#i've been listening to epic the musical on repeat and thought of this

[charlietheepicwriter7]

G̴̩͍͆͆̈́e̵̹̣͆t̷̬̋ ̸̻̮̎̒ĭ̸̏̃n̵͙̋͐ ̸̛̳̃t̶̪̣̅ḣ̸̳̇͜è̵̠̲͖̔̑ ̶̢̹̖͗͐̀Wa̵̬̞͝ṫ̴̩̣̣e̶͉̲̯͂̏̎r̴̉

It was a simple mission. Damian was working with Father to confirm the existence of a Lazarus Pit below Gotham, as Ra's Al Ghul speculated. And they had found it, deep in the caves below Gotham. A Pit the size of an Olympic sized swimming pool, bubbling and steaming. He'd only looked away for a moment.

"Kin-slayer."

Standing waist deep in the water stood Damian's reflection. The hair might be white, and the eyes glowing with the waters, but it was his face. But not his face alone.

Danyal's ghost glared at him. "Get in the water."

Father threw a batarang at him, but the metal flew straight through his head like it was air. Danyal didn't even glance at him, his eyes fixed on Damian. "Get in the water," he ordered again. He stepped closer to the shore and the green water sloshed up the bank higher than it was before. "Or I'll raise the tide so high, all of Gotham will die. So get in the water."

Damian's heart jumped into throat. "Wait-"

"Get in the water."

Father shoved Damian behind him, as if it would protect him, as if he could stop Danyal. "Stop this, please-" If he could just explain-

Another step and the waters surged forward, nearly touching Father's boots. "I'll make whirlpools so profound, your entire family will drown," he promised.

"NO!" Not his brother, his kind brother-

"THEN GET IN THE WATER!" Danyal snarled, revealing monstrously sharp teeth and a black tongue from Damian's poison. "G̴̩͍͆͆̈́e̵̹̣͆t̷̬̋ ̸̻̮̎̒ĭ̸̟̰͙̏̃n̵͙̝̟̋͐ ̸̛̳̃t̶̪̣̅ḣ̸̳̇͜è̵̠̲͖̔̑ ̶̢̹̖͗͐̀w̵̜͍̤̌a̵̬̞͝ṫ̴̩̣̣e̶͉̲̯͂̏̎r̴̉͜!̷̡͔́̀̽" He lunged and Father pushed them back down the passage they'd come. "Don't mistake this for a bluff, brother. You've lived more than enough. Just get in the water." Damian swallowed, throat dry. Was this Danyal's revenge? Did he finally have to face what he had done?

"Robin, who is this?" Father snapped, trying to keep retreating down the cave. But Damian wouldn't let him; the waters, and Danyal with them, would only follow.

Danyal looked between them, scowling. "G̴̩͍͆͆̈́e̵̹̣͆t̷̬̋ ̸̻̮̎̒ĭ̸̟̰͙̏̃n̵͙̝̟̋͐ ̸̛̳̃t̶̪̣̅ḣ̸̳̇͜è̵̠̲͖̔̑ ̶̢̹̖͗͐̀w̵̜͍̤̌a̵̬̞͝ṫ̴̩̣̣e̶͉̲̯͂̏̎r̴̉͜!̷̡͔́̀̽" he snapped again. "I'll take your father and gouge out his eyes, unless you want to stop being a coward and choose to die. Now... get in the water."

[choosingwhatmatters]

Music in The Loyal Pin, Episode 16

Once upon a time, I started out writing about the music of The Loyal Pin. I had planned to make my posts a weekly thing but had to give up after episode 5 because I realised that time is a finite ressource. Meh. Still, one last time, though, I want to sing the praises of the piece of art that is The Loyal Pin. What a show!

I try to keep it short and simple, but, uh, well, that's not my strongest suit. I want to talk about the three pieces of music that have stood out to me the most.

Theme 1 - Pentatonic

The first piece I want to talk about appeared in my very first post about the series, and it was also the first recording I ever did. We hear it in episode 1 when Anil jumps/falls from the tree and lands on Pin. It is also what starts of the first intro song.

In episode 16, the theme accompanies what has to be Anil's most epic speech (which is saying a lot) about the future of love and marriage. According to the tone of the speech, underneath the piano there are now strings playing different harmonies to the ever repeating theme. This is a clip from the actual show because how do you ever imitate something like this?

I still can't believe this innocent theme from episode 1 is now making my throat hurt. The strings! The harmonies! My little heart.

Theme 2 - Pin's heavy heart

Conveniently, the second piece I want to talk about is one that I mentioned in the second post I've ever written about the show. It's also my favourite piece of the whole series. I think there is not one episode where it is not featured and there are many different versions of it. In the early episodes, it is a wistful melody that often accompanies scenes in which Pin is sad.

In episode 16, when Patt asks Anil to take care of Pin for her, we hear a sweet, cheerful version of the theme. Yet another cheerful version sounds when we learn that Lady Ueang has refused to marry the man her mother has intended for her.

Theme 3 - Helpless

There is also one theme that hasn't changed at all. I have written about this piece in my post about episode 5. It accompanies scenes in which our princesses (again, Pin: princess of my heart) experience emotions they don't know how to deal with. The thought of your favourite person going to England. Losing your parents when you are very young. Fleeing from your princess because her kissing lessons make you feel too many things at once. Accepting that you have been hit by the unstoppable force.

In episode 16, we can hear the theme in three instances: First, Patt apologises to Pin and they reconcile. Second, Pin faces the anger of Anil's father and falls into her Anil's arms after the confrontation. Lastly, Anil opens her birthday present from Pin and freezes when she realises that it is a ring box. Aaaaand I am tearing up again. This show, y'all. This music.

My goodness, there is so much more to say. But I think I will leave it at that. Maybe one day, when I am an old woman studying music again, I will be able to dedicate this music the time it deserves. I have never been able to find out who composed the music (there are several people listed), but whoever they are, they did one hell of a job!

Thank you, dear friend, for taking this journey with me. If you're a fan of Thai gl, I think we'll meet again soon. In any case: Stay safe and listen to music.

[lilgoatgal]

Finished Cricket after like a few months, which means I finished reading her book, I'm on Sundew next. Went with a Greek theme for multiple reasons (mostly cause I've been listening to Epic: The Musical on repeat). But I also had to give it alot of thought about what culture the Hivewings would be the most like if they were human. Obviously, there are a TON of parallels to a certain political climate in Germany around 1940, but that's basic, and Pantala is a very tropical continent, and Greece is in the Mediterranean. Both the Hivewings and Ancient Greeks had massive empires that dominated others.

[cowboymantis]

I am having so so so many feelings about Infinite Wealth and I've just been spamming my friend with essays about my overanalyzing brain that obsesses over every single detail in media I am obsessed with,, BUT THIS GAME IS JUST SO FULL OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR IT AAAAA!!!

I just wanna note some longer thoughts down, because I need somewhere to collect some of them,,,,

So yeah, uh, obviously:

LIKE A DRAGON INFINITE WEALTH SPOILERS

(any Yakuza game really, but this is the most recent one, so more likely that people haven't played that yet)

Number 1:

So first of all, Kiryu's parts are, because of the bucket list stuff, very focused on the past. He's trying to tie up loose ends, in his own way and how much he is actually able to do with the Daidoji restrictions.

So I think it was really fitting that he was the one fighting Ebina. In a way it felt like him fighting his past and trying to turn it around.

Now what do I mean by that? Let's start from an earlier point.

Basically, the game is a bit like a mirror to Kiwami in some ways.

