#it's great made. there's so much variety in it yet all songs have the same pmore vibe

[brltpop]

Lads, gents and others.... i get it. I understand the -very valid- resentment that paramore's self titled album holds, but i think you're taking it waaaay too far by saying it's the worst paramore album made so far.

[05sonicfan]

Probably not a hot take from me, but...

Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is one of the best family films of 2024.

SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

It's not a perfect adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2 by any means, but it cleans up a lot of the unessary stuff from the game.

Especially in regards to Maria and the ARK.

I LOVE that the Space Colony ARK doesn't exist in this movie. Because the movie knows it doesn't need it. All it needs to adapt is the research facility where Maria dies and the Eclipse Cannon.

Gerald Robotnik is an interesting character in the film for sure. He still has the same hatred he harbored for humanity in SA2, but with the added bonus of resentment for his grandson, Ivo because, in his own words...

"You're no Maria."

Gerald definitely is playing favorites, and I think it's abundantly clear why. He sees himself in Ivo, and it disgusts him. Whereas with Maria, he can only remember her innocence.

Speaking of Ivo, man, he's great. I mean, he's just all over the place in this film. He's good, he'd bad... and he sure as hell is funny. He and Stone are great, and I love how he finally admits his true thoughts about him during his sacrifice. Stone deserved to be validated for all the shit Ivo put him through over the years.

Now, I wanna move on to our meat and potatoes. Sonic and Shadow. They're phenomenal. Sonic is pretty much the same as he was in Sonic 2, with a little bit of added angst, which is due entirely to the film's themes about family, morality, and loss. Shadow is... jesus... he was amazing. He was everything I wanted him to be. Cool, dark, yet understanding. That being said, I wish they spent more time on Shadow dealing with the issue of what Maria wanted VS getting revenge on GUN with Gerald. I think extending Shadow's conversation with Gerald about their plan and Maria's wish would have done this perfectly and, in turn, better set up his switch to the good side so it's not as "oh yeah I guess we're doing this now."

"Live and Learn."

Okay, time for me to gush about Crush 40.

First of all, SEGA needs to pay Johnny G. what he's owed. Second...

HOLY FUCK

Live and Learn is everywhere in this thing. It's basically Shadow's theme for this film, playing in moments where he's either doing cool shit, or turning further to the light.

And when it played when Sonic and Shadow went Super on the fucking moon?! Oh my god, I would've screamed if it weren't for the fact I was in a public movie theater. You do NOT understand what this means for the next few films. We might actually get songs like "What I'm Made Of" or "His World" adapted for these movies if they keep doing well.

And I don't need a masters degree in Sonic-The-Hedgehogology to tell you how COOL that would be.

Speaking of Sonic, I wanna turn it back to talk about him and Tom. Dude. I love how Tom is immediately ready to join Sonic on his adventures. He loves this kid and wants to support him in any way he can, and I bet Sonic's so happy Tom wants to Hero with him.

"What did you do."

Tom's injury towards the end actually hurt me a bit. I didn't realize how much I cared about him until they played with the possibility of his death in this film. Also, I love what it meant to Sonic. We've seen in Sonic 2 that Sonic has some pent-up aggression for the echidna that killed Longclaw, that he never really properly expresses. The possibility of losing Tom, his best friend and father figure, the first person he connected with after years of isolation, it drives Sonic into a dark mindset. And. I. Love it.

This is what modern Sonic stories need. To give Sonic a wide variety of emotions, for him to act rashly if his closest friends and family are hurt, because it gives him more personality and shows us just how much he cares.

"What was his name...? Tom...?"

I loved everything about the scenes where Tom is hinted at being dead. I love how Shadow sees Sonic's reaction to Tom's potential death, and he has a small realization that he's become just like who he hated. I love watching Sonic panicking because he might be losing his best friend and father. I love how Maddie tries to keep a hold of herself for the sake of Team Sonic. I love the argument between Knuckles and Sonic about the use of the Master Emerald. I love the fight between Super Shadow and Super Sonic. I love how Shadow criticizes Sonic for letting his blind rage take over. I love how he wants Sonic to finish the job, and Sonic realizes what he's doing.

"The light shines, even though the star is gone..."

Sonic and Shadow's brief conversation on the moon is actually really sweet. They share a connection through their losses, and Sonic is able to guide Shadow to the light, by simply telling him to make the right choice. I think it's great because up until now, I think Shadow believed what he was doing WAS the right thing. But after seeing himself become like the GUN agents who ended up killing Maria... He starts to doubt himself. He goes to Gerald, who reassures him that what they're doing is justified, but Shadow doesn't believe that. Note how in that scene he asks if "this is what Maria would have wanted." Gerald responds by basically ignoring his question, saying that destroying earth is what deserves to happen to it. Gerald's own attitude led to his downfall. It's what caused Shadow to realize that he's on the wrong side of the fight by the time Sonic and him are on the moon, sulking.

"There are no winners with revenge."

I love this line from Sonic. It says so much about his past experiences from the last 2 films. He's seen revenge constantly ruin his life. So to be the one delivering it...? It goes against everything he's stood for, crosses a line he doesn't want to cross, and most importantly, sets him up for failure.

"Don't tell me you have a catchphrase.."

I like the comradery between Sonic and Shadow in the Super Hogs v GUN drones fight. They have a newfound understanding for each other that I think would have been able to make them better friends had it not been for Shadow's sacrifice, which will probably lead to the amnesia plot lines from Heroes and Shadow 05, which means it'll probably make Shadow a Sonic hater again. But then again, these movies keep surprising me, so who knows, maybe we won't go that route?

"What..? Who are you?"

Speaking of surprises.

FUCKING. METALIX.

And AMY MOTHERFUCKING ROSE.

Holy fuck. You all have no idea how hype this is. Unfortunately, I can say much in terms of predictions, but I think we'll be in for a treat come 2027.

[thesweetnessofspring]

Why do you hate epic? I've recently heard it and I don't like it also, especially when I googled his story. But why do you hate it?

First, no hate to the creator. Like, I heard he's a college kid doing a creative project and a lot of people like it which is great. And concept albums get tweaked. Maybe it's something he can salvage or rework in the future, but as it is, I just don't like Epic at all.

I'd listened to what was out about....six months ago maybe? And I wasn't particularly taken with it, but then back in like July I relistened to it and I just got so tired listening to it. I think a spin on that line from The Incredibles sums up that part of it well:

If all of the music is epic, none of it will be.

Even in big megamusicals like Les Mis, there's a variety of songs. You have the love songs, the reflective songs, the "party" songs, the exposition songs, and just a variety of tone and pace. In listening to what is now the most recent release, I got weary of listening to the same old video game music set to bad lyrics (we'll get to that). There's no variety, which makes the whole album flat. Halfway through I wanted to scream GIVE ME SOMETHING ELSE FOR THE LOVE OF ZEUS!!! I don't think the idea of video game music works for musicals. They're completely different mediums and the narrative structure of video games (at least as he's presented them) also leads to a static story. If I sit down and play a video game with different bosses, then it makes sense. I complete a level and then take a break/live my life until I come back and work on the next level. There doesn't feel to be any forward momentum in the story because it's just "boss" after "boss" with a highly intense video game music soundtrack. It's static, it's flat, it's tiring. I cannot imagine sitting through a stage show of this. I'd be leaving early after intermission.

It is painfully obvious this is a TikTok musical, because the music can be good in short spurts but as a 2.5 hour stage musical? I wouldn't be able to do it. I barely did it when I broke it up over a few car rides.

Also the lyrics are mostly just bad, particularly in the rhymes. Like I said, I've listened to it I guess 1.5 times as the first time I listened they didn't have as many songs out as there are now. So I can't quote any, but it wasn't just a couple times. There were whole songs where I was internally (as I was driving) rolling my eyes at the awkward, hokey rhymes.

And look, I haven't read The Odyssey since high school, so I'm not going to pretend to be a scholar. I have read Odysseus as a character in other retellings of Greek myths, though, and he's a much more dynamic and interesting character than the boring, predictable hero of Epic. I remember when first being exposed to The Odyssey, it was my first foray into more complicated dynamics of Greek mythology instead of the more digestable/cleaned-up versions I'd heard as a younger kid, and part of that was Odysseus. He made decisions I just couldn't understand at the time. A big thing for me as a 15-year-old kid was I was so mad at all of Odysseus's affairs. Now I know that in Greece that wasn't so much a big deal for men to sleep around and was expected. Yet (at least with Circe) he's noble and fighting her off and it gives the impression that Odysseus hasn't had any sex in like 12 years. I'm sorry, but WHAT??? Odysseus loves his wife and he's a slut. C'mon. Epic Odysseus is so predictable and boring I'm not drawn into the story at all for him, either. When I finally got to the more recent releases, I was thinking, "Oh, wow what a surprise. Before he didn't want to kill people and now he's fed up and will kill people so he can get home. Ohhhh noooooo what will ever happen in the next part of the musical?? Is it possible he will learn that vengeance is bad???" To be fair this part hasn't come out yet so maybe I'll be wrong but ugh, it's not looking good.

To balance things out, I do think the opening number is good and I like the one with the winds "keep your friends close/and your enemies closer" is an earworm, and because it changed up the usual "video game epic music" thing. And like, as a student project it is impressive. But it's not a student project anymore, it's a concept album. Idk if he's planning on staging it at some point, but if he does, it has a lot of work still to do.

Anyway vote Hadestown. ✌️

[abirdie]

Gael García Bernal Doesn’t Believe in Skincare

The actor talks about Mexican coffee, his rock collection and reuniting with his Y tu Mamá También co-star Diego Luna.

From the Wall Street Journal, Oct. 14, 2024 8:00 am ET

By Lane Florsheim

(source) When Gael García Bernal landed a role in Y tu Mamá También in his early 20s, he didn’t know his career was about to take off. It was a small-budget film, and Mexican cinema had yet to break through in the American box office. 

But the steamy 2001 movie, about best friends on a road trip through Mexico, was a hit. It became one of the highest-grossing Spanish-language films in the U.S. And it anointed García Bernal and his costar, Diego Luna, as leading men.

The two actors had known each other since infancy, growing up together in Mexico City. “Anything I say stays short of all the complexities of the love and the brotherhood we have for each other,” García Bernal, 45, said of Luna. Together, he said, “we learned that to make cinema, you have to misbehave a little bit, but be humble as well.”

García Bernal has gone on to star in a variety of Spanish and English projects, including The Motorcycle Diaries, Babel and the TV adaptation of Station Eleven. All the while, he and Luna have remained close collaborators. The actors run a production company together called La Corriente del Golfo. And this month, for the first time in over a decade, they’re reuniting onscreen. Their new show, La Máquina, features García Bernal as an aging boxer and Luna as his flashy, corrupt manager. 

Now available on Hulu, La Máquina is the streamer’s first original Spanish-language series. “It was about time,” García Bernal said. “We’re very happy that it’s happening like this.”

García Bernal lives in Buenos Aires and Mexico City. Here, he shares his most prized possessions, how he got into character for his latest role and advice from a Nobel laureate. 

What time do you get up on Mondays, and what’s the first thing you do after waking up?

Naturally, I wake up very early. My ancestors must have been people who worked the land. I hate when I wake up late. Sometimes I go straight to having a coffee or reading the newspaper or even, heroically, exercising. But that doesn’t happen so often because I always wake up very hungry.

What do you eat in the morning, and do you drink coffee?

Mainly fruits. In Mexico, there’s really good coffee. I do a pour-over. 

What do you do for exercise? 

I’ve been into boxing for a long time. I jump rope, go run, sometimes I hang from things. And I love playing football and baseball. 

What about skin care?

Nothing. I think it’s better actually. The washing-your-face industry has created a lot of problems for skin. I think it’s too much soap. 

How did you prepare to play the boxer Esteban in the new Hulu series? Did you model the character on any real life boxers or athletes? 

