#but it’s a solid 8.5/10 would watch again very fun

[overly-hubristic-mad-scientist]

I just watched the phantom menace for the first time and it was actually a very enjoyable movie

[sydsaint]

My review of Double or Nothing 2024

Overall PPV Rating- 8.5/10 stars

In-Depth look under the cut.

I'll start with the pre-show matches.

Deonna vs Rosa- 8/10 stars. Really solid match for a pre-show bout. Both Deonna and Rosa got some good spots in. I was sure that Rosa was going to win, but Deonna pulled one out from under her. I'm expecting the fued to continue until maybe a street fight of some sort between them. It was a good opener to a night of action.

The Acclaimed vs Cage of Agony- 7/10 stars. Max Caster my beloved. Loved the rap and the shenanigans as always. Action was chaotic in a good way. Brian Cage never fails to amaze me with his insane build. Dude is a monster. Very entertaining match to watch.

Now onto the Main Card

Roddy vs Will- 9/10 stars. Almost a perfect match! William Ospreay you are allergic to having a bad match. The actions was entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I got to see Matt Taven be sexy which is always a bonus. (Mr. Taven please call me) I can't wait to see what kind bangers Will is going to put on now that he's champion.

Post-Roddy/Will shenanigans- ADAM COLE BAY BAY. So happy to see my sinster short king back and ready to cause problems. also. MJF YOU SEXY BITCH. Love the new tattoo pookie!! I can't wait to see the post breakup between these two get MESSY.

Bang Bang Gang vs Death Triangle- 8/10 stars. Jay and Pac aka my two fav greasy little bastard men going at it! Great to see Penta and Fenix back in action again! Death Triangle is so cool. The Gunn bros were chaotic lil weasels as well. They are learning from mother Jay White. and JUICE ROBINSON MY GREMLIN MAN!!! WELCOME BACK POOKIE!!

Orange Cassidy v Trent Baretta- 8/10 stars. Emo Orange you are so special to me. My heart hurts seeing them be mean to one another and I might have cried a little bit. Great match between two men that used to be so close! Emotional for everyone.

Toni Storm vs Serena Deeb- 6/10 stars. I didn't pay that much attention to this match tbh. Serena Deeb is boring to watch if you ask me. Girl had no chemistry with Toni. I did enjoy Nigel being a simp on comms though. And seeing Mariah and Toni be gay is always a plus! Most boring match of the night but still a solid one.

Jericho vs HOOK vs Shibata- 5/10 stars. The action in the ring was good. However, TONY KHAN YOU WILL PAY FOR NOT ONLY LETTING CHRIS FUCKING JERICHO KEEP THAT BELT. BUT ALSO MAKING FUCKING SHIBATA TAKE THE PIN AND RUINING BRYAN KEITH FOR ME.

Adam Copeland vs Malakai Black- 9/10 stars. It would have been a perfect match but Malakai lost so. This was a match for the sickos and i ATE IT UP. Blood! Violence! Religious Symbolism!! It had IT ALL. RIP to Adam's knees after jumping off the cage. Also welcome back Grangrel you funky vampire man! The fake-out apot with Brody and Buddy was dope. I got swerved hard with that one. Second best match of the night if you ask me.

Willow vs Mercedes- 7/10 stars. I'm pressed as fuck that Willow lost. The action was solid. You know these girls dont play in the ring. I get that Mercedes is supposed to be a huge star. But my girl Willow got ROBBED. And you take away Kris and Stoke from her??? We can't have nice things in this house.

Swerve vs Christian- 7/10 stars. This was also a solid match. Swerve ddin't get to be nearly as unhinged as i'd of liked. But thats fine. It was fun seeing the shenanigans with Mama Wayne, Nick, and Luchasaurus! Match had me second guessing Swerve winning a couple of times I'll admit.

Anarchy in the Arena- 10/10 stars. BEST MATCH OF THE NIGHT. Oh my god this whole match was INSANE. It baffles me that Darby Allin is even walking after everything that he's gone through then he comes out and does insane shit like this?? Getting hit by a bus? Hanged??? Sir, please seek help. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!! I'm looking forward to seeing this Bucks gimmick end. I hate it. Cringe. All the spots were great! Had me engaged the whole time.

[mylifeinfiction]

You Like It Darker by Stephen King

I sit at this desk thinking of galaxies beyond galaxies.

Here we are, again... another Stephen King Short Story Collection. I feel like I probably bash short story collections more than I actually should. The fact is, some of King's very best writing resides within these collections. The same is true with his latest, You Like It Darker , which includes several stories that I'd rank among King's best since C*vid. But the same issues are also present, especially the fact that too many of these—even some I thoroughly enjoyed/loved—feel too much like promising ideas rather than finished pieces. Also, most don't get nearly as dark as I was hoping for. In the end, though, this is a rock-solid short story collection and extraneous proof that King is the king... not just of horror fiction, but of American fiction, full stop.

Anyway, let's not fix what's not broken... here are my thoughts on each story:

*As Always With This Type of Review... POSSIBLE SPOILERS!!*

Robert Frost said home is the place that, when you go there, they have to take you in. It’s also the place you start from, and if you’re one of the lucky ones, it’s where you finish up.

Two Talented Bastids: A creative slant on the roots of talent; those inexplicable gifts bestowed upon unassuming people. It’s a likable if unevenly paced study of fate, and the actual origin of these men's talents is straight up my alley. - 7.5/10

The Fifth Step: I liked this one significantly more this time around. It’s very short and has a fantastic ending that isn’t only brutal, but plays into the story’s themes of addiction brilliantly. The idea of the addict fully giving themself to the recovery of one addiction by embracing another, more destructive addiction is so effectively executed, and shines a bright light on King's understanding of the addict’s mindset and the horrors and desperation that dwell within. - 8.5/10

Willie the Weirdo: Ooh, this was fun. I thought it was going to be a pretty straightforward serial killer origin story, but that ending made it so much more. Super dark and weird and I really dug it. - 8/10

"Belief is hard."

Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream: Fantastic! A thematically compelling read boasting a gripping plot that delivers a creative, wholly satisfying and utterly nightmarish approach to familiar tropes and has a cast full of interesting characters. - 9.5/10

Finn: The first one that feels like filler. Not to say it’s bad, necessarily, it’s just kinda meh. There are some interesting ideas about luck, but aside from that it’s just a nightmare that doesn’t really go anywhere. - 5/10

On Slide Inn Road: I still dig the atmosphere and the grandfather—and what his relationship with his son and the contrast of their character has to say about the rift between generations. But, overall, it felt a whole lot less substantial than I remembered. - 6/10

Red Screen: I love alien stuff so this works for me. It's short and sweet, and while there's nothing amazing, it is a solid idea executed in a fun, mean way. - 8/10

The Turbulence Expert: An interesting, anxiety inducing premise, and very little more. It feels like the first chapter of a novel. It is well executed, though, and filled with characters that feel real. How King can do that so thoroughly in so few pages is always impressive. - 6.5/10

He watched the sunset. Laurie found a dead fish and peed on it. They both went home satisfied.

Laurie: This is a quietly beautiful story about that sneaky manner in which dogs tend to save folks. The first time I read this story, I unfairly disregarded it as being 'too light', and I was positive this would be one of the filler stories in this collection. I have no clue what happened in the last ~7 months, but I liked this a lot more this second time around. - 8/10

You get crazy ideas sometimes, ones that would seem ridiculous in broad daylight but seem quite plausible in the small hours of the morning.

Rattlesnakes: Nothing close to the story I was expecting—or hoping for. But it’s still a damn good, effectively creepy ghost story about the manner in which grief tends to overstay its welcome. I really was hoping for at least one more terrifying encounter with actual rattlesnakes aside from the flashback (which is awful in the best possible way), but I still really enjoyed this for what it was. - 8/10

"Barriers are usually there for a reason."

The Dreamers: I LOVED this story. This is a great premise with pitch-perfect execution. And while it's another one that doesn't quite feel like a finished piece, that works in its favor. I love cosmic horror, and this teases some seriously terrifying cosmic sh*t. In addition to that, it’s an interesting and deeply poignant exploration of PTSD in a time when nobody gave a sh*t about the soldiers coming home from hell. Still, I would've loved to see this expanded into a full novel. - 9.5/10

The Answer Man: Wow... King went and ended You Like It Darker on a major f*cking high note, didn’t he?? What a beautiful and tragic and emotionally exhausting story. I am a mess. Stories like this hit me hard in general, but this one is just so perfectly crafted. I am utterly wrecked. Go read this story... now! - 10/10

"Do we go on? After we die, do we go on?"

8/10

-Timothy Patrick Boyer.

[normalbrothers]

peaky blinders naturally <3

hehe! of course

My rating (1-10): well in my heart it would be a pretty uncontested 10. but some of the fairer criticisms are ones i also share and there are things that i find tendentially frustrating while watching or in retrospect. despite this the show is still a very, very solid 8.5-9 for me

My favourite character: tommy, my love ... followed by arthur and polly (i don't have a very elaborate palate here)

My least favourite character: well, each seasons primary antagonists are rather unlikeable (barring luca changretta and michael who i have many sympathies for), but beyond that i don't really have a least favourite character. as long as they are interesting enough to spend some thought on, i tend to like them, where this isn't the case i just ... don't care, but they don't bother me. (i'm not overly fond of alfie though, all things considered, he should have stayed dead after s4)

The character I think I'd be friends with: possibly none of them. i'd like to hang out with curly though he's a pretty uncomplicated and nice fella

The character I think I won't hit off with: ... most of them.

My favourite episode/scene: well. s03ep04 is the best episode that ever aired on tv, and nothing could possibly beat that, so it's that one. when it comes to scenes it's either the confrontation between arthur and tommy after arthur killed the boy in s2 or the cellar scene with arthur and tommy in s6. but beyond that ... so many, hhdhd watching an episode usually feels like i've been running a marathon, SO much is going on at any given moment

Whose clothing style I like best: i think when it comes to polly and lizzie you can really see how their character development is reflected in their wardrobe (same as ada), so that's pretty nice. i like polly's suits, lizzie's green dress, and ada's grey ensemble with the dead fox in particular. when it comes to the men i have a soft spot for arthur's satorial choices: the somewhat idiosyncratic preference for bowties and i adore that checkered scarf he wears at the derby in s2. tommy's dress up is often a talking point, but what I'm specifically frequently thinking about is the red lining of his coats, i also like how puppetish and small he looks in his working class attire in s1, but even going forward, there's often something almost, uh, drag-like about his appearance (though it's less the clohtes and more like. the entirety of the character). that's fun.

