#it was for the encounter theme but... it changed so much it doesn't really fit anymore smh
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writingquestionsanswered · 7 months ago
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I'm tired of my ideas always being big. It's overwhelming. I like seeing others' WIPs and ideas because they're just so simple... Like, that comic about a mermaid living in the ocean in our modern time and dealing with plastic trash. So simple and my own brain is bursting with ideas. But my own WIPs... they just start huge. I'd like something smaller... but I don't know how.
Stories Always Get Too Big
Stories can get out of hand quickly when they sprout too many independent threads. There are three primary culprits that serve as sparks that create these threads:
1 - Setting 2 - Non-Protagonist Characters/Relationships 3 - Back Story
The thing to remember, though, is that no matter how interesting your setting is, no matter how compelling your other characters are, and how fascinating the back story is, those things are not your plot.
Plot is the sequence of events through which the protagonist (and potentially other main characters) attempt to resolve the story's conflict by overcoming obstacles and setbacks in pursuit of a goal.
In other words, focus on this:
the protagonist > their normal world > the event that introduces a problem they must resolve > the goal they formulate in order to resolve that problem > the events that occur as a result of their pursuit of this goal > their attempts to overcome obstacles and setbacks encountered along the way > their attempt to solve the problem once and for all > failure or success > life in a changed situation/world
Anything else doesn't need to be there unless it is critical in order for one of the above steps to make sense.
So, let's take your mermaid example... though I haven't read that comic so I'm winging it here:
the protagonist = mermaid normal world = doing mermaid stuff inciting incident = finding plastic trash in the water goal = clean up/find the culprit and teach them to do better events = cleaning up, learning about humans, tracking down culprit climax = mermaid appeals to humans to do better finale = mermaid is living in a cleaner ocean
Now, let's say your brain starts to go off on a tangent about a deep oceanic rift and an evil merman wizard who lives there... stop right there. It's a fun idea, but what does it have to do with this story? How does it relate to the trash, clean-up, finding the culprit, or appeal to humans to do better? It doesn't. Theoretically, you could make it make sense... like, maybe the merman wizard likes the trash and wants the ocean to be dirty and gross, so maybe he is opposing the mermaid's attempts to clean up and to appeal to the humans. Okay, that works, so you can keep it. But, let's say you also have this idea about these creatures that live around the hydrothermal vents, and the mermaid meets and falls in love with a scientist who's studying them. Okay, again, interesting idea, but this one is much harder to fit in with the rest of the story. Sure, you could say the scientist is studying marine pollution instead... that brings it back around to the main conflict, but still, what does this relationship add to the story? How does it help or harm the mermaid's mission? How does it help to explore the story's themes or help deliver the message? It doesn't really sound like it does, so this would be an example of a thread you can probably snip.
And the thing is, it would be okay to follow a thread like that while you're plotting or writing your first draft, just to see where it goes and see if you can make it work. Part of why we edit and revise is to snip out the threads and elements that aren't pulling their weight. But learning how to curb them as they occur to you will help save you work later on down the line. Try writing those ideas down in an ideas document, and maybe those can be worked into different stories, a sequel, or a companion story.
One final note: I am very much aware that there are some epic writers out there who let wild tangles of threads sprout as they write, and they follow them all without abandon, relevant or not. That's okay, too. These are writers for whom that works, who don't feel overwhelmed by all of those threads, who want to write something bigger and more unwieldy. Maybe in time as you get accustomed to writing smaller, tidier stories, you embrace the bigger stories your brain wants to tell. Or maybe you don't. Whatever works best for you is all that matters. :)
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amaya-writes · 1 year ago
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this is kinda specific but bear with me! for ringtober—what about reader who is like Mori's niece or sm but she helps handle the business-y side of the mafia, then one day Mori is kinda like ykw you're a young girl you should be married at some point and sets up an arranged marriage. With Dazai, Chuuya and Akutagawa.
Ringtober Masterlist
Notes: I didn't add Akutagawa because I really couldn't come up with a reason for why Mori would pick him.
Warnings: regular port mafia esque warnings I mean it's a mafia fic so expect slight mentions of mafia themes, slight angst themes?
Characters involved: Dazai Osamu, Chuuya Nakahara
Fem reader, you/yours
Dazai Osamu
Dazai always knew his relationship with you was merely professional, and he was happy to keep it that way.
Mori had only decided to get the two of you married so that you couldn't come in harm's way. There had been several...complications at work lately, several 'what ifs' that Mori didn't like the sound of.
It was awful to think it, but Dazai knew Mori wouldn't care for you as much as he did if you weren't an asset.
You were valuable, and Dazai was on a job to protect the mafia's assests.
This was just work for Dazai, just another assignment, albeit an extremely long one.
He wasn't emotionally attached to you whatsoever, heck Dazai didn't even know if he could feel such things for someone.
You, however, were.
He could tell that this arranged marriage meant a little more to you.
Mori would have convinced you to agree either way, but you caved at the idea of marrying the suicidal mafia executive a lot faster than anyone expected.
It could have been anyone else. In fact, Dazai was certain it would have been Chuuya. He was the perfect fit—someone with enough power and hear to be able to look out for you and be a good husband.
But Dazai? Dazai was just doing his job.
Marriages held some sentimental value for everyone. And he couldn't lie, seeing you at the mafia headquaters in a white Kimono did slightly intrigue him. But that didn't change anything.
You spent your wedding night in separate beds and Dazai left the house far too early to encounter you.
The same continued for months, until that looming sad aura hanging over you began to disappear.
In its place came something more heartless, but Dazai couldn't find it in himself to care. In fact, he quite liked this side.
If only you had developed this personality sooner maybe he wouldn't have had to marry you.
He knew you liked him, knew that this marriage was more than just work for you. But Dazai Osamu was a suicidal maniac working for the most notorious mafia in Japan.
He lived to die, and a ring on his finger wasn't going to change that.
Chuuya Nakahara
At first, it doesn't mean anything to him.
He knows the only reason Mori picked him is because he can't trust Dazai enough to not manipulate and use you to hurt Mori.
Chuuya was too loyal to the cause, and powerful enough to ensure you would never be in harm's way so long as you had him by your side.
He wasn't the first choice, but the logical option.
The fact alone wounded Chuuya's ego quite a bit, and Dazai was always around to rub some salt into those wounds.
The day the two of you signed your marriage papers Chuuya didn't even bother looking at you properly, and got drunk and passed out on his bed soon after.
By the time he woke up you had already left for work.
Things continued like that for a few days, but they started to change with time.
It started slowly—you buying extra dinner and leaving it out for him, him offering you a glass of wine after a long day.
Casual nods each other's way turned into greetings and then small conversations.
By the time you got around to your one month anniversary, things had progressed to small conversations and occasionally having dinner together at the table.
Chuuya knew neither of you had any romantic inclination to one another, but over time you started to feel comfortable around each other.
You were more like roommates than husband and wife, a fact that Dazai and Kouyou never fail to tease him about.
Needless to say there have been a lot of jokes regarding Chuuya's inability to perform sexually and the impact that has on your relationship. All lies of course but that doesn't stop Dazai (Kouyou laughs with him).
Chuuya doesn't want to pressure you to think you have any obligation towards him as his wife. Aka he won't force you to do anything you don't want.
But with time the two of you become friends and then even more than that.
You start to help each other. Casual things like reminding each other to eat or cleaning each other's wounds. Sometimes Chuuya would find you asleep slumped over a pile of paperwork and would carry you to bed.
Othertimes you would help him get the stains out of his uniform since he was terrible at it, and constantly spilt both blood and wine over himself.
This one time Chuuya was drunk and made you wear his hat and has never stopped thhinking about how you looked. At that moment he felt very grateful to have a woman like you as his wife.
Maybe in a year or two your relationship evolves into a romantic one.
Or maybe not. But either way, Chuuya tries to be the best husnad he can.
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eternally-tired-muffin · 6 months ago
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First off, I absolutely love the Hashira surplus AU. I see lots of somebody lived/everyone survived AUs since I have an Ao3 addiction, but none really go in the direction you’ve chosen. I think the idea of twin pillars is nice to think about, but unless they work best together and are messes without their other half it wouldn’t really make sense to just count them as one if they’re perfectly fine independently. Kind of like how Daki and Gyuutaro work in canon, I suppose. So if Sabito lived, he would undoubtedly become the Water Hashira first and end up leaving Giyuu at Kinoe despite him eventually catching up in strength and qualifications. Same with Shinobu, if Kanae survived then she wouldn’t have room to become a Hashira with the 9 max rule. All in all, I really like what you’ve done with it and how you’ve built off canon. I don’t have any direct questions, but definitely wouldn’t mind to read about anything you haven’t got a chance to share or small details you havent been able to fit anywhere! Have a good day/night and sorry for rambling lol-
AHHHHH THIS IS THE SWEETEST THING OMG T^T
I'm glad that you think this take on everyone lives makes sense! I tried to change 1 thing at the start and have the ripple effect come across naturally.
In terms of things to share, thank you so much for asking! This au is my baby so I'm thrilled to yap haha. I have a lot of projects I'm passionate about, so the actual drawings will come out very slowly, though I will answer asks and plot questions as they come. I'm currently working on the comic where Kanae meets Nezuko, so have a sneaky WIP page :P
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The recent arc has also got me thinking about how the infinity castle arc changes.
MANGA SPOILERS FROM HERE!
I've decided to commit to saving everyone, as the core principle of this au, so the upper moon fights are going to go down differently. At the moment, I haven't fully decided, but my initial idea is this:
Instead of Giyuu, Sabito joins Tanjiro in fighting UM3. In canon, Giyuu acts as a parallel to Rengoku, with themes about weakness/strength and duty (who 'should' live). In this AU, Giyuu doesn't have the same survivor's guilt, and Rengoku doesn't die. As a result, it isn't thematically important for Giyuu to go up against Akaza. However, Sabito was present in the mugen train arc, and he narrowly survived the encounter. I think it makes sense for him to go up against Akaza with Tanjiro (who was stuck as a witness last time) and get to see how they've both grown - Tanjiro getting stronger and Sabito getting smarter. Maybe he learns Giyuu's defensive form?
Since Giyuu is free, I think he'd join in the UM1 fight. Having a defensive fighter could influence the battle. I have to be honest, I haven't reread this arc in a minute (so it is fresh when I watch the movie) so I can't quite remember how the fight goes down, but I think Giyuu would be there from the start. They just manage to keep themselves together as more allies join and overwhelm UM1.
I haven't used Rengoku here - I haven't decided his status after the mugen train arc. He lives, but I don't know if he is fit for battle. He may join Uzui and his father in protecting Nezuko. Perhaps he rallies the kakushi and the medical team with his large presence and still well above average physical abilities.
UM2 is a bit more complicated. Shinobu's drive for revenge is a key part of her character, but in this AU, Kanae survives. This is another thing not set in stone and may change. At the moment, I think in this AU, Douma has a habit of eating his victims alive. He taunted Kanae, managing to bite off her ear, so while Kanae manages to survive, she is truly affected by this fight. Shinobu despises him like in canon. In terms of the UM2 infinity castle fight, I'm not sure how to administer Shinobu's poison. It could be that Douma eats an arm or leg, but Kanae arrives in time to help. I'm also currently thinking that Aoi* might join Kanao.
