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l-in-the-light · 3 months ago

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Chapter 1127 comments & analysis

Strawhats adventure in a mysterious kingdom uncanny valley! This chapter for some reason gives me Silent Hill-like creeps and I thought I would never say that about One Piece lol. It's filled with those tiny little things you can spot only at the corner of your eye or details that make you feel uncomfortable for a reason you can't exactly put into words. It gives similar vibe to the famous Maria scene in the maze, everything seems fine on the surface, but the vibe is offputting.

As much as I enjoy saying "I have no freaking clue what's going on and I love it", I actually do have some guess. But first let me start with the analysis, so you know what details I mean and what I actually consider offputting in this chapter, and at the end of this post I will try to put it all together into a cohesive theory:

Okay, let's start from the Giant's comment about "enormous" animals. Yeah, they're enormous and huge alright, for the Strawhats. For the Giants? They would be the size of small pets.

Yggdrasil seems suspiciously small too, it should be massive. They also make it sound like their country will disappear if Yggdrasil gets damaged, but it's supposed to be a world tree, not just "this country's tree". Whatever affects Yggdrasil would have to affect the whole world and all the different realms it supports, not just "one country".

This is not how a destroyed lego brick would look like. For those who forgot most of their childhood's toys already, the bricks have to be hollow and have proportionally shaped holes too, otherwise you won't be able to stick them together!

Weird fade to black when Nami and Usopp fell to the ground. One Piece never does things this way.

Now let's take a look at the castle, I adore it, I want it as a lego set, but that's beyond the point. This doesn't look like an actual castle, lots of those towers serve no purpose. It's like someone merged different parts together unsure what's the castle's actual function. It reminds me of very surreal things the early AI art did very often. So this borderline counts as "impossible architecture".

Now let's go for the most fun part of it: inconsistencies in Strawhats clothes, equipment and behaviour!

Nami saying "just zap it!" instead of her "thunderbolt" attack? Never happened before, no matter how stressful the situation was. That's the whole point of Nami's fight with Miss Double Finger, no matter how much her climatact was failing her and how much it put her in danger, she still shouted out every attack's name like it's a sacred ritual.

Nami's belt buckle also changed from oval to square, and her sword is missing a couple of times. Missing once could be considered a coincidence, but it's been missing 6 times! And yes I know Oda often makes blunders like that, but that's way too much and it doesn't affect only Nami.

Surprisingly enough, Nami never used Usopp as a shield before. In fact their usual interactions are exactly reversed. Reminder from Wano:

It's basically Usopp treating Nami as a shield.

It's also quite unusual for Nami not to ask about Usopp's wellbeing or not apologize to him for using him as a shield, because Nami usually cares more about his crewmates than this.

Now let's take a look at Usopp. Not only was he carried in the cat's maw before Nami helped him, he also saw the cat getting zapped. Those are the facts, right? And despite witnessing that he still thinks the cat might be an illusion that can't hurt them, which is weird, because:

Usopp is definitely more observant than that usually. His reaction should have been more along the lines of "no way, he got zapped and I felt those teeth on me just a moment ago, that was definitely not an illusion".

Also despite knowing Perona's tricks are just tricks, he's still getting scared when he sees her doing stuff like that. Usopp as we know him would not stop to test out if the illusion is real on himself. I wouldn't say he's a coward, but yeah, he is a coward. That's why we like him, right?

Usopp swearing revenge on Nami seems also a bit out of place, considering how impressed he was with Sanji in Punk Hazard. "It's fine if I get hurt, as long as Nami is fine". Usopp wouldn't react with "I'm so proud of you" if he didn't believe in same stuff, right?

Also, occassionally, Usopp's bag disappears.

Sanji's swirly eyebrow randomly switches from left to right.

Some dedicated Sanji fan on tumblr also pointed out Sanji would never say something like that, because he's deadly afraid of most, if not all, bugs. I admit I forgot about that fear of his, so I can't take credit for noticing that myself!

Also in the second picture I posted here, Sanji's attack is called epaule which means a shoulder attack. But he strikes the cat on its head, destroying the crown instead. So that's also another inconsistency.

Luffy's clearly not in G4.

Luffy's weapon randomly changes. At first he has nothing, then a sword, and finally an axe.

Also in one of the translations he says that the rabbit "was tasty enough already" and so he isn't interested in eating the cat. Like hell, Luffy would never say that line. Refusing food? No way.

Summing it up, there's like 3 inconsistencies with each of the Strawhats:

Luffy (his weapon changing, refusing food, Gear 4 attack that isn't G4)

Sanji (not afraid of bugs, his eyebrow switching, his shoulder attack landing on head instead)

Usopp (not observant/not sceptcial and suddenly brave, resentful towards Nami, also his bag is missing)

Nami (not naming her attack, not apologizing to Usopp, her sword missing)

Literally the only character I couldn't find anything wrong with was Zoro. He would definitely comment on lion turning suddenly into a cat, he would wonder where's the ship and how the rest of the crew is doing, and his attack seems accurate.

So, what can we conclude from this? I have two possible directions here. Let's start from the most likely one: Strawhats got kidnapped/spirited away by some supernatural beings. Often fairies are the ones responsible for such incidents (tho mostly kidnapping children). And coincidentally, the alcohol Strawhats drank was called "Green Fairy". It could be the first clue.

In Scandinavian folklore the equivalent of fairies or dwarfs are the trolls and giants living within the hills and mountains or in the deep forests, kidnapping humans to eat them. A troll who learned a child's true name could exert control, making them vulnerable to abduction.

Kidnapping humans to eat them? Might explain human bones scattered around!

Trolls are said to possess magical powers, like shapeshifting and creating illusions, they can transform themselves to look just like anyone, even people that you know well. They can even transform into objects, like a rock, or a ball of yarn to trick people. They also can use their powers to alter people's perceptions. They often show us illusions that seems not exactly correct, because they're based on whatever physicality the trolls themselves can imagine. Trolls sometimes put their gold in the sunlight so it retains its shine, but to prevent it from being stolen they can create illusions so the gold looks like cobwebs in people's eyes—and there are many stories of people visiting fantastic troll halls.

We definitely saw some shapeshifting happening, alright. Most people speculate it's something caused by a devil fruit powers, but it doesn't have to be :)

Trolls are often depicted as living their lives much like humans, with families and communities of their own. No one really knows how trolls truly look like, because of their shapeshifting abilities and many contradictionary accounts about their appearance. Trolls' were also said to be skilled weavers and needlewomen. If you are invited to their place, do not eat or drink or you will be stuck there. If you were spirited away, there was more than one way to protect yourself or get saved; you could use blessings, pure steel or fire against the troll. In Norse tröllskapr can mean wizardry or witchcraft. It's unknown exactly how trolls enter our reality, there are many different concepts about that.

Other possible explanations:

Huldrefolk. They are social, mischievous elf-like beings who live beneath the ground in hills or burial mounds. They often resort to kidnapping people and even forcing marriages with humans. “Huldrefolk” is actually not their true name, but a taboo name meaning “the hidden people” as if it’s dangerous to say their true name. The huldrefolk are invisible, so most people don’t actually know what they look like. Sometimes they're depicted as living normally among humans, but in their own special dwellings, other times they have their own islands on which they live, hidden from our world and perception. Occassionally they can help someone who got lost at sea and transport them to one of their hidden islands. If you find it fascinating and want to find out more about huldrefolk, I reccommend you this article.

Thjazi, the Jotun who can turn into an eagle, could have kidnapped people or giants. He's most known because of this story in which he kidnapped a goddess to steal her immortality apples, thanks to which Giants live for centuries. We do see an eagle emblem in the castle, so that could be a hint or reference to that story:

We're not in Elbaf, but in Jotunheim, one of the nine realms in Norse Mythology. That's the realm where only giants live. The description of it doesn't really fit with what we have seen so far of the "mysterious kingdom" though, it's supposed to be fiery and freezing. But it's worthy to note that the description of Ragnarök (the nordic end of the world) states that the Nine Realms are destroyed by fire and flood. And in this chapter we learn that fire is dangerous for this world and might cause it to cease to exist if it reaches Yggdrasil. Could also potentially explain the weird material everything is build from and artificial plants, it could be to prevent fires.

