#but that part is in 2012 so we'll get there in due time

[tryst-art-archive]

Context: Autumn/Winter of 2011

We are now entering the first semester of my junior year of college. During this semester I had a screenwriting class in which we had to choose 1 story to write through the entire semester.

Friends, this class was very valuable, but it broke my depressed little brain.

I first panicked about picking a story because what could I possibly stay interested in for that length of time?? I wound up deciding to tell Arren's story, which I think of as the first of the Khra-nicles, for this class because I at least knew I could care about Khra for a whole semester.

I had the screenwriting class on Mondays, so my second panic was every single Sunday night. I'd procrastinate on doing my screenwriting work every week, then have a sobbing breakdown while pulling the script out of my soul, and that was how I lived that semester.

(Please note how the first 7 of these clearly all occurred in the same night, over a period of 4 hours.)

This was not the class's fault. The class was well-structured, my classmates very kind and even downright flattering about Arren's story, and the professor was highly professional and good at his job. It should, by all rights, have been a fantastic time.

No, the problem was me. I'd psyched myself out about it badly and was having a crisis about whether or not I should be trying to be a writer at all. That crisis of confidence was in part because my college tended to be very anti-genre fiction, which is My Thing, but more than that I'd done to myself about writing what I'd done to myself about art back in high school: I'd decided that others' skill in the medium meant that I was a worthless hack, and I was wrong about that.

In particular, I'd fallen into the trap of comparing myself to my fwb, who was also in the writing major. There was a core difference in our respective approaches to writing in that he wrote out of an unrelenting passion for the activity; he simply was not himself if he wasn't writing. For me, writing was more like a tool--a means to an end--and it was the telling of stories that mattered, not the act of writing. I interpreted that difference as a flaw in myself, deciding that I didn't deserve to be a writer because I wasn't passionate enough about it.

I'd also fallen into the trap of falling for my fwb in a decidedly unhealthy manner. Part of how that unhealthiness manifested was that I started thinking about the future (not a thing I typically did) as something he and I would share, and I made plans which inevitably involved me relinquishing my own ostensible goals in favor of being a breadwinner so that he could pursue his goals. I did this entirely by myself; I never mentioned it to him. It was a delusion of my own making.

And that's really the thing I want to emphasize about the next chunk of time: I wasn't really in touch with reality anymore. I'm not even fully sure why I slipped into a delusional state (who knows, maybe I'll find something that tells me), but it's apparent that that's what was happening. There was this desperate edge to everything I did, and, as aforementioned fwb once said, "Desperation looks good on no one."

[gotasenseivebeenbetrayed]

It's so annoying to check the Haylor tag and see (mostly Gaylors and Larries) saying dumb shit like "did you even read the prologue of 1989?" Idk babe, did YOU? Because if you're still a Gaylor after that and the other multiple times she's said she's straight, an ally, and to stop shipping her with women then are you even truly a fan of hers? She was saying, in the nicest way possible, AGAIN that she is straight and tired of people shipping her with her FRIENDS. She dated Harry, so linking songs to him is not what she is talking about in the prologue. For the males, she was referring to her male FRIENDS - ie. Ed Sheeran and honestly I have no idea now who her other male friends are because she's kept them so secret but, I know she was also linked with Cory Moneith back in the day as well as Zac Efron who were clearly just friends with her.

The other thing I have seen is "you have no proof Haylor ever happened outside of 2012 besides their song lyrics". Yes, no shit. Did you hear Harry? I'm not even a huge Harry fan and even I know he specifically did an interview (maybe multiple) where he said lyrics/songs were "the best unspoken dialogue between people". Like, he gave you the proof right there. So if you can't put 2 + 2 together then idk what to tell you.

All of 1989 indicates a relationship that failed mostly due to the paparazzi/media influence. Firstly, I have no idea how anyone could ever link that to Dianna Agron when IF they had been in a relationship it was secret so it could not possibly have failed due to the media/paparazzi. I'm assuming those who believe this just do not get metaphors? Because in "I Know Places" she's not talking about hiding a queer relationship, she's talking about the paparazzi hounding her and Harry early into their relationship (he also talked about this and how at the time it was overwhelming for him and he hated it) - I know she also made comments about this back then as well - and she was trying to be his safe place and saying "I know places we can hide from them". The hunters with their guns are literally paparazzi with their cameras. Literally the entire song:

"It's a scene and we're out here in plain sight I can hear them whisper as we pass by It's a bad sign, bad sign Somethin' happens when everybody finds out See the vultures circlin', dark clouds Love's a fragile little flame, it could burn out It could burn out"

"Lights flash and we'll run for the fences Let them say what they want, we won't hear it Loose lips sink ships all the damn time Not this time"

"They take their shots, but we're bulletproof"

All of this is about a public relationship.

"Out Of The Woods" is referring to both the relationship "are we out of the bad parts of our relationship?" and "being out of the media's spotlight causing them issues".

"Wonderland" talking about flashing lights (paparazzi) and them getting lost away from it. Again, media and paparazzi and needing to run/hide from them.

"But there were strangers watchin' And whispers turned to talkin' And talking turned to screams, oh"

That's literally explaining people watching them then running wild in the media and it turned to them fighting.

Haylor was photographed quite a few times but, there were also tons of instances where they were together that was not reported by the media - but fans saw them out and about. So clearly she did know places they could hide from the media.

As for "Slut!" it literally ties in perfectly with every other 1989 song, so again - how is ANY of that about Dianna? She's saying "everyone wanted him that was my crime", aka I get called a slut because everyone wants him and hates me for having him. I'm sorry but, as pretty as Dianna is - she was never someone "everyone wanted". And if their relationship was a secret, then why would Taylor fear being called a slut and how "it'd be worth it for once"?

[popculturebuffet]

Pirate Month III: The Pirates! In an Adventure With Whaling! (Comission by WeirdKev27)

Ahoy all you happy people and welcome back to Pirate Month! As we wind it down, it's time once again for our yearly look at Gideon Defoe's pirates series. We started with Aardman's fantastic adaptation of his work, went on to the first book and now where we are at The Pirates! An Adventure with Whaling... or Ahab if your in the US like me... or Moby Dick for the reprint for the 2012 uk reprint.

For those just joining in pirates is a series of comedy novels by british author Gideon Dafoe. The first book, and parts of this one and possibly others but we'll get to that, was adapted into a movie by Aardman Animation. I'd seen that film but now kev has me reading the books as he's a fan too.

Last year I read the pirates first adventure, adventure with scientests where our heroes casued a lot of black comedy deaths, halfheartedly helped Charles Darwin on his adventures, wore dinosaur masks, picked up a new crew member in Jennifer, met a humanpanzie and other nonsense i've likely forgot. I also found out the film was a great adaptation as while it didn't follow the book to the letter it captured the spirit of these books fantastically.

I did have one worrying question in the back of my mind going into the second one: Would the books keep up the momentum or lapse into the formula of "the crew meets and teams up with a historical figure, wackiness ensues" i'm delighted that while that's technically true, Adventures With Whaling ups the ante, tightens the plot and is still gut busting all the while. It's a nice evolution of the series that makes me excited to keep sailing with the other three books eventually. To see what I mean join me under the cut for whale puppetry, mobs of cowboys in las vegas, and severe crippling debt.

So to start us off Adventures with Whaling has a tighter plot. Like Scientists, the plot is largely a loose frame to work jokes in but unlike Scientests, where the pirates really barely cared about Charles Darwin's plight and only needed his money, here the stakes are a lot more personal and are the reason for all the wacky nonsense we know and love.

