#i might come back to this and add more

[chilledstrawberrysoda]

Cleaning tips (mostly laundry but various other things too) because a conversation with my coworkers revealed that you can live 50+ years and never be given information that will save you time and money

Dilute your bleach!!! One tablespoon in a gallon of water is enough to disinfect according to the CDC

NEVER mix chemicals for cleaning because you could accidentally make a toxic gas while trying to to clean the bathroom.

ALWAYS make sure to ventilate the area you are cleaning with chemicals like bleach or a strong cleaner, if good ventilation is not possible take breaks. Your lungs will thank you.

Don't use fabric softener. It ruins your clothes and your washing machine. It makes towels less absorbent and leaves a film on your clothes that can irritate your skin

If your skin is irritated try switching to an unscented laundry detergent or just using less detergent.

To remove the film that fabric softener leaves on your clothes, use a laundry stripper or vinegar in the wash. Laundry stripper is typically more powerful so you won't need more than 1/3 of a cup and you likely won't need more than 1 cup of vinegar. This is also good to use on thrifted clothes to make them feel new

Spot treat stains and throw them in the hamper, the longer it sits the better it will work. Treat oil based stains with dish soap

Washing on tap cold is usually good enough and will save you money and time because basically everything can go in that load without additional damage. Hot water will wear out synthetic fiber fabrics and elastic faster and shorten the life of the garment

Both dishwasher and laundry detergent can be purchased cheaper and more sustainably in powder form. Paying for water in products is silly and dry bulk products are easier to stretch on a budget. Pods prevent you from being allowed to stretch the product's use AT ALL

If you have access to a dishwasher please use it, I guarantee it uses less water than hand washing dishes

Prewash cycle on the dishwasher and the rinse aid are genuinely helpful especially if you have hard water

[surreal-duck]

some business to take care of

[thetypingpup]

Scattered bunny!seonghwa thoughts

He's playful as hell and always has a teasing expression on his face. Like he's the type to look up at you with mischief gleaming in his eyes while the tip of his tongue toys with your clit.

Very sensitive to your scent, so he can detect even the most subtle differences in your arousal just in your scent. So when you're sitting there, turned on and frustrated, when your scent becomes sweeter with arousal, that's when he likes to play.

He likes to turn you on with fleeting touches and soft kisses, focusing on the spots you like to be kissed most, and pull back just to see how you react. Sometimes he intensifies the teasing, showing himself off with different outfits (*cough* corsets and playboy bunny costumes *cough*), letting his tongue slide over his lips so you start thinking about him using his mouth, even going as far as bending over and wiggling his tail. It's truly a game for him, and he wants you to give chase and pursue him. Will get pouty if you tease him by making him wait or seemingly "ignoring" his advances knowing full well you're just as turned on. You just wanna see him get more blatantly desperate.

Honestly being chased and hunted is definitely a kink of his, and if you get him desperate enough, you can get him to admit that 😏. He just loves the rush of being pursued, the adrenaline from running and hearing you run after him, and the comfort he finds from submitting and being helpless beneath you. He fucking adores the sight of you on top of him, feeling the strength you exert to pin him down, and the hungry look in your eyes that portrays your desire to devour him. He fucking adores that so much, especially when he sees that same look while you use your mouth on him, or pin him down and fuck him. He trusts you enough to let you have your way with him, knowing everything you do is gonna make him feel so fucking good.

Likes being manhandled too, ofc. Grab him by the neck, pin his wrists down, straddle him to keep him in place, move him into whatever position you want, pull his hair and drag him back when you finally catch him, he loves the feeling of you exerting control so physically. Bonus points if you keep your hand around his neck while you ride him, maybe add in some biting too. Those little bits of pain just send his brain into overdrive and he's left arched up and whining desperately beneath you.

Has a secret weakness for you manhandling him while overstimming him. As a bun, sometimes he cums kinda quick, but he can still take more. So if you're riding him long after he's already cum, and when he sobs about how overwhelmed he is, you just growl and tell him to lay there and take it, all while pinning his wrists down or holding onto his hair? Oh that's enough to have him cumming again on the spot.

He's full on switch tho, bc sometimes you wanna lay back and be taken care of, and he's more than happy to oblige. Plus it's fun to set the pace and toy with you too, and he has a thing for you begging for him.

Lots of endurance he can seemingly fuck you forever. As soon as he mounts you, he's not stopping until both of you are completely spent. Even after he's cum over and over again he still has more energy, so he just keeps going and keeps filling you with more cum. And if he wants to breed? Especially if he's spurred on by the scent of you in heat? Oh he's going even longer. Even when he's filled you completely to the brim he's still going. Imagine the way he'd moan in your ear, all rough and feral, as he keeps fucking you, making you wonder what's gotten into your precious little bunny. Honestly has a thing for being called bunny when he's dominant he thinks the contrast is really hot. He'd cum in you so much it seeps out of you with every thrust, gushing out and making a complete mess, but he shows no sign of slowing. When he gets horny he gets really fucking horny, so he can go at it for a really long time.

