#because i feel like this is an exceptionally talented group of actors

[paceypeternathanslawyer]

I don't feel like people call JJ out for the mistakes he makes as much as they should. People say that everyone was such a bad friend to JJ in S4 but friendship is a two way road. What did you expect them to do? Ignore their lives and only pay attention to JJ? Did you expect them to wrap him up in a blanket, coddle him and act like everything he does is fine because he's got a shitty father? I'm not saying that they were always the best friends but neither was JJ. JJ betting the last of their money and then blaming everyone but himself was a bad friend move. Again friendship is a two way street and you can't expect everyone to be perfect friends if you don't treat them in the same way.

Like I think the way he talked to John B after he found out that John B was gonna be a Dad was truly terrible. JJ knows that John B's fears is that he will become like his father and instead of encouraging John B... he puts him down. And I'm not saying that John B can never be called out but this is different. It would be different if John B was acting like his father and JJ called him out for it. That could be construed as encouragement. JJ is just being a mean drunk in that scene. He finds that his bro is gonna be a Dad and instead of being nice and encouraging he tries to make him feel as bad as he feels. And I'm not saying that John B is always perfect but as John B's lawyer I must defend him. John B does not get enough slack. Had it been John B saying that shit to JJ ya'll would have absolutely crucified him. As is John B is given such a hard time by fans. Chase Stokes is also a really underrated actor. The emotion he is able to put even in the smallest lines or scenes is insanely good. And then he also slays the big dramatic scenes like when Sarah almost dies for instance.

JJ is generally a ride or die friend and I don't believe he would have said those things if he weren't drunk as a skunk. But it bothers me that he would have even thought that because John B is gonna be an exceptional Dad and it makes me sad that JJ may have made him doubt himself for even a second. I feel like JJ can be a mean drunk at times. Pope is like a funny and sweet drunk. For instance that scene in 4x03 where they're all partying and drunk and Pope astutely realizes that John B is insecure and he makes a point of encouraging and telling him that he won't be like his Dad. JJ is very ride or die but Pope is an underrated friend. The way he can be such an emotional rock for his friends. And then also the scene when he finds out that Sarah is pregnant. Pope does point out how ill equipped they are right now (because they're broke and stuff) but he also says it's fine "because they will help them". Now that is an encouraging way to respond.

[joesalw]

I sent these quotes to another blog a while ago and thought it would be a good time to bring them back here. Because a lot of people say they don't understand how or why people like Joe and that we don't know him and only like the person Taylor painted in her songs. A big reason for this is that these people never really saw him as much more than a pawn and Taylor's boyfriend or tried to get to get to know him beyond that. You're not required to do that ofc, but once you make up lies to fit your story that's other thing. My point is these are just a few things people who actually interacted with Joe up close and personal have said about him. Mostly all different people, because everyone who works with him has something good to say about him. Even people who randomly meet him seem to get enrupted right away. So this is to show what people who know him (co-workers, directors, his school teachers) say as opposed to the shitty stuff swifties say without even being in the same room with this man for 5 minutes to make people believe he's some kind of monster. I would even say there's a few things being said that are not very common for people to compliment in a man.

"He's just so gentle and sincere. I felt very safe with him."

"Joe isn't nearly as reserved as Nick, but it's a tendency to let others have the floor. He just tends to be more interested in everyone else, what they're saying, which is a lovely quality"

"he's so sensitive and thoughtful"

"there's something very soulful about Joe as a person. He's very introspective. He's exceptionally kind, as a person. There’s just something gorgeous about him, as a person, and that goes into the acting. He can do uncertainty brilliantly and he can do vulnerability brilliantly."

"Joe’s instinct as an actor is always to push away from the obvious and into ambiguity. He’s very quietly spoken. He’s not brash at all. He’s a gentle, intelligent guy. "

"Joe is such a naturally kind and warm and welcoming human being,”

"I don’t think people will be surprised by just how much everyone loves Joe Alwyn, how much everyone fell in love with Joe Alwyn… he’s a true English gent. I completely owe my heart to Joe Alwyn.”

“Yeah Joe Alwyn does come in and steal the hearts of everyone around. He’s just like the most genuine, kind, present human. Funny too! Real funny.”

"I know Joe a little and like him an enormous amount. Such a phenomenal talent and wonderful human

"He has to be one of the nicest people I have ever met and I know it might sound like I'm saying it to ease everyone's mind, but no genuinely he was the sweetest and he was super worried about me all the time"

"I really liked acting with him. He's really a gentleman. A sweet guy. He's really focused and cares a lot about his work"

"Joe is tremendously warm and winning"

"There was just something very subtle about his reading. You could feel the tenderness inside of him. He just felt real."

"I'll say he is perhaps the top notch talent I ever witness in a reading. He was so directable, so talented, and ofc the look is gorgeous. Like a gift dropped from heaven"

"He has a disarming humility which appears both on and off screen. I spoke to Joe recently and found that the experience of starring in a Hollywood movie had not changed him at all. He will continue to be the person he is."

"Very cool impressive actor. After meeting him I had the opposite thought: Can she keep him?" (This came from a movie director who seems to be a Taylor fan, after meeting him once)

“He’s really nice. Really, really friendly, really good dude.”

When Joe first arrived at the school… “He brought a maturity and intelligence that was of immense benefit to the group. He also had a passion for the work and a conviction within his own artistry that was an inspiration to some of his younger colleagues.�� By the time Joe was approaching his final year, he had become… “completely fearless.”

"A brilliant natural actor, especially gifted at quiet emotion"

"He's an absolute pleasure to work with. I became very close to him. I think everybody did"

“He can carry a movie on his shoulders—he has the height, the looks, obviously, the voice, the ability with accents; he is versatile,”

“Joe was gentle and he wasn’t overly pushy, because he knew I’m not good at mushy stuff,” she says. “Boys age differently, they’re f—ing idiots until they get older. But he’s a kind man with good manners.”

“When you’re speaking to him you feel like he’s only listening to you,”

“He’s got…the greatest head on his shoulders,”

‘That very first scene between the tree, he was worried the entire time like, “Are you OK? I don’t want to hurt you. Shall we do it like that? Is this easier for you?” The entire time trying to find out if I was OK, he was so sweet, so gentle, that I knew that I would be safe with him"

'He's very hardworking, very down to earth, very diligent and very gregarious. A very nice spirit to be around.

'Joe was always deeply committed to his craft. He was often very moved by the massiveness of his vocation. 'He saw acting as a necessity. He was serious about it, very committed. He was exceptional in that regard. He's a thoughtful man who cares beyond the frivolity of putting on a show. 'He sees performance as a powerful gift that he has, and that he hopes can change things for good.'We always hoped that this poetic soul would find a place for his vision.'

wow this was such a precious thing to read, he's really such a nice individual it makes my heart warm 🥺

[legendarycollectorprincess]

Ship wars and why they don't let us appreciate and enjoy good characters (Akane Kurokawa and Kana Arima). PART 4

¿KANA'S DOWNFALL?

So, in the past few weeks, I've been watching some videos and seeing certain comments that make me wonder about the reading comprehension level of some people who read Oshi no Ko's manga.

Because, ¿since when did we start calling a character development a “downfall”? I think that at this point (and because this is the fourth post I have done on this topic), we are all aware of the great capacity that haters and toxic fans have to distort a story and misinterpret the motivations behind certain characters' actions, for the sole purpose of making them look bad.

So this really shouldn't surprise me. BUT, when I tell you that the way Kana haters are reacting to the new path her character has taken in the story IS WILD, I mean it. ¿Perhaps are we reading a different story? I genuinely believe that could be the only logical explanation for all this madness.

KANA'S DOWNFALL

None of you will let me lie when I say that the favorite arguments of Kana's haters are that her character is “practically useless to the story”, and that her only purpose is to be a possible romantic interest for Aqua. Ah, or my favorite (sarcastically), that Kana's character is so “obsessed” with Aqua that she literally became an idol just because he asked her to, and that “proves how dependent she is on him, and how horrible she is”. Wow.

MANGA SPOILERS

As many of us already know, currently in the manga, Kana is no longer an idol. She decided to leave the group B-Komachi to pursue her passion of being an actress again. And no, that decision had nothing to do with Aqua.

In fact, you could say that this was the first step she took to overcome her dependence on him. Because it's true: Kana became an idol because Aqua asked her to, and one of the motivations that made her continue on that path was the idea that, one day, she would become his favorite idol, his star. HOWEVER, this doesn't make her a “horrible character”. That makes her an exceptionally good and well-written flawed character.

She's not perfect, as LITERALLY NO ONE in the story is. But Kana has one of the best backstories that perfectly explains the reason behind the decisions her character has made so far.

Kana's character is the perfect representation of the consequences that child actors have to face in the entertainment industry. (something that, as we have always known, is a central theme of Oshi no Ko: the dark side of the world of entertainers. Kana may not be involved in the revenge plot the way Aqua or Akane are, but she is by no means unnecessary to the overall story).

Kana's mother and manager, both, ditched her when she began to lose popularity and her career was falling apart. This left her with severe traumas, something haters love to overlook.

She learned that she would only receive her mother's support and affection when she shined on stage. She learned what it felt like to be abandoned, even by her fans, if she wasn't “good enough”, if she wasn't the "genius actress Kana Arima".

This is where Aqua comes in.

The importance of having someone who believes in us.

Aqua offered Kana the opportunity to have a fresh start in the industry. This time, as an idol. But not only that, here comes the most important thing: Aqua gave his UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT to Kana.

For her, the feeling of having someone who supports you and is on your side no matter what happens is very important. It's something precious. Kana's “obsession” with Aqua isn't something that came from nowhere. In fact, it's not even an obsession. It's attachment, it's affection and yes, it's dependency, but it has a reason: Aqua is the person who restored Kana's trust in herself as a performer, who told her he believed in her and in her talent.

He became someone special to her. That's why she later developed feelings of love towards him and, consequently, wants to be with him. There's nothing wrong with that, and it's not pathetic either. However, it is true that because of the unhealed wounds that Kana still has due to her past, it isn't an entirely healthy thing.

The importance of believing in ourselves.

Since we know that no character in Oshi no Ko is perfect, then we have to recognize that no relationship in the story is either. Aqua and Kana's relationship isn't perfect. And that's okay, since there are reasons for it.

Kana often let Aqua's actions affect her to a worrying level (such as when she became depressed when Akane and Aqua became a real couple.). Witnessing that, we readers wanted nothing more than for Kana to stop being affected by it. For her to realize that her feelings for Aqua, at that time, were doing her more harm than good. And it finally happened, during the incident with the film director.

It was at that moment that Kana surely realized that she was losing herself because of her feelings for Aqua. For her character, that time was her lowest moment: she thought she had lost Aqua to Akane, and along with him, her motivation to continue being an idol. After all, that hasn't been her true dream, at least not like it is for Ruby and Mem. And, all of that together, began to affect her performance on stage, especially after the audience started to favor Ruby more.

For that reason, Kana thought that the only thing she had left was her acting career, and she desperately wanted to rebuild it. In that vulnerable state, Kana was about to make mistakes she normally wouldn't make, like sleeping with a director to get an important role in a movie. After all, she's the one who has the most experience with the dangers of the industry. But, I'll say it again for the people in the back: that was her lowest moment. When a character hits rock bottom, they can only go up. And it's exactly the path Kana's character is on now.

¿But do her haters realize that? Sadly, but not surprisingly, no. They don't.

For Kana's haters, the fact that she has given up being an idol is “proof that her character is a waste” and that the “author no longer knows what to do with her”.

Before, they hated Kana because she joined B-Komachi only because of Aqua, and complained that she had no personality and was toxic because she couldn't decide for herself. Now that Kana has left the group to focus on what SHE is passionate about, they say her character no longer has a purpose and is facing her downfall.

Little do they realize that it's a time of great growth for Kana, who has taken the first step toward stopping suffering from her feelings for Aqua. Perhaps even finding a better way to deal with her traumas and finally heal.

But yeah, let's keep saying it's her downfall.

[mirambles]

Welcome to SamdalRi - Disappointing is a mild word!

Let me say it up front - I adore Ji Chang Wook. He is so handsome, so gorgeous and an extremely talented actor. He is good at everything - action, comedy and emotions but no one serves angst like he does! I end up watching all his dramas and sadly have liked none since Suspicious Partner. That is my all time favourite - that was also Peak JCW - chemistry and acting everything!

Needless to say despite me not liking the FL of SamdalRi much , I was looking forward to this drama and quite enjoyed the beach town , light hearted feel of the trailer. The first 4 episodes were decent and even if the drama was tropey and predictable I would have enjoyed watching it if the execution was right. But the drama went downhill sooner than I expected.

The show starts with FL being wrongly accused and prosecution by media & public alike without any proof of the accusation. On spot reflection of Korean public towards celebs. I expected this plot to play out and FL to fight hard to prove her accuser wrong, but that plot had no consistency and emerged in the series on and off.

People will hate me for saying this, but all that SamDalRi became was a poor copy of Hometown Cha Cha Cha and Reply 1988.

Reply 1988: Families as neighbours/best friends. Gang of 5 friends 4 guys and girl - love triangle.

Hometown Cha Cha Cha:

1. Career oriented FL comes back to her small town after this setback

2. Genius ML opts to stay in small town sacrificing big town opportunities (Are plaid shirts a thing for small town men in Korea?)

3. Halmeoni gang of villages

4. Trauma for ML (death of loved one)

5. Apply ointment on wound of ML scene

6. Drunk sleepover

7. Beach town setting

8. Mid-late 30year olds behaving like teenagers after confessing their love

Now many will say these are common tropes in Kdrama land, but given that HomeTown Cha Cha is recent - the comparisons are most likely.

The lazy writing in SamDalRi made me appreciate HomeCha even more, especially the female characters in that show - small or big were exceptionally written. I couldn’t even empathise or feel for the FL of SamDalRi, forget the sisters or the mom. You take an actress like Kim Mi Kyung and give her a role where she is only staring at everyone barring one breakdown scene.

And what’s with all the adults hitting each other all the time, yelling at each other and the sisters being constantly drunk!

The Haenyeo gang was the most irritating in this show. My biggest gripe though was the age group of the leads and their friends! Who behaves in such a childish manner at 38 , which man is hanging onto his childhood crush till 38 despite knowing his best friend and her are dating or doesn’t express his feelings when those two split up and take his chance, then wants to express his feelings when the couple is back together! I have no idea if the writer understands the sensitivity around these things.

