#is one of the most underrated knights of all time

[taliesin-the-bored]

This is a crime.

[np5enkidu]

i need fgo to acknowledge servants horses more

[outsidereveries]

mtl: relevance in south korea - now vs in 5 years

for newjeans, le sserafim, enhypen and txt | hybe edition

present days

newjeans

most likely

haerin: emperor currently the most liked one in the group, despite the circumstances. it's possible that her fanbase is like a cult :') minji: knight of cups, the empress second most liked one, as far as i can tell. she even gathers some of the people who listen to her group. hyein: ace of swords they watch her, she seems liked, but she clearly stays on the sidelines, at least compared to the above 2 girls. it's possible that her age is a reason why. hanni: queen of pentacles rx the most recognizable of all, but also the most disliked. some koreans think that she wants to be famous and that's it. will she be the most successful at the moment, not exactly. she's relevant, she has fans, but she also has detractors. it's kind of a 1:1, especially after her speech at their national assembly.. danielle: the star rx the most underrated, seriously and literally. it seems like her blood is the reason why (she's not only korean, but also white, i'm not sure of the exact ethnicity), but i feel like things will change over time.

least likely

le sserafim

most likely

chaewon: temperance everything is clear with her, wherever she is, in whatever situation she finds herself, she will still be liked. yunjin: knight of cups for now she is liked and the koreans want to give her a chance outside her group. sakura: knight of swords for now she is liked, but apparently things will change in the near future. currently things are not clear about her relevance. eunchae: six of swords rx something she did is not liked by the koreans and will shake her popularity. excluding that, she is not that liked, she has some fans, but apparently she can lose them too. kazuha: the chariot rx she was not liked from the beginning apparently because of her background as a ballerina (i don't feel it is because of her ethnicity). they are very confused when she was successful in ballet, why did she leave and now she is a k-pop star? they are clearly aware of the retirement in this industry, it seems to them that it is quite early (note: they themselves are critical of the age of idols, what an irony!) least likely

enhypen

most likely

sunghoon: six of wands has fans (compared to the others, I guess). he's liked, koreans want to see his face and beauty… he definitely has potential. heeseung: king of swords, emperor is also liked, but only in some areas. they think he'll be good in variety shows. jungwon: ace of pentacles for koreans he's clearly a "new discovery", i don't even think they know he's from enhypen. despite the wonderful card, he's down because they're just now learning about his existence.. sunoo: queen of cups has fans, they're stable both in number and loyalty and i don't feel anything special compared to the other guys above. jake: nine of swords rx nothing special about him. neutral position. jay: eight of swords, eight of cups rx the situation there is so complicated that there's nowhere better for him to go. they don't like him at all. niki: knight of pentacles rx they don't like his appearance. they think he's irresponsible and uncultured. the problem isn't his ethnicity, but in the first impressions of koreans about him, incl. their intuition. least likely

txt

most likely

soobin: death undoubtedly the most liked one of the group. if he decided to try acting, there might be rumors or news that he will be participating somewhere soon. his relevance is stable, but might increase in the near future. huening kai: the hierophant liked.. yes. he is liked. (note: my angels are very short for him… sorry) beomgyu: six of swords koreans' opinion of him is neutral. he doesn't have a stable fanbase, but he doesn't have any detractors either. his situation is kind of nothing, but worse than jake from enhypen. yeonjun: two of cups rx his debut was a failure. they don't like those moves in the chorus… they were very off-putting.. (to them) that might be why he's very low. taehyun: lovers rx the most ignored one of the group. compared to danielle from newjeans, things seem irreversible for him. least likely

in 5 years

newjeans

most likely

haerin: strength in 5 years she will be in her prime! (in short) danielle: six of pentacles she is after haerin because she will give a lot, even beyond her means, to be liked in korea, simply because she loves the country and will be happiest if she gets the same in return. minji: seven of pentacles i see her as being able to change industries (as an individual, from singing to entertainment, for example) and her move will be in her favor. unlike the other 2 girls, she will clearly stay strictly within a certain audience (they could be women or older than her, it's just something strictly defined). hanni: king of wands even though she is so low, she will also be quite relevant in korea. compared to minji, she may not be able to win as many hearts of koreans, but she is still close to the other girls. hyein: ace of wands (individually) focused on modeling, she can choose not to do anything else permanently. she will be recognizable as a model (except as a member of newjeans) and that's enough for her. (note: up to 5 years, the group currently remains active. the cards that came out are for their individual popularity. each of them's popularity is extremely close to each other precisely because they are in newjeans)

least likely

le sserafim

most likely

chaewon: ace of cups this shouldn't surprise you at all, she's just the most loved one in the group. kazuha: five of swords rx neutral position. no one will pay attention to her. my other guess is that she'll be a ballet teacher and that's why she's in this position. eunchae: ten of wands well…it would be better if she went into another industry outside of the public ones.. yunjin: the hermit she's going home to the usa, everything is perfectly clear with her. alas, the best thing that can happen to her is an influencer who talks about korea and k-pop. sakura: seven of wands rx within five years, koreans will be so sick of sakura that when she returns to japan, they'll say it was about time and that she should have gone home earlier. least likely

enhypen

most likely

jungwoon: the magician oh, he'll be in the entertainment industry too! he won't just be doing business with his future partner! how sweet! (no irony here) sunghoon: seven of cups his path will be similar to yves (loona), including the company (again paix per mil was the first thing that came to mind). in his case, things will work out very, very well for him. heeseung: knight of swords like jungwoon, he'll be in the entertainment industry, but unlike the leader of the group, hee will be strictly there. sunoo: six of swords he's going into another industry (i can see him being an influencer and yes, i still see him) and he'll have fans, but like minji, he'll gather certain fans and he won't be able to gather enough popularity, but it will be enough to make a living. niki: eight of pentacles, the devil rx unlike the previous episode where i saw that nicky would work in an office in japan (i saw something similar), he will still be in japan, but he will be in the japanese industry. koreans will see him in a different light and will actually be happy for him. they will still not like him, but they will start to respect him somehow. jake: three of swords rx a neutral position, he may not be involved in such things (singing, entertainment). jay: the moon well, he is kind of, nothing. it is not clear what he will do and where he will be (he will not be in the military). least likely

txt

most likely

soobin: ace of swords he could change his career path, but changing industries would be a big help to him, he would be much more successful than he is now. beomgyu: seven of pentacles similar energy like minji from newjeans - he will succeed, but his fanbase will be determined by, let me guess, older women. just giving an example. yeonjun: page of pentacles his position is empty, as if he is planning something - is it a comeback, is something else coming, no idea, but it reminds me a bit of dean's leave from the music industry. neutral position. taehyun: high priestess + fool like beomgyu he will change industries, only it seems like he will be stepping out of the spotlight and taking the risk of working a regular, 9 to 5 job. huening kai: four of pentacles similar to yeonjun, his fanbase will be more limited. i see a similar situation as yunjin from lesserafim: k-pop and korean influencer. she may take a similar path as her older sister, lea. least likely

10.12.2024

[agentrouka-blog]

Favourite sassy Sansa moments ??

