#idk if it lines up exactly but when i listen to the ep i picture eira

[loreleilangenue]

eira hale is like if the darling violetta kill you ep was a guy

[skayafair]

The brainworms be brainworming

Note: I want to chat about junoverse! Hit me up if you do too!

It's funny how I expected to ship the hell out of the main pairing just to end up utterly inenterested :D

It's amusing and gives Juno a good character developement, but mostly it's just corroding. Also by all accounts Nureyev should have been the type of character who is usually interesting to me, but mostly I couldn't care less and was slightly annoyed in s5 (made sense tho, so not complaining). And I don't understand why he kept showing up in Juno's life and even offered to run away together just to do his worst to try and disappear for good when things started looking up and settling for them, the whole Dark Matters ordeal notwithstanding. Did he try to shake Juno off because he became scared that his feelings got too real for comfort and he couldn't just "file them away" anymore? Would he have abandoned Juno on some faraway planet if Juno didn't change his mind and actually went with him?

Maybe my attitude was partly why I was so delighted by the ending, except for the fact that it simply made the most sense and the stories rarely go this route in order not to upset the fanbase. Personally I'd have said Nureyev to get lost after the 2nd disappearance but luckily for Peter Juno has a different approach. And their relationship might have not gotten through to me, but I really liked how it was developed: I'm on aroace spectrum and "love from the first sight" sounds ridiculous to me. Attraction, I can believe in, love - nah, this thing's built over time and looots of effort. And that's what they've been doing over the seasons - building it. Juno's resolution - "if you can do this, we'll be together, someday in future, if you can't - I guess we just aren't compatible", his acceptance of the fact made me very glad to hear had to undergo a similar realization in the past. Do I need to say that to me the person behind that door in the last seconds of the episode was NOT Nureyev. Too early.

On a different note, what I wasn't satisfied with was Sasha's plotline. It feels unfinished. I kept expecting it to get its resolution as well, to make me sympathize with her (not justify her actions tho), and I guess Nightmare was supposed to be it, but she just confused me instead. I still don't understand what exactly this whole case meant. Why did she look exactly like young Sasha to Juno but like Juno - to Mick?

I mean... the way Sasha was erasing herself from existance just for Agent W to be the only one left, and with how often neometh was mentioned - and the super-drug they pumped Jet with? - I thought Slip would come into the picture too somehow. It seemed like there was a joint overarching plot for these two lines, but they ended up completely unrelated. And Juno said he needed to reflect on Sasha and understand her even after they shook the DM off of their tail, but I don't think this was developed? Idk. And what with all the hints of "you don't know what I've been through" from Sasha? Did I miss the elaboration? It just feels like her plot line was planned but scrapped at some point.

I've started to listen again since ep 1 and realized I don't enjoy the podcast as much as the 1st time until the Aurinkos come into the picture. All the previous episodes were good, don't get me wrong, - just not as interesting to me personally. So after a few episodes I skipped right to the middle of season 2 and wow. I didn't realize Jet to be THIS hilarious the first time! Now the actual fun begins <3

And since I've already started - Juno was very funny and sooo coherent back in the desert. "Leave me be! I'll die but at least I'll do this by my own will!.. oh shit this guy looks scary and like he'll kill me if I don't shut up right now, ok fine". Aw <3

I think this is the first time when I can actually remember how unreliable and overdramatic our narrator is, take his descriptions of any situations with a grain of salt and not even be annoyed at this :D

[grlfriends]

revolutionary girl utena review

ep 1-5

the plot is actually kinda different from what I thought ?? in my mind the plot was: utena was a girl in a princess school who each and every princess would be "conquered" (for a lack of better words rn) in a ceremonial duel by a prince who fancied them, maybe she didnt wanna wanna marry anyone or she liked Anthy already but anyway in my mind utena showed up in the ceremony with duel clothing and then, in a very brave tm like-scene, she would openly declare she refused to be conquered by anyone and tbh I'm not even sure how Anthy would come into the plot... but back into what actually happened in the episodes everything so far is very introductory and just showing what mechanics will be explored further down the line I think?? the op is really good too

also every boy so far reminds me so much of knights of the zodiac?? maybe it's just the design I guess...) and nanami can get these hands, jealousy is a disease and she's the sickest person on earth for all I know

dont ask me why bit I just feel like room of mirrors - gfriend has a very well fitting vibe for it but I'm not exactly sure why hm.... 🤔🤔

ep 6-12

ok so why does this school just have random animals around 😐 I could understand the horse but a bull and a kangaroo?? what ...

touga just says the most random dramatic things and then just casually says anyone who believes in friendship is a fool ?? the guy wouldnt last a day in the naruto universe tbh, he kinda irks me in some way but I'm not sure why so I'll live with this strange feeling for a while I guess

↳ okay so watching ep 10 made me especially kinda creeped out, I know I've watched only 10 eps so far but like can he fall downstairs and break a neck or something already ...

also haha what if I watched that bet on it fmv and gave myself a bunch of spoilers would that be funny or what 😍 this is why i cant have nice things yall.... hope my memory goes to shit when sleep so I dont remember about it this week while I finish it

I feel like the main thing on the episodes are parallels, one way or another I always feel like they're setting up parallels and giving me clues for a bigger picture and a deeper plot arc that is still to come and the bet on it fmv just made this impression stronger, also I wanna say it's done in a good way, one that is both mysterious (??) and "honey you've got a big storm coming" at the same time 🤔🤔 much to think about honestly

↳ just saw ep 11 and even though I already knew this was coming sooner or later it still felt like crap seeing utena lose to dick head, at the end of the episode when he says anthy was always just reflecting utena's own wishes for himemiya (in another way bc I dont remenber the exact words) it felt like 😐 bc yes I knew that (the way she was working her thoughts was simply a copy and paste of what utena was saying) at all time I kept those essays about anthy in my head, I dont think theyll be truly relatable to what I'm seeing rn but yeah anthy rights (even though I know you betray/cheat on utena down the line bc of the bet on it fmv but I'm sure you had your own motivation)