What’s the Korean drama obsession with showing 38 year old couple who has dated before behaving like they are in their 20s or teens when they get back together again! FFS there was a scene where the dad finds them sleeping in her bed and is mad at them and they are behaving like they got caught for first time!

SamDalRi tried to do everything - friends to lovers to exes to lovers, love triangle, childhood friendships, friends more than family, small town found families, giving up on dreams, scandal, capitalism, life of haenyeos, grief after loss of loved one, a healing drama. It failed at everything, because it couldn’t focus and decide what was the main theme and the sub-plots.

The writing was lazy, there was no character progression or growth, and the audience couldn’t connect to any characters. The acting was quite average barring JCW who excelled in every scene. I know SHS fans liked her performance, but she didn’t move me or make me want to watch more of her dramas (this is the 3rd drama of hers I have watched and the only one I didn’t drop cause of JCW).

I wanted to tweet first, but I started to type and realised it would be too long a thread and so a post was better to rant about this show! I ended up skipping most of the scenes post E8 and only ended up watching scenes that featured JCW, even though he excelled and looked great - this was another ordeal of a drama to finish!

Come on JCW choose better scripts. Do justice to that awesome potential and come back in a mature, slow burn romance with Nam Ji Hyun, because no one else has 🔥 chemistry with you like she does and no one else matches you in all aspects like she does!

[teawaffles]

There’s No Business Like Show Business: Chapter 2

The next day.

After finishing his work at the mansion, Bond headed to Whitechapel’s Leman Street, where Maya and her company normally held their rehearsals. [1]

Walking down the noisy street was not just Bond, but also three other employees of the Moriarty household. One of them was Fred Porlock.

“It would’ve been fine if only you came along, Fred…… But thanks for joining us anyway, you two.”

Bond directed that to Jack Renfield and Sebastian Moran, who were walking a little behind him.

As Fred was a master of disguise, Bond had asked him to contribute his opinion on the performance too when Jack and Moran decided to tag along. Now the four of them were on their way to the rehearsal — with Louis’ permission of course.

Jack roared with laughter.

“No, you don’t have to thank me. I’ve watched my fair share of theatre, so I thought I could help them out, even if it’s from an amateur’s perspective,” said the old butler, nodding as he reminisced about those good old days.

“You’re probably just after the young girls from the theatre company, aren’t you old man?” Moran said, half in disgust. “Bond said this Maya chairwoman is a dashing lady in her own right, so I came along to feast my eyes on—— Ow, that hurt!”

Jack had clapped Moran on the head, as a warning to not shoot his mouth off.

“The only one here chasing women is you. Really, you didn’t even finish your chores properly before coming here.”

“I did my part just fine. For once, I’m not skipping out on work.”

“Rubbish — I did a check before we left and found some cigarette butts in the hallway. Don’t you dare annoy Louis any further.”

“……W-Well, the more the merrier, right?”

“…………”

Listening to their usual argument at the back of the group, Bond smiled wryly, while Fred was silent.

Finally, they had reached their destination. Waiting in front of the theatre was Maya, and her little sister Mae.

“Mister Bond!”

“Hey, haven’t seen you since yesterday.”

Mae waved her arms up and down in excitement, while Bond greeted them with a smile.

“S—sorry. Normally, she would play with the other children near our place, but today she insisted on coming with me…… By the way, um, who might these, d—dignified gentlemen be?”

“Ah, they work at the same household as me. The short one here is Fred. The somewhat scary-looking one is Moran. And this dandy old gentleman is Mr Jack. If you’re alright with it, I thought you could use their input as well.”

As Bond introduced them, the three men also greeted their host. But Maya seemed a little perplexed.

“……Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to come here in a big group,” Bond admitted, looking slightly uncomfortable.

“No, no.” Maya hurriedly waved her hands. “I—I’m really grateful to be able to, hear valuable feedback from, so many people. For now, let’s not stand here to talk, please come in……”

Maya guided them into the theatre, stooped in a self-abasing posture. Her faltering voice was much as the same as from their previous encounter, but today, nerves seemed to have crept in as well.

“She has a sort of shadow about her, but that has its own charm. Like the transient beauty of a young widow, don’t you think?”

“She’s pretty, for sure, but not really my type. More like the kind of woman who complicates things when you break up with her.”

“Um, sorry you two, but if you could just keep your voices down,” chided Bond, as Jack and Moran whispered about the chairwoman behind her back.

Right after the entrance was a cramped space. The box seats above them looked hastily constructed; in truth, the interior decorations made it seem more appropriate to call this place a playhouse, rather than a proper theatre.

But their guide had only praise. “The manager here is, a really nice person; whenever we say we want to practise, he’s always happy to lend it to us. There are performances held at night, so we can only use it during the day.”

“He trusts you, doesn’t he.”

Hearing her speak with such sincere gratitude, Bond was quietly impressed by her character. Perhaps her dark aura easily invited misunderstanding, but she was definitely genuine at heart.

“Speaking of which, Miss Maya, you said that you’re the director for this performance, but surely someone else is responsible for the sets and the arrangements at the other theatre during this time?”

“Another member is in charge of the sets, but the negotiations and the like, w—were handled by me. Even so, the manager of the larger theatre — a nobleman — had actually approached us to be the opening act for another company, and I just accepted his invitation.”

“Still, isn’t it great to be invited to perform on a bigger stage, even if it’s just as an opening act?”

“Yes; for people like us — a theatre company from the slums, we don’t have many chances to show the world what we can do, so everyone’s doing their very best.”

Saying that, Maya secretly clenched her fists. Surely the one working the hardest was none other than Maya herself.

There was no audience in the stalls, and on the stage were a number of men and women — likely the company members themselves — doing light warm-ups and vocal exercises. A few of the children he’d met yesterday were also frolicking about on stage.

One exceptionally tall man on the stage had noticed Bond and the others enter the hall, and spoke up.

“Oh, is that the rumoured theatre master?”

Moran whistled at this unusually grand title.

“Theatre master, eh. A fitting name considering your experience, Bond.”

“Fufu, I’m honoured.”

Bond accepted it with his innate courage and composure. Then, he went onto the stage with Maya, while the other three sat in the stalls at the far end, so as to not stand out and interfere with the rehearsal.

The company members each stopped what they were doing and lined up in wait.

“Everyone, this is Mr Bond, who will be watching our performance today,” introduced Maya.

Right then and there, her voice had become clearer and stronger. A little taken aback by the sudden change in her attitude, Bond took a quick look around the room.

“Hello to you all. I’m looking forward to what you have for me today,” he said solemnly, as he bowed.

“We’ll do our best!” The company members bowed their heads in unison.

From their greeting, Bond could feel the the quality of their bearing, and the strength of their cohesion. Not only that, the tension he himself once felt when he stood on stage came rushing back in waves.

He switched his frame of mind from that of a special agent, to that of an actor, and looked over Maya and her company with an earnest gaze.

“Well then, without further ado, please show me what you’ve got.”

“Yes!”

Even though his instructions had been given with no introductory remarks, they asked no unnecessary questions, and jumped straight into preparation. Even though they had only put up plays in cheap theatres, Maya’s company already displayed the high level of professionalism they had developed.

“Miss Maya, what’s the programme for today?” Bond asked, as he moved to the row of seats right in front of the stage.

Maya was also directing Mae and the other children to sit down. “We’re starting with ‘The Red Shoes’, followed by ‘The Little Mermaid’, and lastly, ‘The Little Match Girl’.”

“Hmm, fairytales, I see.”

The unexpected subject matter piqued his interest.

In a time when Shakespeare was all the rage, to perform children’s literature in a proper theatre, and a serious scripted play at that — now this was a bold move.

But as someone who liked to do things unconventionally, that was precisely why their play intrigued Bond. Yesterday’s playful rendition of “The Little Match Girl” was probably inspired by it as well.

Then, the tall man who noticed Bond earlier spoke up.

“Ain’t it interesting? Maya always makes sure to write plays that even us poor dumb folk understand. Today’s script is also entirely her work,” he said cheerfully.

“Weren’t you in charge of creating the play too? You should be able to write at least one decent line of dialogue.”

At the man’s self-satisfied tone, a woman beside him sighed. But he ignored her pointed comment and carried on.

“There were a bunch of people who’d always thought ‘Hamlet’ and ‘Macbeth’ and the like were plain boring; but after Maya broke them down into something easier to follow, they’ve gotten hooked onto Shakespeare.”

“Being able to interpret works in a way that everyone can understand…… A wonderful talent indeed.”

But if you were to put on a proper production of Shakespeare in an unregulated theatre like this, you would be caught by the censors. To avoid that, incorporating music and the like into their productions was a brilliant adaptation on their part.

Bond had said that last part out loud, and the man thanked him for his words of praise. The members of the company had shown their admiration for Maya, but the woman herself took in a deep breath, as if to hide her embarrassment.

In other words, in order to put on a play that everyone could follow, the answer she'd arrived at was “fairytales”. Although it may be the best choice given the short length of the opening act……

“I’m sitting next to Mister Bond!”

“Hey, no fair!”

Bond had been absorbed in thought about the contents of the play. Nearby, the children were scrambling for the best spots. Having won the seat to the left of Bond, Mae asked him a question.

“Mister Bond, do you like ‘fairy tales’?”

That pulled him out of his thought process for a moment, and Mae smiled.

“Yeah. I read them when I was a child.”

“I like them too, because Maya and the rest always read them in a fun way—”

“Me too!” The other children raised their hands and shouted. Reading stories aloud while acting out the roles was indeed a theatrical way of reading to children.

However, Mae immediately pouted in frustration.

“But I really hate that story.”

“……Why is that?”

“The little girl always looks so sad. I tried asking Maya to give it a happy ending, but she just said that we have to ‘respect the intent of the story’ and didn’t listen.”

Her words helped Bond discern the true nature of the incongruity he'd felt.

As Mae had said, all three stories had their protagonists fall into unfortunate circumstances and perish. It was true that many fairytales were cruel, but there were others with happy endings too. Was there some hidden intent behind these choices?

As Bond pondered the new question that surfaced in his mind, Mae leaned in towards him.

“Mister Bond, do you also think it’s important, what Maya said? No matter how sad a story is, can’t we make it happy on our own?”

She asked that question with clear eyes. Bond thought for a few seconds, before responding.

“It’s true that it’s important to understand the intention of the original story. If you change its contents haphazardly, the fans of the story would be upset. I think your sister is the type who would take that very seriously.”

Mae glanced down in disappointment at his level-headed answer, but Bond continued.

“However, if we were all afraid of criticism, then nothing new would ever be made. If you have something you really want to tell others, then I think it’s possible to add a new interpretation to a story. After all, one form of respect is to show the world how you would’ve done it.”

“……Oh I see!”

Mae brightened up, and Bond smiled. Her question was one that had always, and would continue to vex all interpreters of stories. But at the very least, he didn’t want to make a decision on which way was right.

Just as their conversation had come to an end, it seemed the preparations for the performance were now complete.

“Without further ado, let us begin.”

Standing on a platform, Maya gave a bow, and with that the curtain rose.

Footnotes:

[1] Leman Street is a little to the north-east of the Tower of London and St. Katharine Docks, and within walking distance of both.

T/N: Is this chapter some meta-level commentary on the series itself?! omg

[rocknvaughn]

New Colin Morgan Interview with Edge Media Network about Benjamin - UPDATED

I am reblogging this because, after the author was made aware of an error in the posting of his article (if anyone clicked through to read it on the site, there was a whole question and answer that was repeated), the error was corrected and another three questions and answers were added! I am correcting it here, but they were very interesting, so I suggest you read the full article again!

I shall post the link at the bottom, but I wanted to type it out so that non-English speakers could more easily translate it. (This article was listed in their “Gay News” section of the site, hence the focus on the gay roles.)

British Actor Colin Morgan: How the Queerly Idiosyncratic ‘Benjamin’ Spoke to Him

by Frank J. Avelia

In writer-director Simon Amstell’s sweet, idiosyncratic, semi-autobiographical comedy, “Benjamin,” Colin Morgan plays the titular character, an insecure filmmaker trying to resuscitate his waning career (at least it’s waning in his mind) after one major cine-indie success. Benjamin is also doing his best to navigate a new relationship with a young French musician (Phenix Brossard of “Departures”).

Thanks to the truly endearing, multifaceted talents of Morgan, Benjamin feels like an authentic creation--one that most audiences can empathize with. Sure, he’s peculiar, has a legion of self-esteem issues and an almost exasperating need for acceptance as well as an inconvenient talent to self-sabotage the good in his life. But who can’t relate to some or all of that?

“Benjamin” is one of the better queer-themed films to come out in recent years, in large part because it eschews emphasis on the queer nature of the story. Instead, the film is a fascinating character study with Morgan slowly revealing layers and unpacking Benjamin’s emotional baggage.

Morgan is a major talent who has been appearing across mediums in Britain for many years. His London theatre debut was in DBC Pierre’s satire, “Vernon God Little” (2007), followed by the stage adaptation of Pedro Almodovar’s “All About My Mother” (2007), opposite Diana Rigg. Numerous and eclectic stage work followed (right up until the Corona shutdown) including Pedro Miguel Rozo’s “Our Private Life” (2011), where he played a bipolar gay, Jez Butterworth’s dark comedy, “Mojo” (2013), Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons” opposite Sally Field (2019), and Caryl Churchill’s “A Number” (2020), to name a few.

His TV work includes, “Merlin” (playing the wizard himself), “Humans” and most recently, in a very memorable episode of “The Crown”. Onscreen he can be seen in “Testament of Youth”, “Legend” with Tom Hardy, “Snow White and the Huntsman” and Rupert Everett’s take on Oscar Wilde, “The Happy Prince.”

He’s played a host of gay roles in the past on stage, screen and TV.

EDGE recently interviewed the star of “Benjamin” about the new film and his career.

Why Benjamin?

EDGE: What drew you to this project and were you part of its development?

Colin Morgan: It’s always the strength of the script for me on any project and Simon’s script was just so well observed, he managed to combine humor and poignancy in delicate measure and when I first read it I found myself being both tickled and touched. Then reading it again and from “the actor” POV... I knew it would be a real challenge and uncharted territory for me to explore. I auditioned for Simon and we tried it in different ways and then when I was lucky enough for Simon to want me on board, we began to work through the script together, because it was clear that this was going to be a very close working relationship... it was important for the level of trust to be high.

