#but here we are. the ending to this part is a callback to the high five of the first episode but with so much more passion behind it

[starryluminary]

Ridonculous Race but Noah is friends with Owen part 9: Teamwork makes the dream work!

Don't you LOVE IT when Noah gets to play the stupid game? Don't you LOVE IT when Noah and Owen work together and Owen isn't left to do everything himself? Don't you LOVE IT when they mutually support each other and care enough about each other to give it their all??? Personally I love it when that happens

No transcript cause there's no dialogue. Instead have scrapped doodles for this part that I refuse to leave in the jail of the IbisPaint canvas

[rootspiral]

Agatha All Along deep dive: episode 8 part 1

(Wandavision entries: [1][2][3])

(AAA entries: ep1 [1][2][3][4] ep2 [1][2][3][4] ep3 [1][2][3] ep4 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][+1] ep5 [1][2][3][4][5] ep6 [1][2][3] ep7 [1][2][3][4][5][6] ep8 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] ep9 [1][2][3][4][5][6])

EPISODE EIGHT. fasten your seat belts, get ready for some turbulence, nobody panic. things are going to become fucking sad, but you're going to be okay. yay?

for a fleeting moment at the beginning of the episode you get the mad hope that alice survived - that rio is going to spare her, somehow

but the camera keeps spinning, keeps spinning, and we're upside down. this show is so good at evoking uncanny vibes with simple practical effects. not to mention the great callback to lilia flipping the room at the end of last episode. we are on the other side now, we're not in kansas anymore.

and this is of course rio collecting alice's soul, and it's where she disappeared to at the end of episode 5. I find rio's choices here so brilliant, because we know that she chooses the way she appears to souls. she is not being mean per se, she's woken alice up so gently and she's talking in a soft voice. but she looks fucking scary too, there is no questioning who she is or what she's doing here. indeed alice doesn't question her former companion being the grim reaper. it's like, rio is willing to go slow, but alice still needs to know right away that there is no escape.

alice's quiet devastation as she sees her own dead body. as much as I would have liked to see lilia walk away with her Death, I'm so glad we got alice instead. lilia died on her own terms and on such a high note. alice's story needed to take one last breath. literally.

this whole scene to me perfectly encapsulates the message of the show. beautiful, strong alice, alive one moment and gone the next, just like that. how can one come to terms with that?

words that sound mocking, but aren't. it's like accusing the ocean or the stars of being cruel. nature doesn't carry any ill intent, it simply exists.

but look what happens next. rio's smile fades at alice's despair. because rio is a willing agent of nature and balance, but also - and that's the brilliancy and tragedy of this character - rio is capable of love. she has an impossible job and she's damn good at it, but it takes a toll. she bent the rules of nature once, for the one person she loves more than the universe itself. she won't go that far for anybody else, but she has gotten to know alice, she felt true companionship with her - alice's loss is hurting on a personal level.

I've seen so many 'alice's death doesn't sit right with me' takes. YEAH, YOU THINK?!! alice's death is AWFUL. she lived all her life under this horrible curse and died one moment after liberating herself. all her hopes, all her goodness, all her potential, gone. it's MONSTROUS. it's UNFAIR.

it is monstrous that people (and children, dear god, children!) die all the time of disease, or wars, accidents, calamities. go scream at the sky about it. see if it answers back.

you died protecting someone. it's so matter-of-factly.

have you ever watched blade runner 2049? (if you haven't major spoilers ahead). ryan gosling's character, a replicant, believes he might be special, a chosen one, but turns out he was just a cog in the machine. he dies protecting harrison ford who is of course the real hero of the story. the bittersweet implication being that he didn't die in vain, that no matter how small his role in the overarching story, his life mattered and is worth remembering. but he still died alone and bleeding under the snow. it's a much bleaker message than the sweeping hero tales of old, but is not completely devoid of hope.

rio wishes to give alice's brief existence some closure, some meaning. alice died selflessly, doing something she truly believed in: isn't that worth something?

and yet. alice is still dead, all of rio's good intentions won't spare her. we do need to be kind to each other and uphold our humanity in the face of tragedy, even if it hurts like a bitch, even if it won't change a thing. be kind, if you find the strength for it. create meaning where there isn't. it's all we have in common. it's all we can do.

alice visibly recoils at rio's words. they're not enough, nothing is ever going to be enough.

and that's why I think rio had to look so damn scary in this scene, even if she's being patient and so gentle under the circumstances. her role as Death has to come before her personal feelings, that is her job and her choice.

oh, alice. my sweet alice.

lilia saw Death coming and went willingly. alice said no and cried as she stepped through the threshold. again, I am SO glad we were shown this. she wasn't as brave as lilia, but I dare you to call her a coward or to love her any less.

GOD jen's ear-piercing SCREAM. what did I just say about lilia's death being better? screw that. death is an equalizer. nobody is spared.

jen has held it together so far. eyes on the prize, no pity for anyone else involved. look at her crumble.

billy is speechless. this is the third time he has known grief in however many hours, and each time worse than the previous one. he has lost all of his innocence. and the light, the light. everything is green, it's rio, rio, rio.

remember when agatha was so afraid of Death in episode 3 that she tried to break a glass window, and everybody laughed? so funny, wasn't it?

and here she is, fucking terrified, running through green light.

and then she sees her.

your coven is shrinkiiiiiiing. oh it's so nice to finally see her with her crown. I pray and hope to see agatha wearing a crown some day.

first alice, now lilia. I love that it's so heavy, I love all the implications. it was never only about agatha trying to avoid an ex. it's what rio represents, it's what rio did to alice and lilia.

it's what she did to nicky.

except it wasn't her! she's just the ferryman! and if anyone, agatha killed alice and lilia! we just saw rio's heart ache for alice as she collected her soul! they're both lashing out at each other because they can't handle this impossible heaviness between them. agatha is being cruel because she's in pain. rio is being cruel because she's in pain. it's such a mess.

this is all I have in me tonight, fuck this show is too much. and we've just started the episode! there is a lot to unpack, the closer I look at things the sadder it gets.

go to episode 8 part 2

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

📚inch resting bits from the march twst manga updates📚 (octa, savana, & 4koma!)

***Manga spoilers below the cut (with an emphasis on the Episode of Octavinelle, since that's my favorite dorm!)***

The 4koma manga has dropped! Again, it centers around the daily lives of the NRC boys and is shown in a 4 panel gag comic format.

In the illustration above, we see the main cast with Grim's beloved tuna cans~

This month has comics about Ace going to a supplementary lesson (to learn how to manipulate brooms to do his chores) and Leona attending his art class. The comic depicts Leona, Idia, and Rook in the same art class though we're not sure if this is true in-game yet. However, the comics do carry over the continuity of Ace and Deuce being in Trein's class so maybe the art class thing is also true of Leona?

From the Episode of Savanaclaw manga: I KNOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN AWE OF DIASOMANI'S PRESENCE BUT ALL I'M THINKING IS THAT DIASOMNIA HAS A MOB STUDENT WITH A BOWL CUT 😭

I'm also really fixated on how this mangaka draws her lashes and hair, they're always bangers every time 💗

Ruggie "bleh" face... Also???? That full page of him using his UM... and the visualization of the wildebeests racing with him like the people in the crowd, very Lion King.

I like that the manga really shows us more emotional and intense moments the game cannot depict due to its limited assets. Here, we see the aftermath of Ruggie using his UM on the crowd. Even with Azul's magic-enhancement potion, Ruggie has taken a great physical toll from spellcasting. Falling to his knees, panting... This will make it hurt more when Leona almost poofs him to sand later 😭

These panels remind me of like. Scar looking on from up high while the hyenas do his bidding. Ruggie's expression... it's so full of a desperate kind of hope has he gazes up at his "king".

From the Episode of Octavinelle, we get to see Leona post-OB and recovering in the infirmary. Side note, I really love how the mangaka adds these cute little faces to let us know who is speaking in certain text bubbles. The little faces make some of the cutest expressions; just look at that cheeky chibi Leona head!

Here, Ruggie is telling everyone about rumors that Azul and the twins purposefully prevent their clients from fulfilling their end of the contract so they can reap the benefits. I like how the scene shown is a boat tipping over (with the twins implied to have flipped it). Nice callback to the boat scene in The Little Mermaid!

We have another The Little Mermaid reference here, where Floyd shares his UM with the gang?? The hypothetical man here reminds me of Prince Eric, especially in that white shirt and appearing as though he is drowning.

Guys... Azul's been taking modeling lessons from Vil-- I really like these more quiet and contemplative moments of Azul; plenty of those are featured this month.

asdbhlfdbaifyoaiygoeia I WILL NOW ALWAYS ASSOCIATE AZUL THINKING HARD WITH SITTING IN THAT CHAIR... There's so many shots of him seated here...

Yuuta continues to be my favorite manga!Yuu so far by diligently tidying up Leona's messy ass room for him... asfvkyadvfialf Grim looks so goofy helping out, that tower of clothes is half his size...

FLOYD'S FACE IS SO siLLy HERE TOO (this is the scene when Ruggie recalls seeing his eel form during a P.E. class where they swam). The mangaka really decided to summon his gremlin energy here...

Aaaaah, I love this shot; it sort of parallels Azul and Leona... It also makes me realize the difference between how Leona's hair is in Octavinelle vs Savanaclaw (due to the different mangaka). In Octavinelle, his hair is usually a solid black with white highlights but in Savanaclaw there tends to be a subtle gradient/screen tone on Leona's hair.

Anyway, twins Twins TWINS

GOOD WAY TO CLOSE OUT THE OCTA CHAPTER, EXCELLENT WAY TO CLOSE OFF THE OCTA CHAPTER IN FACT 🫶 Can you tell I love the Tweel parts/j

[aspoonofsugar]

Merry Sinsmas!

It's Christmas, so here come some quick and unorganized thoughts on the Helluva Boss season 2's finale :''') (yes, I am late to this)

First of all, I loved the episode and I thought it worked very well as the season's finale!

MY FAVORITE CALLBACKS

The episode is full of callbacks, which show how much the characters have grown. Everybody already listed them, so here are some of my favorites:

The Circus: The beginning and the end of the episode mirror The Circus, with Stolas waking up surrounded by plushies and Stolas being on a balcony looking up at the sky. This is perfect considering this was mostly Stolas's season. It starts with him in a gilded cage:

Prince, all alone Upon your throne Your power is so frail You raise your voice You have no choice Inside your gilded jail

It ends with him dealing with the responsibility of choosing freely:

Stolas: You don't need to feel any guilt for my situation, it was my choice. It was all my choice. I caused all of this.

Murder Family: I.M.P.'s mission mirrors their first mission ever, as they are asked once again to kill a cheater, even if it destroys a family. The difference is that this time the group and Blitz especially does not follow through. This is clever because 1) It ties into the Christmas spirit :P (one good deed for Christmas LOL) 2) It shows Blitz's growth. He has grown enough that he can now imagine a new family for himself and Stolas in the future. Something he could have never done in episode 1, where his business and colleagues were the only family he could conceive. Blitz has now matured enough he is more in tune with his deepest wishes and can slowly start working towards them. It showcases how an important part of the story (half of it really) is over and how next season is gonna change the game and introduce new objectives and struggles.