This one is still my favourite:

“When Lady Anya first told me of this match, I was afraid that you might look like your father."

"Little pointy beard and all?" Alayne laughed.

“I never meant..."

"I hope you joust better than you talk."

I know she’s technically playing a role here but SANSA STARK’S SASS IS UNDERRATED!!!! she’s so unintentionally funny

Anon, I am pretty sure it's intentional. ^_^

Sansa is dang charming and funny when she's allowed to be.

The older man in white spoke to Sansa gently. "Ofttimes Ser Ilyn frightens me as well, sweet lady. He has a fearsome aspect." "As well he should." The queen had descended from the wheelhouse. The spectators parted to make way for her. "If the wicked do not fear the King's Justice, you have put the wrong man in the office." Sansa finally found her words. "Then surely you have chosen the right one, Your Grace," she said, and a gale of laughter erupted all around her. "Well spoken, child," said the old man in white. "As befits the daughter of Eddard Stark. I am honored to know you, however irregular the manner of our meeting. I am Ser Barristan Selmy, of the Kingsguard." He bowed. (AGOT, Sansa I)

This isn't quite as hilarious at first glance, but she's very much working her audience here, to great effect.

Of course, she rarely has the opportunity to openly speak at all, let alone with sass, so a lot of her snark happens internally.

One of my favorite unspoken lines is this:

The king leafed through it with no interest. "And what is this, Uncle?" A book. Sansa wondered if Joffrey moved those fat wormy lips of his when he read. (ASOS, Sansa IV)

The classic:

"They say my brother Robb always goes where the fighting is thickest," she said recklessly. "Though he's older than Your Grace, to be sure. A man grown." (ACOK, Sansa V)

I'm sure there are many that escape me right now.

But yeah, the TWOW sample chapter is pure gold in terms of watching Sansa be closer to her carefree self. Excitedly overseeing preparations, running and gossiping with a friend, free to bite back for once, free to let her thoughts indulge silly details or observations that don't specifically serve to protect her from harm.

Alayne loved it here. She felt alive again, for the first since her father… since Lord Eddard Stark had died. [...]

Not to be outdone, the pimply knight hopped up and said, "Ser Ossifer speaks truly, you are the most beautiful maid in all the Seven Kingdoms." It might have been a sweeter courtesy had he not addressed it to her chest. "And have you seen all those maids yourself, ser?" Alayne asked him. "You are young to be so widely travelled." [...]

Myranda rolled her eyes. "They're from the Sisters. Did you ever know a Sisterman who could joust? They clean their swords with codfish oil and wash in tubs of cold seawater." "Well," Alayne said, "at least they're clean." "Some of them have webs between their toes. I'd sooner marry Lord Petyr.  [...] She danced with all three Sunderlands, none of whom had webs between their fingers, though she could not vouch for their toes. [...]

And there he stood, Harry the Heir himself; tall, handsome, scowling. [....]

"And is Ser Harrold with them?" Horrible Ser Harrold. "He is." [...]

Ser Harrold had the grace to blush. "Her father says she is more precious to him than gold. He's rich, the richest man in Gulltown. A fortune in spices." "What will you name the babe?" she asked. "Cinnamon if she's a girl? Cloves if he's a boy?" That almost made him stumble. "My lady japes." "Oh, no." Petyr will howl when I tell him what I said.

Alayne is the Sansa that she could have been all this time, the girl who liked to giggle and be silly with Jeyne Poole, had no great issue holding her own in conversation, who drew pleasure and energy from the world around her.

I mean, we know she is playing a role and based Alayne partially on Jon Snow... but that girl there is not a terse and moody grump. She's not even a lean shadow laughingly racing to the bridge with his brother. She is a highborn lord's daughter, inhabiting the center of attention with confidence like she was born to it. Like Sansa.

[gringolet]

GAYEST ARTHURIAN TEXT BRACKET ROUND 1:

propaganda:

Le Morte:

- “Perhaps not the most obviously gay text out there but has some underrated moments. 'Everyone is in love with Lancelot', 'hoole book' edition, where this time the author is too! But more specifically, Lavayne. My guy sees his sister literally prepared to die of love for Lancelot and says 'yah same'. Luckily for him he is a MAN so he can just hop on a horse and follow him. Sorry Elaine. Specific quote: 'She doth as I do: for sythen I saw first my Lorde Sir Lancelot, I cowde never departe frome hym, nother nought I will and I may follow hym.', ”

-

- also gawains entire final letter written in his own blood hello??? hello??? «  I, Sir Gawaine, knight of the Table Round, sought my death, and not through thy deserving, but it was mine own seeking; wherefore I beseech thee, Sir Launcelot, to return again unto this realm, and see my tomb, and pray some prayer more or less for my soul. And this same day that I wrote this cedle, I was hurt to the death in the same wound, the which I had of thy hand, Sir Launcelot; for of a more nobler man might I not be slain. Also Sir Launcelot, for all the love that ever was betwixt us, make no tarrying, but come over the sea in all haste » hello???

- also of course the greater cornwall polycule (tristan dinadan palamedes isolde lamorak lancelot brangaine isolde 2 etc etc)

- the whole ill made knight ill starred knight thing is so queer like thats so insanely transgender

SGATGK:

- “kissing”

-“Gawain getting kisses from Bertilak’s wife and kissing Bertilak is very bi”

- “I'm back with another answer. Obviously the kissing game is iconic. The scholarship about this poem is unparalleled. The people cannot get enough of submissive kissy face Gawain & frankly neither can I. He definitely fucked that couple. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say, they fucked him. Easy litmus test for a retelling is how they handle adapting this. Only cowards write around the kissing. Real ones make it even gayer.”

- “Gawain kisses a man in this”

- “3some, poly, bi conduit, gay kiss, gawain”

- “i'm going to kill myself i had a few paragraphs of propaganda typed up and accodentally deleted it all. holy ahit. anyways i have no doubt that this has been submitted before but it is my moral duty to say so again. even excluding the fact that lord bertilak sets up this game of exchange of winnings and sends his wife to seduce gawaine—knowing that gawaine will have to return whatever he recieved unto bertilak—and their kisses and embraces (which are technically 'excusable' under medieval homosocial behaviour), there's a sort of erotic fascination with the green knight everpresent throughout the text, the author, the pearl poet, even taking, what, five (? give or take a few. my memory fails me) verses to describe how green and big and beautiful the green knight is. the green knight kneels before gawaine, letting gawaine take the blow to cut off his head, and later, the green knoght takes a blow to cut off gawaine's head. it's all about reciprocity and exchanges and submission. it's SO erotic . i just. yeah :)”

- ill also say the way gawain is framed in parallel to the lords hunting scenes making him a pursued animal and the wife the pursuer who has him at her mercy is very interesting gender dynamics and role reversal

[sacchiri]

I recently bought the jp volumes of Hellsing along with the guidebook, and since I'm reading the series in its native language for the first time I might as well share some random things that stood out to me in no particular order.