↳ saw ep 12 bc I just couldnt handle being in a cliffhanger and yeah it happened what I absolutely thought it would lmao not that it was that difficult to foresee but yeah, I kinda liked how utena did it for her instead of being like "oh I wanna save anthy from touga" and treating her like a damsel in distress (I know that's kinda her position as the rose bride for what I've been told so far and that this is a subject spoken about in many many essays on tumblr but yeah) bc so far she's been treated as a trophy and a way to get something else, for the green haired guy it was a way to see something eternal, for miki it was a way to hold on into his "shining thing" and for touga it seems (so far) like a way to manipulate (just like he does with nanami) and just mark his position as above everyone else as he seems to view himself?? man I might be saying random stuff rn but it kinda does makes sense in my mind with the information I've had to this point

ep 13-25

honestly 😐😐 through 9 whole episodes I felt like they were trying to make the side characters deeper and show their hidden face and motivations but it felt so shallow...... not even actually shallow, just not deep enough that it would make me care about these characters and the fact there was no actual build to showing us why we're getting to know these characters backgrounds was just kinda meh too, didnt really help that all episodes had all the same formula and the same timing just for the developers made in those episodes be forgotten at the end and also just that pink haired guy could be like "ah failure again", it felt like watching the same episode over and over again, it was really tiring and like?? girl help I do not care about these characters at all, I feel like it could have been done well (like the keiko ep in comparison to the furuba chapter that deals with the yuki appreciation (??) club president graduating.... the way this ep was done and setup didn't really bring me any emotions) overall not to my taste and tbh I feel like I could have skipped all those episodes except for maybe the miki and juri one so 😑

all nanami focused episodes are the worst so far, she's so boring and I cant stand now annoying she is, the diary episode?? the cow episode?? the episode when tsuwabiki fuels with utena?? honestly I know they're trying to show me a better and different side of her but it just doesnt!! work!! bc i feel no sympathy for her, my biggest wish rn is her and touga just disappearing and no more filler episodes🗣🗣

I thought akio was utena's prince?? but apparently he's just anthy's brother and like.. I'm do done with his little talks with utena and yadda yadda, I just wanna see their duel is that too much to ask I'm dying over here (if this lenga lenga continues until ep 25 i will be so mad bc why were so many episodes wasted on such boring and and not necessary side characters backstories?? idc about them at all man aaaaaaaaaa)

↳ ep 25 was good finally we got what we deserve boys 😭😭😭😭😭 can utena just beat up akio already I'm tired of his ass, he exhales both "I'm a feminist I even take women studies classes #herstory" and "if she breathes she's a thot" energy also he has 0 style that mullet is simply horrible I bet there's a hairstylist community who considers him a criminal bc like 😐 it is simply so bad (q bit less when it's tied up but when it's all lose jesus Christ)

also touga thinks he's suuuuch a genius, sooo smart like king, I do not care about you at all can you shut the fuck up please and can we tall about the pink haired guy episode?? wack. honestly thought it would be more emotional or something, I binge watched 12 episodes with his ugly haircut face and did not even feel a thing he can choke I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

ANTHY TAKING A SWORD OUT OF UTENA'S CHEST??? OSCAR WORTHY KINGS❗❗❗and then her lame ass brother being like "oh ho ho idk idk" shut up no one cares no one cares I swear to you no one cares shut uuuuup

ep 25-39

first of all, ep 25 was good but kinda reminded me of the nine episodes (13 until 21) where absolutely nothing interesting happened so I hope I'm wrong also can I just say just seeing the preview of the next episode made me roll my eyes so bad I almsot saw my brain?? bc yeah I'm fucking tired of nanami fosuced episodes she's so annoying oh my god nobody cares about a goddamn egg and much less one coming from her let her die or something pls she's so annoying there's nothing I've learned about her that was not against my own will I'm basically rotting over here 🤒

↳ ep 30 has me thinking Akio has a foot fetish or something 😐 bruh leave utena aloooooone I already know your plans and schemes you're not fooling anyone that's embarrassing for u and also... utena you're not very bright are you.... you start seeing every duelist you face with the same exact car and then when you see akio has the same car you didnt even stop to think about it that 1+1 equals 2 ... girl help yourself 😐

↳ yet again another nanami focused ep 😐😐😐😐😐 even though I do understand her better now I still don't find her particularly enjoyable to watch, call me a woman hater but like. idk she's still a bit annoying to me (but touga is straight up evil and is manipulating her so I feel bad for feeling like that tho.....)

↳ ok last 2 eps to go but listen. I thought the akio duel would have happened much sooner, maybe on ep 33 max but well didn't this age well lmao ngl, it did seem a bit too slow paced for my personal taste but also I feel like there's a certain level of drama that comes with slowing the pace down....

↳ aaaaaa yall I'm kinda 😢😭 over the ending omg........... even though it took the best of me to keep going in some parts I still enjoyed the ending aaaaa I thought i wouldnt really like it bc I just usually dont enjoy this type of ending but stil 😢😢😢😢 wait for me utena 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 girl I cried and then anthy walking in the end god utena and anthy holding hands 😭😭😭😭 akio can suck my dick

there's obviously many things I've missed or that I kinda didnt really pay attendance to so please dont take this serious, I was just writing as I watched the episodes so it's more like a thought compilation than anything, still I can see why there's many essays written about it and why it is held as a masterpiece by so many people

[jq37]

i know you posted your thoughts on the big arguing scene in “we need to talk about pete” but i was wondering if you were going to post a full breakdown? that episode was a lot and i love hearing your thoughts on eps. ignore this if you have done a breakdown and i’m dumb and just missed it lol

**spoilers for the war of bugs and rats and we need to talk about pete**

What’s up denizens of Magic NYC? Now, I unfortunately live in normal NYC where I have to pay bills and stuff so I’ve been MIA with recaps for the past few eps but, no sweat. We’re gonna do a double feature of the above two eps and then I’ll group in the last battle episode with the upcoming episode. So lets catch up on what’s been going on in The Unsleeping City There’s a LOT to get through so vámanos y'all.

First up, we have our big bug fight in Queens, which Sophie enters with a camelback full of box wine because Emily is Emily.

“I’ve heard of gentrification but this is crazy!”

Brennan enjoys making those gross, chittering, bug noises way too much.

Have we talked about Pete’s cowboy hat? Because, for real, what is up with Pete’s cowboy hat? It seems absolutely apropos of nothing. Was he just like, “Sick,” and he decided to wear it everywhere? That seems to be how he makes all of his decisions.

“Butthole 2: Electric Boogaloo.”

Emily clocks the cat *immediately*. Like to the point where I’m almost thinking, “Did this cat exist before Emily mentioned looking for one?” And I want to say yes because La Gran Gata seems very fleshed out, specific, and intentional. But folks, we are living in a post-Avanash world so idk what to think. (Edit: The cat does have a mini now that I’ve gotten to that but idk, that insert shot could have been shot post ep so like, who knows?)

Anyway, Emily’s entire mission objective immediately becomes saving this cat she’s vaguely aware of.  

“5E you crazy.”

The Cast, Knowing Emily just rolled a 25 and still has a 1d8 Bless in Her Back Pocket if She Needs It: Brennan, Just Ask.