Lani is like Haruka, hunted down by several groups of people and they even talk about this similarity being Kiryu's leading factor of motivation in helping her. I mean, there's also different mafias and a whole government conspiracy. But I mean, nothing new in a Yakuza game, but just one more thing added on top of it all.

Where it really starts to show and made me think "Ohhh...wait a second" is when Ebina held his speech about his past. Ebina and Ichiban, even though they didn't grow up together like them, are so similar to Kiryu and Nishiki. One being the Yakuza boss Arakawa's "favourite child", who also idolizes him, and the other one grows to hate him.

And I think this is also the moment where Kiryu realizes "Oh no...history is repeating itself again, isn't it..."

So at the end of the fight, when he actually breaks out in tears and begs for no one to die, it feels like all those deaths he couldn't prevent over all those years, good or bad people, just make him completely break down and he just wants this endless cycle to finally end.

Before the game came out, RGG and actors, in some occasions pointed out how this was a happier game. It makes you feel like looking up instead of being sad.

And while I was playing, I often just felt "Bruh, they lied to us. This game is so sad???", but after I then finished the game, I just sat there and felt such a big relief, the ending just was honestly perfect (well, I mean the cliff hanger was awful jddhd). But then later, it also made me think yeah, this is kind of like a positive version of Kiwami, isn't it? It just feels like it's in a way Kiryu's tying up loose ends with Kiwami's happenings. Fighting his past, finally getting over it in a way.

I thought more about this when I listened to Ebinas boss theme again, because one part has those bells(?) And they sound so much like in For Whose Sake. And then I thought back to the ending more and realized that the whole buildup of it was so much like Kiwami too!

In the finale, first you fight [Villain], who is also the main culprit behind a big government conspiracy. He has helpers with him, and attacks with a gun/guns.

At first you only fight the helpers, then him together with those helpers.

The music is intense and dreadful, everything feels really epic.

Then, after that fight, it goes to the REAL final boss fight. Inside a room, high up on the Millennium Tower, you fight him. Both Nishiki and Ebina are so similar already in their own ways. And the fight is more personal, with emotion behind it. Just that it ends with Nishiki killing himself, but Ebina, while he basically begs for Kiryu to kill him, survives.

The music during the fight has it's ups and downs (intensity-wise) and manages to feel both melancholic and relaxing, as much as they hype you up.

So yeah, it's all such a direct mirror up to the point how it ends. And Kiryu was trying his hardest to prevent things from happening again.

There are often similar themes and plots throughout Yakuza, makes sense, such a long running series, but I think in this particular case it's just so very fitting and it's just SO similar and fits the reflection and fix-it theme of Kiryu's part of the story so well. Especially with how Kiryu's tragic story all started with Yakuza 1 (going by release), still haunting him through every game with constant flashbacks, and now it ends with a story so similar.

Or well, let's hope so, I just want Kiryu to finally rest bruh 😭😭

Number 2:

"Rupture". The name of Hanawa's theme in Gaiden.

Just blatantly taking dictionary definitions here, but there are two ways the word "Rupture" works:

1) (especially of a pipe or container, or bodily part such as an organ or membrane) break or burst suddenly.

"If the main artery ruptures, he could die"

2) breach or disturb (a harmonious feeling or situation).

"Once trust and confidence have been ruptured, it can be difficult to regain"

Keeping that in mind, moving on.

Maybe listen to Hanawa's battle theme for this one, to really visualize it.

Now, whenever I put on the good ol' Gaiden All Boss Battle Themes video, whenever Hanawa's theme came on, I thought wow, this song is really completely different, huh.

But the nature of the song felt quite fitting for a character like Hanawa.

It starts of dark, mysterious, there's a sadness to it. Just like Kiryu now, he has been a man who once "died" and has since then been forced to live in the shadows, his every move being controlled by others. He's like a bird trapped inside a cage.

Then, the song picks up, becomes more intense.

Hanawa's internal struggle and his fight with Kiryu.

When you fight him, the whole scene around it honestly, is like the bird trying to escape this cage. And while nothing that happened was really "real", as in, no fatalaties would've happened because it was all a test, it did feel real for Hanawa and Kiryu. Now looking at the second definition for rupture, it's just like here, on a way more emotional level. And all so sudden. And this is the beginning of him being more and more risky when it comes to the Daidoji, and he keeps on helping Kiryu more than he should, its like his rebellion.

In Infinite Wealth, during the raid on the safe house, it was also all so sudden. It all happened so fast.

The music is picking up. It's nearing the end of the song, and everything becomes so loud and overwhelming - Hanawa suddenly gets shot and dies - then immediately after the wild and short final buildup, silence again. It's a slow, quiet somber tune, like at the beginning of the song, but now fading out... And Hanawa is declared dead.

The sudden rupture lead to immediate casualty, physical this time.

I'm sorry, I DON'T KNOW WHY I MAKE MYSELF SO MUCH SADDER OVER THIS SCENE. But come on, it's just... so perfect, right? 😭😭😭😭

I miss Hanawa so much man. I was really pissed that this is the way they let him go, but just now, after listening to his theme again for the first time since I even started Infinite Wealth, it felt like it just all made sense now. It just clicked. His theme is like a visualisation of his whole story throughout the games.

And it's honestly, sadly perfect. The composers for the Yakuza games are honestly such geniuses. Bringing out some of the best songs ever constantly and making them just feel so fitting for everything.

But yeah. Regardless of if this was meant to be interpreted similiary or not, it just kind of adds to it all for me personally. Especially since you could now maybe see his theme in Gaiden as a bit of secret foreshadowing?

I'd like to see it that way. And maybe, seeing a bit more importance in it all is what helps me to cope with his godawful death scene, RGG what were you thinking man 🥲🥲🥲

Number 3:

Eiji.

Oh boy. Uh, I don't really know yet what the general opinion on this pathetic wet cat (affectionate) is, but I really loved this character. In both a "you're such a damn loser" and "my poor little meow meow :(" way :'D

But most importantly, what I wanna focus on to follow the (over)analyzing theme: Eiji is like a mirror of Masato.

Now, Kiryu has his Kiwami mirror in his finale and Ichiban also has one. But I think this one is way more obvious and also very ironic.

Eiji starts off with trying to earn Ichibans trust and well- it immediately works, of course, it's Ichiban! But the tactic he uses for it, faking being disabled and needing a wheelchair. It was the perfect way to make Ichiban pay attention to him first, because it would remind him of Masato. I think Ichiban immediately just started to get attached to Eiji, and now I'm thinking that Eiji was probably a bit conflicted before he turned his back on him. But his deep rooted hatred was too strong for one nice interaction with a Yakuza, something he demonized, to stop him.

I think it was kind of funny how he was basically like "You're so evil, you Yakuza will NEVER be good people!!! See how good I am while I throw down this child tied to a wheelchair, down those stairs while holding a bomb!!! That'll sure show you evil Yakuza!!!"

Ah. He's so stupid 😭

And yet, whatever happened, Ichiban just constantly called him "Ei-chan", like he's still his bestie and everything is fine. Constantly protesting against it, Eiji probably felt more and more conflicted, because Ichiban is just such a big (and naive) sweetheart. (((Side note: What's not to love about him fr 😭😭)))

So by the finale, and after Eiji had time to say how much he HATED the Yakuza and also, y'know. The whole Bleach Japan thing. Kinda like someone else, hm? Someone else Ichiban constantly insisted on treating like a friend.

But Ichiban convinced him to just turn himself him, turn his life around. Just like he eventually managed to convinced Masato through blood and tears.

