#best of you is S tier imo

[teranobriss]

Hands down my absolute favorite Hatchetfield group choreo. Idk, it's just so nice to look at and it perfectly scratches that silly little itch in my brain.

[muralconservator]

I'm gonna be a hater for a sec, I hate the new essence- like I HATE it, it's so bad 😭 😭

[chocolate-cream-soldier]

#the way agatha siphons the rio's power#the lines going up from her lips to her forehead#and then agatha is wreathe and embraced#by death's power all around her#the way death's eyes follow her up#worshipping agatha on her rise up (@isagrimorie )

Agatha All Along 1x08 - Follow Me My Friend / To Glory to the End

[lubrumalis]

I know you've already glossed over how simon would be with a partner and what kind of person he would need. but would you be able to go more in depth about what type of person you think he'd be interested in? what kind of person do you think would suit him best?

ghosts ideal type

who would this man be interested in?

first of all, i think ghost isn’t blinded by physical attraction. of course everyone has their preferences when it comes to height, weight, etcetc but i really dont think ghost cares. at least for 2009 ghost, hes a gentleman who doesn’t judge others. tall? short? fat? skinny? ugly? pretty? he doesn’t give a fuck. i think 2009 ghost is very attracted to kindness and compassion for others, leading him to have a soft spot. in the end i think he’d be very interested in someone who constantly is on the lookout for others and is very independent. in the comic hes always the one saving others and taking that responsibility, so he finds it nice when theres someone out there thats similar. hes the typa guy to fall for the girl next door whos constantly smiling, but knows how to playfully banter with him.

i highly doubt ghost would ever be attracted to someone in tf141 or working with him in the military… since to him work is work. there are also no females in the SAS (its true!) with only 2 passing pre selection in 2021, meaning ghost would have little exposure to working with female teammates. even if there is, it would be a huge slow burn romance imo.

also on the enemies to lovers thing—i dont see that happening. reboot ghost gives the vibes of a man who’d lowkey do that at first, but itd never happen. ghost is a simple man when it comes to relationships: i like you + you like me = mutual feelings. he wouldn’t get the whole ‘i kind of hate you because im pissed at you but also find you attractive’ trope. in fact he’d find it really annoying. he was already betrayed by his soldier teammates once, hes not gonna take it well if someone on his team suddenly gets aggressive towards him in the name of 'attraction'.

ghost isn’t shallow. but he would want his partner to be clean of drugs, have basic hygiene, and dress cutely from time to time. stuff like big ass and big boobs with an hourglass isn’t of his concern at all. in the comic he was in this bar full of prostitutes with his team, every soldier was enjoying their time with a girl—except ghost. he even told a prostitute to go fuck off when she got too touchy. so this can prove hes really not that hypersexual.

traits s/o needs

someone independent. they can cook, clean, live on their own for long periods of time. ghost is a soldier, meaning his schedule is different from most men. hes deployed for sometimes 6 months at a time, so his s/o needs to be content with living alone for long periods of time. the fact ghost is also deployed in active war zones and literal deserts while surviving on 5 hours of sleep, means he cant text or call daily either. this person can’t think that ghost is being distant or not loving them enough, its simply the life of a top tier SAS soldier. ghost doesn’t want this to happen either, but the person must be able to feel secure and independent without him… this also means knowing the possibility ghost could die at any point during his deployment.

someone who values acts of service. first of all, ghost has had a lot of people disappoint him in his life. general shepherd, his american teammates during the mission to destroy roba, and his dad. id argue his brother tommy too (used to be an addict), though its not disappointment its moreso “im not happy you’re on drugs”. ghost needs someone who does things for him that proves trustworthiness and loyalty. small things, like taking care of him when hes sick and preparing a warm meal when he comes back from the freezing outside. id imagine ghost does the same for his partner.

someone with good and strict morales. ghost is a good guy, and we know it. he prevented a girl from getting sexually assaulted, spent years guiding his drug addict brother into rehab, and will just punch about anyone who he thinks is pure evil. even after months of brainwashing and torture done by roba, when every american special forces soldier gave in, ghost didnt. he needs someone similar—morales they will never break … ever. even when tortured.

[beautifulpersonpeach]

BPP, I was having a conversation with a friend the other day and we were going through the strengths and weaknesses (I am loosely using the word weakness but it’s more items they need to work or improve on) of each member and how because of this, BTS works and if any one member were to leave, it wouldn’t work anymore. In your view (and you may have already talked about this before but indulge me please), what are the strengths and weaknesses of each member?

***

Hi @zeeswords 💜

We'd be here all day if we listed out their weaknesses and vices cause lord knows they've got bucketloads.

Most people who spend hours watching the guys (aka the fandom), already know the many weaknesses and strengths of each member given how open the tannies are about showing it/talking about it. What makes your ask (and this topic) interesting IMO, is that what I might see as a weakness another person could see as a strength.

Take for example, Jin and his famed dancing ability.

That man is no dancer, but it's beyond obvious that he works hard to match pace. Jimin who is the best dancer in BTS, has mentioned several times that Jin puts in the work in the practice room. Jimin has said he feels the description of "working the hardest" actually fits more with Jin than with himself. Yoongi and RM commended Jin for being the most consistent and that seeing the effort Jin puts in inspires them to work just as hard. (source timestamp: 36:00 - 37:55).

Also, choreographies of groups where every member is an S-tier dancer often struggle with clumping. Clumping in choreography is a way to center or concentrate energy to a focal point as a way to build anticipation and heighten the enjoyment of the audience. But for it to work you need a clear concentration of energy in the formation and that can't work if everyone is at the same skill level. In this way, 3J (and more recently Tae) works symbiotically with the Hyung line to give BTS choreographies that added oomph. So really, Jin's dancing ability is a weakness on paper, but in reality it's a strength for the team.

