#golden retriever to black cat arc

[theidlespoon]

writer culture is creating a sunshine character and then making them go through so much trauma that they're unrecognisable

[julissart]

Special delivery 💛💚

Ko-Fi

[abbey-abdominal]

WOO!! GOT MY SUMMER CHILD GOLDEN RETRIEVER SISTER TO AGREE TO WATCH HAZBIN HOTEL WITH ME! Let’s see how this goes…

[bookstattoosandtea]

Release Blitz, Excerpt & Giveaway: Love and Loathing in El Olvido by Sylvia San Sebastian

Release Blitz, Excerpt & Giveaway: Love and Loathing in El Olvido By Sylvia San Sebastian El Olvido, Book 1 Harvey and his mother have spent the past twelve years fleeing from the Lucchesi crime family that massacred their clan. But the same day his mother dies of a heart attack, he receives an anonymous letter. Someone knows who killed his family, and they want him to take revenge. They list…

[rainbowsuitcase]

Listen. Both black cat and golden retriever can and will fight when necessary but their fighting styles are very different.

Black cat's fighting is messy. Dirty. They will dig their nails into your skin, they will bite your fingers, they will try to claw your eyes out. They want to win and couldn't care less about how. They're not afraid to draw blood and get it under their fingernails. When they stand victorious, they're covered by it and spitting it out but they're smiling and they don't care.

The way golden retriever fights, I'd describe as something firm. Steady, maybe. Fists clenched, ready to throw a punch and hit you straight in the face. They deflect punches with open palms, they stand with their feet apart, unmovable. Rather than covered in blood, their body will be littered with bruises, they'll win with a black eye and swollen knuckles and gasping for air.

What I'm trying to say is - pre-serum Steve in TFA, grabbing a trash can lid to gain an advantage, throwing messy punches with no coordination, and Bucky confidently coming in and kicking the guy's ass with sure movements.

What I'm trying to say is - Bucky in CW, digging his fingers into the Iron Man armour and trying to rip the arc reactor out, and Steve taking over with his own fighting style and hard punches.

What I'm saying is that they're both the black cat. And they're both the golden retriever.

[lover-of-mine]

Okay, so, I don't know if I'm typing this out to make myself feel better because I can't believe THIS is the thing I'm gonna be right about in this fucking show BUT back in May last year, I added some tags on a post about how Buck is in Eddie's season 5 arc, so he would break up with Natalia pretty early on and Eddie and Marisol would go off to build stuff together (It's the only post I can find that proves I had the thought before all this because I don't know if I put that in a meta or not, I think I did on a post talking about how Buck and Eddie mirror each other narratively, but I cannot find it) but the thing is, season 6 for Buck mirrors season 4 for Eddie, which would put them in season 5 but from Buck's side. It was the main reason I kept saying I believed Natalia would have the same treatment as Ana, and go away early on in the season to open space for Eddie's journey of self-discovery, which is what happened, Natalia went away to open space for Buck's self-discovery journey. I was betting on a Buck breakdown, but bi Buck works. Why did I had that thought the second Eddie called Marisol in the s6 finale? Well, Buck and Eddie are literally running parallel to each other but slightly misaligned. You have tiny things like the way the first loss on the job for both of them is someone falling to their death, but Devon didn't want to live and the gross dude did. Or the shaky relationship with their parents that runs opposite because Eddie had too much responsibility placed on him while Buck was literally treated like he was invisible. Or more aggressive things like the way the well mirrors the lightning (set on that if you need help visualizing), with the way both of them volunteer into the rescue, the well is in the middle of nowhere, Buck gets struck in the middle of the street, Buck is in the sky, Eddie is underground, the rain aspect, the 118 as audience, they are even on mirrored sides of the frame, and I think even the way Buck needs to choose to get out of the coma mirrors the way Eddie saves himself. There's also the breathing things since Eddie almost drowns and Buck's lungs stop working. The well mirroring the lighting put Buck in season 4 for 6b, the "'I'm fine' *narrator voice* he wasn't fine" era, which would put Buck in season 5 now, the "I'm dealing with what makes me who I am" era, which he is, go Buck.

