#but i love me an unconventional or nontraditional one!!

[what-is-it-to-be-pk-esque]

Ok I know I'm heavily biased here but like I kinda love that Astarion's romance is one of the few in this type of video game where you basically end up canonically unmarried and childfree in his "good" ending? Just travelling the world??

Like it's honestly the millennial dream lmfaoo cannot believe i chose what would undoubtedly be my favorite option, first try

[jessread-s]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

✩🏞️🎶Review: I think it is safe to say that I am addicted to Zapata slow burns. “All Rhodes Lead Here” is the third book that I have read by Mariana Zapata and I LOVED it so much!!  I really enjoyed exploring the wilderness through Aurora’s perspective. The hikes that she took through Pagosa Springs were so descriptive and the beautiful imagery made me feel as though I was venturing through the forest with her. I totally understand why Rhodes chose to be a fish and game warden in that area, which is a pretty cool job occupation if I might add. Another aspect I loved about the book was the relationship development between Aurora and Rhodes. The two start out as strangers, Aurora being Rhodes’ tenant, and become friends over time. When the pair begin to feel attraction for one another near the end of the novel, Rhodes does not rush anything. I think that this is so important considering Aurora experiences a lot of trauma stemming from her previous relationship. Rhodes gave Aurora the space she needed to figure out what she wanted. At the same time, he was only a call away she ever needed a bear hug, emphasizing the importance of strong support systems.  Rhodes, as a character, is just a big sweetheart. I love how protective he is of Aurora. When Aurora got lost on one of the trails, he abandoned his post to search for her, later taking care of her injuries when they returned home.  Rhodes’ love for his son is unmatched. He did not have to be present in Amos’ life (Rhodes served as a sperm donor for his best friend and his wife) but CHOSE to be involved anyway. He CHOSE not to re-enlist, even though he found joy in serving his country, so that he did not have to miss out on any of his son’s “first times.” Amos’ family may be unconventional (with three parents and all), but he is loved nonetheless. The representation of nontraditional families in literature is so important and I appreciate Zapata making that a highlight of this book.

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[fallynleaf]

(This is under a cut because it’s a long post about wrestling awards, but it’s also about creative storytelling in bleak conditions, the incredible emotional power of stories about love, and Japanese women’s wrestling taking important strides in bucking the idol-culture-esque trend where joshi wrestlers are expected to retire before they get married)

I don’t really put much stock into wrestling awards, because it’s all extremely subjective, and many of them, like the Tokyo Sports Awards, are heavily kayfabed/politicked anyway, but the 2020 Net Pro-Wrestling Awards, which were voted on by fans in Japan, were really fascinating to me.

The top 10 promotions were [source]:

NJPW

NOAH

DDT

Stardom

Muscle

TJPW

AEW

ChocoPro

AJPW

Ice Ribbon

This list is interesting, because it basically reflects the direction our own discord server’s interest took this year (though we’d probably rank them in a different order). The top promotions in our server currently are probably NJPW, NOAH, TJPW, Stardom, DDT, AEW, and ChocoPro, (not necessarily in that order). I’ve spent a lot of time over the past year thinking about which companies did the best job, creatively, with having to adapt to pandemic-era wrestling conditions, and I think this list reflects that somewhat. Many of these companies produced matches and performers that really stood out despite putting on shows in less than ideal conditions.

I’m especially happy that ChocoPro did as well as it did (beating WWE, you love to see it). It’s a very small promotion, but out of all of the companies in the list, it’s the only one that was specifically designed to operate in pandemic conditions, and it has a genuinely innovative format that was born from that. It’s also very accessible! ChocoPro operates with a no paywall model, and it’s distributed on youtube completely for free!

Also, four of these companies are directly part of the DDT family (and ChocoPro has extensive DDT connections), and two others (AEW and NJPW) currently have former DDT wrestlers as their world champions. I constantly think about how DDT has had more influence on the wrestling industry as a whole than most people really give it credit for, haha, but 2020 really proved that. DDT is simply better at creative adaption than most.

The top 10 MVP list was [source]:

Go Shiozaki (NOAH)

Tetsuya Naito (NJPW)

Hiromu Takahashi (NJPW)

Tetsuya Endo (DDT)

Minoru Fujita

Kota Ibushi (NJPW)

El Desperado (NJPW)

Kenta (NJPW)

Asuka (WWE)

Katsuhiko Nakajima (NOAH)

Fans voted Go Shiozaki as the top MVP of 2020, and that made me happy, because it’s very deserved!! He narrowly missed out on receiving the Tokyo Sports MVP award, so I’m glad to see him recognized here. Go truly did carry NOAH throughout 2020, and he really put the company back on the map again for many people.