It was an amalgam of many boxers that I admire. We took a lot from all of them, but at the same time, there was something that came out, which is the boxer I have inside. It’s a bit like the clown in acting. We all have a boxer, we all have a clown. 

How would you describe your boxer?

What I found is that I’m really good at receiving punches. I think I read the ring really well. I’m able to figure out what’s going to happen, how to move around. The problem is that I run out of stamina very easily from hitting hard. Something happens after 10 punches. My punches start to become complete butter. 

Diego looks so different in this role, with his spray tan and a face that appears full of fillers. How did you keep a straight face while playing opposite him?

We had to try really hard not to laugh, but we managed. He made a big sacrifice as well. It takes a lot of time to do all of that, and it’s uncomfortable. 

There’s a great karaoke scene in the series. What’s your go-to karaoke song? 

I’m very promiscuous with my karaoke tastes. Most of the songs that I would end up singing in karaoke are older, like from the 1980s—the time of a man or a woman and a microphone. Nowadays it’s more complicated because a lot of songs have autotune.

Your characters from Y tu Mamá También, Julio and Tenoch, would be around 40 years old today. What do you think they’d be doing now?

I think maybe my character would be in government in Mexico right now. Diego’s character would be, I don’t know, a successful lawyer somewhere. I always wonder, where did they end up? Maybe because those are the characters that are closest to our upbringing as well, the closest we’ve ever been to playing ourselves. 

The movie captures so well the feeling of being young and having your entire life in front of you. How do you look back on it?

Our voices sound different. It’s actually very tender because we were very innocent. We didn’t feel like it when we were that age, but I hear us: We sound hopeful and interested and also brave and wanting to experience [life].

What’s your most prized possession? 

The notebooks I write in. The stones I gather. On every journey I make, I put stones in my bag. They weigh a lot, but I have a lot of stones. Certain photographs of my family. And there’s a football and some shoes that remind me of my childhood.

Do you have any hobbies that might surprise your fans? 

I do a lot of jumping rope, I can do a few tricks with that. I juggle. I play a lot of chess.

What’s one piece of advice you’ve gotten that’s guided you? 

José Saramago, who was a Nobel Prize winner of literature from Portugal, and I did a play together at a book fair in Guadalajara, where I’m from. I introduced him to my family. I’ve got a huge family. He was fascinated by my grandmother and the amount of kids she had and all the many, many, many people in my family. Before saying goodbye, he said, “You would be very stupid if you missed all this. You would be such an idiot if you have it and don’t experience it.” I grew up in a loving environment, and I was very lucky to be born into it. 

[galactic-glamour-girl-posts]

In celebration of Animaniacs' 30th Anniversary...

I'm gonna list some of my favourite segments/episodes from the franchise and explain why they're my favourites! The segments/episodes will be listed in order of their debut in their respective series.

I'll start with my favourite episodes from the original Animaniacs:

Taming of the Screwy

I see this episode as the turning point of Warners' and Scratchy's relationship. Before they'd drive him crazy and he'd want nothing to do with them, but because of his job he's forced to deal with them. This episode was the start of Scratchansniff realizing that the Warners' aren't all bad, which eventually leads to them to getting along a bit better later on. The Warners still mess with Scratchy a lot because, as they say in this episode, it's their way of showing affection, but he genuinely tries to tolerate them (key word being "try"), and they even help him a bit ("La La Law"), until eventually he starts acting somewhat like a guardian to them and he's even willingly choosing to hang out with them (like in "I'm Mad", "Fake", "The Party", etc).

This episode also puts the Warners' characters in a new perspective, being the first that tries to get the audience to genuinely sympathize with them. We knew about them being locked in the water tower, but that wasn't taken too seriously and (because of how "Newsreel of the Stars" presented their origin) you could argue the studio's treatment of the Warners was just a reaction to the Warners' antics. Here the Warners kept their end of the deal and were well behaved, yet were betrayed anyway. They had gone up against a "special friend" before this episode, but this episode was pretty much the first to firmly establish that the Warners are capable of behaving if treated fairly (although they'd rather mess about, not out of maliciousness, but because they just wanna have fun), but if not they're not afraid to fight back and wreak havoc.

A big reason why I like the Warners so much is that they seem like simple characters on the surface, but there is nuance to how they act, and this episode is a good example of that ("The Sound of Warners" also being a good example). It would've been easy to write the Warners as one-dimensional characters who all act the same, are completely incapable and/or unwilling to behave and do nothing but make anyone and everyone's lives worse for no reason, especially since it's a variety show, but they didn't and I appreciate that. I also think the way they're drawn in this episode is adorable! They don't look how they usually do when animated by TMS, but I still like it.

The Warners' 65th Anniversary Special

This episode gives a more detailed retelling of the Warners' origin story. This time it is presented as a "live" TV special, which is a unique premise for this show that helps this episode stand out. I like how "Newsreel of the Stars" tries to make the studio look as good and reasonable as possible, only for that to be flipped on its head in this episode which makes it clear that really the problem was that Memlo and Plotz were the unreasonable ones. The Warners' backstory itself expertly manages to be both comedic yet sad at the same time in a way that doesn't feel tonally inconsistent at all. I still find it hilarious that they took an actual Looney Tunes character and made them into a twist villain just because they were unpopular in real life (let it be known that Animaniacs did that joke before the 2002 Scooby Doo movie did). Combine all that with some fun cameos and beautiful TMS animation, and you've got one of the show's best episodes.

Episode 92

Yup-the whole episode. This episodes is a great summary of Animaniacs' strengths, because each segment is a perfect example of an aspect (or multiple) of Animaniacs that the show does expertly well. "It" has some of the best animation in the whole show, "Dot-The Macadamia Nut" is one of the best parody songs in the show, and "Bully for Skippy" provides some of the best meta humour, political satire, slapstick, and irreverent humour in the show. It's one of my favourite Slappy segments, and although I think the message isn't supposed to be taken seriously...I legitimately think it's a good moral? After seeing other shows/movies/etc (particularly since the 2010's) have their protagonists easily talk down and redeem multiple incredibly vile villains, or sometimes just outright let the villain get away for the sake of keeping them passive/non-violent, this episode's conclusion was incredibly satisfying.

Children's media will often tell kids to just ignore bullies or to constantly try to "get through to them" no matter what, because if they don't that makes them "just as bad" and I'm sorry but that's not something we should be teaching kids, and I'd argue they're not just bad but straight up dangerous messages. Ignoring bullies doesn't work most of the time, it just makes them try harder to get your attention, which often means acting more aggressive and malicious. I do think teaching kids to try and make peace with people non-violently is very important, but if the bully keeps harassing them, at some point you have to draw the line and stand up for yourself. Sometimes you have to yell. Sometimes you have to fight. It sucks but that's life...so anyway, back to Animaniacs. Duke seemingly does learn his lesson in the end, because he's seen helping Slappy, but only after getting his butt kicked, and it's not like him and Skippy are BFFs or anything.

I think this is one of the most well-balanced non-singular story episode of the show, quality wise that is. Most Animaniacs episodes with multiple segments have at least one that is mediocre or straight up bad in comparison to the other(s), but that's not the case here. They're all great.

Honourable Mentions: The Sound of Warners, La La Law, Meatballs or Consequences, A Christmas Plotz, Super Strong Warner Siblings, Morning Malaise, Season 3's Finale (Episode 82), Win Big, Puppet Rulers, Bubba Bo Bob Brain, Yes, Always, Bumbie's Mom, ...And Justice for Slappy, One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock, Critical Condition, Woodstock Slappy, When Rita Met Runt, Smitten With Kittens, Phranken-Runt

Best Songs: Yakko's World, Wakko's America, I'm Cute, Yakko's Universe, The Ballad of Magellan, Variety Speak, I'm Nobody's Mama, Let's Try for Two, Humans Ain't What They Seem to Be, A Quake! A Quake!, The Senses Song, There's Only One of You

Now on to Pinky and the Brain:

A Pinky and the Brain Christmas

Yeah, yeah. I'm just gonna get this one out of the way now. You love it, I love it, and we all know why...but I'll explain anyway!

For one, this is the only episode TMS animated for the spin off, and it looks gorgeous. The writing's as good as ever. I'd like to point out the Donner Party joke for being clever; but Bill Clinton being unable to open the window is the joke that gets me to chuckle when I think about it. Although let's be honest, people mostly like this episode because of the ending. I get it though, it's touching! It shows just how much Pinky loves Brain and how selfless he can be, dedicating what was supposed to be his Christmas list to Brain. Then the smashing, the keychain, the credits, blah blah blah we know how it goes.

I mean if you're reading this then chances are I don't need to convince you; it's the show's most well-known episode, and it's really good.

Welcome to the Jungle

This episodes flipped Pinky and Brain's dynamic on it's head. Brain was out of his element, meanwhile Pinky took charge. This is the main reason it's one of the most memorable episodes of the show, although another is that Snowball makes his grand return in this episode, and is even more antagonistic this time by trying to get Pinky and the Brain killed, whereas last time he was really only trying to one-up Brain. I find it interesting that Brain’s more sympathetic towards Snowball this time around, insisting that he needs help and attempting to save his life. Perhaps he always missed Snowball as a friend (and still cares about him deep down), perhaps being so out of his element softened him, maybe both? And when Brain defeated Snowball towards the end, after what he went through in the episode that genuinely felt triumphant and deserved.

This episode really shows off how Pinky and the Brain is distinct from Animaniacs. The Warners don't take serious situations seriously, they're always on top of things and are ultimately winners. Pinky and the Brain are kind of the inverse; mice wanting to take over the world is ridiculous, but they take it completely seriously, and fail every time. Though it is exactly that that allows the protagonists to be vulnerable and struggle more often, hence allowing the characters and their stories to often times be slightly less zany and a bit more sincere.

Star Warners

This episode was just fun, what more can I say? It was nice to see many of the Animaniacs characters again, especially the Warners and Slappy, but we even got to see the more obscure characters like Pip, Zalgar, the aliens from “Space-Probed”, Sid the Squid and Beanie the Braindead Bison. Some Looney Tunes characters and Freakazoid appear too. I also like a lot of the "castings": in particular Yakko as Han, Wakko as Luke and Dot as Leia are perfect choices.

There's more to this episode than cameos though, like the interactions between characters who pretty much never interact. Dot and Brain, Wakko and Mindy, etc. My absolute favourite aspect of this episode is that the Warners, Pinky, Brain and Slappy all got to star alongside each other throughout the episode! The Warners have interacted with Slappy a few times, they've also interacted with Pinky and the Brain too, as has Slappy (very briefly in "Spell-Bound"), but they've never all interacted as a group for an extended period of time. I haven't kept it a secret they're my favourite Animaniacs characters (and also have pretty much the only segments I truly care about aside from maybe also Rita and Runt), so to see them interact as a group was great!

Also, the final credits gag was “Nympholepsy - To have a desire for an unattainable idea”. That's a perfect Brain’s Word to end the show on, and this episode was a pretty good way to end the show. Sure, something with higher stakes that takes place in the main setting of PatB (as in an episode where Pinky and the Brain live in Acme Labs in the modern day) like the "Brainwashed" trilogy would've made for a good finale too, but honestly having the final episode of the show essentially be a crossover between it and its parent series is cute. In fact it's probably...eh screw it, it IS the best Animaniacs-related series finale there is.

Honourable Mentions: TV or not TV, Snowball, The Pink Candidate, Pinky and the Brain…and Larry, This Old Mouse, A Pinky and the Brain Halloween, You’ll Never Eat Food Pellets In This Town Again, The Family That Poits Together, Narfs Together

Best Songs: Brainstem, Cheese Roll Call, Just Say Narf!, A Meticulous Analysis of History

And now, because I haven't seen "Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain" and don't plan to, the Animaniacs reboot:

Fear and Laughter in Burbank

I love that the Warners' Halloween costumes were the Marx brothers, it's a cute reference to the fact that Yakko and Wakko were partially inspired by Groucho and Harpo respectfully. That and I really like segments where the Warners torment some evil supernatural being. The fact that these literal children can not only hold their own against but outright best beings like a soul-sucking clown, the Devil or even Death himself is both hilarious and admirable. They're not just pests, they're powerful pests.

