#he's a little janky but at least he's cute

[octodrawn]

humanarian but its low quality

[madamemiz]

MILD SPOILERS! impressions from the votv 0.8.1 update (day 2)

KEL WALK CYCLE REAL even if it's a bit janky. feels almost strange to see moving feet when i look down. got peakaboo'd by this character model while climbing the tower too, i didn't realize the little rectangle on his beanie is the aso logo, that's a nice touch! (if i saw that correctly that is)

i love the glasses as an equipable item, velma mode is unnecessary but funny 10/10 just like me fr

tf you mean burgers cost 95???? and pizza so expensive?? hello???

flour?? cooking?! ok now that's a fun prospect, i'm getting the cookbook as soon as i can

on that note i've heard berry bushes are a thing now, but i've yet to come across any and i've been actively looking while out and about

aww kel's tummy growls when he's hungry now, that's cute. mfer got a hell of an appetite for someone so picky. also just like me fr

they changed the eating sound and i'm sad, i liked the original ;w; it was oddly satisfying

has the vending machine always had a nice glass texture?

that's it for now, so far so good. i've seen the stuff about kerfur, as well as more farming integration. the farming bit sounds fun, as for the kerfur crafting changes:

hoo boy. i like the idea of needing to get a few more things, it makes sense in-universe. they do most of your job for you, it's fine to make the requirements a bit more difficult, but... i'm gonna level with you, the recipe i've seen and what you need to do for it seems overboard for a casual player. keyword casual. it almost feels like the difficulty spike was created with youtubers and streamers in mind--yknow, people who are professional gamers, or at the very least people who look up hacks to speedrun their kerfurs, because several of them made it seem very easy. i don't think the vast majority of people playing the game play it that way though; i didn't have omega kerfur until a couple of weeks in-game time, and i've seen a lot of people say the same or later. these changes could potentially push kerfur to closer to endgame for a good chunk of players, which seems like a bad move to me for a few reasons--

firstly, i'd imagine this change is in part to encourage players to get out of the base more instead of relying on kerfur for the hashcodes, but having an omega greatly opens up how much free time you have, which allows you more time to explore and make your base cozy. i never had time before i had them, i was too busy running around getting hashcodes and scrounging up money

secondly, late game has quite a few enemies that can instakill kerfur, which makes sending them out for codes and repairs kind of pointless. at that point you may as well keep your base kerfur as-is instead of spending the time and resources to upgrade. not to mention that one of the items requires mining in the cave which... personal note, i never found the pickaxe or stepped foot in the cave in 0.8.0, and frankly never planned to. guess i have to now!

thirdly, like... people get attached to their kerfurs. a lot of returning players i've seen discussing the update are upset they won't have their wife/husband/partner/child/roomate etc back until later in their run unless they mail them over. why would you wanna separate the players from one of their favorite aspects of the game? hell, i've contemplated mailing my 0.8.0 kerfur over not bc of the difficulty spike, but bc i feel bad leaving them behind in my old save

maybe i'm just overthinking and it won't be as bad once i do it, but i've just been puzzling over the changes. what do y'all think?? are the changes justified, or nah?

[palebyulsoo]

Rating TF2 mercenaries if they can vogue {aka "can they serve 💅❤️✨?"}

I was gonna put this in my writing blog since I do want to get back into writing but fuck it, WE BALL 👹💥💥‼️This is a stupid thought that's been poking my mind so it's not for seriousness but mostly shits and giggles 😭 I'll be rating from least to best and giving my little explanations.

{Note : This is MYYYYY opinion. I'm still slowly catching up on the TF2 comics so if there's a few things I may get wrong, that's my bad. 😭 I'm in no way a professional in vogue dancing so I'm just going off from what I know in some bits of dancing- Oh and small spoilers ig? Specifically in Snipers, Medic {it's only a photo in a panel of sorts but just making sureee} and Scouts section mayhaps.}

9. 💥Heavy💥

-I'm sorry, I really do love him but Heavy CANNOT vogue. His ass is NOT doing the death drop. 😭

-Ok I'll give him one little bonus point since the kazotsky kick kinda counts in terms of supporting form, I think he'd be able to do at least a duck walk or smth.

-But honestly? With his form in a ballroom?? Idk about that 💀 AGAIN I LOVE HEAVY BUT HE'S N O T SERVING. HE'S GONNA SHAKE THE BALLROOM.

-Unless maybe he practices on voguing moves or smth idk. 4/10

8. 🔧Engineer🔧

-Ehhh..... Not really serving.

-I don't see Engie as the type to vogue, maybe he can do some hand movements here and there {A bit janky too-} or some dances too but voguing? Death drop? Nope. 🧍

-I definitely think that robot hand he has is heavy or smth, there's noooo way the gunslinger is light at all 😭 and with how he works on machines and stuff? Yeah, idk if his form can support in voguing. 🚶‍➡️

-But like I said! Although janky, he could definitely do waacking with his hands if he practiced. And honestly? Waacking with the gunslinger would actually go hard ngl. 4.5/10

7. 🔥Pyro🔥

-Sort of...? Not really?? I don't know what to say with Pyro. :'))

-Like I can kinda see Pyro voguing but at the same time not really. It's like with Engie where I can see them definitely do waacking or maybe a few more moves.

-But you know what, I'll give Pyro a bonus point because it would be cute to see them do waacking or a vogue dance like okkkkk burn the base down with your moves 😫💅‼️

-While I can't fully picture it, I know Pyro can definitely serve and do a dip. 5/10

6. 🦘Sniper🦘

-Originally, I was gonna put Soldier in 6th but then I thought about it.... And changed their rankings 😔 {pls pLS PLS DON'T SNIPE ME AND HEAR ME OUT-}

-I adore Mick sm and he's just so sudxudjdjdj but I gotta put my bias down for a moment. I knowwww I said I'm slowly catching up with the comics but because I joined in late, I actually stumbled upon spoilers by accident 😔😔😔 {Why does this keep HAPPENING TO ME-}

-But I'm gonna let it slide and give bonus points. Why? While I know that Australians in tf2 lore are well, stronk with strength, I don't think they would focus on dance activities or anything when it comes to being stronk.

-And while Mick may not be physically active with his lanky form, I just KNOW he would definitely kill with his moves. Just teach him the catwalk or something and boom, he's serving. 5.7/10

5. 🦅Soldier🦅

-Oh he's serving alright!....By that, I mean "serving 🇺🇸🇺🇸🦅🦅🦅💥💥💥💥‼️‼️‼️‼️", not "serving 💃💅💕✨".

-Listen, when it comes to Soldier, I don't think he wants to vogue and will definitely believe that voguing is for women {classic toxic masculinity-} and the only thing that will actually be close to serving in tf2 is killbinding {and ykw? in my view, the killbinding counts as a death drop if you time it correctly and can be a serve so it honestly applies to the mercenaries too-}

-BUT ☝️🗣️ I like to believe that when he's persuaded or smth, he definitely serves CUNT in CUNTRY. He pulling all the moves, the waacking is waacking, the catwalk being so FIERCE, and the dip bringing the base down!

-He'd definitely be the type to perfect his dances kinda. That's why sometimes this video just reminds me of him, "SCOUT. RUN THE ROUTE AGAIN! DAMMIT! IT'S C U N T-" 7/10

4. 💣Demoman💣

-Oh my fuck Demo would so SLAY THE BASE DOWN. He's only in 4th because of his alcoholism. 😭

-LIKE HAVE YOU SEEN HIS KAZOTSKY KICK TAUNT???????? HIM DANCING WITH BOTH LEGS AND ARMS??????? THAT HAS GOT TO BE THE HARDEST SHIT I'VE SEEEEEN BUT OMG HE DOES IT SO WELL 😫💕💕💕‼️

-Voguing, whether alcohol or not, THAT SCOTTISH MAN CAN SERVE AND YOU CAN'T TELL ME OTHERWISE. Tavish got that form and body support, aughhhh I bet he can pull even the most difficult ass vogue moves.

-Put on "here comes the hurricane legendary katrina" and I just know Tavish? WILL BE CATWALKING AND DEATH DROPPING SO HARD AUGHHJHSHDDG 8/10 {Just rereading my section for Demo really made it clear that I love him so bad actually aaahshdhxhd}

3. 💉Medic💉

-Shout out to that tiktok video of "'Medic my man' ur man is gay" that started this stupid brainrot of ranking and rating mercenaries on vogue btw. {I LITERALLY HAVE THE VIDEO SAVED BUT TUMBLR WON'T LET ME POST IT NOOOOO-}

-Have you seen Medic? Have you seen h i M?? LOOK ME DEAD IN THE EYE AND TELL ME HE CANNOT SERVE.

1. Scout

-I just know Medic is pulling all the N A S T I E S T death drops oh my ggaaawwhddjdx. He would be so precise with waacking and catwalking, it's not even a joke no more. 😭

-Like even with his fit and stuff, he would still know how dance with no problems. He's serving in medical AND military field! 9/10

2. Spy

-This is my bias peaking but hear me out hEAR ME OUT PLSPPSPLSPLSPLS 😭😭☹️☹️☹️😭☹️😭☹️😭

-Spy definitely knows how to dance, especially waltz and tango, but y'know what I bELIEVE IN SPY SERVING CUNT ENERGY! THAT MAN KNOWS HOW TO BALLROOM VOGUE 😫💥💥💥💥💥💥

-Not only does he serve the floor, HE KNOWS HOW TO DRESS THE PART. Listen, Spy? In that one dress???? The black and blue/gold and white????? AHHHHHH HE WOULD SO DANCE IN THAT FIT OH MY GOD {Can you tell I'm obsessed with the idea of Spy in both suits and dresses? I'm legit a sucker for suits and dresses augh.}

-I know I keep bringing up the kazotsky kick taunts as an example for each Merc {because the kazotsky kick focuses on leg form and core strength, which is the same thing for vogue dances-} but have yOU SEEN HIS LEGS??? THEY'RE SO LONG. THAT MAN COULD EVEN STRUT HIS SHIT AND BE A MODEL‼️10/10

-'SCOUT? S C O U T?? WDYM S C O-" Shhhhh hear me out PLEASE P L E A S E, HE CAN SERVE CUNT LIKE HIS DAD I SWEAR 😭😭😭😭😭😭

-His break dance taunt? Him dancing in general?? He's GOT to be flexible as fuck and know some good moves, he got his legs and speed from SPY. S P Y. LONG ASS LEGS.

