#great salvation visual novel

[my-quirk-is-fred]

Cher-B (previously called Cherb-E) and Mister Whiskers ❤️

[thatboreddrake]

Heroism as a Loss of Humanity

Thinking again about how Fate/Stay Night is, at its core, a coming of age story about the sacrifices that the life of a hero inflicts on a person. I mean look at the cast of characters (more below the cut):

Cu Chulainn: a brash warrior who chose to trade a young death for a life of glory.

Heracles: a warrior stripped of his reason, yet he remains attached to his Master as a symbol of the family that he lost to the gods' wrath.

Medea: a sorceress who sacrificed her own family for the sake of love, only to be cast aside in the end.

Medusa: a woman whose humanity was taken from her by no fault of her own.

The biggest example of this imo is Sasaki Kojiro. In the lore of Fate, he's not even a true heroic spirit. The man known as Sasaki Kojiro never truly existed in history. Instead, the Assassin we know by that name is truly nameless, plucked from his own time to assume the name and title of another. Of all the Servants, he lost not only his humanity, but his very identity in becoming a "Heroic Spirit."

This culminates in the dynamic between Artoria, Emiya Shirou, and his future self, Archer.

Artoria chose to take up Caliburn, sacrificing her chance for a normal life for the opportunity to unify Britain and protect it from calamity, only to see her life's work torn apart by her very child, culminating in her death at the Battle of Camlann.

In a similar way, Archer chose to make a pact with Alaya, giving up his humanity and free will to become a tool to be used for the protection of humanity. In the end, however, he found himself broken by the realization that the protection of one group necessitated the destruction of its opposition.

Of all the Servants in Fate/Stay Night, Archer and Artoria were both summoned to the present with the intention of undoing their sacrifice. Having lived the lives of "heroes," their one true wish was to change their decision: to remain human.

Contrast this against Emiya Shirou, a boy who wants nothing more than to become a true hero. For him, the choice to become a hero or remain human, if there ever was one, was made for him when he became the sole survivor of a great calamity. For Shirou, he has no right to live a normal life because he owes too great a debt for those who died instead of him.

And so, when thrust into the events of Fate/Stay Night, Shirou sees his opportunity to finally attain his goal of becoming a hero who can bring salvation for the entire world. Across the three different endings of the visual novel, Shirou makes discoveries and comes to three different conclusions.

In the Fate Route, he remains naive of the sacrifices which heroism requires, inevitably setting him on the path to become the future self that Archer represents.

In the Unlimited Blade Works Route, Shirou comes into direct confrontation with Archer and the pain that will eventually result from following his ideals to the bitter end. However, this does not dissuade Shirou from his path. He looks into the future and sees what he must become, and he chooses to walk that path anyway. This is exemplified in Archer's warning, "Hey, you know that's hell you're walking into." He knows the sacrifices he must make, but he still believes that those sacrifices are necessary.

It is only in Heavens Feel that Shirou comes to doubt his convictions. In each other route, Shirou never has to reconcile the fact that seeking the greater good will often mean personal pain and loss for him. However, when faced with the choice to carry on his convictions and kill the girl he loves, or give up on all else and try to save her, Shirou chooses the latter. It is in this route, and this one alone, that Shirou realizes that he has not been deprived of the right or ability to live life as an ordinary human.

I love Fate as a series, and these same themes carry throughout each of the stories I've consumed. Even Fate/Grand Order questions how much of one's humanity one can sacrifice in the name of the "greater good" before one becomes just another villain to be stopped.

This is what honestly saddens me so much about Fate's position in popular culture. Because there are such rich themes and character development present in its storytelling. But at the end of the day, most people will never look past the framing device. After all, the series began with an erotic visual novel, and the magnum opus of the franchise is a greedy mobile gacha game.

But this franchise is very near and dear to my heart. For the longest time, I've latched onto and identified with Shirou and his desire to help and save those around him. Unfortunately, I can also identify with his desire to ignore/repress his own issues in favor of focusing on helping others. But this is where the messaging of Fate gives hope. For every Shirou, every Archer, every hero who sacrifices their own joy and humanity for a life of pain and suffering in service of others, there's the voice of another, sometimes a character, sometimes the narrative itself, screaming that there's a better way. You have to put on your own oxygen mask before helping someone else with theirs. Other people are just as eager to help you with your issues as you are to help them with theirs. You just have to open yourself up to receive them.

You cannot save the world, no human can. You cannot save everyone, that task is beyond any human. But you *can* save *your* world. You can be a light to those around you. You can be a comforting embrace, a word of encouragement. And in turn, when your world needs saving, when all you need is someone to tell you "it's going to be alright," maybe there will be someone to do the same for you.

The important thing is to keep trying, but don't try to go alone.

[talesfromthebacklog]

Adding to The Backlog: Christmas Sale Pickups.

This is the time of year I pick up the most titles (which I then work on for the rest of the year.). And why not? Everything is on sale! I actually budget for this time of year.

It’s “Tales From The Backlog” not “We buy nothing until I finish the backlog”. The backlog will never be finished.

So let’s go over what I got! Links for everything will provided. As I find people are more likely to engage if the work was already done for them. Me included. This is not necessarily a suggestion list. If you want to see if any of these games are actually any good follow my blog. But I do think it’s interesting to show people what kind of gamer you are, the games you’re attracted to, their difficulty level.

A gamer’s library says a lot about a gamer, in my opinion.

For Playstation 5:

Goodbye Volcano High:

TLDR: I put this one first because if you don’t see any of the other games on my pickup list, I AT LEAST want you to consider this one. This was the only Playstation title I picked up on sale (It is also on Steam). This is pre(historic)-apocalyptic coming of age visual novel with killer animation and music. I’m surprised I don’t see folks talk about this one more. It’s maybe the most stunning looking visual novel to come out this year. (At least at a glance)

Which is a hefty claim considering titles like Jack Jeanne and Virche Evermore: Error Salvation dropped this year. I can’t WAIT to play this one.

For Nintendo Switch:

Roots of Pacha:

I came back around to this one. It looks like Stardew Valley but with cavemen. You don’t see cavemen touched on a lot anymore so it seems different and interesting.

Wylde Flowers:

This is one see that keeps popping up in conversations and videos as a great cozy game. It’s supposed to be really good. I’m honest enough to admit that it being on the Apple app store as well as Switch makes me REALLY skeptical. But I’ve seen enough gameplay where I’m willing to take a chance.

Coromon:

I enjoy Pokemon-like titles. I don’t think we get enough of them. I love Pokemon. And you’ll be seeing my update on how I feel about Scarlet/Violet’s last piece of DLC the Indigo Disc here pretty soon.

However Pokemon is so domineering on the market that a lot of these smaller collector games get unnoticed. This seems to be a very unapologetic Pokemon-clone much like Monster Crown. Which is fine by me.

Nexomon + Nexomon: Extinction bundle:

Another very obvious Pokemon clone. But it’s obviously prettier than its Coromon counterpart. (Kinda wish the names were more unique.) I have nothing new to say here.

Monster Sanctuary:

Pokemon… but it’s a Metroidvania. $3.99. I swear the theme wasn’t intentional they just all popped up on sale at decent prices.

2021 Moon Escape:

This is from the same people who did Traumatarium. I did a review on that one a few months back. It’s on sale for $2.49. And this ISN’T my cheapest pickup for this year. The gameplay reminds me of Zelda or Star Tropics. But I don’t know much about it other than what the trailer already shows us. But also it was $2.49. It’s okay with me if it’s just okay. Not all games have to be 10/10.

Mythic Ocean:

I have a soft spot for ocean games. Even the more spooky ones like Subnautica or Dredge still have this serene element to them. Mythic Ocean is no different. You apparently help a pantheon of gods find themselves. Which in turn those choices shape the world around you. Sounds simple, short, and cute. It looked a bit explorable too? We’ll see. I’m unsure about that part. It’s on sale for $1.99. And this was my cheapest pickup this season.

For Steam:

Sonic Forces: Overclocked (Steam version REQUIRED for this)

I have, in no uncertain terms. Have played this game. I 100%ed it even. I like the game. Played better but I still like it.

