#and his confusion only adds to the comedic experience lol

[4lexnilsen]

“oh?   wait,  did i just impress you?   by almost getting beat up to a pulp?   well,  the bar isn’t set very high these days,  is it?”   feeling more like himself now that there’s no black dots clouding his vision and the world’s finally stopped spinning like a carousel,  alex can easily rekindle his inner spark and bring back the fun side of his personality.   teasing virtual strangers can either go really well or horribly wrong,  but he takes his chance with this girl anyway.   it’s these big,  doe-like eyes,  he thinks to himself,  there’s something charming and inviting about them.   all jokes aside,  it does boost his confidence,  knowing he’s managed to impress her with his chivalrous attitude even if he didn’t necessarily win the fight.   cheeks flushed when she goes a step farther and lectures the poor,  nerdy kid about manners,  a sheepish smile dancing on his lips at the quiet thank you’s that he receives.   he’s anything but used to people making a big deal out of whatever it is that he does,  fussing over him,  and so he lowers his head and waves his hand in a dismissive manner.   “come on,  it’s really no big deal.”   it’s what any decent person should do in this situation.

“a surgeon?   really?   now that’s truly impressive.   i’m sorry you never got to meet him,  though.”   eyes crinkling at the corners as a warm,  sympathetic smile tugs at the corners of his lips,  alex finds himself completely immersed in the story about her grandfather.   it’s fascinating to see how the choices one’s ancestors had made affect the younger generations.   curious hues studying her expression,  taking her in,  and coming to the conclusion that she does look like someone who’s got it all figured out and could be a wonderful veterinarian in the future.   or a doctor.   “is that what you’re here for?   i mean,  are you majoring in biology or zoology or something like that?”   he asks,  stifling a chuckle when she compares him to fur patients.   “maybe it’s your sign to consider becoming a furless creatures’ doctor instead?   at the end of the day,  it all comes down to one question;   would you rather deal with a screaming husky or a brave,  well-behaved patient like myself?”   this time,  he does laugh,  thinking about all these silly videos of screaming huskies that his friend sends him on a daily basis,  and feeling bad for vets who have to treat these dramatic things.

“no,  go on.   you can’t just not tell me.   is it that bad?   phantom of the opera kind of bad?”   he can tell it’s not good by the throbbing sensation alone,  the side of his jaw pulsing,  heat radiating off his cheek.   the bloody tissues that they’ve already disposed of.   well,  at least his teeth are still in his mouth.   “thanks for covering for me.   we’ll stick to the classic oh,  you should see the other guy then.”   an airy laugh escapes him,  he appreciates her efforts to save his pride.   the smile that she graces him with is so sweet that he suddenly feels that almost childish need to do something silly once more just to see it again.   “helena.”   now that’s one beautiful name.   “thanks for saving my life,  helena.”   he takes her small hand into his large one,  his fingers gentle and careful not to squeeze too hard as he shakes it.   “i’m alex.   well,  it says alexander on my birth certificate but no one ever calls me that.”   he doesn’t remember if his mom ever referred to him by his full name,  but if so,  she was the last and only person.   “barney?   do i look like a barney to you?   now that’s a real insult.   better than larry,  but still…”   brows inching closer together in confusion as he picks up his pace,  he doesn’t immediately get the reference,  not realizing how the purple hoodie wrapped around his waist and height could easily make him barney the dinosaur’s twin brother.

❝ oh, alright, ❞ that certainly did change things around, it lifted the brunette up in a pleasant surprise. she was always impressed by a protector, it took a lot of courage to stand up to the antagonist. and it took a good heart to fight against the antagonist, rather than be the antagonist. so count her as wrong, for jumping to conclusions. ❝ well, whether your boxing skills were on par today or not... that was very brave. i'm proud of you. not many people would stand up for a stranger. ❞ she assumes he doesn't know that kid, anyway. ❝ and you sir, should be thanking him for looking out for you. ❞ helena is sure to kindly point out loudly enough for him to hear in the building that had silenced back down once the bully was pushed out of the library, lecturing like an outspoken mother. or a noble father who wouldn't let kind acts from others get by either. ( both. both selina kyle & bruce wayne's best traits pouring through her personality. ) a pleased smile graces helena's features when the timid kid lifts his head and agrees, the boy next to her does deserve a gracious thank you which he gives even if it's mumbled and sheepish. 

❝ thanks, i take honor of that title. my late grandfather– he was surgeon. i never met him, but my dad always told me while growing up he was a wonderful doctor. personally, i'm more skilled at doctoring things with fur... but it's barely any different with things without fur i've learned this evening. ❞ she gently laughs, meaning tending to him.

❝ ummm...❞ voice faltered, grimacing; how to put it politely?  poor boy.  ❝ no, no–– it... just looks like... nevermind. it doesn't matter, ❞ helena decides, shaking her head,  ❝ because i'll tell everyone you won if they ask. ❞ she amusingly smiles to solve it EASIER, especially at his party city comment. it didn't even take him walking like an astronaut to cause her to. ❝ helena. ❞ small hand sticks out with nails painted deep purple, offers to shake his. ❝ congratulations, i did too. that makes us both olympic athletes. ❞ she jests, leading the way outside. luckily, the red letters saying 'walgreens' was conveniently right across the street. ❝ come on, barney. pick up the pace. ❞

[doofbox-hero]

Long Snippet from A Possibly Abandoned WIP

My first fic I was planning on writing and posting was a cooking competition similar to the The Great British Bake Off with inspiration from a few other shows as well. It was full of OCs and I had big plans but it has since fallen far into the back seat. I like sharing snippets a lot so here is a long snippet though the last paragraph is more notes for me lol. |----| CW Food (Of course) In the lobby of the Black Spire Hotel a very tired looking Remus sits with a cellphone in hand staring at the screen with eyebrows knitted close together in both concentration and slight frustration. The frustration comes from getting far too many messages from friends, family, and people he barely considers acquaintances linking the same promo video he has been avoiding for the past few days since the official Ultimate Kitchen Witch website made it public.

