#i can’t wait to add her future iconic outfits

[jelliebeanbitch]

read it and weep 💖

(DISCLAIMER: THIS IS INTENDED TO BE SO UNSERIOUS! IMO BASICALLY ALL HER LOOKS AND ALSO HER ENERGY ARE SUPER HIGH FEMME AND ALSO CATEGORIES ARE WHATEVER U WANT THEM TO BE!!! THATS ALL, BYEEEE LOVE YOU)

[jett-dawson]

— ANDERSHAW RANT

so i’m currently in a big andershaw mood. i really really love them. watching episodes five and six makes me so happy. i know this show is still finding its way, i know the drama isn’t super solid and i know the eps are only five minutes long. but i’m just trying to find happiness in what we’ve got. and while jella is obviously just such an iconic and strong ship, i feel like andershaw deserves some love & light as well. hell, they’re still lowkey underrated? even after the episodes? idk but anyways

after reading skyler and ruby’s i was like wait wait. these two bios feel like two different puzzle pieces. pieces that attach? they literally fit so well. ruby is this bold girl. mega aries energy. rainbow dash type beat. she is the girl who makes sure to put loving, supportive energy into her friends no matter what. shes there to hype them up when and if they need it. shes there to put extra flair onto their outfits and just be that very very cool gal. skyler is the shy one. cancer energy. fluttershy type beat. shes timid yet smart, shy and lowkey insecure. she’s not fully sure of herself. shes still finding her feet. shes still looking for the moment where she’s fully ready to shine. she just needs a boost. she needs confidence. she needs support. and yes of course she could get that from any of her friends but like. ruby is literally branded around being the hype friend!! how fitting is that! plus they’re literally just the definition of red and blue gays i’m sorry but it had to be said

then episodes five and six dropped. these episodes really strengthened their bond. seriously. whether you ship it or not, they are now closer than ever. think about it! skyler just lost the love of her life, who she had been dating for like three years, in the most crappiest way possible. who ran after her to comfort her? ruby. but ruby lowkey kinda just got let down as well. she got to go on a date with this “cute” boy from her class. she was excited for the party. she was hyped up, she ran over to her roomies to get excited with them. she was willing to vlog with him. all for him to turn out to be a fraud, not only to her but to her friend. but what did she do? put all of her energy into skyler. WHICH ISNT A SURPRISE. their bios do foreshadow the show, believe it or not. we knew poppy was going to have some sort of dynamic going on with the A’s. we knew sunny was going to have her own cartoon that she works on of her friends. we knew all of this! and you could say the same about the wave two bios, foreshadowing violet/karma drama, amaya coming into a school with an unexpected setting, etc.

but like. think about it. they could’ve had any of the girls go to comfort skyler. they could’ve had jade go, bella go, heck, even sunny! but they chose jade. bc thats her character. she cares. she cares enough. she knew just what to say. she knew the moment skyler started spewing junk abt colin being the reason she got into rainbow high, it was all false. she knew just what to say to help skyler. and immediately was like hey look. ur makeup is running. you’re upset. you don’t deserve this. let’s have a makeover together. and made a cute ass montage of them being in love and doing makeup and hair. bro they put each other’s initials on each others outfits!! that’s what ruby’s bio meant! she knows how to add flair to anyone’s looks! she gave skyler a bit of a makeover!! foreshadowing!!!!

and yet she supported skyler’s speech on the stage. she convinced skyler that colin isn’t worth her time or energy and that they should just turn their colour up and vibe. they didn’t have to do that. they seriously didn’t. opposites ships like these are always the death of me. you see that with jella! opposites in a way!! you see it with other ships from other shows.. ex. rarijack and flutterdash (since i was referencing mlp earlier lol). they just work. it’s the balance. the time. the effort and energy they put in together. and i love it.

and i feel like andershaw is one of the only canon dynamics that have gotten a lot of attention.. other than jella and sky/violet. like the roommates have cute bonds as well but we haven’t seen a lot of them have major like... heartfelt turn of events. i mean i do love the cute moment of skyler supporting sunny during episode one. i do like the dynamic of ruby and violet having the spa nights on thursdays and being the ones invested in vlogging and stuff. that’s cute! but andershaw had like a heartfelt turn of events that strengthened their bond. and it’s not a surprise to me because their bios!! make sense!!!

sky/river seems like an interesting take. i mean all we’ve known is them sharing the 22 and then seeing each other and knowing each other which is cute!! but i guess i just can’t get into it?? idk. like. i usually almost always find straight couples being weak in kids cartoons bc companies usually only throw in males for the purpose of being a love interest and almost nothing else. so i’m used to finding no interest in straight couples for the reason that their bonds are as strong as the main characters friendships! and this is usually in like girl power shows like mlp, precure, winx, eah, mh, etc. like i do love the het couples of eah and mh ngl. rosabella and daring? clawd and draculaura? ashlynn and hunter? deuce and cleo? love to see them. but i guess another factor in it is that we rarely ever get LGBT rep in kid shows like these and. i love to see myself represented in the things i love and cmon man the school is literally called rainbow high. we have to at least have one gay, cmon. please mga

anyways. i wonder what will happen to river tho. i feel like i can get into it if they develop out their relationship while also actually giving river a personality lol. i do love how hes into performing arts though. you don’t see a guy being into performing represented in cartoons every day. but i also wonder if the amaya/river theory will come true. half upset bc id expect someones theme that is literally based off of the rainbow would be gay but. i also love andershaw so NDMDNDJ it’s ok. i ship andershaw no matter what! i wonder what will happen, and if couples will even be a prominent thing in the shows future. i mean... i wouldn’t doubt it? if not, kia would serve like no other purpose as of rn lol. anyways. i love my gays and i’ll probably rant about them another time

[happi-tree]

On The Style and Effectiveness of 1-A Hero Costumes - Part 2/5

Part 2 of this post!

NAVIGATION

Part 1 2 3 4 5

INGENIUM / IIDA TENYA

It’s armor time!!! Behold a man. 

What I don’t like:

The costume seems too bulky for a Quirk and fighting style that optimize speed. And while it’s true that cars are pretty bulky but still go fast, it’s equally true that certain types of cars are designed to go faster. The current design reminds me most of a semi or a big SUV, but if the costume was more streamlined along the lines of racecars or sports cars, it would help take off the extra weight that the bulk provides, leaving Iida lighter and more streamlined - therefore, faster. 

Some examples of slimmer armor include Go Go Tomago’s from Big Hero 6 and Jim Lake Jr.’s from Trollhunters. And while I get that his body type inherently lends itself to being tank-like, lightening up on the bulk would probably be great for him.

The exhaust pipes out of his back confuse me. They bring some car energy, which is entirely welcome, but they likely hinder balance and motion, which is bad. They leave him looking a little unbalanced, and since so much of his strength and his fighting ability focuses on his lower body, having excess superficial material protruding out of the sides like that doesn’t seem to lend him any favors. And even while it looks cool, it just seems like it would be uncomfortable? Especially since a lot of runners - Iida included - like having full range of their arms to help propel them forward. The pipes might get in the way of that.

Here’s what I like:

The overall aesthetic. I love how this look both makes sense with Iida’s Quirk and personality and plays with elements of his older brother’s costume. It simultaneously puts across some knightly vibes - which is genius, considering how chivalrous and rule-following Iida typically is - and also calls to mind Transformers and cars with the emphasis on the engines and some of the more mecha elements.

The support! Armor is such an easy way to protect yourself while also getting some serious style points. His most essential areas are covered - neck, chest, arms, and legs - which is especially important considering that Iida’s legs are integral to his Quirk and his fighting style. The helmet is also a really good choice, considering this boy is essentially a human car. He looks a bit intimidating wearing it, which is good for fighting Villains, I suppose. Class dad is protected.

And a misc. note:

You know how after Iida’s special Recipro Burst move, he has to wait awhile while his engines cool back down? I think it would be really neat if he implemented some cooling technology into his Hero suit (similarly to Todoroki’s temperature-regulating gear). Theoretically, if he could find something that worked a bit like coolant for his engines, he would have a much quicker reaction time - and speed is the main facet of his Quirk, so it would probably help a lot!

Overall: Very good at providing protection while having a bomb-ass aesthetic. Not quite so good at being built for speed.

I CANNOT STOP TWINKLING / AOYAMA YUUGA 

On the other side of the armored spectrum… we have this kid!

What I don’t like:

*Edna Mode voice* NO CAPE! Why do I not like the cape? Capes can snag on stuff very easily and it would be an easy thing for Villains to target and use to unbalance Aoyama. Longer capes are especially susceptible to getting trapped under rubble, torn up, or covered in gunk from the environment (which is not the Look he seems to like). I feel like a shorter cape would get a similar message across while minimizing the potential dangers that a long cape poses. Of course, Aoyama can be trained via experience to utilize his costume effectively with the full-length cape, but when his life and the lives of others are on the line, I’d rather not take that chance.

The shades. I get that they’re iconic, but they’re taking rose colored glasses a bit too seriously. 110% will fall off his face and also messes with the princely Vibe the rest of his costume provides. I do like their Elton John energy, though.

Not a bad thing, but I just want to know how his belt works.

Here’s what I like:

The overall aesthetic. I love how the costume’s obvious “princely knight” vibe reflects so much of Aoyama’s character. 

The support here is also really good! Working the belt into the theme of his costume so seamlessly is very innovative and I love that for him. Getting the knee pads and shoulder pauldrons to match his central laser both adds to the uniqueness of the outfit and also pushes that royalty theme since they look very similar to inset gems. 

The color scheme. Purple, silver, gold, and black look very classy and regal together, and I appreciate how the royal purple ties back into the concept of European royalty, which is very in-character for this boy. His pantaloon-looking things??? Neato.

Overall: Eh, okay. Ditch the glasses and shorten the cape. Superb, you funky lil knight light.

CREATI / YAOYOROZU MOMO

Here we are! I’m finally taking a crack at one of the most highly debated hero costumes in the entire show, and like a good portion of people, I’m gonna be extremely salty about it. Yaomomo doesn’t deserve this - none of the girls deserve this. These are my thoughts:

What I don’t like:

The absolute lack of support. For any aspect of her. Nothing about this costume is protective (other than maybe the partial high collar). Her most vulnerable areas are exposed, and while it makes sense for easy Quirk usage, it does not make sense for a girl who’s fighting homicidal maniacs on the front lines. The most glaring area in need of support is obviously her chest, as nothing substantial is holding her bust in place. However, so much could be done to work with the benefits of Creation and against its weaknesses that is not being done in this costume. I’ve seen quite a few redesigns that include a sports bra with a front zip closure, which is worlds better. With the show being set in the future, having a slightly mechanized costume with the ability to retract certain pieces at the press of a button would be useful and likely doable considering Yuuei’s own Support department. Gloves would probably be a good idea to give Yaoyorozu a better grip on harder-to-handle Created objects, such as heavy metal machinery. 

The over-sexualization is, obviously, disgusting. Nothing about this costume says “Hero.” What it does say, in-universe, is that someone had the absolute gall to approve and send this outfit to a 15-year-old girl about to be thrown headfirst into training for an extremely dangerous profession. It says that giving a person in their freshman year of high school an overly sexualized outfit meant for combat training is okay (it isn’t, for reasons I can’t even begin to explain). This more closely resembles an outfit for a lingerie or swimsuit model than it does for any type of superhero, which alone should be enough to warrant some serious changes - especially, as I have stated, since the girl is only 15!

The overall aesthetic. There is no aesthetic reading for this costume other than “sexy”, which, as I explained above, is very problematic. Sure, the exposed skin makes sense for her Quirk, since she needs access to skin in order to produce items with Creation, but nothing about this outfit denotes anything about her personality. Yaoyorozu Momo is a gentle girl who has been shown to have self-esteem issues from early on in the show, and just knowing that makes me wonder if she feels uncomfortable wearing this. If she’s totally comfortable in this look, good for her! But comfort in our clothing factors so much into our mental states, which translates directly to our physical performance - it’s the same reason why having clothes that fit you and your style well make you feel more confident and more content. And especially if Yaoyorozu wasn’t quite expecting the amount of skin revealed when her costume was given to her, it could likely have added on to her self-esteem issues as seen early in the school year.

The skintight fit of what amounts to a glorified bathing suit is not conducive or acceptable whatsoever. With such a powerful Quirk, Yaoyorozu needs all the protective material she can get - which, as I said in Uraraka’s analysis, is quite simply not possible to fit under that bodycon fabric. Some padding at the very least would work wonders, and bulletproof material would serve her even better. 

Once again, heels are not good for any kind of running or fighting! At least it’s a block heel, which is marginally more stable than, say, a stiletto, but still.

The literal bookshelf on her ass. It makes no sense to put it there - it’s an inconvenient place (what if she needs to sit down?) and it looks incredibly awkward to move around with. Besides, there’s absolutely nothing stopping that book from falling at the slightest jostle. At least give her a proper holster or implement it into a toolbelt like some of the boys have. 

What’s with the belt? Can it hold emergency supplies? Or is it just there to make it seem like she’s wearing more than a deep v one-piece? I’m at a loss here.

Here’s what I like:

The color scheme. Deep red, white, and pale yellow look good on her! The color ratios are also pretty good in my opinion. Unfortunately, this is the only good thing I can say about her getup.

And to round us out, some misc. notes:

I feel like the book could be done away with entirely and replaced with something digital. This universe is set multiple centuries into the future, and I think something like a holographic data set would look slick, enable for faster search time for whatever info Yaoyorozu would need, and eliminate the bulk problem completely. At the very least, there could be a smartwatch-type gauntlet to pull up info with a larger screen to enable easy reading. Really, the lack of support for Yaoyorozu’s look is devastating because she could go so many directions in creating an outfit that works with her Quirk’s strengths and against its weaknesses.

Overall: Awful, a disgrace, and a disservice to one of the coolest, kindest characters in the class. I would kill for her to get the outfit she deserves.

INVISIBLE GIRL / HAGAKURE TOORU

Wow, look! Two travesties in a row! One more and I get a bingo!

Hagakure, I love you so much, and I am so, so sorry that the yahoos over at the Support company thought that this was a good idea.

What I don’t like:

Uh. The fact that there isn’t a costume. There is literally no in-universe rationalization for this. Surely, they have the technology. Just look at Lemillion! Togata Mirio’s Quirk is literally phasing through materials (including his own clothing) and they made him his own non-phaseable costume by weaving his own DNA into the fabric! Even if they don’t have the technology (they do), I know that Hatsume and probably the rest of the Support students would immediately jump on the chance of creating a fabric with the ability to switch between visible and invisible modes. 

Once again, the sexualization of minor Hero students continues to disturb me. Who in their right mind thinks it’s okay to send a naked teenager out into a live battlefield just because she’s less likely to be noticed that way? This line of thought surely doesn’t account for stray bullets or falling debris, nor does it account for this poor girl’s peace of mind. She should be focused on getting the job done and saving people, not worrying about how it’s too cold for her to work properly or how there’s nothing between her body and a loaded gun except for the air between them.

The gloves and shoes seem like they’re kinda. Missing the point of contributing to a stealth Hero costume? Yes, they’re good so that Hagakure can be easily recognized among her allies, but does she just have to stow them wherever when she needs to go fully invisible and hope she can find them once the mission’s over? Plus, Hagakure will always, at the very bare minimum, need something to protect the soles of her feet. Walking barefoot just for everyday civilian stuff would cause a lot of problems, but Heroes likely have a lot of broken glass, broken nails, debris, and other nasty things on the streets where they fight. Tetanus is not fun to have. 

Here’s what I like:

The gloves are a nice color, I guess?

Some misc. notes:

I gotta say, I’ve seen SO many good takes on outfit redesigns for Hagakure (same with Yaoyorozu) and the fandom collectively has some wonderful ideas on how to go about creating a costume for her. Personally, I think it would be cool if she had a full-body suit that could change between visible and invisible modes - that way, she would be easy to identify in head counts and it would likely be easier to see places where she could be injured after a fight. At the very, very least they could pull a Lemillion and have her outfit infused with something from her own DNA so it can disappear as she does while leaving her at least covered.

Overall: So, so bad. Please give this girl a suit. I’m tired. 

TLDR Part 2:

Great Costumes: 

Good: Iida

Okay: Aoyama

Questionable: 

Bad: 

The Absolute Worst: Yaoyorozu, Hagakure

[nso-csi]

201111 hypebea twitter update

Taemin on the Making of ‘Never Gonna Dance Again : Act 2’ The K-pop artist breaks down the inspiration behind his solo project.

For Lee Taemin, Never Gonna Dance Again is the dawn of a new era. The title is an antithesis for a performer marked by his ability to entrance audiences with movement, and the 27-year-old hopes to demand attention with a concept both provocative and unimaginable. Led by the prologue single “2 KIDS,” followed by the release of Act 1 in September, Act 2 serves as the final installment of the series. Shortly after its launch, the nine-track effort quickly went number 1 on Apple Music charts around the world. Clearly, his third Korean studio album has already proven to be his most successful project to date. Taemin is more than the youngest member of SHINee, the legendary K-pop group that debuted under SM Entertainment in 2008, nor is he limited to the iconic “MOVE” dancer that set the K-pop industry aflame in 2017. His solo aura is almost unrecognizable from his role as a member of supergroup SuperM, his fourth debut across three generations. The common thread is that all of these eras are true to Taemin’s greatest gift: range. He is malleable in a way that breeds experimentation, but doesn’t adhere to standards. This is the reason Taemin has become a household name, and a muse to both idols and fans alike.