Imagine being a predator hybrid and he teases you about letting him fuck you like this, letting him bend you over and mount you. He can't deny the cockiness he feels in that moment, loving the way he can draw out gasping moans with every intense thrust. He'd play with the pace just to see how you tremble and arch beneath him, drawing out different sounds by fucking you in different ways. The way you whimper and call him bunny when he bites your neck or nips your ear like he's claiming you, oh there's almost no greater rush for him.

That cockiness would fade into softhearted care if you express to him how much you love this, how much you love when he's the one fucking you, that you like him and want him to make you cum like this. And the fact that you're letting him, a prey hybrid, fuck you mount you bc you have feelings for him and trust him enough to be this vulnerable, this submissive, oh that goes straight to his heart. Suddenly this is less about fucking, less about breeding, and more about wanting to mate with you. He'd instantly slow the pace, pressing his chest to your back, wrapping his arms around your waist, kissing your back, wanting to be as close to you as possible, and roll his hips in smooth strokes, really wanting to indulge in your connection. He's so close you can feel the fluffy fur of his ears brushing against you, feel his breath fanning out over your neck. You can feel his desire to wanna make you feel good in the way he fucks you, searching for the spots that make you see starts, submerging you in pure bliss and making you cum as many times as you can handle.

[junosmindpalace]

heya, Dr. Stone headcanons of the Wise Generals' (all or any ones you prefer) sleeping habits? Pretty please🥺

i’m sooo indecisive when it comes to headcanons i just end up talking about every perspective! but i hope these are fun! sorry some of these are shorter than others </3 i had more ideas for ryusui and senku

-> SENKU:

I’m pretty sure it was shown or implied very briefly in the show, but I believe Senku is a kind of person who sleeps pretty neatly.

Maybe not like a vampire on his back with his hands crossed over his stomach, but he mostly keeps to himself; his limbs aren’t usually all over the place, and he’s probably just curled within himself on his side. 

I don’t think it’s impossible for him to splay all over, but usually he’s a pretty still sleeper. Maybe he shifts around a little, a stray arm or leg here and there, and unless it’s super hot or cold or he’s unnerved by something, he’ll mostly just stay curled within himself. 

I think it was also shown that he tends to stay up pretty late doing science related things, so maybe a little bit of a night owl, too. 

Has at least once or twice pulled an all nighter doing science related things. Sometimes he isn’t even aware of the time, and he ends up accidentally staying awake all night (which he feels the effects of full force in the morning when he has school). 

It also seems like when he’s nervous about something, he can’t rest easily, either. So most of the time he should be spending sleeping is instead used for problem solving. 

He knows that, logically, he should be investing time and effort into developing and upholding a more than adequate sleep schedule in order for him to function and continue on with his hobbies at 100%. Buuut…he’s an eager person, and, for a lot of the series, a teenager. So his sleep schedule is probably a little all over the place. 

He’s probably out sometime between 12-2am on average though; that’s typically when he starts yawning and his body starts feeling heavy. 

Usually he just ends up exhausting himself with experiments, however, and retires to bed when the words in his textbooks begin to blur by curling himself up under a blanket. 

Doesn’t mind sleeping in the dark, and doesn’t fully mind sleeping with a small light. Too much of either, however, might set him a little on edge or make it harder for him to fall asleep.

Not a deep sleeper but not a light sleeper either. 

If he’s sharing a sleeping space, he’s not going to go out of his way to do anything particularly different. He’ll sleep as usual; depending on the person, he might choose to put some distance. 

If it’s with you, he may just fall asleep facing you. That’s the only notable thing. 

Overall just a generally calm and quiet sleeper. 

-> GEN:

Also similar to Senku in a lot of ways, such as in that he doesn’t sprawl around too much. 

He’s usually curled up, perhaps even more so than Senku, however, and out like a light. It’s funny for me to imagine him a deeeeep sleeper. 

But in actuality, I think he’d be an inbetween of heavy and light sleeper. When he’s nervous about something, he’s much more aware of himself and his surroundings, so the slightest off detail will have his eyes wide open. 

Usually, though, he can be a pretty heavy sleeper. Maybe a mouth breather. Maybe snores just a little (on occasion). 

Sleeps fairly regularly despite his celebrity status and being a student, or at least finds it harder to pull all-nighters. But like anyone else, he may get restless if he feels nervous about something. 

If I remember correctly, the fanbook mentioned details about his family life not being so great (either that or its some headcanons that resonated with me based on the almost sad expression he makes in reference to his family). Perhaps the exhaustion or stress from that either kept him awake or had him passing out when it came to sleep.

Maybe sleeps in somewhat of a fetus position? Wakes up with his neck killing him (projection). 

If he’s sharing a sleeping space, he might be flirty about it, depending on who you are.

