#get you someone like kurosawa

[redxx95]

How Cherry Magic avoids romanticising self-sacrifice

Alright strap in boys, this is gonna be a long one.

Spoilers for the manga (mostly the english volumes but I will include a bit from vol 12. I'll mark it tho so yall may skip it if you don't want to be spoilered).

So in this one I want to examine how cherry magic does a great job at portraying self-sacrifice in a relationship as an actual flaw rather than a romantic ideal to aspire to. Very often you'll see characters in media putting their own needs aside for their lover. A lot of people will swoon at that because it is usually presented as proof of how dedicated they are to their partner and their wellbeing. (See... well the thai adaptation actually).

But what has pleasantly surprised me is how Toyota handles this in her manga.

Starting from the beginning, we all know the millions of things Kurosawa did for Adachi to get closer to him. After all, that is what's usually expected of him if we talk traditional gender roles. But one of the reasons Adachi even starts falling for Kurosawa is because of how he was for once able to do something for him.

For someone with very low self-esteem, being able to help this super-capable perfect man is a big boost in confidence and also raises his own selfworth.

So now let's look at a few instances of selfless action and the consequences resulting from them.

First one is the disaster-date in volume 4

Kurosawa does his very best to choose activities that he thinks Adachi will enjoy. That is his primary concern.

The effect this has on Adachi though is that the gap between them feels impossibly wide, only worsening his already low opinion of himself.

Whenever Kurosawa does something big, it makes Adachi feel that much smaller. That's why he'd rather them be equals in everything instead of one giving more than the other.

Next is the argument they have in volume 8

Kurosawa attempts to, very selflessly, protect Adachi from his lowkey homophobic parents. He doesn't want them and their opinions to hurt Adachi personally, so he ends up lying to him to keep the peace. The effect this has on Adachi though is disastrous. At first he's just generally worried about why Kurosawa would even lie to him in the first place, but then they have that fight in their living room and you really get a good look at how negatively this affects Adachi.

The very first conclusion he jumps to is that he's not doing good enough for Kurosawa to feel secure with him.

The next one is even worse, where he thinks he's not good enough in general. Both of these show how when pressed, he will default to blaming himself, believing that he is the problem first and foremost.

And then, if all of that wasn't bad enough, this happens next:

He's actually being self-deprecating again, something he hadn't done ever since Kurosawa told him not to in volume 5. And yes you can actually go back and check for yourself. Whenever he has negative thoughts after this point he's always pushing back.

So there's an escalation happening here, one that is entirely caused by Kurosawa not sharing his burdens with him, by making their relationship unequal.

I think it also hurts him extra bad because they've had this argument before, just with their roles switched.

So to him it must feel like Kurosawa is betraying the important lesson Adachi learned from that argument, which is that communicating with your partner is important, even when you feel like it might hurt them.

There's also something to be said about how most people would've probably stopped prodding when someone says "it's something I can't tell you", but Adachi knows that Kurosawa has a pattern of hiding his issues from him thanks to the mind reading, which is the whole reason they had that argument in vol 6 in the first place.

So, to summarize: Whenever Kurosawa acts selfless it takes a toll on Adachi's mental health. Because of his low self-esteem he needs to feel on equal terms with Kurosawa to be able to see himself as worthwhile. (And obviously he also loves Kurosawa and doesn't want to see him in pain just in general.)

So after all that, surely Kurosawa would have learned his lesson, right? Surely he wouldn't just do it again, right?

... Spoilers for volume 12 start here ✨

So volume 12 is all about Kurosawa overworking himself because he's been assigned this big project by their chief to oversee their company's spot at a stationery convention. (I didn't look up whether or not that's a real thing but it is in the manga universe I guess lmao.)

Adachi tries to help alleviate his burdens with mixed success.

(On the left he feeds Kurosawa because he needs to finish his work and doesn't have time to eat. On the right he tries to take a phonecall for Kurosawa but gets told that Kurosawa needs to hear it personally so relaying a message won't do.)

Then Adachi muses to himself how Kurosawa was always helping him out in the past and how Adachi can't do anything for him in return, especially since they're in different departments. He feels very useless, which is once again bad for his mental health.

Later at home, he offers to at least take over the chores for the time being, but gets told that Kurosawa actually enjoys doing chores so there's no need for him to help.

Kurosawa tells him that all he needs is Adachi to be close to him, while making out with him on the sofa. And right here we see how he only got half the lesson he was supposed to have learned in volume 8: In their fight Adachi told him that they should both be happy and he should share "all the hurt" with him, too. Well, the simple solution to that is not to see all his burdens as burdens, then he's not hurting and Adachi doesn't need to bother fussing over him! Win-win. Epic mind gymnastics 😎 (To be honest, I feel like this is actually very relatable to people that tend to give more than they take. We get so used to the weight of the burden that we don't notice it slowly pulling us down.)

So Adachi obviously notices what's going on and berates him about not having understood anything he said from that fight.

Throughout the volume Kurosawa gets more and more overworked, makes mistakes and is confronted with unexpected complications. He's very adamant about not asking anyone for help though, stating that he "can't be bothering his senpais any more than he already has" and that he's "doing this all for the sake of his future with Adachi".

He also still has some hangups about people seeing him as just a pretty face, as you can see in that flashback in the second page. He constantly feels the need to prove himself to others, which prevents him from ever seeking out help.

So when he inevitably reaches his limit, Adachi is finally able to be there for him, being the only one that sees through his facade.

(That hand kiss is so precious 😭)

Also, on that first page Adachi asks him whether or not he's fine, which reminds me of this panel from volume 6:

He really knows him so well.

Emboldened by his husband, Kurosawa finally does ask for help and is, of course, met with understanding and sympathy.

.

Spoilers for volume 12 end here ✨

So all this to say: Sometimes, when we try our best to be selfless and to protect the people close to us, we do more harm than good. Sometimes we cause harm to others (see volumes 4 and 8) and sometimes we cause harm to ourselves (see volume 12). It is of course a noble cause but it's not something to strive for at all times and can sometimes be actually counterproductive to what we wanted to achieve in the first place.

As someone who breaks themselves apart to help all the people around them, this aspect of the manga resonated very strongly with me and is probably the biggest reason I got so obsessed with this silly little BL romcom.

I know that this manga is not like, the best in quality. I know it's super niche and silly and cannot compare to the big popular mainstream manga with lots of depth and thought put into it, BUT.

A piece of art doesn't need to be "good" in order to resonate with people. You don't need to paint the mona lisa to reach someone and make them feel seen. You just need some sort of medium and a will to communicate something to the observer. (Something an AI could never replicate but that is a whole other discussion.)

This manga reached me when I needed it and it communicated a message that resonated with me and that is all it needed to do for me to love it to the point of obsession. 💖

Finally I'm done with this essay it is so long oh my god. If you reached the end of this, I'm so sorry. I hope you enjoyed it tho.

[happypotato48]

Cherry Magic TH: The Dreaded Big 3 0, The V Card, And L O V E.

disclaimer: this post gonna draw a lot from my personal experience. buckle up ya'll, this gonna get cringe and sappy.