EDGE: I appreciated that this was a queer love story where the character’s queerness wasn’t the main focus. Was that also part of the allure of the project?

CM: I think Benjamin’s sexuality is just quite naturally who he is and therefore that’s a given, we’re on his journey to find meaning and love and there’s certainly a freshness to what Simon has written in not making sexuality the main focus.

Great chemistry

EDGE: Can you speak a but about the process involved in working with Amstell on the character and his journey?

CM: Simon and me worked very closely over a period of weeks, at that time prior to shooting I was doing a theatre project not far from where he lived so I would go to him and rehearse and discuss through the whole script all afternoon before going to do the show that night, so that worked out well. It’s so personal to Simon, and to have had him as my guide and source throughout was fantastic because I could ask him all the questions and he could be the best barometer for the truth of the character; a rare opportunity for an actor and one that was so essential for building Benjamin. But ultimately Simon wanted Benjamin to emerge from somewhere inside me and he gave me so much freedom to do that also.

EDGE: You had great chemistry with Phenix Brossard. Did you get to rehearse?

CM: Phenix is fantastic, Simon and me did chemistry reads with a few different actors who were all very good but Phenix just had an extra something we felt Benjamin would be drawn to. We did a little bit of rehearsal together but because it was a relationship that was trying to find itself there was a lot of room for spontaneity and uncertainty between us, which is what the allure of a new relationship is all about, the excitement and fear.

Liberating process

EDGE: Did your process meld with Amstell’s?

CM: I’ve said this a lot before and it’s true, Simon is one of the best directors I’ve worked with. Everything he created before shooting and then maintained on set was special. We always did improvised versions of most scenes and always the scripted version too. It was such a creative and liberating process. That is exactly the way I love to work. And for a director to maintain that level of bravery, trust and experimental play throughout the whole shoot stands as one of the most rewarding shooting experiences I’ve had.

EDGE: When I spoke with Rupert Everett about “The Happy Prince,” he very proudly boasted about his ensemble. Can you speak about working with Rupert as he balanced wearing a number of creative hats?

CM: Again, this was an extremely rewarding project to work on and quite a similar relationship as with Simon in the respect that Rupert was the writer/director and Oscar Wilde is so personal to him. And then we also had many scenes together in front of the camera, so Rupert and me had a real 3D experience together. It was a long time in the making. I was on board, I think, two years before we actually got shooting so I had a lot of time to work with Rupert and rehearse. He really inspired me, watching him wear all the different creative hats, such a challenging and difficult job/jobs to achieve and he really excelled--plus we just got on very well.

Playing queer roles

EDGE: You haven’t shied away from playing queer roles. Do you think we’re moving closer to a time when a person’s sexual orientation is of little consequence to the stories being told, or should it always matter? Or perhaps we need to continue to evolve as a culture for it to matter less or not at all...

CM: That’s a hard question to answer, I think certainly the shift in people’s attitudes has changed considerably for the better compared to 40 years ago, but there will always be resistance to change and acceptance from individuals and groups whether it be sexuality, religion, race, gender--we’re seeing it every day.

Evolution is, of course, inevitable, but if we can learn from the past as we evolve that would be the ideal. Unfortunately, we rarely do learn, and history repeats itself.

EDGE: You were featured prominently in one of my favorite episodes of the “The Crown” (”Bubbikins”) as the fictional journo John Armstrong. Can you speak a bit about working on the show and with the great Jane Lapotaire?

CM: I had an exceptionally good time working on “The Crown.” Director Benjamin Caron, especially, was so prepared and creative, and made the whole experience so welcoming and inclusive. It was an incredibly happy set, with extremely talented people in every department, and I admired the ethos of the whole production and have no doubt that’s a huge ingredient to its success, along with Peter Morgan’s incredible writing.

I was also a fan of the show, and it was an honor to be part of the third season. And I can’t say enough amazing things about Jane Lapotaire. We talked a lot in between filming, and I relished every moment of that.

EDGE: You’ve done a ton of stage work. Do you have a favorite role you’ve played onstage?

CM: I’ve been so lucky with the theatre work I’ve done, to work with such special directors and work in wonderful theatres in London. I’ve worked at the Old Vic and The Young Vic twice each, and they’re always special to me. Ian Rickson is a liberating director, who I love. It’s hard to pick a favorite, because the roles have all been so different and presented different challenges, but, most recently, doing “A Number,” playing three different characters alongside Roger Allam and directed by Polly Findlay, was a really treasured experience, and I never tired of doing that show, every performance was challenging as it was.

Miss the rehearsal room

EDGE: You were doing “A Number” earlier this year. Did you finish your run before the lockdown/shutdown?

CM: Just about! We had our final performance, and then lockdown happened days later. I feel very sorry for the productions that didn’t get the sense of completion of finishing a run. I mean, finishing a full run leaves you in a kind of post-show void anyway, even though you know it’s coming, so to not know it’s coming and have it severed must be even more of a void.

Memories of performing just months ago seem like such an unattainable thing in this COVID world right now. I can’t tell you how much I’m hoping we get back to some semblance of live performance.

EDGE: What was it like to appear onstage opposite Dame Diana Rigg in “All About My Mother?”

CM: Well, I think “iconic” is an apt word for both the experience of working with Diana and the lady herself. In between scenes backstage we used to talk a lot and we got told off for talking too loudly, so Diana began to teach me sign language and we would spell out words to each other, maybe only getting a couple of sentences to each other before she was due on stage and I had to get into position for my next entrance-- we did a radio play together two years ago and she remembered, she said, “Do you remember A-E-I-O-U?” signing out the letters with her hands.

EDGE: None of us knows the future in terms of the pandemic and when we might return to making theatre. I’m a playwright myself and find it all supremely frustrating but I’m trying to remain hopeful! Where are you right now in terms of the standstill we are in and what the future might hold?

CM: Yes, I’m so worried for theatre. It’s a devastating blow. I’m sure as a playwright, you know that the creative spirit in individuals hasn’t been diminished by this virus. People are creating important art in this crisis but we need the platforms to present it and bring people to some light again out of this really scary period, but it needs to be safe and it’s a worrying time. The virtual theatre approach must be looked at I think. We need to experiment and find new paths at least for the time being. I’m involved in developing some things right now and how we can work on things in both an isolated and collaborative way. It’s entirely counterintuitive to what the family-feel and close bond of a group in a rehearsal room is like-- I miss the rehearsal room so much!-- but we can’t sit still, we must create and we must act.

What’s in a role?

EDGE: Looking back on the great success of “Merlin,” what are your takeaways from that experience?

CM: Some of the most treasured memories of my life will forever be connected to “Merlin,” the cast, crew, production, everyone! The invaluable training of being in front of a camera every day! The chance to inhabit a character and live with him for five seasons! There’s too much to list and words probably won’t do justice anyway, but I’m truly grateful for everything the show gave me.

EDGE: How do you select the roles you play?

CM: I guess they select me in a way. I can’t play a role unless it speaks to me and provokes me in some way, but ultimately it’s the characters that I have a fear about playing, not knowing how I’m going to enter into the process of living them, when I don’t have all the answers it’s a good indicator of a character I must play. If I have all the answers, there’s less scope for exploration and discovery which isn’t as interesting for me.

Link here

[thecrownnet]

Josh O’Connor may best be known for this breakthrough role in 2017’s God’s Own Country but the Southampton-born actor has been cultivating a catalog of great film and television performances for years. From The Riot Club and The Program in film and Doctor Who, Peaky Blinders, Ripper Street and The Durrells on TV, O’Connor has built a resume that made him the perfect choice to play the most challenging role of his career, Prince Charles in season three of Netflix’s The Crown. O’Connor play the Prince of Wales at a turning point in the would be king’s life, from the early years of his relationship with Camilla Bowles (the Diana years will show up in season four) to the daunting task of figuring out how to lead the commonwealth when the time comes.

I caught up with two-time BIFA winning actor to talk about God’s Own Country, his role in The Crown, what he likes and doesn’t like about biopics and playing real people and Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There.

I wanted to start by talking with you about God’s Own Country, which quickly became a cornerstone of queer cinema, and I think took off in a way most people weren’t expecting. Can you tell me a little bit the impact working on that film had for you?

It was a kind of monumental moment for me and I think a big moment for queer cinema and insofar as it was kind of a gay love story that we hadn’t seen before, you know, in terms of one that ended with hope and one that told a kind of positive story. It was something maybe we’d seen before, but, it’s rare and people were obviously hungry for that. And so it touched many people and I feel like it’s rare that your project gets to have that effect on people. So it was a kind of, it was a huge moment for me. In terms of kind of career wise also just as a creative, as an actor, I think it was a moment of realization about technique and how I want to work. It built a process, which I still use the basis of now. And so yeah, it was really impactful for me.

I love that. Earlier this year you had Emma., how was it stepping into Mr. Elton’s shoes?

(laughs) It was very different than anything I’ve done before. I’ve never done comedy before. Autumn de Wilde, who is an exceptionally talented director, came in and it was very clear she wanted a kind of Peter Cook-esque Mr Elton and we’ve talked about him having a sort of darker side, which we touch on in the film. I think it was real, I loved it, it was kind of getting to stretch my muscles, my comedic muscles I suppose. And yeah, it was a real treat and it’s a lovely, beautiful ensemble film.

Diving into The Crown, had you watched the first two seasons of the show to help inform you of the style or approach to the series?

Yes, I had. I’d seen the first two and I’m very good friends with Vanessa Kirby who played Margaret so, I initially watched it as a kind of support for my friends, but then absolutely, obviously got hooked and I think the first two series’ are exceptional. Claire Foy is kind of spellbinding, Matt Smith I think is extraordinary as Philip, and often sort of, it’s underplayed how brilliant he was. I absolutely loved it and then be a part of this group of actors who I totally adore and look up to, you know, the likes of Tobias Menzies, to go from Matthew is extraordinary, and Olivia Colman and Helena Bonham Carter, you know, these are all people that I aspire to so it’s been a real treat.

What were the main sources and figuring out who Prince Charles is on a personal level?

Well, I think there were a few things to kind of brought out the personal, but initially when I started with Charles, I spent so much time watching footage of him, or hearing recordings of him from the period. After a while I got to the point where I was like, actually, I don’t know that this has helped. It certainly isn’t helping me get any closer to the character and certainly isn’t getting close to who Charles really is behind closed doors. And so I sort of threw all that out the window. The thing that got me there more than anything was something that Peter Morgan had written, which is I think episode eight of series three. Charles described his life as being like he as being like a character in Dangling Man. He says, the character is a working class blue collar guy from Chicago and he’s waiting to be drafted to go to war and he actually wants to be drafted because it’ll give his life meaning, even though it means that they’ll go to a certain death.

And the idea that Charles, Prince Charles is this young boy who’s actually waiting for his own mother to die in order for his life to take meaning, I just thought that was a kind of, it locked into a sort of tragic narrative of this young boy that is so rare and an extraordinary. So that was the kind of, that was the crux of it.

When you’re playing somebody that is so well known, how do you strike the balance between impression and interpretation and what do you think you brought to Prince Charles?

Yeah, that’s such a good question. It’s a question I don’t know the answer to, yet. The best way to, for me, in my personal view of it as an audience member, is that I never enjoy seeing in any kind of biopic or whenever I see an actor playing a real person, I find it very difficult to watch and actor to do something really exactly like the person.

I don’t know why. I think it becomes too much like an impression. And what I always loved is that there was a great film called I’m Not There, which is about Bob Dylan. And so it was like eight or nine actors playing Dylan at different stages in his life and not just different stages but playing different aspects of his personality. So Cate Blanchett, plays the kind of more recognizable Dylan, which is the sort of public eye Dylan, you had Heath Ledger playing the kind of rock and roll Dylan, you had a young actor [Marcus Carl Franklin] playing the Woody Guthrie influenced Bob Dylan. So you had all these different actors, all totally different and most of them looked nothing like and resembled him in no way. And I remember that was the most powerful representation of Dylan I’ve seen or of anyone I’ve seen and I thought when I’m playing Prince Charles there’s no point in me spending all this time trying to get his voice and trying to look like him and walk like him.

Those things will happen naturally. And I think, you know, it’s good to have little aspects and little notes that people feel safe and comfortable in the knowledge secure that you are playing Prince Charles. But as soon as you can get rid of those, the earlier you can get rid of those, the the more interesting and the more adaptive that character is, the more influential that character can be. And as I say, it’s more interesting seeing Josh play Prince Charles than it is seeing just seeing Prince Charles.

I love that example of I’m Not There. It’s a brilliant movie and it is such a great way to bring an audience into a character without feeling like you’re just watching video footage.

Exactly. Because there’s documentary. We also undersell the brilliant art form that is documentary, which I absolutely adore it. There’s nothing better than watching old footage of Charles. I love it. But it’s not the same. I want to see an actor play and Claire Foy is a great example. I should stop rambling but Claire Foy is a great example of an actress who plays the queen so stupendously everyone in the world sat up right when they watched Claire and Matt Smith in series one and two. And it wasn’t because there was, ‘Oh my God,’ she looked and speaks exactly like the queen at that age. Most of us don’t know what the queen looked like at that age and it sounded like at that age because there wasn’t very much TV. So actually all we’re looking at is an incredible performance of the character. And I think I remember watching Claire and Matt and thinking ‘let’s focus on that.’ Let’s not try and play Prince Charles, let’s try and play the character.

Again, that’s a perfect example that makes perfect sense. There’s a turning point in the series when Charles, as the Prince of Wales, has to learn to speak Welsh. Did you know any Welsh or was this something new for you as well?

I mean, I certainly knew no Welsh. I’d never spoken a word of Welsh in my life a lot. I’d heard the language. One of the most kind of influential or most magical moments from when I was in grammar school was I heard an old recording of Dylan Thomas reading Under Milk Wood and was a beautiful radio play that he wrote and it was and poetical and beautiful and Dylan speaks it in this kind of like raucous Welsh voice. It’s like, mind blowing, and it was a kind of really special moment. So that combined with the fact that I love Wales the country, I felt very great affinity for the Welsh language. But as I said, I had no idea. So it’s very much, it was very much kind of like Charles’ feelings about having to learn it. There were muffs the same as mine and we went through a long process of learning everything. And yeah, I mean it’s great. I still know the speech now, but I don’t know what it means.

