#and i love that they reused it for the final episode

[eloiscbridgerton]

random eloise bridgerton: 8/?

[crepuscularqueens]

"For the telling of tales is one thing, and the turf of the telling another."

pg. 247, Devil House, John Darnielle

[bengiyo]

Ben's Big BL Blurb 3: Blue Canvas of Youthful Days Blew It, But I Still Recommend It

I finished Blue Canvas of Youthful Days today, and I don’t like where we left off with this show. Let’s get into that, and then check in on some of the other shows I’m watching.

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days Didn’t Give the Audience Catharsis

I don’t begrudge the show going for a happy ending, given how so many other BLs from their home country end with sudden traumatic turns. However, I don’t feel like we got catharsis from the ending at all. I struggle to full articulate my frustration here, but I think I just really wanted an ending akin to Weekend (2011) or Gameboys 2 (2022).

I think these two were in a position where they were unable to be together now, and I think they should have ended on a separation. When Cairo and Gav had to separate at the end of Gameboys, it was the correct choice. They were still building their lives, and Gav wasn’t doing well on his on. Similarly, Blue Canvas established a scenario whereby Qi Lu did not have the power to stop his father from harming Qin Xiao. Likewise, Qin Xiao couldn’t keep the local gang from beating Qi Lu.

I would have preferred they have the boys confront that they were hiding things from each other, and how they both failed to protect each other from the horrors. I am disappointed that we didn’t get a poignant goodbye from them as they accept that they can’t be together right now. I wouldn’t have minded so much a blurb at the end of the show with the pitch for a season 2 that they didn’t get to film (though @thisonelikesaliens commentary makes even what they wrote dour). We didn’t confront the issue with the dad at all, and we didn’t deal with Qin Xiao losing all he’d worked for.

Genuinely, I would have been okay with them getting a tag at the end of the show with them seeing each other on the street again and sharing a meaningful look. However, we never saw them face the music of their double noble idiocy, and that sucks. It especially sucks because we had Let Free The Curse of Taekwondo this year, and so we saw the consequences of this. We could have had these two railing against the world and promising to see each other again. The tag at the end of the reuse of the fantasy sequence feels tacked on and unearned. That kinda sucks more.

Final Verdict: 8, Recommended With Reservations. I really liked most of this show, and I think they wrote some phenomenal characters until the finale here. Like @lurkingshan I ended up not pleased with this ending. I am disappointed in the lack of resolution about the withholding, and I think they needed to face the separation and goodbye. However, I really liked the cast, and I respect the team that worked so hard to get this to us.

On to the rest of the show, presented in no particular order…starting with the worst. I’ll put in parentheses what episode number I’m on as of this post.

Haunted Hearts is Boring (5/7)

Magic, mah friend! Your show is boring. I do not know why these boys won’t kiss, and at this point I feel like I don’t care anymore. They’re introducing yet another ghost next week and I just am so disinvested. I try so hard every time to support Oxin Films and Regal Entertainment, but they make it so fucking hard. Holy shit. There’s only so far the boys being cute can carry a thin concept like this.

City of Stars is Better Than I Expected (2/12)

I am catching up on this show. The acting isn’t great, but I’m really enjoying a lot of what’s happening here. I will report back when I finish.

See Your Love is Fun But Kinda Weird (7/13)

The visuals are great in this show, and the leads are filling in the aesthetic gap left behind by Jimmy and Tommy in a way that really works for me. There’s been way too many pratfalls in the last two episodes. We are at 1.5 pratfalls per episode at this point. The side couple is absolutely ridiculous. I’m having fun.

Caged Again is Becoming a Favorite (4/10)

Junior is the best protagonist of the year. I’m obsessed with this penguin boy. I love the way this show uses its supernatural elements to drive its storytelling forward, even if I think the plot got a little silly in episode 4. The friend group dynamics are so fun, and I haven’t enjoyed a group of Thai boys this much since Knock Knock, Boys! (no surprise, two of them are in this show, too).

Your Sky is a Weekly Delight (3/12)

The 2gether rewrite show is great, and I will be reading no commentary to the contrary. These boys are so great, and they are one of the best couples of the year. This show is doing fake dating in a way that’s just so excellent, because it’s real dating! The boys are genuinely trying to get know each other so they can pretend to be a better fake couple. This is so close to being excellent meta commentary about dating in the digital age, and how so much of dating for the current generation is about how others perceive the validity of your relationship. It’s actually so fun to watch a show where the characters are doing all the things you’re supposed to do when you’re trying to build something with someone, but one of them doesn’t fully understand what they’ve gotten into. This show is great, and I love it.

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan is so Slick (5/10)

If there’s one thing a Japanese drama is going to get right it’s trauma! This show delivered on Kai’s horrors in a way that was so visceral that I needed to pause and catch a breath. I remain obsessed with the casting of Nagatsuma Reo as Kai, because he’s taller than Suzuki Asahi sometimes. I really love that they didn’t give us the BL height difference trope, and I like that they didn’t style Kai in a way to make him look more feminine. There’s a egalitarian physical balance between Fuma and Kai that I find extremely refreshing, considering the massive class, wealth, and suffering gap between the two characters. It’s no surprise that we’ve had a dearth of gifs of their sex scene, considering it doesn’t play to the kind of asymmetric aesthetics that folks seem enjoy in their pairings.

As always, the Rei and Kai friendship remains one of the best parts of this story, and I like the way this version of Sky talks to this version of Rain about the queer stuff. He feels like he’s being careful with his friend, and not just ghosting him on important conversations about his friend’s sexual awakening (one of my major gripes with the original Thai adaptation).

Our Youth is Taking Over My Brain (4/11)

I have not moved on from the “Infect me” line, and I am still obsessed with the plausible deniability of the “no homo” that Hirukawa relies upon as he continues to pursue Minase. Now that Minase has reached his breaking point, I’m so looking forward to seeing where we go next. We’re due for a major separation, and I’m ready for a Japanese BL to not fuck up a second chance romance attempt this time. Perhaps adapting Korean work could the solution?

