#but this was the overall structure of character dynamics i was just obsessed with for some reason
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I went through this phase where all of my main character sets had a structure similar to the following: two besties living their consensually codependent dreams, the world's most awful bastard (affectionate but also derogatory), and an irresponsible adult who sort of accidentally adopted these teenagers and now has to try to be the responsible adult.
And honestly? That was banger.
#writing#characters#found family#fiction#ship dynamics#(not necessarily romantic ships)#(these stories generally didn't have romance or there would be an additional character bc none of these make sense romantically)#thinking of so many of my homemade blorbos#they all had individual flavor to them too#but this was the overall structure of character dynamics i was just obsessed with for some reason#friends to accomplices follows this for the most part (jake is extra)#(for those who haven't been following me for long enough to know fta is my super special wip that I eventually want to tidy up)#(my true soulmate of a work of fiction. i just got it right ig)#(which is funny because my average writing quality in that era was Not Good but friends to accomplices? everything about it just.#scratches exactly the itches that i need fiction to scratch. i just gotta make it not sound like a 14 year old wrote it)#(more of a process than you'd think)
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okay, so this is a beast of a post.
since i've officially watched all 'the hobbit' movies now (as well as 'lord of the rings'), here is my personal ranking of all the movies in a list.
LoTR: Two Towers
LoTR: Return of the King
LoTR: Fellowship of the Ring
Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies
Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug
i talk a lot about the movies under the cut ( i accidentally started rambling, whoops ) don't feel like you have to read it all but if you want my supper cluttered opinion, go ahead (spoilers btw)
favorite one overall is clearly 'Two Towers'. it follows three groups of characters in the best fucking way. (Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas | Samwise, Frodo, Smeagol/Gollum | Merry, Pippin) it's been a while since I watched this one but i would really love to rewatch it one day. (we rented this one so we don't have it anymore)
i initially had 'Return of the King' as #4 but i honestly can't rank it that low. everything about this one is perfect and it gave me and my sis some good fucking inside jokes. also aragorn and eowyn slayed imma be real
'An Unexpected Journey' almost came above 'Fellowship of the Ring' but then i remembered the other half of fellowship and i had to rank it higher. maybe i just love the lotr characters more, i dunno, but their journey impacted me more and had me more excited. also, 'one does not simply walk into mordor.'
'An Unexpected Journey' is the only one I've actually rewatched (even if it was only the beginning) solid movie, something old and charming to it. i did watch it when i was younger but i fell asleep multiple times and just caught tid bits of it, so going through it again i annoyed the piss out of my sis by yelling 'i know that part!' over and over again
'Battle of Five Armies' was structured really well. the fight scenes could not have gone any better. the elves, the dwarves, the orcs, all their different unique styles. solid three hours of fighting if you want that. (i would gush about this a little more but i would probably end up repeating myself a bunch and sounding more a mess than typical) ((also this is going on too long))
'Desolation of Smaug' by all intents and purposes should've been ranked higher. if something has a dragon, I'm gonna watch it. (i recently realized i had a not-so-secret love/obsession for dragons) and Smaug being that gold-obsessed dragon from storybooks gave him such an interesting twist and gave me a real appreciation for that trope and he looked really cool and he was probably my favorite part of the movie- (unfortunately i just had a bad experience watching the movie because i was being constantly interrupted to the point that i completely lost track for like two hours. but even with a rewatch, i probably wouldn't rank it higher, but i would definitely have more love for it than i currently do)
Favorite Characters
LoTR: Gimli (i can finally remember his name), Frodo (pathetic bitch, like me fr), Pippin (protect this tree-loving, goofy ass, bard at all costs)
Hobbit: (no character really stuck out to me in the way lotr characters did but these ones did stand out) Balin, Gandalf, Galadriel
and special shout out to:
aragorn (king, literally), legolas (especially from lotr where he's only quiet until he says some wise shit), smaug (big, fire kitty), galadriel (yes, again, i didn't think much of her until the hobbit but lowkey what the fuck, awesome, talented amazing, showstopping, hot as fu-what?), and eowyn (pick your head up queen, your crown is slipping)
and because i can't shut up and this is such an impeccable series
i couldn't pick one, so the two most impactful scenes for me was-
lotr: when the ring had been destroyed and frodo and sam are on the rock surrounded by lava. frodo is remembering everything about the shire and home and he probably finally feels normal again. they were also giving ship vibes, true, but their dynamic in that moment is also so special and i want to rope this into the end where he gives him the book before leaving and the ethereal lighting of it all is everything and-
hobbit: i wasn't too 'wowed' by thorin (he just doesn't match up to aragorn for me) but his character direction is something i can gab about on a later date (cuz i fucking love it dude) . other than that, he didn't touch me emotionally or anything. but holy fuck when the credit mucic started playing?? the song is 'the last goodbye' and i immediately thought of his death scene and the funeral of all of who passed and let me tell you, i have never teared up for movies or songs or stories but i got fucking close during that song man and that's gotta account for something (I've watched endgame with tony stark as my favorite character if that gives you any inclination how much that credit song fucked me up)
and lastly, my favorite songs
The Last Goodbye (this fucking song made me love thorin so much more and it also stole my lunch money, yes 911? i would like to report a crime-)
Edge of Night (wasn't expecting it, thought i'd hate it -because i get uncomfortable with characters singing in movies- fucking loved it, obsessed)
Misty Mountains Cold (had no reason to go so hard, jesus christ-)
I See Fire (i knew this song since i was a kid, never knew it was from the hobbit, got really excited when i heard it at the end of of desolation of smaug)
if you read this, you deserve a reward. but I'll settle for requesting you either reblog or comment with something about lotr/hobbit that you really love. like your favorite movie, character, scene, whichever. i'd love to see all the different things that was special to others (and it doesn't need to be as long as this, please, save yourself the stress)
#the hobbit#lord of the rings#lotr#gimli#gimli son of gloin#legolas#legolas greenleaf#gandalf#gandalf the grey#aragorn#frodo#samwise#smeagol#gollum#galadriel#eowyn#for froyo#smaug#tldr: good series#much love#balin#there are so many characters#just pretend i tagged all of them#i'm sick with nothing better to do and it shows
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Sup, who's your favorite turtle, and why?
If I’m being REALLY specific, then 2007 raph.
This is due to him being my first favourite turtle ever. 2007 having been the first TMNT media I ever watched, when I was really young and is something I loved greatly.
I find a lot of depth within the film and love speaking on the complexity’s of the characters within the movie. (Raph and Leo’s complicated dynamic. You want to be pissed at Leo, sure he’s a hypocrite at many stages and lets his ego get in the way a few times, but you also need to understand his own self loathing. It was causing him to take out his anger on Raph putting up a front to be what he thought his family “needed”. Leo having deemed himself a “failure” and struggled to return because of that, seeing them “better without him” As well as raphs use of anger to mask emotions, clearly upset that Leo was gone for A YEAR longer then we was supposed to.
Caused so much heavy tension and stupid actions to occur. Leo could have been dead for all they knew having disappeared without a letter and the fact Leo did not address his absence clearly upset Raph, he was probably scared that he would note see his brother again, then Leo turns up and pretends like he never left? Raph wanted Leo to address the elephant in the room, but Leo never did. Not even by the end, they still seemed to dance around what happened, leading to an emotional tango. (There is much more I could go into. I could talk on and on about this movie)
Though I wish 2007 mikey and Donnie had more screen time, I actually LOVED 2007 Donnie (for some reason his voice actor just fit so well) plus the times he was on screen I found him funny, and if there was more complexity to the character shown, he would of 100% been my favourite.
But if I’m saying overall favourite turtle then My favourite is Donnie in most iterations.
It Varies sure 2012 Donnie, rise Donnie, 2003 Mikey, idw Donnie (I love metalhead ok. This might change the more I read) Mutant mayhem Donnie and 1987 raph (I’m not forgetting The last ronin, its just it’s focused on Mikey solely and I haven’t watched the Batman TMNT movie. I want too though)
(Tbh mm Donnie can be quite cringy but I just love his design sm)
I think I’m most attached to Donnie because of 2012 Donnie.
2012 was the first tv series I watched of TMNT (after 2007) and easily my favourite was Donnie. His loved for accuracy and fact, as well as overthinking and creativity, wanting structure and control, are things I relate to (not obsessing over a person though :/ that’s the only part I’m not a fan of, is Donnie’s crush on April and sure April did some questionable things but I don’t dislike her, cause people do dumb things sometimes)
I didn’t like her kissing him when he was FINALLY going to give up on her. But it was more a fault of poor writing (There is a lot of Poor writing in 2012 sadly)
Sorry for any spelling and/or grammar mistakes!
^^ im dyslexic please be kind.
#tmnt#teenage muntant ninja turtles#tmnt2007#raph tmnt#tmnt raph#tmnt donnatello#donnie tmnt#raphael tmnt#crayonnthieftalks#digital art
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I've been having many thoughts about missy and spy!master because of the panels Michelle and Sacha have been doing together so here's some of those for you hehe
As per Michelle and Sacha's opinions on their dynamic together, the sexual energy between the 2 would be off the fucking charts, perhaps even stronger than it was with simm and missy 😳
I just think missy would find dhawan more physically attractive than simm (No offense to John simm of course lol, all 3 of them are GORGEOUS)
Like despite dhawan being debatably more unhinged than simm, something about his overall look in most of his appearances just feels more neat and well groomed than simm
Like dhawans facial hair (excluding the Rasputin thing) was always very well groomed and cleanly trimmed. Meanwhile all of simms appearances always made his hair look at least a little disheveled, especially his goatee
Another thing I think missy would like is dhawans eyes. I'm not sure if the casting director had this in mind when they picked sacha but his eyes lend themselves so well to the masters cunning and manipulative abilities. His eyes are so big and expressive, he can manipulate them to look so soft and genuine and kind. Yet in the blink of an eye he can go from an angel you'd trust with your life to shedding his sheep's clothing to reveal a rabid wolf underneath
Him and missy are a perfect match in that regard since missy also has some stunning eyes herself.