About an hour before Never Gonna Dance Again : Act 2 dropped on Monday evening in Korea, Taemin entered our Zoom call harboring a clear excitement in his tone. After working hard for so long, it’s only natural to anticipate the world’s response to your work, especially if every release is as risky and groundbreaking as his. Lead single “IDEA” screams arthouse and intensity, with featured vocals from legendary performer and labelmate BoA, who laced the track with her lines “Killing me” and “Killing me softly.” Avant-garde fashion accompanies the tantalizing hook, and aesthetic reminiscent of both heaven and hell add to the visual prowess in the music video, elevating the narrative Taemin aims to tell and harboring a ferocity matched only by the sharp and fluid choreography. “The title track ‘IDEA’ was inspired by the allegory of the cave (Plato’s Cave). Instead of ‘being trapped in a cave��� and living in the shadow of the truth, I want to free myself from the darkness and embark on a journey of enlightenment where I discover a new ego, identity and meaning,” Taemin explains, referencing Greek philosopher Plato’s theory of ideas. “IDEA” is a follow up of “Criminal” from Act 1, which had an equalizing parallel that was haunting yet seductive. “IDEA” is just as visually demanding and hypnotic, but levels up from the previous title track.

Throughout the conversation, it becomes clear that Taemin’s youthfulness has not begotten him despite his wisdom. The care with which he approaches talking about his music could be surprising given the mature vibes of his sound, but this duality should be expected from someone who forwent the typical teenage experience to pursue music professionally. There’s a sweet charm in the way he expresses himself, and an eagerness to continue innovating as a result. “I participated in the writing of three tracks: ‘Heaven,’ ‘Think of You,’ and ‘Pansy.’ I’m always writing and taking notes in my notebook when I have time between schedules, so a lot of the inspiration came from that.” Taemin says, breaking down each track he worked on with a noticeable passion. Describing “Think of You” as a warm song that expresses honest and sincere messages for his fans, and “Heaven” as giving positive energy and strength, he goes on to talk about “Pansy,” a song that holds a little extra weight. “The significance behind the flower is ‘remember me.’ I wanted to tell a message to my fans who have waited for me for a long time, because in between there are periods where I’m not working on my solo music. So for those fans who have been waiting patiently, I wanted to show that gratitude and how I’m very appreciative of that. I wrote the chorus part, and when I was writing it that day, the weather and my surroundings were the main inspiration.” Beyond nature, the flower serves a more sentimental value. “The pansy flower has a specific day, Pansy Day, and that’s also the day of SHINee’s debut, so it worked perfectly.” Taemin also believes these three songs stand out the most compared to Act 1 due to their warmth and fuzziness, a bright contrast from the powerful and dark undertones heard previously.

Speaking of his creative process when working on new music, Taemin has a unique approach to finding inspiration: searching his mental state in the current time. “When I watch a movie, I’m not inspired by the movie itself, but the feelings that I have as I’m watching it. That’s what plays the most important role.” Looking back on recording for Never Gonna Dance Again, he adds, “I had that period where I was going through a slump of trying to create something new, so I wanted to make that experience artistic and useful and incorporate it into my album.” He combines his real life thoughts with his signature drama, a method that can’t be duplicated as it’s unique to him. For his involvement in Act 2, Taemin describes it as “writing a personal letter to my fans.” He elaborates, “Rather than creating perfect lyrics or a perfect song, it was more about sincerity and delivering that comforting message and being very honest with my feelings.” The feelings showcased are the most up-to-date represenation of Taemin’s artistry, but even that’s open to change. “I’m always thinking about what I’m good at, what are some things that other artists didn’t try,” he reflects. “I’m not an artist that’s limited by genre. I’m not just an R&B or K-pop artist, but I’m one who likes to experiment with different genres and styles to diversify my portfolio.” For Taemin, sharing his own thoughts and emotions is one of the biggest reasons he wanted to become a performer, and it’s what steers him away from following what’s trendy or high in demand.

Of course, this doesn’t mean Taemin doesn’t respect the other artists he’s worked with. In fact, he treasures both his past and his present, and recognizes them as equally important to his current sound and image. “SHINee is a big part of who I am as an artist. For example, in one of the teaser photos for the new album, I’m wearing this military uniform outfit which alludes to SHINee’s single ‘Everybody.’” Fans immediately recognized the 2013-inspired getup, and it’s just another treat for both Shawols and Taemin. He hasn’t forgotten his roots, nor does he plan to even as he evolves. “For the past 13 years, I’ve been spending a lot of time with them and creating music together as a group.” It’s only natural that this influences his career, and his Shawols are still his most fervent supporters even after such a long time. “With my solo career, I don’t want fans to think that I’m throwing all that away. It’s more about creating something new and different than what I’ve been showing in my past with the group. In the past years, I learned a lot, and I always had things that I wanted to try and experiment with. It’s not about the end of SHINee or moving on, but a new beginning.” His consideration of the fans’ feelings doesn’t negatively affect his progress, but proves how he hopes to continue growing with those who helped him get this far. Sincerity is probably the most important message Taemin wants to send as he embarks on this new journey. “For a new beginning, something has to end. I want fans to know that this is not goodbye, it’s not the end. I will continue to bring great music and show something new to the audience.” What that may be, we’ll just have to wait and see. But if Never Gonna Dance Again is any indicator, the future of soloist Taemin will continue to keep us guessing.

Ashlee Mitchell

[amphtaminedreams]

The Women of Euphoria and Personal Style: Lookbook no.8

Hi to anyone reading,

I hope you’re well considering everything going on! It feels weird to want to talk about fashion or TV shows or red carpets or whatever when 90% of my Google searches are COVID-19 related but there you go. It’s all about trying to power through as normal (minus the social interaction) and pretend the world isn’t ending, right? Queue nervous laughter.

And as if things aren't shitty enough, production of season 2 of Euphoria has been postponed until further notice. 

Okay, in the grand scheme of things, having to wait a bit longer for a TV show isn’t catastrophic but it does just about sum up the transition from 2019 to 2020 thus far that after HBO redeemed itself by broadcasting Euphoria in the summer following an ending to Game of Thrones that has made the whole series unrewatchable, the glimmer of hope in me reignited by the prospect of series 2 this year has been quickly dashed. 2021, I’m rooting for you, because it doesn’t seem like things are getting better any time soon, and in all seriousness, I think everyone needs a break from the collective suffering of the last few months.

For me (and undoubtedly for many others if the hundreds of makeup looks and styling videos are anything to go by), Euphoria’s effect on the world of fashion and beauty is unprecedented. I really can’t recall a TV show in living memory that has had as much of an impact on the way young people dress. I mean, this might partially be because the style of the characters already kind of caters to and draws from the target audience but also, aside from Blair Waldorf did anybody really give THAT much of a fuck about what anybody in Gossip Girl wore?

The draw of the styling on Euphoria is that it has something for everyone. The style of each of the main girls, Rue, Kat, Maddy, Jules and Cassie, all of whom I’ve attempted (emphasis on attempted!) to base (emphasis on base!) outfits around, is varied and distinctive but still so current and realistic at the same time. It’s also consistent; even if you don’t own the specific pieces worn by any of them, similar shapes and details reoccur enough in different looks throughout the series that it’s not hard to create an outfit which matches your favourite character’s overall vibe without buying anything new. That’s kinda what I have attempted to do here and without further ado, I’m gonna get on with it! First up:

Jules (Played by Hunter Schafer)

When it comes to whose style is the most experimental, Jules is the obvious answer. A lot of her outfits are what I imagine a cartoonist in the near-distant future will envision their cool girl protagonist wearing. Whilst her ensembles are generally whimsical and girly for the most part, there’s usually a few slightly punk-ish finishing touches thrown in there too be it through chunky shoes or bold makeup or that incredible mesh trench coat she wears in the series finale with the trans symbol on the back which, honestly, deserves a moment of silence. 

There are definitely nods to current fashion trends sprinkled throughout her wardrobe too. I'm not going to lie, despite someone at work seemingly thinking it was an insult to tell me I look like someone who does (I still don’t know but this person has a Rick and Morty keyring so I don’t give it too much weight), I’ve never watched any anime. BUT, that being said, given the abundance of anime screenshots posted by all these aesthetic oriented Instagram and Tumblr moodboard accounts, I have a vague idea of what some of the more iconic characters look like and a lot of Jules’ looks seem to be very much modelled after or at least inspired by them. In a way, I see a lot of her looks as a blend between modern “e-girl”, Y2K skater chick (yes, I’m thinking early Avril Lavigne), and 2013 Tumblr “hipster” a la 2014 Joanna Kutcha and Charlie Barker, and though on paper that sounds like a nightmare combination, it works. I know-if that sentence were a Depop description I would’ve just gained 30 followers.

When it comes to my own interpretation of Jules’ style, it’s definitely something I like to channel when I’m putting together a proper OUTFIT outfit. Meaning an outfit I actually put effort into and thus will most likely want to get a good photo in, lol. The way her character dresses is almost quite Christopher Kane in that it’s fresh and unusual but still understated enough that I wouldn’t walk into a room wearing any of these feeling like I’m doing a Rick Owens runway.

I’m not TOO far out of my comfort zone but still at the same time, I’d be trying something new and maybe a little bit more zany than I'm used to. As for noting where any of these pieces are from, only a few have been bought in the last 6 months, but from left to right clockwise I have marked out those that have in case they’re still available (though be wary of the fact that it seems a lot of online clothes stores are still forcing warehouse employees to work in close confines at the moment and so perhaps aren’t operating the most ethically):

LOOK 1

Corset-Jaded London

Shoes-TK Maxx

LOOK 2

Dress-Motel Rocks

Boots-Koi Vegan Footwear

LOOK 3

Dress-Jaded London

LOOK 4

Dress-Jaded London

Beret-Ebay

LOOK 5

Beret-Ebay

LOOK 6

Mesh Top-Depop

Hair Clips-Urban Outfitters

Kat (Played by Barbie Ferreira) 

Eurgh, Kat. 

I LOVE THIS BITCH.

If I had to choose my favourite character in the show, it would be a very close toss-up between her and Rue, and though I think Rue might just about nab the top spot for her relatability factor, Kat is the girl I want to be or wish that I had been when I was at school. I mean, there’s definitely an argument to be made in that a lot of what she’s doing with her cam work could be seen as a means of validation (Sam Levinson has basically said everyone on the show has some kind of an unhealthy coping mechanism and I would guess due to the circumstances in which her cam girl career was borne and the fact she’s underage, this would be hers) but I do think in other ways we really see Kat reclaim her power and recognise herself for the smart, capable, gorgeous woman that she is. Honestly, the definition of divine feminine energy, and I would completely let Barbie Ferreira/basically Kat if she was also actually 23 dominate me.

Plus! Her! Style! Is! The! Bomb! Definitely the easiest character to base looks around because if I’m totally honest Kat’s energy is pretty much just what I want to emulate in every day life. 

It’s either pieces that are typically feminine, cutesy, and even slightly preppy at times drenched in everything grunge OR vice versa where you have something semi-gothic and then add a colourful, more playful touch in there that harks back to the beginning of the series before Kat had began to explore her identity and sexuality and dressed slightly more Forever 21.

I’d say, not yet with my whole chest, that on a good day the outfits I put together when making an effort aren’t too far off something Kat would wear, minus the more overtly BDSM touches; if wearing a ring choker in London is enough to get me a creepy comment from a gross middle aged shopkeeper (because I apparently forfeited my right not to be perved on when I decided to buy a bottle of Oasis summer fruits), then you can only imagine the kind of looks wearing a full-on harness would get in my conservative OAP dominated hometown. Not the most doable right now, especially considering the only time I get out is to work and to go for a run. The chafing I could deal with but the horrified glares of pensioners whose M&S prawn mayo sandwiches I’ve ruined by simply being in their eyesight not so much.

LOOK 1-

Corset-Urban Outfitters

LOOK 2-

Bodysuit-Depop

Skirt-Zara

Harness-Ebay

LOOK 3-

Co-ord-Depop

Lace-up Corset-Missguided

LOOK 4-

Dress-Vintage

LOOK 5-

Belt-Ebay

LOOK 6-

Coat-Topshop

Dress-Jaded London

LOOK 7-

Fishnet Top-Ebay

Skirt-Urban Outfitters

Maddy (Played by Alexa Demie)

Not gonna lie, I was kind of scared to do Maddy. I’m scared to be posting this, lol! Alexa Demie has played this character for a single season and she’s already one of the most iconic women to grace our screens in years. This is a huge undertaking and I don’t have the bank balance or the body confidence (lmao) to raid IAmGia. 

And this is where I want to stress: THESE ARE NOT OUTFIT RECREATIONS. THESE ARE INSPIRED BY. I HAVE ADDED ELEMENTS OF MY OWN STYLE INTO THEM. PLEASE DON’T DRAG ME. I KNOW, I’M NOT ALEXA DEMIE. I WOULD NEVER ASSUME TO BE ALEXA DEMIE. I’M NOT ABOUT TO TAKE THE LORD’S NAME IN VAIN LIKE THAT. So now we’ve got that out the way (wipes bead of sweat off forehead), let’s continue. 

Everything about Maddy Perez is extra. She has very much been established as a centre of attention character, and her outfits are a key part of that. They’re daring, they’re hyper-feminine, and they are always glamorous. We’re told that she competed in beauty pageants when she was younger and it’s clear that level of excess and coordination and glitz and all-round-boujeeness wormed its way into her DNA during that time. Even the “depression” outfit she wears to school following Nate becoming violent at the fair is costume-like, a 2019 Bratz doll Off-White street style collaboration.

Do you know how HARD I had to try to be HOT!? For these photos. Alexa Demie is one of those blessed women who doesn’t have to try at all, and that translates into the character completely. At any given moment, Maddy could add or remove one item or clothing and be let straight into the VIP section of a club, and that, honestly, is inspiring to us all in these dark times. 

One thing I tried to keep in mind is that she always looks polished and coordinated, I.E the kind of look I would prepare for a night out is something Maddy would wear on an average day. Co-ords and delicate prints seem to be more subtle wardrobe staples along with mesh and PVC and glitter and feathers and fur and basically anything that toes the line between expensive looking and tacky. Yes, I am aware we may toe different sides of that line but please let me stay delusional and believe that’s not the case for 5 minutes. Much appreciated xoxo

LOOK 1-

Bodysuit-Jaded London

LOOK 2-

Bralette-Depop

LOOK 3-

Co-ord Suit-Boohoo

Bodysuit-Boohoo

LOOK 4-

Dress-Motel Rocks

Shoes-Schuh

LOOK 5-

Bodysuit-Zaful

Trousers-Depop

Coat-Topshop

LOOK 6-

Dress-Zaful

Belt-Zaful

LOOK 7-

Top-Jaded London

Hair Clips-H&M

Rue (Played by Zendaya Coleman)

I have a complicated relationship with Rue as a character. When I started season 1 of Euphoria, I was like “Oh my god, this girl is the worst. Jesus, she’s so negative and draining and willingly self-destructive and-”

Then, oh my god is this what it’s like to live with me!?

I will say, to my own credit, that I don’t think I've ever been quite as hard to deal with as Rue (a lot less smashing stuff up and a lot more moping), and to HER credit, by the end of the season we come to realise she’s been through a fucking lot and so it makes sense, but wow. I don’t think I have ever seen a teen show handle drug abuse and mental illness in such a brutal way. It’s quite a talent to be able to show a character cause so much pain to those closest to them and yet do so through a sympathetic lens. And issues aside, whether it’s her occasional social awkwardness or her relationship with her family or watching bloody Love Island (still quite surreal to see Zendaya Coleman witnessing the Amy/Curtis drama unfold), Rue is just my favourite character to follow. 

Her style, though. AH. The thing is, I can hardly drag it, because it’s pretty much what I wear when I’m moping about the house-or just any time I can get away with it to be honest-to a T. I want to stay true to character, but that being said, creating a “Seth Rogen”-esque outfit that’s worth posting on here is difficult. So, with the same kind of artistic license that had me wearing berets whilst cosplaying Maddy Perez, here is the best I could do:

I know, I know, it’s probably too much colour and jewellery for Rue but this is as toned down as I could do and I tried to stick with the key silhouettes we see from her throughout the season; I mean, I can’t see her wearing leopard print but the structure of the coat in outfit 1 is very similar to the one seen in Shook Ones pt.II. I think the bottom line when it comes to her character is keeping things effortless and not overly-feminine; you want to mix street style, athleisure and your dad’s wardrobe favourites like your life depends on it. Plus messy hair and smudged makeup, both of which I’ve already got down according to the completely inappropriate number of customers who’ve asked if I'm tired at work so thanks for that guys, and glitter tears. Lots and lots of glitter tears.