Spare Me Your Mercy is a Welcome Return to the Sammon Feeling I Enjoy (1/10)

I just really love when Sammon shows feel like the mystery matters more than the romance, and this feels like it’s in the correct space. I loved the initial setup, and the potential for there to be multiple murderers. I really hope that they start killing younger people in this show, because they said there were only 40 palliative care patients, and we downed three of them in the first episode. I’m so happy to see JJ again, and Tor looks great. I am looking forward to the weekly watch and theorizing with this show. Most importantly, I’m looking forward to the complex meditation on euthanasia, which this story feels like it’s taking seriously.

Love is Like a Poison Finally has Given Us a BL Battle Couple Again (11/12)

We haven’t had a BL battle couple in what feels like forever. I love that this show continues to reward us for believing in Haruto and Shiba. Haruto’s dad is the absolute worst, and I really want him to lose. I love Shiba, and I love that the show continues to give him some of the visual tropes of a legal drama (like the pan up near the end). I’m in love with this show, and it’s going to be one of my favorites of the year, I’m sure.

Fragrance You Inherit Hurts Me Because Everyone is Doing The Right Thing (4/8)

This show is actually so painful sometimes, because no one is doing anything wrong. Everyone is being as emotionally honest as they can be with everyone they speak to about all of the things that are going on. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Sakura choosing to let go of her lingering crush on Mone now that they’re both moms and their kids are dating. Besides, we presume that Mone is still married! The conversation with On-chan makes me think that Mone misunderstood the relationship Sakura had with him in college (My man is ace but not aro! We love to see it).

I just really love that everyone is trying to do right by everyone around them, and I think all of the things that remain unspoken in this show have been withheld for completely valid reasons. There are no villains in this story, and that makes it even harder to watch really kind people treat each other politely in every scene. I’m just feeling a quiet scream in me the entire time I watch a good son by a thoughtful gift for his loving mother with the help of his supportive and lovely girlfriend, as he prepares a surprise from the old friend who clearly still cares about her friend and the unrequited/unexpressed feelings between them. This show is incredible. Go watch it right now. Thank you again to @isaksbestpillow.

Conclusion

That’s more shows than I’ve been watching in a while. It’s nice to have some Thai shows back in my rotation that I’m actually enjoying. I really want the Chinese to now fuck up their endings, but it seems like 2024 will not be that year. I’ll try to check in with the end of Love is Like a Poison when the Netflix release schedule completes so folks can binge it then. In the mean time, let me know what you’re enjoying, and what else I should consider picking up.

[yurozo]

the monomyth, (leon kennedy x reader)

the exodus, also aptly known as retirement, has been sending leon for a loop. you are there to pull him back down to earth. (smut/fluff/overuse of greek references)

a/n: 18+ readers only! anyone under eighteen will be personally chased by me at full running speed. i am very much a classics nerd, as will be glaringly obvious in about three seconds. i love you nerd leon, no one understands you like i do.

shoutout to @vaaaaaiolet who was forced to listen to me ramble about this fic for three entire days

a single structure repeats itself in an endless loop of tragedy and non-tragedy, operating through the cycles of aristotle’s poetics in order to create a universal narrative of the roman hero. prologue, parados, episode, stasimon, and exodus– recycled and reused to form the endless configurations of misfortunes that befall the heroes. what is pervasive, and often tragic, about these heroes is not their moral struggles against the physical evils, but instead an internal and divine battle against a common enemy– time. 

ultimately, what defines the perfect tragedian hero is the prevailing feeling of inescapability. they cannot run from the ties of fate that rely on them as a catharsis for conflict, and instead must emotionally resolve themselves to their social positions as a weapon for the gods, regardless of the institution’s ideology. this priori of obligation forced by an infinite and perfect consciousness is what makes the tragic hero tragic; this life is not one that they choose for themselves, but one they are forced to live until that last grain of sand slips through the hourglass. 

leon’s eyes had started to burn thirty minutes ago, long ignored in favour of another jstor binge at a truly ungodly hour of the night. he, at least, had the chivalry of keeping his phone brightness on the lowest setting, screen carefully tilted away from your resting eyes. 

this whirlwind of information had started with the myth of perseus, followed by odysseus, and then a countless amount of papers analyzing the hubris of the tragedian heroes. supplementary material for tomorrow’s breakfast conversation, so that he can talk at length over eggs and coffee across from your bright eyes and eager expression. 

that’s what always killed him, just how genuinely interested you were in whatever he said. god knows that was especially rare, particularly from the other women in his life. claire was always half-listening whenever he lost himself on a tangent, and don’t get him started on trying to get ada interested in anything he had to say. 

but ada was long gone, and claire was always delighted on your talent of getting leon off her back. 

how contentedly boring his life has gotten that the most exciting part of his day is your opinion on his recent fixation, just to listen to you fill in all the missing pieces he never realized were absent. you were like that in almost every aspect of his life, the golden glue that slowly puts poor humpty dumpty back together again. 

wrong type of mythology. regardless, you were something he never realized he desperately needed until that warm feeling of being content started filling his chest. a passing comment on his resemblance to a greek god had established this whole spiral– a form delicately cut in marble and praised over the centuries for the countless deeds committed in a long war to protect his people. 

perseus, maybe. or odysseus, but that was too easy. too cliche. leon was never one for divine glory, instead preferring the silent type of satisfaction that came from finally putting some good back in this world. or preventing more terrible things from happening, more like. a careful balancing act, another stupid cycle of finally feeling like a person again until he can get home and stop the dreams of people screaming in your ever-so-loving arms. 

bellerophon is the final choice. a figure riding into battle against the monstrous chimeric beast with only a tamed ally and a lead-tipped weapon. a hero that was never satisfied, choosing bigger and bigger fights until he falls from the heavens and into the dirt below. a god angered at his success, a product of an institution that brought him into a war he never asked for as a weapon, and left him crippled to wander the world alone when he ascended too far. 

maybe retirement really was getting to him. this so-called period of exodus, a final parting song and the materialization of the final crisis. 

you stir in your sleep then, arm sliding across his chest until your head is tucked against his bicep. he moves to rest his arm  underneath your head instead, which instead of achieving its original purpose of comforting you, only causes your eyes to blink blearily up at him. 

“get off wikipedia,” you mumble, shifting the blankets until it sufficiently covers the both of you. another thing he never noticed, how cold his legs were, sprawled uncovered on the mattress. this kind of comfortable routine is where you and leon thrived, so used to each other’s presence that accommodation was natural. “you should be sleeping, we have a big day tomorrow.”