Well, this works with love interests on a ridiculous level. We have the ABSOLUTE MADNESS of the way Shannon comes back, next episode Ali shows up, Shannon dies, next episode Ali is gone, Eddie meets Ana, Buck keeps complaining about the struggles of being single (while Maddie totally sets him up with Josh, because now that Buck is canonically bi, the fact that they are in blue and green is too on the nose for me to ignore), nothing comes of Eddie and Ana, they both stay single, Eddie asks Ana out, next episode Buck is dating and Taylor comes Back, Buck starts dating Natalia, Eddie starts dating Marisol. The only ones who are not aligned are the breakups with Ana and Taylor, because Buck chooses to hang on for too long. We also the way they have the first love who left them and never really gave them the closure they needed, we have the inconsequential girlfriend they only got because people kept telling them they had to move on. Shannon works for Eddie the same way Abby works for Buck. Ana works for Eddie the same way Ali and I guess Natalia do for Buck. That means Eddie needs a Taylor. Someone he meets on a call who comes back later on. Check. Someone he's supposed to work with in theory but never had a real fighting chance. (I say that because if Taylor were as intense about Buck as she is about the job, they could've been a very interesting installment of golden retriever boyfriend/black cat girlfriend, but they never try). Something about their personal journeys is that Buck tends to take longer to learn, while Eddie tends to need a stronger hit. Buck's takes more time and Eddie's tends to be more intense in a sense. Like the way Shannon dies and Abby just leaves, but they actually kinda paint Buck as hung up on Abby all through seasons 2 and 3. Or the way Taylor goes away for a whole season, just to come back and stay for 3 half seasons. So the Marisol of it all. Taylor had more dept in the helicopter than Marisol has right now, but sure, let's say the point here is to make Eddie do something stupid in the name of not being alone. Because that's what Taylor is. The whole time, Taylor is about Buck being scared of being alone, even hooking up with her the first time is about how he didn't have Abby to hang on to anymore. Taylor and Buck are also fundamentally incompatible.

Again, I know nothing about Marisol. They gave her no dept beyond being a glorified babysitter. Nothing in her relationship with Eddie so far has been about Eddie and her. Even their dates seem to be something that will be about watching other people. I don't wanna say buddie canon, because Lucy is her own category (I miss her) but, Eddie looking at Buck and Tommy and making the very harsh decision of asking her to move in "I'm gonna die alone" moment, I don't wanna say makes sense, but could work, even more considering that the Buck/Tommy/Eddie/Marisol date seems to be mirroring the colors of the Buckley-Diaz family + Taylor dinner in outside looking in, and the next episode is a madney episode. It's the same progression of events. I doubt Eddie is gonna cheat and panic ask Marisol to move in, but they are not so on the nose with the actual storyline parallels. I don't have the brainpower to come up with any theories about what he might do, but considering how rocky his relationship with Buck could be, considering the last episode, I can absolutely see Buck triggering that (that would make me accept I am right and Eddie is aware of his feelings and I won't give that up even if the show explicitly says he wasn't) because Eddie's abandonment issues make him overcorrect. And that's never a good thing. Do I think Marisol is going past the season finale? No. Eddie's understanding arcs are usually shorter than Buck's. How would she leave? No clue. The fact that Taylor hurt Buck's family, in a literal sense with Chim, and the focus on her relationship with Chris as someone taking care of him, also the ominous shots of Chris and the whole theory that Chris would get hurt last season makes me scared tho. It could be something that's not her fault that she doesn't reach Eddie instantly, like, Chris cuts himself or something and she doesn't call, that can even work to push Buck and Eddie closer, and put buddie explicitly in a parental role together. My brain keeps saying appendicitis for some reason, but no idea why, maybe I just don't want to believe the show would make someone purposefully endanger Chris. Eddie kind of snapping in a hospital makes sense? Let's say Chris gets sick while at school and someone calls the house trying to reach Eddie because he's not answering and he chews her off. But that's just like, the only thing I can come up with with the correct energy.

So, yeah, Marisol is Taylor. I'm too tired to keep typing, but I can't believe the one theory I don't fully type out is the one the universe is gonna give me oaksoaksoaksoaksokasa

If you read this I love you. I don't know how this made you feel, but I hope it makes sense.

[pilot-boi]

Cinder being adopted by the Arcs would objectively be hilarious for the following dynamic:

Cinder: Can I go brood for a bit?

Saffron: Sure! Just lmk when you're ready to go get coffee and go to the theatre! :D

Truly a black cat in a family of golden retrievers

[your-mums-nuts]

You ship breagan in a ‘male lead and female lead are inevitably going to get together’ way.

I ship breagan in a ‘girlboss,malewife, black cat, golden retriever, bi king and queen, best friends, love of each others lives, she’s only soft for him, he fell first AND harder, it works for their individual arcs, it works within the trajectory of the plot, it works overall, him hating her bf but not knowing why, her happy ending being left ambiguous, he let her go because he wants what’s best for her, she came back to work but also to HIM’

We are not the same

[onepiece-polls]

One Piece Shipping War - Round 2 Side D

MiShanks art by @oz-gauze. Check out the original post here.

Propaganda under the cut.

