#and I like to do that after diving further into a movie and reading about it which I can’t do for every movie I watch

[foxmulderautism]

i could never be a long review on letterboxd guy even though i love to analyse films i did my dissertation analysing films but i like to log on letterboxd immediately after watching and my immediate thought after watching a movie is 99% of the time yayyyyy i just watched a movie ^_^ that was fun!

[jellykyunnie]

˗ˏˋ Entry : 059 - Lover! HSR Men x Fem! Reader: Period Cramps ♡ ˎˊ˗

꒰ Dan Heng, Aventurine, Caelus, Sunday ꒱

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚ 𝔻𝕒𝕟 ℍ𝕖𝕟𝕘 ˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

Dan Heng is actually a veteran in taking care of girls during their periods. Why? You have March 7th to thanks for that. His poor friend's cramps are hell so he stepped up to assist whenever he can if Himeko isn' present to soothe her.

So when it comes to you? It's no problem really, he even enjoys the fact that you're relying on him for this since it shows that you trust him entirely.

Does he track your period schedule? Definitely, he has a tracker installed in his phone that he always checks. Periods are tricky and he wants to know incase anything wrong comes your way.

A little overdevoted of him, but you're not complaining. Why would you?

He has everything prepared a week advanced before your period.

Heating pads? Check. Extra napkins? Check. Snacks? Check. Chocolates? Check. Medicine for cramps? Check. Plushies? Washed and ready.

"Is your stomach acting up? No?" Dan Heng asks as he secures the blanket over you after placing a heating pad on your belly.

"I hate being a girl..." You complain, curling up further beside him for comfort.

"I know, but just for a few more days, it'll be alright" He says, stroking your head lovingly. "How about a movie? There are a bunch of new movies I managed to download."

"Okay..."

You actually passed out halfways into the movie, which Dan heng of course predicted already since he had the lights in his room already turned off. He changed the heating pad on your stomach first before tucking himself back in.

"Goodnight," Dan heng mumbles, placing a peck on your forehead before pulling you in for a cuddle.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚ 𝔸𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕖 ˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

"There we go" Aventurine gently settles you down on the bed after placing an extra towel on it. "Is that better, love?"

You nod, cuddling the teddy bear he bought you just because you're on your monthly hell.

Your period week is strictly a no-gambling and no-business-trips time for Aventurine. Even if his bosses and the other stonehearts decide to bug him into doing stuff.

He values your happiness and comfort above all else, even work. So to hell with them if the ipc blows up out of nowhere during your menstruation. Aventurine will just throw a middle finger at them and laugh at their misery.

Aventurine was so dedicated he spent hours reading books about periods and even goes so far to research good napkin brands that wont make you itch.

He wants nothing more than the highest of qualities for his beloved who is going through a lot just because a woman's body decided to evolve suffering like this. he even has some doctors on stand by just incase anything goes wrong.

Of course, we can't forget his philanthropic side— this peacock man needs to spend his money on you even for the littlest things. You'll be having brand new jewelry, cosmetics and perfumes coming in rapid succession for you as well as a barrage of kisses to go along with it.

"My poor princess, are you sure you don't need anything else?" He asks, kissing each and every one of your fingers. "Should I order some shortcakes for you? Or should I call the doctor to check on you?"

"Vasha... I'm not bedridden..." You say.

"I know, but I would rather not risk anything happening bad, so if anything hurts too much you must tell me" Aventurine simply smiles.

"Your kisses are more than enough"

"Who am I to say no to that?"

And with that, he dives in to pepper your precious and pretty face with pecks.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚ ℂ𝕒𝕖𝕝𝕦𝕤 ˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

"Okay, everything is settled" Caelus nods to himself after making a makeshift pillow fort in his bed for you to snuggle in.

The plushies he had ordered just arrived in time with your menstrual cycle. He made sure to ask March 7th about this just to be sure too. He can't screw this up—

Yeah, he's acting like he's about to go through something major or something. What an idiot.

Your lovable idiot atleast.

"Cae? I'm back" You say, walking out of the bathroom after changing your napkin. "???"

"Ah... Well" Your boyfriend sheepishly scrtaches the back of his head as you glance at the makeshift fort he managed to make during your time in the bathroom. "I figured I should make a fort so we could snuggle up more?... I don't know"

"You're cute" You laugh, kissing his cheek before crawling into the fort he made. "I like the fort, maybe you should keep it"

"I'll order more pillows and a canopy for my bed then" He grins before going in after you. "I'm not really good at taking care of you, my bad"

"It's fine, just you being with me is more than enough and I'd much rather cuddle with you" You wrap your arms affectionately around his waist. "Just be you as usual, that's more than enough."

"I should be the one comforting you" Caelus pouts, rubbing your cheeks together just so he can elicit a sweet giggle from your lips. "If there is is anything I can do, please just tell me what you need and I'll do my best"

"You're really like a puppy" You muse, kissing his cheek lovingly.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚ 𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕪 ˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

Just like Dan Heng, Sunday is a veteran at this. His mother died before his sister had her very first menstrual cycle. And although there were servants around to assist— he still took the initiative to help Robin himself because he was her brother.

The result of that? He's absolutely good at taking care of you during your period. Much like Dan Heng, he has a period tracker on his phone and prepares everything in advance the week before your period starts.

But of course, Sunday actually memorized your cycle dates, he just prefers to be more organized and to fouble(triple) check everything

It's much more important for him to be assured that eveything is ready.

"Not like that, you'll make your stomach hurt even more, dear" Sunday says, putting down the book he was reading and reaches out to rub firm but gentle circles around your tummy. "I know it's different for each woman, but this is the method I used on my sister when her cramps are bad. Is that better?"

"Yes..." You nod weakly, melting into his massages quickly. "You're really good at this"

"it's only because I took care of my baby sister a lot" Sunday replies, keeping his gentle pace to help ease your pain.

"Robin must miss you" You mumble.

"It's alright" He shook his head, smiling bitterly. "I miss her too, but one day we will reunite. But right now you're the main character. You need me since your cramps as especially bad during the first few days of your cycle."

"What did I even do to deserve you?" You whisper, slowly drifting off to sleep the further he massaged you.

Sunday wouldn't reply until you finally gave in to the call of sleep.

"I need you more than you need me" He finally says, replying to your unconcious state while pressing his lips on your forehead. "So let me do this, it's the least I can do since you never gave up on me"

꒰ 🪼 A/N: This one is a bad fic but I'm really deep in writer's block. I'll try to get it in my next one. For now please be patient with me qwq. I hope you guys understand huhu. I'll try to make more comprehensive and better fics:3 ꒱

ʚ(੭´͈ ᐜ `͈)੭ .｡✧: ~♡ —! stories written by kyunnie; translations, reposts, plagiarism are strictly forbidden.

[httpvomitello]

Can we get some bayverse tmnt comfort please?

Maybe all of them at the same time, not just single head cannons. they are about to knock on the window to readers apartment but they see reader stressing and studying for finals so, they leave before they notice and come back with snacks and a movie.

Absolutely no pressure to do this ask, I love your writing!

Hello, hello! Hope you like it.

(btw, I kind of read the request wrong the first time, and ended up doing it a little differently, sorry! 🫠)

Finals, Friends, and Midnight Snacks *⁠.⁠✧

The turtles rarely ventured to your apartment without some heads-up, but tonight was different. They’d been on patrol, half-bored, half-wired from adrenaline, when Mikey suggested they swing by to surprise you. You'd mentioned something about finals coming up, so it seemed like the perfect excuse to check in and maybe goof off a bit.

When they arrived, slipping through the shadows toward your window, they each prepared to knock, maybe make you jump a bit. But as Leo went to tap the glass, they all paused, taking in the sight on the other side.

You were hunched over a stack of textbooks, looking like you hadn’t moved in hours. Your hair was messier than usual, your face buried in your hands as you studied, brows drawn in frustration. There was a cold cup of coffee beside you, clearly long forgotten. The sigh that escaped your lips looked weary enough to weigh you down even further.

Mikey was the first to react, his expression dropping from excitement to concern as he turned to the others. "Uh, guys...I don’t think now’s the best time."

Leo agreed, nodding and stepping back from the window with a serious look. “She’s really stressing over these finals.”

Raph huffed softly, crossing his arms but keeping his eyes on you. He could be blunt, but even he hated seeing you like this. “She’s practically in zombie mode. I don’t get it... why go that hard for some stupid test?”

Donnie sighed, unable to hide his sympathy. “Because she cares about doing well, Raph. Finals aren’t a joke.”

The four exchanged glances, each thinking about how much they’d wanted to see you, maybe make you smile, only to find you buried in a mountain of notes and responsibilities. There was no way they’d let you stay like this.

“Alright, new plan,” Leo declared quietly. “We come back with supplies, something to help her get through the night.”

Raph raised an eyebrow, trying to hide his own worry behind a scoff. “So… what, we just turn into delivery boys now?”

Leo shrugged with a grin. “If it means she gets a break, then yeah.”

Raph rolled his eyes but didn’t argue, instead muttering a half-hearted, “Fine, but let’s make it fast.”

With that, they melted into the shadows, Leo leading them through the city toward their destination: the perfect supply run.

At the lair, Leo was all business. “ Mikey, you grab any snacks she might like. Donnie, brain food, whatever you can find. Raph, grab some comfort items, maybe a blanket or something.”

Mikey saluted, diving for the snack aisle. He grabbed armfuls of treats, throwing them into a basket. Chips, candy, anything that looked like it could bring a smile to your face. After a moment, he slowed down, his mind returning to the way you’d looked, so exhausted and serious. This wasn’t just about goofing off, he realized; this was about letting you know they were there for you, no matter what.

Meanwhile, Donnie scanned the shelves for anything resembling “brain food.” He knew you well enough to know you’d appreciate the thought, so he made sure to choose carefully, grabbing a few bags of almonds, dark chocolate, and even a couple of healthy energy bars. As he glanced at a box of herbal tea, he picked that up too, maybe it would help you wind down once you finally took a break.

Raph was skeptical at first but softened when he remembered the rougher days he’d had in training and how a little comfort had made all the difference. He ended up grabbing a cozy fleece blanket and some hot cocoa packets, grumbling to himself as he realized how badly he wanted you to be comfortable, even if he didn’t want to admit it.

In no time, they were on their way back, their arms full of items. When they arrived at your window again, they moved carefully, setting everything down.

Mikey took charge of the snacks, arranging them in a small pile on your windowsill, topped with a quick doodle he’d made of himself, Leo, Donnie, and Raph giving you enthusiastic thumbs-ups. He even threw in a cartoon bubble reading, “Good luck, dudette! We got your back!”

Donnie placed his carefully chosen snacks and the herbal tea beside Mikey’s arrangement, tucking in a small note with some quick, helpful study tips he’d jotted down from memory. “Remember to pace yourself! You’ve got this,” it read in his neat handwriting.

Raph, with an eye-roll but a soft smile he tried to hide, placed the blanket and hot cocoa packets near the snacks. He didn’t write a note, but he knew you’d get the message: Take it easy, even if he’d never say it out loud.

And finally, Leo tucked everything into a neat little arrangement, glancing over at you, hoping you’d look up and see the care package before they had to go.

The four of them lingered a moment longer, watching you as you continued to study, unaware of their presence. They couldn’t help but smile as they each thought about what they’d done and how much you meant to them. After a few quiet seconds, Leo signaled for them to leave, and they slipped back into the night, feeling a sense of satisfaction at knowing you’d have something to lift your spirits.

An hour or so later, you looked up from your notes, rubbing your eyes and stretching, feeling every ache from hours of study. Deciding you needed a break, you turned to get some water, only to freeze when you spotted the arrangement on your windowsill.

Your heart skipped a beat as you took it all in: the snacks, the blanket, the tea, and each little personal touch that told you exactly who had left it there.

Mikey’s doodle made you laugh, and Donnie’s note was filled with genuinely helpful advice. You smiled at the cozy blanket, feeling a warmth in your chest that chased away some of the stress you’d been carrying.

You gathered everything and made yourself some hot cocoa, smiling softly as you glanced out the window, wishing you could thank them. But as you wrapped yourself in the blanket and sipped your cocoa, you felt their support, even if they weren’t there in person.

A while later, you sent a selfie to the group that Mikey created, showing you lying in the little nest they prepared for you.

“Thank you, you guys are amazing!”

[mr-crawlings-wife]

Hello! Can I request a Study Group ff wherein reader is the secret girlfriend of Pi Hanwool, that means no one knows except Minhwan that she is the gf. The reader was known as the kind and quiet type of student and a people pleaser too. That is why she can't deny when girls asking her to do things and boys making a move on her. Then one day, Pi Hanwool saw a boy (you can decide who) flirting with her to the point that the reader is visibly uncomfy. So Hanwool intervene (he's possessive and jealous) and that's the time that everyone know who she is.

Sorry if it's too specific. You can change it however you like. I just want to see Hanwool being possessive ACKKK

Hey! Took a while to respond. Sorry about that 😔. Anyway 😄

!!SECRET SOFTIE <3

Honestly how did you even bag this man?

And further, getting him to care about you? Like he don't be giving fucks about anybody. I'm pretty sure he doesn't go out of his way at all to make life convenient for someone else.

I'm willing to bet money he's done the opposite though, gleefully even.

The love he holds for you must be so genuine.

Cause he loves you enough to acknowledge that he's bad for you, stay away and be respectful, and also step in when you need help. (Which is bare minimum btw)

The fact that y'all are together, he didn't even want Minhwan to know. (He knows that bitch is a gossip 😭) That's just how much he wanted to protect you.

He takes almost every precaution possible to make sure that word doesn't get out. He's trying to do things right.

Sure it'd be easier for him if he could just prance around with you hanging off of his arm, but that would mean, when he's not around, you'd have to be constantly guarded and watched. And he doesn't wanna suffocate you like that. You're his pookie bear. Your comfort is his top priority.

Minhwan only knows cause he walked in on you two 😔. Hanwool was leaving pecks below your ear and reading a book while you were sitting on his lap. He's still mad about him ruining the moment.

We're getting off track. Anyway, precautions..

Hanwool avoids you like the plague at school. He almost never goes on outdoor dates and when he does, he puts on a heavy disguise.

You're not saved on his phone. He memorized your number, that's how he calls you.

He also erases his call history and your chats regularly so that there's no trace. Not that he thinks his dad would go that far to be nosey but just to be sure.

He also hasn't introduced you to Hansol. He's trying to discern if she won't spill the beans to their dad. Not that he doesn't trust her, she's just a kid, she could easily blurt it out.

When you get bullied or pushed around at school, he isn't even there to see it. Y'all aren't in the same class.

But he does see the bruises after school and feels immensely guilty. He doesn't pressure you for names but when you do slip up, they're swiftly dealt with.

But one day, when he's walking through the halls, doing a casual patrol, he glances inside your classroom. The way his blood pressure went up, god have mercy.

To think that someone was trying to force you to kiss them. The world is a disgusting dark place and Hanwool wants to rip that boy to shreds. ( Isn't that the guy that used to date Jiwoo?)

You are his, someone else was putting their hands on you. Putting their hands on what was his. But more than just possessive, he was also feeling protective.

This one bully was downright harassing you. Like he was nearly on top of you.

But not to worry 😁

That boy got whacked with a chair.

Hanwool made sure to check that you were doing okay and didn't get hurt before diving fully into ass whopping

Tables were broken.

Papers were scattered.

Windows were shattered.

Everything in that room was in shambles.

It looked like a set up in an apocalyptic movie

Hanwool was starting to mutter "mine" near the end as he was beating that bully into the chalk board.

But then he came to his senses and dropped the bully on the floor, rushing to check up on you again, cause he's never been so violent in front of you and he's low-key worried.

But he stopped midway and just stared. He was trying to map out his next course of action. Cause he did just have a crash out and trash an entire classroom over some cutesy girl he shouldn't give a fuck about. That was the plan at least. But they probably heard him mutter. And even if they didn't, they'd probably figure out that you mean something to him for him to react in this manner.

He takes a deep breath and announces to the entire class that anyone who dares to touch you, or even look at you wrong, will be personally dealt with by him. He can see the confusion on your face in his periphery but he chooses to ignore it for now.

After class he tries to convince you to allow him to always be around you and to always have men guarding you.

He makes it seem like whether you accept it or not is up to you... But is it really?

From that day onwards, he's tailing you all day everyday. You're at the convenience store getting toilet paper? You better believe he's in the snack aisle behind you. Watching you through the cracks.

He's like a stalker that has your permission to stalk.

He also, always has you on his lap at school, not during class, but every other time.

He's low-key kinda grateful he acted out that day. Cause he can now freely express his love for you.

He can touch you, hold your hand, your waist, your hips, you in general.

Although he does make sure not to act too enamored.

Also he leans a bit into the fuckboy persona cause he still wants people to think you don't mean shit to him.

At home he literally never stops holding you though.