*I haven't committed to her role yet (in addition to knowing basic medicine). She could be a poisons using demon slayer (like Shinobu) or someone who blended the role of demon slayer and kakushi - this is worth its own post though.
All of the speculation around the inifnity castle is just a draft, though! I would absolutely love to hear any suggestions/ ideas, so please feel free to reply/ reblog/ send an ask :D
AU masterpost
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melonteee · 10 months ago
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Oda is really good at foreshadowing because, while him having always had a clear complete backstory for each character from the get go isn't so sure, he clearly has character sheets for each of them that highlight the themes to be explored through them and what logically leads them to become who they are today (finding family in strangers for robin : why not bio fam? -> neglect. why realization at enies lobby and not jaya? -> betrayal in the past, needed proof of truthfulness. why this found fam and not another one? -> criminal lifestyle and previous experience of constant exploitation)
Then when he sets up a scene between characters, he takes all of those sheets into account and specifically choses what would make sense to be "revealed"/said between those characters (and in turn to the audience) at this specific point in time in the plot and in the overall story
Ex: Robin and Law's talk about the Will of D. It makes complete sense for both of them to have this talk in the story between each other specifically. Why didn't Robin ask any other D before Law ? The D clan aren't that plentiful when you think about it to the point Robin met 3 of them in her entire life. She didn't know how important it was back then so she never asked Saul. She probably asked Luffy but Luff-man doesn't care about those matters to the point he only found out he even had a dad at 17yo ("sorry Robin"). In short, Law is perfect for the job. And while his information fits at that point in the plot for Robin to uncover, we as an audience aren't ready for it yet.
Alternatively, when those character themes sometimes coincide between different characters, he simply ties them together to avoid redundancy
Bonney is a funny case to me because she was created in a week like most of the non-Strawhat supernovas but Oda made sure that her and these new characters wouldn't interfere or create plotholes with what he's already had in mind while leaving enough leeway to tie them more into the plot if needed. Bonney has the biggest leeway of any supernova because of her devil fruit powers. The fact it changes her age and we were only ever given an estimation means you could technically have her be born at nearly any point in time as well as be the daughter, mother or grandmother to anyone you wish.
Yet she fits so well as Kuma's daughter for a very simple reason: It makes the scene of Kuma sending Perona to Mihawk's island gain a layer of sense that was kinda missing and easily glossed over on a first read. Other than giving a demonstration of what Kuma's abilities could do pre-Sabaody and emphasize how much bigger of a threat he was compared to Moria even if they shared the same title, we never really got WHY Perona was spared like the strawhats were at Sabaody. There wasn't some grand vision to it, no tie to something he was part of like the Revolutionaries, ... So why ? Especially at that point in time where he was slowly but surely losing himself and any tie left to his humanity
But then Bonney comes in and their backstory is revealed. And that's when you begin to notice. You notice that Perona is a pink haired adult woman with a rather childish personality. Notice that her devil fruit can easily be underestimated and holds a lot of potential. Notice that Kuma mechanically asked her a really strange question which lacked an important key setup for it. Notice that the spot on Mihawk's island where he sent her to was safe from danger. And you realize
Perona might have reminded Kuma of someone very very close to him to the point his mind couldn't even fathom harming a look alike.
And chronologically at the time of this encounter, he's only seen Bonney as an adult once back at the Sorbet Kingdom where he ended up fainting at the sight alone
In a strange turn of events, things just fit and we're all happy for it
I have nothing to say you're just spot on about everything here. I am so desperate to see Oda's notes on when he makes arcs and characters for how he puts everything together. I can only hope he's kept all of them so, when One Piece ends, he can release a book with all his concept sketches and character/story plots to see exactly how he does it. I need to see how the gears turn u know
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galaxythreads · 11 months ago
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The live action ATLA is amazing. 9.5/10. I didn't love everything about it, but there are so so so so many good parts and I'm so glad that Netflix decided to make this. I've seen a lot of weird criticism from long time fans and maybe I just haven't been in the fandom long enough, but. I absolutely think it's worth giving a watch if you go in with a semi blank slate. The Netlfix series is not trying to be an exact scene by scene remake of the show.
The thing about it that you have to remember when you go in is that they said they were going to change the tone of the show, and they did, and it works! It's not the same. It's not a comedy. It's funny, but it's not a comedy. Character motivations were changed to fit the darker theme. It's using Avatar as source material and intends to be an adaption, not a reconstruction of the series.
Katara is much more traumatized about her mom's death, which made sense! She was murdered in front of her. She's afraid to take on a maternal role because of that. She's quieter and softer because she's afraid and she's healing from her mother's murder. Katara in the series made sense, too, but I feel like someone looked at her and went! Wait. Smol child is maybe...not okay??? I have faith they will build her up as the seasons progress if they continue.
Hakoda is disappointed in Sokka barely passing his trial. Makes sense! They're at war! Sokka has to take care of the village, of course Hakoda has high expectations for him. And the thing is--Hakoda still trusted Sokka with the responsibility of the village anyway, so his disappointment in Sokka's trial didn't stop his faith in his son. And honestly, I think it's fine that Hakoda is not a perfect parent who never makes mistakes. Parents rant about their kids to their friends all the time. It's healthy because they're not doing it in front of, or to, their kid. Hakoda didn't know Sokka was listening. So. Idk. Sokka doesn't go through his misogyny is bad actually arc, and while I missed it, I thought he functioned really well in this story without it. And for the record!!!! Sokka STILL makes stupid jokes the entire season. He didn't lose his sense of humor.
Aang feeling so much guilt about leaving? Yep! I can vibe with that. I missed his innocence and playfulness, but I feel like this wasn't a bad take on the character either. He was still playful, but in the world they live in, it would make sense that he feels terrible for leaving. And everyone they encounter takes it upon them to rub it in his face so why wouldn't he feel bad or out of place?? Especially after Bumi. Everyone says he needs to face this alone, and Aang learning that he doesn't have to?? Powerful!! Is it the same arc as s1 of the show? No! It's not supposed to be!
Zuko's actor was perfectly cast. That boy IS Zuko. The scence at the end of e6 made me cry because it was so powerful with the 41st, and that felt so EARNED after episodes of watching Zuko's crew despise him to suddenly realizing the only reason they're alive is because of him and realizing it's an honor to shelter him. Zuko drawing Aang to pin him on his disaster wall was amazing. Him getting hit by some random woman for attacking Aang? Amazing. Him sitting next to Iroh during Lu Ten's funeral? So soft. The Agni Kai really rubbed people the wrong way, but I think it was interesting that they decided to have Zuko showing compassion be the root of Ozai's anger. He showed compassion to the 41st, he shows compassion to his father, and when Ozai has defeated him, he has him on the ground and could walk away, and he chooses to burn his face. It's not exactly the same as the show, but again, it's not intending to be.
Azula being here was interesting. I don't know if I loved Zhao being incapable of doing anything without her, but it works for what it is. Zhao is intended to be annoying and he was! So. 10/10. She cried when Zuko got his scar! Ozai playing the long hand of terrible abusive tactics made me want to bite him. Because Ozai doesn't care about Zuko. He uh. Made that pretty clear when he banished him and then at the end when he's explicitly told Zuko might have died at Agna Qel'a and he's like ????????? Am I supposed to care??? We've gotten rid of weakness. So??? Like he used Zuko to force Azula to become more ruthless. He used Zuko to shape her. I do hope we get more exploration of Ty Lee and Mai so they aren't Faceless Blorb Friends, but I just don't think there was really time in s1.
The parts they chose to remove and add into the story was interesting. You got to explore the story for the first time again. I definitely think both versions have merit and are deeply enjoyable, I just don't think you should go in expecting it to be exactly the same thing? I was happy to see a new take on the story, but that might be because I knew that it was going to be darker and the characters would adapt to that. I do hope we can get more of the vibe of the show's humor in season 2 if we get season 2, and Katara feels little more like her show-counter part because I missed her, but honestly, I do recommend to a friend.
Or at the very least, if you absolutely refuse to watch it, PLEASE go watch the last 1/2 of episode 6 with Zuko and the 41st because I CANNOT.
+THEY ACTUALLY PRONOUCED EVERYONE'S NAMES CORRECTLY #bareMinimumAward
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thegingerwrites · 2 months ago
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trope selection tag game
Thanks for tagging me @ragnarlothcat !
enemies to lovers or friends to lovers - I really love it in fanfic but I haven't really found a good example in original fiction. I feel like the stakes are often lacking in original fiction. It's either, dang you guys are mean to each other, you should not be in a relationship (especially het couples) or you guys don't really have any reason to hate each other (I just read You're The Problem It's You and was frustrated by it the entire time). But fanfiction enemies to lovers? 10/10
coffee shop au or flower shop au - I knew flower shop aus were a thing, same with bakery aus or tattoo shop aus, but I don't think I've ever really read one? But I've read some very good coffee shop aus. They're good for a meet cute 🥰 Although writing this, I'm also thinking about travellingcircus 's a dark alley, a bad idea which starts out as a coffee shop au and takes a thriller turn which isn't exactly a meet cute but is extremely good
hurt/comfort or there was only one bed - ugh, these are both very good! And there was only one bed is such a classic for a reason BUT hurt/comfort is so adaptable and I love angst
found family or partners in crime - I love a found family. It always hurts when a piece of media brings a group of people together throughout the story and then they go their separate ways at the end, it sometimes feels like it devalues the character development they made together throughout the story. I'm a huge fan of finding love in multiple and unexpected forms
canon compliant or canon divergent - I don't think I can choose between these two especially with star wars and obikin. There is so much talent involved in creating a satisfying canon compliant fic where the love is there, it just doesn't change anything (and in fact, makes everything feel a bit worse). If there's a theme here, it's that I really do love a bit of angst. I'm thinking about @thedunesea 's The Labyrinth Song here. I read it months ago at this point and it absolutely wrecked me, an incredibly satisfying read. But I also love canon divergence. I love carving out a space where things could have gone different in canon
fluff or angst with a happy ending - This is another one where I was like, don't make me choose! But I'll go with angst here (and not just because a theme is developing) but because they specify angst with a happy ending which feels like the best of both worlds
1st person pov or 3rd person pov - I'm going with Lemon and Rag here. I don't really read any first person fic. I'm alright with it when it comes to original fiction but I still don't read very much of it.
soulmates or forbidden love - I've read a few good soulmate fics (which makes me think of Twin Suns by MmeIrene (I'm not sure if they have a tumblr!) which was very good) but I feel like I read more forbidden love (especially if we consider being forbidden by the Jedi Code or the Council or in original fiction we talk about things like class or homophobia forbidding people from being together)
roommates or fake dating - I absolutely agree with Rag, a lot of original fiction especially doesn't really give a good enough reason for why they're fake dating? Where as roommates allows for a lot of great pining 💕 And I could not answer this one without thinking of @darthwillies fic Roommates which is just soooo good
slow burn or meet-cute - I love and respect the power of a good slow burn. I'm not sure to what extent I'm capable of writing it but it owns my entire heart.