This time Pirate Captain makes a mistake i'm sure many has and overspends. With the pirate's unamed boat falling to bits their fearless leader Pirate Captain takes the crew to Nantucket, insert your own dirty limerick here, intending to get the boat fixed by Cutlass Liz

Yup to my plesant suprise Cutlass Liz was also in the books, having a bigger role that likely could've come up , and still could come up, in any sequels. I'm seriously hoping now Aardman is on steady ground with netflix we get a sequel. And reading through the jackets of the future books it seems like the pirate of the year compettion is directly taken from Adventures with Napoleon. The Aardman Film simply took a bunch of neat bits and pieces and the basic characters and reconfigured them into it's own mostly original plot about charles darwin badly wanting to get laid. Not something i'm against mind as it worked well and like i've said it gets the spirit of the books down perfectly.

Here instead of just another rival pirate and the object of Pirate Captain's affections for one fantasy sequence, Cutlass Liz is an infamous pirate who runs a boat yard and enters the book killing a pirate who couldn't pay her while terrifying the crew. So naturally.. the Pirate Captain gets into massive debt with her due to a combination of trying to impress her and his oldest foe, Black Belamy.

Yes to my delight Black Belamy is back, having set off the previous book by setting our heroes on Charles Darwin. He's also not voiced by jeremy piven, another well worn plus. He has a bigger role this time out, not only setting off the plot AGAIN, but also coming back twice to bedevil our heroes. He's also one of the few things the film didn't do better as rather than just a broish bully he's the kind of bully who pretneds to be your friend while mocking you and is far more cunning. While he generally just meant to insult pirate captain here, his later two schemes show a nicely petty and manipulative streak.

To start he just mocks the boat Pirate Captain was going to buy and Pirate Captain's own ego does the rest, instead buying the biggest boat possible. Thankfully Bellamy leaves before he gives a bs excuse about his treasure he bragged about to impress Liz but still for some reason agrees to still buy it.

Liz is at least.. sorta forgiving and agrees to give him a few weeks to pay it off .. or else. SO our heroes with low suplies, less money and a threat to cut off the captain's luxioruus beard set off.

This elevates the book as rather than the adventures mostly being disconnected, with the very loose goal of we need money , we have a firmer goal: We need money or we're all gonna die horribly.

It's not the only connecting bit too as while Liz is the looming threat that sets the plot off, well that and Pirate Captains fragile ego but that's the kind of threat you can nevery truly beat, there's another figure we see throughout the first half. While the Pirate Captain is having some drinks he runs into Moby Dick's Captain Ahab. I haven't read moby dick but thankfully this book just really requires you to know he's a grim old man whose leg got bitten by a whale and he's been trying to murder it ever since. Ahab pops up once or twice before becoming the center of the last act. It's small stuff sure but it helps make the silly story feel all the more impactful by the end: tying together these loose bits into one uprorarus set piece

Before we get there we have some smaller set pieces: the pirate captain's old mentor mails him a treasure map... that turns out to be a child's smile.. which they try to grin and bear but throw into the ocean because what the fuck man. I mean.. it's not a bad lesson but come on.

Since that fails the next one and one that made the book jacket is VEGAS BABY. Which I was so excited for and it did not disapoint. It's filled with kitchy landmarks, gambling and naturally our heroes loosing what little money they had left gambling. For once it's not even pirate captain's fault as he warned the crew. He runs into Ahab again who was told the whale was in the casino. And now I just want a version of Ocean's eleven where Ahab is one of danny's crew. I mean.. we're getting Godzilla vs the Great Gatsby and the rest of western literature this year, it's no longer impossible.

The Pirate Captain's real plan and reason for going is simple: Showbusiness! Vegas is all about those big flashy shows and this series has no concept for time or accurate history so the Pirate captain puts ona bit peformance. Antecdotes! Knife Throwing! An Albino Pirate! all the usual stuff.

To my shock given the title isn't adventures in vegas though given my love for vegas set stories I badly wish it was, it works. THey get a decent if not nearly enough pile of money scare a child who dosen't know the albino isn't a ghost, and have the child fead the albino merunge to show he's not threatning. All sentences I just got paid for recapping, all so over the top as not to be offensive

Sadly this dosen't pan out as Black Belamy, the bastard swoops in with a better show and the pirate captain's attempts to have a lymicrk battle with him result in him insulting an audience of cowboys and having to run for their life. A once an adventure staple, but not exactly good.

Our heroes seem to be at a dead end, depressed about their possible death and lack of success on the stage. I love how pettily angry the pirate captain is about how little they appricated his work. Such a good character. He stays largely the same this time, a bit of an ass (the bit about him trying to go into the showers while jennifer there has aged like fine mlik on a sidewalk but thankfully he clearly never got away with anything), an egotistic and a layabout, but a guy who genuinely loves his crew.

Well.. MOST of them. There's one exception introduced this book and he is a delight, the only pirate beyond Captain's #2 pirate with a scarf, the albino pirate and jennifer to really get much of a personality: The Pirate in Red. The Pirate in Red is a sarcastic bastard who freqnuently makes jabs at the Pirate Captain's expense, only stopping when the captain gestures to his cutlass. He's the only one besides pirate with a scarf who seems to have an idea what he's doing and unlike Scarf Pirate, will actually point this out.

While Pirate Captain DEFINTELY wants to kill him he either defintly knows...

Or more likely it's a sign of a change between books: Scientests relied HEAVILY on black comedy, lots of casual murder and death. This is still present in Whaling, Liz's plans ot kill our heroes are repsented by a threatning greeting card reminder and several people still do die, but it's tone down a bit, more in line with the eventual movie. There's still racy jokes, some that work like PIrate Captain not wanting his beard to get hurt as it'll hurt their gay following as he's known as a bit of a bear, and some age like fine milk left inside a monster truck in a hurricane, like the mention of thiland's "Ladyboys". Bleh. But most of the humor has held up perfectly and it's leaning a bit more into the nonsense, while keeping some casual deaths and murder for funsies. IT's a better ballance. I also got a rather large chuckle out of both times the inventory included the acordian pirate who died last book still stuffed and and mounted after his death.

So while Pirate Captain is loathe to agree with Pirate in Red, he finds his suggestion to... do some fucking pirating for a change actually has merrit. We get them boarding a leper boat an da school trip, both jokes that would be used in the movie. Both are pretty funny with the lepers giving them used bits and with the kids after getting what little money they had they just.. hang out. They build frankestines out of the leper parts, which is fucked up but man if I didn't giggle and Pirate Captain dosen't take them with him as they have moms to think about. Awww

Eventually though they find a whaling vessle and Ahab. Once again the rest of the plot is kicked off by a bad bit of piracy.. but it works largely because rather than someone they barely know.. it's a casual aquantince and it's hilariously awkward, with PC having run through his first mate and Ahab being angry as hell. I just love how it comes off as if you ran into a friend while doing something embarassing and having to make that awkward small talk. And invite him to dinner which is also awkard.

It does provide our heroes an out though: Ahab blows up at the pirate captain making a whale with his mashed potatoes, but admits it's more because he's just fucking tired. So he offers bounty: the same 6000 dubloons our heroes need.

So the rest of the book, the bulk of it really is truly an adventure with whaling as our heroes have no clue HOW to actually do this. The schemes are fast, furious, and stupid with having a bunch of pirates pretend to be krill, dangling various pirates off the bow, and naturally loosing a bunch more to sharks, and the Pirate Captain reading his secret romance novel loudly, which the crew naturalyl enjoys but dosen't do anything.

Eventually in a turn I find neat that REALLY ups the stake the Captain gets obsseed: he works everyone harder, then does the unthinkable: his prized ham, which gets mentiond quite a bit gets nailed to the door for the winner.

I like how this emphasises how the crew works; Sure pirate captain's killed a few dozen of them, and is incompitent as hell.. but he makes the ship fun, gives them adventure and does love his crew. He's not a great leader but he's THEIR captain and him taking all that fun away makes them deseprate

So ... because rule of threes.. the turn to the devil himself: Yes Jennifer suggests the impossible: A few of them including her sneak out and ask Black Belamy. I'ts a genius turn I did'nt see coming: we've seen how clever he can be, and it's the exact worst thing.. but our heroes are short on time and actual ideas.