OUTFIT 1-

Dungarees-Vintage

OUTFIT 2-

Trousers-Depop

Cardigan-Urban Outfitters

OUTFIT 5-

Beanie-Depop

OUTFIT 6-

Shirt-Boohoo Man

Sports Bra-TK Maxx

Trousers-Urban Outfitters

OUTFIT 7-

Shirt-Jaded London

Cassie (Played by Sydney Sweeney)

Style-wise, Cassie is a hard one. When putting outfits for her character together, I found myself gravitating towards a direction that’s probably a bit too bohemian for her character, under the guidance of loose terms like “girl-next-door”, “floaty”, “delicate”, you get the idea. She definitely feels the least fully-realised in terms of all the main girls and I think it’s fair to say she’s probably got a bit of self-discovery to do. Most of her storylines in the season are dictated by her relationships to other people: McKay, Maddy, Lexie, her parents and so on. 

Nevertheless, I tried to stick to the airier, more traditionally “pretty” pieces whilst still channelling the confidence and ease with which Cassie pulls them off. Sydney Sweeney has the most incredible figure and I feel like whilst the clothes the on-set stylists put her in flatter that and don’t hide anything, they’re still the focus. It doesn’t feel like there’s anything more inherently sexual about her character than any of the other main female characters despite the way the men within the narrative view her, and I think it’s a testament to the the wardrobe department that to me she still gives off big modern Disney princess energy and a certain innocence even whilst we hear her being continuously sexualised by her male peers. 

If anything, Cassie probably dresses the most like an actual teenage girl, and her style, whilst less distinctive than the other girls, still does a good job of capturing the youth and romanticism of her character. 

The colour palette of her wardrobe tends to be quite neutral, with a couple of pastels thrown in there, and if there are any details, they’re usually quite dainty. Similarly, Cassie is probably the least experimental when it comes to her makeup; we don’t really see her wearing the bold eyeshadows or liners or gems like the other girls at any point.

OUTFIT 1-

Bodysuit-Motel Rocks

Hair Clips-Bershka

OUTFIT 2-

Dress-Jaded London

OUTFIT 3-

Trousers-Urban Outfitters

OUTFIT 4-

Top-Urban Outfitters

Hairband-H&M

`OUTFIT 5-

Top-Urban Outfitters

Jeans-Zaful

Headband-Primark

OUTFIT 6-

Top-Urban Outfitters

OUTFIT 7-

Dress-Urban Outfitters

Hair Clips-Boohoo

SO, I guess that’s it for my Euphoria lookbook! As always, let me know what you think (nicely pls, my ego is fragile lol) and I’d love to hear your opinions on the show too! I really haven’t got this excited over a new TV show in ages and I just think that it does everything so excellently-from the writing to the cinematography to the soundtrack, you can tell each element is so carefully and purposefully constructed. It immerses you into the dramatic highs and lows of being a teenager in a way I haven’t seen since UK Skins and I never thought I’d watch a show which held a candle to that. 

In terms of what I’m doing next, I’ve got a very delayed fashion week masterpost in the works as well as something to fill the Met Gala shaped hole in our lives, which I hope to get up over the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, if you read to the end, THANK YOU! And I hope you’re staying safe and AT HOME where possible. I know this self-isolation feels never-ending and if I’m honest, it is having a hugely negative effect on my mental health, but NHS staff are doing their very best with the shitty recourses they have and whilst it seems that our government have thrown workers under the bus once again, we can all do our bit to combat that by slowing the spread of the virus. Also thank you to anybody who’s out working now in such a scary and uncertain time! I work at a grocery store and can say from experience that the best way to show this thanks is just through kindness and following employee’s instructions without giving them grief for it. Everyone’s scared right now and the best we can do is pull together and look out for each other, as difficult as that might seem at times.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble, and like I said, stay safe! Thanks once again if you read til the end or even if you’re just here for the photos. Appreciate it more than you know either way!

Lauren x

[fancuries]

Nominee Spotlight: Happily Ever After! Fairytale Pretty Cure

Happily Ever After! Fairytale Pretty Cure was nominated for multiple awards at the 2020 Fancuries. Here’s what the creator Imagination has to say:

Welcome to my Fancuries Spotlight Post!! I was genuinely surprised and super happy to find out that I was nominated for a handful of categories. I spent a full few minutes squealing in bed and doing a billion backflips in my mind out of pure joy, so thank you to those who nominated me! I’m very honored and grateful to be a part of the Fancuries.

Without further ado, I’ll be going a little more in depth on the categories I’ve been nominated in: Cutest Design for a Cure, Best Mascot Design, Chapter of the Year, and Ongoing Fanseries of the Year!

Cutest Design for a Cure: Cure Wonder

This is probably really cheesy, but, Cure Wonder was my first ever Cure I made and she holds a special place in my heart. Out of all my girls that I’ve designed so far, she’s the one who got the most redesigns. After so many tries, I’m finally satisfied with her design. Since she represents “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, my favorite fairytale of all time, I made sure to base her outfit off of Alice’s iconic outfit! Alice’s dress is honestly one of my favorites and it’s one of the cutest dresses that I’ve always wanted to wear. I looked at various versions of her dress, all while adding other cute aspects that screamed Wonderland and magical girl at the same time. I especially added lots of ruffles, bows, and laces; my favorite features to add when designing dresses! I‘m so happy people enjoy Wonder’s design! It’s honestly my favorite design that I’ve made to date.

Best Mascot Design: Usagi

I love this fluffy rabbit so much and I’m glad there’s others who love her too! When I was making Usagi, I already knew I wanted her to also be based off of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. Since Wonder’s based off of Alice and her story, I wanted to base Usagi off of the White Rabbit. My favorite feature that I made for her is her heart butt. It’s honestly one of the cutest things about her to me and I can imagine her mischievously shaking her tail around and showing it off! I also made sure her design reflected her personality; adorable with a hint of mischief and sass. Hopefully I’ll redraw her some day, but the drawing of her that I have right now still fits her perfectly to this day.

~Chapter of the Year: HEAFTPC Chapter 1: A Curious Dream~

-Amino:

Part 1 of Chapter 1

Part 2 of Chapter 1

-AO3: Full Chapter

To whoever nominated this chapter, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I’m really happy chapter 1 of HEAFTPC was nominated- like, I’m honestly overjoyed. The first chapter took me so long to make because of how many events I wanted to happen within a single chapter. I realized that the original chapter would’ve taken WAY TOO long if I had kept everything from the beginning of Arisu waking up, to Arisu completing her first battle as Cure Wonder. Instead, I decided to make chapter 1 a small introduction to Arisu, the other characters, and the magical, whimsical adventure of HEAFTPC that’s soon to come. Despite how much I changed and edited, chapter 1 is still long, but, hopefully I can improve on my chapter lengths in the near future! Despite this, I love chapter 1 to this day! Once again, I’m super thankful that chapter 1 was nominated and that a lot of people enjoyed it for all of its fantastical chaos.

~Ongoing Fanseries of the Year: Happily Ever After! Fairytale Pretty Cure~

Secondary logo by Silver Nut!!

Amino Wiki

Fancure Paradise Wiki

Once again, I’m going to be a little cheesy here, but HEAFTPC is my series that I cherish so much! It’s my first ever fanseries and I’ve been developing it for almost 4 years, which is honestly insane. There’s honestly never a day that goes by where I don’t think about my fanseries. Originally, when I first started making HEAFTPC, I instantly knew I wanted to make my series about fairytales; a topic I’ve always been so passionate about since I was a little girl. It’s honestly what helped make me the person I am today, which is one of the reasons why I made this fanseries. HEAFTPC is basically a love letter to fairytales of all kinds, mixed in with enchanting, entertaining, and magical adventures that I come up with in my mind. Aside from fairytales, I also just love stories that have all kinds of fantastical, whimsical aspects to them, which is what I want to implement as much as possible into my series. There’s so many fairytales I could have made my girls represent, but I settled the team down to five stories; “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” (Very obvious lol), “Little Red Riding Hood”, “Cinderella”, “Thumbelina”, and “Snow White” in respective order of when each Cure debuts. I’m so thankful for my best friends and the users who have supported me on this crazy, amazing ride so far. I can’t wait to continue writing and drawing my heart out about these five girls and their many, incredible fairytale adventures!

Once again, thank you so much for nominating my fanseries and thank you for your consideration!

[zaraevee]

Just saw Rise of Skywalker!

I’m normally pretty bad with spoilers but I managed to keep away from them for this movie and only saw the trailers. Before I continue, you need to know, according to my friends I am “easily entertained” by movies, because I am so optimistic and don’t raise my expectations too high, so I am often happily surprised. I loved this movie. So if you were not a fan, feel free to skip this post. May the force be with you.

(Can someone PLEASE tell me how to do under the cut/read more on mobile Tumblr I can’t figure it out!)

I have a tendency to be long winded so i’m writing bullet points instead of paragraphs. You’re welcome.

-I have always been a fan of Ben Solo. I waited for him for nearly five years and I am so incredibly happy that he finally became who he was meant to be and walked into the light. I especially enjoyed the moment when Rey healed him and he saw Han Solo again. That was such a sweet scene and such a strong parallel. His fight against Palpatine alongside Rey, especially the lightsaber swap made me very excited.

- I also really liked the detail that his scar disappeared and his eyes took on a much softer look after he became Ben Solo again.

- His death scene was very emotional and to me it symbolized how much he had changed as a person. Going into this, I was worried he would be killed in anger and cold blood. I am very very glad he went out by his own selfless choice, a sort of way to atone for all the things he did as Kylo Ren.

- I have never been a true Reylo shipper but I have always enjoyed watching their relationship, a mix of familial and romantic, develop. So the paralleled saving each other and the kiss made me very happy and for a moment, I could actually see them together in the future. Of course, that didn’t last but I was happy with the closure.

- Also him fading away like a jedi, along with his mother, was a great way to finally give him peace.

- On another note: I was so happy with how much Carrie Fisher was in this movie and how well her scenes flowed with it. I knew they had used old footage and I was worried it would be choppy and only expected her to have a small part, only one small scene with Rey, But was really amazed and happy with how integral she was to the plot and happy with how they sent off Leia, peacefully. I’m so happy they gave Carrie such a great last role.

On lighter notes:

- What they did with C3P0 was cool and sad and I did not expect him to be restored, but i’m really glad he was. Especially with his reference to R2’s unreliable memory banks, I should have seen it coming. It made me realize again how important to the series C3P0 is. He is probably the oldest alive character in the series and he has been in every main movie.

- I adore Poe Dameron and I love the leading role he had in this and how much his character has developed. I never expected to get his backstory from befor he joined the resistance but i’m glad we did. He turned out to have a more colorful past than I expected. Also he was very attractive in the outfits he wore in this movie.

- Finn meeting another former storm trooper was amazing and I’m really glad they did that.

- Also, I have always been a FinnRey fan. I have always thought Finn’s affections for Rey were obvious, but I just read that apparently when he was sinking in the quicksand, accordint to J.J., that is not what Finn was going to tell Rey. J.J. Abrams apparently said he was going to tell Rey he was force sensitive but I don’t quite understand or agree with that... I totally accept that he is force sensitive! There have been hints in all three movies. But I don’t know why he would tell Rey that right before he thought he was going to die. What would he have gained? It doesn’t quite make sense to me. I would be interested in finding out how other script writers of the movie saw that scene. J.J. did say he left it open for interpretation though, so each viewer is allowed to see it whichever way they want. Any way you see that scene, I am glad they never had him tell her what he was going to say, as Finn knew what Rey was going through and he respected her too much to put another thing on her mind.

- One thing I wish they would have done would be having all the ghosts of all the past Jedi stand behind Rey when she got up and faced Palpatine. That would have been really cool. But I understand it probably wasn’t doable.

-The only other thing that confused me a little was General Hux being the spy. It felt like it came a little out of left field and I am not quite sure what his motives were. He said he just didn’t want to Kylo to win but it was not elaborated on. Maybe in the previous movies, there were hints he was not entirely on board with what Kylo was doing, but I never picked up on them before. I was delighted by the twist, I would just appreciate a more in depth explanation.

Speaking of twists,

- Personally, I loved the twist that Rey is a Palpatine. I don’t think many, if anyone, predicted that. It was an amazing parallel to the original trilogy, as Luke was also the son of a Sith Lord and just like him, Rey overcame her bloodties and chose the light side.

-The Skywalkers being her chosen family made me extremely happy and that last scene where she visited Luke’s childhood home on Jakku, embraced the name Skywalker and mirrored Luke’s iconic shot with the twin suns, when the whole adventure all began was the perfect ending.

This is Star Wars, and a movie made by people. There will be mistakes, nothing in the world is perfect.

And especially evidenced by the original movie and its behind the scenes development, Star Wars has never been without fault. 😅

There are so many other amazing and fun things I wish I had the words to talk about, but I’ll probably need a while to think about the movie and I’ll probably need to go see it again.

I know a lot of people didn’t like this movie. I know some people were mad about how characters died or how it ended. I know for a fact, that many people set their expectations too high, and that was their fault. Not the fault of the people who worked so incredibly hard on this movie.

I didn’t let a few things change how I felt about it. I never let the negatives take over my view of a movie because when you let small things grow like that, it takes away the fun and awe of the experience.

Let yourself see things with a childlike optemism and openmindedness and you will be a lot happier with the results. 😊

Hi! If you read this thing the whole way through, thank you for listening to me and my opinions! I hope you enjoyed the movie as much as I did. If you have anything to add or comments or would like to start a discussion with me, feel free to comment on this post! I would love to hear from you! But let’s keep this post FRIENDLY AND RESPECTFUL please! Thank you very much. May the force be with you!

- Zara Evee 💕

[nessa-is-bored]

100 reasons why I love Lee Taeyong

I’m not good at making gifs or making fancy video edits with emotional music playing in the background, so instead I give you some of the reasons why I adore Taeyong. Happy birthday to an absolute angel!

-------

1. I love how he’s an amazing leader and someone who his members can always rely on.

2. I love how much he loves Ruby and how he talks about her fondly.

3. I love how much he always thinks of the fans, and tells us to take care of ourselves.

4. I love how humble he stays, no matter how many opportunities he and NCT get, he always says it’s because of us, NCTZENs.

5. I love how even the earpiece he wears on stage is a dedication to NCTZENs.

6. I love how passionate he is during every performance. It doesn’t matter if the venue is big or small, he gives his all during every stage.

7. I love how much Taeyong loves music. He’s involved in creating NCT’s music and you can just tell how much he loves being in the studio.

8. I love the passion he has for his job. An idol who just cares about making money can’t compare to an idol who genuinely loves what they do. And I can see and feel, with all of Taeyong’s performances, that he loves the stage.

9. I love how much Taeyong wants to be acknowledged for more than his looks and how he works hard every single day to make that happen.

10. I love how beautiful Taeyong looks when he genuinely smiles.

11. I love how precious his laughter is. It’s like music to my ears when I hear that man laugh.

12. I love how Taeyong puts others before himself and how selfless he is.

13. I love how Taeyong tries his best to speak to fans in their native language when he visits a new place.

14. I love how big of a heart he has.

15. Taeyong is the cutest when he sees animals and pets them, I love that so much 😊

16. I love that he loves plushies so much! I mean, how much cuter can he freaking get?

17. I love him because he set up a scholarship to help students in school.

18. I love that he has had this scholarship set up since he debuted and he didn’t do it to make himself look good, he did it out of the kindness of his heart. If the principal of that school hadn’t said anything, we wouldn’t even know about it.

19. I love how he finds time in his busy schedule to volunteer.

20. I love how he makes sure every member is given a chance to speak if they want to during interviews.

21. I love how Taeyong is constantly trying to better himself, as a performer and a person.

22. I love that he once said he tries to keep his opinions of things to himself so that each member can comfortably come to him and express their thoughts.

23. I love how versatile he is. I feel like there’s no concept that Taeyong can’t pull off!

24. I love how much he loves sweets.

25. And I love that when he goes live and is eating sweets, he looks so happy and overall precious!

26. I love that when he is live he just talks to us as if he were catching up with a friend.

27. I love how excited he gets talking about his day and about his music while he’s live.

28. I love the pictures he takes in every new place he visits to share with us.

29. I love every photo shoot he’s ever done with dispatch.

30. And I love how cutely he greets dispatch photographers at the airports.

31. I love that when he feels the beat he just starts dancing.

32. I love the expressions he make while he’s dancing.

33. I love the dance he choreographed for Whiplash. Iconic!

34. I love how stunning he looks when he wears headbands.

35. I love how pretty he looks with bobby pins in his hair.

36. I love how I swore no one could pull off a mullet, but somehow he could do it.

37. I love how he can make any hair color work because he’s Lee Taeyong

38. He can work any hair color but I love Taeyong with black hair because he looks like a prince. And black hair with a suit? Forget about it! That boy has me weak.