love triangle or polyamorous relationship - my answer to a love triangle is so often polyamory. I never read much of it until ofmd and steddyhands a few years ago and I love some obianidala. I don't know if I could ever write it to my satisfaction though, there's just so many moving parts 😅
royalty au or magic au - I feel like I haven't really encountered too many of either of these? Although I'm loving Rag's If the Shoe Fits which is maybe more of a Cinderalla au than a royalty au but Prince Obi-Wan is just too good in that fic. Put them in pretty outfits, give me some court intrigue, that sounds great!
high school/college au or neighbours au - This one was really hard! I like and dislike both of these. I don't really seek out modern aus in general tbh but I think I've read more high school/college aus. Though honorable mention goes to Heartbeat Drives You Mad by @renlyslittlerose an excellent neighbors au!
mutual pining or idiots to lovers - This one comes back to the angst with a happy ending possibilities. I agree with Rag, I think idiots to lovers can be a kind of mutual pining, maybe with more miscommunication and misunderstandings, but that idiots to lovers isn't a tag I would seek out or one that would intrigue me
I couldn't help but turn this into a bit of an obikin fic rec list for some of my favorite tropes 😅 No pressure tags in addition to the ones scattered about the answers: @usakostar @betweensaintsandmonsters @grapenehifics @unspuncreature @samstree
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seaofreverie · 5 months ago
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I listened to a new Sparks album and it was all I could think about for two weeks straight afterwards, a.k.a. My Hello Young Lovers Review
Okay, so here's my fabled review (I mentioned having written it once about three months ago, so I guess there's a chance that someone still remembers that). It's hecking long (seriously, it's long.) and consists mostly of me pointing out specific sections of the songs and raving about which specific elements of the songs I particularly like. And also attempting to make some sort of general statement on the style / atmosphere / themes etc. of the whole thing. I wrote this back in november, after 5 full listens of the album, over the course of about a week, and I didn't update it with any new opinions that I have formed since, to keep it true to that original form, besides some side notes where I thought they'd be useful to add. I hope you enjoy my yapping, however unprofessional and all over the place this whole thing probably is.
How to start album reviews? Well, I could sum up the general vibe / thing / feel / theme with the album but that seems much more fitting for the conclusion of the whole thing.
So let's kick this off with the first thing we see instead!! The album cover, the sleeve! (note: I got this album on vinyl for that first listening experience, the 2022? reissue) Ohh so pretty and cute, isn't it? Even inside, so much pink, even over-the-toply-so (for real though, I didn't even really think about what to expect from the inner cover, besides some photos that I knew would be there, but it was certainly not THIS. level of pink and cute), it looks so pleasant and sweet, doesn't it? And the band photos too, fun times all around!
Oh wow, ok, let's get back to reality here, I knew what I was in for (knowing just one track and excerpts of other two + reading misc comments on the album before already, as it is inevitable, you know. And frankly, that was actually the exact right amount of info from that commentary for a peak enjoyment here. Not going in totally blind but still encountering many surprises). This is a prime and, imo, very well executed example of mood dissonance. In a way where, idk, maybe it comes from me still having this even small amount of info beforehand, but it's the kind of situation that you can actually tell that something is off.
So yeah, the visual aspect of the album does fit it and I'd even say it does so VERY well, but as to how and why, maybe I should start exploring the atmosphere and themes and elements of individual songs first so we can make more general conclusions from that! So yes, I think it's time to dive in!
1) Dick Around ▪︎
Shortly put, amazing, showstopping and life changing song. And one of the earliest ones for me too! As a part of the extremely important and memorable playlist (note: my first time hearing a bunch of random popular sparks songs), it appeared somewhere in the latter half on the mix and oooh boy, was hearing this song for the first time, on the road in the dark evening too, an experience. I certainly found it intriguing to say the least, maybe I wasn't yet completely SOLD you know, and let's not forget that the second time I heard it (july) it actually kind of freaked me out in a way, but still, it certainly made an impression immediately. There's a reason this is one of the more well known / popular / important songs of theirs overall. This song is truly a journey and it messes with you in so many ways, oooohhh so many ways. I was super looking forward to hearing it again properly after being teased with some parts of it in the more recent weeks, so ok, maybe this is where I get to the individual parts I want to talk about.
Actually wait, first let's maybe say something about the placement. Of course it's the first song as I was pretty much certain it would be (and maybe already had kind of possibly spoiled..?), and it does work incredibly well as a mood-setter for the rest of the album, so it truly couldn't work any other way in my view. So yes, speaking of parts, there are so many different ones! Hearing this again was extra fun also because I would remember the main "point" / mantra of the song ("all I do now... is dick around") but not much else, then be reminded of another notable but very different part, then listen after this whole time properly on pretty much repeat now and be aware of those other little touches and bits that bring it all together...
So, let's start with the pleasant vocals & piano break near the beginning, it's, well... I just really like it (I hope I'll be able to say more specific things about other elements in these songs that I think need to be mentioned as I go on LOL), and right after that we have some very nice strings, then, suspenseful strings!! Idk why but I really really like it when those come in, they really set the unnerving classical tone that follows and returns throughout the album, then the same "calm" / bouncy vocal melody and a more "all over the place" piano returns (at least from what I remember, the notes are sort of more expansive in range in this part I think...). And soon enough... we reach the real moment of the song when it gets, well, real. And very intense. And this is almost jumpscare-like, ohhhh it's so good, even when you know you can expect it it still hits the spot amazingly.
So this is the rocking part that's honestly pure distilled joy and amazement to hear for me each time, the repeated echoey "hey hey"s for a second there are just the icing on the cake, so so so good. And, in fact, it doesn't get more rocking than this for the rest of the album. Dissappointing? Maybe it WOULD be, if there weren't other things still going on later, which were also in their own ways showstopping, so I think that yeah, those can make up for all that follows not really coming close to this level of unhinged. And this is the right word here I think, unhinged!! Damn, this freaking song. Like for a second there I remembered that in one of my early-ish hearings I just found it almost uhhh, unbearably raw? Idk if it's the right word but yeah, it gets... ugly for a second (I need to stop cringing at every more unusual / to the point word I use or I won't be able to write any genuine reviews in my life). Before going back to the main mantra of course! And then it goes on in a circle a bit more again, with more changes and some progression of the story and all that. And end on the mantra again. I don't know if I'm leaving out any super important bits here, I might be... Well, it comes back to full on rocking near the end too, with some variation too, so that's awesome! And very suspenseful and unnerving strings too for a moment!
So, should I talk about the lyrics / the story just a bit now? Ok, I won't go super deep into these or any of the following ones, I'll try to focus more on specific bits and the feelings that come with them and a general "theme" if anything. So, I think this song and its story is very engaging and I like it a lot and it certainly provokes further thoughts and ponderings, those 6 and a half minutes fly by super fast (guess that's just the power with sparks and their long songs, it's kind of incredible how maybe this goes ESPECIALLY for songs that rely a LOT on repetition, because those might work this trend the best), lots of variation, while still keeping some prominently repetitive / reoccurring parts balances it very well. You're really just thrown from one part to the next with this song. Ok, I wrote a lot about just one song and I feel like there's still more I could say if I thought about it hard, but let's move on now, we don't have all day (night)...
2) Perfume ▪︎
This is a favourite. An instant favourite. Right away this song grabbed me with its subdued, brooding and honestly pretty dark tone and sound. Low vocals, kind of ragged but driving guitar sound, and the DRUMS. They do SO much for this track, something about this specific drum pattern / style is very pleasant to me, very atmospheric. It's like a specific pattern that works to deliver some kind of effect (ok, I think through that, in a way, I just described the whole thing with repetition in sparks' music, especially in this era, nice, I guess that's how I view it and why it works so well) there's still a lot of interesting stuff going on there, plus it just sounds nice, idk. Once again, maybe "driving" is a good word for it. But now I need to mention that there is this one odd-one-out part that sounds much more cheerful, or maybe hopeful (and it returns again near the end). Because it has this specific thing, the different intonation of the SAME lyrics than the rest of the song ("and that's why...") feels strangely emotional. It certainly hit ME in the feels once I noticed it, so, yeah!!
So I think this is one of the darkest songs in mood and sound, while it also has something extremely COOL about its sound that I can't really categorize, I think I'm gonna feel like repeating this for every other song on the album but it just feels so CLASSIC, it's that typical song that always existed type of feel, yeah. But here it's less so due the melody necessarily, and more due to the whole picture. With some others it's also the song as a whole of course but they don't necessarily feel as much as a representation of a whole THING / genre / type of song / feeling in music of sorts (I'm really bad at articulating my exact views on these, am I not...) rather than those specific special moments that just bring it all to the next level. But OHHH I can't believe I almost forgot this, but the piano lines (I mean the post-chorus ones specifically) in this song, oh my goddddd!!!!!!! They're truly THE thing that sold me on this song completely, they're just so... something. So I guess this song also has that special "it" moment after all, doesn't it? Well, still possibly not quite as prominently as the next one, because...
3) The Very Next Fight ▪︎
Well, this is the kind of song that's completely made up of those specific parts making a very special whole. Starting with, of course, that melody line during the chorus "it's always the same. It's always the same". But maybe, just to be fair, I should actually start with where the song actually starts so, well, hmmm, the beginning. The very solemn piano and overall kind of heavy atmopshere here kind of slows down the momentum after the first two songs, and it delivers something quite different instead. So yeah, well, that chorus melody!! Oh wow!!! Isn't it so simple though? But it works so well!! It's simply beautiful honestly. It absolutely is! And later the electric guitar comes in for more effect and oh wow, it feels so incredible, yeah. And then some more solemnity with the... I think harpsichord?
This track feels very empty (as in the atmosphere, I'm not actually calling it empty as a bad thing or something like that, no no no!!) in some parts, then it has those emotionally charged bits, and let's not forget that it has some more really amazing guitarwork near the end. That kind of guitar "wailing" sounds beautiful in its own right too, it also kind of reminds me of some other rock-adjacent genre(s), I can't tell what exactly though...
4) (Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country ▪︎
In all honesty, after my first listen I decided that this was probably the song I was the least impressed by? Kinda strange, yeah, because I no longer think that, and yeah, it was another one that I was only slightly familiar with already. Very slightly. It's a very interesting song once again, I think it's really unique after some thought actually (as are most all of the songs on this record tbh, obviously). It's unique, but it once again has this special classic quality to it that just feels like it represents a very specific type of sound.
I wanna say that the chord progression in the chorus might be some variation of one of the "usual" progressions although OF COURSE I might be very wrong here, it's just the feeling I get because maybe it's worth mentioning that 1) a while ago I started noticing this one type of progression in songs that made them sound very similar to Kiss Me, Son of God (They Might Be Giants song), so I figured it must mean that KMSOG is just in some kind of typical progression that is used a lot, especially in country-sounding songs from my experience 2) there was also an element of some classic rock / rock&roll (?) / punk (??) songs that also made them sound very alike after a while when I started listening to this one internet radio station recently, idk if it's the same progression or its variation or if all those songs use different variations mostly but are still based on a very similar thing at the end of the day, but yeah. I might still not understand chords or be able to catch them while listening, but there's now at least a little part of that whole section of music theory that I might be able to recognise in music just by myself, so that's some major music literacy development on my part I think... Anyway, maybe the progression in this song didn't even remind me of that usual pattern specifically, but it just made me think of that thing nevertheless, maybe it's similar, maybe it's not... So this was kind of an irrelevant tangent on my part, oops.
