#at least these are the vibes i’m getting from the first 11 episodes

[thesunsethour]

so i’m halfway through season one of house and so far if wilson isn’t cheating on his wife he’s talking about cheating on his wife and if he isn’t talking about cheating on his wife he’s wishing he could actively be cheating on his wife and if he isn’t doing that he’s conducting psychosexual mind games on house which he thinks is for the greater good of their relationship and during all of this he’s like “i am the most normal man in this hospital”

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - We In A Slump, but help might be coming from a very strange source

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Sept 2024 Week 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

Jack & Joker (Thai Mon IQIYI) ep 3 of 12 - I don’t have a lot to say except that the plot is somewhat predictable but the show is still very engaging. War is fantastic. I’m enjoying it a hell of a lot.

Monster Next Door (Thai Thurs Gaga ) ep 10 of 12 - The second leads are getting better in this one. I understand where they are coming from, which makes their conflict so much more understandably painful, and honest to a friends2lovers trope. The main couple is kinda standard college relationship drama, but they are cuties.  

Kidnap (Fri YT) ep 4 of 12 - How is Ohm so damn gorgeous? Meanwhile, babies’ first argument. And it’s sponge bath time. Q has got to be wondering if Min is as meticulous with all kinds of care and attention to detail all......the......time. Somebody here in the hellhole said something about this being "the most BL to ever BL." And I think they’re right. At least right now. Although, watch out, we got us a new contender from the east.

I Saw You in My Dream (Weds Gaga) ep 11 of 12 - I do love the continuation of the perversion, in a good way, of the punishment trope from last week's episode. Oh, has the show finally remembered its title? NO SINGING. 

Addicted Heroin (Thai Tues WeTV) ep 7 of 10 - More kidnapping and an attack and now there’s a girl involved and somebody’s going to China and I don’t understand anything! And I don’t really care. Is this how the actual book originally went? Because it’s wild. Also TOO MANY of flashbacks. I guess they got a bit of a boyfriend era, and the claiming during the water fight was cute, but otherwise...... meh

Love Sick 2024 (Thai Sun iQIYI) ep 2 of 15 - One shouldn’t make comparisons, of course, but all I can think about is how amazing Captain was as Noh in the original series. Thus this show is mostly just making me want to rewatch the original. It’d be an interesting twist to have Aim be queer instead of a damaged cool girl slut. Was the helmet hand letting go a foreshadow of the iconic bookstore hands letting go? Also, I gotta say for the second episode of a series there are already too many flashbacks. Why are they using filler when they have so much content crammed into so few (comparable) episodes for a series? It’s annoying. Stop it.

Live in Love (Sun Gaga) ep 4 of 5 - This show has some interesting, if heavy handed, things to say about shipping and trolling, but also predatory/proprietary female behavior. It’s fascinating to see it tackled head on, if handled in a profoundly clumsy manner. I’m not sure how I feel about it. That said, most of this episode was actually an advertisement for a resort in Phuket. 

Bad Guy My Boss (Thai Sun Gaga) ep 2 of 10 - I'm getting What's Wrong with Secretary Kim? vibes from this show. Only this is WAY more bullying. It’s very old-fashioned 90’s billionaire romance novel only gay. It’s never a good sign when I’m watching two boys kiss and I really want one of them to just bite the other ones lip off instead.

Battle of the Writers (Sun YT) ep 9 of 12 - No ep this week. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Sugar Dog Life (Japan Sun grey) ep 8 of 10 - Gosh it’s so frikin adorable. Baby got sick. He has SUCH A CRUSH. And such a courageous little confession! Yay! Can’t wait for next week. 

Teenager Judge (Vietnam Sat YouTube) ep 1 - sure, yes this is, in fact, just Ba Vinh doing his thing with pretty boys again. And yet...... There is a REASON this leapt into the standings guns blazing. So it’s high school set but it's stepbrothers trope. (My, aren’t we popular this year?) I know, but I NEVER get tired of this trope. We got us Bach (BV's sullen tsundere) and Dat (babygirl meets bully). It’s GREAT how the brothers' dynamic is entirely different at school than when they're at home. My ear isn’t trained for Vietnamese, but I think Dat is using different pronouns depending on his location (his personality entirely shifts when he’s at school). I’m not sold on the Bach character, although I always trust BV to serve in the end (at least we know the kisses will be good), but Dat is utterly in love, a touch spicy, and reasonably complex. The surrounding cast is good too, my favorite pretty boy is there playing top dog (woof), and one of the besties is out gay (YAY!). The plot of the show is...... well...... absent. Nothing happened. But if we are aiming for Love Sick slice of life style BL, I'm game. Subs are appropriately terrible and confusing. But I like it A FUCK TON so far, so I’m gonna keep it in rotation. Nice to have Vietnam back in play. What a shocker.

2024 has been a year of upsets.

Love is Like a Poison AKA Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru (Japan Tues Netflix?) 3 of 10 eps - I weirdly enjoyed the farcical music and the utter absurdity of the court case. I also liked how it highlighted what a good team these two are. Frankly I don’t mind a bit of an antihero sleazy lawyer + conman, it's engaging. I’m getting wholesome out of Thailand. I don’t really need it from Japan at the moment. Also I don’t believe for one second our conman actually is serious about the relationship. Conmen gonna con. I'm reminded of the scorpion and the frog fable.

First Note Of Love (Taiwan Mon Gaga) ep 8 of 12 - I love Orca so much. I do not love the autotuned version of Orca, but I knew what I was in for with this particular show, it's in the title after all. I did laugh a whole lot when Laing used kha. Hon, I don't think that word means what you think it means......

The On1y One (Taiwan Thurs Gaga) eps 11-12fin - I never thought I’d say this, but the pacing was off in the penultimate episode. Taiwan, and its chronic misuse of flashbacks strikes again. That said we eventually got a "lock in" trope and Wang being the biggest little flirt shit in the cafe OMG!!! Of course, you shouldn’t use a girl to torment your bf, but it was so well done, I can’t really complain. Meanwhile, teacher kisses. And now I understand exactly why they’re present in this narrative. Clever. Bummer of a burden on that ending though. I cannot see how they’ll manage to stick this landing. [That was ep 11]

AND NOW EP 12 - doomey doomey doom

Not the water bottle trope! Argh the teenage lust of it all. Just stop it. Wang is so smart he knows exactly how bad he has to be to leave the class. And his bf certainly knows that too. And......

......

So that was not an ending and I’m not happy about it and no one is surprised. Even I’m not surprised. I’m just disappointed. Even tho I suspected this was where we were headed I'm disappointed. That’s it. That’s all I got. How do I review something that was such a crushing let down?

Conclusion:

Based on a Mou Mou novel + the Your Name Engraved Herein team, this is old-school coming of age BL and it was bloody fantastic. Tsundere seme to beat all tsundere (smartest + tallest + bestest at everything but people) meets socially-ept cutie smart-ass uke. They're living together by end of ep 1 and start kissing by end of ep 2. A stellar tense slow burn stepbrothers trope that ate my life and than just belly-flopped the finale. What I'm left with is epic levels of disappointment and well...... at least nobody died? My standard "fatally flawed" rating for any BL is 4/10 so I guess that’s what I’m giving it. 

Before you ask me for the stats: Taiwan does not have a history of second seasons. I went ahead and ran the numbers and the odds are certainly not in our favor. I put the chances at 2%.

Yes, I contemplated a revenge rating of 2/10 but even I'm not that mean.

It's airing but...

The Hidden Moon (Sat WeTV) ep 1 of 10 - This is a supernatural romance (my ghost boyfriend trope) by Violet Rain (I Feel You Linger). A man is hired to write an article about an old mansion in Chiang Mai being converted into a café. He sees the ghosts of people who died at the mansion, falls in love with one of them. Was substantially recast. I loved IFYLITA except the ending so I think I'll let this one run it's course you can tell me if it's work tracking down... if they managed to land it. I have my doubts.

In Case You Missed It

Falling For My Boss is vertical format (nash) short from Korean BL about a happy-go-unlucky man who keeps losing his flower shop business because of romantically misbehaving employees (apparently it's a thing). When his best employee brings in a new boy he's worried she's falling for him, but it turns out it's his own heart on the line. He a clueless softy and The Boy is a lost broken sweetheart, making this a gentle little snippet of a show. There's a baby linguistic negotiation, some hung slinging, awkward handholds, and everyone is very pretty. For me the absence of kisses and the vertical format were more annoying than the length, which felt fine but many viewers will find too short. I enjoyed the 30 minutes of cute. All of which makes this a solid 7/10 from me. It was originally only available on this one ap in very short form with ads so I wasn't gonna bother. Then some kind soul cut it together without ads and stuck it up for download. Say thank you.

Oddball recommendation next: This podcast episode touches on some stuff we see in Thai BL so I think it's worth listening to. Journalist Dominic Faulder on the Complex History Between Thailand & Myanmar

Happy of the End (Japan Gaga) - Completed its run. A boy is disowned for being gay, dumped by his boyfriend, and ends up in a dysfunctional co-dependant relationship with his would-be kidnapper. We were due for another messy JBL and it's exactly as expected. I do not like it at all and DNFed. Gossip round the hellhole is that was a solid decision.

Marriage Equality Law has officially been enacted in Thailand...

Yes the actual law. Goes into effect Jan 22, 2025

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

Coming Oct 2024:

10/3 Fourever You (Thai iQIYI?) 16 eps - New directs Earth (UWMA, 12%) + Pond (Century of Love, 180 Degrees), Bas (Gen Y, 2 Moons) + Maxky (Why You… Y Me?) and other familiar faces like Bever. Sampler pack university BL from Wabi Sabi that looks like it's trying to be a gay Boys Over Flowers (4 older med students hot boys) and I'm not mad about it. Trailer Not sure who's distributing this but my guess is iQIYI since they had the last few from this house.

10/7 Every You Every Me (Thai Gaga) 10 eps - Jade and Chin have lived over a thousand lifetimes. In each one they somehow manage to fall in love with each other. (This pair, TopMick was piloted in a My Universe ep, that was one of the only ones I liked.)

10/10 Eccentric Romance (Korea ????) 12 eps - Silkwood’s 2nd Thai/Korean colab, that has been in production since 2022 which is a LONG time in the BL world. I'm worried but I like the concept: friends of 10 years who’ve been hiding feelings for each other enter the same university. Plus MURDER.

10/10 Gangster and His Boyfriend (Korea ????) 8 eps? - Kim Dong Bin (famous trainee & idol reality competitor, yeah that happens) stars as a fallen idol who unexpectedly becomes entangled in a gangster family. Discovers that his friend’s father is responsible for the murder of his entire family years ago. I don't know much about this one, neither does anyone else and I'm not sure where I got that release date so……

10/21 Love in the Big City (Korea ????) 8 eps - Adaptation of Booker-nominated famous coming of age novel of the same title by Park Sang-Young. Cynical yet fun loving student writer Young pinballs from home, to class, to Tinder matches. He and Jaehee, his female besie and roommate, frequent nearby bars where they push away their worries about life, love, and money with soju. As time passes Jaehee settles down and leaves Young to face his problems on his own. Young finding comfort in the arms of the series of men, including one whose handsomeness is matched by his coldness and another who might be the great love of his life. Not really BL. Stars Kim Go-eun (The King: Eternal Monarch), Noh Sang-hyun, and Nam Yoon Su (The King’s Affection). This already released as a movie and isn't very well regarded, this date is supposedly an international release as a series. I'm wary of it being BL.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

I got nothing, The On1y One drove me into a funk.