Teases you slightly in every scenario, however; it only depends on what kind of jokes he's making. 

Also depending on his mood, he may start up some late night convos before heading off to sleep, usually if he’s got something on his mind.

In the same bed, I think he would want to be cuddly, but just wouldn’t be able to handle the sweat and discomfort I think, so he goes back over to his side fairly quick.

Has a thousand alarms for the morning because he has a tendency to sleep in or immediately fall back asleep when he wakes up.

-> RYUSUI: 

I can imagine Ryusui’s sleeping habits going either way.

On the one hand, Ryusui can be a pretty deep sleeper. With his pampered lifestyle, he probably has heavenly bedroom accommodations; luxury bed, high brand pillowcases and mattresses and what not. He also doesn’t have very many worries in his life. So he probably sleeps like a rock at night. I can also see that deep sleep habit occurring even in the stone world, much to everyone’s disgust.

At the same time, Ryusui can be weirdly alert. Perhaps this would be more so stone world, but I can see him being disturbed by small changes in the environment and waking up to them.

His sleeping schedule may also be all over the place, but generally organized and well kept up. I imagine that he doesn’t fall asleep too late. 

He does occasionally pull an all-nighter if he’s working on something of his, however. When his mind is set on something, sometimes he can get caught up in it. 

Francois’ character profile lists events pre-petrification, saying they developed “a special drink for Ryusui, who has little time for sleep, to help him recover from fatigue after a short night's sleep.” I forget if context is ever given for this, but it sort of implies Ryusui doesn’t sleep a lot. So the all-nighters may be more frequent than expected. 

Either way, he’s probably one of the first people awake at any time, around maybe 5-6am. He likes to spend his days being productive, so no matter what, he’s typically up bright and early, no matter what time he goes to sleep at. 

I can imagine him with a somewhat firm expression while he sleeps, again, mostly during stone world. The lifestyle sort of toughens him up, makes him a bit more on edge constantly. It’s reflected in his face while he’s sleeping, mouth firm, eyebrows furrowed. He may also have this kind of face while he sleeps pre-stone world too, however, almost like he’s always in a perpetual state of slight unease despite his optimism. 

If he’s sharing a sleeping space with another person, he probably tries to be mindful of differing sleeping schedules…but either way, he might accidentally wake you with crashes depending on what he’s doing.

If he’s with you in bed though, I think he might like to cuddle, at least at first. Until he gets all uncomfortable and accidentally pushes you away.

But you get to share in all his bed luxuries! And all of the things Francois does to help keep Ryusui awake throughout the day also extend toward you on his order. 

-> UKYO:

One of the more calm sleepers. 

He’s another person who’s, again, like Senku, in that he just lies on his side the entire night.

Doesn’t move around too much when he’s sleeping, maybe just to readjust his blanket or whatnot. At most, he’s just repositioning himself to be more comfortable.

I think he too would have a bit of a firm face when he sleeps. 

He may like to hold something when he’s sleeping. It’s usually just the pillow he’s sleeping on top of, but sometimes he might yank it down enough so it's almost like he’s holding it to his chest. 

Also maybe curled up in somewhat of a fetal position, also wakes up with a killer neckache on occasion. 

If he’s sharing a sleeping space with someone, he probably just sticks to his side of the bed. 

Doesn’t mind cuddling, but like most people, that probably just means you’ll break away later in the evening when the two of you fall asleep. 

Might try to watch shows and movies he’s wanted to catch up on only to fall asleep curled up on the couch (you don’t have the heart to wake him) (it's why you have a blanket on your cushions now) (more projecting).

Also may have a billion alarms, all at absurd times. He gives you an apologetic kiss on the forehead if it disturbs your own slumber.

-> CHROME: 

Ultimate mouth breather, ultimate blanket hog, ultimate BED hog (exaggeration). 

I’m mostly kidding, but out of all five, I can imagine Chrome to be one of the more chaotic sleepers. 

His leg is in the air, he’s starfishing, he’s snoring. He’s the whole insufferable package.

At the same time, however, I feel like it’d be funny if people anticipate Chrome to be such a difficult sleeper, only for him to be the exact opposite and instead sleep like a sound baby. 

I can see him being pretty hyperactive during the day and then crashing out at night so much so that he hardly moves, but mostly on days where he’s working himself to exhaustion. 

So take it either way.

If he’s sharing a space with you when he’s sleeping, he might be nervous as hell. Or if you’re a good enough friend, he’ll turn over and pass out with his leg out unapologetically no problem. 

I think for obvious reasons he doesn’t really tend to sleep with anything; no pillows or toys. 

And I also think cuddling is not a big thing. Though you might find an arm or leg tossed over you on restless nights…

If you confront him about those things in the morning, he’ll deny them endlessly.

