#i'm rewatching the anime again i must

[sudokuplayer]

i've watched only a few scenes of the movie WALL-E and i hate it so much 😮‍💨 and i also dislike all the Pixar movies released after that one. they really peaked with Ratatouille in my eyes

[offbrandkyoya]

[11]

m.list next

It was just a normal class time for Yachi.

She gets out her books and pens, neatly placing them on top of her desk. Yachi doesn’t pay attention to her classmates around her. She’s in her own little world due to her introverted self.

Yachi hears a familiar voice, and she lifts her head up a bit. Her eyes widen once she realizes who that is. ‘No way. I must be imagining this!’ She thinks as she watches the person talk to others at their desk.

Yachi’s eyes are glued to the person. ‘Class is about to start. Why aren’t they leaving?! Please prove me wrong!’ But the person didn’t leave the classroom. They stayed right in their seat. She couldn’t believe it.

She leans forward to get a closer look at their face. ‘I’m wrong. I’m wrong. I’m wrong.’ She repeats it in her head. Unfortunately, she wasn’t. That person was indeed “MILK-CHAN?!”

Everyone looks at her in surprise. Yachi blushes and slams her head on her desk. ‘No way. How long have they been my classmate? Were they always in my class?! I’m such a horrible person! What kind of classmate am I?!' “Yachi?”

She immediately sat up. “YES?!” She blinks when she sees Kageyama’s crush in front of her. They smile warmly and ask, “Are you alright?” The blonde nods slowly. “Y-Yeah. I’m sorry…” “It’s okay. I do have a question, though: ‘Who's'milk-Chan’?” Yachi stutters, avoiding their gaze.

“Oh! It’s nothing! Just a character from an anime! Yeah! It’s a very, very old anime, though, so there’s hardly any content in it, so you can’t find it if you google it.” She huffs. They stare at her in bewilderment, then laugh. “I see. For a minute, I thought you were referring to me. You seemed to be staring at me.”

Yachi let out a loud gasp. “OH MY GOSH, I'M SO SORRY! I wasn’t trying to be weird, I promise!” “I believe you.” They laugh again. “You don’t have to be anxious around me, Yachi.” They place a hand on Yachi's shoulder, which causes her to melt. “Thank you..” She mutters. ‘They’re so nice and kind. I feel warm around them for some reason.’

“No wonder, Kageyama-" Yachi catches herself and covers her mouth instantly. Milk Chan removes their hand from her. With a tilted head, they ask, "Kageyama, what?” Yachi shakes her head a bunch. “N-Nothing! Kageyama is Kageyama! He told me about how much of a good time you two had; that’s why he was on my mind!” She squeaks. “As a friend! I don’t like him romantically! There was no romantic intention as to why he was on my mind! Our conversation was just stuck with me.”

Her face is red and sweating. 'Geez, I can’t believe I said that!’ Though she calms down when she sees Milk-chan’s red cheeks and small smile, It was almost like they were content with her crazy answer. “Really? He had a good time?” Yachi nods, which makes Milk-Chan smile more. “I had a good time too!”

Suddenly, the bell rings, causing them to start class. Milk-Chan thanks Yachi before they sit down. Yachi slowly sits down on her seat.

‘Should I keep this a secret?’

Yachi picks up her pen to begin her notes. A small pout appears. ‘Maybe if I was told directly that Kageyama thought they were in Class 2, I’d correct them.’ She glances up to see his crush. A small smirk makes its way onto her face. ‘I should have some fun too. Let’s see how long it’ll take the guys to realize that Milk-Chan is in Class 5.’

CHAT I PASSED MY TEST WE BALL 🎀

rewatching ohshc 4 the 100th time

no one gets tamaki like i do…

@karma-gisa @cosmiicdust @abcdefghijklmzopqrstuvwxyz @writing-for-the-hell-of-it @xmagik @tnazips @zhochikennugget @makkir0ll @asp7n @hrkdlsjz @lucky-chars @azharyy @gigiiiiislife

[mariyekos]

New DMC Anime Trailer Breakdown, Part 1

Okay so thoughts on the new DMC Anime trailer, which you can see here:

Putting things under the cut!

First things first, it's definitely going to at least take a few things from the DMC3 manga.

Second: It at least uses CGI in part....but more than that, on rewatching it... Are those Agni and Rudra!? Which means it also covers DMC3 in part.

Other fun things to note- I'm not sure if Dante's plate is a reference to anything, but he does have New York plates, so we can assume this DMC takes place in the US, even if the games are ambiguously sort of British/European based on architecture and director commentary.

Going to be honest- I'm not sure if these guys are a reference to anything. If they are, it's going over my head, but I could definitely see them just being generic bad guys/hunters.

Rebellion looks nice here! Also, looks like we're continuing the tradition of Dante getting attacked at his shop, because with a Pool table, jukebox, and the posters on the wall, I'm pretty sure this is supposed to be Dante's shop. Fun that we get a shot of him without his coat too, though he must put it on at another point since he has it in the above shots.

Then we have the exploding plane scene, which afaik is new but also feels very DMC. RIP the other people in that airplane though. Still, I like how wacky and over the top it is!

We also have a demon in the background of this shot...

And someone I'm preeety sure is Enzo (from the DMC3 Manga and Bayonetta!) Although on second glance, this guy looks like he might be blond, which Enzo is not. Still, it could just be a design choice they went with.

Following that is a shot of....probably not Jester because of the short nose, but something I'm sure is connected to Arkham in some way. I want to say they wouldn't get rid of his face scar, so I'm banking on there being a plotline related to Arkham having multiple minions Dante has to take down.

The giant hell portal in the sky isn't super special. We see it in both DMC3 and the old DMC anime, after all.

Then water guy...who I also don't remember as an enemy tbh. Could be new, could be my bad memory showing face. But he's a cyclops with axe hands which is interesting.

Dante's bullets are engraved with Jackpot which I find hilarious but also cool. Just imagining him using magic/demonic power to carve that in is great. I do wonder if they're going to have him reload though? Ebony and Ivory generally use magic bullets as far as I remember, but I know Coyote-A ejects shells. This bullet is shot from Ivory though.

EDIT: Looking at it again, these guns aren't Ebony and Ivory. They're both white/grey. Assuming this isn't them being lazy/an animation error, it might be that this is a real bullet...that he engraved using magic or just special gun stuff instead of just making the bullet itself from magic. I am not interested in guns in real life, but I think guns are supposed to have a function where they leave a mark on the bullets they fire so you can identify which gun shot the bullet? So it could be a human-made modification too.

Then there's the demon he shoots, which I think is a reference to Alice and the demons from the DMC3 manga (and a nice reference to the Sin Scissors and other beings that you can get the kill on with a bullet to the mask).

Not totally sure what the thing Dante shoots is, but it looks to be some sort of pendant. Is it some possessed thing that the girl has? Not super important though, because WHY IS ECHIDNA FROM DMC4 HERE?! Not upset, just surprised. Didn't notice this in my first watch.