Dhawans eyes are round and large with deep brown irises which lull you into a false sense of trust. Missy's eyes however hypnotize not with trustworthiness but with stunning beauty. They're polar opposites to Dhawan's eyes, being slim and almond shaped and a stark icy blue that snatches your attention and holds it in an iron grip. Her irises are so pale they almost blend into the whites of her eyes and in combination with her overall facial structure give her this ethereal, otherworldly feel. Like a mysterious spirit that claims to be an angel.
Speaking of facial structure, (I guess this is just gonna be a body worship post from me LMAO) dhawans face also lends itself well to his deceptively trustworthy appearance. His face shape is round and his cheeks are full making his face look softer and more approachable. In fact there are few sharp edges in any of his facial features to begin with. His nose is very round and his chin has basically no edges. His eyebrows are thick and dark with the edges of their shape blending into his skin, thus with no defined lines his eyebrows look softer.
Another thing I noticed about his facial hair, it's dark color and well defined edges actually create some symbolic imagry. Think about it, the fine contrast between his beard and the rest of his face almost looks like a mask. Just like how he was wearing the character of O like a mask! Idk I just thought that was a cool idea hehe
Missy's face completely opposes this. She's ALL sharp edges. Her eyebrows? Sharp as needles. Hell their angles form this angry V shape which of course makes her look inherently angry or hostile. Her nose? Straight and narrow. Her jaw? Things built like a fucking cleaver. And don't even get me started on her cheekbones, those things could slice through GRANITE. Even her fucking cupids bow is like 2 razor blades. Her skin (mainly her cheeks) is pulled tight to her skull which causes her to look as deadly as she is. Going back to her eyes, her irises look smaller than Sacha's, they could actually be physically smaller or it could be an optical illusion from how pale her eyes are. Either way her irises looking smaller gives her a wild look and draws far more attention to her pupils.
I could go on but I feel like I've obsessed over these people's faces enough lol
#doctor who#missy#gomez!master#dhawan master#gomez master#michelle gomez#sacha dhawan#dhawan!master#spy!master#spy master#i need a life
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new visual for 劇場版 魔法少女まどか☆マギカ〈ワルプルギスの廻天〉(Puella Magi Madoka☆Magica the Movie - Walpurgisnacht: Rising -)
This promotional looks really interesting. And that's for multiple reasons. The first one being the power dynamic and its nice use of composition and structure. Usually, with shows that feature humans vs. a system or humans vs. the concept of a system, the human is overpowered and dominated by the figure of the concept—barely even an ant in its face. But in this image, Homura, a presumed doppelganger of hers, and a strange abstract phone-looking thing have much more presence and power over the concept Madoka, who, for the entire series, was the focal point of Homura's universe.
The most prominent figures in this photo are the two Homuras in a face-off and the abstract phone syringe-looking thing. And only after looking at those two things do our eyes get led to the teensy-tiny Madoka at the vanishing point, and we're led there by the yellow beaming flares at the center as well as the streetlights at the two Homuras' legs. In short, Madoka feels almost like a background character with how small she feels in comparison to the other elements present.
This can be read as Homura finally confronting herself and addressing the issues with her actions regarding her obsession over Madoka. That's only a hypothetical, though, since I've yet to take into account all of the other elements in this promotional. But then again, they are the elements with the most prominence, so my reading could very well be valid.
Now, to address the usage of architecture and symbolism,
But as much as I'd like to address the symbolism, I can't even begin to attach a conclusive meaning and explain whatever this phone syringe serpent thing is supposed to symbolize. I can present multiple of my own personal interpretations, but without extra context, I would be throwing ideas into thin air. I could probably explain the disparate parts present in the symbol, but that would take way too long. So I'll just leave that for sometime else and start talking about the architecture.
The use of architecture in MadoMagi has always amazed me with how they're always capable of adding something to the scene they're featured in; whether that be pure and simple eye candy to benefit the atmosphere and tone of the scene, or if they were thematically relevant, the builds never fail to improve my overall enjoyment of the scenes they are present in. These builds can be much more grounded in reality or something that leans more towards the fantastical and surreal. In the case of this promotional, it's both.
The buildings that surround, crush, and loom over our characters, Madoka especially, whatever they're supposed to be, doesn't matter all that much. Apartments, offices, studios—it doesn't matter. All that does matter is that people occupy these buildings. Red lights in the windows and even in the construction going on in the background. Not only do they complement the yellows and oranges present in the photo, but they also signal an error in the system and maybe even symbolize animosity.
The red lights in the windows of the people-occupied buildings may signify the animosity and hate that's directed towards Homura for dragging Madoka out of her godlike state. It may also mean the same thing as the lights at the construction site: a signal of an error, an indication that the build is incomplete—that it's missing a piece—that piece being Madoka. The red lights in the surrounding buildings, in this case, might be referring to everyone who is in limbo, calling Madoka to their sides.
The construction site plays a similar role. Since it's close to the center, it acts as a beacon to warn of its incompletion. It draws Madoka to the center like a bug to a light, begging her to complete herself and the world at the same time. But obstructing her path is what appears to be a coffin under a tower, with a spiral staircase and a birdcage at its top. But whether this is supposed to be where she's actually supposed to be, I'm not sure.
I'm also not sure whether what is at the bottom of the tower is actually a coffin, but if it were, then it'd be really fitting. She would be working tirelessly at her task for the rest of her life as a messiah figure, as a concept without an actual life to her name—dead, boxed inside a coffin. Then there's the tower. Towers are normally designated for people with power in a story, an antagonistic force, or a concept to stand against, but in this instance, the tower is overshadowed by everything else present in the picture, and with the birdcage at the top, it's clear that this is supposed to be something akin to a display rack for Madoka.
All of this, plus the dutch angle, makes this promotional feel literally and figuratively unbalanced. That this world isn't in its ideal state and could lose its balance and topple over at any second. The power dynamics and the composition of the image are lopsided, and I think this disharmony perfectly describes the state of MadoMagi's story.
#pmmm#puella magi madoka magica#madoka magica#homura akemi#madoka kaname#madomagi#gen urobuchi#shaft#akiyuki shimbou#mahou shoujo madoka magica#i can't write for shit#i'm sorry
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✣ Blake Wrapped: KDrama Edition 📹
Almost exactly a year ago, I watched Goblin for the first time and loved it, as I knew I would (I am so very much the target audience for that show it’s not even funny). And when I started retagging the gifs and stuff I had reposted from that time, I saw that I tagged something with “I’m not in a kdrama phase per se, but…” Reader, I lied. The kdrama phase was just waiting dormant for its moment to overtake my life. Here’s my rough ranking of what I saw this year.
#1: Coffee Prince (2007)
It’s a little dated, but it also has worn tremendously well considering its contemporaries, and the bones are flawless: great writing with well-rounded characters, a gorgeously evocative soundtrack, a lovable cast. It has recognizable tropes (rich boy/poor girl, second leads, deceptions, etc) but never feels cliche. Also, it’s incredibly queer. Yes, the endgame of the main pair is happily heterosexual but the male lead works through a gay awakening and the female lead is basically non-binary. Even the second couple challenge gender roles in a refreshing way. I’ve only seen it twice because of platform difficulties, but it has compelling rewatch value.
#1’ : Goblin/Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016)
This show is a masterpiece. It has its weak moments here and there (one dreepy song in the OST, the female leads could be fleshed out more, some of the mythology is spit and string), but it’s such a stunning production in the whole that you don’t really get stuck on that. The cinematography is some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen in any piece of film ever, the instrumental music is unmatched, it engages with deep themes, and the interpersonal dynamics are gorgeous (I love the three-of-us-in-this-marriage feel among the mains). It’s also incredibly moving, especially in parts that you don’t expect. I’ve seen this five times and I’m still not bored of it.
#1.5: Tale of the Nine Tailed (2020)
Considering how much I’ve yelled about this, you’d think it would be higher, and I think my overall complaint about it is that, on a craft level, it’s telling two stories: the overt story is an immortal romance, but the underneath story is about family and redemption, and that’s the story that’s the compelling one. Unfortunately, unlike the first two I listed, the theme and plot don’t always cohere as well as they could. That being said, the characters are top-notch, the cinematography and effects are great, and the atmosphere always feels just a little bit off to be properly otherworldly. It gave me my OTP and set off an obsession. I need to rewatch it and suffer all over again.
#2: Hidden Identity (2015)
Of course, this drama is flawed, as viewers always seem to like pointing out, but I also did watch all sixteen episodes in less than 48 hours during a school week, which tells you something about its gripping pacing and structure. The episodes are, well, episodic, but the cliffhangers are fantastic, the various threads build well to the final boss, and It was also just a really well-produced show? The cinematography and fight choreography were masterfully executed, the cast really made the most of their roles, and the theme music was addictive. I was also, of course, watching it for the Plot (Kim Beom).
#2.5: Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 (2023)
It’s hard for me to evaluate this objectively because so much of it was fan-service, but since I was the fan being serviced, how could I not like it? It lacked the chic sexiness of the first season, but it was full of sincerity and incredible characters making heart-breaking and meaningful connections with each other—the writing improved, thank goodness—and the mix of fantasy, historical drama, and western made for a really fun setting. I enjoyed the shortened structure of having only 12 episodes instead of the standard 16 since it seemed to hold the pacing to a tighter rhythm.
#3: Special Labor Inspector Mr. Jo (2019)
Would I rewatch this? Probably not. Did I enjoy the heck out of it the first time? Absolutely. It’s a sharp, smart satire whose virtue lies in its breezy ability to entertain as a tall tale while keeping the themes and social commentary incredibly grounded. It’s amazing how a show with such cynicism could also be such fun. The cast was excellent and the plot deliberately uses familiar tropes of rich families, hired gangs, and love struggles to push through its message: Power destroys. Heroism is kindness. Sometimes all you need is one very angry and very tired gym teacher turned bureaucrat to make life better.