While he is happy the promotion for the show has been an obvious success he absolutely hates seeing any media with his face in it at any point in time. The attention is anxiety inducing in a way that feels almost constricting and leaves him confused on how he of all people ended up here.

But the longer he sits staring at the link the more curious he is what clips they used and which of the other contestants have been featured in the promo. Sirius of course and probably Ignotus if they’re using Sirius. He taps his foot nervously as he presses the link and waits for the video to load.

The video opens with the famous Ultimate Kitchen Witch logo transitioning into existence with some white sparkles against a black background as soft violins begin to play a tune that could only be described as jaunty. This fades from top to bottom to reveal “Mad-Eye” Moody and Nymphadora Tonks standing by a tree in a beautiful field looking wistfully out towards a tent set up in the middle of the space.

“It’s almost time you know.” Moody says with a soft smile as he gives the woman next to him a quick glance.

“Time for what?” Tonks asks with a slight crook in her neck, eyes still trained on the tent.

As he turns towards Tonk his face drops losing any amusement it once held as he raises a hand to punctuate his words as he speaks. “Tonk, did you really just ask that?” She turns towards him looking confused and shrugs her shoulders.

“Yeah I guess, I did.”

“It’s less than two weeks before the Ultimate Kitchen Witch begins, a show that you and I are hosting, and you’re really just asking, ‘time for what?’”

“Hold on. Hold on. What’s happening in less than two weeks? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Moody’s eye seems to almost pop out of his head as he looks at Tonk in utter shock and then shifts to angrily glaring at her in an almost comedic way. “Tonks, you agreed to co-host the show with me. Do you even know what the Ultimate Kitchen Witch is?”

“No I don’t think I do.” Tonk says as she rubs a hand against her forehead feigning an almost obvious fake embarrassment. The man looking down at her rolls his eyes and lets out a sigh before patting her back and gently turning her towards the tent again.

“Come on. Let me run you through the basics.” With a fade from left to right the two are now walking inside of the large tent down the middle of two rows of small, wooden workstations equipped with some basic cooking utensils in polka dotted holders and a cooktop on one end. Moody and Tonks turn to step behind one of the workstations and stop once they’re both standing in a spot where they can both comfortably rest their elbows on the countertop and rest their heads in their hands looking at the camera now zooming in on their faces.

“So what is the Ultimate Kitchen Witch, Moody? Is it magical?” She asks looking his way without turning her head.

“I would say very magical, but not in the wands and shape shifting ways you’re probably thinking.” As he continues on clips from past seasons show in a montage of many memorable moments. “The Ultimate Kitchen Witch is a competitive cooking show where we put 12 up and coming chefs to the test to show us the magic they can do in the kitchen. Each week they are given a different theme and a catch they must keep in mind as they prepare for the three challenges.”

All of a sudden it cuts to Tonk and Moody by a river side and she is reeling in a big, fake carp with a neon pink fishing rod. Tonks looks up at him with an inquisitive look on her face as she asks. “What’s the catch?” He rolls his eyes at her and lightly knocks the rod out of her hand with a displeased look on his face but she just shrugs.

Remus quietly laughs and shakes his head a little at the antics which have always been pretty slapstick on the show but he had a feeling it was only going to get worse with Tonks involved.

The video cuts back to the tent where Moody is leaning against the front of a workstation now mixing what seems to be cookie dough in a bowl while Tonks watches with wide eyes following the spoon. “The catch is mostly what it sounds like. Our chefs must make dishes that fit the theme as best as possible while keeping whatever factor has been chosen in mind as the catch. My favorite example from the past was the week the theme was cookies but chefs had to make everything gluten free. Themes can vary from an ingredient, to an aesthetic, or honestly some of the most random bull I’ve ever heard.”

“So what are these challenges you spoke of earlier?” As she asks she reaches her hand slowly towards the bowl which Moody catches and taps her hand with the spoon causing her to stop. He shakes his head as he goes back to mixing the dough and before he goes on he notices Tonks lick the back of her hand then looks back to the camera with an eye roll.

“There are three challenges. The first challenge is called ‘The Personal Charm Dish’ and it gives the chefs a chance to work on recipes that really show the judges who they are as a person and chef. Winner of this challenge is usually based on who best executed the concept within the theme while still making a spellbound dish. The second challenge is the Zippy Skill Exercise which is where the competitors are given a surprise recipe missing some key details they have to use their experience and knowledge to successfully complete in a very short amount of time.

Of course the winner of this round is mostly based on whoever can actually make the damn recipe correctly but on a rare occasion someone wows the judges with something less accurate yet spectacular. Now the third and final challenge…”

When he looks over at Tonk she’s now eating chocolate chips out of a bag while nodding along in a way that makes it seem she’s only half listening. He grabs the bag out of her hands and dumps half of the chocolate chips in his bowl before putting the bag down on the counter on the opposite side of where she is standing. As he continues to stir he side-eyes her with his non-eye-patched eye and purses his lips before asking. “Were you even listening to a word I just said?”

Tonks rolls her eyes and reaches behind him to grab the bag of chocolate chips. “Yes. Yes I was. Personal Charm Dish, Zippy Skill Challenge, and the third and final challenge is?”

With a face devoid of amusement he turns his eyes back to the camera and continues. “The Truly Magical Challenge. This is where chefs have to show the judges something that ‘makes them believe in magic.’” While he says the end of the sentence a sparkle effect floats in from the left side of the screen to the right passing over his head. “The winner is based on who does the best job of amazing all of the judges with something special. Over the course of 10 weeks the judges take into consideration things like amount of wins, consistency in performance, a real wow factor, and growth over the competition in order to pick an Ultimate Kitchen Witch.”

