#banger special overall i teared up at the ending

[neospokenworld]

SPRING ANIME 2024 FINAL THOUGHTS

So just like I did months ago with my first impressions post, here are my final thoughts on every anime I started watching that was ongoing this season. I'm gonna list them as they end to be more organized and not have it jump around, so before we start, here's a quick section about the anime I dropped:

Astro Note: I forgot it existed past the first episode not gonna lie lol, I'll probably resume it in the future since it was a fun first episode but other than that nothing else to say

High Speed Etoilé: I wanted to like this so badly, the story could've been interesting but from what I saw it never hooked me at all, plus the 3d was very rigid so overall it wasn't as good to continue

Spice & Wolf: This is one I'll surely resume in the future, I was liking what I was seeing but one day I just lost track of it and never returned. What I saw left me with a very good taste so this is one that I have to resume someday

Okay, now we can begin:

DUNGEON MESHI

Started watching this one when it was at episode 18 and caught up to it really quickly. I honestly wasn't expecting to like it for some reason but as soon as I started it I knew it was gonna be a fun ride altogether. Nice characters, a good story, excellent animation (I mean it's Trigger but this is like my 2nd anime from them) and food that I would 100% eat if it was real lol. I'm glad it's getting a 2nd season because I really wanna see how it continues

BARTENDER: KAMI NO GLASS

This was beautiful, what else can I say? I mean I knew that this anime would be different after watching the first episode, even joking to myself while watching it ''This is premium anime'' lol. Everything from start to finish had this soothing vibe to it that I absolutely enjoyed and not gonna lie I think from episode 6 onward it knew how to push the right buttons on me to make me more and more emotional, by the time I finished the final episode I was on tears of happiness hearing the credits. I don't know how the original was but I think this is a gem of an anime that surely deserves to be talked about more

YORU NO KURAGE WA OYOGENAI

It never stopped delivering peak, back when the first episode aired I knew it would be something special, and while it felt just a little aimless past the episode of their first concert, I think in the end it wrapped up the main points kinda nicely. This is a show that got me feeling emotional on a near weekly basis and always knew how to share banger episodes. Even if it wasn't yuri in the end it was still a beauty of an anime in my opinion, it only needs to polish a few small things here and there to be basically a masterpiece imo and hopefully the manga that is coming along with it can do it

SHUUMATSU TRAIN DOKO E IKU?

This was such a fun ride overall, I gotta admit back on the first episodes I had a feeling this would be something that would break me when they were close to Ikebukuro, but even if in the end it didn't it was still a really good ride from beginning to end. One thing I liked was how the conversations between the girls were a bit faster than in most anime out there, I don't know but that made them feel more natural to me, it was cool to see all of them interact with the weirdness of the world and ngl this finale actually moved me a little lol. Not the best but still a pretty good one all in all

PS: Both the Opening and Ending here are severely underrated, Ga-Ton Go-Ton is on my top 3 for OPs this season and Eureka is easily my favorite ED for the season, both of them are just so good both visually and musically it's surprising to say the least

Part 2 will come when the other 4 end, so probably early next week

[somethingwittyandweird]

What's your favorite game you played this year?

You've activated my “review of my year in gaming” trap card! I was already going to make this post in some form or another, you've just given me the perfect launching point. So, the first thing you should know about asking me for favorites: I never give just one. How could I, when it's been such a banger year of games? (Heads up, this one's going to go long.)

I loved Tears of the Kingdom to death, and it took home my most hours played on Switch. It is a shining example of what devs can do with an extra few months to polish a game. There were so many remarkable moments that testified to how much care and ideas the devs were able to put in. I loved how it used the time since the first game to develop familiar places and characters, adding depth (no pun intended) and also making sure every familiar location had some new twist. The story was a much stronger followup to BotW, and I think this overall has my new favorite ending sequence of anything in the series (I'd love to make a full post sometime about how the final Ganondorf battles just keep getting more spectacular with each new title). I am so, so, so, so normal about this incarnation of Princess Zelda. 

Also in my favorites this year is Fire Emblem Engage, which hit at just the right time to scratch my strategy itch. As a long time FE fan it’s not a surprise I enjoyed this one- though it lost the political intrigue of its predecessor in favor of a more traditional/tropey story, I still had a lot of fun with all its gimmicks and gameplay innovations. Also it is hands-down the most visually appealing game in the franchise, a title previously held by the series’ GBA entries which are masterworks from the peak era of beautiful sprite art. From the incredible crit animations to the spectacle of super attacks to the battle maps which are so beautifully detailed that the game lets you free roam around them after a battle just to appreciate them better. 

I finished the Link’s Awakening remake this year! It was a charming trip back to an older era of Zelda design philosophy and I found it fascinating to compare the ways where the classic puzzles and challenges differ from what the game would be like if it were made today, as well as the places where modern technology allowed for better QoL changes that weren’t in the original. I really enjoyed the music as well, which I find to be a standout among the series still.

Here at the end of the year, I have to give a shout out to Sea of Stars. It has everything you want in an indie darling- very pretty pixel art, very nice music, turn-based battles with timed hits I joke, but Sea of Stars does a great job balancing evoking/paying homage to icons like Chrono Trigger and bringing new gameplay to the JRPG formula. I like its pared-down take on JRPG combat which revamps skills/mana into a much more dynamic resource that’s constantly being spent and regenerated, and I’m a known sucker for character combo attacks which this game has in spades. The later parts of its story are told with a lot of heart, and again I am a known sucker for certain character archetypes. Surprisingly also, I think the movement and exploration is absolutely a standout- not something that’s typically emphasized in the genre. But this game constantly has you hopping across stepping stones, balancing on tightropes, climbing walls and ledges… the emphasis on interesting traversal and verticality is a strength few games like it can boast. 

Before my final pick, I’m including a special section for all the games I didn't play myself but watched my friends play and still want to praise: Hi-Fi Rush, Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, Mario Bros Wonder, Pizza Tower, the Minish Cap Switch rerelease, and more all came out this year and all of them have brought killer music, excellent gameplay, and stunning visuals that I’ve enjoyed to no end. Anyone considering to pick up any of them would find a quality product without a doubt.

With all that said: I think ultimately it has to be Tunic in the end. Underneath its premise of a Zelda/Souls-like adventure game there is a wealth of secrets that goes as far down as you have the courage to delve. It’s a game built to evoke nostalgia for games that you didn’t understand yet, posing as a game that you watched an older sibling play or a game you could only find a poorly-translated foreign copy of. It obscures everything and teaches you its secrets through context, exploration, and discovering in-game pages of the manual (remember manuals?). It’s a game made for lovers of secrets and puzzles, full of hidden paths and trophies that reward inquisitiveness and observation (and taking paper notes). It was when I saw that it not only has a conlang, but that it gives you the hints you need to fully translate it, that I knew I had to get it myself. It spurred me to screenshot every in-game piece of menu text, then spend evenings cross-referencing it to identify phonemes and construct a key.

The rush I got on completing that key is one of two moments I knew this game was absolutely special. The second standout moment is when the game teaches you its hugest secret, and then invites you to prove your mastery of it by presenting you a huge, multi-part puzzle. But, Tunic does the same thing that one of my other all-time favorites, Outer Wilds, does so well: powerups via knowledge, “unlocking” abilities that you always had, you just didn’t know that you did. The pieces to this puzzle are hidden in plain sight; it’s only when the game tells you what you’re looking for that your understanding shifts, everything clicks, and your eyes are opened to the path you have to follow. I don’t say it lightly, but I consider Tunic to be a one-of-a-kind title, and one that delivers completely on its unique vision. 

In case that brick of text doesn’t make it clear, I love this game. 

I love all of these games.

It's a fine time to be alive.

[alamhiganelezen]

Shamagi's Wrestling Corner - NXT No Mercy (2024)

//Sorry for taking so long with this one. I had other things going on. Anyway, enjoy my 2nd installment in this series for what was a very good PPV. My next one will be for AEW All Out (2024).

The NXT x TNA collaboration is the best thing to happen to NXT since the Black-and-Gold era. Getting to see so many talented TNA wrestlers get the spotlight on WWE TV and PLEs (even if it's mostly just NXT) has been an absolute treat and this PLE continued to deliver.

NXT Tag Team Title match: Axiom & Nathan Frazer def. Chase U (Andre Chase & Ridge Holland) (c) - TITLE CHANGE!!! (****)

What better way to open the PLE than with some high flying tag team action. Both teams put on an absolute clinic. Nate and Axiom also get their titles back, and then Ridge Holland turns heel on Chase U to shock the crowd. Not much else to say, really.

Zachary Wentz def. Wes Lee (****1/4)

No title, just a really intense blood feud between two former brothers in arms. The start was a little lackluster, but the rest was essentially a 5 star match to make up for it. They were pounding each other senseless to try and claim superiority and going all out from bell to bell. Then Zach get the assist from Trey Miguel to take the win. I can't wait to see how this feud continues to develop.

NXT Women's North American Title match: Kelani Jordan (c) def. Wendy Choo (**1/2)

The only real stinker on this card. This match could have been a lot better, but it really feels like Wendy Choo is being held back by the character she's playing as she's demonstrated far better in ring ability elsewhere. Instead it felt like Kelani was doing most of the heavy lifting to try and make this match passable. I'd skip this one.

NXT North American Title match: Oba Femi (c) def. Tony D'Angelo (***1/2)

Good effort, Tony. Until now no one had ever kicked out of Oba Femi's powerbomb. But if anything, this only proves that you can delay the inevitable. Oba Femi is an absolute monster and I'd love to see him get a Gunther-like reign with this belt to solidify him in that role. The best part is, he still has a lot of potential to be even better. He'll be tearing it up on the main roster soon enough.

NXT Women's Title match: Roxanne Pérez (c) def. Jaida Parker (****1/2)

My pick for Match of the Night. Roxy continues to put on banger after banger, with this one being one of her best yet. She and Jaida were on the top of their game, and while I honestly would have been fine with Roxy losing I'm glad she retained because we then got to witness the debut of Giulia in WWE! I am so fucking excited for what she's gonna do and I think she'll be the one to dethrone Roxy, most likely as soon as Halloween Havoc. Plus she's half-Doman like me!!! DOMA REPRESENT!

NXT Title match: Ethan Page (c) def. Joe Hendry (special guest referee: Trick Williams) (****)

I'm gonna be honest: this would have been 5 stars if Joe Hendry won. That said, I did go into this match expecting him to lose as he's a TNA wrestler and there's no way WWE would have allowed a non-WWE wrestler to take one of their titles. Still, there was one reason I was invested in this match as much as I was: BELIEF! The whole crowd was behind Joe Hendry. They were singing his theme, they were chanting "We believe!" the whole time, and Joe absolutely fed off of their energy the whole match. He is legitimately the most over babyface in wrestling right now and to have Ego retain feels like a huge missed opportunity. Not to mention the ending kinda fell flat, with Trick Williams (playing the role of guest referee) stopping the count of the backup ref to bail out Joe only to count the pinfall to 3 when Ethan Page hit Ego's Edge for the win. Regardless, this match was really fun to watch and I pray Joe Hendry wins the big one, at least in TNA.

Overall rating: ***3/4

Unfortunately Kelani vs. Wendy was bad enough to drag this show below a 4 star rating, but the rest of the card was so good that it only just barely missed the cut. The tag team match, Zach vs. Wes, and Roxy vs. Jaida are all certified bangers, and while it could have been a lot more the main event ultimately delivered.

Now, sing it with me one more time:

SAY HIS NAME AND HE APPEARS

I BELIEVE IN JOE HENDRY

I BELIEVE IN JOE HENDRY

CAUSE THEY LOVE HIM IN LIMSA AND ISHGARD AND ALA MHIGO

TULIYOLLAL, THAVNAIR AND SHARLAYAN AND WACHUNPELO

THEY SAY "I BELIEVE IN JOE HENDRY

I BELIEVE IN JOE HENDRY"

WAVE YOUR HANDS FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND SAY

"I BELIEVE IN JOE HENDRY

AND JOE HENDRY IS THE PRESTIGIOUS ONE!"

//I really need to make Shamagi do Joe Hendry gposes

[frogiwi]

HELLO AGAIN TOP 5 ANIME OPS AND EDS FROM YOU AS WELL PLEASE

HELLO CRAB thanks to scrolling through my OST playlist and messaging what i'd include as i went, this shouldn't require as much thought now LOL

extremely long so proceed under the readmore!