Times I watched it (and if I would again): well more than once, but far less than people would suspect. i'm definitely planning to rewatch soon while taking a loooot of notes

[starfire-s]

here’s a list of the best, mediocre and worst kdramas i watched in 2020

no one asked for this but it’s happening because i have thoughts (also all opinions are my own if you disagree then get well soon i guess... no i’m kidding make your own posts about it don’t hate me please) ahsjsj anyways click to read a lengthy post and if you actually read the whole thing then thank you i hope you enjoy this wild ride! 

THE BEST KDRAMAS -

mystic pop up bar - this show had everything i ask from a kdrama literally i can name it all found family (to real family), well thought out characters, a mystery plot, special effects, soft romances that were well written, a happy ending! no show in 2020 even comes close to how good this one was! the writers literally guided you throughout the whole thing so you could come up with theories and didn’t do a ‘aha! gotcha’ thing where they want to prove the audience wrong but they wanted us to be right and satisfied! the worst part about the drama is that it’s still so underrated and people just brush it off as some random fantasy show but it’s so much more than that! 1000/10

flower of evil - who doesn’t want to see lee joon gi being the son of a serial killer, living with the name of a man who is in a coma, and hiding his real identity from his wife who is a detective? this show constantly had me at the edge of my seat on a weekly basis so the emotions i went through while watching this are unparalleled! the writers also did such a good job on writing a coherent story that made sense and tied up all the plot points in the end. just a really satisfying show to watch! 10/10

where your eyes linger - i literally bought a $8 viki pass to watch this show so it should tell you everything you need to know about how i feel ahsjsj the episodes were 10 minutes long but we got a good story with well written characters who got character development in a total of 80 minutes it’s insane! honestly it’s still hard to believe this show had rookie actors because they were just so emotive that you could feel all the happiness, sadness, yearning and pining! probably one of my fave kdramas this year because of the acting that i always constantly rewatch! would recommend 10/10

crash landing on you - okay so this drama was actually released on my birthday last year and it was a time in my life when i was going through a lot so maybe it’s the comfort this show provided me through that time this is why i have such a soft spot for it? like the romance was good, it was funny, there was found family, the nk soldiers were all softies, there were strong female leads, soft male leads!!! ahh!! no other show on this list made me think about the unification of south korea and north korea irl because i wanted se ri and jeong hyeok to be together 4ever! but the only issue i had with this show was the ending they gave seung jun if they didn’t do that i’d give this show a 10/10 but just for that they get a 9/10

psycho but it’s okay - this was one of those shows where you’re literally like ‘wow everyone here needs therapy’ but this show was amazing i loved the story telling and how each episode related to children’s book/fairytales! the writers also did a good job with how carefully they talked about mental health in depth without villainising their characters but actually tried to make the audience understand why they were this way which included all the side characters too who had a well thought out story in each episode! also the dynamic between moon young, kang tae and sang tae was everything to me the actors all did an amazing job portraying their characters, it truly was a healing drama. the only thing i didn’t like about this show was the whole plastic surgery plot with the mother like that was very far fetched but it provided drama so i’ll let it slide because the rest was amazing. this show is a solid 8.5/10

18 again - another underrated gem! who would’ve thought a remake of that zac efron movie could be this good!! lee do hyun stole this show for sure the way he portrayed his character and gave heart eyes to his kids (when he’s only 25 irl was the best thing i saw this year ahsjs) i loved the family dynamics in this show, i loved how it talked about what it’s like to be young parents and how society still think it’s taboo to be divorced! it’s a show that makes you laugh and cry at the same time and that’s why everyone should watch it! however, the biggest clown thing this show did to me though was that i got sls for the first time while watching a kdrama... hwang in yeop if u’re reading this i love u and u deserved better 🤡 that aside this show was a 8/10

itaewon class - i actually didn’t watch this drama as it was airing because i thought i wouldn’t enjoy the plot but when i watched it i binged the whole thing in 2 days and my biggest regret is i didn’t watch it sooner! everyone knows i have a soft spot for park seo joon since he’s my favourite actor i’ve literally watched all his dramas like he could star in the trashiest drama out there and i’d still watch it and be like wow (looking at she was pretty 👀) this show aside from the acting had one of the best revenge plots in a kdrama! just watching a character realistically hustle his way to reach the top while fighting the corrupt man whose son killed his father was so so satisfying to watch! however, the love triangle in this show was questionable idk what they were trying to do with that but it personally annoyed me! but still i’ll give this show a 7.5/10 because i enjoyed it a lot!

do you like brahms? - kim min jae and park eun bin.. that’s all you need to know about why this is a good kdrama! i’m usually not a big fan of melodramas and everyone knows i prefer rom coms but this show was just so perfectly melo that i loved all the angst and pain we got!! also just watching two introverted people awkwardly fall in love was amazing! the characters story arcs were also handled pretty well with song ah finally learning to speak up for herself and joon young learning to express how he truly feels! but... the love square? was probably the most annoying thing the rest in my opinion was nicely done! i know people had mixed feelings about the ending but i loved that after all the pain joon young and song ah went through they got a happy ending together! 7/10

find me in your memory - okay this show started off very slow and it was confusing at the start but as it progressed everything in the plot started to fall into place! i mean this show really took opposites attract to a new level where the male lead could remember every single detail from his life but the female lead had to forget some of her traumatic memories to help her cope with her life! they were also tied together through a mutual character who was a big part of their lives in a different way! just an interesting melodrama with interesting characters i liked it! and moon ga young... i love you queen!!! 7/10

THE MEDIOCRE KDRAMAS -

more than friends - was the storytelling in this show groundbreaking? no. was the acting decent? yes. also probably the main reason i stuck with this show until the end! i think we can all agree lee soo had the best character development on this show he started off as a bad boy who wore one ear stud to actually becoming a well liked character... who else did it like him? no one. also the chemistry between the mains was 🔥 but the second male lead was so annoying is there a opposite word for second lead syndrome because i had that for sure! i think the best part about this show was the people i watched it with on here... shoutout to the five of us ahsjsj also this show introduced me to a talented actor/singer like ong seong wu (y’all know my kpop knowledge is nonexistent so no i didn’t know he was in a band called wanna one) all in all a predictable show but i had fun watching it so 6.5/10

tale of the nine tailed - i didn’t actually watch this show i watched it through gifs and instagram posts ahsjsjs so am i qualified to talk about my opinion definitely no... will I talk about it anyways yes lmao. lee rang deserved better that’s all goodbye and take care. 5.5/10

start up - probably one of the most awaited opinions. y’all thought this would be in the worst kdramas section but i decided to give this show some rights. the show started off strong, lost it’s way after episode 6 and then the last episode gave me what i wanted so i have mixed feelings. the writing was not the best i think we can all agree, love triangle as a plot device? wow so groundbreaking 🤡 the characters on the other hand... i loved every single one of them i mean ship wars? i don’t know her. the show had a lot of potential that was wasted but we also got some cute moments between the characters so there was really no winning or losing with this show? but in all honesty you can’t put a talented cast together like this and then just decide to give the audience a mediocre plot but the writers did exactly that! i think i can redirect y’all to my ‘crimes this show committed’ post for a in-depth analysis. lastly nam do san was a GOOD and REFRESHING male lead and ji pyeong was also a GOOD and FUN second male lead!!! this show gave me the ugliest ship war ever that i was transported back to my high school tvd days so thank you for that!! but the cast was loveable and all had a lot of chemistry together so here’s a 5/10 maybe that's too generous but... i think the reason why i didn't enjoy watching this show as much was definitely because of the tag on here lmao

THE WORST KDRAMAS -

the king eternal monarch - i miss clowning this show so much. the amount of braincells i lost while trying to understand this plot... i should be compensated by the writers. however, woo do hwan was a treat to look at on a weekly basis... however the writers kept decreasing his screen time even though he had a dual role... make it make sense? and i cannot comment on the plot of this show because i still don’t understand anything? also in my opinion tae eul and lee gon were the most bland couple of 2020, there was no chemistry between them and there was just a random kiss in episode 5 and they randomly said i love you... where was the development? also lee gon was soooo boring and such a one dimensional male lead! literally all the side characters were so much more interesting and the cast was good... but this plot. 2/10

do do sol sol la la sol - i wanna fight the writer who decided that the plot twist on the show would be that jun is a minor? i had no expectations from this show but it looked cute and nonsensical but that plot twist made me run the other way so fast that i never looked back! just because jun is a boy they really thought this would be excused like lmao we all have critical thinking skills???? the clown behaviour. a solid 1/10

record of youth - i hate this show so much. imagine not utilising park so dam who just starred in the biggest oscar winning movie to her full potential. imagine just making her a love interest to park bo gum’s character in the year 2020. i watched it up until episode 6 and i kept waiting for her character to get development... but it never happened so i dropped this show. also this show featured the MOST useless love triangle i have ever seen in my life like what was the point? also park bo gum’s characters family was straight up annoying (minus the grandpa) but they got so much screen time like that should’ve been given to park so dam... also villainising a gay side character for no reason at all in the year 2020? this show was a waste of my time i want the 6 hours i spent watching this back. -100/10 

backstreet rookie - i watched one episode of this and literally wanted to rip my eyeballs out of my head. idk what ji chang wook was thinking when he signed this drama i think he lost his ability to read because that's the only reasonable explanation for why he chose to star in such a dumpster fire show! this show had a racist character... had a high schooler kiss an adult... sexist jokes... just the worst things you can think of in a drama... this show had it. i still can’t believe so many people watched this show to the point where it had better ratings than pbio... really made me question everyone’s taste? but sorry can’t relate my taste is excellent so here’s the rating this show actually deserves -1000/10

if you made it this far... thank you for reading. let’s continue to love some kdramas together and get clowned by others in 2021! looking forward to it 😅

[tuney-and-looney]

My sort-of comprehensive yet very opinionated and too deep of a dive into the voice actors of Elmer.

hey ya'll. i have a long weekend, so I have more time to absorb my cringe and rate each voice actor for my man. it's an idea i had for the past few days and really pondered as to who i prefer and why. so here we gooooooo. btw, i'm going in chronological order to help with organization purposes and stuff. also, i will definitely change these numbers in the future but the notes will probably stay the same.