After that we get Dante saving a girl from a... car? train? Something getting thrown into a diner that reminds me of the one from the old DMC anime, so here's me hoping we might get some fun downtime scenes like we did in that show. Maybe we'll see a strawberry sundae :)

Actually wait-

STRAWBERRY SUNDAE IDENTIFIED! Also I don't have a picture of her on hand, but is this maybe the waitress from that anime? A younger version? I'll look for a picture later, but for the sake of getting this out earlier than later, I'll just say I'm pretty sure she was a redhead too.

EDIT: Rewatching the trailer, the blue cyclops demon from before is in front of a sign that I'm pretty sure is supposed to say Freddie's Diner like in the OG Anime, so I'm going with the waitress being the same woman or otherwise related.

After that we get what looks to be a human that turned into a demon. My bet is that this guy was always a demon who was pretending to be human, but I think it could be interesting if there was a plotline about Arkham transforming humans into demons while trying to achieve godhood.

And hey look, Dante has what looks to be a stab mark through his chest and a hole in his shirt :) i bet this boy is getting stabbed through the chest, let's gooooo!

EDIT: Back, so I'll continue.

On second glance- wait, these guns are both gray, which means they aren't Ebony and Ivory. I'm putting my money into the DMC3 anime including Dante meeting Nell rather than this being an animation/coloring error.

Aaaand I hit the image limit, darn. Part 2 can be found here.

[animereviewsxx]

Me and my brothers have been rewatching DBZ for the last few days. For obvious reasons.

And I'd not necessarily forgotten how much I love this anime (because i talk about it a lot). So much as I'd forgotten how good it actual is. Like I've always know, but having the opportunity to rewatch it is amazing. I'm having flashbacks to being a kid and running around doing Kamehamehas and beam struggles with my siblings.

I've always told people that my Goku going super Saiyan for the first time is one of my most favorite moments in anime.

It's a beautifully written scene that aways make me emotional. I mean just imagine what Goku must have been feeling he just used his penultimate attack to defeat the ultimate evil. He's happy and celebrating this moment with his friends only for said evil to rise again. He's out of energy. They're doomed.

Piccolo is there. Krillin is there. Gohan his son is there. They need to escape.

Then boom his best friend is killed right in front of him. Unleashing Gokus rage and vengeance. The fact that Goku went super Saiyan not because he wanted power or he asked for it, but it happened as a reaction to the death of his best friend.

I think with time people have forgotten who Goku originally was. He was always a pure of heart savior who loved to fight, but always cared about protecting the people he loved.

[fluffbyday-smutbynight]

When in Rome...

Lately I've been rotating the Rome scene in my mind like a rotisserie chicken. It's a very short one -exactly 1 minute of screen time- and yet it feels pivotal in showing the evolution of Aziraphale's and Crowley's relationship. It also includes some interesting references, and it just feels... different from the other flashbacks.

I've been thinking about it so much that I had to go back and rewatch the flashbacks leading up to it. Take my hand (take my whole life too) as I take you on a journey...

3004 B.C. - Mesopotamia

Aziraphale is the one breaking the news to Crowley: God, displeased with the humans, is going to wipe them out with a flood of catastrophical proportions. But fret not! He immediately downplays it: it's probably just the locals. And Noah's family and the animals on the ark are going to be fine. And then God will give them a "rain-bow"! Whatever that is, it's the promise it won't happen ever again.

That... doesn't sit too well with Crowley. "Not the kids! You can't kill kids!" he points out (does he mean human kids or goat kids? Probably both), and he scoffs at the rain-bow thing.

But quick comes Aziraphale's rebuttal:

You can't judge the Almighty, Crowley!

... perhaps too quick, like a line he's been fed and he internalized. Like he's subconsciously trying to justify God's actions to himself, more than to Crowley.

As it starts to rain, the crowd around them stands unaware of their own imminent fate.

2500 B.C. - The Land of Uz

Aziraphale learns, very much to his disbelief, that despite Job being a good man, his fate has been determined by a bet between God and Satan.

Here, he gets both to see Job's despair first-hand, and to exercise his own free will.

He teams up with the "enemy"; he lies to Gabriel; he gets a taste of self-agency and a taste of the oxrib (aka worldly pleasures). He gets to do the right thing and save the kids (human and goats alike), learning in the process that his and Crowley's conditions are not too dissimilar: they both feel lonely.

By the end of it, Aziraphale is sure he will get punished by God.

And then... nothing happens.

33 A.D. - Golgotha

Aziraphale and Crowley witness the crucifixion of Jesus.

"Your lot put him on there." "I'm not consulted on policy decisions, Crowley."

Unlike with Job, Aziraphale has no say and no power to stop what's happening. Despite that (and in contrast to the flood scene) he empathizes with Jesus: asking if Crowley knew him; recoiling as he watches him being nailed to the cross; acknowledging that all it took was him saying "be kind to each other".

Notice how the events shown in the flashbacks get progressively close and personal.

From the undefined crowd at the flood, to Job and his family, to this "very bright young man": yes, God has honoured the promise to not wipe humanity out ever again; that doesn't make the smiting/destruction/suffering any less painful and unjust.

There doesn't seem to be any logic, nor compassion, to God's decisions. There doesn't seem to be any immediate consequence, too, to going against them (if you're clever enough about it). I think that -as much as Aziraphale wants to keep believing in God's ineffable plan- he must feel, in some capacity, that it's all rather... pointless.

I think that here, in front of the grueling, graphic death of a single man, Aziraphale's moral journey reaches its (first?) breaking point.

In fact, where do we find him next?

"8 years later" (41 A.D.) - Rome

Aziraphale and Crowley meet again very shortly after - relatively speaking, at least (even the scene's title card highlights that: just "8 years later".)

This time around, there's no grand event happening: it's seemingly by chance, they run into each other in a tavern. Well, Crowley is there for "a quick temptation", which is not out of order considering the setting: Caligula's Rome, *the* time and place for decadence and dissolution. And Aziraphale?

He's just... there.

Well, in a scrapped scene from the script book he said he was there to "influence a boy named Nero, get him interested in music". But that didn't make it on screen - though maybe it's still relevant, as you'll see in a moment.

Thing is, he's been there for a while. Unlike Crowley with his odd-looking attire, Aziraphale blends in with the locals and with their customs: wearing a rather pretty tunic; toasting with a "salutaria"; playing a Roman board game by himself. Drinking wine and planning to check out "a new restaurant".

...if he's even talking about an actual restaurant, that is. It's all in this post (check out the comment section too) - but to sum it up: the first thing Aziraphale does is inviting Crowley out (actually, tempting him!) to try "Petronius' new restaurant". Petronius, the notorious "master of elegance" at Nero's court. And by "master of elegance", we mean he was in charge of everything concerning luxury, aka making the court's parties as lavish as possible. Petronius, who was described as a hedonist and an excess seeker. Aziraphale has heard "he does remarkable things to oysters". If that doesn't sound like tongue-in-cheek for some pleasure other than just food, I don't know what does.

In short, it looks like Aziraphale is on vacation, and a rather enjoyable one.

I think he's had about four thousand years to let everything sink in: where Heaven and Hell stand, God's plans and what they mean to humanity (and I'm not even considering what we didn't see: the first war, or Sodom and Gomorrah, or any other horror he might have witnessed).

