#but spirit box also has very pretty visuals

[thefailureartist]

Obsessed with the fact that Spiritbox's album Eternal Blue and Sleep Token's album This Place Will Become Your Tomb were released only a week apart from each other and both have a deep ocean aesthetic. It's just too close to be a coincidence. There has to be lore here... somewhere.

[gavillain]

Since you are the world’s leading expert on Disney villains, which villains have your favourite aesthetics/vibe? For me, Horned King is not even in my top 20, but his general aesthetic and the design of him, his castle and his army…I love it.

Oooh, I LOVE this question!

So, in general, I'm a very aesthetic and vibe oriented person, and in my case, for the most part, my favorite aesthetics and vibes correspond to my favorite villains. However, even though Maleficent is my top favorite villain, the one who has my favorite aesthetic and vibe is Queen Grimhilde.

I was talking with a friend of mine about which Disney screencaps most incarnate our vibes, and Grimhilde's very first shot was my pick for myself:

The color scheme with the purples, blacks, and blues, the dark medieval castle setting with its mixture of grandeur and mysteriousness, the star and moon curtains that represent the cosmos, the zodiac signs adorning the mirror, the magical witchcraft that is about to ensue with the queen and the mirror, the eerie looking dim torches on either side of her - it all just is so captivating for me right from the get go.

I love her outfit and how flowing it is and the way it catches the wind and flutters about. The purples, the reds, and the blacks are just the prime villain color scheme, and I'm here for it! And the spell to summon the mirror has such amazing writing in general that conveys the mythic feel.

I love fire and fiery aesthetics in general (Maleficent, Hades, and Jafar have entered the chat), so having her bring that in during the summoning of the mirror is great. This shot is just so dynamic and visually appealing to me. Speaking of...

The Spirit of the Magic Mirror in general is such a cool aesthetic to me. I love the way he's only a floating theater mask illuminated in greens and blues and kind of distorted by the billowing smoke behind the looking glass that obscures the view of a world of total darkness. It has such a classic mythic feel to it that he captures my imagination every time.

Me when the neighbor kids are making a loud ruckus outside XD

This shot is just so beautiful though! The carved balcony, the diamond design on the window pane, the vibrant blood red curtains, and the queen herself framing herself perfectly as she watches the hated youths below cavorting in her courtyard.

OPPULENCE! YOU. OWN. EVERYTHING! I love her throne room. The ornate peacock shaped throne is of course stunning and so thematically appropriate, but I also love the details of the coat of arms and the woodwork on the sides. It feels RICH and ROYAL. And I love the way that she drapes her flowing clothing over the throne when she sits. The scepter on the pillow next to her is a great background detail, and once again those deep beautiful red curtains are immaculate.

Shout out to Humbert the Huntsman. I like his design a lot - we don't really see middle aged men in animation who are designed to have realistic faces and body proportions any more.

Also take note of the castle detailing of the background and the shield with the crossed hatchets off to the side. All of that is part of Grimhilde too.

I love the box she has for Snow White's heart. The detail of the latch being a dagger piercing a heart is inspired, and the blood red color of it is so visually evocative. Also the pattern on the side is very visually interesting even if I'm not sure what it's supposed to represent.

Her castle's exterior is also worth noting. During the daylight, it's very pretty and regal, but it's more in Snow White's color palette. But at night...

Once the sun sets and Snow White has left its halls, it becomes every bit a dark and imposing fortress befitting Grimhilde's dark majesty.

I just love those star and moon curtains and her flowing cape so much XD But also notice those vibrant green eyes of hers! As a fellow member of the green eyes segment of the population, I feel seen XD

Wearing a blanket down the stairs vibes XD Obviously I love the whole flow of her clothing in this shot, but I also love how up until now, everything around Grimhilde has been very regal and imposing, but we see her leaving the majesty of the mirror chamber and descending into the depths of darkness and decay marked by the presence of rats and other vermin.

Any warmth is drained from the shot. Also, skeletons and skulls and chains. Love them!

And it just keeps going with coffins and cobwebs that obscure our view. It's spooky Halloween-core in its highest form now!

The raven is a great counterpoint to Grimhilde in a dark inverse of Snow White being kind and a friend to the birds whilst Grimhilde is scaring the living beejezums outta this poor thing. The heavy tomes, the skull on display, the hourglass, the melted candle, the bubbling beaker - it's all just so many great details that scream WITCH!

I love the detail of the globe in this shot in particular. Like it's down here with her macabre magical artifacts rather than anywhere more royal or diplomatic. You really get the feeling that she wants her dark magic to spread across the entire world. Also it hints at her being well traveled and worldly, which with what we know about her backstory is very true.

I don't want to hear anyone say that Grimhilde wasn't FULL of dark magic. We only saw her cast TWO spells out of all of these dark spellbooks. She has LOADS of power that we haven't fully seen, and those implications make her chilling. I'm also very intrigued by the nature of each of these. Astrology is obvious and harkens back to the zodiac signs adorning her mirror, which I love. But she's got the Black Arts, Alchemy, Witchcraft, Black Magic (which has the word DEATH at the bottom), Disguises, Sorcery, and Poisons. I wonder what the difference is between Black Arts and Black Magic since they're terms usually used interchangeably. Black Magic at least seems to be focused mostly on death based magic, so perhaps Black Arts are dark spells that extend beyond necromancy and killing curses.

Also I love hands and how expressive a person's hands can be, and Grimhilde's perfect manicure as she peruses the shelf is so visually appealing to me.

Look at her little skeleton man scale on the left! That's SO classic goth, and I LIVE for it XD He even has a little crown XD

This just has such cool and creepy vibes like finding an old worn book that has research material you need and having this vibe of unearthing long lost knowledge. Also look at the other page. It seems there may be some use for the heart of that pig after all ;)

But the ingredients are so classically witchy and spooky, and I enjoy the way they take the time to show Grimhilde adding each one and focusing on its unique visual properties.

Everything bubbling around her, and that unique light fixture right behind her always make this shot so dynamic and visually interesting as we begin the spell...

I love how the Black of Night slowly snakes its way down and engulfs the potion

An Old Hag's Cackle. I love how it's a sound that has been distilled in liquid form and when heated it bubbles up and unleashes the cackle.

A Scream of Fright! I love how the steam becomes a shrieking phantom as it rises.

I think this is genuinely one of the BEST and most dynamic shots in all of Disney history. The way Grimhilde's face is reflected in the potion as it bubbles and smokes, the green of it, the placement of the hand, it's all just MARVELOUS and I love how it's also our last real look at her before the transformation. Almost like she's getting consumed by the potion right before our eyes.

Then of course her Old Hag form is one of my favorite character designs in Disney. Look at how striking she is! How viscerally frightening! How utterly mad she appears to be! It's PERFECT!

Notice "Formulae Mortis" next to the raven hiding in the skull - more magic!

And the recipe for the Poison Apple with the beautiful and dark illustrations in the margins!

I love the aesthetic of cauldrons. I love the bubbling witches brew with the blue and the greens as it billows steam that clouds the entire room. I love the hag peaking through the curtain of fog as she dips the apple into the brew, eagerly anticipating her ultimate victory by this one dark act.

And of course...

THE APPLE! One of the most iconic pieces of imagery in film history. The dripping poison making the death's head as the magic seeps into the darkened fruit before turning it a luscious and tempting red to hide its malevolent purpose.

Her aesthetic and surrounding imagery is just so evocative and classically gothic and medieval and witchy that I just go gaga over it every time! She is that exact intersection between Halloween, fantasy, history, the esoteric, the mystical, and the deadly that captivates my personal tastes so much, and I just always find her and her vibes to be PEAK Disney Villain! And, when you think about it, every other villain in the lineup owes their entire existence to her, and their vibes and aesthetics are in turn derivative of Grimhilde and the gold standard that she set.

I could go on and on even further about Grimhilde and her aesthetic and her vibes, but I am unfortunately at the tumblr image limit and so I can't embed anything more XD But, yeah, you probably weren't looking for a deep dive answer, but you hit on two of my hyper fixations and so you get the info dump with visual aids! Sorry, not sorry XDD

[evolutionsvoid]

The Waniguchi is a rather visually striking species of amphibian that is found far east, dwelling within the many rivers and ponds. While some may assume it a kind of lizard at first glance, these creatures are actually large salamanders, bearing wide round heads and damp scaleless skin. What may cause this confusion are the numerous hardened bumps that dot their hide, perhaps giving the impression of scales. Some of these hardened circles grow to bigger sizes, providing a sort of crude armor for the salamander. Also running along its body are notable crests, believed to aid the males in winning over mates. While they are quite flashy, most people are drawn more to the head of the Waniguchi, which is said to have quite the signature shape and markings to it. The locals have likened it to a special bell that they have, due to its rounded flat appearance. Thus this species gained their name from that very bell!  

When it comes to their daily lives, Waniguchi pretty much spend their time either sleeping or waiting. They lurk on the bottom of water bodies, typically hiding in burrows, under rocks or tucked into crevices. They feed upon fish, crustaceans, worms and bugs, or any small aquatic critter that swims too close. Their mouths open wide to suck in prey, and then a multitude of tiny sharp teeth to grab hold! Anything they catch, they swallow whole, and then they either go back to waiting for more food, or simply fall asleep to digest the day's catch. Not a complicated lifestyle, but there is certainly beauty in simplicity! And I am sure there are some folk that are envious of an easy life of just eating and sleeping!

While the Waniguchi is by no means an utterly bizarre or crazy creature, what is interesting to note is its place in local culture. I mentioned before that the people have named it after a bell of theirs, but that isn't where things ended. These calm, simple amphibians are seen as protective spirits or guardians, which appears to be a common theme with salamanders in this region. They are also said to be wise, and their mere presence can bring about blessings. Thus, Waniguchi have been taken in as pets and shrine animals, given a place to live within sacred pools and ponds. If you find yourself at any shrine that has an ornamental water body near it, you can be sure a Waniguchi lives within it! The caretakers of these places feed them and ensure their ponds are in perfect condition, as it is vital to keep the salamanders happy! It should be noted that it is decades of breeding these salamanders that has led to the domesticated breeds having such beautiful head patterns. I can't imagine the amount of work it took to get them to have such a similar look to the bells themselves! That being said, the wild ones do not have nearly as intricate of a design to them, being much more muddled, mottled and dull. Regardless, they are treated with the same level of respect, and it is illegal to harass them or harm them in any way. I should point out that this includes throwing coins and random crap into their ponds! There are special fountains and boxes to put coins and donations, you clods! If you chuck that stuff into their pools, there is a chance they may swallow them, get sick or even die! So read the signs, respect the rules and keep your garbage out of their homes! Do know that if I catch you breaking that rule, than I too will partake in reckless stupid behavior and toss you into the pool too!    

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

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

"Waniguchi"

Not much to really say with this one, as I was not able to learn much about the Waniguchi yokai, but it was kind of funny that descriptions often called the bell shape "crocodilian" meanwhile the giant salamander is just sitting right there with the roundish flat head. 

[fourswords]

/New q!! Four Swords Links Meet:::

How would someone tell them apart visually other than age and height?

Ooooh interesting question! So, my thoughts:

Let me actually start with Knight first—I think he's gotten tall enough that he'd probably gotten fitted for armor at some point or another (have you seen how tall some 15 year olds get these days. what are they putting in the milk in school cafeterias....), but I sincerely doubt he would be in full plate whenever he was magically thrust into this situation where he's meeting four other wielders of the Four Sword. I'd say he's probably got on a layer of chain mail in a similar manner to the Links from Twilight Princess/Skyward Sword/Hyrule Warriors, a pretty standard green tunic, white pants, brown boots, what have you. Unfortunately he's the most basic person ever because his game just doesn't give the players any information about him at all other than the fact that he's Zelda's childhood friend, but one thing I do think one thing he has is a pair of expensive-looking arm guards for archery, probably with some detailed flourish to it as well. My reasoning for this is the fact that his official Four Swords art has both his Green Link & Blue Link wielding the bow and arrow:

And I have to give him something, so a proficiency and a preference for archery it is. (This makes him an interesting contrast to Light, who—given Vio's ability to just Pick Up A Bow And Start Shooting in the FSA manga—is also apparently very skilled at archery, but not a single one of his official artworks for Four Swords Adventures includes the bow.) He also has those three-fingered gloves used for archery. I think he ditched the cap after a while, though, so no cap for him. He could've grown his hair out some as well and keeps it pulled back a single straight braid so it doesn't bother him while he's training/fighting/etc.

Light himself is funny to think about because I do think FSA Link would incorporate all four colors that represented Green, Red, Blue & Vio somewhere into his outfit some time after the manga, but I don't think he'd do it in a super over-the-top way because he's more about Going Out And Kicking Ass than fussing over what he wants to look like (and also Shadow would laugh at him). Maybe Zelda did some multi-colored embroidery on his belt or something? Or his belt is just split-dyed all four colors or something in addition to the embroidery. Also, the manga is extremely wishy-washy on the color of his undershirt, but it seems like he wears a black undershirt (and they were just colored in with a metric fuckton of green highlights), and that's something I always liked given that Shadow wore a white undershirt, so it was like an inverse sort of thing. Given that Light specifically only comes like six months after the end of that adventure, I don't think his outfit would differ too much at all from the manga, so he is a bit stuck in the "plain" box with Knight. Hilarious considering their nicknames rhyme, I know.

