#even rewatching it again last month made me appreciate the show more

[grimmcheems]

Rest In Peace Toriyama 🕊️💫🐉

DragonBall has always had a place in my heart for the way it was ever-present in my childhood. I grew up loathing weekend mornings because my brother would always drag me out of bed to watch it with him. I suppose that’s why it’s extra special for me, it was a simpler time when me and my brother could just sit and watch what came next in the current arc. The days always felt warmer then, but now I’m grown.

I’m glad Toriyama made this series and ignited something in me, though his passing was harsh and unimaginable for most of us, I hope he has found peace in knowing how many people he’s inspired to be better, and the many that he will continue to inspire. I wish his family healing and condolences for their sudden loss.

.^An extra illustrating what those Saturday mornings felt like. Dragon Soul was my alarm clock for the better part of my childhood. (It’s also my fav op)

I remember we even had a vhs tape of two specific episodes in which the bunny boss ended up on the moon. I always had bulma’s personality embedded into my head whenever I thought of her in that bunny suit.

I never appreciated that time then as much as I do now. Maybe it’s Goku’s loving nature and fatherly care that left an imprint on me and kept me from forgetting him, or maybe it was the way my brother was obsessed with the series, either way he was somehow always in the back burner of my mind. I even remember having to play with my brother when he got Budokai Tenkaichi 3 for his PlayStation. He even bugged me to wake up when Super came out (though we had already graduated and i would be resting on my days off from work, he was also only visiting for the month) and tried to get me to watch it with him, but Super never really had the same appeal to me as the og series.

Perhaps the connection it has to my brother is what draws me to it time and time again, I feel as though I can’t understand him as well anymore after we’ve graduated and he’s moved on with his life and out of the house. I never thought this random shounen series my brother forced me to watch every Saturday morning of our childhood would have the effect it has on me now. It was last year that I decided to rewatch the entire series since I figured I didn’t actually know what was ever going on, I was just always intrigued by the action and the characters. Surprisingly my child brain remembered the arcs pretty well and I could just have it playing the background and know what was going on for the most part.

Did I mention that my brother also collected the dvd series? Lmao. I was so hype when the Broly Movie came out and when we watched it it felt like I regained that connection to my brother momentarily.

It also inspired me to draw when I was in elementary school, though I thought of it as something I could show off rather than take it seriously like I do now. I never thought I’d draw again after middle school until I got to high school and got back into it. It wasn’t until last year that I first drew something dragon ball related since elementary school, and it felt so surreal to look at how far I’ve come in my art journey.

It was never intentional for me to start drawing dragonball, it was just stuck in the back of my head and it wouldn’t leave me alone until I brought my ideas to life by sketching them out. I literally have two drafts DB related as I’m typing this.😅 oddly enough there’s many things I think about when I think about dragon ball, but they are too many to list. There’s just so much I love about it and so many characters I love. The thoughts never leave me alone when I come up with an idea or headcanon for them and it’s actually so hard for me to try and forget them that I always give in and do something with the idea. It will always be a part of me.

I wasn’t planning on making a painting of Goku ever, yet here I am. I don’t really paint either, which makes the time it took me to make this that much more surprising. I wanted to portray an ease in his expression, something peaceful. I hope it comes across that way, he somehow looks like he’s sleeping and it’s funny because I don’t think I’ve ever really seen Goku relax like this at any point.

[smytherines]

I went through my big Starkid era over the last like six months or so. I had seen Spies Are Forever once a few months back, liked it, but it kinda got buried by life stuff. Maybe a week or two before the tinlightenment kickstarter started up, I remembered SAF and decided to rewatch it, and seeing it again with the context of the full story just really spoke to me in a way I cannot shut up about.

I love Spies Are Forever. I love how funny and tender and gay and hilarious it is. But as much as I love SAF, I'm most grateful that I've gotten to make so many friends bonding over this show. Friends who are working so so so hard to promote the kickstarter because they love Tin Can Bros stuff as much as I do. We have had so much fun on streams, making up ridiculous inside jokes, posting sandwiches and asses in bios and the Sacred Text.

When I found out about the kickstarter I went and liked all the socials, not even thinking about funding it if I'm honest, but I wanted to share stuff at least. That has changed in a big way. I just increased my pledge today, actually!

Anyways I kept rewatching SAF and appreciating it in new ways. I watched Solve It Squad and Grunch and Wayward Guide. I started engaging with the tinlightenment posts. I asked my partner for the 54 Below digital ticket for Valentines Day. I made a new tumblr for the first time in years so I could post hyperfixations about SAF. I made a Diane Lopez-Richter meme that still makes me smile every time I see it, and now I'm just doing as much TCB promo as I possibly can because I really believe in what they're doing.

Theatre is hard. Independent theatre is so much harder. I spent 8 years in a children's community theatre company growing up. My mom did their books in exchange for my tuition. It was always a hustle to keep the doors open. I can say without question that it saved my life. It gave me a space to safely have my big ADHD feelings. Theatre gives you space to feel huge things in a safe way, and TCB provides free, fully original productions to anyone who can access youtube.

I backed the Tinlightenment kickstarter because these original shows and songs and characters are rare and precious, given to us FOR FREE in the hopes that we'll continue to choose to support all of these wonderful creators when they do these big fundraising campaigns.

Corey, Joey, and Brian have spent ten years working hard as fuck to bring us new things for our goblin brains to latch onto, and I want to see more. They have been working so hard on this kickstarter to give us SEVEN events for 200k, which is basically nonsense. An irrationally small amount of money for what they are planning to do. And I want to see them get there.

If you can't back the kickstarter, that's totally cool. Everyone has their own shit going on, nobody is going to hold it against you. We love you we love you we love you.

If you can afford to throw a few bucks towards the kickstarter, please please do it. Independent theatre only happens if we fund it.

>>> Tinlightenment <<<

(Reposting the Diane meme because I love watching her get new treats)

[waitmyturtles]

Turtles Catches Up With Old GMMTV: A Tale of Thousand Stars Loving Rewatch Edition

[What’s going on here? After joining Tumblr and discovering Thai BLs through KinnPorsche in 2022, I began watching GMMTV’s new offerings -- and realized that I had a lot of history to catch up on, to appreciate the more recent works that I was delving into. From tropes to BL frameworks, what we’re watching now hails from somewhere, and I’m learning about Thai BL's history through what I’m calling the Old GMMTV Challenge (OGMMTVC). Starting with recommendations from @absolutebl on their post regarding how GMMTV is correcting for its mistakes with its shows today, I’ve made an expansive list to get me through a condensed history of essential/classic/significant Thai BLs produced by GMMTV and many other BL studios. My watchlist, pasted below, lists what I’ve watched and what’s upcoming, along with the reviews I’ve written so far. Today, I write about my LOVING rewatch of one of the best BLs out there, ever, in A Tale of Thousand Stars.]

While I’ve been in the midst of a plethora of awesome new shows (Only Friends, Dangerous Romance), I’ve also been treating myself with some oldies. I just wrapped up a rewatch of Until We Meet Again, to prep for New Siwaj’s Absolute Zero that’s coming out this fall. And one of the joys that I set for myself in the course of structuring the Old GMMTV Challenge was to allow myself some loving rewatches of shows that I originally first consumed out of any chronological order, and/or out of total curiosity for the amount of space they generally take up on a daily basis on Tumblr, and/or for the amount of times that I had seen these particular shows listed as top examples of genre-defining or genre-transcending BLs. Those shows include Bad Buddy (of course), and A Tale of Thousand Stars.

Way, WAY back in the day -- November 2022, to be exact -- just a couple months into my joining Tumblr and actively blogging, I realized that this show called Moonlight Chicken was being bandied about excitedly, mostly in part because EarthMix and FirstKhao were going to be in it. I was intrigued, excited to participate in my first active Tumblr fandom from beginning to end, and I asked the Tumblr gods -- oh hey, should I watch A Tale of Thousand Stars first, to get to know Earth Pirapat and Mix Sahaphap first? And the answer was YES, so I did, and I totally loved it.

And of course, I look back at that review from almost a year ago, and I giggle, because while I picked up on a lot of the raw elements that make ATOTS great, I didn't have ANY context for why the show was transcendent vis à vis pre-existing BL tropes in the Thai BL genre, what it meant to be watching a classic Backaof Noppharnach show, what it meant for the show to be set in Northern Thailand, etc. I even wrote -- oh wow, I see why some of the elders on Tumblr are saying that there are shows way better than KinnPorsche out there (LOL, oh, hindsight). I didn't have any of that context.

Now, I do. And during my recent ATOTS rewatch, I just ATE, ATE, ATE, oh my god, I just sat and fucking ENJOYED this FABULOUS drama. I was yelling and gesturing to the screen -- oh god, WHY are you SO GOOD, YOU SHOW, YOU?! Man, oh man. It was a shit-ton of fun to start rewatching dramas that I already have nostalgia for, even if I only saw them for the first time last year.

