#and I started thinking about the Hong Kong gang

[viridian-snow]

Idea I would like to explore but don't have time right now:

AU where Breach joins the Hong Kong gang

[zahri-melitor]

Lost the original post, but someone was talking about Tim mostly just having the same gallery of Rogues as the rest of the Bats, and that’s not actually true. Our lad had over 200 issues of solo comic during post-Crisis, he definitely has some Rogues that are his more than anyone else’s!

King Snake (Edmund Dorrance). Dorrance is 100% specifically one of Tim’s villains. If in modern comics any writers decided to resurrect him and start using him again I would be delighted, because he’s such a painful white guy who thinks he’s all that and better than the Hong Kong-based gang he runs. He’s also ‘died’ multiple times and just because he appeared in Blackest Night doesn’t mean he’s still dead now, we’ve had two universe reboots since then!

Lynx (and the rest of the Ghost Dragons). Both Lynx I and Lynx II are also Tim’s foes, though he’s happy to share them with Cass if she also wants to get some kicks in. Lynx I also has died twice (both times due to Cass) because a writer couldn’t be bothered to check the canon bible while writing.

Ulysses Armstrong. The General mostly exists to be an absolute pain and cause Tim angst. Also I’ll never forgive them for killing off Matthew and Hillary Armstrong, who helped Tim out from their very first appearances.

Anarky/Lonnie Machin. Tim’s shadow half. They’ve been feuding since 1990 and there’s no sign they plan to stop (even when they’re working together).

Ratcatcher is arguably more Tim’s villain than Bruce’s, and nobody else really deals with him.

The Sk8er Bois. Bring them (and Tim’s extremely dangerous skateboard) back!

Johnny Warlock. Wow do I ever hate Johnny, and he’s super annoying, but he’s definitely in Tim’s gallery.

The obvious one: Lady Shiva. She’s not Tim’s exclusively but only Cass has a closer connection in the Batfam and Tim’s connection is arguably closer than Bruce’s.

Plus of the more standard Bat Rogue collection:

Arthur Brown particularly dislikes Tim (alongside the obvious pick that he’s part of Steph’s gallery)

Maxie Zeus has mostly only tangled with Tim out of people who aren’t Bruce.

Arguably Tim’s the main Robin to deal with Mad Hatter too.

Ventriloquist is again a Tim-as-Robin era villain (mostly 1, I don’t think 2 spent much time near any Robin)

There’s probably some correlation between Bane’s position among the Rogues and Tim to make, because of how their timelines cross, but equally I highly dislike Bane so I’m not going to bother sketching it out.

Riddler has a soft spot for Tim.

So does Selina, whose first reluctant team up with that kid was during the original Clench.

Can’t forget Jean-Paul Valley (while hallucinating St Dumas)

And that’s just off the top of my head, there’s definitely others with more than a single storyline.

[paradoxxinvader]

DITTO - do you want somebody? like i want somebody?

PROFILES - ATTRACTION? MORE LIKE ATTRACT-SHUN !!!!

pairing :: riki x fem!idol!reader

genre :: idol au, written + some smau when needed, unrequited love (just not in the way you think), strangers to something, fluff, angst, flipped one-sided love !!

synopsis :: yn, the leader of girl group trio ATTRACTION, has a major crush on ENHYPEN’s maknae, nishimura riki, since before her debut in 2022. she related to him, confided in his photocards, and befriended the idea of him, so much so that she fell in love with someone who barely knew of her. when she debuts under the same label as him, HYBE, the tables start to turn when she starts to realize that who he is isn’t the same person she fell in love with, all while nishimura riki starts to fall for her. what could possibly go wrong?

YN LN (stage name : YN)

leader of ATTRACTION. needs to catch a break istg sungie keeps her on her toes. korean-australian. 1/5 of the aussie, aussie, aussie! oi, oi oi! gang. 16 years old, making her one of the youngest leaders in k-pop. is absolutely in love with nishimura riki of enhypen... like in love in love. it’s not good.  loves timtams, hates sharing them. was in a pop band in australia with her best friends that was called mgk (not machine gun kelly). became friends with maki of &team through her friend, sakura. has a messed up sleep schedule. trained for a year and quarter before debuting.

played by the reader, but danielle of newjeans is used for convenience. 

PAE SO-RI (stage name : PAE-RI)

eldest and main dancer of ATTRACTION. has sent COUNTLESS follow requests to lee know of stray kids on twittter but he always deletes them because he doesn’t know who she is lol (has enlisted i.n to help her but he always fails). 17 years old. is fully korean but spent some time in hong kong when she was in elementary school, and then new york in middle school, making her fluent in korean, cantonese, and english. wanted to become a kpop idol after she watched the du-du-du music video blackpink put out. was a dancer for three years, then trained for two years before debuting.

played by minji of newjeans.

CHO SUNG-EUN (stage name : SUNGIE)

the baby of ATTRACTION. has a crush on shining armor (twilight sparkle’s brother) from my little pony, but refuses to admit it. a literal child, is 15 years old. after RELENTLESS questioning from pae-ri and yn about who her crush is, she was inspired to write omg!, which led to FURTHER questioning, and when she revealed that it was shining armor, she was never shunned so quickly- this very quickly became an inside joke in the fandom after it was revealed who she wrote the song about. was a trainee at FNCE for about a year, but switched to HYBE. HATES it when people call her by her full name, only allows the members and her manager to call her by her name. trained for two years before debuting.

played by hanni of newjeans.

ATTRACTION

ATTRACTION is a 3 member girl-group comprised of YN, PAE-RI, and SUNGIE, under HYBE and BELLE. debuted in september 23, 2022, with their mini-album PHOTOREALISTIC. their fandom names are belle (plural: belles) and beau (plural: beaus).

ATTRACTION - MEMBERS ACCOUNT

THE GIRLS

TAGLIST ::  @acousticking @mitsukifilms @hyem1ngyu @loveliii @ahnneyong @azngamis-blog @hanniluvi @heesitation @brahms-heelshit@mirakura @adeolalily13 @sunoozz @enwlrd @3chae @bucketofhiros @ilovewonyo @jaxavance @calijimenez @adajoemaya @judeduartwannabe @heartwonder @wonypop @dimplewonie @coalalalinha  @rikimylove @jamaisunoo @sd211 @aki1e @asapia @simeonswhore @bougiesunoo @hatdugin @cass1814 @ilvsoup @nia-xxx @byhsng @soobnism @futuristicpiepsychicalmond @nuoyishi @akashisthighs​ @facelesswrittes @tinie03 @noiacha @mmaplepastries @curly-fr13s @sweetjaemss @lcv3lies @nikiluvs @urszn @kittyeij @jeonsy98 @sserafimez @j-wyoung @tya0 @stinkoscope @sumarchived @belovedxiao @gardenofriki @belovedxiao @jeonsy98 @tya0​ @hermvse​ @zuyairus​ @belovedxiao​ @stinkoscope @sumarchived @belovedxiao @gardenofriki @ethereal-ari @wanna-live-yn-life​ @ineedaherosavemeenow​​ @wooaheee (CLOSING SOON)

lu speaks ! :: hello everyone ~~ these should’ve been out a long time ago lol but in my defense... i didn’t have the apps. DONT BLAME ME I THOUGHT THEY WERENT AVAILABLE ON ANDROID !!! also im working on how to fix the formatting, but the issue is that you can only do that on the mobile app and i use the desktop version (it’s a long story, dont ask) but i’ll see what i can do soon ! i have sent a request to tumblr about it, so hopefully SOMETHING HAPPENS. also i know i said “taglist closing when next chapter is published” but this technically doesn’t count as a chapter, right? so the taglist is still open for those who want to join! tho i might just make a second batch after a while lol. anyways enjoy !!!!

[alanshee-keeper-of-realms]

What do you think of Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Eisner?

Oh these two don't get me started on the drama they caused during the '80s, 90s amd 2000s at Disney, they are both pieces of work that have more cons than Pro

At least with Walt Disney or any of them they have shit that balances out the bad these guys they were just flat out me me me,

You know why DreamWorks was founded? because Jeffrey over here kept bragging about a job that he was going to have after the fact his so-called friend who had had the job before died in a helicopter crash!

It wasn't even a week later this asshole was walking around bragging about how he was going to get the job when they told him no and in fact fired him that's when he went and founded DreamWorks,

He also told animators to edit out scenes in the '80s when everything was still hand drawn, you couldn't edit out scenes. He was so obstinate on this that they had to get Eisner to stop him from destroying the film because he wouldn't listen to the animators behind it -.-

Also, blame Jeffrey for the reason why we do not have 2D animation in Disney anymore he tossed it out the window, and I quote because there is no money in it.