HOWEVER. I haven’t played Sonic Forces Overclocked. Which requires the PC version of Sonic Forces!

This is a FAN MADE incredible mod that blows the original game out of the water apparently. This is, perhaps, my most high priority game purchase of the YEAR. And it’s only $10 to buy Forces right now. This is literally a no brainer.

Slay The Princess:

I felt like videos on this one sprung up seemingly overnight on Youtube. I watched someone play the demo and it was an awesome looking game. A horror visual novel about saving a princess is a neat little premise. This one was barely on sale, but I see myself playing this one soon because of the hype. The full voice acting is great.

Magical Diary: Wolf Hall

The original visual novel Magical Diary: Horse Hall was a game a friend showed me back in high school. Pretty innocent and cute. When this dropped in 2020 I was surprised the game got a sequel at all. The thing I remember most about Horse Hall was that there was a route where you could date Professor Snape. That wasn’t his name but… it might as well have been.

[cosmicjoke]

Ugh of course haters would say that, they are trying to make him responsible for every single thing that happened.

I find it interesting how well was he able to read Eren as a person (or any other person really) right from the start; even more so now when we know what the ending is.

In ep 19 when they’re fleeing from female titan and Eren wants to turn into his titan form; he, Levi, has this inner monologue (or was he saying it to his squad???)

“It’s clear to me. He’s a true monster. And not because of his titan abilities. No matter how you try to hold him down… No matter what cage you lock him up in… forcing his mind into submission is an impossible task”

while remembering Eren’s reaction when he asked him what his goal was / what he wants to do and Eren answered “I want to join the SC and kill some titans” with the most twisted expression on his face.

Same thing is mentioned in the visual novel, in that part where Levi shares a cup of tea with Petra; yes that part which some people love to use as a proof that he had a secret relationship with her, Others make it about Eren / Levi ship (because everything has to be about ships at least according to some people),

but in reality it’s neither of those. They talked about Eren. He asked her how’s he doing, how’s he adjusting to the squad, etc. Out of Levi’s squad she was the one who spent the most time with Eren, she was the closest to him (it’s mentioned in SnK guidebook if I remember correctly); of course it makes sense to ask her for her opinion. As we know Levi valued his squad’s opinions.

here is a quote from the visual novel: “…they cannot change Eren’s true nature. A perpetual monster. It’s not because of his titan powers but his soul itself is a monster. No matter what we do, we will not be able to subdue it”

He wasn’t asking about him because he’s in love with him, he asked about him because he was responsible for him. Levi volunteered to watch over him / keep an eye on him. He took the responsibility because he was the only one who could actually kill him if he got out of hand. Eren had no control over his titan powers back then.

Anyone who actually read the manga / watched the anime should be able to see why SC fought so hard to get Eren in their ranks. It was because they believed he can actually help them beat the titans. They believed he’s fighting for the salvation of the humanity as you have mentioned.

None of this this suggest that Levi actually knew Eren would do what he eventually did. Levi is many things but he isn’t psychic, lol, he’s just a good judge of character. His ability to read people so accurately is one of the reasons why Erwin trusted him and valued his opinion so much.

At least that’s how I see it… there’s more things I probably should have mentioned but this is already getting way too long 😅

Gotta love Levi seeing right through Jaeger brothers bullshit™️

Definitely, Levi's ability to peg Eren was pretty amazing. Nobody else seemed aware of just what Eren was (including the readers). This monster of will, this person who would struggle and strain against any sort of restraint or cage one tried to place him in. Of course, for the SC, that would be considered a huge boon to their cause, someone able to turn into a titan and who's personality was indomitable. I think Levi's great insight into people comes from his compassion. He's able to see things from other people's perspectives, to genuinely look at things from another's point of view. That's really a rare gift. So he knows when someone is good, and when someone is bad. He had Eren down cold. He could see he was a monster from the start, not because of his ability to turn into a titan, but because of his refusal to yield to anything, no matter what. Of course Levi couldn't have known what that would mean, or what Eren's ultimate goal would be. At the time, all he knew was that Eren was on their side and that his strength was needed to win the struggle against titans.

And absolutely, his ability to see through to who people really are is a big part of why Erwin trusted in him so explicitly. I think Erwin even mentions in one of those side stories that Levi understands people's true natures better than anyone else. It's also part of why I think Erwin trusted Levi with his own, secret motivation, in the end. Maybe he thought, if I tell this to Levi, and Levi still believes in me, maybe that means I'm not irredeemable. And of course, in the end, Levi did still believe in Erwin. I think Levi saw the goodness in Erwin even when Erwin could no longer see it in himself.

[frozen-flame]

🦉Positivity owl reporting for duty! This was sent by a friend who wants you to smile as much as your posts make them smile. Please list five things that make you unique, four things you are super passionate about and why, OR three of your favorite memories. Feel free to send the owl to those who you feel deserve to smile🦉

Hello!

I'll go with four things I'm most passionate about if you don't mind 😌

Let's see...

1) Role-playing in general and D&D in particular has to be the first one. Escapism and fantasies are literally my salvation, and D&D plays a huge part in my life.

Creating characters and telling stories through them together with my friends is a kind of therapy for me. I lovelovelove my OCs!!

I've always been a role-player (even a theater kid a little bit). I absolutely loved silly play-pretend games in kindergarten, was obsessed with text role-playing games in middle and high school, and I adore TTRPGs now. I can't imagine my existence without them!

2) Video games! I'm a huge fan of CRPGs and ARPGs, I also like playing visual novels from time to time.

I like The Sims franchise, of course. The second installment introduced me to the world of PC gaming.

However, my absolute favorites are Dragon Age and Mass Effect franchisees, they'll always have a special place in my heart. Dragon Age: Origins was the first RPG I ever played. Instantly fell in love with it! This one literally shaped my taste in games. And oh, despite all the drama around Bioware, I'm so hyped about the upcoming Dragon Age: The Veilguard!

Then there's Owlcat with their Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous and Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader. Love 'em! And, of course, I can't forget about almighty Larian with their Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Baldur's Gate 3!!! These games, stories, and characters help me stay sane in this crazy world 🫠

3) Dark stuff and goth aesthetic. Yeah, I know there are lots of sub-genres out there. But I'm talking about the vibes in general, you know? I love all these macabre little things, be it makeup, clothes, architecture, music, etc.

The little me had been a hidden baby bat since forever. Although I didn't have the courage to show my real nature at that time.

4) Editing videos. Yeah, when my schoolmates learned how to draw pictures or play sports, I was trying to create little music videos using my favorite TV shows.

Once Upon A Time and a vidder by the name of KatrinDepp inspired me to thread this rocky path of mastering Sony Vegas. Then, a couple of years later, I switched to creating GMVs (game music videos).

I still have a semi-active YouTube channel for that. Even though nowadays I have a lot less time and inspiration to edit videos, I still like this hobby of mine.

Here are also some honorable mentions: I love cats, they are my favorite animals, 110%. I'm fascinated by magic and supernatural. My guilty pleasure is reading creepy stories and watching videos about ghosts. I also like writing my own stories and even have my own little fictional universe I'm totally normal about!

Oh boy, this post was so long. If you are here, thank you for reading it to the end! And thanks for asking. Have a great day, whoever you are! 💜💜💜

[chiibinomonodamon]

Hi....If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

Oh goodness, me!! I'm so bad at making Ranking Lists! xD

I can give you a few categories of my faves, I suppose!

Favorite anime:

Full Moon Wo Sagashite, Angels of Death, Princess Tutu, Air TV, Vanitas no Carte, Inuyasha

Favorite manga:

Full Moon Wo Sagashite, Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, Owari no Seraph, Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun, Yami no Matsuei

Favorite American animated series/movies:

All Dogs Go to Heaven, The Great Mouse Detective, Star Vs The Forces of Evil, Tangled, Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss

Favorite Live-Action movies:

The Lord of the Rings, Titanic, The Neverending Story, The Secret Garden (1995)

Favorite novels:

Sword Art Online, Harry Potter, The Prydain Chronicles, Sunday Without God (I should really read more books lmao)

Why:

My reasons for most of them are pretty similar: visuals, feels, and characters. I really love stuff that can take me an emotional ride, I love good vs evil, I love angst with happy endings, I love fluffy and/or tragic romance, I love stories about redemption, salvation, and self-improvement. I strongly respect anything that can make me cry buckets of tears...ESPECIALLY if the creator doesn't even have to kill a character to do that.