Besides rewatching some of these important dramas back in chronological order through the OGMMTVC, I also have a mission in mind: to properly rewatch ATOTS and Bad Buddy before rewatching Our Skyy 2, which I've been wanting to do for a while. That rewatch will take place after I rewatch Bad Buddy in a couple of weeks. And I'm glad I waited until I could consume Aof's entire oeuvre, because I think his whole slate of shows -- not just ATOTS and BBS -- give us clues as to what was happening by way of Pat and Pran's relationship in OS2 before their physical separation in BBS that further explain the ATOTS and BBS universes. But more on this in a few weeks, when I get to my BBS and OS2 reviews.

Back to ATOTS. As I rewatched it -- in the context of the OGMMTVC, and what I've learned about the Thai television BL genre NOW, what were the elements of this show that stood out the most for me?

1) The striking use of flashbacks to tell a story. I know NOW shows that haven't used flashbacks as well to tell a compelling narrative -- for me, most recently, the biggest example is Double Savage (and maybe even KinnPorsche goes up there, too). Before ATOTS premiered, I think the BL that used flashbacks the BEST in its narrative was Until We Meet Again, which *needed* flashbacks to tell the entire scope of its intricate story, from past to present.

Something that I forgot about ATOTS until my rewatch was how very PACED the show was. I think I had it in my head that it was a slow-ish story, because -- again, it bucked a lot of BL trends and tropes, just like He's Coming To Me also did. No side couples. No university setting. No warring faculties and uniforms. When I first wrote about ATOTS in December 2022 -- after having watched The Eclipse as my first GMMTV BL -- I marveled at the singular storyline of Tian's life change and journey. There was a LOT we needed to know about Tian to GET where he was going, and where he wanted to go. What I didn't appreciate back then was how Aof TOLD the story.

Sure -- it could have frustrated some folks that we didn't get the truth of who was driving the car until much later in the series. But that would be missing the point of that piece of truth. Tian had blamed himself for Torfun's death the second he learned about it. It didn't *quite* matter who was driving the car -- what mattered was the self-blame he assigned himself to, and the journey he thought he needed to take to absolve himself of the guilt that he carried.

The structure was beyond sharp, and just INCREDIBLY compelling. Between UWMA and ATOTS, we have two tremendous dramas that flirted with VERY risky past-to-future infrastructures, and both succeeded exceedingly well.

2) Phupha and Tian's TERRIBLE communication. I'm serious! Oh my god, y'all. Did we appreciate back then how AWFUL they are at communicating? HA! Our Skyy 2 obviously emphasized this even more -- Tian himself accuses Phupha of not being open enough to tell Tian why Phupha won't meet Tian's parents.

But, holy shit, these two guys are such drama bastards. By episode 9, I had to write in my notes, in all caps: THESE ASSHOLES ARE SUCH AWFUL COMMUNICATORS. If one person wasn't angry at the other, and avoiding the other person, then something was off in their world. Tian's titchyness, Phupha's avoidance, played against each other like opposing magnets.

And yet: of course, we know WHY they are bad communicators. We know that Phupha grew up in a traditional, rural household -- one that likely wasn't welcoming to his inner truth as a queer man.

Tian grew up in a privileged and patriarchal household that disguised itself as a matriarchal household. Now THAT shit's confusing. What Tian was to do with his life, as assigned by his parents, supposedly came from his mom -- but it was his dad that enforced those rules. Who could Tian go to to talk about his own growing inner truth as well? Not to either of his parents, who both had designs on who *exactly* Tian should be by way of their own demands and outward-facing lives.

So these two men -- both of whom barely had any practice in expressing their inner truths, their raw feelings about themselves, their life situations, and each other -- are figuring out their emotional shit vis à vis each other, for the first time in their lives. And what we get, gloriously, is a whole bunch of damn hilarious drama that left me shaking my head and laughing a bunch. They were SO passive-aggressive with each other, I had to applaud EarthMix.

And through their bad communication came so many resolutions to each storyline -- the illegal merchants, the revelation of Torfun's death and the story behind it -- that what we ultimately got to see were life-defining moments for both Tian and Phupha of utter growth. The trade-off between those dramatic anguishes and the TRUE drama of the show itself -- was well worth it, and brilliantly done.

3) The metaphor of freedom. We know, now, that Bad Buddy was existing in the same world as ATOTS.

God, I LOVE what Aof pulled in Our Skyy 2 by way of the Nong Nao eye mask (Tian even wears the Nong Nao eye mask!) -- because in rewatching ATOTS, I would have NEVER clocked that Tian was talking about his own freedom through his OWN eye mask.

We know now that Tian and Pran, in their respective shows, were on their own paths to freedom -- both from demanding families that demanded that each of them comport to absolute idealistic images of what perfect sons DID in those family structures. Both Tian and Pran have overbearing mothers with complicit fathers who demand exacting obedience. And both Tian and Pran ultimately sought freedom from that pressure.

In episode 9, I clocked a message on Tian's tote bag -- I can't get a clear-enough screenshot of it (it's in the 3/4 segment), but the tote bag says, "what is the meaning of free?" All of ATOTS is based on Tian's journey to emotional freedom -- freedom from his parents' expectations, freedom from the guilt he carries from Torfun's death.

An interesting comparison to UWMA happens in episode 5, when Tian asks about his growing feelings towards Phupha: "I don't know if these feelings are mine or Torfun's." And, of course -- combine that with what Tian needs to reckon with at the cliff in episode 9, when Tian is struggling with figuring how who's life he's truly living. As Tian separates himself from his parents -- as Tian understands his needs vs. Torfun's needs -- what Tian's struggle ultimately comes down to is, who is he really living his life for? Torfun saved him, his parents bought him the transplant -- but what does that actually mean for the meaning that Tian brings to his own life, and to the lives of others, including Phupha?

What Tian ultimately realizes is that needs freedom from the influence of everyone and everything around him to gain clarity as to who HE truly is. That, to me, is the ultimate core message of ATOTS -- it is Tian's defining journey towards the freedom that only he himself can find, vis à vis Torfun, Phupha, and Pha Pun Dao.

But because Aof is so good at wrenching our hearts with every last bit of energy he’s got: he showed us that Tian was able to come to this conclusion, ultimately, through Phupha, and Phupha's love for Tian.

ATOTS is a wonderful coming-of-age story, but without the typical cheesiness that that structure can often bring. It's a story of individual and internal change that we know gets echoed, expanded, and transformed in Bad Buddy through Pran. I see now that ATOTS and Bad Buddy are Aof's deep studies of internal maturing, both told through queer revelations, through empathic love with a rock-solid partner, and through fights against oppressive societal and familial resistances to living one's full truth.

Way, way back when -- and thank goodness for the OGMMTVC for allowing me to dive into this -- Aof depicted queer men living their very robust truths in Gay OK Bangkok. As I wrote in my GOKB review, what happened after the premiere of GOKB is that Aof went to the BL genre to begin slowly changing it, to make the genre a true home for real queer revelation and introspection. Did he ever nail it in ATOTS. Did he ever expand it in BBS. Watching ATOTS felt like coming home, because once again (as in HCTM) -- Aof defied typical expectations of the genre to get honest about what an internal reality of being queer could really be like. And to do that in Thai television BL, with all the tropes and expectations the genre had created by the time of ATOTS's airing in 2021, was remarkable.

Hearing the theme song, seeing Pha Pun Dao and the villagers (AND THE CHILDREN! I LOVE THOSE CHILDREN!), seeing the schoolhouse, seeing Earth in his forest ranger uniform, hearing the original source of the forest ranger t-shirt joke, seeing Rang and Yod again -- man, was it ever nostalgic to rewatch ATOTS, even after having seen the guys in Our Skyy 2. This show is SUCH a classic, SUCH a must-watch of the very highest order, and the fact that it does NOT shy away from a very real and difficult emotional journey is only just a part of what makes it one of the enduring diamonds of Thai BL.

[We'll return to Pha Pun Dao in a couple weeks once I get through my Bad Buddy and Our Skyy 2 rewatches -- stay tuned!

In the meantime, my review of Lovely Writer is on deck for next week. By far this is my favorite Tee Bundit drama. For the sake of my fellow drama clowns, I am giving I Feel You Linger in the Air a shot, but the editing choices are giving me slight Step By Step-PTSD. I'm gonna keep a close eye on this one.

But Lovely Writer is Tee's anomaly, and what a fabulously genius anomaly it is. I can't wait to get into it, and if you loved it, too, and you have NOT watched the Lovely Writer special episode, PLEASE watch the special ep, as I'll be referring to it -- it has a super important conclusion that wraps up the entire series beautifully.

A heads-up that I may need to take a week's break or so in early September.... hopefully I won't, but I am moving, so while I'm ahead on a few dramas, getting pen to paper has proven difficult by way of time. Hopefully this project won't be delayed too much -- but send me your best big ups nonetheless as I move domiciles!

