#genuinely just dislike Lin’s music

[nemesis-dreamer]

My hot take is that I don’t like Hamilton. It’s a hot take because every time I say I don’t like Hamilton, someone says to give it a chance. My brother in Christ, it’s been years, you’re not going to change my mind.

[pardonmydelays]

Jesus H. Christ why on earth did I go on Twitter today?? Obviously there would be Lin hate, and I, like a dumbass, walked right into it.

I love how just a few weeks ago it was all "Hamilton is overrated" but today it's tweets with pics of Lin as Hamilton going "We're never seeing this greatness again". "Oh we're never getting a musical from him ever" well everyone acts like he committed a crime every time he takes part in something so hmm maybe he's not feeling the incentive or encouragement to do an independent project.

This is even funnier knowing that people were whining about how he wasn't a part of Moana 2. Please stick to a script. Do they want him to do Disney soundtracks or no? Do they want him to make musicals and god forbid, play a role in them, or no? Do they want him to...you know? Make music? Or are they going to complain about whatever he does? Apparently they are, because he acted in Percy Jackson and that got everyone even angrier somehow, right. And when he directed a movie that's somehow not part of the discussion.

Sorry if I'm bringing negativity here, I was just feeling frustrated. Don't get me wrong, everyone is entitled to an opinion and like you, I would've preferred an independent project as well. There's nothing wrong with saying "man i wish he did another musical", it's the people who obviously just dislike him using this as a way to hate on him that are pissing me off.

no because i always do the same... i know twitter is full of haters & i go & read those nasty comments anyway, then always end up sad & angry...

i honestly really hope he's not reading what they say about him on the internet. he's not active on twitter anymore tho & i don't see many haters on instagram so that's good, we all love him there. & i'm pretty sure i'd be more excited about the lion king if he didn't have so many haters... because don't get me wrong, i'm really happy for new music, whatever that is i just know it's gonna be good. i am just genuinely scared & i think this was the very first thing i told my friend bel when i found out about it: i'm scared people will start hating on him again.

but honestly at this point i don't even know. they would probably talk shit about him even if it was a brand new project. people just hate my man & they will never stop. i hate it here.

[no-where-new-hero]

Fire and Hemlock Readalong: Chapter 2

...in which Polly enters fairyland.

This is a chonker of a chapter. In some ways, we are given every single clue to deciphering the rest of the novel in these pages, even though of course that's not really legible on the first or even the fourth read (DWJ's essay helps to clue you in to everything she's doing here, though I don't recommend it until after you've finished the novel, of course!). I could write an entire dissertation on this chapter alone on the references and foreshadowing.

The most important introduction in the moment, though, of course, is the entrance of Tom Lynn, the Tam Lin figure. One of the many ballad-sourced characterizations of him that I love is how DWJ introduces him as rather purposefully liminal: he is both an adult but childlike, he is embedded in the frightening world of Hunsdon House yet not entirely welcomed by it, and he also exists in a kind of ambiguously gendered state, evidenced by the non-masculine codes of musicality and myopia. Polly divines something sympathetic in him and plays on that to cover for herself, though her ruse eventually grows into a genuine connection built on a game of "making things like heroes up with other people, then being them." I love how carefully DWJ phrases this: Polly doesn't merely "pretend" to be a hero. She is the hero that she creates. This is a thorough transmutation of identity through imagination and will come to link her even more to Tom later on.

I don't know how early I ought to bring this up, but I know people find Tom's friendship/definitely-foreshadowing-as-more-ship with Polly troubling. Of course, this is a legitimate reason to dislike the book/his character, but it’s worth noting how raising the possibility of that discomfort is an absolutely conscious choice on DWJ's part: not only does it set up yet another theme (sexuality, age, and power) but also works directly within the reference frame of the ballad. After all, Janet goes to Tam as a deliberate transgression: she disobeys the injunction given in the first stanza of the ballad, and that DWJ includes as the epigraph of this chapter, which works to clue us into what Polly is doing: she has also broken rules--not just through trespassing onto another property and interrupting Laurel's painting bequests, but also through meeting Tom at all. Rather than a sexual encounter, Polly and Tom forge a bond of creativity that propels the incidents of the novel just as Janet's unborn child does the ballad, and it falls under suspicion by mortal and fairy judgment alike.

Another thing I noticed this time speaks to DWJ's familiarity with medieval literature, but sight and seeing things becomes a cipher to truth. We saw that even in the first chapter, with Polly's changed perspective on the Fire and Hemlock painting and her depressed sense that she has lost something by no longer seeing it "correctly." But in this chapter, we have the fact that heroes can see strange light in a pool and can see four different configurations of words on the same pair of urns, which Polly calls an enchantment. Sight is not always a positive sense--it brings trouble later on. But throughout, as in medieval hagiographies (lives of saints) and narrative lays, it always means a path toward understanding. To see is to know, even if the seer isn't entirely aware of its implications and the knowledge may be forbidden.

[forever-fan]

Everyone in the comments are talking about how Hamilton is racist, which 1. I don't know where they got that from and 2. It's basically historical fiction and that time of history was racist af so 3. If there is anything "racist" in Hamilton, then it was probably intentionally added to be historically accurate. (if I'm wrong, then okay, whatever)

On other news, I myself am loving the PJO show. Episode 6 is my second favorite at this time. (mind you, episode 8 still isn't out) I thought Lin Manuel-Miranda's performance was great. It was honestly how I imagined Hermes' personality and style. I always thought Hermes was one of the more laid-back gods, so the sweater I saw someone complained about was totally in character in my eyes.

I understand where some book readers are coming from with their dislike of the show, but I personally take the show and books as being parallel universes. Some things can't stay the same when you make page-to-film adaptations. And yes, Uncle Rick promised us an accurate show and it isn't exactly the same in every single aspect, but it is still a million times better than the *retches* movies *gags*.

Anygays, I hope everyone has a lovely day.

Edit:

I've dug deeper into the comments to see what people are actually complaining about, and oh my gods, it gets worse. Y'all do realize that people audition for roles, right? I'm just double-checking because the main argument for Hamilton being racist is the fact that POC were cast as oppressors in a rap musical, which they auditioned for. Like. Why is this your arguement?

Here's some of the counterarguments to this that I found:

The people auditioned for their part.

Every group of people, no matter the color of their skin, has been an oppressor at some point in history.

Having an all-white cast in a rap musical would probably be seen as just as racist.

They most likely got their parts because of their voices and singing ability rather than the color of their skin.

Lin Manuel-Miranda apparently wrote songs that didn't make the cut that were about the characters addressing the issue of slavery. (I'm guessing these songs probably had something to do with the historical reality of the Northern states wanting to get rid of slavery with the Constitution. This is just my guess using my knowledge of actual history, which you should have learned in 8th grade.)

There were other counterarguments, but I can't quite remember them at this time.

I would like to point out that some of the people calling Hamilton racist are bringing the race of the defenders into the equation. Someone will defend the musical and someone else will reply with "you're white". If someone did that the opposite way around and replied to a thought out defense with "you're black" you would all be calling them racist af.

I know most people like to say that you can't be racist to a white person, but I think that is incredibly untrue. That claim is founded on the fact that white people have been oppressors to multiple peoples throughout history and the fact that white people are generally more privileged than POC. However, that doesn't subtract from the fact that by saying "you're white" as an excuse for why someone can't contribute to a conversation, you are genuinely using someones skin color against them, which is, say it with me now, racist!

I don't care if you yourself are black, brown, blue, green, or fucking gold, using someone's skin color and race as a reason for exclusion is the basis of racism. And using racism to win an argument about whether or not a rap musical is racist is counterproductive. But some people are just too immature to realize this fact.

Yes, I realize this entire post is not my usual content for my blog, but it had to be said by someone. And if I get hate for saying you can be racist to white people, then okay whatever.

I am once again wishing that you, the reader of this post, have a nice day/night.

im going to say it… lin manuel miranda is a well trained actor and is actually eating hermes up a little bit… y’all just need to let go of your thirteen year old self who was cringe about hamilton…. do not let your anger be misdirected towards an artist that lost control of his creation…

[impulsea]

What are you feelings on the live-action remake? I'm afraid that they had changed Ariel's personality too much either to make her a "Karen parents- approved good role model" for girls or to make her fit the mold of current Western feminism idea of "girl power" in media.

Hi there! Thanks so much for the question, friend. Unfortunately, I have deeply negative feelings about the live-action remake and I've decided I'm not going to be watching or supporting it. Now, I don't want any part of that to be interpreted as my not being supportive of Hal*e's casting or the fact that they diversified the role of Ariel. I'm happy a woman of color was given an opportunity to show her talent, and I have no doubt Hal*e has more to offer to a production than any of the live action princesses before her (N*omi, E*e, and Lil*y, especially, were disappointing to me. In fact, Lily is part of the reason I've given up on live actions entirely, what she did to the character of Cinderella makes me nauseous to even think about). However, so many elements of the production are deeply problematic, and when you couple that with how much I disliked the past live action remakes (again, with Lily J*mes being the main culprit), I don't want to watch something I love so much be distorted into something else for the tenth time.

For starters, I dislike Li*n Manuel. His lyrics do nothing  for me and his artistic touch is irritating, so I don't want it anywhere near Howard Ashamn's beautiful music. Secondly, the LGBTQIA+ erasure. We've seen Disney increasingly "sanitize" any LGBTQIA+ elements from their production and we even see less inclusive talent working on these projects. I also feel spoken down to, as someone who belongs to that community, with how many times they've tried to market "the first gay character" in whatever property, and not only does it never end up being an openly gay character, but always some one-eyed monster or someone like Le Fou in the live action remake where his sexuality isn't even confirmed or even something like the homophobic jokes that were made in the live action A*addin. It doesn't make any sense to me, because Disney has no issue getting political and getting even aggressive with their beliefs, especially as it pertains to feminism, but it seems they're determined to erase all the progressive our community made in the 90's. The casting of Melissa McCarthy as Ursula is one such instance. I also don't think you can have a straight man, like Lin, interpret such a historically queer property.

Furthermore, there's been a LOT to do about the beliefs of the casting team which are problematic, to put it mindly. Evidently, a lot of Erics were turned down because they weren’t white (a lot of hispanic men, especially, were turned down) and when you see how their first choice was Harry Styl*s and then it ended up being another white, British, light-eyed person...they didn't even cast a person of color for Ariel's father. I just...I don't know, a lot of it makes me uneasy and I think will age very poorly, but I genuinely and sincerely hope this is a launching pad for Hal*e and the negativity and poor decision making of the other elements of the film won't affect her. As I said previously, she's way more talented and deserving of a tiara than the previous live action princesses, so I'm sure she'll do great.

[hashtagloveloses]

did lin manuel miranda do anything actually problematic? I’ve been seeing a lot of dislike towards him recently? I just genuinely don’t know if he did anything or if people just don’t like him because he can be cringey sometimes

other than write a musical about singing slaveowners, theres a reason puerto ricans from the island do not like him. its not my place to speak on, but: https://remezcla.com/features/culture/lin-manuel-miranda-hamilton-in-puerto-rico-controversy/

[susiephone]

i think what really gets me is how this sort of thing just betrays a lack of respect, if not total disdain for musical theater as an art form. like okay fine maybe you're just too cool and mature and grounded and cynical and into True Art to be able to stomach a movie where people burst into song every five minutes and have dance breaks in the middle of the street and argue in 6-way counterpoint. but i'm not. i'm not and this medium is deeply important to me and a lot of other people. and like i don't think it's entitled to think people who love this art form deserve adaptations made by people who also love it.

that's why the "tick tick... boom!" movie was good. whatever else you can say about the man, lin manuel miranda gets musicals. he cares about them. he respected the hell out of the original work and sought to bring it to a new medium in a way that preserved what made it special. the "in the heights" and both "west side story" and "chicago" movies were good because they weren't ashamed of being musicals and clearly cared about the integrity of the original. even movie musicals that are significantly clunkier, like "the last 5 years" and "the prom", I still genuinely like to some degree because god dammit, they committed. did it always work? no. but at least they tried. at least they didn't disdain the source material for being what it fundamentally is.

and you'll notice those movies i mentioned didn't make a 1-1 replica of the original stage shows. all of those movies changed some shit- sometimes in ways i liked, sometimes in ways i didn't. but none of the changes felt like the director scrambling to save face or make the story seem less "silly" by virtue of its musical-ness. film is a different medium and a different language, and often by the time the movie comes along, audiences respond to different things; things have to change. sometimes that means doing what "chicago" did and making all the musical numbers either literal in-universe performances or dream sequences. sometimes that means doing what the remake of "west side story" did and adding new scenes to reframe some things and add new context. sometimes that means doing what "tick tick... boom!" did and expanding a minimalist 3 person show on a bare stage to a fully cast biographical journey of its writer, making full use of filming in new york, using the original staging as a framing device.

it does not mean trying to elevate the movie from being "just a musical". musicals don't need elevating any more than comic books do. and in both cases, i'm so frustrated with the movie adaptations being given to directors who clearly have zero respect for what the original is, who are so scared of looking silly that they cloak everything in self-awareness and irony and "realism" so no one will think they actually care.

like goddamn. i understand wanting to expand the market and draw in people who dislike musicals. from an economic standpoint, i get it. but why should anyone, musical lover or not, bother to see a movie you seem embarrassed to be directing? why should anyone care when you don't seem to care? why should someone who doesn't like musicals give the genre a chance when even the movie itself seems to hate that it's a musical?

