#but honestly the plot and characterisation is worth it imo

[philzokman]

reading this skk fic atm and holy shit it has everything like vet au, mafia au, fake dating technically???, socmed au bht only partially???, illegal dog fighting ring b plot, chuuya stabbing fukuchi in the eyes, atsushi being thrown around a pets at home by a dog, dazai playing with dogs!!!!!!, mark twain being a stan twitter girlie, dazai trying to poison chuuya to checks notes SEDUCE HIM??;£:2£&/?, seafood allergy chuuya with an epipen </3 ITS SO FIRE ???????

[bonzos-number-1-fan]

TMAGP 30 Thoughts: Concrete Evidence

Our finale is upon us. Albeit more of a slightly extended episode than it is double-length. It's more like 10 minutes longer than a standard episode and while I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing I do think it sort of sucks to set expectations and then not deliver on it. Especially when it was a Kickstarter stretch goal. I worry the epilogue is going to feel like the last 10 minutes sliced off of this one too. Either way it was a great episode all in all.

Spoilers for episode 30 below the cut.

This episode follows the classic late in a season episode formula. By which I mean lots of it is really explicit about what it means but some bits are the sort of thing I like to pull out and analyse. So a lot of the plot beats aren't things I need to cover but there are lots of quotes I do want to dig into. Starting with Sam and Celia on the train, which is a real culmination of Celia's general game plan so far. While it's made abundantly clear by the end of this episode her manipulation of the characters has been a fairly constant part of her characterisation so far.

CELIA It sounded like you’d have gone anyway. At least this way I can make sure it all goes to plan. SAM (small laugh) There’s a plan? CELIA Besides, you’re not the only one who’s curious.

That quote really sums up her whole deal this season IMO. She's always been pushing characters to do one thing or another. As soon as her intentions are brought up she'll avoid the question and move the conversation on to something else. It's been happening basically since she was introduced and I'm really glad to see it built up into something satisfying.

Man, poor Colin. I was hoping we'd get some sort of escalation of his storyline this episode but it looks like that'll be more of a season 2 affair. Similarly that looks to be where Gwen is headed too. She's finally got the job she's after but as Lena warns, and as we're all well aware, she's woefully unprepared for it. Mr. Bonzo, Ink5oul, Lady Mowbray, and Needles will all likely play larger roles in season 2 because of it.

I'm not going to get into the details much but I did really enjoy the Custodian's statement. Lots of fun vibes and little details with his character all around. I would've liked to see him stick around in all honestly and crop up again. His fate is quite interesting though because it's showing a lot more from [Error]'s abilities than has previously been showcased. She made Drowning Victim drown but her statement was all about drowning so that's not too crazy, this is much more tangentially related and a far more extreme effect on the victim. Hard to know how much that means but it might be worth pointing out.

The Hilltop Centre is a lot different to what I was expecting. It seems much more like a supernatural hub than the prior incidents concerning it let on. I'm wondering if this is unique to this universe or a constant throughout them. Without getting too much into the details it could be fallout from TMA's ending but this wound that Celia talks about strikes me as a little odd in that context. There was seemingly only one of them at Hilltop. Unless the world Celia came from is also where Darrien 3 came from, as he arrived from that point, then that wound is drawing in everyone from other realities. However if that's the case then there are some fairly major questions about the metaphysical underpinnings of it. It got "better" when Sam was thrown in but there are also clearly a lot of other people coming through as the Custodian mentions.

It wasn’t all death though. Sometimes people… arrived. Not often, but every now and then you’d find some thin, emaciated soul wandering around, lost and confused.

It wasn't just Darrien 3 that came through, multiple people arrived in the same manner. A manner we know isn't how Celia got here because her reaction to that incident was that it wasn't the same. So is this wound just an amalgamation of all the imbalances from all the various universes? We know why Celia wants to "balance" this because it's trying to pull her back, hence the "sleepwalking", and it would eventually win out. How it works on a larger scale is sort of hard to say. It seems like it will just be there forever until everyone who's not meant to be in this universe has left. That seems like a very tall order based on what we've seen. Speaking of balance.

The institute, alchemy, all of it. It’s all about balance. Dua prima, four elements, seven planets, it’s all the same. You’ve got to keep things balanced.

This is a very interesting quote. There are two possible interpretations for this and I'm not sure it's intended to be seen that way. Each of the things Celia lists here is either correctly numbered or off by one. So she might be saying that these are things for which balance is important, or she's saying these are unbalanced things and need correcting. Either works well with her point here.

Dua prima is not really actually a thing as such and is both the biggest indicator she's talking in terms of them being off by one, but also the biggest indicator she's not. Paracelsus' tria prima is a fairly important concept in alchemy as a whole and if you've read more than a few of my posts you'll have seen me mention it. In short sulphur, salt, and mercury are representative of three fundamental properties. Combustibility, permanence, and fluidity respectively and in addition represent the body, the soul, and the spirit. Paracelsus didn't arrive at this idea on his own however and it's largely an addition to Jābir ibn Ḥayyān's work. Jābir, or Geber as he's sometimes known, had this theory of metals that stated all metals were a mix of sulphur and mercury. Additionally sulphur is associated with masculine qualities and the sun, while mercury is associated with feminine ones and the moon. It's not ever called dua prima so far as I'm aware but you could reasonably make that argument.

This same logic can be applied to her mention of the four elements in which fire, air, earth, and water would make up a classical set of four but can also be considered off by one as aether is a later yet—still classical—addition. Alchemy has seven "planets" each with a corresponding metal but our modern definition puts seven off by one as we would say there are eight. However with all that being said I'm more inclined to believe she meant these things were balanced as they are. I said that the dua prima was also the best indicator of that and for the reason why we've got to go back to episode 19.

Doing mummy and daddy Stasi proud, I’m sure. Not that anyone cares as long as it all balances, right? Not too much mercury or the world ends, not too much sulfur or we all go mad…

At the time I said this was two of the three primes of tria prima, which it is, but in this context it doesn't appear that the lack of salt was an omission. Salt just might not be a part of it at all. It's fairly hard to say exactly how important this will be though. It certainly seems quite relevant but it's also something they might be making up rather than anything more firmly rooted in existing alchemic lore.