-But in all seriousness though, I like to think he got his moves from not just Spy but also his ma too. Mostly comes from a small headcanon of mine where Scout's ma knows a lil bit of go go dancing and maybe when Spy wasn't in the picture, his ma taught Scout a few moves. :3

-He got that groove from both his ma AND dad, so Scout knowing how to catwalk? Waacking? DO A DEATH DROP?? OOOOOOH HE KILLIN EM AHHHH. 10/10

{Note : oh mygodddsjx I'm finished fINALLY- anyways, like I said before- This is mostly my opinion and I made this out of shits and giggles, so it's not serious 😭 I might change it up one day though if I doooo change my mind. Anyways, thanks for reading ig 💀💀💀}

[halfetirosie]

🌌 Important info from the [Call from the Starscape] PV! 🌌 (Reaction post)

1) Star Altar?

This reminds me of how the Sorcerer's Trials academy had a Gem Altar statue. Maybe this the the star-gazing tower's version of that?

Or maybe this one might have an actual function in the observatory? Like how in ATLA, there's a dial in the middle of the planetary calendar room of Wan Shi Tong's library?

2) Whose cabin is this???

At first I thought it might be Kuya's house, but from what I remember, it doesn't really look like that. It can't be Quincy's because his is larger than that, and it can't be Blade's because his building is more janky-looking...

It's obviously a separate location from the star-gazing tower... I am very curious.

3) I spy, with my little eye, TWO cups!!! 😈

This appears to be one of those window sill seats that people turn into couches. It's very cute to picture Edmond and Eiden chillin together in this comfy little area, eating cookies and sipping of hot cocoa! (At least, assume it's cocoa, because Edmond.)

I also see that the open book features rabbit! 😈 (Probably in reference to the legends about a rabbit living on the moon.)

Very nice to see Edmond's Dev-Assigned Spirit Animal getting a cameo!

4) At first I laughed---because Blade's cute doodles always tickle me---

---but now I'm wondering, how da fuq did he get those drawing into the rock? Did he use his bare finger to carve into it??? He can't have used a different rock to carve, because the lines are too clean for that...

5) HE IS SO CUTE!!! (≧∇≦)

Also, when I first saw the face on the helmet, I had a strong sense of deja-vu that I couldn't identify, but then I remembered---

It reminds me of this design from The Lonely Moon figurine series!

6) 👀 Oh snap, he's touching his core directly, this time!!!

That hasn't happened for a while!

7) 🚨🚨🚨 PRETTY HAND ALERT!!! 🚨🚨🚨

Holy SHIT, this scene looks romantic as fuck!!!

(I feel like classic missionary-position scenes are under-rated quite a lot. But the sheer intimacy and eroticism of looking directly at your partner is pretty wild.)

8) !!! Is this showing off Edmond's light magic?!

Yes, it looks like a star at first glance, but I think the more-likely answer is that this is his light magic. Which I find quite exciting, because Edmond has only started using/practicing magic recently!!!

Way to go, babe!!! I'm so proud of you!!! ♡

9) 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

OKAY, TWO THINGS TO NOTE HERE!!!

FIRST, Eiden has Edmond pushed up against a window here (I now have two nickels---shoutout Knightly Night Edmond R5). Considering this fact, and how the voice-acting shows how turned on Edmond is, I think I can now confidently state that Edmond is the proud owner of a exhibitionist [fantasy] kink! (Definitely not ACTUAL voyeurism, but the fantasy/possibility turns him on.)

SECOND, Eiden is TOUCHING EDMOND'S CHEST AGAIN!!!

FUCKING FINALLY!!!!! I really hope he gives that area a lot of attention; it feels like a thousand years since we've seen that. 😭😭😭

10) BEHOLD: HIS BEAUTIFUL FACE!!!! ♡♡♡♡♡

*FAINTS*

★ End of report! ★

[spacehostilityy]

rewatching the OVAs (netflix s2)

low key one of my fave intros art wise (we all know howling by granrodeo is my fave intro song lol) like the suits !! are so !! cute!!!

and this frame is adorable !!

I love the search for hawk sm theyre all so fucking cute

Meliodas casually dropping “you are my purpose in life” to Elizabeth like a month after they met is INSANE. Bc from his side, makes sense. Fell in love when they were young from opposite sides of a war, risked everything to be together, have been finding and losing each other for 3000 years. But from her side, he is a cool guy she has a crush on (who is at least 15ish years older than her) who she might have known as a child. He also just described her as his entire life’s purpose. Like bro THATS CRAZYYY

Seeing Meliodas destroy the horn of cernunos is such a badass moment to me. The way he responds to her taunting with direct action and violence rather than his usual merciful beating around the bush. My favorite Mel moments are when he is using his silly goofy little guy façade and suddenly has to drop it. This is when we see a glimpse of who he was when leading the 10 commandments: arrogant, powerful, and constantly full of rage

it just so happens that arrogant, powerful, and constantly full of rage are my most prized qualities in any character

WAIT HOLY SHIT IS THE “HEINOUS SIN” MELIODAS IS CONSIDERING THAT THE GODDESS SAYS WILL DRIVE EVERYONE HE LOVES AWAY REFERRING TO HIS PLAN TO BECOME THE DEMON KING ?!?!?!?

THAT WOULD MAKE SO MUCH SENSE AND ADDS LOWKEY A TON CHARACTER MOTIVATION TO EVERYTHING ELSE MEL DOES FROM HERE ON OUT

maybe everyone knew this and im late to the game but damn that would be so cool

im pretty sure ban switches out his red leather for the long burgundy coat is bc he keeps getting stabbed front to back and the coat has a hole in the back so the weapon wont tear it lolll😭

i feel like their faces (esp meliodas’s) look a tiny bit janky in the OVAs

once again appreciating the intro 😌

They’re so fucking cute !!

Merlin and Ban clearly don’t rlly like each other much yet and it’s so funny to me

Like these are Meliodas’s closest friends and they just kinda annoy each other a lot

it’s like fuckin icarly

Gustav: the captain and one of his fellow sins going one on one? We might neve see something like this again!

hahahahaha nooo. i mean gustav didn’t, he’s dead. but the rest will el ol el

Gil is the biggest dork to ever live and howzer is concerned. Mans is crying at watching them fight and howzer is just like … ok ??

Bartra: where the fuck is my daughter

his daughter: literally watching a cage fight

MELIODAS RIPS OFF BAN’S FUCKING ARM AND SMACKS HIM WITH IT AHSDBFKSKFSDHFFK LOLLLL

theyre literally the cutest

bestiesss (boyfriends)

every one of these bitches is a fucking alcoholic

ban’s whole character is that he’s a depressed, violent alcoholic and I love him

my horrible secret is that im skipping through a lot of ova 3 bc im just not a kiane girlie😔

i do love diane tho she so babygirl

nakaba’s not even thinly veiled size kink strikes again. Seriously, i can fuck with it, but its so funny that every single main ship has a significant/abnormal height difference

hendy and dreyfus are so gay for each other im genuinely surprised it’s not canon

like look at this scene and tell me something lgbt is not happening here

omg my pfp !!

Howzer’s dad is such a dick i love it

Meliodas using the sugar spoon to full counter is literally so fucking cute, i love when they have to use dumb weapons

but also vivian lost to a tiny spoon hehe

bet gil regrets not killing vivian after she kidnaps and permanently fucks up his son ahaha🥲

Merlin being fucking terrifying saying that vivian should have realized that she is a monster is why im gay

Meanwhile Meliodas:

I love when his face does that he’s so baby

KASDBFKLHDFNWDKF GIL, HOWZER, AND GRIAMOR ALL BEGING HORNY ABT “MATURE WOMAN” MERLIN

anyway time to start season 2!!

[theangelsheardyou]

DILF SKK IM SORRY

Also headcanons bc I'm so normal about them

Dazai

Janky old broke hobo spiderman energy

When I say broke I mean BROKE

Will swindle his way into getting money

Absolute SLUT will sleep with someone just to have a place to stay the night

Not exactly homeless, he's more like a roach. Just kinda scatters anywhere and stays somewhere he finds comfortable even if he's not welcome (cough cough chuuyas apartment)

Giving frank Gallagher energy but if he actually tried to be a good dad (source: shameless)

Oh did I mention he's a dad

YESSSIRR HES GOT A DAUGHTER BC GIRL DAD DAZAI CANON

His daughter is actually kinda embarrassed of him

She's def the one who worries about him the most

Lives with her mom, who is one of dazais old one night stands (IT SHOULDVE BEEN ME FR)

Her mom couldn't give two shits about this man even if she tried

His daughter doesn't want to be anything like him

She inherited his intelligence tho, just not his irresponsibility

Dazai doesn't live with them, he and the mother aren't dating but they're not friends either, she just kinda accepted that he's this cockroach in her life and her daughter is a nice piece of leftover trash he can't get enough of

Don't get me wrong, dazai LOVES his little girl

Absolutely adores her

She's usually just annoyed by him

He finds it cute when she yells at him cause it reminds him of when she would throw tantrums as a toddler

But she does genuinely love her dad more than anything

It's just hard for her to show it

She's not particularly close with her mom either since she's kind of a cruel and bitter woman

Still not over how dazai treated her

He's not perfect, but he tries

Chuuya

This man is like the complete opposite of dazai

He's a single father who wouldn't leave his daughter alone for a second

Unlike dazai chuuya fell genuinely in love with a woman but she died during childbirth

At first he was angry that his wife was taken away but one look at this little girl in his arms and all the pain and anger washed away

He promised her he would give her the world no matter what

He's absolutely the best father you could ever ask for

His daughters spoiled spoiled SPOILED

Nothing but the best for his little girl🥺

And unlike dazai bro is LOADED so yeah she pretty much gets anything she wants with a snap of her fingers

But she's not a brat tho (at least, not when she's older)

She takes after chuuya in her need to be useful and independent

She's actually way more calm than he is, but she does have a little of his demeanor

Anyway enough abt her since I'm very early into the development of this au and Idk much about how I want the kids to be yet

Chuuya does bulk up as years go by cause ain't no way this child having a TWINK for a father🙄

He does also get a teensy bit taller bc I wanna throw this dog a bone, man

"I'm still growing" You know what?? Yeah you are buddy keep believing in urself😊

Still in the mafia, but since having a kid he's withdrawn a lot more from this life

He's not the type to try to get a higher position for his kid since he knows that the more involved he is with the Port Mafia, the more danger he and his family is in

Only a few in the Port Mafia actually know he's got a kid

For a while they tried to keep it a secret from mori not knowing what he'd do

Also do not leave his young daughter alone with this man

WEVE SEEN YOSANOS BACKSTORY GOODBYE

Chuuya is a lot less violent than he was in his 20s

Having a kid really softened him up

Now when he's on a mission, he doesn't kill anyone unless he was ordered to

He can see the fear in his enemy's eyes and all he can think of are their kids and what would happen to them

So unless he absolutely has to, he won't kill anyone

His job is also a secret from his daughter

He doesn't want her involved in any way whatsoever

He wants her to find her own path, to be her own person, and most of all, to be safe and happy

Wasn't gonna do this part but

SOUKOKU

Dazai and chuuya do get back together in this au

After the unofficial breakup they did have a couple nights together but after a while they drifted apart, chuuya finding a wife and family, and dazai slowly spiraling deeper and deeper into his own mess

Their lives are intertwined again upon an incident where their kids are in danger

That's when they pull a spy x family and secretly defeat the enemy without their daughters knowing about it

It was supposed to be a one time thing, after this they're back to their normal lives

But unfortunately their girls became quite good friends, so they had to keep seeing each other

They went from hanging out with their kids in a daddy-daughter tea party to absolutely destroying each other in the bedroom

Ok that's all I genuinely wanna develop this au so ask me anything! I'd love to answer ur questions!!!