Propaganda for Iceburg x Paulie:

"I find the 'IcePaulie' ship in the "One Piece" fandom particularly compelling, and there are several reasons for this. Firstly, the two characters involved, Iceburg and Paulie, are wonderfully complex and engaging. Iceburg, as the mayor of Water 7 and president of Galley-La Company, is a serious, highly respected figure whose calm and composed demeanor grounds the duo. On the other hand, Paulie, one of the company's top foremen, is known for his strict moral code and boisterous nature, which provides a perfect contrast to Iceburg's character. What I appreciate most about the 'IcePaulie' ship is the potential for dynamic interactions and growth that arise from these contrasting personalities. The calm, collected Iceburg and the more hot-blooded Paulie provide a balanced character interaction, which can lead to interesting conflicts or heartwarming moments of mutual understanding and respect. Moreover, their shared commitment to their work within the Galley-La Company serves as a common ground that bonds them together, further enriching their relationship. In conclusion, the 'IcePaulie' ship, to me, is about more than just a potential romantic or platonic relationship. It's about the exploration of two distinct characters, their individual quirks, values, and the unique dynamic that forms between them. This interplay of personalities and the potential narrative arc their relationship could follow are what make the 'IcePaulie' ship truly captivating to me."

It's one of my fav ship not including the big 5 so 👉👈 It's really damn adorable and romantic, like just paulie being extremely overprotective and iceburg just loving him more everytime. And how they deal with the others shenanigans (that they love)

Propaganda for Shanks x Mihawk:

They had a massive battle at one point, when mihawk showed up on that island where shanks was relaxing shanks convinced him to get drunk with him very easily, also in the war of the best mihawk just flat out said he refused to fight shanks

Goth swordsmith & Golden retriever

Two of the most badass characters in the whole series, cat/dog energy, the fact that Mihawk specifically sought Shanks out to show him Luffy's bounty??, also Mihawk leaving the fight because he didn't sign up to fight Shanks??, I love two middle aged man who are somehow friends AND MAYBE MORE lmao

They’re so funny to me. Like seriously goth Mihawk and happy chaotic Shanks. I just think they could be so good together

Rivals to lovers -- Powerhouses -- Introvert and extrovert -- Mihawk wears red and has black hair while Shanks wears black and has red hair like ✨Color schemes✨ -- SAME BIRTHDAY YOU CAN'T CONVINCE ME THEY DON'T CELEBRATE IT TOGETHER

They are rivals. They are besties. They are so friggin gay for each other. It's DILF love.

what if we were both swordsmen but you lost your arm to save the future king of the pirates so i have remained SOOO bitter about it but then find out the kid u saved has a promising swordsman so im less bitter so i go drink with you and you force me to ditch my wine for booze but it works because you care about me despite my solitary life so we remained long distance bfs and think about each other constantly. is that something

Mihawk being a recluse but going out of his way to visit his bf regularly is proof enough

[baxterstockmanisthecenterfold]

how many versions of Claddia do you have

Eh I think like 6 or 7. Y'all already met her 2012 version. But I've put her in other iterations too. Keep in mind tho, all of my Claddia's are in the process of being redesigned & updated. Starting with cartoons.

(old design on left)

This version of her was originally Korean because when I was first creating her in general, I didn't know if I wanted Claddia to be black or Asian. But I decided on black for other versions since there's a lack of said race in TMNT in general. Although I've since then redesigned her & made her black since it just doesn't make sense to racebend her at all really & I definitely want to avoid the assumption that she isn't black here because 80s Baxter wasn't. As for her role in this incarnation she has a history with Baxter. The two were really close friends & science colleagues in their college years plus (maybe even more) but lost contact after Claddia moved out of New York, to continue her research. Granted she would eventually return to the big Apple especially to reconnect with Baxter. Unfortunately by this point in time he had already been mutated & it's basically a Simon & Betty situation with them especially since she'd later try to cure him & restore his memory even at the cost of her own normal life.

In the 2003 cartoon. She's a member of the EPF & Agent Bishop's right hand woman & the original leading scientist until Baxter was recruited after the Exodus arc. To put it bluntly. The two hate each other & are constantly budding heads especially regarding the other's IQ & overall importance on even being here. They do eventually start to grow a bit of respect for one another & become frenemies at most.

(old design on left)

Once again as y'all noticed, she's in the 2012 series. This version of her is an inventor & scientist that doesn't take crap from anybody (as much as it bites her in the ass). She's also really egotistical & even short tempered. She met Baxter through coincidence as she's also had a bad run in with the turtles, & pretty much bonded & became close since then. Acting as a black cat gf to his golden retriever bf. It also helps that she knows how to fight without technology helping her.