Damn I wrote a lot more than I expected.

[letmereadinpeace4]

Love Sea episode 1 Commentary

So yesterday the first episode of Love Sea was released. After watching it, I decided to put down my thoughts and impressions. Hopefully I can keep it up until the end of the drama.

First, a few things:

I have bought and read the Love Sea novel. I will try my best not to spoil anything, but this knowledge informs my perception and my commentary. I have also read Love Sand, which chronologically happens before Love Sea, and I will spoil minor plot points if I think they can help understand elements in the drama.

There will be no Mame hate in this post, or in any other posts.

With that out of the way, let’s start:

The drama opens by separately introducing the main characters. Masahamut is diving, checking and noting damages, while Tongrak is on his way to the island, wearing the most impractical travel outfit he could have possibly worn. We learn that his stay on the island was booked by Connor Warrington, a close friend of his.

The character introduction is pretty well done. Masahamut is set up as a character who deeply cares about the well-being of the island he lives on. He is shown interacting with his friend Palm (they are not biologically related, they are senior/junior) and we get an impression of someone who communicates well with others and has a joking, playful side to him. Meanwhile, Tongrak is shown alone, even as he talks with Connor, we do not hear his replies, so we get the sense of someone cut off from other people. His outfit is also very fancy, showing his financial comfort, but also wildly impractical, showing that he is not very down to earth.

To explain who the characters are in the Mame universe, Masahamut is the best friend of Khom, who is Type’s childhood friend (from Tharntype). Khom is dating Connor, who is close friend with Tongrak. Tongrak is also a novelist, and his novels have been adapted by the movie director Aphros, who is Prapai’s uncle and the director who inspired Sky after his breakdown (not going to lie, with all those connections, I am low-key surprised that the closest we ever got to incest was Tum and Tar’s relationship).

At the docks, Tongrak is not exactly impressed with the place he will be staying at. We have it confirmed that Connor booked his stay because Tongrak’s next novel will be about the ocean (Connor my beloved I love you so much you asshole). Masahamut meets Tongrak at the docks and decide to piss him off by speaking in a Southern accent and not driving an appropriate vehicle to transport his suitcases. After Tongrak blows a fuse, Masahamut cuts him off and borrows a cargo tricycle.

This develops the characters a bit further. Tongrak shows a rather childish side and a lack of control over his emotions, while Masahamut’s confidence and capacity to adapt is set up. We also see more of his playful, “troll” side. I also like how his popularity on the island is subtly shown by having him borrow a bike from someone with no issue whatsoever. People trust him!

Tongrak immediately calls Connor to complain and demands to go home, further showing his childish, needy side. We get to hear Connor, who is mostly amused. Meanwhile, Masahamut unloads Tongrak’s suitcases with an amused expression and grabs the phone to chat up with Connor.

For more explanation about Connor and Masahamut’s relationship, they met when Connor stayed at the island for the holiday. He met Khom, who was working as Masahamut’s assistant and as Connor’s guide, and Masahamut helped Connor in his pursuit of Khom (in exchange for monetary compensation. Truly a win/win situation for everyone involved).

I love how entertained Masahamut is with Tongrak’s prissiness. He doesn’t care or take it personally, just rolls with it and takes advantage of it to troll him.

Masahamut escorts Tongrak to his room, who immediately pushes him out and ignore his offer to be at his disposal if he needs anything.

Sidenote, but I love Tongrak raging against the suitcase and later at the blankets. It is so cute, childish and relatable at the same time. I have definitely “scolded” a zipper because it wouldn’t open or the printer because it had issues.

We cut to Mook, Tongrak’s assistant/secretary, who is looking very busy and overworked. She is so far the most relatable character in the drama for me, down with the messy hair. She is called by Vi, Tongrak’s best friend, who promises to keep her busy. I love her, she is such a troll! Also a cameo appearance by Ja, which is definitely great to see! Hope he’s been well!

We cut back to Tongrak as he goes to a bar, wearing a really awesome sheer shirt and enjoying the attention he gets. Palm is his waiter, and immediately start hyping up Masahamut. We get confirmation that Masahamut is really popular both with the residents and with the tourists. We also learn that he is bi, which is great! We always love to see bi representation.

Tongrak seems pissed both at the fact that Masahamut is popular and by the fact that people would assume he is attracted to him, which he is definitely not! One hundred percent not! Not a trace of attraction here! Who cares if Masahamut is handsome anyway? Not him that’s who! And his sulking has nothing to do with it.

Next morning, we get to see how much Masahamut is involved in his community. While it may seem a bit heavy-handed, I do like that this aspect of Masahamut is so strongly enforced. It gives him a lot more depth and shows his maturity.

This mature impression is immediately countered when we see that he has a double of Tongrak’s keys and didn’t tell him. He immediately takes on the caretaker role and as he cleans up the room, we learn that Connor paid Masahamut to serve as Tongrak’s caretaker/nanny/guide/sitter during his time on the island. Is it like some kind of gift reciprocity? Masahamut helped Connor date his best friend so Connor helps Masahamut get with his own friend? I also really like the comparison of Tongrak to a cat. It suits him so well. We also have it mentioned again that Tongrak is very lonely (initially, Connor filled that loneliness void, but once he started dating Khom, he could no longer give as much attention to Rak as he used to, hence why he is trying to find a solution.)

Connor wakes Tongrak up. Not going to lie I would punch him! Do not bother me before I had my tea and breakfast! As he tries to punch him Tongrak falls on the ground, giving Masahamut a perfect view of his body.

The “seduction” scene is really well-done. You can see the switch as Tongrak finds himself in a more familiar territory and tries to seduce Masahamut by removing his robe/shirt. He really seems to enjoy having power over Masahamut, especially since the latter has annoyed him so much. However while Masahamut is admirative, he does not lose his head and starts commenting on Tongrak’s lack of body hair. You can really see the switch back as Tongrak loses his confidence. Peat acted really well in that scene!

I love how offended Tongrak is by Masahamut’s lack of sexual interest. Poor kitty got his pride hurt! Speaking of which I also love how Masahamut speaks of Tongrak like a kitty he is taking care of.

Tongrak tries to provoke Masahamut by constantly asking for a different breakfast and being picky, to no success. I always enjoy seeing Tongrak’s bratty side, especially when his brattiness doesn’t work.

Masahamut is such a troll! I love him already!

Meanwhile, Tongrak has found out a way to get Masahamut to do what he wants (to some extent). He pays him to get him to speak in a Central dialect. It really sets well the economic difference between them. Tongrak has money to burn and Masahamut will do anything for money. I love how much he doesn’t care about being bought and getting money from his clients. Masahamut is there singing “Material Girl” and doesn’t care about what anyone thinks!

I love it any time Tongrak’s more vain side is shown. The way he jumps when Masahamut mentions wrinkles. Also he is supposed to be in his late twenties/early thirties.

Masahamut offers his sexual services and can obviously see that Tongrak is more interested than he lets on. “Even if you were the last man on Earth, I still wouldn’t want you”. Oh hey! I heard a cool girl named Elizabeth Bennet say the exact same thing. I wonder what happened to her….

We cut back to Mook rehearsing her speech to Vi to not have to work as her assistant. By the way I love her shirt! As she dares Vi to call her, she answers her prayers and does so! We get to see that Mook has an itemized list of how to deal with Vi! That is some thoroughness! Anyway Vi claims a light bulb in her room is busted and that Mook needs to come and change it. I see Vi subscribes to the “pulling her hair” strategy in courtship. Meanwhile Mook is getting more and more erratic and her faces are amazing! She looks offended, outraged and confused at the same time. Also I love how messy her hair is.

“I’m a frail lead actress who can’t do anything on her own” as she sits on the ladder she used to bust her own light bub to get her crush to come to her place! I love Vi she’s such a troll! Also does she have Mook’s picture? I can’t really see well.

In his room, Tongrak is having trouble writing the sex scene and we learn he needs to have sex or to hug someone to properly write sex scenes. It really is interesting that Tongrak needs an intense physical situation to describe a romantic sex scene, because it suggests that he cannot conceptualize the intensity of the emotions involved unless he experiences a “similar”, physical sensation. It really goes with him being lonely but also suggests he never truly offered his heart to anyone.

The next day, Tongrak is working on his novel, looking extremely cute with his round glasses, while Masahamut is waiting. He soon gets bored and starts reading what Tongrak is writing. I wonder if the sex scene he reads out is a random scene that was written especially for this or if it was taken from another of Mame’s novels. I cannot place it.

Anyway Masahamut is bored of it and takes Tongrak on a boat to show him around. I love how Masahamut gently scolds Tongrak and tells him to sit properly so that he doesn’t fall, causing Tongrak to sulk. It sets up their future dynamic. Also Masahamut don’t scold the kitty! He’s a city kitty and has never been on the sea before.

Tongrak is called by Mook and doesn’t hear her well. Yeah in the middle of the sea it is a lost cause. Masahamut decides to take a dive while Tongrak is on the phone, causing him to panic. I actually agree with Tongrak here! For safety reasons Masahamut should have warned him.

Tongrak freaks out and starts crying. Masahamut tries to reassure him by poiting out that he’s fine but is unsuccessful. I love how he takes the freak out seriously and only reaches to touch him after Tongrak has been unresponsive. Tongrak scolds him and Masahamut reaches out to hug him and apologize. I love the light little kiss on the forehead and how Tongrak slowly accepts Masahamut’s hug.

Afterwards, Tongrak is embarrassed about his crying episode (don’t worry baby it happens to the best of us) and plays the shy Victorian maiden when Masahamut moves to remove his shirt as if he didn’t wear a sheer shirt in public two days before. Masahamut offers to show him the good stuff, and just like Tongrak I was not thinking of clams when he said that! Again, I love how confident Masahamut is! He is aware of his charm and sees well the effect he has on Tongrak. The episode ends with them still on the roof of the boat.

Overall I really enjoyed this episode. It was a good set up for the characters and I love the atmosphere they created. I look forward to seeing more of it.

[gremlin-girly]

I love your blog! Can I get your rank of the CE!Babes?

Oh nonnie 🥺🥺🥺

Thank you so much - that means the world 💞💞💞 This really bungled my brain when I read this bc I've never put so much thought into it 💀 It was on my mind for like an hour before bed so it's ridiculously in depth for a rating 💀😭

This is long - it took me longer to rank them than I care to admit because I added reasons why 💀. Colin Shea, Mr Freezy, Mike Weiss and a few others aren't in the ranking because I haven't seen the movies yet x

Some of the answers may shock you

And so, we begin! Going from worst to best.

14. Pete Brenner

Smarm and sleaze. Greasy little man. Good for a ONS but ya best believe it would be the WORST ONS for you. Last place.

13. Andy Barber (Defending Jacob)

Maybe I've read too many of @stargazingfangirl18 's fics but I just not his fan. 🤣 Although - the SUIT? 👀 he gives depressed divorced dad vibes but not in a super sexy way - if that makes sense.

12. Johnny Storm (Fantastic Four 2004)

I do like a guy with charm (as we will see further up the list - it's pretty much charming, asshole, or broody characters lmao) but I always seem to just....forget about him 💀 I think it's partly due to the fact that in the comics he's known to be a cheat and that puts me right off. His jokes and flirting win me over and I do appreciate his goofy/playful side but unfortunately, he's staying put 🥲 it also may be because also I like slightly older guys and he would be around my age

9. Jack O'Malley (Red One)

Sexy divorced dad 😌 A bit of a sleaze like Pete HOWEVER he is goofy enough that I could let it slide. He gets put higher because he learns to be a better person - he has that I could fix him vibe. And by fix I mean less gambling and a shower.

However, if we're talking beginning of the movie, he'd 2000% take advantage of your kindness. You wanna do acts of service? By all means. Expect nothing in return though. (Hence his ranking)

8. James Mace (Sunshine)

Surprisingly low for me! I do love a broody, moody side character HOWEVER I'm terrible at confrontation and yelling (two of Mace's fave things lmao) so he's earned his place here. After yelling at you for something he'd either be a sweetheart realising after you were upset or double down. But you wouldn't exactly want to be subject to it more than once in a blue moon, ygm?

7. Ransom Drysdale (Knives Out)

I am sorry Sweater Daddy but you're best placed here 😔. Three words: Spoiled. Rich. Kid. Which some of the others do fall into BUT Ransom in particular would be a terror, I believe. Partly due to his upbringing but my patientce would TESTED.

If you were nice to Ransom he'd take advantage but potentially feel bad about it.... much, much later. Or, you know, realise that you're soft for him and have no ulterior motives and he will just melt into goo. He's not used to having people be nice without strings 🥺

6. Ari Levinson (Red Sea Diving Resort)

It's the beard. It has to be. Cheeky smile and a wink I'd just melt. That's it. No more to add xoxoxo

The blue shirt though 😫

5. Steve Rogers (MCU)

I THOUGHT SKINNY STEVE WAS HOT TOO 😤 (forever mad at the peanut scene in TFA 😤)

Every Steve is a good Steve imo - one of the first CEvans crushes I ever did have 😚 probably because of the movies there's a lot of interesting aspects to his character (but we will be ignoring the Endgame ending 👀). Honourable, loyal, kind... you know this man is a romantic at heart (but I still eat up dark!Steve fics too). You just know he'd treat you RIGHT 😍

4. Frank Adler (Gifted)

A new addition! I watched Gifted a few weeks ago and I'm??? So soft??? He's a bit of a double threat, grumpy but also charming. And like with my top two I am SOFT for a guy who's good with kids (which is why Andy and Jack don't rank higher 💀). I'm hoping to finish the fic I have for him ASAP.

3. Lloyd Hansen (The Gray Man)

This is a very big HEAR ME OUT 💀

I love love love campy villains who are still able to be terrifying. I was unsure about the 'tache at first and thought it would be a completely serious role and was PLEASANTLY surprised that he was just as dramatic, sassy asshole.

So, naturally, I love him.

Also, really well dressed. Apart from the loafers which make me cackle - tights shirt and pants??? Um, yes please? Don't even get me started on the ring.

2. Curtis Everett (Snow Piercer)

Brutish. Giving Stray dog vibes. In desperate need of a cuddle (and shower and hot food). Also one that surprised me, actually. I'd read fics, seen clips but then I watched snowpiercer... and yeah, like Frank I was down bad. Despite writing him with the emotional capacity of a brick, I like to think that he's soft after warming up to you.

Not one for grand gestures but the little things to make you smile or make your day easier.

Oh and also scary dog privilege whenever you go out together 🫶

1. Jake Jensen (The Losers)

I'm gnawing at the bars of my enclosure.

Absolutely feral for this man.

Although, I'd probably have to fight @bigtreefest for him

He's nerdy, dorky and although isn't your average charmer, he still manages it. Not to mention funny. 😫🤭 You just KNOW he'd be so focused on YOU and head over heels SMITTEN. Oh and being an involved uncle?? Being invested in his niece/family is just entirely wholesome. (How could you not fall for him?? I mean???)

I'm a big romantic and just it's a wistful sigh and a longing stare when it comes to JJ 😍❤️ I do have a long fic in the works for him and I think rn his collection (besides Steve) is the longest.

I think he's pretty slept on but that's bc I'm down bad 😭💞

Thanks for asking!

[thewickedmerman]

Ranking Don Bluth's Movies

Okay, so I've recently been having some issues with making videos and until I can sort it out, I can't really get any new clips for videos. So that makes it harder for me to be able to talk about certain topics I want to discuss on YouTube. However, I really want to talk about this so I decided to make a post here on Tumblr and when I have my technical issues sorted out, I'll post a YouTube version. However, since I'm not playing a character on Tumblr, that means that this won't include my signature merfolk language like "mermazing", "What the Tartarus", or "Dear sweet Poseidon." But you can expect that in my video when I sort out my technical issues.

Anyway, as a long-time fan of animation, especially of 2D animation, I’m a pretty big fan of Don Bluth. Here’s a brief history lesson about this legend. He was a big fan of Walt Disney animation ever since he first saw Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as a child and realized all he wanted to do in life was make animated movies. He managed to work at Walt Disney studios and even got to meet Walt Disney before he died, and he would end up leaving the company years after Walt’s death and taking several animators with him due to the disappointment in the company’s lackluster work with films like The Rescuers, Robin Hood, and The Aristocats. He made all of his movies with his friend, co-producer, and animator Gary Goldman. His company would ultimately fail due to financial issues, but his work did manage to force Disney to start uping their game and resulted in the Disney Renaissance. The whole history of Don Bluth’s animation career is really much more complex and extensive, so I highly recommend watching AniMat’s video series on the history of Don Bluth, which I will link down below. Trust me, it’s a great and educational watch that you should check out, after you read this post, of course.

