#his second lead role in a drama was for a romance drama in which his character was a vietnamese immigrant

[405blazeitt]

it's a little ... that the moment shingo turned 18 they had him doing all sorts of shirtless and nude roles, but it's also very funny that his first ever lead role in a tv drama was one where he had to run around naked in every episode, so they have no choice but to talk about that and show clips from it every time a show summarizes his acting career

[i2ycat]

got me looking for attention

pairing actor!sunghoon x actress!fem!reader synopsis actor sunghoon who is completely and utterly infatuated with you — his celebrity crush genre actor!au, established relationship, fluff warnings simp sunghoon main masterlist

reblogs and comments are very much appreciated!

sunghoon would start playing roles as an aspiring actor in his late teens to early twenties, while u’re an actress that started off as a child actress, garnering around 10 years of experience under ur belt

once at an interview, before u guys started dating, sunghoon offhandedly mentioned that he wanted to start a career on the actor path after watching a drama of urs where u were one of the main leads

he was also whipped for u from then on

years before u guys started dating, sunghoon would immediately agree to acting in any and every drama that u’re in

he didn’t even care if he only got to be on screen for a split second because, at the very least, he gets to be on the same set as you, let alone breathe the same air as u

u’re literally his BIGGEST celebrity crush and would mention u as exactly that in EVERY SINGLE variety show he’s in…

so much so that whenever u get invited to same the same shows days, or even months later, they just HAVE to mention sunghoon’s little crush on u

like straight up, if u only had 1 fan, sunghoon is going to be THAT 1 fan

further down into sunghoon’s acting career, he would finally get the recognition needed to land a main lead role in a romance drama, with u as the second female lead

of course sunghoon was bummed out to see that u weren’t going to be his main lead but he digressed, cause when was he ever going to get a chance like this ever again? probably never… or not

every single day, he would greet u with the cheesiest smile on his face, to which all the staff and fellow actors around would simply coo because his feelings for u are so painfully obvious and it’s so damn cute to see him try so hard

when i say he tries so hard, i mean that he tries SO DAMN HARD to get ur attention, he doesn’t even care how pathetic he looks or seems because at least he’s shooting his shot!

he’d do so by making sure he’s looking EXTRA scrumptious on camera, by winking at u whenever u guys have scenes together, or adding extra flirty lines that aren’t even on script just to catch u off guard and stare at u in utter awe as the light pink spreads from your cheeks outwards

in both the drama and real life, the chemistry between u guys are OFF THE ROOF, astronomical even, as sparks fly off every direction and hitting everyone in the face

he has more chemistry with u than the actual main lead AND sunghoon takes pride in the fact that netizens ship the both of u more…

just imagine him scrolling through the comments underneath a shipping edit of u both and giggling like a highschool girl

(yes, he would search up sunghoon x you shipping edits on youtube, tiktok, instagram, whatever platform there is possible)

he becomes straight up putty in ur hands and the netizens are always teasing sunghoon for being such a loser lover boy around u

by now, there’s hundreds upon hundreds of compilations with u guys being all lovey-dovey together and sunghoon being impossibly whipped for u

like with every interaction u guys have, sunghoon always has the same lovestruck gaze, the same reddish tint in his cheeks and the same endeared expression… he just can’t control the way he feels or the way he looks at u whenever u’re around

after long shoots, the both of you would always have dinner together as friends… mostly due to sunghoon’s constant whining (he would definitely whine ab it, i don’t make the rules)

sometimes the occasional drinking, and there would be one time sunghoon had drunkenly confessed to u but thank god (not) u were as drunk as he was and couldn’t even remember

sometime during the multiple months of shooting, u and sunghoon would eventually start talking because he finally GREW THE BALLS TO ACTUALLY MAKE A MOVE ON U instead of just not so secretly admiring u from afar

and by the time shooting for the drama comes to an end, u guys have already started a full-fledged relationship

AND IN THE RELATIONSHIP, MY BOY HAS NOT CHANGED ONE SINGLE BIT.. actually his infatuation with u might’ve gotten even worse

he’s so insufferable when he talks ab u

he literally follows every single fan account of urs, giggling as he watches cute little clips of u on his off time

when u hold those concert/fanmeets, something of that sort, sunghoon would ALWAYS buy front row tickets…

like it’s so obvious to everyone around that area that this borderline crazy screaming man making hearts with his entire body is your boyfriend

but even if he tries to keep his presence somewhat lowkey, they’ll find out anyways because he ABSOLUTELY LOVES to show off that he’s UR man, so expect to hear lots of “THAT’S MY GIRL RIGHT THERE!” or “I’M HER BOYFRIEND!!” whenever u’re on screen

like u’d think he would be the tsundere type, but NOOOO my boy is a certified simp who is LOUD AND CLEAR

there would be times when u won the best actress award, and sunghoon, who is sporting the biggest boyish smile known to man, is immediately shown on screen and people just can’t but be jealous of how whipped he is for u

he posts domestic pictures of u on his instagram every single day, like ur head on his lap, u cooking dinner, u playing games, u playing cards with ur nieces, etc… atp his personal instagram page is just a fanpage for u

if u think ur agency is doing a good job at promoting u, then think again because sunghoon is ABSOLUTELY destroying ur pr and marketing team like there’s no tomorrow

he promotes all ur dramas just because he can;

exhibit a) he posts pictures of the tv with ur drama playing; exhibit b) he talks about ur upcoming drama in every single variety show he’s in; and exhibit c) he gets all his friends to post ur drama on their instagrams

he talks about u every chance he gets… and that’s basically every single moment he breathes

after u guys started dating, he would only agree to acting roles that don’t have romance elements, explaining that he would only accept to acting romance roles if u were in them, even if u were completely fine with it

he’s so whipped for u that it becomes a trend all over the nation called ‘the sunghoon’, which implies that u’re helplessly head over heels for someone and that u’re being very shameless about it

© i2ycat 2024 i live laugh love breath sunghoon idc idc

[milkyboybluewriter]

The Disappointing Case of Wendy Corduroy

Wendy Corduroy has a lot of potential, but too often is pushed to the side by a lot of fans, and even by her creator.  But not for lack of trying, or an interest in the character.  In fact, Alex’s idealised view of Wendy may have been her greatest obstacle in receiving a story of her own.  Dipper isn’t the only one who seems to consider her ‘the coolest person he knows.’

Wendy was inspired by the first girl who ever spoke to Alex Hirsch, as well as several people the creative team thought were cooler than them. These were likely special memories or people in order to base a fictional character on them.  But that puts her on a pedestal.  And when someone puts you up there, it’s hard for them to take you back down.  Either for fear of ruining you or concern that, when others look closer, they’ll be disappointed in what they see.

He wanted her to be a main character (in the same way Soos is, if not Stan, Dipper, or Mabel) but in many ways Wendy feels like a side character.  She never receives her own episode, and lacks the character arc that even some side characters like Pacifica and Robbie received.

Her family, her friends inside the Shack and out, her physical abilities and survival skills, the drama of being a teenager, not to mention being a resident of the weirdest place on Earth.  All of these can lead to a hundred stories across the spectrum.  So why do people not write more stories about her?

Maybe it’s because she wasn’t given the opportunity that others had.  

As a cool, older redhead, Wendy’s main role in the show was being Dipper’s crush.  Which already puts her at a disadvantage because it means they designed her purpose first, character second. In fact, this is probably why she changed so drastically from her vegan-hippie prototype seen in the Gravity Falls bible.  Everything from her boots to her hat has changed since then, save the way she makes Dipper’s heart go faster.  

Most of her appearances in season one featured this one-sided romance and Dipper’s attempts to impress her, which usually resulted in a morality lesson about being yourself and not doing dumb stuff to impress others.  Pretty standard cartoon crush territory.  But between the episodes, a real friendship bloomed. 

In The Time Traveller's Pig, she gives an indifferent shrug as she casually agrees to go to the fair with Dipper, yet before her injury - and in the timeline where she avoids it altogether - she’s shown to genuinely enjoy his company.  A couple of episodes later and she’s outright excited at the prospect of working alongside Dipper at the pool.  They have regular movie nights.  They crack jokes and tease the Shack’s customers.  Climb trees and play at the arcade.  Wendy spends more time with Dipper than any other character.  Which means she must care about him more than she does the rest.

The crush might be one-sided but the affection is not.

But in the DVD commentary of Into The Bunker, Alex Hirsch, Matt Chapman, and Rob Renzetti mention that fan feedback convinced them to end Dipper’s crush sooner rather than later, even supposedly having ‘KILL THE CRUSH’ as one of their main story goals for season 2.  Understandable.  The crush episodes weren’t always the best, and if it was always intended as an unrequited attraction then better to get it over with rather than draw it out.  And it’s a good lesson to have a young boy learn, especially around twelve.  Love and puberty are relatable, but no less frustrating for it.

Into the Bunker is my favourite episode for multiple reasons, not least for Wendy’s presence in it.  She shows off her friendship with Dipper in the cold open, reveals her lumberjack and fighting skills later, and shows she would be an excellent adventurer.  I see it as a prime example of What Could Have Been.  I especially adore the ending, where she lets Dipper down so gently, it’s a beautiful scene.  As sad as Dipper feels, he’s also been told by someone very special to him that he’s very special to her too.  Maybe not in the way he wants, but perhaps in an even more important way.  

I had high hopes after that episode.  I remember thinking this meant she would develop beyond just being his crush, especially now we’d seen her hold her own against the weirdness and danger.  I really wanted to see more of this adventurous, sensitive Wendy we’d missed in season one, and wanted her to be a regular companion and friend to the twins.

Wendy appears in 16 episodes in the first season, and 15 episodes in the second if you don’t split Weirdmageddon 3 into two.  In season one she appeared in but didn’t participate in the adventure of key episodes like Dreamscaperers or Gideon rises.  In season two, she joins the adventure in Society of the Blind Eye, The Last Mabelcorn, and the Weirdmageddon trilogy, but has limited interaction or story impact in most episodes, save Love God.   She only has what amounts to cameo appearances in Not What He Seems and Tale of Two Stans, two of if not the most important episodes of the series.  

Including each of the Weirdmageddon trilogy, she’s referenced via Dipper’s lingering crush six times, including episodes she doesn’t even appear in.  So, after Into The Bunker, Wendy goes from being Dipper’s crush to…his crush that appears less.  

Wow, they really failed that Kill the Crush mission, didn’t they?

Perhaps the biggest issue is that she is so keenly tied to Dipper.  I love the Dipper and Wendy relationship, I could write a massive essay on that alone.  But it is such an incredible waste that she didn’t get a chance to interact with the others nearly so often. Every other main character has relationships with others.  Soos has a father-son bond with Stan as well as a friendship with the twins.  Ford was introduced later in season 2 and still interacts with Soos and Fiddleford as well as his family.  It’s a hindrance to her character that most of her interactions were for Dipper’s arc, yet she received nothing of her own.  

Wendy spends some time with Mabel, trying to help her with boy trouble (not the best person to get dating advice from, Mabel) in Hand That Rocks the Mabel and Society of the Blind Eye, then goes along with the girls to keep them safe in Last Mabelcorn.  This lets us see her affection and big sister vibes don’t end with Dipper, and should have been explored far more.  Her interactions with Soos and Stan are also limited, mainly to the workplace.  Her only dialogue with Ford is one line in Journal 3.  

Yet we also never see her be by herself.  We never see her home life, or how she entertains herself away from her friends or work. She's always interacting with a main character or her group of friends.  No alone time or personal interests are seen beyond pranks and reading magazines to avoid work.

We even get to see Robbie Valentino’s home life and musical hobbies, but not hers.

This lack of independent material has even continued in the Book of Bill where two of her very limited mentions is in regards to Dipper being stuck on a tree and another is his search history.  Even her own dream is made into a joke at Dipper's expense.  Ten years later, and so much of her is tied to Dipper, specifically to mock his feelings for her.  I don’t know if that’s more insulting to Dipper or Wendy at this point.

