart, then you better check if you still have one.

I actually had to do something I usually NEVER do...about half-way through the series I had to watch the final episode to see how it turns out, just so my old nerves could take watching the rest of the story. Yeah, I know...terrible, isn't it? Don't worry, I got more than an earful about it from my granddaughter, and I promise to never do it again! ;)

But while I thought that it could not possibly get any better than Lee Joon Gi's performance in 'Two Weeks', I quickly found out that I was wrong when I watched 'Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo' next. OH, MY...!!! Not only is Joon Gi with long hair pure eye-candy (to me at least), but he absolutely nailed the part of Prince Wang So. 

Ladies, how many of you were ready to strangle Wang So's mother with your bare hands. I definitely was! And what's the big deal about that scar? I guess it's because Princes had to be "perfect", but come on...  Scars are just proof that you were stronger than whatever or whoever it was that tried to kill you. And apparently back then the phrase "chicks dig scars" was unheard of. And also apparently I'm not the only one who wasn't happy at all with the way the story ended, considering there are numerous fan videos on YouTube with different, happier endings. I got more than just a little upset with Hae Soo for leaving Wang So. How could she not see that he was trying his best to NOT become some blood-thirsty tyrant??

Anyway, after only about 3 days of some serious editing work, the final episode in my own DVD collection of 'Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo' has a much happier ending now...many thanks to Daria Zyuzina who created the wonderful fan video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oj0r9zE5Le8) where Wang So finds Hae Soo in the future. And like so many other fans, I'm also still hoping for a Season 2 with this kind of scenario.

On another note to 'Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo'... aside from the despicable character of Queen Yoo (Prince Wang So's mother, who treats him like s**t), my other least-favorite character is Prince Wang Yo (Wang So's biological brother, and also a son of Queen Yoo). However, while I hated the character, actor Hong Jong Hyun did an excellent job portraying the mean, spiteful, conniving 3rd Prince. But if you're like me, you would much more enjoy seeing Hong Jong Hyun in the role of Wang Rin in 'The King in Love'

or, even better, as Seo Chan Hwi, the vice-commander of the Royal Guard in 'Jeon Woo Chi'

(that is, if you can get into things like wizards and magic and tolerate some occasionally slightly over-done special effects of people flying through the air and such...BUT at least in 'Jeon Woo Chi' ONLY the wizards have that ability, unlike in some of the Chinese dramas where seemingly anybody can have such super-human abilities...if you ever watched 'General and I', you might understand what I'm talking about... I couldn't make it past a trailer that had a fight scene between Chu Beijie and He Xia, but that's just me, I guess).

As far as wizards and magic are concerned, however, I did very much enjoy the ones in 'Mirror of the Witch' aka 'Secret Healer' and my favorite character there ended up being the Taoist Yo Gwang, played by Lee Yi Kyung.

Don't ask me why, I just found him adorable (maybe because he was so awkward, dealing with the girl  Soon Deuk who clearly has a crush on him). SPOILER ALERT -- 'Mirror of the Witch' has a rather bitter-sweet ending!

I want to get back to Lee Joon Gi for a moment since I just finished the 'Lawless Lawyer' series....which is an excellent nail-biter and I had to seriously restrain myself NOT TO watch the final episode first again. If you've seen it, tell me is it just me or did you think too that Joon Gi looked too skinny in that series? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying at all that he looked "bad" in any way and his performance was awesome as usual...I just felt that he looked like he'd lost a whole bunch of weight and "celebrity life" was taking its toll on him. Kind of worries me, because I would definitely like to see him in many more future performances.

I still have some Lee Joon Gi binge-watching left over for now, since the only other movies and series I made it through so far were 'Iljimae', 'Arang and the Magistrate', 'Gunman in Joseon' and of course 'The King and the Clown' (which was way too sad for my taste). But most likely 'Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo' will always be my absolute favorite and I'll keep hoping for a 2nd season...even though that will probably just remain wishful thinking for myself and many others, but we can always hope, right?