So ok, let's get to the jist of this... What exactly I like about this song and such, or just what I wanna mention. Well, I wanna mention that this is probably one of the more repetitive songs, also one of the longest I think, maybe the third longest, I wouldn't be surprised by that (the opener and closer are both pretty tough competition in the length department) but it doesn't feel monotonous, it flies by super fast, once again.
I think it's also possibly the brightest sounding song on the record, the word that immediately sprung to mind here is "triumphant". Certainly fitting with all those awesome horns!! They're truly what really sets this song apart. I'm especially a fan of the horns in the bridge part, I think it's the bridge. Sooo so cool sounding, kind of "descending". I also really like the layering of the different vocals and their melodies and such, the acoustic guitar also brings it all soooo nicely together, it's so pleasant sounding, especially in the quieter "baby, let's invade" part.
Idk what else to say, very awesome song though and I definitely don't mind listening to it twice (with the repeat as a bonus track, which I'll also get to briefly at the end) at all, in fact this might be the least "intrusive" song in a sense, so that makes the best choice for a repeat, if I had to choose, I could see myself going with this one, it's just very pleasant all around.
5) Rock, Rock, Rock ▪︎
So things get real once again, huh. This is one of the songs that I count in the category of kind of sick and twisted but in a way where I only respect them more for making it, so that puts it right next to, hmmmm, sherlock holmes for sure, maybe some others I can't think of right now. Big part of that factor is surely played by the repetition which just works, well, very well. Specifically the choruses.
One part of this song I was pleasantly reminded of on my first few listens were the short strings interludes, they really give it some of that pleasant classical feel (a separate thing from what i describe as classic feel here!) that I could say kind of contrast with the song and its atmosphere in general. Or maybe spruce it up, idk, we do have very dramatic strings during the verses too... The very deep drum sound is also pretty prominent in this track I think, pretty great.
As to some more notable parts in the vocals department... Let's just say that the way Russell says some words is very, uhhhhhh, effective (i think this sounds more cursed than it should, but i mean exactly that, the delivery just really hits you... and other times it's kind of silly instead). And also, with that repetition and it creating something great in mind, there's the repeated "and since you put-" part near the end that's also really great. The repeated "I"s in the bridge I think also need a mention. It's like they know exactly what word / phrase to repeat, what amount of times, and in which part of the song for it to work the best, like the perfect placement and number.
I think this song also has a bit of a fake ending, so that's also something of note, especially when it's supposed to sound as dramatic as possible (at least that's the idea I get from it). And actually, oh, so does the previous song! I forgot that part even though it's even more noticeable / memorable in that song than it is here imo.
6) Metaphor •
Second half of the album starts off with something that's very elegant and all the while very pleasant and melodic, all of which makes it a very nice track, even in a more usual pop song sense. Some very cool piano to start things off, and the electric guitar accompaniment, which also enters pretty early on. And then we have that slightly more strange part, kind of like an early bridge, that honestly has a bit of a comical effect imo (with no disrespect intended!!)? As in, I find it kind of funny and silly personally. Yeah, the "who's up for a metaphor" part, especially when we get the repeated "don't don't"s and "we we"s, and, well, what follows is what's definitely the greatest part(s) of the song, when Russell enters his falsetto mode and we get the "aaaaa-ªªªªª..." etc. backup vocals in choruses. Those are the moments of the song that are just, well, ONCE again that classic factor that makes the melody & everything else super special. But more specifically, I think those parts are just kind of beautiful. Yeah, I'd say this song is the prettiest in sound that this album gets overall. Truly wonderful and gets you excited for the remaining songs.
Meanwhile, the spellings of dig as d-i-g might feel kind of random I guess? But it works. Adds variety or whatever (note: it's also a very good moment of a rhythm change I believe, I think now that's what makes it sound as cool and satisfying as it does). So yeah, kind of a heavenly song I think, in a sense, also one of my top faves just for that factor (note: this song is now probably my favourite on HYL, and also among my top fav Sparks songs overall. It wasn't instant, but it grew on me quickly and oh man, I truly love this song so much now)
7) Waterproof •
I think this is kind of an odd-one-out actually? And why? I think it's probably the closest on the album to being sort of a fully, or at least MOSTLY, "normal" song. It doesn't have so many parts that are just downright weird and unexpected I'd say, it's just kind of friendly instead compared to the other ones (note: it took me perhaps too long to realize that this song just doesn't have quite as much repetition, which most other songs here rely on heavily, so that's definitely what makes it stand out the most). Not that it's an entirely bad thing! Sometimes you gotta slow down and relax a bit I guess...
I do appreciate the kind of sudden switch with the "the sky is starting to cloud up" part, and the little orchestral bit right after the first time the aforementioned switch happens (the second? or generally some later time it happens again there are also some very awesome horns! Really starts feeling like a quaint rainy street in some french town or something...) when, well, I was going to say that the vocals and the strings do the same melody, but they actually don't, at least not fully, still though, I did have that illusion before I made sure it wasn't the case with another relisten, either way, when it DOES happen, and Sparks do that a whole lot I feel like, it's always quite awesome, I mean, syncing the vocal melody with some other prominent intrument's melody...
The I think harpsichord also makes a return, yay! And then there's the guitar part, that does have some real surprise factor when it comes in, but this time for sort of the opposite reason - it sounds bright and nice this time around, and also it reminds me of Sparks' later style tbh, specifically in their following more rock-centric songs of course. And I think that's very nice, we see the always progressing evolution of their sound here I think. That guitar bit also has some album closer vibes, that kind of fake closer (or nearly-closer) situation kind of reminds me of a similar thing I experienced with Bon Voyage on Propaganda for example (note: I have since learned that Bon Voyage IS the closer on Propaganda, and the following two songs on streaming are just b-sides. So it makes sense that it would sound like an album closer because it IS one).
Annnddd the last thing that I just can't forget about here is Russell's another epic falsetto moment (waterwatereverywherebutnotadroponme!~) that part actually makes me smile. Yeah. Legit. I paid attention and I did smile on that part during my relisten today. ... Ok, let's go on.
8) Here Kitty •
When this song came on the first time during my vinyl listening I of course instantly knew exactly which song it was (bcs I've heard the title before, and a few words on it too) and had this little amused "oh no" moment. And, well, turns out this song is actually very awesome and veeeery interesting! It adds something really unique to the album. I saw someone call it quite impressive in the vocals / vocal lines layering department recently (in the last week, so already after hearing it myself I'm pretty sure) and I absolutely agree.
First off, let's settle that - this is a very strange song. But that's exactly what makes it so good of course. The strangeness keeps you so distracted from this fact, that when we reach the bridge of the song you suddenly realize that beneath all the "tatata"s, meows and unsettling rising piano notes we have the very much usual song structure with verses and choruses. Yeah, I think I actually sort of figured it out, what might be the verse, and what might be the chorus... Speaking of which, the parts that I identified as choruses have this, well, it's the same thing all over again (but each time the specialness comes from a different place and is totally different of course), but that very classic feel, indicative of maybe even some specific genre but idk what exactly...
Besides that, well, maybe let's go back to my oh no moment for a minute, and let me say that I either am very illiterate in that sense (and yeah I am tbh) or the lyrics aren't as overtly, let's say, innuendo-filled? as I expected. They actually have a semblance of a story you know... I mean, NO, not even a semblance, it IS a story! Let me also say that this is a very interesting song to have stuck in your head a lot over the course of pretty much an entire week. Yes, it got to the point where it could be annoying. One last bit of the song I really like is at the very end, when one vocal line starts to sound kind of echoey / distant, nice touch.
9) There's No Such Thing as Aliens •
The song that first cemented itself as being by far the shortest song on the album, sort of an interlude before the incoming epicness of the last one (that was quite literally my very first impression before I even heard either, looking at the vinyl this one was visibly much shorter than the last, and of course I expected the last one to be fittingly grand, and so it was obviously, but we'll get to that in a minute). The funny thing is, it's not even that short, as I figured even before eventually making sure how long it was in fact, and that's almost 3 minutes, which, well, of course that's still something around well over two times shorter than the last song.
But enough about its length, this song actually does kind of work as an interlude thematically too, which it is? it sort of even feels like it doesn't quite fit with the themes of the other ones, I mean, maybe not that it doesn't fit but just that it's defintely the furthest removed from the much more similar topics of the other ones (more about that also later!). Plus it's pretty sparse lyrically, once again, there's less you can fit in under 3 minutes anyway. Which supports the interlude argument also I believe.
Anyway, the music. First of all, waltz time!! Always a treat in sparksland to have that rare spooky 3/4 time track. The feeling I get from this track is: grand, very orchestral, anddd, hmmmm, elegant. But is it more elegant than the rest of the album... Idk, I wanted to use 3 different descriptors. I honestly don't think there's much more to say about this one, it's great, the melody is really great, the grandiosity of the choruses, the even more notable waltz time during verses. I think that yeah, I could pick this track as the most orchestral / classical inspired of the album. One cool moment I'll mention though would be the very ending, with the repeated "no"s going for longer than you'd expect them to maybe, and the deep drum accompanying all that. Very grand ending.
10) As I Sit Down to Play the Organ at the Notre Dame Cathedral •
Well, how do I even start on this one. I think I can say that with literally each single listen I become more and more in awe of this song. Could I even call it even more of a journey than the opener? In a sense, yeah. There's so much going on here. So much that I almost feel like breaking it down into individual parts and giving all of them their due because they all work for the amazingness of the whole. In fact, I might even already have this track roughly memorized (all... 7 minutes of this track) so it could be done. But ok, I'll just go with each part as I remember it, we'll see if I in fact do go over nearly all or all of them.
So. Echoey synth (?) intro, then the first melody part, with the individual words repeated, kind of "urgent" vocals part, very nice rhythm and something I just find very cool. As it progresses we get another part of just the synth / electric guitar-like synth / guitar or whatever this thing is, then a mix of both + this clicky instrument and / OR is it the harpsichord again? Giving it all more urgency and a nice constant rhythm. I also really like when the "byebyebye" vocal gets looped before the synth reenters. Overall, this part of the song has a very electronic, drony feel that I greatly enjoy and find very atmospheric and immersive already.
But, well, it doesn't end here. Because later, everything else stops and we hear a church organ. Even the melody it enters with is very much like something you'd hear in a cathedral, indeed! Good environmental storytelling, isn't it? But then... the organ transitions into this very very cool frantic melody (and by very very cool I mean that it's probably the #1 thing that stood out to me about this song right from the start) which returns consistently throughout the song and is just oh so very awesome.
So we enter the next part, what could probably be called the central part "as I sit down to play the organ...", tension is rising, the organ is doing its thing in the back, then some "hallelujah"s and BOOM! The chorus? The "I've got faith" part of course. And with it some epic strings, and I don't think I can really say what exactly it is about this part that makes it SO FREAKING GOOD & ABSOLUTELY SHOWSTOPPING but it's easily in my top 3 moments on the album at least. Then it's followed by the slightly considerably calmer "she's here..." section and we go mostly full circle for now, more variations on the same parts. Some grandiose "lalala"s & epic drum action too. And then, the "I believe" sections which I cannot let myself neglect, mostly just on the basis of them being kind of sickening to me. You know, in the "why did they do this (said respectfully)" way.