Speaking of dreams, let’s get to another issue: her mother.  Who we know nothing about.  In a show so heavily focussed on mysteries, the fate of Mrs Corduroy is a question that’s been left hanging since season one and we have come no closer to an answer of any kind.  Even a direct question from fans on both the Alex Hirsch and Bill Cipher AMAs were answered so vaguely they told us nothing.  She’s no longer with her?  A Fountains of Wayne reference?  Even the Book of Bill’s reveal that Wendy dreams about her most nights says nothing.  Are these good dreams?  Nightmares?  Memories?  The implication is that she’s dead, yet not even that has been confirmed.  For all we know, Mrs Corduroy could be dead, missing, abandoned her family, or could be working on an oil rig for the summer.  Your guess is as good as anyone’s by this point. 

We know she’s Manly Dan’s oldest and his only daughter, but we didn’t even learn her brother’s names until a paste up sheet was released in 2017.  She barely shares a scene with any of them, and when it happens it’s in the background.  The only exception I can think of is their group hug in the Fearamid.  A tender moment which would have been so much better if we’d actually seen her engage with them beforehand.  Her lack of interaction is especially jarring considering her confession in Society of the Blind Eye:  "Okay, I'm not actually laid back. I'm stressed, like, 24/7. Have you met my family?"

Not really, no.  And for a show that’s about family as much as it is about mystery, it’s a shame that Wendy is let down in both areas.  

Even side characters like Robbie, Pacifica, and Grenda receive more character development, despite their limited importance or screen time.  In fact, it was recently pointed out to me that Archibald Corduroy, Wendy’s ancestor, is more integral to Pacifica than his own descendant.  Once again, Wendy’s interactions come up short, including from her own family.  

With the release of the Book of Bill, some people were hopeful that she might finally get some attention.  I wasn’t.  Personally, I think Bill simply has a low opinion of Wendy anyway since he called her a pushover in his AMA, so it can be fitting he doesn’t mention her often.  But it’s also the context of these mentions, and those on the website.  On Thisisnotawebsite.com she’s referred to twice - Her one contribution is a simple note where she pranks the reader.  Then she’s mentioned in Stan’s list of embarrassing moments.  

Ten years later and not only are her contributions incredibly minor, but they’re as much to do with other people as herself, if not more so.  She’s supposed to be a main character but she might as well be a cameo.

Her lack of representation is so bad, that I realised my friends were celebrating her being mentioned in The Book of Bill.  That’s how desperate we’ve become for Wendy material.  And I’m sick of it.   At this point, I’m anticipating a Wendy story as much as I am Winds of Winter.

Last month I was discussing some of my writing ideas with my father.  And he gave me a very hard truth: it doesn’t matter how good your ideas are, if you don’t act on them, they’re only ideas.  And he was absolutely right.  It doesn’t matter how great these ideas are in my head, if they’re only in my head then what good are they? 

Hirsch has been saying for years he’s wanted to do more with Wendy, but he hasn’t. Not in the show, the comics, or the other material.  Intentions, like ideas, are useless if you don’t do something about them.

I honestly hate how harsh this sounds.  I love Gravity Falls.  And I love Wendy.  And I believe Alex Hirsch does too, he just…doesn’t know what to do with her.  As he says in the Inconveniencing commentary: “We wanted to honour her so much that we couldn’t figure out the right episode with her because we didn’t want to mess her up.”  He’s put her on a pedestal just like Dipper did.  And I think she needs to come down so we can see how awesome she really is.

So, what can be done to fix this?  Well, when creators don’t have the time, interest, or ability to do something for a series, that leaves the fans to fill in the gap.  

I urge other Gravity Falls enthusiasts to try and give her the attention and character development she sorely deserves, especially now there’s a resurgence of activity and interest.  Draw or write her if you can, have her interact with other characters, not just be a crush, explore her depths.  And if you can’t, seek out those who have or can and ask their advice, or thank them for their work, offer encouragement.  For Wendy if not for them.

I want to leave this on a happier note and say that I’m going to follow this up soon with another essay, this time offering advice on writing Wendy.  Even talented writers I admire have surprised me by saying they struggle to write her, yet I’ve found it pretty easy.  So hopefully I can encourage other people to write her too.   

But if I could summarise what I want to see and what I think will help people write Wendy, it would be this: She’s not just Dipper’s crush, and she’s not just the cool girl.  She’s bigger than that.

She’s Wendy Flippin’ Corduroy and she deserves so much more.

Cheers, Milky Boy Blue

[eclairsnme]

♡ POV: Being The Itoshi Brother’s Elder Sister ♡

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3

The troubles of an Idol.

tags: idol!you, crack comedy, reunion, familial love, sfw, somewhat of a brat (⁎⁍̴̛ᴗ⁍̴̛⁎)

notes: she's back with more demands and silliness!! ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

“Could you make that,” pointing to your chest subtly, “a little bigger?”

Sitting beside the photo editor, you closely observe her working magic on your recent photoshoot with a swimwear brand.

You thought the photos looked great until you caught on to an important missing element.

Boobs.

Big boobs to be specific.

You had boobs but they were not like Hana Haruna’s (*a Japanese pornstar*).

What is the point of posing for a swimwear brand when you lack the assets?

“Maybe if you could just accentuate it a little more,” you gestured your hands to reiterate your idea of a big boob.

“Miss, if I make it any bigger here it’ll look as if you have watermelon jugs as big as your head.”

Your photo editor had a point; your edited chest resembled overblown balloons.

But still! (╯•﹏•╰)

“Isn’t that what the people like? Do you know what they always say? ‘Big boobs don’t lie’.”

“I think you got the wrong idea here, miss.”

“We cannot let the people out there catch me lacking!”

This was your first ever swimwear photoshoot in your entire career. Usually, you will pose for makeup brands and luxury clothing brands.

Swimwear was an uncharted territory. Of course, you were a little overzealous.

Me! The idol who is perfect in every way! Perfect face, perfect figure, and perfect life — an idol who everyone knows and loves.

“Hold on a second, let me refer to my advisor for their advice.”

Imitating a handheld phone with your hands and fingers, you held it towards your ear and spoke through the mock phone.

“Hello, myself. Do you think big boobs are better or small boobs?”

You halted for a second before replying to your own quandary, “Most definitely big boobs.”

With that, you ended the “call”.

“There you have it, miss photo editor. You just have to make it big enough to look natural.”

“If you say so...”

“I am the perfect idol. I cannot lack!”

Maintaining the image of an idol sure is a tough job.

—

“Did she gain some weight?”

“She looked like she had some plastic surgery done to her nose.”

“Oh, I heard she’s dating that one foreign guy!”

“Didn’t you hear how she seduced her way into…”

“She looks like she aged like rotten cheese since her teenage years.”

“Don’t you think she’s the least talented of her siblings?”

Those were just some of the many comments you could ascertain from your dear haters coming from the live audience seat.

You know you are the epitome of perfection. No matter what they say, it would not make you hot under the collar.

Jealously sure is a terrible disease. ┐(´～｀)┌

Currently, you are on a TV show with your male costar, whom you could not really remember his name for he is just a mere NPC.

Today’s show required you to promote a romance drama you acted in last year that has finally been broadcasted this year.

You played the role of the female lead, who fell in love with the male lead at first sight.

It turns out, the group of people who were talking behind your back was this NPC costar’s groupies.

Tsk. Bunch of buzzing bees.

They were on a nonstop mission to pour vitriolic attacks on you.

Despite all the hate, you thought it was quite flattering that they were giving you such undivided attention albeit having their “idol” — NPC costar — right beside you.

Yet again, you have proved to yourself that you are indeed the star of the show! Haters are part of the package of being so irresistible!

(Ŏ艸Ŏ)

You giggled at that.

“This is the hottest romance drama of this season that is sure to get you excited!” The host bellowed, prompting a wave of applause from the audience.

You smiled at the reception.

The interview was filled with scripted questions which you accordingly answered to.

Too easy.

You just had to smile sweetly at everyone to have them fall in love with you. Even the bunch of groupies could not help but to fall for your charm.

Everything was going swimmingly until the host pulled out his wild card — an unscripted question directed at you.

“As a famous idol, do you have any real-life romantic experiences that are swoon-worthy to share with the audience?” The host said in an overly enthusiastic tone.

The audience gasps.

All the cameras were then angled at you anticipating your response.

You smiled sweetly at the host.

Does this guy hate me or something? He must be my number one hater!

Your privacy has always been prioritised as an idol.

Not much was known about your private life until the recent news of your relationship with the Itoshi siblings broke out.

Disregarding that, the matter of your romantic relationship was a topic deemed taboo even to your fans.

The genesis of the taboo nature of your private romantic life started from an honest discussion among the netizens.

They were speculating who you were romantically involved with but it was all for naught as they could not find even a speck of man involved with you.

Even when feverish stalkers took matters into their own hands, they still could not find dirt on you.

Male costars? You treated them like dirt off-camera.

Other male celebrities? You did not even bother looking in their direction or bear to breathe the same air as them for you are better than them.

It soon became apparent to them that perhaps you had a secret affair or were involved in something incredibly scandalous — maybe you were interested in unique deviances?

Their theories then became out of control and so out of pocket that everyone began making up weird conclusions of their own online, which caused a huge uproar.

In the end, everyone decided to be more hush about that topic.

In reality, the truth as to why no one was able to dig up any evidence of you in a relationship was simply because you have always been single as a pringle.

How could a young eligible, gorgeous and talented bachelorette be so single? ( ▀ 益 ▀ )

That is because your brain only contains idol-related information. Everything else? Nil.

Is this man mocking me?

“Surely someone as pretty as you would have countless opportunities for love isn’t it?” The host continued with his onslaught of probing.

Should I strangle him? Or should I just slap him? No no no. Evil monologue shut up.

You look over to your manager and gave him the death glare.

In response to that, he expeditiously told the producers to temporarily halt the program.

With hands akimbo, your tall and slim frame overwhelmed the short and stubby manager.

You frowned at him and harshly whispered to his ears, “Get me a boyfriend ASAP!”

“Eh?!”

—

The program ended and you finally let out a long sigh in the car.

“So did you find me a boyfriend yet?”

“I-I don’t think that is how relationships work! I cannot just magically bring you a boyfriend.”

“But I want a boyfriend! So find me one!” You exclaimed helplessly.

Your manager sighed at your zero concepts of relationships and love.

“Have you loved someone before?”

“Myself.”

“Other than yourself?”

“Is this a trick question or something?”

Mr Manager glances at the rearview mirror with a defeated expression.

“Have you experienced love before?”

“What’s that?” You asked, fingers on your chin unsure what the heck that meant. ಠ╭╮ಠ

“The butterflies in your stomach when you meet someone you love!” He exasperated.

“Oh, that! Whenever I catch glimpses of myself in the mirror, I get this inexplicable feeling of that thing you described!”

This was a lost cause. Although you acted in numerous romance dramas, you still did not grasp the meaning of love. What a hypocrisy it is.

“To have a boyfriend, you must first love that person!”

“What? That sounds like a hassle. I just want a boyfriend.”

Mr manager scrunched his nose in disbelief.

“And why do you exactly want a ‘boyfriend’? This can’t be another of your impulsive thoughts is it?”

Mr manager had a déjà vu of a time when you ordered him to get you a pet tiger.

“No, it is not! What with all these questions, Mr interrogator?”

“…”

“Shut up and just get me a boyfriend.”

“So I have the right to set you up on a date?”

“Whatever it is, I want a boyfriend. I am being very extremely superbly serious!” You said with finality.

Mr Manager could only sigh in defeat yet again for the umpteenth time.

“But you are a public figure–”

You snapped at Mr Manager, “Shut up!”

He continued driving the car, looking at you through the rear-view mirror.

Any man would die to date you; you were a beguiling and dazzling lady. However, your attitude was something he was not sure any man would be able to handle.