[otakween]

Digimon Adventure 02 Best Partner Series - Part 2

Lol why are the girls' butts so emphasized in this artwork. Seems sketchy, but okay (Tailmon's even pointing to Hikari's butt, as a YouTube commenter pointed out).

Questionable art aside, I definitely thought these 6 CDs were a little weaker than the ones in my first post, but I'm biased. I don't have a very strong connection with a lot of the 02 characters, so it makes sense that their songs wouldn't hit as hard for me. On the other hand, I really like Ken and Wormmon so their album slapped. Anyways, full thoughts below.

Daisuke & Veemon

Google Boy - Daisuke (Listen here - subbed)

Daisuke singing about being a hot blooded shounen boy and how his goggles are a mark of his coolness and Taichi's legacy. A very Daisuke song lol.

Pretty funny how goggles just became a signature fashion statement for Digimon MCs. At least they kinda had a purpose in Tamers (although it wasn't explained very well).

Go Ahead! - Veemon (Listen here & Translation here)

Veemon's song is very in-sync with Daisuke. Just talking about having courage and rushing into battle without thought (because your squad will back you up and everything will work out! LEEEEROYYYY JENKINSSSSS)

2-Top - Daisuke & Veemon duet (Listen here & Translation here)

Okay, this was definitely the strongest song on this CD. It's catchy, the boys sound great together and the whole thing's a soccer metaphor which is very on brand. (I tried to google and see if "2-Top" is soccer terminology and came up with nothing tho -shrug-)

I like the little banter breaks in this and then in the song they talk about how their bickering just shows how energetic they are haha.

They mention being a digimon tamer in this song but did they even use that terminology in 02? I don't remember...

Miyako & Hawkmon

Crash with Bingo - Miyako (Listen here - subbed)

The lyrics of this song are pretty nonsensical, but I get what vibe they were going for. She's basically singing about being a hot mess but being proud to be herself. Also mentions that she's not just here to look cute.

I feel pretty neutral about Miyako, but I did appreciate that she could be kinda tactless and brash at times. Traditional Japanese femininity usually means being quiet, submissive and agreeable, which she definitely is not.

Although I've never liked the "bingo" catchphrase, it's fun in a song lol

Knight of Love - Hawkmon (Listen here - subbed)

Man, out of all the digimon partners, Hawkmon's gotta be the biggest nothing burger of them all. I couldn't tell you a single thing about the dude. I feel like the bird digimon are the most sidelined for some reason? (Maybe they're like "little boys don't care about birds, they like dinosaurs and bugs!")

Hawkmon sings about being a "knight of love," but I never got "knight" vibes from him really. I guess he kinda talks like a knight, but nothing in his design says knight...he's supposed to look like an Indigenous person, no? Maybe I'm being to literal hahaha

Fly High - Miyako & Hawkmon duet (Listen here - subbed)

Yeah, I don't really buy Miyako and Hawkmon's partner chemistry. They sounds more like coworkers lol. I did like the part where Miyako was asking to talk to all of Hawkmon's digivolutions in quick succession, that was fun.

Miyako's just spiraling the whole song and Hawkmon's trying to comfort her but she seems to be kinda brushing him off for most of it haha

Iori & Armadimon

My Conclusion - Iori (Listen here - subbed)

This song was...not good. Not the worst of the bunch, but it kinda just felt like it had no melody and Iori was talk-singing the whole time. His voice is cute and the lyrics fit his character nicely, but I was thrown off by how janky the song itself sounds.

The song is about Iori's convictions and what evil vs. justice means to him. You can sense that his philosophy is coming from his kendo practice.

I enjoyed the gratuitous English in the final line lol

Omyaa to Let's Go! - Armadimon (Listen here - subbed)

This one had a good energy and I liked the "Let's go!" chorus, but there was still a lot of talk-singing going on

I hate that the song starts by mentioning that damn Chuu x2 Jelly...it's like the show forgot to give Armadimon any memorable qualities so when they wrote this song they were like "he liked jelly...I guess?"

Armadimon losing steam and kinda flubbing the lyrics was the best part of the song lol

A Message to the Future - Iori & Armadimon duet (Listen here - subbed)

Phew, finally a good one. I was a bit worried I'd dislike this whole album. I really liked the melancholy yet optimistic vibe this one had. It kinda feels like any two characters could have sung this, but oh well. It was a nice duet regardless.

Armadimon telling Iori that "no matter what kind of adult you become, you'll always be Iori" was sweet :)

Takeru & Patamon

Focus - Takeru (Listen here - subbed)

Okay this one made me MAD because it was so ship-baity!! What the heckk??? This song is clearly implying that Takeru has romantic feelings for Hikari ("Am I the focus of your heart?"), but the show led me to believe that his feelings were platonic and almost brotherly. Did I watch the same show as the song writer? I don't mind them as a pairing, but I feel like this is contradicting my interpretation of the anime so I'm just confused.

Aside from my grumblings, I think this song was great for the drama of it all lol. I also liked the callbacks to Hikari and Takeru growing up together and Hikari blossoming into a powerful young hero.

The comment section of the YouTube video I've linked have people arguing whether the song is about Hikari or Patamon lol. Ain't no way this song is about Patamon. There's even a hikari pun in there.

Don't Stop Patapata - Patamon (Listen here - subbed)

Not sure if this is cute...or just annoying. Sounds like a song written and performed by a toddler, which is fitting cuz it's Patamon.

This song captures Patamon's one braincell energy (which was on display in the new 02 movie). He doesn't really sing about Takeru much which feels a bit like a wasted opportunity.

Steppin' Out - Takeru & Patamon duet (Listen here - subbed)

I liked the theme and lyrics of this one but the vocals were pretty rough...It sounded like Patamon's VA didn't match Takeru's VA's energy very well and together they sound kind of off key.

Takeru singing about taking off his ripped shirt kinda made me laugh because I pictured like a sexy romance novel cover dude. So not Takeru's image.

Seriously Patamon just kinda sounds disinterested in this song

Hikari & Tailmon

Gentle Rain - Hikari (Listen here - subbed)

Kind of a boring, slow song, but I liked the overall theme. Hikari's showing her vulnerable side and talking about how she can't be strong/brave at all times.

I'm not sure I really understand the rain metaphor here...I think maybe when she's saying it's not an "intense rain" she's saying it will take a long time for her weakness to wash away, but that's okay? IDK, kinda clunky.

Getting up - Tailmon (Listen here & Translation here)

Pretty similar to Hikari's song, but more melancholy. I found this one kind of relatable because I can get existential pretty often. The lines "What can I do? I still don't know. Because I was born my journey continues" hit me.

Tailmon sings about, basically, how life as a digimon is tough and confusing, with all of the nonstop battling. Still, she wants to stay strong for those she needs to protect. (Tailmon kinda has similar vibes to Renamon...or maybe it's just that they both have deep voices.)

Shining Star - Hikari and Tailmon (Listen here - subbed)

This one felt kinda half-assed lol. I think I might just be getting burnt out with all these songs that effectively have the same message.

So yeah, just like a lot of other songs in previous albums, this was a generic song about Hikari and Tailmon being different but loving each other anyway and striving to be their best for each other. I guess it's nice to hear a more optimistic song at the end of the album since the first two were pretty downbeat.

Ken & Wormmon

ONLY ONE - Ken (Listen here - subbed)

Aw man, I'm disappointed that Ken's solo song is from the POV of his Kaiser days :/ oh well. It's still a fun song. I like his evil laugh at the end.

I think this song does a good job of illustrating Ken's internal struggle between good and evil, but always turning to the darkness in the end. I also enjoyed the rock n' roll vocals.

The Future You Dreamed of, The Future I Dreamed of - Wormmon (Listen here - subbed)

Lol Wormmon's such a simp for Ken, but I love him so much 😭❤️ This song was great!! The jazzy instrumentals, the back up vocals and the passion/love in Wormmon's voice were all on point.

This song is all about Wormmon not giving up on Ken and understanding he has good in him that he wants to protect. So pure and sweet <3

True Strength - Ken & Wormmon (Listen here - subtitled)

Omg I loved this one 😭😭😭 so precious! Sure, it may have the exact same theme as a bunch of other songs ("we're so different, but we love each other!") but it definitely has a greater impact considering Ken and Wormmon's baggage.

I loved the light and jazz vibe of this song, I was picturing Ken and Wormmon in tuxedos with tails doing a lil tap dance routine together.

"Your form reflected my heart" omg 😭😭😭

Ken had a whole mini arc in just this album lol

[tbshorts]

The Best Panels of One Piece, Syrup Village (chapter 23-32)

Full video scripts under the cut

Chapter 23:

Which are the best panels in One Piece?

Chapter 23 sees the introduction of Usopp, who… wow, remember when his nose and eyes used to be this small? Huh.

Most of the action is about introducing him and endearing him to the audience by showing us his shenanigans, all his comedy cowardice, his ridiculous lying, and his trusty crew of village kids who look up to him.