And the ending scene is literally an exact mirror to Yakuza 7. Ichiban carrying someone away...

Just in Yakuza 7, it is Masato, dying in his arms, and in Infinite Wealth, it is Eiji, and he's trying his hardest so he will get out of this completely unharmed, throwing himself in front of every danger facing them, getting beat up until he passes out by the end.

You could say this too, is like a good version of another game's ending, with a character mirroring a brother-like person to the main character.

Quite ironic how Eiji started off "imitating" Masato, only to end up like him. Just that one died and one lived.

And just like Kiryu did with Ebina, Ichiban tried his hardest to stop history from repeating itself. Stop more people dying again and again.

The logo having an Infinity symbol seems oddly fitting now, you could say each circle of the symbol is Kiryu and Ichiban, and their stories are intervined in certain ways. Just that their stopped the "infinite" circle from repeating once again.

Or...something like that. I'm trying to sound smart at 5 am, I need sleep I think 😭

[artist-ellen]

i loveee the epic: the musical design idea!! your ancient greek mermaid has actually been my headcanon hera and played into my headcanon circe since i saw it (and i have also been on the epic listen, i’ve had no longer you on repeat for weeks).

also just wanted to say that the mermaid designs are stunning, i get excited every time i see one!! really well thought out and a gorgeous mix of the historical garments/culture and mermaid/fantasy vibe

I am so excited about the epic: the musical ideas that I've had. Even if no one else likes them my brain has had so much fun cooking them up. My greek mermaid as inspiration isn't such a bad idea...

I've listened to 'No Longer You' so often that if I walk away from Youtube too long it will autoplay without prompting now. (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

I'm so glad you all seem to really like the mermaids! I had lots of fun making them, and hopefully you guys like the coloring book too!

[fraeuleintaka]

I couldn't resist listening to all the orchestral tracks in the Investigations Collection before playing (including all of the arranged tracks which are as amazing as expected from the little snippets we got of them before)! So many bangers! Justine's (Verity's) theme goes so hard in the orchestral version. I've always thought that while I like her theme the DS-level sound quality and the "blippy" nature of the instrument sounds make it sound so much weaker than it could be. (Does that make sense? The organ just doesn't sound like a proper organ imo.) I had high hopes that the orchestral version would fix that and make it sound as imposing and divine as it's supposed to and boy, does it deliver! I love it! A surprise was "The Blue Badger March" though, it has no right being as good as it is. And the "Bonds" theme! So beautiful, it makes you cry! I also love all of the compilation tracks where one song switches to another, like all of the confrontation themes one after the other, such an amazing progression!

I also have some issues though. Why does the orchestral album for I1 only have 4 proper orchestral tracks? I2's has 11 and they're all epic! I1 has so many great themes that deserve an orchestral version. Above all Shi-Long's theme! Literally the best damn piece of music in the entire series and it doesn't have its own orchestral track! WTF?! That's not even just a crime, that's a felony! If I had been able to choose, I'd given I1 just as many tracks as I2. Most of them would be the equivalent versions of what I2's album has with the three character themes being Kay (from I2's album), Shi-Long (obviously) and either Gumshoe or Badd. Instead of Kay's theme I2 would have Sebastian's two compiled into one track instead because not having his 2nd theme as an orchestral piece at all is another crime, it's so good! At least Shi-Long's theme is included in two of the longer compilations so that's something. Me totally not cutting them into one continuous track for listening on repeat. His normal theme is already beyond epic but his orchestral version? Beyond beyond EPIC! Lang Zi says: "Hearing it once will open your eyes a hundred-fold."

[bangerbattlethemes]

battle of the battle themes

I've been following these poll tourneys very closely and got an idea for one of my own! I love video game OST's and thought it'd be fun to make one about that, especially since music has been a less explored venue than characters.

Qualifications:

Must be from a video game

Must coincide with some kind of battle with the video game's enemies. Something that hypes you up and makes you feel unstoppable!

General battle themes or boss fight themes welcome

Some examples I had in mind: With Twilight of the Gods from Shadows of Valentia, God Shattering Star from Fire Emblem Three Houses, Song of the Ancients (Fate) from Nier Replicant/Gestalt

Y'all can submit those or whatever you want! In fact I'm excited to find new OST's to listen to!

Rules:

I won't tolerate any rudeness or toxicity. Any offenders will be blocked.

No botting/cheating either, please. Let's just have a fun time here.

No video games that are very NSFW in nature please!

You can only submit your song once but you are free to send in multiple. Basically, no flooding with a repeat confession.

Propaganda is welcome, especially during the submission phase if you want a song submitted- though for the most part the music will be speaking for itself I think!

This is something very new for me and I don't rlly know much about tournament seeding or w/e so it'll probably be randomized. Please be patient with me!

Submissions have been closed early so I can include more people- sorry about that!

Other poll tourneys that inspired me to make one:

@pinkhairswagtourney @redhairswagtournament @sleepsmackdown @mad-scientist-showdown @purplegreenbracket @patheticmenscuffle @redandgreenpoll @fashiondisastertournament

Have fun; current polls are under read more for ease of access!

All Polls

Ace Attorney | Winner: Pursuit ~ Cornered ARMS Preliminary | Winner: Name Redacted Bravely Default Preliminary | Winner: Serpent Eating The Horizon Dai Gyakuten Saiban Preliminary | Winner: Partners ~ The Game is Afoot! Earthbound/Mother Epic Battle Fantasy Preliminary | Winner: Return of the Snow Queen Fire Emblem Preliminary | Winner: God Shattering Star Final Fantasy | Winner: One-Winged Angel Genshin Impact Preliminary | Winner: Scaramouche's Theme Granblue Fantasy Preliminary | Winner: Paradise Lost Hades Preliminary | Winner: God of the Dead Hollow Knight Preliminary | Sealed Vessel Kingdom Hearts Preliminary | Winner: Vector to the Heavens Kirby Preliminary | Winner: Masked Dedede Mad Rat Dead Preliminary | Winner: Ghost of Culvert Miitopia Preliminary | Winner: The Darkest Lord Monster Hunter Preliminary | Winner: Bewitching Dance (Mizutsune Theme) Octopath Traveler Preliminary | Winner: Decisive Battle II Persona Preliminary | Winner: Rivers in the Desert Pokemon Preliminary | Winner: Battle! Champion Cynthia/Battle! Pokemon Wielder Volo Splatoon Preliminary | Winner: Fly Octo Fly/Ebb and Flow The Legend of Zelda Preliminary | Winner: Revali's Theme 2 Toontown: Corporate Clash Preliminary | Winner: Guilt and Resentment Touhou Project Preliminary | Winner: U.N. Owen Was Her Transistor Preliminary | Winner: In Circles/_n C_rcl_s ULTRAKILL Preliminary | Winner: The Death of God's Will Undertale/Deltarune Preliminary | Winner: Death by Glamour Xenoblade Chronicles Preliminary | Winner: You Will Know Our Names Yakuza Preliminary | Winner: One-Eyed Slugger

Preliminaries We're Working On (Up Next)... None, all have been posted!

[icantthinkyandere]

Hi! I got a question based on your opinion. If the reader has a symbiote (Kinda like Marvel comic's venom) that is an alien lifeform that needs a host in order to survived and exchange it helps the reader get stronger, better and also provides protection. Which yandere fgo servant:

Who tried to get rid of it out of jealousy for having such a close bond with their master (since technically they can never truly have some alone time with them)?

Would be bitter but hides it sense it does protect their master but occasionally makes comments?

Are ok with it?

