#it was a little carthartic

[yugoooooooo]

Just saw barbie and I'm gonna be thinking about it all night. What a lovely movie ❤️

[kawaii-disgusting]

Fic posted during last hurricane evacuation. Just a little fic about complicated crushes and fucked up sexual fantasies as a result of trauma :)

This is pure crackhead brainrot. I hope this is both as carthartic and sickening to read as it was to write

[sfsolace]

Makinata Mondays: A Hakumei & Mikochi read-along

This is a weekly series where i read through my favorite manga and share my thoughts, along with some screenshots.

Chapter 2: The two divas

Plot summary: The city of Makinata chooses a diva for their annual harvest festival, but the vote came down to a tie between Conju (the local bard) and Mikochi, who got nominated without her knowing.

This chapter has our first look at Makinata! I'm always excited when a new location gets introduced, they always look like places i would love to take a trip to.

I'll talk more about it in later chapters, but the towns and cities in this manga always have a very inviting, lived-in vibe. If i could inhabit any world from any work of fiction, this would definitely be it.

We also get a better look at all the non-human citizens of Makinata, as the city has quite the sizable population of all kinds of animals.

It's nice to see the humans and forest critters get along so well!

And we meet Conju! Such a fun character, i just love whenever she is featured in a chapter. It is awesome how stubborn she can be, no matter how much it gets her in trouble.

She can be a little frustrating at times, but she definitely brings a lot of energy to every chapter she's in!

This has got to be my favorite panel from the chapter, i never get tired of how beautiful and serene the landscapes in this manga are.

It's also interesting to note that Hakumei & Mikochi often retreat to nature, or at least calmer places. As someone who experiences sensory overload, this is a very relatable and a cute detail.

In general, the way the two of them watch out for one another and go on trips together always reminds me of me and my wife travelling. I was already reading this manga before i met her, so it was a sort of carthartic to see that kind of relationship on the page and being like "Aww, i wish i could have that someday."

All in all a very fun chapter, the episodic nature of the story really makes it a kind of "comfort food" for me; where i can just read a chapter on the train and have a nice self-contained story arc with a little bit of conflict; but nothing that couldn't be resolved by the end of the chapter.

See you all next week!

[bookshelfdreams]

I feel like this has been talked about and I've just missed it but,

I don't think Ed threw out the stuff in the secret closet. As far as we are aware only steve and ed knew about the closet (and probably Lucius but he's overboard). And I feel like the throwing books over board was still more to please Izzy than because ed wanted them gone (though ed did probably find it carthartic, but notice he wasn't actually involved in that scene...). So did Ed tell Izzy about the secret closet? Is Lucius hiding in the secret closet...

*plunks myself down on the couch next to you*

*offers you a glass of wine*

okay, anon, I need you to know, I am in love with the auxiliary closet. It's such a neat little moment that tells you everything you need to know about Stede Bonnet, but the point at which it comes in the story and the way it's handled both work together to make sure you don't really realize the significance until much later. It's only when you know Oh shit they're not actually queerbaiting us, This Is Happening, that you can acknowledge its full significance and cleverness as a symbol, as a trope, as a shorthand.

Of course it's a joke about being in the closet, but it's true brilliance is that - despite being behind a hidden door - it's not actually about secrets. Stede isn't really ashamed of his clothes-hoarding, or his interest in fashion. The secret door is "just for fun", but it is still something he feels vulnerable about. He uses clothing as a defense mechanism; in a way his colourful silks and embroidered coats are the armour he's hiding behind. He's bright, but it's a distraction. He's like a butterfly with eye spots on its wings, to ward off predators, or like a harmless snake, imitating the colouring of something deadly.

But when he meets Ed, he is bare, in a literal sense, and vulnerable. Ed meets him first without all the frippery, meets him when he cannot hide himself behind anything. (Just an aside, this is a trope I am weak for and I desperately want a reversal of their meet-cute in s2. Take the character who is so guarded and withdrawn, who refuses to let people close and put them in a position where they don't have any other choice but accepting care and gentleness. Good shit.)

And Ed - consciously or not - immediately expresses solidarity with Stede, doesn't reject him for his idiosyncrasies but finds them charming (note how the show put the closet scene under this line in their Blackbonnet supercut, they really were determined to leave no survivors). Using your clothing, the way you present yourself to construct a persona; Ed understands that. Even though he is not really hiding, he doesn't loathe himself the way Stede does, but he still is conscious of how other people perceive him.

So Stede, who despite all his social difficulties desperately wants to be seen, immediately shows him the auxiliary closet. He's showing him the hiding place, lifting the illusion.

Stede leaves his guard down with Ed, even after knowing he's the dread pirate Blackbeard! He gets dressed, yes, but in the least layers we've seen him in so far, with only a shirt and trousers (whenever Stede feels most vulnerable is also when he's the least dressed but that's something else, I need to stop getting off track). He's not putting his walls back up. Stede has invited someone in and he likes it.