In the Rise series she's pretty much a successful scientist & took Baxter's usual role as untrustworthy celebrity as she was secretly kidnapping & using mutants for her own purposes even teaming up with Baron Draxum in the process. But she's not one bit of a pushover & has backup plans for backup plans on how to screw over people. After the events of "The Mutant Menace" she bailed out Baxter & took him under her wing as her apprentice/mentee forming a little mother & son relationship.

In the Comics.

(soon to be updated design)

In the mirage universe, Claddia's a science nerd & huge fan of Baxter & even still remained loyal to him even AFTER what he did with his mousers & his terrorist stunt. It eventually led to her visiting him in prison & even helping him escape, secretly conspiring together & her falling in love with him as well. She also played a hand in his eventual break in to the DARPA facility for his robot rampage. Unfortunately, Stockman was only using her the whole time to succeed in his goals & betrayed & killed the poor woman.

Finally, in the IDW continuity she once again works for the EPF & is Bishop's top scientist. She's very different from most of the previous versions as she is pretty timid & just sticks to doing what she's informed to. As for her relationship with Baxter. She's once again a big fan of his work as a scientist & soon to be Mayor. Although two only met briefly when Baxter met with Bishop. Something that MIGHT change in her re-write. Tho one thing is the same. She was there in person the night of his election victory, including being in mutagen bomb distance

Yes Claddia does get mutated in 3 of these continuities. No I can't share them yet because I want to redesign em a bit & also because I'm at the photo limit & I don't feel like retyping all of this on desktop so I can do the more than 10 limit. But uh yeah. That's Ms. Brackston for y'all.

[fullscoreshenanigans]

OKAY so i figured out what ray's cats more or less look like. do you think they fit him ... like i KNOW he's a cat person (with an exception for Lilly) but I don't wanna just give him stereotypical black cat ...

(idk who these cats belong to but whoever you people are you have gorgeous cats i envy you )

the names for reference : howl , kim , rocky

asking you because you might know ray more than i do ... i also want rachel opinion

Howl looks very distinguished, Kim's coat is such a rich color, and Rocky is such a beautiful solid chonk. <3

I think a stereotypical black cat is fine for him too, though. I have a preference for him having a calico-colored cat like this one for easily discernible reasons.

But the aesthetics are generally immaterial for me compared to the scenarios they can facilitate.

I enjoy the cats in banana_slug_army's Cat-Eyed because of the commentary they provide for the trio/how they represent them.

And Mars from @iceicevaguely's ficlet I Hate Mars because Gilda subconsciously latches onto the cat for reminding her of Emma during the timeskip in the human world arc.

I also enjoy scenarios where they rehabilitate an animal or take in a stray like in @salsae's to have and to hold with them adopting a three-legged golden retriever.

Things like Ray seeing himself in an animal who was dealt a rough hand and giving them the space, time, and love to heal and a second (or third, or fourth, etc.) chance at life, like his family did for him.

[autisticempathydaemon]

hi, i was hoping to do one of the redacted matchup thingies, they’re so fun :) I’M SO SORRY THIS IS A PAGE LONG AAAAGH

i’m just gonna lead with the miscellaneous stuff (WOW i spelled that without spell check. didn’t know i could do that.) i’m a young adult bi dude. apparently i’m quiet but snarky and people say my humor is very dry (i have a monotone voice and am Very Committed To The Bit.). i used to have really bad anger issues to the point that davey pre-character arc is more relatable than he should be (even though my parents are alive. they’re just shit). i try to dress kinda grungy? but also whatever’s cozy/comfortable and in neutral/dark colors (except red! i like red, my hair is dyed neon red) i used to have cptsd so bad i basically didn’t leave the house for two years. i think it was like agoraphobia or something? there were delusions in there too. i’m much better now though.

usually the kind of stuff i listen to is loud angry rock music (fave song is hysteria by muse) or slightly older pop music (florence and the machine, MARINA) but the last few days i’ve been on a newer pop kick and i’ve been playing “Good Luck, Babe!” by chappell roan on repeat and it makes me want to scream on a windswept seaside cliff during a storm. specifically the bit from 2:15 to ~3:10 in the song. i know it’s a banger when it makes me want to scream on a cliff or punch something.