In his entire career of being your manager, not once has he had a good day. Every day was filled with problems caused by you that he had to solve.

His brow scrunched together in grim defeat.

Boyfriend huh? Good luck to that unlucky guy.

You, on the other hand, seating cross-legged in the backseat, were marinating in annoyance.

After experiencing the mockery of the host deprecating your love life, you could not let that slide.

You had to ratio him.

Was it immature? Debatable.

Your only participation in this so-called romantic relationship concept was acting in dramas and movies.

And your exposure to the male species was…

Ehem.

Despite being an idol, your otherwise desolate personal life painted you as a lone wolf.

In your life, it was all work and dedication to being the best.

You were on fire! On fire to get a boyfriend! You will show them that you are capable of anything, and not lacking in any department!

The constant buzz of your phone eventually broke you out of your daze.

When you saw the screen, you immediately picked up the call.

“Rin!”

“I’m one step closer to demolishing brother.”

Eh? ！(◎_◎;)

You took the phone away from your ear and stared into the screen making sure you have the right person on the phone.

After confirming it’s the right person, you responded, “What do you mean demolishing your brother?”

“I’ve joined Paris X Gen in Blue Lock to become the best striker and to destroy brother.”

“Mmm… you are destroying my heart, Rin. Why are you still talking about your brother like this?”

“I will be better and he will finally acknowledge me.”

You murmured incoherent thoughts with a frown.

This pent-up hatred can go no further!

“Sister?”

“Where are you now?”

“In the Blue Lock facility. Why?”

You hung up the phone.

“Drive me to this Blue Lock facility place,” you ordered Mr Manager.

—

As soon as you arrive at the Blue Lock building, you were met with strict security.

“Let me in you low-life man.”

“Miss, this is not a place you can just walk in.”

“And a measly man like you can?”

You had been at this for a good 10 minutes, going back and forth with the stubby man and his group of security guards.

Getting sick and tired of this nonsense, you slap the man's fake wig off his head. The wig which was so fake you could see your reflection on it, flew away dramatically and plopped onto the hard asphalt ground.

“M-my hair!” He ran straight to the plastic wig.

“What’s with all these ruckus?”

The hairless man exclaimed at the sight of the short-haired woman.

Your attention went towards the petite, short-haired woman. She looked about your age. As she moved closer to you, almost immediately, your attention snapped to her big bust.

Those are what I call knockers! OMG! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Too busy ogling at her melons, you didn’t realise she was calling out for you.

Snapping yourself out of it, you introduced yourself.

“You are the popular idol!” The busty lady interrupted you, “I am, Anri Teieri, the manager of this facility. This is a strictly out-of-bounds area. What business does an idol like you have here?”

“Miss Anri, you see I have an underaged brother here and I, as his attending guardian, need to see him.”

“I’m sorry, but only authorised personnel can enter the premises.”

“Then authorise me. My little brother is feeling so homesick he was practically begging on his knees to meet me.”

“Every participant here is dedicated to being the best striker, we cannot afford any distractions such as yourself. I’m sure your little brother understands this — it’s all part of the process,” Anri puffed her chest out.

Seeing the physics of her melons do their job, you unconsciously covered your own chest.

That’s unfair! _:(´ཀ`」 ∠):

Anri observed the female opposite her. Hands down, you are the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes on. A face sculpted by the gods and paired with those glassy teal eyes that just compelled attraction. Of course, she knew who you are — who doesn’t.

Honestly, Anri was a huge fan of your work. She had collected all your albums and watched all your shows.

You could say that she’s a fan girl.

She also knew that you were the older sister of Rin Itoshi. She had looked through each player's records and with the recent breakout news that you are related to the Itoshi siblings, no doubt you are his sister.

However, she cannot haphazardly let you enter.

What goes on inside Blue Lock is confidential.

“Who is in charge of this building? Call him out now,” you demanded, unwilling to leave until you got what you want.

As if the big man up there had heard your quandary, Anri’s phone rang and it was Ego.

“Let her in,” the deep voice reverberated in her ear.

Ego stared at the monitor, observing Anri and the idol through the surveillance camera.

“But,” Anri tried to protest to no avail as Ego quickly intercepted.

“No harm letting her in.”

With that, the call ended, leaving a befuddled Anri.

“The general manager called and said you are allowed in,” Anri hesitantly said.

“That wasn’t too hard isn’t it?” You smiled, satisfied.

EHE god is always on my side. ✌︎('ω')✌︎

—

The Blue Lock facility was a massive site. It was bigger than any skyscraper you had ever seen. This could easily be the most impressive building in Japan.

The space was so big that every step you took became a loud echo.

“Hey, big melon woman,” you called out for her.

“P-pardon m-m-me?” Anri is flustered at your bluntness.

“Yes, you.” You replied, disregarding her blushing face, “Where’s Rin?”

“The Blue Lock players are currently undergoing their training as of now, therefore I’ll be bringing you to the surveillance room where Ego is at.”

“And should I know what this Ego thing is?”

“Ego is a man I chose to oversee this Blue Lock project.”

“Oho — so you are the mastermind? That’s pretty impressive.”

That was impressive. You had an inkling an old, wrinkly man was behind Blue Lock but to think it was the big melon woman? That was impressive in your books.

Well, that and coupled with your bias for big boobs. (● ˃̶͈̀ロ˂̶͈́)੭ꠥ⁾⁾

Leading you through the vast hallway, both of you finally arrived at your destination.

Anri knocked on the door a couple of times.

“Come in,” came a reply.

As soon as the door opened, you were welcomed by the bright screens of many monitors.

Looking at the screens, they were all surveilling all of the Blue Lock players in the facility.

“Ego, this is the idol you told me to bring along.”

“Here, what you are witnessing are all the unpolished diamonds striving to become the best striker the world will soon witness,” Ego stood up, overwhelming your frame even though you weren’t short by any means.

Ego was a tall, lanky man and you cannot help but compare him to the game character called “Slenderman”.

“Make no mistake that we are the next revolution of football,” continued Ego.

You took a step towards the monitors and scrutinised trying to locate Rin.

“Note this, every day, every boy here only thinks about eating, sleeping and football,” continued Ego.

Still unable to find Rin, you pulled Anri and ask her to help you look for him. More pair of eyes will get the job done.

“We have never allowed any outsider to our facility and you are the first. Consider this a blessing that I am a fan of your works and have allowed you to witness this holy sanctuary,” continued Ego.

Where is Rin?!

“There he is!” Anri smiled as she pointed at a monitor to your far left.

Rin was on the field practising with other players.

“Bring me to him,” you interrupted Ego’s nonstop rant.

“I will, but I have a better idea,” he suspiciously said.

—

On the side of the field, Rin took off his football boots.

The nonstop practice and matches had worn out his boots till the original colour was gone.

It was not even a week since he had joined Paris X Gen, and the regiment was even harsher than before.

It was not for nothing though, he could feel his stamina, strength and ability getting better.

Nothing can stop him from achieving greater heights.

Be it the jerk Shidou or Isagi, he will be better.

But he cannot help to still feel that he is lacking somethi-

"RIN!"

The speaker rumbled throughout the entire Blue Lock building.

The big screen flickered and you came to view.

Rin sank back and covered his face; covering the heavy blush that instantly painted his face bright red.

"Sister..." he muttered under his breath, "What are you doing here?"

Embarrassment was currently the biggest understatement as he tried to pretend he did not hear or see anything.

"Hey, isn't that the idol? Am I dreaming right now?" Karasu gasps at your appearance.

"Rin, can you hear me?" You waved your hand trying to get your little brother's attention.

The Ego man told you that you can communicate with Rin through the screen but what a big liar he was!

On the monitor, the figure of Rin showed that he was still minding his own business as if he did not know you are here.

"Your dearly beloved sister is here!" You shouted into the mic again thinking that perhaps it was some faulty audio.

Your voice echoed throughout the building again, everyone in the building had their attention on you.

Uproars could be heard from the players in every room exclaiming at the sight of a popular idol.

You continued calling out for brother. After all, Ego had nicely set up a Zoom call for you, you cannot let this opportunity go to waste.

Why isn't he looking at me? (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞

At the corner of the room, away from the screen, Ego held back his laughter and Anri silently stood unable to help you.

—

"Hey, Reo-" Nagi poked Reo, "isn't that the videogame character?"

"She's the person the videogame character was modelled after," Reo replied.

“She’s a real person?” Nagi said in disbelief.

Unlike Nagi, who only knew you from his game, Reo has actually went to your live concerts multiple times.

After all, your concerts were sponsored by Mikage Corporation.

“Even in real life, she look like a video game character.”

“Is it because she look so unreal?” Reo replied.

—

"Meine Leibe, you have come for me," Kaiser stopped his track as soon as he heard your voice.

Pushing Isagi out of his way, he walked towards the screen with both arms out.

“This must be fate.”

☆〜（ゝ。∂）the end (for now) ☆〜（ゝ。∂）

Part 4

<ehe did you feel that second-hand embarrassment? (I hope you did)>

<why does she keep bothering Rin? It’s because she still sees him as the small baby he used to be and can't stop being the protective (overbearing) sister - she doesn’t know that yet cuzzzz she’s dense>

<if you have any suggestions or whomever you think she should be paired with, don't be shy to share your thoughts!>

<Thankiew for reading!!!>

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Eva Dahlbeck (Smiles of a Summer Night, A Lesson in Love, Kastrullresan)— Beautiful, formidable, funny. Ingmar Bergman called her a "battleship of femininity" and cast her in several of his comedies. It's a joy to see her pulling all the strings in Smiles of a Summer Night while her two boyfriends make utter fools of themselves.

Maureen O’Hara (The Parent Trap, The Quiet Man)—They called her the Queen of Technicolor. That right there should help introduce people to the fiery, wonderful, stunning Maureen O’Hara. She was from Ireland, born in 1920, and started in theater at the age of ten. At 15, she was winning drama awards, including one for her performance as Portia in the Merchant of Venice. At 16, she was the youngest pupil to graduate from the Guildhall School of Music. By 18, she transitioned to film, starting off with a bang alongside Charles Laughton in Hitchcock’s Jamaica Inn, and proceeded to work steadily up through the early 1970s. She was in adventures and comedies and romances, spent a lot of time in westerns giving merry hell to John Wayne (and less merry hell to the indomitable John Ford — she held her own even when he was verbally abusive and demeaning to her). She was in The Quiet Man, which was the first American-made film entirely filmed in a foreign country. She helped make American Christmas what it is with Miracle on 34th Street. She played a lineup of headstrong, forthright women second only, perhaps, to Katharine Hepburn. She was married three times, lived for a while with a boyfriend in Mexico, sued for custody of her daughter in the 1950s, AND sued a magazine for libel in the same era. After mostly retiring from acting, she edited a magazine. She eventually sold the magazine to spend more time with her grandson, but even then ran a ladies fashion store. She was an outspoken, brilliant, passionate lady, with amazing red hair, a career to envy, and — well — that face!

This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut]

Eva Dahlbeck:

Maureen O'Hara:

I thought she was one of the most beautiful women in the world when I was a kid and I have yet to really change my mind. Always loved her temper and her red hair. Plus she was kind of a MILF in The Parent Trap

Haughty, red hair, hot.

The hair. The accent. The figure. The acting chops. The perfection.