Now the video cuts to the two looking into an open oven as Moody slides a tray of cookie dough balls in. “But Moody who are the judges?” She turns her head to look at him as she asks and he gives her a glance before looking back at the camera with a cheeky smile.

Another montage of clips play including a very no nonsense Rowena Ravenclaw cutting up an onion while she tells someone off camera why they need to immediately leave her kitchen, Helga Hufflepuff precariously carrying a tray full of dozens of different cookies looking wide eyed and scared of the possible tumble, Godric Gryffindor laughing and handling a large blow torch in way that seems very unsafe, Salazar Slytherin just looking into the camera with a pointed unpleasant look before he grabs a plate from the table in front of him and throws it across the room against a wall, and then varying black silhouettes against a pastel blue background as the words ‘Surprise Guest Judges Announced Every Monday’ roll in front of the figures.

Once the video cuts back to Moody and Tonks she is softly bouncing with a cookie in hand while he just admires the tray holding the rest. “This is so great, I’m gonna get so fat on amazing food and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop me.” The two laugh a little before a look of realization appears on her and holds up a finger to single she has something to add. “What do the chefs get if they win?”

(Moody explains[I still need to figure that out] and then prompts a montage of the contestants this season. Each one has a few clips from various sources shown before they play a short clip of them against a pastel blue background with words with their name and occupation displayed beside them. Remus is annoyed with the clips they used for him, shocked by the clips of Sirius they used, and clicks off after a few more including Sable, Edmund, Ignotus, and Hudson).

[ayashiki-i-i]

Last Friday, I had the absolute joy and privilege to see Be More Chill in London!

(Yes, last Friday, this has been sitting in my drafts for over a week because I couldn’t figure out how to appropriately convey my delight with this show, and also yes, joy and privilege, call me dramatic but I swear to god nothing on this Earth makes me appreciate my life quite as live theatre.)

I have loved this show for a very long time. Not quite since its first Two Rivers Theatre run, but very early on from when it caught the internet’s attention. I was at the start of what was to become a viral sensation, and I was with the show, rooting for it, hoping for it, ever since. I feel like I walked the journey from crossing million hits on Spotify to the Broadway alongside the cast and creators. I felt immensely happy and proud for these people I never met when they announced their off-Broadway return, and I honest to god cried the day they opened on Broadway. Needless to say, I was overjoyed, literally jumping with happiness, when they announced they will stage a production on West End. Or technically off-West End? I’m still very confused how The Other Palace is not West End and Victoria Palace literally around the corner is West End... Anyway. I have not walked into that theatre on Valentine’s Day with low expectations.

And my Mount Everest high expectations were far, far exceeded and shot somewhere into the stratosphere.

I really can’t with words describe how much I loved this show. Joes Iconis and Tracz managed to hit some very special spot with this musical. It’s truly hard to describe, but this show just makes you happy. It makes you involved and interested. And I gotta tell you, I think we hit the press night, because there was a bunch of people (very respectfully) scribbling on their pads and iPads during the show, so this wasn’t an audience primed and geared for this type of musical. And that’s not even counting all the parents chaperoning their teenagers. And I can guarantee you everyone had a great time. During the intermission I went to get a drink and witnessed several conversations between aforementioned parents that all pretty much amounted to “wow, this is actually good!” It’s honestly such a treat to be in an audience that’s genuinely enjoying themselves.

This show is funny, and heartfelt, and charming. So charming. It has somehow a vibe of a really well done high school production, which could maybe sound like a criticism but i swear it isn’t!

I haven’t seen much of the previous productions, except few clips from the Two Rivers bootleg slime tutorial, but I really tried not to watch too much, hoping against hope there will be a revival one day (I try not to watch shows I have a chance of seeing one day. I’m fortunate to have the chance of having the full experience live so I try not to ruin it for myself lol). I gobbled up all the official promo clips and videos from the NYC revival, being super unlucky and managing to plan my New York trip in that small window when BMC just closed Off-Broadway and before it got on Broadway. I haven’t even listened to the Broadway recording, because by the time it came out I knew they’ll be staging a production over here. So i went in quite blind. With all that previous ado, this is how it was:

The book is so good. So so good. Many times when I fall in love with an album, the actual musical doesn’t hold up because the book doesn’t compare (hi, Dear Evan Hansen). But BMC is as engaging and fun between the songs as during them. Tbh I don’t love the changes to the songs they made, but I don’t really hate them either... Now having listened to the Broadway recording they reverted somewhat back to the original album on West End and I’m happy they did, but still. Especially Pitiful Children did not deserve the cuts. But I mean its still mostly the same album and it’s brilliant and fun, and ok, Looser, Geek or Whatever is a bop.

(Although I always kinda liked that Jeremy didn’t have a typical big “hero song” because he keeps mentioning how he isn’t a hero and it was kinda ironic that his own show refused him the hero treatment, but the song is solid.)