Soooooooooooooooo, i'm a gay man who still a virgin and will turn 30 this year. i swear to satan if i'm not getting a magic power on my birthday i'm gonna be so mad.

now let me gush over how much cherry magic th work so much better for me as a show about a 30 virgin than the jp version. as much as i loved the jp version there is something undeniably frustrated about how that show depicted intimacy to me, i even joke tweeted when i finished it and a couple other jp bls that i want to fly to japan and suplex someone who won't show these gays kisses.

i view cherry magic as a story about someone who is scared and reluctant about love and intimacy because he stuck in his way of thinking, of how he undeserving of love just cause he view himself lesser than peers his age. so when the jp version barely showed adachi and kurosawa being intimate even in the movie after they worked and grew so much to love each other. it left sour taste in my mouth on a show i love dearly, and then come achi and karan, the kiss on the rooftop, the bed scene that left me breathless. this is how you do it!

as someone who only been romantically intimate with one person in my entire life and still have some aversion to physical intimacy. i imagine when i met and work hard to love and be with someone. i would behave like achi, scare as hell but will do anything to show the person i love how much they're meant to me.

there's two sayings that come to my mind when i watch this show. first "only when you start loving yourself that you'll be able to love others." and "when others start loving you that when you learn to love yourself." i don't think either of these phrases are right or wrong. maybe achi start to changed himself after he received external love from karan, but i think that changing yourself is an act of love to those around you and especially to yourself. achi changed because he acknowledged that he deserved to be love by both himself and karan.

i'm forever grateful for the th version for giving me the catharsis of this relationship. how not just love itself but the acts of love that changed both achi and karan for the better. sometime bls in general will tell you that characters are meant to be togerther while do the bare minimum. cherry magic show that it's words, actions, and how much you willing to fight for your relationship that matter.

[bengiyo]

Cherry Magic Anime Ep 1 Stray Thoughts

Yes, you read that correctly. While GMMTV is doing a Thai version of Cherry Magic, Japanese studio Satelight (Fairy Tale, Log Horizon, and more) produced an anime version that just began airing on Crunchyroll. What a time to be alive. My primary hope is for this version to go further than the live action or the movie did. The manga is ongoing, and I’d like to see the parts that haven’t been adapted.

I like how quickly this is breezing through the early stuff. Adachi already knows about his powers and is continuing to be glum. He’s explicitly interested in girls, and I like the character design that has his hair constantly covering his left eye.

Wow, we got through the convenience store, train crowd, and then reached the elevator scene in 2:40.

For those who care, Kurosawa does not yet have yaoi hands.

The intro is decent. It at least lets us know the whole gang is here.

Adachi thinking he’s hallucinating his powers is a good shorthand as he’s figuring out if Kurosawa is for real.

Oh, fuck yes, anime Kurosawa is much hornier in his head.

Wow, we’re also getting to Adachi staying over in the first episode.

The fact that Adachi and Kurosawa like the same manga is actually a really significant detail. I can’t maintain regular friendships, let along romances, if I don’t have much media in common with someone.

Yeah, I’m enjoying how much more explicit Kurosawa’s fantasies are in this version. Here they translate him as saying he bought the pajamas to fantasize about Adachi wearing them.

Oh, Kurosawa, you remain one of my favorite simps.

I’m not like Adachi. I would show up every morning before work if someone else was going to cook a full meal for me.

Oooh, the boss’s coupon for a meal date must have been in the manga since the Thai version captured this too.

An expired coupon on an expensive meat dinner? Pain.

Oh, Adachi, how you struggle with someone having affection for you compels me every time.

I really like introducing Tsuge in the tag.

It’s really fascinating how each adaptation so far has approached the timeline of events. I kinda like holding off on the supporting case for a full episode and just focusing on Adachi being a loner who doesn’t know how to deal with Kurosawa being so attracted to him while making no overt moves about it. It’s really cool because it doesn’t just feel like the live action. We got through events that were in the first two or three episodes of the live action here, but also didn’t touch other beats yet. I like it. This is such a cool set of comparisons we get to make right now.

[yaoisex]

Someone shared some snippets from the Cherry Magic event and I just had to share those moments because I was fangirling HARD!

Follow this glorious still to read and witness everything ^___~

First scene: (I assume that was toward the end of the event) the MC said: "Chiaki & Ryouta have an announcement to make" and Ryouta said: "we're getting married" (1st gif) and then Chiaki said: "that's odd... why do we have to get married here..." and Ryouta was teasingly saying: "let's get married~!" (2nd gif), and Chiaki said: "this time it's not the announcement" to which Ryouta replied: "this time, huh" and Chiaki said: "the timing is not right", so we're left to imagine we might get this announcement someday in the future ;D (that was on the Day event)

(On the Night event) The MC, again, said: "Chiaki & Ryouta have an announcement to make" and Ryouta sighed. Chiaki was like: "huh? why are you smiling like that? I'm not marrying you". LOOOL a direct continuation to the Day event, BLESS THEM! Ryouta looked devastated haha

Second scene: that photo was shown on screen and Chiaki had to read it in Adachi's voice, and Ryouta was very happy to play along hahaha

So Chiaki said: "Kurosawa, say ahh" and then read the text while Ryouta was happily drinking his fluids. (I know, it came out wrong heh ;D)

The translation of the text is something along this: "I never thought that before we started dating, but Kurosawa is surprisingly clingy..."

Third scene: Chiaki read out loud a line as Adachi and basically said: "I love Kurosawa". As a result Ryouta was frozen at place with emotion (lol) and Chiaki went to check his pulse. After checking he said "it's stopped" XD and a second later when Ryouta was "awaken" Chiaki said "oh he came back" XDD

Thank you guys for the fan service!!!

I hope to watch this full event one day! Those short snippets were amazing.

[crehador]

i think one thing that's so compelling to me about adachi (and his relationship with kurosawa) is the focal point of his internal worries is never really "i can't reciprocate kurosawa's feelings because he's a man" or even "i can't reciprocate kurosawa's feelings because i don't like him" (speaking on the first 2 eps of the anime only rn)

it's always more of an "i can't reciprocate kurosawa's feelings because i'm not good enough for him/i don't deserve it" sort of thing and that just so makes me root for him, because it's the kind of feeling you want to see a character overcome

like to me the sort of story that's like "i don't like this person who's pursuing me but as time goes on they wear me down and i give in" is at best never all that interesting, so the fact that it's not strictly a lack of interest for adachi (in ep2 he even tries to think of something he dislikes about kurosawa and comes up blank) makes it way easier for me to get invested. it's just a severe lack of self-confidence

and to be clear i don't get the feeling that adachi is secretly in love with kurosawa already and just isn't aware of it. to me it feels more like he's never allowed himself to even consider it, to even think about whether he likes someone else because his default state of mind assumes no one could possibly like him anyway

this just feels like such an appealing romance because at its core it doesn't strike me as that typical "i'll break him down until he can't resist me" type story, but rather what kurosawa needs to do is build adachi up which is just immensely more romantic to me

[donnerpartyofone]

I'm watching this video of Akira Kurosawa giving young writers the advice that you have to make "the tedious task of writing" second nature, even if it's really horrible you must do it faithfully so you're inured to the boredom and pain I guess, if you ever want the satisfactionof having written something. And he may be speaking as a person who is forced to write down coherent ideas in order to then create images, which he might strongly prefer, but there's another quote like this from a famous literary person, it might be someone like Dorothy Parker saying essentially that writing sucks but having written something is great. I totally do not get this. I mean yeah any time you're pushing yourself to achieve something it should feel challenging, and even when you're doing your favorite thing frustration can come along, but I'm surprised by how many writers and aspirational writers seem to really hate writing, and they're happy to tell you this. I mean I love to write, I'm not even that good but I just think it's a thrill, a compulsion. Perfecting something can be really hard for sure, I suppose it should be, but how can you make art out of anything that you're resentful about or that you see as a chore? Obviously there are a lot of people who know something I don't! But also I think that if you want to be a writer but you can't get yourself to sit down and write, you can't think of anything you want to say or when you are writing you're really not enjoying it at all, maybe the first thing you should do is ask yourself WHY you want to be a writer. There might be something you don't realize you want, and writing isn't the only way to get it. Or it might be that you just have mental problems and you should be dealing with that directly instead.