Four is also funny to think about because never once in the LOZ series were we given a picture of the Hero of the Four Sword. We got his legend written out in the FS manual & the FSA game prologue and a brief excerpt in Hyrule Historia and that was IT. But given that his whole thing was "show up out of nowhere, kick Vaati's ass and seal him away, and then disappear into the woods never to be seen again", I like to think that he wears greens and browns to blend in with the forest, and I'll say that he doesn't have a cap either because it's too easy to get snagged on a tree branch and lost or something. I think he inherited a little of Smithy's messy hair; it's not quite the level of "total rat's nest" that Smithy's is, but it definitely looks like it could use a brushing. Or four (ha!). Nothing too heavy for him, though—I'd imagine his clothes are actually a bit threadbare or even obviously patched-up in places because he's just sort of a free spirit traveling wherever he pleases. The type to let his boots wear down until you can see his toes every time he takes a step because there's nothing holding anything together and only THEN will he go to a nearby market and buy a new pair. You know how the original Link from 1986 was drawn with a BUNCH of shit on his back? Like, his entire inventory? Four is the opposite—considering the manual says that he appeared with "little more than a sword at his back", I think he could just be a really minimalistic type of dude. He's got the tiniest pack in existence with a spare bit of food and a waterskin and a pouch with some rupees and that's about it. He'll work out anything else.

When it comes to Smithy, I'm biased towards having him wear the Roc's Cape from the game because I think having it helps him out with fighting (the Minish Cap strategy of jumping directly over Darknuts with the Roc's Cape and hitting them from behind before they can hit you), but also I'd imagine that a cape that can magically catch the wind like it does has to be decently thick to maintain that gliding in the air, so it helps him keep warm, too. He still has the cap that Ezlo gave him, of course, and he's just happy that he hasn't outgrown it yet. Under that cap, of course, is the messiest head of hair in the franchise, like Ezlo loved to rag on him for. He's the one that sticks out the most just because he wears the Roc's Cape all the time, and also given his funny-as-hell expression in his official art while using the Mole Mitts, I'm sure he loves to whip those out at any given opportunity like a little madman, too. He's the one who still carries the Four Sword, of course, and since he was the one who collected and infused all the elements into the sword itself, I like to think that he's the one who gets the fun little color-changing eyes that you sometimes see in other fanworks of different Links wielding the Four Sword. I think his eyes only change color when he's actually wielding the Four Sword, though—they're just his regular blue otherwise. Other than that, I doubt his outfit under the cape has changed much either.

[disco-elysium-via-polls]

You hear the sound of running water. Someone's washing dishes.

Sounds like Gary's back in his apartment.

🎵 Coastal Shack

As I'm writing this, the vote is tied between the church and the village, but there is one *specific* thing I want to prioritize in the village. We need to find our gun, and that means dealing with Evrart.

We *could* play into his hands and just let Lilienne and Sadie sign. We could also find someone else to sign. Or...

WHITE ENVELOPE - You take the legal documents out of the envelope: a 12-40 month construction period and the zoning plan in the addendum.

2. [Interfacing - Challenging 12] Okay, let's do this! (Commence the forgery.)

+2 Dresscode: Paper-jockey.

INTERFACING [Challenging: Success] - With a confident flourish you complete your forgery. What do you see on the signature line?

Two names: *Isobel Sadie* and *Lilienne Carter*.

INTERFACING - Indeed. They look distinctly different and very convincing. These might as well be their actual signatures.

But they're not, and the document will be nullified if they dispute it. That means Evrart will have to start over.

All you need to do now is mail the signatures to Evrart's accountant in La Delta.

VISUAL CALCULUS [Medium: Success] - There was a mail delivery box in the plaza, near the corner of the bookstore.

2. Put the documents back in the envelope. [Leave.]

A white envelope with a stamp attached to the upper-right corner, handed to you by Evrart Claire. Inside are some legal documents bearing the signatures *Isobel Sadie* and *Lilienne Carter*.

Great. Now...

🎵 Disco Elysium, Pt 1

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "Tequila Sunset." He nods in appreciation.

"What do you guys do around here?"

"Why do you keep losing all your stuff?"

"Okay, here's your jacket. Fresh washed!"

"I want to hear the story of your name again."

"I got you some more booze, can you tell me the next story now?"

"Be seein' you." [Leave.]

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "My jacket?"

"Yeah, it was pretty filthy, though, so I got it cleaned for you."

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - A look of consternation crosses the man's face. He looks at you, then at his bottle, then back at you...

"What the fuck are you talking about, Tequila?"

"What the fuck are *you* talking about?"

"So you're saying this *isn't* your jacket?"

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "Rosemary, what the fuck is Tequila talking about?"

ROSEMARY - "Aye, that's the jacket you stole two weeks ago. From the kid who was making it with his gal on the beach."

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "That's disgusting. I've never done anything like that in my life. You're both delusional." He scoffs. "'FALN'? That's medium-concept stuff."

LOGIC [Easy: Success] - It becomes abundantly clear to you how this man managed to lose his keys, business, friends and girlfriend.

ELECTROCHEMISTRY [Easy: Success] - I'm calling it -- it's neurological.

"Your loss. I'm keeping the jacket for myself." (Keep it.)

"I went through some dark shit to get this for you. Take the fucking jacket." (Give it to him.)

The jacket has some solid stats, if Doom Spiral doesn't want it, we're keeping it.

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "That shit is so medium-concept I wouldn't touch it with a stick. But yeah, okay, I'm sure it looks great on you."

Task complete: Find Idiot Doom Spiral's jacket

+15 XP

Let's at least get a story while we're here.

4. "I got you some more booze, can you tell me the next story now?"

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "Of course -- drink first, story later." He holds out his palm.

"Here, I've got a Potent Pilsner." (Give it.)

"I've got some sweet *Commodore Red*." (Give it.)

"I've got this blue medicinal spirit, how about that?"

"I don't have any on me right now." (Lie.)

"Geez, I already gave you some. I don't want to keep doing that." (Don't do it now.)

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - He raises his palm as if to shun you back to wherever you came from. "No-no-no, contrary to popular belief, I enjoy being alive."

"Here, I've got a Potent Pilsner." (Give it.)

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "Not much, but it will do..." He grabs the bottle from your hand and uncorks it immediately.

"The tale I'm about to tell you is an urban legend particular to Martinaise." He lifts the bottle to his lips and takes a long, luxuriant sip. "That said, I first heard it from a former bicycle courier in Couron..."

"There are many variations on the basic story, and the details often conflict. What everyone agrees on is that nobody knows the exact nature or identity of… the phenomenon."

ROSEMARY - "Are you telling the story of the Headless--"

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "Shut the fuck up, Rosemary!"

He clears his throat: "Summer of '44. Seventeen-year-old Gertrude Het is walking home from a late shift at the harbour. It's almost midnight. She stops for a cigarette near the canal..."

SHIVERS [Medium: Success] - The streets are warmed by a southerly breeze. The lights of a passing motor carriage bloom and fade in the distance...

In the harbour's dark, her cigarette is a beacon, dancing alone. The image comes to you effortlessly, as though you'd walked the same streets yourself a thousand times.

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "Our heroine finds herself enjoying the peace and quiet the canal provides..." He looks up to the skies as if searching for peace himself...

"What she doesn't know is that her peace is about to be shattered. From behind her comes the clattering of hooves. Startled, she turns around, and what does she see?"

"I don't know, what?"

"A horse?"

"The Giant of Koko Nur?"

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "What? No! I told you this is a *Martinaise* legend. It's a man..."

DRAMA [Medium: Success] - ...the pause is long and dramatic...

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "... with no head on his shoulders! Wearing a FALN tracksuit. Searching for the legendary FALN cap that went missing -- when he lost his head."

"Wait, I thought the Headless FALN Rider rode a bull?" (Show him the figurine.)

"Whoa."

"That sounds pretty implausible to me."

"That's super spooky."

KIM KITSURAGI - "I thought that he rode a headless pig?" The lieutenant says with a little smirk.

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "Well, there are many versions of this story, the most peculiar of which has the Headless FALN Rider riding on the back of another headless man."

"That sounds pretty implausible to me."

"That's super spooky."

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "Yes. According to legend, young Gertrude Het had to endure years of psychotherapy before she was able to look at a horse or tracksuit again... And she's one of the *lucky ones*." He takes a sip from his bottle.

"Gertrude Het may have been the first to witness the *Headless FALN Rider*, but she wasn't the last, oh no…"

ROSEMARY - "Tell 'em about the two feminists by the locks!"

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "Fuck, Rosemary, they were dating -- no one said they were feminists. Everyone always misremembering this stuff..."

KIM KITSURAGI - "Hmmm, this wouldn't be the Deponte-Delgado case, would it?"

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "What? You know it?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "I've read the case file. But please, go on."

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "Right. *Ahem*. Early autumn of '46. Ulla Deponte and Eva Delgado are fishing near the water lock long after the sun has set..."

"The wind picks up, a sky already dark now blackens. Water starts falling from above, the first cold rain of the season..."

SHIVERS [Medium: Success] - Two women stand on a small outcropping of rocks. One of them is wearing a purple raincoat. Thin lines reach out from the rods into the sea. Small droplets start appearing on the surface with increasing frequency.

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "The women are caught in the downpour. They act quickly. Eva gathers the rods whilst Ulla turns around to reach for the tackle box..."

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - Don't turn around, don't turn around!

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "When she sees something! Her shriek is so violent that the residents of the nearby apartment building believe lightning has struck..."

"But there is no lightning. Only a heavy downpour and the silhouette of the *Headless FALN Rider* looming on the horizon!"

"Ulla makes a run for the shore, but Eva slips on a wet rock and disappears into the cold, cold canal with nary a sound..."

The man falls ominously silent for a moment. "Her body is never recovered." He looks you straight in the eye.

"What did the case file say?" (Ask Kim.)

"What happened to Ulla Deponte?" (Ask Doom Spiral.)

KIM KITSURAGI - "Naturally, Ulla Deponte became the prime suspect in the disappearance of Eva Delgado. Deponte maintained that it was the so-called 'Headless FALN Rider' and that she ran, fearing for her life..." He adjusts his glasses.

"During the investigation it became apparent that there was a love triangle, the third party being some small-time businessman -- I don't remember the exact details. The leading theory was that an argument broke out on the jetty and Deponte pushed Delgado into the canal, then cooked up this stupid cover story."

"Was she arrested?"

KIM KITSURAGI - "No. She committed suicide before she could be taken into custody. They found her in the bathroom with a rifle, her face slowly peeling off the ceiling..."

"Not a pretty scene."

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "Man, that's some grisly detail. Oh well, here's to another case closed!" He takes a hearty swig from his bottle.

"Anyway, that's the story of the *Headless FALN Rider*. Pretty crazy, huh?"

+5 XP

"Who was the Headless Rider before he died?"

"I've already seen some weird shit on this case. A headless jockey in a tracksuit fits right in."

"That's nothing. I've got an even *crazier* story."

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "Well, Tequila, that's part of the legend -- no one knows for sure. There are a couple of possibilities, though..."

"Some say he was an undercover cop who blew his cover and got beheaded by the vicious gang he had infiltrated -- Now he rides, searching for his lost FALN cap, plotting revenge."

ESPRIT DE CORPS [Medium: Success] - Oh, headless brother, where art thou?

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "Others claim he was a professional jockey who veered off-course during a steeple chase, ended up in somebody's back yard, and got decapitated by an exceptionally taut clothes line..."

PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT [Medium: Success] - Even decapitation couldn't stop his commitment to the sport. Are *you* that committed?

IDIOT DOOM SPIRAL - "Personally, I think he was just some guy who hanged himself from a really tall tree and the fall was so violent that his head came clean off..."

"Coincidentally, at that exact moment, a horse happened to pass under him and his beheaded corpse mounted it, where it remains to this day... But then, no one really knows."

INLAND EMPIRE [Trivial: Success] - For some reason this *does* strike you as the most plausible theory of them all.

[blazeofnight]

PotO Italy (Trieste) review - Act 2

We did enter the intermission with high spirits: All I Ask of You did get us interested and on board, and despite some disappointing or confusing choices the first act was overall enjoyable. The solid vocal and acting performances surely didn't hurt, either.

No pictures this time since I'm at work and can't access Instagram, I'll add them later if I remember. You can find the review for Act 1 here.

The same disclaimer applies: I have not seen other replica productions in full, only pictures, but I have seen the West End production in March. I do consider using Broadway/West End/replica productions as the one and true standard to judge non-replicas unfair in general, but I think it's fair to use them as a comparison to try and understand how these changes affect character dynamics and stuff like that, and to help in trying to understand the reasoning behind the choices made.

My visual memory is VERY poor, so if you've seen the show too and notice I remember something wrong please tell me so I can correct it! Also this is a long post, so please consider how much you want to scroll before clicking the read more.

MASQUERADE/WHY SO SILENT

There are a couple of videos of Masquerade floating around, so I believe everyone interested in this specific scene already has seen them. I have to say that the videos and pictures do not capture just how a light, peaceful and joyous moment it is.