Ok, did I really just talk about all of the individual parts, I guess so. But before I move on I have to mention the moment when the very first major part, the "bye-bye-bye my baby" part, makes a sudden comeback. It's honestly just so good and satisfying, when completely different sections switch and make unexpected (or maybe you actually DO expect them on some subconscious level, and that's what makes them work so well??) returns like this, if a song has that it's very likely it will become a top top favourite or at least have a very big effect on me. Or even HUGE effect, like here.
So yeah, the song does eventually end (I mean technically unbelievable somewhat, since it's so long, but have I actually mentioned yet that this track goes by about just as fast as the first one, because it sure does, you do not notice the time passing WHATSOEVER) on some more "hallelujah"s. And the album's over. Wooo boy.
Bonus tracks
Well, it's not really over yet if it's not the vinyl but the streaming version. We still have just two more bonus tracks, technically just one? So I'll go over both quickly now for completion's sake.
First we have "We Are the Clash" which is a pleasant song for sure, can work as kind of a denouement after the crazy journey of the previous track, so you're left on a little less of a mood unresolution and can become a little less unsettled after all of this going down... Idk.
But yeah, I actually have this impression veering on pretty strong conviction that this song is a cover actually. It could even be a cover of the band whose name is mentioned in the song, which would put this version in a extremely funny area of how far stylistically it might be from the hypothetical original, if it exists (what's up with all these bands and their "we are the [band name]" songs, there's so many). Of course I could also be very wrong about this so all I just wrote could turn out to be absolutely hilariously off target, still, a fun little attempt at guessing things and connecting ideas on my part, whatever the truth turns out to be (I will learn the truth... in due time. My experience tells me that when I'm still fully in initial unwell mode over an album it's difficult for me to read and retain any outside information / commentary on it. So no need to rush it, heh) (note: yeah I was right for once. I meannnn I guess it was obvious anyway but still, let me have this, I've been fooled by assuming that a cover was someone's original song way too many times so I'm happy to not be fooled for once).
So ok, the last last track. Baby baby can i invade your country is baaaaaack, not much to say but it's pretty much the same other than the lyrics, since well, it is the "alternate lyrics" version, not "alternate" version. I do think that it might be slightly longer than the final version though but it's also likely I'm misremembering.
Anyway, lyrics, all I can or feel the need to say is that they seem to be definitely way more to the point on what this song's actual topic is (not... invading... countries . I don't need to explain it here do I) so subtlety win for the final one I guess. Just so it is known, I have not read these two songs' lyrics unlike all the main album tracks'. But I think I caught enough to get the main idea from both, you know. I do think also that the final version's lyrics just kind of sound better, idk if it's the rhythm of the words or what but they do just have a nicer flow. So, improvement, probably, still very nice to know this version anyway of course. (note: yeah i have learned since that most of the final lyrics are the US national anthem. Makes sense that if any song were to have alternate lyrics it would be this one)
To round it all up...
I think there's still a lot that can be said about this album as a whole but how do I go about that. Well, I did mention earlier that I'd come back to a) the overall feel / atmosphere here b) the themes / stories and how they connect. So those shall work as a guide to my conclusions part of this whole review.
First off, I could even say a bit about the main vibe / sound here in reference to Lil' Beethoven! Since it really does work as a sequel, at least in sound, by all means. I described LB with stuff like... cold, distant, cathedral-like, what else was there.... Ok, I have more, lifted directly from my LB write-up. (note: finally listening to LB a month prior to this was enough of a big deal for me that I wrote down my live reactions to hearing the songs) Impersonal / detached. Alien. Spacious.
Do those apply here too? I think so, yeah! Pretty much all of these words also feel like pretty good descriptors here. But honestly, the more I think about it.... Maybe it's just that the distance / the detachedness and alienated feeling is a bit lower here? Or at least in some songs more than the others. It's hard to explain honestly.... That similar atmosphere continues here but it's just..... not as pronounced maybe. Idk, maybe it will become clearer with this next point I wanna make which is that LB actually is less, uhhh friendly in sound. Less accessible! Yeah, I do think that this album could be seen as: LB started the experiment, HYL perfected it by taking it in a slightly more accessible direction. Or is perfected a wrong word here, who can say which was, or should be considered the better outcome here.... I think I actually have a problem putting concepts into the right words today. But maybe at least some of my feelings about this can still come across here...
So yeah, I don't think it's possible to tell if HYL is better or LB, it also depends on how you look at it! As it kind of always does when judging stuff per good / better. One thing that I can say sort of for sure though is that LB certainly started ideas / techniques that HYL expanded on and toyed with further, so in that sense, it could be considered an improvement. And so it is clear, I don't think I can say 100% that I like one more than the other. It's not that simple. I guess you could however say that HYL was more of an instant hitter and LB really just grows and grows more in power overtime....
So yeah, they kind of did take the LB concept and all of the avant-garde, experimentation factors that come with it, and made it more accessible, which is a form of art and an achievement and a testament of skill in itself. I think the somewhat friendlier, more palatable approach of this album also lifts off the coldness aspect a bit, but it's still there, especially on tracks 1, 3, 5, 10, off the top of my head.....
But maybe I should talk more about the album and its sound as it stands on its own before I move on though. Maybe we could jump from the words I already used: classic, orchestral, brooding, dramatic, dark, aggressive (yes, I somehow see it as friendlier than its predecessor despite also being much more aggresive in all senses. Raw even. How does that work? I can't tell you today. And idk if I'll ever figure it out. And also personal, YES, that's the word, this album feels soooo very personal and emotive. Not in the sense that I'm trying to say that it must be personal to them, more like it just shows some very personal feelings and struggles), triumphant (but that goes only for that one song really), driving, ELEGANT. I think the word elegant is the key here. In all of its subtler or less subtle tone shifts it keeps that very elegant, kind of graceful feel, all throughout. Even when it seems to be touching subjects that wouldn't necessarily bring that kind of atmosphere to mind, it kind of elevates them and gives them, idk, a new meaning?
So is this a good segue into the topic of themes? I guess the album name sits well with what I think is going on here, because my main impression of the whole thing was something like.... stories of fucked-up guys with self-image problems / feelings of inadequacy, which they try to go around fully convinced that they're right (and their messy love-lives too ofc). Or are they just, normal, regular guys actually. Who can tell. It certainly gives you an idea / a whole concept to work with and ponder here and to connect and visualize kinda.
I think that yeah, out of what I've heard so far this has to be the most thematically-consistent sparks album there is. It comes to a point where all the songs give this little impression of a whole universe where all of this takes place, and while I've had these kind of impressions from albums that are way more all-over-the-place conceptually with their lyrics (I mean like.... pretty much every They Might Be Giants album. You can create this sort of illusion with more than words, the music and its atmosphere and often also its stylistic consistency might be even more important actually), this comes, in my mind, almost close to concept album levels in that regard.
The definition of a concept album probably calls for something more specific than all the tracks being in sort of a similar theme but you know.... I don't think it really happens most of the time in music in general, that the whole album has this sort of a familiar idea / spirit throughout that makes a unique whole. (note: apparently wikipedia calls this album a concept album. Another win for me in that case, lol). You could probably try to connect different songs' themes and work with that in some way.... Which is something I already did in all honesty, but actually it's a between albums thing here, because I do believe that the dick around guy could be the same guy that the narrator from ugly guys with beautiful girls talks about. Similar ideas you can connect! That's what I'm talking about. I love it when songs tell overarching stories.... Make me think about characters from songs or little universes and vibes created by even the vaguest of lyrics and the ideas those create and the imaginings they bring, any day.
Ok, what else can I say. I think I mostly covered everything I could actually. Should I say something more about the cover with the added context now. I already said that it gives off a "something's wrong" feeling, but I think it's also compelling in how it conveys that elegant, non-threatening and polished image, sterile kinda. Well, I think only one of those four words I just chose doesn't really apply to most of this album's songs. I mean non-threatening ofc. Hmmm, maybe sterile doesn't really work here either, besides those prominent examples of the coldness of sound on this album, it would actually go more with LB, which also has a fittingly minimalist, all-white cover. Collected and orderly to a distressing degree. Just like here, it also gives off some.... distressing vibe. As I already said with the "this isn't right" feel.
What else can I say. In reviews you usually give your opinions, which I very much did throughout this thing here, everything like this is always somewhat subjective I think, but even then, a final verdict could also be said here. I think it's pretty damn clear by now what my opinion on this album is. I wouldn't spend several days writing a review and analysing every little detail if I didn't have a very strong (positive) opinion on this album (I guess I technically can imagine writing a very throughout review of something that just annoys you so much that you simply have to go through everything wrong with it and have some relief and closure through that. I can't see myself doing that kinda thing however, I'm not that kind of hater (or really a hater at all lol, i hope), I'd rather devote my time to things that I find actually cool and awesome and stand-outs in a positive sense, and worthy of attention and that dedication).
So this comment I fittingly found on tumblr over the last few days feels pretty relevant towards my opinion of writing "reviews" of stuff (this was more of a, very detailed analysis I know, but review just kind of fits, especially with how people call their recaps / commentary / writeups of concerts "reviews" a lot of the time):
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(note: yeah I think I should come clean here that despite my very recent start of actual social media participation I've already been a serial lurker in various places for years now, lol, I mean, that's probably a normal thing to do though, I hope. I mean, probably lots of people do or did that at some point, but still. And I don't know whose post this is anymore sadly. But I thought I'd keep it here because it's a good summary)
And also, just for the record, this is my opinion on HYL pretty much. Yaaaayyy i loved it i had so much fun!! For real. i'm glad they're creating something!!!! Absolutely. One of a kind album that I will cherish as yet another great and unforgettable entry on the list of albums that changed me (TM) and brought me lots of fun and great memories / associations, even in such a short time. And the actual FIRST on the new list of albums that I'm happy to have brough the utmost attention to and dissected like that. It's out of love.
Thank you for reading this far! Here's a little bunny as a prize!