I don’t- when I first awoke I knew nothing, nothing but the dream of things that sliced my who from me with claws like scalpels… They would hunt me and toy with what it meant to be me peeling away my layers first my name, then my memory and then… …and then the fearless one reached in and grasped me, tore me out, leaving my story to fall away like autumn leaves…

I think Celia's statement has very little to get into really, I just wanted to mention that it was a nice detail. Another if you know you know and not a topic I get into here. [Error] also has a line here I think is interesting but it requires getting more into TMA than I care for so I'm going to leave it. I'm not 100% sure what to make of it either as of yet.

And there we have it. Season 1 is wrapped. Well other than the epilogue, What If?, fluff episode, and trailer. I don't have much of a bow to tie on this really other than to say I've really enjoyed this season and I'm excited for where it's going to go next.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prediction Follow Up

Celia is going to get [Error]ed and exposition dump about her whole deal. - That happened but the exposition relevant to the show's plot didn't occur via that.

Alice gets got and she's got some secret twisty trauma. - Didn't happen.

Teddy can give her a lift and we'll hear what was on his mind. - Also didn't happen.

Speaking of [Error] it seems likely that Celia is going to reveal at least what she knows about Archivists. - This didn't not happen but also didn't really happen exactly.

With [Error] being this season's antagonist it's likely that she's going to get defeated in the finale. - Kinda sorta maybe.

It could be a gaping maw in realities that sucks our cast off to someplace new. - Got some of our cast at least, so lets say 3.

Hilltop is likely to play some role in defeating [Error] and if I had to hazard a guess I think it's likely we'll see some of the great cosmology at play here - Kinda sorta.

I think we're also going to see a good bit of Gwen going behind Lena's back too... I don't think we'll necessarily see anything major happen but I do think it's a pretty likely hook for season 2. - Yeah, that all basically happened.

Final Score 10/10 - Being incorrect does not impact my self-worth.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Season 2 Predictions

Honestly, I don't have much to say for this. It's probably going to be still follow the same characters, Sam will deal with whatever new universe he's in, Celia will play dumb but Alice won't buy it, Gwen will fail to deal with her new responsibilities, Teddy will reveal some awful secret, Colin will go further into the deep end, and there will probably be some sort of Magnus-based twist.

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Incident/CAT#R#DPHW Master Sheet and Terminology Sheet

DPHW Theory: 3366 is a very pleasing set of numbers. This one matches episode 8's Architecture (Liminal) -/- Hunger too which I mention for the thematic symmetry. They're quite different incidents but has some similar elements. Which I think is a good indication of my theory's strength. You'd expect some sort of parallels to be able to be drawn if these numbers were ratings in categories as I've laid out. It's not definitive proof but it's more than I've had to talk about here for a while.

CAT# Theory: CAT2 is another obviously "wrong" one for the Person/Place/Object theory IMO. Hilltop is a place but Hilltop didn't cause it and it didn't happen to Hilltop. [Error] made a dude turn into concrete. Fairly useless to pin that one on the location. I think there are more than enough of these obviously faulty ones that I can stop mentioning it come season 2. Hopefully I'll have my own theory to talk about by then too.

R# Theory: We've finally got our first S. It's been long awaited if only by myself. Generally, I'm very pleased with this. An S on this case is some of the best evidence I've had that I'm correct about the general purpose of Ranks. A still living concrete man is undeniable evidence of the supernatural. No amount of explaining it away changes the fact a man turned into concrete and lived to tell the tale. It's still not 100% certain if Rank is purely about evidence or more about urgency in general but I do think now it's fairly clear that if I'm not entirely correct it's the right path.

Header talk: Transmutation (Human) -/- Isolation (Urban). Very little to talk about on that one but it's interesting to see the continued difference between transformation and transmutation.

[limonlife]

My thoughts on Umbrella Academy season 4 !!!!! FULL SPOILERS !!!!!

I'm going to preface this by saying both that this will be a complete ramble and that I enjoyed the season as a whole.

Ep 1- I really love where everyone is without their powers it literally makes so much sense in all ways. I think Luther being a bad stripper is both hilarious and so accurate -also the comic accurate name makes this 100 times better. Viktor running a bar is also something I didn't realise I needed. Klaus being a germaphobe has my heartt!!! It also set up the show nicely.

The plot seems, to me, has seemed to get bigger and bigger every season but it's kind of mixed feelings on that but I did like the conspiracy theory element. Also, the fact that the timelines were bleeding into each other is a really cool concept.

Ben- I thought his characterisation was alright this season. I thought seeing him as more of a main character was a great addition and that alternate ben was - to be honest- a more complex and interesting character than original ben (but that doesn't stop me from missing him). I loved seeing how much of his self worth and view of the umbrellas self worth is tied to his powers. Also I'm a sucker for characters who are doomed by the plot™ as he is to fall for jennifer. I'm soso happy we got to see how and why he died and reginald killing was actually so in character. However, WHY DIDN'T GHOST BEN TELL KLAUS HOW HE DIED!?!?!?!

Time to address the elephant in the room- Five and Lila. I hated it. Although, that is mainly in relation to their ages and relationships to diego. Imo Lila would never cheat and ,more importantly, five would never do that to his brother. Also, unless I did the maths wrong five IS 70 MENTALLY and Lila is 41 after the six years in the subway. Especially given the age difference physically I just feel like it's weird. I also wish that writers could just let people BE FRIEND FOR GOD'S SAKE. However, I do think that if it weren't for Diego they could be more of a right person wrong time. Either way I wish is didn't happen.

Viktor- I feel like he took a lot more of a backseat this season and it was refreshing to see him bond with Reggie with no backstabbing. One thing is that he seemed way more aggressive than in previous seasons and his character just generally feels different from seasons 1, 2, and 3. It's not necessarily bad just weird.

I enjoyed meeting Claire properly and her and Klaus' relationship is everything to me. Klaus is such a fun uncle.

The ending- honestly it kind of makes sense that the umbrellas are always the cause of the doomsday and always will be so I don't know why everyone hates it so much. I was devastated though at the time. Despite this there are several plotholes, like why didn't the other 43 children also have to give their marigold to the cleanse. But tbh I can kind of see that they did anyway given that they were on Earth and were consumed.

I'm in love with seeing loads of the old cast just chilling in the original timeline and the swedes playing frisbee is everything. I also thought that the Marigolds in the end credit scene was a lovely touch.

I probably missed so much and it also may have some errors but I hope you enjoyed my ramble :). Overall, the season was still quite fun and vibey (if you ignore five and lila) and I don't think it deserves all the hate. I'm just going to miss this series but still look back on it warmly.

