#i did spoil a couple eps but not too bad

[sporadicfrogs]

I love trying to avoid spoilers for things on my dash. I refuse to block tags so it's just a constant game of chicken as I scroll, hoping I'll recognize a spoiler post quick enough lol

[bronx-bomber87]

Happy Monday evening all :) Ewww an Ashley episode. Such a bummer after the last episode haha Not a ton of Chenford content but what we do get is good. There is a case involved but they're not in it enough to analyze anything. Oh also this ep is the intro of Chris so double eww. This episode is just one giant display of why Ashley and Chris aren't meant for either of them. But we knew that already didn't we? Let’s get started eh?

4x10 Heart Beat

Start our episode off with why Ashley isn’t right for Tim. Hit the ground running and the reasons are plentiful. First off Tim doesn’t even think to make Ashley anything. This is all for Kojo. Which I friggin love btw. The animal lover in me adores how spoiled Kojo is. Also imma need some more of this pup in S6. You hear me writers? I need this dog back. Ashley says she’s not a breakfast person but still the least romantic morning ever. They are very early in their dating period and its pretty tame. The way he moves around her. No intimacy at all. Avoiding her as he makes his way over to Kojo’s bowl.

Shows more affection towards his dog than her haha It’s the complete opposite of Tim and Lucy in 5x20. Where there is zero space, lots of touching, flirting and food to be had. Can't keep their hands off each other. The blahness that is Ashley is prominent in this opening scene. Also her judgy tone when she mentions that’s what he gets? If I was dating a man who took that good of care of his dog? I would be a goner. But this is Ashley so….

She is far too vapid for Tim. I looked up the definition of that word to reinforce my point. “Offering nothing that is stimulating or challenging.” If that isn’t the definition of their relationship and her as a character idk what is. Tim has found the very opposite from Lucy in Ashley. She is blah, doesn’t challenge him in any way and definitely doesn’t stimulate him whatsoever. All things he gets from Lucy. Interesting...Almost like he shouldn't be dating her....

She continues down her ‘Why she is wrong for Tim path' When she is afraid/doesn’t like Kojo. I already didn’t like her but this didn’t help her case. If I was dating someone and they didn’t like my dog?Goodbye sir. Twas fun while it lasted LOL Maybe it’s the protective dog person in me but I can not stand her first thought being ‘dangerous’ with Kojo. Just because he didn’t like her at first. Tim telling her he took him in cause Lucy couldn’t keep him.

He tries to help her adjust to him but she isn't about it. Just wants to leave. To me if my dog doesn’t like you that is far more telling than anything else IMO. Dogs have a good sense of people so this would’ve been telling to me as a dog owner. Ashley was already on my 'I don’t like you list.' But the not liking Kojo part plummets her to the very bottom…Also watching Tim with Kojo is ovary explosion for me. Way he pets him and loves on him. My heart. That's his kid.

We join our couple in their shop. Lucy asks how it’s going with Ashley? Tim says good but there was some weirdness this morning. Tim mentions he thinks she doesn’t like Kojo. Lucy’s reaction cracks me up. She could not be more telling when she says 'So you broke up with her? Thats too bad….I liked her…’ 'Lying liar. You know she was hoping he did. We all want that.

The way he loves that dog it actually would make sense. To Lucy as well her not liking Kojo is another strike against her anyways. It’s a valid response to anyone who is a pet owner really. Unfortunately we are stuck with her for a long while. Bleh. My dislike for her is very strong. Because she is everything he doesn’t need or want.

Tim says since when? Knowing she has never liked her. That Lucy had been giving him crap cause she’s a lifeguard ha I mean I can't say I blame her. I would too. Her sarcasm continuing with her reply. Fairly certain none of us considered it a career until Ashley came into the picture. Tim defends the training she had to go through. That it was rigorous training at the fire academy. Trying to make her job sound more prestigious than it is in just the name alone. Lucy doesn’t press it further and says my bad with a smile even though I think she is still secretly judging her LOL

Lucy has such a dog-mom moment here. I love it so very much. As she states his full name above LOL I bet you she has supplied that boy with many chew toys he’s destroyed. Makes me happy to think of Lucy going over to Tim's just to deliver treats and toys for their shared fur-child. Seriously going to need some couple moments with him in S6. It's a crime we haven't gotten them yet.

Lucy's transparency continues when she tells Tim 'Clearly Ashley has to go.' If only it was that easy. Saying it’s a moot point if she doesn’t like Kojo. Now anyone can see she isn’t right for him. The person who knows him the best? Can see it from a mile away the multiple reasons Ashley isn’t right for Tim. So might as well cut this off right now in her opinion. The look they share haha Even when talking about his relationship they are flirty af. So married in their disposition with one another. I love it. Also he's not really disagreeing with her...

Lucy ends up getting a phone call and it’s Ashley… She is confused but intrigued by this phone call. Idk how the hell she got her number. LOL Now you know Lucy is in love with Tim when she gives such solid advice to Ashley. It’s the way she talks about Kojo being like Tim. Girl is so gone for him. Something she continually tries to suppress this entire season. Like she is warding it off really.

Ashley tells her she likes Tim but she’s scared of his dog. Asking why she gave him away? Asking if he was too aggressive? Ugh I hate her animal ignorance so much. Maybe it’s because been I've been in dog world for over a decade but I cannot stand her going right to ‘aggressive.’ Lucy defends her boy says 'No! Not at all. He just wasn’t meant for her living situation.'

Lucy asks if she doesn’t like dogs? Secretly hoping she says yes heh Ashley tells she had a bad experience once. Lucy empathizes and says she gets it. Goes on to say Kojo is the sweetest guy. It’s here we see her switch over to gushing about Tim. It’s the way she’s looking at Tim in Grey’s office that gets me. As she explains how Kojo is just like Tim. Careful Lucy your feelings are showing.

He’s big, gruff, and a whole lot of bark but underneath is a sweetheart. I mean Tim is for HER. Let’s get that clear first. Tim is only soft for Lucy. I adore her helping out in this situation though. She didn't have to but it's Lucy. If Ashley could see how she was looking at Tim. She might feel a little threatened. Not only that but her deep knowledge of Tim. Might catch on she’s just the littlest bit in love with him lol But then 4x12 happens later on so.... How she didn’t break up with Tim after that display idk. So maybe she wouldn’t put 2 and 2 together.

I'm giving her too much credit haha Lucy speaks from a place of love about him. She probably has no idea how she is coming off but it's so obvious. Clearly not talking about Kojo in that tone. She loves that good boy but loves his owner more. Lucy tells her to talk to Tim about it. Ashley replies no that she’s not going to make him pick between her or his dog. That there is a whole genre of country songs about that. Before Lucy can defend Tim more or why she should Ashley cuts the convo off and says good night. Awkward…

It’s then we meet friggin Chris Sanford. *glares* The epitome of meh. Earlier in the ep they arrested young boy dealing drugs. He is one of James’s newest mentees. Lucy being the empathetic soul she is cites him out on a lower charge. That way he gets a fighting chance with James to turn his life around. Just has to attend his court date and such. Very kind thing of her to do for this young man.

He comes in like a mega douche. Instant dislike for his character for how he comes at Lucy. Trying to shame her for citing him out like she did. Calling her naive and basically being an absolute asshat. Lucy CRUSHES him in her reply above. I dislike Chris so very much so this was glorious to watch. Tim Bradford doesn’t stand a chance most days against her. You think your puny ass with 4 months of experience had a chance of winning that argument? What a putz…

Lucy catches Tim in the parking garage before he leaves. Ah this glorious place where all our wonderful moments occur. Lucy tells him it was Ashley who called her earlier. Gotta love how open she is with Tim always. As usual Lucy is toeing the line of personal boundaries with him. Possibly overstepping by bringing this up. But that’s kind of their thing.

Also like to note how telling it is that Ashley felt more comfortable coming to Lucy and not her BF about this. That she didn’t think he would listen to her but Lucy would. Because well she did. Lucy does get the other side of the story with Kojo. That is not a dislike but bad experience on her end. Which to be fair is valid when you’ve had a bad experience with a dog. Now that being said I still dislike so very much.

What I’m trying to get at here is Lucy interpreted this as Tim not fulling listening to Ashley’s concern. It’s not surprising Tim gets a little hard headed about things. Especially things he loves. So he’s instantly defensive about said things. I’m the same way. Lucy knows this about him. Which is why they’re having this conversation. So she can bring his attention to it in way only she can. Because Tim actually listens to Lucy. This scene really is more about their bond than his issue with Ashley. How Lucy is the only one who can ever get through to Tim. Her super power really.