The horror on Emily’s face when she realizes that she just called an attack on the cat cocoon.

So Emily goes off on a very Emily side quest to rescue a random cat but happens to unlock a very cool NPC–La Gran Gata–who is like the spirit of all the bodega cats out there. Sophie immediately calls upon the entirety of her limited Spanish skills to try and make friends with the cat, and succeeds.

The, “To arms, to arms my brothers!” thing kills me every time. Are all rats just Like That? Is that what they’re like when they’re out and about too?

Kingston rolling a nat 20 to literally walk across the store is wild.

Oh also, Pete failed a wild magic surge roll which just lets him fly. So far, those wild magic surges have really been working out for him.

Anyway, Bug Boss Becky turns Ricky into a “buff-ass” dog.

Zac playing dog-Ricky with almost exactly the same self-awareness (or lack thereof) as normal-Ricky is so funny. He’s an Akita and I was expecting Dalmatian but that makes sense too. Ricky, the very good boy, attacks Becky and–as a Sentinel–stops her in her tracks.

Emily does a ton of damage and Brennan, about to describe her attack, is like, “Are you still drunk?” Emily shuts down the opportunity to look cooler and is like, “I am a messy, drunk bitch. Describe that.” Emily isn’t here to be cool. Emily is here to roleplay.

I had never heard the word brindled before now and Brennan uses it to describe two separate animals in this ep.

Siobhan rolls a nat 20 to dispel magic on Ricky which is objectively good but also I would have loved for him to be a dog a little longer. Also, this moment makes me really, really want to get some backstory on Misty. Like, clearly there are some serious Fae Shenanigans going on with her and I need specifics yesterday.

Also, Ricky comes back with pointier ears and wolfier senses and I’m just picturing Channing Tatum in Jupiter Ascending.

Before I forget, Sophie, Pete, and Misty yoink magical items from the magic bodega within the bodega La Gran Gata opened up. Sophie’s is a magic ring that amps up her punches. Misty took a mirror and Pete took a grill (like for your teeth). Not sure what those do yet.

The fact that this whole fight wasn’t under the Umbral Arcana and there are people out there that remember is a little concerning for me. I can’t quite tell if it’s the sort of thing that will come back or more of a warning of what can happen if the U.A. goes down again.

Post-fight, Sophie asks La Gran Gata for mismatched David Bowie eyes like the cat has. Siobahn goes, “That’s what you’re gonna ask? You drunk bitch.” But Sophie has her wish granted. I’m sure that won’t raise any questions with people who have known her her entire life. 

“She’s gonna fuck that cat.”

So the fight’s over and they realize that the Key to the City is missing which I can’t imagine is a good thing.

This brings us to the RP ep, We Need to Talk About Pete, which picks up directly where the previous ep ended.

Ally and Emily go for the exact same joke of getting Guinness’s post-fight. Kingston–as a medical professional, Vox Populi, and sanest adult of this troupe–loudly objects (smacking the beers out of Pete’s hands multiple times) and wants to know what the hell is going on with the bugs they just fought.

Sidenote: Sophie took a level in Warlock with La Gran Gata as her patron because of *course* she did. I wonder if this was the plan from the beginning or if Emily was watching all her friends spellcasting and started getting the jitters from magic user withdrawal.

Murph’s “What?” face when Emily says, “I’ll be waiting, but not in an impatient, desperate way,” is gold.

They search the bodega and find a thing of 1000 Hour Energy and Kugrash gives it to Ricky over Pete’s objections. They also find Holy Grail Laundry Detergent (Kingston pays for it), The Grill I mentioned earlier (Kingston hates this), and this bagel. 

All the magic users show up. Alejandro wants an explanation pronto and everyone points a finger at Pete who explains everything in his typical, nonchalant, vague, kinda spaced out way which Alejandro is not digging at all. He starts to go off on the enormity of the situation and Pete starts dropping acid.

I’m gonna stop here for a sec to talk about how Ally is playing Pete. There are moments when I feel like Ally is doing something as a comedian for a bit. And there’s kind of a sense of, is this funny? Obviously. But what are the in game implications of this move? Like the running joke of Pete constantly being high on something is funny, out of game. But,  in game, it’s massively concerning. And I’m really curious about where Ally is choosing to draw the line between doing the funny thing and doing the prudent thing. I almost said the in-character thing but Ally made a character so consistently bonkers that whatever he does could plausibly be the in-character thing. Pete is kind of a massive disaster.

Anyway, Alejandro drives home the point that Pete’s actions have consequences and have caused actual deaths at this point. Pete’s magic is internally going wonky as he gets more distressed (I really wanted to see a wild magic surge fail here but alas). But he’s still outwardly like a 4 on the giving a damn scale when the situation is a 13 out of 10. Pete is only half listening to this because he’s halfway out the door, smoking. Alejandro plans with Kingston to discuss Pete later.

Misty, always sowing seeds of chaos, suggests Alejandro stock up on Juul pods before they stop selling them completely. Kingston hates this (this is basically his mood for the episode).  

Outside, Pete gets a text from Priya which ends with them planning a meet up for later after leaving her on read for a while. Pete dips without saying anything to anyone but Kingston who ignores him (and also Sophie who Emily hilariously guilts Ally into including out of character). Dipping on the conversation about how to fix YOUR mess isn’t the wisest move but Pete isn’t the wisest guy.  

In the meantime, Ricky does the Twilight Bark to summon a dalmatian (yes!) to help him find the stolen key to the city. Kugrash turns into a busted ass dalmatian who has trouble keeping up.

Ricky doesn’t have the plate mail armor that usually makes a Paladin so unstealthy but he is so hot as to have the same lack of stealthiness which is one of my favorite adaptations of the game for this setting. Anyway, Ricky does the superhero thing of running through the city, helping everyone with a problem along the way, and loses the key in the Financial District which smells like death (feels about right).

Siobahn playing Misty as, “Oh, I can’t believe I didn’t realize it was Emma Lazarus,” when, in reality, she was the first person who made the connection was great. S/o to ppl who separate player and character knowledge. Misty partied w/ Emma of course because she partied with every historical figure that’s passed through NYC since she showed up.

Post adventure, people need to go to their day jobs. Misty has a +10 to performance but rolling a 3 is rolling a 3. It’s not her best work. Later, her assistant brings her holly, silver, and assorted other stuff which sounds like Fae BS if I’ve ever heard it. Misty cuts her off before she can elaborate more. I know we’re getting a secret spilling episode next time so I’m really hoping we get some Misty lore because she is being frustratingly cagey. She talks so much but says so little that means anything.