I think that after Jesus' crucifixion, he was like: fuck it, where can I take a break from all this? Where's *the* place I can most indulge in... being as much human as I can get to be?

And of course he ended up right there. And as the saying goes... when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

I think Aziraphale is having his hot girl summer, and not even God knows what he's been up to.

[helena-thessa]

Just dropping in to say that Silent Night has me in a chokehold I will likely never recover from and that you are awe-spiringly talented!! (new chapter is *chef's kiss*) I believe I speak for the damirae fandom when I say the wait for your updates is sweet torture and reading is an absoLUTE delight 🩷

If you don't mind questions ofc, I am super curious as to how you found damirae and got inspired to write for it! The DCAMU community size has nothing on popular anime fandoms, so I'd love to hear how it started 🥰 Your grasp on their deep and compelling characters is so immaculate (+ the heartwrenchingly articulate writing style??🩷) 😍😍 ugh love it to the moon and back!!

ahhh hi !! Thank you so much. It's pretty much terrifying posting a new story in a new fandom, so I really appreciate this. 🖤

yes! Always open to questions. :] the various algothirms must have targeted me, because I've always seen such great art for damirae, I didn't realize it was a smaller fandom and something of a rare pair on Ao3. Silent Night definitely draws inspiration from gorgeous artwork by @kasieli.

Looking back, there's a chance that damirae was my first childhood OTP? I grew up watching the early 2000s Teen Titans and shipped Raven and Robin before my little kid brain could properly understand anything about romance. I have not rewatched the show as an adult, but this is such a fantastic edit by @unlikely-alliance. I mean, it's a cartoon but their chemistry and closeness is out of this world.

Then sometime last year I got hit hard with the Marvel fatigue. (DC too, but admittedly, I didn't give the Titans live-action show a chance, too afraid they botched Raven.) The comics, movies, and animated shows were such a quintessential part of my childhood, so it was kind of upsetting to realize I was so tired and uninspired by it all. Trying to reclaim some of that old joy, I guess, led me to start rewatching Justice League and working through the DC catalogue on HBO/Max. Instead of watching in order, though, I went straight for the Teen Titans movies, knowing ahead of time from tumblr that Robin/Raven would be canon this time. 😏

Probably my writing of them is more inspired by the old cartoon, but we only get the complexity of Robin-Damian Wayne because of the DCAMU and I am so grateful for it. The way it makes them make so much sense as the only two people who could properly understand and deeply care for the other creates such a dream pairing.

Thank you again 🥰🖤 this is the most absolutely self-indulgent fic I have ever written and posted, I'm so surprised and grateful for such a positive response.

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

Crosshair's Return: Some Thoughts and Feelings Upon Rewatch

This is one of those endings that always moves me to tears for many different reasons. For starters, the music is simply stunning, combining the Batch's theme, Omega's theme, and Crosshair's theme. All three are unique and beautiful in their own right. Then of course there's the visual aspects. Everyone is bathed in light but separated by the darkness of their chosen paths. Now, they have the chance to make amends and bridge the gap that was created.

Overall, this ending hits all the right emotional beats. Omega comes home and is reunited with Hunter and Wrecker. It is emotional and well-earned since they were separated for 5 months. The boys searched everywhere for her and had no luck. I also didn't expect it to be Omega to find them, but it's a nice subversion and I'm glad the writers didn't drag that out for like half the season.

And then we have Crosshair. I teared up seeing Omega reunite with Hunter and Wrecker. I lost it when Crosshair revealed himself. Ever since "Aftermath," I've wanted Crosshair to go home because that's where he truly belongs. Of course, he's not met with the same warm welcome Omega is. And I get that. There's a lot to tension between both parties and uneasy feelings. I didn't expect them to just "hug it out" because that's not realistic. Upon rewatch with S3 in mind, I realize that the Batch did think about Crosshair quite a bit and still missed him, but it's mostly subtle.

For example, Tech deeply misses Cross and does jump at the first chance he can to rescue him. However, he also respects his decision to stay with the Empire, as painful as it may be.

Omega also deeply misses Crosshair and hopes he comes home. But as she learns in the S1 finale, she can't force him to come home. That's a decision he must make. Once he does make it, he is much more willing to warm up to Omega and form a bond with her.

Wrecker, as I've come to notice, tends to follow along with what his family does. This is why he easily accepts Omega's trust in Crosshair in S3E5. But Wrecker isn't a blind sheep and he does have his own feeling about Cross. He misses him and does want him back. But like Omega, I imagine Wrecker realized that Crosshair's return had to be of his own choice.

Hunter is the most complicated as I do believe he and Crosshair were quite close. On top of that, Hunter is the leader and he lost a part of his squad. Granted, it wasn't his fault, but he definitely blames himself. Hunter also is very, very attached to Omega and seeing Crosshair try and fire on her didn't help.

That being said, I think the show dropping "Operation: Rescue Crosshair" without explanation does hinder the ending of S3E4 a bit. At least for me upon rewatch.

I wish we saw the full exchange between the brothers as they reunite for the first time in at least 6 months, maybe more. For one thing, it would give us more insight into Hunter's thoughts. At no point, as far as we know, do Hunter and Wrecker express interest in finding Crosshair again. Which to me, makes it feel like they found Crosshair on accident. If he hadn't been with Omega, would Crosshair have ever been found? Maybe? This is why I wish we got more. If Hunter admitted he partially blamed Crosshair or idk, said something along the lines of "we will find her and Crosshair," I think the ending of S3E4 would hit even harder. Because then, we would know where Hunter's at with everything. (or idk, make Tech's sacrifice worth something).

I want to make it clear I still love that reunion scene with all my heart. Everything about it from the music, the animation, and interactions between Omega and her brothers was perfect. But in hindsight, I feel like Crosshair being found wasn't planned on part of his brothers. Idk, I'm just imagining this show taking a huge swing in direction where Crosshair does get brainwashed or isn't rescued til the very end. I guess my point is, it just makes me even sadder for Crosshair and I think if the show was a little more overt with how Hunter and Wrecker felt about him in general, then the ending of S3E4 would hit more for me.

Or maybe I'm just projecting and I'm still very cynical over how Tech's death was handled. You tell me.

[epicfranb]

Rewatching Kino's Journey and I'm like Kino is so non-binary coded. But then episode 4 comes around and it's such major honest to god non-binary coding, I'm not even sure if it's unintentional anymore. So here's my little essay about it, ig.

Fair warning for potential spoilers under the cut! Before reading, I highly suggest watching this anime (it's really good) or just the episode in question. You don't really need any context for this, other than the basic premise of the show: Kino travels with a sentient motorcycle called Hermes. As for where to watch it, I always watch on aniwave.to. Again, this is episode 4, so go watch it!!

Since this is about the non-binary coding, I'm gonna keep the summaries short and to the point. The backstory starts with Kino saying she doesn't remember her past name anymore, but expresses the only thing she remembers about it being the bullying. This moment in itself doesn't have an obvious meaning, it is purely symbolic. The episode starts with her in a field of the flowers she was named after, long after she forgot her name; she is there later as a child, starting a new life with a new name; and it ends with her as an adult, which is the moment that leads to the scene in the beginning, nicely looping back in this circle-like narrative. This has more to do with the general ideas of freedom that the show has, rather than specifically to the topic of this essay. I just thought it was interesting how it explicitly shown that she did not like her birth name.