Some of my other favs I’d like to mention would be Kwak Dong Yeon as swordsman Kim Byung-Yeon in 'Moonlight drawn by Clouds' aka 'Love in the Moonlight'

and he also played an excellent part as young Shin Jung-Tae in 'Inspiring Generation'.

Then there is Seo In Guk for his outstanding performances as Prince Gwang-Hae in 'The King's Face'

and also as Lee Hyun / David Lee in 'I Remember You' aka 'Hello Monster'.

An excellent yet unfortunately somewhat overlooked performance of Kim Jae Young as Moo-Yeon in ‘100 Days my Prince’

And last (for now) but certainly not least is Jung Il Woo whose sad role as Prince Yang-Myung in 'Moon embracing the Sun' cost me plenty of tissues,

but required even more of them in 'The Return of Iljimae' (even though it has a happier ending for Jung Il Woo’s character)

I'll probably get "yelled at" for saying this, but I honestly have a hard time deciding whom I liked better...Lee Joon Gi as Iljimae in 'Iljimae: The Phantom Thief', or Jung Il Woo as Iljimae in 'The Return of Iljimae'. (Sorry, Joon Gi, but be assured that you'll still always be my #1 fav).

So, thanks to my granddaughter, back to some more binge-watching...hey, I got to blame someone else for things not getting done around the house, right? ;)

[wildflower-1995]

All the angelic questions!

Sugary Carnival: Have you ever been considered popular?-Not that I know of

Milky Planet: Besides earth, what planet would you come from?-The moon, if that counts? haha

Rose Toilette: Your signature perfume? -Anything that smells nice

Whimsical Vanilla-chan: What pets do you have/want to have? -Currently have a cat named Patchy and a dog named Izzy. Would like a parrot or something.

Marine Kingdom: Favourite undersea creature?-Seahorse

Dreamy Dollhouse: Describe your room with just 5 words.-Kind of messy and spacious

Melty Chocolate: Favourite type of chocolate?-Any really

Sugar Dream Dome: What do you like most about Winter?-That it’s not hot

Milky Berry: What do you like most about Summer? -Clear blue skies, big white fluffy clouds

Happy Garden: What types of things would you plant in a garden?-Anything pretty and easy to look after

Magical Étoile: Favourite attraction at a carnival? -Rides and food

Toy Parade: What toys did you play with as a child?-I played outside mostly, exploring

Holy Lantern: Describe the darker side to your personality. -You don’t even wanna know…

Melody Doll: What types of music do you listen to?-Deep, meaningful songs

Wonder Party: Favourite type of tea?Just normal tea… haha

Glass Bottle of Tears: What, without fail, makes you cry?-Myself

Cinema Doll: What makes a movie really enjoyable for you?-I don’t know. Ones that aren’t slow or complicated to follow

Memorial Cake: What is your ideal romantic experience? -Anything that means I am shown effort and attention

Star Night Theatre: If life was viewed as a theatre stage, what role would you play?-Damsel in constant distress… haha

Cotton Candy Shop: If you had your own shop, what things would you sell?-Home made items/keepsakes

Decoration Dream: Favourite way to decorate a cake?-I don’t know, it stresses me out

Fancy Box: What gift(s) did you get for your birthday last year? -I honestly can’t remember…. a gift card maybe… oh and I think we went out to the movies

Misty Sky: What is your favourite type of weather?-Cool weather

Dreamy Horoscope: What is your zodiac sign, and do you relate to it?-Sagittarius. And I don’t know

Symphonia of Birds: Favourite type of bird?-Pretty ones.

Day Dream Carnival: What do you daydream about the most? -Life being better

Royal Cards: Name a game you are really good at.-None lol

Milky Cross: Are you a religious person? -I use to be. Not anymore. I don’t know anymore.

Cream Cookie: What kinds of snacks do you munch on?-Anything

Drained Cherry: What emotionally exhausts you?-My brain

Fancy Paper Dolls: What accessories would come with a doll version of you?-A neon signs that says ‘MENTALLY ILL, FUCKED UP AND WORTHLESS! DO NOT APPROACH!”