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in its infinite wisdom doesn't like too many at-ings.

[hugmekenobi]

S3: The Bad Batch (11)

Chapter Eleven: Point of No Return

Gif by @moonstrider9904

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

Series Summary: Ever since Eriadu, Clone Force 99 had been a fractured squad. Months have passed but you're finally back with the Batch but Omega is still out there and you won't stop until you find her again.

Chapter Summary: The Empire closes in on you and the Batch

Masterlist for S1 and S2

<Previous Chapter

Genre: Friends (idiots) to Lovers (we're in the lovers stage now)

Chapter Warnings: Canon-typical violence, threats, food mentions, flash of PDA and fluff in the beginning, referenced character death, rip a certain ship :(, self-blame, brief injury mention, humour as a tool for deflection, overall angsty vibes

Word Count: 4.2K

Author's notes: Still sticking very close to the episode here but hope it's still enjoyable and episode 12 is in progress!!

Getting into the pirate’s ship had been all too easy. He wasn’t going to fail this time. CX-2 decrypted the coordinates before he put the transmission for Scorch through, “The Trandoshan’s intel paid off. I tracked the pirate and accessed her navicomputer. She tried to cover her tracks but I broke the encryption.”

“What did you find?”

“She frequented a planet in the Outer Rim. I’m headed there now to do recon.”

“Send the coordinates. I’ll have a full division on standby if you require a visual on the targets.” Scorch provided before he signed off.

CX-2 entered the coordinates for Pabu.

--

“That’s gotta be all of it, right?” Wrecker asked in disbelief as he saw the three of you approach and unload the next round of supplies.

“We still need to grab the rations.” Hunter told him. “Keep loading up the ship. We’ll be back.”

Wrecker groaned, “Fine. But at least bring me back an ice cone.”

“Just one?” You questioned with an enticing grin as you walked backwards away from him and the ship.

“No, no, no. You’re right! M-Make it two!” Wrecker corrected his error.

You gave a two-fingered salute in reply before you turned around and jogged to catch up with Hunter and Crosshair.

--

“I wish you didn’t have to leave.” Lyana said lowly as she led Omega through the Archium.

“Me too, but Hunter thinks it’s safer for everyone if we do.”

Lyana led her over to a gap in one of the ledges. “What do you think of this spot?”

“It’s perfect.” Omega said with a thankful smile.

“So, which treasures did you bring?” Lyana asked, her tone curious but respectful of what this moment meant to those that left things here and Omega would not be treated differently.

Omega tucked Lula under her arm and brought out Tech’s cracked goggles. She held them delicately in her hands as she let the memories that they brought wash over her.

“You sure you wanna leave these behind?” Lyana double checked gently.

“Pabu was the first place that felt like a home.” Omega placed both objects down with the utmost care. “This way, a piece of us is still here.”

Lyana laid a supportive hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Well, I’ll make sure these stay safe until you come back.” She looked at Omega with a new type of seriousness. “Because you will come back, right?”

“I hope so.” Omega replied, the harsh reality of the day quickly catching up to her as she realised this would be the last time she would see her for a while.

--

“And where are you going?” Hunter asked with a questioning smile and tilt of his head as you separated from them. “We’ve got rations to get.”

You feigned disgust at the very idea. “Hey, I have the very important ice-cone mission. I cannot be diverted with a mere ration run.” You said with a coy grin before you pressed a swift kiss to Hunter’s cheek and sauntered off with exaggerated determination.

“Get that lovesick smile of your face before I throw up.” Crosshair snickered with a roll of his eyes as he saw the way Hunter watched you go.

“Shut up.” Hunter shoved his brother’s shoulder before they carried on with their own search.

--

“I don’t even think there’s room on this ship for all this gear.” Wrecker complained to Gonky as he saw all that was still to be shifted and he knew there was still more to come. However, Gonky’s cheeky honks of reply were not the commiseration he was looking for. “Oh, yeah? Well, maybe I should leave you behind.” He retorted, smirking at the offended honks he got in response.

Wrecker brought more of the stuff on board, completely unaware that the proximity sensor had been flashing a half second before.

--

CX-2 landed the ship in the cavern and began his hunt.

--

Hunter paused as he heard the nervous squeaking on the island birds, their tone matching his own growing sense of unease.

“What is it?” Crosshair asked.

“Not sure, but I don’t like it.” Hunter brought out his comm. “Omega, time to go.”

Upon hearing that, you gave up your spot in line and joined up with Hunter and Crosshair. You’d make it up to Wrecker another time.

--

CX-2 scanned the bustling market stalls from above and that was when he caught sight of the two clones and the targets he’d been sent to acquire. He touched the control panel on his sleeve and got Scorch on his comm.

“Report.” Scorch demanded.

“I’ve got eyes on the targets.”

“Ground them and wait for the division. They must be recovered unharmed. No mistakes this time.”

“And the clones they’re with?” He asked as he saw the group of you leaving the area.

“If they get in your way, eliminate them.”

--

“We’re sorry to see you go, but you’re all welcome here anytime.” Shep said sincerely. “Those homes will be waiting for you when you get back.”

You bowed your head in gratitude.

“Thanks for everything, Shep.” Hunter said, shaking his hand.

Omega and Lyana shared in a hug.

“I’ll see you soon.” Lyana said as she parted from Omega.

The four of you and Batcher started to make your way back to Wrecker.

--

The sun had almost set by the time Wrecker finished getting the most recent batch of supplies onto the ship, but he just took relief in the fact that he wouldn’t be alone in shifting the next round of gear.

As he went to grab the last crate, he paused on the steps as he picked up on a faint but rapid series of beeps.

He recognised the sound.

He knew exactly what that meant.

He reacted quickly and with a shout, he abandoned the ship and grabbed Gonky just as the Marauder exploded, hurling both of them into the sea.

With the last of his strength, he managed to pull himself onto a piece of debris before his vision went dark.

--

Upon hearing the harsh echoing boom of an explosion, you all instantly ran to the edge of Upper Pabu and your heart thumped in a frantic panic as you saw the distant flames and charred remnants of what was once the Marauder.

Hunter brought out his binoculars and took in the scene. He saw Wrecker and Gonky floating in the water and felt his own panic set in at seeing his brother unconscious. He put on his helmet and started running for the docks.

You did the same with your coverings and Crosshair put on his helmet before the three of you followed close behind.

--

One of the locals had grabbed a boat and brought Wrecker and Gonky back to port.

You pushed your way through the crowd of people and stopped short as you saw Wrecker’s body.

Omega knelt down by Wrecker’s side. “Wrecker? Wrecker!” Omega gasped, desperately shaking his shoulders to try and rouse him but it did no good.

Your stomach dropped to your feet. It took all the training you had to not lose control upon seeing the lack of response from Wrecker. He was strong, he was always so strong. He had to be alright.

“Mox and Stak, take Wrecker to Shep’s. Deke, get Az-3 to patch him up, and fast.” Hunter ordered the regs. He needed his brother back on his feet. He needed him to be okay.

“Ships don’t just blow up. We’ve been compromised.” Crosshair realised.

Hunter turned his head from Wrecker to the sound of a deep rumbling from above and what he saw sent both a deep anger and dread through his veins. The Imperial Star Destroyer hovered above the Archium and a series of gunships swarmed down. “Everyone, get to cover!”

Amidst the crowds of panicked and screaming people, the four of you regrouped and found cover of your own.

--

Shep was helpless to stop the hordes stormtroopers from moving in. He could only watch in despair as his people ran in fear.

--

“Cut off all escape routes. Destroy any ships or sea skiffs in sight.” CX-2 ordered as he remained unphased by the chaos around him. It wouldn’t affect what he needed to achieve; it would only help.

--

You and Omega both paused as you saw the destruction the Empire was causing to the docks.

The only light in the night were the fires caused by the Imperial gunfire.

The only sounds the whirr of gunship and cried of fear that echoed around the island.

Kamino, the Marauder, Pabu… How many more homes was the Empire going to take from you?

From these innocent people?

And how much longer could you let it go on?

A glance down at Omega told you she was thinking similarly to you. You indicated your head back and you both joined the others in an alleyway.

“Is this our fault? Are they attacking because of us?” Omega whispered up at you as she kept Batcher calm.

You wished with every fibre of your being that you could tell her no. That they were the ones at fault but the own guilt residing in your heart made the words die before they left your lips. How could you reassure her when you couldn’t believe the words yourself? It was never meant to go this way. The very thing you had wanted to avoid had happened and now you knew there was only one real way out of it.

Hunter crouched down. “It’s the Empire’s fault. Not yours. You have to stay focused. Both of you.” He implored with a helmeted look in your direction too.

“They’re destroying all means of escape and jamming our comms.” Crosshair said as he tried his comm, but it was only static. “We have to steal one of their gunships. Once we’re out of range, we can contact Echo.”

“I’ll handle it.” Hunter said. “You three, get to Shep’s and wait with Wrecker until I signal you.”

You caught his vambrace and pulled him back to you. You pressed your forehead against his helmet.

Hunter had a distinct and sinking feeling that this was you saying goodbye, but he wasn’t going to let that be the case- this plan would work… it- it had to. “I’ll see you soon.” He said as he stepped away.

You couldn’t quite meet his helmeted gaze as you nodded before you, Omega and Batcher split from him to head to Shep’s.

Hunter gave Crosshair a last meaningful look before he went in the opposite direction.

Crosshair knew what that look meant- keep them safe. And he would do everything in his power to do that. He followed you and Omega.

--

“Lock down the town. Search every domicile until you find them.” CX-2 ordered the squadrons of troopers.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Shep demanded as he approached the black-armoured soldier that seemed intent on ruining the lives of so many people.

“Who are you?” CX-2 replied with equal parts disdain and curiosity.

“The mayor of this town. You’ve opened fire on my village and its people without warning and without reason. Under what pretence are you attacking?” Shep seethed.

“We’re here to collect some fugitives you’ve been harbouring.” CX-2 brought out the puck and flashed the two images.

Shep made sure to keep his true reaction at bay- he wouldn’t give you and Omega away if he could help it. “You can’t just barge in here-”

“I’ve barely done anything yet.” CX-2 interrupted coldly.

“You destroyed our docks and fishing skiffs. Our livelihood.”

“I have simply cut off their means of escape. But I can do worse. I know they are here. Until they are turned over to me, your island will burn.” CX-2 threatened as he walked away.

--

The path to Shep’s had been fraught with troopers and each time like this where you had to hide from the next roaming patrol only slowed things down more.

You peered round the corner of your hiding spot to see one of the villagers being forced out of her home and you heard her distressed plea.

“You can’t do this! It’s our home!”

You were fighting the urge to go out and it seemed Batcher also shared in your current sentiment as Omega was doing her best to keep the dog quiet and calm.

And the cruel reply from the trooper that you heard next only confirmed what you already dreaded.

“We know they’re here! Where are the Jedi and the girl?”

“I don’t know! I swear-”

The familiar sound of a slap made your blood boil. You went to reveal yourself to stop them but Crosshair’s hand on your arm prevented you from doing so.

Omega couldn’t hold Batcher back though. The dog snarled and charged for the soldiers before they could do anymore harm.

“Batcher can handle herself. Let’s go.” Crosshair said to you both as he made sure Omega didn’t go to follow the dog either.

--

You had managed to scale the wall up to Shep’s and opened the door.

“Lyana!” Omega said with a relieved gasp.