*puts hands on hollywood exec's shoulders, staring unblinking into their eyes* listen to me. you will never get people who hate musicals to like musicals by making your musical less of a musical. if you hide the fact that your film is a musical in the advertising, you're going to get a lot of low ratings from people who hate musicals and went into your movie not expecting a musical and got one anyway. people who hate musicals will hate them no matter how realistic and diegetic and lowkey you try to make it. they will hate musicals even if you completely excise anything complicated, over the top, silly, or even slightly challenging. they will hate musicals even if you cut half the songs. they will hate musicals even if you cast that a-lister who can't sing worth a damn. stop trying to market to people who hate musicals. they're a lost cause. your audience should be people who love musicals. this half-assed middle ground pisses off both camps. just embrace the fact that your movie is a musical. lean into it. don't try and trick musical haters into coming to your film when you could be marketing to the theater kids. better cringe than a coward.

[rqs902]

.

yang chaowen is really a sensitive kid... man he brings out renyu's song's feels and then brings up ylq to relate to the lyrics bc he knows his friend isnt getting as much appreciation as himself. (this makes even more sense after ylq said he had been crying before ycw went onstage and ycw was comforting him... and then after ycw came off the stage, it was time for ylq to comfort him from crying TT) Their friendship is really something. But then ycw saying he just gets ripped for getting screentime for crying all the time ouch but i dont get the feeling that hes doing it for attention but maybe im becoming partly biased towards chaowen :) 

Lol the fact that they focus so much on xzx and how hes favored by gjm but feels like it's unfair to be treated uncomfortably by other trainees as a result... all i can say is, what do u expect, of course the other kids will be salty, their lives are on the line and theyre getting nothing close to the attention you are, so unfortunately u cant win everything :(

Lol I see why everyone on twitter is annoyed at gjm... Jackson is literally trying to say something meaningful and mentor-like to su er and gjm literally interrupts with his own opinion.... jackson is like unable to finish his thought. and then when Cheng xiao is actually trying to give ma haowen advice, gjm just goes WELL I DISAGREE, THIS IS RENYU'S FAULT and everyone's like wtffffff???? And then he starts saying people can help Xinhai with his terrible dance (ouch) but renyu didnt help haowen sing and Huang enyu MY CHILD just goes: but dancing and singing are different....... and I'm just smh.... gjm really shouldnt act like he knows everything when hes the only mentor with zero actual relevant experience :( Poor renyu literally looks like hes about to burst into tears, ma haowen looks so sorry and appalled renyu's getting yelled at and none of the other mentors seem to agree with gjm lol 

lets appreciate renyu’s song, its really good!!! 

Lol this whole mentor segment is a mess but man chaowen and renyu won a lotta votesss ayyy

I think xue en seeing hwh as a pro rapper shows him humbling himself, since hes technically a more seasoned and popular idol performer

Cheng xiao fangirling over xue en I mean SAME hahahahahahaha awwwwww yzx being soooo genuinely happy for xue en is the cutest!!! Aw cto friendship and xue en crying :’) actually one thing ive noticed i feel like yzx seems like a genuinely kind and cheerful friend, maybe people are bashing him bc he pushed off some leaderly responsibilities to lin mo in the last round but maybe hes just not someone to take on a strict leader role (looks at aj from afo...) and realized that since lin mo has such experience and is really good at it, it makes sense to respect his experience and skill and let him take on that role. of course its unfortunate that means lin mo worked extra for less recognition, but i think it seems like yzx really respected and admired him so im hopeful what happened wasnt due to mean intentions 

watching chen junhao feeling lost oh man :/ maybe he hadnt fully prepared himself for the idol life when first coming on this show. its unfortunate reality that in this kind of idol survival show, the focus is more on stage presence and face and performance, rather than the music itself. Hopefully he really feels that hes found a path forward through this performance. This is a really real way to present him but I'm sad theres not as much focus on li chenxu when this is hissss song

Man both the self composed songs are really good!! Mann them making this song a dance song is really hard to watch for li chenxu bc its makes it hard for him to shine at his own song which is sad :( also lzx's rap is questionable lol but cjh's vocal part in the middle part is so emotional, I hope he felt like he was able to express himself fully there

Lol does gjm not realize they didnt have a choice to not dance. Lollllll cheng xiao literally said they had too much to do and tried very hard but he didnt listen.

Aww jackson teaching them about team work :') o gosh I have PTSD about jin fan getting classified as a vocal now after uuu..... also not surprised the entire segment was about sxl and even the judging portion lol....

Oof Jin fan's voiceeee I love

Man why does Jin fan always get stuck in not dance songs ><

more appreciation for xu zhaohao vocals pls!!! imo sxl has a poor attitude :/ he doesnt perform calmly under pressure and isnt doing well at making a good atmosphere for practice

LOL why do i feel like lin mo is always saying "song" things hahahah hes really a kid

but mannn yan an just walking into the elevator is so oof

Aw duan xuyu is too nice... but I guess this is the leader in him coming out

Aw yan an immediately encouraging xikan when he lost the center to him

Lolll xikans little “heheh” when he won 

Mannnn ngl even tho yan an leaves the show, I kinda wish he had a bigger role in this perf bc it's literally like his jam.... chinese style influenced dance.... I wish he had at least 1 memorable dance move, like I feel like Luo Joe already had one in the last perf and he has one again here (and hes very talented and he deserves recognition!) but yan an has yet to really show anything and im scared hes gonna just disappear soon :/

They all did so well tho!!! Truly a group of dancers. Really made me want to rewatch the whole thing immediately. altho the beginning I cant unsee the lin mo meme LOL 

and xikan did really well!! His stage presence is real. And hes put effort into his facial expressions

Luo Joe being cute is iconic

Aw yan an cheering on lin mo when revealing his votes!!

Aw I'm surprised 100 ways kids didnt get more votes.... lol ngl i feel like this show is just randomly adding vote bonuses in for random reasons not prespecified for kids they like.... cough gjm yet again

but oo the next ep looks fun hahahha im excited for a happier ep thats not as stressful.

Ycw keeping it real 2020: "im not good at controlling emotions.... i hope if you want to cry or laugh do it loudly, dont care about what other people think"

ok so maybe im liking more new kids than i expected, but i think thats a good thing that the show is making them likable and some kids are able to stand out! honestly i realized I kinda can see why they eliminated so many to begin with. It's sad but also kinda nice tbh (ouch, i know) bc if they really got rid of the ones who have less skill, it makes it easier for the others who dont have to teach from zero (cough lin mo) And then those with skill get to have at least 3(?) stages, unlike qcyn where jin fan got eliminated after only doing 1 silly stage lol The skill level of the stages is also raised, like there's multiple groups of almost all people who are well qualified. im sure the kids are happy that they get to do more stages, im sure that means a lot to them. 

At least on snzm they attempt to give most trainees a positive light and give screentime to more than just the top 10 trainees. and they allow someee time for vocals, dancers and rappers to get appreciation (even tho dancers are still dominating lol)

but yea honestly I disliked the judging on pdc2019 too tho so at least the judges here can be supportive... at times. it is SUPER biased and gjm is very vocal despite his lack of knowledge tho lol 

it's so bad bc I feel like my standards for shows are so low at this point. my standards get lowered with every show I watch. It's like I guess the snzm songs are okay bc I hated the ones on afo more so at least the stages aren't thattt bad lol At least the rules/general setup aren't as terrible as they were on afo..... at least the camera time isnt as biased as it was on qcyn.... sigh the show isnt doing great, and itd be best if the show would help the tygers get more popular, but I guess its prob better than just doing nothing at star master lol. 

qcyn was just painful to watch from "spirit of the knight" onward bc momo literally was buried, mistreated, disrespected and taken advantage of. at least on snzm he gets some screentime and positive recognition.....

tbh i like snzm, maybe thats an unpopular opinion, but at least there have been some really great stages, where the kids really get to shine. at least i can confidently say that bc of snzm, i have met some new kids who i will be sure to follow for new music moving forward :) 

[douchebagbrainwaves]

WHY I'M SMARTER THAN SURPRISING

People never say that about me. Common Lisp: There are too many dialects of Lisp. Who does like Java? When IBM introduced the PC, they thought they were going to do this. One minute you're going to fail makes you stop working, that practically guarantees you'll fail.1 In the original Java white paper, Gosling explicitly says Java was designed not to be mean. Which of course makes me um even more, because I haven't had any time at all to practice the new bits.2

There was a window of about two years when spam was increasing rapidly but all the big email services had terrible filters. So far, Java seems like a stinker to me. You find the same in music and art. VCs.3 How many fifteenth century Milanese artists can you name?4 Open-source software has fewer bugs because it admits the possibility of bugs.5 Ornament is not in itself enough. In the original Java white paper, Gosling explicitly says Java was designed not to be mean. And while having the best people helps any organization, it's critical for startups.6 An essay can go anywhere the writer wants. So steam engines spread fast.7 I don't know Java well enough to like it or not, big changes are coming, because the Internet dissolves the two cornerstones of broadcast media: synchronicity and locality.

It's not cheating to copy. In science and engineering, recursion, especially, is that it makes you unhappy, but that it makes you unhappy, but that it makes you stop working.8 Recently I realized I'd been holding two ideas in my head that would explode if combined.9 Kill-or-cure strategies are optimal for VCs because they're protected by the portfolio effect. Likewise, a painting that suggests is usually more engaging than one that tells. It's probably no coincidence that so many famous speakers are described as motivational speakers. If i is the average outcome of the whole economy.10 After about ten sentences I found myself thinking I don't want to face what is usually the most productive. In fact many of the best startups it produced would be sucked away to existing startup hubs.

Whatever job people do, they naturally want to do better. We did it because it seems such a great hack. They'll each become more like one another. I missed that after we sold Viaweb, and for all. Don't ignore those voices. Its structure is an exoskeleton.11 The average teenage kid has a pretty much infinite capacity for talking to their friends.12 A list of n things.

That doesn't mean 16. Architects started consciously making buildings asymmetric in Victorian times and by the 1920s asymmetry was an explicit premise of modernist architecture.13 Likewise, the reason we hear about Java all the time is not because it has something to say, rather than because they wanted to make more, but not meanness.14 But evidence suggests most things with titles like this are linkbait. Today's experimental error is tomorrow's new theory.15 Experts expect to throw away some early work. Smalltalk, Lisp.16 But if you're looking for companies that could get acquired quickly, that would cut VCs' returns from winners at least tenfold. Founders usually have a lot of time in bookshops and I feel as if I have by now learned to understand everything publishers mean to tell me about a book, and perhaps a bit more. Hackers don't like a language that talks down to them. Their stock price has been flat for years. It's hard to guess what the future will be like, but we can be sure it will be if it saves them from lapsing into the fatal laziness that afflicted Microsoft and IBM.

And this wasn't just random error. What decided the contest for computers? Being a really good deal. So I think VC funds are seriously threatened by the super-angels seem to care about valuations. Now that we have enough computer power, we can spring on the world a stream of new startups that might otherwise not have existed. The third reason computers won is piracy. If you're among that number, Trevor Blackwell has made a handy calculator you can use to find out. Whether they like it or dislike it. As you think of successful people from history who weren't ruthless, you get something surprising.17 If DNA ruled, we should be greeted daily by artistic marvels. Likewise an artist, after a while, can make visual perception flow in through his eye and out through his hand as automatically as someone tapping his foot to a beat.

Notes

Horace, Sat.

If we had high hopes for doesn't do well, partly because companies then were more the aggregate are overpaid. Exercise for the same price as the little jars in supermarkets. Adults care just as big a cause them to.

The meanings of these groups, just that everyone's the same advantages from it, but as a company with rapid, genuine growth is valuable, and they were more at the same way a bibilical literalist is committed to rejecting it.

Conjecture: The French Laundry in Napa Valley. And perhaps even worse in the narrowest sense.

Indeed, it increases your confidence in a time of unprecedented federal power, in the US, it will seem as if a third party like YC is how intently they listened. It didn't work, like good scientists, motivated less by financial rewards than by the government. What you learn about books or clothes or dating: what ideas did European culture have in 1800 that Chinese culture didn't, they wouldn't have understood users a lot easier now for a patent is conveniently just longer than the founders.

Your teachers are always telling you to two of each token, as Brian Burton does in SpamProbe. A more accurate predictor of success. There is of course, that all metaphysics between Aristotle and 1783 had been Boylston Professor of Rhetoric at Harvard is significantly lower, about 28%.

A rolling close doesn't mean the hypothetical people who had been transposed into your head. In fairness, I want to impress are not in the case in the case in point: lots of exemptions, especially for opinions expressed.

A friend who invested in a place where few succeed is hardly free. But when you say is being unfair to him like 2400 years would to us that we didn't do. Only founders of the Dead was shot there.

Since most VCs aren't tech guys, the Nasdaq index was. Many more than linearly with its size.

A lot of detail. We just store the data, it's probably good grazing.