Which brings us right to that monumental episode where you have to give the speech for his investiture. Tell me about that sequence, which I think is just extraordinary in this series.

It’s a beautifully written episode. It has so much significance because it’s about Charles stepping up and becoming an adult. To me it was the thing that convinced me to take the role in the first place. I suddenly realized this as a young man who is, in my in recent history, is kind of known as a bit of a wally [British slang for ineffectual or foolish]. He goes around and talks about the environment, which of course we all know he was right. In the 80s and 90s he was considered a bit of a buffoon. And then there’s the Diana years and the thing that got me and took and basically convinced me to take the role was I suddenly realized he’s a lost boy and the investiture episode is him taking that lost boy and going, ‘No, I’m going to own this and I’m going to become a man.’

Jumping off that a bit, what do you think was the most misunderstood thing about Charles from this period of his life?

I think sort of the misunderstood thing of most of the Royal families, is that they had some perfect childhood. I mean, in terms of financially, they probably had a pretty great childhood, but I think terms of relationships to parents, relationships to siblings, they’re just like anyone else. I mean, they’re difficult. They have their ups and their downs. He was a lost boy but a lost boy with the knowledge that he was going to have to at some point lead, be the king, the reign of England, of the Commonwealth of this huge empire and we now know, it’s taken an entire lifetime and he still isn’t the King.

I think that’s the biggest thing that hopefully people have taken. There’s been a great response within people calling out and saying they feel great sorrow for Charles now. So hopefully that’s what they’ll take.

In looking forward to the future of your career, do you have a dream role in mind that you’d like to play?

I don’t know actually. It’s one of these questions that so hard because I’m always surprised when I say something quick and then a script will come through with a totally original role and there’s nothing better than a new script and a role that you’ve never thought of. It grabs me. But I suppose there are plenty of performances I’ve always kind of aspired to like Daniel Day-Lewis has played and those kind of fully formed characters or Tom Hanks. Those are the kinds of roles that you dream of. In terms of theater it’s easy because everyone wants to play Richard II or Hamlet. I’ve always wanted to play Richard II, so one day hopefully I’ll be able to do that. But beyond that, certainly the dream is to keep getting to play new characters and work with great directors.

All seasons of The Crown, including S3 where Josh O’Connor appears, are streaming exclusively on Netflix.

[alexsfictionaddiction]

10 of the best pandemic novels

It’s an understatement to say that the world as we know it has changed insurmountably over the last few weeks. We’re apart from our loved ones, most of our summer plans have been cancelled and we’re faced with more uncertainty than ever before. Pandemics and plagues have been present in horror, sci-fi and post-apocalyptic books for decades and they’ve always seemed to be exactly that. Abandoned cities, fast-acting deadly diseases and epic efforts for survival are things that happen in different worlds to our own but of course, they’ve never reflected reality more than they do right now.

I’ve been using this time to research and read a bunch of books that deal with pandemics and I wanted to share 10 of the very best of them with you. I completely understand if you’re trying to avoid these kinds of reads at the moment to limit anxiety or simply to escape. That’s why I also have a list of feel-good reads especially for you!

1. The Stand by Stephen King

The Stand is a book you’ll see on every pandemic fiction list because it is widely considered to be King’s masterpiece. The virus is really just the beginning of this enormous tome as its proceeded by ominous dreams, the inevitable end of days and the very real eternal battle between good and evil -perhaps not unlike some of your recent political discussions? Typical of a King novel, it’s populated by a huge cast of morally complex, tragic characters and there is an overwhelming sense of dread from the very first chapter. Expect a harrowing atmospheric read that will stay with you for a long time.

2. The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey

Essentially, it’s a zombie book but it’s also so much more than that. Set in a world where ‘hungries’ roam the wastelands, a select group of infected but high-functioning children are contained in a special facility. Amongst a ruthless scientist, a kindly teacher and a wary sergeant, child genius Melanie’s story will become one that haunts you in the middle of the night. It’s a classic page-turning thriller that isn’t an exact reflection of our current world but there are some eerie likenesses that will have you questioning who the real monsters are.

3. Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

Station Eleven is so full of believable situations and characters that I could easily see the end of the Earth looking exactly like this huge sprawling landscape, dotted with towns populated by small groups of suspicious, scared people. It chiefly follows five principal characters -seasoned Hollywood actor Arthur Leander who dies on stage during a production of King Lear, his incredibly talented but unappreciated first wife Miranda, his oldest friend Clark, Jeevan Chaudhary who tried to save him and Kirsten, one of Arthur’s child co-stars whose life has been shaped by the events of that fateful night. It’s a beautifully written, expertly constructed book that explores loss, resilience and the heartbreaking notion of desperately trying to hold on to the past. You’ll want several boxes of tissues for this one!

4. The Fireman by Joe Hill

Ok, so the virus in this one isn’t QUITE like COVID-19 but the intense fear, teetering sanity and unexpected small rays of hope aren’t unlike our current set of feels. Dragonscale marks its host with black and gold and burns them up from the inside causing them to eventually spontaneously combust and no one appears to be safe from this horrifying end. We follow pregnant nurse Harper who bears the ominous marks but is desperate to live long enough to give birth and the mystery of the Fireman -an afflicted man who has somehow learned to control the fire within him. It’s a very original premise and although it’s another beast of a book at over 700 pages, it will have you gripped from the very first page.

5. The Book of M by Peng Shepherd

There’s something about memory that feels so precious to me. It may be because in a normal functioning brain, it’s the only thing that constantly keeps us company and therefore, in some ways it’s like an old friend. The Book of M features a virus where shadows have begun to disappear, leaving their humans with a strange new power but also with a rapidly deteriorating memory. Following Ory and Max -two halves of a couple who have been torn apart by the prospect of heartbreak- we meet a bunch of wonderful characters on a journey to New Orleans, where sanctuary reportedly awaits. I stayed up late to finish it because I became so invested in getting these characters back together but I was left completely thrown and sobbing my eyes out by the very cruel twist at the end. Yeah... brace yourself!

6. The Last Town On Earth by Thomas Mullen

Set in 1918 in Washington state, this story follows a small quarantined town trying to stave off the Spanish influenza. The effects of financial instability on the community, the fear of the unknown and the erratic actions of a panicked mind will definitely seem familiar in our current world. It’s an enclosed domestic drama with a lot of social history, tear-jerking moments and a truly explosive ending. I’m delighted that I discovered this emotional hidden gem!

7. Skin by Liam Brown

Skin describes a world with an extreme version of a COVID-esque virus. Everyone must completely isolate from everyone else including the people they live with and can only communicate from separate bedrooms via technology. But then our protagonist Angela spots a man outside without any protective gear on and he doesn’t even seem to be slightly sick. Full of intrigue, complex characters and a twist in the tale, it’s a fast read with a lot to say about contemporary society via a wry cynical voice.

8. Severance by Ling Ma

Candace Chen is a routine-loving millennial who turns ghost city photo-blogger when the deadly Shen Fever sweeps New York. Joining an eclectic band of survivors on a trek to a supposed sanctuary, she is harboring a secret of epic proportions. Things get progressively darker as the group begins to develop a cult-like dynamic and the seemingly self-elected ‘leader’ Bob becomes increasingly tyrannical. The sudden jolt out of ordinary life and the making and breaking of human relationships in times of hardship mixed with a touch of satire makes for a thoroughly entertaining, topical read.

9. Wilder Girls by Rory Power

I love a good boarding school novel and this is possibly the darkest, most unique one I’ve ever read. The Tox has left multiple pupils at Raxter School For Girls with deformities and they’re now waiting patiently for a cure. But then Hetty’s best friend Byatt goes missing and suspicion heightens as to what’s really happening on the remote island. I couldn’t shake the feeling of doom for the entire time and there was such a heavy gloomy atmosphere that seeps through the pages. There was a lot of buzz around this book on YA Twitter when it was released late last year and it’s definitely worth all of the hype! 

10. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

This impeccably strange, enchanting novel is a little glimpse into some of the weirder rooms of Atwood’s mind. Snowman lives in a tree on a deserted beach and spends his days foraging for scraps and mourning his best friend Crake and the woman he loved, the enigmatic Oryx. He seems to be the only human left but somehow he has become a prophet-esque figure to the beautiful, ethereal Children of Crake. The actual virus doesn't appear until the final 50 pages but we see the effects of it from the very beginning, so I was pretty eager to find out exactly what had happened, which kept the pages turning. Although it is funny in places and exceptionally thought-provoking, there is a lot of disturbing content to be aware of including animal experimentation and child trafficking and sexual abuse. It’s a horrifying window into a possible future if extreme capitalism and the fast advances in genetic engineering were ever to meet in a head-on collision. 

[kayskasmoviereviews]

25 Best Films of the 2010s

Admittedly, it has been a very long time since I updated this blog. However, given that we have just come to the end of an exceptionally great decade of film, I wanted to reflect on which films from the 2010s have stuck with me the most. This is of course a very personal list, and I haven’t seen half the movies that I wanted to in the decade. But on the first day of 2020, here are the 25 films I consider the best of the 2010s. If you’re inclined to comment, let me know what your favorites were!

1. Swiss Army Man - This surreal, bizarre comedy has such an eclectic mix of gross-out humor, emotional depth, and spectacularly original visual imagination that I honestly couldn’t imagine putting anything else in the #1 spot.

2. First Reformed - Paul Schrader returns to the transcendental style of classical filmmaking he had studied early in his life, and the result is a film that considers the human condition more seriously than just about anything else in a long time. Ethan Hawke gives a career-best performance, which is saying a lot.

3. Moonrise Kingdom - I always use this film to introduce the film unit of my freshman writing class, meaning I’ve seen it about 8 times or so. It never gets old. It was the movie that really made Wes Anderson click for me, and enhanced my appreciation of his work (and indeed, of cinema in general) to a new level.

4. Calvary - A dark, funny, intensely moving study of a moral dilemma in the life of a priest in Ireland. Absolutely amazing writing and a masterful performance by Brendan Gleeson. Somehow, John Michael McDonagh, the film’s writer and director, then went on to make War on Everyone, one of the worst films of the decade.

5. Lady Bird - Greta Gerwig’s debut movie was an extremely funny, warm, and true-to-life film that artfully and economically created as believable an on-screen world as I’ve ever seen. The film has enormous empathy with every single one of its sizable cast of characters. Gerwig is a major talent.

6. Arrival - Denis Villenueve made a lot of great films this decade (Prisoners, Blade Runner 2049, Enemy, Sicario), but none were better than this intellectually and emotionally brilliant work. As a bonus, it got me into reading Ted Chiang, who is now one of my favorite writers.

7. A Ghost Story - David Lowery also had some exceptionally strong work this decade (The Old Man & the Gun, Pete’s Dragon, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints), but the best and most distinctive was this film, which featured Casey Affleck as a ghost in a white sheet who can’t leave the house he shared with his wife (Rooney Mara). This film did more interesting things with cinematic time than any other this decade, and felt like an actually successful version of what Terence Malick tried (but in my opinion, failed) to achieve with The Tree of Life.

8. Her - One of the most profound romantic films ever made. Most romantic comedies play around with relationships as plot elements, but this one actually asked what a relationship even is in the first place. 

9. Phantom Thread - The only movie to ever actually make me say, “What the fuck?” out loud in the theater. In a good way.

10. Turbo Kid - A wonderfully entertaining low-budget indie movie that mixed irony, sincerity, nostalgia, pastiche, humor, and gory violence into something truly singular.

11. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World - One of the most purely fun films ever made in terms of visual style. Edgar Wright’s meticulous attention to mise-en-scene, editing, and visual effects has never been put to better use than it was here.

12. 12 Years a Slave - The best historical film of the decade, one that used art-house style visuals, stern filmmaking discipline, and major Hollywood actors to create an extremely convincing and harrowing portrayal of slavery.

13. Room - One of the most moving films of the decade, and Brie Larson was a deserving Oscar winner for this one.

14. The Paddington films - The cutest, cuddliest, most sweetly entertaining kids’ movies in a very long time. Both films are essentially perfect in their charm and their surprisingly elaborate attention to visual craft. I can’t wait for Paddington 3.

15.The Hateful Eight - Everyone knows the over-the-top violence in Quentin Tarantino’s other films is largely played for fun and laughs, and I enjoy it as much as anyone. However, I think he was doing something distinctly different here, something much darker and more morally serious. Jennifer Jason Leigh’s performance was one of my absolute favorites of the decade.

16. The Lobster - Few films are this original, this dark, or this bitterly funny. I really gelled with Yorgos Lanthimos’s distinctive style in this movie, and thought Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, and the other actors all landed on the perfect wavelength for their performances.

17. Logan - People talk constantly about the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, and it is very true that those films as a group achieved something truly unprecedented and highly enjoyable in the 2010s. In terms of individual films, though, the best superhero movie this decade (and maybe ever) was Logan, which gave an extremely satisfying conclusion to Hugh Jackman’s 17 years with the character.

18. The John Wick series - The John Wick films are undoubtedly some of the most technically proficient and stylistically accomplished action films ever made. The plot is so simple as to be a joke, yes, but the action is executed with such an incredibly high level of skill and dedication that you simply have to respect the people who put this madness together.

19. Blade Runner 2049 - Some of the most visually stunning cinematography and visual effects I’ve seen, smartly put in service of a strong story that does actually live up to the legacy of the original.

20. Cloud Atlas - Sure, you could pretty fairly say that this movie was cheesy, messy, silly, and missed some of the elements of the book. But dammit, it was truly ambitious, and the Wachowskis (one of whom had transitioned before the making of the film, and the other of whom did later) really did put their hearts into it.

21. The Favourite - Lanthimos further develops the weird style I had liked so much in his earlier films, but this time puts it in the service of a slightly warmer and more accessible story than before. Olivia Colman gave a truly astonishing performance.

22. It Follows - My favorite horror movie of the decade, even more than Hereditary, Get Out, or Midsommar. I found the premise ingeniously frightening, and thought the direction, mise-en-scene, and performances really helped develop the film into a singular horror achievement.