Jeffrey is definitely on my shit list I want to respect him but how can I respect him when he won't even listen to animators when they try to tell him you can't do certain things.

Eisner was a train wreck of a CEO did you know crime at the parks literally spiked, a kid was shot and killed in the Disneyland parking lot because of gang activity because of all the clubs he had added to the parks for teenagers and yes adults if you went to what they called Pleasure Island yes they had a land called Pleasure Island, it even had a lingerie store themed after Jessica Rabbit and Jessica Rabbit was actually the one sitting on the archway to the island,

I will say the majority of teens have good memories about one specific club called Videoopolis. However, the rest of the clubs were known for being well, not so good,

Team members of gangs would go to these clubs and hire kids out of them this went on for years,

He renamed the Zippity Doo Dah ride to Splash Mountain not because they were retheming it to actually fit the H2O splash mermaid movie. No, he just renamed it because he wanted to,

If anybody got a swift kick in the ass from Mickey Mouse, it would be Eisner. He about bankrupted the company a few times because originally no Hong Kong and Paris were absolutely bleeding money when they were initially built because they went so badly over budget because of Eisner!

He was a stubborn hard ass of a man who if anybody told him no he would throw a temper tantrum and figure out how to make it work anyways,

But the worst of the worst I will bring his name in is still chapek somehow chapek has beaten Eisner for being the worst CEO so Eisner isn't my most I do not like you on my list of Disney staffers but he's damn near close.

[neopuff]

Little timeline I've been using in my GenRex fics. I know there's only supposed to be one year between Six finding Rex and Promises, Promises, but I don't like that it's such a short amount of time so I made it two years lol It's fine, I can ignore canon sometimes (slams my head thru drywall) I'm good at that it's fine

Rex is presumably 14 when Six finds him. They celebrate his 16th (or ?) birthday in Nov 2010, but when Caesar arrives they would learn Rex's real birthday (I picked April 'cause I wanted something earlier in the year) and so Rex would be 17 in S3

I also really want Rex to have had a blackout at some point while at Providence. I would've liked it to be earlier but the timeline really doesn't work out lol I mean it doesn't really work in timeline anyway but I don't caaaaaaare. Six says "You only remember the last 18 months" in Wasteland, which I assume is letting the audience know that 6 months have passed between Promises, Promises and Wasteland but I'm just shortening up that timeline. They can rebuild Providence HQ faster than that it's alright

Some notes:

One would've been an EVO for more than 5 years in Divide By Six but I figure it's okay to round down. 5 years sounds more dramatic than 5 and a half years

(Plus Caesar says he missed five years in Mixed Signals even though the Nanite Event was five years prior to The Day That Everything Changed, which means characters are doing a lot of rounding)

A Family Holiday would be Beverly's 18th birthday

This isn't referenced in the above image but I put Holiday at 33 and Six at 35 (start of series). Noah calling her 28 doesn't make her actually 28, he is a 16 year old boy he doesn't know how old women are

Holiday and Six got in less than a month of dating before Six Minus Six lol

And Six got about 2-3 weeks to get to know Rex before Lions and Lambs

Uhhh hmm. Anything else? Sorry I typed this all once and lost it all so I'm trying to remember what else I had.

OH YES a pre-Providence Rex timeline with a focus on his amnesia blackouts. Here we go:

Late 2004/Early 2005: Rex has an accident in Abysus. His family infuses him with nanites to help save his life. Rex has his first mini-blackout (not full amnesia, but he starts to have trouble remembering bits and pieces) due to the accident or the nanites it's hard to say. While his body adjusts to the nanites, he has a bunch of mini-blackouts and starts forgetting important things. He starts keeping a digital notebook around Feb/March 2005

April 2005: Nanite Event - Rex blacks out due to the shockwave/trauma/both. He turns into the Giant Robot EVO Thing and flies out of Europe. Heads in a random direction and ends up tired and without memory in Hong Kong. He still has his digital notebook and it's kind of the only thing that keeps him sane

Mid 2005 - Mid 2008: Rex in Hong Kong. He starts working for Quarry because he needs to make money/get food somehow. He also meets the Hong Kong Gang one-by-one and they become good friends, though Rex is secretive and anxious and paranoid. Incident with Scarecrow doesn't help.

Mid 2008: Rex knows he has family in Mexico thanks to an early entry in his digital notebook and decides he wants to find them. Quarry agrees to help Rex get to Mexico if he makes a deal with him. Rex hasn't blacked out in so long and is feeling confident about finding his family (Quarry told him he had a contact in Mexico City who would help Rex out) so he doesn't think he needs the notebook anymore. Quarry keeps it as collateral.

Nov 2008: Rex gets to Mexico but he is lost and scared and Quarry lied about having anyone there to help him out. Rex has another blackout (combination of stress and guilt) and turns into the Giant Robot EVO Thing again. Six finds him and brings him to Providence.

Aug 2009: Rex has another blackout while training with Six (something similar to what happened in Frostbite). Holiday and Six don't realize this is a Thing with him so they just start over from the beginning. Training is easier and faster now that they know how Rex's powers work and they're prepared for everything. Six gets Rex some goggles, Holiday gets Rex some gloves.

[the-monkey-ruler]

Why is spider queen a “popular” pairing with monkey king? Popular in the sense that this is my 4th time seeing this not that they get together.

You mean the spider demon? I can't really say why directors keep using her as a love interest for Wukong but it is starting to appear more and more of a popular trope.

Like in Journey to the West The Legend of the Merman (2017) 西游鲛人传 she is just in straight-up love interesting while in Sun Wukong in Hong Kong (1969) 孫悟空大鬧香港 it's less of a love interest role and more of an object of desire for other characters to fight over and cause chaos.

I think it mostly comes from her origin with the Seven Spider Sisters and how they were connected with the 7 emotions (not the 6 desires though which I find interesting)

I think the only series I've really seen Wukong played out with a Spider Demon is Journey to the West (1996) 西游记 where Wukong and the gang help this one spider find her true love that was reincarnated (heavy White Snake energy) and her little sister (Shishi? I might be remembering wrong) falls in love with Wukong. I think it's a very hard arc cause she so clearly loves Wukong but Wukong has no interest in romantic relationships at all and makes that clear from the start... and it's hard on Wukong cause he does care for her as a friend but just can't change his feelings for her and he won't lie about his feelings either just to make her feel better.

Honestly a very mature message not to force yourself into a relationship just for the sake of the other person. You have to know your own emotions and accept them.

So I think that when done right I can see why people enjoy the Spider Demon and Sun Wukong playing off each other if a director does it right. Romantic or not!

[feuqueerfire]

Infernal Affairs (2002) Live Blogging

Watched The Worst of Evil in like 24 hours and that was full of excitement and adrenaline, so I feel empty now. Finished that this morning and it's almost 10pm and thinking of starting this show because of this post which mentions Junmo seems to think he's in Infernal Affairs. Is it a good idea to start a new gangster infiltration movie right after I watched Worst of Evil? Who knows. Hope it goes well

June 22, 2024

wait what? He's a gang member who infiltrated the police academy to be a cop implant but he got expelled?

and the other kid is a police academy kid who's being planted in the gang

the editing is kinda killing me, why does it remind me of Bollywood a little bit, though not as dramatic as the Indian serials

20 years pass by with them in the gang, which is interesting/funny because lmao Seungho climbed the ranks fast as well in The Worst of Evil

bruh okay I'm watching these on random sites lol so at first when I started watching I was like... why do the mouths not match but seems like that one was dubbed, so I found the original on a different site. Wish I knew the difference between Mandarin vs Cantonese to tell but I think the first one was Mandarin dub while this is Canto original purely based on this being a Hong Kong movie

oh, wait the kid who got "expelled" from police academy is gang implant?

and it's been almost 10 years

okay yeah this is def not Mandarin, it's so unfamiliar to me. the audio that i first started with was def familiar to me since I've watched a bunch of Taiwanese stuff and some mainland Chinese stuff too and that was probably Mandaring

only one guy now knows this man's identity as a cop, that's scary af like what if he dies?

and the cop actually works for the gang right?

i'm confused about what the fake-cop did with the Triad member, like did he get genuine info from him and give it to the cops? Did he get secret info from him that he didn't give to cops? Is the location not genuine/will he give a heads up?

ah, they Triads are doing a drug trade while the cops are trying to catch them and the mole on each side is trying to (inconspicuously) help the other side lmfao

so does this fake-gangster actually have to do coke, that sucks for him :(

so they cop and fake-gangster-mole communicating in morse code through fingers right? so the finger is tapping the mic to make morse code sounds? and the fake-cop has caught onto his supervisor doing it?

ahh the gang leader trying to figure out who the mole is

the fake-cop and fake-gangster's meeting and they seem to take notice of each other but... do they recognize the other?