Thanks for asking!

[my-quirk-is-fred]

I love the fact that this person added so much description! Really happy that they’re invested in this species!!!

I made a Hexolot oc cause the shape species design and concept pleased the brain so much, the Hexolot species was made by @my-quirk-is-fred, I just put her in a Star Trek uniform cause it pleases me.

Hexolot is currently unnamed probably won't get a name but here's some facts that I came up with for this oc specifically but honestly I could be wrong about things as I don't know much about Hexolot:

One of their parents was a purebred Hexolot while the other was a Pre-hexolot, in which the techolot ended up staying with a Pre-hex tribe for a time as they repaired their stuff to safely travel back to society, the Pre-hex tribe was kind and let them stay and they were smart and respectful enough to be a good guest and avoided fixing tech around them out of respect. Obviously two of them ended up having a nice time together before the modern day Hexolot left to return to society so this Hexolot has some old throw back genes through wavier tentacles as on reference the modern ones looked more chunk, extra tendrils joint bits and is likely a bit taller than peers (but shorter than a Pre-hexolot), very sad they didn't get extra tendrils tho :(

This Hexolot answers to really any pronouns used like many others but has started to resonate with the She pronouns after being exposed to it by other species that use/have those kind of genders and kinda thinks yea that's pretty cool I'll have that

Language expert! Catch her translating languages when technology fails and being able to learn new ones on the fly. Probably unintentionally holds a record of most languages she's just never checked. Will sometimes use incorrect English to comfort humans who are nervous such as "I come in the peace", knowing its kinda stereotyped alien talk and it eases newcomers on board.

She cant stand language nitpickers though who refuse to see the joke and try to lecture her on grammar speech and languages, meanwhile she's mentally polishing her languages trophies cause this bitch. But let's them rant, or leaves the conversation if they're boring.

Also dislikes people who try to act like they know more than her, let's them crack on and struggle with language stuff before taking over when they fail.

Adores humans though, look at them!! Timy!! So soft!! An apex predator awa! Thinks they're great, especially with Earth's many languages, would sit chatting to someone for hours while playing with their hands (5 fingers!! Five!!!)

[astarlessreader]

classics & thought provoking lit.

-- a list of some classics & thought provoking books I want to read this year --

☽ The Chimes by Anna Smaill (dystopian where written word is forbidden, people find salvation in music)

☽ East of Eden by John Steinbeck (about two families, an allegory for Adam and Eve, explores religion & human nature)

☽ Regarding the Pain of Others by Susan Sontag (how does visual representation of violence affect us?)

☽ Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (about a theatre troupe travelling the dystopian world)

☽ The Elements of Eloquence by Mark Forsyth (how to say things well & improve your writing)

☽ The Ecliptic by Benjamin Wood (literary novel about a gated refuge of artists & a mistery with a great plot twist)

☽ Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov (a guy gives a dog human organs and dog turns into a half-human, absurd novel & a parable of the Russian revolution)

☽ Out East by John Glynn (found family, 20s identity crisis & self-discovery)

☽ Animal Liberation by Peter Singer (daring opinions on the subject of animals & morality)

☽ A Beautiful Crime by Christopher Bollen (how do ‘good’ people turn into criminals?)

[cochart]

I try to keep less than positive contents off my Tumblr, but this has been bothering me for a long time. It’s partly the reason why I don’t follow Tolkien topics on Twitter anymore.

I’m also not an art bot so this lady has her angers.

-

One thing that exhaust me about Twitter fandom is that they’re always complaining about how imperfect Tolkien’s works are; it’s not diverse enough, it’s not feminist enough, etc. etc.

Feeling disappointed that your beloved author did not write too much of a multicultural fiction is possible and that emotion of disappointment is valid. But fixating on how one old white male author born in late 19th century not doing a good enough of a job for socially conscious young adults in 2020 doesn’t seem reasonable to me. That notion that the work could be made “better in the future” (in forms of derivative film works) by fan input to me is frankly a little insulting. I consider Middle-earth series to be finished especially with Christopher Tolkien passing away. To argue that the fans should somehow improve the work doesn’t sit very well with me.

Wonderful thing about the books is that compared to some other novels, the characters’ appearances are rather vague. Often, the text describes the hair color, eyes and general impression but not much that pinpoints to a specific ethnicity. Fans can imagine the beloved characters in variety of ways and it’s great to see the different visual interpretations of characters. What I appreciate less, however, are the comments about how not enough people make Tolkien fan art that shows characters from diverse ethnicity. If people were bullying artists for making different, diverse interpretations of the story, that is condemnable and that problem should be named clearly. But criticizing the group for not making the interpretations that you prefer is a bit intrusive.

And like I said many times before, if you seek diversity in fantasy, the best way is to actually support diverse creators instead of trying to revive works by old white men again and again in hopes of it somehow redeeming itself with help from the fans. It’s like if you have a school cafeteria that only served hamburgers and wanted some international variety for the students, you would hope for different menues like Japanese grilled fish, Korean bibimbop, Greek gyros, etc. But instead, some person decides that it would be better to keep serving hamburgers but with soy sauce, gochujang, and yogurt.

Oh, and some people would inevitably be thinking “people can’t be that nosy maybe they’re just really disappointed and just showing their emotions.” Well no. That’s why I ended up muting a lot of Tolkien related English speaking accounts on Twitter. Sure there are some chill bunch out somewhere but there is definitely some vocal people who devote more time outlining why an old white Englishman’s 20th century fiction is not up to 21st century standards than anything else. In my honest opinions, people really need to dial back on their idea that everything they enjoy from fantasy novels to strawberry shortcakes should embody all of their ethics and values. That is why you get some people who argue to the point of absurdity that Tolkien’s works are God-sent perfect blessing that is an incarnation of human morals and salvation on one side and the other people who want to make a march of penitents because the Middle-earth is wrong on every conceivable level with old white guy manifest in every punctuation on the other.

[aconstellationofmemories]

The Secrets We Keep: Prologue

Pairing: Laxus Dreyar & Mirajane Strauss (Miraxus) Rating: M for violence and language. Genre: Angst, mafia AU. Chapter Word Count: 1437. Link(s): AO3  Summary:

Laxus Revenge. It fuelled him through his depraved life. His entire being, dedicated to one single cause. For years, he acted patiently in the shadows, bidding his time to claim his prey. Now the time had finally arrived. Approach her, make her utterly in love with him, then shatter her – that was his plan. Until her hypnotising blue eyes drew him in, and he began to question his knowledge of her. Because those bittersweet depths were hiding something. And in his world, only two things were guaranteed. Either you kill your secrets, or they kill you.   Mira Death, lies, manipulation. They lurked around every corner of her life, even flowed in the very blood coursing through her veins. Merely the mention of her last name was enough to cause eyes to widen and people to scurry. Naïve, pretentious, entitled. Those were just some of the names people called her for choosing to be different. But life was short. And in the dangerous world she lived in, everyone was a player racing to oust the other before the opponent terminated their life. Her own game had just commenced. Only this time, she wasn’t sure she could outwit them. Not anymore. Tick tock.

Author's Notes: The newly-crowned Queen of Foreshadowing is back! I bring with me my favourite ever FT ship after a long spell in my first ever ambitious multi-chapter fanfic! I'm also excited for this one as it revolves around a couple favourite themes of mine: angst, mafia and revenge. I binge romance novels on the second, but never actually wrote it. Please look kindly upon me in my first attempt at this project. (Or like signing for my death, currently being piled with exams and all that.)

Also that summary?? The best I've ever written.

As always, I appreciate every like and review!