OPs:

re:re: by asian kung-fu generation - erased

i mean. this op ruined my life. erased was such a beautiful show that took me on a journey i wasn't expecting and it's my favorite time travel related story ever. i was so moved by it and i was devastated when the op changed because of [spoilers]. the show has a crazy ending but it was thrilling and parts of it were the most anxious i can recall an anime ever making me. what a gift honestly this op makes me tear up whenever i hear it

2. bloody stream by coda - jojo part 2 ed

OK so i was torn between this, sono chi no kioku, and fighting gold, but ultimately this won bc part 2 is my favorite of the three and i love and miss the cgi openings so much so fighting gold's visuals got disqualified. i fucking LOVE this op i linked the version with the extra sound effects but the visuals are all just so fun and i love joseph and caesar so much and coda is brilliant and this song is just a fucking party and FUCK YEAH

3. cry baby by offical hige dandism - tokyo revengers op 1

oh my god i almost forgot to put this one in. i had bnha op 2 peace sign in this list at first and then i was like I FORGOR. anyways cry baby is an incredible fucking op that was part of why i got hooked to tokyo revengers. i have a lot of complicated feelings about this series but overall it still means a lot to me and has been the most involved i've been in a fandom, and it is definitely special to me even after everything. i think this song has a wonderful energy to it that gives me such a strong impression of takemichi and toman and the whole theme of fighting on for a brighter future and the visuals are simple but extremely effective and beautiful. they do a great job at portraying takemichi's struggles. i love u crybaby hero. i love this song dearly

4. hikari are by burnout syndromes - haikyuu op 5 (shiratorizawa arc)

this one is here for a lot of reasons. this arc is one of my favorite parts of haikyuu because of what it means for karasuno to win and go to nationals, but also for my fav character tsukki to finally have his Moment where he gets hooked on volleyball by being able to block ushijima,,, AND the shot of ushijima pushing hinata and tsukki down when the karasuno senpais daichi, asahi, and tanaka come to their rescue and support them to push ushijima back.... there's just so much significance to this season AND in terms of this op itself, the song is so beautiful and the visual where hinata jumps and turns into the crow diving makes me tear up every time (and did again when i rewatched it for this kgjsdg) and i just. i really love it a lot

5. jikai yokoku by tatsuya kitani - sentai daishikkaku

i too am going to include this bc omfg what a fucking banger of a song and the visuals are incredible. both the lyrics and the visuals convey the repeating cycle fighter d is in and his struggle to break free and fight back and i LOVE the parts of the song sung in children's voices because it ties even more into the sentai theme and the words themselves are JUST. ITS SO GOOD WATCH SENTAI DAISHIKKAKU IM SO GLAD I SUCCUMBED TO CRAB'S PROPAGANDA

EDs:

first death by tk from ling tosite sigure - chainsaw man ed 8

this ending ruined my fucking life. ok so i read chainsaw man over a year before the anime aired and like it was good but it was confusing and so i didn't think about it much after that. BUT THE ANIME DID SUCH AN INCREDIBLE JOB i suddenly cared about it so much. the effort that was put into creating a different ed for each episode is remarkable and they're literally all incredible songs with incredible animation and i truly would put all of them on this list. but first death wins because episode 8 ruined me and then this ed singlehandedly made me fall in love with himeno and akihime. i suddenly saw the beauty and tragedy in their relationship and codependency and i was enamored by how the last few episodes of the anime felt like a love letter to himeno. she deserves it. ed 9 (deep down by aimer) is also beloved but this one makes me crazy. seeing aki and himeno at the gravesite where they met, and sharing a smoke, and fighting together perfectly coordinated, and aki at the gravesite alone after her death.... it's so cinematic and a story on it's own and it's just so lovely. i think the song is also very csm and the energy of it is unmatched

2. el canto del colibri by mabanua - megalobox op 2

i was pretty torn as to whether to put the first op, kakatte koi yo by NakamuraEmi, or this one, but i ultimately went with this one because it is a true reflection of the core of this series and i think it being in spanish is a great bridge to the characters of season 2 (it is amazing to watch something where brown characters aren't of an ambiguous minority race; the culture is deeply intrinsic to the themes of this season and it's so special). i don't want to get too in detail and spoil anything but i went into megalobox expecting a regular sports anime and got out of it so much more than that, and it truly touched me. i listen to the entire ost by mabanua often, and it comforts me a lot.

3. datte atashi no hero by LiSA - bnha ed 3

ok this one is just the best bnha ending ever and the official bakudeku anthem of all time, and the fantasy au being animated will NEVER be forgotten. this song is such a joy to listen to and it being about deku's feelings toward bakugou is truly amazing. i love all the details in the visuals and i would love to see more eds like this honestly where the characters are just put into a little AU. it's just really good!!!

4. hunting for your dream by galneryus - hxh ed 2 (yorknew arc)

ok i had to find a version of this with the lead in during the last few moments of the episode bc that was always badass. anyways yorknew arc changed me and i became a deranged beast about chrollo and chrollopika for months. hands down my favorite part of hxh, and i just love the energy of this ed. there is nothing really special about the visuals but i still rly love when it goes through all the phantom troupe members and mostly i am just fond of the memories of this time

5. future fish by style five - free ed 2

dammit ok i put the first ed splash free here at first but i rewatched them both and changed my mind. i watched free rly late compared to like everyone else (2019 i think???) but oh my god i would put every ed on here LOL especially this one and splash free. i love the outfits and "story" of splash free but this one is even MORE fun with all the different profession outfits and the guys just being sillygoofy and oh my god its so cute i miss them so much I NEED TO REWATCH FREE RIGHT NOW

(i have to give honorary number 6 to hyori ittai by yuzu (hxh ed 5) because even tho chimera ant arc was difficult to get through at times, i love this song a lot and the visuals of the gungi pieces especially with gon and killua fuck me up. the ending of this arc with meruem and komugi destroyed me and i cried like a fucking baby)

[queer-and-dear-books]

Title: If I See You Again Tomorrow

Author: Robbie Couch

Genre: Sci-fi | Friendship | Romance | LGBTQ+

Content Warnings: Internalized Homophobia

Overall Rating: 9.8/10

Personal Opinion: I was already convinced that Robbie Couch was my favorite author and then he goes and releases this banger? It is so riveting, unique, romantic, and refreshing. Something Couch does really well is not putting the romance dead center. He focuses on the friendships that the protagonist cultivates first and foremost and the romance naturally comes forward after. And every pairing feels so genuine to me. Clark and Beau especially. They make me believe in destiny.

Do I Own This Book? Technically yes. My friend bought it (and also Blaine for the Win) for me when he was in NY visiting but he also borrowed it so it’s not physically with me at the moment. But yes, I do own it.

Spoilers Below For My Likes & Dislikes:

Likes:

- I love the way everything is connected. I love the way everything has a reason for being. Down to the last detail. Everything from why Clark couldn’t find David Dopamine’s time loop video to why Thom freaked out on day 310 when Beau showed up. It doesn’t matter how small or big the detail was, it was important. The significance of Beau’s errands too, being the key to Clark curing his loneliness is so special to me. Because I love every person Clark came into contact with on day 310.

- Let’s talk about the people Clark met on day 310. Starting with, of course, Beau. Oh my god, the guy is nuts. But his spontaneity was truly magnetic and I can see why people so easily gravitate toward him. He can be a bit over-the-top with his shenanigans but he shines brightest when he is acting over-the-top. 

- Otto is my favorite though. I just love burly bakers. Gentle giants. He deserves a hug. In the loops where he gave Clark the recipe to his blue velvet brownies, I was breaking down in tears. And then when he finally talked about Ben, I just about lost it. My emotions were a mess but Otto is just so kind and so friendly with everyone, I just can’t. I’m getting emotional all over again just thinking about him.

- Emery was an unexpected joy. He feels like a supporting actor in this story which is, well, exactly what he is. Like he fits the role to a T. What I mean by that is that I didn’t really expect much from his interactions with Clark but as they learned about each other, became friends in some loops, I really felt a bond with him. It’s like when you get attached to minor characters in shows and you cheer when they come on screen. That’s how it felt with Emery. Like he was just some guy you want to support and see thrive away from the antics and chaotic messes of the main cast. I hope he gets his breakout role someday.

- Dee is a delight. I mean, she is a whirlwind. And I find it so hilarious that she would reject Clark so vehemently in some loops. Which is reasonable! She is a woman alone at night, she has every reason to have her guard up. But on day 311, when she invited Clark out for BLTs and milkshakes, I could feel her cry for help. Her need to not be alone. And wow, when she explained everything that happened at The Wrinkles concert, it’s no wonder why she felt like she could die from embarrassment. But I love that she found courage in Clark’s vulnerability and was able to share her secret. Not only that but I am just overjoyed that she and Emery are likely going to get their fairy-tale ending!

- Now for the people Clark has known since before day 310. I am talking about Sadie! Oh my god, that ominous, “I need you” text deviation on day 310 had me in a chokehold. I was so fucking worried about her and it turns out she was just lonely without Clark. Not to downplay her loneliness at all! She just moved to a new place before her senior year, that’s nuts. I get why she’s sad. But oh my god, when Clark Facetimed her and she started crying because she missed him, I was all up in my feels because I truly felt their friendship. It was palpable every time they Facetimed but that last one on day 364 had me in a vicegrip.

- Clark’s family! I had already guessed that his dad had an affair. Or at least, I knew he was the one who was actually at fault for the divorce. It was obvious but also still a surprise enough to gut punch me. Like, you see it coming but the impact still surprises you. But god, when Clark decided to check in on his dad for the first time on day 364, I was a mess again. I just can’t handle a family crying session. And I love that Clark was mature enough not to end things on a bad note even if time was going to loop again.

- Then we have mom and Blair. Mom was really trying her hardest to connect with her son and Clark did not make it easy on her. And I understand why. A divorce is a big deal. Combined with their fight and Sadie moving, it’s no wonder why Clark erupted on day 311. But on day 364, when he decided to finally bake with his mom and apologize for what he put her through, I was going to go ballistic. My emotions were everywhere. As if it was not enough for Blair to say, “You’re a great big brother and I love you.” Like stop. Sibling love gets me worse than parental love. 

- Ms. Hazel is such a good therapist. Oh my god, I just, I love when characters actually seek help. And I love that Clark took his therapy homework and therapy itself seriously. It can be so easy to ignore that stuff, to not take that leap of faith, but he did it. And I love how he openly appreciates her sessions. That’s a beautiful thing.

- Now, as if all of these new and old relationships weren’t enough, we have Professor Copeman. Oh the regret and shame she had for not corroborating Runyon’s story, I felt that in my soul. But the fact that they were destined to meet and change each other’s lives in such a big way is just so beautiful.

- And that’s the last thing I need to talk about. The time loop itself! The fact that it happened because Clark and Beau were meant to meet! I’m glad it wasn’t just a romantic soulmates thing like Beau thought. It’s just about two people who will have a deep impact on each other’s lives. Like that is so special to me.

Dislikes:

- Here is my one real gripe. How can Clark even consider that Mr. Thunderburnt’s theory is correct? Firstly, he doesn’t mention Loop Partners. Secondly, if getting trapped in a time loop has to do with a breakup, then why is Clark experiencing it too? Obviously Runyon’s theory is the correct one in this situation! I guess if I was in Clark’s situation, I would not be the most rational but the soulmate theory is just stupid to me. And it kind of upsets me that Beau just refused to believe any other theory. He wasted a lot of days after giving up when he could have enjoyed them with Clark.

- Also soulmate is written as two words and that bugs me.

- Thom. I don’t really like that he was framed as being wrong for wanting a subtle partner. I do think it was wrong of him to try to change Beau into something that fit his needs better, yes. But I don’t know, maybe it’s because of my culture but I just hate the narrative of a relationship being good only if it’s out. The Long Run and The Minus-One Club have shown me just how wonderful in-the-closet relationships can be. When both partners can wait until they’re ready to come out. But yes, I do see why Otto didn’t like Thom or at least, didn’t think he was a good fit for Beau. I just feel so sympathetic toward Thom! As someone who knows people that have been disowned, rejected, and spurned by loved ones after coming out, I can’t not feel some sympathy for Thom. I just hope he finds a relationship that suits his needs from the start.

[pyrobun]

the amount of style content we got in the new special... i am a very happy camper

[agentnico]

The Suicide Squad (2021) Review

This may be the better of the two, but the first Suicide Squad film will always hold the crown for managing to win an Oscar... somehow.

Plot: The government sends the most dangerous supervillains in the world -- Bloodsport, Peacemaker, King Shark, Harley Quinn and others -- to the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Armed with high-tech weapons, they trek through the dangerous jungle on a search-and-destroy mission, with only Col. Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave.

“So that’s it, huh? We’re some kind of suicide squad?” says Will Smith in the original first film, with the line in itself being a poor attempt at a fourth wall break, yet, that movie never reached that promise of being a true Suicide Squad film. Because hardly anyone died, and as a whole David Ayer’s film was a generic mess, regardless of studio interference or not. In comes James Gunn from Marvel, who seems to have cracked the code for how to bring this comic book series to live action in proper gratuitous form, with even the ‘The’ in the title symbolizing that this is the one!