There are two types of servants that immediately come to, ones that have dealt with a lot of strange and mystical stuff. The other is servants who didn't think about the possibility of living insane of their master and are jealous now.

Since I've been listening to Epic the Musical on repeat, one of the first servants I think of for the first is Circe. (Which also means I'm mixing that interpretation with Fate's version.)

Being a witch who turned people into pigs, her immediate thought is that another witch has cursed her master into having this black blob stuff with them. As the Queen Witch, there's no curse she can't help her master with.

And then she gets told it's from space and is harmless. Something that she does not believe, mainly because it's always right with them and listening. She honestly won't believe anything they say until that thing is gone. It's a parasite who's taken up residents inside them, and it's making them lie about how harmful it is.

She's going to take care of her master by getting rid of that thing, even if it means getting rid of her pride and asking for help from Space Ishtar or anyone else.

On the other side of servants who think Vemon is a great idea when it's not them, Nero doesn't know how she didn't come up with this sooner.

Nero is already very clingy, but the idea of living inside of her master never crossed her mind. Don't get her wrong, she still thinks it's harmful like Circe, but she's mostly just jealous. She wants to be with her master 24/7, no matter the place or time, so having this thing also be clinging to them is very upsetting.

She's the only person who can be around her beloved, so having something constantly there with them is a big no-no. Especially if that thing can talk and interact with the world. For all she knows, when they're alone, Vemon is telling them about how Nero is a lousy partner and they should get a divorce along with a restraining order because of how clingy she is.

She will get any information she can, even if it means pretending actually to like it or be okay with it. Because she isn't entirely on the "This thing has to die right now thing because it's an evil thing I don't understand" train and is just more jealous, she can at least pretend to think it's harmless after being told.

She wants to seem like an understanding partner, along with wanting to get rid of her. Nero may be silly a lot of the time, but she will use all her brain power, everything she's told and sees, to get rid of this thing so the only parasite inside her master is here

[bookish-bi-mormon]

tagged by @sun-ni-day 💕💕

5 Songs I've been listening to on repeat recently:

Monster from EPIC by Jorge Rivera-Herrans (and other songs from that musical)

This Means War by Marianas Trench

Back to Back by The Ready Set

Say it Like You Mean it By No Resolution

Wave After Wave by Sleeping at Last

Mostly thought I've been going through a playlist I made of artists that I've been meaning to listen to, so I haven't been repeating a lot of songs, but instead adding a ton of new things to my library. I'd love recommendations for artists to check out <3

Tagging : @kinnersonne @ponderosa-canopy111 @thrakaboom @greerbaiting @pierre-menard

[purpleandsilver]

@lifemod17 tagged me in this so here's

Scarlet's Top Ten Songs

Here's the list:

Ascensionism- Sleep Token

The Summoning- Sleep Token

Work Song- Hozier

Stick Season- Noah Kahan

Waiting On The Sky To Change- Starset ft. Breaking Benjamin plus Judge & Jury

Hurt You- Spiritbox

Faultline- Starset

Already Dead- iPrevail

Ashley- Halsey

Concrete Jungle- Bad Omens

This list was almost impossible to make. My music library on YouTube Music is HUGE. Would be bigger if I was still a fan of Taylor Swift.

Full explanations below the cut 🔽

Tagging @murderofcrow if they want to participate 💜

1. Ascensionism: Sleep Token

Album: Take Me Back To Eden

Why: The god-tier drums, the guitars, the piano at the beginning and end, the lyrics. Everything about it is a masterpiece made for my ADHD brain to absolutely vibe to. Vessel said "worship" and my brain went, "bitch I may be asexual but I'm on my knees for this song"

Favorite part: lipstick, chemtrails, red flags, pink nails/ with one eye on the door, other eye on a rail/other other eye following a scarlet trail and the last drops from the Holy Grail

2. The Summoning- Sleep Token

Album: Take Me Back To Eden

Why: TikTok likes to call this song "the baby making song" and you know what? I get it. I've never fucked, but I suppose men can last for six minutes and thirty six seconds. Women definitely can. Anyways, I love how this song has range. It goes from god-tier drums (II is an absolutely amazing drummer), to epic guitar, to just the most epic of everything. The lyrics are even better.

Favorite Part: Oh and my love?/ Did I mistake you for a sign from God? Or are you really here to cut me off?/ 'Cause these days, I'd be lying if I told you that/I didn't wish I could be your man.

3. Work Song- Hozier

Album: Hozier

Why: Back when I felt like I had to listen to pop music Just Because, I wandered into the realm of Hozier. Now, Hozier I would classify more as alternative, maybe even folk, more than pop. But this song popped up when I was listening to cardigan (by Taylor Swift), and it's just... omg. Work Song is utterly an obsession and every time I hear it I'm hitting repeat faster than the speed of a bullet.

Favorite Part: Nothin' in her room, but an empty crib/And I was burnin' up a fever/didn't care much, how long I lived/But I swear I thought I dreamed her

4. Stick Season- Noah Kahan

Album: Stick Season

Why: Once you become a Hozier girlie (gn), the path that leads you to Noah Kahan is nothing more than a slip n' slide. Stick Season's chorus sums perfectly why I hate living in Ohio even though the song is about Vermont

Favorite Part: And I'll dream each night of some version of you/That I might not have, but I did not lose/Now you're tire tracks and one pair of shoes/ And I'm split in half but that'll have to do

5. Waiting On The Sky To Change- Starset ft. Breaking Benjamin + Judge & Jury

Album: N/A (single)

Why: Starset was introduced to me in high school. I'm not sure how I found their first album, but somehow I went from Bastille to Starset. Don't ask. No, I wasn't okay. Lol. This song was released two years ago and it's a whole vibe.

Favorite Part: I've been frozen since that day/ I saw my clear blue skies as they turned to gray in front of me/ It's hard to find my way Can I rise above when giving up is all know?

6. Hurt You- Spiritbox

Album: Eternal Blue

Why: The beat and especially the drums (I love me some good ass drums).

Favorite Part: I hope you find what you're fighting for/ I am happier when I hurt you/ Your medicine is the coldest war

7. Faultline- Starset

Album: Divisions

Why: Again with the drums. But particularly the lyrics. To me, it's a song about feeling insecure and anxiety. I often feel shaky in my most anxious moments so this song gets it. What's more anxious than an earthquake?

Favorite Part: It's never black and white, no/ Going seismic out of spite, oh/ I never know if it's your fault or mine

8. Already Dead- iPrevail

Album: Lifelines

Why: The heavier metal beats, the loud vocals

Favorite Part: Tell me now, how do you sleep at night?/With the Devil in your bed laying right by your side

9. Ashley- Halsey

Album: Manic

Why: I can't explain, but I feel this song deeply and personally. It's a song of longing.

Favorite Part: And if only/ the time and space wasn't lonely/ l'd disintegrate into a thousand/ I think I'm making a mistake, who will fill the empty space?

10. Concrete Jungle- Bad Omens

Album: The Death Of The Peace Of Mind

Why: I love the synth vocals, I love how the chorus feels so epic.

Favorite Part: The coyotes cry/ And the sirens pass and harmonize/ Fires starting every day and night/ Burn around us while we're trapped inside/ Wouldn't it be nice/ To play the game without a crooked die

[sds-mod]

I've been listening to the soundtrack of that ongoing musical project Epic: The Musical, and I have so many thoughts I really need to ramble to get them out of my system finally so

I will admit that on my first impression I found it a little too popsong-y and disconnected, I found it to be lacking the more showtune style music I tend to gravitate towards more with musicals and the background tracks being more pop-beat-focused didn't give me a strong musical feeling. But I know me and I only start to really grasp musicals on the second or third listen so by now I'm really enjoying it, though I still have a few lingering issues (with the caveat that it is not yet finished so maybe my feelings on it will change as more of the saga comes out), so here's a list of things that keep rolling in my mind.