In the meantime, here's the list -- as always, I welcome your feedback! (Tumblr's new web editor is jacking with the list below and not allowing me to strikethrough the shows I've watched. For the very latest updated list, please click here!)

1) The Love of Siam (2007) (movie) (review here) 2) My Bromance (2014) (movie) (review here) 3) Love Sick and Love Sick 2 (2014 and 2015) (review here) 4) Gay OK Bangkok Season 1 (2016) (a non-BL queer series directed by Jojo Tichakorn and written by Aof Noppharnach) (review here) 5) Make It Right (2016) (review here) 6) SOTUS (2016-2017) (review here) 7) Gay OK Bangkok Season 2 (2017) (a non-BL queer series directed by Jojo Tichakorn and written by Aof Noppharnach) (review here) 8) Make It Right 2 (2017) (review here) 9) Together With Me (2017) (review here) 10) SOTUS S/Our Skyy x SOTUS (2017-2018) (review here) 11) Love By Chance (2018) (review here) 12) Kiss Me Again: PeteKao cuts (2018) (no review) 13) He’s Coming To Me (2019) (review here) 14) Dark Blue Kiss (2019) and Our Skyy x Kiss Me Again (2018) (review here) 15) TharnType (2019-2020) (review here) 16) Senior Secret Love: Puppy Honey (OffGun BL cuts) (2016 and 2017) (no review) 17) Theory of Love (2019) (review here) 18) 3 Will Be Free (2019) (a non-BL and an important harbinger of things to come in 2019 and beyond re: Jojo Tichakorn pushing queer content in non-BLs) (review here) 19) Dew the Movie (2019) (review here) 20) Until We Meet Again (2019-2020) (review here) 21) 2gether (2020) and Still 2gether (2020) (review here) 22) I Told Sunset About You (2020) (review here) 23) YYY (2020, out of chronological order) (review here) 24) Manner of Death (2020-2021) (not a true BL, but a MaxTul queer/gay romance set within a genre-based show that likely influenced Not Me and KinnPorsche) (review here) 25) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) (review here) 26) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) OGMMTVC Fastest Rewatch Known To Humankind For The Sake Of Rewatching Our Skyy 2 x BBS x ATOTS  27) Lovely Writer (2021) (review coming) 28) Last Twilight in Phuket (2021) (the mini-special before IPYTM) (review coming) 29) I Promised You the Moon (2021) (review coming) 30) Not Me (2021-2022) (watching) 31) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) (thesis here) 32) 55:15 Never Too Late (2021-2022) (not a BL, but a GMMTV drama that features a macro BL storyline about shipper culture and the BL industry) 33) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) and Our Skyy 2 x BBS x ATOTS (2023) OGMMTVC Rewatch 34) Secret Crush On You (2022) [watching for Cheewin’s trajectory of studying queer joy from Make It Right (high school), to SCOY (college), to Bed Friend (working adults)] 35) KinnPorsche (2022) (tag here) 36) KinnPorsche (2022) OGMMTVC Fastest Rewatch Known To Humankind For The Sake of Re-Analyzing the KP Cultural Zeitgeist 37) The Eclipse (2022) (tag here) 38) GAP (2022-2023) (Thailand’s first GL) 39) My School President (2022-2023) and Our Skyy 2 x My School President (2023) 40) Moonlight Chicken (2023) (tag here) 41) Bed Friend (2023) (tag here) (Cheewin’s latest show, depicting a queer joy journey among working adults) 42) Be My Favorite (2023) (tag here) (I’m including this for BMF’s sophisticated commentary on Krist’s career past as a BL icon) 43) Only Friends (2023)]

[goodbyeapathy8]

Had another divorce hearing this morning (at this point, 3+ years into the damn process, I've had close to 20 hearings… which is just… yeah.)

The good ish news is, the ex didn't show up again. It's good because every time he does show up, I inevitably have nightmares after seeing his ugly (and abusive) mug. The bad news is, it's a cruel form of hope because it makes me think he won't show up the next time and then he does.

Today was my first time self representing and it gave me a ton of anxiety the past few days. Well, that and the whole fundraising efforts for April rent and bills. I haven't gotten much sleep, maybe a couple hours here and there.

It was a trial setting conference, basically a hearing to decide if the parties are ready or not for moving forward and it's the only reason I was even semi okay with self rep. I now need to work on finding a pro bono lawyer that's gonna help with the last (hopefully) bit of this cursed divorce… I'm not looking forward to that process because I have very little hope I'll find someone good. Not with the luck I've had.

However, it's a different judge than the one that was seemingly empathetic to the ex. It's also the one who will be making the final decision, which is set for September 6th. I have until mid August to file the last papers so there's still a few months of pro bono lawyer searching… Blegh.

The worst part about today was having to listen to other cases (as you do for these goddamn hearings). There was one that triggered me deeply and it made me angry that that person was verbal vomiting and being selfish. I know more than anyone else how frustrating it is but I also think it's selfish to subject other people to your traumas because YOU need to be heard, over what the judge was saying as well (that this is not the time and place).

So yeah. I'll be decompressing the rest of the day and doing nothing because, as usual, it was stupidly stressful.

Last but not least, thanks a ton to everyone for sharing the mutual aid post as well as friends who have sent funds. I appreciate y'all greatly and it's helping me hang on to what little sanity I have left.

Also! Another way you can help (but it's a bit slow as TikTok does payouts on the 15th) - I made a mutual aid video that you can watch and help bring in views.

Login (if you have an account) and watch the video below for at least 5 seconds

You can rewatch the video and it'll count as a new view!

Better yet, just have the video muted and let it autoloop

Best practice : watch video all the way thru at least once, leave a long comment on the vid, save it, repost it on TikTok

(I'm part of the creator's fund and videos that go viral can bring in some cash. It's not a whole lot but it's a super easy way to help out that doesn't require sharing).

Mutual aid TikTok video here.

Also, please please do NOT spam like my other TikToks as that means my videos don't make it to the feed.

(What is spam liking? Clicking "like" for over 5+ videos in a row. It downgrades the account as suspicious, which means it lowers the priority of my videos and basically stops putting them on the FYP. Saving the video to your favorites doesn't cause harm tho, from what I understand.)

[zinkadear]

People are still constantly liking and reblogging my Smurfs posts, which makes me feel bad because I haven't posted much about them in a long time.

I haven't forgotten my little blue buddies though and never will! The 80s cartoon has been one of my favorite shows since I was a young child, and I've been in the fandom for well over a decade.

I've gone back and forth many times, having periods when I become obsessed again and rewatch all the episodes. The last time, starting a couple years ago, was when I really got invested in drawing them and creating tons of OCs.

But even when I'm more into other media, I'll never stop loving Smurfs. 20 or so years of admiration isn't going to disappear. And while I may not be in one of the obsessive phases right now, I have been missing them a lot lately.

I'm really excited to get back to drawing Smurfs stuff next month because of Art Fight. Of course that'll be other people's characters, but I may have some opportunities to add my own with them. And after the event, I want to continue making content. I still have so many plans based on my AUs.

I made a lot of friends through Smurfs, and you've stuck around through all the Fortnite crap. 😆 I appreciate you and am looking forward to seeing your work as well, for those who are joining Art Fight.

[corn-egg]

NPMD song tier list

Controversial

As cool as I think I am: I never really vibed with this song. I mean it's good but compared to every other song it just doesn't excite me as much. Although it does always make me laugh and cry.

If I loved you: I just started warming up to this song, but it's also like as cool as I think I am. And then also to sing this right after Ruth dies? If this was placed after they honored her a little more that'd be fine. The emotional whiplash from just for once to this song

The best of you: definitely an earworm. I love all the highschool characters we got from this one song (like brooke and rudolph) and also how this is like their up-town funk, that idea is absolutely adorable. But then, 3 kids died from murders (soon to be 4) in the course of one month and they just forget about it? I can't help but feel a little sour about that. But other than that I love it.

Cool as I think I am (reprise) this song brings me to tears every time I watch NPMD. LIKE joeys performance in this? Breathtaking. It's very sad but also very short

The summoning: I really want to put this song up higher but I do get second hand embarrassment for some parts. Other than that I love the LIB and was absolutely ecstatic we had something for them all together. I really love pokey after yellow jacket so I wish they evened out the lines throughout the song

Dirty Dudes must die: I love how batshit insane Grace became at the end. She is a true icon. And the vocals? CHEFS KISS! Her ending pose is everything. She is THE GIRLBOSS

Dirty girl: I'm going to be honest, I skipped this the first time I watched NPMD. But rewatching and relistening to it really made me appreciate the amazing harmonies in this song. I love them so much in this, although its extremely embarrassing watching with your friends

Literal monster: again, I would love to put this higher but it's hard to rate this. I love love love how max sings a verse in this. But also how the nerds sing too, god the choreography is just sjrjrntjng

Go Go Nighthawks! THE FUCK YOU CLIVESDALE VERSE HAS ME ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING. And Richie dancing in the mascot costume is so funny to me too. Especially cause Jon was battling to keep that on his head when he was in the play. Plus this song is the last time we'll see everyone happy together.