After ending Act 1 with ominous red lighting and a lot of sharp shadows, Act 2 opens with a soft diffused light, slightly yellow as to mimic sunlight. In the beginning they turned on the little constellation lights in the ceilings, and it was absolutely beautiful! Then as the song progressed the lighting got a bit stronger and they also used some of the seating are alights, to create this impression of the stage being bigger and almost overflowing towards the audience. For a split second, it did feel as if we too were part of what was going on on stage.

The scene opens as always with Firmin and André covered by cloaks and recognizing each other. André is wearing a regular fancy suit, and Firmin reveals a super poofy and VERY pink dress. I knew about this going in and tried to keep my opinion neutral, I'm happy to report it's not played for laughs beyond the initial reveal (you REALLY do not expect that after seeing André is dressed in a fancy but uncreative way), it really feels as if Firmin thought "Hmmm a fancy dress party, I don't see why I should not wear a nice, pink, huge dress!" and that's it.

The ensemble is dressed in what look like Venetian masks inspired costumes and they get on stage dancing with similarly attired mannequins. The effect is very nice and just the right amount of creepy, the mannequins move very smoothly so at times you really can't tell which figures are actors and which ones are mannequins.

At one point the sea of masks parts and the named characters appear. Madame Giry is dressed in her usual black dress, Meg is dressed like the music box's monkey, and Piangi, Carlotta, Raoul and Christine are dressed in "regular" elegant clothes. I can confirm Christine's dress is white, it looks pale yellow at times due to the lighting being warm for most of the scene. Christine's dress is actually pretty nice from what I could see, especially the lovely, decorated train. I have not checked but it could also be pretty historically accurate in general! Also, it moves beautifully when Christine is picked up by Raoul, I'm not sold on it being white but

There is a moment where Raoul and Christine are alone on the stage, golden confetti start pouring down from the ceiling and it looks extremely pretty, then you see that the ensemble didn't just leave the stage but spilt over into the galleries and near the orchestra pit! Between this and the lighting effects, it does look like the aim of this scene was easing the audience back into the "theatre world" after intermission, if so it does work quite well.

My one complaint is that the second half of Masquerade sounds very slow and I can't figure out why? For the title song getting sped up I do at least have other elements that help guess why, but here I'm completely stumped and it's driving me crazy!

The atmosphere in the scene is extremely relaxed and airy, so the sudden mood change at the Red Death's arrival is very jarring in a good way. I won't lie, I do miss the "traditional" costume, but considering how complex and time-consuming it must be to create and maintain, I do understand why they opted for a simpler solution.

So, the Red Death is just a red, formless cloak holding the huge Don Juan Triumphant manuscript. I actually liked it, it did remind me of the way Death or Destiny/Fate are often represented in illustrations, and it looks like the cloak is made in a velvet-like fabric that made the red even more intense and blood-like. The slow, ominous advance is still very effective and creepy, and when the ensemble falls over the figure only to reveal the cloak is empty it's a nice moment of old-fashioned stage magic.

But wait, Christine is not on stage, so what about the final verse? It turns out Christine was still in the audience, nearby the orchestra pit, made invisible by darkness and our attention being elsewhere. Then she gets suddenly illuminated and we see that the Phantom is actually standing beside her, he says the "your chains are still mine/You will sing for me!" lines, all very effective. I like this staging because it does make you feel that Christine's safety was all just an illusion, the Phantom can get near her whenever he likes and his illusions and tricks make him hard to stop. It makes it more believable that Christine is later willing to put herself at risk to make it all stop despite the huge emotional toll it takes on her, because we are shown just how Raoul could not help her here even if he wanted, despite his promise and willingness to protect her.

The second complaint I have about this scene is that at the very end you can clearly see and hear the Phantom just... running away from Christine and into the wings, which ruins the overall effect a bit. If they find a way to make him disappear more gracefully, then it'd be a perfect way to end the scene.

There's the interlude between Madame Giry and Raoul, and oh boy is Raoul PISSED. Other people have already commented that he doesn't play a super sweet, naive Raoul, but rather a more serious and mature one, and it's nice to see how Bradley portrays him as capable of great tenderness but also of having a spine. He's not politely requesting or pleading with Madame Giry, he's commanding it. This lady is withholding information that could be used to make Christine's life less scary and he won't allow it!

It's not my favourite portrayal of all time, but it fits well with the overall mood and themes and makes for a more tridimensional Raoul which is good in my opinion.

NOTES II/TWISTED EVERY WAY

This scene is set in the same way as Notes I, but since the mood is quite different I found that it being kinda showed in half of the stage wasn't as much of a problem. The stage set is once again angled to create a wall of the managers' office, but this time it gets used as Christine, more and more overwhelmed, leans against it in a dramatic fashion.

A couple of things I noticed: André does a long-ish pause after the first "But why not?" as if he needs a second or two to realize that something's wrong with Christine's refusal, it's a nice touch. Christine starts having her breakdown when everyone is asking her questions, Raoul gets all protective, and when he sings "They can't make you" he's GLARING at the others and physically putting himself between them and Christine (you can hear the quiet menace in his voice perfectly in the audio I took, it's amazing how much emotions Bradley puts in that line). Carlotta has a dark orange dress, which I like less than her green one in Notes I but it would be pretty with a bit more texture, chile Christine is wearing a cute green dress (the colour is a bit of a mix between sage and mint green, similar to the cloak she wears in Wishing).

After the Phantom's letter has been read (Madame GIry keeps silently mouthing the words throughout), Christine says "I can't. I won't do it" in a frankly panicked but determined tone (I don't remember if it's something in the current West End version, but I don't have it on my Original London Cast CD). It's pretty clear during the scene that what happened to the end of Masquerade shook her to the core, and now everything that reminds her of the Phantom or, worse, having to face him directly is a big trigger for her. Amelia has some truly great anguished and conflicted expressions in this scene.

The next part has some nice details: one of the managers (I don't remember who, sorry) bangs his hand on the table during the "We make certain our men are there!" verse, Raoul flips through the Don Juan Triumphant manuscript trying to find something to be used against the Phantom, and there is another perfectly timed longer pause before Raoul, André and Firmin ask Madame Giry to help them during which the three men exchange a meaningful look. Just before Madame Giry's cry of "Madness" turns the attention on her, Carlotta can be seen approaching a very strained Christine and opening her mouth as if to speak to her in a more regular, non-diva way, but then she gets interrupted and nothing comes of it.

Thanks to the way AIAOY has been changed, Raoul's bits in Twisted Every Way sound very sincere and not manipulative as sometimes they risk doing. His change of heart clearly comes 100% from realizing that this is a dangerous plan but Christine clearly can't be happy or even just serene knowing the person she rightfully fears can get to her whenever he wants. Christine's "I know I can't refuse" is truly heartbreaking, there's a sharp, painful intonation that really makes you feel her desperation and how trapped she must feel in this moment.

SITZPROBE

This one plays pretty close to what you can expect, there's not much that can be changed. BUT! Do you remember that Reyer is never seen? In this scene the piano is turned so you don't see him, apart from an admonishing hand when Piangi keeps missing his note. So when the creepy music starts and the piano turns revealing there's no longer anyone behind it, and it's playing on its own... let me tell you, it felt pretty chilling even knowing that the moment was coming!

WISHING YOU WERE SOMEHOW HERE AGAIN

Ok, this and Wandering Child are the scenes in Act 2 that need some work to be more than a vehicle for some nice singing.

Christine is wearing a mint green cloak with sleeves, I don't hate it BUT the sleeves make it bulky and a bit goofy at times. I think a sleeveless cloak works better for this scene since it allows for some more dramatic swishing and looks more elegant, but the one used is serviceable. Oh, no red scarf, but Christine has a red rose she puts...where?

The big issue here is that this scene is painfully empty, there's a projection of silhouettes of tombstones in the background but otherwise, there is NOTHING. Now, listen, I'm not a fan of the giant sarcophagus used in the West End, but having some tasteful fake tombstones, some weeping angels, etc., would go a long way to add visual interest to the scene and make it clearer that Christine is paying homage to her dead father, instead of just leaving a rose on the ground seemingly at random. Have her father's tomb be decorated with, say, an angel playing a musical instrument, maybe a violin, and you're set! and this would also be useful in the next song, so it's a 2x1 deal! Also, it would be nice to see this specific production lean into this scene's gothic aesthetic.

Vocally, as I said elsewhere, Amelia Milo's voice could use a bit more strength but she's not bad at all, and she does put a lot of emotion into the song. She starts mournful, but quickly ramps up the energy and you can really feel that this Christine is so ready to stop clinging to the past and face the future, a new life, that will be different from the one she knew but can make her just as happy if not more.

WANDERING CHILD/BRAVO, MONSIEUR

Ok, we have to talk about the angel wings. I tried to avoid this as long as possible, but the moment has arrived.

Why why why WHY does the Phantom hover while sporting a pair of black angel wings.

I suspect this... thing happens because there are no pyrotechnics in the scene. The use of flames, sparks and the likes in performances is STRICTLY regulated in Italy, especially in indoor venues, so I think these were added to have the Phantom do something "cool" in the scene instead of using the skull cane spray sparks everywhere.

The issue is, they are so random and don't fit the aesthetic of the rest of the musical at all! I would LOVE if there was a suggestion of wings: the Phantom appearing in front of an angel statue, or the wings being a shadow, so you're left wondering if this is Christine's suggestion showing itself to us. As it is now, it is something that throws you out of the show's immersion and that's the second worst crime a musical can commit in my eyes (the first one is being boring).

And another thing is, it is a nice effect, and it works well, I can see it fitting in nicely if they went in a different direction when it comes to themes and overall aesthetic. It's not bad per se, it's just misplaced.

The start of the scene, before the wings appear, isn't bad. Apart from still being empty, the fact that Christine is in a confused emotional state due to the stuff that happened between the end of Masquerade and now and so she falls again under the Phantom's influence is made quite clear, she even falls on her knees similarly to how she did in The Mirror. But then the wings come out, the Phantom starts to hover, Raoul arrives and everything gets confused. I admit I really don't know if something happened and I missed it, or if I was just confused by the scene in general. you could even tell the audience's applause sounded a bit uncertain.

So yeah, that's two other scenes that will need a bit of work to be made good. Luckily Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again just needs a proper background, and that in turn can help a bit with Wandering Child.

DON JUAN TRIUMPHANT/THE POINT OF NO RETURN

There are some interesting changes in this one, so first let's get the small stuff out of the way.

There is only one "Secure!" being shouted, and while there is the usual Phantom's projected voice effect you can tell that it's achieved differently since there are no speakers scattered across the theatre. The second one is a technical limitation so it's understandable and it's still cool, just a bit less impressive, but having 2-3 "Secure!" coming from the main doors is a very cool effect that I absolutely loved in London, it helps so much with the immersion and I wish they'd kept it. Also, the sharpshooter is not in the orchestra pit, but rather in one of the other boxes of the prop stage, which makes sense given the staging.

Sooo, let's get to the Don Juan Triumphant bit and the infamous cloak. First of all, I want to make clear that I've never been 100% on board with the classic disguise. It always looked to me out of place in the play-within-a-play, it is definitely something that the Phantom would use in the "real" world, but clashes with the clothing of the other characters we see in DJT and doesn't really make sense if you assume that Aminta is expecting yes a secret meeting, but not to be deceived. One could argue that the Phantom insisted the costume be this way, but then this would be suspicious and I'd find it strange that no one suspected it would be needed for something. So, in short, I don't dislike the classic costume but I don't really love it either because it's clear it's a costume made for us, the real audience, instead of the fictional audience/play.

I don't love the hat+cloak combo, either, but it makes sense in the way the scene is set. The atmosphere is quite convivial, the ensemble is not only setting the table but some folks (Passarino included) are sitting at it, it looks like they all just finished conspiring and laying the plot. The costumes aren't super elaborate, but I think they worked well in conveying that in the scene there are folks of different social extraction and ways of life.

Passarino's hat and cloak work well to signify that he's a dashing young man, yes, but he's also a working servant: these are believable attire for someone who has to travel or spend time outside, they do tell you something about this character that we see for a handful of seconds, but if we were watching the actual play it would be important to get a nuanced portray of the character!

So yeah, while I don't love this costume? It does look like something made for the play-within-the-play, not something made for PotO, if this makes sense. I do have some issues with the colour, it does work well with Aminta's red and white and it's an ochre yellow that does photograph horribly but isn't too bad in person. And yes, it's very wide and in a stiffer fabric than the classic cloak so it looks clumsier when the Phantom is standing still, but it looks fine when he's moving. Maybe making it in black and a lighter fabric could work, I'd personally love for it to be a dark red similar to Red Death's cloak but then it would be too similar in tone to Aminta's dress (where the red or pink paired with the white is Symbolyc and thus important).

So, yeah, it's not the best, it is a bit weird at first if you're used to the classic black cloak, but it makes so much sense if you consider this is a costume diegetic to the DJT play! Aminta's dress is also simple, a bit of a "generic young country girl", but it has a silhouette that's quite flattering on Amelia and it does its job of representing the young, innocent girl ready to embrace passion etc.