It's pretty interesting that Yakko is the only one of the siblings who falls victim to Nickelwise, before being narrowly saved by Dot. His encounter with Nickelwise reveals a few things about him: that he hates being alone, fears losing his voice, and is at least a little insecure about his comedic skills whilst seeking validation via comedy. It also implies that despite the fact that he acts as the most mature, experienced and the de facto leader, he may be the most anxious and have the most self-worth issues of the three. This would make sense since he's the eldest, and therefore presumably has a lot more worries on his mind than Wakko and Dot. I do like this segment overall, but this moment is what made it one of my favourites. It provides depth to Yakko's character like never before, which I appreciate given that he's my favourite.

Rome Sweet Rome

This segment had a lot of good gags, solid satire, a fun song, and each Warner shows off their skillset pretty well: Yakko using his words and not his fists in a fight, Dot weaponizes cuteness to blindside an opponent, Wakko has an endless appetite and is really destructive. Titmouse animated this one so of course the animation was great. Pretty much everything I like about the Warners' segments is here and in top form. Not much more to say other than that, it's just...really good!

The Island of Dr. Warneau

Titmouse animated so once again there's great animation (Jurgen's lab was wonderfully creepy), and I really liked how the Warners were written in this one. I like that Yakko has a picture of Scratchy in his wallet (I'll take all the "Scratchansniff is their dad" crumbs that I can get), the clones are adorable, and of course the comedy was as good as ever ("You're living beings, not unpaid interns!" in particular got me).

Jürgen seems to be depiction of what an abusive family member might act like (although obviously exaggerated, since this show is a zany cartoon and all). In addition to forcing them to do whatever he wants whilst giving no love in return, Jürgen makes the clones call him "brother" to condition them into thinking he's family so they'll feel obligated to associate with him, has convinced them that he's their "protector" so they'll feel helpless without him (unfortunately that worked because Ratto straight up says they're helpless in his first line), and when the clones finally do stand up for themselves he tries to bribe Ditto towards the end by offering her a strawberry, whilst claiming she was always the "sensible one". The ending was very satisfying, with Ditto refusing to call Jürgen "brother" anymore and switching to using his first name (basically disowning him) and calling the Warners her real family. The six of them hug and just before things get a bit too cute-Jürgen gets eaten by a whale. The ending, like the whole segment really, is a perfect mix of both wholesomeness and dark humour.

This segment essentially emphasizes the importance of who the Warners are as characters. It explored the idea of what the Warners would be like if instead of being chaotic and rebellious, they were meek and well behaved, essentially the opposite of themselves, and it made for an interesting watch! It shows the importance of being assertive, and why being "perfectly behaved" and "obedient" isn't always a good thing. In hindsight, had Scratchansniff actually managed to successfully "de-zanitize" the Warners, it might've been the worst thing to have happened to them.

The Warners aren't perfectly behaved. They're snarky. They're chaotic. They're insane(-y). They're a lot of things, BUT when they see something wrong they don't stand aside, they fight back and make it right, just in a comedic way (they're like the embodiment of karma). Their backbone is one of their biggest redeeming qualities, and although people in-universe give them a hard time over their chaotic and irreverent nature, they'll always be better than the corrupt authority figures (like Jürgen, or many of their "special friends") they tend to take down.

Honourable Mentions: Suspended Animation Part 1, Ralph Cam, That's Not the Issue, Future Brain, Roadent Trip, Yakko Amakko, Christopher Columbusted, Reichenbrain Falls, 23 and WB, Planet Warner, Talladega Mice: The Ballad of Pinky Brainy, Fantasy, Teeniacs, Animaliens, Global Warnering, Slappy's Return

Best Songs: Suffragette Song, The Cutening, Be Like Me, A Zit!, I Am The Very Model of an Ancient Roman Emperor, Yakko's Big Idea (Yakko's Big Song), Magna Cartoon, Warner's Ark, D.I.WHY?, Here Comes the Sea!, Some of Humanity's Wins

.

.

.

Before Animaniacs, many syndicated cartoons (specifically ones from the 60's to the 80's) had either a) good writing but cheap animation or b) more expensive and impressive looking animation but were essentially over glorified toy commercials. Animaniacs had both witty, intelligent writing and downright beautiful animation (seriously, the segments animated by TMS are some of the best hand drawn animation I've ever seen in a TV show). This wasn't unheard of by the early 90's, but only a handful of other cartoons could claim the same at the time. It's higher budget compared to a lot of other contemporary cartoons also meant it could afford a 25-to-40-piece orchestra, and that (along with the extremely talented staff) allowed Animaniacs to have one of the best soundtracks from any cartoon ever. Not to mention it was one of the first TV shows to garner an interactive online audience. Animaniacs was one of the first examples of internet fandom culture. Think about that. That is huge.

The Warners, Pinky and the Brain and Slappy are unironically some of my favourite characters of all time. I love that that the Warners are chaotic, nigh-omnipotent beings who can do anything, but also non-conforming outcasts who look out for each other because no one else will, but also well-meaning rebels, but also cute silly little children all at the same time. And that's just what they have in common, that's not even getting into their individual personalities. To put it very briefly (because I literally already wrote an essay about Dot so if you've read that you know how long I can go on about them but this post is long enough already and I'm still not done) I admire Yakko's wit, Wakko's optimism, and Dot's confidence.

I love that Pinky and The Brain are complete opposites in every sense of the word yet still manage to have an unbreakable bond. I love Slappy's unapologetically violent but never too meanspirited sense of humour (even though she's only one in-universe I genuinely think she makes for a better female Looney Tunes character than most of the actual female Looney Tunes characters) and how despite how bitter and cranky she is, she never lets that get in the way of her bond with Skippy.

Both the original Animaniacs and the reboot are some of my favourite shows of all time. I love their sense of humour, I love the main characters, I love that they never hold back and go places/accomplish things that a lot of other kids shows wouldn't even dare to. Not only was Animaniacs heavily influenced by Looney Tunes but it (and a series of Looney Tunes television spin-offs) helped bring Looney Tunes back from a period of stagnation by popularising its sense of humour (particularly its type of snark, wordplay, slapstick and visual gags). I feel like not enough people talk about just how influential the original show was; not only did it have more pop culture references and social commentary than pretty much any children's cartoon had before it, it played a big part in popularising those two things as well as sharp satire, cynical irony, meta humour, self awareness, and just witty humour in general being in children's cartoons, if not TV as a whole.

And above all else...it was fun. It was a fun show that just wanted to make you laugh above all else. It knew what it wanted to do and was good at it, and sometimes that's all you need for success.

I love this franchise, and I can't wait to see what it does next.

[archivalofsins]

In a funnier turn of events after getting that Mikoto post out I am feeling more comfortable discussing his character. It was really bugging me that I was perceiving the fandom as an unsafe space to discuss plurality on a two alter system basis. It never seemed appropriate to gush about it given the things I'd been shown being said.

Yet, I was really happy with Double and the Neoplasm voice drama. Because it showed how diverse dissociative identity disorder can be with just two alters. Instead of just doing the same old hi I'm the totally good one and I'd never hurt a fly and I'm sin incarnate sometimes I just do bad shit for the lols you know.

The thing that most media does when discussing that presentation. I don't know how to really tackle my own feelings on it. It's like most my life I grew up seeing it represented as oh no, the evil one is out. As though the person had been possessed almost. So, it was very refreshing to see it be like, "Oh well, they're both just people. No one is as simple as just good or bad. They both have a variety of behavior."

It's something that should by now rightfully be expected when it comes to that sort of representation of it. Yet when it comes to two people always focus on the duality. The light and the dark the good and the evil. They try to separate all nice in neat like that without really focusing on the individuals. So, I was ultimately really pleased by Milgram. Though it could be because I'm more on the older side or just I gave up on looking for good representation and started avoiding anything thar covered it in middle school.

Honestly, I still avoid things that deal with it outside of Milgram. Simply out of habit of thinking, man, is it gonna be this shit again? How do I know it's not that shit again? Oh well, you gotta watch it, of course. I'm not doing that. I don't trust it. Yet with Double, there were just so many great things about it that really made me go.

Yeah, they get it. This is actually great. I couod harp on the lyrics all day.

Like favorite lines were,

1. That'd be good.

With the lyrics before it and how it's enunciated with so much longing paired with the visuals of him wiping the blood to look down into the other end of the train. It really fucking goes hard as a line. Really embodying the whole come on praise me for helping you I did good right I saved you right so hey where's my thank you it'd be good if you said it energy.

2. Doesn't matter if you didn't wish for it, can't get rid of me now. Just the two of us, relieved, aren't you? I'll protect you (us).

Just the enunciation the growl. It's just really good as if going oh you want to push me down well I'm not going anywhere.

3. "He's a liar," you said and made me out to be a scoundrel, why?

The fucking double meaning if this one line is just so got damn amazing. It's not only calling back to the ridiculous accusations lines in Double but discussing the audiences response to Mikoto. Calling him a liar claiming he was faking. But the second half is referring to the audiences reaction to John making him out to be a scoundrel immediately blaming the murders on him. Labeling him as the bad one without even a second thought. Only leaving him to ask why? Putting more meaning behind the line

4. Hey, I just wanted to save you, so why did it come to this? Cling to me hoist me up as your savior stand up and sing out your gratitude- So, why?

As though Mikoto is their asking why is your song like this you should be praising me. You should be grateful so why?

5. I don't remember a thing it couldn't be helped I'm Double (MeMe).

This line is super great because it's like John and Mikoto both claiming onus of their own songs. And John answering Mikoto's question about why his song is like this. Basically going it couldn't be helped I'm Double. Basically saying it was bound to turn out like this because I'm like this.

6. Why, why? If only I were never born, if only-

To me, this came off as John going. If only I had never been born at all, then neither of us would have existed, and this wouldn't have happened. Expanding on the idea that Es and Kotoko both bring up that his existence is the problem. Which most wouldn't immediately go they mean because of my disorder but go yeah fuck it you're right if I never even lived to begin with this wouldn't have happened. I wouldn't even be here for this to happen and then the apology after these lines as if apologizing for having been born at its sooo good.

It has no right to be sooooo good. So, yes despite the incredible detriment that this week has been to my mental health and my anxiety literally being on a fucking hundred. Double has been the best fucking thing to ever happen to me personally. And it's so fucking amazing.

I love it so much.

[brutal-nemesis]

Goretober X: Don't Be Vein

This one very short I've been super busy the past week and also I'm very tired last actual gore piece for @coyotehusk goretober tho so yee haw go me

←Previous - Castys Masterlist - Goretober Masterlist - Next→

Ingredients: body horror of the surreal variety, gore, fun with delicate lil blood vessels, emeto mention

Castys had absolutely zero idea what Kuro was doing. Not that he usually did, but he could at least guess most of the time. Now, she was just rooting around inside his arm, digging deep into the muscle as he bit down hard on the gag in his mouth and tried not to wiggle too much.

“There it is!” Castys could feel Kuro’s smile as she looked down at the gaping wound she’d been probing around in. “I finally found one of your larger blood vessels. I want to see if it’ll do the same thing your intestines do.” Castys raised an eyebrow. They probably would, but he wasn’t exactly eager to find out. Unfortunately, he was about to.

