#it's just difficult as someone who's read the webtoon from the very beginning not to eyeball the changes

[ladyelainehilfur]

since it's on my mind, I'm going to list the pros and cons of the kdrama compared to the webtoon

Cons:

They took away aspects of Stephen's character that made him easier to sympathize with.

Gray is not really "weak", he's just short and kinda bad at running.

The runaway fam arc served as an unnecessarily long means just to foreshadow the government's corruption.

Stephen's ending was not as physically devastating.

Gray is driven by sadness instead of emptiness, lessening the impact of Stephen's influence on his personality.

Some of the new characters feel like plot devices.

Pros:

They really improved on Bryce's character as whole.

Stephen is charismatic and plays more of an active role in his ending.

Their families are far more fleshed out.

Gray shows actual care for Bryce.

Scenes of Gray and Stephen bonding weren't as montaged.

Stephen's living situation is more detailed.

They introduce illegal drug use, which makes a lot of sense for the union going forward.

[cpcwiki]

I am suggesting for the wiki account to start from the very beginning, which imho related about the episodes. Like maybe give tutorial of the how to starts at the wiki.. Wiki is free to edit from and for all, but one need to register themself first so maybe it's confusing to the totally new account of the fandom. After that, maybe teach how to upload images (I already taught in reblog about how to properly naming image but the better things be repeated, the more info of it being on remember) like from screenshotting image/panel of the CPC (if in mobile, which at app - means to be aware from the logo webtoon watermark.. it's best to screenshotting from the PC)

Our absolute immediate danger is to putting (uploading) any necessary images that related to wiki before CPC going to becomes daily pass. Based on my calculations with @meritre24601 that taking account of anything possible like LambCat claims that she likes to end the CPC at episode 169 at IG = We're literally in red danger as it makes the FP ep 169 will on release at January 15 - well, just one month from now

The free pass of the final episode will be 2-3 weeks from that, but once the very final episode on free - then the possibility of daily pass is usually only few weeks PLUS sadly English platform not really warning about certain webtoon will becomes daily pass (unlike Indonesian that has monthly warnings about which series that will become DP) SO I won't try my luck to urging delegations of the wiki project BY not giving all my best effort - but also I know I can't do anything alone, I am just a human with limitations after all

Move on the most crucial pages in the wiki IMHO, Episodes. There's 2 types of Episode Template (I am not sure which we'll decide to have, personally I really want the more complete and longer one which we have 'gallery' section so from a particular episode we could analyse the image that related to it. I think that way easier and more understable to do, make someone focus on certain topic (in my experience, I'll pour my everything to improve overall Frederick depiction especially my initial reason is - I hate the comment section on his character page, and his page likes abandoned for years, so i am one of the most eager editor that helps to improve Frederick informations ~ later on basically 'everyone/thing'). The focus is totally depends on certain interest of editor, so as long that editor could writes objectively based on canon original source then why not? Any helps will be immensely helpful than no help at all espc from people that confused

I can try to write some guides for beginner editors! That seems like something I can get done pretty quickly that might still be helpful. I'll be free for the next two days, so I can try to get some of those done then. (Ofc some confirmation that people are actually interested in editing would be nice to have first, so I know I'm not wasting my time writing guides for people who'll never read them... I think I'll make an interest check for people who actually think they'll be able to edit soon)

Encouraging people to only focus on the area they're interested in seems like a good tactic!! As long as it falls within one of the areas the wiki is incomplete in, then I agree. Any sort of work would definitely be appreciated.

Also, what do you mean about there being 2 types of episode templates? If you're talking about the one that only has headings and no preset information (like on episode 50 for example), I wouldn't consider that a template. The only one I do consider a template is the one I made. Okay maybe I'm a little biased, but I would really like us to use the longer episode template with more information. So, if we need to choose between them, my vote is for my own template :)

Again, I am VERY VERY VERY sorry for my inactivity over the past few months!! I know keeping up an entire wiki for a still-ongoing series is difficult - I was the only editor on a couple wikis for a while, including this one at one point. It doesn't give me an excuse for having basically abandoned the wiki like that, though, especially at such an inconvenient time for us. Right now, running this blog is the most wiki-related work I can do without exhausting myself :(

This is also a good time to thank you for all your hard work again!! Btw Cookie and I maaay have been considering making you an admin... we can talk about that if you're interested!

[trashlie]

My Year in Review (Webtoons)

Idk if Webtoon is going to give us a year in review this year or not, but I’m making my own! I don’t talk nearly enough about the other webtoons I’ve read/been reading, so I’m going to use this as an opportunity to at least name them all and talk about why I enjoy them. Who knows - maybe some of my followers/mutuals are also reading what I am and want to gush! 

Frankly, I cannot really rank things because I’m wishy washy and terrible at listing favorites, so this will be in no particular order. Read what I have to say about it, rather than where I ranked it, haha. 

I attempted to limit the number of webtoons I fastpassed on but... uh. I wasn’t good at it. Sometimes I just did it all in one go, sometimes it’s a steady, every single week deal. These such webtoons are denoted with an F. I’m not gonna say me fast passing means it’s a favorite, because sometimes I end up fast passing because I just REALLY want to see what happens next, so... don’t assume it means it’s the best of the best lol. 

Sometimes I get SO into a webtoon that when I hit all of what I can read in English, I’ll go look it up in Korean and try to read THAT lol. I’m not totally good at it yet but it serves as really good Korean practice so I’ll keep it up. These such webtoons are denoted with a K.

Let’s dive in!

I Love Yoo (F) Drama

I’m putting this first because that’s what a lot of people follow me for, and that’s where it deserves. I haven’t dedicated this much time and energy to many fandoms in the last 5 years, and ILY just reigns supreme there. Honestly, it’s exactly what I want out of a character-driven story that explores the complexities of our experiences. I understand why people want more out of it or aren’t fans of the slower pace, but that’s them, not me, and I LOVE it. Without fail, I fast pass this one so I can barf out all my thoughts on reddit and then yell some more over here. I love grey characters, I love complex characters, I love sad characters. Everyone does it for me, I stay winning! 

How to Become a Dragon (F) (K) Fantasy

Lol I say I try to read this one in Korean but lol this one is WAY  out of my league. Eon is a creator I already ADORED from Super Secret, so when HTBaD dropped, I was so excited. I’ve been reading it ever since and it’s been a steady Fast Pass for me. Bari is just... absolutely endearing and the whole of the story is fantastic. There’s a lot of hurt in the past to uncover, a lot of character development to witness, and so much fantastic lore. Admittedly the translations can sometimes be a little difficult, but that hasn’t been a very common occurrence. I say I don’t play favorites but if I did, this would be up there. Genre-wise it’s very much a fantasy, very light on the romance. PLEASE I beg of you guys, go read this and fall for Bari’s adorable Imoogi form! 

