#honestly this anime is a pure masterpiece

[neospokenworld]

I'm watching Cowboy Bebop for the second time and I just realized something

You know, there are some episodes of Cowboy Bebop that I don't really pay much mind to because while I can clearly see the journey of all of the members, at the end of the day each episode is it's own story so I enjoy them individually. But right now as I'm watching the series for the second time (this time with the english dub) I feel like I finally understood that final part of the episode 'Sympathy for the Devil'

(Spoiler Warning, I know this came out like 26 years ago but still lol)

This episode pretty much foreshadows Spike's death right then and there. In the final moments when Spike shoots that prodigy kid and he ages up until his final moments he says that he can finally die and feels so heavy, but so at ease at the same time and Spike doesn't understand at the moment because he still feels heavily chained to the past, and as we know, that goes for the majority of the series with Spike pretty much avoiding making any connection with anyone consciously. He knows that the last time he had a connection with other people he ended up on the very verge of death and even having to escape, to the point that the few people he knew that are still alive thought of him as a dead man for years. He doesn't want to make a deep connection with anyone again to avoid hurting himself and the closest ones to him again, I think the only person in the Bebop he truly considered close was Jet and mostly because they were together for who know how much time now (and even then Jet would feel more like a sort of distant friend to Spike, they care about each other but don't delve too much into each other's personal stuff)

If you've watched Cowboy Bebop before you would know that every adult member there is chained to the past in some way. Jet with his exgirlfriend in Ganymede; Faye with her memory loss; and Spike with his time at the Red Dragon and with Julia. They're all chained to the past and over the course of the series they learn to move on from it and they start having a deeper connection with one another, everyone except for Spike, who is still chained back to it until the final moments of the show when he meets Julia again and he sees her die with his own eyes.

Until that point he had refused to let go, to break his chains that kept him trapped, but seeing how Julia died in front of him made him understand what that prodigy kid he killed time ago meant about feeling so heavy, yet so at ease at the same time...

The loss of someone you loved is not something that hits lightly, but yet one of the final pieces that kept his time stopped was finally gone, so he was free to let go, his time started moving again but, like that kid, he was already on borrowed time.

He went to face Vicious to see if he was really alive, to prove to himself that he wasn't a ghost that just had been wandering around for so many years, I feel that while Spike understood what that kid meant back then right when Julia died, he felt just like him in this exact moment. That's why he did the same 'Bang' that he did back then. He felt like his time was already gone once, had a second chance, and while he has to carry the weight of the decisions he made on this second chance to the afterlife, for a moment he felt like his time finally moved again, he felt like his chains were broken once and for all

[evertomorrowart]

Best of YouTube 2023

Yes, I did spend the first week and change of January on this. I wish I could have had it done for New Years, but too many people came out with incredible work in December, so waiting turned out for the best.

What these creators do are a huge influence on my life, I would honestly have difficulty doing what I do without them. That isn't to say that my favorites of the year are *only* on this image--It was almost impossible to narrow down my favorites. Many creators I wanted to include couldn't fit on a single page, and too many of them made more than one video I wished I could draw too!

But, to all of you, thank you for what you do. You're an inspiration.

For those who don't know, further is an explanation.

At the bottom center is an artistic masterpiece by Defunctland: "Journey to EPCOT Center: A Symphonic History." Over the last several years, Defunctland has risen from delightfully-entertaining commentary on decommissioned theme park attractions to occasionally dropping profound statements on the creation of art itself. "Journey to EPCOT Center: A Symphonic History" is worth treating like the cinematic experience it is: No second screen, you sit your ass down in front of a TV, set down the phone, and then you *watch it.* Any Disney, theme park, or independent film fan needs to pay attention to this one.

Bottom left is Caelan Conrad with their piece "Drop the T - The Deadly Consequences of Gay Respectability Politics." While I do think they've done more visually or artistically-daring pieces before, "Drop the T" is one of the most important videos released on YouTube in today's current climate of hate. We as queer folk (and our allies) need to understand how integral every identity of the queer experience has been since the start of the Civil Rights movement (and before!). While we are not identical, we *are* inseparable, and we deserve having our real history easily accessible.

TERFs and other conservative mouthpieces need not reply. Your opinions are trash. 😘

I cannot stop watching and rewatching this video by @patricia-taxxon, "On the Ethics of Boinking Animal People." It's not just a defense of furry fandom and its eccentricities, it's a thoughtful and passionate analysis of what the artform achieves that purely human representation can't. Patricia goes outside of her usual essay format to directly speak to the viewer about the elements that define furry media (the most succinct definition I've ever heard) and just how *human* an act loving animal cartoons really is.

As an artist who can draw furry characters, but never really got into erotic furry art, this video is a treasure. Why did I choose to have her drawn as a Ghibli character, hanging out with one of the tanukis from "Pom Poko?" Guess you'll have to watch, bruh.

Philosophy Tube continuously puts out videos that I would put on this list--I'm not even sure that "A Man Plagiarised my Work: Women, Money, and the Nation" is the best work she released in 2023. However, this video got many conversations going between myself and my partner, and the twist on the tail end of the video shocked us both to such a degree that I had no choice.

At the very tail end of the year, Big Joel released "Fear of Death." On his Little Joel channel, he described it as the singularly best video he's ever done, and I'm inclined to agree. However, for this illustration, I ended up repeatedly going back to a mini-series he did earlier in the year: "Three Stories at the End of the World." All three videos are deeply moving and haunting, and I was brought to tears by "We Must Destroy What the Bomb Cannot." While it may be relatively-common knowledge that the original Gojira (Godzilla) film is horror grappling with the devastation America's rush to atomic dominance inflicted on Japan, Big Joel still manages to bring new words to the discussion. Please watch all three of the videos, but if, for some reason, you must have only one, let it be "We Must Destroy What the Bomb Cannot."

Y'all. Let me confess something. I hate football. I hate watching it, I associate seeing it from the stadiums with some of my worst childhood experiences, I despise collegiate and professional football (as institutions that destroy bodies and offer up children at the feet of its alter as a pillar of American culture)--

I. L o a t h e. Football.

But.

F.D. Signifier could get me to watch an entire hour-plus essay on why I should at least give a passing care. AND HE DID IT. I might think "F*ck the Police," the two-parter on Black conservatism, or his essay on Black men's connection to anime might be "better" videos, but this writer did the impossible and held my limited attention span towards football long enough to make a sincere case for NFL players--and reminds us that millionaires can *in fact* be workers. That alone is testament to his skill.

Sit down and watch "The REAL Reason NFL Running Backs Aren't Getting Paid." Any good anti-capitalist owes it to themselves.

CJ the X continuously puts out stunning, emotional videos, and can do it with the most seemingly-inconsequential starting points. A 30 second song? An incestuous commercial? Five minutes of Tangled? Sure, why not. Go destroy yourself emotionally by watching them. I'm serious. Do it.

Their video Stranger Things and the Meaning of Life manages to to remind us all why the way we react to media does, in fact, matter. Yes, even nostalgia-driven, mass-media schlock. Yes, how we interact with media matters, what it says about us matters, and we all deserve to seek out the whys.

Folding Ideas has spent the last few years articulating exactly why so much of our modern world feels broken, and because of that his voice continuously lives rent-free in my brain. While the tricks that scam artists and grifters use to try to swindle us are never new, the advancement of technology changes the aesthetics of their performances. Portions of Folding Ideas' explanations might seem dry when going into detail of how stocks work in This is Financial Advice, but every bit of it is necessary to peel back the layers of techno-babble and jargon and make sense of the results of "Meme Stocks."

Jessie Gender puts out nothing but bangers, her absolute unit of a video about Star Wars might be my new favorite thing ever, but none of her work hit so profoundly in 2023 than the two-parter "The Myth of 'Male Socialization'" and "The Trauma of Masculinity." There's so much about modern life that isolates and traumatizes us, and so much of it is just shrugged off as "normal." We owe it to ourselves to see the world in more vivid a color palette than we're initially given.

Panels drawn after Kate Beaton and "Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands."

"This is Not a Video Essay" is one of the most intense and beautiful pieces of art I've ever put into my eyeballs. Why do we create? What drives us to connect?

I don't even know what else to say about the Leftist Cooks' work, it repeatedly transcends the medium and platform. Watch every single one of their videos, but especially this one.