This cast is EVERYTHING. I’m sorry all previous casts, I love you and I respect you but i really think the British cast is (so far) the peak? Obviously as I said I don’t have the full picture to compare, but honestly these guys are all so good and I can’t imagine anyone else in these roles, they set the bar so high. Yes, even Michael. Omg I’m so sorry George Salazar! This role is his in a very special way, and I feel blasphemous saying this! But that’s what makes Blake Patrick Anderson so special, because I didn’t think I will ever be able to accept another Micheal than George Salazar. But from the first moment Anderson appears on stage, you don’t think of George Salazar. This right here is a Micheal and that’s it. I think he’s slightly less... Manic, than Salazar, and more caring, but also more stubborn, and nerdy. My friend said after the first act the character’s problem is that he’s a bit too likeable and it’s almost unbelievable he would be a social outcast and she was right. The dude is so damn likeable! So charming, so positive. And then Micheal in the Bathroom hits and omg does it hit. Also Blake Patrick Anderson has a really long name is very pretty. A+ snack. I’m in love. Scott Folan is, uh, I don’t really love him vocally... Ok I liked him until Loser Geek of Whatever. I don’t know, maybe it wasn’t his day. Or maybe that song is just written for Will Roland and no one will ever measure up? Tbh I haven’t seen Roland sing it live so who knows, maybe it is one of those songs that’s hard to perform without yelling a bit. Praying circle for the West End cast album? However Scott Folan’s acting is a masterclass. He’s so awkward in the first act, so sad, but also sweet. Actually I said i didn’t love his singing but when his voice cracks all over in his first few songs it’s superb and also his “Christiiine~” is really beautiful and lovely, so, dunno *shrugs*. And then in the second half he totally sells his confidence and assholer-y and like... They seem like two different jeremys, the squipped and un-squipped one. But ultimately he just gives such good-kid vibes. He seems like the perfect midpoint between Will Connolly’s shy Bambi and Roland’s geeky recluse. This Christine is absolutely feral. Like, you have no idea. Some people commented on the video of I Love Play Rehersal from the rehearsals that this Christine is not chaotic enough, so I’m seriously worried how chaotic Stephenie Hsu was? :D In any case Miracle Chance I thought was perfect, the ideal mixture of quirky but relatable, sweet but strong. Also she is hilarious. I’m pretty sure she got the most laugh out of the audience, not just because the actress’s absolutely perfect comedic timing but also that role is so well written. Like you really can’t get the full idea of this character until you watch the show, you know? It’s very layered, but each layer is easy to get so she makes a really fun character to watch. The Squip is hot. Like so hot. And his costumes are wonderful. And I know I’m not the only one who didn’t love Jason Tam’s accent as Squip and like... I think I know what he was going for but it just doesn’t work for me. This Squip is a lot more like Eric William Morris, just more hot. Oh yeah I mean the dude is fantastic actor too, and his voice is something impressive, but mostly I was just thinking “hot” whenever he was on stage :D James Hameed’s Rich is vocally stunning. By far the best Squip Song I have ever heard. Also he has Pickle Rick tattoo?? It’s fucking brilliant I HATE IT! :D Millie O’Connel is perfect of course. She has such a presence on stage. It was hilarious when she came out after the show, with her hair down and make-up off and said hi and people mostly kinda ignored her cause... She’s really a hurricane on stage and when she dials it down just a notch I really think people don’t connect her to her stage persona :D

(Also like, massive kudos to The Other Palace’s stage door, cause they allow you to just hang around the bar where the cast has to go through to leave the place, so no dirty alleyways stage dooring in rain and cold and possible pickpockets around.)

I really loved the staging, and it’s very small, very minimal, which isn’t something I normally like, so well done! They definitely dialled back from the Broadway (the bean bags are back!) and honestly the minimal props and simple set really suit this show. It adds to that almost-like-a-really-good-school-play charm. But also they have this massive LED screen as the background so they can change and move and animate their backdrop and it’s honestly so impressive. The artwork is so perfectly in line with the show’s aesthetic. And it’s building up and up towards the show’s climax which I thought was pretty subtle and pretty neat creative decision.

Ugh this is so long I didn’t think it would be so long :D But I have one criticism I cannot not mention. And I kinda always had this, but seeing it live it jumps out on me more - I don’t feel Jeremy and Christine :| I mean don’t get me wrong. The actors have amazing chemistry, their added song is the one that I actually really like and it makes sense, there’s so much more meaningful interaction they have in the show than the songs wold suggest. But. It still doesn’t quite sit well. Besides the fact that I don’t think the show’s narrative is about Jeremy getting the girl - that’s not really his character arc. But also, although they’re not incompatible, he gets the girl he doesn’t even really know, and she definitely doesn’t know him. I think I would prefer if they just stayed friends at the end, but if there had to be romantic conclusion... Well, I mean who doesn’t ship boyf friends, but seriously if Michael was a girl I’m pretty sure he’d be the romantic endgame for Jeremy. You know the type, the old friend who was by the protagonists side and believed in him all along? Yeah. But besides that, i was surprised to find I kinda liked Jeremy with Brooke too? I mean they have the same problem as Jeremy and Christine, with not knowing each other and all that, but at least it’s mutual, and they seemed to have a spark. But maybe it’s just because I unexpectedly really, really loved Brooke (she doesn’t have much space on the album and no one ever really talks about her, why does no one really talk about her???). She defies a lot of her archetype, she seems like such a sweet person. I guess I would just like to see more of her, and more depth to her, which a romance with the protagonist would’ve given her.

But tbh the show devotes a lot more time than I thought it would for Christine and Jeremey’s relationship to develop and it isn’t unrealistic, so it ended up being a pretty minor issue, which i though would be a bigger one.

Tl;dr (oh my god why is this so long????) this show is everything I wanted and more. The West End cast is amazing, charming and delightful and each of them is perfectly cast to really embody their character, while giving some fresh outlook on characters I thought I knew very well and filling very big shoes of the original cast I thought couldn’t be replaced. Also I didn’t talk to any of them but they spend a long time hanging out with the fans after the show and seemed genuinely super nice and pleased with the love the show is getting. The book is more than an equal partner to the music I already was in love with (also Joe Iconis was at the show I saw! I didn’t talk to him because I’m me and I will forever regret it!). The Other Palace’s staging and direction is wonderful, and the choreography is impressive and very on brand with the rest of the show, very modern, very electro and robot. I enjoyed every second and the standing ovation at the end was well deserved.

Just to re-affirm how much I loved this show - just few days after seeing it I booked a ticket to go see it again almost immediately lol. So if anyone is seeing it this Wednesday 26th Feb and you can telepathically pick me in the audience come say hello!