To avoid confusion from this point on, I'm going to refer to Kino the main character as "this girl". This is because she meets a traveler named Kino. The two spend a lot of time together, and the girl explains to the traveler the tradition of this country. This is that when children turn 12, they get an operation to "become an adult". Children are free to do whatever they like, while adults must work and nothing else, and, since this is such a big burden, they get an operation to always be happy despite it.

The girl asks if Kino has a job, and Kino says that traveling is his job. The girl then asks, "Do you hate your job?" and Kino says "No, I like it." and the girl says "Then it's not a job."

Kino realizes this is kind of fucked up and is visibly conflicted on whether he should leave the place as is, or help this girl he's made friends with somehow. He talks to this girl about the tradition, and this exchange happens:

In a world with such a clear distinction between a child and adult, it is unthinkable to the girl that someone could just be neither. This man is grown up, but he does what he likes. And he doesn't even have an answer for "what" he is. He's just "a man named Kino, that's all. And I'm on a journey."

"Doing what you like to do?" The girl asks.

"That's right, I like traveling." Kino says.

He asks the girl what she likes to do. She says she loves singing! He suggests she then should become a singer. She says she can't, because she has to grow up and take over her family's business. But it's fine, because it's about to be her operation and day and she "will be happy, even if she has to work at the inn".

The next day, the girl is conflicted. She asks her parents if it is necessary to have the operation. "Is there no other way that I can become an adult by just being myself?" Her parents are terrified and very mad at her, and the whole street gathers up to tell her off, calling her a "failure", "defective", "a waste of a girl", which are also common attitudes towards queer people in our world. They realize it was the traveler that planted the ideas in her head. The traveler agrees that each country has its own customs, and the people allow him to leave peacefully... Except the girl will be killed, for "defying her elders". Her father charges at her with a knife, but Kino shields her and dies. at this point, Hermes, the motorcycle, starts speaking to her.

This exhange continues the theme of "the secret third thing" and the freedom of choice outside of defined norms. Within the norms, it becomes clear in this scene that you either become "an adult" or you die; but, just like the traveler Kino was "a secret third thing", the girl can also run away and continue being herself. That is the third choice she gets here. And she takes it.

She rides away, Hermes giving her instructions on how to ride properly, she breaks the country gates and escapes to the grand outside. She stops and falls over on a field of flowers, the ones she was named after. She looks back and whispers "Kino..." but Hermes assumes it was her introducing herself to him. Surprised he referes to her as Kino, she throws away the last part of her past she had on her and accepts her new name.

Now that we're done with the summary, let's dissect this.

First off, Kino in her childhood looks very feminine. She has long hair, wears a pink dress and a pink headband with a cute bow. And, s we know her from the future, she looks very androgynous, her hair is short, her voice is much lower, she wears masculine clothing and an oversized coat that she got from the traveler.

She changes her looks, she changes her name, from one that she did not like to one that reflected her better, which is something that many trans and non-binary people go through. Here, I want to mention that even the traveler she met also looks sort of androgynous, which is also coding in itself, imo.

In the country where she used to live, there were two ways to live: being a child and being an adult. One did not have any sort of choice in the matter, it was decided for you. This is, of course, similar to the way that we get assigned a gender at birth and are expected to pefectly perform that gender, with no option to switch or be something else.

But young Kino meets a person who defies everything she believed in her life. He's free to go and do whatever he likes, he doesn't fit in the binary of this country, and he grew up free to be himself. This is wild to Kino at first, but she keeps thinking about it and realizing she does want to keep doing things she likes. She doesn't want to get brainwashed into doing things she hates with an unchanging smile on her face. She wants to be herself, to be free. She doesn't get that choice, of course, not while she's still in the country. She admits that becoming an adult like them would be as bad as dying; because she would lose all her personality and individuality. That's when Hermes opens her eyes to this: she DOES have a choice. Actually, this is her only chance to take it. She runs away, and she's finally free, and she throws away her past and continues life under a new name.

Even if all this is unintentional, this episode's themes still speak to the ideas and beliefs of trans and non-binary people. It is an episode about freedom of choice, freedom to be yourself despite what your culture may impose on you. This is an episode about leaving your past behind for a better future. So, in a way, this episode IS about being non-binary.

Thank you for reading!! I hope there aren't any major mistakes in here. If there are, please let me know so I can fix it (kindly, please). Like, obviously I said words like "feminine/masculine/androgynous" which are labels which don't always fit everything they get assigned to. I hope that it's clear that I used them intentionally for the purposes of getting a point across. Hope you enjoyed, and I've convinced you to watch (or rewatch) this awesome anime!! Bye-bye ^_^

[dcrewatch]

Detective Conan Rewatch: Episode 1105-1106

Episode 1105-1106: "Kid vs. Amuro: Queen's Bang”

Before watching this episode, on a scale of 1-10, how much are you looking forward to seeing it again?

AW YEAH KID HEIST WOO! 9!

Favorite screencap:

Kid: "Why yes, it *is* time for me to take over the manga and anime again. Thanks for noticing!"

Favorite Moment:

The whole confrontation between Amuro and Kid on the roof. Loved Kid's disbelief face. xD

Least Favorite Moment:

Nothing this time!

What’s one thing you noticed/realized about this episode that you hadn’t before?

Poor Azusa has to go out of her way to try to not get the Amuro obsessed population of Beika after her. ^^;

Ah, after all this time, Yoko still has headband merchandise. ...Of course I say this, but it's been like, 6 months in the actual timeline. @_@;; (The design isn't identical to the one in the linked case, but I have a feeling it might be meant to be a callback.)

"You're aware Queen Selizabeth of the Duchy of Ingram, who will be visiting in three days"

Hm, I wonder if this is meant to take place before or after the events of Crystal Mother? Kid must be very busy if it's before. ^^;

Amuro seems to be wearing Fusae brand clothing.

The staff likely used textured photographs for the art in the museum, but unfortunately my art history is failing me and I'm unable to identify the pieces.

Kid checking for Pandora while Amuro continues talking like nothing is going on is still hilarious to me.

On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate this episode?

WOOOOOO! 9! Can't wait for (hopefully!) a massive influx of Kid stuff this year with the next movie. ♥ The most recent manga case was the cherry on top.

Celebrate it!

Here’s a (not exactly) summary haiku:

Another Kid heist

Amuro is determined

A showdown with Kid

Next Episode: Episode 1107

Previous Episode: Episode 1104

[myrandomscribbles]

My Own Timeline of How I Watch Christmas Movies

Short disclaimer before we begin: I meant to post this before Christmas, but I am a busy elf so here we are.

Every time the holiday season starts creeping in, people tend to be more busy and barely in one place. There's always so much stuff to finish, so many things to buy; your to-do and gift lists are endless. (Personally, on most days during the holidays I feel like Joe Pesci in the gif below.) I mean, there's barely time to watch movies in between all of that chaos, right? Wait lol did I just describe my usual holiday scenario? Aha, but that's just the irony - me, have no time for movies? I don't think so!