The likelihood you are terminally online and yet haven't heard of Hbomberguy's yearly forrays into destroying the careers of awful people is pretty slim. Just because it has millions of views doesn't mean that Hbomberguy's "Plagiarism and You(Tube)" isn't worth the hype. Too long? Shut up, it has chapters and YouTube holds your place, anyway. You think a deep dive into a handful of creators is only meaningless drama? Well, you're wrong, you wrong-opinion-haver. Plagiarism is an *everyone* problem because of the actual harm it creates--the history it erases, the labor it devalues, the art it marginalizes--which you would know if you watched "Plagiarism and You(Tube)".

Watch. The damn. Video.

In fact, watch all of them!

Thanks for reading this if you did.

[formulaorange]

Winter 2024 Anime Review

Solo Leveling - 24 Episodes

This has been and will be my most anticipated series. We've only scratched the surface of the story and people are going nuts. I've been reading the light novel translations for a while now and I'm not even a little ready for when certain things are animated.

Easily one of the best anime adaptations out there. More to look forward to.

Sidenote - A1 is killing the animations considering it's one of their bigger ones in a while.

Also - they did a really solid job with the sound design, a lot of the timing made certain scenes feel just that much more intense.

9/10 - Amazing

Frieren - 28 episodes

Such a unique watching experience.

I think so many shows these days are fast paced, and action oriented, especially within the fantasy genre. This is such a relaxing and enjoyable watch.

The story is moving and the animations are warm and fuzzy.

Not much I'd change about the series.

10/10 - Masterpiece

The Apothecary Diaries - 24 Episodes

The second half of this series kept up with the flow of the first half really well. I feel like that shouldn't be a feat but it really is these days.

I genuinely love watching the subtleties of the romance in this series and the medical mystery cases are just as fun to watch.

The story has so many little bits and pieces working throughout the show and the last episode had me wrecked for reasons I never saw coming.

Just overall a big fan of this series.

9/10 - Amazing

Delicious in Dungeon - 12/24 Episodes

This series has no right to be this much fun.

The animations match the energy of the show so well and I think it's one of the best "entertainment" series of the season.

I was worried it would start to repeat itself but found that the characters become the highlight of the series and I looked forward to every episode.

(This is the series this season that I'm high-key obsessed with.)

8.5/10 - Very Good+

Shangri-La Frontier - 25 Episodes

One of the most fun looking MMORPG animes I've seen. I remember reading the teaser manga a while ago and was stoked to see it animated. Just a genuinely well done gamer oriented series.

They do such a good job at showing exactly the kinds of small things gamers pay attention to and some of the combat learning is stellar.

Not to mention the sound track honestly did not need to go as hard as it did?!

Really hoping they continue on with this for another season.

8/10 - Very Good

Bucchigiri?! - 12 Episodes (Updated)

I haven't seen any coverage for this show for some reason. It's a one shot that Mappa animated. The story felt quite slow but I personally had fun with it, the character design was satisfying - gives a bit of Jojo's and SK8 vibes. After a few weeks I couldn't stop thinking about it and went back - it ends up being a decently satisfying story. It's rare to see single season shows and I think that was really refreshing.

(Opening and ending are both bangers)

7.5/10 - Good+

Mashle - Season 2 - 12 Episodes

I decided to watch this once all the episodes had aired. I found that it's not one you can be in the mood to watch all the time, but when you are it's just as hilarious as the first season.

I've enjoyed the pacing of the story and I'm looking forward to future seasons.

7.5/10 - Good+

Unwanted Undead - 12 Episodes

Another series I read the manga for when it premiered. There's something about this series that gets me hooked. While the animations aren't anything of note, I find the story is oddly unique and I ended up bingeing all the episodes in one go. Definitely one I'm curious to see where it goes.

7/10 - Good

Mr. Villain's Day Off - 12 Episodes

This is purely for my own personal interest in attractive moody villains with alter ego's. It's a lot of fun to watch and it's just so wholesome.

That's it.

7/10 - Good

[petrodragonicapocalypse]

tell us your top 10 gizz music videos

ohhhh good question :D

10. muckraker. love this type of shit just fucking about having fun pure vibes and laughs

9. cellophane. 3D VIDEO YAY

8. people vultures. everyone knows this fucks. it's so high effort it makes me laugh

7. gila monster. love the part where stu rides the cgi horse and also that one cavs moment

6. ya love. freaking galea masterpiece

5. intrasport. ugh. whatever

4. catching smoke. BUGSSS 🐛🐞🕷🦋🪱🐌

3. organ farmer. so iconic can i put all the rats nest videos here actually. but especially this one it's so crazy and funny and awesome

2. dragon. the song everrrr i love everything about this. the animations rule. 10 years on from muckraker and theyre still best bros having fun. lowkey the bros are also kissing each other. god bless petrodragonic apocalypse

1. trapdoor. honestly this is just everything to me i can't even explain it. the location the vibes. the weird taxidermy closeups. the shots of eric speedwalking around. stu playing the flute wearing a white sheet. the absolute budgetlessness of it all. joey is in the tablecloth for some reason. im soulbonded to this video

thank u for the ask!!

[twinnedpeaks]

ok it’s time for elvira’s yearly reading wrap up! best and worst of 2023:

worst:

the cabin at the end of the world, paul tremblay - disappointing. could have been so good but, alas, was not.

the silent patient, alex michaelides - quite possibly my least favourite of the year. people were telling me how shocking it was and how it had a huge plottwist. this plottwist was predictable from PAGE ONE. please.

the grimoire of grave fates - i remember nothing except being bored.

hide, keirsten white - i hate when horror is bad <3

filth, irvine welsh - okok my second attempt at reading irvine welsh. i liked parts of this book but not enough to even slightly enjoy it as a whole.

finnegans wake, james joyce - i wasn’t sure whether this should go in best or worst honestly. such a huge phenomenon, purely because it’s “unreadable”. i still don’t know how to feel.

best:

12 bytes, jeanette winterson - miss winterson can do no wrong in my eyes. brilliant reflections on technology, written beautifully.

new animal, ella baxter - just SUCH a good time!! great novel on grief and sexuality.

the gilded wolves, roshani chokshi - i’m very picky about my fantasy books, but i fell in love with this trilogy so fast. the characters are incredible and diverse, and finding a canonically autistic character meant a lot to me.

tripping arcadia, kit mayquist - creepy, gorgeous, has not left my mind. i can’t even explain it, it is just an Experience. Go read it.

how to sell a haunted house, grady hendrix - FUN HORROR!! HAUNTED HOUSE!! EVIL PUPPET!!

when we lost our heads, heather o’neill - lesbian marie antoinette historical fiction? yes.

no longer human, osamu dazai - gorgeous tale of existence and misery. loved loved this one.

i who have never known men, jacqueline harpman - heartbreaking and real. one of those books i think everyone should read.

patricia wants to cuddle, samantha allen - lesbians and furry little monsters. weird as fuck and so funny.

penance, eliza clark - reflections on true crime and the rivalries between teenage girls. gruesome and fascinating.

not forever but for now, chuck palahniuk - MY MAN RETURNED!!!! and i am so goddamn grateful. nauseating but stunning. masterpiece as always.

house of hunger, alexis henderson - gothic vampire novel with a touch of haunted house story and eerie lesbians.

sign here, claudia lux - one of the funniest books i’ve read in a LONG time. selling your soul to the devil is basically the same as working for capitalist organizations.

the child thief, gerald brom - HORRIFYING version of peter pan. brom always makes me utterly nauseous and i am ovsessed with him in every way.

the girls, emma cline - 60’s cult vibes, true crime, just a solid piece of literature.

angels before man, rafael nicolas - basically gay bible. 10/10.

silver under nightfall, rin chupeco - poly queer vampires. gritty gore. amazing world building. cannot WAIT for the sequel.

none shall sleep, ellie marney - me? enjoying crime fiction from someone other than karin slaughter or tana french? it IS, apparently, possible.

house of leaves, mark z danielewski - IT IS ABOUT! THE! SYMBOLISM! I WANT TO YELL.

[shin-thalia]

Gamera Rebirth is an unexpected, genuine masterpiece

I don't know how they did it, but they were able to turn the six episode resurgence of a goofy monster into the most emotional, exciting, enthralling piece of art I've seen in recent times.

I like everything, pretty much. If it's widely hated, I can find some positives I like; My favorite Godzilla film is still probably KOTM 2019... but Gamera Rebirth genuinely wipes the floor with EVERYTHING Toho has put out in the past decade. While the animation can take some getting used to, and the characters are odd for the first episode, everything from episode three onwards was amazing and kept getting better and better.