(Or like, drop me a message like a normal person if you’re also going alone and want to meet with someone to seem less like a weirdo! :D)

[papersynth]

The Feud breakdown theory

TLDR: Its basically one big Klance-centric episode, this whole theory’s probably a reach but its nice lol. Reposted from my twitter. More under the cut!

Lets start off this thread by pointing out one of the glaring things that immediately hit me once I started watching this episode when it aired: the title sequence. I'm not particularly old but my parents have always loved gameshows and reality television.

They would watch it in the living room and so one of the things that stuck out to me the most was how the logo for Garfle Warfle Snick is visually similar to "The Dating Game" which was a 60's TV show centered around a bachelorette picking out a guy to take out on a date.

Even the dang flowers.....

It was at this moment I thought "well, after being basically deprived of any Klance scenes for 3 seasons, you'd think S7 would bring you some of that and boy oh boy I've been fed so well. I think its strange for them to visually replicate a DATING GAMESHOW logo. We know for a fact that they were going for a family feud esque style, so why didn't they just replicate the Family feud logo instead? The vibe of the entire episode would change because it'll be a glaring reference.

Going back to Kaplan's tweet about how things aren't what they seem, the Feud really, like, obviously lets you know, that things really aren't what they seem. The story shifts in focus and tone and so do the characters.

My theory is that this episode foreshadows events to come that even the paladins never knew were even challenges themselves.

I believe this sort of aids the Klance fight theory (graciously written by Ca HERE) because that altean colony which they believe was a win for them to discover, could possibly be their next challenge (their garfle, becomes a warfle)

We also know that it isn't new for Voltron to use the "it was an altean all along!" as shock value for their enemies but at this point, I think Allura's starting to learn that her race is equally capable of evil.

This adds to the idea that during the 3 year gap, there's a possibility that the altean colony and Haggar/Galra have been working together to develop new technology (Hunk: I've never seen the Galra use weapons like these before) because clearly it isn’t the olkari helping them.

Time for my biggest reach yet, how the fuck is that a chopstick lance. You can recognise a mullet for a hundred feet away but you can't recognise a sword at point blank. Strange considering Keith drew out the sword pretty quickly, so there's no way Lance saw chopsticks.

NOTHING in this image screams chopsticks. I even went and printed out this god forsaken screencap and tilted it to see if it looked like chopsticks from a far angle and nope, still looks like a blade. This one's a reach but, chopsticks are insinuate a "yin-yang" dynamic.

Chopsticks is a strange pick because it doesn't LOOK anything like a chopstick. It would have made more sense to call it a shovel, paper fan, knife, surfboard etc. Go off. Chopsticks have always been used as a pair, one cannot exist without the other, which brings me to voltron's wings. I like the idea of Voltron being similar to Darling in the Franxx because of their mecha designs kinda taking reference from Evangelion. This is a reach definitely, but its cute whatever, eat this up. There's a mythical bird called "Jian" and it only has one wing.

The bird can only exist with another of its kind, where together, they can fly and soar. Wings and duality are symbols that have ALWAYS gone hand in hand, simply because there are two. Chopsticks being Lance's stupid fucking word choice is so damn specific its hurting me.

HERE'S ANOTHER REACH Y'ALL, the reason why chopsticks are thicker and circular at the top but thinner and squared at the bottom is because they represent the heaven and the earth. WHERE'D THEY COME FROM Y'ALL. WHERE DID THE PALADINS GO? UH? BACK TO EARTH YEA?

And once again, Keith draws this one very quickly so it does show that Lance can make a good guess immediately. I can see why he would say Dog here. SO WHY COULDN'T YOU SEE A BLADE AT FIRST LANCE? EXPLAIN YOURSELF. MOVING ON FROM THE DAMN DRAWING GAME.

I think these two screenshots speak for themselves. Earlier this morning I wrote a theory about how the Klance dynamic is all over the place because Lance has grown as a person in his absence and he's confused as to how he's supposed to behave towards "new keith".

He takes a jab at Keith throughout the start of this whole episode

"Not my fault keith can't draw!"

"I'm not a mind reader!"

So once again, its the usual bickering coming from Lance, but we see that shift later in the episode, I'll get to that later.

The next game with bii boh bi. Funny to me how the game's called "The Garflator" when we've already established that "Garfle" means to "win". The monster isn't the Garflator as they've misleaded, its the tank.

If you don't believe me, here's the subtitles literally calling the monster the "Warflator". Strange isn't it? You miss these things when you watch it the first time. Bob wasn't joking when Warfle and Garfle were interchangeable.

I don't really want to analyse how Bii Boh Bi acts throughout the whole segment mainly because I think that's reaching a little too far, and it was likely comedic the entire time, but I can't help but notice that his tone throughout suggests a "fill in the blanks" situation.

My theory is that this situation foreshadows the possibility that someone will help Lance fill in the blanks, and guess what the answer is in the GARFLator. He might even really be running out of time so again, stick it out till the last episode of S8.

Bonus: Seems like its pretty nice isn't it. Our crops are watered and his skin is cleared. Joking of course, but overall the whole Garflator/Warflator situation keeps getting mixed up together that's why I think this theory's reaching but I digress.

Time for the scene that made all of us Klancers scream into the depths of hell. We all already know that they didn't have to vote for each other if it was meaningless, but after seeing the recent surplus of Lance being hurt by Keith leaving, I've got a solid theory.

Lets look at the scene first, mainly at Hunk and Pidge's faces. We know Hunk is emotionally observant while Pidge behaves logically, so I think when we're speaking logically: Lance picking Keith seems HIGHLY illogical to pidge.