This isn't meant to be an analysis of translation differences, I'm too lazy for that. Also it's been 12 years since I've watched the anime and read the low quality fan scans of the manga so some of these comments are just "Lol, forgot this was a thing"

Volume 1

... I really want to know who this guy is at the beginning, yelling at Alucard in overly familiar language to "Get your shit together!" and "You're the only one we can count on!!". We know from the style of speech that it's a dude, probably just some Hellsing rando, and maybe it's not all that strange since he has probably been working with the same soldiers for years--but it's still funny.

"I know, it's just so nice out :("

..The way "HELLSING Organization" is spelled out like this reminds me that apparently the name is supposed to be an acronym. No really.

...

God they're so silly.

Now that I think about it, the only thing Seras has done this chapter since being turned into a vampire is say "I'm sorry" over and over.... girl you got shot in the lung, why are you apologizing

Not a huge difference, but what Integra actually says here is "Leaving a corpse here for 20 years... You're a terrible person too, Father" and not "What were you thinking, Father?" as the Dark Horse translation suggests (note the lack of question mark in the raw version). I thought that might be of interest to some.

Something else I thought was interesting is the first line Alucard ever says to Integra, and how uncharacteristically polite he sounds.

O-kega wa gozaimasenka- That's two honorific 御's back to back! (He even said them in kanji, even Walter isn’t that straightlaced and he’s literally the butler.) This is also the only time Alucard uses this overly flowery gentlemanly language with her, and good thing too because it would be so annoying if he spent the whole manga ending his sentences with ~gozaimasu.

What I'm trying to get at is, after seeing this sentence in the Japanese version, I'm like 100% sure he actually heard her when she was mumbling to herself about hoping to find a knight in shining armor, and he was totally going the extra mile in playing into that role for their first encounter. Which is kind of sweet.

Lol they misspelled Alucard on the top left... or rather, they incorrectly spelled it right?

One would normally expect Alucard to be written アルカード, and indeed pixiv dict lists アーカード as a misspelling (the u sound is weak in Japanese, so it's easy to mishear arukādo as ākādo). Hirano was definitely aware of the correct spelling though, since he used it in the pilot chapter and in his old character sheets. It was only when the manga officially began that he switched to the アーカード spelling. I doubt it was because of copyright issues because there is already a long precedent of vampire characters named アルカード in various old manga, OVA, and games in Japan that have coexisted without issue (like this guy Hirano mentions in volume 1's afterword).

Most likely Hirano simply thought it looked better, or was a means of differentiating his character from the others somehow. It certainly makes life easier for Japanese fans searching for fanart since アーカード is only going to bring up Hellsing and not the Castlevania character.

Jan Valentine even pokes fun at the spelling discrepancy later in volume 2, but since there wasn't a good way of expressing this in English it was left untranslated.

(Speaking of spelling inconsistencies, there's a lot of minor details I'm noticing now, like half the time the furigana for 吸血鬼 is written バンパイア and the other half it's ヴァンパイア... anyway)

Um, just noticed literally everyone's wearing glasses What should I do

Hirano's habit of jotting random comments underneath his panels is one of the underrated perks of reading the manga

The Dark Horse translation almost makes it sound like she's looking forward to seeing this battle play out, while in the Japanese she simply sounds apprehensive. Almost as if she's worried about them? And she's going out on the field personally to make sure nothing bad happens? Aww

Ok this is a weird tangent, but I just noticed the scans of the Dark Horse version I've been looking at use a slightly larger image range than the Japanese version does. It was only noticeable when I got to this part:

The second image is what the Japanese version of the scan looks like and I can confirm that this is what it looks like in my physical volume as well. You shouldn't be seeing the messy borders of the inking on the bottom like that.

Manga manuscripts are set up so that there are a few millimeters of bleed border around each page. You're supposed to color and line all the way up to (4) while keeping in mind that printing and paper cutting may result in the image being trimmed up to (3).

Either Hirano didn't color his lines all the way to (4) (this man has been drawing manga for years but this is Hirano we're talking about so it's very possible), or Dark Horse didn't honor the original bleed borders of the manuscript. I'm kind of leaning towards the former since there was a Hellsing exhibit in Japan a few years back where you could look at Hirano's original manuscripts and there's one where you can clearly see that he spilled a mug of tea or coffee across the entire page

Anyway, it's weird, and I'm curious to see if someone that owns a physical copy in English can confirm whether theirs actually looks like that. It's volume 1, page 141.

[marshvlovestv]

In honor of me having so much video game music downloaded on my phone that I ran out of storage and had to buy a new phone. My favorite track from each video game OST I have!

Bastion: Brusher Patrol (Such a bizarre clash of styles, I can't help but love this one. Shout-out to the part that sounds like Darren quietly scatting in the background.) (Also special shout-out to Build That Wall, probably my favorite vocal track in any Supergiant game)

Celeste: Scattered and Lost (I am such a normie for this choice but face it this track absolutely slaps.)

Chicory: A Colorful Tale: Song of the Wielders (I love how this song has actual lyrics but I still prefer to sing along with the Simlish version that Pizza and Chicory sing.)

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood: Illusion (First of all I love how every character in this game has their own theme I go feral for that kind of thing. Kurielle is probably one of the characters who stood out to me the least but by god is her theme gorgeous. I love the vocals and how a later track includes a sneaky reprise.)

Cuphead: Dramatic Fanatic (Tap dancing :D)

There are literally thirty of these so I'm doing a read more

Death's Door: The Grey Crow (A heartbreaking boss fight scored with the appropriate amount of anguish)

Deltarune: Cyber Battle (This melody is so underrated and ya know what, so are the characters associated with it. Sweet Cap'n Cakes forever.)

Elsinore: Donne, The Boat Boy (I love this song because it's associated with Lady Guildenstern, aka the best character in gaming full stop, but it's also just a fun little sea shanty that I think they made up for this game so I love that. Also has a lyrical version.)

Evergate: Police (Okay so the level with the police drones is one of the more frustrating ones in the game but the music is hauntingly beautiful so I give it a pass)

Going Under: trust fall (Marv is easily one of the most hateable video game antagonists of all time but damn if his boss theme doesn't slap)

Hades: Last Words (The rolling and the tolling of the bells bells bells bells bells)

Harmony: The Fall of Reverie: Reverie Ascendant (Lena Raine does these medley tracks so good man)

Hollow Knight: Dung Defender (By far the catchiest song about poop on my entire phone)

Ikenfell: Rose Thorns (So the insanely long final boss fight against Oxley overshadowed Aeldra's boss fight in my memory for a long time, but when I watched another playthrough and bought the OST I realized "Oh her theme bops SO much harder than his ever could")

Inscryption: A Final Duel (A hardcore remix of The Scrybe of Magicks, aka one of the only melodic tracks on the album and therefore the one every YouTube video about Inscryption uses in the background. I prefer the epic version just a bit more because honestly that Magnificus setpiece is the best moment in the game)

Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass: Fun, Sunny Day (A fun and silly track as the title suggests, elevated even more by the context in which it plays in the game. The area music alternates between this and the more somber Rainy Sunday to illustrate that Jimmy mother is bipolar [very cute and silly game])

Omori: Bready Steady Go (Like the absolute dipshit I am I actually completely missed the optional Orange Oasis when I played this game myself. Every Let's Player finds it somehow, though, and when they fight the Unbread Twins I invariably stand up and dance along to the boss music.)

