#and i enjoy the original version the most so

[remxedmoon]

your friends don’t know what to do.

so!! i redrew every single enemy in the game. in the span of like 9 days (excluding the king i made him right after the last update). that’s abbbout 79* drawings total, with only 3 custom ones for once!! i’m so normal. as always, these are free to use with credit!! go nuts!! spritesheets are included <3

got some notes under the cut, along with As Many Enemies As I Could Fit without making this post obnoxiously long. and i failed. i had to swap between the app and browser several times and i still couldn’t fit every drawing. open this post at your own risk (silly).

okay so first of all. what’s with the asterisk. well. I Drew A Lot More Than 79 Assets Actually. they’re getting posted separately, because this post is ABSURDLY long. you can find most of them in the miscellaneous folder, but for a bit of clarity, i added the teleport map and a bunch of ui elements that reference sprites from the icon sheet. and also the game over and loop back animations but i haven’t finished the spritesheets for those because they’re a pain in the ass so they’re not in the drive yet

if you missed my complaining a few days ago, a few enemies might look a bit crunchy in the actual game? specifically, calamité and désespoir were drawn at the wrong size, because their images in the files do not match the spritesheets! i avoided the issue with most of the other enemies, those two just blindsided me. sorry about that!

^sadnesses having inconsistent designs was actually a running theme with these. détresse rock has an unused design in the files (which i managed to catch before having to redo it thankfully), anxiété has extra spikes that don’t appear on the spritesheet (sorry i was too lazy to fix that one), even the version of the friend rescue in the files doesn’t match any of the frames in the spritesheet. hfjfhfj. sorry about the quality issues.

tangentially related to that, massive thank you to @riggedbones for grabbing the individual frames for the animations for me!! they made my life so much easier. vs friends would’ve been so annoying…

speaking of the animations! hi can you tell i’m not an animator. these were my first time doing Anything animation related since, like, middle school. super sorry for the Jank in some of these! the friend rescue looked way better when i drew it 💔💔.

bourdon’s hands also might act a bit odd, my apologies. the sizing ingame is SUPER inconsistent (why is one of the hands SMALLER than the other????). once i’m able to actually test the mod, i’ll try to fix it wauaua.

the 3 custom sprites are for the triplets! i ended up making two versions for each, one that follows the ingame art, and one with my personal designs for them. i like my own designs for them, but they’re a lot easier to tell apart? so if you want to use the ones that fit the gimmick better, they’re also in the drive 👍

this update. was originally going to have way more custom art. i’ve actually got an act 6 siffrin enemy asset in my art program! but school started and i decided it’d be better to just get the normal stuff done. so the mod can actually come out in a reasonable timeframe. promise that’ll all come out Later! sorry about the wait 😓😓😓

also adding this because i almost forgot: no i don’t know if these are compatible with sasasaap. i don’t have the game still and it’s not my main priority atm, apologies!

okay! that was a lot! and there’s a ton of art down here! thank you for reading all this, i’ll be back with the game over animations and teleport map pretty soon! like. within the weekend. enjoy!!!

[kudouusagi]

Animedia Uryuu Kyouko interview

Not skating but playing karuta!?

Q: What is the scene that you though "this is hot" the most during?

A: While they were playing Karuta! Please feel that true breath of life!

You'll be able to see all sorts of firsts!

You'll be able to see how Sakurayashiki and Nanjou interacted while they were young!

Just as the title says, you'll be able to see their morning routines!

You'll be able to see Hiromi-chan in love!

Click to read the rest of the interview

We asked Kyoko Uryu for secrets about the production of the OVA! 

--It's been just about 4 years from when the first season was aired on TV, and the OVA is going to be shown in theaters soon. How did you determine how production would go?

While we were making the first season, people would often say things like "I'd like to do this type of thing in season 2" so there was a strong desire to continue in the production team. So it was determined we'd make a season 2 very soon after we saw the reaction to season one. However, since it's an original anime without a work to base it off of, and the staff had plans to work on other projects, we figured it would take a while to make another season. We decided to produce an OVA before the second season, as we wanted to deliver something new in the meantime, and also as a gift to express our gratitude to the fans who would be waiting for a long time. That ended up taking quite a while too though......(sweat). Thank you so much for waiting......!

--Uryuu-san, please tell us your favorite part of the OVA, that's an "Omnibus story about their everyday lives"

We wanted to make something we couldn't do in the series, and we wanted to make it something that us as the staff would also want to see, so this is an episode we made from all of our ideas. I can't say much about the content yet because it would be spoilers, but I can tell you now that my personal favorite point is the theme song! Not only is it sung by Reki and Langa, the lyrics that Utsumi-san helped produce are amazing, so please listen to the full version on the OVA bonus CD!

--In the commercial currently available, we see Sakurayashiki and Nanjo in their highschool days. Was the part set in the past something you came up with after it was decided there would be an OVA?

Well, we had decided that they've been "frenemies since childhood" before this, but we started from wondering how these two would have been during their school days if they fight like children even as adults..... That's how we went about creating this story. We hope you enjoy seeing their former daily lives(?) that we aren't really able to depict in the main series.

--If there's a character that your impression of has changed, or you've found a new appeal because of the OVA, please tell us!

Kikuchi! Kikuchi is a mysterious character by nature, but I think you'll see a side of him that's completely different from the image you have of him from the TV series.

--Other than the second season that's already being made, there have been various collaborations and pilgrimage tours held for this series that's been loved for a long time. Is there anything that you personally want to see happen for SK8, Uryuu-san?

I feel like the fans of SK8 have a deep love for this series, so if I ever have the change, I'd like to have a tea party or something like that to talk with the fans about the series. I'll never forget about how enthusiastic the fans were at the talk event held during the pilgrimage tour last year (lol). Other than that, I'd like to be able to have a Canada episode someday and be able to hold a Canada pilgrimage tour...... of course before that I'd like to go to Canada with Utsumi-san for location scouting!

--Finally, please give a message to everyone waiting for the OVA to go one sale and the theater screening!

Thank you so much for waiting 4 whole years. 

The OVA is made for the fans who are overflowing with love for SK8, and I think it's packed full of rich content for them so please look forward to it!

The limited time theater screening will of course contain the OVA itself, but we also plan to deliver specially edited footage from the first season so that everyone in the theater can enjoy it together, as well as behind-the-scenes talks with the cast and director. There will be footage only shown in the theater so I hope everyone will enjoy it together before the OVA comes out. The OVA packaging will be just as elaborate, if not more than, the series packaging, so we hope you'll pick it up and watch it over and over again!

[mysoftboybensolo]

Things I Don't Understand of Audiences Reaction of Nosferatu 2024

Complaints of how this is a ripoff of Dracula, and I am like, of course it is! The original 1922 film is the most famous ripoff in the history of cinema, but it is also one of the best ripoffs ever. Maybe know your history just a bit.

Why are people saying that Ellen dying was stupid or unnecessary? Firstly, that has been the ending in the 1922 and the 1979 film, this wasn't just anything Eggers pulled from nowhere. Secondly, people don't seem to understand that the Gothic genre never not one that allows it's characters to walk away unscathed, whether it is physical damage or mental damage. Blood is demanded, and hardly a truly happy ending is found, at best a bittersweet ending or at worst an ending where everyone is unhappy. I think not only is it true to the films this one is based on, but also the only satisfying ending. Ellen wouldn't have been truly happy if she had survived, because she still will be a seer, she will still have darkness looming inside, and Thomas is either incapable or unwilling to accept it. He's belief that killing Orlok will bring a reset to everything, even bringing Ellen back to how she was before, but the Ellen she was before was still suffered. He brushes aside her nightmares without comfort, he doesn't take into account how she views their marriage (when she insists that she doesn't need material things but he acts as if he knows better), and when she tries to express her suffering, he would prefer her to suppress it. She would never be truly free, but to die doing a good thing, to have control over her death the way she didn't in life, it's an empowering end, if bittersweet.