Thank you @be-dazzled for nudging me to pursue this and @sweetmemories2606 for supporting me every step of the way. 💛

Tagging @sassyglassesbunny @adramaticbeauty - my original Miraxus gang. 😏

Slow but steady update. Spoilers will be released on the Miraxus Discord Server (find link on my tumblr profile) when available. Otherwise, feel free to message me!

___________________________________

Laxus

Fake.

The adjective sneered from the forefront of his mind as he watched the models strutting down the white platform. Heavy makeup accentuated the elegant features of the slender women of all colours, making their cheekbones more defined and their eyes sharper than their original form. Eyeshadows of glittery monochrome shades further decorated their eyes to match their black and white designer clothes.

A smug, seductive look adorned their otherwise beautiful face, tugging an end of their luscious lips upward in a smirk. With their chins held high, they strode down the runaway, every single movement of their limbs expertly coordinated for nothing less than the best catwalk.

Anyone with a functioning pair of eyes could see that those women were gorgeous. His own roamed over the alternating models with slight interest, toying with the idea of tangling limbs with one of them in bed.

The thought didn’t last long.

That beauty of theirs which sent men to their knees and the women to turn green with envy? Most of it were carefully altered with the help of a needle or a knife in their futile quest for an image of perfection.

An image which had never existed anywhere in the universe except in the recesses of their insecurities.

In other words: fake.

Add in the charming attitude of a heaven-sent goddess who was too lofty for mere mortals, and any spark of lust his body felt toward them fizzled out.

Soft cheers erupted from the audience at the entrance of the next model, pulling him from his thoughts. His gaze travelled up the length of the woman’s black gown, appreciating how the sleeveless garment hugged her body and highlighted her curves. A strip of white cloth ran up her left side before its unblemished trail stopped below her armpit. Light blonde tendrils stood out against the black material at her torso, and led him up to the only medically untouched face in the line-up.

With delicate eyebrows of a darker shade of blonde, sparkling cerulean eyes and a button nose, her looks easily exceeded that of her colleagues. And those luscious, scarlet-covered lips...all they had to do was utter a word, and any men would bend a knee and do her bidding.

Mirajane Strauss.

Niece of the notorious Roman Strauss. Next in line to the throne with his only son, Marcus.

The beauty she radiated was unrivalled. Along with her good looks, the charisma she carried set a standard the other women could only aspire to possess.

She was a sight to behold.

But just like all things good and beautiful, inevitably, they wither and die.

Her attractive appearance, too, hid secrets – hers more twisted than her fellow co-workers. He found it unfortunate that underneath that stunning façade, ran the dark and dirty blood of the Strauss family.

Specifically, that of her father’s and her uncle.

Giovanni Strauss, her father, was infamous for being a merciless boss with more than a few screws loose and a twisted obsession with prostitutes. He didn’t hold any personal grudge towards her father; the tyrant was just another in a long list of evil and perverted bosses, his own father among them.

Though he would be lying if he said he didn’t feel some satisfaction to have stolen the last breath from the great Giovanni... His demise, after all, did propel the women one step closer to freedom.

But her uncle, Roman... He clenched his fists at the thought of the middle-aged man. Roman assumed the position as the boss of the Strauss family after his brother’s death and severed their ties with prostitution. Very little goodness existed in this world of theirs – if it even existed anymore at all – but Laxus personally preferred to keep innocent women out of it. Her uncle’s decision was unconventional, to say the least, and he could almost respect him for it.

Except.

Roman Strauss killed his mother.

The only good thing in his life – gone.

The bastard could die a thousand deaths and it still wouldn’t be enough to placate the monster inside who craved revenge.

Because he could torture him until he wished he was dead, kill him in the most gruesome way possible, and one thing would never change.

His mother would never return to him.

Mirajane might had been born innocent – at least, until life forced her hand in a world she never asked to be a part of. But by being a bloodline of Giovanni and Roman Strauss, she was cursed to a life burdened with the sins and debts of her predecessors. The good princess act she played was merely a means to disguise the impurities hiding below the surface.

A demon wearing the clothes of an angel – that was what she was.

She strode with her head held high, but balanced down with enough humility to glance at the audience in a friendly yet alluring manner. When she reached the end of the stage, the corners of her lips lifted up in a rehearsed small smile which somehow managed to appear sincere. Immediately, the dimly-lit attendees reacted to the visual – the men with smitten looks on their faces, the women a varied display of envy, adoration, and awe.

One could easily see why she was crowned the title ‘The Princess of Hearts’ by the media.

She pivoted on her heels, returning to the entrance, and he sucked in a breath when his gaze landed below her hips. Her smooth, creamy leg peaked out at him from the slit of her gown. The fleeting sight of her flesh involuntarily stirred up desires he despised to have for her.

Fucking hell.

In a rebellious act which broke traditional modelling, she glanced back as she walked and smirked. Flashes of light fired in rapid succession, each competing with the other for the best shot of the expression.

Oh yeah, the little demon definitely knew what she was doing. Not only that, she enjoyed every second of it.

He didn’t need to look at their camera’s memory card to know there had been over ten photos taken in those few seconds before she disappeared backstage. Neither did he need to possess supernatural powers to predict that she would grace the front covers of almost every – if not all – of the fashion magazines tomorrow.

The models gathered in a horizontal line at the entrance with the acclaimed fashion designer in the centre once the show was over. Grinning widely, he spoke into the microphone.

“I’d like to thank everyone who kindly graced my humble exhibition with your presence. The theme of this fashion show is ‘Darkness and Light’. People are of the opinion that these two can never exist together – one which I strongly disagree. By incorporating monochrome colours in my clothes, I hope people are able to see that they can co-exist without one extinguishing the beauty of the other.” He winked. “Because we all have a little darkness and light inside us, do we not?”

Thunderous rounds of applause rose from the audience at the end of his speech. His gaze swung from the ecstatic designer back to Mirajane, who seemed to be happy to be standing at the corner of the line.

His eyebrow quirked up. Odd. For someone of her status, he had expected her to dominate the centre.

She beamed a bright smile and waved to someone in the front row – a few people, actually. Roman returned her grin with a fatherly smile as he clapped his meaty hands along with the other attendees. His eyes instinctively sharpened at the sight of his mother’s murderer. Beside him, Marcus smiled proudly while applauding the success of the event.

Many would kill to be the receiving end of that brilliant and genuine smile of hers. Its effects were so widespread that it not only lit up her face, but the entire being of the receiver.

But he wasn’t a man in search for salvation.

He was the man people sought to be salvaged from.

Nobody saw his face knowing his identity unless they were about to meet their end. Never in his long years as a made man did he fail to escort them there personally.

He would see to it himself that the same plea to be spared would fall from her lips.

Make her weep – that’s what he’d do.

After all, what better way to inflict revenge on Roman other than first breaking his beloved niece’s heart?

His lips tilted up in a smirk, his eyes gleaming with a predatory look.

Let the show begin.

[aion-rsa]

Best Movies Coming to Netflix in May 2021

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Movies are slowly coming back to life at the cinemas. You can see it with each glowing report about a Godzilla vs. Kong or Mortal Kombat doing solid business. And for those with more discerning tastes, films like In the Heights and Those Who Wish Me Dead are definitely going to make their release dates.

Nonetheless, there are many who are understandably not ready to go back to theaters (or have yet to get an HBO Max subscription). Thus Netflix remains an old reliable option. While the Netflix movie selection can be narrow, each month offers some worthwhile gems to revisit or even discover. And May has a surprisingly robust group of Hollywood films from the last 40 years coming to the streaming service on May 1. Here are the best ones.

Back to the Future (1985)

Great Scott! Back to the Future is coming to Netflix. As one of the most beloved films of the 1980s—if not ever—it’s doubtful we need to explain in great detail why this is exciting news. From its star-making turn by Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly to the grand musical score by Alan Silvestri, everything about this movie justworks. Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale’s script is like a Swiss watch in precision, paying off every single setup in the film’s first act when Marty commandeers a time machine made by Doc Brown (a lovable Christopher Lloyd) and accidentally travels from 1985 to 1955… to meet his parents as teenagers!