And Ed? For the first time, Ed is given a glimpse behind the curtain. He's shown the mechanics of something he's been fascinated with and mystified by all his life. Notice how much the closet looks like a prop room; he's invited behind the stage. Later on, Stede will teach him more about how this particular performance works, will show him what props they use and how they do their practical effects. And even later, in ep5, we see just how much of the aristocracy is theatre, and how little substance there is behind it. And what does Ed do, what's his first impulse when he sees all the costumes?

He wants to play dress-up.

I love him so much.

So, to finally get back to your ask, dear anon, no, Ed didn't throw out the clothes. The closet is a secret he and Stede share, but not the shameful kind of secret, more like an inside joke. It's a visual representation of letting someone in (literally).

And I firmly believe this is where Lucius will hide (maybe not in the closet itself, but they very deliberately said secret passages, plural, and what would be the point of that of not foreshadowing), because Lucius is also a representation of vulnerability. Of kept secrets (the journal! He's the one who writes Stede's journal, who records his thoughts and feelings), and of interpersonal connection. You cannot un-share a secret, you cannot un-know someone after you've seen them; and you cannot throw out the secret rooms that are built into the ship you're currently sailing on. Of course Lucius hides in all the secret chambers of Stede's ship, like the memory of Stede himself still lives in the chambers of Ed's heart.

[mymarsmoonandstars]

just watched ryan coogler's variety interview with gina prince-bythewood and what stood out to me is when he said that the goal of wakanda forever was for audiences to root not for a side—but to root for the fighting to stop. which the film most definitely achieves, but it has also shaken up my world a little bit. i've learned a lot of my radicalism from tumblr, and activists here have instilled in me to always choose a side. to not choose a side is to side with the oppressor. but when you have two groups fighting each other that don't fit in the oppressed vs. oppressor category? man. what do you do? why not let this film be easy, and just show the wakandans and talokanil unite to fight against their common enemy? why is this goal of neutrality so important that you abandon a carthartic portrayal of decolonization to instead show them warring with each other?

is it that only through not choosing a side can you achieve impartiality? meaning that, both groups receive equal amounts of consideration in their humanity, in their pain, in their reasons for fighting? but there's a part of me that fears that not seeking vengeance means rolling over and showing your belly to those who have harmed you. and i know when t'challa retracts his claws before zemo and when shuri drops the blade from namor's neck it doesn't feel like passivity, it feels more like healing, but i just don't know

[its-not-a-pen]

Bastard Corner: Maffic Gabbro—the magma tycoon

from: Weekend at Omelas (quick, grab the kid and run!)

Gabbro is a greedy, corrupt, tyrant whose temper is as explosive as his lava mine. He doesn’t give a damn about his workers and treats his staff like objects. His character was loosely inspired by the “corrupt official”贪官 archetype from classic chinese dramas.

Favourite detail: Gabbro is the only one with dialogue in this scene which makes it sound like he’s talking to himself. This reflects his inflated ego, his word is the only one that matters around here, everyone else is literally a non-entity. 

God his POV is SO FUN to write. He’s so cruel and petty, which is very carthartic in it’s own way. Firstly, it holds a mirror up to ourselves. We’ve all said snide, hateful and judgmental things at some point. Sometimes it takes self-recognition in the other to realise “hang on…am I the asshole?” But most importantly, what he doesn’t say is just as important. Gabbro has this way of obfuscating and rationalizing his own misdeeds and it’s kind of fun to read between the lines to find out what he’s actually saying. 

Gabbro takes a genuine liking to undercover Qui-Gon Jinn which goes a long way to humanizing him. I really like this touch because it adds dimension to his character. Evil people don’t think they’re evil, from Gabbro’s perspective he’s just a ruthless businessman with exacting standards. Everyone’s looking out for themselves, afterall, why shouldn’t he try to get rich? 

Just like everyone else, he recognizes and appreciates positive qualities in people. Qui-Gon is humble, intelligent and curious. It makes sense that gabbro, who spends a lot of time surrounded by sycophants, opportunists and nepotism, would really like him.

well well well, if it isn't the consequences of his actions. Gabbro is in a hell of his own making. He holds himself above everyone and feels deeply isolated as a result. he demands total obedience and ruthlessness from his staff and hates them for it. He’s fabulously wealthy but has no friends and a string of failed marriages. Underneath it all he’s kind of just a sad, lonely old man.

(btw Gabbro is a vessel of the narrative, he’s not an analogue to any real person. Actual Billionaires 100% suck. they're not deep they're just greedy)

I really like this role reversal because Gabbro is actually the one who is emotionally honest while Qui-Gon is being manipulative and masking his intentions. It’s a nice little moral grey patch.

Did you notice Qui-Gon never says who he is or why he’s here? He never outright lies, Gabbro just made a bunch of assumptions. 

Lets take a moment to appreciate that this mf just threatened to sue the jedi order.

I try to give my characters a few positive traits to balance their negative ones. For all his faults, Gabbro is NOT a coward. Even when Qui-Gon has him on the ropes, he never backs down or comes close to confessing. 