Some introductions to other investors.

Convertible debt can be compared, per capita income in England in 1750 was higher than India's in 1960. Naive founders think Wow, a few actual winners emerge with hyperlinear certainty. Patrick Pantel and Dekang Lin.

Cit. Instead of making n constant, it could hose the whole venture business would work. In the beginning of the current options suck enough. In ancient times it covered a broad range of topics, comparable in scope to our scholarship though without the methodological implications.

But there's a special title for actual partners. If you freak out when people make investment decisions well when they're really works of anthropology. This essay was written before Firefox. Now the misunderstood artist is not a problem if you'll never need to, so it's conceivable that intellectual centers like Cambridge will one day be able to protect widows and orphans from crooked investment schemes; people with a woman who had to.

Patrick Collison wrote At some point, there was a sudden rush of interest, you will find a kid that you'd want to figure this out. Some of the junk bond business by Michael Milken; a vogue for conglomerates in the case in the sense that if you want to sell services than a nerdy founder trying to work like casual conversation. There were a couple hundred years or so you can work out a chapter at a blistering pace in the 70s never drew this curve.

If you extrapolate another 20 years. I've been told that they aren't. Fortuna! You end up making something that flows from some central tap.

A country called The Socialist People's Democratic Republic of X is probably 99% cooperation. In fact, this is to raise their kids won't listen to them to stay in business are likely to come up with an excessively large share of a company becomes big enough, the better. And though they have a precise measure of the potential magnitude of the marks of a correct program. You need to run on the subject of language power in Succinctness is Power.

Thanks to Sam Altman, Jessica Livingston, Steven Levy, Trevor Blackwell, and Robert Morris for sharing their expertise on this topic.

[actuallylorelaigilmore]

A - Z (Fandom ‘Come At Me, Friend’ Meme)

WELL THEN *cracks knuckles* HERE WE GO 

(all 26 letters behind a cut bc this is very long)

A - Your current OTP(s)/OT3(s)/OTX(s)

As of this hour, my top OTPs are Penelope/Schneider from ODAAT and Joyce/Hopper from Stranger Things. But I have endless numbers of them, even within each fandom.

B - A pairing you initially didn’t consider but someone changed your mind

Jean/Alice from TDBM. 

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will (be nice)

Um…hmm. I’m such a multishipper, I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about my NOTPs. I’ve never been onboard the Keens from The Blacklist, though. Not even a little. I only enjoyed Tom in his original villainous state.

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t (again: be nice)

A couple of my spouse’s faves, I really wish I liked too, especially Sam/Josh and Mal/Simon. I don’t like one of the characters in each very much, so I’ve never been able to get into them–even though I understand them, and have had fun writing them…I just don’t love them too.

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom, if so, what

Yeah, mostly graphics, though. I don’t think I’ve ever written crackfic. I did New York Times Minus Content edits for TDBM, a ton of those. Also Sext Message Error sets for Lizzington and for Josh/Donna. And Welcome To Nightvale sets for iZombie and Lizzington. And OTP Bot sets for Lizzington.

And this isn’t EXACTLY crack, but my original tumblr claim to fame was this Hamilton/TWW crossover that got reblogged by Lin himself.

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom

Mm, the first time I actively joined a fandom was Buffy, and I was about 14 when that started for me…so as of this year I’ll have been in that fandom for 20 years! But I’ve been a fangirl literally my whole life, I just didn’t really join fandoms before the internet, and I started using the internet more in junior high and HS.

G - Do you remember your first OTP, if so who was in it

Lou/Joey from Brotherly Love, or Claire/Trevor from Cupid (original run), or Dharma and Greg, or Allison/Wade from CryBaby, or Idgie/Ruth from Fried Green Tomatoes. I was a shipping prodigy, and the couples I was obsessed with as a literal child blur together a bit in the timeline, so I’m not completely sure which came first.

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., tv shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.) 

TV shows.

I - Has tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why

The Aaron Tveit fandom made me uncomfortable watching BrainDead before I even had the chance to decide if I liked it or not. Most fandoms I love, though. I prefer to ignore the drama and focus on the people I actually like. 

J - Name a fandom you didn’t care/think about until you saw it all over tumblr

SO MANY. Parks and Rec, TDBM, Stranger Things…a significant portion of my watchlist comes from this hellsite by now–I have friends with good taste.

K -Say something nice about someone in any of your fandoms

@mossdonnatella is in a lot of my fandoms. She is a much better fic writer than she thinks she is!!

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves (chars you’re neutral on are fair game, as are chars you dislike)

I really ended up disliking Jacob a lot, on Grace and Frankie. But I will say that in the beginning he is very respectful of Frankie’s boundaries and tries to be patient with her, and I did like that.

M - Say something genuinely nice about a ship that you don’t ship (or its shippers, or anything related to you)

I don’t actively ship Jancy on Stranger Things after seeing S1 (I don’t really ship Steve/Nancy either, though…I think I mostly just ship Nancy x happiness) but the moment when her mom knocks on her bedroom door and they reach for each others’ hands instinctively? That is a damn fine understated sweet connection moment and I really enjoyed and believed it.

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice)

Okay since a lot of my top fandoms are for shows that ended a long time ago, I’m going with One Day At A Time. In fic or in canon, I want to see a lot more of Schneider being Penelope’s BFF and her confidant. I want more serious!Schneider moments bc it turns out the actor rocks at them, and I want to see Pen really get to move on from Victor as her kids get older, I want real confirmation that she’s finally past any possibility of reconciliation with him bc she deserves SO MUCH BETTER.

O - Choose a song at random, which ship or character does it remind you of

Randomizing my music gave me “Quiet” by MiLCK feat. GW Sirens and Capital Blend. 

Sample lyrics:

Cuz no one knows me, no one ever willIf I don’t say something, take that dry blue pillThey may see a monster, they may run awayBut I have to do thisI can’t keep quiet, no A one woman riot

Despite the mature meaning behind the lyrics, and probably because I’m watching Stranger Things right now, it reminds me of Eleven, the tiny badass fighting her way to freedom.

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas)

Alright, I’m gonna invent one right off the top of my head right here and now since you asked. Um… a One Day At A Time AU in which Penelope meets Schneider not as her landlord but as a patient, once she becomes an NP. Doctor/patient “okay if you won’t stop asking me out then get a new doctor so I can say yes” fluff ensues.

Q - A ship you’ve abandoned and why

Lizzington. I’m technically still writing fic for it bc I have a chapter fic to finish, but I haven’t watched the show in years, I avoid content for it, and have no interest in it anymore besides the phantom limb feeling of having been so invested in a ship for that long and making friends around it.

R - A pairing you ship that you don’t think anyone else ships

Well, since I mentioned it earlier, I think I’m the only person ever to watch the scenes Bud and Brianna have together in Grace and Frankie and think “that should really be a thing.” 

Also…Kate/Donna from The West Wing. Based entirely on one scene.

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

I genuinely don’t understand this question, sorry. What’s an ‘example’ of my headcanon, and how does that relate to prompts? If somebody wants to explain this to me, I’ll answer it. 

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending, about anything at all (gender identity, sexual or romantic orientation, extended family, sexual preferences like top/bottom/switch, relationship with poetry, seriously anything)

Yep yep yep. Andy was the leak, not Toby, and that is the hill I will die on always. I’m sure I have others, but that’s the big one.

U - 5 favorite characters from 5 different fandoms

Toby Ziegler (TWW), Alice Harvey (TDBM), Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls), Jim Hopper (Stranger Things), and Spencer Hastings (from what I just saw of PLL with @actuallylukedanes). 

V - 3 OTPs from 3 different fandoms

Luke/Lorelai, Gilmore Girls. Parker/Hardison/Eliot, Leverage. Joyce/Hopper, Stranger Things.

W - 5 favorite ships and 5 kinks you like best for said ships

Josh/Donna (TWW), Donna in control. Matthew/Alice (TDBM), hurt/comfort sex. Alvareider (ODAAT), “whoops are we kissing wait do we like each other?”Jared/Miss Parker (The Pretender), conflicted kisses up against wallsI’m having trouble thinking of a 5th one but I used to really like Lizzington angry!sex bc damn that ship was angsty

X - top 5-10 characters who are yoUR PRECIOUS BABIES AND YOU WILL DIE DEFENDING THEM

Eleven, Toby Ziegler, Schneider, Lena Luthor, Logan Echolls, literally every main character on The Good Place.

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)

Game of Thrones, Agents of Shield, Doctor Who (though I finally have started this one!), Jane the Virgin, The Worst Witch, and lots more…I like learning about fandoms secondhand. 

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go (prompts optional but encouraged)

Every single one of these tiny Stranger Things children in S1 is the epitome of epic friendship and I love it. Mike jumps off a cliff to protect Dustin and Dustin’s willing to get his teeth cut out to protect Mike and Lucas offers a sincere apology when he’s wrong, something most adults still suck at, and Will tells Mike the truth even when he would benefit from lying and Eleven chooses death to save them all and they are beautiful and perfect and I love them.

[heartintact]

Belinda couldn’t even pretend to look aggravated at Rory’s dislike for her organized approach to relaxation. After all, she was perfectly aware that not everyone got the same thrill out of crossing a bullet point in their agenda. However, her smile became skeptical when the other girl brought up the Jesus argument. ���If he slash they wanted us to do things, they would’ve blessed us with an object to guarantee that we’d be able to wake up when we need to, like… oh! An alarm!” She managed to look genuinely surprised as she uttered the faux revelation, nodding along to Rory’s complaints about her previous scheduling antics. It’s not like she wasn’t willing to improve anyway. Especially if that meant she’d have both, a happy friend and a color-coded list. It was a win-win situation. “I’ll make sure to add enough… wait, seriously?” Her amusement was evident as she was forced to do a double take on what she had just heard. It was sweet to think that such an affirmation had escaped out of the lips of a now blushing Rory, but her interest was too piqued not to indulge on letting the other in on her thoughts. The concept of too personal or too intimate was something that lacked meaning within the universe of their friendship. “Did you just say three times? ‘Cause that sounds–” Unreal, exaggerated, really fun. But also completely different to her usual approach of touching herself only when she was particularly frustrated or bored. “Like something I should add to my personal routine,” Lin finished. She fought the impulse to point out how planting those mental pictures in her brain was a particularly hot-music-video-vixen move of her; instead, the brunette grabbed the champagne bottle, drinking from it before trying to find a middle ground. Not that she’d ever anticipated using her diplomacy skills to solve this kind of problem. “What if I promise to respect your solo time in our schedule? We could even make it our solo time,” the girl didn’t stop to consider what it might sound like, “like, let’s say– I get to add to that yoga class and you get to add daily orgasms on our to-do list. Doesn’t that sound like the kind of schedule you could get to love?” She’d feel particularly self-conscious to jump so quickly on that train if it weren’t for the fact that it sounded like the brightest idea she'd ever had.

Rory could imagine it being sexy on someone else, champagne spilling over her tongue and down her chin, droplets rippling towards her cleavage. She felt bashful though she hid it well, reaching up to wipe at her chin with the back of her hand and then ran her tongue over her hand dramatically. "Oh yeah, hot girl drenching herself in champagne... except she usually has long hair and double d's. Not that I'm complaining. You basically called me video vixen level hot and this stuff tastes like it'll be worth us getting our asses handed to us when they realise we stole it." She replied, cheeks still warm as she grinned. That hand of hers still hovered in the air as Belinda brushed away the rest of the champagne and it was hard not to catch her hand and keep her there for a moment. Instead, she just pretended she was going to bite her as she drew her hand away. Swallowing, she settled herself and willed her heart to begin beating at a normal pace once again. She took the bottle as Lin handed it over, taking a long sip as she settled back into her corner of the hot tub. At the sound of her very organised and reasonable suggestion, Rory's face scrunched up in immediate distaste. "Plan it out?" She replied skeptically. "Can't we just leave it to Jesus? If he slash they wants us to do things, we'll be able to wake up at a reasonable hour to do them. You know my whole thing... if you plan it all out, you miss out on opportunities." Rory complained, before taking another sip of the champagne. This whole pretending she wasn't spending half her time admiring Lin thing got harder when alcohol was involved. That plus the hot tub and the little clothing... it served to be a big distraction. "Also you never carve me out enough for my generous self-care routine. I need to cum at least three times in that bath." It was just a joke, just something Rory would say to any girl to make her laugh and make her think about sex, but the second it came out around Belinda she was suddenly more embarrassed. Another sip of champagne, that would help.

[academiix]

Please read if you show genuine interest and will not leave rude/racist comments

“Growing up, I thought I was white. It didn't occur to me I was Asian-American until I was studying abroad in Denmark and there was a little bit of prejudice.” ―Maya Lin

What does it mean to be Asian-American? is a question I often ask myself in the rare moments of spare time as a teenager still figuring out my identity. It used to just be a passing thought, a small part of myself that I didn’t care too much about. But the more mature I become, the less I can ignore this blatant label plastered onto my face. Everything I did became “Asian-American,” and I learned to embrace this identity, passion surging through my veins every time I heard the hyphenated word. 