Lance "hates" Keith. Why pick him to survive? THE MATH DOESN'T ADD UP. On the other hand, Hunk's facial expression here seems more....worried? Not confused. There's been substantial evidence that Lance was hurt by Keith leaving, and if he spoke to anyone about it, it'd be hunk.

I think Pidge is surprised to hear these things come out of Lance's mouth and seeing Keith pick him. Remember when they all picked someone to help Lance? The braniest of the team? I think honestly Pidge might be the first to pick up on their possible affections towards each other.

This sort of parallels the earlier scene where Lance was the last one to figure out Pidge was a girl, but maybe that's reaching a little too hard (Curse these short arms!)

Earlier this morning I wrote a thread about how Lance picking Keith to leave here is probably the nail in the coffin that he deeply cares about Keith. Remember, this situation would probably be the third time that Keith has left Lance.

Read the linked thread, I won't reiterate it here but basically Lance grows in Keith's absence, stepping up when he needs to, but its not really what he wants. Losing Keith again might be devastating, but that only heightens why this scene is so affectionate. He makes this choice himself.

He calls Keith the future because he has faith in his skills (he's our leader) and him as a person (plus he's half galra). That Keith HAS a future. This is SIGNIFICANT because the only other person that has said that they have faith in Keith, was Shiro.

Shiro is VALUABLE to Keith, he's the most important person in his life. Having people believe in him has always been difficult and I think where Lance says (although cryptically) that he believes in Keith, is really where their new dynamic takes off.

THAT's why Keith behaves somewhat coldly in S7, because its never gonna be easy for him to suddenly accept a new person in his life. He’s not sure how he should react to another person caring for him. Both of them know their dynamic isn't what it used to be, they can't joke and jab anymore. We're back to square one, but its different this time.

One last thing about this episode (that isn't Klance related) is Luxia's kingdom, just a fun quick thought that maybe the Baku might be back, i mean he never really was defeated, just trapped. ;)

Uhhh that's it! Can't think of anything else haha. Thanks for the wild ride friends, I hope these feed your optimism for today~ Again, they're all just theories but I hope S8 is a good experience for everyone! Have a great day :)

One last thing: I would love it if Klance happens and the theories prove true, and if it doesn't its okay! Sure I'll be disappointed, but its fine if I'm wrong about a fictional TV show lol.

[torippiyos]

Live Spectacle Naruto ~Akatsuki no Shirabe~ Afterthoughts

Every time I watch a stage play or musical (Western ones too), I think, “wow, this is a really great production”.

Then I watch a Naruto stage play, and all of a sudden everything does not match up to this stage play at all. Not even Touken Ranbu. Not even my beloved Pedasute. Granted, they are all different genres, but there’s just something about Live Spectacle Naruto that blows people away, whether you’re a huge fan or not. 

I caught the last show of the entire run, since it was the only show where the website gave my friend and I aisle seats where the cast members could also go in front of us as well! It was really enjoyable and great for the curtain call www

If you’re planning on catching this, there are still shows going on in Osaka, Shanghai, and Tokyo! Do support them!

Non-spoiler plot summary: The first part of the musical (which completely skips over Gaara’s capture and Sasori’s fight) follows Sai’s introduction to Team Kakashi, led under Yamato due to Kakashi’s injuries sustained from the previous mission, as well as a very brief run through of Sai’s mission under Danzo and his turnaround from there. The second half covers pretty much the entire Itachi Pursuit arc, following Naruto and Sasuke’s different missions and attempts to track down Itachi-- for Sasuke to kill him, and for Naruto, to use him as a means of getting Sasuke back. 

Spoilers under the cut, but are these even spoilers anymore if the anime’s been out for years?

I’ll be honest, my number 1 motivation to watch this stage was so that I could see Kitamura Ryo in real life www so I was really happy to see that the first half of the musical was pretty much owned by Sai and his character arc. The half covers the Tenchi Bridge Renaissance Mission, but his backstory was brief, simply describing how his brother (Shin, who’s name is not even mentioned) died, and how he kept a sketchbook of his time training under Danzo, waiting to show his ‘brother’. Following Danzo’s secret mission, Sai uses Team Kakashi as a means to get to and follow Orochimaru to destroy Konoha, but quickly turns around when Naruto and Sakura convince him that he’s still human and still has the faintest of bonds by keeping the sketchbook and thus being unable to let go of his ‘brother’, from then on working as a member of Team Kakashi.

The second half is the Itachi Pursuit, and where most of the beef comes in, and  where the ultimate climax of the musical is. After absorbing Orochimaru when he’s at his weakest, Sasuke puts together Team Hebi and sets out to achieve his ultimate goal-- killing Itachi and therefore successfully avenging his clan. Naruto, on the other hand, realises that getting to Itachi would lead him to Sasuke, and thus sets out to find Itachi with Team Kakashi, Yamato, and Team Kurenai. Sasuke clashes with Deidara, and after countless jutsu and drained chakra, Deidara makes a last ditch effort to kill Sasuke by blowing himself up, although Sasuke still survives this. Naruto meanwhile encounters Itachi and gets trapped in his genjitsu, with Itachi simply wanting to confront him about why Naruto cares about Sasuke, and the extent he’s willing to go towards to get him back. 

Sasuke tracks down Itachi and is prepared to fight to the death. Through this battle, Itachi ‘reveals’ why he kept Sasuke alive, in hopes of achieving Mangekyo Sharingan like Uchiha Madara. Sasuke outsmarts Itachi and breaks through his multiple genjitsu, and his determination for revenge ultimately leads to Itachi’s death. Tobi/Madara picks up a beaten up and unconscious Sasuke, treating his wounds and proceeding to tell him the real reason for Itachi’s actions. This triggers Sasuke’s memories, and remembers the day of the mass slaughter where Itachi was crying. In light of the twist, Sasuke reassembles Team Hebi as Team Takara, and set out on their new mission to destroy Konoha. After his talk with Itachi, who predicted that after his death Sasuke might turn on Konoha, Naruto is more determined than ever on getting Sasuke back. 