The gang leader and cop leader having a tense but funny conversation about how they each have a mole in the other's midst and they both know it. [TODO: how does the kidney patients and the cards story end?]

so is she the fake-cop's gf? very pretty. i also like their physicality together

the fake-gangster also likes his therapist? each male lead has a love interest, the women won't die right...

please why is he telling his therapist that he's a cop T.T couldn't she be threatened and spill the beans

the cops want the mole-cop to investigate the mole-cop lmfaoo good luck

the moles almost saw each other's faces since fake-cop met the gang leader while fake-gangster was keeping an eye on the gang leader maybe

and the gang leader also trusts fake-gangster the most lmfao pls they're both very good at their jobs ig

fake-gangster: Yan. fake-cop: Lau

fake-cop and his fiance are really cute oh man

and also she's an author and she's asking how the story should end because her main guy is a good guy who has done many bad things loll

omg... that's not his kid, is it? because the mother said the daughter is 5 but daughter corrected her saying she's 6... and the two of them haven't met in "6 to 7 years" girl... this fake-gangster cop has a child he doesn't know about bc the mother doesn't wanna get mixed in with gangs?

damn, the gangs really cornered the cop and fake-gangster. hope cop Wong doesn't die bc uh how will Yan then be known as a cop and be able to get out and stuff. his file is still in the cop folder though

oh damn, sad ending for cop Wong

damn, this side character gang guy also got shot

hm Lau is taking responsibility for Wong’s death and apparently tracking him before that

oh, the file is password-protected and so they don’t know who their mole is

oh, cooperation? what is Lau planning now that he has access to the mole but the mole doesn’t know Lau himself is also the mole

they’re framing the guy who died while driving as the cop mole?

Is Lau actually gonna help Yan? Does he feel ambivalent toward the gang now after seeing Wong die?

Lau kills the gang boss just like that ong

omg Yan found out that Lau was the mole then Lau found out Yan knows and deleted his fucking file?!

Should I care about this romance what i’m nervous about what is gonna happen to Yan

oh, Yan’s got voice recordings of Lau communicating with gang leader Sam

dang, so this guy is a cop who is also a spy for the gang and he fucking

shot and killed Yan omg

and was telling Lau that he’ll follow him now etc assuming he’s still on the gang side but Lau also ended up shooting him dead

so Wong is dead, Yan is dead, Lau continues to be the cop without anybody knowing he used to be mole

Overall:

This is a movie that I think I'd like to rewatch and would be able to follow it more on the rewatch. I'm not super used to older movies or crime/gangster movies, so I think a second watch would be beneficial.

It's fast-paced, fairly short (100 minutes), lean, and straight to the point but full of subtlety and quite philosophical in a way. The main characters have both been cosplaying for a decade and their lives have been shaped by their current lives, so despite technically being a cop and a gangster, are they still now more like their mole identities?

Infernal means like relating to hell, so these events in the show are hellish and they make references to hell at the beginning and end of the movie. Yan was a cop but nobody other than himself and Wong knew it, so after a decade, what difference does it even make that he's a cop? The thought of the little girl being his daughter is so tragic because he met the woman while he was a gangster and because of that he never got to pursue a love or a family the way other people can. In the end, what did his mission even accomplish, Wong and him both died (and Yan so close to the end too) while Lau is the while who shot Sam and is lauded with praises for it and also catching the police mole. What a tragic life he's lead.

On the other hand, Lau has always wanted to be Yan. At the Academy when he was getting kicked out because I guess he wanted to be with the gang, not spying as a cop and at the end because now Yan's dead but is laid to rest with respect while Lau is now always paranoid that somebody will find out about his previous affiliations and also the guilt of never having faced consequences. Lau's fiance's story about whether the man who was good or bad was also an interesting thread. And though Lau got the chance to have a romance unlike Yan, he lost that when Mary (?) found out that he's part of the gang.

It's a tragic ending where Wong and Yan both die while Lau is praised for killing Sam and the other cop mole without being found out as the real mole who was working with the gang for 10 years, I appreciate its bleakness. Then again, it's a movie where you don't even necessarily want Lau to face retribution because you can see him want to become better and abandon being a mole for the gang.

I liked this comment about the film discussing its philosophies/why the way it ended mattered.

Rating: 7/10

[psychicwavementality]

Suo chinkposting alert 🚨🚨

+ minor suosaku revelations

++ yes this post is entirely about how Chinese Suo Hayato is + his possible triad connections because I need the world to see my VISION.

(24/09/2024: this post is kind of outdated, but read on if you want the full Suo chinkpost experience! Here's a link to Version 2 Part 1 with MORE Suostuff that will make you cry either tears of joy or craziness. In my case it was shitting tears of animosity and hatred and absolute utter reverence for NiiSato.)

Let me just start with the fact that I find it incredibly comical that Suo's 1 million Chinese aura makes rounds to Sakura. Like:

I don't know who compiled this image but, thank you for doing 天神's work.

Heads up! This ramble will later on have a lot of SuoSaku-fueled Chinese Suoposting, so if you don't like sosk don't hesitate to scroll away... but Nii Satoru you are so DEVIOUS dude wtf are u cooking in the top leftmost image (will get to that later).

Anyhoo, let's just open with the singular image that I think everyone should see and brainrot with me—Shanti paro Suo!!

Nii Satoru drew a bunch of others too—you have Gira Gira with Tsubaki, Tensei Ringo with Choji, Shinigami with Endo... they all fit their characters!! AND THEY ALL FIt—(hobo coughing

THEY ALL FIT!! THEIR CHARACTERS!! So tell me. Why Shanti for Suo? 😏 The song about drugs murder trafficking and gangs in Chinatown? 😏

Throwback to when Suo introduces himself as Leonardo DiCaprio at the beginning of the series—did you know that:

DiCaprio has stated that he grew up poor in a neighborhood plagued with prostitution, crime and violence [...] As a child, DiCaprio wanted to become either a marine biologist or an actor. He eventually favored the latter; he liked impersonating characters and imitating people, and enjoyed seeing their reactions to his acting.

😏 You cannot be serious~

And childhood Suo could most definitely have been a little shit before his master taught him!! Because:

DiCaprio has said in interviews that his first television appearance was in the children's series Romper Room, and that he was dismissed from the show for being disruptive. The show's host has denied that any children were removed from the show in this way.

(And I'm just saying this as a disjointed thought, but please consider the imagery of Suo involved in the CN black society or an HK triad—think about it. He's known to enjoy snacks and tea from around the world. He wears trad silk and linen outfits and fricking Kung Fu shoes with antique coral tassel earrings. He speaks another language that isn't Japanese. He says he has a Chinese dragon spirit in his right eye. He wakes up daily to meditate. He literally dresses like a Kung Fu master. 💀 He is NOT Japenis...)

(And not to start HKdeluluposting but Hong Kong is known as a cultural melting pot, and Suo either having worked there/grown up there would explain his love for worldwide tea and snacks.)

(Not to continue deluluposting but foreigners typically hate natto because they're unused to the taste + did you know some Chinese spiritualist groups fast and meditate to practice qi and Suo is known for not eating? Source: my dad is in a Chinese spiritualist group that fasts and meditates to practice qi)

Anyway. A little break from the intense character reading. Look at this silly Spoon2D cover that you think would be released in Feb for Chinese/Lunar New Year since it's the year of the Dragon. BUT?? THIS WAS RELEASED IN APRIL LMAO

Like the most fucking Nihao Zhongguo Beijing Welcomes You (chinese ringtone) aurablast lands on them during... April. AND ITS SO CUTE?!! When I saw those little Bofurin cans I giggled like insanity dawg because if you grew up anywhere in China or HKTWMO you see these little fucks often enough it's BURNED into your core memory you will recognize it instantly.

And now that the light-hearted intermission is over let's discuss the... what the fuck... (reads script) traditionally symbolic Chinese boypreggers marriage room art 😕

They look like they're wearing traditional Chinese wedding outfits 😅😅😅😅🙏 (more on this later)

The flowers used are 櫻花（Cherry Blossoms/Sakura）and 梅花（Plum Blossoms/Ume Flower）-> Sakura's side being sakuras, how fitting right? And then you have SUO HAYATO AND A TRADITIONALLY CHINESE SYMBOLIC FLOWER WITHIN ITS CULTURE AS WELL AS IT BEING UMEMIYA'S FLOWER WHILE THEY'RE IN A CLEARLY CHINESE ROOM.