I had incredibly low expectations, yet I was not only brought to tears TWICE, but every single fight had my mouth hanging open in pure shock and amazement. The entire battle between Gurion and Gamera is fantastic, and I am being completely honest when I say this is THE BEST Gamera has ever been.

By the end of episode four, I had to keep reminding myself I wasn't watching a theatrical movie. Somehow, for a 6 episode show, the writing and pacing is so ferociously good that I was able to blast through the whole series in an evening. Every little bit I was iffy on originally got tied up neatly, and I honestly can't praise this thing enough. Please just set aside some time and watch this, because I promise you won't regret it.

Best Gamera so far

Best incarnations of the kaiju

Best characters that somehow weren't annoying, and actually made me emotional

GAMERA IS BAAAACK

[popculturebuffet]

Batman The Animated Series: Christmas With the Joker Review (Commission for WeirdKev27)

Happy Holidays all you happy people! Christmas Season is here, and why wait to december when I can spread some holiday cheer now?

So to begin our holly jolly holiday coverage this year, i'm taking a look at a christmas classic i'm honestly baffled it's taken me this long to revisit. I grew up with this episode and fondly remember it being on the batman tape I had or rented back then. I just simply forget sometimes I have Batman the Animated Series right there and cant really take that for granted since the person in charge of Warner Bros thinks it's "brave" to burn down content for the insurance money.

For those who haven't experienced this holiday classic, Christmas With the Joker is the second episode of batman the animated series, though it aired later in broadcast order to line up with the timing. IT's also our first exposure to the magic that's Mark Hamill as joker, it certainly was mine thanks to aforementioned Tape.

Hamill got the role thanks to serendipity: The crew had initally cast Tim Curry, god on earth, to play the part. It SEEMS like perfect casting.. but it just didn't quite fit, as we can see from what footage of Curry as joker we have. Tim wasn't bad and I could see his joker working and him playing the part again sometime had he not sadly had to retire. The problem is his version didn't quite match what the team was going for with Mr. J. Curry's joker is one who jokes and what not, but comes off like a bastard who makes the bad jokes half heartedly as an excuse to do mayhem. The DCAU joker is the best of both worlds: he GENUINELY loves his bad puns, his craft: he lives in his own demented world where everything's a joke. When Curry's joker doe sa bit or a line, it feels like he's putting on an act, with Hamil's it's a PERFORMANCE. It's what he does. He's an entertainer, he's a comedian, he's a clown, he's going to give em a hell of a show and the death, horror and other mayhem that comes along with it is part of the act. It's key to it. It's the spice to him. Tim Curry didn't do BAD, he just didn't fit the bill. Hamill by contrast when auditioing for the now open part saw Joker's laugh as an INSTURMENT. You could tell what he was feelilng just by it's inflection. Hamill understood the character and tha'ts why he's the best at playing him: He gets just how to play Mr J, every nuance and fascet. Just as Conroy felt batman rise.. the joker's laugh escaped out of mark hamill and never went back until sadly, there just wasn't a batman to chase anymore.

The episode itself is something diffrent from the previous 3 batman the animated series episodes i've covered: I Am the Night and Two-Face were psycological adventures, the former going literally into bruce's head and showing the pain in his life, and the latter showing the gradual downfall of a man who simply needed help but wouldn't let himself get as much as needed, who put duty over himself.

Christmas With The Joker.. is a wacky christmas adventure. It has stakes and what not, but it's ultimately Batman and Robin not getting christmas eve off after the Joker decides to hyjack the airwaves with a demented holiday special. Yet.. it's still so damn good. Sometimes you need a fairly deep character study of batman or one of his foes.. and sometimes you just need the Joker deciding to do a holiday special with recurring characters as the hostages, and Batman and Robin on a deadline to stop him. Just let Mark Hamill ham it up, let Batman punch some people. BTAS has some truly stunning masterpieces.. but it also knew how to just have fun and lay back once in a while. This episode's just .. pure fun and i'll show you why under the cut.

We open at Arkham Asylum, the happiest crime against psychatric care on earth as it's Christmas Eve and Joker gets one of the best character entrances of all time. While I forgot a detail or too about this episode i've never forgotten this intro: the inmates are all singing carols, no one we'd know yet as most of Batman's Rogue's haven't been introduced. It's something I liked about Batman TAS and that seems to have stuck for the comics afterword: Anytime we visit arkham we usually see some of Batman's other rogues even if we're there for say the Joker finding out someone did a copyright infringment on him, so it's weird to see no one else present yet.

So the Joker enters the series singing that classic version of Jingle Bells. If you haven't heard it, there's only one proper way to introduce you to the best version of the song outside of this episode. TAKE IT AWAY ROBERT GOULET!

That's brilliant enough... but then he hops on the christmas tree, turns it into a rocket, and flies off laughing all the way. AHAHAHHEEHAHAHAHAHAA. It's a perfect joker move: it's overly complicated, required a ton of prep work, a ton of money we don't know how he got..

Okay we know exactly how he got it we just can't talk about it on a children's show, and it's hilaroious. in less than a minute we know the Joker's a madman, he's clever, and his crimes are over the top because it's just more FUN that way. It's what seperates the joker from most other Batman TAS villians: the others are, with exceptions like Penguin or Rupert Thorne, sympathetic on some level: Mr Freeze just wants his wife back after a corrupt rich asshole tried to kill her and made him a popsicle, Poison Ivy wants to save the planet no matter who she has to kill, Two Face's DiD consumed him, Baby Doll was traumitzed by being stuck in a body she didn't want, Killer Croc is an alligator man, which sounds boss on paper but really isn't.

The Joker is diffrent in that we don't know WHY he does this. It didn't hit me till this watch that he's one of the few foes in TAS who isn't given a full backstory upfront. While I love the film, I honestly forgot for a second that Mask of the Phantasm revealed him to have been a plainclothes gangster before he became the clown prince of crime.. and even THEN we don't know what made him like this. Maybe he's always been this way, maybe some trauma shaped him, we don't know. And that's what works: that mystique: we dont' know why the joker is the way he is, he just.. is. It's what makes him the perfect counterpart to Batman: Bruce is a man trying to take a chaotic world and give it order, give it someone who can provide justice where the law can't or simply is outnumbered to, all in the hope that one day no kid will ever loose his parents like he did, even if the quest to eats him alive (and at least in this contiunity as seen with his older self it certainly has in some ways). Joker simply wants to have fun, to put on a show... it's just his show is chaos, death and funny only to him. What he finds funny is frankly disturbing. He's the only one in on his jokes and he's happy that way.

This episode emphasies that, as well as the contrast: Batman is worked up that christmas eve, worried the Joker will pull something. Robin, being less experinced with the joker and costumed punching people what good brushes it off, thinking no one would possibly work on christmas. Bruce gets that maybe the theatrical clown who escaped on a christmas tree rocket he smuggled into a psychatic hospital has other christmas plans and they aren't good.

While Bruce is on edge partly because he's a workaholic, to the point he nearly stops a guy returning a package to an old lady on suspcion he's a mugger, he's not WRONG: the Joker is flashy. The bigger the audience, the better the show. It's why he frequently hyjacks the airwaves in this show: EVERYONE has to watch. He's fine with a small audience , but it has to be carefully curated... i.e. he's fine if it's just bats as bats is the perfect straight man. The perfect grim brick wall to play off of and someone he knows will never end his shit entirely for a simple reason.

So he's not going to stop baiting him. Bruce's mistake.. is SEARCHING for the joker. See while Batman knows the Joker... the Joker knows Batman. He made an audacious exit so Batman would KNOW he was out there and sweat it out trying to find him... but he also knows Bats well enough to avoid detection right away. To wait till it's time to start the show. Then it's fair play and Brucey can have all the clues he wants, it's an even match. But to Joker nothing would be less fun than batman spoiling his fun ahead of time. It's part simply how the game works for him and part simply being the kind of person who HAS to control the game. It has to be played by his rules , it's his show, he planned this, batman is simply performing it.

So Bruce gives up, has a nice christmas dinner for once, and everything's fine.... until he and Dick sit down to watch it's a wonderful life. I like the joke of Bruce not watching it because of the title. It's not only a common problem, many assume the film is super cheery because of it's title, but the idea of one man being important enough to make a diffrence is bruce's whole life. Of course the idea of a film where someone doubts that wouldn't be something he'd go to voluntarily. To him it's all about control.

Bruce's first watch of It's a Wonderful Life is interrupted by a holiday special.. CHRISTMAS WITH THE JOKER! Live from.. somewhere in Gotham, Joker's doing a cheesy holiday special, the kind I haven't seen a lot of , but that caked the 70's, down tow earin ga sweater ala bing crosby. He taught joker everything he knows about being terrible.