I’ll say first of all that I have a few regrets regarding this stageplay. When I got to the front of the merchandise counter, all the Kitamu bromides were sold out! I was so sad I was gonna cry ;-; especially since I was looking forward to seeing Kitamu live the most. I also regret not getting Rachi anything! I fell in love with him and his voice and his Itachi hnngh/// I should’ve gone for more shows too. Though I suppose touching Rachi’s hand makes up for it wwww

[Do not read further if you’re planning to watch the stage play yourself and want the full experience!]

Okay, but in terms of the actual stage itself, there were a few things I was disappointed in, mainly having to do with the placement of the characters. I did feel that there were some characters placed in the musical that were... quite useless. Mainly Team Hebi, Kisame, and kind of to an extent, Sakura. With the elaborate and cool introductions of the characters at the start of the play, I would’ve expected some of them to do more. I also felt that Team Kurenai (which wasn’t introduced) was really just to take up space. I do know that it’s mainly because it followed closely with the manga and anime, and it was probably just the cutting of scenes that made the characters seem that way, though. (So we have no one to blame but Kishimoto!)

If you have never seen a Naruto stage play before, boy, you are missing out. If you thought Touken Ranbu musical had good projections, you have not seen Naruto’s. The projections really added a different dimension, mood, and aspect to the otherwise standard and unchanging set, together with the moving panels. They also did a really fantastic and mindblowing job of really bringing to life the complex jutsu without the need for too many extra props.

Speaking of props, this stage play seemed to use a few more props than the previous one. Sasuke had a blue laser pointer and his sword lit up wwww, there was even a really large blow up Deidara for his C4! Itachi also had a few scenes requiring a body double, especially during the genjitsu scenes. These made some aspects of the presentation a lot clearer (especially if you’re confused when looking at the genjitsu), and they were thoroughly entertaining too. 

The musical bits were excellent, and everyone had such stellar voices. It definitely adds a lot more power to what otherwise would be speaking parts, and the songs were really catchy too. The extra cast members were great too, and I love the live shamisen and taiko! It really made the music more immersive.

On to my comments about the cast! I’ll be quite brief about the actors I’ve seen before lol

Koudai Matsuoka reprises the role of Naruto. As per the previous Naruto stage, he was fantastic as the character-- super cheerful but switching well for serious scenes. He’s definitely got the face and the flair for Naruto, and his jokester attitude definitely carries on. He was extremely cute during the Senshuuraku, which I’ll elaborate on later. 

Ito Yui reprises the role of Sakura. I’m afraid I can’t say much about her, because I felt that Sakura didn’t really do much, and that most of her parts existed as part of comedy relief. She especially didn’t have an at all significant role in the second half. Either way, Yui presents a very cute Sakura, who can sustain Sakura’s outbursts. She definitely portrays a determined Sakura, but I just wish she did more. 

Sato Ryuji reprises the role of Sasuke. The last performance I saw of his was during the Bakumatsu Tenroden live viewing, and prior to that, I only saw him in first Live Spectacle Naruto. Not only has his overall acting improved, I’m still thoroughly impressed with the versatility of his acting. He’s got that cute face and can definitely play those cute characters, but he’s definitely the perfect choice for edgy characters like Sasuke as well. His voice is so unbelievably clear, and his singing was really great in this one too www When he was singing about the night the clan was slaughtered, his voice contained so much emotion that it shook and it made me SHOOK. Feels invoking and really touching.

Kitamura Ryo enters the stage as Sai. This was the man I was looking forward to the entire time www I’ve always admired him from the Pedal and Touken Ranbu stages, so I was really stoked when I got to see him in real life. I would say the character closest to Sai he’s played would be Yagen, but I think he takes on the character of Sai really well. Somewhat stoic and almost robotic enough for Sai, but still soft. Sad that Sai’s character limited his facial expressions though. His abs! Are real! He looks a lot prettier in real life, and his abs and tummy were wwww Most of the time when he was at my end of the stage he was back facing us, so his butt is pretty real too wwww When he came down the side, my friend who was sitting at the front row at the very end had Kitamu reading lines a metre away from her, and her eye level was at his midriff ww

Kimisawa Yuki reprises the role of Kakashi. Again, not much I can say about him, since Kakashi wasn’t entirely pivotal in this stage play, but I always enjoy Kimisawa-Kakashi. It’s so stunningly close to the manga and anime Kakashi, both in looks as well as portrayal of character and attitude, that I really think this casting choice was perfect from the start. Even though he doesn’t take off the mask at all, he still looks shockingly like Kakashi without it! Please don’t miss my hand the next time you go down the isle, Kimisawa!

Fujita Ray enters the stage as Yamato. I wasn’t really fond of Yamato when I was still reading/watching Naruto, but Fujita made me love him more www He’s got that stern, stone face, and a really deep singing voice to boot, so I thought he was really cool! He was so cool that he impressed the audience with his really generic unfolding prop! His comedic scenes were really good too, and his Yamato death stare was the best. His Yamato was kind and strict, which is really sweet. 

Daigo Seshiru (Cecile) enters as Tsunade -- aka made my gay no.1 wwww. Unfortunately, like the other two, there’s not much I can really say by her acting. She didn’t have many lines, and most of the time she played the mentor and authoritative role throughout the play, so I really wish I could have seen more of her to judge by. But she really fits Tsunade, both in looks and character. Her boobs look soft wwww and she’s got quite a baritone but soothing voice. 

Hiro Yumi reprises the role of Orochimaru -- aka turned me gay no.2. In the first Naruto stage, when I was watching her, I thought she was really a guy! Then I read the program booklet and I was like “Wait! Wait!” and that’s when I found out she was ex-Takarazuka, and I love Takarazuka. She’s got that nice, low, baritone voice in her speaking and singing, and she has that sly lick to it which makes it sound mysterious and alluring. Seeing her in a villain role is always amazing, and I would invite her to step on me any time. 