SO. The 梅花 in Chinese symbolism is basically the most CN flower ever and by that I mean:

梅花的象徵寓意是什麼？ 梅花五瓣，便是象徵五福。 梅花的第一瓣象徵著人類最渴望的和平，第二瓣象徵快樂，第三瓣象徵順利，第四瓣象徵長壽，第五瓣象徵幸運

MTL: What is the symbolic meaning of plum blossoms? The five petals of the plum blossom symbolize the five blessings. The first petal of the plum blossom symbolizes the peace that mankind desires most, the second petal symbolizes happiness, the third petal symbolizes success, the fourth petal symbolizes longevity, and the fifth petal symbolizes luck.

Like yeah it has everything every Chinese Ah Ma would pray for during a temple visit.

And also, Suo's earrings are made of coral:

在東、西方歷史文化中，寶石珊瑚都居有富貴祥瑞的崇高地位，它代表高貴與權勢，是幸福與永恆的象徵，不僅各國皇室貴族將其作裝飾用，珊瑚也是敬神、供佛的珍品。

MTL: In both Eastern and Western history and culture, gemstones and corals have a lofty status of wealth and auspiciousness. They represent nobility and power, and are a symbol of happiness and eternity. Not only do royal families and nobles of various countries use them for decoration, but corals are also used to worship gods and Buddhas.

(I'll throw you a bone by saying triads are documented to be initiated in front of a Guan Yu altar with incense and an animal sacrifice—"The paper on which the oaths are written will be burnt on the altar to confirm the member's obligation to perform his duties to the gods. Three fingers of the left hand are raised as a binding gesture." —Wikipedia)

Suo's really, really entrenched in the pinnacle of Chinese auspiciousness a la longevity and happiness 😭 But anyway back to plum blossoms—if you want to stretch it, one place Suo could be from is Sichuan because they originated from there.

Another place be could be from is Taiwan—since plum blossoms are the national flower of TW as well. But these two things are really big stretches because Umemiya-san's not Sichuanese or Taiwanese now is he.

Regarding Umemiya though!! I trust people reading this post already know that Suo's 'ideal' view on attaining adulthood coincides with Umemiya? If not look at this short post and come back. I just find it interesting how Umemiya fits both Suo's definition of adulthood as well as the symbolism behind plum blossoms: "it is a symbol for resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity, because plum blossoms often bloom most vibrantly even amidst the harsh winter snow."

And then boom, Suo's paired up with plum blossoms and Sakura has his sakuras, which also coincide with his character: "It symbolizes both life and death, beauty and violence. As the coming of spring promises new life, so the blooming of cherry blossoms brings a sense of vitality and vibrancy. At the same time, their short lifespan is a reminder that life is fleeting." / "Displaying them infuses your space with the energy of new beginnings and rebirth. They are symbols of fresh starts, and can serve as cures for love, health, or work-related challenges."

It's just so, like, crazy?? That plum blossoms would also be placed with Suo? (Esp. since Suo also seems to know flower language lol...)

And now we get to the vaguely crack part. Do not take anything beyond this point seriously. The fact that these mfs look like they're getting married 😀

Testimonials from a friend:

RED AND GOLD ARE MARRIAGE COLOURS

Like. U see round shapes a lot behind the couples at chinese marriage ceremonies bc it symbolises wholeness and completion of cycles and joining together

They're called 圆形窗, also called 月圆窗 in the ming dynasty [referring to the rounded window behind them]

Evidence from the court:

Does it not look like they're literally getting married wtf. +++ the wedded couple sits side by side like that to receive red packets from relatives ... 😭 Just tell me you're going into a 洞房 to consummate your marriage already

Now here's some bonus crack material—did you know in China the symbolism for cherry blossoms/sakura are:

Due to the bloom's extreme popularity in Japan, this is one of the most widely accepted meanings of cherry blossoms, but it's not the only one. In China, cherry blossoms are linked to sexuality and the beauty of women and are sometimes associated with women's ability to dominate using their appearance.

In Chinese tradition, they represent the beauty and love of women. In some parts of the world, giving cherry blossom flowers to someone special can be seen as a sign of love and care. The softness and fragility of the flowers can reflect how love is fragile and how important it is to care for it.

To which I say Sakura got wifed up 😕 and my friend adds:

I think it’s interesting how suo is shown w/ more feminine coded outfits compared to sakura BUT his flower symbolises like. Strength and perseverance (because 梅花 grows in winter)

In regards to:

In fact, the harsher the weather, the more beautiful and dense the flowers will bloom and blossom. That is why plum blossoms are regarded as one of the ultimate Feng Shui symbols for perseverance, strong willpower, dedication, persistence, indomitability, fearlessness, fortitude, and tenacity.

So instead of aura, Suo has hella Feng Shui 🔥🔥🔥 AGAIN with the persistence eternity shit though... he's chinesevirtuemaxxing. Oh, but sosk fans, it's not over yet:

Plum blossoms have come to symbolize fertility, this is perhaps due to an ancient Chinese custom of throwing plums to seek love.

"He's getting boypreggers in the traditionally symbolic Chinese marriage room" —2024

+ Pink and red flowers represent celebration, good luck, and happiness.

What are they celebrating? Their marriage? Smh

So if you've gotten this far and Nii Satoru one day announces Suo grew up rough and has a triad Chinese longevity boycrush on Sakura Haruka, you can point at this post and page me immediately for being a Temu Prophet.

"The pros of being Chinese: the moment we see a nihongo-shaped silhouette we instead lock in and start chinkblasting him with the flavor of a thousand chinese warriors" —2024

And scene!

Nobody talks how fucking Chinese Suo Hayato is it makes me utterly depressed I cannot chinkpost about him. Nii Satoru reveal that Suo has connections to the HK triad NOW and my ching chong hker dllm pkzai ass will kiss you silly

[uibkhannah]

Who am I?

What am I doing here?

How is this food related?

It was never about the food.

Life is about finding a cliff and jumping off.

Veral and wild.

To feel sentimental about the past is unusual for Hong Kong, it’s always changing, it’s always embraced change.

I looked at the Hong Kong that’s disappearing before my eyes - of hand-made noodles, small shops run by artists and craftsmen, street stalls, and fishing villages. And a bit of the new as well: a young Hong Kong that is wary of the future and what might come with it.

Tattoos have a bit of a bad reputation in Hong Kong. In the past they where seen as punishment in China and where associated with the triads, a criminal organization. Even today, some people in Hong Kong still think of tattoos as being connected to crime  and gangs. But a new generation of tattoo lovers is trying to change that. They´re showing that tattoos can be a form of art and self-expression. And it looks like they´re succeeding – tattoos are becoming more popular, especially in Western countries. Even in East Asia, the trend is starting to catch on. It seems like tattoos are on their way to becoming fashionable again.

The needle is hammered again and again into the skin. Every tattoo is one of a kind. A black chrysanthemum was inked on my shoulder. It is a triad tattoo. The tattoo supplements the surface of the body as it covers it. Just like Books are dead trees with tattoos. Or clothes are temporary tattoos, that will influence people’s perception of you. What we do with our hair tells others much about how we want to be seen. Makeup is used to transform appearance. Human ideals of beauty include body decoration! There is a Unique pride in having a tattooed body. I´ll be following a historic path of tattoo history and honour tradition.

[lapseinart]

Thought about it some more am back on my bullshit still thinking about the dynamics between Duke, Dami, and Steph but it’s getting hella long so I’m putting a read more

So it’s like Steph and Dami would be around the same age if Steph is Jason’s age and Dami is Cass’s (I believe heart and soul that Cass should be a few months older than Jason.). But I do think that Dami is dropped off at Bruce’s before B finds Steph getting into trouble as Spoiler and behind mentoring her. So Dami and Steph bicker all the time. They eventually become close, Steph sees that the change in environment is hard for Damian, but they still fight just in a more friendly way.

And like Duke had his little gang of friends that he started committing vigilante justice with before Bruce took him under his wing. Because Duke is the light in the darkness in a different way than Dick was. Duke is about communities caring about each other. And he’s ultimately a Gotham boy even if he and B fight, he’s gonna stay in Gotham just not with Bruce. So he’s not necessarily around as much like Dick wasn’t there all the time for Jason either because he was growing up.