I had no interest in watching NOAH before this year, but I ended up watching Go Shiozaki vs Kazuyuki Fujita from the March 29 show because I heard so much about it, and it blew me away. I’ve already talked about this match in bits and pieces; it’s the one that starts with a literal 30-minute staredown. It was a very avant garde decision to make, because it changes the entire structure of the match (it was a title match with a 60-minute time limit), and it’s something they never could have gotten away with if they’d had a crowd in the venue. But, performing in an empty arena, they could do it. It’s amazing how compelling it can be, just watching two wrestlers stare at each other, but it was really, really cool.

That match was Go’s first title defense (he won the GHC title shortly before the pandemic shut everything down), and he’s really had quite the run with the title ever since. The next thing he did that got me to tune back in to NOAH was when he got betrayed by his tag partner (Katsuhiko Nakajima, number 10 on the list), which of course pushed all of my favorite wrestling narrative buttons.

There’s just something about Go that makes him so compelling. It was even enough to get some friends of mine who primarily root for heels to really want him to succeed, haha. And I just really have to commend him for that. He was a late-blooming ace tasked with the incredibly rough responsibility of representing his company through a dramatic business shakeup while also weathering a global pandemic that drastically affected every aspect of the wrestling medium itself, and he was still able to put on innovative performances and tell very emotional stories and bring in new fans even in less than ideal conditions.

Some highlights from the list of top matches [source]:

1. Hiromu Takahashi vs El Desperado (12/11) NJPW 2. Go Shiozaki vs Katsuhiko Nakajima (11/22) NOAH 3. Go Shiozaki vs Kazuyuki Fujita (3/29) NOAH 4. Go Shiozaki vs Takashi Sugiura (12/6) NOAH 5. Tetsuya Naito vs Kazuchika Okada (1/5) NJPW 6. Go Shiozaki vs Kenoh (8/10) NOAH 7. Yuka Sakazaki vs Mizuki (11/7) TJPW 9. Tetsuya Endo vs Daisuke Sasaki (11/3) DDT 10. Kazuchika Okada vs Kota Ibushi (1/4) NJPW 11. Tetsuya Naito vs Hiroshi Tanahashi (9/20) NJPW 16. Hyper Misao vs Super Sasadango Machine (11/20) TJPW

There are a few things that really stand out to me here (I omitted matches from promotions that I don’t watch because I can’t speak to those). The first is that Go is all over this list lol. He’s in four of the top ten matches!

The second thing is that wrestling fans really enjoy stories about love. This is the least surprising thing to me, because those kinds of stories are ultimately why I watch this medium, but it’s still amazing to see that reflected in lists like this. In the list above, the top ranked matches in NJPW (#1), NOAH (#2), TJPW (#7), and DDT (#9) are all matches that are explicitly about love. They’re all different stories and different matches, but love is at the core of all of them.

I giffed all four of those matches (linked above!), and wrote up a short explanation of the stories for everything except for Despy/Hiromu, who have a dynamic that is too complicated for me to attempt to summarize. But they have explicitly described their feelings for each other as “love,” and have talked about their matches in terms of “making love.” I also wrote up a post about those three NOAH, TJPW, and DDT matches specifically.

It’s amazing to me how wrestling is, on its surface, a medium that revolves around hate and competition, but beneath that, it’s really a medium about love and cooperation. There’s simply far more at stake in a match between wrestlers who love each other (or who once loved each other) than there is in a match between wrestlers who hate each other.

I was surprised but happy to see that Hyper Misao vs Super Sasadango Machine got number 16 on this list, even though that match really did a number on me emotionally. This match was incredibly nontraditional. It involved a retirement announcement, a powerpoint presentation, a Bachelorette parody, a poetry contest, a retirement match, an unretirement, and a marriage announcement.

Misao started off by announcing that she was retiring, which devastated me. But by the end of the match, she decided that she wasn’t going to retire until peace and love had returned to the world, and she also decided that she wasn’t going to wait to pursue her other dream, too, which was to get married. Her husband-to-be came out into the ring, and the company put out a marriage announcement up on the website, and everybody cheered and celebrated the announcement. Misao became the first married wrestler on the TJPW roster.