He doesn’t listen to anyone the way he listens to Lucy. Especially when she is doling out advice for him. This is a kindness she is doing for him. Letting him know one his GF called her and two the reason behind it. That she is scared and he needs to listen to her about it. Tim shrugs it off like it’s nothing. Which you can see Lucy is a little taken aback with. How instantly shut off he is to this conversation. But like i said earlier he is defensive about things he loves. He LOVES that dog.

This is their dance with advice he is defensive or dismissive at first. Then it sinks in and he truly listens to what she is telling him. She may not like Ashley. (None of us do..) But she would be remiss not to share her opinion on this with him. Tim instead of thanking her for the advice deflects. Because well Tim. Asking why she is so invested in his love life? Asking with a little smile some sass in that question of his. Also gauging what her reaction will be. He is truly curious.

It is interesting how his love life is the only one she intercedes in. Not Nolan or any of his. She didn’t with Jackson for either of his love interests. Just Tim. Because that shows the level of importance this man has gained in her life. Saw some parallels to this moment and 2x03. When she was trying to pair Tim up with Rachel. How Lucy once again is involved in his love life. It’s true that she just wants him to be happy.

Also Tim’s interest in why she is interested in his love life is far different than 2x03. He didn’t question it then. Just thought it was apart of their bet. In S4 he is a lot more aware. Like I said in the last review their bond and their awareness of each other is far stronger than it was in S2. He is so genuinely curious why she is so invested in it?

They’ve had a lot of intimate moments and work flirts since 4x01. Tim can feel the shift that has happened between them. So it makes him curious why she is helping him like she is? Lucy does some deflecting of her own for his question. Saying she doesn’t want to drive around on patrol while he is moping around about this girl. He is so offended by her saying this it's so funny. That if he likes this girl he should listen to her. It’s funny all the things she’s telling him to do with Ashley he naturally does with her. Funny old world lol

Tim’s reply back cracks me up. Saying when has he ever moped? That he doesn’t even know how to. Oh but you do my love. You perfect it in S5. While you pine for her while she is still with Chris the putz. But ok sure you don’t know how. His eye roll is so damn funny Eric always crushes it when he does this. Her little Mmhmm as she walks away smirking. Has this man wrapped around her finger. She drives him insane and Tim absolutely loves it.

Tim follows through on Lucy’s advice and listens to Ashley’s fears. Really Lucy extended this relationship when it was destined to fail. But she cares so much about Tim and his happiness she gave him solid advice. This bit made me chuckle. Saying Kojo needs to be bossed around a little to listen. heh. Just like daddy. There's a reason he only listen's to Lucy.