While he sadly never managed to become the next Walt Disney, due to the failure of certain films and his company filing for bankruptcy, he has undeniably created movies that were a big part of many of our childhoods. Some holding up better than others. In this post, I will share my personal rankings. I’ll go over the plots of each movie in the order that they were released, discuss what I liked or disliked about the film, and at the very end of the video, I’ll rank them. First of all, don’t take my rankings too seriously. We all have our personal preferences for what makes a good movie and our own biases and personal experiences tend to influence how we will feel about a movie. This is just my opinion and if you disagree, that’s perfectly fine. Just don’t be an asshole about it!

Also, lets go over some guidelines. I only will be covering the movies that Don Bluth actually worked on, which means that sequels to his movies, apart from Bartok: The Magnificent, won’t be on this list. Besides, The Land Before Time sequels have enough movies to be on their own list. Let me know if that’s something you guys would be interested in. Secondly, they have to be full-length animated movies, so his animated shorts, Banjo the Woodpile Cat and Small One won’t be on this list. Lastly, he has to have actually directed the film, which means none of his work as just an animator or supervisor from Disney will be included. Also, this post WILL include spoilers. So don’t say I didn’t warn you. Now without any further delay, lets dive right on in.

The Secret of Nimh

The recently widowed Mrs. Brisby is trying to save the life of her youngest son, Timmy, who is sick with pneumonia and is told by Mr. Ages that Timmy can’t go outside at all or he could die. Things get complicated when the farmer decides to plow early and while Mrs Brisby and Auntie Shrew manage to stop it temporarily, it’s only a matter of time until he fixes it. So Mrs Brisby visits The Great Owl, with the assistance of Jeremy the crow, who informs her that the Rats of Nimh can help her. She gets the help of Mr. Ages and Justin, who are members of the organization, who help her meet Nicodemus, who gives her a magical amulet and has the rats help her move her house to where it’s safe. However, secretly there is a plan from the villain, Jenner, who wants to kill Nicodemus.

So as you can tell, a lot is going on in this movie based on my crude summary. But to be fair, it never feels like too much is going on to the point where the story feels messy. The story actually is very flowing and nothing feels crammed in, apart from Jeremy, who is the worst part of the movie and like everyone, I can’t stand him. He just reminds me a lot of comic reliefs from modern Disney movies who add nothing but bad and forced comedy. But apart from that, everything else feels organically woven into the story. It never feels like it’s too detailed because its knows what to keep vague and what to elaborate on. The score is epic and helps things feel grand. Not to mention the whole question of morality of the movie is very well done and complex but done in a way that kids can understand without talking down to them. It’s all very relevant in this day and age. I love the dark elements of the film, as it helps give it a lot of atmosphere. While I wouldn’t say that it feels like a movie that you could play on Halloween, it’s still a pretty dark film. Part of that is the designs of certain characters. I absolutely ADORE the design of The Great Owl. Just look at this guy! He looks so majestic and mysterious and it’s one of my favorite scenes in the movie, with my favorite being when Mrs. Brisby uses the stone.

Speaking of Mrs Brisby, she’s a really great and unique character. She’s not a heroine who has grand ambitions, but rather is a mother who just wants to exist enjoying life and for her kids to be happy and healthy. She’s timid and not the bravest but despite her fears is just willing to do whatever it takes to save her son’s life. She does get braver but it’s not to the point where she feels like she went through major character development. I kind of like that she gets to stay who she is. She’s a loving and caring person who doesn’t have to change who she is. She never stops being scared and doesn’t really gain any confidence but is just a likable and gentle character that will throw herself into danger if it means saving the ones she loves or even someone she just met like Jeremy. Although, I say she should’ve just let Jeremy die and put us all out of our misery.

The rest of the characters, apart from Jeremy, are also interesting and likable, even if they aren’t nearly as engaging as Mrs. Brisby. Even though Auntie Shrew and Mr. Ages are grouchy characters, it still comes from a loving place. The voice acting is top-notch, especially from Elizabeth Hartman as Mrs. Brisby, Derek Jacobi as Nicodemus, and John Carradine as The Great Owl. The animation is some of Don Bluth’s best work, especially with the scene where Mrs. Brisby uses the stone. You’ll be hearing me say this A LOT throughout this video, but Don Bluth’s animation is always so flipping gorgeous. This was clearly a passion project for Don Bluth and it really shows as he’s often referred to it as his favorite movie he’s ever made. While I wouldn’t say it’s my personal favorite, it’s definitely among some of his best. Sadly, I didn’t grow up with this movie and didn’t see it until I was in high school. However, I do wish that I had grown up with it because it’s a genuinely great movie and is better than anything Disney was releasing around that time. Hell, it’s better than most of the films Disney is releasing today.

An American Tail

Starting off in Russia with the Mousekewitzes, a family of mice that are clearly Jewish, celebrating Hanukkah. Unfortunately, the celebration doesn't last, as the mice are attacked by Russian cats that are not so subtle in their symbolism. After their home is destroyed, the Mousekewitzes immigrate to America where they believe there aren’t any cats. Unfortunately, Fieval gets separated from his family after nearly drowning. Having arrived in America, specifically New York, he sets off to find his family while meeting some colorful characters that either try to exploit him or help him find his family and discovering there are indeed cats in America.

So as you can probably tell, this movie is influenced by the treatment of immigrants that come to America to escape their problems only to find out that America is full of problems as well. It’s a very complex issue and while this movie mostly focuses on Fieval’s struggle to find his family, these issues are handled pretty well. It’s not afraid to show the harsh realities but also knows how to make it simple enough for the kids to digest it and help them learn more about it as they get older without dumbing it down or having nothing of value for adults. I didn’t grow up with this movie. I only saw it once on Cartoon Network when I was a kid and didn’t really watch it again until I was a teenager. But just like The Secret of Nimh, I wish I had grown up with it. I love how dark and serious this movie is without having to be so dull and lifeless.

While Fieval did cause his situation with deliberately throwing his hat on deck so he could see the fish during the storm, you can still sympathize with him. Yes, it was his fault, but he’s also just a kid that I’m guessing isn’t any older than seven in mouse years. He’s lost and alone in a new country where he doesn’t know anyone and has no idea where his family is. The emotions of his family are very strong as well, since all of them, apart from Fieval’s big sister Tanya, believe him to be dead. I love how this movie allows the emotional moments not to be interrupted by pointless comedy like a lot of movies nowadays.

This is the first Don Bluth movie that is a musical and I will be honest and say that while they’re good, they’re not great, apart from "Somewhere Out There", though I do prefer the end credit version sung by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram. Not only because of their phenomenal vocals but also because the singing voices for Fieval and Tanya aren’t very good. While the child actors they got did a great job when it came to acting, they really should’ve gotten singing doubles for them because it makes it harder to listen to. The others have better singing in them, even if Fieval does still sing in "Never Say Never" and "A Duo". But they aren’t anything to brag about. Plus, "There Are No Cats in America" honestly does play into some ethnic stereotypes.

The villain, Warren T. Rat isn’t really anything great or even very interesting. He serves his purpose but he’s not gonna make a lasting impact. Plus, his little bug friend adds nothing and the two of them don’t have a very interesting dynamic. Luckily, the rest of the characters are likable. My personal favorite is Gussie. She’s very flamboyant and prissy but also cares about others and standing up for what is right, despite also being privileged. Showing that individuals are multi-dimensional. The animation is gorgeous (Though the rotoscoping is obvious), the action scenes are pretty intense especially when the cats are super feral and monstrous, the score is epic, and it will absolutely make you cry, especially when Fieval is reunited with his family. I love how soft and timid Fieval’s voice is with a twinge of hope that his family is really there when he hears their voices calling for him and his father playing the violin. It honestly gets me misty eyed and I have to fight the tears when he’s reunited with his family.

It should also be noted that this is one of the few times in animation where Jewish characters are portrayed as the heroes and not as a joke or villains with very Jewish features. Yes, you could argue that it’s not the best because of the fact that they’re portrayed as mice, but it’s nice to see them as a loving family and characters with fleshed-out personalities that aren’t just stereotypes. It’s a great movie and it’s clear to see why this is considered one of Don Bluth’s best films. It’s a classic for a reason.

The Land Before Time

Long before the double-digit sequels, with their light-hearted feel and musical numbers, was a pretty dark film devoid of musical numbers. And to make things easier, I won’t be referring to them by their scientific terms but instead the simple terms they were given in the movie. Anyway, it takes place during the time of the dinosaurs when the Earth was changing and the leaf eaters set out to find The Great Valley, a place unchanged and filled with fresh water and lush green food. Littlefoot, a young longneck, and Cera, a young three-horn get attacked by a sharp-tooth. They are saved by Littlefoot’s mother but it costs her, her life and Littlefoot must travel to The Great Valley and find his grandparents. Along the way, he meets Cera again, as well as a swimmer named Ducky, a flyer named Petrie, and a mute spiketail named Spike. They must try to find The Great Valley while trying not to perish from hunger, as well as not getting eaten by Sharptooth.

I’m not gonna lie, I grew up watching The Land Before Time films religiously as a kid. Anytime a new Land Before Time movie came out, I had to have it. But lets save my opinion on the other movies for another time. Lets face it, the original film is BY FAR superior to the sequels. First of all, this is one of Don Bluth’s best-looking films. In fact, I’d say it’s his second-best-looking movie. What’s his best-looking film? We’ll get to that later. The film manages to make the film look gorgeous, despite the fact that they’re living in a barren wasteland, which shows that you don’t have to make a film be brown and grey in order to make it look apocalyptic. But maybe that’s just one of the advantages of animation, specifically traditional animation. The Great Valley is absolutely GORGEOUS! I mean, the visuals are nothing short of spectacular. Not to mention the action scenes are absolutely phenomenal. By far the best action scene is the Sharptooth attack and when Littlefoot’s mother is battling the Sharptooth, especially during the earthquake. It was absolutely intense and I ADORE it for that. Not to mention the score for the entire movie is just epic and iconic.

Speaking of Littlefoot’s Mother, I was absolutely heartbroken by this as a kid and even now it makes me absolutely ball. I love how they really take the time to allow Littlefoot to properly grieve the loss of his mother with being angry about it, sad, depressed in an unhealthy way, finding comfort in her footprint, thinking he hears her voice (Though it’s arguable whether or not her spirit is actually guiding him), thinking for a brief moment that she’s still alive, and ultimately accepting the fact that she’s truly gone. It’s harsh but it’s important for kids to learn how to accept loss because they will inevitably have to face it.

While on the subject of Littlefoot, he’s always been one of my favorite fictional male characters. Part of this is also because of the sequels but in the original movie he’s just as amazing. I love how he acts like a real kid that makes mistakes and has flaws while still being a great leader with a strong moral compass. One of my issues with Arnold from Hey Arnold, despite my immense love of the show, is that Arnold after season 1 starts to become too perfect and helps others learn lessons but never learns a lesson himself or even gets grounded, especially in the last two seasons. Littlefoot is stubborn, can be sassy, is playful, strong-willed, fun-loving, and more so in the sequels can be surprisingly sarcastic. He has his doubts and can be a bit self-righteous at times but it’s never to the point where it’s unbearable. He’s just an overall fantastic character.

As for the other characters, part of the reason why this film works is because they’re all so likable and engaging. Ducky is absolutely adorable and endearing, which is helped by a pitch-perfect performance from Judith Barsi. Spike is so cute and lovable, which is odd, due to my usual hatred of characters who have eating be one of their prime characteristics but for some reason, he’s just so likable. I will admit that I prefer Petrie in the sequels, at least, in movies 2-6 like with most of the characters, but I still love and enjoy him in this movie. I just find him funny and I think part of that is his voice that just helps make him funny to me. Plus, unlike someone like Jeremy, Petrie is actually plot-relevant. But I do think that fake-out death of his was really unnecessary. As for Cera, I will admit that growing up, I absolutely couldn’t stand her. However, watching the movie again for my Don Bluth marathon, she actually grew on me. Maybe it’s because recently I’ve been seeing a lot of unlikable and poorly-developed characters but Cera just didn’t annoy me. Part of the reason is because, unlike say Isabela from Encanto, instead of it being a grown woman acting like an unbearable brat, Cera is just a child and unlike Sasha from the Barbie movie, she’s not like this because “Oh she’s a teenager,” especially when Cera isn’t a teenager, but because of her upbringing. Plus, unlike these unlikable characters, we do get softer moments from her sprinkled throughout the movie that don’t make her character development feel out of nowhere or half-baked and help her feel like a character with depth. While she’s still my least favorite of the five main characters, I do actually like her now.

I’m shocked about how short the film is, which comes in just a little over an hour. I feel like the film could’ve used twenty more minutes to help flesh things out. It manages to handle generational traditions and prejudice pretty well but I feel like that twenty minutes could’ve developed it more. The film was edited quite a bit and if you’re an average moviegoer and not someone who overanalyzes things like me, you won’t notice. However, if you are like me and notice details like that, it might bother you a little but you’ll still have a great time. I also felt like at times the narration didn’t need to be there. Such as after they were attacked by Sharptooth and were struggling to find The Great Valley or when Cera was having her self-pity moment. It’s not done to death and doesn���t feel pandering but they could’ve cut some of the narration. I absolutely love the friendship between the characters and it feels absolutely believable, even between Littlefoot and Cera with all their conflict. Yes, the film isn’t exactly perfect but there’s no such thing as a perfect movie. But it’s honestly one of my all-time favorite movies. I need animated movies to return to this kind of darkness.

All Dogs Go To Heaven

The film that got annihilated by The Little Mermaid and it’s clear to see why. But lets get into the plot. It’s about a German Shepard named Charlie Barkin, who is killed by his ex-business partner, Carface and goes to Heaven. However, Charlie doesn’t want to be dead and decides to re-wind his life watch to bring himself back to life and he shall remain alive so long as the watch remains ticking, otherwise, he’ll die and go to Hell because he can’t go back to Heaven. He then tries to get back at Carface with the help of his cowardly but loyal best friend, Itchy, by “rescuing” a little girl named Anne Marie, who can talk to animals that Carface has been using to win bets while also keeping her locked away in a room with minimal care. Charlie uses her for the same thing but is clearly nicer to her, though just to get into her good graces, but starts to form a bond with her.

As a kid, I was absolutely in love with this movie and would watch it constantly as a kid, especially the Heaven scenes. However, while I would still say it’s a great movie, I honestly don’t enjoy it nearly as much as I did as a kid. Part of that is because I really don’t care much for the characters, save for Anne Marie, who I’ll talk about in a little bit. Charlie, while not totally detestable, as he is given some soft moments, feels too harsh at times. His character development isn’t done well enough to make me root for him and for the things he’s doing, he needed some really amazing character development. Overall, the character is okay but he’s not that engaging or entertaining to watch, apart from a great vocal performance from Burt Reynolds. Itchy is entertaining and likable but I feel like in the second half he's forgotten about until Carface attacks him. Dom DeLouise gives a great performance but the character is missing something. He’s at least likable, even if I don’t exactly love him. Carface is an absolutely boring and generic villain that does nothing but get angry and shout. Nothing about him stands out and I tend to forget about him, even as a kid. Killer is just the typical incompetent villain lackey.

I also feel like the title is misleading, due to how we don’t really spend much time in Heaven or really talk much about it. With a title like "All Dogs Go to Heaven," you’d think that the film would be all about that. It feels like two completely different stories were put together and one overtook the dogs in Heaven plot. Plus, this film tends to just forget about things like the fact that Charlie is trying to lay low and keep Carface from finding him and Anne Marie but still promotes his name for his casino right in the same town. Carface never has any realization and we just cut to him assuming Charlie is alive and has Anne Marie without any build-up. Also, they established that the animals can’t talk to animals outside of their species but Charlie can talk to the Big Lipped Alligator? Also, the gator’s rat followers are clearly offensive and haven’t aged well. While the pacing isn’t horrible, it’s a bit messy.

The songs aren’t very good either, apart from "Let Me Be Surprised", "Soon You’ll Come Home", and the end credit song, "Love Survives." But the rest of the songs are pointless and not very pleasant to listen to. Part of that is because they’re mostly sung by Burt Reynolds, who just isn’t a singer. He sounds like he’s talk-singing and it’s not pleasant. Yes, he sang in "Let Me Be Surprised", but at least Annabelle, voiced by Melba Moore, could sing, which helped balance it out and it had fun lyrics. The lyrics in the other songs aren’t good and serve no plot relevance. Not to mention "You Can’t Keep a Good Dog Down" has a glaring racist moment. "Lets Make Music Together" has great singing and would be a good song on its own but it serves no purpose and gives absolute tonal whiplash. It’s no wonder this became a meme. "Soon You’ll Come Home", despite clearly not being sung by Judith Barsi, is the only song I love. But this movie clearly wasn’t meant to be a musical, since the songs feel tacked on.