Ok, I think that's enough words spent talking about something that's not the actual music and singing of this piece! The Point of no Return starts sung by Paingi up until "You've decided, decided", then the Phantom takes over and Ramin does his "singing imitating Piangi's accent" thing for a while, before dropping it. I saw people complaining about this, it looks like during the first night the switch was a bit later, but as it is now it works. I think it could be improved by making the change a bit more gradual as it is for the various notes. I did see a lady that was clearly at her first viewing of the show making an "Oh!" surprised face when the voice change happened, so I think it works especially well for first-timers that don't know what will happen, but only that something is bound to happen.

Please don't ask me to tell you stuff about the blocking because I was distracted by everything going on to really take note of it beyond lots of touching, very sensual vibes overall, and a nice bit of leg from Christine at one point. A notable difference is that Christine does realize what's going on only at the end of the song. I do like the timing because it matches with the last "We passed the point of no return" and the music's shift. The song doesn't end abruptly because the Phantom has been unmasked, but quietly and sadly because now Christine knows and the Phantom has to choose what to do. And the Phantom chooses to reveal himself to her (not the unmasking, just taking off the hat).

Raoul jumps onstage, along with the police officer, and Christine moves in order to protect the Phantom. She's clearly terrified but still doesn't want to see him shot dead. What follows is, simply put, one of the saddest All I Ask of You reprises I've ever heard or watched.

I always kinda wondered, what exactly is the Phantom's aim here? Does he just want to share the stage with her? Does he plan to kidnap her again? Does he believe that if only Christine sees the (creepy) opera he's written for her and sings the (creepy) longing song he's written she'll just fall for him as if nothing ever happened? Does he have a plan at all?

I am happy to report that in this staging there is one, simple reply: this Phantom is utterly, completely broken. His music is no longer enough, he needs/wants his music AND Christine to perform him. He wants her to see him, to acknowledge him, yes she does recognize him first in the scene, but he still has the chance to just get out of there. Instead, he reveals himself because he so desperately hopes, against all odds, that singing again together with Cristine the music he composed for her will have changed her mind, made her see how much he cares, made her feel how he feels for her etc. It was honestly a heartbreaking moment to witness, but yeah reading "the Phantom reveals himself at the end of PonR" and seeing it in context is VERY different. 

The impression I got is that the Phantom spent six months spiralling into depression and THIS is the best he could come up with to try and make Christine speak to him again. He's desperate, and he knows it. You can feel it in his voice, you can see it in the way he's calm, almost resigned until the unmasking. For him, it all boils down to Christine's reply, to her accepting him or not. I don't think he's even stopped to consider what to do after she replies because that will be such a defining, world-changing moment. and I think that just for a moment the Phantom allows himself hope, the tiniest bit of it. Christine is clearly scared to death, but she's not running away. She's even protecting him, in a way. And then she unmasks him.

DOWN ONCE MORE/TRACK DOWN THIS MURDERER

The gondola does not disappear in the wings, so there's no quick change and Christine is in her AMinta dress. The Phantom does give her the veil, putting it on her head when he sees she's not doing it herself, and gives her what looks like a wedding dress but Christine is understandably thinking about her current predicament and when the Phantom sees she does not intend to wear it he just tosses it away and gives her the bouquet instead. I do like that there's no implication of Christine being forced to change, and it does keep intact the fact that the Phantom did have a wedding dress, veil and bouquet prepared for her.

When singing "A mask, my first unfeeling scrap of clothing" Ramin raised a hand to touch the disfigured side in a way that is just heartbreaking. I know I'm using this word a lot, but I feel it's true for this portrayal: a very physical Phantom with a lot of self-loathing, a lot of repressed emotions that get directed inwards with no way or no one to help express them, accompanied by the occasional outburst when they get simply too much to be repressed any longer. Isolated and emotionally stunted is the name of the game here, but in a way that makes you see just how deprived of regular socialization and company he was during his life.

Another interesting thing I noticed is that when Christine sang "It's in your soul that the true distortion lies", in the split second before noticing Raoul's arrival the Phantom raised a hand and was starting to reply to Christine, and I'd really, really like to know how he'd try to get himself out of that one! It was a blink-and-you-'ll-miss-it moment, but I found it interesting that this Phantom's reaction to Christine's accusation was not dismay or anger, but rather trying to talk it out.

Then our boy Raoul appears in all his damp, well-toned and bare-chested glory! Bradley Jaden is quite ripped, I think by now we've all seen the pictures, and let me tell you they do not do him justice. He's also barefoot, and he stumbles on the scene while very convincingly gasping after the swim in the underground lake.

The suspenders are still on because they are clearly used when he gets hanged by the Phantom, since in this scene he is literally hanging, his feet a good 50 cm or so from the ground. My guess is that the "Y" part of the suspenders on the back latches onto some kind of support built into the Phantom's bedframe to take pressure off the neck or something like that. It still looks extremely uncomfortable, and Bradley was clearly tensing a lot of muscles to maintain the position. So yeah, apart from the eye candy, it looks like a challenging thing to do while you're also singing and acting. I still have no explanation for why they did this instead of dampening his shirt, I guess they took a good look at Bradley Jaden's pecs and thought "Oh people will love that!" and asked him if he minded spending the last 10 minutes onstage half naked? I really don't know.

Raoul was convincingly rational (as much as possible) in this scene, he did get angry but it was also clear he was trying to keep his cool and reason if possible because his #1 priority was: to help Christine get out of there. And I think this creates a beautiful dynamic in this scene, where Christine starts angry and scared but then sees that Raoul is trying to keep his promise and jumped into a freezing lake to reach her and be at her side despite the danger. And this in turn gives her the strength to face her fear, which is now not just hypothetical but becoming very real, and find the will she needs to save Raoul in turn. They can save each other because they have built a reciprocal trust and do actively support each other during most of the second act.

Unfortunately, there is the choking. For those who don't know what I'm referring to, when Raoul comes in Christine tries to run to him and the Phantom stops her, and ends up choking her a bit before realizing what he's doing and letting her go. I really didn't like it in this instance. I think there are some actors that can make it work if they play a very aggressive, wounded Phantom that lashes out at the world, but I am having trouble fitting it in this portrayal where his negative emotions are clearly almost all directed inwards and where the Phantom tends to be quite gentle with Christine. Also, not only is he a murderer (twice), kidnapper, damaged property, and maybe kinda drugged Christine, but he's also physically abusive. Cool cool cool. I'd rather like it if they removed it.

When the Phantom realizes what he's doing he immediately lets Christine go (at least) and Christine tries to run to Raoul's side but he gets hanged by the Phantom. Christine gets PISSED in this version, while the Phantom is a bit more on the cooler, controlled side, and Raoul seems to sincerely regret his actions since they only made the situation worse. I have to say that even despite the distracting shirtlessness of Raoul, having him actually hanging instead of just… being mildly inconvenienced by a noose clearly big enough for his head to pass through does make it all a bit more believable. I do buy that this guy is really in a situation where he can't free himself.

I also really liked the "Angel of music, you deceived me /I gave my mind blindly" delivery: it's not angry but rather deeply mournful and regretful, since now it's Christine's turn to realize that her trust in the Angel of Music because of her clinging desperately to any scrap of her father's presence/memory is what led to all of this. In a way, this version underscores Christine's growth as she tries to become her own person without the influences of her father or of the Phantom guiding but also limiting her, it's one of the main themes and I liked how her realization is delivered here connects it clearly to All I Ask of You and Wandering Child conceptually.

So the big moment, the choice, arrives. In the preceding moments Raoul struggled even more frantically and now is losing consciousness, so when the Phantom delivers his ultimatum (a very weary, exhausted ultimatum) Christine just looks at Raoul one last time (she thinks) and this gives her the strength to decide and act.

After the kiss, the way the Phantom stands still for a while before sloooowly walking to Raoul and cutting the lasso is… I don't really know how to explain it. You take all the defeat, resignation and brokenness of when he revealed himself to Christine at the end of PonR and double or triple them, then add in all the self-loathing he displayed during the rest of the musical. He does now realize with crystal clear certainty that he'll never, ever have what he wants in the way he wants it, and this time he can't blame the world but only himself and his actions. He's beyond broke, beyond everything really. Weary and with nothing left to look forward to.

Raoul collapses to the ground, and Christine runs to him and physically helps him up and to the boat. No elegant, composed sitting: here Raoul and Christine are physically and psychologically exhausted, so there's no time for all of that as they almost stumble into the boat and it's the Phantom that shoves it away, sending them towards their freedom and out of the stage.

The Phantom sounds so distressed in the bit just before this, and the fact that the last "go now and leave me" is sung when he's alone on stage, having physically pushed away the one person that, despite everything and despite making the choice under extreme duress, was capable of staying beside him… ooof. You really feel that he has nothing left now, and maybe for the first time ever he truly wants to be alone, to disappear completely. Which of course makes the brief Masquerade reprise even more devastating than usual.

Now, the other big controversial change: the ring return. The Phantom is facing the other way when Christine comes in. It looks like she's debating whether to approach him or not, and then when he sings "Christine, I love you" she just leaves the ring and silently leaves. The Phantom hears something, turns, sees the ring and picks it up, and in that moment from off stage the All I Ask of You final reprise is heard, accompanied by a soft, golden light coming from above showing that Raoul and Christine are making their way to the surface and to the (metaphorical) light.

Why no interaction during the ring return? In this production, they are leaning a lot on the Phantom as being a toxic influence/relationship for Christine, not without its allure and charms, but also very dangerous and controlling. And when Christine sees him kill because he didn't get his way… well, she gets it quite quickly and actively tries to avoid him, but realizes that she's still pretty vulnerable to him and his influence. And I think not interacting with him at the very end represents her cutting off a toxic person, at this point any interaction would be dangerous to her, and an unkindness to him.

She knows she's still vulnerable to him, that despite everything he did she can still care about him because she's just that kind of person. At the same time, the Phantom did the morally right thing by pushing her away from him and it's clear it took him every ounce of willpower he had and he might not be able to do so again. So, when Christine hears him declaring his love to an empty room, she doesn't risk wasting all the effort they BOTH put in (plus Raoul, who literally risked his life for her) to say one last goodbye.

It's a big change, it does change the ending and their dynamic a lot, so I get it if you don't like it. But it makes sense, it has its place in the narrative of this specific production, and since it makes such a difference I think if you're used to the "regular" ring return you need to experience it after getting through all the previous emotional beats in order to be in the right mind space to accept it.

When the Phantom realizes that Christine is truly gone, he slowly makes his way to the bed and covers himself with the sheets as the ensemble (led by Madame Giry) bursts in. Meg approaches the covers and pulls them away, revealing an empty bed save from the Phantom's mask, which she brings to her mother who looks at it somberly, and they both raise it for the classic final "shot".

I am ambivalent about this choice. On one hand, I think it looks a bit silly and could probably be implemented better, on the other hand I think it's meant to be a reference to the Phantom letting himself die in the book, and I did like it as a metaphor for his death, and having the ensemble kinda witnessing it and him not being so alone in his final moments.

I've decided to make a different post for my opinion about the singing performances and my overall opinion about what works, what doesn't, and so on, which can also be a TL;DR of sorts since I realize not everyone is interested in a song-by-song comparison.

For now, I'll just say that if you go in expecting West End or Broadway levels of opulence you will be disappointed by the stage sets, costumes, etc., which are rarely memorable, at times flops, more often are ok and serviceable (meaning they are not distracting and don't get in the way of the performance, even if they're not anything special).

If you want to see the story and characterization you already know, then you can watch one of the tens of bootlegs available and enjoy the subtle changes each actor brings to the characters (I know I do!), but if you'd like a different take on the main characters and key scenes then this will get your brain going.

If you go in with a preset idea of what you want to get out of the experience, chances are there'll be areas where it underdelivers and interesting stuff you might not notice while if you go in without trying to force your expectations on the show, then you'll probably come away with some stuff you liked, some stuff that you're not so sure about but is interesting or might work with a change or two, and yes, some stuff you didn't like at all, or left you confused, or is just plain weird.

Overall it was a fun and interesting experience, the vocal performances were great, the acting choices captivating and I went home with some new interpretations of the main characters while thinking about if I can make a trip to Milan in October to see it again. Despite some major flaws, it is doing something interesting and engaging in its own way and I'd love to see it again knowing what to expect.

[emblemxeno]

Apologies if something like this has been asked before, but what would you say are your favorite things about Fates? I’m curious because I actually like the games quite a bit, and I also enjoy hearing what other people like about them.

No worries, anon!

1-The Characters

Fates, imo, has a very stellar cast. Characters like Corrin, Xander and Takumi I've gone over already in how much I adore them, but honestly the vast majority of the cast is great! There's a few I'm only neutral towards, and only one I actively really dislike, the rest I'm at least pretty fond of. The first gen cast in particular I think does a good job at having strong character interactions, especially cross kingdom supports; the big differences between how citizens of Nohr and Hoshido respectively go about their lives is crafted with a very deliberate dichotomy that is initially platformed as something forever incompatible, but is then subverted in various points in all three routes.

2-The Gameplay and Content

The mechanics and game flow introduced in Awakening I think was finely tuned in Fates. Pair up being more player controlled leads to satisfying strategies, and reclassing and skills are less centered around grinding. I like how the cast more often than not have min-maxed stat lines with clear strengths and weaknesses, as to me, that supplements an already important aspect of how FE plays regarding it's classes. That being said, classes like bow users and Armor Knights got very good niches that were very needed to not be completely outclassed. Class sets being varied by supports not just for the children but also the first gen cast was a fantastic choice as well, as it encourages other combinations beyond just getting extra stats in pair up. Dragon Veins were an amazing interactive gameplay element, and added an extra way to interact with the maps beyond navigating around terrain. Lastly, each route has a bevy of unique content, mostly maps, but Revelation has lots of exclusive supports as well!