I would have to give up my passport if I didn't submit Maureen O'Hara but also have you seen her? Not only did she look like that (she was called the Queen of Technicolor, though she wasn't a big fan of that sobriquet), she was also very funny and tough as nails. She faced off against Walt Disney in a contract dispute and the legend goes that when someone mentioned her at his deathbed, he sat up and said 'That bitch!'. Her comment on that story is "At least he didn't think of me and say, 'That wimp'." She struggled to get serious roles for a time, saying ""Hollywood would never allow my talent to triumph over my face," so she plays the sexy princess/pirate/harem girl in a LOT of early movies that she referred to as "Tits and Sand" films, she being the tits in question. She also turned down so many leading men and studio bosses (Errol Flynn and Howard Hughes are among her rejects) that there were rumours spread that she was a lesbian. Many egos were battered it seems. I'm including the infamous Lady Godiva scene in the photo propaganda for the sheer Moment of it [link] . It was a bit of a flop critically, but it was one of Clint Eastwood's first film appearances and she said he told her later that he was very glad of the money at the time. She was a very proud Irish woman and when she went for her American citizenship they insisted on referring to her as British (the timeline of Irish independence is a bit wibbly wobbly, we won't get into it here). She refused to accept American citizenship under that condition and argued her way through every level of US immigration she could find, supposedly saying "I'm not responsible for your antiquated records here in Washington", until a judge finally gave up and said "Give her what she wants, just get her out of here". This made her the first ever person seeking US citizenship to be proclaimed Irish on the record! And while we don't embrace the leprechaun imagery quite so enthusiastically today, her dressing her dog up in a little shamrock hat is too cute for you all to miss so I'm including that in the photo propaganda.

*Marge Simpson voice*: I just think she's neat 🤷‍♀️

[nitrateglow]

Spooky Season 2024: 12-22

Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge (dir. Richard Friedman, 1989)

The opening of the new mall is hampered by one thing: a Phantom hiding in the air vents, and committing robbery and murder. It turns out this Phantom is really a teenager named Eric (Derek Rydall) disfigured in a fire set by the mall's developers to clear out any remaining houses impeding their dreams of commercial development. Now, Eric plans on having his revenge and watching over his girlfriend Melody (Kari Whitman), now an employee of the mall. But what will he make of her burgeoning romance with a journalist?

Talk about pure '80s cheese. This film feels like it was made to capitalize on the slasher cycle and the popularity of the Andrew Lloyd Weber Phantom of the Opera megamusical. It's not a particularly good movie, but it is dumb fun. I love how this Phantom makes free use of the goods available in the stores and how he spams his spin kick attack like he's in a video game.

Also, Pauly Shore is in this. He has a great scene talking about subliminal messaging in department stores, but is otherwise the usual Pauly Shore.

Hangover Square (dir. John Brahm, 1945)

Musician George Harvey Bone (Laird Cregar) is disturbed by long sessions in which he blacks out. He fears he may be committing murder, but is reassured by the police when he goes to them that isn't likely. Detective Dr. Allen Middleton (George Saunders) advises the overworked George take a break from composing. George does so by going to a pub where he meets the lovely Netta Longdon (Linda Darnell), a music hall entertainer who dreams of fame. George and Netta enter into a toxic relationship in which she uses him to advance her career while seeing other men on the side. When George discovers her treachery, his blackouts return-- this time in a far more violent form.

I'm starting to become fascinated by John Brahm, a director best remembered for his moody, macabre dramas in the 1940s. Hangover Square was his second and final collaboration with the talented but doomed Laird Cregar, who died two months before the film was released. It's as much a noir as a horror picture, drenched in that chiaroscuro lighting and urban dread so common to the classic cycle.

Cregar is astonishing in the lead role. Though handsome, he was a bigger man, so Hollywood refused to allow him to transition into leading man parts. He is marvelous here, passionate and sensitive, yet also sinister once his jealous rage takes over. I've seen Cregar in multiple films and he was truly fantastic, able to be comic as well as dramatic. Hollywood didn't deserve him.

Lastly, Linda Darnell's character sings this really catchy song when Cregar first sees her. I saw this film weeks ago but it is STILL STUCK IN MY HEAD.

The Sealed Room (dir. DW Griffith, 1909)

In some nondescript time period (everyone's dressed like it's either the early 18th century or the middle ages), a king (Arthur V. Johnson) learns his mistress (Marion Leonard) is smooching with a musician (Henry B. Walthall). Jealous to the point of rage, he has the couple sealed in a small room where they suffocate to death.

The Sealed Room is a gem from the nickelodeon era, though I admit my liking for it comes from how extra all the performances are, even by the standards of the early silent period.

It also has one of my favorite instances of what I like to call "silent film logic"-- that is, scenes featuring action that would be very loud in real life, but in a silent film, you may not think about it as much. Here, the king has the lovers walled up alive in a small room, where they lounge unaware. And yet, there's workers slapping up a brick wall not ten feet away from them! It's very amusing.

Frankenhooker (dir. Frank Henenlotter, 1990)

When his girlfriend Elizabeth (Patty Mullen) gets hacked to death by an automatic lawnmower he built, medical student Jeffrey (James Lorinz) decides to resurrect her by killing sex workers for their shapely body parts then sewing Elizabeth's severed head on top. He does this by having his victims smoke explosive crack.

No, I'm not making this up.

I first heard about Frankenhooker from James Rolfe of Angry Video Game Nerd fame. It sounded so insane that I knew I had to watch it. It's-- well, it's definitely a bizarre movie with lots of crude humor and pitch black jokes.

Would you believe me if I said it was kind of an unsung feminist work? I definitely did not expect THAT angle coming in, but that messaging is definitely there. Jeffrey is a villain-protagonist through and through, even before he starts committing murder. We learn he was already demanding Elizabeth modify her appearance to suit his tastes before she got killed. He views women as more a collection of body parts than proper people. However, his misogyny does catch up with him in the end and his fate at the resurrected Elizabeth's hands is the very definition of irony. I don't want to spoil it.

It's definitely not for everyone, but if you have a sick sense of humor and some friends that share that humor, you'll have a good time.

Friday the 13th: Part 2 (dir. Steve Miner, 1981)

A summer camp close to the infamous Camp Crystal Lake is about to open. Little do the young, horny counselors know, Jason (Warrington Gillette and Steve Daskewicz)-- the boy that allegedly drowned long ago-- is still alive and he's mad his mama got decapitated in the previous film. Lots of people die.

I confess I have a hard time getting into these Friday the 13th films. I've read it took a few entries for the series to find its footing as gloriously dumb schlock, but the first one and this sequel were mostly boring for me. About all I liked was the last twenty minutes, when the heroine's background in child psychology comes into play. Otherwise, this gets a big meh from me. Not horrible, but nothing I can imagine I'll ever rewatch.

Corridor of Mirrors (dir. Terence Young, 1948)

A party girl (Edana Romney) becomes involved with a Renaissance era-obessed artist (Eric Portman). Their fetishistic relationship leads to heartbreak and murder.

Already discussed this one is great detail at my Wordpress blog. It's a great romantic thriller in the vein of Vertigo and Rebecca.

The Old Dark House (dir. James Whale, 1932)

During a thunderstorm, a group of unwary British travelers are marooned at the crumbling mansion of the Femm family, a collection of eccentrics who may be insane. Everything goes wrong: the hulking butler gets drunk and preys on the women visitors, the area may flood, the lights go out, and there may be a homicidal maniac imprisoned in one of the rooms upstairs. Will anyone survive the night?

I have raved about this film for a long time now. It's truly a favorite of mine in general, not just for the Halloween season. Both witty and chilling, it's an atmospheric masterpiece. The damp and mold are palpable.

What fascinates me most is the Femm family itself and the gaps in their backstory. This is one movie where I feel like there's a Tolstoyan novel's worth of drama with the Femms. It's hinted that the 102-year-old patriarch of the house (played in drag by actress Elspeth Dudgeon) used to host orgies there. The death of the seductive sister Rebecca at the age of 21 may or may not have been due to inter-family foul play. Morgan the butler has a close, even weirdly tender relationship with the homicidally insane brother Saul, suggesting a myriad of possible connections between them. It's very interesting-- I like that the movie doesn't fill in all the blanks.

A Game of Death (dir. Robert Wise, 1945)

Don Rainsford (John Loder), big game hunter extraordinaire, finds himself shipwrecked on a mysterious island. The owner is Erich Kriegler (Edgar Barrier), an urbane German who also enjoys hunting, though with a slight difference-- he likes hunting humans. Teaming up with other shipwreck survivors Ellen (Audrey Long) and Robert (Russell Wade), Don tries finding a way to escape before they become Kriegler's next wall trophies.

This movie is a pallid, watered down, shot-for-shot remake of The Most Dangerous Game, one of the crown jewels of 1930s horror, so of course, I am not fond of it. And yet, I rewatch it every few years, so it must have something going for it. So instead of tearing into it as I normally do, I'll list a few things I think are actually good about it:

I like that the main character initially tries tricking Kriegler into thinking he will hunt people with him. Very pro-active.

I think Kriegler is a good villain. Not as memorably deranged and campy as Leslie Banks' Zaroff in the original film, but chilling in a more low-key way. His "the strong deserve to prey upon the weak" philosophy fits in nicely with Nazi ideologies-- no doubt what this wartime horror flick intended.

Um... I think Audrey Long is really pretty. I like her flow-y outfits.

... Yeah, that's it.

The Most Dangerous Game (dir. Ernest B. Schoedsack and Irving Pichel, 1932)

All-American big game hunter Bob Rainsford (Joel McCrea) is shipwrecked on the unlisted island of Count Zaroff (Leslie Banks), a Russian aristocrat and master sportsman who claims he now hunts "the most dangerous game" of all. Being a himbo, it takes Bob a while before he realizes that game is human beings. Unwilling to hunt alongside Zaroff when given the offer, Rainsford and fellow prisoner Eve Trowbridge (Fay Wray) wage a game with Zaroff: let loose into the island's thick jungle, if they survive the night without Zaroff or the terrain killing them, they'll go free. If not, Rainsford dies and Eve will become a rather different kind of quarry for the evil count.

Now, here's my favorite "hunter hunts people" movie! While "The Most Dangerous Game" has been adapted and ripped off multiple times for a century, the original is still hard to beat. The castle set drips with gothic grandeur. The jungle soundstage is thick and suffocating, and once the chase intensifies, it becomes like something out of a nightmare.

I actually think the climactic hunt is among the greatest sequences in all cinema. The editing is so dynamic and the images are brilliant. And when you consider this is still an early talkie, when films were still trying to rediscover their footing after silent cinema came to an end, it becomes even more remarkable.

Going on Letterboxd, I was shocked to find a lot of people on there have mixed to negative opinions about this movie, largely because they think it's too over the top and that it's messaging is too on the nose.

I mean-- yes, these things are true, but I don't see them as flaws. It probably helps that I love camp and melodrama, and am not ashamed to admit it. And regardless of the fervent camp on display, I still think the trophy room scene is creepy and the chase is super intense. I have probably seen this movie close to a hundred times and yet, the chase still has me shouting at the TV, willing the characters to run faster. That's damn fine filmmaking.

The Haunting (dir. Robert Wise, 1963)

A researcher of the paranormal brings a motley crew of ordinary people into the allegedly haunted Hill House. Both potential ghosts and the neuroses of the visitors bring on sinister events and ultimately tragedy.

I love this movie more and more. I already wrote a bit about my reaction this time around, though since then, I started rereading the source novel, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House. Obviously, the book delves more deeply into Eleanor's psyche, but the film does a fantastic job of this as well. Given film is a visual medium, it can be a challenge to depict a character's interior state without delving into expressionism and this film does that well.

The Phantom of the Opera (dir. Terence Fisher, 1962)

Aspiring songstress Christine Charles (Heather Sears) and producer Harry Hunter (Edward de Souza) are drawn into a mystery at the London Opera House. A phantom is sabotaging any attempt to produce Joan of Arc: A Tragedy, a show allegedly written by the cold, snobby, rapey Lord Ambrose (Michael Gough). After some investigating, it turns out the Phantom (Herbert Lom) was once the meek-mannered Professor Petrie, whose music was stolen by Ambrose. Now, he wants only to see his opera done justice and only Christine's voice can make that happen.

I am very fond of this version of The Phantom of the Opera even though I think it has a myriad of dramatic flaws. Let's get the flaws out the way first. I think the film is a bit repetitive in retelling us Petrie's story over and over, at first through onscreen description and then through filmed depiction. I also think the ending is anti-climactic, like the writers didn't want to go the usual route of making the Phantom a homicidal maniac but they weren't sure how to make a properly dramatic finish without that characterization.