23. Dunkirk - I would actually argue this is one of the best war films ever made, maybe even the best one, precisely because it does away with most of the cliches and contrivances and narrative devices common to most war films in favor of simply creating two hours of an ever-escalating “We need to get out of here right now” feeling. By abandoning so many trappings, it managed to feel more real than almost any other war film.

24. It’s Such a Beautiful Day - This film got me into Don Hertzfeldt’s work, and now he’s someone I’m keeping an eye on forever. This is intense, weird, emotionally powerful stuff, all done with stick figures.

25. Parasite - A perfect film from beginning to end. There’s not one frame out of place, and no way I can imagine Bong Joon Ho and his collaborators having made this film any better than they did. They should teach this one in film school forever.

[purrincess-chat]

Marinette Dupain-Cheng's Spite Playlist: Original CH2

That’s right, two chapters at once! I told you guys I was writing a lot this past week. I pinky swore!

Previous    Next

Chapter 2

Marinette’s new school was bigger than the last, and she suddenly felt very tiny standing before the castle of a building. Several students shuffled in through the front doors, and she could already tell that things were much different here. The air was different, and people carried themselves with a sense of self-importance she usually only saw out of Chloe. Though she supposed this was a private school for rich socialites, yet another thing that reminded her just how different she was from her new classmates, but nevertheless, she trudged on, slipping by unnoticed as she found her way to her new class.

Inside the room, students were broken up into groups all chatting casually with each other, and Marinette pictured similar scenes in Mlle. Bustier’s classroom that had never daunted her like this did. She didn’t recognize any of these faces, nor did they pay her any mind as she stood awkwardly at the front of the room. For a moment, she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as if this were a bad idea, but soon their teacher entered the room and offered her the first smile she’d received all day.

“You must be Marinette, right?” He asked cheerfully, and she felt herself relax a little.

“Yes.” She nodded.

“Welcome to our school. I’m Mr. Mercier.” He extended a hand for her to shake. “Don’t be intimidated by the groups; most of my students are very friendly, so I’m sure you’ll make friends quickly.”

“Thank you,” she said with a smile, turning to face the front as Mr. Mercier clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.

“Alright, class, settle down and find your seats,” he said, and students began to shuffle into place. “We have a new student joining us today. Her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, so please help her find her way today.” He turned back to face her and pointed to an empty seat in the middle. “You can sit next to Eliott just be sure he doesn’t talk your ear off.”

A boy with dark skin and poofy hair flashed her a devilish grin and extended a hand as she took her seat.

“I’m Eliott, aspiring actor and the boy of your dreams,” he said, waggling his eyebrows, and Marinette blinked at him before a girl behind them reached over and swatted his arm.

“Don’t take him seriously, he’s trying to stay in character for his performance later,” the girl whispered with an eye roll. “My name’s Macy by the way.”

“Marinette,” she replied, and Macy gave her a kind smile.

“Sit with us at lunch, okay?” She insisted, and Eliott lifted her hand to his lips.

“Yes, I’d like to know more about my soulmate,” he said smoothly before kissing her knuckles.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep him in line,” Macy rolled her eyes, pinching the base of his neck hard until he turned to face the front with a soft yelp.

Marinette bit back a smile as she retrieved her tablet from her bag and tuned into the lesson. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad there after all. So far everyone was incredibly nice, but as she would soon learn, not every face was friendly.

“That’s the library,” Macy said between classes as they walked, pointing to a large wooden door. “Down that hall is the chemistry lab, and upstairs on the left is the cafeteria.”

“Thanks for showing me around,” Marinette said, rubbing her arm and pursing her lips.

“No problem! Moving to a new school must be really scary, so I know I’d want someone to show me around,” she waved it away.

“So, what prompted you to change schools?” Eliott asked, shoving his hands in his pockets as they walked.

“Um,” Marinette averted her gaze, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I just thought that change would be good for me, that’s all.”

“Whatever the reason, I am happy that fate has brought us together,” he bowed before her, and Macy shoved him slightly causing him to stumble.

“I apologize for Eliott. I’ve known him since we were little, so I’m used to him, but there’s really no way to explain him,” she said shooting him a teasing glare. “He’s harmless though.”

“He certainly reminds me of someone I know,” Marinette remarked, pressing her lips together to hide her smirk.

“And for that I am very sorry for you,” Eliott chuckled as they rounded the corner into their literature class.

“Can you not stand so close to my desk? I don’t want you breathing my air,” a tall girl with long red hair ordered another student as they entered waving her hands in a typical ‘shoo’ motion. The small boy curled his shoulders and slinked off to a desk at the back of the room as his aggressor and several friends laughed. Eliott and Macy exchanged tense looks before motioning for Marinette to sit at the other end of the room.

“Who are they?” Marinette asked in a hushed tone.

“No one worth knowing,” Macy replied, shaking her head.

“Their families have been rich for generations, so they think they’re better than everyone. The redhead’s name is Gabrielle and the big dude sitting next to her is her boyfriend Thomas. He plays lacrosse, and his family owns a castle out in the country.” Eliott explained. “The other three are just their shadows. They follow them everywhere just for the perks because they can bribe the smart kids to do their homework.”

“Sounds a lot like someone I used to know,” Marinette grumbled.

“Every school has at least one it seems,” Macy said, rolling her eyes. “Just ignore them.”

Marinette glanced back at the boy at the back of the room with his face buried in his arms and felt her heart sink a little, but she turned back to face the front as their teacher entered the room and began her lesson.

After literature was art, a class Marinette actually looked forward to. After spending the day in all gray, she was dying to design something colorful. The art room was much more sophisticated than she was used to, and she found herself missing the lingering scent of spray paint from one of Alix’s projects, though she was soon distracted by the large and intricately detailed sculpture of her in the center of the room. Or rather, a sculpture of Ladybug. She didn’t realize that she was staring with her jaw open like a weirdo until their art teacher spoke up from behind her.

“Do you like it?” She asked, and Marinette nearly jumped out of her skin which stirred up mocking laughter from Gabrielle and her posse.

“I- uh, yes, it’s amazing,” she said lamely, clasping her hands together in front of her.

“Thank you. I put many long hours of work into it, so I’m glad that someone appreciates it.” She offered Marinette a smile that made her nerves melt away.

“I’m sure if Ladybug saw it, she would love it too,” Marinette said before taking her seat at a table with Eliott and Macy.

“What a freak,” Gabrielle laughed from her table, purposefully loud enough for Marinette to hear.

“Just ignore her,” Macy said, patting her shoulder.

“Alright, class, today we will be presenting our art projects that we’ve been working on. Marinette, you can just sit back and enjoy everyone’s contributions for today,” she said with a wink. “Who would like to go first?”

A hush fell over the room before Macy raised her hand. “I will, Mme. Pierre.”

“Thank you, Macy.” The teacher gestured her to the front of the room before stepping aside.

“For my project I wrote a song about my friends,” she said, clasping her hands together in front of her and drawing in a breath before she started to sing, and Marinette felt her jaw drop. Utterly entranced through the whole performance, Marinette only came too again when Eliott closed her jaw, and she began clapping with everyone else, cheeks pink with embarrassment.

“You were incredible!” She whispered when Macy sat back down.

“My throat is a little sore today, so it could have been better,” she shrugged, but Marinette wasn’t convinced that her voice could sound any more angelic than it already was.

“Macy wants to be a professional singer, so she’s been taking voice lessons since she was little,” Eliott said, nudging her with his elbow. “She’s just being modest.”

“Eliott, would you care to go next?” Mme. Pierre asked, and he winked at Marinette as he stood up and took his place at the front of the room.

“I will be performing a scene from my favorite play,” he said, before clearing his throat and diving straight into his act.

Marinette felt her cheeks flush as he trained his eyes on her, spilling out profound declarations of love and adoration with the most tender of expressions.

It seemed that everyone at this school was exceptionally talented as she soon discovered when each of her remaining classmates presented paintings, sculptures, makeup, songs, and even dance routines each seemingly more impressive than the last. She began to worry that maybe she wasn’t cut out for this school after all.

“Thank you everyone,” Mme. Pierre said once everyone had finished. “Marinette, I know you are new here, but what medium do you prefer?”

“I, uh, like to design,” she replied, curling her shoulders a little.

“Hey, I think I’ve heard your name before…” One student piped up.

“Yeah, didn’t you design a hat for Adrien Agreste in his most recent fashion show?” One of Gabrielle’s posse spoke up excitedly.

“Well, I won a contest at my old school, and-”

“I heard that Gabriel was the one who selected the winner,” another student said.

“Well, yeah, he did-” Several of her classmates gasped in awe before a hushed chatter broke out around her.

“Didn’t you also design an album cover for Jagged Stone?”

“I heard your great uncle is a world-famous chef!”

“You’re Adrien’s girlfriend, right?”

“I-” Marinette drawled until the bell rang, signaling lunch, and everyone stood up to leave.

“Is all that stuff really true, Marinette?” Eliott asked as they walked to the cafeteria, the remaining traces of his flirtatious demeanor fading now that his scene was over.

“Yeah, I guess it is,” she shrugged.

“Wait, so you are dating Adrien Agreste?” Macy gasped, clutching her arm.

“I- what? He’s just, well, I want to-” She shook herself. “All of them are true except that one. Adrien is just a good friend.”

Former friend rather, but Marinette would spare them the details.

“But you do know him?”

“Yeah, he was in my class,” she confirmed, flinching a little as Macy erupted into a squealing fit.

“Oh, can you pretty please introduce me? We can all hang out on my yacht this weekend!” She begged.

“You have a yacht?” Marinette quirked a brow.

“You don’t?” Eliott chuckled, sobering when she winced. “Wait, you really don’t?”

“I can get you one for your birthday if you want one,” Macy offered, and Marinette rubbed the back of her neck.

“I’m starting to think I really don’t belong here,” she sighed.

“What? How come?” Macy’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Because everyone here is filthy rich and super talented, and they all speak 4 languages, and I’m just…ordinary,” she explained with a shrug, and Macy and Eliott exchanged incredulous looks.

“Your great uncle is a world-famous chef,” Eliott said pointedly.

“Yeah, and your designs have been praised by the king of fashion himself and Jagged Stone,” Macy added.

“Not to mention you’re friends with Adrien Agreste and Chloe Bourgeois.”

“Ehh,” Marinette waved her hand at the last one.

“I think you belong here just fine, Marinette,” Eliott assured her, and she felt her cheeks warm, though her flattery was short lived when Gabrielle’s voice sounded from the middle of the cafeteria.

“Did you hear me? I said move,” she growled at the boy from the art room.

“What’s that girl’s problem?” Marinette grunted in disgust.

“She’s got a lot of money and a power-complex,” Eliott sighed, grabbing a tray. “Best to just ignore her and stay out of her way.”

“But they’re picking on that poor boy.”

“Better him than you,” Macy said. “Trust me.”

Marinette’s jaw clenched as she watched them take his lunch, seething when he cowered before them. She remembered what it felt like to be on the receiving end of that, and she wasn’t going to stand by while someone else was tormented.

“Where are you going? Marinette, just don’t- ah!” Macy and Eliott tried to call her back as she stormed over to the group causing a scene.

“Why don’t you go eat your lunch in the trash can where you belong?” Gabrielle said, waving her hand. “Thomas, can you help him find his way?”

Thomas cracked his knuckles and lifted the boy from his seat, but before he made it far, Marinette slapped her tray on the table across from him.

“Thanks for saving the table,” she said with a smile as everyone around stared at her dumbstruck.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Gabrielle snarled.

“Having lunch,” she replied simply, taking a bite of bread.

“Look, you’re new here, so you might not understand how this works, but this is our table,” Gabrielle said slowly.

“But this is where I always sit,” the boy cried.

“Yeah, well now we want to sit here,” Thomas said, holding him off the ground.

“Why are you making it such a big deal? There are plenty of other empty ones available,” Marinette suggested, nodding to an adjacent table.

“Because we want this one,” Gabrielle snapped, slamming her palm down.

“Why? Because it’s so much better than all the other tables or because you just like to throw your weight around?” Gabrielle’s jaw clenched in response, so Marinette stood up and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’ve dealt with brats like you before. You don’t scare me, and everyone else around here might let you walk all over them, but hi, I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and I’m not gonna stand for it, so you can take your power-trip and sit it somewhere else.”

Gabrielle held her glare for a moment before Marinette jutted her chin at Thomas.

“Put him down,” she ordered.

The cafeteria fell into stunned silence as Marinette sat back down nonchalantly and took a bite of her apple before a few students began to clap. Their applause escalated until the whole room was cheering, prompting an eye roll from Gabrielle who snapped for Thomas to comply before they retreated to another table. Macy and Eliott sat beside her with equally awed gapes.

“Okay, I think I’m in love with you for real now,” Eliott said with a wide grin.

“Thank you for saving me,” the small boy spoke up, straightening his coat. “They dump me in the trash about three times a week.”

“Not anymore,” Marinette assured him, gesturing to the seat across from her. “Sit and eat with us.”

“O-Okay.” He sat down obediently and lowered his gaze to his tray.

“What’s your name?” Marinette asked conversationally.

“Martin…”

“Nice to meet you, Martin. I’m Marinette,” she smiled sweetly.

“How did you stand up to her like that?” Macy asked quietly, leaning forward. “I would have been terrified, but you sounded so confident.”

“Well, a friend of mine once told me that all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing,” she said, face falling a little. “An old friend anyway.”

“I like that,” Macy remarked before a devilish grin spread across her lips. “So, is Adrien as cute in person as he is in photos?”

“Cuter,” Marinette giggled scandalously. “And he’s super nice.”

“You are so lucky!”

“Here they go,” Eliott rolled his eyes.

The rest of her day was busy and exciting as more of her new classmates introduced themselves and complimented her designs or praised her courage in the cafeteria. Gabrielle shot her glares every now and then, but she paid them no mind. She’d dealt with worse.

Everything seemed to be falling into place for her until she arrived back home to see a familiar mop of blond hair waiting outside her door.

“Adrien?” She gasped, heart tightening into a knot in her chest as he turned to her with a somber expression.

“Hey, Marinette. Can we talk?”