3 The Music

The game's ost is phenomenal. An underrated aspect of the FE series is how its music is used to convey the games' stories through sound. With map themes alone, there's progression and intent. Birthright, for example starts with the light and spirited "Past Light" track, before shifting to "Justice RIP" and "No Justice", both signifying that things are getting more serious and dangerous, the latter being notable in that it's a Nohrian track to go along with how you're now in Nohrian territory. Then the triumphic "Alight" only starts when you're in the homestretch, facing familiar enemies whom were beaten before and can be beaten again. And, again, that's just four tracks! The entire ost paints a picture, be it in gameplay, story, or supports. There's even an entire track that only plays when a character's about to die in gameplay, and only gets brought in cutscenes to show how dangerous a particular foe has gotten! It's immaculate. And of course, Lost in Thoughts All Alone is an amazing lyrical track.

4 The Art style and Designs

People can rag on how certain characters or classes are designed in this game, but one thing that I think can't-or shouldn't-be denied is that the cast and setting have presence; they're recognizeable and give a taste of what's what. Besides Hoshido and Nohr being the typical "white" and "black" kingdoms, Hoshido has more spiritual or outside the box classes; they have the resources to experiment and hyper-specialize in certain crafts, even having religious classes, merchants, and blacksmiths available for options. Nohr, meanwhile, has more armor and mounts; it's a kingdom trained to be effective at competition and warfare in order to survive, and must forgo experimentation for practicality. The game is also just very pleasing to look at, where the muted but varied color palette makes characters and locales visually distinct without being too loud. There's also a lot of neat animations that characters do in battle, many that lots probably didn't notice or haven't even seen, which to me showcases a deep care and passion put into the little things.

5 The Story

While of course, not everyon'e cup of tea, I'm extremely fond of Fates' narrative. Mostly because, in storytelling media, there's always more than just words to convey a story. It's why I listed the other points before this one, because they all contribute to Fates' narrative construction. Pull from map music to hear what the story wants you to take from it from that point in the campaign, pull from character designs and portraits to see what to expect from a character's personality at a glance, see stats, classes, and personal skills to see and put into action how that unit plays and interacts with the map they join in, take a moment to really examine the terrain of maps both for strategy and to take in the kinds of environments in the game's world. Fates has a lot to say-probably too much for its own good-and so efforts were made to say things without words being necessary.

Beyond that, I think the story itself is gripping and involves themes and symbolism very easy to get lost in though (tee-hee) about. Individuality and authenticity, rejecting status quo, pacifism, the cycle of hatred/vengeance, commonality and understanding amongst opposites, etc. Hell, I tend to get into my own head about how characters are written or how moments are utilized in the story to tie back into a theme of some kind, because there's just that much to unpack.

So yeah. That's that.

[theneighborhoodwatch]

Sorry for mentally ill thoughts this evening but I've always wondered how this is going to end. To me, welcome home has been a story about changing. And because of a certain music artist's album and WHs popularity being around the same time, I can't let go of my interpretation of what change will look like at the end of this project. (1/?)

(2/?) I've always found what characters a fandom gets attached to QUICKLY to be a marker of what a story is going to do with these characters and what metatexually that is gonna mean for the story...

Let's start with the big one: Wally himself. THIS GUY HAS SO many interpretations! He is simultaneously the most dangerous and fascinating character out of all of them. To analyze him (and some of the neighbors I'll talk about) I used tarot cards, btw I'm @pretty-in-possible but this is my reblog alt

Wally was Judgement which is intresting because its definition includes

When The judgement is in the upright position, it represents the realization of one's calling, realistic thinking and gaining a deep understanding of life through self-examination.

(3/?) When reversed, it can represent refusal of self-examination and growth, self-doubt, regret, and blame. In my eyes, change and (what I think will happen to the puppets) transformation is only possible with that kind of thought. Which, coupled with your own analysis of wally and home spells as disaster. Whats particularly affecting MY brainworms is Barnaby. His card is the Magician: The Magician is an artisan and the ideas person.  It is a very action oriented card. It represents learning and using knowledge in creative and unorthodox ways, and seizing the day by displaying resourcefulness. Barnaby is definitely an open-minded person just with his behavior shown through just visuals.

(4/?) I am also invested in his pipe which I know just has bubbles in it, but it adds to this stoner read to his character that *I* see??? There is just something about him that tells me he will have the easiest time with this Existential crisis as to him (based of the tarot reading) this knowledge is incredibly freeing, cuz it would just mean there is More in the World to Discover. In my experience reading past life regression therapy testimonies, I've heard of how some people encounter this place in the afterlife people under hypnosis describe as a soul cleansing, a place where gem-colored rays of light shine through every inch of your soul, cleansing your spirit of the trauma it had experienced during your last lifetime. And I feel like Barnaby will experience those same feelings (NOT THE SAME PROCESS). (I might ramble more about this later, in ask box or in dms if thats okkkk)

my sincerest apologies for sitting so long on this one, i wanted to make sure i had time to really, like. sit down and Process it. and then shortly after i started writing this response i got food poisoning so. lol.

because of of how in-depth this ask gets, i wouldn't feel right neglecting any part of it, so i'm just gonna write down my thoughts bullet by bullet as i go through this. under the cut for convenience:

how welcome home is going to end .... obviously, i cannot offer anything conclusive right now (if i can offer anything at all) given how early we are, but i have always had the vague impression that whatever the ending of this story is, we as the audience may never be able to see all of it. it feels like so much has been given to us already. i assume we will be given much more, regardless of how willing to give or receive anyone involved is. we owe it to our neighbors to let them decide which parts to give and which to keep, at the end of the day. i think that's the best way i can phrase it. but as always, only time will tell.

agree about Change likely being a big part of welcome home, whichever form it takes.

I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO KNOW THE NAME OF THIS ARTIST. i am Dreadfully unfamiliar with a lot of 70s musicians outside of the biggest names - my first thought was either connie converse or daniel johnston, but iirc most of converse's music was recorded in the 50s-60s and johnston only started recording music in the late 70s. i don't know if bruce haack was ever super popular back when he was actually making music.

the idea of which characters fandom gets attached to being indicative of what canon does with them...? i'm not so sure about this one, honestly. fandom can get attached to a stale piece of toast that shows up for a single scene if so desired (which, for the record, isn't a bad thing.) of course, i say that based off of my own experiences, but fan reception has never really been a Factor in speculation for me either way.

calling wally dangerous doesn't feel inaccurate, but i think it's more like. i do not think he is inherently dangerous but he absolutely has the Capacity to do dangerous things. i think it is interesting that despite this (or perhaps because of it?) he appears to be more vulnerable with us than he Ever was with the other neighbors? but a.) that may not be saying much and b.) it is Also largely rooted in speculation + the fact that home and the audience are currently the Only two entities wally has been seen interacting with directly, as opposed to his interactions/relationships with other neighbors that have so far only been briefly described by the WHRP or showcased in brief snippets of concept art.

grinning so so so wide at the judgement/inverted judgement descriptions. i wish i had more to say but i'm having a hard time coming up with something that isn't just pointing to the inverted judgement description and going "yeah that's almost Exactly what i'm getting from wally so far."

again, agree about the possibility of Change playing some kind of role here, eventually - more specifically the fear of change even when it may prove to be beneficial, whether that be on wally's part or the neighbors' or the WHRP's or the staff's or the audience's or even the very setting of home itself. i imagine some grotesque hodgepodge of all of the above. something something points to that post i reblogged about sitcoms as horror.

context for the aforementioned wally and home analysis for anyone reading: 1, 2, 3

BARNABY, HUH... for the record my personal hc regarding his pipe is that whatever's in it changes depending on what would be the funniest answer at any given moment. if tobacco is funnier, then it's tobacco. if bubbles are funnier, then it's bubbles. looney tunes logic.

on a more serious note: i'm a little worried i won't have much to say about barnaby that i haven't said already! i think it may be too early to discern the Specifics of his personality from website art/descriptions alone but i do get the distinct impression that he's meant to be a lot more down to earth than wally, which of course is an interesting contrast to the nature of wally's whole [gestures vaguely] Everything. from this, i think it is Reasonable to assume that he's also a lot better at rolling with the punches as well, although i never did consider the possibility that learning about The Bullshit would be liberating for him, in a sense - i don't know about it being a cleansing experience, unless you count the recontextualization of things that didn't previously make sense as a sort of cleansing in itself, in which case it could absolutely be that. something about the parallels to cosmic horror... the relationship between the Fear of change and the Catharsis of change...

oh, but wouldn't this also put him at odds with wally, who seems to be on the Exact Opposite End Of The Spectrum, even when they understand each other like no other? Much To Think About... very exciting potential for Conflict there.

i'm cool with whichever method works best for you if you wanna talk more in the future! my dms are open too lol.

[fourseasonsfigs]

Yuechu with Peach

I'm back! I had to take some time off from posting due to an intensive Intro Chinese class I was taking, combined with a truly crazy work schedule that does not seem interested in slowing down. But, with Gong Jun's new Xianxia show Fox Spirit Matchmaker: Red Moon Pact finally airing, it's time to celebrate with a Dongfang Yuechu fig!

This fig is based off this short preview video:

I've been so excited for this show - the costumes looked absolutely gorgeous in the previews, and of course I always want to support Gong Jun. I've watched 8 episodes so far, and the visuals have not disappointed! The costumer seems to really like asymmetrical designs, which adds a lot of interest and creativity to the outfits.

This little Daoist arrived in perfect condition - no harm to his peach or to his tall and beautifully ornate guan.

The outfit he has on in the preview is one of many absolutely gorgeous ones. I was wondering how all the asymmetrical patterns were going to be rendered into fig form, but I think they did a nice job. There are a lot of swirly designs in the costumes in general so far, I think to evoke all the magic.

You can really see the height they achived on the guan here. In keeping with the beautifully ornate designs, he has a lot of very tall and intricate hair crowns on this show.

You can see a bit of the ribbon hanging down in back from the guan...you'll see it better as we rotate around the fig.

There we go! I also love ribbons, so really the costuming is made for me on this show. You can see the swirly designs showing up on the robe here.

I'm not going to lie, I'd have loved his hair to be doing all kinds of dramatic swirls here instead of just falling down his back, but to be fair he's just standing there with the peach in the preview!

I'm very grateful the peach is pre-attached to his hand. My fingers have proven pretty clumsy attaching little tiny pieces to figs!

Little bit of paint overspray - err overpaint, I guess, since all the peaches here are hand-painted. I can't complain one bit - if I was painting this it would be a lot worst than this!

He's so cute. I really like how the fig maker rendered his face here, and the mark on his forehead is kind of perfect - the right size to highlight his face but not be too obtrusive.

He's got pants on, which you know I love as that extra styling detail. It's hard to see from this angle, so let's do the backside...

There we go. Looking good!

A nice shot of that very fancy guan.

And another! This has got to have been a hassle to assemble (says the person currently trying to assemble fig horse reins for a JZEU set that are long and thin like the ribbons here. So fiddly!)

And our box cards! The actual name of this fig is something like (per machine translation, I learned a lot in my Intro Chinese intensive, but not enough to be able to translate things like this) Pink Little Daoist Priest. Normally I use the titles directly from the figs cards/maker, but I knew I'd never remember what fig this was if I called it that. I don't think of this fig as overwhelmingly (or even very much) pink.

Material: Resin

Fig Count: 521

Scene Count: 37

Rating: Congratulations to Gong Jun on the show's airing!

[link to the Master Post Index]

[agentnico]

Fallout - season 1 (2024) review

The evolution of the phrase “okey dokey” throughout this show says so much for the good old fashioned writing of this season.

Plot: Over 200 years after a nuclear apocalypse devastates America, a violent raid by bandits on an underground fallout shelter forces one of its residents to set out into a barren wasteland filled with radiation, mutated monsters, and a lawless society of those who remained on the surface.

For a very long while in the cinephile and gaming community there has been this shared agreement over the video game adaptation curse. Video games have been plagued with adaptations that end up being met with terrible reception due to a combination of bad writing and poor visuals that don’t live up to the original game. To this day this fact arguably still continues with the likes of Resident Evil and Uncharted. And look, I love Hiroyuki Sanada as much as the next person, but that Mortal Kombat flick from a few years back was not great either. That being said, in recent years there has also been a trend of genuinely successful attempts that have translated surprisingly well. Detective Pikachu banked a lot on Ryan Reynolds sarcastic persona and the Pokémon creatures were utilised well; Netflix’s The Witcher has done pretty well for itself, well until now when they’ve swapped their lead actor for one of the cheaper Hemsworth brothers; Super Mario Bros. Movie and the Sonic flicks I’m not a fan of myself, but evidently from the box office numbers and audience reactions they seemed to have hit the right spot in the fans’ hearts. Then there’s The Last of Us. The original game won people over for its heart-wrenching human drama against the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse, and the TV show has done a perfect job of capturing that. Every episode has recreated the game down to the last detail, and even when things are changed, the spirit of the source material is still kept alive. All of that makes it a rare adaptation that succeeds in giving people a new version of the original game and then some, giving it plenty to offer for old and new fans alike.