Spring Broken: The fight against Andrealphus's dragon parallels the fight against the sea monster in Spring Broken. Both times an imp saves their romantic partner from being eaten by a monster, slays said monster from the inside and there is a "high five" played for laughs. In Spring Broken, the couple in focus is Moxxie and Millie, whereas in Sinsmas it's Blitz and Stolas. This is lovely, as it shows Stolitz have the potential to share a full fledged romantic relationship, just like M&M. Considering Blitz sees Moxxie and Millie's bond as perfect to the point he has tried to live it by proxy, this is a pretty important implication. It shows how much Blitz is now open to a true love story with Stolas.

This is a nice moment for Moxxie, as well. In Spring Broken he was drunk and was useless during the fight, leaving it all to Millie. This time he supports Blitz and gains a high five and some appreciation from his Boss (which he deeply craves). Him and Loona's team-up is pretty awesome too <3. Finally, it is interesting that during the fight Moxxie and Millie exchange roles. Moxxie tries the melee, by using a sword, whereas Millie tries the firepower. This is a direct inversion of how they are fighting in their skirmish at the beginning of the episode, where Millie uses a sword and Moxxie a giant gun:

I wonder if it foreshadows a deeper integration Moxxie and Millie will have to undergo next season, especially because the pregnancy plotline will definately arise some conflict.

Queen Bee: Loona gets some nice moments, which show how much more open she is with others compared to the previous season. She now refers to Blitz as dad more often and she is even eager to have him spend time with her friends. Speaking of whom, I love we are seeing more Hellounds. It is so great Loona has managed to build some positive bonds from the Queen Bee's episode and she is now better integrated with the people of Gluttony, her birth sin :''') I guess next season these bonds are gonna have some focus, especially considering Loona keeps mentioning Vicky, a hellhound she hates. I wonder if it's her:

On another note, I LOVE that the Hellounds are all dressed as foods to celebrate gluttony, that is so creative!

Ice cream and Hamburger

Pop corn

Their costumes are also all yellow (or different shades of yellow), aka Bee's color! Loona's outfit even loosely resembles Bee's. I am curious if Loona and Bee's foiling will come up again tbh.

Loo Loo Land and Seeing Stars: Obviously Sinmas heavily references the two other Octavia-centered episodes. This storyline would probably need a meta all for itself, but here are some thoughts. Octavia's "I Will Be Okay" parallels "You Will Be Okay". There Stolas tells Octavia he will always be in her heart, even when he can't be physically there. He also assures Octavia she will be okay even if the universe gets destroyed (because Stolas himself will make sure of it). Here, Octavia sings that even if Stolas left her, she will be okay, but she is cutting ties with her dad. She also sings so as her world (her family) is symbolically falling apart. The space symbolism is interesting because it ties with Seeing Stars, as there is a meteor shower exploding like a giant firework, just like the ones Stolas and Octavia watched together.

In general, Octavia says she is never forgiving her dad and that Stolas will only know her by her name, but she does so by:

Playing a guitar Stolas gave her

Singing a reprise of Stolas's song

Singing a song with a lot of references to space and stars

Well, let's just say Octavia will never be a stranger to Stolas because Stolas is too deeply intertwined with who Octavia is already <3<3<3

This is made clear in the climax of the episode, where Octavia goes to look for her dad because she is worried about his mental health without the Happy Pills and saves him from Andrealphus. This is once again a reference to Seeing Stars. There Octavia is shown to still be inexperienced with her powers and Stolas tells her he has yet to teach her powerful spells. Here Octavia gets a hold of her powers on her own and uses them to defeat her uncle. So, Octavia might learn to fend for herself more, but she is never truly hating her dad, no matter how angry she is.

I also like that the previous two episodes dedicated to Octavia make clear her outburst is not coming out of nowhere. Stolas has been failing her a lot since the beginning of his affair with Blitz:

In Loo Loo Land he still treats Via as the child she isn't anymore and fails to address the issue that is truly and clearly bothering Via until she forces him to. And even there, although he reassures her, Stolas fails to address the matter effectively. (Not that it is simple).

In Seeing Stars he is so caught up in his divorce, he fails to listen to Via and forgets their past promise. The fact it is Loona to find Via and not Stolas himself really ties into this. It is not that Stolas isn't trying, but at the end of the day he spends the majority of the episode with Blitz, laughing at his jokes and getting horny for him. Sure, Blitz was forced into the sit-com, but Stolas could have left Blitz and kept looking for Via. This shows how much Stolas was already struggling between his love for Via and his desire to build a romantic relationship with Blitz.

In short, Via calling Stolas out on prioritizing his relationships with Blitz over their father-daughter one is correct:

Stella: Sorry, sweetie. No talking to that deadbeat. Andrealphus, look who's finally calling! Andrealphus: Oooh! Took him this long? That's hilarious.

Stella and Andrealphus aren't exactly wrong here either. Stolas waited a lot to call Via. That is because he was shocked and needed a long sleep, but Via can't know it. From her point of view her dad took responsibility for a crime in order to save Blitz, was banished and then ghosted her for a whole night/day.

At the same time, it is obvious Via is gonna to slowly discover more and more about her dad and his pain. Finding the Happy Pills was just a first step into a process of maturation, which will lead her to become an adult. Still Stolas's daughter, but not Stolas's helpless little girl anymore.

As two sides note:

I like that season 1 ends with Loona and Blitz's bond in focus, whereas season 2 ends with Stolas and Via's. It is obvious their two girls are key for Blitz and Stolas.

I like how Stolas's home is now completely frozen. It is a great metaphor for the kind of cold and abusive environment Via is now in. It is kind of telling the only parts of the house, which are not frozen are Via's room (filled with her and Stolas's shared interests) and the closet with Stolas's stuff.

STOLITZ I loved the Stolitz's development this episode! It was the perfect wrap up of their relationship this season. It is especially interesting how their dynamic is now inverted compared to the beginning. Right now the one more openly affective and open to an official love story is Blitz. Stolas is instead too heartbroken and jaded to fully jump into it, despite how much he clearly loves Blitz. Also, as other people noticed:

Stolas: Go enjoy your Sinsmas, Blitzo. I'm fine. You don't have to stay here with me.

This is a call back to Full Moon, as Blitz is now choosing to stay by Stolas's side.

Stolas becoming Blitz's secretary is instead another callback to The Circus:

Blitzo: Yeah! A big office! Circus business with clowns and horses! and the horses will all have good names like Stapler and Biscuit Queen. Stolas: I'm sure you will. That sounds like a good business. Blitzo: Yeah! And, if you want to apply, I'll hire you. Maybe. Stolas: You'll hire me? Blitzo: Yeah, if I feel like it. Stolas: Well, I hope I qualify! You'd be a good boss.

In general, it is gonna be interesting to see Stolas struggle with his newfound situation and self-reflect on his previous privilege.

However, the part I loved the most about Stolitz is the fight against Andrealphus:

First of all, I loved the princess and knight's symbolism because it is so extra and it fits them so well! It is also Stolas's dream come true:

Stolas: You wanna know what I want? I want to know what it's like, to not be alone. I want to be someone's someone. I want to feel wanted. But like, in a romantic way, like I'm standing out in the rain at a train station and someone is shouting: “Harriet! Don't get on that train, it's going to London and I cannot be without you!”

Secondly, I loved all the Disney references:

Blitzo: Hey Elsa! Get your icy hands off my bottom, bitch!

Frozen

Sleeping Beauty

Hercules

They are truly hellbent on turning Stolas into a Disney Princess!

OTHER THINGS I LIKED

Via vs Andre

I loved Via easily defeating Andrealphus. First of all, she is awesome and I adored her star-themed powers! Secondly, it ties very well with the classism commentary of the series.

Andrealphus is a Marquis, while Stolas is a Prince. Via is Stolas's heir, which means she is more powerful than Andrealphus, even if her powers are still raw. The short fight makes the difference clear as day.

Why is this important?

Thematically, it makes Andrealphus an interesting foil to Stolas. As a matter of fact he is clearly meant to be seen as Stolas's negative parallel. Both are homosexual nobles forced to repress their sexuality to fit the role they were given by society. However, they clearly both resent said role.

Stolas tries to evade it by starting an affair with Blitx, the first thing that truly makes him happy in years. He acts outside what is expected from Goetias, ignores protocols and eventually helps I.M.P. at a great personal cost. He is slowly going to face and unlearn his unconscious classism in the next season, as he works with Blitz and the others.

Andre tries to climb the hierarchy because he thinks that if he were more powerful and richer he will be happier. Hence he makes use of Hell's rules to dethrone Stolas and steal his assets. However, no matter how much he tries.

First of all, Hell's hierarchy isn't as easily destroyed, especially if you play by its rules:

Satan: STOLAS! I hereby strip you of your status, your power, and your title; Andrealphus: Yeees! Yeeesss! YEEESSSS!! Satan: For the next hundred years. Andrealphus: Oh motherfuck! Seriously?!

Secondly, no matter how much Andrealphus tries, there will always be someone higher than him. Stolas is gone, but Via is already able to kick his ass. He will always be a Marquis and never a Prince.

Thirdly, Andrealphus associates value to social status, but his short fight against I.M.P. makes very clear there is more than powers to a person's abilities. He is immensely more powerful than imps and hellhounds, but he sucks at fighting and it shows. Blitz and the others are able to hold their own easily.

Last, but not least there is no amount of social status that can buy true happiness. Andre being linked to Elsa is funny, but it is also meaningful when we remember Elsa is a lonely girl, who represses her emotions to fit into a system. Well, Andre does the same. He probably represses who he is (his sexuality) and is left cold and unhappy.

In short, just like Striker, Andre too is probably deep down unhappy with the current state of society. However, our protagonists' dark foils try to change their state by hurting others and crushing them under their feet. The protagonists instead more genuinely oppose the system by trying to help others.

Plot-wise, this might lead to some interesting developments.

First of all, this might tie into the Stella-centered episode. It is probable she was forced to marry Stolas, so that her family could social climb. This might explain why she was so angry about Stolas's divorce and why it was so important for her and Andre to get some retribution from Stolas. Their family is on a lower level than Stolas's one.

Secondly, Andre might at one point decide to kill Via, so that he can keep Stolas's assets for himself. This might become true especially if Via keeps rebelling against him. In this case, I have a pretty good idea of who Andre is gonna call:

Striker: Well, this has been fun, but every good thing has to come to an end. Shame you won't see your kid, again. Stolas: Don't you dare breathe a word about my daughter. Striker: Oh. Finally hit a nerve, huh? Stolas: I swear, if you go near her, I will destroy you.

Striker threatened Octavia in Western Energy, so this checkov gun might fire. If so, it will be a chance for Stolas to help Via, for Blitz to face his dark foil once again and for Via to discover the truth about her father's attempted murder.

The pregnancy plotline

This season we have a little conflict between Moxxie and Millie in Happy Campers and I was wondering if they were gonna have a bigger one later on. Well, it seems they will because the pregnancy plotline is going to bring some drama in the relationship.

As for now, to me it seems Millie is not convinced about the pregnancy and might contemplate an abortion:

Millie: What? Didn't he cheat or s-s-something? Come on, this is fun! We've done this kind of t-t-thing before. Blitzo: Just… not this one, Mils. Not today. Millie: I can do this one, I can do this! Blitzo: Millie! Moxxie: We'll do it next time! It's just not worth it. Millie: Don't start, Moxxie! Just because you aren't demon enough to do this job, doesn't mean…

Her being the most insensitive while watching the happy human family seems as foreshadowing that Millie doesn't really want kids. At least not now. This might change of course and I might be wrong. Still, the fact she hasn't told Moxxie about it yet is pretty indicative of how confused she is at the moment.