Danny Webb - 7.5/10

He feels fun, fresh, funky; which is funny given that he's technically the first proper voice actor from the 30's. It's not elmer's actual voice, and it's also an impression of another actor, Joe Penner. BUT. he's fun. you can definitely tell that he has a lot of fun, and that also bleeds into elmer/egghead. he definitely feels like a proper fit for the zany and wacky vibes that the early LT/MM shorts. I really recommend watching at least one short to get those zanies into you!

Arthur Q. Bryan - 8.5/10

the OG. the main man. the one that really started it all.

he's a really big pushover at first, but over time became more assertive and gave more of a reason for bugs to be around him and bother and torment (and love). i like how his voice is mainly very quiet (haha get it), but it almost feels too quiet. he never really gets a moment to get angry and bombastic. in fact, mel sometimes had to fill in for the louder moments because Arthur just couldn't do it (SMOG!)

i feel like there's both a lot of material and not that much in terms of how much material arthur was given. then again, he did die of a heart attack so suddenly, so maybe that context for me personally made me feel like we would have a lot more opportunities.

that being said, solid and wonderful and amazing and beautiful and deep and lovely and talented and pure performances all around from him.

Mel Blanc - 5/10

he is, uh. he is.

so uh, if i remember correctly, he said at first that he never wanted to take arthur's role, but then he said sike and took the role anyway. in fact, he went on the reduce arthur's influence more and more as mel was becoming a household name. i just, mel after arthur's untimely death always urks me the wrong way. like, he would try to claim elmer amongst all the other roles he's done.

Ferris Wheelhouse had a really wonderful video that talked about this issue during his "Bugs Bunny in King Arthur's Court" review. unfortunately, it seems to be gone, and if i find it again, i will definitely link it here!

other than that, the voice itself: very, very iffy. makes me feel like that old guy with the cigar at the comedy club who says that he can do great cartoon impressions but, just can't. and it sucks. cause that's mel blanc here. and i like him. makes me real sad.

Hal Smith - 6/10

so his voice is almost the same quality as mel, but at least he feels like he's not actively trying to take control and try to shove arthur aside. he's trying his best, but again, just doesn't cut to the sheer quality of arthur's voice. not really much to say but, he's there, and he tried.

Jeff Bergman - 9/10

he wasn't too bad at first. he definitely tried to capture arthur's personality and voice mannerisms. i like box office bunny and just the vibes that he gives off in that short. blooper bunny was also really nice. he just seems like a guy that would be really pleasant to be around.

then New Looney Tunes/Wabbit came out. and then the HBO Max shorts.

holy shitttttttt. i never realized how much i would love his performance. because, here's the thing: he's manic as hell. he's chaotic. he's a scumbag. he's a diva. he's a bitchy, bitchy man. and i L O V E it.

i love how these new shorts make him both sympathetic, yet when he can be a bitch, HE'S ALLOWED TO. i never realized how much i wanted it until a couple years after Wabbit aired.

the voice: it's pretty okay. not my favorite voice, but he gives something fresh enough to feel fun and fancy free.

Billy West - 9/10

oh buddy of boys and buckets of fuck, here we go.

so, i grew up with his version, ever since the start of my hyperfixation. he's always felt my favorite. he gives something that sounds the closest to what bryan did during the good ole days. he gave elmer more of a cleaner edge. west often calls him the "0 to 60" type of guy, and yeah, i definitely see that.

here's the thing, though: west is my favorite voice, not my favorite character variation.

i feel like WB constantly underutilizes west's talent to go really zany with his fudd. whenever he does, once in a blue moon, he's REALLY good. like, too good. my sanity and my appreciation: snatched and kissed with a thousand roses. we love to see a chaotic yet loving man.

the more i reflect on this notion of his version, the more i appreciate the performances that he gave. although, sometimes, he feels like he doesn't know the context of the situation, but goddammit he is trying his best. god i miss him. father please come back, i need my meals. we need meals.

Greg Burson - 7/10

....we don't talk about him. moving on.

Eric Bauza - 8.5/10

not a lot of material yet from him, but i adore anything he has done so far. his performance in space jam 2 was really solid; feels like a mix of greg and jeff's performances. i hope to see so much more from him. can't really give too much yet because i need more material from him. overall, really wholesome that one be.

so yeah, those are my 11 pm thoughts on the matter. expect somewhat new thoughts to be added in the distant future. otherwise, please send me your thoughts; i love reading them and answering them on here!

[restlessmaknae]

2021 drama recap

With 2021 coming to an end, I thought that I would list the dramas that I’ve watched (and finished) this year, sharing my opinion and rating them in case someone is looking for dramas to watch.

Note: They are all Korean, except for Crush (Chinese) and Shadow and Bone (Western).

Nevertheless: 6/10

I know opinions vary on this one, but for me, the lack of background story we got about Jaeon, and the way it ended despite the whole message of the show (or what I’ve thought the message of the show was supposed to be) made me really disappointed, and by the last few episodes, I’ve only watched it for Dohyeok.

Love Alarm (S1-S2): 6.5/10

The first season would be a solid 8 because it was good for one watch, but the second season was way more disappointing than I would have thought so (and not because Jojo didn’t end up with the one I’ve rooted for). I like the closure (Jojo accepting herself and trying to overcome her trauma), but the whole second season could have been even shorter (in my opinion).

Crush (Chinese drama): 7/10

I would give a 10/10 for the first half of it, but the second half was rather disappointing for me as I felt like it kind of lost its charm. However, there was some really good acting in it, it had a unique plot, and it was pretty funny.

True Beauty: 7/10

It’s a comedy, I’m aware of it, but it was a bit too much at times for me, and I didn’t feel like we always touched upon the serious side of the heavy topics involved. Yet, it was funny and iconic, no one can deny that.

Be My Boyfriend: 7.5/10

This was better than I’ve expected, to be honest. It’s a simple high school & trainee life story, but the main guy is a lovable character, and I feel like the tension between the main female leads due to their trainee life and how they’ve ended up there is pretty realistic, also the way it affected their friendship. I think it had a pretty realistic ending too.

Shadow & Bone: 8/10

The only Western show I’ve watched this year. I’ve read one book in the two book series, so it was a bit confusing for me, but it had action, humour and mystery, so I loved it. Looking forward to the second season.

The Penthouse (S1-S3): 8/10

That was one hell of a show, sometimes in the best way, sometimes not. By the end of it, it felt a bit dragged, but if you keep it in mind that it has its own genre (that implies that literally anything can happen), you may not get that pissed off. However, lost of people die by the end, and not just the bad ones.

The Witch’s Diner: 8/10

I loved the twists and the different stories in this one. Not all of the side characters were interesting to me, but overall, it was a really good show in my opinion, and it had just enough episodes.

18 again: 8.5/10

It was a fun one with nice life lessons, but it didn’t always interest me that much. The acting was really good though!

Scripting your destiny: 9/10

A surprising gem that’s just enough for a drama. It was funny and lovely, not an outstanding drama, but I would watch it again.

Youth of May: 9/10

The feels! Yes, I’ve cried, and I still think Hwang Heetae is one of the best boys in the world. For me, it didn’t always feel like it had the right balance of comedy and drama, and we could have touched upon the outcome of the historical events in the finale episode more, but it was still very good.

Navillera: 10/10

One of the best shows I’ve ever watched. The struggles the characters face, the life lessons they learn and the relationshop that evolve are so touching and realistic. It didn’t feel dragged, and I’ve cried so much watching this, it was really heartwarming and also very funny.

Move to Heaven: 10/10

Solid 10/10. The characters, the feels, the acting (!), the life lessons, the touching stories and the unique plot. I really hope it’ll have a second season.

Hometown Cha Cha Cha: 10/10

No question about it. One of my fav shows ever. Everything was so on point, it was literally perfect.

The King’s Affection: 10/10

I was so looking forward to each episode because it was full of action, and the acting was amazing! Love the unique additions to it.

[loseyoutoloveme]

will you do a song by song review for life support? i really liked the ones for sweetener and thank you next!

oh absolutely, i’d love to! thank you for asking and being interested 🖤 all thoughts below.

the beginning:

this was such a great way to open this album, it’s so cinematic and really sets the mood so perfectly. one of my fav instrumental intros i’ve ever heard.

9/10

good in goodbye: “you put the over in lover, put the ex in next.”

the lyrics are so wonderfully corny and i’ll love this song forever, like the chorus is literally just so fun to sing along to.

i do think it feels a little... shallow compared to the rest of the album, and the album being released so long after this song came out makes it feel disconnected from the rest. but i love it so i don’t care.

7.5/10 

default: “i know, i know this must be coming for me, i swear, i swear i will be the end of me, the end of me.”

this song is just sooo...... OUCH!

i’m obsessed with the way the chorus just SOUNDS like an emotional spiral, like her life falling apart, like falling into a deep depression, and then the outro builds like destructive racing thoughts.

also i never noticed the wave crashing and the bubbles at the very beginning until really recently, and i love that little touch. the whole song feels so underwater. cloudy and fuzzy. it does a good job of depicting certain symptoms of various mental illnesses.

8.5/10

follow the white rabbit: “is it haunting, baby, that i’m wanting, baby, that i’m wanting, wanting you?”

i actually was fully not expecting to like this that much based off the snippets she’d shared, but omg this left me WEAAAAK on first listen, which was the best surprise

there are definitely so many layers to these lyrics too, despite it being just a bombastic sexy toxic love song on its surface, particularly when thinking about the album as a commentary on mental illness, and some of the breakup/love songs as metaphors rather than straightforward love songs. definitely about infatuation and toxicity and perhaps knowingly entering a bad relationship as a bad coping mechanism, a way to avoid dealing with your pain or (as we see in effortlessly) a way to just feel anything at all.

9/10

effortlessly: “i hold my breath to breathe, hurt me so i feel, used to do these things so effortlessly somehow.”

oh god this song is just a punch in the stomach

i ALSO didn’t really expect to love this one based on snippets but the lyrics are just devastating and perfect and i hope speak to anybody who has struggled with self-harm and medication.

i don’t even have thoughts on this song, it just makes me go jsn*@(#nkdasdnkasd7*@U#j2k3n

love that this is such a fan favourite. it deserves!