Seasons of Blossom (F) (K) Drama, Romance

You wanna know how much I absolutely love this one? I bough physical, Korean copies! Seasons of Blossom is separated into four stories (one for each season, beginning with spring) that all weave together through the characters involved. Spring is sweet and innocent and subverts a few tropes in a fun way. Summer is oppressive and overbearing and I sobbed so much. Full disclosure, summer follows two characters still dealing with the suicide of someone five years prior. Fall is, ironically, a time for starting over, for turning a new leaf, as a character who was bullied in her youth tries to get revenge. I haven’t started winter yet... I’m bad at endings and I’m sad that this will soon be over and I’ll probably binge and catch up on it really soon lol. I genuinely, ardently love this one SO much. Please! It’s beautiful, it’s wonderful, my heart ACHES so much. It’s perfect! 

Romance 101 (F) Romance

The only reason I haven’t read Romance 101 in Korean is because it’s complete and I need to pay to do that and I still haven’t figured out if there’s a way I can actually pay for it lol. It’s one I’ve been considering buying in Korean, though, so... yknow. Romance 101 is SO well done, and I’m obsessed with the art. All of the main characters are so wonderful and endearing, and Bareum makes a delightful main character, a university student who has never made room in her life for love and is thus sorely inexperienced and also sits on the cusp of true adulthood. There’s a love triangle that will tug at your heart, and so many WONDERFUL demonstrations of friendship! That’s something I appreciate a lot - a romance that isn’t about just the romance and acknowledges the importance of platonic love as well. 

See You in my 19th Life (F) (K) Drama, Romance [completed]

I can understand why people have been put off by the “age gap” in this story - when you’re a person who has remembered every single life you’ve lived, you are mature beyond anyone you’ll ever meet. But despite that, I was really, really sucked into this one and absolutely read ahead in the Korean version lol. There’s just something about Jieum that I love so much, and the way the story connects everyone, but most importantly, how much Seoha means to her. There’s also some fantastic family relationships, and character growth that’s fun to watch. Idk I love this one and I felt SO sad when it ended! The spin off stories were sweet additions, though! Everything tied up so nicely I’m not so much left wanting more as much as just knowing I will miss this ensemble cast for months to come. 

Act Like You Love Me (F) Romance 

God, this is one hell of a love song to tropes and cliches, and I say that in a really positive way and mean it! The writing absolutely knows it’s making use of many tropes and is just haven’t unabashed fun being what it is. There’s boss/employee, cohabitation, bouts of fake dating, a love triangle, a touch of fantasy ? Idk this one is so fun to me and I remember feeling really bummed when it had a short hiatus lol. I’m not currently fast passing but I know I will when I’m ready to binge. Like, look the premise is just SO fun - possessing a plushie you can use to make a famous actor do anything you want? Famous actor and normal person falling for each other? It’s just GOOD FUN! 

Odd Girl Out (F) Drama, Romance 

This is another one that I fast-pass off and on. Full disclosure, I much preferred the first season of this story to the current one, but mostly because the first had so much wonderful friendships between the girls. The second season has a lot more focus on Nari’s romances and love triangle and I just don’t currently feel compelled to fast pass but we’ll see when it changes. Don’t get me wrong, I love good romances, but I ALSO am a sucker for wonderful girl friendships. Regardless, it’s a cute coming of age story and the plucky lead is neither meek nor dull, and the running theme of people being drawn to her for the colorful, wonderful person she is continues throughout! 

Our Secret Alliance (F) (K) Romance 

God, this is my catnip. Childhood friends to almost strangers to lovers? Fake dating? Really cute art? Man this is IT! Is the story terribly deep? No. Are the characters wildly complex? Also no. But sometimes I just want to enjoy a sweet, saccharine story filled with really pretty art, and this scratches that exact itch. It feels like it’s coming to an end and I find myself more sad that I expected to be about it. It’s just so endearingly cute to me and I’m gong to miss it when it’s completed! 

She’s Hopeless (F) (K) Drama, Romance 

From the creator of Orange Marmalade comes this story about a high schooler hired to be a chaebol heiress’s secret bodyguard. The catch? Said heiress has a nasty, nasty temper, and it’s his job to try to get her to get along with her classmates and shed her prickly exterior. This is one that I read off and on, catch up on and binge when the mood strikes. I do enjoy me a terrible female character sometimes when her motives are good and her personality is complex and this one does it SO well. It has a nice touch of enemies to lovers lite and some forbidden romance for those who dig that lol. 

Wished You Were Dead (F) (K) Drama, Romance

Man a lot of people dislike this or find it too drawn out but idk I don’t share that sentiment with them. I guess it depends on your patience and what you enjoy lol. Arranged marriage where Emperor Karloi is betrothed to the daughter of his enemy and his Empress wife, Evonne, is actually the child who saved his life many years ago. But she can’t tell him that, because she’s forced to live a lie to keep her mother safe, and a magic spell prohibits her from even attempting to reveal her identity. As you can imagine, it’s created incredibly frustrating situations where poor Evonne, who is really Rue, endures hardship after hardship, while Karloi is unaware that the person who he is so cruel to is the person who sought out his whole life. HEAVY enemies to lovers, like I mean HEAVY. A lot of people are frustrated that Karloi hasn’t figured out Evonne’s identity despite him having nothing but a nagging sense that she reminds him of Rue. It’s one hell of a slow burn and I, for one, enjoy it (though honestly I’m like is this even gonna HAVE a happy ending or is this man gonna die miserable....) 

