#arthur the great

[cha-ra-nui]

2024 Retrospective

Part 5: Western media with one anime chameo

And I might as well talk about “Arcane” first, since that's the most recent one. Going into season one, no one expected this to be one of the best seasons of television ever made. And the problem season two had was that it now had to live up to that. It didn’t. If season one is a 10/10 season, then this was 9.5. Its pacing is too fast, but that is really its only issue. The storylines themselves are great, they just needed a bit more time to breathe. It’s only a slight fumble, and if season one hadn’t set the expectations unreasonably high, I doubt people would mind as much. Fortiche also seems perfectly aware of that, and considering this is their first show I’m expecting their future work not to have this issue anymore. It also helped that the animation quality was utterly insane. This is one of the best-looking animated works I’ve ever seen, feature films included, and I can’t praise the artists working on this enough.

Also yeah, the entire Arcane soundtrack goes way too hard, what else is new?

In other news, Riot Games still makes absolutely kick ass music videos. I would’ve preferred a more interesting art style for “Still Here”, but the season trailers seem bound to that pseudo-realistic videogame cutscene CGI. At least this is about as good as a cutscene can look, and it gets stronger with every segment. Besides, the song and animation work beautifully together, we get to see Kindred in a cinematic, and both her and wolf are absolutely gorgeous. They even gave Ashe some fucking clothes. Their worlds song “Heavy is the Crown” is also pretty good. The animation looks great, only problem being that so much focus is put on the band and not the players these videos are supposed to be about. I get it, you got Linkin Park to make an animated video for, but man, give T1 their flowers. Faker might not need them anymore, but the other members sure deserved their moment too. And why pick those champions to represent them, I’m sure there were more iconic picks for Keria than Thresh? We also got the entire back half of Helluva Boss’ second season this year, and I’m mostly happy with what we got. “Full Moon” could’ve used a more significant A-plot; the episode is 80% filler followed by the most significant scene in the entire season, that’s just not great structuring. And I’m not a fan of how needlessly contrived and rushed “Mastermind” was. But overall, I still enjoyed this season. It hits higher highs and lower lows than season one, but as long as the highs it hits are “2 Minutes Notice” I can live with that. And I despise the hatedom this show attracts. Hazbin Hotel too for that matter. The KPop fandom is less toxic than whatever is happening in these show’s tags.

There were a couple of good movies this year too.

The Mononoke movie was finally available on streaming just before the year ended, and its utterly gorgeous. It’s a real shame that no theatre in my area showed it.

But I did catch five films in cinemas this year and liked all of them.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” was a lot more fun than I expected it to be, and it was nice to watch a superhero movie on the big screen in 2024 and actually enjoy it. The last time I watched a MCU movie was also the first time I wanted to walk out of a cinema, so hey, it’s nice that at least Deadpool is still capable of being entertaining.

Then there was Dreamworks’ “The Wild Robot”, a movie I couldn’t wait to see from the day the first trailer dropped. And I’m glad to report that it is good. Visually stunning for sure, and emotionally impactful the way all the best Dreamworks movies are. It’s not as great as I wanted it to be, but I still loved every second of it and have high hopes for the sequel. Maybe Dreamworks is actually back, and “Puss In Boots” wasn’t just a fluke hit.

“Arthur The Great” was the first of two movies I went to see with my family, and it’s a sweet, heartwarming, little film about a dog crossing a jungle to find a home. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel, but it’s well made for what it is. It’s also based on the type of true story that sounds too outlandish to be real but somehow is. Would recommend to anyone who likes dogs and is looking for an easy watch to kill an afternoon.

The other movie meanwhile is trying to reinvent the wheel, and it’s neither sweet nor heartwarming nor entertaining nor an easy watch. “The Zone Of Interest” is a case study in how effective sound design can be, and it’s utterly haunting and incredibly hard to stomach. I forced myself through it because I was interested in its sound design specifically, and because I feel like remembering this specific chapter of history is my duty as a German citizen. I felt sick during its entire runtime. This is the type of movie I think everyone should know because it’s important, but not one that is easy to recommend because it is such a hard watch.