Just when Gabbro thinks he’s gotten away with it… BAM! The safety inspection comes out of left field and wacks him over the head. I still laugh about it. It’s fucking Kafkaesque. This guy gets away with ILLEGAL ARMS DEALING and gets rekt by…fucking space OSHA. Its like al capone getting away with murder and jailed for tax evasion. Theres only one force more deadly and soulcrushing than the dark side and it is BUREAUCRACY.

[youjustwaitsunshine]

you dont understand i NEED an f1 themed lego game.

cut because i have a whole ass game concept, please hmu with additional ideas

you unlock current drivers and team principals and engineers and personnel and 'legends' and bernd mayländer (all with special abilities like maybe there's like, blueprints/engineering charts that only specific drivers understand, some vehicles can only be driven by specific drivers like v10 only by drivers who drove in that era, (inside levels only, everyone can hop into one in open world), theres places that only tall characters can reach and all the driver characters cant, stewards can immobilize other characters with the ability 'race ban',..)

youd get the current f1 car and all the liveries are just 'outfits' for it, then legendary cars, schumi ferraris, brawn gp 2009, six wheel tyrell, one of those ridiculous rear wing contraption cars, the safety car, a helicopter,,,

and you unlock cars and drivers by doing era specific missions (first mission is w/current drivers, then there's a level where you play as fangio and everything's black and white, a spygate mission simply because i think it would look absolutely hilarious played out by animated lego characters, an engineering mission where the entire level is a teams hq,...)

it would be open world, you'd have this little globe/planet earth where you can go from track to track, theres roscoe side quests. roscoe side quest where you play as seb and have to find and bring him the squeaky ball. roscoe side quest where you can wreak havoc in the mercedes box.

bonus level where you have to complete multiple goals to annoy the fia and in the end you unlock underwear seb. different era lewis outfits. LEGO CUT SCENE OF MICHAEL ON HIS WAY TO BEAT UP DC. split screen racing. you can carthartically beat up the drivers you hate indefinitely and get the satisfaction of them clattering to the ground. there's a hidden staircase at the mtc that leads to the secret lab referencing tooned where you get a minikit. there's a monaco casino mission. charlene is a playable character. drivers briefing cutscene but it's like the old lego games where theres no dialogue so they just argue by pantomime and holding up images.

[dragynkeep]

Everyone's problematic fave is Josh and look I get he's mentally ill and went through such a tragedy but his prank on his friends was so much worse than what they did to Hannah. Maybe more people see him as sympathetic or relatable or want to have their own revenge fantasy but none of the kids deserved being terrorized and feel like they would die. Especially Sam and Chris who would had nothing to do with the prank.

I do feel bad for Josh but he's not a uwu soft bean not when he meticulously planned out how he would traumatize mostly 3 of his friends and 2 of them has zero involvement and the 3rd just stood by and laughed. Still shitty and mean but Ash had the least involvement of them all.

I also just remembered while watching some play through but Mike does apologize to Hannah when he sees it went too far. I mean too little too late but he was remorseful.

i never got the idea of josh being a soft uwu bean that’s so heavily perpetuated in the fandom because while the events of the game are happening while he’s having a pretty intense psychotic break like ... he wasn’t even that nice or friendly before the game by the other characters retellings of him. even in the opening he’s passed out drunk & beth responds in frustration, telling how this is a common occurrence for him which is understandable because it’s a form of self medication mixed with just being a regular teen who wants to get drunk with his friend.

i know it’s a trend for mentally ill characters to either be in the wholly demonized evil psycho catagory or the uwu soft mentally ill baby bean & while i’m glad that josh isn’t in the former despite his psychosis in the game like ... that doesn’t make him being wholly put into latter any better! he did a lot of terrible things & while his motives were understandable, they were nowhere near justified & he had the mens rea to make him culpable for guilt for a fair portion of the “pranks.” he was literally able to make all these intense, intricate plans on how best to terrorize his friends from what he knows personally terrifies them.

& when you bring into it that sam & chris had absolutely nothing to do with the prank yet really seem to almost suffer the worst from josh’s pranks, it not only speaks to just how cruel josh can be but how much his logical center of thinking in his brain has warped from the psychosis, from the lack of medication, from the mismanaging of his mental illness. i really wish we could find a middle ground between “josh is a deranged psycho & deserved the ending he got” or “josh is a poor sad traumatized bean & that makes his actions justifiable” because no. neither of these are right, they’re both the same forms of ableism just in different coatings & neither help people who relate to josh through their own mental illness.

people with psychosis, with psychotic disorders & those who’ve suffered psychotic breaks, like i have with my own disorder, we don’t need to be babied or demonized. we need to realize when we’ve taken a step too far & when our own center of logic is so warped & deformed that we need time to reset that because we’re hurting the wrong people, we’re hurting people.

revenge fantasies are carthartic in fiction but that doesn’t mean they should be emulated or congratulated, especially for the mentally ill because often times, you might end up going for the wrong person. josh did in the game & still somehow gets catagorized as a poor bean. it’s so weird.