I remember going to see the first Guardians of the Galaxy film at the cinema, and back then I was still only just getting acquainted with watching western media, and that included superhero films. Heck my first ever Marvel movie was Thor: The Dark World! I know, what a banger to start with.......NAAAWT!! Anyway, I went to see Guardians and it was one of the first superhero films I came out of feeling like I truly witnessed something special. It had action, comedy and a good heart to it, and wouldn’t you know, my good old pal James Gunn was behind that flick. I don’t know why I called him my good old pal, I don’t even know the fella. Except in my dreams, but we don’t talk about that. So, flashforward to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which I absolutely hated, and for that movie I’m pretty sure Marvel gave Mr Gunn mostly full reigns of creative freedom, as long as he kept it family friendly, and the result was a mess. Hence naturally now I was really sceptical when James Gunn ended up at Warner Bros. following the controversial moment when cancel culture decided to aim it’s slimy fingers at him, as he was given directing and writing duties for this new The Suicide Squad film, and also it was heavily insinuated that Warner Bros. basically told him he could do with the movie whatever the f*** he wanted, excuse my French. And we remember how it panned out last time when James Gunn was given a lot of creative freedom. 

Flashforward to present day; here I am wondering and scratching my head thinking what in the heavens has happened, as by golly I am happy to report that The Suicide Squad is a total winner and a blast with a capital B - Blast! Gosh goodness golly goblin, this movie is so much fun from beginning to end. Right from the opening sequence you know that this film isn’t holding back any punches. It’s going at a 447.19 km/h speed of a Koenigsegg Agera RS crashing through any barriers like it’s nothing. Speaking of the opening sequence, it establishes why the movie is called what it’s called from the get-go. You straight away are proven how not a single character is safe, minus the obvious one that we know who it is, as there ain’t no way Warner Bros. would have allowed James Gunn to kill off that one character. But besides that person, everyone else feels like they could die at any given moment. That’s really a big charm of it, as it is frustrating how in many superhero films, let alone any blockbuster action flicks, so many characters always feel so safe and unstoppable, no matter how many times they get shot or how many buildings crash down upon them. And yes, this movie features a certain CGI character that constantly gets that treatment and survives, although it’s very self aware in that regard and is purposefully humoristic. But overall the entire set of characters feel easily disposable, and so so many of them die in such gruesome fashion, so indeed don’t get attached, as they don’t. 

Speaking of which, this movie is hardcore gory! You see limbs and intestines flying round left and right, a guy gets ripped in half by a humanoid shark, another’s face gets teared off by a shotgun bullet and so on forth in all kinds of gruesome fashion. Visually this is one for the big screen, as here’s the thing: you’re either a mummy’s boy or you grow some cojones and go see a man’s heart get stabbed with a piece of debris glass in 4K high rate definition! Your choice! Oh, and it’s not just the violence, also the cinematography and the practical set pieces all look incredible. This is easily James Gunn’s best looking movie. The entire think LOOKS incredible!

We also have to talk about the cast, as they are all great! There literally isn’t a single weakling among them. Each one, no matter how big or small their role is, brings something to the table. I can’t talk about all of them, as we’d be here all day, so I’m simply going to mention a few of the stand-outs. Idris Elba comes in to replace Will Smith as a character called Bloodsport, who is in some ways a different character but evidently is a replacement of Smith’s. But that’s no bad thing, as with any ensemble movie you still need a main character to latch onto and have an emotional hook towards, and he is that character. In fact, I’d say he’s arguably better than Will Smith in the last movie, or at least he seems to be having more fun here. He works as a solid leading man, however what works even more is his banterous competitive genital-size-measuring back and forth with John Cena’s Peacemaker, who by the way is awesome as that character. He is not a good character, in fact he is as bad as a bad guy can get, especially cause he’s someone who believes that what he is doing is right, making him much more of a dangerous wild card. This is easily John Cena’s best role, with him adding to the comedy one-liners, but also delivering such an interesting character who I’m looking forward to seeing more of in his standalone spin-off show confirmed for next year. Oh, and he wears a toilet helmet on his head which he defines as “a beacon of freedom” which says it all. We also have returning characters from the last film Joel Kinnaman and Viola Davis as Rick Flag and Amanda Waller respectively, and both are given much more room to stretch their talents and spread their beautiful acting wings like the Hollywood angels that they are. Kinnaman’s Rick Flag is the moral compass of the group, as even though Elba is our main guy, he’s nonetheless a villain still, whilst Flag is a genuinely good guy and what is defined as a true American hero, to which Kinnaman fits the part well. And Viola Davis as Amanda Waller is on an absolutely different level. You can tell she’s an Academy Award winner through and through, as she plays such a serious character in an otherwise goofy movie, and so her presence is felt and it is felt BAD! She’s such a despicable yet intimidating personality and she gravitates all of the screen presence to herself. Margot Robbie returns as Harley Quinn, and she gets even more chance to develop this character that she’s played in multiple DCEU films now, and as per usual the Harley Quinn shtick works well for her, though I do kind of wish she didn’t always get all the attention. Look, I think she’s a fun character and Robbie plays her well, however she’s constantly used to overshadow others in these films which I don’t think is too fair, and its evident as ever in this film too. Anyway, the remainder of the cast including Jay Courtney as Captain Boomerang, David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man, Michael Rooker as Savant, Nathan Fillion as TDK, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher 2 (who gave me strong A Plague Tale: Innocence vibes) and many more all play villains, but villains that don’t have particularly great superpowers. This is where the tragedy of Task Force X as a team plays a part, as many of these villains aren’t even good at being villains. They are useless, and the movie is really self aware of this and so treats all characters as they should be. Dare I also not forget to mention the CGI characters in this film, with both Weasel and King Shark being absolute scene stealers! 

The Suicide Squad is the type of wham-bam-thank-you-mam batshit crazy entertainment which exists for the pure reasons of fun. It doesn’t set out to be the best superhero film ever, nor does it need to be. It’s an exhilarating, shocking, funny and amusing ride from beginning to end, with the energy never stopping, and is easily the best time I’ve had with a comic-book film in a long while, and I’m even talking about before COVID! Do yourself a favour and watch this one as soon as you can, as I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - The Suicide Squad is a BLAST!!

Overall score: 9/10

[m0e-ru]

eight months in somebody actually asked me abt visualive instead of me immediately annoying ppl about it without former notice. I might actually write properly for once 😳😳😳

OK OK!!!!! In this essay I will.... I will.... Visualive Adachi.... Visu/BURSTS INTO TEARS/

OKAY OKAY for real I just care Visualive so much (as someone who can’t fully understand Japanese AHAHA)

First I’ll add some foundation about what Visualive really is, then I talk abt Adachi in the latter parts of it because this is technically the first time I’m properly talking about this hehe 🐿

T....table of contents???

Visualive

Visualive the Evolution

Masami Itou

Visualive Adachi

Visualive the Evolution Adachi

Terms and Legend

VL - Visualive

VLE - Visualive the Evolution

stage - shortened for “stageplay”

面白い - omoshiroi (it’s just that specific)

Yuuya - VL Hero name

Hayato - VLE Hero name

Baba - Hero

Masami - Adachi

Taniguchi - Dojima

Saotome - Daisuke

Mamiya - Izanami

I add honorifics but sometimes I forget the hyphen intentionally or unintentionally I’m sorry if it makes it hard to read lol

all links have automatic timestamps for easy viewing. i mean. i hope the timestamps work

VISUALIVE “Persona 4.” A stage adaptation of SMT: Persona 4 by Atlus. It adapts the first part of the story, from the hero’s arrival to after recovering Mitsuo Kubo from the TV world. It also ends on a cliff hanger, showing a teaser of Shadow Naoto being projected on the screen.

It takes up a speedy recapitulation of the hero’s spring life, before slowing down and showing in depth his school life in summer. A day before Morooka-sensei’s death, there is a little skit with Kou, Daisuke and Adachi. The hero walks into the conversation before the two other boys leaving, and Morooka-sensei walking in on the student and detective. The next day follow’s the teacher’s death and the Investigation Team (IT) begin investigating their new lead.

From the words “visual” and “alive,” the niche of this stage was meant to be the fusion of live acting and visual digital projections. All seen from the stageplay with the colorful cast of actors and CG animations being projected on the screen. This offers an opportunity for characters to summon their personas, perform cool visual effects, change the backdrop, or even confront their own Shadows.

Performed in Sunshine Theater from the 15th to the 20th of March 2012. The screenplay was written and directed by Shintaro Asanuma from the theatrical group “bpm.” The video production produced by Shutaro Oku, a film director and visual planner. He later takes over as director for VISUALIVE THE EVOLUTION, the sequel stage. The stage music was produced by Shunsuke Wada, with a special show exclusive vocal track sung by Shihoko Hirata.

On this note, I haven’t seen any sort of original soundtrack released for any of the stages and I’m SO SAD. The last song in Mitsuo’s boss fight was such a BANGER and literally EVERYTHING ELSE Marvelous, Wadasan please take my MONEY

Regarding the cast, there were some special accommodations for Teddie, Rise, and Nanako, all of which did not have live actors at the time. During the casting, actors for the three characters could not be found or simply left the directors unsatisfied they couldn’t cast anybody. An exception for Rise, who was able to have a live actor in the sequel stage. It has been stated that there weren’t any “pretty boy” actors that fit the “Teddie Criteria.” While there weren’t any child actors that were believed to portray Nanako well.

Teddie was only ever seen in his bear costume while Rise was busy talking through a call, all voiced by their video game cast. Nanako has never appeared on stage, only being scarcely mentioned in the script. Again, this is different in the sequel stage where her role was extremely important and was shown as a screen projection.

VISUALIVE “Persona 4” THE EVOLUTION. A sequel stage. Beginning abruptly in the middle of Shadow Naoto’s boss fight, the story continues from there until the “true end” of the game’s original story. *Certain characters are introduced while others have been reintroduced. And on a personal note, when it’s all comedic in the beginning, it’s all for what’s coming right after.

I don’t know if I’m salty or just find it really funny AHAHA I might go talk abt it some other day with more context ehehe

Performed in The Galaxy Theater from the 3rd to the 9th of October 2012, only a few months after the PSVITA Persona 4 Golden release, which is July 2012. The screenplay was now written by Jun Kumagi while directed by Shutaro Oku. And music production finally taken over by Shoji Meguro himself.

---

HAHAHA this is starting to look like a wiki page. moving on. I might start rambling rn

(warning LONG !!!! aaa,,)

My thoughts on the stage adaptations. For the first Visualive (VL) I believe it’s pretty close to canon! I enjoy the characterization and how much love and care was present when handling the entire production.

Actors were busy playing the game itself, wherein a PS2 was present in the practice room. Along with magazines and game guides explaining the game’s story and the characters itself. Actors performing together and even improv acting together to get a grasp of their characters. All of them knowing well of Persona 4 as a well loved game, delicately handling their characters and hopefully performing them right while making the audience happy.

The staff taking care of each other while the director and video producer, Asanuma-san and Oku-san, working together well to make their vision into a reality.

The same thing happened with VL the Evolution (VLE) and literally every other good stage. Except... I feel the script kinda got out of hand with too much liberty where it feels a bit more disconnected from canon. But! It makes up for it in its content, whether comedic or (INCREDIBLY) dramatic! It’s great as its own story at that point. So in this case, I like to take the first VL and get to connect it canon, while I don’t know what the hell happened in VLE to the point I’ll just enjoy it as its own content.

These opinions deserve its own essay, post whatever bc I have SO much to say abt this. ANYWAY. VL ADACHI

---

Tohru Adachi is portrayed by Masami Itou (伊藤マサミ), a screenplay writer, director and an stage actor himself. He does have a single character voice role along with a fellow troupe member in the same franchise, but mostly works as the former three. He is part of Asanuma-san’s entertainment group “bpm.” On a similar note, Masashi Taniguchi, Dojima’s actor, was also part of their group from 2011 to 2016, which may explain their good synergy as the boss and the bumbling fool dynamic. I mean, somebody’s gotta get hit in the head every few skits.

With Masami-san being an important part of the cast, he doesn’t appear as often as Taniguchi-san in backstage content like the VL bonus disk or the official blog. Mentioned in his own personal blog, he had been busy with his roles as assistant director (I am assuming also for VL).

Also fun to note, because his role is mainly comic relief, he has been using his liberty to change up the material almost everyday making each performance exciting. This also leaves some other actors jealous of his freedom in his role, such as Saotome-san, Daisuke’s actor.

---

VL Adachi really has a... how do I say this? an adorable speech pattern (THE SAME SPEECH PATTERN THAT DROVE ME MAD TRYING TO DECIPHER I THOUGHT YOU WERE A CITY BOY OSSU OSSU MY ASS /shakes you violently/). Overall, he really fits the loose lipped bumbling fool, and his accent really makes him seem more casual and invested. What I’m saying is... VL Adachi either actually has genuine empathy or he actually has more energy to fake it (compared to some other edgelord. i mean you saw my p4ga analysis. I’m sick of him lol ahaha).

One of my favorite ways to explain this (OTHER THAN CHAIR CAR ADVENTURE MY BELOVED WE’LL GET TO THAT LATER) is the rice field scene with him and Dojima. It’s overanalyzation time 🎉

(43:04)

While investigating, Adachi whines about being tired while Dojima smacks him in the head. In this case, it’s established that Adachi doesn’t want to be there, yes? It’s the country, it’s hot and it smells like green.

"Ah... Dojima-san..! Why don't we take a break? (...) There really is nothing out here... Is the criminal still even here at all? (...) I wonder if I've passed being a rookie yet. Haha, but this city doesn't even have convenient transportation. I can't go to leisure lands (recreation, amusement parks, arcades, ect.) and head home at all."