Now you’re probably thinking I don’t like this movie but I actually still love it. Part of that is the atmosphere, especially when we’re in Heaven or Hell. Those scenes show off some of Don Bluth’s best work. It has a lot of interesting ideas like clocks representing the life of someone. Plus, the actual Hell scene was the stuff of nightmares and I love it for how dark and twisted it is. The animation is top-notch as always. I also love the relationships between the characters, Charlie and Itchy have a great friendship with amazing chemistry, which is helped by Burt Reynold and Dom DeLouise being best friends in real life. Charlie’s relationship with Anne Marie is also really sweet. And while the characters aren’t great, the situations are still fun with exciting action scenes. I also love that the movie had the guts to let Charlie die at the end and not find some way to bring him back to life without the watch. That’s really impressive that they let their protagonist die and I admire it for that, which leads to an ending that’s the most emotional part of the film. It has a lot of great things about it that lead to an overall enjoyable experience. It just needed to fine-tune those details. But it’s clear that cutting ties with Steven Spielberg and even George Lucas was a mistake on Don’s part.

However, while the film is still good on its own, Anne Marie is what elevates this movie into a great film. Without her, the film wouldn’t be half as enjoyable. Not only is she absolutely adorable but she’s the heart of the film. She’s sweet without being cloying, spunky without being a raging fireball, and smart but still realistic and naive. She was always a delight every time she was on screen and part of that is the perfect casting of Judith Barsi. She was amazing as Ducky but this is the role I tend to associate her with more. She gives it her all, even out-acts the adult actors, and becomes the stand-out performer. She’s honestly one of the great child actors and it’s really sad that she and her mother were murdered by her father. It honestly makes the ending all the more emotional for me. Also, while this is minor, I hate that she still ends up wearing those rags for the rest of the movie even after she gets so many beautiful new outfits. Let her wear one of those dresses. My personal favorites are her sailor dress and her fur-trim coat.

Rock-a-Doodle

While All Dogs Go To Heaven might’s had the warning signs to Bluth’s downfall, this was definitely the beginning of the end. But lets get to the plot, such as it is. A singing rooster named Chanticleer has the power to bring the sun up with his crowing but one day it comes up without him and his “friends" laugh at him. This was secretly the work of The Grand Duke of Owls who wants the world in eternal darkness so the light won’t hurt him or something. But it turns out this is all a storybook because we cut to live-action where a real boy named Edmond is being told the story by his mother. The rain is endangering Edmond’s family farm, so he calls for Chanticleer, which instead brings the Grand Duke of Owls who turns Edmond into an animated kitten so he can eat him for daring to try and bring back Chanticleer. But he’s saved by Patou, a basset hound that can’t tie his shoes and they set off to find Chanticleer in the city along with some other colorful characters because apparently the sun actually can’t come up without Chanticleer.

Yeah, that’s not all the details in this movie but the film is both too complicated and too simple at the same time. First of all, they never explain how the sun managed to come up that one time without Chanticleer and suddenly it can’t anymore. Or the fact that they don’t allow birds at the club but allow penguins, a type of bird. They have Goldie pretend to be in love with Chanticleer but then the next minute they reveal through narration that she fell in love with him for real out of nowhere. During the climax, Chanticleer reveals that he can’t crow anymore for some unexplained reason. The story is all over the place and feels like an acid trip, which is why they put in a lot of unnecessary narration from Patou, which gets annoying because it happens every few minutes. But all it does is annoy the audience and feel like you're being talked down to. The film is so unfocused and all over the place that I find it hard to even talk about it. Also, I find it really annoying how no one believes that Edmond is really a human boy turned into a cat by The Grand Duke of Owls. I mean, y’all know the villain has powers and yet you find it hard to believe that Edmond is really a human boy?

It doesn’t help that the characters are all either bland and boring or unbelievably annoying. Edmond is cloying with how precious he is and it doesn’t help that the actor can’t act and talks with a lisp. It’s odd because in the past, Don Bluth has been great at hiring talented child actors for his films. What happened? Snipes gets the silver medal for most annoying character with his obnoxious and chauvinist personality, Peepers is a smug and know-it-all brat, Patou doesn’t shut up with his narration, Goldie is bland with no real character, Chanticleer should be the protagonist but isn’t even really a character and is instead a plot device, and Hunch takes the gold medal for the most irritating thing from this movie to the point I’d rather be stuck in a room with Valentino from Wish, Ben from Treasure Planet, Fred from Big Hero 6, the Moose from Brother Bear, and even the entire cast of Home on the Range than deal with his idiotic antics.

The songs are also either unmemorable or awful, specifically the terrible villain songs. Yes, there’s more than one villain song. Even the animation, while great, feels like a downgrade and has such a childish feel to it. It’s almost like a more polished silly symphony. Not to mention the live-action scenes are so awkward with acting so terrible it’s giving background or minor characters from 7th Heaven. Yeah, it's that bad! You can tell that Don Bluth wasn’t comfortable with live-action because it really shows with this terrible framing device.

The only positives I can say about the film, apart from the animation and voice cast (Save for Edmon), is the first song sung by Chanticleer, even if it’s nothing spectacular, and The Grand Duke of Owls. He has some class, is decently threatening, and his lines are pretty good. Although, I would’ve loved if he looked more like The Great Owl from The Secret of Nimh. Though it’s silly how he gets yeeted by a flashlight. But overall, it’s just a terrible movie and clearly something you put on to keep your toddler quiet. It’s never engaging or exciting. They really should’ve used more of the structure and plot from the original Chanticleer play. Maybe I’ll do a rewrite of Rock-a-Doodle one day.

Thumbelina

Based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy-tale of the same name, Thumbelina is about a girl no bigger than a thumb that was born from a flower to an old woman that longed for a child. Thumbelina longs to find people who are the same size as her and one night she meets and falls in love with the fairy prince, Cornelius. But before the two can live happily ever after, Thumbelina is stolen by Mama Toad, who wants to use Thumbelina’s beautiful voice to make money and force her to marry her son, Grundel, who is in love with her. Thumbelina manages to escape with the help of a swallow named Jacquimo. Meanwhile, both Cornelius and Grundel search for Thumbelina. All the while Thumbelina must find her way home to be reunited with both her mother and Cornelius while facing obstacles and learning her own self-worth.

This was a movie I watched A LOT as a kid and it honestly still holds a special place in my heart to this day. Is it flawed? Yes! The story is a bit too episodic, but to be fair, that’s exactly what the original story was like as well. Plus, I don’t hear people complain about that with movies like Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio, and Moana. I do think it would’ve benefited from a couple of rewrites. But considering Don Bluth had to write the script within the span of a couple of weeks, I feel like he did pretty good, especially considering some other movies that had a lot more time that turned out terribly. Another issue is the designs of characters like The Gitterbugs and the animals on Thumbelina’s farm looking way too exaggerated and like characters from a pre-school book. I feel like this could’ve benefitted from Don Bluth’s early dark style, as it would make a contrast from the bright and happy world Thumbelina knew when she was with her mother and the beautiful night she spent with Cornelius to a world that she’s unfamiliar with.

However, it’s honestly a great movie in my opinion. I can forgive it having plot holes because of the fact that I can suspend my disbelief when it comes to fairy-tale movies where it runs off emotion rather than logic and is more impressionistic. So I don’t care that she randomly grew wings because it didn’t make much sense in the original tale either. Plus, she was created from magic, so whose to say she couldn’t just magically get wings?

Unlike Rock-a-Doodle and even All Dogs Go to Heaven, the characters in this movie are all great and entertaining. They’re just so memorable and fun to watch in my personal opinion. Mama Toad, Ms. Fieldmouse, The Beatle, Cornelius, and especially Thumbelina. I know a lot of people complain that Thumbelina just whined and didn’t really do anything. But considering the fact that she was taken away from her home, has never been out in the real world before, is constantly being accosted by someone, and is no bigger than a thumb, I’d say she has every right to complain and not to have much hope. Her journey is that people keep on telling her what to be and what to do and she has to learn to stand up for herself and find her own self-worth. Something many relate to and struggle with. Could it have been better? Yes! But I feel like it’s done pretty well. I relate to Thumbelina's struggle, due to my autism and how I often feel like there isn't a place for people like me in this world. So I can't help but root for Thumbelina and sympathize with her situation. But she isn’t just a stick in the mud. She's playful, bubbly, charming, sweet, and just so endearing, a subversion from her pessimistic outlook, making her unique. Part of why she’s so great is definitely thanks to the stellar performance of Jodi Benson, who also did the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid. Unlike Matthew Broderick as adult Simba from The Lion King, which came out the same year, Jodi Benson managed to help the character feel fleshed out and make her personality fly off the screen due to her prior experience instead of suffering from a flat performance.

I know a lot of people hate Jacquimo and I was ready to hate him too but he’s actually not bad. My only issue is the fact that he could’ve just flown Thumbelina home this entire time. He’s based on a character that didn’t appear until the last third of the story and even then, he didn’t fly Thumbelina home because she just completely forgot about her mother who’s worried sick about her and is never seen again. While it’s annoying how he meets her quite a few times and they never think to just have him fly her home, he’s not actually a bad character. He’s a helpful character that helps support Thumbelina, such as when she’s feeling insecure about her appearance, he reminds her it doesn’t matter what others think about her and that there are people who love her. I feel like this issue could be fixed if he injured his wing when they first met after trying to save her and therefore couldn’t fly her home. Plus, given all the terrible comic reliefs I’ve been seeing from Disney lately, he’s far less annoying and actually serves some purpose.

The only characters I’m not so fond of are Grundel the toad, Mr. Mole, and Thumbelina’s three jitterbug friends. The latter are just pointless and add nothing other than saving Cornelius when he’s frozen but they could’ve found another way to get around that. In the case of Grundel, he’s just not convincing as a villain and even makes Gaston look competent. He’d work better as a villain sidekick. I honestly think Mama Toad should’ve been the main antagonist with her son being a lackey. Sort of a Fairy Godmother and Charming from Shrek 2 situation. She’s far more entertaining and interesting and I wish we saw more of her. Same with Ms. Fieldmouse, who could be just as much of the villain as Mama Toad. As for Mr. Mole, he's just there and doesn't really do much.

The romance between Thumbelina and Cornelius is so cute! While I do think they should’ve had more of a conversation together where they get to know each other before the "Let Me Be Your Wings" scene, I do buy their chemistry. There’s at least more of a basis for their relationship than the Disney Princess couples from Walt’s time. Not to mention, this is a GORGEOUS-looking film! One of Don Bluth’s best-looking films. Yes, I’ve mentioned some designs are too childish looking and some CGI is very dated but the animation is still absolutely phenomenal. For the flying scenes, they took inspiration from ice skating, which explains how graceful and elegant they look. This movie takes my breath away, especially "Let Me Be Your Wings."

Speaking of which, the soundtrack absolutely slaps! The songs were done by singer-songwriter, Barry Manilow and he did a phenomenal job. The songs are entertaining, move the story along, and show how the characters are feeling. That is the purpose of a musical. Even with a song like "Yer Beautiful Baby," which doesn’t have good singing, it’s still entertaining to watch with its high energy. The best songs are definitely "Let Me Be Your Wings", "Soon", and "The Sun" but I love all of these songs. Well, except for "Marry the Mole." It’s infamous for being the only song from an animated movie to win a Razzie for worst original song and while it’s not good, it’s not that bad either. It’s okay and it being the only animated song to win that award means nothing when the Razzies no longer have that category and they are infamous for not even watching the films that they nominate. But apart from that one hiccup, the soundtrack is amazing and it’s impressive that he had no prior experience with musicals, especially given what happened with Wish, which hired pop artists to write the music and their inexperience showed. Disney needs to fire Lin Manuel Miranda and hire Barry Manilow. I could go on about how this film is an underrated gem but lets save that for another day.

A Troll in Central Park

In the world of trolls, where all trolls are mean, ugly, and hate flowers lives Stanley, a nice and rosie-cheeked troll that magically grows flowers with his literal green thumb. He was to be turned to stone by the evil ruler of the trolls, Queen Gnorga but is convinced by her hen-pecked husband to send him to a place where nothing grows. However, that backfires because he’s sent to New York City right in the middle of Central Park. There he meets and befriends a bratty little boy named Gus and his sweet little toddler sister Rosie. Gnorga learns how her plan backfired and sets out to destroy Stanley.

This tends to be Don Bluth’s most universally hated film and for absolutely good reason. It feels like it was written for a Barney the Dinosaur audience instead of for all ages. It’s absolutely pandering, has little to no plot, nothing really happens, a lot of jokes go on for way too long, and it makes up rules as it goes along like a preschooler at playtime. Stanley can grow plants that apparently are sentient but he can also transport them to a make-believe world with trolls like him and make Gus’ toy boat the size of a real boat? When Gus is turned into a troll by Gnorga, he has her ability to turn people to stone with his thumb and then when he’s back to normal can unstone Stanley? Gnorga can control Gus’ thumb when he’s a troll? Gus turns back to normal when Gnorga turns into a rosebush? Gnorga didn’t think to check where the place she was sending Stanley was before sending him there? If Stanley has these other magical abilities, why didn’t he leave the troll world? Oh my gosh! It’s an absolute mess and really feels like something meant to keep your toddler quiet.

It doesn’t help that the characters we’re following are absolutely unlikable. Stanley is absolutely annoying, stupid, and useless. He reminds me of all those annoying toxic positivity people in life that say if you just believe and be positive it’ll happen. It doesn’t help that he’s never any help until the climax but it doesn’t feel earned due to how pathetic he’s been. Gus is just an irritating and shrill little brat that would make even the most liberal person want to beat the hell out of him. Even his moments of being a loving brother to Rosie don’t help balance out his bratty moments because he’s just too annoying and unlikable. Rosie is just there and does nothing but be cutesy. While her cutesyness isn’t nearly as pandering as cloying as Edmond, she just adds nothing but to be captured by the villains. Speaking of the villains, they’re lame as well. Gnorga is basically like those villains you see in preschool shows that hate goodness and prettiness and love the nastiness but is a simpleton and a total clown of a villain you can’t take seriously. Her husband is just the pathetic henpecked husband who is totally incompetent and bad comic relief.

The songs all suck and feel like rejected songs from a d-tier preschool show. Childish, pandering, and sounding like the writers had less than a week to write the songs. How did we go from the bangers of Thumbelina to songs that make the soundtrack of Rock-a-Doodle sound like Beauty and the Beast?

The sad thing is that this movie, despite how dumb it is, actually had potential. I feel like it would’ve been interesting to have Gus be an orphan in the foster system that is jaded and pessimistic from life and he ends up meeting Stanley who is positive and naive and the two learned and grew from each other. Showing how both their world views have some truth to them but also are flawed. Maybe I’ll do a video where I do a rewrite of A Troll in Central Park. Let me know if that’s something you guys would be interested in. But as for this movie, I was embarrassed when watching it like I was watching something meant for toddlers.

The Pebble and the Penguin

Taking place in Antarctica, the Adélie penguins are preparing for a mating ritual where the male penguins present a pebble to a female penguin they fancy and if she accepts it, they mate for life. Our protagonist, a shy and stuttering penguin named Hubie, is in love with "the most beautiful girl penguin," Marina (The narrator’s actual description of her, not mine) and she seems to feel the same. However, Hubie can’t seem to get a pebble until one night he wishes on a star and an emerald cube falls from the sky. Unfortunately, an evil macho penguin named Drake is also after Marina’s flipper in marriage and tries to feed Hubie to a leopard seal. Hubie manages to escape but is lost at sea where he's captured by humans to be put in a zoo. He manages to escape with the help of a cranky and wise-cracking penguin named Rocko, who agrees to help Hubie get back home before the mating ceremony and they form a friendship along the way.

This was another movie that I watched a lot as a kid and enjoyed. However, unlike Thumbelina, it sadly doesn’t hold up at all. While it’s not bad, it’s just a mediocre mess. The movie was a production nightmare and it shows in the final product. This can definitely be seen in the writing with how it tends to skim over important details like showing Hubie getting captured by humans, how Rocko survived the killer whales, explaining the apparent magical powers of the pebble that can let Hubie see what’s happening with Marina back home only once and is never brought back up again, and the rules of the mating ceremony. Apparently, there’s a law that you have to choose a mate before the full-moon mating ceremony or you’re banished. It’s done to make Marina’s situation more dire but it just makes the world-building a bit ridiculous. The pacing is also all over the place, hence why the film has narration that works at the beginning and the end of the film but is constantly done throughout the film to the point it feels pandering and unnecessary because the film should’ve been able to show it by itself. It’s not nearly as bad as Rock-a-Doodle’s narration but it’s still really pointless. They even give Rocko the ability to fly at the end of the film but give no real explanation as to how this is possible. The only explanation is lazy writing.