INTP? is that an enneagram? (“you’re telling me a shrimp fried this rice?”-sounding sentence, sorry)

not really video essays but i love listening to someone summarize books i never plan to read (i like the ones by cari can read or lexi aka newlynova.)

i didn’t have an imaginary friend? i’m incredibly autistic + adhd so i was daydreaming constantly to a near maladaptive extent but i never had One Consistent Thing that i thought was real.

i have to mash my face into the pillow for a bit to decompress and then i can sleep how i normally do, sleeping on my side in a way that’s probably very bad for my shoulders. (i am an adult dude and i hold a stuffed bunny who i haven’t given a name every night to go to sleep. maybe ill name the bunny after whatever character you give me)

my name is stolen from the love interest of a YA steampunk novel (a young victorian gentleman who wears eyeliner), because his character description just fits me so well, as well as the name itself just looking cool written down

my fave audio is probably the smash bros tournament :D. it literally convinced me to buy the game lol

it’s a good thing i’m anonymous cause i just do not get the gavin or caelum hype. i’m too possessive to date an incubus/ someone who will fuck other people. and i hate children so caelum is just past my threshold for kid-esque behavior that i’m willing to deal with. i’m also really not a fan of the yanderes/evil ones. other people can go ahead and like them, they just stress me out more which is the opposite of what i want.

knives out :D. the detective movie

i would friend the HELL out of asher. i just wanna play games with the man that’s all i ask

i don’t really get food at gas stations but whenever i go to a cafe i am probably getting something strawberry related (lemonade, a smoothie, etc) and a breakfast sandwich

the playlist “songs to get obliterated by a black hole to” is my pride and joy. i fucking love space and sci fi (that’s the thing i’d ramble about too)

my guilty pleasure media is the official gender-swapped twilight (puts my head in my hands) I KNOW.

I sent an anon for matchup earlier (I mentioned a stuffed bunny) and said I didn’t know what an enneagram was and I just looked it up and did a quiz and apparently I’m type 6? Idk how accurate that is but there you go (also I’m sorry if I was trauma dumping/oversharing I was restless from being inside all day whoopsie)

I’m a sucker for a good black cat/golden retriever sort of pairing, you know? Tack that onto you being a Type Six, and I’ve just got to pair you with Huxley!

Type Sixes are characterized by a desire for stability and security, for dependability, and who’s more reliable than Huxley? This also works with your self-described possessive nature in that Huxley would be the best partner to never trigger that nature, to never make you doubt or toe your boundaries. I also love him for you because we know Huxley canonically is a calming, relieving presence in the face of anger and conflict, which makes him even more perfect for you! (Also I think your grunge fashion sense would contrast so cutely with his casual, gym-bro style.)

Huxley would be so fun to be with! He’s no Asher, but he’d be a great gaming buddy, happy to show you all the Smash tips and tricks for when he introduces you to his family. Speaking of family, Huxley’s moms would just adore you for making their son happy. I can see him taking you to the east coast to meet them and taking you on the hiking and camping trails of his youth. It’d be a lovely time of you showing him the stars and constellations at night and maybe even him finding a cliff for you to sing Chappell Roan off of.

Song:

And I hold you every night/ And that's a feeling I wanna get used to/ But there's no man as terrified/ As the man who stands to lose you/ Oh, I hope I don't lose you

It was so fun to look for a pop-rock song that would make you want to scream or punch something, and I hope this fits the bill. The first chorus extremely hits on top of being a beautiful love song, and I think it wouldn’t be out of place on a road trip with Huxley in the driver’s seat or by a gorgeous cliffside.

Runner-ups:

Aaron and Sam are your runner-ups for a lot of similar reasons. They both also have drier senses of humor, so I think you could vibe and hold to a bit with either of them. I headcanon both of them wearing red often (Sam, a red-checked flannel and Aaron, a red polo a la his thumbnails), so you could match. I also headcanon both of them actively wanting to be child-free, so you’d be compatible in that aspect. Aaron outranks Sam just slightly because I think he’d offer more stability and security given his occupation and Unempowered status.

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[anonymouscheeses]

So like in "you didn't know" when Sera says "I thought since I'm older it's my load to shoulder." Or sometjn like that. That basically confirms that Sera and Emily are sisters right?

Like ofc there's some family thing going on there, they look like they are related 100%...... so how tf does that work??

Like I would think that God made them but I don't think God exists in this world(?) since the angels were the one who made earth and etc etc so.... I'm kiinda stumped. And it's made clear that Emily is the YOUNGER sister. So she couldnt be made around the same time as Sera. (Or the same age. Would fhat mean Sera is like infinity years old? Would that make Lucifer infinity years old too?? Iuno...)

So I started thinking.... ykno... like what u do in the middle of the night mhm mhm.... jst going with the theory that God doesn't exist in this world and the Seraphim are the creators..... so, did like, Sera make Emily? Like she made Emily specifically just to be her sister?