Kojo being just like Tim of course he needs a strong woman to boss him around to listen. I wouldn't call Ashley strong but she got the idea. I mean that scene in the parking garage kinda a parallel to this one in that regard. Doesn’t listen at first then eventually comes around when they're bossed around ha. Not a ton in this ep for them. Solid moments nonetheless. Sadly we are saddled with a Chris and Ashley for a little while. But we get tons of goodies between all that so it helps.

~~~

Side notes- non Chenford

I do love James and Wes starting up their bromance. They cute.

Thank you to all who continually support these reviews. Your likes, comments and reblogs make it all worth it. See you Wednesday with 4x11 :)

[mooodyblue]

hi i’ve never sent a request before but i thought of one/ just a thought depending on what you’re feeling 🫶 but basically my anxiety has been really bad lately and today i had a breakdown in a restaurant bc i was convinced the waiter was mad at me LMAO and i was just thinking abt how elvis would handle a situation like that where his little really doesn’t want to go down but he can tell their anxiety is spiking / they’re starting to panic and he doesn’t wanna push them, but then something pushes them over the edge in public and he just comforts them and helps them drop and gets them away from the situation asap just very fluffy and comforting and yeah 🫶 that’s all 🫶

ugh i feel this 100%!!!!! loved this request vvv much i know this all too well. hope u enjoy! <3

wc: 1.3k

there was something off about you today, elvis couldn’t put his finger on it.

elvis knew you like the back of his hand. he knew your quirks, what set you off, what made you uncomfortable, and how bad your brain could treat you sometimes. 

you woke up with a weird feeling in your chest. maybe it was the way elvis sighed when he woke up or how his usual morning kiss didn't linger as long as it usually did. how did something so small cause you so much worry?

it almost worried elvis how quiet you were at breakfast. all you did was poke at your eggs. there was a slight tremble to your hand, heavy sighs leaving your chest as you refused to make eye contact with him. 

“you alright, baby?” 

you didn't look up at him, shrugging and not replying to him. 

he sighed, drinking his coffee and putting his mug down before asking the question that you absolutely dreaded.

“you feelin’ little?” 

honestly, there was nothing more you wanted than to finally drop. but it was his day off, he wanted to spend the day with you and his friends and he had plans, you couldn’t just ruin them so suddenly. not on the day of. he was already annoyed with you, at least in your head he was. 

“no.” was all you said, poking at your eggs again.

“well—i got the guys to come with us to the memphian tonight. got a good lineup of movies, you wanna go down and get that pretty lil' dress you saw a couple weeks ago?” he asked, trying to get your mind off of things. 

“sure, sure.” she nodded. 

damage control 

“whatever you wanna do.” she mumbled, pushing her plate away. 

he did buy the dress for you, amongst other things. he loved spoiling you. with how you’d been feeling, he thought you deserved a nice pick me up at the very least. 

it wasn’t until you both settled into the rented out memphian theater that you started feeling bad again. the guys were in a few rows behind the two of you, being loud and talking amongst themselves before the movie started. elvis had to tell them to tone it down a bit as if he noticed it was bothering you slightly. 

elvis wrapped an arm around your shoulders, whispering sweet nothings in your ear to try and calm you down. your leg was bouncing up and down quickly, trying to ease yourself of your running thoughts. “they don’t like me, elvis.” you mumbled. 

“sure they do, baby. you know how they get sometimes.” he sighed. 

they were just….so loud. and it was clearly affecting you and elvis was well aware of it so chances are; elvis was annoyed that you were frustrated and ruining his night with the guys. 

obviously, that wasn't even close to the truth. but your brain told you otherwise. 

you felt your chest start to hurt, just trying to keep everything bottled in and to yourself as your thoughts became worse and worse. 

“you gon’ start the movie or keep coddlin’ that baby of yours, ep?” billy yelled from the back. 

you sunk further in your seat, crossing your arms. 

elvis rolled his eyes, “it ain’t me man, be patient. they’ll start it soon. it ain't my fault we’re early.” 

there was an audible groan from the back, along with mumbles which you assumed were about you.

“it's my fault.” you muttered. 

his eyes widened as he turned to you, taking ahold of your hand. “not your fault at all, baby. you know that.” 

“i didn’t wanna go out for lunch ‘n now we’re early.” she grumbled.

“baby, we didn’t go out for lunch cause the guys were eager ‘bout comin' out here. you not wantin’ to eat didn’t play into that at all—you know how i am about you skippin’ your meals.” he frowned, squeezing your hand. “you hungry? i can go get you a lil’ snack, i’ll be real fast.” 

you looked at him panicked, “you’re gonna leave me with them?” 

“i’ll be super super fast, baby. i’ll bring you some candy, okay? you just wait.” he kissed the top of your head as he got up from his seat to leave the theater, leaving you alone a few rows ahead of the guys. 

you kept your eyes forward, refusing to look behind you. 

there was a small thump to the back of your head, followed by another and then another. that’s when you turned around, your cheek being hit with a piece of popcorn thrown from his cousin as he snickered to himself. you turned back around, your chest getting tighter as you felt your body begin to shake. why was elvis taking so long?

“quit it, man! that ain’t funny!” and “you’re bein’ a real jerk, man.” were mumbled behind you and god, you just wanted to go home.

elvis returned to the room, his eyes automatically shifting to you as you stood there visibly not okay. he rushed over to you, rubbing your back. “what happened? what’s goin’ on, baby?” 

“my chest hurts.” you whimpered, your breathing suddenly getting heavier. 

he glared at the guys behind her, “what the hell did you say to them?” 

“man, i was just kiddin’ around!” billy defended, sitting up in his chair. “they’re just bein’ dramatic!”

“watch your mouth, boy.” elvis snapped. 

you felt tears begin to trickle down your cheeks, shaking your head as you covered your ears. 

elvis helped you up from your seat, looking back at the men, “enjoy the movie.” he spat before quickly ushering you out into the quiet lobby. 

“‘m sorry, ‘m sorry.” you began to cry, trying to control your breathing. 

“hey, baby. look at me, c’mere.” he crouched down and took her hands, holding them both securely in his as he looked up at you. “don’t apologize, this ain’t your fault. i got a group of fools as friends, don’t i?” 

you sniffled softly, shaking under his touch. 

elvis knew you weren’t having a good day and he wished you had brought it up, but you had such a bad habit of overthinking and bottling it all up. he wanted to take away your pain so badly, but all he could do was comfort you. 

“baby? you wanna go down a bit? maybe try ‘n forget about all of this?” he finally asked in a softer tone. 

you wiped your tears with the back of your hand, nodding as he brought you back to his car—immediately taking you home. 

elvis was good at taking care of you, always knowing what to do in situations like these. he gave you a nice bath, wrapped you up in a cozy blanket and put cartoons on for you in the living room until he returned with a plate of nuggets and a sippy cup with your favorite juice. he frowned upon eating in the living room in fear of you spilling something onto the carpet but at this moment he didn’t care. 

he rubbed your back softly as you drank from your sippy cup. “you okay, baby?” 

“mhm.” you hummed against your sippy cup. “thank you, daddy.” 

he gave you a soft smile, pressing a kiss to your temple. “you were so strong today, daddy’s real proud of you.” 

you turned and looked at him, your cheeks growing warm at the sudden praise. 

he smiled at your reaction, giving your cheek a small pinch as you erupted in tiny giggles, nuzzling into his neck with the sippy cup still in your hand. “my cute baby, you’re just so cute. y’know that? i ain’t ever lettin’ anyone be mean to you again. swear.” 

the puppy dog eyes got him, the look of love and adoration in your eyes as you looked up at him from his shoulder. he kissed the top of your head and brushed your hair back. “i could just eat you right up, baby. that’s how cute you are.” 

“daddy no!” you giggled, hiding your face in his shoulder. 

“alright, alright. not today.”

[invisiblegarters]

GMMTV 2025 Line Up Trailer Rating / Reaction Part I

Or at least the ones I see on the main channel because frankly, I am dedicated enough to really go looking. 🤷

Dare You to Death - Oooh a bunch of rich kids being stupid. We love to see it (and i mean that). Oooh I kind of like that Dunk is the one playing the hardass here. I also really like that it seem a little grittier for JoongDunk than I'm used to. Love this new era for them. Watching.

Head 2 Head - ah it's the Only Boo dudes. I really should get on finishing that one. It was a bit too sweetie sweet for me at the time. I think I like their dynamic a little more here. I see that they're covering the Bad Buddy and the 2Gether tropes. The future thing is newish. On the fence.

Burnout Syndrome - THIS THUMBNAIL what. Gun as an escort? Off hiring him to impersonate him? So this was the Nuchy show then huh? I guess we should have known. LETTING GUN KISS SOMEONE ELSE???? WHAT. I mean I'd be in just for that, I won't lie. My problem is that I...don't really like OffGun. I don't know why they just don't hit for me like they do for everyone else. And the two things I was actually really into with them (Not Me and The Trainee) were way less focused on the relationship than other things. But I do love Nuchy...damn. Tentatively watching.

I Love "A Lot of" You - Nanon's return. LOL oh my gosh is he going to try to make this woman fall in love with him as five different people? pffft. I can't. What even. And you know I like Nanon well enough but also not watching.

Whale Store - ah yes, the sweet MilkLove GL we all knew was coming. Not complaining. Ooh and a bitter exes that still love each other side couple. Is Piploy gonna get a taste of being the one pining? Interesting. Look. I'm gonna be honest. I love these two I was gonna watch regardless. So of course, I'm watching.

Only Friends: Dream On - I can't believe I got my OF wish. There are people who can attest to the fact that I said I'd only ever watch a s2 of OF if they made it a new cast (or an ep of Our Skyy where they switched up who played who - like Book playing Boston, Neo playing Ray, etc). I genuinely assumed that when (I did think it was when) we got an OF s2 we'd just get the same cast with a tired cheating plot (my money was on Ray cheating this time) but I'm so happy to be wrong. Ohm and Earth playing brothers is actually great. And here we are with another bitter exes that are still hung up on each other story lol. That seems to be the theme of this show. Genuinely surprised that both OhmLeng and JossGawin are paired up again, that would have been on zero bingo cards (maybe OhmLeng but never JossGawin tbh). The Boston cameo had me cackling. Of course he's present when the chaos really starts chaosing. My little gremlin. Watching.