That out the way, this is a unique, even refreshing retelling in many ways. The Phantom/Christine relationship is no longer one of unrequited love-- in fact, Petrie seems wholly uninterested in romance or sex at all. He views Christine and himself as victims of the truly despicable Lord Ambrose: Petrie had his music stolen and Christine was sexually harrassed. Therefore, it is up to the two of them to wrest the opera back from Amrbose's influence and make it the production Petrie wanted. Petrie is one hard taskmaster. He is relentless in training Christine and at one point throws filthy sewer-water in her face when she faints.

But the Phantom is hardly an out and out villain here. He doesn't even kill people-- he has a convenient hunchbacked assistant to do that. No, the real baddie is Ambrose, among the nastiest villains in the Hammer canon. Ambrose never even kills anyone, yet he makes the blood boil with his wanton cruelty. Michael Gough (who I always remember best as Alfred in the Tim Burton Batman movies, as well as Batman Forever and Batman and Robin) is so good at being bad.

This version of POTO also has my favorite version of the Phantom's compositions. Usually, he writes a "burning" piece called Don Juan Triumphant, fitting his romantic obsession with Christine. Here, Petrie writes an opera about Joan of Arc, a virginal saint persecuted by powerful men-- a fitting subject for Petrie given his own persecution by an aristocrat. Joan's aria "I Hear Your Voice" is gorgeous and always brings me to tears, it's that beautiful.

Not a perfect film, but still a very good one.

[mephistopheleswasrobbed]

GMMTV 2025 Riding the Wave first thoughts

We have 15 or 16 BLs, 2 GLs, one mixed het and BL and 1!!! het series. GMMTV really said we don't give a shit about straight people anymore and I'm so here for it.

Dare You to Death: Messy teen slasher meets murder mystery BL. Feels a little bit like two stories mushed together in the pilot trailer but very interesting concept. I'm quite neutral about JoongDunk but the story looks fun. Will almost certainly be watching.

Head 2 Head: Bad Buddy with fashion design students who are also car racers and one of them has visions of the future? There's a lot happening but tbh none of it really caught my attention. Haven't seen SkyKeen before and JavaSurf are new so I have zero opinions on them. I'll wait for the official trailer to make a decision about this one.

Burnout Syndrome: Love triangle kinda but make it serious. Directed by Nuchy, looks a bit darker and mature. OffGun + Dew as second lead looks intriguing especially because there seemed to be more romance shown between Dew and Gun than Off and Gun. This will probably be good. Not necessarily hyped but will definitely watch.

I Love "A Lot Of" You: The only exclusive BG show in this lineup about a guy trying to make all 5 personalities of a girl fall in love with him. Nanon and Mind of 4Eve. Looks very good actually. But it's a straight romance and so far I haven't seen anything that would make me watch anyway. Will probably not watch.

Whale Store xoxo: Down on her luck grocery store owner meets manic pixie dream girl errand girl. Happy for MilkLove to have graduated from school, MewnichJune with history looks promising. Not necessarily hyped but will definitely watch.

Only Friends: Dream On: Season 2 of Only Friends, this time centered around a theatre production. EarthMix as exes, JossGawin and OhmLeng. This is all I ever wanted. I'm so here for this. I would watch anything with EarthMix without hesitation but this has me extremely hyped. Will definitely watch.

That Summer: Troublemaker meets amnesiac prince in seaside setting. Neutral about WinnySatang, looking forward to NeoMint, hyped about MondRyu. Looks good but doesn't really catch me. Will probably be watching for Mond in a BL role finally.

My Romance Scammer: Two rich boys marrying scammers. They are making full use of marriage equality already. JuniorMark look good, Gmmtv went for OhmFluke and it's hilarious, they also look good. Looks like fun. Will almost certainly be watching.

Melody of Secrets: Mystery with murders and unreliable memories. Gives Hannibal vibes a little. (Which doesn't really work in its favour because Hannibal is on another level) Not a ForceBook fan but the plot seems interesting. Will wait for official trailer but probably watch for the fandom speculation.

Love You Teacher: Elementary school teacher who hates kids has to care for his amnesiac, age-regressed partner. Directed by Dome. Looks very fun. PearthSanta look good. They're gonna have to walk a fine line here with the whole age regression thing but I trust in Dome. Will be watching.

MU-TE-LUV: 7 Stories centered around Thai supersticious activity. Too many people in this for me to list. Will wait to see how much the stories are intertwined or if they're all separate from each other. Looks like fun. Definitely seated for the Fluke, Lego, Yacht, Neo story, the two BL stories didn't really catch my attention, some of the straight ones seemed more interesting. Will wait for official trailer for anything except the FLYN part which I'm super excited for.

Cat for Cash: Debt collector can understand cats, helps new owner to manage cat cafe. Family drama happens. I like FirstKhao but tbh the trailer bored me a little. (Pls don't kill me FK stans). Will wait for official trailer, might binge after it's done.

Girl Rules: Jojo directing basically Only Friends lesbian edition. Although mostly MilkLove and NamtanFilm seem to be mixed up, ViewMim seem to be doing their own thing. Gmmtv turning up the heat on the GL side. This looks very fun, I'm here for it. Will watch.

Boys in Love: Three high school couples and some gay teachers to round it out. Don't know any of these kids and tbh didn't even realise until the end that there were three couples. Looks like a nice high school BL, but I'm probably too old for this. Will probably watch for Podd and Papang.

My Magic Prophecy: Doctor x fortune teller with some mystery and escaping to the country side. JimmySea romance storyline didn't really catch me but the mystery plot seems interesting. 2 seconds of TeeFranc look intriguing. Will wait for official trailer but will probably watch for the mystery.

A Dog and a Plane: Scruffy first responder x prim flight attendant who's getting cheated on by his pilot boyfriend. This looks extremely fun. TayNew and MarcPoom has me seated. Jojo directing again. Second most hyped show for me. Will definitely watch.

Me and Thee: Teaching an out of touch mafia boss how to court someone. Looks like a lot of fun. PondPhuwin seem to alternate between uni and mafia, good for them. Directed by X. Will almost definitely be watching.

Wu: Probably BL but could also be bromance, the Pilot wasn't definitive but from the discussion afterwards I'm leaning towards BL. Either way, down on his luck athlete fated to protect supernatural fortune teller kinda guy. This story seems to be in its early developement stage still but SkyNani/NaniSky has my full attention and what we've seen of the concept so far looks very promising. Looking forward to this. Will be watching.

Memoir of Rati: Period BL, translator of French diplomats falls in love with some sort of nobleman. IFYLITA vibes. GreatInn are a perfect fit for a period BL. AouBoom look promising as well. Personally not a big period drama enjoyer but this looks very good. Will almost definitely be watching.

Ticket to Heaven: Return of Aof, based on real events, slight period + heavy christianity. Aof is angling for his next award with this one. Looks very good, more queer cinema than BL. Not the biggest fan of GeminiFourth but they're talented and this will be really good probably. Have to watch it for my ultimate bias Aof, anyway. Will be watching.

Overall thoughts: 16 out of 20 BL is crazy, so much for the fear that Gmmtv will switch to focus on bromance. Would have liked some more GL but what we're getting looks good. In general this lineup has me very excited. There's not a single pilot that made me instantly say "Nope" this time. Even the one single straight show which I'll probably skip, looks very good. We're getting a good variety of genres and moods as well. Also not a single remake afaict.

The new BL trend for 2025 seems to be superstition and mystery. I'm very happy with that.

All shows in order of my hypedness:

Extremely hyped:

Only Friends: Dream On

A Dog and a Plane

Excited:

Girl Rules

Wu

Me and Thee

Love You Teacher

Not really excited but looking forward to because it will most likely be good:

Burnout Syndrome

Ticket to Heaven

Memoir of Roti

This will be fun:

Dare You to Death

MU-TE-LUV (this is an average, only FLYN would be a lot higher, the rest without them would be lower)

My Romance Scammer

Whale Store xoxo

That Summer

Looks interesting enough:

Boys in Love

Melody of Secrets

My Magic Prophecy

Cat for Cash

Head 2 Head

I'm happy for the het show enjoyers because this looks really good but I don't really care:

I Love "A Lot Of" You

[soobibabe]

scripted hearts teaser

pairings: jeon jungkook + reader. genre: romantic comedy (including eventual smut.) trope: actor/actress au, work romance, friends to lovers.

"And, scene. That's it for today everyone, good work!" the director shouts from behind the camera, wrapping off the recording.

But for you, there is a pause. The tension is so high in the room that for the first time, you can't distinguish yourself from your character anymore. Your co-stars' hands are around your waist, eyes meeting yours with so much intensity, it makes you dizzy.

The sound of the other actors calling your names for team dinner snaps you both back into reality. You're not sure what that was.

This isn't your first film with Jungkook. A few years ago, you worked together in your debut drama. It was one in which he was the second male lead and you were the main character's best friend.

Now, you're the main character. Jungkook, your leading man.

You're not used to romance dramas, you typically take on thriller roles. Maybe that's why filming scenes like these with close contact with him makes your heart pound out of your chest.

He clears his throat, "We should get going..." Did he feel it too? "yeah, let's go" you reply, reluctantly peeling yourself away from his embrace to return to your dressing room.

At dinner, Jungkook sits next to you and everyone's engaged in conversation. Perhaps you've had a little too much to drink, you're usually reserved but right now you can't help but feel so free. You're laughing at everything, smiling a lot more, and even making stupid jokes, your co-workers are perplexed.

"Cute".

You turn your head to Jungkook and he's already looking at you with the same enamored expression he has when you're filming 'Eternal Summer'. He's definitely not drunk, did he really say that?

"What is it?" you ask. "Nothing. You look pretty." he responds, causing you to blush at the unexpected compliment. What has gotten into him...

You wake up in your bed, not remembering when or how you got home. 'Did my manager pick me up?' There's a honey hangover on your nightstand. 'How thoughtful of Yura.'

Today's the day you have to do the promotion photoshoot with Jungkook. You're used to these, you recently shot one with Kim SO-Hyun for a commercial so it shouldn't be difficult, but this is Jeon Jungkook, the national heartthrob.

When you get there, your manager runs through the concept with you. "Thanks for the hangover curse by the way" Yura looks at you as you voice this, puzzled.

"Hey didn't I tell you not to drink if you can't remember what happened after?" She begins to scold.

"Oh! ahaha i was just kiddin-" you begin. "Y/n! Which outfit are we doing first?" Jungkook calls across the room, enraptured looking at the choices.

"Coming!" you yell back, smiling it Yura, thankful Jungkook's excitement saved you from an earful.

[after the shoot]

"Did you get the honey cure?" Jungkook inquires.

Your eyes widen at his sudden question. Theres no way you were that blacked-out. shit. "Wait, that was you?"

"Do you not remember?" his head tilts to the side, eyebrow quirking to match your confused expression.

You pause to think.

"Oh my god" you whisper under your breath, looking away from the taller figure, as the memories of last night run through your head like a 1900s stop-motion film.