Bury the bully: this song is so funny. But also how everyones voices go together? Changing from bully the bully to bury the bully is GENIUS. the end when "I just cut off his nips" and grace screams "GIVE ME THOSE" is definitely an underrated line

Bully the bully: I know I keep on saying that these songs are hilarious, and that's because they are. Like, the chemistry all the nerds had in this scene? The spins? You can see how much more sure of this they are then in the 'reprise' and how they think this is going to solve all of their problems (it does for like two weeks)

Hatchettown: all the cameos in this made the hours of going through NMT so worth it. (I do recommend watching it. At least season two) even kn tje cast recording boy jerry is in it calls Jeri a dirty girl and I don't think many people know about that. And the bridge in this song? Heavenly. Actually a 10/10 song.

Nerdy prudes must die: this scene is heartbreaking but it was necessary for us to hear Jon's amazing voice. The little details where max uses his powers on him and he like flops to the floor? To good. And he thinks saying "I'm not a loser" will help his case like in all of his animes LMAO. This just really shows how far everyone in starkid has come.

Highschool is killing me: best opening number ever (totally not biased) the opening lines always give me chills how it always smoothly transitions. I think everything in this is perfect.

Just for once is one of the best songs of the hatchet field trilogy and here's why: it uses clever word play and shows how Ruth isn't just a throwaway character.

Jeff blim isn't really known outside of the fandom from having the best lyrics (I obviously love them but this is just some beliefs other people have) he really outshined with this. It just looks so dumb but when you really feel dive on what the double meaning for every lyric is you really start to appreciate it.(someone pointed this out once and I'm just obsessed:the joke of her brushing her hair with the grill brush is also funny because she doesn't have any hair from her chemo treatment)It's heartbreaking to see how Ruth longs for something people wouldn't consider a big deal; she wants to be a middle aged mom. That goal just to be found is so sad to see how much she wants it and then you see that she's never ever going to reach that goal because of Max jagerman. Ruth definitely makes people uncomfortable when watching the musical, but for her character saying the most out of pocket things is her way of getting attention, and then also to have such a pathetic death? It really rubs salt in the wound.

In many ways I can relate to Ruth. Her want to be something when she's older. Ruth's need of attention and affection is also kind of how I do it: with theater and saying weird shit. Although when I say weird shit I think it's hilarious to see their reaction. But she also wants to perform and I love to perform so much and being someone you aren't for just an hour seems so fun.

They couldn't have chosen anyone better but Lauren for this role. You can see how much thought she put into her acting: her little facial expressions, the slightest change in tone of voice and her posture. I love the way she acts in the beginning of the song with the eye batting and the over animated movements are so satisfying but also serve a purpose. It shows how Ruth is mocking the play, but once the movements become less and less animated you see that she longs for that life she is talking about. I just absolutely adore the song and character although she is seen as weird. ENDING NOTES: THIS SONG IS SO GOOD!! LISTEN TO IT RIGHT NOW

If you actually read the whole thing thank you :))

[phoenixwatchesmovies]

What I'm Watching: January 2024

New year, same monthly roundup. And off to a solid start with what can probably be summed up as Robert Englund month...

Zombie Strippers!

The exclamation point is important. This movie was like sticking real diamonds on costume jewelry. Which is to say, it's exactly what it sounds like, but contained some surprising gems. But then, horror comedies are just like that. There was plenty of ridiculousness (to be expected for a movie about a zombie outbreak infecting dancers at a strip club), but I'm still impressed at how well the humor landed. I mean, they really didn't have to try that hard. But no, it was genuinely funny and had more than a few existential moments, and I loooooooooove me some existentialism. Throw in some gore and so many boobs, and there ya go. Made for a niche audience with love.

Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon

I need to study this movie. To be fair, you almost have to as a matter of honor, if you're a horror nerd, because there are so many goddamn references. Don't take that as me complaining, tho, because one thing about me is I'm a fucking nerd. I didn't think it was possible to get more meta than Scream without getting gimmicky, but this one pulls it off. I knew enough about the plot to know more or less where things were heading, but there was still enough of a mystery to keep me on my toes, and the twist is the kind that makes you feel proud of yourself for piecing together. Even if slasher movies aren't your thing, this is still a ton of fun.

Urban Legend

I live blogged this and had a great time with it. This is another one for the "best watched with friends" list, and one I'm going to have to come back to for sure. And in case you haven't heard, I love Professor Wexler.

Cowboy Bebop

What? You thought I'd watch the live action without it tripping the rewatch sensor for the anime? Besides, I've only ever seen the sub and I've heard the dub is just as good. And folks...IT IS. IT REALLY IS. I'm not quite mentally prepared for the spiral the finale will send me into, so I'm taking my time with it. But again, I'm not complaining. It looks beautiful, it sounds fantastic (THE MUSIC!!! HAVE YOU HEARD THE MUSIC!!!) and it's just so fucking cool. Joss Whedon can suck it, because Firefly can't touch this.

The Last Showing

This was a fun thriller. You gotta love it when you can see the love of the genre and the art of cinema itself so clearly in a piece. Stuart reads like Stanley Kubrick if he never made it as a director, and on one hand, I wanted the poor guy to finish his movie, but on the other...bro, you can't do that.

2001 Maniacs

Well, this sure was a movie that I watched. Not gonna lie, I wasn't sure I was gonna make it through this one, as it goes for the over-the-top Southern redneck stereotype that goes into caricature territory reeeeaaaaally fast and finishes it off with the usual horny douchebag mid-2000's protagonists that don't even try to make you like them much less invest in them, but once you realize where things are going, you wanna see how it plays out. I cannot emphasize enough how over the top and how horny the first half of the movie is, but the inevitable gore is so theatrical it's fun, and it has plenty of laughs once you stop taking it seriously. It's one of those where the ending recontextualizes everything leading up to it without everything hinging on the twist, which I always appreciate. And I was not a bit surprised to see Eli Roth.

Hereditary

In hindsight, there were better gifs I could have used. *shudder* This was the first rewatch of the year, and honestly, it's been analyzed, raved over, and talked about much better by people who actually like it, so I don't have much to contribute. Not that I hate it, really. It is a well made, nerve-wracking, gut-wrenching movie, but it's just not for me, and that's okay. Hard to pin down exactly where they lose me (I have an inkling, but it'll take more time to discuss than I'm willing to spend here), but the stuff that works, WORKS. Some bits had me shaking. Others had me trying my hardest not to burst into tears. It's excruciating to sit through, I tip my hat to everyone involved in it, and I never want to watch it again.

[sirikyu]

See you later, Ash and Pikachu.

I'm going to feel so silly if Ash cameos in the new anime during the next few months. Or it's announced he's continuing in the movie format. But I'd be SO happy to see them too, so it's alright, I can be a little silly sometimes.

So, Ash and Pikachu's last episode aired on friday 24th mar 2023, and I saw it around the evening of the same day, ~23 years after I saw the first episode for the first time. This duo shaped my entire worldview as a kid, and growing up, even got me to mourn the fact I would never have an adventure as grand and a connection as touching as Ash and Pikachu's. A boy and his little creature friend who understand each other perfectly. It was magical, and it always felt magical revisiting the show. It's so special.

Being an adult and watching the series again, getting introduced to the games and whatever else I missed (like some specials and movies I never fully saw as a kid because they weren't available), I grew to appreciate that I could come back to it anytime and have more adventures to watch. The overall quality of writing, or animation, or personal preferences when it came to stories weren't an issue, because there would always be a ton of stuff to see and to watch. In fact, I started to take it for granted that my favourite guys would always be having an adventure and I'd be able to see it. That was almost one of the core features of Pokemon for me: the constant presence.

So now that the final episode has come and gone, I'm experiencing some real aimlessness about this. I want to have something around to remember them by, I want to save and cherish all the fan art, gifs, theories, music and videos that I can find about them and the anime overall, because I also want to do something to keep them alive in other people's consciousness - and mine. I want to come online and see people discussing them, making stories of them, extending their stay until there's nothing more to say, to think, or celebrate.

I want to remember the good times and rewatch, but I don't know where to even start. Maybe my favourite, Sun&Moon? I'd love to read fanfiction, but I don't know what I want to read.

What is it I'm missing from this ending, or the journey here? I'm sure a lot of people would say "a lot of things", but just personally if I were to write fic, I would dive into Ash's character a whole lot more. Have him have a big adventure that is tied into a revelation about himself and having to deal with unccharted, emotional territory. But I'm also sure that wouldn't be enough even if I could write. I think I just want them to be around, and a lot longer.

They couldn't go on forever, and seeing how many people were unenthused with the last seasons outside major events, and how little I personally had to say about them even though I enjoyed Journeys era a lot, I can kind of see why it didn't continue anymore. I get the feeling the writers just didn't have anything more to tell. However, and this is really important to me, I can tell from how beautiful the last episode is, that they cared. They kept true to the characters, made an effort with the animation, and I was in tune with and touched by the episode's melacholy. It was a beautiful send-off.