That Summer - the WinnySatang vehicle huh? They did win me over in We Are. Satang as a prince??? DYING why is that so funny. I mean if anyone can do the spoiled rotten but also sweet - MOND??? HIIIII okay I'm in. And ah, Neo and Mint. People predicted this and they were right. I wonder if he's forever banned from BL now. I mean if he doesn't want to that's fine, too. This is giving Overboard vibes. Except in this case the amnesiac might not be one at all. And thankfully I'm not attached enough to any of the actors to get annoyed when Jojo inevitably plays favorites. Probably watching.

Romance Scammer - Oh hey it's the other Ohm. He's so pretty but also I find him very wooden. I do hope that this partner of his helps. And I have liked the other two since Midnight Museum so. And of course a wild Title appears. We'll see. Depends on what else is on tbh. On the fence.

Melody of Secrets - ForceBook. JAN. BOUN. Okay I liked this anyway because I dig the vibe but that sealed it. Yes I am that easy. Shut up. Watching.

Love you Teacher - I love both Perth and Santa but this does not appear to be for me. Not watching.

Continued in part II because tumblr has a character limit and I don't know how to shut up.

[upslapmeal]

The Giggle

I. hmmm. I think I've warmed up to this ep in the last couple of hours as it's sat with me but this was my least favourite of the three. I think. idk maybe just WBY was so good that whatever came after would feel like a bit of a letdown, regardless of what insanity (my beloved DW insanity) it contained

it just kinda felt a bit all over the place? like the 2023 stuff felt v disconnected, and I think it could have just done with a bit more space to breathe and really feel the threat of the Toymaker, esp in the second half. as excellent as NPH was I do wonder if the simplicity of the games (splitting the deck and catch) did his threat level a disservice when compared to the complexity of the trilogic game and the insane riddle games Dodo and Steven had to play. and the last thing I want to do is be a well ACTUALLY that's not how it worked in classic who person, I just wasn't a fan of the prizes element - as ambivalent as I am towards the original serial, I did like the simplicity of the consequences: either you lose, and the Toymaker keeps you as a toy, or you win and the Toymaker loses everything but you have to pay the price. the problem with the Doctor wasn't so much that One beat him at the game, it was that One managed to escape afterwards. maybe it works differently outside his realm idk I'm not going to dwell on it too much but I think the episode just confirmed that I don't care too much for the Toymaker as a villain lol

BUT!!! there was lots I enjoyed!! I liked when the Toymaker really got to show off his reality bending, even if I think they could have done more with it. Donna and the Doctor got some great moments, even though I wish Donna had done a bit more. it was lovely to meet Mel! still a long way from her episodes in classic who but I'm looking forward to getting more of her in s14! the vlinx seemed ready for a UNIT spinoff any second now, and the choral music that cropped up a few times in the ep (the Toymaker's theme?) really reminded me of the music in Years and Years

and then there's the big stuff - bigeneration? sure why not!! p much everything in this show post-Billy Hartnell going back to some cavemen was new and ~not what this show is~ at some point or other so why not introduce something wild and new for an anniversary special! (annoyingly though I saw someone spoil it in a random youtube comment!!! I tried so hard to avoid the leaks why) it does leave me wondering what's going to happen with the DTface Doctor - will he regenerate and lead to two co-existing Doctor pathways? I do find it funny how Fifteen essentially went nah I'm not bringing that trauma with me, that can stay behind in Mr Vessel For Trauma (though I can't wait for him to get some Fresh Trauma™️ of his own). all the reassurance in the lead up to the re/bigeneration felt a bit silly given that Fourteen has only existed for a solid 24 hours but I did like the comedic effect of it leading to...nothing (at least for a moment)

and Ncuti was ELECTRIC waltzing around in his pants and absolutely owning every moment on screen!! 'you need a chair' yes he does!! it would have been fun to see him with post-regeneration effects but it was excellent getting to see him and Fourteen interact, and their excitement at having done something totally new! he's going to be off at the club while Uncle Fourteen does his residential therapy, but I can't wait to see what he brings to the darker, angrier, ancient side of the Doctor too.

anyway, The One Who Waits is going to be the Big Bad the Meep referred to aren't they

[echo-of-the-eye]

The long as hell timeline of when i got into tma:

My experience with getting into tma was really long and complicated so I got curious about the timeline of how it happened. I'd forgotten a lot of the early stuff but I went through some old texts and stuff so. For no ones enjoyment but my own, a timeline of how I got into tma:

first heard about it from my friend (if you’re reading this, hi:)) sometime in 2020

fun fact, the first audio I heard was brutal pipe murder out of context (followed by the leitner rant)

then started listening sometime late 2021 (I’d reached ep 28 by nov 7th)

listening was going REALLY slow. it was my first time listening to a fiction podcast and I was absorbing NOTHING.

finished s2 january 2022

side note: I did not realize sasha was dead (I had a hard time with voices and it was so long between listening to season 1 and 2 I straight up forgot what happened. also I didn't know about the transcripts and didn't listen to the credits) and at some point my friend asked how far I'd gotten and I said s2. and they said something like "oh so sasha's dead then?" and I was like "what, no. wait sasha DIES?!" they ended up kinda saving it by pretending they'd gotten the season wrong or something so I thought they'd spoiled me for a future event and that it was going to happen soon. I was shocked when I realized she'd been dead the whole time and that my friend did not spoil me, I was just stupid.

don't remember clearly but I think I took a pretty big break at some point

oct-nov 2022 I was interested enough that I made a (pretty bad) short film based on the anglerfish for a school project

think it was somewhere around this time I started getting back into it and trying to listen properly as I reached s3. I went back and relistened a lot so I could keep track of characters and plot (I used the wiki a lot which… yeah I don’t think I really realized it was supposed to be a mystery? I looked up all the fears and stuff before Gerry explained them cause I wanted to understand what was happening. Patience is not my strong suit)

I listened to the s3 finale on a plane in february 2023. (don't think I’d interacted with the fandom, but I’d spoiled tim's death while reading the wiki I think. I didn’t technically know when or how he died, just that he would be dead by the end of the season but with the way things were going I was not surprised)

summer 2023 is when it became a hyperfixsation. I was listening to s4 and I was starting to check in on the fandom, trying (and failing) to avoid spoilers. I started reading fanfiction from the earlier seasons as well

started s5 in september 2023. took a break between s4 and 5 cause I was really dreading it ending. and I took a while to listen through s5 too

when I heard about protocol I realized I needed to finish s5 before it came out. didn't quite manage it. finished s5 after a couple protocol episodes had dropped. so around jan-feb 2024

then I started listening to protocol after ep 10 was out (I needed a break to process s5)

anyway thats it. think it's so fun when people say they binged all of tma in like a few weeks. when I took three years... makes me realize I’m pretty new to the fandom even though it feels like I’ve been here forever. I’m really glad I get to experience protocol live now.

[haikyustanaccount]

Charli XCX

shittt, this is tough. Charli XCX really does feel like a million different artists wrapped up into one so its really hard to compare all her albums. This is also difficult since I have enjoyed all of her albums in completely different stages of my life so this listing could flip entirely depending on my mood. She really does just have that large of a variety of music. Oh also im including most of her mixtapes just for fun. 8. Crash: 7/10 Now I do kinda feel bad about this one. This album really does get too much hate, but this is just what happens when Charli spoils us too much with too many switches up in music. After so many genre-switching pop albums it feels weird to have such a “normal“ pop album. Now don’t get me wrong, Charli’s mainstream sellout is better than most pop artists career high, but it does feel kinda disappointing since it is so “of the time.” Especially with all the 80s influences. Still amazing and Lighting is definitely my favorite an all time banger. 7. True Romance: 8/10 Soooo shockingly amazing. I remember this one took me forever to listen to cause I assumed it would be rough and kinda boring. ABSOLUTELY NOT. This shit is fire, like the songs here can go toe to toe with her career best. “You-ha ha ha,” “Take My Hand,” and “Set Me Free” are all amazing bangers and feel so ahead of their time. This specific brand of edgy synth-pop is just amazing to hear and her brand and persona appear so fully formed especially for a debut. Absolutely check this one out. 6. Pop 2: 9/10 Okay so I may get a bit of hate for this. I love this album don’t get me wrong like look at that 9, but it definitely isn’t her best. This project and the next on the list are basically tied since they are very similar. This one specifically is great, Unlock It obviously became a tiktok hit and Femmebot is another banger I come back to pretty often. Overall it’s an amazing hyperpop mixtape, but there’s just some better stuff ahead of us.

5. Number 1 Angel: 9/10 Like I said these two are very similar to me and not in a bad way. They have their strong differences especially production-wise, but the overall vibes of the projects are similar. I just slightly prefer this one cause a couple of the songs. 3AM is amazing, Roll with Me is great, and the crown jewel Lipgloss is such a favorite of mine. Cupcakke and Charli just mesh soooo perfectly. 4. Sucker: 9/10 Okay im getting hate for this one, but its genuinely amazing!! Like the different genres are definitely making this tough, but this one dives into pop-rock and does it so amazingly. Just from the opener you have to love it. Especially since its a huge fuck you to Dr. Luke. Which we absolutely love and as always FUCK DR. LUKE. Aside from the title track, some of my faves are famous and Red Baloon. Just all time bangers and if you think this is her commercial album you’re in for an amazing surprise. 3. Vroom Vroom: 10/10 yes a 4 track EP is in third place what of it? I don’t need to list favorites its four songs and they’re all perfect. Now I may be a bit biased since I looooove Sophie and her production on this ep is incredibly as usual. Vroom Vroom is also probably my favorite Charli song, its just kinda perfect in every way.