Naturally Joker needs a studio audience and while his awesome audience of cutouts, including batman and robin themselves, is fun and all, he needs some live hostages. Really ties the room together. So he kidnapped Commissioner Gordon, Harvey Bullock.. and Summer Gleason

Summer is Gotham's reporter. If you forgot her, huzzah! It means it wasn't just me... but it's also fair as she really is just there for exposition and dosen't have Kent Brockman's lunacy or Perd Hapley's mastery of the worm

So it's easy to forget she exists, and weird she's here instead of Renee Montoya. Maybe they wanted a civlliann with the cops, maybe they thought of doing the mayor as one of these but found Gordon and Bullock both too fun to let out. Maybe she was supposed to be bigger in the series and just never quite hit it with the writers. We don't really know, though if I had to guess it'd be the last one. It feels like they intended to have more for Summer to do as she shows up more in the earlier episodes.. but it became clear they didn't really need her for more than just the ocasional smattering of news exposition, and even then really didn't need news exposition THAT often as Batman often did his own research better and used newspapers more.

Joker's kindapped the "Awful Lawfuls" as his requisite hostages and plans to kill them if Batman dosen't find him by midnight. Batman does trace the broadcast.. but when Robin points out it's easy, Bats counters it's NEVER this easy with the joker.

The Joker.. dosen't let Bruce down, as while their headed to the scene they not only have to deal with the giant toys rampaging through gotham.. but also a train. The train .. is easily the weakest part of this episode. It just.. stops for a bit so Batman and Robin can save a train. That's it. I forgot this entire sequence and it's easy to see why: in an episode full of colorful joker chaos and him in the best christmas sweater ever, it's just... a train. I love me a good train, and most trains are good trains. Except Gordon he's an asshat. But this is just.. filler. It feels like the episode went under time in scripting so they added a set piece.

Thankfully the episode picks right back up from this derailment with our dynamic duo heading to the gotham observatory.. naturally.. this is a trap and joker has turned the observiatory into a canon.

So Batman distracts it while Robin battles some joker themed tin soldiers inside. overall it's fucking amazing as it is out of left field. But unlike the train not being really jokery as a crime, this fits him perfectly. Turning an observatory into a laser.. simply because he can.

While stopping it is rad as shit, it dosen't get our heroes anywhere closer to the Joker. Thankfully the joker throws Batman a Bone, as this just isn't fun if Batman entirely misses the deadline and isn't there to either save the hostages just in the knick of time.. or watch as they die horribly in person. It just isn't the same on tv it has to be life dammit. SO he holds up a doll that Batman instantly identifies and know's it's factory shut down years ago.

Batman's Doll Trivia saves the day though as our heroes arrive and we get an awesome bit as Joker plays the nutcracker sweet as he sends out an army of weaponized toy, a beautifully animated utterly awesome sequence.

Turns out though Joker was just waiting for his cue, revealing himself via curtain dropping, of course, to have all the hostages suspended over a vat of.. acid? lava? it's something what hurts bad is the point so he forces Bats to open a present. It's a pie to the face!

This leads to a chase as Joker naturally cuts the cord anyway, but Bats manages to rescue them in time and chases joker on rollerskates.. and saves him when he almost dicks himself into the generic murder vat.

With that Bats can actually enjoy christmas.. as much as Bruce can enjoy anything, with him genuinely loving i'ts a wonderful life and christmas with his grown man boy wonder. Meanwhile the joker sings to himself in Arkham, entirely happy to pick this up again another day.

Christmas With the Joker is mostly an action set piece, but it's a well done one: in one ep we get who the joker is, why he's a match fo rbatman and how this whole game of cat and also cat works for him. It's a wonderfuly demented holiday special and if you haven't seen it it's more than worth your time.

[alexbutrandomthoughts]

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

OKAY SO I MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN THIS WAS IN MY DRAFTS CUZ I WAS BUSY IN UNI AND THEN IT JUST GOT ERASED FROM MY MEMORY I AM SO FUCKING SORRY I DIDN'T MEAN TO LET IT STEW FOR SO LONG

1) Haikyuu!!

Honestly this is just a comfort show for me. No matter how many times i rewatch it, it's always like the first time, even if you know what's about to happen, you still cheer and clap and groan in every match. Just AGAIWBAIWBSKBDIS such a good anime, i bawled my eyes out when i finished the manga, honestly this will go down as one of my favorite anime ever (update: watched the movie, it's good but man i wish we had whole season)

2) Undertale/Deltarune

I cannot beat the weird kid allegations, toby fox has me by my (totally legit) balls. Istg toby fox drugs his games, or else idk how to explain how am i keep coming back to this (lies this franchise and story is just pure masterpiece)

3) Fnaf

Yeah definitely doesn't help the weird kid allegations. Well you know what they say, when you start getting into fnaf you sign off your life into eternal servitude. I would describe my relationship with Fnaf as - toxic ex i keep coming back to. Somehow 8 years of this bullshit and we're still going. Counting animatronic toes and reading yet another wtf is this book

4) Bungoe Stray Dogs

Sighhhhhh. The gayssssss. THE GAAAAAYSSS. But nah honestly it just has everything to get me on the board. The drama, mysteries, pretty WOMEN, silly characters, gut wrenching angst, and of course gay ass mfkas. The manga is better though. I don't consider this a masterpiece (not by a lOng shot) but it a good show to watch and talk about, the characters are all fun and silly, cliche at times but nonetheless entertaining and the fan work is just CHEF'S KISS

5) Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

This is a relatively new one but GOD. DAMN. HOW DOES JUST MAKE THIS MASTERPIECE. IT'S SO GOOD. THE EMOTIONS THE PLOT THE CHARACTERS. HOW DOES ONE EXECUTE EVERYTHING SO PERFECTLY AND JUST LEAVES YOU CRYING AND SOBBING MESS BUT IN A GOOD WAY. Genuinely consider this one of the modern classics that will be talked about in years to come. Exploring the how would an immortal perceives time, is not something everyone (or anyone) really explores in fantasy stories but damn frieren absolutely slays with it. Not cherishing the people she was with only to realize how much they meant to her when it was too late, and they're already gone, is just so. UGH. AND THEN SHE SLOWLY LEARNS TO CHANGE AND APPRECIATE THE WORLD AND PEOPLE AROUND HER WHILE GOING THROUGH THE OLD MEMORIES IAISBSJSBSNSNKS. anyway. I do recommend frieren (they better announce that second season)

6) The Apothecary diaries

Also one of the recent ones. What can i say when we get an imperial china not china setting, with inner palace politics, hierarchies and murder mysteries, packed with probably the greatest female protagonist we had in how many years? How can not love it? Maomao my personal spiritual animal. She is just such a compelling character and breath of fresh air in anime community cuz god knows we need more of em. She just feels so real compare to what we usually, she is just one or the girls and that is beautiful. There are of course others aspects of this show that i like but honestly she is probably the main reason this show is just UGH so good

7) Stanley Parable

Okay, this is a bit of an odd one, but hear me out. This game is so GOOOOD. I remember playing way back when, and it was just so different than anything else that was coming out at the time. The meta narrative of this game was truly amazing, the amount options we had and so many interesting dialogs, the THINGS TO EXPLOREE. I also just loved the narrator, he is so goddamn funny, the banter with Henry (even though it's one sided) is still great

These are the ones i can think of, honestly, there are probably others but i cannot remember them rn

[maybe-not-a-robot]

Media Log 2024 Entry 11 - Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone - 3/5

This looks familiar.

EDIT: reduced score to 3/5. I want these scores to be more subjective, so I reduced it because I didn't enjoy 1.0 very much.

(Sensing a theme? blame @duskdishwasher, she's the one streaming them for me.)

Right out of the gate, I want to establish something: This entry is going to be surprisingly negative for a 4/5. What you need to remember is that, fundamentally, this movie is still the first six episodes of the Evangelion anime.

1.0 is... honestly, a little disappointing. But I'll start with the positives: the animation, mostly. The animation of the movie is pure mechanical animation porn, mixing digitally drawn animation with elaborate CGI to present some of the most detailed and well-animated views of Tokyo-3, the Geofront, the Evangelions, and the angels out there, alongside redesigning the angels to be a little different - most notably, the newly morphing Ramiel at the end of the movie. It looks wonderful, and the movie uses it very well!