[iztarshi]

fanfic writer ask meme! L, M, N, R, Y?

L:  Which of your fanfics was the most emotionally challenging to write?

Overlapping Spaces (Thor fandom) although that's more to do with the place I was in at the time and the specific way I was at odds with the fandom. The fandom tended to side with Loki a whole lot and write the other characters off as terrible jerks that had Driven Him To It (not sure how later movies support or contradict this narrative, I didn't watch them) and I disagreed and was angry about it and kind of a jerk about expressing it.

Which is background for this fic, where I was kind of writing fantasy mental health care focused heavily on stuff I wished I could be given and diving into some of my own symptoms (Loki's problems in this fic aren't mine, but panic attacks and meltdowns are heavily drawn on), while reviewers were sometimes saying how awful Loki's family were to put him through that treatment. It felt like trying to write Loki's family as any kind of understanding was always going to be undermined by people coming in primed to see them as the bad guys, sometimes.

Anyway, it was a lot, although it was also carthartic to write and often fun (as writing with persephone_kore always was). And then I got into Girl Genius because I really needed to leave Thor fandom but still wanted to share a fandom with PK and she recommended it :D

M: What’s the weirdest AU scenario you’ve ever come up with?  Did it turn into a story?

Watchmen/Watership Down fusion AU. Wait, no, that was for the kinkmeme so it wasn't something I came up with. (It also wasn't kinky, for the record).

Either Girl Genius/My Little Pony fusion AU or Murderbot/Toy Story fusion AU.

N: Any fic ideas brewing that you’d care to share?

I keep brewing them and then not finding the motivation to do anything with them ^^;;

Like a lot of people on finishing tgcf my mind started turning over scenarios where Mu Qing and Feng Xin find out the full extent of what happened to Xie Lian. But it's really hard to write that while keeping it in character - they weren't good at dealing with it then, they're not good at dealing with it now, and they'd rather interact in disguise forever than try to talk about things. Even with things improving by the end they just. Don't want to talk about it. (Mu Qing had to almost die and Xie Lian wouldn't talk about these things even if he was almost dying.)

I've toyed around with sillier Xianle Trio ideas like centaurworld crossovers, pokemon crossovers, and "alphas share a school project" but none of them come together.

R: Which writers (fanfic or otherwise) do you consider the biggest influence on you and your writing?

Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman probably, although obviously I'm not on their level. But the way they write is similar enough to how I naturally approach things for me to learn from unlike, say, Terry Pratchett, where I adore his writing but can't imitate it even poorly.

Y: What are your thoughts on your personal satisfaction with something you’ve written vs. the popularity of your stories?  Do you tend to be most satisfied with your most popular stories?

I don't know, really. I tend to be most focused on new stuff, and my satisfaction with that is usually heavily tied up in popularity - if no one likes it I just kind of go "oh, guess it sucked". Older stuff I disconnect from more, so it's great to get comments but I'm more likely to judge the fic outside of whether people liked it.

I am more likely to be satisfied with popular stories though, because I'm trying to communicate things here, so if no one picked up what I was putting down I haven't really accomplished anything!

Haha, that's a lot of words.

[mightbewriting]

You were once asked a question about your favorite moments in B&E and you said that some of them are from year 2005 which was not posted at the time hence spoilers. So now that it's done and finished - what are some of your favorite moments from year 2005 and what are most loved moments if we're talking about the whole fic?

oh hello anon! i am not...good? at saying nice things about my own work? xD (did i very much avoid all the @’s i got in that end of the year tag about our favorite things we’ve written? i meeeaaannn, yea maybe.) but for you, I shall endeavor to try. tons of b&e spoilers below!

i don’t actually remember the ask you’re referring to lol, and therefore can’t recall what scenes in particular I was thinking about (which is relevant, because my feelings on my own writing changes dramatically day to day) but as of today, moments that I really enjoyed in 2005:

1. the end of chapter 40, when all the time shenanigans are said and done, there’s this kind of unremarkable bit of prose that means a lot to me:

Draco felt a sudden urge to close his eyes and sleep. To seek rest and refuge from years and months and moments he’d lived and regretted and tried and failed to change. It wore one down, in the end.

“I don’t know,” he said, leaning his head against the wall, letting his eyes close. “I just hope that whatever timeline comes from this, I gave Lucius a little less. Took a little more. That a different version of me makes better choices.” A sting rose in the back of his throat. “And I still hope to have what I had with Hermione. Even if it has an end.”

in my mind, this is our last moment with the draco we’ve spent 40 chapters with until this point and he is, in a sense, dying to provide a different version of himself a better set of circumstances to thrive in. so to me, this is his ultimate moment of growth and sacrifice and he’s doing it for himself first, and with hope for Hermione second. it was also a really weirdly psuedo-carthartic moment as a writer to ‘kill my darling’ as they say, but also, to give him another chance.