[the--highlanders]

Hi :) favourite 2 era books? (im looking for some to read and you seem v knowledgeable about them lol) thank you :)

hey!! honestly I'm not sure that I'm super knowledgeable on two-era books?? I feel like there's a WHOLE bunch I haven't read. but I'll have a go!! & if anyone else wants to add on more recs then please do <33

the roundheads is my personal fav - it's a no-aliens historical with two, jamie, ben, and polly finding their way through 1600s london, & honestly the plot has always been secondary to the character moments crammed into it, especially with two and jamie. if you've ever seen people talking about them going to a frost fair, this is the book it's from. it's a good read as a whole but also for going back and reading specific cute/funny scenes imo

the wheel of ice is also good (though it does have two referring to jamie as 'boy', which. always throws me off every time I read it ngl gfdjskh). the overarching plot is pretty standard iirc, but again there's a bunch of cute moments (including some parental stuff with two and zoe), so it's a fun read!!

if you're just looking for stuff to read in general rather than new content specifically, I'd also recommend reading the target novelisations! they're not always perfect, and I find that they struggle with writing jamie a lot?? idk I find that some of them make him dumber and. hm. hypermasculine in a way he's not on screen, if that makes sense. but also sometimes they add a bunch of background detail to the stories and especially the secondary characters, which can be fun! like, iirc the underwater menace novelisation gives ara (the servant girl they befriend) a whole backstory with her father having opposed zaroff), which just adds a nice bit of depth to an otherwise pretty bare-bones character.

but in terms of written content my go-to is usually the big finish short trips books. which may be somewhat harder to find (I saved my copies literal years ago, so idk how available they are these days?), but definitely worth it if you can get hold of them! something about the format of short stories on specific topics seems to push them into being a lot more character-focused than some of the novels can be, and doing some interesting/thoughtful stuff. there's quite a few of them, though not all of them have two-era stories - some of the ones with the most memorable two-era stories for me are:

destination prague - my all-time favourite for personal reasons but also because I genuinely think the stories in this one SLAP. there's two two-era stories in here, both of which are probably 6b (in the sense that they're not explicit about it, but two and jamie are travelling alone, and I think thematically/character-wise they work best there). they both deal a lot with grief and how two in particular copes (or doesn't cope) with it. and they're super easy to read through a two/jamie lens if that's your thing!

the quality of leadership - jamie meets william wallace. what more do you need to know. slightly dubious historical content aside, this is a GREAT jamie character study, having him deal with meeting one of his heroes and being disappointed - imo it really gets into what jamie values and admires in people, and there's a Lot to get into there. there's also another two-era story in this (with jamie, ben, and polly) which I haven't read in ages but which I think has some really good ben and polly characterisation, so I've been meaning to reread!

life science - if you enjoy victoria, read. the. age. of. ambition. I am absolutely unable to be normal about this story I swear to god. just. the image of jamie being unable to shoot someone and victoria having to step in and do it for him. it's also got a bit of victoria backstory which is always fun

but there's a whole bunch of others!! ranging from 'two takes zoe to work at a soup kitchen over christmas' to 'jamie gets turned into a literal bear'. so, you know, probably something for everyone's taste.

back to actual novels for a second - I wouldn't necessarily recommend the indestructible man unless you're prepared for something REALLY heavy (like, 'this feels more like a dark au than a doctor who novel' sort of heavy). it occupies this weird space between 'this has so many two/jamie moments' and 'this needs to come with about 50 different trigger warnings'. but if you're into that sort of thing, it's there!! & I would not recommend combat rock at all, it's just. a racist sexist mess from the bits I've seen. absolutely not worth it

[mrmallardsmobileposts]

How I Think The Star Wars Sequels Should Have Happened: Another MrMallard Nerd Moment

(MAJOR SPOILERS)

The Force Awakens:

fine jumping on point. Not perfect, but honestly a return to form in regards to making Star Wars movies fun again. Keep TFA as-is, warts and all - the trick is paying this movie off by the end.

The Last Jedi:

Less faux-Guardians of the Galaxy humor. That's not to say "no humor", I honestly thought Luke Skywalker had the best jokes of the movie, but less "your mother" and less "Finn wakes up from a coma and drips IV fluid everywhere, Wakka Wakka!". The former is corny, the latter is undignified and actively cheapens character development from the prior movie.

Cut the stampeding race-beasts, because it reeks of Disney's "fuck you we're Disney" money, but keep Canto Bight as a whole. The alien designs are charming - it's a nice moment of fanservice, along with the Jizz music. It also serves as a nice character-building exercise for Rose and Finn.

Ultimately, I think it might have been a better idea to kill off Leia in this movie considering Carrie Fisher's passing. I don't dislike her in this movie, and I honestly enjoyed the scene of her in space - my first thought was "holy fuck she can use the force!!" - but I think it would have been better for her to pass on in this movie, both logistically and for her character. That, or they should have scaled back her cobbled together Frankenstein-performance of CGI, cut lines and recontextualised footage in TRoS. Either/or.

Keep the mutiny plot with Poe, but something has to be done with how they treat the secret plan. The resolution to the mutiny plot was the thing that bothered me the most with TLJ, but it's pretty much the only thing for Poe to do in the movie and it adds conflict to the main story I guess. Making the Holdo/Poe seem a little less personal might help? idk. honestly a lot of this storyline felt forced.

Don't try and resolve Rey's backstory in this movie. Keep it as a running mystery. I understand that they were trying to go for a clever subversion in this movie, but it just added another stupid thing that TRoS bad to address and it honestly kinda ruins the trilogy.

Honestly, either cut Crait entirely and make it the beginning of the next movie - bc the movie's already two hours long and it feels like the final battle stretches the movie out beyond its natural ending point - or shorten it a bit and make it a bit more functional. It looks cool, but at that point it's like tacking an extra mile onto a marathon.

Also, don't shoehorn a failed heroic sacrifice with Finn imo. That, or give him more screentime and character development to build up to that moment. Post-TFA, he's really half-baked, and I honestly think he should have been more of a focal character next to Rey. The heroic sacrifice felt like it came out of nowhere, and by thwarting it and adding the Rose Tico scene, it felt like a waste of time even having it in there. It comes and goes with no fanfare.

Honestly, I would have preferred if Luke stayed alive at the end of the movie. I think his death was a movie too soon. Saying that, I think they nailed his death in this movie - if they were gonna kill him off, I think they did it right. Also, don't kill off Snoke. It's a cool scene, but it fucks up the next movie.