“Omega! My-My dad, he said to hide here.” Lyana said fearfully. She ran up to her friend and hugged her tight, “I’m so scared.”

“I know. I’m so sorry.” Omega replied as she parted from her.

You and Crosshair took off your coverings as you saw AZ attending to Wrecker.

“How’s Wrecker, AZ?” You asked.

“He is still unconscious, but his vitals are stable.”

You allowed yourself to feel some semblance of relief at that, but you hastily pushed it to one side as you heard another gunships sound outside.

The three of you ran back out to take in what was happening and what you saw made your chest tighten and curl your fists in rage- stormtroopers were everywhere, removing people from their homes, tossing them to the ground, arresting them. It was unnecessarily cruel, and it was all because you were still here.

--

Getting onto the gunship had started out as a stealth mission but quickly became one where Hunter just had to get inside without getting shot.

He’d managed to do so but the pilot was making his life extremely difficult with erratic flying designed to fling him out. He had to take a tight grasp of the handles inside to remain upright.

--

Something else then caught your attention as you saw the unstable and irregular flying patterns of an Imperial gunship and a whole different kind of emotion swept through you. You knew the exact cause of that particular situation, but you were not reassured by the sight in the slightest.

“Is that, Hunter?” Omega asked both you and Crosshair as she noticed the ship in the air.

“Yes.” You said through clenched teeth.

“Uh huh.” Crosshair echoed nonchalantly.

But then, something shifted, there was a blaster shot and vessel nosedived down towards the sea in a way that showed that neither Hunter nor the pilot was in charge of the ship anymore.

A strained breath caught in your throat as you watched the ship plummet into the sea. “Where- where is he?” You choked out as you saw Crosshair grab his macrobinoculars.

Crosshair scanned the water anxiously but let out a relieved sigh as he saw his brother resurface and swim for the shore. “He’s fine.”

You bent forwards as you braced your hands on the wall and let out a slow calming breath before the distant sound of comm chatter reminded you of your current situation.

“He’s safer than we are at the moment.” Crosshair hissed as the three of you retreated back inside Shep’s.

--

“What do we do? Troopers will be here soon.” Omega asked anxiously.

“Hunter would want us to stick to the plan.” Crosshair replied, internally scrambling to think of a way out of this.

“There’s no hiding, Crosshair. The Empire knows we’re here. They won’t stop searching until they find us!”

Whilst they were talking, you were coming up with a plan of your own. If you handed yourself in and convinced them that you’d already shipped Omega off-world, then maybe they’d leave Pabu and the rest of them alive and in peace.

You glanced between Wrecker and Lyana and the door. You took a calming breath as you came to terms with what you had to do but a squeeze of your hand brought your eyes downwards. No. You said as you saw her nod at you.  

“You promised.” Omega reminded you.

This is different, Omega. It’s not a choice you should need to make. It-

“You’re going, I know you are!” Omega interrupted. “But that won’t be enough, they’re here for me too! They won’t stop and you know it. It is my choice!”

Crosshair clued in and realised what the two of you were arguing about. “Absolutely not.”

“It’s our only option, Crosshair.” You said heavily.

“What? No, it’s not. We-”

“Look at what they’ve already done.” You said, a flash of anger coming through. “We can’t let the people here suffer any more because of us. That’s why we were leaving in the first place- to avoid this. We can’t let it carry on. We just can’t.” I’m not risking anyone else. Wrecker already got hurt, I’m not risking you and I’m not risking Hunter. If I could help it, Omega wouldn’t be coming but I can’t and it kills me that I can’t, but it’s how it has to be.

Crosshair went to respond to you, but Omega got in first, “If we let them take us, it stops.” She emphasised.

Crosshair focused on the young girl, distress in his voice. “You’ll be taken back to Tantiss.”

“Exactly. We’ve been trying to find those coordinates, and nothing’s worked. But if we keep our comms on us, and turn ourselves in, you can track us to Tantiss. This is our chance. Our chance to finally rescue the clones imprisoned there.”

“No. They’ll search you and find it. It won’t work.” Crosshair argued.

“Then shoot a secondary tracker onto the ship that they take us away on.” You suggested.

“Too many unknown variables. It’s not a viable plan.”

“It’s all we’ve got.” You countered.

“And it’s our choice.” Omega reminded him again.

Crosshair looked imploringly in your direction now. “Tantiss is different. This isn’t some random Imperial that’ll take you this time. It’ll be Hemlock. Who knows what he’ll do to you there.”

You also saw a genuine fear behind his eyes, and it unnerved you. It won’t be for long, I’ll be alright. “Focus on the bigger mission, Crosshair.” You said aloud and you came to stand behind Omega and rested your hands on her shoulders.

“Yeah, we’re just a small part of it.” Omega agreed.

Crosshair found himself in a position where he was forced to reflect on that, and he had to agree with you both.

--

The two of you got ready to depart but you noticed the reluctance that still graced Crosshair’s face and you approached him.

“He’s going to kill me.” Crosshair said to you quietly.

So, tell him he was right that Hemlock was after me too, that outta smooth things over.

“It’s not funny.” Crosshair snapped. He didn’t want to lose you both either. Not when he knew how important you both were to Hunter, to this squad… to this family. He’d finally made ground with you, you were one of them, you always had been, and he’d welcomed that feeling again. And Omega, well, Omega had seen and been through it all with him already, he owed her much more than a half-baked rescue plan.

Yeah sorry, it’s a bad habit. You went serious again and shook your head. “He’s not going to do that, Crosshair. Six months ago, maybe he would’ve, but not now. He’s not going to lose the progress he’s built with you either, not anymore. He’ll understand.” You glanced back to Omega who was standing by the door and regret stabbed your heart over the fact that this was to be her fate too, but you also knew that she wouldn’t have it any other way. “We’re very stubborn and determined individuals.” You said fondly before you looked back at him and placed a reassuring hand on his upper arm. “Just don’t miss.” You said with a light but resigned smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes.

With that, you and Omega exited the hut.

--

You caught Omega’s shoulder just before you rounded the corner to make yourselves known. You crouched down to her eye-level. “Omega… you know if there was any other option that I could think of that would get us- particularly you- out of this, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

Omega nodded. “I know, but it’s what we have to do.” She said bravely.

Your heart broke a little bit more right then and there- this was something no kid should ever have to do, “You had to grow up far too fast.” You murmured, both with sadness and a hint of pride in your voice as you gave her a loving hug before the two of you stepped out of your hiding spot.

--

“Stop.”

CX-2 signalled the troopers with the flamethrowers to disengage as he heard the voice of a woman.

“We surrender.” Omega said as all eyes, both Imperial and Pabu civilians turned in your direction.

“Stay alert. I neutralised the other two clones with them, but not the third.” CX-2 advised as he approached you two.

“Take us and leave the island alone.” You said as you held your wrists out.

“The people here are innocent.” Omega did the same thing as you.

CX-2 first put the cuffs on the young girl, “Then you never should have come here in the first place.”

“I’m assuming these are the special cuffs made just for me?” You said dully as the operative attached a second pair to your wrists, and you noticed the slightly different design of them compared to Omega’s.

“Why don’t you try them and find out?”

The harsh modulated voice sent a cold shiver of fear down your spine, but you covered it up. “Nah, you seem like someone who is on top of things, so I’ll take your word for it.” You were determined to not flinch under the unwavering glare of his helmet.

“Scan them for tracking devices.” CX-2 ordered as he confiscated your knife and Jedi weapon.

As expected, the comm devices were picked up immediately.

“Give them to me.” CX-2 demanded.

You and Omega reluctantly handed them over before you were both shoved and made to walk between the squadron of troopers as they got ready to transport you off the planet.

--

Crosshair had watched the surrender take place and had been stealthily tracking and making his way to a vantage point where he could tag the ship that you were to be taken away on.

--

Hunter staggered to shore and collapsed to his hands and knees.

He felt the water seeping through the gaps in his armour, weighing him down, and it was choking him beneath his helmet.

He removed it and took a few recovering breaths before he became alert to the sound of rustling just ahead of him. He instantly got to his feet and guardedly drew his blaster as he waited for the threat to show.

But he was able to relax his stance as Batcher came into view and ran over to him with a happy bark. He bent down and rubbed her side with a slight grin before he glanced up at the Archium and the rest of the island, but he didn’t see as many ships anymore.

And the realisation at what was about to happen hit him harder than he had hit the water.

Hunter grabbed his helmet and started running back, Batcher close at his heels.

--

You swallowed thickly as you and Omega were marched to the docks and forced to walk past the wreckage of both the sea skiffs and the Marauder.

CX-2 tapped the band on his arm and his ship came flying to meet the three of you.

You and Omega paused before boarding but an insistent jab of the butt of the operative’s rifle prompted you both to step up.

--

Crosshair got into position and readied himself to take the shot when the flashlight hit him.

“Over there!”

He fired back at the small squad of troopers that had found him and dealt with them as quickly as he could, but the interruption had moved him out of the prime position.

He had to run for it.

His gait was rushed.

His aim unsteady.

But there was no more time.

The ship’s engines were powering up.

He had no choice but to fire.

The ship took off.

His tracker missed.

And he could only look on in complete and utter dismay and horror as the ship flew out of view.

--

“Targets acquired. Returning to base.” CX-2 transmitted before he put the ship into hyperspace.

You and Omega sat side by side on the metal floor.

Omega took off her hat and leaned against your shoulder. “We’ll have each other there.” She murmured, doing her best to keep her voice composed.

“Yeah, we’ll be okay.” You whispered back.

Next Chapter>

Tagging: @noeasyisnoisy, @arctrooper69, @dominoeffectsworld, @andreaaxy, @notgonnaedit, @nightmonkeysstuff , @jellybeanstacey0519 @callsign-denmark @allthingsimagines, @superbookishhufflepuff

[im-out-of-it]

season 2, episode 4 “day of wrath” aka we finally are rid of one of the most annoying characters

hiiiiii y’all and welcome back 🫶🏼 I don’t care much for this episode (I love some aspects) but for me, it feels like a whole thing “well Alec did this so clary should be allowed to be mean to him” and that’s a vibe I don’t fuck with. but I got my gifs ready, and my stupid thoughts are here to stay so let’s get into it (and let’s be clear, alec didn’t do anything wrong but I hate the way clary treats him. it feels like a whole thing of well he’s been rude to her since she arrived so she can have at it now) (and maybe others won’t agree but it felt like a whole thing of how clary can treat Alec and Izzy however she wants and it’s ok because she’s got trauma I guess) (and I’m just super protective of Alec Magnus Izzy Maia Simon and so on)

1. I’m already annoyed because we start with clary going to the city of bones to show jace her undying love she has for him (pretty sure siblings should be this intimate but whatever) (I don’t care if it’s misleading info, they think they’re related)

2. never thought jace would say another thing I like but seriously!!!!!! I hate show clace with every bone in my body but compared to the books? yeah it could’ve been a whole lot worse. Jace and clary think they are siblings AND STILL try to have a relationship that is full of abuse and toxicity. so at least the show didn’t do all that. oh no wonder CC hates it so much 🥰

3. those stitches on the silent brothers creep me the fuck out. anyone ever seen Hannibal? if anyone remembers season two, that’s all I can think about if their stitches came undone 😭 THAT WHOLE SEASON TRAUMATIZED ME LMAO

4. ok ok ok I’m done but I needed a break from all the clace shit im about to endure