In general, BTS is a bit unique among k-pop groups because it is precisely their weaknesses, more than their strengths, that makes the group work. At least in my opinion.

God I'm already rambling so I'll just rattle off a few more.

In fanchant order:

Namjoon

Weakness: ego, dancing ability, morally grey

Strength: ego, language ability, appreciation of beauty & excellence, rap skill, capacity for rage

Seokjin

Weakness: dancing ability, stubborn

Strength: consistency, singing ability, prudence

Yoongi

Weakness: greed, pride, cruelty

Strength: ego, tongue length & flexibility, eyes of such deep molten beautiful chocolate you can't help but sink into them, capacity for love, rap skill, big dick, pretty pink knees, probably smells like citrus

Hoseok

Weakness: rigid

Strength: self-regulation, dancing ability, rap skill, stamina

Jimin

Weakness: singing ability, quixotic

Strength: singing ability, kindness, social intelligence, bravery, dancing ability, stamina, theatrical flair

Taehyung

Weakness: tactless

Strength: singing ability, perspective, perseverance

Jung Kook

Weakness: hedonistic, possessive

Strength: curiosity, language ability, singing & dancing ability, honesty, stamina

[akkivee]

i’m still not sure what was ranked lol??? but ig it’s a ranking of which hypmic media is peak hypmic media????? and some notes lol

s tier:

the manga and chuuou stage!!!!!

tho knocked for its inaccessibility, inability to hear the character voices and insert raps, and it being behind canon, the manga is still just like, the best way to consume hypmic’s canon lol

you get the drama tracks and additional storytelling for those tracks AND stories that help build hypmic’s world and characters!!!

the best way to consume canon tho imo is reading the manga to the drama tracks whenever you can lol

the chuuoku stage was originally a tier but i was asked to put it higher and therefore it is LOL

the stage as a whole would be a tier i think, despite some misgivings about it lol

but the chuuoku stage had peak acting, peak character moments and bonds, peak canon interpretations and it was sick seeing a group of women oppose the women’s rule while lowkey guilty of what chuuoku was doing as well 😫👌

also seeing honobono in the flesh and our first auxiliary media honobono too where she was just as terrible and terrifying as you might expect thanks hypstage lmao

sucks it’s not very accessible tho lol

a tier:

the drama tracks and the legends era stage!!!!

tho the drama tracks are my s tier lmao, i can acknowledge it can be hard to sit down with a couple dozen or so drama tracks when a good majority of them are 30 minutes each lol

all of the canon drama tracks are very accessible!!! side media not so much lol but the majority of the main story is on youtube!!!!

but bc the manga was made to accompany the tracks, you don’t get the full picture as you would with the manga lol

the legends era stage, despite not being the most faithful to the character portrayals, showed character flaws in peak dramatique lmao

thru the side characters you get a lot of worldbuilding that is relevant to canon despite its other universe status

it’s my issues with its characterisations and ESP the blatant disregard for the women that doesn’t have it higher lol

it’s pretty inaccessible too lol

b tier:

arb and hypdream!!!!!

hypdream is new and i haven’t played it but creating ghost versions of the characters where their character traits are Slightly skewed is automatically peak writing for me LOL

and any game that calls ichiro pretty is aight by me lol

arb is really cool!!!!! it’s mostly b tier bc it’s incredibly inaccessible lol but it’s zany and in character crazy lmao

like sometimes character traits are played up for a comedic effect but it doesn’t detract from the character itself lol

i also think the main story is cool!!! the arb ocs are very neat and the divisions intermingle in ways canon simply cannot provide

it also being paywalled knocks down lol

c tier:

the current era of hypstage!!!!

they haven’t done anything lol

like them doing og get together stories is nice ig and even if idk how i feel about them forming nagosaka alongside the og divisions, i can appreciate them weaving their narratives together so they all begin together

there’s a sanitation of a few characters that are already showing thru that might be a detriment in the long run idk where the stage is going tho lol

like i mean there felt like there was an attempt on nuanced characters in the first era of the stage and idk if it’s been carried over based on what we’ve seen so far??? maybe a bit???? idk i think only time will tell

always on that inaccessibility ✌️

d tier:

rhyme anima!!!!!

i don’t hate rhyme anima let me just preface lmao!!!!!!

it was originally on c tier but i felt a little offended putting it next to the stage lol

it’s a little too silly i think lol like arb is fun silly but rhyme anima doesn’t have enough charm in its silly

it might be bc the character portrayals toe being offensive tbh lol i always commiserate with mtc fans watching samatoki be bastardised like that 😭😭😭

ramuda too imo but idk if that’s my place to comment on lol

like arb tastefully exaggerates their characters, rhyme anima made caricatures of them 😭😭😭

tho i will always be amused by kuukou being so sanitised of his insanity lmao he’s smart and you can actually see that and it’s so funny to see lol

[hazshit-hotel-hater]

What are your opinions on each of the songs? (you can answer with as much or as little detail as you'd like)

Big shocker that the songs from the 2 good episodes are in S and the only one that isn’t is still B tier/sar

The first 2 songs in S made me either tear up/shake violently or cry, and therefore they deserve to be up there IMO. Out for love is also just genuinely catchy and had actual build up to it. Also God “Ready for This” just. OOUGGGHHH IT SCRATCHES MY BRAIN SO GOOD LIKE A WARRIOR CATS MAP. I like it a lot. You cant have multiple characters sing about working together and expect me to NOT cry.

“Stayed Gone” isn’t one I listen to often but it’s so peppy and fast and full of hatred I can’t help but enjoy it. Also everytime the song starts my brain does this

I dont know anything about Welcome Home

I have. Issues. With “Loser, Baby” but aside from those the song holds a lot more weight to it than I usually give it credit for. And for as cheesy as the start if it is, the line before of Angel talking about self destructing resonates with me a lot. Also Husk lays down in a puddle of vomit and no one talks about that ever.