What we're seeing could be an otherworld, one that can easily shatter or break apart like scattered lego bricks. A shaman is a person who can travel between worlds/realms by using a hallucinogenic substance (it's usually mushrooms, but sometimes it's in a form of a drink - Green Fairy could be that), or entering a trance state by, for example, dancing or fasting. The shaman must typically undergo a ritual of death and rebirth in order to acquire their powers to cross dimensions, and we know Luffy and Zoro came back from the dead at least once already.

"Green Fairy" could be actually a drink that came from the gods, kinda like Mead of Poetry. Strawhats are just drunk, but whatever they experience will be prophetic in nature. Because there is a belief that whatever a person who is drunk says is considered true, sacred, and taken very seriously.

Now, which do I personally think it is? I have a soft spot for the otherworld idea, but it's most likely a prank done by Trolls. Strawhats seem to be have been kidnapped while drinking something possibly related to the trolls/fairies (which makes them stuck in whatever place they currently are in, which is also most likely a shapeshifted reality, an otherworld or one of those fairy islands, though it's curious there's no sea nearby). I also think the trolls shapeshifted into other Strawhats - they could turn into them because Nami called them by their names (which can explain absence of Chopper) and by doing that she gave them power to turn into them (all the troll needs is a name, after all).

I suspect Zoro (and maybe Nami) is the only real Strawhat present there right now. It might have been real Nami at the start, before she fell down and got "replaced" by a shapeshifter, while real Nami is still unconscious (tbh Nami's case is the one I'm least confident about). That's also a plausible explanation. Which means the Nami, Usopp, Sanji and Luffy we see currently are all fakes. And if that's correct, things will become even more fun in next chapters :D

One last thing I want to note: seems in this dimension animals are considered gods. We have Ear God that is a huge rabbit, Stingmores (though those might not be gods), and a Sun God and following the pattern my guess would be that Sun God is also an animal. Perhaps lion? It was wearing a crown, after all. It's not based on Scandinavian culture, but there are links between a lion and sun.

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mistywitcher · 11 months ago

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oh sweet lord that last episode has rendered me deceased. i am dead. i cannot FUNCTION

what a show. and what a way to end the first season! as a hardcore insane percy jackson stan till i die, here’s my thoughts if you would like them:

FIRST OF ALL. the whole show: loved it. very little to critique in my opinion! i know not everyone is happy with everything, but personally i think it’s one of the best adaptations i’ve ever seen. it’s mostly faithful to the books, and the changes that were made i think were improvements and made a lot of sense.

rick wrote the first percy jackson book so long ago, this show felt like his way of being able to go back and change bits and edit the story to something that’s even better. that’s how i see the show!

LETS TALK CAST: it was fuckin perfection okay, i will fight anyone on this point. walker as percy has changed my fuckin life. his little emotional eyes in every single scene, showing so much depth to all of the dialogue, and giving the best vibes. the humour, the desperation, the self sacrifice. he is PERCY and i am so incredibly in love.

as for annabeth and grover, PERFECTION ALSO. leah slayed annabeth so hard, the little eye brow quirks, the way she was able to portray annabeth as extremely smart and logical, but not heartless, and certainly not cold. she brought such a warmth to the character and i am obsessed.

aryan as grover is just chefs kiss. from the satyr walk, to the one liners, to the uneasiness and resilience grover has, aryan has it down. i just loved him and I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THE HIM FLOURISH IN THE (hopeful) NEXT SEASON!

the whole cast was amazing. i loved all the choices. it all just felt so right. from the cast, to the set, to the fights, to the cgi. i’m just in love okay.

LUKE AT THE END HAD ME BAWLING. the tears in his eyes, the way he begged percy to join the cause, the hurt when he sees annabeth. FUCK ME I NEED A MOMENT OKAY.

the parallels that are being set up throughout the show for luke and percy are wonderful, i cannot wait to see how it continues. i thought it was just so cohesive and the characters feel so real.

i love how they have set it up for the next season! it’s like it’s ready to go, it’s RIGHT THERE and i want it it so bad so LETS GET MANIFESTING FOR ALL 5 SEASONS FRIENDS ITS TIME!!!

and i have to mention my love of percy/annabeth or percabeth. it’s not the whole point of the story i know, but it is something that is very special to me. i love my little sea boy and clever girlie together, and this show has set them up so beautifully. it’s given them time to have a friendship, to build trust, but also the little looks they give eachother, the pining that we can see will eventually build. IT MAKES MY FUCKIN HEART SING OKAY walker and leah slayed too hard on that front. they understood the assignment.

i could go on about this show and percy jackson in general forever. but i shall end this here because i feel like i need to go cry for a few hours lol.

in conclusion, and this will sound dramatic but i mean every word of this. this show fucking saved me right now. percy jackson is so incredibly important to me, it’s my biggest special interest, it’s shaped me for a decade, it’s my comfort, it’s my everything. i’m currently dealing with a tumour in my head at 22, and my mental health and life is crumbling around me, but this show and percy jackson and rick riordan has kept me here for the last 7 weeks and previously years before that. i owe my life to rick riordan. i will never be able to express my love for this enough.

okay okay, i’m done. see you later once i’ve rewatched the series 4374 times and have memorised every fucking word.

#mossy thoughts #percy jackson and the heroes of olympus #annabeth x percy #percy jackson spoilers #annabeth percy jackson #percy jackson disney+#and percy jackson #percy jackson #percy jackson and the olympians #percy jackson series #percy jackson show #rick riordan

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syrupspinner · 8 days ago

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i just completed bomb rush cyberfunk

the sound that plays when you clear a textbox is the spongebob footstep sound and youll never unhear that now

i love the fuck out of this game. the vibes are literally, not figuratively, everything i couldve ever wanted from a jet set radio successor. a lot of people get caught up in naganuma's music, but jsr had way more variety. the original had rob fucking zombie and future had that yoko ono song about cake or whatever. i feel like they did a excellent job keeping a cohesive vibe while still including a wider variety of songs. characterizing the gangs through their mixtapes is such a fun idea and it was done so well

the gameplay is perfect too, like every little bit is fine-tuned to be exactly what it should be. walking feels like walking and skateboarding feels like skateboarding, the way you turn feels noticeably different but in a lateral way that the game is built to accommodate

level design is phenomenal. built from the ground-up for your combo game without feeling like its forcing you onto a single route. manuals were the perfect addition so you dont feel trapped in what the game provides, and lets you get creative with a levels ingredients.

I dig the dream levels and how they twist the formula. levels are normally pretty open arenas, but these are just linear platforming challenges. it's really cool to see what these physics and moves let you do in a different environment. they're super fun for the plot too, I love the bit where red is like "I can't keep the ladder steady, I'm up here with you". no spoilers but I think it ties in super well to the backstory of the character and shines a light on their thought process - you can't get support from someone if they're on the same level as you because they're too worried about keeping themselves steady.

i love how they did achievements for this game. the only story-related achievement is for beating the final boss, and its totally possible for that to be the first one you unlock. it feels good when youve actually gotta work for the achievements, and it adds so much to the endgame. i had so much fun experimenting with the best place to do the longest manual, going back through all the stages for the pictures of the penguin guy, and just playing around for... the, uh... oh christ those are some high scores. welp, problem for the post game.

not to mention all the collectables you can get! this is the perfect amount of side content, i always get excited when i see a pickup in the distance but i never felt bogged down by the need to collect everything. and slowing down to examine the level and look around for everything is a great way to shake up how you usually play the game without feeling like youre doing something that isnt accounted for design-wise.

also, fucking thank you for the maps, and smart move that you can only get em after the main story beat in that spot. it's a shame they don't show the collectables too, cuz finding the last 2-3 is a total pain without a guide, but I'm just glad there's some mercy in finding the graffiti spots. that one in mataan is a bastard, you know the one

the game's pretty easy, i dont think there was ever a point where i lost and had to retry something, with oooooone exception. the cops are all pretty annoying, especially the turret, but not in a way that makes the game unplayable if you have heat. there are certain platforming sections that gave me trouble, like that one on top of the signpost in varsum hill, and... probably another one im forgetting. its hard to hold on to stuff i struggle with, because its just so fun to do fucking anything in this game. moving back into position and trying a jump again is just part of it, yknow?