One Step from Eden: Perpetual Motion (It's just a good-ass track y'all)

Ori and the Blind Forest: Conundrum (In a soundtrack of sweeping orchestral pieces, this more subdued version of theme that only plays during one small puzzle section might seem a weird choice. But I've always really liked it)

Ori and the Will of the Wisps: Kwolok's Malaise (Kwolok's leitmotif is perfect for a giant frog and the boss remix takes it to it's logical conclusion)

Paradise Killer: Go! Go! Style (This track makes me feel like I'm having a sugar rush. The whole OST does actually but this one especially)

Pyre: Path to Glory (It's just got a really unique vibe to it. I like it)

Scarlet Hollow: Avery (Chill and really beautiful. Avery themself is kind of a sleeper character at this point but I can't wait for Brandon to remix their theme when they get assimilated into a giant plant monster)

Slay the Princess: The Princess (Okay full disclosure I've only played this game once so I don't have the full context for a lot of the tracks on this OST. Maybe hearing them alongside their respective princesses will make me like them more, but for now the title theme is too iconic to beat.)

Sounds of Sympathy (the OST for the game anthology Essays on Empathy): Zen and the Art of Transhumanism (In the Essays on Empathy documentary, fingerspit talked about how she prefers writing obscenely long tracks so the loop doesn't get annoying. Unfortunately for her my favorite track on this album is only three minutes long. It's a lovely little bop.)

Spiritfarer: Mind Palace (I played Spiritfarer before any of the character updates were released, so I didn't get Daria's mind palace sequences in my game. And I mean, they look very platforming-heavy so I'm okay with that, but god this is a gorgeous piece.)

Transistor: Impossible (I think this is Royce Bracket's boss theme? I don't know when any of the tracks on this OST specifically play in game. Regardless of all that this one gets me pumped.)

Unavowed: One Man's Power (I couldn't find a video of this one, but it's gentle saxophone solo that plays when Logan Brown is introduced. I think it fits is character really well and just sounds really nice)

Undertale: Death by Glamour (Best song for best character, enough said)

Wandersong: Moonscape (God knows this game gave me a lot of great options to pick from, but I settled on this one because it's so uplifting.)

[aprito]

hi! do you have any recommendations for sasosaku fic with more than 10k words?

a couple (a lot) of the top of my head (burned into my retina) in no particular order finished and unfinished (they are all important to me)

!!! IF YOU READ ANY OF THESE BE A COOL KID AND LEAVE A REVIEW !!!

hope springs eternal by simplelations (wholesum retelling of p1 naruto but with same age au sos i have made fic art that's how you know the love is real)

incantations by thirrin (extremely underrated howl's moving castle inspired magic au)

the neighbourly thing to do by koneko_taichou (wholesome middle aged sos are neighbours au. especially love the reason ss divorced in this fic and cant wait to see where this goes)

against all odds by koobabear (unfinished but platonic canonverse sos that's very fun)

these days by stormdragon6 (the one and only extremely long and extremely fullfilling mutual pining sos childhood friends modern au. scenes from this fic are burned into my brain)

a second chance by invisibleninja12 (200k literal retelling of p2 naruto with same age au sos where sasori got yeeted into the future and sakura is committed to help him before he makes the final turn for the worse. incredibly wholesome)

deep into the woods by muffin_ride (twisted beauty and the beast meets horror meets sos in their 40s far too old for this bullshit. thats the type of content we love around here)

lost year by omgitspocky (the fic that literally started my obsession with same age au basically sakura goes back in time and not only distracts sasori from defecting but also gets to hang out with a young tsunade)

bait and hitch by aelynthi (after the fantastic previous fic homesick comes one of the funniest takes on the fake dating trope with outrageously good characterization. i am emotionally invested in this one)

acaso mi madre engaña a mi padre? by takewaelel (i recommend this cheating fic at least once every full moon cycle because it has some of my favorite characterisation ever. every reread i discover some other amazing take)

lady of the blackthorns by vesperchan (amazing fantasy sos au. and thats why vesper is the GOAT)

pyrrhic victory by watevermelon (same age au sos with sasori's parents alive is one of the three ships and we're rooting for them)

grading on a curve by sayyikes (100% pure comedy and we're here for this painfully realistic and hilarious modern au)

sword of damocles by angelofdeath10 (medieval sakura is sasori's knight au. sasori is extremely pathetic but that makes it fun. i recommend everything they write in general <3)

spring fever by tsuki hoshino (sakura quits her job with sunan royalty and is ready to settle down and have kids in the middle of sasori's 10 year meticulously planned how do i get her to date me plan. watch as he desperately tries to bring his plans to fruition in the most sasori way possible)

invocation of the muse by nenalata (toxic college au sos that ruined me as a person, it's so fucking good even if i took immense psychic damage after deluding myself sos somehow will make it work. you need to read this immediately. this is exactly how i envision a bad ending outcome)

porcelain by shoujojunkie (not 10k but i will rep this doll maker falls in love with his tiny vain selfish creation fic until the day i die)

[gd-dollopole]

“No! No!” “… No…”

The small, chocked ‘no’ at the end is Merlin’s shock. This is Merlin’s despair portrayed in what I think is one of the most underrated scenes of the entire show.

Merlin has lost all hope of being seen for who he really is, the moment his only friend, Lancelot, who’s actually known Merlin completely, accepted him without ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’, dies in front of him, and Merlin is the only one who sees him one last time. He wouldn’t have screamed if the other knights were conscious, and we know why.

There is no place for his grief, and now, no one will ever know why Lancelot’s death hurts Merlin the most compared to everyone else.

Merlin’s glued to his place, unable to move, because he doesn’t know what to do, and he knows that there is nothing he can do, for the first time since ever, so he screams, but he doesn’t cry. His shout is as dry as his heart, that stops beating, soundless as the place Merlin finds himself in. Only his eyes tremble, searching for something Merlin knows isn’t there, and his face shakes, his steps slightly faltering back.

Merlin’s all alone.

Not even the Gods are with him anymore.

The shot at the end, widening the ruins, with the single thunder heard in the background, as Merlin stands there motionless, is a great metaphor of his utter solitude from that episode on.

[theuntitledblog]

The Dark Knight (2008) - REVIEW

One of the things I remember most leading up to The Dark Knight was how little the trailers had spoiled of the plot beforehand. Sure there were snippets of the set pieces, a few choice lines of dialogue but nothing major was given out, not even context. Of course we now know this approach is typical Christopher Nolan but in 2008 we had barely begun to see what Nolan was about and this approach made me nervous for one reason; Heath Ledger's Joker. One of the biggest takeaways I took from Batman Begins was that we finally had a Batman movie where Bruce Wayne was the main character of his story and not overshadowed by a colourful villain. Since the Joker seemed at the centre of the trailers and marketing, I feared that that good work was going to be cast aside by a sequel that would take us back to a similar approach of the Burton/Schumacher years. Sufficed to say, none of those concerns came to fruition and whilst it would be easy to spend a whole entry saying just how Heath Ledger steals the film, in the years since I've come to appreciate The Dark Knight more as an ensemble achievement rather than just a solo one.