39. I love how fluffy his hair can look and how soft it looks when he runs his fingers through it.

40. I love his nose and I wanna boop it!

41. I love his side profile, but then again, Taeyong’s perfect from any angle.

42. I love how he dresses and how clothes are another way for him to express himself

43. I love the customizations he adds to his clothes to make them even more unique.

44. I love how cute he looks in oversized clothing.

45. And I love how cute he looks in glasses

46. Taeyong’s hands. I love them.

47. I love that he can cook. Men who can cook themselves and others a meal are sexy and that’s that.

48. I love the Halloween costumes he comes up with every year.

49. I love how he looks in sparkly clothes.

50. I love how he sometimes (almost always) gets shy when he gets compliments. You would think he’d be used to them by now but he still turns into the cutest, shy bub when he gets one.

51. I love how absolutely beautiful Taeyong looks in unedited, fan pictures.

52. I especially love how he looks in Tyrant Syndrome’s photos.

53. I love how adorable he was when some of the members went on the bridge and he was scared the whole way through it.

54. I love that he wrote the lyrics to their predebut song ‘Piece of Mind’

55. I love how my eyes are just drawn to him during NCT performances.

56. I love that when Angel of Mine comes up on my playlist, the first person to pop into my head is Lee Taeyong.

57. Also when I hear ‘God Must Have Spent A Little More Time on You’ I always think of Taeyong as well.

58. I love what a dork he can be.

59. I love how precious he can be when he’s sulking.

60. I love that he’s learning to play the ukulele. Can’t wait for his first, full ukulele cover!

61. I think we all loved when Mr. Lee Taeyong performed ‘Wakey-Wakey’ in a fucking crop top. That was a moment!

62. I loved watching Taeyong perform ‘Baby Don’t Like It’ live because that performance nearly ended me.

63. I love every fan cam of Taeyong performing ‘Cherry Bomb’, that’s just his fucking song!

64. Oh and also, I have to mention that Mark and Taeyong performing ‘Mad City’ is one of the best things ever! I love that shit as well.

65. I love the pretty earrings he wears.

66. I love Taeyong in all the ‘Boss’ era outfits and I want everyone to freaking know that.

67. I love how he can make walking through an airport look like a runway fashion show.

68. I love how on stage he’s so charismatic and powerful and off stage he’s the cutest bub ever.

69. I love how he’s taken care of the Dreamies since they were young and how Jisung said he wanted to be like Taeyong when he grew up.

70. I love how when he’s with Johnny and Yuta, he’s suddenly the cutest baby.

71. I love how he lets his members tease him. I mean, they kept that TY Track joke going for a while and he always just laughed it off.

72. I love how he and Doyoung are always bickering.

73. I love how much he loves his nephew and how happy he is when he talks about him.

74. I love how much he’s come out of his shell since his debut days. I mean that cute Taeyong we know now wasn’t the image he was giving us during debut days.

75. I love that he’s comfortable in his body. And all you people who wanna comment on his, or anyone’s bodies, need to not. If he’s comfortable then that’s that.

76. I love how during his debut stages, Taeyong never ever slacked even when he was the only member who the “fans” wouldn’t cheer for.

77. I love how when a fan expressed that they missed OT10 while Winwin wasn’t promoting with NCT 127, Taeyong said that he did as well and that one day they’d all be together again. He also said not to be sad.

78. And as much as people want to act like NCT ignore WayV, I love how Taeyong mentions them during a lot of his lives.

79. And I love that when Winwin was added to NCT, Taeyong went out of his way to make him feel comfortable and to make sure he had the choreography down.

80. I love how the position of leader isn’t something he takes lightly. He monitors NCT’s performances and works with the staff to make them the best.

81. I love and admire how when Jungwoo was nervous backstage, Taeyong was there comforting him.

82. I love how Taeyong is slowly getting more involved in the production side of music. I think in the future he’s really going to give us even more gems and I’m looking forward to it.

83. I love when he allows himself to be confident in his skills, because he has every right to be.

84. We don’t hear it enough but I love Taeyong’s singing voice, and I hope I get to hear it more often.

85. I love his rapping style and I don’t care what you bitches try to say, I think he’s a freaking amazing rapper.

86. I love Taeyong’s lyrics. And I love how some are slightly suggestive, some are like an insight into his thoughts, some are just plain weird, but I freaking love them all. I love the fact that there’s a variety and that he can write about several topics.

87. I love how in My Van, he not so subtly tells people that being an SM idol doesn’t mean they have it easier or don’t work as hard as others.

88. I love the predebut song he performs with Kun and Doyoung, Switch Off. It’s a masterpiece and everyone needs to go listen to it!

89. I love how absolutely adorable and precious he looks when he pouts.

90. I love how when NCT wins an award or a weekly music show, Taeyong thanks, not only us, but the members families as well.

91. I love how Taeyong keeps post it notes that fans give him to read them back later.

92. I love how he tries his best to talk to fans during fansigns, even when the staff is rushing them

93. I love how big his eyes are and I like that they look like they’re shining.

94. I love the look on Taeyong’s face when he looks out into a crowd of fans.

95. I love watching him grow. I still remember watching Open the Door back in 2014 and becoming and instant fan! And to see how much he’s grown as a performer and person since that day, just amazes me.

96. I love how much his seniors adore him because he’s so respectful towards them. BoA, Yunho, and Heechul, just to name a few, talk great about Taeyong.

97. I love him because he literally pushes through the pain just to put on the best performance for us. He shouldn’t have to do that, but he does and I love him for always doing his absolute best despite the circumstances.

98. I love how Taeyong once said that it won’t be easy for us to like him and how now he’s learning to love himself and to let himself be loved by others.

99. I love how strong he is, because he puts up with so much and has put up with so much unnecessary hate since his debut.

100. I love how happy being his fan makes me. My world doesn’t revolve around an idol, but Taeyong is one of the few things in life that makes me happy. I’ll support him forever and alway!

[fayewonglibrary]

Melting of the Ice Queen (2000)

Once the music world’s Ice Queen, Faye Wong warms up to motherhood and new love as Rebecca Li uncovers.

AS Faye Wong walks into the photo studio at Chai Wan, Hong Kong, casually dressed in baby-blue pants and pink No Name sneakers that look like a cross between sports shoes and ballet slippers, she looks relaxed and girlish.

The colours of her outfit suggest that her life is absolutely bright and sunny.  Even without makeup, her eyes obscured by aviator shades, she still looks completely stunning.

Well-known for her nonchalance to the media and her chameleon-like image changes, Asia’s most charismatically enigmatic chanteuse seems to have mellowed.  Does it have anything to do with the birth of her daughter Jingtong in February 1997?

“The greatest change in me came not after the birth of my child, but after I converted to Buddhism in 1992,” says the 31-year-old.  “I used to ask myself questions like ‘Why is it so?’ But not everything in the world can be explained.  If it is so, it is so; there is no why.  If it is fated, then it is so!  You can only learn to accept your fate.  A simple principle, but easier said than done.”

LIFE GOES ON

With her divorce from Taiwanese rocker Dou Wei out of the way, Faye seems to have moved on.  The big news now is that she is dating a younger man, and not just any younger man too, but Hong Kong heartthrob Nicholas Tse, who’s all of 19.

The source of the rumor?  The pair was snapped by paparazzi earlier this year, kissing at a party in Hong Kong club Greenspot…during a drinking game.  And to add fuel to the fire, they have also been spotted having intimate dinners together on several occasions.

Gossip aside, it’s amazing how the public just cannot get enough of this long-limbed, 1.72 metre-tall Beijing-born beauty, who first set foot in Hong Kong in 1987 at the age of 18.

Back then, the artiste formerly known as Shirley Wong Ching Man didn’t even speak a word of Cantonese, and out of boredom, she enrolled herself in singing classes that helped her develop that ethereal voice that she is now so famous for.

After spending a couple of years in New York studying music, she returned to Hong Kong in 1992, changed her name to Faye, and released an album entitled COMING HOME.  The rest, as they say, is history.  In 1993, she was voted “Most Popular Asian Singer” and over the years, her star has just kept rising higher.

Within a short span of time, Faye has attained the kind of pop icon status that took her favorite singer Teresa Teng an entire lifetime to achieve.

Fans from as far as France devote entire websites to her.  Film critics in Sweden gave her the “Best Actress” award for her role in CHUNGKING EXPRESS.  Sony Playstation felt she was appealing enough to the youth market to pay her US$1 million to sing the ending theme song for their popular video game Final Fantasy 8.

If you’d holidayed in China last year and felt a thirst for Pepsi, you would have seen her gorgeous face emblazoned all over the can (that is, before the limited edition ran out).

A Japanese cellphone company used her for their commercial, but that perhaps is not even half as flattering as the fact that a Taiwanese artiste, Kung Mei Mei, released a debut album entitled I LOVE FAYE WONG.

QUEEN OF MODESTY

Faye has proven herself as one of the very few singers who have made a successful crossover into acting, with CHUNGKING EXPRESS, LOVE AFFAIR IN OKINAWA (which hit Singapore screens on 9 August) and the yet-to-be-completed 2046.  But she still remains unimpressed by her own thespian talents.

“Actually I don’t have much acting to do in LOVE AFFAIR IN OKINAWA… and it is nothing as crazy as the character in CHUNGKING EXPRESS.  It is much more normal and easy-going.”

And contrary to what others say, the movie has not been tailormade for her, she clarifies.  “Maybe they just know this is how I am, I simply can’t act.  Maybe it is because it is a different director (Peter Chan).  I have only worked with Wong Kar Wai before.  I’m more familiar with what he wants… I’m afraid of the demands from other directors, that I may not be able to meet their requirements…”

Faye says that she does not like acting because it involves teamwork and requires a lot of patience.

“For me, when you are making a movie, you have to wait.  It takes a lot of time, and it can be boring.  When you sing, you just need to go to the studio.  I would know if I have not sung a line well, so I can ask to do it again.  When it comes to acting, I wouldn’t know which way is better.  When the director says it is okay, then it’s okay for me, I wouldn’t have any opinion of my own.

"I have also sought advice from many actors, like Carina Lau, for example, who never went through formal training either.  She said, it will be fine, just keep doing it, it will come with experience!  Maybe that’s true, I’ve only made three movies, which is not much of an experience.”

While most actors eagerly dissect every film they can get their hands on, Faye says she is not even a movie buff to begin with.  “I don’t like to watch martial arts movies, war movies, period movies,” she says, without pausing for breath.  “I do watch comedies, but if it is blatantly slapstick, I will definitely not watch it.”

And contrary to how so-called “serious” actors try to get into their roles by trying to get under the skin of the character they’re taking on, Faye prefers not to get in too deep.

“When you are doing a Wong Kar Wai movie, you can never be quite in it, because you won’t even know what the story is all about.  When I was filming CHUNGKING EXPRESS, I really didn’t know what I was doing.  You have to read the script a few times to understand what he’s trying to say.  As I was playing the role, I was feeling that this girl is so irritating and inexplicable.  Haha…"  Self-mockery has always been a virtue of survivors.

LOVE ACCORDING TO FAYE

Now that she has reclaimed her "single” status, perhaps Faye will reveal the kind of man that attracts her?

But this line of questioning doesn’t get much information out of her – Faye would rather speak in generalities, and not about any specific person.  Nicholas Tse’s name is not mentioned throughout the interview.

Sexiness, Faye says, is a matter of personality, a kind of feel.  For her, there are no criteria to speak of.

“I have always been one to follow my intuition.  When it feels right, then it’s right.  The most important thing for a man is to be upright, frank, not to make me do any second-guessing, not to say one thing and do another thing.  Whether he is sexy or not is secondary.  There is not particular look that I go for.  Except that I don’t like guys that talk to much.”

Still, despite her ice queen persona, there’s still a hint that the man who manages to make her thaw will find a hopeless romantic underneath.

“I feel that everything is fated.  When a person is in love, it is like having a magic spell cast on you, you just can’t wriggle out of it, and you can’t be so level-headed as to examine yourself objectively.  Some would calculate various factors while choosing a marriage partner and decide according to one’s requirements.  But I’m definitely not someone like that.”

Translated by Ts’ Ming.

FAYE ON HER LEADING MEN

Tony Leung Chiu Wai - “I have worked with him the most number of times but never really talked to him.  I don’t understand him too well.  He doesn’t talk much, but sometimes he would behave like … he would be very affectionate, it’s rather odd.  I guess he is harder to fathom.”

Leslie Cheung - “He is a buddy.  He is someone who makes clear distinctions between what he loves and what he hates.  He would explain why he likes something and why he doesn’t like something … a headstrong type of person.”

Tony Leung Kar Fai - “He is a very agreeable character, he would share his private matters with others, things like where his family has gone traveling, what they have encountered, how his daughter is doing … I think he would make a perfect husband, very nice, caring, and attentive.”

Takuya Kimura - “Kimura is a very smart person.  But sometimes he’s very playful too.  He’s actually a very professional actor.”

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL

On hobbies - “Shopping for clothes is no longer my hobby, I only shop for 'working clothes’, so that doesn’t count.  Recently, I haven’t’ had any hobbies.  Apart from work, I just lie around at home, or meet up with some friends.  I have not played mahjong for a long time."  (Right, who has time for mahjong when one is too busy dating?)

On music - "Thinking back on my first record, it was released without much thought, and it was not very me.  I tend to be more carefree while recording in the studio, other than that I behave very awkwardly.  I’m not one who needs to listen to music everyday.”

On pursuits - “I’m not very worried about what to eat, or what to wear, just as long as I have a place to live comfortably.  Actually I’m usually not so concerned about my appearance.  I think the only thing I care for is my records, choosing my songs, recording a good album.  Although there are some works that I’m satisfied with, I still hope to do more.”

On happiness - “A lot of times, that’s just a state of mind.  As long as you know how to let go, you will be much happier.”

On her daughter - “I never planned to have children.  I’m not a patient person but I tend to be nicer to children.  Fortunately, Jing Tong is not naughty at all.  I will not interfere with her future, my responsibility is just to raise her.  Whichever path she takes from then on would be her own, that’s beyond my control.”

MAKING OF A COVER GIRL

Faye Wong has a habit of browsing through magazines while making up.  She would rather stay a while longer than to rush an interview while making up and doing her hair.  Such insistence is rare among entertainers, but how else to share your thoughts with so many people around to interrupt?

So this reporter had to watch her making up, doing her hair, trying her dress and taking the polaroids for a full five hours.  But that helped her to warm up and made it easier to strike up a conversation.

As expected, her daughter Jing Tong turned up at 5:30 pm sharp, insisted on a hug and kiss, and on being Faye’s personal dresser – she followed Mum into the changing room.  Faye looked completely transformed as she emerged, and her daughter started to mimic her, much to everyone’s amusement.

During the interview, the cute little girl interrupted three or four times, but she also knew when to back off after every act, without being told off.

As the interview drew to a close, Jing Tong grew more and more impatient.  She shouted with all her might:  “Mum, Mum, let’s go home!"  It sounded like a little wish that was too long suppressed.

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

SOURCE: ELLE

[ultraclops]

Ok so basically 2: Electric Boogaloo (Mao Mao Spoilers)

THE TRUTH STINKS:

Umm...I don't think that's how purifying crystals work Badgerclops.

"Badgerclops is a wonderful guy, okay? The light of my life, the wind in my sails." Awwww...

I can't believe Emoclops is canon - OOH HOLY MOLY THAT'S TERRIFYING.

I don't understand - usually Mao's the one who can't take criticism but now it's Badgerclops? Does it depend on the writer?

"And you've having a conversation under the table like a bunch of wackadoos." I've never heard the word wackadoo outside of Destiny 2 but skkk

What the HECK was that beignet scene?? DEAR GOD THE MOANS.

Adorabat sounds like she's about to murder BC jfc

Damn Mao wasn't wrong BC went FERAL

"You said protect our friends' feelings. She's not my friend." Damn Adorabat, harsh.

I uh. I don't know what to say about that fight.

I'm still not over Mao hosing BC down like a dog sadsfhsgsm

TRADING DAY:

'Easy peasy lemon squeezy' is a good handshake. They should do that again in future episodes

VICTORY JUICE ME

Oh cool Mao gets a cool robo arm - OH MY GOD WHAT THE HECK?! GOD I don't wanna imagine what that felt like...

Nice callback to Perfect Adventure with the bugs looking like the centipede monsters!

"Mao Mao got super buff legs. I think I'm gonna run away." Same.

Plippy and Lucky are kids? I didn't know that.

Skewl looks super easy. Can I trade lives with Adorabat?

Adorabat is five? I thought she was at least eight. And I'm not saying that because eight year olds are vicious.

"I WISH I WAS NEVER BORN!" Do you have something you want to talk about Badgerclops...

Why are the other Sweetypies being so mean to Adorabat I'll go apesh!t on their @$$3$.

"Eleven and Twelve should be called Oneteen and Twoteen, and that's all I have to say on the matter." has the same energies as "Why isn't Eleven pronounced Onety-one?"

Is anyone gonna talk about the fact that the Robo Arm was gonna blow Mao's brains out?! Like DAMN, that's nightmare fuel!