[kpopchangedme]

Stray Kids as their astrological Signs

B1A4 / GOT7 / Monsta X / KNK / B.A.P / ONF / K-Actors / Day6 / Wanna One

M A S T E R L I S T

Bang Chan: Libra  ♎ 🌀

Libra-born men are extremely intelligent, sensitive and can see both sides of a situation.  They are also extremely charming and artistic. Libra are renowned peacemakers, they are gracious, fair-minded, social and very diplomatic. Usually fascinated by balance, they strive for justice, peace and equality. They sometimes love to mirror people’s attitude to avoid conflict, but their biggest fear is to lose or deceived themselves by doing so. Libra men have a strong intellect and keen mind; they like good books, insurmountable discussions and very talkative people.

Weaknesses: Indecisive, avoid confrontations at all cost, will carry a grudge & self-pity.

HATES: Violence, being alone, injustice, loudmouths & conformity.

Relationship: Libra men love to share everything with a partner so much that they can be perceived as dependent and needy. If they take the relationship seriously they move very fast and talk about the future a lot, which can scare people away with unreal expectations. They only see relationship as long term ones and will probably be the partner that brings up marriage first. They are known to care deeply about their partner’s satisfaction and are very creative sexually. Libra-born can also be very susceptible and will sulk a lot since they don’t confront people directly. Be aware that they take everything as a personal insult. They usually choose a partner that’s their total opposite and completes them.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Sagittarius, Aries.

Woojin: Aries  ♈  🔥

Aries-born men are courageous, determined and confident. They are also known to be enthusiastic and optimistic, often being the leaders and organizers of their group of friends. They value friendship and are always ready to stand up for their friends. Aries men also have a great sense of humour and have a very generous nature.

Weaknesses: Impatient, childish, moody, short-tempered, impulsive and aggressive.

HATES: Inactivity, delays, work that does not use one’s talents.

Relationship: Aries men are so independent; they struggle a lot to find balance in relationships. However, if they find it, they will not let go of their partner. Some of the most passionate lovers are Aries, since they are secure and proud of their abilities. They can make any partner feel extremely attractive in their arms, but they have little patience for insecurities, self-depreciation or lack of confidence. They love independent partners who shine bright, but can also follow their lead blindly.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Leo, Libra.

Lee Know: Scorpio  ♏  💧

Scorpio-born men are sensual givers and seekers of the purest love. They are resourceful, always come up with solutions and are very brave. They are one of the most dedicated and faithful sign of the zodiac, which make them amazing friends. Scorpio men crave confidences and truth, they love to be there for people and never spill another’s secret! However, this doesn’t mean they trust back, for the Scorpio men are themselves known to be quite secretive.

Weaknesses: Distrusting, jealous, impulsive, secretive and violent.

HATES: Dishonesty, treason, revealing secrets, passive people.

Relationship: Scorpio are extremely passionate and their love can quickly turn into a devoted hate if they feel a partner betrayed them. Passion is known to burn and Scorpions are also known to sting impulsively. Scorpio-born men like to understand everything about their partner, but they also use their knowledge to hurt deeply with their words in the midst of a fight.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Taurus, Cancer.

Changbin: Leo  ♌ 🔥

Leo-born are natural leaders, they are very creative, generous, warm-hearted, cheerful and humorous. They also are almost impossible to resist, they are the king of the zodiac after all. Flirtatious, but they value loyalty above everything else, making them the most faithful sign of the zodiac, both in friendship and in love. It’s not that Leo-born don’t like to share personal stuff, but they hate talking about negative emotions. That’s why they are often wrongly perceived as secretive.

Weaknesses: Arrogant, stubborn, overly dramatic, self-centered, uncompromising and inflexible.

HATES: Being ignored, facing difficult reality, rejection or not being treated like royalty.

Relationship: When in love, Leo men will do everything to show how gallant, confident and powerful they are. It can be overwhelming, but it comes from their need to seduce rather than a manifestation of their insecurities. They love pursuing a challenging lover and will hold their partner to very high standards. Leo men are the definition of Prince Charming; they are passionate, devoted and very romantic and also enjoy being treated like royalty. An important thing about Leo-born is that while they may seem superficial, they aren’t at all. They prefer a partner who shares their deep personal values rather than a flashy one.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Aquarius, Gemini.

Hyunjin: Pisces ♓ 💧

Pisces-born are the giver of unconditional love. They are one of the most sensitive and delicate sign of the zodiac. Pisces are men exceptionally gifted of compassion and care about people's well-being more than their own. They are altruistic to a fault and always try to make the world a better place. They are very intuitive, gentle, wise and romantic. They are also often spiritual, artistic and musical, they enjoy visual media and spending time alone.

Weaknesses: Fearful, overly trusting, sad, desire to escape reality, can often be a victim or a martyr.

HATES: Know-it-all, being criticized, rejection, the past coming back to haunt, cruelty of any kind.

Relationship: Pisces men are extremely romantic. They enjoy the feeling of being in love like no other and will believe they find the love of their live every time they fall for someone new. They are very spontaneous partners. They also are very honest but consider half-truths to be absolute truth, so their partners need to catch on. They need to find a strong foundation for their relationship to last, or they’ll want to find romance and excitement elsewhere. After all, they do enjoy a bit of chaos.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Taurus, Virgo.

Han, Seungmin & Felix: Virgo  ♍ 🌱

Virgo-born men are amazing at giving advice and solving problems, because of their analytical and logical thinking. They are good friends, helpful, observant, extremely loyal and reliable. They are also known to be hardworking, very precise and of kind character.

Weaknesses: Shyness, worry 24/7, overly critical of self and others, all work and no play… Secretly very vulnerable.

HATES: Rudeness, asking people for help and taking center stage.

Relationship: Virgo men fall in love so slowly and carefully that their partner needs to be patient. They aren’t frivolous people and often seek long-term relationships. Once deeply in love, they are extremely loving, patient and supportive of their partner. They value quality of conversation and tend to choose intelligent partners with whom they can discuss and analyze complicated subjects. They are critical and do not trust easily, but once they do, they are dedicated, faithful and very caring lovers.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Pisces, Cancer.

I.N: Aquarius  ♒ 🌀

Aquarius-born are uncontrollable and independent. They usually are dreamers, with very progressive minds. They are born humanitarian, dedicated to make the world a better place and are known to be witty and clever. Aquarius men are often shy and quiet, but they can be very eccentric and energetic if they want to. A bit 4D.

Weaknesses: Sarcastic, rebellious, temperamental, uncompromising, aloof.

HATES: Limitations, broken promises, being lonely, dull or boring situations, when people disagree with them.

Relationship: Aquarius are notoriously challenging lovers. They are known to completely shut down emotions they can’t understand or don’t want to deal with. A relationship with them takes time, trust, independence and a lot of understanding. However, they can almost be unconditionally trusted, they have extremely strong convictions and won’t ever betray them. They are loyal and prefer a partner that stimulates their keen intellect and enjoy unusual or creative dates.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Sagittarius, Leo.

M A S T E R L I S T 

[kpoptimeout]

My Top 10 K-Dramas of 2018 - What’s Yours?

2018 is ending soon and K-Dramaland has once again brought us so many goodies this year. As per our blog’s tradition [For 2017 faves click here], below are my Top 10 favs of the year (my faves in alphabetical order so it might not be yours so please don’t judge)

My only specific criteria this year is that the show must have had started in 2018 to be considered a 2018 series (Hence, Hwayugi and I’m Not A Robot were in last year’s list and honourable mentions)

Lawless Lawyer (tvN)

Every year we have a few stellar Korean legal dramas and Lawless Lawyer is one of them. Starring veterans Lee Joongi and Son Yeji, the drama details a gangster turned lawyer who used unorthodox techniques to win cases and a lawyer-childhood friend-love interest who got into trouble for attacking a judge. After his return from the military, Lee Joongi has acted in many internationally well-received dramas but “Lawless Lawyer” is the first since his return to gain massive commercial success within South Korea and becoming one of the highest viewed dramas on Korean cable channel history. Son Yeji was also able to show her acting chops and shed her pretty girl image through this drama. It is understandable why this drama did well - it was action-packed, had a well-plotted storyline and also the right laughs at the right moments. If you love an amazing legal drama, go watch Lawless Lawyer already!

Memories Of The Alhambra (tvN/Netflix)

You know it’s nearing the year’s end when tvN drops another high budget and experimental drama with a star-studded cast to steal you and the critics’ hearts. This year it is Memories Of The Alhambra, which is an ambitious project jointly produced by tvN and Netflix. Following the success of jointly produced Mr. Sunshine which also made the list, the two studios teamed up for an even crazier project - instead of the guaranteed tear-jerking historical drama they went for a sci-fi/fantasy thriller exploring virtual and augmented reality and business in the digital age. You know they are taking this project seriously when they got the writer for “W” (the Lee Jongsuk and Han Hyojoo hit about the collapse of a comic book world into reality) Song Jaejung to write this screenplay. The show with top cast featuring Hallyu stars and veterans Hyun Bin, Park Shin Hye, and EXO’s Chanyeol with exhilarating graphics and filming in Grenada has been topping online and domestic Korean viewership since its broadcast on December 1st. If you enjoy creative sci-fi adventures with Asian leads, this is the drama for you!

Mr. Sunshine (tvN/Netflix)

One of the first tvN and Netflix collaborations, Mr. Sunshine was an unsurprising hit starring world-famous Korean actor Lee Byung Hoon and South Korea’s favourite young actress Kim Taeri. Other main cast include skilled and popular actors like Yoo Yeonseok, Byung Yohan and Kim Minjung. Throw in the historical Joseon setting and the imminent colonisation by foreign powers, you have a recipe for an awards-sweeper and crowd-pleaser! Besides a plot that easily draws in audiences, the set designs, colour grading, music, and costumes are all phenomenal and is a feast for the senses. My only knit-picking critique is it seems unrealistic that a Korean man can rise to as high a rank as Lee Byung Hoon’s Eugene Choi character in the racist 1800s United States no matter how brilliant Eugene Choi was. But besides that, if you love a historical epic with romance and war, this is the drama you would enjoy!

Ms. Hammurabi (JTBC)

This drama sees Go Ara and Song Dong Il reuniting in their father-daughter/mentor-mentee like dynamic following hit dramas Reply 1994 and Hwarang, with Go Ara being an idealistic former music student who dropped out and self-studied to become a judge, and Song Dong Il being the old geezer and life mentor who only managed to become a judge later in life. They are joined by INFINITE’s L being a by the books judge who likes Go Ara’s wholesome character. The drama is exceptionally touching, not only for its realistic depiction of life as judges in civilian law countries but also as a reflection of people chasing their dreams in different stages of their life. The drama also expertly deals with real-world issues like gender discrimination in the workplace, prejudice to marginalised groups and the issues that come with an inflexible hierarchical structure in South Korea. While there is romance between the leads, this is shown subtly and naturally, without it becoming a distraction to the engaging storyline. If you enjoy a thoughtful drama about society with great acting, this is a drama you would enjoy.

My ID is Gangnam Beauty (JTBC)

Maybe I am slightly biased because I loved the webtoon but I think My ID is Gangnam Beauty is one of the best Korean rom-coms of the year. First I thought the casting was spot-on - ASTRO’s Cha Eunwoo perfectly encapsulated the cold and awkward Do Kyungseok and Im Soohyang was able to display the insecurities of Kang Mirae even after plastic surgery well. The drama does a good job of touching on Korean society’s toxic beauty visual standards - it still makes the female lead insecure even after she gets plastic surgery and she gets ridiculed before and after plastic surgery. Meanwhile second female lead Hyun Soo Ah, played by Jo Woori, also struggles as a natural beauty due to fears of people no longer liking her should she ever fall below their expectations in any way. This is a thoughtful drama that does not just demonise characters for the sake of drama but gives us lots of food for thought about why people act the way they do regarding appearances. If you like a drama that is fun and cute but also has a good message, you should check out this drama!

My Mister (tvN)

There are dramas where you skip some scenes because you want to get to the main point. There are some dramas where you want every second of it. My Mister was one of those dramas you watch every second of. It was that good. While many Kdramas still having idealistic female leads who slowly get jaded and turn badass only near the end/are always protected by men and never turn badass, My Mister finally does the move of making the female poor but super resourceful, brilliant and cynical, and already super jaded to begin with. Played by top singer and actress IU, the female lead Lee Jian reverses the usual female lead tropes by slowly learning to see some good in the world and learn to dream following a life of extreme poverty and hardship. The other highlight of the drama is the male lead played by talented actor Lee Sunkyun, whose relationship with his brothers and mother, as well as his crumbling marriage with his wife provide a lot of food for thought on the meaning of family and life. By acting as a mentor of IU’s character while also being saved by IU from lots of drama unknowingly, we see two broken souls learn from each other to be better people. The drama also showcased how romance is not the only meaningful love that exists between communities. If you love an insightful slice-of-life drama with realistic intrigues, betrayals, and character development, you would love My Mister.

Radio Romance (KBS2)

Honestly at this point HIGHLIGHT’s Dojoon is just nation’s drama boyfriend and he continues to pick the good scripts as we can see in Radio Romance. The drama is simple - the assistant writer played by Kim Sohyun’s radio show might get cancelled and she manages to somehow get the top radio star played by Dojoon to host her show. Shenanigans happen and romance blossoms. It is stereotypical but done well, with the right amount of twists and just knowing when it should bounce back from the laughs and side stories. If dramas are all dishes, Radio Romance is like that cheesecake that tastes sweet and light, not so filling that it will you sick. It is the dessert you would always go for to feel good. If you like to watch something that makes you feel warm inside, this is the drama for you!

Something in the Rain (JTBC)

I am usually not super into “the younger dongsaeng has a romance with noona who he knows growing up all of a sudden” stories but there was something special about Something in the Rain. When I first began watching this drama, it did not feel like watching a regular Kdrama at all and more like an indie film from the West. There is a feeling of emptiness at the beginning, possibly to signify the resident noona and veteran actress Son Yejin’s unsuccessful love life. There was a lot of dialogue and cuts and it felt like watching a documentary about the lives of the characters. But it was this formatting of Something in the Rain that makes it feel so genuine. The pace of the leads building up their romance was steady and natural. Hence, it made issues they faced feel all the more real too. If you enjoy a realistic slice-of-life portrayal of romance, you would love this drama!

