#each ep where they get together something tragic happens

[itsmeatotalsimp]

NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVE I CRIED SO HARD FROM 2 EPISODES OF 30 MINUTES UNTIL NOW😭

i don't even know anymore. thought about watching this donghua for fun not knowing what i was getting myself into.. the heartbreak is too much for me to take- i think that's enough beryl and sapphire for now, time to see my therapist (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)

been ugly crying for like hours now btw.

[lurkingshan]

Scattered Thoughts about The Boy Next World Episode 2

Now that was more like it! I really loved this second episode, and it got this story going much better for me. I've got a lot on my mind following this episode, so here's a round up of scattered thoughts:

The way this second episode followed and landed some of the threads that were only started in the first reminded me of kdrama structure. Kdrama often requires a couple episodes to get through the set up and feel like you know what the story is doing, and the shows are designed to be consumed 2 eps at a time. This was very much like that, with this second episode delivering the pieces that felt missing from the first.

I really loved the tense and trippy opening of this episode, with Cirrus waking up in this new universe frantically looking for Phukan, and the POV shots we got to place us in his head.

This episode felt like it balanced tone better than the first, and I noticed that the story feels a bit more like a romantic comedy when we're with Phukan's POV, more like a serious genre story when we're with Cirrus's POV, and more like a classic romance when we're blending the two together. Not sure if that will hold up all the way across the show, but it was well done this week.

The big question now re: the mythology is what exactly Cirrus is hiding, and how Jin knows about it. I was really happy the show went there this episode, because I was yelling at the screen about why Cirrus was trying to get with this new Phukan instead of trying to get back to his own world, and it felt like he was hiding something. I'm glad Phukan has the same questions, and his belief that Cirrus should return to the him in the other world him adds a nice layer of complication.

Given his devotion to Phukan, my best guess at the moment is that something tragic happened to the Phukan in Cirrus's original world, and that's why he is here, why he woke up so agitated, and why he seems to have no desire to go back.

The high school flashbacks and the different versions of them that played out in each world also add an interesting layer here. I wasn't sure which world's version of Cirrus we were looking at in that post-credits scene. Was he expressing regret for not talking to Phukan because this is Phukan's world where he didn't answer? Was he reliving it with his other world knowledge and judging this world's him? I don't know but I am intrigued!

On top of the narrative clicking into place, this episode was FUNNY. I laughed out loud several times, and I really loved the genre-aware jokes (like Phukan complaining about the soft focus filter and the saxophone music cue when Cirrus got horny), and especially the sequence where Phukan kept switching seats to argue with himself. This whole episode felt really sharp.

A kiss by episode 2! I knew you wouldn't let us down, MAME. I think it's interesting that Phukan is so easily accepting of the intimacy from Cirrus despite not really knowing him. He seems naturally drawn to him, and while he knows intellectually there are reasons to be wary, his instincts are telling him to go with it.

I'm super excited this came together for me this week because I've been looking forward to this story.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Taiwan has one show, but that's all they need

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

April 2024 Wk 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

Two Worlds (Thurs IQIYI) ep 4 of 10 - I don’t say this often but I LOVE this love triangle. The longing gazes = chef's kiss. I like that we are finally getting flashbacks to Tai’s side of the love affaire. This show remains highly engaging. So pleased for MaxNat.  

Deep Night (Thurs iQiyi) ep 5 of 8 - More lesbians! Yay! Meanwhile, when our leads make up they make out! (Yes I’m proud of myself.) I think this might be BLs first rooftop sex scene. We’ve reached new heights, BLabies. (Yes I’m proud of that too.) Anygay, basically a soap opera at this point, I'm not thrilled but I don’t mind.

"Do you apologize for being straight?"

City of Stars (Fri iQIYI) ep 10 of 12 - It was lovely. Very well done celebrity leaving the closet ep. Nice ensemble work too. Next week is doom! As expected. 

Only Boo! (Sun YouTube) ep 1 of 12 - New main couple for GMMTV in an idol romance about a boy who dances good and a food stand vendor. It’s fine but overly very pulp feeling for something from GMMTV. I'm a little concerned.

1000 Years Old (Thurs iQIYI) ep 8 of 12 - meh.

To Be Continued (Sat C3 Thailand grey) ep 7 of 8 - Never turned up on my usual sites. So will have to wait until next week. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Unknown (Taiwan Tues YouTube & Viki) ep 7 of 11 - Qian was, indeed, the one who couldn’t let go. This show is fucking fantastic. It's the best thing I'm watching right now by a mile.

Jazz for Two (Korea Gaga/grey) eps 3-8fin - The bully and the blue-haired drummer side pairing were great. I hated the father. Hated him so much. Our main tsundere seme was a bit too tsundere for me. I was v annoyed by the time he finally softened. I'm amused by all the ways they finagled boys kissin-but-not-kissing in the first half of this show. 2024's "pan around the back of the head" has now become a "dipping of the brolly." We did, however, eventually get an okay kiss.

Honestly?

This was basically what I wanted from Given and didn’t get. So I’m pleased. The music still wasn't great, but you can skip those bits. A solid enemies to lovers BL, where the sins of brothers' past haunts the present. Great optics, decent chemistry, and a tidy script even if tsundere characterization went a bit extreme in some cases. 8/10 RECOMMENDED trigger for suicide

Love is Better the Second Time Around AKA Koi wo Suru nara Nidome ga Joto (Japan Weds Gaga) ep 5 of 6 - We got the past betrayal in detail and it was decently bad. Bitterness understood. Too soon to live together! The BL U-Haul strikes again. I do like their weird curry passive aggressive argument. This is an interesting show. Do I LOVE it? No. But I think I like it.

On a not-really-related note: adoption, including adult adoption, is actually pretty common in Japan (comparatively). It's often tied to business scionism.

My Strawberry Film (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 8fin - It all turned out to be a tragic GL in the end. Not BL = not my problem. No rating. I will forget its existence right about… now. 

Love is like a Cat (Korea Mon Viki) eps 1-2 of 12 - Okay, weirdly kinky with the head scratching. Not much has happened and I’m not wild about what has. 

It's done, ready to binge, but I suck

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps

It's airing but...

We Are (Weds GMMTV iQIYI) ep 1 of 16 - University ensemble BL featuring PondPhuwin, WinnySatang, AouBoom, MarcPawinPoon - basically the good kind of messy gay friendship group (so more My Engineer and less Only Friends). Looks a bit like the Kiss series but everyone is queer. I'm IN but I need my other computer and I'm traveling as usual. So I'll get caught up next week and probably won't regularly be able to watch this one.

Graduation Countdown (Taiwan YouTube) - It's too much for me to keep up with 2 minute verticals, I don't have that kind of TikTok endurance training.

A Secretly Love (Thai Sat WeTV grey) 10 eps - Completed. Worth watching?

Lady Boy Friends (Thai WeTV grey) 16 eps - reminds me a bit too much of Diary of Tootsies only high school. Not my thing. DNF unless it turns a corner and is truly amazing.

Kiseki Chapter 2 (Sun iQIYI) 6 eps - It’s so boring DNFed at 2.

Close Friend Season 3: Soju Bomb! (Weds iQIYI) 6 - The problem with situational comedy BL is it must be situational, comedic and a BL. This show gets 1 of 3 claims correct. 33% is not a passing grade. Dropped at 3.

In the news

Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari is getting the undeserved honor of Furritsubs. Follow them for details. Tip 'em if you like 'em. (Will I watch it? Oh, probably. Damn it.)

Then Next Prince turned out to be a trailer only. Word on the webs is we will be lucky if we get it this year. It’s BL Princess Diaries. Jimmy has a new pairing (that boy from Night Dream) which is... interesting. All in all, this show does not look good. Pretty but not good.

Next Week Looks Like This:

4/11 Gray Shelter AKA Gray Currents (Korea ????) 4 eps - SooHyuk is only just surviving and reunites with YoonDae, an old friend. They end up living together. One of the leads is played by Choco of Choco Milk Shake.

4/12 Living With Him AKA Kare no Iru Seikatsu (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - Kindly Ryota goes off to uni only to find his new roommate is his childhood bestie, Kazuhito. Kazuhito doesn’t have a girlfriend and Ryota tries to help him figure out why, they fall in love along the way. Same director as Old Fashion Cupcake.

Still to Come in April

4/18 At 25:00, in Alaska AKA 25 Ji, Akasaka de (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - Yuki lands his first starring role in a BL drama alongside superstar Asami (previously his senior at uni). Said superstar suggests they form a sham relationship until filming concludes. As they actually begin to fall in love, the spotlight begins to burn. I think I've seen this before (joke) and also the trailer doesn't inspire confidence.

4/26 My Stand-In (Thai iQIYI) 12 eps - adaptation of Chinese novel "Professional Body Double" by Shui Qiang Cheng. Stars Up (Lovely Writer) and Poom (Bake Me Please) directed by the same team as KP (not a recommendation IMHO - my biggest criticism of that show was the clashing directing styles). This one looks well complicated, lemme try: Joe is a stuntman for famous actor Tong. Joe falls in love with Ming but Ming sees Joe as nothing more than a Tong-replacement. After learning this horrible truth, Joe dies. Joe then wakes up in the body of another man also named Joe. He manages to rebuild the same life as before—with the same people eventually re-meeting Ming. Ming wants Joe back but Joe doesn't understand why. But Ming seems to know what's going on and wants to give him some kind of explanation.

I'm exhausted just trying to describe the plot.

Knock-Knock Boys (Thai WeTV) - 4 college friends conspire to help their friend lose his virginity. Familiar faces like Seng (yes, Billy's previous partner) and Best, news here.

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

NOTE: It looks like one of my personal favorites of last year Unintentional Love Story is getting a spin off!

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

See City of Stars & Unknown.

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are too much work.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire

If ya wanna be tagged each week leave a comment and I will add you to the template. Easy peesy.

[acornered]

i messaged on discord already but since your inbox is wilding today can i get your thoughts on the current state of sapphic affairs in hotd

ohhh hell yes you watched the ep didn't you! How does it feel to be so right about everything?? I was thinking of your transmasc Rhaenyra au the entire time she was talking about wishing she could be a man, and how being with Daemon partially fulfilled that longing.