However, where it falls flat is the story. As I said, it is still, fundamentally, the first six episodes of the Evangelion TV series, which are a masterpiece, but it's the first six episodes crunched into only 98 minutes. The pacing isn't bad, but it loses a lot of the slower, thematically impactful moments from the TV series, and because of that, it loses quite a bit. It doesn't axe them all, but it gets rid of enough to make their exclusion feel very noticeable. It feels a little like a recap movie that also points towards a lot of later plot elements really early, way earlier than in the show.

In the end, I think 1.0's biggest flaw is its lack of derivation from the TV series. Unlike The End of Evangelion and the end of the TV series, there is a very good reason to compare 1.0 and the beginning of the TV series... and the comparison, in my eyes, is not in 1.0's favor.

None of this is to say 1.0 is bad... I just think it's worse. And a lot of shows are worse than Evangelion, so that's not really saying much. It stands alone, but it's not a good substitute.

[an-obsessive-life]

I’m honestly extremely curious. Someone recently told me they think Shrek was:

“Dreamworks’ most important film”.

Surprised, I said it would be The Prince of Egypt. As a work that tells a story immensely important to multiple cultures with all of them woven in, and a breathtaking display of animated art. If I’m choosing a ‘masterpiece’ for Dreamworks that’s my choice.

They were surprised. They disagreed saying, “Shrek makes Dreamworks the most money, and everyone knows it.” (I think they meant as in memes etc.)

I think we may just quantify ‘importance’ differently. Both films are very good. This is not a question purely of quality.

I would love to hear what other people think of when they think of ‘importance.’

[agentnico]

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) Review

Oh. My. Gosh.

Plot: Miles Morales catapults across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles must redefine what it means to be a hero.

2018′s Into the Spider-Verse was a surprising hit that featured some of the most amazing animation ever put to screen, as well as being not only one of the best Spidey films, but also one of the top comic-book movies of all time. Additionally the inclusion of Nicolas Cage propelled that film to all kinds of new heights! Now following a successful box office run of that movie and a well deserved Academy Award win for Best Animated Feature, the first of two sequels is gracing our screens, and I am always weary when it comes to sequels to great movies, as one wonders if the creative team can retain the magic from the original.

At this point there should be a rule made in Hollywood to never bet against the duo that are Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Every time we find ourselves shocked whenever films involving these two come out and end up being some of the most superb cinema experiences. 22 Jump Street - a hilarious comedy. The Lego Movie - a uniquely animated movie that turns out to be much more than a simple cash-grab. Mitchells vs. the Machines - again another ground-breaking animation style with a wholesome story of family in the middle of it. Cocaine Bear - it’s a movie about a bear on cocaine, need I say more?! The list goes on, these two consistently deliver quality content and we should learn to accept this. So with Across the Spider-Verse I am happy to report that it’s another hit from these producers/writers, however not only is it a hit, it may just be a bloody masterpiece!

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is, put simply, brilliant! It’s everything that made Into the Spider-Verse great dialled up even more, and the result is honestly fantastic. Look, I watch a lot of movies. And yeah, movies are great and I love them deeply. But in watching so many films I have in a way lost that magic of being in awe every time I go to the cinema. Cliches and repetitiveness in films stick out like sore thumbs to me. However with Across the Spider-Verse I felt like a kid again, purely stunned in amazement at every single frame, engaged with the characters and story-line, not knowing where it will go next. Like I cannot reiterate how much fun I had watching this movie!

The animation...where do I begin? This is a gorgeous movie that retains that graphic novel look from the first movie, however due to the narrative being set in various universes, the animation team go a step further by having each reality animated in a different way. There are so many various art-styles used, and each one is absolutely gorgeous. Yet it never comes off as pretentious, instead all used in benefit of the story. There’s a certain sequence involving two characters having a dramatic emotional exchange of dialogue, and the use of watercolours and the changes in the background as the emotion changes throughout that scene was honestly some of the best and most powerful piece of animation I’ve ever seen. Not only the animation though, but the music. The music!!! Anyone seen that meme online featuring a guy playing a piano that’s on fire? Well that’s how hard composer Daniel Pemberton went with the musical score of this film. The way it amplified the action, embodied the tenderness of the emotional scenes, and played up to each character’s unique style, the music and sound design were absolutely spectacular! From a technical standpoint Across the Spider-Verse is a marvel.

There’s a lot of going on in this movie. It’s relentlessly fast paced, with lines of dialogue spilling out like Niagara falls and so many jokes, Easter Eggs and references thrown all at once that it’s easy to miss things on your first viewing. So I imagine this movie will serve well as a rewatchable one, so that you can catch the details you’ve missed before. However through all this content thrown at you at 100 miles per our the movie never forgets to stay focused on telling its story, and fleshing out all the main characters. And yes, there are lots of characters in this movie, yet every single one feels unique with many layers, and that’s due to the writing and the superb voice cast. Shameik Moore is freaking amazing as Miles Morales. That tone of vulnerability, this maturity but still immaturity cascading and once more evolving the character from the first film... you can’t help but root for him and also believe in him. Hailee Steinfeld is wonderful as Gwen Stacy, that is both vulnerable yet strong, trying to navigate her way through life whilst dealing with the dysfunctional relationship with her dad and having to be the hero she is meant to be. Also it’s always impressive when actors can portray good chemistry using only their voices, yet Moore and Steinfeld have that to a tee. Oscar Isaac (who was but only teased in the credits scene of the first film) is appropriately moody with a dark edge, showing hurt, anger and fire in every line he delivers as the anti-hero Miguel. Jason Schwartzman as Spot has that usual comedic every-guy demeanour to him, however his character is then revealed to be more reckless than expected, and Schwartzman is easily believable as the psychotic villain wanting to dominate to prove his worth. Brian Tyree Henry as Miles’ dad, Daniel Kaluuya as a punk Brit Spidey, Shea Whigham as Gwen’s father....the list goes on. Honestly every member of the voice cast does incredible work. You end up caring for these characters, and are fully invested in them.

In terms of negatives there aren’t really many. I’d say to the beginning the movie focuses a little too much on exposition of bringing everyone up to speed on the events of the first movie, and I’m just there like “I’ve seen the first movie, get on with it already!” and also the fast pace delivery means certain lines of dialogue are thrown so quickly they are easily missed, yet again though, I feel that in rewatching the film multiple times I will find enjoyment it catching out those missed details. In the end though, Across the Spider-Verse is a fantastic Part 1 to a story that is left at an expected cliff-hanger ready to be picked up by next year’s Beyond the Spider-Verse, however as a middle movie of a trilogy it stands strong along the likes of Empire Strikes Back or The Two Towers, in that it continues to flesh out the characters in a meaningful and powerful way, the animation and music is ridiculously good, and overall it’s one of the best superhero films I have ever seen. Also, it manages to deliver the idea of a multiverse much better than anything the MCU is currently attempting to do, so yep, also a solid multiverse movie. There’s plenty of fan-service thrown in throughout though I never thought it felt forced, and overall this is simply superb filmmaking. Can’t wait for Beyond the Spider-Verse!

Overall score: 9/10

[the5n00k]

I can’t think of anything to ask right now just use this as an excuse to tell us something you really want to talk about but maybe have not had a reason to

I love indie animation a lot. YouTube and Newgrounds are prime places to find new masterpieces and I love seeing creators thrive there. Ed Skudder broke into the industry, Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack got picked up by Adult Swim, Eddsworld is still popular after all these years, Hazbin Hotel got picked up by A24, but I can't help but miss the good old days, y'know?

Don't get me wrong, the indie series we have now are stunning and beautiful and there's a stellar new pilot around every month it seems like. But it honestly makes me miss the old days of YouTube? It feels like everyone's trying to make the next big thing to sell to companies or to sell merch when people used to create to simply create something with their small group of buddies. I think that's why pre-Legacy Eddsworld, Roommates from FlowJoe in 2016-2019, and old Dick Figures are so dear to me because they were just that. Pure fun made for the sake of animating something with your friends.

Indie animation is not BAD now by any means and I still do enjoy these shows, new and old, it's just a different vibe y'know? I'm still looking forward to future releases from all the creators I listed above and some others I missed

They were just that, pure fun.

[shin-the-hopeless]

I Saw Her Again.

You ever feel like life is just one cruel, endless, cosmic joke? Like, you’re being forced to sit front row at the comedy of your own misery, and everyone else is in on the punchline except you? That’s exactly how I feel every single shift at work, every single time I see her. The goth goddess. The alt queen. The absolute embodiment of everything I’ve ever wanted and everything I will never, ever have.