Rewriting the Villainess (F) (K) Drama, Romance 

I know isekai is really overdone but I never read them lol so this is fresh yet to me. Liza has returned from war only to find her one true love, her fiance, Illian has fallen for the princess of the very kingdom she went to war against. Hearbroken and anguished, she drowns her sorrows in alcohol only to wake up in the modern world, where she finds not only is she a character in an incomplete story written by Doeun, but she now occupies Doeun’s body. And even worse, she finds out she was not the protagonist of the story but, in fact, the villain. Angered by the way the writer planned to complete the story, she intends to ruin the author’s life as she lives it, until the day they can switch back to their respective places but... well, that doesn’t go according to plan. Honestly this one is SO fun and there’s a lot of mystery to unravel about Doeun and how they ended up in this place at all. There’s also some incredibly WONDERFUL exploration in different kinds of loves, and how familial love vs friendship love vs romantic love all differ from each other, which is something I’ve GREATLY enjoyed. The relationship between Liza and Illian is not a very healthy one, which is something she needs to learn for herself, and boy is she loving. It’s DELIGHTFUL, I’m having so much fun with this one! I tried not to fast pass it so I could save my coins but I couldn’t help myself ;~; 

Daytime Star 

Remember my love for saccharine little romances? This one fits the bill! It’s sweet and pretty and not terribly complex but I still find myself having fun and enjoying the story. The art is SOOOO pretty like WOW so pretty! There’s a part of me that wants to fast pass because I do enjoy it but I’m saving it for now! Besides the romance side of things, it’s just really fun watching Yura, a struggling actress, finally get noticed and start to make a name of herself in the acting world, and ngl that’s probably the thing that keeps this from being a story that fades into the nether. I don’t say that in a bad way, either! 

Beyond Virtual Drama Romance [Hiatus]

Full disclosure, this one has been on hiatus for most of the year and I DON’T KNOW WHEN IT’S COMING BACK. There’s not even a Korean version of this?! Even though it’s DEFINITELY a Korean webtoon?! PLEASE I need my fix! I really, really dig this one and I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I wound up! It takes place in a near distant future where the world has fallen into further ruin due to climate change and pollution, where people turned to VR to escape the misery of the real world. In VR they can see flowers where there are none, blue skies, animals that have gone extinct, and live the lavish lives they will never have in reality. They can also participate in events with virtual reality idols, who can beat out any human any day. Sora is one such high schooler who is content to live out her fantasies in VR and go on dates with her idol bias. Her best friend, though, has other ideas, and rejects the world of VR. He’d rather be a real human, in the real world. There’s actually lol a LOT of parallels in Beyond Virtual and I really love the story being woven, and the war against VR, the fight to turn to the real world and appreciate what is tangible and real. Okay, I ALSO enjoy the friends to lovers, so sue me! 

Operation True Love (F) (K) Romance, Drama

Listen. I started this like, last Friday. lmao I JUST started it and I’ve devoured it completely, which isn’t a surprise, but I’m also fast passing it AND have started to read it in Korean AND I’m already feeling itchy for more lol. Suae knows her boyfriend is scum, but she can’t help that she’s still into him. But everything in her life goes sideways when a pink Jellypop phone appears in her locker. It’s not just any phone - it can show the amount of love that anyone will receive in life as well as how much life they’ve already received. And Suae? She’s 0/0. She’s got to convince the creator that she’s not a bug in the system and that she can defy the rules and change her 0 into a 1. And look, if she has to do it by using her scummy boyfriend’s best friend, then so be it. After all, she’s already found out there’s a lot more going on with him and her adopted sister than she thought. AND LISTEN I LOVE IT. I love it SO much. The art is so good, it reminds me a little of I Love Yoo but also maybe a touch of Daytime Star? Suae is WONDERFUL and I absolutely LOVE her antics with Eunhyeok. Raim makes for a really complex, if not awful lol, antagonist and I’m really looking forward to seeing how things play out. Look I’m all caught up with this thing and the Korean version is only one!!!! episode ahead of the English FP what the heck am I to do?! (I translated it. lmao this is my Korean practice now, translating the Korean episode.) 

When the Day Comes Drama Romance [Complete]

The creator, OMOYO, is up there with eon in that when I first started using webtoon, I binged their webtoons. The Story of Those Around Us was fantastic and I really enjoyed OMOYO’s art a lot, so when I finally got started on When the Day Comes, I knew I would be utterly charmed. And I absolutely was! OMOYO has a wonderful kind of humor and even more importantly, presents stories in a really candid way. Ngl this one really tugged at my heart in MANY ways - like I found myself having a sweet little mournful cry one night lol. It’s just. Idk delightful, really well done. I look forward to whatever OMOYO works on next! 

Rumor Has It Romance Drama [Complete]

I don’t really like daily pass webtoons because I’m bad at keeping up with them. I can’t even remember how I started reading THIS one. Boredom and need to read something, probably? It’s very up there in saccharine, sweet little stories, and follows two exes who end up as neighbors as they enter college. It’s a really fluffy story, not incredibly deep, and is a generally fun read! 

No Longer a Heroine Drama Romance [Complete]

I don’t use the term guilty pleasure, but I guess if I did, this would probably be considered one. In some ways, this story is really makjang - it just goes OUT there and there are things in it that genuinely made me go “oh shit I didn’t see that coming”! It’s also very much up there with complex, unlikable female leads. I know the art isn’t very pretty, but if this was a drama, people would eat it up solely FOR the drama. I can’t say a lot without spoiling it but I genuinely like where they went with the romance, I didn’t expect it but it was exactly what I’d hoped for! 

Back to You Drama Romance [Complete] 

Full disclosure, this is now a daily pass and I have not finished this one lol. I can’t say why exactly - I guess I kind had a feeling of where the story is going? I think maybe I could have enjoyed it more WITHOUT the romance, actually? That’s the element I wasn’t here for. The idea of going back in time to change the past, to save a person you deeply cared about? Love that. The idea of messing with time and being messed up back? SO good. The irresistible urge to create big ripples and alter the entire timeline? YESSSSS. But meh @ all the romance that happened, I guess? lol Now that it’s a daily pass idk if I’ll ever finish it? I peeked at the ending when it completed, though! I think if this were a drama, I’d probably have quit it, too, because there were some things that were just too frustrating for me to deal with lol. But it may be someone else’s cup of tea! 

The Star Seekers

LMAO look I don’t expect most of my followers to read or take interest in it but as a fan of TXT lmaooo I am. It’s cute, it’s fun, I like fast passing it, Viken is an ADORABLE rendition of Beomgyu, I’m really into the Star Seekers universe and was hoping this would give me insight to the MV storylines. IT DOESN’T! But I’m still having fun lmaoooooooo 

Special shout out to Super Secret, which is now a daily pass, that I reread again because I will never tire of it. It’s so fluffy and sweet and I just love it. I also have already reread Beyond Virtual because it’s been SO LONG SINCE IT UPDATED PLEASE BRING IT BACK 

Everything else that follows is stuff I have begun but maybe haven’t gone back to or just go back every so often to catch up on! 

Honey Lemon My Reason to Die Maybe Meant to Be  Sunny and Rainy Our House Our Time Vampire Husband Unfamiliar Our Beloved Summer Your Letter  Heavenly Eats Your Smile is a Trap Seven Years Later Exchange Student Spring Once Again

And here are things I started and dropped!