Rhaenyra and Mysaria bonding over their lack of power and agency in a male-dominated world, the realization that Daemon was attractive to them in part because he was their access to power, and the moment where they realize that they are capable of having power and pleasure outside of him....GAHH. The buildup was so excellent and (aside from thinking wlw representation in the Thrones-verse was long overdue), I think the way this was done makes perfect narrative sense. Rhaenyra's arc has always been about overcoming the limitations of her sex in a patriarchal society-- she wants to travel the world on dragonback, participate in battles, rule Westeros, be openly sexual-- all things that, as a woman, society denies her access to. Daemon has allowed and encouraged her to pursue her "male" desires, so it makes sense that she would feel destabilized by the withdrawal of his support. Mysaria's arc parallels this in that her access to power is limited by her sex AND her station, which is why her relationship with Daemon was so important to her earlier in the story-- he was her access to security, to the political power to make a difference for disenfranchised children like herself. Her backstory isn't just tragic, it's intentional, and it makes perfect sense as the origin of her political goals and the driving force of her actions. When Rhaenyra said she was "half a soul", I guarantee Mysaria was feeling echoes of the same sentiment that she herself had towards Daemon back when they were together. And Rhaenyra and Mysaria become whole, not by clinging to Daemon's empty promises of power, but by trusting each other, supporting each other, making a bid for power and freedom together.

Anyway, Rhaenyra's vulnerability allows Mysaria to be vulnerable in turn, they recognize a similar wound in each other-- the wound of a world that has failed them because it is a world meant to empower men at the expense of women-- and recognition becomes comfort becomes attraction. The decision to make Rhaenyra go for the embrace first is excellent, and I'd be remiss not to point out that the only other person we see her seek/offer physical comfort to is Alicent. She and Alicent were two girls against a world of men, and she has never healed from the loss of that relationship. And there is a part of her that intuitively knows Mysaria is missing a relationship like that as well. Politically speaking there is a power imbalance between the two of them, but in that moment they are just two women sharing in the grief of womanhood. That is why I love the decision to have Rhaenyra hug her first-- because it demonstrates their relationship as one of comfort and solidarity that allows desire to flourish, as opposed to what they had with Daemon-- submitting to a mutual sexual desire in the hopes that something more intimate and stable would follow. I disagree with the takes that suggest either character is using the other, or taking advantage of the other's vulnerability here, because there is so much buildup of mutual recognition and non-sexual physical intimacy beforehand. Rhaenyra clearly moves only to offer comfort, and the escalation from hug to kiss happens naturally as both parties realize that intimacy and desire are supposed to follow mutual vulnerability, and not be a substitute for it. I'm hard pressed to think of a less gratuitous makeout scene, and while I'm here-- the way HOTD uses sex between characters with intent instead of just as set dressing is what sets it apart from GOT, and one of the reasons why I fell in love with it much more than the mainline series despite being a huge ASOIAF nerd.

As much as I hope we get to see more rhaesaria, I am happy with this moment as is, as a culmination of these characters' relationships with each other and with Daemon. TLDR, it feels correct to me and anyone who says otherwise is homophobic. They compliment each other so well I'm...I feel bad for Alicent tbh like this is what she could've had...

[re-dracula]

I was listening to another podcast at some point a while back where they had an interview with you guys to advertize re: dracula coming out. And you guys said some stuff about Lucy that hit a weird nerve with me as a history buff.

So the VA described her as polyamorous, and it triggered some conversation about how her character gets pretty maligned for it. And that last part is an adaptation issue not present in the original text.

See, victorian era courtship did not come with a presumption of exclusivity the way modern dating does. You were not off the market until you were formally engaged to be married. So the general gist of it for upper and middle class folks (like the Dracula characters most likely are) is that there is this thing called the social season. And during the season there would be all kinds of parties and events where you would meet people. And the general structure was that if you went to a dance, you should dance with a lot of different people. Get a sense of the eligible bachelors/bachelorettes. And if you were a young man, you would be expected to go and visit each of the young women you danced with that night at some point during the week after. If you hit it off, you would then start courting (visiting back and forth attending other events together etc). But, as I said above, it wasn't exclusive. So a man would court a few women, and a woman would be pretty disappointed to only be courted by one man. As the season went on couples would get engaged (anding any other ongoing courtships).

So Lucy's situation, in its original context, goes something like this: Lucy is pretty and charming. A perfect victorian maid. She has many suitors. Three of them decide she's the perfect women for them. They each want to pop the question but they are good gentlemen so they agree to all ask her the same day so she can choose between them on her own terms. She is thrilled because of course she is. Any woman in her position would be! But! Before she can make her choice Dracula comes to steal her away. She gets terribly sick and dies. But then she is not dead after all. She came back all wrong and corrupted. Even such a bright, innocent, young woman as Lucy is not immune! It's tragic what she becomes.

By the time early film adaptations roll around though, courtship was mostly replaced by dating especially in America where it hadn't been so institutionalized. And now there is an assumption of exclusivity. Those poor men being strung along by that harlot Lucy when in the end there can be only one husband. No wonder she fell victim to Dracula's charms! And like, that was the exact opposite of the point in the books. But the culture was too different by that point to read the same way. So Hollywood made Lucy an example instead of a victim.

But yeah. I heard the polyamorous comment, and had a weird mix of "yay poly representation! That rarely happens," and "put that woman back in context, or so help me!" So when I saw you guys had a blog, I had to send a little mini rant. Feel free to disregard.

Thanks for the historical context! It is hard with historical texts to keep from bringing your modern ideas to our interpretations, but as an almost completely queer crew, it was hard to ignore the subtext in:

LUCY: Why can't they let a girl marry three men, or as many as want her, and save all this trouble? But this is heresy, and I must not say it.

That’s what we’re talking about, we’re talking about subtext in a very sexy very queer-coded book. I believe the VA you’re talking about is Beth Eyre? As a professor, she knows this too and is playing with it in her performance. And she does brilliantly.

We’re not changing the text, as we’ve said before, we’re just having fun with what’s already there.

We’ll talk some more about this in our bonus eps, which I’m very excited about.

[frozen-heart]

Let's talk about Pretty Little Liars: Summer School, bc I have no one to talk to about my thoughts.

Pastor Malachai

My first thought was literally that this dude looks like Clanton. He's probably related to him and now is continuing, in a way, in his footsteps. Bloody Rose and Clanton/Archie both have a theme of killing sinners/punishing the guilty, with slight variations of going about it. Just look at the resemblance:

Mrs Beasley looks just as guilty tbh. And this:

"It's safe to say that I believe you children are the future. Of our church, of this town and of the kingdom. '...' There's an activity we used to spearhead in years past. A celebration, and a purging that will help us expiate our town's sins. Shall I tell you all about the glories of Redemption House?"

Just sounds sus. I also don't think we ever saw other adult members of this church, besides the Pastor and Mrs Beasley, which I find really weird. I can imagine that someone connected to the church could be connected or be Bloody Rose, if it isn't Mrs Beasley or the Pastor. Could be an adult we haven't seen yet or one of the teenagers. Or both honestly.

Also, maybe there were similar killings years before the liars, which relate to what Malachai said about the activity they did years ago. Maybe the whole town was in on it.

"Twenty years ago, a series of tragic events almost ripped the blue-collar town of Millwood apart." I'm sure that wasn't just about Angela Waters.

Completely different thought, but maybe the church knows about Bloody Rose and that she's out to kill sinners, which is why they want to get as many followers as possible and purge the town of their sins, to save people from getting kiled off.

Principal Smithy

He's not my primary suspect, but I fear he or someone with power in the school might be involved as well, because of the whole summer school thing.

Dr Sullivan and Rose Waters

I feel like Dr Sullivan looks a bit similar to Rose Waters, but I don't think they'll end up being related. I feel like it would be out of character for Dr Sullivan to turn into Bloody Rose and kill teenagers. I could image there being some minor involvement, like in the original PLL when she dissappeared.

But I do think there is a possibility she knows Rose Waters, because we know she stayed in Radley until it closed. In season 3 when Spencer went to Radley Dr Sullivan worked there. Maybe Rose Waters was one of her patients.

Maybe it's also a possibility that they'll parallel the original PLL and Bloody Rose could end up being one of Dr Sullivan's patients, which she'll figured out later on as the show progresses. I also wonder what her flashback will add to the story.

Davie

I know she's dead, but I think she'll have something to do with this. When Imogen saw the shadow in her room and thought it was her mother and then Bloody Rose.. I don't know it gave me a weird feeling. Also, this teaser poster with the drawing of an angel being unraveled, leads me to believe that Imogen might uncover some more horrible truths about her mother. And now that she mentioned in her dream in ep 3, that she saw Bloody Rose AND her mother.. Seems suspicious

Some more thoughts about Bloody Rose

I could imagine Bloody Rose being a character we don't know yet, like with Archie. We didn't know Angela had a brother until the reveal lol.

I could imagine more people being involved, like a group of people coming together. Maybe even a scenario where different people pretend to be Bloody Rose and don't know each other's identities, but each have their reasons to mess with the liars or do so for fun.

We also know a teenager has to be involved, because Mouse's grandmother said one of her friends came to her. And we know someone who said she was friends with one of the liars before: Jennifer. Tbh I don't think she's Bloody Rose, but that just came to my mind, how she basically used Noah to get a job. I wouldn't exactly call them friends tbh.

Some unrelated extra

What the fuck happened here in Angela's room? Why is there a rope? I was re-watching and found this really weird and disturbing. The day Angela died it wasn't there.