Belamy being his bastardly self is actually.. helpful, wooing jennifer with a dinner and to his credit not being a dick: he clearly IS trying to win her into bed with his fancy dinner, flirting and what not, btu when she just calls him friend and dosen't quite catch onto his intrest, he dosen't force it. It's a bare minimum but Bellamy is such a scoundrel it's neat to find out he has standards. And he agrees to help. Granted it's of course another scheme on his old school chum and arch enemy, but it's more of a solution than our heroes have

I love how Pirate Captain reacts too: he's mildly livid for a second.. but upon it being explained they were all worried about him, he's genuinely touched by their gesture and belamy giving them what seems to be THE whale in 20 minutes.

As I said though it' sonce again another classic Black Belamy prank. Honestly i'll be dispaointed if adventurees with communist doesn't have him pull some half assed con on our heroes at this point that only works because our heroes are a few barnacles short of a hive minded barnacle monster.

He painted a whale from the zoo white... and our heroes just run with it. Yeah for once his half assed scheme actually helps as they had no other plan so "Hope he buys it" is all they got. Pirate Captain naturally has to take it one step further and stupider: have someone puppet the whale from the inside and apologize. On his last fucking nerve with the guy, PC assigns pirate in red for the job.

So our gang plans to have the whale apologize and arrives to a sketpical ahab and cutlas liz for a GLORIOUS climax. I mean it this finale is just so damn good. It starts with Pirate in Red going off script to insult pirate captain who can't just point to his sword as he can't see him, one of my faviorite gags of the book. Lucky for them before Cutlass Liz can understandably kill them, Moby Dick himself shows up and starts destroying their boat thinking i'ts a lady whale. This is also a great callback as that was thier first scheme. So the book climaxes in pirate captain hanging on for dear life as the whale bats him around and destroys his nice new ship while everyone thinks he's a total badass, cumilating in him and his prized ham, which he ran back for while everyone else jumped ship, ending up in the whales blowhole.

With the newfound respect of their creditors and thier debts paid Liz gives the pirates thir old boat back and we get a pretty sweet ending as they all watch clouds as they did at the start of the book.. they didn't really gain MUCh from this adventure.. btu they learned something: don't get into debt to impress women. Also maybe whaling's not for them.

Adventures in Whaling is a perfect sequel: it ups the stakes, ties the plot together way better, ups the jokes nad in general is just a delight. I dont' knokw if I can wait a year for the next one, this one was pretty damn fantastic. Thanks for reading

[cloudynyxx]

Interview with Yuzuru Tachikawa - director of Death Parade - about his insights on his creative process.

The enjoyment of standalone episodes lies in the ability to try various challenges [Part 1 of 2]

Death Parade is an original TV anime released by Studio Madhouse. It is a work known for its deep human drama that offers glimpses of human frailty and love, supported by its rich visual storytelling. It's worth noting that this is the first TV anime born from the Agency for Cultural Affairs' Young Animator Training Project, Anime Mirai. Leading the project as the original creator, series composer, and director is Yuzuru Tachikawa, a rising director who has garnered attention for his various works.

Yuzuru Tachikawa Anime Director. After graduating from the Department of Film Studies at the Faculty of Arts of Nihon University, he joined Studio Madhouse. He made his directorial debut [on episode 51 of] Kiba and served as assistant director for Chi’s New Address. He later became freelance and gained attention for his episode direction in works like BLEACH. In 2012, he made his directorial debut with the OVA Arata-naru Sekai and in 2013, he served as the original creator, scriptwriter, and director for his own work Death Billiards as part of Anime Mirai 2013.

Changes from Death Billiards

— Let's talk about the project. This work is original, and it marks your debut as a TV anime series director. It seems like it would be rather difficult to pitch such a challenging project. What was the deciding factor?

Tachikawa: I think it was due to Death Billiards, the previous work we produced for Anime Mirai 2013. Without this work, I think it would have been difficult to get this project through with just a typical proposal. The fact that we had a complete film was an advantage. It was important to have a clear image of the finished film for the people who gave the go-ahead for the project, as well as the production committee.

— The title has changed from Death Billiards to Death Parade. What was the reason behind this change?

Tachikawa: The provisional title during the planning stage was actually Quindecim. However, the word "death" leaves an impact, doesn't it? Even with Death Billiards, people found amusement in the absurdity of combining two words which wouldn't normally go together. So, this time, I went with "Parade." Originally, Death Parade was the subtitle for each episode, but it was elevated to becoming the title of the series. The image I wanted to convey was a sort of parade through which many dead people arrive. [TL Note: this might seem repetitive and obvious but he is explaining the title as one would to a Japanese speaker, without using the English word for “death” here.]

— Were there any deliberate changes you made from Death Billiards?

Tachikawa: With Death Billiards, I intended for it to work as a standalone film, so there were parts towards the end left ambiguous or deliberately obscured to leave an impression and linger with the audience. However, I thought that if we did that in every episode of the TV anime, it would just add unnecessary pressure. So the dark-haired woman, who had a more detached role in Death Billiards, was placed in a position closer to the viewer to alleviate that.

— One of the major differences from the previous film is the introduction of new arbiters such as Ginti and Nona. Was the intention to increase the number of characters a consideration unique to a TV anime format, as you just mentioned?

Tachikawa: That was one aspect, yes, though what I wanted to focus on wasn't just the humans, but the arbiters themselves. That's why we ended up with more characters.

 — So will the second half of the episodes be centered on the arbiters, then?

Tachikawa: I hope you look forward to it. In the latter half, we'll touch more on the themes of the work, but in addition to the usual character performances and game interactions, I also want viewers to pay attention to the development of Decim and the dark-haired woman, who are the main characters.

The first episode shouldn't be the most interesting one

— When creating new characters, what kind of orders did you give to character designer Shinichi Kurita? Tachikawa: Kurita-san's art style tends to lean towards realism, but since we started producing Death Billiards, I was careful not to make it too realistic. Since I wanted the characters to have drastically shifting expressions, rather than making them overly stylish or polished, I aimed for something a little off-balance. That approach has been continued in this work as well.

— This is your first time directing a TV anime. Did you feel any pressure?

Tachikawa: I've been involved in TV series productions quite a bit, so I understood the general flow of directorial work. I thought I had a grasp on the workload, but it turned out to be more than I expected when I actually did it.

— Was it also because you wrote the script as the original creator?

Tachikawa: Yes, indeed (laughs). There was so much to do that I sometimes felt pressured midway through, thinking, "has it always been this much?"

― You say there was a lot of pressure, but as a viewer, I was impressed by how deliberate the production seemed, to the extent that one wouldn't think it was your first time directing. Various elements seemed well-controlled and utilized effectively, like how some material from the first episode was reused in the second, and how the action was strategically employed.

Tachikawa: I'm grateful to hear that. Regarding the distribution of effort, it was decided during the series composition phase where to have ups and downs. I believe it's not good if the first episode is the most interesting throughout the series. We need to keep building excitement towards the latter half. So, if there's a peak point, I thought it's important to intentionally lower the tension afterward and then build it up again. It's not about maintaining high tension from start to finish, but about balancing the ups and downs.

— Speaking of scripts, you're credited for series composition. Kenta Ihara is also credited for "screenplay cooperation." Could you explain how the work was divided?

Tachikawa: I had a slightly unconventional way of working on the script. At the beginning, I wrote the entire storyline I initially had in mind, all the way through to the final episode. Then, when going back to create the scripts, since I already had the story fully formed in my mind, I simply needed someone to provide objective feedback. This could be a producer or someone from the studio, but I thought it would be best to have input from a third party, especially a writer. So, I brought in Ihara-san for that role. He's actually a friend from my university days, and writes scripts for dramas.

— Oh, I see.

Tachikawa: I thought that a writer who had already worked with me in the past might be hesitant to be up front with me. I wanted someone who could give me direct feedback, so I asked him to join the project.

— Were there any parts that were revised based on Ihara-san's input?