So because I am a nerd, I'd like to share with you the holiday movies I either A) must watch during the holidays, B) would recommend watching during the holidays or C) both. But here's the catch (& here's how I'm a nerd too) - there's a specific point during the season when it's the perfect time to watch said movie. You'll see what I mean.

Again, we've established that Christmas is one of, if not the busiest time of the year. Ain't nobody got time to watch a list of holiday movies, let alone in a chronological manner! But in case you do, here’s how I’d likely watch them:

First to second week of December:

You’ve Got Mail (1998)

Actually, I normally rewatch this towards the end of November because it still has more of a fall vibe (and that’s what it’s more known for). But since it actually goes through the seasons as Kathleen and Joe’s relationship progresses from haters to lovers, we can consider watching it during the early days of December too. One of the most crucial scenes also happens during the winter anyway!

The Holdovers (2023)

I’ve grown to love this film so much because of the warm fuzzy feeling despite the entire story taking place during the winter. Even if the most important scenes take place at exactly Christmas Day, the film starts as the students are about to take their holiday break. That’s why it feels wrong to watch this before December 1st, but also feels wrong to not watch it on December 1st, does that make sense?! LOL

Anastasia (1997)

This one’s a no-brainer. It’s technically not even a Christmas movie, the first half just takes place in a magical winter wonderland Russia. But I mean, “Once Upon A December” - need I say more? That song, though haunting, along with the beautiful animation just screams pure magic. To this day I can never accept that this does not have an Oscar in animation.

Bonus: any of Netflix or Hallmark’s [trashy] Christmas romcoms

In recent years, I’m trying to understand why Netflix keeps releasing Christmas romcoms with plots that make you go ✨what the hell sure ✨🚬 but here we are! LOL that said, this is a good time to watch those - the most notable ones are The Princess Switch & A Christmas Prince trilogies, both of which for some reason are part of the same universe. I don’t understand it, but again, here we are! There’s a lot more in Netflix’s catalogue; don’t even get me started with Hallmark (and its posters!)

Week before Christmas:

The Holiday (2006)

Also known as Jude Law Flirtation Season, this Christmas classic is rewatchable over and over again because of its charm. We all wanted to be Cameron Diaz at one point, be for real. And since her character and Kate Winslet’s goes on their holiday switch literally the week before Christmas, isn’t it just fitting to watch it around that time too? It’s the closest we have to flirting with Jude Law!

Last Christmas (2019)

I remember watching this in cinemas when it came out, and we all thought it was going to be another fun Christmas romcom. Boy was I wrong. The lady beside me in the theater shared the same sentiments it was so funny lol. But most of the film takes place on the days leading up to Christmas Eve, where the most important scene happens. And let me tell you, not a dry eye in that theater. Not a dry eye.

Happiest Season (2020)

I love this underrated romcom. I honestly think more people should watch it because it’s so wholesome and heart-tugging. Though to be honest, I’m with the majority on saying that Kristen Stewart’s character should have ended up with Aubrey Plaza’s characters. Nevertheless, since the plot takes place on the days leading up to Christmas when Mackenzie Davis brings home Kristen Stewart for Christmas Eve, it’s only fitting to rewatch it on the same time!

Christmas Eve:

Home Alone (1990)

This is not only a Christmas classic for everyone but it’s an automatic rewatch at my house during Christmas Eve. I can’t not go through the 24th without putting this on, even if it’s just in the background while I wrap my gifts! I may be playing it in the background but it doesn’t mean I’m not paying attention though - especially when the Christmas soundtrack comes on? Absolute banger.

Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (1992)

Obviously, if you’ve started with the first one, then continue with the second one! In my opinion, Home Alone is one of the rare film-duo that are both hits and neither are misses. Though some believe the sequel is funnier, I think both are equally hilarious and heartwarming. Christmas Eve is not complete for me without marathoning Home Alone 1 & 2 for sure; that’s a package deal in this household!

Love Actually (2003)

Another absolute must on Christmas Eve for me is this classic (and now somehow criticized) romcom. I realize now that yes there are many problematic parts of it, but the whole Christmas vibe is undefeated. I would watch this on either the days leading up to the 24th or on the day itself - while, again, wrapping presents. No matter what people think of it now, I’m still gonna rewatch this every year.

Christmas Day:

Little Women (2019)

Usually for most families, Christmas Day is full of reunions and get-togethers. For me however, we don’t really do that stuff a lot, so I spend the day mostly watching, guess what, more Christmas films! And on the morning of Christmas Day, I first put on Greta Gerwig’s version of the March sisters’ story - mainly because of Jo saying “Merry Christmas, world” when she wakes up in the morning. I just adore this film so much, I could write more about it but probably another time!

Little Women (1994)

My second favorite adaption is the 1994 Winona Ryder classic, primarily because the Christmas theme is just all over the film. Like the 2019 version, it’s such a warm hug, but with a more classic vibe since it was released in the 90s. I actually love how this was released on my birth year!

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

I recently just watched this for the first time, and wow it’s incredibly moving. To say that it truly is a masterpiece is an understatement; I think it’s one of the most beautiful films ever. Though the climax of the film happens on Christmas Eve, the spirit of giving and community in the ending scene is just so heartwarming that you forget it’s only the eve of Christmas. But contrary to the films I watch on the 24th when I’m mostly busy with presents & cooking, this is one of those films that can’t be in the background.

In between Christmas and New Year:

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

To many people, including myself, this is a fall movie. And I agree. But, alongside You’ve Got Mail (1998), it’s part of the “Meg Ryan spends the holidays in New York” cinematic universe, aka gotta be one of my favorite genders! LOL but the reason why this is best watched after Christmas and before New Year is because the height of the film begins around that time, all leading up to the beautiful ending of Harry and Sally getting together on New Year’s Eve.

While You Were Sleeping (1995)

I also just recently watched this and it can technically be a Christmas Eve movie because they actually show the family celebrating (and it's when Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman first meet!), but the rest of the hilarious events take place after. This is going to be a regular holiday classic for me as well moving forward because of its simple charm, the beauty of Chicago during the holidays, and Sandra Bullock's gorgeous face card.

Serendipity (2001)

This is one of the more underrated ones in my opinion. I absolutely adore Kate Beckinsale in this one - how on earth can someone be that beautiful?! I understand John Cusack lol. But like the previous romcoms above, we briefly go through Christmas but everything happens after, however still during winter. Every time I rewatch this I just want to teleport to New York during the period between Christmas and New Year and just ice skate in Central Park.

New Year’s Eve:

Silver Skates (2020)

I cannot stress this enough: I love this film! An original all-Russian production, it was one of the hidden gems I discovered on Netflix the holiday season following the pandemic. It's absolutely beautiful! It's your typical poor-guy-falls-for-rich-girl plot, but set against the snowy & magical backdrop of Russia at the turn of the 20th century. I always recommend this to people when they are looking for holiday films or period films; this is a bonus because it's both! (Not to mention the main cast is absolutely good-looking)

New Year’s Eve (2011)

Also known as the New Year's version of Love Actually's Christmas, this is another no-brainer. Who doesn't love a good romcom with a stacked cast with characters' stories who intertwine on a holiday? And personally - don't judge me for this if you're American & reading this - I would also like to experience the ball drop on December 31st. There's just something special about being a part of a public crowd on New Year's Eve versus just staying at home with just family. Maybe it depends on each one's traditions but all the same, 12 midnight is what we are all waiting for!