[adidegmez]

the umbrella academy s4 spoilers

well the last season

ep 1

five is a CIA agent. it is so cool. ben tricked them. im glad they got their Powers back but they didnt want their Powers most of them at least. theyll be so mad at him. tom holland!

ep 2

im scared. i cant believe five didnt see what ben did. theyre so funny. I avoided spoilers, I have no idea what will happen next. why did she trust ben. they are all amazing. What does Jean and Gene want with jennifer? they almost killed them.

ep 3

im glad klaus is alive. it was a tragic accident… :') i like abigail. I hope she is what she seems. in previous seasons i didnt like the team except five. i mean i loved them at first but the decisions they made make me not liking them. but now it has been a long time i even forgot most of it. i really miss seeing them. this is the last season and i am starting to love them again. i hope they all get a happy ending.

ep 4

reginald killed ben!!!!!! ben and jennifer It scares me what they can do and I haven't seen any spoilers yet and the uncertainty scares me even more. five and lila working together i love them. well World is ending, again. but its probably okay because five will save the World.

ep 5

six years five months two days. they spent so much time there. not five and lila please. Diego and lila was good. five wouldnt do that to Diego. abigail!

ep 6

I thought there would be 8 episodes. How will they end everything now? They won't have happy endings, right? this season didnt make sense. five and lila spent so much time together but I wish they hadn't told the family. What did the writers do this season? this can't be happening. everything is going bad right now. The love trilogy was so unnecessary, I wish they hadn't done such a thing. At least they would be on good terms with each other. everyone is trying to save the World Diego and five is just fighting with eachother. five left his family. old five wouldnt do that. he would do anything to save his family just like he did in the other seasons. what did she make right? abigail ended the World. and thats why i loved five the first time. his family ended the World and he didi everything in his power to save it. but he never succeeded. but he tried. again and again. and now they want me to believe five would upset his brother. he wouldnt do that. he would focus on saving the World and his family again. i dont know if the end makes sense it kinda does but couldn't there be another way? i thought they would have a happy ending or something like that. Could they have lived if Ben hadn't given them marigold? or are they the problem not the marigold. this wasnt a happy ending, it was the opposite. Everyone lived except the people I cared about. I wanted the Umbrella Academy to get the ending they deserved but instead they are dead. why? Couldn't there really be another ending?

some stories just dont have happy endings, right? and this was one of them at least for me, yeah the World is okay. They put up a video where everyone is happy, but it's not a happy ending for me. i dont like this. I wish they had done something much different.

This story ended for better or worse. Sometimes I laughed and sometimes I cried. I'm happy to witness their adventures no matter what. and lastly, I'll probably watch the first 3 seasons again(because i need to, i need to see five and the others the way they used to be), but I'm not sure if I'll watch fourth season.

[heleizition]

u cannot just present me with gold right when i have to go to bed. i have a sleep schedule to keep to! for health! and sanity! and brain! i love them so much. ur ocs. i love twin characters, so many dynamics and all are good. the art is also just -wants to squeeze- affectionately. who were they in their past lives? is josephines 'i failwd to protec' a thing that also happened in past life? bunny person very good. love how expressive the ears can get. also cute. i think i watched the first ep of d.gray man way way back?? or the first few? i have very little memory of it but a vague plan to get back to that sometime. angel love, angel life, angel delight. the concept of god being a baby of a big species of gods is -chefs kiss- love it. sleep tiiiime, sleep well when u do byeeeee

HEHEHEHE >:3 im evil .

i looooove siblings dynamics........... so so much ........... both chronos & nath and then nell & belly weren't even twins at first it just Happened lmao... chronos & nath were almost the same character in two different stories and i couldnt decide who to keep lmao and then belly was supposed to be nell's little sister he ran from after she saw him kill their father (to protect her) (nell is an idiot) but . it jst happened. anyway

SO THEIR PAST LIVES.

The group of oc is composed of many i havent introduced yet but the major ones are here i think except my Bad Guy. so keep in mind the story is cringy and bad lmao but i still like it to this day...

post apocalyptic earth where humans live under domes bc the outside is too toxic + technology evolved so now cyborgs exist + a while back some government doctors & scientists were working in a secret lab to implants animal genes w humans to make hybrids & something about genetic preservation whatever whatever. anyway.

eve is the protagonist. she's the only daughter of head doctor of that hybrid lab. it exploded 20 years ago which cause people inside that specific dome to mutate into hybrids (people woke up to agonizing pain bc their body was breaking and morphing and it wasn't made for that. josephine was one of those people ! she was a wolf hybrid :3)

we follow eve and her then group of friends until for some reasons (<==== guy who does not remember what that plot point was) the dome had to be evacuated. something about a deadly virus ? ofc as always the rich people got away first until the dome got closed off completely <3 . eve meets several people including chronos (human guy, future bf, hes a simp) maria & arthur (yes i will draw them at some point OTL) and they stick together to survive as the inside of the dome is becoming a battleground. doesn't help that part of the reason the dome was closed off so quick was that ~mafia~ (idk how else to call it, its not rly mafia tho oTL) boss stanislas was in here and has always escaped the government's assassination attemps thus far.

SO this virus slowly contaminate everyone but its slow and rots you from inside. terrible deadly soulcrushing. + stanislas is using every means he has to try to control the city & find a way out. except ex cop and also ex girlfriend jo (josephine) is here to basically kill him lol (he broke her trust & her heart and also killed a lot of people and revenge is her whole life). josephine at first is a lone wolf (haha) until she gets very badly injuried and ends up in a small alley where eve & her friends took quarters. they get her inside and find a way to keep her alive. also at this point the group has also met gabriel ! (bunny guy! he has a tragic past and i love him. hes my mary sue) and stephan ! (his not yet boyfriend who also has a tragic past and that jo feels very guilty about). gabriel used to be a test subject in the hybrid lab. he and eve used to know each other :] they are best friends now.

at the same time nath (who was supposed to be dead) shows up like hiiiiiiiiiiiii btw im here (hes one of stan's agent but when he was supposed to die he actually survived and got turned into a cyborg with special modification in his brain which makes him obey. but he did not Forget and he will fight what stan makes him do <3)

SO um after they all meet its basically just. a fight to survive and also moments where they're like. oh we're gonna die here. lets party so hard.

stan also realises he doesn't rly have a way out and dedicates himself to ending his and jo's fight for good this time which also put eve's group in danger since jo . stuck around . there are casualties which is why she feels she failed them..................

anyway . there are more stuff but its rly all over the place soobssss im sowwyyyy

LOOOVE D.gray man . one of my first and favorite manga if u ever get the chance to pick it up for a bit longer to see if u enjoy it ... yeah .....

[llycaons]

ep16 (part 2):

oh cinematically tragic lost handhold....

I've seen so many gifsets of wwx in this scene and that's because as terrible as everything is he has genuinely never looked better. very handsome. sorry about the tragedies

aw man there's jyl OH SHE HAS PEARLS SEWN INTO HER ROBE I wonder if the jiangs trade with sects that live along the ocean. do they have ocean access? I can't remember. maybe they're freshwater pearls

when jyl asks what happened and all wwx can do is stand there crying. and jc is also crying. oof

why did she tell wwx to do this...did she think jc couldn't?

a triangle of misery...

there's a really long meta post about the cinematography for this and I don't remember all of it but it's like. jyl and jc are in the foreground so their grief is being paid attention to, but wwx is in the back and you can't even see his face. his grief is ignored, even though he's the central figure. he's also taking on the task of a servant and neither jyl nor jc stop him

this is def a most extreme case (jc and jyl are SUPER traumatized and I'm not even blaming them for this), and it's not representative of all their interactions with wwx, but it gets me thinking. wwx talks about lwj being his equal bc he's good at things in the way that wwx is, but you can also view it like, with lwj wwx is completely free of the tangle of debts and obligations he has with the jiangs, and they look after each other , purely because they care about each other rather, than that onus always being on wwx. jyl does take care of him, and jc does too sometimes, but wwx must do the same for the other two and cannot truly fight back in a meaningful way if he's being mistreated.

obviously this setup above would never happen with lwj bc lwj doesn't see wwx as a servant or someone bound to him at all. he may see other people as servants, but he's always insistent that wwx is taken care of and he wouldn't accept wwx acting this way to him. which is really good! like I feel that ppl who are ride-or-die for yunmeng sibs and ignore lwj don't appreciate how freeing being with lwj is for wwx and how happy he is to have a relationship that's his own and on his own terms. ah, I miss him

jyl getting ill so easily, I think she has an autoimmune disorder. I've seen her hced as having celiac's and having chronic joint pain, and I think either an autoimmune disease or chronic fatigue makes mot sense. and for some conditions, both of those symptoms are seen so it's not a stretch. fibromyalgia, for one

uh oh. last look before the end.

LIFE-ALTERING MOMENT. this scene is so well done. the dread I feel every single time. it's incredible.

literally who is that

flashforward to the scene in 18(?) where jc makes the same promise to jyl about wwx. I feel ill

something really messed up is how often one of the kids will be like 'we'll go together, right"? this past few episodes. they really are clinging to each other like buoys in a storm

this happened when wwx was running out of BM after waking up from wen qing's needle. he runs and falls over :(

oh jeez I bet they're all dead by the end of this huh

MEAN TO WEN NING. he lied kind of awkwardly but it WAS effective. a nice thing about being known for being weak and socially awkward is that nobody suspects you when you're being suspicious

I wonder what happened to those women too. I assume they're wens, unless they were hired by wens. the clan is fucking huge idk

HE KNEW. and he knew it could have been lethal, I assume, unless he detected the exact poison used. and he somehow knew it was for the bodies of the jiang parents, huh

next episode will also be pretty rough but sunshot/postsunshot are among my favorite arcs so I am HYPED

also we'll finally see lwj again next ep. I think. I miss him. I wonder how many eps jc is missing from. surely several in a row, esp postres. yi city for sure. he's been in every one so far. now I'm curious

[vulpiximisa]

i forgot i never posted the second part of my kono oto review. i think i wrote this when i only had 3 eps left of the second season/part, so i dont remember if i actually finished writing my review.

So it’s technically should be one big series not season two, since it finishes off the rest of the tournament from the first part. 

I wasn’t feeling it at all from the first half since they did alot of heavy emphasis on the romance, which I didn’t like either couples. Chika/Hozuki is slowly growing on me though, in the way that, oh that’s kind of sweet, way, but I don’t think I’ll ever die for them because I don’t like the bickering couple types. If this was a regular shounen sports anime, Chika would be the hot blooded protag with amazing growth abilities and Hozuki is the cool rival type and they always bicker. (The general red and blue type.) Which is why I don’t see myself liking it, but I like that Chika sees Houzuki as another rival. Can chalk that up to him being naive/oblivious to romance since he was more concerned about making her uncomfortable than the actual accidental closeness.

Anyway, I was still super mean to Kurusu because I had high hopes for her, but she still hasn’t really done anything for me, so her crush on Takezo, again, means nothing to me. I know that not everyone needs a tragic backstory that trauamtizes them and thats why they continue to play koto but I do wish we got to see how she even got into it a bit. Like, she’s not a complete newb and I don’t think that’s normal, so, even something like a scene of who she was watching/playing with to have some skill would be nice.

I feel like Takezo really dropped off in terms of relevance, which is unfortunate because the first part tried to paint him and Chika and Hozuki as a trio, but it’s clear to see that theyre not really and it feels more like Chika and Hozuki are the actual main characters. Not sure if because he doesnt have a tragic backstory that’s not just a simple “senpai all graduated and left me to carry the club” or whatever the hell his problem with his brother and the whatever school he didn’t get into, but after his confidence growth, he doesn’t really seem to have much else going on. 

