#it's action and comedy i do fear a lot that i won't like it...

[schizo2709]

#VIFinWonderlandxYWZS

He looked so pretty & sweet again at yesterday's event, so...pics & gifs, I guess? 😊😊😊

sources 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + 9 + 10

[vyuntspakhkite-l-darling]

I love seeing people ramble about their stories so, can you ramble about Biting the Bullet?

Totally! I recently decided to pause my first draft because I got stuck and do a dummy draft instead so it'll be nice to just talk about it a little. <3

Originally it was going to be a silly story about a military fireteam during a war in a fantasy universe. It. It was going to be silly. It was going to be an action-comedy. It is.... not that anymore. All the world conflicts started getting into the mainstream media and I began seeing more military recruiters in my school and I kind of began projecting my anxieties and frustrations and stuff onto the story and honestly I think that made it a lot stronger.

I have three options I'm still not sure which to pick for the POV. I'm doing it in 3rd person past tense for sure, but I'm still not sure if I'm going to switch between all four of the main characters' perspectives, just Sibatol and Arsioly, or just Arsioly. For the first draft I'm rotating between all of them and we'll see how I feel after that.

I think my favorite thing about this story is the decisive character moments I have planned. My characters will develop gradually, but their biggest developments come from moments where they have to make big choices, whether to stay in their old ways or grow as people. Visralion, the team's medic who usually puts others before himself, says no when Arsioly first asks to be his boyfriend. Because even though they both like each other, Arsioly is a pretty shitty person to everyone but Visralion at that point, and Visralion recognizes that if they got in a relationship it'd just end up with him trying to fix Ari and that's not his job. This is also a big moment for Arsioly- he can choose to be awful about the rejection or he can choose to look at his own behavior and improve as a person. He chooses to improve himself.

Ari probably had the most of these and I can't say one of them bc spoilers but another one he has which is more subtle but still important is when Estera, the girl his fireteam finds on a mission and basically adopts bc she has nowhere else to go, wakes him up in the middle of the night to cuddle because she had a nightmare. His immediate reaction is to tell her to suck it up and leave him alone so he can sleep. But he chooses to be compassionate to her and it really makes him realize how much better it feels to be nice to people (and helps teach him the value of a life bc he almost shot her and is now seeing that all the people he's carelessly killed could have gone on and had moments like these but shh...).

Most of Virava's are more spoilery but they revolve mostly around her being terrified about her past repeating itself, and she ends up overcorrecting and taking several steps backwards before she finally stops bearing all her feelings by herself and actually talks to people about her fear.

Talking about Sibatol under the cut because his portion of this revolves around be talking about him being promiscuous, if hearing abt that will make you uncomfy don't read further :3

The one I can think of for Sibatol is a bit less straightforward than the previous ones but bear with me. He struggles with hypersexuality for most of the story due to trauma from when he was young. Sleeping around causes a lot of problems for him but he just can't stop and he really struggles in situations where he can't just fuck his way out of it. Most of the moves he makes hurt him or make situations worse or just generally dig him deeper into this hole he's dug for himself. But I'm not the person that's gonna give you a character like this and then tell you that the way they become a better person is by being less of a slut. His turning point (I won't be too specific bc spoilers) is when he learns how to use his sexuality in a more strategic way, a helpful way that makes things easier for people for once, which is a gateway into him changing his mindset abt his sexuality and he's still as promiscuous by the end of the story but he doesn't just use it as a distraction from bad feelings anymore, he approaches it in a healthier way.

[ariel-seagull-wings]

FICTIONAL CHARACTER ASK: JANINE MELNITZ

Asked by anonimus

@thereisnoblogonly-zuul​

@professorlehnsherr-almashy @thealmightyemprex @goodanswerfoxmonster @the-blue-fairie @princesssarisa @gravedangerahead @parxsisburning @softlytowardthesun @themousefromfantasyland @filmcityworld1 @lord-antihero @lioness--hart

@budcortfancam @bixiebeet @spengnitzed @angelixgutz @stantzed @janeb984 @amalthea9

Favorite Thing About Them: Let's face it, besides Lois Maxwell's portrayal of Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond film series, there weren't really other examples of desk secretaries so well developed as Janine Melnitz. It is a hard job, and vital to keep government institutions and companies organized, but like the also hard work of being a howsewife, it is often overlooked because is a job associated with women that writers tend to think it won't be interesting to audiences as " the stories of man of action going into a battlefield or other dangerous kind of adventure" that they often choose to focus on. So to have this simple working class lady being portrayed with charisma, as we empathize with the boredom, excitement, confidence, anger, stress and fear that she shows as she navigates trough her job, acting as the human element that helps to keep us grounded in this fantastic story about scientists hunting ghosts in New York City, is marvelous to watch. And she is also shown to be able to adapt and become a competent Ghostbuster in her own right, even leading a back up team while being someone who, like Winston Zeddemore, didn't got access to an Ivy League University Doctorate, showing that there are other forms of being inteligent besides having a golden framed diploma, like conecting with the general public and providing emotional support for friends who need it.

Least Favorite Thing About Them: The fact that when Ghostbusters 2 went to take inspiration from the cartoon The Real Ghostbusters, it made the mistake of only getting inspiration from the character design in the messy later seasons, ignoring the idea of her acting as the fifth Ghostbuster presented by the first two seasons and instead making her have a sexual escapade with Louis Tully out of nowhere to boost his confidence so Louis could be the new fifth Ghostbuster. The writers of the second movie, wich was the same team as the first one, had the template to make progress in making a urban fantasy adventure comedy story where man and woman worked together as a team to save the day without seeing anything weird about it, and didn't tooked any advantage of it.

Three Things I Have In Common With Them:

*I have short hair and wear glasses;

*I often use sarcasm as a mechanism to cope with problems;

*I also work behind a desk with a computer, telephone, pencil and paper;

Three Things I Don’t Have In Common With Them:

*I'm not an american from New York City;

*I'm not a red head;

*I wouldn't have the courage to fight against ghosts and monsters that she has;

Favorite line:

From the July 1983 Script Draft:

"The phones? I wouldn't say the calls are pouring in, Dr. Venkman."

"Good night, Egon."

"Is it alright if I watch?"

"Thank you."

From the October 1983 Script Draft:

"Who do you think you're talking to, Mister? Do I look like a child? You can't come in here without some kind of warrant or writ or something."

"It's a sign, all right... "Going out Of Business."

"I want you to have this."

"It's a souvenir from the 1964 World's Fair at Flushing Meadow. It's my lucky coin."

"Keep it anyway. I have another one at home."

From the 1984 movie:

"You're very handy. I can tell. I bet you like to read a lot, too."

"Oh, that's very fascinating to me. I read a lot myself. Some people think I'm too intellectual, but I think it's a fabulous way to spend your spare time. I also play racquetball. Do you have any hobbies?"

"Hello, Ghostbusters. Yes, of course they're serious. [she paused and sat back down] You do? You have? No kidding. Uh-huh. Well, just, uh, just give me the address. Yes, of course. Oh, they'll be totally discreet. Thank you."

"We got one!"

"Do you believe in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trans-mediums, the Loch Ness monster and the theory of Atlantis?"

"I've quit better jobs than this."

"Ghostbusters! What do you want!?"

"You are so kind to take care of that man. You know, you're a real humanitarian."

From the novelization of the 1984 movie:

"Would I kid you?... Well, the soonest we could possibly get back to you would be a week from Friday... I'm sorry, but we're completely booked until then... Uh huh... All I can suggest is that you stay out of your house until we can get to you.... Well, in that case. I'd be not to provoke it. You're welcome."

"Egon, there's something very strange about that man. I'm very psychic usually, and right now I have this teerible feeling that something awful is going to happen to you. I'm afrayed you're going to die."

"That's so romantic. "

"You're sweet, Egon."

brOTP: Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddemore, Dana Barrett, Tiyah Clarke, Louis Tully, Kylie Griffin, Melanie Ortiz, Louise, Irena Cortez, Bryan Welsh, Ilyssa Selwin, Walter Peck.

OTP: Egon Spengler.

nOTP: Ron Alexander.

Random Headcanon: Her maternal family is of german-irish, lutheran and catholic background, while her paternal family is of ucranian, polish and georgian jewish background. She always took part in traditions of both sides of her family, but has more strong identification with the jewish side.

Unpopular Opinion: I understand the idea of the Real Ghostbusters cartoon series episode Janine, You Changed being an attempt to criticize the executives that wanted to force Janine into what they deemed conventional patterns of femininity by inserting the plot of an evil fae that prays on insecurities manipulating Janine after she feels insecure about her appearance, but I think that is still out of character because when it camed to her physical appearance, Janine never seemed likely to feel insecure about it, but take pride in it. If a writer really wanted to explore some insecurity in her in a way that felt organic, it would make more sense to explore her insecurity due to the fact that she camed from a working class background and didn't have access to a college and university doctorate like Peter, Ray and Egon because of lack of money or family connections and because the universities criteria to accept new students is arbitrary and elitist, but Winston, who also shares a working class background, and the other Ghostbusters would assure her that just because she isn't a former Ivy League graduate, doesn't mean she is less inteligent or capable to understand the work of tracking and studying the supernatural.

Songs I Associate With Them:

Elusive Butterfly

If

Andante, Andante

Somebody to love

You Are the Sunshine of My Life

Stay

Favorite Picture of Them:

Annie Potts in the 1984 movie

In the original two seasons of the Real Ghostbusters animated series

In the IDW licensed comics

[fandomfloozy]

she-hulk attorney at law is SO bad in so many ways that have been laid out by many people FAAAAARRRR better than me at media analysis and conveying proper, valid scrutiny

however comma, that won't stop me from laying out plainly why i personally think it is so so bad

first, it's just such a bastardization of the marvel brand (entity? conglomerate?) and not in a fun way

i get that, by virtue of being a fourth wall breaker, no matter what, the antics jennifer walters gets up to are going to come across as parody or even satire of the superhero genre. but there are certainly ways to do that without being absolutely insufferable about it

in the least woman-hating way possible: jenn walters, as portrayed by tatiana maslany, is no ryan reynolds. she comes with none of the charm, the wit, or the actual comedic chops that our current live action deadpool does (and even that flavor of comedy, tbf and to me, has overstayed its own welcome. give us something new once in a while, ryan. it's getting old). i feel simultaneously irritated and bored by jenn when, on paper, she seems like one of the coolest female characters in the marvel gallery. so much potential and i'm just NOT entertained

beyond this gap in connection with the literal lead of this nine-episode shit-show, the screenplay itself is also contrived and dull. the subversion and meta-ness of it all (ESPECIALLY in those final 2 episodes) doesn't feel smart, or new, or interesting. it feels cheap.

like THIS is how we chose to mark the return of belobed matt murdock???

to be absolutely fair, some of the few moments i did enjoy in this series (show? television equivalent of an EP?) involved seeing daredevil back in action. but holy god above. not like this.

and to top it all off: the show certainly had a message to get across... and it did. a horrible, shallow, stupid message that is so narrow-minded and dumb that it's an affront to all media commentary of the social zeitgeist.