The voice casting is suuuper solid, Athena and Polites especially stand out to me. Athena's singer really gives off the weight of presence and a voice that just instantly matches to the character, while Polites' singer just nails it with the positivity and the smile in his voice. Really enjoying both of their songs a lot by now. Odysseus sounds super good too. Honestly vocally the only real issue I have was the laugh Aeolus did...sounds a little too fake so it takes me out of the moment every time (the singing is gorgeous though, it's really just the laugh)

rn I'm kinda missing some ballads...I tend to be a ballad hater but I grew some appreciation for them in the last few years and without them it can feel a little overwhelming with all of it being plot imo. This might stand out to me more because they absolutely struck gold with "Just a Man" which is such a good emotional check-in with the character and culminates in a devastating moment.

I feel like it's a little bit of a missed opportunity to have most of the songs sound rather pop-y, I would have liked if perhaps Circe's entrance sounded more seductive (the layered backdrop just didn't super match, maybe that's just me) or if the Sea Saga sounded a little more sea-shanty-esque maybe? But I do recognize that the overall sound makes everything more cohesive, with the downside that on first listen the songs tended to blend together to me and no single melody really stuck in my mind. Also sorry but the rap part in Puppeteer was really unmotivated lmao, you don't have to be Hamilton.

So far I'm kinda missing the connective tissues and leitmotifs, I do pick up some small musical stuff the more I listen but they are really minimal or quick imo, it's missing something like the love song from Hadestown or in general repeated strong melodies idk idk.

I think my personal ranking of the Sagas is just the chronological order rn.

Overall, took me a few listens but I'm quite enjoying it now, I just think that overall it's just a little too pop for my taste (I love pop music mind you, I just also love strong melodies in my musicals)

[margridarnauds]

hey! if you are still looking for some distraction - what are some of your favourite albums that you've been listening to recently, and why? (i am currently enjoying my first full listen-through of joanna newsom's 'divers', which is immensely lyrically interesting and very... textural? much to like!)

Thanks, I'll check it out!

I'm not someone who usually listens to whole albums -- I often focus on individual songs for months.

That being said, since 3 of my "on repeat" songs from Spotify at the moment are from "Speak Now - Taylor's Version", I think it definitely qualifies as a current favorite. I don't know, I didn't really appreciate this album at the time, not the least because I had a very gradual introduction where I was interested in a couple of songs in her early days (Teardrops on my Guitar, which was a Quintessenial OC Angst Song; Our Song, which was perfect for Rural Midwestern Roadtrip Feelings; Love Story, which was the pinnacle of romance to me; You Belong With Me, ditto), was interested in "Mine" from Speak Now for the same reason as "Our Song", but I wasn't really INTO her stuff until 1989, with "Blank Space", where I started to be like "Okay, I get it now." (And even still, I mainly get info secondhand from friends.) I know that these days, she's probably the most famous pop star working at the moment, and definitely among her own age range (it's hard to put her alongside someone like Beyonce or Madonna, just because they've had DECADES to mold themselves into icons, but she easily trumps everyone from her own age group), but there really was so much misogyny around her at the time that I wasn't able to fully appreciate her until around 1989, when people (especially on here) started to be more critical about the narratives around her + point out how generous she could be with her fans. (Is that part of her own manufactured image? Almost definitely, but there are worse things to manufacture.)

...all this to say that I never really HAD an OG!Speak Now phase, even if I did grow to adore "Enchanted" as well, so I've been rediscovering it in a way.

I've been listening to "United in Distaste" from Starry: The Musical on repeat, mainly because when a friend of mine recommended the titular song, I thought "Pretty" and then did nothing, but there's something about famous painters bitching at one another while admitting that they need one another that happens to relate directly to the reasons why I needed a distraction re: grad school that appeals to me significantly more. Moral of the story: Spare the ballads; send me the bitchiest songs from a musical if you want me to get interested in it.

The Baldur's Gate III soundtrack, especially "Raphael's Final Act" and "I Want to Live - Classical Version", but with honorable mention to "Nightsong", "Down by the River", "Main Theme, Pt. 3", "Weeping Dawn", "Harpy Theme", and all the different versions of "The Power." Not helped by me playing BG3 whenever I can take the time off from studying.

I've been OBSESSED with Epic: The Musical lately, though it's unfortunately mainly songs that haven't gotten official releases yet. "Warrior of the Mind" (officially released), "My Goodbye" (officially released), "Dangerous", "God Games - Aphrodite and Ares", and "The Challenge". I'm really excited for where this musical is going, I have a lot of high hopes for it, and I do like how they've adapted the story, honestly.

[aplateoflasagna]

My thoughts on Treasure's REBOOT album

Ngl I was so worried when the track teasers came out 😩 I thought the spoilers did not sound like Treasure at all. I was so scared I wasn't going to like this album or the direction they would be going after REBOOT.

I shouldn't have been worried though, This is literally their best album so far 😭😭 Every song is a masterpiece 💎

BONA BONA: So fucking good!!! It truly is Treasure's version of Kill This Love! It's different from what they have done before, but similar enough that it still has their 'Treasure Sound'. It's JikJin 2.0 to me. An upgrade in a way. The intro is so good, the prechorus is heaven and then the beat drops and it's epic!! The rap hits so hard, Yoshi once again stole the show for me 💯 The bridge and party ending is perfect, it's what really sold me on this song. If it aint broke don't fix it and the party ending will never go out of style! 🔥

I WANT YOUR LOVE: Title track worthy!! 🙌 This song is so much fun!! The intro + Asahi's voice to start of the song? Doyoung's iconic 'My heart is going bomb' followed by Yoshi rapsinging? Everything I've ever wanted!! The pre-chorus hitting so good!!! At 1:26 there is a verse by Doyoung followed by Asahi and then Junkyu and it's one of the best parts of the album. Their voices complement eachother so well!! The outro by Junkyu and Jihoon made me ascend lol I was listening to it for the first time while driving and when the outro came I was so hyped, I forgot I was in a moving vehicle going 70km/h 😅 I legit got emotional that they got a bside this good, I'm not kidding. I understand 100% why this is the second song on the album. And Junkyu wrote the lyrics for this song??? He's a genius, I'm so proud 💙 I had to put it on repeat for 30 minutes because it's just so good 🙈

RUN: Yoshi's part is so good 😩 He's truly becoming my favorite rapper in Treasure. Usually we get our rap trio all together, but if they do seperate them, Yoshi is mostly the one that gets a part of his own and it brings so much colour to their songs 🌻He's so melodic that when it's a song more focused on vocals, he fits right in 👍 A big surprise listening to the song for the first time was Junghwan's high note??? Did not expect that at all! I love it when the members go out of their comfort zone. Like they could have easily given this part to Jeongwoo or Jihoon, but they gave it to Junghwanie 😭 This is going to be so much fun to sing during concerts. Please Treasure come to Europe!! 🙏🙏 (Also after five times listening to the song, I finally figured out Hyunsuk spells out 'Treasure' during the bridge lol) .