but that exception, damn. theres one boss fight that fucked me up. it was the first time i actually died in this game. and the second, third, fifth. heres a hint: youve gotta deflect the projectiles. dont worry, you didnt miss anything, you cant reflect any other projectiles (i dont think there even are any) so there isnt some tutorial you missed. it may seem like youre supposed to get close to the machine and spray it like every other fight in the game and youre just struggling with the hitbox or something, but no youre doing the wrong thing. it may also also seem like the reflected projectiles are designed to miss because they keep just barely avoiding his head, but there youre just doing the right thing the wrong way and need to aim better. not with your camera, but by changing the angle of your player character. it may also also also seem like youre meant to use the deflected projectiles as a chance to stun him and close the gap between the two of you, because since he jumps across the map whenever you get near him, there is going to be a gap. this is also one of team reptile's clever tricks, as the stun is so short you need to dodge the projectiles to get in close (but not too close!) and only then start to reflect them. wow, this is inexplicably misleading for a game thats been really tightly designed until now. you think since i get texts all the time like "dont forget to earn points by doing tricks!" someone could communicate the brand new mechanic to me at some point

another thing with this game and communicating mechanics, nobody explains the secret things that all the different ride styles can do, so thisll be your spinny tip of the day: skateboards can balance on fire hydrants and do a trick to unscrew them and ride them up; bikes can stand in front of those garage doors with bike symbols to open them; and if you manual with the skates you can break glass. yeah i only figured out the bike one on my own. i get this is going for that good ol days vibe where there was just cool hidden shit the game doesnt tell you about, and too its credit you only need to know these if you want 100%, but i found them pretty unintuitive. like, i had my board out and fucked around with a hydrant at one point, and i didnt stumble on the secret, just because theres nothing that flags to me to consider jumping on it. this is obtuse, but not as mood-ruining as the boss fight.

also, this isnt really a complaint, i think im just confused. there are tons of spots that are designed like hidden loading screens? theyre usually transitions between parts of the map, like between the entrance and the wide-open parts of the mall. im not sure why though, because it seems like the game doesnt need them? like theres one in pyramid island separating the lower and upper parts, but... you can fall from the higher part to the lower part without a stutter. theyre both clearly loaded all times youre in the area, and the game isnt shy about loading the levels when you move from one spot to the other. is it just to stop combos from going too long? that seems strange in a game thats like, about combos. again its not a big deal at all i just dont really get it?

oh, i should talk about the plot. no spoilers, but im super into stories about the psychology of the characters, shit like repressed memories and identity. if you didn't know, I'm actually working to become a counselling psychologist, so it's really cool to see how games tackle really mental-based narratives. it's like being a plumber and appreciating the manhole design. the central theme is roots, as in where you come from and how it effects you, and they did a pretty cool job exploring how that would be handled in a sci-fi setting.

the story does a great job of having a protagonist thats important but doesnt feel shoved into the world. a lot of stories have to establish a status quo and then introduce how the protagonist is fucking with it. here, the status quo is already shaken up cuz the streets used to be between the big three, but now theres only one left. the protagonist is born from this distruption and has to work backwards to try and get out of it, all while still embracing the world around him. it really helps players get acclimated without making it feel like a hand-holding isekai

and of course you know im gonna dig the anti-cop through line. i like how there are focal characters within the force to show that while its corrupt on a systemic level, there are still individuals inside that system that arent immoral. and once they conflict with the corruption, their choices are to abandon their morals and assimilate (which is why one of those characters disappear from the narrative, they were faced with the realization but discarded it to become assimilated into the general mass of the police) or to abandon their position and fight against the corruption (the other character doing so to help our heroes survive the oppressive force).

oh, and i also dig how they specifically draw attention to how police think. the chief states that he sees all crime as bad because of the slippery slope fallacy, saying that citizens witnessing that the laws dont matter would encourage more reprehensible criminal activity like homicide or piracy. i can see how someone raised in a system that values order and obedience could develop such a black-and-white thought process, and we see how its propagated through the whole police. i also love how, even without saying it out loud, theres a point to be made about how the police are so overfunded that theyre running out of shit to justify it. yeah sic the swat team on those teenagers, who gives a fuck if youre just treated like an inevitability of society and have more money than god. theyre also so everpresent that theres little pods where i think the fuckers just wait until their inescapable silencer system picks up the slightest hint of disobedience. saying the quiet part quietly, but still saying it.

uhh what else. i also appreciate that we see what a cyberhead looks like before we learn why red is exceptional. thats just good plothole-covering, cuz if that didnt happen, i totally wouldve been like "wait are they all like that?". im trying to be vague but its the thing in the mall chapter

alright lets talk about what youre here for: what it was like to 100% this thing. my process was this: normal casual playthrough of the story, getting pickups i saw along the way and making a point to seek out all the optional characters. the second thing is to go back and tag all the graffiti spots, which you should get out of the way so you dont have to worry about the police later and so you have the rep to unlock all the oldhead-gates. after that, go back through the boroughs a third time and pick up all the pickups i missed. you should use a guide for this, those fuckers are really well hidden. by all means look around first, like i said earlier its fun to take it slow, but it devolves into "where the fuck is the last thing" pretty quickly. if its not fun, why bother, yknow? turn it from a scavenger hunt to geocaching. the fourth step is doing the other gangs' score attack challenges to unlock them as playable. I thought it'd be super hard, but theyre tough but doable if you keep a single combo through the whole thing and do the boost trick. the only thing is if you drop your combo, you gotta march your ass back to the challenger to restart, or get your phone out and wait the timer out, there's no quick restart. it's not THAT big of a deal, but I shouldn't be taking my phone out in the middle of your video game, just saying

then there's the high-score steam achievements. this is bar none the hardest part of the game. unlocking futurism in mataan just takes 5mil points, which you can do in a few minutes. the achievement asks for 16mil, more than triple that. you have unlimited time, that's still a pretty bad leap. the best way to get your score up is to up your multiplier with unique billboards and rail corners, but that only works once per combo. even if you exhaust most of a stage, you're still gonna be pretty short, with the multiplier only getting you to a couple mil. so, what do you do when you have no time limit? find a rail that loops, rubber band your joystick to the side, and go to bed.

...that's what I thought at least. I tried this in mataan and I bottomed out at about 6mil after going grocery shopping. and I gotta walk a kilometer and a half to the store and back, so it was like... a little over an hour. that doesnt sound that impressive but still i didnt wanna just wait. I feel too self-conscious about running up a power bill I split with my roommate to do it overnight, so let's try plan b and just... do it. and yeah, its still the hardest part of the game, but... its still very doable. i dropped my combo like two or three times, but i ended up with 20 million before i even realized it when i went for varsum hill, which is wayyy overshooting. the only problem area was pyramid island, and thats just because i had to march my ass back to the top when i dropped my combo. i totally overblew how much of a pain these would be

i think thats it! with a single 15-minute-or-however-long-that-fight-took exception, and disregarding the post-game optional character missions having no quick restarts, this game is fantastic from beginning to end. i know it sounds like that fight was a huge detraction, and yeah ive got problems with it, but a single blemish cant ruin a whole game. i can see myself loading this up and just fucking around with it even after ive perfected it, which is a HIGH complement from me. its got that same sauce as all the games i played as a kid, where it feels like if you only got one game per year, you could play the fuck out of until that whole time without getting bored. you know the kind of games im talking about, those jrpgs and zelda-like adventure games where it just feels like the game doesnt want you to leave. like yeah there are games where its fun to replay the campaign over and over, and this feels like one of those too dont get me wrong, but it just feels like its giving you so much to play around with, to explore and unlock and even just to fuck around and exist in the world. sure, as an adult it feels kinda nice when a game is short, cuz you know you wont have to be married to it for a year while you balance real-life shit in between the video games, but thats why it being optional is so thoughtful. also 30 hours is a totally healthy length for a game to be completed in

i guess what im saying is that bomb rush cyberfunk knows exactly what its doing. this feels like how a game from the era its paying homage to should feel, how it would be designed with the sensibilities of the time, but without subtracting from what i appreciate about modern titles. if you told me this was a remaster of an OG xbox game that added shit like autosaving, id totally buy it if i didnt know better.

im worried im underselling how much i love this game, so i guess ill just say that i love jet set radio. jsr classic has some of the best vibes in the medium, and future is straight up my favorite retro game of all time. and brc eclipses both of them combined. i would like to apologize to anyone who has any interest in working towards xbox emulation. i fear that interest in the field will somehow decrease even further now that the only xbox game worth emulating that hasnt just been ported to pc has been totally outclassed. good luck trying to top this, sega