Kugrash sneaks into his son David’s house (while Emily learns a rat fact she clearly didn’t want to know) and Murph  and Brennan tag team go for the proverbial emotional jugular.

Murph rolls a nat 20 on his investigate and so he gets a lot of his old files and puts together that Robert is Robert Moses–a famous historical figure in NY who I actually heard about for the first time very recently. Or maybe I should say infamous. He did a lot with NY infrastructure–especially highways–(Emily connects this to the Highway Hex immediately) and he wasn’t exactly the warm and fuzzy type. His bread and butter was working the system. There’s a Pulitzer winning book called The Power Broker about how he was able to amass power and influence. I don’t know enough about NY history to run my mouth off about the guy but the little I do know is in character with his T.U.S. incarnation. Also, just FYI, irl this dude died in the 80s. So, you know. That’s interesting.

Brennan, I guess: Why invent new bad guys when history is full of terrible people I just have to give magic to?

Brennan, continuing his tradition of letting people get emotionally destroyed by nat 20s, has Murph find a crushing letter from David to Kug which was never mailed.

Note: So, as I was writing this, my video timed out right at the line, “I don’t expect this letter to find you before my funeral,” which is kinda good bc idk if this is what I need at 1 AM. Anyway, back to the pain.

The letter reveals that David has devoted his life to stopping crooks like him (Kug) and that he’s mostly upset about how his leaving has affected the younger, more fragile Wally.

“I leave the letter because I’ll remember it.” Yeah I bet you will.

It looks like Kug is gonna confront Wally next ep which I am now even more excited to see.

So let’s move onto the SECOND big gut-punch of the episode. Kingston goes down to the station to give a statement about the Santa Incident. He sees a shit elemental in a lineup which isn’t super relevant to the main events but I can’t not mention something like that.

Anyway, guess what? Kingston’s ex (Liz) isn’t dead! She’s an attorney for the justice system of The Unsleeping City and she’s pissed the hell off. During their interview, he stops the tape recorder to cuss out Kingston for going on a “date” with Misty and for getting her involved in all the magical junk which means she has to do things like fingerprint shit elementals instead of being on track to be D.A. like she originally was. The way she described it made it sound like she was press ganged into it which seems like it shouldn’t be how this works, you know? Is there no blue pill option here? Also, not to be all grass is greener but I actually am a lawyer in NY (closer to Kug’s job, minus the crime) and I would swap with Liz in a heartbeat.

The fact that anything Kingston says as Vox is per se admissible is a cool detail. 

Sophie fights an old man (Jackson) in a CVS and joins a monastery which sounds like a shitpost but it isn’t. With La Gran Gata’s blessing she is now a member of the Order of the Concrete Fist.

I saw the Staten Island joke coming the second Brennan started talking but it was still hysterical when it landed.

At the same time, Pete is getting knuckle tats because, sure. And he also goes to see Priya who I am baffled was with him for any length of time. Maybe it’s the artist thing?

Also, Sophie keeps postponing her meeting with Mario which is concerning to me. The story is still happening when you’re not interacting with it. Brennan specifically said when she texted him that she got no response which doesn’t make me feel good about what’s going on with him.

Ricky has three super jacked, fratty firefighter bros, all named John who are like woke as hell. I wish I could follow the dude around for a day because every single facet of his life is wild.

Well, this episode promised we were gonna talk about Pete so let’s talk about Pete.

The gang, sans Pete, meet up with the magical powers that be to discus the destruction the newest Vox his leaving in his wake.

Sidenote, wild that Sophie has been magic for like 15 minutes and got to go to this meeting.

Alejandro wants to know what the plan is for if Pete’s powers go off the rails again. Kingston, who has clearly seen Old Yeller, offers the most drastic solution immediately: if it comes to it, we take him out. (Cut to Ally’s “Yikes” face). Kug, Sophie, and Ricky push back on that.

Misty, hilariously (and also suspiciously), is mainly concerned about NY because she needs theater to keep happening. This woman is chaotic something and I’m not convinced it’s chaotic good yet.

Anyway, I already did my big write-up on this part of the episode, but I’ll say it again: Kingston is right. He’s harsh but he’s right. This is some Phoenix Force BS that’s happening and do you know how that arc ends (the OG one, not the million other Phoenix Sagas that have happened since)? It ends with Jean Grey killing herself so she doesn’t lose control and eat another planet. Ricky is too dangerous for his own good and he doesn’t seem to have the emotional maturity to care (or at least to care at the correct level). Like, he was a drug dealer when this started which is already not ideal. He caused a huge mess and then just bounced without trying to help fix it. He thought that a week was enough time for human casualties to be water under the bridge. Frankly, not considering the nuclear option and just having to figure out if killing him is something the group is willing to do on the fly would be the more irresponsible option.

And not including Pete in the discussion would bother me more if he hadn’t openly blown off every serious discussion people have tried to have with him so far. If he’s not going to take things seriously, it makes sense they don’t invite him to the serious discussions.

The version of this story where Pete accidentally gets a bunch of people killed, finds out what he did, cries about it for a full day, and then finds out they’re talking about possibly killing him is a story where Pete is more sympathetic imo. But still, finding out that people talked about killing you under any circumstances has got to be rough.

IMO, the order of things that should be done right now are (1) putting magical training wheels on Pete, (2a) getting Pete trained or his powers transferred if it’s possible/he wants out, (2b) either way, getting Pete into therapy (like, he needed therapy before he got magic. now it’s just a matter of life and death–besides just his own), (3) talking to Pete again about the stakes and telling him point blank but not in while heated that there’s the possibility of a scenario where his powers go out of control and you have to understand that at that point it’s a matter of saving as many lives as possible. Like, Kingston can say, with conviction, “If I go rogue, you should do the same to me.” They’re in the same boat. Kingston’s just been rowing longer. Well, similar boats anyway. I imagine the Vox Populi powers are less inherently chaotic. And maybe the knowledge that a nuclear option is on the table would make Pete not want the job or want him to have his powers muted or something. Cool. Then you have that discussion at that point. Just, these are the conversations that need to happen. And maybe his own mortality will be the thing that helps get Pete’s head in the game. 

What jewel did Ale take out of his pocket during this conversation? Taking note of that. (Juul, not jewel. Duh. Thx thethief )

Pete gets in touch w/ Alejandro’s granddaughters who tell him that Alejandro’s still pretty pissed (which is surprising to Pete but like, bro. People died). Then, Robert shows up to sweet talk Pete and show him the video (that he somehow has) of Kingston talking at the Pete Meeting. When I was watching this the first time I was like, “How long before this blows up in their face–oh, almost immediately. Cool.”