"All Jenn Walters had to do, as a powerful woman, was be herself :D"

...jenn walters is a successful, conventionally attractive woman who is completely secure in herself and her accomplishments before getting in an accident with bruce banner. her struggle should have come from this SHELL-SHOCKING change in her life and grappling with what it means to have incredible, uncontrollable power while wanting to good unto others. NOT in not being pretty or interesting or powerful enough to GET A DATE without being she-hulk???

"Women angry all the time and good at holding it in. No learning curve in anger management required. All powers come naturally :)"

being the hulk is a mentally and emotionally DRAINING ordeal that no one undergoes willingly because it is an incredible BURDEN. not only does it take an incredible physical toll to be an "enormous green rage monster," it is stupidly psychologically taxing because you LOSE CONTROL. idk if yall noticed, but bruce banner carried a fear of becoming hulk for YEARS for good reason. smart hulk may have numbed the audience to the reality that was the coexistence of bruce and hulk, but that's not the baseline and it's CERTAINLY not where jenn walters' toil with the she-hulk should have started

immediate talent does not garner audience sympathy.

lack of real, cohesive struggle does not garner audience relatability.

and the excuse that "women are good with managing their anger" surely does not EXEMPT you from the mental and psychological toll that comes with becoming an uncontrollable green mutant

and it also just isn't true????? while i know my fair share of women who handle life with grace and poise, angry women are not QUIET and angry. they are quite LOUD and angry. have the writers MET an angry woman????

the women that are labeled "crazy, overemotional, unstable" are loud angry, and they make up most of the women I know.

and placid and even-tempered men exist. like a LOT of them do. anger management isn't a strictly female trait and what a harmful way to convey this stupid ass attempt at social commentary. eugh.

cuz i know that's the intent. it's social commentary on how women are expected to act. "the intent was this" "the intent was that" idc idc IDC

it's stupid.

it flopped.

it fell flat.

message failed. now u just look stupid.

...

also, the CGI was ass.

[tortoise-bearing-cups]

I saw that the next one was Joker's Wild and was like ... is this the story I think it is? =D Let's go!

We're starting right off with "bad people shouldn't have rights" but also ... I don't think you actually do have a legal right to see your mother on your birthday.

Even though this story doesn't take place in Haiti or involve Chinese gangs, Dixon's still taken a moment to make sure we understand that foreign taxi drivers no speak english good. How sweet of him. (I'm kind of surprised Joker doesn't kill the cabbie.)

Tim's first solo patrol! And he immediately gets hit with the bat signal, of course.

I just love Tim getting driven around by Alfred in a van.

Freeze looks like an action figure. He's even got a red button on his back that you can press to shoot rockets.

Joker calls him a second-rate Captain Cold. I am amazed at the idea that Joker knows who that is and also that Freeze is the second rate one?! Joker's secretly a Flash fan I guess. (He hasn't met Impulse yet.)

Tim is cool, but a nerd. Like you!

This is our first real look at Tim's civilian life and Ives is already here. (And probably thinks Tim has a troubled home life.) The banner says "Gotham Heights" so I think we've left the boarding school we saw previously behind. I guess Bruce let Tim go to public school and Jack's gone along with it? (Where is Jack anyway?)

Tim calls Alfred Alfie. =D

Is cute.

Love this shot.

So the Joker's kidnapped a computer guy, potentially to show of Tim's computer skills in thwarting this?

Tim starts bringing a Bat-hologram with him to convince criminals (specifically, the Joker) that Batman's still in town. This isn't even the weirdest of their tech, since it's just an image of Batman seen only from a distance.

What a good friend. =D

The Majestic Theater? Is that the one where Bruce's parents died?

Even Batman "has a difficult time getting a transoceanic call through." Do you remember what that was like? Easier for writers. Though the van at least has a cellular line.

Thank goodness that's not Gwen Stacy.

Feels a bit weird to agree with the Joker on two things: 1) this costume is better and 2) Tim smol

Holy shit, the police were useful! That never happens! The Joker gets away, of course, but Tim also gets away with a single smack to the face. Though the Bat-hologram has backfired, and the Joker knows for sure that Tim's on his own in Gotham.

Cool cover.

The mayor won't admit that the Joker is behind this, he'd rather take the blame and look like a man.

what is he wearing why does it look like the sleeves were torn off

Also so many of Alfred's bits are just comedy. I hadn't expected that.

Tim using his friend's game to solve his problem and then leaving them behind immediately: =(

Tim drinking soda instead of zesti: >=(

The Gotham rogues sure cross over a lot. Earlier Scarecrow had a Mad Hatter-ish vibe, now Joker definitely dosed that woman with something fear toxin-ish and is giving Tim a bunch of riddles. Pick a theme!

This is interesting. It's a trap that relies on Tim wanting to solve puzzles--the sort of trap someone who's used to dealing with Bats would make. Tim shuts the computer down before it can be infected but now he's down the Batcomputer, because he can't just turn it on again I guess?

Gotham's being declared a disaster area. I wonder how often that happens. At least the government won't cut them off this time.

I laughed so fucking hard at this. This is what being a teen vigilante is really about.

Wait, Jack is still in the hospital bed? I thought he woke up? Maybe this is another case of "ehhh, let's pretend we didn't do that for dramatic purposes".

Wh--why are there so many of them.

Still really love Tim's mental narration.

"Must be real important. They interrupted the Simpsons for it."

Joker doesn't need money, he only needs Batman. Also check out that weird glove.

(I wonder why the comic frame is within a frame? To make us feel "zoomed out"? The artist in me wants an explanation for this choice.)

So Tim is an adrenaline jockey, obviously, but it's a consistent point of his characterization that he gets nervous beforehand but is really good in the moment. Which just adds to my AuDHD headcanon honestly.

=D =D =D Joker gets sewaged and MOCKED BY THE OTHER ROGUES FOR IT.

I really do wonder how Bruce reacted to hearing about this. What a nightmare.

I wonder if that's the last of the pointed successor plots. Next is Huntress!

[theharpermovieblog]

#HARPERSMOVIECOLLECTION

2024 MOVIE LIST

www.tumblr.com/theharpermovieblog

PHANTASM SEQUEL WEEK

I re-watched Phantasm 3: Lord Of The Dead (1994)

Is a week of Phantasm sequels, starting with the third one, a bad idea for a theme week? Probably, but I watched them while I was depressed and now you have to deal with it.

In this third installment in the Franchise, main characters Reggie and Mike are split up when The Tall Man kidnaps Mike.

I love the original "Phantasm". Despite its flaws, it stands out as a truly unique horror film that plays with perceptions of reality, different dimensions and nightmares. Not only the terror and dread of nightmares, but also the sense of strangeness which often accompanies the fear. Not to mention, "Phantasm" introduced us to one of the great horror themes of all time.

"Phantasm 2" is a lot less of a classic, but it's still a pretty cool b-horror film. It's got fun practical effects and, while it doesn't feel anything like the first film, it's a good one to watch with friends. It bridges the gap toward the more action oriented sequels to come, and it adds to the more straightforward lore of the series.

It's here, with "Phantasm 3" that director Don Coscarelli's epic horror series truly goes off the rails a bit. Suddenly the comedy comes in, and comes in hard. The tone feels off. Sure, It's not all bad, but it certainly isn't all good either. In fact, if you aren't already a fan of this series or of b-horror, you probably won't want to sit through this movie. It's really mediocre and unoriginal filmmaking, something you shouldn't expect from Dom Coscarelli.

Look, Phantasm films have some bad acting, some low budgets and some silly ideas that don't always work...but often overcome that for many reasons. The first and foremost being the series' lore, which seems to be purposefully incomprehensible. It's under no obligation to make sense to you, because nightmares and alternate dimensions aren't obligated to make sense to you.For instance, the first "Phantasm" is a dreamy, dark and ultimately creepy trip through unpredictable weirdness that leaves you questioning everything about its narrative...this third installment leaves that tone behind for the most part. Favoring instead a horny middle aged man, a little kid with a six shooter and bumbling zombies. It's fun enough if you like B-Horror nonsense (which I do), but for those of us who have been chasing the dragon of that first Phantasm film...this one is definitely the series low point.

[stuffnonsenseandotherthings]

Watch It Or Drop It Challenge - Drama 4

I'm in that mood where I just want to watch something new but I'm not sure what so, instead of obsessively reading every synopsis of every drama to ever exist and ultimately running out of time to watch anything, I've decided I'm just going to let fate decide and spin the wheel for a second drama on my Plan to Watch List!

Aside from one notable exception (notable in that I dropped it straight away without watching it), so far fate seems pretty set that I catch up on all my years of not watching BL and has only put forward BLs (despite them currently being no where near the majority of dramas on the list), so I'm interested to see if the trend manages to continue with....

👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨 BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashita: Crank Up Hen

Fate is a BL stan, pass it on 😋

Country: Japan

Episodes: 3

Genres: BL, Comedy, Romance

Director: Kumasaka Izuru

Screenwriter: Toyama Erika

Summary: This work stars Akafuji Yuichiro, a popular and handsome actor, and Aoyagi Hajime, a former popular child actor who has the ability but is currently unremarkable. The story begins when they are chosen to play the double lead roles in the live-action adaptation of an extremely popular BL manga.

They start living together in order to prepare for the role and get publicity, but Akafuji has a curt attitude toward Aoyagi, and Aoyagi doesn't like Akafuji either.