Tachikawa: By the time Ihara-san joined, the structure was mostly set, so he provided guidance mainly on the most crucial points that needed adjustment. The first three episodes remained largely unchanged, but for the latter half, Ihara-san and I met more often, and we delved quite deeply into it together.

Characters' answers are presented objectively

— The second episode, "Death Reverse," serves as a sort of answer to the first episode, but was that structure planned from the beginning?

Tachikawa: No, that came about during the process of refining the script. Initially, I had planned to bring the answer section around the middle of the series. And the series initially started with the dark-haired woman already being in the bar. — So the setting was more similar to Death Billiards.

Tachikawa: But we changed the storyline halfway through the production because some people thought it would be more natural to start with their first encounter. At that time, we reorganized the story so that we would look back at what happened in the first episode from the dark-haired woman's point of view.

— You present what seems to be the correct answer to what the characters in episode 1 were going through in the next episode, but there are plenty of other interpretations possible, aren't there? For example, one could interpret it as Machiko falling into despair and emptiness after completely losing faith in her husband, who had lost his trust in her. How was this aspect considered? Tachikawa: In the first two episodes, I mainly wanted to convey that this work doesn't disregard all possibilities, and it leaves the interpretations of events up to the viewers. Even if the answers reached by the main characters aren't necessarily the truth, I felt it was necessary to present them authentically. The dark-haired woman believes something along the lines of, "Machiko intentionally became the villain to protect her husband," so that's what she says. It's not that this is definitively the "correct answer," but rather that it's not explicitly presented whether it is true or not. The dark-haired woman comes up with her own answer, Decim comes up with his own answer, and Nona, who was also present, arrives at yet another. — That’s true, the viewers get to hear all their different perspectives.

Tachikawa: On the other hand, it's debatable whether what Machiko said actually protected Takashi in the first place. Takashi is breaking down, and while he might have been freed from the guilt of killing his child, his life and love with Machiko has become a lie. Machiko meets her fate with a pained expression, but whether or not her actions were justified is another story. That said, while we try to keep outcomes ambiguous, we do aim to convey the feelings of each individual character and the answers that they personally come to in the end.

— With the exception of the first two episodes, the stories in the first half are basically standalone, right? Each episode introduces new guests and a new game. These days, it's rare to see an original TV anime where each episode ends with a standalone story.

Tachikawa: We wanted to challenge ourselves in a variety of ways, and that's why we made the episodes self-contained. One aspect of this is that it allows us to tackle a variety of topics. It’s fun to aim for a comedic tone, or maybe try a romantic subject; there’s a lot we can explore with this format. I also like the challenge of being able to create a complete narrative arc within the relatively short duration of each episode. Plus, I think viewers would get tired if they were only presented with intense stories all the time.

Conversational drama like a stage play and passionate performances by the cast

— One of the highlights of each episode is how the guests have different perspectives and gradually reveal their true feelings. Were there any conscious decisions in how to present this?

Tachikawa: When writing the script, I was conscious of creating an atmosphere that feels somewhat like being close to a stage, where the audience is right nearby.

— So, is it like engaging with the audience below the stage?

Tachikawa: Yes, that’s right. Also, regarding the dialogue, I wanted to structure it so that a character’s statement could be contracted by the other. Since everyone has a different perspective, I wanted to craft dialogue where they could refute one another naturally. I focused on ensuring that the tempo of the conversation flowed smoothly without dwelling on which line of dialogue was correct. For example, in episode 4, we have Misaki, a celebrity with a large family. What she feels stems from her background, but whether that resonates with Yosuke, a shut-in, isn’t clear. As mentioned by their actors, Morita Ichisei-san and Yamaguchi Yuriko-san, during the guest talk, the two of them appear to be having a conversation, but in reality, they are not truly communicating. Their perspectives are completely different, so even though they appear to be engaging with one another, their feelings are not reaching the other at all.

— Now that you mention it, I think there's an interesting aspect to the open-ended conversations scattered throughout the show. Tachikawa: I intended for the guest voice actors to perform their roles as though they were on stage, much like the kind of acting you'd see in a play. This series itself is crafted somewhat like a locked-room drama. It's about drawing out emotions from the interactions, almost like a vocal battle. Professional voice actors can bring out a wide variety of performances when you ask them to do so, so as a director, I wanted to challenge them in that regard. The sound director, Satoshi Motoyama-san, has been working with us since Death Billiards, so I feel that he understands the direction we are taking and he provides a ton of support accordingly. Since this series offers a snapshot of human life, I believe the passionate performances by the voice actors are a major highlight. ━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━┅━ NOTE: I am not fluent in Japanese! I translated this with the help of a language partner. However, as neither of us are fluent in one another’s native tongue, there may be errors in the translation. I typically don’t share things I translate in my free time, but since no one has tackled these interviews in nearly 10 years, I figured it was nice to put these out there for folks who may be interested.

As a personal aside, as much as people insist that "anime is cinema" now, the presentation of the medium as a whole has firm roots in theater; particularly manzai, kabuki, and rakugo. Tachikawa's education in film probably prepared him to portray Death Parade with all the gravitas of a live theater performance while incorporating elements of reality television and his usual cinematic techniques, and I think his efforts really paid off here. That his first endeavor as a series creator, writer, and director was something so tightly produced at the age of 30 is no small effort, especially in the state of the industry at the time. There are many Japanese documentaries and essays that explore the connection between anime and theater. Once I get better at translating and become more educated in these topics as a whole, I'd really like to tackle them one day, because I find them fascinating to learn about and I don't think a lot of anime fans I've spoken to here really appreciate the link between the two mediums.

[persepor]

Metroid; Other M - An Essay/Review

I consider myself a Metroid fan, even though I've only played two Metroid games. Those games being Metroid; Samus Returns and Metroid; Other M, today we'll be talking about the latter.

It is recommended you listen to the track from the game called Metroid; Other M - Piano Medley while reading this. I will also give you other tracks to listen to, it is also recommended to read on desktop or a laptop.

Story

Now I as a wee child in 2012 got a Wii along with Epic Mickey (warrants it's own essay), Super Mario Galaxy (also requires an essay), and Metroid Other M (I'll refer to it as Other M). So I will be writing this without bias or nostalgia.

Now this came out after Metroid Prime 3 (currently playing it atm) which portrayed Samus as a badass, which she is in every game. This game kinda does that decently, although the story is iffy it has a good message and TRIED to give Samus emotion and inner-thoughts.

Samus after recovering from the battle against Mother Brain, that happened years ago, heads into space when she gets a distress call from an abandoned Galactic Federation base called 'The Bottle Ship' where she supposedly got the call from 'the baby'. There she encounters her old team from the time she was at the federation, these people are: Adam Malkovich, Anthony Higgs, Ian Malkovich, James Pierce, K.G. Misawa, and Lyle Smithsonian.

Now I'm still salty after all these years about the whole cutscene in Sector Zero. Now if Adam knew they weren't immune to freeze rays, why did he shoot a freeze ray at Samus?? Also his sacrifice seemed somewhat forced, but I guess Sakamoto wanted to put Samus in a more vulnerable position. Another infamous scene is the cutscene before you fight Ridley where Samus is put in a vulnerable position and is saved by Anthony, I'm not gonna go further into this but you get where I'm going with this.

Now I'm not gonna go into full detail but this game was designed to have story and action at the forefront, and this has a lot of unnecessary story bits and cutscenes. Now I know Samus' voice is very robotic but this was developed in Japan first and it was probably due to Sakamoto overseeing both the Japanese dub and American dub, in Japan a more monotonous voice makes a hero more compelling.

If we were to get a switch port I'd say fix some of the unnecessary story and re-dub the whole thing.

Gameplay

Now let's talk about gameplay which has its problems but it has its good parts. I like the implementation of authorizing weapons instead of finding them like you would in other games. You also hold the wii remote horizontally.

Now the whole finding containers like the missle capacity containers aren't that necessary unless you are doing a 100% run since you won't be using them that often. Now I have a problem with all the controls being just on the wii remote, especially with how the dodge is also on the d-pad which you use to move Samus around.