I think the first song in B is “Happy Day in Hell” and I’m adding it there 1. Because it is the first song 2. It gets a reprise thing 3. Charlie almost gets hit by a truck. Other than that it’s not really my favourite but I respect the impact it has.

“Hell is Forever” just fucks. End of story. Alex Brightman killed it.

“Respectless” is good I love Velvette’s VA, but the sudden start of the song and the ending are so out of left field the first time me and my friends watched this show we had to pause cause we lost our fucking minds. Could’ve been better but I’d listen to it again, yeah.

“Hell’s Greatest Dad” is silly and funny and maybe I’m biased as a violin player and jazz enjoyer but a lot of the instrumental tickles my brain so nicely. I will say though it confuses me so much because why does Alastor care about being seen as a father figure?? My mom said it could just be him wanting to show up Lucifer and that’s it but I dunno.

“More than Anything (Reprise)” AKA “Charlie and Veggie Kiss Scene - Hazbin Hotel”

This song sounds like it’s straight out of Barbie & Th Diamond Castle and I’m honestly pissed the girls in the movie didn’t kiss so I’m coping with this. ALSO THE FACT ITS A REPRISED SONG ABOUT LOVE MAKES ME A BIT CRAZY. I never noticed this was the same song Lucifer sang to Charlie SOMEHOW but that’s actually really cute.

“It Starts With Sorry” Has a big part in Sir Pentious’s character growth and just his character in general. I’ve been working on this in my Pentious rant but I never see people mention how much this song probably meant to him. Yeah it’s super corny, but he was fully expecting to be killed and had just been told to kill himself. This was definitely huge for him and I’m not gonna be convinced otherwise.

“You Didn’t Know” is really good but Lute’s part is by far the best and I pray to GOD she gets her own song in S2 her voice actor can SING. GODDAMN! I am very interested in Lute’s character development and I love seeing what people do with close-minded characters like that and hopefully Vivzie doesn’t condemn her to Vivziepop Woman Syndrome. If she isn’t important in S2 I’m going to be pissed but I dunno maybe S3 if we get one.

“More Than Anything” Wish my dad was like this! This song is incredibly sweet and I appreciate it a lot. Honestly might go way higher on the list if I keep thinking about it.

“Whatever It Takes” Sorry you will never be Imagine Dragons. Vaggie doesn’t sound anything like herself cause her VA is making her voice so much more gruff for her character, which is fine! I like her voice (the voice direction is not very good but I digress) it’s just her voice is so high in this I can’t even tell it’s Vaggie.

“Welcome to Heaven” is boring, but we got a Molly cameo!

“Poison”. Read this and this and this. -10/10. I’d rather make out violently with Elon Musk.

[gunsatthaphan]

~ Monthly BL Breakdown: May 2024 ~ 

🏳️‍🌈 Happy Pride Month!!! 🏳️‍🌈

Disclaimer: ALL shows can be streamed here or here, as well as on Youtube and other platforms. For more info on where to watch what, check out this post! 

New breakdowns are coming at the end of every month - feel free to add stuff! -> previous breakdowns

What came out this month? (green = seen/currently watching)

🌟 You Made My Day (starring Tar A. and Bom T. from I Will Knock You) - May 3rd (Thailand)

🌟 Inverse Identity / Upside Down - Mary 3rd (China)

🌟 Wandee Goodday - May 4th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 Dear Miss Becky - May 6th (Philippines)

🌟 Deep Night Special Episode - May 9th (Thailand)

🌟 A Balloon's Landing - May 10th (Taiwan)

🌟 City of Stars: Special Episode - May 10th (Thailand, cinema release)

🌟 The Time of Fever (Unintentional Love Story spinoff) - May 15th (South Korea)

🌟 Blossom Campus - May 16th (South Korea)

🌟 OMG! Vampire - May 19th (Thailand)

🌟 Pray in Love - May 20th (Taiwan)

🌟 Manji Reverse - May 24th (Japan)

🌟 My Biker 2 - May 28th (Thailand)

🌟 Knock Knock Boys - May 30th (Thailand) ✅

🌟 Anti Reset Special - May 31st (Thailand)

Monthly Likes / Dislikes

❣️ My Stand-In - I've been liking this a lot and it's probably my favorite bl from this year so far. I was mostly skeptical of the reincarnation trope as I usually don't like that but I like where it's going. The storytelling is excellent, it's comprehensible and sends such good messages, it's subtle, not as in-your-face as other shows, they're not rehashing the same things and every character is believable and well-shaped, down to the smallest side role. The characters are flawed but so well-written that it's just a joy to witness them develop. That being said I wanna give a big shoutout to whoever was in charge of casting because the lineup is really top-tier lol. Every character is on-point thanks to their respective actor; Up is doing so well and also Poom is a very pleasant surprise. I love how expressive he is and him and Up work extremely well as a team imo. Also Mek as Tong is a good choice. Almost forgot what a truly good production looked like lmao. I'm in awe.

New series & movie announcements

🎥 Some Secrets in High School (mini series) - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Street Fight (movie) - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 See Your Love - Date TBA (Taiwan)

🎥 Century of Love - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Allure of the Siren - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 Takara's Treasure - Coming July 1st (Japan)

🎥 Air Moment (starring Earth T. & others) - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 The Paradise of Thorns - Coming August 2024 (Thailand)

🎥 Your Sky (starring Thomas & Kong, winners of the DMD reality program Friendship the Reality) - Date TBA (Thailand)

🎥 I Hear the Sunspot (remake) - Date TBA (Japan)

🎥 My Idol - Coming August 2024 (South Korea)

🎥 Khemjira - Date TBA (Thailand)

Other news from the BL world

❗️ In a week-to-week-release, Be On Cloud announced the cast of the upcoming BL 4 Minutes: Bible Wichapas, Jes Pipat, Bas Asavapatr, Job Yosatorn, Fuaiz Thanawat, Mio Athens, Jet Jetsadakorn & Jjay Patiphan. A release date, as well as further information has not been disclosed.