Like. Ppl get confused when other people say that they like Sera or that Sera is their favorite. And it's genuinely because she's such an interesting character that most peopple jst see surface levl. "She's pure evil 😡😡" she's doing what she thinks is right for heaven. Is it wrong? Yea but that makes her a FLAWED character. Not evil... i swear, people cant be flawed anymore and then yall like Adam..(i love adam btw im jst sayinf its not bad to like flawed characters). And uh, yiu may be asking, "whay does this have 2 du with Emily being xreated by sera?" Annd mu answer. Sera was lonely asf before Emily ☹️

She's already a more black cat type of character and Emilt is the golden retriever of their sistership. So ifs not a stretch to think that before she made Emily that she was lonely and didn't have much people outside of her title as seraphim. So since she couldn't have someone to get her out of her social shell, she created a bubbly confident social angel to be her sister.

It would probably be like early on in the creatuon days so people in heaveb would probably never have remembered or never knew that Emily was created and not infinite age like the seraphim. Probably would be a bit confused as to how Emily is YOUNGER than Sera but wojld enver ask idk.

Yah I'm not syre what I went with this. I just like Sera as a character and I think she deserves a redemption arc.... or evil arc. Idc either way I love her. She is so stressed and depressed and I know it. I NEED her to have more screen time so bad. dw Enily gets her shine in another post today I got u Emily fans girly 😝💜

[grelleswife]

Hey this is maybe a strange request but I was wondering if you had any good anime recommendations ?

I've been watching JJK and I've been left feeling a bit disappointed with the writing (it feels kinda all of the place and it feels like characters are dying just for the sake of dying)

So I'm kinda looking for something with darker themes and also maybe with supernatural elements, but that gives all the characters good arcs and development and also maybe is a bit on the happier side?

But honestly anything will do I'm just looking for some new stuff

I've been thinking of watching Vanitas no Carte so that one's already on my list

Hi, anon! I understand your frustration; the despair of the Shibiya arc had become rather gratuitous by the end of Season 2. :/

VnC was one of the first shows that came to mind while I was reading your ask, so you’re already ahead of the curve! Content warnings I recall off the top of my head include child death, nonconsensual blood drinking (which carries certain unpleasant implications in vampire media), use of children for scientific experimentation, and unsavory dynamics (aka the man repeatedly disregarding the woman’s boundaries) in the canon m/f pairing. However, the quality of the story and its unmistakable queerness still make Vanitas no Carte a worthwhile watch, in my opinion. And the manga is even better!

Some other recommendations I can think of, albeit with varying ratios of darkness to good character development and happy moments, are listed below. Please note that content warnings provided are based off my hazy recollections and thus are not comprehensive.

Mushishi

Though existing beyond the realm of human perception, the diverse array of primitive lifeforms known as mushi can warp their surroundings—and the people inhabiting them—in bizarre, sometimes frightening ways. As a mushishi, Ginko is one of the rare few who can see and interact with these creatures, and travels Japan lending assistance to those struggling to coexist with the mushi. Suffused with a quiet melancholy, this anime is perfect to watch on a rainy day with a cup of tea in hand.

Content warnings: Body horror

Mononoke

Nope, not the Studio Ghibli film that gave birth to the classic “I’ll cut your throat” ship meme. This 2007 anime follows the enigmatic and possibly immortal Kusuriuri (medicine seller) as he helps people impacted by mononoke, malevolent spirits that latch onto negative emotions. However, he can only dispel these spirits by uncovering their true nature and the reason for the appearance, forcing him to play detective along the way. Though a spiritual cousin of sorts to Mushishi, the two shows vary radically in style: Whereas Mushishi’s color palettes tend to be earthy and subdued, Monoke’s animation pushes the envelope with a dizzying, gaudy spectacle that could have come straight out of a drug-induced nightmare.

Content warnings: Violence (including violence against women), discussions of forced abortion, body horror, a highly questionable relationship between a monk and his sister, eyestrain (the colors are gorgeous but can be a bit overwhelming at times)

Otherside Picnic

College students Sorawo Kamikoshi and Toriko Nishina team up to periodically explore the Otherside, a parallel universe where urban legends pose all-too-real threats, growing closer over the course of their adventures. Fans of the light novels on which this 12-episode anime is based have criticized the differences in tone between the adaptation and the source material, complaining that the anime tends to come across as a bit goofier. However, as someone who went into the series blind, I had a fun time! Otherside Picnic also numbers among the rare examples of sapphic anime with adult protagonists, although most of Sorawo’s and Toriko’s relationship is relegated to slow-burn due to the short run time. Their black cat/golden retriever dynamic is still a joy to behold!

Content warnings: Occasional gun violence, body horror

Death Parade

The souls of the recently deceased are pitted against eachother in nerve-wracking games meant to uncover the darkest corners of their psyches so that beings known as arbiters may pass judgement on their fate—reincarnation, or eternity in the void. Alongside his assistant, Chiyuki, the arbiter Decim begins to gain greater insight into humanity while starting to question the very role for which he was created. This underrated gem will probably reduce you to a puddle of tears at least once, so have a box of tissues ready.