He takes Pete to his vampire nightclub and hits him with Pete’s own “I didn’t create the demand” line that you just know Brennan put a pin in to hit Pete with that Uno Reverse card.

Robert tries to get Pete to summon Nod and then just does it forcibly with some kind of blood magic when Pete is hesitant. Pete wild magic surges, kills a bunch of vamps, and Nod (super injured by being in the waking world) teleports them both to the subway.

The group (including Alejandro) meets them there so they can catch the L train to Nod but Epona shows up. And you already know from Fantasy High that Brennan is on the ACAB train (or is that AFCAB?). Epona is now wearing a crooked badge–crooked badge for a crooked cop. She wants Nod. No can do. The gang gets ready to–to quote Mr. Cubby-make some bacon while Alejandro tries to cast a spell to summon a train to Nod (the place not the person).

So I’ll see y’all next time (whenever that is) for some subway fighting and some backstory unlocking! 

[hotdadlicense]

salty ask list 4, 7, 9, 14 and 17 (XYZ is lawsuit) for 9-1-1- tv show?

4. do you have a notp in your fandom? are they a popular otp?

no! so far i'm vibin pretty much everything that's going on which is NICE.

7. Is there anything you used to like but can’t stand now?

NO. though, tbf, i have NOT finished yet and therefore also, have not done a rewatch. and that's usually where i form my more Concrete opinions.

9. most disliked character(s)? why?

okay i don't necessarily dislike any characters so far?? some character sometimes do Things and i'm like hmmmm what the fuck. maybe Don't. but overall i'm having fun and not like, actively tuning out when certain characters come on screen. which is RARE.

if i had to pick ONE, like just pick ONE that i'm slightly SLIGHTLY less endeared with currently? uh eddie. idk WHY okay i literally can't think of why. just something in the past season or so has made me be like hmmmmmmm. but also i love him. but i could love him more, y'know.

14. unpopular opinion about your fandom?

i actually haven't ventured out to any 911 blogs! which is surprising. everything i see about 911 comes from the same like 4 people that i follow that post it so i'm not up to date on the Fandom Drama and Discourse and honestly. it's so nice. love that.

17. instead of [lawsuit mess] happening, I would have made [answer] happen…

kasjhfjkasdhkj okay i am SO sorry about ur hatred of that whole plot line. like i hated it too but like. only simply becos i HATE Family Divided. Found Family Fighting. but honestly due to the fact that i know jackshit about lawsuits and lawyers and court etc etc?? the technical details about all of it barely even made an impact on me askjfksakhd i'm SORRY!

okay i haven't really done a Deep Dive on the Emotional Spectrum of what buck was ~going through~ for that entire debacle but like. there was the earthquake then there was the truck on his leg and he was off work and he was feeling like actual shit and he wasn't! allowed! to work! to be with his family! and they all kept turning him away! like yes, it was for his own good becos, injured, but like. it's BUCK! kids got abandonment issues and family trauma and is the type of person that NEEDS attention and reassurance and like. physical shows of affection. then there was the tsunami and losing christopher and then there was the blood clots at his welcome back party and he was turned away again???? i think there was some more hospital time? my memories getting hazy here but basically buck got kicked like. multiple times while he was already down.

and like the others were trying to show they cared by like. making him not work???? my memories of this specific part are NOT there becos with that plot i was like no lmao i'm not fucking watching until everyones reunited so if this is incorrect, forgive me, but everyone was like 'buck, no. u cant be here.' and buck was all 'bros i Need to be here. i NEED it.'

like they were all trying to SHOW each other how much they cared whilst also NOT LISTENING to each other. DECIDING things for each other instead of establishing some fucking open communication. so BUCK fucking sued them. which, okay drama king. and yes luc, he did it terribly. he did it in a way that no legal binding contract lawyer etc would work but. it's a drama show so that barely pinged my radar, i'm sorry, my dear.

SO BASICALLY all this to say that if EYE was in charge here and writing the story and laying down the ideas and storylines and character arcs, and we HAD to have buck sue them for like idk. the higher ups constant need to always divide The Family on Found Family Shows. then i GUESS we could keep MOST of it the same but instead, and luc omg ur absolutely gonna hate this, but instead!

instead of everyone kinda living in their own lanes and focusing on their own shit (which totally justified and fair btw! deal w ur shit, kids!) maybe if they all kinda looked around and were like 'oh damn. we're falling to bits here.' then MAYBE! if SOMEONE! from the firefam went knocking on bucks door to TALK to him.

and maybe if buck was all "actually, my lawyer said i'm to have no contact with anyone that i'm suing." cos he's such a law abiding citizen etc as we been knew. obviously.

okay THEN if said firefam member was like "oh, cool. they can forcibly remove me from the premise when they get here, then! any who! until then-" holds up some takeaway boxes, "dinner. can probably fit in an episode of [dumb cooking show here] as well. maybe Talk." and just barges in and settles on the couch.

and they TALK. and it's not deep and it does Not get to the root of the problem but it's a fucking START.

then two nights later, maybe a different firefam member shows up, same opening line at the door, and buck tries to get them to leave again, but like, he's barely putting up a fight. maybe the talk circles a little closer to The Issues this time.

maybe another firefam member a few nights later, but this time instead of trying to sort BUCKS Current Life State, they focus on said firefams Current Troubles. some give and some take.

maybe eddie DOES call buck to bail him out of jail. becos they've been in fucking CONTACT. maybe hen vents about her and karens current struggles and doesn't exactly ask, or listen, to bucks advice but like, it's good to TALK and she likes some perspective.

again, my memories of the other plotlines in these eps are HAZY at best and imdb is NOT helping me so disregard pretty much all of this if it DOESN'T make sense. but i just think it'd be neat if they fucking talked. if they sorted some shit out organically. i THINK i understand why buck jumped the gun and was like fuck it! let's sue! but i'd need a rewatch to like. have more concrete thoughts about it all.

BUT HONESTLY. if we could just get that shot of the lawyer telling buck what will happen if he goes thru with Suing them, including how he won't be able to have contact with anyone, and then we had a shot of buck showing up at bobby's. but instead of handing him the serve or what the fuck ever he did, instead! we got buck like, breaking down or something. like if suing was a close call but just didn't happen and instead buck like, took some time to THINK things through in the Big Picture way instead of the I'm Sick And Tired Of Always Being The One Fucking Suffering way and then we jump to the communicating and making up and there's no everyone vs buck, buck vs everyone thing??? that'd be just so much fucking better imo.