Hubie is a really unlikable protagonist. He’s clearly only interested in Marina for her looks, is really selfish, doesn’t respect Rocko’s very clear boundaries, manipulates and lies to Rocko to get what he wants from him and faces no real consequences for it, is absolutely useless to the point he’s more of a damsel in distress than the actual damsel in distress, and actually held his breath until Rocko said he liked him like a spoiled 4-year-old. His motivations for wanting to be with Marina aren’t any different than Drake's. The only difference is that Drake is more up-front about it. I appreciate the representation of people with speech problems, as I myself struggled with that as a child, but the character is so unlikable that I can’t even appreciate it that much. While he’s not as bad as Stanley, he’s still a really terrible protagonist.

Marina is just there to be a love interest and to promote the film’s message that it’s not the pebble, it’s the penguin and that’s it. She’s a non-entity. She at least has a beautiful singing voice. Hubie’s three bird friends are pointless and add nothing to the story. You forget all about them until they pop up. The only good characters are Rocko and Drake. Rocko is really enjoyable with his tough and wise-cracking personality and we often feel his frustration with Hubie, given the fact that Hubie is awful. But their friendship isn’t convincing because it had terrible development, he hasn’t shown any signs of liking Hubie, and I just can’t imagine anyone actually liking Hubie. Drake is voiced by Tim Curry and that’s pretty much all you need in order to make a villain great. The character gives Gaston but a lot smarter and just has a lot of charm due to Tim Curry’s stellar performance. And it’s truly sad that the more appealing option is the villain.

The animation is still great, though there are times it’s clear that corners have been cut with some art cels not being finished and characters being frozen in frame. But the animation is still gorgeous to look at, especially the killer whale chase, which is really spectacular, especially with the way the orcas are animated. I also love the creativity of the opening sequence, "Now and Forever."

Speaking of which, the soundtrack is a banger. Barry Manilow returns to do the music for the film and I’m thankful for his contribution. While not as good as the songs from Thumbelina, this is by far the most enjoyable aspect of the film with songs that feel like they were made for Broadway. The only song I don’t like is "The Good Ship Misery." The melody isn’t very good, the vocals are too harsh at times, and is just meh. And while I don’t think "Looks Like I Got Me A Friend" works in the film, due to a lack of development between the characters relationship and Hubie holding his breath until he gets his way like a Karen is off-putting, the song is still really catchy and fun. But the rest of the songs absolutely slap! "Now and Forever", "Sometimes, I Wonder", and "Don’t Make Me Laugh" are bangers. If there’s any reason to check this film out, it’s just for the songs.

Anastasia

Inspired by the historical event of the real Grand Duchess Anastasia, our story takes place in 1916 when the Tsar Nicholas II of Russia is celebrating the 300 anniversary of the Romanov family. However, it’s interrupted by Rasputin, who places a curse to have Nicholas and his immediate family die. He’s successful in his mission, with the exception of the youngest daughter, Anastasia who managed to escape with her grandmother, the Dowager Empress Marie, and even caused Rasputin’s death. However, the two get separated and Anastasia gets amnesia. Ten years later, the Dowager Empress is offering a reward for anyone who can reunite her with the lost princess. Two conmen, Vladimir and Dimitri, who was also the servant boy who helped Anastasia and her grandmother escape, try to find an Anastasia look-alike in order to get the money and even have the music box that the grandmother gave Anastasia to help their con work. They come across an orphan named Anya, who looks just like Anastasia and is trying to find her family in Paris, which is where the Dowager Empress lives and they convince her that she could be Anastasia without telling her about their scheme. But it turns out that this is the real Anastasia. Meanwhile, Rasputin, trapped in limbo and literally falling apart, schemes to kill her so his curse can be fulfilled.

This is a movie I watched ALL THE TIME as a little boy and it actually got me interested in the history of the real-life royal family when I was a teenager. So don’t be surprised if my love for this movie shines through. During the 90’s many companies were trying to capitalize off the Disney Renaissance with very few being able to hold their own. This film was one of the exceptions and part of that is because of Don Bluth’s previous experience working at Disney. He knew what made it work and the lack of that magic during Disney’s Bronze Age was why he left Disney to begin with. However, he added his own signature touch to it, which I felt was missing in Thumbelina. This movie is definitely dark and not just because of the subject matter. I mean, you got the villain trying to kill off the protagonist by using the images of her dead family to make her sleepwalk to her doom. That’s pretty dark. I feel like Don Bluth is most comfortable with stories that are dark and I love him for that.

This is by far Don Bluth’s most GORGEOUS-looking film. Due to the fact that this was made with 20th Century Fox, he was able to have much more of a budget than he did with his past works and it clearly shows in every frame. This is arguably the most gorgeous-looking animated movie I’ve ever seen, though Klaus might be more beautiful. It’s a massive film with scale, stellar colors, mermazing character designs, and one of the most stunning animated sequences with "Once Upon a December." Not to mention, Anastasia has such an incredible wardrobe. Arguably the best of any animated heroine. There is some CGI in the film but I feel like it works to the film’s advantage, especially when it comes to the nightmare scene. It never really looks jarring to me and for the most part, blends seamlessly.

Anastasia herself is one of my favorite fictional characters and if she were an official Disney Princess, she'd be my second favorite after Ariel. I absolutely adore how sassy, snarky, and sarcastic she is. I look for opportunities to repeat a lot of her one-liners in real life. She’s one of the characters I credit for me being so damn snarky and sarcastic with an endless amount of sass. But she's also caring and kind to help balance her out and not feel like just a hothead. However, she clearly has her limits and isn’t afraid to call people out and I love her for that. She’s honestly the best protagonist of any Don Bluth movie, even better than Littlefoot.

The rest of the characters are also really likable. They are all entertaining no matter how little screen time they have, which is helped by stellar performances. I know a lot of people don’t like Rasputin but I honestly think he’s the best of all of Don Bluth’s villains. Yes, he’s comedic but I don’t feel like it’s ever to a ridiculous extent like Gnorga and her husband. Plus, despite his comedic moments, he’s actually legitimately intimidating and I can take him seriously as a villain. Such as the scene where he tries to have Anastasia’s family lure her to her death. Which is helped by an amazing design and a phenomenal performance from Christopher Lloyd. Bartok may not be necessary to the plot, but he’s a lot of fun and it’s nice to have a villain sidekick who is actually pretty competent and not an idiot. Plus, he’s absolutely quotable!

This movie also is able to hit you in the feels with scenes like the reunion between Anastasia and her grandmother. We see a jaded old woman that has dealt with loss and people trying to con her slowly start to let down her guard and realize that this woman is her long-lost granddaughter. The moment she calls Anya her Anastasia always gets me emotional.

The music is absolutely PHENOMENAL! This is the best soundtrack from any Don Bluth musical. I know that’s not saying much, considering the track record of Don Bluth’s musicals, but it’s really amazing. It even blows Thumbelina out of the water. Every single one of them are bangers and have a Broadway-style to them that I ADORE. The best songs are definitely "Once Upon a December", "Journey to the Past", and "In the Dark of the Night." The songs are all memorable, full of energy, and have great vocals, especially the songs sung by Liz Callaway and Bernadette Peters. The score is also brilliant, especially "The Prologue" and "The Nightmare." But then again, I’m a sucker for epic choirs singing in a score.

An issue I do have with the film is something a lot of people love and that’s Dimitri and his relationship with Anastasia. Now don’t get me wrong, they’re not bad and are still good but I feel like they were both rushed. They went from arguing, then the Learn to Do It musical number (Which didn’t focus on their relationship), he gives her a dress that she snarks on, she changes her hair and puts on a pretty dress, and suddenly they’re having feelings for each other. That was just an odd transition. I feel like they needed a scene before the waltz where they have a conversation and start to understand each other better before they begin to fall in love. It just makes Dimitri seem like he only started to fall for Anya because of her looks, which doesn’t make him or the relationship look the best. However, I do still enjoy Dimitri and the relationship. I just feel like they needed to develop the relationship a bit more. In all honesty, I would say it’s still the best romance from a Don Bluth movie, but the standards aren’t high there.

I also don’t like how Anastasia left her grandma when she had been looking for her family for so long only to leave her aging grandmother, who she only has so much time left with. It isn’t an awful decision but I do think they could’ve just had Dimitri move in with Anastasia and her grandmother and they could all be together. I know it implies that the royal life isn’t for Anastasia but still, I feel like they could’ve done better than that. But overall, this is honestly one of my favorite movies and much like Thumbelina, it captures the magic that’s been missing from a lot of Disney’s more recent movies.

Bartok the Magnificent

The only direct-to-video sequel that Don Bluth and Gary Goldman ever actually worked on, which is meant to be a prequel to Anastasia, focusing on Bartok. Supposedly taking place sometime before the events of Anastasia, Bartok is a con artist for his own personal circus with his partner in crime, a bear named Zozi. The royal advisor, Ludmilla, claims that the young Prince Ivan was kidnapped by the infamous witch, Baba Yaga. So Bartok, given all his false accomplishments, is sent to rescue the prince. He must accomplish three missions in order to save the prince. But Baba Yaga, obviously, didn’t actually kidnap the prince and it was really the clearly evil royal advisor, Ludmilla who wants the throne for herself.

The biggest issue this movie has is how it feels absolutely disconnected from the original Anastasia. This is meant to be a prequel but how long ago? Obviously, this takes place in a different time period but based on the fashion it’s so long ago that it’s clear that there’s no way Bartok would’ve lived long enough to be there during the events of the original movie. Not to mention that considering all he did to help Prince Ivan, it doesn’t seem realistic that he would one day work with a man who would plan to kill the royal family. I know people change but this is a pretty big leap with no real explanation. Plus, while there was magic and fantasy in the original movie, it still had a level of being grounded in reality. Whereas this movie is clearly meant to be more fantasy, campy, and clearly doesn’t take place in a world grounded in any form of reality. It just feels like two completely different worlds.

However, if you can manage to ignore those massive plot holes, it’s actually really entertaining and fun on its own. It’s nothing great but it has a lot of things going for it like enjoyable and interesting characters, a fun and whimsical look, jokes that are funny, pretty good action scenes, a good message of what’s on the inside that counts, and the quests that Bartok goes on (Even if a little repetitive) are still fun to watch. I feel like all the issues would be resolved if the protagonist wasn’t Bartok. Don’t get me wrong, I love Bartok and he might be my favorite character in the movie. But, unfortunately, his inclusion just gives the film continuity issues when it would’ve been better just to have the film be given a protagonist that was unique to this film.

The animation clearly is the weakest looking of all of Don Bluth’s movies, due to it being made for direct-to-video and not for the big screen. However, it’s still pretty good animation. Yes, there is a clear indication that corners were cut and the CGI is really dated and jarring, but it’s still pretty to look at and really plays into its more whimsical fairy-tale folklore look. Not to mention, the animators definitely had fun with the likes of Baba Yaga and Piloff, who are some of the best characters in this movie thanks to the voice acting, the animation, and good writing.

Ludmilla is an absolutely delightful villain. Yes, she’s power-hungry, selfish, and cares very little for those below her but it’s clear that she’s also frustrated with being bossed around and ignored by her boss, who is a literal child. Speaking of which, where are his parents? Anyway, I also love how Ludmilla clearly is on the brink of losing that last shred of sanity she has left. It makes it easy to believe that when she turns into a dragon, she’d go so insane she’d lose her ability to talk when she sees her new form. Plus, the performance by Catherine O’Hara is excellent, as usual. She just puts her all into any performance she gives and is just eating up the role deliciously, which makes Lubmilla so much fun to watch. I wish we got to see more of her.

While I do find Zozi entertaining, though that could be because of Kelsey Grammer’s performance, he doesn’t seem all that necessary. He doesn’t add much other than giving inspiration and motivation to Bartok. He’s fun to watch and I like his relationship with Bartok, but he doesn’t add much to the movie or have much of a point. Also, why bring Kelsey Grammer back to voice another character in this movie when he already voiced Vlad in Anastasia? Also, his design is a bit odd to me. It’s just a bit too cartoony for me personally. But maybe I’m just spoiled by the bears in Brother Bear, The Fox and the Hound, and the black bear from Balto.

The songs aren’t anything to write home about. The only songs I like are "Baba Yaga" and "Someone’s in My House", which are both pretty fun. As for the other songs, the lyrics aren’t anything special, the melodies don’t grab me, and are so mediocre that they make the songs from All Dogs Go to Heaven look like The Little Mermaid. But the titular song is definitely the worst, especially since Hank Azaria is no singer and makes it hard to listen to. Kelsey Grammer has a great voice but "A Possible Hero" is so forgettable. Catherine O’Hara has a nice enough voice, but the "The Real Ludmila" just isn’t it. It’s so unmemorable and nothing about it stands out to me. Plus, the imagery that likely inspired a lot of fetishist people on DeviantArt isn’t helping.

Overall, it’s not one of Don Bluth’s best works, but it’s still a good movie that’s a lot of fun and I can see myself revisiting it if I was in the right mood. Definitely check it out, since it’s a movie people tend to forget that Don Bluth and Gary Goldman made. But I can’t say you’ll fall in love with it and a lot of it will depend on how you felt about Bartok to begin with.

Titan A.E.

We’ve finally gotten to the last movie that Don Bluth and Gary Goldman ever made and boy was it a way to go out. In the year 3028, the human race is force to evacuate the planet due to the threat of the Drej, an alien race made of pure energy that end up destroying the planet. But before that, a young boy named Cale is given a special ring from his father, who is part of the government and didn't survive. Fifteen years later, the humans are living amongst aliens but aren’t given the best treatment. Cale has grown up to be arrogant and jaded. He’s confronted by Korso, who knew his father and tells Cale that the ring his father gave him is actually a map linked to his DNA and will lead them to the Titan, a secret project the humans created in order to make a new planet. So Cale, being forced to come along or be killed by the Drej, joins a rag-tag team to help save the human race while fighting off the Drej.

This is by far the most BORING Don Bluth movie ever and Don himself never wanted to work on the movie. He said himself that he didn’t know anything about sci-fi and wasn’t even a fan of it. But if he and Gary hadn’t done it, the animation division of 20th Century Fox would be shut down, which ended up happening with how the movie BOMBED. Neither Don or Gary were involved in the script and you can really tell, due to how lifeless this movie is. Nothing about the movie stands out because it’s dull as sandpaper and has no personality. A Troll in Central Park and Rock-a-Doodle are worse but at least they had personality.

Considering the troubled production history of this movie, it clearly reflects in the writing and what an absolute mess it is. First of all, the motivation of The Drej destroying Earth because they were afraid of what the human race would become is very flimsy. I know prejudice isn’t based on logic but this is just a weak reason. There’s a lot of things that don’t make sense like how Akima gets shot and then she’s just told she needs rest without anyone doing anything to fix her wound. It’s also really insane that the dad would give his son, who couldn’t have been any older than 6-years-old, a ring that was humanity’s last hope. First of all, ignoring the fact that a child that young is most likely to lose it, he basically just put a target on his son. Not to mention that despite it being fifteen years later, Cale is acting like the events just happened. Why is he asking for ketchup and complaining about his food moving when he should be used to eating the alien food and at this point wouldn’t even remember what ketchup taste like? Not to mention, are we really supposed to believe that characters would be dressing like this in the 3000’s? They look like grunge from the 2000’s. It’s just weak world-building.

Korso as a twist villain makes little sense because there’s no build-up. Why would he be trying to appeal to Cale’s humanity when he made it clear he didn’t care about humanity? This is a sentiment that Korso shares, so why not play to Cale’s ego and what he’d get out of it instead. Also, the way he gets caught because he was too stupid to make sure the door was closed is ridiculous. His redemption at the end wasn’t convincing in the slightest.

Speaking of Cale, he’s one of the most unlikable protagonists from a Don Bluth movie. He’s an arrogant jerk that just treats everyone terribly. I know that he’s been through a lot but he’s just too harsh for him to be likable. Not to mention he doesn’t even care about saving humanity but rather what he can get out of it. The rest of the characters aren’t very likable either. These are some of the most forgettable characters that you will ever meet. Akima is just the generic love-interest and a tough girl, Korso is dull, Stith is just a violent hothead and that’s all, Gune is just some pointless comic relief that isn’t even putting much effort into it, and The Drej are the most boring villains to ever exist. The only character I find to be entertaining is Preed, which is thanks to the fact that Nathan Lane is hamming it up a bit to make the character more interesting and fun to watch but not in a way that’s too over-the-top. The other actors play the characters too straight and that makes the characters too static whereas Nathan Lane adds some much-needed entertainment.

Speaking of the acting, this movie is proof why just because someone is a talented actor, that doesn’t mean they are necessarily good at voice acting. Matt Damon and Drew Barrymore are clearly talented actors, but their performances are too dry and lifeless. It feels like they foamed it in and their inexperience in voice acting clearly shows.

The animation is another issue. While the 2D animation looks amazing as always, due to the production troubles that caused a lot of people to get laid off, they had to cut corners by using CGI animation for backgrounds, special effects, spaceships, the Drej, and even spacesuits. At times, it can look nice, but most of the time it looks really dated. They don’t blend well at all and it’s just really jarring. The soundtrack is also odd with its very dated rock songs that don’t really match the tone of the film.