And then of course there was “Dune Part 2”. I stopped reading the books somewhere two thirds through “God Emperor Of Dune” because it was just getting uncomfortably weird and convoluted, but even so, and even as a dedicated fantasy fan who never liked sci-fi, I’d list “Dune” and “Dune Messiah” among my favorite books of all time. They are incredible. There were some changes made to the last third of the first book in Denis Villeneuve’s second “Dune” film, but none of them detracted from the experience. This team knew exactly what needed to change to make this behemoth of a nerd bible work on screen, and the movie is excellent. This is what it must have felt like to watch “The Lord Of The Rings” in cinema, a monumental achievement for its genre that will not be measured up to anytime soon, if ever again. The one thing that worries me though is that the changes they made will affect the story of “Dune Messiah”, an adaption of which they’re already working on as of writing. Because I loved this book for many reasons that would not translate well to film. It’s a book were barely anything actually happens, but where a sense of looming doom permeates every page, it’s a brilliant exercise in paranoia. “Dune Messiah” is a character study presented as a tragedy, and I sincerely hope Hollywood allows it to stay that way. Because the ending of this book is probably my favorite part of this entire series, and I would hate to see it changed to appease a movie going public.

[booomcha]

Happy Easter!

Happy timezones, kind friends! I hope this post finds you well. I wanted to take a moment and explain that I will not be posting Friday or Saturday as we take Easter weekend to reflect and celebrate as a family. It’s an especially lovely time as our Littles join us now for these family traditions that run so deeply. This year on Sunday, we have the privilege of having Easter dinner at our…

[runboybeneaththemoon]

Arthur: to discuss the legalisation of magic I have invited every powerful sorcerer that I know of to a meeting

Arthur: Merlin, send invitations to Dragoon, the Dolma, Emrys and, if you can track him down, the last dragonlord

Edit: for everyone asking for a fic, the lovely @myfairkatiecat wrote one, just look in the replies or reblogs or go to their blog

[noodles-and-tea]

Sillies!!

[akelafang]

Consort Merlin who doesn't fully retire his Dragoon alias after the magic reveal. He claims Dragoon is his crazy old uncle or something who pops in for visits. He tells off noblemen and the council, makes fun of everyone he doesn't like, causes chaos then leaves. Now instead of using Dragoon as a way to perform magic without getting caught, he uses it as a way to speak his mind without his opinions reflecting on Arthur.

Arthur knows and is exasperated but enjoys watching his husband have fun and let loose while disguised as an old man.

[moonlightandpalmtrees]

Found this in my drafts and giggled for like a minute

[unsat-and-strange]

eldritch-pilled horror-maxxer

[ethan-acfan]

Merlin getting injured while saving Camelot again (getting stabbed or shot, etc). But he hides it so Arthur won't ask questions, and he has to just grin through the pain until one of his stitches gets undone and he doesn't realize and passes out in Arthur's room. So Arthur comes back from training to find Merlin crumpled into a ball shivering and covered in blood.

[samglyph]

I just know if John could manifest without killing him, Arthur “walking off cliffs is my favorite hobby” Lester would be scruffed 24/7.

Commissions & Tip Jar

[wojtekaneko]

John design, based on this post. He's a worm, he's a bird, he's a tree, he's whoever he wants to be. But most importantly he is a kitchen faucet! Love drawing him! Closeups under the cut c:

[v0idwraith]

John: Sleep was… quiet. It felt so peaceful, Arthur ☺️

Arthur:

[cornmagnate]

🔶 Let’s start with a story 🔶

Alternative version and closeups:

[booomcha]

What a Weekend!

Happy timezones, dear friends! I hope all is well for you and that you’re having a great day! Unfortunately, I don’t have a chapter of Old Stone for you today. I worked really hard on it, but it’s not ready. So, instead I have this: Images © K.A.S. used with permission. All Rights Reserved. This is Katy-Lady and Jody-Bear. Also, Lilly, the big ready-for-kindergarten-girl. I had to change the…

[shanastoryteller]

Happy Fall Season 🍁🍂🌻 !!! I’d love to see your take on a Merlin role reversal! 🥰

Hunith had never wanted to be queen, but once she gave birth to Balinor's son, there wasn't much choice in it.