[bl-bracket]

Least Rizz - Loser's Bracket Round 4: Adachi (Cherry Magic) vs Jiang Cheng (The Untamed)

[Submitted Reasons Under Cut]

Adachi: "the severe social anxiety and also the constant 0o0 expression because for some reason he has to show every shocked emotion on his face when he accidentally hears someone's thoughts?? like man i get it's shocking but like try to hide it people are asking you if you're okay every three seconds also the self-esteem issues are a) a little too relatable and b) make this poor man a walking doormat. Doormats have no rizz. Also anyone who has seen any version of this character knows the pure, endless second-hand embarrassment one must endure to finish just a single episode. kurosawa's into guys with negative rizz"

Jiang Cheng: "Despite being objectively gorgeous, rich, powerful, from a good family, decent with children, and coming WITHOUT an overbearing mother-in-law (rest in peace), this man CANNOT get anyone to marry him. In fact, he has been BLACKLISTED by the matchmakers. Oh and his shixiong has abandoned him to marry some other guy. This man is gonna have to adopt to get an heir because frankly no one is even going to think of baby trapping him. Definitely a virgin 🙏 RIZZLESS"

[illarian-rambling]

@davycoquette with the fun question games again!

Get to Know the Writblr

Gonna put this under a cut because it got long, but feel free to treat this as an open tag if you want to hop on!

On the Tumblr Writing Community:

How long have you had your writing Tumblr/Writeblr?

Since the beginning of the year, maybe? Sometime in February, I think.

What led you to create it?

I was feeling pretty lonely having no one to talk to about my writing. None of my real-life friends are writers and I'm really terrible at expressing my interests verbally, so I figured online might be the place to go. So far, I've been right!

What’s your favorite thing about the Writeblr community?

Oh, the people, for sure. It's incredibly rare that I come across anyone being less than supportive on here. No matter our skill level, I really feel like every writer on here has a sense of being in this shit together.

What’s one thing you’d like your mutuals to know about you?

Hmmm.... I'm pretty open about sharing things about myself, so idk if there's anything major I haven't touched on yet. I wake up at 4am every morning for work, so if you see me posting at an egregious time, that's why. Also, if you ever want martial arts tips for your fight scenes, I'm your gal!

Is there anything you’d like to see more of on your dash?

I love it when people make memes of their ocs. Makes me giggle every time.

What tips/advice do you have for someone who made a Writeblr today?

You gotta interact with people. I know it can be scary, but even a reblog with no tags can make another writer smile. Chances also are, if you leave a nice comment on someone's work, they might check you out and leave a nice comment on yours! A community isn't a community unless you go out and commune :)

WIP it Good:

Which Works-in-Progress (WIPs) or writing projects are you noodling about, lately?

Lately, I've been juggling writing my first draft of Mortal God book 3 (tentatively title being The Machinations of Machine and Man) and going over @kaylinalexanderbooks lovely comments on MG1. My ghost ship project is also on a low simmer in the back of my brain, but I'm trying to leave that until I'm done with MG3.

How long have you been working on them?

Good lord, I started MG1 about... almost two years ago now? Damn, it feels like it's been so much longer. But hey, three book drafts in two years ain't bad! Honor's Outcasts, which is largely written by now, I started about three years ago.

Do you remember what inspired them/what got you started?

The two main characters of MG started as a vague daydream, which then became two important dnd npcs along with MG's main villain. I ended up liking them all so much that I wrote a short story which became *drumroll* three entire books! A lot of my inspiration came from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and the Foundryside Trilogy of books. I can't think of anyone specifically who inspired the characters, except that Astra was originally based on the archetype of the silent wandering cowboy/samurai as seen in a lot of Kurosawa films and old westerns. For anyone familiar with her, uh, things changed quite a lot.

How much time, in your best estimation, do you spend thinking about them?

At least ten percent of my brain's storage is dedicated to my wips at all times. As for how often I'm actively thinking about them... it's also quite a lot.

When someone asks the dreaded, “What do you write about,” question, what do you usually say?

"Uh, fantasy stuff?" is my go-to.

What do you want to say (if it’s different from what you do say)?

I really wish I had the ability to explain my wips as succinctly with speech as I do with writing, but alas. I would want to give a nice, book jacket blurb that doesn't give away too much of the crazy shit.

Let’s Rotate Blorbos:

Name any characters you created.

I think I'm really good at names, so we're gonna go down the list!

Izjik Meautammera

Sepo Kaiacynthus

Twenari Undetasib/Devaris

Djek Kagura

Astra DuClaire

Mashal Darezsho

Ivander Montane

Elsind Cavernsight

Duchon Avymere Kalaphon Spearsong III

Faalgun Falani

Nyda Burningrock

Kaulakri Ondohuroata

Pashananath

Anarac Fifth-Blood

Who’s the most unhinged?

Unhinged in terms of violence? Sepo for sure. Unhindered in terms of sheer chaos? I'm gonna go with Izjik and Djek as a duo. Between both of their high charismas and low intelligences, along with their combined expertise in fighting and creative uses of magic, they're unbeatable.

Who comes the most naturally for you to write?

Probably Izjik. I've been writing in her POV for the longest.

Do you ever cringe at them?

Sometimes yeah, when they do something real stupid. But, then again, I did make them that way.

How much control do you feel you have over your characters?

I think I know my characters really well and base my plot around their motives, so there really isn't a huge need for control.

Do you enjoy people asking questions about your characters?

PLEASE!!! FEED ME ASKS! I'LL TAKE ANYTHING!

On Writeblr Engagement:

What makes you want to follow another Writeblr account?

Probably creativity. I've read a looooot of fantasy/sci-fi, so if you're doing something I've never seen before, I'll probably give you a follow.

What makes you decide against following?

Any kind of hateful rhetoric or someone who doesn't want 18+ interaction. Other than that, I think it's important to follow people who write different genres or have different methods than me.

Do you interact with non-mutuals often?

I wouldn't say so. I get a little shy doing that.

Do your mutuals’ characters occupy space in your noodle?

The characters of @kaylinalexanderbooks @mk-writes-stuff and @somethingclevermahogony all have a little place in my brain. Favorites from each include Robbie and Akash (not to be separated), Narul and Bop (love me a good living weapon/teddybear of a dude team-up), and Nellie and Stellaris (their earnest kindness makes my heart happy). If you haven't yet, you should go check out their stuff and see for yourself!

And with that, thanks for reading! Go out and have yourself a bitchin day <3

[ecargmura]

Cherry Magic Episode 11 Review - Good Progression For Both Couples

Good progression for both couples! I love how each of them revolve around the mind-reading magic, but use it differently. Adachi is reliant on it and eventually makes a positive change in his life because of it, but still has some ups and downs when it comes to himself and his relationship with Kurosawa. Tsuge, on the other hand, doesn’t really use the magic all that much—only in a few occasions—but it did help him develop feelings for Minato and eventually experiencing a world he never dreamed of until now.