People complaining about the pace of the film, saying it starts off fine but then drags in the middle? I think the film flowed wonderfully, there was never a moment when I was thinking how much longer to the end or felt it rushed in the story. I personally cannot wait until we get the extended version, but I am happy with how it came out.

Where are people getting "Orlok groomed Ellen" from? Grooming is when someone goes after a minor and gets them to be emotionally attached to them for a long period of time in order to achieve some sort of goal (often times sex). People have been saying Ellen was a "literal child", but we don't know that for certain. Yes, Ellen described herself as a child, but it seems that the term child is used more as a synonym of "inexperienced" or "young". Also, we are not sure how old any of these characters are. If we were to go by actors ages as guidelines, Lily-Rose Depp was 24 when filming this, and all we get in between the first scene to the present day is merely "years later". That can mean two years or ten, we cannot be sure. And while Lil-Rose Depp can look younger than her age, no one better try and say she was playing a 12 year old or whatever in that first scene, because there is no way you can convince me she is as young as that. Also, Ellen hadn't been emotionally attached to Orlok between the years to make it grooming. I can make a better argument of grooming in another famous Gothic movie the 2004 "Phantom of the Opera" then I could with "Nosferatu".

Listen, this movie won't be for everyone, that is fine, but what I have an issue with is saying people are dumb or evil for thinking Ellen x Orlok is interesting/has romantic elements to it. One person commented on another's post about saying that the cast are dumb for seeing this as a love triangle, especially Lily-Rose Depp for not seeing Ellen as a victim. The director, who also wrote it, wanted this version to play up the Death and the Maiden themes, that was their vision, and I don't think it's right or fair to say they are dumb because the original movie wasn't a love triangle. If we were to be really anal about it, so many pieces of media we have we wouldn't be able to enjoy because it's origins are not the same. Sorry Disney's Hunchback fans, you can't enjoy the happy ending because the original was a downer. Sorry Wicked fans, it's nothing like "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", so it shouldn't be enjoyed. See how ridiculous it sounds? You can debate if whether or not they managed to achieve their goal, but you can't deny that was the intention and say people are dumb for picking up what they had intended.

I also feel that it's quite hypocritical of people to say that the relationship between Orlok and Ellen is evil and creepy, but then go off and say that the scenes where Friedrich has sex with Anna's corpse as "romantic" and Thomas' couch scene as "hot", when both deal with dubious/no consent at all. Just admit it, you are fine with dubious stuff so long as it's a hot guy doing it. The couch scene was quite uncomfortable for me, Ellen is clearly not in her right mind, even if not by some kind of possession, but emotionally, and it didn't sit right what Thomas did. I am not saying he raped her, but she wasn't in the right mind space to have this be a passionate moment. And he wasn't doing because of love or passion, he was doing it because he didn't like hearing Ellen say how he couldn't please her like the Count could. We had seen what they are like when they are in a good head space and the feeling mutual, as we saw in the den of the Harding's home. I feel like this scene wasn't meant to be a hot and sexy moment, but a incredibly distressing moment when two individuals are acting at their worst.

I don't understand how people feel that this film isn't a feminist film. I've seen people claim that the movie shames Ellen and that her not finding out how to stop Orlok is robbing her of her agency. Here's the thing, yes, many characters shame her for what she feels, but the narrative doesn't. As the audience, we feel sorry for her, feel bad for everything she is going through, and given the time period, of course there would be many people (mainly men) who will shame her passions or deny her darkness in favor for a more "womanly behavior". We are meant to see how the human world would never understand Ellen the way Orlok would understand her, why she would have called out a force that is inhuman, because humanity has turned her away. What's fascinating is that Ellen has control of Orlok, being able to call him, speak to him as an equal, and get him, a powerful centuries old being, to admit that she is his affliction, his weakness, and in the end, it's proven right. This mortal woman is able to defeat a supernatural being, all the while him loving her, how is that not awesome and feminist?

In regards to her finding the cure; true, in both the '22 and '79 film, Ellen figure out on her own what needs to be done to stop Orlok, but that doesn't mean '24 Ellen isn't smart or in charge of her own actions. We've seen Ellen say what the future holds multiple times, so it isn't crazy to believe that she would have seen what her fate would have been as it drew closer, and her need to talk to Von Franz read to me as her knowing the cure. When Ellen walks Von Franz to his home, she says that she knows what must be done, and they work together to make this happen, with him promising to keep Thomas away. Out of all the men, Von Franz had been the only one to take her feelings and thoughts seriously, and he does so here, including her in the plan (where Thomas had refused her to help), even giving her the chance to be stop Orlok without interruption. He isn't denying her agency, he's keeping others at bay so she can be the hero.

I like the moustache, just like a Romanian nobleman would have had, exactly what the director wanted. After leaving the theatre, my friend and I were discussing the film, and of course the design of Orlok was brought up, and she said "I liked it, especially the moustache, very Vlad the Impaler". She isn't a massive Dracula fan but she understood what was the inspiration behind it. Y'all are just uncultured swine.

In the end, I love this film, and wanted to just share my two cents.

[bengiyo]

2024 Recap: ✨A Summary✨

Post your most popular and/or favourite edit/gifset/analysis for each month (it’s okay to skip months!)

@troubled-mind and @my-rose-tinted-glasses brought this back, and @lurkingshan mentioned me in hers.

January:

most popular - Last Twilight Ep 12 (Finale) Stray Thoughts

favorites - An Apology to Ossan’s Love and The Novelist, and Goblin is One of the Best Shows Ever Made

Seems I decided to cope with Last Twilight’s disappointment by capping off three big catchups. I am still so glad that I went back to Ossan’s Love and The Novelist to watch them properly. I still think these shows get a bad reputation, and I’m curious to see how the Thai version lands with audiences. I feel like I could also say so much more about Goblin, because I’ve also been considering a rewatch.

February:

most popular - Quick Post about How Great It Is to Be a J-BL Fan

favorites - My first interaction with @happypotato48, Love for Love’s Sake Finale, Drama Shower Explainer, My Post About How Much I Love Dynamite

What a fun month! I made a new friend, and found a new favorite show! I was so correct about how much Japanse QL we were getting and how much we’ve gotten in the past year. Though I was disappointed in the end of Drama Shower, I’m still glad that MBS is making BL…and whatever Red Blue is (I want to watch it so bad). My love for Dynamite has only grown since I wrote that post. I need to see so much more Aungpao this year.

March:

most popular - Love is Better the Second Time Around Ep 2 Stray Thoughts

favorites - Perfect Propose Finale, Cherry Magic TH Finale, Cherry Magic Anime Finale

It really was unexpected that we got two good adaptations of Cherry Magic in the same year, both of which would supplant the original adaptation for me. I think the Thai live action might be the best one for viewers, but damn is the anime still my favorite. Perfect Propose also may have been short, but that show has stuck with me. I still think about Kai giving Hiro the first good sleep he’s had in forever.

April:

most popular - Threatening people to tag Unknown spoilers

favorites - A “violence” ask about I used to shout out Tadaima, Okaeri.

This month looks relatively quiet for me, but holy shit was Tadaima, Okaeri unexpected. I was not expecting one of my favorite shows of the year to be an omegaverse husbands becoming dads show.

May:

most popular - Asking other BL fans how often we’d seen a 69 in BL

favorites - My Post About Why I Don’t Like We Are, My Wandee Goodday Check In

Man, I really hoped that Wandee Goodday would be good. I’m still flabbergasted by how badly that show lost me. Oyei and Cher were so important to me. Pour one out for the homies.

June:

most popular and favorite - Love Sea: Tongrak is Kind of an Asshole, and I Like It

other favorites - My Love Mix Up TH: The Adaptation Changes to the Class Play

Becoming a fan of MAME was not something I ever expected of myself, and yet here we are. I’ve now enjoyed three of her shows in a row, and supported another adaptation of her work. I also am so sad that MLMU wasn’t something I could enjoy. I was so amped after Cherry Magic TH and had real hope that this could also be fantastic.