Holy Night Story: Favourite thing to do when it’s night time?-Chill out, watch a movieCandy Treat: Favourite type of candy? -Anything really. Fantastic Dolly: What cosmetics do you use?-Like make up? NoneDrink Me: Favourite drink/beverage? -Dare Iced Coffee & WaterMerry Making Party: Describe the biggest party you’ve ever been to.-Never been to a party as such.. But I’d imagine I’d feel suffocated and would have a panic attack before running homeCountry of Sweets: What countries would you like to visit? -I wanna go everywhere. Fruits Parlour: Favourite fruit? -WatermelonDream Sky: Have you ever seen a shooting star?-Yeah I think soSoap Bubbles: How do you like to bathe/shower?-Um? Normally? Jewelry Jelly: Name 3 of your favourite jewellery pieces.-Ring from the other half, my mental health awareness bracelet and a necklace my auntie gave me that says “I am enough” Dream Fantasy: What is your wildest fantasy? -to be mentally stable and to not have wild moodswings every 5 seconds. To be fucking normal for once and to not feel things so intensely or have stupid impulse control issues. Pigs will probably fly before that happens though. Milky-chan the Fawn: Favourite forest animal?-Eh don’t knowHoney Cake: What do you normally eat for breakfast? -CoffeeDreamy Baby Room: The most childish part of your personality?-That I over react, that I’m petty, that I hurt over the tiniest shit, but that I also laugh stupidly and at every little thing, that I can be wildly immature. I don’t know. I’m a mess. Chess Chocolate: What piece would you be on a chess board?-Probably be the board so the pieces can walk all over me since that’s what happens in the real world anyway. French Cafe: Favourite thing to eat at a patisserie?-I don’t knowSugar Hearts: How is your love life right now? -Up and down, I don’t know. It’s been like that since the dawn of time so Wonder Story: What types of things do you like to read about?-Anything with a decent and interesting story lineTwinkle Mermaid: Favourite type of fantasy creature?-DragonGloria: Name a very rare item that you would love to own.-Nothing. I’m not materialistic so I don’t care. 

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Girls’ Last Tour 8 - 9 | Houseki no Kuni 8 - 9 | Netjuu no Susume 8 - 9 | Mahoutsukai no Yome 8 - 9 | Juuni Taisen 9 - 10

Girls’ Last Tour 8

Why do I get the feeling the girls will lose the camera soon?

I noticed the names on the drawers before the girls did. I just never mentioned it.

That snow transition to Chi was…weird…

I think at least a small part of the problem with this show is that it’s drab. Another part is that your appreciation of the show depends on how you view it as relaxing or mind-numbing when you watch it week-to-week. Yet another aspect is that it rides upon, also, your appreciation of the philosophical content that you’re allowed to wade in as part of the show.

“Pumped up” doesn’t seem to be the right word, subbers. I don’t know why (maybe context?), but I don’t feel pumped up when I see the moon. The moon, to me, would be motivating if I were in their situation, but it sure wouldn’t pump me up…

“Magic power”? Judging from the mouthflaps, the word was mahou which just translates to “magic”, and would’ve done decently here too.

Please don’t ship the lolis…

Please don’t make the lolis drunk, either…

Underage drinking! Censor it, censor it! (half-joking tone)

Huh? There’s a small after-credits segment. Keep watching…

Uhh…*thinks about a compulsive habit involving hair eating* Yeah, no thanks.

Girls’ Last Tour 9

If humans are the only living things left, what about the fi-yeah, spoke too soon.

Why did a robot want to protect a fish anyway?

Yuu has discovered the human capacity to float after kicking.

Chi’s favourite conversant is a box. A grey box. Amazing… (sarcasm dripping)

Chi has discovered the thing from One Piece known as Super Drowning Skills.

As they said in Finding Nemo, “fish are friends, not food”! Hahaha.

These robots look like something out of a Shaun Tan book, yeeps. (Didn’t see the construct-o-bot too clearly the first time he appeared.)

It’s like a mother talking to a daughter, only this time it’s in robot-speak. All 1s and 0s…

I did not come here to watch robots explode. But these robots exploding…cool! Like an action movie!