Something positive I will say is that I love that this movie actually has people of color in it. As you can tell from Don Bluth’s work, when he’s focused on humans it’s just been white people. Obviously, it still has a white protagonist but it also has an Asian leading lady with Akima and even shows both Asians and black people in the background. While it’s not groundbreaking representation, it’s still nice to see people of color in the Don Bluth style.

I will admit, I’m not the biggest fan of sci-fi, but I’m especially not a fan of the sci-fi that goes for a dull, lifeless, and apocalyptic look to it because it’s just boring and lacks any creativity. If you’ve seen my review of Lightyear on YouTube, you know why this isn’t a good idea for sci-fi. While this movie is a bit better than Lightyear, since we at least get to see some cool locations and the 2D animation is stunning, it’s still lifeless. I tend to prefer sci-fi that have more fun with their concepts like Treasure Planet, Lilo and Stitch, and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command or ones that combine fantasy with sci-fi like Atlantis: The Lost Empire or Winx Club. This movie has none of that passion or creativity. It’s clearly a by-the-numbers film that does nothing with its potential. I literally forgot about this movie after watching it and just remember how bored I was. It deserves to be known as the film that destroyed Don Bluth’s career.

The Rankings

Now that we’ve gone through all of the movies, lets rank them. As I’ve already mentioned, this is, of course, going to be biased, as it’s my own personal taste. And while I do encourage your all to share your opinions, don’t be rude about it or your comment will be deleted without hesitation. Now lets dive on into the rankings.

11. A Troll in Central Park

I would pay to have this movie erased from my mind Totally Spies style, despite the physical pain that would be inflicted on me. That’s how bad this is.  While it’s nowhere near one of the worst animated movies out there by a long shot, I was honestly embarrassed while watching this. The characters are unlikable, the songs are awful, the humor is stupid, the writing is terrible, the villains are lame, it’s unbelievably pandering, and feels like something you put on to keep your kids quiet for an hour and a half and not caring about them actually watching something with quality. If my wife and I ever decide to have kids, we aren’t letting them watch this. It’s absolutely putrid.

10. Rock-a-Doodle

This is honestly almost as bad as A Troll in Central Park. But this movie at least has an entertaining villain and one good song, which makes it marginally better. However, the characters are either bland or annoying, the other songs range from forgettable to awful, the story is a horrible mess, the comedy sucks, the live-action scenes are painfully amateur with terrible acting, and the narration is insufferable. Phil Harris deserved better than for this to be his final movie role.

9. Titan A.E.

While not awful like the other two, it’s still pretty bad. I’m not into this kind of gritty Sci-Fi, the characters range from forgettably boring to just annoyingly unlikable, the CGI is heinous, the story is dull and unmemorable, it’s clunky, and just so boring that my wife struggled to stay awake during it. It’s just a bad movie and I hate that this was the last film that Don Bluth ever made because it destroyed the career of a great artist. But Nathan Lane was a delight, as always.

8. The Pebble and the Penguin

It’s sad that a movie I enjoyed so much as a kid really doesn’t hold up. While the songs slap, the animation is gorgeous, and both Rocko and Drake are enjoyable character, everything else is a mess. Hubie is absolutely unlikable and can’t take care of himself, Marina is a non-entity, the other characters are pointless and useless, the narration is pandering, the story is a mess, the friendship between Hubie and Rocko isn’t believable, and while it’s not a bad movie it’s mediocre at best. But there’s at least a level of entertainment to it, unlike the ones lower on this list.

7. Bartok the Magnificent

This movie isn’t anything great but it’s still a lot of fun and an overall good film. While the animation clearly isn’t as strong as the other Don Bluth movies, due to it being a direct-to-video project, it’s still pretty good and has a lot of creativity. The characters are likable, the villain is fun, the story is engaging, two songs are good, and it has a good message. Its main issue is that the inclusion of Bartok, while a great and entertaining character, causes a lot of plot holes in this film and the tone of the film being totally different from its predecessor. But if you can turn your brain off and ignore that, it’s a pretty fun time on its own. I do wish Ludmilla had more screen time and that the songs were better.

6. All Dogs Go to Heaven

If my younger self was making this list, it would’ve been higher than this but there are some glaring issues. The characters aren’t that engaging, there are only two good songs in a movie that clearly didn’t need to be a musical, the villain is boring, and we really don’t get to see much of Heaven. However, it’s still a great movie with a lot of merits. The animation is gorgeous, the story we get is fun and engaging, the relationships are great, it manages to get me of all people to cry, it had the guts to kill off the protagonist, and Anne Marie is an absolute delight that elevates this movie from a good film to a great film. Plus, while I don’t enjoy it nearly as much as I did as a kid, it still holds a special place in my heart.

5. Thumbelina

Call me blinded by nostalgia all you want but I think this is a genuinely great movie. Yes, the writing isn’t the best and it clearly needed a rewrite or two. However, the film we got is still amazing in my opinion. Thumbelina is an engaging and charming character, Cornelius is a dashing and likable love interest, the romance is good, the characters are a lot of fun, the animation is gorgeous, and while "Marry the Mole" isn’t a good song, the rest of the soundtrack is an absolute banger. To me, it’s a classic and it actually has more of that Disney magic than the films Disney’s releasing nowadays. And if my younger self had made this list, this film would’ve been in the top 3.

4. An American Tail

I didn’t grow up watching this movie but I honestly wish that I did because it’s an amazing film. The characters are likable, it has a great message, the family aspect is strong, it does a good job tackling some serious issues, the animation is gorgeous, the humor is funny, the action is engaging, and it’s very likely to get you emotional, especially by the end of the film. While the songs, apart from "Somewhere Out There," aren’t anything great, they’re still pretty fun to listen to. The villain isn’t anything memorable but he serves his purpose.

3. The Secret of Nimh

I know a lot of you will end up coming for me for not having this as number one but I just don’t enjoy it as much as my top 2. The characters are likable, the story is engaging, the animation is gorgeous, the action is exciting, the hero's journey that Mrs. Brisby goes on is unique, the atmosphere is enticing, and while the villain is a bit generic he’s still fun for how devious he is. But Jeremy is absolutely annoying and I genuinely wanted Dragon to eat him. Much like An American Tail, I didn’t grow up with this movie, but I wish that I did. I can see why people consider it to be Don Bluth’s magnum opus.

2. The Land Before Time

What can I say? It’s one of my all-time favorite movies. The animation is absolutely stellar, the action scenes are intense, the characters are amazing, the friendship between the characters is spectacular, it doesn’t talk down to its audience, its aged like fine wine, Littlefoot is one of my favorite fictional male characters, and the death of Littlefoot’s Mother still makes me cry at the age of 30. If you haven’t seen it, you are missing out. This movie is iconic and it’s clear to see why it spawned so many sequels, even if only movies 2-6 are good.

Anastasia

I mean, is anyone really surprised here? I absolutely ADORE this movie. It feels like a Disney Princess movie from the Renaissance era but with Don Bluth’s own signature dark edge. Anastasia herself is one of the best fictional characters EVER, the songs are amazing, the animation is one of the most beautiful looking animated movies ever (If not THE most beautiful), the characters are likable, it gets me emotional, the action is awesome, the villain is great, and is just an all-around phenomenal movie. While I do feel like Dimitri and his relationship with Anastasia could’ve been A LOT better, they’re still pretty good.

And those were my rankings for Don Bluth’s movies. These films, even the bad ones, make me truly miss 2D animation. Lets hope that Don Bluth eventually gets to release his film version of Dragon’s Lair. At least it would give him the chance to end his film career on a better note than Titan A.E. and it would be nice to see a 2D film in the movie theater again. With computer animation being the dominant animation nowadays, traditional animation has pretty much become an endangered art form that thrives in television and independent projects. However, I’m hoping that there will be someone who will challenge Disney the way Don Bluth did. Yes, that would be difficult but it’s not impossible. After all, they had no competition in animation before Don Bluth, and had he not challenged them to do better, we wouldn’t have the Disney Renaissance. We can’t let 2D animation die because there’s a beauty to it that can’t be captured in 3D. If Don Bluth could manage to challenge Disney and force them to do better, who’s to say that someone else won’t do that as well and revive traditional animation?

So what did you guys think? Did you agree with any of my choices? What are your rankings for Don Bluth’s films? Let me know in the comments below. Let me know. Please like, comment, reblog, and follow me if you haven't already.

[dishywishy]

BEHOLD, MY HTTYD OPINIONS. if you scroll even further you get to also read my random thoughts about The Hidden World movie.

My fun little thoughts about the Hidden World movie:

Generally speaking, courtship behaviors are largely instinctual in most animals. So maybe part of the reason Toothless was so confused about how to court the Lightfury because she wasn’t another Nightfury.

The first time I watched HTTYD 3 I was very much under the impression that the Lightfury had been in captive for a pretty decent amount of time. When the Lightfury is brought to Grimmel the general dudes even say “We brought your favorite bait” which implies that Grimmel has used Lightfuries to lure Nightfuries before. Which then led me to the assumption that Grimmel had been using this specific Lightfury for a least a few years.

This also explained to me why the Lightfury kept coming back to find Toothless instead of going back to the Hidden World. She’s been with Grimmel so long she didn’t know what else to do, or alternatively she didn’t want to lead Grimmel to the Hidden World. It also explained why she was almost luring Toothless into Grimmel’s initial trap.

The one thing I never really got was how they ever got a Lightfury. I’ve been under the assumption they’re entirely endemic to the Hidden World, and there wouldn’t be any real reason for them to leave.

Would Toothless be miserable in the Hidden World? He’s built for lots of flying and his main form of attack and presumably hunting is diving from up high. You really can’t do that in a cave, even if the Hidden World is big.

WHAT ABOUT THE FUCKING TIMBERJACKS MAN? WHAT ABOUT FLIGHTLESS DRAGONS LIKE SPEEDSTINGERS??? THE CANNIBAL DRAGONS?!?

Also I know Toothless has the Berk dragons go to the Hidden World but what about literally all the other dragons?

I NEED ANSWERS

After this I’m gonna redesign the Nightlights with my head canon stuff in mind. And maybe Thunder. I haven’t watched the Nine Realms but I’ve seen pictures of Thunder and HOLY SHIT HE’S UGLY IM SORRY THUNDER BUT YOU GOT DONE DIRTY

Also I definitely want feedback and opinions on this if you feel like sharing :)

[believesthings]

Not Just A Girl - Chapter 5 // Jason Sudeikis x Reader

A/N: This is a little bit of a shorter chapter but I'm excited about what's coming up in these next few chapters.

You wait while Todd finishes up a phone call for another one of his clients. When he hangs up, he smiles at you. "Okay, the apology basket has been sent over. Do you mind telling me why you felt it was such a dire need?"

You shake your head in response, "Mainly guilt. I was a bit of a wreck after eavesdropping. I ended up accidentally ending the message I was leaving for Jason right after an abrupt strong of curse words."

"Ah, say no more." Todd says holding his hands up. He knows you well enough at this point to understand. "I suppose I can forgive you for forgetting to tell me you'd gotten there alright then." Todd motions towards the stack of pages stacked up in the chair across from his desk. "Those are for you. I have a bag around here somewhere if you can't fit them in yours."

"Fan mail?" You ask, making your way towards the stack.

He nods. "Yeah." You're able to fit the pages neatly beside the script pages for the James & Mia script, which is what you've taken to calling the movie until it's given an official title.

You point to the stack that sits off in the corner that Todd has almost hidden. You can see that the one on top is addressed to you. "What about those? Might has well take as many off your hands as I can while I'm here."

Todd shares sharply at you. "No - those stay with me for now." He doesn't offer any further explanation. You're standing closer to the stack of papers than he is and he frowns when you wake your way towards it, reaching for the top letter and starting to read. He holds out his hand, urging you to give the letter back.

You feel your cheeks burning as you quickly read words addressed to you. Apparently, it's bullshit that you've been linked to multiple actors in the past few weeks, especially Jason and these people wanted to make sure you knew how they felt about it. "Oh -"

"Look, some people just..." Todd is speaking lowly now, still holding his hand out for the letter.

"That is quite a lot of hate there." He takes the paper gently from your hands and replaces it on the top of the stack that you eye with concern. "Are all of those letters like that?"

Todd turns back to you and grasps you by the shoulders. "Forget those. You can't please everybody all the time. Let's focus on the the fact that you landed the role of Mia and-" He moves you away from the letters trying to steer your attention in another direction. "Can you please promise me an alert for the next time you plan to worry Jason like that?"

You shrug, doing your best to try to forget the words you just read. "You could have told him I was getting the part. Did you know already? Wasn't that what you wanted to talk to me about?" Remembering the strangely worded text that Todd had sent you.

"No actually that notification arrived after you'd texted me." Once Todd is comfortably assured that you don't plan on diving towards the stack (although you still can't seem to shake that you've racked up an entire stack) of hate mail, he leans against the edge of the desk while he talks to you. "To redouble the happy news for the day, I've gotten confirmation from the studio that they want to do a sequel for All Your Monsters and, in so many words, they refuse to even mention your character's name unless you're willing to participate."

You squeal and jump towards him and he braces himself the incoming hug. "Oh my God Todd!" You step back again and start to pace. "What about Will is he also going to be in it? What does that mean for -"

He holds up a hand to stop you from falling to far into the rabbit hole of questions. "They've just confirmed that they want to pursue a sequel. There's a lot of details that need to be worked out before we need to start worrying about anything other than you playing the role of Mia. And for other good news, I've been looking into those rentals that you sent me. I think I have them sorted out to two good options for you - just let me know when you want to go back and double check that they would be a good fit and then we can get all the paperwork signed. "

You place your hand over your heart and give him a tender look. "Where would I be without you Todd?"

He waves his hand to dismiss you before you can get too sentimental. "You would still be here, just with a different person helping you along the way."

Todd's phone begins to ring and he glances at it before looking back up at you. You smile and pick up your bag. "I'm heading back to the hotel. Thank you for being the best agent. I really don't know how you juggle everything so well." He nods gratefully before scooping up the phone.

You're almost back to the hotel when a text arrives from Jason.

Gift basket arrived to the surprise and delight of the cast and crew. I half thought you were joking about that. They send their thanks.

You smile, happy your gesture was well received.

Another text from Jason comes in:

End of day time still looks right. How does dinner at my place sound? Will you have already eaten by then?"

Nice. Quiet. Just what you needed after the odd day you've had. You text back:

Sounds Divine. I can wait to eat. What should I bring?

Your pleased by the fact that there aren't too many photographers waiting for your arrival back to the hotel. Once you make it into the lobby, you notice that Jason has responded to your text.

Your company is all I need. See you soon.

Rather than tempt yourself to shop for things you don't really need you opt to stay in the hotel and answer fan mail. After reading how vehemently a complete stranger opposes your connection with Jason it helps to read the uplifting pages.

You estimate the travel time between your hotel and the location where Jason has been filming today and order a taxi. As you arrive, the driver notice your expression upon seeing the number of people standing on the sidewalk. "Are you alright there?"

You nod, now realizing you didn't really think this through. The taxi would need to be going to his next stop... and you weren't filming at this studio, or even with the respective company that owned it. Security would probably just think you were another respective fan trying to get a glimpse of Jason. You sigh and set your mouth in a determined line. You'd just have to wait off to the side and hope the crowd would be too occupied trying to see Jason exit the building. "Good. Thanks. How much do I owe you?"

The driver turns now to smile at you rather than look at you through the rearview mirror. "My girls love you. I guess you're here to see Jason?"

He hadn't made conversation the entire ride over so it hadn't dawned on you that he knew who you were. You adjust your hat a little. "I - yes. What are their names?" You pull a pen out of your bag and wait as he scrambles in his front seat to hand you something to sign.

"If you want," he looks away from you to the security gate, "I can see if they'll let me drop your inside?"

You shake your head. “I didn’t, we didn’t, really plan this out. I don’t know…But thanks for the offer.” You hand him back the paper along with the fare, which you now realize has been showing on the screen in front of your knees. He looks hesitant to let you out of the cab but doesn’t protest as you slide out of the seat onto the sidewalk. You wave to him in thanks and watch the taxi roll away from the curb.

Ok, now what. You again play with the notion of walking over to introduce yourself to security. You tap out a quick message to Jason.

Just arrived. A bit early. Oops.

You are adjusting your cap and about to walk up the sidewalk towards the studio when you hear a whoop. Someone shouts your name excitedly and you, without really thinking, look for the source. Now more faces are turning to see what the excitement is, and you note security is following the gaze of the few that were shouting your name. Well, this is one way to start the night. A guard reaches you after you’ve signed a few photos that had been thrust into your hands. Though patient to allow you to greet the first few individuals that had met you, the guard doesn’t let you linger long.