Now it seems that positive trend continues, furthermore underlining that the video game adaptation curse is now a myth. Well maybe, as that upcoming Borderlands movie is a looking suspiciously clunky but we’ll see how that one turns out. As for presently, Prime Video has shocked us all by giving us a truly fantastic show in Fallout. And I say shocked as the last time Prime Video adapted a famous property was The Rings of Power series and they butchered that one hard! I mean I’m sorry, but making an entire over-bloated season about the mystery of who is Sauron, and at the end the reveal is he’s some teen-Twilight-era dude and we’re supposed to all gasp in awe?? Look, I get that it’s not Prime Video themselves to be blamed, but the show runners and writers, but naturally Prime has left a sour taste in my palette. HOWEVER - Fallout is actually genuinely a good time!

I’ve never really played any of the Fallout games. Never appealed to me, and I have always found it difficult to get into any Bethesda games. My fiancée however tried Fallout 4 half a year ago and apparently gave up as she found it too confusing and she got stuck at a monster boss fight early on. I do hope she wasn’t stuck fighting one of those tiny little bugs, surely not. That would be embarrassing. So I went into this show without being a fan of the games, though I was aware of its post-apocalyptic backdrop. One of the best things about Fallout the TV show is that it’s very accessible whether or not you’ve played the games. Yes, fans of the games will notice a lot of fun stuff from the source material, but even if you’re a total newcomer, you can watch and follow along without any issues.

The story revolves around three main characters 200 years after a nuclear war basically destroyed everything, driving some survivors into underground bunkers called Vaults. Ella Purnell (that’s right, one of Miss Peregrine’s peculiar children!) plays Lucy MacLean, a Vault Dweller who, through unfortunate circumstances, leaves the relative safety of Vault 33 and travels to the surface on a life or death mission. She’s joined by Maximus (Aaron Clifton Moten) a squire in the secretive Brotherhood Of Steel - Power Armor-wearing knights who roam the land looking for lost technology. Maximus is almost as green as Lucy, venturing out on a quest he’s not very well prepared to tackle. Finally, rounding out the main trio, we have Walton Goggins as The Ghoul, a gunslinging bounty hunter and mutant who’s managed to live for well over 200 years. We learn more about his past as celebrity Cooper Howard through a number of flashbacks. Naturally more characters pop up along the way. I just want to urge anyone sitting on the fence to give this series a shot. It’s great fun, with plenty of humour, action and mystery and its creators clearly put a lot of effort into making it true to the game universe, while also being inventive with their storytelling.

It’s also really gory. You get to see a lot of human flesh out on display (heck, there are even zombies in this thing!) and it’s all visually looked really well done. Again with Bezos’ Amazon budget, like The Rings of Power show, Fallout looks like an expensive series. It just so happens that unlike Rings of Power this one happens to also have good writing, characters and narrative. There’s some impressive world-building, with every shot filled with various details that I’m sure will please the game fans. The story is really engaging, and I loved getting into the politics of this world and how companies like Vault Tec have more to them that meets the eye.

The primary element that works for Fallout is that’s its easy. As in it’s really enjoyable and straightforward and makes for a solid binge watch. Walton Goggins is superb as the Ghoul. Johnny Pemberton as Thaddeus, a squire for the Knights, was a great use of using a comedic actor and making them play things straight by simply trying to survive in this world, so that when the funny lines did come up they hit strong. Oh, and did I mention that Agent Dale Cooper himself, my boy Kyle MacLachlan is in this show?? Honestly, Fallout is a great time! Amazon, I still haven’t forgiven you for Lord of the Rings, but this is a good attempt for an apology.

Overall score: 7/10

[walkswithdave]

Now write it as a conversation between two aesop's fable characters

Once upon a time, there was a wise old owl named Athena who lived in a tree in the forest. One day, a clever fox named Reynard stumbled upon a strange contraption in the clearing.

Reynard: "Athena, come look at this strange device I have found! It appears to have a small box with a clear front and a camera inside. There is also a monitor that displays what the camera sees."

Athena: "Ah, that is a Video Feedback Machine. It creates a closed-loop system where the output of the camera is continuously fed back to the monitor, resulting in the generation of complex and dynamic visual patterns."

Reynard: "Fascinating! I see the operator can move the camera and adjust the settings on the device to change the image on the monitor."

Athena: "Indeed, the operator can exert a high degree of control over the visual output by manipulating the camera's position and orientation in relation to the monitor. This is

Now write it for a 5 year old to understand

Once upon a time, there was a magic box that could make pretty pictures. Inside the box, there was a little camera that takes pictures and a TV screen that shows the pictures. The camera looks at the TV screen and takes a picture of the picture it sees. Then it shows that picture on the TV screen again. And it keeps doing that over and over.

It's like if you look at your reflection in a mirror and your reflection looks at another mirror, and it keeps going on and on. So, the pictures the magic box makes keep changing and they look like different shapes and colors. It's like a magic show that you can make by yourself.

Now write this in very religious overtones with overt religious symbology

The Video Feedback Machine is a blessed contraption, a gift from the heavens that allows us to glimpse the mysteries of the divine. Within its plexiglass enclosure, a holy camera captures the light of the divine and reflects it upon a sacred monitor, creating a mesmerizing feedback loop of divine energy.

As the operator, we are granted the privilege to guide and shape this sacred energy, moving the camera with the grace and precision of an angel, adjusting its angle and distance to uncover the hidden patterns of the divine will.

The four control dials, for brightness, contrast, saturation and tint, are the instruments of the holy spirit, allowing us to fine-tune the image and reveal the true nature of the divine. And as the image is mirrored on the large HD monitor, we are reminded that all of us are but a reflection of the divine will.

The image being created on the monitor in the plexiglass box is a reflection of the divine, it is a reminder that our own world is a complex feedback loop

Now write it like a new-age hippy who has just smoked a lot of weed.

Dude, like, have you ever seen like, this totally awesome machine, man? It's like, it creates these, like, crazy patterns and shapes, you know? And you can, like, control it all with this, like, yoke thing, right? And you can, like, make it go forward and backward and all around, and it's

Mix in heavy Jesus-freak religiosity with this hippy stoner character

Dude, like, have you ever seen like, this totally awesome machine, man? It's like, it creates these, like, crazy patterns and shapes, you know? And you can, like, control it all with this, like, yoke thing, right? And you can, like, make it go forward and backward and all around, and it's like, whoa, it's like Jesus is controlling it, you know? And the colors and shapes it makes, it's like, it's the beauty of God's creation, man. And you can adjust the brightness and contrast and all that, it's like, you're playing with the tools of the Lord, dude. And you can, like, watch the big screen, and it's like

Now write it like it's a Hemingway story

The Video Feedback Machine was a simple yet complex contraption. It had a small plexi-glass box with a small HD camera and an HD monitor that displayed what the camera saw. The operator would sit in front of it, using something much like a yoke on an airplane to move the camera forward, backwards, and 360 degrees around its axis. The operator would manipulate the camera's angle and distance to create intricate and sophisticated visual patterns.

The operator would use four control dial

[dinosaurtsukki]

housemates with karasuno

okay this is so fucking long because i love karasuno so much i’d get up to a million antics with them

how you ended up living with them: 

you were probably friends with the entire volleyball team in high school since you were one of the three (cute) managers so when they all suggested living together you were like ‘sure why not? how bad could it be?’

honestly this is so unrealistic but we’re enjoying ourselves aren’t we? 

since there are so many of you in one single house there are probably like 3 to 4 people in a single room

the original room arrangement was that the first-years and second-years would be in separate rooms but ennoshita was like ‘no way are you putting me in the same room as noya and tanaka i will die’

so you, ennoshita, yamaguchi, and tsukishima are all in another room (the second-most peaceful room in the house)

daichi, sugawara, and asahi are all together in another room because they’re pretty tight

and hinata, kageyama, along with tanaka and noya share twin bunk beds in the fourth room

now let’s get into living with this chaotic bunch:

daichi is undoubtedly the head of household. at first he didn’t want to have to manage that on top of everything else but one night he was making a chart for chores (along with small stickers of everyone’s faces) and finally accepted that he was in charge of the house

he’s def the type to manipulate the chore chart just a little bit. if tanaka or noya managed to piss him off, daichi will just slide their face under ‘dish duty’ and they’re none the wiser

at first he feels terrible but then tanaka and noya accidentally break a window and daichi just thinks that maybe authoritarianism isn’t so bad after all

jk guys authoritarianism is bad down with the government

you, on the other hand, know very well what daichi is doing but instead of tattling you just appeal to his good side and before you know it, you haven’t done any chores for an entire year

ASAHI IS THE TYPE OF HOUSEMATE TO BRING YOU UP A PLATE OF SLICED FRUIT WITHOUT EVEN ASKING AHHH

when the clock hits four, its cut fruit time and there are different fruits for every day and asahi just brings up plates of nice cut fruit for everyone

you kind of wonder if asahi ever gets tired of slicing fruit for EVERYONE IN THE HOUSE until you see him split open a pineapple with his bare hands

also he has such a huge closet but if you want a snazzy outfit all you have to do is knock on his shared room and he’ll whip one up for you

okay you guys are probably thinking that sugawara is the mom of the household but unfortunately he is a gemini and therefore even satan fears him

suga’s the one who cooks for everyone but when he’s in the kitchen you had better stay away because he gets intTENSE. he probably uses this big ass knife

potholders? suga doesn’t know her. he uses his bare hands to get trays and stuff out of the oven. just watching him cook stresses you out so nobody watches him cook

but his cuisine is exquisite nobody has complaints

i feel like their room probably has a fuck ton of snacks with asahi’s fruit-cutting, suga’s cooking skills and i bet daichi has a stash of snacks that he keeps from noya and tanaka (it’s under his mattress, that’s why his back hurts)

you, ennoshita, tsukishima, and yamaguchi have by far the cleanest room though (just slightly cleaner than the third-years’ room because they have snack wrappers) and your roommates are all workaholics

your room is pretty much ‘bookshelves and studyblr aesthetic’ except for ennoshita’s CPR doll that stays in a corner of the room looking creepy and out of place but you don’t have a closet to put it in

yamaguchi swears that it’s haunted because it changes positions every time he wakes up in the morning and he keeps trying to convince his roommates about it

little does he know tsukki and ennoshita like to move the CPR doll around to scare him because they’re like that

tbh you are not a fan of the CPR doll either but that doesn’t mean you won’t play with it by dressing it up 

these three are such workaholics that there’s literally only one person asleep there at a time and you like studying there because of the Intense Productive Energy

they even have their own espresso machine and a minifridge full of Red Bull

tsukki is the best at waking you up he’ll literally grip your shoulders and shake you or spray you with water

you can tell he enjoys it and you hate it so much but it does get your papers going

the one thing about this group is that they forget this little thing called ‘self-care’ because they work all the time (well except for yamaguchi who knows how to put on a sheet mask once in a while)

that means you’ll sometimes be knocking on their door with some of asahi’s Sliced Fruit or some instant ramen you whipped up yourself

ennoshita also has a habit of passing out in random places so it takes you and yamaguchi to haul him up to his bed

you also use this opportunity to tuck in his CPR doll next to him in bed because why not?

the chaotic, noisy members of the household are all relegated to one room for the good of the entire house and its downstairs where the walls are thick

these guys are the bunk-bed sharing kind of people but they kind of just switch beds depending on how they feel like it

tanaka: hey dude, is it ok if i top for tonight?

noya: oh yeah sure! no problem!

you: 👁👄👁

suga: they’re talking about bunk beds

hinata and kageyama like to play video games during their breaks but they only have one game and that’s Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3

i have an obsession with naruto don’t @ me

that’s because they bought a playstation on craigslist and it came with one game and that was it

you like to play with them when you’re taking a break and kageyama’s always the one who loses and he gets so frustrated with himself that you let him win at times just so he feels good

hinata always uses hinata when he plays but he’s also the type to elbow kageyama or purposely swerve a hand in your face when he’s playing 

even though sugamama is in charge of the kitchen, noya and hinata do like to experiment with cooking from time to time and if daichi is in a good mood he’ll indulge them

they’ll even rope you in on their shenanigans and pretty soon you’re making a casserole out of pepperoni and cheetos just in time for sugawara to come in and see what happened to his kitchen

it usually ends with all of you guys just ordering pizza and you having to clean the kitchen with noya and hinata

house incident: ennoshita’s CPR doll that ACTUALLY MIGHT be haunted

okay i know that i already wrote about ennoshita’s cpr doll being not haunted and that tsukki and ennoshita just like to mess with it but IMAGINE IT ACTUALLY BEING HAUNTED

it starts out with yamaguchi getting mad at tsukki or ennoshita for putting the cpr doll in his bed while he was asleep and they were both like ‘no seriously we didn’t do it’

and you could vouch for them because you were the last one to fall asleep in your room and the CPR doll was way in ennoshita’s side of the room (yamaguchi believes you cause you’re the only person he trusts in the room)

you and yamaguchi begin to think that something strange is going on and like ‘is it just me or are those dead, plastic eyes somehow following my every move?’