#4: Boys Over Flowers (2008)
This should not be as high as it is, but there were moments I still haven’t stopped thinking about and want to see again, which means it must have had something going on, even though I’m not sure what it was. I could never tell whether it was being ridiculous and outlandish on purpose or the show runners really thought they were making serious television. Exactly two songs in the soundtrack were good, and you also had that theme song as proper paratextual warning, and the outfits were what conservative people probably thing Queer Eye is. I do see why people like it. It’s just the kind of liking you have to do while mildly intoxicated.
#5: That Winter, the Wind Blows (2013)
This one was melodramatic to the hilt, but somehow weirdly compelling, both through the elaborate ruse that sets up the plot and through the outrageous beauty of the two leads. This is the kind of overdramatic and indulgent nonsense you sometimes want in fiction, especially when its gorgeous to look at. The male lead goes around in suspenders and nice pants looking like a 1930s gangster. His sidekick’s hair and outfit anticipates David Tennant’s Crowley by six years. The female lead’s disability was pretty sensitively portrayed. Sometimes that’s all you can ask for.
Bonus (movies): You all know my thoughts about Flight. Also going to mention Hellcats, which was absurd but also deserves full points for having a main character come out as gay for her best friend).
#kdrama#korean drama#coffee prince#goblin#guardian: the lonely and great god#tale of the nine tailed#tale of the nine tailed 1938#hidden identity#special labor inspector mr. jo#boys over flowers#that winter the wind blows#kinema#blake wrapped
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WIP Wednesday
Okay, so here’s my foray into @hellcheeranniversaryweek and their wonderful WIP Wednesdays. I’m not comfortable posting snippets of any of these yet, as they haven’t gone through my intensive (read: obsessive and ridiculous) editing process, but in the spirit of the challenge I’m sharing the premise, why I wanted to write it, and where I’m stuck on each. Mostly, I got super excited about the starts, then fizzled out on the execution.
If any of them sound like something you’d want to read, let me know! Engagement = motivation to my silly little brain. (And hey, I already made some graphics!)
WIP #1: Summertime Blues
Premise: It’s the summer between Eddie’s first and second senior year, and he’s working for a friend of Wayne’s so he can make extra cash to put toward the van he’s desperate to buy. The friend runs a landscaping company, so Eddie’s out mowing lawns. Cue: the Cunninghams. A pool, a pretty girl, a bratty little brother, and hormones in the summer heat.
Why? Because I liked the idea of exploring a “what if” that had them getting together when they were younger rather than older, giving me the chance to explore an Eddie who hasn’t entirely found himself, and a Chrissy who’s still figuring out what ‘good’ looks like when it comes to a boyfriend.
Where I’m stuck: I really like the premise, but I’m having trouble finding the there there. I think, ultimately, I want it to follow the structure of a romance novella, but I don’t want to overlap with what I’m already doing in Soul. So, I don’t know, I was hot to trot on it for a while and then I kind of burned out. Maybe I should just post the first chapter and see if that re-inspires me?
WIP #2: Kinky 90s
Premise: Somehow Chrissy and Eddie both end up in the same early 90s BDSM scene in Indianapolis. Eddie’s been in it for a few years, and he mostly doms. Chrissy’s newly single (maybe divorced) and feeling herself for the first time in her life, exploring some desires she’s never let herself think much about. Leans Dom!Eddie/Sub!Chrissy, but because it’s me, there will be power dynamics and switching and examination of what those roles actually look like in a functional relationship. I wanted to write a series of one-shots, starting with one where they run into each other at a munch, maybe, and transitioning into various scenes where they explore their kinks while 100% falling for each other.
Why? I wanted to research what BDSM communities were like in the 90s, before the ease of having Fet and other online spaces to find people. How does a woman find her way in safely, and what does community look like when you can’t vet people quite as well as you can these days. I like the idea of Eddie working in the city, getting by, and dorking out about floggers and rope the same way he used to dork out about D&D. Plus, I wanted to write them having kinky sex. I am a simple creature.
Where I’m stuck: I kind of wanted them to dance around getting together for a while, but the innate attraction is so goddamn strong it’s hard to put roadblocks in their way. Which is usually a sign I need to STOP trying to put roadblocks in their way and find another source of conflict instead. The nice thing about this one is that if I wanted to, I could just post a one-shot every so often and let it be what it is. So maybe I will.
WIP #3: Pegging One-Shot
Premise: Chrissy pegs Eddie.
Why? I like the idea of them being in an established, happy relationship and discovering something new and a little taboo (to them).
Where I’m stuck: Figuring out how to actually get to the part where they talk about it. My initial thought was that Eddie brings up anal as a thing to try, and Chrissy’s like “you first” but that doesn’t really feel like them, because I feel like they’re pretty sexually compatible, overall. So, I don’t know, I’m noodling on a few different ways to approach it that feel authentic to both their characters and the time period. Where, again, there isn’t this wide world of porn and helpful hints at their fingertips, and you can’t order a bespoke strap-on from Etsy. If this does get done, it’ll be a one-shot, so at least there’s that.
And that, as they say, is that! I have other ideas, but nothing I've actually written significant wordcount on. Thanks again to Hellcheer Anniversary Week for fun prompts, and getting me to revisit these guys all over again!
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Dear Yuletide Author 2023
Shh! Listen—can you hear it? That weird humming sound? That's me, vibrating with joy and anticipation for everything that Yuletide brings, especially what you, dear Yuletide author, have in store for me.
I’m beautifulduckweed on AO3. Below is a list of likes, a short list of DNWs, as well as my requests for Yuletide. I've included prompts, but please know that they are ABSOLUTELY just suggestions and points of inspiration; feel free to deviate from them, or ditch them entirely and write me something else. God knows I can’t write my own dang stories without taking several wild left turns along the way.
Thanks so much for my gift, and I hope you have a blast writing.
💖🥰 Some things I like 🥰💖
Crackfic and mashups. No premise to stupid, no crossover too incongruous. Listen, recently someone in another exchange requested John Wick x Marie Kondo and I have legit lost sleep thinking about that.
Sexytimes. Please note that I absolutely do not require sex! Some of my favorite exchange gifts have featured absolutely zero sex on page. But if the smutty muse strikes—well, far be it for me to stop you. My tolerance is…high. No, higher. No, no, higher than that. Look, I’ve been a denizen of the Internet long enough that I subscribed to porn newsgroups, OK? My constitution is CAST IRON. I especially enjoy service topping, orgasm control (delayed? denied? forced? ruined? YES), femdoms, people coming untouched, multiple orgasms, overstimulation, improbable feats of horny stamina, people losing control while fucking, gangbangs, and threesomes/moresomes/orgies. I also really love first times, and people finally dropping their defenses and allowing themselves to be vulnerable during sex, and the STOP MAKING LOVE TO ME WHEN WE'RE FUCKING trope. I do have a small list of smut no’s in the Do Not Wants section.
Tropes. Some of my fave tropes are idiots to lovers (idiot4idiot4eva), friends to lovers, forced proximity, cramming attractive people into corsets, drag queen AUs, SFF AUs of every stripe (daemon? Pacific Rim? Superhero/supervillain? Vampires? Inception? Yes yes yessss). I absolutely adore the golden retriever/hissy feral cat dynamic. I also like two soft-hearted dinguses doing their best and trying to treat each other right. And ain't nothin' wrong with enemies who are obsessed with each other who OOPS realize their preoccupation may be more than mere antipathy.
I’d also like to note that much as I love a fic that’s like, a trope confetti cannon, I also really love having tropes (and expectations) subverted. Like, take your standard daemon AU. What would happen if the main character and their daemon…didn’t like each other? What if they were, in fact, mortal enemies? It would be so fucked! I would love to read about it!!!
Horror and gore. I love scary stories and horror; I have a really high tolerance for gore. If you want to lean into action sequences, gore, and body horror, I am (with a few exceptions, which I’m gonna list in the DNWs) gonna be totally cool with it. I basically jumped straight from Enid Blyton to Stephen King. My childhood media consumption was very normal why do you ask 😊
And other stuff. If you want to fuck around with the format of the fic, play around with structure, format, voice, POV, all of it, please do. Here for any weird shit you care to toss my way.
I also really love having my sense of what’s real and what’s not messed with. Like, is it ever possible to have a fully reliable narrator? What is the nature of truth and reality anyway? What role does the overall narratorial voice or framing device of the story play in our perception of the story? I regret to inform you that I'm writing this 100% sober; this is just how my brain is all the time.
😭🚫Do Not Wants 🚫😭
Pet death. I am totally fine with, like, random rabbit needs to be killed for dinner while out in the woods, or oh no, we have to defend ourselves from a charging hippo or hostile lizard from outer space.
Animal cruelty. Brief mentions of stuff happening in the past or whatever are fine; seeing an animal tortured on-page is a big no.
Major character death. Random minions, as always, can be sacrificed to the storytelling gods. NOTE: Major character undeath fine.
Kink and smut no’s: I’m not into blood, scat, vomit or piss. Please no noncon/dubcon where a woman is the victim. NOTE: sex pollen scenarios whereby everybody loses their mind simultaneously is totally fine, as is Fuck or Die.
Unhappy/hopeless endings. Bittersweet is fine; endings where it’s clear a cost has been paid and everybody’s changed etc. etc. also fine, but like, please don’t leave the characters absolutely miserable or unrelentingly tormented by their demons (unless the demons are sexy and the torment is also sexy).
Breakups without makeups: If I requested a canon pairing, or if you decide to write a shippy pairing, please leave their relationship intact at the end of the story. It can take a battering! Just don't break them—or my poor little heart—apart. NOTE: If you're writing a missing scene that takes place while or leads up to a period when the characters are canonically on a break, leaving them broken up or the fight unresolved is fine, because I know canon takes care of things.
🍪🧁Treats 🧁🍪
Are very yes. Love me some treats!!!
📝🎅The Requests 🎅📝
Fandom: The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting - K.J. Charles
Characters: Alice Fenwick, Marianne Loxleigh
Thoughts/Prompts: I am a simple bean, and all I want is Alice and Marianne having adventures. Maybe some lesbian porn. Or platonic lesbian BFF vibes. You can have 'em fall in love, or become platonic life partners, or fuck a lot and never fall in love, or start an elaborate grift or heist together. Like, wouldn’t it be hot if Marnie decided Alice needed some tutoring in the ways of fuckboys, lured one in, and used him to tutor Alice in the ways of satisfying herself while not getting pregnant? I’m seriously down for whatever.