This might not seem notable, but there are very, very few Japanese women wrestlers who are married and who are still actively wrestling. Joshi wrestlers often have very short careers and early retirements, and it is common for them to quit wrestling in order to get married. Misao also started her wrestling career fairly late: she began wrestling at 25, and almost quit at 30. In addition to all of that, she loves wrestling very unconventional matches (case in point: this one), and worries that her nontraditional style isn’t what fans are interested in seeing.

So, considering all of that, I love the fact that this match is getting so much positive recognition. It was very creative and emotional, and the reception to it really demonstrates how much the fans truly love Misao, as unconventional as she may be, and how happy we all are that she decided to get married and keep wrestling. I hope this match helps pave the way for other joshi wrestlers, too.

As always with awards like these, I wish there was more women’s wrestling represented, but it’s fascinating to look back at a year like the one we just had, and think about some of the things that resonated with me, and how those same things were received by other fans.

[honestgrins]

Skipping Steps || Klaroline

Katherine has been waiting forever for Klaus and Caroline to finally go from work married to actually dating, and she thought a week at a conference in Las Vegas would let them loosen up enough to make the move. Boy, was she right.

.

Caroline had barely set her coffee down when Katherine burst into her office. "Next time you go to a conference, pick a shorter one." Her friend dramatically fell into the chair across from her desk, yawning. "It was so boring here with you for a whole week. Now, please tell me you put that week in Vegas to good use and finally boned your work husband."

Silly her for attempting to actually drink her coffee; Caroline nearly choked on it. Coughing, she waved frantically. "At least shut the door," she whispered. "Jesus, Kat."

Though she seemed annoyed at the lack of an answer, Katherine reached behind her to swing the door closed with a slight rattle of the wall. "Happy now? Dish. And don't leave out the dirty details."

"Kat-"

"It had to be good," she decided. "You two practically share a brain, sometimes, I refuse to believe that doesn't help in the bedroom." With a sly grin, she gave a seductive purr. "Unless you didn't even make it to the bedroom. Tell. Me. Everything."

Turning on her computer, Caroline all but pretended Katherine wasn't even there. But she also knew better than to think she could wait out her work-inappropriate curiosity. So, she sighed and took a more successful gulp of coffee before reluctantly meeting her gaze. "It was just a conference, Kat. You went to the last one with us, it's all networking and panels and seminars. What makes you think Klaus and I acted any differently on this one?"

It wasn't a new accusation. When Klaus was first hired, they near hated each other. Marketing attracted all types, many of which led to contradictions and outright conflicts. She was data-driven, strictly following creative briefs and initial plans as expected; he favored nontraditional solutions that came out of left field. Caroline loathed when his suggestions were taken over her perfectly supported proposals that precisely fit the client ask, and she had no problem letting him know it. Those early fights were legendary in the office, to the point where they were assigned to create proposals together rather than competing against each other, lest their rivalry become a more troublesome to their department head. 

They still fought, of course, but it devolved into a bickering that most likened to that of an old married couple - a dynamic their coworkers liked to tease them about.

Some more than others.

Katherine, for instance, watched her with a suspicious glare. "Something did happen," she nodded, "and you don't want to tell me about it. Come on, we've all gone through three betting pools on when you two would hook up. You can tell me, I won't gloat unless I win."

"It's not that I don't want to tell you, I'm just...processing."

Though her eyes narrowed, a knock at the door prevented Katherine from digging further. "Come in," she called, annoyed. When it was Klaus who walked in, though, she appeared positively delighted. "Well, hello there. I was just asking-"

"If I needed any help catching up on what happened here while we were at the conference," Caroline quickly interrupted. She barely restrained herself from glaring at her friend, but Klaus helped by dropping an almond croissant on her desk. Sipping her coffee allowed her to hide a silly grin. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

He shrugged, taking the other chair next to Katherine's. "I was hoping to bribe you into completing my reimbursement paperwork," he admitted freely. 

Her lips pursed like she was trying not to smile. "Seriously? It's one page."

"You like paperwork," he shrugged again. "I thought you'd appreciate the chance to color-code my receipts."

Rolling her eyes, Caroline turned back to Katherine with a thorough lack of amusement. "Whatever betting pool you're hoping to win, I hope this shows there are no winners."

Klaus looked between them, confused. "Who's betting on what?"

"Kat, thanks for checking in. We can chat over lunch today," Caroline broke in, the Monday of it all getting to her. "Get the door on your way out? I'd hate for the whole office to hear me complain about the state of his receipts."