She’s like something straight out of a dream—or maybe a nightmare, because the sight of her reminds me of how hopelessly outclassed I am. The choker necklaces, the loose black sweaters with her shoulders exposed like some kind of goth siren, and those thigh-high leggings that I swear must have been crafted in a lab to torment me specifically. Even her boots are perfect—those knee-high buckled masterpieces that clack against the floor like the death knell of my soul.

And her hair? Don’t get me started on her hair. Always in that two side-up style, with those cute little bows that make her look like she just stepped out of some anime I’ll never have the budget to watch legally. It’s like someone took every internet waifu I’ve ever loved and painstakingly crafted her to exist in the real world just to mock me.

She doesn’t even need to talk to make me feel like trash. She’s quiet, keeps to herself, just sitting in the break room reading Tomie or My Dress-Up Darling. And every time I see her, I’m hit with this wave of pure, agonizing attraction. It’s like she’s a Final Fantasy VII character made flesh, like if Tifa or Aerith had a secret goth sister who also played Genshin Impact and Baldur’s Gate 3.

The other day, I caught a glimpse of her phone wallpaper, and it was Cloud Strife. Of course, it was. And you know what? I can’t even hate Cloud because that would mean hating her taste, and I can’t even do that. I’m pathetic.

But here’s the real kicker: I’ve never even spoken to her. Not once. I couldn’t even say “hi” if my life depended on it. I just sit there, drowning in this pit of self-loathing, because what’s the point? Women like her don’t want anything to do with men like me. I know it. I’ve seen the TikToks. The ones where girls share horror stories about “creepy dudes” who hit on them at work or on the street. I’ve read the comments, seen the memes. Women don’t even want guys looking at them unless they’re hot.

And guess what? I’m not hot. Not even close. I’m like... the opposite of hot. I’m the guy they make TikToks about. I wear the same clothes every day because I can’t afford new ones, and honestly, I don’t even care enough to try. I don’t shower every day. I don’t brush my teeth every day. My life’s already a dumpster fire; what’s the point of pretending I’m salvageable?

I’m $10,000 in debt, for crying out loud. Even if I somehow found the courage to talk to her—like, let’s imagine a parallel universe where that’s possible—and even if she didn’t immediately recoil in horror, what could I offer her? Nothing. No car, no money for dates, no future. Just me, standing there like an idiot, while she realizes she wasted 30 seconds of her life talking to a loser.

I hate this. I hate her. Not in a violent way, but in this soul-crushing, helpless way. I hate how she exists so perfectly, so effortlessly, while I’m stuck here, a failure of a man, unable to even say a word. I hate that she’s everything I’ve ever wanted and more, and I hate that I’m everything she would never, ever want.

It’s insane how much I think about her. Like, she’s more in my head than Belle Delphine or Amouranth ever were, and that’s saying something. I didn’t think it was possible to feel this strongly about a real, actual person. I thought the Umbreon gijinka art on Tumblr had ruined me forever, but nope—she did. This real-life goth anime waifu has somehow eclipsed every fantasy I’ve ever had, and it’s torture.

I see her reading Tomie, and I can’t help but think, “Of course you’re reading Junji Ito. Of course you’re into dark, artsy horror that’s way too cool for me to even pretend to understand.” I see her reading My Dress-Up Darling, and I want to scream because even her manga choices are perfect. I bet she loves Marin Kitagawa because she sees herself in her—quirky, fashionable, effortlessly attractive. Meanwhile, I’m over here, some faceless NPC she doesn’t even notice.

The worst part? I can’t even be mad at her for ignoring me. Why would she notice me? Why should she? I’m just some broke, unwashed loser who can barely scrape together enough self-respect to show up to work. She doesn’t owe me her attention, and I know that. I know it, but it doesn’t stop me from wanting it.

And it’s not like I can just “better myself” or whatever garbage advice people like to throw around. Where am I supposed to start? I can’t even afford therapy, let alone a gym membership or a decent wardrobe. And even if I could magically transform myself into someone worth noticing, what then? Would she even care? Would she even look my way? Or would she still see me as just some random guy who doesn’t exist in her world?

I don’t know what’s worse: the fact that I’ll never have her, or the fact that I can’t stop wanting her. It’s like she’s living rent-free in my brain, and I can’t evict her no matter how hard I try. I hate myself for it. I hate myself for how much I care about someone who doesn’t even know I exist.

I’ve tried convincing myself that it doesn’t matter, that she’s just a co-worker, just another person I see at work. But then I see her again, and it all comes flooding back—the longing, the bitterness, the hopelessness. It’s a cycle I can’t break, and it’s killing me.

Maybe this is just my life now. Sitting here, stewing in my own misery, watching this perfect, unattainable girl live her perfect, unattainable life while I rot away in the background. Maybe that’s all I’ll ever be—a spectator to someone else’s happiness, someone else’s perfection.

God, I hate this. I hate everything about this. But most of all, I hate myself for caring so much. Because at the end of the day, it’s not her fault I’m like this. It’s mine. And that’s the worst part of all.

[royalblogarts]

KIMI NO NAWA

Guessed who JUST watched "Kimi no Nawa"..... Yeah, that's right, "JUST". I honestly can't believe that I haven't heard from this AMAZING movie, any sooner. Like..... how did this masterpiece hide from me for so long!!? This movie stirred up so many emotions inside me. Aside from the stunning animation, the plot was pure PERFECTION. Ok so instead of me using vague words to describe this movie, let us actually analyze what makes this movie a MASTERPIECE!!

Written and directed by the genius Makoto Shinkai, Kimi no Nawa or "Your Name" is a Japanese animated romance film. If by some ASTRONOMICALLY slim chance you haven't watched this film yet, what are you waiting for? WATCH THE MASTERPIECE!

Your Name is THE movie to watch if you wanna feel ALL the feels. Picture this: two teens, Taki and Mitsuha, living totally separate lives—Taki’s in the hustle of Tokyo, and Mitsuha’s out in this super chill, sleepy town. They don’t know each other at all. But then one day, BAM! They start randomly SWAPPING BODIES. Like, one minute Taki’s himself, and the next, he’s suddenly a high school girl living in a tiny village. And Mitsuha’s now a guy in Tokyo! TOTAL CHAOS, right?

At first, it’s a TOTAL mess. They’re messing up each other’s lives left and right, leaving HILARIOUS notes to fix everything when they swap back. But somewhere along the way, they start really caring about each other. They’re basically falling in love without EVER meeting face-to-face! But then… PLOT TWIST ALERT! Taki figures out that Mitsuha’s actually living THREE YEARS IN THE PAST, and her whole town is about to get hit by a comet. It’s an END-OF-THE-WORLD-level disaster! He goes ALL OUT to find her, risking EVERYTHING to save her and warn the town. It’s INTENSE, y’all.

And it works! Mitsuha and her town are saved, but—this is where it gets HEARTBREAKING—they lose ALL memory of each other. POOF! It’s like the universe is saying, “Sorry, but you two CAN’T remember each other.” But they’re both left with this empty feeling, like they know they’ve lost something important. YEARS go by, and they keep crossing paths, feeling like SOMETHING is there but not knowing what. And then, FINALLY, on a staircase in Tokyo, they lock eyes and ask, “Have we met before?” CUE ALL THE TEARS!

This movie goes BEYOND just romance. It’s all about FATE, CONNECTION, and how we’re weirdly tied to people we don’t even know yet. There’s this GORGEOUS concept called Musubi—think of it like MAGICAL THREADS connecting people across time and space. And the music by RADWIMPS? It’s like the CHERRY ON TOP that makes you feel EVERYTHING SO much more.

Your Name is all about finding those DEEP connections and being your TRUE self—even when fate and distance seem totally impossible to beat! It’s this wild story of two lives that seem totally unrelated but end up CRAZY intertwined.

The storytelling? It’s NON-LINEAR, so we’re flipping between Mitsuha’s past and Taki’s present, which keeps things SUPER MYSTERIOUS and suspenseful. And then there’s the COMET—it’s the big cosmic force shaping both timelines, showing us just how powerful FATE can be.

The body-swapping isn’t just for laughs; it’s what drives the WHOLE story and lets them grow in ways they never could have alone. This movie just screams, “Some connections are MEANT to be!”

So if you’re looking for a movie that’s FUNNY, SWEET, totally EMOTIONAL, and a little MIND-BENDING, Your Name is IT. It’s the kind of film that’ll leave you staring at the screen, hugging a pillow, and just saying, “WOW.”

SO.....? Stop whatever it is you're doing, wether you are taking a dump, eating breakfast, or even if you are driving your children to school, STOP IT. Grab your self some popcorn cuz you are in for one CRAZY AMAZING RIDE.