❗️After the announcement of OhmFluke being the lead actors in the upcoming Korean BL Surfing, their respective managements released a statement saying the news were false and that there was never any contact between the companies nor a request for permission to issue the news.

❗️The annual KAZZ awards were held on May 14th. The following BL actors/productions won:

Net Siraphop - Actor of the Year

Bed Friend - Series of the Year

Pit Babe - Kazz Magazine Favorite Award

❗️ The 20th Komchadluek Awards were held on May 28th. The following BL actors/productions won:

Zee P. - Most Popular Actor

Nunew C. - Best International Singer

Fourth N. - Best Rising Star

JimmySea - Best Couple

❗️ Actor JJ Radchapon has been announced as Net's new partner in the upcoming BL Love Upon a Time. His original partner James S. previously dropped out of the project to focus on his music career. Shooting will begin soon.

❗️ Actors Kaownah Kittipat and Max Nattapol have been announced as the BL side couple in the upcoming period GL drama Mom Pet Sawan.

❗️ Actor Tang Chinadis has announced his departure from the upcoming BL Jack & Joker. He withdrew from the project following accusations of physical abuse from his ex-girlfriend Prigkhing S. (formerly with GMMTV)

❗️ After accusations of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend, the charges against GMMTV actor Pawin Thanik have been dropped. The company released a statement saying both parties requested a mediation, after which they came to a settlement where both cases were dismissed. Pawin had previously been placed on work probation and withdrew from the BL We Are amongst other projects.

Upcoming series & movies for June

👉🏻 My Love Mix-Up - June 6th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Love Sea - June 9th (Thailand)

👉🏻 SunsetxVibes - June 15th (Thailand)

👉🏻 The Rebound - June 26th (Thailand)

👉🏻 Blue Boys Part 2 - June TBA (South Korea)

[fanfic-inator795]

Thinking about Spacecation again, and while I can see some fans being a bit annoyed with how they 'both-sides' the conflict given that what Cricket did was objectively far worse than what Bill did, I personally feel like the movie did a good job with the conflict's climax and ultimate resolution, making the perspective of both characters clear as well as making both their arcs pretty satisfying imo.

For one, I like how clear it is that Cricket really is doing what he's doing for his family's sake, not just for his own, as right before he goes to Gwendolyn, he sees the ad for the Space Hotel and specifically focuses on the father and son in the ad having fun. That right there just tells me that, for as wrong as Cricket was with his approach, he really was genuine in all his intentions.

Furthermore, given all the crazy stuff that the Greens have faced, I can't really blame Cricket - a ten-year old boy, mind you - for fully believing that his family can handle anything and that space won't be as dangerous as everyone says. It's that little kid mindset of feeling like you're invincible and not really thinking about - hell, not being able to even fully imagine - the worst case scenario until it's staring you in the face.

That's why we see him fully accept without any sort of hesitation that he was in the wrong after the final silo explodes and his family is separated - the impossible just happened, and all the warnings people were trying to give him have finally come to fruition. This is also why we see Cricket be the first to apologize, and be the first one to step up and risk his own life for everyone else's, inspiring Bill to do the same.

Speaking of Bill's side of things, while his choice to do a 'safe and boring' roadtrip wasn't necessarily the worst, his failure came with not trying to compromise their plans any and not bothering to explain to Cricket WHY he felt all Cricket's plans were irresponsible and dangerous. Bill, for as much as I love the guy, was indeed being very dismissive and, even if he didn't want to compromise any on the trip plans themselves (which, yeah, is his right as the parent, even if it's still not the best approach), he still should have had an actual talk with Cricket instead of simply saying "no, these are bad ideas, we're not doing them".

I feel like this was a good lesson for Bill - and any parent, really - to learn, as kids are not mind readers. If they don't fully understand why you're saying no to something, ultimately they're just going to assume that you're only saying no because they're the ones suggesting it - as we see with Cricket when he accuses Bill of not just liking his ideas but not liking him. And yeah, given that in the show Bill can occasionally play favorites without realizing it and even assumes the worst out of Cricket at times, Cricket's accusation doesn't just come out of nowhere.

But of course, that makes Bill's willingness to fully acknowledge what he did wrong all the more heartwarming, as just like with Cricket, the moment he fully realizes what his actions caused, he regrets them fully. Bill loves his boy, and it makes sense that this love would push him into being more flexible and 'reckless' as his prime motivation is to protect his family, no matter what. It kind of reminds me of Chipocalypse Now, where for as much as Bill naturally tends to flee and hide, it's ultimately his kids who motivate him to actually take a risk and fight back. (note how he tells Cricket not to throw himself at things at the start of the film, yet Bill's the one who throws himself into the trash-teroid debris when he has to protect Cricket).

Sorry this got so long and rambly, but while Spacecation maybe isn't the BEST thing that BCGs has ever done (personally I rank it A-tier while stuff like Chipocalypse Now and the two Christmas specials are S-tier), I really admire how it and the conflict within it were ultimately handled, as it really does feel like a natural conclusion to a lot of things the series was building up to as well as an incredibly solid standalone story in its own right.

[fairytale-poll]

ROUND 1B, MATCH 16 OUT OF 16!