So anyway when Steph dies, Bruce absolutely takes his anger out on Damian. Why were they always fighting why did you not follow her why didn’t you keep an eye on her you were a better fighter why weren’t you around to save her. And Damian can’t stand it anymore so he leaves. And Duke finds out that Bruce was yelling at Damian (maybe even slapped him like B did Dick when he confronted him about Jason having died and no one telling him) and cuts ties with him too. He and Damian weren’t exactly close before because Damian is admittedly something of an asshole, but grief binds them in a way nothing could before.

And Damian has to reinvent himself now figure out what kind of hero he wants to be. Because before it was simply his father was a vigilante and he was taking on the family business. Not like Duke who’d lost his parents to villains and Steph who was passionate about the system inequalities in Gotham who was always volunteering at Leslie’s clinic. (Which if Steph is a Punisher-like figure instead of the doctor she’d wanted to be it’s a total inversal of Do No Harm).

So Damian becomes Nightwing and he’s the first Bat to really be working out of Gotham. He works with the Titans which Jon had been trying to convince him to join since forever. He blows up some LoA bases à la Tim when Bruce died. Idk he’s discovering himself.

And then Tim tries to convince Duke to go back to B. Duke's like hell no as he should be. Tim finds out where Damian is online and emails him or something and Dami's understandably unsettled, but also B made it clear he wants nothing to do with Damian so he's gonna chill in Hong Kong for now please and thank you. So Tim, brave, stupid Tim, decides he's going to become the new Bat's Shadow (since no Dick means no Robin mantle and the Shadow is Damian's brilliant idea because he was an angsty ten year old.)

Okay so it’s like some people hate Reverse Robins and I get it but it’s not about giving the Batkids each other’s trauma it’s about ✨narrative parallels✨ you switch up the ages but the way that you switch up the traumas has to be… in character I guess??

Like Tim is obsessive and he ID’s the Bats because of Dick, but Dick’s not the oldest for Tim to become absolutely fascinated with. So which of the Waynes does Tim start becoming a stalker of? (I mean he’s prob already stalking the Bats but you know what I mean) No way is it gonna be Damian. But you know who it fits? DUKE THOMAS. He sees Duke at a gala using his light powers and ID’s him as Signal and this the rest of the Bats. Duke and Dick are both the light in the darkness.

If Duke’s taken in first and thus the Dick equivalent does that mean Damian is going to be the one who pulls a Jason and dies? I mean, he could get lured by his mother and killed by the Al Ghuls or his clone which has happened canonically so I suppose you could recreate that scenario BUT you know what OTHER protege died because Bruce pushed them away and made them feel inadequate?? THATS RIGHT YALL STEPHANIE BROWN. I feel like Steph should be allowed to beat Tim up. I feel like Damian returning as someone who kills has very little narrative punch to it because he’s already a sort of reformed assassin. Him reverting is like… whatever. STEPH BROWN WHO KNOWS POVERTY KILLED IN A GANG WAR AND FEELING LIKE THE BATS MEASURES ARENT ENOUGH?!? That’s something. She could be like the Punisher in Marvel instead of a drug lord that would be kind of cool.

I guess this is reversing the ages not the situations so Duke is Dick’s age, Dami is Cass’s age, and Steph is Jason’s??? But like adoption order isn’t the same because their backgrounds are still the same-ish. Dami is sent to Bruce because he’s not safe in the League anymore. His morals aren’t Cass’s. Cass still runs away because she hates the idea of killing.

I haven’t thought the rest of this through but I need to go so this is all y’all get for now.

[subbyfoxelf]

[comic review] robin, vol. 1: reborn (1990-91)

(cw: racism)

“for him it isn’t about saving the world. it’s about saving himself. and why am i here? i don’t know the answer to that one. i guess my education is just beginning.”

this graphic novel collects detective comics #618-#621 (rite of passage), batman #455-#457 (identity crisis), and the five-issue robin miniseries.

“rite of passage” is rough. the villain is basically lifted out of the 70s james bond movie live and let die in terms of cartoonishly racist depictions of vodou. there's also a b plot where robin-in-training tim drake uses his detective skills to track down an anarchist who's redistributing wealth (gasp!) and punch him in the face. and yeah, obviously super not a fan of any of this! rough start for boy wonder iii. d-rank

“identity crisis”[1] is a definite improvement, though i have to say i just don’t love alan grant’s writing style in either of these first two stories. this arc finds batman investigating a series of apparently random crimes where people from all walks of life are putting on identical masks and committing acts of wanton violence. spoilers, but eventually it turns out that scarecrow is behind it. batman is captured by scarecrow at the end of the arc's penultimate issue, and in the last issue scarecrow has him strung up and tortured with various fear toxins while taunting him mercilessly.

earlier in the arc batman has given tim strict orders to stay safe at home, and once tim discovers scarecrow's involvement[2] he has to grapple with whether to follow orders or try to rescue him. he ends up deciding he has no choice but to try to rescue his mentor, despite fearing that it will close the book on him ever becoming robin. he opts not to wear the costume, fearing that doing so while disobeying batman's orders will dishonor the history of robin.

luckily, batman is grateful for robin's intervention, and tells him that he learned an important lesson, that heroes sometimes have to break the rules but only when it's justified. i love bruce trusting tim's judgment here rather than being as rigid as he can sometimes be.

this arc ends with bruce presenting tim with a new, more modern robin costume. i think it's a bit ironic that the robin who will later be revealed to be openly queer is the first one not to wear the infamously skimpy and effeminate robin costume, but i have always liked tim's variant. it's super cool-looking.

despite my not loving the writing style in this arc, it did do a good job of giving batman and robin a credible threat to confront[3] while still keeping the focus mostly on tim taking on the role of robin. c-rank

finally, the incomparable chuck dixon takes over writing duties for the five-issue robin miniseries. it’s just such a blessed relief after the first two-thirds of this collection. robin journeys to france to learn from a martial arts master but ends up embroiled in what starts out looking like some gang violence but ends up being a globe-trotting plot to wipe a whole city off the map with bioweapons.[4]

(a quick aside: i recently learned that chuck dixon turned into some kind of conservative weirdo later in his career? and made like a mediocre white comedian and pulled a “conservatives in comics are so oppressed you guys!” thing when his career dried up in the 2010s? just truly bizarre. and if he really was conservative all along, he sure hid it well in his work.)

this miniseries makes it explicit through robin’s inner monologue that his job is “aiding the oppressed,” “protecting the innocent,” and “punishing the wicked.” the villain is also a british imperialist whose motivation is explicitly bitterness that hong kong is no longer going to be dominated by his people. coming on the heels of whatever the heck was going on in alan grant’s two arcs, saying this is a refreshing change of pace is quite the understatement. it honestly feels pretty pointed thanks to its close proximity to the earlier stories.

on a more superficial note, robin gets toyed with by not one but two ladies who kick his ass a few times, and the one that’s nominally on his side is super condescending towards him the whole time and, y’know, i was kind of super into it.

this miniseries is a ton of fun, and really shows tim coming into his own as robin. it’s a drastic improvement over the other two. b-rank

notes

1. not to be confused with the more well-known, company-wide crossover event of the same name.

2. before bruce, by the way! once again demonstrating that the boy is a gifted detective.

3. and even got batman tied up and in need of rescue!

4. on a very nerdy note, the fact that the bioweapon being used is explicitly stated to be the bubonic plague is kinda hilarious because you can wipe that shit out with some basic bitch antibiotics. it’s really not gonna be as big of a deal as they’re making it sound like it is. but whatever, i’m nitpicking!

[mazuwii]

Dates The Aot Characters Would Take You on

Characters: Levi, Eren, Bertholdt, Reiner, Jean, Armin, Erwin, Zeke, Hange, Porco, Pieck, Miche, Mikasa

Levi: He enjoys going to small tea shops or coffee places While it is aesthetic he mostly likes it because it's secluded and silent, you know, he doesn't have to worry about loud ass Emily and her girls comin' in for their unicorn shit drinks. Though one time you set up a spa date and he showed genuine discomfort. Just the thought of someone else touching him and trying to relax him put him off. But you being the magical S/O, you'd somehow get him to agree💀. Though, he ends up being bossy about who touches him and when to leave him alone.

Eren:

Having a knack for thrill and fear, Eren is addicted to anything violent and will make your makeup go bye-bye. So I suggest paintballing- which is his favourite fucking place, it's his comfort area. Anytime he's sad, he'll get his friends to go with him and will come back with pains around his body. That doesn't stop him from going again though. On a less aggressive note, he loves haunted houses in which you escape actors who pretend to be killers/ghosts. He has most likely pulled tricks against the rules and frustrates workers beyond imagination.