More time has passed since the movie’s release than the once massive generational gap between the film’s primarily ‘50s setting and 1985. Yet it still plays as a timeless story about family, time travel, and manure. Large piles of manure. By the way, the rest of the Back to the Future trilogy is coming to Netflix, too.

Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009)

Forget about all the “sad” dog movies of the last decade where canines have funny voiceover narrations and then die on repeat. Hachi: A Dog’s Tale is a very bitter, bittersweet dog’s journey based on a harder truth. A remake of the 1980s Japanese film, Hachikō Monogatari, this American movie is based on the real events surrounding Hachikō, an Akita dog who lived in 1920s Japan. Every day Hachikō would run to the train station, awaiting his master’s return from work. One day, after a fatal stroke, his master never returned. Yet for another 10 years, the dog would escape its various new owners and spend the afternoon waiting at the station.

Directed by The Cider House Rules’ Lasse Hallström, Hachi captures this anecdote about a dog’s loyalty with grace and genuine sweetness. But you’re not going to get through it dry-eyed.

The Land Before Time (1988)

Before it birthed a string of straight-to-video movies meant to babysit pint-sized millennials, the original Land Before Time was a generational touchstone for childhoods in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Overseen by Don Bluth at the height of his talent, and in partnership with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, The Land Before Time is a marvel in animation from the period before Disney Animation’s renaissance. It follows an assortment of baby dinosaurs, including a recently orphaned “longneck” named Littlefoot, after a horrible earthquake has rained devastation on all the isolated herbivores. But together they may just find salvation in a land called the Great Valley.

Essentially a dinosaur road movie for children, to the modern eye it’s told with a surprisingly delicate sensitivity. There is no fourth-wall breaking humor and sideways smirks here. It’s a very earnest fairytale captured in the lost art of hand-drawn animation.

The Lovely Bones (2009)

Based on Alice Sebold’s 2002 bestselling book of the same name, The Lovely Bones has a tough premise: a teen girl is raped and murdered, and goes to heaven where she watches her loved ones attempt to process and move on after her disappearance. The debut novel was not only very popular, but generally well-received for its treatment of trauma, sexual assault, and grief.

The movie, directed by Peter Jackson and starring Saoirse Ronan, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, and Stanley Tucci, among others… was not as well received, fairly criticized for its prioritization of CGI heavenly visuals over a nuanced, character-driven story. You may wonder, then, why we’re recommending a movie that wasn’t great? Because The Lovely Bones is a fascinating watch for those interested in the limits of adaptation and, in particular, how a great filmmaker with expansive resources (including a very talented cast) can fail if they’re not the right person for the job. 

Mystic River (2003)

As one of Clint Eastwood’s best films as director, Mystic River was the first cinematic adaptation of a Dennis Lehane novel, and the author’s hardboiled vision of Boston’s tragically seedy underbelly is well realized here. As much about the hard luck community on the South Side as the story of three men, it nonetheless tracks how neighborhood lives intersect.

We meet three boyhood friends in the movie’s unnerving opening and then jump to their bitter middle age. Oe of them, reformed gangster Jimmy (Sean Penn), has a daughter who’s been found murdered in a gutter. His onetime pal Sean (Kevin Bacon), now a detective, swears he’ll figure out who the killer is, and both men’s estranged acquaintance Dave (Tim Robbins) knows more than he’s letting on. All three’s fates are interlinked in this operatic passion play about the traumas we keep hidden until we’re drowning in regret.

Notting Hill (1999)

Though Four Weddings and a Funeral might have put writer Richard Curtis and star Hugh Grant on the map as the kings of ‘90s British romance, Notting Hill is arguably their true pinnacle. Grant plays a foppish bookshop owner who happens to meet the most famous actress in the world, Anna Scott (played by Julia Roberts who might just have been the most famous actress in the world at that time) when she stumbles into his shop.

Read more

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By Mark Harrison

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By David Crow

From the sympathy brownie competition, the junket where Grant’s William Thacker has to pretend to be a journalist from Horse & Hound, and Rhys Ifans in his pants, there are plenty of funny, moving moments. But it’s the two montage scenes—a walk through Notting Hill as seasons change to Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and the final montage to Elvis Costello’s “She”—that would melt the hardest of hearts. Rom-com perfection.

Scarface (1983)

Reviews were not initially kind to Scarface, director Brian de Palma’s explosive three-hour remake of the 1932 gangster classic starring Paul Muni (that in turn was based on a novel which loosely chronicled the rise of Al Capone). Written by Oliver Stone and starring Al Pacino as psychopathic Cuban refugee-turned-drug-kingpin Tony Montana, the 1983 film was excoriated by critics for its relentlessly graphic violence, excessive foul language, and over-the-top performances, especially by its leading man. But critics at the time missed the point: Scarface was a reflection of its time—the hedonistic, greed-driven, cocaine-fueled ‘80s—and was appropriately and utterly crazed as a result.

The film did mark the moment when Pacino transitioned from intense, thoughtful character actor to (mostly) histrionic circus barker, but he leaves it all on the field and his mania drives the fast-paced film to its epic, bloodsoaked, and unbelievable (in all aspects of the word) conclusion. As a metaphor for the insane decade of excess that birthed it, Scarface is riveting, breathless, occasionally shocking and often unintentionally hilarious. It’s the gangster movie on coke.

State of Play (2009)

Kevin Macdonald’s remake of a British miniseries by the same name turned out to be a strong thriller in its own right. With a whip smart script by Tony Gilroy and Billy Ray, this movie doubles as both an enjoyable investigative procedural and a love letter to journalism just as newspapers were beginning to die out in the 2000s. Russell Crowe plays Cal McAffrey in the film, the last of the old school guard of reporters, but his ethics will be challenged when the congressman with a dead young woman on his staff turns out to be his old college buddy (Ben Affleck). Rachel McAdams also stars as a young blogger who learns the thrill of chasing a story that takes more than an afternoon to research. Helen Mirren, Robin Wright, and Jeff Daniels also star.

The Whole Nine Yards (2000)

Remember when they made comedies for adults? The Whole Nine Yards is one such anomaly. Really a buddy film about a suicidal dentist (Matthew Perry) and a gangster living under a phony alias who moves in next door (Bruce Willis in one of his last truly charming performances), this giggles and gangsters laugher is a secretly delightful ensemble movie with a deep bench of talent. Indeed, Kevin Pollack, Amanda Peet, Nastsha Henstridge, and Michael Clarke Duncan, as the cuddliest gangster you’ll ever see punch your protagonist in the balls until he’s pissing blood, all get to shine. With a twisty plot, it’s an R-rated throwback to the type of screwball shenanigans that were once Hollywood’s bread and butter.

Zombieland (2009)

It’s rare when calling something the second best zombie comedy ever made is high praise, but in a horror subgenre that also includes Shaun of the Dead, this is high praise for Zombieland. As an R-rated teen comedy, one suspects the filmmakers almost lucked into the absurdly talented cast they assembled with Emma Stone, Jessie Eisenberg, and Woody Harrelson. In the years since this movie’s release, all three were nominated for Oscars (Stone even won one), but in ’09 they’re just having a blast with this goofy stoner hybrid about a dysfunctional makeshift family having fun during the zombie apocalypse.

Also, it features arguably the greatest comedy cameo ever conceived. If you haven’t seen it, I’m not going to spoil it for you here either…

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[my-quirk-is-fred]

💕He💕 gives you water ❤️❤️❤️

[xsecretblastsx]

2x02 - Never Been Marcused

Here we are on a new recap, sadly we say good bye to the hamptons on this episode, but it seems fitting considering is the start of fall after all. 

This one of those episodes were I barely remember what happens except for a few scenes here and there from my first watch, so it almost felt like watching a new episode. Anyway here we go.

As usual recap under the cut:

Thoughts I had while watching the episode:

Akward morning after talk between Dan and Serena, not my prefered way for the start of an episode, but what can I do

Well they are kind of cute here, I’ll admit. Though I’m kind of glad Serena’s first instict wasn’t to get back together right there and actually acknoweldging their break up had a lot of reasons behind it.