2. Charli: 10/10 Her full hyperpop zenith. It feels like this is what Vroom Vroom, Number 1 Angel, and Pop 2 had been leading up to and it delivers in every single way. Incorporating everything she mastered and is a full display of everything she is capable. This is one of THE hyperpop albums because it fully demonstrates the history of pop and leading into hyperpop and how they meld together. It feels like a fully completed thesis project. Her features are also incredible and perfectly placed onto all the tracks. My faves are probably White Mercedes, Blame It On Your Love, and Shake It. They’re just kinda all perfect.  1. how im feeling now: 10/10 so where do we go from a perfect hyperpop album. how did she make something better? I honestly don’t know. this album honestly functions far more as a follow up to True Romance rather than Charli. It’s definitely hyperpop but it feels much darker and more emotional. Charli was a statement about pop music. how im feeling now is a statement about charli. Because of the focused nature of the recording and the intimate writing you get her most cohesive and emotionally powerful album yet. There are bangers, but I would feel weird recommending any individual song rather than the full album. It was the perfect quarantine album and it still captures something so authentic and beautiful that I couldn’t put it anywhere else than #1.

[thegeminisage]

me a month or so ago: haha who actually watches S*PERNATURAL in 2019. stupid. i can’t believe there are people still invested in that dumbass show, why don’t they love themselves, who’s brainwashing them me now, EATING MY HAT: sometimes a family is 3 platonic dads their mom and her alternate universe boyfriend and their gay alternate universe little sister and that dead demon’s scottish witch mom and their depowered half-angel son of satan baby and that’s VALID!!!

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Ending the Year FINE & simple

Dec 2022 Wk 4

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

Ongoing Series - Thai

Never Let Me Go (Tues YT) 3 of 12 - Butler Dad (v.2) is going to be a problem, I can tell. Chimon is a cute, if suspicious, flirt. Palm, on the other hand, is the gentlest flirt imaginable. He wants spoiled prince + attack dog dynamic so bad. As, indeed, do I. 

Between Us (Sun iQIYI) 8 of 12 - still enjoying it very much, annoyed by filler couples, WATCH ALONG HERE.

609 Bedtime Story (Fri WeTV) 6 of 11 - Oh, I see! The Mint storyline is to give more characters motivation to murder Dew. It’s all set up. How clumsy. Meanwhile, we got a confession right on schedule, classic romance beats. 

I Will Knock You (Fri Gaga) 7 of 12 - Whatever. 

Remember Me (Sun Gaga) 12 of 14 - Honestly? I’d DNF this show but its almost done and I've watched 12 already. Sunk cost fallacy in action. I’m not going to make this mistake with this production house again. JaFirst cry well, but I’m vetting and binging these in future.  

My School President (Fri YT) 5 of 10 - no ep this week, resumes Jan 6

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

The New Employee (Korea Weds Viki) 2 of 8 - It’s giving me life, this one. Pining boss. Drunk lesbian bestie of awesome. Plus gay player (former college heartthrob) is a fun background for the faen fatal, not to mention rainbow rice cakes. COME ON. RAINBOW RICE CAKES! 

HIStory 5: Love in the Future (Taiwan Thurs Viki) 1 of 20 - A cheerful kid from 1999 travels to 2022, works as a deliveryman, and meets an heir with a domineering personality. Directed by Nancy Chen (HIStory 4, Papa & Daddy). The time travel premise is interesting, the leads are giving me whipping boy vibes, but I don’t like seme’s stalker energy. It feels very HIStory franchise which means it could go any direction but sensible and I’m expecting problematic tropes. However! The sides are GREAT - they’re an office romance boss/intern relationship. And this is 20 full episodes so we will get plenty of them. Also, is that Taiwan I see giving us a femme character? I am all amazement. I think I like this show, actually. (Note; will be referring to this as H5 going forward.) 

The Director Who Buys Me Dinner (Korea Thurs iQIYI) 5-6 of 10 - Is there a not very small part of me that wishes this were a love story between the earnest assistant baby boi, and the older anxiety-riddled rockstar? Yes. Although I did not expect Korea to go there with the lipstick mark AND an actually gay idol. What alternate reality are we currently living in? Also, is every character in this show slightly insane? Yes. Is every actor in this show slightly too pretty for my emotional well-being? Also, yes. Bring it on 2023. 

Candy Color Paradox AKA Ameiro Paradox (Japan Fri Gaga) 3 of 8 - I think I just don’t like the photographer character much (although he’s very typically Japanese tsundere seme). Really quite a good kiss though, for Japan. On the flip side, it was nice to see the reporter being good at his job (competency porn is a very underused trope in BL). Then we get confession, immediate retraction, and a disbelief counter attack. Then more kisses. Huh. This isn’t progressing how I expect. And that’s kinda nice too. Oh Japan, you so cute & trixie. 

It’s Airing But I’m Not Watching It

Love Bill (Vietnam Sat YT) - Bah Vinh is back but I’m too distracted. Also there’s a lot of fund raising stuff going on with them. I’ll wait and binge.

The Star Always Follow You (Vietnam YT) - same Team RL peeps we have seen before (Sunshine, Stupid)

Till the World Ends (Thai YT) 10 eps - it seems to be good but I don’t know about the ending with that kind of title, so I’m waiting.

Moonlight Chicken GMMTV’s Midnight series (Weds YT) 1 of 8 eventually - first segment has begun bit it’s not the EarthMix messy gays. Sorry all, I’m so not interested in messy hets, so I’m waiting until they grace my screen.

In Case You Missed It

Coffee Melody special feat TitNuea & Jean like it’s counterpart was rather dull, but I find this a more appealing couple than the mains so I liked it better. 

Moments Of Love - featuring SmartJames AKA LeonPhob from Don't Say No) from Foremorfilm Production supposedly aired Dec 24 directed by Golf Tanwarin (609 Bedtime Story and The Eclipse). But it has no rating on MDL so I guess not? 

Next Week Looks Like This:

2023 forthcoming BL master post is in the works... wait for it... I’m doing all the 2022 wrap ups first. Also waiting for the last of the studio announcements. 

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Mujigae-tteok (Korean rainbow rice cake) - a new item has entered my never ending food quest list. 

OhmFluke do domesticity well, gotta give them that. 

Quick end of year thoughts on 2022 BL & the future of these weekly posts: 

Honestly? Overall it’s been a fine year for BL with some good shows & and some ho shows, and also a lot of dross. But the most notable aspect was the overwhelming quantity to keep up with. My work world is opening back up with tons of travel. This plus my recent revelation that I actually prefer binge watching (especially the lower quality stuff) means that I can’t keep up with BL if it keeps up this insane pace. 

So in 2023 you can expect me to try to keep these weeklies updated with what’s airing, of course, but also pull back on how many I personally watch and summate. 

In 2022, BL sort of became my 2nd job, and it doesn't pay well enough for that.

All that said I think... 

2023 is going to be GOOD for BL. Happy new year! 

(last week)

Current Kpop earworm? I’ve been in a “beastly” mood recently so it’s Lee Gikwang’s (Beast, Highlight) Don’t Close Your Eyes. I forgot how fucking banging that opening rift is. Thank you Kpop gods for putting the 2nd gens through the ever eternal slut phase. 

Now just put them all though a BL phase and we’re golden. Yes, I am thinking of Unintentional Love Story (Gongchan B1A4), why do you ask? 

[theheightofdishonor]

to commemorate my newest hyperfixation, i decided to make a top 10 asian dramas list (mostly bls). Like always, there's no order to this

bad buddy - my first bl and whoever said that this show would spoil you for bls was right because it's still my favourite. Absolutely nothing tops. This also kickstarted my obsession with nanon, so thank you bb. Praying for a sequel.

we best love - By itself it wouldn't be this high up but I loved the sequel and together, they're easily a contender for top 3. Great dynamic, great acting, great plot in the second one, Loved it.

3 will be free. I was in it for the polyamorous relationship and I got what I wanted. 10/10. Would rewatch (something even other shows on this list will not be getting)

Word of Honor.- I just in fact rewatched this because I was so obsessed. Top tier and I still hold that I liked it better than the Untamed.

the gifted + graduation - no lie, wouldn't have made it through if nanon wasn't in it but he is and it's a classic super powers at school thing so i really liked it. Also, watching blacklist (terrible, terrible show, easily top worst) made me realize how well they did in comparison and made me like it more

f4 - the shift bright's character made to liking gorya happened wayyyy too abruptly and I hate it but everything else was great, loved ren and gorya's friendship specifically. Bit too dramatic towards the end, even for me but it was a pretty fun time so.

kinnporsche - The more I watch this show, the less tolerance I have for the plot but it's a really fun watch, really high production, god tier chemistry for all three main couples and a killer theme song. Free Fall is easily my favourite bit of music out of everything i've watched, right in front of uwma's score which i'll mention later on and just a friend from bad buddy. Special shoutouts also to the editing on ep 11 because the tonal whiplash between each scene was hilarious.

my beautiful man - I didn't think i'd like it and honestly, wasn't a fan til the last couple episodes but they did win me over. Love it when a show does something new with a trope.

until we meet again was really hard for me to watch because pharm was like SO sweet and pure and whatnot and i like my main characters to be less, hm, nice, if that's the word but the story is so fucking good and it unfolds so well and Fluke;s acting has me on the verge of the tears everytime I so much as look at episode 17 so while this is a skip-watch, it still makes the list. Oh and the score for this show are killer, esp that piano piece they use to build tension in ep 16.

couple of mirrors. - it's a mystery, it's a lesbian romance, it's literally everything to me. I don't even have the words to explain how much i adored this show. definite rewatch

(i'm not watching the eclipse until it's finished which i don't think it is yet)