Akira’s backstory really reminded me why the series is good. That we need tragic backstories lol. No lol, I just really love Hozuki’s strained relationship with her mother and how Akira suffered from it, but how the two learn about each other and grow together. It took me a while to realize how much older Akira was compared to Hozuki. I thought she was like, a few years older but then realized she was probably an adult, so seeing the two reconcile (Akira coming to terms with her trauma) and getting along, AND THE CHANGE IN THE OPENING!!! SQUIRTLE IM CRYING!!!! This is what the series is about!!!!

I don’t know if it;s the pacing of the anime, but sometimes I feel like certain scenes and moments happen faster than I expect. I liked Akira almost ready to forgive Hozuki at the shoelocker scene but her depression pulling her back so that she didn’t cave too easily. And it wasn’t until she was watching Sane play with Chika and Hozuki when she finally broke. 

Also, not sure how I feel about the writing, in terms of, the characters are pretty open about their trauma. Not saying “a character has to suffer in silence to be strong” but I think I’m probably just used to getting the tragic character backstory as an audience and not used to having the rest of the cast also getting knowledge of it. I feel like it should be used only to see a character’s vulnerable side (Chika watching Hozuki’s performance while she was sick) but when Hozuki straight up tells him and the club about her entire deal, it sometimes feels cosmetic? Can’t really explain it, but I guess good for them for being able to tell their friends and now everyone knows. I guess. 

Uhhhh there’s also this part where there’s just cartoonishly evil adult antagonists (the vice principal, Akira’s grandma) but I guess it’s like, they need someone to blame for their problems so we can feel good about getting their just desserts. But we also have Hozuki’s mom, and we know she’s Going Through It ™️ so it’s not all badly written adults. 

[beastblade69]

ACTUALLY what I didn't like about lone ranger 2006 comic is that every time tragic shit happens it's just avoided. NO SHIT LIKE?? john was shot and is bleeding to death and tonto is like "noo, I won't leavr you" and john is like "go get that bastard which shot me" and tonto gets him AND BOOM, NOTHING. the next frame is them already at home. LIKE EXCUSE ME WHAT THE FUCK AND WERE DID ALL DRAMA GO?? or that ep where tonto goes into the flames to rescue the family and is burnt and falls on the ground while steam goes up from his body. AND AFTER TWO FRAMES HE FUCKING GETS UP BY HIMSELF. LIKE BRUH YOU WERE JUST BURNT WHAT THE HELL?? I needed more drama fr. because all of the episodes where they could do something dramatic or just an interaction to make johnto relationships more complicated or interesting they just avoid it. MAYBE NOT TO MAKE THEM TOO GAY LMAO BUT BRUH, THAT'S TOO BORING. NO DRAMA = BORING. should've added more johnto dialogues also. because I was waiting for their personal dialogue for life and it never happened. it's like they are really close and always together, but at the same time they keep distance. and I think that when you're that close, when ur always together, when I say always I mean LITERALLY ALWAYS, when you've saved each others asses several time you cannot be THAT distant. nonsense

[weirdoldmanhoho]

- I think my biggest beef with the opening of Brotherhood is the first episode. And I've talked about it before. Thematically, FMA starting with Father Cornello and ending with defeating Father is so well written. Everything comes full circle - Ed's growth and the arc of humility, the themes of mortal beings trying to play God and facing consequences (that I just talked about), the literal obvious parallels of fighting someone named "Father" who uses a philosopher's stone. It's also just ultimately a WAY better introduction to our main characters than the first episode of Brotherhood - it's better plotted, the pacing of reveals about Ed and Al (going from random kid and armor traveling in desert to oh shoot, you committed alchemy's biggest taboo is SO good in the cornello arc), and just overall tells us a LOT about who Ed is and what he believes that doesn't come out in the first ep of Brohood. I'd have to rewatch to have a better opinion on how the rest of the first few eps is handled, but I think your points about being glad that it moves quickly (something not typical in fetch quest style animes, honestly) is totally valid. I think most of my complaints would go away if they had started with the Cornello arc honestly. (Think the point about Yoki being funnier is true too. Also agree the train really doesn't add that much.)

- Miracle at Rush Valley also isn't my favorite, but it's absolutely not filler. It is incredibly thematically important and a source of GREAT character development for Winry that really furthers her story. Again pacing wise I'd have to rewatch because I don't really remember, but 100% will die on the hill with you that it is not filler and important to the story!

- I AGREE WITH YOU SO MUCH LMAO!!! I like Roy/Riza fine in the context of canon. Their relationship is incredibly interesting for what it does for each of their characters, but I really don't care much for exploring them romantically outside of canon. Because on top of what you said about them often getting mischaracterized, my BIGGEST Royai take is that I truly can not see any post-canon world where they ever actually end up in a relationship together. And CERTAINLY never end up married with kids.

Roy and Riza getting a happy ending post-canon is complicated, because if they get what they actually WANT, they are punished as war criminals (at the very least, that is what Riza wants) because that is the world they want to create. If that doesn't happen, they spend the rest of their lives working on making amends by changing their country and by helping with the restoration efforts of Ishval. There is no world in which marriage and kids comes into that. And to write versions of them where that happens ultimately takes away from what makes them both interesting as individual characters AND as a dynamic, because that tragic messiness IS what makes them interesting. They love each other yes, but they BOTH value making up for their actions in Ishval more than each other. And the thing is, I don't think either Roy or Riza is oblivious to the feelings they have for each other. I think they both KNOW they love each other, that they would be in a relationship if their situation was any but what it is. And I think that's how it's going to stay forever for them.

Also as individuals YES, they both get so mischaracterized. Riza's an incredibly emotional and compassionate person in a way fandom neglects to highlight how "badass" she is. (Olivier is right there if you want that character lmao.) Roy's incompetent womanizer thing is LITERALLY a calculated facade. Even the way they both portray their dynamic publicly is an ACT to further their goals and not how we normally see them interact in private. And Roy is so not a dad lol. Roy is at BEST an unwilling guardian who very often uses Ed to further his own goals even while he does also care about him lol

give me your hottest FMA takes (hottest fma fandom takes also accepted)

let’s not start fights but I’m bored and curious :)

[dribs-and-drabbles]

More Thoughts about Kinnporsche ep 6

After episode six I wrote: “Kinn's love language is in his words but Porsche's love language is in his actions.” Some time after that I read a fabulous post by @iffervescent about how miscommunication is being handled in the show…which seemed to contradict the conclusion I had come to. It made me stop and think about whether I had interpreted things ‘wrong’…but once my Thoughts started forming I came to a slightly different inference. I’m going to attempt to spread out those thoughts here…and you might need to bear with me. (For the sake of this post I’m treating ‘communication’ and ‘love language’ as the same thing…which might not technically be correct but I'm doing it anyway.)

So @iffervescent’s take is that (pre ep 6) Kinn communicates through his actions whereas Porsche communicates through words and therefore neither were getting what they needed from the other. (Apologies if I've butchered your amazing analysis through my summary!)

However, after ep 6, I felt that Kinn was much more open to talking honestly…much more than Porsche, who seemed to shut down a little when Kinn tried to talk about that night and his wrongdoings and then Porsche defaulted to a jokiness soon after. And since Porsche found it hard to talk (I mean, he literally faked choking at one point, symbolising how he couldn’t get his words out), he instead did a lot for Kinn, using his actions to show his care towards Kinn.

And so I thought Kinn showed his affections through his words and Porsche showed his through his actions...And Kinn (pre ep 6) may not always have the right words or say them in the right way but that’s how he wants to communicate…and therefore it’s all the more tragic for him because his position and need to be distant makes him say the opposite to what he means to Porsche...and that’s probably why he ends up only being able to show Porsche that he cares in his actions. And similarly, Porsche wants to be there for Kinn, to show him he's there for him, to do things for him, but which is made hard because Kinn doesn't let him, by removing him as his bodyguard.

But in ep 6 we see a change in both of them. They’re removed from their real lives, alone in a place of limbo where they can be free to be themselves, and we see them gradually shift into their true nature – Kinn can speak freely and openly, without his father and the pressure of The Family and his obligations within it, and Porsche can act freely and openly, on equal ground since the boss/bodyguard hierarchy is rendered obsolete (as @jemmo wrote in a comment, "them being cuffed together is giving them something else...they’re two equals, tied together, both made to cooperate and listen and be on a level playing field.")

And I think this ties into the handcuff and lighter symbolism that I (in a post) and @jemmo (in her tags) have written a bit about already…

Ep 6 was an opportunity for Kinn and Porsche to both let their inner-child play and have fun (unlike how they were both prevented from doing as children for different reasons) as well as deal with their issues and get closer to one another. Porsche was able to lead on the former - since he enjoyed teasing and playing with Kinn, to draw out Kinn’s true nature, the lighter side of him – and Kinn led on the latter – keeping them handcuffed together unnecessarily because he needed this time with Porsche for them to connect, to understand one another, to form a stronger attachment. Here’s what @jemmo said on this:

#…the thing about the lighter and the handcuffs #Porsche wanting to see the light kinn has suppressed and buried deep inside him #and kinn wanting to desperately hold on to and build this bond between them through any way he can #…it’s such a perfect metaphor #for the things they hide and keep from each other #Porsche doesn’t let them bond bc he’s been hurt and it’s too difficult to let it happen #and kinn doesn’t let his lighter side show bc he can’t he cannot be that person the world won’t let him #but the irony is when they both give in they both get what they want #in showing his lighter side kinn gets to build a stronger bond with Porsche #and in letting them connect Porsche gets to see kinns lighter side

So in giving in to each other, they get closer and feel more comfortable in being themselves, and therefore are able to revert to their true nature – Kinn can talk openly and Porsche can act as he wants.

BUT this doesn’t quite solve the communication issue…because having thought about it I don’t think it’s as clear cut as one uses words whilst the other uses actions. I think it’s a four-way mesh…and I’ll try to explain succinctly.

I think both Kinn and Porsche show love and communication with their actions but they both also need to hear communication and love through words. Which makes it tricky because they’re both basically offering the same (or trying to and being blocked by different obstacles) and not receiving what they need (again for different reasons).

I think ep 6 opened the way for them to both realise this - in that isolated place, and helped by their growing closeness, Kinn was able to give Porsche the words he needed to hear and in turn this helped Porsche reciprocate…to some extent. Kinn, already in the habit of showing his care of Porsche through his actions, was still able to do things for Porsche (or at least tried with the fire and fishing!), and Porsche, free to be himself, was able to also finally do things for Kinn (like show him how to fish!).