[deevolutionisreal]

Be Stiff EP

The canonical version of this post appears at https://de-evolution.band/article/be-stiff-ep/

Chris: Alright, let's tackle the B Stiff EP in 3. 2. 1. Go!

Jocko Homo

Jon: Very stripped down still. Demo-ish. Lovably raw.

Chris: Yeah. Pretty close to the album version instrumentation-wise.

Jon: Yeah.

Chris: You can hear the grit on the tape.

Jon: Oh definitely. The four notes seem different. Off key.

Chris: Yeah. I agree.

Jon: The LP has them in key I think.

Chris: They seem like a insane steel drum.

Jon: Haha yeah.

Chris: Like, the steel drum lost it's mind.

Jon: Some abrasive old synth.

Chris: Yeah.

Jon: I think this version has the extra, "rhyme in a riddle" part…?

Chris: Yeah. Unlike some of the other old versions, this one's tempo seems pretty close to the album cut.

Jon: True true.

Jon: YES. O HI O.

Chris: 😃 That's not in the album version.

Jon: I prefer it with that line. Was always sad they didn't do it on the LP. Was that Eno's suggestion…? Or maybe they didn't wanna be The Akron Band anymore.

Chris: Yeah who knows. I also prefer the faster talk for the ape stuff.

Jon: Yeah.

Chris: The whooshing sound is also different.

Jon: Mm…Overall, not super different, but enough to so pick out a couple things. I don't have much to say, sadly. Other than, "It whips ass, like all versions tend to."

Chris: Haha yeah, absolutely! We can talk more about it when we do the LP version.

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

Jon: Slower for sure.

Chris: Yeah, sounds slower, but otherwise, God damn close to the LP.

Jon: Cleaner than the demo I think though? But similar.

Chris: Yeah. Def cleaner. A good midway point between the demo and the final cut.

Jon: Did I ever mention the story of Mick clearing the cover?

Chris: No, I don't know the story.

Jon: I guess the record execs or whoever played it and he got up and danced around to it excitedly.

Jon: I forget what he said but it was a cute story / worth googlin'.

Chris: Haha oh man! I'll have to check that out.

Jon: I feel like the bloopy synth counterpoint lines in this are more muted. They're shriller/more up front in the LP/demo. IIRC.

Chris: Yeah.

Jon: Although now I wish I had notes in front of me, haha.

Chris: They're higher and more ethereal.

Jon: The baby baby baby's aren't as challenging at this speed. Also. Haha.

Chris: 😆 yeah. Speeeed that shit up! But man, overall this is so damn close.

Jon: Right? This is like a dry run for the debut LP.

Chris: They put an echo on the vocals near the end.

Jon: True. Also I think it's supposed to segue right into Be Stiff. I forgot that part. A nice touch IMO.

Chris: Yeah, it goes right in.

Be Stiff

Jon: Faster than on Hardcore. And less cartoony voices calling out the countdown.

Chris: And more aggressive vocals. Yeah exactly. The high guitar is more cartoony.

Jon: But I dig it/am confused why this wasn't a bigger song. Or maybe it was! Namesake after all.

Chris: Yeah I'm not sure. It might have gotten overshadowed by other cuts on the first LP.

Jon: But people never talk about it. Fun fact: Toni Basil covers it on the album that has Mickey. And Space Girl Blues from Hardcore.

Chris: I've heard that version! It's very interesting.

Jon: It's a trip, yeah! I definitely wanna compile all the Devo-adjacent projects out there. Martini Ranch and whatnot.

Chris: Yeah I'm into that. This version feels more angry.

Jon: Yeah. Less horny and more urgent.

Chris: Yeah.

Jon: Maybe still quite horny though. Actually. Never not horny, these lads.

Chris: You can never tone that down too much. I hear the bass part higher in the mix as well.

Jon: Ends just as abruptly though.

Chris: Lol yep.

Jon: I remain a fan of this song.

Jon: Weird lyrics and all.

Chris: Likewise.

Jon: Wet Women and Fruit Ooze and all.

Chris: It's really catchy.

Jon: Definitely harkens back to blues/rock. That descending main riff.

Chris: Yeah, this version for sure. Makes you sing that whack-ass shit to yourself.

Jon: Hahaha yes. Little Richard shoulda covered this.

Chris: That would have been awesome. Get on it Little Richard!

Jon: If Fats Domino can drop covers of Lady Madonna and Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey, why not this.

Chris: It's also interesting that they joined this with satisfaction but re-arranged the song order for the LP.

Jon: Yeah, and this isn't even on Q&A at all. Which boggles the mind. Maybe this EP was the "single" for it? IDK.

Chris: Yeah, it's on Duty, right?.

Jon: It isn't on any LP. It's on this. And compilations/Hardcore.

Chris: Oh shit, huh.

Jon: Right?? So weird…

Chris: I must have listened to CDs with bonus tracks. Because I def remember hearing this on one of those.

Jon: That would make sense. That's a relief at least.

Mongoloid

Chris: A little slower, I think?

Jon: The bass line remains badass as it sneaks up on you.

Chris: Oh hell yeah.

Jon: Slower than the LP, about the same as Hardcore I think.

Chris: Yeah. The guitar sound sounds cool and compressed. Like it's coming from a drive thru speaker.

Jon: Hahaha. Yeah I love the overall sound of it. I think they'd take that as a compliment.

Chris: I meant it as such. Ooh, more space noises.

Jon: Yeah they're going hogwild on this one. I'm into it!

Chris: Hell yeah. Sounds like a cartoon alien from a 50s era Saturday morning special landed. The cymbal crashes are so soft. Much softer than the rest of the drums.

Jon: Yeah. It's weird what they choose to be subtle with.

Chris: That "wakka wakka" guitar in the background is great.

Jon: Hell yes.

Chris: Almost giggling background vocals.

Jon: I also love the drunk sounding synth notes. Like they're trying so hard to hit the right notes.

Chris: Haha.

Jon: They're me at karaoke.

Chris: Yeah exactly. I can attest to this. Jon is an early Devo synth note at karaoke.

Jon: BwahhhhhHHHHHHHH. I'll get there if I strain.

(I Saw My Baby Gettin') Sloppy

Jon: Hesitant start.

Chris: Ha yeah. Some drum hits.

Jon: But I like the vibe. The synth once against sounds like an old VHS distro animation.

Chris: Ha yes. The guitars are almost jangly.

Jon: Yeah! These are some conventional pop guitars.

Chris: The vocals sound like they're in another room. Like he's yelling from behind the band.

Jon: If you're gonna have passable guitar, you need to go sing in the hall to make up for it.

Chris: Interesting different rhythm for WHOLA.

