#even if it resulted in a super hype sequence its still half half bc of the discomfort

[moonsuke]

I’m almost caught up to the anime!! still debating if i wanna read on ahead first...

but then the top 6's introduction stopped me cause WHY DOES NAGI HAVE SUCH HUGE EYES LOL

literally half his face is just eyes!! and it’s not like it’s the first time he’s drawn like this but like, the rest of the top 6 are so well-proportioned in comparison??? so when nagi popped up it hit me how big they actually are 😭

i cannot, why is he so cute this is why im taking so darn long to read the fucking manga because i keep. pausing. at every. nagi panel!!!!

also the number of times i've replayed nagi's "oh" in the anime...

[c6jpg]

okay okay arlecchino story quest thoughts

overall i liked it but mainly the whole duel sequence which was fucking awesome but some points that bugged me:

the release of arlecchino's animated short basically spoiling the entire story quest

mentioned in the tags of my previous post but yeah i think the story quest would have been a lot more... idk interesting? revealing? if the animated short had been released after this patch/story quest. you basically spend the entire first half of the story quest already knowing the "twist" and have to watch literally everyone else figure it out which is never really engaging nor fun story telling.

like you KNOWWW arlecchino is not "that evil" and you KNOWWWWW all these atrocities were from the previous knave so seeing literally everybody go through these theatrics is a little. sigh. idk. like i was just waiting to get to the boss fight bc i knew the corresponding cutscenes would be awesome (and they were) and getting random fatui insider knowledge was fun i enjoyed having what was effectively seeing arlecchino and childe in the office break room but we didn't really learn anything we didn't already know

also. arlecchino is hardly the first but it really is just kinda. sigh when you basically get a whole scene of the character explaining their OWN tragic backstory. once again genshin fails to show not tell

freminet

i know a lot of people are upset about the freminet timeline. honestly idc at this point i'll suspend my belief whatever yadda yadda but i do think it was a cop out for freminet to have like. not at least been SUSPICIOUS that clervie was possibly talking about the previous knave just because crucabena "didn't talk about it and all the experiments ended" by the time he joined the house

like he spent a significant time with clervie (half a month right?) trying to help her out and even if clervie was "a child stuck in the past" she wasn't exactly trying to hide anything and they ALL knew she was some sort of ghost or maybe something tied to memories/leylines. and he KNEW crucabena so i'm just like. a little aghast he didn't have any damn idea like at least make him suspicious right so he and the traveler can join heads and be like "hmmmmmmm something is not right here HMMMMMMMMM" like if you are SO sure arlecchino isn't "that kind of person" (ig this was more lyney saying this but still) wouldn't you consider maaaaaaaaaaaybe the previous knaves were?

there was a single moment when they were at the table sharing intel that freminet was "lost in thought" and i think that would have been a fantastic moment for freminet to be the star and voice his suspicious but we got literally nothing from that.

honestly just disappointed freminet didn't do more in the story tbh. the trailer was really hyping him up to literally change the game lol

the results of the duel

i mean we saw it coming we knew she was gonna spare those children somehow. idrk how to describe it like on one hand yes would be nice to have more morally fucked up characters and its a little disappointing that arlecchino isn't "that bad" she's actually super normal all things considering (childe fucking LIED) on the other hand i don't necessarily hate this is the way they made her character? but the result of the duel still felt like a huge cop out lmao like it was basically an indirect "your resolve towards family impressed me so i'll let them live" which was exactly how i didn't want this to be resolved but also don't know how they would have done it otherwise

arlecchino's curse/flames/????????

GIRL CAN YOU ELABORATE PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE i know it has to do with her being part of some khaenrian (?) bloodline or something but lajdksfldjflads can you elaborate what do you mean your flames can be extracted and burn memories we're just all gonna take that and run with it huh

anyways.

regardless i loved the main battle cutscene in her boss form. loved that bit where she blocked freminet and lynette's dual attack and was like "sorry for what? this pitiful excuse for an attack?" i was banging my fist on the table i loved that bit sooooooooooo fucking much dear god

ending cutscene was expected and bittersweet but i liked it a lot as well. really the graphics and me just really liking arlecchino saved this quest for me LOL i think it has a lot of plot holes compared to other story quests but also a much more interesting story (bar is in hell) although you're guaranteed to get some sort of lore with a weekly boss but anyways it averages out to being a pretty okay but not spectacular story quest 👍 maybe like a 6/10, would have rated it higher if the animated short didn't spoil everything

[intomark]

nct 2020 'resonance pt.1' album digest tl;dr love this album, we get to hear some very interesting member combinations that we've never heard before and it works + i cant wait for pt.2   

Make a Wish: such a catchy song with the utilization of whistling. the track draws from both mid-90s and mid-00s influences. their kind of languid, ‘slurred’ style of singing makes the melody so memorable. the refrain has a funk feel, and is underlined with a bouncy, percussion instrumental and really gets your head nodding along with it. for the structure, its more common for the rap versing being placed after the first chorus, however, make a wish’s opening verse chooses to utilize rap/hip hop instead. this results in there being a bright melody that follows the chorus, which adds a little surprise to the song. the bridge with the muffled bass in the instrumental really reminds me of h.o.t’s ‘descendant of warriors,’ showing the influence of older styles in the song.  