[alecz-obssesionz]

♦️HK GIJINKAS | HORNET & LACE ♠️

◇ + HORNET ALTs ◇

◇ Original Sketch Page ◇

[vaggieslefteye]

do you accept requests for striker screencaps? particularly progression in his mental state? i love this hypocrite cowboy and his nastiness

He's progressively getting more and more unhinged and I am HERE for it like yesss girl be deranged after failing the one thing you're good at too many times and having your vitriolic worldview consistently challenged <3

[justanotherwriter140]

Kung Fu Panda 4 - The Movie

The last really, really long discussion post (for now).

Major spoilers ahead!

This review is full of spoilers, so please refrain from reading through it until you've watched KFP4. I would highly suggest doing so, as I want everyone to form their own opinions without my influence. The movie has its flaws (some of which admittedly being a bit distracting), but it's a fun film that has things to offer.

Kung Fu Panda 4 is a fun movie (take that as you will) that takes its audience on an action-packed, surprisingly funny, yet relatively contained adventure on which Po doesn't really do much. It's an inconsequential, safe sequel that doesn't really hurt the franchise but adds close to nothing.

I had a good time watching the movie. It was obviously produced with its theater experience in mind and the action scenes especially reflected that priority. The humor was actually funny sometimes and I enjoyed Po and Zhen's dynamic. During the film, I was able to put most (most!) of my grievances aside and take the movie for what it is. I've discovered that the best way to watch KFP4 is with low expectations and an open mind.

I have a lot of things to say about KFP4, both complaints and compliments (though the former might be taking the forefront in this review), and I hope this review can help those of you who have seen the movie organize your thoughts. I've been having a lot of trouble with that specific aspect of things myself. Those who get it get it.

With that said, let's get into my full review of KFP4! I've been waiting for nearly 2 years to write this and I'm so excited to share every single thought.

I'm going to follow the format of my first discussion post and curate a bulleted list of my thoughts, followed by an analysis of each of these points. Keep in mind that everything I say is IMO and this is more of a rant post than anything else.

Here are my main points:

The Furious Five's role is comically minuscule in the context of the film. Their actions are inconsequential and add nothing to the plot (a confirmed last-minute add), and they have 30~ seconds of screen time. Shifu is also largely irrelevant.

Mr. Ping and Li's presence has little to no effect on the movie (though I won't complain too much because they were pretty fun to watch and this movie has bigger problems). In almost any scenario, I am adamantly against having characters present that don't add anything to the narrative; however, Mr. Ping is an exception. I love Mr. Ping. James Hong is a gem.

Zhen's screen time is not utilized well and her character is underdeveloped. She definitely wasn't annoying, but I didn't find her either compelling or funny enough to warrant the screen time she was given, especially considering it wasn't used to establish a backstory/strong motives. This makes me feel bad for the character because the movie kind of screwed her out of any substantial development.

The Chameleon, while complimented greatly by Viola Davis, is an underwhelming villain. Viola Davis is amazing in this film and I would suggest watching it for her performance if for nothing else, but the Chameleon is underwhelming considering the super cool concept behind the character.

The film feels very rushed. Apologies to those who disagree, but I think the pacing is atrocious and the final fight is anticlimactic. The movie felt like a word-vomit with no discernible intermissions that stops abruptly when the film ends.

I felt as though Po didn't change/grow as a person and the audience never had a chance to either bond with or relate to his character. His internal struggle is kept to a minimum and we don't spend a moment alone with him as an audience, which is disorienting and distracting. Watching the film felt like running into an old friend at the store who's too in a rush to have a real conversation.

The action scenes were strong with few exceptions. Creative art direction was utilized and I thought the martial arts choreography was entertaining and dynamic. I love the color palette of the film and many scenes were very impressive visually.

With my main points established, I do believe it's ranting time. Strap in, folks.

Let's start strong with the Furious Five: I'm gutted. Chagrined, despondent, crestfallen, etc.

The lack of the Furious Five negatively affects KFP4 so much, because not only does their absence hurt the atmospheric integrity of KFP as a franchise, it also forces KFP4 to bring in a slew of different characters—all while still noncommittally including the FF at the very end because I believe the marketing team required it—that clog up the cast a bit. It all goes to show how important strong, established side characters are.

The Furious Five are side characters, but the role of "side character" does not equate to being irrelevant, expendable, or exchangeable. I recognize that the Furious Five aren't super developed as characters beyond a handful of lines that allude to traits sprinkled sparingly among the members; however, I believe that the tiny bits of development we have been given have proved impactful in the past. Tigress's development in KFP2 is a prime example of how much narratively conscious changes (however small they may be) can positively affect these movies.

Because of limited runtimes, the Furious Five often operate as more of a singular unit than five individuals. Even so, I don't think discarding them is valid. They're so important to the KFP universe (to Po's universe!) and not having them with him feels so wrong. The Furious Five are fully integral to the heart of Kung Fu Panda, which is why I believe a lot of those who have seen the new movie have expressed something feeling "off" or something being missing.