[baekhvuns]

OMG THIS IS SO LATE 😭 IM SORRY BUT IM HERE IM HERE

I'll be waiting for a new romance in my life 😩 I hope it comes soon Bcz this loneliness is getting harder to romanticise buddy.

Ah your genre was shoujo, I started with sweet and kind animes too but I somehow got occupied with those adventure and like revenge arc ones 😭 MAID SAMA AND OURAN HIGH SCHOOL ARE LITERALLY COMPULSORY LIKE YOU GOTTA WATCH THAT OR YOU'RE UNCULTURED SRSLY! kamisama kiss though 😭😭 I still haven't watched it!!.

Right now my genre would be pure comedy and on the b sides I like watching animes like haikyuu, jujutsu Kaisen, attack on Titan and stuff. It gives trauma but hey :') I'm used to it. But studio Ghibli movies are pure joy really, I've watched howl's moving castle and OHMYGOD SOMEONE GET ME A MAN LIKE HOWL! And honestly if I'd want someone to play the role frm k-pop industry I'd realllllyy want either Yeosang or joshua from seventeen they'd be perfect Bcz they seriously look like they got up and decided it'd be a good day to leave their anime dimension and came here to make us all feel ugly.

YES REMOVE THE SMUT 😭

I've seen so many people wanting some real ffs like guys me too PUHLEASE SOMEONE QUENCH OUR THIRST!!

I'm currently trying to write a hwa fic Bcz my first one, I felt like was trash and just... discarded it. And now, its something that fits my genre a lot. Like imagine hwa and yn being friends since literal birth and BABY HWA DEVELOPED A CRUSH ON YN WHEN THEY WERE IN KINDERGARTEN 😭😭 AND IT STRETCHED TIL HIGH SCHOOL

But....yn doesn't feel the same way and they seperate at the graduation ceremony.

It has a lot to it.

Although I'm still trying to improve my writing, so I feel like mine are probably not the best choice bcz somehow I feel like they won't make an impact on the reader ykwim? But still im writing it for the sake of real and true love 😔

And it just came to me thru a vibe like idk if it's just me but i make the moodboard first and then write the story 😭😭 im always in the opp. Direction for some reason, idk how but pretty pictures inspire me to write masterpieces. So, yeah we'll see what'll happen once I release it.

SHINESTARS GOTTA UNITE!!!

no worries!!! LMFAOOOO but isn’t it peaceful to not have any romance in life and then giggle at webtoon’s where the men are just scrumptious ☺️

yes yes!!! i loved shoujo so im excited bc the it’s coming back w my happy marriage which i 10000% recommend,, align w shoujo slice of life, darker magic ones and the comedy ones r just 😮‍💨 GIVES U TRAUMA RHWKJDLQKDLQ used to wach them but they are just sO long kudos to u chaerssss!! let us know more if ur recs <3 U DIDNT WATCH KAMISAMA KISS???? HELLO????

STOP studio ghibli films are just so comforting esp on rainy days 😭😭 and howl </3 a man like him would end my existence OH U ARE SO CORRECT JOSHUA OR YEOSANG YES OR INFINITE’S L HE FITS IT 😭😭

REMOVE THE SMUT!!!! no seriously real fics with plots that are to die for, we need movie like fics back 🤚🏻

WAIT THAT HWA FIC??? 👁👁

we are into it, we will be there, we will be there regardless of what happens 🤚🏻 writing for the sake of true love AS U SHOULD!! ooo i also do the same!! i visualize a scene and look for pictures to put it a lot together it’s the only way i can do it also 😭😭 it helps to write too <3 WE WILL BE AT UR DOORSTEP THE SECOND U RELEASE IT

AS WE SHOULD ✊🏻

[call-sign-shark]

I think I died a little bit — Lee, I don’t remember the last time I’ve laughed so much reading a fanfic. This is the peak of fun, as well as an incredible depiction of all the characters represented here. If a few sentences, you’ve showcased your impressive ability to portray SK’s characters. Also, the pace of your prose as well as the words/expressions chosen are really effective. This is a pure masterpiece. Im not sure I can say something more interesting that “I love every words”.

The description of Alley Cat’s anger and shame building as she is circled with men laughing at her made me feel a little pinch in my heart. Especially since she has spent a lot of time baking the cake to please her best friend, and she has poured all of her heart in it. It’s even more heartbreaking considering how reluctant she is at showing her affection to John. Poor little Solomons, she must have felt really bad and I just wanted to eat a slice to prove them wrong. Yet, there’s a detail I particularly enjoyed: it was the way John immediately defended her and tried to ease the tension when Isaiah went a little bit too far. I’ve found it adorable that, even if the one who started it, he did not want her to be wounded in her pride.

My favorite part of the whole work is probably her battle with Arthur. Old Shelby bro went hard on her, but gosh I could not help but laugh at his very mean remarks. “Is she going to sew it back?” // “So long you ain’t the one bakin’ it, sweetheart”. Honestly, I just knew Arthur was about to make her snap because of that typical big brother very harsh way of mocking. 🤭 I think one of the parts that gave me the giggles was when she threw the cake at his face but he manages to dodge it. The cake finally smashing John’s face nearly made me choke ‘cause I could imagine it perfectly thanks to your talent at describing. Besides. The whole sentence: “Even in his state of inhibriation, the tall, lanky man managed to duck the flying pastries, his boxing reflexes serving him well.” This is just so Arthur that I could not help but smile like an idiot. Also, him running towards Alley Cat and slipping on the icing with John nearly made me choke on my fucking morning coffee. The scene is fucking chaotic.

To be true, the whole light-hearted tone the story takes felt good. It did warm my heart. I loved the idea of turning the Garrison into a giant battlefield of cake with everyone having fun like a bunch of kids. Even Arthur. Also, the detail that had been the end of me was Finn hidden behind the bar and liking his fingers like some kind of little animal that had just stolen food. 🤣 I just love those kind of details you add: it fleshes out the story and make it so realistic. Like Thomas picking up on his brand new shoes. That being said, I missed Alley Cat and John so much. They are truly chaotic best friend, and no one are safe from the mess when they are around! Finally, the real gift to John was as surprising as adorable. Even though I didn’t want to know how she got it, it really shows how much she knows him. And she did want to make him happy. 💚

My apologies for the rambling, but I’ve loved this so much I am not even able to do a serious analysis. I had so much fun that I can’t even remember the last time I’ve laughed that hard at a written artwork. Thank you for sharing this incredible birthday John is never going to forget!!

Birthday Gift

John Shelby x Y/N Solomons

Summary: John celebrates his birthday with his bestie, but things don't go to plan.

Author's Note: Part of my Partners in Crime series about John and his problematic bestie Y/N Solomons. Ty to @dreamlandcreations for this idea!

Warnings: language, drinking

“Where have you been? Party started at eight. It’s gone ten,” John stated as he saw the top of your head weaving through the crowd gathered at the Garrison to celebrate his birthday.

“Take a butchers at this, you ungrateful arse!” you shouted above the din of the crowd. As the people standing in front of you parted to make way for the enormous tray you carried, John was finally able to see you head on, noticing something that vaguely resembled a triple layer chocolate cake. However, it was so unstable, it teetered precariously in your small hands and John’s eyes widened as it swayed before him.

“Would you Adam and Eve it?” you said with a wide grin, your pride swelling as you offered your gift.

“I can, it looks bloody awful!” he said with a boisterous laugh, fueled by the drinks he’d consumed in the hours before your arrival.

Arthur turned from the bar and poked his head over John’s shoulder, knitting his brows together and squinting his eyes which swam in their sockets from his own indulgement as he asked, “What’s this, eh?”

“You having a bubble? What the bloody hell do you think it is?” you asked, incredulously.

“Looks like a pile of dog shit,” Arthur mumbled into John’s ear, making them both erupt into drunken laughter, whisky splashing onto the floor as John gripped his brother’s arm to keep from falling over.

You stamped your foot and pursed your lips together, unamused by their buffoonery. “I spent five fucking hours on this!” you huffed, blowing hair out of your face from the corner of your mouth as both hands were occupied. Looking down at the increasingly heavy monstrosity you held and back up at your friend you wondered why you had bothered when this was the thanks you received. “Bloody shame is what it is,” you whined.

“That you dropped it?” John asked, voice dipping into a low and serious register all of a sudden. He scratched his ear, considering how the pathetic looking confection seemed to have fallen from a great height and been crammed back together hastily with fistfuls of icing. He waited anxiously for you to explain as your face grew ten shades of red.