The Dark Knight focuses on the crusade that Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne started in Batman Begins but where he was the main character of that film, here he's more part of an ensemble including Gary Oldman’s Jim Gordon and Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent. The Dark Knight benefits from the character work done in Batman Begins and here we have a fully fleshed out and understood Batman. For me though it's Eckhart's Dent where the heart and soul of movie lies both as the public face leading the charge against corruption in Gotham and, for Bruce, the ideal successor to Batman. Whether it's Bruce's longing to hang up the cowl and have a normal life with Maggie Gyllenhaal's Rachel, or waging war against Gotham's crime families as Batman to the campaign of terror waged by the Joker, Harvey Dent is the figure at the centre of these threads and tied to everyone's fates in this movie. Going in I wasn't sure how far they were planning to go with Dent's story and whether this would tie into a sequel which most films would probably do today. However Nolan's make it work and it's not often that a film like this is able to balance multiple villains but in this case, Nolan nail it. Aaron Eckhart is perfectly cast; handsome, earnest and with a steely determination but there's hint of darkness as well. It's not as flashy a performance as Ledger's but it is no less an important one in a film filled with many underrated performances.

Heath Ledger may not have been everyone's first choice as the Joker but he disappears under the make-up and delivers a mesmerizing take that may lack the humour of Jack Nicholson's but makes up for it with a terrifying unpredictability. This Joker is a reflection of the post-9/11 period that the film was made in and Nolan explores similar themes of the time by asking just how far the good guys are willing to go against an enemy for which reason isn't possible. For Batman and his allies, their crusade is about taking back control of Gotham whereas the Joker is an anarchist who thrives in chaos and revelling in the belief that they never had control to begin with. This battle of philosophies is encapsulated by a face to face confrontation between Batman and the Joker in a interrogation room that feels reminiscent of Pacino and De Niro in Heat. There is this constant tension throughout that radiates throughout the film but the most refreshing thing about it all is that there is this genuine sense of real stakes and consequences to everything the Joker does and the impact he has. The Dark Knight, like all of Nolan's films, has plenty of ideas and there are moments where the film does feel a little stagey in exploring those ideas. The ferry sequence in particular feels like one too many for me but it's minor complaint for a film that builds towards a tense finale that brings everything satisfyingly full circle.

In the 16 years that has passed since its release, The Dark Knight's reputation has only grown and not just because of what Heath Ledger accomplishes but because it transcends what a comic book/superhero movie could be. The realism style established in Batman Begins is pushed even further here to the point that visually it doesn't resemble a comic book movie. Likewise the grand ideas and themes in the storytelling also elevate it further to the point where The Dark Knight could be described more as an epic crime thriller rather than superhero movie. Whatever your take is, this is a movie that works because all of its part align, all of the characters and performances enthral in equal measure even if there is one obvious scene stealing performance. The Dark Knight is and remains one of the finest films I've ever seen.

VERDICT

A superhero movie of the highest quality. Filled with great performances, a great story with outstanding set pieces and moments. The Dark Knight is one the best films of the last 20 years.

5/5

[that-one-enby-ranger]

It's Sir Dr Brian Harold May's birthday today and I absolutely love and adore him, and I have been posting stuff on my Queen sideblog @rogers-maraccas, but I felt like posting this long rant on here because I FEEL LIKE IT AND NOBODY CAN STOP ME AND I WANT ALL YOU FUCKERS TO HERE ABOUT THIS BEAUTIFUL AMAZING MAN!

Out of all four members of Queen, I do not have a favourite, I love them all equally, not just for their music, but for them, because they are all great. But today is Brian's day, so we must discuss him. Next week will be Rogers birthday.

Firstly, Brian's talent is absolutely incredible and playing guitar like his is one of the things that keep me from quitting guitar. I watch him play guitar solos and I see the way his fingers move and how they can just, how the fuck do I say this without it sounding weird, finger the strings and he can move them up and down and jesus Christ this sounds weird but I don't fucking care because it's fucking Brian May.

I will admit that he is not THE best guitar player in the world, there are definitely some, specifically Jimi Hendrix that tops Brian, but to me, in my opinion, he is still one of the best. HE IS SO FUCKING TALENTED. And its not just guitar, he can write songs, he can sing really good, his voice is amazing and so gentle and soft and I love it. He has solo albums that are really good and I definitely recommend listening to them. My fav solo album of his is Back to the Light, and even though I don't have an absolute favourite, I'm Scared and Resurrection are definitely some of my favourites, and Let Your Heart Rule Your Head gives me the same sort of vibes as '39 which is just one of the amazing Queen songs Brian wrote.

Speaking of songs, Brian has written so many hits for Queen, as has the rest of them, but this post is focusing on Brian:

Some great songs he's written that I can think of just at the top of my head:

Fat Bottomed Girls, We Will Rock You (y'know, StOmP stOmP cLaP), '39, Now I'm here, Stone Cold Crazy, Sweet Lady, Tie Your Mother Down, Teo Torriate (Let Us Cling Together), Who Wants To Live Forever and Headlong.

Plus the, in my opinion, very underrated songs that are fucking great that he wrote:

White Queen (As it Began), the story behind the song is both very sweet and sad on its own, Father to Son, Brighton Rock, It's Late, Mother Love, Dead on Time, Dreamers Ball (absolutely fucking love this song. It's so good), Dancer, Dragon Attack, Sail Away Sweet Sister, Save Me, Tear It Up and Is This the World We Created.

That's not even all of them.

And his lyrics are so fucking great as well, as are the rest of the bands songs, but just look at some of these beautiful lyrics.

"Take me to the room where the green's all green" and "Take me to the room where the reds all red" from Dragon Attack

All of '39

"You call me sweet like I'm some kind of cheese" from Sweet Lady

"She used to be a woman with a hotdog stand" from Headlong.

Lyrics master right there.

I am aware that all the band chipped in to write The Show Must Go On, which is in my opinion the best Queen song and I could go on and entire different rant about that, but the lyrics and meaning behind it is amazing, and you get beautiful gems from those lyrics like "my wings are painted like the wings of butterflies, fairytales of yesterday will grow but never die. I can fly my friends"

AAAAAAAA HE IS SO FUCKING AMAZING

Oh my gosh and we can't forget that he is incredibly smart. He has a fucking PhD in astrophysics for fucks sake, he's a doctor. I remember reading somewhere that his IQ is 180, which is just seven IQ point thingys lower than Sheldon Cooper. If he wasnt a very famous guitarist then he most likely would have been a very successful astrophysicist.

Plus he's fucking knighted.