2. i’m also partial to the closing line at the end of chapter 41, as it ultimately represents what could be called the thesis of the entire w&h series:

In the end, they were made of tougher stuff than five or thirty minutes might unravel. There were moments that changed. But most persisted, stubbornly bound to something called fate, or destiny, or prophecy. Or perhaps: hope.

3. but my most favorite bit from 2005 came at the very, very end. and that was draco’s vows, which I knew were his vows when I wrote chapter 7 of w&h when he says them to her in front of the tapestry. so finally getting to show that moment was *ughhhh.* I basically wrote 240k words to earn that scene.

He dropped his head to hers, eyes stinging, vision swimming, utterly lost. “Gods, I love you. More than my name. More than my money. More than all of it. If I had millions of choices, millions of chances, I’d pick you every time. I count myself wildly lucky that you’ve picked me even once.”

4. other favorites from the other years include: the greenhouse scene in 2002 (the line between before and after), the first kiss at hp wedding, draco’s patronus, and like every post modern horror meal with the malfoys in 2004.

[seoafin]

hi morgan! i wanted to say that love your writing so so much and interaction between mc x gojo seems so touching and deep for me, i would even say that despite the fact that i've read a lot of fics with him, your really are my favorite author and your way of description of his feelings and thoughts towards mc strikes something inside me and touches the deepest parts of my heart. your writing style and way of thinking are somehow close to mine i suppose haha

but at the same time it's also so so painful and depressing (personally for me) that, as you once stated in one of your answers, gojo and mc will never fully understand each other  and it's like standing very close to each other but at the same time really far away - it just breaks my heart because i myself always wanted to find a person that is going to be able to fully understand me but i also realise that it's just impossible because this person just is not 𝙢𝙚

and even in fanfics it's so painful to see... that's why i somehow find it really depressing, how they won't be able to fully communicate and in my opinion, even love each other and in the end be happy together. sorry if i'm mistaken and if i got it wrong, maybe it's just me who sees it this way. actually, i will be glad, if it's me, who is wrong here haha and also sorry for my ranting here, i just felt that i really need to let it out since it's hard to contain such feelings inside

oh, and also your post about why gojo would make a shitty boyfriend... i love this man so much and it hurts so bad to think about him this way so i'll just go cry

hi anon! before i say anything else, I’ll say i’m honored you think of me as your favorite writer! I’m so touched!

if i’m being honest here...i struggled with answering this a little bit because a lot of what you said in your ask resonated with me.

here’s the thing. I think everyone wants a partner that will understand them completely. a lot of romances idealize that “perfect other” who you naturally click with (it’s also a reason why i think soulmate aus are so popular. and i hate soulmate aus so take that how you will LOL)

while those relationships are the “goal” i’ve never seen them as realistic.

you only get to that kind of stage of seamless and perfect understanding with time and effort, and maybe even then, you still might not perfectly understand each other! I think that’s okay! that’s life! not everyone is going to complete us in the way we often desire. we can’t expect people to just understand us either. i think coming to terms with those facts are one of the hardest things about being people. we’re so caught up in our own individual lives we often forget that other people are doing just the same.

what a lot of romance media shies away from is how much effort relationships take. the fights and cold silences and going to sleep angry with one another. the passive aggressiveness and staying out late so you don’t have to come home to them awake. the way you sometimes hate your s/o for the very things you fell in love with them for because that’s what time does. it distorts and makes you question whether or not you made the correct choice in the first place. 20 years from now, will you regret it?

i think what truly makes a relationship worth it is whether or not you’re willing to put in the effort. and if you’re not that’s okay to. there’s nothing wrong with knowing when to walk away. maybe this is me putting on rose colored glasses here, but I truly do think that if love is there, it will work out. because to me, choosing above all else to not give up, and to put in the effort and make things work is infinitely more romantic than relationships where you understand each other immediately off the bat. it’s not about two perfect puzzle pieces, but sticking together even if you don’t fit, because you love the other person so much

so what if gojo and rip!mc won’t be able to understand each other fully? as long as they communicate clearly and make sure they get their intentions across, i’m sure they’ll still be able to have a fulfilling and loving relationship.

hopefully (depending on the manga tbh) rip!mc and gojo will have a happy ending. because for all their hardships and miscommunication, they really do love one another. and i think that for rip!mc finding that rhythm past being friends and reconciling with her past is her biggest issue while on gojo’s end....well y’all already know!!!

ALSO:

fIANSNSJSw I didn’t mean to make you cry omg 😭 that post was like 90% a joke !!! but at the same time I wouldn't want you to read anything on my blog that might upset your mental state so I'll just say right now that this blog might not be the best for you. I've personally never liked romanticizing characters which is reason why I've always been hesitant about accepting requests and the like. I know what I might envision is probably not going to be what other ppl imagine, esp with more morally gray characters. When I write I often highlight character flaws bc I think it's more interesting to write. I like multifaceted characters but I often focus on the more negative aspects of said characters bc it's kinda carthartic for me in a way.