Misfit: love the lineup. all the members really fit this song and the track plays like a cypher. the theme of not conforming with societal standards is prevalent in the track; through the instrumental, lyrics, and the delivery. the track is influenced by early 90s hip hop, and the mesh of samples/genres (beats, riffs, drums, funk, rock and roll) are some that you wouldn’t expect to go together, but they do complement each other in the track. the chanting of the chorus emphasizes the coming together of individuals and the formation of a group. each of the members has a different rapping style/intonation/delivery, and its great to see how they are able to blend together cohesively in one song, while still keeping their individual colours.   

Volcano: featuring the legendary boss unit, the hype was there even before i heard the song. the track feels a bit like an homage to boss, due to the dark hip hop beats and the baseline. the pre-chorus was beautiful with doyoung and jungwoo’s vocals, and the contrast of these vocals with the rap verses was great (mark’s in particular was the standout). the bridge was beautiful (like always), however, it seemed to similar to the pre-chorus until the high notes. i also couldn’t pick out winwin’s voice in this unfortunately (i really hope that he has more chances to really show off his talent).  

Light Bulb: saw kenzie on the track and was already excited. comparted to the previous three songs, this track slows the pace down with the soft piano intertwined with the airy percussion and tambourine. the smaller amount of members on the track allows for longer verses for each member which is great. sungchan sounds super good (his style of rapping reminds me of a more yg-esque style seen with the likes of mino/bobby). doyoungs voice is beautiful and kun sounds amazing!! their harmonies are such a treat! taeyongs rapping was also super good as well. 

Dancing in the Rain: the transition from the thunder at the end of light bulb to the drizzling in dancing in the rain was so satisfying. the piano in the instrumental paired with the typical jazz and r&b elements (electric guitar, drums, a noticeable swing) gives the song a super homey feel. it really reminds me of sitting in a coffee shop on a rainy day and just taking in the vibes around you, or spending time with someone that you love and that content, secure feeling. (bonus points bc i live in a super rainy city so this track truly reminds me of it) 

Interlude: Past to Present: i really enjoy all of nct’s interludes and this one is no exception. the first half has a more old, nostalgic vibe, due to the samples used from the 20th century, and also reminds me of nct’s ‘nctmentary’ videos. the second half seems more futuristic, due to the use of synths and distortions. the track also reminds me of the theme of retro futurism that was seen throughout the nct 2020 teasers (depictions of the future in earlier eras, the future as seen in the past, and tension between the past and future). in addition, the tracks before the prelude seem like songs that would fit into nct’s discography in prior years/gives a nod to older styles of music, while the tracks after the interlude are more of the sound that we associate with the group through their most recent releases.

무대로 (Déjà Vu; 舞代路): 7dream is back! the opening with haechan prefaces the song in an ominous way, and the transition with into the four beat kick seems to throw you in the song. the track has some youthful elements that are heard (the nursery rhyme-like chime sequence, the la’s in the outro), and are paired with an energetic chant for the chorus and a hard hitting beat, which creates for a sound that is both mature and youthful/fresh.

月之迷 (Nectar): GROOVY. the song itself sounds super sensual, and it's honestly such a wayv sounding track. the chorus is so addicting due to the spoken nature of it and is definitely going to be an earworm. the instrumental is so good; the synths paired with ad-libs like zippers, triangles, clocks ticking and the use of horn instruments and bass make for a masterstroke of a production. 

Music, Dance: a super fun track!! i can see this being played in a club or runway setting, probably due to the addictive, strong bassline. with a more minimalistic backing, that empty space is filled with a chanting chorus. the instrumental breakdown wasn’t something that i expected. this track is definitely a polarizing track for some. 

Faded in My Last Song: the blend of lo-fi trap, piano, and r&b creates such a harmonic bliss and is memorizing. the delivery of the track’s lyrical delivery is addicting, probably due to it being in a minor key and the use of the members voices echoing each other in the chorus, creating a track full of textures. the bridge is super good, and the combination of haechan and jaehyun is something i didn’t know i needed until now. one of my favourites on the album. 

From Home: a FLEX, both vocally and with their multilingual skills. going by the members in the lineup and the title i knew that it was going to be a ballad. this was a beautiful showcase of the members vocals, and the combination of voices go together very well. the singing carries the track, and the piano instrumental is just there for support. the song also gives me winter vibes, and will definitely be on repeat in the coming months