10/10

stay numb and carry on: “truth is it was never love, your fault if you thought it was.”

the reverse “i’ve become emotionless” at the beginning >>>

also love the “i was gin and you were toxic . . . wish we’d just stayed plaTONIC” like a platonic relationship would be the opposite of toxic. it’s such fun wordplay.

also “i don’t feel like anyone” makes me emo, she really just slid the most simple but heartbreaking lines in everywhere and you don’t notice them until they hit you out of nowhere one day and you’re like ...OH

AND THE WAY HER VOICE STARTS TO GO MONOTONE AT “i’ve become emotionless” 

in conclusion, madison beer is a vessel for god

10/10

blue: “you could be as sweet as honey but i knew the darkness in your mind.”

this is my least favourite on the album but it’s still fantastic

the lana influence is clear without being too copycat, like it’s still SO madison. sorta like lana’s video games modernized and adapted into something truer to madison’s vibe.

love love love the whole outro

glad that this wasn’t a single like it was planned to be

7/10

interlude: “would you do that shit for me too?”

VOCODER RIGHTS

this album in general is just not really for people who don’t like vocoders and lots of technical effects. i looove that she leaned into it so hard bc it’s so HER.

this song also has so much depth for an interlude, relaying the experience of feeling SO hard about people, and realizing like you’re putting in way more than you’re getting back.

the post-chorus is like... 🤩🌌💫☄️🌠

7.5/10

homesick: “these humans speak my language, still don’t understand it.”

THIS SONG...... IS MY BABY......

oh god it just breaks my heart on every listen. the image in my head is of a little girl talking to the stars.

and why does the line about her mom and dad make me wanna cry every time? i have no idea.

I BELONG IN SPACE...... FLOATING WITH DEBRIS.......

i’m sure she’s not the first person to ever use this metaphor for mental illness, expressing the alienation of mental illness (especially one as stigmatized and misunderstood as bpd) by talking about LITERAL aliens sdkjfsdfksd, but she does it SOOOOO well and sincerely that it feels like it’s uniquely hers.

the rick & morty sample is so funny and so weird and so madison. i will probably never watch an episode of that show in my life.

10000000000/10 this song is the loml

selfish: “shouldn’t love you but i couldn’t help it, had a feeling that you never felt it.”

my absolute favourite of all of the singles, noooo question about it. it’s a perfect, perfect, perfect song.

two years, alone on new years’, nightclubs, gemini... women writing lyrics with very specific details about the shitty men that the song is about... it’s everything to me.

this song will just NEVER age. every time i listen to it, it’s like the first time all over again.

10/10

sour times: “don’t know what song of mine you heard that made you think i’d want to spend the night with you.”

home with you’s big sister<3 

not the strongest lyrics, but the concept and production are more than strong enough to carry the song.

she came on this bitch mad as hell

also love that this have been another fan favourite, seemingly??

men gross

9/10

boyshit: “don’t know how to talk or communicate, we’re so on and off, to you it’s a game.”

it took me awhile to get into this when it was a single ngl, probably because it came out the same night as evermore sjdknfsfnkjsd, but once i got into it, it became the best song ever

she’s soooo reliable with her “men ain’t shit” songs ugh

8.5/10

baby: “i’m a handful but that’s what hands are for.”

when this came out as a single it was the only thing i listened to for a solid week and a half. just an excellent song. the chorus is evvverrryttthhhiiinnnnggg.

WHAT IS IT SO CATCHY FOR?

9.5/10

stained glass: “my life’s a still fading memory of what i can’t have, and everything ’round me is starting to fade into black, but black and white is so much better, i’m learning how to hide my colours.”

i’m so surprised by how much non-stans seem to love this omg, it’s never been a fav of mine, as much as i still love it

but i’m obsessed with how different and distinctly madison it is

also this is a much more genuine take on the “pls stop being mean to me just bc i’m famous / you don’t know what people are going through” type of song than most of the others i’ve ever heard. her pain is evident, and the soft “i just might break” is just..... </3

the glass breaking and little scream are so good

she loves a good metaphor and so do i!

7.5/10 

emotional bruises: “how do i word this? was about to write you this letter, but it was just curses in cursive, you probably deserve it.”

this was definitely my most anticipated song along with everything happens for a reason, like i listened to the snippet on repeat CONSTANTLY lmao. and the full song definitely lived up.

the scribbling sound is so fun, i love her obsession with little real-life sound effects

10/10

everything happens for a reason: “i still can’t find a reason you’d wanna hurt me so bad.”

THIS SONG IS VERY MUCH EVERYTHING

again, this was for sure one of my most anticipated songs and just kjsadsdkajsm god i love love love it

i think she posted a video one time of the song over a clip of the mermaids from peter pan and it was so pretty and i still picture that video when i hear this song. it’s just soooooo hazy and dreamy and retro and perfect.

also the song on the album where she got to show off her vocals the most. she found her niche with this song, truly.

100/10

channel surfing/the end: “YOU’REBADFORMYHEALTHISHOULDPROLLYKEPTSOMEHELPICANTCONTROLMYSELFIMADDICTEDOTHEHELL”

oh my god i was FLOOOOOORED at the dear society clip. dear society was and is one of my FAVOURITE songs, and i appreciate her reasoning for not including it on the album (just wanting some space for a new song instead of one we’d already had for so long), but it did hurt a lil. i was so happy she found a little way to include it :’) rip to hurts like hell tho since she didn’t get the same treatment sjdnksd.

the channel surfing is also just such a fun concept for an outro.

and her laughing with her producers at the end followed by such a sweet calming tropical instrumental...... oooo it’s so nice, it feels like the calm after the storm.

10/10

overall, this album was just SO worth the wait, it’s so fantastic, it’s the loml, one of my favourite albums ever. i LOVE that it’s helped anyone with BPD feel seen and understood, and as someone who doesn’t have bpd but has a couple of loved ones who do, the emotions she expressed in these lyrics have helped me to understand this disorder more too. just such a special album.

most of the criticism i’ve seen of the album has been that it’s overproduced, and that’s definitely criticism that i understand, bc it IS heavy on the technical side and some people just don’t like very heavy production, buuuut... some people do! i do! madison does! and heavy production does not automatically make an album bad. this type of production isn’t something that i expect her to move away from, because it’s clearly her thing, and maybe that just means her place in the industry will be more with the heavy heavy pop fans and maybe even in more hyperpop circles. i also think it’s SUPPOSED to be overproduced; it’s supposed to be a mess of emotions and sometimes a little chaotic. she executed it very well.

i hope by the time her next album is out, people will stop comparing her to like every single artist out there. some reviewers seem determined to pigeonhole her and compare her to every female artist under the sun, which feels like an absolute disservice to me. she is influenced by many different people and they comes out in her music, as it does any artist’s because everybody has their inspirations, but her sound is VERY much her own. as someone who has liked her for years, i can absolutely feel her essence in each song and nobody else’s.

a 10/10 album and such an amazing, promising debut<3  

[crowdvscritic]

round up // JANUARY 21

New year, not-so-new Crowd vs. Critic! It’s another batch of films, TV, music, and reads that were new to me this month and think you would enjoy, too. As we cozy up inside for the winter, nothing warms you up like a good piece of pop culture.

January Crowd-Pleasers

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

Does this sequel reach the heights of 2017’s Wonder Woman? No, but I wish more superhero movies were like this one. I explain why at ZekeFilm. Crowd: 9.5/10 // Critic: 8/10

21 Bridges (2019)

A solid action crime thriller with a solid Chadwick Boseman at the center. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7.5/10

The Lethal Weapon Series (1987-98)

I watched the first Lethal Weapon in 2017 for ZekeFilm, but now I’ve a decade’s pleasure of progressively over-the-top action sequences and progressively more absurd ways to destroy Roger Murtaugh’s (Danny Glover) house. The Murtaugh/Riggs bromance holds this progressively sillier series together, and an supporting cast of charismatic actors (Jet Li, Darlene Love, Chris Rock, Rene Russo) are game for whatever comes their way. Joe Pesci is the true MVP. Series Crowd: 9/10 // Series Critic: 7/10

The High Note (2020)

Tracee Ellis Ross’s Grace Davis is a diva in every sense of the word. A high-strung and highly successful singer, she’s also highly demanding of her assistant Maggie (Dakota Johnson), who wants to step out of her shadow and become a music producer. This rom-com-adjacent flick is one of the most fun escapes I’ve had from a 2020 movie, and it’s perfect for a girls’ night in. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10

Double Feature—Rom-Coms With a Magical Twist: Just My Luck (2006) + When In Rome (2010)

Disclaimer: These movies are not good. In fact, they’re junk, but they’re my kind of junk. In Just My Luck (Crowd: 7.5/10 // Critic: 6/10), Lindsay Lohan loses her life-long lucky streak when she kisses schlimazel Chris Pine. And When in Rome (Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 6/10), Kristen Bell attracts unwanted admirers (Will Arnett, Danny DeVito, Josh Duhamel, Jon Heder, and real-life future husband Dax Shepard) after she steals their coins from a wishing fountain. To their credit, both of these movies know they’re silly, which means you have permission to just sit back and laugh along with (or, honestly, at) them.

WandaVision (2021)

I sometimes fear for the world of entertainment when I think of how much intellectual property Disney has gobbled up, but WandaVision is evidence the company is a benevolent dictator at least for now. This odd delight is a send up and a tribute to sitcoms like I Love Lucy, I Dream of Jeannie, and The Brady Bunch, and Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen are so charming and weird I don’t need whatever mysterious sub-plot they’re building.

Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

If you want to make the most of watching Robin Hood: Men in Tights, first watch Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), an action flick I saw last February and didn’t include in my monthly Round Up. This Mel Brooks spoof is a direct response that self-serious Kevin Costner adventure, even down to copying its costumes. While I wish I could find a Mel Brooks comedy with any substantial female character (in every movie I’ve seen so far, the joke is either, “She’s got a great rack!” or “Wow, she’s an uggo!”), I still couldn’t stop laughing at this 104-minute version of the Robin Hood scene in Shrek. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 8/10

Aliens (1986)

Peak ‘80s action. Peak alien grossness. Peak girl boss Sigourney Weaver. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 8/.510

Big (1988)

After talking about Laverne & Shirley with Kyla on SO IT’S A SHOW?, I had to check out Penny Marshall’s classic. While a few moments haven’t aged so well, its heart is sweet and the script is hilarious. And that Tom Hanks? I think he’s going places. Crowd: 9.5/10 // Critic: 8/10

Unstoppable (2010)

I’ve laughed at SNL’s spoof of this movie for a decade, so it’s about time I got around to enjoying this action thriller very loosely based on the true story of a train that got away from its conductor. Denzel Washington (“You’re too old!”) and Chris Pine (“You’re too young!”) are our heroes in this over-the-top ridiculousness, and their chemistry is so extra it makes me hope they team up for another movie again. Crowd:  9/10 // Critic: 7/10

January Critic Picks

Double Feature—‘90s Space Adventures: Apollo 13 (1995) + Contact (1997)

I have no desire to join Tom Cruise as he films in space, but I know I’ll be pumped to watch whatever he makes because I love sci-fi and space  adventures. Apollo 13 (Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 9/10) tells the story of an almost-disastrous NASA mission in the ‘60s, and it taps into our hope for the human spirit to overcome obstacles. Contact (Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10) surmises what might happen if we received communication from extraterrestrial life, and it taps into our struggle to reconcile faith and science.