Content warnings: Violence, assault, suicide, depictions of alcohol use (much of the action takes place at an otherworldly bar)

Noragami

Hiyori Iki’s ordinary middle school life is turned upside down when a bus accident weakens the link between her body and soul, enabling her to perceive the gods and spirits in our midst…including Yato, a brash yet destitute young god without a single shrine to his name. How will their fates intertwine? Written along a similar vein to Fruits Basket and Kamisama Kiss, Noragami charms the viewer with its sillier shenanigans while ripping your heartstrings to shreds during the darker moments. Although the manga (at least what I’ve read of it) is superior, and the anime only adapts a handful of the original arcs, it still holds its own. And the OPs are excellent! 👌

Content warnings: Body horror, child death, suicide

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 1/5

Book Blurb:

‘Reads like a classic rom-com movie. Perfect for fans of Ali Hazelwood's books, this book is full of laughs and heart.’ Sunday Times bestseller Laurie Gilmore, on The Hot Henry Effect

‘A heartwarming reverse grumpy sunshine tale… I was completely hooked’ Julie Caplin

'It's easy to fall in love with a Lucy Chalice book’ NetGalley ReviewerFundamentals in Flirting is a spicy small town romance with a HEA guaranteed!

Dr Hannah Havens is successful, independent, but as prickly as a hedgehog in a blackberry bush. And definitely not looking for love. When she returns to the small town where she grew up, the last thing she needs is to crash into Teddy Fraser, the infuriatingly gorgeous guy that she once snogged. He is most definitely a ladies’ man, the biggest flirt she has ever met, and someone she should avoid at all costs.

But, despite her best intentions of keeping Teddy at arm’s length, he keeps popping up. Hannah’s patience with his overtly cheery disposition is wearing thin, but her boss has warned her to improve her people skills.

Who better to test out her new patience with than Teddy Fraser. With his affable and charismatic personality, surely Hannah can't avoid his charm forever…

Tropes:

Small Town

Black Cat x Golden Retriever

Grumpy x Sunshine

Forced Proximity

He Falls First

Spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Review:

One disastrous kiss, 15 years of heartbreak, and now a successful doctor finds herself running into the biggest flirt that broke her heart all those years ago and he's determined to win her over. Hannah Havens was not a popular teen, she was a nerd but when she kissed Teddy Fraser, a popular ladies man, she really thought it was going to be the best day of her life... until he opened his mouth and ruined it all. One thing lead to another and her dream kiss turned into a nightmare and she told herself to forget about him. Now years later she is a successful doctor and has returned to her small town... crashing right back into Teddy. Hannah would love nothing more than to avoid him at all cost but Teddy is determined to get close to her again.... and if they ever want a chance to make it work they'll have to face the kiss that went wrong all those years ago. I'm going to be honest I did not like Teddy or Hannah one bit at all and didn't really care for their romance. The big misunderstandings and the whole thing between them just felt childish and lackluster in the romance department. I just found myself not caring and skimming until I got to the end of the book and the whole "resolution" just felt bland at best to me. Honestly, this one just was not for me, however I do think that people who love second chance romances and miscommunication tropes will have fun with this one.

Release Date: November 7,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter | One More Chapter for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[lover-of-mine]

Tell me if I'm crazy. But as a Buddie forever girl. I warmed up to Taylor in the sense that after her actions with Bobby ext, there was an actual redemption era. We saw her back story. We saw her doing Covid. We saw her being Bucks friend. We saw her with Bobby. We saw her with the Diaz family. Would I have accepted her end game? Well fuck no. BUddie will be on my gravestone.

So why do BT shippers think I need to accept Tommy. TBH is earlier actions were, in fact, far worse than Taylors. He has been on screen maybe 5 times. I haven't seen him actually do anything to have a redemption arc. It seems Hen and Chim have to do the heavy lifting to make it seem like he wasn't a jerk. I mean I will forever be annoyed he left buck stranded. Tell me you wouldn't be annoyed if your BFF called you admitting someone left you behind any where because they were annoyed at you for any reason. But especially because you were still in the closet.

Like why should I give him more mercy than Taylor just because he has a dick.