Also, as with all of my fandom requests, please feel free to drag in as many other characters in as necessary. The more, the merrier; I just want Alice and Marnie’s relationship front and center.
Crack Prompts: Hey what about a vampire AU? Marnie as a vampire would be hot—hundreds of years of grifting, and GOD what the hell is up with this entirely-too-nice nerd oh WHOOPS turns out she’s her generation’s foremost vampire hunter. Alice as the vampire would also be amazing—Marnie tries to con Alice and discovers she’s bitten off more than she can chew (ba-dum-tish).
Vampire AU not your cuppa? How about crossovers with literally any other KJC universe? Stick ‘em in Magpies, or have them tangle with the Lilywhite Boys, solve a murder mystery with Pat and Fen, cosh some villains on the head with the Will Darling crew, accidentally fall into an orgy with the Murder, be pulled through time by one of the Green Men. I have read all the KJC books and extras. Go nuts.
Fandom: England Series - K.J. Charles
Characters: Bill Merton, Jimmy Yoxall
Thoughts/Prompts: Look, I love idiots, and these two are SUCH MAGNIFICENT IDIOTS. Jimmy is a giant doofus, and Bill thinks he's smarter, but all evidence points to him being at least as big an idiot when it comes to matters of the heart. I get all feral and heart-eyes over these two nincompoops. I will accept any and everything for these two: fics of the two of them getting to know each other during their university days, falling in love in London, THAT HORRIBLE FIGHT AFTER BEN HUR. Whatever. I ain't picky. I also said one time that they'd be great in Lower Decks and ever since then I may have brainwormed myself a little. They'd be so good in the USS Cerritos! Also down 2 clown with like, incongruous mashups---like John Wick? God, what if Jimmy Yoxall was just really weirdly good at murder, and Bill has to keep his stupid ass alive?
Opt-in for this specific fandom: waiving the breakup without makeup DNW for anything that takes place pre-Proper English events.
Fandom: Fire Island (Movie 2022)
Characters: Noah, Will
Thoughts/Prompts: Goddd, over a year later and it's still my favorite Pride and Prejudice adaptation to date. The found family vibes! Noah explicitly being non-monogamous! The dynamics between ALL the characters, but especially Noah and Howie!!! I am down for whatever for this fandom. Wanna write a big ole sweaty orgy? Have the entire crew go on a giant chaotic family vacation together? (Maybe even…the following year’s trip to Fire Island???). Somebody somehow manages to dare Will into entering a drag contest, and it’s gonna take everyone’s help to make this happen. Noah suddenly finds himself a TikTok sensation and gets into a weird Twitter beef with Taylor Swift.
Crack Prompts: These fools would be incredible in What We Do in the Shadows and Our Flag Means Death.
ALSO, oh my god: since this is a Pride and Prejudice retelling, how about sticking ‘em in a Regency romance novel? I’m inordinately fond of Loretta Chase, and the thought of these four idiots running amuck in the ton is giving me so much glee. Like, think of the Lord of Scoundrels retelling: Will is determined to rescue his idiot friend Charlie from the toils of Noah, a notorious rake, only to find himself reluctantly falling for Noah’s charms. And in the meanwhile, Charlie is falling in love with Howie….
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2024 manga summary weeeee
Manga I finished/caught up with:
Sweet Blue Flowers by Takako Shimura
Had started this one in 23 and finished beginning of this year. My third series by Shimura. I really love her very slowburn approach to the slice of life genre. The romance aspect of this work was kind of weak imo; I didn't care much for the central couple in the story which is too bad considering this is a yuri series. But the character drama was good, Akira is a great protagonist, and the art is lovely (as expected from Shimura).
Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endo
I likely won't be the first to say I don't. care for this series much. It has a largely episodic structure, which isn't a good mix for me since I have a lot of trouble staying invested in something lacking an ongoing plot. There Is an ongoing plot but there are large gaps in which it is ignored for the sake of fluff. Anya is a fun character and I love Yor sooooo much. There are also a lot of fun side characters! Loid however is fucking boring I'm sorry. I just don't care about whatever he's got going on. There's not enough focus on the main plot to keep me invested, and frankly there's not nearly enough Yor for how great of a character she is (ntm she's gonna end up w the most boring man in the world. whatever). I haven't dropped the series, but it updates so sporadically and rarely advances the plot that I haven't really kept up with it. Idk. I know a lot of people love this series, but it isn't for me.
My Pancreas Broke, But My Life Got Better by Kabi Nagata
I don't really have a lot to say outside of: if you're already familiar with Nagata's work, you already know what you're getting into. I recommend it if you've read any of her previous work (if you haven't read any of her work, start with My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness; it's genuinely one of my all-time favorite manga). I just love how genuine and open she is about her experiences and hope things get better for her. The artwork is great as well (as always).
Midori Days by Kazurou Inoue
Another series I started in 23 (and early in the year at that) and finished this year. And another episodic series (hence the reason it took me so long to finish). A romcom I read only because my brother had hounded me about reading for years. Romcoms aren't my thing. Harems aren't my thing. This overall isn't my thing. However, it was objectively a solid manga. Ignoring whatever general issues I had with the series (it's been long enough I don't even remember all of them) the characters are fun, a lot of the different plotlines are fun, and it often got genuine laughs out of me. It's fun (am I being too redundant?), it's worth reading.
Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z by Akira Toriyama
Bundling these series together because it's obvious to anyone who was around when I went insane over this that I Fucking Love Dragon Ball as a whole. At this point I can't really say which I enjoyed more. Dragon Ball is more light-hearted and generally fun, while Z has some of the best fights in a SJ series I've ever read. The pacing in both is excellent and it makes for such a quick read. Admittedly, the series made me a little insane and I can't believe I went so long without reading it. I Get why so many people are obsessed with it. Fuck it's good. The villains are iconic for a reason, Goku is iconic for a reason. What can be said about it that hasn't been said already? Any manga fan needs to read Dragon Ball.
Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui
It took me a bit to get into Delicious in Dungeon, due to the episodic structure it has for the first chunk of it. But there comes a certain point where it picks up and suddenly gets really, really interesting. And don't get me wrong, before this point it is still really good. The world-building is well thought out, the dynamic of the main team is really sweet, the art is sosososo good, and it's hilarious. But. I can't deny there was a point when casual enjoyment became flat out obsession and I just Had To Know what happened next. And it's one of those series where you can easily love all of the characters. The world feels so lived in, and you can tell Kui loves that world and the characters that inhabit it.
Haikyuu!! by Haruichi Furudate
We did it boys, we found the best SJ series ending ever written. Haikyuu!! is the first sports manga I've ever read in its entirety, and it's such a good time. Hinata is possibly my favorite protagonist in a SJ series; he's the type of character that there has to be something wrong with you if you actually dislike him; he's the heart of the series, and I wanted nothing more than to see him succeed. There are some amazing emotional beats in this manga, and the way every characters' story concludes is satisfying. Furudate didn't forget anyone, and you can tell he cared about all of his characters (isn't it nice to have series where you can tell the mangaka loved his characters and didn't uh forget about any of them? (this is not me taking a shot at Toriyama)).
Yu-Gi-Oh! by Kazuki Takahashi
So when I say Yu-Gi-Oh, I mean the YGO from before Duel Monsters. I mean when it was surprisingly dark and Kaiba killed people?? Like a lot of people??? Including his own father??? This series was fucking insane and I had fun with it. Unfortunately the best arc is pretty early on (I think in volume 3?), and it never gets as good as that point, in my opinion. But it's still worth reading all the way through. The very gratuitous fanservice was uhhhh. Yeah I hated it. It didn't happen too often but it often involved sexual assault so thats. Great. Let's move on now.
Shino Can't Say Her Name by Shuzo Oshimi
One of Shuzo Oshimi's short stories. Very awkward, as Oshimi's stories usually are, but it's overall sweet. There's something so charming about most of Oshimi's stories, and his art is good as always. It's not like it's one of his best, but it's a quick read and overall solid; obviously one of those "if you like Shuzo Oshimi's work already, you'll like this" type of manga.
To Strip The Flesh by Oto Toda
A collection of one-shots, and by one of Tatsuki Fujimoto's assistants, specifically one that assisted on Fire Punch, and boy is the Fujimoto influence There. These are good one-shots. The titular "To Strip The Flesh" is a story about a trans man, and it's surprisingly well-written and sympathetic for a story written by a cis mangaka (did Toda have any hand in Togata's storyline, or vice versa?). I really hope to see more from Toda in the future because I loved this collection.
Kamen Rider Kuuga by Toshiki Inoue
I mostly gave this one a shot because it had shown up at the library. I've never watched the Kuuga series, but this definitely makes me want to. It's surprisingly graphic, the antagonists are entertaining, and I really love their designs. The art style isn't my favorite in the world, but sometimes it looks really good (mostly when depicting the fights and monsters, and really that's what matters most). I'll keep reading this one as it comes out, at least until I actually watch Kuuga.
No Longer Human by Junji Ito
I haven't read anything by Junji Ito in a long time, but this one's been sitting on my bookshelf for years, so I finally said "fuck it" and gave it a read. And fuck. This fucked me up. No Longer Human is fucking miserable. But it's so good. I think I would've been obsessed with it if I had read it years ago. But now I just really appreciate it for what it is. Ito's art is incredible; he put his all into this. The details in every panel are gorgeous. There is so much haunted imagery, so many haunting scenes. The story draws you in from beginning to end, you're dying to know how it can get any worse, and it just keeps going and going until it can't anymore. I need to read the original novel, but I get the feeling Ito somehow outdid the original. His art is so perfect for it. Possibly his best work (though Remina will always be my favorite original of his).