July:

most popular - I Hear the Sunspot Ep 5 Stray Thoughts

You can tell I was traveling this month. I was quiet.

August:

most popular - Ben’s Big BL Blurb

favorites - Knock Knock, Boys! review, Office Romance Meditation on The Trainee and Other Shows

There were too many episodes to catch up on after traveling, so I dropped Stray Thoughts. It was probably for the best, because it took up a lot of time, and it made me grumpy to write about shows that were in a slog. I’ve enjoyed writing more focused pieces since.

September:

most popular - Horniest Sex Scenes Ask

favorites - The Trainee Reflection on Adulthood, Happy of the End Review, I Hear the Sunspot Wasted Taichi As a Character

The Trainee was so solid that I wrote about it two months in a row! Unfortunately it coincided with two J-BL losses that I had to mark.

October:

most popular and favorite - Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo: We Are So Fucking Back

other favorites - An Apology to The Miracle of Teddy Bear, Love in the Big City Part 1: It’s Gay, Peaceful Property: There’s Nothing Noble About Being Poor

What an incredible month for me! I finished one of the best shows we never got to see properly in 2022, we got a fantastic adaptation of one of the best books I read this year, and Hwang Da Seul came back with an absolute banger.

November:

most popular - Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo reaction

favorites - Love in the Big City Part 2: The Weight of Homophobia, Making a Clown of Myself at the Beginning of Your Sky, Ben’s Big BL Blurb 2: Fall is Finally Here, Blue Canvas of Youthful Days: BL is So Good When The Characterization Holds

I feel like I must have had a lot of time to write this month. I still stand by what I said about Blue Canvas at this point, even if the finale threw a lot of this away. I also highlighted my Your Sky post as an example of how exciting the beginning of a new show can be before it veers off and loses steam. 

December:

most popular - Ben’s Big BL Blurb 3: Blue Canvas of Youthful Days Blew It, But I Still Recommend It

favorites - Random QL Superlatives 2024, Our Youth: “Don’t Do It At School”

I really love the end of the year posts as a time to reflect on everything we watched. What really stood out for me this year was how much I just let go. I’m glad I’ve watched less, and have stuck with things that compelled me in some way. Hilariously, I think it’s actually lowered my overall average, but my general mood is up because I’m not forcing myself to slog through shows. 

You can go here to find your top 10 posts of each month.

[cosmos-daughter]

Leon Kennedy character analysis: the agent's endless struggle with guilt and dysfunctional romance with the spy in red.

I saw quite a few people complaining about Leon supposedly flirting with someone in Death Island film (not sure who or if he even does, the film is not out yet as I'm writing this) and accusing him of being out of character because of that, so I had to stop and write this. Seeing people acting as if Leon being flirty with women was something new or unexpected kind of shocked me, since that's been a character trait of his since 2004, then I got the context and apparently, the reason why they are upset over this is actually because Ada.

Apparently, some people expected Leon's flirty behaviour with other women to be gone on the events that are set after Resident Evil 6, because since his feelings for Ada were finally adressed in that game, many assumed they were probably in a relationship in a recent timeline, which explains why this is being treated like a case of infidelity.

Seeing that made me realize that some people, especially fans that are new to the franchise and joined the fandom after the remakes, don't quite understand what Leon and Ada actually have going on or what they mean to each other. It is much, much more complicated and deep than it actually seems, and I want to talk about it in detail here while also providing some canon information to prove the points I make.

Content warning: mentions of alcoholism, depression, suicidal ideation and unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Leon and Ada’s dynamic is tragically funny. Talk about an dysfunctional, unstable relationship. It is definitely not the healthiest. What they have going on is messy and complicated, sure, but that's what makes it entertaining for us, viewers, and what makes Aeon a appealing ship that many love, even if watching them can also be quite frustrating at times. They are the true meaning of star-crossed lovers — two people who love each other but aren’t able to be together, a love that’s doomed from the start — and that's why their relationship has always been presented and described as complicated.

Following their escape, their paths would cross from time to time, Leon as a U.S. government operative and Ada as a spy. Ada makes no qualms about using Leon when it suits her needs, but Leon is loath to bring himself to be done with her. They don't consider each other enemies, but it's hard to tell how they feel for each other. Complicated is the word that aptly summarizes their relationship.

[File from Resident Evil 6 "Leon and Ada"]

That makes two things clear: Leon has feelings for Ada, and he’s a hopeless romantic. He knows when she’s using him, he’s a smart man, but he can’t and doesn’t want to let go of her. Anyone can see that. Each time they interact you can practically sense Leon’s hesitancy through the screen, always seemingly conflicted, wary, as if going through a dilemma of “which one is more important: love or duty?", because even if she’s the woman he loves, that doesn’t change the fact that she’s shady and has worked for the opposite side before — for the people that produce bioweapons — and Leon's determination to keep fighting despite of how exhausted he is comes precisely from his hatred of people who make use of bioweapons and his desire to end this for good. Loving her or not, as long as he's not sure of what her true intentions are, he can't fully trust her. Putting the lives of innocent people at risk is something that Leon will never do by choice, after all, he lives and fights for that, to protect. He'd do anything to stop something like Raccoon from ever happening again. It's the only thing he has left. The only part of his old self that didn't die after the outbreak in 1998 is his urge to protect. Serve and protect. The self sacrificing hero.

Krauser: What is it that you fight for, comrade? Leon: My past, I suppose. [Optional dialogue from original RE4]

In RE6, he protects Ada from Chris and Helena when they try to kill her, but he’s not sure himself if she’s innocent or not. His uncertainty becomes even clearer during the final scene before they part ways again, when he asks her: “What are you? Why are you helping us?”. He's unsure of her goals, whose side she’s on, why she does what she does or what he means to her, but even confused and likely curious, he doesn’t go after her for answers when Helena tells him to. He chooses duty, like a good soldier would.

Damnation takes place months before RE6, and the film very directly implies that Leon and Ada got intimate at some point — probably a couple of times — but their behavior towards one another in RE6 is enough evidence that their involvement never developed into a serious relationship, it never went past a couple of intimate nights.

(Another proof that they weren't in a relationship during RE6 is the fact he shamelessly flirts with Helena at the beginning of the game and he would never do that if he was in a relationship, since loyalty is a big thing of his character too).

What I make up of their relationship from the content Capcom gives us and what they’ve been hinting since 1998 is that they’re less than lovers, but definitely more than friends. I believe they have that kind of relationship that sometimes, Ada shows up at Leon’s doorsteps at night after a long time of not seeing each other and they both missed each other terribly and are also undeniably attracted to one another, so maybe they do sleep together and share a tender, vulnerable moment (that they never really speak of later) and when Leon wakes up in the morning, her side of the bed is coldly empty. I imagine they have physical but not emotional intimacy, and even if they both know how they feel about that deep down, it doesn't matter — neither of them have the luxury of doing feelings. They don’t belong to each other and are free to do as they please, but none plan on moving on from one another. It’s two screwed up humans afraid of commitment loving in the best way they can: messily.

It's also important to mention I believe there's a reason why Leon accepts to be in a relationship like this even if he knows it's not good for him and yearns for more (even if he doesn't admit it, he's a big softie: emotional, romantic, loves people and company, of course he wants more than that). I'd say the reason it’s not only because he loves Ada — even if that's the biggest part of it — but also because he doesn't think himself worthy of having a loving, stable relationship. Leon is an alcoholic who suffers from depression, traumatized, barely has any free time to rest and also works in the most dangerous job in the world that could get him killed anytime. Basically, this man is not very boyfriend material and he's aware of it.

He'd most likely spent the entire time thinking the other person deserves better, deserves someone present in their life and who can give them the love and attention they deserve. With Ada, he’s able to fulfill his emotional and physical needs without having the responsibility of having an actual relationship and without hurting anyone's feelings, because Ada doesn’t expect more from him too. They both know they can't go there. A romantic relationship is probably something he no longer knows how to deal with, ever since his life has changed so drastically. Hell, he can barely take care of himself. So he's fine with the little that Ada gives him, he has to be, and he'll accept whichever parts of her she'll allows him to have. He knows that she’ll never be his, so he has to be fine with having her only for a night. It's no news for anyone that Leon Scott Kennedy is the master of self-sabotage, no one is more cruel to him than himself. Everything in his life is a mess, his love life would hardly be any different.