However, there was a reason for his curt attitude. In reality, Akafuji was deeply in love with Aoyagi.

Akafuji tries his best to hide his feelings, and Aoyagi tries to get along with the other but mistakenly thinks that he hates him. The misunderstanding between the two leads to an unexpected slapstick comedy in this "Cohabitation Romantic Comedy".

(Source: TV Asahi)

Why It's On My Plan to Watch List: A very recent addition that came about thanks to this post by @bengiyo. It was a very impulse decision (and maybe not one I should have made given I'm trying to shorten my PTWL rather than make it longer 😅) but what can I say, a few simple bullet points managed to make it sound very very appealing and I couldn't resist.

Prediction: So, fun fact, the first time I watched a Japanese drama was nearly 8 years ago and I had such a bad time of it I haven't been able to watch another one since. In hindsight, I am 100% certain that the reasons I had such a miserable time are:

1) it wasn't a genre I would normally go for and I have no idea why I thought watching it in a different language would change things (it did not)

2) it was one of those classics, you know, the kind that are big names in the fandom but that you wouldn't recommend to a newbie straight away because they are a bit of an acquired taste, and

3) even once I realised I didn't like it, I forced myself to finish it because at the time I was physically incapable of dropping things which meant that not only was I not enjoying it, I was finding myself actively resenting.

So yeah, mainly my fault but it was such an un-fun time that I was so scared of a repeat scenario that I steered clear of all j-dramas for the next 8 years out of fear.

BUT NO MORE!!! THE CYCLE ENDS NOW!!!

I'm a completely different drama watcher now and I know myself and my tastes and limits much better now so it's finally time to face my (very silly) fears and get back to a country whose dramas I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy once I've broken the ice 💪 And what better way to do that than start with a drama that has recieved lots of love from the all people I've seen watch it and is nice and short to boot? The worst that will happen is that I won't like it, but it's only 135 minutes long and I know how to drop things now so.... WATCH

Watch It Or Drop It Masterpost

[maleyanderecafe]

Submissive Yanderes

I've been reblogging a lot of submissive yandere prompts and trying to indoctrinate people so I thought it might be a good time to write about a topic like this. Despite the title of this analysis, I won't actually be focusing on anything of a sexual nature, but rather the placement or role of a submissive yandere. In my opinion just like you can write any character into a yandere, you can also make any character dominant or submissive. Plus, I think there are some misconceptions of what is considered a submissive character versus one that is more dominant, so I'll try to explain my thoughts on it.

First thing’s first, let’s discuss what exactly it means to be submissive in a dynamic. In my opinion, submissiveness is defined by a power dynamic of sorts, where the submissive party is under the more dominant one. It can be done in a lot of ways, whether it be willfully or forcefully, in a position of power (like a CEO and their workers) or a general personality thing ( one who makes all the decisions for another). It sort of depends on the dynamic since even positions don’t guarantee that a character is more submissive ( for instance a worker blackmailing the CEO would put the worker in a high let reign of power), in my mind it’s more of who has the most control in a dynamic.

Dominant yanderes are much more prevalent in terms of the types of yanderes I see likely because many of the people who are into yanderes are more on the submissive side (at least from what I see, and this includes those into female yanderes). It makes sense as well because yanderes generally incorporate both horror which often has the yandere as a type of force of nature going against the s/o. More dangerous elements also lend them to become more dominant in nature as many of them can be violent. I find that there are a lot more male yanderes that are depicted as more dominant than their female counterparts, probably for reasons of preference as well as just probably some sort of double standard thing that we will not go into. Yanderes do also contribute to a lot of villain style characters in stories as well, and they often have to be at least toe to toe with the hero or overwhelm them for the story to work, pushing them more onto a dominant trait. Even for a lot of romantic stories, yanderes are much more persistent compared to their lover  as well as their general perchance to do anything for their lover tends to lean more towards the dominant traits. 

Submissive yanderes are usually rare probably for a lot of different factors. For one, yanderes are usually in the camp of horror, which often involves something that inspires fear or loss of control, of which dominant yanderes will tend to dominate, since it gives more of the sense of those two factors. With submissive yanderes, it’s much more rare to have this unless it’s for instance a dramatic irony where the submissive yandere slowly becomes more psychotic or if it’s used to as well to elicit empathy. That’s not to say it isn’t possible of course, it’s just not as common. In addition a lot of fans of the yandere genre tend to be more on the submissive side ( this includes those who are fans of female or other genders of yanderes), so having a more dominant yandere will tend to cater to their fantasies more. Again, it’s not everyone, it’s just what I see is more common. Submissive yanderes are more often found in works where there’s more romance involved or if the yandere and their love interest are in more equal ground. They might also appear in tragedies for instance especially if they realize what they’ve done or they’ve done something that they can’t take back or in comedies (especially if the yandere is also a masochist like in Shinobi Shijuusou) since usually they are more harmless or their actions aren’t taken as seriously. An example of this might be like Hana Wa Knife O Mi Ni Matou, where the yandere really only goes haywire when the female character is hurt or killed.

While just as all yanderes can be dominant or submissive, a lot of submissive yanderes tend to fall into certain types. Clingy yanderes, for instance tend to be more submissive since they are generally afraid of having their s/o leave them and use more emotional manipulation to get them to stay, in the sense of making the s/o feel guilt or responsibility over them, and often are depicted as cute and like a younger sibling (such as Trick or Kiss). Similarly desperate yanderes are in the same boat, though their actions often can turn violent if their s/o neglects them too much. Self harming yanderes are usually submissive since they don’t pose any harm to anyone but themselves and pose more of a guilt trip and emotional manipulation rather than attempting to hurt the s/o, and the readers may also gain an attachment to them if they have a more sympathetic side to them. Copycat and Replacement yanderes can be like this to a degree where copycats will attempt to become the type that the s/o likes ( think Ren from 14 Days With You or John Doe from John Doe + ) which is more heavily reliant on what the s/o likes and will change their appearance, mannerisms etc to gain favorability. Replacement yanderes can also come to a similar degree, though because they are often delusional, if they come to realize that their s/o isn’t similar to what was projected on them then things can go down fast (possibly like Yoosung for instance). Finally there’s overprotective yanderes which tend to lean either into more submissive or dominant depending on how they are written, though they can be depicted as more submissive if they tend to be more like worrywarts and are generally less forceful. Again you can theoretically write most yandere types into being more submissive, for instance a doll maker yandere that fears that the s/o hates them for what they’ve done or a extremely violent yandere that beings body parts for their lover in exchange for headpats or a manipulative yandere that plans everything just so he can kneel next to his love.

While submissive yanderes are often willing to be in a more submissive position, they don’t always have to be. A lot of times yanderes can be forced into this position and have to find ways to work around the lack of power that they have. For instance, a yandere who is thrown into jail and has to fight his way up the chain just so the guard they love so much will acknowledge them or a yandere that is forced as a slave that has to use back handed tactics to trap their lover who is the ruler of the palace. A s/o that is able to trap their yandere in a cafe instead of them and now the yanderes must suffer the consequences of what they’ve done the list goes on and on. I think these concepts are interesting since it forces the yandere in a powerless state and have to fight their way to the top to redeem themselves and you can see some of these types of stories with Beast tamed by the Villainess or in I Lost the Leash of the Yandere Male Lead . It can also work as a sort of revenge fantasy in which the s/o has a stronger advantage over the yandere who had bullied them all those years before. I think that yanderes can also willingly accept themselves in a lower position just to turn on their s/o as well, like an advisor yandere to their leader lover who slowly cause the decimation of everyone around them so they can be with their lover alone or a yandere who is a simple farmer that causes trouble for those in the village so the knight s/o will come to see them. Even if they aren’t going against their s/o they can still be quite a force, like pretending to be the right hand man for the enemy only to double cross them for the sake of their love on the other side, or a yandere that uses their s/o as more of a figure head as they run for a seat of power only to have the yandere, their right hand man, really influence most of the decisions they makes for the sake of making the s/o happy on the future. Yanderes that cause situations where the s/o has to save them so the s/o develops confidence in their lives, or yanderes that purposefully pretend to be bad at everything so that their s/o can’t keep their eyes off them for a second. I think a lot of submissive yandere ideas are overlooked because it makes them seem weak,(and perhaps because it’s not part of the power fantasy) but I think that they can have a lot of different ideas that can come out of it.

In terms of romance, I think a submissive yandere is very good for developing a relationship or having something that the yandere has to overcome. For instance a really meek yandere is caught by their bully s/o who teaches them to fight because they’re so wimpy. A submissive yandere that is able to empathize with their lover because they know how hard it is to be stepped on their entire lives and wants their s/o to stand up for themselves. A submissive yandere that is completely okay with being the side character so as long as their lover is being happy and by their side. A more bratty yandere that attempts to gain the attention of their s/o but has to learn to give affection more directly. I think also a submissive yandere tends to have a more equal footing with their s/o if they are dating, since while they still might follow most of what their lover says, they still want to make sure that their lover is happy and might have to go out of their way to push them in the right direction. I’m not saying you can’t do this with a more dominant or even more switchy yandere, I just think that there’s a lot of applications to submissive yanderes in romance.

Submissive yanderes are more of a staple in a lot of comedic stories, especially if on top of that they are more masochistic. While it’s completely fine to have that, I do find the general dynamic of their relationship is that the yandere is happy when they are hit and the s/o is annoyed or disgusted by it, which does get a bit boring after a while. It would be nice to see a sadistic s/o who periodically comes over to punish the submissive yandere in increasingly weird ways or a submissive s/o who comes to hurt the submissive yandere in hopes that they will hurt them back. It would be nice to see a s/o who seems nonchalant about their yandere being happy on getting hit and maybe even gets worried that the yandere is getting hurt so often because of them. Overall I hope to see different dynamics when it comes to submissive yanderes and their lovers in comedy rather than the same dynamics I normally see.

All in all I think submissive yanderes can be really interesting way to write a character. Even putting aside my bias for more submissive yanderes, I do think that they have a lot of applications that I normally don’t see with a lot of dominant yanderes, such as a more underdog status or a hidden yandere villain working in the shadows. With my bias for submissive yanderes, I think it’s nice to have a more cute yandere that’s easier to control in stories, since it puts the power on the s/o and how they choose to use the yandere. Overall, I think submissive yanderes, as rare as they are, should have more appearances to show off that kind of value they have in a story.