I still would have loved to have more involved stories with Ash, shake things up a bit more, see what Ash and Pikachu had to give, as characters, especially in their final stretch... a bit more. Take risks a bit more.

But it's time to go, and I can't help but feel thankful that I feel so deeply about them. This sadness is real and comes from a real caring, as silly as it can feel sometimes. It's a testament to how long-lasting Ash/Satoshi and Pikachu's history and impact is on me.

Goodbye, friends. Thanks for everything.

[lesbianwithchainsaws]

Give me all your thoughts on bly manor I love that show and I'd love to hear what you think!!

Augh, so first of all: I loved it! It made me cry so much, especially during the last episode. It broke my heart into a billion pieces and I loved that it did.

Going into it, all I really knew about it was that there's lesbians. I also did know that it was made by Mike Flanagan, who's stuff so far I've really enjoyed. Hill House also broke my heart so I was expecting more or less the same here.

I loved the spirits and how they were a symbolism for the trauma the characters faced. I especially really liked Dani and the look of her ex's ghost. Honestly everything with Dani was just incredibly done imo.

Also love how the show has such good character moments in between all the scary stuff. It really makes the tragedy so much more tragic. (The only thing I'll say is that I do think there should've been a bit more between Dani and Jamie before they got together. It felt a bit rushed imo, but not by like much, just think another scene or two would've helped).

I love Owen and want nothing bad to ever happen to him ever again.

Hannah being dead was so heartbreaking. She was so sweet and cool, and the episode where we find out she's dead also made me cry 10 billion times. Hannah was probably my favourite character overall in the show.

The kids were really well written and acted imo. Kids in movies can sometimes come across as too annoying, even when it's not intentional, but bly manor never had that problem.

Okay also just having lesbians in horror is something I always appreciate immensely. I feel like I've cried every time there's been good lesbian rep in a horror show or movie and I hope there's more to come in the future (genuinely have cried at this, hill house and fear street).

I watched the show a few months ago now, so I unfortunately can't tell you in like full detail my thoughts. I've forgotten some specific scenes and parts, but overall I loved the show. I'll probably rewatch it at some point in the future. I also definitely need to watch Midnight Mass as well.

[zackmartin]

z!!! this is shona, i just saw your comment on best laid plans, and i'll get around to responding on ao3 soon, but i just wanted to tell you it made me tear up. thank you so so much for not just reading but going the extra mile and writing such a wonderful comment AS YOU WERE READING. it actually made my night. you're the best and i am sending you so much love rn

Ah, I’m so glad! While I appreciate your thanks and saying all that, it isn’t really necessary. I think if anyone can understand your plight, of writing for the world’s tiniest fandom(s) which also happen to be dead, it’s me 😅 But, even if that weren’t the case, I’d still leave a comment anyway, because your fic is wonderful, and it deserves all the praise! I actually wish I could’ve given you much more, but I was basically just saying the same thing over and over again, and it got to the point where I was like “alright lemme stop myself before I give them the same paragraph ten times over”. 

But, while we’re here, I’d actually like to say a few more things if that’s okay!

(I’m going to put them under a read more so I don’t spoil anything for any of our mutual friends/followers that might not have had a chance to read yet) 

First, I really love how you expand on this world. Obviously I wish the show would’ve gotten more seasons so they could’ve explored places outside of Astoria, but I appreciate how you develop upon the scraps we were given, like explaining more of Arc’s mermaid side, while also putting limitations on it. Like, yeah, he can breathe underwater and provide Ciara with oxygen, but he’s human enough that it won’t last forever. Also, mentioning Arc being descended from pirates; like I know the show kinda touched on that, but I love how you took it a step further and made it pirates specifically because it just makes so much sense!!! (especially for a place like seagate, that has months like sharktober and crabuary. like, we know seagate was full of thieves but specifying that they were descended from pirates was PERFECT)

On that note, I also love you expanding on the mermaid treasure, and the trident and kinda tying the whole show together with bringing back Ryker. It felt like the perfect way to end that, having Arc and Ciara be a little older, and Arc being willing to sacrifice himself in order to finally put an end to Ryker and all the damage he’s caused. And like, bringing Arc’s goal full circle, with finally getting to avenge Seagate, except now there’s a new layer to it, because this also means protecting the Princess.

Also, like. I cannot even imagine the rage and anguish Ciara must’ve felt when she was desperately searching for Arc on the beach, but found Ryker instead. Like, I just can’t even imagine seemingly losing the love of your life, whom you didn’t even really get to experience “being” with because they didn’t really confess until that life or death moment, but now you’re coming face-to-face with the person that’s caused so much destruction and heartache. Like, the feeling she probably got from finally running Ryker through, but the victory is almost hollow because Arc is still gone. 

Also! I love how things start out kinda light-hearted, but get slowly more intense by the end. The first scene really feels like Arc and Ciara being fresh out of knight school, and still having that confidence that comes along with winning most, if not alI (can’t really remember, it’s been a while since I rewatched the show) of the battles you’ve fought. And the two of them keeping track/competing over how many people they’ve taken out. SO THEM

And!!! The progression of the kisses was so real. Like,I know I kinda said this in the comments, but the first one being an accident, the second one being out of necessity, the third one being a “proper” kiss but not really a kiss, because, yeah, they’re both super into it, but it’s for a mission it clearly means nothing. And then. AND THEN!!!! Arc is ready to sacrifice himself, and he has this calmness about him despite knowing he’s about to die because this is just. It’s the only option, and he’s going to do what’s necessary because that’s really who they both are at their cores, but he just HAS to tell Ciara how he feels before he goes, and her just. Kissing him, the two of them kissing as if this might be the very last time. I’M AN INCOHERENT MESS ALL OVER AGAIN.

ALSO!! I know this fic is basically just Tiara Thief, but you perfectly captured Ciara’s other relationships in that final scene. (like wishing warwick was there with healing spells, or prudy to carry him, or sage to snark that he’s just taking his time waking up, etc etc. It was so perfectly reflective of her relationship with each of them.) Really, the TALENT that you possess like. Can you save some for the rest of us, thanks 

And finally, I will reiterate that the final scene is PERFECT. Idk if it’s because childhood me was obsessed with the little mermaid alskdjf but Ciara getting Arc back and he wakes up and he’s alive!! And now they’ve finally confessed how they feel, and they’re exhausted from battle and all the emotions, but they’re together and the sun is rising and it’s all pink and pretty and AHHH!!! PERFECT MOMENT PERFECT MOMENT!!! 

anyway. sorry this was long and rambley, but I really needed you to know these things. 💖

[jumpscaregoose]

I finished the Shaman King again

loserbrain thoughts under cut because it's me and shaman king and I am very Normal about it (also spoilers duh but you probably already know them all)

so ya boi rewatched shaman king this past month or so.

realized I'd never actually done that (I'd rewatched it with friends or went through my favourite episodes but I'd never went through it again start to finish). I told myself no skipsies but I broke that rule almost immediately and I did skip some parts (sorry episode eight you're just boring to me).

anyways my general thoughts

I appreciate this silly little ghost show more every time I watch it it's just really good. my enjoyment has not decreased in the slightest. found myself understanding some parts I thought were lackluster before because for like a year I was a dumbass and didn't get that It's a Metaphor, You Idiot. the text literally spells out "this is a metaphor for a person's mindset and strength of will" like every 3 seconds and I just. ignored it I guess??? turns out a lot of stuff makes more sense if you look at it less like smashing two action figures together and more as mushy brain stuff. who could have ever possibly guessed that (not past me). thought it was overall very very good and its lackluster parts (random aliens a la midichlorians I'm looking at you) were made up for by its great parts (basically everything else).

went into the last episode to try and iron out my thoughts on the ending (went from hating it on my first watch to tolerating it on subsequent watches) and I think it is consistently decent. could have used some more episodes and is just really confusing if you're not a pathetic loser nerd who can Well Actually it. I like it a lil bit. thought I'd reconciled my feelings about renmei to "my god that could have been so good we were ROBBED if they'd explained how this HAPPENED it would have been SO GOOD" but now it's "the same thing as before except I'm angry and yelling now" because it's true renmei could have been great and I mourn the loss of that every day. episode 51 remains the best episode (despite the midichlorian aliens) purely for the hao awakening scene. episode 50 is fun because major character revelation 2 episodes before the end and I think that's Neat (affectionate).

telling you all that one time a while back I watched the Bear Episode and wanted to fact check if there would actually be bears there and I asked my friends who live in Colorado and they thought I didn't think bears lived in Colorado.