Now, my favorite part to talk about and the main point of this whole analysis: Leon's insecurity regarding being unworthy of love and peace originates from his survivor's guilt trauma. I will always talk about how cruel and visceral Leon’s case of survivor's guilt is, because it's part the character's essence, you can't have Leon without it. That thing is tied to him. It's a stain on his soul. It will always be with him, even if he manages to heal one day. Since Raccoon City, he lives with an immeasurable amount of guilt regarding every single person that he "failed" to save and protect, knowing they're gone while he’s still alive is too much for him and that results in a worrisome self-destructive behaviour where he thinks he doesn’t deserve to be happy or a normal life, a break from the horrors. He needs to live the rest of his life miserably, fighting incessantly against bioweapons until his last breath, because this is the very least he can do to make amends with everyone he "failed" to protect, and he holds into that failure like it's a hand. A workaholic fueled by guilt and grief.

(EDIT: Leon's voice actor, Matthew Mercer, pretty much confirmed this by saying that Leon holds himself accountable for every death that happens on his watch even if it's out of his control in a interview for the Death Island movie. I know he's the voice actor and not the writer, but since he understands his character perfectly, I find that worthy of mentioning).

Resident Evil: Damnation only further proves his crystal clear guilt issues. The scene where Leon stops Alexander from shooting himself, he says the following:

“The option of taking our own lives no longer belongs to us. Once we start using these, [the gun] we owe it to the people who died alongside us, we have to continue living.”

This whole interaction, Leon stopping a man from killing himself and his words hits differently when you remember that in the original RE2, he actually considered following the same path, and the only reason he didn’t was to protect Sherry and make sure she was safe (this part doesn’t make a lot of sense in the remake since Leon doesn’t meet her until the last cutscene, but we’re referring to the original events here). The reason why he accepted to work for the government in the first place was to ensure they would keep Sherry safe and allow her to live a normal life without being subjected to experiments (a promise they didn't keep, as we see in RE6), even if we all know he didn't have a choice and they offered him out of politeness. He still did all of that for a girl he barely knew. Self sacrifice is a vice of his just as much as alcohol.

"To tell you the truth, I even thought about ending it — several times, actually — with just a quick bullet to the head. But I didn't give up. Sherry needed me. She was a 10-year-old girl thrown into a hellish environment with monsters after her, so I had to pull myself together for her sake. She was our reason for not giving up — especially for Claire.”

[Leon and the Raccoon City Incident]

Leon feels forced to continue this exhausting loop of constantly sacrificing his own mental health and safety in this miserable and dangerous line of work because he believes that he owes that to his fallen comrades and every victim of bioterrorism. Consequently, he also gives up on his chances of having a normal relationship and life, of having a family in the future. He’s seen drinking a lot in Damnation, including during the day, alone in his room. I think that’s pretty self explanatory.

Then we have RE Vendetta — the peak of Leon's depression — where he's seen drowning in alcohol even more during a mental breakdown after losing his whole team being the only survivor yet again. More people dead at his commands, following his lead, more people dead because he can't be the super-hero he wishes so badly he was, all that while he still breathes and gets to see another day. Leon doesn't have a lot of stability in his life and he loses people important to him all the time, yet he never gets desensitized to it.

He questions if living is really worth it in the film:

“I keep fighting... and fighting and fighting, and instead of seeing an end to this shit, it just keep getting worse. Is this what my life is supposed to be? Fighting the living dead and bastards that make them? What's the point of it all?”

The accumulated years of misery finally led Leon to his limit. He is beyond exhausted, he knows it’s not fair to him, he shouldn’t have to live like this, he’s desperate for a little bit of normalcy, yet he still goes back to fight. He can't run away from duty, and he sure as hell can’t turn a blind eye to bioterrorism no matter how tired he is. Vendetta is set one year after RE6, so it’s clear that his thing with Ada hasn’t evolved since then, and it seems that it's been a while since they last saw each other, and maybe that also adds on the reasons why Leon snapped, since she's the closest to a constant in his life, the only thing he can always count to come back to him, even if he doesn't knows when.

It’s not hard to believe a man like that would avoid a serious relationship at any costs. But doing that is not easy for him, Leon is very emotional and so incredibly lonely and touch-starved, he wants the love, even if he doesn’t think he deserves it. While I have no canon evidence about this, I can see him being the type who gets one-night stands once in a while, just when he’s feeling too alone and in need for a distraction and relief, I think that he feels a little needed and loved when he’s touching and being touched by the other person, even if it’s only for the night. But he refuses to emotionally connect with the person, not only because his heart belongs to another, but because he doesn't want to risk someone falling for him; Leon is very emotionally intelligent and responsible, he thinks of people's feelings, considers them, and takes it very seriously.

I see Leon’s womanizer behaviour as a coping mechanism for his loneliness and his own way to lighten the mood and make those women not panic during the situation of absolute chaos and danger they're usually in with him. It's also simply because he enjoys women, obviously, I'm not denying that, but his flirting never bothered me because of how respectful he is — he never takes it too far or makes them uncomfortable by being inappropriate. There's a reason why all the women he flirts with, especially those like Hunnigan and Helena — who have serious personalities & don't seem the type to enjoy that kind of men — end up adoring him and seeing him as a dear friend. We can also tell he's not playing with them and trying to make them fall for him by the way he only flirts straight up shamelessly with the strong-type of women who he knows won't fall for him, and with the soft type (like Ashley or Manuela) who might actually have a crush on him, he's more careful and mostly friendly — ocasionally teasing and a little light flirting too, but that's just his way of being playful. Leon is a charismatic, charming man by nature, what can he do about it?

So, considering all this, it's pretty much clear why a relationship is out of the question for him, no person in their right mind would want to subject themselves to be in a relationship in which your partner is completely secretive about their work life, or having to live with the anxiety of going to sleep at night not knowing if they're still alive when they leaves for their missions; people want a relationship for security, stability, reassurance, comfort and peace, not to be tormented. With Ada, Leon doesn’t need to worry about any of that. She isn’t going to ask him questions nor is she going to stay up at night worrying if he’s going to come back home, because they don’t have that kind of relationship. And it's not that Leon would hate having that kind of relationship, especially with her, it's the opposite, he secretly craves it. I think there's nothing he'd love more than laying with the person he loves on his arms at the end of a long day, seeing their face lit by the rays of sun in the morning, doing the typical clingy couple things, the casual affection; but he has a job to do and he knows he can't have both.

I don’t agree with the usage of the word ‘toxic’ to define his relationship with Ada, because that makes her seem like a horrible person when it’s not the case; none of them is forcing the other into this relationship, they both just fall in with it because they know that this is the closest to a romantic relationship that people like them can afford to have. And also because this relationship isn't entirely bad for them — we don't know much about Ada, unfortunately, but we know enough about Leon to have a guess that what he has with her is enough to provide him at least a little bit of comfort, and God knows he needs it.

Even if we don't have enough content of her like her feelings, traumas and motivations to write a fully detailed essay, we know that even if she doesn't wear her heart on her sleeve like Leon does, Ada loves him too. And yes — she uses him to reach her goals during her missions, plays little games with him, but I believe the latter is part of a façade (I'll get into this later), and she never did anything to hurt him or put him in danger. She’s a focused, calculative woman who will play dirty to get what she wants, yet she often goes out of her way to help Leon every time he’s in trouble instead of considering it a nuisance. Coming from someone like her, that means a lot. She’s the one who throws him the rocket launcher in RE2 during the fight against the Tyrant, she’s the one who stops Krauser from killing him in RE4 (original, in the remake it is Luis' doing), she goes against Wesker’s orders to keep him safe, and helps him many times in RE6 and Damnation too. Ada is always watching him from the shadows and would never let anyone harm him. The way she trusts Leon becomes evident with how she always lowers her guard around him in a way you never see her doing with anyone else — like that choking scene from the original RE4 (it was cut from the remake), no other person would be able to catch her off guard like that. She's at ease around him.