*Though I am referring to her as Popelka, her original name in Czech, she is also often referred to as Aschenbrödel, her German name. Additionally, Three Wishes for Cinderella is the English title (with an alternate localized title being Three Gifts for Cinderella). The original Czech title, Tři oříšky pro Popelku, and the German title Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel both are translated as Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella. All names and titles have been tagged. Any local Czech or German speakers feel free to correct me for any mistakes! :)

Propaganda Under the Cut:

Danielle:

This is, imo, the single best retelling of Cinderella out there. She has a great character, her relationship with the prince grows organically rather than happening in a single night, and the scene with the bandits is top tier

The story is told as a historical romance instead of anything supernatural happening. Drew Barrymore is a cute Cinderella, Anjelica Houston is an incredible stepmother, and she's also really nasty to one of the stepsisters too, who ends up taking Danielle (Cinderella)'s side. Also Leonardo da Vinci is hanging around painting a portrait of Danielle at one point.

The Drew Barrymore Cinderella is fantastic. It’s got real history mixed with beautiful whimsy! I absolutely love the butterfly wings and how she spoke up for her step mother and sister at the end (and that they were still punished). I feel like I need to go watch it now.

she’s funny and smart and she’s resourceful (also her outfits are historically accurate!)

Popelka:

She has so much personality. She's funny, smart, kind, has a lot of spunk, and she really does things instead of just waiting for miracles to occur. Also, she's a great rider and has a deadly aim with bow and arrow.

She finds three hazelnuts that grant her wishes by giving the clothes to do what she wants. Beautiful dresses. The prince puts a ring on her finger while she’s in her huntsman’s outfit.

I don't know how it's faring in modern day Czechia, but here in Germany, Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel is still THE (non-Disney) Cinderella adaptation and a yearly rewatch for many, despite literally turning fifty this year. It's just so fairytale and also just... good? And she hangs out in the woods and shoots with a crossbow and saves deer and gives the prince riddles and then the music aaa the music!! I guess this isn't just a submission of this version of the character but this version of the story. For those who don't know: This adaptation is based on a Czech author's retelling of the Grimm version of the story, the film was a co-production of Czechoslovakia and East Germany and it slaps so hard it gets played at least 10 times (usually more) on public german television in and around December every single year. This is not an exaggeration, you can look it up, they even make a special, official info graphic with all the air dates every year that people can (and do!) share on social media. In Germany, the main event of Christmas is the 24th, Christmas eve, and on that day they play it at least 4 times (often more) at different times of the day on different public channels (ALL of which any German with a hooked up tv has access to) so anyone who wants to watch it gets a chance to. And Aschenbrödel herself in the movie STILL holds up as a (within reasonable expectations) feminist character, she's skilled, she's smart, she's witty, she and the prince actually talk and they like each other for their personalities, like... yes, there's a couple of flaws with the movie that time has pointed out, but mostly small, background things or things you simply cannot expect a movie from 1973 to get right. It's SO well made and just plain charming, it has truly stood the test of time and I would be devastated if it weren't included. It's also my mum's favourite movie (she's from East Germany and was born in 1969 so she's had regular access to it basically all her conscious life) so we would actually usually watch it multiple times each year and even record it (first on VHS, later again on DVD) so we could rewatch it any time and yet, I literally never got tired of it. It's just good & magical & I love it. Even my brother, who usually didn't care for fairytale movies at all and would much rather play video games in his room, would come down and sit with us to watch this one, THAT'S how good and magical this movie is.

And if all that hasn't convinced you yet but you speak German, here it is on YouTube, go watch it:

[Link]

(I won't provide a Czech link since I can't vouch for any of them as I don't speak czech)

Anyway, dear tournament runner: Have a pic of Aschenbrödel, in my favourite of her magically provided outfits, for the poll:

[Link]

She is the Cinderella of like eastern central Europe and the Story is a little different (she's no. 1 girlboss, beats the prince in a shooting contest and instead of a fairy she has 3 magic hazelnuts/ a magic owl)

[sexlovelitpodcast]

Sex Love Lit girlies! I watched Crash Landing On You (my first k-drama) and now I have a conundrum: A) I want to watch more k-dramas, and B) No k-drama can seem to measure up to CLOY 😭 Could you put together a playlist of entry-level k-dramas for new fans that capture the CLOY magic? Bonus points if they’re on Netflix

@sliceoflifegirl thanks for the ask!

(Corinne here) First of all, welcome to KDrama land! Crash Landing on You was my second ever KDrama, and the one that really got me hooked. I’m gonna be honest, it’s a hard one to top when you’re mid emotional hangover! That said, I love this ask and recommending KDramas to people, so I’m more than happy to recommend some. My strategy here, rather than recommend something that exactly mimics CLoY (because imo, there’s nothing exactly like it), is to recommend dramas that I think are some of the best of their genre—with some aspect that might help scratch that CLOY itch ;) So, without further ado, here is your KDrama Starter Pack: 

Goblin aka Guardian: The Lonely and Great God—This fantasy romance is a classic for a reason. The set-up: 900+ year old goblin Kim Shin is on a quest to find the goblin bride to pull the sword out of his chest and finally let him die. The catch: when he finds goblin bride Eun-tak and starts to fall in love with her, he wonders if there might be something to this whole “life” thing after all. Also featured: a glum Grim Reaper, with whom Kim Shin has a top tier bromance, who has a doomed romance of his own. Goblin gave me one of the biggest emotional hangovers post-CLOY in my early KDrama days. One caveat: Kim Shin meets Eun Tak when she’s in high school, so if huge age gaps in fantasy romances give you the ick, maybe give this one a pass (in which case the fantasy romances I recommend checking out instead are Alchemy of Souls and Doom at Your Service, both on Netflix atm). (On Viki)

Mr. Sunshine—My pick for one of the best historical (aka sageuk) KDramas out there. Set in early 1900’s Joseon, just before/in the early days of Japanese occupation, this drama follows the lives of five equally compelling characters as they navigate the political turmoil of the time. At the center are Lady Ae-sin, an aristocratic lady with a tendency for dressing up as a man and sneaking around at night on missions for the rebels, and Eugene Choi, an American Marine now stationed in Joseon who escaped enslavement there as a child and has mixed feelings about the land of his birth. This one resonates with the forbidden/doomed love of people from different classes and cultures from CLOY. (On Netflix)