5. I’m actually surprised jace is asking about Alec. I certainly don’t remember that

6. did clary really say he’s here because of her? I’m glad jace is saying she’s not what put him here. he chose to join valentine more than once and I’m getting real tired of everyone ignoring this. they watched him leave and still want to act surprised that he’s in this predicament. I’m actually proud of him trying to take accountability and that’s a lot coming from me because I fucking loathe him

7. HE TOLD YOUR ASS TO LEAVE SO LEAVE

8. “you’re my weakness” omg I just threw up 🤢 someone order me some tums

9. this is the first time I’ve actually seen jace try to hold himself accountable, you should try doing the same clary

10. because your life is worth saving Alexander 🥹

11. I think I’m getting better at this whole making a gif thing 👏🏼 no but seriously YOU ARE WORTH IT ALEC SO DONT FORGET IT

12. but also it’s so crazy that it’s only been probably a few days since they got together and Malec has had to deal with: the wedding that didn’t happen, Maryse being prejudiced against magnus, Alec telling everyone off, jace leaving and making it Alec’s problem, and then alec almost dying and magnus losing a love before it gets started. that’s a lot of shit to deal with in this early of a relationship

it doesn’t feel as though time hasn’t sped by because so much happens in season one. but it’s probably been a week or two. MAN ALEC AND MAGS NEED A VACAY

13. I’m happy that alec is thanking magnus. he literally wore himself out and still didn’t manage to save alec (I know some of the gifs kinda repeat themselves but I wanted to get all the facial expressions from Malec because they do it best)

14. yeah quit slacking and go on a date already (THEY HAVE BEEN RUDELY INTERRUPTED THRICE)

15. Alec is so cute when he stutters around magnus. they could be together for 5 years, 10 years, 20- and Alec would still be a stuttering mess

16. Magnus: oh I make him nervous how fun this is for me

17. I SWEAR IF MY AUTOCORRECT FAILS ME ONE MORE TIME WHEN I SPELL MAGNUS TO MY CATS NAME ILL- I mean, they’re pretty much the same. golden eyed demonic boys who I love with everything so whatever lmao

18. I think raj is upset

19. someone holds a grudge 😬

20. good riddance

21. I mean if I was part of the clave and found out some bitch was hiding the most important artifact for 18 years, I wouldn’t trust her either because what gave Jocelyn the idea that it was her responsibility to hide the most valuable artifact in the shadow world. look- I don’t trust the clave but I would put my fate in their hands instead of someone like Jocelyn who I could never trust)

22. getting rid of Jocelyn was one of the best things the show could have possibly done. she’s an inconvenience and never did once learn how to properly be a parent. what clary needed was a mother and not a friend. not someone to excuse her decisions and allow her to get away with whatever she wanted. she needed a shit ton of therapy and guidance. Jocelyn was always too terrified of parenting clary and worried more if her daughter hated her. she is a terrible mother and I’ll say it again SHE IS A TERRIBLE MOTHER 🎙️

23. I think one of the biggest reasons why clary is who she is because of Jocelyn. Jocelyn allowed clary to get away with whatever she did in fear of punishing clary or having her think that clary hated her. I’m sorry but in the show, I hardly saw Jocelyn actually be a mother. Clary even says in the first season how Jocelyn is her best friend. a mother should be a mother, not your friend. Jocelyn gif so much from clary so that trust is already broken and I don’t think clary respects Jocelyn. all the work she made Alec undergo for Jocelyn and it wasn’t that worth it in my most humble opinion

24. fuck we missed sending clary off to idris and I’ll always be resentful about that

25. Alec: no I don’t want you on my team but we need someone literally anyone would do

26. Isabelle is killing it in the fashion department like I don’t think she’s ever worn something that was awful and I’m so glad they gave Alec some good fashion sense. he’s not killing it the way Magnus does but it annoyed me how in the books Alec is wearing clothing that is torn as if he can’t dress himself and has to be in raggedy clothing. you can tell CC fucking hated and hates Alec

27. Alec: hurry the fuck up

28. Alec is not trying to die because of you again

29. I’m going to miss Alec being rude to clary or not wanting to deal with her because it’s valid

30. Clary tries for one second: omg Alec this is too hard. I’m used to getting things handed to me. Alec: it’s clapped patience so don’t push my fucking patience

31. it’s everyone’s dream for clary to leave so ya can’t blame Alec

32. Clary has been causing problems left to right so anyone would want to rid of her lmao

33. MY POOR RAPHAEL

34. I know I stated before that aldertree isn’t evil but this was pure evil. torturing Raphael is against the accords but aldertree doesn’t care. it’s a two in one victory for aldertree because he gets to torture a vampire for information while also getting revenge against Magnus. this has been my whole rant against shadowhunters- they do this- violating the accords and get away with it but downworlders don’t get the same sort of grace and treatment

35. I wanted to post these from the past

36. in each episode, I will post moments from season one or previous episodes I forgot or felt like I didn’t bitch about enough. so here’s two Alec moments that I love (am will include Matt interviews or just random stuff)

37. I love my man ALEC just telling people off. he’s so good at it

38. I’m so sad for Raphael because he’s not responsible for Camille but since he can’t find her and Simon isnt doing a good enough job, it’s on Raphael since he is clan leader to apparently pay for Camille’s crimes

39. I think getting rid of Camille and ragnor was a huge mistake. for someone of Camille’s caliber, I expected more of a fight when it came to Raphael taking power. they almost took all of Magnus’s past away and the only friend who gets to stay is Catarina. Alec has Izzy and jace isn’t worthy of being his friend but why does it feel that Magnus gets left without almost nothing but Alec? he’s hardly around any of the warlocks once he’s with Alec. and this isn’t anti anything, I just wish they gave Magnus more of a balance. there is so much content when it comes to Magnus, alec, and Malec that they could have used and done. it’s so much more interesting than CLACE and let’s be real- people watched for Malec, Maia and Simon Raphael Izzy but mainly malec, Magnus and Alec

and I’m stopping at 40 because I can remember that but I at least wanted to get the first part sent out

[berrypass-de-murdler]

2 - 11 The Guest Bedroom Burglar Beating

I amuse myself

The more you look the worse it gets!

(Even as Mr. Shadow, Irratino is still goat lord)

This episode's got new characters, but I was too tired to draw yesterday </3

I'll have Maid Marble's design tomorrow probably, and Manservant Brownstone isn't different enough to warrant an official artwork I don't think? He's a taller Brownstone in a suit with emo hair and visible eyes, and both antlers intact. Meaning he's NOT the clone from the one episode where Brother Brownstone dies so this opens up a new can of worms

DON'T READ THE EPISODES WITHOUT READING THE BOOKS!!

Lady Violet is not doing well. As in, she won’t stop sobbing!

LOGICO: Hey… it will be alright. I promise.  VIOLET: [in hysterics] Yeah… you were the one who was begging for something to go wrong! LOGICO: I… um. VIOLET: Just go… go to your bedroom or something, here’s the key…

Logico sighs. Poor Violet. He’ll find a way to make it better. But he clambers to his bedroom.

Aaaaaaaaand it looks bigger than should be physically possible to be attached to this building, unsurprisingly. Gold-plated, fountain on the balcony, busts of Lord Violet staring at you while you sleep and pee, bathroom bigger than Logico’s entire apartment blah blah blah. He can barely get onto the bed because it’s so large (and he’s so small!). There’s a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. But he finally gets up there. He’s out of breath. 

The cleaning service comes in and sweeps a tad, and a person who looks eerily like Brownstone (but not quite) hands him a drink. He tucks into the silky comforter. Ahh, softgico <3

A window breaks! A burglar has entered the room! Logico rolls off and under the bed, praying that they won’t notice him. He hyperventilates as he hears the footsteps coming closer… 

There’s a scream, a crash, and a thud!... then silence. Scared for his life, Logico peeks out, but all he sees is the dead burglar. Someone has saved him! But no one else is there anymore… He smacks himself.

LOGICO: Logico you fool! Regardless of if someone has saved my life, this is a MURDER, and I have to deal with it like DEDUCTIVE LOGICO!

He goes out. He sees the maid (Marble), the butler Brownstone, and Bronze, the guy from the airport.

VIOLET: Again?

Logico nods. At least this time it was for a good cause. He first corners the maid, who’s giving real wolf-from-little-red-riding-hood vibes.

MARBLE: I’m sorry dearie… I tried my best to clean the room! LOGICO: No, not that! I want to know if you have blood on your claws. MARBLE: Oh heavens!

She drops her broom and cowers. Logico has to admit it’s a pretty good helpless routine. Bronze, meanwhile, is looking clueless as always, reading a fascinating book.

LOGICO: And what might that book be? BRONZE: Does it matter? LOGICO: Now it does. BRONZE: It is just a biography of Lord Violet. It is the only thing to read in this place… LOGICO: I want see! M. BROWNSTONE: [ahem] LOGICO: OH, what do you want, Brother Brownstone? You’re supposed to be dead. M. BROWNSTONE: Manservant. Manservant Brownstone. I work here and am a separate individual from my short younger brother.

Irratino is by himself. He draws a marot card, revealing a crucial clue. But Logico cannot see it. He sighs. 

IRRATINO: Please… let me see him soon.

Logico has uncovered his culprit - Chauffeur Bronze! The beast recoils in fear of punishment. But everyone cheers!

LOGICO: Well… you did save my life. BRONZE: Aw… really? [blush] VIOLET: It’s official! We HAVE to have a party in your honor!

And they do. Bronze is so happy!

BRONZE: No one has ever appreciated me this much before! Thank you…

Logico kicks back at the party, a nice break from the chaos. He hears the guests talking.

VIOLET: That was just so amazing! I wish I could have seen it happen! MARBLE: Just as when Lord Violet avenged his beloved Beryl…

Logico tingles at these words. It seems like everyone knows the lore but him! But it’s not time to worry about that. He closes his eye and enjoys a free moment.

The end!

i can hardly bear to see them separated!!!

Come back my squishy goat lord.

The power of Goat Lord compels you!

See you next time murdlers!

[brxkxnhxxrtsclxb]

finally picked up pasión de gavilanes 2 again and… SIGH

it reminds me why i dropped it to begin with ._.

i finished the ACTUAL novela a couple months back and it was so fun. it’s no wonder is a highly regarded classic. BUT THIS ??!!

i’m on what ?? episode 11 ?? 12 ?? around there of season 2 and it’s just eww😭😭

idk if i should give it a little more but i did check the first two episodes after finishing the OG and the vibe was VERY different and NOT IT from the get go. like how tf do we go from a romance storytelling and being character driven… to a murder mystery (which is so stupid cuz the OG had nothing like it) ?? it’s dumb and feels ugly

the new cast is so bland too. like i’m sorry but i really do not gaf about their kids😭 the worst offenders are the freaking reyes twins like goodbye. y’all annoying and ugly. at least be good to look at ?? idk😭😭 (that was mean but at least the three reyes brothers were good to look at in the original >.< they still are but that’s besides the point)

sorry. i just had to get this out my system >.< i don’t think i can continue watching this :// i went back to it cuz i recently found out they’re apparently making a season 3 but i can barely get past season 2 so i might just not even watch it T_T

the little i’ve seen of spoilers is so dumb. oscar wouldn’t have cheated on jimena. he just WOULD NOT. and have a kid without her ?? FUCK THAT. franco would’ve never left sara. why tf y’all got her thinking he left her for someone else and insecure over rosario AGAIN ?? speaking of rosario, why tf is SHE BACK ??!! she moved on from the reyes. she had her villain era when she was trying to keep franco and sara apart in the OG !!!! also the juan david and rosario plot is just so boring and stupid. again, SHE MOVED ON FROM THE REYES (not to mention juan david was literally A BABY WHEN SHE MET HIM BACK IN THE OG) !! don’t get me started on miss gaby (that’s how i call gabriella cuz she would piss me off in the OG lmaoo) NOT believing her granddaughter about her bestie demetrio. DID SHE LEARN NOTHING FROM DON FERNANDITO ??!! also, i don’t like the new don martin. no hate to the actor, it’s not his fault he did his job. he’s just not as funny and doesn’t have the charm jorge cao did T_T

sorry for the rant. this novela went from a cute, lighthearted story about family to… whatever this mess is. sure they talk about family but it doesn’t feel like they mean it. doesn’t even have the comedy bits the original had to help break the tension. of course, the original has some issues and some problematic jokes that wouldn’t have flown by today but i can forgive it as it’s in tune with the times (early 2000s)

also the THEME SONG ??!! i’m sorry but the song originally made sense . it was in tune with the story and now it’s not. this is a murder mystery. sure there’s romance but it literally took the backseat so it doesn’t even make sense anymore. and i don’t like the new version. it sounds bad T_T it just doesn’t fit

this season 2… none of the vibes fit anywhere. doesn’t even feel like the same show. they should’ve just not made season 2 but that’s just my opinion. or at the very least, they should’ve just made it a different version of the characters. kinda like the addams family or marvel / DC comics where we have the same characters, just different versions of them. that would’ve worked better to separate the two but nah. they wanted to continue it thus ruining everyone. it’s ugly ._.