Golden Kamuy by Satoru Noda
Fuck. I love this series. I love the characters. It's funny as shit. The art is fantastic. The plot has so many twists and turns you get ungodly whiplash, but you have so much fun the whole time. This manga is one of a kind and uh if you can handle a lot of animals being killed onscreen (there's a lot of hunting), lots of dick silhouettes (I salute you Noda), a number of questionable writing choices (largely in the final arc), and probably other things but whatever. Who cares. Golden Kamuy is good. It has arguably one of the best villains in fiction, it's balls to the wall insane. I promise whatever you're expecting going into it, you will still be surprised by Something in this series. It's definitely not for everyone, but if whatever I said above didn't deter you, I say either read a plot synopsis to see if it's your kind of thing, or just jump right in and give it a go. And don't watch the anime because it skips some of the best arcs in the series. This was my favorite series I read all year. It scratched the itch for (almost) everything I need in a series (basically I just wish it had more important females characters in it. But the ones that are there are good. And it's undeniable that Asirpa is a damn good character, one of the best in the series). So yeah, I love Golden Kamuy, that's all.
Aaand I was gonna include thoughts on series I started but never finished, but this has gotten way too long so instead here's a quick list:
Jojo Part 3 (will finish eventually; i already watched the anime so)
Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey (Dragon Ball obsession kept me from finishing this one)
The Summer Hikaru Died (so yea, Golden Kamuy ended up happening and this was. okay so I just never went back to it. oops)
And finally my list of what I plan to read in 2025 (so far):
Initial D (another recommendation from my brother; I really really like it so far)
Dogsred (It's new and ongoing and Satoru Noda is a damn good mangaka so ofc I wanna read it)
Sailor Moon (like Dragon Ball this is one of those series manga fans need to read, so I will be reading it)
the end. if you actually read this hi. recommend me a series.
#literally writing this for me. dont look. or do. this is in lieu of an art summary i guess.#obligatory rant tag#long post
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Drawn: 2018 (Updated 2020)
Analysis: Ah, the credits page for Issue No.4! As with the Issue No.3, I am now making the credits page part of the narrative (though it will still be essentially one giant panel) and as such it may or may not be the first page of the issue. This time I went smaller on the characters though and MUCH BIGGER with the background! I think I went kinda overboard with those perspective bricks, actually... I think I must have engaged the same obsessive drive for lines that I had back in my��Drawing and Perspective class nearly a decade ago! Overall not too much to talk about with this one, but it was fun to do a bold background structure like the fort and really put some time into it.
If I drew it again: I would try to refrain from drawing every single brick! Not only is it time consuming, but it actually kinda works against the overall look due to the lines being too ruler-straight and not showing the heavier weathering that free-handing the bricks would have done. Granted, I could do another weathering pass to achieve that effect, but I already do that to add cracks and such, so any more and it just becomes insane. Much easier to make some guide lines and then draw in some nice detailed bricks, but not every single brick! Otherwise my only issue is that Hans and Rick's poses are too similar; it's fine for what they are each doing, but seen together like that it is too alike. Small detail, but since they're the only characters on the page I probably should have caught it sooner! Another thing I probably would do if drawing this page again, would be to put a little Dutch angle on the whole page to really push the dynamic angle and sense of action.
Favorite Part: The bricks; specifically the arch over the door. I really like detailed perspective drawing, and I don't do enough of it (because it takes forever and the characters cover it up most of the time anyway) because when it has a chance to shine, I think it really looks dramatic!
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Biweekly Media Roundup
- Trigun (Anime) - Still obsessing over Trigun and Knives specifically. Can’t believe how much I like this patronizing genocidal asshole. That’s good characterization baby.
- Lackadaisy (Webseries) - I don’t have anything interesting to say about this one, just that it was a very well made and pretty intro to what I remember being a pretty compelling web series. The designs of the cats and how much personality each exudes is incredible.
- The Super Mario Bros Movie (Movie) - The reviews of this seem pretty mixed, but personally I liked it quite a bit. No, it’s not some mind blowing cinematic masterpiece, but for what it is, a kid friendly movie introducing the basic Mario story, it’s honestly much better than I was expecting-especially considering Illuminations previous output. You can tell it’s made by people who love the series, not only with the level of references but also in just the details of how the characters move or how the backgrounds and world are rendered. It’s quite pretty, with the character models looking adorable and the backgrounds full of color. Bowser was a standout of course, both in Jack Blacks vocal performance and the way they incorporated his mannerisms into the character model. I loved the brothers relationship and how affectionate they were with each other. It also had a few pretty solid jokes. I do wish it had been longer, as the scenes went by too fast for any emotional moment to take root, but again if you think of it as a set up of what’s bound to be a franchise of Galaxy, Luigi’s Mansion, or Odessy sequels, then it’s a pretty good “first episode” so to speak.
- Bocchi the Rock (Anime) - My first venture into binging all the yuri-esque shows I missed from last year, Bocchi was indeed pretty solid. They made the protagonist uncomfortably relatable in her brand of social awkwardness which made for some emotional moments as well as big oof jokes. The cut away gags experimenting with different animation were fun, I did quite like the music and performances, and the character dynamics were pretty good, I’ll watch a 2nd season if it gets one. I’m not sure I’d go as far as calling it anime of the year, the ending didn’t really leave off like a complete story and plot wise it didn’t really have much going on, but as a nice slice of life comedy it’s definitely worth the watch. As a character Bocchi is great, but hopefully a s2 will explore a bit more of the other band members, who weren’t generic characters by any means but didn’t really get much screentime.
- Dr, Stone (Anime) - Hey we are back! New guy seems fun, I still adore Senku as a protagonist, and I���m interested to see how they plan to balance so many characters moving forward. Hope we see more flashbacks of the fantastic dad/son relationship, it’s honestly one of my favorites from any media I’ve seen.
- Buddy Daddies (Anime) - While the ending surprised me in it’s conclusively (I did not expect a future epilogue to be canonized) overall I’d say it was a good decision. I’d say this was a solid C+, B-, it was good at being the cute little parenting comedy it wanted to be with some fun moments and solid animation but wasn’t particularly memorable in terms of plot or characters-like, I like all the leads, but I don’t see them topping any end of the year favorite lists. I will say that I’m surprised at how platonic they kept the fathers, I hadn’t expected them to get together but I did expect a lot more ship bait than we got. They work fine as a ship but the series really did focus a lot more on the child rearing aspects which came as a surprise considering how often marketing wants to tease mlm relationships for profit. I guess I appreciate it as I prefer giving visibility to more platonic relationships and unusual family structures to queerbaiting with no delivery but also there’s so few genuinely good mlm anime that it would’ve been nice for them to just have them be a couple. I did have a fun time with this, I’d recommend it if you are into the raising children genre.
- Campfire Cooking in Another World (Anime) - Follow some people who had suggested this as a fun, relaxing little cooking anime and yeah, that checks out so far. Just a very cute and wholesome little feel good series about a man feeding his giant God level talking dog and baby slime child-As a domestic monster appreciator this is checking my boxes pretty well.
- The Locked Tomb Series (Books) - Almost done with Gideon the Ninth, once again I’m really enjoying these characters and their dynamics, as well as the general space necromancy mystery plotline. I’m listening to the audiobook at the moment, but I’ll likely buy the physical copies as there are a lot of excellent quotes in here that I would like easier access to revisit. Anyway, Gideon and Harrow are the toxic co-dependent love hate lesbian ship I’ve needed in my life since my catradora hyperfixation.
- Resident Evil 4 (Video Game) - Played till around chapter 6 so far with my friends and honestly, it’s really good. They keep all the fun stuff from the original but make it high res, I love seeing Leon and Ada and Luis and the Merchant again. It’s hard to get everyone together to play but I’m excited about getting to experience it again, got some great childhood memories of hanging with the girls and laughing at all the strange zombie noises they chose to include.
As usual I’m also keeping up with The Greatest Estate Developer, Land of the Lustrous, The Vampire Dies In No Time, and The S Classes that I raised.
Listening to: Nothing is Going Right by Meiyo, Eat Your Young by Hozier, Achilles Come Down cover by Annapantsu, Stalker’s Tango by Autoheart, Ship in a Bottle by fin, I Hate Everything But You and I’ve Always Never Believed in You from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, They’re Only Human from the Death Note Musical, Counting Bodies Like Sheep by A Perfect Circle, Kickback by Kenshi Yonezu, My Kind by Hilary Duff, Hallelujah cover by Pentatonix
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Sun/Moon Hc with a goth reader please! NSFW is up to you!
Sure thing!
Goth S/O Headcannons
Characters: Sun/Moon (Daycare Attendant)
Warnings: NSFW briefly mentions both AMAB and AFAB bodies! Dom Sun, Switch Moon
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SUN
Obsessed with you, absolutely obsessed.
He loves the Light and Dark dynamic you have going on!
He has and will show you off and is extremely fascinated by your clothes!
Please explain the different pieces and where you got them he’s so curious, that and he loves hearing you talk
Draws little doodles of the two of you hugging and the colors always contrast in a nice way! Sometimes he’ll even doodle just pictures of you, he tries not too but he adores your look
Despite not being goth himself, he loves the aesthetic
He got black glitter glue just for you, he’s so cute I swear!
He loves your lipstick (if you wear any that is) and he looooves seeing you put it on! He thinks it’s so cool!
He’ll ask if you can put a little on him
Please say yes he’s so soft for you!
He loves painting your nails if you let him! He’s also pretty good at it!
Will 100% submit to anything you say because he is super soft, especially if you wear large boots that make you taller
He loves his S/O tall or short, chubby or thin, because they’re goth and they have a beautiful personality!
Goth is art and he acknowledges it as such, alternative fashion is beautiful! He’s actually always had a fascination with it and knowing you like it makes it better!
Truly wants some of your spiked chokers or bracelets and obsesses over any cute belts you have, gloves are also cool!
Honestly might steal them, be careful lol
He loves you and your fashion!
NSFW———————
He is obsessed with how you look when you’re blissed out, and I do mean obsessed. This guy adores seeing your eyes roll back, especially if you wear eyeshadow
If your eyeshadow, mascara or even eyeliner can run he is MAKING IT RUN! He loves making a mess of you, especially your eyes!