McCartney III by Paul McCartney (2020)

I spent January catching up on the albums on Best of 2020 lists, and the one I listened to for hours and hours was Paul McCartney’s latest solo album. Catchy, thoughtful, and musically surprising, it ranges from pop to rock to folk in 45 minutes and still feels like it’s over too soon. Like Tom Hanks, this Paul McCartney guy is going places!

The Thin Man Series (1934-47)

Like Lethal Weapon, I watched the first installment of The Thin Man awhile back, and Kyla and I even covered the series on our podcast. But thanks to a full series marathon on TCM earlier this month, I’ve now laughed through all five. When you talk about great chemistry, you’ve got to talk about William Powell and Myrna Loy, who make Nick and Nora’s marriage feel lived in and romantic as they solve crimes together. Witty, suspenseful, and jaunty, this series is still sexy cool over 80 years later. (Also, Asta? Still one of the cutest dogs in cinema.) Series Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 8.5/10

The King and I (1956)

Here’s your regularly scheduled reminder Hollywood works differently now, and many casting decisions of the ‘50s wouldn’t fly today. What has aged well in this film: The Rodgers and Hammerstein music and the sumptuous costumes and set design. I love extravagant musicals of yesteryear—perhaps it’s time for Hollywood to revisit and remake The King and I for modern audiences?

Inauguration Day

In a year with no major televised events with celebrities in a room together, Inauguration Day felt like the most exciting cultural event in ages. We’ve been missing major fashion, but then we got Lady Gaga! We’ve been missing live performances, but then we got Amanda Gorman! And I got a lot of tears during that poem—not just me, right?

Good Reads

Writing that made me think and smile this month:

Steven Soderbergh’s list of everything he read, watched, and listened to this year, Extension765.com (2020) – An indirect inspiration for these monthly Round Ups!

“My Year of Making Lists,” NewYorker.com (2020) – I made a lot of lists in 2020, so I feel this author’s #mood

“Betty White Says She Will Spend Her 99th Birthday Feeding Two Ducks Who Visit Her ‘Every Day,’“ CBSNews.com (2021) - “Betty is a treasure,” I say as I watch The Proposal for the 99th time

“A Sculpture’s Unusual Journey to SLAM [St. Louis Art Museum],” SLAM.org (2020) – With a casual mention of an attraction I never knew about in St. Louis

“The Culture Is Ailing. It’s Time for a Dr. Fauci for the Arts.” WashingtonPost.com (2020) – An idea that occurred to me a few months ago: Why don’t we have an Arts Cabinet?

“The Arts Are in Crisis. Here’s How Biden Can Help.” NYTimes.com (2021) – Partly in response to that Washington Post piece, a historical look at how artists have made it through difficult times in the past and how we can revive artists’ livelihoods mid- and post-pandemic

“The Right’s Message to Silicon Valley: 'Free Speech for Me, But Not for Thee,'” TIME.com (2021) – A more thoughtful and less reactionary take on a volatile moment in the history of modern technology

“'It Makes Me Sick With Grief': Trump's Presidency Divided Families. What Happens to Them Now?” TIME.com (2021) – A study on how politics has done damage to family dynamics in America

“Help, the Only Cinema I Can Handle Is Zac Efron Prancing Angrily in High School Musical 2,” Vulture.com (2021) - In a lot of ways, same

“50 Easy Things To Do When You are Anxious,” ShopTwentySeven.com (2021) – I especially endorse coloring, puzzling, and watching happy movies!

Double Feature—Miss Marple Mysteries: Murder at the Gallop (1963) + Murder Ahoy (1964)

Remember when I was all like, “Watch these Agatha Christie movies so you’re not sad Death on the Nile is delayed”? Remember when I said I was just a few movies away from becoming an Agatha Christie junkie? Well, I think I’m there because I can’t stop with the murder mysteries! Margaret Rutherford is a treasure whether she’s solving a murder at a horse ranch or on a boat, and a cast of colorful supporting characters (including Rutherford’s husband) makes these breezy instead of heavy. Crowd: 8/10 // Critic: 8/10

8½ (1963)

File this with 2001: A Space Odyssey—I don’t know if I really understood this film, but I think I liked it? Federico Fellini’s surrealist, male gaze-y drama blurs the lines between reality and imagination, love and dysfunction, and the past and maybe some future that involves clowns? What resonated with me was the story of a director with creative block, wondering if he’s already peaked and if he’ll create anything worthwhile again. Crowd: 6/10 // Critic: 9/10

Sense and Sensibility: The Screenplay and Diaries by Emma Thompson (1995)

Sense and Sensibility is not just one of my favorite Jane Austen adaptations—it’s one of my all-time favorite films. One of the co-hosts of one of my favorite podcasts has raved many-a-time about Emma Thompson’s journals from the making of film, so it was only a matter of time before I read them myself. Witty, informative, and all-around lovely, Thompson’s journals are an excellent insight into the filmmaking process and how novels are adapted.

Also in January…

I reviewed the new-ish documentary Flannery for ZekeFilm, which is all about the writer Flannery O’Connor and feels a little like going back to high school English class.

In addition to the Lethal Weapon and Thin Man series, I rewatched all of the X-Men series this month. You can see everything I am watching on Letterboxd, including favorites I love returning to (i.e. X-Men: Days of Future Past) and the movies I try that don’t make my monthly recommendations (i.e. The Wolverine).

Photo credits: Paul McCartney, Zac Efron, Sense & Sensibility. All others IMDb.com.

[melonlord-ramblings]

✨Yowu Cardcaptor Sakura Limited Edition Headphones Review✨

✨Yowu Cardcaptor Sakura Limited Edition Headphones Review✨

Service and Shipping Rating: 4/10

Product Rating: 8.5/10

Service and Shipping Rating: 4/10

I rated their service 4 because of something that happened after I ordered my headphones. I ordered their headphones on a Wednesday and I emailed them (twice) on Saturday after getting no shipping updates - I went to check on my order status, it said it was closed (I got nervous, I don’t shop online a lot, let alone internationally). I got my answers on the following Tuesday - with the first one saying that nothing was wrong and that it was still waiting for delivery. The second response was the answer that I had needed. They answered saying that my package couldn’t ship out because it was stuck at customs because my package needed an “Unified Identity Authentication”. I didn’t even know what this was, and Google was no help. Miraculously, I was able to find out what they were needing by looking up customs regulations for my country and was able to quickly sign up for a personal customs code. I quickly sent them a reply and they answered back saying they’ll send it to the company.  I wasn’t as angry as my sister, but I do agree with what she said. Were they ever planning on telling me that I was needing such a thing? There wasn’t a box asking for such information when I was inputting my address so I was unaware that was required. Five business days had passed, and I only found out they needed an important piece of information because I emailed them. Thus, the reason for a low service rating. I will give them credit that within the time frame of Tuesday and Wednesday, they did answer back rather quickly. But the late initial reply and the fact that I had to reach out to them to find out why my package wasn’t shipping, is why I gave them this rating. After sending them my code, I finally got a confirmation email on Friday. 

Another reason for a low shipping rating is that they gave me the wrong shipping service, so it took me a while to even figure out which shipping service my tracking number was valid for. At that point, I only figured out what shipping service it was once my package arrived in my country.

After that, I received an email from the Korean branch of the shipping company confirming my address and all that. Later, they too, provided a tracking number, but again without a specific courier service. Thankfully, Naver has some sort of feature where you can input all available courier services and the tracking number to see which one it belongs to. Overall, I’d say it was a surprisingly slow delivery. Maybe I’m a little spoiled from fast shipping in Korea. After it passed through customs, it did get here somewhat quickly. They said minimum it would arrive Thursday, it came around Friday at lunchtime. 

Thinking back on it, I guess it was pretty fast shipping - around a week and a half to two weeks, but the lack of information needed from the company really lowered the rating. 

Product Initial Rating: 9/10

Oh my gosh, it’s so pretty!!! From the pictures, I was a little worried about how the gold would look with the pink, but there was no need to worry, the color scheme is so pretty. The earcups are also nice and squishy which is nice. It’s a little on the cheap feeling side because it’s made of plastic - which unfortunately, makes it creaky and a little stiff. I’m worried about potentially breaking the adjustable area because it’s so hard to pull out and push in. Other than that though, everything is so pretty and nice. I will say, it smells very strongly of paint when you first open it. I don’t know why, but especially the earpads smell so strongly of paint I gagged a little. 

I love the details that let you know it’s Cardcaptor Sakura! The fact that they even gave three Clow cards?? I love it! The wired audio cable is based off of her star wand handle and the headphones themselves have aspects of CCS!

My package also came mainly in good condition, only a few minor bumps here and there - very minimal; which is surprising because it wasn’t that well protected. Maybe one layer of bubble wrap and then plain plastic packaging.

The headset case is absolutely beautiful! I thought it would be hard, knockable leather, but it’s actually a little squishy! I think it’s based off of her uniform, and it’s so cute! I think you can use it as an actual bag, but taking out the mold and stuff was a little hard, so I gave up because I didn’t want to risk it.

Product Final Rating: 8.5/10

I am in no way an audiophile or an expert on headphones, but I really like them! The sounds are nice and clear and crisp. I’m not sure if they’re for gamers because I’m not one, but when I used them playing Genshin, it was even more fun than usual! I could hear the fire crackling, the winds howling, and even what I think were wolves howling in Dragonspine! I could hear the little details and I think that was pretty impressive. I haven’t tested them with various genres of music, but I did like what I already heard. 