In general, to me it seems Moxxie and Millie are partly subverting feminine and masculine tropes, as Moxxie is more feminine (musicals) and Millie is more masculine (fighting). At the same time, I think they are also meant to deconstruct these ideas.

Moxxie exhibits some traits of toxic masculinity that clearly come from his father. For example, in Happy Campers he is obsessed by the fact he and not Millie must complete the mission, because he must prove himself to the boss. Or in The Harvest Moon Festival he tries to show he is as strong as Striker, even if his talents lie elsewhere.

Millie might soon reveal she herself might feel pressured to conform to some traditional feminine roles. For example, she might fear that becoming a mother might mean she has to give up her career. Or she is scared of how others (like her family and husband) will see her if she gives up the baby. All in all, she comes from a rather traditional environment and I am curious to see if this inspiration will be used to explore her pregnancy.

SINSMAS

I LOVED the idea of Sinsmas for several reasons.

Thematically, Sinsmas is really about self-expression:

Blitzo: Uh, it's Sinsmas! You know, the day every Hellborn celebrates and acts on their birth sin? Or any sin, whichever ones they want, honestly!

It is about giving in to your vices for one whole day (it is really similar to Carnival), so that you can indulge in what makes you happy, even if it is considered strange or wrong.

This is very important for the theme of classism:

Stolas: I cannot say I'm familiar with this holiday. Blitzo: Really? Wow, rich people don't have any fun, do they? Stolas: No, fun is free, but we can afford nice things.

Stolas is a noble and nobles do not celebrate Sinsmas. That is because the Goetias can never truly express themselves:

Stolas: Yaaaay! Birthday, birthday! WOOHOO! Birthday tiiiiime! Mister Butler: Calm yourself, young prince. You know excitement is unbecoming of a Goetia.

They have to repress repress repress.

So, it is telling Stolas slowly embraces the spirit of wrath throughout the episode.

He starts by trashing Blitz's office (luckily it is insured :P):

Stolas: Augh! Come on, you suck! You fucking suck! You fucking piece of shit, move you fucking face, you goddamn sucking motherfucker— GAH! WHAT A FUCKING IDIOT I AM! THIS WAS SO STUPID! I CANNOT BELIEVE I COULD BE! THIS FUCKING STUPID! I RUINED EVERYTHING! MOVE!!! YOU SHITTY DESK!!!

And he ends by trashing Andrealphus:

He has left the Goetia for one month in universe and he is already fitting in :''')

World-building wise, Sinsmas is very interesting because it is mostly celebrated by Hellborn Demons. Karen, who is a Sinner knows nothing of it and is uninterested in it. For her it's just Christmas.

As a result, I wonder if Pride as a sin is less celebrated than others during this Holiday. We see decorations for Greed, Wrath and Gluttony mostly. But I am sure people from Lust, Envy, Sloth will mostly celebrate these sins. However, the Demons typical of Pride are Sinners or Goetias, both of which do not celebrate.

So, I am wondering:

Do some Sinners who have been in Hell for a while celebrate Sinsmas? Do they stick to Christmas? Do they fuse the two holidays?

Was Pride more celebrated as a Sin before Lucifer decided not to get involved in Hell's affairs anymore?

Do the people of Pride have some specific festivities? Or to better say, do different Rings have different festivities?

I love holidays in different cultures and I would honestly just love a series dedicated to the different holidays in the Hellaverse :''')

MY FAVORITE EPISODES OF THE SEASONS

So, since this was the season's finale, I think I can now say which episodes were my favorite this time around! It is difficult because I thought this season was pretty strong overall, but if I must choose:

Ooops!

Mammon's Magnificent Musical

Ghostfuckers

Mastermind

Sinsmas

These are my favorites! In particular, Mammon's Magnificent Musical and Mastermind are my two pick choice, in no order.

This is all! Merry Christmas to who celebrates and Happy Holiday to everybody!

[midnight1nk]

So, this week's episode...

[spoilers below cut

All bets are in! And ah yes, a meme episode for the meme show. Feels fitting, very on-brand! (no, don't mind the drama/thriller/horror stuff lol)

(the following is my live reaction:)

LOOK HOW PRETTY THIS IS!

can we PLEASE have more episodes at night just to have the Castle glow like this? I'm on my knees, begging. PLEASE

okay okay, I need a live wallpaper of the Showgrounds with the Castle, rollercoaster, and Ferris Wheel lit up. And little fireworks, dude.

THIS is why I want the Showgrounds just to be like a carnival with all the rides and stuff. It would be so fun.

ANYWAY AY it really is a new year's special, in a sense

So much really did happen this year and also Mr Puzzles mention

[*points at the Crew*] therapy, for all of you. now.

And Meggy, don't jinx it or he's gonna come back (actually please do)

whelp, that was a great episode :)

[*record scratch*] nvm, time for memes

thanks Mario

"I yearned for the mines" god it gave me flashbacks of when that line came up during the sonic 3 previews

that is very sibling energy trust (me ← oldest sibling)

😨 this is terrifying omg i think it took some years out of me

it's actually very sweet to have Mario and Luigi's brotherly moments here 💙

mario you could've just get yourself high dude

also, should've told me, let me get a drink real quick

they do be scheming

well there you go, i got my dose of sonic

WHERE ARE YOUR SUBTITLES? /ref

"what's this guys f****in problem??" 4 is just a silly guy :)

sorry Mario but duty calls for the meme guardian [*floats away*]

PFFT he does make those noises haha

just love how Mario's way of texting is just "look at dis! :D"

oh hey, that's 3 & 4's car from the "SMG4 Kids" episode

if this is a callback to that episode, respect 👍

YES please Mario we gotta have 3 in the new year's event

LOOK AT THEM 🥺

"...master." JUBJUB?! ...well shoot I guess to make the best memes, we need to get high (or the equivalent of a fever dream)

can we just take a moment to appreciate this?

also chris and swag drinking, i get it (gonna join you guys)

are you winning, Mario? hmm, "Find the Luigi or DIE!!!"

ok but like why have it set up to A BOMB?!

even Clench gets a small cameo

YEAH 3 did it!!!

...WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT DOESN'T COUNT? [*puts on lawyer glasses*] it said "Find the Luigi or DIE!!!", it didn't say "Find the Luigi in this meme or DIE!!!" therefore, 3 isn't technically wrong here

"but it said 'the Luigi'" in the SMG4 universe, it's entirely possible to have clones, especially for Luigi

anyway time to explode :D

Congrats to windrxx for your art being featured in the end credits! 🎉

.・-: ✧ :--: ✧ :-・.

I actually don't mind the whole "Mario Reacts passing as a regular episode" thing this time, we gotta end the year on a silly note. And what better way to do it than reviewing memes with Mario and the Crew!! Always appreciate the sillies 💙

So, to anyone from the Team who just happens to see this, in the holiday spirit: THANK YOU for another year of SMG4!!! it's been a fantastic journey as a viewer since 2014 and I can't wait to see what y'all have next. Keep up with the improvement and get yourselves a well-deserved break!!!

...still onto you for the foreshadowing, you ain't slick! when i get you Team when I get you- /silly

And to the fandom, it's been an honor to be a part of it. As a theorist, a writer, a reviewer. And I've enjoyed all the art, fics, animations, everything from you guys, so creative. I'll see you on the other side, onwards to 2025!!!

[projectjasper]

ARCHER'S WE ARE FANCON EXPERIENCE

i promised i would share my feelings, so here they are!

first of all, while i do still maintain that the venue was too small for how beloved the series is, even with the split into two days, and i have some gripes with merch sales, the organisation was otherwise good. it was always very clear where and when you needed to go and what you needed to do, which is always great for an anxious person like me. all the explanations were in three languages too (thai, english, and chinese), so navigating the space and the benefits was easy. the little setup of things to do before the concert starts was also great - there were merch booths for all of the boys who had merch to sell (which is everyone aside from aouboom), there were photobooths with different 'we are' themed templates, there was also, of course, gasha (or, as i like to call them, gambling machines) but hey! i got some merch off of that as well, so i'm honestly not even complaining.

now, onto the actual show! it was incredible, i can hardly imagine anything that would need to be added or changed. it honoured both the series and the artists on their own in many ways.

there were multiple performances with the entire cast, including a surprise appearance of jj, tee, and pepper (or, our mattmickbeer trio) during one song, who then also stuck around to talk about their characters and favourite scenes. friendship is a huge part of the series and they did not forget that. a lot of stage backgrounds and props were an homage to the series too (the one that felt particularly thought-out to me was the background for 'truth in the eyes', which was a lush garden - a callback to the mv's concept metaphor). the couples performed both their main songs and also one cover each, which were picked out by every cp for different reasons, but all of which were great. before every main song, there was a little video with the couple's moments that encapsulated their relationship, and they were really lovely and well-done (a great way of giving the artists a second to breathe too).

i think there was also pretty much everything each of the main eight could want to do on stage. pond and aou got to dance (together as well!), winny got to rap, phuwin and satang got to sing together. at least from what they said, they were given a lot of creative liberty in terms of choosing what they want to sing and do on stage as well, so that is also lovely. all of the performances were, of course, absolutely fantastic and even exceeded my expectations in some ways.

all the little chats between performances were also wonderful and everyone (or, almost everyone) got really emotional closer to the end. we had marc crying first, talking about how much this experience means to him and thanking poon for being his first real partner, and then the floodgates just opened. poon also teared up, winny started crying because marc started crying, then he cried some more when he actually started speaking himself, then satang started crying too, they talked about how much all of this means to them and how much they mean to each other, they held hands. then dear sweet boom almost sobbed on stage and aou cried too - they were also very thankful for everything and especially each other. pond tried very hard not to cry (and succeeded by breathing out every ten seconds and twirling around the stage), talking about how happy he is that everyone loved the series and them so much, saying that the cast became like a little family, and thanking phuwin for being a great partner, and phuwin also talked about how he was afraid of having high expectations and how grateful he is to the cast and the fans. this was definitely one of those moments, which made the whole experience so much more meaningful and emotional. i also wanted to hug all of them and tell them how amazing they are 😭

the appreciation for the audience was huge throughout. pond kept putting his hand at his forehead to try to see all the fans sitting farther away, at one point aou asked for the lights to be turned on, so they could see everyone, during the last performance (which was 'we are forever'), they all came down from the stage and walked around us, waving at everyone.

after the huge three hour concert, there were still the benefits to work through, which ended up going on for five hours (until almost 2 am). the boys were all really lovely and nice throughout and i'm genuinely impressed by their ability not to let the understandable tiredness that they were all feeling interfere with their interactions with fans and each other.

so, to conclude! this was an absolutely incredible experience and i am so happy i decided to come here for the fancon (and actually managed to get the ticket). there are multiple countries they are going to next, as you know, and there will likely be more added in the future. so if you live in any of those countries, i am definitely saying you should go. and if you don't but it is within your means to go and you just weren't sure whether the fancon is worth an entire trip abroad - i am confirming that it very much is. i am confident you would not regret going.