With Kurodachi (or KuroAda in the Eastern fandom), they are dating, but are experiencing some issues. Fortunately, Kurosawa is reflecting on his behavior from the previous episode. I like how Adachi takes Tsuge’s advice and writes his heartfelt feelings in a letter. I think that letters are super underrated and I’m glad that he did so. Sometimes, words and text messages can’t convey feelings as well as a letter. The letter left such a huge impact on Kurosawa that he legit went to Nagasaki to meet up with Adachi. Talk about down bad. I do like that they did apologize. Adachi realizes that he really likes Kurosawa as he states some of the things he likes about him in order for his partner to not feel too regretful. The way they kissed afterwards was super sensual. I legit had to cover my face while still peeking because it was hot. If you’re wondering, yes, they did bang. That means Adachi’s magic is no more. Please don’t be upset over the censored sex scene, it’s mainly due to television regulations in Japan, I believe. The moaning, though… there is a reason why the BL genre is so popular because some voice actors know how to moan…Kobayashi is one of them…

Speaking of which, I learned from someone in the Cherry Magic discord that Adachi has a palmaris longus muscle on his wrist. It’s the little nerve/muscle thing that pops out on the front of the wrist. Only 14% of the population have it, apparently; I have it too! Apparently, the muscle can be a bit sensitive, when touched, so…think of that what you will.

On the Tsugemina side, Tsuge wanted to get over Minato, but couldn’t. He tried writing, but nothing came out. His feelings for Minato are just too strong. He eventually attended Minato’s concert where he gifted him a new pair of shoes, which caused Minato to rush out and find him. They eventually confess their mutual feelings for each other and it seems that they finally are getting together! Congrats! I really like how Tsuge’s so poetic, befitting an author. I loved his quote, “No story compares to the real you.” Man, that was SMOOTH. While Tsuge did have ulterior motives and it did bother Minato, Minato didn’t mind it too much as he likes Tsuge a lot more than he realized and even told the older man to not give up—words that Tsuge told him before. What I like about the Tsugemina pair is that Tsuge isn’t too reliant on the magic. While he did fall for Minato’s inner voice, he made his own effort to get closer to him as best as he can and it worked. The only time he used the magic significantly was to help Minato patch things up with Rokkaku. That’s about it.

This was the most romantic of the episodes by far, but the wonky animation does take some romantic value away from it, but it’s only noticeable in the non-romantic scenes. I wonder if next week is the finale. I do wonder how everything is going to end. There’s a lot of content for Cherry Magic, so I do wonder if there will be a second season planned. The day the episode aired was the day before  Adachi’s birthday, which is March 21, today’s date. Happy birthday Adachi! What are your thoughts on this rather romantic episode?

[peachyblkdemonslayer]

All the shows I watched in 2024

Spoilers for some of the shows being talked about

Fright krewe EP 12

7.5/10 Fright Krewe is the story of 5 teens from New Orleans being brought into the world of Voodoo by the Queen of Voodoo herself to stop an ancient demon from wrecking chaos on their town with the help of the Lwa who have chosen them. 

I enjoyed the show overall especially with getting some more knowledge about the Lwa and other spirits and creatures. The problem I do have with the show mostly has to do with it begin the age of streaming and budge restrictions. it feels a little empty despite being set in New Orleans in terms of the back ground shots. The animation also feels very stiff at times as well and makes the characters come off as a bit emotionless when the voices aren't making up with it.

I also would have preferred if that whole main cast was of black kids instead of it being 3 out of the 5 of them seeing as Voodoo is a African based religion and culture. I couldn't really tell what Missy was ethnicity speaking and they could have easily made Stanley afro-latino too. And finally the show felt way too rushed and short in the first season since we're not really given time to explore this world way more in depth especially when it comes to the spirits and monsters that inhabit the world. Still an enjoyable show but I wish it was given more time to flesh it's self out. 

A sign of affection EP.12

8.5/10 Ahhhhhhhhh!! This show is so cute and nice and comforting for me. The way Itsuomi takes the time to make sure Yuki is comfortable and that's she's at peace makes my heart melt. And it's really nice that so many people in Yuki life take the time to learn hot to communicate with her and be accommodating to her needs.

And I would have given the show a 10/10 had it not been for the whole side plot with Emma and Shin. I didn't care to much for their story in general since didn't overlap too much with the main plot also cause their romance wasn't really giving anything. Loved all the side characters and getting a more in depth look into how deafness effect people depending on a multitude of things 

Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity can make you a wizard? EP.12 

9/10 Oh my god this show is so good and wonderful. I love that it shows a realistic deception of how some people may struggle to communicate how they feel to their partners. Along with how Adachi had came to depend on his powers too much when it came to telling Kurosawa how he felt at times.

Also adore that they talked about their relationship and got through the rough patches instead of doing the miscommunicate trope that I hate so much. Their matching rings and moving in together at the end made me so happy that my face kinda of hurted. Wish we got to see more of Minato and Tsuge relationship but i could see if there's a side manga for that. Overall really good watch and will come back to watch again one day. 

Tadaima Okaeri EP 12

8.5/10 When I heard about this manga getting an anime I was surprised and excited since it was one I used to re read a lot a while back. And to no one surprise I loved the show as well, not only is is super cute and just a all around very good comfort show this has to be one of my favorite deception of the omeagverse I've seen. In an average one they tend to only knowledge some of the problems that come with the hierarchy in the world but here we cover a lot more.

One being that things like birth control, as Masaki has to take a shot since the pills he was used to taking had stop being affective. They show the side effects of him doing so which is a nice touch I really like as it reflects the real life struggles people go through when trying different forms of birth control. 

And how someone like Mochizuki might feel being around alphas as omegas are treated as second rate citizens. Though we dont spend too much time on that story line it was nice that they were being realistic on how someone who doesn't have the support system they can depend on may feel in that situation. Overall love the show and kinda hope the mangaka comes back and adds more to the universe on day 

Twilight out of focus EP 12

7.5/10 Like a lot of shows I've been watching this year I had a really great time with this. It so nice to see that not only are we getting more queer anime with good budget to show off some great animation, but also something super cute and endearing to see unfold. I liked all of the cast including the reoccurring characters that popped up here and there. Through the 3 couples we had I have to say Mao and Hisahi were my favorite but the other two were nice.

My only complaint I have is that everything went at rapid speed which I can't really blame the show for since more then likely the manga went at a neck breaking pace. Also loved the transition shots from TV to wide screen like the movies. I even looked liked a film term when it came up if I wasn't already familiar with it. Also loved that we started the show with Mao and Hiashi and ended it with them too. Overall a really good and easy watch and wouldn't mind coming back to it again.

Wind breaker EP 13

9/10 Really enjoyed this show and the premise that it laid out. Our main lead Haruka is a nice slight change to the usual lead we have in these types of series. Someone who feels the need to be by themselves cause of how the people around him treated him terribly let a mark on him. But Haruka learning to get closer to other characters and depend on others and seeing that getting/being the top dog isn't as what it seems makes him feel a lot more fleshed out.

The show also does a great job of getting you to like and get attached these characters very quick and craving more interactions between them. The fight choreography is some of the best I've seen in any show ever as each punch and kick feels like it has weight to it. Along with a great ost and plenty of good build up I see this being a sleeper hit for the year. Hate that we left off at a cliff hanger but will be seating for more next year.

​​​​​​​ Higurashi when they cry EP 25

8/10 Ah yes one of the most iconic horror animes to ever exist. Higurashi when they cry is most definitely the show 13 year old you looked up for it most gore scenes but if you sit down to actually watch it way more then that. Despite the fact that I've watched many videos explaining the storyline and backgrounds of the characters I couldn't help but be fully immersed in the story. Finding out more details about the little rural village was slow but worth.

And coming to connect the dots yourself as more of the time loops happened made me feel good. And you really get to love these characters and understand why they did the things they did. I can most definitely see why this is such a staple in the anime horror space and I can't wait to start watching Kai.