I wore these for around an hour to an hour and a half and I didn’t even realize that much time passed! The earcups are really comfy and not bothersome, even with glasses. I will say, it’s a little on the heavier side and it weighs down from the top because of the cat ears and I did notice that a little near the hour mark. They also are a little tight to put on and that makes it a little hard to take them off, but hopefully they’ll stretch out over time.

The fact that it can be wired and wireless is also nice in case you run out of battery or just don’t feel like using bluetooth. The USB-C type means it’ll charge faster! Using the volume and function buttons really did make me realize how plasticky it was because it would make a plastic echo-y sound every time I pressed it. 

I don’t think the mic is that good. On the few times I used it to talk with, the person on the other side said I sounded too quiet and I guess it doesn’t pick up on my voice that well. But I have also read other people say it’s good enough for calls, so it’s up to you.

You can manually change the lights and colors or you can do it through the app - which by using the Clow cards, can also unlock new colors. I don’t know if I’ll use the app because you need to input your phone number and I generally avoid inputting such information. 

As for the battery life, it is not that good. It definitely is much shorter than the advertised 20 hours with lighting wirelessly. I can’t say exactly how long because I don’t and can’t wear headphones for that long, consecutively. But I do wear them for around 2 hours a day or so, and I only use them for around 2 or 3 days before I have to charge them. So I’d say around 6 hours total? So yeah, way less than advertised and “guaranteed”.

The headphones are definitely on the pricey side, which makes sense because of intellectual property and licensing - plus the cards and the leather bag headset case. I love this headphones and hopefully I’ll wear them a lot! I recommend these if you aren’t an avid gamer (because I don’t know if they’re good enough for that), love CCs, and have the money to spare! 

extra note: I will say, if you have the money to spare, it is pretty worth it! Especially if you compare it to the airpods pro! These headphones, including shipping, turned out to be slightly cheaper, and it comes with more!

Ramblings:

I don’t know if it had to do with me, but it seemed like I could hear better from the left earphone - it was clearer and louder than the right - I actually had to move the left away to see if the right was even working lol. My sister also said the same thing, so it’s possible that this pair of headphones isn’t in the best shape? It’s not so obvious that it’s jarring, but it’s a little obvious in that it makes it uncomfortable. 

I am wondering if Yowu will eventually offer extra accessories like earpads in case we need to replace the ones we have, or if they’ll give instructions on how to wash them? 

I also would have liked it if Yowu had more details on their shipping and refund policies (mainly shipping) and clearer details and information on the shipping service. 

I was watching Genshin Impact’s 1.5 livestream, and I don’t know if it was cause it was a livestream, but near the end, the audio started to occasionally short out, so there’s that.

Overall, I’d give this pair of limited edition Cardcaptor Sakura headphones a solid 9/10!

[hellafluff]

Bored and thinking about my slasher OC Andy, the Alligator one, and like what her movie arc would look like. The following long ass post details each movie and how good it would be:

Her first movie would be called Gator, releases in the early 80s. It's a suspenseful murder mystery set in Florida that seems to point to the killer disposing of bodies in the swamp for the gators to eat but then its revealed the Killer is killing them with their fucked up teeth so it only looks like theyve been munched on by gators. Andy gets away after being shot a bunch in the end. a solid 8/10 movie, the dialogue kinda sucks

The second movie, which is titled something like Gator II - Birth of a Monster and its a lot like "i know what you did last summer" where a group of now adult friends are being picked off for something they did and it turns out to be Andy seeking revenge for the torment they put her in from her childhood. Andy is arrested in the end but chews through her cuffs and kills the police before escaping. a 4/10, lots of sex scenes between unlikable characters???

Third movie is a clusterfuck, it markets itself as another installment in the franchise but really its a creature feature with elements of the first 2 thrown in. Just called Gator III. HEAVILY rips off Jaws about 30 years too late. The villain here isn't Andy but a congregation of alligators tearing apart a small Florida town, lead by a massive albino gator covered in scars. Andy appears in flashbacks and a house is discovered in the swamp that seems to be where she lived but now is infested with gators. a half rotten skeleton with only one jagged tooth found nearby is implied to be her. 2/10 movie, no one likes it and animals were harmed on set, causing activist pushback

So you know the weird cult plot that happened in the later Halloween movies? The fourth movie, Gator IV - Tooth and Nail does that, retconning Andy's backstory and saying she was groomed by a cult because they see her birth defect as a sign from their demon patron that she will be its vessel. Her remains from last movie are brought back to life in the last half hour as a alligator demon woman that the studio forced the crew to make sexy instead of gross. Effects/makeup for it are practical tho and the movie is considered a 3/10, with some solid kills from the cult throughout and great effects but the pacing sucks and the main cast is awful.

Okay so. Jason X exists, right? Yeah in the late 90s this happens. Titled Sewer Gator. Unrelated to the Andy of the previous movies, a young woman is experimented on in a genetics lab and infused with alligator DNA. She mutates into a fucked up gator woman thats actually gross this time except is 1999 and CGI is the hot new thing and the studio execs cover over all the fun practical effects and makeup with godawful CGI. She escapes the facility and into the sewers of New York where she begins a massacre and continues to mutate until she's exploded with military grade weaponry at the end. a stinger after her death shows she laid eggs but this goes nowhere because the movie makes no money and its never touched again. Surprisingly good actually 7/10, the bluray remaster gets rid of the CG and adds back in as much of the practical footage it can find and it becomes a 8.5/10

The series goes dormant for ten years

The series is rebooted in 2009 with a remake of the OG, except now its called The Swamp. Much more character focused, starting with a herpetologist and a poacher coming to town to help with the alligator problem. Theyre at odds immediately, the poacher insisting the gators need to be dealt with his way but the herpetologist is like "hey these bite marks arent anything like an alligators what the fuck is going on???" the big reveal of the movie is the poacher knows its not an alligator, but his deformed sister who he was keeping locked up until her escape a few years back and he's here to kill her. He's killed in the end by Andy and the herpetologist manages to snare her in a bear trap and get away but when the authorities show up Andy's chewed through her own leg and escaped. 7/10, goes on too long and the reveal exposition is weird and plot holey but audiences enjoy it. Has really good nu-metal on the soundtrack.

The Swamp II comes out 2 years later and sucks so bad. 1/10. The plot takes the Family angle from the last movie and goes full Wrong Turn incest cannibals in the swamps of Florida with it. Weird and creepy and sexual. Andy is there, missing a leg, as the eldest child of this family who serves an insane mother but the movie focuses on her other siblings with their weird deformities let loose now that the "normal" poacher brother is gone. movie heavily implies one of the female characters has sex with an alligator at one point. trash movie, don't watch in a place someone can walk in on you in

Series goes dormant again.

A miniseries drops unexpectedly in 2019. Swamp Diaries. 5 half hour episodes in the style of a found footage film of a group of friends searching for the legendary "Gator Woman of the Swamp." First episode introduces the characters, all likable and well rounded, college age. Second episode is the beginning of the expedition, outlines a lot of the history of the Gator Woman urban legend. Third episode the group runs into actual gators and starts finding weird, Blair Witch esque shit, becoming lost after they have to run from something, the first death happens. Episode four is suspenseful and horrific as the group tries to get home, another person dies. Episode five is the kicker, ending with the reveal Tamara, one of the last survivors, is actually working with the actual Gator woman, her childhood friend who she promised to protect and later on, feed. Ends with Tamara killing the last survivor and telling Andy it's time to go home. 8/10, paced mostly well and very scary, lots of shaky cam but the final twist is a hit with monsterfuckers bc its all but said Tamara and Andy are together.

[milfspiggy]

Let’s Rank Snifits!

Hello! Snifits are my favorite Mario enemy! To share my love for them, I’m going to go through the entire extended Snifit family, and score them all on a scale from 1 - 10 for your reading pleasure!!

The OG Snifit

Perfect! 10/10!! How could you improve upon such a great design?? Well, you’ll see soon enough, but Snifits are the ultimate being in any form. They’re like Shy Guys, which are already great and wonderful - but Snifit benefits from the addition of a little snoot!!! All creatures could be improved with a snoot, I think. Snifit’s snoot especially looks both boopable and smoochable. I wish I had a Snifit plush. Anyway, let’s move on to some of their friends and get started under the cut!

Spookum

So, weirdly, to start things off, Snifits aren’t called Snifits in Super Mario RPG!! They’re called Spookums! I’m not sure why, but it’s kind of cute, I guess?? This is still pretty much just a Snifit, just with a less cute and evocative name. 9/10.

Snifit, Again

So, I lied!! Sorry!! There actually are enemies called “Snifit” in Super Mario RPG, but they aren’t your standard rank and file Snifits in this game! There are only eight of them, and they’re minibosses!! At least, that’s my understanding from the mario wiki. I haven’t actually gotten that far in Mario RPG yet! I’m bad at video games. Snifits four through seven are actually promoted in-game from Spookums to Snifits if you lose to them in battle, though! That’s a really cool mechanic, and I’d love to see things like that more often in video games. I also like the idea that the colour of the Snifit denotes rank, with black being the strongest. Overall, despite just being a black variant of a normal Snifit, I like these ones just a little bit more than your average Snifit! I just think they’re neat! 10.5/10!!!

Whistle Snifit, Slurp Snifit, and Spike Snifit

Sorry, I lumped these guys all together because they’re kind of just normal Snifits wearing accessories!! They’re all from Paper Mario: Colour Splash. 6/10 for the whole set. I love them all very much but they could stand to be a bit more adventurous!! I like the Spike Snifit the most because they’re wearing a cute little hat and also don’t have something stuffed into their snoot. Why would you put something into an already perfect snoot?? It looks uncomfortable. I like that the one with the straw is called a Slurp Snifit, though!! Slurp is a fun word. Also, these guys all come in red, blue, green, yellow, and pink! Yellow and pink are my favorite colours though, so I used those ones to make up for them being kind of boring :3

Chariot Snifit

Hey, this one is just in a car!! That’s somehow both worse and better than the last few from Colour Splash. It gets half a point though for teaming up with a Chain Chomp, which is another favorite of mine. 8.5/10!!!

Snifaro

Aaaaaaaa!!!!!! Look at these two pals!!! I love them!! The Snifaro is actually just a regular sized Snifit with a cool pharaoh mask standing on top of a regular Snifit inside of a sarcophagus!! The Super Mario Wiki says that one of their attacks features Snifit hopping on top of Snifaro’s sarcophagus and riding it like a surfboard. That’s wonderful and perfect! Take notes, Colour Splash Snifits!! This is how you accessorize!!! 10/10!!