Kuro was gentle as she freed the vein from inside of his muscle, most likely trying not to break it and make him bleed to death before she was ready. It was a lot smaller than Castys expected, just sort of pink and stringy, like a…worm. Too soon. He had to think about something other than worms. His leg started hurting anyway, as if this leg could even remember pain that it never fucking felt in the first place since the one that did got chopped off. But his scars on his torso and face ached sometimes, too, and those were from so long ago that he doubted any of them had never been replaced. 

After a long time of careful cutting and pulling, a small number of his blood vessels were totally free of his muscle, laid out limply on his exposed bone. Castys’s view of them wasn’t great, but he was very much okay with that. Oh, and now he was going to get to die, so hopefully things wouldn’t be fucked up when he came back.

Things were fucked up. 

He looked down at his arm almost immediately after coming back to life, and the sight was…surreal, to say the least. The thin vessels laid on top of the skin of his inner forearm, sort of fused to it at the bottom, their ends leading back down into his flesh. They pulsated weirdly as his blood flowed through them, and the sight wasn’t something Castys wanted to get used to. 

“That was fun! I haven’t done delicate work like that in a while. Do you mind if I do that to your other limbs?” Kuro asked as she removed the gag, excitement in her voice.

“I do in fact mind, but I don’t think you care, so why are you asking?”

Kuro shrugged. “So you can feel like you have a little bit of control for a moment.”

“It’s not helping.”

“Aw, too bad,” she said as she tied the gag over his mouth again.

Back to disregarding his opinion, Kuro started on his other arm, and once that was done she moved on to his legs. The whole process took hours, intense pain and cold and dripping blood, and he was hardly aware of anything else by the time she was done. Once again, she made him look, and once again, it wasn’t something he wanted to see, all of the pink squiggles running up and down his arms and legs, pulsing along to his heartbeat. It sort of made him feel sick for some reason, so he did his best not to puke into the gag.

He didn’t know how much more of this he could take, and that scared him.

Next→

Castys Cult: @as-a-matter-of-whump​ @blackrosesandwhump​ @fanmanga1357-blog​​ @thehopelessopus​ @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi​ @hearse-song​ @muddy-swamp-bitch @whumpasaurus101 @yet-another-heathen​​ @galaxywhump​ @starnight-whump​ @his-unspoken-words​ @misspelledwitch​ @suspicious-whumping-egg​ @pumpkin-spice-whump​ @painsandconfusion​ @i-can-even-burn-salad​​ @befuddled-calico-whump​ @whumpinggrounds​ @whump-queen​ @whumpedydump

[zonerobotnik]

There is so much content of Varian with other roles of Jeremy Jordan.

Death Note:

Here.

Here.

Here.

Bonnie and Clyde:

Here.

Here.

Heathers:

Here.

Here.

Here.

Here.

Newsies:

Here.

Here.

Here.

Here.

Here.

Death Note -

First link: This is actually on my "watch it every time it pops up in front of me" mental list. Varian inciting a mob against the Royal Family is such an underrated concept.

Second link: Uh, this is just the same video as the first. Did you intend to put something else here?

Third link: Ohhh, nice and fluid animation!

Why are these all the same song, though? He has so many amazing songs in that musical. Are you gonna tell me that no one has done Varian and Rapunzel with the songs of Light and L? I know there's a bunch with Hugo, because people voice-claim him, but Come. On! If not Rapunzel, maybe Eugene? Someone on the side of the King to counter him? I would LOVE to see an animatic of Varian and Eugene with "Playing His Game" that takes place during Varian's villain arc.

Or, geez, let's do Moon Varian with "Hurricane"! That's literally on my playlist for "Indentured"!

Or, or, this is always an amazing video: Link

Seriously, give me some variety! Let's hope the next section has more.

Bonnie and Clyde -

First video: Soap is always so great at drawing evil smiles. XD Did you see the Piece of Cake movie she made? It's so cute! It's on YouTube, let me get you a Link. And the Genshin Impact comic she's working on on IG is so great, her art has really come a long way!

Oh, about the video, it's always fun seeing him take advantage of the Corona Guard's stupidity and failure to search him for alchemy to break out. Like, guys, did you really let him keep the apron in prison? Without searching it? DUMB! XDD

Second link: Oh, this is a picture! Yeah, that's always fun to see.

Heathers:

First Link: Uh…I can't tell if Raps faked it or not. I'm going to assume the hair around her neck is not as tight as it looks.

Second Link: Oh, I did this with Mabel and Gideon before! He was holding the Memory Gun and dressed in the Society of Blind Eye's robes! Oh, and cute art.

Third Link: Looks cute.

Fourth Link: Varian looks great in both outfits.

You know, I was kind of hoping to hear some audio of this infamous Jeremy as JD stuff, but I guess there's no videos here. I'll have to go find it on my own, I guess, without Varian being involved. Next section!

Newsies:

Note: I have not seen this show yet. I should do that, it's on Disney+.

First Link: Cute art, but I don't understand the context.

Second Link: Eugene is so supportive of his bro. XD And Cass is Cass, as usual.

Third Link: That little tip of the hat as he leaves is so cute.

Fourth Link: Cute art.

Fifth Link: Neat art!

Okay, so no videos this time, but I got something from Newsies! Also, it features Nuru actually being a sassy teenager and that's adorable. Link

[liquidisedfrogs]

EUROVISION ABSOLUTE FUCKING BRAIN DUMP

Tonight, the night where... some... of Europe comes together and sings in an ..... something way, is the night I am willing to barf my brain out onto a page and commentate on the entire thing start to finish. THIS IS JUST MY OPINION!! Strap in motherfuckers....

We started the evening with the performance of last year's winner Ukraine (MWAH) starring Kate Middleton for some reason and Sam Ryder stood on top of some building in Liverpool. I had totally forgotten how earwormy that song was. I literally can't get it out of my head even now. We saw the countries come out onto stage to a very random compilation it seemed. I think Australia stole Germany's flag though.

PERFORMANCE 1 : ALBANIA- WHO THE HELL IS EDGAR? - TEYA & SALENA I'm not lying here when I say I LOVED this song. I loved how it took so much inspiration from Michael Jackson in the dance moves. The girl with the black hair was mind-blowing. Like, she was unbelievably gorgeous. I'm not saying the other one wasn't- they were both incredible. I loved how much colour and enthusiasm they seemed to have. IT WAS SO RANDOM AND I FREAKING LOVED IT. Rank no.5

PERFORMANCE 2 : PORTUGAL- AI CORAÇÃO- MIMICAT The dress. Oh my god that dress was DIVINE. I loved how like bright it was to be honest. It was just so dramatic and it felt like it had a lot of variety. I don't really know why it just really appealed to me. Her voice is DIVINE too. Rank no.6

PERFORMANCE 3 : SWITZERLAND- WATERGUN- REMO FORRER I'm not lying when I say that this song brought a tear to my eye. It was so moving but god, that guy needed to put a few more clothes on. I really liked it. Remo Forrer can sing so beatifully and yet I didn't know who he was before tonight. That low note made my jaw drop. Powerful. All I can say really. The guy also reminded me of Noah Schnapp for some goddamn insane reason. Rank no.7

PERFORMANCE 4 : POLAND- SOLO- BLANKA I had to rewatch it cause it was kind of forgettable. Felt like it had been done so much before. I don't mean any hate by this but I just didn't like it. I wasn't as WOW as other songs have been. It gave me the vibe of the Stuck In The Middle theme mixed with Despacito. It just didn't feel if you know what I mean. Rank no.23

PERFORMANCE 5 : SERBIA- SAMO MI SE SPAVA- LUKE BLACK Perfection. It was so.... I don't have words for it. It was just fantastic. It showed so much talent and I loved the Graham Norton description of the nerdiness and that definitely came across so incredibly in the performance. It was just like smoke sweat and tears. I LOVED THE VIDEO GAME BIT. It's a great song, it's a wonderful performance. It's the best. Also, take a moment to consider how fit the guy was. This was no doubt the best act in my opinion but I know not many people have the same opinions as me so I'm accepting the fact that he's probably not gonna win. Rank no.1

PERFORMANCE 6 : FRANCE- LA ZARRA- Évidement It had such a french vibe to it for some reason. It's stuck in my head. I really enjoyed it to be honest. The outfit was genuinely on point and the vocals were stunning. The chorus kinda gave me Dua Lipa vibes but there's nothing wrong with that is there. The lyrics were kinda dramatic. Overall, I ate it up. Freaking glorious song there was just a lot of good competition. Rank no.10

PERFORMANCE 7 : CYPRUS- BREAK A BROKEN HEART- ANDREW LAMBROU Not memorable. It was quite sad. He's got a good voice, there were just better songs to be honest. It was quite repetetitive. I didn't enjoy it particularly it was just there. A few more layers would be nice. He sung quite high and it wasn't necessarilly appealing. THE FIRE THO. That arena must have been so hot. His voice at the end was beautiful, fight me. Rank no.16

PERFORMANCE 8 : SPAIN- EAEA- BLANCA PALOMA The bit at the beginning with the vocalisations (I think that's what they're called) was incredible. It gave off quite a middle eastern movie vibe which I wasn't expecting from Spain. Her top genuinely looked like it had been melted by heat which made me laugh. It gave off a Satanic ritual vibe. I liked the song but the electronic parts really didn't fit her talented and gorgeous voice. Rank no.22

PERFORMANCE 9 : SWEDEN- TATTOO- LOREEN I loved the vibes she gave off espescially in the introduction bit to the song, she looked like a batty pintrest witch which is a look I adore. Her hair was just stunning but for some reason it didn't look real, I don't know. THE NAILS!! God, they were so long. Her whole set was just tattooine(hmm maybe she thought about that) to me. It gave Wrecking Ball by Miley Cyrus. I really liked it. The whole song was so nice. There's not really any other way to say it than that. I really liked it though. I'm happy it was her that won. Rank no.12

PERFORMANCE 10 : ALBANIA- DUJE- ALBINA & FAMILJA KELMENDI I really looked forward to this one because it was a family quite like me and my siblings but I felt quite sorry because only one of the girls really got to sing in it. You could tell who was the favourite child. I loved the sister's outfits and the bit where it basically turned into the parents' love song was great. It was a good performance but it wasn't anything special. Rank no.15

10 down, 16 to go!