Bertholdt: You must have predicted this but he loves parks, flower gardens to be specific. I'm talking about places like Regent park in England, it's a whole map of paradise. You pass through bridges built upon ponds and have fun feeding ducks, there's a small coffee shop with benches outside everytime you want a break. He also finds a lot of joy in explaining the type of flowers and what they need to grow, their meaning and origins. At home, he probably has his own plants and talks to them. Also, you guys witnessed a pigeon stealing a crisp packet from the mini shop nearby. I just felt the need to mention that.

Reiner: Being less of a thrill junkie than Eren is, Reiner prefers something like an amusement park. Or maybe even something as simple as going to the mall. He finds it fun to listen to you screaming and clench onto his hand during sudden dips on roller coasters, it always gives him a sense of pride for some reason. Though, if he wanted to take a more gentle date with someone he'd go for something extremely simple like stargazing on the roof of his car. (Idk he still has the gremlin urge to take you fucking bungy jumping but he doesn't want to scare you that bad

Jean: Old fashioned picnic dates that you guys make yourselves will never get old to him. The smell of grass even when it's freshly after a rainstorm, the ladybugs you always gasp and show off anytime they land on you- he can't get enough of the simple nature of picnics The best part is cooking with him because he can start the best conversations and has a good sense of humour, especially when cooking, he seems more focused on making you laugh than he does cutting up hard vegetables.

Armin: Cinema dates, which I want to say, what a nerd but I can't talk, I quite enjoy the theatres myself. Armin despises trailers before the movie starts, he accidentily goes on a rampage about it and only realises when you're cocking a brow at him. He sheepishly laughs and suggests you two do something while trailers are still playing. The cinema is in the mall so you two go around trying foods, maybe even going to a small bookstore to discuss some nerdy franchise. During the actual film, he holds your hand when it gets emotional, you can even hear him whimper💀💀

Erwin: He doesn't have much time with you so he tries his hardest to make sure you have fun too during your relationship with him. I like to think he's just a classic man, but I hate the expensive restaurant trope so bad that I'd make a new suggestion that Erwin takes you on vacations more than actual dates. Like, Hong Kong, Tokyo, fricking Venice- Sometimes the gang will come along, Levi, Hange, Miche and Nanaba- but they only make the trip funnier. Though for a simple date, I'd say you both go to a cooking class (It's more fun than it sounds)

Zeke: He likes going stargazing or just going on small picnic dates that end in you both laying down on the mat and pointing at clouds with each other. Usually, Zeke is explaining some worldly theory to you while you're on your back, eyes lighting up at the sight of the clear blue sky, scanning every puffy white cloud that floats by. You even came up with your own theory about how when people die, their souls float like a cloud in the shape of their favourite thing. "So when you die, would I see my boobs in the air?" He'd bluntly respond.

Porco: What a show-off. Porco loves taking you on a ride on his motorbike, thinking he's hot shit every time he leans on it while waiting for you. He's always wearing leather attire for it and it's something straight out of 'bad boy' Wattpad LMAO. Speaking of being a show-off, he loves going to arcades with you and just winning against every single game that you try with each other. He does give you the prizes he wins though, just to see you smile. -

Hange:

I would say Museums but she'd find it boring. Instead, I propose to keep her interested by going on a 20-hour road trip. All of that seems fun to her. You don't really have a destination, wherever you end up, you end up and that's the thrill of it. It's just an adventure for you both. Also, you take turns in sleeping and who drives next and Hange always manages to be the person who drives more hours and sleeps less, she's just more excited. Though, you can't count the number of times you told her to not stick her whole body out of the window💀💀💀

Pieck: She seems like a cat cafe kinda person, or staying in and trying to cook something difficult together and although it can get messy it's very fun and the both of you videotape it for memories later on in your life. Which, is just a habit in your relationship with her. Filming everything and everywhere you go, even filming the part where you buy ingredients at the store, the mic being taken up by your giggles and Pieck's small but funny remarks.

Mikasa: Skating, she loves helping you back because the first time you two went you could not skate at all, always falling on your bum. You eventually get the hang of it and got to do some moves with her.

Mike: Hiking dates and camping is his favourite thing- though maybe a bit scary for you. Believe me, it isn't so bad when Mike is with you, that man knows so much about the wilderness it kinda shocks you Also, you bring a lighter only to realise he can make a campfire by himself, it's like he's secretly a bear. This needs to be said but, he makes sleeping in a tent in the middle of the woods feel safe, somehow.

[szmaciarz-pospolity]

Honestly I feel like Circe is underapriciated. Like I saw few times already people saying she had no personality and was just a bad love interest to Rex, and meanwhile I also think her love plot wasn't really that good (I have things that I really like about it that I'll talk about later), I honestly think that's like the least interesting thing about Circe to me??

Honestly to me Circe is an interesting image of how evo youth might end up in this world. Especially since she's litearlly so human passing, yet still the world treated her like shit. We don't know what exacly happened, but that doesn't even matter, we know she was a teen girl in a shitty place. That's how she ends up in The Pack, wich is obviously q toxic enviroment. And like she's treated badly there from the start let's face it. Yet she always was like "well it could be worse, at least I'm not alone anymore 👍". And like, that rings home you know? I mean the situation was exaggerated compared to the expirences of most teens, but it's similiar enough. The expirence I'm talking about it obviously getting a friend or a whole friend circle that's toxic and treats you bad, yet you stay with them due to fear of being alone and you excuse them time and time again. That's how I mostly look at Circe's relationship with the pack.

There's also the fact that Van Kleiss straight up usses vounarable people to his advantage wich is really fucked up. Like we obviously see that with Breach, but Circe is a really good example as well. Like she litearlly belived all his words and refused to leave him AND FOR WHAT?? Honestly that whole thing kinda reminds me of a cult leaders idk it's interesting

I honesly don't really like the way Circe left The Pack, like the shift in her views seemed a bit sudden, even tho the episode definetely gave her reasons to do that, tho I kinda wish her reality check was a bit more,, brutal and personal you know? Like VK being a bitch to her, and being ready to break all of Rex's bones made sense tho to how devoted she was to VK I just wish it was something more centric on her. But how it is, I CAN ACCEPT THAT ESPECIALLY SINCE THAT LEADS TO MY FAV MOMENT IN HER CHARACTER.

Wich is obviously her joining The Hong Kong Gang. Like in that episode she seems just so much,,, healthier and way more chill??? Like she finally found people in her life that she's fully happy with and they treat her right. I don't know It's so nice to see her actually healing and far from that bullshit she was subjected to for so long. Like I mean in that episode shit goes down anyway, but we see she was happy before and in the end after they solve the problem she seems happy again. I especially like that she didn't join providance beacuse oh my god that would suck. But nope, she's far away from that shit, and she seems so much better.

Then season 3 comes and not gonna lie, I have mixed feelings about her in that season. It's a shame her situation sucks again and she got separated from her friends and got tied up in the Abysus bullshit. But also the episode is really dramatic and fun so- And overall I like to think after the end of the series, she still lives with the Hong Kong Gang and stuff Idk I love them togheather. Also give her her purple hair dye back cmon.

Now we come to the elephant in the room- Her relationship with Rex. Most of the critism of her character usually revolves around that so um yeah. I actually don't think it's awful?? Not great eighter but it's fine and I've seen worse. There's a few aspects of their relationship wich I really adore. It's that "what the fuck you're just like me" connection thingy. I don't know, I like the idea of them being able to relate to eachother. I also really like some of their moments, especially them having fun togheather in episode 2, or that moment when they hold hands wihout even realising it, and then Bobo comes, they realise that and they just quickly pull their hands away. I don't care that was adorable. I also like their overall vibe of the protagonist x the edgy one thing. Other than that the way their relationship was handled in canon could be worse but I kinda wish that after Circe joins the Hong Kong Gang, they stop being eachothers love interests and just become friends you know?? Like I don't know their relationship seems really rocky to me. In Asault on the Abysus especially LIKE I GET THAT CIRCE IS IN SO MUCH STRESS BUT CMON THAT ROMANCR THING IS CLEARLY NOT WORKING FOR YOU. Overall I think their ship and love plot is not bad, and it has elements I like a lot, but as a whole I don't think it's the best thing ever and I wish they stayed friends

I have no idea if any of the things I described here were on purpose, for sure at least some of the things were not, but that doesn't change the fact that there's a lot of interesting thins to think about Circe to talk about and overall she has so much potential, and her character could be explored so much WIHOUT IT EVEN INVOLVING HER RELATIONSHIP WITH REX. Overall all that I said aren't objective facts, just my thoughts on her character and how I interpret her. I don't know I like edgy teen girls that definetley need some therapy trope. Anyway bye I'm going to go watch a fnaf interview now.