But it also hints a bit at the bravery that Usopp can display, when he stands his ground and lies to the Straw Hats, despite clearly being pretty scared. It shows us that Usopp is someone who, when backed into a corner, has the guts to at least go for something, to swing for the fences in desperation. And it's a trait that will save his life many times over the next 25 years.

But the best panel, I think, doesn't even have Usopp in it. It's right near the end, with Kaya in her mansion. It is a bright, airy, mostly pure white space with barely any shadows anywhere, which suits her as a frail, "pure hearted maiden" sort of character. And then in the background there is the stark, pure black shadow of Klahadore looming behind her. It's unsettling. He looks out of place and ominous, and that, kids, is good visual foreshadowing.

Chapter 24:

What are the best panels in One Piece?

In chapter 24 we get to meet the villain of this arc proper, Klahadore or spoiler alert Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates, and the chapter is mostly about establishing his character, especially as a counterpoint to Usopp. Usopp is an honest man who presents himself as a liar, while Kuro is a liar presenting himself as an honest man. They make good foils for one another. This panel in particular is a great microcosm of the story - on the one side Usopp and all his friends, on the other Kuro, alone, and caught in between them Kaya, the person whose trust they're fighting over.

Speaking of, Kaya also gets a pretty good panel here, when she has her first outburst. See how Oda applies a fish eye lens, bending the window around her shouting, emphasizing it? It's just good technique. But no, the best panel is the punch. It's the first time we see the easygoing Usopp use violence, but it's also just a gorgeously dynamic shot, look at that foreshortening, and then the clever little trick of extending the line of his punch through the strap of his bag, it really emphasizes the motion, and it just looks great.

Chapter 25:

What are the best panels in One Piece?

Chapter 25 is one of those chapters that feels even darker in hindsight, opening with Kaya questioning Kuro about why he tries to isolate her from her friends, and why he keeps making her feel guilty about it. He then feeds her his fake sad backstory and turns it around that it's only because he cares about her SO MUCH, play-acting emotional anguish which gets Kaya to back off. It is the textbook dynamic of an abusive caretaker relationship.

That said it's not a chapter with any clear standout panels. Arguably it doesn't need any, it's not a bombastic chapter, nothing needs to be high impact. If I had to pick, I quite like this one where Zoro and Nami are sitting with the village kids, because of the way Zoro is sitting EXACTLY like the kids while Nami is up on the fence by contrast. It’s cute! But… y'know, although it's a bit flat, this panel of Usopp sitting on a cliff looking out over the ocean - the way his head rises just above the horizon line, that sense of how he's drawn to the sea… that's pretty good too.

Chapter 26:

What are the best panels in One Piece?

Chapter 26 opens with some awkward exposition, a classic "characters telling each other what they both already know" which is… efficient if inelegant. It gets Kuro's real motivation established quickly and sets the stakes, but it's a janky way to storytell. Oda does a visually clever little callback, repeating the exact same set of three panels for Usopp's now terrified truthtelling as when he told his prank lie and it's a bit funny because you can see Usopp's character design already changing a mere three chapters after his introduction.

It's another chapter without any strong standout panels, though, nothing that really rises above the rest. Usopp's terrified face when he realizes what Kuro is up to is good, as are his horrified reactions at Luffy's brashness, but if I had to pick… it's probably this one. It's not exceptional, but there's a subtlety of despair under the cartoony artstyle that comes through in the furrowed lines on his brows, the squeeze around the cheeks up under the eyes. If you look at it for a bit, you do feel his desperation.

Chapter 27:

What are the best panels in One Piece?

In chapter 27 the action finally kicks up. Usopp's fight with the guards at Kaya's mansion is a standout little sequence, Usopp diving out of the way of a gun while loading his slingshot and firing is dynamic as hell, albeit, jesus christ, they're pulling guns on a teenager pretty casually. What are these guys, American cops?

I also quite like this panel when Usopp realizes that he has no chance to convince anyone that he's finally telling the truth. The use of the screentone to literally have a shadow pass over him sells the feeling well, along with that raised face barely holding back the pain. This moment where he's hiding his injured arm from his friends and lying to keep them out of danger is also good. But the killer panel comes at the end, with Usopp holding up his bleeding arm and declaring that they can shoot him and chase him and hurt him, but he loves the village and will fight for it. It's the moment Usopp really becomes a hero. It's the moment he becomes a Straw Hat.

Chapter 28:

What are the best panels in One Piece?

In chapter 24 we get to meet the villain of this arc proper, Klahadore or spoiler alert Captain Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates, and the chapter is mostly about establishing his character, especially as a counterpoint to Usopp. Usopp is an honest man who presents himself as a liar, while Kuro is a liar presenting himself as an honest man. They make good foils for one another. This panel in particular is a great microcosm of the story - on the one side Usopp and all his friends, on the other Kuro, alone, and caught in between them Kaya, the person whose trust they're fighting over.

Speaking of, Kaya also gets a pretty good panel here, when she has her first outburst. See how Oda applies a fish eye lens, bending the window around her shouting, emphasizing it? It's just good technique. But no, the best panel is the punch. It's the first time we see the easygoing Usopp use violence, but it's also just a gorgeously dynamic shot, look at that foreshortening, and then the clever little trick of extending the line of his punch through the strap of his bag, it really emphasizes the motion, and it just looks great.

Chapter 29:

What are the best panels in One Piece?

Chapter 29 opens on a really strong panel, Usopp alone at the top of a hill facing down the Black Cat Pirates. It's a great dramatic opening, and a reminder that he was never ACTUALLY a coward, he just gets scared, and those aren't the same thing. This chapter has lots of fantastic action panels, like this shot of Usopp taking a blow to the head, or Nami saving Usopp and blocking that sword stroke - you can really see how overmatched she is from her posture and the way the staff is buckling.

But the best panel still goes to Usopp, clinging on to the belt of a pirate, dripping in blood and unwilling, even at the cost of his life, to let them go. He cuts, in this posture, both quite a pathetic but also a profoundly heroic figure. These are the sorts of moments that define the Straw Hats as heroes, and Usopp will have them more than once on the adventure.

Chapter 30:

Which are the best panels in One Piece?

Well, let's not mess about, in chapter 30 it is ABSOLUTELY the Gum Gum Gatling Gun. The sense of scale, the converging action, the way Oda hatches speedlines into the geometry of each hand to give it weight and momentum, while still making sure every line follows the action, it's just so good. The pirates who are the targets are tiny pinpricks against the overwhelming force of Luffy’s assault, one glance and you KNOW the kind of power he’s unleashing.

There are other good panels, like the follow-up where the entire panel is a chaos of sound effects and crashing bodies, all framing Luffy as the stable center, the literal last man standing. And the panel when the pirates get hypnotized and spring back to life has a lot of charm too - one of Oda's less talked about skills is how good he is at drawing a lively panel full of characters in compelling poses.

But yeah, no, it's Gum Gum Gatling Gun, god DAMN this panel is good. What a way to introduce a special move!

Chapter 31:

Which are the best panels in One Piece?

Chapter 31 sees Kaya finally discovering Captain Kuro's villainy, and one of the quite good panels in the chapter is the discovery of Merry's bloodied body: the body itself is in the foreground, rendered in rock-solid flat black, while the entire background is scratched and indistinct, drawing our eye to the shocking sight we're meant to focus on.

But I think the best panel is a quieter thing. One of the key traits of Kaya is that she's sickly, she's frail and vulnerable - the threat she's under is the source of dramatic tension for this entire arc. She's about to exert herself a lot, trying to save the village and her friends, so this chapter spends quite a bit of time establishing just how hard that is for her, how much she struggles to do what she's about to do.

And this panel, where she's hunched over, the sweat of fever drenching her body, idly clutching the blanket around her and her hair falling all over her face… yeah. That's what it's like, being sick and feeling alone. Clammy, clenched and claustrophobic. That's the posture of that kind of misery.

Chapter 32:

Which are the best panels in One Piece?

Ooh man I don't like the Nyanban Brothers. They're on the F-list of Oda's character designs, and their fight with Zoro just isn't very interesting. In fact the whole chapter is kind of mid when it comes to the art, if I'm honest. The Meowban's character designs don't lend themselves very well to dynamism, and some of these compositions really feel rather rushed. Which maybe they were! Working for Shonen Jump is a pretty relentless gig.

Regardless, it does mean the chapter is light on banger panels. Zoro's slash through Siam here gives him a gorgeous action posture, and the brothers do get ONE good, dynamic action panel when they smack Zoro to the ground here, but eeeh.

No, I think the best panel is more of a technical accomplishment. It's this one, of Zoro shouting angrily at Usopp for trying to interfere. It's shown from below Zoro's body, hunched over on the ground, using him to frame the people he's shouting at in the background, which is a genuinely INCREDIBLY clever way to show both his posture and the desperation of his situation, show visually who he's shouting at, AND communicate the geography of how far they are from each other, which is going to matter when Nami runs for his swords later. It's just very good use of composition.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Things are Very Mixed

May 2023 Wk 1

Being a highly subjective assessment of one tiny corner of the interwebs. Organized by which ones (in each category) I’m enjoying most.

Ongoing Series - Thai

Step By Step (Thai Tues WeTV & Gaga) ep 3 of 10 (MDL still says 12, but Gaga still says 10) - The subs are janky on YT, so you might want to watch this on Gaga. This is such a good show, it just feels so much more authentic to an office environment and first job then anything else I’ve seen in BL. Now that might be because it has western source material, or it might be because it is actually kind of old-fashioned (it’s been years since I worked as an office grunt). While the authenticity may be a little triggering for some, I love how much tension it adds to the leads’ dynamic and the quality of the narrative. I also really love the brothers’ relationship, now that we got to see them on screen together for a bit. Walk of shame was great! Oh look, character development, how novel. This is what Boss & Babe should have been. Not sold on the sides tho it’s nice to see a faen fatal as the main character in a dynamic for a change. 

La Pluie (Sat iQIYI) ep 2 of 10 - This one is really grabbing me by the throat. I love the starter concepts, what a fantastic twist on a meet cute not to mention soulmates. I hope we spend more time with the vet and his coworkers, they seem awesome. And another surprise, the guy we think is being set up to be the brother’s love interest is now clearly interested in the wrong brother. I love the trope subversions going on with this show! 