[summarised text-version:] 1. Falling asleep on Jeon Jungkook's shoulder at the table. The group was too busy chatting and drunk themselves to notice your head on his strong arms. 2. Jungkook, realizing your sleepy state, gently nudging you awake and offering to drive you home. You refuse. Insisting that you were perfectly fine to walk, much to Jungkook's amusement. 3. Defeatedly allowing him the grace of escorting you home. Him wrapping his arm around your waist to steady you as you wobbled out of the restaurant. You, in your drunken haze, telling him he smelled nice, causing him to laugh softly. 4. After lots of sulking the whole car ride about how you were totally fine and could have stayed for more drinks, you arrived at your estate. You fumbled with your keys until Jungkook finally took them from you, opening the door. Once you're inside, you're reminded of just how lonely this huge place is. 5. Inviting Jeon Jungkook into your home. Once you're inside, you're reminded of just how isolating this huge place is. "Can you stay a little longer? I'm not tired yet, and it's too lonely here to entertain myself to sleep." you asked in pout, slurring your words unknowingly. Jungkook's eyes scanned your face attempting to examine if you were being serious, the sadden expression you displayed told him all that he needed to know. "Sure, no problem." he flashed a smile. "What do you wanna do? Talk? Movies? Games?" "All of the above!" you exclaim, eyes closed and hand in the air throwing an excited grin. "Adorable" he whispers inaudibly to you and ruffles your hair. 6. Passing time with a beautiful man in your abode. You lead him into your kitchen where you show him your wine collection, your beer fridge, and finally, your pantry, all of which you make known that he can access at any time. You make your way to your living room where you set up the consoles while he does whatever he's doing in the kitchen. Shortly after, jungkook joins you with 2 beers and ramen, sitting beside you taking the console out of your hand. "Missed me?" he asked, jokingly. "Ramen! What a man you are, Jeon." you say with a teasing tone. You really do appreciate his effort. You play whilst waiting for the food to cool down, the tension in the room rising when you grow competitive, annoyed at how astonishingly good jungkook is at this stupid game. "hey! you're cheating!" you dodge when his hand sneaks up to your side, endeavoring to tickle you, eliciting a laugh from him. In the end, jungkook wins all 3 matches, poking fun at your post-loss temper. But after a while passes, you're back in your haze again, Jungkook doesn't miss the sadness in your eyes when you look at him. "Are you okay? How come you drank so much? I remember when we shot 'Ephemeral' you refused to drink at team gatherings." his tender eyes soften upon meeting yours. "You're more observant than I realised. I became more open to drinking after Seo-Joon and I broke up" that's all you say before chugging the rest of your beer.

"Oh, I'm sorry for bringing that up then," he starts, but you interrupt him by saying; "Don't be. He couldn't make me cum anyway." Jungkook's jaw drops, expression changing from guilt to one of shock, and... pity?

"But -- weren't you with him for... a year?" he speaks as though he can't believe what he's saying. "Yeah well, his ego was too big for me to have burst it by telling him I didn't finish, so I just faked it." the alcohol seemed to make you more honest.

"It is what it is," you laugh it off, "don't look so startled".

"What about now?" his question catches you off guard this time. "Have you been able to get off?" the alcohol is probably getting to him now.

"I haven't been with anyone else since if that's what you're asking, but sometimes I just don't have the time to you know - do it myself." you admit, and he's stunned.

"How about I help you?" with the face of the person asking, you don't need much convincing. "When? right now?" you ask, a little puzzled.

"Wow, I didn't know you wanted me that badly," he smirks "No silly, not now. When you're sober, if you need me, you can have me." with that being said, your cheeks are now a new shade of red and it's not from the alcohol.

"I'm gonna go get another beer," you announce before drifting out into the dark halls to your kitchen, ignoring that you can practically hear your heartbeat racing.

When you come back to the living room, Jungkook has already switched the videogames to Netflix, waiting for your return to start 'The Notebook'.

Halfway into the movie, you fall asleep on his shoulder for the second time that night. He cleans up, trying not to move too much in order to not wake you.

He lifts you bridal style -- like you were a feather, taking you to your room and tucking you into your bed. Before he leaves. he goes back into the fridge to take out the honey hangover remedy he made when you arrived, placing it on your bedside table for when you wake up.

[the end >.<] There are many gaps in the flashback of last night, however, that doesn’t stop you from being flushed with embarrassment. "Jungkook I am so sorry about-"

"I had fun. We should hang out more." he shuts down your apology, subsequently ridding you of any overthinking that was about to take place in your head.

“I agree,” you speak before giving much thought to your answer — did you answer too quickly?

“Like right now. My blood sugars low from all that losing i want a sweet treat” he interrupts before you can attempt to modify your response. It’s like he can see right through you.

You’re still processing Jungkook’s comment when he continues, a playful glint in his eye. “How about we head to that café down the street for some dessert? I heard they have the best pastries in town.”

The idea of spending more time with him, especially in a relaxed setting, fills you with a mix of excitement and apprehension. You nod, trying to keep your composure. “That sounds great. Let me just grab my jacket.”

A/N: Currently, there is no official release date for the full story. However, I am eager to hear your thoughts on the storyline so far.

To be added to the official taglist, please click here!

By joining the taglist, you will receive notifications when the story is published, as you will be tagged in the official announcement by the author.

© all rights reserved soobibabe on tumblr. do not cross-post, copy or translate etc.

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[miraculouslbcnreactions]

What are your opinions on more „popular“ salt takes about Adrien and Mari, like the typical „Adrichat is an ass for for flirting with LB after she rejects him“ and „Maribug us a horrible stalker“?

Well, I'd be lying if I said that I have no idea where they're coming from. There are definitely times when I'll watch an episode and wonder what in the world the writers are trying to do, especially when it comes to Adrien's behavior as it's played a lot more straight than Marinette's. While I don't like her behavior at times, it's almost always treated as a joke, not a dramatic character beat whereas I cannot say the same for Adrien.

But these are characters in a TV show, not real people and we need to keep that in mind when judging them. It's why my go-to thought is "what is wrong with the writing staff" and not "Adrien is an incel." Because Adrien is very clearly not supposed to be an incel. Unless the writers are plotting something truly asinine, the Love Square is our end game couple. We are supposed to view Adrien as a charming and funny romantic lead. When he falls short of that role, it's not Adrien "showing his true colors." He's a fictional character. He has no true colors. If his actions and words are ever unbecoming for a romantic lead, it's because the writers are failing to write Adrien the way they want us to see him.

They consistently do this to all of the characters. Alya's supposed to be an awesome friend and a smart journalist (I think), but she can't see through Lila's BS. Marinette's parents are supposed to be loving and supportive, but they randomly believed that their daughter stole from their bakery to make a dress and didn't even try to let her explain herself. Nino is supposed to be the Chosen of Protection, but he didn't care to protect his best friend and just happily sent Gabriel on a rampage without a second thought.

Give me a character and I can point to a bunch of episodes that justify every salty take this fandom has because they're not pulling this stuff from thin air. They're picking and choosing the worst writing in the show and venting about it, which is frankly understandable. Like I get why there are so many Alya salt fics. Her writing in the Lila episodes is infuriating and I do find those fics a little cathartic at times. But it's really, really obvious that she's not supposed to be a terrible friend. She's a victim of the writers drawing the Lila plot line out for far too long and making Lila's lies far too obvious.

Similarly, a lot of the issues with Adrien and Marinette stem from the fact that you simply can't draw a romance plot out for five seasons without causing issues unless you make the romance a background plot. But they didn't do that. The love square is front and center for most episodes, but since it can't actually resolve, the writers keep adding drama that makes our leads feel horribly unhealthy.

On the Marinette side, her not being able to talk to Adrien was fine as an initial issue, but we are five seasons into this show. Over 100 episodes! You reach a point where it stops being cute and starts being concerning. It's also not helped by the fact that Marinette's crush is written like a celebrity crush and not a crush on someone she actually knows. Daily exposure to Adrien should mellow her out. Especially since he's supposed to be her friend! But if the writers let Marinette talk to Adrien, then they'd grow closer and might feel like they had to get together, so they couldn't let that. Thus Marinette being a disaster for four seasons and the terrible shoehorned plot to try and justify it in season five.

On the Adrien side, they let Chat Noir confess too soon. Prior to that, the Ladynoir relationship was a playful one where it was feasible that Ladybug just viewed her kitty as a massive flirt. This was especially true since he flirts with everyone. But once she knew that he was serious? The playfulness vanished and Chat Noir started coming across as entitled and pushy. It didn't help that they had him ignoring her preferences ("Don't call me Bugaboo") and getting them in trouble by not taking his job seriously (his flirting getting them hit in Oblivio).

In summary, the love square should have been resolved much sooner or been relegated to a b plot that got far less attention. I also would have reversed the square since it makes for a far more interesting story that you can organically draw out longer, but that's just me. I don't have any issue with people ignoring the canon problems and just writing Adrien and Marinette as the cute couple that they were obviously intended to be. I also enjoy fics that treat Adrien's pushiness as a character flaw that can be resolved because that's what canon should have done. His issues aren't the mark of a terrible person. They're the understandable flaws of a teenager who is in love for the first time and doesn't know how to express himself. If a show would actually address this kind of common tween/teen issue, then a lot of kids would get an incredibly valuable lesson that would help them when they grow up and fall in love. If you're ever watching Miraculous with a kid, I strongly encourage you to approach Adrien's character from that perspective. Talk about why his actions are understandable, but ultimately wrong and more likely to push someone away than win their heart just like we see with Ladybug.

[absolutebl]

Was wondering if you keep track of BL music videos and if you have recs for something similar to Tu Tem (https://youtu.be/4GuR_g75ufY) and Tu Tem 2 (https://youtu.be/5d6IiLmjQYg)

These two vids have so much drama packed in and w/ their god damn plot twists, I ended up wondering if there's more like these out there

You want ...

The OnlyOneOf BL MV series 

YooJung (main dancer, visual) - begin - BL love story continued in... 

KB (lead rapper, visual) - be free - continuation and other side of above story 

JunJi (lead vocalist, lead dancer) - be mine - second BL couple story continued in... 

Rie (lead vocalist, lead dancer) - because - other side of above second couple, this one has the BL pool trope and is a break up MV 

Mill (main rapper) - beat - this is my favorite of the series it’s a “saving him from his bullies” romance, very cute, completed in... 

Nine 'beyOnd' (vocalist, mak) - beyond - other side of above third couple, bit of a bad boy trope

These last two are the ones who are reported to be staring in forthcoming KBL Bump Up Business.

I talk about some of the BL MV's that I know about at the bottom of my Kpop Idol ins BL tracing post:

More Kpop MV BLs:

K.will - Please don't... - unquestionably the most famous, this is a tragic BL and features two extremely famous Kdrama actors from almost a decade ago! 

Park Won - Fuxxxxx crazy - features Han Se Jin from Mr Heart and Lee Ki Hyun from Light On Me) 

Park Won - Fuxxxxx crazy - in English, vocal by 스텔라장, with additional sexy footage 

The Rose - Beauty and the Beast - 3 fairy stories, one of which is gay 

OnlyOneOf’s hit libitO also has BL themes. 

LOVE is RIGHT

Bonus: 'Fuxxxxx Crazy' MV Making Film 

Most of Holland’s stuff is hella gay, but not necessarily BL. 

Taiwanese BL actor, Lin Yu (OuWen in Love is Science?) featured in a sad gay MV

[mirambles]

Guilty Pleasure Kdramas - Descendants of the Sun.

On a lazy Sunday afternoon I rewatched Descendants of the Sun. For all its flawed writing, an ending twist that none of us needed, I still love this drama and the main reason is how charming Song Joong Ki is as Captain Yoo Si Jin. SJK is not a strong built muscular man - the ones who would usually fit the bill of an army captain. The script writer even takes a jovial dig at this when Kim Ji Won’s character says he looks like a girl. Despite his slim face and petite frame he carries off the role with lot of panache. You can’t take your eyes off the screen everytime he is on it.

His confessions of love I can rewatch many times. No wonder the line should I confess or should I apologise went viral when the show aired and still features amongst the top dialogues in KDramas.

YooSiJin is witty and sarcastic, confident and brave, empathetic with strong morals, charming at flirting and dropping lines that are cheesy, but will still make your heart flutter and as a bonus is handsome. What’s not to love about him?

SHK looks gorgeous and while I am not a fan of her acting, I couldn’t stop being in awe of how pretty she looked in what are simple day outfits - cotton dresses , linen shirts and shorts rightly suiting the climate the drama is based in. The wardrobe I aspire to have! Once back to Korea she is in baggy trousers, long jumpers or scrubs and still looks ethereal.

This is the first drama of Kim Ji Won that I watched and her chemistry with JinGoo was sizzling! I was as invested in the second leads as I was in the main leads. While the angst and breakup owing to the father dragged on, at no point did those two bore you.