This is obviously a personal and subjective list; there are still loads of Christmas films & classics that are not on it. But make do what you will with this one! This is a free world where we can enjoy these movies whenever we want and at our own pace :)

[recurring-polynya]

I really enjoy your posts they’re very interesting to read ☺️ how did you first get into Bleach ?

Unfortunately the answer is: memes.

I want to state for the record that I, personally, was never a SomethingAwful Goon, but I was...Goon adjacent, and so when Leekspin became a thing, I realized that the girl in it was from the same show as this:

which I knew mostly because of its appearance in an 8-minute long montage of SA gif set to Revolution Deathsquad by Dragonforce.

I thought the leek girl was cute, so I looked the show up on Wikipedia and it was like, "oh. this is extremely my jam." I convinced Mr. P, who was not yet Mr. P (but was a Goon), that we should watch it, so we downloaded some fansubs from Dattebayo, as was the fashion at the time. We still have a bunch of episodes on an ancient hard drive somewhere, Mr. P found them recently. I'm not sure exactly when this was, but I'm guessing it was probably around 2007. It was definitely after 2006 and before 2008. I still remember that the Bleach discussion thread on SA used to be called "Telling you our names before we kill you."

Anyway, we loved it and kept up with it for several years and made all our friends watch it. I have a pretty vivid memory of freaking out with a friend of mine at our weekly D&D session about the reveal that Ichigo's dad was a shinigami. We also all went to see Memories of Nobody in an actual theater. We kept up with the anime as it aired until sometime in the Fake Karakura town arc, when the story slowed down to a crawl.

Several years later, when our second kid was a baby, I found out that the show had concluded, and the whole thing was available on one of the streaming services, and we thought it would be fun to rewatch the whole thing, start to end (you watch a lot of tv when you have infants). This rewatch did a real number on my brain and I started reading fanfic and discovered Tumblr. I decided I wanted to read the manga, and I started checking it out a couple of volumes at a time from the library. Later, I was able to get the whole run digitally on super-good sale from Comixology.

In 2019, I made this Tumblr and started writing fanfic. I guess we must have rewatched it again in the 2019-20 timeframe, since I wrote a bunch of recap posts. I just rewatched it last year with the same child, who has ceased to be an infant. I didn't let her watch the TYBW episodes yet because of the higher violence rating, but I think we're gonna do that next year.

It's always a little funny to me when people on here talk about watching Bleach as a kid, because I was a whole-ass adult the first time I watched it, and it's really strongly linked to a bunch of career and parenthood-related memories for me. Regardless, Bleach has had my back through a lot of rough times, and it's a story I still enjoy thinking about and finding new things in every day, even after a decade and a half.

[homestuckreplay]

miscellaneous thoughts!

No update today :( but I have some miscellaneous thoughts bouncing around in my head, so here they are.

I rewatched the end of act 1 flash animation (p.246) and was hit for the first time with how terrifying this must be for John. I think on first watch I was scared from an external perspective (is he gonna be ok?) but wasn't in his head. This time I was in his head. John's life isn't good or happy right now but there's no indication that he's suffered violent or sudden trauma before. This is probably the single scariest event that's happened to John. His whole life was destroyed in less than five minutes. When I look at this with analytical brain it's so easy to forget that but... no wonder he hesitated. No wonder he was paralyzed with fear for a few seconds before taking that bite. It's such a trial by fire and so much responsibility to just throw at somebody who's been pretty sheltered and not at all prepared for this by their upbringing. I want to highlight this because I want to keep it in mind to understand his character going forward.

Back with the recent Rose update. I think the plastic letters on Rose's fridge are the secret to her modus. The command 'Captchalogue W' for an alphabetical modus really hit me, and the way everything auto-balanced could definitely be utilized, potentially even weaponized, by simply grabbing the right letters to push the necessary card to the root. This would be perfect for someone as wordy as she is, and it's a fun contrast to Dave - her alphabetical modus vs his numerical one.

'But it's hard to resist getting a little silly sometimes. Especially when you are absolutely positive no one is watching.'

With Rose's writing journals (p.220) she seemed to have some awareness of the Homestuck player watching her. Now that's gone, with no difference in command style, and I'm kind of mystified. Is it an occasional prickle at the back of her head that happens randomly? Is she more ashamed of her creative writing than of her silly behavior, and will we understand why if we ever get to peek in those journals? Is this location based - Rose is aware of being watched in her room but by leaving it, the threat of her mom looms so large in her mind that she forgets about the player?

Finally, something more serious. There have been a few instances of the r-slur in this comic already. Everyone gets one - John (p.154), Rose (p.249), Dave (p.333) and the narrator (p.387). I think this is realistic dialog for all these characters (but fwiw I do not think GG would say it). I also think that just because something is realistic doesn't make it ok to uncritically write. Anyone could be reading this who has had this word used against them, and could get hurt again by its being casually tossed around by characters who otherwise mean something to them.

Homestuck is a fairly popular webcomic, and making something on the internet - especially as a full time job - is kind of a legacy. People could read this thing 10 or 50 or 100 years in the future, and using language that, while normalized, is known to be offensive, could keep it in the lexicon and continue to normalize it in future. Maybe this is harsh. But it's everyone's responsibility to be a little kinder in how we talk about vulnerable people. And this is an example of somebody not doing that for the sake of teh jokez. I'm not gonna laugh at that or let it slide without saying something.

[lemonandpie]

Any headcanons as to what Loumand's day to day life was like in Dubai (prior to the Daniel Molloy marriage wrecking ball)?

I feel like Loumand has three distinct phrases: post-Paris, post-SanFran, and pre-Interview.

In the immediate aftermath of SanFran, there seems to have been a lot of walking listlessly through the world. Louis is severely depressed and has the feeling of constantly being on eggshells, even if he doesn't remember why. Armand is the one guiding Louis with a hand around his wrist like a vice, just as afraid but unlike Louis he knows exactly why.

(My headcanon is that post the disaster telepathic zoom call, Lestat tries to track them down, and that's when Armand pushes him off a tower. Or skyscraper)

Louis said his last kill was 2002. Who or why we don't know, but that gives us a date for the end of the turmoil and an idea of when the truce like period between Armand and Louis began.

Dubai is very much home for them-- they have servants (which is basically a Talamasca bat signal, they must have figured they would at least attempt to infiltrate), decorations, specialized accomodations. Dubai would have taken a long time to set up and not be worth it just for a short time, so Dubai must have been their home base.

Armand seems to be the one in charge of the day to day running of things. He's the contact for buyers, for dealers; he is the directing the staff. I've seen so many takes (comedic and otherwise) about Armand being unemployed and I think those people need to rewatch the show 😅. Louis seems to take the CEO position. His word is the final say, he is the one making the wider decisions. I do not doubt he is the one charming the prospective clients. But Armand seems to be doing the legwork (head of household, shows submission by dominating everyone else, master's favorite, etc etc).