He has also accomplished so much outside of Queen and his solo stuff. He loves animals is an animal rights activist, publicly speaking against fox hunting and culling of badgers. He fucking loves badgers. And lots of different animals. I have multiple photos of Brian with animals.

He helped open the Mercury Phoenix Trust charity which was opened in honour of Freddie Mercury to help fight AIDS.

He bought a bunch of land where trees were going to get cut down to build houses and saved those trees and is now called May's Wood.

He would go on TV after Freddie died and stand up for Freddie and speak up against the press and all the negative very untrue things people were saying about Freddie. (Just pointing out he is not the only one that did this, Roger also did an amazing job on speaking out)

There is a lot more things than I mentioned but you get the point and my brain is blanking.

OH YEAH, he played live at the top of Buckingham palace.

Also when asked by someone if we would ever hear what happened inside of the legendary Queen parties. His response was just a couple seconds of silence and then...

"no."

And of course we can't have a Brian appreciation post without mentioning the Red Special. The Red Special is Brian's guitar that he's had ever since he was a kid, and he's used it at most shows (I find the fact that he didn't have it during Live Aid is a fucking crime). He made the guitar with his dad when he was a kid. I can never remember how old he was if he was 12 or 15 or something. Him and his dad made it out of some old furniture or something like that where the wood was really old and pretty much rotting. It's fucking amazing.

And he improvised and experimented and used a six pence coin as a pick and it gives it a unique sound. One time my sister and I was in a car and I was listening to my own music and my sister told me Queen was on the radio so I listened and she had never heard that song before and she heard the bit with the guitar solo and I asked her how she knew it was Queen and she said she recognised the sound of Bri's guitar. If his guitar broke I would cry for him and the Red Special.

And I know this is talking about Brian, but I just feel the need to point how good of an actor Gwilym Lee is. He played Brian in the movie, and he was the most accurate out of the entire cast in my opinion. When Brian showed Bohemian Rhapsody to his kids they thought that his voice was the actual Brian's voice just overlapping and Gwilym was lip sinking. He wasn't, he's just that good.

I've been watching Bohemian Rhapsody while writing this, and I started this towards the start of the movie and now I'm up to the bit where Freddie finally ditches Paul so I'm gonna stop here.

Just remember that Brian May is an amazing man who is extremely talented and kind and has done extraordinary things, even more than on here. If I ever met him I would tell him that and tell him I love him more than I can say and maybe even more than some of my friends and that he has changed my life in ways I can't even understand.

What a man.

Extra:

Absolutely adorable

[amaramiyu]

My Legendborn Cycle Musings & Theories

May 2023 is when I first got into this series and I've been hooked ever since. I've read Legendborn and Bloodmarked at least twice and I have some thoughts about the books and series in general. So without further ado:

Spoilers ahead!

First of all, I'm glad I waited to make this post because recently more information has been revealed about the next upcoming book (Oathbound), and that instead of the series being a trilogy of books it'll be a tetralogy (4 part book series).

Oathbound

I strongly believe that the Shadow Court is definitely going to be unleashed that was part of the bargain Bree made with the Shadow King after all.

Vera’s warning to Bree at the end of Bloodmarked: “Chaos thrives on imbalance.” In Oathbound, is Bree going to become villainous or corrupted in some form? Since she doesn’t have her ancestors to balance or influence her since she closed the ancestral stream?

Since the third book is called Oathbound I wonder if this means oaths will be broken or removed. Obviously, Natasia's Kingsmage Oath to Martin Davis had to have been removed. Could the same thing happen possibly between Nick and Sel?

At the end of Bloodmarked, the main trio: Bree, Nick, and Sel have become separated. Since this is Bree's story first and foremost I think the book will still only be from Briana's point of view. I don't think we'll be getting multiple points of view. However, I'm not quite sure.

Selwyn Emrys Kane

There’s more to Selwyn Kane than meets the eye. One of the main themes in the Legendborn Cycle is ancestry and inheritance.

Theory 1: Erebus (the Shadow King) is Selwyn’s father. Erebus is described as a father-like figure towards Sel and he has a history and a clear fondness for Natasia (He knew where she was at the end of Bloodmarked). However, we know that the Order supposedly monitored Natasia closely while they ensured she gave birth to an heir. Obviously, since both her and Sel are powerful Merlins there must be more to discover about their bloodline. Also, it is mentioned how closely Sel resembles Merlin his ancestor not only in appearance but also in mannerisms. Sel is a prodigy and has the rare ability to transform into an Owl like his ancestor Merlin. Not to mention, the skill he used to craft aether constructs to hold Bree together after her injury which isn’t easy to do and most likely would’ve killed other Merlins attempting to do it.

Theory 2: Maybe Selwyn’s bloodline has ancestral ties to someone on the Shadow Court. 

Nicholas Martin Davis

He's going to be leading the faction of the Order that's still loyal to the Knights of the Round Table.

Maybe he'll continue to forge a further alliance with the Line of Morgaine. Nick will then be further exposed to how they live and maneuver outside of the Order. He is trying to find a solution to stop the Legendborn Cycle without the Scion of Arthur having to die. In Bloodmarked, he found something out but he didn't get to elaborate on it further.

In General

I think the relationship between Sel and William is underrated.

There’s still much we don’t know about Cambions and unions. So far, we know:

Full Demon + Human = Cambion

Human + Cambion = Cambion

But what about: Full Demon + Cambion = ?

Cambion + Cambion =  ?

Are these unions even possible or allowed and could they produce offspring?

On the cover of Bloodmarked, I think Bree is wearing the outfit that she wore during the Rite of Kings ceremony.

Valechaz is clearly enamored and fascinated with Bree and he's such a wildcard. Valec at times can also be hard to read. Will he be a friend or foe going forward?

This may be an unpopular opinion, but in terms of a TV series adaptation of the Legendborn Cycle, I would prefer that it be an animated TV series rather than a live-action series.

[sapphicseasapphire]

YOUR SKY AND PIPIT COMIC MADE ME CRY

PIPIT NEEDS MORE RECOGNITION🫡

Best SS side character ong

HAPPY TEARS I HOPE???

But yeah! Pipit’s a favorite of mine haha! In my opinion, he’s the most interesting side character on Skyloft! By far! (Groose isn’t on Skyloft anymore so he doesn’t count!) He’s also one of the most underrated characters in any Zelda game.

• He’s an upperclassman at the Academy who actively stands up for Fledge and Link against Groose.

• He’s SO SUPPORTIVE. Every time you talk to him, he has something encouraging to say. He genuinely really cares about Link and Zelda and is one of the few people who believes in Link.

• He’s the only student at the Knight Academy who doesn’t live in a dorm.

• He lives at home, but you never see him there.

• The Worst Mother on Skyloft Award goes to Mallara! (Pipit’s mom). The reason Pipit’s never at home is because his home is a mess and his mother is the WORST.

• Mallara has really nice furniture and ceramics and stuff but it’s all messy. Pipit’s corner of the house is the only clean area, but his furniture is all worn down and scratched up. His blanket is patched. Everything he has is well used and mended.