What was that last part with the robot communication circles and patterns for? I guess it made more sense with the volume on, huh…

Houseki no Kuni 8

Why do I get the ominous feeling the biting “ice floe” was Aculeatus or someone like that (and not Ventricosus, the king)?

I love how grumpy Antarc is when they’re like, “Tha failure is all mine” and they’re just holding their hand like it’s no problem. The hand really is no problem, especially in contrast to Phos, come to think of it.

It’s hard to convince someone when you literally have no hands to do it with…

“I raise my hands in defeat.” – Phos in on my level of puns. I was going to make a hand pun and then they come up with this, which is much better than what I could think up on the fly.

Notice Phos is the only colour in this winter world…

I knew gold was soft and platinum too, but…what does that have to do with-oh wait. Never mind.

It’s like something out of a horror film…it’s sheer genius.

Oh dear. It seems I’ve fallen for a sensei-only yandere. What a problem…

Hey, doesn’t this look familiar? Like a kagune, for instance?

U---uwahhhhhhhh…My boy Antarc was taken and now he’ll be Lunarian weapons…Plus with those cracks, Phos looks sadder than usual…

Huh? ED change? “Liquescimus”?...Oh, I see.

This next ep preview…is weird. Especially because you see Kongou-sensei smash his head into a wall…

Houseki no Kuni 9

When they said spring was a time for change, I’m betting they didn’t mean this…(what happened to Phos)

Interestingly, the gold looks like a rapier. Or some other old-timey sword. Then it becomes a spider lily, which is a symbol of death.

Phos’s eyes look like Antarc’s used to…plus they’ve gained a personality like theirs too.

Crying? A defect? No, no…

A bit of a mess? No, Phos, you’re more than a mess.

Phos is still wearing the old uniform, huh. Mourning clothes.

Ah, so that’s where Phos mentions it’s gold and platinum. No wonder Karandi knew…

So it’s not “with great power comes great responsibility?” Or is it just the subbers having fun?

Cinnabar seems to be a lot like Bakugo. Just without the extreme “I’ll beat you up!” stuff.

Phos’s jerk face, LOL. Haven’t seent that in a while…

Netjuu no Susume 8

I’m really unsatisfied with the fact I’ll have to say goodbye to this show in 2 episodes…It’s been my favourite for this entire season, and when the competition is strong, that means this show – with all its fluff and misunderstandings – has done itself more than enough to deserve a spot on my favourites list.

This is Netjuu no Matome (Summary of an MMO Junkie). Honestly, my translation works a lot better than CR’s this time don’tcha think?

Hayabusa (Falcon) Moving Company. Makes sense if Amazon is its RL counterpart…

…then it turns out they wrote Hayabusa backwards on the moving van (Sabuyaha). LOL wut.

The ep title seems to be “[I] took a step forward”.

Harth? Well, spoilers. You just ruined my life…sort of.

I half-expected Yuki’s hat to blow off, but hey, this is an MMO. Hats don’t blow off unless you want them to.

Notice Sakurai uses keigo.You use keigo with people you don’t really know, by the by.

Dammit! Sakurai’s hot but Harth is better! Argh, such a simple artstyle. I shouldn’t be worked up over hot guys when there’s such a simple artstyle…

The eyecatches are so good. Why would you get rid of them in this episode, of all episodes???

T-They could’ve been lying to each other, like in And You Thought There Is Never a Girl Online? ??? Gah, but this show is so sweet, I’ll forgive it.

As soon as Sakurai’s battery died, I swear I just heard The Entertainer in my head. As if it’s all some big dream I’m bearing witness to. But of course, it’s fiction. It’s basically a shared dream for the lot of us who know about it. A sweet shared dream we can access anytime.

Every time I look at that credit list and see Maeno as Harumi…yeah…not gonna think about it. But it seems double-Sakurai even got Harth as a role. Wowee, Sakurai!

Netjuu no Susume 9

One episode and one OVA to go before these guys are gone…

“I Call That Feeling Marble” – Why “marble”?