Blair looks super cute riding that bicycle, so picture perfect. Too bad is only on paper. That Marcus guy is super boring.

Blair can be like “Revenge is so 12 hours ago” but Serena’s is all of us being like “Sure Blair, you totally love Marcus and all of this has nothing to do with Chuck ofc” 

I’m not sure if being refered as “ a perfect post Bass palate cleanser” can be taken as a compliment. And just like magic a wild Bass appears.

I’m just here to enjoy the akward moment every single boyfriend of Blair has to endure whenever they realize that Chuck Bass is going to be a relevant part of said relationship.

“For England” Marcus your nation is surely going to be proud of you for acting like a total englishman and accepting to be civil with Chuck Bass, the guy who just totally manipulated you into inserting himself in your date.

“Blair Waldorf a fling... you’re not exactly low maintenance” Serena speaking words of wisdom.

I guess abstinence (on Serena’s side mostly) was hard for Serena and Dan, otherwise I can’t understand why they’re acting as if keeping their hands to themselves is so difficutl, they never seemed that type of couple in S1.

Blair called him Charles, I guess she was pretty mad. 

That whole sequence of Dan and Serena fooling around on the Jitney is soooo extra, and so unintentionally funny.

Nate’s family drama is never ending, though imagine the tragedy it must be for any UES to lose their money. Auch.

Surprise! Nate’s fling is actually the Duchess.

This whole dialogue: “No offense but don’t you think you’re a little outmached?” “As a guy. Blair wants to be a princess (>.<) and your greatest achievement is owning part of a burlesque club” and the cherry on top “Oh you know is love when you star talking like an assasin” Oh Nate Archibald, I love you. 

Also apparently Chuck did spend tme with Bart from time to time, is kind of hard for me to imagine them playing Squash though.

Chuck keeping noble secrets from Nate. That’s love.

Hi Rufus... and Vanessa

Oh Marcus, giving so much intel to his new “best friend”.Also I kind of like the polo/vest combo Chuck’s wearing there. Weird.

“I have to present myself as crown jewel, sorrounded by other smaller slightly flawed gems, but quality stones nonetheless” this is such Blair thing to say haha.

“If you can’t find common ground wiht a dictator I don’t know who can” The added commentary is really making this episode for me. 

I’ve never related more to Blair than this moment where she express how great it is that Serena’s free from Dan.

I just love when we get to see how much Chuck actually cares about Nate, selling his shares of Victrola is no small deal.

Nate and Vanessa! I still can’t believe how much I don’t mind, and actually kind of like this ship.

I kind of would love to see Anne Archibald doing her shopping at Salvation’s Army.

I love the combination of that suit with that shirt Chuck’s wearing, the color really suits him. I don’t know why but I’m noticing his wardobre much more this time around. Figures. I do remember thinking the first time around he was going to try and seduce the duchess. Now that would have been another akward moment of “Sorry Nate”

Serena looks so pretty here, even if I’m not that fan of her outfil. 

“So she can warn me about the effects of too much botox” auch.  Chuck: 1, Blair: 0. and he’s definately enjoying it.

I so wish Rufus had gone to tour again. He deserved to live that dream to the fullest.

“A lowly Waldorf” wow. Even I was hurt by that. 

I love it when the GG voice oveer points out how ridiculous everything is. Case in point: “Chuck and Blair’s dates are mother and son, and Nate and Blair are exces, and Nate and the mother are in a book club?”

I get why Nate is mad at Chuck for not being upfront about the money, because it’s not easy addmitting that kind of problems in their wordl and even less accepting that kind of help, but Chuck’s intentions were good. Fact is he always helps Nate anyway he can.

The fact that Dan and Serena’s plotline this episode was basically just trying to resist each other, and I can’t help but think that this was the show’s way of trying to make them be more “chair like”, you know intense chemistry and sex appeal. As if.

“if the best version of the situation is I’m going to become Blair’s father in law I think is just time to move on” Now imagine that, thanks to Nate for putting that horrifying thought in my head.

And this is the start of Nate Archibald the gigolo.

“Oh my effing God” same Blair, same. Props to Nate for still acting so rightous and being all like “I don’t have anything to explain to you” 

Blair telling the Duchess how things are going to be now... You go baby Vamp!

“I’m gonna turned it in a novel” so I guess this throway line was the start of “Inside” 

Rufus beyond anything was first a Dad, the Humphrey kids got the best dad in the show, the kind of Dad any of the NJBC would have love to have as a parent, and yet they feel they were the unlucky ones.

That last scene between Chuck and Blair is such a display of chemistry a lot of ships wish they had. and the literal definition of what eye sexing each other means. 

I feel so bad for Nate and Vanessa right now... with the add visual bonus of her sadly blowing the candles for a date that wasn’t. Feeling sad for Vanessa, now that’s new for me.

So this episode while there are moments that I really liked and it did kind of move the plot forward in some points, it also fills a lot like a filler episode and like I don’t really have much to say about it. Maybe because these storylines while I don’t hate them I don’t particularly like them either, in particular this chapter of the Serena and Dan saga this episode feels such a waste of time, they’re basically stalling because they really don’t want to have the difficult conversation of why they broke up and how they can fix their issues, and so to keep avoiding they distract themselves with taming their unrestrained need for sleeping with each other... sorry but what?

I’m not saying there’s no chemistry between Dan and Serena, but their relationship in S1 except for like 1 or two scenes was very much rooted in cutesy moments, tenderness, and how Serena was better with Dan (ugh) and how he wanted for her, not only because she was super hot, they never acted like “oh it’s so hard to keep our hands from each other, and we can’t resist this atraction” that couple were Chuck and Blair, so on this episode I just can’t buy it, it seems forced, almost as if the show wanted them to be more exciting and outrageous... to keep them as the main couple of the show as they were suposed to be, after all at this point of the show while Chuck and Blair were getting more traction, they hadn’t really overtook the show as they eventually did. It also felt part of the “omfg” vibe the show was going for, that scene in the Jitney was so extra, though in my case rather than getting me into them just made me laugh. 

Nate storyline on the other hand is the one that really went places this episodes. It turns out his family is on the brink up bankrupcy because all the legal issues his dad is facing, and because his grandfather won’t help he and his mother are a very precarious situation wich leads Nate to seek help. He tries going to Chuck but on one hand he doesn’t really now how to explaint the situation, and also Chuck’s apparently really busy with scheming his way back to Blair. Except Chuck because he knows Nate is going to refuse him and he can’t help but help him either way sells his shares on Victrola and gives the money to Nate’s mom. Of course when Nate finds out he gets mad, because pride and also because he hates that Chuck lied to him about Victrola and to be fair it hasn’t been that long since they had a big fall out because Chuck wasn’t honest about stuff, so there’s that. Still, I feel I must take a moment to point out how much Nate actually means to Chuck? He loves that club, it’s a place with a lot of sentimental meaning too for a lot of reason and yet Chuck doesn’t hesitate to part with it if meants helping Nate. I know Chuck makes plenty of mistakes and awful things during the show, but these kind of moments are always kind of overlook and I just feel that’s unfair because only focusin on the worst of him, reduces him to this one dimensional villian, and in reality Chuck is one of the most complex characters on this show. These kind of moments are an example of his many layers.

So back to Nate, he ends up going to Vanessa, and I just feel this rewatch is turning me into a Nate and Vanessa shipper. Truth is I never hated this couple, but I was a bit meh to it, in part because Vanessa annoys the hell out of me for the most part, but I always thought she was less annoying with Nate. I like how she just sits and listens to Nate, and I think this is something that his best friends are not always the best at, Chuck tries but he’s more the type of friend that goes into action, he does what is need to do in order help rather than the heart to heart talk, and Nate and Serena’s friendship at this point while getting there, is kind of akward still and also there’s always some crisis going on her life that prevents her for being fully there, and Blair and Nate well.. they weren’t ever the talking type. So Vanessa helps with that, also when the show started Nate wanted in someway to detached himself from the UES and all it’s expectations and so Vannesa was that needed breeze of fresh air, and while she can be as judgy as Dan, I always felt she made more of an effort with Nate to be understanding than Dan ever was with the UES. So I like them, at least for now. Too bad Catherine happens and while Nate was really into the idea of having an affair with her this episode he realizes that’s an awful idea (the fact that she has a step son that’s older than him and is also dating Blair is admiteddly gross) but it’s a desperate time, and she offers him her help... and so we got Nate the gigolo, and that last scene in the taxi when he cancels on Vanessa made me sooo sad.