[rainbowfoxes]

I can normally deal with people not reading the comics, because not everyone has the means to or even the desire to, and that's okay! The cartoons and a lot of the shows are great, and I can typically adjust to the different continuities being referenced quick enough.

But the one thing that gets me every time in fics written by people who aren't familiar with the comics is the timeline. It is always incredibly wonky and all over the place and just. Incorrect. Sometimes it makes me laugh, sometimes it makes me 🙃, and others I have to leave right now immediately.

So in the interest of saving myself (and perhaps others) a ???? reaction in the future, here is a (very) rough and non-exhaustive order of events for the Bat Clan. The time between these events are variable, but this is the general order of things.

Thomas and Martha Wayne are murdered

Bruce goes on his training trip

Bruce comes back and begins his whole I Am The Night shtick

The Grayson family is murdered

Bruce fosters Dick

Dick debuts as Robin

Justice League/ Super Friends/ whatever group is formed

Dick forms the Teen Titans with Donna, Garth, Roy, and Wally.

Dick leaves Gotham (either for college, or because of an argument with Bruce)

Sometimes more Titans things happen. They also break up at some point

Raven forms the second iteration of the Teen Titans to fight her father. The team is comprised of Dick, Raven, Donna, Wally, Kori, Gar, and Vic.

Jason steals the tires off the Batmobile, thwarts his own grandmother's attempts at robbing a museum, and is adopted by Bruce. He is also made Robin - Note that oftentimes Dick is still Robin at this time as well.

Babs gets shot by the Joker for her dad and Bruce's man pain. She becomes Oracle as a result.

Jason and Bruce have a fight, and Jason goes to find his biological mother.

Jason is betrayed by his supposed mother and murdered by the Joker.

Tim shows up and does his "Batman needs Robin" Thing.

Jason crawls himself out of his grave and promptly gets hit by a car. Don't worry, we'll check in with him later.

Tim's mom is murdered and his father left in a coma that he eventually recovers from.

Knightfall happens - Bane breaks Bruce's back, Jean-Paul Valley is Batman for a minute and so is Dick.

Contagion happens - some dumbass releases a super plague on the city but it's okay because they make a vaccine that everyone gets because it's 1996 and no one has given Jenny McCarthy the opportunity to start the Anti-Vax movement yet.

Legacy happens - It's break through cases this time but don't worry, they fix it because this is comic books and people have two braincells to rub together.

Dick goes to Blüdhaven!!! This is the big one for me tbh. Please stop putting him in the Blüd while Jason is alive, I beg of you. You're killing me.

Cataclysm happens - a massive earthquake hits Gotham, and it is Very Bad. The US government decides to abandon the city and kill anyone trying to leave or enter after a certain date. Because that's an entirely reasonable thing to do. This leads to.....

No Mans Land - the approximate year that the city was cut off from the rest of the country. Lots of shit happens during this time - Cassandra Cain debuts, Stephanie Brown has her baby, Tim goes to boarding school, Sarah Essen-Gordon dies. If there is the only one comic book arc you read, please let it be this one.

Bruce is framed for the murder of Vesper Fairchild - not really important in the grand scheme of things but I love Vesper and you should too.

Hush happens - basically Tommy Elliot has Problems and also Jason shows up but not really but yest really (hi thank you retcons). It's a thing. Read the wikipedia page it's actually very helpful.

Tim's dad finds out that he's Robin and forces him to retire.

The next couple of things happen right on top of each other so - Blockbuster sets fire to Haly's circus and blows up Dick's apartment building and a bunch of other bad things. Tarantula kills Blockbuster and rapes Dick while he's in shock.

Immediately afterwards War Games starts - Steph starts a gang war to prove her worth to Bruce, gets murdered but not really by Black Mask, it's a whole thing.

Side bar - why did no one warn me about Black Mask killing Orpheus - a Black vigilante - and then impersonating him with full Blackface? Everyone talks about what he did to Steph but I really think we need to talk about what he did to Orpheus. Also if you haven't read War Games yet, here are some accurate trigger warnings for it: blackface, sexualized murder of a teenaged girl, a school shooting where a child dies.

Tim comes back as Robin.

Under the Red Hood happens - Jason comes back to Gotham, kills some guys, tries to kill Tim, does his whole Thing. You've probably seen the movie but I also recommend you read the comics it's v good and every time I read Jason's final speech I start crying.

Damian shows up

Final Crisis happens and Bruce "dies" aka gets lost in time, so the boys duke it out over who gets to be Batman. Tim goes on his murder mystery tour. Jason goes to prison but not before adopting a weird little girl named Sasha. Dick is left with Batman.

Oops turns out Steph isn't dead she's back and she's Batgirl now and low-key co-parenting Damian with Dick. It's very cute.

Cass is off being Black Bat in Hong Kong and I miss her.

Bruce comes back, Tim is Vindicated, Jason escapes prison and rides off into the sunset with Sasha to go Cause Problems on Purpose. Dick steps down from Batman. Damian continues to be a murder baby and I love him.

And that's not nearly everything but close enough for fic writing purposes up until Flashpoint. I definitely missed things, so feel free to add on. I also again beg you - please stop putting Dick in the Blüd when Jason is still alive, it makes my blood pressure spike every time I see it. You're killing me guys. Pls.

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | Undefeatable (Ho, 1993)

Godfrey Ho is best known for his cut-and-paste style movies, taking pre-existing footage and adding new scenes (usually ninja-related) and releasing them as a new feature, so it's probably a little weird that most of what I've seen from him so far hasn't been in that style. Ninja Terminator very much is in that vein, but The Dragon, The Hero, Princess Madam and this have been entirely his babies, although how well the plots have hung together has varied. He's also been known for being a not very good director, but all the ones I've seen so far have been pretty enjoyable, offering a steady stream of enjoyable action in between the more questionable narrative elements. This one probably holds together the sturdiest, but also has the most... questionable plot of all of them. It's also the least fast paced, lacking the breakneck speed of the other Hong Kong produced movies and perhaps having more in common with North American DTV features.

That's an area that I haven't delved too deeply into, although there are similarities with Tiger Claws, which I just watched a couple of days ago. The most obvious are the presence of Cynthia Rothrock as well as the serial killer plots, although the one here is a lot sleazier. Here, the killer is motivated by rage at his mother for abandoning him, which he channels into abusing his wife, who then leaves him so then starts torturing and murdering random women who resemble her. In Tiger Claws you get a couple of reasonably atmospheric murder scenes but nothing too upsetting (which is helpful because we have to buy the villain undergoing a moral reckoning in the superior Mortal Kombat inspired sequel, which would be harder to accept if the movie went overboard in this department). Here, we get a scene where we cut between the killer raping his wife and him fighting in the ring (although I suppose the movie is right to equate sexual assault to violence), and a series of sexualized torture sequences where the killer chains women in a warehouse. The pungency of these scenes definitely disrupts whatever lighthearted enjoyment you were hoping to get out of a DTV martial arts movie, although I must note that the rape scene is followed by the killer eating a steak, and it also turns out that he doesn't actually lock the door to the warehouse.

So that stuff is maybe hard to take, but action-wise, there's stuff to enjoy here. Cynthia Rothrock plays a waitress who earns some extra money by participating in an underground fighting ring, who gets involved in finding the killer after he murders her sister. She's part of gang who wears matching leather jackets, and the preludes to the fight scenes have a real Sharks vs Jets energy. One of her opponents shows up with football shoulder pads, which seems like cheating, and also brings along his wife, who is wearing a bizarrely out of place floral dress. Rothrock also has a scene where she's jogging in a denim vest with a ribbon in her hair, which is a weird outfit for a grown adult to wear, but serves as one of the movie's sartorial highlights. Yes, I know I was gonna talk about the action but this is very important.

Action-wise, this probably moves at 60% of the speed of Ho's Hong Kong movies that I've seen, but by American standards, the fights are still pretty good. You do get decent injections of visual flair once the heroes start facing off with the killer. This is best known for the gruesome conclusion to the final fight (I'd seen the clip years ago on YouTube, where one of the commenters described the villain as an evil Michael Scott or something to that effect), and I think the movie nicely cranks up the pace of the combat so that the gore pays off the escalating intensity. But lest you think this movie is just sleazy and grim, the very last scene ends on a more cheerful note, with Rothrock and her friends giving up gang life and getting enrolled in college. Always nice to get a positive message at the end of your move.