Adachi then tries to tell Dojima a story. “when I got to this city after being newly assigned, I met an interesting guy (...) Yeah, I remember that the cherry blossoms haven't bloomed yet. So, I was driving my car and got near the station and--” Dojima gets a phone call.

Adachi politely puts his hands down waiting for his boss to finish so he can finish the story. Again and again, Adachi attempts to talk to Dojima about a story he’s so persistent trying to tell someone about. It was so 面白い that he would find someone to talk to about it. Even being polite and patient enough to wait for a chance to speak. He even gets fed up with it and blows up in front of his boss, clearly irritated he’s not given a chance to talk.

Sure, it could be Adachi feeling fed up like a normal person where someone agreed he to listen to him, before being constantly ignored. Or Adachi trying to be a more annoying whiny brat, depending on where you look at it.

If the story wasn’t too “interesting” to Adachi, he would’ve just brushed it off and stopped talking to Dojima entirely, or start up new small talk, or even complain some more. But no, he had a story he wanted to voice out so bad that he got irritated that the one person in the vicinity couldn’t listen to him.

Only after Dojima told him to continue their investigation elsewhere did Adachi finally stop and focus on something else. Maybe that story was for another day, or maybe it was never meant to be told.

What if it was just original (game) Adachi? He’d find a way to squirrel out of the investigation as usual, or push Dojima to “investigate” elsewhere. “Hey boss, don’t you think it’s hot? Why don’t we go elsewhere? We’ve seen this place too many times to count and I doubt anything new’ll turn up. How about we take a break at Junes, y’know? Where it’s cool? C’mon boss,” something like that.

og Adachi is just really annoying and silly to me. Some grown man thinking he can freeload because he never gets anything out of putting in more energy and effort? I don’t care how tall he is, I will smack him in the head.

Yeah VL Adachi whines, too, but at least it doesn’t look like he’s going to escape and waste his time somewhere else. He just sucks it up stops trying to leave the situation.

Or maybe I’m getting this all wrong and VL is exactly the same and my rage just gets dampened because of Masamisan’s execution of character hmm...

SO. What was his story about anyway? The one he really wanted to share to Dojima?

I mean... it’s obvious enough

First day in town? Spring? Actually mentioned driving a car when literally out of every single persona 4 media at the time was there not a SINGLE mention of Adachi having a car OTHER THAN the same stageplay it’s being mentioned in?

A story, from somewhere around uhh four? five months ago? was something that he remembered so dearly and was willing to share despite it obviously embarrassing him even if he puts the blame on a certain somebody in the same story?

Or maybe it’s because he really had nothing to talk about ever since he realized all his stories from the city weren’t actually that funny or interesting in the first place.

BUT then that would mean out of all the things he could talk about—more whining, complaining, complimenting, small talk—he insisted about talking about this story in particular.

Okay, look. I’m just. Just. As someone who talks too much, of course I have things I actually want people to hear out of all the bullshit that comes out of my mouth. And if the thing I actually want people to listen to doesn’t even get heard, I’d go mad.

Sure, Adachi’d be fine when his complaints or intentionally unfunny jokes get brushed off. But a story of a guy that he thought was so funny, interesting, 面白い gets ignored, he really blew up, even just for a split second, maybe.

And ALL the things that happened in that story—on his first day in Inaba! His car got dented, he had to deal with a weirdo dumbass employee that knew zero personal space, yelled in his ear, who didn’t know how to do their job, got his station reputation messed up on the first day, got his ass grabbed, got (unintentionally?) mocked for his lame stories, and got his car dented for the SECOND time. Probably MORE

And he STILL wanted to talk about it /punches through concrete wall/

yes I’m overthinking about this of course i am

This little tidbit of VL Adachi kinda makes me go insane sometimes—his entire characterization in VL in particular. It was really refreshing to see and how they included both of his characters in it, his facade and how irritated he is of a lot of things underneath. And how flexible his character is immediately working with other characters when there’s sudden improv to balance the situation. Like him and Dojima, Morooka, the attendant, or even Yuuya (hero) himself.

I’ll take Taniguchi-san’s messing around in the VL bonus backstage disc in place of Masami-san being so busy he couldn’t appear in it as often as other characters.

For stagetime that lasted for fifteen minutes or less, my appreciation for VL Adachi, even if he was just comic relief, really rocketed. I say VL, bc Adachi the edgelord he’s supposed to be in literally every other media is something I analyze separately.

I haven’t even gotten to VLE oh my GODDDDD

Like I said, I don’t really regard VLE close to canon but as something to be appreciated for what it is by itself. But the way Adachi was characterized there, in or out of character, still struck me.

---

Yes, there was his strange fan-agreed-canon which is,,, now canon obsession with cabbages (not that that’s a bad thing lmao). There was also him being a lot more jumpy and intimate in a clowny way, patting people on the shoulder or even downright hugging them just to mess around. Even FORGETTING who the same goddam loser who grabbed his ass almost a year ago is. But like, can’t blame him they literally changed their actor (and screenplay writer) AHAHAHA

ha... no more comedy, only dorky sword fights now

(speaking of sword fights I think it’s a fun thought how Mamiya-san [Izanami, also one of the youngest in the cast] admitted it was his first time doing sword fight choreography and even thanked Masami-san and other staff members for guiding him)

One thing unintentionally in character was Adachi accidentally nabbing the sushi overdosed in wasabi. Masami-san didn’t actually account for a joke sushi and didn’t immediately eat it—until Taniguchi-san (who also made Dojima go off his shits compared to VL) jokingly yelled at him and even riled up the audience for him to eat it. He even went off stage to get water just for him to eat the goddam sushi.

And Masami-san did! (kinda choked, but he’s fine).

Continuing from the same scene, while being overly giddy about sushi dinner (and I mean overly--he was singing about it while hopping to the Dojima residence), he tried to remind the two, Dojima and Hayato (hero), that Nanako was sleeping. Probably where she was sick if the scene was translated from the game.

(30:07)

And... the dramatic parts of VLE

Adachi was the one who reported to the IT that Dojima was chasing Namatame in the rain. While Naoto was discussing Namatame’s journal entries, Adachi, as giddy as he is, took it from Naoto’s hands and reveled in the discovery of evidence so childishly(?). He even ran to Dojima when he began regaining consciousness and immediately called the nurses to help him wheel Dojima to the ER.

Then, The Hospital Scene™️, right after Nanako flatlines.

(1:02:02)

Adachi, who recently walked into the scene, immediately worries about Dojima and IT who were ALL crying. He looks down, devastated—before yelling how Dojima’s heading to Namatame’s room.

He yells in terror and the same grief at his injured boss, all while running past and even jumping over children, who fell to the ground sobbing, to get to him. He continues yelling in a pained fashion while immediately reprimanding Dojima to stop. He gets carried by the collar before being tossed to the ground at Hayato’s feet, all while being pat by the same boy.

Dojima makes his speech about how unfair it is for the ‘killer’ to be alive when his daughter isn’t. When he finally falls to his knees, Adachi rises from the ground, humbly saying he’ll do his best to take care of Dojima (or something like that I’m in tears I literally can’t do VLE’s hospital scene i h8 this). He finally starts crying along with everyone else, being pushed away again but still tries again, trying to usher his boss away from the door.

With the help of the guard in front of the door, they all disappear off stage

please... I know this scene doesn’t need that much translation because of how important this scene is in the entire story. and I know my narratives aren’t enough so just,,,, just watch it please it’s so much more than this. everyone’s acting was just spectacular

(1:08:47)

So, after the IT (YOSUKE. JUST YOSUKE. good job Mae-chan) stop themselves from k wording Namatame, it was ADACHI who reported Nanako’s miracle recovery. He ran to the same corridor where they all cried in, even panting and falling to the ground in relief trying to report the good news. Then he pats Hayato on the shoulder and says he’s going to Dojima.

With this... /slaps roof of half of VLE/ ALL of this....adachi.... adachisan.... he Cares™️..... holy shit.....

now. comparing to the game. do you even remember what og Adachi did? did he.. even do anything?????

(56:39)

NO!!! he just stood there!!!! being a bumbling fool but.... inappropriately!!! man. he didn’t act concerned enough.

adachi: /walks into a bunch of kids crying outside a hospital room/ “lmao why tf are y’all crying? did uhhh what’s her face uhhh nanako. did she d word or something? rip, I guess lol” LIKE????? CAN YOU IMPLY FASTER

and then he’s like “wgat hmm Where’s Dojima-san Heading Because That’s Not The Way To His Room 🤔” and only when he’s asked he actually mentions he’s heading to Namatame’s room and still needs to get choked by a first year for the room number like..... zero consideration

and his boss??? where his daughter he loves so much just??? di*s???? and he’s so devastated he’s doing what he can that very moment while he’s so numbed of thinking of the consequences???? And adachi goes “uhh boss that’s illegal” LIKE. BITCH. /punches through a concrete wall but harder/

---

And??? His confrontation scene??? Like, I know they mashed it up w his tv confession scene to save stagetime for other scenes BUT IT WAS SO MMBMBMBMMGN /gestures in a good way/

(1:15:56)

UM?? guy behind everything??? in a vulnerable area where he could easily get physically assaulted bc hes not in the tv world w his persona?? Trash talks women like he absolute misogynist he is??? getting yelled at by a bunch of kids and YELLING BACK IN THE SAME AGITATED MANNER even TAUNTING THEM then and there to GET HIS ASS?????

og Adachi was such a pussy he got caught and just scurried off into the TV world where he ended up having powers like...ok....scared of getting beat down by a bunch of highschoolers unless you have powers...ok....

he only taunted them to get him when he was in the tv world too.....he rlly couldn’t say shit in the real world huh... lol

(yeah yeah this shows how VLE Adachi knew abt his TV world powers which would make you think if he ever went into the tv world and came back out alive. Or he’s really just a badass who doesnt give a shit abt anyone’s opinions and CAN beat anyone’s ass. i have a separate thing abt this but bc i like to laught at vle rather than overthink its own lore i might. not. idk lol)

and ??? VLE Adachi can??? He can swordfight??? he doesn’t even NEED a gun—he even reflects bullets w his blade (but apparently he can still get slapped by a flying fan more often than any other attack). His fight choreo was just...so poggers. He’s like short villains done good—like??? he’s short compared to everyone else!!! but he makes up for it for stuffing all the energy inside him while is bursts out making him him the over energetic gremlin he is!!! go VL adachi!!!!

(am I low key making fun of Madono-san in the TUUSH stageplay I’ve seen four minutes of? maybe)

OK!!! Yes I was gushing abt Masami-san again back to Adachi.

It’s portrayed that while not being afraid to admit his crimes, he also goes out of his way to be a bastard and have the gall to get a bunch of kids to fight him, one on eight. He can use a katana, probably a narrative dark reflection of the hero, Hayato which I thought was nice—and he can fight!!! It also shows his persona, yes, but...it doesn’t make it clear if he’s overwhelmed by his Shadow like in the game, where his eyes were yellow and he was emitting a dark aura.

But it gets interesting how he sees he’s getting overwhelmed and starting to lose his edge towards a bunch of kids. He falls to the ground even banging the floor like a whiny brat while literally the IT tries to tell him to turn himself in. Again, like a brat he tells everyone to shut up—before getting incapacitated. While some of the IT rejoice, he bolts up unaccepting of his defeat—before getting hit in the stomach.

(1:23:54)

And his words from when he drops his katana, “Why..?” He grabs the foldable chair against his stomach, and with a remorseful look in his eyes, he says “I’m sorry..!”

THEN HE BACKFLIPS—then Hayato slashes him.

In a tone of disbelief, he goes “no way...” and collapses to the ground, being possessed by Ame-no-Sagiri.

Blah blah blah then Teddie rockets himself into the eyeball spy cam and then they both explode aaaaa

Teddie survives but I really don’t know where Adachi went. Not even a mention by Dojima if he turned himself in or was ever found—or I need to review VLE for the 48274827482nd time hehe

WHOO then the whole cast appears for the dance number at the end of show YAHOO

[jackie-talks-about-starkid]

The Music and Lyrics of Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier

I am obsessed with the complexity of the musical and lyrical composition of Twisted as both a standalone piece of theatre and a work that parodies and honors the music of traditional Disney music so I decided to make a separate post talking about a few of the highlights. Enjoy my ramblings!