HANDS. He lovvvvvves your nail polish, likes to watch you grip onto him or other things
He just gets off on the power trip of being your dom, especially when you look like YOU’D be the dom
This needs an entirely separate part, remember the lipstick? GUY LOVES SEEING IT SMEAR AND WILL FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT SMEAR
Loves when you wear lipstick that can transfer, loves being covered in your lipstick, just LOVES IT
If you’re AFAB he looooves your chest, small or big he does not care. He has and will bring his thumb up to your lips just to pick up some lipstick and smear it on your chest
If your AMAB he adores your back, and very much enjoys seeing it strain or move under his gaze, it’s just hot as hell to him
He just wants you messy and tired honestly, but he’s always sure to clean you up and cuddle afterwards!
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MOON
Loves that your styles mix together so well!
He can’t help himself. He’s a simp.
He especially had a deep love for chains or cute bracelets, but overall, he just likes seeing the way you look in black
He learns how to do eyeliner and makeup just for fun, that and you get to be his beloved teacher
Once he learns how to do makeup he honed his skill by practicing on you and- oh wow actually that looks pretty cool
He’s not one for ‘stereotypical pretty’ and likes making what looks like art on your face
Thank you for allowing him to do this, it’s his new favorite thing and he finds a deep joy to it
He’s actually awesome to go to for gothic fashion advice, depending on what kind of goth you’re looking for
Honestly he’s just good at styling and he loves to help you look your best
It makes him feel important
Please let him steal some of your clothes, he likes to make them look cool. Give him bleach and a black hoodie and you’ll find something fun when you’re back
Sometimes he makes intricate skeletal structures, other times it’s fire or butterflies
But sometimes it’s an intricate moon design
Overall he loves helping you get all dressed up, that and designing things that you’ll really like. He keeps you spoiled just so you smile and that’s one of the best things about him.
NSFW———————
He loves it when you’re wearing something he made, it really helps with the whole ‘you’re mine’ mindset he has
It doesn’t matter if you top him or not, you’re HIS
He adores using your accessories and jewelry against you.
He’ll turn anything into a gag or a way to bind you up, honestly it’s wild how skilled he is
He loves hearing the noises you make but still gags you anyway. It’s a simple display of his claim over you
He doesn’t mind being bound up either though so don’t be afraid to offer
He loves and I mean loves to ruin your makeup just like sun does. He wants it to run down your face
That’s just a perfect sight
He cannot get enough of you both AFAB and AMAB. It’s just something about you in particular that he loves. It might have something to do with the style of clothes but it’s mostly personality
If you’re AFAB he loves watching you grind against his thigh. It’s about the power trip of someone who looks so menacing being desperate I guess. He likes to time how long it will take for you to get off without any outside help
If you’re AMAB, he adores letting you play with yourself while he watches. As long as you don’t mind it. You sit in his lap the entire time and he just talks to you in that smooth voice of his, that’s truly all he does. It’s a challenge to see how fast he can get you off
He’s a pervert but he does really love you
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#sunshine answers#fnaf x reader#security breach x reader#afab reader#amab reader#gender neutral insert#gender neutral reader#sunkissedwritingstuff#fnaf headcanons#sundrop x reader#sunnydrop x reader#moondrop x reader
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Lou’s Quick and Dirty Guide to Smutting
A long time ago (a week ago? two weeks ago?) @riddikulus-obsessions asked me for tips on writing smut that flows. And like... I could probably write a well-constructed essay about that subject, but instead I just started word-vomiting and this is what I came up with.
1. Don’t neglect the emotional story! It doesn’t matter how “plotless” your porn is; these are people, not just bodies, and so there is always an emotional story. The emotional connection is what’s going to set this smut apart from every other “insert appendage A into hole B” story out there. If you are only paying attention to the physical side of things, the scene is going to feel stiff and jerky, because the emotional connection is what fills in the blanks between the physical movements.
Sex isn’t particularly interesting on its own. Neither is smut. But if you can find something about the scenario or the dynamic that reveals something new to the characters or resolves some sort of emotional question… those are the stories that you remember. Figure out the emotional heart of the story and let the smut add to that narrative.
2. Consider pacing and build. You know how sex is sometimes like a zero-to-sixty, need-you-right-now thing, and sometimes it’s a slow-burn thing, and sometimes it’s ups and downs and breaking to laugh about something silly and the orgasm sort of takes you by surprise thing? Yeah. That. It’s not Point A to Point B in a straight steady line, any more than it’s Appendage A in Hole B.
Use syntax and sentence structure that mirrors the action. When your characters are shy? Quick basic sentences. When they’re getting caught up in each other, when they’re racing toward the finish line and they’re so caught up in sensation that they’re not thinking rationally any more, it’s okay to let loose with a run-on sentence that flows the same way their emotions do.
If things get too intense too early, it’s hard to make the climax (emotional or orgasmic, take your pick) feel like an actual climax. Sometimes you might need to take a break for someone to crack a joke or just stop dead to stare at their partner and thank their lucky stars. Don’t climax prematurely!
3. Remember positions! Keep track of where everybody’s limbs are! Keep track of how they’re getting from place to place! Keep track of which clothes are still on! Don’t focus too hard on them, they shouldn’t necessarily be central to the action, but you can wrap those movements and those details into the rest of the narrative. “She noticed the way he smiled as she started to unbutton his shirt,” or whateverthefuck.
But, CLOTHES DO NOT MAGICALLY VANISH.
4. Use all the senses, and include small, specific sensory details. You don’t want to tell your reader a story; you want to bring them into it and let them feel it as if they’re there. As a narrator, you have this image in your head of the whole scene, but when you’re in the scene, you can’t see the big picture! The smaller the details, the more real it will feel.
Anyone can describe the mechanics of sex, the basic positions or the overall experience of having an orgasm, but in the moment, those aren’t the things you notice! What do the sheets smell like? What do you feel when you actually run your fingertips down someone’s back: textures, hair, scars? When you’re close to someone, what do you actually see when you open your eyes? It’s up-close and personal, it’s out of focus, it’s sort of disjointed and fragmented…
Details make things real. Don’t try to describe the whole scene. Describe the freckle you never noticed on someone’s neck, or the way their skin tastes salty when you kiss their cheek, or the fact that you’ve never been close enough to smell their lavender shampoo before.
5. Make it real and messy. Related to point #4, but. REAL details. Sex isn’t always flawless or easy or effortlessly romantic. Like, yes, we’re writing fantasies when we write smut, but… the best fantasies are the ones that deal with something real; it’s reality, but better. Like, yes, they’re having this amazing sex, but along the way, somebody got a cramp in their foot and somebody made a weird noise and maybe they almost knocked each other over while trying to balance on one foot kicking off their pants. Because that’s what sex is like sometimes.
Again, this is true both physically and emotionally. My most popular fics are the ones that sprang from some sort of “well this is a thing I’ve experienced during sex that actually kind of sucks, how do I make it hot?” Things like body insecurity, trauma, “there’s no way you’re gonna make me come by doing that, dude,” dealing with lube and condoms, communicating about things that might be embarrassing… seriously, every one of my most popular smutty stories was inspired by some sort of awkward experience. I just rewrote it to give it a better ending. Usually by making the male character fucking communicate, which… is pretty unrealistic, in my experience!!!!
Anyway. That’s important. The messy flawed bits don’t detract from the perfection; they’re part of the intimacy of the experience.
Go forth and smut my dears!
And if you have any tips, tricks, or advice: please share!
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This analysis is SPOT ON!!
Wow I never fully made the Grant/Tim and Hammond/Lex connection (definitely saw similarities between each set of characters however didn’t think of the contrast between the pairs, love it) and it has broadened my perspective immensely on the family dynamics present in the book! The story structure as a fractal-PERFECT
Never thought about her and Tim not being close before the park (tbh it just seemed like bickering to me, and Tim not telling Lex about the new boyfriend seemed like a misunderstood attempt at being kind-ie not having to really drive home how much dad left them-but fwiw I am an only child so the sibling perception isn’t very informed by personal experience)
Oh she 100% is jealous, but manages in her own way to become close with Grant during the trip. It is overall where she diverges from Hammond-she grows and Hammond refuses to! And of course in this story adapt or die comes in full swing! Her interactions with the triceratops and baby raptor are sweet, and Grant comforting her as she cries while the bombs fall on the island and animals is just such a brilliant moving way to end it.
As for her grandpa’s death I’m not sure how close they were so I’m not sure if it would impact her more deeply than the other (non relative) characters, although it still is one more loss on the loss brigade so to speak.
But if the scene where Hammond remarks “Tim seems like a sensible boy” to which Malcolm agrees and adds “I’m sure he’s trying to regain control, just like everyone else” is anything to go by, Hammond isn’t very close with his grandkids-or familiar with them! Seems like a sensible boy?? Hammond should know if he is or not even if they have a kind of close relationship! And the fact that Malcolm, who met the kids a day before, is able to make a insightful comment on Hammond’s line is just the icing on the cake-Malcolm knows Tim just as well/arguably better than Tim’s own grandfather does is a testament to Tim/the sibling pair’s overall relationship with Hammond.
#oh absolutely I love how Chrichton takes the kids seriously and treats them as both real people and worthy of being heard
#I love when books do that I’m such a sucker for books that take the child characters seriously #always a favorite of mine
#And yeah they have among the best backstories in the book
#Yes!! I adore Kelly and Arby and there is so much to explore with them
#Even the idea of the abandoned child, especially for Kelly (to an extent Arby as well, more metaphorically)
#And even though he’s an adult (though not always mature) Levine seems to have this going on too/as part of his background
#Clearly I am obsessed with the book(s) too so there’s it’s nice to know there’s more of us out there #community
i’m still not over how people treat lex murphy from the jurassic park novel. sorry but she isn’t evil she’s actually a little girl who just realized her dad never loved her
#jurassic park#jurassic park novel#jurassic park book#lex murphy#tim murphy#john hammond#alan grant#ian malcolm#richard levine#jurassic park the lost world#the lost world#children#child character#books#michael crichton
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what did you think of shadow and bone? have you read the books? i only read the duology
Thoughts on Shadow and Bone, now that you've probably seen it?