To You Who Swallowed a Star (I cannot overstate how MUCH I could NOT stand this afljkafjkajkfkjafjkafkaljajkf) A Summer Night’s Dream  To Love Your Enemy I guess Back to You? Superstar Associate Manager There’s Love Hidden in Lies What if Feels to Date You Loaf App To Love and Be Loved

One day I will properly start Purple Hyacinth and maybe I’ll get into my TBR list (and probably drop some lol) 

[learnfromwebtoons]

Lesson 1- Follow Through

(Thank you all for following! And thank you Dan for the promo!)

Right then, let’s begin!

Today’s Lesson: Follow Through

Today’s Teacher: Third Shift Society by Meredith Moriarty

When you create a character, you need some character traits: things that describe this character. These traits can be external, like their job and appearance, or internal, like their personality. Is your character impulsive or methodical? Sweet or snarky? Easily scared or stupidly brave?

Third Shift Society introduces its protagonist Ellie McGuinness as a college dropout behind on her rent who’s just been let go from her job at a vintage furniture store. She has exactly one friend, who is supportive but can’t help her in her plight. A quick montage of her failing at other minimum wage jobs she’s attempting further establishes that Ellie is also prone to clumsiness.

[Image descriptions: series of panels showing Ellie spilling drinks as a waitress, burning cookies at a bakery, knocking over shelves at a library, failing to win a credit card at a skill crane machine, and lamenting that she is bad at adulthood.]

And then the plot arrives in the form of a pumpkinheaded suit-wearing man and none of these things matter ever again.

Ichabod offers Ellie a job as his “paranormal detective” partner, Ellie says yes (without asking when or how much she gets paid, something you would expect a person at risk of eviction from her apartment to be concerned about), and the next episode they’re already in the middle of a case, with no space dedicated to Ellie processing this sudden and massive life change. 

Things like being short on rent and unable to pay bills for any amount of time will leave a lasting impact on a person’s spending habits and relationship to money. Being clumsy is a trait that’s very difficult to train yourself out of. And yet, once Ellie becomes a paranormal investigator, her clumsiness never affects the investigators’ ability to solve a case, and her finances are never mentioned again. When Ellie finally gets paid for her first case, her reaction is simply: “Hmph.” 

Ellie has become a generically nice audience surrogate who, as someone new to the supernatural world, asks all the questions a reader might have about the lore in this story, never makes mistakes (unless she’s deliberately misled into making them) and reacts to situations like any reasonably well-meaning person would. The distinctive personality traits she had in the first episode all fell away as soon as the story got going, leaving the comic with a blank slate of a protagonist.

Characters should grow and change as a story develops-- that’s what a character arc is! But if an author creates a character with a personality that is discarded entirely once it becomes inconvenient, that is inconsistent and underdeveloped writing. Changes in a character’s core personality are more interesting when they happen slowly, gradually, and through a combination of external and internal influences. That’s what makes character-driven narratives compelling: a good character-focused story makes readers care about the characters’ emotional journeys.

A Webtoon I’ve read recently that does this particularly well is This Magical Moment by Yunhui Na, which is unfortunately a Daily Pass comic now so I can’t share screenshots of later episodes to illustrate this character growth. This Magical Moment, like Third Shift Society, is an urban fantasy comic, following a group of four 20-somethings who, while they begin their relationship at odds with each other, slowly become a tight group of friends. Sara is a Christian girl raised in an orphanage who dreams of becoming a nun, and while she is kind and gentle from the start, she’s also prejudiced and afraid of witches-- and her first impressions of potion-specialist witch Bakha don’t help. Meanwhile, Bakha starts the story as impulsive and irresponsible, only studying in the pharmacy department because it’s what her family wants her to do. Meeting Sara helps Bakha decide to take figuring out her plans for the future seriously, while Sara learns that she and witches have more in common than she thought.  The Sara and Bakha that appear in the final episode resemble the characters that appear in the first, but older, wiser, and happier for the friendships they’ve gained over the course of the story.

[Image description: Sara kneeling in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary in the orphanage garden, lamenting that she didn’t have time to stop Bakha’s dark arts of cleaning the laundry.]

[Image description: Bakha thinking that her mom is too worried about her future.]

Exercise: Make up a character (or use a character you have already if you have one.) List three to five of their personality traits. Then, keeping those personality traits in mind, describe how this character would a) get a cat down from a tree, b) study (or not study) for an exam, c) spend a day in a city unfamiliar to them, and d) obtain dinner. 

Now do it again for a different character, with a different personality! How would these different characters approach the same situation in ways that make sense for both of them? 

Repeat until bored.

Webtoon Recs of the Day: This Magical Moment is on Daily Pass, which means a new episode becomes available for free every day once you start unlocking episodes, and annoyingly enough so is the other Webtoon I was going to rec for this week which is Devil Number 4. Gourmet Hound, however, isn’t (yet) and I’m definitely going to talk more about Gourmet Hound later because it’s a fantastic comic that does a lot of things really well, character writing included.

[relto]

“appendix”

i ordered the physical books a while ago (theyre so pretty too..), and there were some presents in books 2 & 4.

let me know if you have ideas for improvement in the translations!

sorry that the pictures are lower quality. its entirely heavy shiny paper and tightly bound, so it doesnt scan or photograph well unfortunately. i feel like tungle is adding some extra blur, so click for full view!

each chapter also has a little drawing in front of it, i assume theyre the blog post drawings since most of them are in sius old art style. the fourth book goes up to mid hide and seek arc, to the scene where quant runs into aa’s setup!

first off, the covers:

(book 2)

”Now that 10 years have already passed since the begin of Tower of God's serialization, it finally (뒤늦게 - too late) ended up being published in book form. There are many reasons for the delay, but while I as a naturally lazy person learned to live a busy life, I think that all these things are extensive work. Apologies to everyone who waited, and I want to express my thanks one more time.

As someone who works as a webtoon author, I think that there is great significance in getting published. Because it's as good as receiving the recognition that between the many creative works on the internet, [this work] survives and is worth keeping.

(slap me if this is incorrect. this sentence was HARD.)

That's why this doesn't feel simple or like it's a given at all. There are many points that are embarrassing or lacking, so it seems that even now I end up questioning if I have the qualifications needed to take another step into the webtoon and publishing fields. 

But now that the books have been released, I hope that they sell well and that the result will be good. Haha.

I sincerely thank everyone who supported me in making it possible for these books to come out, everyone who helped, and above all those who made the serialization possible so far, and everyone who will help in the future. I keep saying this, but it seems that I'm a very lucky author. I will try to use this opportunity and repay with equally good work. 