FINALLY figured out all the symbolism behind the training in hell arc. have had a theory that the scenery represented Funky Brain Stuff™ but just. couldn't. understand. joco's part. sat down and thought about it for a bit and realized I forgot that the themes of Dante's Divine Comedy (Rodin's Gates of Hell is there and all) where the same as those happening for that part of the story and focused on the floating islands for eight months like an idiot. should probably make another post with my interpretations of hell stuff because I'm fairly confident I get it and also it's cool.

appreciate hao even more after this rewatch he's an excellent antagonist and also my precious meow meow. will not elaborate go read this.

ost does funky stuff with leitmotif sometimes but also I like it

generally forgot that I actually like quite a bit of early shaman king. my brain defaulted to episode six is fantastic and forgot about the rest. it's very nostalgic to me which is weird because I first watched it last year but it's true don't fight me I'll win.

top ten episodes for me are 51, 40, 6, 15, 45, 9, 50, 47, 27, 2 (most favourite first, with no bias towards anyone at ALL).

shaman king really good me really likey

might actually watch the 2001 version if pleaded with (it is my archnemesis)

[superineffable]

MOVIES/SHOWS I'VE WATCHED — 2024

(not necessarily ones that came out on 2024 just ones I watched on 2024)

(started actually writing the list on March so hazy details for some)

(will edit throughout the year i really just want a tracker)

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Taylor Tomlinson: Have It All (2024) ☆☆

~ Good! Fun! I enjoyed her other two shows more, but this was fine too :)

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Hazbin Hotel (2024) ☆☆☆☆

~ Oh the songs!!! The songs are so fun and good and I'm obsessed with all the songs. The story's fine too, heaven and hell topics are always fun to hear about no matter how repetitive it can be at this point but it was okay. I still listen to the soundtrack even though it's been a while since I've watched. (Particularly obsessed with "wait! what.are.you.saying? let. me. get. this. straight. you go downthere and kill those poor souls????" it keeps playing in my head)

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Pirates of the Caribbean (full series) ☆☆☆☆

~ Rewatch! Missed Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner and ended up watching the entire thing again. Glad they're not making another because the story's obviously done and the last two ones kinda felt lower in quality than the first ones but the first ones were so good so they still get four stars.

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Missing (2023) ☆☆

~ This was more fun while I was watching it compared to after I watched it? Not sure if that makes sense but I enjoyed the plot twists while it was happening, it's just that finishing the movie and processing the whole thing made me feel underwhelmed?? But I liked the way that throughout the story you could see bits and pieces of hints about what the story really is. Not something I'd look forward to rewatching, but it was fun to watch !

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Elemental (2023) ☆☆☆☆☆

~ Been a while since I've watched a Pixar film and I really liked this. This was sooo good and I wish they could explore the stories of the world more because it seems very interesting. This could have had a whole series after it too but there isn't any :(

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Moving (2023) ☆☆☆☆☆

~ I was soooo late to this kdrama considering it was something I was looking forward to so much because Cha Taehyun was in it! Loved all the powers and all the backstories! I have no complaints and no notes but I really am hoping rumors of a completely different cast for S2 isn't true and that they would elaborate on the story with the same people, just add more into the mix if needed. Need to see more of CTH's character pleasee let him learn his powers more.

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) ☆☆☆☆

~ Rewatch! Still a comfort film for me. I miss my Roald Dahl books

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Make Some Noise (Season 1&2) (2022-2024) ☆☆☆☆

~ Finally got a Dropout subscription!! But yes this was the first ones I immediately went to watch. All of them were great, some prompts weren't relatable/something I was familiar with so there were down moments for me but that's on me!! Special mention to the Plunger that didn't make it to Beauty and the Beast movie, the two Liam Neesons who had to trade their daughters, and the Fisherman who fought God in an arena full of creatures.

••••••••••••••••••••

Game Changer (Season 1-5) (2019-2023) ☆☆☆☆☆

~ I was going to pace myself so I don't finish it all in one month but I had to keep watching. Not a single episode missed I enjoyed every single one!!! Currently watching S6 (as of writing this) and also still good! I'd say S4 is my fave season overall? Special mention to my favorite episodes, The Official Cast Recording and Escape the Green Room

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Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Season 1 (2023) ☆☆☆

~ Honestly deserves more stars but I can't get past over some of the scenes they've changed from the book that didn't need to be changed. I will probably need the next season to fully appreciate the TV version more because I'm still stuck with the mindset that the TV is a book adaptation, when it really is it's own thing at this point. I love that there's more Sally Jackson appreciation though! And Percy is incredible I actually feel like he's the same Percy from the books.

••••••••••••••••••••

Doctor Slump (2024) ☆

~ Was looking forward to this too much because I like the lead actors but something about the way they tackled mental health in the latter parts made me less interested in the drama and honestly the best friends were more fun to watch. Felt like the script was too messy and I really just forced myself to finish it at the end. They were cute when they were getting together tho

••••••••••••••••••••

When I Fly Towards You (2023) ☆☆☆☆☆

~ This is the cutest thing ever?? The leads really only had one (1) major problem and they grew from it and became better at being with each other. I also liked that the other characters also had backstories explored and not just a secondary love line. There are a bunch of cliches but it's a romcom so I love that. Zaizai also just strongly established her cute, easygoing, loveable,and fearless character right from the start til the end and I love her!!

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Hidden Love (2023) ☆☆☆

~ Context: was told this was out around same time as WIFTY and competed with it and this was I think received better so I decided to watch it second but that was the wrong choice cause I would have liked WIFTY more either way. There's the (very confusing) age gap thing which, thankfully, they addressed but then they started to lean into it which left me ?? about it but that was really it. I feel like the other backstories apart from the main love story was not as well done as it could have been, but it did have some really good moments. Liked the acting though, they're both very cute! Loved the brother & sister duo as well.

••••••••••••••••••••

Physical 100: Season 2 ☆☆☆

~ I liked the camaraderie I saw from Season 1 cast more (even though its a competition) but I think the Season 2 games were more fun to watch them play. Don't really have much to say about it but I didn't really have much of an expectation going into it since I know there were issues with the way they ended last season. I think they were a bit more fair & transparent this time though! If they do another season I hope to see like a category basis type of game? Similar to semi-semifinals in S1 where they get to choose which games they think they'd do best in. But S2 was better in terms of showing different members at least because honestly I didnt know who the S1 finalists were until they were already in the finals, but at least Amotti & Beomseok were known from the start.

••••••••••••••••••••

The Marvels (2023) ☆☆☆☆

~ I have started to not keep up with MCU (starting with last two episodes of She-Hulk, so noting that in case I forget and want to catch up) which, honestly, devastating! But cannot blame myself because I don't like the discourse people have surrounding the movies anymore. Anyway, I don't care what other people think! This was a fun one! Sure, there were things that could have been elaborated on (what happened to the water planet???) but I never thought about all that back in the earlier MCU films because I always just thought they'd address those later on or I'd look for fics if I really want answers like a normal person! Point is: it was fun to watch. Loved all three Marvels and I think they were so cute together. Waiting for their next one!! (Hope there is still more because I heard lots of people didn't like it, same thing for Eternals, and now Eternals isn't going to be followed up on?? Huge middle finger to those people who took more Makkari content away from me!)

••••••••••••••••••••

Dimension 20: Fantasy High (2018-2019) ☆☆☆

~ Kind of a low rating, but that's because I'm still adjusting I think. I am onboard with the whole story, but it really felt like so many things were being set up for future storylines, which isn't bad!! Very expected, since it's the start of the entire series, so I really could argue for a 4 star rating on this one. I'm just not fully settled in yet with listening/watching to D&D campaigns because this is the first time so I'm sure I've missed a lot of things, but that's on me!! It was a good run though and I've already started with the Sophomore Year, which I think I'm enjoying more? So excited!

••••••••••••••••••••

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One ☆☆☆

~ I stupidly made the wrong decision to think this was the first MI movie bc someone told me this was the first I didn't realise they meant it was the first part !! That's on me though :) Anyway, bc of that I didn't get some things which is why I will be watching the whole MI for a bit more context lol But for now, will give it a 3.5 rating since it's something you can watch in passing, just casually, even if you know nothing about it. It's okay! Interested in seeing the second one. I like the built in dynamic that the three guys have already, fun stunts and etc!! Will revisit once I'm done with other IM. [Done with other IM: I CAN'T BELIEVE ILSA'S DEAD THEY REALLY CAN'T KEEP A FEMALE TEAM MEMBER HUH! Gonna raise the rating to 4 because I think it's on the same level as Fallout, but sliiightly better because it's building up to something more. Though I think if the continuity sucks for the next film, my view on this would go down by association haha]

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Abigail (2024) ☆☆☆

~ Not as terrifying as I thought it would be, it's still kinda a horror/thriller. I think my favorite is just Abigail tbh and Sammy when she turned puppet. The whole ballet in a violent way is so good I very much enjoyed that! It's another movie you can watch casually, but ending's not enough for me. I think I would've liked to see Abigail & Joey become friends after no matter how messed up that would be hahaha. Might also enjoy a second part to it!! Alisha Weir you are so talented and wonderful, I'm so excited to see more of your work when as you grow older.