Re: Rose Tico - she's not my favorite part of the movie, but I don't actively hate her and I think the response to her character that Kelly Marie Tran had to face was absolutely disgusting. I think her plotline with Finn was a little underbaked, and that scene at the end where she prevents his heroic sacrifice just kinda sidelines them both. I think making her a navigator would have helped her character in TLJ and TRoS.

In short: trim a few excessive CGI scenes, cut a few cornball jokes out, play around with the characterisation and tone of the mutiny plot, dignify Finn's character instead of reducing him to a rehashed coward, comedic relief character and pointless failed Rebel martyr, and maybe keep Luke Skywalker alive at the end. Bring the movie in at around 2 hours max.

Keep Luke Skywalker as-is, bc his character is a highlight of TLJ.

The Rise of Skywalker:

Kill off Luke Skywalker in this movie. Seriously, just cut and paste his death at the end of TLJ into this movie. Work him into a reduced role when Rey junks her ship, like the force projection messed him up and he doesn't have much longer to live, and have him help her when she returns to his island planet instead of adding a phoned-in Force Ghost appearance. Maybe have her there when he passes?

Reduce Leia's role in this movie instead of stitching together a Frankenstein's Monster of a performance. Not to be morbid by that reference - it's just that everything she says feels so stilted and wrong, like you can definitely tell they've thrown all the scraps they have left into her character in this movie. It doesn't feel natural or respectful for her character to spit out non-sequiters for the characters to respond to in an equally unnatural sort of way.

Honestly? Canonise Fey/Rinn, however you want to portmanteau Rey and Finn's ship name. If you give Finn more of a character arc in TLJ instead of side-lining him, and establish that he and Rey are particularly close - which they are IMO - and then pay off that "I have something to tell you" beat with a confession of love. This isn't a stab against Reylo, though I've certainly had words to say about Reylo, I just think Finn/Rey is a more wholesome ship and I prefer this dynamic to the fuckin dark side/light side paradigm of Reylo. I Just don't care for it. Kylo Ren's conflicted nature doesn't have to resolve in romance. Gimme Rey/Finn.

Snoke gets offed by Palpatine. There's no breeding vat for Snokes, but if the movie wants to suggest that he's still just a puppet or a creation, that's fine. That, or build Snoke up as the bad guy, and either follow through on that or have Palpatine be a twist halfway through the movie.

Maybe make Palpatine a Sith Ghost? They do exist to some degree. Or have him stuck in some other limbo that requires him to hijack Rey. Anything is better than that "if I do this you do this, but then I'll do this so you would have to do this, but really I'm going to do this so either way my entire plan was completely unnecessary lmao" clusterfuck where he's a living corpse impaled on a robot arm.

Cut out the macguffins, or make them feel less inconsequential. Okay, so the dagger storyline involves rebooting C3PO. It has stakes and gravitas to a degree. Cool - keep that. What the fuck is up with the wayfinders though? Why are there only two? Why do they need to be so convoluted?

Maybe have Maz Kanata talk about Luke's lightsaber, and/or have her involved in finding a way to Palpatine. It would pay off her appearance in TFA and explain her importance to Luke.

By making Rose Tico a great navigator in TLJ, her role on the team can be expanded in TRoS and she can do like star charts and stuff for all the different worlds they're going to - she can come along instead of being fucked over by JJ Abrams in this movie. She can even help with Maz Kanata's wayfinding plan. In short - make her a part of the team.

Honestly, fuck the Knights of Ren right off. They're a waste of time. That, or set them up in TLJ - hell, have one of them on Canto Bight and another one on Snoke's ship. Maybe even retcon Phasma into being a Knight of Ren. Anything but bringing them back as a mook squad in this movie, with no weight or character.

Honestly? Show Palpatine surviving the Death Star crash. The retcon is all the more painful for being completely and utterly unexplained. Doesn't matter if you have to touch the source material to do it, CG in a force shield as Palpatine falls through fire and have him hobble to a life support pod that takes him to where he is in TRoS. Literally anything is better than "Somehow, Palpatine returned".

Either cut the healing powers, or leave them in sans Reylo kiss.

In short: reduce Leia's role instead of using cut content and a CGI puppet to stitch together a performance, leave Luke alive until this movie, kill Snoke in this movie OR have him be the big bad, make Finn/Rey a thing over Reylo - again, no hate, I just prefer this pairing over Reylo - write more details about Palpatine's survival, either put some Knights of Ren into TLJ or don't have them at all, get rid of the Wayfinder macguffins and/or work Maz Kanata and "master navigator" Rose Tico into a plot to find Palpatine.

At the end of the day, there should have been a planning committee for the Star Wars story, not for the merchandise. You can see from how the sequel trilogy crammed out merchandise that Disney was clearly asking for marketable merch, but the story is a trainwreck - there was a Star Wars committee, just not where the property needed one.

The sequel trilogy was a worthwhile experiment imo - it didn't pay off, but it was worth doing just to see if it was possible. But even then, I would prefer three decent movies over a couple of experimental trainwrecks retroactively ruining one decent movie.

This post was mostly trying to work with what the movies already have, though by TRoS you really do have to start overhauling shit to make it work. In my eyes, the longest that these movies should run is two hours - any more than that is a slog, especially when the movie feels like it takes two hours. The Last Jedi felt like two and a half hours. The Rise of Skywalker felt like a two hour movie crammed into 80 minutes, despite the fact it was longer than 2 hours. The best way to make these movies more watchable is to make them shorter - cut out superfluous money shot scenes like the Canto Bight chase, have more efficient scenes to balance out the stylish scenes. The sequel trilogy is short on efficiency imo, and without a movie where it feels like progress is being made, the style doesn't work.

So tweak some things to make each movie more efficient.

[bae-leth]

wow there're a TON of fanfics for 3H even though the game hasn't come out yet I'm impressed by the fandom! do you have any fic recs so far cause there are a lot more than I expected there to be!

(I originally had a very long, detailed list of fics all typed up in the reply box, waiting to be posted… right before accidentally closing the tab. ahaha…... hhaaah…. i’m not crying. not at all.)