[sunshinechay]

So I finally got to watch the new episode of Be My Favorite and while I definitely agree with everyone’s interpretation of Kawi being ace (I definitely think he’s likely on the ace spectrum somewhere, just where I’m not quite sure) I don’t necessarily think that’s what they’re going for.

Both Kawi and Pisaeng are on opposite ending of the “virgin spectrum” (yes virginity is a largely social construction but bare with me).

I definitely for the vibe that Pisaeng is a virgin as well, especially since his mother mentions that Kawi is the first person he’s ever dated. Pisaeng however, is the kind of guy who had imagined what it’s been like to have a boyfriend, to date and be in a relationship and yes, have sex with his boyfriend. He is eager because he finally has the chance to do all of that and it’s with Kawi, who Pisaeng is absolutely in love with. He is eager for something and someone in a way that I don’t think he’s been in a long time. So he decides to jump in head first and just go for it. Is his methods awkward as all hell? Yes, which is another reason I think Pisaeng is also a virgin like Kawi.

Kawi however, is afraid. He claims he’s not but he is. The amusement park date proves that. The rollercoaster being a metaphor for sex. He doesn’t want to get on because he’s scared, even if he holds onto Pisaeng the whole time. Kawi may be from the future, but he has spent all of that time fantasizing about what it would have been like to be with Pear. He is only now developing true feelings of romantic love for someone and that someone is not Pear. He’s been in love with the idea of Pear and a relationship with her for 12 years. The whole time travel thing started because he wanted the chance to go back and be with her. He’s been repressing his desire for so long, he doesn’t know how to let it out, so he lets his fear overwhelm him.

It’s a holding pattern through much of the series. Kawi thinks one thing in particular, gets confronted with the fact that it’s not the right choice for him to make, he gets scared and tries to run away from the decision/person/situation, realizes he can’t and swallows his pride/fear and does the thing anyway. He did it with Pear, he did it with his father and now he is doing it with regards to Pisaeng and specifically sex with Pisaeng.

This is why I think the episode had to end with the two of them having sex, whether it’s deserved or not. A big part of Kawi’s journey has been about facing his fear, about not letting it control him or his life. So when he realizes he fucked up the date with Pisaeng, a lightbulb finally goes off in his head (credit to Krist because his acting in on point for that scene. You get to watch just though his facial journey, he realized how he screwed up). He realizes that he is letting his fear control him again. He has to at least try sex with Pisaeng. If he doesn’t like it after all, then it’ll be something for them to discuss in the future.

That’s not say he feels backed in a corner or anything. He knows that if he pumped the breaks on sex and decided he was never going to be ready/want to have sex, Pisaeng would do his best to make sure he always feels okay about his decision. Again see the dinner part of the date where he asks Kawi if he fucked up and how he can fix it. I think Pisaeng was worried he was being too pushy and he kind of was, but it was needed in a lot of ways. Kawi was getting caught up in his own head again and whether Pisaeng realized it or not, he needed to say the things he did for Kawi to realize that he was falling into his pattern again.

P.S. Pisaeng definitely travelled to the future when he turned the snow globe. I’m not sure what he saw but I’m worried it’s not gonna be good considering it’s ep 11 and the episode 11 curse is still alive and well.

[akkrosu]

@ellaspore, I blame you entirely for this. How dare you give me the courage to express my thoughts openly. Consider this me shouting from the rooftops.

So, my music-obsessed brain has been sitting on a particular KinnPorsche moment for over a year now. So let me get crazy and belatedly add my own two cents to all the meta we already have for this show.

In episode 5, we had Kinn and Porsche trying to cope with their confusion over their first time in The Bathroom™ and their feelings for each other by making out with other people, Porsche at Yok’s bar and Kinn in his room. And the music (Volunteer by David Celeste, a composer I like about as much as the staff of many Thai BLs seem to) does something so wonderful in that moment to illustrate their feelings—especially Porsche’s—that I’m still gushing about it a year later.

The first interesting thing is that we start the scene in complete darkness, musically speaking. All we have is this simple and super vague piano melody. The first time I watched this scene I remember how unsettled the music made me feel because of how vague it is; I didn’t know how to understand or interpret it and the mood of the scene around it. And this is because there is something fundamental missing.

All the piano plays is fifths—first g and d in the first two measures, then d and a in the following. (I am aware that the last three bars of the transcription below make it a little more complicated because of that f# in the left hand, which means it’s not just fifths, but since this particular harmonic holds no value for what I’m about to write, I’ll just ignore it.) And it is important that they are fifths, because fifths are pretty much the backbone of any harmonic. They tell us some basics about the key we’re in and about the chords we’re using, which is important because these two things are what creates the mood of the entire piece.

The first five measures of the piece, which correspond to roughly 0:00 to 0:13 of the video linked above and about 21:11 to 21:23 of episode 5.

But we’re missing one fundamental factor to get clarification about the exact key and chords here: the third. In case you don’t know, every basic chord is made up of three notes: the base note, the third and the fifth. And the third is arguably the most important note of the chord—at least in our case—because it differentiates between a major and a minor chord.

Basically (and this is simplified quite a bit), every chord exists in two modes—major and minor. The only difference between them, musically speaking, is the third: in a major chord, the third is a major third, meaning it is four semitones up from the base note, whereas the minor chord has a minor third, which is three semitones up from the base note.

A little illustration of the construction of a basic chord (here C major) and the intervals between its notes.

What that means in practice is that the chords sound radically different. In general, major chords sound more upbeat, happy and positive, while minor chords have more of a somber, sad vibe to them. Feel free to listen to the demonstration below.

So, now that we have the basics of harmony out of the way—how in the world does this relate to the scene and KinnPorsche? Well, now that you understand why thirds are so important, you’ll also understand why the lack of a third is equally important. As I mentioned before, we start the scene and the piece with only fifths. Because we’re missing the third especially in the first chord (spanning the first two bars), we can’t determine the mode of the chord or the key of the entire piece, and so we’re ripped of any sort of understanding about the mood of the music and the scene. This creates a really unsettled and tense feeling and makes you think that’s what the characters are feeling. As we watch Porsche make out with that girl, the music tells us how uncertain he himself is of what he’s doing. He doesn’t know if he’s making the right choices. He’s walking a fine line of mental instability, yay.

As powerful as this lack of the third is, what’s even more powerful is when and how it finally does appear. Because it shows up in the exact instant that Porsche suddenly pauses and his mind flashes back to Kinn (~21:27 of the episode). And we get it in a very subtle, but elegant way: the strings, which were quietly reinforcing the fifths in the piano before, now add that third note to complete the first chord of the theme, the only chord we really need because it is the tonic (which makes it the most important one in determining the key).

Based on only the fifths—g and d—the chord (and the key, which is identical to the tonic) could have been a G major or g minor chord. In the case of the first one, the third would have been a b, and in the second one a b flat (see the above video demonstration of a G major and minor chord for reference). And what note do the strings add? A b flat, which puts both the chord and the key into g minor, the sadder, quieter mode of the two. It finally gives us the clarification we needed: what Porsche is doing isn’t working, he is sad about how things are with Kinn, he misses Kinn and his touch. Before, he wasn’t sure about what he was doing, now he knows it’s not what he wants or needs. His attempt at forgetting him through this woman has failed.

Measures 9-15, which correspond to roughly 0:15 to 0:26 of the video and 21:25 to 21:37 of the episode.

I also really appreciate how the strings were the ones to bring this resolution, not only because they have a very soft tone and are therefore already typically connected to sad music, but also because they make it possible to introduce the new note very carefully and quietly. For at least the first half of the first measure in the above picture, the note can’t even be heard, and then it is introduced through a crescendo, slowly appearing like it is dawning on Porsche that he can’t forget Kinn.

From this point on—as Porsche tries to distract himself from this realization by kissing the woman and we get to see Kinn do the same—, more strings come in and the piano develops the theme we have heard twice now. The piece also gets a bit more complex harmonically, but all of these changes just serve to highlight the minor key we are in and the depressed, lonely, even desperate mood of both Kinn and Porsche. It mixes well with the almost feverish, desperate way especially Kinn behaves in that moment.

So, I want to thank whoever was in charge of the music in this show because they made some excellent choices (and some interesting ones—looking at you, weird MIDI-sounding version of Vivaldi’s Summer that for some reason comes up again and again), but this piece in particular stood out to me because of how perfectly it was edited into the scene. This doesn’t happen very often in (Thai) BLs since very few of them have scores specifically written for them, so most have to make do with pre-existing pieces that can often not be incorporated as elegantly and interestingly as an original soundtrack.

[thebladeblaster]

DivineZ episode 10&11 reaction

I feel weird to find out that they all met as kids but considering it was a long time ago I guess I could understand them not remembering. But considering how important it was to Akina’s life it feels weird that he would forget. Nao too fr. From what I remember it seemed like most of them acted like it was their first time meeting besides Akina with Suo and Akina with Nao. This does add interesting context for Akina persistently trying to befriend Suo though.

You have angered the protagonist. That isn’t wise.

Oh no!!!!

He really conquered the control with the power of wholesomeness lol. I guess we probably are never getting a dark Akina now. Poor Aichi has to suffer alone as the only protagonist that is allowed to go dark.

Ooh that looks nice. This reminds me of the depend cards from G. They really just lends him alll their good vibes to lead to new power. It’s a bit cheesy but it works.

What’s with those poses, Sybilt? You think you’re in Jojo? I mean he is kinda dressed for it. Poor Nao fr. She got dragged into this for helping a girl.

Poor guy

Honestly Syblit’s temptation doesn’t seem as threatening as it has been builtup to be. Akina and Kuon medium diffed it. Especially compared to the Void or Brandt. Like it was difficult to tell that most of The Destined Ones were affected by it at all. Like I think they should have made them more threatening or something. I mean they are possessed for crying out loud. That gives them free reign to make them as crazy as possible. It just makes Sybilt look weak to me.