"Today I found out Mao's full name is Mao Mao Mao." Ah, so this takes place after Small.

"I can see now...I can see nothing. I can't see." SHADGSGSF

SHOVERCLOPS SAVED THE DAY BY SHOVING

HE IS COOL AND PRETTY

"The grass really is a wakeless nightmare on the other side!" Ngl that's my life story

Adorabat got back at Chubbum for making fun of Badgerclops! Yaaay - WHAT THE HECK BADGERCLOPS?!

HEAD CHEF:

The dipping...they're both so overdramatic I love it

Tbh, I thought Mao would be the Science one since he wants to be seen as the logical one and BC would be the Art one because he likes art but it makes more sense the way they did it.

Uhh...did Snugglemagne make his own TV show just to start drama? Sounds like something he'd do.

OH MY GOD THAT CLOSE UP SCARRED ME FOR LIFE

Are we gonna learn more about BC's family soon? I feel like we're gonna learn more about his family soon.

WHY DID ADORABAT HAVE AN EXPLOSIVE SPATULA?

Nice callback to Meet Tanya Keys with the Hydra eggs. And oop the monster of the day's a hydra. WHO WOULD'VE THOUGHT.

Ol' Blue obviously hasn't learned his lesson from Not Impressed...

"I looked over at numbers boy over there and he was really struggling, you know what I'm saying?" *cut to Badgerclops struggling to stay on the stool* SFAFAEGEAG

"Look at that gross bird. I wanna touch it-" ADD Icon

And of course they start picking on each other and cause a lot of romantic tension

BADGERCLOPS' ACCENT CAME BACK WHAT

Mao is so hurt over an insult that wasn't even that good I'm

Adorabat's 'dad' better be Mao or Badgerclops because her staying with them wouldn't make sense otherwise.

*gasps* THE OMELETS...

Wow it's almost like teamwork was the answer all along hahahahaha

Ngl Mao playing with the hydra is kinda cute

Badgerclops' been practicing his evil laugh I see.

SQUATTERS RIGHTS

I dunno what noise Mao made but it definitely wasn't "What?!"

"And that's how we knew the competition was over." LIKE THE DESTROYED STAGE DIDN'T TIP YOU OFF.

ORANGUSNAKE BEGINS:

The moment Orangusnake shot the Ruby Heart I knew something bad was going to happen.

"How does he know my exact insecurities?!" I dunno, the fact that you've both known each other for a long time?

Mao hugging himself while rocking on his heels is simultaneously the cutest and eeriest thing I've ever seen. Mostly because of the ungodly noise he makes.

Ooh no the Ruby Heart's glowing. Ooh no.

So the reason they constantly shout "We're okay!" is because they don't want the Sherriff Gang to think they're actually hurt? I thought it was just a catchphrase.

I love Orangusnake's backstory...he's like Bonnie and Clyde, but instead of dying they fused together, somehow...

Simmons was right about us not being prepared to see Bao Bao again because the moment he appeared I almost screamed

Where did Mao get that outfit skk

Hossrafferangusnake's kinda creepy tbh

"Psst, hey. Your friends are just pretending to like you." Totally not projection, not at all!

HOLY MOLY THE RUBY HEART WORKS?? AND IT GRANTS WISHES???? I have a feeling it might've caused the plot of Breakup by answering Adorabat's wish...

I take it back. MECHA HOSSRAFFERANGUSNAKE is creepy.

WHY IS MAO HAPPY ABOUT MECHA HOSSRAFFERANGUSNAKE DESTROYING HQ THAT'S NOT A GOOD THING?!

"If I keep pushing him, he'll finally be an opponent worthy of my time!" LIKE A GIANT MECHA ISN'T WORTHY OF YOUR TIME?? HELLO???

"I thought if I had a stronger opponent, then I could-" OF COURSE THIS IS ABOUT HIS FATHER. IT'S ALWAYS ABOUT HIS FATHER.

Ah, so Adorabat's seemingly pointless spinning was useful after all. Badgerclops can see the future...

Wait a second. They didn't actually fuse together?? Then why does the mecha look like that???

"Ratarang here is a little hard of hearing." Is that true or did he just say that so he could hear Mao say 'I fear you' again?

"I fear you. I'm just not in fear with you." ???

Damn. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I kinda want an episode where the Sky Pirates win. Just to make Mao more humble. And maybe actually fear them.

Aaa the Ruby Heart's looking really sketchy...don't like that

[whitecrownsblackthrones-archived]

The Ann MasterPost!

My work is done here! Finally!

Everyone’s favorite pretty-in-pink princess was in need of an update, & while not everything I had in mind for her was completed in the fashion I wanted, I think I’ve done more then enough to be proud & happy with!

Ann’s information page will under go the necessary edits at a later date, for now, look here to see her updates!

[My thanks @ishiraialostpeople for the FaceClaim! You’re always here when I need you, Senpai! <3]

NEW FaceClaim: Hirasaka Keiko from Hapymaher.

Honestly, I don’t know why it was so difficult to find a fc for Ann. There were more then plenty of characters that passed the appearance test, & could totally pass for an Ann, but they always failed the content test, as art & other pictures were non-existent. This was such an issue that, I only had ONE other option for  fc, & when it came to choosing which one, it came down to a matter of which had more content, & Hirasaka DEFINITELY had more content, as I’ve screenshot 83 pictures & shaped them into icons. Combine these new icons with the old self-made ones, I think I’ll have more then icons to last me a while.

In regards to those self made icons, since they were made before I had Krita, I do intend to go back & make them anew with the new software at some later point. So look forward to that in the coming future as well!

NEW & Updated Designs.

To reflect these new design ideas, I made sure with screenshoting Hirasaka, to keep it all above the chest, as Hirasaka’s outfit doesn’t reflect what I envision Ann wearing(not to say I didn’t like her dress, I actually did very much). Don’t worry though, our pretty, pink princess is still as pink & as pretty as ever!

Here we have our prefect princess’s main pink dress! As I said, still as ever pink, but with more detail edged in, & more of the color grey, used in the details within the skirt & as the top collar & sleeve as usual. In the grey collar top, there is also a blue brooch, to replace the previous bow, to add more color to the outfit, & a single stud, sapphire necklace, to replace the previous giant & bulky sliver necklace. Differences from the previous outfit, it the removal of the long sleeves of the dress, the addition of long, white gloves(that would have silver lacing near the ends) in their place, Ann’s hair this turn being down rather then kept up & a sliver crown(tiara) upon her head. And while they are not visible, Ann’s shoes would also be a similar color of pink to her dress, with some sort of blue or grey accessory near the toes(like a bow), & a very small heel in the back. Something similar to these pairs of shoes, but with the before mentioned colors:

There are also works in for a summer & winter attire, & a secondary dress(something meant to be OTHER then pink to counteract the main dress). And while an offical drawing has yet to be completed, the main concept has been while thought out. While those are being worked out, you may use these three pictures as reference to think of when such outfits are being worn, as they are the most similar to my current ideals, forgetting all the little details of course. Summer, Winter & Secondary (Appears in order).

Updated Voice set: Mystic Archer Artemis Smite.

Something else long in need of an update is Ann’s voice. A long time ago had I picked out a more regal sounding voice, & while I take no issues with such a voice, I believed it was time that she was updated to one more fitting of her personality & traits. It took some searching, but I found the correct voice, a even balance of girly-girl-ness, upbeat & liveliness to match the upbeat & lively girl herself, without it be very screechy & ear scratch nonsense. I very much love this voice for Ann & hopefully you all will too!

I’m soooo happy with these changes & I’m very much looking forward to putting them to much use in the future! I’m also going to still be working hard on what still remains to be done with the designs, so those will be unveiled somewhere in the future! I simply can’t wait~!!

[httpetras]

2020 for me - K-pop songs edition

2020 was a... tough year. Personally, globally. But for kpop? It was one of the most successfull years and instead of talking all the achievements and breakthroughs, I wanted to share my thoughts on some songs and artists I liked this year

LONG POST (and bad english sksksks)

- no japanese releases

- title tracks mostly

- personal opinion

Favorite albums of 2020 (one album/artist)

Some thoughts:

TWICE

More & More, I Can’t Stop Me, Cry for me

A lot of people disliked the song and TWICE got many hate from various of fandom to the point where the girls were insecure just by standing on the stage and perform. I never understood the senseless fanwars anyway, but this time I truly didn’t understand why everyone was hating on this song? It was definitely among the best summer releases, the album was perfect for the season and TWICE showed a new side of their artistry. There were many releases this year which followed the generic trend, but More&More managed to stand out and show something new among summer songs.

Their next comeback was just p.e.r.f.e.c.t. Okay, first and foremost, I’m a sucket for retro concepts so 2020 was a bless for me from this perspective sksksk. Besides my bias I’m literally in love with this song.

Also with the whole album, I can’t stop myself from listening it. TWICE as always tried something new, showed a different side of them, was not afraid to discover new sounds and concepts. One of the reasons that I’m still with them after 4 years is the fact that TWICE grew up and matured along with their music. This album was their fifth year destination. I just can’t express how much I love not just the concept, but all the songs are so unique in their own way that you can never get tired of listening them.

TWICE being one of the most unique girl groups out there (along with Red Velvet, hope they comeback soon), and I’m just so happy for them and so proud I could be with them for four years seeing them growing as artists.

A.C.E - Favorite boys

Hands down, this was definitely one of my favorire comebacks of 2020. The way I thought they could never do a song like “undercover” again....I was so naive. From the first second till the last you can’t look away from the aesthetically pleasing MV where traditional mixes with modern, gender is a non-existent, meanwhile the song so effortlessly goes from a very strong rap to high notes wigh catchy beats and chorus.

Also the dance and the outfits, don’t forget to mention the teaser photos... it was one of the strongest comeback of the year.

However, I feel like their releases were among the most underrated songs of 2020. I just can’t help but think what if they were a bigger company especially that nowadays when stan twt is all about numbers, groups from smaller company get less and less attention. All I can hope that A.C.E getting the hype they deserve will be one of the positive changes 2021 will bring.

(A million thank you for TATE for introducing me to them!)

ITZY

Wannabe, Not shy

There are some songs from ITZY I really like but their title tracks were really not my style (they are not bad in any way, but felt too much for my taste). But this year!

Wannabe and Not Shy was just *chef’s kiss*.

I felt the same with them as with skz - in their first year they were looking for their sound, trying to find the best sytle for them. In this second year, they seemed to be more confident in themselves and their concept as a group. (And also, finally these songs fit into Lia’s range!). Every member could shine in these eras, show off their singing (and dancing) skills. All together these two songs (and albums) were something I could enjoy very much.

AKMU - Happening

The nation’s siblings came back and created another masterpiece! If I wasn’t in love with the song itself, the MV would have made it fall for it. Something comforting, something melodic, a song you didn’t know you need until you hear it... Recommend it 1010292725282920/10

STRAY KIDS

Too much releases sksksk all of them are amazing obvi

I can’t choose one song from them, they released something new in every month and I’d have so much to talk about sksksks so a short-summary:

2020 was their year. Eventhough I felt like stray kids could not surprise me anymore, I would have never been able to prepare mysef for this year when they came back with full power. Starting with SKZ2020, followed by anime openings and on track, then the iconic God’s menu and Back door - they evolved and said FU to the industry who still rejects them. And I don’t know how to explain, but they seemed much more confident in themselves and in the music they put out, and that was definitely something which helped them to make 2020 theirs. All the concepts, all the song genres while staying unique and not following trends? Every. Comeback. They. Had. This. Year. Just blown my mind. I literally just... I’d show you the songs they released this year and I’m 100% sure even a non-stay would agree with me saying that they deserve so-so-so much more for their songs alone

ONEWE - End of spring

As lovesick girls gave me 2010’s summer song vibe End of Spring gave me the same vibe, something bands such as imagine dragons would release back in around 2015. I LOVE IT. It has such a nice fun energy, whenever it comes up on my playlist, it’s an instant adrenalin boost. It does remind me of summer camps and just having fun with people there

DAY6

I wrote about them in my 30-day Day6 challenge back in september-october

Lee Hi - HOLO

Lee Hi is one of those idols I feel for the most as she’s been through more than enough hardships in her life. She seriously deserves the best from this cruel world.

This year a company change happened and she released a comforting, yet, heartbreaking song about depression and self-worth most likely reflecting on her own struggles. Tissues recommended because this is a song everyone can relate to in some ways and also be prepared for the MV.

SUNMI - pporappippam

The queen of retro is back with another masterpiece because she’s Sunmi, she can’t make bad songs! I love the vibe of the song, the aesthetic MV with purple as the dominant color... it truly felt like a song from 80’s with an unique sound none can master but Sunmi. Kpop would be not kpop without her!

Also, on a totally unrelated note: even though I’m not a fan of her, just a casual listener, I want to state how fcking proud I am of her. I can’t even imagine how difficult it was for Sunmi to be this open about her borderline-disorder especially as an idol. I truly hope she’s healthy and doing alright, wishing her the best for the future

Chungha - Play

As much as I loved every releases from her in this year, Play was the song which was on repeat. Like, this song is full of energy, has such a fun vibe which makes you want to dance along with it! Also, also, the MV was super colorful, her stylist did a great job and the tango was well incorporated into the choreo, it was creative and entertaining to watch her performances of this song.

And let me add how happy I am for Chungha, this year she released songs always trying out something new and participated in many different projects. I also loved her collaborations! They were super underrated even within the fandom.

Gfriend - Mago

Retro. Disco. 80’s. Love the MV. Love the song! Such a different concept from what we are used to see from them, but again, this year Gfriend was not afraid to deviate from their usual sound and try out new things.

As much as I’m in love with this song (and Apple as well!), just as much I appreciate the visible artistic growth they have shown in this year. Wish them many luck for their future!

BTS

Okay, let me tell you quickly a little story. Before the first lockdown happened, in the beginning of the year in school we had this agreement in french class. If we don’t want to take a french exam, we can sit in the back and studying or doing something silently. This was around the time when Mots7 was released and so, during every french class I listened to this album on repeat while studying chemistry. Then quarantine came, classmates got sick, drama happened, took exams, a lonely summer, then university... the world was burning. For me, this album was the ���last” normal thing before pandemic hit europe; whenever I listened to it, it takes me back to me our french classes, my friend sitting next to me doing her make up, me reading my chemistry book, windows are open, you can hear a class having PE class, the teacher explains something for those few students sitting in the first row... seems peaceful? Maybe too nostalgic. But Mots7 became that album for me which was there for us before the world fell, which reminded me of the “normal” life throughout this year, and helped me a lot. And I’ll be forever thankful for that. Dynmite: Retro, english, fun, we need it. Hungarians hated it so much? But hungarian kpop fans are edgy they hate everything popular because they “appreciate talent” *eye roll* Life goes on: This song for me is the new spring day in a way - calming, nostalgic, comforting, something we really needed after this hectic year. A perfect song to end 2020. “Life goes on“ = “This too, shall pass”

Taemin

HAVE YOU SEEN A MAN SO PERFECT?

Okay, but seriously. Taemin owned this year! 3 comebacks with SuperM and 3 comebacks as a solo act, multiply MVs and performances, not letting anyone forget about him nor SHINEE. Whenever I thought that okay, this is his peak, he can’t do better than this - Taemin came back and proved me wrong again. Never Dance Again act 1 and 2 were among the best releases this year

Somi - What you waiting for

As much as I didn’t like birthday, I found myself enjoying this song a lot! Nothing astonishingly new or different, but has a catchy beat and chorus, suits to Somi’s range and she even looked more confident while performing on music shows (naturally, she got more used to being a soloist after a year or so, but still. It was good to see her owning that stage and being happy there). Similar to BP, it also has a western pop feeling especially with the full-english chorus, but somehow worked better for me personally here!

Oneus

Such an underrated group which I got to know through one of my moots on twitter, otherwise I would have never heard of them. And what a mistake it’d be!

Alone the concepts stole my heart, I adored the whole prince, vampires, kinght theme going on in a fantasy world vibes of the MVs. Besides that, I love how they sound together as a group, it’s so pleasing to hear how all those different voices comes after each other and somehow makes it work, resulting in an amazing song.

TXT

This year, when the debut hype is long gone, TXT proved that they are much more than just a boy group next to BTS. Their success is thanks to their hardwork and magical, unique style which made millions of people fall in love with them. (Big3 privilige is still a thing tho, but their hardwork should not be underestimated. Because of their privileged situation, they were offered oppurtunities, had a financial background other artists don’t - but it doesn’t make them less than others. Just shows the faults in the unfair music system).

Despite my worries that after Run Away it’d be hard for them coming back with another song, they managed to release a no-skip mini album with an awesome music video “Can’t you see me”. One moment they are laughing, and in the next one they’re killing eachother while singing about growing up and losing touch with friends once they were inseparable with.

Their journey of growing up with its pros and cons are portrayed through their songs, using mystical themes such as a fatal game and a long forgotten magical promise. They enforced this concept furthermore in this year by their next songs, Drama, Blue Hour and We lost the summer which about the impact of the pandemic on teenagers (side note: such a creative MV! They’re truly part ofour generation sksksk).