Balinor sits as king, the lord of the dragon lords, and Merlin will one day inherit his title. She was just a village girl and the dirty traveling soldier had a nice smile and kind eyes so she'd lain with him.

If she'd known that he was king, she would not have presumed.

~

Merlin is strolling down the street, arguing with Will, when he trips over his own feet, knocks into a fruit stands, sends all the apples sprawling across the ground, and takes another step directly onto one of those apples only to end face first into a stone wall. "Ow."

The stone wall moves, which isn't unheard of in their kingdom, but then it talks, which is new. "Oh the Goddess above."

Hands settle on his shoulders, pushing him back and he looks up dazed to see that the stone wall is actually a blonde man with the brightest blue eyes he's ever seen. He's got broad shoulders and a chest firm enough that Merlin thinks his nose might be broke and Goddess above is right.

He's looking over Merlin's shoulder. "Are you going to clean this up?"

He turns, seeing the irate stall owner and the apples that are fucking everywhere as well as Will laughing his ass off and being no help whatsoever. "Oh, no! I'm sorry, let me just-"

Merlin holds out his hands, trying to remember the correct education, but the stall owner goes pale and starts waving his hands. "No, no, it's okay, please don't-"

The man smacks his hand down and grabs the back of his neck, giving him a rough shake as if he were a misbehaving kitten. "You a precision caster? Otherwise, knock it off. You're more likely to explode them then gather them that way."

He's sort of the exact opposite of a precision caster. He lets the spell go and sees the way the stall owner sighs in relief. "Oh. Right."

~

The man's name is Arthur, he's one of the peasants that have been recruited into being a solider in the war against Camelot, and he's here at the palace to receive the standard training along with the rest of the would be soldiers.

His father won't let him on the battlefield, even though that's where his magic is best, and he can't help but feel vaguely guilty that Arthur's been pulled from his family to fight in a war that Merlin thinks would end a hell of a lot faster if his father wasn't so protective.

It's that guilt that has Merlin forgoing his place at the high table with his mother to wander down to the lower tables at dinner that night to try and thank Arthur for helping him clean up all the apples, something he hadn't been able to do before Will was dragging him away.

He's not expecting it when one of the soldiers leaps to their feet and pulls out a dagger on him, one that has to be cursed against enchantments because none of the spells to pull it form his hands that several people at the high table cast do any good at all.

Merlin's just feeling the bite of it into his throat, frantically trying to think of a spell to get him out of this, when a carving knife goes whizzing past his face and embeds itself into his assailant's skull.

Merlin jumps away, shaking, to see Arthur standing there and cool and unbothered, hand outstretched as if he's about to cast a spell. But he's not, it's like that because he'd grabbed the knife from the venison on the table and killed that man before he could kill Merlin.

"You just make friends wherever you go, don't you?" Arthur asks.

Then everyone's moving forward, pulling him away, and Arthur along with him. His expression turns murderous, like he's wishing he had another knife as he's manhandled across the room.

His mother pat his face and clucks at his neck and then thanks Arthur for saving her son.

Arthur had bowed at Hunith but then frozen. He's looking at Merlin with dismay, which isn't exactly new for him but he's not sure why he's getting that look from Arthur now of all times. "You're Prince Merlin? You?"

"Uh," he says, then shrugs helplessly. "Yes?"

He really doesn't think Arthur's opinion of him is improved when Hunith assigns him to be Merlin's personal servant. It should be a reprieve, getting to work in the palace rather than the battlefield, but the tight look on Arthur's face doesn't ease.

[noodles-and-tea]

🌸

[deconstructthesoup]

God now I need a fanfic where Fig goes to a meet-the-parents-type dinner with Ayda and gets introduced to Lapin Cadbury, "my father's candy rabbit boyfriend"