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Mission: Impossible (1996) ☆☆☆

~ Not as fun as I expected? Very cool spy things but story itself was pretty predictable. I thought it would give more origin story of Ethan Hunt, which I think I would've enjoyed more. Didn't expect a 'suspected to be a spy working against them' right off the first film though! Anywayy, kinda low because the recent one has a bit more humor which huh makes me enjoy an action film more. This is more serious and you can feel Ethan's less experienced about it. But still probably the best choice for casual watch if you're good with an older film

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Mission: Impossible 2 (2000) ☆☆

~ Okay! Rating this lower by one star but I can't explain why. It's okay, but some parts of it felt dragged out, though I can't pinpoint which. Liked the stunts in this one more than the first! Also they really made a lot of use of the face mask thing they do this time around which definitely one of the best things they have in this series. Also can be watched casually, but probably wouldn't be my first choice.

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Mission: Impossible III (2006) ☆☆☆

~ First one with Simon's character!! Benji!!! Finally!! Tbh I think he's the character I like seeing interact with Ethan the most. Or my favorite character in the series in general. Not sure why yet. Ethan's wife is so cool but I really suspected her a lot at the start because of how some scenes were shot,, she was really cool at the end though. Would like to see her more. I think this one was a bit better than the other 2, but still a bit dead on some parts. It was okayy !

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Wicked (2013 Version) ☆☆☆☆

~ Been a long time coming. Watched the slime tutorial on youtube (with Donna Vivino & Alli Mauzey)! Performance was obviously amazing, Alli is known for being hilarious as Glinda (based on the comments) which is evident in the show. She really pulled off all the comical moments and it made the show so much more fun. The story itself was good! Not much to comment on for me, except I wish Elphaba and Glinda stayed in touch and I didn't really have much of an opinion on the love story haha,,, I just maybe would have liked a more friendship based one than having a love story mixed in because Elphaba struggled to be friends with anyone from the start. But the songs were great and I'm excited to see the movie now!

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Very Important People: Season 1 ☆☆☆☆

~ The only reason I even deducted one star is just I wish they'd gone more crazy in the costumes. Ify & Zac's costumes were the kind of level I wanted but I'm hoping more of that next season (which I'm already expecting). I love Vic so much, they're the best host for this. The lore of Vic is so fun to unravel. My fave ep (apart from Ify & Zac's) are Anna's and Izzy's!! They have pretty simple costumes but really made the whole thing so fun. Anna's Princess Emily was such a great start and I didn't know what to expect from Izzy's but I loveee the lines she gave. Veryyy hopeful and excited for the next season.

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Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2013) ☆☆☆☆

~ THIS ONE WAS FAMILIAR. I think I might have watched it in a hotel somewhere in passing. But the Burj Khalifa scenes were iconic. The car park scene was fun. I think it's the best so far cause there's no dead scene as far as I recall. ALSO I spent a lot of time getting disappointed with the lack of continuity bc I really liked his wife and she's just gone (I was literally going "Where's his wife :(" the entire first half) bUT OMG SHE WAS HERE! CONTINUITY!! I like the story. This might be the best one in the series, but hoping the next one is better.

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Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015) ☆☆☆☆☆

~ BEST INTRO SO FAR. And also best so far!! Topped Ghost Protocol I think. This had eveeerything I wanted and also I think the main reason I enjoyed this was because of Benji and Ilsa. Benji will continue to be my fave, I just really like his character and I'm glad he was more involved in this one. Ilsa was amazing!! She was so fun to watch and her situation was so insane. I liked the whole plot, it was exciting right from the start up until the end. This is really setting my expectations up too high for the next one.

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Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) ☆☆☆☆

~ I feel like this was the one where you can just feel the relief after they dealt with the bomb. They've had bombs in the past but this had a lot of cutting it close. JULIA, YOU'RE THE BEST! YOU'RE THE REASON THIS HAS 4 STARS AND NOT 3! I didn't expect her back but I'm so happy she was in this one despite it being short scenes. I don't think it topped Rogue Nation, I think it's mostly because of Henry Cavill's character? I hated him from the start and it was pretty obvious right off the bat he wasn't on their side so I just didn't like seeing his character in any scene lol...Alanna was fun! I'm glad she's also in the next movie. Ilsa was also greaaat.

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Tarot (2024) ☆☆

~ 2 stars sounds bad but it's really not that bad. It just feels like a last choice for a movie to put on but at least it was still a choice. It was a very obvious type of movie where you just knew logically the tarot readings were foreshadowing their death, so it was a matter of how they were going to show that. But I'm not really a fan of overly bloody and violent deaths on screen (unless deserved lol) so I had to look away several times. And the ending was,,, not as satisfying as it should have been. Not a very memorable movie, which is a shame cause I kinda looked forward to it.

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Atypical Family (2024) ☆☆

~ I'm kinda annoyed because I watched this with two episodes left to come out so I was really excited because the story has been great and the chemistry of the characters was great, and just the whole power concept in general was nice. It was like Moving but less action and more day to day life, which I guess made my expectations too high since I loved Moving. But the last two episodes were the ones that missed for me. The ending especially??? It felt like they needed at least one more episode. Like they barely wrapped anything up and it kinda sucks. If they'll do another season then maybe my rating for this would go up, but idk I'm just finding the ending to have kinda ruined the whole thing for me. Not satisfying to watch at all.

[transboysokka]

How did you first get into Avatar/why do you like it? I love to see how different people answer this question!!

Wow, let's see it all started when I was ten years old and my family JUST got cable television, so I was excited to be a Cool Nickelodeon Kid, and I saw a preview for this Cool New Show that was gonna premiere on a Friday and I remember asking my mom if I could move my bedtime to see it because it looked cool

That show was Avatar if you didn't guess lol. And it was SO good. It was the exact kind of fantasy I loved, and the worldbuilding and aesthetics were SO good, and I just kept watching every single week because I was HOOKED.

I remember my mom would watch it with us which was interesting to me because she usually thought kids shows were boring.

I also always would talk to my friends at school about it the following Monday, which was definitely the first show I'd ever seen that people would have that sort of watercooler discussion about.

Anyway I think in the original run I only missed the Jeong Jeong episode and the Fortune Teller episode.

When it was originally airing, I remember the show teaching me a lot about the world, and also how to process different difficult emotions and deal with adult stuff. Growing up in America, there was a war going on at the time for us too, and it was everywhere, and I remember watching 9/11 on live TV and my third-grade teachers made our class watch the US invade Iraq and bomb Baghdad on live TV.

This was all stuff adults had never bothered to help me process (they probably thought they didn't need to, but I actually still have PTSD about 9/11) and anyway it was just really cool to see stuff like this on TV that could also challenge and develop my own morality as a kid.

Like even the idea of a bad guy turning good?? That was hard for me.

Anyway even when the show ended I still loved it. I was always drawing it or thinking about it or talking about it. I rewatched it a lot through the years.

When I moved to China in 2018 I rewatched it again because the show reminded me of where I was living and I thought that was cool.

And yeah as I've rewatched it more and more I've found new things to appreciate about it each time, and it's really cool to see how I've grown and changed alongside it.

Anyway, in the last like six months somehow I got clued into the fact that there's now a really decent-sized online fandom surrounding it, which I really think I started to notice when I was just reading way too much ATLA fanfiction as I do every few years and realized WOW a lot of these things have been written really recently!

So I decided to come back to Tumblr and check it out and here I am!

[macgyvertape]

BSD spring '23 season liveblog

The most annoying thing is in some places eps 38-50 are season 3 and are season 4 in others 

Ep1 has phenomenal use of color where its greyscale and basically monotone except for a few details, but its done so well that there’s depth and contrast with the grey on grey. The full color showing up from Ranpo’s PoV then is a shock and drives home the different viewpoint. Even the fight choreography of Oda vs Fukuzawa comes across clearly and better done than most full color fights in other shows 

Living for this Ranpo serious character focus. The glasses transition as the world shifts into color. I’ve said it once but its so fucking good

Fukuzawa being featured in the flashback arc makes me appreciate him so much more, like I hadn’t paid him as much attention as other secondary characters because he got so little spotlight and seemed to have his shit together

Oh shit, there’s Fyodor Dostoevsky! I was expecting the Port Mafia but not him 

What the name of the music that plays post credits ep 3

Thrilled by Poe getting to star in a 2 episode plot, his focus episode was one of the things that made the Guild arc my favorite current day arc

Lmfao Poe being filthy rich and Ranpo having such a bad reaction was hilarious

The mysteries in the show are such fun

Tripping out on Poe’s ability synth wave room 10 hours

Lmao what did Rampo expect, that Mushitaro wouldn’t immediately be killed?

Nikolai’s psycho showman killer routine is super annoying and the episode isn’t even halfway

Love to see the trap build up very obviously with viewer knowledge

Great dark with red color pallets with ep7

Damn the hunting dogs get a cool music intro (they get it twice!)