Lastly, I want to say that I hope that the unfolding journey through the tower will be an enjoyable one, both for people who encounter Tower of God for the first time through these books, as well as those who have already read the webtoon.

Thank you. 

Let's make this a good journey.

PS.

Since some time has passed since season 1 has come out, I picked a few cuts from the previous drafts I thought were important to rework in the current art style, and attached them together with a short comment as a small bonus. (부록 - appendix) If the circumstances allow it, I will try to redraw several important scenes like this in the future. It's small, but I hope it's a good present”

“It's the scene where Bam rushes at the steel eel despite Headon's warning. I chose it because I think that it gives an impression of Bam's personality in the early story and shows the overall work's mood well.”

(i translated 신해어 as "steel eel" bc i remember it being called that, but its closer to "divine fish". also 이미지 is just "image" spelled in hangeul, but using that doesnt really work well)

“It's the scene where Bam and Khun meet for the first time and Khun makes Bam uncomfortable (?) (곤란하게 - awkward, embarrassing) after seeing the Black March. It's one of the scenes that led to the current Rakhunbam, so I picked it to draw again.”

(this is also the illustration on the sticker!)

“It's the scene where Anak confronts Bam with the Green April. In the Crown Game, Anak is definitely at her most active, and I figured that obviously I had to draw her once, so I picked something and tried to draw it. Haha.”

(book 4)

1. print release

(panel 1)

Bam: Khun-ssi! Rak-ssi! Look at this!! Volumes 1 and 2 came out!!

(panel 2)

Oh, I'm on the second book's cover. As expected, that useless crocodile was pushed back to the third book. What a relief. After all, I'm the most important.

(panel 3)

Looks like they're reserving me as a hidden wildcard to boost sales later on. Isn't it that that albino turtle's importance drops sharply after the second book? What a relief.

(panel 4)

Mm~ It's satisfactory. 

Bam: It seems that everyone is content, how fortunate!

I think it's well made. Wouldn't the third book make a good hot mat?

(something you set a hot pan/pot down on. i.. dont actually know a good universal word for it in english? research was inconclusive. any tips?)

2. Rakhunbam

(panel 1)

Bam: Khun-ssi! Rak-ssi! I heard that people call us "Rakhunbam"! That's interesting, isn't it? (Let go - you let go)

(panel 2)

The fact that I'm in the middle must mean that I'm the most important. After all, I'm the center of the world!

(panel 3)

Me being first means that I'm the leader!!

As expected, everyone recognizes me as this team's leader! This team's leader is me!

(panel 4)

Hey! Cut it out! Crocodile!!

Bam: It seems that everyone is content, how fortunate!

You stop first! Turtle!!

“Yu Hansong is one of the characters where it gets more difficult to know his true intentions the more his story is developed. I think so, not only in the first season, but also later on. He especially likes mixed coffee (?).”

“Khun likes the feeling of controlling and playing around with situations and people. I don't know if the blood of a great family was an influence, but he feels equal parts mischievous and serious.”

“Season 1 Rak was pretty imposing. As Tower of God's mascot, he's a true hero (for real). Haha.”

(thanks @ skimmilk11 for helping with this one!)

thank you for looking!

[holycow99]

石田お寿司 12/9/21 stream translation Part 12

This is not the full translation of the stream. I only translated the parts I could understand & interpret or parts I found interesting/important. I’m still a beginner in Japanese, so the translations may not be accurate. If you want to repost, please repost at your own risk.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(t/n: ** means translation may not be accurate.)

C: From your perspective, are editors someone who nurture (mangakas)? Are they gonna continue to be a presence who shape a part of you?

I: Nurturing? I don’t even aware of it at all. I think that applies to each other. I think both shape a part of each other as the relationship deepens. The editor gives feedback and the writer fixes the story based on the feedback. That’s how a work is created. I think both are shaping a part of one another. The writer and the editor becomes that kind of existence to each other and that’s how they both grow and change on their own accord. I don’t think they help writers grow though. To me, helping a human to grow is presumptuous/stupid.

(t/n: The word ‘okagamashii’ means both presumptuous and stupid. I’m not sure which one of them was he referring to in this context. You can interpret it as you like.)

I: Is the next Choujin X gonna be release soon?

I: Yeah. I forgot how to draw it in the middle of drawing the draft, so it took me some time.

*Ishida mentioned that he’s finding time to do both choujin x and animal rap, as well as drawing JJ’s illustrations.

C: I’m happy there’s a lot of streaming videos lately.

I: There’s not a lot lately, since I went away for a while. Maybe the duration was actually shorter than I thought it was.

C: Let’s stream until noon.

I: Well…it depends on the situation. I do think of that. I can’t help but do my work during streaming. Just like what I’m doing currently. If I play games, I’ll just play and then when it’s over, I can just end the stream. But when I’m doing my work, I don’t know when I should end it. I’ve no choice but to finish my work. In other words, I’ll be streaming until I’m done with my manuscript. For me, doing that is good because my work can progress. It’s like I’m being monitored. For a period of time, OPM’s artist, Murata sensei did that before but he quit for few reasons. I think it’s good to feel like you’re being monitored. Hamada Yoshikasu sensei did that as well. He pretty much streamed him working everyday. I’m not sure whether he’s still doing it.

C: Do stream every night.

I: That’s a bit…This is also difficult for me to do. I like making plans on what I should do. For example, “what I should do for this and that day?” or “what if I do this with this pace?”, but to actually follow the plan is hard. You’d feel lazy on the very day you had a plan. People who thoroughly follow their plans are admirable, aren’t they? It’s not like I have the need to follow it. But then, I wish to be able to do that.

C: If you get bored drawing the background, I want you to stream while you’re working on it even if it’s on irregular basis.

I: For the background, I must finish doing them all at once, if not it’ll take a few days. There’s a limit to what kind of work I can stream. I don’t want really wanna show me working on the latest chapter. It’s the latest chapter, after all. I’ll show the chapter after I’ve drawn it properly. This one is basically me fixing the chapter 2, so it’s fine.

C: It’ll be nice if there’s a notice before the stream on the day itself.

I: I see. It’ll be easier to watch if there’s a notice. You can arrange your time. But then, it depends on my mood. I‘d feel sorry if I suddenly don’t wanna stream, but you guys are already excitedly waiting for it. So, I’ll just do it randomly.

C: I can prepare some sweets if there’s a notice beforehand.

I: Well…Maybe I’ll at least give notice on that very day. If I really wanna stream, then I might let you guys know beforehand.