PERFORMANCE 11 : ITALY- DUE VITA- MARCO MENGONI I liked the top, make me one. He has a gorgeous voice. It was quite moving in some ways but I did get distracted by the trampoline guys in the back. I LOVED THEM. The lyrics were a bit random, I had it on translating subtitles. It was okay, I didn't think it was anything special though. It was a sway with your arms in the air type of song. He's such a good singer, I swear, I just didn't love the song. Rank no.19

PERFORMANCE 12 : ESTONIA- BRIDGES- ALIKA It was a magical song. I really enjoyed how it gave off fairy Elsa vibes for some reason. I don't really have many words it was just lovely. She has such an incredible voice. I loved her outfit as well it was fabulous. It was just a gorgeous song, I really liked it. She has such a powerful voice. It was divine. Rank no.8

PERFORMANCE 13 : FINLAND- CHA CHA CHA- KÄÄRIJÄ If you're here for a specific song, it's probably gonna be this one. The hulk forgets to put on his chestpiece and he's on the stage at Eurovision singing a heavy-metal-techno-pop number. I still can't understand what the fuck this song was about. It's really confusing but it's a bop. I'm just blasting out CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA CHA in my brain the whole time. I really liked it. It was a proper random Eurovision song and I LIVE for em. The guy's got a good voice on him though, the prolonged shouting must have been hard. Rank no.9

PERFORMANCE 14 : CZECHIA- MY SISTER'S CROWN- VESNA It gave ballet recital gone wrong for me. It sounded a bit too like the winning song from last year for my liking but it was incredible with the harmonies. I didn't really get the hair message. They were doing feminism stuff but sticking directly to the gender roles traditionally set which I didn't understand. It was powerful and I did like it. Rank no.18

PERFORMANCE 15 : AUSTRALIA- PROMISE- VOYAGER I love watching forty odd year olds dance around on stage like they're twenty one. It felt like someone had gone through my playlist, taken the best bits from each song and melted them into a pot together. It is an anthem and I adore that. I loved the woman on guitar. She was so good. I loved the vibes it sounded like it could be in a video game and honest to god it was one of my favourites of the night. Rank no.3

PERFORMANCE 16 : BELGIUM- BECAUSE OF YOU- GUSTAPH The Boy George vibes were real. His outfit gave rich man goes on safari but there's been an incident with a red sock. It was a BOP like literally. I just wanted to do the macerena the whole time. The start bit reminded me of a musical I can't remember the name of. It was kind of repetetive which I didn't like. It was okay to be honest. Shoutout to the guy who was willing to be a furry stripper for this. Rank no.17

PERFORMANCE 17 : ARMENIA- FUTURE LOVER- BRUNETTE The singer gave me Ariana Grande vibes. It was average. It was a bit like an I'm not like other girls. She has a lovely voice but it did get quite lost in the other countries amazingnesses. It didn't really stick in my head so I had to rewatch the full thing whereas with most of the others I either don't have to watch it or I only need a memory jog. The getup was stunning. The boots should have had black laces though, it would've fit do much better. She's incredibly talented but there were better songs. Rank no.21

PERFORMANCE 18 : MOLDOVA- SOARELE ŞI LUNA- PASHA PARFENI Welcome to the stage... satanic yoga teacher. I liked it. It was so European. It was a great watch. It reminded me of the Mandolorian theme which is a massive compliment in my book. The horny women were great. (They had horns in their hair.) It was very Eurovision esque and I really liked it. It was quite funny and my little brother voted for it. Great song. Rank no.13

PERFORMANCE 19 : UKRAINE- HEART OF STEEL- TVORCHI After last year, I had very high hopes for Ukraine. I enjoyed it. I really liked all the staging it was stunning but it didn't stand out to me very much. The phantom of the opera guy got the night off though! It was a great song. It would be great at a festival, I can see it now. I don't have a ton to say about it. It was good but not mind-blowing. Rank no.14

PERFORMANCE 20 : NORWAY- QUEEN OF THE KINGS- ALESSANDRA This whole song makes make me want to yell with happiness. It just like scratches my brain for some reason. It was the only song this year that I had heard before and even though I had, it did not disappoint. I swear it was a whole vibe. Her outfit was literally straight from SIX, bite me. I loved it. I loved every second of it but there were better songs. The high note showed talent. I mean, I can do it but, but it still shows years of effort and training. Rank no.11

Only 6 left!

PERFORMANCE 21 : GERMANY- BLOOD & GLITTER- LORD OF THE LOST HUGE SLAY. I loved it. In my honest opinion, I would've loved it to be in German but I do speak German so it wouldn't be that hard to understand. They really reminded me of Ghost with the whole red satan type vibe and the song itself. The makeup was FINE! I mean that in an attractive way. The start was so INCREDIBLE. He looked and sounded quite like Bowie and if you know me, you know I love Bowie. The heavy metal singing was on point. I'm suprised that they came last because they were pretty much tied with Serbia in my book I decided the ranks at like 1 am and my 1 am thoughts are always the best. Rank no.2

PERFORMANCE 22 : LITHUANIA- STAY- MONIKA LINKYTÉ The start made me think of the Lion King- just getting that off my chest before I dive into this one. It was lovely, it was beautiful but that's not really the winning characteristics. It was incredible. It gave off the sort of 2014 'Fight Song' vibe which I feel has been done so much already. I want to be able to mark this one higher but I feel I can't because of how high rated the other songs are. Rank no.20

PERFORMANCE 23 : ISRAEL- UNICORN- NOA KIREL Before I say anything, this is just me putting my opinions out there to get them off my head. I really didn't like this song. It was weird and it wasn't a song that I enjoyed watching. It's started off okay with a slight Melanie Martinez vibe but honestly shit hit the fan pretty quickly. It turned into a feminine anthem and, to me, all those songs sound the same. The worst bit was the bit where she said watch me dance and stripped off and basically became a stripper in her dance moves. There were children watching. You can't do that. Rank no.26

PERFORMANCE 24 : SLOVENIA- CARPE DIEM- JOKER OUT This was one of my favourite songs of the night. I adored the whole performance. It was like a step back into the past when Eurovision wasn't as big of an event and they didn't have all the feathers and glitter. It felt quite wholesome to me for an unknown reason. Personally, I don't think it was Eurovision standard. It was a lot more indie than all the other songs and it popped out of the page because of that. It had a very different view and appearance to the viewers. I have listened to this song about five times this morning I like it so much. Special mention to the guitarist because you look fantabulous. Like, you're so good-looking I can't understand wether it's gender envy or attraction. I loved the fits by the way. Rank no.4

PERFORMANCE 25 : CROATIA- MAMA ŠČ- Let 3 This performance made me really uncomfortable. They looked like a rip off of the YMCA and the song wasn't that good to be honest. It was just a bunch of people's grandads singing a dumb army style song and then stripping off. It wasn't enjoyable, it was very mildly funny and I just really didn't like it. It wasn't as bad as Israel or the UK though. Rank no.24

PERFORMANCE 26 : UK- I WROTE A SONG- MAE MULLER It was really just a mid song. She doesn't have the nicest voice and the song choice emphasised that. It was really repetetive and definately deserved the ranking it got. I do feel sorry for Mae though, she must have tried so hard. The staging wasn't that appealing and her outfit didn't fit the set. I would probably rate it 5/10 if I was doing that but I'm not. There was a lot of good competition and it simply wasn't as good. Rank no.25

AND THAT'S A WRAP MY DUDES!!

I think Tattoo winning was a great descision. It isn't one I would've made but it really stood out. I do think Germany deserved a lot more than it was given and I feel extremely sorry for Spain who only got 5 points for the public because that must've hurt.

Shoutout to Sam Ryder with his really nice song at the end, I though it was great. Also, they managed to get ROGER TAYLOR for it. FREAKING ROGER TAYLOR!!!

Have a nice day/night reader and I hope you return next year for another unnecessarily long Eurovision rant.

[todayimgonnaplay]

Today I'm Gonna Play: Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

I've seen Ys pop up often as people's top JRPGs. I've never played them before, so I jumped into the latest entry blind to what this series offers.

Talking of combat first, the first thing this game reminded me of was Tales of Arise; having skills by pressing button combinations, dodging, on screen encounters, and having a party based system where you could switch characters. It felt extremely snappy and satisfying, and I loved unlocking new skills be it from getting them as I fight, or from shops. It's an easy system that's fast-paced which is also great when you want to play something simple and shut your brain off for a bit.

There are also raids included, which have a tower defense mechanism to ensure you survive hordes of enemies while protecting a crystal, or to collect X number of item in a time limit. It gets quite chaotic but is manageable with the use of upgrades. This adds a nice variety to combat so that it does not get monotonous. Aside from that, the game seems to have a superpower motif going on, allowing you to traverse in different ways such as parkouring or gliding, or accessing hard to get places, as well as some combat abilities. It was an unexpected but fun touch.

The best qualities I've seen in this game are more finer details that add to the overall Quality of Life. One being how the map system functions. You're able to get a view of your current area AND look at the region map, in which you can look at other area maps because why not, all with the press of a button or two. . The game really encourages exploration in a great way by rewarding you with fast travel unlocks, and new shops or quests. What surprised me the most was that the minimap leaves a decently sized trail as you move around, making backtracking easy as well as marking where you've already been in case the dungeons or areas look the same-ish (or if you're feeling a bit forgetful at the time of playing). It's spoiled the way I see maps for JRPGs in a good way, and I'd love to see more games like this. The second detail I loved was the amount of customization in settings, ranging from gameplay to HUDs, giving the player freedom to truly explore or to be guided. And lastly, being able to save at anytime is quite a game-changer. It's not always easy to find time to game, and priorities are there to handle in real life, so having this feature came in super handy.

The story seems somewhat simple and straightforward. It's quite innocent and doesn't get too deep until the latter half of the game. I'm actually quite surprised how deep the game gets into its lore and politics, and it was simple enough to understand without playing the previous games. There's a nice variety in cast, and side quests actually add lore to them rather than being usual fetch or escort quests.

I also find the character designs to be a plus, most of them are designed quite well without the reliance of fanservice. It was a breath of fresh air! However I did find Renegade's design to be underwhelming with such a muted colour palette. It does fit his personality a bit, perhaps.

Some negatives are the graphical quality of this game. It's the latest entry released just a few years ago, yet it looks much older, and very bland in terms of colour. I had fun exploring the city of Balduq and was amazed at the size and depth of the place, but it definitely lacked some colour or variety that made the place truly interesting. Midway I stopped to look at previous entries' graphics and felt that Ys 8 somehow looked better, but I also read a bit about the developer and didn't realize their impact towards the genre, and that they seem to make more budgeted titles, so I can give this a pass.

Another negative is the music, most songs fit, but only about 2 tracks truly caught my ears, while the rest sound quite generic and akin to typical melodies I would hear in budget JRPGs.

Overall, the game was truly an enjoyable adventure to experience, and I even felt a little sad as I reached the end, bonding with the cast and the city. I'm looking forward to future titles and may check out 8!

[sharky-teeth]

anyone looking for more wincest fic recs?? nobody?? okay here you go anyway. i have a bunch of fics i couldn't fit into the other list, so i needed to make a brand new one with more variety this time around. i organized it by wordcount to make things easier, however i rarely read long fics, so these are mostly pretty short. once again this list got way out of hand...

(for mature or explicit rating, you can assume it's [sometimes implied] bottom sam, or it isn't discussed. for bottom dean or versatile samdean, i made a small separate section of my favorites.)

1k~5k

Remember the Mountain Bed by nigeltde (G, 1k): post canon. sam and dean jr. one of the only fics that have ever made me cry and with only a thousand words! this one is so very dear to my heart, heartbreaking in its details, yet warm and soothing at the same time. just gorgeous.

Are You by lovetincture (G, 1k): one of my favorite gen fics. i adore second person POV and this is a great example of how it can maximize impact.

I Was the Dirty Little Boy (E, 1k): a quick weecest sparring session turning into spanking... you know. the good stuff.

Stealth Run by LaughableLament (E, 1k): late seasons + established relationship + possessive dean + slutty sam. i love this author a lot.

State of Mind by lovetincture (M, 2k): the summary goes "It's legal in the state of Ohio." yes it is as good as suggested. the tension in this fic mwahh

The Euphoria Emporium by Laughable_Lament (E, 2k): sam and dean visit a sex shop and dean gets jealous. quick and nasty.

Be Mine by De_Nugis (T, 2k): first part of a short series. for people who love silly, goofy samdean. this is no plot, pure crack. the kind that actually makes you laugh out loud.

Dating for Dummies by sevenfists (M, 3k): there's not enough first time aftermath fics. this has ruined me because it is the exact level of lighthearted i love, where the brothers continue being brothers first and foremost, even after boning.

We Are Drinking Beer at Noon on Tuesday by whirlpoolsleep (M, 3k): neat outsider POV. always love seeing the brothers through normal people's eyes.

With Mercy for the Greedy by whiskyandoldspice (E, 3k): unmatched weecest pwp. the amount of hits/kudos doesn't always mean quality but for this one it absolutely does. this is pretty much flawless in my eyes.

August 5th, 2001 by coricomile (M, 4k): established weecest! this was cute and tender with the right amount of angst surrounding sam's imminent departure. bittersweet ending.

Run It All Over by runawaydr3amer (E, 4k): first part of a series. the classic "brotherly handjobs" scenario, but it immediately stood out to me. really on point voices and hot amosphere.