Something else I noticed is how Ada only acts cool when in front of him. In the original RE4 you can see how she puts that unbothered, cool and mysterious woman show on when face-to-face with him, but as soon as he isn't watching her, the façade drops and she looks at him as if he's the most precious person in the world, she has the biggest heart eyes for him, even if she doesn't let him see it. I believe the only time she showed it to him is when he saves her from Saddler and asks her if she's okay, to which she replies with a weak "I've been better", and gives him the softest smile ever. There is so much tenderness in that look she gave him. Also, the way she talks about him: in the original Separate Ways she compliments his skills, intelligence, and refers to him as "practically a genius"; it's obvious she admires and respects him immensely.

My point with this is that the reason why she does that, the reason why Ada doesn’t give too much to Leon, is because she knows it’s just going to make things more difficult for both of them. After all, leaving would be much harder after hearing a “I love you”, after making promises or plans. They both know how they feel too, so there is no need for words. As I said before, their love isn’t exactly the healthiest, it's probably something that hurts them both, but as long as they can see each other again, they can endure the pain that comes with the separation.

Like Leon said himself, she's a part of him that he can't let go, but no matter how much they cherish each other, the end never changes; Leon and Ada are always meant to go to their separate ways.

[kikizoshi]

can we form a coup against asagiri and make you the writer instead? genuinely... I am not taking the Fyodor immortal information well.. please help............................ ( ´，_ゝ` )

Oh, I would absolutely not do BSD well either. I just wish Asagiri had stuck to his roots more. He was a great comedy writer, and the beginning of the story was great for it. It's the action and Death Note stuff he can't seem to get mastery of. But for the immortal part: I'm not entirely sold that Fyodor's immortal, yet. It seems like yet another twists that will twist to reveal oh, shocker, he faked his memories to confuse Sigma/the ADA... or something. Could very well be immortal, but not 100% guaranteed.

[pensandsliverswords]

no one asked but here’s my rankings and opinion of all of them

1 - Mann - probably favorite mostly bc of familiarity. v impactful; good deepness; ending has great vibrato and timing especially at the end. 2 - Lewis - most deep? (2nd most deep) I like it. v serious good use of softness for emphasis. Best pre prayer climax. Good dramatic ending. different interpretation yay! 3 - Rocca - I’m sorry this is French erasure. It’s a French musical originally written in French and you don’t have a French version?? Anyway gonna rank it bc i love the French version a lot. Similar to the Spanish the orchestration did a good job fitting the words. Good pacing not as distinct an interpretation but v strong ending little drama by softness. I vote we do this again removing Crowe and putting rocca in. 4 - Secomb - kinda rushes the beginning but I like his drama in the middle especially on “keeping watch in the night” and “for so it must be”. enjoyed the ending orchestration fit his voice well. 5 - Vidal - I dunno how this compares to other Spanish versions but he has good pacing and is strong the whole time which I like as a distinct interpretation. Similar to the French one in a way. They both have totally strong interpretations. 6 - Quast - deep and velvety. Okay what’s with the phrasing. Either too much vibrato or too staccato like he coupldnt make up his mind on how he wanted to play it. Liked the ending. 7 - Allam - don’t like orchestration and pacing not as impactful; too soft. Weird lyrics 8 - Carpenter - again v staccato like kinda rushing? Rushing breaks the drama of the middle of the song 9 - Crowe - so soft?? And flat oh my goodness I mean if he plays javert more softly the whole time I guess that’s an interpretation it’s just a wrong one. I once saw someone talking about how he sings this like it’s being him home. Def the weakest in all senses. Why does he sound so flat. What went so wrong. I’m a mezzo and I can sing this better (I do like the orchestral transition at the end but otherwise the orchestra was bland)

propaganda under the cut:

Allam

Mann

Quast

Lewis

Carpenter

Secomb

Vidal

Crowe

[mephistopheleswasrobbed]

On the similarities and differences between Ossan's Love (2018) and Ossan's Love Thailand

(disclaimer: I have watched all of the Haruta + Maki version of OL [Ossan's Love, Ossan's Love: LOVE or DEAD, Ossan's Love Returns] except for the specials which I haven't gotten around to, and I've watched the airport AU season Ossan's Love: In the Sky. I haven't watched the original one shot episode and the Hong Kong version.)

(disclaimer #2: This is just for fun. I'm not intending to make any statements over which version is superior or anything like that in this post. If you noticed something I missed please let me know so I can add it! I only rewatched ep 1 of the Japanese version for this post.)

For the sake of my lazieness I will use Tv for Thai version and Jv for Japanese Version.

Okay I don't really know how to structure this so I'll just go scene by scene of the Tv (with Jv scenes that happen later/not at all in the Tv in italics):

Intro Office (Dream):

The first scenes of both versions are quite similar down to the way they are shot as a one-take and the order the characters are introduced. The music was also clearly chosen/written as an homage to the Jv which also has character cards for all of the main characters introduced (name, age, position) that the Tv left out. The Jv is not a dream though, so while Haruta appears quite cool walking down the hallway, his abysmal sales record is already shown here.

Intro Mother:

The Tv introduces Heng's mother a little earlier, this scene does not exist in the Jv although her complaints about H's inability to take care of himself at his age also appear in her introduction scene in the Jv. (small difference: Heng is 30, Haruta 33)

Intro Office (Reality):

This scene still maps onto the first of the Jv but there are some new things added. The Boss doesn't scold Haruta in the Jv and the office proposal/Irene as a character are inventions by the Tv.

Intro Restaurant Siblings:

Another new scene, no Irene in the Jv -> no need to mope over her engagement. Instead of this scene the Jv has a mixer scene that was apparently entirely cut from the Tv (though did appear in the pilot trailer) and we see the Boss celebrating his 30th anniversary with his wife at the same restaurant. Of note for the Jv are: (1) Maro(New Year) sabotages Haruta by telling him the women are flight attendants when they aren't, then joins in making fun of him. (2) This is the first meeting of Haruta and Maki in the Jv

The Morning After:

H is woken up by his mother in both versions though Haruta at least made it inside the house. The monk is obviously an addition from the Tv. For the Jv this is the first introduction of the mother so we get a little more complaints from her, otherwise it plays out pretty similarly.

Train Ride:

The Jv takes place in a bus instead and theres a false accusation of sexual harrassment leveled at Haruta that the Tv chose to leave out. The 'Boss giving H another chance to prove himself' conversation already happened in the intro office scene in the Jv. The screen discovery happens pretty much the same way, but the Boss getting off at the wrong stop was a new addition from the Tv.

"You saw":

This scene happens a little later in the Jv, after Haruta saw the pictures on his pc so it's mostly in reference to those pics. Also this scene happens in the toilet in the Jv.

Intro Momo:

Instead of the "You saw" scene we get some office action (of note: Maro blames Haruta for his mistake) before Maki is introduced to the whole team in the Jv. The Tv only has the main three present for this introduction. The meet cute bumping into each other is an addition from the Tv. Both Hs are excited to be working with a familiar face though the familiarity is different. Haruta and Maki only having met at the mixer the night before while Heng and Momo worked together during their probation period eight years previously. The Jv has Maki move from a different department (different office but still Tokyo) while Momo in the Tv transferrs from a different city (Chiang Mai). Both M's are shown to be successful at their job, Boss says this about Maki in this scene in the Jv, while we learn it for Momo in a flash back later.

(

Picture discovery:

This is when Haruta discovers his pictures in the Jv. It's only Haruta who sees them in this version. (There is a play on his name here: Haruta -> haru (spring in Japanese) -> folder named "Spring", he was told to get the data for the spring quater. I don't know any Thai so I can't say if there was a similar thing in the Tv though the subtitles didn't hint at anything)

"You saw":

This is when the previously discussed "You saw" scene happens in the Jv.