[spitzofseidou]

ace of diamond (season 1) review

Hey there! I have recently finished the first season of Ace of Diamond and I’m going to be reviewing on five categories: plot/pacing, characterization/relationships, voice acting, art and OST. Aaaand because of how much I enjoyed it, I’m going to throw in my favorite character, dynamic and OP/ED. At the end I’ll be adding rewatchability/recc score. 

Genre: Shonen / Sports Subgenres: Comedy / Slice of Life / School  Synopsis: Sawamura Eijun is a unique southpaw pitcher from a small town in Nagano with a lot of potential but unpolished skills. After being scouted to play for Seidou High School (a prestigous baseball school in Tokyo) he is encouraged by his friends and family to go and accept the offer and pursue his passion for baseball at a higher level. Confident to the point of arrogant, he declares that he will be the ace pitcher on this new team and be the best -- but has to grapple with the fact he is surrounded now by extremely powerful, talented players who have been honing their skills for years-- some of whom are better than him, like his rival Furuya Satoru, a pitcher with a wicked fastball. Together, this team aims to be the best in Japan and aim for the Summer Koshien, tackling formidable teams who stand in their way--as well as work on their own goals, dreams, fears and insecurities. 

Plot & pacing: The pacing of this show is very well done. In a 75 episode first season, it is rather long, with many of the baseball games drawn out. But its well worth it, as the writing brings a lot of emotional gratification by “feeling what they feel.” Starting with Sawamura being scouted, going through intense spring training and the selection of the summer starting roster, throughout the highs and lows of the summer season and into the post-summer scrimmages and finally rounding out the season with the third-year retirement game before the fall tournament raffle, every bit is given important narrative attention. 

The reveal of information through the eyes of the protagonist; not knowing about Chris Yuu Takagawa’s injury until Sawamura knows it, not knowing how much the current third years sucked as players until the right moment through flashbacks during the tipping point of the finals game, for example -- is such an important choice that we as an audience feel what he feels. The summer games feel very high stakes, the emotional impact is well-earned; every victory feels like it was earned and not given through plot armor or well ~obviously Seidou is the protagonist team, they have to win.~ Seidou as a team was written as strong but not invincible. SPOILER: This is emphasized at the finals game against Inashiro. Despite losing, while emotionally devastating, it feels like it was a logical writing choice and will be important growth for not just Sawamura but the team as a whole. 

The yips arc that follows the loss wraps up in a very wholesome retirement game, with Sawamura not fully recovering, but beginning to do truly do so, and the hopeful note of beginning the fall tournament, leaving the audience ready and excited for more. 

As a side note, Ace of Diamond very beautifully balances comedy to drama, so it takes itself seriously but is also genuinely comedic. I have two running jokes of “fellas, is it gay to x” and “screenshot of out context being x” as well as actually laughing over some of the planned jokes. But it is truly an emotional carthartic journey.

[Did I cry? yes. so much.]

characterization & relationships: All of the characters feel very well-rounded with diverse ethnic and social backgrounds and personality traits. Some may be static but many of them experience growth to become better people and players. Sawamura is a good “bouncing board” of a character, as someone who goes from arrogant to experiencing several setbacks and a devastating loss that makes him examine his own biases, weaknesses and flaws that also reveals to his opponents their own shortcomings. Several other characters are better players than him, and that’s okay. On the flipside, one of the canon examinations as well as audience reaction is that Coach Kataoka has a team who is a family, a well-oiled machine who works amazingly together because they trust and care for one another, that he encourages growth and inspires them to be the best not just as baseball players, but as individuals as well. The opposing teams are also not just blank slates to fight against, but thoughtful people with their own desires, backgrounds and flaws--Mei Narumiya is cocky and unable to handle criticism once put on a pedestal, Sanada Shunpei has low stamina, etc etc. 

Something that’s extremely important to reemphasize is the relationship the Seidou team has to one another in that everyone affects everyone else. Sawamura chooses to go to Seidou specifically because Miyuki Kazuya, a first year at the time, encouraged him to pitch, so he had one upperclassman who already believed in him by the time he enrolled. Sawamura has both batchmates (first years Furuya Satoru and Haruichi Kominato) that encourage him through rivalry (Furuya) or gentle friendship (Haruichi) and several upperclassmen he admires and multiple times states he adores this team as it is, because he looks up to them for guidance and inspiration-- quiet team captain Tetsuya Yuuki, loud outfielder Isashiki Jun (the namesake of this blog, “the spitz of seidou”), speed demons Ryousuke Kominato and Youichi Kuramochi, and more. 