Lastly we have the Chuck and Blair part of the story, it’s always fun to see them scheming, and Chuck’s tactics these episode are rather sucessful at first and it’s mostly a display of him knowing Blair so well that he’s able to get the upper hand on all of her efforts to get on the Lord and his family good side. I should feel bad for her, in the sense that Chuck’s ruiningin her plans and it’s not fair because if he had showed up to Tuscany everything would be different. And yet I’m kind of glad he gets on her way because truthfully, this is just one of those times that Blair is trying to show herself as something she isnt’ in order to get a guy, and also climb higher in the social hierarchy, and it pains me because at the end of the day is just Blair not accepting herself, like Serena keeps pointing out through all the episode, just show the real Blair sure, she’s anything but low maintainance but there’s a lot of amazing in her that can make her shine to anyone. This plot also reminded me a bit of Blair and the prince storyline and also (because this party was trying to be very pretentious and sofisticated) that saloon thing she did with Dan in Season 5 and just remembering that gives me nightmare. So really not a fan of these particular scenes. In the end she ends up gaining the duchess via blackmail, which I like because I hate the Duchess so I’m all for Blair showing her Queen B side in full display and after this episode I missed it. It’s also the basis of that great moment at the end between her and Chuck in the Van der Bass kitchen, which is easily the most memorable thing in the whole hour and only for that I’m glad this episode exists. The chemistry and sexual tension  of this whole scene is amazing and it puts to shame all the Dan and Serena “can’t keep their hand of each ohter” scenes, this is how is done. Sorry Derena.

Random bits I noticed:

The Pierces song playing in the background at the start of the episode, “Boy in a Rock and Roll Band” always puts me in a good mood for some reason.

That pearl headband Blair’s wearing at the party were so popular here for a while, I loved it so much back then, I sort of wish I had one now.

I loved the “Summer 08″ collage the Humphrey’s had in their loft. It also had this phrase “ I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality... I still believe that we shall overcome” by Dr. Martin Luther King. Kind of relevant isn’t it?

Having and episode ending with a shot of  the NYC skyline at night, while New York, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down playing in the background... these are the kind of details I love. 

Ending with a Chuck pick because I really like this suit

[unit-zero-two]

I struggled a lot to get into the Fate series. I had to put in a lot of effort. Like, I first saw it in images and memes online. Then I read over the tvtropes page. I was like, "that sounds cool, where do I start?" With no one to ask and after a lot of research I settled on buying the visual novel.

But the visual novel was expensive. And in Japanese. And I would need to fan translation patch it. And fuck that shit what else is there!

So, I did my standby. Is there manga scans? There was. And the manga was bad. I pushed through but didn’t enjoy it, or it's treatment of Saber, at all. Back to the drawing board.

Is there an anime? There was! Back in 2011 (or so) I found an anime movie for Fate/Stay Night...Unlimited Bladeworks. Now, if you don't know about this movie (which amazingly got a dub) it is very bad. By studio Deen, it condenses the entire Bladeworks plot into a 2 hour movie and fails miserably. Plus the blood effects are bad. Laughably so. My brother and I call it "Unlimited Bloodworks", to differentiate it from the TV series.

Lost, frustrated and kind of hating this series I really wanted to get into, I found myself on Netflix in 2012 (or so). And there it was, my salvation. Fate/Zero, the only reason I'm as much into Fate as I am nowadays. Where every other piece had failed to deliver, Fate/Zero gave me everything I wanted. Great animation, voice acting, music, fights, Saber actually being treated with respect. Everything. I have issues of course, it's not perfect. But it's still more than just good enough. And like that, I was hooked.

And from there it was UBW, Apocrypha, FGO, etc. And I probably wouldn't have looked at any of that without F/Z. And that's why I will always stand by it. It has a special place in my heart. One made by the dagger it stuck in and twisted around.

[uriello-bello]

This is Gonta Gokuhara from the visual novel “Danganronpa V3″. Given the informations easily found in the internet the kanji of his name and surname can be read as “healthy swarm of bugs” and “Prison meadow”. So....”A healthy swarm of bugs captured in a meadow”? Sound right? Any error or fallacies? Apparently Gonta is a real name.

Let’s move toward something less name-centric.

This is Naruto Uzumaki. The name is apparently a long pun around the figure of spiral and whirlpool across semiotic, geography, natural events and despicable fishcake for ramen. Whirpool spiral? Naruto can be a proper given name?

All this to say I felt the desire to translate etymologically names from the italian popular culture. 

Ugo Fantozzi: Good-heart child Leonardo Zuliani: Julius' fierce lion Salvo Montalbano: God's salvation on a nice mountain Mercurio Loi: Merchant's salvation Francesco Ingravallo: French carve Enzo Ceccotti: Giant frenchman Giandomenico Fracchia: Sacred torch gifted by the Lord Zeno Cosini: Zeus' stuff Cosimo Piovasco: Cosmic rain Gesualdo Motta: Jesus' salvation in a clot of earth Camillo Tarocci: Disputed God's messanger Marco Buratti: Mars' sieve Paolo Laurano: Little laurel Emilio Largo: Great rival Guido Anselmi: Large holy helm Marco Pagot: Mars' page

1)Popular character from a series of comedy movies created and interpreted by actor and comedian Paolo Villagio. Sort of eternal cult status in the entire Italy to represent the littleness of the "Italiano medio" (Average italian?) 2)Main character of the mockumentary "Pecore in Erba" (Burning Love) 3)Famous sicilian inspector created by Andrea Camilleri from a fortunate mystery book series 4)Main character of the homonymous short-lived comic book series published by Sergio Bonelli Editore. Despite the short life (16 issues) he was awarded with ALL the various italian comic awards. A  flâneur who discover and solves the mysteries of the 19th century Rome. A mix between Poe's Auguste Dupin and Taniguchi's The Walking Man 5)Detective from Gadda's Masterwork "Quer Pasticciaccio brutto de Via Merulana" (That Awful Mess on Via Merulana) 6)The true identity behind the knitted mask of "Jeeg Robot", the redeemed henchman, from the original superhero movie "Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot" (They Call Me Jeeg) 7)Ugo Fantozzi 1.0 8)Main character from Svevo's psychological novel "La coscienza di Zeno" (Zeno's Coscience) 9)Main character from Calvino's novel "Il barone rampante" (The Baron in the Trees) 10)Main character from Verga's novel "Mastro Don Gesualdo" 11)The violent, controversial, fistfighter priest co-protagonist of various short story collection written by Giovannino Guareschi. Owns various post-bellic arsenal stolen from the fascist and the german, fight people with bench and table. 12)Antihero detective known as "The alligator" from the noir series written by Massimo Carlotto 13)Main character and amateur sleuth from Sciascia's detective novel "A ciascuno il suo" (To each his own). A teacher of italian and latin of a little sicilian town who will discover the meaning of the work "omertà" 14)James Bond villain of the week in "Thunderball" and SPECTRE second in command. 15)Federico Fellini's alter ego in his most famous movie: "8½" 16)I need to explain to tumblr who Porco Rosso is?

[adoranymph]

That’s right! It’s been far too long, and I need to do another discussion of, what remains to this day, my #1 anime: Fate/Zero. Oh darling, how I’ve missed talking about you.

First off, I’m probably one of the few people on the planet who, for the most part, doesn’t take too much issue with the concept of prequels. I get why such stories are flawed and inherently so. Going into that kind of detail on something that was only mentioned in passing as a previous event in an original work can be detrimental to that work, punching in plot holes and whatnot. Plus, it takes away the mystery that some find more appealing about the “story before”: giving a detailed account of that takes away that mystery.