To get to the point where he wanted to do the interview again, Louis probably was growing increasingly introspective, and from what we've seen that means spending a lot of his time alone. In the interview, Louis seems to have been withdrawn while Armand was still very heavily revolving around him. So Louis retreats to be on his own, and Armand busies himself with running their company.

I doubt Louis would be the one to suggest hiring people to drink from, so I'm going to guess that was Armand's idea. The staff know they are vampires, so being snack food is probably part of the job description (unless, of course, Armand was trying to keep Louis from fucking the help. Though Assad Zaman said Armand's having orgies with all the Rashids, so maybe that's Armand's job instead). Armand hires and vets the "donors", then it's probably supplemented by animal blood, staff donations, and of course, the weekly feed from Armand.

Louis said "Rashid" has a very regemented routine, and I like to pretend that is Armand's routine as well (even if Armand's got more tasks). In general, I think life in Dubai is very ordered.

Armand needs less sleep, so he gets up first. Does all of the necessary business work, (swims, prays), showers, dresses. Once Louis wakes up, Armand helps him get up. Gets Louis' clothes, helps him dress, puts on his shoes, (the good nurse who kisses Louis' feet).

Louis has less an orderly routine and more of a depressed routine. Floats through life, eats because he's fed, sits with his feet in the rocks and remembers. His sex drive remains but he's disengaged from it. Only when he and Armand fight does he feel that spark of genuine passion again, and while the sex is always good it's those times when Louis remembers he and Armand are in love.

It's definitely Louis' idea to do the interview. Armand tries to change his mind, over and over again. Reminds him about Paris, about the Children of Darkness, about all of the horrific things vampires to do people who break the great laws (which they have already done, repeatedly). Armand knows that if Louis does this, he's going to die, and Armand is not going to be able to prevent it from happening.

But they're trapped in a stalement, slowly decaying in their endless monotony. Maybe Louis just wants people to know his story. Maybe he misses Claudia, and is dreaming of a second chance. Daniel, the 'symbol of their love', is dying, and maybe Louis wants to keep that symbol alive.

(I'm not actually sure whether Louis was planning to turn Daniel or not. It could go either way. If so, then the interview is a test to ensure they are compatible. If not, then Armand's weighing up if Louis' wrath is more important than his life. Either way, Armand's spending the entire time deciding if he's going to kill Daniel or not).

Eventually, Armand caves, probably in an "are you asking or making me" moment. So for the both of them, the interview is essentually the end of their relationship as they know it. Either Daniel will join them, or Louis will die after the book's publication. And Armand is too preoccupied about those two outcomes to worry about what other relationship destroying secrets could be revealed

[husbandograveyard]

Last (school)year I had lost some interest in anime and the like. JJK actually got me properly back into it. My only goals were to watch JJK and catch up on KnY. Which I did. This year, im getting a bit more "ambitious". If there's any suggestions for must-watches, let me know, but my "goals" are:

finish watching spy x family s2

Watch dunmeshi

Watch Haikyuu (attempt #3, finally)

Finish my Black Clover rewatch

Finish my Bleach rewatch and watch the new stuff

Catch up on One Piece (im more than a year behind. Did i stop watching after Izo's death again? Maybe)

Watch Chainsaw Man

Catch up on BNHA

Watch the new Kuroshitsuji

Watch some more Naruto [its a drag and the only anime i gave up to read the manga instead because of all the fillers. I know its skippable but my brain won't let me skip on a first watch].

Seems doable enough, but we'll see how it goes and if other things capture my attention im between. And then I'm not even mentioning my pile of manga and books i have been very much neglecting.

[velvet-vox]

My second pipeline of future ideas: Part 1

As of right now, I'm making an analysis on Noximilien Coxen the Watchmaker from Wakfu, and it's going pretty smoothly, I should be able to publish it as of tomorrow.

In the meantime, I thought about making a second survey to see what each and every one of you wants to see first between these projects:

Lord Shen's horrifying humanity: an analysis of Lord Shen in the same vein as my Tai Lung's one; I've recently rewatched both of the Kung Fu Panda movies after so many years, AND IT WAS SOOOOOOO GOOD. While watching the second one, however, I've noticed something that I've never seen: how the film focuses so much on Shen's emotional state, and how it helps him to become one of the greatest baddies in all of animation.

Doll and Andrew Graves comparison: remember all the times when I've said I was going to make a comparison post between Nox from Wakfu and Doll from Murder Drones? Well, I'm still going to do that once episode 8 is out, but in the meantime, since both The Coffin Of Andy And Leyley and Murder Drones are unfinished products, I thought, sure why not? My only hope is to get the Andrew part right, I'm especially worried since there're new pieces of information regarding Julia and Rene that I still haven't seen, so I might need to get my facts checked.

How and Why Liam Vickers wrote Doll as a rather unsympathetic character: I feel like, when you really love something, you must be able to criticise it. And this is exactly the goal of this analysis, as I break down all of the problems with Doll's writing right from the conceptual issues down to her future and legacy.

Female villains tier list: a long time coming, and still a long time in the making. The problem is that I've accidentally published it ahead of time only to then remake it from scratch and still accidentally publish it, again. Also I've decided to watch the Kerubim movie to see if Julith was as good as I've heard. I imagine so, since it's a Wakfu antagonist, but I have to wait and see.

Dark Vlad analysis: I want to make an analysis on every main antagonist of Wakfu, and since I can finally watch season 4 and maybe the movie, that includes Toross and Julith. But there's one minor, one-off antagonist that I also want to talk about; what is, in my opinion, the best villain from season 3 and the single greatest twist villain in all of fiction: the title itself is actually misleading, as I'll be talking about Goultard himself.

To find a way to spend the time while the survey ends, I'll be writing about the insanely untapped potential of Rebecca from Murder Drones.

@rad10active-ketchup , @rebecca-babe , @zobjilan77 , please, send me your ideas if you want to see them discussed as I'm not normally a Rebecca fan so I could use some help to get everything right.

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: "Legends of the Lasat"

Kevin Kiner please take all my money forever.

Right, attempt two at this. Seriously Tumblr what is the point of having an auto-save feature for posts if it doesn't actually save a decent previous version of the post?

Also WHY THE HELL DID CNTRL+Z DELETE BASICALLY THE WHOLE DAMN POST?!

Anyway.

I'm glad we got to visit this moon space base location again, I think it's such an interesting design.

Another tightly-written opening dialogue exposition scene here, in a few short sentences we learn what they Spectres are here for and why, and that the mission is urgent.

Lol Ezra being evasive about Hondo being his contact. I do wonder how exactly Hondo got that transmitter to Ezra. Did they reconnect sometime offscreen? Did Ezra swipe it during "Brothers of the Broken Horn"? Did Hondo surreptitiously leave it in Ezra's pocket?

However it happened, it's adorable that this once-ruthless bloodthirsty greedy pirate basically decided, "I MUST BEFRIEND THE BABY JEDI, HE'S MY FRIEND NOW I CLAIM HIM."