Jon: Yeah! They put a little stank on it.

Chris: Ha yeah. Exactly.

Jon: He's also selling the words more.

Jon: BRAND NEW CAR. He's pissed.

Chris: Yeah, he's really going for it. The second track here that's more pissed.

Jon: Yeah! The BE PISSED E.P.

Chris: Haha.

Jon: Ends just as abruptly as ever. Glad to see these choices were firm early on.

Chris: Lol yep! Stake out your brand!

Social Fools

Jon: They sped this way up. Straight up punk pogo tune this time around. Less of a cautious anthem.

Chris: Yeah exactly. Driving drumbeat right up front.

Jon: Also less weird synths.

Chris: The bridge is less ominous. But yeah, almost a punk song.

Jon: Yeah. Less sincere "pleading parent" bits too. Or just faster maybe.

Chris: Yeah, it goes by quicker so it doesn't sink in as much on that level? But a lot more danceable.

Jon: Whoa, that compressed drum fill.

Chris: Yeah that was nuts.

Jon: Yeah I have to wonder if this is more subversive in its slickness. Solo still rips. Thankfully.

Chris: Yeah it's great.

Jon: I don't think Devo gets enough credit for badass lead guitar parts/their conventional instruments in general.

Chris: Totally agreed.

Jon: People always wanna talk synthesizers and energy dome hats.

Chris: Exactly. I don't think Devo gets credit as musicians in general.

Jon: Yeah they're extremely sick, and that took me by surprise when I got into them in depth.

Jon: This is the END! Of this E.P.

Chris: And they end the EP with that!

Jon: I always liked that little ending. That's all for now / that's all we know.

Chris: Yeah it's great.

Jon: Good way to end any communique.

Chris: I'm pissed they didn't end every release that way haha.

Jon: Haha seriously. I wish presidents said shit like that. OK THAT'S ALL WE HAVE FOR DATA BYE.

Chris: I really enjoyed that EP. I don't think I've ever listened to it as a whole.

Jon: Yeah it's good shit! I definitely wish it got discussed more. And maybe it does and I'm just a hermit.

Chris: I'm living in the same hermitage, then, my friend. Still nuts that B Stiff isn't anywhere.

Jon: Right? I can see why like, Total Devo isn't on Spotify. But this? This owns.

Chris: Oh yeah, it totally does. Maybe it was a rights issue? Different label? How wide a release did this get?

Jon: Good point, yeah. I'm not sure if this was WB or not. They were on Stiff in the UK for a while. Coincidence name wise, I think. But other artists all covered that song, for that label. Seemingly.

Chris: Huh. I looked it up and this was a Stiff UK release.

Jon: And they had "Booji Boy Records" but I think that was a Stiff or WB imprint meant to feign bootleg/indie coolness aesthetically. With the Mechanical Man single and whatnot.

Chris: Right right. Maybe Stiff kept the rights to the song Be Stiff. Because after this EP they put out the Mechanical Man EP, right?

Jon: I think so! I forget honestly, the chronology of it.

Chris: Or, is that a bootleg?

Jon: Nah it's official but meant to look sloppy. Pun INTENDED, BITCH.

Chris: Haha! Well that was thoroughly enjoyable.

Jon: Yeah! This was fun.

[pigfarts23]

Probably sound like a madman, but hear me out

Each character’s song represents them, through and through. (I’m just doing the 6 from the GPF because know most about them (except maybe Otabek but like ... we don’t know much about him #littlescreentime)

How? Well  (TIME FOR SOME PROOOOOF)

This got hella long.  TL;DR: the YOI creators knew where they were going with their characterizations and managed to convey this through each of the program’s music

Details under the cut.

Viktor’s First skate: Stammi Vicino

We first are introduced to this character with a self assured “Commemorative photo?” after he comments on Yuri’s program at the GPF. But his first skate we see actually gives us a deeper insight into who he was at the beginning of the series.

I mean, this doesn’t scream “I’M SO PUMPED BECAUSE I KNOW I’M GONNA WIN” this is like “wow i’m all alone this kinda sucks”.

At this point, we have concluded he was lonely, what with all the meta on how empty and cold his apartment looks; there’s no personal effects, and it was noted that he was able to pack up everything in about a week. 

Yuuri’s SP: On Love: Eros

Now I know all of you are like: wtf?

But hear me out. After the events of ep 10, we know that Yuuri has this locked up personality that he lets loose for people he’s close to, when he’s on the ice, or when he’s incredibly drunk (Kids don’t drink 16 glasses of champagne. The outcome is bad; if you don’t have alcohol tolerance you’ll barf your guts out before passing out or if you do you’ll end up pole dancing and not remember the night at all THIS HAS BEEN A PSA). 

(side note: DAYYYUM SON)

Celestino, as a coach, has picked songs he feels like Yuuri would skate to, which means they were probably very much like Yuuri himself; reserved, quiet, witty, determined, etc. All of this eros is held back by an incredibly vulnerable Yuuri who wants to get through life while rocking the boat as little as possible. So the fact that Viktor comes along and says “Ah yes you’re skating to this.” he was like wtf. But this is truly him and everything he wishes he could be - confident, sexy, someone who is equal to Viktor in every way.  

(That’s my theory on why he was insistent he make Yuri on Ice equal difficulty to Viktor’s program)

Yuri’s FP -  Yuri On Ice 

OK 

So.

As said by the commentators, this song was used by Yuuri to express the different types of loves he feels. As you watch, he mentions all the feelings etc. etc.

But - Love. 

Yuuri has finally gotten love. It’s why the FP was record breaking. He’s gone and he’s fallen in all sorts of love with everyone. Don’t get me wrong - I’m not saying he’s just discovered love. He’s loved his family and friends and we get to see that in all the interactions he has with them, which is wonderful. But he finally realises that they love him as much as he loves them. Which makes him fill with more love and determination.

Not only that, but this piece is kinda.... a walk down memory lane. He’s gotten someone to capture his career, and if you listen to the music, it tells you exactly where he was dragged down and how he was able to rebuild himself and become even stronger. This song is Yuuri summed up in 3 minutes. You listen to that, and you know exactly who he is.

Yuri’s SP - On Love: Agape

Yuri is innocent and pure and for some reason, his Russian team (and the Hero of Kazakhstan along with Japan’s top figure skater) all love him.

Ahem. 

There’s no other way to put this. Yea ok he’s angry and yells and likes to threaten people (I mean.. same), but he’s very much like a kitten - he can really do no harm. 

(He’s got nicer hair than I do (also look at how innocent he looks)).