I agree with this sentiment. To me, KFP4 didn't feel like a KFP movie. I don't need a Furious Five spin-off movie and I can be fully content with a KFP5 centered around Po's journey as an individual as was intended from the beginning, but he can't carry an entire movie on his back. As strong as he is in every sense of the word, he is only one character. He's the centerpiece of the franchise, but a centerpiece can only go so far without the rest of the design, so to speak.

For me, the Furious Five's absence is one of this film's biggest faults. It's huge and glaring. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way, either, because the friends with whom I saw the film refused to talk about any other aspect of the movie after seeing it. Seeing them at the end was better than nothing, of course, but it was a disappointing culmination after eight years of waiting.

That all is to say I feel robbed. Despite all of this, though, I understand that there were reasons why the Furious Five weren't included in the movie. I don't believe the production team would exclude the Furious Five unless they weren't given a choice.

Shifu and Po's dynamic continues to be thoroughly delightful but their interactions are short and simplified. I would have loved to see more of them in this film, especially considering the extreme relevance of teacher-student relationships in KFP4. I (somewhat) digress, though, because the idea of Shifu having to live at the Jade Palace with only Po for an extended period of time is hilarious enough on its own. Maybe that's what the short film is about!

The comedy is odd but has some jokes that stand out. Po maintains a healthy relationship with his inner sass, which I think makes him more fun to watch and kind of eradicates the man-child verdict. Some jokes don't land, of course, but I genuinely thought KFP4 had some funny moments. Mr. Ping was consistently awesome and Po had some good lines sprinkled throughout the film.

As for Mr. Ping, he and Li Shan are the subjects of the film's B-plot as they follow Po to Juniper City out of shared concern for their son's safety. In my mind, they don't add anything to the story that couldn't have been brought about by other characters, but they had their moments of being entertaining. I enjoyed their silliness and thought they had a cute dynamic if nothing else.

Speaking of other characters, I want to discuss KFP4's deuteragonist and why I genuinely feel bad about the way her character was treated.

I want to let it be known that I'm still not on board with Po passing the Dragon Warrior torch to another character. While I agree that his arc is now calling for him to have a student, I disagree with the notion of him retiring from his DW role.

As I stated in my first discussion post:

Didn’t the initial significance and nuance of the title come from the fact that there is only one person who can be the Dragon Warrior, because the concept of the “Dragon Warrior” isn’t so much a title as it is Po himself? The universe (Oogway) must choose the Dragon Warrior because they are a singular being of legend. It is one person, and that person is Po. Wasn’t the point of the first film that the title ultimately doesn’t really matter because there is no “secret ingredient,” so to speak? The title doesn’t actually give Po anything. “It’s just you,” Po says, and that was the resolution.

When it comes to Zhen as a character, contrary to what I predicted I would think of her, I thought she was okay. While I was still a bit distracted by how out-of-place her design looks, I wasn't truly annoyed by her at any point and she and Po had some cute moments. Even so, I think their relationship could have been a bit more refined and developed.

While it's evident that Po and Zhen are meant to have a teacher-student/mentor-apprentice dynamic, I think their relationship feels half-baked. There were parallels that contradicted one another and ended up being confusing come the film's conclusion, and the nature of their relationship seems to vacillate depending on the scene. Additionally, the strength of their bond goes from zero to one hundred within thirty-ish minutes and left me with a bit of whiplash.

We're shown that Po and Zhen care about one another, but we're never shown why. They have a brief conversation during which they bond over being orphans, and Zhen says at one point, "You're actually a good guy," but that's it. This obvious lack of development is a bit disorienting because we're later led to believe that Zhen and Po care very deeply for one another when there's almost nothing to back it up.

A scene that sticks out to me when discussing this is when Zhen attack-hugs Po in a way that explicitly mirrors Tigress's hug from KFP2. This happens around the beginning of the third act, and while it had the potential to be an endearing moment, I think it fell flat.

The impact of Tigress's hug was brought on by her character's hardcore nature and reputation of being heartless, further strengthened with the knowledge that she was hugging Po (which was obviously way outside her comfort zone) as a show of companionship and fundamental understanding. Tigress hugged Po because he needed someone to recognize his strive for closure.

Zhen's hug had little to no impact because she had no reason to do it and it didn't indicate growth. She hugs Po because she's sorry for betraying him and doesn't want him to be killed by the Chameleon, but neither of these things are newly-established via this hug; we have already gathered by now that Zhen regrets betraying Po and doesn't want him to get hurt.

The hug is far from the movie's weakest point, but I think it's unnecessary given the context. I'm big on hugs in movies (an underutilized form of platonic affection, in my opinion), but it didn't fit here. I don't hate it, and I see it as an honest effort to bring emotionality to Po and Zhen's relationship, but it seems arbitrary.

Zhen and Po's relationship has a lot of potential and I'd be open to seeing more of them in the future, but I think some more thoughtful development needs to occur before I can humor it further. Even so, I can see myself featuring Zhen in some future post-KFP4 one-shots—sparingly, of course, because we have a lot of Furious Five content to compensate for.