[dribs-and-drabbles]

My end-of-the-weekend series round-up...in roughly the order I watched them:

Dear Doctor I’m Coming for Soul ep 5: I like this series. I like the premise. If I look past the medical stuff it's a great little story. I'm intrigued by the relationship Tua had with young Prakan (please don't spoil it for me!) and I think the main couple are great. Not to sure about some of the other characters. Oh and the use of music that’s already been used in Bad Buddy 😊 but on the whole it has me hooked.

Secret Crush on You ep 11: Not enough Jao and Sky. DEFINITELY not enough Daisy and Intouch. Did not like the 'wife' reference with Toh and Neur – I thought we were moving on from all that. The actor who plays Daisy did a brilliant job portraying her desire and attempt to be more masculine. And I LOVE Som...especially her being left alone - I felt seen 😂 I thought there was one ep left in the series but apparently there's three.

Star in my Mind ep 3: Great again. Loving Khabkleun pining over Daonuea. I wish he would clear up the Gia situation though. After watching Som in scoy being left alone, Fah then drove the message home with his “Some people are meant to be single.” 😂 The morning after the drunken night before was beautiful – not a sign of embarrassment to be seen from Khabkleun 👏🏼 – and I feel pretty pleased that with all the Thai series I’ve watched I understood the confusion in the Phi/brother conversation 💪🏼 And then that bloody house again and 'Leo’s' mum! But the pool scene was great.

Plus and Minus ep 3: I love this series so much and I can't wait until their feelings are reciprocated and they stare lovingly into each other's eyes. Taiwan just knows how to strum my heartstrings.

Cutie Pie ep 9: I have to say it but I thought there was too much Kuea and Lian this ep. And time wasted with all the kissing which could have been used to further Diao and Yi's storyline...which I am just getting as fed up with as Diao is getting fed up with Yi. When they drag it out this much it stops being interesting. I also didn't like Kuea saying 'no' to Lian all the time and then Lian not stopping -> consent, who is she? 🙄 Syn and Neur were cute, but there wasn’t enough of them, and the way they handled Kuea finding out about the transfer of deeds was dull and boring and predictable from a mile off. Yawn.

What Zabb Man ep 3: I like the characters. I like their growing attractions BUT the inappropriateness of the boss/employee relationship does bother me. Oh and the use of the annoying female/faen fatale – god we were so spoiled with Ink in Bad Buddy. I'm ignoring both issues for the sake of my watching pleasure but I wish they could have been handled differently. The dynamics between the two couples are just great, though.

Cupid’s Last Wish ep 5: I got a bit confused this ep because I could have sworn they were on a big 17 hour drive to the next temple but then suddenly they were in Bangkok at Korn's hotel...but, as always, I think Mix and Jan are doing a fab job playing Win. I don’t really understand why Win thinks Korn ‘did something wrong’ getting included on Win’s father’s will, though – surely it was just his father’s decision and, as I’ve said before, it’s probably a security thing to ensure Korn and Win have a majority stake in the farm or something. 🤷🏽‍♀️ It just seems strange that Win is so upset about it.

Kinnporsche ep 3: I'vE nOt wAtChEd iT yEt 😭😭😭

[strideofpride]

For the fanfic director's cut thing: Like a rolling stone

the fic

Okay so I don’t want to give too much away and spoil haha. But I will say a couple things which is:

-I expanded the timeline of the show. In Good Girls Revolt, the first five episodes all take place in December 1969 and then the second half of the show is much more spread out and…I just think it’s messy writing. So I expanded to even it out a little, starting off in July 1969 instead. I initially considered changing the year entirely but the changeover of the decade plays a big role narratively and I ultimately decided to keep it.

-I did though completely change all the references to real events to make it my own. (It’s worked out pretty well - Blair’s birthday actually being on a Saturday in 1969 was just chef’s kiss. And it was an added bonus that such a big march occurred that day as well) I also always try to change up the dialogue as much as I can as well. Especially cause as I go on, the plot lines have gotten more and more similar to the episodes as they aired lol whoops.

-speaking of messy writing, one of the major things I changed was getting rid of Nora Ephron. In GGR, Nora is a character (in real life she did work at Newsweek the magazine the show is based on although not in 1969) and she’s basically used as the catalyst for the feminist awakening that takes hold of the researchers. Except…Nora is not the main character. Not even one of them. She’s only a recurring. To give such a big moment to a side character over Patti the protagonist (Patti is Serena in my fic) is bad writing imo. It makes Patti too passive and is just…ugh. Not a fan. Anyway, so in my fic, Serena’s self actualization happens on her own instead of coming from another character.

-Also the other big change is Nelly (Cindy in the show) is already divorced. In GGR, Cindy has a controlling husband and has an affair with Ned the photo editor but since my fic is from only one character’s POV, I could never give that storyline the focus it needed to make sense.

-of course, Jude’s the bar they go to after work is named after St. Jude’s. Constant Magazine is named after Constance, although I shortened it to Constant as kind of a reference to Time Magazine.

-also in ep 3, Jane and Sam don’t interact at all, so the two Dair scenes in chapter 3 are entirely my own ❤️

fanfic director’s cut

[invisiblegarters]

Never Let Me Go Ep 7

Pfft, no, Palm. Listen to Nueng and your mom. Let him do things by himself. Let him learn how to be a real boy! 

Oooh, pillow fight tension. I would be cheering kiss him but we all know it ain't going there. Instead Palm will just hover over him and they'll just stare at each other for nineteen minutes until someone inevitably walks in on them.

See? I better get some damn kisses this ep or I will be very grumpy.

Palm's mom's expression is great though.

"Employee/employer my ass"

Wait, wait, wait. Nueng wants to buy a phone to listen to music? Not to, I don't know, try to find out wtf happened to his mom? Am I the only one who cares about Tanya here? 

Palm, you keep flirting and it keeps going nowhere.

Man, this Phum dude is way too happy about the prospect of Nueng being shot. I get not liking his family but that's…a lot. And he was entirely the one who made the banner - he's too damn smug for it not to be. He does have a point about Ben, I have to say - even if I understand why Ben did the thing it's still cowardly, and he knows it. 

Aw, Chopper to the rescue. 

Man Ben sure does react weird whenever touching Chopper is on the table. I still really want to know what went down there. More and more I'm believing that something did. Something a bit more than friends growing apart. There's just something about the way they interact, man.

Dammit, Chopper. Stop breaking my heart here.

I honestly can't tell if Ben is being deliberately obtuse when he asks why Chopper would do such a thing for him, though. It almost feels like he's prodding him but I don't know if that's just my wishful thinking or not. Yes I ship it but I'm not sure how much of that is me just wanting Chopper to get what he wants. I just adore him. 

Meanwhile, in "Nueng has completely forgotten Ben's existence" land…Nueng is very busy completely forgetting Ben exists and offering up Palm's stretch of paradise so one of the tourist couple can propose to his boyfriend and using the opportunity to flirt with Palm and look at his lips a lot and needle him about romantic moments. Both of them are being ridiculously unsubtle to be honest. Just make out already, you two. Stop dancing around it and playing the questions game and just do the thing already so that we can get to the angst about whether you mean it or not. 

Man, Nueng just keeps poking and prodding at Palm, and I genuinely can't tell if Palm's being deliberately obtuse or if he's sincerely not getting it. I don't doubt he's head over heels because he says untrue things like "all I've ever seen is your nice side" or this:

and only love could explain either of those, but he's so passive and so reserved that I actually feel like Nueng. I want to see that passivity shaken (but first I want to see more angst from Nueng about whether he's just following orders because I like that stuff). 

Him reaching out in the night to hold onto Nueng was sweet though, and a definite, broad hint to his true feelings. No reason to do that other than he wanted to, after all. 

Pfft a little on the nose with the bad fortunes, show. 

Ah so Chanon sold himself and then Palm into servitude to Nueng's family to save Palm's life, eh? I know I should find it heartwarming or it should make me feel a little better about Chanon but nah. Still no. I do like Nueng being like "no one owns your life", although I do sometimes feel like what he says doesn't match up with his actions. He might think that, but he certainly does like to act like he owns Palm whenever Maggie shows up. Granted I think he wants to own him in the romantic sense (and be owned by him just as badly), but I'm not sure Palm quite gets the distinction, and Nueng's spoiled brat act whenever Palm pisses him off doesn't help. 

Okay, Tanya is in critical condition with organ damage. Thank you for finally informing me, show. 

I legit cackled with delight through the entire press conference. Kit blowing all the smoke about how amazing Nueng is and how he desperately wants to find him. I mean, I do think he wants to find him, but not to make sure he's okay. 

Holy crap that one reporter clearly doesn't want to live forever. I love Kit's "how very dare Tanya is my family" reaction to the question, though. Plus Chopper's awesome side eye:

Now that's a good headline photo. “Clearly Guilty Man’s Son Thinks He’s Clearly Guilty!”  

And I guess I was wrong, Kit totally did order the attack. Score one for Nueng. 

Oh, Chopper's devastated little face when he realizes his dad actually did the thing is killing me.

This show is just full of kids who are too good for their parents. I knew Chopper would be the only one who really cared what happened to Nueng. 

I feel for him, and I really really hope he doesn't break bad for his asshole of a father, because that up there is not a face of a dude who wants to get to the top the way his father is choosing. The poor thing is so miserable and I hate that for him. 

That shirt really suits him though. /shallow 

Please Chopper stay sweet and decent. I know I keep saying that I'll be okay if you go evil but I'm a lying liar who lies. 

Speaking of lying liars who lie...Palm, you are so full of crap, my dude. I believe that you don't know what love is, maybe, but that there's nothing between you and Nueng? Nope, not buying what you're selling. 