The Guest (OCN)

When I saw the trailer I already knew this was some scary shit. Following its many successful thrillers last year, OCN decided to dive in the more horror side of a thriller in The Guest. To fit this aesthetic, the drama was broadcasted only at 11pm instead of primetime but still had massive success and rightly so. The acting by the three leads Kim Dong Wook (man who can see ghosts and the future), Kim Jaewook (the cold, exorcist priest), and Jung Eunchae (a detective who does not believe in the supernatural) is phenomenal, making their team up to catch criminal possessed by ghosts all the more exhilarating. The actors who play the possessed are also amazing, making for most of the scares in this drama. If you enjoy a mystery and the horror genre, this is the Kdrama for you!

What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? (tvN)

Being the most searched Kdrama on Google in South Korea this year, it would not make sense for What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? not to make this list. The drama revolves around the successful but extremely narcissistic company vice chairman played by Park Seojoon and his capable no-nonsense secretary played by Park Minyoung, with the latter quitting after paying off family debts and not being in the mood to work for her annoying boss anymore. The whole process where Park Seojoon tries to retain his secretary of course blossoms into romance etc. etc. One of the reasons this drama did so well was that not only did it have a strong and capable female lead but Park Seojoon defied expectations in his role. As another Kdrama based on a webtoon, original webtoon readers felt like he was not similar to the male lead and were not sure how he would handle the role. But Park Seojoon did a fantastic job, to the point I wanted to bang my head on the table or slap his character whenever he did narcissistic shit. If you want a high-quality rom-com with some unorthodox twists, this is the drama to watch!

Honourable Mentions:

100 Days My Prince (tvN): The fourth highest-rated Korean drama in cable television history starring EXO’s D.O and Nam Jihyun, the drama details the marriage between a noblewoman on the run and a crown prince who lost his memory during a failed assassination attempt.

Are You Human? (KBS2): With the actual development of AI in recent years, more Kdramas have embraced the topic of robot-human romances. Seo Kang Joon and Gong Seungyeon star in this story involving a bodyguard and the AI of a chaebol masquerading as the real chaebol who is in a coma.

Still 17 (SBS): A drama involving a 30-year-old man who doesn’t want to grow up due to trauma (Yang Sejong) and a woman who wakes up after a 13-year coma so acts like a 17-year-old even though she is 30 (Shin Hyesun).

Welcome to Waikiki (JTBC): A comedy-drama starring rising actors Kim Junghyun, Lee Yikyung, and Son Seungwon who run a failing guesthouse called Waikiki. Oh, and there’s a single mother and a baby in this crazy mix!

What’s your Top 10 K-Dramas of the Year? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and may the drama sharing begin (and the road to more excuse for holiday procrastination!)

Also, if you want to check out underrated K-Pop songs of 2018, here are the lists for idol songs, artist songs, and OSTs!

[kashaifilms]

GORE/BLOOD AND MENTIONS OF SUICIDE TRIGGER WARNING

So this was my next major project in university, it was quite a big jump going from live studio magazine show to pre-recorded drama. The biggest change was the actual flow of production. Instead of being put into large groups, that class was split into groups of 4-6. My group was a group of 6. The brief was to make a film that was 10 minutes long but with the main focus being on telling a narrative. So when we asked the Lecturer if the 10 minute thing was heavily enforced he said that it was more of a guideline and to use as much time as necessary to tell the story we wanted to tell. For this production module the whole class was given training on new equipment that we could use, those being the canon c100 mark ii camera’s and also learning more advanced premier pro techniques, with the only major thing being how to use green-screen (which we didn’t end up using).

My roles during this production were as a Co-writer, the Director, an Assistant Editor. My role as a Co-writer consisted of me and James spending hours coming up with sass and quick wit for Lucifer to have as well as deciding what jokes and religious references we’d put into the project. We were heavily inspired by the (then) FOX show ‘Lucifer’, the version of Lucifer from the Neil Gaiman Sandman series, and the version of Lucifer from the book ‘I, Lucifer’ by Glen Duncan. We wanted our Lucifer to be an amalgamation of the 3, having the anger at god that Glen Duncan’s version had, the childish yet very sinful version of from the FOX series, and finally the main inspiration for his appearance being the Neil Gaiman version. We also, much to our own disbelief, managed to actually write a copy of the book that Lucifer talks about during the interview in time for the submission date, which we are currently getting printed for the crew and cast as memento’s of the project. 

Now after writing the script for everything and got the teams approval that this was definitely what we were doing the next step was casting for the role. To do this I set up a starnow account to try and find some actors who needed to add to their portfolio or who were willing to work unpaid. However after setting this up and posting the ad for the search I was shocked at how many people applied ofr Lucifer alone . After only a week we had 86 applicants and after 2 weeks there were 114. We closed the ad after the third week because we believed we had enough applicants and we also were shortlisting as we went. and thought we had quite a good number of people for the project. After looking through all the applications and shortlisting we sent out a task for everyone to do, which was to read a section of the script and then record and send in a video audition based on how we described the characters. The deadline was set for two weeks after we sent the message. All people who didn’t apply were automatically sent a message saying that they didn’t get the role. The boy who got the role, Isaac, sent his application in on the day of the deadline. It had us worried as he was our personal top pick for the role, as he looked the part and his portfolio and theatrical background would add to the role. He sent in his application wearing the signiture purple suit that he wears in the interview and as soon as he began James and I looked at each other and we knew that he was the one. After casting Isaac as Lucifer we then put out and add for the role of the interviewer, not as many people applied but it was still quite a lot, with 46 applications in the first week. after doing the same process for shortlisting, instead of having them send in a video audition we wanted to actually sit down with them, with Isaac, to see if they had the right dynamic. And once we met Dani we knew she’d be perfect for the role. Then we put out an add for Interviewer 1 and done a similar process, with a phone interview instead of a video audition. after this we got Ben, who played his part exceptionally well.

After this all we asked the cast how long it would take them to learn the script, which they responded with 4 days, and so all needed to do was secure dates for the studio and book out equipment which didn’t take long at all. 

As a Director my role was to be in charge of pretty much everything while on set. The role as a whole was a very fulfilling one and luckily for me the cast and crew we had for the project were very very good at what they did. The whole experience was amazing. seeing the talent work had me mesmerised to the point that I forgot to call ‘cut’ a couple of times. The cast themselves needed little direction after the set was ready and all the camera and lights were in position. All I had to do was say ‘action’ and then let them do what they were doing.

During the actual set up process I have to thank my DOP Alex and my cameraman Matt for their amazing efficiency in setting up the camera’s and tripods while I dealt with the set and Lighting. I literally didn’t have to tell them anything apart from the type of shots I wanted and then just left them to it, It helped a lot and allowed us to get straight into filming when the actors arrived. 

We had 4 days to film so I decided to have the first be rehearsal and then get straight into it for the rest. On the second day we managed to film the entire first half but then when we went back into the studios for the third day, someone had moved our lights, meaning we had to preposition them even when we did the scene didn’t look the same, so we re-done the entire first days worth of shooting, leaving the last day for the rest. When the last day came round everything was left alone after I left some notes and had some words with the technician/studio supervisor. This meant that everything could carry on as planned.After shooting concluded it was an amazing feeling that we were almost done. 

We had about 3 1/2 weeks left to edit the project, which was more than enough time, but gave us more time to polish the film into a shining beauty it is. James was the head editor for this project, and I had the role of assistant editor. Even though I was the assistant editor, my role consisted mainly of me walking James through things that he couldn’t do or doing more complex things myself due to me being the more experienced and knowledgeable editor. The things that I walked him through were the ending credits and a few effects used for colour correction and the like. Things I did myself were the Opening title sequence thing and the effect on Lucifer’s eyes when he wakes up in the bath. 

As a whole I am very proud of the experience and filming the short was the most fun I’d ever had during a production thus far. I am very happy with the results or our hard work and I believe that I learned quite a lot during the production, especially in terms of directing. Before this I had little to no experience as a director of works and I had always said before I even got into university that I would definitely like to do it, or at least try it to see if i liked the role, and yes, I like the role. This gave me the confidence that I previously lacked in a leadership role.

[thegeekerynj]

An Occasional Attempt to Read, Discuss and Review the Wonders of Comics By: John Rafferty, cranky old man, and Fan of All Things Comics

Short Takes

Short Reviews, when the Big Mouth doesn’t have much to say...

Giant Size X-Men#1 Nightcrawler Haunted Mansion Writer: Jonathan Hickman Pencils and Inks: Alan Davis

“Hey Douglas, ever watch a Horror movie, and right as the idiot is getting ready to do something stupid like a touch a weird alien wall - and the music gets all creepy and you’re yelling at the screen:

Don’t Touch It You Idiot Don’t Touch It!

And, of course, the idiot does.’

I saw Giant Size X-Men #1. I saw Jonathan Hickman. I saw Alan Davis. I heard the music get all loud and creepy.

I don’t know. I expected more than a mind illusion story, after Krakoa has been built up to be the All Knowing Super Intellect, but to be beat by a sleeping telepath? And one of Mastermind’s kids, to boot? Unless she’s levels better than her father, like Xavier stronger, I just don’t buy it.

Cypher and Warlock’s reveal was a nice touch. I have always liked this duo, and love watching the interactions, and looking for clues to the coming of Magus... The innocence of the Doug Ramsey and Warlock relationship is often worth the price of admission, here, it’s nice, but it just isn’t enough.

With artwork that is exceptionally clean and pretty action sequences both frenetic and exciting, Alan Davis continues to prove he is a truly exceptional talent. Of particular note, his portrayals of both Lockheed and Warlock, characters who’s look is unique enough too cause an artist not up to the task fits. He makes them his own, and rather than break the story, he makes it.

Ah, but there’s the problem. The story, this is a rarity. A real swing, and a miss by Jonathan Hickman. Considering the name of the book, I expected more, because there is a certain expectation that goes with the words Giant Size #1... maybe I’m just a jaded reader at this point, but more likely I have come to expect a whole lot more from the writer, who, for my money, phoned this one in.

Out of 5🌶 🌶 🌶

Hellions #1 Let There Be Snakes

Writer: Zeb Wells Artist: Stephen Segovia

‘These aren’t Predators. These are square pegs, straining heroically against round

holes.’

‘ That was a metaphor’ *#!? You!’

Manuel De La Rocha - Empath. John Greycrow - Scalphunter. Alex Summers - Havok.

Kyle Gibney - Wild Child. Peter - Orphan Maker and Nanny (sufficiently creepy).

A team of psychopaths, emotionally stunted and damaged mutants. Led by Mr. Sinister,

babysat by Psylocke.

So, we’ve finally gotten here. The Misfits of the Misfits of Science. The Mutants so off

the hook insane, so far out in left field, that it took one just as bent as the team to lead,

and another with a certain fundamental moral laxity to act as Judge, Jury and

Executioner, should a member of this team decide to go off the rails.

Zeb Wells gives us a great start point for this group, 2 - 4 page synopses of each

character, starting with Alex Summers. Each of the team members gets a specific

treatment, highlighting his specific skill, ability and disability, finally getting to Sinister,

how he finagles his little ‘wetworks’ squad, and Psylocke, and how she becomes the

’engaged killswitch’ for the Hellions.

Stephen Segovia’s layouts and finished art are wonderful. Fight scenes are explosive,

with just the right amounts of ‘blur’, as if to show how the eye could actually see things happening.

In some of the layouts with the ‘actors’, the action layouts seem almost fractured, much

like the characters...Active storytelling at it’s best, learned from masters...

TNK DNG TNK DNG TNK DNG

Until next time... I can hardly wait for this Lunatic Legion to kick into High Gear!

Outof5 🌶 🌶🌶🌶🌶.5

Justice League #44 - Cold War Chapter 1 - The Monster Within

Writer: Robert Venditti Artist: Xermanico

‘You seek to drag me to Hell, Monsters?

I’LL RACE YOU THERE!

Come get your quarry!’

A funny thing about Team Books.

For the most part, even though they’re TEAM stories, they usually focus on ONE player,

one’s actions are responsible for what is happening. this character is usually obvious

right from the outset, and the drivers become evident right after that.

It’s rare the story works the other way. There’s no real connection between the initial

attack and the Character interacting, as happens here Aquaman, in Antarctica, fighting

non-aquatic monsters, and calling for the JL’s help.

The monsters, Greek in nature, are all escaping from Tartarus, and now, with the

League, have shifted their attentions...

The story seems to be a lead-in, with the attack being a McGuffin, just the vehicle to

collect the players. Now, with everyone at hand, and some of the heroes eyes starting to

glow green, we get the distinct picture that everything isn’t as it seemed...

At which point, Jim Corrigan shows up.

It’s always a good point to leave the story, just as the Spectre makes an appearance...

Pretty art, Xermanico has a really steady feel to his artwork, with some pretty pencils,

and interesting layouts. The closing splash, with the Spectre overshadowing the

League, well it intimates a level of foreboding, as only a Spirit of Vengeance should.

Seeing him show up increased my interest in the next book greatly. Otherwise, I’m not

sure much would have dragged me back for the story.