“Dream A Little Harder”

This entire sequence is an obvious parody of the opening sequence to Beauty and The Beast, ‘Belle’. It is absolutely not subtle at all and that’s exactly why I love this number so much. As the song progresses and the ensemble sings together more, it sounds more like a generalized version of the classic Disney musical sound, with its whimsical notes and pure tones (looking at you, sopranos) and I have to give major kudos to AJ Holmes for not only this song but the entire score because it’s hard enough to make your own music but it’s even harder to make a song sound like another song from a different and very well-known composer without making it sound exactly the same and getting sued because of it

“Everything and More”

The Princess’ solo is hilarious and way more subtle in its Disney references in that it sounds like a general solo but musically and lyrically mirrors “Part Of Your World�� from The Little Mermaid which becomes more and more noticeable with each listen of the recording

“A Thousand and One Nights”

Not only is this a perfect musical duet between Ja’far and Sherrezade, the title references the source material for Aladdin, which is a nice nod to the original tale

You know that StarKid are true Disney kids when they take the most memorable song from the show, which happens to be a romantic duet with the main character and their love interest, and turn it into a playfully overdone pop version that’s sung over the credits by two famous people - in this case Brittney Coleman and Carlos Valdes, who I’m 99% percent sure are actually reincarnated 90’s pop stars with those vocals (both hilariously accurate while also incredibly well-sung)

“Happy Ending”

One of my favorite things that musicals do are numbers where each character sings their own individual melody line all together with other characters and it ends in gorgeous harmonies (ex. “One Day More” from Les Mis) which is really hard to write for and Holmes and McMahon executed it so well that listening to this song makes me tear up sometimes and I’m not ashamed

Ja’far’s solo sections are a musical reference to “The Wizard and I” from Wicked which is both a great general musical theatre reference and a lovely nod to the other half of Twisted’s plot inspiration    > Lyrics from “And one day the Genie will say to me, ‘Ja’far you’re a man of such virtue” to “I’d like to bring back your bride” - Twisted, lyrics from “And one day he’ll say to me, ‘Girl who is so superior” to “If I de-greenify you?” - Wicked

“Take Off Your Clothes”

Anyone who attended middle school and/or had an internet connection in the 2000s was made aware of the many supposed instances is subliminal messaging in Disney cartoons of the 90s and early 2000s, especially the one about Aladdin’s line when he goes to Jasmine’s window at the palace before “A Whole New World”. Instead of being heard of as “Good tiger, now take off and go”, many people believe Aladdin actually says “Good teenagers, take off your clothes”, and used this as an argument that Disney was polluting the young minds of innocent children (x)

This song also references the supposed subliminal message that a reference to the special effects department of The Lion King, in which a puff of smoke reads ‘SFX’, actually spells out the word ‘sex’ (x)

The fact that they made an entire song about this proves that these kids are actually Disney fans, 10/10

“Twisted”

The introductory notes also feel like a Wicked reference with the use of electric guitar and strings together, very strong Stephen Schwartz and Alex Lacamoire vibes

As I mentioned earlier, it’s super hard to write original music and lyrics for a show during any given production and it’s also just as hard to musically and lyrically reference someone else’s music without risking copyright infringement. This absolute banger of a song manages to do both, while also doing the musical thing where people all sing different things at the same time while sounding great and making me almost cry with how pretty everything is

They parody The Little Mermaid with Ursula’s introduction, The Lion King with Scar, and Beauty and the Beast with Gaston’s entrance without actually sampling the music from their respective movies

“The question then is whether 'tis nobler in the mind/To be well liked but ineffectual, or moral but maligned?” poetry, I don’t even need to explain myself

Those lyrics are from the same person that wrote “We’ll remember Achmed, the tiger-fucking man!”

The duality of it all is beautiful

Overall, Twisted has incredible music and lyrics and I would die for AJ Holmes and Kaley McMahon, thanks for coming to my TED Talk

[delfinodreams]

OKAY i said i would make a post about my thoughts on paper mario a while ago and im finally writing it out

ill put it under a break because its probably gonna be long-ish

update: yea this bitch is LONG

okay so overall i really really enjoyed it!! it was really solid for the first entry in the series and i could definitely see the inspiration that ttyd later took from it. one thing that i didnt know about was partners not having HP, which threw me for a little bit of a loop. partners as a whole in this game don't play as active of a role as i wouldve expected because they have so little lines but using them in battle is still very fun! another small thing but i also hadn't expected mario to be completely silent, but it later grew on me!

i'm also gonna list my experiences and opinions on each chapter so here we go!!

chapter 1 - pretty alright for an introductory chapter! i didnt find anything especially notable, apart from getting 2 partners in one chapter. navigating the koopa bros. fortress was fun, and i loved the battle at the end!! their theme is SUCH a banger i had to sit back and listen to it for a bit when the fight actually started ehe

chapter 2 - not quite a fan of this one imo? i liked the first part through the mountain, but the trek though dry dry desert kinda took it out of me. BUT the addition of my favourite partner made up for it! parakarry my beloved <3 also the cutscene where dry dry ruins rise up??? that shit was SPECTACULAR. i absolutely loved how it turned dark when it first came up, i wish it stayed like that for more than just until you entered the ruins. the boss itself wasn't too exciting for me, probably because there wasnt much of a story?? i dont know how to describe it. actually its like that for quite a few of these bosses, but its the first entry for this series, so i wont fault it too much.

chapter 3 - this might be my FAVOURITE chapter- the suspense buildup throughout the entire chapter was AMAZING holy moly!!! first through the forever forest when you have bootler ask for you, and then wandering the mansion itself. i TOTALLY thought that boos were gonna be actual enemies when i saw them floating around. sneaking around tubba blubba's castle was so so fun to do, and i legitimately panicked when you ran into him in the hall and also when he wakes up and chases you back to the windmill. i didnt actually think the heart itself was the boss, just a miniboss, so i freaked out when i left the windmill and was immediately thrown into a battle with tubba blubba. i cannot express just how much i enjoyed this chapter, seriously!!

chapter 4 - coming back to toad town with the music change threw me for a bit; i wasnt expecting action to pop up so soon! figuring out that you could actually go into the toybox was such a "wait, what??" moment for me, but like, in a positive way. it was really cool to navigate this chapter and the lantern ghost encounter genuinely creeped me out at first because it was COMPLETELY dark. the fight against general guy is also a BANGER i could listen to it all day

chapter 5 - man i LOVE the whale. just a big guy willing to take u across the ocean :^) i really appreciated how you weren't stranded on the island too, like how you were on keelhaul key in ttyd. the ravens are also funky little guys, love them too. again, the lava piranha didnt really have any substance to it BUT it was a nice fight nonetheless! when it popped up again i was shocked but i made it through!! also fuck kolorado he doesnt deserve his wife

chapter 6 - this one's formatting is really neat- one central area with lots of branching paths, which i hadnt seen in my past pm experiences! i loved the quest leading up to the big beanstalk, plus the environment was so pretty!! the little part with the sun tower popped out to me, i'm not sure why though. maybe it was the music, it was so different from the flower fields theme. at first i had actually expected to go up to the clouds earlier, maybe like midway through the chapter. i thought that would be the "dungeon" of this part, so i was a little bit let down when i realized that the fields were the majority. however, the bit of the clouds we do see is SO good i LOVE the atmosphere!! huff n puff was actually relatively easy, using parakarry and lakilester for their all-around attacks. the guitars were a nice touch for his theme as well!

chapter 7 - oh dude i LOVED this chapter. i didnt know what i was expecting when i first went into the pipe in the sewers, whether it would put me into a village immediately or if i would have to make it through some screens before. needless to say, i was relieved when it popped me out into shiver city. the whole place felt "warm" which was really nice!! i was comparing it to ttyd's chapter 7 and fahr outpost which i didn't really vibe with, so it was a nice change! the whole murder plot was also unexpected but i enjoyed the whole "whodunnit" mystery! omg as im typing this i realize just how many aspects of this chapter i love this is gonna be long,, the entire snowy atmosphere is just so PRETTY and starborn valley felt so solitary to the rest of the land, like its own little bubble. i also had no idea that ninjis were in this game so when i saw one at merlon's i was like HUH?? anyways the way up the mountain to the crystal palace kept me on my toes; i thought that was the dungeon at first! the small bit where you see madam merlar and she tells you the story of the palace really got to me i have no idea why. the music and mysticality of it all was just SO good. dont even get me started on the crystal palace itself HOLY MOLY. the whole reflection bit was SO SO clever and the moment you realize its NOt actually a mirror?? fucking magnificent. this has to be my favourite dungeon in the whole game because it has such a NEAT gimmick!! it also has my favourite mario enemies, duplighosts! FUCK the crystal king though. he stunlocked me with his freezing move because i could not get the hang of blocking it. my partners really carried me for that battle; thank god for quick change

chapter 8 - THIS CHAPTER DELIVERED. the buildup for the entire game leading to this point. OUTSTANDING. i had to sit back and admire star haven because its so pretty- did i mention i love the water graphics in this game?? it has a pixelly look but it works SO WELL. going to the ship to take you to bowser's castle really felt like a "this is it" moment. the entirety of bowser's castle was So Good, it kept me on my toes the entire time!! slowly advancing as the music got more intense REALLY pumped me up. tracks that start off with only a couple instruments and eventually add more as you progress is one way to make me go BONKERS. the one bit where you make your way outside on the bridge and the music dials down and then you re-enter on the other side to it SLAMMING you in the face- that was Great. and then the complete silence as you get outside peach's castle HOLY SHIT. and then you actually enter the palace and the music is SO EERIE and youre like OH SHIT THIS IS REALLY IT. seriously, the buildup for this entire castle is done SO magnificently. i hadn't expected to fight bowser twice, i guess it was the game's way of letting u level up One Last Time before u got to the big bad. that being said, i wasn't too worried on getting a game over since i was fucking stacked on items. but that's besides the point- the fight itself got my heart POUNDING. the effects for the star rod and the star's powers were really nice to see in action, and the little section with peach and twink was so cool! i was expecting a little interlude where you would get your stats maxed out because thats how its like in every pm game, but it was still moving :)) bowser's final battle theme fucking SLAPS. the guitar especially sounds AMAZING. you really see him as a threat here and its so badass. his healing move fucked me over multiple times- i probably ended up having to deal with double his base HP over the course of the fight.

after the fight was over and you got to see peach's castle float down with the soft music in the background, it really hit me that its done, its over. again, the effects in this game are so pretty and theyre utilized SO well for the n64. visiting toad town one last time with all the npcs was a really nice touch- for some reason i really loved being able to interact with vanna t. (chuck quizmo's toad assistant) she's ADORABLE and i will probably end up drawing her sometime :)) the credits were also something that i really enjoyed- i LOVE the ongoing theme of parades at the end. seeing everything and everyone in the game condensed into a short 8 minutes really got me, i cant remember but im pretty sure i was smiling the whole time! and a small sidenote- TOADS WITH GLOWING SPOTS ON THEIR HEAD HELLO?????? I WANNA DRAW THAT SO BAD.

the ending screen with peach and mario looking at the fireworks made me really soft and i teared up a little because i was finally finished. the addition of pop diva's solo in the track was also so touching, it was my favourite sidequest in the game so hearing it again brought up Emotions :')

one thing i wasnt sure of was if there was a post-game mode and my completionist heart was disappointed a little when i found out i couldn't advance from the end screen and was forced to reset. although not many games from this era had post-game content so i cant dock too many points for that.

the paper mario series has a fond place in my heart, and finally being able to play the game that started it all really was a special experience. it really cemented my love for the original formula and i could see many places where ttyd took inspiration from. this game really is fun, and i would highly recommend playing it yourself if you have the means!

[kpoptimeout]

Top 10 Most Underrated K-pop Songs of 2020 (Idol Edition)

2020 was shit. But oh boy, at least the music was good.

And it took us a good while to decide on these lists.

Continuing with the K-Pop Timeout Tradition (see 2019 Ver) of listing the Top 10 Most Underrated K-Pop Songs because all the other sites are just bothered with the Top 10 that pretty much everyone will have heard of/have fan wars over, below are our top 10 picks of songs that did not rank high but deserves your attention!

Like last year we have a separate post for Top 10 underrated non-idol tracks in 2020 and a list for the Top 10 K-Dramas in 2020 in our opinion, which will drop in the coming days.

Some of the artists have escaped the list in recent years to stardom (like N.FLYING, SF9 and OH MY GIRL), so hopefully, it happens again!

This is in alphabetic order NOT in the order of awesomeness because all of them are awesome. Also, all MVs are linked in the song titles because Tumblr won’t let me share that many videos in one post.

APRIL “LALALILALA”

APRIL is a very well-rounded girl group but their talents have been squandered by DSP’s mismanagement in recent years. With DSP seeming to try again and with member Naeun’s meteoric rise thanks to acting in webdrama hit “A-TEEN” and the internationally loved K-Drama “Extraordinary You”, “LALALILALA” seemed like the song to finally give APRIL the awards they deserve. Except it did not, which is an absolute shame because “LALALILALA” is easily one of the strongest girl group tracks this year. The futuristic synths and snappy drum instrumental made for a delightful pop track and reminded us of DSP’s heydays of churning out similarly pristine and impactful tracks for KARA and Rainbow. If you were a fan of past DSP girl group bops like KARA’s “Pandora” and "STEP”, this is the song for you!

Cherry Bullet “Hands Up”

Whoever thought of putting “Beethoven” and “girl crush concept” together should get a raise at FNC Entertainment because it worked. Sampling Beethoven’s famous piece “Für Elise” in different parts of the instrumental using different instruments ranging from synths to different keyboards, the producer was able to provide rookie girl group Cherry Bullet with a hip-hop heavy girl crush banger that is catchy and fun. Also, it is clear the girls of Cherry Bullet really enjoy this song, exuding confidence and charm in the choreography and overall performance. After a few listens, you would be nodding to this addictive song and body rolling to the chorus. If you are a fan of girl crush songs, you have to listen to “Hands Up!”