But Yuri is very innocent. He’s only 15 years old, and sure, he’s travelled the world. But he hasn’t seen much of the real world. His entire life is figure skating. He eats, breathes, and sleeps it. So he lives in what essentially can be considered a bubble. 

To the real world - he’s an innocent bean (it’s probably why they call him the Russian Fairy). And I think that he knows this, which is why he postures so much; all that anger and aggression keeps people away, like it kept Yuuri away at first, so that no one knows how young he really is (even though they say his age at every skating event).

Yuri’s FS - Allegro Appassionato in B Minor (RIP pianist)

To start, I’m going to translate this name (I don’t speak Italian, but I have studied music for the last 16 years AND I did ballet for 10 years, so I do know what these terms mean). 

Allegro - the musical definition is bright, quickly, lively. However! In ballet, the term is the same, but it is applied to airborne movements (side note I just rewatched his ep 12 skate trying to get a good photo and he actually adds in a quad! So he’s airborne! ish!)

Appassionato - passionately; play with passion.

(if this doesn’t scream PASSION i don’t know what does)

But Yuri is passionate. He’ll fight for what he believes in, as commented on by Otabek’s monologue (”Yuri Plisetsky had the eyes of a soldier”) and, I’ll bet someone dinner at a place of my choosing, he’ll fight for anyone he accepts into his family. This boy just has so much passion for figure skating (and cats. Definitely loves cats.) that it’s absolutely incredible - it’s something that can’t be contained and yes, he has to work for it, but with that passion, drive and determination he has, this song is essentially all him. 

Phichit’s SP - Shall We Skate?

This pure bean.

Honestly, just listening to the music, you get a sense of who Phichit as a person really is. He’s upbeat, enthusiastic, (JUST LIKE THE MUSIC!!) and overall he just seems like the type of person who can just make you smile purely by existing.

He’s encouraging and supportive and I think he was skating as the Skater, because the lyrics tell us the King was trying to learn to skate. The skater, much like Phichit, is showing the King how to skate, and basically being the best cheerleader in the world as the King skates.

Yuuri and him were roommates in Detroit; Phichit would have been incredibly supportive and encouraging because he’s the Purest Cinnamon Roll Ever.

He’s just so fucking supportive idk what else to say ok.

Phichit’s FS - Terra Incognita

So this piece is also upbeat and features a relatively happy overall mood. It’s somewhat inspired by South East Asian music (I’m not sure what part of South East Asia, but I feel that Indian vibe to it) which I really enjoyed.

But again, this just summarises the picture we’re given of Phichit. Granted this is all painted from Yuuri’s POV, who is literally the most unreliable narrator. But that one bit we got from Viktor regarding Phichit shows that Viktor actually is in agreement with Yuuri’s ideas.

So from that, we can conclude that Phichit is incredibly supportive and loving, not just to his friends, but to people who his friends love as well.

Chris’ SP- Intoxicated

So the first opening bit reminded me of Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On. But once I got over that, this song is sexy, and sauve, just as we all know (and love) Chris to be.

This piece kinda .. flows, for lack of a better word. To be honest, listening to this song when I’m not looking at this dork’s face (or butt) makes me think of those scenes where the dude emerges from the water, and we get a slow close up of a drop of sweat falling down his chest or smth.

This song, at the very essence, is exactly who Chris is. He’s confident, mature, and just oozing sexual pleasure. It’s a nice contrast to Yuuri’s Eros, which wasn’t as sophisticated as this one is. This is essentially pleasure after pleasure, all done so well and controlled, all to ensure that the partner (in this case, the audience) is getting as much pleasure out of it as possible.

And not only that - we know Chris actually wears glasses, but it doesn’t appear he wears them in public, which means there’s a vulnerable part of him that he doesn’t want the world to know, so he shows his sexual appealing side and keeps his vulnerable side for his super close friends and fam.

Chris’ FS - Rapsodie Espagnole 

So as anyone can tell you, Spanish songs are full of passion. This one is no different.

As is this man. God the passion this man has... incredible.

Chris is a man extremely comfortable with his sexuality, and he’s very comfortable and confident with who he is.

That’s all I can add on for him because we don’t get much of Yuuri’s thoughts re: Chris to be able to see another side of him apart from the super comfortable with his sexuality version.

AND FINALLY: (I’m not doing Otabek I can’t do him justice if someone else wants to analyse his music (he was the only one who didn’t get original music (BEETHOVEN ASSHOLES) for both his free skates)) 

JJ’s SP - Theme of King JJ  (his song is hella freaking catchy)

Right of the bat, in both the song and the anime, we’re introduced to JJ as a man who’s exceptionally arrogant. He sees himself as someone who essentially rules figure skating.

And it’s interesting that we get a bit of that feeling as well from Yuuri.

This song and JJ are both incredibly arrogant - his song (presumably sung and written by him) talks about how amazing he is, and how no one can catch them. He taunts people, saying “Catch me if you can” and that’s exactly what he does to Yuri at the Skate Canada medal ceremony. “I look forward to climbing the podium again with you in Russia.”

He’s loud, brash, and an incredible show off, which is exactly what this song shows.

(I didn’t have to look up any of these quotes o hm ygod why am I JJ trash it must be Canada Pride)

JJ’s FS - Partizan Hope

So this piece is completely different from the last one. It starts off differently slowly and with just a piano.

The feel is completely different. To be honest, I get the shot of a person triumphantly crossing the finish line of a race in slow mo while this plays in the background.

The feeling of how he skates is completely different as well. It’s more triumphant, less arrogant.

Confident. JJ is a confident person, something the music reflects earnestly. And he knows he’s going to win, so he just skates for the fun of it. He’s not taken no for an answer, and because of that, he’s built up quite the character of fighting for he wants just by being loud, brash and opinionated (something that will get you strange looks on a Canadian bus, fun fact).

This confidence is hidden behind his outgoing self, which you can hear very clearly in this piece (probably why they put it second, because the ISU regulations RE: times would make sense for them to reverse this order of pieces).

“Ok, so I read all that. You’re right. What’s your point?”

Wow thanks for asking that! 

This is my point. 

Viktor’s second skate: Duet - Stay Close to Me

This is an absolutely incredible transformation - we know the songs of the characters represent who they really are. As a result, not really seeing Viktor skate competitions and then suddenly see him skate this, a song filled with so much hope and love (I was actually crying when this aired because the emotions were too much in this piece); the loneliness of the violins has been replaced with happiness, hopefulness and love.

All because of our dear Yuuri.

And I think that this is one of my favourite character growths in a tv series - Viktor, growing and changing not for love.

Instead, he changes because of it.

And I think that’s beautiful.