Now, I said ‘to some extent’ there because I think it’s still harder for Porsche to speak honestly than it is for Kinn and I think this imbalance will be the cause of some continued miscommunication between them. The small exchange in ep 6 they have about 'doubts' has stuck with me… Kinn says to Porsche, “Then, from now on, there won’t be any doubts between us anymore,” after which Porsche agrees but looks nervous or uncomfortable about it. Kinn then frowns and I wonder if there’s a small part of him (his insecurities) that maybe doesn’t believe (i.e. trust) Porsche is being genuine in his agreement (and the thing is Porsche probably was but was just feeling increasingly awkward about having to speak honestly). And it makes me think of that scene we haven’t seen yet where Porsche slaps Kinn and tells him, “You never trust me,” and it just makes me wonder if this will be a miscommunication issue grown from this small exchange in ep 6 - Kinn needed to hear a stronger affirmation from Porsche which he didn't get and his insecurities will only grow until he gets it.

Anyway, I’m not sure if I’ve been clear with any of this…but if it sets off other Thoughts or interpretations in people then it’s been at least worth it. I think this is a fascinating dynamic, especially because there are so many external factors preventing Kinn and Porsche from being genuine and true to themselves and each other, and I can’t wait to see what will happen between them. How will they go back to the Family compound and act, knowing what they know about each other and their feelings?…even if they don’t actually see each other (because Porsche is with Vegas and Kinn is recovering) it's bound to affect how they interact with everyone.

[shijiujun]

Lonely Dream | 孤梦

Summary: And when all is done and dusted, sometimes Lao Wen still gets those headaches of his, and the spots where Ah Xu had the nails driven in stil throb in pain on a cold, rainy day.

Some slice of life and domesticity for WenZhou as they enjoy more years than they expected to have initially, together.

Notes: OKAY so there are too many theories going out there for special ep ending, and nah not going there! So the concept of this is SOMEHOW Zhou Zishu saves Wen Kexing at the end of Ep 36, and they need to head into icy mountain cave for a WHILE but not forever. They head back down to Four Seasons Manor once Wen Kexing recovers.

Basically SHL ver. WenZhou, but with TYK ending (where WenZhou fight in the icy mountains for a bit after Wu Xi cures him and then head back down into the world of the living). No immortal lifespan, but hey, they get the rest of their normal lives together! So yeah, they can still eat normally, no snow and ice diet please.

Word Count: 4,500+ 

✨✨ Link on AO3 ✨✨

******

They visit Ah Xiang and Cao Weining’s graves once Wen Kexing’s year-long recovery in the frigid cold of the mountains is complete.

Zhou Zishu says that it is for Lao Wen’s recuperation, but he suspects Wen Kexing, the heartless bastard, knows that he has taken this year too, to finally stop hurting, to stop going through the bone-deep, heart-wrenching terror at the prospect of losing him.

Opening his eyes in the armoury a year ago, his five senses were returned to him, but at what price? Feeling Lao Wen’s cold hands against his, his stark, blinding white hair a horrifying contrast against his beautiful face, and the man almost leaving him.

Leaving him, once again.

Horror turned into anger, the words stuck in his throat, his chest so tight and heart slamming against the bones caging it, Zhou Zishu had regained all that he had lost-

-and then lost the most important thing, person, to him.

Someone he values above his own life, who had lied to him, who had so stupidly, stupidly gave himself up for him.

Zhou Zishu does not want to remember how he survived that day, how he spent minutes, hours, and days after, making sure Lao Wen continued to hang on to his very last breath.

In the past year, the cold he was constantly plagued with had nothing to do with the wintry landscape.

He knows he is pushing it a little — his eyes have rarely left Wen Kexing since they were moved to the mountains at Wu Xi and Senior Ye’s suggestions. Initially, Lao Wen slept and Zhou Zishu had no idea if he would ever wake up.

Before he would even open his eyes, the panic typically set in just like that, gripping him by the throat the moment he woke. Zhou Zishu would have to reach out for Lao Wen across him on the bed, the fear receding only when he heard and felt Lao Wen’s breaths under his fingertips.

For a long time, Zhou Zishu thought that he would be with Lao Wen in this state for the rest of his life. It was not all bad — as long as Lao Wen was alive, who cared if he spent the rest of his years guarding a sleeping Wen Kexing?

Who’s the lazy one now, Lao Wen, he thought plenty of times in the months after, his hands caressing at Wen Kexing’s cheek bones and pale face, which was of the same colour as his white hair.

Fortunately, fortunately… he managed to keep the person he wanted in the end.

They have been so focused on recuperating, stuck in the mountains and in that isolated environment, it was easy to distance themselves from everything that had and was happening outside.

Even though Wen Kexing did not mention a thing, Zhou Zishu knows that he spends some nights awake, looking out into a sky full of stars, quiet and pensive. He knows it, because he does the same.

For Jiu Xiao, for Han Ying, for Qing Luan.

For a young woman who called him Zishu-ge and Sickly Ghost, who threatened to fight him if he left Wen Kexing all alone. A beautiful young woman who should have gotten her happy ending on that tragic afternoon.

For a young man, who had a smile that could light up even the darkest of corners in a place like the Ghost Valley, who would have protected his to-be wife with everything he had.

The pain and grief that comes with losing Ah Xiang and Cao Weining is no easier to bear a year on.

===

Wen Kexing recalls the way she looked that day, all beautiful in her green and red bridal robes, finally able to live a life basking under the sunshine without anything holding her back. That was what he always wanted for her.

What a huge mistake that wedding was.

His whole life, aside from Ah Xu, has been a cycle of repeated mistakes, over and over again. If he had just put his foot down and insisted on not letting Mo Huaiyi in, if he had not just walked away in anger and instead stayed there, they would have stopped Xiao Cao’s death, and Ah Xiang’s after.

Why had he walked off? How did beautiful Ah Xiang, an Ah Xiang he was ready to give away, end up taking her last breath in his arms?

A sting on his right ear pulls him violently out of his depressed reverie, and he yells, “Ow- Ow, ow, ow, Ah Xu!”

“Don’t think that I don’t know what you’re thinking,” Zhou Zishu says, pulling Wen Kexing’s face close to him by the ear. “There is no point dwelling in the past. Life and death… when the time comes, no one can escape from it.”

Wen Kexing’s eyes sober a little, bitterness flashing across his face. Remnants of his hatred and resentment from more than a year ago, before he met Ah Xu.

“If I had just kept her with me-“

“We all make our choices,” Zhou Zishu says, his voice gentling as he lets Wen Kexing go, but the man does not move away.

“If she had to choose again, she would probably have chosen the same.”

In the cold, their hands find their way to each other, clasping warmly under their thick sleeves, the rims lined with fur.

They stare at the graves for a little longer. And while Wen Kexing has never believed in some higher power up there or the heavens-

-this time, with every ounce of his being, he prays and wishes that Ah Xiang and that pig will find their ways back to each other in the next life, no matter what.

Zhou Zishu’s hand squeezes around his, and Wen Kexing turns to see his Ah Xu’s warm smile and gaze.

“Shall we go home?”

Home. The place where they can live out the rest of their natural lives together.

“Let’s go home,” Wen Kexing agrees.

===

“Ah Xu, that is not the way you-“

Hearing Wen Kexing nag for the thousandth time, Zhou Zishu has finally had enough. Slamming the broad vegetable knife onto the wooden chopping board loudly, he turns and looks at the man next to him.

“I’m not the one who begged me to do this,” Zhou Zishu says, turning to walk away, “You make dinner. I told you it was a waste of time-“

Before he can finish his sentence, warmth engulfs his back, and something sharp snuggles into his shoulder bone. A familiar scent — jasmine, from the incense that Wen Kexing likes to use — wraps around him, hands trapping him in between the counter and the limpet attached to him.

Wen Kexing’s palms close over his hands, then guides them to pick up the knife again. Zhou Zishu stiffens, but does not move away. He lets Wen Kexing curl his own fingers properly over the cabbage, and chop at it neatly, over and over.

They have not yet spoken about this between them, despite laying in the same bed right next to each other night after night. The cave was hardly a luxurious abode and to save effort and space, Zhou Zishu fell asleep next to a comatose Wen Kexing for several months, wanting to ascertain that he was alive and breathing at any given moment.

After Wen Kexing woke, Zhou Zishu continued to sleep next to him, and Lao Wen never once brought it up in conversation.

Coming back to Four Seasons Manor, Wen Kexing naturally turned up in his room instead of the one he was staying at before, already asleep when Zhou Zishu returned to turn in.

This man is his soulmate, the person he would give everything up for no matter what it was. His lost shidi, but even before that, this man was someone who was willing to do everything he could for him. Who cared for him like no one else ever would again.

Beyond that? Zhou Zishu knows of his feelings, and is rather certain of Wen Kexing’s. He supposes that after pledging to save each other’s lives at the expense of their own repeatedly, some things just do not have to be articulated.

Zhou Zishu leans into the hold, relaxing entirely.

At this, it is Wen Kexing’s turn to be stunned at the reciprocation where he was expecting none before, but the man recovers quickly. He snuggles in even closer, the side of his face pressed right up against Zhou Zishu’s. 

His Ah Xu remains still, as if unbothered, and Wen Kexing decides to try his luck.

“Ah Xu,” he angles his head slightly, his mouth brushing lightly over Zhou Zishu’s cheek as he murmurs straight into his ear.

Ah, there it is. Zhou Zishu freezes against him, now making to move his ear out of Wen Kexing’s reach.

“What?”

Wen Kexing smiles, amused and so, so fond.

His voice still low and sultry, he continues, “I think you’re right, you should let me cook instead. You’re murdering the cabbage.”

Zhou Zishu pauses for a good two seconds before turning to glare at Wen Kexing. Wen Kexing recognizes that look, and the warmth on Zhou Zishu’s back vanishes instantly just as he starts waving the knife at him.

“Wen Kexing, don’t you think you’re being ridiculous and childish-“

Laughter fills the kitchen, a sound that is incredibly melodious, immediately soothing all the uneasiness Zhou Zishu feels.

Outside, all twenty disciples try not to peek and look at their shifu and shishu being strange again. One of the younger ones, Xiao Man, cannot help but angle his head in the direction of the kitchen, and then says, “Da-shixiong, shifu is going after shishu with a knife! Is he going to be okay?”