With a calculating look, Katherine eventually gave in. "Fine," she said as she stood to leave. "But I want to hear all about those 'receipts' at lunch."

Though she wanted to drop her head to the desk, Caroline nodded and smiled. It had to happen sometime, and at least they'd be out of the office when she...explained. What she had to say wasn't exactly breakroom news. "Deal."

The door shut behind her as she left, and Caroline sagged back in relief. "You were right," she groaned. 

"Beg pardon, love?" Klaus leaned forward on his knees with a predatory grin. "I believe I just heard you say that I was right."

"Shut up," she huffed, her hand falling to the necklace hanging beneath her shirt. A finger traced the small ring no one could see. "I don't think our plan is going to work."

Without hesitating, Klaus pushed himself up from the chair to lock her office door. He walked around her desk to stand in front of her, and he gently lifted the chain from her neck until he held the ring in his hand. As he stroked the warm metal, he dropped a reverent kiss on her lips. "It'll work," he promised. "We happen to make an excellent team, and we can accomplish anything we set our minds to."

"Like," she drawled, her voice mocking, "getting married in Vegas when we haven't even really been on a date?"

He kissed her again, soft and lingering. "Exactly that."

Smiling up at him, her hand drifted up the arm he still used to hold her ring - the one he gave her in front of a Jedi officiant and she couldn't wait to put back on. "Okay," she breathed with resolve. "As far as they know, we finally gave into our obvious feelings for each other and are dating."

"Once everyone eases into it and we become old news," Klaus continued, "we can plan another wedding. Although, I'm rather partial to calling you my wife already."

Caroline bit her lip, tugging him down for another kiss. "I know what you mean. But they will never let us live it down," she warned. "For the rest of our lives, we'll be that couple."

But he just grinned against her lips. "I happen to like the sound of that." When he stood up, he gently tucked her ring back into her shirt. "As for our first date, I was thinking dinner tonight. A proper dinner at a restaurant, tablecloths and silverware."

"I happen to like the Chinese takeout we've been living on since we got back," she teased, her hands falling to his waist. "Or maybe I just like hiding away in your apartment with you, clothes optional."

"Discouraged, really." 

She snorted. "Very true. But dinner sounds nice, too. Pick me up at seven?"

Nodding, Klaus kissed her one last time before heading back to the door. "Sounds perfect, sweetheart. I'll make a reservation, and you make sure to pack that first round of bags you were planning out this weekend."

Her heart stuttered with excitement at how happy he sounded for her to move in with him. Maybe it was fast, and their relationship was certainly unconventional, but she was so, so happy, too. "Will do."

They were too busy grinning at each other to notice her phone buzzing with notifications, not until the door handle rattled against the lock and a fist started pounding on the door itself. Katherine's voice came through, clear and angry. "Caroline, why the hell are you tagged in pictures from a freaking wedding chapel?" 

For a long second, the grins slipped from their faces and they just stared at each other in realization. "Well, crap."

[mossyrossaliceinterviews]

Thao Nguyen Doesn’t Stay Down

Oct 8, 2020

By Mossy Ross

 Photo Credit: Shane McCauley

When I first listened to the title track off Thao & the Get Down Stay Down’s fifth album, Temple, I immediately hit repeat. After I finished listening to it the second time, I hit repeat again. And then again. And then again. I had a teenage urge to learn all the lyrics, so I could sing along at the top of my voice while cruising down the road. The song describes the pain of losing a home to war, an experience many of us haven’t lived through in America, and yet I still felt a deep personal connection with the song’s powerful message. Perhaps because this country is currently facing such extreme civil unrest, so the thought of experiencing war firsthand is increasingly becoming more real. But the song also touches on the turmoil we can sometimes feel in our own family lives as well. Thao Nguyen seems to be a master at crafting albums that exquisitely make complicated and painful matters a bit easier to bear.

Thao recently won a Sunny Award by CBS Sunday Morning (my most favorite of all morning shows) for the music video to her song “Phenom.” Not only is the video wildly creative and entertaining, it conveys an intergenerational rage that’s finally being collectively realized. It’s the rage of someone who has discovered it’s okay to feel sick of constantly being at the bottom of the ladder, and the message should strike fear in the hearts of corrupt politicians everywhere.

As if a timeless and timely new album and an award winning music video weren’t enough, I was triply astounded after watching the documentary Nobody Dies (available to stream Sat., Oct. 10), which follows Thao on a journey with her mom to Vietnam. The trip was Thao’s first visit to Vietnam, and her mom’s first time back since fleeing the country in 1973. It was a chance for Thao to see her mother in an environment where she wasn’t defined by being a refugee, as she often is in America. In both the documentary and the album, Thao paints a picture we don’t often see in American popular culture: the perspective of a child whose parents have lived through and escaped war.