“i’m on jstor. totally different site.” he supplies unhelpfully, earning a stern glare in return. his lips peck your forehead a moment after in apology. his version of proskynesis, a gesture of reverence towards his god that showed him admiration instead of ire.

“i was thinking of taking the bike,” the change in subject is nonchalant, like it’s not three thirty in the morning and you’re definitely functioning enough for idle conversation. 

“hell no,” you grumble, sinking further into the mattress. “i’m not getting on that thing with you.”

leon shifts until he’s on top of you, now wide awake and grinning slyly down. “not a fan of my chariot?”

“while i usually do love riding you, that thing is a death machine.” the glimmer of amusement in your eyes now match his own. finally, you’re actually awake. an unspoken question, a command, given from the divine to its mortal instrument. “and i’ve seen the way you drive it. i very much value my life.”

“that’s different. i can’t exactly go slow on those things when there’s rabid dogs chasing me.” he alleviates his statement with a slow string of kisses down your neck, soft and gentle like he can’t snap someone’s neck with his bare hands. “and i’ll be careful. promise.”

“like you promised not to get hurt in alcatraz?” your rebuttal doesn’t phase him, his mouth still preoccupied with tracing down your neck until his fingers start to pull the collar of your shirt down. 

“extenuating circumstances,” he mutters, lowering himself down the blankets until his mouth is in line with your hips. divine fate, maybe, or some other twisted machination of a higher being that decrees his near-death every six months. it’s hard to stare up and curse at the gods when they brought you to him, his own piece of olympus pliant in his hands. 

your hips lift off the mattress as he pulls at your shorts, another directive he is all too happy to follow. hunnigan would be furious at his obedience, like a dog all too happy to head the leash. 

“besides,” he continues, lips brushing against the frail skin of your upper thighs. “i’m officially a retired man. long past my prime.”

why does tragedy exist? is it purely to show the power of the gods, that they so fiercely defend the threads of fate that control every aspect of their existence? is it simply a consequence of the endless cycle of war invited by a world whose very frame requires an institution to desire it? regardless of its source, a world born of this mindset cannot escape an endless cycle of war that legitimizes a world-destroying violence, with no true winner other than the institution that began it. 

his clothes are pulled off quickly, following yours. scraps of fabric thrown haphazardly around the room, ignored in favour of hands tracing along the contours of your body. gentle, reverent. nails tracing down every scar, every piece of evidence that you are real, that you are alive, and there’s nothing within these four walls that can take this away from him too. 

“not too far past to not be horny in the middle of the night.” you huff, curling your hand in his hair to pull him back down to you. his breath ghosts over your thighs, his tongue darting out instinctively to wet his lips. 

“i’m a simple man,” he lowers his mouth to you, licking a premeditative stripe up your folds. “got a beautiful wife in my bed. just can’t help myself.”

the hand in his hair pulls him closer, and leon understands the simple action for what it is. a cue to stop talking and get to work, to use his mouth for something other than popping off one-liners at inopportune moments. a man’s place is on his knees, and all that.

where leon is rough in every aspect of his life, he is always careful with you. he eats you out like it’s somehow the last time he’s ever going to do it, and the first time he’s ever tasted anything so divine. equal parts eager and careful, even as his fingers prod at your entrance. 

you jut your hips up again, and he slips two in easily. every part of you is familiar with every part of him. his tongue and hands start a rhythm, a soft push and pull that slowly eases you to the peak. a peaceful trek to that coiled tension starting in your legs, thighs squeezing around his head in the way you know he likes. 

that one took a while for him to admit; that he liked the feeling of being crushed between you. it was a long-drawn experiment on how far on the pain threshold he could bear before it got too much for him, until it started to push past pleasure and more into the drowning in the too-high waters of a lab territory. years of experience has taught you where to stop, his secret little tells that no one else knew about burrowed deep into your memory for safekeeping. 

that furrow between his brow deepens, and you know to ease off a little. he kisses your clit in a silent thanks, before his rhythm resumes. while leon may not feel the decreased stamina of age yet, you are too aware of your limits to handle two orgasms, so you have the mind to pull him off before that point of no return. 

leon sprawls on the mattress next to you, hands gently easing you up until your knees are bracketing his hips. not usually his preferred position, considering his penchant for control. 

“my back hurts,” he mumbles softly, bringing your hand up to his mouth to kiss along your knuckles. “want you to ride me.”

“if you make another chariot joke, i’m seriously going to hit you.”

“ye’ of little faith,” his hand drops yours to line himself up with you, and a gentle push of his hips drives the tip of him into you. “i never make the same joke twice.”

your only answer is a shuddering gasp until you gain your bearings enough to sink down onto him fully. he lays still for a few seconds, letting you get used to the intrusion. his breath stutters in his chest as your hands lay flat onto it, right palm splayed right over his heart. 

an uneven thump, beating so fast in his chest that its a god-given miracle he hasn’t keeled over yet. 

there’s a unique type of mythmaking when it comes to the tragic heroine. it is a story of fear; innocence; fall from innocence; catharsis; being desired by the right people; being desired by the wrong people; by dangerous people; by excitingly dangerous people. revision is a privilege given to so few who desire it, and to be tender-hearted in a world defined by tragedy is to die. 

and yet, the fruit of consideration when it comes to tragedy is not the moral resignation that comes with that acceptance. instead, it is a revealing of the self’s utter dependency on others. the reason that tragedy works is that character is built through this adversity. just as the nature of goodness appears in the face of moral evil, tragedy shows what is fragile and ultimately human about us. 

but you are not a god, and he is not a myth. there is no divine fate here, only a random calculation of ethereal and clunky moments that controls so much of his life that he just has to live it. that dependence is the one good thing that has come from all the fighting, and the aching, and the loneliness. a perverted sort of serendipity that leon thanks the heavens for every waking moment. 

he is real, and you are real, and that’s enough for him. 

both of you are moving in tandem, chasing the upcoming release with a soft desperation. his hands are firmly grasping at your hips, kneading the flesh there like its the only thing tethering him to this reality. that heat of pleasure starts to coil in your gut, and judging by the twisted expression on leon’s face, he’s not too far behind. 