Zhang Chengling sighs inwardly, then smiles and pats the boy on the head.

“That’s shifu’s way of showing how much he cares about shishu.”

Back in the kitchen, having heard that tiny quip from their youngest disciple, Wen Kexing finally stops in his tracks, turning around mid-escape to grab Zhou Zishu around the waist with a hand, and the other going to the hand that is holding onto the knife and stopping his Ah Xu from possibly murdering him.

He sets the knife aside, but his other hand does not move.

“What are you doing,” grumbles Zhou Zishu, looking away, his expression a little stern, as if telling Wen Kexing not to be such a nuisance.

This close, however, Wen Kexing can certainly see the light flush on Ah Xu’s cheekbones. 

If Wen Kexing had to rank all the beautiful bones that Ah Xu has, it would probably be scapulas first, followed by his cheekbones.

Wen Kexing’s eyes dip a little lower.

He thinks collarbones may rank third.

“Ah Xu.”

“What?” sighs Zhou Zishu. “Let me go, the disciples need to finish the last set of practice-“

He is cut off when Wen Kexing swoops downwards, and catches his lips in his.

Zhou Zishu’s eyes go wide, but before he can do anything like move away and out of Wen Kexing’s firm hold, the man circles his waist with both arms, effectively trapping him and bringing him closer.

Wen Kexing’s body temperature tends to run on the colder side these days, a side effect of him having been brought back from the brink of death.

Right now, however, Zhou Zishu can feel nothing else but the scalding heat. His hands move up, intending to push Wen Kexing away, but they end up clutching tight around the man’s broad shoulders.

He does not stop the kiss, letting Wen Kexing’s lips roam as they like.

Outside, an unfortunate Chengling who sees this finds his eyes going wide.

“Erm,” he clears his throat quite loudly, gaining all the disciples’ attention. “Let’s head outside to finish our practice.”

He ushers everyone out, while wondering how the hell he hadn’t seen this coming.

Everything makes so much sense now.

===

Four Seasons Manor grows, and Zhang Chengling along with Bi Xingming end up taking over some classes and teaching of their own.

Wen Kexing does not want to admit it, but it seems that when he asked Ah Xu if he was a servant here, the man actually meant it. His little Chengling, who is not so little anymore, still comes to him to ask for tips or begs him to give some pointers to the other disciples, but most of the time, Wen Kexing is cooking.

He makes breakfast, is involved in lunch, and definitely ends up cooking a feast every dinner. Thankfully, Bi Xingming is unlike his da-shixiong and shifu as he actually has some kitchen sense, but Wen Kexing has truly been demoted to servant in this manor.

A servant that ends up in his master’s bed every night, Wen Kexing thinks then, and feels better about it immediately.

“Shishu, let me help you bring these out,” Bi Xingming says, stepping into the kitchen just as he’s done with the last dish.

“Mnn,” Wen Kexing hums in assent without looking up from his soup, tasting it one last time.

At the very least, these days, Zhou Zishu is able to actually, actually taste the food he lovingly cooks.

“Perfect,” he nods. “Is your shifu not up yet? It’s almost lunch time.”

“Ah…” Bi Xingming blinks, “You said not to disturb him until he wakes up, and he hasn’t left the room since morning.”

Wen Kexing frowns slightly. Sure, he worked Ah Xu over thoroughly last night, but not to the extent that he would need to sleep in for this long. Worry niggling at him, he gets Bi Xingming to start lunch with the other disciples first without waiting for them, and heads in the direction of their room.

The last time Zhou Zishu slept in so late, it was the night he confessed his past to Wen Kexing, of how he caused the deaths of everyone in Four Seasons Manor. He was deathly ill then and emotionally wrung out — things that Wen Kexing loathes to see on Zhou Zishu.

“Ah Xu?” Wen Kexing calls, sliding the door open gently.

The lump under the covers is the same as when he left it this morning. Wen Kexing takes quick strides and goes over, sitting down on the bed next to Ah Xu.

“Ah Xu?” he calls again, his voice soft as he reaches out for Zhou Zishu’s face.

His lips are pale, eyebrows furrowed and perspiring at the forehead.

“Ah Xu, are you ill? What’s wrong?”

Zhou Zishu’s skin is of normal temperature, much to Wen Kexing’s relief. His brain runs through a a million scenarios, none of them good and just as he’s about to yell for Chengling, something clicks in his head.

He does yell for their Chengling in the end, but for a hot bath instead with a pack of herbs and medicine from the stash Wu Xi gave them before he headed back home with Jing Beiyuan.

“Is shifu okay?” he asks, worried.

“He will be,” Wen Kexing says, lifting Zhou Zishu out from under the covers and heading for the bath. “Don’t worry, I’ll watch him. You continue training with the other disciples, otherwise when Ah Xu wakes up he’s going to scold all of you again.”

As Zhou Zishu soaks in the steaming medicinal bath, Wen Kexing sits right next to him, pillowing his head on his arms, which are sitting on the rim of the wooden tub and stares at him.

A few years have passed since the days when Wen Kexing despaired at Zhou Zishu dying in a short few years and the peace they have now makes it easy to not think about the past. He forgets sometimes that despite being healed, despite him giving his life force to Ah Xu, the man’s body has been to hell and back with the nails.

And forcing them out of his body forcefully while he mistakenly believed that Wen Kexing was dead, wanting to take revenge for him-

For the rest of their time together, Wen Kexing knows he will forever be guilt-ridden at this. If only he had just told Ah Xu, if only he didn’t make another stupid decision, there would have been no need for the armoury. No need for self-sacrificial plays, no need for lost time.

That Zhou Zishu would love him still and be with him, that is nothing short of a miracle.

On days like these, when the weather turns just the slightest bit wet and cold, his body starts to hurt, especially the points where he kept the nails in. All seven of them, the stupid man.

Wen Kexing inches forward and presses a kiss to the man’s temple.

For this life and every life after this one, Wen Kexing swears he will always be good to Zhou Zishu.

===

He loves and hates Wen Kexing’s hair, even after several years have passed. They are nearing the ten-year mark since leaving the mountains, and Zhou Zishu has slept next to this man every single day after, but whenever Wen Kexing shows up, Zhou Zishu has to admit that his breath is always taken away.

Wen Kexing looks ethereally gorgeous with those white strands, his features standing out even more clearly, not that Zhou Zishu would ever tell him that lest it goes to his head. However, it is a reminder that his silly, stupid shidi and now husband would dare to sacrifice his own life for his without telling him.

It is a constant reminder that he lost him, even if momentarily.

“Ah Xu, why are you are staring at me like that? You’re going to make me shy. Did you miss me? I was only gone for two days,” Wen Kexing says unabashedly during dinner.

At once, coughs and chokes go around the table, and the clanking of dropped chopsticks on the table echo through the dining hall.

Zhou Zishu takes a deep breath to compose himself and resists the urge to fight with the man over dinner. It would be a waste of food, not to mention a futile argument seeing that Wen Kexing has not changed at all since the first time they met. As long as he does not break out into poetry-

“Ah Xu, I missed you too. It is so fortunate that your heart is akin to mine-“

At that, everyone immediately stands from the table and excuses themselves, stumbling over one another as they parrot that they are full and do not want to have anymore.

It is an open secret that they are together — not because they are hiding it, but simply because they find no need to verbalize what they are to others — and if it was another couple that was stuck in this situation, he would possibly find it amusing, but Wen Kexing is incorrigible and has been for years. 

Zhou Zishu finds that while he loves the man and is utterly devoted to him, is willing to die for him, at times like these maybe they should have both just stayed dead.

“Wen Kexing, have you had enough?”

He reaches out, intending to pinch at Wen Kexing as a lesson, but the man catches his hand within his deft fingers and brings it upwards so his hand is cupping one side of his face. Wen Kexing turns his head a little to press his lips to the open palm, a soft smile tugging at his lips.

“I missed you,” Wen Kexing repeats. “It’s strange how it has only been two days, but I miss you like I’ve never missed anything else before.”

The impending reprimand dies on his lips.

Fine, just this once.

Zhou Zishu sighs and pinches at Wen Kexing’s cheek instead.

“Ow, ow! Ah Xu, Ah Xu, this face is a work of the heavens, how can you trample on it like this?!”

Zhou Zishu’s eyes are once again drawn to Wen Kexing’s white locks, and he unconsciously reaches out.

As if knowing what Zhou Zishu is thinking about, Wen Kexing grabs for the hand again, interlacing their fingers together.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before I faked my death, and then not telling you at the end, before I….” Wen Kexing says, swallowing with difficulty. “Ah Xu, if I could change it, I would. But at the end, if I was given the same choice, I would have chosen the same.”

It hurts to think about that morning, seeing Wen Kexing’s hair all white and almost lifeless, his hands dropping from his.

“I know,” Zhou Zishu breathes, hiding his face in Wen Kexing’s shoulder. “I know.”

===

Zhou Zishu hears of the supposed ambush on Four Seasons Manor while he  has half a day’s journey left before he gets home.

The unrest in jianghu truly never ends; their fight with the Scorpions, with Tian Chuang, with Prince Jin and Zhao Jing was rewarded with peace for a few years, but people never say contented for long. Old sects are wiped out and new ones emerge. Most of them know not to mess with Four Seasons Manor as his and Wen Kexing’s reputations indeed precede themselves, but it is unavoidable, perhaps, for some newer and ambitious ones to mistakenly think they can take both of them on.

Well, they must have made sure Zhou Zishu was not in the manor before striking, as if Wen Kexing could not take all of them on himself.

He arrives in the nick of time in the heat of battle, although a quick glance shows that Four Seasons Manor is still holding up pretty well, with Zhang Chengling and Bi Xingming leading the rest of the disciples.

And there he is, Wen Kexing, all regal in his red embroidered robes, and his white hair pinned up neatly. Every movement from his sharp and deadly fan strikes true. His eyebrows are furrowed slightly, his eyes revealing a thirst for blood that Zhou Zishu hasn’t seen in a while.

He shivers at the want that hits him, even though it is not the time and place for it.

Zhou Zishu lands opportunely behind Wen Kexing and parries a blow that was coming straight for Wen Kexing back.

The both of them exchange a glance, and wordlessly, delve right back into the fight.

When the dust settles a few hours later, Zhou Zishu makes sure injured disciples are looked at while others clean up the mess. His attention finally freed up so he can focus solely on Wen Kexing, Zhou Zishu turns, only to see his husband a distance away from him, supporting himself against a wall.