Mossy: I watched your documentary, and it was such a beautiful tribute to your mom. Is there anything about your mother’s life and experiences that really stand out for you, that you think Americans could learn from?

TN: When I wrote Temple, it was because I wanted to offer a different narrative and rendering of someone who experienced war, and the idea of what a refugee is. And obviously in recent years, maybe throughout American history, how refugees have been reduced and the narrative that has been relayed. I think it’s really important to remember that there’s a distinction between an immigrant and a refugee. And also that someone is not just defined by this war that happened to them and their country. I think that’s why Temple was so important for me. I really wanted to capture my mom’s life before, after, and during; and just help enrich that community. I was raised in Virginia, and growing up, it was so stark the way people treated (refugees). I think that parents that are refugees or immigrants witness a lot of incredibly unfortunate encounters, where their dignity is dismissed. You watch your parents be dehumanized in either casual ways, or really serious ways. So this was one of my efforts to address and make peace with that.

Mossy: When I was watching your documentary I found myself smiling. And then I got to the story about your dad and I just started bawling. What parallels do you see between your father and the patriarchy at large?

TN: That’s an interesting question. My record before this one was about my dad. It’s called A Man Alive, and it’s just about our nonexistent relationship and all the bullshit. But what I started to understand when I was making that record, was just a facet of what it is to be emasculated in American society. And what that means for the families of the men who are emasculated. And I think that you see that a lot, especially in immigrant and refugee homes. And others, I mean, I’m only speaking from my experience. But what does a man do to assert power when he feels as though he’s denied power in society? I think it becomes a really personal and intimate, familial problem. And you know, it helps me understand his experience and what unresolved trauma that basically debilitates him, and renders him an irresponsible, reckless person. Patriarchy in general…I do think so much of it is people not knowing how to grapple with the expectations of masculinity. I could go on. (Laughs) I’ll just say it’s so detrimental in every direction, because if you’re not masculine enough, you will pay and then someone else will pay. And if you feel as though you’re  not respected enough, then the ways that men feel pressured to illicit that respect in our society is so deadly.

Mossy: You said in the documentary that when you went back to Vietnam, it helped you understand your dad’s temperament. That you understood it…but you didn’t. It’s like saying, “I do understand where you’re coming from and I empathize, but I don’t accept how you’re treating me because of it.” Which I feel is kind of where true healing from trauma can begin. How else do you deal with trauma?

TN: Well there have been different waves of awareness and lack of awareness of what I needed to be doing. I mean, I’ve done the typical things like drinking. (Laughs) I think touring helped. I’ve spent the majority of my adult life on tour, and it’s a refuge. But it also allows you to not deal with anything for a really long time. You could go your whole life without dealing with things. Of course, songwriting and making music. And really wanting to go there lyrically by being more specific with lyrics. Okay, and then therapy. But as far as music is concerned, I think it’s been really helpful to have these songs and talk about them, even under the auspice of promotion. But it’s also just connecting with people and talking about the songs. These levels of vulnerability make for a lot more humane experience. When we play live shows , if people get a chance, they’ll come up and tell me what a song has meant. And it really is so heartening and gratifying, and part of the healing.

Mossy: So you’re saying drinking didn’t work?!

TN: (Laughs) I still do it, so I’m not saying it doesn’t. Just don’t go crazy!

Photo Credit: Shane McCauley

Mossy: You have such a wonderful vocabulary, so I’m guessing you like to read. Who are you favorite authors?

TN: Thanks for saying that. Writing and reading favorite authors are how I prepare the albums and the songs. And when I’m writing songs, I never listen to music, and I only read. But I love, oh man, I grew up reading Toni Morrison and her way with language and the vivid pictures she paints and the way she renders people. Grace Paley is another writer who’s style I love. Marilynne Robinson. George Saunders. I typically am drawn to contemporary literature. And now there’s a lot of reading to be done to learn about how America has become what it is. And to that end, Octavia Butler and James Baldwin really influenced the writing of this record.

Mossy: So you’re like Kurt Cobain over here, writing songs inspired by literature.

TN: (Laughs) I wish I had a cool sweater.

Mossy: Ah, he had the best sweaters.

TN: He had the best sweaters.