Dean's palm would be rougher by FrancesHouseman (M, 4k): hand kink! i think we can all relate to sam here. this has a scene that's hotter than many pwps i've read lol

Know when to walk away and know when to run by deirdre_c (E, 4k): brothers playing strip poker goes too far... set in s3. great sexual tension and a super satisfying first time.

At Least It's Only One Song by ADeedWithoutaName (E, 4k): dean-gifting-sam-a-lap-dance fic. another outsider POV with an instantly likable OC. she can tell there's something off about those guys...

sticks and stones and weed and bones by aeroport_art (M, 5k): sam seeing a therapist at stanford. really great character study and winchester family dynamics. the conclusion to this story is just... crazy. so well done.

Shadows on the Sun by Linden (M, 5k): soft weecest first kiss! the thing i liked most in this story is how protective they both are. nice brotherly feelings.

wretched creation (M, 5k): one of my favorite reads of last year! criminally underrated work with less than a thousand hits. angsty feels and an unsettling atmosphere. dean facing a demon who knows more about his feelings toward his little brother than he'd like.

Forty-One by themegalosaurus (E, 5k): angsty unnegotiated kinky sex with lots of hell trauma. the kind of porn that's so nuanced and well written it doesn't get me horny (that's a compliment!)

Monumentally Stupid by strive2bhappy (5k): dean helps sam shave and it was hotter than i could ever imagine. great banter, tension, and emotional weight.

Double Solitaire by objectlesson (M, 5k): post mystery spot. amazing character study through a very creative concept. this is one of the authors who really knew how to write dysfunctional wincest.

6k~10k

this bullet inside me by missroserose (E, 6k): who's up for angsty first time in a long time? if you enjoy hathfrozen (i'm sure you do), this will definitely hit a similar spot.

Belonging by strive2bhappy (6k): wifey sam. i repeat Wifey Sam!!!

Lucky Streak by merle_p (M, 6k): thirsty pining done so right. incest that gives you butterflies in the stomach, believe it or not.

You Can't Lose What You Never Had by nigeltde (E, 6k): nigeltde is an incredible writer. from beginning to end this fic is insane. angsty, desperate, emotional, shameful, this takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions. top notch characterization.

How it Works by Dyed_Red (M, 6k): this is probably in my top ten fics of all time, peak codependent, obsessive, dysfunctional samdean. this particular fic really nails their dynamic and the most delicious, fucked up aspects of it.

Taking to Give by Dyed_Red (M, 7k): lovely character study. this one is a bit softer than most Dyed_Red works, it offers an emotional view of sam and dean growing up. heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time.

Wire Inside Me by merle_p (E, 7k): the sam-is-carrying-lucifer's-baby fic. this story is great for how it deals with the pregnancy pushing dean over the edge. the first time tension here is excellent!

Dean is badass. Sam has always known it. by FrancesHouseman (E, 7k): very interesting dynamic with sam and dean playing mind games to see who gives in first. i like this cocky sam a lot.

Hush Little Baby by hellhoundsprey (E, 7k): CNC weecest. sam and dean go to a haunted house and get up to some nasty freaky shit. it's even better than you can imagine. fyi there's dean in a clown costume.

they said it was the fall of man by jukeboxhound (M, 7k): set in s6, the aftermath of sam getting his soul back through dean's POV. pure angst and overwhelming emotions, beautifully written, it hurt so good.

Man of Steel by glovered (T, 8k): THE lighthearted incest fic for me. along the lines of paxlux's 'Artery', at least to me. this borders on crack, a hilarious, feel-good story that always makes me smile when i think about it.

Disney Princess Hair by Dyed_Red (T, 8k): gencest/weirdcest in its best shape. sam as sleeping beauty! and obviously dean being very very very weird about handling the curse. i loved how this touched on the obsessive aspects of their relationship while keeping the tone light.

Architecture of Choice by Dyed_Red (E, 9k): yes another Dyed_Red work bc they're my favorite author. this one has one of my fave tropes (fuck or die) and it deals with sam's lack of bodily autonomy in a visceral way.

Pull over by jjtaylor (E, 9k): for my piss play enjoyers! this has lots of great tension and it goes way beyond kinky sex.

This Is All Very Meta by road_rhythm (E, 10k): loss of virginity roleplay fic. except it's sooo much more than that. i thought this would be fun and lighthearted, couldn't have been more wrong. the emotional depth delivered here caught me by surprise, but it shouldn't have, given the author. flawless characterization as usual.

God will forgive me but by sammyatstanford (E, 10k): weecest with lots of pining!sam and angsty yearning. brothers who need each other in sick, twisted ways. there was also a great amount of actual brotherly feelings, which is always a plus in my book.

>10k

Acid by Goshen (E, 12k): to this day one of the most insane things ever written. this fic is a classic, it's a surreal experience, a fever dream. dissecting the brotherfuckers, no stone left unturned.

Baby Blue by Edwardina (E, 13k): sam gets hit with a curse that makes him need to suck on a pacifier 24/7. it turned out to be way less sexual than i expected, this is for caretaker!dean lovers.

Learn to say the same thing by glovered (T, 14k): great case fic. sam and dean go to a single's retreat in the mountains for a case and eventually have to confront their incestuous feelings. every glovered fic just fills me with joy.

Supersize Me, Sammy by awabubbles (E, 16k): sadly one of the only size queen sam fics ever written, but it is absolutely perfect so i made my peace with that.

Only Natural (Be My Hands) (E, 17k): sam manages to break both his wrists so dean steps up to take care of his needs. and i mean all of his needs.

Relapse by ani_coolgirl (M, 21k): lebanon AU. i adore this fic, i'm in love with it, i think about it all the time and will think about it forever probably. everything here was done incredibly well, one of those fics that feel specifically made for me lol

Edges by glovered (M, 23k): amazing banter and lots of UST. set in stanford era but it's not really angsty. the tone was just perfect for me, this fic had me GIDDY.

Driving Down the Darkness by Nutkin (M, 39k): one of my faves in terms of Brotherly Feels. extremely well written and thoughtful, super slow burn. outstanding early seasons getting together fic that everyone should read.

Like a Ghost with Two Voices by Dyed_Red (E, 46k): my favorite demon!dean fic. some of the wildest scenes i've ever read. pretty disturbing and incredibly delicious. if you're into fucked up consent stuff, this is a must read. it has a happy ending!

bottom dean and versatile samdean recs:

Take Backs by saltandbyrne (E, 2k): swesson + switching. hands down one of the best PWPs i've ever read, which was to be expected from saltandbyrne. it really doesn't get filthier than this.

How to Wear Polka Dots by homo_pink (M, 6k): swesson. this one is so so weird. and so charming. interesting and refreshing writing style, i had so much fun reading this.

Here's Your Future by autoschediastic (E, 7k): weecest with teasing!dean for a change. loved the power dynamics here, and the intensity throughout the whole fic. desperate, guilty first time, badwrong at its finest.

Enduring Love by oschun (E, 7k): really enjoyed the relationship study here, insightful and well written.

there will be better days by deadlybride (E, 9k): my favorite heaven fic! so warm and peaceful and emotional, full of love and longing and happy reunited soulmates. just thinking about this story makes my heart ache in the best way. really really beautiful.

Yeah, I'm a Back Door Man (E, 22k): established relationship. dean's hell trauma. this was a rollercoaster, great character study, good mix of angst and schmoop as well. probably the best bottom dean i've read so far (along with a couple Goshen works)

Yesterday, minnesota by Goshen: (E, 29k): speaking of applecrumbledore... this fic truly rewired my brain. the queen of "fucking for years without talking about it until one of them snaps". brilliantly executed, one of my favorite deans ever.

yay it's finally over! still i wish i had more long fics to rec lmao do check tags carefully before reading! enjoy the wincest goodness!

[smoralcoral]

This is basically my smorgasbord of whatever I want to post, so here's my Letterboxd review of Moana 2 under the cut.

(This will have minor spoilers and is primarily negative. If these things turn you off, then don't read!!)

The biggest indicator that this was supposed to be a TV show was all of the useless ensemble characters that sucked shit and had little to no meaningful development. I think Moana's crew was the worst, because they were annoying and featured more prominently. In a television show, an ensemble cast can be developed to a better degree, but they don't have time to do that in a two hour movie. And don't get me started on the sister, the coconut warrior, and the animals who were shoehorned in to sell more merchandise.

Boring songs, shitty villain (HE DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP), TERRIBLE darkest hour...

Was Moana supposed to have an arc? Because she was basically great and perfect and dearly loved, and yet had her third - act breakdown where she was like "I'VE RUINED EVERYTHING!!"

NO, YOU HAVEN'T!! You have singlehandedly kept this mission afloat! You're the only one capable of doing half this shit while your crew does fuck all for 2/3rds of the movie!!

I get that people have imposter syndrome, but I don't feel like that was set up. If anything, I feel like the themes of "working together and learning to deal with people who have different strengths," and "sometimes you have to be the one to step up and do hard things, even if it is uncomfortable," were much more established.

Furthermore, what is interesting and works in storytelling is different from real life. If the audience sees a character who is hyper competent, friendly, and a good leader, then there's going to be dissonance when the character cries self - loathing. Especially because it's an arc that's been done one bazillion times, and ESPECIALLY because the only one who actually had a relationship built up with Moana (beyond "writers said that these characters like her, so they like her") was Maui.

Positives: I liked Moana herself! I do get sick of the "quirky Disney princess," and I feel like they leaned into that a lot. But overall, I thought she was entertaining to watch. Maui is great, and it's nice to see a buff macho guy unashamedly adore a girl in a respectful, platonic way. I don't like the Disney style of animation (more on that in a bit), but I do respect the talent and hard work that goes into making an animated movie, and I'm sure these animators would be able to thrive in an environment that encouraged creativity and diversity. Some of the humor made me laugh.

I'm neutral about the bat lady. All I thought about was Disney seeing the whinging surrounding twist villains and going, "Well, how about a twist HERO??? Checkmate, liberal!"

Overall, I've been negative because being negative is fun, but this is a fine movie. It's perfectly acceptable. Your kids will watch it, say "woah I wish I had water powers," and forget about it soon after.

But. BUT. Personally? I'm so sick of Disney and their products. Everything is sanitized, squeaky - clean, pushed through 20 different corporate focus groups in order to maximize profitability and enjoyment. Trying to make safe media that appeals to everyone lacks the specificity that allows for things to resonate. Even the designs have gotten slowly more rounded and "cute." Where's the character, the personalized flair to the animation that would come with each movie?? And everyone is silly and quirky with a sassy remark, and it just... Sucks! It sucks.

I know it's crappy to compare everything to Spiderverse, but you have truly incredible people who are pushing the boundaries of storytelling, animation, while staying PG - 13 and appealing to a wide variety of audiences. That is what happens when you allow for some creativity, and don't stick with the same marketable formula that includes everyone but touches no one.

If you like modern Disney, it's a decent watch. For anyone else, stay home and save your money.