The camerawork in this scene is phenomenal. This first shot that tracks the Spectres and then dollies just around the corner, as if we are also peeking around it with the characters? This fast almost 270 rotating pan across the Spectres as they make short work of the troopers? Stellar.

(You can also tell they had budget to spare for this episode because the Imperial officer has a face. Lol.)

Love it when they let Ezra be casually awesome.

Hera sounds so aggrieved that Hondo is Ezra's contact lol.

And here we get the reveal, Zeb was captain of the High Honor Guard of Lasan. A bit later in the episode we learn this consists of being a bodyguard protector of the royal family specifically and all citizens of Lasan in general. Sooooo yeah, quite a bit of heavy personal guilt for Zeb here, feeling like he, specifically, personally, failed his entire world. Ouch.

"Hondo could use a little help." <3

Zeb's expressions this scene are painful. :(

Hondo being so dang fond of Ezra aww.

Though not so fond that he doesn't immediately screw everyone over, greedy bastard.

I saw Zeb rolling his eyes there, animators.

So Zeb's interactions with Chava and Grond are very much a Spiritualist vs Skeptic plot, with the expected tragic personal reason for the skeptic's doubt and disbelief. It's also heavily implied that the loss of Lasan, that trauma, made Zeb regress in maturity, made him snippier and more petulant and churlish. As Ezra says later Zeb does act "like a child", so perhaps his being cast as the Child archetype in the Prophecy of the Three was not so off base lol.

Ezra has such cute smiles this episode. <3

LOL Hondo's chipper little "Hello!" at the Stormtroopers.

"Well. This must look... incriminating." This man is a delight in every scene.

I mentioned the camerawork right? This is another nice shot here, this pan down from the cockpit to the nose gun turret to meet Zeb.

Subtle animation appreciation moment: The smoke coming from the chimney top of the station.

...Is this Stormtrooper also voiced by David Oyelowo?

Ezra immediately noticing Zeb's scoffing like the empath he is. <3

Love love love seeing the unique cultural way that Lasat interact with the Force, the "Ashla" as they call it, mixed ritual and magitek, prophecies that revolve around certain narrative archetypes and symbolic figures. It's just so cool.

I haven't been talking much about the music yet (oh but believe me we will have much to say on that) but this cue here starts easing just slightly into the mysticism of the Lasat ritual. It's almost Stravinsky-esque in nature, carefully stepping flutes and clarinets, discordant strings. We incorporate just a very soft snippet of the Force theme.

Zeb auto-assuming Ezra is the child.

Lol Hondo putting his arm around that one Stormtrooper's shoulder.

He's so cute asjkhfkajsh. Look at him. He's all like, "Please Dad, can I chant with the weird purple people too?"

HE LOOKS SO FOND AND PROUD AWW.

The score takes a bit of an exotic turn, a mellow arabic flute and possibly a sitar adding to the texture of the melody.

The lighting in this scene egads.

I love this scene I love it so much. Ezra acting as counselor, with his mere presence and curiosity getting Zeb to open up about his past and fears and insecurities. There's so much hurt in Zeb's slumped posture, guilt and grief compete for space in his voice, and I don't think we see him this distraught again until after Kanan's death.

But with Ezra's encouragement, he pulls himself together.

Once again showing off the cool magitek with Chava's staff and Zeb's bo-rifle here and I just love the concept, I love the whole aesthetic of hearing whispers of destiny through the Ashla and then channeling the energy of the universe through arcane, almost magical technology to navigate the stars, like some kind of arcane mariners. And we all thought the bo-rifle was just some kind of standard ordinary weapon, SURPRISE, it's also an ancient Force-magic navicomputer.

And oh wow the parallels with the purrgil next episode and the Chiss sky-walkers in the Thrawn novels.

This is soooooo pretty. The animation here is gorgeous.

After the commercial cut we're in hyperspace and the Ghost is making an almost blind jump out into Wild Space. Hera doesn't seem terribly worried. (Behind the scenes material says she apparently does this all the time.) But the ship's safety protocols flip out when they sense the imploded star cluster and Hera quickly drops them into realspace and one of the most gorgeous moments of the series.

HNNNNNNGHGHHHHH.

This whole sequence is stunning. Some of the best animation of the show, accompanied by one of the best tracks in the score, the star cluster looking like a watercolor spectacle.

And the Stravinsky influenced instrumentation brings the strings front and center; a haunting choir whispers in the background.

Kanan putting one hand on the back of Hera's chair and the other on her shoulder, aww.

Just tell me you wouldn't want this as a wall painting. <3

Chava gives some inspiring words about not pidegonholing oneself into a single role in their prophecy and this motivates Zeb to find a well of inner courage and open himself up to the will of the Ashla.

What I wouldn't give for more on ancient Lasan tech, how their ships must have been designed to integrate with the bo-rifle staffs. It functions as pilot and navigator and also apparently encases the Ghost with a protective shield that keeps it from being crushed by the gravity.

Let that sink in a moment, the staff, when channeling the Force, can literally bend gravity around the ship.

AND AS "JOURNEY INTO THE STAR CLUSTER" WRAPS US IN A VIOLIN SOLO THAT EVOKES MYSTERY AND MYSTICISM KANAN AND EZRA SENSE THEIR HELP IS NEEDED AND CALMLY PLACE HANDS ON ZEB, LIKE THE LAYING OF HANDS DURING CORPORATE PRAYER, AND CHANNEL THE FORCE THROUGH THEM INTO ZEB, WHO LETS IT FLOW THROUGH HIM THROUGH THE RIFLE TO GIVE HIM THE CLARITY OF VISION TO SEE THE WAY THROUGH.

Subtle animation appreciation moment: The sparks that pop from a wall panel on the cruiser as Kallus attempts to have it follow the Ghost.

THE CHOIR COMES IN FULL BLAST.

AND ZEB CLOSES HIS EYES IN FAITH AS THE LIGHT TURNS BLINDING.

Whew! And what a rush! The absolute quiet in the score right afterwards gives us a moment to inhale and catch our breath.

Chopper of course chooses to be a pest, releasing the tension.

Lira San being the ancient lost homeworld of the Lasat fits right in with the whole arcane vibe of their culture, like they were connected to a place and people that time forgot.

And tada, we leave with a character arc complete, a new hyperspace route plotted and everything bathed in an aura of serenity.

This episode is one of the best of Season Two, if not the whole series. Everything comes together beautifully in the third act and the story has a feel of both spiritual transformation and wonder. I've already gushed about how interesting and unique the Lasat culture is, how it's presented as a mix of mysticism and technology, with prophecies and wise women, royal families and warriors, and navigators that explored the stars, guided by the Ashla.

Zeb gets more character growth in one episode than some characters get in a season, and he's largely "finished" after this, his issues with his past resolved. (Which isn't to say I wouldn't have loved more character focus on him, just that this is so phenomenal.) His heart-to-heart with Ezra is touching and illustrates just how close they've grown.

And did I mention this episode was pretty? This episode is super pretty and the music is straight fire.

10/10 no complaints. Would give Kiner my money again.