[songscloset]

Cherry Magic and The Difference Between Who You Are On the Inside and On the Outside

I have, yet again, fallen into a fandom that's just old enough to not have an active fan group. I just inhaled the Japanese tv version of Cherry Magic. Fucking adorable. Seriously.

Often, while I'm driving, I record myself as I talk things through (I have worked out so many plot holes this way, omg). Yesterday, I was thinking about the tv show and what I want from it/what I think about it. This is that recording, transcribed (with mental jumps retained for humor).

Okay so what fics do I want to read in Cherry Magic Japanese TV show fandom that don’t exist? This isn’t hard. There are many.

One is I’d like to read a fic where Kurosawa isn’t such a goddamn wimp. Why does it take him seven years and Adachi becoming a fucking mind reader – that shouldn’t have to happen. Kurosawa, you’re a go-getter. Like, what the hell.

I do like the idea that he had to get over himself; that fic was really well done and I like that. That’s… anyway.

So, a fic where inside the first two years of his crush turning into something deeper, he then acts on it, because he CAN, because… anyway, whatever.

I lean toward stories where the magic doesn’t exist. I’m not sure why that is.

A lot of the fic that exists are set post-canon. But that isn’t what I want. I want more pining. I wanna watch Kurosawa absolutely fucking squirm and I’m not sure what that’s about, but it feels unkind. However.

That’s where I am with this.

I wanna watch him absolutely have need.

And maybe that’s what it is.

So I could just write … extend the in-canon period where he’s just pining. I could do whole vignettes of him pining during that seven years. Starting with when he and Adachi first started at the company and he ignored Adachi. He missed him. He doesn’t see him. And then go on through… through the whole thing.

This does also … doing this should be a reward. It seems like a lot of fun to do. I don’t know why I’m quite so taken with this.

Some of this is that the actor is awfully cute.  

It’s just that.

Kurosawa's character… and maybe this is a large part of it.

Kurosawa seems like someone I might know. And that’s really the difference, Kurosawa… they seem like people I might know. They seem – this situation is a real world situation. I mean.

Except for the mind reading, but you have to have a plot device.

But it’s a real situation, it’s a real world experience. We’ve all had hopeless work crushes and we’ve all thought terribly about ourselves, even if it’s unreasonable and all of that is true.

I also really like that the story is about people … the way … there’s a difference

A vast gulf of difference between who people think we are and who we think we are ourselves. The reality of who we really are, of course, is somewhere in the middle.

Um.

But that’s what this story is about. This story is about the fact that … that on the inside, most of us are pretty wrapped up in… you know, seeing only our own insecurities and negative bits and on the outside we project these images of security and confidence and ability

And so other people make decisions. Make assumptions.. other people react to the persona.  

This reminds me of the reality of worksonas. Who doesn’t have a worksona? Right? Everyone has one.

We all live inside these different personas.

Sometimes who we are on the inside and who we are on the outside don’t match. And it’s because we’re often deliberately projecting an external image that isn’t the entirety of ourselves.

This is not a bad thing. We don’t need to show everybody in the world who we are on the inside. None of this should be taken to imply that we have to be perfectly exposed and vulnerable to every single fucking asshole out there in the world. We don’t.

We don’t.

We get to defend our vulnerable little soft bellies.

Because we do!

Our vulnerable selves can stay inside our vulnerable you know, inside where it’s safe.

Anyway.

So that’s… I think that’s a large part of why I find this appealing and why I want to re-tell canon.

Because canon is showing us a lot of what… canon shows us Adachi’s side. That’s all we’re seeing, really. We get glimpses of Kurosawa’s side, because we get the little snippets of his internal dialog.

But we don’t get to see the morass of miserable self-hatred that is informing his decisions.

[bengiyo]

Cherry Magic TH Ep 3 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Achi grappled with what it meant to have someone interested in him. He enjoyed the attention, but felt like he might be taking advantage. Eventually, he came to understand that one sided attraction is also difficult for the person holding back. We left the two on a rooftop after Achi stressed that Karan wasn't making him uncomfortable. Meanwhile, Jinta also developed the same powers as Achi and had a less than stellar interaction with Min as a result.

Cannot believe I am watching BL in standard def in 2023 because Square Enix is greedy as fuck.

I kinda like that the whole office interrupted instead of just Rock.

LOL, Jinta actually has really practical concerns about this power.

Oh ho, who is Pai worried Bout running into?

I'm so glad this version of Kurosawa is also impatient with Rock for getting between him and Achi.

This whole office trip is new to me, but I'm liking it a lot. The manager seems to care about her people and seems to genuinely want them to have a good time.

Okay, that onsen scene was great.

Ah, so this is what they're replacing the fake dating for the parents with. Pai is trying to impress an ex boyfriend instead.

Well well well. You can't fall in love if you ain't clumsy.

Newwie is extremely attractive as Achi.

I like that we still got the scene where Pai realizes that she's okay by herself and then Karan shows up to defend them from street toughs. Achi even still got scraped.

Wound tending, my beloved.

This fond smirk is giving, "P'pEtE aBoUt AbOyZ"

For once they don't want me to believe this man is a good singer.

Pai's ex is played by Papang!!! Wow, be sucks!

YES, BITCH, YESS! READ HIM! READ HIM FOR FILTH! READ HIM FOR BLOOD!

Welcome back, baby is a messy eater. Marc is beautiful, holy shit.

Karan is down bad for Achi. I'm so glad they got Tay Tawan for this. He is so valid for that internal scream.

I'm excited about Songkran next week, but not Pai having a crush on Achi!!

The company trip was new to me this week, but I really loved it, and how they incorporated what was familiar. This is one of my favorite watches of the week. It's nice to be enjoying the GMMTV weekend block again, even if it requires me to jump through so many hoops.

[braceletofteeth]

How about 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 9 & 11 for the ❤️🧡💛bl ask game 💚💙💜 (this might be my sneaky way to get bl recs)

1. Favorite Main Couple

Hira & Kiyoi, from Utsukushii Kare/My Beautiful Man.

For one, I really like these characters, not only for what they are like as a couple, but for them. For their personalities, their thought process, the way they talk and feel about things. That already sets them apart from other couples that I've enjoyed as far as their romance went, but didn't get invested in (both!) the characters themselves—and I noticed there seems to be a correlation between how much I like the characters involved, and how much I care about their romance.

But if we're talking about them as a couple, I think what I like the most about their relationship is the equilibrium. The idea that Hira and Kiyoi are perfectly balanced.

Aaaand I know there is definitely at least one person who have watched the show going “WHAT” right now, but let me explain first 🤚🧐

Hira loves in a way that is very, very specific, and Kiyoi wants to be loved in a certain way that is also very specific. The love that Hira has to give, not everyone can handle; the love that Kiyoi would like to receive, not everyone can give to him. The fact that they meet and somehow find in each other exactly what they craved for?

That's the stuff miracles (and OTPs) are made of.

3. Favorite Main Character

Hey, have I ever told you the story of How I Met My Blorbo? No? Well. Would you believe it. It was actually through a “Most Whipped” poll from the infamous @ bl-bracket.

It was the second round, and he was winning against Kurosawa, from Cherry Magic—someone whose whippedness I was already familiar with, and thought would be pretty hard to beat. I didn't know who this Hira guy was, or what he could have possibly done or be like to be considered more whipped than Kurosawa. So, already intriguing. I went back to check the first round. On that round, he had won by an even larger margin. It was almost ridiculous. Taking a look at the comments left in the reblogs of both rounds, who I got described back to me was a boy who was so whipped it was considered weird and probably unhealthy. Huh! Very intriguing indeed. By then, I was practically sold.