[onebillionghosts]

okay since i finally beat side order half a year late in the span of a day, here is my personal thoughts on it, and what i liked vs what i didnt like:

it was. okay. but nowhere near as good as octo expansion. my main problem is that i feel like they didnt do enough with it. like the story is so minimal. it's like…. that's it?

i was hoping they would go more into eight's history and trauma and all that. and they did reference that a little bit, but only ever in hints. but then again i havent beaten the post-game yet so i could be wrong

also i kept hearing people talking about how hard it was, but for me personally it didnt feel nearly as hard as octo expansion but maybe thats just because ive been playing splatoon for a long time so i've gotten better at the game since i played octo expansion

i did love the visuals though. so pretty. and ngl one of my fave parts of the game was asynchronous rondo. because it seems that that boss is supposed to represent tartar. and also its design and song that plays during it was SO fucking cool

i just think the game has a great concept, but the story did not deliver. also the gameplay is too repetitive after a while. maybe im just biased and have too high expectations though because octo expansion is my favorite game of all time (yes im counting it as its own standalone game because it basically is)

at least this made me appreciate splatoon 3's main campaign better. because at least that one had fun story, lore, and banter, even if the ending and villain being a blatant octo expansion ripoff was disappointing

what i liked about the game: -the visuals -the concept -the designs of the enemies and bosses (especially asynchronous rondo; i love the callbacks to tartar in its design. it feels like the closest we're getting in the game to addressing 8's trauma) -def1sh finally appearing in the games wahoo -pearldrone is so cute -pearl and marina flirting lol -is fun the first few tries, before it starts to get boring and repetitive

what i disliked about the game: -poor writing, not enough story -it just feels so… hollow. there isn't the emotional investment in it that was present in octo expansion -wished it delved more into 8's and marina's psychology instead of only doing that in hints and implications -while there is some funny and unique dialougue like in octo expansion, it feels like there isn't that much. i kinda ended up skipping through most conversations because they were pretty bland, and weren't nearly as entertaining as the banter in octo expansion -it kinds gets really repetitive and boring after a while, especially compared to octo expansion where every level is super different. it needs more level variety and types of objectives imo -the ones where you gotta kill all those sunfish things are WAY too easy. all you need to do is speedrun getting enough points for a special and then you can just one-shot them all lol -i wish there were more bosses, because going against the same ones over and over gets tedious really quickly -why isn't there an infinite mode? i want to challenge myself to see how high a floor i can get :{ -wish it went more into dedf1sh, because it feels like they're just kinda. there. doing nothing. for the entire story. kinda wasted potential. you could remove them from the game and nothing would change -when will tartar (my fave character) return from the war it's one of my fave villains of all time oughhh.. the closest we got was asynchronous rondo. and also the main villain which is yet again an obvious tartar expy

[brutally-loving]

Okay I'm doing it with Choso here goes nothing!!

What do your f/o's hugs feel like?

I can imagine that it depends on where we are. I hug tightly, and I think he'd match my energy sometimes, especially after a specifically stressful situation or something. I'd think he'd generally be very gentle with me, almost wary of hurting me, but when he realized that I didn't mind either way, he'd relax and hug a little tighter. I think he'd like leaning into me, and letting me rest my head on his shoulder.

What are your favorite dates to have with them?

Literally anything that I can explore or experience with him. I want to give him new experiences, I want him to be able to see and remember all these beautiful things with me.

What are their favorite dates to have with you?

Choso likes inside dates, I think. He doesn't really care for going on, he'd rather sit inside with me and?? Maybe listen to me talk, maybe cuddle. That's a great date as far as he's concerned. (I'm drawn to agree btw I'd love that time with him too)

Do you have any songs that remind you of them?

Not yet- I think if I were to choose one, I'd be drawn to think... So Much For Stardust or Love From The Other Side by Fall Out Boy. And that's just bc those are songs I'd want to show him SO bad-

Do they have any songs that make them think of you?

Maybe someone else can answer this bc I ain't got NOTHING. Though he'd probably think of me whenever hearing my favorite bands (Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, Mindless Self Indulgence, Fall Out Boy)

What's the height difference between you and your f/o?

If I remember correctly, he's about 6 feet tall. I'm 5'5, but I love wearing platforms when I can, so it could be anywhere from 7 inches to 1 inch difference between us. Depends on the day and the shoes. I think he'd like when I wear my tall shoes.

On a 1-10 scale, with 1 being the least and 10 being the most, how much do they like PDA with you?

I'm the PDA person. I think that he wouldn't give a singular SHIT about who sees what, so he's content with whatever I'm bringing to the table. He's like. 7 naturally, I think.

What's your favorite feature about your f/o?

What a silly question. His everything- but if I had to choose, it's the eyes and hair. Emo boy 💞💞 kisses for him.

What do you think they smell like?

I'm unsure. If I gave him a cologne smell, like I made for a bunch of others f/os once, I think he'd have to be a bit of a cooler smokier smell. Not tobacco but like... smoked wood. Not too strong though, as he'd have earthy base tones and maybe a lime mix for top notes.

What is your f/os biggest love languages? They don't have to be one of the "five", it can be anything specific they use to show you love.

I'm pretty sure it's quality time and acts of service. He seems like he values time and being around others. He wants to do his best for those he cares for, after all. He probably thrives with the variety in how I show love, but he really defaults to "how can I help and make you feel appreciated" I'd think.

Do you guys sleep in the same bed? If so, what's it like sleeping with them?

Absolutely yes. He couldn't escape me if he wanted to. /j But, I think it'd be nice. He's cool to the touch, and I overheat at night. I'd probably cuddle him throughout the night, which both helps me sleep more solidly AND keeps me from flailing like I do when I'm alone. I'm unsure of how we'd lay, but I think he'd be fine with me holding him.

What's your favorite headcanon about your f/o?

I don't have one yet dhdhdhdh- I like the "cool to the touch" and "notably clingy" sort of ideas though... need someone to match my freak in that way after all /hj

What is the dynamic that you and your f/o have?

"Extrovert that talks to everyone w/ introvert who doesn't want to talk to anyone really" and "openly clingy bastard w/ silently attached non-bastard" I'm thinking (I'm the first of both btw)

What does your f/o do for you when you're having a rough day?

I think he'd let me dote on him extra for my own satisfaction, but also keep an eye on my energy levels. He'd be willing to say that he's tired and would like me to come lay/sit down with him, just to get me to actually chill out. I also think he'd do small things for me that he knows I won't ask for, but kinda need-

Do you like to hold hands? If so, what's that like?

YESSSS I LOVE TO HOLD HANDS! I'd grip him quite firmly, brush my thumb against the back of his hand when I'm holding it. His hands are cool, so it kind of soothes my soul to hold his hands. His hands are definitely bigger than mine, so I think I'd hold one of his with both of mine sometimes. Smh I have small hands.

Do they like to give you little kisses? If so, where is their favorite place to kiss? (Face, hands, etc)

I have NO IDEA ✌️

Vice versa, do YOU like to give them little kisses? If so, where is YOUR favorite place to give them?

YES I DO! His forehead, his nose, the backs of his hands, his knuckles, and probably shoulders too. Most of the time, I'm genuinely happy to kiss wherever is available to let's be so fr

What's your favorite silly leisure activity to do with your f/o?

Sit down together and yap ceaselessly. I want to talk. I talk a lot. I want him to hear all of my stories and talk to me about what he's interested in-

What is your favorite compliment that your f/o gives you? What is your favorite nickname that they for you, if they have one?

Me when I don't know. If anyone has any suggestions let me know🧍‍♂️

What's your favorite compliment to give THEM? What is your favorite nickname to call them?

UH. I think I'd specifically compliment his kindness and consideration. I need him to know that it means a lot to me, how he is. I'd compliment and praise his demeanor and behavior because I like it and need him to know that. I think I'd also compliment his actions that he takes for me, just so that he knows I see him and adore what he does. As for nicknames? Really basic ones I suppose. "Baby", "love", "darling", "handsome", whatever floats my boat at the moment. Some days I say stupid shit and other days I give him heartfelt nicknames. I think I'd use the nicknames in tandem with his name though so...

Specific people I'd like to see read my shit (off the top of my head, though id like anyone who wants to see it to read dhdhdh): @one-winged-dreams @lovesickvalentines @fl0ralsxgar @frankys-wife @selfshipping-tboy @everynya thank you all sm for supporting me ily all

I want everyone to have the chance to ramble about their romantic f/os, so I'm gonna make a reblog game where yall can answer the plethora of questions I'm gonna toss down. Any of the questions you want to answer, as little or as much as you'd like!! I'll read them all. PR.O.SHIP DNI!!! AT ALL! GET OUT-

SO!! SELFSHIPPERS! RIDDLE ME THIS:

What do your f/o's hugs feel like?

What are your favorite dates to have with them?

What are their favorite dates to have with you?

Do you have any songs that remind you of them? Do they have any songs that make them think of you?

What's the height difference between you and your f/o?

On a 1-10 scale, with 1 being the least and 10 being the most, how much do they like PDA with you?

What's your favorite feature about your f/o?

What do you think they smell like?

What is your f/os biggest love languages? They don't have to be one of the "five", it can be anything specific they use to show you love.

Do you guys sleep in the same bed? If so, what's it like sleeping with them?

What's your favorite headcanon about your f/o?

What is the dynamic that you and your f/o have?

What does your f/o do for you when you're having a rough day?

Do you like to hold hands? If so, what's that like?

Do they like to give you little kisses? If so, where is their favorite place to kiss? (Face, hands, etc)

Vice versa, do YOU like to give them little kisses? If so, where is YOUR favorite place to give them?

What's your favorite silly leisure activity to do with your f/o?

What is your favorite compliment that your f/o gives you? What is your favorite nickname that they for you, if they have one?

What's your favorite compliment to give THEM? What is your favorite nickname to call them?

Okay I can't wait to see some answers!! Feel free to reblog as many times with as many f/os as you want. ANYONE CAN PARTICIPATE! SEEING THIS POST IS AN INVITATION FOR YOU!!

People I'd like to see answer this off the top of my head (but don't have to!!): @moxanji-real @one-winged-dreams @lovesickvalentines @graveluvr @clawingatmy-enclosure @starshakez @jpeg-indulgence @everynya @tropgothships @selfshipping-tboy @amelielovesamaris @pixel-comfort @fl0ralsxgar

[kickdownthewalls]

TOP 20 METAL/HARD ROCK ALBUMS OF 2023

Hey, it is Dan here from The Plague. Let me start with apologies for the lateness of posting this, but I have been using my YouTube platform to highlight my top albums for the past few years. If you are curious, you can check out my top albums for 2022 and 2021. This year, I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to decide if I wanted to continue the channel and eventually decided to put it to rest. But I did want to post this list somewhere to do what I can to help promote these amazing bands and albums, so I decided to get back to my roots here on tumblr. Anyway, enough rambling, let me jump into my top hard rock and metal albums for 2023. Of course, these are just the ones that I have heard and have resonated with me the most, so your mileage may vary. My tastes in recent years has skewed toward the traditional heavy metal revival, but there a few here that fall outside those boundaries, too. Let’s kick it off with #20…

20. WITCHTOWER – Voyeur

Almost missed this one even though it was released back in March of 2023. I’ve been a fan of this Spanish four-piece for a while now and this one is very much in the same vein as previous releases, combining a mature brand of classic heavy metal with some speedy moments and that touch of Mercyful Fate that bands like In Solitude and Portrait explored in the early 2000s. Some really great and effective bass playing here, too.

 19. GIRLSCHOOL – WTFortyfive?

This one I almost didn’t bother to listen to, given the rather awkward, terrible album title, but glad I gave it a chance. Girlschool have definitely become heavier on recent albums, but they retain their solid, melodic songwriting chops and the trademark gang vocals on the choruses. I really enjoyed the variety of songs, from dark-edged metal to punky hard rock to power pop. Some of the lyrics are cringey (mainly “Bump in the Night”) but others are quite good, like “It’s a Mess” and “It Is What It Is.”

 18. ENFORCER – Nostalgia

Sweden’s purveyors of classic heavy metal with a touch of speed metal are back with their sixth album. While some were put off by the overly commercial sound on 2019’s Zenith, it is nice to hear Enforcer pretty much back on track with Nostalgia. “Coming Alive” and “Metal Supremacia” have all the fire and energy of the band’s early work, while the arena-rock elements still come through on tracks like “Unshackle Me” and “Heartbeats,” which reminds me of Def Leppard before they lost it.

 17. HIGH SPIRITS – Safe on the Other Side

Fifth album from Chicago mastermind Chris Black, who has also given us the likes of Superchrist, Pharaoh, Aktor, and Dawnbringer, among others. Another classic set of tunes that bridge the gap between hard rock and old-school heavy metal, always with a positive vibe underlying things. Not quite as memorable or heavy as 2020’s Hard to Stop and I don’t think they will ever top my absolute fave High Spirits album, Motivator, but even given that, this is an excellent album and easily one of 2023’s top 20.