[hassedah]

hi! could u write some headcanons bout ml boys’ fav movies/genres and their dislikes? tysm ❤️

Boys' and girls' favourite film genres:

Hi !

I hope you are well ! 

Here is the headcanon you requested, I hope you like it.

Have a good day and take care of yourself! ^^

Vladimir :

Vladimir doesn't watch much television in general. You could even say that he hardly ever watches it. It's also very difficult to take him to the cinema, he is startled by cars and trucks. As a result the only time he set foot in a cinema was for the release of Titanic and he hasn't been back since.

However, the boys have already convinced him to watch films and series with them. And he loves period dramas, like Pride and Prejudice for example. He doesn't know whether he prefers the 1995 series or the 2005 film. The series is more historically accurate but... he finds the 2005 Darcy much more... sexy. Well, he totally denies it, because he is not completely crazy about Darcy. He swears to anyone who will listen. He also often watches Operas with Raphael on TV, he likes musicals much less.

He passionately hates the action and war films that Aaron loves and he doesn't understand how anyone can like it at all. It's loud and violent, the story is not coherent. In short, he doesn't see the point.

Béliath :

Beliath likes films and series in general (it helps him to flirt more easily at the Moondance). He also goes to the cinema quite often, either to accompany Raphaël, or to see a film with Ethan (he doesn't particularly like the films Ethan loves, but if accompanying him is enough to please the youngest, he won't be denied).

At the manor, he is a big fan of romantic films and watches them with Raphael most of the time. He has seen Titanic, Twilight, but also The Fault in Our Stars several times. He also watches a lot of Christmas soaps with Raphaël. You can often hear them talking about the last movie they saw together in the living room.

He doesn't like action films that are too brutal. He finds them easily boring and he thinks they are inherently lacking in class. Seriously, since when can a man covered in mud and sweat be considered sexy! He wouldn't even let that kind of man touch him, he'd send him to the shower first.

Ivan :

Along with Ethan, Ivan is one of the most TV-watching boys in the manor. He wishes he could go back to the movies more often, but the other boys stubbornly refuse to let him do so for fear that he might attack someone there. So for now, he just watches the films on his computer.

He has a great preference for cartoons, be it Disney or Japanese animation. Unfortunately, he is the only one in the manor. His favourite Disney movies are without question Hercules and The Lion King. For Japanese animation, he has a big preference for Wolf Children, but especially for Your Name, he has seen this film more than ten times, but he will always continue to watch it if he gets the chance.

He also watches a lot of superhero movies like Marvel and DC. But he much prefers the Marvel ones. His preference is for Spiderman.

Aaron :

He rarely watches television, like Vladimir. But that's because he finds it very difficult to sit still for more than an hour. That's a good definition of hell for him, so the only reason he goes to the movies with his roommates is to please them.

His favourite films are action films and horror films, gore films don't bother him, he loves SAW for example. As far as horror movies are concerned, he really enjoyed the first two Conjuring movies, much less the last one which he found boring. He also watches a lot of war re-enactment films.

Also, he discovered Games of Thrones not long ago and he loves it!

He doesn't really like most comedies, but that's mainly because he has trouble understanding why this or that situation or joke would be funny and is constantly having it explained to him by Beliath or Ethan.

Raphaël :

Raphael does not watch much television, although he does enjoy it. For example, he goes to the cinema quite regularly to see old films with Beliath or Aaron.

He loves all romance films and especially romance films set at Christmas. He finds them so beautiful and romantic. He loves to see people falling in love. He could easily stay up all night watching them when it starts snowing outside. This makes Ethan despair as he is the one who enjoys them the least. He also watches a lot of ballet and opera since Beliath showed him that you can have it on TV he wants to watch it as often as possible. He finds it really convenient to be able to watch them from his sofa without having to go out on the town to do so.

He really doesn't like horror films. He's a little reluctant to admit it to his roommates. But horror films usually keep him awake at day. He can't help it, he starts to be suspicious of all the noises he hears.

Ethan :

Since he and Ivan are the ones who watch the most television, there are many kinds of films and series that he enjoys. His only exceptions are the cheesy romances that bore him quickly, war films and gore films. He sees a lot of blood when he treats others, he doesn't want to see more on TV.

His preference is for crime films and series and science fiction films. He prefers detective films and series where he can try to find the culprit during the course of the film, rather than those that immediately show who the murderer is, so he doesn't really like series like Columbo and Criminal Minds for example.  

As far as science fiction films are concerned, he has seen all the Star Trek series, as well as all the Star Wars films and series. He has a strong preference for the latter, although he won't mind watching another episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation if you ask him.

DC movies, even if he is often disappointed because he prefers comic books. 

Neil :

He doesn't watch television... or so he says. He almost automatically falls asleep in front of a television anyway, even at the cinema. It's quite amusing to see him resist sleep, to have several nose dives, and then to fall asleep suddenly. Even though he has a lot of trouble watching a film in its entirety because of this.

He has a clear preference for all films with power plays, whether it's to get the throne and become king, or simply to become president, or director of a big company. (Although he often thinks he would do much better than any of the characters). So he likes Games of Thrones quite a bit.

He doesn't particularly dislike any one kind of film, but there are some films he doesn't like which can be summed up as: Any film that has a mad scientist doing atrocious experiments on other people. He won't watch it, he won't even go near the television. Seriously, he doesn't want anything to do with that kind of film, even for all the money in the world.

Farah :

She doesn't often get to go to the cinema with the pack of wolves and anyway, it's quite rare that everyone agrees on the same film to go and see. Mostly she goes to see family action films or comedies.

On television, she especially likes animal documentaries. Especially those about the sea and the ocean. She is a bit afraid of the deep sea but she is always amazed to see what goes on underwater.

She doesn't like historical re-enactment films both because she knows very well that "it didn't happen like that at all" but also because she finds them frighteningly boring.

Léandra :

She rarely goes to the cinema. It's not the most convenient place to chat up. You have to stay quiet for more than an hour to watch a bunch of clowns acting like idiots. So, no, it's not her thing. After that, she quite likes to take the prey she has spotted in nightclubs at cinema to have a little more fun with them.

Despite this, Leandra loves horror films. More because she often finds them completely stupid than because she is afraid of them (they are also very convenient to get people to bond with her). She has a strong preference for those that include demons in their scenarios after all succubi are demons, and she loves to see how humans portray them.

Léandra doesn't really like mushy romances, she leaves that to her little brother. She often finds the characters at best uninteresting and at worst stupid.

[itsbenedict]

Two-Faced Jewel: Session 2

Zero and @eternalfarnham are Looseleaf and Saelhen du Fishercrown, a mothfolk animist and a half-elf conwoman. A botched heist forces Saelhen to keep up her fake identity and embark on a quest to places unknown, with Looseleaf to keep a watchful compound eye on her. This time, they prepare to set out for the jungle city of Thunderbrush.

[Campaign log]

It's less than a week after the incident with the pit under Yoshimimoto Plaza. Looseleaf returns to school with Saelhen in tow, and Looseleaf's roommate Oyobi spends some time training them up in basic monster self-defense- the two of them are now level 2! Saelhen gains a Cunning Action, and Looseleaf embarks on the Path of the Mutable Spirit. (There's no combat this session, so more on that later.)

In spending some time with Looseleaf's roommate, Saelhen picks up on... certain nuances.

looseleaf: what you know about your roommate is that she is very friendly and outgoing. the reason she's barely home most of the time is that she's always out partying or fighting or otherwise living it up on campus, and she's pretty well-known and popular amongst the student body. she's technically Martial Arts but takes a few Natural Arts classes, including your archaeology class. she wants to be an adventurer and join the Deathseekers' Guild, and she's taking multiple periods of Severe Zoology to learn to fight monsters. she thinks you in particular are adorable and has probably invited you to various social gatherings. she seems kind of spacey and unreliable, though, and doesn't seem to take you seriously.

saelhen, what you know about looseleaf's roommate is that she a freak nobody else seems to pick up on this, since there's not a lot of other elves at Blacksky, but you can tell from the way she wears her clothes and how she interacts with strangers to the uninformed observer, her fashion sense is sort of rugged and sporty and normal to an elf, her usual outfits are the equivalent of going around dressed in torn booty shorts, a spiked choker, and an ahegao t-shirt she is very obviously making a statement, and that statement is "i can do whatever i want, and if you have a problem with that you can [insert grossly offensive euphemism here]" her super-smiley friendly attitude is clearly part of this- she is breaking every single rule in the elf book, going right for the friendship throat in every social interaction and ignoring every single nicety that's supposed to precede friendly contact she acts a little different around you- like, she expects you to be in on the joke she's playing on everyone around her. she'll say something seemingly innocuous that's a actually a horrendous boundary violation in Kanzentokai, and then look at you with an expectant smile, to see if you appreciated the hilarious prank she just pulled. being around her is like being in the studio audience for a cringe comedy sitcom

Why are we learning so much about Oyobi? Well, partially because I can't help but overthink every single bit character, but also for reasons that'll become clear shortly.

After a few days, Saelhen and Looseleaf are invited to the Provost's office, up at the top of Blacksky Tower. (Ominous sort of place, for a faculty building- hewn out of a single chunk of sparkling black stone, oldest building on campus.) They are not invited to sit- the office contains no chairs.

Provost Hamori Los has good news for them! The people she's had secretly monitoring Saelhen for the past few days- did she forget to mention that?- have determined, by triangulation, that the arrow on Saelhen's bracer is currently pointing in the direction of Thunderbrush, deep in the giant-spider-infested jungle. So that where they'll be going, on a fun field trip!

Looseleaf could not be happier about this. Or less happy. She's really got precisely the amount of unhappiness that she's obligated to feel about giant spiders, being a giant moth.

Luckily, they won't have to trek through the jungle- Hamori has arranged for transportation via the ferry at the town of Cauterdale, which should allow them to bypass a treacherous trek into the depths of the Remoline Rainforest. They'll each be provided 100gp as funding for this academic enterprise- and Headmaster Goodcrest of Thunderbrush Metropolitan University has agreed to provide lodging for them on arrival. Everything is handled for them- so there shouldn't be any problems!