Mossy: I saw on your Instagram that you support women prisoners and Critical Resistance. Why are you specifically interested in these causes?

TN: With the California Coalition of Women Prisoners, I’ve been involved with them since 2013. Originally it was because a housemate of mine was an amazing organizer, and has been with them for years. And I was home from tour for awhile and he asked me to join this advocacy group, where we went in to prisons and visited, and we were part of a legal advocacy team. So the album, We the Common is entirely about and in tribute to these people who live inside, and this organization.

Mossy: Do you need to have a law degree to do that? I wanna do that!

TN: (Laughs) You totally can! No you don’t have to have a law degree. So the people like my friend…they don’t officially have a law degree. They just know so much about the system, because they’re constantly trying to help people figure out their parole, and how to get their face back in front of a judge. So we went in conjunction with a lawyer. We were just a team that was basically working with a pro-bono lawyer.

Mossy: You mentioned connection and live performance in your documentary. How do you think the musical performance landscape is going to change since the pandemic?

TN: I don’t know what’s going to happen to the venues as they exist now. I don’t know what kind of modifications or concessions they’ll have to make. So I do think that there will be more unconventional and nontraditional venues that come up by the time we’re ready for crowds to gather. And I think there will be more multi-use spaces and art institutions and contemporary art museums. More of those kind of hybrid events. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the rock clubs. It’s so sad. But I do think that we were barreling towards a reckoning. And I liken the music industry to the restaurant industry in a lot of ways…how thin the margin is for survival. And I think people will play smaller shows, because they can happen more quickly. And I think there’s going to be a lot more direct to fan engagement. And those who have a preexisting fan base will lean more into those fans, and be less concerned with expanding.

Mossy: It’s almost like what’s happening in the music industry is symbolic of what needs to happen everywhere. More localizing and community building.

TN: Totally. And I think Bandcamp is going to take an even stronger role as leaders of a more ethical model. I think what’s happening right now with streaming services is, ah, (laughs) unbearable.

Keep up with Thao’s music and the organizations she supports on Instagram at @thaogetstaydown Stream the documentary Nobody Dies this Saturday at https://www.youtube.com/user/thaomusic

[animebw]

Binge-Watching: Pokemon, Episodes 24-27

In which Ash really needs to show off his stuff, Brock grows ever cooler, and it’s time for Meme Review.

Ashes in the Wind

You know, it’s sort of noteworthy that for as much of an everytrainer as Ash is supposed to be, he’s taking a very nontraditional route to the Pokemon League. He’s now got five Gym Badges, but only one of them was earned in a proper Pokemon showdown. The rest were the result of his showing True Pokemon Spirit to overcome his lack of innate talent; showing he cares about Pokemon, saving the gym from a Team Rocket assault, saving the Gym Leader herself from a decades-long evil trance, that sort of thing. And it’s getting sort of silly at this point, because Ash has proven himself very capable of holding his own in a proper battle by now. He manages to tough out the assault of a very angry Primeape to properly add it to his team, and he charges back into a goddamn inferno to save the Gloom he was just in combat against. The kid’s genuinely coming into his own as a proper Pokemon trainer, even if his head could really use a deflation once in a while (I don’t know how you turn hating perfume into a microaggression but this ponce somehow managed it), and it would be nice to see him get to show those skills off a bit more often as opposed to muddling through unconventional shortcuts. Maybe it’s time to get Gary back in the picture; as much as he’s been built up as an endgame rival, I don’t think we’ve actually seen that jackass at all since the first episode. Why not use him to give us a taste of what Ash is really going up against? I dunno, just a thought; I’d hate for us to miss out on a good grudge match when all is said and done.

Brocking Out

Y’all know Team Rocket will always hold a special place in my heart, but if there’s one member from the main squad who’s really elevating himself in a similar way, it’s Brock. Like I mentioned a while back, it’s refreshing to have such a (relatively) mature Team Dad to balance out Ash and Misty’s brattiness. But what I’m really coming to appreciate about Brock is how genuine he is. Everything he does, he does with heart firmly on sleeve and arms wide open, with a sincere love for the passions he pursues and respect for the good those passions represent. Say what you will about his many failed romances- I swear, how does someone both drink too much and too little Respect Women Juice at the same time?- but he clearly cares deeply about doing right by his endless parade of crushes. He respects the work they do and stands up for their beliefs, using his clout to offer a helping hand and inspire others to see that same passion in them. He’s what characters like Miroku should be, if that makes sense; harmless enough that his affections never cross over into gross territory and with his heart firmly in the right place, even if he goes a little too far expressing it. He even manages to summarize the entire outer/inner beauty debate in a single powerful quote: ”If they’re gonna put style over substance, we’re gonna give out substance with style!” Because it’s totally fine to give your work a little pizzazz to juice it up, as long as that flashiness is still in service of the meaning at its core. Bottom line, Brock’s a really good egg with a good head on his shoulders, and I appreciate him more and more as time goes on.