I: The 30,000 commemoration. I might not do anything for it. But I’ll keep that as a memory. Even someone like me can have that amount of subscribers with this kind of content. I’m thankful for that.

C: I turn on my notification, so it doesn’t matter if you tell us beforehand or not.

I: Oh, really? Then, I’ll do it as I like. It’s better If there’s a notice. Well, I’ll do it if I feel like it.

C: This is random, but I only turned on your tweet notification.  

I: Sometimes, I forgot to update on my twitter though. I update it when I’m streaming.

C: 30,000 subscribers is amazing! It’s more than the number of people in my home town.

I: That’s true. If you think about it that way, then 30,000 is amazing.

*Someone wanted Ishida to stream the drawing of the Choujin X’s volume’s cover, but he said it’ll be hard to do that.

C: For me, I like for the cover to be a surprise.

I: Hm…I probably think so too.

I: For me, regarding choujin x, I want everything about it, such as the drafts, to be a secret. If I got to do another manga, then I might…ah, but that probably wouldn’t be possible due to my personality. I do kinda want to be monitored when I’m drawing difficult stuffs. It seems to be efficient for me that way. It could make me feel motivated if you guys watching me draw them.

*The adult comment came back.

I: Can I do something about it? It’s probably just random comments. Report or timeout? What’s timeout for? Should I try time it out this time? Did it time out?

*The comment finally gone. It’s troublesome though. I have to do something about the comment every single time. I should leave it to the dark moderator.

I: It did!

*Ishida mentioned that he’d timeout this one fan if they commented something unpleasant.

C: That could be a reward itself.

I: What? Me banning that person? That’s already a stalker attitude. You mean it’s because I noticed them, right? There must be such people. But what a pitiful person if that’s the only way for them to be noticed by others. Doing what the other party dislikes, then seeing their unpleasant reaction. Being happy just by the fact that the other party reacted to them is already a lost cause. Don’t wanna be that kind of person, right?

C: It’s amazing how you can have a phone call with someone everyday.

I: It depends on the occasion. Like when you really feel the need to talk or when you’re having a tough time. I too had times when I randomly just called someone because I couldn’t concentrate working. When I thought it’d be good for me to work while conversing, then I’d call someone. But the other person also has their own life, if this happens continuously, even if they say okay, they must be actually enduring it. I mostly speak to my work-related friend.

C: Being a mangaka is a lonely job, isn’t it?

I: Yeah, you’re right. This is also another difficult issue. It might get harder to confront my work if I spend more time with others. So, especially, recently, I tried to get myself more motivated. I’ve isolated myself around until the end of summer, but as I thought, working with people is easier for me, mentally speaking. I have somebody to listen to me and I feel less pressured, that is, they give me some kind of advice and I can apply them.

C: Do you consult with the editor in charge when you’re at loss?

I: I think I do. I did consult with Mr. Matsuo at the beginning. But then, I think it’s important to resolve your problems on your own. I do think I have a lot of people I can consult with, and that’s totally fine, but I don’t want to do that. I want to find the answers that I’m completely satisfied with by myself. So, I hold myself back from seeking others’ advice. I did ask Ms. Towada about stuffs on JJ when I had some questions since she gave good answers.

I: Well, I wanna work on this manga randomly. And by ‘random’, I don’t mean sloppily. I wanna work on this manga in a way that’s appropriate for both the work and I. So, I thought it’d be better for me to seek less advice or opinions from others. I’ll do differently if this way isn’t working.

C: You’re a wise person.

I: Obviously. Hahaha. Of course. It’s because I keep thinking about things like this. I hope you find my words useful.

*He then mentioned that he preferred the way of doing things randomly, but it might not be suitable for certain people. However, it’s okay to seek advice.

*Ishida recalling the conversation he had with Ms. Towada regarding Hoshi Sandek.

I: “Hoshi and Arima look similar, right?”.

T: “Have you seen how Arima Kishou looks like?”.

I: “Yes, I have… They look similar, right?”

T: “You mean their characters’ overlapped?”

I: “Not that.”

T: “Hmm….”

I: Hahaha. What do you guys think? Do Sandek and Arima look similar?

C: Are you a TG bandwagon fan?

I: Hahaha. I might’ve never read it properly. But I legit did read TG recently. I’m not kidding. I took a look at it again. I’m thinking of accepting TG. It’s not that I don’t. I wanna accept it more. All said and done, I’m really glad I wrote TG. It’s good that I have something to leave behind. It’s definitely a good thing.

C: Have you ever played Red Dead Redemption 2? (comment in eng.)

I: Like I said, short time. Short time? Little time. (Speaking in eng) I wanna play it though. I wanna play more, but I’ve no time. Too busy.

C: I think Hoshi is actually what Sui looks like. (comment in eng.)

I: She’s saying Hoshi looks similar to me. Are you kidding me?

*Ishida looking for another page to draw.

I: Please take a look at this version of the chapter in the magazine. This will be in the comic as well, probably. They’re both the same.

C: Sensei, are you gonna sleep after this?

I: Nope. I’ll probably check whether Hitman’s already downloaded after I end the stream. After that, I’ll eat and then finish up my upcoming work. I need to add colour for the pages. And I kinda wanna draw an illustration. Have you guys seen Itaewon Class on Netflix? It’s from a Korean webtoon. It’s been made into a drama and I was super addicted to it.

C: Park Saeroyi? (The name of the drama’s mc)

I: Yes. That one. He’s really cool. That hairstyle. I wanna draw Park Saeroyi, if can. There’s this sassy kinda girl in the story, right? That girl is a total beauty. Yi Seo. (t/n: Yi Seo is the FL’s name.)

I: I wanna draw real humans. I’ve been drawing them lately, not that it’s a problem, since I’ve been drawing manga only.

C: She is pretty!!

I: I know right. She’s gorgeous.

I: I read a little bit of the original work, and it pretty much the same as the drama, so I thought the original work was amazing. But then, the Japanese version changed it into Roppongi Class. It’s a different vibe… Does it really matter if it’s in Itaewon? They changed it to suit Japanese readers. Was it the Line Manga or was it not? I don’t remember, but they did that. Just let it be in Itaewon or Korea. I was like “Don’t f*** with me!”.

C: Marunouchi Class.

I: Haha. I’m drawing that. Marunouchi Class. (t/n: Marunouchi is a commercial district in Tokyo.)