“please,” he gasps, shoving you down until your chest is pressed against his. “i need-”

“i know,” you answer softly, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips that delightfully juxtapose the depraved way his hips are slamming against yours. 

it’s like falling  down from the heavens, except this time there’s no splatter of a body onto the earth. only a light feeling crawling through his limbs, like that final moment of peace before succumbing to the darkness. if the gods had asked him now for a sacrifice, he would have gotten on his knees all over again to keep you. when tranquility was once the bane of his existence, now it is the center of it. 

you tense above him, like a goddess struck in stone until you are returned to the flesh, crumpling on top of him. a soft cough escapes him, a wheezing sound that signifies that you are most definitely crushing his lungs. the forces that be roll the both of you to the side until you’re facing each other, his hand unconsciously reaching for yours under the mattress. happy, warm, and sated– leon’s husbandly duties have officially been achieved. 

“i love you,” he whispers, and he doesn’t even realize the tear escaping his eye until you gently wipe it away. every part of him now is soft and malleable, even the parts so carefully hidden from everyone else. 

“love you too, old man.” 

a final kiss to your forehead before he tucks you into his chest, “we’ll take the car tomorrow.”

two more hours until he can eat eggs and drink slightly shitty coffee, and finally fill you in on his newfound epiphany. his arms wrap around your half-conscious figure, body curling around you like something to protect. you hug him tightly in return, bare skin soft on your cheek. your arms hold him like he is sacred too. 

[thebentley-bells]

man if you told me in like 2022 about the state of nandermo today i would have had an aneurysm. like what a tragic fall you guys. all that built up tension and potential squandered ?? for the same reused plotlines over and over again ?? gang. weve barely had any nandermo this season theyre genuinely pretending it never existed. i didnt really think we could be queerbaited by two canonically queer characters but wwdits proved me wrong SO HARD

this whole season has just felt so Blah. i seriously hope the finale makes up for it but i doubt it... also this is speaking as someone who genuinely loved that last episode it was the best nandermo content weve gotten all season but. they wouldve been a whole lot better like 4 episodes ago. im glad it finally looks like were ending the series with nandermo back together as like. whatever new label theyre using now. but im never gonna stop mourning all the wasted potential. season 5 canon nandermo u couldve been so so great.

[andaniellight]

I love how you agree that 001 is down bad for 456. Like... just kiss already.

Dude, it's lowkey terrifying, to be honest, because so far it's been for shits and giggles only. I swear, this tropes is about to be added into the "overused" shelf at this point bUT IT DOESN'T MEAN IT CAN'T BE ENTERTAINING, STILL. TO ME. SO BLESS BLESS BLESS GIFMAKERS AND MY MUTUALS for bringing those two into my dash since I've already heard ENOUGH from sources whose tastes are similar to mine so it is safe to say I can trust them when they say season 2, to put it mildly, not as good as the first season (derogatory in the most spiteful way) in sooo many aspects.

I can't put it down, is the thing. I haven't even moved past episode 1, knowing they're reusing the old elements that'd make the entire thing redundant and a waste of time. But when I think about if Jun-ho's existence is also included in the sphere of this... situationship or something between Gi-hun and In-ho...... I can't lie, it is hysterical because wHAT DO YOU MEAAAN YOU'VE BEEN OBSESSED WITH LOOKING FOR YOUR BROTHER, WHO ISN'T 100% YOUR BIOLOGICAL BROTHER THAT'S DISAPPEARED SINCE YEARS AGO, yet somehow you're always drawn to this particular man in the oddest way possible because NOT ONLY THIS MAN HAS GONE THROUGH SIMILAR ORDEAL AS YOU IN A PLACE WHERE YOU FINALLY FOUND YOUR BROTHER, yet at the same time not knowing this man MIGHT BE YOUR BROTHER'S TYPE

IN THE MOST SOULMATE SHIT KIND OF WAY??????????????????????????

Smh siblings

[kerubimcrepin]

LIVEBLOG: Wakfu Season 4, Episode 1

I'm awful at emotional speeches, but I just wanted to say... I'm very happy that I got to run this blog for such a long time. And I hope that there is still a lot of fun ahead of us. It feels very triumphant, to finally get to season 4 together with you all :)

"Let's kill Tot with Hammers" moment #1: This is an image Bonta of Dofus era, reused in Wakfu Season 4 to save money. Usually, Wakfu era Bonta is not white colored, and it does not have the same architecture that it had in Dofus era.

I do not know why they didn't just reuse images of Bonta from the OVAS, which are accurate to the Wakfu MMO and Wakfu Season 1 vision of Bonta.

"Let's kill Tot with Hammers" moment #2: Once again, this is just reusing the movie assets...

Also, the house has shifted positions. Did Kerubim, Atcham, and Joris move...? (I ask this despite knowing that the answer is "Ankama really dropped the ball with some of the animation and the sheer amount of asset reusage with this season, for some unknowable reason")

I am going to cry, he's so fucking funny... Save me. Shelter me.

This is Clown Olympics. I love you, Atcham and Kerubim. You are so right.

Literally they do not give a fuck. Is he implying Joris should go to the grocery store instead of staring at the evil, ominous eyes in the sky. Is he implying they should all eat dinner first and think about whatever the fuck is happening later.

I will be honest, I'm pretty sure they're like that because if they weren't, Joris would have a stress-induced heart attack. Joris can do all the worrying for the team. They don't need to feed into the worries of the guy who, at 7 years of age, convinced himself that Astrub was about to be overrun by zombies and nearly cried over a bottle-opener because of that.

Kerubim and Atcham really don't give a shit about little Jojo's opinions, huh.

He says something and the response is almost always "I'm not arguing with someone who is 70–90 years younger than me. Whatever u say gorgeous" and then go back to ignoring it. Insane.

[drooling at the thought of whatever Yugo does in the manga starting the Waven era and killing millions of people, which leads to Joris's (as well as Kerubim and Atcham's) military dictatorship in Bonta, and the way it truly underpins the character parallels between Joris and Yugo in a "child hero to antichrist type figure of ruin and death pipeline" way and the way they both demonstrate that road to hell is paved with good intentions] w-whaatever u say gorgeous. 🥴🤤

When I saw this the first time, I audibly groaned, and messaged my friends saying "I DON'T WANT TO FUCKING TRANSLATE THIS FONT AGAIN!! FUCK!!!!!"