MOVE: 💕🥰😍❤️😘🤗 Congratulations Kim Junkyu on making the perfect song!!!! I have no comments, it's a flawless song and it continues to be my Ho Anthem 🙌 I'm so happy for Doyoung, Jihoon, Jaehyuk, Junghwan and Junkyu. They really got to shine as T5 ✨

G.O.A.T (feat. Lee Younghyun): It's like a song from a musical!!! Like, Yoshi's verse is so playful, he's acting with just his voice. I can already tell it will be a spectacle when they perform this live! 🔥🔥The chorus is so grand, If they ever get to perform at a festival or an award show, it will blow the audience away! When they perform this with a live band, it will be epic 💯 It's good that they included a unit track for HyunHaYo because i feel like it's more of a vocal focussed album with only short rap verses so we really needed this song 🙏 + It was such a good idea to ask Lee Younghyun to feature on this song! I was surprised it was only for the bridge and adlibs for the outro. I thought it would have been like a Epik High/Lee Hi collab where the verses are rapped and the chorus is sung, but it sounds perfect the way that it is now 🎶 I'm thinking that when this is performed live, they will cut out Lee Younghyuns part and make the dance break longer, but I hope that when they do a concert in South Korea, Lee Younghyun will join them at least once 🙏 (Though now that I think about it Jihoon could sing her part perfectly lol 🙌)

STUPID: I just knew this would sound like a BigBang song and I was right!!! Yoshi and Junkyu sound so much like G-Dragon in the chorus, I was genuinly confused for a second when I first heard it. 😅 Jeongwoo and Jihoon sing the second chorus, but I honestly just wanted YoKyu to sing it again 🙈 I'm so proud of Yoshi for writing and producing this song. It's exactly how I thought it would sound and it's perfect! 🌼🌸🌱🏵️ Also shout out to Hyunsuk's rapverse! It's a lot of fun + Junkyu on the outro!!

THE WAY TO: I did not expect it to be only Jeongwoo, Junkyu and Jihoon on this song. I thought it would be all the vocalists, but this song is so good, it legit does not matter! To see this live, I will be in heaven 💙 Jihoons last verse is so emotional and the instrumental is so gorgeous 😭 Also Junkyu's parts were so reminiscent of his cover of 'Beautiful Life'. How crazy is it that we had to wait 4 years to hear Junkyu sing like that again??? I hope we get many more unit songs in the future. It really highlights the members strenghts that they are not always able to show in songs that include all 10 members.

WONDERLAND: Immediate WINNER vibes! ☀️ WINNER just owns the sound of summer 😅 Asahi starts quite a few songs on this album and it's always the best choice! His voice is just perfect to set the tone. Simple and fun song that makes me want to dance ☀️ Doyoung sounds amazing on this song! 1:35 it's not just the best line in the song, it might be the best line on the album! He really stood out to me here! + Jaehyuk got the bridge together with Yoshi🥹 They all fit their parts so well!

B.O.M.B: People were saying it's the new Darari and the people were so right!! Such a feel good/romantic song 💙 The chorus is soooo cute!! It's impossible to not have a smile on your face while listening!! Another masterpiece by our Junkyu 🥹 This man has worked so hard and it's finally paying of i'm so proud!

LOVESICK: When YG said the album would be all new songs, I was so disappointed we wouldn't get Yamai Kor. version, but here it is! 🙌 Yamai is srsly one of my favorite Treasure songs 💙Ever since Asahi said he originally wrote Yamai in Korean, I've been curious to know what it sounds like and what the lyrics were that he wrote. It recently dawned on me that all my favorite Treasure Bsides are made by Asahi. His songs are so uniquely him, you can immediatly tell it's a song by Sahi. It's healing music ❤️I hope he'll get to write many more songs in the future. I'm happy it's on the album because Yamai was released without any promotion and I'm sure many Teume haven't ever heard this song.

I legit cried hearing this song btw. When first listening to the album, I started with Bona Bona, got to 'I Want Your Love' and immediately got emotional because that song is just so good 🙈 I didn't want to listen to 'Run' right away because I wanted to calm down first (because I was driving) so I thought 'lets listen to Lovesick, I already know that song anyway'. By the time I got to the end, I was sobbing lol I don't know what came over me... I guess I was so proud of our members and their hard work, how much they've grown and just how good Lovesick/Yamai is 💎

The only kpop songs that made me not just cry but sob are now:

AKMU - Melted (the MV and song are heartbreaking)

BIGBANG - Still Life (When TOP looked in the camera, I just knew it would be their last song 🥲)

TREASURE - HELLO (The song and MV were just so them! It was everything Treasure stands for and I was so happy I got to be their fan and enjoy their music 🥹)

TREASURE - LOVESICK (The overwhelming feeling of being so proud of how far they've come. Knowing they worked so hard on this album 💙)

Final Thoughts: It's a well rounded album with a lot of party tracks, perfect for a concert tour! A lot of songs feel reminiscent of second gen but with a modern twist. I'm really happy the members had a lot of input into the album, it makes the songs that much more uniquely them. REBOOT really highlighted who they are as artists now, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect album 💎

[lilacerull0]

WAIT jo the s6 finale made me realize I have a listening assignment for you:

“Vincent” by Brian Fallon (it’s from one of his solo albums, we can circle back to the rest of em later ♥️)

LIZ YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE HOMEWORK AND ROCK N ROLL, THANKS FOR THE MUSICAL ASSIGNMENT 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

I've been having the song on repeat since you sent this ask djskkdkskd I was CONVINCED that I had answered it already, but I suppose I just loved the song too much and forgot to get back to you. I also adore your train of thought here :") THANK YOU!!!!! (For everything, The Gaslight Anthem are making this summer Epic for me <3)

[lostinfantasyworlds]

Hello love! Here for your ask game. 💕

😈 Has there been a point in a story where you did something just to be playfully mean to your readers?

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

🎶 Do you listen to music while you write? What song have you been playing on loop lately?

🌞 Do you have a preferred time of day to write?

Hi love!! Thank you so much for the ask!! ❤️

😈 Has there been a point in a story where you did something just to be playfully mean to your readers?

Hmm...I don't think so?🤔Although I do enjoy inflicting angst on readers, I don't think I've ever gone out of my way to be mean just for the sake of it. When writing chapters 13 & 14 of UTNL, I definitely twisted the angst knife as much as possible, but that was all planned from the start as part of the plot.

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

Ahhh I always have such a hard time answering this because my self-criticism game is relentless, but I guess one thing is that I always put a lot of thought into my writing (probably too much sometimes, but I know I'm supposed to be complimenting myself). I spend a lot of time trying to really put myself in the character's shoes to figure out how they would realistically be feeling/reacting during a scene, and then how they might show (or not show) that. I try to pay attention to details and continuity as much as possible in an attempt to avoid plot holes.

🎶 Do you listen to music while you write? What song have you been playing on loop lately?

Music is always a huge source of inspiration for my writing, but whether or not I actually listen to music while writing kind of depends on my mood. If I'm having a hard time concentrating or am doing a lot of thinking/planning/plotting, I prefer total silence. If I'm just fleshing out parts I've already started, I usually prefer listening to instrumental tracks with similar vibes to the scene(s) I'm working on. But if it's a multi-chapter that I have an established playlist for, I'll sometimes listen to that to get me more into the world of that story.

As for what I've been listening to on loop lately, this isn't even related to writing but I have to give a shout out to the album Antimai by The Dear Hunter. The Dear Hunter is one of the most incredible bands I've ever come across, because all of their albums have themes and/or tell epic stories, and this one is about the different facets of society in a sci-fi world the main singer created. They are just so freaking talented and the music itself is amazing (think progressive rock mixed with a broadway musical), so I have been listening to the entire album literally on repeat for weeks now.