I: Itaewon is better. There’s no such place in Roppongi. I’m not familiar with Roppongi though. It may have places like this, but it’s better to showcase the vibes of Korea. Itaewon is a place packed with foreigner. It’s a miscellaneous street. It’s close to Roppongi now that I’ve put it that way. But still…Those who subscribe to Netflix, I recommend you to watch Itaewon Class. They only shot scenes that were important, so it’s really easy to follow the story. Such a beautiful drama. There were quite a lot of cliché moments, but there were also some unexpected twists in those moments, so it pulled you in. Korean entertainment is far ahead.

*The assistant guy finally went to sleep.

I: Oh, you’re gonna sleep now? You definitely can’t oversleep. Don’t mention my name as well. Haha. Do your best as an assistant. Okay, after he left, everyone takes a screenshot. I’m gonna send it to his boss.

C: Sensei, do you read the manga “This is Good”?

I: I don’t. Is it an ecchi manga? Is it the one in Tonari Young Jump? Is it the one with beautiful drawing probably? I wanna try reading it. I need to cultivate (?) and boost the popularity of Tonari Young Jump. I’d like to take on that mission.

I: Has Mr. assistant slept already?

C: I won’t sleep then.

I: It’s okay 2x. Please sleep. Don’t worry 2x. Nothing’s gonna happen. If you’re worried, you can watch it later.

I: I just thought of the number 1 prank he shouldn’t do. I wanted to ask him to draw shit on the manuscript. I wanted him to leave my mark on the background. But that’s definitely a no-no. It’ll be a problem. However, that kind of assistants do exist. Not a lot, but there are assistants that play around.

Part 13

[livefordrama]

Reviewing Dramas I Have Watched Part 8

Again, here is my rating system:  1- Did not like, 2- Enjoyed but probably wouldn’t watch again, 3- Enjoyed and would watch some episodes again/may watch again, 4- Enjoyed and would watch again, 5- Loved 

Korean Drama

My Strange Hero: 4

Trigger Warning: Suicide, Bullying, Verbal and Emotional Abuse

My Strange Hero is about a man named Bok-su (which stands for revenge), who was falsely accused by his friend and girl friend of shoving his friend off the school roof and expelled from high school. Now nine years later, he gets the opportunity to return to school but he isn’t just going to go back nicely, seeing the seemingly cozy lives those who betrayed him are living he decides to enact his revenge by proving how corrupt the high school and the people working in it are. However, his plans for revenge get more difficult to achieve when he begins to fall for his ex-girlfriend once again. 

This show was cute and interesting, it made me mad and lot and Yoo Seung-ho never disappoints. I ended up watching it in less than a week with studying and all so it draws you in really fast. I absolutely loved the realistic factor of not having to forgive everyone for a good ending and to move on. Many shows, kdrama or otherwise, make characters forgive even those who did horrible things to them just for a good ending, and it’s not always that simple nor do you owe those who did horrible things to you an apology to be a good person and move on looking at you Missing Nine. However my main complaint with it is that the ending isn’t as impactful or satisfying as the ending three episodes previous. I’m glad they had the three ending episodes because the other characters got more closure, I just wish they would have made it as impactful as the ending of episode 29. It is about thirty minutes an episode so it’s a really fun and interesting watch if you need something on the shorter side. I highly recommend!

Love Alarm (Season 1): 3 

Trigger Warning: Bullying, Suicide, PTSD, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Abuse 

Love Alarm deals with the concept of having an app that can read your emotions and alerts your phone when you are in 10 meters of someone who loves you or alerts your crushes phone if they are within the 10 meters. It follows Jojo, a girl with a mysterious and sad past, who can’t download Love Alarm because of her phone. She is in an unhappy relationship and begins to have feelings for the new student. After being kind to a student, he gives her the phone and she can finally download it only to find that love is a lot more complicated than she originally expected. 

Okay, I started this show because the new season was coming out and everyone was freaking out about it. I had been avoiding it all this time because I love Song Kang and have been following his work since his smaller roles, hoping he would get bigger roles. I was so excited when I first heard he would be the main here but couldn’t ever bring myself to watch it cause I don’t like romance love triangles and already knew he was playing the webtoon second lead which made it worse. Plus I have a trauma with anything that has Kim So-Hyun in it. I adore her acting, she is so good, too good. She just always plays in really sad, dark Kdramas and I always like the second leads in her shows so I just get sad and angry when I watch her shows. I at the time just didn’t feel like dealing with being annoyed and finally got in the mood to watch a cheesy love triangle romance. *spoiler alert* I can confidentially say that while no character and no ship is necessarily healthy, I do prefer Sun-ho to Hye-yeong. No, not because he is played by Song Kang, in the first few episodes I hated his character. I wanted to punch him so badly, but with all his immature flaws he did do some mature things. He told Hye-yeong to not fight over Jojo and to let her pick which I loved because, shows like to have the two people fight amongst themselves who gets the crush and that’s so stupid to me, Jojo is a person with feelings too and she might not like either so I loved that he said that. I also loved that instead of telling Hye-yeong not to pursue Jojo because he still loved her, he told Jojo to stay away from Hye-yeong so that he wouldn’t be hurt by her like Sun-ho was. He still loved her but his friend came first, and I felt horrible when he lost almost everyone who genuinely loved him. Hye-yeong is okay, but he isn’t even a healthier option, he literally stalks her all the time without her even knowing about it, he memorized her daily routine, where he’s going to college so he could move there to be around her, it’s just too creepy to me. Yes, Sun-oh stalked her too and that is not okay at all, but he made his presence known so that she can voice if she was uncomfortable or knew to call someone if she felt threatened, Hye-yeong sneaks around and doesn’t even talk to her and that’s super creepy to me. I just think they are both immature and personally with some growth I think Sun-oh is more fitting than Hye-yeong cause the two really do seem like they are in love with each other while Jojo and Hye-yeong seem like a crush that will turn out to be more platonic. I know it’s wishful thinking but that’s just my hopes. *spoiler over* I did really love this show actually, sometimes you just need a trashy dramatic romance. Yes, it had toxic behaviors but I still liked it, it felt like a realistic teenage couple in high school (minus Mr. Stalkery Stalks.) I think that not everything has to be analyzed, I enjoyed the cute romantic scenes at face value, even though I knew they weren’t healthy. If it happened to me in real life, I would have punched a bitch but it’s fun to watch on a screen. 

Blood: 2

Trigger Warnings: Blood, Suicide, Terminal illness, Murder, Abuse. 

Blood is about a surgeon who is also a vampire. He tries to control his vampire self and help humans while working on a way to make himself human. When he transfers to a new hospital things take a turn for the weird as the patients of the new ward start exhibiting symptoms he is all too familiar with. 