I think the show is alright? It lacks a real wow factor as far as I’m concerned, but it’s enjoyable. It’s especially enjoyable in those parts I didn’t anticipate to like / didn’t even know would be there.
Whereas the main selling points leave a lot to be desired.
The good stuff: the visuals. The aesthetic. The overall concept. Production, casting and costumes are excellent, the setting is fascinating. The worldbuilding isn’t perfect and is sometimes confusing, which is probably due to the show jumping ahead of the books and introducing elements that happen much later in the book saga, but I’m loving the vague steampunk-y vibe of it mixed with more typical fantasy stuff and slavic-inspired lore, the fact that it’s set in dystopian Russia rather than your usual ye olde England.
I find it interesting that in this ‘verse the Grisha are simultaneously superstars, privileged elite, legendary creatures and despised outcasts, according to the context and the type of magic they wield. It’s A Lot, and so far it’s all a bit underdeveloped and messy, like a patchwork of different narratives and tropes sewn together without an organic worldbuilding structure. (there are hints to a past when they were hunted, but how did they go from that to being, essentially, an institutionalized asset to the government isn’t clear yet. There’s huge narrative potential in this, and I hope future seasons will delve into those aspects)
Many of the supporting characters are surprisingly solid. I appreciated that Genya and Zoya eventually sort of traded places, subverting the audience’s assumptions about them and their own character stereotypes, despite the little screentime they were given.
Breakout characters/ships for me were Nina/Matthias, and even more so the Crows, i.e. the stuff I didn’t see coming and knew nothing about (having only read the first book). (I thought the entire Crows subplot was handled in a somewhat convoluted way, at least in the first episodes; it was hard to keep track of who wanted Alina and why, but the Crows’ chemistry is so strong it carried the whole Plot B on its shoulders).
HELNIK. As an enemies to lovers dynamic, Helnik was SUPER on the nose, I’d say bordering on clichéd with the unapologetic, straight outta fanfiction use of classic tropes like “we need to team up to survive” and “there’s only one bed and we’ll freeze to death if we don’t take our conveniently damp clothes off and keep each other warm with the heat of our naked bodies” (not that I’m complaining, but i like to pine for my ships a bit before getting to the juicy tropetown part, tyvm). And then they’re suddenly on opposite sides again because of a tragic misunderstanding - does Bardugo hate high-conflict dynamics? It certainly seems so, because between Helnik and Darklina I’m starting to see a pattern where the slow burn and blossoming mutual trust is rushed and painted in broad, stereotypical strokes to get as fast as possible to the part where they *hate each other again* and that’s... huh. Something.
^That’s probably why I’m almost more interested in Kaz x Inej, because their relationship feels a bit more nuanced, a bit more mysterious, and a bit more unpredictable. (I didn’t bother spoiling myself about them, so I really don’t know where they’re going, but it’s refreshing to see a dynamic that the narrative isn’t scrambling to define in one direction or the other as quickly as possible)
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Now, as for Darklina VS Malina... I found exactly what I expected.
Both are ship dynamics I’m, on principle, very much into (light heroine/dark villain, pining friends to lovers) but both are also much less interesting than they claim to be, or could have been with different narrative choices. I’ll concede that the show characters are all more fleshed out and likable than their book counterparts, and the cringe parts I vaguely remembered from the books played out differently. And, well, Ben Barnes dominates the scene, he’s hot as HELL, literally every single second he’s on screen is a fuck you to Bardugo’s attempts to make his character lame and uninteresting and I’m LOVING it, lol.
But yeah, B Barnes aside, Darklina is intrinsically, deliberately made to be unshippable.
It makes me mad, because it’s - archetypally speaking - made of shipping dynamite: yin/yang-sun and moon, opposites attract, COMPLEMENTARY POWERS AND SO ON. And what does Bardugo do with these ingredients? A FUCKING DELIBERATE DISASTER:
^ Placing the kiss so early on (season 1, episode five) effectively kills the romantic tension that was (correctly) building up until that point, and leaves the audience very little to still hope for, in terms of emotional evolution of the dynamic.
Bardugo lays all the good stuff down as early and quickly as possible (the bonding, the conflicted attraction, the recognizing the other as one’s equal, etc) only to turn the tables and pull the rug so y’all sick creepyshippers won’t have anything to look forward to, because THEY’VE ALREADY HOOKED UP AND THAT BELONGS TO THE PAST, IT’S OVER, THEY’RE ENEMIES. This, combined to the fact that she falls for him *without* knowing who he really is, is the opposite of what I want from a heroine/villain ship (it’s basically lovers to enemies, and while that can be valid too, I wanted to see more pining and more prolonged, tormented symbolic attraction to the Shadow/Animus on Alina’s part).
But here’s the trick: it’s not marketed as lovers to enemies - it has all the aesthetics and trappings of an enemies to lovers (the Darkling is, from the get go, villain-presenting, starting from his name), so it genuinely feels like a trollfic, or at the very least a cautionary tale *against* shipping the heroine with the tall dark brooding young villain, and I don’t think it’s cool at all. It makes the story WAY less interesting, because it humanizes the villain early on (when it’s not yet useful or poignant to the story, because it’s unearned) but it’s a red herring. The real plot twist is that the villain shouldn’t be sympathized with, just defeated: there’s a promise of nuanced storytelling, that is quickly denied and tossed aside. So is the idea of incorporating your Shadow (a notion that Bardugo must be familiar with, otherwise she wouldn’t have structured Alina and the Darkling as polar opposites who complement each other, but that she categorically refutes)
Then we have Malina. The good ship.
Look, I’m not that biased against it. I don’t want to be biased on principle against a friends to lovers dynamic that antagonizes a heroine/villain one, because every narrative is different, and for personal reasons I can deeply relate to the idea of being (unspeakably) in love with your best friend. So there are aspects of Malina that I can definitely be into, but it troubles me that in this specific context it’s framed as a regression. It’s Alina’s comfort zone, a fading dream of happiness from an idealized childhood, to sustain which the heroine systematically stunts her growth and literally repressed her own powers, something that in the books made her sickly and weak. But the narrative weirdly romanticizes this codependency, often making her tunnel vision re: going back to Mal her primary goal and centering on him her entire backstory/motivation, to the point that when she starts acting more serious re: her powers and alleged mission to destroy the Fold, it feels inorganic and unearned.
Mal is intrinsically extraneous to Alina’s powers, he doesn’t share them, he doesn’t understand them, he has little to offer to help her with them, and so the feeling is that he’s also extraneous to her heroine’s journey, aside from being a sort of sidekick or safe harbor to eventually come back to. People have compared him to Raoul from Phantom of the Opera, and yeah, he has the same ~magic neutralizer~ vibe, tbh.
The narrative also polarizes Mal’s normalcy and relative “safety” against Aleksander’s sexy evil, framing Alina’s quasi-platonic fixation on the former as a better and purer form of love than her (much more visible and palpable) attraction to the latter. This is exacerbated by the show almost entirely relying on scenes of them as kids to convey their bond. I’m sure there are ways to depict innocent pining for your best friend that don’t involve obsessively focusing on flashbacks of two CHILDREN running in a meadow and looking exactly like brother and sister. LIKE. I get it, they’re like soulmates in every possible way, BUT DO THEY WANT TO KISS EACH OTHER?
Which brings me to a general complain: for a young adult saga centering on a young heroine and full of so many hot people, this story is weirdly unsexy? There are a lot of shippable dynamics, but they’re done in such a careless, ineffective way that makes ZERO EFFORT to work on stuff like slow burn, pining and romantic tension, and when it does it’s so heavy handed that the viewer doesn’t feel encouraged at all to fill the blanks with their imagination and start anticipating things (which is, imo, the ESSENCE of shipping). The one dynamic that got vaguely close to this is, again, Kaz and Inej, and coincidentally it’s also the one we didn’t get confirmed as romantic YET. Other than that, where’s the slow burn? What ship am I supposed to agonize over during the hiatus to season two? Has shipping become something to feel ashamed of, like an embarrassing relative you no longer want to invite in your home?
Anyway, back to Alina/Darkling/Mal, this is how the story reads to me:
girl suspects to be special, carefully pretends to be normal so she can stay with Good Boy
the girl’s powers eventually manifest; she’s forcibly separated from Good Boy
the girl’s powers attract Bad Boy who is her equal and opposite but is also a major asshole
girl initially falls for Bad Boy; has to learn a hard lesson that nobody that sexy will ever want her for who she is, he’s just trying to exploit her
also, no, there is no such thing as a Power Couple
girl is literally given a slave collar by Bad Boy through which he harnesses her power (a parody of the Twin Scars trope)
you know how the story initially suggested that the joint powers of Darkness and Light would defeat evil? LOL NO, Darkness is actually evil itself and the way you destroy evil is using Light to destroy Darkness, forget that whole Jungian bullshit of integrating your shadow, silly!
conclusion: girl realizes being special sucks. She was right all along! Hiding and suppressing her powers was the best choice! She goes back to the start, to the same Good Boy she was meekly pining for prior to the start of the story.
... there’s an uncomfortable overall subtext that reads a lot like a cautionary tale against - look, not just against darkships and villain/heroine pairings, but also *overpowered* heroines and, well... change? Growth?
Like, it’s certainly a Choice that Alina starts the story *already* in love with Mal. That she always knew it was him. The realization could have happened later (making the dynamic much more shippable, too), but no.
#anon#asks#*#sab for ts#long post#darklina for ts#malina for ts#sorry it took me a while but i wanted to see the whole season first
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Interview with Noda Satoru from the Golden Kamuy fanbook
sharing anywhere is fine, but please credit me.
Q: Tell me how you feel about passing 6 years of serialization. Noda: I was already serializing at the time of my debut, so I guess I’d be able to give a summary when I’m finished. I don’t really think about how many years it’s been, it’s merely a checkpoint.
Q: What made you decide to become a mangaka? Noda: I feel like I wrote it down as my goal in my yearbook back in middle school. I also wanted to become a movie director, but as a mangaka you can create the entire thing by yourself.