Ice Snifit

Take a look at these two!! They are so adorable and look so warm in their little winter coats!!!! I like the walking head version used in the original Mario+Luigi Superstar Saga a lot, but the more standard looking version in the remakes are impossibly adorable. I would give the original Ice Snifit a 10/10, and the revamped one a 11/10!!! It’s quite possibly my favorite Snifit design.

Ice Snifit, Again

For some reason, this is the only image of these guys on the Mario Wiki, but they’re just as adorable as the previous Ice Snifits!!! Yoshi’s Wooly World is, aesthetically speaking, one of the best Mario games of all time. Possibly the best game ever? It’s too bad that it’s such an easy game. Regardless, this Snifit is on par with the last Ice Snifits, but for whatever reason I like the redesign in Superstar just a liiiiitle bit more. 10.5/10!

Toy Snifit

Absolutely lovely!! I’m not sure if these pals come in different colours, and I’ve never played the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, but this Snifit makes me want to check them out!!! I’d like a real life wind-up toy of this Snifit. Let’s make it happen, Nintendo!! 9/10!!

Scorchit

Very cute! Kind of plain though. Sorry, Scorchit, but simply spitting out fire won’t put you on the same level as Ice Snifit!! It’s also apparently called “Zeus Guy” in the manual for Yoshi’s Island DS? That’s a cute name! I feel like it would fit better if this Snifit spat out lightning bolts instead of fire, though! I like that it’s pink. 7/10

Laser Snifit and Gunner Guy

Ohhhhhohohohohoho!!!!! Ohohoho!!!! This is where the real fun begins!!! Look at these friends!!!! I love them!!!! This is what Slurp Snifit up there should have been!! The snout is the defining trait of Snifits, and these two have bumped it up to eleven!!! Apparently Gunner Guy can’t move on his own, though, which is heartbreaking. Also, he might not actually be a Snifit??? He might be a Shy Guy with a gun on his face! Is that what all Snifits are? Are they the same thing? I choose to believe they aren’t, and the snout is somehow biologically part of their face along with the rest of the mask. I’m rambling, though. Laser Snifit earns an 11/10 from me, while Gunner Guy gets an 8/10 for making me feel sad while still somehow being delightful.

Propeller Mucho

What the heck?!  What a whimsical name!! Unfortunately, this is the only image of them on the Mario Wiki, but they still look pretty cute to me! I imagine they’re the same as Fly Guys, but like. Snifits. I love the idea that Shy Guys and Snifits are kind of mechanical or toy-like in nature. Maybe that’s why they live in the toy box in Paper Mario??? Anyways, 6/10. I wish I could see them better! They would have scored higher, but they’re outdone by.......

Flying Snifit

A friend with a way less whimsical name,  but a way more whimsical appearance!! Look at those wings!!!! Most Mario enemies, when given the gift of flight, have cute little angel wings slapped onto them - but not Flying Snifit!! No, instead, this little garden buddy sprouts a pair of adorable cartoon butterfly wings!!  I adore this Snifit!! They’re going to get a whopping 11/10 from me! We aren’t done with Flying Snifit just yet, however, because they also show up with a couple of friends!!

Flifit and Sneed

I told you our garden party wasn’t over yet!! These are also easily some of the most inventive varieties of Snifit!! There are only a couple of others that stray from the general Snifit body plan, and these two are both some of the weirdest and cutest!! God, I love them. Flifit spits out Sneed, which in turn spits out (presumably inanimate) seeds! I love whatever the heck Sneed is doing in that animation. I choose to interpret it as a little butt waggle. Shake it, Sneed!! For both of these friends, I’m handing out a solid 10/10!!!

Snufit

So, like I said before, there are only a couple of Snifit-adjacent friends that change up the general body plan that is Snifit! Snufits are ghost Snifits that live in Hazy Maze Cave in Super Mario 64!! They’re very cute, but when I was little I was actually kind of afraid of them? I’m not sure why! In the original game on the Nintendo 64, Snufit was round and shaped like a Boo, which is pretty cute! I love the idea that all ghosts in the Mario universe are just big round balls of ghostliness. This version of Snufit gets an 8/10! It’s pretty cute, but the redesign of Snufit in the DS version is so much more appealing to me, for some reason! I think it’s the floppy little sleeves. As someone who always wore sweaters that were much too big for me and always seemed to have “puppy paws” as my mom would call them, this new Snufit just calls to me. Also, shouldn’t these guys have been called Spookums?? I guess Mario RPG did come out before Mario 64, but it wouldn’t be the first time some weird name shenanigans had gone down in the Mario universe. Anyways, the redesign of Snufit gets an 11/10 from me!! It’s up there with Ice Snifit and Flying Snifit as one of my favorites!!

Spider

Hey, these guys aren’t even in any of the games!! I think that should change though. I like them a lot!! Pretty creepy, and bizarre, though! I used to watch The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! a fair amount when i was little, but I must have missed whichever episode these guys appeared in. I think I would have remembered them for the rest of my life if I had!! I used to be really afraid of spiders when I was little. I think they’re really neat now though!! Still, I’m only going to give these guys an 8/10 for virtue of never being used in a game, and also for being kind of creepy and also for not having eight legs. I know that stuff isn’t their fault! It’s just the way things are sometimes. Life is cruel, especially to spiders.

Spiky Snifit

Okay, these guys are the last of the official Snifit friends! I probably should have put them up with Flifit, but I wanted them to stand on their own. I love cacti a lot, being from a desert, and saguaro cacti are just the best!! I also love how Flifit seems to have their mask organically growing from their stem, but Spiky here could easily just be a normal cactus with a Snifit mask slapped onto it!! Does it have a face underneath?? Is it literally just a cactus??? Could you make anything into a Snifit by putting a mask onto it??? Spiky Snifit here raises a lot of questions, and answers literally none of them, and for that I love them. 9.5/10!! 

Finally, I would like to give an honorable mention to one other Mario enemy that I think has been unfairly left behind and forgotten. Let’s take a moment to remember a dear friend....

Tweeter

Tweeter is an enemy that debuted in Doki Doki Panic/ Super Mario Bros 2 alongside Shy Guy, Snifit, Bob-omb, Birdo, and many other friends that we all know, love, and continually see in Mario games even today!! Unfortunately, unlike many of the other enemies from Mario 2, Tweeter hasn’t really ever shown up again! They make the occasional cameo here and there, but even those are few and far between!! Why haven’t Tweeters ever shown up again?? It’s unclear, but they’re also pretty high up on my list of favorite mario enemies! It turns out I just love masks and snoots, especially if that snoot is also a beak. If I were to give these guys a score, and I will, I would give them a 100/100!! Gone, but never forgotten (by me).

If you read all of this, thank you for your time!! I love you, and so does Snifit and all their many friends!! Feel free to shoot me a message telling me your favorite Mario enemy, and check out the blog @weirdmarioenemies​​ !! I’ve been binge reading their entire archive, and as you could probably guess, it heavily inspired me to make this post! I just love Snifit so much, and wanted to spread the love!! I hope you all come to love them as much as I do. Also, @nintendo​, please bring back Tweeter and also make Snifit a playable character in Mario Kart, Mario Party, Mario Tennis, your next main Mario platformer, et cetera, et cetera... In fact, let’s ditch Mario and make the games all about Snifit!!!

New Super Snifit Bros!! Coming soon to a store near you!!

[sportss-gay]

FAWSL Kit Review Part 1

Disclaimer: I am not a fashion expert (this is a joke post and is just for fun, please don’t come for me if I insult your team’s jersey) and these are in no particular order, all teams will be reviewed in time (no one is safe)

1. Manchester City

Home kit - Simple, sometimes less is more you know? We love the classic sexy sky blue colour. Solid kit, 9/10

Away kit - Look I'm confused, you're confused, we're all confused, not entirely sure why it's a gradient from yellow to...pink? Does look like ice cream but who doesn't like ice cream. Could be worse, 5/10

Third kit - Again very simple, not as sexy of a colour as the sky blue and so unfortunately does lose some points. Nice how the detailing on the sleeves references the home and away kit colours, 6.5/10

2. Birmingham city

Home kit - I can't criticise this shirt because there's maple syrup on it and a) I fucking love maple syrup and b) I don't want to anger any Canadians. Not sure why Birmingham city is sponsored by maple syrup but let's not question it. You could say this shirt is sweet (sorry), 7/10

Away kit - That charcoal thooo. Yes Birmingham, I LIKE this. It's simple but it WORKS (thank god they got rid of the yellow kits), 8.5/10

Third kit - I don't think one exists? Who needs one when you have that beautiful charcoal away kit, my hometown is winning in the jersey department right now (the requirements to win are just to be associated with maple syrup and/or food in general, so you know, not the most demanding challenge)

3. Tottenham Hotspur

Home kit - I get the vibes that this shirt has just had to miss his son's birthday again due to a last minute business meeting, he never watches his daughters dance recitals and his wife is pissed. Don't ask me to explain. Nice gradient tho, 6/10

Away kit - The business man when he was young and fun and would be the life of the party. Another nice blue shade (not as good as the sky blue though sorry). I'm somehow attracted to the sleeves? 8/10

Third kit - "Can I copy your homework?" "Yeah just make sure you change it a bit so they can't tell" = Tottenham to Manchester City probably. This sky blue is looking scarily similar. Still sexy tho, 7/10

4. Reading

Home kit - I see that rainbow heart reading!! Gay rights babey!! I do actually quite like the blue and white stripes of the reading kit, very unique, very nice, extra points for the gay (obviously), 8.5/10

Away kit - I couldn’t find any pictures of the women in the away kit so I’m just gonna presume it will be the same as the men’s but with a different sponsor. I feel like I should like this shirt but I just, don’t? Reading’s home kit is already so unique that they probably will hardly wear the away shirt anyway and I for one don’t mind. I can’t pick out what it is about the shirt but it just, underwhelms. Sorry Reading, 5/10

Third kit - Again as far as I can tell, there isn’t a third kit (which is fine because the home kit is more than enough for me)

[movie-reviewer-perhaps]