[everlastingbutterfly]

Doubt Season 4 (Liar! Dark lies) Epilogue Translation

(Doubt~ Underworld edition~ Do you enjoy dark lies?~ Epilogue)

Words: 1732

Reading time: 6 minutes

❌ do not take translations without credit

★ reblogging okay

If you enjoyed reading, please consider liking and/or reblogging to spread to other fans.

 Half a year has passed since Ichimura-sensei was arrested, and peace has finally returned to the hospital. MC comes to visit a still comatose Hime-chan. MC recalls visiting her family home after Ichimura-sensei’s arrest:

MC’s father: I can’t fully believe everything that happened with Ichimura-sensei but I am really relieved that you are okay MC.

MC explains it was thanks to Okura. He says that Okura had come to visit him just before and had resolutely declared he is going after the Hong Kong mafia. MC is shocked and her father confesses that after the incident before, they had come directly to target him. Okura had insisted on going alone and MC’s father had strongly told him not to but was unable to stop him and he believes Okura won’t be returning to the Ryumon gang.

It’s been half a year since then and she hasn’t heard anything from Okura. She can’t believe he gave up his own life in order to secure safety for the gang. MC takes a breath thinking over all the events of the past year when:

MC can’t believe she is awake and hits the “call nurse” button right away. Sumika and a recently returned Wataya-kun come in, asking Hime-chan if she knows where she is etc.

Hime-chan answers “the hospital?” and slowly starts moving her hand and touches her face. She exclaims how bad her skin is and that she needs to get to work on it lol and everyone laughs, relieved that she seems her usual self.

Everyone comes to visit her, and comments on how long it took for her to wake up and Karen jokes that it was hard work coming to visit her every week. Hime-chan wants to hear how everyone spent the half year while she was asleep. Ami, as usual has been working herself to the ground with her career but doesn’t mind as she enjoys it. BUT she reveals that she properly cleans up after herself after that incident and has quit smoking. Kazemiya-kun is now a project leader and as a result, his hobby time has decreased (you know what that means). Karen also, is very busy with work and the business is doing so well that she is in the midst of preparations for opening a second branch.

Hime-chan also asks after Tokiwa-kun, with Kazemiya-kun replying that he has one more year until he’s released and that he recently sent them a letter. He is still studying to become a doctor and MC truly believes he will become a great doctor, even if the path ahead will be difficult. Hime-chan questions about Eitaro’s happenings, with MC responding that he has been travelling around to apologise to his victims which has resulted in charges being dropped against him (UGH seriously??). He’s been travelling and studying to re-evaluate himself. Hime-chan exclaims how she can’t wait to get back to the share house and resume her life and encourages MC to also look and move forward.

After work, MC is on her balcony staring blankly up at the night sky. She realises no one has asked her about Yuu-kun or Okura, perhaps out of consideration. Suddenly, someone appears from behind her, covering her mouth. 

Yuu-kun: It’s been a while, MC. I won’t do anything, so please don’t call out. Promise? 

MC nods and he lets go. 

Yuu-kun apologises for surprising her and that he’s come to apologise. He conveys that he’s sorry for scaring her that time. MC is wary that this is all an act but expresses that she is happy he is okay. He points out that aspect of her makes her naïve but that’s precisely the part of MC he is drawn in by. He smiles a little sadly at her and pats her on the head. He reveals that she can relax, because the Hong Kong mafia will stop targeting the Ryumon gang because so long as someone like Okura is around, they are unable to take action. Hearing his name, MC questions him on what he knows about Okura but Yuu-kun doesn’t know anything. Yuu-kun remarks he doesn’t have any more time now so he has to go, but that next time instead of as the Hong Kong mafia, he wants to appear before MC as Yuki Kamakura. With that, he leaps lightly over the balcony and disappears into the night. MC thinks to herself that it would be good if they could meet again in future.

Unable to sleep, MC goes to get some water. Drinking it on the sofa, she remembers Yuu-kun’s words and wonders just who Okura is if even Yuu-kun has no idea on his whereabouts. She wonders if she will never see Okura again but no matter how many times she voices that in her heart, Okura won’t reply. As she starts to cry, Karen appears asking what’s wrong. MC reveals she is concerned about Okura and wonders why she only thinks of him.

Karen’s reply is that it’s only natural - after all, Okura is MC’s first love. MC is surprised and Karen is unruffled, knowing that MC hadn’t even realised it. Karen points out that MC’s hard work on practice, exams etc. was really just to gain Okura’s acknowledgement but MC denies it, replying that if anything, it was due to her annoyance at him treating/seeing her as a child. Karen retorts that it means MC wanted him to see her as an adult. It’s as if realisation finally hits her, and she sees that she wanted Okura to view the two of them as true equals. Karen asks MC what she thinks of Okura, and she answers that she loves him… maybe (her exact words haha). MC vows that if she were to meet Okura one more time then she will convey these feelings honestly.

3 months later, Hime-chan is discharged and there is a big celebration on the rooftop. MC’s father had declared that until he sees Okura again, he can’t die and has been earnestly looking for him. Cassie whacks MC on the back, telling her not to look so dark at a celebration but MC complains that she saw through the liars yet her fated person is nowhere. Cassie calls her rude for accusing her fortunetelling of being a failure and that her destined partner truly exists and that he will appear soon.

At that time, Haruichi appears on the rooftop lol but he announces he’s brought the late guest. Behind him stands…

Okura: Long time no see, kid.

Everyone is surprised and expresses their concern while he was away and he apologises. Haruichi whispers into MC’s ear that it was extremely hard and tiresome to find him, and that the repayment will be high. Karen pushes MC towards Okura who remarks that he has something to tell MC, whose reply is “what a coincidence, so do I.” Everyone smiles at the two, as they leave the rooftop.

They arrive at a café, bathed in the afternoon sunset. MC questions why he went alone on such a dangerous mission (of chasing the Hong Kong mafia) without saying anything. MC expresses how deeply concerned she was for him, especially because he disappeared suddenly and made zero contact.

He’s silent and looks away. MC further presses – who exactly is he to be able to take down the Hong Kong mafia singlehanded and also always be saving her? She begs him to answer. Okura doesn’t make a single move to respond and her sadness grows stronger, more so than her anger. She reflects that her outburst makes her seem childlike, and they weren’t the true words she wanted to convey anyway. She sighs – “It doesn’t matter what you are, I love you.”

Okura: Wha-? What did you just…

MC continues on, telling him that no matter what secret he has, if he doesn’t want to share it she won’t push. But, she just begs him to not go anywher-

Okura: Damn it.

Okura pulls her by the arm strongly into a hug.

Okura: You don’t even understand how I feel and you just go and say that… You’ve always been like that. I’ve tried desperately to keep my self-control intact and then you go ahead and break it. You have no idea just how much I…

MC feels his strong arms around her, and the warmth in the places that make contact, and the smell of tabacco… The reason he didn’t tell her about the Hong Kong mafia was because he knew MC would launch herself straight in. She can’t deny it. It makes MC happy that he was looking out for her but however,

MC: I don’t want to just be protected. I want to fight together alongside you Okura.  

Okura: You really are something, aren’t you. You said you didn’t mind what I was. In that case…

Okura: Are you prepared to go to hell with me?

MC recalls he’s said this before, meaning it seems his future is fated to be dark, and it must have something to do with his secret. Many possibilities swirl in her mind but she’s decided.

MC: If it means I can stay by your side, then the destination doesn’t matter. Whether it’s to hell or wherever, take me with you.

Okura: Don’t forget those words just now.

He slowly closes his eyes and leans closer, giving MC a kiss. Normally he’s quite rough but to kiss so gently, MC thinks it’s unfair. When it was dangerous, he was always the fastest to get to MC, and saved her countless times. Although he can be hard to understand, he is a really kind person at heart. Before she realised it, she was drawn in by him. No, it was probably long before that…

MC opens her eyes mid-kiss, and seeing his red tinged face wonders if it’s due to the sunset. MC complains about his rough facial hair and the scent of tabacco.

Okura: Shut up. Be quiet… and open your mouth.

He makes MC face him and gives her a very strong kiss. She wants to support him no matter what and conveys that through the kiss.

“What does happiness mean to you?”

*Spoken from MC’s point of view*

The me from before, wanted to leave the underworld far behind and live a peaceful life. But, I’m different now. I will live like myself, that’s my happiness.

-end-