There is one more thing, though- all the different schools want in on this trip, so one school doesn't get all the credit. They're required to bring along a representative from the School of Arcane Arts and the School of Martial Arts, on top of Looseleaf from Natural Arts. And on top of... the representative from the School of Restricted Arts.

This dude is named Vayen, and he's not much for conversation. Or explaining what he's even doing here. Or doing anything besides skulking a careful distance away from the party, staring and listening. What does the School of Restricted Arts even study, again?

Anyway, Looseleaf has someone in mind from Martial Arts, so she leads the party to the School of Arcane Arts to do some recruiting! After being chewed out by Two-Brains for trying to post notices outside the official student notice board, she puts up her ad:

It's not long before she gets a bite!

Orluthe Chokorov is a cleric-in-training, under Diamode, the Goddess of Family. He's been enrolled in Arcane Arts at the insistence of his family... but he seems to think he's a "fake", and is desperate to go somewhere, anywhere, as long as it means he passes his classes without having to actually... be able to do whatever it is he's taking classes in. He says he can fight, though- in fact, he's eager to fight! He once beat Bud Chestplate, did you know?

There are perhaps less delinquent candidates they could go with, but there's something nice about a party member with secrets Saelhen could use as blackmail.

Saelhen du Fishercrown: "...rest assured that I shall be the soul of discretion. As will Looseleaf." "Though I fear that deception of this sort does not come easily to me..." Looseleaf: "Noeru, if he doesn't want to get into it, he doesn't have to- oh my god."

Having recruited Orluthe, the party heads back to Looseleaf's dorm to ask Oyobi about the Martial Arts students- maybe she has some idea as to who would make a good candidate for the trip!

(This isn't me foisting her on the players, though I did suggest it- after the party of two squishies got wiped in the first encounter, I offered them the chance to put together two NPCs who they'd get to control in combat. Their character sheets were more or less created by the players, and I matched their mechanical requirements to NPCs. We may end up having multiple characters per PC, later- this is sort of a trial run.)

With a cleric(?) and a ranger on the team, plus whatever Vayen is that he won't tell them, they're feeling ready to hit the road- right after a shopping trip.

Saelhen buys...

1x bag of 1000 ball bearings

1x traveler's clothes

1x hooded lantern

15x doses of insect repellent salve (much to Looseleaf's great offense)

2x uses of sealing wax

1x tinderbox

fuck it, 4x more bags of 1000 ball bearings

Zero: 'what are you going to do with five thousand ball bearings' 'when the time comes, i'll know'

Looseleaf buys...

1x pint of oil

1x bag of 1000 ball bearings also

5x healer's kits, to distribute to the party

1x pouch of various plant seeds

1x map

Notably absent is any food, since they have Oyobi in their party- she's a ranger with the Goodberry spell. (I've reflavored it to just mean she's good at foraging and always has rations on hand, because holy crap, Goodberry rules-as-written is totally worldbreaking- why would farms exist?)

During their shopping trip, Saelhen manages to get Oyobi alone, without the rest of the party. Oyobi's shtick has been fun, for her, as someone with very little regard for elven rules of politeness, but... it's still a little much. She asks Oyobi to tone it down.

Oyobi Yamatake: "I mean, I thought you had to no-sell it to keep up the fake noble act- I didn't think it was actually getting you!" "That's priceless, oh my god." "What's there to take a 'break' from, anyway? What's wrong with just living?" Saelhen du Fishercrown: "Primarily, the fact that I really need not to twitch in front of the Provost's silent murder goon." Saelhen jerks a thumb over her shoulder, then belatedly checks to make sure that Vayen is not in fact literally right behind her. Benedict I. (GM): Make a Perception roll? Saelhen du Fishercrown: aw, hell, he definitely is, isn't he

She rolls a 13, and no one in particular rolls a 17. So, everything is fine. They keep their voices down, anyway.

Oyobi Yamatake: "I mean, is it really a problem? Can you really not keep a straight face?" Saelhen du Fishercrown: "I mean, I can." Saelhen sweeps a hand over her face and is the picture of serenity. "Why should the lady Noeru de la Surplus concern herself with small lapses such as these?" "Surely someone shall find it in their hearts to forgive all trespasses." Oyobi Yamatake: She snorts. "Okay, I get your point." "But really, don't you think it's weirder for an elven noblewoman not to react?" "You don't think he thinks it's suspicious that you take it all in stride?" Saelhen du Fishercrown: "The character is admittedly kind of a freak. I'm making allowances. I mean, this is fun and all, but if no one sees through the bit at all and I'm stuck in it long-term, which it seems like I am, it's like..." "Just being back in Kanzentokai, except worse, because no one is making me." "And drow catch a lot of crap anyway. They don't need me to teach them that elves can be assholes." Oyobi Yamatake: She frowns. "You can't make me try to keep up with the rules, y'know. I'm not going to put up with that garbage ever again." "But I can tone it down with the..." "Y'know, the stuff I'm going out of my way to do, if that helps." Saelhen du Fishercrown: "The wink-and-nudge, yeah. That would help." Oyobi Yamatake: She sighs. She seems a little put out by all this, but pretty quickly puts her happy face back on.

Meanwhile, Looseleaf and Orluthe seem to have lost track of Vayen. It doesn't take them long to find out where he went (well, after Looseleaf rolls a nat 1 on investigation and accidentally pisses off an old lady she mistook for Vayen). Turns out... he's hiding behind a statue of Ccorde, spying on Saelhen and Oyobi.

Looseleaf doesn't buy his crappy excuses, but also... she isn't altogether opposed to the concept of spying on "Lady Noeru de la Surplus", who really ought to have someone keeping an eye on her. So, she just hands him a medical kit- a kit she happens to have used her animist class feature Soul Link on, so she knows where it is at all times. (She's done the same to the bracer.)

Now, with the shopping done, it's time to hit the road! They have a couple options: go on foot, or requisition some giraffes.

(In this world, they domesticated giraffes instead of horses. Why? Because it's a fantasy world and why not?)

The city's main giraffe rental is run by the Ecumene of Understanding, based out of the Temple of Andra. You can rent giraffes for free, as long as you're willing to serve as a courier for the Ecumene- their convoluted legal system requires them to send mail between cities frequently, and they've only got so many clerics on hand. So, anyone wanting to travel the roads can receive a delivery quest from the Ecumene, and rent mounts for free in exchange!

They meet with the Bishop of Understanding of Oyashio, Sarat Aerens.

Aerens has a simple request for them: in addition to visiting Thunderbrush's Temple of Andra with a mail delivery, they're to bring back a report from said temple on the whereabouts of the Siren's Arraignment, a ship that departed from Oyashio and never arrived at its next destination, Snowhold. There's suspicion that the Siren's Arraignment never departed from its supposed origin of Thunderbrush to begin with, either- so the Ecumene put some clerics on the job to investigate, and the party's job is just to relay their message.

With that, they're given giraffe passes, and directed down to the stables, where they find the stablehand, Updraft, having some difficulties.

Benedict I. (GM):There's no one at the pickup window, but there's a sparrow aarakocra just behind, trying to get a giraffe several times her height to get up and out of the damn water trough. Updraft: "...not a bath, ye stubborn git!" "Ye drink from that, lackbrains!" "Y'really want t'be tastin' yer arse?" Looseleaf: OH I CAN HELP WITH THIS FINALLY, A PLACE WHERE I CAN APPLY MY ADVANTAGE ON ANIMAL HANDLING

Looseleaf uses her Soul Read ability to tune in to the giraffe's feelings and recent history, and discovers that someone fed it a hot pepper and it's in, um, anal distress.

Orluthe volunteers to do some healing to the giraffe, with his Lay On Hands ability. Is... that a cleric thing? Do clerics do that? Probably. In this world, clerics perform magic by inviting their god directly into their mind to borrow their brainpower and work miracles directly, and it sure looks like he does that when he does his healing. He channels a god, for sure!

Benedict I. (GM): As he touches the giraffe, you see his body begin to glow, and his facial features are overlaid with another face. "...A giraffe?" "A waste, I suppose, but... perhaps it'll win us some favor." The voice he speaks in sounds more feminine, somehow.

Some religion checks reveal that this doesn't seem quite right for a cleric of Diamode, the goddess of Family. But hey, healing's healing, right?

With that, they're able to get their giraffes no problem- and next time, they'll be on the road to Thunderbrush!

[rachelbethhines]

Tangled Salt Marathon - The Way of the Willow

Now here’s a controversial episode from season one. Let’s delve into the discourse, shall we. 

Summary:  It's Queen Arianna's birthday, and she receives an unexpected guest: her estranged sister, Willow. Willow and Rapunzel quickly bond, sharing a lot of the same personality traits (most notably them never wearing shoes), and Arianna feels a bit left out. To add to her aggravation, Willow has given her a pet with an annoying rattle. Eventually, Arianna explodes at her sister, letting her know her irritation with her and throws away the rattle. The pet starts to multiply and rampage over the countryside. Meanwhile, Lance and Eugene  take the King camping. 

More Filler, More Poor Pacing, More Fatigue 

This is yet another episode that was moved around. Noticing a pattern yet? It doesn’t effect the plot much, but it kills the pacing dead. By the time you get to this episode you’re just tired and bored and ready for the show to just get on with things. 

Let's Talk About Representation 

So we have here a show that is marketed towards pre-teen little girls run by two middle aged white guys and written primarily by men. The creators have claimed that female relationships are the focus of the show, but only to give us one female friend for our main hero, no other friendships with women in them, just two sister relationships, and only one mother that is even alive. 

Furthermore they go on to break up that single female friendship, refuse to give any focus to the only mother in the show, and then wrap the plot around the dead abusive mom instead, making her unnecessarily even more horrible than she was in the OG film. (just to make the equally abusive father in the show look better)

Meanwhile we get four father figures, all of whom are just some variant on the ‘overprotective estranged dad’ trope. Even though at least two of them could have been easily written to be mothers instead and it’d not change the plot one bit.   

When women talk about about poor representation in media, it’s things like this we are often complaining about. That’s not to say that men can’t write women.  Miyazaki, of Studio Ghibli fame, has made a lifelong career out writing movies for and starring women. Nor is this a claim that the TTS crew are misogynist. You can be well intentioned and still screw up. As is most often the case in films. 