“Dr-dropped it?” you stuttered, temper rising in your throat as you thought of all the time you’d spent in Alfie’s kitchen, covered in flour, pressed up against his disgusting, foul smelling workmen. Your hands were still cramped from holding the icing bag used to decorate it in tiny rosettes the way you’d been shown. It might not be the most beautiful creation you’d ever seen, but you were still quite proud of it.

“Yea…cos it’s leanin’, see?” John pointed as he cocked his head to to the side, attempting to view the cake as it might appear right side up. “And this whole side is pretty much….well, it’s gone, love,” he commented, gesturing toward the left top tier which was missing a large chunk. Your mouth hung open in speechless horror as you realized it had fallen off somewhere along the way, probably food for the rats in the streets by now.

At that moment, Finn walked up, studying you and the unfortunate mess you held in your hands. “Y/n! Is that food? I’m starving!” he drunkenly yelled, lunging for the cake.

Before he made it to you, Isaiah pulled him back by the elbow warning, “Careful, mate. Probably came out Alfie’s bins by the look of it.” Then turning to you with a cheeky grin, he asked “Is that why they call you alley cat, darlin’? That lovely little tail of yours been digging through the rubbish for scraps? Hope it’s not poisoned!” he chuckled.

“Alright, that’s enough!” John intervened, straightening himself. It was alright for him to make jokes, but he wouldn’t allow anyone else to wound your pride. “It might look a bit dodgy, but I’m sure it tastes…well, better than it looks,” he gulped, eyeing you and the cake wearily, knowing he’d have to try it now.

You felt the tips of your ears burning as your rage boiled over, vocal chords thrumming as you screamed, “Would you stop rabbiting on about the bloody give and take!” Tears formed in the corners of your eyes, mostly due to exhaustion.

Finn stood motionless, glancing at John in panic. He shuffled forward, placing a hand on your shoulder as he assured you in a meek voice, “I can’t wait to try it.” He gave you a weak smile before stepping away, deathly afraid of the murderous glint in your eye.

“What are you drinking, alley cat?” John asked, attempting to appease you.

“Drop of needle and pin,” you answered, allowing the distraction as you looked around for a place to rest the cake.

As he rejoined the conversation, Arthur asked in confusion, “She gonna sew the fucking thing back together?”, a hiss escaping from between his teeth as he found amusement in his own joke.

“You’re brown bread, you hear me?” you threatened, gritting your teeth together tightly. You’d had nearly all you could take of relentless taunts for one night.

“So long as you ain’t the one bakin' it, sweetheart,” he replied with a wicked grin, raising his glass in a sarcastic toast.

That was all it took for you to snap, fingers raising the edges of the hefty tray as you grunted under the weight. 

“Oh, fuck!” Finn called out, but you were already launching the cake through the air toward Arthur. Even in his state of inebriation, the tall, lanky man managed to duck the flying pastry, his boxing reflexes serving him well.

However, the cake found an unanticipated target as John turned from the bar at that moment with your gin in one hand and a fresh pint of beer in the other. Unable to defend himself, the confection hit him squarely in the face, the weight of it nearly bowling him over in the process. The drinks sloshed out toward you, soaking your new dress in alcohol and you gasped at the feeling of cool liquid running down your cleavage. The room seemed to quiet for a few seconds afterward as John turned to place the empty glasses on the bar and wiped his face with a handkerchief. 

“Y/n?” he called out to you through a mouthful of icing. You didn’t reply, frozen in place with your hands to your face in genuine shock over your outburst. Then the laughter began, a silent shudder against your ribs at first as you attempted to hold it in and then an undignified snort as your amusement grew for the entire pub to hear. 

“You fucking laughing at my brother?” Arthur asked, picking up a handful of sponge and tossing it at your dress, ruining it further.

“You prick!” you yelled and grabbed a handful yourself, attempting to hit Arthur in the face. However, you missed and pummeled his chest, smearing his new tie with hideous brown streaks. As his face contorted in anger, Finn attempted to pull you away, but Arthur was already charging at you with the ferocity of a bull. Although John tried to hold him back, he only succeeded in slipping and sliding in the chocolate icing with his brother, landing on the hard wood floor with a thud.

Soon everyone was covered in unappetizing shades of brown, a sickeningly sweet smell permeating your nostrils as you threw chunks of cake at one another. You took pleasure smooshing a large portion into Isaiah’s face as you asked, “Enjoying the rubbish, darling?” And you couldn’t stop giggling as you noticed an overly intoxicated Finn licking his fingers greedily behind a chair. At least someone is enjoying my efforts, you thought. 

The shouting had long since turned to peels of laughter as the fight devolved into happy chaos. Even Arthur began to smile, until a distant voice began yelling over the crowd in sharp authority.

“Oi! What the fuck is going on?” Your head snapped up to see Tommy standing over all you. He watched you rolling in what looked to be mud as he picked at the bottom of one of his pristine leather shoes with disgust. 

“Tommy, I thought you were in London tonight,” John coughed out, attempting to shake crumbs from his hands. His face looked like that of a naughty child and he quickly averted his eyes, ashamed of his untidy appearance in contrast to his brother’s spotless three piece suit.

“We was celebrating John boy’s birthday,” Arthur added, attempting to stand, shoes skittering to one side as he clutched for the edge of the bar to remain upright. As he tried to smooth his hair back, you hiccuped out a little laugh.

“Y/n Solomons, might have known you’d be here,” Tommy mumbled through clenched jaw, disapproval evident, before announcing, “Everyone out of my fucking pub!” Chairs squealed and feet shuffled as partygoers who had been cheering and laughing moments earlier turned silent, no one wishing to incur the wrath of Tommy Shelby as they exited with haste. 

“Sorry, Tommy,” Isaiah mumbled, his ever present grin permanently faded as he fetched a mop and bucket. As the junior peaky boys began to clean, shooting daggers at you through their eyes, you realized the night had officially ended.

John leaned against the wall outside the Garrison, blowing smoke rings up toward the heavens in the peaceful silence of the evening. Cigar finished and stamped out on the cobblestones, he shoved his hands in his pockets, bouncing on the heels of his feet to keep warm. As he looked over at your disheveled figure, he laughed, “That was some birthday, alley cat. Haven’t had that much fun since I was kid.”

“Is that a thank you, I hear, Barney?” you asked, stamping out your cigarette with the heel of your boot. 

“Yeah, spose it is,” he chuckled. “Tommy’s face was a picture though,” he said, shoulders shaking as he laughed.

“Think he’ll tell Alfie?” you asked.

“No!” he snorted, indignantly. “Who cares about a mess in Tommy's pub?” John asked with a wave of his hand.

“Not the cake, you stupid git, THAT!” you said with a flourish, pointing to the brand new Triumph parked at the corner. 

“Alley cat, what have you done?” John asked, noticing the motorcycle for the first time that night.

“Is that what I think it is?” he asked, eyes as big as saucers.

“All yours, my love,” you said with a nod.

“No!” John gasped, running toward it and jumping on the seat with the excitement of a child on Christmas morning.

“Yes!” you squealed, following him. “Just don’t drive it round London,” you said, biting your lip nervously. 

John looked over his shoulder at you with furrowed brow, “Alley cat…” he began in a warning tone, knowing full well how you'd come into possession of the bike.

“Don’t ask,” you cut him off, holding up your hand.

He burst into laughter as you asked, “Does this make up for the birthday cake?”

“Yea, I’d say so!” he replied, stroking the handlebars lovingly.

“Good, then I never want to hear another word about my baking as long as I live!” you replied with a satisfied smirk. 

---------------------------

Tag List:

@peakyswritings

@evita-shelby

@shelbydelrey

@alanadetigy

@wandawiccan60

@severewobblerlightdragon

@lovemissyhoneybee

@theshelbyslimited

@kittycatcait219

@callsign-fangirl

@christinasyellowflowers

@notyour-valentine

@theshelbyclan

@areyenotfondofmelobster

@polishcrazyone

@elenavampire21

@little-diable

@lyarr24

@jomarch-wannabe

@the-fangirl-diaries

@kmc1989

@everythingelseisextra

@raincoffeeandfandoms

@cillmequick

@pono-pura-vida

@iwannabeinthesequalmrghostface

@xxblackballoonxx

@brummiereader

@callsign-shark

@moral-terpitude

@padfootdaredmetoo

@anonymooseforever007

@peakyltd

@mystcldydrms

@thegreatdragonfruta

@mythos-writes

@emotionalcadaver