Reply 1988—This slice of live drama set in Seoul in 1988 follows five families who live in the same neighborhood, and especially five of their high school aged children as they grow up during a particularly vibrant time in South Korea’s recent history. Like the other installments in the Reply series, the series uses two of the main characters in the present day (or present to when it was released, anyway) looking back—which means that viewers know the Deok-sun ends up married to one of her four besties, but which one?? Still, while the love triangle mystery is fun, at its heart, this story is about community. It’ll scratch the CLoY itch for the North Korean market lady shenanigans, and a few others as well (especially if you like intense yearning in your dramas). (On Netflix)

Business Proposal—If you’d like romance of a completely different genre than CLOY, look no further than Business Proposal! In this KDrama, Shin Ha-ri goes on a blind date in place of her friend as a favor only find out that the date is with her boss. This tightly plotted romantic comedy plays with more rom com tropes than you can shake a stick at, but never sits with one so long that it gets old. The B couple is also fire, and helps move things along whenever the A couple gets into a rut. This drama also features some chaebol (rich business family) shenanigans a la CLOY.  (On Netflix)

Extraordinary Attorney Woo–If you’re in the mood for a workplace comedy/drama, look no further than Extraordinary Attorney Woo. Featuring the incandescent Park Eun Bin as rookie attorney Woo Young Woo, this legal drama features about a case per episode as Attorney Woo finds her way in the world alongside a delightful main cast of characters. (On Netflix)

Little Women—My choice for the makjang to include on this list (a genre in which extreme storylines are treated very seriously), this drama focuses on the three Oh sisters as the oldest finds that her friend who died under mysterious circumstances has left her 70 billion that a powerful political family will stop at nothing to get their hands on. Will the story always make complete sense? No. But will the stellar performances, fast-paced, genre-mixing drama, and wild cliffhangers keep you on the edge of your seat as you binge the whole thing? Absolutely. (On Netflix)

Extraordinary You—Youth dramas may or may not be your thing, but if you have the patience for the shenanigans of high schools, Extraordinary You is my top pick. In this fantasy romance, Eun Dan-Oh discovers that she is actually a character in a comic–and she’s not even the main one! While still high school appropriate, Eun Dan-oh’s literally doomed-by-the-narrative and impossible circumstances romance with Haru, another side character, is another one from my early KDrama days to stick with me just as much as Yoon Se-ri and Ri Jeong-hyeokk’s. (On Viki)

Search: WWW—Ayanni’s particular contribution to this list, this modern romantic drama focuses on intersecting lives of three women working in the fast-paced tech industry at the top two competing web portal companies. Just as interesting as each woman’s various romantic entanglement are their entanglements with each other as they put their careers ahead of just about everything else. Ayanni says she especially appreciates this one because it focuses specifically on three women (also in this genre are Be Melodramatic and Because this is My First Life). 

Happy watching--and do let us know if you pick any of these up!

[bonearenaofmyskull]

Hey! Curious if you're currently into any great shows. If so, mind sharing your recommendations? Always on the lookout for some good TV suggestions!

I imagine you've seen everything I have. I spend more time gaming. Not into anything great at the moment, but I can dig deep and see if I can remember what shows I've watched since Hannibal aired and give my opinions. I binge TV series with my mom who is in her 80's and has Parkinson's and macular degeneration and can't really do activities or read anymore, so I rewatched some old ones with her here largely to torture her with them, so they'll be in here also.

S-Tier (Winners)

My Brilliant Friend. Probably the best thing I've watched since Hannibal. If S4 is out I haven't seen it yet, no spoilers.

Better Call Saul. Possibly tied with My Beautiful Friend. Better than Breaking Bad. Much better ending. So good, no complaints. Nailed the ending. Did I mention the ending?

A-Tier (Runners-up)

Black Sails: God, there were some parts of this that were so gratuitous and tedious, especially early on, and I hated Eleanor Guthrie and not in the kind of way that means good things for a show. Some of the dialogue was just really on the nose too. This sounds like a lot of complaints, but the things it did well, it did SO WELL that it really does make up for the negatives. The acting was sooooo good and the Flint and Silver dynamic was AMAZING and the show looked great, and over all that, it really had something thoughtful to say, and that stays with you when it's over.

Stranger Things: Some parts of this show hit better than others, but I'm squarely in the bullseye of the target audience and get the vast majority of the references and nostalgia, and I love David Harbour. I appreciate their exploration of various types of horror, attempting a new style each season, and I like the charm and humor and cheese, and it's a show that knows its voice and its tone and commits fully to those things. It's trying to be a fun show and it is, and it wants to deal with real fears and real grief, and it does.

The Handmaid's Tale: Speaking of shows that are committed to their tone, this one definitely is that. It's too heavy and relentless for most people, I think, but I don't mind that at all. Parts of it do drag, but it has a lot of the same qualities (for good or bad) as Black Sails: great acting, powerful character dynamics, the things that it does well it does so well it makes up for the shortcomings, imo.

Breaking Bad: Famous show, not much to say here. Rewatched it recently and don't think it's as good as Better Call Saul, so I put it here.

B-Tier (Can't complain but will anyway)

Good Omens: Can't get into it, can't find anything particularly wrong with it. I'm into the ship. I guffaw out loud while watching it yet am thoroughly bored most of the time. Love Michael Sheen and David Tennant on screen together. I know the show can't be that all the time but I wish it was. Aziraphale ftw. I feel like people missed the point of the ending of the last season.