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Whoa whoops this gif was supposed to be small! Have a huge bunny in that case, you deserve it! 🐇
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yellowloid · 1 year ago
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hey! i was sort of reading “something to rely on” lyrics, and i remembered that you analyse some of miles, monkeys and tlsp songs. so, i just wanted to ask what are your thoughts on this song, cause i particularly think it’s about alex or some of it. anyway, other songs from cdg can be fully about alex, but barely no one talks about this one, so i thought it’d be great to discuss about it.
there’s also “adios tara tara” that i also think it’s about alex, as other songs from change the show, but that’s for another time! i also love your blog, your fanfics and song analysis, they’re always really good! 🫶
sooo first of all sorry for being this late lmao this is kinda embarrassing because this ask was sent MONTHS ago maybe almost a year ago it was so long ago i literally don't remember. i'm only just answering now BUT better late than never i guess skgshdfh
(as usual don't take this too seriously lmao this is just a silly theory, i'm in no way implying it's the truth. it's just delusion o'clock)
now, if you follow me you know what i think of coup de grace as an album - and that is, the fact that it's soooo about alex it's crazy like. bro was so angry and in love and heartbroken????? and he wrote a literal masterpiece of an album????? that's iconic if you ask me
so to no one's surprise, let's follow the usual theory - them having some sort of falling out after eycte because of miles getting serious and alex consequently chickening out, which led to Peak Gay Drama Year, also known as 2018, when they both release albums that - more or less explicitly - contain images that could easily be interpreted as references to each other. something to rely on is no exception:
"crescent moon, left in my drive / all too soon, you made your point"
the reference to the moon creates a pattern, since the semantic field of astral entities is also present in songs such as killing the joke, with "interstellar, dressed in leather, drinking bitter boy" - which as we all know is one of miles' most direct lines when it comes to referencing alex, and it can easily be linked to am's own space-themed album, which miles definitely got to listen before its official release date.
opening the song with a reference to the moon could be a way of @ a certain someone, letting him know that yes, this song *is* in fact about him, if he didn't get the other billion hints in the whole album. (however, for the sake of keeping it vague, i won't be referring to him directly but rather to a ~mysterious person~) (i'm sure you get my point tho *wink wink*) [gunshots]
mentioning the moon could also be a way of referencing the ever-present theme of nighttime encounters in the entirety of mk/am/tlsp's discography: sometimes those encounters are described as fun, sometimes they mean trouble; sometimes, they leave the people involved with a sense of guilt and/or shame, on which we'll come back later and which often leads to bad decisions ("all too soon, you made your point"). in this particular case, the first image that comes to my mind is someone leaving sneakily after a (series of) one-night stands, with the song obviously being from the pov of the person being left, who also gives us a reason why they think the other person left:
"keeping off the radar, how does that make you feel? / keeping it clean, through all the things you wanted me to be / out of touch, with all the rumors i keep hearing of you / keeping off the radar, how does that make you feel?"
this person doesn't seem to want other people to know about their affair, and that's why they keep it secret; it seems that they want miles to be something he's not, or something he can't be - or maybe they ask all these things of themselves, which would maybe make it easier for them to accept the relationship going public. this person wants to keep it neat and clean, picture-perfect and fitting to everything everyone expects from them; but as much as they try to stay lowkey and not attract attention, the narrator informs us that no matter how much this person tries to hide, there's still rumors going around about them, as an individual as well as their relationship(s) with other people, most likely with the narrator too.
"all aboard the guilt train / last call before we leave / last call before we learn to love / the last call before we leave"
the line referring to guilt is insanely queer-coded and i will die on this hill because it just SCREAMS internalised homophobia, with which the other person might be struggling. it wouldn't make sense otherwise - because what would that person feel guilty about, if it were a straight-passing relationship? unless it was a cheating situation, of course... but it could be a cheating situation AND also a queer one, with this person being in another (het) relationship while having a same-sex lover (the narrator), which would give that line a double explanation. also every time i listen to this song i just can't help but think about 'all aboard the kane train' WHAT WHO SAID THAT
however, the narrator tells us that this is the "last call before we leave" - meaning, he's giving this person an ultimatum to make up their mind and decide if they want to be with him for real or not, since the latter possibility would result in him leaving - not necessarily for good, but... just trying to get over that person once and for all. at the same time, though, it's also the "last call before we learn to love" - which is incredibly soft imo, because it's him still putting trust and hope into that person and a positive decision on their part. he believes they will eventually choose to be with him, he hopes for it and trusts the other person to make the right decision, which would lead to them being together and learning how to love each other without limits nor second-guesses. the repetition of the leaving line could also be seen as a way for him to give it a new meaning compared to the first one: if they ended up together, they could leave that world based on nasty rumors and appearances, ignoring them all to just be happy together. because, after all, miles declares it openly:
"you're all that i wanted / all that i need / you're all that i wanted / you're all that i need"
i mean. does this even need an explanation. bro is down BAD
"something to rely on / something to get high on / i don't want to beg or steal, i don't want to borrow hearts / i just want to make it real / something to rely on / the making of a mystery, wishing on a falling star / i don't want to let this sadness rule my heart / your actions from the start / in spite of me insightfully inviting me to fall apart"
i left the chorus last because imo it captures perfectly the whole vibe of the song and what i think is miles' outlook on life in general: the narrator wants something stable and secure, an established relationship with the other person; he doesn't want to have to beg and argue and make it more complicated than it probably already is, he doesn't want to be a pastime or just some lover. he wants something thrilling and intense, almost addictive - but most importantly, he wants something real. this complicated situation with the other person is making them both suffer, and the other person's behaviour doesn't make it any easier; but in spite of everything, and in spite of his sense of self-preservation, he still finds himself unable and unwilling to resist them, to let them go for good. and no matter how self-destructive this might be, he doesn't want to be ruled by negative emotions; he's already fallen for them, too deep to even consider letting them go. he just keeps falling, and yeah, the outcome of their situationship might still be a mystery, but he chooses to be hopeful - "wishing on a falling star", bringing the song to a circular end by mentioning other astral entities that inevitably remind us of the "crescent moon" that opens the song. which also evokes the idea of circularity that is typical of situationships like the one described here, where the moment he seems to have made up his mind (or maybe the other person finally did?) it's like rinse and repeat, and once again they're back to square one.
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magnorious · 1 year ago
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Review: We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium
TL;DR: Where the heck was this writing and directing in the premier? It's fantastic.
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I admit, I was harsh on the premier. I stand by my opinion that Disney, with its endless Disney Money, should have strived to make a show that's amazing from the opening scene, not just get along by brand recognition. I nitpicked the inconsistences and there's still plenty here. With the lack of real combat scenes so far (the Fury fight in the museum, the hellhound at the creek, even the bus explosion) I'm wondering if the producers were too afraid of scaring children (in adapting a children's book) to really go for it. The rush this time at least had a creative re-write. All that said, episode three feels like it was produced, written, and directed by a completely different team. The acting is better, the pacing is better, the strange editing choices are fewer in between. The music is more memorable, the castings for new faces fit better, the tone is darker where it needs to be, the characters (minus Annabeth) feel so much more like themselves.
Is it completely faithful to the book? No. But as I said for the premier, changing how the source material happened isn't bad if the changes improve upon the existing story, or get to the same point if in a slightly different way. The encounter with Medusa is, book-to-screen, line-by-line, very different. But the vibe is the same. She's still creepy and threatening and a hell of an interesting perspective for Percy and Annabeth to face, being who they are, and she drops major hints on the entire theme of the book series: The gods' neglect and how many problems it causes. Her costume is different but it works. Her dialogue is longer, but it works. The Fury being there at all forces them underground and remain within Medusa's reach. I still also stand by that I wish this show had been animated a la Arcane or Spiderverse, but episode three proved the world over that this team is dedicated to telling the story, even if it mucks up a few plot beats along the way. **Minor spoiler** Percy's indignant "I am impertient" was perfect. 10/10.
It doesn't feel like it did in the premier, where the team certainly read the book, but didn't understand why some details were important to get correct. This feels like they really did their homework this time and I sincerely hope the rest of the series keeps going up from here. Side note: Costume department! I see you. I see you there dressing Percy in shades of blue and green when he's not in his camp t-shirt. I noticed. I see the 40s vibe you went with for Medusa. It mostly makes up for the Oracle looking more underfed than mummified corpse, but, you know, you win some and you lose some.
Side side note: The post-credits preview music sounds uncannily like the Avengers theme.
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roserefrain · 8 months ago
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early live a live s/i lore ideas under the cut. they got quite long and rambly!
so! live a live is very fun to make ocs and/or s/is for because you get to make a lot of different things. live a live characters need a time period, a chapter title (always structured as The [blank]. a statement relating to or describing the main character), a "for" statement (to do with the theme of their chapter. ie, for love, for hope, for redemption), a final boss (a powerful and evil character of some sort, whose name is a play on "odio"), and a chapter gameplay gimmick of some sort that makes it stand out.
even if you're a fan of live a live you're probably like "wait what are those for statements?? those aren't in the game" and you would be correct. they are on the ps4 collectors edition tote bag.
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listen. the tote bag is so important to me. every live a live oc needs to have a tote bag line. i could rant about this tote bag for paragraphs i am Not joking. (<- likes live a live a normal amount) i will restrain myself tho
here are some of the ideas i have for my s/i, based on the criteria i previously mentioned. time period: recent past (taking place around a decade or so before Masaru's chapter) chapter title: few ideas for this based on which direction i take the chapter. The Cursed, The Endless, The Second Hand, and The Repeating are all ideas i've had! for statement: again, multiple ideas here. For Change is the main one, but i've also been tossing around For Joy and For Tomorrow (<- i like this one, but it doesn't really fit with the theming of the rest of them, does it?) odio: my basic idea is that the timeloop of the chapter is being caused by a ghost of a once powerful person, who is trying desperately to grasp on to their power/keep the world the way it was when they were alive. i'm not totally married to this idea though, it could go a lot of different directions! chapter gimmicks: the chapter is a timeloop, because i am a certified timeloop enjoyer. it is one day, looping over and over again, and only the main character seems to be aware of the previous loops at all. gameplay wise, this means you are playing a short section many times, with limited actions (there isn't a clock that ticks down, that would be too similar to Sundown's chapter, so instead each time you interact with something takes an "action point". some things take multiple of these points. when you run out, you start over.) information gained transfers between loops, but items do not. the gameplay is mainly focused around item puzzles ("use this item to do this" style, like old point and click adventures)
the main character must search for the most efficient path through this day in order to reach and defeat the final boss. there are multiple paths to reach the final boss, some more challenging than others. there is a "golden path" where the main character helps all the chapter npcs before defeating the boss, which leaves no time for strengthening themself for the encounter (this gets you a special item). and a "bad path" where the main character deliberately antagonizes or frightens all npcs in order to get them out of the way quicker (this would also get you a special item)
my initial little design idea for my s/i is this! made with the "something about them" picrew by sodapvnk which you can find here!
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i don't have a ton in terms of personality or whatnot for them yet, i wanna refine their scenario before i do much development for them! however, they would have several different possible character interpretations depending on how you go through the route, as i think that'd be a fun parallel to oboro-maru
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aotopmha · 2 years ago
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Oh, looks like I have a draft with a bunch of little unrelated thoughts about FF16 I couldn't really fit anywhere else.
So here's some random observations.
(Spoilers for the entire story.)
- I really like how the relationships are handled in this story.
It feels so "normal" to me.
In many stories it sometimes feels like a single relationship is the only element that remains of a character once it gets underway.
This is especially true with female and gay characters and also teen romances (and in that case there is grounding to it, considering how teens are working themselves out to begin with and how huge of a deal relationships can be to them), but it happens in so many stories with adults, too.
Dion and Terrance act like a regular couple who care for each other.
(This especially cool since, as said, gay characters tend to only be their relationship.)
And especially after they get together, Clive and Jill do, too.
Sometimes adults are even made to act like teens.
But while Clive and Jill have an element of awkwardness at first, too, they are adults. There is a lot less shame about simply being in a relationship or talking about feelings with the opposite sex. Clive's hesitation doesn't come from her being a woman, it comes from his traumatic life.
And while I think the sex is pretty empty shock value in most of the scenes, I think Clive and Jill get the best scene because it's just as much about the feelings as it is about the sex.
And afterwards there is simply a shift to their relationship becoming that of an actual couple rather than two people trying to connect despite their baggage.
And if you notice, the scenes with both of these couples are about feelings concerning both halves of the relationship.