It was only a surface level of interest at first, just because I think Being Whipped is one of the best character traits for someone in a romantic relationship to have; as well as being very intense, and even a little (or a lot) weird about it.

But then, I actually met him and *breathes in* God, there's so much to say about Hira. I fear I'll never get to say it all... but let me summarize to the best of my abilities (I'll try to keep it short).

The Hira that we're first introduced to is a resigned boy who feels inadequate and rejected by his school peers. His response to that unwelcome environment is that he, himself, doesn't wanna be a part of the community—he'd rather keep to himself, or “be invisible”, as he puts it. He finds comfort in his solitude, or at least he tries to.

He has a hobby—photography—but he feels like he just does that for the sake of doing it. There's nothing in particular that he'd like to photograph. He's just going with the flow. All he does in life, it seems, is go with the flow, letting the tides take him forward.

Essentially, he's lacking companionship and a purpose, and that's a very frustrating way to live. When you just lack one or the other, you can still find some fulfillment in what you have. But when you lack both? It gets really hard to think of your life—or yourself—as valuable.

So when he meets Kiyoi Sou, and decides to dedicate his whole being to him—body, mind, and soul? I get it. I really do. Because the acts of service give him purpose, a reason to be, and it also establishes a connection to somebody, even if it's unilateral. It's a chance to be present, but somewhat still at the margins, never the one at the center of attention.

Hira believes he's unworthy of attention. He stays so much in his own head, he can't see his own qualities. And mind you, he has plenty of qualities! For example: Hira is book smart (see: finishes his homework much faster/with less difficulty than the others), strong (see: no less than three people are needed to hold him back when he's defending Kiyoi with his own hands), competent (see: learning how to do all house chores by himself), talented (see: admired by the other members of his uni's Photography Club), and handsome too (see: gif above people who had never met him before commenting on his looks and even hitting on him as soon he takes his hair off his face and dresses in an outfit that complements his body). Well-mannered, loyal, honest to a fault. And cute, in an awkward way. And funny, even when he has no intention to be.

But, of course, he has some flaws too, like... *frowns*... *frown deepens*... It will come to me... *staring at the wall*... Oh. He usually won't communicate how he feels unless someone else prompts him to. Which can be frustrating and cause problems... but that's on everyone else *shrugs*

(I jest like I'm not one of the people who have felt frustrated because of this...)

As much as he might struggle to communicate how he feels verbally, though, usually his face will give him away. Be it showing his displeasure, or his awe. And no one shows awe like Hira Kazunari. Like, I don't know how the actor, Riku, does that, but you can see literal stars in his eyes sometimes. “Oh, you mean heart eyes?” nononono ☝ I've seen heart eyes. That's not it. It's not the look you give a lover—it's the look of someone who travels back in time and watches the universe born.

Which sounds normal, right? No! No, it doesn't! Now you get what I mean about this guy?! How can someone be so passionate about anything? He's so... So. He's so much. He found what he wanted to dedicate his life to, and he never once doubted the conviction he has in its merit. That was it for him. The fucking big bang, over and over, forever. Nothing can compare to that, and his life is fulfilled as long as he gets to keep experiencing it.

... Anyways. He's a fascinating little guy, and a kindred spirit to me. I love watching him discover that he's capable and deserving of being and having much more than he assumes he is—despite his every attempt to deny himself so.

5. Favorite Female Character

So, I already answered this one time, but allow me to take this awesome opportunity to mention two other female characters that haunt me to this day—the sisters from Manner of Death, Janejira and Rungtiwa.

Now, if you're not familiar with them—basically, one is one of the most disgusting people you'll ever have the displeasure of knowing, and the other did nothing wrong in her life and suffered more than Jesus.

Jane, although not being there in person for most of it, is a fundamental piece to the narrative. She's what brings everything together. You could almost say MOD is her story—about discovering what happened to her and why that happened to her; her motivations, and the conclusion to her mission.

Honestly, I don't think I could do half of what Jane had the courage to attempt. Except for Tan and Dr. Bunn, it seemed like the whole world was against her. Powerful, terrifying people, as well as people close to her. People who should have been on her side no matter what, were the ones who hurt her the most. That in itself could break anybody's spirit. But she kept going. When the ones who should have defended her weren't there, she fought back for herself. She said she would do it herself. She would put an end to it herself; finally take back the control of her story.

When I think about all the rage, horror, and hurt that woman must have felt, I just about go mad all over again.

And Rungtiwa. When I talk about Jane's older sister, it might sound like I hate her. And I do. She's the character I hate the most out of every universe. The day she has no more haters, I'm no longer in this world.

But, as it is inevitable, the more you hate somebody, the longer they stay with you. I'll never forget about Rungtiwa, or how deep run her greed. What it led her to do, and to become.

7. Top 5 BL

Utsukushii Kare

A few months ago, I read a list in here, on this very website. Someone had asked for recommendations on High School Japanese BLs, and the kind owner of the blog made a list of their favorites. There were about five of them, it wasn't a long list, but Utsukushii Kare was listed as one of them.

That was very weird.

No, I don't disagree with the author of the post. Utsukushii Kare is good, and should be recommended. There was nothing wrong with that list, technically. But it still felt weird, to see Utsukushii Kare there, among the others. And it was then I realized that, before that moment, I had never, ever, ever thought of this drama as a High School Love Story.

I had never thought of it as a story that had a school as a setting, and it wasn't just because they were only high school students for half of it. I didn't consider Hira's house as the setting either, nor any of the other locations they passed through. Not even the city they lived in. In my head, to call those places the setting of their story was technically correct, but also completely wrong.

“Well, Brace, where did you consider the story was set, then?” Hira & Kiyoi's World, of course?????? What kind of stupid ques-

Listen. Even when they were at school, in many of those scenes, it was just the two of them. When they were outside, too, they were alone together, in most of them. And when not, more often than not, they would be looking at each other, would be thinking of each other. It was like nothing else mattered... more.

This drama helped me give name to my favorite trope of all time, which I now call A World of Two. Well, it's more like a dynamic than a trope, and one day I'd like to talk about it more extensively in a separate post, because there are specific causes and possible collateral effects to it—but it's basically when two people make each other the center of their worlds.

When they come together, it's like they are in a separated space and time from everything. It's a whole world in a single space, that they share together, and it can only exist because of the connection they have. Some kind of mutual understanding or attachment that makes the ones outside of it, strangers, but the two inside, natives; from the same land, the same home.

(In that space, during that time, they feel more like themselves than in any other.)

Never Let Me Go

I struggle to find words to describe or something to compare it to... It's like...

A movie from the 1970's that is set in the 2020's, except the vibes are not futuristic, but of an old play, a tale as old as time. A modern fairytale. A dream that you wake up from and it's like you just came back from an adventure; all your memories of it have a glint to them, the colors in tones you have never seen, your heart longing for another world, the feeling of plenitude. A melody that sounds grand in a ball room, but intimate in your home, when you play it for a loved one. A blend of summer love and 72 years of marriage. Butterflies in your stomach. Heaven on Earth.

The more I talk, the more pretentious I sound (although it's all true). So let me try to keep it simple: I like the classics. I like when people join forces to fight against the world together, overcoming obstacles and the miserable situation they are in. But I also think there should be just as much—actually, even more—joy, love, and hope, in between all that. To show what they could be, what could be theirs, if it wasn't for all The Horrors. I believe that's what makes the most satisfying Happy Endings.