#bomb rush cyberfunk #completed #hall of fave

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pro-depresanti · 9 days ago

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~Some Artist!Valentino headcanons~

because the fandom almost never talks about how he's a canonical artist

Acrylic is his favourite medium but he doesn't have much time to paint

Usually goes for pencil (4B specifically)

Tried charcoal once in the 90s, there's still dust in his room

Owns exactly 3 alcohol markers – red, light pink, cool light gray

Has multiple golden ink pens, trying to find a dupe to that one pen he found on the street in the Industrial District in 1997, and is yet to find anything that comes close to that one

Has 277383838 sketchbooks; the second he doesn't like a single drawing he gets a new one

Has torn holes through multiple pages due to pressing too hard with the pencil/eraser out of frustration

master of perspective and composition

understands anatomy perfectly (as in, can draw a skeleton and muscle structures flawlessly from memory), can draw a person in any pose, but do NOT ask him to draw a face, he'll shoot you and then himself

can't render fabric well, so the people he draws are either naked, wearing leather, or draped with a random sheet (if you question the folds on said sheet he'll, once again, shoot you and then himself)

Realism and semi realism >>>>>>> (although Velvette has tried teaching him how to stylize figures, while he taught her art fundamentals)

*inserts Catholic!Val headcanon here* LOVES cathedrals and churches, cannot draw buildings for shit but likes the vibe

If he's staring at someone there's a 50/50 change between checking them out or taking a mental image of their outfit/body type/hair/whatever to draw later

Has drawn Angel SO. MANY. TIMES. Angel found it cute for exactly 2 weeks and then it got creepy(literally the first red flag Val showed at the beginning of their relationship)

If there's any hentai production happening under him, he has completely given up in supervising it because he either has to be losing money to make something decent looking or produce garbage

Has lured in sinners by throwing in art history facts and other art talk to start a conversation (knows close to nothing about it, just enough to sound smart)

Killed Vox any time he mentioned doing NFTs (it took quite a few times for Vox to stop)

As long as he's kicking, no AI art bro will be left roaming around Hell

If you say a single good word about contemporary art he'll skin you alive

Velvette attempted to teach him the barest minimum of color theory and what colors go together. Nothing stuck, Val just goes with monochrome with a pop of saturated complimentary color (when he paints, he mixes the main color into the rest to make the palette more cohesive and it usually works well enough)

140gsm slightly tinted paper for sketchbooks, hot press cotton paper for paintings

Sometimes he doesn't even give a scenario for his movies, just hands in a few sketches of the scene to the director and tells them to make it work (everything is smudged together, arrows pointing in random direction to indicate camera movement and lighting, the actors look exactly the same so there's no way to tell who's who, there's written instructions in the corner the entire crew gathers together to try and decipher)

His handwriting is SHIT, he can't even read it himself most of the time, but Vox can

Vox has asked Val to draw Alastor. Many. Many. MANY. Times.

Drinks the paint water at least once each painting session. It has never caused any problems, surprisingly, it even got him a decent high once

#hazbin hotel #valentino #valentino hazbin hotel #art stuff #the strugges of being an artist #art struggles #headcanon #artist!valentino

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obstinaterixatrix · 5 months ago

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For the fic ask game! 18+6 in general, and 25 x 3 from fics of your own choosing

6. How did you decide what tense and POV(s) to use?

I generally default to third person present unless there’s some kind of meta element I want to toy with. I feel like it’s a lot easier to figure out past/present/future tenses from that starting point, whereas starting from past tense it can be harder to keep track of past tense (current) and past tense (pluperfect/past continuous/etc whatever).

As for what point of view character, it ranges from ‘barely a decision because the fic inherently needs to be from this character’s perspective’ to ‘going back and forth writing snippets of scenes from different perspectives to find out what works’ but in the end, the decision’s made based on what perspective drives the fic the furthest and the easiest. I might be swapping a pov of a wip to see if it goes further..

18. Talk about your editing and revision process

I generally don’t write in a way where I do major revisions, I usually have a Very Specific Idea about the atmosphere and the intention I have for a scene, so it’s more about filling in gaps and fine-tuning something. I remember a while ago I had a foxskull fic where the emotional cohesion wasn’t working out, and air was like ‘I think it’d make more sense if there was conflict here’ & while they were right about that as a possible solution, and while I love conflict, I was like. no. I think what ended up happening was pushing the vibe to more extremes, like cautiously defusing an emotional bomb.

If I can, I like getting a pal who can read over and give notes on what works and what doesn’t. I like thorough notes on atmosphere and phrasing and pacing, and I need the positives to be pointed out so The Agonizing Process Of Being Edited is offset. Which is a pretty common experience of editing preference, I’d imagine. If I’m writing in isolation it’s easy for me to lose focus and motivation, but fortunately I’ve had friends who were willing to hype me up as I dragged my corpse over the finish line�� there’s no way I would’ve finished night flowers without liz or april lol

25. Share your favorite line (x3)

I never like just one singular line so I’m gonna change it to ‘section’

from as it turns out, dying isn’t the romantic gesture you might think it is

Despite being explicitly told not to get involved, Shang Qinghua involves himself for a couple reasons, neither of them flattering.

Reason number one: jealousy.

Listen. It took years for Shang Qinghua to close the gap between him and Mobei Jun, to get them from an undefined relationship between strangers… to an undefined relationship between acquaintances. And that was fine. That was great. Who could ask for more, especially from someone like Mobei Jun?

Shen Qingqiu, apparently! In less than a day, fucking Shen Qingqiu swooped in from nowhere and usurped what Shang Qinghua had built over the better part of a decade! Who wouldn’t be bitter!! Who wouldn’t go mad!! Fuck!!

Reason number two: desperation.

I liked going all in on stupid bitter jealousy and resentment and then figuratively switching to the next powerpoint slide. I think I’m hysterical. In general, mo/shang is where some of my funniest writing is

from “I can’t stay” and other lies to tell

The thing about being a blindingly competent genius with a very specific skillset is that everyone wants to use Han Sooyoung in completely inconsequential ways. It’s a waste. It’s overkill. It’s as insulting as buying a sword from a master craftsman and using it to chop vegetables.

“I’m not editing your essay,” she says, looking up from the three sheets of paper that Lee Gilyoung had shoved into her hands.

I love when sooyoung is annoying <3

from reprise, refrain

“Then it sounds like we’re all on the same page!” Lance claps his hands together, clearly pleased with himself. “All we have to do is get in the cat-stack and we’ll be fine, right?”

this is buried in a vld gen fic which means hardly anyone would’ve seen it. I still really love lance describing voltron as ‘the cat-stack’ and it’s one of my favorite lines I’ve written for him even though I’ve for sure written much more overtly funny lines for him.

#tumblr ask thing reply #writing ramble #sinelanguage #ask #ty for an excuse to reread some fics lol #I really gotta get back into writjng

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13-rats-in-a-trenchcoat · 1 year ago

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Traffic/Evo Watcher headcanon, don't mind me

Ok, so we've known awhile now that the next season of the Life series is going to be released soon, so naturally I've been re-watching the previous seasons and going over POVs I hadn't seen before. While going down this rabbit hole I came across a Martyn stream I missed where he was talking about the Watchers lore and how he and Grian worked on it for Evo and then he kind of altered it from what Grian originally imagined (i.e. the Watchers being representative of us, the audience, who watch them for entertainment) to the more sinister lore we Traffic connoisseurs are familiar with today. This got me thinking. A lot. Too much even. What if we, the audience, were STILL the Watchers? I'm not talking about for the Life series or Evo series specifically, I'm thinking more broad spectrum, like across the MCYT multiverse type thing. I like a cohesive story, and I like puzzles, and when there are stories that look like they could be pieces of a bigger puzzle I enjoy smooshing them together in one giant headcanon that more or less makes sense, so here we go.