[signed-sapphire]

Okayyyy rewatched Wish

Here are my notes

Valentino wasn’t as annoying as people say. Sure, he did nothing for the plot and could’ve been removed entirely, but he didn’t make near as many butt jokes as people say he did

The lead-ins for all the songs were great. Certain media (Hazbin, for example) just jump into the songs

Magnifico??? Didn’t touch the pages??? So why would he be corrupted? Why does Amaya know of obsidian oil? Don’t you just skim the pages to release the evil?

Dahlia was amazing

“At the very least break the hold it has on him” Amaya? Didn’t you found this kingdom with thin? Wouldn’t you know?

Also Amaya was very sidelined. Where’s her backstory?

Asha’s magic wand mishaps were… corny at best

Why did they make Dario high all the time? He’s not stupid. I feel like they made him try to be like Fred from Big Hero 6 but failed

“Nine zillyboo, twenty alphabet!” Val, buddy. No.

DAHLIA. MATE. TRUE LOVE’S KISS CAN BRUNG HIM BACK I swear, it feels like the directors were switched

The spider-carriage thing. I feel like that could’ve been a Disney reference instead

Gabo was still my favorite out of the teens. Bazeema was sweet too

Also. Halzeema moments were actually in canon.

Sabino did not act 100 at all.

Crushing wishes did nothing to people except make them sad for .2 seconds

Asha’s drawing, her magic wand, none of that was important to the actual plot

I feel like the horses could’ve been Disney references too

Why did the roof open? That was never explained

Mag’s hair needed to be messier. Evil Magnifico? Crazy hair

How did he hear them from all the way down there

Mag’s really out there beating up a minor

The curse rope green things were not scary at all

Was Simon just in the forest the entire time?

The Magnifico getting sucked inside his staff… I feel that could’ve been a play to Dr. Facilier somehow

The stars raining down were beautiful

Was Star’s nose tap a reference to something?

The people’s talking… idk how I felt about that

WE 👏 SHOULD’VE 👏 SEEN 👏 SAKINA’S 👏 WISH

Another half-assed apology. First Namaari, now you. At least Simon’s was an actual apology. Wait. More of it goes on.

Ok his apology isn’t too bad

How did the staff get all the way down there?

Changed my opinion, Amaya deserved to tell Mag off

Did Mag’s curse break once he was in the mirror? Why did he act sad all of a sudden?

I’ve heard Asha’s movements weren’t finalized until later, but her movements seem pretty fluent

Clumsy and energetic, sure, but besides from the mouth drooping part, she wasn’t that quirky

Which. Could be a bad thing. She didn’t really have much of a personality

I like the Peter Pan building a flying machine idea

Zootopia ref

DARIO. SHUT UP

Why does everyone suddenly understand Star

But off-topic they were so cute

“It” I guess

Why refer to Star as an it

“They” was too woke for the Disney execs? Why, you had a one-second offhand comment about a water cousin who’s nonbinary!

That Cinderella-reference thing… wasn’t slow enough to be a dress transformation. So I’m fine with her not having a different dress. I mean obviously I would’ve loved it but idk

SHOW DON’T TELL, DISNEY

STOP TELLING

“I understand you well enough” I DON’T! HOW ARE THEY TELLING YOU

Some of Valentino’s jokes were funny. Sue me

I liked the Tinkerbell and Mikey Mouse reference at the end

The storybook was a nice callback

The credits should’ve been moving. Also CHOOSE BAYMAX TO REPRESENT BIG HERO 6. WHY HAVE VILLAINS LIKE MALEFICENT THERE

Overall. Not as bad as people are making it out to be. But definitely not worthy to be Disney’s 100

I’d say… 7/10. The backgrounds did look watercolor, but the shading seemed off in places. Especially Sakina. There was major improvement to be done, but with the hell the execs were giving (and the proven creativity of the concept art) I feel this movie is getting too much hate. Critiques and criticism are fine. But don’t blame the writers for getting rid of Starboy. Yes, it could’ve been better. But it’s Disney. And the creators tried their best to pour their love into a movie that they didn’t have a full say in.

[iam-lnt]

Hetamyu is great and here's sort of a......theatrical analysis pov of why

last time i ranted about "hetamyu being great" (👈this post right here) i'm not exactly being clear, and since the production itself has much that I can analyze (already written a 2k article abt the stage 💀) I figure I can do better

So I...analyzed all Hetamyu that I've seen (excluding the live mash-up versions since technically those are more like concerts than theatrical plays) from the following perspectives under cut

(warning: it's long as fuck. I'm not even kidding. I opened the cut myself after finishing it and I felt like I'm going to faint)

I've warned y'all.

Symbolic and innovative staging

Stage is something often overlooked as a regular audience, which, when doing analysis, should not be. Whatever happens in the play happens on the stage, and thus the stage, when being designed, will be closely linked with the play itself. The stage in hetamyu use the classical three-side proscenium stage, which is what one would imagine when saying "a stage".

The stage of hetamyu episodes holds meaning with respect to the historical period/symbolic, thus assisting in story/theme telling. Examples:

The great world: Round middle part of the stage with the spin-able plate in the middle; a callback to the time period (great exploration) and its ideal that the Earth is "round", like the stage. 

In the new world: The big book design in the background can 1) engross the audience in the story as if they’re reading a book themselves, 2) add to the historical sense of the play with the parchment-like material, 3) as the actor themselves move the page it feels like they're telling the story themselves, and also adding onto the fact that if actors flip to the page before, it's like someone's trying to turn back history

The world is wonderful: The high platform behind can be symbolic for its height representing the strength of a nation behind higher than others; it’s also a way to isolate the one on top with those on ground level to highlight a specific character via height

The general staging of hetamyu is progressively more creative. Examples:

The great world: movable stair pieces

In the new world: ngl that book design is pretty good

Fantastic world: use those tall iron rack/frame things to mimic a boat and the hang-down cloth to mimic the Fuji mountain.

That's really something bc often theater production will not choose a realistic display of everything, since all they have is a limited amount of stage (not like, for example, tv series where they have green screen or sth). Choosing a creative yet fitting method to narrate a wider perspective is soooo important and inspiring. Hetamyu, being stories of grand history stories, obviously cannot put a palace, a tank, a wall, or a mountain on stage. So they either 1) leave it blank and up to imagination accompanied by assisting dialogues/actions or 2) use shapes that are alike to the presented view. If done well, you wouldn't even notice that "things are not real", bc despite no realistic object is presented, the whole atmosphere allows your brain to fill the gap--all the reason why hetamyu exceeds expectations in this field.

The use of comedy

It's easy to notice that hetamyu is laughable as hell. Not joking, I cannot finish a play without shaking with laughter somewhere (although it tend to get serious and angst towards the end…will talk about it later), and I'm sure most have similar experiences. This means that comedy is well used in production of hetamyu. I'd like to divide the comedy parts in hetamyu into two components:

--Personality of characters-- This one is easier to understand. The wacky idiots we have in original hetalia manga/anime is basically the source of humor, including but not limited to 

Italy whipping out his white flag

America yelling "I'm number 1"

Which is working well, of course. But one thing that I’m glad is that hetamyu didn’t stop there with the characterization—it expanded on what should be "them being just dumb" and turned them into real and heart-felt characters, such as

Italy preferring peace over war (Grandpa Rome etc etc)

America actually being number 1 in the world and feeling "lonely" (in The world is wonderful. Ah I love that line sm)

Of course we can see that many of the said expansion on characterization is already done in original hetalia, and it’s true, hima already handled their characters well. But my point is that hetamyu did not use comedy solely for comedy, it did not use stupidity/egocentrism/bickering only for the laughter—it's a reflection of unique traits of characters, which in turn makes us love them even more.

--Improvisation-- The script itself purposefully leave out certain parts for the actors themselves to improvise. Now I'm not sure if it's a common thing generally in Japanese theater production of popular anime (I'm guessing it is), but I always love this design. Usually, one play will have multiple points for multiple characters' improvisation skits. 

The actors themselves (from what I've seen in BTS videos) will plan out jokes to tell during these improvisation parts. For one, these skits break the fourth wall well, bc actors would often use irl examples (eg commercials, quotes, songs, films, famous ppl) to mimic and/or cue; for another, it's a weird extension of the character themselves, so it's funny because the characters we know are being weird…either ooc or completely in character. Examples of there improvisation skits include

The great world: America drawing random stuff on a pull-out blackboard and explaining it to everyone when Japan asked. [The improvisation is what would be drawn and how he would explain.]

Fantastic world: How France and England would bicker and exit the stage. [The improvisation is how their arguments would turn to different topics and how France will end their conversation with a one-liner; and also an extended improvisation of the other one-liner Spain commenting on them two]

Expanding just a bit here, these improvisations remind me how Commedia dell'arte (an Italian theater tradition) will have "Lazzi", which is a set sequence of improvisation, in their play production. I think it follows certain steps to create a Lazzi but I…did not do my research on this one, sadly. Also I think it can correspond to "jig" in English. [Sprinkling in random theater knowledge even if this whole post is basically theater knowledge]

Themes, ideals, and conflicts

Typically, a theatrical production will have an "intention" of some sort, which would be what the producers want to tell by staging a play. From the intention derive possible themes and ideals. Conflicts, on the other hand, is used for pushing the plot forward and towards a climax, consequently telling a propelling story (see the classical plot diagram). A arguably successful play will most likely have insightful themes and perceptive ideals along with a well-set conflict to tell the themes and ideals. 

—Themes and ideals via the plot— Hetalia has little plot, or to say a hella lot of plot bc it's the whole freaking history. Thus, hetamyu chooses this approach: tell a story in a certain historical period (or as the show develops, multiple periods). We see hetamyu tell stories of the great exploration, the unification of Italy, the opening of Japan, and so much more. 

What's impressive is…it is hard enough to tell a good historical story, it is harder yet that hetamyu is dealing with nation personifications for god's sake. I commented once before that it's pretty amazing that although there's a decent amount of typical fandom fights in hetalia (just like others), during the course of my being in the fandom, never have I seen once that hetalia meddle with political arguments. It has so much potential for political fights but I’ve seen…none. Like literally how. Hetamyu handled some of the most dangerous topics (like world wars and colonization) and advocated peace over everything. Okay hetalia did that also, but that's another story. Also credits to @thecursedislander for pointing out a possible symbolism of peace = pasta since Italy's supposed "weakness" is actually a brave advocation for peace and cheerfulness, I think that realization broke me somehow.

You'd expect this "history story + peace and love" troupe to, ugh, fade in its usefulness if it's used too many times, and yes the producers of hetamyu noticed that. This is why, when I finished watching Fantastic world, my jaw dropped—hetamyu tackled a problem called "Japan's lack of culture due to recent history, and also it's relationship with his mentor China". Okay that’s impressive as hell bc consider the real world audience and um idk real world politics???? I'm impressed at the production teams' insightfulness in history as well as their dedication to bring a light-hearted and loved show on stage. Like I would often describe to my friend, the themes tackled in hetamyu made me believe that whoever wrote the script must have either a Philosophy or a History degree or sth, because the sort of "realization" brought forth by the telling of themes is just that brilliant and open-minded

—Setting up conflicts— Every hetamyu has a main conflict accompanied by sub-conflicts. Example:

The great world with the main England-America relationship

The world is wonderful with the main North/South Italy relationship, 

Fantastic world with the main Japan inner conflict and his relationship with China, along with sub-conflicts such as Japan-Netherlands or Japan-America. 