)

Out with Momo:

Instead of handing out snacks to staff/clients of the Tv, they are distributing flyers in the Jv. Both versions have H give M useful tips though. Namwan is quite different from her Japanese counterpart. In the Jv the building manager is a middle-aged lady who tries to set Haruta up on a blind date with a big woman only for Haruta to correct her that he wants a woman with big boobs, not one that's generally big. Heng's belief that Namwan has a crush on him is potentially inspired by a later line from the Jv where he drunkenly claims to Maki that Chizu(Chicha) is in love with him. Namwan trying to get Momos number is an addition from the Tv. Taweep the cleaning lady is an addition from the Tv/ the Jv building manager (+ some passerbys on the street) was split into Namwan and her. In both versions this is where H is shown to be quite kind and generally getting along with people. Momo's allusions to the past are, of course, exclusive to the Tv.

Called Away:

In the Jv Haruta gets called to a clients house where Maro has made a mess by being rude. Meanwhile Maki keeps distributing the flyers. In the Tv they both head to the office because New Year is too busy to make his own presentation.

Office After Hours:

In the Jv Haruta heads to the office alone after cleaning up Maro's mess. He discovers Boss leaving him long comments in his reviews which he doesn't do for others. In the Tv both Heng and Momo are in the office together and this is where they both discover the pictures on Boss's notebook. Then Boss arrives, and sends away Momo in the Tv. Both Bosses take of their jackets though the Jv Boss also closes the blinds and takes some pills. H runs away and Boss follows shouting his name in both versions, both end with H in the elevator and Boss texting him his real intentions. (Tv: to give him the file, Jv: to make him aware of the cleaning tag on his suit) Momo in the elevator and everything that comes with it is an invention of the Tv.

Mother left:

The Jv mother only leaves a single note to explain her absence (she plans to open a store with a guy Haruta doesn't know about) instead of Heng searching for her in the Tv, the Jv shows a small montage of Haruta being unable to do anything in the house (he doesn't even know where the toilet paper is).

Back at the Reastaurant:

This is the first introduction to the restaurant and the siblings in the Jv. In the Jv we learn that Chizu quit her job after she was told to apologize for hitting a client that harrassed her (neither Haruta nor her brother Teppei take this particularily seriously). This was cut from the Tv. Heng stealing tissues is a new addition in the Tv. In both, the brother brings up marriage but only in the Tv mentions a childhood marriage promise, in the Jv Haruta suggests Chizu marry him. Chizu in the Jv shuts him down because she wants to marry a butler who will do all of the house work. Chicha in the Tv because she's not been single since grade 2. Instead Heng is the one who says he doesn't want to marry her because he wants a perfect housewife. In the Jv Haruta tries to order some food but Teppei already closed the kitchen. In the Tv Thua-ngok presents them with his latest meal creation. The creative food combinations of the brother do also appear in the Jv but not yet in the first episode.

Inviting Momo:

In the Tv Momo waits in front of Heng's house to help him with the presentation, in the Jv Haruta just runs into Maki on the street who had been distributing the rest of the flyers until then. Momo asks Heng about affordable accomodation while Maki just mentions that he hasn't found anything so far (Maki living in a weekly rental for now, Momo with his aunt). In the Tv Momo brought some home-cooked food for Heng which leads to Heng finding out he can cook while Maki in the Jv just carries some fresh groceries with him which leads to the same discovery. Both H's offer M to move in, though Maki in the Jv doesn't take it as a joke, Haruta also explains more (like his mother moving out). Maki says he'll think about it and then we see him move in a few days later while the Tv doesn't show any details after Heng's proposal.

Office Bragging + "New Mom" Montage:

The framing device for the montage as Heng telling it to his coworkers is unique to the Tv. In the Jv it just happens after Maki moves in. The montage itself contains some scolding on Maki's part while Momo just smiles happily at Heng's antics (though he's also not quite as disgustingly messy as Haruta). Haruta also doesn't call Maki his "new mom" in the Jv. The bragging to coworkers and all that comes with it like Heng's impromptu marriage proposal are inventions of the Tv. In the Jv only Haruta and Maki sit at a table together eating their homemade lunch while Haruta tries to convince Maki to go halfsies on a VR set (to watch porn). In the Jv Haruta catches the Boss watching them through the blinds in his office while in the Tv everyone is busy with each other while the Boss stands off to the side and spills his coffee all over his hand in jealousy.

Boss is Married

In both versions H finds out about Boss being married from Maika/Meow although in the Jv there is only one cutaway to Boss and his wife out on a date she witnessed while in the Tv we cut twice to Boss and his daughter visiting the late wife's grave. The Boss's wife being dead and him having a daughter instead are not inventions by the Tv though, the same thing was the case in the airport AU season of the Jv. Both Hs take this information to mean that they must have been mistaken about Boss's feelings.

(

Boss's Confession:

In the Jv Boss confesses here already, he does so after telling Haruta to meet him at a park.

Telling Chizu:

Then there follows a scene where Haruta tells Chizu about it. She teases him, tells him he should be happy anyone loves him at all and that she's rooting for his boss. The Tv counterpart to this scene will probably happen in EP2 judging by the preview.

Chizu + Maki First Meeting:

Chizu dumps off a drunk Haruta at his Home. She introduces herself to Maki (this is where the aforementioned line from Haruta about her being in love with him happens) and tells him that Haruta is confused because of an unexpected confession then leaves. Maki drags drunk Haruta to the sofa who tells him to get something from his bag. It's a multiple page manual he made for Maki with handwritten/-drawn notes about customers etc. Maki is touched by this.

)

Poster Mistake:

In the Jv Haruta makes the mistake himself (wrong map), again Maro is quite mean about it. In the Tv New Year makes the mistake (wrong QR code) Heng just didn't check it properly. Takegawa/Ten is mad at H in both versions. In the Jv Boss comes in to make an encouraging speech and divide tasks, while in the Tv only Ten, New Year, Meow and Heng are present for this discussion and decide the course of action themselves. New Year offering to resign is an invention by the Tv although possibly insired by an offhand remark in the Maki intro scene where Maika tells Haruta to be nice to Maro lest he quit to which Maro agrees.

Poster Correction:

In the Tv Momo helps Heng put the correct sticker over the posters, in the Jv Boss helps him (he sent everyone else off on other tasks). Haruta is awkward alone with Boss and tells him he can finish the rest by himself, Boss leaves. In the Tv this reminds Momo of the past which leads to:

Probation Period Flashback:

Since Jv Haruta and Maki don't have history the entire flashback is a new invention by the Tv. It serves to remind the audience of Heng's kindness and intuitive understanding of other people and to show why/when Momo first developed feelings for Heng. We also learn that Momo has an accent/dialect that slips out sometimes which people made fun of him for, and gets tipsy easily.

Mascot trouble:

In the Tv another problem emerges on site of the company event when the mascot actor can't be contacted, again this was kind of New Years mistake which gets blamed on Heng because he delegated too difficult tasks to the newbie, again New Year offers to resign. Boss makes an inspiring speech, Heng offers to wear the costume himself. None of this happens in the Jv as Haruta was supposed to wear the costume from the beginning. Boss still gives a bit of a speech though because his coworkers are bitching about Haruta.

Boss's Rescue:

The mascot dancing and then trying to warn Boss through the medium of mime are inventions by the Tv. The rescue itself happens pretty much the same way in both versions though.

In the Hospital:

Both versions have Boss and M overhearing the nurses talking about "him being so young" and coming to the wrong conclusion although in the Jv there's also a doctor who assures Boss he "did all he could". In the Jv Maki finds Heng first and is the only one present for the cognitive function test reveal (Tv: IQ like middle schooler, Jv: brain like 85yo). Both Ms shove their Hs for worrying them, though Maki is a little bit more emotional about it. At that point in the Tv Boss sends Momo away, saying he wants to talk to Heng alone and Momo leaves. In the Jv Boss comes in and is clearly very emotionally affected so Haruta asks Maki to give them a moment alone and Maki leaves. Both Bosses proceed to fall to their knees in front of H and hug him. In the Jv all of this happens in a private room so Haruta is worried about someone walking in on them like this while in the Tv it happens in a common ward in full view of everyone anyway. Both Hs pet Boss to calm him though Jv on the head and Tv on the back, both contemplative.