Our Skyy 2 (The Eclipse) eps 5-6 - FirstKhao are just ridiculously cute as a couple. Honestly? Aye just seems like he would be a lot of work as a lover. I’m not as wild about the premise of this installment, with the film clips and stuff (as I was of NlMG’s installment). And then, the singing. Oh well, you can’t have everything. I gotta say, First is a great crier, although I don’t think this story warranted his tears. In the end? My feelings on this installment were mixed, the movie storyline didn’t grab me and the birthday storyline seems a touch mean spirited, but I do think it adds substantially to the original Eclipse rather than feeling superfluous or slapdash like many of the other Our Skyys. So I’m going to go with 8/10 

Future (Thai Sun YouTube & Gaga) ep 6fin - More of the same (which I like) but I’m glad it ended. Didn’t need to get dragged out. Such drama over nothing. In the end? This is just a soft sweet cotton candy fluff piece about a younger boy who pursues an older boy and then manufactures silly gay drama. Nothing wrong with that. But I don’t think this style of BL really appeals to a very large market share. Will I rewatch it? Sure. Will anyone else? Nope. 7/10 RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS.    

Pastsenger (Thai Weds Gaga) ep 9 of 12 eps - And now the amnesia trope. I’m not a fan. This is such a pulp. At least it ends next week? Groan, no 3 more eps.  

A Boss and a Babe (Fri YouTube) ep 10 of 12 - one thing I realize I like about this main couple’s dynamic is that the seme/uke seems earned, where it didn’t in Echante. I don’t have much else to say except it’s crazy when a narrative betrays its characters like this and why to poor ForceBook keep having to deal with it? 

The Promise (Thai Weds YT & WeTV) ep 7 of 10 - Honestly, who wears an all white outfit to play around with coffee beans in the countryside? I LOVE the faen fatal, he’s so good, courageous, honest, and morally sound. He even gives his rival fair warning. Nan should totally go out with him. I made awwww noises over the faen fatal! I NEVER do that. I guess Phu was right all along? Nan won’t date a friend. Ultimate friend zone. Well shit. This show. Ouch. 

House of Stars (Thai Mon iQIYI) ep 1 of ?? - There seems a slight horror element which I do not like and it’s also confusingly like Melrose Place or something. Everyone is sleeping with, or wants to be sleeping with everyone else. It’s kinda hilarious to watch something where all the actors are supposed to be good actors but it’s a pulp so they just really aren’t. So far my main issue is I can’t keep them all straight in my head (pun intended). 

Tin Tam Jai (Tues Gaga) ep 10fin - There is very little I enjoyed about this show. The entirely forgotten side dishes gave us 5 min of excellent high heat and then vanished, but otherwise this show sucked in the wrong way. It’s forgettable and I intend to do just that. 5/10  

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Our Dining Table AKA Bokura no Shokutaku (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - The way these two are very quietly yet thoroughly falling in love with each other is executed with such grace and subtlety that only Japan could have handed this out. It’s not even “falling” it’s more like sliding gradually into love. 

Love Mate (Korea Thurs Viki) eps 1-2 of 8 - Launched very much openly gay so that’s fun. Also very much bubble too, so no one around them cares. So: Seo is a player jaded older uke (fun character type we don’t see often) and his seme is a romantic if arrogant weirdo. Can you see my hands clapping? Combative trope activation! Absurdity. How fun. Also workplace harassment but hayho that’s BL for ya. (Also a nonBL Kdrama specialty.) ALSO whole office in on seme-stalker’s side? All in all, it’s odd and questionable, but I’m into it. Why am I like this? 

Happy Merry Ending (Korea Thurs Gaga) eps 3-4 of 8 - OK I’m not super into the main couple but I love all of the surrounding characters. The overly protective best friend with a crush is giving bad advice but it’s understandable and he’s super hot so I forgive him. And the idol character is a wonderful addition, he is my baby. Also, evil ex is v evil. 

Vian the series (Vietnam YT ) - I thought this was gonna be Tiktok only but apparently it’s showing up on YT too. It’s cute! My cat boyfriend (which is more common that it should be) and this seems to be Vietnam’s installment (we got Thailand’s last year). The boy playing the cat is the prettiest human being on the planet. Fight me. No fight him, get scratched. Serious tho. Holy hairballs. Look I don’t really like vertical content but I am watching this for him. Meow, indeed. 

The Day I Loved You (Vietnam YouTube) eps 2-3 of ? - BL Express’s first impressions mirror mine. Niks is so flipping cute. Rich kid is so into him, so is bestie. So much gay macho posturing. So much bi fear and het shame. But also it’s killer to get a femme main characters who isn’t being mocked. Dancing trope continues (better than singing together). It is kinda Heartstopper goes Pinoy BL. Honestly, I prefer kids a little drawings to terrible sound effects. This is better than it or we have any right to expect. 

Naked Dinner AKA Zenra Meshi (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 4 of 12 - There is a lot I like about this drama, except the weird central conceit of the naked dining. But the romance part is cute, if a tad simplistic. 

My Story (Pinoy Sat YouTube) ep 4 of 10 - chukchuk went missing and so did my interest in this show. I’m DNFing this one. 

Dancing together, the baby sub-trope of 2023. (The Day I Love You) 

It’s Airing But ...

Love Syndrome (Thai Sat WeTV) stopped at ep 2 of 12 - I’m just not into any aspect of it (except Lee Long Shi) - saving to binge if the end is solid.

Venus in the Sky (Sat YouTube) pilot/tester?) 0 of 10 - not entirely sure what’s up with this one distribution-wise, but the pilot was classic university-set pulp. I hope it happens because the leads are cute with good chemsitry and I thought it was fun. However, this pilot holds together as its own little short too.

Stormy Honeymoon (Vietnam) - meh

In Case You Missed It

Actors Bas Suradej (2 Moons etc...) and Copter Panuwat (so much BL) have left Starhunter. So Copter and Kimmon will part ways as an on-screen pair (RIP KimCop). Their upcoming show Boy Never Smiles will still air, but will likely be their last together. (source) 

Restart After Come Back Home (highly recommended), Athlete, Capture Lover, Tkumi-kun, His the movie (recommended) and also a bunch of the dark stuff like Forbidden Love and Shortest Distance are all leaving Gagaoolala soon. So watch ‘em while you can. A few are also on Viki, but many will be difficult to get hold of without Gaga. 

I finally finished the second season of The Reason Why He Fell in Love with Me (Japan Gaga) and gave it a 4/10. I just don’t like or recommend any of the installments of this franchise, but if I had to pick, it’s season one. 

Make a Wish finished at 6 eps. Stars Fluke Natouch (OhmFluke UWMA etc...) & Judo (The Miracle Of Teddy Bear) in medical-fantasy about a doctor who sees ghosts and a deity who resides in a Bodhi tree that earns merits whenever he fulfills a wish. Based on a y-novel by Sammon (Manner of Death, Triage). I will watch it if I get hold of it, but for now... who knows how it went? 

Here’s a really interesting podcast ep from 99% Invisible on captions and captioning.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Coming in May 2023:

5/18 - Starstruck (Korea ????) - A boy has had a crush on his childhood friend for a long time. Stars Zuho (Kpop SF9 - noted good egg) opposite rookie actor Kim In Sung (the one with the crush).

5/27 The Luminous Solution (Thai ????) 10 eps - Thana is having trouble at work and in his relationship. He can't seem to catch a break. So he makes a wish to change everything. The wish has a price.

5/27 Takumi-kun Series 6: Nagai Nagai Monogatari no Hajimari no Asa (Japan) - NO ONE ASKED FOR THIS (but that has never stopped Japan before) and no, I have no idea where to get it, why would I ?????  (Say it with me everyone: Oh Japan, must you?)

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED)

Defining Gut Wrenching from The Promise

Honestly you gotta be so careful who you case as the faen fatal, sometimes he steals everyone’s hearts. I caught a BAD case of second lead syndrome. 

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Future reviewing itself for us. 

Tiny king of the GMMTV cameo. (Our Skyy et al)

Frankly if this weren’t such a bad story, Cher might be one of my favorite BL characters. (Boss & Babe) 

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? BTOB's - Wind & Wish (I don’t consider myself Melody but I make no case for that statement)

[specialshinytrinkets]

ghost: Who or what haunts your OC? What happened? How do they live with their ghosts? (Seven Seven (if bestie does!!))

guilt: What is your OC guilty about? How do they handle their guilt? Do they try to avoid guilt, or do they accept it? (Kee)

hate: What does your OC hate? Why? How do they act towards the object of their hatred? (Lioo)

mistake: What's the worst mistake your OC ever made? What led to them making it? Have they been able to fix it? How have they moved on? (Derres)

>:3€

Ghost (Seven): "Oh, hehe, don't you worry, buddy! Nobody's haunting li'l old me! And if I was, I'd just reduce the number to zero! If we're talkin' concepts and not ghosts, then... I guess I've been haunted by the family guilt this whole time, can you believe it? Crazy stuff, I know. BUT! I have been attending therapy, and my therapist, she managed to convince me I do not have to center my whole life 'round numbers anymore. I have no idea what to do with this information, but, if I'm bein' honest, it's SO much easier to live like this. I don't have to repeat the first word two times! Do you know how hard it is to hide such a habit?! To make it into a presentable, cute little scene quirk for the audience? I had to make scripts in my head on the fly! That's right, my shows are unscripted. Pretty cool, huh? Every single one is pure improv. I've always been good at improv. Been told I'm good with kids, too! If I had the qualifications, maybe I could become an elementary school teacher."

Guilt (Kee): "I have lived too long to not have any guilt on my shoulders. It's hard to pick... I've made myself a fool countless times, with my friends, family, partners, by getting too emotional or not emotional enough talking with them; sometimes I'd get violent and fight my way to self-isolation, in attempts to "prove" something, I suppose. All of that to say, I've been a jerk my whole life. And I've accepted it, after weeks of ruminating over every single incident. Some took more time, some less, but a couple of apologies, and I was fine. The only thing I'll never be able to accept is my whole... Escape. That was very, very stupid of me. Sure, it's led to some encounters I'd never otherwise have, but it will never be worth all the stress I've put my Mom and Dad through by vanishing. And Zaaze. How she's still tolerating me is a mystery. Derres, too... How did he see anything in me when I was so... Dismissive of him? It feels like he's not a human sometimes... I hope you were not insinuating THAT thing, by the way. I don't want to remember it."