SJK and JinGoo’s bromance is also amongst my favourite bromances in Kdramaland. Despite the clear difference in their army ranks - their loyalty , respect , unwavering support and love for each other was evident in every single frame.

I can rarely enjoy dramas if the supporting cast is not good and this one has a good squad in the medical and army gang who kept the atmosphere light and funny. The white actor as the villain was unbearable to watch and later in my kdrama journey I would realise this is the norm - they are just bad actors and maybe dramas don’t have the budget to hire good non-Korean actors.

Not to forget to mention that this drama’s soundtrack remains amongst my top 3! YoonMiRae’s Always remains my top Kdrama song ever!

People call the drama cheesy, the plot all over the place, and that the last twist of back from the dead in the last two episodes dragged the show down! I don’t debate any of this and ultimately we all have our guilty pleasures. Guilty pleasures are exactly this - we know they are flawed, but if watching the drama gives you joy, you will keep rewatching it. As I do with DOTS - because even after 4 years and multiple rewatches, I can’t get over the charm of Song Joong Ki as Captain Yoo Sijin. I have since loved him in Vincenzo and ReBorn Rich, but both had no romance plots and I would really like him back on my screen wooing his lady love!

So tell me which KDramas are your guilty pleasures?

[kdramaxoxo]

'Queen of Divorce' ep 1-5 - Thoughts

Ok I just need to take a minute to talk about Queen of Divorce. First off, I love a noona romance with two leads in their 40's, so that's GOLD. It's a second chance romance which is so rare in k-dramas and I'm here for that!

The setup is that the FL is a badass who runs a company that helps victims (pretty much all ladies) with divorce. She went to prison because she was framed by her d*ck ex husband and learns to fight and be well, like super-hero-awesome. Her company has a fun team who run missions to try and win fights against jerks! HERE FOR THAT.

I'm on episode 5 and I can't QUITE put my finger on why I'm a little bored but I think it's two problems.

#1: The Villain Plot is just okay. The "villain" is the FL's ex husband who has remarried and won't give the current wife a favorable divorce. (like I said he's a d*ck). He's trying to build a lawyer city (I'm sorry this makes no sense and who cares) and his mom is your standard Big Bad Chairperson. He does really bad things and the FL lead is there at every turn to fight him but it's so uncreative! She doesn't even get to use her amazing fighting skills or anything! There's no humor in the story so it feels a bit too serious. Mostly he just does cruel things to foil their plans and emotionally abuse the FL, and they figure out how to fight back. It feels like it's dragging and I don't even care about this dude and HATE anytime the mom is on screen. I

#2: The show needs humor. Ok, this is Kang Ki Young's first ever romantic lead role and they are wasting his potential in my opinion. The show is FINE. Really it's not bad. BUT KKY is a master of comedic timing, usually has a LOT of charisma, and always is the most interesting side character of every drama he's in and they made him kinda bland? This show should 100% be a law COMEDY with romance, and instead it's a law show with some romance. A total missed opportunity to have funny and snarky moments with the main ship and the villains when they confront one another! Think of what could have been with some light moments built in throughout! I think his popularity in Extraordinary Attorney Woo is what gave him this role as a lawyer, but they really needed to take hints from the tone of that drama when making this one.

So, if you like more seriously and traditional chairperson plots and strong FLs, you'll probably like this show. I mean I personally DO like this drama overall. If you love Kang Ki Young and wanna see him kiss obviously watch this show lol.

[bellaaldamas]

OH MY GOD I THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO LOWKEY SHIPPED HILDISVÍNI AND SIF!!! The whole mending ties between the nations and realizing that they like each other as time goes on is so 😋

they’re great very slow slowburn material :D

This makes the two of us, then ;) Because admittedly, I wholeheartedly assumed it's my unapologetically pro-romance, "more girly interests and less male power fantasies in the media" self that invests in the potential of these two having a romantic relationship. On a serious note, a romantic arc with these characters opens innumerable possibilities for development and would serve as an excellent continuation of GowR message of moving on from toxic past and forging a better future of free will (first concept was the foundation of Freya's arc - especially Freya's missing peace side quest. Whereas the second one reflects Kratos and Atreus's journey - "so much to rebuild", Atreus embarking on his quest to find remaining giants; with Angrboda, yet again, honoring his decision and letting him go despite how difficult it was for her to part with him while also giving him the option to seek her out if he wanted to; hence gifting him her marble like he did his before).

Hildisvini is shown as a mentor type. He fulfilled a definite fatherly role for Freya and Freyr whereas with Atreus he didn't at all hold it against him that the latter mortally wounded him in his boar form (although that wound still gave Hildisvini trouble in his human form). Furthermore, he didn't baby or infantilize Atreus but rather saw him for a skilled young warrior with a lot of potential which he encouraged Atreus to use and treated him like an equal partner (another perfect mentor trait).

However, Hildisvini could benefit from abandoning the mentor role for a change and trying a different one, where he would have a partner-opponent whom he could have healthy and constructive arguments with and who would challenge him. Sif, showing her willingness to work with Hildisvini in the end in order to "rebuild" and create a better future, would, for her part, have the chance to partner with a self reliant and mentally independent man. A drastic change from her marriage to a passionate but spineless, easily manipulated late husband Thor. Who was never able break free from the toxic influence of his own father, even when he and Sif lost both sons because of Odin and were confronted with the risk of potentially losing their daughter. Who, despite being different and less self destructive than Magni and Modi, still absorbed her grandfather's problematic thinking and fell for his manipulations (such as when Thrud referred to Freya as Odin's "treacherous ex wife"). In that vein, Hildisvini's possible interactions with Thrud and an inevitable conflict would make for an interesting and necessary development for Thrud (as @stupidrant accurately pointed out in our recent exchange).

You're absolutely right about Hildisvini and Sif being a perfect slow burn material in a way that would logically fit into their story and characters as opposed to being a needlessly stretched out drama. Atreus and Angrboda, for instance, are more about open self expression and an unfolding in real time budding romance - the first such arc in Gow universe so far if I'm not mistaken (I've still yet to familiarize myself with the Greek saga), especially where first real and substantial feeling is concerned. Kratos and Faye were a classic "relationship of the past that the characters can never get back" (because - which is also a classical trope - one half of the pair has passed away) and that the leading character and the main story arc are fundamentally influenced by.

Sif and Hildisvini could provide a different but no less enticing type of romantic build up where two characters with rich personal history realize their attraction and feelings through active communication for the sake of the common cause.

[asmallmoon333]

What do you think Light would be if not a detective?

I like to think Light would become an idol after getting scouted, then go into acting with the goal of using his newfound fame for activism. Very, ah, unlikely, I know. But its a fun thought 🙈

What's your non-detective career for Light?

Okay!! This is a fun question and I've been turning it around in my head for a couple days lol. Apologies in advance, my brain took this not as "what do I think/like" but as "how would I write this" and boom, I ended up overthinking it and making a couple of AUs....again. Hope it's at least amusing!

Actor AU. I actually really like this AU, entertainment-industry!Light sounds really fun, and I don't think your idea is unlikely! Now I don't see him as the sing-and-dance type of idol, but a model and then actor? Yup, I can see this, and I think it would be really fun to explore Light's propensity to live in an act, and make that not only his daily life, but also his career. So the way this AU would start is fairly simple: he'd be walking, and some famous person, probably Misa, would be doing a public shoot. The male lead doesn't show, so she'd point Light out in the crowd and make the crew add him to the shoot as her boyfriend. The photographer wouldn't protest cause Light is handsome, and MisaMisa is a beloved idol, so why not play along? Light would be annoyed but would also play along cause he's a 'nice guy' (and also cause they'd pay him, so easy money.) Plus they would promise not to reveal his face, which is key here. In Light's mind, it's an ego boost, so why not? But, of course, the pictures do get out, showing his face and 'devoted boyfriend act,' they're well received by the public. So now Misa won't shut up about him in interviews, starts to insist they're dating, and Light gets some small fame. He's the 'prince type,' and when Misa moves into acting movies, she wants him to have a role, and they give him something small. Light kinda doesn't want to, kinda does, but is mostly annoyed by the 'small role' thing and wants to show them he can do any 'stupid acting job.' And so he does do it, and plays the role very very well, and from there he gets popular. Light starts an acting career, he does it part-time alongside Uni (which is too easy for him, so he'd bored and has free time lol). The acting jobs also pay very well which is his main concern, since they'd help him get his own place. He also finds he doesn't hate it; it's more interesting than tutoring jobs at least. By this point, he's been typecast as the romantic male lead character or the second male lead, a prince type. Acting is easy for him, he knows what emotions to put on, and so the jobs are pretty easy for him while also building his fame. Eventually, he does this more full time as the roles get bigger, and as you said he also always speaks up for Just Causes in interviews. (to both build his reputation, but also to justify it to himself that he's going this for a 'good reason'). Light developed got a very clean public image, while in the background he's experienced enough shady things in the industry that he learns how to handle it and gets good at buring his opponents. He sees it as an interesting bonus to acting, lol. Now, here's where the AU gets fun; Light grows bored of generic romance movies, and eventually picks up more complicated scrips. Historical dramas, thrillers, etc. These are more challenging, more interesting, and he soon realizes he can slowly start letting his 'real' self out for the first time in his life, shocking the viewers with his 'realistic acting' in much darker media and roles. Then he'd revert to his good-and-humble prince self in public. He'll be known as a genius actor with a great personality. While internally, he'll also get catharsis by playing darker roles and exploring the emotions he was never able to in his daily life. The act becomes the truth, and the truth the act. It's a cool reversal! (Bonus points if L one day sees a darker movie of his and is watching very intently and goes "......he's not acting." And gets interested in Light. Boom, I shoved lawlight in there too!)

Politician AU Okay, now for a darker career path for Light, another AU that I really like to think about: Politician Light Yagami. But this one is actually not a 'If Light wasn't a detective' AU, it's one that takes place years in the future, after the detective bits. In this AU, Light did go to the NPA, climbed the ranks, and eventually he achieved his canon goal of being Director of the NPA. Probably in his 30s, a stupid young age, and everyone is in awe. And Light likes it for a while, he enjoys the power, but then he stats to slowly come to terms with the fact that crime is not the real enemy, its politics. That he can't fix the real problems just by getting rid of the symptoms (criminals) but that it's the sickness itself he has to eradicate. Light gets jaded over the years here, his 17-year-old naivety is gone, and he finds even the Director of the NPA has to bow down to other people (which he hates). But he tells himself it's cause he still doesn't have the power to enact real change. But, most characteristic of all? Light is bored, probably gets there within 3-5 years as the Director. It's boring now, he's reached the top, found it to be unsatisfying, so...now what? Another 20 years of this? Nope! Now, I don't know anything about the Japanese political system, but I know that Light Yagami, using his position as a political basis, would then run for some type of public office. He'd hand the NPA to a puppet he cultivated, and move on to more powerful positions, climbing higher and higher. His hands would get so dirty, and he'd do some truly horrific things, but in true Light fashion, he'd justify it as being 'for the greater good.' After all, the system is corrupt, and Light is "the only one who can fix it," and only by temporarily playing by their rules can he take charge. Or so he tells himself. But really, Light just lives for the thrill; the political enemies to outsmart, the people to set up, the 'bodies' to climb over, he lives on it, even while always telling himself it's for the greater good. And to his credit, he does make positive social changes (he needs social support in politics, after all) and he develops a great reputation in both his offices, and as his stint as head of the NPA (since crime went down in his hands.) People trust him, voters like him, and he looks great on a newspaper or magazine cover. He's also very clean politically, because no one can pin him down for anything. Only his fallen opponents know the truth, but even they doubt it sometimes. In this AU Light Yagami would climb to the greatest social position he could get in Japan....only to eventually realize that the victory of that bores him, too. So he'd have to come up with new goals, new methods, and maybe he'd even turn his eyes on neighbouring countries that are "chaotic" and "ruining his perfect vision of the world." (Let's squeeze L into the AU here, cause someone has to stop Light from starting World War 3.) Not sure how this would all end, but history would remember him as either a revolutionary, or a terrible dictator. The type of politician no one ever wants to see again.