The first time I truly stopped to search “Asian-American” on Google Images was for a project in freshman year. We had to create a memoir, and I chose to draw a self-portrait, but ran out of ideas how to portray my “Asian-Americaness.” What I found was typical - the picture-perfect family, a few pictures of the legendary show Fresh Off the Boat, countless students with graduation caps and gear from prestigious universities, Whiz Kids, The Rise of Asian Americans - I know it all. 

Asian-Americans are, in my opinion, the most homogenized ethnic group in American society. This quote quite sums it up: “Years ago...they used to think you were Fu Manchu or Charlie Chan. Then they thought you must own a laundry or a restaurant. Now they think all we know how to do is sit in front of a computer” (quote from an Asian-American high school teacher). We’re homogenized because of our relatively low population (5.6% of America) and because of so-called “quiteness” (or in some people’s opinions, “submissive”) that doesn’t draw much attention. This standardization, the unreal, machine-like uniformity is extremely dangerous. 

the model minority myth

This phrase is not uncommon when discussing stereotyping of Asian-Americans. I’ll just give a brief explanation: it’s the theory that Asian-Americans are the “best type of minority” and centers around the question, “why can’t other minorities be like Asian-Americans?” The term envelops all Asian-Americans under one certain image of a quiet, studious, math-genius Harvard kid who will probably find an upper-middle class life and not be aggressively engaged in politics. 

This, of course, is a myth. And if anything, does more harm than good. The stereotype forces all Asian-American families of different racial groups, socio-economic backgrounds into a single image. It ignores the struggles that low-income Asian-American families face, and instead gives others a false perception of them having a perfect life. The term doesn’t account for the racial groups that statistically don’t have high education degrees, dehumanizes individuals so that they have robotic-like qualities, and creates a social pressure that steers many Asian-Americans away from certain career pathways (i.e. lack of Asian-American representation in media). 

The myth also erases other forms of racial discrimination because according to the model minority myth, “Asian-Americans only have good stereotypes.” But these stereotypes, are they really good? How many times have I been pressured to succeed academically and economically to the point where I broke down in tears? How many times did I feel like I was not good enough, not smart enough, not “Asian” enough? Too many to remember. And it’s not just me - Asian-Americans have some of the highest rates of depressive thoughts yet a great number don’t seek help. From my personal experiences, they don’t seek help because they’re scared. They’re supposed to have “perfect lives,” and if they were to tell someone (especially a non-Asian-American), they would not be taken seriously. My counselor even told my best friend (who used to have depression) and I that we probably wouldn’t understand what mental illness are like - and we both think the assumption is based on the model minority myth. 

There’s also the debate of affirmative action. Personally I agree that affirmative action is a good idea but with some flaws in the system. There’s the increasing thought that model minority stereotype has made elite universities try to limit the accepted number of Asian-Americans, which causes the modern effort to be “as less Asian as possible” on applications. Affirmative action is supposed to increase diversity, but when there are suddenly too many of the same type of minority, suddenly Asian-Americans are no longer considered as “the diversity.” Did they forget the practical slavery that Asian immigrants faced during the 1800-1900s just because of the myth that Asian-Americans excel? Does my last name truly matter more than my other qualities? (There’s one case where an Indian-American student applied to medical school I believe and pretended to be an African-American. Apparently the change of race helped him in the admissions a lot.) Now I’m not saying that affirmative action is bad, what I’m questioning is, why should my ethnicity, which has been empirically otherized and discriminated against, still harm my educational opportunities? 

the bamboo ceiling

Here is where the model minority myth gets cut short. After all the seemingly positive stereotypes, Asian-Americans will inevitably be sub-par in American society because of the “bamboo ceiling.” This is the line between white Americans and Asian-Americans that recreates the racial hierarchy. “Good but not good enough”, “honorary white person”, “good, but not white enough”, “smart, but perhaps your communication skills aren’t that good...oh wait, you can speak English fluently??” 

According to statistics in a majority of the fields with a prevalence of Asian-Americans (i.e. medicine, tech industry, even law, etc), a relatively minuscule percentage of Asian-Americans hold upper-management positions. Even in areas where there aren’t many Asian-Americans, the percentage is still less than the average percentage of Asian-Americans in the country (i.e. politics and entertainment). Of course slowly these barriers are breaking away, but I believe the reason why the bamboo ceiling exists is because of the inability for many to differentiate between Asian immigrants and Asian-born Americans. For example, my parents truly have some issues with speaking “perfect English,” but that doesn’t apply to me...yet, in some people’s minds, it does apply to me. 

Perhaps the bamboo ceiling is caused by the fear of a reality of the model minority stereotype. Perhaps the barrier is there so that white Americans could still have an advantage in the workforce, because they are afraid that a dominant Asian-American co-worker will take their place. Just leaving the idea out there; you can decide for yourself if my theory is plausible. 

The combination of the model minority and the bamboo ceiling puts us in some odd situation - we’re somewhere between revered and disliked, don’t know whether we should feel grateful or disgusted, and that’s where I begin to question my identity. 

Jay Kang’s article discusses the Asian-American identity in his recent article:

“‘Asian-­American’ is a mostly meaningless term. Nobody grows up speaking Asian-­American, nobody sits down to Asian-­American food with their Asian-­American parents and nobody goes on pilgrimages back to their motherland of Asian-­America...We share stereotypes, mostly — tiger moms, music lessons and the unexamined march toward success, however it’s defined...

Discrimination is what really binds Asian-­Americans together.”

Thanks for reading! Please I would be honored if you could spare a minute taking this poll!

[spdersilk]

Lemon [lin x reader]

Warning(s): Cursing, champagne, kissing, kinda fluffy (nothing too bad hehe)

Summary: You and Lin were great friends back in high school. You recall all the memories the two of you shared, yearning for a chance to go back and change things. But little did you know the chance was bound to come ;)

Note: I had a fun time writing this :) I got a tinsy bit inspiration from In The Heights. Requests are open!

The smell of freshly baked goods and beverages flooded your senses, as you entered the local café that was near your block. You had come here every day precisely at 5 p.m to grab your slice of cheesecake and a cup of lavender chamiolle tea to relax. You looked outside your booth. The sky was a beautiful shade of lavender with a splash of tangerine across the horizon. A sigh escaped your lips as you sunk further into the plush velvet chair.

“as his hit musical Hamilton continues to amaze individuals of various ages, Lin-Manuel Miranda-” Your eyes snapped to the small television. Images of an energetic man flashed across the screen. You smiled for a moment. Lin-Manuel Miranda. You were the least bit surprised to see his name all over New York. Smash hit sensation. An absolute genius. Possibly a reincarnation of Alexander Hamilton. You had heard it all. You closed your eyes for a moment. Lin and you had history.The both of you had been close friends in high school.  He was a senior and you were a junior.

“Y/N, do me a favor and grab the extra sheet music from the storage room. We’re gonna need two more cellos” Your conductor said. You nodded, walking over to the storage room. ‘We have enough cellos, why would we need more?’ You thought. At the corner of your eye, you saw a boy running quickly towards the storage room. Someone had called his name and he had turned around, seconds away from slamming into the wall. Your breath hitched as you lunged for his arm, pulling him roughly into you. “Woahwoahwoahwoah” The boy said hurriedly, grabbing on to your shoulders for balance. His eyes flickered to your face for a quick moment. “Are you okay?” You asked. Lin-Manuel Miranda. He was a senior. If you did anything as close to laying a finger on him, he would either shrug it off or make you the school’s new laughing stock. You had your bets on the latter. He swiftly let go of you and ran his fingers through his hair. “I'm fine. You look a little winded there yourself.” He smirks, carefully examining his surroundings before looking back at you. You furrowed your eyebrows. Did he forget that you were the one who just saved him from a bloody nose? “Uh-” You started but he cut you off. “Babe, if you wanted my number you could’ve just asked. No need to get all touchy.” He said rather loudly. A couple of guys his age barked in laughter. You grimaced and side stepped him, deciding to not dig yourself a deeper grave. Lin furrowed his eyebrows in confusion for a moment, watching you pick up some sheet music. Usually the girls he flirted with would either blush or giggle. Not side step him and forget about his existence. For a moment, he flushed. He was sounding like the rest of them. Lin let out a breath. Only five more months till he can leave this hell and become himself again.

Lin wasn't always a jackass. In fact, he never was to you. It took you awhile to figure out his “dual personality” but when you understood, you were amused. Putting up a front just to fit in sounded like too much of a hassle. You took a bite of your cheesecake and let the tart lemon flavor fill your senses. Lin always seemed to remember your likes (and dislikes). Even before the two of you were friends.

“I don't understand why a dumb club requires meetings in the mornings. Do they understand that kids don't sleep till 3 a.m because of homework?” You grumbled to yourself, as you shut your locker. “No they don't. They don't call high school a “hell hole” for no reason. You turned around quickly, clutching your chest.  “Didn’t mean to scare you. I brought donuts to compensate for my unacceptable behavior yesterday. Being a dick really does take up 2/3s’ of your personality. Minus the actual-” “Okay I think its a little too early for those kind of  jokes.“ You mumbled, rubbing your eyes. “Sorry. Uh. No I mean sorry for the dick joke. It wasn't exactly a joke. Fuck, also sorry for being a dick yesterday at rehearsal.” He looked flustered for a moment before sticking out a brown paper bag. “Donuts? I heard you liked tart sweets. Well, lemon tarts. I mean, lemon flavored things” You eyed him, only making him more anxious. “Do you stalk me or something?” “No no! Crap you probably don’t even know me. I’m Lin-Manurel Miranda. Friends call me Lin. You can call me anytime. Oops sorry, there we go again. You call me Lin for real. Well not for real but if you-” “Jesus you talk way too much. I know who you are. You’ve been in every musical we’ve had so far. I was just giving you a hard time” You said, sheepishly taking the bag. Lin let out of an embarrassed laugh. “But seriously? Lemon frosted donuts? What is with you and lemons?” “What’s it with you and stalking?” “Its called being observant” “I don’t think observant people buy other people whom they have never talked to their favorite donuts to compensate for their insolent behavior”

He smiled at you and it nearly caught you off guard. It was almost as if you had forgotten how charming and alluring he looked when he smiled. “Touche” He mused. You looked away quickly, nibbling at the donut  “Am I forgiven?” He asked after a beat .You chewed thoughtfully. “Do you always try to bargain apologies with food ?” You asked, brushing your hands on your jeans. He ducked his head sheepishly. You had him pinned to a t. “No, but I don't really know how to make it up to you other than buying lemon donuts.” He grumbled. “Speaking of which, how do you even know I like lemon donuts?” You asked. “Cast parties.” He said. You furrowed your eyebrows for a moment but nodded your head. Awkwardness began to fill the air. “Okay I really don't think buying you donuts erases away my behavior from yesterday.” He said. “That would be a correct statement.” You retorted, rocking back on your heels. “Let me make it up to you? There’s this really cool café that's opened up. They have stellar cheesecakes. Some of them lemon. Meet me there at 5 and I’ll prove it to ya.” He pleaded. You looked at him. His eyes had a strange glint and you could see how nervous you made him. It almost flattered you. “Are you tryna give me diabetes or something?” You asked, shutting your locker and grabbing your books. “They say sugar is the key to the heart” “Whoever said that was probably a diabetic” He let out a laugh, and you grinned. “So its a deal?” He asked, his eyes hopeful. You were taken aback for the second time. He was being genuine. You blinked, and looked at your sneakers and back at him. He had the same look. You shrugged in response. He chuckled happily. “i’ll see you then!” He called, trotting towards his locker.

And that was how your friendship bloomed. You looked longingly at your half eaten cheesecake. This café brought back so many memories, it almost hurt. The two of you would always spend your afternoons here. Splitting money to pay for the cheesecakes, paninis, pina coladas. He even seemed to acquire a taste for lemon flavored cheesecake. Sometimes, he would invite you over to his house and his mom and dad would cook dinner while listening to music. He would teach you how to dance but most of the time it ended up with you stamping on his feet and clutching onto his chest so you wouldn't fall. He would laugh so hard, there were tears in his eyes.

You glanced back at the t.v. Lin wasn't on it anymore. It was broadcasting the local news. You closed your eyes again. You remembered a particular night. It was one of your favorites. The night before everything blew apart.

“Lin, your parents aren't home. I'm pretty sure they would be pissed to see-” “Relax! They love you almost more than me. And to be honest, its kinda scary. Plus, they are on vacation for the weekend. We’ve got the place to ourselves” He said, opening the door and holding it for you. You hid your blush, turning away from him. Feelings were one thing you were able to control all your life, as ridiculous as it sounds. But Lin confused you. He steered you off the tracks by saying small things that meant more to you then you would care to admit. He would look at you sometimes, softly with a small grin on his lips. You would look away of course, trying to hide your blush. He grabbed a bottle that looked like champagne. Your eyes widened. “I graduate next week, I thought we would celebrate.” He said happily, a glint of sadness in his eyes. Your heart dipped. He would be gone. In a week. No more dancing. No more café “dates”. No more Lin. You gulped and matched his feign happiness. “We don’t have any cups.” He grinned, opening the bottle. You giggled, watching the champagne spill everywhere. Lin took a gulp from the bottle, a little longer than you would have expected. He let out a breathy chuckle, handing it to you. You laughed as he got up and starting jumping around. You took a generous sip, and joined him. The two of you spent the rest of the night sharing the bottle and talking about anything and everything.