Anyway, you’re right! As of typing this up now, there are currently 85 fics in the 3H archive - that’s astounding, especially if you’re like me and you remember when the first one went up. all you writers are so so talented :’)

This list is definitely by no means exhaustive. For example, there’s a Felix/Sylvain fic that just went up that I’m dying to read! along with a modern!AU Bylad having Sothis as a little sister that I’m reading right now!! so @ anyone:  feel free to send any recs my way and I’ll be sure to jump on it :)

(quick note: if you ever get a comment on your fic by nootnootsaggressively - that’s me! dropping love onto your fantastic words.)

Without further ado:

Anything by Willow! If you've been following me for a while, then you'll know how excited I get when Willow updates, ahahahah. Their writing flows so, so well - it’s actually unbelievable - and the way they write the interactions between the Lions is so GOOD. They’re just like the family I’d always envisioned, and I love it so so much.

Rebuild from Zero - genuinely left me speechless. I had to reread and reread in order for everything to sink in, and it left me raw and numb for hours afterwards. This is exactly my type of fic, which is probably why it's my favourite out of the ones Willow's written, but honestly, the absolute sheer amount of emotion that seeps through the words is enough to make anyone feel heartbroken for days. READ THIS ONE. 

Since Sticks Were Swords - a childhood growing up fic! Not only does it focus on Dimitri and Felix as childhood friends (which is AWWW CUTE but also OH MY GOD THEY’RE SO. DUMB. JUST COMMUNICATE) , but it also incorporates Sylvain and Ingrid, as well as the rest of the Blue Lions near the end. Seeing them all grow up together and interact was really endearing and such a delight to experience! I’m not lying when I say that I read all 20k of this in one sitting (although my eyes burned afterwards, so pls take breaks.)

Trust Falls - the theme of her falling throughout the fic, yet watching her loved ones catch her time and time again? The progression of her relationship with her pegasus? made me UWU. HARD. and then the relationships with her boys?? INGRID AND HER BOYS??? EVEN MORE UWUS.

all in all, Willow's works are a real treat!! and I highly recommend them. (they also shamelessly inspire me hehe THANKS WILLOW)

caeruleus by miyuseway - (Dimitri/Felix) a Fraldarddyd fic?? with nuanced insights into Dimitri and Felix's relationship? Sinister time stuff? Felix being emotionally constipated? Wanting to hug Dimitri? A paragraph near the end that I want to copy and paste onto my bedroom wall? MORE LIKELY THAN YOU THINK.

Inseparable Against Everything by @cynical-gamer-media - (Petra/Edelgard) kjdsjdkbjkb THIS FIC. The plot was so, so engaging, and how these two spoke and acted around each other? They love each other so so much jfc my heart ACHES

come lady dawn by anthiese - what really intrigued me about this one is that it focusses on the strange in-between time of the timeskip. So, not everything’s gone completely to hell yet, but they’re certainly teetering on the edges of it. There’s lots of tension, and honestly I just want to know what hAPPENED (make sure to observe Dimitri in this one because. oof.) Felix and Ingrid interactions were so good, too! also SHORT HAIRED INGRID??? WHAT MORE COULD YOU WANT

brave the fall by quags1re - THIS FIC!!! this is my favourite characterisation of Bylad EVER - his being-better-with-animals-than-humans definitely inspired my own headcanons for him + animals! imo it's the little bits of this fic that really make it stand out: the subtle interactions between the Lions (pay attention to every line, trust me it’s worth it!!!), Byleth’s observations of his students and how he’s growing to care for them (AWWW), the hjsdhsdhbKJJKJK NIGHTGOWN, the cutest wyvern ever.... It updated yesterday and I Screeched. Like A Banshee Taking The E-Drug

ephemeral by MerryDreaming - (post timeskip Bylad/Linhardt) - this one is so soft I’m in love!! the part where Byleth…. cups….. Lin’s face… SEE i can’t even bring myself to type it out because it’s just that soft??? I feel like I’m inTRUDING on something sacred?? JFC KJSDSFDK THIS ONE IS MAD SOFT LIKE KLEENEX. IT MADE ME SOFT TOO.

Far More Sweetsounding by WhereTheMoonShinesBright - (post timeskip Bylad/Linhardt) - again this one also made me soft, but this time because it’s very sweet. pensive and thoughtful with a touch of angst? I can’t describe what I’m feeling when I think of it very well - maybe it’s because of the intimacy. yes it’s the intimacy. anyway i like this ….  the author is skilled at words!!!

Place Called Home by Kroissant - WHY ARE YOU NOT READING THIS??? listen 1) it’s Ashe-centric 2) the plot twists made me put down my phone and stare out of the window 3) the descriptions are good and dense and RICH!!! 4) Claude’s characterisation was one I really enjoyed! I’m not going to spoil much, but he’s not predictable at all. and I liked that - the author made him v 3D! and not at all what I expected. 

Please read this fic - it’s long and rewarding and intense and you will very much enjoy it if you like worldbuilding. One part I particularly enjoyed actually was this bit about how post-timeskip Felix changed - it really made my heart go UWU. BIG UWU I LOVED IT and I loved the characterisation and how nuanced and well thought out it was!!! if you decide to give this a try, pls don’t do what I did and read it on a bus, because I got so engrossed that I missed my stop

The jerk and the lion by Chscak_e - (Dimitri/Felix) - oh my god just look at the TITLE. I cannot WAIT for Felix to become the worst nuisance Dimitri’s ever had to deal with in his entire life, simply because he was an idiot to Ashe. I can’t wait for more Ashe and Felix interactions in general!! this fic has so much promise and I’m already hooked on the premise…. Dimitri’s dialogue at the end really got me (MOOD WHIPLASH MUCH??) and dsjfddh i just. SLOWBURN i can’t WAIT!!!! AAA

[acequisitor]

Obey Me! Review

Gonna get more detailed since it’s not just an app review. If you ever do want to review the game on the App Store: NTT replies in as a character in the game unless it’s a serious issue so keep that in mind. Otherwise, enjoy!

Imma start this off by saying it’s a great game. I personally couldn’t play it when it first released bc I had storage issues but if you have the time and phone storage it’s worth it. I’ll also say if you’re a player who’s looking for only one person’s ‘route’ it’s not for you because it’s a general story, but if you don’t mind that, it’s great to follow along with and just enjoy the moments you get with your fav that they give you.

Characters: Characterisation of these characters are great but at times lackluster. Although every character starts off as one demintional (ie: demon of x) they all get some nice info tagged in by the latest update. There’s literally a character for almost all of your niche needs, wants or desires to just immediately fall for. Trust me. My only qualm of this being with Belphie seeming to get the short end of the stick, especially with his redemption arc kind of being blown over (although he does something VERY questionable, you and him seem buddy buddy the next chapter without it saying how you got there) and practically a bad timeline being forced as your main one? Otherwise, it was nice to get to know them through gameplay and the characters are what drove me to kinda speed run my playthrough to its latest posted stories into the game!