Mad Men: Show could give Seinfeld a run for its money in terms of being about nothing, but definitely had its charm. Watched it with my mom so her nostalgia and appreciation for how historically authentic it felt went a long way. Good performances. God, it could be boring sometimes though.

Vikings: This one was a lot like Black Sails for me. They had a bit of a struggle for a season or two but once going, they really got going. Many great acting performances and characters. Loved Ecbert and Ivar especially. Didn't have Toby Stephens and Luke Arnold, so you know...can't quite make that tier. And didn't have as much to say, or didn't say it as well, and it doesn't stay with you.

C-Tier (Can complain and will, but were good enough to stick with)

LOST

The X-Files

His Dark Materials

Downton Abbey

BBC Sherlock

Game of Thrones (I think most people have misdiagnosed this show's problems, but it sure did have them)

D-Tier (Tried but could NOT, though many people will like these...they were just Not For Me)

Bridgerton

Dark

The Good Place

The Gilded Age

Outlander

The Crown

Outer Range (what even the fuck with this show)

I tried to think of more shows I've watched in this time, but this about sums it up. But here are a couple YouTube channels I really like:

Beau of the Fifth Column

Bistro Huddy

[captivemuses]

Comfort food(s): If I'm going purely sweets then I'm going to say Thin Mints. I did Girl Scouts for a large portion of my childhood and those were and still are my absolute top tier favorite Girl Scout cookie and I'm not even kidding saying I could polish off an entire box in one sitting and regret nothing.

Comfort drink(s): Hot cup of coffee. Granted I normally drink iced coffee during the summertime for obvious reasons but hot coffee is still my favorite.

Comfort movie(s): Pirates of the Caribbean. More specifically the first three because I heavily prefer those to the fourth and fifth installments. I don't mind the fourth one and I'll willingly watch it if I'm in a mood to binge the series again but I wasn't in love with the fifth one and I just wish certain elements of the movie had happened in earlier installments instead. But I just love the cast as a whole and the soundtrack and I can have it on as the best background noise while I'm doing other things and just be happy. I also have the first three soundtracks at work to use as naptime music and my daycare kids genuinely love the music.

Comfort show(s): Yuri on Ice. I always do an annual rewatch of the show and have done so every year since the show came out in 2016. I'll probably keep doing so just because I'll always love the series even if MAPPA clearly doesn't because the suck-- /gets yanked off stage to not go on an anti MAPPA tangent again

Comfort clothing: Pajama pants. I wear those as much as I humanly can because they're stretchy and comfy, and ngl I'm extremely guilty of wearing them to work a lot only because I'm allowed to wear what I want as long as nothing's stained or ripped or having anything offensive or inappropriate for kids on it. I'm here for comfort not fashion when I clock in to take care of threenagers all day rofl.

Comfort song(s): Anything Lady Gaga. I'm not super familiar with her newest album Chromatica as I am with the previous ones but I'm still a huge fan of hers and I'd 100% go see her in concert again if the opportunity arose, she's worth every penny imo.

Comfort book(s): I don’t really have a set of comfort books to share right now. I might update this in the future with some, but the only memorable story is “You”. I prefer it over the show for sure. The exploration of a man so psychologically twisted that when he finally “settled” and had a kid, he would abandon a son, purely out of disgust, knowing that he would turn out just like him. Also, Guinevere Beck is my favourite. I just perceive her as a human character, somebody with flaws that are outlined clearly, and it was an aspect I really enjoyed. I might even reread the first book, just for her. Side note: the cage is such a cool concept, and I will be taking notes. kidding. not really.

Comfort game(s): Either anything Harvest Moon or old school Pokemon (think Johto region, that's always been my favorite). Those are old school nostalgia for me growing up and you'd have me be happy having to go restart the original Gold/Silver for the 15th time or go start a new save file on Harvest Moon (which speaking of I want to pick up the remake again once I'm out of icon hell and don't have to drag my laptop to work all the time). They're just relaxing turn my brain off games that I love.

tagged by: @iceiclehorned ty for the tag!!

tagging: @gildedsplendors @protectivemuses @reflective-muses @weltenwxndler @ofhope @galactia @crimsononiarataki and anyone else who's been good and hydrated today (and if you haven't you should so you can do this and say I tagged you!)

[beautifulpersonpeach]

I want to talk about BoyNextDoor

This group debuted under KOZ Entertainment, Zico's label in HYBE, on May 30, 2023 and all six boys were already beasts.

Every song they've released has been S-class tier, in my opinion. Finger-licking good pop rock music with an oldies bend to it, god-tier choreography with that emphasis in performance quality that HYBE groups are known for, and frankly adorable, sweet personalities to boot. The boys have real chemistry and are legitimately talented. I'd say almost at the stage BTS were at debut. Though I could be biased.

Anyway, I think to understand what BND is, you first need to understand who Zico is.

There's no other rapper that best exemplifies the funky gutter musicality of khh than Zico. It's groove with an edge to it. Easy swag paired with barely contained energy. That's what drives Zico's flow and rhythm in his songs and dancing style. Zico is the artist all the male idols you know are bumping to in their dorms. He's not a saint, he's simply the best at what he does IMO. And it's clear all six members of BND adore him, look up to him, and are aiming to do their best to not let him down. And I find that sweet as hell.

BoyNextDoor is what happens when Zico does 'cute'. It's bright, gritty, fun, and funky at the same time.

Plus, their music and choreography is straight flames. I won't bore you with text. Listen and watch it for yourself. Find somewhere comfortable to sit and pay attention please.

One and Only DP

*

Serenade DP

(Did you catch that spin?)

*

But I Like You

*

That was all from their debut single album and all three songs are outstanding releases. BND is easily the best debut group or rookie in 2023 though Kiss of Life is a very close second. Their 1st comeback was on September 4, 2023 and again there isn't a single skip (although Crying comes close to being one lol).