But nevertheless, if you are writing for a demographic that you are not a part of then you need to either include those voices in the development of your story or reach out and consult people within that demographic. And no, you’re wife/niece/daughter/mother does not count here. You need to go beyond your personal social circle, as people who either don’t know you or have worked in the industry can be more open about what is needed in the writing process.  

Sadly there are rumors, (and please keep in mind this is only rumor, and we’ll never know the actual truth due to the fact that production artists are under contract and can’t share things without fearing for their livelihoods) but there are stories of the head showrunner shutting down the opinions of the female storyboard artists who warned him of some these creative decisions. 

Moreover said creator responded to criticisms of how his female characters were written by claiming he ‘knew strong women in his life’ as if that actually had anything to do with his writing skills. It’s a poor response and smacks of ‘Well I can’t be misogynistic, I love women. See, I married one’. Dear, male creators, please don't ever do this. It makes you look bad. 

So Where are Arianna and Willow From, Again?

The show keeps dropping hints that they’re from Corona itself and are born princesses, but that makes little sense. Because if Arianna was the rightful heir she’d have far more political power then she actually does in the show. If we’re to buy the idea that only Rapunzel will be in charge, and not her and Eugene, or even just Eugene. Then we have to accept that it’s because she’s the rightful heir by birth. If so, then Frederic must also be the blood heir or otherwise he wouldn’t be able to do all the things he does in the show. 

TTS is so determine to not have any real world markers in the show and keeping things a ‘fantasy’ that it winds up swinging too far in the opposite direction. To the point that it undermines its own worldbuilding.     

The Conflict Between Willow and Arianna is Good, but Unnecessary 

I’ve seen some debate over ‘who is right’ here, along with tons of unwarranted shade thrown at Willow, but the truth is, it doesn’t matter. Neither side is right or wrong, and for once the conflict in TTS is real, complex, not easily solvable with a ten minute conversation, and is presented evenly so that you know where each side is coming from. But in the end, it doesn’t add anything to the series. 

Willow is never seen outside of this episode. This is the only story that gives Arianna any kind of focus. Rapunzel learns nothing useful from witnessing their squabbles and it’s all build up to a be bad parable/parallel in the series finale. 

It’s a waste. A waste of conflict. A waste of character. A waste of time. 

Had Arianna been treated as an important character to the narrative, like she should have been, then maybe the episode would have fared better. 

Arianna is Reduced to a Pointless Parallel

We talked about it before but this might be the most grievous example of Tangled’s useless parallels.

Willow and Arianna are meant to be ‘foreshadowing’ (and I use that term loosely) for Rapunzel and Cassandra’s conflict in the finale season. Let me count the ways of how bad this actually is..

For starters Willows and Arianna’s conflit isn’t actually the same as Raps and Cass. There’s some overlap, but ultimately theirs is actually deeper and more complex than the Raps vs Cass stuff. It’s also only between them and does not involve ruining the lives of other people. So it’s a weak comparison to begin with.

Cassandra isn’t even here to make the parallel complete. She barely interacts with Arianna and has never met Willow on screen.

Rapunzel learns the wrong lessons from this. She gets encouragement from her aunt to go traveling and a pep talk from her mom during the show’s finale, but she doesn’t actually apply any of the actual context of the arguments being made to her own life. Making the parallel shallow.

Reducing a character from the original film, one that you did not create and who has reasons to be have more plot importance then they are given, to a mere ‘parallel’ for your favorite OC is just bad fanfiction. This is something that I would expect from a seven year old setting out to write their first ever story. Not from grown adults, who are supposedly professionals, who've worked for years in the industry and are employed by the largest entertainment studio in the world.

Now before you jump down my throat, there’s nothing wrong with fanfiction itself, nor with children exploring their favorite stories in ways they find personally fulfilling. But I happen to hold mass produced media to a different, and ultimately higher standard. As well should we all. A television show made by the mouse has more real world impact than a little girl posting on Ao3.

Critiquing stuff like female representation, the behind the scenes hiring processes that leads to either good or bad rep, and the impression these stories can have on people still developing their worldviews is important. Questioning things are needed in order to make change happen. If you never acknowledge how giving a show targeted to women to a male showrunner can cause problems then you’re never going to push the big companies for more female lead shows. Which means more women are left without work.    

This is Subjective but...

I don’t like the Uumlaut being used as the main conflict. Look, if you like the Gremlins references, good for you, but I was promised sword fights and adventure according to the pilot and all I got was a parody of a 80s horror comedy that decided to skip out on the ‘horror’ part. The Uumlaut isn’t threatening enough to be interesting and the lack of real threats and challenges in this show is really starting to weigh things down. Plus it just distracts from the far more interesting human drama going on with Willow and Arianna. 

Like if you don't want action to be the focus of every episode, that’s fine, but commit to that. Don't just half-ass it because you feel the need to shoehorn in an action sequence where it isn’t needed.    

Conclusion

I like Willow as a character, but not this episode. They needed to do more with her to justify her existence, and they needed to do more with Arianna while at it. Sadly, you won't really miss out on much if you decided to skip this episode and that’s a shame. 

Also... 

I’ll forever headcanon that Willow is the wife that Stan mentioned back in Rapunzel’s Enemy and that she’s his and Pete’s beard. You can’t change my mind. Poly relationships for the win! 

[fiftytwotwenty]

Movie Monday - Dec 21st, 2020

"My Favorite of Movie of All Time"

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989):

With Zero Hesitation - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is My Number One Movie of All Time.

I absolutely devoured this film when I was younger. I watched it so much I wore out our VHS tape and my Mom had to buy me another copy. Also the only film that I purchased on all three major media platforms (VHS, DVD, and Blu Ray -- I still kick my self that I never picked up a copy on LaserDisc). I still watch it at least once a year and you can count on a big smile being plastered on my face.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade has everything.

Action, Adventure, Comedy, and a Perfect Closure to a Beautiful Triology - Yes, I am one of those people that pretends the Indiana Jones Franchise ended 1989 - BUT - I am still excited (but also evenly sceptical) for the 5th installment of the Indiana Jones franchise reportedly/ supposedly/possibly coming out in 2022.

So why the Third Indy Film? Why not Raiders of the Lost Ark? Or Temple of Doom?

Well, I absolutely love Raiders and Temple of Doom as well, but I feel The Last Crusade does everything great from the first two films and gives fans so much more.

I honestly believe The Last Crusade can be seen as a stand alone Film/Adventure - No precursor knowledge needed for the uninitiated, but at the same time it beautifully expands the world of Henry "Indiana" Jones Jr. - I give Kudos to George Lucas, Steven Speilberg, and Jeffery Boam for crafting a well rounded story.

We see a Young Indy, We Meet his Father, We Discover the Origins of his Fashion, Biggest Fear/Phobia and his Nickname - Hell, they even write Harrison Ford's iconic chin scar into the story, so, so, much more...

Let's break it down further.

An unwritten rule for a Triology is you have to make callbacks to the First Installment - this seems completely arbitrary but at times it can be a fun and whimsical homage for the fans, but if done incorrectly it can come off as laziness - looking at you, The Hangover Triology.

What callbacks do we have this Indy-go-around?

Well, as I said earlier we discover the Origins of Indy's quirks but most importantly is we bring back Indiana's friends Marcus Brody and Sallah (both characters getting considerably larger parts in the film with more sprigs of comical relief) and the film revisits the Villainous Nazis.

There is no bigger Villian I want to see conquered more than a Nazi - and seeing Indiana Jones teaming up with his Father and Friends and the lot of them outwits those uncultured swines - *muah*

We also gotta talk about Henry Jones Sr played by Sean Connery - Oh Man! - I love the Connery's Bond, but in My Honest Opinion Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is Sean Connery's Best Role/Film - Yes, I said it! - Better than Goldfinger, The Untouchables, The Rock - The absolute best.

Talking about how the Triology gave fans more - Sean Connery definitely gave his fans more during his portrayal of Henry Jones Sr going beyond the suave, womanizing, stone cold killer persona - Henry Jones Sr is smart, well educated, sophisticated, cunning, sweet, stern, funny, aloof, and sincere father all rolled up into one character.

A Truly Lovebale presented Character from an Amazing Actor.

It's just a bit odd knowing/thinking in my next viewings there will probably be some added tears with Sean Connery's appearance.

Rest in Peace Sir Connery.

We talked about Indiana's Dad and briefly on Marcus and Sallah... What about Indy's Onscreen Love Interest?

I won't go into much detail - spoilers - but I also enjoyed the path of Supporting Female Love Interest, Alison Doody as Elsa - she was strong and adventurous as Marion (Karen Allen - Radiers) and just as Beautiful if not more than Willie (Kate Capshaw - Temple of Doom), but I love the added dark side.

Also noteable - Elsa and Indiana's onscrern kiss has to be at least Top 10 of All Time.

And The Ending - again I won't go into any detail due to spoilers - but Oofta - Spielberg just tied the whole franchise up in a bow.

I can't say enough for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

This was my childhood "Superhero" Movie - My Brother had Superman and I had Indiana Jones.

My Brother would tie his blanket around his neck and jump from couch to couch pretending he could fly just like Superman while I would borrow my Mom's purse and do last second dives, slides, and rolls under a closing garage door - bonus points if my baseball cap came off during the stunt and I had reach back and snatch it just before the door closed on my cap and hand.

The movie will always hold a special place in my heart.

If you haven't seen it - well in my opinion you've been living under a rock...

If you haven't do yourself a major favor and watch it.

Truly One of the Best Films of All Time.

So Great...

That's right, a Preservation Museum of the Film and Arts.

[dragaoel]

 Jun'ichirō, aka Jun (- Silverdell)

the volume of the radio slowly dwindles down and only static noise is left to be heard

"those are dangerous words"

"not for him " Anja replies, her head laying on her outstretched arm that's on the table , her whole posture the embodiment of laziness. "loved ones always have it easier here"

"Not always" Jun says grimly and glances out of the window" it's because he's an outsider that he's allowed more freedom than any of us"

"aren't you a loved one too?"