Hate (Lioo): "My father. I like to pretend he doesn't exist, so that when he's least expecting it, I can clock him in the jaw. Bastard really thought moving here would save his marriage. Freakin' moron. ... Oh, we're talking about objects? Do animals count? Then, I guess I don't really like crows? They're too smart for their own good. At least they're not as bad as dolphins, though, but that's a given. I don't know ANYONE who likes dolphins. After they rebuilt Atlantis and sunk it again, nobody trusts them. Minus that one weirdo, what was his name..? Squeel, I think? But I wouldn't trust their word. Their whole biography is so shaky that - and I know it's unfounded, but I have my reasons - I believe it was raised by the dolphins. He's just way too nice about them. Plus, I heard he smells like fish? On sidenote, I never liked his moves. They're too janky. Honestly? They're such a tryhard, it's embarassing. Even if they weren't raised by the dolphins and aren't a trained fish assassin or something, they try SO HARD to appeal to the MMD enjoyers demographic it's a WONDER nobody called him out. So what if he can lick its elbow?? It doesn't make his music good! I genuinely believe its audience is compiled of wannabe marine biologists that got kicked out of university because they let an octopus escape, knowing full well what it can lead to. I read of this guy once, who said he didn't believe in the Kraken and that we're sheeps for thinking otherwise. Sorry, fishermen, your boats got drowned by a collective hallucination, I guess! Unbelievable that guys like him get to vote... What was I talking about again? Oh, yeah, crows. They're... Not the kind of bird I'd want to encounter on an empty street. Ever."

Mistake (Derres): "Worst mistake ever, huh? Hm... Well, it's a story that I don't like to recount, but, if you insist... My biggest mistake was not teaching Lioo how to perform the spider safety circle, alongside some other basics. If I had done that, she would have survived... And we could all have... Ah, but what's the use of crying over spilled milk! I've learned my lesson, as grim as it is... And, uh, now I'm teaching her all that I know myself! That will... Never make up for what happened and my selfishness... But it's a start, right? Right..?"

[mistake-responsibility]

Can we see a memory of Jimmy seeing consequences for his actions :)

" I mean, come on, it wasn't that big of a deal."

" Are you fucking kidding me? " Ivy's voice floated out of his phone's speaker. " You've SEEN what I'm doing for you; you can't even skip work a little bit? I know you're not doing anything important up there, the least you can do is hang out with me when I want you to."

" It's just a call. Honestly. I don't always have the time to dick around."

He presses buttons on the console, correlating with the game on his monitor. His movements were a little janky, lagging.

" Dick around? I'm asking you something simple and you can't even do that. Seriously, you said you weren't even busy. We agreed on a time and it's obvious you just skipped out just because you wanted to."

He DID skip out just for kicks. He honestly didn't expect her to get so heated.

" That's not what happened," he lies through his teeth.

" No. It is." She could see right through him, and it was annoying. " Your parents ignored you, but that doesn't mean you can brush me off so easily. I worked on this and dressed up just for you, and you were fucking ungrateful and didn't even bother to show. I know you don't do relationships, but are you really that much of a coward you can't even bother with one video call? I don't even want anything from you and you're still fucking disappointing me."

The game lagged more. He huffed and sat back in his seat, not bothering to freeze up the screen further. Ivy's avatar came into view in front of him. He could almost see her scowl.

" You said you were going to fucking make it up to me. Are you backing out now too? Jesus, you can't actually be THAT useless."

" I'm not, Christ. Get off my ass. "

" You think I'm on your ass? What, is this about your stupid parent thing? You said you were fucking over it, you don't even talk to them anymore. I still have to deal with mine, honestly, it's clear you're the one better off. You think I'm being unreasonable or something? After you ignored me on purpose? "

" ... No."

" Yeah. That's what I fucking thought. You're overdramatic and can't actually take what you're served. You're honestly lucky I even wanted to play this shitty game with you. I mean, it's obvious you don't want to spend any time with me."

" I do, I just-"

" Then why aren't you doing anything? Jesus, do I have to carry you in everything? You're ass at this game anyways, your connection in space is fucking terrible. Let's just do something else. "

He sighed and tabbed out of the game. " Alright. What."

" ... You're still bitching? Fine then, fucking hang up."

" No, no, I just... come on. I'm sorry, I'm just tired." No, he wasn't.

" No, you're not." Damn it, she knew. " Just go to your room, alright? You remember that thing you snuck? "

" That?"

" Yeah. Come on, are you not even going to try to make it up to me? I just want a single fucking picture, it's really not that hard. I dressed up for you and you didn't even show, remember? Just dress down for me and I might let it go. "

" ... It doesn't even fit me, you know... it's weird wearing someone else's clothes."

" Then why'd you take it, huh? Because you're a pervert? "

He couldn't even deny it, and she laughed at him from the phone.

" Just put the underwear on. Who knows, maybe you'll look cute in it. Maybe I'll ask you to pose."

Jimmy nearly grumbled to himself about it, but figured it would get him in more trouble. He just got to his feet and left the cockpit.

(ft @takeout-taradiddle

[abstractlantern]

Devlog 7 MASSIVE UPDATE!

ALRIGHT, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I UPDATED, HUH? My apologies! As I said in my earlier update post, my family has been crazy busy. I'll be a lot busier in the future, too, since I'm gonna start my job in a few weeks.

But to make up for all that time I spent silent/time I may spend silent in the future, here's everything I've worked on thus far! This is going to be a VERY long post, so I'll put most of it under a read more!

I do mean everything. Or at least most of it lol. This here is the title screen! If you have trouble reading the text, the title says Star Flesh, and the choice box says "ATTUNE, RESUME, and END". Since I'm showing the stuff I've done so far, I'll make a new game using the "ATTUNE" option.

Spooky. There's more dialogue than just this, but a lot of it is kinda janky and weird. I'm gonna rewrite it later, but for now just enjoy the cool stuff lol.

I bet your first instinct is to make him sound British, but you would be wrong! For some reason when I was writing him, the first thing that came to mind was a deep South preacher. Like, a Protestant pastor quoting the Bible and stuff. My sister was deeply displeased when I told her Ozymandias has a Southern accent. Tbh, I'm deeply displeased with myself. Moving on!

Here's the fancy name input screen :D

Omg the first appearance of the babey (also please don't mind the placeholder sprites lmao)

Crushed it lmao

Here's the main inside area! It's kind of empty for now, and I still have placeholder sprites and tiles everywhere. As for the doors behind Pawn, one is supposed to lead down to the basement, and the other is supposed to lead up. Not suuuper clear, but it's fine for now.

Outside the building! Lookin a little weird, but it's still kinda cute.

Talking to Ozymandias to move the plot forward! He talks a L O T so I'm not gonna put it all here.

This scene is pretty tho

So there's a lot of stuff he says, but I'm running out of room for pictures lol. Essentially he just tells the player that the world is going down the trash hole and their only shot at redemption is to murdalize the Queen of the Board. And on our quest, we should bring someone along to help. Let's go get him now!

Oh there he is

Hooray! Drama!

Alright! There's not enough room for me to post more pictures, so I might extend this post into a part 2? Depends if people are interested/if I have the time and motivation.

See y'all later! ^.^

[narrators-journal]

I'm a bad, bad magician

This! Request! Has been in what can be called the writer's equivilent of 'production hell'. I spent so long writing this in chunks due to a mix of family drama, multiple friend dramas going on, and art projects. So if this is janky, I'm very sorry, and I'm so sorry it took so fuckin' long to get out. My life ha been chaos, and on top of that I've been dealing with some mental health shit. But! I tried my best with this, and I hope that it's at least coherent lol. Bc I cannot bring myself to look this thing over a literal fifth time within three days...

Also! There is one last request for this book! But I'm not gonna lie, with the turbulence of my schedule, mental health, and family, I don't know when that will finally come out! So I just hope you enjoy this part, and if you come back to check for that last one, I appreciate it too. Or check out my fanfiction passion project that is gonna be back in the works soon!

Kinktober masterlist: Here

CW: Bondage, master/slave or servant, orgasm denial, I kept it pretty simple for obvious reasons.

With a sigh, Gen Asagiri tossed down his book and looked around at his home. Shockingly modern for a building built after an alien race turned humanity into immortal statues and left their societies to rot and be reclaimed by overgrowth. Yet, despite the fact he’d gone from living in an apartment with little more than a plant and an agent to keep him company, the mentalist still sat alone in his living room. Reading a smut novella since Senku had revoked the television set for parts.

Letting off another sigh, the mentalist tossed his novella aside to stand up. And, without a real plan on what else to do beyond the books, he meandered around his and Senku’s home for a bit. First, to the kitchen to look through the ingredients and experiments kept in their chest freezer, then down the hall towards the bedroom. Yet, he paused when his ear caught the tell-tale sound of his beloved scientist lost in his technical terminology and complex plans. Not an unfamiliar sound at all, as Senku was almost stubbornly prone to rambling about his sciences, but it still planted a mischevious voice in Gen’s head.

Feeling an equally mischevious grin spread across his face as he crept along to the room Senku had made into his partial office and lab. Following the sound of the leek-haired man’s chattering until he pushed the office door open. And, sure enough, Senku sat at the heavy, intricately carved wooden desk with a phone to his ear, and a mat of paperwork and notes in front of him, barely glancing up when Gen slipped into the room.

Lingering by the door, the magician watched him work for a lengthy moment before meandering over to the desk as casually as he could to lean on it and tilt his head. Batting his dark lashes cutely at his partner and giving him a pleading look that Senku, expectedly, missed in favor of scrawling doodles onto his paper and listening to his call partner.

So, huffing at the leek’s cold airs, Gen moved around the desk to lean against the desk, this time a mere step away from his partner, who continued to almost play ignorant to his presence. You’re such an ass.

With that, Gen gave up on his subtle game and simply dropped to his knees to crawl under the desk. Situating himself between Senku’s legs and running the tips of his fingers up along the seam of the scientist’s crotch to finally get a noticeable reaction from the man. But, the magician didn’t stop there, he pressed on. Sliding his fingers back up Senku’s crotch to tug down his zipper.