This approach is useful because it avoided the show being just a chaotic mess of idiots running around doing stuff. Now it's…a chaotic mess of idiots running around doing stuff and trying to fix their problems/the main conflict. Welp. You get the idea. Essentially conflict pairs help set up a reasonable plot for the 2 hour show to go on while showing all the drama. Also who is in the conflict tells a bit of the theme, like how Japan-China conflict can call back to the theme of culture integration etc. 

Other production elements

Just going over them quickly bc this is already too long…yeah.

Lighting: use of different colors of light to indicate shifting of atmosphere on stage; e.g. iconically the opening scene for The world is wonderful/flashing lights to add to tension on stage/blue to create an atmosphere of freezing cold during Russia's scenes

Music: Not much I can say other than the songs are getting progressively better. Compare those in Singin' in the world and the newest The glorious world and you'll see what I mean. I feel like the composers add more into the instruments, like strings, guitars, keyboards, and stringed their melodies together better. 

Props: Also getting better, and more creative. Like Chibi America's cradle, the HRE hand doll, and all the stuff lying around the stage in The glorious world. 

Actors and casts

This is not my strong point in analysis bc this is technically not included when analyzing a play. But I decided to add this in anyway, because if a play is good enough it can educate not only the audience but also the actors themselves. 

—Specific roles— I like the fact that actors have specific roles when it comes to producing a play; like Russia's actor specialize in telling the oldest corniest coldest jokes ever, Germany's actor being the only voice of reason and thus a good choice for ending improvisation skits, and Italy and America's actors being the absolute kings in chaotic improv. 

—Characterization— I ranted about it once before I think, but the actors of hetamyu giving the characters a new set of characteristics is something I dig so much for. The most obvious one got to be England; his actor Daisuke literally portrayed this supposed gentleman as his original sassy self, which is hella fun. Other actors do similar things, but I'd argue those are harder to spot bc they matched their characters' freak pretty damn well.

—Wholesome, encouragement, and growth— So this whole family of hetamyu cast is wholesome as hell. It's like that with many other shows, in which the cast bond over the experience. With hetamyu it’s better because they have a long time span—the first hetamyu Singin' in the world came in 2015, and the last hetamyu The glorious world just ended touring this year in 2024. 

Also, the break after the first three production (in which they started a live one, thinking that it's the end of hetamyu's production and they're not going to make new shows together…I'm not sure about the reasons tho) and the return afterwards are great opportunities for the cast to bond over.

We can see the growth of multiple cast members, e.g. Ryoki, Italy's actor, was only 16/17 when he first starred in 2015, and bro's now 26 and striving in his career as a singer, and Gaku, Prussia's actor, was a rather new member of the cast (starting from In the new world) and can be quite shy, but other members encouraged him and cheered him on and look at him now! Okay he's still like the bullied kid in the cast but at least he knows he's loved by the fam (/hj). 

One last thing, I like how the main casts won't forget to include the ensemble cast into their improv skits just for fun. Cuz like, without the ensemble the play wouldn't be complete, so even if they're just dancers for background aesthetic and props moving, they're still a crucial part of the play. And I adore the fact that main cast also keeps that in mind. Respect. 

I can go on about the cast dynamic for ages and start a new rant on their acting skills or sth but I'm afraid I've already run too far away from our topic. Point is, show so good the cast is in tears (literally)

Conclusion

I have no good conclusion for all these...(gesture helplessly above)...stuff. So in conclusion hetamyu is awesome and we love hetamyu 4ever.

Also feel free to spill any thoughts & suggestions !! Diverse pov/opinion needed for better analysis and my brain may or may not be deprived of braincells <3 in da hetamyu club we all fam

[jotun-design-party]

that's it for jötun design party! i had so much fun seeing everyone's designs. the most difficult part was picking the winners, but i got there in the end! here are the winners, why i picked them, and the prizes they won!

as i will not be using this account anymore, i'll leave this as the pinned post and link to This Post as well as the #orientalism search for anyone who may stumble upon this blog in the future ❄️

Jötun Design Party Winners

First Place

Prize: full-body drawing of a character (original or otherwise) of their choice. I have your discord, and will contact you when I have the time to start and complete your drawing!

@therese-lokidottir

elegant and cohesive, it's clear that a lot of thought was put into the world and culture of jötunheim. every design is distinct and filled with personality while still maintaining a singular aesthetic. looking at these designs together, it's easy to imagine how the characters might interact with each other and their vibrant world.

Second Place

Prize: half-body drawing of a character (original or otherwise) of their choice. Please message this tumblr with your preferred method of communication (Discord, Instagram, or Tumblr itself) and I will contact you when I have the time to start and complete your drawing!

@ak800

looking at this design, it's easy to tell how much love, time, and effort was put into it. with elements that mirror loki's canon moteifs altered in ways that feel cozy, it's undeniable that there was a lot of thought put into the jötnar as a people. they mirror asgard in a way that directly contrasts the claims we see the aesir make of them, while still feeling like a separate and distinct culture with their personalized magic, unique horns, and clear social dynamics

Third Place

Prize: bust-shot drawing of a character (original or otherwise) of their choice. Please message this tumblr with your preferred method of communication (Discord, Instagram, or Tumblr itself) and I will contact you when I have the time to start and complete your drawing!

@corvusartchronicles

while deceptively simple, this design is thoughtful and paints a very different picture of jötunheim than we are used to seeing in canon. this design implies a combination of mythologies, which we are very used to in marvel, while giving love and thought to a vivid world of religion which is not often given the same respect as norse or greek mythology. protected from the weather in a way that would not make a temperature-sensitive frost giant overheat, loki's design is full of love for both fantasy, and the very real people who often inspire it 💞

it means the world to me that as many people participated as they did and i really hope that this contest helped make this fandom a more inclusive space in some way

picking the winners for this was SO DIFFICULT. so under the cut, i have also enthused about some of the submitted designs because i wanted to be able to share my thoughts on more of them. i'm so sorry that i wasn't able to get to everyone!!

treacheroustrickster

all of those shades of green? i am in love

red tichel!!! was this a callback to loki's red hair in mythology? I AM IN LOVE EITHER WAY!!!

i know it's based on a canon design and russian ashkenazi fashion but the hair jewelry just looks so in-place here. if it was cold enough outside that i needed to layer my clothes then i too would prefer to wear my metals in my hair where it wouldn't feel cold against my skin

newsted

this one specifically is just so ROYAL to me. far more than most of the entries! it has my heart

the riding pants >>>

the fingerless gloves >>>>

this design, with the minimal layers of clothing mixed with the warm cloak, makes me feel like it's designed to keep loki protected from the cold winds that comes with riding horses at high speeds in the winter

vvviktor

NY FRIEND I LOVE THE DETAILS

the embroidery on the sleeves

and the idea of loki in bronze instead of gold is one that i adore. i associate gold so heavily with asgard AND with loki that whenever i try to design jötun lokis, it's incredibly difficult to pick whether to use gold or not. bronze is the PERFECT solution to this

also shut up the feet literally are not bad

du-ed

HOOVES!!!!!!

okay cuteness aggression aside i think this is such a smart idea for the jötnar.

it helps with that balance of showing them in minimal clothing to get across their lack of sensitivity to the cold while also actually protecting them from the snow they are likely at least knee-deep in half the time

like yes. just yes

of COURSE they would look like this it just makes sense to me

imreaallyasorry

look at this. JUST LOOK AT IT. what more do i need to say

its perfect. i will be following you on my new account

this is the cutest thing i've seen in my entire life

also the staff/scepter is so cool, it's gorgeous, that's MY moon queen and magic theatre

unityrain24

this one is SO COOL, it's my absolute favorite out of the designs you submitted.

it looks so warm and sleek, and the idea that travel wear is so different from everyday wear makes me wonder just how harsh the conditions on the planet are.

i'm an absolute sucker for designs that are distinctly alien like this and it has my heart i love it so so much

[fillingthescrapbook]

Let's Talk About: Fantasy High Junior Year and Not All Who Wanda Are Lost

This is the first time I'm watching a Fantasy High season as it airs, instead of binging it--and I hate it! I am itching to see what happens next. Itching. Like I can't focus on anything else without having that itch scratched.

Also: two things right off the bat:

One. The bitch is back. This is not a drill. THE BITCH IS BACK.

Two. GORGUG AND ZELDA REALLY ARE BROKEN UP? GOSH DARN IT!

Okay, now that I've calmed down somewhat. The episode is also a bit of a breather after the high-octane and high-emotions of the first two episodes. We do get some answers to some questions, like: yeah, Gorgug and Zelda are indeed broken up. Cathilda is at Leviathan, which is why Fabian is all alone at the Seacaster Manor.

And, yes, the projections are very much alive. Which I love.

There's an energy surrounding the Intrepid Heroes that really makes their seasons engaging even when their characters are doing bits I don't agree with. I guess because we've seen them play the most in Dimension 20, we trust that we know where they are going. And that's really the main part of why their seasons work, isn't it? We trust them. Even when they make mistakes or flub a deception that Brennan can then use against them, we trust that they mean well. That they have a story to tell.

That's one of the reasons why I've held on judgment with what seemed to be a repeating storyline for Kristen in the first two episodes. Now that we've seen the third episode, it does make sense for Kristen to enter a cycle. It does make sense for her to treat Cassandra the way she treated YES!. And, of course, Brennan is going to use this to fuck with the Bad Kids.

And Brennan is setting up so many villains, and maybe some red herrings… But it's hard not to panic. It's hard not to go into a worry. Because, yeah, I am going into a worry.

I guess, though, this season's biggest villain is real life. Not real-real life. But real life for our bad kids. Reality isn't cut-and-dry. We don't defeat monsters and then get to live happily ever after. Because life continues. And consequences matter. So of course Gorgug doesn't get an approval to multi-class as an artificer. Because of course it doesn't make sense.

We got a taste of the financial villainy last episode when Sklonda and Riz discussed how good grades might not be enough for him to get into a good college. And now Adaine is facing the reality of what being a wizard with no rich parents means. While, on the opposite side of the spectrum, Fabian is realizing how having money might get you perks but it still doesn't shield you from getting bombarded with other problems.

And then there's Fig. Our beloved wild child whose past actions are now, quite literally, chasing after her. And the poetry of Ally setting up a Hilda Hilda callback just as Brennan reveals an investigation about a missing person's case at 22 Hilda Boulevard.

If you're reading up to here, you probably understand my reason for hating having to watch an episode at a time, right? Because I am itching to find out what happens next. For each Bad Kid.

Especially after that revelation in the end.

…

One last thing: I laughed way too much at Riz using the term "constituents" when referring to the student body of Aguefort Academy.

Also: is Brennan intentionally letting the Intrepid Heroes go off tangent so he could get his almonds in?

I guess that's last two things. Oops.

[checkoutmybookshelf]

From Criminial Mastermind to Fairy Tale Hero: The End of Artemis Fowl

Here we are, everyone: The final Artemis Fowl book. It has been a journey revisiting the first series I was old enough to follow and fandom, and it's wild to me that we're finally at the end. Especially since I picked up the first Artemis Fowl book in late elementary school (I'm genuinely not sure when though, because the first book came out in April of 2001, when I was in fifth grade and it's very possible I didn't pick the book up until sixth grade, which would have put me at 11, same age as Artemis in that first book) and the final book came out in 2012, when I was in my junior year of undergrad. So at that point, Artemis, Holly, and Butler had been part of my life for a long time. And now here we are, to say goodbye to them again after this leisurely re-listen/read. Let's talk Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian.