The canon lore we have (as I understand it anyway) is as follows: the Watchers first made themselves known during Evo, where they messed with the Evolutionists as they went through each Minecraft update, ultimately separating them for the final dragon fight where Grian would leave Evo and become a Watcher himself. From there the Listeners (who I know diddly squat about) got involved and helped the Evolutionists escape the Evo server, thus getting them away from Watcher influence. Or so they hoped. The Watchers somehow regained power over the Players that were involved in Evo, along with some of their friends, and put them in what is essentially a never-ending loop of death games as punishment for their defiance. Grian didn't like how the Watchers operated, so he left them to join his friend in the death games. The Watchers feed off the Players' negative emotions, but leave their memories, thus enabling them to start fresh each season without holding on to previous grudges (though considering Impulse's thing with BDubs and the clock and Tango's rage that might not be entirely effective)

This is where my headcanon comes in. The Watchers are a group of people/sentient beings of some kind who feed off of the negative emotions of others and watch their misery and struggles for entertainment. They're a mischievous bunch, some might even say troll-like (of the internet variety, not like in fairy tales), and at least two of them enjoy speaking in rhyme, i.e. they're artistic and dramatic. Sound familiar? Because to me this description sounds very much like the wider MCYT fanbase, especially the fan artists/writers. I mean come on, when have we NOT jumped at the opportunity to turn a pretty normal moment into the angstiest piece of writing/art imaginable. Case in point, Mumbo and Grian at the ghast farm in Last Life. They were giggling through that whole interaction, yet I've watched SEVERAL angsty animatics about just that one scene and I've loved every second of it.

This next bit is likely a pretty big reach, but the thought popped into my head and wouldn't go away so I would just like to get it out there. Grian doesn't really interact with his comments on an individual basis, but he definitely has addressed the more negative ones, especially the ones that go after his friends when they're on an opposing side of whatever war he's started at that moment in time. This ties in pretty well with him not liking the way the Watchers operate in my opinion, and it also ties in with him leaving the Watchers to help his friends. Not necessarily directly, but more in the sense of the vibes matching up.

We currently don't know enough about the Watchers to definitively say how plausible this headcanon of mine is, like we don't know exactly how many Watchers there are, or how many Listeners there are, or what separates a Watcher from a Listener, or really any info about the Listeners in general. I do think it's a pretty fun headcanon though, and until it is directly contradicted this is how I will view the Watchers. Thank you for reading my essay.

#the watchers #evo smp #traffic life series #last life #trafficblr #watcher headcanon #limited life #third life

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thigiocamap · 6 months ago

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just rewatched the arceus movie with my partner (subbed, of course. never dubbed 😌) and I liked aspects of the movie. but there was some goofy shit in it that i kinda wish they found a way to work around. like for example the heart connection thing was just kinda overly convenient and i had to suspend my disbelief a bit too much for that. and the time travel stuff could get kinda messy at parts.

overall though? i did like how arceus itself was handled. though nat said that it would have been cooler if it either didn’t speak or spoke in a more mysterious and stilted way (for example, only saying a simple “fake.” when it breaks the jewel of life or otherwise just speaking in an extremely to-the-point way) and yeah i agreed with the second thing. i feel like the movie would need extreme rewriting if they were to go with the “it doesn’t talk” idea but the second thought sounds a lot cooler imo… i feel like if i were to write an arceus for some sort of fanfic-type stuff, i would like to try that out. it’s a god that created everything, but the point is the fact that it’s a Creature, after all. also i liked its jp voice i liked the Old vibe

in general though i liked the vibes of the movie, where they very much recognized that arceus is a god pokemon and so they made the whole thing had a sort of “legendary” feel, like with the stained glass art style for the legend scenes and the fact that the movie took place mostly during a solar eclipse. i also liked how arceus’s plates were made to be actually highly relevant to the plot (unlike how they were in the games).

i thought it was kind of a missed opportunity for gishin to not be a king or some other ruler of the land though considering his role and also his insane design. him being damos’s subordinate just felt kind of random ??? it would have made complete sense for him to just be some king concerned for his country’s future, to the point where he was willing to kill a god. idk. or just write him out and make it so that damos really did betray arceus all on his own for the same reason or something. gishin had a lot of control over a lot of people and pokemon for someone who was just some guy. he literally threw damos and the kids in jail like ??? how is he not a king or something ???

anyways the movie was alright. we also watched the giratina one right beforehand and the arceus movie is definitely better imo. there was a more cohesive story and it was more exciting. idfk what to even say about the giratina movie bc it was just kinda mid

#alex moment #ummmm let me make a tag for anipoke rambles #anipoke moment #ok there

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gerogerigaogaigar · 1 year ago

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David Bowie - Low

This was the first of Bowie's Berlin trilogy where he worked with Brian Eno. Influenced by krautrock bands and Eno's own ambient experimentation it is drastically different from anything he'd done before. The first few tracks recall some of the angular rock that was on Station To Station, but the entire latter half of the album is populated by spacey, ambient electronic explorations. The album basically becomes less and less rock and more ambient as it goes on. By the end Subterraneans is just an ambient track. Flickers of ideas pop up and fade away as songs evolve within their musical motifs. It's probably Bowie's artsiest album.

Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman

I think I like Yusuf/Cat Stevens just fine. His music is good? I'm certain. I dunno it just doesn't do much for me. I can't really identify why. I like a lot of other artists like him so why shouldn't this album be up there with Neil Young or Harry Chapin? Oh well I'm indifferent to Cat Stevens.

Kanye West - Graduation

https://youtu.be/wvgehVhF9D4

https://youtu.be/e7e5BFJa-Ug

After two game changing albums Graduation is absolutely a victory lap. Ye seems content to prove that he could do this as much as he wants and we are just not gonna get sick of it. He's right. Graduation mainly continues what Kanye was doing on his previous two albums, beautiful lush beats with soul samples and strings. That isn't to say that he doesn't innovate on Graduation, in fact the best tracks feature significant electronic influence most notably Stronger and Flashing Lights. In the end we know where the story goes and Ye would not continue on this way, but the bleakness of 808s And Heartbreak only makes Graduation an even more triumphant finale to the trilogy of albums that marks phase one of Kanye West's career.

Nick Drake - Pink Moon

Nick Drake is kind of a hidden gem among the late 60s folk rock scene. Hipsters love him on account of how he died young and is obscure, but he never hit the mainstream. Drake's delicate airy voice is the aural equivalent of autumn leaves blowing in a gentle wind. He is the sound that old trees make in the winter. And if his previous records with their lush but haunting string arrangements didn't take him into the public eye then Pink Moon definitely wasn't going to. Stripped down to nothing but Nick Drake's voice and guitar Pink Moon is an album that sound like it might fall apart if you so much as breath on it. Gentle arpeggios make up the instrumentation and they are carried by Drake's unique sense of melody that is equal parts folk rock and tin pan alley. The album is stark, stripped down, and speaks of alienation and fear at every turn. It's one of the most beautiful and personal albums of all time and, despite what reviewers at the time of its release said, it's actually quite inviting as long as you meet it on its own terms.

Björk - Homogenic

Every step in Björk's career is a step towards further weirdness. Homogenic is a defining album in her career as it establishes the point of no return for her experimentation. The trip hop from Post is leaned into harder, but with more strings and crunchier drums. The drums have been fine tuned into a bit crushed nightmare and the cold string and distant vocals make the album feel apocalyptic. Björk albums are, as a rule, bizarre and unsettling but Homogenic manages a cold powerful dispassionate energy unlike any of her other work.

A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders

The first three albums by A Tribe Called Quest form a sort of stylistic trilogy. Midnight Marauders is the final piece of the trilogy and incorporates bits of both previous records. It's a little looser than Low End Theory and a little tighter than People's Instinctive Travels and I actually think that hurts it a bit. It doesn't manage the jazzy cohesiveness of the former or the free spirited just vibing attitude of the latter. Now being the weakest of the first three is kinda nothing, Midnight Marauders is a nine instead of a ten boohoo. But I might not put it on a top 500 albums list. Either way it's still a fantastic record with that unique A Tribe Called Quest sound, jazzy but not in a new jack swing way. They just kinda bop around dealing with serious and lighthearted stuff alike in a casual conversational style of rapping.

Sade - Diamond Life

Sade Adu manages to ride such a fine line on her debuted record. She manages to have the best of both the soul and sophistipop with neither of their downfalls. She is suave and sexy with a cool attitude but always avoids the bourgeois pretention of most sophistipop. She can manage lengthy love songs without the occasional tedium of 80s soul artists. She's somehow extremely catchy while also being low key. She manages these sweet bass grooves without it feeling like it's going to become funk or hip hop. She brings everything into her wheelhouse. It's an impressive piece of artistry. A singular vision recognized.