When Golden Kamuy just took off I was living in a tiny apartment and the postman, a young fellow and a reader of Young Jump, realized that I’m Noda Satoru. The magazine was sending me a lot of things, so it was rather obvious. “Are you the author of Golden Kamuy?”, he asked in a surprised tone while looking around the cramped entryway. I could feel feel his confusion regarding the fact that that vast Hokkaido world of the manga was being created in this modest apartment. Or maybe he just expected me to be making more money and afford a better place. Anyhow, I just thought again about how a manga can be created in even the smallest room in the universe.
Q: Who is your favorite character and why? Noda: As always, it’s Tanigaki. But well, I love all of them. I want to showcase only the best parts of them, and it hurts when I fail. For example I’m very happy that there’s a character who stirs the pot as well as Usami. He’d be Katsuo in the world of Sazae-san.
Q: Which characters are the easiest to draw, and which ones are the most difficult? Noda: Characters like Shiraishi, Tsukishima and Nagakura, they don’t have a lot of hair and even if they turn out a little ugly their faces are well-defined so it’s easy to draw. In general faces that are strongly distorted and resemble caricatures are easy. Meanwhile Asirpa, Kiroranke and Inkarmat have neat facial structures on top of wearing Ainu clothing, so they are a very high-calorie effort for me. Ogata and Kikuta are difficult too. Their faces are distinctive and I have to make them look cool too, which is wearing me out the most.
Q: Have you decided on all 24 convicts at the very start of the story? Noda: Wouldn’t I sound like a badass if I said that that I have? Anyway. There were the ones that were based off real-life Meiji era criminals, such as Shiraishi, Kumagishi Chouan or the lightning couple, and of course there was Hijikata.
Q: Tell me of a funny thing from the manga that you are fond of. Noda: Gansoku’s “Hah! ☆”. And also when Koito Jr. Was flapping his arms and legs around trying to keep himself in mid-air.
Q: Why did you decide on Otaru as the starting point? Noda: I am from Hokkaido, so I’m familiar with Otaru and Sapporo. Otaru is close to both the mountains and the sea. Sapporo used to be a swampland, it’s wide and flat and there is no sea. Otaru is a place where foreigners come and go, there are many criminals roaming around creating danger, and money is found. There aren’t many big cities in Hokkaido. There were Ainu living in Otaru but sources are scarce, however Nakagawa-sensei, the supervisor over the Ainu language, told me not to worry too much about the difference of location, so I figured it would be best to make it Otaru.
Q: Was there any real life experience you had while growing up in Hokkaido that you turned into a scenario? Noda: When I was about 19 someone I knew told me that there is a locust graveyard on a nearby mountain, which sounded so ridiculous I had to laugh in their face. Turns out it indeed was a heap of locusts and their eggs left after a locust plague, that place was the Teineyamaguchi locust mound (a real historical site). I realized I ended up using this in my story. I owe that person an apology.
Q: Was there any scene that was particularly difficult to draw? Could you elaborate on it? Noda: The time Sugimoto went against Nihei and Tanigaki. It gave me a very hard time. Who goes where and does what, how does Nihei carry Asirpa, stuff like this. I had no time to waste either, I just remember that sequence overall driving me insane.
There was also the sequence with Wilk, Sofia and Kiroranke being at Hasegawa’s photo studio. It’s really frustrating to draw something that you know will bore the readers, the story flow becomes less exciting too. I was praying for everyone to have a little more patience and keep reading, because the twist was so good.
Q: If you were to take part in the gold hunt, which group would you like to belong to? Noda: It seems that Hijikata’s group doesn’t have funding problems, and because Kadokura is there the atmosphere is relaxed too. I’d go there.
Q: If you were to find all that gold, how would you use it? Noda: No idea. Had a couple when I was younger, though.
Q: Were you planning to eventually transfer the action to Sakhalin from the very beginning of the series? Noda: Asirpa and Kiroranke have roots there, so I anticipated that the story will eventually move to Sakhalin. I also expected to have to travel to Amur river myself, but couldn’t go after all, only went as far as Khabarovsk.
I was thinking of making Sugimoto eat permafrost mammoth. There was talk of a research team or an ivory excavation team’s dog eating mammoth. However there was no reason to make Sugimoto and Co go as up north as needed for permafrost, so I scrapped the idea.
Q: Tell me something about the hardships you experienced while doing research is Sakhalin. Noda: It was tough, but fun. I was only able to understand the clear differences between Nivkh and Orok people by going there; I couldn't by only looking at records and materials while in Japan.
Complete unrelated, but I was surprised by how many stray dogs wander around there. One time my cameraman and I ended up being chased by one while looking for a factory and we had to run for it. The beast was big, about the size of a German Shepherd. The guide also warned us about junkies, it was really scary.
I also went to the Japanese military pillbox over 50th parallel north and prayed at a cenotaph deep in the mountains. I met a group of Japanese people in the hotel by the place where it's said you can still find remains of Japanese soldiers and their driver, a Russian, seemed to help with collection of the remains on the regular. He said that he's doing it out of reverence, even as a former enemy. As a Japanese, I felt gratitude. The 7th Division are villains in my story, but I don't have any personal bias against either side.
Q: What were the biggest differences between drawing Hokkaido and Sakhalin? Noda: Well... it's Russia. Even though Sakhalin is so close, it's already Europe. The structure of houses is strikingly different. There's also the differences between Hokkaido Ainu and Sakhalin Ainu, and differences between Orok and Nivkh people. There is no manga that will conveniently lay the differences of those down for you.
It seems that the Orok and Nivkh's relation with Japan only got more difficult by the beginning of Showa era, there is only one person in the whole of Japan who can supervise on the Orok language. The professors in cultural studies I consult for Golden Kamuy are truly top-level; not only are they tremendously knowledgeable, they also understand how important to me is to stay impartial.
The wildlife, as well. There's a biogeographical boundary between Hokkaido and Sakhalin, observing animals I would never be able to see in Hokkaido was riveting.
Q: Did Sugimoto really have a hidden plan during the whole stenka business? Noda: No idea. Even if he used it as a pretext to get everyone involved, though... cut him some slack. He's only a man. Sometimes he just wants to fight and win. Not for Ume-chan or Asirpa-san, just for the sake of proving to himself that he's strong.
Q: Your art is dynamic and detailed. I think your style changed quite a bit with time, though. How would you describe yourself as an artist? Noda: I want to preface this by saying that in no way do I think of myself as more skilled than other mangaka, but if you're drawing everyday for more than 10 hours you're going to improve a lot eventually, whether you want it or not. People who are able to keep the same style for years without change are the ones who are impressive, because it means that they achieved the peak of their potential. Ageing and health problems influence your art a lot, you know. I try to draw by observing. I use a lot of references. Drawing by memory alone is not a good thing.
Speaking of other artists, I once had one of the assistants I had working for me for years draw me a door knob from memory, and the result was a truncated cone resembling pre-packaged pudding. The actual shape of a door knob has an intricately angular circular shape. It's the result of being unobservant in everyday life. Good art requires constant observation.
Q: What was the foundation for your style? Is there an artist you were influenced or inspired by? Noda: Araki Hirohiko-sensei, for sure. During my time as an assistant, many authors told me to not even try to be original when it comes to battle abilities, it's already been done in JoJo, it has it all. He's kind of the Beatles of this industry, isn't he?
By the way, I usually have no intention of parodying JoJo in Golden Kamuy, but my friends will tell me that they identified this or that reference from time to time. I read Part 1 about 30 years ago but I was obsessed, so maybe some things were just left in my subconscious. I only did one obvious parody, during the stenka fight. Funnily enough that trope started in Fist of the North Star, though, not JoJo.
Q: What's one thing that gives you the most motivation to write? Noda: Fan letters. I know how straining it is to write long and neat sentences by hand, and am thankful for them. I'm happy that people go that far to share their thoughts about my work with me. I'm really grateful to the people who keep reading and supporting Golden Kamuy.
Q: Did you have an interest in Ainu culture before starting the series? Noda: I did not. I'll be glad if my work makes people interested in the Ainu. Prejudice is born out of ignorance, so if you want to learn about the Ainu, don't limit yourself to Hokkaido only; there are museums all around Japan, and they have knowledgeable curators. It's important to remember to take into account the time period and the occupation of the person on which the research materials are based when you're trying to learn about the subject.
Q: You showed us a lot of aspects of life during Meiji and Taisho eras. Tell us about what surprised or impressed you in the process of research. Noda: It's not that I was particularly knowledgeable, so having to check every single thing was quite exhausting. The Ainu, the military, katanas - all of these needed research on my part.
There are more regulations and rules set for things out there than one could assume, and mangaka who base their works on real life need to be especially careful about this. You have to take into account things like the size of the buttons on a military uniform, how a tea cup is held, and and how different people talk in different ways. For movies there's staff working on costumes and props, there's the cast, there are screenwriters, but in a manga you are the one responsible for every single detail. I wish I had a time machine and travel back to those eras. There are things I couldn't get right here and there that I keep having regrets about.
Q: Golden Kamuy was the main visual in the British Museum manga exhibition between May and August in 2019. I know you went there in person. How was it? Noda: The trip felt like a reward for all of my efforts. The exhibition is jam-packed by opening time, but I got special treatment and they let me inside early in the morning so I could walk around the vast British Museum in solitude. I also travelled between Jack the Ripper's crime scenes at night by taxi.
The driver in a taxi I caught by chance was wonderful, she looked up photos of the crime scenes and surroundings taken at the time of investigation on her smartphone and showed them to me one by one, saying things like "the third victim was found here!".
I've always had a soft spot for Jack the Ripper, back in middle school I even wrote a screenplay for a school festival stage and played him in it myself. It was done in very poor taste, like that one scene in the Addams Family movie where there are arms blown away and fountains of blood gushing out. The audience loved it.
Q: Please leave a message for the readers. Or maybe some advice for the troubled youth. Noda: I want people to say that everyone in Golden Kamuy had a satisfying ending, and I want that for everyone involved more than anything. As for advice for the troubled youth, there's none. Life is survival of the fittest. The weak ones get eaten.
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