Speaking for me personally though, I kinda like it. I mean, I’m the kind of person who squees on the inside at stuff like Thranduil at the end of the third Hobbit film telling his son Legolas that he might want to look into finding a Dunedain ranger named “Strider”, a.k.a. Aragorn, son of Arathorn, a.k.a. the once and future king of Lord of the Rings, timeline consistency be damned! I love Easter Eggs in all their forms.

Which means perhaps I’m biased on this opinion, and to a degree, I am. But, I still think objectively as well as subjectively that Fate/Zero really does work well as a prequel.

Why?

A few reasons, but:

The short answer? It’s a tragedy.

In both the classical and the emotional gut-punching sense.

In the classical sense, we’re talking about actions that have consequences that are inevitable. In the emotional gut-punching sense, it’s that those consequences utterly destroy our heroes and heroines in their feels.

Anyone who’s experienced the original Fate/Stay Night, either in anime or visual novel form, or both, already knows that the consequences to many of the actions taken by the characters in Zero are inevitable. At the same time, for anyone who’s watching it before watching any of the other Fate material as a stepping off point for the franchise, it still works as a strong story of characters who sabotage their own goals through their own flaws, made tragic by how earnest they are in endeavoring to overcome them. Not to mention the sheer number of feels and brutal deaths and OMG this anime. (They didn’t give its original light novel writer, Gen Urobuchi, the sobriquet of “Urobutcher” for nothing.)

Sure, in the end, some plot threads are left frayed and fluttering in the breeze because the main Stay Night plot points are all set up here at Zero‘s conclusion (though that does produce the disadvantage of no longer making the story twists in Stay Night…well…twists). Despite that though, there is still a completeness to the ending.

Somehow the loose ends are written so they don’t feel loose. Sure we find out in the Heaven’s Feel route of Stay Night that Illya is Kiritsugu’s precious daughter that he was unable to save. Sure, in the Unlimited Blade Works route, Kirei gets his just-desserts for that little infraction of killing Rin’s father, Tokiomi Tohsaka. Sure, in the Fate route, the revelations that Saber was a gender-bent King Arthur and was Kiritsugu’s servant in the previous Grail War come to light.

And knowing those things, or lack thereof, can affect how you watch Zero. Knowing them can fill you with excitement when you see these addressed in the prequel (at least for me, since again, this is something I actually like about prequels). Not knowing them gives them their own fresh and engaging life in the flow of the narrative.

When watching Zero, we last see Illya waiting hopefully in the snowy Einzberns’ castle for her beloved father Kiritsugu to come back to her, only to learn that because he’d tried to destroy the Grail (because it’s corrupted), the Einzberns considered him a traitor and shut him out, preventing him from seeing her ever again.

We last see Rin at her father’s funeral. Kirei (who presided over that funeral no less) gives her the ceremonial dagger that her father himself had gifted to him for being his pupil in magic, only to immediately use it to literally stab him in the back. It’s only upon receiving the knife and learning that it was her father’s, that Rin finally allows herself to cry, Kirei secretly relishing her tears and the knowledge that he just gave her the weapon he’d used to murder her father as a present, and she’s none the wiser.

We see Sakura resigned to her fate as a future vessel for the Grail while carrying the weight of the Matou Family crestworms inside slowly killing her, despite her “uncle” Kariya Matou’s efforts to save her by winning the Grail for his wicked father. Efforts that were, for lack of better term, “ill-fated“.

We see Saber summoned at the conclusion of the first episode, with Kiritsugu believing that King Arthur was well a King, only to learn right off the bat that she was a woman in disguise the whole time (and that becomes a thing).

Regardless of knowing these things prior, the writing itself gives the scenes that are meant to allude to these later plot points a gravitas of their own worthy of praise. I am in a bit of a weird position where I started watching Fate/Stay Night (2006), which followed the first story route, the Fate route, with Saber (Arturia) as the heroine. Then I dropped it about a quarter of the way and bypassed straight to Zero. I was just too excited to wade through the lackluster production values of F/SN ’06. So I both knew and did not know things going into Zero. I had the opportunity to see certain things with a well-crafted setup in Zero, and still be engaged by both them and by things that were new to me in the sense that I wasn’t aware of their relevance not only to the Fate route, but to Unlimited Bladeworks, and Heaven’s Feel routes respectively.

Though I knew that it was going to come up that Kiritsugu was Saber Arturia’s Master in the Fourth War, I was still jarred by how frigid their relationship was pretty much from the word go. And it was interesting seeing someone as openly passionate about justice as Saber was getting stonewalled by someone like Kiritsugu, seeing as how his own passion for justice turned out to have been just as great. It’s just that he’s already let “reality” turn all that into a cold, calculating fire that’s compelling to watch burn so slowly, that struggle between that BBC Sherlockian sense of “Will caring about them [people] help save them?” and caring too much being the whole reason for what he does. That idea of wanting to bring the world salvation through an end to conflict, weighed movingly against how much he cares for his own family. It’s something that craftedly underpins his whole character. And anything like that will never be boring for me.

Rin meanwhile, even at a tender age, shows great potential as a mage, having started her education in magecraft in Zero. There’s an entire episode in there dedicated to how far she’s come and how far she still has to go. And it’s still exciting for those who already know that she’s going to be the capable Master of Archer in the Fifth Holy Grail War of Stay Night because of how well those parts showing such are executed in Zero, as equally exciting as it is to see it as someone going in blind.

Kariya Matou is motivated by the purest of things, love, to save Sakura Matou (formerly Tohsaka as Rin’s little sister) after she’s adopted into the Matou family simply to be used and abused in the worst ways. But for all that, it isn’t enough for him to succeed and failure is one of the most brutal things to watch.

Just about one of the most precious things I’ve seen in anything, never mind anime, is the scene of the walnut-finding game Kiritsugu and his daughter Illya would often play, because we see them play it one last time before Kiritsugu leaves for the Grail War at the beginning of the show. Even without being aware that this is the last time that they will ever see each other again, the hug goodbye that Kiritsugu gives Illya is still bittersweet because of how Kiritsugu’s character has been set up as this sober and reserved man carrying the heavy burden of his wife’s inevitable death, the cost for his wish to save the world, beautifully and poignantly juxtaposed against him acting playful, happy even, with their only child. (That, and well, there’s me who’s outed herself as a sucker for daddy-daughter relationships in fiction.)

Being a tragedy then, not only are all of the characters’ fates inevitable, and consequences of their own flaws, but they all end up spiraling apart into ultimate despair, with just the tiniest ray of hope at the end (which is the tease for Stay Night‘s continuation of the story, all three story routes accounted for). So what we’re left with is characters who either died broken, or survived broken, and for those who survived broken, we see that despite that, they find some reason to go on living (even if not for very much longer, and or even if not for the best of reasons). Just the same, it’s inspiring. Very Bluthian, actually. Despite all the trauma, it’s given worth of its own in that very last scene with Kiritsugu and his adopted son, Shirou, the protagonist of Stay Night, promising that things can be turned around for the better. That always gets me. From the very first time I watched it, I knew I had watched something incredible. An unduplicatable experience in the vein of finishing Harry Potter or Avatar: the Last Airbender.

It’s also something of a reset button where the anime adaptations of the Fate franchise are concerned. Somewhat ironically, the anime was produced so that the later adaptation of the Unlimited Blade Works and Heaven’s Feel story routes from the visual novel would work as sequels. Sequels to the prequel, as it were.

Then there’s the bottom line. It’s just a damn good show. Beautiful animation, beautiful music, beautiful character writing. Of all of the adaptations, it’s the one that works best as a standalone as probably Fate fans are ever going to get, given the nature of the source material. And with it being so good, it also has considerable rewatch value, which means that those “twists” that get “spoiled” are worth watching in the same regard that anything that has a known twist going in it is still worth watching.

And that…is why Fate/Zero actually works as a prequel.

Keeping this link up!

Why Fate/Zero Works As A Prequel That's right! It's been far too long, and I need to do another discussion of, what remains to this day, my #1…