Relationships: On the matter of players who would only want one person’s route, every character kinda gets a chapter devoted to the MCs relationship with them which is nice. Kinda like equal time given to each character, even. My only issue on the relationship issue is if you wanted a nice/fitting ‘ending’ or season ending by the time your character ‘leaves the school’, or you wanted something endgame-ish, you’re gonna feel as fucked as the MC by Lucifer because he’s the only person who’s romance actually escalates in character past a kiss. IMO at least Beel, Asmos (being a legit paragon of lust), or Satan (who specifically says he wants more) could’ve easily been given the same treatment. If you turn Lucifer down and leave it cuts straight to black which is fine but if you choose to kiss him it escalates despite every other sibling having been cockblocked in their attempt to spend more time with the MC after their kiss with her; so, I felt his romance got special treatment in that accord because Lucifer is like ‘the main guy’ or like the guy in a reverse-harem the show is definitely shooting for endgame (he’s like Tamaki) but for an otome game and someone who has Lucifer as last on their sibling tier list it was a slap in the face. There’s confirmed more story coming to the game which is nice, but the way it was left off kinda left a sour taste in my mouth. I’m still 100% into the story, though.

Relationships (mechanic): Each player has an affection level with you. As you choose them to be on your main screen, say something they like in the main story, use the player in battle, or send them to work for your money, you’ll build up a relationship with them. This can unlock phone calls from them or special DM/texts/group texts from them, and honestly that’s about it. It can also help unlock special side stories you get from cards... So yeah. They’re not all too important, but it’s a nice touch. Kinda MM vibes but not quite, you feel me?

My Gameplay Experience: So mechanic wise I grinded 4 1/2 days with the free VIP pass the last 2 and easily got to the end/latest chapters no problem without any purchases - which I note solely for those who feel they don’t want to play bc you can’t experience the main story to the fullest without paying money. If you’re scared you might miss an event, I’ve played almost every free NTT Solmare game to know they always have ‘retuning’ events if they’re focused on another game or have nothing on their schedule. It’s like new events except you start where you left off and can continue to get the other prizes you might’ve missed (besides rank prizes).

Actual Gameplay: Between each episode/book there’s this cute mini game you have to play and win to go onto either the next mini game or story. You get ranked 1-3 and your power in each mini game depends on the cards you put into the battle. A battle which mind you is a dance off! The higher you rank the more points you’ll get to unlock “A, B, C” side stories but they don’t really matter unless you’re a completionist. If you aren’t gonna like the story anywhere, it’ll be with this game and the feeling of needing to grind to rank your cards up. If it’s to any help, I’ve beaten a round with a 10,000 point difference with me at disadvantage but I still won so don’t feel you always need to be at par with the enemy to win. Also glow sticks are your friends. Remember that.

Story progression: Between each lesson or ch (so like a whole ass story line) you need to be a certain level. This either leaves you in a well I’m already at that level nbd or you have to break off and kinda grind for the next level. The break you use to grind to said lv (usually just one level up each time) gave me time to level up my cards so I had no real issue with it. Also gave me time to go do Hard Mode, so no biggie for me personally.

Hard mode: it isn’t something required of you to do, to progress in the story, but it does add side stories to the situation your character is in at that time in the plot that you don’t see otherwise in the main story. For example, there’s a whole side episode where it’s explained Mammon has pacts with these three witches who boss him around while he pampers his credit card. Not plot important, but it’s cute and they can round out a character if you feel the main story lacks it. It also adds a challenge for players who think normal mode was too easy. It can also be hella easy for a Hard Mode for players who do the main plot first and then decide to do Hard Mode. You can easily whip by when you’re 70k+ power level and ch 3 hard mode is like 40k. So if you’re not doing it along with the main story it’s hella easy to just bypass to get to the stories given you got enough stamina.

VIP pass: There’s a free trial of this that’s available that lasts for 7 days and it doubles your experience points (and other bonuses) which makes getting to new chapters easier. Not neccissary, just helpful if you wanted to speedrun the story like I did. If you plan to stick around and pay for it, no judgement but there is a free chance for those who need/want it. It’s also easy to ‘cancel’ the pass immediately after you purchase it in the App Store if you don’t wanna do it bc you’ll forget to unsubscribe and get charged for it.

Overall experience: I’d honestly give it a solid 4.5/5. Out of all the NTT Solmare games I didn’t have to wait for tickets to progress and it was at my own pace. I didn’t need to grind for a ‘fashion level’ or whatever and some cards I got to progress in the story have actual story tied to it which was great (especially considering I got them for free). There’s no ‘pay-for’ currency you need to experience an extra romantic moment and it really let me feel for once in an NTT Solmare game the playing feild in experience a story was fair/even. For an otome game this is a nice balance of gameplay and good story (not necessarily well written but still nice) with a good amount of comedy for me to enjoy. If y’all got any other questions on the game feel free to ask me.

Those who might be sensitive to it or just not enjoy ‘incest’ in this game bc I saw a review very harmed by just the implication of it: My sense of humour being “Step-bro! What are you doing?!” the subtle incest jokes I found hilarious between a bunch of horny demons who’s job it is to be kings of sinning, and your character isn’t actually their sister at all so don’t worry. There’s a chance the MC is a descendant of the brother’s siblings but to every complaint I’ve seen on that on the App Store or Twitter, NTT always notes and comments the story isn’t complete and there’s more to come so I assume it’s not as it seems for those who are like “??? Is this legal???”