And I haven’t even mentioned the anime openings and OST they made this year, capturing such a familiar feeling of the magic of our daily lives and fights.

They make music for us, for our generation, about issues and feelings we all face with every day in our daily life. And gosh, we needed TXT in 2020 so bad, I’m grateful for them

Red Velvet - Psycho

(Okay, so psycho is technically was released in 2019, but like only few days before new year’s eve so... I count it as a 2020 release)

RV had only one comeback this year as a whole group, they still made it iconic and served a song which quickly becamone of of THAT songs of 2020. I may say this too many times, but I’m in love with groups with unique concepts and sounds whoch can only be done by them. It’s especially true for RV: they always serve and never miss.

And I could go into details how perfect this song is and that I could spent a whole day just watching the MV, but I think everyone knows what I think exactly. It’s a masterpiece.

(Side note: though it’s not quite my style, I surprisingly like Irene and Seulgi’s song “Monster” too! One of the most iconic songs of this year)

Ateez

Answer, Inception

This was THAT year for 4th groups!

As I mentioned at Itzy and briefly touched on it at skz, i do feel like groups which debuted 1-2 years ago found their own sound, own style, own concept now and more confident and better in the music they put out. Don’t get me wrong, these groups were never bad - but now the improvement comparing to their debut days are so visible. You could feel ATEEZ are going hard, wild yet keeping it elegant and never losing their own style. I’m literally unable to tell you how much I loved their songs in this year and I’m more than excited to see what 2021 will bring for them and for us!

LUCY

Flowering, Jogging, Snooze

Definitely one of the best debuts of 2020. After all, you can’t see many korean bands with a violinist (if I’m correct, there’s only LUCY out there). I am absolutely in love with their uniqe style. It’s so different yet, it’s so needed, especially in this crazy times.

They sound like spring. Hopeful with the re-born nature around them. They sound like summer, july. Full of fantasy, and childish dreams of adventures in the backyard. They sound like early autumn. Something changed, something passed, a little grief in the begging of “please stay a child for a bit longer”.

3YE - yessir

Girl crush conceot is running high, kpop is full of powerful anthems for girls (and I love that!), but completely different what we were used to hear from 2nd generation groups. Music evolved throughout the time so there’s nothing surprising in this. Yet, 3YE was able to release a song which gives me off second generation vibes, it was impossible for me to not fall in love with it. It’s powerful, and catchy... deserved more attention from the gp.

Songs I liked and recommend but lazy to write more mini-essays:

Seventeen - Homerun, Left & right

Iz*one - The secret story of a swan, Panorama

Berrygood - Accio

Wjsn - Butterfly

G-Idle - Oh my god

Pentagon - Daisy

Loona - Star, So what

Blackpink - Lovesick girls

IU - Eight

KARD - Gunshot

Hoppipolla - Let’s

Hwasa - Maria

Weekly - Tag me

StayC - So bad

CLC - Helicopter

Everglow - La di da

Astro - knock

Dreamcatcher - boca

April - lalalilala

Apink - dumhdrum

BAE173 - crush on u

E’LAST - Tears of chaos

Oh my girl - secret garden

fromis9 - feel good

p1harmony - butterfly

HA:TFELT - Life Sucks

Sunmi x JYP - When we disco

Yukika - Soul Lady

Eric Nam - Paradise

Stella Jang - Villain

Zico - Any song

DPR LIVE - Jam & Butterfly (ft. Crush, eaJ)

Got7 - Last piece, Not by the moon

Weekly - tag me

Lacuna - Dancing in the rain

Cignature - Arisong

Jessi - Nununana

Blackswan - Tonight

N.flying - Oh really

Brave Girls - We ride

DreamNote - Wish

Natty - 19

[hogwartsstudentstories]

The Forty Students

So if you’ve seen the picture posts, we already know which is the main character, but…each one will have their own backstory. We figured quick short stories about key moments or moments of joy/anguish/pride/etc...are good enough. We want character and this takes place during Voldemort’s first rise to power, well...for the most part. It doesn’t last long though. We will definitely be doing a lot about their lives after school. So here’s a VERY brief synopsis of each character. WARNING THOUGH! If you click keep reading, there is a very long post waiting for you. You have been warned.

Nicole Bates: A popular and occasionally snobby young lady that enjoys wizarding fashion and music. She hopes that all of her hard work and studies in school will allow her to be the best in her career. She hopes to one day become a Healer at an institute such as St. Mungo's. She enjoys researching potions and one day hopes to alleviate ailments associated with more nefarious ones. 

Jimmy Birchwood: At first, a happy go lucky young man that suffered a Bludger mishap during a practice and is now stoic, cold, and extremely unamused by life. He’s currently Keeper on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. When not practicing Quidditch or doing homework, he can usually be found reading in either his common room or the library. Despite being an impressive Quidditch player, Birchwood would rather go off to be an auror.

Alan Bowen: A loyal young man and a Hippogriff enthusiast with a bit of a lighthearted yet rude streak. He still cares for his friends and plays Chaser on the Slytherin Quidditch team. He prefers to be with a small group of friends rather than a large one. He hopes to one day own a ranch where he can breed Hippogriff and teach people about how awesome they are!

Taylor Brown: A quiet young lad that just wants to stay out of trouble...please!? He sometimes finds it difficult to understand his housemates, so he tends to keep to himself or be with Olivia in the library. In the end, he just wants to work in the Dept. of Magical Games and Sports. Doing what you ask? Scheduling Quidditch matches. The games may be what the people look forward to, but without a scheduler, there can be no good games!

Camilla Conners: A young lady that enjoys Herbology and the occasional prank or two, and hey, throw Quidditch in there too. She plays Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She always ties to cheer up her friends at every turn, no matter how she's feeling. She wants to open up a shop with her friend Jennifer. She's great at cultivating magical and nonmagical plants for her friends potions.

Thomas Denton: A young man obsessed with the creatures of the magical world and hates being the butt of a certain Gryffindor's pranks. Well, he isn't necessarily the target, he just finds himself in the way. He tries to figure out how to get them back, but his housemates don't want anything to do with those antics. He has an interest in Magizoology and hopes to be a valuable asset to the research team in Romania.

Jennifer Dobbins: Relaxed and ever ready to aid her friends, she's a passionate potions enthusiast with a heart of gold. She sometimes has small bouts of anxiety when she puts her homework off to the last minute (minus potions of course!) Her friend Camilla agreed to open up a shop once they left Hogwarts. Her potions skills are top notch and she wants to share a range of potions with the world!

Marsha Donalds: Quiet and reserved, she prefers studying alone in the library, but has an eye for ministry mishaps. Because of her knack for gathering facts on people, she also learned how to read other's body language. Because of her talent for digging through the news to garner facts about the ministry and other people of importance in the wizarding world, she wishes to become a Daily Prophet reporter.

Eric Felder: A cocky and conceited young man with a brash attitude and an even bigger mouth. Add in the fact that he’s a Seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch team and you have even more trouble. He has a rather short temper, so that leads to some unneeded confrontations. Eric wishes to venture off into the world of potioneering and hopes to one day discover some new and useful potions that will take the world by storm.

Weston Fitzgerald: A scholar through and through, he strives to be the best a student can be all while trying to keep his cousin out of trouble. After all, he is Head Boy and Ravenclaw prefect...it’s his duty! His cousin really knows how to press all of his buttons to stress him out. Weston loves dueling and co-captains the Dueling Club with Gregory. He wants to use his talents to become an auror.

Gregory Goldstein: A rather absent minded young man with a knack for dueling, but he is a gentleman and loves the Dueling Club he co-captains with Weston Fitzgerald. He tries to perform small acts of kindness to others to brighten up their days. He and Weston want to become aurors in the future, and Gregory knows that one day, there will be a time where he will be needed as one. He can feel it.

Stanley Green: Calm, cool, and collected at all times, nobody can stop this guy's nonchalant attitude and super chill personality, except Transfiguration...that boy is excited for that. Not only is Transfiguration his passion, but he loves Quidditch and plays Keeper for the Gryffindor team. He proves to have a knack for talking his way out of situations. Stanley however, gets tired of Quidditch after Hogwarts (playing anyway) and joins the Broom Regulatory Unit at the Ministry.

Jane Hosking: A fashion lover with an elegant air to her, but she'll still throw you a death glare for wearing that dreadful color combination of orange and lime green. Thankfully she won’t use her Slytherin prefect authority to dock points for it! She makes sure that her outfits are always perfectly matched. She eventually wants to become a fashion icon in the wizarding world and she will do it! SHE WILL!

Sienna Hunter: Need a hand? She's got your back. Sienna may not always appear to be the friendliest person, but she will gladly assist you with your homework...if she thinks she’s good enough at the subject! She sometimes cons a few people she assists out of a few extra sickles and knuts. Sierra has a knack for giving out sweet deals to younger students looking for some Honeyduke's candy and because of her prowess with money, she chooses to work for Gringott's.

Heidi Irvine: A sophisticated, and occasionally rude young lady that seeks to be the best. Even without meaning to, she can come off as insensitive. She plays Seeker on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team and has declared herself co-captain. She’s also Hufflepuff prefect. What more could she ask for? Because the talent scouts don't choose Heidi, she goes off to become a Healer at St. Mungo's. 

Arthur Jacobs: Constantly dragged into shenanigans, he just wants to plant things...give him a break please! When he gets that break, he can go off and play Quidditch with the Gryffindors. He’s a pretty good Beater and an even better Gryffindor prefect. He usually comes off as quiet and friendly. Eventually, he becomes a Herbologist, often supplying Camilla with some interesting plants he discovers around the world.

Matthew Jarrett: A young man that loves a good joke or discussion about muggle television shows. He often finds himself rambling on about the shows.  He’s a muggle born...what can I say? Often times, he thinks about what happens when he just randomly waves his wand and mutters words, especially the TV show titles. This curiosity led him to wanting to be a Spell Inventor at the Ministry.

Evelyn Jones: A chattery young lady that is intrigued by everyday gossip and a good story. Because of her expertise at crafting juicy gossip stories. She loves telling long stories that she makes up to cause a little bit  of drama. Evelyn wants to work for the Muggle Worthy Excuse Committee when she leaves Hogwarts.

Gwenog Jones: A brutal beater on her house Quidditch team, whose skills don’t get to shine as well as they should thanks to her Quidditch “co-captain”. She  often tutors some of her housemates whenever they need it, especially her Quidditch pals. She wants to play for the Holyhead Harpies when she leaves Hogwarts, but hopes that Heidi isn't ruining it for her. She does happen to meet with a talent scout for the Harpies.

Michael Kravitz: A laid back young man who gets lost and confused quite easily.  He likes to be around his friends and has found a liking for playing Quidditch, just not on his house team anymore. He tends to be a bit of a foodie, which causes a few food coma days. Dragons are his passion. He loves anything to do with dragons from their eggs, to how their scales glisten in the sun! He hopes to have a reservation for dragons that have been illegally purchased and abandoned as babies.

James Lawrence: A loud and fun loving young man that dreams of becoming a Quidditch player. He loves Quidditch and causing commotion in class...well, when he can...Otherwise, playing Chaser for the Gryffindor team is his life and as captain he wants to ensure his team gets to finally share in a win to celebrate together. He sometimes ends up being the tiniest bit of a sore loser when he misses the win by an inch. When he leaves school, he hopes to be as great of a sports entertainer in professional Quidditch as he is at Hogwarts and dreams of playing for the Montrose Magpies...he wouldn't even be upset by a signing on with the Chudley Cannons.

Katherine Long: A young lady that absolutely loves numbers. She likes to keep track of scores, house points, and well...predict the future with them. She asks everyone she meets at school if she can predict their future. Her love for arithmancy has led her to wanting to become a world renowned arithmancer, or at least one good enough to be credible in Diagon Alley.

Carlisle Martin: A narcissistic young man that can’t keep his ego in check and that just means he can’t get what he wants most of the time. He likes to think he has it all as Slytherin prefect and Slytherin Quidditch captain (chaser too), but he always loses out on what matters most. He tends to come off as arrogant, even when trying to just have a normal conversation. He has a slight interest in magical creatures many wizards would consider pests. He wants to become a top member of the Pest Advisory Bureau when he leaves Hogwarts. It's not the most noble job, but someone has to do it!

Carrie Mileno: A strict and rule loving young lady that hates when her housemates misbehave and lose them any kind of lead they had. She is a Gryffindor prefect and Head Girl. Why wouldn’t she try to keep her house in line!? She would much rather study or do her assignments than have to worry about being a "babysitter" for her housemates. Carrie has a knack for charms and counter curses, having been extremely well versed in Charms and Transfiguration. She wishes to become a Curse Breaker for the Ministry of Magic, a job requiring several talents.

Olivia Mitchells: A shy and quiet young lady that prefers studying and wand work to the hustle and bustle of the castle corridors and students, but as Ravenclaw prefect, she does do her duty! Even though she's on the shy side, she does her best to help the new students when they need it. She enjoys studying unique magic at the Hogwarts library with Taylor and hopes to become a Metal Charmer after her time at Hogwarts.

Hughbert O’Reily: A gentle and kind young man that desires to make the world a better and brighter place, and he wants to reach those goals. He tries to make friends in every house to prove that they don't need old grudges anymore, a new way of thinking is needed. Hughbert hopes that becoming an auror will bring about the world changes he desires. He knows the risks and would do anything to ensure the world is at peace again.

Brianna Parks: A mischievous and playful young lady that enjoys hovering around her friends to cheer them on...or to scare them...either works. She tends to be a bit clingy to people that she considers her best friends. While preferring the role of Chaser, Brianna decided to step up her game and tryout for a position as a Gryffindor Beater...and she got it! Despite her playful nature, she's an extremely gifted healer. She may have made mistakes in her early years, but she lived by practice makes perfect.

Arnold Reynard: An egotistical young man that highly believes he is better than anyone else. He fawns over his house and can be a bully. He’s still bitter that he didn’t get the Head Boy position, but is still content with being a top notch Hufflepuff prefect. Everything he does is by the book, one little mishap can get your house docked points. His knack for perfection has led him to pursuing a career in the Magical Trading Standards Body for the Department of International Magical Cooperation.

Rosalia Riverton: Studious, reserved, intelligent, creative, and elegant...a true Ravenclaw, but she is overshadowed by other students in popularity. She keeps herself in the know of different spells and charms she could use to help others. She often finds herself discussing new healing techniques with both Nicole and Heidi, making it her life's goal to become a healer despite all of the difficulties of learning every potential spell she could see on a day to day basis. She just hopes her talents won't be needed for a crisis. . .she just wants things to be like how they were...a time of peace.

Samuel Robertson: A bright and kind young man that has a fascination with how wands work and wants desperately to be a wandmaker to share his passion with others. Our main character that despite his cheery, creative, and loving nature, is often bullied for being muggle born and won’t fight back because of his conflict averse nature. Even though bullied, he is willing to help others, always giving them the benefit of the doubt. Samuel indeed finds himself craving the taste of adventure when he leaves Hogwarts. He plans on being an apprentice for Ollivander before going off to start his own wand shop somewhere. The U.S.? Australia? Canada? The choices are endless! He just hopes that he can see his friends again one day. He may not have had a lot, but the ones he did make left a lasting impact on him.

Lysandra Rowntree: A quiet, yet easily angered young lady that gets upset when even the slightest things go wrong. She always has a worst case scenario plan in mind. Usually, she keeps to herself and hates anything to do with gossip and rumors. When she isn't in the common room, great hall, or classes. . .she often finds herself tucked away in the corner of the library to research little known and lost pieces of magic. She has even found herself in the restricted Section on multiple occasions. Her goal is to become an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries. 

Shawn Upton: Cunning and reserved, he prefers to hang out with one or two at most at a time. He flirts with evil, but finds change along the way. He can be a bit cold at times and it takes a while for him to warm up. Shawn knows that he and his friends will end up far apart on their journeys to self discovery. He hopes that getting a job at the Portkey Office at the ministry will allow him to see them from time to time.

Brian Valentine: A hard working young man that believes that the magical world is full of weird and unusual folk. He isn’t the biggest fan of that. He almost regrets not going to a muggle school instead of Hogwarts. Because of his upbringing with muggles and his lack of normality in the wizarding world, he chooses to manage the gift shop at St. Mungo's where he hopes to make a hefty profit and live as comfortably as possible.

Kelsey Valeria: A dramatic and elegant young lady that wishes to bring her acting talent to center stage. She often writes her own little scripts and gets her friends to help her practice on the weekends. After Hogwarts, she hopes to become an actress for the wizarding world. Her intentions are to go to Italy to perform, but she could deal with radio dramas around wizarding UK. 

Freddie Veners: A muggle born that enjoys a good Quidditch game or two. He loves having a good laugh and enjoys moments of commotion. He’s the captain and chaser for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team...and he loves giving his best friend James Lawrence a rough time.  He evens plays pranks with Lawrence from time to time, much to the dismay of the teachers. Freddie himself decides that he doesn't want to pursue Quidditch outside of Hogwarts and instead, continues to focus on his schoolwork to hopefully become an Obliviator in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes for the Ministry.  