• I kind of view that as a metaphor: Mallara has nice things but doesn’t care about them enough to take good care of them. She has an amazing son but doesn’t care enough about him to take care of him. Meanwhile, Pipit uses what he has, even if he doesn’t have much.

• ALSO he’s struggling financially. When you clean Mallara’s house, she gives you twenty rupees and tells you to say hello to Pipit for her. (There’s a reason she doesn’t say hello herself. There’s a reason Pipit doesn’t talk to her).

• If you clean her house enough times and then walk by it at night, you’ll hear Pipit yelling at her. I don’t know the exact quotes but he said something along the lines of “I gave you that money to buy bread and you spent it on a housekeeper! If you keep this up, I won’t be able to afford to go to the Academy next year!”

• Bro’s a full time student and also works the night watches at the Academy just to have the money to put food on the table and put himself through school. He gives some of this money to Mallara and she IMMEDIATELY turns around and spends it on Link.

• THAT’S A WHOLE OTHER THING. Mallara pays Link to clean her house because she’s too lazy to do it herself. She tells him to talk to Pipit because she’s too lazy to do it herself. She expects Link to be her housekeeper and her messenger because she’s not willing to put the work in and do the bare minimum for her home or for her son.

• This whole time I’ve been calling it her house. But the game calls it Pipit’s house. PLEASE did he buy the house too?? So that his mother could destroy it?? Crying.

• He has the sweetest little crush on Karane and the game gives you the option to tease him for it! I will always give the letter to Karane because it makes me happy to see him happy. He deserves it! “You like her?” Such a little brother response.

• He literally says something along the lines of “don’t I deserve to know true love?” about Karane. Like. This guy’s never experienced genuine love in his life. His mother sure isn’t giving it to him.

• Link and Pipit are 100% brothers and I’m writing a whole fic about how Link was adopted into that problematic family and what that means for Mallara and Pipit. Suffice to say, Link and Pip are quite close! For my au, Pipit is the first person to really and truly understand Sky since he knows Link so well (literally grew up in the same house) but also knows Aepon! (Took care of the Loftwing while Link was away on his adventure). In many cases, he understands Sky better than Zelda does. Better than Sky knows himself! There will definitely be more Pipit content from me because he DESERVES SOME LOVE.

[go-go-devil]

Soulsborne asks, 3 and 16 👁️

Since you didn't specify which game, I'll go ahead and answer these for all three of the games I've played!!!

3) What is your favourite boss lore-wise?

DeS: That's honestly a good question, since the bosses of Demon's Souls are my favorite part of the game and all of them have such fascinating lore implications...

My serious answer would be Maiden Astraea just like everyone else because she's just THAT great of the character, but my personal, funnier answer to this will be the Tower Knight, Alfred.

The whole deal with Allant's knights is that their demonic transformations are meant to be mocking perversions of their combat styles, but with him it was literally just "He was a really tall knight who held a really big greatshield and spear, and now he's become so fucking tall he can't escape the room he's stuck in and falls over like a dumbass when someone bites his ankles too hard." Such an elegant way of making a boss so simultaneously imposing and humiliating lmao.

DS1: Fuck that's an even harder choice than for DeS! There are SOOOOOO many interesting bosses in DS1! Hmmmmmmm, mmmmmmmm....

For now I'll say the Bed of Chaos, since her lore is still so fuzzy compared to the other Lords that I've spent many nights tossing and turning in bed trying to figure out what must've happened with Izalith and her attempt to create a new Flame. Honestly I don't buy the whole deal of "she just tried to save the world so Gywn wouldn't have to sacrifice himself uwu" theory I see sometimes, I think this was done for her own sake. I mean she was trying to resurrect the incomplete bodies of Everlasting Dragons! Why else would there be an army of dragon butts guarding the ruins of her kingdom?

But what kind of psychological 5D chess game was she trying to play though? The world will never know, because Miyazaki and the Gang ran out of time finishing Lost Izalith and told us to write the lore for him.

DS2: Definitely Sinh the Slumbering Dragon!

First off I find it fascinating that it's named after a ring from DS1. It gives the impression that either Sinh itself is that ancient of a dragon that it was known of by the original Vinheim sorcerers, or that the ring itself is so old it possibly predates even the land of Vinheim. I also love how it poisoning the Sunken City wasn't even intentional; that damn Yorgh and his damn spear that unleashed the miasma cloud!

Not to mention the use of the term "miasma" is very interesting in that it makes me think of Nito and how he helped kill the everlasting dragons. Perhaps Sinh was struck by the disease but managed to survive and hide out in a cave until it fell into a deep sleep.

16) Who is the most underrated NPC in your opinion?

DeS: Scirvir the Wanderer!

He's so fucking adorable. I love his uncontrollable stutter and sad eyes (the remake fucked his design and voice up so bad I don't wanna talk about it T_T). I also love how his only goal in this land is for someone to show him the Dragon Bone Smasher sword. He doesn't even wanna own it, all he craves is one look at the thing!

But what makes him more interesting to me is how even someone as nice as him seems to lie to us. Scirvir tells us he can't go find the sword himself because he'll "fair poorly against the demons," but if you find his black phantom in Pure Black World Tendency he's not only one of the toughest phantoms in the game, but also holds the Tailsman of Beasts; the only item in the game that lets you cast sorceries and miracles at the same time.

It makes me wonder... maybe he really wasn't lying about his power and simply didn't try to kill us in Pure White World Tendency because he's a genuinely nice person who honestly believes he's weak. Only for the harsher black world we create to end up helping him discover how good his combat prowess truly is and ends up twisting his morality in the process. Food for thought, since no one else is thinking about him anymore T_T

DS1: If Undead Female Merchant has 1,000,000 fans I'm one of them. If Undead Female Merchant has 1 fan then that's me...

Hands down my favorite merchant in the game! Mostly because of her "Withered Hag ASMR" voice acting and that she's in a very convenient spot + sells materials I'm often in need of (homeward bones, rotten/charcoal pine resins, and arrows most especially), but she also has one of my favorite minor pieces of environmental storytelling in the game with the single humanity she sells.

I always hc'd that it was metaphoric for her willing to give away the last piece of her own "humanity" since she no longer values it; willing to join the madness around her since it ended up being so much more fulfilling than her mortal life ever was. Ironically, it's what helps her remain sane despite being so close to hollowing, even if she becomes suspicious that we don't trust her anymore after she sells it to us.

DS2: STRAID OF OLAPHIS!!!!

At least I THINK he's underrated? I haven't found many people on tumblr drawing art of him nor have I found any lore theories involving him.

Well whatever, he's one of my favorite characters in the game. I love soulsborne NPC's who don't have complex subplots but are still memorable due to their charm alone (i.e. why I loved Oswald so much despite him never changing during the game), and I knew Straid was gonna be great when his reaction to learning that he's been petrified for hundreds of years is to simply laugh it off and go back to business as usual. He also may be one of the few who has the right mindset to keep his memories and sanity intact by choosing to accept the passage of time and move forward with it instead of longing for a nostalgic past, which I respect wholeheartedly!