And neither is his mom, ha!. I love her prying about whether they've kissed or not, and while I have my suspicions that she's gonna sell them down the river eventually because of her debts (there are no good parents in this show), I am actually loving her and Palm together right now. She's not really a mom but she's fun and she isn't afraid to share home truths, like your dad is an ass, you clearly have a thing for that boy, and please don't suffocate him with your love because otherwise he’ll run away like I did (okay maybe that last one is a little projection but). The entire scene with Palm at the wedding was gold. 

Okay I'm kind of impressed with Nueng. Dude has let all the wedding stuff make him brave.

Nice piece of acting here: the way that Nueng wrings his hands together slightly before asking for what he wants. A nice, subtle way to portray how nervous he actually is. 

And Palm can beep boop what is love (baby don't hurt me) all he wants, but he once again kisses Nueng like he's starving. And this time, when the kisses are supposed to be real, they both reach for each other exactly the way they wanted to the first time and didn't. Although Palm’s "is this how couples kiss?" is hopefully going to burrow into Nueng's mind and generate some delicious doubt and angst. 

Also Nueng did this:

So now we have a self-imposed time limit to deal with on top of the angst inherent in Palm being the Most Protective and Most Willing to Do Whatever Young Master Asks making it hard to tell what he’s doing because he wants to and what he’s doing because Nueng wants him to. I would be lying if I said I wasn't into it. 

The last bit made me laugh, and I don't think it was supposed to. Chanon is so bad at his job. So bad. And now Kit's gonna finger him for the shooting and also probably Nueng's dad's murder while he's at it.

And next week, more Chopper. Oh and some action stuff and Maggie laying down some more truths but mostly, Chopper. My priorities are fine, thank you. 

[horn-of-leo]

i feel like i talk too negatively when going on rants here so i wanted to share good news :D

I rewatched the whole series again with my sib and it was honestly great to sort of go through the rollercoaster again, especially because she's never watched past the Sanctuary arc(I'm the only one who's watched it full through) so it was cool to experience it again with someone reacting for the first time plus we've made so many funny jokes out of the whole run

I'm gonna just be talking about the whole experience in here of what we've watched (cuz it will be the whole series)

Sanctuary Arc:

The good ol '80s anime, my sibs and I grew up with the English dub(the ADV one), and sometimes I see people saying it's bad but I don't think so, honestly tho this dub was probably the reason I had no clue everyone was supposed to apparently be young teenagers/adults since everyone voicing in this ver is obviously a 30+ year old man, I mean some characters do sound like they recruited the first guy they found at the office to fill in for the role and probably only told them the name of the character but never showed them what the actual character looked/should sound like(*cough* Camus) but other than that I think everyone does a great job. idk probably bias since I grew up with it but I'm telling you that no other dub will go as ham as the ADV one. It's such a shame they didn't at least get to finish the Sanctuary arc and only got up to 60 episodes. I actually got a little sad when we finished out the eng dub episodes too lol and I know there's the other one but I ain't watching it

ANYWAYS, it's honestly very funny to look at all of the fillers for this arc and just know the anime did not know what type of series it was going to be since the beginning, it's like they tried to do a villain of the week format since they had the basis of the mad grab for the Sagittarius helmet that was also apparently the most powerful cloth in the world and it turns you into a super saint that could destroy the world if taken into the wrong hands, and it's the only gold cloth in the world...until like another 20 eps in where they have to start writing around what they had and go with the manga continuity as best as they could

I really do enjoy the fillers that they have for this tho, because it not only gets the main five to like chill from doing the main plot for five seconds but it gets to add more character/bonding between them. One thing I really liked is that there is more development of Saori reaching out to them and making up for how she's treated them in the past since they're all already on edge with her since she was so spoiled and treated them like garbage when they were all kids. So to see them all gradually warming up to each other is great and it makes it more plausible that they'd want to still keep fighting for each other (as compared to the manga where they still hate her even into the Sanctuary arc and they only arrived to fight for their own personal reasons and tolerate her at best because she's Athena, it's so disheartening to read actually, like WHAT'S THE ACTUAL POINT THEN IF THEY DON'T EVEN LIKE HER???)

Another thing is that I really like is how they handled Shiryu's character arc when he lost his sight. As compared to the handwave from the manga, he's greatly affected by what's happened and might have to come to terms that he'll never be able to fight again beside everyone when something like the fight against the Sanctuary is so near. And it's a huge blow to the team as well that they basically just disband right there for a couple of seconds (but then get back a few eps later since the Algol vs. Shiryu fight was earlier and they still had a few more silver saints to get through).

So when the anime cuts back to Shiryu, it's shown he can't adapt to his life right away and is still suffering from ptsd of both losing his sight and the fear of being left behind that he's honestly lost hope that he'll ever recover. But after having his fight with Ohko(anime-only guy he's trained with as a kid) it kickstarts him find his drive to fight again and that even if he is blind, he's found out that it's not the end for him as a saint and his life in general too.

I did enjoy the other fillers about the others doing stuff too, though poor Shun having nothing to his name tho😭(he deserved to have something at least but I guess his character arc is a slow burn since he doesn't really develop as a character until near the end of the arc itself/later arcs)

Anyways on to where the ball really drops at the 12 houses arc:

No need to individually talk about every single battle lol cuz that would get so long and I don't really have anything else new to add while rewatching.

Personally, I think there's quite a dip to where the arc kind of peaks the first time around the Leo-Virgo temple where I start to tune out then basically get interested back around the last three houses where everyone starts to die for real. It doesn't help really that before Shaka's fight, we just have two long episodes of Ikki getting his ass beat and Shaka personally making sure Ikki is getting his ass beat which is a little funny and he was so petty for that.

But anyway after Shaka, it starts to drag a little going on with the Libra house then with Milo having the best anime original fight against Seiya/Shiryu to having the ugliest episode of the whole series.

Also sorry, I only liked the part where Seiya and Shiryu fight him, the actual fight between Hyoga and Milo I start to tune out. Honestly though, while the Milo vs. Hyoga is definitely one of the most disconnected fights of the arc, I did appreciate the fight cause it still is good for Hyoga's development (plus its probably to make up for him doing basically nothing the whole arc until now).

Skipping ahead to the fight against Saga, I remembered that Seiya has basically checked out since Aioria's fight(which I cannot blame since he did get super fucked up during so) but that last hour really hangs on for a good 6 episodes.

I think it was sad we didn't actually get to have the flashback where Saga turns evil since the anime team(godbless them) had to make up the craziest shit to fill in for the story, only for Kurumada to cancel out every single story plot they wrote so they couldn't possibly ever really try to even say it was Saga who was the pope for the last 13 years. Since they introduced Pope Ares as the first Pope's evil brother who has just recently took over shortly after Seiya left after earning his armor and was straight up evil for no good reason that it seems almost stupid any of the Gold Saints could even think he was a good person when the first thing acknowledged by both Aioria and Marin when he was introduced is that he was pure evil. Which isn't even the start of how they tried to write around that plot point for the anime afterwards where it gets even more confusing of where Saga really comes in the picture and basically settling that since it was a good 60 episodes ago, you'd basically have forgotten the lore they've written up to let it slide, which is fair tbh.

Also, I think the anime has a better conclusion to this arc since everyone joins up together to jump Saga at the end. Plus Saori got to roast him too so that was cool.

Asgard Arc

It felt very bittersweet to move on from the Sanctuary arc into Asgard. I wanted to give this arc a chance, unfortunately I still couldn't find myself really getting into it. Plus the subs are very bad around this part so it was hard to know what the characters names were and ultimately we just skipped around until there was scene that was either originally in the manga/final parts of the arc that carries on into the next one.

I guess it's not great for group watching when none of us are really interested since the changes of the artstyle/armor designs is a little disheartening to see. Plus the pacing was kinda of not great(?) like the cuts were way too fast or skipped to a wildly different scene from the last that we couldn't tell if we like missed an episode or it was the opposite where we just sat simmering at a scene of the characters acting like dragon ball characters for a good 5+ minutes for padding.

Personally, I do think the character designs are super great though and probably the only thing I wished that happened was that they all lived so their back stories wouldn't be completely useless to know (tho ig Siegfred could die since it had some reason to it, tho it's still kind of dumb how it happened) but I'd maybe have to go back to watch it myself to maybe appreciate it more but who knows? I just wish there are better subs out there that I could probably stand watching it.

Poseidon Arc:

Kind of a lukewarm arc tbh, I don't feel like I have anything else to add really on this rewatch.

I have my gripes about certain characters/stories in this arc and they've made some changes I definitely don't like. Main offender is the scene where Seiya take Poseidon's trident to shield Saori when this scene was originally supposed to be Kanon's redemption scene and ultimately it adds nothing because Seiya just walks it off. Though the only reason why I can guess they made this change was because I assume it would confuse people when Kanon comes back in the Hades arc and it turns out he survived but it wasn't known then and that arc wasn't animated until a good 10 years later. And I'm pretty sure the anime already knew it was wrapping up by then, so they chose to have Seiya take the blow and not seemingly kill Kanon and instead just left it more ambiguous if he was able to make it out of Atlantis or not when they sealed Poseidon. Though it's just my speculation.