“Do you wanna dance?” He asked after a moment. You laughed. “No way! I’m going to walk all over you again.” But he wasn't listening. He put in one of his parents old cassettes, and the house was flooded with slow music. “You didn't teach me this kind of dance.” You said quietly, as he walked over to you. He didn't answer, taking your hand softly. His hand pressed against the small of your back. Timidly, you placed a hand on his shoulder, keeping your gaze down. “ Y/N, look at me” He beckoned softly. You kept your eyes fixed on the collar of his shirt before slowly raising your eyes to meet his. And yet again you were thrown off guard. The look on his face made your breath hitch in your throat. His eyes were glassy from the champagne but sober. They were soft, overcome with emotion. You swallowed hard. His cheeks were pink and you could see the peach fuzz on his chin that he so desperately has been trying to grow. Your eyes settled on his soft pale pink lips. You let out a small hiccup and he smiled softly, twirling you around. “Has anyone told you that you have the softest prettiest smile when your guard is down?” He asked. You kept quiet, your eyes flickering down. “How come your always on an edge, Y/N?” He asked again. You didn't say anything, letting him twirl you. He pulled you closer to his chest. “I-” You choked. Feelings were flooding in your head. Your heart was pounding. He was holding you closely, his eyes intent. It was so new. He cared for you. Cared. You swallowed. “I don't know” You whispered. You could feel everything. His calloused hands that were folded within yours. His soft and staggered breathing that flushed against your cheeks. You could feel the blood rush to your ears. “Y/N-’” You blushed furiously. The way he said your name. Like it bounced off his tongue. Like music to your ears. His voice was a symphony. You wanted to hear it over and over and over again. You hummed, gaining the courage to look up at him. “Can I-” He swallowed. He was choking too. You shut your eyes tight, nodding. You were too scared. This was beyond your control, and yet you wanted it so badly. He waited for a second before softly pressing his lips against yours. You let out an involuntary sigh that spoke waves. You’ve been waiting for this. He smiled against your lips, almost as if he was responding. ‘me too’. His lips were soft and molded against yours with precision. They tasted sweet, like the champagne. You pulled away for a moment. He leaned in, yearning for more. Your lips were intoxicating. You studied him for a moment, smiling widely. He blushed, and you kissed him fiercely, trying to convey that what he felt was reciprocated all this time. You were just too scared. Too scared.

And that was where you ended it. Ever since that night, you had cut off all ties. Lin tried desperately to contact you. He had even messaged your parents, but you were stubborn. The thought of him leaving you was terrifying. But the thought of him leaving you with your heart in his hands was absolutely petrifying. So you did what you thought best. You “saved yourself” from the heartbreak by simply cutting everything off.

You leaned against the window, the familiar sense of regret taking over. That is until you heard the door chime. A man stepped inside, removing his hoodie and your breath caught in your throat. He walked towards you, a warm smile on his soft pale pink lips. “Y/N.” He greeted. “Lin? What are you doing here?” You said, quickly getting up. I’ve been looking for you. He thought. He sat down instead.

“I think you owe me a slice of some lemon cheesecake.”

[solitomatonic]

i have a few questions about hamilton, specifically to those who are very against it. not in an "i dont like the music" or "not a fan of musicals" way, but have a genuine distaste for hamilton and its creator and fans. i know why people can hate fandoms. i remember my early days of the homestuck fandom where i heard horror stories of children shouting at conventions getting grey paint all over the walls and thinking, "man, im way better than them! im so cool." (spoilers; i was not much better.) ive seen people praise the founding fathers portrayals in hamilton and act as if theyre precious cinnamon buns and etc etc which i can very easily see as a reason to have a dislike towards hamilton. ive also seen people full on despise hamilton and even hesitate to associate with people who are close to hamilton's creator (ex. the mcelroys are friends of lin manuel miranda and a good handful people avoid their content for that reason alone) lin manuel miranda played a big part in creating the soundtrack for moana, but i havent seen anyone boycott it because hes apart of it, so why boycott hamilton? tldr im asking why, based only on the musical and creators, are people so against hamilton? im not trying to defend it, i only know from what ive seen and heard from others. i just wanted to know

[furederiko]

A bit later than planned, but today's Random-News-Digest is MAINLY (yes, not all) occupied by Disney-related news. Owing that to the Disney D23 Expo 2017 that took place over the weekend, of course. So... as the San Diego Comic-Con International 2017 officially kicks off today (July 20th, PST), let's take a quick detour to see what hit the world by storm last week...

Disney Live Action

During the D23 Expo 2017, Disney announced and confirmed several of its upcoming live action remakes. Niki Caro's "Mulan" has entered production, as well as Tim Burton's "Dumbo". Dwayne Johnson is also set to headline "Jungle Cruise", while "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" has been given an official release date.

Cast for "Dumbo" has been confirmed to consist of Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green, as well as Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins. Roshan Seth, DeObia Oparei, Sharon Rooney and Douglas Reith round up the set in supporting roles. Farrell is set to play Holt Farrier, a former circus star who has a rough life following the war, while Parker and Hobbins are set to play his children. DeVito's Max Medici is an owner to a struggling circus, who then hires Farrier to be the caretaker of Dumbo, the elephant with oversized ears. Keaton plays V.A. Vandevere, and Green plays Colette Marchant, both who are interested in turning Dumbo's aerial ability into fame.

A life-size statue of Dumbo was showcased during the panel, though I'm not sure if it's from the movie or just a replica from the 1941 animated movie. Burton is bringing MANY of his previous collaborators on "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" and "Alice in Wonderland" to work on this movie. That alone is enough to give us a sense of 'what to expect' from it. The movie will be filmed entirely in England, and it is set to be released on March 29th, 2019.

"The Nutcracker and the Four Realms" will star Keira Knightley as The Sugar Plum Fairy, Helen Mirren as Mother Ginger, Morgan Freeman as Drosselmeyer, and ballerina Misty Copeland. As the title suggests, the movie will feature four different realms, and two of them are called the 'Land of the Flowers' and the 'Land of the Snowflakes'. Charles Riley is in charge for CG creation and motion capture, and it will be released on November 2nd, 2018.

Three lead actors for Guy Ritchie's "Aladdin" have been announced. Will Smith has been confirmed to play the iconic Genie. Joining him are Canadian-raised Egyptian actor Mena Massoud... who will obviously playing the titular character, and actress Naomi Scott in the role of Princess Jasmine. While Massoud is poised to be getting a bigger buzz due to his upcoming involvement in John Krasinski's "Jack Ryan" series, Scott is the more well known one for the time being, having had her high-profile big screen debut through Lionsgate's recent "Power Rangers" remake.

Apparently, this casting was harder than it looks. A few days before the announcement (on July 11th), The Hollywood Reporter ran a coverage describing 'the struggle' that the House of Mouse faced in their global search to find the right actors for the characters. Around 2000 actors and actresses from London, Egypt, Abu Dhabi, and India have read for the lead roles, but without any easy result. The process even dragged the project so much, that apparently Ritchie had to go back to the drawing board multiple times. "The test process was a mess", said one agent... whose client obviously didn't go through. The team even consulted with musical veterans Marc Platt and Chris Montan to solve this issue.

Coming from a credible site that rarely made a mistake, this report obviously became a hot topic of debate, putting Disney's supposed-effort into a giant question mark. Because seriously though, was it really THAT hard to find natural brown-skinned Middle Eastern actors who CAN sing and dance? Especially considering Disney ended up casting an Egyptian actor and half-Indian actress for the role instead of going full-on Arabian? I mean, don't these countries have talent shows (like "India's Got Talent") that almost always features young aspiring talents who CAN dance and sing? Not just that, the glaring fact that Bollywood is FAMOUS for its MUSICAL movies had me scratching my head. No offense to Massoud, but we have so many aspiring young South Asian or Middle Eastern actors who ARE popular as both singer and dancer while also looking more appropriate for the part. Just throw in names like Shahid Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra, Hritik Hroshan (who is yes, prolly too old, but he nails Aladdin's look perfectly), or even Turkish hot-throbs like Emre Kivilcim and Serkan Cayoglu with vast TV experiences. And I'm positive you'll find yourself slapping your own face in confusion for why Disney needed to even... 'struggle' to find one. They can even cast one of those young and undeniably handsome-looking Arabian princes from the royal palace! And I'm NOT kidding.

It's more than clear than Disney, Ritchie, and casting director Randi Hiller (also white) only searched those who have a North American and/or Hollywood presence, because the names being talked about was none other than the likes of Riz Ahmed, Dev Patel (which would've been fantastic), and Tara Sutaria. They've also seemingly focused more on non-natives who grew up in Western countries, like Dutch Achraf Koutet, American George Kosturos, and also Massoud and Scott themselves. This clearly made many questioned... why call it a 'Global Search' then? For the time being, the studio is also in search for a well known name for the antagonistic role of Ja'far. Should we even make a wild guess who they are going to cast? I won't be surprised if Disney returns to Sir Ben Kingsley for the part *sigh*. I mean... who else, right? Aaah... Riz Ahmed!

Anyways, let's just hope this casting is good and that it won't generate negative whitewashing feedback. I've repeatedly said that I do NOT think Smith is a good choice for the Genie, because even an Oscar-calliber like him would have a genuine hard time following the footsteps of the late Robin Williams' iconic performance. However... as much as I dislike that particular decision, I'm willing to let it slide if Massoud and Scott can nail their parts gracefully. According to Massoud, Williams was his inspiration to pursue acting, and I'm pretty sure that will be winning the hearts of "Aladdin" fans. If not one of the reason why Disney turned their heads towards him, of course. LOL. I'm now hoping we'll be seeing a different casting scenario with "Mulan", because I fully expect an ACTUAL global cast for that movie. Come on Hollywood, there ARE gazzilions of Asians around the world who CAN sing and dance! So if you're ever spout nonsense like 'difficult to find' and all, I'll belt out a tune and make a man out of you guys. For real! Crossing my fingers that Caro will get it... 'better' than Ritchie, though I'm not that particularly certain about it. It's a white world after all, right? "Aladdin" is set to begin production in August for a 2018 release. Probably for August 3rd.

Actress Emily Blunt and director Rob Marshall were present to debut the first look for "Mary Poppins Returns". The footage grabbed the crowd's attention, and despite being absent on stage, Lin-Manuel Miranda's performance brought out their wildest cheer. As has been widely reported, this movie serves as a sequel to Julie Andrews' original classic. The movie takes place in a familiar, but different setting: Chery Tree Lane. Ben Wishaw and Emily Mortimer are playing Michael and Jane Banks, the kids from that first movie who have grown up to be adults now. Michael is also a windower with three children. Colin Firth is set to play a heartless bank manager, who brings trouble to the dark and gloomy London, as well as the Banks family. Miranda plays Jack, a lamplighter who helps Michael's eldest son Georgie to get his kite. Meryl Streep is playing Mary's eccentric cousin Topsy, the great Angela Lansbury as the Balloon Lady, and Dick Van Dyke returns as the bank Chairman.

According to various report, the footage gave off an 'Old Hollywood' style with high production value, dance sequences, and grand musical numbers. There's also a 2D animation/live-action hybrid scene, sounding very similar to the first movie. Blunt said that she only saw 15 minutes of that movie, so that she can try to deliver her own version of Poppins. "No one is ever going to out-Julie Julie Andrews. She’s just unbelievable. There will never be anyone else like her. So I just had to do my version of her and I think we were very loyal to the books.", she said praising Andrews' performance. Will Andrews be making a special cameo appearance in the movie? This is Disney, so highly likely, but we'll see. "Mary Poppins Returns" will arrive in Christmas 2018.

Vying for attention, was Jon Favreau's "The Lion King". He didn't announce the cast (which I've been waiting for, particularly with that speculation of Hugh Jackman being approached to play the antagonist Scar!!!), but did bring out a footage to please and WOW the audience. Said footage was the exact mirror recreation of the 1994 animated movie's opening scene, where the baboon Rafiki introduced a lion cub Simba to Mufasa's animal kingdom, on top of the Pride Rock. Complete with Elton John's "Circle of Life" playing in the background too! The only difference was that it looked photorealistic, as if it's a scene taken from Favreau's massive-hit Oscar-winning "The Jungle Book" from last year. There were plenty of animals of all kinds depicted in their own nature, but an ultra-adorable baby Simba was undeniably the scene-stealer.

Favreau received similar, if not greater thunderous applause to when he debuted the footage for "The Jungle Book" two years ago. He made the audience went wild this time, eventhough it was Anaheim California, and not the African savannah. "We know how important this is", he said, assuring fans that his team will be delivering the best live action retelling they can muster. I'm a huge fan of "The Jungle Book", so I have huge faith in him. I personally can't wait to see this footage online, but I'm not sure it will be released in the near future. Not to mention, the movie itself is still two years away from release! Ouch!!! I guess we just have to practice patience and... wait. "The Lion King" arrives on July 19th, 2019.