Artemis grew and changed so much across eight books, which makes sense because holy cow do kids change a LOT between 11 and 15. We get so busy living life in those years that we don't really think about how much we truly learn and grown between prepubescence and full-on teenagerhood, but that is a time of massive change, and I think that more than anything else really justifies how Artemis goes from a chillingly vampiric child to a teenager with enough compassion and empathy to understand that sometimes the right choice is a heroic self-sacrifice for the people that your people (both humans and the people, in this case) love. Artemis also did a really interesting version of that thing so many teenagers do where they hit a point where they can't just phone in their abilities anymore and have to actually put effort in, but for Artemis it was emotional rather than intelligence. And yet even when making said heroic sacrifice, we have the absolutely beautiful callback to the end of book one, where Artemis drugs his mother, Butler, and Juliet to keep them from being harmed by the bio-bomb. To stop Holly from preventing him from stopping Opal, Artemis sedates her. The more things change, the more they stay the same...

Except where best villain ever Opal Koboi is concerned. By this book, Opal is so disconnected from reality that she is willing to risk literally going nuclear to escape captivity, and then just...casually sparks off the apocalypse because if there is one thing our girl wants, it's to be Empress of the World, and if that means using spirit zombies and an ancient fairy doomsday device, then I guess it's a good thing she's already versed in black magic. Or something. Opal is fully and completely off the rails at this point, and if you catch yourself referring to yourself as "Mommy" in reference to the spirits of several scores of ancient elven berserkers who would--barring a geas--murder you for it, you might want to stop and take a long, hard look at your life choices. And maybe don't forget that you've cloned yourself, because that's the kind of little detail that can completely ruin your chances of being Empress of the World.

Holly quite possibly deserves every medal that exists for managing to drag Artemis's extremely out-of-shape butt through increasingly dangerous and high-stakes missions while navigating fairy politics and *checks notes* breaking up with her commanding officer after a disastrous date where they both got kicked out of a crunchball match. (And once again...HOW DARE Colfer leave this in exposition and not show us this amazing disaster of a date!?!?) Holly has also just been through the emotional wringer with Artemis and every time he decided to double-cross or lie by omission to bring off a plan and every time he does something infuriatingly human that drives up her blood pressure and yet makes the mission succeed. And then she has to sit there and watch him die to save humans and fairies. Seriously, the fact that Holly Short is a functional being rather than a hot mess is nothing short of a miracle.

And then we come to Butler. Long-suffering, super fucking over it, broken-hearted Domovoi Butler. Artemis got DAMN lucky that the whole "put my spirit in a clone of me" plan panned out, because if it hadn't, Holly was entirely correct: Butler would never have recovered. Butler and Opal might be my two favorite characters in the entire series at this point. That's not where I started--for a very long time, Holly was my favorite character, and Commander Root still gets an honorable mention--but as a grown-ass adult (I'm not doing that math for you, if you want to know that I'm old, you do the math), I cannot escape how dedicated, competent, kind, and just AWESOME Butler is. I feel like the vibe here is very similar to the thing that happens when you watch Sound of Music as a kid and either Maria or one of the kids is your favorite character, but when you come back to it as an adult, Captain Von Trapp is EVERYTHING (RIP Christopher Plummer, we loved you). Butler has a similar vibe but in a different genre.

So, I was an adult and had enough experience of watching fandoms to see the mixed reactions to this book being released. People were sad the series was ending, people were disappointed because the series had seemingly drifted, and people loved it. My reaction was pretty mixed, because I had a lot going on, I knew there were good things here but I was also kind of missing the heisty, criminal mastermind vibes, but also OPAL KOBOI. So I was pretty unsure how to feel about this book when it came out, and then I didn't reread it for literal years because I went to grad school.

Returning to this book now, I have suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuch respect for how Colfer tied up the series and how he pulled off a new Irish mythological cycle, but updated for the twenty-first century. I have enough life on me to appreciate the changes Artemis goes through, and enough literature degrees to have a new and deeply fulfilling perspective on the series structure. Last Guardian is not my favorite book of the series--it's not even in the top three--but I think that what it does is genuinely impressive and I love how you can finish this book and go instantly back into the OG Artemis Fowl. The story does not, strictly speaking, have to end. And that is a vibe I can 100% get behind.

I deeply love the Artemis Fowl books, and I cannot recommend the series enough. They have so many strengths, are incredibly well-written, and they live rent-free in my head even now as an adult.

[magnorious]

The Reveal that Changed Percy Jackson

*Spoiler Alert*

I’m talking about the Nico vs Cupid scene in book 8, House of Hades. I picked this scene, even though there were a great many in the original series that defined Percy Jackson as a story far more meaningful than just “cool tweenage demigods with magic and superpowers who fight evil”.

When this book came out, Nico vs Cupid was almost all anyone talked about. Why? Because Nico came out. Nico, an explicitly gay character in a book published by Disney, in a rather high profile series. Nico, the little angsty brat displaced from the timeline, comes out of nowhere with a world-shattering reveal.

House of Hades is already the darkest book in the series and, I think, the most polished and successful with this tone and how it feels so complete. While Percy and Annabeth are in Tartarus, the constant clever and horrific callbacks to quests from prior books quite literally come back to haunt them. The others trying to carry on without them, the ridiculously high personal stakes, the drama, the storytelling, it spares no expense in this book.

The Nico vs Cupid scene was something else, though, and all these years later… I’m not so sure it was done for the better.

—

Independent of the Big Reveal, this scene does a lot of things we’d never seen before in this series, namely this: Cupid is scary, and no one expected him to be.

Percy Jackson, though it does have its serious moments, is the series where the god of wine wears leopard print shirts and the god of the seas has a fishing chair for a throne. These characters quip and joke even when they’re trying to be intimidating and Percy’s personality, snarky and sassy and very rarely shooting straight, undercuts a lot of the attempts at looking competent and threatening (and we love him for it).

They’ve fought gods and monsters and demigods and characters have died really tragic deaths, but for the most part, these serious moments all come when we expect them to.

This scene comes out of nowhere and for anyone who hasn’t read the book in a while, here’s the context: Percy and Annabeth are in Tartarus and Nico is kind of the de-facto leader in their absence, knowing the most about Tartarus of the remaining crew. He and Jason are sent on a side quest to go retrieve the Staff of Diocletian from Cupid and Nico is not at all happy about this venture, but we don’t know why beyond that he’s Nico and he’s never happy.

Right out of the gate, Cupid is not at all who we expect him to be and this fight scene, absent of Percy, is suddenly very serious. Cupid doesn’t quip, he doesn’t show himself, and he fights dirty. The god of love, not the god of war or anything we expect to be violent and dangerous.

He’s whispering in characters’ heads, throwing them around like ragdolls, and taunting Nico ceaselessly all in Jason’s POV. Cupid gets some seriously badass lines, too.

“I’ve been to Tartarus and back,” Nico snarled. “You don’t scare me.” I scare you very, very much. Face me. Be honest.

Love is no game! It is no flowery softness! It is hard work—a quest that never ends. It demands everything from you—especially the truth. Only then does it yield rewards.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say Love always makes you happy.” [Cupid's] voice sounded smaller, much more human. “Sometimes it makes you incredibly sad. But at least you’ve faced it now. That’s the only way to conquer me.”

In all this, unfortunately in Jason POV, we’re primed only once by a previous god finally acknowledging that gays exist in this universe. This universe, based on Greek Mythology, famous for its not-straightness. Even then, audiences have spent 7 and a half books accepting that there won’t be any gays. No one is expecting this from Nico.

So when it comes, when Nico reveals he has a crush on Percy… the fandom lost our minds.

—

And I’m not so sure that’s a good thing, looking back. On the one hand, obligatory “we need representation,” but on the other, there was this one reviewer who knew what was up long before anyone else did.

She’d said something along the lines of raising damning concerns that Nico’s entire character arc was now defined by his homosexuality, that this scene frames all his anger, all his hate, all his rage and depression, about this one aspect of his character, and diminishes him because of it.

All these years later, I’m disappointed to say I agree with her.

This book series’ only major canonical gay (so far) is forced out of the closet with a proverbial gun to his head

Now, Nico likely never would have come out without that gun, but the way it happened, especially in front of Jason who he’s not friends with, showing Jason his memories because it’s not Nico’s POV and Jason has to see somehow because Nico sure won’t detail those scenes himself is... not good?

Jason handles it well, as well as he can given that this is Nico, and Cupid is an explicit villain so him forcing Nico out is in-character and not my problem. The narrative forcing Nico out is the problem—that this is a big reveal both to Jason and the audience is the problem.

The book isn’t new and with respect to when it was written and who wrote it, it’s not a terrible scene or terrible representation. But it’s not just forcing Nico out of the closet, either.

All of Nico’s character development is retroactively pinned on his sexuality

I get it. Nico’s… 14? 14 and from an era where being who he is was a death sentence, with zero education on the matter. Internalized homophobia is a thing (though Nico doesn’t actually seem to hate himself for being gay, he hates himself for crushing on Percy. Nor does he hate other gays or the concept).

Nico, though, is the one demigod who can summon any ghost he could dream up to teach him to hate himself a little less. He could have summoned the ghost of Freddie Mercury and what a dazzling mentorship that would have been.

The way the scene is framed makes it look like all of Nico’s rage comes from this one relationship, when it comes from so much more. He’s a son of Hades, a god no one trusts or likes and is synonymous with death, evil, and deceit. His sister, his last living relative, died on a quest as just a teenager. He has no friends at camp, powers that scare people, and is almost a century removed from everything and everyone he knew in his old life.

And he went and left camp *only* because of his crush on Percy? Not for any other reason?

When he does get his crush on Will, that only makes it worse. Nico did have friends, even if he didn’t believe it. He did have Percy and he’d earned the respect of his fellow campers after the Battle of Manhattan. He back-slid in HOH for this reveal, as if a romance is the only thing that could make him happy.

Cupid’s message is the narrative’s message: The only way to conquer love is to face it [in combat]

With a gun to his head, in front of a veritable stranger, instead of in, I don’t know, therapy with Apollo? There couldn’t have been any other way to fit this reveal in? He couldn’t have made his own group therapy session with other ghosts? Persephone or Demeter never sat this boy down for The Talk with a literal captive audience?

And that it’s a “reveal” at all, in incredibly dramatic fashion, a plot twist for shock value. The book couldn’t drop hints in Nico POV? Couldn’t casually state it anywhere at any time in the previous 3 books? Couldn’t treat it at all like this is normal and not a life-or-death situation?

I just feel bad for the kid. Nico can’t be the only demigod who has a guilty, unrequited crush. Cupid is forcing this out of him because that crush happens to be on another boy.

It’s in Jason’s POV

This world shattering, deeply personal reveal, and the character who’s having it isn’t even the narrator. Jason is a fine character and I know why it’s him out of everyone who could have gone with Nico, but this should have been solely Nico’s moment, not Jason’s commentary about Nico’s moment, being a non-consenting voyeur into Nico’s very personal memories about Percy.