Karmen Williams: A young lady that loves the music of the wizarding world and wants to bring her charisma to the airwaves. She practices her interviewing skills with Samuel whenever she gets a chance to see him. She hopes that one day she can get her own broadcast on the radio where she can interview new wizarding musicians and celebs!

Terrance Wilson: A young man that loves Quidditch and enjoys discussing the stats and scores. He can be a bit naïve and paranoid at a times. He never lets the paranoia get in the way of his A game though! He plays the role of Beater on the Ravenclaw team and adores every minute of the game. He truly wants to continue his Quidditch career after he graduates from Hogwarts. Terrance hopes to play for Pride of Portree or the Montrose Magpies. Even the Tutshill Tornados wouldn't be too bad!

Riana Wychwood: An elegant and refined young lady who loves music, but also has a passion and talent for divination. She makes sure to allot time for herself to practice her instrument at least half an hour everyday. She enjoys her position as Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, thankful her friend James Lawrence let her stay on the team throughout the years. Riana chooses to avoid prophecies when she can, choosing to focus on her music. Though, she plans to have a small divination shop to work in when the orchestra isn't playing.

Sarah Yielding: A happy go lucky young lady that supports her friend’s Quidditch team...when they aren’t playing each other that is. She often has to become the mediator between Gwenog and Heidi after the game if they lose. She plays the position of Keeper on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team. Sarah wants to open up her own tavern to serve the wizarding public and keep them up and refreshed!

Amy Zergona: A rule abiding young lady that wishes to one day work at the Ministry of Magic to keep her parents proud of her. Due to that fact, she prefers to study for hours on end instead of going on Hogsmeade trips or hanging out with her friends. Her love for rules has her wanting to become a worker in the Improper Use of Magic Office. If you can't follow the rules, warnings are required!

[yakumtsaki]

Take your hands off me, I don't belong to you, you see, and take a look at my face for the last time, I never knew you, you never knew me, say hello.. ♪

WAVE GOODBYE. 

WHADDUP PPL. Much like Ronroneo, we’re back from the dead and ready for a whole new generation of Union fuckery. We’re also officially.. drumroll.. MIDDLE CLASS. Our shiny new house is based on this one by frottana-sims​, which I downloaded but dumbassly forgot to install, and since loading the game takes a hot half-hour I opted for this poor recreation instead. We start the extreme home makeover with an incredible budget of..

...Yea, I see the value of getting 6 pets to the top of their careers now. Included in this insane sum is the 20k+ that Wyatt and Jojo brought with them moving in, and at first I’m worried that we’re way too rich for only generation 2. Well, careful what you wish for, cause here’s our post-remodeling budget:

LMAO. It’s as if not a day has passed since Vic started this legacy with a dream in her heart and crap to her name. Let’s check out the new digs!

Everything was purple.. his pills.. his hands.. his foyer. 

As eagle-eyed readers may observe, both the hall and the living room were designed with nothing else in mind but whether they matched our cat paintings. Per legacy rules I use as little cc as possible, which isn’t that hard since I feel this bizarre, angular and hugely impractical couch really encapsulates Jojo’s essence. Like if he was a servant in Beauty and the Beast this would be his furniture form.

Apparently the only things I deemed important enough to capture were the cat portraits, so it looks like my Komeization is finally complete! Here’s some floorplan shots tho so you don’t get disoriented in our labyrinth-like mansion. Please note our amazing pink-blue-purple kitchen! Barbie’s Dreamhouse who??

And here’s the second floor, which also illustrates the exact point I ran out of money. Honestly looking back I don’t understand how the fuck this place cost 70k?? Like nothing is particularly expensive except the amazing vintage batmobile which was around 30-40k and some of the paintings? But I guess all the small things add up in the end + I’m super bad with money..

..and I’m not the only one. Jojo GET A FUCKING GRIP and A JOB. Literally no comment @ your cat wants, you inherited the jaw, wasn’t that enough??? ANYWAY. I know the question on everyone’s mind is how is Wyatt going to fit in with the Unions.. and all I have to say about that..

..is LOL. Truly the perfect career for when your mother-in-law is a criminal mastermind and your husband is a serial killer! I mean the jokes practically write themselves. At least he doesn’t want 10 kids or any shit like that, cause I’ve seen hell and it was the result of mixing Jojo/Wyatt genes in cas.

On top of gifting us with his future-probably-fug children, Wyatt also gives us the gift of our first ever kitchen fire when he decides to make dinner with 1 cooking point. His generosity really knows no bounds.

It’s all fun and games now but Wyatt deadass almost died in the inferno and was about to take poor, stupid Komei with him, who of course ran to the fire even though he was in the yard. Meanwhile Victoria was safely watching tv and didn’t move while Jojo..

..was doing this in the next room. Two types of sims I guess!

-So Wyatt, you’ve been here for almost an hour now, burned down our kitchen and I still don’t see any grandchildren. I thought you were a family sim!

-Haha oh mom, you’re hilarious! Ignore her, Wyatt, let’s enjoy your delicious pasta.. It was definitely worth almost dying for.

-Your mama is right, mon cheri, not only do you have an obligatión to your famille but I rolled the want to have a bébé the second we graduated!

-Well it’s still gonna be there when we aren’t broke, Wyatt, god!

-But.. bébés, mon cheri! Tons of bébés I can have but never interact with, in typical famille sim fashión!

-UGH thanks a lot for opening this gate, mom. If only you had found your love of children when I was living on cat food.

-Well it’s different when they are your children, everyone knows that.

-THAT’S NOT WHY PEOPLE SAY THAT MOM

-Honestly, Jojό, I’m prouder of taking down your répugnant suitόrs than I am of graduating with honors!

-Aww Wyatt <3

-And if I have to souffrir through a childless existence to be with mon amour, so be it (:

-Aw- wait what?!

-Really, c’est bien, Jojό, marriage is all about compromise, nό? I mean, not that I would know since we’re not even married yet!

-Wyatt we’ve been here for 3 hours.

-My point précisément.. C’est bien though!

-Can’t believe I’m saying this but I really regret murdering Ti-Ning. 

That makes two of us, Jo. Honestly even Francis would be better than this. Family sim spouse??? Tf was I thinking. 

Ah, some things never change <3 It’s a new day and someone very special passes by our lot..

UGH NO not you asshole, once again delivering bills at the worst possible time.

-Miss me bitch?? Lolol

ONE OF THESE DAYS DAGMAR. ONE OF THESE DAYS ISTG

No, it’s mismatched beard townie, whose regular outfit is simply iconic, and he’s waving at me! What a sweetheart! TAKE SOME NOTES DAGMAR YOU FROZEN-FACED FREAK

-Umm he’s actually waving at me, moron.

-WRONG, he’s waving at me!

Ok it literally doesn’t matter who he’s waving at. 

-Well c’est moi. 

OK WHATEVER WYATT GOD. Just go off to work in a position you’re criminally unqualified for and try not to die ok??

-Why would I mourir?

Hm let’s see, maybe because you’re a ‘SWAT Team Leader’ straight out of college with a shocking lack of skill points?? Jfc college degrees in this game are so fucking op it’s legit making me resentful of my sims.

In other news, major dicks Sophie and Victor have started constantly beating each other up and the only thing surprising about this development is that it took this long. Honestly these fights are peak #TeamNoOne. Please note Alegra who continues to give 0 fucks @ the bloodshed. What a gal <3

Burning with religious fervor, fundamentalist nutjob Sophie emerges victorious!

-I WALK WITH GOD BITCH

Tears. Literal tears. Victor is the most unbelievable creature I have ever played.

-The rampant violence in this house is a violation of human rights! I AM OUTTA HERE

Literally still cannot believe this happened, like the sheer NERVE is killing me. Victor has started every fight he’s ever been in for an astounding total of 40-50 fights, and as you all know he almost always wins. Like this one was what? The fourth one he lost?? AND YET HE RUNS AWAY LIKE HE’S THE VICTIM I HATE/LOVE HIM SO MUCH

Meanwhile this happens which, of course. Leave it to me to finally get a chance card right for the only sim who doesn’t even deserve the job he currently has.

..Police Chief Wyatt reporting for duty! And crime increased 80% overnight. 

In actual good and not lawsuit-waiting-to happen news, Wyatt brought Amanda, Vic’s only friend/lesbian crush with him! Amanda has the distinct honor of being literally the only non-Union non-Jojo person Vic has ever genuinely liked and hasn’t had an affair with. YET THAT IS.

Man, these are some fat fucking flies. I’m talking 10 plagues of Egypt teas. 

-I KNOW, where the fuck is Komei, what are we paying him for?

-I’m over here honey, talking to my least favorite son for the second time in my life, since apparently he’s sticking around.

-Yes, thanks for requesting a recount of the heir vote, dad. I will remember it when I decide where to scatter your ashes. 

-I TOLD YOU I WANT THEM MIXED WITH THE CAT LITTER 

Ugh Komei, please stop trying to bond with your son and do something productive instead-

-like finally convincing Neo to bang Sophie. She has refused 3 TIMES because there’s a rule I have to earn kittens by suffering. I mean Alegra refusing to procreate with Victor made sense, it was Victor, wtf is Sophie’s excuse? Waiting for marriage?

ABOUT TIME

YAS. CAT GEN 3 ON THE WAY. Human gen 3 will have to wait till I’m in the mood to deal with screaming infants aka it might take a while.

The science career FINALLY SHOWS UP after 5 fucking days, jfc. Love how Wyatt’s dumb ass started as a swat team LEADER but Jojo who has half the skills maxed starts as a science teacher. Also love the idea of Jojo as a teacher in general, I mean just imagine having him teach you science in high school. I would literally drop out.

Jojo returns from work, brings this rando with him and doesn’t get promoted. We can’t all be Wyatt I guess! We’re not completely broke anymore tho so..

It is time.

Gunther, Melody and Max Flexor on one side..

Craig, Brit Brit, Ti-Ning and Daniel on the other. What a bunch of assholes, Craig obviously excluded. Remember him? I invited him because he and Jojo are still semi-friends thinking he wouldn’t show up and yet here he is! What a good guy. 

-It’s at moments like this, watching your high school boyfriend get married.. that you really get to thinking..

Awww.

-..there but for the grace of god go I.

Less awww. You’re not wrong tho, definitely dodged a sociopathic bullet..

..not everyone is that lucky. WE GET IT WYATT YOU’RE CRAZY AND IN LOVE

-Mon bien adoré, I vow to aimer and honόr you and not cheat on you again or at least be more discrete about it <3

-And I vow not to kill you and feed you to the cats for as long as we both shall live <3 

Ah, true love, you guys. 

Too bad half our guests are inside dancing-

-OR HAVING COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE AND UNTIMELY THOUGHTS. TI-NING SERIOUSLY GO TO HELL. I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU HOW DARE YOU

Well at least Vic is excited which is more than I can say for Gunther who is literally LOOKING THE OTHER WAY. 

Time to cut the cake with the sky as our only witness, since everyone has taken a plate from the buffet and fucked off inside. Seriously WORST GUESTS EVER 

Not one to be outdone by his guests’ questionable behavior, Wyatt takes the time to remind us who he really is. 

-And n'est-ce pas forget it!

Despite all the obvious problems, like one of the grooms literally going to sleep, our party score is ‘good time’ which is a truly rare and exciting occurrence. With less than a minute left I’m feeling pretty confident that nothing can ruin this wedding!

Weirdly no one has touched the champagne even though sims in general are obsessed with it?? My best guess is everyone is at a loss for words at having to toast this union and who can blame them tbh. Thankfully Daniel steps up and I find it super sweet because I’ve forgotten that he and Wyatt are mortal enemies and it’s only by chance they haven’t beaten each other up on this instance like they have countless times before.

-Let’s all raise a glass to my beloved brother, Jojo, who generously woke up to attend his own wedding reception! Just one of many examples of his fine, giving character. Too bad he’s committing his life to a complete waste of space adulterous loser like Wyatt, who I’m not even convinced is really french, since his ability to speak and understand english fluctuates according to convenience. Man, I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, but this choice in spouse is just too tragic. Oh well! To Jojo!

NOICE, still a good time. SO CLOSE

AND YET SO FAR. Goddammit do you two mind killing each other on your own time and not literally 10 seconds before our wedding ends??

-DIE WHORE, THIS WILL TEACH YOU TO STEAL MY MAN

-THAT’S MY LINE SLUTBAG

-HA! ZUMBA, BITCH

-Wow, so glad I woke up for this, really got my bloodlust going! 

Indeed a roaring success if there ever was one. I mean how can this night possibly get any better?

.............of course.

Oh nice, I remembered to install an alarm for once! I’m also desperately trying to wake up Wyatt thinking that he’s fucking CHIEF OF POLICE so he might prove useful in this situation..

..especially since we get this cop of a completely untrustworthy Bieber hairstyle. Talk about striking fear in the heart.

Sadly it turns out that Wyatt could not give less of a shit that we’re getting robbed and picks this moment to head for wedding buffet leftovers-

-while Bieber cop prevails! This robber is awesomely named Russ Bear btw and I wish that was my name, sounds like a slavic medieval folkore hero. But I digress. Please prepare yourselves because our first robbery is about to take a dark turn.

-Ehh, you get at a certain level on la force, you just become desensitized to la criminalité..

-Oh don’t worry Wyatt, I totally understand.. I mean I’ve robbed so many houses in my time, I hardly blink anymore..

-So it looks like you and I are not so different after all.. ;)

.............

.....................

............................why. why has the universe chosen me for the greatest suffering the world has ever known. i try and i try but incestuous relationships just keep sprawling like mythical strangler vines. i bet this wouldn’t happen to someone named Russ Bear. fml

[tdrcharmschool4]

Charm School Test #4: There’s more to (lipsyncing for your) life than this - Critiques

Our girls aren't lipsyncing for their lives, but they are lipsyncing for their grades... Let's see what the deans thought!

Kushboo

My concept  is classy hooker - based on Gaga's song ' Government Hooker'. I wanted to recreate the shades-and-glumness look albeit the drag version. The mug is therefore rouged and sensuous , and she wears shades to hide her tears and lack of sleep. Her clothes are also posh looking but underneath her blue chiffon dress she wears the same old pant she wore every episode previously because she's as poor as a doormouse. Witness her waiting by the roadside for trade in classic hooker pose.when she's done earning dough, she performs at the local drag club with best friend Kandy Ho.

Analyse: HIEEEE, Kushboo! These pants look familiar ;) I'm not mad that you've recycled a part of your audition look, especially since they are so cool and they fit the look. I think you had one of the more interesting videos out of the bunch and there were some of those Alaska mannerisms that you were able to work into the performance. I did have a problem with the 30 seconds of dead time at the beginning of the video. I would just edit that out entirely. I thought the dildo was funny (because that's the type of humor I have), but I think you held onto it a little too long and it became kind of awkward, not in a like a dirty-awkward way, but like "why does she still have that?" way. Just be mindful of how you incorporate props, and that getting rid of them is just as important as how/when you pick them up. All in all, I really enjoyed this video! Good job, and I can't wait for your next video!

Dotte: Greetings Kushboo! Such a classic song choice! I love the multi-referential description you have going on! I have a few things I noticed during your video that I’d like to bring up. Something you can stand to improve on is utilizing your body language more. There were a lot of moments where you just had your arms to your side/were swaying side to side. A simple hand on the hip can help deliver the sass and attitude you want to deliver when doing such an iconic song. Be careful when you’re bringing objects into and out of the frame. It breaks the illusion we see you obviously place the phone onto the table in front of you. Lastly, I think that this specific lipsync could benefit by pretending that you’re addressing a huge crowd. Focusing on making eye contact with just one person sort of goes against what the “intention” of the song is. So interacting with imaginary people who aren’t directly behind the camera would only make sense. Thanks for having us! Can’t wait to see your acting skills!