Overall, they had a cute dynamic and some sweet moments but I'm not attached. I'm on board with Po having a student but I think their relationship needs a lot more development, something that this film unfortunately didn't give them time to either accomplish or earn.

Now, onto the Chameleon!

The concept of the Chameleon's character is admittedly super interesting. She's the deuteragonist's fastidious mother figure who feels that Zhen owes her a debt and as a result holds her to an impossible standard. That dynamic had the potential to be so interesting but I didn't think it was explored at all. There is no indication of Zhen having any internal conflict about fighting the Chameleon, no emotional complexity between them at all; it's disappointing because I think it would've added a bit of earnestness to the film.

Additionally, the idea of a shape-shifting villain is versatile. A shape-shifting villain gives those telling the story a lot of room to experiment with the protagonist and different ways in which the main character can be challenged and tested. It's yet another good idea utilized poorly. Just one idea: the Chameleon could have disguised herself as one (or several) of Po's family, friends, etc. and brought to fruition a new arc with his character (seeing as he arguably doesn't have one in this film), but she only disguises herself as Zhen very briefly in the movie.

Furthermore, the Chameleon completely relies on the powers of previous villains to pose any sort of threat to the main characters. She summons Po's former nemeses from the Spirit Realm (despite there being little logic in doing so considering Kai's literal evisceration) and takes their kung fu abilities for herself.

An excerpt from my first KFP4 discussion post that I think is relevant to the point I'm trying to make:

I don’t think it would be in the best interest of anyone if the past villains were to come back in any way that’s not a flashback (even then, I’m not sure I’d see the point). In all honesty, I thought that the whole point of the villains was that they died and stayed dead. They were defeated by Po once and for all as a testament to the idea of establishing Po's character growth and journey as a person through the bad things he’s able to overcome. It’d be highly contradictory to the messages of the other films if these villains were to suddenly come back.

While there was an honest effort made to portray the Chameleon as intimidating, I never felt as though any of the characters were endangered by either her or her army of lizard henchman. She's a visually appealing character (aside from her eyes, which I thought more resembled those of a gecko than a chameleon) and I greatly enjoyed Davis's performance, but overall I don't see the Chameleon as a notable villain.

The return of Tai Lung (had he been on his own) had the makings to be an excellent story, especially considering the importance of teacher-student dynamics in KFP4. To see him interacting with Shifu would have been incredible and could have led to further closure on Tai Lung's end (because I think that's kind of what the team was going for anyway), but it didn't happen.

It was nice to see Ian McShane reprise his role, but I wish Tai Lung's characterization had been more reminiscent of the way he was in the first film and more complimentary of his overall character arc. Tai Lung isn't a one-dimensional villain with a singular goal and motivation, and I couldn't help but feel as though the complexity of his character was simplified for the sake of KFP4's narrative.

Tai Lung's presence in KFP4 may be odd, but Shen and Kai's appearances are even more so. Kai, if I remember correctly, was fully obliterated by Po, reduced to literal particles on screen (which is kind of wild now that I think about it). Shen being in the Spirit Realm makes sense all things considered; however, Po and Li had no visible reaction to his presence, which seemed a bit unlikely considering Shen's deeds. This plot hole can likely be attributed to the fact that Shen and Kai's cameos (to my knowledge) were last-minute additions to the movie.

I have to talk about the pacing. I have to. I'm sorry, bear with me.

To me, the film's pacing is erratic and disconcerting. While I can appreciate a quick-moving narrative that doesn't dawdle on storylines that aren't interesting/important, KFP4 kind of flings itself too far in the opposite direction and ends up being frighteningly fast-paced. Once the credits began, I felt like I had been holding my breath for the entire movie.

KFP4 is confusing because while the runtime is standard for a KFP movie, it feels incredibly short. At the same time, the film's story moves at a breakneck speed and leaves little time for heart and development. These things culminate into a barreling boulder of a movie that simply doesn't have time to let its characters, story, or audience take a breath.

A fast pace is not inherently negative, but I don't think it worked in the favor of KFP4. The KFP franchise has always been very emotionally grounded (and just very grounded in general), so to see a film in which emotion/heart takes an aggressive backseat in comparison to action and comedy is jarring. While I think it's unreasonable for fans to expect the same emotional integrity as the original films to be present in the current and upcoming ones, I still think there's room for Po to grow and I felt as though the notion of him developing further was brushed aside in this film.

As for Po's growth, I felt it was nearly nonexistent. The previous trilogy wrapped up his character's journey beautifully and I know that KFP4 was bound to struggle with this particular aspect of making another KFP film; however, just because the strongest pillars of Po's character are established doesn't serve as a valid excuse to reverse his development and repeat what he learned in KFP3.

In KFP3, Po learned firsthand that he is capable of spreading wisdom and teaching kung fu. He also learns that he is constantly growing and that change is inevitable; there is always something more to learn.