Someone from the crew is waiting to take you to Jason's dressing room. “He’s just cleaning up. Thanks for the goodies, by the way.” She knocks lightly on the door marked Sudeikis and you hear a muffled response. She motions for you to go on in with a wave of her hand before walking back down the hallway.

You can smell the soap he’s just used to wash, and note he is quickly pulling a shirt over his head to be presentable for whomever is coming to talk to him. Dear Lord the man has more muscle definition than you thought. His hair is now mussed from pulling on his shirt. You grin and stand in the doorway, waiting for him to see that it is you.

All he has to do is smile to propel you across the small space and into his arms. “How was the rest of your day?” With your ear to his chest his words reverberate around in your head.

You reply without moving, “Fine. Better. Good. Brett is going to be in  the James & Mia movie with me!”

Jason uses one hand to flip your hat off your head that you ah, had forgotten that you were wearing. He kisses the top of your head before speaking again. “He sent me a text just after I had hung up with you. They evidently wrote the part with him in mind but then found him unavailable, until recently.” He grins as you step away from him with the intent of letting him finish getting ready to leave the building. He doesn’t let you get far, keeping one arm around your waist and pulling you back against him. “And here I thought I’d been the clever one, finding my way around those walls you’d constructed.” You stand on tiptoe to kiss him. Your fingers find that his hair has nearly dried. “I’m glad you came inside. This is a much better hello.”

You laugh and murmur a hello into his lips. This does remind you of the crowd waiting outside though. You press your hands lightly to his chest and lean back in his arms to look at him while you speak. “The taxi dropped me off and well, I got to say hello to some of your fans before a guard came to get me.”

“I asked the guards to be on the lookout. You could have gotten the driver to go up to the gate, though I’m sure the fans enjoyed seeing you. Hopefully they are our fans and not just my fans… ”

Knocking at the door frame precedes the rapid-fire stream of words altering you to company. The man that walks through the open door pauses a few paces and several sentences in. “Jason! You, my friend, never cease to amaze. We of course have – oh. Sorry the door was open and I figured I’d steal a moment.”

Jason releases your waist allowing you to settle back into a standing position next to him, much to the relief of your arches. Clearly you are going to have to practice standing on the balls of your feet. Jason introduces you to Theo, another actor on the project, and Theo gives Jason a wink before shaking your hand, then pulling it to his lips to peck it as Jason had done the night of the awards show.

“So – this is the lovely woman that we’ve heard so much about.” Theo switches commenting from Jason to you. “I’ve never seen him so transfixed."

You’re starting to blush.

“I’ll leave the pair of you to it…” He accompanies the comment with a wriggle of his eyebrows which makes you blush more. He calls out behind him as he clears the doorway, “Practicing sparring tomorrow buddy!” 

“Whew. After that - I feel like I’m moving in slow motion. He rivals you for boundless energy!” You say, motioning after the human whirlwind that just departed.

“Do I make you feel like you’re in slow motion?” Jason asks waving your hat at you that he still holds in one hand.

You nod and move to reclaim said item. “Sometimes…” He grins and puts your hat on his head which, unless he starts cooperating, effectively removes it from your reach. You study him a moment with your hands on your hips before shrugging. “Well, the studio will surely love the endorsement.” 

Jason takes a brief survey of the dressing room before nodding, which you take to be a signal that he is ready to leave. In the hallway you take a few steps towards the direction of the studio exit and pause to wait until Jason is at your side. His hand finds yours as you walk, "I meant what I said before Theo arrived, you know."

Nodding, you squeeze his hand lightly, "I know, but if I had gotten the taxi to go through the gates I wouldn’t have been able to…” Jason pulls you up short, laughingly wrapping his arms around your waist and shaking his head. You smile, though the cutting words of the letter you found in Todd's office still blaze in your head. “Jason, we can’t expect everyone to be happy that we’re dating." 

"I can and I will.” Playfully defiant, Jason mutters the words into your ear before landing a light kiss just below it. He straightens and takes you by the hand again to resume your progress towards the fans, the waiting car, and home. “For my money, the world can think what they want, but the only woman whose feelings on the subject truly matter to me will be dining with me tonight." 

You’re tempted to once again provide a smart retort - remind him of his family or yours - but opt, instead, to swoon.

Tag List: @my-soupy-brain @tegan8314 @tortilla-maria1 @nerdgirljen

[shmreduplication]

the crazy thing about watching the same handful of rwrb clips too many times is that eventually you realize that the movie part of the movie is actually also very good

basically: the location of the two men gives insight into what Henry is thinking about at any given moment. When Alex is on his right, Henry is thinking about his public (heterosexual) persona. Alex on the left, Henry is thinking about his private (homosexual) persona. With some caveats, like sometimes they are facing each other and Alex is still on the left from the camera's perspective.

OK let's get to some pics:

This is right after the first comment about Alex needing to be on the right because of protocol (camera's left, which is the direction i'm going to use for the rest of this post for the sake of consistency and ease)

This is the first time they are on screen together in the movie

In the lead-up to the incident, they are being rude to each other to hide (to themselves and each other) how attracted they are to each other. So in this moment Henry's thoughts are more about him being gay than about his public image, and lo, Alex is on the right

there's a little bit of a tussle that results in them on the floor and this slow-mo shot of their reaction to a giant cake falling on top of them. Alex is on the left again as Henry takes this split second to think about what his life is going to be like after the cake falls on them

literally shoved into a closet together, god I love when stuff that has gay text and gay supertext also has gay subtext. Henry is thinking about "why does this beautiful man I have a crush on hate me so bad :'(" and Alex is on the right

ok they're on the phone in this scene and not actually in bed next to each other but the topic of conversation is how much Alex has learned of Henry's private persona so Henry is thinking about how much of it to reveal because they're almost real friends at this point (Henry's real friends know he's gay). There is also continuity that every time one of them is on a bed, they're on the same side shown here, which could cause inconsistency with my whole premise of this post BUT i'm going to say it actually further justifies everything I'm saying because Henry really is nearly always thinking about his public persona

Henry is trying to come out to Alex. It is not going as planned. This is one of two shots that inspired this whole post

Henry went into this room thinking Alex was going to yell at him for being gay so he's just having every possible thought at once now, and also they're facing each other so even tho they just kissed and Alex is on the left, my point still stands

Henry takes a second to figure out that rn is the time to think gay thoughts, not sad thoughts about acting hetero in public and they IMMEDIATELY SWITCH SIDES OF THE SCREEN

A secret service agent walks in and Henry fucking dives back to the right side of the screen

The euphoria of finding out his crush likes him back is all he can think about in the next scene, even tho they are extremely in public and have just talked to the US prez/Alex's mom and the UK PM

ok it's 1am and it would be insane to do every scene and I fee like i've made my point but I do want to post two more pics:

NOO ALEX DON'T LAY DOWN THERE!!!! that's his right side even tho from the camera's perspective you are kinda on the right! that's so risky!!!!!!!!!! Also the straight lines are pointing downward to the right which is often a visual metaphor for things about to go downhill (in cultures that read left-to-right)

Alex starts talking about collapsing their private and public lives together and wow look at that, the camera also did its best to collapse Alex being on the right and being on the left together in the second shot that inspired this post

[sebastianthecollectorandcreator]

The Loud House S06E13B Food Courting Deep Dive

I Remember Reading That This Was The Episode That Introduces Leni's Relationship With Gavin. Let's See Once And For All What I Think Of Him.

"I'm Wearing New Sunglasses, And He Didn't Even Notice"

Leni's Too Pure For This Show.

Also, There's No Way You Can Say She's Not Autistic. I Mean, All The Loud Siblings Are Autistic.

It's Nice That They're Making Miguel More Layered Here.

I Can't, This Is Too Funny.

I Feel Like I've Seen This Plot Done Before On The Casagrandes.

Is That Girl Jordan In The Line?

While His Last Name Has Yet To Be Determined, I'm Headcanoning His Name As Gavin Grey.

Now I'm Buying Into Her Relationship With Gavin.

While I Doubt They Can Afford The Peter Gabriel Song, I Appreciate The "Say Anything" Reference.

Now That I Think About It, Her Friendship With Tanya Is Further Proof That Leni Is Autistic.

I Didn't Think That Miguel Was Capable Of A Death Threat, But Here We Are. Never Change, Loud House.

While I'm Far From The Type To Use Such A Word (If Reading All Of My Deep Dives Didn't Tell You That Already), But Leni's Relationship With Gavin Is Pretty Wholesome.

It's Nice That Miguel Didn't End Up Alone After The Whole Ordeal. To Be Honest, If Miguel Didn't End Up With Someone, The Episode Would Be Worse Off For It.

Also, I Gotta Clear The Air Here: Chaz Was Barely On The Show As Is, And Very Little Of THAT Was Dedicated To His Relationship With Leni. Whatshisface From "Undercover Mom" Didn't Even Last Beyond A Single Scene. Leni Spent More Time With Scott In The Movie Than She Did With Chaz In The Series Proper. If You're Looking For A Compromise, You Can Ship Her With BOTH Chaz And Gavin, Like I Do With Luan, Benny, And Maggie.

[delurkr]

Anne and James and sibling OCs in 1948

1948 being the year Anne and James married. Penelope is Anne's sister, and everybody else is James's family.

Cropped sections are further down. There's some connections from @108garys 's Super Massive Family Tree that play into everything (here's their portrait of older Penelope), and I'll leave it to them if they want to refresh everybody on the details. (Edit: 108garys gave lore in the notes). Some of the OCs have more lore than others, but I'm not getting into it here or doing deep dives about personalities and all that, so I just stuck together very non-deep little likes/dislikes/favorite activities lists for everyone. But first some notes on the art:

I went for a balance between dressy and casual, so most of these wouldn't be everyday outfits but none of them are formal either.

Nobody has naturally curly hair. Shirley has a perm, and Anne and Penelope use only curlers. (Unlike the other two, Penelope doesn't curl it every day).

If Anne's dress looks piecemeal that's because it is. Around 1948 was when women's fashion was transitioning from shorter wartime styles (minimum fabric) to longer hemlines, but ofc most women didn't just toss out all their old clothes, so the new things they bought were in the new style, while they also continued wearing what they had and sometimes altered their shorter things in various ways. The white border on Anne's dress is a recent addition, and so is the embroidered pocket because big pockets were also fashionable and it was intended to make the border look more like it belongs.

Shirley uses a brace, a built up shoe, and sometimes a cane due to effects from having polio when she was very young.

Bob has been in the U.S. Army for four or so years and he's currently a corporal. If part of his uniform is inaccurate then oh well because there were some details I just wasn't finding clear answers on (do point it out if you know something that's wrong tho). Also that's his hat he's holding in case it's hard to tell.

Ok now for the other stuff:

Anne, age 17 -

Likes: Dancing; recycling; Frank Sinatra music (don't spread it around); telephone party lines; the scratchy sound of crossing things off her to-do list.

Dislikes: Noisy children; poetry; men's cologne; bleached blonde hair; house pets; wrinkled clothes; rain on her hairdo; complainers; people with bad posture; anonymous love letters; being late; people who are late; unraked leaves; these peasants (most of the boys at school); being told she's too opinionated.

Favorite activities: Growing plants, mostly flowers; taking the mick out of James ❤

Penelope, age 8 -

Likes: Bicycling; puppies; reading, mostly fairytales; sticky sweets; movie stars.

Dislikes: Mud; talking to strangers; not having had her first kiss yet; never getting the lowdown after Anne's dates.

Favorite activity: Eavesdropping on the phone party line with Anne.

Shirley, age 24 -

Likes: Card games; chickens; picnics; reading; red on just about anything.

Dislikes: Snow; frogs; Bob; the sound of her own voice.

Favorite activity: Canoe rides to read on the open water. Her preferred victims to accompany her are James (she'll use her oldest-sibling authority for as long as she can) and whoever she happens to be dating (is that a weird date? idk but she calls it a no-go with a guy if he can't handle the quiet time).

Bob (Robert), age 22 -

Likes: Arm candy; being outside; cheating at card games; beer; animals, especially wildlife; pulling practical jokes on April 2.

Dislikes: Peas; serious conversations.

Favorite activities: Hunting; chasing women. (These things are not connected).

James, age 19 -

Likes: Holidays; history; picking dumb arguments; playing hockey when the pond freezes over; reading; PDA with Anne ❤

Dislikes: Waiting; hand-me-down clothes; being called Jimbo; having glasses.

Favorite activity: Finding money on the ground.

Clarence, age 11 -

Likes: Pocket knives; pirates; model train sets and dollhouses type stuff.

Dislikes: Surprises; hugs; getting up early; "old" people; getting his picture taken (that one's partly a joke, because I accidentally drew him looking a little moody for no reason).

Favorite activity: Fixing appliances and things around the house (under supervision because "fixing" is a bit of an overstatement. He can take things apart but has yet to learn how to properly put them back together).

Kathy (Katherine), age 7 -

Likes: Parties; collecting things; Brothers Grimm-style fairytales; terrible creature horror B movies.

Dislikes: Bugs, especially bees; nightmares from the terrible creature horror B movies.

Favorite activity: Poking dead animals. Trips to the butcher and dead mice found in the attic are her lifeline for now until she starts doing dissections in school. She definitely doesn't store said mice under her bed in jars she stole from the kitchen.

~~

Cool so now that everyone is sufficiently grossed out I'll leave it here for now 😊 Stay tuned I guess because sooner or later I'm going to follow this up with the three youngest when they're older, around 1959 because that was a happening point in time for them. And lastly, 108garys is free to hate anything I wrote because we share the OCs but I consulted them on very little of this lol.

[rebeccalouisaferguson]

This summer, you starred in the very successful MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING PART ONE. How has it been returning to the franchise after all these years?

It’s always wonderful and exciting. I’ve been a part of this journey now for 10 years, for three films and there are different aspects of filming it. You’re pre-filming as you are prepping, you’re getting ready, you’re training, you’re living MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE. Then it’s the filming, which is wonderful, tiring, exhausting and exhilarating. And then there’s a long pause before you get to relive all of those feelings when you start promoting it. I’m excited for the fans to see it, being a huge MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE fan, but it’s also such a lovely feeling to be reminded of the journey that you’ve had because in my mind, I’m filming other things, I’m busy doing other things, so I get to sort of defibrillate those emotions again, which is just wonderful.

What do you love most about this franchise and action movies in general?

I really love building the world prior to shooting, understanding the character, getting into it. I love the training. I am fortunate to be surrounded by the best of the best when it comes to either learning to hold my breath, deep diving, jumping off a roof, martial arts, gun fighting. It is such a weird world to be thrown into, cause it’s not my world, it’s not what I do on a weekend. And the travel is a treat. 

International audiences got to know you for your role as the iconic Queen Elizabeth in THE WHITE QUEEN. How do you look back on this role?

When I was offered the role, it was such an overwhelming moment because it happened so fast. It took years to process what had happened. The process of casting took months. I remember going in and then them not calling me back and thinking that I didn’t get it. Then they called me back again three times, put me in a hotel room and then all of a sudden I got a phone call at nine in the morning and they were like ‘You’ve got the role. We’re going to color your hair. We’re going to have a table read with all the actors and you’re moving to Bruges in two days’.

I kind of work well with such pressure, but it takes time to sit down and take in what just happened. When I was receiving award nominations and I was in the room with all of the people who I look up to, I just thought ‘I don’t belong here. Am I where I should be? ‘It’s a slow domino effect of realizing how lucky I am. And today I sometimes think it was insane when that happened.

Would you describe the role of Queen Elizabeth as the role that set the tone for the future of your career?

Yes, definitely. I remember in the beginning thinking MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE was what set the tone. It’s always sort of back tracing, always wanting to give praise to all the opportunities that I’ve been a part of. But it is obviously what would help my career get to the level it is today. And also it’s the fact that you’ve been given that possibility. I am going to give myself a pat on the back today. I grabbed it and I ran with it. I did what I could with the opportunity at hand. It’s not just sitting back and being grateful, it is working with what you have been handed as well.

Since THE WHITE QUEEN, you’ve starred in many big productions and have become one of the leading ladies in the industry. How do you personally feel about this ‘title’? 

It is so funny, I was having a conversation with my husband this morning at breakfast, where we were talking about our lives and what we’re missing and what we long for. You said to me that I’m one of the leading ladies in the industry. And I think I do not identify as that. I feel very lucky with the roles that I’m offered, but I always seek further and am thinking ‘Why am I not getting the indie movies? Why am I not being offered this? I should create this myself. I need to open this world for myself. I’m missing things here.’ It doesn’t mean I’m not grateful for where I am, but I very rarely stand still. I am constantly moving and aspiring to do new things. Iprobably need to learn to sit back and think about how well I’m doing, grab the family and have time off as well.

This November we’ll be seeing you reprise your role in DUNE: PART TWO. What can you share with us about this sequel? 