I love the video and directing style in their MVs. The way they incorporate an actual physical door into their choreographies and MVs, is unique and interesting - BND is one reason I've been able to say that about a k-pop song this year. The boys' vocals are exceptional and perfect for the style of music they're pursuing too. And again, they can actually dance and perform.

The music is untouchable by the way.

Again, see for yourself:

But Sometimes MV

Are you hearing that outro?? Jaehyun's voice? Christ.

*

ABCD Love Live

*

I think BoyNextDoor is the best rookie group this year, their music is amazing, and that you should give them a good listen. Their performances are also fun to watch and you might find yourself impressed at their choreographies.

[genericwizard]

Venti :3

Ehe... under the read more for space

How I feel about this character Venti makes me unwell, he also makes me want to live so it all works out. He was my first love in Genshin and also my strongest. He is my forever favorite, even if I accept other characters may do more, be more, he is my one and only clown husband. I cried when I had to leave Mondstadt without him (and rejoiced that we'd never be apart once I rolled for him three months later). He inspired me to leave my shitty job. Character of all time to me.

All the people I ship romantically with this character I am the KaeVen CEO for a reason....... this is the only ship for the character that matters to me because I see so much intrigue. There's the mortal/immortal aspects of it but also because they are very similar characters IMO. They're both "outsiders" in their own home. People don't trust them because they're hiding behind their smile. Neither like taking credit for their good deeds or that their reputation precedes them, etc. I like the drama of "how could they ever forgive me for what I've done?" "am I worthy of being loved/ allowing myself to fall in love?" "I didn't think you of all people would understand me". And they've had more substantial moments in canon together than frankly any other Venti ship, but who's counting?

When I don't have brain worms I actually like exes zhongven a lot, I think they had a longstanding relationship that doesn't work out for various reasons, and they probably know each other quite well, or at least they used to. I also like RosaVen in a genderweird way, Rosaria realizing she thinks he's annoyingly cute and doesn't know what to do about it is fun. I also like one-sided Venlumi and Venti/Vanessa, because I know he longs for powerful women who don't reciprocate in that way... sigh.

My non-romantic OTP for this character One no one will mention- Miko + Venti friendship is S tier, I love that he gossips with her over drinks. I also prefer platonic XiaoVen, they're close but not in that way to me. As mentioned I also like Venlumi, and I'll take platonic KaeVen too since I eat crumbs. Historically I care about his relationships with Vanessa and NB but I am fixated on Venti in the current timeline so I don't think about them much.

My unpopular opinion (s) about this character Hoo boy. Well for one I actually don't like his archon design very much. I kind of dislike some of the elements that I think don't make sense on his body and also were only shown in the comic depiction, like his glowing anemo tattoos or w/e, I don't really get the point of those so I omit them in my writing. His archon design and all the discussion around it bleeds into my dislike of people who label him a tr*p or something similar/worse. Despite this, very pro Venti as a sex-haver, I don't think there's anything wrong with sexualizing him, I just have my own icks. Also pro Venti having weird gender, even if I still prefer he/him pronouns for him.

I guess I dislike that people distrust him so much. It's like, sure, he's withholding info from us, but to assume that means he has ulterior, evil motives makes 0 sense to me. I also don't like corrupted Venti for the same reason. He's fine. He just has the usual kinds of despair, from the existential crisis of his existence, perception of time, and all the loss he's faced that drive him to sleep for hundreds of years at a time. Far more tangible reasons to be "corrupted" to me than "ooooh the abyss made him Evilllll" Besides, Celestia made all that is forbidden evil, even if he is full of abyssal knowledge/power that's not a good metric of someone's morality when Celestia is our main antagonist!

I guess thinking Kaeya is his best ship is unpopular, but that's redundant ATP.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Carmen Dei: Chapter II. Or really any new story/event appearance where he's allowed to be more than a glorified emcee / convenient plot starter.

[djungelskog-oblivion]

PERSONA HOT TAKES

look i just want to talk about these games. its not serious.

PERSONA FIVE IS MID. like its pretty good. it's fine. it's cozy. but the thematic content is actually terribly handled and really not as deep as ppl think it is. the story is also really hamfisted. i don't need a flashback every five minutes to realize what's going on.

Ann shouldve been the P5 protagonist. she's interesting, is directly fucked over by kamoshida's actions and deserves more time to heal/process what was done to her. wasted opportunity.

Teddie is adorable and I love him. Yes, he's annoying, but he's also just a sweet little guy who don't know shit. His shadow is also great.

Naoto is boring and underutilized. I like them, don't get me wrong, but they really could've done more.

Yukiko's social link is genuinely terrible. It reeks of backtracking, taking an independent character and flipping her motive on a moment's notice. The nuanced approach would've been to have Yukiko realize that she loves her family, and the inn, but she has to get over her guilt and live for herself.

This isn't a hot take but i thought shinjiro was like 30 for most of persona 3 when i played it originally.

Persona's trend of making villains traditionally "unattractive" is lazy and gross. Akechi is a notable exception as a fuckable twink but he actually gets to grow as a person and become likeable. Characters like Morooka, Kamoshida and Madarame don't.

Persona 4's shaders are so ugly i think it's insane the game got published lookin like that. I've made my own reshade set if anyone is interested lol it took me like 5 hours.

Persona 3 FES' combat is actually really good. Tartarus is the fun kind of grind. Bonus points for SP regeneration mechanics letting you actually use magic and party member exhaustion forcing you to actually leave at some point. The boss fights are also the best in the series.

Oldsona fans seriously need to PLAY the games instead of watching the cutscenes to realize why they're not actually the best. Yeah, the story of p2 is god tier but the combat is like wading through sludge. can't jun your way out of that shit

All yukari slander is baseless filth. She's the best P3 character IMO