[disastergaze]

hi, so i binged all 7 season for the first time right. wrote season 8 aired and so i never really got the fandom experience and behind the scenes analysis that you’re talking about in your GoT post but i’m genuinely curious as to what you mean by D&D not getting the series? i’ve been watching it pretty passively and tbh because i think of when i started watching it, i’m not a fan of danerys. i’m so sorry the series has been ruined for you in this way :(

hey, thank you! i’m sorry to be a bummer if you’re enjoying it, of course you’re completely within your rights to continue having a good time. also i hope you don’t mind me publishing this ask, as when i was thinking about how to answer i felt that i would prefer to have a record of it for my own reference.

so as to your question, i guess the only way i can seem to explain it rn is like. imagine the ASOIAF novels as a three course meal. you’ve got the entree of sex and violence, the main course of political intrigue with a side order of magic, and dessert: the deeper themes and worldbuilding that george rr has put his heart and soul into.

when i say d&d don’t “get” asoiaf, what i mean by that is that i feel they have taken the entree and main course—abandoning the dessert entirely—thrown them in a blender, removing in the process everything that made them complex and interesting, and served the end result to us through a straw of suspension of disbelief.

you can see examples of this in the plot, comparing the show and the books, which is pretty standard for adaptations but absolutely maddening all the same. there are honestly too many examples to list but i’ve learned to accept them for the most part, until this current season because it has just been BANANAS. the night king being vanquished in a single evening? jon riding a dragon before knowing he’s a targ, when it’s canon that literally only targs can ride dragons and this is common knowledge? cersei’s choice not to help fight the army of the dead ultimately being THE RIGHT CHOICE, that she doesn’t face any consequences for? jaime going through a whole eight seasons worth of character development centering around distancing himself from the toxic, abusive relationship he’s been engaged in since birth, only to pull a 180 and go back to that relationship at the last minute for no logical reason? rhaegal dying from a ballista shot from behind a rock that apparently no one saw coming despite rhaegal, drogon and dany all being airborne??? jon and dany somehow NOT getting married, even though doing so would resolve any conflict of succession between the two of them????? (also jon caring about the incest is ACTUAL bs, seeing as in the books at least the stark family’s grandparents were first cousins and there is literally a precedent for stark men marrying their nieces but lol who cares about that, we gotta have illogical drama)

you can also see examples of this dumbing down when it comes to the major characters. dany, cersei, tyrion and even jon are big examples of characters with their complex edges sawn off in the show compared to the books. sometimes this is, imo, for the better. tyrion at this point in the books is a sadistic, alcoholic rapist whom i no longer have any investment in whatsoever, whereas the tyrion of the show has maintained his reason, compassion and kindness to the extent that i’m over here shipping him with sansa lmao. but it’s also been done for the worst for characters like jon. the jon of the books is honourable, but he’s also cunning, ruthless and passionate. he’s super simplified in the show, making dumb decisions and blabbing secrets left and right whereas in the books he’s far more introspective and calculated--more befitting of his targaryen heritage, imo.

most importantly, i feel like the deeper themes running through the series are completely lost in the adaptation, in particular in the last few seasons. in the books and the earlier seasons, every action, no matter how well meaning, has consequences, and these consequences are typically very logical and heavily foreshadowed. characterisation is consistent and changes organically. i just feel like in the show, especially in the later seasons but in earlier seasons as well, things essentially just happen because the writers want it to happen, even if it contradicts everything we’ve seen from the characters previously. it just feels cheap and like all d&d care about is shock value and ~provocative storytelling~. but idk. i could just be super bitter, and it’s not like the novels are completely without flaw and pulpy shock value. it just feels like the bad things that happen in ASOIAF make sense, whereas the bad things that happen in GOT are the result of characters making mind-bogglingly stupid decisions at every turn.

i could go on but this has already gotten super long, but in short, at least from my perspective, d&d have failed at almost every turn to capture what i find most enjoyable about the original series. i have been VERY forgiving of this in the past because i thought at the very least they’d nail the ending, but with every episode of this season that passes my conviction in that wanes considerably, and i’ve essentially lost all hope now in the show having a satisfying conclusion.

[ufonaut]

could you recommend me some comics to read that have a good amount of batjokes content? and any that you think would be essential for a new dc fan to read? thank you! have a good day!

hiya, yes, of course!!!!

batjokes-positive comics:

the killing joke  – an obvious choice but it still remains some of the best written joker content out there, words dont do it justice, you just gotta experience it

batman (2016) #48 and #49 – the best man arc from tom king’s run, this is the very peak of batjokes for me personally in the sense that joker’s feelings are treated as not only real but entirely sincere and exactly as important as selina’s, bonus points for just how well joker is written (both from a gay pov and a mentally ill pov), i’ve gotten a bit into why it’s so worth reading here and here (warning: part of the wedding arc but considering the outcome i’d call it entirely safe)

arkham asylum: a serious house on serious earth – this is one of my all time favourite comics and while its portrayal of joker isn’t anywhere close to my favourite, the story itself is amazing and pretty heavy on the ‘bruce is exactly like his rogues’ symbolism, if ur into that (which i am)

batman: europa – i haven’t actually finished reading europa because i’m the worst kind of fan but i’m told it’s full of batjokes

the joker: devil’s advocate – not a favourite of mine but hints at joker not being straight, very batjokes-heavy

i’m probably legally required to mention the new 52 arc that goes through “death of the family”, “endgame” and #48 (snyder’s run this time) because it’s definitely a staple of a certain type of batjokes but it’s never been the thing for me (warning: joker cutting off his own face, lots & lots of gore and edginess), it’s not bad per se but definitely not the direction i think batjokes should go

dc essentials for new fans

superman for all seasons – this is the definitive, and i dont use this term lightly, superman comic, it’s the best thing i’ve read in my LIFE, it literally captures clark’s character perfectly and honestly was what got me to love him so much. it’s a good introduction to who, exactly, clark is as a person too so i definitely recommend it and am planning on rereading it myself VERY soon simply because it’s so amazing

world’s finest (1990) – bruce/clark & joker/lex team-ups ahoy. great plot, even greater writing, one of the best thing dc’s ever done imo

batman (2016) #51 - #53 – also from tom king’s run. bruce has to go on jury duty for mr freeze’s trial and tries to convince everyone that he’s not guilty. ESSENTIAL and EXTREMELY good bruce characterisation, up there with top 3 bruce moments as far as i’m concerned solely because it actually acknowledges that batman isn’t bruce’s real self but rather a coping mechanism, his life as ruled by trauma and the very real fear that every new tragedy will be That Night again 

superman: speeding bullets – an elseworlds one-shot (which is a sort of alternate universe) about baby superman being found by the waynes and growing up to be bruce. it somehow manages to be a very solid comic in its right and features some A+ bruce and clark characterisation

justice league international (1987) annual 2  – very corny, extremely hilarious and an eternal favourite. joker does his thing, batman is so very tired

robin: year one – pretty much what it sounds like but it’s very well-written and it’s got some very peak harvey dent moments

scarecrow: year one – GOTHIC HORROR GOTHIC HORROR GOTHIC HORROR crane’s origin, a very dreamy comic for me personally despite the ooc bruce

batman (2011) 23.1 – joker adopts a baby monkey and lives out his dreams of being the world’s bestest dad (genuinely & sincerely good)

batman (2011) 23.2 – solid riddler story, one of the few times eddie is actually shown as being mentally ill and it’s very well written

penguin: pain and prejudice – oswald origin, made me cry the first time i read it, which is the highest compliment i can imagine (and oswald’s not insufferable for once)

batman: gotham adventures #2 – one of the best two face stories i’ve ever read, made me love harvey forever and ever (warning for childhood abuse)

mister miracle (2018) -- 12 issues miniseries by tom king & mitch gerards, still on-going but i got into it without knowing literally anything about the characters and it’s now one of my all time favourite comics (and also! one of the most real thing ive ever seen written about trauma, this is literally everything), it also invented true love