... There's also something about how Palm and Nuengdiao would get lost in each other's eyes. The recognition there—a conversation between their souls, that no one else was privy to.

Strangers From Hell

Still funny that the devil fell in love with him and Yoon Jongwoo tried to convince you he didn't understand why, but he was lying the entire time.

Also my doctor said I can call BL whatever I want, because of the uniquely acute vision I have (he's a dentist).

KinnPorsche

[Little House on the Hill starts playing on the background]

A part of me stayed at that safehouse. It may never find a way out.

... Also. Maybe some people look back now and are able to think KinnPorsche was not that big of a deal, but to me, she still remains That Bitch™.

The cinematography, those locations—they are severed in my brain. Most of the songs from the soundtrack were not made with it in mind, but it was almost like they were. I still listen to many of them. And I can still repeat many of those lines of dialogue from memory—a reflection of how many times I had them repeated to me because of how impactful or iconic they were for us. The storyline was engaging, every week. Both the protagonists and antagonists were entertaining. There were many characters, and they made us remember them all. Even those who were only there briefly. And all three main couples were good—you'd get hurt no matter what your preference was :D

And all the while, great action scenes, plus some other surprises no one had ever seen on television anywhere.

It was the most thrilling experience I've had watching anything, and sometimes I fear I'll never get to feel that again.

Love in the Air

Everyone puts different values on different things. LITA might be a bit rough around the edges, but both Love Storm and Love Sky are comfort zones to me.

Their stories are, at their core, about trust. And you know what? It's easy to make a story about that in which one of the characters doesn't trust easily and the other is this admirable, dependable person... but that's not quite how it goes here.

In LITA, the people (Rain / Prapai) who need to earn another's (Payu / Sky) trust, don't exactly inspire that trust in the beginning. In fact, they do the opposite, and need to work for it, to become a version of themselves that they, too, come to believe that their partners deserve.

Sky's and Payu's trust issues come from past relationships that went wrong, but in very different ways. Sky was in an abusive relationship, and discarded when it was over; Payu was rejected for his personality, his overbearing tendencies. Those experiences led them to not open up their hearts as easily again.

On the other end of this, there are Prapai and Rain, and they are... they are a mess, it's the word. They are so lost, at their respective starting points. But Rain, at least, receives instructions: Payu wants him to succeed, if Payu—the way he is—is what Rain decides is right for him. If he's serious about it. And despite the initial mishaps, it's always clear that they are a perfect match, singing to each other's tune.

There was no such clarity, however, when it came to Prapai and Sky. In fact, when people were first introduced to Prapai, a lot of us thought that he was... inadequate. That he was not right for Sky, and he would not care for him the way Sky deserved.

And then, what happened? We cried. We bawled our eyes out, because of how much he genuinely fucking cared. And some of us (me), I dare say, have never recovered from that.

8. First BL

The first BL drama I've watched was Where Your Eyes Linger, back when it was released in 2020. A friend thought I'd be interested in seeing history being made, so she made us watch together. At the time, I was not into asian dramas yet—the few I watched every now and then were because of my friend.

Rewatching it recently, I realized WYEL has a ship dynamic that I usually enjoy a lot, and some well done emotional scenes—which, for some reason, didn't have an effect on me the first time, because I don't remember the story lingering with me after. Probably because it was short and passed too fast, if I had to guess? But I can appreciate it for what it is more, now.

It took three more BLs till I became a regular watcher—I watched Addicted (stumbling upon it by chance on youtube) and Semantic Error (presented by the aforementioned friend), before watching Manner of Death, a story so dope that it made me fold and search for more BLs on purpose, just in case there were other stories that good out there. It was the first step into a world of possibilities I was previously unaware of, and I have found I quite like it in here.

9. Currently Watching

Takara no Vidro [4/10]

Perfect 10 Liners [2/24]

The Eighth Sense [1/10]

HIStory 3: Trapped [17/20]

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan [1/10]

I'm using colors to represent how I'm currently feeling about them:

Pink: positive feelings

Blue: neutral feelings

Orange: negative feelings

Right now I don't really have the energy to binge, so it's been a slow catch up with my watchlist. I've been trying to watch BLs from different countries (because this year most have been Thai) and dramas in general of other genres (because most of what I've watched this year was romance). Also more GLs (there is a great diversity of them available right now!). But yes, as for BLs, only the ones listed.

Oh, but I'm also waiting for new episodes of a korean BL animation called Shutline...? Which is more smut than plot, to be completely frank, but I started watching because the main characters are a mechanic and a gang member whose job includes killing people (that might sound familiar 😬). Apparently, “I'm watching because there's a mechanic” is the new “I'm watching because there's a dentist” for me (and only God knows the places that will take me).

11. Most Anticipated Upcoming BL

It might come as a surprise, as I've been very tight-lipped, lowkey, and downright secretive about it... but it's the (alleged) romcom series The Heart Killers.

I just think “approaching a dangerous person with ulterior motives without getting caught” is an intriguing premise, you know? Keeping elaborated secrets is a difficult task, especially when it might cost your life; worse when you lose the plot and get enticed by your own lies, the fantasy you created for someone else, and might end up breaking your own heart in the process.

That's a ride that is bound to be full of ups and downs, and I need to know how high they're gonna take us before the drop, as well as how rough or delicate will be the pick up later.

I'm also just really excited to meet these characters and see how their dynamics will play out. I'm compelled by Bison's longing for freedom; allured by Kant's charms; amused by Style's shamelessness; and, last but not least, possessed by a mighty need to see someone reach inside Fadel's armor and pull at a loose thread until he falls apart.

I just think this one is gonna be fun. :)

(tried to make it sound like the normal kind of excitement, but I don't wanna lie to you, mate... I'm obsessed with this thing. It's been pretty bad. Like, really bad. It's been like that for six months, and it has only gotten worse... Don't try to help me, though!! 😩🖐 At this point, the only antidote is the release of the series...)

—

I don't know how useful this could have been as for recs, since most of the shows I mentioned are no strangers to this blog's page, but... this gave me an opportunity to reflect on them, and I enjoy doing that. So thank you for picking these numbers for me! 😊💛

See you o/

[findpenpalsover20]

I'm looking for pen pals to discuss poetry, art and culture, and daily life with. I'm 31 years old but I have the soul of an old, old man inside (or possibly an old woman that doesn't like people, lol). My passions are history (NOT military history); art; ethnic/traditional/folk music, classical and instrumental music; art cinema and foreign cinema; contemporary poetry (NOT rhyming poetry); literary fiction; architecture and design; historical fashion and crafts (a little); and vintage transportation. I am politically a socialist and I believe it's important to be politically and historically informed.

My favorite writers currently include Téa Obreht, Ruth Stone, Wanda Coleman, Anton Chekhov (his plays), and Natalie Diaz. My favorite films are many, but include The Lion in Winter, Days of Heaven, Russian Ark, The Eve of Ivan Kupalo, Dreams (Kurosawa), and more. My favorite tv shows are 30 Rock, Veep, Fisk, Parks & Rec, and Poirot.

Some things I need to get out of the way immediately: I like historical fiction and magical realism, but I CANNOT STAND genre fiction (horror, thriller, romance, anime, high fantasy, sci-fi, any of that). Stans and stan culture make me uncomfortable. I hate video games, LOTR, Star Trek, and D&D. I loathe any media featuring Vampires. I'm truly sorry, but I just don't want to talk about these things. I'm a kind person, but I'm heavily annoyed by these things.