...this says "Coqueline"

This is the Lorem Ipsum filler text. No cool easter eggs here.

This moment really touched me when I watched this season. Even with Joris, who is only six centuries old, you can see The Entropy begin to set in. Seeing cities built and rebuilt and destroyed and rebuilt. Seeing thousands of friends die, be born. Lose your entire family to time. And watch it be so eroded away by time that there is basically no proof of those loved ones, and the places you went to together, even existing.

I think it would be beautiful for someone immortal to know that somewhere out there, there's tangible and irrefutable proof of everything they have ever seen and experienced, including every single thing they love that is no more.

Oooor maybe I'm getting Ronik'y into it. I'm insane about immortality.

You get what you FUCKING DESERVE. ✌

[skruttet]

What are your thoughts on Moominvalley's comet special?

I talked a little about it in this other ask response, but overall I was disappointed. I think it's quite telling that the part of it that made me the most emotional was the opening credits 😅

Someone else said it was "underwhelming" and I think that's a good descriptor for it. The rest of the season as a whole already didn't really feel final enough to me, and you'd expect the finale to make up for that and give you that big feeling of wrapping up the whole series in a satisfying way, but it just didn't hit that mark for me.

The actual journey in the first half just wasn't as epic and exciting as I was hoping it'd be, and I think that's partially due to them using elements from Comet in previous episodes so they didn't wanna reuse them again, like the stilts (though surely they could've brought them back...). The cave Moomintroll and Snufkin end up in also feels like a missed opportunity - it's such a beautiful setting, but all they do there is panic, then see the Hemulen, then he leads them out. Idk what exactly they could've done instead, but surely there was something interesting the writers could've come up with to utilise that space more.

The way Snufkin brought up the sun oil was so awkward and forced; I know it was to establish it so that Sniff could have his whole stinky salesman arc in the latter half, but it's really weird how he explains its origin to his friends again even though all of them apart from Snork were there in Fire Spirit! Speaking of, that was a real step down for Sniff, and I would've preferred him to have an arc surrounding the kitten instead. Maybe he spends the time trying to gain its trust or something, and then at the end, finally manages to do so and rescues it to bring it back to the cave.

And speaking of the cave, I didn't like that change, either (honestly I just think I disliked most of the changes they made from the novel tbh lol. like I get they don't just wanna rehash it and want this to be new and original to an extent, but sometimes that can go too far, or just in the wrong direction). It's just really stupid for them to be like "we need to face our fear and face the comet!" it's a COMET! It's not a mysterious noise you hear in the middle of the night that you can investigate, it's a big hot rock that'll kill you all!! And then Groke moves towards it, and ~something~ happens, but this is a family show so they have her moan again at the end to show she's still alive and I love Jack but his delivery of "I'm so relieved" is so weirdly flat that it doesn't help how awkward and unnatural this ending is lmao.

Now this is more of a personal gripe, but I don't like how Snufkin is positioned at the end. When they're facing the Groke, he's right next to Moomintroll, which I like (and also brings to mind Night of the Groke when they faced her together), but then after the white flash, he's not only nowhere near Moomintroll, but not even near their friends? And he walks away WITH THE POLICE INSPECTOR?! Like thank god Joxter doesn't know he's his dad he'd have a heart attack if he found out his son was so chummy with the cops smh. You could maybe argue this isn't even just a personal complaint, and that Snufkin has objectively been one of Moomintroll's most important relationships in this series, so for them to not have some kind of moment or interaction at the end feels wrong.

Something I was going to discuss in that other ask reply but I ultimately deleted because I couldn't find the words at the time was Little My's characterisation. This season in particular made me feel as though she's so, like, mad all the time. And I understand that anger is her thing, but it's usually a cheery kind of angry, you know? But in this series she sometimes just seems so frustrated and upset and although I like that it explores the more emotionally dramatic side of her, I was hoping that by this final season at least she'd be in a more comfortable and happy place. But in this Comet special she's so exasperated and moody with Moominpappa and I wish they just made it feel more like daughter-light-heartedly-poking-fun-at-her-dad, I guess?

Snork is interesting in this special because he plays quite a big role in it, but I also feel so sorry for him cause he's always getting cut off or used by Pappa and Sniff who don't properly listen to him and I just want to give him a big (figurative bc he hates hugs) hug my poor smart boy let him infodump. There's also a moment where he says "I can explain-" and his sister says "Thanks, Snork, but we really need to carry on!" which is so obviously the writers trying to squeeze in Snorkmaiden's characterisation from the book where she's practical in the face of her brother's long-winded meetings, and is a great example of the feminism of her character there, but it just doesn't quite work the same here. Once again just not as natural as it should feel.

On a positive note, I LOVED the look of the comet itself - every shot of it looked so cool and it changed the lighting of the valley in a fun and interesting way. I also liked how Jarmo and Samuli gave the score of the episode a funky sci-fi sound, which helped set it apart as something special for the series. And despite all my negatives, it's still entertaining! It's enjoyable to watch! Just, for someone who had expectations based on the whole series and the novel, underwhelming.

[funkii4-blog]

I need to ramble some more about the locket thing from the new episode to get it out of my brain before I sleep because I have a lot to say (mainly to argue in favor of it having 3’s picture)

So we’ve all seen the scene from the new episode “Mario’s Plane Trip” where SMG4 mentions something about ‘having someone waiting back home’ as he looks into a locket. However the scene is cut off by something else before we can see the picture inside, leaving everyone to debate about what or ideally who the picture was of.

Of course the most popular guess has been that the picture was of none other than SMG3, which would confirm that there is in fact a romance building up between them (as has been hinted a ton within the show, especially in the last year and a half). I agree with this 1000% and wanna list supporting evidence/argue against other guess;

A) The Scene’s Context; This line came up while 4 was having a heart-to-heart with Swag about their respective loved ones, during which Swag mentioned Sonic (whom he’s married to). Since the way the conversation started pointed at a romantic relationship, it’s fair to wonder if 4’s side of the conversation also was headed that direction before the moment was cut short.

B) 4’s Suitcase; At the start of the episode when 4 and Mario were getting their luggage scanned, we got a view into what was in 4’s suitcase. And of course two of the items really stuck out to me: one of 3’s bombs, and the creepy Mickey Mouse sculpture (the same sculpture that 3 suggested as a date gift in CEO Of Rizz). So maybe he gave it to him off screen? Either way it’s interesting to see half of 4’s luggage being items that were owned by 3 at some point.