Marcella: Hello Kushboo! Now there were a few small issues with this sync, and I’m going to address them first (I’ll ignore that you didn’t trim the beginning). Firstly, you know the lighting isn’t brilliant. It’s very important to get yourself lit so you’re not just a blur of midtones, especially when doing a green-screen. That said, we can see you just fine. The other point I want to make is expression – Alaska is very blasé sure, but there were one or two moments that just begged for a huge reaction or change in expression. You went for it on the ‘Hieeee’ though, and a few other parts, I’d have just liked a couple more for variety and to match the contours of the song (‘Tell me. I look. G o r g e o u s’ needed some real intensity). Now let’s get to the good: points for trying green screen, it’s a good trick to have up your sleeve and it wasn’t executed badly. It didn’t add a great deal to the song, but it was definitely better than just having your room in the background. You knew the words, only dropping one or two lyrics, but that’s not unforgivable. What I really enjoyed was your use and timing of props and reveals. They were all perfectly relevant, perfectly executed (the wig reveal I did not see coming and you did it so swiftly and jadedly) and lasted just the right amount of time. Ultimately, these are what made this such an enjoyable video to watch, they gave you a story and a context, and in that regard you’ve completely succeeded. Let’s talk about the look: Makeup reads nicely from a distance, still needs work up close, but it’s mostly just in need of refinement that will come with practise. Be careful of glossy lips if you’re overdrawing, the shine will highlight your real lips underneath. The look was nothing to write home about, but it didn’t bother me either. Something more showy might have been cute, but I appreciate that this dress doesn’t take anything away from us focusing on your face and your mouth. Overall, I think this was a really strong effort, you listened well to the advice we gave and it paid off :]

Luna

I choose to do Cabaret from Cabaret cause Sally speaks to me. The show encompasses her raw human emotions of rejection and trying to fit in and be loved. I relate to her life so portraying her gave me a type of feeling of not being alone.  The make up is 20's inspired with my own twist on Sally. Cabaret is very much about lingerie and sexy dancers so I chose to go with a black white and red theme. I am wearing an undergarment skirt as a top, ballet slippers and a pencil skirt, I accessorized it with a boa, chocker and feathers.Here is what it reveals into! I made the top fringe by fringe. If you have any questions go ahead and keep it to yourself, cliff. If I wanted you to know something, I would tell you.

Analyse: Willkommen, Luna! Just looking at the pictures, I'm like "yes, bitch! It's a look." There are a couple things to fix up on it; I would love a heel, and when you have that real harsh line on the hips (either from control top tights or shaper shorts or something like that), it draws attention to that and ruins the illusion a bit. For me, your theatre background really comes through here, but my BIG issue with your submission is your connection in the video. You're doing all this emoting and acting, but directing it away from the camera, and when you're doing a video like this for an online format, your audience lives behind that camera lens. It's a problem that I had (and sometimes still have) as well, because as people who have that theatre background, we can play to a house full of people all day long, but something about the physical disconnect of directing that performance towards a camera can just be very off-putting for some people. Make sure in future videos that you keep that in mind, because honestly, it's just a thing you have to consciously fight against until you begin to move past it. Also (and this is just a technical note), your video is WAY too loud to the extent that you both *lose* audio quality and I had to turn my volume almost all the way down to get it to a tolerable point. Just be careful of that when you're editing! All in all, you gave us a cute concept and a fun lipsync. I Can't wait to see what you give us going forward!

Dotte: As soon as your video started, I was soooooo ready! That was a really smart idea having that intro because it helped set the tone for all of it. You have really great emotion oh my gosh you can really channel some energy! The outfit is super kyute and really helps sell the fantasy you’re giving us! I wish you played with that boa a little bit more before your threw it away. It would have just been neat in my opinion and sometimes, playing with those big costume pieces can help entertain an audience. The filters at the end....I’m not sure what their purpose was. Same thing for whatever it was you pulled out of your bra but maybe I just wasn’t paying attention properly. I’m not too keen on makeup but i will say the beauty mark was a nice touch. Either way this was enjoyable to watch. Tchüss! 

Marcella: Luna, this was another good entry from you! Firstly, I loved the scene setting with the record, and I love a good filter if it’s appropriate, which it certainly was. It was a smart choice to vary the filter too, though I don’t know if you picked the best point to switch to colour (earlier might have been better, before the melancholy part). The outfit worked for me (ballet slippers aside). The way you moved was engaging and suited the song, the song itself was a good choice, I can tell you enjoyed every second of performing. I do have a couple of issues though – firstly, lighting/location could have been considered better, your face was a bit washed out. Similarly, I feel your make-up was a step backwards, I needed some of the contrast you usually bring – I couldn’t see your eyes or your mouth very clearly. My biggest issue is unfortunately the lipsyncing itself. I applaud the variety of expressions you brought, and the nuance you performed them with, but the words were frequently completely off. It’s not that the overlay was off, and it’s not that you didn’t know the words… I felt like either you know the song so well that you weren’t listening properly, or the audio you were recording to was too quiet to hear. It’s so important to not only know the words, but to lipsync them how the singer sings them. Breathe when they do, and enunciate as they do. At times, your mouth made shapes didn’t match the vowels. This is really key to think about in the future, but otherwise I enjoyed it and appreciated the amount of thought you put into your performance.

Marina

For this challenge, my inspiration was my love for creating little stories and meanings behind things. My lipsync song is pretty nihilistic and sarcastic, but I tried to create a concept out of it regardless. My character in this is a vampire who has a desire to be mortal again. She feeds off of excess blood because it makes her feel more human.It sounds pretty dark but she has a good sense of humor about it, hence the writing on her face. I hope you enjoy my concept and submission for this week's challenge!

Analyse: Hello, Marina! I think this is a really pretty eye makeup, and I like the sfx blood going on. It definitely helps to sell what is otherwise a pretty plain look as a conceptualized character. If you're going to have writing or something that you want to show off, make sure it's fully visible in at least one picture, because the writing is cut off, and I'm not sure what it all says. What I'd like to see from you going forward is to really up the game and give us over-the-top draggy. No more natural hair unless you can REALLY justify it in the concept. The lipsync was fun and cute, and I think if you just fully let go and had fun with it, that energy would read more on camera. Final note, make sure when we ask for a head-to-toe picture, we get head to toe, and not cut off at the ankle. Good luck going into acting week and then the FINAL EXAM!

Dotte: Marina, heya! So let’s see...the biggest distraction for me ist the writing on the face because I can’t really tell what it’s supposed to be. If it’s blood, then it’s too neat. If its a tattoo, it’s too messy. And the asymmetry of it kinda takes away from the rest of your face. I would edit it down to one word and maybe just put it on your forehead or even incorporate it into your makeup. Your head is moving alot during the performance so we can’t read alot of words like that. I can give you a few examples one on one if you want. The outfit is very plain and can stand to use a belt or a necklace or spiderwebs to help it say vampire more. Right now, its very little black dress. We told you about syncing the performance to the music previously and this time around, its even more off. It’s definitely better video quality though. I’m not sure how I feel about the song choice but that might be more of a personal choice. It’s like this, if you went a bit more over the top with the dark vampire look then it would read more as a strong juxtaposition. Mkay that it for now. Let’s talk more and see what you bring for acting week!

Marcella: Hi Marina! I’m glad you were able to get this to us, but it was VERY late tsk tsk. Let’s get to the lipsync. Technically speaking, I think this was a step up from your homework - you clearly planned out your performance and thought about what you were going to do for each element. Lighting was ok, we could see you reasonably well. The overlay is unfortunately about a third of a second out of sync, which is very distracting. It’s always worth spending that extra moment getting it perfect, as it’ll ruin a sync if it’s off. I can’t tell if the background was just what was there, or if you specifically picked out that part of your house for the video, so I can’t really critique that either way. Your outfit worked ok, but I couldn’t properly see the details in the make-up from the distance. And although I know some of your make-up corresponded to the lyrics, which shows attention to detail and a level of consideration, I can’t help but feel your make-up is not necessarily improving. You can be as draggy or as fish as you wanna be, but right now you’re not really reading ‘drag’ to me as much as real girl putting on a performance. I don’t mean this rudely, I just don’t feel like you’re embracing the experience as much as you could. I think your expressions were varied and the energy was right, and in that sense you did what the challenge asked for. But the elements you missed, as well as the severe lateness, have really let the good parts of your submission down, I’m afraid (also, I’ll ignore that you didn’t trim the end off the video.)

Ophelia

For my music video lipsync, I want to take the song 'Angel' by Sarah McLachlan, most commonly associated nowadays with its use in ASPCA commercials (for reference if you haven't seen one!:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gspElv1yvc) so I wanted take that idea and turn it into a parody for donating money to busted, broke-down drag queens! I used text overlay that parodies the voiceover that Sarah McLachlan does in said commercials and did my makeup in a kind of facepaint/white face dogface with spots on my eye, forehead and chin area to really drive the parody comparison home! I really hope this doesn't ruin your day!

Analyse: Hey, Ophelia! I think you really let your creativity lead you through this challenge, which is always a great thing to have, but one of the important skills to develop is to come in with an editing eye and say "ok, is this the best way to get the desired effect that I want." Again, you've given us a very simple makeup and you're not showing us that you can push yourself. I really don't mean this to come across as harsh, and if it does, I'm sorry, but this dog makeup reads very elementary school birthday party face paint. I think this is a situation where you could've asked "is this the best way to get what I want out of this look," and I think you may have gotten the "parody" idea across better if you had *been* the busted drag queen the video was about (like, smeared lipstick, wonky lash, all that jazz). There's also a disconnect here between the costuming and what you're trying to get across, and I think the makeup further muddles the concept. I like the direction it was headed, but I think that some of the ideas and execution kind of caused you to get in your own way with this video. I look forward to seeing where your creativity leads you in the next couple of weeks!

Dotte: Hey there you female dog you!  I think one of my biggest Nina Bonina peeves were when she did a face but didn’t pay attention to the rest of the body. If you had something that was long sleeve and hid your skin, it would create a different type of experience for the viewer. I was honestly entertained for a smooth ten seconds but....you know people usually change the channel when they see these commercials right? I’m not really used to hearing more than the lines “In the arms of an angel” and then its usually cut off by then. Entertainment-wise, it kinda got old quick. I don’t really have much to say about performance because you were on the ground for most of it. Which was kind of strange to see because I thought we mentioned how monotonous your homework was when it came to movement. Feel free to run concepts by us because we’re here for ya, kitty girl! Onto the acting!

Marcella: Ophelia, this video looks… familiar? :p Well, regardless, I think there are some strong elements to this. Emotionally, you had this DOWN. Perfectly empty to start with, just the right amount of soul. Never too much or too little. B&W filter made sense, especially when the text kicked in. This was a nice touch, the juxtaposition both added unexpected but welcome humour and reinforced the other decisions you made. I liked that it was a little ‘why the f does she have a dog face?’ until then. Speaking of the dog face… I see why you went that way, but I can’t say I liked it a whole lot. I wish it was more of a drag dog, this was like, kid’s party literal facepaint dog. I’ve noticed that your paint is very heavy, I think you need to go a bit easier on the clown white especially, as it comes off as a mask. We know Covergirl don’t cover boy, but I think if you can learn to paint with a lightness of touch, it’ll benefit your aesthetic. Which I realise you’re still trying to pinpoint, but I think going easier on the makeup will help you do that. The outfit was ok, similarly to Kush’s, it didn’t add or detract from your performance. I liked the gloves to match the dog concept. You gotta wear some tights girl though, if you’re not gonna shave your legs. There’s no quicker way to ruin the female illusion than hairy legs. Also, I do feel like this video was a little bit plain. It’s the risk of picking a slow song, but it wasn’t quite as engaging as I’d have hoped. Overall, I think your make-up let you down, but the performance was decent.

[vskpop]

April 2017 ⋅ Really really really really

Fate Number For - WINNER 

Since last year, I had been waiting for Winner’s comeback with equal parts of excitement and dread; I couldn’t imagine what they would look and sound like after Taehyun’s tumultuous departure last year.

It seemed obvious to me that, with Seungyoon having free reign over songwriting, they would move towards the rock vibes of Immature. Instead, they pulled out some extra-trendy tropical house that I’ve grown to enjoy, but I’m still not too pleased with.

While I enjoyed Fool straight away, I am frustrated that they felt the need to add the tropical bleeps and bloops and the autotuned portions, while the instrumental (especially in the second part of the song) would have been more than enough and Winner are damn good singers. I did love that Minho and Seunghoon, who had always been confined to rapping, had the chance to sing and got parts that didn’t make them look like ...well, fools in comparison to Jinwoo and Seungyoon.

On the other hand, I really really disliked Really Really right from the teasers. I love it now and I think that if anyone else had put it out I would have been on my knees, but in my opinion it’s a bit too generic for Winner. I enjoyed their “fashionable” concept and, while in the live performances they still had some pretty great outfit, I do think that the song is the opposite of refined and the video is a garbage fire (“American” concepts are 100% the worst). I still get a bit frustrated with the “really really really really” hook, but I do love Seunghoon’s rap and that they sound like they are legitimately having fun while they sing. 

I can’t imagine what it would take for me not to enjoy a Winner comeback, and there is a lot to like in Really Really and Fool. Even though it’s not their usual thing, I do appreciate that they went for something slightly less moody and even had a choreography. Jinwoo, who had always been an afterthought with vocalists like Taehyun and Seungyoon, really had space to show his skills; he went from being constantly sidelined to really showing off his skills and personality in this comeback.

After watching dozens of Really Really performances, I can tell with certainty that my greatest fear for this comeback didn’t come true. I was terrified that without Taehyun, who had always been the centre of the group, Winner would somehow struggle or seem “broken”. However, the remaining members seem to have found a new (better?) balance and have great chemistry on stage. If I didn’t know that there was a member missing, I wouldn’t think about it for one second.

I understand that Winner needed a really successful comeback to re-establish their brand after the continuous mishaps (if we can call them that) that they suffered, but I do hope that they will move away from the flavour of the week in their next comeback. It’s good to see that they’re still as weird as usual in their live performances, at least.

Coloring Book - Oh My Girl

Oh My Girl were one of the first third-generation girl groups that caught my attention; my love story with them started with last year’s Liar Liar and kind of faded away with the following comebacks, so I’m glad to see them with something almost as interesting/unique.

While I don’t think Coloring Book is nearly as iconic as Liar Liar, I do feel that it will help solidify Oh My Girl’s image as a group that manages to go beyond plain cute concepts (even though that’s how they started).

I’m glad to see that they’re sticking with energetic lead singles rather than going back to softer songs like Closer, and that they’re mixing it up rather than going for another hooky song like Liar Liar (and were possibly inspired by Walk Like an Egyptian for the bridge?). I think that 90% of what I’ve read about this song was negative, but I love the weird melody and don’t think that the brass section is that offensive.

The rest of the album does an equally good job adding a twist to the usual girl group recipe. My obvious favourites are Real World and Perfect Day, which have a touch of (harmless) rock and an anthemic choruses. While I love Coloring Book, I do wish that they had gone with Perfect Day as the lead single, even just to set themselves apart and maybe try a new direction.

Eclipse - EXID

I know that history will side against me when I say that I didn’t like EXID’s 2016 album Street, but if it helps at all, I think that Eclipse will be one of my favourite albums of 2017.

It would have been completely reasonable and expected of EXID to come out with a song that married the latest trends, especially since they’re temporarily short of one member, but they didn’t. They brought back Shinsadong Tiger (I don’t think it’s a coincidence I hadn’t liked the only single not produced by him) and released a song that’s mixes disco, jazz and (more familiar) R&B, and definitely more mature than anything they’ve done before.

Even though they are incredibly talented, EXID aren’t necessarily a group that people go to for the music (as opposed to, I don’t know, Hani’s legs). I think and hope that this will change after Eclipse and Night Rather Than Day, because I can’t imagine that even the slimiest and perviest of old dude fans would be able to ignore the quality of the songs and the members’ voices.

It would have been easy to write 75% of the parts for the powerhouse vocalist of the group, Hyerin, leaving the scraps to the others. Even after hundreds of listens, I am surprised by how carefully Junghwa’s parts were created to suit her voice (even though she’s supposedly the dancer of the group), how Hani finally got to sing in her lower register rather than the usual baby voice, how LE does more than just the usual rap bridges. Even for a mini, the quality of the songwriting and production is insane.

It’s a pity that Solji isn’t a part of this comeback, because I do think that it signals a real shift in priorities when it comes to EXID’s image and what their strong points are. I think that we’re finally moving past the fancam days and into an era that will cement EXID as the fantastic, versatile group they are.

Breaking Sensation - SF9

I couldn’t tell you the first thing about SF9, but I think this might change in the near future. If there is something that I have rarely seen/heard in k-pop, it’s boy groups taking more than the idea and the aesthetic from 1990s Western boy groups.

SF9’s latest mini album Breaking Sensation is a 1990s extravaganza: it has back spinning, scratching, excessive use of pianos, angry ballads, songs that don’t have a single actual instrument in them and most of all Watch Out, the Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) of 2017.

I don’t know if there was anything intentional in this array of songs, but I’ve been listening to this album way more than any other rookie boy group’s.

More songs of note

Good Night - Dreamcatcher

I was terrified that Dreamcatcher would do a 180° with their concept and go back to more traditional girl group stuff, but their new single is possibly even more metal-oriented and darker than the previous one. At this point I love them enough to learn their names.

Flower - Dean Who thought that I would be so in need of a Dean song that I’d accept a commercial as a new release?

Mannequin - DIA I can’t think of anything that has frustrated me more this month that hearing DIA’s demented new main single and then seeing them play their other songs live, which they will never get to do on a music show.

I’m Serious & Say Wow - Day6

Palette & Can’t Love You Anymore - IU

Rumor - KARD

Pattern - Lee Hae Ri

Hwi Hwi & Heaven and Earth - Laboum

Make Me Love You - Taeyeon

Dream in a Dream - Ten

She’s a Baby - Zico

Strays

The Japanese video for Monsta X’s Hero is everything

Red Velvet doing an acoustic version of Would U

I hope someone at SM and YG is crying because they let Jinho and Hongseok go