He recognizes the signs of Wen Kexing’s brain-splitting headaches immediately, and rushes over.

“Lao Wen!”

“Shishu!”

Zhou Zishu catches Wen Kexing just as he collapses, his legs giving out under him. His fingers immediately search for Wen Kexing’s pulse.

This is an all-too familiar scene, but Zhou Zishu cannot remember when this last happened. His body growing cold at the implications, all the fears are now suddenly dredged up from the trenches of trauma sustained at a point in time long ago.

“Go get Physician Yao,” Zhou Zishu snaps at whichever disciple is standing closest to them, before picking Wen Kexing up.

Zhang Chengling turns up in their room before the physician does, and whatever fear he is experiencing right now abates slightly.

Before the manor started to grow, there was only the three of them. If anyone understands what he is feeling right now, it would be Chengling.

“Shifu…” he says, trailing off as he kneels down next to the bed and looks at Wen Kexing. “Shishu hasn’t had this in years, what happened?”

“Maybe… I don’t know,” Zhou Zishu exhales heavily. “He could be just.. too tired.”

They watch over him until the physician arrives. Zhou Zishu refuses to be chased out, and the tightness in his chest only disappears once she rolls her eyes at him after testing Wen Kexing’s pulse.

“The both of you are not young anymore,” Physician Yao almost scoffs. “And the injuries and illnesses that the both of you share combined can fill up a list a mile long. He hasn’t exerted himself like this in a long while, suddenly letting it all out in a fight like that, of course there are bound to be side effects. Stop looking at him as if he’s about to die.”

Zhou Zishu is about to thank her, when a weak rasp comes from the bed, “… been there, done that.”

Relief floods him at the sound of Wen Kexing’s voice, and immediately after, anger burns hot through him as the man’s words sink in, “Wen Kexing!”

Physician Yao retreats, knowing by now not to give instructions to them both when they get like this. Instead, speaking to any of their disciples would be much more reliable.

===

Later, after all has quietened down for certain, the stench of blood fading somewhat, Wen Kexing blinks languidly, not wanting to move at all, or do anything.

If he was to die in this position right now, he would have zero complaints.

Zhou Zishu pats at the back of his head gently as Wen Kexing lies almost half on him, his ear pressed over Zhou Zishu’s heart, comforted by the strong beat. Years later, the both of them approaching the big five-o, and Wen Kexing is still like a child sometimes.

Well, he’s making up for lost time.

He is greedy for more years with Ah Xu, in this life and every single life after. A hundred, a thousand years and more. Every little bit, he wants to spend with Ah Xu.

“Ah Xu,” he murmurs, and feels the vibration of the man’s response through his chest, “Before, I could not have what I wanted. I could not play when I wanted to, there was no one to teach me martial arts when I wanted to learn and the things I wanted I could not afford.”

“The person I wanted to keep, I was too late.”

This conversation seems so far away now, but is as clear to the both of them as if it happened just yesterday. That rainy, storming night.

A night of despair and hopelessness.

Zhou Zishu huffs in amusement.

“And now?” he asks.

Wen Kexing looks up, and cheekily responds, “Well, the martial arts part aside, Ah Xu, you pay for everything now, so I can afford everything! And in terms of play… you would know best how well I play now with-“

He’s cut off with a warning look from Zhou Zishu, although the man does not attempt to jostle him, still worried about his earlier headache and injuries sustained from the fight.

Wen Kexing loves this man, to the depths of hell and back.

“And… the person I want to keep, is right here with me.”

Zhou Zishu’s answering smile lights up every fibre of being.

They have forever to look forward to.

***

[ladyloveandjustice]

Spring 2021 anime overview: Quick Takes

Now for my Spring 2021 anime thoughts! I’ve decided from now on if a season’s like, 20- to-24 episodes I’m just going to wait ‘til it’s done to review it unless I feels super passionately, so though I watched To Your Eternity (it’s good!) and MHA (eh), I’ll comment on them next time. Also, for the record, I watched the first eight eps of Joran: Princess and Snow of Blood but I dropped it because it had clearly crossed the line from entertainingly dumb to boring dumb. 

I will probably give Supercub and some other stuff a shot later, this was a stacked season! May give updates on all that later, but this is what I have for now.

ODDTAXI

Quick Summary: A mild mannered middle-aged walrus taxi driver is drawn into a case involving a missing girl, yakuza, Youtube clout-chasers, manzai comedians and idols with big secrets.

It’s rare to walk away from media and be like “that is a singular experience I will definitely never see repeated again” but ODDTAXI is definitely one of those. A tense noir thriller murder mystery starring cartoon animals that spends an entire episode detailing the one (cat)man’s very fall into darkness triggered by addiction to gacha games and an online auction for a novelty eraser? Also there’s a porcupine Yakuza who speaks entirely in rap? Also there’s tons of meandering conversations about stuff like manzai comedy and the struggle to go viral on Twitter?

Admittedly, I had a hard time getting into the first episode, the dry meandering humor not being enough to hold my attention while I was sitting still, but once I watched this while I was working out at the end of the season, I found it an easy binge. A ton of characters with dark secrets or dangerous ambitions, each with their own part to play in a tableau of intersecting events- and it all actually comes together really well.(As for the female characters, it’s a pretty dude driven story, but they do get nuanced characterization and even some good heroic moments from one of them.)

 It’s a great example of a carefully planned narrative paying off, with all the twists appropriately seeded and foreshadowed to reward viewers who paid attention. Even when it ended on a perfect “OH SHIT” moment and denied me closure, I couldn’t help but respect it. If you that all sounds interesting to you, definitely check out the first couple episodes and see if you like it- you’re likely to have a memorable, satisfying experience!

Shadows House

Quick Summary: Emilyko is a ‘living doll’ who’s told she was created to act as the ‘face’ of her shadow master, Kate. The shadows and their ‘dolls’ all reside on the mansion and are required to pass a ‘debut’ to prove they’re a good pairing. If they don’t pass, they might be disposed of. And so the mystery of the Shadow mansion grows...

This slice of gothic intrigue was my favorite of the season, tied with ODDTAXI. With an interesting premise, slightly tense undertones and a strong focus on character building and relationships, it kept me hooked the whole way through. And for any squeamish fans put off by the hype about it, don’t worry, while there are some suspenseful elements, I wouldn’t qualify it as horror. I thought the relationship between Kate and Emilyko might end up being a completely sinister one, but it’s thankfully a lot more complex than that and it’s really interesting to follow how both their characters and relationship grow. The focus of the show is, unsurprisingly, on the “dolls” slowly discovering their autonomy and personhood as they struggle under the rigid system imposed on them by the mysterious elders of this weird Victorian mansion. Can they develop a more equitable relationship with their shadow “masters” (who are also shown to suffer under this system)? There’s a lot to dig into there, and the show has the characters develop through learning to understand and appreciate each other, which is pretty heartwarming. Our hero, Emilyko, is the typical plucky ball of sunshine (they even nickname her sunshine), but she’s also shown to be clever in her own off-the-wall way and she bounces off the far more subdued and cynical Kate well, not to mention the other ‘dolls’ she ends up befriending. 

What’s more, the show spends plenty of time to developing several other character pairings and combinations, and they all have their own interesting dynamic that makes you want to see more of them. Same-gender bonds are at the forefront of this show, and many of them are ripe for queer readings (I definitely appreciated the healthy helping of ladies carrying ladies), but even outside that it’s nice to see a show where a strong, complex bond between girls is at the forefront. My only real complaints about the show are the anime original ending is noticeably a bit rushed (though it’s not too bad, and leaves room for a season 2) and I wish the animation used the whole “shadow” theme more strikingly (like the opening and endings do)- instead the colors are a bit washed out which makes the shadows blend into the background sometimes. The “debut” arc also drags a bit in places, but it makes up for it by having a lot of good character integration.

I hope to check out the (full color)! manga soon and see more of this quirky, shadowy story. There’s some physical abuse depicted, sad things happening to characters and naturally the whole “oppressive familial system” thing, but otherwise not much I can think of to warn about. I give this one a big rec, especially If you’re a fan of gothic fairytales and stories of self discovery.  

Zombie Land Saga Revenge

Quickest summary: In this sequel season, everyone’s favorite zombie idol group must claw their way back into prominence after a disastrous show- the fate of the Saga prefecture LITERALLY depends on it!

This was a fun follow-up to the first season- if you liked the first zombie-girl romp, you’ll probably enjoy this one. In fact, there were a couple areas it improved on- namely, Kotaro failed, ate crow and embarrassed himself a lot more this season, which made him more likeable (as did the fact the girls gained a lot of independence from him). This season also shed more light on what the ‘goal’ of this zombie raising project is and what kind of shit Kotaro got involved with to make this happen, and it’s appropriately off-the-wall and ridiculous. We finally got some backstory for Yugiri too! I wish it had focused on more of her interiority, but she got to be a badass in it, and it was a treat to see this zombie idol show turn into a period piece for a couple episodes (also her song ruled).

 Tae also got a cute focus episode and there was a particular SMASHING performance early on! Also That revelation last season that had the potential to turn creepy hasn’t yet, and hopefully never will. The finale was heartwarming with big hints of more drama to come- I’m definitely down for more zombie hijinks!

Vivy: Flourite Eye’s Song

Quickest Summary: A songstress AI named DIVA (nicknamed Vivy) is approached by another AI named Matsumoto, who says he’s from the future and they must work together to prevent AI exterminating all of humankind 100 years from now.

This show is absolutely gorgeous visually with some really nice action scenes, but when it comes to the story my feelings basically amount to a shrug. It’s fine! I guess! Vivy starts out as an interesting layered character- and I guess still is by the end- with her stoic but stubborn determination bouncing off her fast-talking bossy partner Matsumoto well. She never listens to him, which is delightful. The way the show took place over the course of 100 years was an interesting conceit as well. However, it bought up a lot of themes and then sort of... dropped them. For instance, Vivy interprets her mission (PRIME DIRECTIVE if you will) as protecting humans at all costs, no matter how destructive said humans are or what their fate is supposed to be, and is perfectly willing to murder her fellow androids to do this, showing she inherently thinks of androids (herself and her own people!) as less worthy. Which is a little alarming! There’s a very dramatic point in the show where they bring this up as a potential conflict for her character but then it’s sort of...dropped. Pretty much.