Sybilt kinda said the thing. “Burn this world to ashes with your apocalyptic fire”-Kai. Or at least I thin that was a reference to it. I cannot tell if Nao’s whole possession here is referencing Reverse Kai or Gyze Kazama. It feels like one especially with that clearly being the reverse aura. I’m very curious about Sybilt’s origins. I swear he has to be related to the Void somehow.

I honestly do not know what they will do after season 2. This is kinda wrapping up everything with Sybilt being the source of all of this happening in the first place.

[grimmmviewing]

S1E12: “Last Grimm Standing”—C (Watched 3/11/24)

“Okay. Anything else?”

“Uh, no, just you.”

“Do you want me with green beans or asparagus?”

This episode begins strong, with a flurry of activity in the cold open—first, a posse on horseback which initially made me anticipate some flashback action, but then an old man and his wife are killed at their very modern house by a Wesen, who is himself being hunted by the posse. The concept of a Grimm fight club is pretty interesting, but it just didn’t quite work for me in the end.

In all honesty, I was hoping for human culprits rather than the lion men I got. I ultimately liked how they were costumed and styled to given off leonine vibes even in human form, but I thought it would have been more interesting to get some humans aware of and exploitative toward their Wesen neighbors— Some old bigotry to go with the old-school weapons and ritualistic fighting. The way the combatants are essentially, literally de-human-ized to make them fight, including feeding them the remains of killed fighters, feels like the sort of behavior that would fit with a prejudiced human antagonist, someone who only saw Wesen as beasts and wanted to force them to conform to that image. But I’m backseat writing here!

Adaptationally, “Last Grimm Standing” also doesn’t feel that ambitious, at least as far as I can tell. One subversion is how the lions are not themselves combatants here. Another could be how Monroe pulls the equivalent of a thorn from the hand of the top fighter (who is some sort of reptile), but then pulling the thorn doesn’t do the expected thing of softening the other Wesen’s regard for Monroe when they’re pitted against one another. It’s cool to see Nick fight physically in this one, sans gun, but it’s all pretty straightforward.

The most evocative, upsetting, and, also, interesting thing in the episode is probably the image of a bunch of white men on horseback lassoing and dragging a Black man. Of course, these are all technically Wesen in this universe, but the uncomfortable historical echoes here, along with the contrast of modern and not, obviously feels resonant. This is just another one of those things the show feels not at all equipped to do much with…

In terms of charming bits and goofs that could be considered charming, we’ve got the name “Leo Taymor” for the head Lowen, which I did not catch until quite late in the episode (and groaned when I figured it out). Nick also points out the appropriateness of “Leo” (to Leo himself) just in case anyone in the audience missed out. I found myself wondering if the lowlifes who presumably attend and bet on the fights actually understand Latin, though, or if Leo is just as good as speaking gibberish at them when he announces and commences these bouts. Whatever “wrath” Renard brings down on him in the end sounds an awful lot like a comedy badger, from Ernest Goes to Camp, maybe.

Maybe part of the “problem” is that “Last Grimm Standing” ultimately feels like an episode on its way somewhere else. The plot of the week does take up a sizeable chunk, but the way that the episode spotlights Renard in his own parallel story involving the fights (that he’s apparently kind of in charge of them) is obviously texture and characterization leading somewhere else. This is where we start to run up against my lack of knowledge outside this first season, but the Latin, the John Wickian secret honorable society stuff, Leo referring to Renard as “highness” and “royalty”—The antiquated vibe is a unifying element of the episode (Monroe emphasizes the historical value of the stuff in Aunt Marie’s trailer as well), but it’s also gesturing toward the larger plot, at least what I remember of it.

This is also the vibe with the ending: Renard gets his revenge on Leo for crossing him, leaving the audience with a lot of questions about his whole deal, while Nick is on his way home very late on his anniversary with Juliette, having missed dinner and left her in the dumps. This too is a gesture toward larger/longer plot threads, further putting emphasis on stories to come rather than this one. And that’s fine! I just wish I had felt a little better served by the story of the week to balance things out.

[unsafe-chikku]

Finally caved and decided to watch the first of the new doctor who episodes. Gotta say I already really like this Doctor!

I’ve been an off and on fan for a while. I started with 11 and obsessively watched all I could going backwards from there while keeping up with 11.

I dropped off midway through 12 bc it wasn’t really fun to watch anymore. I tried 13 but unfortunately her era was also kinda stale. I couldn’t get past 2 episodes. I liked the Doctor herself but the rest didn’t have the Vibes I wanted.

I don’t think it’s a masterpiece of tv but it is good fun. At its best it’s a solid Sci-fi/action/drama with some incredible singular episodes.

However It’s worst is iffy. While bad sci fi can be a lot of fun too (Campy and weird with soap opera drama, ect) it can also be very…stale, when it’s too much badly written drama and not enough camp.

So I’m hoping that I’ll at least like this era of Doctor all the way through.

[shadowsong26x]

So, back...like...10-12 years ago, I put together a fanmix (do we still call them that lol) for S3 of BSG. I had plans to do similar mixes for the other seasons (one song per episode, plus an overall/summary/opening song), but never got around to it.

Anyway, I was reloading my iPod for the first time in like...four years lol...and Days Upon Our Knees (the mix in question) was one of the things I added, and I was listening to it in the car.

And I was Pleasantly Surprised to see how well it holds up??? Even without tracking down my notes/rationale, almost every song at least Makes Sense (even if there are probably better choices I could have made/could make now). A couple of them are just ::chefskiss: perfect (As Long As You’re Mine for Unfinished Business; I legit do not think I could pick a better song for that episode lol). The only ones that I’m like “...where was I going with this” were Torn and A Measure of Salvation frankly I’m not 100% sure where the writers were going with that either but maybe I’ll figure it out when I rewatch those episodes this weekend

ANYWAY.

Full track list is behind the cut because I’m pleased with myself and feel like sharing XD (with links to the songs on YouTube because Why Not)

1/overall/summary: Days Upon Our Knees (International Victim)

2/occupation: Trommeln in der Stadt (Der Glockner von Notre Dame) [yes, this is in fact a full broadway-style adaptation of disney’s hunchback of notre dame, in german; it was the first version, premiered in 1999 in berlin. i like it much better than when it was translated back into english and got Weird. title translates to ‘drums in the city’; the english version was i think ‘city under siege’?]

3/precipice: March of Cambreadth (Alexander James Adams) [i don’t really have any complaints about my choices for the new caprica arc lol]

4/exodus 1: What Have You Done Now (Within Temptation) [i’m 95% sure i was mostly thinking of saul and ellen when i picked this one]

5/exodus 2: Into the Fire (The Scarlet Pimpernel) [see note on march of cambreadth]

6/collaborators: Sweet Sacrifice (Evanescence) [i think i could do better here, probably, but it does work]

7/torn: The Show Must Go On (Moulin Rouge!) [...yeah i got nothing]

8/a measure of salvation: His Hymn (Drew Sarich) [i try not to repeat artists on these things, and teeeeeechnically i did; since international victim was drew sarich’s band for a while. also, i’ve developed much stronger associations with a different fandom for this song (which i adore) which might be contributing to the ‘...huh?’ befuddlement i’m feeling now lol ETA: i feel like i might have considered this for collaborators if only because it does work as a gaeta song for the second half of the series, particularly post-demetrius...i think if i was doing these now, i’d replace this and try to work it into the s4 mix for that reason.]

9/hero: I Can’t Decide (Scissor Sisters) [this is kind of a weird episode, and i don’t super remember it? but i don’t remember this song not fitting...guess i’ll find out when i get here in my rewatch!]

10/unfinished business: As Long As You’re Mine (Wicked) [IT’S PERFECT OKAY I REGRET NOTHING]

11/passage: The Prayer (Quest for Camelot) [i think i know what i was going for here, and i can’t say it doesn’t fit, but i think i could do better]

12/the eye of jupiter: Confutatis (Mozart Requiem) [this was partly vibes, partly i thought the translation worked; i still like it even if maybe there were better choices]

13/rapture: O Magnum Mysterium (Tomas Luis Victoria) [this is 1000000000% vibes, lol. it’s technically a christmas song, but it just Sounds Right]

14/taking a break from all your worries: Break Me Shake Me (Savage Garden) [so i think this would’ve worked better on a baltar/six mix rather than here, but it Does fit. and i’m not sure what would work better, unless i picked something more aligned with the Quadrangle of Why half of the episode which. no. why the hell would i do that.]

15/the woman king: Man of La Mancha (Man of La Mancha/Linda Eder cover) [so, basically, the goal here was to pick a helo song. and i think ‘impossible dream’ is a better fit for him, but i think this one fits the episode a little better and also i really love this cover. almost as much as i hate this episode lol]

16/a day in the life: I’ll Be Seeing You (Frank Sinatra) [i’m pretty sure i hesitated on this one because i also used (a different version/cover of) it on a baltar/six mix (because Come On), but also...i’m not sure i could find a better fit for this weird, weird episode. (i don’t dislike it, exactly, but it feels...out of place? tonally, i mean. and not in a Relevant Way like TMUTMD does, but i suppose i’ll get into that when i get to the back half of this season in my rewatch notes lol)]

17/dirty hands: Do You Hear the People Sing (Les Mis) [i think this is a good fit for this episode. there’s probably a better (or at least more specifically relevant) one out there, but i think i’d have to Actively Look, if that makes sense? also, apparently a not-insignificant part of the fanbase actively dislikes this episode??? which...i don’t really...get? like...do people dislike chief? i know it’s not one of bill’s shining moments but at the same time...]

18/maelstrom: Storm Front (Billy Joel) [okay this one i took way too literally lol. i could probably do better here but this one doesn’t not fit]

19/the son also rises: Razzle Dazzle (Chicago) [again. perfect. no regrets. XD]

20/crossroads 1: Comfort and Joy (Bat Boy: The Musical) [i could have taken this one more seriously, lol. but i like this song and it does work so i stand by my decision XD]

21/crossroads 2: All Along the Watchtower (Bear McCreary) [yeah i had to]

((i also transferred the baltar/six mix (apart from one song that i know i’d replace; i even know what i’d replace it with lol) and a cylon pairing mix, both made around the same time; i might do the same thing with them after i play through them properly XD))

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL

June 2023 Wk 3 

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Step By Step (Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 9 of 12 - There sure is a lot of drinking in this show (who am I to talk?). Omg so awkward: The not-break-up not-confession. I have heartburn. Also I could not watch Jeng break down. Just nope. Then time jump? If that was our DOOM episode the timing is off. Or next week is the final? Or we get 3 eps of domestic bliss and sexitimes? I’m confused. 

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 9 of 10 - I like how trope-subversive this show is - first soulmates, then love triangle, now the faen fatal. NO SINGING. Oh good. They didn’t! Yay! So yeah I still love it. But I am also still a touch scared of where it might go. This one can’t be trusted. 

Be My Favorite (Fri YouTube) ep 5 of 12 - not a bad ep this week or was I too drunk to register nuance and damage? You decide. Trash watch here.

Luminous Solution (Sat Gaga) ep 5 of 6 - I always have to psyche myself up to watch this show, because I want to fast forward through most of it, but it’s on Gaga so that’s damn near impossible. At least this is the penultimate episode. I think after 3 BLs I can safely say Gun is just not a good actor. Speaking of... crying clothed in the shower? I haven’t seen that trope in years. But I LOVE the high school boys and their story so much. Love Sick level of earnest floppy goodness, I’m such a sucker for this kind of romance. I want them to be in a completely different BL. I’m so conflicted. I NEED this show to end so I can decide how I feel about it.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Love Tractor (Korea Weds iQIYI) eps 5-6 of 8 - So much is happening, evil x-boyfriend shows up. We got flashbacks to coming-out drama + nasty dad (super unusual for a KBL). But baby’s first taste of desire is hilarious. This one is full of lovely contrasts, and contrasting life experiences. It’s all about support and neglect. 