In particular, he has an exchange of growth with Chris Yuu Takagawa, someone he mistook for being uncaring and hopeless about baseball with a dead-eyed appearance. Chris, after being injured, all but had given up on playing again, but Sawamura’s noisy and blunt personality who kept pushing him encouraged him to return to the field, and have hope again. Chris is a teacher that Sawamura then deeply respects and is there for him when he has the yips, returning the favor to help break him out his funk. The symbolism. *weeps*

Important to note also it that is isn’t just about Sawamura and the effect he has on them, but the relationships they have with each other. The Kominato brothers have their own relationship where Haruichi wants to be like his older brother; Isashiki may act wild and aggressive and cocky, but he is truly humbled by their team captain Tetsu; Miyuki and Chris met years before Seidou and that informs their dynamic and the kind of players they are today. This also extends to other teams; some have similarities like Akikawa Academy revering their pitcher Yang Shunchen and how that parallels with Seidou adoring Tanba even when he was out with an injury, and others juxtaposed with them i.e. how some players at Inashiro seem to resent the spotlight Mei receives or Shirakawa callously telling another player to kill himself. 

I also wanted to note the way Coach Kataoka also sees his team; he is in many ways like a stern but loving father figure who wants the best out of his boys in every way, off and on the field. Other coaches seem to care more about money or fame than their wellbeing (Coach Todoroki or the replacement coach for Seidou), and others have different styles as coaches whether from pro experience or just age. It really emphasizes that it’s not just about the talent a team may or may not have, but how those players are nurtured as people.

(Favorite relationships: Chris & Sawamura, the Kominatos, Miyuki & Chris, .)

[Side note: if you care about shipping, this is a buffet, you’re going to have a great time.]

Voice Acting: The voices of this cast are spot on. Everyone’s voice seems to match their face and personalities and all of the voice actors give 110% to the character. The voices really make it for me, as I’m very particular about the sounds. It feels very realistic and the voices really make them seem like actual people and gives the audience a reason to invest. I’ve got nothing but praise for the voice actors and voice direction of this cast. Art: I could go on and on about the art. The motion is very fluid, the backgrounds are amazing. The character designs are stunning and everyone feels unique and given thought. Style-wise it was very refreshing to see as a lot of modern anime I’ve been watching seems to have the stereotypical “2000s” feel, whereas Ace of Diamond feels like a gorgeous late nineties/early 2000s homage--fitting since, despite airing in 2013-2015, the manga originated in 2006 and it followed the art of the manga nicely. The color palettes are very beautiful and vibrant. I remarked more than once while watching it that it was clear that the artists cared for studying human anatomy, movement and realism (in comparison to how some battle shonen care more for looking cool.) The art is what drew me in to begin with and it never disappointed.  OST: I loved the OST so much. Frying-Pan did such an amazing job delivering gorgeous pieces of music. The beauty of it was just off the charts and went above and beyond to make fitting pieces for character themes, scenario specific pieces etc. Also the OPs by Tom H@ck and Glay were appropriately themed and got me pumped every time. I love the various endings also and their little character revealing bits. I like them all so much I never skipped them while watching.

[Favorite OP: Perfect Hero. Favorite ED: Cloud Nine. I listen to Cloud Nine literally every day.] Can I rewatch? Absolutely! Even knowing what’s going to happen, the emotional journey is worth it.  Would I recommend? 10/10. Even if you don’t like sports, this is a great one. It was my first sports anime and it has set the bar so very high. 

[blurglesmurfklaine]

Heyy 😁 F H and I?

Omg thanks Sal! 

F: Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Oh god this one is actually so so hard because there is actually a lot of dialogue in Here We Go Again that I’m quite proud of? I think because so mich of that fic is based on words I never got to say or hear, and conversations I needed to have but never did. 

Anyways, spoilers for Here We Go Again (sequel to There From the Start, don’t mind me with the plug jahsgjh even tho this series has been complete since June lmao)

“But someone I love very much made me realize that there are things that matter more than winning or losing.” He looked lovingly over at Kurt, mouth twitching. “I… learned a lot about myself this year. I think a lot of us did. We learned how to stand up for what we believe in, how to fight for what we love. And I know I’m—I’m always striving to be this perfect person I’ve built up in my head, but it took me way too long to realize that I can’t be perfect. None of us are, and the most any of us can really do is try to be better than we were before, to try and make the love in this world a little more visible... 

“I know Mr. Shue said the best songs come from pain but… I think they can come from a place of love, too.”

I really like this line because it always bothered me that Mr. Shoe stir was like “UsE yOuR pAiN” which like. yeah. I love All Too Well as much as the next bitch but Insvisible String is JUST as good, ya know? Also, let’s encourgage artists to create from all sources of emotions, and not just negative ones.

Also, this is Blaine saying this and he’s just. He’s so happy and at peace here and god I wish that were fuckin me, but it was just so carthartic to write after all the shit he went through (I say that as if i could not have prevented the angst skjdgksh)

H: How would you describe your style?

Oh god well ain’t that just a loaded question? I really have no idea what my style is, or if I even have one?? 

Honest to god, I guess the closest thing would be comedy? Idk if that’s a style lmao but yeah I don’t think I’m particularly a wordsmith or anything, but I think my writing does tend to be light and digestible. Also, I just really fucking love M Dashes akshgakhdg

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?