Actually, despite the premise, the show doesn’t dip into the “AI rights” as much as you think it would with the main theme being more about Vivy’s search to find her own creativity and discover what it means to ‘pour your heart into something’. Vivy herself doesn’t actually care if she has rights or anything. Which is in some ways fine, because ‘AI as an oppressed class’ has been done to death, but IT’S ALSO KIND OF IN THE PREMISE, so that means that the show just shrugs really hard at a lot of the questions it brings up  basically just going “humans and AI should work together probably” and that’s it. There’s a lot that feels underexplored. The antagonists in the show also either have motivations that don’t really make sense or have boring hackneyed motivations. In the finale in particular, it feels like a lot of things happen “just because” and it falls a little flat.

I also have to warn that one of the arcs focus on a robot ‘pairing’ where the dude-coded robots actions toward his partner are straight up awful and rob her of her autonomy, but it’s played like a tragic love story. I suppose you could read it differently too, but it definitely made me go ‘ew’ the story seemed to want me to sympathize with this robo dude,

Overall, I wouldn’t anti-recommend this show, it’s an all right little sci-fic romp (and definitely SUPER pretty). My favorite element was definitely the episodes where Vivy develops an entirely new (an loveable) personality, because it played with the idea of of an AI getting “rebooted” really well and interplay between her two “selves” was done really well. But there are a lot of other parts of the show that just feel...a little underexplored and empty, making me have an ‘eh’ feeling on the show overall. It’s definitely an ambitious project, and while it didn’t quite stick the landing, there’s something to be said for a show that shoots for the stars and falls short over a show that just languishes in mediocrity.

Fruits Basket The Final

Quick summary: The final season of that dramatic drama about that weird family with a zodiac curse and the girl who loves them.

It’s very weird that after not cutting a lot out, they kinda sped through some material for, you know, the finale. I guess they thought they couldn’t stretch this final arc to 26 episodes? Or weren’t cleared for another double cour? However, though there were a couple places that felt awkward, despite being a bit condensed it mostly held together pretty well for a D R A M A T I C and ultimately heartwarming conclusion. I was really disappointed they kept the part where Ritsu cut their hair for the ‘happy ending’, I thought  their intro episode not showing them in men’s clothes meant the anime had decided their presentation didn’t need to be “fixed” but WELL I GUESS NOT. That was the only big upset for me though, otherwise the adaptation went about how I expected, sticking to the source material. Furuba has a lot of bumps, from weird age gap stuff to ...gender, but it also has a lot of important feels and great character arcs. It was a gateway shoujo for many and has its important place in animanga history, so I’m glad it finally got a shiny, full adaptation.

[multimetaverse]

HSMTMTS 2x09 Review

Spring Break was a bit of an odd ep but helped move some key plots forward. Let’s dig in!

Well people can no longer claim that Portwell is one sided. We finally got Gina’s pov and she starts off the ep uncertain whether the shift in their relationship means that EJ likes her but by the end of the ep she seems sure of herself and that EJ likes her back. I liked that she didn’t try to pretend that nothing had changed or that she hadn’t noticed potential signs that EJ might like her; it always sucks when tv characters act like idiots. 

Perhaps the most important reveal of this ep was that Gina has a much older estranged brother who left her and her mom many years ago. That certainly makes her backstory more tragic and is definite set up for her brother to eventually return.

The writers continue to give Portwell great tropes, capping this ep off with an airport rom-com trope that also calls back to EJ getting Gina the place ticket so she could come back in S1. Not only did Gina keep EJ’s Duke sweatshirt but she altered it to fit her better which is both sweet and bold in the assumption that it was hers to keep. Gina got her sign when not only did EJ show up to drive Gina home and take her luggage but he brought her the granola bar that she had wanted but forgot to pack. I wonder if her posting on her story that she was ubering home after her flight was cancelled was intended to see if EJ would show up since the camera focused on her posting it. Also sweet that she’s taken to calling EJ, ‘ Eej’. 

EJ’s opening was good, shows a lot of his character growth from the selfish guy he was in S1 and how he’s learned to value other people which of course leads into his feelings for Gina. We got another great use of the camera as character tonight when Gina was laughing after her facetime call with EJ until she realized that the camera was on her. 

Jack was a lot of fun. Though he didn’t really change Gina’s mind over anything like the ep description said he would.  Seemed like Gina was largely over Ricky and wondering about EJ at the beginning and the end solidified her feelings for EJ but Jack didn’t really play a role in that, it’s not like he encouraged Gina to reach out to EJ or anything. There’s a vague sense in which Jack being nomadic linked him to Ricky’s unreliability in Gina’s eyes with her craving stability but that’s a stretch. Jack mentioned that the second most dangerous part of a plane ride is when the plane takes off, a hint to the blossoming Portwell relationship where in order to take off one or both of them has to risk a confession even though they could be turned down.

This ep might seem a bit weird in hindsight. The zoom parts probably won’t age well and five years from now people might be wondering why they had Gina hang out with a manic pixie dream boy of sorts for an ep.

The path is clear for canon Portwell in the finale with EJ being Gina’s second chance at romance and her first kiss since they clearly telegraphed it out of nowhere. I’ve been impressed with the great work the writers have been doing since 2x05 to build up Portwell as a ship but also work on Gina and EJ as individual characters; they’ve been the highlight of the season so far. 

There was discourse this past week over how well or poorly Portwell has been set up. Objectively very few ships on this show get much in the way of set up or consistent writing. Redlyn and Kowie had barely any set up before getting together. Seblos had none (though in fairness that was due to Disney restrictions) and Miss Jenn and Mike Bowen didn’t have much set up either. Rini did get lots of development in S1 but that’s because they had already dated and were the main ship of the show. The show’s not really about slow burns, if Jenzzara canons in the finale they’ll count and if Rina ever got together they’d also count but neither of those ships have gotten consistent development with Mazzara not being in several eps and Gina and Ricky not even interacting for the past 3 eps. 

Is Portwell a slowburn? In a sense since they did feature quite a bit in each other’s S1 plot lines and even had a fake dating plot but it is true that they were platonic and not that close in S1 so it’s a wash. There was clear set up for romantic Portwell in 1x10 with team wonderstudies and Gina staring at EJ (which interestingly enough looked more like set up for Gina to pine over EJ). I think the main problem is that even though we saw Gina and EJ hanging out in the background we didn’t get any scenes of substance between them until 2x05. It was a mistake and there should have been some scene, like EJ and Gina commiserating in 2x03 over being single on Valentine’s Day or something like that. Hell there was even that still from 2x01 of EJ and Gina looking at each other at the piano while they were in the frame between Ricky and Nini singing and having a moment  which would have been good foreshadowing but that shot wasn’t in the ep.

Whether Tim just really wanted Portwell to be a surprise in 2x05 as a mid-season twist to throw the audience off of what looked like a Rini/Rina triangle or he was unsure as to whether he wanted to go with Portwell or if he just planned it out poorly we may never know. Regardless they’ve had great writing for 4 eps in a row now which puts them slightly ahead of the 3 eps in a row of development Rina got in S1. I’m sure if someone added up their screen time they’d find that Portwell has more screen time this season than Kowie and more screen time than Redlyn or Seblos  got in S1. 

Caswell cousins was fun and Ashlyn did in fact paint EJ’s nails. 

Set up for Seblos drama next week, it’s refreshing to see Seb being jealous over Carlos flirting with other boys that’s definitely not something you see on Disney shows.

Ricky got some healing done with his mom. Enough to cover their issues? No but this is probably the best this show is capable of. There was a brief mention of therapy sandwiched between other options which sounds more like checking off a box then setting up Ricky actually going to therapy. I noticed Lynne was smiling at odd times like when she told Ricky she knew about his breakup with Nini; whether that was poor directing or acting I don’t know. Who knows if we’ll see Lynne again. As an aside still so wild that Tim named Lynne who’s been a kinda shitty mom after his own mom who he seems to be fairly close with.

Really liked You ain’t seen nothin as a song but not a fan of the Tiktok style vid. I’ll level with you wildcats, I’m too old to really get Tiktok, it just seems like a crappy version of Vine to me. Let you go was good, seemed better fitted for Joshua Bassett’s voice than some of his previous songs. A big sign that they’re not circling back to Rini for a long time for sure. Though on that note we got a bit of a hint that Ricky was Nini’s muse which may one day come back as a way to help bring them back together. 

Looking Ahead:

If there’s only 3 weeks left till the Menkies, with only 2 weeks left for rehearsal due to spring break, it’s hard to see East High winning unless North High is disqualified or has to withdraw. 

Lily is in a promo photo so she’s likely the unexpected facetime Ricky gets which is what I had theorized. Also makes it much more likely that she’s the party crasher Ricky re-evaluates in the finale though what Tim actually wants to do with those two I do not know.

There’s little point in bringing back the Valentine’s chocolate since there’s no real stakes. Rini are already broken up, Gina hasn’t spoken to Ricky since 2x06, and it’s not like Nini and Gina were ever close so even if they stopped talking to each other it wouldn’t really affect the show in any way. 

Seems pretty likely that Second Chances refers to Gina realizing that her first try with Ricky failed but her second chance with EJ won’t and that leads to her sharing her truth and cue the Portwell confession and kiss, perhaps with an assist on EJ’s end from Mazzara. We’ve gone well past the point where Portwell can be brushed off as just a plot device to help Rina but Tim is playing with fire by getting the audience so on board with Portwell if he’s once again going to have EJ lose a girl he likes to Ricky in S3.

Gina certainly needs to talk with Ricky and I do think that happens in ep 11 or 12 and leaves them on better terms. As I mentioned last week, if Tim was smart he’d slam the door on Rina if he’s going with canon Portwell or vice versa. If he wants Rina to be a slow burn he’s really botched the writing this season, it’s been too one sided and too angsty to sustain any kind of momentum or audience interest. They haven’t even interacted for 3 eps now and not only has it not affected the show but it’s inarguably made Gina’s story line much better.  Again I don’t think he’s smart enough to not try and do Portwell and then later Rina but he’s accidentally set up the Rina story line to quite easily slam the door permanently on them by having their conversation be closure for Gina who’s moved on and an apology from Ricky who never liked her back as much as Gina liked him.

Not looking forward to seeing Nini basically live out Olivia Rodrigo’s life in future seasons

Curious to see Carlos’ apology song to Seb. Ricky helping him with it is a great way to help start redeeming Ricky’s character in the audiences eye’s. According to Matt there is a bit of a Ricky/EJ rivalry this season and if it’s really happening the sleepover would be a good place to do it though I hope it’s not about Gina. 

Until next week wildcats.