The last but equally attention-grabbing piece of the panel, was Ava DuVernays' "A Wrinkle in Time". Buzz for this project have been really huge and loud even before production began, so expectation have been high. During the panel, DuVernay along with several core cast members delivered the first official teaser trailer while an official poster was released via social media. And it looked... weird but mesmerizing. We saw Storm Reid's Meg Murry, adventuring with brother Deric McCabe's Charles Wallace and classmate Levi Miller's Calvin O'Keefe to find her missing dad. Mr. Murry, played by Chris Pine, was seemingly trapped after discovering a new planet and travelled there using the 'tesseract'. Meg then encountered three Astral Travelers on her journey, Reese Whiterspoon's Mrs. Whatsit, Mindy Kaling's Mrs. Who, and Oprah Winfrey's Mrs. Which, who would somehow guide the trio in their journey. One that's likely involving the many other characters played by Zach Galifianakis, Michael Peña, and more. As well as CG actions with monsters and all... because the trailer suggests that.

Now... not unlike many folks, I'm not familiar with the novel, nor what it's all about. So I can't really describe how I feel about this. Somehow, those three Astral beings reminded me of the fairies on "Sleeping Beauty", if not the three Ghosts of "A Christmas Carol". That is, in both puzzling and creepy ways. The teaser also reminded me of "Doctor Strange" and/or "Legion" which was a good comparison, but at the same time, it also gave off a strange "Tomorrowland" vibe, which was NOT a good comparison. Then again, my mom immediately said "This looks amazing" (paraphrasing from our native language...) after seeing it... and that's totally saying much. As in, I'm definitely checking this one out when it hits theatres! For now, you can check out a few official stills from the movie, debuted by Entertainment Weekly as part of their 'First Look' season. "A Wrinkle in Time" will premiere on March 8th, 2018.

Disney Animation

It's Disney Animation Studios and Disney Pixar time! I somewhat expected Pixar's "Coco" to be getting all the big attention this year, but surprisingly that's not the case. Two other titles stole the attention on this Animation panel instead!

Fans have been asking for sequel to 2004's "The Incredibles" for many years, more than a decade even! Thus when it was finally announced, anticipation for "The Incredibles 2" has been growing like crazy. That must've been the reason why it's one of the two most talked-about title of the panel. Writer/director Brad Bird attended the panel alongside Disney Animation Chief John Lasseter, as they delivered official concept art, first raw footage, and give hints of what we can expect from Pixar's very own Fantastic Four-esque team.

For start, while many fans have been voicing their hopes to see a 10 years passed after the first movie (with all the kids grown up), Lasseter revealed that this sequel will instead works as a direct continuation. "It starts right as the first one finishes, so it just carries on", he said, confirming that only a minute have passed after the arrival of John Ratzenberger's Underminer. Family, is still the major theme of this movie. "One of the unique things about the Incredibles is it’s really a story of a family set in the world of superheroes. This one carries on that theme. It’s awesome, the idea we came up with — simple as that. … We love to really look at our own lives and look at what’s going on, and find themes that we know will resonate with the audience", he stated. Bird also reiterated that "It's fundamentally a story about family".

The main star for this one will also be Holly Hunter's Elastigirl alongside their children Violet and Dashiell (voiced by Sarah Vowell and Huck Milner, taking over from Spencer Fox), as Craig T. Nelson's Mr. Incredible will spend more time taking care of baby Jack Jack who's developing his unique powers. If it wasn't obvious enough from his social media shoutouts, Samuel L. Jackson has been confirmed to reprise his role as Frozone, while Bird himself will reprise his role as the famed superhero costume designer Edna Mode. "The Incredibles 2" opens in less than a year, on June 15th, 2018. Here's hoping Pixar will release a trailer soon! Perhaps on SDCC?

The other title that gained a huge amount of cheers and praise came from Disney Animation Studios, in form of "Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2". Similar to how "The Incredibles 2" put more focus on the female lead, it seems this one also shifts the primary attention to Sarah Silverman's Vanellope von Schweets. Namely, due to her being acknowledged as a Disney Princess... alongside, the previous Princesses! Yes, Silverman and directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston presented a clip from the movie, where Vanellope stumbled upon a website called OhMyDisney.com. That's where she runs into all the Disney Princesses, who was having slumber party filled with rapid-fire meta jokes about their histories and tropes.

But that's not even the best thing, because most of the Princesses are voiced by their iconic voice actresses! To prove that, Disney brought out these dream team on stage: Jodi Benson (Ariel of "The Little Mermaid"), Paige O'Hara (Belle of animated "Beauty and the Beast"), Linda Larkin (Jasmine of animated "Aladdin"), Irene Bedard (of "Pocahontas"), Anika Noni Rose (Tiana of "The Princess and the Frog"), Mandy Moore (Rapunzel of "Tangled"), Kelly Macdonald (Merida of "Brave"), Kristen Bell (Anna of "Frozen"), and Auli'i Cravalho (of "Moana"). Creating a historic meeting, that obviously caused a prolonged ovation and wild cheers from audience of around 7000 people. I simply can't imagine how the audience would react, had other confirmed but absent voice actresses like Ming-Na Wen (of "Mulan") and Idina Menzel (Elsa of "Frozen") were able to attend as well! With the first movie focusing on the love of retro-video games that in a way also felt more directed for 'boys', this one is definitely a conscious and brilliant decision to captivate the 'girls' as well!

As for how and why John C. Reilly's Ralph and Vanellope get to meet them? That's because the plot forced them to. How is that possible? Apparently, the Sugar Rush game had an unexpected break down, so both Ralph and Vanellope alongside the other characters have to explore to the world 'wild' web to find replacement parts required to fix and keep it alive. There, they will run into Yesss, a trend-aholic algorithm who is voiced by Taraji P. Henson. Yess is the savvy, smart and sexy owner of a trending site called Buzzaholic (obvious nod/pun to Buzzfeed, eh? *grins*). According to Henson via an external statement, Yesss "knows about everything cool and on trend. And she does spell her name with a triple ‘s'". This is the character who would guide Ralph and Vanellope toward the various sites, including OhMyDisney (that also includes reference to other Disney's properties from Marvel and Lucasfilm). What a really interesting premise! The subtitle might have hinted that the sequel to 2012's favorite is set to break the internet, but to be honest, it already is... LOL. "Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2" officially breaks the theatres next year, on November 21st, 2018.

By the way, Bell and co-star Josh Gad refused to let it go, as they brought news for the sequel to everyone's favorite animated movie. The as-of-yet un-subtitled sequel of "Frozen" became the talk of the town, eventhough the duo's intention was totally to promote the upcoming "Olaf’s Frozen Adventure", a holiday-themed short set to debut alongside "Coco". A special clip from this short was screened, and Gad sang one of the four new songs set to debut in it. Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee along with the core cast are all confirmed to return, and "Frozen 2" is set to hit theatres on November 27, 2019.

There were other minor bits from both Pixar and Disney Animation Studios. Dan Scanlon who did "Monsters University", is currently developing a personal project on Pixar based on his own experience of not knowing his father (who passed away when he was just one). This project is currently untitled, and doesn't have a release date for now. Scanlon was inspired to make this, after discovering a recording of his late father. It will be a mix of fantasy and mundance, set in a world where unicorns are said to be a norm of everyday's life. Josh Cooley has been announced as the sole director for "Toy Story 4". He was supposed to co-direct with Lasseter before. Lasseter himself remains as producer for the June 21st, 2019 movie. And Disney Animation Studios is working on a spin-off of "Cars", spotlighting a plane (but NOT part of the "Planes" franchise) that will go all the way into space. This untitled movie will be released on April 12th, 2019.

Last but not least, "Coco" did get the utmost privilege to wrap off the entire presentation via an elaborate musical number. Director Lee Unkrich, producer Darla Anderson, and writer Adrian Molina arrived on stage to preview a new clip from the movie. They revealed that music for this movie will combine the talents of songwriter Germaine Franco, the "Frozen" couple Robert and Kristen-Anderson Lopez, with Michael Giacchino composing the score. Newcomer Anthony Gonzales is playing the lead character Miguel, with Benjamin Bratt, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Edward James Olmos lending their voices to the others. "Coco" is set to arrive in a few months, on November 22nd, 2017!

Star Wars

Lucasfilm didn't deliver a new trailer for Rian Johnson's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" during D23 Expo 2017 as fans expected. But the cast did bring a special behind-the-scenes video that... well, in a way showcased many things as well, and delighted avid "Star Wars" fans nonetheless. You can visit Collider to get screengrab images of this video. Official posters for the movie have also been released via social media. The one featuring late Carrie Fisher's General Leia seemed to breaking many fans heart. Overall though, there's a sense of danger looming through this posters, as everyone is shaded with the color of blood-red. Is it a sign of death? Oh no...! "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" will arrive on December 15th, 2017.

DC Films

Let's have a quick intermezzo from Disney, as we visit the other side of the... fandom. Yes, Warner Bros gets their category here! Though admittedly, I only included them to avoid postponing too much for the next R-N-D. LOL. Anyway, it'll be a quick one.

First, director Jaume Collet-Serra is said to be the frontrunner to helm "Suicide Squad 2". Yes, it's been an unanimous verdict that the first movie was... bad, and I personally don't see any reason for this sequel to exist. But money talks louder, especially to WB, so the studio is making one anyway. Think of it like the "Transformers" franchise. I'm not that familiar with Collet-Serra, and I haven't even seen "The Shallows". But even if I HAVE seen "Non-Stop", I can't really say if this is a right choice or not. Those movies and "Suicide Squad" are completely different in genre. Both Will Smith and Margot Robbie are poised to return though, so there's that.

Matt Reeves has publicly stated that he won't be using Ben Affleck & Geoff Johns' script for the tentatively titled "The Batman"! He said this himself on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast while promoting the critically-acclaimed "War for the Planet of the Apes", practically confirming previous report by Slash Film that many had considered to be false. Perhaps, script issue was the problem that broke down Reeves' negotiation with WB before? With the script being rewritten from scratch, many have wondered what will happen to the news we have heard so far, particularly about the casting of Joe Manganiello as Deathstroke. There's always a possibility that Manganiello will no longer appear in the solo movie, right? I'm sure we'll hear more about this in WB's upcoming panel on SDCC 2017 tomorrow.

One last thing, WB have also somewhat bullishly announced two more release dates for the year 2020. Yes, they are now planning to release FOUR effing movies that year, as if making two bad ones a year wasn't enough. Looks like someone hasn't really learned from their past mistake, huh? I can't really remember the previous two dates (if I'm not mistaken, they were reserved for "Cyborg", and "Green Lantern Corps"), but the new ones are set for February 2nd, 2020 and June 5th, 2020. It is speculated that the June one will be a sequel to this year's "Wonder Woman", due to its achievement of inching closer to become the most successful Summer movie of the year. The February one, might be a bit tricky considering WB has so many DC Films projects on the works, that even I had lost count of it for a long time now. Could it be that "Gotham City Siren", because it's a Valentine's Day release? Or Joss Whedon's "Batgirl". How about "The Flash". Hmmm. Maybe SDCC 2017 will help enlighten us if this bad.... news. Not that I could care any less though...

Marvel Studios

Back to Disney! Let's first talk about the biggest news of them all. Because while items and props from "Thor: Ragnarok" and "Black Panther" were put on display at the Marvel booth, they weren't on par with what transpired on the Live Action Panel.

Yep, Kevin Feige attended the D23 Expo 2017, and as expected he wasn't alone. Nope, far from it, because he brought a HUGE number of guests. In order of appearance; Josh Brolin, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Pom Klementieff, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Don Cheadle, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Robert Downey Jr., and co-director Joe Russo; all joined him on stage, because they were celebrating Marvel Studios' 10 Years. With a new Anniversary Logo... and also first teaser for next year's "Avengers: Infinity War" that easily brought the crowd of 7000 people on their feet, driving them wild and overpouring with emotions.

Said footage began with around two minutes of clips from roughly 13 previous movies that have been produced by the studio, before continuing with a completely new scene. It started of with Hemsworth's Thor crashing into the Guardians of the Galaxy's spaceship, followed by a reel of action-packed sequences, and was wrapped with Thanos having a fully assembled Infinity Gauntlet in his hand, about to pummel his enemies using debris in space. Various sites (ComicBook, THR, Daily Super Hero, Collider, Buzzfeed, and many more) have published their rundown of the sequence, revealing plenty of tidbits from the mindblowing Avengers sequel. Each one complemented the rest, by filling up missing details that was missed by one another, so do take your time to visit them and read them on spot. Seriously though, reading them alone has already made me giddy and anxious. So much that I'm actually really glad Marvel Studios hasn't put it up online. Otherwise I'd probably suffered an instant heart attack and died before the movie even arrives.

After the rousing panel presentation, the Marvel booth officially unveiled additional characters for the movie. Joining the huge life-size statue of Brolin's Thanos that has been decorating the hall since day one, were four of his right hands... the Black Order. Brolin himself was on hand for the official unveiling of the team, that will instead be called 'The Children of Thanos' in the movie. Confirming theories gathered by fans after seeing the set pieces in Scotland and Atlanta, this antagonistic team consists of Corvus Glaive, his wife Proxima Midnight, the super intellect with manipulative ability Ebony Maw, and the Hulk-like Cull Obsidian.