(And his voice acting is fucking great of course <3)

[crusherthedoctor]

Top 5 Underappreciated Sonic levels, in your opinion

I was holding off on this one because being the weirdo that I am, there's a lot that come to mind, which is what happens when a fandom seems to only care about three or four locations in the whole series. So since I can do what I want with my lists, I'll instead list one per game. :] Not every game, just whichever ones that I can think of an example for.

Marble: the level design is blocky, but I dig the lava ruins aesthetic

Crystal Egg: really unique final zone, I'd love to see another stab at this concept

Hill Top: seems to get more love nowadays, but used to be widely considered the weakest Sonic 2 zone for being Emerald Hill 2: This Time It's Blue, I like it for being another unique take on a lava zone, very proto-Red Mountain

Quartz Quadrant: favourite zone (sorry, round) in CD, and not just cause it reminds me of @greenyvertekins' OC Verte Sinople, though that helps :>

Gigalopolis: an eye-catching city zone, even in 8-bit

Marble Garden: memorable Eggman fight with Tails, also has my favourite music in the Sonic 3 half next to Launch Base

Sandopolis: Act 2 might be a little slow, but I really like the Act 1 aesthetic, so there >:[

Marina Madness: level design is certified Knuckles Chaotix, but at least it looks pretty

Spring Stadium: I could really say any zone in 3D Blast because it's 3D Blast (Rusty Ruin <3, Volcano Valley <3), but I've really grown fond of the funhouse aesthetic here, shame about all the spears and spikes though :P

Radiant Emerald: glad they brought it back in Super Circuit, Double Dash, DS, Wii, this is a funny joke, pls laugh

Final Egg: picking one for SA1 is difficult because I think all of them are liked well enough, but Final Egg tends to get mentioned less frequently than other final levels in the series, and I won't stand for that

Pyramid Cave: probably the least discussed Sonic stage in SA2... well I like it (ghosts touching you inappropriately aside)

Ice Mountain: one of my favourite ice zones and Act 1 tracks

Techno Base: just as great as Music Plant

Egg Fleet: tends to get overshadowed by Final Fortress, I love how with this airship level in particular, the lack of clouds in the upper half of the skybox make it feel as though you're REALLY high up

Twinkle Snow: another favourite ice zone and music, even if the level design is one of the more... yeah

Digital Circuit: better cyberspace than the one in Frontiers (I would like to say Lost Impact for the atmosphere, but the tedium of the actual gameplay overwrites it for me unfortunately)

Mirage Road: underrated banger

Dark Desert: I know I keep mentioning desert levels lol, but a desert town during an eclipse is very striking

Aquatic Base: level itself is certified '06, but the music is S-tier and it paves the way for the greatest Eggman defeated cutscene in all of fiction

Night Palace: see Crystal Egg

Pirates' Island: interesting final zone, also leads up to TE DAVY JOOONES WITH YE

Aquatic Capital: includes Tempest Waterway as well

Jungle Joyride: despite the framerate's spirited efforts to drag it down

Misty Lake: I don't care too much for most of the levels in Black Knight, but Not Kingdom Valley looks nice

Sylvania Castle: aesthetically at least, it's a cool take on an Aquatic Ruin-type area

Dolphin Resort: cool aquarium/shopping mall combo, just a shame it was trapped in Free Riders

Aquarium Park: this has always been my favourite zone in Colours... between this and Dolphin Resort, clearly I enjoy me some underwater tubes

Titanic Monarch: dark and colorful simultaneously, and I don't struggle with it as much as most fans seem to

Mortar Canyon: its biggest crime is how short it is, cause then I can't hear the music :(

Egg Fortress: it might start off as a standard Not Death Egg, but I love the reverse gimmick in Act 2, and I actually like the final boss' brutality because it's Eggman punishing fans for portraying him as a dad ack ack ack ack ack

[tkachuktkaching]

Matthew and Brady on @ The Rink Podcast

Most of what they said bits of it has already come out in previous articles a few weeks back

Brady discussed his summer wedding, his excitement going into the season, the growth of his team and what he learned watching Matthew and the Panthers go on their run to the Stanley Cup Final last season.

Brady : "Just to see the every-day grind of taking care of himself, making sure he's ready for the game, and just as a leader too, taking care of yourself so you're able to demand from the rest because you're doing it right," he said. "I'm definitely ready and hopefully it'll be me in the playoffs soon.

"Seeing what he did created a lot of motivation for me over the summer."

Matthew discussed the broken sternum he sustained during the Stanley Cup Final and the pain he was in, the help he got from his brother at that time, Brady's bachelor party in Miami, and feeling a different vibe in the South Florida market after last season.

"Very different," Matthew said. "A lot more buzz. There's a lot of buzz around every sports team. It's turning into a sports crazy town and that makes it fun. [Soccer star Lionel] Messi coming in makes that much more buzz. The past few years the Dolphins have been great. What us and the Heat did last year really gave a lot of traction for us as a hockey team. So it's pretty cool." via NHL.COM

Listen to Brady from 16.04 Matthew from 40.30

______________________________________________________________

A few added things from Matthew's interview on the podcast some of which we've already heard & posted previously but included here for anyone that missed it first time round.

His injury allowed him to work on his strength & conditioning.

He wishes there was no social media after all the wedding stuff posted online, his family like to have a good time at weddings and doesn't know where people get this stuff (footage that goes viral).

Things Brady is better at than him: a better shot, video games & being a all round better human being than him (but he'll work on that!), Matthew says he himself is a ball buster, Matthew takes the bragging rights when it comes to Golf though he says his Dad is better at chirping and more witty & more funny than him & thinks his dad's game was underappreciated & underrated at the time he played, people realise from Matthew & Brady's game style how good & valuable he was and his dad gets belated recognition which he appreciates.

Says Brady's bachelor party in Miami took a few years off his life!

His summer consisted of the trip to Nashville for the player Awards, laying around in the hotel doing nothing, Bachelor parties, four weddings, and a trip to Montana in August, though he hasn't really done much of anything over the last month.

The Blood vessels and stuff were the the scary part of his injury at the time and half his body felt like it was out here, he knew something wasn't right, he didn't know what it was at the time, until they did his tests the next day. He was in the most pain after winning game three the overtime win. But now he's all good.

It was doctors who gave him the go ahead to do what he could to play just one last game. Despite the serious nature of his injury he would do it all over again if he had the chance.

He's excited to get going for camp & the new season though mentions the missing guys until around Christmas will be a tough ask (Montour & Ekblad) he feels The Panthers have more depth especially with the D this year.

Calls Alex Lyon The Lyon King & Big praise for his (Lyon) & Bob's heroics. How they had to play with only six D & two Goalies with Knight's absence last year.

The goal is to again make the playoffs, and be in the mix he wants to get of to a good start and how it sucks to have to chase for a spot like they had last year.

The Allstar was a good jump start because the Panthers weren't doing well as a team at that point which created a buzz that carried on leading on the cup run.