I thought I didn’t have a guilty pleasure in reading, but I now realize that I do aksjgkshdg I’m very picky about it, but I kinda like Hybrid fics sometimes lmao

Thanks again so much for the ask!!! :D

[today-only-happens-once]

Some Fandom Love Vibes

Every once in a while, I think about how much talent and lovely people are in this fandom and my heart grows soft and warm. Like:

@justisaisfine: I still think about the Sanders Bro AU a lot. I still listen to the playlist a lot. I think it’s always going to have a special place in my heart and honestly, props to Isa for not minding my refusal to let go of this au and ocassionally roll into their ask box unanounced to ask a question about it because I just. Love it. And the care and love and dedication they’ve put into developing it just. It blows me away?? And their ART?!?! Is gorgeous??? They always are able to say so much in the characters’ expressions in both the comics and stand-alone pieces and their watercolor approach to coloring is just. Distinct and beautiful and I love it.

@teacupfulofstarshine: Sometimes I think randomly about LDaD and a little part of my brain is like “whoa. She did that.” One day I hope to be able to fold lore so seamlessly into narrative like starshine does but until then, I will continue to read LDaD and look for examples of how she does it because that’s honestly the best way to learn. Is to look at the examples you admire and pay close attention. On top of that, LDaD has gorgeous and vivid setting description and I just. Admire the heck out of it. 

@princeanxious: Luka!! Okay so like. Luka is so flipping creative?? He has so many AUs that are all chock full of deep, rich lore and unlike anything else I’ve ever really seen, and he does it with such a passion and love for his work that it’s so easy to get caught up in it all in the best kind of way. And on top of writing, he also draws?? And it’s awesome?? Like, I’ve said this before but Luka has such a distinct style to me that sometimes I’ll see art on my dash and be like “hey that’s really cool and looks like Luka’s” and then I’ll check OP and realize it was him. Which just always makes me feel a little splash of happy.

@ironwoman359: Every once in a while, I’m going about my day as a normal human being and my brain will be like “remember Our Own Villain? HECK.” Or. “Yo remember that part from A Fiendly Reunion?” and I’ll be like “I’m doing dishes but now I want to go re-visit it.” Or “Hey remember when Lies of Omission smacked you upside the head with emotions?” and I’ll be like “I was grading papers but I guess now I’m gonna sit and think about Patton and re-read that convo with Patton and Virgil from that fic because feelings”. Basically what I’m saying is that Taylor is an awesome writer that always makes me feel a lot and I am so hecking happy she devotes her time and attention in writing to this fandom.

@randomslasher: My brain refuses to stop wanting to revisit so many of LJ’s fics. Like. Sometimes I’ll just be chilling and my brain will be like “Let’s re-read Thespian” and I’m like “aight” and then I fall down the rabbit hole because then I want to re-read Dad and Superfluous too and I feel?? So much?? When I read those??? And then there’s Starved, which I’ve been known to cry when I re-read certain parts when I’m feeling emotional and it’s the carthartic kind of cry, but it’s a sort of comfort fic for me that I go back to when I feel like I need it. Which is hard to explain?? But hopefully that makes sense. ON TOP OF THAT, LJ also makes art that is sometimes beautiful and sometimes cute and sometimes both and always, always awesome. I admire the heck out of the time and dedication they’ve put towards honing both of those crafts to be what they are today. 

These are all just a few blogs that I find myself always revisiting, but honestly this fandom is so rich with talent and kindness and sometimes I think about that and feel sappy in the best kind of way. 

If you make art, or write, or create edits of any kind--thank you. Thank you so much for the time and dedication you’ve put towards each individual project you’ve undertaken. You make fandom an enriched experience and I couldn’t be more grateful for the work all of you--tagged or not--pour into your creations. 

[blackidyll]

ramblings ramblings ramblings 

work: some kind of crazy reorganization again, motivation in the office is at an all-time low apartment: getting a lot of irritating owners who make really dumb comments or requests (can you guys... please freaking read before commenting... and actually know what your legal rights are versus what are unreasonable whining...  we in the management committee are doing this voluntarily can you folks not be stupid for one day) life: they say that the two constants in life are death and taxes. Do you know who is involved with both? the government. do you know who uses the most amount of forms for even the simplest of claims/processes? the government. someone save us from all the paperwork..........

meanwhile, however, i'm mostly sitting here banging my head over how to end my YOI reverse bang fic. Is this what escaping from reality means LOL

[bisluthq]

ttb has been posting links on her twitter @beardtays and i think they probably link back to the spade blog but its not immediately clear so im just reporting them for copyright on the pics they use and then reporting the account for leaking private information, when they ask for ur signature at the end i copied the link to karliesbuzzcut's post and im completely sure that invalidates it and does nothing but its carthartic

Lmao whatever floats your boat. I personally don’t give a shit about her Twitter - and am kinda looking forward to her going toe to toe with the kids on there. Like I fear very little in life but I fear the kids on Twitter. If she thought I was mean to her dudes [/slur] she underestimates what a proper Twitter dragging entails.

I’ve never reported any of her accounts - ever - and don’t plan to but y’all can do what you want.