Out of 5 🌶 🌶🌶🌶

[schpiedehl]

Reasons I hate the Hamilton fandom

Disclaimer: I’m a mod of one Hamilton fb group, an admin of another much smaller group, have seen the show twice, and a huge fan of many of the actors and creatives, not just the original cast. I am entrenched in the Hamilton fandom and have been for nearly 2 years so all of this comes from personal experiences with the fandom. I do not hate the actual musical and having talked to many folks and made friends through this fandom, I can confirm that it has had a positive effect on many people, especially aspiring actors of color. I had criticisms of the actual musical (reductive view of American history, perpetrates American exceptionalism, bootstraps narrative, not as feminist as fans insist, etc) but I’m mostly just addressing the issues within the fandom not within the media. The problems with the fandom is nebulous and manifold so I’m gonna try to be as thorough as possible here: - for those that don’t know, Hamilton is a show made by POC creatives for actors of color. The casting is not “color blind” it is racially conscious. All leads always, aside from the silly, villainous King George, are intended to be played by actors of color and the much of the fandom absolutely REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS. It ranges from the benign-seeing assertions that Hamilton is colorblind and therefore race of the actor doesn’t matter as much as talent (false, with the underlying belief that a white actor will somehow be better suited/more talented in a role that is literally not written for them) to petulant assertions that one white fan or another will be the first white actor to play x role, to erasing the racial identities of light-skinned black, latinx, and asian actors to fit the manufactured narrative that white actors can and have played principal roles and the show is therefore colorblind. Fans are quick to point out the ambiguous wording of “America then told by America now,” intended to subtly indicate POC, as meaning white folk, despite the continuous assertions by the creatives that this is simply not the case. - whitewashing in fan art. Hand in hand with the refusal by many white fans to acknowledge the fact that Hamilton the Musical is intended for POC, white fan artist almost universally draw the actors-as-characters with lighter skin, lighter eyes, and more typically European features. Lin, who played Hamilton in the original cast, is a Latino man of mixed race heritage with tan skin, black hair, and dark eyes yet fan art of him as Hamilton is nearly always pale, red haired, and sometimes even blue-eyed. Artists will defend this as interpretation and some will even indicate that Hamilton was white irl so this is more accurate but Hamilton irl and Lin were nothing alike and he presence of a goatee in Hamilton Fan art is an indisputable sign that the artist is drawing Lin, not the real life, baby faced Hamilton. Dark skinned actors like Okieriete Onaodowan (Hercules Mulligan in the original cast) are rarely drawn and when they are they tend to be heavily lightened. - characters deemed queer by the fandom - notably John Laurens who was thought to be gay or bi in real life by many historians - is often heavily feminized in fan art, despite the fact neither the character nor the actual figure are ever noted as being particularly effeminate. This is of course fetishization symptomatic of applying heteronormativity to gay relationships. - fans often reject and demonize female characters. This is not universal but many fans have negative reactions to Hamilton’s wife, Eliza (and ignore and/or demonize her in regards to the gay ship of Hamilton/Laurens, despite Laurens having died shortly after Hamilton married Eliza. Hamilton fans believe almost universally that Hamilton was bi irl, which is supported by historical consensus, but the notion of him actually being with a woman repulses much of the fandom. - basically standard biphobia). Fans are also extremely gross about Maria Reynolds. - a separate part of the fandom refuses to acknowledge both the historical consensus of the Hamilton/Laurens relationship and the fact that that musical contains several intentional references to it. I’ve been told many times to keep that “gay shit” out of the fandom. - shipping wars of course. - blind worship of the characters either without regard to their historical counterparts or including their historical counterparts. - slavery apologism. Comparing slaves to modern consumer items and/or farm animals to demonstrate the ubiquity of slavery and/or people’s mindset regarding it. While it is true that people are the product of their time, “everyone owned slaves” and “you cannot judge them by the Norms of our culture” are common silencing/apologist techniques which both lack nuance and perpetuate racist ideals. It also erases the fact that abolitionism and moral opposition to slavery existed not only in post-revolution society but also within the very people who owned slaves. Thomas Jefferson wrote that slavery was the worst evil while simultaneously owning and raping slaves. - I’ve encountered at least one person with a bona fide slavery fetish. That’s not the fandom as a whole but it is worth noting. - abhorrent beliefs are common re: Thomas Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemings. - this has basically been covered above but rampant racism is not uncommon in this fandom. You get the distinct feeling that a sizeable portion has never once interacted with a person of color before, based on the ways they claim ownership over the actors, portray the characters, talk about racial issues, etc - speaking of the actors: fans are very gross toward the actors in a variety of different ways. - fans fetishize the fuck out of Daveed Diggs, who played Jefferson in the original cast. Diggs, for reference is a biracial black Jewish man, a rapper, actor, and activist best known outside of Hamilton for his work with clipping., which includes an extremely politically charged afrofuturist space rap opera. Fans tend to do a couple things in regards to Diggs. One, they conflate him with irl Jefferson leading so some really and truly bizarre headcanons and fan interpretations. Diggs himself has no love for irl Jefferson and has - along with the rest of the cast - cautioned fans against romanticizing the real figures, apparently to limited success. More heinously, however, I have seen people claiming ownership of Digg’s body and hair (claiming they would be upset if his cut it, or would stop being his fan even), made comments about keeping him as a sex slave, fetishizing his ethnic features, or even denying his blackness in favor of fetishizing his white, Jewish heritage. I’ve even seen a white woman comment that she wanted to kill diggs’ black girlfriend, skin her, and wear her as a suit to attract Diggs. No fucking joke. Diggs work as a musician is loved by many fans but others reject it as “scary black music.” - this happens with other actors tho not as much as Diggs. Fans have made plenty of comments about Okieriete Onaodowan’s “big black spy on the inside,” for instance, showing further capacity to fetishize black bodies. - for many fans, the original cast can do no wrong. They will go out of their way to justify and forgive anything that can be seen as problematic rather than acknowledging that they can still like a person that has problematic aspects. - or conversely, they gang up on actors on twitter, or tag them in hate/undeservedly negative critique. - replacements and non-OBC casts are largely ignored and several of the actors have been trolled or sent hate simply because they are not the originals. There is also the mindset that no one could ever be better than the original and the show is not worth seeing without the originals which is extremely disrespectful toward the replacement actors. - a large portion of the fandom claims that Hamilton is the only rap they like, or that they don’t like hip hop at all. When the Hamilton mixtape - and album featuring inspired-bys and covers of Hamilton songs by contemporary singers and rappers, was released fans HATED IT, many pointed out that they hated the hip hop sound and the “bastardization” of the music. Many of the songs on the Mixtape were by artists which inspired Hamilton in the first place. - a lot of the fans are just plain cringey. Bad head canons which become more ubiquitous than the actual canon portrayals, extremely forceful when it comes to trying to “convert” people, extremely adverse to any kind of criticism of the musical, history, or the actors, obnoxious at cons, etc. - art theft is rampant - extreme classism re: bootlegs especially - older fans have a tendency to be extremely abusive toward younger fans. Not all young fans are bad but bad memes and stupid references are met with extreme, quick, and unwarranted vitriol.

[kdramareviews]

❊ IT’S OKAY, THAT’S LOVE ❊

RATING: 100000/10

Yes, here I am again with my exaggerated rating--but, if you just watched the drama with me in person, you would have understood how crazy I was for it.

My friend kept telling me to watch this show over and over again because her bias from EXO (D.O.) was in it. She would tell me that it was such a good show, and it was one she would highly recommend. But me, being the stubborn me, was still so caught up with Fight For My Way; that, I didn’t even bother checking it out. But just last week, I have never been so crazy over a man called Jang Jae Yeol.

OKAY FIRST LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT. I NEED TO LET MY FEELINGS OUT.

JANG JAE YEOL (played by Jo In Sung) IS HANDS DOWN THE MAN OF MY DREAMS. OKAY, I KNOW I SAY THAT ABOUT ALL THE MEN IN THE DRAMAS I WATCH, BUT THIS MAN. THIS FREAKING MAN. HE IS LITERALLY SEXY INCARNATE. SEXY IN A WAY THAT 1) THE WAY HE TEASES HAE SOO, AND 2) HE IS AN EDUCATED MAN WHO WRITES NOVELS AND HANDLES A RADIO SHOW. THE AMOUNT OF TIMES I SLAPPED MY BED/WANTED TO PUNCH MY LAPTOP BECAUSE OF HIS IMMENSELY FLIRTATIOUS PERSONALITY IS INNUMERABLE. I HAD TO PAUSE THE SHOW BECAUSE MY EMOTIONS WERE SKYROCKETING. LIKE ONE MINUTE I WOULD BE LIKE “OMG I LOVE YOU JANG JAE YEOL THE SWEETEST BOYFRIEND IN THE WORLD” THEN THE NEXT “OMG JANG JAE YEOL MARRY ME AND HAVE MY CHILDREN YES DADDY THE ONLY DILF IN MY LIFE”. It was indeed a rollercoaster.

From the first episode, Jae Yeol’s flirty and teasing personality was already seen--especially, in the part where they had the talk show between Hae Soo and Jae Yeol. I was immediately hooked from that part on. I knew I had to keep watching.

The show is interesting as it tackles mental health issues like depression, schizophrenia, and many others which I quite liked. It helps the viewers understand that mental illnesses aren’t “light” diseases that can be cured through simply pills or support groups. Mental diseases are actually quite severe to the point where isolation is necessary as it can harm the patient and even those around the said patient. Apart from that, it gives a nice view of the people who surround this patient--how they cope with a loved one who has this disease.

Sure, this plot may make the drama sound quite heavy as it involves mental illnesses (well, for me, if I read a summary that explained similar to the way I did)--but, it was not, surprisingly. It is both a light and heavy drama, in a sense. A majority of the drama was amusing and light because of the chemistry between the couples in the show. But towards the end, it starts to get serious as these mental illnesses arise and become issues. Other than that, it was the most entertaining drama I’ve watched. You actually won’t be able to sleep because you’ll want to watch the next episode--especially, if the next episode could involve a kiss between Jae Yeol and Hae Soo. BuuUuuUuUuuut, I wouldn’t want to spoil it, so I guess you’ll just have to watch and see for yourself.

WHICH LEADS ME TO MY EMOTIONS OVER THE CHEMISTRY BETWEEN Hae SOO AND JAE YEOL--MY DREAM RELATIONSHIP WHICH MY FUTURE BOYFRIEND. IF I DO GET ONE.

Hae Soo is literally me--but, not to the extent that she gets panic/anxiety attacks when someone kisses her. It made me quite sad that the reason why she developed this illness is because she was traumatized from having seen her mom cheating on her father. And to think that some people have experience as well is extremely saddening.  

But apart from that, Gong Hyo-Jin a.k.a. my queen, played her role as Hae Soo exceptionally. I absolutely love Hae Soo’s assertive personality as it makes her appear like such a powerful person. And every time she was able to beat Jae Yeol in an argument (ESPECIALLY IN THE FIRST EPISODE DURING THE DEBATE ON THE TALK SHOW OMG) I internally scream, “YAS QUEEN THAT IS MY QUEEN GIRL POWER SISTER!” And wow. If I were a man, she would probably be the woman of my dreams. She is the kind of girlfriend I want to be. I absolutely loved her teasing personality as it made Hae Soo and Jae Yeol’s relationship extremely exciting.

I particularly remember what Kwang Soo said that Hae Soo will tease the man she likes constantly, whereas the man would be completely impatient in having sex with her. Yes, people, I said sex.

I just love that personality of hers! She is so dominating! Yet, she is also educated as she is a doctor as well, and a loving and sacrificial daughter to her family! I mean??? Who wouldn’t want a woman like Hae Soo???

And because of her dominating and assertive personality, and Jae Yeol’s teasing and sexy personality--Jae Yeol and Hae Soo is probably the hottest couple in all of the dramas I’ve watched. THE AMOUNT OF TIMES THEY TEASED EACH OTHER AND KISSED EACH OTHER. And not to mention, this is the first drama I’ve watched that involved sex as a topic. It is quite on the mature side, which I really enjoyed as someone who is in nearing her 20s.

AND EVEN THE OTHER CHARACTERS AND SIDE COUPLES PLAYED THEIR ROLES EXCEPTIONALLY.

Soo Kwang (played by Lee Kwang Soo, yes the comedian, even I was shocked to find out that he acts too!) was a character I extremely admired. He has this disease called Tourette Syndrome where the patient would experience “motor and vocal tics (according to Google)” in unexpected times. But what made him special was that, despite this syndrome of his, he never gave up in trying to heal himself. And when another character was diagnosed (that’s for you to find out who when you watch the show ;)) with a mental disease, he was the most supportive person ever. He was probably the number 1 fan of Hae Soo and Jae Yeol and it was the cutest thing ever. He would mostly be on Hae Soo’s side and join her in calling Jae Yeol a “player” and a “dog”--which, was the funniest thing ever.

And other than that, I was so happy when he was successfully able to find a woman he likes and accepts this syndrome of his. And that woman was played by my first girl crush, Lee Sung Kyung--who of course, executed her role exceptionally as well. I found it quite weird, however, that Soo Kwang was already someone in the working age, but he dated So Nyeo (played by Lee Sung Kyung) who was a high school student. But other than that, they relationship was still slightly cute as So Nyeo was an absolutely supportive girlfriend who loved Soo Kwang even for his syndrome--which, “heals” throughout the show.

And even Dong Min (played by Sung Dong Il) was a great actor. I remember he played the antagonist in Legend of the Blue Sea, so it was quite new for me seeing him as a protagonist this time. But, wow, he executed his role as a doctor and a support system for all the characters! He has a fatherly image to me especially, because he was someone every one came to when they had problems--apart from him being a doctor as well similar to Hae Soo. He was a wise man who always confronted Hae Soo and Jae Yeol when something was wrong, and he always knew the right things to say--especially, in the scene when Hae Soo was starting to realize that she had feelings for Jae Yeol.

And his relationship with Young Jin (played by Jin Kyung) who was another doctor was one I truly treasured. Dong Min and Young Jin used to be married, but got a divorce. And though Young Jin still had feelings for Dong Min--which, she admitted in the middle of the show--they compromised by becoming close friends towards the end. It was a relationship that was so comforting, because it just goes to show that sure, you did love this person to the point you married this person, and even though these two people may be separated, your love for someone will never fade, it was just converted into a different kind of love--like a friendship type of love. And wow, just the thought of that was so comforting to know.

And of course, a special mention to Kang Woo played by our very own EXO’s D.O.  who executed his role exceptionally as well. Kyungsoo is extremely talented as someone who has one of the sweetest and most remarkable voices in the K-Pop industry. And other than being a worldwide singer, he is now a renowned actor. Kudos to you, Kyungsoo! I find Kyungsoo such a cutie throughout the show as he wore school uniforms, and cute striped shirts. He is indeed a smol boi. I really don’t want to mention his character as it kind of spoils the show, but he played his role exceptionally well--trust me on this.

AND ALL THE OTHER SUPPORTING CHARACTERS, OF COURSE, PLAYED THEIR ROLES WELL AS THE SHOW CAME OUT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST RENOWNED SHOWS.  

I always say this in the reviews I write but: I wish I could say more. But, of course, a novel of my appreciation for this drama would be more convenient.

I extremely recommend this show to everyone, especially if you’re looking for shows that are light and have a more mature vibe. I was extremely satisfied with the show, especially with the ending as well, as it was filled with moments that make you extremely giddy to the point where punching one’s laptop would be necessary. And yet, it is a show that tackles different kinds of love which I liked as well. And on a personal note, this show surprisingly also gave me tips for when I do get into a relationship.

Just a disclaimer too, this show does have a mature vibe, and there is a scene where sex is involved. So, just take that into account when you do plan on watching this show.

Other than that, the show is absolutely one of my favorites with a great plot and a great cast.