Cignature “ASSA”

Honestly, we are annoyed with C9 Entertainment scrapping the highly talented girl group Good Day after merely one song and their relatively strong run on KBS’ “The UNIT” and re-debuting only some of the girls in Cignature under their sub-label J9. However, we cannot deny that “ASSA” is a powerful track. It is many things at the same time - it covered the quirky girl group demographic with the cute and somewhat bratty sounding introduction where the girls seem to be talking and singing at the same time, then a somewhat mature buildup came out of nowhere with a more raspy and charismatic delivery on the vocals front before an aggressively girl crush drop begins the chorus carried by the members feeling themselves (specifically their hair) with attitude. If you love the quirky sound of fromis_9 and Oh My Girl but also want some OG girl crush energy like 4MINUTE, “ASSA” is your song!

CSVC “No Mercy”

Okay, CSVC is not really an “idol” group in the traditional sense. A project group made up of 4 indie artists (CHEEZE's Dalchong, Stella Jang, Lovey and Park Moonchi), CSVC tries to recreate the 90s girl group sound of legends like S.E.S, Fink.L and Baby VOX and we are here for it. Not only do all four members have the pipes to carry the early K-Pop sound that has heavy RnB influences, they went all out in the song production with the retro reverbs littered throughout the track and new jack-swing inspired intro. The MV was also a love letter to 90s K-Pop girl groups with the intense use of flares, extreme use of lighting, the “futuristic” sets seemingly made of tin-foil and the members all donning all black or all white outfits. If you are a huge fan of 90s K-Pop, CSVC’s “No Mercy” is the song for you!

ELRIS “JACKPOT”

Honestly, we have no idea what the hell HUNUS Entertainment is doing with ELRIS but even with the mismanagement, they continuously give ELRIS great songs and “JACKPOT” is easily one of the best girl group songs of the year. It builds up from silky vocals to strong rap, which is followed by wonderful harmonisation before we dive into a two-part chorus which made use of the members’ strong vocals as well as gave us catchy moments to sing along to. The music video is also a delight, with the girls dancing on a stage built to look like a roulette. The addition of the 2 members also made ELRIS’ already powerful stages even more impactful. We have been hearing rumours of disbandment but we hope it is not true. If you want to listen to the definition of a well-rounded and fun K-pop girl group track, ELRIS’ “JACKPOT” is THAT SONG!

IMFACT “Lie”

IMFACT is truly a strong boy band with great vocals and strong song production skills of their own yet they CONTINUE to be SLEPT on. I mean being managed by Star Empire Entertainment does not help but it is ridiculous how little domestic and international support they have. They have a distinct sound which they continue in “Lie” - electropop infused with K-Pop song structures and a generous use of unique drums patterns. If you love electropop and K-Pop, it is time to stan IMFACT and check out this amazing song!

NATURE “Girls”

Maybe n.CH Entertainment go a boost in Mnet money after taking on the job to manage TOO after Mnet’s “To Be World Klass” show because their budget really went up and it shows in NATURE’s “Girls”. This song is truly a masterpiece. The chorus is like what you would expect of a club banger EDM track but the verses are made up of clean vocals exhibiting anguish and longing over a relatively simple beat and the bridge was orchestral instrumentals mixed with the drumming of a marching band and the loud chants of the girls. The music video is also simple yet haunting. If you like the darker tracks of 9MUSES and RAINBOW like “Sleepless Night” and “Black Swan” but also the electronic sound of Berry Good in “Don’t Believe” days, this is the song for you for you!

ONEWE “End of Spring”

We need more bands making it in mainstream K-Pop and ONEWE’s “End of Spring” gives us another reason why we think so. “End of Spring” is a breath of fresh air in this year of mainly 80s retro dance tracks and hip-hop heavy pop songs in the K-Pop world, as it instead went for a pop rock sound more reminiscent of American pop rock acts like Train in “50 Ways to Say Goodbye” and One Republic in “Counting Stars” but with a dose of the energy in a teen summer party. If you enjoy a fun pop rock song, ONEWE’s “End of Spring” is the song for you!

OnlyOneOf “dOra maar”

OnlyOneOf is a rookie group with a lot of potential given their heavily alternative RnB and overall escape room-esque sound. They had many great songs in 2020 with wonderful music videos but our favourite here at K-Pop Timeout has to be the MV-less “dOra maar”. This laid back and smooth song showcases each member’s unique vocals and sounds more like a top Korean RnB artist experimental collaboration than a K-Pop boy band song. Also, it is always fun to see K-Pop artists take inspiration from art and culture of different countries (the titular Dora Maar is a French photographer and the lover of Pablo Picasso). If you are mostly a Korean RnB fan, OnlyOneOf’s “dORa maar” might be your gateway drug into the idol scene!

Weki Meki “COOL”

Fantagio seems to be a bit unsure about which sound to give Weki Meki, as the group swings between aggressive and catchy girl crush songs to more generic cute summer songs like a pendulum. They should really consider keeping Weki Meki with the sound they found in “COOL” because the girls really carried this supermodel runway power walk song with poise and confidence. While we have seen boy bands dabble in the runway model sound such as IN2IT in “Snapshot”, SF9 in “Now or Never” and KNK in “Sunset”, we have actually rarely seen girl groups going for this expensive sound. Additionally, the music video for this song is powerful, with the scene of the girls facing each other and vogueing in a long dark room being highly memorable. If you love power girl crushes or any of these boy band songs we have mentioned above, you would really like this song!

Special Mentions of Underrated Debuts:

There were many strong debuts this year and I would like to mention 2 underrated rookie groups to look out for in 2021!

Male - E’LAST “Tears of Chaos”

While more and more male groups are debuting with either badass or cute images, E’LAST decided to enter the K-Pop world with a highly orchestral sound. And the boys have the talent and visuals to carry such a dramatic and theatrical concept. Their label E Entertainment, also seems to have every intent to do the most for these boys, as seen in the production quality of their MVs. With these boys already dropping new material right now, you all should keep an eye on them! 

FEMALE - woo!ah! “Bad Girl”

With many strong female group debuts this year, you may have missed woo!ah!, from the small label of NV Entertainment. This small company in fact is led by SM China’s former CEO and this person certainly has an eye for talent because woo!ah! is a very balanced 5 member girl group that has a lot of potential to make it big. In fact, the group is beginning to develop an international following, with “Bad Girl” reaching #1 in the Vietnam's biggest music platform, edging out both aespa’s “Black Mamba” and BLACKPINK’s “Lovesick Girls”. They have already followed up with B-Side track promotions so check out these underrated rookies!

[thatonecasualfan]

Doing an album listen for AB6IX 5INALLY, so here we are!

Moondance is so sensual and mature. Woong’s voice is perfect, airy and deep in perfect measure. The MV is amazing, I enjoy sexy concepts even if I get secondhand embarrassment a little lol. All in all, the song’s amazing, but also going on my Hoe Anthems playlist.

More is an excellent song. As I was watching a lyric video for the first listen, I found myself singing along to the last chorus, something I have never done on the first listen. Donghyun’s voice is so smooth, and he sounded great. The rap parts really added to the song. I can tell this’ll be on my repeat playlist soon.

Rose, Scent, Kiss is so awesome and I may have teared up a bit. Not because of the lyrics or feel of the song, just pure sentimentality on my part. I remember watching P101 and seeing Daehwi and hearing his voice and just falling in platonic love with him, and now hearing this song it was just...a reflection for me of how much he’s changed and matured and grown. I’m really proud of him. Also, Rose, Scent, Kiss is a banger that’ll definitely be played a lot.

Break Up is, no surprise, also a great song. I really love Youngmin’s rapping, and I adored it in this song. You could really feel the emotion in his voice, he did amazing. Can’t wait for the MV!

Color Eye wasn’t what I was expecting (not that I really had expectations, but I don’t know), but I really liked it nonetheless. I adore Woojin’s rapping, and he sounded phenomenal in this song. I enjoyed how there were small breaks in between verses where the instrumental and background vocals could come to the front for a few seconds, and the bridge felt like a refreshing pause. Overall, the song’s really nice and smooth-feeling(?) but with the perfect amount of texture.

This album was something special, honestly. I loved that AB6IX did an EP of solos from each member, and I truly enjoyed listening to each one; they’re all on my playlist now. Also, the sensual/mature theme that arched over the whole EP? Magnificent, *chef’s kiss* it was perfect. Rankings of my personal opinion are tough, but overall, here’s what I decided:

1: More

2: Rose, Scent, Kiss

3: Moondance

4: Break Up

5: Color Eye

Rose, Scent, Kiss and Moondance were the hardest two to decide. In the end, Rose, Scent Kiss barely won out, but mostly because I have a slight preference for more energetic songs. All of these songs are top-quality and will be listened to nd enjoyed a lot! Let me know your rankings too, I’m curious!

[tassium]

#TAYLOR SWIFT APPRECIATION LIFE

PART 1 - Self Titled

Buckle up, ladies and gentleworms: We'll be spending the week leading up to the release of Lover looking back over the history with Our Lady and Savior Taylor Swift. This is very much inspired by the lovely people at @stateofswiftpod​ (which if you haven't listened to, you NEED TO - this trio is a DELIGHT) and is going to basically be my own lonely solo version of what they do.

SO ANYWAY.

First stop on our journey is Taylor's self titled album. Get comfy, get a snack, maybe a @taylorswift​ themed drink.... and get in, losers, we're going swiftie.

1. Tim McGraw

Listen, I gotta be honest. This song has never been among my list of of Top Taylor Songs, not even when this was the only album of tracks of hers. Don't get me wrong, I don't DISLIKE this song. There's some great lines in it ("a month of tears and thanking god that you weren't here to see my like that" does get me every time), some great metaphorical connections (“when you think happiness, I hope you think that little black dress” is my favorite) and I do think she delivers a good vocal performance on it. There’s a lot of cool melodic choices in the second half that I’m into. Overall.... not my favorite. We’ll get to that.

2. Picture To Burn

Listen, anyone who says Picture to Burn is anything less than a BANGER can physically fight me in the Denny's parking lot. I have a VIVID memory of the first time I ever heard this song: 13 years old, in the back of my mom's car, with my portable CD player and headphones, feeling like the ultimate badass. Being just shocked in a 'ooooooOOOOOHHHHH' kinda way when I heard That Line in the original version's first prechorus. (you won’t find that on spotify, kids) The second verse is one of my favorite things, as well as that little bridgey bit. The guitar hits are A++. The track as a whole is a great example of what young vindictive heartbreak looks like. This was the track where I fell in love with the angry heartbroken version of Taylor - but like. Baby Angry Heartbroken Taylor.

3. Teardrops On My Guitar

There is something so visceral about the concept of this track to me. That concept of teardrops on a guitar and being in love with someone who's in love with someone else and that one line about hoping that someone else knows just how lucky they are to have the person you're in love with? Damn. --And speaking of that! Another line you can't find on spotify, the original version of this song! "I laugh 'cause it's so damn funny" is such a raw lyric for debut Taylor, and honestly I'm sad that it's been edited out.

Bonus commentary: The pop version of this song, you guys. That electric guitar chord ring at the beginning is ICONIC. The driving drums! That little fiddle lick between the one chorus and the bridge! The pop version is the one that gives me goosebumps.

4. A Place in this World

This song is such a good track to have on this album. I love the little peek into what it's like to be not only Taylor herself but also, I think, any young teenage girl, trying to figure things out. It's a nice change of pace and a good thing to throw back at people who say that Taylor only ever wrote about relationships or whatever. I think my favorite line is that bit at the end of the first verse: "Even though I'm not the only one who feels the way I do..." because that line is such a good representation of what it's like to be about that age and feeling like a hot mess and being told that you're not the only one. Like yes! I know! I'm not ACTUALLY alone! but it feels like it! Let me wallow for half a second! - Taylor does a great job portraying that feeling, and I think this is a good vocal from her as well, with some cool melodic variance in a couple spots later in the song.

5. Cold As You

Dang, man, okay, listen. Cold as You. This song. The build, the softness at the beginning, the way the other instruments come in leading up to the chorus. The craftsmanship on some of the lyrics, like “a mess of a dreamer with the nerve to adore you” or “every smile you fake is so condescending”.

I think my favorite line, though, is "I start a fight because I need to feel something" because. Wow. That line is powerful and honestly it kind of hurts, especially coming from a 16 year old Taylor. Ouch. The other thing I love about this is where the instrumentation drops out in the last prechorus, going back down to just the piano and her voice - there's a quality to her voice there that just. Oof. (I also love the change to the lyrics in the last chorus, and the change in delivery. I love me a change in delivery, but more on that later)

6. The Outside

This song is hardcore #relatable. If you've never felt like you were on the outside of everything and hated it to pieces, you are the blessed among humanity. I love her delivery on the chorus, the timing and inflection she uses. That final line of the chorus “i’ve been a lot of lonely places, i’ve never been on the outside” is so evocative of what it’s like the first time you feel genuinely excluded from your social scene.