it gets to the point that you have to turn the plastic doll around the face the wall when you’re studying

and then, you begin to notice that the doll is nearer to your bed when you wake up in the morning and again, neither tsukishima nor ennoshita touched it

because of this you now stay over at daichi, asahi, and sugawara’s room because you’re so creeped out by the doll and also because they have snacks

and then an Incident happens wherein noya and tanaka, who are both doing a first-aid class, decide to secretly use the doll while no one is around at home

although noya and tanaka trying to practice cpr by themselves is hilarious

just visualize tanaka trying to administer cpr while dueting ‘staying alive’ with noya

they both take a break and turn away from the doll for one second only to see it standing upright when they turn right back

tanaka: that doll just moved on its own, right?

noya: yeah, pretty much

that’s when you and yamaguchi come home and see the cpr doll with tanaka and noya looking very afraid

you: the doll’s haunted isn’t it?

yamaguchi: I KNEW IT !!

daichi comes home to the four of you trying to dispose of the doll by fitting it into a box and gets mad at everyone because you can’t just do that to ennoshita’s stuff

but then he sees all of you looking clearly in distress and decides to call for a house meeting about ennoshita’s haunted doll

asahi brings sliced fruit

tsukishima and kageyama very firmly talk about how it’s not possible which is weird because it’s something they agree on for once

daichi: well, where did you get this doll, ennoshita? ennoshita: i got it for cheap at an old antique store. the owner was super intent to get rid of it so i bought it

you, tanaka, yamaguchi, and noya: 👁👄👁

daichi: even i don’t believe in ghosts but damn ennoshita what were you thinking?

and then sugawara who has been eerily quiet this entire time brings out a ouija board and goes ‘LET’S EXORCISE THIS BITCH’

a few minutes later you all are set up in the living room with candles, the ouija board, and the cpr doll

tsukishima’s just there to livestream everything (STORYTIME: my dumb housemates think this doll is haunted)

you, sugawara, and hinata are in charge of the seance (hinata ironically drew the shortest straw and was forced to participate)

sugawara: spirit of the cpr doll, what is your name?

the triangle piece on the board starts moving, you are looking at your friends in shock, asahi has fainted. the triangle piece stops at the word ‘yes’

you: oh my god this ghost is an idiot

daichi: all in favor of getting rid of this doll?

everyone except ennoshita raises their hands

sugawara is already on the phone with the current owners of the warren museum

you: why do you have their number memorized?

sugawara: ,,, reasons

the cpr doll is picked up the next day. kageyama pokes at the doll and goes ‘you’re just a doll, cpr doll. you can’t do anything’. asahi feels sorry that it’s gonna be displayed naked in the museum and gives the doll a little fedora hat

also ennoshita is compensated for the doll and now has enough money to buy AN ACTUAL, LEGIT CPR DOLL from AN ACTUAL, LEGIT CPR DOLL FACTORY

you and yamaguchi still hate it

taglist (still open to anyone who wants in!): @montys-chaos​ @miyumtwins​ @strawberriimilkshake​ @pocubo​ @sugawara-sweetheart @akaashisbabydoll @laure-chan @therainroguefanfiction @atetiffdoesart @stephdaninja @oikaw-ugh @charliefredb @dramaqueenweeb1469 @tremblinghearts @applepienation @doodleniella @haikyuu-my-love

[bokunoheroanalysisforthefuture]

And so preparations for the final event begin! Let’s see if these being one on one matches helps me get through them a bit faster when I’m not having to transcribe quite so much action all at once.

[No. 32 - Smile, Prince of Nonsense Land!]

Another character profile to start out with! (I swear I’m gonna have to make a post compiling these once we’ve gotten all of them for class 1a… maybe run a comparison with the end of chapter profiles? Eh shrug.)

I swear, my instincts say that something that that tail should not be as flexible as it is because of its circumference. I know, I know, quirks, freaking magic, don’t think about it, but still. It’s a very straightforward quirk with a surprising amount of utility, and he makes full use of it. Good for him! Now, onto the chapter proper.

Kirishima is pretty hyped for a tournament, thinking about how they’ll be up in ‘that ring he sees on TV every year.’ Mina asks him if it was a tournament last year as well, but Sero’s the one to answer - the format’s always different, but most years involve some kind of head to head competition. (Apparently the year before theirs involved foam sword fighting, and now I’m incredibly disappointed we didn’t get to see that for this sports festival finale… would have been absolutely hilarious.)

Midnight holds up a box of lots, saying that match-ups will be decided by drawing lots. Once that’s done, they’ll move on to the festivities and then the tournament itself. It’s up to each of the sixteen finalists whether or not they participate in the fun, since she figures some of them would rather take a breather and save their strength. 

She starts to call for the first place team to draw lots, but Ojiro raises his hand, calling for her attention. He then states that he’d like to drop out, much to the shock of the others. Someone (I think Kirishima?) asks him why, since this is his chance of being noticed by the pros. Ojiro stats that he has no memories of the cavalry battle or anything that happened in it up until the tail end. And it’s probably his quirk that did that. 

Ohh, ominous. And Izuku’s really concerned for Ojiro here. Ojiro states that he knows this is a great opportunity, and he knows it seems stupid to throw it away, but this final turnament… everyone else made it with their own strength. But he’s standing here and he doesn’t even know how or why. He just can’t take it. 

Hagakure says that he’s thinking about it too hard, and that he can just show what he’s made of in the tournament. Mina agrees, saying that by that logic, she shouldn’t really be here either. Ojiro starts crying, hiding his face in his hand as he shakes, explaining that he’s talking about his pride here. He doesn’t think it’s right. (He also has no idea why the girls are dressed like that. Really, the entire cheerleader gimmick seems a bit… awkward, here.)

Izuku has no idea what to say. But class B’s Nirengeki does - kind of. He admits that he can’t remember anything either, so he wants to withdraw as well. This is a contest of skill, so letting someone who didn’t do anything advance… doesn’t that defeat the whole point of the sports festival? Isn’t it against the rules?

Kirishima starts to tear up, calling the two manly. Up in the booth, Present Mic announces the strange turn of events, while Aizawa wonders what Midnight, as the coordinator, will decide. Midnight’s ruling?

She likes it. The two are allowed to withdraw. Aoyama puts a hand on Ojiro’s shoulder and promises to win it for him. 

Midnight tells the kids that replacing the two will be members of team Kendo, who took fifth. Kendo replies that if it’s gonna be like that, then shouldn’t it be team Tetsu instead? Her team was immobilized pretty much the whole time, while team Tetsu were giving it their all to keep what they had until the very end. She then hastens to assure that they aren’t colluding or anything, it just feels right.

Tetsutetsu is in tears by the gesture. After a brief transition, it’s decided that Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki will join the finalists, bringing the number back up to sixteen. And with that, the match-ups can be drawn!

Izuku notes that if he wins his first match, his second’s gonna be against Shouto. Which I feel is very rude of him to just entirely discount the possibility of Sero winning the match. I mean, it’s an honest assessment, but STILL. Rude. Anyways, before his match with Shouto, he still has to face off against Shinsou, who has to be-

And speak of the devil, there’s the guy in question. He wants to know if he’s Midoriya Izuku, which startles Izuku. Izuku recognizes him from the declaration of war two weeks back. He goes to respond, only to be cut off by Ojiro’s tail over his mouth. Shinsou huffs and turns t head away, while Ojiro warns Izuku not to answer him. 

We get a few other reactions from some of the other students: Shouto contemplates how his match with Izuku will be sooner than expected, and that he wants Izuku to bring his best before he takes him down. Katsuki wonders out loud who Uraraka is, which startles an eep out of her, possibly for using her actual name. Mei approaches Tenya, chucking as she starts to ask him something. And Present Mic announces that they’re setting aside the tournament for the time being, and getting on with the thrill-a-minute festivities. 

There’s a few snapshots of what everyone is up to over the course of the side events: some of the non-finalists racing massive balls (probably rubber?) around the inside perimeter of the stadium, Ojiro talking to a stressed out Izuku, Tokoyami napping in a tree, Tenya drinking five (5) cans of orange juice, Katsuki doing… something, Shouto crouched down resting somewhere outside the stadium, and finally some students searching for items on the cards they were given. Oh, right, and the girls are doing cheerleader stuff, with Hagakure being the most enthusiastic, and Jirou and Momo as the least. 

Honestly, with that jump, Hagakure is either buff as heck, or Ochako is lending her a hand. 

While all this is happening, Izuku is narrating how some people preferred to psych themselves up, while others tried to relax. Everyone was dealing with it differently. And before they knew it, the time had come.

We come back into the narrative as Cementoss is just finishing up crafting the battle platform from scratch, which is honestly incredibly impressive. I guess his manipulation of cement includes being able to dry it out super fast. And really, with how it looks, he’s just showing off. Especially with those torches, like, those can’t have been made from cement. Were they just put there and the cement set around them? Did he use the cement to manipulate them into place? I have questions, sir.

As I said, showing off just a touch. 

Present Mic thanks Cementoss before asking the crowds if they’re ready. He talks about how the students have been through hell to get here, but now it’s time for the one-on-one tournament! They’ll only have themselves to rely on. Even if someone isn’t a hero, that saying holds true! You know it! Spirit, technique, strength, wisdom, and knowledge! Use them all and show us your best!

...They’ll only have themselves to rely on, even applied to non-heroes? Uh, wow. Talk about the underlying 𝓲𝓼𝓼𝓾𝓮𝓼 showing up here. I honestly can’t help but think that Izuku’s issues with heading off alone in the current manga arc has less to do with emulating All Might, and more absorbing all these small asides and comments from all the staff of UA. Which is fucking 𝕪𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤.

Anyways, while Mic’s doing his thing, Izuku is trying to calm himself before his match, only for Toshinori to come up to talk to him. He notes how it took a while, but Izuku’s finally getting the hang of using One For All, and gives Izuku a wonky thumbs up. Izuku is surprised to see his mentor there, but also corrects him - he doesn’t really have a hang of it, he’s still uneasy. He brings up his microwave visualization thing, and how he’s been trying to recall when he launched it at the villain, but it still feels dangerous. As if he could fall apart if he loses focus for a second, and, well, it’s like Toshinori saw. Given the level his body is at, even when Izuku controls it, it only gives a small boost in power. 

Toshinoir thinks on it for a bit, before reminding Izuku about that talk about giving it between zero and a hundred. As Izuku is now, heis body’s capable of about five percent. Izuku considers that, thinking that if it’s like that, then he’s just gotten lucky with everything. Toshinori gives him a few thwacks on the head and neck, telling Izuku that that’s because he’s always been trying his hardest, calling him a prince of nonsense. He also chides Izuku, saying he’ll never be a hero looking so mopey.

While Izuku recovers from the assault, Toshinori tells him to listen, before stating that especially when Izuku is feeling worried or scared, that’s when he needs to smile. Izuku’s come this far, so show some bravado, even if it’s fake. To punctuate this, Toshinori swells up into All Might, giving him another thumbs up. And I guess it kind of works as motivation, since Izuku seems less stressed?

Anywho, we finally get into the first match! Present Mic announces the two, with Izuku getting a comment about his making a weird face despite his good performance, and Shinsou getting a comment about not having done anything to stand out yet. The rules are simple - win by knocking out your opponent, immobilizing them, or getting them to say ‘I give up!’ Bring the pain! Recovery Girl’s on standby. And fight dirty if you must! ‘Ethics’ have no meaning here!

...this explains why Shinsou immediately went for such a low blow. 

Anywho, Cementoss makes himself a seat to watch from, so as to be prepared to stop the match at any time. Present Mic clarifies that going for the kill is a big no-no and will disqualify you, because a true hero’s fists fly only when in pursuit of villains. 

Shinsou starts talking, contemplating the ‘I give up’ option before asking Izuku if he gets it? That this battle’s going to test his strength of will. If you have any kind of vision for your future, there’s no sense in worrying about how you get there. Like that monkey, babbling about his stupid pride. 

Wow is Izuku pissed. Present Mic announces the start of the match as Shinsou rhetorically asks what kind of dumbass throws away a chance like this. Izuku rushes forward furiously demanding to know what Shinsou just said - only to stop dead. Shinsou calls it his win, while in the stands, Ojiro is stressing out, tail flailing as he snaps at how he’d warned Izuku about this. Toshinori is waiting at the entrance to the stadium, confused. 

Present Mic asks what’s wrong, the battle’s just started, show some spirit! Mere seconds into the match, Izuku is frozen in place?

And we end the chapter on that cliffhanger. What an introduction to Shinsou, and we have more to go in the next… one or two chapters, can’t recall. 

Anywho, see y’all next time for spooky quirk shenanigans! Can’t believe our first ghost sighting is about to happen. Fricken love ghosts.