🌞 Do you have a preferred time of day to write?

I actually prefer to do most creative things between midnight and 4am 😂. I am thoroughly nocturnal and enjoy getting things done when the rest of the world is mostly asleep. But sometimes, if inspiration strikes, I'll end up writing in the afternoon because I work from home and am alone in the house during the day so I feel like I can concentrate better (I tend to switch between working and more fun things pretty often throughout the entire day/night since my work is based on completing projects rather than needing to be present for a specific time of day).

Thank you so much again for asking @heynikkiyousofine!! 😘

For the FanFic Ask Game (asks are always open!)

[ordinaryschmuck]

Why I (Want to) Love Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure

Salutations random people on the internet who most likely won’t read this. I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

When I heard Disney was making an animated series based on Tangled, acting as a continuation from the original movie, my initial thought was, "Why?"

Sure, Disney is infamous for its unnecessary sequels of the story after happily ever after, with the many, many, many failures that follow suit. Even then, though, most of these continuations were movies that kind of have the potential to tell more of a story. But what more could be said about Tangled? Sorry to spoil a movie that's over ten years old at this point, but by the end of it: Rapunzel lost her golden hair, was reunited with her parents, fell in love, and lived happily ever after. Her losing the golden hair is the most essential part of that list because how can you do a series based on a Disney princess when her most iconic feature is gone? Then I found out that the series forced a way for her hair to come back, and my new initial thought became, "Oh man. This is gonna suck, isn't it?"

Despite the hesitation, I decided to give it a chance anyway. After all, I've been pleasantly surprised before. Things like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, The Mitchells vs. the Machines, and even The Owl House (yes, really), were shows (and a movie) that I didn't think would be that special. Only to find myself enjoying nearly every minute. So after watching Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, I can certainly say I was surprised...but it was entirely for the wrong reasons.

And to explain how requires spoilers. So if you haven't checked the series out yet, I highly suggest you do it to form your own opinion. Just keep in mind that it's a bit of a mess, but it can be an enjoyable mess...sometimes...let me explain.

WHAT I LIKED

The Animation/Art Style: The series swapping from 3D to 2D might have been the most brilliant decision anyone could have ever made with this series. Usually, when an animated movie gets turned into a show, the most noticeable downgrade is always the animation. Whether it’s not as detailed or not as fluid, it's always subjective that the movie is better animated than the series. But by switching up the styles, the contrast becomes objective instead. 2D and 3D animation each have their pros and cons, so deciding which one is better is nothing more than a matter of opinion. So by changing the style, Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure avoids getting complaints of being a downgrade from the original movie. It also helps that the art style of the series is really unique.

The best way to describe how the show looks is that it's like a coloring book brought to life. At times, everything looks like it was drawn and colored in with crayons, which sounds like an insult, but in actuality, it's one of the best features of the series. As much as I love most animated shows nowadays, I will admit, they all look a little too similar at times. Then here comes Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, which tries to incorporate a whole new style that successfully sets it apart from most shows.

As for the animation itself, it's really well-made! It's remarkably expressive when required, while the movements are really fluid during the correct scenes. Sure the fighting can be a little floaty during some action set pieces (yes, those exist here), but the dialogue and comedic moments are really where the series shines with its animation. I may have problems with the series as a whole, but I give credit where credit is due for the perfectly executed effort that I see in every episode in terms of animation.

Rapunzel and Eugene’s relationship: This was not something I was expecting to enjoy from the series. In the movie, Rapunzel and Eugene were fine. They were the typical Disney couple that worked off of each other enough that it was always entertaining, even if it was unbelievable that they fell deeply in love with each other after, like, two days. They weren't bad, but they weren't anything to go crazy over.

But the writers for the series said, "You know what, let's make these two adorable in nearly every scene they're in." And they are!

Even though I don't believe in their relationship in the movie, I fully believe it here. Both characters have a large amount of faith in one another on top of having endless love for their partner. Like how Eugene knew Rapunzel would be fine when taking out an airship or how Rapunzel couldn't bring herself to say a bad thing about Eugene when making Cassandra a sparring dummy of him. It's legitimately pleasant to watch, to the point where I put Rapunzel and Eugene in my top ten list of favorite fictional couples. They're that good to me, and it's one of the reasons why I don't jump on the bandwagon of shipping the two main female characters together. I'm all for LGBTQA+ representation, but give Cassandra her own girlfriend. Rapunzel's taken, and most of my enjoyment of this show comes from her and her man. So, you know, keep things as they are.

Cassandra (Seasons One and Two): Seeing how I've already mentioned her, let's talk about Cassandra, shall we? Because when making a series based on a movie that had only four prominent characters, with two of them being comedic animal sidekicks, you're going to need to introduce more members to the main cast to write more potential stories. And Cassandra, in Seasons One and Two (I'll get to Season Three), is a worthy addition. She acts as a strict straight man (I know the irony) who interacts well with Rapunzel and clashes perfectly with Eugene on occasion. She was passably entertaining in Season One and developed amazingly in Season Two. Her growing frustrations with Rapunzel's actions lead to a slow build-up that made her betrayal heartbreaking but somewhat understandable. And as for the results in that betrayal...yeah, I'll get into that later. For now, I'll just say that Cassandra was a pleasant addition to the main cast, especially when she was a part of the main trio, and she's yet another good surprise that the writers supplied for the series.

The Songs: The songs are...not going to be for everyone. Most of them are passable yet kind of generic, while others sound like they belong on Disney Junior (Looking at you, "Bigger Than That"). But when Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure makes a hit, MAN, it is a home run. Numbers like "Ready As I'll Ever Be" and "Nothing Left to Lose" are sung phenomenally, orchestrated well, and are songs I can listen to on repeat multiple times. And "Waiting in the Wings" is not only something I consider to be the best song in the series, but it's also something I'd place as high up on Disney's best due to how f**king incredible it is. "Waiting in the Wings" is a powerful ballad that manages to be both tragic yet inspiring on top of how well it sums up Cassandra as a character. The writers may not always be on top of their game when it comes to music, but songs like these prove that they know how to earn that Disney name.

And that’s all I have for the likes...Oh boy. That’s not a good thing is it?

WHAT I DISLIKED

It Peaked at Season One: It did. It really did.

Season One felt like the writers had a grip on what type of show they wanted: A slice-of-life series with Rapunzel dealing with the issues of her kingdom with a meager threat of these black rocks growing in the background. It was all cute and well-balanced for the most part, but that all disappears in Season Two. Because now it's sort of about this adventure, but because Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure set itself as a slice-of-life series, there need to be these small-scale stories that intertwine the grand narrative being told. The issue is that the story comes to a grinding halt one too many times as fans are forced to sit through these filler episodes that, while not all of them are bad, still feel like a distraction. And by Season Three, the series does feel more focused while having some slice-of-life episodes added to the ongoing story instead of distracting us from it. But the writing isn't as strong, there are several plot holes in the narrative (how did Rapunzel's sunstone get into her dress?), and there is way too much time going back and forth on Cassandra's morality. They claim that she's a villain while arguing that there might still be some good in her, and they continue this train of thought for nine episodes when it really could have been settled in two. For me, it's a bad sign for a series when the first season is the best one. Because if it's all downhill from there, what's the point of even watching?

It Tries to be Epic: This might have been the worst decision the writers could have made.

Now, here's the thing: I don't mind grand epic tales of adventure and battles against demons. If anything, I'm all for them...when it's appropriate and fits with the tone of the series.

Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure suffers a similar problem Frozen II has, in which the writers felt like a big, life-threatening adventure was the perfect continuation of a meager, personal story about the relationships of characters. It isn't. If anything, it's completely missing the mark about what the original story was about. And sure, sometimes writers can succeed in telling personal stories through grand adventures. Just look at The Owl House and parts of Amphibia. But with those shows, it's established within the first few episodes that action and peril will be a series staple. With Tangled, while there was some action and peril, it's all very subdued compared to how high the stakes got raised in later episodes in the show. Especially in the series finale.

And, I mean, c'mon. You're making Rapunzel an action hero?

Judy Hopps? Yes.

Moana? Maybe.

Raya? Most definitely.

But Rapunzel? The character who’s all about optimism and seeing the best of others. That's the character you're going to morph into a hero that fights against an evil demon laid dormant for years? Did you even watch the original movie? Yeah, sorry, but I just don't buy it.

If you want to tell an epic story that gets the blood pumping for fans addicted to adventure, go for it! See where the wind takes you. But make sure to set that tone as early as possible while also making sure that it fits with the characters. If not, the end result is a series that feels like it's trying to be something it’s not.

Eugene is Kind of an Idiot at Times: It should be noted that Movie-Eugene and Series-Eugene are practically two different characters. In the film, Eugene was more or less the straight man, as he often questions the wackiness in the world around him and keeping Rapunzel grounded in reality. For the series, most of that personality got transferred to Cassandra. Thus making Eugene's new role in the series act as the egotistical imbecile. Sure, he had those moments in the film, but not as frequently, and it really pains me when the writers really lean hard into a minor aspect of his personality. Sometimes there are moments when Eugene acts like his original self. But it's all small scenes that are spread apart with entire episodes where he has half a brain cell. I'm sure some people didn't mind this change to the character, but as someone who adores the movie version of Eugene, I can't help but feel disappointed.

The Villains are the Worst: Now, I don't mean the one-off villains that show up, cause some chaos for a bit, and disappear at the end of the episode. Those are characters with fun personalities, occasionally cool designs, and do their job as villains of the week. It doesn't matter if their motivations are laughably simple, as their purpose is to be enjoyable characters above anything else. So I actually enjoy those villains...it's the ones that act as season-long antagonists that really grind my gears.

The purpose behind these types of foes is to build up how evil they are throughout the season. The issue is that the writers try to give these characters, or at least two of them, a point. To be fair, this can work. Just look at Killmonger from Black Panther and sometimes Karli Morgenthau from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. You understand and probably even sympathize with the logic and reasoning these characters have. It's just that their actions couldn't be farther from what you would do. The problem with Varian and Cassandra is that they have the motivation, but it's not written suitably for the story.

Cassandra is a whole can of worms I'll get to in a minute, but Varian is someone I can easily discuss for a brief time. Because while I can comprehend his pain for having his father frozen in yellow rock, I don't think turning evil is the best decision to go with that character. Because A. Everything is his fault. He blames Rapunzel for not helping him, but even if she didn't have a crisis to deal with, there was nothing she could have done to stop it. His frustrations are not only unjustified, but given the fact that this wouldn't have happened if he listened to his father in the first place, it feels like him becoming evil is too drastic of a turn. And B. Varian worked much better as a supporting character rather than a primary antagonist. He was just this hopeful, if not a clumsy scientist who wanted to prove himself, who causes minor catastrophes due to not thinking ahead. Turning a character like Varian into a villain is a bit of a misstep because if the guy acts hilariously incompetent as a good guy, it makes little sense to have him be intelligent and ten steps ahead of Rapunzel when being evil. If he were to become more serious and careful when helping the rest of the main cast, I'd consider that character progression done properly. But becoming a villain is just an overreaction.

However, none of that compares with my issues with the main antagonist of the series: Zhan Tiri. This goes back to my problems with the series making itself too epic. Because if Zhan Tiri existed in any other show, I probably wouldn't have any problem with her. She's built up well throughout all three seasons and is kind of threatening at times. But she doesn't belong in a series based on a movie that dealt with a small, personal issue where it wasn't even the character who killed the villain in the end. It was her love interest and animal sidekick. Even if Zhan Tiri works well as a character, the fact that it doesn't feel like she belongs in the show makes her too distracting to enjoy. And that's why these villains suck. If not poorly written, they don't belong in a series that should focus on small-scale issues. And if you can functionally write an antagonist that appears for only one episode but flounder with ones that show up in several, well, that's just embarrassing.

Cassandra (Season 3): OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH BOY, do I have some words to express with this character. Like with Movie-Eugene and Series-Eugene, Cassandra from Seasons One and Two is frustratingly different from the psychotic IDIOT from Season Three. Basically, just take the issues I have with Varian, multiply them by ten, add them with some bafflingly stupid decisions, and you still wouldn't get how much Season Three-Cassandra frustrates me!

First off, her motivation...what the f**k were the writers thinking? The big reason why Cassandra betrays Rapunzel and motivates all of her misdeeds was that Cassandra's mother was Mother Gothal...EXPLAIN THAT LOGIC TO ME?! Because Cassandra should know what type of woman Mother Gothal was. She should know what Mother Gothal did to Rapunzel in the first eighteen years of her life. So how is Cassandra being abandoned by Gothal the central motivator to cut ties with Rapunzel, who is probably an even bigger victim in this scenario!? Seriously, Rapunzel was cut off from the rest of the world and treated as an unknowing prisoner because she was beneficial to Gothal. Cassandra was adopted into a household with mutual love and got to actually live her life. In no way does it make sense for her to be angry at Rapunzel.

Nor does it make sense that the writers try to play it off as a good thing in the song "Crossing the Line!" Sure, it sounds nice, but thematically, it gives across the opposite feelings that the audience should have. Because if Cassandra cutting ties with Rapunzel is meant to be tragic and awful, why is the music suggesting it's the best possible thing that's ever happened for the character? If you like the song, fine, but even you have to admit that it's thematic nonsense.

But, sure. Cassandra's evil now, and she considers it a good thing. Whatever. I'll take it as long as it leads to good stories...but here's the thing: In the penultimate episode before the three-part series finale, Cassandra asks a question. A question I would have never expected her to ask, despite everything that has happened in the last season. A question that was so baffling, I had to legitimately pause the episode to process the fact that she asked something so stupid. Because Cassandra, the character who is intelligent and grounded in reality, asked, "Am I the bad guy?"

I was honestly shocked to find out she was shocked! How, in the flying, everlasting, cock-a-doodle-doodling F**K does a person like her not pick up that maybe, just maybe, she isn't the hero in this story!? Call me crazy, but endangering the lives of people you once called friends and family, dressing in black, AND HAVING A GIANT EVIL-LOOKING TOWER MADE OUT OF F**KING SPIKES aren't qualities I would give to a hero!

If Cassandra was like Thanos, a character so wrapped up in his ego that he can't even notice how evil he is, I would understand. But she doesn't have an ego. Anger, yes. But for the most part, her personality is based on having logic and reasoning. So turning her into a villain and having her unaware that she's a villain is an act of lunacy that I am incapable of understanding. I don't know who's idea this was, but whoever is to blame...you've got issues.

>Sighs<...This series isn't good, is it?

IN CONCLUSION

I like the animation and some of the characters...but that's not enough. Tangled: The Series/Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure is a mess of a show that tries to do too much for a story that should have so little. Meaning that it's a D+ for me. I want to enjoy it and give it a higher grade, especially with how much I hear people praise this series. And if you do enjoy it, all the power to you. Your opinions are valid, even if I highly disagree with them. Because for me, this is a show that I won't get myself tangled up in again in the future.