Even if it’s not Jason’s POV to retain the surprise, it certainly starts to feel like Jason’s POV to retain the surprise. Jason can still be present, but even then—Cupid needed Nico to face Cupid, not Cupid and Jason.

—

It sucks because the scene as a whole, removed from the context, is incredible. The choreography, the pacing, the intensity of the battle, Cupid as a villain and Nico and Jason’s desperation to just stay alive.

Its impact on the series can’t be ignored. Blood of Olympus is no one’s favorite. It’s a terrible last book and not all that great as a book, period, but the ending?

Among other travesties, Nico confronts Percy, tells him he had a crush on him, and then *immediately* starts pining after Will. Percy doesn’t get the chance to talk to him, stunned at this reveal. They never have a heartfelt conversation about it, what this means for their friendship, how Percy never noticed or how this makes him feel, if he’s at all guilty for potentially leading Nico on and being a bad friend.

We get none of that. Nico just finds a pretty blond boy after, what, four years pining after Percy? One awful confrontation with Cupid and a few lines of dialogue traded with Jason and all his angst and moodiness is cured off-screen.

Can’t Nico go five minutes where he figures out who he is before he’s trading one crush for another? Can he not define himself independently of who he likes for just a couple chapters? He tells Jason after the Cupid fight that he’s over it, but… c’mon, he’s absolutely lying there, or he wouldn’t have been so hurt and upset and hesitant to reveal himself.

I love that he’s popular now, I love that he does have a healthy relationship (one that eclipsed the whole fandom for better or for worse), but the way he went about becoming popular still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Nico did walk so the rest of the series' extended universe could run. We did get Solangelo, we got Apollo being Apollo, we got a world based off Greek Mythology that stops straight-washing history. It's just a shame that he had to be forced out the way he did, and that his whole character is now defined by his relationship with Will.

[atiny-for-life]

Ateez's Full Storyline Explained - Part 17

Masterlist

BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS) (Z-World)

Throughout the MV, we'll be seeing both Ateez and the Black Pirates and based on the skills we'll be seeing each member display throughout the course of the video, the Z-like symbol we see Mingi paint on the wall in the post-credit scene, and the information we get from the Diary Version of the album, we know the Black Pirates are the Outlaws-

And Ateez are the ones in white infiltrating Prestige Academy toward the end

From the Album Trailer, we already know the following:

They've been planning this mission for 6 months ("they" presumably being Ateez, the Black Pirates and Left Eye)

The Black Pirates split up into duos and have been hiding out in different parts of the city to presumably gather intel from all kinds of civilian groups: Wooyoung and San as manager and underground fighter, Yunho and Jongho as mechanics, fake cops and potentially forgers, Hongjoong as the babysitter of a goat with Mingi who's presumably been bar-hopping (I'm kidding - their roles will become clear later), Seonghwa got himself some grillz and biker friends together with Yeosang who's apparently also a food delivery driver on the side

They've now been called into action to kick off the mission with Yeosang being the communication link between all of them

Side-note: when you watch the trailer, you can see the song titles in the neon signs and the name of the delivery service: "Blue Bird" which is a callback to Halazia where the bluebird was utilized as a symbol of reclaiming your freedom

Another thing of note: To outline the older aesthetic of this MV which takes place in the outskirts of Stirctland, the aspect ratio is kept in 4-by-3 as was the norm here up until the late 2000s

This is in stark contrast to the 16 by 9 widescreen ratio from Guerrilla which was situated in the high tech city center and very much aligned with the futuristic aesthetic by utilizing plenty of polished and sleek CGI effects and backgrounds

With that in mind, let's get into the MV:

We open on Mingi who's heading into a Cowboy/Western Steampunk-looking bar called Chilli Peppers by himself

Followed by Seonghwa with his biker-buddies (he seems to have five of them) and Hongjoong in front of his GOAT sign (I can only assume this refers to the sports term Greatest Of All Time and not the animal but I do appreciate the excuse to have an actual goat in the video and promo-material)

When we see the whole crew together, it seems to be either on the bikes, in front of the Chilli Peppers bar or in front of Jongho and Yunho's garage (aptly named Outlaw Customs) which means we're moving back and forth between seeing their time apart and them post-reunion

A big part of the MV is spent with Wooyoung and San who seem to have become quite well-known during their time in hideout

San has become a successful underground fighter with his own fanclub and Wooyoung has been hustling up quite the amount of cash as San's manager, presumably from bets made against San

We can see a bunch of signs in the crowd with some of them reading stuff like "Quitting is not an option" and "The Champ is here"

Another stick-it-to-the-authorities detail can be seen during this shot of Yunho in the garage: they've managed to acquire a police car and have slapped their own Outlaw sticker on the hood because as Hongjoong said during the showcase: "In an unjust society, doing the right thing can be illegal."

Additionally, we also get a glimpse of Yunho and Jongho's police IDs which I can only assume have been forged for research or investigative purposes, i.e. to question citizens that otherwise wouldn't be willing to speak to them and answer their questions (after all, they've been trying to get into high security places to free as many civilians as possible)

Moving on to the most mysterious part of the MV (which I'm sure will make more sense within the context of the Diary entries later on): we see Yeosang and Seonghwa with their biker friends inside a room reminiscent of the museum we saw in Say My Name

In its center, we see a container on a pedestal hooked up to a bunch of tubes and wires housing a tiny little chilli plant that can seemingly only thrive in a very specific climate, hence the red lighting (temperature regulation) and the tubing (managing moisture and oxygen levels)

I can currently only speculate what these chillis can do but I'm sure they have some properties the government wants to keep away from civilian hands since they're known to use nutrition to uphold their absolute control over the population

These are also the chillis which were used to deliver messages to the other members (as seen in the trailer) and now Yeosang and Seonghwa have stolen presumably the entire remaining supply

We can see these peppers also being served in the bar Mingi entered at the beginning of the MV and upon seeing them, the other bar guests approach Mingi with a threatening air about them

This confrontation quickly escalates to a shootout in which Mingi clearly has the upper hand as he's mowing down everyone but the barkeeper before they can fire as much as a single shot (an exchange which tells me the other bar guests may have been government spies of some kind alerted by the sight of the chillis - maybe they've become a symbol of the revolutionists?)

Meanwhile, San's having a rough time in the ring (some bruises, blood crusting the corner of his mouth) while Wooyoung's trying to keep him motivated and to his credit, it seems to work

San gets up, kicks his opponent in the face and knocks him out cold which puts an end to the fight and secures him the win

Alongside the widespread cheers of the fans in the audience, they celebrate his win by raining down water and money interspliced with choreography clips featuring the full group

This is also where we get the iconic clip of Mingi doing body-rolls in a cropped vest on the pool table after he shot down everyone but the barkeeper

With these wins secured, we can now check in on Ateez who have successfully infiltrated Prestige Academy in white uniforms reminiscent of the one the boy at the end of the Guerrilla MV was wearing and most importantly: the windows are all cleared and sunlight is streaming inside - the kids have been woken up.

We cut back to Hongjoong who snaps one of the chillis in half and finds within a single bullet - as someone who doesn't care for guns in the slightest, I can only say it reminds me of a sniper bullet

What this means in the grand scheme of things, I'm not sure, but I can speculate:

In a society ruled by an oppressive government, weapons are usually kept far away from civilian hands in order to prevent an uprising, especially one with even the slightest chance of success

Side-note: this cannot be compared to gun control in a democratic society where weapons-access is restricted to prevent civilian-on-civilian violence like mass-shootings

Because of that, I assume the chillis are now being used to smuggle ammunition to the revolutionists so they can build up a civilian army with a fighting chance against the Android Guardians and other government-agencies

And this bullet in particular? It's not just any bullet. This is some high-tech futuristic shit - clearly an upgrade from whatever they tried to use against the Android Guardians in Fireworks/The Leaders

We get to see Hongjoong load it into his gun before taking aim and setting it on an extremely well calculated path of controlled destruction. The following shots tracking the bullet's trajectory are deeply satisfying so let's break them down:

First, the bullet pierces right through the climate-controlled container housing the chilli plant and shattering the glass as Yeosang, Seonghwa and crew are stationed there. This has the following implications: the plant can no longer produce chillis for the government and all the remaining chillis in this universe are now in the hands of the revolutionists.

From there, it moves through Prestige Academy where Ateez are gathered and light floods inside through the open windows: the kids have been freed and there'll be no more future generations of government-controlled workers.

The projectile keeps going, moving through the darkened inner city and heading straight for the tallest building in the city center - the one we've already seen in the trailer which they were heading towards on their motorcycles.

It enters through a window, flies down a sterile dimly-lit corridor, pierces through a white closed door and finally finds its mark: the head of an Android Guardian (I hope it was the one who grabbed Yeosang by the neck back in the Fever Part 3 Diary Entries)

The bullet's impact triggers an explosion, which transitions into the celebratory part of the choreo as sparks fly around the Black Pirates gathered in front of the Chilli Peppers bar.

It all culminates in this shot of the Black Pirates walking away from the government skyscraper as it goes up in smoke and flames. The mission was a success.

[ourlittleuluru]

Voyage Of The Outcast - My Thoughts 3/4

And this is where everything starts to hit all at once. the Feels, the callbacks and references... MORE LORE!

Notes in Chp 6 - 8

I feel like this whole part, literally also a reference to Xavier himself and how he's trying to keep up his appearances whilst working behind the scenes to protect MC :v

And this part just... got emotional. The feels T^T

Again, a little nod to something from 21 Days, even though chronologically in theory, it happens later

And again, the writers reallllllly putting it right in our faces. How much MC actually just, keeps the deeper questions to themselves. As if afraid to break this delicate balance that is their relationship. Kinda harkens back to their Lightseeker days huh...

ANECDOTE 3 REFERENCEEEEE ahhhhh 😭

And it seems like some part of MC's past, the feelings are ingrained into the very soul. This happens again later. Makes me wonder if MC will eventually remember?

There goes Xavier pulling this line back out again 🥺

Kind of feels like Xavier is trying to get MC not to think too much about what once was or unknown to them. To just face forward together with him, the current him. Maybe I'm overthinking here :v;;;

Okay and then comes in Soren... SOREN YOU LITTLE D:<

But dang kudos to the VA (in CN, I'll have to listen to the EN one another time) the HUGE change in tone from the introvereted scared vice president to a Backtracker that fears no Xavier... 👌

And this line just comes in hitting me like a damn truck

Just isekai me at this point o(--(

Literal star fall in starfall forest

AND THEN LITERALLY THE SAME LINE USED IN HIS MYTH PLEASE IMMA CRY HERE 😭😭😭 (the voice line is the exact same and I can say that 100% because I had to replay it a few times during Xavier's birthday c':)

So basically... MC... experienced a part of their past?

And now we're back. To the starting point. Where it all began.

Although I don't remember Starfall forest in LS Myth ever mentioned a mirror like lake in it... but this is definitely a reference to Anecdote 3's salt flats that they saw a meteor shower at...

Are things merging in a way? Especially since this place was created from Xavier's memories (and fears). But yes, the point of returning still stands.

Now, back to Soren... again good job VA for voicing Soren so well. I wanna slap him, acting so high and mighty >:T

OKAY

SO

another key note here. In CN, Soren specifically calls out saying that "帮你们。帮你。" instead of EN where Soren only mentions "you" aka Xavier. 你们 is the plural for 你 (you), which is to say, Soren said something more along the lines of "I used my life's work to help you all. help you. to pass through the Deepspace Tunnel to get here. " in full.