There's also the implementation of first person by flipping the wii remote vertically, this allows you to refill your missiles and recover some health since the only way to recover full health is to get to a recharge station which also act as save points. Now when replaying this for my essay/review I almost hurt my wrist when desperately trying to recharge health when fighting a mob of enemies.

Gameplay isn't great but it is decent as decent can get.

The Flaws

Let's talk about the flaws in Other M. Most are well known such as the poor characterization of Samus, the faulty controls, the plot holes in the story, and some of the mechanics.

I already went over the story flaws and the poor characterization of Samus, so let's go over the flaws of the game mechanics. I went over the problems that arise when playing specifically with the controls being just on the wii remote. The wii remote is also small and can easily be flung out of your hand when trying to go first person. The walking sections of the game are very boring and slow compared to the other faster paced sections of the game, the bosses are fine except for the 2nd form of Ridley A.K.A the small fuzzy creature you encounter earlier in Sector 1.

The authorization aspect is cool but Adam only activates things you need when you are actively dying. The biggest example of this is in Sector 3 when you are actively burning alive when Adam activates the Varia Suit. So it's faulty, but it is a good concept.

The missle capacity capsules aren't even necessary when just playing the game unless you're doing a 100% run through. They're especially hard to reach as well until later in the game when you'll have to back track to get them. Another problem is the back tracking you have to do, you'll travel through all the sectors only to have to back track to get back to the main area then back to a different sector. It's just so unnecessary and tiring to have to go back to the main area just to be able to go to a different sector.

Anyways we're close to the end of this essay/review.

Should You Play It?

If you just want a Metroid game that's campy, you don't care about story, love fast paced action, and you can have a somewhat fun time then yes I suggest playing it.

If you care about story and 100 percenting it then this game isn't for you as you will be doing a lot of back tracking to 100% it and the story has plot holes.

This essay/review is to talk about the positives of the game as well as the negatives. It's a good game but it is shrouded by only the negative aspects of it. If you cannot access the game to play it yourself then I suggest watching a comment less playthrough of it.

This is simply my opinion and you can form your own from playing it or just watching a playthrough. But, at least give it a chance before judging it blindly. Thank you for reading, I'm always passionate about writing about the things I enjoy.

[warmglowofsurvival]

Interview: Twenty One Pilots by Jay Campbell

Some people will remember Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012 as Athens' first snowfall of the season. Others will fondly recall the date as their first exposure to Twenty One Pilots at the Union.

The band consists of Columbus, Ohio, natives Tyler Joseph (vocals/keyboards) and Josh Dun (drums). I caught up with the duo just before their show that night.

JC: When did you first meet, and did you think you’d end up performing with each other?

Josh: I met Tyler through the band's previous drummer, about two years ago. They said they needed me to play at a show for them and that’s when it all started.

Tyler: After the show, we talked about our dreams and goals, not only within music, but in life, and we just connected. We had the same amount of passion and it just worked out perfectly.

JC: What is the story and meaning behind the band name?

Tyler: Well, it goes back to when I was in college, studying theater at Ohio State University. We were studying All My Sons by Arthur Miller, and it was one of those books that just hit you. The main character made airplane parts for the war, and he found out that his parts were faulty and would fail if used. So he had to make a decision to spend his money trying to fix them, or to use the faulty parts. He decided to use the faulty parts, and due to his decision, 21 pilots died in flight. It showed me that every decision that you make will have great outcomes or dire consequences, and it’ll be something that will forever stick with me.

JC: Some websites label you as rock, electronic, pop or rap. But it's difficult to compare you to bands or musicians in those genres. If you had to create a new genre that would describe your music, what would it be called?

Josh: Wow, that's a tough question. It’s so hard for us to put ourselves in any genre. One of our goals as musicians was to break down the walls of musical genres and combine different aspects into our own. Our manager calls us "pop-rock-piano-rap," which fits us but is a mouthful. If you can think of one and send it to us, we'll roll with it.

JC: On your song "Time to Say Goodbye," you sample "Con te Partiró" by Andrea Bocelli and then rap over it. Could you explain what you were thinking when you did this?

Tyler: Well, I’m really tied to melody. I don’t care what genre it is, if it catches my ear, then there must be something good about it. And then listening to the lyrics, I connected to his message and combined it with mine.

JC: If you had to pick a trademark song–one that that everyone recognized–what would it be?

Josh: It would have to be "Holding Onto You" or "Ode to Sleep." "Holding Onto You" could easily be recognized with its unique rap combined with an emotional-yet-catchy bridge. And "Ode to Sleep" is the closest to us with its meaning; it's probably the most connected with us that any song could be.

JC: Are you currently signed with a label?

Josh: Currently, no. But that should change in the near future.

Tyler: We're not really interested in being signed for the most money possible. We are talking to people that will give us control of the music we make. That's the most important thing we want if we're going to sign with someone.

JC: One final question: What made you want to perform here in Athens?

Josh: Our first time here was last year at one of the fests, and at that time I wasn’t the drummer. I was called by Tyler to come and fill in because the previous drummer quit. So I quit my job and drove here straight from Wisconsin. So I got here in time for the show, and after one song, the fest was shut down by the police. I wanted to come back, redeem myself and have a successful show here.

Tyler: As he said. He quit his job for a show that got shut down after one song. So we both agreed that we would come back and perform without getting shut down. But Ohio University is a cool place all around, and we had to come back!

[white-eyed-girl]

My personal top 37 for Eurovision 2023 Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 I dont' even know what to say anymore, it has been the most exhausting ESC season ever for me and I just want this Saturday to come and go

11) Italy - song is alright (it actually grew on me in these weeks), Marco is a great singer and a cool guy, but half because I didn't want it to win Sanremo and half because I have actual favourites I'm spending the season worrying to death about, I have exactly zero interest about what happens to Due Vite in Liverpool

10) Moldova - how often does it happen to have two returning artists from the same year? Seeing Pasha and Loreen meet again was so cute! (and the fact that Ivi Adamou was there as well made the whole thing even better asdfghjffg) Anyway lol the song is awesome, Moldova incredibly managed to find a middle ground between genuine ethnodance and the amateurish country fair performance from last year, and I'm happy about it Lautar is also one of the few songs I actually love from 2012 btw, just as an add-on :'' He looks hella fine too but shh

9) United Kingdom - purely and simply a bop, it almost makes me forget how much of a tamarrata* it is asdfghjk As for its chances in Liverpool, if the pre-parties are of any indication, there's no way in hell this will get a top10 like many seem to predict, more like it will be lucky to get out of the bottom 5 :'' (*tamarrata = something camp and cringy and excessive, that sometimes you like exactly because of that lol)

8) Czechia - I usually adore songs with a women-supporting-women narrative, this one is no exception, and it also has a double reading which makes it even cooler I was a bit afraid that if they kept the aesthetic of the video on stage it could end up looking messy and uncoordinated, but luckily they decided to make it tidier and in fact their performance on Tuesday was amazing

7) Austria - This, this is how you do clever and funny This could have ended up being an apocalyptic level of trash but, ironically, the nonsense narrative keeps its feet on the ground Thankfully it seems like it's not a Halo 2.0, though the performance could have used being a lil bit more whimsical and energetic

6) France - I love how this starts tango-ish and then catches rhythm! I have no idea how it will go, France was my winner last year and I never would have imagined an almost last place for them, so yeah :'' I don't think they can snatch the win but I'd be on board with them trying purely because that would mean a new Sweden vs France death match which, like, AAAAAAAAAAAAA

5) Norway - this is the first song from this year I listened to and I'm still bobbing my head from that first time ahah This sounds like a song KEiiNO could have sung, which in my book is always a compliment We'll give her a wagon of points as soon as the commentators let it slip that she's Italian lol