When he felt those intellegent rubies on him, Gen looked up to meet Senku’s dirty look. His phone partner left hanging as he hissed, “What the hell are you doing, Asagiri?” But his only response was the way the dual-tone-haired man pressed his lips to the shallow tent in in his boxers. Running the palms of his hands over Senku’s thighs and the tips of his fingers along the waistband of the scientist’s underwear. Ignoring his low growl of frustration as he freed his lover’s slowly stiffening member, glancing back up at him with a devious twinkle in his blue eyes. Both aware of Gen’s smugness, and how unsavory Senku’s options were. Abruptly end his work call to punish the bratty mentalist, or try to power through regardless of his antics.

He chose the latter.

So, Gen happily continued his game. Leaving a warm trail of kisses up the scientist’s shaft, lapping at the head of his cock, and relishing each twitch or choked word the leek-haired man let slip as he talked. Especially when the man slipped his length into his mouth. Letting more and more of Senku slip past his lips bit by bit until Gen was about halfway down. Once there, the mentalist began bobbing his head slowly. Taking his time to swirl his tongue around his lover’s cock, and give specific attention to the head until he twitched against his tongue.

And, while most partners would be dissapointed in their lovers reaching their orgasm so soon, Gen found a bit of pride in seeing how, even though Senku was doing everything in his power to ignore him and stay on track with his science talk, the mentalist could still rile the man up in record time. It was thrilling, and empowering, and so many other things that Gen couldn’t quite place as he kept his focus on his lewd movements.

So, he put the thinking aside and simply continued his movements. Taking his time to lavish Senku with attention, but he also took some time to pick up his pace to draw out more twitches, jolts, or rogue noises from the scientist before a warm burst of thick, salty liquid down his throat. Not that Gen minded, happily drinking down the scientist’s cum before pulling away and smiling. Going ahead and standing up to lean back against the desk to watch Senku rush to babble out a farewell and hang up his call.

And, as soon as the odd-haired man hung up his call, he was quick to stand up and slam his hands on either side of the desk behind the man. All the while those ruby eyes pinned Gen in place like a preserved butterfly to be studied with a chilly calculation. “Asagiri.” He said again, his words matching the icy calculation the dual-tone-haired man saw in his expression. And while a small part of him didfeel bad for possibly being a thorn to his lover, a far bigger part of him was ready to melt against that intricately-carved, sturdy desk. “Yes, senku?~” He hummed, his voice dipped in his best sickly innocence, but after all of their time together, Senku saw right through it. “Is there maybe a reason you interrupted such an important call like that?” He asked, the dark, villainous edge in his low voice sending a pleased shiver down Gen’s back.

And, despite Senku seeing through his ploys, the magician threw his arms around the scientist’s neck with a dramatic, “I’m boooooooreeed, Senku! Entertain me, somehow! Since you took my damned television.” His words whiney and playfully pouty as he draped himself against the scientist’s chest and gave him his best puppy-dog eyes. His own blue eyes watching the steps of thought his boyfriend went through before a glint of his own evil ignited in those depths.

”You want me to entertain you?” He asked, as if he didn’t trust the mentalist, even when he nodded eagerly. That glint having grown into an ember that Gen felt in his own belly as Senku continued with a smirk. “Fine. But if you want to be entertained, I need you to fetch some rope.”

Rope. Such a simple request, but it was still enough to make the man gasp with quiet excitement.

Rope was always a good sign, in Gen Asagiri’s books. A promise, of sorts, that he’d be victim to some delicious, torturous game. Prey to the whims of whatever his dear ‘Master’ deemed good enough that night. Or, in simple words, it was never a boring time when Senku brought up rope. “Well? What are you waiting for?” The leek-looking man sniffed, giving a sharp gesture and a firmer order, “Go get me rope.” Stepping into his usual role so easily that Gen coudn’t help but do the same. “Yes, Master.”

With that, the magician was swift to fetch the length of rope they sometimes used for their little games. The simple feeling of the scratchy, gently frayed material in his hand making Gen’s dick twitch in his pants. Yet, he simply took a deep breath and swallowed down the lewd urges bubbling back up in his mind. Breathe, Asagiri. If you’re caught touching yourself over the rope, Senku might get EXTRA creative with his plots. You’ve pushed the boundary enough tonight.He reminded himself, letting out the breath he’d been holding slowly. Then, he took the rope back to Senku.

Finding the leek sitting back at his desk, casually looking over some complex equations with barely a disinterested glance to the magician when he walked back in. “Put the rope down, take your clothes off, and put your hands behind your back.” He said simply. And, while he strictly kept his crimson eyes glued to his papers, Gen still felt his heart race as he dropped the rope to shed his shirt in a calculated, slow movement. Not taking long enough to get scolded, but just sensually enough to channel a seductive strip tease into the way he let his clothing fall to the office floor before obediently putting his hands behind his back.

All the while, his winter-y blue eyes watched Senku take his sweet time in putting his papers down and getting up from his chair to approach. Letting nothing show in his movements as he picked up the rope and began decorating Gen’s skin with a network of bondage.

Only once the mentalist’s wrists had been securely restrained in scratchy rope was he pulled over to Senku’s desk. Watching in silent anticipation as his science-obsessed lover discarded his own pants and sat down. His already-slightly-stiffened cock on display while he dug around in the messy, paper-filled drawers for a small jar of lube he kept in his office. Gen watching with desire warming his blood for the excruciatingly long heartbeats Senku took to lube himself up with slow strokes.

Once he was fully erect, and Gen was fidgeting in his restraints, the scientist finally pulled him over and spun him around. Dragging the magician down on his erection by his tied up wrists. The slow sensation of being full flooding Gen’s head with a thrilling rush of excitement that drew out a low moan as soon as Senku’s entire length was buried in him.

Only for that bliss to be fed when his lover slid a hand around him and wrapped his fingers around the magician’s member. Running his thumb over the head, then sliding down his length entirely. But, again, at a painfully slow pace that stirred up fresh fireworks in the dual-tone-haired man’s belly. Only for that simmering warmth to be interrupted before Gen could build up anything close to his orgasm. Senku’s hand retreating once again in favor of him growling in his ear, “Now, I’m going to return to my calls. Youwill sit there. And If you move, or make a fucking sound, I will keep you blueballed for literal fucking days.” unmistakably feeling the mentalist shudder around his cock as he spoke. Especially when he added, “Am I clear?”

And, without hesitation, the bound man nodded eagerly. His only words an obedient breath of, “Yes, Master.” That seemed to please his lover. Yet, that was the end of the chit-chat between the two. Senku simply returned to making his calls and discussing his precious time machine. So, Gen was left to sit there mutely.

All the while, Senku babbled on about some scientific stuff that, of course, slid in one of Gen’s ears and right out of the other, but just the sound of his voice, and the way his inhales pressed his chest to the magician’s back sent shivers down the dual-haired man’s spine. Even if he wasn’t allowed to move, the subtle twitches of the scientist’s cock in his ass and movements of his body fanned the flames well enough.

Yet, he bit back the urge to whine for a crumb of attention, or squirm in the constricting embrace of the tight ropes the lover had used to so meticulously bind his skillful hands behind his back. Even if some more severe punishment would be all the more fun, he was told to simply sit still on the scientist’s cock until his work call was finally finished.

I really did not time this well. The man thought, his mouth twisted into more creative shapes as he half listened to Senku talk about molecules and chemical reactions for his time machine. If I’d sucked his dick further in the call, I wouldn’t be waiting this long. Yet, he had, so fittingly, this was his punishment.

Though, before the magician’s mind could wander into the recesses of fantasies and maybe a bit of sleep, Senku’s hand slid around to wrap around to his neglected erection. The simple warmth of skin-to-skin contact enough to send a shiver back through Gen’s body and bring him back to the moment entirely. So when the scientist began to slowly stroke his length, a moan nearly bubbled out of the tied man’s mouth. But, he swallowed it back down and settled for simply arching his back while his head lolled back to lay against Senku’s shoulder. The movement a firm reminder of the scientist’s member still buried in Gen’s ass like a forbidden apple, begging to be eaten. Or, in this case, ridden.

Yet, Senku’s earlier words rattled through his head still. “If you move, or make a fucking sound, I will keep you blueballed for literal fucking days.” A dangerous promise that grew more and more likely with each slow stroke of Senku’s hand along his length without missing a beat on his call. His earlier lack of composure seemingly forgotten and corrected. Or, maybe the fact Senku was the one in control this time gave him more composure. Just move. Just wiggle your hips a little bit. A dark voice in the magician’s mind encouraged, but another reminded, If I do that, I won’t get off at all. Senku’s mean enough to follow through on that cruel warning.

Gen let out a small, quiet breath as he laid back against Senku and let the crimson-eyed scientist continue to stoke the flames in his twitching belly. Slowly building that licentious fire bit by bit, log by bitterly slow log. Stewing the magician in a broiling pot of impatience, excitement, and desperate lust as if to tempt Gen to fight the bite of the ropes against his skin.

All the while that Gen Asagiri was fighting the encroaching urges slithering around beneath his skin, the scientist who’s lap he sat in simply kept rambling about his stupid time machine. Working Gen’s cock like it was little more than a lazy doodle in his chemistry textbook while he listened to his college professor. It was torture. Stomach-twisting, breath-stealing, pleasurable torture. Yet, the only acknowledgment of his dick being buried in the magician’s guts, twitching and throbbing, was a husky whisper of, “Remember what I warned you about.” in the split-haired man’s ear when a small whine slipped through the cracks of his lover’s defenses. Offered when Gen’s hands began to fidget against the coarse texture of the rope and his breathing got uneven. Each hissed word earning another addictive shiver around his cock. But, it wasn’t until Gen heard a deliciously thrilling, “Alright, I should get to bed before dawn breaks. Good night, Xeno, thanks for the lecture.”

Maybe the magician hadn’t timed himself too badly.

[hollowmend]

Fetch Re;Quest Dev Log #1 - 11/15/2023

Welcome to the first official dev log for Fetch Re;Quest! This one is probably loooong overdue, haha...

It's a Sequel

I've been trying to make a sequel to my NaNoRenO game, Fetch Quest, literally since it came out. In fact, if you get the creator's commentary from itch, you'll see I was very confident that I'd be able to get something for it ready to go in just a few short months...

That was four and half years ago 😅 But after many false starts, I finally managed to get something going.

What's It About?

(Side note, I've been using Feniks' Easy Ren'Py GUI template a lot lately, and its a lifesaver. Check it out if you're a fellow dev!)

Hey! I think this might be the first real screenshot I've posted of the game! Isn't Flora's bedroom cute?