Pavement - Slanted And Enchanted

Slanted And Enchanted is a fantastic album. The second best of Pavement's output. I support this album being in the list but strongly oppose it being rated higher than Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Slanted And Enchanted is the most straightforward Pavement album. It has the quintessential 90s indie sound and it shows in a lot of their contemporaries work. Kind of wistful, thoroughly modern but with one foot in the garage rock of the 60s. Pavement really nail a sound that is exactly one step removed from the mainstream alt rock.

#500 album gauntlet #david bowie #cat stevens #kanye west #nick drake #björk #a tribe called quest #sade #pavement

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mikkouille · 9 months ago

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Dear mutual @mashmouths taggie me for the game of 'Post the ten first songs on your 'On repeat' playlist on Spotify' or SMTH like that.

As I do not have a Spotify, idk what all that means, but I decided to eyeball it from what the randomiser of my phone seems to give ten times a day, from me local files.

It is a hard work of statistic 100% accurate nothing could go wrong (lie, girlie behind me in the train loudly licking chips crumbs off her fingers and chewing. noise unbearable. thought jumbled over it. the statistics have been messed up). Basically, just clicking 'next song' til I get one that makes me go oh yeh she plays all the time'. What's on my Bandcamp isn't on my local files so unfortsh we lose a whole lot of potential songs there. It's life.

1. Boris Farewell, honestly she's so good portable. I can vibe on my better audio equipment, I can vibe in the metro, in a crowd, she'll always be an enjoyable one no matter the sounds around me.

2. doechii Stressed, well damn so true. I must be stressed too.

3.Nature LIMBO, LIMBO LIMBO LIIIIIIIIIM BO LIMBO LIMBO LIIM

4. Moses Sumney Gargarin, it's hilarious how I'll hear this song ten billion times a week from shuffle, go 'oh what's that song it's nice- oh right of course' somehow there's a spell on it that makes me forget the name. but not that I like it.

5. Britney Spears Outrageous, it's not even my fave of its album yet my phone is OBSESSED with her. Outrageous. When I move my body OUTRAGEOUS when I'm at a party OUTRAGEOUS in my sexy jeans

6. THORNAPPLE As Above So Below, had a phase in my life where I looped that song for hours and then days nothing else, my shuffle never recovered I think.

7. vvv Oh dirty Leeds, I swear it's been months since I Voluntarily of my own clicked the song, she's part of the landscape of my shuffle.

8. ShinEE The Feeling, if I hit shuffle I am sure to hear it at a point or another. It's like the home screen at this point.

9. shygirl BAWDY, it's criminal how you will never witness the gay AMV that happen in my head when this song plays (10 times a day).

10. FLO Losing you, often in immediate succession with the previous one. Keep them on their toes....

++++bonus

for some reason my phone constantly plays christi interlude, but not any other song from the album... hey there sweetieeee I was just taking a look at your cHArt and OoOøh myYyi GOODNESS (goodness) You Are. experiencing THE most powerful transit right now. we have the FUOUL MOÖN. Today! At 24 degreeeeees of CAPricorn. we have PLUTO. the MAIN! planet of transfhow delightful ☺️ you were born on a Nyew Myoon :] that gives you such an OPTImistic EnErgy. you believe Anything can Happen. the woooorld is you Oyster :] the Symbol! of the New Moon... is the SEED star seed (star seed) SCA(???neverunderstoodthatword) thru the galactic Center to Evolve Humanity.

btw last time it played it, it immediately played Rina's Take me as I am and honestly the transition was so seamless to me. granted the child screaming in the BG of the train I was in did help blending stuff together but.

didn't put any song of The Kpopman's group BC it'd have been passé. cliché. frenchwordé. you can assume that yes, it throws some at me at regular intervals. Respect my privacy. (I think if I had to identify one that I'm fed the most it'd have to be Venom, every shuffle she'll be here)

Also I got songs from the game tho and aside from. the. mh. miss answers. which I respectfully skip whenever out cuz it's for in private. I have to ask my phone; what's with amdapor. carrying the dungeon ost pack...

-----

The total here is somewhat cohesive but also doesn't feel complete, alas it's all one can do with 10 songs...

Tagging; ppl who don't have a Spotify only.

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eldritchmochi · 1 year ago

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yeah I am pretty young lmao, I'll spare you from another playlist by just naming some artists that gave me inspiration for god knows at some point

first off you mentioned Hozier, which I kinda only mention because he released a new album recently. Arctic Monkeys and Father John Misty are kinda in the same boat as him. More like the same lake.

The Amazing Devil and The Oh Hellos never fail to give me some sort of D&D/character inspiration. Ghost does?? something??? as well with characters, but specific ones. Same with Steam Powered Giraffe.

other than that, Library Magic by The Head And The Heart is very Wizard, along with The Magician by Andy Shauf. and because I just can't go without mentioning it, Queen is my favorite band. :)

that's all! with any luck it'll end up being useful somehow lol

hozier is one of those artists who i dont listen to on purpose like ever i dont thinki could name a single song of his with confidence BUT i know his voice starkly as one i really lusted after pre-t. i saw he just dropped a new album and i HAVE to give it a listen to especially the video of sssomething or other (full album mv??? pLEASE) because it stars domnall gleeson and i am still horny for that man even after all these years (he's the actor for hux for context lmao)

queen is also one of my long time favs, though definitely a band i dont know in and out the way i do with a lot of more modern punk bands lmao. freddie has and always will be Gender (god the video for i want to break free was IT for me in like 8th grade right around when i came out)

ive seen spg live before!! they are *great* experience even if you're not deep into the lore (i had friends who were big lore fans). i have heard precisely One And A Half Ghost Songs and im keeping it that way on purpose because its just sooooooo funny that im not into them because aesthetically they are way up my alley (and one of my sibs, a number of irl buddies, and MANY artists i follow are all nuts for them)

ive some passing familiarity with the artic monkeys, enough that i can pick out a number of their more popular songs on the radio even if i cant name them (i am garbage at song titles tho so)

i'll have to check out the rest, especially good Wizards Songs 👀

in response!! further things to check out:

FUNKY.FM - playlist by alexmoukala who is one of my FAVOURITE video game composers. i know him primarily through twitter where he posts snippets of remixed or reimagined video game music... but FUNKY (this one is particularly relevant to u based of ur playlist shared w me)

ye old spooky club 1995 - playlist by unnerving governess who i am 90% sure is gothic charmschool. i know i got the link thru her but i thiiink she also made it (another playlist that may vibe w u based off your playlist)

creature feature, especially the album "the greatest show unearthed" (ookey spooky rock with a lot of vincent price era horror camp and a lot of really impressive technical skill. i want it to be halloween damnit)

the mind electric by the miracle musical (behold, the essence of the inside of my brain but in tangible form. it is. incredibly ominous. do recommend headphones for max goosebumps (includes a lot of records played backwards type sounds and other distortions))

dance monkey by tones and i (one of my big essek songs since i get a lot of that vibe where he's beholden to his station for *so much* that its a disservice to his growth as a person)

bottom is a rock by mother mother (my m9 as a whole song. the chorus has a line for each of them i stg and if i could reliably draw i would do an old school lyricstuck to it)

my verdict on ur playlist btw is that it is very solid and cohesive a+, but *just* to the left of my tastes, largely because a lot of it skews 70s/80s which just by nature of the beast lacks the bass i like (because it was mixed entirely different compared to modern music, which is better suited for sounding big when played digitally through smaller speakers. ive heard some of these bands on big sound systems and theyre MUCH more in line with my tastes then lmao)

#mochi rambles #mochi music #dragonknuckles #public reply since no links and also these recs are great imma make people look at em lmao #i have definitely pilfered a couple songs tho

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eurovision-del · 2 years ago

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So that was the first semi final! No big surprises with the qualifiers, and overall I thought it was a decent show!

Qualifiers:

Croatia: Very glad to see this get through! I worried it might be too off-putting for a lot of televoters – thankfully that wasn’t the case! If anything I felt the performance was slightly tamer than I was expecting – no sheer outfits or rosebuds! But that might also be because I’ve grown used to Let 3 over the past few months. Still, so glad they’ll be in the final!