[flying-elliska]

i rewatched the Pirates of the Carribean movies as a comfort thing for the first time in a veeery long time. the first aged pretty well (bar some moments of uncomfortable humor) and is still a solid, fun adventure movie. i watched it so many times as a kid, i could almost remember the lines before they said them.

the two others...well. objectively, they're a mess. a very interesting one, though, but frustrating, because i actually really like the character arcs and plot ideas. it's everything else around it that is just....why.

the first issue is the length ; they're massively bloated at almost 3hrs each and much of that is padding that doesn't contribute much beyond the fact that some marketing exec must have said 'people liked that in the first so let's give them more' at some point. But in the stupidest way possible. So they've moved from the staged and slightly improbable but very fun and mostly grounded fight and action sequences of the first one, to CGI-soup that constantly bends the rules of physics and ends up coming off as video-game-y and ugly to look at and just...Boring (very much like in the Hobbit movies). there is also just...Too much of Jack Sparrow's shtick. He was fun and fresh in the first one but in the sequels it just comes off as lame and tiresome, I found him a lot less entertaining than I remember. I find him most interesting when he supports the other characters' growth.

Then there is all the racist stereotypes and sexist, vulgar humor that has just aged like milk and made me go wow i didn't remember it was this bad, especially Elizabeth being constantly objectified by semi-sympathetic characters and it being supposed to be funny ?? i know they're pirates and everything but it's the cheeky tone that's just gross. the whole cannibal tribe sequence though, beyond the fact that it's completely irrelevant plot wise, is just as bad as I remembered, and...like i know there is still a lot of problems but i am also kind of glad to feel like the 00s are a bygone era. somewhat. please. let it be bygones. Also the plot is so confusing at times esp in the third, where half the time I couldn't tell who is on whose side and side crossing who and why.

it's frustrating though because it feels like two awesome movies hidden inside two shitty blockbusters. i like that they went a lot weirder and more fantastical with the mystique of the sea ; there are some really fascinating visuals there - like a boat navigating an ocean reflecting the stars, the boat turning upside down to exit the land of the dead, the land of the dead itself with all the spirits sitting in boats with lanterns, the last green ray of sunshine (it's a story i actually grew up with irl!!!), Davy Jones playing the pipe organ while the kraken attacks (honestly pipe organ sounds and the kraken are just...a galaxy brain match, because they're both kind of solemn and terrifying and mourning and powerful and undeniable and horrifyingly beautiful and majestic like the sea, it's just perfect), Davy Jones' heart in a box...in an alternate reality this could have been just such a fascinating, poetic, dark nautical monster story, but I guess Guillermo del Toro can't do everything (sigh). Also the actor playing Barbossa is clearly having the time of his life and it's so much fun to watch.

And I just love the whole character dynamic between Will and Elizabeth, both their fathers, Norrington, Davy Jones and Calypso, there are so many juicy themes there !!!!! it's like loyalty and duty and revenge and longing and betrayal and making your own path in the world !!!!! hello !!!! Will and Elizabeth were my first OTP (and definitely part of my bi awakening lmao), I used to be embarassed by it because romance is for silly girls or whatever but I'm cured now and I still think they're amazing. They start out as so smitten for each other but they both have this arc of growing independently of each other, they disagree and there's miscommunication but they still just admire how badass the other has become and !!! their ending is the sort of wonderfully bittersweet that has my Romantic heart all aaaaaaaaaaaaaa. plus the scene where they get married right in the middle of the final battle on the edge of a whirlpool still makes me so happy.

i'm pretty sure whoever loved these movies as a kid has a much higher chance than average to a) have turned out bisexual and b) be a Black Sails fan now like it was a gateway drug to the whole pirates are freedom and the British Empire is evil thing

also I heard that Margot Robbie is in talks to replace Johnny Depp as the head of the franchise and with an LGBT aspect to it so you know what. you have my attention. as long as they keep the stupid CGI and clichés bullshit out. can we please learn from the mistakes of the past.

but yeah these movies will always have a special spot in my heart bc I think nothing before or since quite captured how scary and fascinating the sea is like this

[white-poppie]

Hello! I recently came across your blog and I love it sm! I saw you were doing a matchup/pairing event and I thought I’d take part. If I could please have a matchup from hxh and tokyo revengers (or just one if two is too many)

My name is Strawberry but I also go by Lee, and I use they/them pronouns and I’m Pansexual! I recently turned 18. Im an INFP/INTP. I’m currently an art student who is also studying cultures and languages, I also do boxing and work part time at a coffee shop. I’m an empath but that doesn’t mean I’m necessarily nice all the time. If I think someone is wrong I will tell to their face. I will still however listen to their perspective at least.

I often get so caught up in my art projects that I either forget to eat or I forget to sleep, so my sleep schedule is pretty scuffed (I either sleep 5am to 9am or I sleep 10pm to 12pm- either no sleep or too much sleep). Speaking of sleep I’m a very deep sleeper, I don’t move in my sleep and it’s near impossible to wake me up. I’m also one of those weird people who can sleep on their back perfectly still.

As for my physical appearance I am 5’5 and I have a short black wolf cut. I have brown eyes and an olive toned skin. I usually wear dark academia or indie grunge fashion, and I have a tattoo of Haku (dragon from spirited away) along my side, as well as a cherry blossom branch on my shoulder with the names of my family on it.

I hope this is enough information- I also hope I didn’t ramble on too much! If you’re too busy with other requests you don’t have to bother about this but if you do write for it I can’t wait to see what you do!

Omg Hi! Thank you so much! I am glad you like it! Also congrats because you are apparently the last pairing I will be doing since I am closing this event! Hope you like it and have a good day.

Ps: Haku Tattoo and wolf cut! Uhm wow, I am jealous.

HxH

Pairing: Chrollo Lucilfer

(I really hope you don't become a Chrollo stan)

Chrollo is calm, intelligent, and charismatic, as he seems to be a born leader and able to hold the Troupe together despite the volatile personalities of its members.

He is an INFJ which is a nice pairing for both INFP and INTP

He is an empath; very calculative and even ruthless at times.

He listens to all the members however is also vary of them sometimes.

I also headcanon that he has a keen eye for arts, both performing and visual.

He is manipulative, but I believe he will never put you in any kind of danger, he may even shield you from the dark world he is in.

You can read hcs on Adult Trio relationship hcs

Overall Recommendation: 7.5/10

Tokyo Revengers

Pairing: Mikey (Sano Manjiro)

Mikey is usually a carefree teenager who loves to joke and play pranks around those he considers his close friends.

INTP x INTP what more do I need to say?

As Toman's leader, his aura changes dramatically, becoming imposing and commanding.

Even in instances where Mikey succumbs to that darkness, there are conflicting aspects of his personality and contradicting behaviour.

Mikey is caring, kind and extremely observant. He often loses himself to protect his loved ones but he is left with a certain melancholy afterwards

Overall Recommendation: 8.5/10

Thank you so much! Hope you have a great day!!

[luckycheesefoodie321]

ok...ok ok ok... ok... so I watched Mulan (2020)... spoilers + LONG POST (yo this took me an hour and a half)...

before yall scream at me for spending money on it, lemme just say i was fully intending to wait until December so that I would not have to give even more money to the Disney machine (especially in light of things that happened with John Boyega) nor endorse individuals who support police brutality or oppression... but my mum and sister nagged me to buy it so we could watch it now, and explaining the politics of supporting both Disney’s greed and the controversy around the lead actress and would’ve just frustrated us both so I paid for it -_- please don’t crucify me... 

also want to preface this by saying I am not Chinese (though I am Asian), and I understand that the 1998 film and this film have inherent issues, given neither were directed by Asian directors, let alone Chinese ones... so the representation of the Chinese culture is likely flawed (and likely straight up wrong) in many ways... additionally, Li Yifei has been shown to support the actions of police in Hong Kong, so just know I’m viewing her role purely from an acting and movie standpoint...

now that’s done... general rating for the movie

when compared to the original animated film (my favourite Disney movie of all time): scrapes by on a 5/10

movie that stands on its own as I watched it (just note I’m the type of person who can enjoy pretty much anything - even if I’m hyper-critical of it): 7/10 (I’m very generous but my viewing experience was nice)

if I break it down completely into its underlying faults and wash away the Hollywood sheen and the nostalgia filter: 4/10 for themes 8/10 for cinematography and the technical aspects... (this movie was gorgeous to look at and had some really fun camera work, sue me for enjoying the visuals)

Full SPOILER review:

For the most part, my nostalgia filter from the animated film, which I dearly dearly love, basically had me ecstatic anytime there was even a hint of a reference to the animated film (see: occasional notes from the songs), and also sorely disappointed when the acting or the general pace pulled the fun or the emotion from key points (see: A Girl Worth Fighting For being abruptly cut off upon seeing the carnage would’ve been so much more impactful because they actually showed the bodies in the 2020 version but instead we got this kinda funny convo referencing the lines completely separated from that scene)...

The biggest issue I have with the film is that Mulan was naturally skilled from the beginning and was told to suppress her abilities.. making her OP from the beginning undermines the 1998 journey where we see every step of her development both in physical ability and her emotional struggles... then through her wits, intelligence, and strategy, as well as being on par and even better than her fellow soldiers, she manages to defeat Shan Yu and makes us feel her “Hero” status is very much earned... so it takes away from what the 1998 film tried to show in suggesting Mulan could just OP her way to victory at the drop of a hat.. and also implied her being dishonest about her true identity was her primary flaw? idk thematically they were trying to be super empowering of women and the capability of women, and the boxes women are forced into according to society... but then suggest Mulan was always inherently gifted/had a special power and that is why she succeeded, while the other soldiers worked hard and effectively achieved the same goal (albeit in a less flashy manner)... so the message gets very confusing...

i felt that Xian Niang (was that her name?), the Witch, had a lot of potential, but I was also really concerned they introduced her to make sure Mulan had a female enemy to defeat, and Shan Yu/Bori Khan was a minion of this female enemy... so in that sense I’m glad she served as a foil to Mulan... I would’ve liked the parallels more if the “being your true self”/”bring honor to us all” theme wasn’t so muddled... Mulan was accepted while XIan Niang wasn’t because they both had powers, but then Mulan convinces her to take the noble path and so Xian Niang died for her? idk there was a better way to fold her into the story...

Shan Yu/Bori Khan was about as much as I expected from him... I think he matched Shan Yu for skill, though idk about ferocity or intimidation power, though the actor was decent enough... but I did enjoy his and Mulan’s fight... less impactful because he didn’t even know about her and how she was the one to take down most of his army...

didn’t mind that Mushu was missing... fondly referred to the phoenix as Mushu (though I understand there may be cultural missteps in a phoenix being the spirit/ancestor/guardian)...

I also didn’t mind they removed the power imbalance between Shang and Mulan and had her love interest be a fellow soldier...I really liked Yoson An’s character actually...but the romance element was significantly dialled back, so we didn’t get the bisexual icon that is Li Shang... also Li Yifei’s emotional acting was normal but not outstanding... so her feelings for Honghui didn’t really register much except for that first time they chat in the barracks about girls, and right before she goes home... (just me being pouty about him not joining the Imperial Guards to Mulan’s home and presenting himself for matchmaking... though I understand it was to keep focus on Mulan’s journey, not her love interest)...

while it probably wasn’t the intention of the 1998 film, the positive portrayal of gender fluidity, the specific empowerment of trans and bisexual individuals through Mulan and Shang (bc let’s get real, he was just as attracted to Ping as he was Mulan), all did not ring in quite the same way in the 2020 version... again I’m not part of either community, so I can’t say for sure, but this is what I read from it...

overall the fun was taken out, with the songs... I would say this is probably on the higher end of Disney Live Action adaptations, there were some fun moments and funny dialogue even, and I didn’t mind that they were trying to do something different, unlike some of the others which made it note for note the same... but ultimately the biggest flaw of most of the adaptations are that it removes the fun and the levity in lieu of a more serious tone... 

I accepted no songs (I was hopeful and then pleasantly surprised when they did pay some minor homages through the score to the original’s songs)... but the fun moments were meant to be intentionally undercut by the reality of the war... there’s a reason A Girl Worth Fighting For was cut off so abruptly in the 1998 version... it was the moment where these trainees (all of them young and having never experienced battle or war before) suddenly realised the severity of the situation before them, and it was in that moment they accepted their fate and duty to protect the kingdom...

the 2020 version just kind of had them walk through the carnage without any real build up... the grand battle sequence with the avalanche was pretty well done, the overdramatic “Hua Jun died but Mulan lived” scene notwithstanding.. i didn’t mind that Mulan volunteered to expose herself rather than be forced half-naked into the snow by the Chancellor dude... didn’t like Honghui got the “you listened to Hua Jun, why is Hua Mulan any different?” line... the “I believe in Hua Mulan” was kinda goofy, but I could see what they were going for... it was kinda undermined by the Commander saying “you dishonoured your family and this regiment but hey, you’re brave and loyal kid”...felt very patronising...

I’m not gonna lie, I kinda loved Cricket... he was adorable and I had half a heart attack when I thought he’d died... 

DIDN’T REALISE MING NA WEN MADE A CAMEO UNTIL I CAME ON HERE...so that was nice..

still pissed they didn’t even put the drum beats for “I’ll Make a Man Outta You”...they were using drums during the training sequence too so would’ve been real easy to do so AND THEY DIDN’T...they did it for “Bring Honor to Us All” and “Reflection”...idk why they couldn’t even give us that much of my favourite Disney song...

again, cannot emphasise enough how gorgeous this whole movie looked...and there were so many fun camera work moments... the visuals had me dead on the floor ya’ll...

idk what else i have to say now...

tl;dr I enjoyed the experience of watching it, but hooooo boi the film is flawed as hell...