 16. BURNING WITCHES – The Dark Tower

Another fifth album, this time from a Swiss five-piece, this is my favorite Burning Witches album yet. Their previous albums have been solid but usually only had one or two really memorable songs, whereas this time at least half the songs made an immediate impact and others have been growing on me. I like that they play traditional, powerful heavy metal but with a modern feel and production, much like bands like Primal Fear or Dream Evil.

 15. CIRITH UNGOL – Dark Parade

I remember coming to Cirith Ungol rather late, as they often got a bad name in the press back in the day, but when One Foot in Hell came out, the cover art was just too cool to resist and I immediately fell in love with their unique take on epic heavy metal. I was so happy to see the band reunite and still deliver that classic sound. 2020’s Forever Black was good but lacked a bit in the production department, so I am happy to say that Dark Parade sounds lot fuller and more organic, plus the songs are more memorable. If this is indeed the band’s last album, they are going out on a high note, no doubt about it.

 14. TANITH – Voyage

Another band that has a pretty unique take on classic heavy metal and hard rock. They write really good, fairly complex tunes with elements of 70s-era Scorpions and UFO, but with dueling male and female lead vocals. Both singers are excellent in their own right but they also combine their voices quite often for an even greater effect. Been following these guys since being blown away by their performance at Frost & Fire IV back in 2018 and they have yet to disappoint.

 13. OBITUARY – Dying of Everything

Always my favorite of the Florida death metal bands, it is exciting to see the band really firing on all cylinders with their past couple records. This one might be my favorite since the classic Cause of Death, with some of the band’s most memorable tunes and the perfect production to showcase the band’s raw, pounding style.

 12. THE HAXANS – The Dead and the Restless

This is one of two albums in my top 20 that is decidedly not metal, but still rocks pretty hard. The Haxans are a project by Piggy D. of Wednesday 13 and Rob Zombie fame along with vocalist Ash Costello from New Years Day and they play a really cool mix of horror punk and goth rock. Although I wasn’t as consistently engaged with this one as I was with their Party Monsters debut, it features the same elements that made that one so enjoyable. They mix catchy vocal lines with stompy riffs really well and pull off serious, atmospheric tunes just as well as the more fun, tongue-in-cheek tracks.

 11. IMMORTAL – War Against All

Despite all the drama behind the scenes and line-up changes, Immortal has somehow managed to maintain a pretty steady stream of quality albums and even though it is now just a one-man project of Demonaz, War Against All is very much another quality release. Closest comparison is obviously with Northern Chaos Gods, with a nice mix of ultra-fast and more moderate, marching riffs to be found here.

 10. CRUEL FORCE – Dawn of the Axe

Third album from Germany’s awesome speed metal powerhouse Cruel Force. These guys expertly combine early Kreator, Exodus, and any number of other speed metal and proto-thrash outfits. The ripping riffs and explosive drum fills are unapologetically old-school but still sound fresh. Some touches of subtlety, too, such as the atmospheric detour in the midst of “Devil’s Dungeon” and the 7-minute epic “Realm of Sands.”

 9. MAGICK TOUCH – Cakes & Coffins

This is Norwegian heavy metal that is really hard to classify or compare to anyone else. It is heavy and melodic with clean vocals in a traditional metal way but doesn’t sound retro. As the title might suggest, the lyrics are all a bit offbeat, which further helps distinguish the band. Great songs, interesting arrangements, and solid musicianship complete the package.

 8. MEGATON SWORD – Might & Power

Second album from this Swiss traditional metal outfit shows them already expanding their sound and exploring new ideas. Still plenty of classic heavy metal here though, such as the Into Glory Ride-era Manowar sounding “The Raving Light of Day” and the pounding “Might.” The vocals are clean but very powerful and versatile and really help the band stand out. There is a certain melancholy to the band’s sound that reminds me vaguely of Sentenced, though you would never confuse the two bands.

 7. BEYOND THE BLACK – Beyond the Black

Although I have become rather burned out on the symphonic metal scene in recent years, this album really stood out. There are so many bands that play well and have decent songs and production but they just aren’t memorable. Germany’s Beyond the Black really craft some great tunes with super infectious riffs and vocal melodies. Plus, the lyrics take a compelling look at life after death, reincarnation, and related topics, which also ties in nicely with the band’s name and, thus, perfect for this self-titled release.

 6. GOATEN – Midnight Conjuring

This amazing trio from Brazil has been around for a few years and released a couple of excellent EPs, but this is their debut full-length and it is a killer. The band combines heavy riffs with some unique, melodic vocals and absolutely infectious choruses. The band’s top-notch musicianship is used very judiciously to aid in creating atmosphere rather than showing off and it perfectly sets off the creepy, unsettling lyrics

 5. SAVAGE – Glory Riders

German band that takes the very best of early W.A.S.P. and delivers it in a heavier fashion while retaining the energy and catchiness. Some nods to other 80s bands like Quiet Riot can be found, too, but the vocals and riffing owe a great deal to Blackie Lawless and company. Sadly, they seem to have split up, according to the Metal Archives and their social media accounts are down, so if anyone has any info on what happened here, I’d love to hear about it.

 4. RAVEN - All Hell's Breaking Loose

Another great slab of energetic metal from one of the NWOBHM’s longest-running and most unique outfits. Not sure the songs are quite as memorable as the previous Metal City, but very close and they have really upped the speed to make this easily the fastest/heaviest Raven album ever. Drummer Mike Heller, who joined in 2018, is just wildly overplaying throughout the album and it is glorious.

 3. THE HIVES - The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons

This is the other non-metal album on my list but it is just as energetic and powerful as most metal albums, if not more so. If you aren’t familiar with Sweden’s The Hives, they are a truly demented mix of punk, garage rock, dry humor and Rolling Stones’ swagger. Considering they haven’t released an album in over a decade, it is amazing they came back with one this absolutely powerful and it might well be their best one yet.

 2. ANTHEM – Crimson & Jet Black

One of the longest-running metal bands from Japan and one of the most consistent, Anthem continue to amaze by releasing this masterpiece, their 20th studio album. This is an instruction manual on how to create powerful, melodic, classic heavy metal songs with a modern production, stellar musicianship and the kind of diversity that keeps you glued to the speakers for the full 50+ minutes.

 1. SHADOWS – Out For Blood

Another amazing traditional heavy metal band that came out of nowhere, Shadows hails from Chile and have created the most infectious tunes of 2023. Elements of Shout-era Crue mix with early Dio and Mercyful Fate for a style that is at once familiar and unique. Although the band is the same line-up as the band Apostasy, I really hope this isn’t just a one-off album because I love it so much and really want to hear more in this vein.

 As usual, there were way more excellent albums than just 20, but this list is my personal top 20 at the moment. Honorable mentions go out to TYRANN, CENTURY, BLOOD STAR, GRAVEDANCER (Brazilian blackened speed/thrash metal), BLACKBRAID, INCULTER, METAL CHURCH, SORCERER, and DEMONIAC. Also, quite a number of EPs and singles came out this past year. ACID BLADE, INTRANCED, DRIFTER, OLD GHOUL, and BRONZE

 Of course, I also have to mention some great non-metal releases in 2023, specifically those from KYLIE MINOGUE, DEPECHE MODE, GLUME, MEG MYERS, POPPY, SPARKS, NOBRO and NICK WATERHOUSE. 2024 has already boasted a number of excellent albums, such as JUDAS PRIEST, VULTURE, KMFDM, BRONZE, SAXON, LUCIFER, MINISTRY, and SCAVENGER, to name just a few. Hopefully, I will post next year’s list in a timelier fashion but, until then - stay metal!.

[quieteclipse]

more extremium yapping about OCs, this time it's my debut or die oc, celeste

been having a silly scenario with celeste run around in my head for a few days now. it's silly bc it's kind of a twist of a different scenario i've had for her with these same elements.

anyways, in this scenario, she ended up having an awkward, tense moment with testar once when she was ~18/19 (she's the same age as eugene & raebin) because they were all on this random music competition variety show, and despite being rookies themselves, they had the experience with competitions and trying to survive to be a mentor, at least for the younger competitors (like celeste).

however, celeste initially refused to have a mentor (which was an option), but she eventually got paired up with testar after some eliminations. and at one point, she ended up learning that ahyeon had some difficult times in school in the past (she didnt learn the full story obviously bc even testar havent at this point), which caused her to get a little intense about wanting to explore that with ahyeon in a musical sense.

outside of the show, celeste is always making music, and she had been thinking about making a mixtape about her feelings of anger and grief towards her school years, and she wanted ahyeon to do a duet with her and a performance.

anyways, she got way too intense to the point where moondae stepped up and said something, which made it awkward. next thing they know, celeste is dropping the show and kind of dropping off the face of the earth afterwards.

next time they meet is on a reunion/remake of the original show with the original cast. testar are kind of dreading it bc celeste was confirmed to be on the show, which would be the first time in five whole years she'd be making an appearance in the entertainment industry.

when they meet face to face, the members apologize to celeste because they think they had smth to do with her dropping the show, but she cringes so bad bc she knows that she was in the wrong at the time and it's her most embarrassing moment yet that she was hoping they would've long since forgotten about in the past five years.

in the end, celeste apologizes once again for back then and she explains the real reason she dropped the show and kind of fell off the face of the earth. she didnt go into too much detail about it since the issue was sensitive and really only had significance to her, but yeah, all's well that ends well with them.

also, this is the same scenario where i start a little....enemies (mostly nuisances) to friends to lovers thing with celeste and eugene. bc i think it's funny if he continued to have beef with celeste over that little incident. it's not the most serious beef, since it's eugene, but that incident was his first impression of her and it wasnt a great one so that really stuck to him.

plus, i like the contrast of their cute and playful banter vs. the banter her OG shitty boyfriend from her semi-canon storyline (who i guess i need to give a name at this point) tries to have with her.

anyways, i just really like silly celeste x testar interactions.

i have another scenario with her and raebin where they're going through a haunted house together on a show and raebin was terrified (i dont even remember if he's genuinely a scaredy cat like the official scaredy cat line....but i must've cooked this up for a reason???) and celeste was trying to convince him that there was something good/pretty/not scary to look at and turns out it was a mirror bc she was trying to compliment him, but he got scared by his own reflection (which absolutely made her die laughing btw) 😭😭

her interactions with ahyeon in her more canon storyline are generally more heartfelt & sweet. they're good friends in my eyes. plus they do end up making that song together in celeste's real storyline.

she hasn't had many interactions with chungwoo or lee sejin besides really old ones where i kinda shipped her with both at one point or another—especially chungwoo. he was like her main ship for a little while (bc she was intially the same age as him and he was her type, bug time). their big interactions were usually him "saving" her or making her feel safe. he princess carried her a lot.

yes, i'm very self-indulgent when it comes to my OCs. it's my quirk. silly oc scenarios that serve no purpose other than for me to have fun playing dolls, essentially 😂😂

but regardless, lee sejin is her hardcore bias in testar, so i guess there's that. but they don't really interact in my mind....

she hasn't had much interaction with baese. if you left those two in a room with each other, it would get so awkward so fast i think. 😭 which is crazy bc celeste is a supreme yapper, but she is also incredibly anxious & overthinks a lot and if baese is anxious & akward it will make her anxious & awkward too.

and then moondae.....regressor!celeste & moondae end up...kinda close? idk if close is the right word, but they do talk enough to be somewhat comfortable with one another. but non-regressor celeste....i think her and moondae are even more awkward than her and baese 💀 especially in the scenario where she was doing Too Much and moondae "snapped" at her (not really snapped, but he was annoyed ngl (especially since it was ahyeon related lol))