Donuts from Heaven

And speaking of Brock Appreciation, we’ve finally gotten to perhaps the most famous moment from the OG Pokemon anime. Roll the clip!

*ahem*

“These donuts are amazing! Jelly-filled’s my favorite. Nothing beats a jelly-filled donut!”

I cannot begin to describe how much this moment delights me. Sure, it’s just a dopey translation choice that figured 90s kids wouldn’t be culturally aware enough to understand seaweed-filled rice balls (and let’s be real, that’s not an unfair assumption to make), but with how much it’s been memed into oblivion, it’s also kind of the perfect encapsulation of the Pokemon anime’s goofy charm. It’s rough and awkward around the edges, but it’s clearly having so much goddamn fun with its own inherent silliness, and it’s impossible not to get swept up in the infectious joy at least a little bit. Why not let them be jelly donuts after all? It only makes it that much more a uniquely charming experience. Plus, it gives the team the opportunity to just go hog-wild with the concept: ”You should have let it finish that donut! Didn’t your mother ever teach you manners?” ”Your homemade donuts are our only hope!” ”Oh no, I wasted a donut!” Sometimes, it’s okay to let the world be as goofy as it needs to be, and it doesn’t get much goofier than jelly donuts in the middle of a Pokemon episode. Let the good times roll, folks.

Best of Team Rocket

-”Team Rocket always puts beauty before duty!”

-”Nothing like digging a hole when you want to play dirty!”

-”Oh yeah, I almost forgot, the cartoonists never gave me a nose!”

-THEY EXPLODED THEIR OWN MOTTO MIDSTREAM ASJDHADSK

-”Meowth, that’s flight!”

-”I don’t get it, why didn’t we just do this from the beginning?” “We have to fill a half-hour!” Well, at least they have the courage to admit it.

-”Did he just say Salon Roquet?”

-”To protect the world from boring fashion!” “To dress all people with flash and passion!”

-I just realized Jessie and James are doing a genderswapped Rose of Versailles cosplay and oh my god HOW ARE YOU SO PERFECT

Odds and Ends

-”Professor, I don’t know much about poetry.” Sooner or later, Professor Oak’s evil is going to grow too big to ignore.

-”It’s not the hat, it’s the principle!” Wow, that cuts close to home.

-”I’m having a major hat crisis, could you try to steal Pikachu some other time?” Can we just appreciate how little a fuck Ash gives about Team Rocket nowadays? He’ll even disguise himself as their daughter to sneak into the gym with them, that’s how little a threat he sees them as.

-Not every day we see Team Rocket land after blasting off. Cool!

-That’s the first time I’ve ever seen a Gloom with its eyes open. Me no likey.

-”I wish Ash could’ve heard that story.” “I heard it!” ajsdhakjsdhasd you fucking numbskull

-Man, Erica’s great. Takes no shit from haters, but always offers a helping hand to those in need.

-”Actually, I’m her cousin’s cousin!” “It figures.” At this point, I just assume the Jennys and Joys are one big lesbian cult.

-”Looks like it’s ready for the deli counter.” WOW, that’s dark.

-Is it just me, or does Drowzee have a Russian accent?

-”Congratulations!” “Don’t congratulate me!” Oh my god, is that how Misty got her Psyduck? That’s kind of perfect.

I think we’re halfway through the first season at this point? Looking forward to what comes next. See you next time!

[finnlynnisms]

{ ariana grande, female, she/her } - hey look it’s { ithaca finnlynn “finn” st. james-williams }!! i heard they are working as { singer & owner of a record label } at { finnland }!! someone also told me that they are { 26 } but i don’t buy it!! but i heard they are {+enthusiastic, +trustworthy } and { -secretive, -stubborn } but it could be just a rumor!