I would prefer someone my age or older to chat with, although it's not a hard rule. They must be emotionally mature. I am fine with pen pals of any nationality, but they must be fluent in English. I am open both to chatting informally online and to exchanging more formal long-form letters on a monthly basis. I am comfortable using Tumblr, Discord, or email to chat.

I can't open DMs or Asks, so if you are interested please just like or reblog this post and I will be in touch with you.

contact @alightinthelantern 

[basedkikuenjoyer]

This one's been a long time coming, Sweetie & I picking up the anime remake over dinner recently seems like a good time to do it. If we're going to talk about Wano as an homage to classic samurai cinema we can't ignore Akira Kurosawa's epic many would consider his magnum opus. I'd argue Rashomon deserves that honor but I like weird shit, today we're talking Seven Samurai.

Now, as always Wano is not one samurai movie reference. It's a massive pastiche. Seven Samurai's influence is a lot more structural. Big epic split between a segment of rounding up the gang, one where we spend time on preparations, then a big battle. The 1954 film is credited with like, pioneering this basic film structure of getting the band together for a mission then executing it. The mission is very different, the Raid being a little more like 47 Ronin instead of the titular Seven defending a village from bandits, but the way the story is arranged very much shows that influence. Even the seemingly detached sidestory at the start to introduce one of the gang fits the mold, luckily Kiku got to go all Oyuki on someone else's topknot over cutting her own hair like Kanbei.

You know the drill by now, as always she's the one who really shines when you look at this side of things. Samurai 7, that's a straight retelling. More futuristic setting but it's functionally the same gang. The only one with a name that really obviously resonates with the Akazaya Nine is Kiku, thanks to the two versions of the guy we have here. Kikuchiyo. Originally played by Kurosawa mainstay Toshiro Mifune. There are some elements that track. Good with kids, can be a bit of a wild card. Very different aesthetic though obviously.

Where it really shines is being the odd one out. The "heart" of the group. Not to mention one who'll break off and do their own thing. And that's consistent in both versions. Kikuchiyo is not actually a samurai, he's the son of a farmer. The bridge between the villagers and the men they hire. Our sweet, wonderful Okiku does sorta have that going for her, but with a different coat of paint. Digging back into where she starts in Oda's journey as a writer.

Probably said this at least somewhere, but on top of the whole Kamatari connection to Oda's time as a Rurouni Kenshin assistant Kiku also kinda gives you this Misao vibe. And I specifically mean how Misao related to the Oniwabanshu. Kid that idolized them but was left behind for her own good. Our sweet flower sure felt like that at the start. Nice blend of the two that ends up being it's own wonderful thing.

[wen-kexing-apologist]

Shipper Tag Game

I was tagged in this game by @twig-tea, appreciate the tag but also bestie this is so many questions.

1. What ship were you completely obsessed with when you were a teenager, but now you don't care anymore?

Is this the part where I have to confess to being a superwholockian in my past? I no longer care about JohnLock or DeanCas, the evil is defeated!

2. Which ship would you consider your first one?

Oh it was almost certainly Beast Boy and Raven from Teen Titans

3. Your first fanfic belonged to which couple?

Magnus Bane x Alec Lightwood from Shadowhunters, I wrote a bunch of fanfics for them when I was younger. I did not anticipate how many views I would get on a couple of them, so that was cool! (shameless plug to check out my AO3 account, Sent2TheBeast. Unfortunately most of my fics are now locked due to how people feed content to AI software)

4. Do you remember the first couple you saw a fanart over?

Do I actually remember? No. Was it most likely something from Harry Potter or Supernatural? Yeah.

5. Did you ever get into ship discourse?

Baby, I write BL essays on tumblr, I think the minute I posted my first analysis I was signing up to ride the discourse wave.

6. Did you used to have any no-otp or have it currently?

Honestly any incestuous plot lines I am typically very against: Wincest, Brallie, etc.

7. Who were the couple in the last fanfic you read?

I read a beautifully written VegasPete fic by the wonderful @ginnymoonbeam

8. Currently, do you have any OTPs?

How much time do you have? Kurosawa x Adachi/Karan x Achi; Togawa x Nozue; Minoru x Yutaka; PatPran; MorkTawan; Han Baram x Im Hantae; Shin Ki Tae x Lee Wan; Kenji x Shiro; etc etc etc

9. Is there any couple that, to this day, you are extremely mad about not getting together?

Not that I can think of, but I will just give a generic shout out to all the queer baiting of old. BUT I DO HAVE COUPLES I AM EXTREMELY MAD ABOUT GETTING TOGETHER. AkkTheo and SandRay I am looking at you!!!

10. Is there any ship you used to dislike but now you think they are kind of interesting?

I will give this one to @bengiyo. I was not a fan of Korn and Intouch from Until We Meet Again because of how one-sided the relationship seemed to me. But conversations with Ben gave me deeper insights in to Korn and have had me reconsidering my impression of that relationship.

11. Do you have any ship that, in the past, was considered normal but now you would be cancelled over?

Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David would almost certainly get me cancelled considering Ziva's service history in Israel. Glad I was able to free myself of the cop/military propaganda that is NCIS when I entered high school.

12. What was your favorite crack ship?

I don't really embrace the crack culture, I am not a huge fan of crack vids, crack fics, crack ships

13. Who is the couple you read more fanfics of?

Of all the couples I read fanfics for, I think Malec from Shadowhunters was probably my most frequently read.

14. What most of your ships usually have in common?

I feel like 99% of the ships that have wormed their way in to my brain to the point of obsession (aka me making fan art, writing fics, etc) lies in the complexity and opposition of character's to one another. For example:

In Shadowhunters, the tension between Magnus being a warlock and Alec being a Shadowhunter and how they navigate the fact that The Institute and his own family have caused and continue to cause active harm to Magnus and the other Downworlders.

In Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, the extremely contradictory nature of Kaz Brekker's existence and how that impacts his relationship with and to Inej. I wrote a number of Kanej fics because I could not stop thinking about the fact that Kaz and Inej want to touch each other, want to be intimate with each other, and their extensive trauma makes that damn near impossible.

In Pushing Daises, the inability to touch, the tension between loving someone so much and knowing that to touch them would be to kill them is just so fascinating.

In The Old Guard, Joe and Nicky having been together for 900 years when we meet them so you wouldn't think there is a complex tension there per say, but they were on opposite sides of The Crusades and had to work through that to cultivate a literally eternal love. And not just that (honestly less so that) but the tension between their line of work as mercenaries, their immortality, and knowing that one day, completely unannounced that immortality will stop. I could not stop thinking about how many times those two have had to watch each other die, waiting and wondering if their lover would come back to life this time around.

In Bad Buddy, Pat and Pran not only having to navigate their relationship with the incredibly antagonistic relationship between their parents but Pat having to parse through all these years of competition, hatred, fighting, to understand that all this time he's loved Pran.

gif by @barrowsteeth 15. What do you absolutely hate in a ship?

Lack of reciprocity. This is not to say the relationship has to be completely balanced. I don't think that it is a realistic possibility that every aspect of a romantic relationship exists in perfect harmony. But I've written about this before, my theory as to why so many BL boys get sick, in order to allow the person who has received more of the support throughout the show to care for their partner. I am a very outspoken Enchante anti because I hate Theo so fucking much. Theo's incompetency and Akk's incessant need to help him got Akk fired from his job, Theo lied about Enchante, and Theo moved back to France and made Akk work on his own to earn enough money for a motherfucking plane ticket to France. None of that being marketed as romantic is okay with me.

tagging: @emotionallychargedtowel, @neuroticbookworm, @telomeke, @negrowhat, and @solitaryandwandering