I also learned (from the lovely people at the State of Swift podcast!) that this is a song that she wrote when she was like. Not even a teenager yet. Which just blows my mind. I don't know how much tweaking it received before going on the album, but still. Even if 12 year old Taylor only wrote the bare bones of what it became, that's incredible.

7. Tied Together with a Smile

Somewhere out there on the internet there's a video of me playing this song on my porch at about 15 years old, carefully framed so that my face is not visible. It's.... about what you'd expect from a 15 year old amateur.

I'll admit that this is also not way up there on my hierarchy of favorites on this album (not that such a thing exists in any concrete way). There's something about the intro, whatever that instrument is, that kind of grates on me, and there's a few lyrical things that don't land for me like I feel like they could. There's also just a few too many memories tied to this song that make it hit me in a lot of uncomfortable ways.

I do really love her voice in the final chorus though, with the stripped down instrumental behind her in the beginning. The vocal run she does in the outro is also BEAUTIFUL and really fun to sing along to on the rare occasions I listen to this song all the way through.

8. Stay Beautiful

This is such a feel good song. I love it. The descriptions! “He smiles, it’s like the radio” WHAT A LINE. That paints such a picture and elicits such intense emotion -  it’s something I really can’t describe properly with any other words.

I can’t help but just smile through this entire song. It’s so sweet and so pretty and there’s just something about it that I can’t help but love. I like the walking guitar in the chorus, and the tiny little solo in the turnaround. The message of the bridge is great - even if nothing ever comes from it (and I don’t think anything ever did, irl) at least this person you’re so fond of will know what you think of them. You hope that it doesn't end there, but even if it does...

I dunno, this song is just super heartwarming to me. It’s light and happy and it has a lot of the Things Early Taylor Does that appeal the most to me. I love it.

9. Should've Said No

Okay guys, listen. Despite my deep love for certain tracks on this album, I really think this one is my favorite. It edges out all the others by a relatively narrow margin, but it still does it. And of course there's a billion and one reasons why that's the case just from the album track (the drums! the fiddle! the harmonies! that high note!), but that's not what I really want to talk about here.

The 2008 ACM Awards performance of this song is one of the greatest things I've ever seen, and it needs to be talked about. Admittedly, it's a very Early Live Taylor vocal, but I would defy any of you who saw that performance to tell me that it wasn't a ride from start to finish the first time (and the second time and the third and-- I've watched this a lot ok)

That lowkey wtf moment when she's just on the stage with a guitar in jeans and a hoodie. The breakaway into the dress, and the little microphone lean and the smug face immediately after it.

And then. The final chorus.

I would sell my SOUL to hear Taylor sing that version of this song with her current vocal ability. The change in the melody and delivery gives me chills every single time. That ascending bend on "home" is incredible, and the ache in ‘would get back to me’.

If you haven't seen that performance, you NEED TO. Go find it, it's on youtube, I'll wait.

10. Mary's Song (Oh My My My)

Listen. She’s a cute little number. I love the image of a woman telling the story of this relationship that’s been building since forever - admit it, we’re all suckers for the friends-to-lovers trope, aren’t we?

It feels very nostalgic, very classic - it reminds me of a lot of more traditional country songs. When I listen to it and picture what’s happening in the lyrics, it’s all sepia toned and older style projector film. There’s a warm, coming-home kind of feeling that’s tied to this song for me, though that might have something to do with being raised on 90s country music.

I don’t have any particularly strong feelings about this (except for how my friend attached this song to TWO DIFFERENT FICTIONAL SHIPS and ruined my life) but I like it. I think it belongs on the album. It’s almost tooth-rottingly sweet, but it earns its place.

11. Our Song

Ahhhhh, Our Song. This song will never not have a special place in my heart - I've been playing guitar since I was about 15, and this was the first song I learned to play. This track is why I say that Taylor is the Reason I Play Guitar.

There’s something so cute and first-relationship-slash-coming-of-age-teen-movie about the idea of just grabbing whatever’s nearby to write something down. There’s another iconic fiddle bit at the beginning. It’s endearingly twangy country. Taylor makes some fantastic vocal choices that I think really stand out in a nice way. I love the metaphorical quality of using all these non-musical sounds and non-auditory concepts to build a couple’s song, and I’m a complete sucker for the line “our song is the way you laugh”. Gets me every time.

And now... The Bonus Tracks.

12. I'm Only Me When I'm With You

This track is EASILY my favorite of the bonus tracks on this album. I love this song so much. It’s a BANGER and once again, if you disagree you can FIGHT ME. I don’t know about anyone else, nor do I know if there’s any kind of official statement about this, but this song has always read to me as platonic, even familial. It could be read as slightly codependent, granted, but I think it’s cute. the music video  I like that it’s like... almost like a baby version of the Taylor Swift we now know and love. The beat and the instrumentation feels almost refreshing after listening to most of the songs on this album proper - to be honestly I’m a little salty that it got pushed off to the deluxe version. And of course, there’s an outstanding fiddle piece in the post-chorus, and if you’ve picked up anything from this post so far it should be that I have a deep, deep love for a good fiddle part.

13. Invisible

Oof. OOF. This aching unrequited love ballad. It’s like the softer version of Teardrops On My Guitar, and I’m here for it. She does some super cool melodic things, and I love the way her voice soars in the bridge, and the way it feels like she kind of folds down into herself when it drops down to the prechorus. The ache in “let me want you” and the way it just sort of hangs there like a reaching hand before dropping back into the chorus one last time, and then circling back around to the opening line, finishing with that classic rising steel guitar. It’s just *chef hand kiss*

14. A Perfectly Good Heart

It’s interesting to me that the bonus tracks are literally in order for how much I like them. I don’t have anything against this song, but it’s not one of my favorites. I don’t have a lot to say about it, honestly - I think it’s a solid enough track, but I can definitely see why it was relegated to bonus track territory. And I have to admit, the line “it’s not unbroken anymore” feels a little to me like a reach to put the sentiment in enough syllables to fit the melody. (No shade, there are far worse examples of that in pop music.) The harmony on the end of that line is pretty fantastic though, and the mandolin in the breakdown sits in very nicely.

And with that, we’ve made it to the end of the album. It’s wild to go back and look at the very beginnings with Taylor, given that I’ve been playing the new tracks on repeat for weeks at this point. I’m looking forward to reliving the rest of the journey from this beginning to where we are today.

Next up: Fearless

[newmusickarl]

Album & EP Recommendations

All These Things by DC Gore

Dot to Dot Festival that takes place here in Nottingham every May Bank Holiday has been a new artist goldmine in recent years. I don’t know who curates the line-up but in recent years I’ve discovered exceptional upcoming talent from all over the globe. Since being made aware of the festival in the mid-10s, I’ve been introduced to The Amazons, Oscar and the Wolf, Sundara Karma, Dua Lipa, Rag N Bone Man, Kyla La Grange, Holy Holy, Josef Salvat, Miya Folick, Day Wave, Nimmo, Bob Vylan and many more - some of those years before their big break into the mainstream too.

Now a few years ago, one of my favourite discoveries didn’t actually end up playing the festival. Although they would eventually cancel their appearance, just by having electronic trio Little Cub on their line-up, Dot to Dot had allowed me to unearth yet another gem. Producing one of my favourite albums of 2017 in Still Life, Little Cub’s unique mix of descriptive, often political lyrics and electronic music was something special to behold. Essentially, they would take a particular person, time or place and turn them into a vivid synth-driven tale – be it songs about sexual urges, fake news or the last days of late-great football manager Gary Speed.

Sadly after that incredible debut album, Little Cub would eventually split to follow new projects, but I’m pleased to say their legacy continues with this stunning debut album from one of the band’s former members - Dominic Gore. On his debut solo outing All These Things, Gore basically repackages the Little Cub formula to give us the sophomore record we never received. Here, Gore’s dark, wittily cutting and often brutally cynical lyrics are often contrasted with a jubilant mix of new wave, art and kraut-rock, meaning the songs often leave you dancing but deeply contemplating at the same time.

Quite poetically the album begins with the song that would be Little Cub’s final single, Millennium People, re-recorded to bring it slightly more in line with the DC Gore sound. The essence of the track remains though, which was brilliantly described on its original release as sounding like “Vangelis soundtracking a Cronenberg movie set in the Hacienda.” Follow-up Nietzsche on the Beach then finds Gore at his most nihilist as he tears into right wing nationalists with lyrics like “Mobile phone-shaped tan lines, the fascist weekender” all whilst a gleaming, sunny groove plays out in the background. If there’s one track that captions Gore’s brilliance in a nutshell, it’s this one.

From there, Gore just continues to bring inescapably hypnotic grooves aplenty, such as the shimmering late-night wonderment of Need You Tonight, which erupts into a soaring guitar solo at the song’s climax. Set You Free is then arguably even better, starting out as a soft piano-driven piece before quickly morphing into a rumbling club banger. I Like You is then a sparkling love song whilst California is the most heavily EDM-infused track on the record. The title track then plays out the record, a mostly acoustic and incredibly poignant track that leaves the listener to ponder lines like “Giving up so much for what you’re given, maybe it’s time to give in and start living.”

Overall, this is a near faultless debut from DC Gore and I’m so happy he’s carrying the flame of Little Cub going forward. If you are a fan of artists like Pulp, Nation of Language, Spector or Working Men’s Club and haven’t got this one on your radar, get it queued up.

Listen here

Renaissance by Beyoncé

There are arguably no two things that I love more from an album listening experience than eclecticism and narrative structure. If I’m going to spend 30 minutes to an hour listening to something, I want to be taken on an adventure – whether that’s a dazzling, genre-hopping sonic journey or a cohesively packaged collection of songs linked by a personal story or overriding theme. Typically, the albums that I enjoy the most will carry one of these traits but, occasionally, an album will emerge boasting both attributes. Back in 2016, Beyoncé’s Lemonade was very much that album.

Accompanied by a 60-minute artistically shot film, Lemonade was a towering work of commercial pop music that really was nothing short of extraordinary. Fuelled by Jay-Z’s much publicised affair, Beyoncé took her anger, frustration and sadness and moulded it into an immensely creative and liberating piece of art. Telling the story of the whole ordeal completely unfiltered, it also saw her perform some stunning sonic acrobatics throughout.

With help from musical heavyweights like Jack White, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd and James Blake, Beyoncé would effortlessly flick between genres depending on which worked best to enhance the emotion and feeling at the core of each track. From the rage-fuelled rock of Don’t Hurt Yourself, the laid-back country of Daddy Lessons to her devastating vocal performance on piano ballad Sandcastles, these dramatic style shifts shouldn’t have worked but they did because of the story being told. Although it would only finish 9th in my Albums of 2016 list due to an incredibly strong year, it has grown in stature for me in the years since, as few other records from mainstream stars on the level of Beyoncé have been able to match it.

Now six years later, Beyoncé has returned with her new album, Renaissance - and it’s already been hyped to the moon by both critics and the “Beyhive”. Due to the noise surrounding the record and my adoration for Lemonade, my expectations going in were high. Ultimately Beyoncé just couldn’t match up to that, but that’s not to say Renaissance is a bad record, in fact quite the opposite - this is another solid effort. All hype aside and analysing the record with that brushed off, Renaissance ends up being a mostly thrilling summer dance record that keeps the creative spirit of Lemonade alive.

Across the album’s hour-long runtime, Queen B once again packs in a mesmerising mix of different musical styles, this time drawing inspiration from house, techno, disco, garage and even afrobeat, as well as her staple blend of pop, R&B and soul. Thematically the record also follows on nicely from Lemonade’s triumphant finale of Formation, with Beyoncé celebrating freedom, self-love and unabashed confidence. The tracks seamlessly segue into each other too, playing out almost like a lively DJ set full of feel-good bangers and positive vibes.

That said, the album doesn’t get off to the best of starts with I’m That Girl and Cozy, which are probably the weakest tracks here. The former is a very muddled track that doesn’t quite find its footing, built on a grating sampled refrain of “These motherfuckers ain’t stopping me.” The latter also has its struggles, with Beyoncé’s positive message of being comfortable with who you are often getting lost in some clichéd and contrived lyrics.

However, once these two tracks are out the way, the album immediately picks up and rarely lets up going forward. Alien Superstar is like the sound of Hot Chip teaming up with Self-Esteem, with some joyous dance beats married to gospel vocals and an uplifting message to stay “unique.” The album then takes a disco-turn, with the inimitable sound of Nile Rodgers’ guitar soundtracking Beyoncé’s calls of “I feel like falling in love, I’m in the mood to fuck something up.” It's infectiously groovy and you’ll struggle to resist getting loose to this one.

As Energy draws to close, a short two-minute collab with Jamaican-American rapper BEAM, it transitions immaculately into Beyoncé’s monster summer hit, Break My Soul. Not that it needs any extra lift, but that added drop from the transition just helps it to hit even harder in the context of the album. Still a firm highlight, the house-inspired track channels the spirit of Robin S’ classic Show Me Love whilst Bey serves up a typically powerful vocal performance.