Jun sighs deeply and turns towards the albino girl. For a second ,pain , frustration and a hint of panic can be seen in his eyes before it vanishes. He lets out a bitter laugh.

"and you saw where that lead me to,half dead in a ditch"

INTRODUCTION JUN : 

half japanese half black

has waist long black thick hair and brown skin 

has a ‘’prince in anguish’’ aura but masks it with him being over the top ridiculous and dramatic

is 5′11

born 12th october (libra)

‘‘the risk i took was calculated, but man, am i bad at math’‘

Jun is my favourite character, i made him on a whim as a side character in a old story and then i started using him more and more as a background character until i realized the potential he had. He's also one of the character whom i put into a lot of  different aus, the most favourite one was where he was a vampire who loved laying in the garden and eat roses all day

Rukiya (-Though the god’s have left)

‘‘i have dreams about them’‘ Rukiya says and plucks a string on her bass. The deep note rumbles through the room and her short curls moves along as she drops her head lower 

‘‘i'm high in the sky, looking down onto a land that seems oh so familiar, with people screaming at me asking me to help them’‘

‘’do you understand them? ‘’ a band member asks

‘‘weirdly i do’‘ Rukiya answers ‘‘ it seems to be in my native language but also not, as if it was way before everything happened, you know, the ancient time’‘ 

INTRODUCTION RUKIYA :

Out of the both of them Rukiya is the older twin by 4 minutes

she’s also the artsy one than her sister whos into sports

wears black literally 24/7 and has dark circles despite sleeping enough

is 5′9

is black (kenyan) 

mole on the left side of her cheek

fluent in her native tongue kiswahili 

Majors in Film

loves anything that has to do with space nd aliens

born 24th january (aquarius)

has a sweet tooth

*cocks gun* ‘’basements haunted’’

i like the idea of twins that are completely the opposite of each other. Rukiya just like Imara have a big chunk of my personality in them, it's just that i lean more towards Rukiya than Imara. 

Akiho (-Though the god’s have left)

Kneeling down, she cocks her head to the side, her eyes cold and her lips pressed into a thin line ‘’ dont think your actions won't have consequences’’ she sneers ‘’ the next time i see you harassing another girl again i'll make you wish you were never born’’ 

Akiho dusts herself , picks up the bat , glances one last time at the boy laying on the floor and walks away, the echoes of her shoes the only noise to be heard

INTRODUCTION AKIHO :

is 5′4

majors in theater

her fashion style is y2k

is the other one of the dumbass duo

has freckles on her nose

is japanese

doesn't like sweet things usually eats traditional sweets made by her mom or things that are sour/bitter, but salty food has to be spicy asf

born, 14th april (aries)

her side teeth are really pointy

has long peach colored straight hair

‘‘I’d sell you to satan for one corn chip’‘

Akiho comes from a family of 3, she's the youngest sibling and she has that energy. She likes to play with her oldest brother children, doesn't want any on her own though. will fight anyone who is disrespectful, esp towards women 

Hyunjin (-Though the god’s have left)

The tall girl slumps her body onto her girlfriend shoulder, watching her fry the fish in the pan into charcoal. Hyunjin wrinkles her nose in a attempt to push the glasses up without having to actually touch them, before she sighs deeply. 

‘‘Just-’‘ she starts and softly takes ‘‘let me do it, otherwise you'll burn the kitchen down like last time’‘

Praveena puffs her cheeks up ‘’that actually wasn't my fault, it was the gasherd-’’

‘‘i know i know’‘ Hyunjin chuckles and kisses her cheek ‘‘but i have a exam tomorrow and i would like not not have an indigestion’‘ she frowns and flips the fish over and sighs. It seems the fish can’t be saved anymore. 

INTRODUCTION HYUNJIN :

korean

has short dyed blue hair, but the back part is longer than the front part.

is ‘5′10

majors in engineering technology

born 14th may (taurus)

has literally no sense of style and wears glasses cause she has a slight astigmatism that you can't really see

has a mole next to her right eye

‘‘a financially unstable mess but at the liquor store they call me ma’am’‘

honestly out of all the characters i draw hyunjin the most. In the beginning  she  had shoulder length but then i shortened it because i liked it more. She's an only child and her mother runs a bakery while her father works in a office. She's the calm type that's constantly tired because she never sleeps 

Praveena  (-Though the god’s have left)

She shuffles the cards and lays them out on the table. The customers sees the fool, the moon and the star. Praveena touches them with her fingertips ‘’ you seem to be either at the beginning or at the end of a new journey ’’ she pauses and thinks ‘’but either way you're prepared for what is to come’’

The customers nods ‘’i'm soon moving away from this city’’

‘‘I see’‘ Praveena counters and points at the next card ‘‘the moon indicates that you’re hesitant  and fearful in your decision, there might be something from the past that is holding you back and influencing you in the present and possibly the future

the customer tenses up, her eyes fixed on the card and her lips tight

‘‘though’‘ Praveena continues ‘‘at the end you’ll be at peace and glad that you pushed through all the turbulences 

INTRODUCTION PRAVEENA : 

tamil ,dark skin with long wavy violet dyed hair

Hyunjin’s girlfriend

has calm energy but is also very erratic 

loves astrology & tarot

majors in psychology

5′5

born 20 july (cancer)

has droopy eyes

‘‘god cant help you now’‘

i made praveena cause i wanted a harmonious wlw couple, that have that ‘’old married pair’’ plus out of all the ocs those two are the ones that i drew first. Praveena has the tendency to blow things up how though is a mystery and hyunjin always has to clean up everything. 

Imara (-Though the god’s have left)

‘‘no listen, it doesn't make sense why would you wear a bra and some tight ass pants knowing you’re about to fight people who have knives and GUNS?’’ Imara asks perturbed.

‘‘Cause men are horny’‘ Rukiya retorts and raises an eyebrow

‘‘still doesn't make sense like wow!, some fucking boobs, like really? really? is that what gets you going? just some breast pressed up in a bra that is too damn tight and a flat stomach on a skinny ass girl that has absolute no muscles despite the training she went through?

Rukiya sighs ‘’ is this about-’’

‘‘lara croft yes’‘ Imara interrupts and slams her finger on the table ‘‘and im going to die on this hill that men shouldn't be allowed to create games!’‘

INTRODUCTION  IMARA:

plays games a lot, esp the loz series

has curly dyed blonde hair that's mostly tied in a ponytail  or a bun because she cant be bothered with it, though rukiya helps her all the time cause she never really learned how to deal with curly hair. 

Is on a baseball sponsorship because she's that good (she's a pitcher)

is totally tone deaf unlike her twin

isnt good with crows ie: strangers crowding around her after her team won a game

is kenyan

5′9

has a mole next to her upper lips on the left side

loves 90's rnb & hip hop music

‘‘he proclaimed his undying love and asked me to do the same, i had to overcome my desire to laugh’‘

Imara does have a slight complex about being a twin because she feels like Rukiya is the cooler one despite people loving her too. She's loud and boisterous basically a chad, but better. She's dorky and literally spends her free time gaming but she doesn't just play any game shes v specific when it comes to that. Her mom always has a headache because of her but thats okay but in the end her mom loves her to death.

Ava (-Though the god’s have left)

‘’do you you know how much it's sucks that at the end of all of this , i'm the one waiting for them?’’ Ava exclaims ‘’that i'm the one who will have to watch them go through the door to be evaluated? that i'm ultimately the end?

‘‘you’re not all alone-’‘

‘‘you don't understand’’ Ava interrupts, as she points at the short girl ‘’ i will have to watch my mom, my family that raised me go through that door and know that that will be the last time i will see them in that body!’’

INTRODUCTION  AVA:

She’s haitian 

keeps her hair in a short chin length dark blue bob

majors in sociology 

she and akiho are the ‘’comedy duo’’ of the group

is 5′6

born 4th november (scorpio)

‘‘my only crime was that i was down to clown’‘ 

When i make akiho i felt like she needed a companion so i made ava, both of them were inspired by the early 2000 shows characters. Although Ava likes to goof around she's also very studious and serious about her future. She comes from a family of 6 and she’s the second oldest. She and her older sister fight constantly 

Nïrnaya (Dawn over the horizon)

‘‘Magic’‘ the elf stars, her tall stature hunched over the herbs ‘’ is in the nature we’re surrounded in, in the mountains that stand high and the rivers that flow into the deep sea’’

she straightens up and walks over to Nïrnaya ‘’ we might lose everything.’’ She pokes the girl on the forehead ‘’but magic will forever stay with you because its the core of your being‘’ 

INTRODUCTION NÏRNAYA :

shes a mischievous 15 year old 

 has black curly long hair that are mostly braided

does not want to do this whole adventure thing because of how it reminds her too much of the ‘’chosen one trope’’ and thats too much responsibilities

born during the year of the earth dragon

‘‘snacking between meals is the least, but tastiest, of my problems’‘ 

i came up with this story and character because i wanted a book where a black girl for once was the main character, where she could experience the same thing as other mc (ie eragon etc) basically i wanted black representation in a medieval-esque world but with my own spin because the world itself is not very western like

[the-firebird69]

So I took photos cue and I walked down the street one day in Florida and there are several excited me and they're taking pictures and I was growling at the people taking pictures and they ran in fear and some people spot me from far away instead of screeching really loudly screeching at people run run it was a much more strange reaction cuz people thought that it was some sort of demented crocodiles that was Raijus walk. But when I walked down the street with my cracking people are screaming for miles there was showing each other what it was and sending it to people and their people who are 4 miles away finally a screaming inside the house I don't even near there people who are seeing it with telescopes or screaming but they're screaming I don't know just it is the most nasty looking monster you've ever seen you look at it and it's like trespassers they do the same thing with him just a massive vulgar-looking monster life is not as bad the Thor and I have had it with these people. You want to be vulgar and gross and nasty I'll show you a vulgar and gross and nasty that you won't believe. And believe me Raiju is a very strange monster to see walk by you it does look like a crock of Gator so your action is is that a crocker a gator walking upright. But the initial reaction to the Kraken is we going to run like hell and we get to get out of here hahaha he's showing me King of Queens father elderly man telling Doug Pepperdine we have to get out of here we've got to run and hepadine says I know Dad I know so they go out the back way come back out the front. The Kerry go screaming out the front door right past him they told him to wait up