Tokyo in April AKA Shigatsu no Tokyo wa (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 2 of 8 - Very much full of hero worship and giving me My Beautiful Man vibes (only softer and office set). “Dazzling” = always an interesting word when it comes up in JBL subs. It’s clearly a Japanese word/concept like kawaii  that is more complex than the English word being used. Meanwhile, this being Japan we get lots of hints as to separation and dark past events. 

Tie The Knot (prev Under the Same Sky) (Pinoy YouTube) eps 1-2 of 8 - From OXIN Films (Rainbow Prince), based on a true story (?!), Briggs's family runs a bridal business but he has never fallen in love until he meets a groom to be in an arranged marriage. EXACTLY the same premise at Mame’s forthcoming Wedding Planner. There are so many characters and prospective couples (including a v bi girl with a female fuck buddy, not seen that in a BL before) that it is a little hard to keep straight (heh). I’m sure it will shake out. It’s intriguing so far, if a touch silly. I actually like the arranged marriage premise because the two rich kids involved in it are so weirdly kind & platonically sweet to each other, even if they’re both on the same page about it only being for show. 

Vian the series (Vietnam YouTube ) ep 7 & 8 of 12 - Apparently there is very little difference between a cat and a demanding princess of a boyfriend. That clocks. Basically this was the dating times. 

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 11 of 12 - There is a lot more meat to this silly little BL then I thought there would be given the premise, but it’s Japan so that’s as it should be. But, as it’s Japan there’s also a little too much cringe for me. I do enjoy how generous Japan is with late bloomers and I would def like to host a kimchi party  but otherwise... meh. 

Stupid Genius (Vietnam Fri YouTube) ep 3 of 6 - Bi erasure still alive and well I see. This one remains fine for VBL but no more than that.

It’s airing but ...

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) 12 eps - I bounced at ep 3. Will binge if told it is worth it at end.

Stay (Pinoy YouTube) 7 eps - It’s mostly in English and set in LA so I’m not bothering but the first one did drop.

Ever After (Pinoy YouTube) - I investigated but as spies reported it's a real mess (not a hot one). Don’t bother. 

About Us but Not About Us (Pinoy Prime?) - from 2022 supposed to be finally getting inter distribution, didn’t show in my territory. A professor grieving the loss of his partner meets an ambitious literature student. I’m not fussed. 

Stay With Me ... NO! 

In case you missed it

What Did You Eat Yesterday movie, BL Express posted a review. I’ve yet to get hold of it but if you enjoy Our Dining Table this is it’s grown up parent series & movie. 

Café in Love - I finally got around to watching this. And frankly it hits all the tropes but is so damn bad. The setting is cute, the central brotherly relationship is sweet, the side cast is v queer (baby gay has all these auntie queens catting about) and some complex bisexual awakenings but… but… everything else is a chemistry void. Some fun language wordplay and exploration of cultural tropes like cheek kissing does not save it from an unnecessary amount of punching  and a but ton of sexual harassment and statutory rape. No thank you. I had to rewatch Destiny Seeker to get over this. 3/10 

I gave up 

Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa (Japan Sun ????) 10 eps - NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS and no, I have no idea where to get it, why would I? Apparently it finished. I still can’t find it but it’ll be off this list next week.

Why You (Khmer ????) - Billed as a horror romance, not sure if this is a movie or a series where it aired... nothing except that it exists.

Next Week Looks Like This:

3 BLs are finishing but nothing is starting up. We running lean these days. 

Just started today (Sunday): Dinosaur Love (Thai iQIYI) Trailer 10 eps - from Ultimate Troop about a uni student, Rak, whose partner cheats on him with Rak's best friend. This gives bad boy hazer Dino an opportunity to hit on Rak at last. From The Yearbook people so I shouldn’t watch this as it airs. After Remember Me? I swore never again with them. But there’s so little on right now, I might fall on the pulp sword. 

I’ll include it in next week’s summation. 

I’ll have the July 2023 upcoming for you next week too. 

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

I love him, Your Honor. (Be My Favorite... HIM, he’s my favorite.) 

I love them, Your Honor. (Luminous Solution) 

Watch a tiny GL ship set sail across the seas of overly optimistic tumblrs... (La Pluie)

MY PRECIOUS! OMG I LOVE HER SO MUCH. (Tie the Knot) 

Incidentally, I would like a future as a dictatorial elder queer running a slightly shady business fleecing the straights via their dumb marriage traditions surrounded by nubile half-naked hotties.

And ya know what? I think this is achievable life goal for me. 

Gotta go, I have a future to plan. 

(Last week.)

[gremoria411]

Alrighty then, I finished watching Gundam: The Witch from Mercury’s season finale yesterday, so I’m gonna note down my thoughts here, starting with characters, with another post about the mobile suits.

Spoilers ahead, obviously.

I really enjoyed the progression of Suletta and Miorine’s relationship during the season. It had a lovely slow-burn with moments of extreme heat quality to it (if that makes sense as a metaphor), particularly episode 11. The other members of Earth house are absolutely charming as well, them each having a solid personality to get attached to. I was disappointed we didn’t see a little more of them, but I expect they’ll be much more prominent in the next season. I was pleasantly surprised by Chuatury Panlunch, who’s just wonderful to watch and I enjoyed what little we saw of Nika Nanaura (though considering Chuchu’s getting a new suit next season, we’ll definitely be seeing more of them).

I did love the contrasts between the parents this season, with the outwardly nice Madame Prosepera/Elnora Samaya being contrasted with the aloof and standoffish Delling and Harsh Vim Jeturk, who nonetheless love their children (though I admit I may be reading into the season finale a little much there). I was honestly kinda sad to see Vim go, just because the Jeturk’s have just been so interesting to watch and the loss of one is unfortunate. Though this does mean that Guel’s younger brother Lauda is now head of the company.

Which, if I’m being honest, seems like it’s gonna end really badly.

Talking about the Jeturk’s neatly segues into talking about the rivals - Guel, Shaddiq and Elan. I’ve been absolutely loving Guel’s arc this season, with his actions during the finale being (while horrifying) an absolute standout. I’m very much looking forward to seeing where he goes from here (and I really hope he doesn’t die). Shaddiq’s been interesting, and I find it notable that he’s been basically dominating the scene except when he’s in a mobile suit, where he gets absolutely wrecked. I do hope we get to see more of his entourage in subsequent seasons though, since they’ve only really been stomped by suletta so far. Of note is that so far he appears to be the only character to have a genuinely positive relationship with his father, which is interesting.

Elan is difficult to talk about, principally because there’s three of him (so far). Number four (the first one we see) is only around briefly and while lovely, exists mostly as a sacrificial lamb to establish the darker tone. Number 5 (the manipulative one) hasn’t done all that much yet, so I have little to say about them. The original (the one in the suit) has officially dethroned Delling as the villain I most look forward to getting their comeuppance. We also haven’t seen that much of Peil’s CEO’s yet, though at a guess I’d say they’re the bigger threat here.

Now just some other observations that don’t really fit anywhere else:

While Dawn of Fold is interesting (since we’re finally seeing some more Earthican representation), I care more about the individual characters (Norea Du Noc, Sophie Pulone and Naji Geor Hija) than their actual cause, at least for the moment. Again, very much looking forward to seeing more of them, and their relation with Nika (Though I do fully expect at least two of them to die horribly at some point).

I was very happy to see Kenanji Avery (the antagonist from the prologue) make a return, even though I’m absolutely certain he’s going to die at some point.

I really wanted to like and trust Lady Prospera/Elanora at first, but eventually the manipulation and Char vibes just got too strong.

Speaking of, I do suspect that Suletta’s whole “move forward gain two” mantra might be a blockword or trigger phrase or something, given how utterly Gung Ho she is about killing people during the final parts of the finale. Then again, I suppose she could just be applying what her mother’s taught her without fully thinking about the consequences (really girl, don’t try to be all romantic while you’re covered in blood). I did love the symbolism of her mother leading her onto the bloodstained floor though, that was really great.

[lerios]

tagged by all time icon @baynton 💕 this has been in my drafts for like a month because i wanted to answer it after i properly started succession but now i get the feeling its gonna take a while to get a proper grip of that show lmao😅

List 5 favourite shows (in no particular order) and answer questions accordingly.

1. bbc quacks

2. firefly (my absolute beloved 😍)

3. its always sunny in philidelphia

4. bbc ghosts

5. fuck it, critical role (i don't watch much TV lol)

1. Who is your favourite character in 2?

Favourite? probably Wash my gorgeous comedy boy with an icon wife i spent years simping over, BUT i don't think we can ignore how fucking fixated i was on Simon. like, he was gender envy before i knew that Gender™ was a thing.

2. Who is your least favourite character in 1?

i lowkey highkey want to throw hands with Robert. how dare you marry a girlboss and then not appreciate her wtf. give me her number

3. What’s your favourite episode of 4?

the Thomas Thorne Affair popped off. like yeah sure my skrunkly is centre stage but also the episode is just really well done.

4. What is your favourite season of 5?

I AM A SEASON 1 TRUTHER. vox machina i miss you so much 😭

5. What’s your favourite relationship in 3?

charlie mac brotp.

6. Who is your anti relationship in 2?

jayne/river shippers are wild, she's like 12 and they don't even get along (also jayne/simon is the real OTP)

7. How long have you watched 1?

well i first posted about it in march, so like 5 months probably

8. How did you become interested in 3?

my mate jon said there was a musical episode so i watched like 10 seasons of it lol.

9. Who is your favourite actor in 4?

okay i don't really know anything about any of them, but ben seems like a vibe. i too write mostly depressing shit and don't talk to anyone about anything 🥰

10. Which show do you prefer 1, 2 or 5?

firefly

11. Which show have you seen more episodes of 1 or 3?

3 because theres 16 seasons of always sunny and only 1 season of quacks 😭😭😭

12. If you could be anyone from 4, who would you be?

my man mike is alive and has a magical badass wife that can talk to ghosts.

13. How would you kill off your favourite character in 5?

my man Percival Fredrickstein von Musel Klossowski de Rolo the third can never die, fuck off. (i'd kill him in a suitably emo way probably. he dies alone and still demon-infested, having scared the rest of vox machina away from caring about him once and for all, then probably getting converted into a vampire).

14. Would a ¾ crossover work?

asdagjsdag YES the gang would make such a big deal of having ghosts, they'd probably try to make money off of julian somehow. robin and charlie would be 100% best friends. the captain would be having a breakdown at thier impropriety 24/7 but fanny would get along with them way better than she'd expect lol

15. Pair two characters in 1 that would make an unlikely, but strangely okay couple.

okay theres not many characters in quacks but i would love to see john/william. john absolutely needs to drug him 🥰

16. Overall, which show has the better cast, 3 or 5?

probably 5 because i got Parasocial about them for a while. pro-lgbt kings.

and i’m tagging: fucking nobody because i don't have the braincells to do social shit rn but i wanted do this when i found it again bc it looked fun

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 01/07/2023 (Stormzy/Fredo, Nicki Minaj/Ice Spice/Aqua)

Content warning: Brief mentions of apartheid, sex and Drake

For a fourth consecutive week, the dynamic duo of Dave and Central Cee hold onto #1 on the UK Singles Chart with “Sprinter” and welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

As always, we start with our notable dropouts, songs exiting the UK Top 75 - which is what I cover - after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. This week, that list includes “messy in heaven” by venbee and goddard. (just in time, more from venbee later), “Chemical” by Post Malone, “Green Green Grass” by George Ezra and “Whistle” by Jax Jones featuring Calum Scott, as well as “It’s Crazy” by J Hus, “Can’t Tame Her” by Zara Larsson, “Hell n Back” by Bakar and “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen. These are mostly long-running hits, all getting pushed out this week thanks to the impact of Glastonbury and some other gains that have the chart kind of in a hectic state this week despite the lack of many new entries.