"If you only do what you can do, you will never be more than you are now."

"I don't want to be anything more, I like who I am!"

In KFP4, Po pushes against this narrative despite fully accepting it in KFP3, actively reversing crucial parts of his character development achieved in the latter. KFP3 was non-ambiguously about learning to cope with change and responsibility, and I can't help but feel like KFP4 is simply copying this message while not adding anything to it.

Additionally, I felt that KFP4's Po generally felt less personal than he has in the past. In every KFP movie up to the franchise's most recent addition, I felt very connected to Po as an audience member. I felt like I was truly seeing the world of KFP through his eyes. I consider this to be one of the franchise's most impressive feats; it's incredibly difficult to build a universe around a character without making the audience feel limited to one perspective and one part of the world.

With KFP4, I felt both limited and disconnected. The world didn't feel as vast and all-encompassing as it has in the past and Po didn't seem fully like himself. This could be me nitpicking (as I'm prone to do), but I can't recall a single moment in the movie in which Po was alone on screen. Scenes like these are crucial for me because I see them as a meet-cute between the character and the audience, a moment for us to cross the bridge into their world in a way that's silent and intuitive. These little bonding moments are absolutely integral to feeling connected to a character.

Po's dream sequence in the first KFP movie is one of the best examples of this. It presents his aspirations, alludes to his way of life up to the point of the movie, and showcases his personality. During Po's dream sequence, the audience is quite literally inside Po's mind; we're there with him, seeing what he sees, subsequently feeling what he feels. Po is a dreamer at heart and makes the audience feel like dreamers, too.

In KFP4, I felt like I little to no point of reference when it comes to how Po was feeling. I didn't feel immersed in him and his world.

I know I've been very "doom and gloom" throughout this post, which is an exhausting mindset for everyone involved. I want to end my critique with something positive because I think some praise is deserved. Let's just say the movie could have been a lot worse, the details of which I'm sure you're all well aware.

The color palette of the movie is beautiful and somewhat reminiscent of the first film. While the animation style of KFP4 is far more simplistic than its predecessors, I was very impressed with its use of shadow and light. Po's many faces were also hysterical, props to those who helped make him as expressive as he is.

Additionally, the movie's action sequences were clearly thought out and discussed in great detail. The experimentation with camera angles was really fun to watch and I enjoyed the majority of the film's fight scenes. They were fun, bouncy, and entertaining, and quite likely reinstated audiences's love of watching a cuddly panda kick butt.

Congratulations, you've reached the end! Thank you so much to all of you who took the time to read this unnecessarily long and detailed review. As long as I help someone translate their conflicted feelings into coherent thoughts, I'll call it a win.

I want to reiterate that I don't hate Kung Fu Panda 4 and I had fun while watching the film. It has its flaws and there are a lot of aspects that I dislike, but the effort of the crew is obvious and I greatly admire and respect the hard work put into the film by those who worked on it. This does not at all excuse my issues with the movie, but it's worth saying.

As for the future of the series, I only hope that the next installment is more considerate of the franchise's origins and why Po's story is being told in the first place. I fully believe that another sequel could be good given a strong, passionate crew with a great understanding of the characters and world (and I wouldn't be averse to some previous directors returning, just to put it out there).

Thanks again to those who took the time to read this crazy excuse for a movie review. Feel free to either disagree with me or add things in the replies/reblogs, I'm always looking for more thoughts to think.

Until next time!

[mattodore]

don’t worry about me when i’m away because i'm usually just doing this and going on walks

[six-demon-bag]

Top Gun Fic Recs

some of the fics i really adored on my icemav dive 🩵

if you lead, i will follow by qin_ling (7.5k, M)

Maverick and Iceman stare at each other a lot. Goose despairs. Or; Goose is the best wingman.

who cannot go by susiecarter (1.6k, T)

Maverick felt fine. Completely fine.

Bloom by thecarlysutra (1.7k, T)

Iceman Kazansky is born with chronic Hanahaki Disease. Any time he represses a feeling or hides a secret, he has symptoms. He probably needs therapy, but instead he gets flowers.

Doing It Right by simplecoffee (1k, NR)

Mav kisses Ice on a Saturday night. Two days later, he wakes up in hospital. (- Wait, he could have sworn it made a little more sense than that.)

just to see each other (feel it all) by susiecarter (35k, M)

After Goose's death during a fight with a kaiju, Maverick left the PPDC and didn't look back. But his self-destructive bender gets interrupted by Charlie Blackwood, showing up to invite him to participate in a brand-new weapons development program, codename Top Gun: the first two-pilot jaegers to ever be deployed in the fight to defend humanity. That means Maverick's going to have to get back in a piloting rig again—and he's going to have to do it while drifting with another pilot. Drift compatibility means getting each other, understanding each other, on a level nobody else can beat; so whoever his partner is, at least he's not going to get stuck with the Iceman, who pretty much hates him. Right?