C) No Joke/Punchline; Another heavy argument as to why this was meant to be a serious foreshadowing moment was that there was no joke to this scene at all before the cutoff. I’ve seen people suggest that the picture could have contained something silly like his computer or some memes, but I don’t think that’s the case because imo they absolutely would have shown the photo and made a punchline out of it. Especially since apparently the exact joke with 4 having a beloved photo of his computer in a locket has been used before (I don’t know the episode and was merely told this happened); if it really had been his computer again I imagine they’d just have reused the joke and shown the picture. But they didn’t show anything & left us wondering instead.

I also am intrigued that they kicked off pride month with an episode like this with such subtle yet strong hints at their relationship, and after 4’s search history even hinted we could get a significant event in the show this month. It of course leaves me super interested to see what the rest of the month will bring. Please glitch finally make it happen lol

[dayseedrawz2]

ITS THAT TIME AGAIIIIINNNN~

My thoughts an theories about TADC episode 4!!

SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 4

(Obviously)

-Ragatha and gangle wholesome interaction awe

IMMIDEATLY RUINED D:

-Abstragedy friendship!! :3

And zooble gave Gangle the new mask confirmed!!

-HOLY SHIT POMNI SAID THE THING-

-its funny cuz Caine still thinks Zooble won't go on adventures because they want them more mature and edgy lol

"But they had a whole therapy seesion-"

WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT

-SUGGESTION BOX REAL!?!?!

Also bubble and Caine share a tongue whut-

ALSO GONNA TOUCH ON THAT LATER.

-Oh kewl Gangle used to be a manager

So this is what Goose meant when they said the gang remembers parts of their past

-Zooble finally goes on an adventure!! Well they were forced but THATS NOT THE POINT-

-NOT RAGATHA IN THE DEEP FRIER

-Gangles expressions in this episode are amazing they have so much meme potential

-HOLY CRAP GUMMIGOO AND POMNI REUNITED CONFIRMED???

He did forget tho... or did h-

ALSO GONNA TALK ABOUT THAT ONE LATER

-Pomni's expressions in this are also amazing

-High Ragatha confirmed

-Gangle are you okay girly pop

-HOLY CRAP THE TRAINING VIDEO FELT LIKE AN ANOLOGE HORROR VIDEO AND I LOVE THAT SO MUCH

-HELL YEAH JAX GETTING WHAT HE DESERVES

-Well now we know the context for "huffing paint and not waiting till a designated break!?!?" Line

-Ragatha used to own horses awe :3

Also her being honest while she's completely out of it was funny and also a little sad for some reason

-Gangle and Pomni's little talk awe

-JAX ACTUALLY GIVING A CRAP CONFIRMED?? (aw man)

-Dude when Gangles vision started going blurry and the room got all dark I was screaming "PLEASE DON'T ABSTRACT PLEASE DON'T ABSTRACT-"

-Pomni was so sweet in this episode awe :3

-Wowie this looks like it was anime-inspired this scene is so beautiful wait gangle what are you doing GANGLE WATCH OUT

-Caine glitching out is just as funny as it is concerning

-More Abstragedy fan service!!!

Overall, I loved this episode!! I don't know how many people have already said this or how much IVE already said it, but the animation just keeps getting better and better!!

I loved the lighting and music when Gangle ran out in the parking lot, probably my favorite scene in the entire episode!

And sooo much got confirmed! WHICH, leads me Into the THEORY SEGMENT!!

-First off, Caine genuinely forgot the entire therapy session. Why? He was told too, duh!

If you rewatch episode 3, during the therapy session, Zooble tells him to, "Forget it." And Caine's reaction?

"Forget what?"

But... even after that they still did more therapy, so why doesn't he seem like he remembers??

Maybe something or someone made him...

Theres so much i could say this might turn into it's own post-

-Number B, the tongue thing. Not THAAAT Much to say here, but I do think it's just reuse of assets like how Caine reuses NPCs. ...except he's weirded out by it when it happens...

I think it was someone else's doing...

-SSPEAKING of NPCS, Gummigoo. A few people have said this already, but I think he might remember Pomni (at least a little bit).

When Gangle lectures her, Pomni uses Gummigoo's name and in the background he has a shocked expression. Now this could just be him goin "how does she know my name??" But either He didn't recognize her or that triggered his memory to come back.

When he leaves, he Hass a saddened expression on his face.

I've heard a few people say he does know but he just can't day anything or he's afraid to because... reasons are kinda obvious.

Welp! That's about all. Now I'm gonna start contemplating making a bigger post for the Caine theory...

K Byeee

[chaserockypupfan]

Rocky's Mini Series

Attention Rocky Fans. We have a little surprise from the PAW Patrol YouTube channel. Rocky finally gets his own show (a short one) and the first episode features Chase!

The episodes are quite simple but it's good and I love it. They also brought back Rocky's Reuse-It concept but it's just his truck for this one. Ohh and he got his own Garage to do some work. Though Rocky is just narrating the whole thing. It's a decent show and a possible backdoor plot for a possible subseries, spinoff show, or something Rocky related in the future. Expect more episodes to come in a few days or weeks.

Playlist:

[sensitivehandsomeactionman]

Rewatched 1x04 Phantom Traveler

I'm not sure where to start with this episode. There are so many iconic scenes and big mytharc moments. It's ambitious and entertaining. At the same time, I can never suspend my disbelief enough to really buy it. The haunted airplane story doesn't make a lot of sense and ends up feeling silly to me. I do love that this ep has J2's first DVD commentary, and the contrast of their personalities is as pleasing as Sam and Dean's.

We get a surprising beefcake shot of beautiful Dean sprawled in bed in his underwear 👀, leading to the iconic Ackles Ass Equation. It's awkwardly introduced by us seeing Sam in shadowy silhouette entering the motel room and pausing in the entrance while the camera does its slow, voyeuristic creep up Dean's exposed, sleeping form. Okay!

For the mytharc expansion they pack in a ton of demon lore, not all of which is used later, like the one-off "Christo." It's funny on rewatch to note which things stuck and which didn't. The parts of the mytharc that stick with me most are the crumbs we get about the enigma that is John, especially in relation to Sam. Like the outsider PoV stating John was proud of Sam, Sam's surprise at hearing that, and Dean's knowing look.