But no it makes people feel weird it makes them think of comedy and things is a horrendous monster it looks like an alien it looks like bug like it looks like octopus like a lot of people are terrified of octopuses and afraid of bugs terrified of bugs and terrified of aliens it's a matter of fact these xenomorph is a terrifying monster I'm still afraid of them cuz they're all black and their head is grotesque and their mouth is nasty but they're not very huge and the crack is usually bulky and built not like the skinny when they show and he is horrendously evil looking so I'm walking down the street and I had a two-legged version it looks like an outrider and he's got real huge arms but four of them and he's got smaller tentacles but they're there he walks like a Man and people are going to look at that guy or what some people started screaming like 12 feet tall and pretty built like you see in the image and a whole bunch of people ran like 300 yards away to start running away from me and everybody near me started screaming the top of their lungs so the screaming at me I'm just looking and screaming and not moving so I scream back they started running myself are you stupid to get out of my way see these people doing with me cuz you just move when you lazy your s***. So people ran and they clear the area I can hear all of them calling the police screaming into the phone get down here damn there's a damn guy yelling on the phone you have to understand and I can hear corky you don't get it I can hear Max you need to move and you need to move now and the woman I can't believe it it's horrific he is a true monster this kid was lying get your ass down here the cops were coming from everywhere I mean they were coming from all over different towns and everything started wailing on people and eating them they got about 20 ft tall I'm eating hole and then 40 ft and the cops committed so holy s*** so I grown on the legs and that was massive I mean I probably weighed about 50 to 80 tons which is two of those still trusses from the bridge job or three and it's very heavy they got bigger about 80 ft and a way to watch as much as a skyscraper at that short height to get very heavy real fast as you grow outwards they called in tanks and air support and I start getting real big but 120 ft and before you know these Giants come running down the road with huge cannons and I thought oh crap and they were like 800 ft tall and I'm only like 200 ft tall gross sucking big huge bug and they start to go I'm going to be sick one of them threw up they're pretty built they started firing and decided to just take off because I'm going to show I can cream and pretty easy and the whole town is like thank you thank you and they're eating regular food and cows and stuff this type of drive was for hired for protection and they paid them and stuff and the Giants saying wow that worked out pretty good you got the lucky but you have cannons you know. Did the Giants understood they know they're dangerous they said we might not do so well next time he comes back and he's angry well it's probably not real personal though and I don't think he really care too much she just didn't want to beat all the Giants in front of everyone is that laughing that makes sense an attitude was just like well I think I'll take off really then they can really move I mean they go real fast see what I feel slow and hit them with a few shots. The giant said it's true too I want to see what it would do it didn't do anything so turn around and looked and swam under and they were leaving already it was a huge huge thing for the whole city it was in Florida

Zues Hera

That's great Hera is reliving it and saying they're just screaming and sitting there friend Frendo. I can't do scarce people okay in areas that I used to see it Gators Crocs I guess I just got to go what is that weird thing hey buddy get down how much people do that down and out and it wouldn't fall insane like growling and then we've heard that before opens his face up in the second head comes out and then we've never seen that before she must be a mutation so they don't do much it's damn awful

India God and Goddess

[coreancitizen]

Yay, questions! OK, here goes:

LMH has taken a lot of online heat for his acting (in this project and others), what are your top three acting moments from him as Lee Gon in TKEM?

I'd only seen parts of one series of Lee Min Ho before "The King Eternal Monarch" so I wasn't quite sure what to expect, TBH. But he turned out to be an engaging actor who can handle comedy, action and drama with aplomb. I love his subtle work and there were quite a few of those moments in TKEM. But here are my top three:

In Episode 6, Jeong Tae Eul asks Lee Gon if he wasn't going to show her her ID card and reminds him she needs to leave soon. You can see this great sadness just come over Lee Gon at the idea of her leaving. He tries to joke about it, telling her he won't let her go, that she has to live there with him. In that last line, where Gon says "I can keep your here ... with just one command," Lee Min Ho does this pause in the middle of the line and his voice and demeanor very slightly changes -- from a teasing "order" to an almost anguished plea. But it is all done so subtly.

Still in Episode 6, Gon teases Tae Eul that the steak and rice in a hot pot is his signature dish and that everyone falls for it. He wants her to ask who he'd made it for in the past, to show some jealousy. But she just says whoever that person was, she can't beat them because they'd be from his world, unlike her. I remember tearing up watching this scene, watching Gon's face fall at Tae Eul's words. Again, Lee Min Ho does a heartfelt job conveying Lee Gon's loneliness, his attachment to Tae Eul, the history of the ID card and its link to his tragic past.

In Episode 12, when Lee Gon and Jeong Tae Eul reunite at the intersection after the street battle. There's a reason this scene ranks at the top or near the top of most fans' list of iconic moments. Emotions are high and Lee Min Ho fully captures Lee Gon's fear, desperation, worry and relief.

What do you think Lee Lim intended to do with the power he was seeking via the flute? Do you think he had any intent on conquering other worlds, or only the Kingdom’s?

A person like Lee Lim wouldn't be content with just a kingdom, so I believe stealing the throne of Corea would have only been the beginning. After all, this is the person who told his brother right before he killed him that he planned on becoming "the very being who gives punishment from the skies." Treasonous brother doesn't just want to be king, he wants to be a god.

Do you read the final scene between Kang Hyeon-Min (our Sin-Jae) and Luna in the repaired timeline as romantic?

Not quite, but I could definitely see it develop into one. For one, Kang Hyeon Min is not making the same mistake twice. When Koo Seo Gyeong (Luna's name in the fixed timeline) greets him as "hyung-nim," much like Jeong Tae Eul in the previous timeline, he immediately tells her not to call him that. Dude no longer wants to be brother-zoned, LOL! Plus Seo Gyeong got adorably pleased when he told her he was buying her a birthday gift (Also, major kudos to Kim Go Eun here for making Seo Gyeong distinct from Luna AND Jeong Tae Eul, as she did with her other versions).

Do you excuse Jo Yeong from preventing Tae-Eul from seeing Lee Gon following the poisoning?

I'd recently posted on Twitter about Jo Yeong and this specific incident saying I was so mad at the captain of the royal guards. I get that everybody with Jeong Tae Eul's face was suspicious after Gon's poisoning by Luna, but COME ON! Even Prime Minister Koo Seo Ryeong figured out an easy way to determine if her mother was replaced with a simple question and answer. But the palace's head of security couldn't come up with something like that? Yeong could have asked Tae Eul anything that only she would have known, such as what their first conversation was about, what the king was wearing when he brought her food. Now, I get that the writer wanted Gon and Tae Eul separated for maximum angst, but unfortunately the way it was written turned Yeong into an incompetent and unfeeling idiot.

What are some moments you feel undeniable chemistry on-screen between Tae-Eul and Lee Gon?

Based on reactions I see on social media, my definition of chemistry slightly differs from a lot of people. I judge actors' chemistry based on how well they play off against each other, how well they do with the back and forth (and I've been watching film and TV long enough to recognize lack of chemistry and even anti-chemistry, yes, that exists so I roll my eyes at those claiming LMH and KGE have no chemistry). So the first time I was really sold on the chemistry between Tae Eul and Lee Gon (or more accurately, Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun) was during the precinct scenes in episode 2. It was so much fun watching the way Tae Eul needled Gon and how he couldn't help himself from rising to the bait and the actors handled the bickering/bantering with ease (I'd love to see these two in a straight-up romcom). Basically any scene they share -- their chicken date at the waterfront, their nighttime bamboo forest walk, when they were gossiping over Eun Sup and Na Ri's mutual crushes at The Alley, when he took care of her at the hospital, etc.

But if we're gonna equate on-screen chemistry with swooning, almost passing out because I forgot to breathe, then here are a couple of my picks:

The first time Lee Gon takes Tae Eul to Corea and tells her his name, in episodes 4/5: They'd just come out of the obelisks on Maximus and the Royal Guards show up. Gon asks them to take 10 steps back as Tae Eul was still in shock. Gon then whispers close to her ear, "See? I was right, wasn't I?" Tae Eul turns her head, their faces mere inches apart. Gon says, "I'm the king of the kingdom of Corea, and my name, which you cannot say, is Lee Gon." I swoooooned.

And in episode 12, the whole sequence that includes the "beheading" kiss: From the moment Tae Eul sneaks a look at Gon while the young doc tattles on her about asking for alcohol to the gradual pullback of the camera as we see Gon sink into the bed with Tae Eul. BUT ESPECIALLY the beheading kiss, which starts off with bickering and then turns electric with that neck smooch (that was loud enough to hear!). And all those deep, soulful gazes before the actual kissing. That was delicious to watch!

Name your favorite third-tier character and explain why they are so.

OK, by third tier it's anybody not in the poster and the news conference, right? It'll have to be Head Court Lady Noh and Chief Park of the Violent Crimes Squad Three.

I love Lady Noh's character and backstory, the wonderful job she's done raising Lee Gon, her intellect and understanding of politics and social media, her relationships with Gon and Jeong and even the palace staff and royal guards.

And I also love Chief Park, with his little "solitude" sidestory. And how he pays attention even when he doesn't seem like he does (like when he provided Kang Shin Jae the plate number of the car tailing him). How he actually listens to his detectives, even when he complains (giving Tae Eul more time to investigate Lee Sang Do).

@coreancitizen​, you have asked for Asks to celebrate April 17th being the debut date of The King: Eternal Monarch

So, after awhile distracted by contemplating the hair in the photo below,

I’ve got some asks for you, and for anyone else who would like to take them on.

- LMH has taken a lot of online heat for his acting (in this project and others), what are your top three acting moments from him as Lee Gon in TKEM?

- What do you think Lee Lim intended to do with the power he was seeking via the flute? Do you think he had any intent on conquering other worlds, or only the Kingdom’s?

- Do you read the final scene between Kang Hyeon-Min (our Sin-Jae) and Luna in the repaired timeline as romantic?

- Do you excuse Jo Yeong from preventing Tae-Eul from seeing Lee Gon following the poisoning?

- What are some moments you feel undeniable chemistry on-screen between Tae-Eul and Lee Gon?

- Name your favorite third-tier character and explain why they are so.

Thanks! Here’s a tip for your trouble.