A Shared Cup by susiecarter (7k, M) 

It was only a training exercise. It was only supposed to be a training exercise.

Summer Rain by TunaSupremacy (29k, T)

Mav isn’t entirely sure how he ended up dating Captain Tom “Iceman” Kazansky, but to his understanding it had something to with bad press, low recruitment numbers, and Admiral Cain.

and gamble for the sun by susiecarter (4k, M)

It's like this: Maverick and the Iceman make bets, sometimes.

Flowers for Sale by Owner by aelibia (2.5k, T)

Most people would do anything to stop the flowers from coming. Maverick is not most people.

i would love you ‘til it hurt by stardustsunflower (3k, T) 

Ice looks at Maverick like something he can’t have. He knows Maverick won’t ever look at him back. Or at least, so he thinks.

and sings the tune without the words by susiecarter (10k, M)

Four times Maverick and Iceman didn't have to talk to each other to know the score—plus the time they did.

wingspan by aelibia (4k, M)

Iceman is in love. Maverick is oblivious. And the only thing in the world that can bring them together is locked up in a bathroom.

fire in the sky tonight by susiecarter (4.5k, E)

Graduation from TOPGUN was one thing. It was great, no question, but it was just the warm-up. You hadn't made it, really made it, until you got hitched.

[keepingupwiththeboltons]

My bet on if they cave and add nettles to the show, is that they wont have her pop up behind a rock and suddenly exist and already have claimed sheepstealer, but instead theyll do something insane and stupid and have her claim the cannibal or some shit instead

[k-yujin]

read the tags !! // officially quit

[piningpercussionist]

I don't think I ever posted these, but a while ago I made some icons to use for discord rp stuff, and I figured I might as well post them.

Future Kim (with Lucifer) our beloved... and werewolf Kim!

I forget if I've mentioned it in tags somewhere, but there IS a werewolf Kim blog I made AGES ago that just hasn't formally opened yet. And I'm gonna be honest- that shifted Kim might be one of my favorite werewolves I've drawn recently.

Anyhow, enjoy!

[worstwolverinesbf]

“ruby, you’re human” im probably paraphrasing but still. that is a crazy thing to say because when you point things out like that, you’re very obviously foreshadowing. there is no way that ruby is human because i love the tardis so so much but if there is a perception filter on poor ruby, it ain’t gonna be able to tell. the doctors been human before like remember john smith? john smith was human and the doctor was locked in a locket. i think it was one of my moots or someone that said rubys the god of stories because yes like absolutely yes. she’s something else because nobody is ever normal. the only normal person on this show is donna and that’s her whole thing so ruby and her mum can’t steal her niche.

[skippyhawk]

okay i’ve been here for only a few days now yet it’s already driving me absolutely crazy how people keep implying that hawk is somehow the villain in this story. absolutely not.

bigotry is the evil in this story, just as it was and is in real life. they are all victims of their circumstances. this show exhibits a heartbreakingly poignant example of how different kinds of people deal with the societal obligation to suppress a huge, intrinsic part of themselves. sorry, but if you think hawk’s the villain here, you shouldn’t be watching this show at all.

media literacy TRULY is at an all time low

[raifuujin]

It's been more than 20 years and for some reason I feel that Gosho hasn't given Kaiao any development, how can more than 20 years pass and Aoko dynamics, relationship and feelings remain the same? At this point I feel like Gosho is just going to make them date because "they already liked each other" they remain in the same status quo

Hey, if we go by DC romance progress, they've been going too fast. We've already had suspicion of identity chapters, and that didn't happen until more than 400 chapters in DC. /j

Since heists have taken over any character development recently, I don't even know if Kaito and Aoko will even get any romantic progress. Maybe the actual identity confrontation will happen down the line, since that's thief drama, but atm, it really wouldn't surprise me if they only ask each other on a real date at the very end of the manga.

Like. I'm sure Gosho would love to make MK a love drama as well, but he writes MK so rarely, and usually as hype for something Kid related in other media. So the MK stories tend to be heavy on drama that can only take place at Kid heists. (To the point that the new chapters just. Use Kid as the plot device to show off a new character. Even Hakuba's never gotten so much 'look at this character being a detective' treatment in MK.)

-sighs- I just feel bad for MK as a series at this point. I like the characters, I like the general story idea, but. It's been going down a very steep hill with Gosho wanting things exciting, but not wanting any real progress in. Anything. But unlike old MK, the new stories aren't even nice standalone setpieces of story, they're... mundane. They could be high stakes, if you purely look at the scenarios on paper, but. We all know nothing's gonna happen to Kid. Nothing even happens to him when the actual bad guys show up, much less one-time antagonists.

We need actual character focus and development, not heist drama. Badly. Not even romance, though that'd be a nice change. Just any character expansion of our limited cast of characters. Gosho wants big, all the time, meaningless big stuff, when small would be so nice.

[vdearest]

– ellie through it all

⤷ "endure and survive."