It was a little sad to finally finish the whole 80s anime but I think it's good they at least got to finish up til the Poseidon arc. But other than that I think that they had a good wrap up with everyone being happy in the end and they gave Shaina great drip when they're all out in their normal clothes again, so bonus for that ending.

Hades Arc:

Man, this one was super long to get into. Gotta divide them up for each OVA. We're getting into the 2000s babey!

Sanctuary OVA:

I'll be real this one is literally so good. The opening, the animation, added scenes are super cool. The op definitely has that sad 2000s vibe but that's what makes it really good and it really captures the feels of the whole arc too and the song slaps so hard. I'll be real the 3D is a little cheesy and off-putting but they tried so I'll give it to them. I wish the OVAs all had the same quality as this one, it's really such a shame this one was basically as good as it gets Hades arc-wise. Personally, I think everything was done really beautifully during this arc, and I guess it helps that this part is mostly Gold Saint-focused. I really liked watching this part honestly, idk why it has this sentimental value to me, I guess it was just the opening lol. All the scenes just hit and its sad to me ;w;

It was a great comeback tbh, though I guess it's too bad that it's only downhill from here...

Inferno + Elysium OVAs:

I'll just combine the last two OVAs together, because not much good things to add afterwards. It's more of just getting through with it unfortunately. By here, I really can't get invested since technically everyone's character arcs are basically over other than just pointlessly fighting because they need to do so.

I think it was said that the animation studio changed or at least it wasn't the same one like in the first one, and it's super noticeable with how static everyone is and it really only gets worse in the Elysium chapter with its cheesy ass google slides transitions.

Personally though, I like the new voice actors (even if it's kind of sad we don't hear the old ones) but I don't think there's really a problem they've recasted them. I just think there is a point where it's very noticeable that the voice actor is too old for a role and it really doesn't fit anymore. Though the only one I actually have a problem with not fitting at all is Takahiro Sakurai as Shiryu(plus the guy sucks now apparently, but his pitch never fit Shiryu in the first place and that's my main argument).

I thought the opening is great and goes hard. I think it was good they decided to go for at least one upbeat song since most of the tracks are all basically ballads. Also the ending song for the Elysium OVA is so amazingly good, it's such a shame they didn't actually make a real animation to go with a song like that until the last episode(I mean if you just kind of count the slideshow of the characters as animation). This one plus the Inferno one didn't get an ending either unfortunately.

Maybe this was still kind of critical lol but it doesn't mean I hated it or anything, and honestly I think it's good I've found myself invested in something again after a really long time. I think honestly this show has really influenced a lot of stuff about my interests/my own art style too so I'm glad to rekindle my love for this series again!

Overall is the ending of Saint Seiya good? Absolutely not. But did I enjoy rewatching the series again? Absolutely :)

[celebelei]

BL Drama Questions (questions by @pose4photoml, I wasn't tagged but this seemed fun and I had thoughts.)

1. If you had to watch one drama forever what would it be? I always say I should rewatch stuff and then rarely ever do… But my most rewatched BL series is Cherry Magic with Semantic Error as a close second.

2. If you could change the ending of a drama which one would it be? Kissable Lips comes to mind. I never watched the last episode all the way through because I spoiled myself of the ending and said fuck that. Or I’d have changed the last episode of Old Fashion Cupcake to include a kiss because it would have been the missing icing on the (cup)cake.

3. Name your favorite drama and tell who your favorite character was. Well, if I have to pick from a show that I absolutely love, I guess I have to go with Adachi from Cherry Magic because I relate to him a lot and he is my sweet baby boy. If we’re listing favourite characters without taking into account whether I love the show they’re from, then the list would be a lot longer (Vegas and Pete from KinnPorsche, Win from Until We Meet Again and Yok from Not Me.)

4. Name a drama you dropped within the first few episodes ~ we all have at least one! Well, I’m very quick to drop a show if I don’t like it and I get bored easily, so I have a few of them… Until We Meet Again (I LOVE WinTeam and have watched their compilation several times but for me the rest of the series was a snooze fest and the furthest I got was ep 5), Oxygen (also too slow for me), 2gether (just plain boring), Cutie Pie (not enough plot to be interesting and I only actually liked Perth’s character 😅), I Promised You the Moon (just… no) and My Engineer (I’d seen RamKing’s story before but the main couple was not it for me). I've also dropped a few shows right before the end with only a couple episodes to go, for example Love Stage!! (Thai version), Tasty Florida and My Sweet Dear.

5. Name a popular drama you've never watched and why? TharnType because it’s problematic. MewGulf’s chemistry is evident from the clips I’ve seen but I have no desire to watch the whole thing. There are also many BL classics that I haven’t watched and probably never will.

6. Name a drama you regret watching. Like I said, I’m quick to drop shows so I don’t remember having actual regrets about finishing a show. Some of them might have been quite forgettable and underwhelming but not exactly bad. There have been a few short films though that made me go ”why did I even bother?”

7. Name a drama you thought you’d never watch but did and did you end up liking it? Secret Crush On You. I don’t handle second-hand embarrassment well AT ALL but the characters ended up winning me over, so much so that I tolerated the embarrassment and white-knuckled through it and ended up liking it quite a bit.

8. Name a pairing you want to see? As in they haven’t been paired up before? Well see, here’s the thing. When I get attached to a pairing, I get so badly attached that I have difficulty watching them seperate in other shows, especially if they’re paired up with someone new. I need a lot of time in order to get over a pairing so that I can watch them in other things and with some pairs even time won’t help. So for example, no matter how much I adore both Boun and First (from Not Me), I have no desire to see them as a ship. (But Boun and First as BFFs in a show? Yes, sign me the fuck up because that would be glorious.) That being said, it would have to be people that are not part of an established ship that I like, so hmm… For some reason Toptap and Gunsmile popped into my head, I liked them both in 3 Will Be Free. That could be fun. When it comes to Korea, I wouldn’t mind seeing Jun (from k-pop group A.C.E, starred in Tinted With You) doing another BL after he comes back from the military but I’m not sure who I’d pair him with.

9. Name a pairing you didn’t think had chemistry? Don't murder me, but OhmFluke. Both in Until We Meet Again and Close Friend S1 (haven't watched the 2nd season yet), I just didn't feel any spark between them, it was too much on the platonic side for me. (I’m ace and I rarely feel romantic attraction either so I need to be smacked in the face with a couple’s chemistry, whether it's sweet and romantic or heated and passionate or a mix of both, because it’s the only way I get to experience it. 😅)

10. Name a pairing you have seen in another drama that you like? Do you mean a pairing I want to see in a new show? BibleBuild and FlukeFirst, in that order. Both pairs made me completely lose my mind and I don’t know if I’ll ever get over them. Absolutely insane chemistry, just *chef's kiss*. (BounPrem are also a favourite of mine, but they're getting Between Us.)

[raamitsu]

so far i’ve seen no slanders regarding kazutora on my twitter and tiktok fyp but if anyone felt as if what he did in the recent ep was unacceptable and stupid, it’s understandable.

well first of all, he’s around 12-13 years old who joined a newly established delinquent gang. when he’s still a kid, he saw his mother got abused by his dad and eventually traumatized because of it along with his mother. (if you know his backstory). to me, he’s a nice and kind boy to begin with. he’s the type of person who would do absolutely ANYTHING for his precious people, even if it’s the worse thing to do and would costs him his life. we can see that in the recent episode ; the length he took to break in to a motorbike shop with keisuke and tried to steal one of mikey’s favourite motorbike for his upcoming birthday.

while that was a good side of his intention, we can’t deny the fact that he did it wrongly. a young boy but a fool one who didn’t take a little time to stop and reconsider the consequence of his own decision, even when keisuke was with him, asking him couple of times upon his intention. then, he showed a reaction when he saw a family celebrating their child’s birthday. knowing that, he realized what he was about to do was wrong yet he strongly insisted — because if i tell you that making his friend happy no matter what it takes is what a true friend would do, you’ll hate me for that. i know it’s hard to understand.

sinichiro’s death was inevitable. keisuke and kazutora didn’t even know it was his shop plus they also didn’t expect there would be somebody inside to begin with. unfortunately it was too late to prevent sinichiro’s death even when keisuke had realized who they’re dealing with. both of them didn’t even intend this bad incident to happen in the first place.

i’m not trying to say “ah, this shit happens irl so it’s normal” — NO! i just want to talk about this situation with my own perspective because at the end of the day it’s your judgement that matters and i respect that.

by the way, i still love kazutora. if you’re animes only i won’t spoil it but if you’re also a manga reader (unless you’re an understanding and forgiving person), i do think it won’t make any difference and that is okay :)

this type of accident does happen in real life that we might have or haven’t heard of. however, we must take this as a hard lesson to learn, especially if you’re minors. (you young people better find something more enjoyable at your age. i swear you’ll never feel regret when you’re older)

we still have eight episodes left for valhalla arc and we’ll see this type of situation again. get ready for more pain T_T