Moldova: I was certain this was going to qualify with ease and I’m happy to be right! The performance was brilliant, the most atmospheric show of the night, I loved every part of it.

Switzerland: The only real ‘surprise’ – with nine entries in this semi the fandom seemed in agreement was going through, Switzerland was the one to take the coveted tenth spot! I did have a feeling one of the ballads might qualify, since they do have their audience and there aren’t that many this year, but I was also in denial because I really wanted this spot to go to another country. Ah well, Remo definitely earned it with his vocal performance, and the staging was also eye-catching.

Finland: Never in doubt! I knew pretty much everything about how this performance would go down from following the national final through to all the published rehearsal footage, yet it still managed to exceed my expectations! Käärijä popping out of the crate like that was perfect and I loved the transition to rainbow colours in the second half of the song. Fantastic song, fantastic show, now to see how far it can go on Saturday!!

Czechia: This one had cooled on me a little and I thought it might be borderline, but seeing it performed tonight I was sure it was going through. The performance was very cohesive, and the pink outfits really stood out against everything else in this semi. Not the strongest vocal performance but the overall energy made up for it.

Israel: I wasn’t impressed by her vocal. Noa kept us waiting by avoiding pre-parties, but she sounded fine to me in rehearsal footage so I’m not sure what happened tonight. It didn’t matter though, the spectacle was enough to see her through, even though honestly I could have done without this one making it.

Portugal: I’m so happy for Mimicat! People seemed worried that her staging was too sparse after the rehearsal footage, but she filled the stage tonight, and smashed that high note once again! I thought she was great! (although it was at this point when they were announcing qualifiers I realised I was going to lose my underdog faves)

Sweden: The other entry whose qualification was never in doubt. The only time I noticed the box was small was in the moment right after she first stood up, it looked as stunning as in MelFest for the rest of the performance – and of course that wouldn’t be noticed by a first-time viewer. Loreen knocked it out of the park, she’s deservingly very much in contention for the crown.

Serbia: My third place this year so I’m glad he got through! I did start to question Luke’s chances since he was announced so late, but thankfully he made it! The performance was what I expected, sharp and enticing – it was the exact vibe I was after!

Norway: Announcing her last took all the suspense out of the results honestly – no way she wasn’t going to qualify, the song is too memorable. The staging felt a little empty, as did Alessandra’s outfit actually, although I did like her cape in the first part. Her energy was decent though, and the song strong enough by itself to carry Norway right through to the final.

Non-Qualifiers:

Malta: I loved their show! The concept was the same as in MESC but elevated. The only thing I would have changed is I would have actually liked to see the jumper change onscreen – it was a little odd just seeing the saxophone and drummer and hearing a huge cheer – then the camera pans around and we saw the sparkly jumper. I loved every thing else though, and I’m sad it wasn’t enough. This semi was just too strong.

Latvia: Another huge heartbreak, probably my biggest of the night, though I knew their chances were always slim. The staging and performance was everything I could have asked for, I really hope Sudden Lights feel proud of the show they put on – they should! I’m so sad for Latvia failing to get through again, but I hope they stick to their guns and continue to send alternative and unique acts.

Ireland: A little sad that Ireland still haven’t cracked it yet, but based on the song this result was definitely fair. I vibed with the song more than I ever have this entire season, it was definitely tailor-made to be played in an arena like this and it helped it out having the crowd there, but it’s still not a very strong entry, so personally I’m glad it’s staying here.

Azerbaijan: I actually really enjoyed this one live. The split-screen effects might have been overused, it felt they were throwing everything at it, but the colour scheme was beautiful with the two-tone lights behind them switching colours throughout. In my live reactions I described it as ‘pleasant’ – unfortunately pleasant isn’t enough to qualify.

The Netherlands: Once Switzerland got through I knew this had no hope of making it. I still like it a lot as a song, but I think I prefer it in the studio cut. I didn’t enjoy when Dion sang up the octave – I can’t remember him doing that before, but I don’t think it worked. I really hope that they’re not given too much hassle by the media, they still put on a decent show.

I could have been more confident with my predictions actually – despite all my hopes this semi final went exactly according to the betting odds, which made for a not very exciting set of results, though in the end a reasonably deserved set. With Malta and Latvia both failing to make it, there’s no way Romania and San Marino, my underdog faves in semi 2, will qualify, but hopefully Austria and Australia should sail through, and I’m looking forward to what should be a great show no matter what!!

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goldenmusicmoments · 1 year ago

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Madison Beer Delivers An Immersive Experience On Her Sophomore Record Silence Between Songs:

Madison Beer releases the follow up to her stellar debut titled ‘Silence Between Songs’. Prior to announcing the album she had released a couple of songs, giving us a bit of a taster for what’s to come. The album proves to be a sonically cohesive record and one where she explores a sound she truly loves. Madison is creating music she wants to. She is underrated as her talent and music don’t receive the recognition they deserve. Lets take a look through her sophomore record.

Spinnin’ - This opener starts the album on a rather emotive note and the ‘Aah’s’ at the beginning give it a dreamy edge. She delivers the lyrics in a classical tone vocally and it adds drama to this track, giving it a cinematic feel. It feels apocalyptic as she seems to feel like everything’s come to a standstill and she’s struggling to move on. She highlights how sometimes rising out of a dark place can be difficult and you find yourself stuck in a cycle that isn’t doing you any good. The production on the record is slick and during the chorus it mimics the sound similar to that of a car revving. Which gives it a unique touch adding to the tracks dynamic. A captivating start to a record that you find yourself lost in and it really sets the tone for what’s to come.

Sweet Relief - She picks up the pace altering the mood from the previous track as we get right to it. It has a sexy vibe to it as it explores having a crush on someone. All she thinks of is the person of interest and she can’t seem to escape him. Her vocal delivery feels laid back and the catchy hook finds a home in your mind instantly as you find yourself humming along. The bass is the the driving force here as it remains at the forefront and it makes you want to move to this track. She closes the track with backing vocals that soar.

Envy The Leaves - Here the production immediately catches your attention and its nature gives the track a sense of urgency. Her tender vocals give the track a dreamy and classical feel which is a prominent feeling throughout the album. This brings back that cinematic touch we experience on the opener. She says that she’s jealous of the leaves and snow, as they don’t feel emotions. She doesn’t want to feel any sort of worry and instead live life thinking she’s happy even when in actuality she is far from it. A mesmerising moment that ends with a surprising soft rock outro where Madison harmonises over an up-beat instrumental. This is definitely a standout on this record.

17 - Explores how hectic she’s felt that her life has been since seventeen and because of that she finds it hard to recall much of it. She wishes she’d taken things slower and lived life more. It also points to the entirety of how fast time seems to be moving which makes you feel as though you are running out of time to do the things you want to do. The production has a western tinge to it and, the pacing difference between the verses and chorus play to the movement of time.

Ryder - A heartfelt moment where Madison speaks to her brother and here she finds herself acknowledging her shortcomings in their relationship. She expresses how now she sees things from a prospective where she understands why he was the way he was back then as the two grew up in the same house. She lets him know that she knows more than he may think she does. She regrets neglecting him and his feelings during their childhood, feeling that they lost out on moments that could have been. Especially if she’d come to the realisation much earlier. Pointing to how when you are kids you often can find yourself caught up in how you are feeling that you don’t pay attention to that of those around you. She ends this guitar driven track letting it be known that they’ll be alright. It is never too late to make amends and reconnect. It is a stunning sombre moment that leaves you with something to think on.

Nothing Matters But You - Now Madison gives us this haunting track where she lets the person of interest know that no one else matters but them. It opens up with a wave of strings. The chorus heightens the haunting feel and this really plays to the classical sound she loves to explore in her music. The production compliments her vocal delivery and it feels as though the track fills the space around you, enclosing you in its dramatic nature. This track makes you think that she could work well on a James Bond soundtrack. The lyric ‘Make a girl think the world’s only spinnin’ for you’ could be a reference taking it back to the album opener.

I Wonder - This playful track has her wondering how she’s managed to wake up in a blissful state. She stated that this serves as a response to ‘Spinnin’. The snare drum beat with a tender tambourine peaking through makes you want to tap your feet to it, as it has this throwback feel to it. Her vocal delivery is effortless and airy, as she switches up the pace for a moment.