Momo Remembers Jealousy:

In the Tv we see Momo at home drinking a beer which turns into a flashback of their probation passing celebration at Chicha's restaurant. We learn here that Momo was best in class and got recruited to Chiang Mai, which he accepted because he thought there was something between Heng and Chicha and he wanted distance. Then we cut back to present Momo being annoyed at the memory. All of this is Tv original material however we do get in the Jv: (1) Maki going through the notes Boss left Haruta in his reviews while Haruta is in the shower and being annoyed (2) Boss at home asking his wife to divorce him and her being completely shocked and then thinking there is another woman.

Boss's Confession:

In the Tv Boss drives Heng home and then confesses to him outside his house, spurred on by almost losing Heng that day. In the Jv this confession already happened earlier as mentioned before. Aside from the circumstances the confessions are pretty similar including Boss stating that he wanted to take this to the grave originally (mind changed because Jv: Haruta found pictures Tv: Heng almost died), H protesting about Boss being married and Boss asking H to give him some time to sort things out on his end and thanking H while H is stunned speechless. Differences: Jv: Boss planned this so he brought a big bouquet of roses, he bows 90° in front of Haruta and runs away afterwards Tv: no roses because spontaneous, Boss tells Heng his wife died 10 years ago (to which Heng reacts with the stupidest little awkward asshole shrug in what has become the funniest moment of the episode to me since I was made aware of it by a twitter user), Boss clutches Heng's hands in his, Boss runs away by car instead of foot. H's reactions after Boss has left are basically opposite. Jv's Haruta does his usual over the top reaction silently screaming in the middle of the park while Tv's Heng is more stunned into stillness, looking like he almost faints and clinging to his inhaler like it's the only thing keeping him upright.

Momo's Shower Confession:

In the Tv Momo catches Heng coming in looking pale. Momo is even more annoyed and keeps drinking his beer. He comes into the bathroom while Heng is still in the shower but stays to brush his teeth anyway. He saw a bit of the end of Boss's confession, asks Heng about Boss. Heng eventually tells him Boss confessed, Momo plays it cool, learns that Heng is single and his issue with Boss's confession is that Boss is a guy. Momo remembers their moment 8 years prior, gets mad and decides to throw caution to the wind. All of this is Tv original. In the Jv Haruta only asks Maki to bring him a towel. Then both Ms burst into the shower, confess their feelings and kiss H. Differences: Jv: Maki starts with he likes Haruta, then tells him he knows Haruta likes big boobs but what about a big cock before kissing him. Haruta pushes him away pretty quickly, the shower runs the whole time. We end on them looking at each other. Tv: Momo starts by asking why men can't date each other, Heng thinks he likes Boss, Momo corrects he likes Heng, tells Heng he wont lose him to anyone this time and kisses him. Heng doesn't push Momo away but is equally stunned. The shower turned off when Momo first came in, Heng turns it back on as he's getting kissed (and kind of blows bubbles against Momo's lips). We end on the kiss.

General thoughts:

both versions have voice over internal monologue from H, but Jv does it a little more especially towards the beginning

if Heng exists in day to day at an 11 Haruta does at a 35, Heng falls a little more toward cute in his childishness compared to Haruta falling more towards annoying/infuriating

Boss appears somewhat more creepy in the Jv before his confession compared to the Tv

Jv's Maki is a lot less smitten with Haruta than Tv's Momo

Jv's Maro was kind of an asshole at the beginning while Tv's New Year seems relatively sweet so far

both versions are over the top physical comedy but the Jv is a way more extreme example while the Tv adjusted it down a bit to suit the more typical Thai style of comedy, in the Jv we get intercut imagery like a waterbottle spilling while Haruta finds the photos on Boss's computer, in the Tv we get a whole smorgasbord of sound effects. Both are edited with many quick cuts, again the Jv dialed up to 100.

Tv is a lot more bright and colourful than the more muted colours of the Jv

most actors appear slightly younger than their Jv counterparts (because gmmtv obviously has their own actors and they are mostly not that old) most noteworthy: Boss (55 in the Jv, no number for the Tv but Shahkrit is 46 currently) and Takegawa/Ten (44 in Jv, Thor is currently 28)

Momo gets more screentime/character exploration from the beginning compared to Maki. In the Jv the distribution leaned more heavily towards Haruta and Boss (the only constant characters/actors through all iterations of the Jv) with Maki feeling more like the third in this regard. The Tv increased Momo's presence and exploration, pushing the Boss into position of the third lead in this regard.

Biggest story changes so far: - Boss's wife is dead (like In the Sky) - Boss has a daughter (like In the Sky) - Momo and Heng knew each other previously, Momo has preexisting feelings for Heng

[imjustavenuxwithaboomerang]

el tejano - habbey oneshot

(this is inspired by the song el tejano by lauv and sofia reyes. you don't really need to know the song/lyrics to read it, but it would probably give context for certain details)

The grating sound of a creaky window being opened filled the dorm room, replacing the sound of Deuce aggressively typing up an essay that was due later that week. He didn’t look up, as he knew it was his closest companion, sneaking through the window. Was there even a curfew on weekends? No, but what Heath didn’t know wouldn’t hurt. 

Heath climbed into the room and threw himself down on his roommate’s bed, sighing dramatically. Deuce kept his eyes on his laptop and paid him no mind. Heath sat up and sighed even louder, which sounded more like a strangled scream.

Deuce chuckled to himself and rolled his desk chair towards the bed. He reached out to stop the chair from hitting the footboard and smiled at his best friend.

“Well, someone sure wants my attention,” Deuce said smugly.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Ask me how my day was!” Heath kicked off his shoes and brought his legs up to sit cross-legged. 

“And you can’t just tell me, because…?”

“Because…suspense,” Deuce rolled his eyes, “and because no one else asked how my day was going the entire time I was out,” Heath said with a slight pout.

“Fine,” Deuce turned around to sit backward in his chair and crossed his arms over the back, “How was your day, Heath?”

Heath flailed his hands in excitement, “Great question!” Deuce held back a laugh, “I went to the park, made friends with some zombie dogs, and saw a flyer for this new nightclub place for teens. I went because, duh, and it was decorated to have this beachy vibe and I love the beach.”

Deuce nodded along, “Mhm…”

“And I stayed there for the rest of the night. but, there’s more!” Heath clapped his hands together. 

“How can there be more if you stayed there all night?” 

“I met a girl! I, Heath Burns, met a girl!” 

“Huh, good for you, man,” Deuce pushed himself off the bed and attempted to keep writing his paper.

“Wait, wait, I gotta tell you all about it,” Heath climbed off the bed and headed towards his side of the room, just barely saving himself from tripping over his sneakers. 

“Fine, but I gotta finish this,” Deuce gestured to his open document, “I promise I’m listening, go ahead.”

Heath plopped down into his own desk chair, “So you know Nirvana right? That human band?” Deuce hummed and nodded. “Apparently, there are Spanish covers of their songs, which is a sentence I never thought I’d say, but they were, like, the majority of the playlist.”

Deuce furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Heath, “Nirvana of all bands has multiple covers in Spanish?” 

“Yuh, and me and the girl just danced to them and talked all night. What did we talk about?” Heath didn’t wait for Deuce to answer, “Great question”.

Deuce chuckled to himself as he finished a paragraph. 

“I learned a lot about her, like, she’s from the Himalayas, and she actually knows some of the same people we do. She knows Cleo and Lagoona and even Clawdeen, isn’t that so interesting?” Deuce nodded absentmindedly. “She even asked me if I watched that human show, um…” Heath searched his brain for the title, “Friends! That’s it!” 