And, well, there you go!! Two career paths that I can see Light pursuing, and best of all two stories that I think would be interesting to see unfold! Thank you for the fun question!

[gingerjunhan]

movie nights with xdinary heroes

☆彡 the fabled movie night fic is here!! I hope you all enjoy! :D

word count: 968 | pronouns used: none | genre: fluff, established relationship | cws: all caps w/ Ode (sorry I got excited), lmk if I missed any!

goo gunil

you’re watching: horror

this is 100% a ploy to make you scared so he can swoop in to help

something tells me that Gunil would also be super scared

he tries his best to be brave for you but it doesn’t work

but it’s okay because you love him so you find it endearing

his ego would shoot through the roof if you turned to him for comfort

let's say a really scary part happened and you turned to him to hide your face in his chest

or you scooted closer to him on the couch, clutching his hand

he would feel so strong 💪🏻

he just wants to protect you from everything!

even if it is a horror movie demon!

after the movie ends, Gunil is secretly very happy that you two share a bed

because whether he showed his fear out-worldly or not it was definitely still there

he holds you so tight as you both try to fall asleep

“It wasn’t that scary,” you’d argue

“I’m just making sure you’re safe,” he’d argue back

kim jungsu

you’re watching: rom-com

Jungsu gives me BIG rom-com energy!!!!

I feel like Jungsu just loves seeing other people in love :’) ugh he's the sweetest

if you choose a cheesy “chick flick” he literally will not complain

he wants you both to have fun together

as long as he’s with you he doesn’t care what you guys do

if the lead roles in the movie kiss I feel like he would jokingly cover your eyes

if he was feeling bold he would use this movie as an opportunity

the lead roles are kissing in the rain and he hits you with the, “we should try that sometime”

he would absolutely find the movie funnier than you would

if he finds out the movie is a part of a series????

get ready to binge

nothing beats watching people fall in love with the one that he loves!

kwak jiseok

you’re watching: comedy

this is his lighthearted fun time with you where he doesn’t have to think about work or stress so he’s here to have FUN

nothing will be taken seriously between the two of you for the entire length of the film

you’re laughing at the jokes in the movie

making your own jokes about the movie and laughing even harder at each other

I can 100% picture Gaon tossing a piece of popcorn into the air and trying to catch it in his mouth and missing

I also feel like Gaon would purposely like to watch bad movies

“This movie is terrible!”

“I know! It has a 32% on Rotten Tomatoes!”

in his head, the worse the movie = the funnier it is

imagine the two of you watch a movie that’s absolutely TERRIBLE

yet because of the two of you laughing and joking about it so much you just end up loving it

Gaon can absolutely make any situation funny and movie nights with him prove that

oh seungmin

you’re watching: romance

YOU CANNOT TELL ME THAT NUMBER ONE VILLAIN LOVER OH SEUNGMIN DOESN’T FREQUENT ROMANCE MOVIES

sorry I got carried away for a second

but picture it!

with all the dramas he watches and his general flirtatious nature, Ode is always down to watch a romance

he takes note of the cliches and pockets them for later

his eyes frequently wander to you during the length of the movie

seeing which parts make you blush the hardest

it’s information he uses against you at a later date

imagine him kissing you every time the lead roles kiss WNDKWJSK

can you tell he’s been bias wrecking me lately??

Ode also strikes me as the type to love love

seeing people fall in love never fails to give him butterflies

especially after getting to experience it himself with you

han hyeongjun

you’re watching: something animated

Jun Han strikes me as an animated movie lover for obvious reasons

you could recommend Disney, Ghibli, Pixar, anything!

he would be down to watch it

animated movies are typically light hearted, but let's break some things down:

if there’s a duet, you better make him sing it!!

bonus points if it’s a princess movie and he sings the princess part

if the movie gets unexpectedly sad?

it’s over for both of you

you would turn to Jun Han with tears in your eyes

and he would have tears in his eyes

and you would both either laugh at each other for crying or you would just sit there and cry together

once you finish the movie, I can imagine you and Jun Han talking about the animation itself

(is this me projecting as an art kid? maybe yes)

I just feel like Jun Han would have a high appreciation for good art/ animation!

you can never go wrong with an animated movie, so be prepared to frequent them with Jun Han

lee jooyeon

you’re watching: comedy

I feel like Jooyeon would NOT be able to handle a sad movie AT ALL

so the happier the movie the better 👍🏻

you would take turns picking the movie

he would always jokingly complain about the movie you pick but then he would end up loving it

Jooyeon would have you wrapped in his arms the whole time

pulled tightly to his chest

so you can feel his laughter right up against your back :’)

you two would be laughing so hard together that everything else around you would seem like it wouldn’t exist for a little while

it’s just the two of you in your own little bubble

unlike Gaon, Jooyeon doesn’t watch bad movies for fun

if a movie has a dumb ending I can totally picture him booing at the TV screen 💀

which just makes you both laugh in the end

Jooyeon loves shared laughter, so he’s glad he can experience it with you!

[warningsine]

Exquisitely twisted and perversely romantic, Interview with the Vampire returns with another feast of juicy melodrama.

Once again the story unfolds over multiple timeframes, structured around the titular interview with 145-year-old vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson). Speaking to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian), he narrates a gothic memoir of love, betrayal, self-loathing, and inhuman morality. Part interrogation, part therapy, these interview scenes see Daniel attempt to dissect Louis' curated recollections of the past.

It's not surprising to learn that several of IWTV's writers are playwrights. Anchored by Jacob Anderson's multifaceted performance, the show switches back and forth between maximalist emotion and tense psychodrama, backed by a sumptuous orchestral score by Daniel Hart. The characters often seem to be performing for an audience, whether it's literally on stage, or in a persona crafted for someone else's benefit. These self-absorbed monsters simply love to create drama.

Season 1 ended with a one-two punch of plot twists, as Louis recounted the bloody end of his relationship with Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid) and revealed that his human assistant "Rashid" is actually his 514-year-old vampire lover, Armand (Assad Zaman). No wonder Daniel snidely compares Louis' life to a telenovela.

Keeping Armand on the backburner for an entire season was a thrillingly bold move, upending the power dynamics of the interview and giving Daniel a second source as we delve into Louis and Armand's first meeting in 1940s Paris.

After disposing of Lestat, Louis and Claudia (Delainey Hayles) travel through war-torn Europe in search of other vampires. Previously acting as father and daughter, they're now more like siblings, with Claudia dragging Louis along in her search for a vampiric family. Her quest leads them to the Théâtre des Vampires, a theater troupe who use gory cabaret to attract their human prey. Armand is their director, a subdued figure compared to showboating performers like the Théâtre's lead actor Santiago, a sexy egomaniac played to the hilt by the marvelous Ben Daniels. 

Replacing Claudia's original actor, Bailey Bass, Delainey Hayles reintroduces Claudia in a more mature role. Fearless but still yearning for recognition, she forges a new life while grappling with old, unsolvable problems. Immortality has trapped her in perpetual adolescence, a taboo in vampire culture. Intriguingly, her most interesting new relationship this season is with a human woman (Roxane Duran).

Louis, meanwhile, still struggles with his identity as a vampire. Wandering on the outskirts of human society, he becomes a compulsive photographer, trying to figure out his place in a world without Lestat. 

This season's biggest challenge is retaining the show's momentum without Sam Reid at center stage. His Lestat is the role of a lifetime: a magnetic tyrant whose powerhouse emotions balance out Jacob Anderson's more naturalistic performance. Their chemistry cemented IWTV as must-watch television, and you can't just throw that away. With Lestat unavoidably absent for this chunk of Louis' memories, the solution is to bring him back as a hallucinatory ghost, haunting Louis' blossoming romance with Armand. 

In yet another miraculous piece of casting, Assad Zaman is equally convincing as a steely vampiric leader and as a doe-eyed Renaissance muse. Surveying the world with a mournful, heavy-lidded gaze, his resting expression is haughty and serene. It's a serenity born of meticulous control, which Daniel Molloy threatens to disrupt.

Scorning Louis and Armand's cutesy displays as a happy couple, Daniel is now doubly motivated to find discrepancies in their story. His vampire hosts may hold all the physical power, but perhaps they made a mistake by inviting an investigative journalist over the threshold. 

Interview with the Vampire revels in the idea of subjective, unreliable narrators: redacted journals, emotional bias, supernatural hypnosis. Louis wants to take charge of his own story, narrating the historical flashbacks in a poetic, practiced monologue. He's probably been rehearsing this conversation for decades, keen to revise his first interview with Daniel in 1973 — a meeting that Daniel recalls with a suspicious lack of clarity. Behind this floats the specter of Armand-as-Rashid, sitting quietly in the corner of Louis' "solo" interview scenes last season. Armand wants to shape the narrative too.

In Season 1, Armand's ever-present iPad felt like an affectation of his secretarial persona. Now we recognize it as a facet of his controlling personality, constantly taking notes and managing his business at a distance. Back in the 1940s, this trait made itself known in his role as a theater director, watching from the rafters and scribbling in the margins of the company's scripts. Armand even takes his iPad to bed, a location that noticeably lacks the carnality of Louis' relationship with Lestat. 

Contrasting with Lestat's volatile passions, Armand presents himself as a civilized and caring partner. He's diligent and soft-spoken. He and Louis finish each other's sentences, mirroring their body language in coordinated outfits. Yet the absent Lestat still has immense gravitational pull in Louis' psyche. Driven by feverish desires and snarling fits of rage, his love was possessive, all-encompassing, and addictive. 

In a gothic romance, there's no escape and no happily-ever-after. Louis can't let go of Lestat, and Armand can't ignore Lestat's lingering presence in his lover's memories. Every permutation of this love triangle is toxic in its own way. Louis claims that Armand is the love of his life, but really he just exchanged one unhealthy relationship for another. You get the impression that Armand has spent decades troubleshooting the best way to keep Louis by his side, resulting in a soft, solicitous attitude with an undertone of Munchausen's by proxy. 

Armand's controlling influence extends to the architecture of their minimalist Dubai penthouse, a sort of luxury terrarium built to keep Louis contained. Once upon a time he visited jazz bars and rubbed shoulders with humanity. Now he's completely isolated from the outside world, cloistered away in a tax haven for business tycoons.

A set of decorative bars frame their bedroom like a cage, and the apartment's floor-to-ceiling windows represent a potential death trap for Louis. Unlike Armand, he's still young enough to be vulnerable to sunlight. Their household library is similarly tailored to Armand's superhuman powers, shelved in midair where Armand can fly up and peruse their collection but Louis — still stuck on the ground with the humans — faces a physical barrier to entry. 

Amid all this, you may find yourself hoping that this purse-mouthed little control freak gets what's coming to him. And that's the magic of Interview with the Vampire, because really, who are we kidding? Is Armand really the bad guy here? No! Everyone's the bad guy!

By any reasonable metric, all of the vampire characters are serial killers. At one point Armand and Louis have a flirty little chat while their pals massacre an entire mansion of partygoers in the background. It's absurd to analyze their story from a moralizing perspective. Claudia is probably the most sympathetic character of all, and she'd happily tear out throats from dusk till dawn. As for Lestat, we want him to return because he makes for good television, not because he's good for Louis.

This embrace of emotion over logic and ethics is what makes IWTV so compelling. Current pop culture isn't comfortable with melodrama, keeping it at arm's length with uncomfortable laughter and derogatory comparisons to soap opera. But Interview with the Vampire has no interest in irony or restraint. Its humor lies in the overlap between comedy and horror, and its central performances hinge on total commitment. Rarely do we see such a clever, creative work of adaptation, mining classic vampire tropes for a deliciously energizing take on the genre.