JERRY: We're missing the old man, but we get Sam. even trade, huh?

The Sam Is Like John theme comes through in a few ways. We're shown Sam at the motel framed by a wall of weird, like John's. And he's the one to find and read the Latin exorcism in John's journal. Sam takes on John's parent role in this ep, as Dean is nearly incapacitated from his fear of flying.

DEAN: Sam, this plane is going to crash, okay, so stop treating me like I'm freakin' four!

It'll always make my ears twitch at the mention of Dean at 4, the age he was when Mary died and John became Dean's drill sergeant.

I like that this ep can be enjoyed on a lot of levels. You can watch it unseriously and have a great time. I still chuckle at the "acid reflux" joke, and the moment Eric Kripke's voice (added in post) mentions the movie Poltergeist, and Dean's many fear of flying comedic bits. They clearly went all out in production to make this ep feel bigger. But by the end I'm relieved we're back to the basics, the boys with Baby, listening to John's voice message on a flip phone.

A couple final notes:

Jared's voice is still quite Texas twangy at this point, especially in the commentary.

The venetian blinds lighting is one of my favorite things they reuse throughout the show.

Love that this ep shows Dean as a tinkerer. He takes some pride in making the new Homeland Security badges and the EMF meter, and by contrast Sam is the unimpressed sibling.

[courtneysartblog]

The Missing Music of Good Omens

So, it seems a few of us have noticed that the Good Omens and Good Omens 2 OST do not contain all the instrumental music written and heard in the actual series. I’m sure there is a reason for cuts to soundtracks, either time/space on an album or else copyright by the composer. My biggest guess for the missing tracks in Good Omens 2’s case, is that they did not want to reuse tracks from the first season OST, even if they were featured in the show itself. If anyone has a more conclusive reason for these choices, I would love to know why. 

But for this meta, I am returning to the final moments of episode six of season two, to track all the music we hear leading up to and including the final fifteen. This is a moment I’ve always wanted to go back to and chart, not only because of its beautiful score, but because I realized after I wrote my original post, that there were a few tracks missing from the album that were present in the show. Arnold’s use of repeating motif’s is so interesting, and, when we just go by the OST, we miss a lot of the music that gives us a more conclusive picture of what not just is happening musically, but what is happening internally for the characters.

Let’s start with a track that is included in the OST

1.Gabriel and Beelzebub: 31.30—32.34

This is the scene where Gabriel and Beelzebub light up the electric candelabra’s and disappear. Nothing to note, this is included in scene and in the OST.

2. Directly after this, we get our first missing track.

This can be heared when Furfur and Shax discuss their plans to go back to Hell.

Furfur and Shax missing track: 32.35—33.09 

The memorable section I used to track down the melody goes: A G #A and then A/G/A/G/A/G, followed by A#/A/A#/A/A#/A (This may not be accurate as I’m going completely by ear just plunking it out on a digital keyboard, but this is my best approximation).

I combed through both OST. And while it sounds familiar, I wasn’t able to find it. There may be a string of pieces that have this melody that are not included in the soundtracks, but it may also be that I missed it. 

3. Crowley and Muriel: 36.16—37.34

The next piece we here is from the original soundtrack and can be heard when Crowley is trying to get Muriel to leave the bookshop. 

4. And this is again followed by a piece missing from the soundtrack. 

Crowley Fixes the Bookshop missing track: 37.46—38.19 Continues 39.53—40.50

This is of course the track that plays when Crowley is fixing the shop. This precise version is missing from both soundtracks. What plays is what I have dubbed The Lullaby Track, which I have discussed at length because of its usage in the score. Along with the opening theme, which includes the lullaby track, this is probably the most important musical motif in Good Omens. The only track to rival The Lullaby Track for significance in season two is The Fallen Angel track. Again, see my first master poster for my thoughts to the usage of this track. 

But it’s important to note, while the Lullaby Track can be heard throughout the album, there is not a full version orchestral version of the song. One of the most famous moments where this song is used (the 1941 Book Saving Scene) does not have a track in the soundtrack, and thus shows just how often this song is played and yet goes missing from the soundtrack itself. 

So, if you want to listen to the Lullaby Track in full with the violin score, you will unfortunately have to rewatch this scene, as it is not included on the soundtrack. The closest versions we currently have are from the original OST, featured in Lullaby and End of This Story.

5. The next music we hear is also a missing track, which can be heard when Crowley and Aziraphale begin to argue in the final fifteen, starting roughly when Crowley says, “And you told him just where he could stick it…”

Stick It/Good Luck missing track: ominous notes begin to play at 43.30—44.07 and then continues from 45.47—46.32

I have connected these two missing tracks together, although their motifs are from different moments in the score. 

To find the first half of Stick It, I boiled down the melody to this note pattern I was hearing: C/G4/F4/E4. While the entire song does not seem to be from a single track, this melody that I boiled the track down to can be heard on the original soundtrack in All Change.

The second half of Stick It/Good Luck I boiled down to the rising scale you hear at about 46.08. This melody roughly goes: G/A/A/B rest A/B/B/C

This melody I connected again to the original soundtrack in the track Life After Death beginning about 50 seconds into the song, although this new version is significantly more subdued. To me, this suggests that Arnold and the music department recorded new versions of every track for Good Omens 2, but for whatever reason did not include these updated versions in the soundtrack. 