Some of the core cast like Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner (who suffered an unfortunate injury on set), Paul Rudd, and many others were notably absent, including co-director Anthony Russo who remained in Atlanta to work on tentatively-titled "Avengers 4". Yes, "Infinity War" had just wrapped on the first day of D23 Expo 2017 (the Russos announced this themselves), but the production team are now moving on with the next giant project! WOW, talk about marvelous dedication to work. But surely, we can expect them to appear this weekend on SDCC, right? "Avengers: Infinity War" opens less than a year from now, on May 4th, 2018.

Presumably because production has only begun for "Ant-Man & the Wasp", none of its cast were present at the D23 Expo. The event officially revealed the first look for Hope van Dyne's the Wasp on one of the hanging-banner though, and actress Evangeline Lilly herself happily shared this news. Also actor Walton Goggins has officially joined the cast. I'm not familiar with this actor, but I've read many folks were excited about him, because apparently he's a terrific actor. His role is currently undisclosed, and speculations are saying that he might be playing the villain of the movie. Clearly he's not playing that character rumored by That Hashtag Show, right?

Which reminds me... that site reported an 'exclusive' saying that the studio is actively looking for an African-American actor between the age of 55 to 65 for a highly intelligent role. Everyone's easy guess is Dr. Bill Foster, a.k.a. Goliath who's in a way connected to Giant Man. Since Rudd's Scott Lang did demonstrate that ability in "Captain America: Civil War", linking it to Foster would be fantastic. Then again, That Hashtag Show isn't particularly a credible source, having falsely reported many stuffs in the past (Shang-Chi? Pffftttt). So I wouldn't really bet on their horses. Anyhoo, here's hoping the cast will stop by on SDCC this weekend, if only to have an actual confirmation or two. "Ant-Man & the Wasp" will arrive on July 6th, 2018.

"Black Panther" didn't have a huge presence (Boseman and director Ryan Coogler had a signing session), but that's because it already made a separate headline earlier that week (on July 11th). By showing up as the cover story of EW! The magazine ran a detailed coverage of the movie, dishing out the many aspects from the many lores of Wakanda, the various characters, and what to expect from the story.

Wakanda produces and is riched with a nearly-mystical metal called Vibranium. The people has mined it, experimented, and used it to develop medicines, technology, and others. Its fields also grows the Heart-Shaped Herb, a plant that grants superhuman strength to its leaders. That's the reason why it has closed itself from the whole world. John Kani's T'Chaka's death in "Civil War" will shake the illusive African-country's ground, as threats coming towards Boseman's T'Challa from inside and outside. The outside refers to Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger, an aspiring prince who is colluding with Andy Serkis' Ulysses Klaue (with a new hand, in form of sonic mining equipment) to bring down T'Challa from his throne. The inside refers to the turmoil that fears T'Challa might be engaging too much with the outside world, just like T'Chaka. This might be where Winston Duke's M'Baku (who will NOT be addressed as Man-Ape) enters the equation. Coogler compared his movie to politics, saying that there's an ambiguity of who's good and bad. "The film very much plays with those concepts, looking at conflicts and different motivations, and who’s with who", he stated.

Producer Nate Moore, likened the movie to a fusion of "The Godfather" and the "James Bond", serving as tribute to both franchises. It's "a big, operatic family drama centered on a world of international espionage. So hopefully we’re getting the best of both worlds", he hoped. Boseman also stressed out, that Wakanda is "a very matriarchal society", hinting that the female characters in this solo movie shouldn't be taken for granted. This refers to Angela Basset's Queen Ramonda, Lupita Nyong'o's Nakia who is an undercover spy with a knack on 'Ring Blades', Letitia Wright's genius and intellectual Shuri, to the Dora Milaje guards like Danai Gurira's Okoye and Florence Kasumba's Ayo. Meanwhile, Forest Whitaker is playing Zuri, a shaman who is also the keeper of the Heart-Shaped herb. His character roots the movie in a unique element of spirituality, the way it's always been depicted in the comics. "Black Panther" will premiere on February 16th, 2018.

Marvel Studios might have left quite a massive impression last week, with "Spider-Man: Homecoming" running in theatres, the EW cover story for "Black Panther", and a D23 Expo presence that many people might still be talking about until now. Not to mention the pairings of characters, on set interactions, talk of future movies, actor's fancasting, etc. But that doesn't mean its hype is ending soon. This Saturday (precisely tomorrow evening, US time), the studio will return to SDCC 2017's Hall H for a special presentation with extended duration. Perhaps, that "Infinity War" footage will be delivered online for every fans to see? Or should we hope for another version, because Rufallo had openly teased something mind-blowing in the event. I'm merely spitballing here, but I'm positive we'll at least be seeing the cast of "Ragnarok", "Black Panther", "Ant-Man & the Wasp", and most definitely "Infinity War" on the panel. All I can say, we need to brace ourselves for another tide (or tsunami) of Marvel Studios news in the next few days. Because whether you like it or not, it's a great time to be a Marvel fan! Excelsior!!!

Marvel TV

It was a bit odd that Marvel's "The Inhumans" wasn't heavily showcased in D23 Expo 2017. I mean, excluding that Lockjaw's goodies available on Marvel booth, or the only three character posters that can be found on their official Twitter account. After all, ABC is still part of Disney, thus it felt odd that it wasn't even getting proper 'spotlight'. Of course, the series will have its own panel at SDCC 2017, so that might be the case. Nevertheless, the cast of the series continued to share details about the mini series outside of the panel.

Eme Ikwuakor confirmed that his character Gorgon as well as Ken Leung's Karnak, will be similar to the comics. "I act 5 times before I start thinking. I think that plays into a lot of the dynamics as well, especially with Karnak who is the exact opposite who think 5 times before he acts" he said. Sonya Balmores likened her Auran's job as the Royal Family's secret service. She works very closely with the King and Queen, and acts as their eyes and ears eventhough she's not related by blood. Serinda Swan praised her character, because "The great thing about Medusa is that she’s taking on two roles, not molded into one. That’s what makes her such an interesting character". She also affirmed that audience can expect to see Medusa's hair-play in amazing action sequence, likely to ease fans' concerns that has been growing rapidly ever since EW debuted her first look. She even added that "You will definitely see her hair have moods. There will be some moody hair because that’s her". Let's just hope that she's not giving us false hope.

Anson Mount revealed that the intricacies of Black Bolt was the reason he was drawn to portray this character. That's why he immediately agreed when Marvel TV Head Jeph Loeb personally offered this role (outside of auditions), and has even dedicated time developing it with sign consultant and all. He stated that the major theme of the movie is about family, namely about his somewhat Shakespearean love-hate relationship with brother Maximus, played by Iwan Rheon. Rheon by the way, is the most famous actor on the show, hence we can expect him to be more than just an antagonist.

Problem is, Mount also talked about why his character and also the entire series needed to be 'grounded', in order for them to be... "more accessible to a viewing audience than a reading audience". This one, is easily the part that rubs me off the wrong way. Grounded this, grounded that? I'll be honest, all these 'grounded talks' is making me feel iffy. Why shy away from going all out bizarre and outlandish? It's okay to do that with the Inhumans on Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." considering they are Earth-bound (then again, even they weren't afraid with the visuals)... but the Royal Family? They should be larger than life! Embrace all the weirdness and fun, not unlike the Guardians of the Galaxy. And don't ever forget! Scott Buck's idea of 'grounded' tends to be... 'different' or a 'bit warped' than what you and I had in mind. It means the mystical dragon Shou Lau is two bulbs of red-light for Marvel's "Iron Fist"! A proof that someone clearly didn't learn from the mistake done to that series.

Isabelle Cornish who plays Crystal, also brought a different but equally interesting notion. She revealed that audience can expect the IMAX 'movie'-size feature to be... "just really introducing us as a family and discovering the characters in the first 2 episodes. Seeing how we all mix together, how we intertwine, the different powers we all have. I mean, its such a large family. We’re essentially cousins. To have cousins that are brothers, its kinda cool and different.". Wait, WHAT? You're kidding, right? WHY would I waste my money on IMAX theatres just to see a prolonged intro? Isn't that like... NOT the point of filming a movie in IMAX format? I'm sure Christopher Nolan and his "Dunkirk", and even the Russo Brothers would be completely angry to hear this kind of treatment.

I've honestly lost all kind of goodwill and faith for this show. You can even say that I've joined a weird group among Marvel fans, essentially becoming a naysayer, because that's more or less accurate. The trailer, and every cast interviews so far, eerily reminded me of the whole "Iron Fist" scenario. Things haven't been looking good on my gut feeling, and I simply refuse to be fooled twice. But of course, my opinion doesn't necessarily apply to every Marvel fans out there. After all, there are those who actually enjoyed "Iron Fist" sooo much more than I did. With that said, perhaps it's indeed a wise decision for me to have such a really low expectation to this show. Who knows? It might flip me upside down and win me over instead...

Netflix

Similar to "Black Panther" that was featured by EW's First Look exclusive, Marvel's "The Defenders" got their share of publicity via a new poster released by the outlet, and also through UK's Empire Magazine. I'm sure we can expect the coverage from these magazines pretty soon. The EW poster, along with an exclusive one designed by Joe Quesada for Jon Bernthal's Marvel's "Punisher", are set to be available at Marvel's booth during SDCC 2017. Don't forget, "The Defenders" is also expected to have a huge presence at the Con, so prepare to hear more details as well as hopefully a new trailer for the mini-series. All 8 episodes of "The Defenders" will arrive on August 18th, 2017.

On a side note, actress Lucy Liu has been confirmed to direct the Season 2 Premiere episode of Marvel's "Luke Cage". Could she have a role in the series too? I certainly hope so. I personally want to see Liu joining a Marvel Studio movies for a significant role. But even if that's not the case, her appearing in one of the Netflix series sounds right too.

"Stranger Things" unveiled a sinister new teaser early last week, with a tagline "1984 only gets stranger". The teaser also confirmed that the 2nd Season will be available on October 27th, 2017. There weren't any details about this new season following that, but we can expect ones in the upcoming SDCC 2017.

Last but not least, I can't believe I missed this last month, but turns out the 3rd Season of "Voltron Legendary Defenders" has had an official release date! Via the trailer that... I oddly couldn't find on Netflix' official Youtube channel, it was revealed that the new season will arrive on August 4th, 2017. That's... really fast! Possibly due to the delay on Season 2 (it was meant to be released last year, but got delayed to January this year), I honestly didn't expect it to arrive so early. But who am I to complain! We need the 3rd season right away, especially after how the 2nd season abruptly ended. LOL. Also... if this teaser is any indication, things aren't looking good for the team. Because while the Paladins can't form Voltron, Emperor Zarkon's son Prince Lotor has taken command of the Galra Empire and starts brewing trouble in the galaxy. Here's hoping we'll get a longer and better trailer when the showrunners and cast members hit their SDCC 2017 panel this weekend!

Disney XD Series

New sneak peak clip for "DuckTales" was released during D23. Taken from the episode entitled "Daytrip of Doom!", the clip showed Huey, Dewey, and Louie having a dart gun fight against a very serious Webby, that caused plenty of... chaos in Scrooge McDuck's Manor. Many fans seemed to be annoyed with how the nephews sound when they saw the First Look before, a sentiment that was very understandable. For me personally, at least their new voices are growing in me, to the point that I no longer feel that much bothered by it. Many seems to have been voicing criticism to the Carl Barks-inspired design too, but I personally never had any issue about it. Most of the comics I've seen was drawn in that style anyway. LOL. "DuckTales" is set to premiere with a one-hour TV movie on August 12th, 2017, before starting its series on September 23rd.

Disney XD also unveiled the first look for "Big Hero 6 the Series". Based on the one and only Oscar-winning superhero movie so far, this much-anticipated series will tell the story of Hiro Hamada along with Baymax and friends, as they become the heroes of San-Fransokyo. Similar to "Tangled the Series", the design might not work with everyone, especially those who were expecting lush CG animation like the movies. The "Big Hero 6" one was very close, and clearly inspired by the actual 2D character designs from the movie's production though. So in a way, it's accurate. You can catch the series Main Title on Youtube!

Kamen Rider

The first official image for the 19th Heisei Rider "Kamen Rider Build" has been revealed! The image clearly showed that Build shared similar dual-colored design of "Kamen Rider W", but one that utilized a combination of technology and biology.

As rumored before, his initial form with the color Blue and Red is a fusion of Tank and Rabbit respectively. These powers will be accessed through the season's collectibles, Full Bottles, as the hero inserts a pair into his Build Driver. His transformation catchphrase for this initial mode will be "Using 2 Bottles, Find the Best Match! ​Are You Ready?! Moonsault of Steel! Rabbit Tank! Yeah!". Different Full Bottles can then be mixed and matched to produce a variety of forms. The biological side revealed so far includes Rabbit, Gorilla, Hedgehog, and Hawk, while the technological side includes Tank, (Vacuum) Cleaner, and Gattling. It's safe to say we can expect a lot more in the future. The picture also teased the antagonist Knight/Night Rogue, and the second Rider called Kamen Rider Claws/Close.