BOOKSMART

right so i saw this one a while ago so dont crucify me if i get anything wrong. if were being short and sweet, booksmart is amazing, go watch it, and then consequently go watch a ton of video essays praising it or hating it (but probably praising it) im sure you've all hear the spiel on how booksmart is apparently now an instant classic so im not gonna do all that (even though i fully agree) but instead im gonna do what i do best and talk about *nerdy stuff*

lets start with what is easily the best part about this movie: acting. all of the characters felt real and raw and the actors did such a good job of translating emotions and making us feel them too. the vibe was just very real and raw and so much fun. olivia wilde knows how to work with actors because she is one and because of that she made a petty solid directorial debut. while the direction wasn’t perfect it was certainly very good. the lights and sound were goog, if maybe a little too on the nose mainly sound since a lot of times the soundtrack would be a song shoving in your face what the characters were feeling and the lights had murderers lit in red so yeah, on the nose and aggressive but not bad enough to make me dislike the film. the editing was pretty good i think, i dont remember the pacing ever feeling slow or fast, i think it let you feel all the feelings you needed to and actually added to the whole comedic effect.  the cinematography was mostly dynamic but nothing too special. regardless i appreciated that it never felt stale. the writing would be one of the only parts with a major flaw, it being that the plot is basically a cookie-cutter coming of age. i mean it kept me entertained, and it felt decently fresh and distinctively 2019 for the most part but there were parts that didnt need to happen except for this is what happens in coming of age films so they had to do it as well? again those are pretty select parts and only one major plot point so it wasnt too bad and the rest of the film made up for it. the scrip i think was hilarious except for one or two jokes that didnt land and felt a tad over done but for the most part my theater was chuckling the whole way through 

8.5/10 just a generally enjoyable experience and so genuine. like the entire movie was genuine, real, entertaining, funny and relatable. what more could you want from your coming of age comedy? not perfect, but definitely a solid piece to watch alone or with friends. catch it in theaters if you still can and havent already and if not pay a visit to red-box very soon. 

[quaymorris]

Album: Femme Fatale

Release Date: March 25, 2011.

Femme Fatale. Flawless Fatale. The beginning of Robotney, or current-ish day Britney. Whatever, I consider this to be the third in the Holy Trinity, but this is where it’s up for debate (as mentioned with Circus). The fanbase is torn on this album. It seems to inspire strong feelings in either direction. Like I said, I love it. It is my favorite Britney album.

This is her sixth album to debut at #1 and the only one to have 3 top ten hits (I know, seems odd). She looked dead inside the entire damn tour, but I honestly just don’t watch those videos.

Robotney incoming!

Till The World Ends | 11 /10

Here it is. My ultimate Britney song. THE greatest song in her repertoire. This is THE perfect club song. I know not because I go to clubs, but because around the time this came out I had friends telling me how often they heard it in the clubs and how much they LOVED it. Catchy chorus + electropop dance beat + Britney = winner winner chicken dinner every time.

The fact that it wasn’t even nominated for a Grammy is the greatest tragedy of our generation.

Hold It Against Me | 8.5 /10

Only Britney could string together a series of hook up one-liners and turn it into a #1 chart smasher. WHO HAD A GREATER INFLUENCE ON DUBSTEP ENTERING MAINSTREAM. WHO ELSE WAS DROPPING BANGERS LIKE THIS IN 2011. NO ONE THAT'S WHO. THESE ARE NOT QUESTIONS, BUT DECLARATIONS OF THE KWEEN'S ALMIGHTY POWER.

Inside Out | 9 /10

#ShouldveBeenASingle #Justice4InsideOut This is Showdown's sexier young sister and it does it even better.

I Wanna Go | 7 /10

Unlike TTWE, the chorus of this song starts to irritate me rather quickly, but I do love me some Britney clapbacks and the bitch delivers again.

How I Roll | 9.5 /10

I am *obsessed* with this song. It's so airy and cheery and fun. And I so pretend she's singing "You can be my fuck tonight ... " because she should be. The hiccup-y beat is just - *chef’s kiss*

(Drop Dead) Beautiful | 6 /10

Simultaneously the highlight of Sabi's career and the finale of Sabi's "career."

Seal It With A Kiss | 8.5 /10

So much dubstep in this album, Dr. Puke does it well. Illicit love is the most exciting kind and that subject matter over a playful beat gives us a nearly perfect Britney Spears song. Flawless Fatale continues.

Big Fat Bass | 1 /10

And right after I called the album flawless. Sigh - This song is bad and will.i.am should feel bad.

Trouble For Me | 7 /10

I love the earnestness I hear in her voice whenever I listen to this song. She's simultaneously begging for and trying to avoid the danger that she knows awaits her. The distortion of her vocals turns the dial up on that tug of war even more, making it sexy af.

Trip To Your Heart | 9 /10

I call this Heaven On Earth's tamer cousin, but it's still a fairly flawless track. The throaty vocals she gives us on certain lines give a raw edge to a rather upbeat, pop-y song.

Gasoline | 6.5 /10

Spark! And it's like gas-o-line! Ok, so they're not the *best* lyrics lol, but you can't deny that this song is catchy af. 

Criminal | 7 /10

Solid song, but it should not have been the third single imo. That video is extra hot, though. Too bad it features her (super hot) loser ex, though.

Up 'N' Down | 8.5 /10

This song could've easily been on the standard edition, replacing, I don't know, Gasoline?!?! I'm glad it's at least on the bonus tracks.

He About To Lose Me | 8.5 /10

Some more illicit love from Miss Spears. We have our theme: dancing, illicit sex, and ... more sex. This is better than Criminal and should've replaced it on the standard edition.

Selfish | 9 /10

Britney takes control and we're all just along for the ride. Count me as here for it slay me Kween.

Don't Keep Me Waiting | 7 /10

If this doesn't scream 90s punk rock pop ... I love how LOUD the chorus gets. It's very in your face on an otherwise straight forward song.

Scary | 8 /10

Sort of like Blackout, the bonus tracks could've replaced certain songs on the standard edition (Criminal, Gasoline, Big Fat Bass, Drop Dead - bye bye losers). This could've also worked as a strong single. It's upbeat and would work perfectly in clubs. And she actually wrote this one so ...

Till The World Ends (Remix) | 8/10

Not as good as the original, but Kesha's slays them vocals on the chorus and Nicki Minaj doesn't get *too* weird thank god.

U N R E L E A S E D  | L E A K E D  T R A C K S

Pleasure You

8.5 /10 without Don Philip, -1,050 / 10 with Don Philip

Sigh, here’s this fucker again. The rumor is that she didn’t actually record this song with him. It was already decided that it wouldn’t be used when Don fucking Philip somehow got his hands on it and added his ... “vocals.”

This person needs to accept that he can't sing, won't ever have a singing career, and move the fuck on. Anyways ... this song, when finished up, probably would've been quite nice, but it's a rough listen right now and hard to judge. ESPECIALLY WITH MR. DON'S AWFUL VOCALS ON IT. Gross - I refuse to believe she would've recorded another song with him.

Unbroken | 9 /10 COMMENTARY: I like this song. A lot. I don't mind her obviously heavily auto-tuned vocals and it's pretty much straightforward pop. That being said, it didn't really fit the album for me. Would've love it to be released as a single regardless.

Burning Up | 2 /10

Eh. It's a decent enough cover, but see all my other comments about Britney's covers.

[messiahofslams]

Kingdom Hearts Series

So I've spent the last month beating every Kingdom Hearts game on proud or critical in preparation for KH3 and I gotta say most of them are great with a few exceptions. Get ready for a bunch of reviews!

Kingdom Hearts Final Mix: 9/10

Probably my absolute favourite such a crisp game easy to play but with unexpected depth to it. Doesnt devolve into spamming reaction commands like 2. I gotta say once you get Leaf Bracer Second Chance and Once More most fights are a cake walk. I did all the optional content in this one and the added bosses in final mix 1.5 are great!

Kingdom Heart Re:Chain of Memories: 7.5/10

I really love card battle systems and CoM has a pretty great one. Not Baiten Kaitos tier but still fun to play through. Loses some points for how repetitive the worlds are, you basically run through reskins of the same rooms for 10 hours but the game itself is fun and I love the Castle Oblivion crew.

Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix: 7/10

Eh. When I played this as a teenager I loved it but when it doesnt really stack up next to the other games and I think its objectively worse than KH1. The worlds boil down to 5 small rooms each, combat becomes either spamming commands or spamming drives. The worlds are some of my favourite but the execution of the gameplay of the worlds is pretty lame. Hottest version of Riku though and nothing is better then sora hugging kairi and then FALLING ON HIS KNEES AND WEEPING AND HOLDING RIKUS HAND 2 seconds later. They are boyfriends just btw.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days: 5/10

This is a bad game with an okay story. The gameplay is honestly garbage holding the DS the way you have to hurts your hand after like an hour. Super boring mission system but I appreciate the attempt at something new. The story is slow till the last 100 days then is really cool I genuinely love Xion Roxas and Axel. The panel system is awful the worlds are copies from KH1 with less actual worlds than the original game. I wish I watched the movie version but I felt obliged to beat them all... the story is the saving grace here and even then it's not laid out very well.

Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep Final Mix: 8.5/10

My second favourite game for sure, I love the story and character more than KH1 but it also suffers from empty worlds like KH2 so it knocked it down slightly. Still that's really my only gripe. Aqua is one of the most fun characters in the series to play as. The command board is like crack to me because I FUCKING LOVE MONOPLY. I like fusing commands to find new cool shit and the ending of BBS is easily one of my favourite moment in KH. A prequel that does everything right, if you never gave it a chance you are missing out! Aqua deserves to be happy...

Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance HD: 8/10

Such an unexpectedly fun game. Of all things the WORLDS are the best part here. Not because they are all great Disney choices but because of how massive they are and the new flowmotion movement mechanics. Sadly the great action gameplay is weighed down by the Dream Eaters you have to raise. Super boring minigames and you have to use the system to get commands this time so you cant just fire and forget. TWEWY was a cool choice and really fit the game thematically. Also the story here was great, at least for Riku. It really rounded out his character and I wish he was the main protagonist of the series now. Check it out for sure if you're a KH Fan.

Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep 0.2: A Fragmentary Passage 7/10

I know this is basically just a tech demo but it was really solid. I would do anything to play as Aqua again and getting to see her journey in the world of darkness was great. Gameplay is solid graphics beautiful, it did its job getting me pumped for KH3. Not much to say due to how short it was but the few worlds it had were very fun and interactive!

I have to admit I didn't play recoded which I apologize for. I just dont have access to the game only the movie on the collection and I'd rather play the game. Kingdom Hearts is a great series and every game except Days deserves a playthrough!