4) Finland - This is me having a drunken dream while also never having been drunk in my whole life :'' Look, I love this song, or it wouldn't be in my top 5, it's a banger, it's fun and it's been stuck in my head since the first time I heard it in the studio version (the live rendition sucks, I know you all know but choose not to acknowledge it c:), I actually like the way it has two very different styles and the moment it leaves the rappish part to basically become the Carameldansen makes me fall from the chair every time It does deserve to do well. Does it deserve to win though? Ehhhh personally no, I don't think this is enough

3) Serbia - This year every time I think I have listened to the most feverdream-ish song of the line-up there comes another right after to prove me wrong lmao This is so weirdly composed, it pulls my nerves right out of me but like in a good way?? The part where Luke starts ''unplugging'' the dancers and his voice becomes low and rough gives me such a fine tingle in the stomach AHHHHH Serbia wants a win and it damn well shows, and maybe it won't happen this year but if they keep this up I don't think they will have to wait for much longer

2) Spain - this is genuinely amazing and I think it grew to be the only song that wouldn't make me want to set fire to the universe if it won in Sweden's place lol just because it's so ethnically artsy and well-sung and it has such sad melancholic good lyrics, plus I think Blanca would actually make a good winner ''Ay child, when I die let them bury me on the moon so that I'll see you every night, every night except one'' Best damn lyrics of the year hands down! This >>>>>>>>>>>>>> booty hypnotic

1) Sweden - The way she claims exactly every bit of the stage that she needs to, the way she shapes sound between her teeth, the desperation in her voice in the final part, the actual tattoo element which is important in her Berber culture, the creativity in the desert environment with both sand and sky, the double reference to the Atlas myth and the Atlas mountains, there's so much cool shit around this even if you don't like the song and so much to be happy about her participating again and so many people are choosing to stay mad for some of the most ridiculous reasons I've ever heard Unbelievable Not to mention that ''it's a song contest!!'' only when it fits their narrative I know she probably won't, it would be way too perfect and eurofans this year have decided that making literal history isn't cool, but IF she does…

[cacla8383]

The Value of Friendship, Part One

One of the reasons why I decided to get back into blogging was because I've let myself not express thoughts and feelings for so long to others or as per posts for audiences. Various reasons why I pretty much got out of doing that, but that's another story for another day.

I do wanna bring up the word friendship. If you look in any dictionary, the key definition will say: "friendship /frĕnd′shĭp″/

noun

The quality or condition of being friends.

A friendly relationship. "formed new friendships at camp."

Friendliness; good will. "a policy of friendship toward other nations."

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition" 

Now over the years that has been one of my many difficulties in life is keeping and maintaining any kind of friendships due to my social awkwardness. I still struggle to that even in my 40s and it sucks so bad.

Growing up, I had three people that I called best friends. We'll group them as "Best Friend A", "Best Friend B", and "Best Friend C". There will be a bigger focus on C in another post, but for now let's talk about A and B. (Note: I will refer to each person as they or them)

Best Friend A I met in 1992 during my 4th grade year. They lived about two minutes in walking distance from me back then and to this day that person still lives in that same house but I haven't spoken much to them since about 2012. No reason really, just kind of grew out of the friendship. This person had another best friend that they turned their attention to more until that friend decided to move away to start a family.

I saw this person not long ago in pretty rough shape physically. They told me that they've had to spend a lot of time taking care of a key family member who's had health issues of their own. I do think about these people quite often and I should go see about them soon, but usually work gets in the way of anything I try to plan.

Onto the next one: Best Friend B was during 6th grade year in 1994. Was pretty close up until maybe junior year of high school when the same thing pretty much happened...we grew apart when they began working after school. This person nowadays has a family and lives out of state and haven't seen them for a long time but we keep up with each other on Facebook.

As far as Best Friend C goes....*sigh* that's a bit more convoluted and an ongoing situation that I'm gonna address in another long form post soon. It's a pretty dicey situation and I need to clear up a few things in case this person happens to find this blog of mine after not speaking to them for a year.

In the meantime, gonna go finish this shift.

[miaobae]

My dreams last night were SO trippy.

Like my mind was actively trying to convince me in-dream that I was recalling memories NOT dreaming.

And for the first part of it I was kinda convinced, like omfg how could I have forgotten all this happened?!?! But as time went on I started identifying logic holes and becoming aware that it wasn't based in reality.

Basically in 2020 a zombie outbreak happened. I survived but I was assaulted by a man and got pregnant. The outbreak was quickly resolved, so by the time I gave birth everything was fine again and I gave the girl up for adoption. Then in 2022 another outbreak happened and that's when I started to remember the 2020 outbreak that I had apparently blocked from memory due to the trauma. This dream was mostly an escape based dream so I spent my time trying to get to safety. I think that the American govt wanted to kill anyone exposed to limit the spread but for some reason the North Korean govt showed up and was like "hey if you come with us and become part of our country we'll let you live." So a lot of us were like "dictatorship over death, I guess" and left with their army. They were pretty nice I guess, I remember being in a huge broadcasting building with celebrities around.

After that my dream shifted to a completely different one but my mind was still fighting to gaslight me about memory vs dream during it. The two biggest logic holes were:

1. I had started the 2020 dream living with my mom, but I haven't lived with her since 2012.

2. Where were my cats? I'd never abandon my cats!!! (My dream then tried to convince me they were fine and had survived at my mom's place lol)

More and more I question if I have a sleep disorder lol

[a-tale-of-legends]

I just woke up and went " okay what's the history of Poké Balls and how old his Drayden", so here we go! Please note that a lot of this is based on my own headcanons for the specific dates when certain events happen.

Let's get the general basics down. The invention of Poké Balls as we know it came from Johto with the use of apricorns, which is shown in pla with some extra ingredients.

The modern PokeBall, the one that trainers use in modern day, was invented in 1925( this isn't a headcanon, it's there in Bulbapedia). The modern PokeBall and the ones made in pla are not the same. I mean, clearly, but it's best to make this distinction now.

Now that we got that out of the way, let's move into Drayden. He had mentioned during his childhood ( key word: childhood) pokeballs didn't exist during. Now this kinda supports my theory that different regions were introduced to pokeballs at a different time. We know that Kanto and Johto had already got it locked down due to their natural access to apricorns to make the pla version of PokeBalls, and Hisui, by the start of PLA, have only recently started to use it more. We don't know much about Hoenn's history, sadly. Unova, as far as we know, didn't have access to apricorns back then. So maybe they were introduced to pla pokeballs later.

This might apply to both versions of the pokeballs, cause when you really think about it, Kanto kinda holds the monopoly on that, next to Hoenn with Devon Corp. 1925 , when the modern PokeBall was created, could have capped the fastest production and selling of PokeBalls ever. I say this because, in another hc, pokeballs would have had to exist before 1970, since that's when Opal and Mustard battled. And with Silph Co, I'm honestly inclined to believe that.

And this is where the math comes in! Some hc( and non hc) dates you need to know:

PLA takes place from 1868-1872. The pla pokeball was most likely invented before then, in Johto ( maybe a different variant due to different resources in Johto but I digress).

The modern PokeBall was invented in 1925 ( not hc)

The conversation between Iris and Drayden when he mentions pokeballs, at most, happens right after bw. This is because Iris is already champion here in that convo. So, nearing the end of 2012, since that's what I hc that's when bw takes place, or at least 2013. I'm not sure if these dates will be brought up but juuuuust in case it does, here.

The time between the beginning of pla and the time of the creation of the modern PokeBall is 57 years. Given how PLA pokeballs might have been created before then, we'll say 57+( not a big plus. Laventon did say that pokeballs are a recent creation in pla). If Drayden is purely talking about the pla pokeball ( as by 1925 and onward the modern PokeBall would be mass produced and sold everywhere), then it would probably be somewhere between those years where he was born. I don't think Drayden is that old, so I'm not gonna say he was born around pla. No. I am going to say he could have been born around the early 1900s, which, and I kid you not, make him about 112 years old by 2012( hey look 2012 did come in for something!). What. Opal is 88 by 2020, and Drayden over here being 112, the buffest man alive, in 2012. What the hell. I guess this kinda feeds the headcanon that Drayden, at the least, has some longevity to him. Like damn.