There is criticism of Jill mostly featuring in romantic scenes with Clive by the end of the game, but I feel like they're scenes that are always about the both of them. And both of them always bond over something they both know.
Be it their struggles or worries or childhood memories.
It's such a solid part of the story to me.
- The fact that Joshua wss willing to save his mother was such a cool character beat because the truth is that Annabella did treat him well and he didn't go through the same gauntlet of horrors Clive did that completely changed his opinion.
It's such a little detail, but super neat because that's how family relationships work.
Dion killing his father goes under this, too. His father clearly wasn't the best person anymore, but Dion clearly bore with it because he cared about him.
Dion is a really, really good concise character you learn a lot about in basically every scene he's in.
But this element of complicated family ties/caring about awful family members considered here is super cool to me.
-Ultima's presence as a alien manipulator speaking in an alien language was kind of fantastic.
How he tried to use Clive's own face and lack of control to lead him to the path he wanted, but initiated his growth instead, how he manipulated Kupka using his love for Benedikta and Clive's face and how he used Annabella and her new child to manipulate Dion's father and in turn break Dion.
His eventual more obvious role was so frustrating to me because I think his manipulation was so neat and used the humanity of the Dominants in a cool way.
- I like that Torgal has his own little arc of protecting his friends by turning into Fenrir and I like that his main connection is actually to Jill because she's Shiva, but also because he hung out with her the most. It somehow felt like it made Torgal out of all characters also have a complete story.
- Ultima's theme is the one that has stuck to me the most out of all of the tracks in the soundtrack. I love how it is used in combination with Clive's across the final boss encounter.
With all of this said, I think I truly might be FF16'd out for now.
Story is still living rent free in my head, so this is on somewhat shaky ground, but feeling like taking a break about talking about it because I've posted about it so much.
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owlsinathens · 2 years ago
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Good morning on the last day of this first ever Greysnow week! Today is an extra day that we pay the iron price for, so I'm continuing that theme by shamelessly reccing OUR fics today.
Near Mint (surface marks do not affect play) by MymbleHowl @st-clements-steps
Rating: E
Summary: All Time Top 5 Break-ups (in chronological order)
1. Robb
2. Jeyne Poole
3. Renly Baratheon
4. Kyra and Patrek
5. Gilly
Jon Snow is not getting into the Top 5.
Dany says: Where do I start with this gem? It's the High Fidelty AU I had no idea I needed until @st-clements-steps came up with it and then I was already gone, hook, line and sinker. The title in itself is already genius, but then when you read further that pales in comparison to how fucking brilliant this is. The AU is perfectly translated and all our beloved characters and their stories drafted for the fic fit seamlessly. All the Top 5s are hilarious and relatable and/or discussable, and inside all of that you have two sad boys who need to find their way back to each other ♥️ Please do yourself a favour and go read it, and then go and read all of the author's works, because Greysnow or not, her way with words is one of the most unique and fascinating things I've ever encountered.
Mirror at the Wall by @selkiewife
Rating: M
Summary: Theon is reunited with a resurrected Jon at Castle Black. Jon has suffered significant memory disturbances and Theon must help him remember who he is.
Dany says: This. Fic. Is. SPECTACULAR. Two men, broken beyond recognition, but still there, still alive and now reunited after being through the wars - and they do recognize each other (sobs galore!!) The attention to both Jon and Theon's characters is stunning, the descriptions gritty and evocative, the whole AU idea so so SO good. Special mention to Satin, the true MVP. 2 more chapters of this masterpiece are coming, and I couldn't be more thrilled! Go and read and subscribe and bookmark, you won't regret it one bit.
Law of the North by theonsfavouritetoy, aka @owlsinathens, aka – well, me
Rating: E
Summary: Balon Greyjoy has once again declared himself king, sealing his son's fate in the North. Jon doesn't like Theon, never has – but he also cannot stand aside and watch an innocent man being put to death. So he decides to do something that'll change everything.
Dany says: I had a really hard time trying to choose one out of my 100+ Greysnow works (I have either too much time or too little self-control, or both), but in the end I decided to go with my longest fic (so far, I'm pretty sure 1x1 will be double that in the end). I can't objectively say anything about the quality, but I can tell you it was a blast to write and I still love everything about this fic.
....you know what? Since I'm paying the iron price, I'll be even more shameless and rec another of my fics.
Tighter by theonsfavouritetoy aka me
Rating: E
Summary: Theon carefully exhales, feeling his ribs expand against the fabric enclosing his torso, safe and comforting, and yet…
“Tighter.”
Dany says: So, there's this corset in a world where corsets don't exist, and from there everything snowballed and took on a life of its own, resulting in a massive project of a post-GoT Theon lives AU that I'm still in the process of tackling (Using this chance to say that the next ch of 1x1 is in the works). And it all started with Tighter. Which is a fantastic ficlet, and I'm only cringing a little saying that out loud. Please go read it 😏
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weirdosareout · 4 months ago
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𝕯𝖆𝖓𝖎 𝕯𝖊𝖓𝖓𝖎𝖘𝖔𝖓 ;; ᴡɪᴛᴄʜɪɴ' & ʙɪᴛᴄʜɪɴ'
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Bisexual ⋆ She/Her ⋆ Twenty-Two ⋆ Witch 
Powers ;; Aerokinesis, Spell Casting 
Occupation ;; Student @ University of the Isle, Majoring in Anthropology & Minoring in Journalism
♫ Currently Playing ♫ ;; Normal by The Wrecks
☀ Taurus ☾ Libra ↑ Scorpio 
Dani was only eleven years old when her family moved from the city life to the tucked away isle of Echo. Her mother was from there and she spoke highly of the town, even though she never told anyone why she left. Dani was too young to really care if she moved or not, so she adjusted just fine despite everyone calling her and her older brother Max a freak. She was a spunky kid and didn’t take kindly to rude people and gave them just what they dished out, even if that landed her into trouble here and there. The only thing about the move that really bothered her was how distant Max was being. The two of them were very close growing up and then they moved and suddenly he was embarrassed by her. She played it off, she tried to be the best annoying sister she could be, but it stung for him to be so cold towards her. She had hoped it would change when he had to take her trick-or-treating for their first Halloween in the new town, but the beginning was rough and he was a little mean until he had made her cry. His way of trying to cheer her up was letting her explore the museum dedicated to the witches of Echo, but he was playing around with the black flame candle that belonged to the Sanderson sisters and then things took a turn for the worst. He basically summoned the witches to them and they tried to kill her and Max for their youth. If it wasn’t for Max’s friend Allison and a stranger by the name of Thackery Binx, they would have been done for. 
After they defeated the Sanderson Sisters, their research really started to take shape. It had become Dani and Allison's life to find out what exactly happened that night but also how to make sure it didn't again. That's where the redhead started to think about her future with Max and Allison, expecting them to get married once they graduated but life had other plans. When the older girl left to continue her research it was Dani that also got left behind and had to keep going on her own. She knew there was something they were missing, she could feel it like a dull ache in her bones but was unable to pinpoint where it was from. Max didn't change much. His sister was worried he might never get his spunk back, having never been the same since Allison left no matter how hard she tried to rouse him. That never stopped Dani from trying. When she enrolled in the University she knew exactly what she wanted to study so she could eventually go on to work in archeology to spread the word that the abnormal isn't all that abnormal after all. Now she's doing her best to keep her grades up and make sure her brother doesn't go around lighting any more candles.
Since Allison's come back things are starting to feel complete again. She's hopeful that with the blonde here they will finally be able to figure out what they're missing.
Halloween is still her favorite time of year. Dani always goes all out on her costumes and throws themed parties. These started the second she wasn't able to go trick or treating anymore, hoping to continue the tradition for as long as she can.
Her brother is the person she's closest to in her family. After what they went through it felt like no one else could understand or even wanted to. What divides them is the fact that he wants nothing to do with the things they experienced and it drives Dani. In the past, she blamed him for Allison leaving but he's starting to come around.
She works part-time at the old salem magic shoppe. Between classes, she fits in a shift or two to make some extra money to live.
Dani's first encounter with powers started when she was out journaling at the park and accidentally sent a tidal wave of wind when she sneezed. She still isn't sure what caused is but has been trying to find out what she is capable of. The girl hasn't told anyone yet in case her theory is wrong, wanting to get control of it as much as possible to not freak out her brother.
tbd.
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Ixier, Who Dreams for The Dead
Ask not for whom the dead dream, they dream for you.
I've been looking forward to this guy for a while. You see his art and can't help but wonder what's going on. I figured some kind of bloodthirsty war demon monster thing. Ixier is so much more... also not that at all.
Ixier is a construct/entity/phenomenon created from the spilled blood of a Rakshasa, and a village's worth of consumed dreams. Don't you hate it when that I happens? I personally really like this kind of thing. It really shows how powerful the exalted are when beings are born from the conflict between them and their adversaries. Plus it gives you a chance to have Ixier be born from your own adventures. Very cool.
Ixier is a mournful, reflective energy vampire. He's cursed with the hunger of the Rakshasa from which he was born. So he hungers for dreams. However like any good vampire he's found a way to sublimate his needs by only feeding on the dreams of those who are dying. So he's a kind of death bed companion, who feeds on the dying and quite literally takes on their dreams as his own. Their desires become his desires and he lives his life hoping to fulfill their dreams. It's really cool. He doesn't even subscribe value to one dream over another. dreams of wealth and power are just as important to him as dreams of peace and quiet.
I think Ixier has a lot of potential to be a sort of frankenstein's monster of your campaign. A hunted entity not quite of nature that people have a hard time tolerating. I mean he's carrion, and feeds of the dead. Polite society would reject him completely if not kill him, even though he has no malice to his designs. Players will have to decide if they hunt him down, or if they protect him from the angry mob that will no doubt form from his presence.
He offers a great chance to explore themes that you might not get elsewhere. What does it mean to be alive? Is Ixier a person, a monster, an anomaly? Is it alright to drain the emotions out of a dying person? What happens to their ghost? Is Ixier one being, or many? Is Ixier a path to immortality?
The only knock I have against Ixier is that I have a hard time imagining how you'd use him in a campaign. He doesn't seem like a natural fit to any situation not specifically built around him. Plus I think examining his full depth would require players not being as trigger happy as they usually like to be. I don't see him as the primary villain of a campaign, I don't really see him as a villain at all. He's just kind of a weird possible threat you might encounter at the edges of the east.
Rating: 7/10 Unfufilled dreams. He's a really cool and imaginative character who looks real cool too. Only held back by his difficulty to use. Not everything has to be a big world ending villain, but I do think that him just being a good somber creature isn't enough to push him into the big leagues.
Misc. I got nothin’
1. Ixier Takes a Lover: Among the many dreams within Ixier are those whose biggest hope is simply to be loved. Ixier can change his form and seduce someone if he so chose, but that would not be enough. He wants to be seen, and understood, and to have someone to understand. The only thing that could fulfill his needs is someone just like him. Of course the only way there could ever be another like him, was if he repeated the horrific circumstance under which he himself were born...
2. Immortal dreams. An old and powerful sorcerer discovers Ixier and realize his long sought key to immortality is at hand. He plans to invite Ixier to his domain have have himself consumed by the creature. Only for his consciousness to overwhelm Ixier's taking over Ixier's immortaly body, and its unlimited potential. Do the players seek to stop these scheme, or are they hired by the sorcerer to ensure a dangerous Fae creature does not continue to roam free?