That hectic state led to some of last week’s debuts dropping disproportionately hard, though something tells me the songs themselves are kind of at fault too, not really resonating as well as they could have, especially for songs such as “Attention” by Doja Cat or “Don’t Say Love” by Leigh-Anne both safely outside of the top 40. With that said, I don’t really cover losers but rather notable gains filling in the gaps, and we do see boosts for “UNAVAILABLE” by Davido featuring Musa Keys at #60, “Sittin’ on Top of the World” by Burna Boy at #39 partly thanks to a remix with 21 Savage that doesn’t really work, “umean” by Gunna at #22, “Popular” by The Weeknd, Playboi Carti and Madonna at #18, “0800 HEAVEN” by Nathan Dawe, Joel Corry and Ella Henderson at #13, “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift at #12 and Peggy Gou grabbing her first top 10 hit with “(It Goes Like) Nanana” at #9, which is great. We also see a lot of returning entries in relation to Glastonbury performances, like “Do I Wanna Know?” by the Arctic Monkeys back at #70 (it peaked at #11 in 2013), “Sweet Child o’ Mine” by Guns n’ Roses at #40 with its 210th week on the chart (it peaked at #6 in 1988, my favourite of theirs is “Estranged”) and “Until I Found You” by Stephen Sanchez back at a new peak of #14 thanks to his performance with Sir Elton John, who also sees two of his top 10s return to the top 40: 2021’s #1 “Cold Heart” (PNAU Remix) with Dua Lipa at #30, and 1983’s #4 “I’m Still Standing” at #34. Lewis Capaldi’s set at Glastonbury was particularly notable when it was complicated by a Tourette’s episode, and with no pun intended, I wish him the best, and I’m sure his fans do too since “Wish You the Best” is up to #43 and we see returns for “Forget Me” at #63 and “Someone You Loved” at #49. Hopefully I haven’t missed anything.

The top five on this week’s UK Singles Chart is immune to all the nonsense below it, as it consists of “Dancing is Healing” by Rudimental, Vibe Chemistry and Charlotte Plank at #5, “Giving Me” by Jazzy at #4, “Miracle” by Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding at #3, “Who Told You” by J Hus featuring Drake at #2 and of course, “Sprinter” at #1. Now to get into our small but still kind of unusual batch of new entries.

NEW ARRIVALS

#73 - “die young” - venbee and Rudimental

Produced by Rudimental and Digital Farm Animals

venbee is back for the follow-up to “messy in heaven”… yay? I’ve not been impressed by anything they’ve put out yet, but maybe this collaboration with Rudimental will deliver? Given their recent output, I kind of doubt it but I can hope this is a more unique song from them. Yeah, it’s not. The religious imagery is back but it doesn’t nicely fit with the rest of the content so it feels a bit tacky, especially with the very typical acoustic guitar frolick that I figured venbee was at least slightly above, but this is very typical UK pop, and she just sounds like Anne-Marie here… without whatever remnant of personality she commands at her best. It’s drenched in reverb and everything as a result feels underweight, even the drum and bass drop which feels half-empty with venbee just repeating the refrain in the most deadpan way possible over a rote breakbeat loop. I like the constant presence of the warping bass, but it has no room being here - however under-emphasised - on such an airy, barely existent track. Drum and bass had a nice revival but if it’s going to end with the overly pop-infused dreck that killed it back in the mid-2010s, then I guess it’s time for this second revival to either stop dead in its tracks or come up with some desperate new ideas.

#65 - “Oh U Went” - Young Thug featuring Drake

Produced by FNZ, Metro Boomin and BoogzDaBeast

Young Thug’s new album BUSINESS IS BUSINESS released last Friday - probably in attempt to pay for those legal fees - and it charted only at #15 on the UK albums chart but will probably fare much better in the US. I’m a Thugger fan so you can call me easily pleased but I did think it was a great album, maintaining a pretty interesting balance between the slightly grimmer production and Thug’s typical posturing. In simple terms, it went hard and “Oh U Went”, even if it’s the obvious pop hit, definitely fits into that category. The filtered Stylistics sample is cute, especially with the little chipmunk vocal blip, and the strings command the style and… class of the song pretty well. This definitely isn’t one of Thugger’s best performances on the record, as he essentially just… says nonsense, I can’t lie, none of this makes sense, and it’s probably not supposed to. Every line is punctuated with an “ayy” or “oh” to make it seem a lot more cohesive though, and his flow is as infectious as it usually is. Really, the star of the show here is Drake, who deviates from the flow of the rest of the song for what might be his most awake-sounding verse in years. I’m never into his brand of flexing, but the rhyme schemes are tight, the punchlines are typical corny Drake stuff that’s just vaguely clever enough to make it fit for an Instagram caption and well, he actually sounds energised on this, for the first time in what seems like forever. This is far from my favourite track on the album - I much prefer the darker menace on songs like “Money on the Dresser”, “Wit da Racks”, “Uncle M”, “Want Me Dead”, “Mad Dog” and “Jonesboro”, but even when it comes to the flashier pop-rap sparkle that Thugger can express on occasion, the (sadly) Dr. Luke-produced “Went Thru It” is much groovier and has one of Thug’s most enthusiastic performances on the album. I wouldn’t be surprised if a sleeper hit from the album ended up charting afterwards, but for now, “Oh U Went” is a fine selection.

#55 - “Makeba” - Jain

Produced by Yodelice

Okay, this is going to require a whole lot of context that I’m far from the best person to provide. Miriam Makeba is a legendary South African singer known for fighting for civil rights both at home against the apartheid regime as well as in the US, with both South Africa and America having governments hostile to her for her activism despite calling both places home. She did live to see the end of apartheid, dying in 2008, but is mostly remembered for her powerful breakthrough during that era. Though she had success on the Billboard Hot 100, she never crossed over properly to the UK. Fast forward to 2015, wherein French singer Jain, releases a tribute which charts in Belgium, Scotland and her home country, peaking at #7 in France. The song definitely emulates Afrobeat to an extent, with the squelching horns and bassline - which is incredible - as well as the belting voice lines that… made me realise I’d already heard this, specifically in adverts. The song is not necessarily a tribute to her activism but rather her music, with the song mostly focusing on Mama Africa’s ability to make the whole word dance, making really awkward connections to what she stood for - that first verse, calling Makeba the “real beauty of human rights” and saying that she wants to “feel oppressed”, sounds very misguided at best and exploitative at worst. It’s also pretty stiff for a song about dancing, or at least vaguely about dancing, since she also mentions how Makeba’s smile just made the “sufferation of a thousand more” go. Vanish. Disappear. Yeah, that’s how it works. The song ends with a really strange, bubbly outro with the hook repeating in reversed form and I really find myself scratching my head why this recent TikTok virality has translated into streams. It’s catchy, it’s got a great bassline, but as a full song, it runs out of ideas quickly, and it just feels kind of icky and weirdly insubstantial. This isn’t an album cut either, it was released as a single, so the fault can’t really be placed on the audience for that. I understand the appeal - vaguely - but I’m really not a fan.

#25 - “Barbie World” - Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice and Aqua

Produced by RIOTUSA

Now, I know this may sound strange but… I’m here for cynical commercial shills. If they’re as ridiculous as this one is, I’m kind of fine with them, and Nicki Minaj is definitely no stranger to outright ridiculous pop music, as well as the Barbie moniker, so it makes complete sense for her to take her protégé Ice Spice and make a stupid pop song for the Barbie movie. I love pop music, but I more importantly love pop culture, and “Barbie World” being an officially-licensed drill remix of “Barbie Girl” by Danish pop group Aqua, a song that Mattel initially hated and sued for due to copyright infringement back in 1997, which in itself was an obnoxiously camp parody of the reputation of the Barbie doll brand. For the record, I love the original song, though I prefer “My Oh My” in terms of that first Aqua album. This new single is just a comical late-stage capitalism output of music, and if I’m completely honest with you, “Barbie World” ends up feeling kind of dystopian. This sugar rush of a song is actually kind of well-constructed on paper: just take the hook from the original, which spent four weeks at #1 in the UK during November of 1997, and place a drill beat over it, with one verse each from Nicki and ice Spice, and a hook where they casually trade off bars… then given it’s Nicki, that goes out of the window. The sparkly sample is saturated and drowned out by overly mechanic drill 808s and percussion, and then  we get to the girls and… oh, gosh. The very mission statement - “I’m bad like the Barbie” - sounds kind of stupid anyway, and then we have Nicki’s surprisingly explicit sex bars over the intense Jersey club rhythm of her verse right after some really awkward flowing in the first half. Ice Spice actually shows up Nicki here pretty badly, as her unaffected staccato is much more fit for drill, and whilst I’d like her to sound a little bit more upbeat on a Goddamn “Barbie Girl” sample, her little awkward silences add some needed dynamics and the flow switch when the Jersey club rhythm kicks back in is really solid and focused, leading to a great pay-off in the final chorus. This song is a complete mess, and was probably intended to be for virality’s sake, but I can’t pretend I don’t get a lot of fascinated giggles from this. It’s Aqua’s first UK chart hit since 2000, and probably their last - I don’t even know why they’re credited - and what better way to return to the charts than for one final swing of chaos? I just love and hate that this exists, and Nicki’s Eurodance hellscapes are not going anywhere soon if “Endless Fashion” is anything to go by, so I guess that’s just the motif for this era. Jesus Christ.

#11 - “Toxic Trait” - Stormzy featuring Fredo

Produced by Dave

#11 seems kind of low for a collaboration between three of the biggest UK rappers out now, especially considering it fits in with trends considering the vintage strings being dominated by a guttural 808 and oddly flippery drill hi-hats. To be fair, I kind of get why people aren’t as quick to appreciate this as much as, say, “Sprinter” - Stormzy’s cold delivery is particularly deadpan here, and the chorus is an overly long mess of flows that never really catch on properly. He doesn’t have a second verse either, with Fredo handling the second and he’s honestly never fit that well on drill beats due to how tight it requires his flow to be, and he’s always been a bit looser in his delivery. I understand why Stormzy figures he’d need to do a little bit of back-pedalling after the mostly conscious R&B album he released last year, but he really doesn’t seem to have his heart in it. This is mediocre at best.

Conclusion

Again, kind of an unusual batch but the best and worst end up coming out pretty easily. Jain gets Worst of the Week for “Makeba” with the Dishonourable Mention ending up going to “die young” by venbee and Rudimental, whilst the Best of the Week - somehow - ends up in Nicki Minaj’s court for “Barbie World” with Ice Spice and Aqua, as Young Thug and Drake snab a quick Honourable Mention for “Oh U Went”. As for what’s on the horizon, Olivia Rodrigo and Lil Uzi Vert are coming so prepare for that, I suppose. For now, thank you for reading and I’ll see you next week!