At Your Worst - Here Madison takes you down an emotive journey as this song is about her father. The choir like opening really draws you into this deep track. The guitar led production has touches to it that give it an intriguing nature. She sings about how she felt that she was mistreated as a child, she acknowledges that he had his reasons for why he was the way he was. She lets it be known that it doesn’t in turn make what he did to her right. She’s trying her hardest to not end up like him, however she realises that she is like her father and that is a thought she doesn’t like. It’s a beautiful moment that leaves you in your own head.

Show Me (How I Fell In Love With You) - On this dramatic track that feels rich through its production we find her observing the person of interest in order to be just like him. She hopes to use his tactics to win people over. It has a sultry feel to it that is enhanced by her vocal delivery. That in turn makes you feel like it can fit on the soundtrack of either an action or spy film. She released a visual for the track that fits so well with the essence of the song.

Home To Another One - The pace picks up on this captivating track that does well in sticking to the dreamy classical inspiration running through the album. You’ll find yourself lost in its infectious nature and that hook is one that you’ll instantly be singing along to. Here Madison finds herself thinking about the person who she was once in a relationship with and she feels as though she still feels glimmers of him around her. He’s moved on, whilst she hasn’t. Which plays to the theme that’s threaded in the album of her being stuck. The opening in a way gives it a fairytale like feel and then the chorus introduces the bass which gives it an upbeat feel.

Dangerous - We reach this gorgeous piano led track that eventually brings in the strings for its building moment. Which gives this track a dramatic tone. Here you really feel her vocally depict the emotions behind the lyrics so well. She sings about that feeling of self-doubt, where you question yourself and wonder whether it really is that hard for people to love you. She’s trying to figure out what about her is the reason for love being dangerous. It has such a grand feeling to it due to both the production and her vocal delivery.

Reckless - Madison is heartbroken on this sombre moment that is tied together by the snap of a drum. The track opens up with the sound of a the tune that plays when you open one of those jewellery boxes and you feel the hurt in her voices as soon as the vocal comes in. The person of interest seems to have paid her feelings no mind, whilst telling her that she was his only, he was seeing someone else behind her back. She finds herself wondering how someone can be reckless with someone else’s heart. The production is threaded with strings which add to the dynamic of the track and give it a dramatic feel. There is a lift in the pace before the track ends on a tender closing.

Silence Between Songs - Now we get to the title track and this one starts in a way that makes you think it maybe a more blissful moment. However though it is more upbeat, it speaks on trying to numb any sense of feeling in order to deal with the hard moments. Here she seems to be trying to run away from the feelings that come after the demise of a relationship, such as loneliness, heartache and the loss of someone you saw a future with. She is struggling to let go and forget the person of interest. It has a sultry edge to it due to her vocal delivery.

King Of Everything - The closing track provides for quite the ending to this journey. Its piano driven and she seems reflective over the person of interest. Scooter Braun seems to be the person she’s singing about here, as she states that he seems to think a lot of himself and yet is unaware that those around him don’t really care about him. Then she points that things for him seem to be falling apart as once he was the king of everything and now he is the king of nothing. The outro gives it a cinematic touch that ties in with the essence of the rest of the album.

The album is a strong effort from Madison Beer and she delivers a body of work that is sonically cohesive. Especially when comparing it to her debut on which she took a more experimental route. The record takes you on a more emotive and heartfelt journey, with one or two turns in the road that drift off track for a bit. She is drawn to classical music and loves to add a cinematic feel to her music. Which you feel throughout this album. Madison still is underrated and deserves so much more recognition. She’s not trying to appease mainstream music, instead she divulges in creating records that truly represent who she is as both an artist and person. It is definitely one of 2023’s highlights and if you haven’t yet given it a listen, then do so now.

#Madison Beer #SilenceBetweenSongs #Music #Album #Billboard #Artist #Singer #Songs #MadisonBeer #Silence Between Songs #Scooter Braun #ScooterBraun #Heartbreak #Love #Reckless #Dangerous #Release #Classical

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babysaid · 2 years ago

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Okay, so my thoughts on RUSH!:

I asked for a meal and Måneskin delivered a BANQUET! It’s a really good album overall: the entire band was on their A game for this one!! I really like the direction they took and the recent interview with Zane Lowe where they talked about the creative process makes me love it even more!

FUCK every basic bitch hating on this album because of the leaked lyrics!!!! Songs are not poetry and the instrumentals / vocal delivery can really elevate the entire thing!!!

Vic was born to play bass, Thomas is a legend, Damiano honestly has one of my favorite voices ever and Ethan is so good I just want him to [redacted] [crash sounds] [gunshots] [dogs barking]

My two cents song by song - that no one asked for - is below the cut

- Own My Mind is already in 3 different playlists of mine. Can’t wait to hear it liveeeee 9.5/10

- Tom Morello had less than 30 seconds and delivered everything in Gossip! Thomas is honestly so fucking talented, I’m gonna cry. Lyrics slap, instruments slap, promo slaped. 9/10

- My first hot take is Timezone. I already knew I would have problems with this songs when I heard it on the tiktok promo. Weakest link the first 5 songs. Emo as fuck, sounds like something a Wrapped Tour band would play (derogatory). Gets points because I can imagine a very aggravated Sony executive listening to “I don’t give a fuck about the contracts that I signed” and I giggle. Also, I miss being a teenager 7/10

- DON’T GET ME STARTED on BLA BLA BLA. Silly as fuck but I LOVE IT. God put Vic De Angelis on this earth just so she could EAT this bass line!!!! My fave along with Own My Mind 9.8/10

- Baby Said has old Strokes vibes so it’s right up my alley. Again, not very strong lyrics but the instrumental and Damiano’s vocals 🫶 8.5/10

- Second hot take: I appreciate its political commentary but Gasoline was never my cup of tea. I’m being very generous calling it “political commentary” tho, they could’ve done better. Gets points because Damiano quoting Chaplin during Coachella and yelling “FORA BOLSONARO” on my concert live rent free in my head. Loses points for being too long 7.5/10

- Feel is a banger!!! @ Walk Like a Badass Playlist on Spotify, we have visitors. Also, again, THOMAS ♥️ 8/10

- I love ass shakers and I especially love ass shakers like Don’t Wanna Sleep. AGAIN, THOMAS AND VIC 8.5/10

- I can tell Damiano was drunk as fuck recording Kool Kids, ICONIC. Also super catchy 8.5/10

- Ballad Alert! If Not For You deserves an acoustic version and I will bug everyone until I get it. Automatic 9/10

- Testing my patience along with Timezone is Read Your Diary. It starts great but then it just becomes a Disney Channel song, babes. A good Disney Channel song, but still. Weakest link on the second part of the album. Gets points for the bass line and, again, because I miss being a teenager 7.5/10

- The first song in italian, Mark Chapman GOES. HARD. AS. FUCK. Instrumental is point, Damiano’s vocals are DELIVERING and ngl it hits different in italian. Makes it to my top 5 of the album 9/10

- I already loved La Fine before, so I still love it but it loses a little of it’s charm when put next to Mark Chapman ngl. I have no choice but to rate it 8.8/10

- The biggest Teatro D’ira vibe on the album is Il Dono Della Vita. A very cohesive and emotional song instrumentally, I can’t wait to read the translation. I hope this one makes it to the live setlist so I don’t have beat anyone on their team to a pulp. It also reminds me: I will never forgive them for not doing Ventanni in São Paulo but doing it in Argentina. That was a hate crime against brazilians and THEY KNOW IT. I digress. 9.5/10

- Mammamia on this album feels like seeing a cousin at a family gathering lmao. Still SLAPS tho 8/10

- My top song on Spotify Rewind in 2022 was Supermodel, so I really like it. HOWEVER, it feels very out of place on this album and it doesn’t go as hard now that we have better songs. You can tell this was a “commercial” song because the other ones are so much more well made (even the ones I don’t like as much). Still has a place in my heart tho 7.8/10

- I really loved The Loneliest when it came out and I still love it! But it suffers from the same curse as Supermodel: the new ballads are so much better. All I can think about now while listening is “I hope they don’t pass up If Not For You and Il Dono Della Vita on the live shows so they can play The Loneliest”. I know it’s gonna happen tho, so I resent it a little bit. 8/10

#maneskin #victoria de angelis #thomas raggi #damiano david #ethan torchio #måneskin

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