I’m so ridiculously excited for it to come out. Everything that I have seen, the little clips when I’ve done additional dialogue recording, is phenomenal, it’s extraordinary. When we have to do some additional dialogue recordings we go into studio, so we get to see some footage. Greig Fraser has taken this film to other levels when it comes to cinematography. I don’t like lifting one role over the other, but I have to say the new characters that have come in, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, they are mind-blowing. It’s gritty and gory and Jacqueline West’s costumes and Donald Mowat’s makeup, they win every prize in my book.

How is it working in such an all star ensamble, with such big names from the industry?

I don’t value a film that I do because it is ejected with so much fame more than I do a film that has less. What I do like is meeting people who are inspiring and kind and fun. And being on a set with a lot of actors gives you the possibility to merge and to share anecdotes and stories with them if they’re open for it. You might not click with everyone, but I’m lucky enough that I did with everyone on DUNE. My point is, it doesn’t matter how famous people are or how big things are.

Before you got into acting, you had been dancing since an early age. How did your acting career actually come about?

I wasn’t a dancer, but I loved moving. My mother raised me to try things out. I did ballet, tap, dance, street, funk, jazz. I did a bridge course with four 70-year old ladies when I was 14 or 13 because I was very good at counting cards. I did basketball, gymnastics. There’s nothing I haven’t tried. And I think that open-mindedness always helped me in the world of acting. I’m never scared of trying things. I was never worried of making a foolout of myself. I’m not too worried as a person. I have always been a person of leisure in a sense that I ride the wave, I ride what is interesting for me at the moment.

I’ve never been eager to prove myself at something specific. I am a person who is not pushing myself down, but I think I was always just good enough and I never pushed that extra mile. Like, I was an Argentinian tango teacher. I was good, I wasn’t great. I didn’t go the extra mile. Acting I think is the only thing where I’ve just thrown myself in full-heartedly. 

What challenges you the most about acting?

When I was little, my morning routine and my mom’s was putting classical music on, usually Mozart. Cause she thinks that’s a good morning start for the brain. We would have a cup of tea and then we would do three card games. One was poker. We would play poker with matches and every time I was given a new hand, I was excited to see what the cards were going to be. Even to this day when I play cards, turning out my first turn of five hands or five cards is exciting. 

That’s what I feel about acting. The first time I get to walk into costume and see how they’re thinking, the first time I walk onto set to see how the set designers have done their job, meeting the actors, every moment with acting is a new hand dealt. That’s what I love a lot. Life between people is a constant dance, give and take.

You are also a mom. How hard is it being on set and balancing your career with your family life?

The privacy of life is so wonderful and I think what I have managed to do is to maintain it. This means there’s scheduling, there’s structure. Me and my family, we’ve found a really good formula to how it works. Life is life for everyone. It’s constant scheduling, whether you have a nine to five job or you work traveling the world.

Rebecca, which moment would you describe as the most defining moment of your life so far?

I think it’s the moment when I was offered the role in THE WHITE QUEEN. It took me out of my security blanket of Sweden. And it’s not that I was seeking to leave Sweden, but it opened up an entirely new world for me. Being given the lead in this BBC drama, a world that I could not even imagine what it would be like, and living abroad for so long created a new vision for me and why I kept on going. Before that, I wasn’t sure I was going to act. I’d done a Swedish film called A ONE-WAY TRIP TO ANTIBES, which I loved, but that was the only film I’d really done. So the role of Queen Elizabeth was a defining moment that my career was probably going to go in this direction.

[jeonstudios]

Boy am I about to rant in this ask lol

The amount of people who want them (jk, OC) in DC to be end game makes me question whether they would survive a serial killer in a horror movie.

Basically, all I hear is "yeah he was mean to her, called her names, told her she doesn't deserve to be treated nice from men..BUT he's hot and said sorry!" Like...you really missed the point. I'm not saying they can't end up together but my girl OC has been through hell and back with the opposite gender. She needs to heal first lol

Also I'm glad DC is taking it's time because girl you ALMOST had me not read the rest of the chapter when I read she asked for handcuffs.

I was thinking "has everyone suddenly got amnesia and forgot he was mean to her? But oh well he's being nice to her so let's jump forward to a relationship... 👏 grab the handcuffs!!!"

Honestly I really don't think as of now they should be end game but let's see what he does to atone for his previous treatment of her. Does that mean that once he apologizes with words or actions he can get together with OC? Probably not, but it's up to OC. She hasn't been treated nice or as an equal from men. JK is too good to be true to just forget how she's been treated.

(and now for my literature interpretation of this series so far lol)

I really hope the next chapter with jks pov can clarify some of my doubts because the complete 180 he did is so....I can't wrap my head around it. He insulted her appearance, her chest, that she doesn't deserve flowers...but now that he found out she's a SA victim NOW she deserves to be treated like a human. NOW she's a woman deserving of flowers 🙄

I'm gonna give him a crumb of doubt because at the time, his friends, who are the perpetrators of OCs trauma, were nice to JK.

It's hard to imagine that a friend who treats you so nice can have this horrible side to them and assault OC. Not only that but they implanted a false narrative of what went down and because they are so nice to him, he took their story for what it was.

It's easy to say from an outsider perspective "well why didn't he come to his own conclusion and investigate before automatically assuming it was true?" But we're not omniscient. We can't predict the future and this perspective comes from what is known now vs what little information you had then. And this can fall both ways like yeah he didn't know much back then but also he could've dug a little deeper but that's such a rabbit hole I will not dive into cuz it's a neverending cycle.

ANYWAYS, Now that he's got the other side of the story, WITH PROOF, he wants to get justice for OC and maybe even start a relationship with her (TBD), but how can you do that when you were also indirectly hurting her with your words that further pushes her to not trust men? That further deepens her wound/trauma/wtv you wanna call it.

I mean think about it, if you were OC, you were close to dying at the hands of a man who wanted sexual gratification one way or another, and then it kinda swept under the rug...she's never gotten true justice. And because the guy hasn't been put in jail, it gives him an ego boost to think he got away with it and rubs it in OCs face by making up a false narrative that everyone believes and turns against her, further isolating her from who she can count on.

First, by getting away with the assault, he's won, and now by having people turn against her and hate her, he's won again.

DC jk and all the things he's said and done to her, indirectly adds more salt to a wound that hasn't healed. Yet again another victory to the perpetrator.

So at this moment, a "sorry" and "I'm not like the other guys, I'm a nice person, I took a knife for you, you can trust me" isn't enough for OC to heal. OC even said how she wants to trust JK but after everything she's been told, after everything she's been through, it's hard to put that guard down and just trust him. Because that's also how she was assaulted by her previous partner.

So...with that said, let's see what the next chapter reveals because right now the plot is in the middle and it can go in any direction. I think it was a good choice for OC to leave bc that whiplash from jk being rude to the greenest flag ever might be a bit too much for someone like OC who's only ever had bad experiences with men.

As for the romance between JK and OC, let's put it in the back burner! Lets put these cowards in jail first and then we can talk about it.

My girl OC needs therapy...

Oof! Sorry for the rant but I'm ready to look like a clown if the next chapter completely destroys what I just typed lol 🤡🤡🤡

to be fair and maybe play devil's advocate, i feel like, to many people, jk has already redeemed himself. because we already knew he was horrible to her before, but he did apologize pretty sincerely for how he acted because he didn't know. and then he died for her (but survived lol) only to go on to rat all the rotten men at the station out and take them out, one by one. then he tried to respect her decision to lay low for a while (literal months) but had to check on her because he was worried for her safery. and then he convinced her to stay with him because of that worry. so he's been "taking care" of her while also working almost day in and day out on catching the ones who raped and tried to murder her (and him!) while also trying to "uncorrupt" the station. not to forget that he went to her friend and talked about reopening her case against one of their colleagues that drugged her, and he didn't do that to earn brownie points with reader.

so i think it's a little of "he thought she was the evil perpetrator but now he knows that she's the victim"? more like they not only assaulted her but trashed her character?

but yeah, they did feed him a false narrative, which he shouldn't have believed!!! so his first and maybe biggest mistake is trusting these men over the woman blindly when he's very much aware of the fact that men do stuff like this? so he definitely should've talked to her instead of just believing them and then going to such lengths to "avenge" his friend.

because yeah, even if he's shown himself to be a good guy now, reader can't know exactly why he's acting like he likes her. if that's because he actually does like her or if there's another reason. because as she's come to know him, she realizes that he probably would've told her if he thought she was pretty and was attracted to her. and knowing everything that he said, it's understandable for her to doubt if he has feelings for her or not.

so i definitely understand both sides, both the people feeling like yeah, it hurts to know what he actually said and how he treated her, but he's shown (actions over words) that he's actually a good guy and if he can explain himself and thoroughly apologize, there's still a chance. and the people who feel like he went too far and the wounds are too deep no matter how good of a guy he is now.

anyway, thank you for your analysis!! i really enjoyed reading it!! ♥️♥️

[trulybetty]

Sunday | Week in Review VII

Not too much to report on this week - Mr. Truly and I both had the week off and then the little Truly's were thrown off their routine and it's been a week. But it was capped off with a new addition to the household!

So without further ado, let's get on with this week's late-night Sunday in Review!

Truly Betty Updates This Week…

Cake (Marcus Pike)

Autumnal Offerings

Distracting (Joel Miller)

Smut, just Frankie smut

Fics I Enjoyed This Week…

Shared Breaths (Frankie Morales) by @frenchiereading This whole series is such a delight to read and let me tell you, chapter nine is worth reading multiple times over, let me tell you that 😏. But this is a perfect story - you've got yearning for the first half and the second half is the play out of a developing relationship that is so fun to watch play out. If you love Frankie, you won't be disappointed in this.

Turbulence (Frankie Morales) by @rhoorl Jess' first run at a one-shot on our main man this week Frankie does not disappoint! I don't mind flying, but I can guarantee any flight sitting next to our aviation expert Mr. Morales is going to be a lot smoother. This is such a fun read and I really hope we see him again in a possible continuation of this.

Saying I love you through an accidental kiss (Joel Miller) Pre-Outbreak by @songsformonkeys This one reappeared on my dash this week and it's always worth a re-read and always one I'll recommend. It's Joel at his most hectic, which is very much how I picture pre-outbreak Joel and just the build-up here and the kiss is such a toe-curling delight to read, that I squeal each time even though I know it's coming.

Strawberries (Joel Miller) by @softlyspector This is set after Clouds, but doesn't have to be read first before this one. This explores Ellie and Joel's relationship after the events of TLOU and delves into TLOU2 territory (no spoilers in either one-shot). As much as I love the idea of Ellie and Joel living happily ever after in Jackson - I do enjoy an angsty dive into their relationship as it is in the TLOU2 games. This and Clouds are excellent takes on this!

Hungry Hearts | Epilogue + Bonus I Wanna Mary You (Joel Miller) by @atinylittlepain How my heart wasn't ready for this to end - but Gin gave Jerry the send-off they deserved and not only that, we were treated to a bonus second part to the epilogue that I'm still raving about! Honestly, who wasn't reading this? But if you weren't, I suggest you do - you can binge all the posted chapters! Jerry4Eva! 💘

Candy (Dieter Bravo) by @secretelephanttattoo I imagine any date with Dieter to be chaotic and El does such a great job of describing such an event here. I feel like a broken record with how many times I referred to it as such, but it really is a deliciously raunchy romp and I'd gladly go for Ray-Ban candy floss with Dieter any time if this is the end result.

Working Title (Dieter Bravo) by @rhoorl Finally got to reading this and devoured it all. It reads like a fabulous romance novel you’d read at the beach and then want to re-read again because it’s just that enjoyable! Plus the last chapter? My loins have not recovered lol, cannot wait for the next update!

Conversations with a Movie Star | Chapter 3 (Dieter Bravo) by @gnpwdrnwhiskey Aside from my own OC x Dieter, this pairing is hot on their heels for the title of favourite OC x Dieter. Ava keeps Dieter on his toes and has made herself at home at the Bravo Inn. The descriptions of landmarks in Myrtle Beach are fantastic, the chemistry is *chefs kiss*, and the way @gnpwdrnwhiskey writes Dieter 'Anthony' Bravo is fantastic. Please do take some time out to read this series - the premise alone is superb, you won't be disappointed - trust me!

Posts I Enjoyed This Week… Okay, so there's a reason this week's week in review is christened 'Sunday Thots' - the thots were out in force this week!

@goodwithcheese’s thread on the origin of Frankie’s oral skills

@beskarandblasters’s curation of creators with a smaller following

@legendary-pink-dot's Catfish Pond PHD program's latest curriculum, Pedro & Oscar

with Catfish PhD Logo, that I will figure out how to make into a shirt at some point 

@grogusmum doing the hard work for us and sending us all to horny jail

Jess’ deep dive on Grey Sweatpants Season with the Triple Frontier boys - thinking she should visit the Last of Us next 😏

Things I’ve Enjoyed This Week… No competition this week the most enjoyable thing was the addition of Francesca 'Frankie' Cat to the Truly household...

This Week’s Song… Not much has been played this week, but if you saw my mood board for Salt Water last week- this is where the title takes itself from...

Happy Sunday all! Here's to a great week ahead! 💕 xx

[kaydeefalls]

65 for Carthaginians, 66 for fic of your choice, 67, and 69 (always be fishing for recs)

Here we go!

65. If you wrote a sequel to [Carthaginians], what would happen in it?

LYKON MY BELOVED. Not the obvious answer, which I guess would be the followup of Yusuf and Nicolò searching for the lost Carthaginian children, but I honestly don't know how much of a story I have to tell there. However, the later ramifications of this particular canon divergence are fascinating to me, and having essentially swapped origin eras for Joe&Nicky vs. Lykon, I would love to dive into his alternate origin story. I spent way too long trying to pinpoint where in the early medieval period Lykon could have become immortal instead (for a single throwaway line in the one flashforward to present day scene), and it would be fun to explore that further. Or how the events of the movie play out differently with Lykon still part of the team - would he be the one to lose his immortality instead of Andy, since canonically he IS the first to die (and at only around 1000 years old, which is right around movie era in this AU)?

66. What’s a fun fact about [insert fic]?

I guess I'll go with what dreams may come (TOG fusion!AU with Inception), since that's the most recent fic I've posted. IDK how we define "fun fact" here, so here's something that pleased me when it finally came together. The fic alternates between past and present day scenes, and every single one of Nicky's dreams we see in a flashback shows up again in the nightmare Quynh traps him in. I did not plan that going in. I did not have the faintest idea how the final showdown was going to play out until just before I wrote it, and then had the absolute delight of patchworking all the prior dreams together into some kind of Frankenstein's monster of a dream. I'd struggled with writing most of that fic, but that section came together SO easily in the end. Love it when I subconsciously lay my own breadcrumbs trail.

67. If a fic was titled [insert made up title], what would this story be about/how would you write it?

...I'm not sure how to answer this one without the made up title of choice! But titles rarely come first for me. When I'm very, very lucky, they come relatively early on in the writing process, and not in a desperate scramble at the last possible minute. Though I do sometimes have titles sitting in the back of my head for years, waiting for the right fandom/fic to show up for them. Always satisfying when one of those finds a home. (I do currently have one of those on the backburner - a line from my wife's favorite poem - but the WIP in question hasn't coalesced properly yet.)

69. What are your favorite fics at the moment?

Okay, so I'm currently doing a deep dive into Heartstopper fandom, which uh I'm not sure anyone else here would care about, and I'm kinda casting the net pretty wide at the moment in that sort of new(ish) fandom haze, where I'm not as picky as I normally would be, but also everything I've read is kind of starting to blur together? I wish I thought to bookmark fics more - I use author subscriptions instead of bookmarks for my own personal reference, but that's uh less helpful in a new fandom where I don't actually remember any author's username out of context. The most recent fics I've bookmarked (in ANY fandom) are:

like in the dramas by shoutowo (Heartstopper) - canon divergence where Charlie and Tao start fake dating after Charlie gets outed, and the ensuing complications once he meets Nick; it's just super charming and a fun subversion of the fake dating trope, and Charlie's repeated attempts to fake-break-up with Tao amuse me greatly.

That Was the River, This Is the Sea by @what-alchemy (TOG) - modern AU for Joe/Nicky, I fucking love the way this fic depicts them both, and how REAL they feel. I can't speak from a cis gay male experience, being a queer woman, but the depiction of Joe and Nicky's desire for each other in this fic is the closest I've ever read to the way my many queer male friends talk about sex and relationships, it just rings so unbelievably true to me. And also it's just lovely.

...apparently I've only bookmarked two new fics in 2024? Ugh. I really need to use bookmarks more often. But genuinely I'm just in a weird Heartstopper reading haze at the moment and I don't know what to rec because I'd have to track them back down again first, and my brain is not capable of that at 1am, whoops. 🤦‍♀️