No could I be wrong about all of this? Absolutely! I didn't mention Kalos' PokeBall factory, or the fact that the Isle of Armor had a natural supply of apricorns. So what about them? How do they fit here? And honestly I don't know. Even with the information given to us plainly, there're still so many variables to take into account that can flip this entire theory on its head. But I guess that's part of the fun haha. I hope I was able to get my ideas across well, and sorry if it turned out to be a complete mess. But I hope you guys had a good read as much as I enjoyed writing it!

[yanderes-galore]

Raphael x fem reader who's a captain of some army or sth

Altering this a bit. I assume 2012 Raphael? You're more Captain turned Mercenary in this. Aged up, as always.

Yandere! 2012 Raphael with Captain! Darling

Short Concept

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Yandere-like behavior, Violence, Fighting for fun, Mentions of 'breaking', Kidnapping, Sadism, Possessive behavior, Dominant Raphael(?), Forced relationship.

- It's not a surprise that as crime fighters, the turtles will end up getting everywhere.

- Including encountering the ex-captain of an army.

- Now instead of leading soldiers, you're doing mercenary work.

- Taking requests and earning money just by fighting.

- Raphael probably would take interest in you this way.

- You're either with him or against him.

- You could work with the Shredder and be assigned the turtles as your target.

- That or encounter the red turtle by chance.

- Either way, Raphael admires you, especially if you fight against each other.

- Training or no, the turtle finds how you fight impressive.

- Even if he is faster due to being a ninja.

- "You fight well! I'll give you that...."

- Although Raph enjoys fighting you for fun, at some point he'll want to test your limits.

- Is it possible from him to break you?

- Show you just who's boss?

- Raphael, out of all the turtles, is sadistic and rather dominant.

- Especially if you're an enemy, Raph is going to want to be superior to you.

- You chose the wrong side to fight on.

- You'll enjoy being with him if he shows you that you're no match against him and his brothers, he'll be sure of that.

- However, Raphael prefers to fight you one on one.

- He likes to depict it as... 'bonding'.

- "Guys, this is MY fight. Back off, I'll handle it."

- Raphael would show little remorse when trying to get you to comply to him.

- You're both so used to fighting, right?

- Then you won't mind him 'roughing you up' a bit, will you?

- He knows you're resilient, meaning it will take some time for him to get you to like him.

- Yet... he has ways of getting the desired reaction he wants.

- Hopefully you won't mind being in a sewer for most of your time, alone except for him.

- "Look, clearly we'll get along great! As long as you do your part, at least... I won't mind being a little forceful!"

[seventeenlovesthree]

You put in words so well what was to me also my personal break up somehow with the NT. I feel after 2014 nothing ever felt the same and the constant drama drift me away from a team that had always made me feel like it had a cozy feel to it. I wonder if we'll ever get that feeling back, for football in general as well because as you mentioned, football feels incredibly out of place right now. I guess my small bit of hope relies on Hansi Flick, if he ever became coach I would be willing to at least watch an nt game again.

Hey, thank you for your message, I am actually very happy to hear that (so many) people seem to be feeling the same or at least similarly. Football had been my main focus from 2010 to 2014 and everything afterwards, like you described yourself, seemed to have gradually become worse. There have been little things here and there that obviously kept me around in some capacity, but it was... Difficult to stay invested due to all the drama, losing players, difficult personal decisions... There were weeks, months where I didn‘t watch or read about anything football related at all, I‘m nowhere near as up to date as I used to be.

Like you, I do not know if it will ever feel better again. I am still being nostalgic over so many aspects and while things have looked very, very gloom, there are a few points that make me keep hoping right now.

Hansi Flick singlehandedly saved Bayern, my sanity and the Bayern fandom as a whole, it‘s been so long since this team felt like a family to me (Pep, Ancelotti and Kovac simply couldn’t live up to the way Jupp handled these players and some of their past decisions had completely ruined my perception of the team - let’s not forget the head either). Actually feeling motivated to watch the CL matches was a wonderful experience. Like you said, if he ever decided to take over the NT, I‘d say that could be the start of something wonderful.

At Arsenal, Mikel Arteta achieved the exact same thing - he saved Arsenal for me and it was actually fun to watch the team again, which was, rightfully winning our beloved FA Cup again. In a way, despite Covid-19, it almost felt like 2013/14 again, even though some beloved players are not around anymore.

If you asked me a few years ago, I would have broken down crying because I was 100% convinced the Big5 would vanish completely after retiring. Yet here they are, living their best lives - Miro with coaching duties at Bayern, Lukas being a marketing machine living his best life still playing and enjoying the sun, Philipp probably still building up his empire somewhere before he decides to just take over Bayern or something, Basti enjoying life with his wife and kiddos and speaking nothing but the truth as a pundit - and last but not least Per who not only helps building Arsenal‘s future with his wise dadness, but who also, against all odds, stayed around to comment on matches. They‘re all doing wonderful things and I am certain we will keep seeing them around in the future - maybe one (or several) will actually get involved with DFB at some point, hope isn‘t lost yet.

Part of me still kinda hopes karma will bite Löw in the butt big time. Thomas is out there enjoying life as well - this has to pay off in some way or another. Sometimes things have to fall apart completely before they can bloom again. I had already lost hope completely back then in 2012, but the lads stood up again, pulled themselves together and achieved greatness, with team spirit and dedication. And who knows what‘ll still happen...

[jindoelf]

200404 Eunhyuk Online Birthday Party (full trans)

https://youtu.be/wKfjaJyzplQ

🎁은혁이와 함께 온라인 생일파티🎁 (HAPPY BIRTHDAY EUNHYUK)

hyukjae says he is at shindong's studio haha the one shindong usually does shindongdaengdong

ded omg they are making hyukjae make the dalgona coffee

hyukjae barely started to whisk and he says he is almost done LOL SURE BB

Hyukjae says he will call the members and if they manages to say certain words, he will pass on to the manager to whisk

the words the members have to say is "saranghae" and hyukjae was like...'which members will say 'saranghae' to me?'

hyukjae just needs to call donghae lol simple

OMG LOL HE CALLED HEECHUL AND HEECHUL SAID HE WANTED TO CALL HIM TO CONGRATULATE HIM AND HEECHUL SAID I LOVE YOU 😂 so its a succes

hyukjae is gonna continue to call the members

He is gonna call yesung and yesung has to curse at him in order for it to be a succes

hyukjae is making shindong decide the words donghae has to say and shindong said 'lee donghaek' but hyukjae suggested 'onyongnyongnyongnyong'

donghae singing happy birthday my e oppa

Donghae did the onyongnyongnyong but he was late so he failed. Then hyukjae said why are you always late then donghae said he is not! then hyukjae was like why cant you catch up with me??? then donghae said dont you know we have to keep a distance now due to corona???

Apparently donghae went to buy presents for hyukjae at the same place hyukjae went to buy presents for his mom and they were there at the same place but they didnt know

DONGHAE GAVE HYUKJAE THE SAME SWEATSHIRT HE IS WEARING AND THEN HYUKJAE DIED AND DONGHAE SAID 'WE ARE A COUPLE WE HAVE TO WEAR COUPLE STUFF'

DONGHAE GAVE HIM THE SAME PAIR OF SHOES HE IS WEARING HELP AHHAHA DONGHAE IS LEGIT PLAYINGF IT UP

(teukables)

Donghae and his random youtube videos.... not considered as youtuber to Hyuk?

Omg he knows how to do the put hand behind item to let the camera focus on it thingy!!