Sono Kimochi Ma-buru…so they weren’t quite lying when they said “marble”, eh? Sono Kimochi would translate to “that feeling”. However, ma-buru could be “marvel”, so it could be “I Call That Feeling [a] Marvel” (which makes a lot more sense).

I swore Morimori-chan would’ve asked to be partners! The fact that she didn’t was so disappointing…

There were some ducks drifting along in the foreground of one shot.

What happened to Harumi, come to think about it?

Is there an equivalent to TGIF in Japanese???

*Morimori-chan jumps out of chair* That’s me whenever I get a text, hahaha.

The show shows its Comico roots – that park background looks like it came out of a visual novel, which is a sort of trademark of Comico series like ReLIFE and it. Nanbaka, on the other hand…if you’ve seen it before, you’ll be aware of what that show’s visual quirk is.

So the woman’s name isn’t Sendai, but Yashiro? Okay then.

I want a Fujimoto-centric thing now. Please, someone? Do it for me?

I feel like Sakurai and Tenya Iida would be good brothers in an AU. They act in similar ways to each other.

Mahoutsukai no Yome 8

The shot to the head (Cartaphilus received) was so brief, I actually found it funny.

“This girl [Chise] has strange taste.” – Indeed, she does. But that’s why we follow her.

“But you don’t hate it, do you?”

Joseph…?

Mahoutsukai no Yome 9

(looks at shop sign when Chise sits down) Someone can’t spell “biscuits”…

How did Ruth learn the familiar binding spell anyway? Does Elias have a familiar, too? Or does he not have one since he’s part fairy?

It’s really hard to see what Elias’s monster form no. 3 (or is that no. 2?) looks like.

The humour in this show is somewhat unwarranted. It doesn’t always work, either. (I like a majorly consistent show best. Incongruous mood whiplashes don’t always work, after all.)

Is it Silver or Silky? I still don’t understand…

These roses must mean something in flower language…

Apparently there used to be an old trend of lesbian vampires. It’s a pretty old-fashioned trope, so it feels quite at home here. Update: Scratch that, a Leanan Sidhe is apparently more of a succubus, which was the exact vibe I was getting from her. Lesbian succubi? That’s a new concept.

That dragon!!!

Juuni Taisen 9

I think I’ve seen some spoilers saying Rabbit dies. I already knew everyone bar one *eyes Rat* will die anyway, but the game is in seeing how they die.

Were CGI models the best for this moment? Probably not, but there was some good movement from Usagi there.

Did you notice the shining light when Ox repositioned his sword (after he jumped)?

100-person…that reminds me of the SekaTsuyo “Hundred Throws” thing, but please don’t talk to me about SekaTsuyo…

Of course Kanae’s backstory has drinking in it. Her tagline has to do with “drunken rage”…(half-sarcastic)

Hey, this episode is titled after Rabbit. Isin’s genre-breaking strikes again. Also the scribbles on the faces is a nice touch, but not as good as the marionettes from Rampo Kitan.

I swear they’re relying on CGI models for the Ox and Tiger in this episode...

I’d like to headcanon Eiji is good at soccer. Not as the Ox, but just as himself.

Well, “CGI models” was definitely true right there when the Tatsumi bros attacked.

Those ice effects got put to good use, at least.

If you sit a bit of a distance from the screen, you can see they really are CGI models, the Ox and the Tiger. Graphinica’s really pulling out the stops – after all, didn’t they just say “don’t do what you’re unused to doing”?

Juuni Taisen 10

*as some insigificant sniper falls to his death* Yeah, let’s ignore the bad quality of that…

Dangit, Ushii hasn’t been given a birth year! No, why Isin??? Why??? (But does Kanae use Chrome on her iPad?)

Slicing the bridge is a bit much, y’know, Ushii - even for my suspension of belief.

Who knew a stab to the heart could be more touching than any other death in this show? Maybe it’s a stab…to my feels. (You’re all groaning now, aren’t you?)

So…no explanation for home boy Usagi, then?

I think two of the kanji from “To Treat A Man Beef From His Own Cow” (the title, not the episode) are from Gobouken (the name of Ushii’s sword, and the name also means “bayonet”), which is interesting.