“Oh, that show about the six friends in the coffee shop or whatever?” Deuce leaned back in his chair looking over his last couple of paragraphs. 

“Yeah! I told her that Phoebe was probably my favorite character so far.”

“The blonde one?” Deuce asked.

“Mhm, and she actually agreed with me and we laughed and laughed.”

“How did you of all people, no offense, get a girl to talk to you and dance with you? For such a long period of time?” Deuce started a new paragraph and slightly laughed at the idea of Heath fumbling over his words trying to ask a girl to dance.

“Well actually, you jerk, she came up to me. I had just ordered some salsa for my chips, I had chips, I didn’t think it was important to mention, and she walked up to me. She asked if she could sit with me and try some of my food.”

“And you let her, because only you would share your food with an absolute stranger,” Deuce said, saying the last part under his breath.

“I heard that, and yes, I did. She sat down and asked me if the salsa was mild. I stupidly said that it was hotter than mild because I thought it would impress her but turns out she has problems with hot food. Deuce, I almost scared her away!”

Deuce couldn’t keep his laughs quiet anymore and let a loud guffaw leave his mouth, “See, this is why I didn’t believe that you were able to keep her interested enough to dance with you.” 

“Rude, but I quickly took it back and said it was a joke. She stayed, thank gods, and then one of the Nirvana covers came on, she pulled me to the dance floor, I, of course, had to keep my fire under control, and the rest is the greatest love story to ever take place.”

“Sounds like an amazing night, Heath. What was her name?” Deuce finished up his final paragraph and hit save. Should he have proofread it? Sure, but he might as well give the end of Heath’s story his full attention.

“Yeah...about that, once the club got closer to closing time, she left pretty quickly, and I never…actually caught her name…” 

Deuce stopped moving. He did not hear that right, he couldn't have, “You don't,” Deuce closed his eyes in preparation for disappointment, “know her name?” 

“No, I do not,” Deuce could practically hear the sheepish look Heath had on his face as he spoke. 

Deuce did a sharp inhale and pinched the bridge of his nose, “I mean this in the nicest way possible, dude, you're hopeless.” 

“Yeah, I know. But what matters is that she seemed to be having fun and I know I had fun,” Heath got out of his chair and started to change into his pajamas. “That’s a win in my book.” 

“A win is a win,” Deuce reluctantly said. 

Heath finished getting dressed and sprawled out on his bed, “I wonder if she’s thinking about me right now.”

“Maybe, Heath, maybe.”

In a dorm room, on the other side of the school was a blue-skinned girl and her friends gathered in a circle. Giggles left the friends’ mouths as the girl spoke.

“He assured me that the salsa wasn’t actually that hot and so I tried it, it was really good, and we just hit it off right away,” it was hard for Abbey to keep her excitement in check as she recounted the story of the boy she had met that night. 

“And then what happened?” Lagoona chirped.

“Then the music changed and I dragged him to the dance floor,” Abbey took a second to chuckle to herself, “He was such a bad dancer,” another chuckle fell from her lips.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Ghoulia reached a hand to Abbey’s knee in comfort.

“No, no, it was endearing. I loved how bad he was at dancing because he knew he was bad but he was so confident about it. It made me laugh.”

Ghoulia hummed and took her hand away. 

“Ya know, orange skin, red hair, I think I know the guy you’re talking about,” Cleo, who had been trying to act like she didn’t think Abbey’s story was absolutely adorable, finally chimed in to the conversation, “What was his name again?”

“Oh, I never actually asked for it. I didn’t tell him mine either. Guess that wasn’t my smartest move,” Abbey said, giggling to herself. 

“You utter fool,” Cleo reprimanded her but couldn’t stay mad at her very happy friend. 

“Yeah, I know. But I had so much fun, guys, and I think he did too. I swear I saw his hair become fire for a second when we were dancing.” 

Cleo definitely knew who the guy was by now but she held her words. Why ruin the moment by letting everyone know that Abbey was dancing with Cleo’s ex’s best friend? Besides, it was bound to be funny when the two would inevitably run into each other when classes started in a couple days.

[jinxed-ninjago]

incredibly loose layout (by which i mean im gonna use csp's 3d models to figure out where to put their bodies because i have no sense of anatomy) for a fake furry album cover of this absolute masterpiece from the master of the mountain soundtrack

[thats-my-passion-right-there]

I finally saw the mean girls musical (the movie one) I have so many fucking thoughts oh my god

[cuteniarose]

who's lien-hua??

Short answer: My absolute child and the only OC I have cried genuine, REAL tears over. And not tearing up or sniffling a little, full on SOBS. Kat still owes me emotional compensation for that one 😤😤

Long answer: She's one of @katkastrofa’s OCs that I now have partial custody of. P'Li's little sister, born in 136 AG, a sweet cinnamon roll too good for this world, too pure, no matter how damn overused that phrase is, it still fits her 🥺🥺🥺 When drawing her last year I accidentally made her look a lot like my friend's little sister so now I am always extra soft about her. But considering what happens, you can imagine the level of emotional devastation this is causing me and just how much this has affected my ability to look at Katya the same way ever again. Doesn't help that her older sister has an annoying tendency to wear her waist length hair in a brushed back braid...

Anyway, for reference, the baby girl, sweet girl herself, from about July 2023:

And now that you have been fully taken with this precious thing's cuteness, it is imperative I let you know that she is killed at age 7 by the warlord who tried to turn P'Li into a living weapon 😐

She's the living embodiment of a tragedy, a child born to be collateral damage, the one who could not be saved no matter what was done, the "it was always going to end this way" half of the tragedy dichotomy. A little girl unjustly killed as punishment for her sister not wanting to become a warlord's weapon, forever remaining as nothing more but a hazy memory of someone to protect. And I'm gonna stop now because I will start crying again, istg–

(There is a verse where she lives, though that is part of a much larger AU that can basically be summed up as "completely self indulgent mishmash of ideas, everybody lives/nobody dies, sunshine and rainbows and peace on earth, unless you're a world leader, then RIP", or as we like to call it, the Ultimate AU, because we never came up with a better name :P But getting into it would take too long and there really isn't too much to explain since it lacks a cohesive plot and is more a bunch of family shenanigans thrown together, so... moving on)

In Kat's fic Lost and Found the memory of Lien-Hua is the driving force behind all of P'Li's decisions, and she constantly blames herself for not having been able to save her (despite the fact she was a child herself, no older than 13), right up until the very end where she.. doesn't really get closure, per se, but is able to let Lien go, in the scene which I have affectionately dubbed "F.C. Yee owes Kat major royalties for this one, holy hell" #ifyouknowyouknow. But also Lien is a point of some interpersonal conflict since no one else can quite relate to P'Li in this case. Ming-Hua (while not present in LaF) is an only child, Zaheer is the youngest of three and was never close with his sisters, and Ghazan... well, his sister is two separate cans of worms depending on whether you're talking about Haya or Zada. Some pretty interesting stuff overall, really scratches my soft spot for family related dealings in fics, and I can't believe I just realised that P'Li's the only non-youngest child in the RL foursome, huh. It's oddly fitting, in a way, at least in my opinion

Oh, and also, Midori is a reincarnation of Lien-Hua :)

[crest-of-gautier]

some screenshots of the bionis shoulder from future redeemed!

[fourteenfifteen]

i want. to write a novel. one day

[unproduciblesmackdown]

in the power of Noticing Things The Xth Time Around the instrumentals-imitative "doot. doot. doot. dooWAH" vocals that kick in during the second verse of centerfold? superlative

[mechahero]

list of game boy/game boy color games lambda has

super mario bros deluxe

pokemon trading card game (1998)

daikatana (yes. really.)

kirby’s dream land 2

the legend of zelda: oracle of seasons

super mario land

donkey kong (1994)

pokemon crystal 

final fantasy legend II

pokemon puzzle challenge 

gradius: the interstellar assault

super mario land 2: 6 golden coins

metal gear solid: ghost babel