Donghae's birthday

Hyuk: It's my birthday, why do I have to do this (making dalgona coffee)?

elfs asked him to speak nearer to the mic so he’s like “then you have to give up either one. it’s either my face or my voice”

he's asking how long he has to stir?! Can't believe he hasn't watched any videos on how to make dalgona coffee

Why are there random cute stickers appearing w people's names ah? How do they send them?

he is asking why (he has to do it), it's his birthday again

*""

Hyukjae says he will call the members and if they manages to say certain words, he will pass on to the manager to whisk

the words the members have to say is "saranghae" and hyukjae was like...'which members will say 'saranghae' to me?' LOL

Heechul was like "Saranghae bobo (I love you xx)"

Heechul confirmed be like ???

The 30 April 2012 Airport Fashion Concept question was one of the Q&As in the 2020 Seasons Greeting scratchcard!

(haekjoyce)

hj: i have to call donghae next. what shld i get him to say?

sd: shld i help u pick? smth hard for him to say... this kid... lets get him to say his nickname "lee donghaek"

hj: shld i just get him to say nyonyoynyoo

right donghae. what to do if he curses? they curse a lot with me. right so "nyo nyo nyo ynoo"

dh: happy birthday to you

hj: nyonynoynoy

dh: happy birthday to you

hj: nyonynoynoy

dh: my e oppa

hj: nyonynoynoy

dh: did u do ur birthday party

hj: nyonynoynoy

dh: oh u did thats nice

hj: nyonynoynoy

dh: did u eat seaweed did u talk with ur mom

hj: nyonynoynoy

dh: nyonynoynoy

hj: oh????? ur late!!!!

dh: im never late!!!

hj: ur always a step behind me

dh: ur a step behind me!!!!

hj: ur like 2m behind me

dh: nyonynoynoy

hj: u shld have did this earlier!!!

dh: nyonynoynoynyonynoynoynyonynoynoy

hj: oh u speak well. right by

dh: where are you?

dh: (in the live) happy birthday to you

hj: ??????

dh: i told u i was never late comepared to u !!!!! didnt i !!!!!! ah!!!!!!!! nyonyonyonyooo!!!!

hj: u shld have said so earlier!!!!!!!!

hj: ahhh hthats why the cake only comes out now!! i was wondering why we didnt start with the cake right away. u shld have come earlier

dh: (sings happy birthday) u have to blow the candles with ur nose

hj: shld i try one? oh it works?

eunhae: (laughs)

hj: bring me tissue!! ahhh its the first time i wear this

dh: birthday presents

hj: did you buy them

dh: what are you talking about

hj: i'll check. bring ur receipts.

dh: why do u need to do this

hj: u checked last time when i came didnt u

hj: oh u went there????

hj: bring me another tissue

dh: u don't need it. here!

hj: ???? thats not a gift thats just u promoting!!!!!

dh: no just put it on!!! put it on!!

hj: thats just u promoting!!!

dh: no!!!

hj: then u talk

dh: i really really want to meet you guys. really really really want to meet you guys. oh i will clean it up for u (the stain)

dh: u bought me couple gifts last time didnt u !!!!!!!!!!!!

hj: i did (laughs) ah this is so annoying!!!! we look crazy !!!!!

hj: oh this is shoes? ah this fucking?

hj: ??????????

(couple shoes)

hj: are you fucking crazy. youre crazy

(* pun with shoes and fuck)

hj: i cldnt even think about this (this event)

dh: u needed this right (beauty products)

hj: oh yea. is it the new one? the limited edition

dh: its just how it is

hj: the bag's too big just for these two products

dh: (pulls out couple lipbalms (?????))

hj: woooow youre the worst. this is the worst video ever (laughs) whats this

dh: mother gift

hj: oh i gave a gift for ur mom too. oh i think i bought the same gift for mom

dh: she can use it for a long time

hj: this is the worst

dh: (forces a kiss on hyukjae)

hj: wtf ?????? get off!!!!

hj: this is the worst video ever

hj: wah i want to cry

dh: of course

hj: not bc of you

hj: i cld never have imagined it.... is there water?

hj: oh right, the dalgona? oh you did a lot! then you do it (donghae)

hj: show them, is that enough?

dh: it smells like dalgona coffee

hj: wah my mind is blank

hj: oh its a cheap cake right? about 1,000W right? looks cheap

hj: oh right there was a game

dh: werent u supposed to end it in an hour

hj: idk i do whatever i want. lets do the mission together. everyone what shld i get him to say? oh english? just enligh? oh?? "no challenge no change"

hj: ma-onnnng

sw: hyok

dh: me-honnng

sw: we only call once in a year; on ur birthday

dh: i'll call u in three days

sw: wtf...?

dh: (makes weird noise)

sw: what are you doing

eunhae: (humming the tune of no challenge no change)

sw: nyonyonyo

hj: ma-ong where are you ma-ong

hj: if theres change then there is....

dh: everybody say???

sw: i think its time for your medicine

eunhae: (laughs)

hj: no challenge

sw: i can't say that here theres a lot of people

hj: (usb impersonation) yah yah happy birthday my friend

sw: yes my friend

hj: im on live broadcast

sw:???? its ruined

hj: u failed my mission. u didnt say no challenge

sw: i did

hj: its within 40s

sw: its hard

hj: its bc my birthday is 0404

sw: i kno

hj: ur 0407

next is ryeonggu. what shld i do with ryeonggu. lets hurry up. "im confident"? ok. no other corner, we'll only do this (laughs)

hj: he's not picking up. ryeonggu. ryeonguuuuu. im confident!!!! that kid... hes not busy though. he doesn't have schedules though. does he pick up ur calls? try calling him

dh: then hold this for me

dh: i shld cut off my hair

hj: right hes just not picking up right? its not just my calls right

hj: right then last is kyu. ryeonggu is a fail. hes not picking up. next is kyu. what shld we do with him. "its the worst"? i will try.i shld just sing then. he keeps saying my singing is the worst

kh: hyunnng

hj: (sings)

kh: hyunnnng

hj: (sings)

kh: what are u doing

hj: (sings)

kh: ...hello?

hj: kyu?

kh: hyung ur rly bad at singing

hj: i was just pretending

kh: ur really bad

hj: if u had to say one word what wld it be. i have to hear a word from u

kh: ah "the worst"

hj: ahh!!!! why didnt u say it earlier. its too late now! kyuu

kh: hyung

hj: im doing the birthday party

kh: i heard its at 6pm. im not doing mine bc of u.

hj: ah bc they might not watch? u pushed it back

kh: hyung dont sing

hj: i will dance

kh: ah then thats ok

hj: anyway someones here

kh: who

hj: an athlete

kh: really? lee donghae?

hj: ur good

kh: im good ofc

dh: kyukyukyukyu

kh: donghaiiii. its the two of u

hj: yes its just the two of us. d&e has to do it

hj: am i done? lets eat it

dh: do we have to drink it with a straw? i never tried it

hj: oh this is weird (lipbalm)

dh: its cool right? feels cool. drink it in oneshot

hj: do i have to mix it? no? do i just drink it like this? u hvae a coffee shop, how do i do it?

dh: just dirnk

hj: (drinks)

hj: yah!!!!! theres no milk !!!! its bitter !!!!!!

hj: ohhh youtube is fun!! shld i do it? shld we do it? dont u do it?

dh: i don't do it like that

hj: do it and i will come over to play

dh: no no no no

hj: u shld call ur youtube nononono

dh: teuk hyung does it for 4 hours

hj: oh thats a problem. hes got a disease.

dh: i iwll leave now

hj: try it first. it s weird though? is tat how its supposed to taste?

dh: thats weird

hj: is that right? is that how its supposed to taste

hj: anyway u can leave. i will see you nononono

dh: nonononono

i did the the cake, the dalgona coffee and the game. whats next. ah the most important part, the questions! i was wondering what id do in an hour but its alrdy an hour. thats why teuk hyung does it for 4hrs. and since i don't hear u its quite alright (laughs)

the coffee isnt that good, the milk is good though. yeah its good everyone

i will start eunhyuk's quiz! drum. did u hear the drum sound? theres this thing from shindongdaeng's studio. shld we try listening to applause? is it coming out? ah no? (laughs) well