TRIGGER WARNINGS: mention of death, a bombing, mention of anxiety, depression & ptsd

hi everyone, i’m katy! i was at this rp once before as ithaca and i’ve missed her and the rp so much, i had to come back! she’s a bit different this time, but still the same crazy personality. you can read more about her HERE! and if you wanna plot, just hit me up!

this cutie is ithaca finnlynn st. james, named after none other than the finn hudson. she the oldest st. james child and holds her title proudly as the big sister. she’ll do anything to protect her siblings and keep them safe and she’s always there when they need her, whether it be physically or over the phone

she’s been in the public eye ever since she could remember, but she was noticed by a talent scout at 8 years old during a playhouse production of annie. that got her started in acting, which mostly consisted of musical themed projects. at 12, she started a vlogging channel on youtube and started posting covers of songs she loved to sing. those covers, along with her talent in acting landed her a role on broadway in the original broadway production of 13 the musical, where she played the secondary lead role. a creative producer was in the audience during one of her performances and contacted her manager, who let her know that the producer was interested in her playing a co-lead in a new tv show for teens that was in development. he agreed to wait until she was finished with the show before the show started filming when she was just 15 years old. she became a household name and by the time the show’s series contract was up, she had a record deal and a spin-off show of her own that she starred in. she’s been worldly known as a top popstar since she was 18 years old, she’s won several grammys and moonmen (the mtv award), she’s had three world tours, and she owns her own record label

the only people that really call her ithaca are her family, but even most of them call her finn. worldly, she’s simply known as finnlynn, but a lot of her fanbase know her real name and it warms her heart when fans call her ithaca

she’s a sweetheart, but she’s also hot tempered. when she gets mad, she gets extremely mad

during one of her concerts a few years ago, a bomb went off and killed 22 people, two of which were one of her best friends carly and carly’s daughter loona. talking about the attack upsets her and she never brings it up. she has ptsd, depression and anxiety from the attack and she’s still in therapy to maintain it and she’s on medication for the mental issues she has. it was definitely the most tragic thing to ever happen to her, but she doesn’t let it stop her from living her life. she kept performing in honor of carly and loona 

carly and loona aren’t the only people she’s honored. although she didn’t know finn hudson, she knows he was a very important person in her mother’s life, and to honor him as well for her mother, she named her record label ‘finnland’ and anytime she performs in lima for a concert, she always has a seat reserved for him with his picture and a pair of halloween costume angel wings

if you see her eating anything, it’s probably one of four things; takis, blue popsicles, licorice (red or black), or green apple & caramel flavored lollipops. she’s a snacker and those are her go to snacks

although she’s mostly a good influence, she has been in physical fights, in and out of the public eye. it’s almost always because she’s defending her family against someone’s toxic words, or defending herself

finnlynn is a married woman. happily married, in fact. although it was the most unconventional and nontraditional marriage that’s ever happened, she loves that she has a funny story to tell her kids in the future. the story: she and travis met one night in vegas, got drunk, and got married. instead of getting it annulled or having to go through the divorce process, they decided to stay married and see how it went. on christmas, they’ll celebrate their one year anniversary. fun fact: her friends and family don’t know she’s married yet

she’s on tour for another couple of weeks right now, but she’s going to be home just in time for the holidays and she’s so excited to spend this year with her family because she was drunk in vegas last christmas and missed the family celebration

finn is a very complex girl. she has many emotions and will cry at the drop of a hat depending on what’s going on

she cries at aspca commercials (she’s very mad at kim rhodes and alyssa milano for making her cry anytime she watches freeform)

if something said can be turned into something dirty.... she’ll turn it into something dirty

[shaunadaniellephoto]

So I realize it isn't Friday and this isn't a #fridayintroduction, but I'm not one for tradition so I suppose this is appropriate. I just wanted to say a quick hello and thank you all for following along! My name is Shauna and I'm a Vancouver-based wedding photographer for nontraditional brides and unconventional grooms. I love craft beer and board games, musical theatre and all things Disney. Ursula from The Little Mermaid is my spirit animal. My feed is full of pictures of my crazy dog, my slightly less crazy cats, my rad clients, and my super monochromatic life. If you've managed to read this far, say hello in the comments and tell me what your drink of choice is! Cheers! 🍻 #shaunadaniellephotoBTS . . . . . #risingtidesociety #communityovercompetition #savvybusinessowner #creativepreneur #creativeentrepreneur #tnchustler #girlboss #thatsdarling #darlingmovement #flashesofdelight #mycreativebiz #calledtobecreative #blogger #theblogissue #smallbusiness #marketing #branding #solopreneur #myunicornlife #thehappynow #pursuepretty #vancouver #vancouverphotographer #vancouverweddingphotographer #bcweddingphotographer http://ift.tt/2n2JjoQ