3.Ruby Blood. Ixier is living blood, infused with the essence of an entire village. The mere scent of him is enough to drive a vampire into a complete frenzy. He is irresistible to these undead who are drawn to him the moment they get his scent. However the very life that attracts the vampires also destroys them upon consumption. Just a taste of his blood is enough overwhelm and destroy even the oldest vampire. An order of vampire hunters seeks to utilize Ixier to destroy The Empire of The Night and end the rule of the Vampire King once and for all.
4. Dr.Sleep The party is chasing an assassin who kills people through their dreams. He seeks refuge within the complex dreamscape of Ixier and his many acquired dreams. In order to catch the killer the players will have to delve into Ixier's mind and deal with the many being's he's collected over his life. Including Exalted, and of course, the killer.
5. Death, is only the beginning. In the east there is a death cult who fears, and hates Ixier above all other beings. For he robs others and has the potential to rob them of the supreme ecstasy of death. They seek to destroy him, but fear that death by his hands would leave them with an emotionless end. As their conflict with Ixier escalates, more of them die and are consumed at his hands. Ixier himself begins to dream and long for the sweetest end to fufill their dreams. Can the players save Ixier from these mad cultists, and himself?
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llycaons · 1 year ago
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finished the LA!!!
Pros
I do find yyh's early mini-arcs to be pretty slow, so I don't mind skipping them. and for a shortened series, combining several arcs and ramping up the pacing made for a faster viewing experience and definitely streamlined hiei joining the group
making them 17 was a good change
the production value was high enough that a lot of the aspects genuinely fucking ruled
GREAT music. fantastic battle scenes. incredibly smooth cgi resulting in effective body horror and thrilling monster fights. final fight scene with the sparks looked incredible
the spirit gun, spirit sword, rose whip, and dragon of darkness flame all looked SO good. it was really cool to see them in a live-action format
I didn't dislike the wigs! I thought they were charming and stylistically perfect
I have a lot more to say about the plot below, but I will offer this praise: it could have tried to do a lot of things and it didn't. it may not have been completely faithful, but it avoided being a bad adaptation in other ways
I really liked the hiei and kuwabara. kuwabara initially disappointed me, but his earnestness and passion grew on me and I ended up really enjoying him. and hiei's actor just nailed him in every way - mannerisms, line delivery, body language, attitude
kurama was fine! there was a lot there they could have delved into but didn't. important thing is, he was a mama's boy who fights with plants.
yukina and keiko being immediate besties was really sweet! I wish they'd adapted more yukina moments but there wasn't a lot to work with anyway
keiko being more fighty was a really fun change
elder toguro RULED. younger toguro was really good too (in looks voice and body language) and so was sakyo but elder toguro stole the show. sakyo is a very stylish character who I always associate with smoking, but despite the changes I liked the LA version. but elder toguro. FREAK OF THE WEEK!!!!
some moments of genuine emotional resonance: kuwabara manifesting his spirit sword after days of hitting rocks with sticks. keiko inspiring yukina to escape by telling her she should try for the person who saved her last time. and hiei and yukina's last conversation where hiei looked like he was about to cry
it was SO well acted. and yukina looked so happy!! I think she knows. I also liked yukina and kuwabara's first encounter and kuwabara's convo with her after she heals him. it was very genuine. depsite not being into yukina/kuwabara or love at first sight, it was a sweet and well-crafted moment
the kuwameshi scraps...I heard yusuke say he wanted to eat ramen with kuwabara and then tell keiko 'it's not like that' and went 👀
ummmm what else. atsuko's first appearance was fine. in general everything in eps 1 and 2 were things I disliked and plenty in 3-5 were fun
the car crash was INTENSE
I was happy to hear smile bomb
the ending credits are cool and I like the music choices. the songs fit the vibe of the show, but the actual character writing doesn't
Cons
there was a time in my life (a few days ago) where I simply would have put 'everything else' but I'm in a different place now
but not TOO different. this show cannot stand on its own! it cut out MANY many iconic lines and character traits and jokes, even when it would have been easy to include. it's got the trappings of SOME things related to yyh, but lacks the actual soul
iconic character moments such as yusuke realizing how much people care about him and genkai falling to toguro's attack simply fail to impact the viewer in the same way because while they're incredible in concept, the execution is utterly rushed, nothing has ANY time to sink in. I don't even know what the themes of this show are, besides....protect your friends, I guess?
trying to crush everything up to three kings arc into 5 hours was ambitious, but not necessarily doomed. but they fucked it. they fucked the pacing and they fucked the characters and it feels gutless and boring and lazy. everyone seems like they've known each other for like, a day. at most. that genkai episode?!
it was cool that hiei's true motivations were secret for a little while. until the casual sibling reveal
a deeply beloved part of yyh is the core four dynamic. but these people BARELY know each other! kuwabara and yusuke are friends I guess, but they met kurama like twice and they don't even know hiei. genkai was killed TWENTY MINUTES after her introduction. who signed off on this?!
no botan oar, no jorge, koenma is a TEENAGER with a PACIFIER
and wtf was going on with yusuke!!!! his actor managed to convery anger, disgust, and boredom, and that was about it. he smiled maybe once? he almost cried in ep5 and that was HUGE to see. ugh he was robbed of his dynamism and life and passion and sense of humor as a character. I miss anime/manga yusuke so much. he was a goofy boy!!! he made that little kid smile!!! he jokes around and laughs really big and loves his friends!!!
they also failed to adapt botan. her actor was either poorly directed as I assume yusuke's was, or she's just an awkward performer. she's just a timid blue-haired cheerleader for yusuke who cows when he's mad I guess, not the fun, competent, confident, ball-busting older girl we all love. and her STYLE!!! let her dress up!!! it's 1991!!!
well, they have smartphones so I guess not 😔
I thought a lot of eps 1 and 2 were really boring...the fight scenes were way too long and not very good and I had no emotional stake
so this adaptation was too scared to really do its own thing but it also failed at recreating the true magic of yyh - the characters and their love for each other. the scene at the end was nice, but it didn't capture half of their chemistry by the DT arc
I really missed the tournament....and the character moments. atsuko screaming at yusuke and throwing things at his body!!! drunk and sobbing!!! a WRECK!!! I wanted THAT Atsuko. she was so collected and comforting to keiko, too. since when has atsuko been a responsible parent or adult?
whyyyy was his revival so easy!!! NO PUU!!!!!???? no proving himself, no emotional journey??!!
especially grieved to lose yukina crying because of her friends the birds being killed and not bc of being physically hurt. and I really wanted keiko to be more of a hero and save yusuke's body!! while giving keiko more of a character, the writing still let them down; they were relegated to Girls Needing Saving again at the end
it wasn't funny which is a crying shame given how hysterical the manga and anime dub both are (often for different reasons)
character arcs just got aborted. there was no way to explore hiei's past or his complicated feelings about his family. no way for kurama to reconcile the ancient demon and the 15 yr old boy he simultaneously is. no way for yusuke to truly overcome his anger and mature into a young man who's happy to be alive and is okay just chilling with a ramen shop. and um. well kuwabara got a spirit sword and that was pretty sick
also yoko kurama looked very silly and I didn't get his 'ancient powerful yokai' vibes ALSO it wasn't a surprise borne from kurama being poisoned to regress to himself of 20 years ago so that was a shame
I liked hiei's actor a lot but he SHOULD be 4'9!!!!
why did they spend more time on bullied kid than on the ACTUAL characters if they were so strapped for screentime?
ep1 was so bad. it was so bad guys. it was boring and not fun and I'm including the fight scene
no sensui or itsuki 😔 no shizuru, no puu, no jorge
overall the show tried to change both too much and not enough. if it only had 5 episodes, there are much more efficient ways of making the plot move forward and bonding the characters, and it doesn't requite sacrificing beloved character details. or hell, this is a new show! put IN some content, don't just take stuff away and mash other things together!
as another person on here said....it's a bit gutless
Final verdict: lots of style over substance with some good scenes and performances but ultimately a hollow shell of what it aspires to be. 6/10 will not rewatch but do not regret it
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s3898709 · 1 year ago
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Week 7
Reflection
From the testing session in the Capitol during the mid-semester break, the key change that I needed to make was to "be bolder". Once again, the colours aren't right (probably due to the architecture works and the amount of white that is in the space), and we can also now clearly see and compare it to the screen and how off it is (even if they are digitally the same hex colour). Luckily, I was given the opportunity to just play with the colour wheel directly in the space, so I now feel like I've got the colours done. Just need to get it ready for the next demo.
Also, going along with the theme of being bold, it was suggested that I add more 'flourishes' for when something happens on screen, so given that I'm not using the screen lights for pretty much anything currently, I'll probably end up using those lights for this.
The other thing that was noticed (or wasn't) was the team's progress within the roof. In general, I got the census that people would prefer that the entire rim lit up rather than individual lights (which will be easier for me, so that's a bonus).
Overall, though, I think the syncing up with lights with the video worked out well! And other than some more tweaks to get the whole thing in a draft state before next week's test session, it will be great because that demo was only half complete!
Research
Now, here's a bit of disappointing news. I can't find many academic sources or works that depict exactly what I want to do. Most of eSports flashy lighting procedures go into what I call the 'intro', which is essentially a hype reel before the game begins. The most that tends to happen in both the eSports scene and real-life sports is some animation (and maybe some lights turn on) when something like a goal (or in the same games akin to a goal) is scored. Nothing that really gives any indication of progress, or when a team holds possession. 
Now there are probably two main reasons behind this. The first is that it requires a lot of setup, and there are a lot of scenes to create if this were to be produced in a live setting (or a lot of complex code interacting between different applications and APIs). The second reason is that it doesn't make sense in a lot of games to have this sort of progression system. The game most akin to Splatoon in terms of its competitive ruleset is Overwatch. In Overwatch, you can respawn, and the rulesets are objective-based, rather than on elimination that occurs in many shooters or a 'goal' system like real-life sports and other sports like video games. Add in the fact that Splatoon has very distinct colours for each team and you can see why this idea hasn't been incorporated on a large-scale basis.
Progress
This week, I'm really trying to finish of the lighting design. That's because there will be such a long break before the next Capitol test, and also, I need to get some of the video elements (like the intro and getting commentators) started!
While I didn't really run into many challenges per se (other than testing what presets work the best with what I'm trying to produce), the biggest issue I ran into this week was the constant crashing of Pharos. I think in one night I encountered three crashes (which made me lose around three hours of work total). I think the issue with this was that I had my editing software, Final Cut Pro, open at the same time as I needed to test some things with that open simultaneously, but that ended up causing more hassle than it was worth (...yay).
The key changes I've made this week were changing up the colours and incorporating the other feedback (discussed above), as well as getting the intro in place. The purpose of the intro is to hype up the audience before the set begins, so I'm planning on starting with a small amount of lights, and then building it up so that people really feel like they're in for an awesome time. Luckily I decided on the audio piece early as it fits right into what I want to do (Surrender Peace by Grabbitz). The song itself builds up to a drop and the instruments combined with the style they're played in have a very similar vibe to Splatoon, so that's why I picked that track.
You can see this week's draft here ->
youtube
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