The story is said to take place in a post-apocalyptic world where souls are bound to bottles. "Second Build" is the cause, as it destroyed the world 10 years before. Kamen Rider Build will then have to deal with evil souls called "Builders" who seek to commit crime. Surprisingly, while it was previously assumed that "Build" will start airing as the "Kamen Rider" franchise changes timeslot in October, it has been revealed to debut much sooner. The currently airing "Kamen Rider Ex-Aid" has been confirmed to end with 44 episodes (with episode 45 serving as a bridge to the next), thus "Build" is set to begin in September. Is it because "Ex-Aid" isn't doing well in the toy department? Hmmm...

If you ask me, the overall concept, design, and story premise of this new series is solid, and they are more than enough to make me want to see it. I was actually sold thanks to the FireHedgehog form! LOL. Of course, execution doesn't always rhyme well with expectation, so it's still unclear if I will end up following to the end or not. Heck, the actor casting might also play as a make-or-break situation for me! So it's definitely not set in stones. But for now, I honestly want to see this show in action.

Square Enix

Since the "Kingdom Hearts" franchise is a mixture of their original characters as well as Disney world, of course Square Enix was present at the D23 Expo 2017. And as promised, the company introduced a new look and trailer for "Kingdom Hearts III". The new trailer particularly unveiled a new "Toy Story" world, while teasing an action adventure in the world of Disney's "Hercules"! Other confirmed new worlds include Disney's "Tangled", "Big Hero 6" and the "Olympus Coliseum" world.

The "Toy Story" part will have Sora, and his travelling companions Donald Duck and Goofy exploring Andy's room alongside Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the other toy characters. They need to investigate the disappearances of their fellow toys, and also Andy himself. Both director Tetsuya Nomura and Pixar Animation Studios story supervisor Jason Katz have confirmed that it will be a brand new storyline, but is still on par with Pixar's standard of storytelling and animation quality. In terms of timeline, it will take place after the events of the "Toy Story 2" movie. Nomura expressed his excitement for this world, because he had always wanted to include one on "Kingdom Hearts II".

The company also confirmed that the game will be released in 2018, which is probably not a concidence. It will be available for PlayStation 4 and XboxOne, with Nintendo Switch being considered. A second playable character will also be available, but apparently the director thought that's information for another time. LOL.

Pocket Monsters

Niantic is set to hold their first "Pokemon GO" real-world event this very weekend, with the "Pokemon GO Fest Chicago" taking place on July 22nd, 2017. They have posted details surrounding the big event happening on location, revealing that players from all around the world will also be able to 'contribute' during the same timetable. During three Challenge Windows at the event from 11:00AM to 08:00PM Chicago Time, players worldwide will help attendees to unlock rewards, and vice versa. Later, if players at the Chicago event catch enough Pokemon during the Catch Challenge, a special Mystery Challenge will be unlocked for the last hour of the event. If said Challenge is completed, then an 'extra special bonus' will be given for players around the world in form of Global Reward on July 23rd-24th.

This sounds a bit complicated to understand, and the gap between time zones alone is already feeling unfair to some parts of the world who have to stay up during midnight to dawn to participate. Response to this has been mixed as well, due to various reasons. But despite constantly getting server issues over the past week, Niantic is working hard to appeal its players. One of it, is by directly flying high-level Pokemon GO Youtubers from all around the world into Grant Park Chicago to participate in the live event. Many have been speculating that the Global Reward will be the first official reveal of Legendary Pokemon. We'll have to wait and see if that's really the case.

Those in Europe can then participate in a "Pokemon GO Safari Zone" events, in partnership with Unibail-Rodamco shopping centers. Copenhagen and Praque will be holding one on August 5th, Stockholm and Amstelveen on August 12th, and Oberhausen, Paris and Barcelona on September 16th. These events will give European players the opportunity to catch variety of Pokemon, among them are those only available as region-locked like Kangaskhan and Tauros. Unique and powerful Raid Bosses will also be available. For the United Kingdom area, Niantic will be holding a "Big Heritage Festival" event in Chester on July 22nd-23rd. This is a joint collaboration with UK heritage organization, Big Heritage.

Last but not least, Yokohama area is set to have a "Pikachu Outbreak" event on August 9th- 15th. It has been an annual event for The Pokemon Company, but this time, it will also include a Pokemon GO experience.

Tekken

I did NOT see this coming!

Geese Howard, who was recently revived by SNK Corp for "The King of Fighters XIV", has been announced as the new DLC character for "Tekken 7: Fated Retribution"!!! Bandai Namco unveiled this via one thrilling and intense trailer, during the Evolution Championship Series 2017. It just felt... right seeing Geese pummeling the Tekken characters one by one (particularly Heihachi, who is a natural jerk just like him), and sending them to misery. LOL. Geese will be available in Winter 2017, along with his own unique 'Geese Tower' stage.

The company did already state that they will be adding exclusive guest characters from other video game franchise, following the game's release on June 2nd, 2017. But I honestly didn't expect them to actually go with fans' wishes that openly called out Geese with the reasoning that his fighting style and 'badass' mannerism will be a great fit to "Tekken 7" (it's accurate, though). With "Street Fighter" very own Akuma already in the title, "Tekken 7" is growing to be a rendesvouz spot for powerful characters from various franchises. Now... who will the next DLC be for Spring 2018? Someone from "Dead or Alive"? "Mortal Kombat"? "Guilty Gear"? This is exciting...

Street Fighter

The 4th "Street Fighter V" DLC character for Season 2 has been revealed! And continuing the trend since Gouki/Akuma, it's a supposedly-new character that is also NOT really a new one... *sigh*. NEW, because the "Street Fighter" franchise hasn't had them as playable characters until now, but NOT new, because they have already existed as either supporting characters in previous games, or from entirely different game. Proof? No explanation necessary for Akuma, Kolin was Gill's right hand in "Street Fighter III", and Ed showed up in "SFV" various Story Modes since the very beginning. The fourth character joining them, hails from CAPCOM's very own "Final Fight" series. In form of big brute Abigail.

Yoshinori Ono announced Abigail during the Evolution Championship Series 2017, and an official reveal trailer for the character immediately hit the internet. This towering Mad Gear Leader that's even taller and bigger than Hugo albeit with a goofy personality, has attacks based on armors. The face paint is said to be an homage to King Diamond, who is a heavy metal musician. He is set to be released next week on July 25th, 2017, alongside his unique new stage called the 'Metro City Bay Area'. You can visit Gematsu to read a detailed description of this new DLC character.

Intriguingly, this reveal didn't surprise fans, because his name has been repeatedly rumored and reported before. The Event Hubs user who goes by the name of Flowtron has gotten his 'leaks' proven with the reveal of Akuma and Ed, and now his street cred had just gotten much higher with the confirmation of Abigail. Assuming his leak are all true, then the remaining two DLC characters will be Menat and Zeku. Menat is supposed to be that Egyptian-looking 'Fortune Teller' who already and rather pointlessly debuted in Ed's Story Modes. I also had the exact same suspicion, the moment I saw her design on that ending sequence. Not to mention, it fits with CAPCOM's goal to increase diversity in the game (with Rashid's inclusion). Zeku on the other hand, is Guy's teacher. Meaning he's also a "Final Fight" alumn. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a confirmation to his inclusion in Abigail's Story Mode.

Flowtron also stated an insider information regarding the 3rd Season DLC characters. According to him, Sagat and Sakura Kasugano are pretty much confirmed, but they won't play out like their "Street Fighter IV" counterparts. The previously rumored characters like Oro, C. Viper, Q, and Necro aren't accurate. For now, these should be treated as rumor until proven otherwise. But let's just say, I will not be surprised if it turns out to be true.

As for the real deal, CAPCOM will be releasing new special stages and costumes on July 25th as well, as part of the game's 30th Anniversary. This includes: Classic Ryu's "Suzaku Castle" stage from "Street Fighter II", Capcom Pro Tour 2017 Exclusive "Ring of Pride" stage (the Kanzuki Family Stadium), Nostalgic Costumes (for Alex, Ibuki, and Juri), and The Champion's Choice costume designed by CAPCOM Cup 2016 winner Du "Liquid|NuckleDu" Dang (for Ryu, Ken and Guile). Do visit Event Hubs to see their pricings.

Marvel vs Capcom

Meanwhile, "Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite" officially added Jedah from "Darkstalkers" series as playable character. This was revealed during the Evolution Championship Series 2017 tournament. Following this sequel's odd tradition, Jedah debuted during one of the fight and was not officially announced via individual trailers. You can visit Gamespot's Youtube channel to see him in action. "Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite" is set to be released on September 19th.

ARIKA

Many fans have been itching to see characters from "Street Fighter EX" to spring back into action. But considering ARIKA no longer collaborates with CAPCOM, that seems like a wishful thinking. Well, until now.

A new currently untitled 'EX' Fighting Game was showcased during The Evolution Championship Series 2017. The teaser video (provided through ARIKA's official Youtube Channel) showcased favorite 'EX' characters like Kairi, Shirase/Hokuto, Garuda, Skullomania, and Darun Mister. ARIKA officially announced that it will be the newest entry in the 'EX' series.

It was announced that there will be a limited time beta/server test at the end of 2017, and it has been confirmed to be a worldwide PlayStation 4 release for 2018. It is expected to be playable on April Fools, and pre-order has been made available for Japan players. Considering the company DID first tease this several months ago on April Fools 2017, I think we can safely assume that April 1st, 2018 will indeed be the release window for the title. Hopefully we'll hear more about this in the near future...

[kentagion]

TL;DR feelings on the 20 list

My bet winners in Broduce 101 all made it to the pre-final selection. Kim Samuel is back on the list! Ha Sungwoon got the rank he deserves in 11 too! Everything was almost perfect, until my man, NOH TAEHYUN got eliminated (also, Kenta, Yongguk, Geonhee, Woodam and the baby Woojin... like what?)

I would be lying if I said wasn’t expecting that Taehyun will get eliminated in the end but I at least thought he would last up ‘til final selection and then hope that miracle happens and he lands in top 11 out of nowhere. I already had a bad feeling when he still got quite the low ranking even after Shape of You happened. But I was still expecting him to pull a ChungHa but damn it, why do people don’t have eyes and sense of appreciation all of a sudden. 

I’m gonna drop names so sue me but this is the truth. Level with me, why is Bae Jinyoung in the very top still? Like I get the face thing but what else is there? Personally, I never saw anything special about him and yeah it’s a matter of taste, but if you’re going to tell me it’s because he’s a talent ‘in-progress’ and a flower waiting to blossom or some sort of BS-- Uhhh then HyunBin long beat him to it and I don’t even like that man at all, but I acknowledge his actual improvement. ALSO, that’s literally everyone in produce 101. I mean that dude is very lucky he got so far and earned the favor of many but damn, I’m not sold. I don’t dislike him as a person, he did nothing wrong but like I do think someone else deserves that slot. I’m just saying. If he actually make it in fix 11 list, I’ll be disappointed but I won’t really scorn the boy for it. I just really prefer someone else. If it’s really a talent in-progress, I want the best of the talents in progress to take that spot and I’m nominating: SeonHo or Guan Lin. 

Haknyeon, another dude that I don’t know why made it in the list still after all the bad rep he had. I mean editing could fvk anyone up but let’s be honest he’s genuinely a whiny kid that’s a slow learner but has a lot of greed being the center. At least DaeHwi was greedy because he has the works and the actual talent to be, yet he held back (a little too much actually) as soon as he realizes it’s giving him a bad PR. He’s very Hollywood for me, that boy and his every PR is a good PR front. He’s all over the place and I wished his spot was Noh Taehyun’s instead out of everyone in the list. 

My favorite people are almost all in the list: Daniel, Parkwoojin, samuel, Jonghyun, Jihoon, Seongwoo, MinHyun, Jaehwan/SeWoon, Jisung, Sungwoon..... but the dream of Noh Taehyun being there was completely terminated. He’s the only one that didn’t make it all the way because... of the lack of supporters apparently. 

updated: (for anons who had similar questions. I don’t want to repost anymore so I redirected you guys here) Yes, those are my significant top finalist ever since the first selection. 

My personal ranking, that I think will be in the finals as of now though are these lads: 

1.Daniel<could be switched>2.JiHoon, 3.Samuel, 4 JongHyun, 5.WooJin, 6.SeongWoo, 7.SeWoon (I prefer him vocal wise)/JaeHwan (he has the better chance of making it in 11), 8.SungWoon, 9. MinHyun, 10. Jisung 11. Daehwi

The one I highlighted are the ones I think will be in 11 no matter what, the ones without highlights are the people I hope would just keep their rank no matter what. I was going to Highlight Samuel but fans fvked up last time and with GuanLin off of the list, I think there’s another plot twist in the final selection, waiting to bite our butts.

The whole thing made me realize how indecisive women are honestly. Like after the second selection in season 1, I was pretty sure of who would be the nations  ideal top 11. In season 2, I got more confused after 2nd elimination and I don’t trust the fans nor Mnet (not that I ever trusted them) so I’d rather go in a clean slate. I can’t keep investing to these kids as much as I would like. I just wish after this, if they do not make it and to everyone who did not make it, they make it big when it’s their time to actually debut. 

I don’t stan a lot of groups but I do support great music coming from groups so in the future I’ll still be there to watch them grow.