As you enter the second half, there’s plenty more highlights to be found too. Plastic Off The Sofa is a heartfelt and chilled R&B number whilst Virgo’s Groove is six-minutes of sexually-charged funk. Move then sees Bey team up with the legendary Grace Jones for a strutting feminist anthem, whilst Thique and All Up In Your Mind then present probably two of the filthiest beats you’ll hear all year. Bey then arguably saves one of the best for last, with Summer Renaissance sampling the Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder classic I Feel Love for a colourful, modern take on the sun-kissed dance classic.

So, whilst I don’t think this hits the same dizzying heights of its predecessor as there are a few tracks here I don’t care for, this is still another accomplished and well-crafted outing from one of pop’s biggest giants. Beyoncé must’ve known she was never going to be able to match Lemonade’s emotional impact, so she made the right decision with Renaissance by going in a completely different direction and not attempting to replicate it. Instead, she carries over the eclectic nature of that record and uses it to explore different electronic textures, weaving it all together into a highly enjoyable summer listen.

Listen here

Also out, also great: Surrender by Maggie Rogers, They Fear Us by Ithaca

Tracks of the Week

Happiness by The 1975

A couple of weeks ago, Manchester indie-pop superstars The 1975 unveiled the first taste of their forthcoming new album, Being Funny In a Foreign Language. That track (titled Part of the Band) was a sharp left turn, serving up an artsy and quite understated single that you wouldn’t naturally associate with one of the planet’s biggest pop acts.

This week however they are back to The 1975 that we know and love, with new single Happiness sounding almost like an amalgamation of all their best previous singles. With that vintage 80s style guitar groove, some funky sax action and an instantly catchy chorus of “Show me your love”, it’s The 1975 at their absolute best.

Watch the video here

Boy by The Killers

Much like The 1975, the last release from Vegas indie heroes The Killers was a bit out of leftfield, with Brandon Flowers exploring the sights and sounds of his childhood hometown of Nephi, Utah on the band’s excellent lockdown record, Pressure Machine. Now on latest single Boy, he continues the nostalgic look back but this time with a sound more familiar to their fans. A joyous indie anthem, it even samples the iconic synth pattern from the Erasure classic A Little Respect to give it some added pop.

Listen here

Freakout / Release by Hot Chip

The third single to be taken from the electronic outfit’s upcoming new album is the record’s title track and easily the best taster from the album so far. With distorted robotic vocals reminiscent of their own track Huarache Lights, frontman Alexis Taylor sings “Music used to be an escape, now I can’t escape it” before the track breakouts into a barrage of reverbing rock guitars and hard synths. Just awesome!

Listen here

Acting Out by Bloc Party

Bloc Party also released the deluxe version of their latest album Alpha Games this week, including three brand new bonus tracks. The best of these is Acting Out, which sees the indie legends continue their return to their early Silent Alarm-era sound, with this one reminiscent of early single She’s Hearing Voices thanks to Russell’s signature jittering riffs and Kele’s stop-start shouty vocals.

Listen here

Smiley by Orbital

Taken from their new anniversary record 30 Something which is mostly reworks and remixes of their classic tracks, Smiley is one of the few original tracks on the project. An ode to the Acid House era of the late 80s/early 90s, it’s a seven-minute, nostalgia-soaked electronic odyssey that samples vox-pops from ITV documentary World In Action that covered the emerging rave scene 50 years ago.

Listen here

Summer Somewhere by LIES

And finally this week, the American Football side project featuring the Kinsella brothers continues to be one of my favourite musical diversions right now. Taking their Midwest emo roots and soaking them in glistening strings and electronics, this is another simply stunning track from the duo.

Listen here

[beevean]

X4 ratings? :)

Story: 7.5/10. On one hand, it has a deeper story than "Sigma is up to his shit, go stop him!", and I like how it confirms that Zero was Wily's last creation, reveals that he was a bloodthirsty machine at first, and hints at something being wrong with him. On the other... it was not developed very well and the English version mangles it even further, making it all look like a giant Idiot Plot. Oh, and poor X might as well not be there, his "betrayal" theme goes nowhere, Double's twist is... there, and his story ends on a cliffhanger that we know will never come to fruition. Graphics: 10/10. You know that. Everyone knows that. Sprite-based PS1 games are a gem, and X4 is no exception. What can I say, just go play Web Spider's level. Music: 8.5/10. There are no super iconic X1-worthy bangers, but every track is catchy in its own right and I really like the PS1 instrumentation. The two opening stages, Storm Owl, Slash Beast, the boss theme, Spaceport and Iris' theme are the highlights for me. Special Shout out to Web Spider, which won't leave my head, and Frost Walrus 1, which to me screams Bryyo Ice of all things. Controls: 9.5/10. Even better than X1 and X2! Dashing isn't quite as fluid as in X1 and 2... but dashing and jumping is so much fun :D I also had a few problems with Dash Wall Jumping but I don't know if it was me or the game. Level design: 9/10. Not a 10 because Jet Stingray exists and the last level is... barely a level, it's more of a very long boss rush. Every other level is a delight. Slash Beast is so fun! Cyber Peacock is Magna Centipede on steroids... and with ranking! Storm Owl is a spectacle of lasers and well timed jumps, and the hovering Ride Armor is :DDD Bosses: 8/10. It's hard to judge them because your experience will vary a lot depending on whether you're X or Zero, you use their weakness or not, and in Magma Dragoon's case whether you have the Ride Armor or not (best fight in the game 11/10). The 8 Mavericks were overall fun, easily breakable with X but a bit more painful with Zero, probably to compensate how easily he tears the stages apart. The final bosses... are of various quality, and I'll just say that holy shit that final Sigma fight. Subweapons: 7/10. Aiming Laser is really cool, and the Rising Fire and Ground Hunter are great for enemies above and below you, but other than that, I didn't experiment much. The Lightning Web is also rather awkward for being essential for a couple of items, and the Frost Tower was poorly implemented in my opinion. Zero's moves: 10/10. Just beautiful. He's so fun to control. Pro tip: defeat Split Mushroom as soon as you can, the Kuuenbu and Kuuenzan make the game. The Ryuenjin you get from Magma Dragoon is also a great boss killer. I probably have only a gripe with the Raijingeki, which is a tad too slow and blocks you in place, especially since the two bosses that are weak to it, Slash Beast and Magma Dragoon, are very agile. (why didn't they translate the names btw?) Difficulty: 9/10. Challenging just the right amount! As I said, the game is very generous with energy, but it's still harder than X1. Replayability value: 9/10. And yes, I'm saying this mostly for Zero. He's so fun. Not only that, but since he has less items to find, and he relies less on boss weaknesses, you really can go in so many orders to get the moves you like the most first. Translation: Zero! You are a Maverick?!/10 (what, you were expecting the more famous meme? :P)

[atrophiedcompassion]

my definitive Avengers Infinity War review

spoilers abound

so, i saw it for the third time yesterday night and oh boyyy. knowing what happens and how poorly it ends for the good guys kinda marred the jokey parts. i mean, i don’t think i was able to keep 20 consec mins without tearing up. for instance, the whole thor - rocket discussion is spent in tears, even if initially and the second time i had laughed at the jokes.

note that eventually quill & wanda did what they had to do, even if it didn’t matter. note that thanos says he can’t not do what he has to do once again, not even for gamora. note that gamora, most likely knowing she wouldn’t resist / be able to lie to thanos asked quill to kill her. note that red skull tells thanos that everyone thinks they’re ready for the soul stone sacrifice, but they are all wrong. note that being out of time, time related phrasing is used throughout the final 20 mins, including by thanos. note that wanda is firing at vision with one hand while with the other she’s holding thanos back - effortlessly. note that stormbreaker cuts right into the all six stones beam and ends in thanos’s chest, so stormbreaker is stronger than the infinity stones!? note that thanos fake dies twice. note that thanos looks awfully sorry when he says it cost him everything.

so, what i take. gamora in the soul stone will break thanos’s resolve. as red skull said, he will regret killing her. the time stone hasn’t had its last play. wanda and thor with stormbreaker might be key in defeating thanos. (of course, i am not forgetting captain marvel!!!!)

the movie overall is very sombre, the jokes tug at your strings even if they make you laugh. or they make you laugh to shake you out of the sadness.

now onto the chars: i came into the MCU via tumblr’s tom hiddleston obsession in early 2012. i most likely started with thor and then saw avengers. i remember seeing a torrented copy of avengers and a week later going to the cinema to see it. i didn’t like cap america in avengers, chris evans (who i totally dug) looked weird, too blond, his face with too much makeup (whedon!!) and RDJ’s tony was a delight. i caught up more or less with the MCU and then winter solider happened and i was taken with cap. so, i was team cap in civil war. and could never relate to tony, to his my way or the highway pov.

but the tony in infinity war is such a great character, he was one of my favourites. he is unflinchingly one of the bravest people in the game and the way he goes after thanos with his suit basically falling to pieces is one of the best action and emotion sequences i’ve ever seen. and tony’s so human, trying to keep up the spirits, to maintain optimism, to find a silver lining, to give 110%, to find strength even in defeat. and that’s not even touching on his relationship with peter. i guess civil war isn’t really a captain america movie, because, as always RDJ/tony steals every movie’s he’s in.

tony’s the 4th best char in IW, and that’s because i’m not a tony fan.

third best is gamora, who has some of the most disturbing and yet wonderful developments. she’s first seen as loose, finally open, singing along to an 80s banger, then it all takes a dark and darker turn. and like i said above, i think she knew she would be the price for the soul stone in a way. it’s such amazing acting when, after she’s done mocking thanos for crying (for being refused a present). she realises she’s gonna be the sacrifice. this is probably my fav emotionally draining scene in IW. it’s raw, sort of unexpected with her suddenly cheerful and then turning immediately sinister. in death, gamora has still a lot of influence on what happens next.

second best is thor. thor goes through a lot and that’s before taking the whole power of a star! he’s the protag of the story, showing strength, sorrow, emotion, regret, faith in his fate, determination. thor has my three favourite scenes in the movie, the discussion with the sweet Rabbit about loss, the forging of stormbreaker, (and yes it does help that hemsworth looks like that as he opens up the star!) and his arrival in Wakanda and it shows a really well fleshed out thor, ready to take on challenges and be the hero and yet allowing himself a moment of grieving, of raw emotion.

finally, the best character is of course thanos. he is also fleshed out and i think some people have a hard time accepting his motivation because they miss that thanos has already begun his world halving, gamora’s and drax’s world have been part of it, through fire and blood. in comparison to that kind of “balancing”, of course the snap with largely non painful turning to ash removal from existence seems the more judicious, less destructive method. his rapport with gamora and even nebula is also well done. and his tears, his grief, seem normal. he is presented as an abuser, of gamora with “good” intentions, making her strong and whatnot, and with nebula out of sheer cruelty. this is also touched upon in GOTG2 when the sisters have their heart to heart. thanos definitely wants to seem like he thought this through, like he is ready, for everything, but he isn’t. red skull’s warning is pretty clear. his pained response to soul stone girl gamora is also clear. his smile upon viewing the sunrise is a fakeout. thanos will probably at least try to undo what he had done, at least part of it.

special mentions

peter parker - not really a fan, but tom holland really sells the character. it really does help that he’s a very young actor, with a high voice and small, slim figure, he sells the fun boyishness of spiderman macguirre and garfield couldn’t ever really pull off. the fun, quippy spiderman up until the final moments actually highlights the awful ending, although, on my third viewing it seemed a bit long, milking it for the audience (had the same impression the first time, yet the second time i was really moved by it).

dr strange - better fleshed out in this movie than his very own, where i guess the formulaic origin story hindered the development of this cold calculated persona we see in IW.

wanda & vision. they were severely underpowered. wanda keeps thanos at bay with one hand, yet she needs help vs proxima midnight & corvus glaive?! lame. hard to understand how two mind stone powered heroes (or just one, since vision was severely hurt by CG’s spear thingy) are less capable than cap, nat and falcon. but i guess this is the superman syndrome, you can’t unleash these folk’s full power cause otherwise what would the other heroes get to do. still, okoye’s quip is well earned.

yet, i loved their love story. finally a lovestory well handled in the MCU, which is so rare. their final scene together, in particular wanda’s comments to thanos about loss and her almost relieved face when turning to ash was incredible, very powerful.

rocket & groot were poignant and had some wonderful scenes, this time around groot ashing up really made me spring new tears.

everyone else got just a few scenes, and indeed, one can say we spent way too little with cap, nat, t’challa, shuri and most of the wakanda section. i suppose the movie was all but done by the time black panther became such a major hit and maybe spending less time with these chars now would ensure more time in Avengers 4. for chars like cap or nat, it’s all we needed. for black panther, maybe it was too little. esp that he too turned to dust at the end.

overall, the movie is impressive. it has weight and moves almost seamlessly from scene to scene. it’s got plenty of heart and it leaves you needing more but also quite sated!?! also, this was my final viewing, it gets too emotional too fast for further enjoyment of the fun, light scenes.