I feel this is a bit important as perhaps, he originally felt like he was part of the group which later turned sour. (Xavier did say that to Soren, the ends always justify the means so... who knows what crazy stuff this guy got up to... and then Soren also mentioned how he was abandoned, trampled, etc)

Also the fact that he changed from "help you all" to "help you"... it's like it's referencing where they find Xavier to be a traitor, noting that Xavier has used him... manipulated might be a better word... to get to this time period and caused all of them to be stranded and betraying their original mission. There's this nuance to what Soren said in CN that feels like it's a little lost in the EN line. The point still stands though! Just a little different.

But yes, he has a grudge against Xavier specifically.

So now we have identified more Backtrackers, and Soren is one of them that's still alive.

Not sure if he's Hat Guy tho... but Soren does have tech, plus knowledge and seems like a possible work partner to Ever company... hmmm But then again Hat Guy is described to be have an old voice 🤔 Doesn't sound like Soren... Maybe there's some youth potion thing that helped Soren turned younger? IDK. Speculating here at the moment

He's still most likely Hat guy, since... it would make a lil more sense story-wise, espeically if Infold ever wants to decide to rope in more plot points from stuff like WU Also Soren will DEFINITELY be coming back. !!!! IMAGINE THE POTENTIAL WAIT HOLD UP XAVIER AND JEREMIAH TEAM UP They find Soren or what is left of Soren's residence. Finds tech to finally fix Traceback II stuff like that! The possibilitiessss

Okay ngl... this part felt... how did we know Soren's evol and he's attacking Xavier's mind with it? Or is MC just refering to the illusion, aka a trick of the light?

And then Xavier's gasping just... 🥺🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭😭 Man's really suffering there

And this right here is when he breaks out of it 😭😭😭😭😭 of course it's when MC is touching and squishing his face. A gesture he knows too well

LOOK AT THE RELIEF HE FELT! IT'S WRITTEN ALL OVER HIS FACE AND 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Another part...

In CN, Xavier specifically said "不要怕", literal translation being "Don't be afraid". He's even reassuring MC at this stage even now 🥺

XAVIER YOU DO REALIZE THIS ISNT THE REAL STARFALL FOREST??? 😭 COME BACKKKKK don't sacrifice yourself over this scam!!!

Gotta love how MC wasn't lost in the moment and just be like eureka

These two are so reckless for each other 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠

Love it but also "hate" it because...

These two are just gonna fulfill Mr Raincoat and his wishes... Guys please 🥺🥺🥺🥺

WHICH XAVIER ALMOST DID! I'm just... XAVIER PLS

And then you dare lecture us/MC, Xavier?! D':< SAME TO YOU PLEASE

This fking line is coming back to haunt me again... (┬┬﹏┬┬)

[waddlehekk]

some spoilers!!!!!!!! about the untranslated/later parts of the shin lupin iii manga

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Goemon Prison is a chapter I really like from the stories of Sherdog’s appearance in the manga, and it’s really interesting in how we see this conversation between Goemon and Zenigata after having seen Zenigata have to put up with Lupin’s and Jigen’s antics in trying to escape from prison. It isn’t very often that the manga gives the characters a chance to just talk without many other things going on.

A detail I like is the crooked smile that Goemon forces out while “laughing” as Zenigata speaks with him.

I think Zenigata really is concerned for Goemon’s well-being here, and I’m sure he sees through this smile too. Goemon should have been locked away in the normal, high-security prison, wearing prisoner clothes like Lupin and Jigen, but Zenigata goes out of his way, and I’m sure he had to really argue his way with other officials, to make him a prison outdoors where he can still wear his kimono. 

When he first visits him, he shows pity for Goemon when he sees him attempt to use the key he stole to get out, and he visits him with the intention of just talking with him. As he looks up at the birds in the sky, he says “I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

There is so much symbolism with birds, and you can see below a direct callback to the original manga when Goemon’s masters killed a bird in front of Goemon to show him he has to be more cold-hearted as a murderer. Goemon is beginning to realize that despite his kindness, with how he has no intent of hurting this poor bird who he lets onto his head, he’s forced to lead this immoral life his masters wanted of him, and thus the bird cries out despite his intent.

Goemon has been through so much after having been tortured by the Rat Clan and then going on a murderous rampage for the kid with Gene Rosen’s disease, and his cheerful nature is beginning to go away because he can’t help but feel sorrow, but at the same time, his kindness still lingers. It has always been a characteristic of his despite his growth between the 3 manga, and even as he silently took in the pressure of his masters after each failure to kill Lupin, he chooses only to speak up when he sees the bird be hurt (and of course after he pauses and decides to leave them for Lupin).

I think at this point he’s beginning to realize how protective Lupin and Jigen have become over him, and when he sees the empathy Zenigata shows him, he feels that he doesn’t want anyone to have to feel bad for him anymore.

This chapter starts Goemon trying to pretend being cheerful like he used to be, so he really forces this smile because he realizes that Zenigata cares about him. Goemon wants to put himself down for the sake of others, such as with all the killings he does to protect them, and so he would rather not have others feel bad for him because of this. It’s a combination of all the trauma he’s faced with his kindness that causes such a self-destructive behavior.

Another hint that this cheerfulness is fake, unlike how genuinely cheerful he used to be, is how very commonly he laughs in his speech in many of the chapters after this one, but they are never as genuine as his laughter in the first chapter. (The masked man is the real Goemon)

In the ending of Shin Lupin, Goemon finally confesses to the feelings he’s felt all along, and for the first time since the first chapter, he laughs for real.

And although his forcing of emotions was never to this degree in the past, there are still many hints of this behavior earlier on in the manga.

In Shooting Goemon, which wasn’t too long after he was tortured in Strange Bedfellows, I thought the shifting between his emotions when talking to the girl were interesting, and he “laughs” here too.

He becomes so serious from here on.

In Chasing Tail he tries to cheer up Lupin when he realizes they are both stuck with the issue of having tails. There is more “laughing” here.

In Hardened Steel, though, he’s too heartbroken to even put on a single smile for the boy, who is soon to pass away. It’s interesting how the boy is so happy throughout this chapter in contrast to Goemon, who I believe has reached his breaking point here.

But back to Goemon Prison. There is this moment where Goemon asks Zenigata why he’s following the orders of the Watson machine, which he later finds out instructed Zenigata to take advantage of how he would risk himself to save Zenigata’s life. Zenigata argues he is the one instructing the computer, but in a way, he gives an actual reason why in the ending of the chapter.

It’s out of character for Zenigata to follow the orders of someone else, a machine of all things, given how he insists on capturing Lupin himself and under his own methods, but the reason why he trusts the computer, he reveals, is because he knows that what it has predicted of Goemon’s character has been true of him all along.

“That’s the kind of guy you are... Goemon...”

[dearreader]

hello fellow members of the tortured poets department. i’m very excited to talk about this next song as i think it ties into a lot of other songs, specifically on evermore my favorite album. so let’s talk about i look in peoples windows

previous day's here:

standard tracks: masterpost

anthology tracks: the black dog, imgonnagetyouback, the albatross, chloe or sam or sofia or marcus, how did it end?, so high school, i hate it here, thanK you aIMee

this song is one of the shortest songs on the album but i think it says the most. so much so that i haven’t properly figured out how to articulate it. i actually came up with several different interpretations for each lyric AS I WAS WRITING THIS. it’s truly a masterpiece of a song and leaves so much for the listener to ponder and reflect on.

the song feels like it’s a part of moving on and grieving something. the wondering about this person you once were entitled to know all their whereabouts and now don’t know anything (a possible follow up or callback to the black dog and another interpretation of that same event or idea). you’re wonder what they’re doing and what would happen if you saw each other one more time.

while the actual meaning is simple the lyrics and story taylor tells can be taken in many different ways. which then leads to many different interpretations of what the song is or could be.

one interpretation is the song opening with her muse reviving her via mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (“i had died the tinest death/i spied the catch in your breath/out out out out out out” “do i really have to tell you how he brought me back to life?”). but they part ways, she’s northbound and is taken away while the muse board a train south. this idea of the muses air reviving her and being separated from it can be why she’s now “a feather taken by the wind, blowing” because she’s without him to guide her and she’s now unsure what life hold for her. because of that she isn’t sure where she is or where he is. so she’s looking for him again, wondering what could happen if they meet again and see each other. would she be swept back into his airstream? who knows.

another idea following this similar interpretation can be that after he revived her she was supposed to be northbound, but instead she got swept away in his airflow/jet steam as she followed his train south (“my baby’s fly like a jet stream” “windows flung right open/autumn air/jacket around my shoulders is yours” “life was a willow and it bent right to your wind … the more that you say the less i know/where ever you stray i follow” “when you blew in with the winds of fate”). this is a common idea that’s shown on the album, her making her life about whomever she’s with to show devotion and them not caring/reciprocating. so with this metaphor we see taylor describing how her whole world was him, which isn’t anything new, but the opening merely discusses taylor meeting this muse and not them parting ways. but by the time we hit the pre-chorus we’re shown she’s now alone, something happened and they lost each other. so now she’s floating aimlessly completely alone in a world she doesn’t know and is stuck looking for him.

the opening can also be referencing back to willow. the mention of a train and that he “borders your train south” meaning he didn’t take taylor’s train home. but this song is feel like ADDS a lot of context to willow. taylor describes her muse as being able to conquer any form she takes and guide through her. she’s the ocean on a rough, stormy night? he’s a boat gliding through it flawlessly. she’s a willow and he’s the wind blowing through her leaves, moving her every which way. this then lets us see that she let him in easily and guide her however he pleased because she loved him. this continues then when we hear “you know that my train can take you home/everywhere else is hollow”, she’s begging him to join her world, that no one else will ever match or compare. but with this idea i look in people’s windows then feels like a sequel, a sad sequel. he doesn’t take her train. he blows her away (i spied the catch in your breath/out out out out out out), sending her away while he takes a different train. separating them. which means she isn’t allowed to know his whereabouts (the black dog) and she’s cursed to look for him, meaning she could be hollow now because she’s without him,and wonder what would happen if they saw each other again.

those are just a few interpretations, and there’s probably more out there. but the second verse details her questioning the last thing she saw of her muse:

“you had stopped and titled your head/i still ponder what it meant/now now now now now now”

because any interpretation we follow can lead to this idea. the last thing she saw was him questioning his actions/watching her leave. like he was second guessing it was considering if this was the right thing or something else. she doesn’t know. that’s why she still thinks it over now. she’s still so lost in his world she analyzes everything trying to make sense of their goodbye.

from here on she describes all the ways she’s looking for him. people on streets, looking at christmas parities from windows, watching family’s sit down for dinner, etc. they’re all creepy. they’re all unsettling. and she’s openly admitting it. that she’s so hung up and lost without him she’s looking for him everywhere she goes. she doesn’t know what it will produce or lead to but she is cursed by not knowing and it’s killing her.

this is why it’s one of the best songs on the album. it’s very short and open to the listeners interpretation. but it really shows us an aspect of taylor we hadn’t seen prior of her write about prior. she’s being honest about her feeling lost and looking for him. it feels very honest and brutal. one of the top ten tracks on the album. i’m so serious.