From the word criminal i expected the Port Mafia to show up, but damn Chuuya has a great entrance

Kunikida is really going through it ever since the tunnels, i love when good writing stresses a character’s ideals hard, so this plotline where things build and build and build has been great.

Kunikida made what looks like a sacrifice play, time to stay up to watch this. He has such plot armor that I can’t believe he’s dead.

Really enjoying how many other characters than Danzai and Atsushi get to be in the spotlight this season

Soon as I say that Danzai shows up as a plot twist. His intelligence is very much a plot device, which is why (IMO) fandom Danzai fic falls flat a lot of the time where its “he would not fucking say that/he’s not this much a woobie and is smarter than this”

I've been playing a drinking game for the number of anime eyeglass flashes this season

Yosano gets a PoV episode, and peak example of how this shows can explore darker themes even with a healing ability, and also nail the emotional impact with the camera pan on the medallion and suicide note

Into my drinking game and I’m really noticing and appreciating the little bursts of music for 10-30 seconds  

Hmm Hirotsu is the 2nd character where it seems the hunting dogs have got a kill but body isn’t shown to the viewer 

Was not expecting Tachihara to be the last Hunting Dogs member. I better rewatch earlier seasons

Glad Mushitaro is alive, he’s a fun character haunted by the death of his best friend

Ango is getting some fun reveals this episode

Wtf is this sky casino, this helicarrier looking thing

“Most terrifying thing is a mediocre man who’s desperate”. Unfortunately true

I thought it was obvious that Sigma and Sky Casino came from the Book, but they’re making sure to spell it out 

Wow the Hunting Dogs have to go through fucked up surgeries every month or they’ll die horribly. It explains so much. (Wish I could find more fanworks that are this quality of “the limits these characters will go for their objective” and less shallow fluff)

The good outro music is back again in ep 13

Cliffhanger nooo! This ranks as new best season of BSD really enjoyed the amount of angst this season. 

Once again I wish this fandom would stop spam tagging things especially when I want to find secondary character focused works.

[shazzeaslightnovels]

March 2023

(Series: Tensai Oujo to Tensai Reijou no Mahou Kakumei | Artist: Yuri Kisaragi)

No. of Reviews: 4

List of Reviews:

Urasekai Picnic 8

Tensei Oujo to Tensai Reijou no Mahou Kakumei 6

Aohal Devil 2

Danmachi 18

The Winter Anime Season has ended I have Thoughts on the shows I watched.

BOFURI 2 - This one had a rocky first half for me where it was very battle-focused and was starting to feel repetitive but it picked up a lot in the second half. I think once the concept of tame monsters was expanded with the other characters getting their own monsters was when I started to enjoy the series again. The best episode so far has definitely been Maple and Sally’s date episode where Kon and Syrup get power-ups. It was really cute and fun. This was delayed due to COVID so it hasn’t finished airing yet so I might touch back on this next month if anything changes but for now I think this is a solid season that’s not quite as good as the first but is still really enjoyable.

Danmachi 4 part 2 - While I’m glad J.C. Staff decided to give this plot more room to breathe in the anime than they have previous story arcs, I definitely found that it dragged far more than than the novel did. These volume are LONG and I was fine with that in the light novel format because I was able to read them at my own pace but having to be stuck in this plot for week after week with the situation changing little each week really made this season hard to keep interest in. It doesn’t help that it follows a few different groups and it became harder to keep track of who was where. I think this season might work better if it’s binged rather than watched weekly. I do want to give massive props to Saori Hayami though. She was fantastic and really made those emotional scenes land. I do also kind of wish there was one more episode as well to try to end the season on a more lighthearted note. Either an anime original episode, or one adapting parts of volume 15 or, even though it’s meant to take place earlier in the story, it would have been great to have gotten a condensed version of the first story from Familia Chronicle Episode Lyu. I just feel like a light hearted episode would have given us more catharsis after being stuck in this darker storyline for 11 weeks. Still a good season though, especially if you like Lyu, and I look forward to the inevitable season 5.

Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady - A perfect adaptation that reminded me of what makes this series special. The adaptation made the already stellar character work shine. I really enjoyed watching it every week and I’m so glad that Diomedea gave this series the love that it deserves. Also, watching the anime made me appreciate Tilty more. She didn’t make much of an impression on me in the light novels but the anime really made her stand out more. I probably wouldn’t want a second season given how directionless the story feels after volume 3 but it would be cool to see an OVA focusing on Lainie and Ilia and how they get together.

Misfit of Demon Academy 2 - I caught up on this one the week the delay was announced RIP. This season has had a fairly interesting storyline but it’s also messy and confusing and I was already struggling to understand it so this break isn’t going to do it any favors. I’ll probably touch back on this one at the end of Spring season but tbh I don’t remember much from the last episode I watched and I don’t really want to rewatch it so I might give up on it.

Digimon Ghost Game - Caught up on this as soon as it’s end date was announced. And while I don’t regret finishing it, I’m also really glad that I put it on hold when I did because that was such a disappointing finale and I would have been much more pissed about it had I not taken that break. Ghost Game started out so good with a lot of intriguing set-up and fun mysteries but pay-offs for all of those mysteries were really disappointing. It took far too long to advance the plot and when it finally did, the plot was rushed. It suffers from all of the same problems that the Adventure remake did. At least with this one I enjoyed a lot of the stand-alone episdoes so I’ll give it that. And I also want to give big props for Sawashiro Miyuki’s performance as Gammamon as that’s a major reason why I stuck around for so long and why I probably will rewatch this in the future to see if it holds up better if it’s not consumed weekly.

Next season, I am obviously hyped for the second half of The Witch from Mercury and I’m also looking forward to Yuri is my Job which I’ve read some of the manga volumes for and enjoyed. I really want to try Pokemon Horizons. I finally got a switch over christmas because Scarlet/Violet looked so freaking good and I really enjoyed it and it got me back into the franchise. It was my first pokemon game since Black/White 2 because I never got a 3DS so you can imagine how blown away I was by how many advancements the franchise has made. So I want to watch the anime, especially because Sprigatito’s in it, but it’s gonna depend on if I can find a place to watch it weekly in Japanese because I want to hear Suzuki Minori. I’m pretty sure I should be able to watch it with a VPN but we’ll see. Otherwise, I really like the key visuals for The Galaxy Next Door. The plot doesn’t seem all that interesting but I’ll probably check out the first episode.

[katierosefun]

Once again, thanks for a detailed reply! I agree re emotional complexity of good betrayal stories, even though irl I know I wouldn't want to go back as I wouldn't have any love left for someone who betrayed me. (And, to return to HdL, I'd send CM to Hell w/o a second thought. I guess I'd make a very poor writer - but a vicious vengeful ghost lol) (Sorry, needed to get this out of my system bc I HATE CM so much it makes me incoherent. How people can ship him and MW is beyond my comprehension)

PS: And here's another random thought: it occurred to me that there's something knight-like in Chan-seong's devotion to Man-wol... and then this made me think about La Belle Dame sans Merci (I know this association is a bit far-fetched, but I can't get it out of my head now) (Ok, I'll stop spamming you now; have a nice day!) (2/2)

well, anon, i think there's a lovely place for vicious vengeful ghosts. (and to be honest, i am in partial agreement with you--i never really did sympathize at all with chung myung, just because like . . . ? i dunno, maybe it's just that his life never seemed too hard, and i didn't think the stakes were necessarily high enough for him to do all that he did :/ like, the hell dude. you didn't have to do all that, did you? like, what was the reason?

and also, like . . . maybe chung myung seems especially small in my opinion because of how sharp the contrast between himself and chan seong is. (in that chan seong's insanely selfless. he trusts man wol completely, and he's also willing to risk everything for her! even earlier in the show, he admits to that other hotel manager about how he does have feelings for man wol, but he won't act on them . . . and also, maybe chan seong and man wol's relationship hits a very personal chord with me because something about chan seong telling man wol to trust him and something about man wol being still somewhat stuck in the hurt that was inflicted on her years ago and something about learning how to love while also learning how to let go and learning how to wait are all so . . . GOD!! ! ! ! i didn't expect to get invested in their relationship, but upon the second watch, i realize that i really did love them a lot more than i thought--and i think part of that is just like. hotel del luna is one of those shows where i don't think people will really understand the appeal of it unless they're at a different point in their life, and each episode in the show sort of reflects so many different people's stages of life, so i think that's the beauty of the show. something about that other hotel manager, you know, the one directly before chan seong--saying something about how you meet all kinds of people and it makes life so much more interesting.)

oh, and as for the poem: i've never read la belle dame sans merci until this morning, and i agree. the image of sitting on a hillside and dreaming, the pale knights having maybe something to do with the ghosts, and then waking up and finding oneself alone . . . there's something bittersweet in the poem because it speaks of love for a woman found in a meadow (man wol in the garden!) with long hair and wild eyes (MAN WOL), but that emptiness that comes with waking up and looking around and just waiting (and this is why i sojourn here, / alone and palely loitering) :(((((((