Okada Ryosuke takes on the role of Kabuto, replacing Kimura Tatsunari. I don’t remember much of Tatsun’s Kabuto, but Okada adapts to the role very well. Again, not much to be said since he’s practically gone in the second half of the stage, but he’s got that versatility in his expressions adding to the element of mystery and Kabuto’s cunning nature. I’ve seen some people say he’s better than Tatsun, but I wouldn’t know since I don’t remember ;v;

Hagio Keishi, Nanaki Kanon, and Yamaguchi Tomoya play Suigetsu, Karin, and Juugo respectively. As I said earlier, there wasn’t much for them to do, but their introductions were amazing. Keishi’s got that nice growl and movement very suitable for Suigetsu, and he brings out Suigetsu’s rough attitude really well. Kanon is made me gay no.3 www (she’s got really nice legs), and she does a good job in bringing out Karin’s at first tsundere attitude towards Sasuke in front of Suigetsu, as well as her horny lovey-dovey feelings towards him when Suigetsu is absent. Definitely a very different side to her acting from Litchi Hikari Club. Yamaguchi was absolutely amazing and I loved his performance so much! He really gave Juugo that bloodthirsty drive and look in his eyes, but yet brought out his desperation and innocent desire to stay sane. Really adorable ww

Tsuji Ryo (Ry☆) enters the stage as Deidara. I’ve been following Ryo on niconico when he was an odorite since maybe 2012? Not too closely though lol, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found out he’s entered butai. He’s... a lot shorter in real life lol but so cute! Deidara is a very different character than his usual onscreen personality that I’m used to seeing, but he really slides into the role very well. Seeing Ryo get angry and rough? Definitely new but excitable to me, and I really enjoyed his performance

Katayama Hironori enters the stage as Tobi/Madara. I enjoyed how flexible he was in his roles. From acting as Tobi acting to be dumb and scared, to the deep and serious voiced Madara. The switch around was quite sudden and almost a bit rushed, but it really showed how good Katayama was at this. 

Hayashino Takeshi enters the stage as Kisame. I felt extremely bad for him! From an interview done with the cast, Hayashino’s preparation takes the longest to get done, not to mention he still has to carry around that giant sword. The sad part is that Kisame really doesn’t do anything! Most of his time onstage was there conversing with Itachi, and I was sad I didn’t really get to see him in action. Nonetheless, from his lines, I liked his voice and characterisation of Kisame, and it gave kind of a buddy flair to it lol

Rachi Shinji enters the stage as Itachi. Here he is, the new love of my life. I’ve never seen Rachi act before, but I have heard that he is an extremely multitalented actor, and I was definitely not disappointed. From his performance as Itachi, I fell in love, so much that I regretted not getting him anything!!! While his characterisation was accurate, I was very attracted to his dynamic movements, and his singing voice. He’s got such a powerful voice vibrato full with so much emotion that really represents Itachi’s power! And during Itachi’s last duet with Sasuke, from that powerful voice it became a very soothing voice you would hear in a lullaby, and I was READY and SHOOK to let this man serenade me to sleep. Like Ryuji’s, his voice then was so gentle and emotional, I think a lot of people cried. Even he ACTUALLY cried, during that part, and it added so much more to that scene. Don’t cry Rachi! I love you!

The Senshuuraku was great. Although only Koudai spoke (he’s the most proficient in English and representative of the cast, I guess?), he was really adorable www He came on stage with two light sticks, and when he spun then they blinked the words “NARUTO” and even blinked Naruto faces! He thanked everyone for the show and said everyone had a really enjoyable and memorable time in Singapore. He said “When I say ‘Naruto’ you say ‘LOVE’!” and the audience engagement was soooo cute! Apparently, one of my cosplayer/photography friends pretended to throw his Kazekage hat, and Sato Ryuji saw it and was so prepared to catch it and looked like he was fooling around on stage ww so cute. 

When the cast came back on stage again, they sang Hikari Oikakete (again? I think), and they came down from stage, walking down the aisle high-fiving everyone. I high-fived Rachi, Ryuji, Yamaguchi, and Yui www when I touched Rachi’s hand it felt so soft, and his expression was so soft when singing too I was in love wwww When Ryuji got close to me I couldn’t help but notice how big his eyes were as he was singing, he really looked so innocent. I was like “Eh? Did this guy really play the emo Sasuke? ww” Yamaguchi had such an innocent face and a big smile it felt so surreal that he was playing Juugo. He’s so cute! And Yui was really cute too! She went out of the way to high-five everyone in the row. I was sad Hiro Yumi and Kitamu didn’t come down my side though, I wanted to touch his hand to make up for not getting his bromides ;v; When Kimisawa was going past, I reached out my hand he missed it and went for friend’s (who was sitting next to me) hand instead ;v; 

It was sad when I saw the cast leaving the stage. This show really made me feel such a connection to them as well as the series that I abandoned. The show was really enjoyable and I think everyone was sad to see them leave the stage after their final show here. Koudai was the last to leave the stage, and as he was walking off, he pulled out a little finger heart! My friend sitting next to me told me his heart melted, and Koudai was really cute! He’s such a K-Pop fan haha! 

The show was really great, and it was such a great refresher after not watching butai in a while, and Naruto stage plays always take my breath away. I wish I could see it live again! I really appreciate the entire team, management, and cast for what they’ve done and this was definitely an experience which I will unfortunately measure other stage plays up to lol

Do catch this stage play while/if you can, or buy the DVD when it comes out! It really is one of the best stage plays you will ever watch, regardless of whether you're a huge fan of Naruto or not. 

Naruto Love!