6. From there the music on the OST aligns with what we hear in the show:

I Forgive You 46.41—47.14

Don’t Bother 47.21—49.05

The Biggest Decision 49.15—50.15

The End? 50.30—End

There are so many repeating motifs in the Good Omens soundtrack. Many of the themes change and become motifs for different characters across both seasons. While so many of these small melodies sound familiar, it was hard to pin down these missing songs with anything specific. So many of these missing tracks seem to combine different motifs and tunes along with the main melody. What’s interesting to note is that with all the missing tracks, while they may be based off of motifs from season one, they were all remastered and remade for season 2 with new tempos, styles, and instruments. So why are they not on the soundtrack? I have no idea really. Perhaps this exclusion is due to space, and they decided to favor new tracks. Perhaps, especially for the Lullaby Track, they had hoped to include a full version in the season three soundtrack. But it is cool to find that the music of Good Omens remains extremely rich and vibrant with an abundance of overlapping and shared motifs. 

thanks to @samuraiko for sending me down the rabbit hole once again. It seems we are to be plagued by incomplete soundtracks

[astridhoff03]

Also watched Defenders of Berk again…

…also good Continuation, strong beginning for the Season. Astrid and Hiccups Chase is very funny and the Twins reaction to the Flight Club. Understandable that Stoick imposed flight ban, I mean his son was kidnapped one Episode ago. Still Love how deeply he cares for Hiccup and that this fact is also part of the Shows. Forgot to mention I like that they are reusing a little bit of the Soundtrack from the first Httyd, for example in the end of Fright of Passage you can hear Coming back around. Also love the Flightmare, cool glowing Dragon with frightening scream. Many very cool Dragons are in this Season like the Screaming Death, what a Badass and the Skrill, magnificent Creature and fits to Dagur very well. In Free Scauldy I love how Astrid messes with Snotlouts Head, ahh I love her she’s a Queen. Also Hicctooth Team Work in Frozen, excellent. The whole episode looks pretty cool, even if the Animation is not as good as in the movies. What I most appreciate about Episodes like Tale of two Dragons, it’s nice to see that Hiccup talks to his Dad about his Problems with his Friends and also gives him advices to become a better leader. No wonder Hiccup is an amazing Chief in the end of the Trilogy. Also the twins living their best lifes when their Dragon goes insane near the end of the episode. Savage and Dagur are the perfect Villainous Duo, love them. And it gets better in Cast out with Dagurs Boot. Hiccup. And Jealous Savage on the side. For the end of the season I also really like how they end the rivaly between Hiccup and Snotlout. The final scene with Stoick and Hiccup made me emotional. When Stoick says to his son he will be a great Chief one day maybe one of the best. And he was so right, Stoick would be so proud of Hiccup if he could see him in the end of the Trilogy.

My favorite Episodes are:

Fright of Passage

Eel Effect

Frozen

Tunnel Vision

Appetite for Destruction

Cast out 1 & 2

[gizkasparadise]

final leg of a journey to love thoughts!! (eps 35-40). this got so gd long so under a cut it goes. spoilers, of course:

PLOT STUFF/PACING

pacing for the plot definitely got shredded in the last chunk, which is a damn shame because otherwise i've been finding the pacing pretty much perfect. eps 35-37 in particular felt like they could have been like a 10 episode arc. ep 38, which mostly dealt with wu palace politics, should have been cut or streamlined imo and more time given to the characters we've actually been riding along with the whole story. by the time we get back to the pregnant empress, prince danyang, the first prince whose name i dont even remember, and the prime minister, i do not care about any of them and i think this subplot was simply just trying to fit too much shit into one bag

that said, this show still let the emotional moments hit and breathe and linger. i love the grief for the fallen liudao comrades as we go, as well as the less heavy but still emotionally important moments like yang ying and tongguan bonding over their upbringing. and we got a wedding /;3;/!!! for this show, the relationships and characters matter more than the storyline so im not mad about anything at all

side note: it's so gd millennial to have a story about a bunch of 30 something year olds who want to fake their deaths and retire into obscurity but instead they go and die for a boss they hate

CHARACTER STUFF

this show consistently brought a lot of depth to its side characters (and side side characters!!). i said it in an earlier post, but it bears repeating that even someone like deng hui i didnt expect anything from, but he got such good development and writing that he became a stealth fave. his dying words essentially being "dude, quit fucking around" ? iconic.

i didnt like tongguan as much as everyone else, so im pretty meh about everything regarding him. the attempt to force-wed ruyi was tonally really weird and didnt make sense (i assume there was some cuts made surrounding it). but LOL at him reusing all the outfits and decor immediately for his wedding to yang ying. baby duke, you tacky motherfucker. i ultimately think yang ying deserves better than him, but the good thing is that she knows this, so she'll be able to hold her own and then some entering into this partnership

shisan really was the heart in a lot of ways--the mom to yuanzhou's dad for the liudao. i was not expecting him to break my heart the way he did, but the fact that he held both qian zhao and sun lang as they died and then tried his best to remove yuan lu from harm and saved chu yue and was just very much a nurturer all the way through got me. his character couldve been cheap comic relief but the writing + performance really elevated him into one of the (imo) most memorable wuxia characters. his line wondering who would get to behead his beautiful skull!!! and how his mantra was always that he was going to drink the best wine, see the most beautiful women, and make the best of friends and he dies having lost the ability to see and having just had wine in memory of qian zhao, yuan lu, and sun lang. like. shut up!!

ruyi and yuanzhou were both so great and they're gonna be the drama OTP to beat forever. i loved the gender reversals, that they both were so respectful of each other, and that they also felt very mature in how they handled things and communicated. they were really interesting characters both together and apart and that's always a win-win. they had a schroedinger's ending where it's not super clear if they're alive or dead (i interpreted it as the latter), but what's kind of beautiful is that either option is satisfying to me. if they both died, they're reunited and with their comrades and the story is truly about the journey and the meaningful short connections we have. if they both survived, it's a bookend with the beginning where they each faked their deaths to escape. A+

COSTUMING

i gotta just separately mention the costuming for this show because it was 15/10. the textures, shisan's accessories, the way red became integrated with yuanzhou's wardrobe and blue with ruyi's. the details on the liudao name amulets!! SO GOOD. i love when characters' clothes tell a story on their own

overall i just really loved this drama it is probably my favorite wuxia ive seen so far! it's gonna be in my brain for awhile lol feel free to send fic prompts if you've made it this far :'D

[greencharisard]

The new episode made me go trough the 5 stages of grief in rapid succession, gave me anxiety, and made me rabid from cuteness overload.

Anyway this fatass spider is such a goober and a fucking disastrous piece of shit and I love him. I mean in universe I absolutely despise him, but he's too stupid and well written for me not to enjoy him as a character.

Like this mf really didn't realize the final song was about him until Fizz mentioned him by name.

I want to pick him up and squeeze him like a stress toy. Just firmly grasp him and shake him violently.

Helluva Boss by to Vivziepop

art by me, do not copy, trace, repost, reuse ecc without my permission please.