*deep breath* oh wow I'm really about to publicly defend Taylor Kelly and the validity of bucktaylor? Dear God, how the times have changed *distressed chuckle*

Okay, the thing with Taylor is that they established a friendship before putting her with Buck romantically. We all knew it was gonna go there, and at the end of season 4, like it or not Taylor had a fighting chance. Because the thing is, they brought Taylor in s2, and she is supposed to be this distorted female Buck 1.0 to push Buck into action. She's unapologetic and she comes out as not caring for anything but herself, BUT her reintroduction to us, includes humanizing her. She has an extreme reaction because Buck was using her and she thought he cared and she has a deeply relatable reaction to the covid thing. This means that along with her still being sharp and unapologetic, we see her have a softer, dare I say even as caring as she can be, side before they get together. So Taylor could be a nice presence in Buck's life, she calls him out on his bullshit, she indulges him in his shenanigans, she freaks out because Buck might be hurt, and we establish that before they are officially romantically involved. So we witness Taylor open up to Buck during 4b, and that means that, if they wanted to, they could've kept that energy going and make her a decent match for Buck. A Taylor who cares about Buck as much as she cares about the truth, is a decent match for him (would that be better than buddie? No, but it wouldn't be a worst case scenario either). They could've been a nice golden retriever/black cat thing, and their friendship could've also been interesting if they had kept that evolving and didn't stumble them into a relationship. So when we contain bucktaylor to s2 and 4 and the 6 episodes Taylor's in, she was presented as someone who didn't care about a lot besides her own gain and evolved into someone who cared about Buck as much as she could. The key difference between bts here is the way they established a bond between Buck and Taylor before getting them together. Season 5 keeps throwing rocks at their relationship because they can't figure out how to love each other but they are trying. Even moments where Taylor comes out as dismissive, like her reaction to Buck being worried the team hates him for Chim leaving actually ends with her validating his feelings in the only way she can with the breakfast. They end up being terrible for each other because Buck cares too much and she can't match that. But it's not for lack of effort. We see the effort. In her own way, Taylor tries. Does she end up being the thing she tried to protect Buck from? Yes. But that conversation with Lucy during mayday shows a real understanding of Buck. She was trying. The fact that the way they love is incompatible doesn't negate that, it just shows that they are bad as a couple. Buck needs something she couldn't deliver. And Buck couldn't accept that. And they shouldn't, there's compromise and there's fundamentally changing who they are as a person, which in the end was what would be necessary for them to work as a couple.

Tommy, on the other hand, since the show wanted Buck being bi to be the 100 episode event, he didn't have time to establish himself in Buck's life before. And then there was no effort after. And we can scream reduced season all we want but if they did it with Taylor in 4 episodes, they could've done it with Tommy in 6. Season 4 was also reduced. And it had Jinx and Treasure Hunt. And let's face if they can write a reporter into the plot, why couldn't they write a firefighter? But ignoring that, we are being explicitly shown a lack of effort. The show decided that gay excuses complacency, which is their prerogative, but when applied to Buck they are making choices, the outfit thing is one thing, not being at the hospital is another. I will give Tommy a "pass" for walking out on Buck, Buck shoved him back in the closet, he had every right to be upset, BUT he also could've communicated that better without deciding Buck is not ready and only telling Buck he's leaving when he's already in the car. And the "I didn't want to pressure you" excuse you was bullshit. But again, lack of effort. Comparing to Taylor again, Taylor heard a firefighter had been injured and she raced to the hospital because she couldn't reach Buck. She's actually a steading person for Buck in that moment, she understands what Eddie being injured means for Buck, she talks to him, she offers to drive him (dear God I'm letting Taylor Kelly set the bar), so the contrast that actually exists here is in the level of effort in understanding Buck and trying to provide him with what he needs. The thing that bothers me most with bt is actually the lack of casual intimacy. I was talking to a friend yesterday about this and it all comes down to the way the show had moments where they could write that in and chose not to. Things like not warning Buck his face is dirty or even helping Buck clean it once the scene had served its purpose, not dressing up, not being at the hospital, not even offering Buck a comforting hand on top of his at the table during that dinner. It makes me not want to be invested in the relationship because it lacks effort. I'm not in the mood to lower my standards for him. Taylor wasn't perfect under any standards and with the way the relationship evolved I wanted her as far away from Buck as possible, but she always came back, that willingness to try and get things to work is a key difference. No matter what they do Buck is the main character, and like you said, it feels like having my best friend call me about someone who's a parade of red flags that he's too blind to see and I just have to smile and nod and secretly hate him because there's nothing to do until he snaps himself out of it. Buck is the one I love in this situation and I was not given enough to allow Tommy some grace. Even more when people keep yelling at me that I need to love him just because he's a man.

I need you to know this was painful to write. I was taking breaks and I took a lap around my house then I went on a walk looking at the sky asking how did I get here. I will never forgive this fandom for forcing me to defend Taylor Kelly. I think Taylor is an interesting character, awful match for Buck in the end, bad human all around, but I can't believe I keep being pushed into a position where I need to defend the validity of her presence because somehow people stopped seeing the actual problems that existed there and decided the only issue was that she's a woman.