Anyway! Fetch Re;Quest picks up directly after the upcoming Fetch Quest Remaster's new "True Ending".

After their one-shot TTRPG session ends, Flora finds herself wrestling with a problem. She has a crush on her coworker and would like to ask him out, but she's a little nervous.

So what does she do? Procrastinate, of course!

Flora sets a one week challenge for herself to grind up her stats in preparation for the final battle- Asking the object of her affection out on a date.

Luckily, she and her coworkers Connor, Todd, and Dan all have the week off. Flora decides to use the various board, card, and video games she and her friends play as a way to mentally level up.

The Stats

That's right, the game is a (light!) stat raiser. Each day, the gang decide between four games to play, each of which are tied to one of Flora's imaginary stats. Each game has its own scenes and helps Flora build up her confidence.

Techno-opolis is a 4X civilization building boardgame that increases Flora's "Acumen".

Of Fiends and Fangs is a social deduction card game about werewolves, vampires, villagers and betrayal that increases Flora's "Charm".

Clockwork Mercenaries is a steampunk monster hunting game that forces Flora to get "Gud".

and Deathpocolypse 2 is a janky ghost hunting game that increases Flora's "Moxie".

But be careful... Flora is easily distracted, and getting too into a game could lead to her completely forgetting about her original mission.

So Who's the Crush?

It's Dan.

Much to my surprise, the tired, snarky GM of the first game was very popular. I got a lot of comments lamenting the fact that he wasn't one of the love interests.

So here he is, the sole LI of Fetch Re;Quest! Sorry to any Connor or Todd lovers. It's Danny's time to shine.

New Characters

Connor and Todd will be prominently featured, but Fetch Re;Quest will also introduce a handful of new characters as well! Here's a sneak peek of about half the new cast:

Nona, Teddie, and David (pronounced Dah-veed) are members of the band Cats Eat Bats! There is one more member named TJ not pictured, but you've already met him, so...

Flora sets herself the daunting task of asking Dan out during their concert at the end of the week, but they show up here and there throughout the entire game. They're especially involved if you play a lot of Deathpocolypse 2!

What's Next?

A large portion of the game is already written and I've started commissioning the assets I'm not making myself. Things are really starting to roll now!

Right now I'm working on finishing the script and making the sprites. Hopefully that means there will be more visual things to show off soon.

Until Next Time

Hopefully these dev logs are at the very least interesting! If there's anything in particular you want to know about the game, feel free to send me an ask.

[consumeronionbulletin]

Moving (2023)

Take seven episodes of Korean X-Men fanfic, add four episodes of spy stuff, a pinch of Korean gangster nonsense, mix well, and you have recipe for a pretty good superhero show.

The final three episodes of janky CGI fight scenes let me down at the end, though.

What Worked

The high school story that made up the first half of the show was delightful. Just a fun mix of YA tropes and the good kind of mutant superhero nonsense. I also liked the whole secret agent assassin thing playing out in the background as well.

And every single character actor was fun and interesting, this was a show that made sure to treat its secondary characters well.

What Didn't Work

And then the secret agent nonsense started taking over the entire show, and the plot got pushed to the side in favor of five episodes of backstory for every single grownup on the show, and then it got frustrating. I still liked alot of it, especially the meet cute between Bong-soek's parents, but we needed half as many episodes of it.

Also, that gang war plotline was just completely drawn out and gory and unnecessary. It made me dislike Hui-soo's father quite a bit. At least the past version of him.

The show's worst fault, though, was that dang three episode long fight sequence at the end (intercut with backstories on every single person in the fight). This series only had about 12-14 episodes worth of story, and they squeezed out 20 of them.

The series just gradually gets worse after episode seven, to the point where I was skipping scenes by episode 10, and even most of episodes 13-14. It's a case of not enough story and also too much backstory. That kind of thing works better in comics and/or webtoons, but does not work for a TV show.

The Performances

There's too many characters here to cover all of them, but they did a good job of making them (mostly) interesting.

Han Hyo-joo as ("secret agent mom") Lee Mi-hyun. I loved her. The character was well written and the superhero abilities were at the level where they could do creative and interesting things with Mi-hyun. Han Hyo-joo gave a good performance, but she was given a darn good character to play.

Ryoo Seung-bum as ("super hero assassin") Frank. Another interesting character played very well. He somehow managed to feel dangerous even when his only real superpower was not dying. The action scenes with him just worked, which made the big janky stuff at the end of the series look even worse.

Lee Jung-ha as ("super hero / boy next door") Kim Bong-seok. For this series to work, you had to really like this kid, and the actor did a good job making me cheer for him. Which made all the episodes where he was missing harder to get through.

Youn-jung as ("strong girl") Jang Hui-soo. Another likeable actor with a great character. It's too bad they kind of pushed her to the side in the final episodes. And it wasn't a knock on the actor. Her character arc just finished early and then they made 6 more episodes and the writers didn't really give her anything. The bullying stuff she had to deal with at the beginning of the series was gripping to watch.

Zo In-sung as ("the amazing, flying") Kim Doo-sik. All of the scenes he played opposite Han Hyo-joo were great. The rest of his backstory was pretty good, but a little uneven.

Ryu Seung-ryong as ("human punching bag") Jang Ju-won. I liked all the stuff he did in the early episodes, and I disliked most of what he did during and after his backstory arc. His stuff with Hui-soo's mom was okay in execution though a little unoriginal.

Kwak Sun-young as ("Hui-soo's mom") Hwang Ji-hee. I've seen this actor before (notably in Hospital Playlist) and she did a good job here, especially some of the early romance arc with Jang Ju-won. But the plot itself was cliche, and they just kind of killed her off to make people sad rather than having it make too much sense. (Was the NIS behind it, or not? Does that really change anything?).

The Lightning Man / Bus Driver. Some of this was engaging in that "everyone has a story" kind of thing, but that guy should have been fired the first time he hijacked the bus to go on a rogue mission. For every cool thing they let him do, we had to slog through 4-5 uncool / depressing things, which is not a good ratio.

The High School Kids. They were mostly okay, though there was really no reason for the future youtuber and the grumpy bully to be hanging around those last few episodes. And they built up Class President kid in the start only to just have him be mostly useless. Even his dad's backstory was completely superfluous to the plot.

The High School Teachers. They should have just made them all straight up villains. It was kind of okay to make the one teacher somewhat redeemable, but we really didn't need as much of his story as we got. And what was up with that security guard?

The Gangster Crew. No thank you. Did not like. Completely useless and a little depressing, especially for all the episodes we got of them.

The South Korean Spy People. They were all pretty hate-able, and meant to be hate-able. There was some good material but they drew this whole plotline out so much that I stopped caring about them.

The North Korean Spy People. The writers did a good job of making them both creepy villains and somewhat sympathetic as well. But we got way too much backstory for what ended up being very little payoff.

TL; DR:

This is not a bad series overall, but if you feel like skipping episodes, or just leaving after episode 7, that's okay. If you go into the show expecting a webtoon / comic type story, and you actually liked that kind of thing, then you should be in good shape to finish it.

[mr-independent]

'its been a while bud,' you might be saying, 'whereve you been?'

Doing stuff. My life is busy as all hell lately, but hey at least i got a free neon yellow fitbit out of the deal. Ironically, yellow is one of my favourite colours and also one of the 2 (two) colours that i can't really see. Yes, I have tritanomaly. No, I don't understand how those two things can both be true, either.

Anyways it's Christmas in May, dear 4 followers that love these posts, so let's crack open a cold one for the boys and get right into it.

S2e4, Coach Santa:

-- why is Colin wearing a turkey hat? I thought that was an American Thanksgiving thing? (Edit: apparently people eat turkey on Xmas. I grew up so decolonized i asked my mom once why my friend Baz wore a t necklace when his name started with a B. Turns out it was a cross. All I know of Xmas comes from Santa depictions and Christmas themed tv show episodes lmao)

-- Isaac's Santa outfit is fucking Iconic

-- Keeley and the Diamond Dogs is such an underrated dynamic i love them so much

-- the immediate teamwork to put together the gift for Jamie is a cute little moment 🥰

-- the title callback to the weird claymation short thing is also a nice touch. Can you tell i love Xmas episodes bc i do. I'm also Jewish lol. And I love irony.

-- I keep forgetting Roy's sister is a surgeon. Also Sexy December 28th is hilarious, i really hope they stuck with it

-- what in the world is the Higgins kid doing with a surfboard in England???

-- the fact that nobody used to show up for Higgins Christmases until Ted showed up 🥰

-- the fact that Henry got his dad a dartboard, Ted's favourite thing to do with his own dad when he was Henry's age, hurts my heart

-- Everyone is wearing shoes indoors. Is that like. An English thing? Ted is too, is that also an American thing? I am. Horrified

-- 'this one is pre-cheekied' I love u Dani

-- Richard is like The French Stereotype and I love that for him lol

-- Roy is lactose intolerant and ate so much ice cream he shit his pants? Relatable king. Also his birthday was three weeks before christmas, making him a Sagittarius, for those so inclined to know

-- Dani and Zoreaux acting like they're gonna die in the trenches over a nerd gun war are such fucking nerds

-- how long, do y'all think, has Rebecca been doing this? I'd like to think it was a sneaky little tradition she hid from Rupert for years

-- 'theres two white people at the door and they're smiling' you go babe tell it like it is

-- look i get Keeley has long nails but pressing a doorbell with your whole palm is unhinged behaviour

-- 'let me fix my knee' *just fucking punches it into place* gotta say, Roy's getting more relatable by the minute. I too have fixed my janky knee by simply shoving it back into place

-- Keeley is wearing a crop top in December. Gotta love the commitment. Also Ussie guy has such long hair now wtf

-- gotta say i completely forgot Christmas Poppers were a thing. That's uh. Not what immediately comes to mind when someone uses the word poppers around me but hey that's just me

-- i forgot we so often get answers to our questions in this show. Rebecca has been doing this for years. I love when I'm right

-- Ted's 'right I'm the one with the accent here'... Ive lost track of how many times I've had that exact thought lmao

-- Love Actually! Good movie, love that Roy thought of that

-- Ted thinks singing is just talking an octave lower. Not surprising but funny nonetheless. And before you say it, yes i understand that was Jason Sudekis' solution to trying to sing in a different accent so he doesn't sound like Jason Sudekis but also. Adorable.