[onewomancitadel]

Just read Chapter 11. Probably going to do a more thorough read through in the morning. This chapter was filled with a lot of really good stuff. From beginning to end. Cinder and her sad thoughts. The wraith. Salem and Cinder. Ambrosius. The whole attack on Shade. The Maiden fight. The darkness. Even the random student asking Cinder for help. Summer. Cinder tripping Tyrian towards the end, made me laugh out loud. And finally towards that curious ending where Cinder finds the lamp is gone.

This might be one of my favorite chapters so far. The only thing it's missing is some good Knightfall moments which there was that scene with Cinder in the dark reaching out for Jaune.

I can't wait for chapter 12, whoa. 12 chapters already? I can remember finding this story when it was only a couple chapters long. There weren't too many Knightfall fics (still isn't, shame) out there, but I came across this story and fell in love with it in that first chapter. Now I'm here till the end. And I don't want it to end anytime soon.

Double update next weekend? What a treat for us readers. Make sure you take your breaks and go at your own pace though. And if you can't make the deadline for next weekend, don't sweat it. You are doing great. I kind of feel inspired to write something Knightfall myself but I wouldn't know where to begin.

Ok anon I am here now and I want to say thank you for this lovely message! I'm very pleased to hear you enjoyed Chapter 11 overall and I really appreciate you letting me know! I was very worried about it.

Cinder tripping Tyrian towards the end, made me laugh out loud.

Jester-type characters being tomfooled and tricked by their own japes. :D

This might be one of my favorite chapters so far. The only thing it's missing is some good Knightfall moments which there was that scene with Cinder in the dark reaching out for Jaune.

I am constantly like literally and seriously OTT and I don't know if I have the capacity to really feel bad about it. Feeling around in the dark and finding him :( it's a metaphor plus it's hot the way her hand hfidjgdiogjodg

But hey next weekend is a double update for a reason :D

I can't wait for chapter 12, whoa. 12 chapters already? I can remember finding this story when it was only a couple chapters long.

Oh wow thank you for following for so long! It's interesting to hear from people who've read it for a while, because I wonder if I am living up to expectations or not (for better or for worse lol). I mean I try really hard to still think of it as my own thing but then also I like finding other people who are into the same things I'm into and bonding over that. You're right, Knightfall's not a massively popular ship, but there are some notable V1-3 set fics and one of two I've had people recommend quite often. I appreciate other fic authors and their hard work!

I'm mostly interested in their V4 characterisations and onwards though so that's more my end of things.

Thank you for reading my fic!! It means a lot to me and it's lovely to hear from you! Honestly I don't really want it to end either... it's a lot of fun working on the fic, but if it makes you feel better I've already got another longfic I've plotted out and other medium-length fics I'm working on, and I think I'll post those when we're nearer to the end of The Distance Which Fools the Skimming Eye.

And thank you for being kind about deadlines! I always feel a bit weird about it because I'm like 'I am letting EVERYBODY down and I am EVIL' and then I am like 'nobody cares about your stupid fanfic!' so it's a real maelstrom of stupidity. XD XD but it's all good, I'm going fine at the moment and should have both up touch wood.

You should write some Knightfall if you want! I always think it's worth writing if you feel like it, second-guess yourself later. <3 <3 And imo something artistic shouldn't just be about the end-product but cathartically making something.

Hope you are having a fab day and thanks again for your message! I really appreciate it! <3 <3 <3 <3

[um-dont]

Hi, I was wondering if you know any anime that would have a similar characterisation to YOI (as in well written characters like in YOI) as well as a very well developed plot? It doesn't have to be sport anime or m/m either.

yo! thanks for the question! i’m pretty new to anime (yuri on ice was my first!) so aside from my own experience, i consulted some friends and the internet as well. here’s the list:

death note (i’m sure you’ve heard of this. many, many people tell me this is good)

psycho-pass サイコパス (this will fuck with your brain but it will be a Good Experience)

my hero academia 僕のヒーローアカデミア (you should read the manga as well, for the full experience)

terror in resonance 残響のテロル (the characters aren’t 10/10 imo, but it’s worth watching for the story!)

haikyuu!! ハイキュー!! (arguably my favourite anime, you will get very very invested, once you get past the first 5 episodes of season one)

mob psycho 100 (great visuals and characters!)

noragami ノラガミ (apparently yukine’s character development is eh, but… watch until the end)

cowboy bebop (people tell me this is a game-changer)

toradora! とらおら! (a good starting point if you’re new to the romance genre)

attack on titan 進撃の巨人 (a tip: isolate this show from the fandom and enjoy the plot development. there are lots of great themes in the show)

hope this helps! :-)

edit: i made this list of anime with ‘well-written characters’ and 'well-developed plot’ in mind, but if you’re looking for something like yuri on ice in terms of storyline and characters, you should consider:

no. 6 (seriously, if you haven’t watched this before/after watching yuri on ice… anyway, no. 6 is set in a dystopian universe and has a similar focus on love and care between the MCs. i didn’t include this because i thought the character development was so-so)

your lie in april 四月わ君の嘘 (i watched this almost right after i watched yuri on ice. heartbreakingly good. also didn’t include this in the first list bc it lacks in development of side characters, but holy shit, it’s almost as meta as yuri on ice)

doukyuusei 同級生 (the more romantic version of yuri on ice, without ice skating and with two high school boys who change because of each other. v fluffy)

ping pong the animation ピンポン the animation (MC has a similar arc to yuuri)

i honestly don’t have any more to rec, so if anyone has anything to add please just do so!!!