Blood was really good for the first two thirds of the series. I watched it before I found out about the main couples real life situation but continued to enjoy it because it’s none of my business what they do in their personal lives (so please don’t message or leave comments about that situation or your opinions on it.) Both couples were super cute and there were some plot twists that admittedly got me. I liked the story line and the idea that vampires were viruses that doctors were researching in secret. I really got hooked for most of the story; however, the last few episodes felt almost like they switched writers and the new writer had never watched the previous episodes. Comments were made that never were brought up again, like the thirty minutes of vaguely discussing his parents and who he was as an infectee that was never even slightly brushed upon for the rest of the episodes let alone resolved. Not to mention that last episode was a total mess and the ending sucked. The last two episodes are not canon in my mind that’s how weirdly out of place for the show they felt, it was like a 180. The ending was so confusing and I just really hated how it all played out. Because of this, I give the show a 2 cause I did enjoy it a lot but I won’t watch it again. Once of that was enough. 

Legend Hero: 4

Legend Hero, also known as Legend Hero Samgugjeon or Legends Heroes the Three Kingdoms, is about people who compete in a dream battle to acquire their ultimate dream. The main character acquired three spirit helpers which help him in combat by transforming him into an armored knight with special power, and later befriends angels who help him in the battles by boosting this power. He has to fight friend and foe alike to achieve his ultimate dream but that begs the question, is a dream really worth it?

I really enjoyed this show, it was admittedly difficult to get into at first but once I did, I was hooked. The characters were so cute and endearing, the plot had humor, angst, and fluff alike. The acting was a little silly at points but it was made for kids so it’s a little overdramatic. It was all around a very entertaining watch, I watched the whole series while on vacation during the resting hours when my family and I were lazing around the hotel and it was such a refreshing, happy, lazy watch. I highly recommend for those who enjoy a happy watch when they just wish to relax.

Web-Drama/Mini-Series

Power Rangers Dino Force Brave: 4

Power Rangers Dino Force Brave, while technically a sequel to the super sentai series, is a original stand alone production and sSouth Korean take on the power rangers series. While the power rangers finally enjoy the peace that had come to the earth, a new threat is brewing. The Neo-Deboth Army has arrived looking for the power of the dinosaur king, the power ranger once more have to come together to defeat this threat.

This show was super interesting and cute. I have never seen any of the power ranger series so I am entirely inexperienced when it comes to their world. However, I can confidentially say this is a good stand alone as I was not confused while watching it. The first episode got recommended to me on youtube and since I was bored and unsure of what to do, I decided to watch it. I believe I finished the whole series in only a few days. It was super cute and I liked how ironic and silly the ending was with all the characters, including the evil ones dancing together. I’m sure die hard power rangers fans hated that but as someone who knows nothing about the series, I found it quite hilarious. The plot itself was entertaining and cool, it had some angst moments and some cute moments. I loved the ending, but that’s all I will say about that. 

Founder of Diabolism Q: 3

Founder of Diabolism Q is simply snippets of cute or funny scenes from the book that didn’t make it into the series or at least not in as much detail. It follows many characters in small, five minute long episodes and the shenanigans they get in to. 

Founder of Diabolism Q was super cute! I have watched The Untamed and read some of the book but haven’t watch the actual anime yet. Still, I decided to watch this short series. I watched each episode as it came out and loved every one. There isn’t much to say on it though, other than it was super cute and if you love The Untamed or its adaptions, I highly recommend. Just make sure you watch or read one of the full adaptions first otherwise you will be very confused. 

Imaginary Cat: 4

Trigger Warning: Depression, Suicide, Vomit, Illness, Death

Imaginary Cat is about an aspiring webtoon artist who, after loosing his crush and falling into a depression, finds a cat in an alley and takes her in. He is able to recover from the loss and get back into writing when he meets a girl who is obsessed with cats especially after she lost her kitten as a child. He is just trying to get his webtoon accepted and she just wants to get close to him and his cat. 

This was such a cute little easy watch, but was really sad at some points throughout the series. I teared up through some scenes and laughed so hard through others. I also related a lot to how the main plays with his cat, especially when said cat wants none of it. It was a really nice mini-drama to watch in the very little time I had between studying and moving house. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend to those who want a easy watch that’s a little sad and very cute. 

Korean Movies

The Magician: 4

Trigger Warning: Blood, Abuse, Drugs, Suicide Attempt, Murder, Death

The Magician is set in the Joseon Era and follows the famous magician, Hwan-hee. He along with his blind friend Bo-eum ran away from their abusive caretaker as children and are still worrying about being found by him even to this day as they perform to keep their livelihoods. Meanwhile a noble lady who was sold to the Qing dynasty comes to town. The two end up running into each other and quickly fall in love, however they both have to overcome the obstacles in their way in order to be together. 

I loved this movie, I had to pause a few times just to process how much I personally enjoyed it. I wish I was able to watch it in a better quality because I never once saw how his one eye was blue, I just took their word and the movie poster for it. Unfortunately, it was the only place I could find to watch so I took what I could. The only reason I am giving it a four instead of a five is the ending sucked. I hated the ending. It just felt unnecessary and honestly really pissed me off. I don’t always need a happy ending but I also didn’t need that kind of ending either. I would still recommend it to those who like angst with some romance and a open-ish ending. 

Seondal The Man Who Sells the River: 5

Trigger Warnings: Blood, Death, Vomit, Gore

Seondal is supposedly a comedy about a group of swindlers who become fast family after escaping from a war they were drafted in. They work together to swindle their way into riches and out of dangerous situations. They gained a huge name in the Joseon dynasty for even swindling the king. However, after tragedy strikes, they decide to do their greatest job yet, sell a river of fake gold. 

The movie was really good, both funny and heartbreaking. My friend and I watched it together thinking it would be a nice comedy after we watched some sad kdrama earlier that week however, it was most certainly not. We both ended up crying and raging. So just be warned it claims to be a comedy and it is hilarious for the first half of the movie, however it quickly turns dark so fast you are just sitting their in shock wondering what happened. I thought Xiumin’s acting was great and his character was adorable. I had not seen his acting before and he easily became a favorite. The movie’s plot and writing kept you engaged and entertained throughout and the ending was great in my opinion. Overall it was a really good watch, I have seen it twice now and thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend to those who enjoy both comedy and angst.

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[alatismeni-theitsa]

answering LO/anti LO asks:

(1) Let’s also not kid ourselves, it’s creepy Smythe imagines the majority of her female characters as “PoC” and they only exist to be sexualized, infantilized, and be props for the male characters (Persephone is Hades’ prize, Psyche is a prop for Eros, Aphrodite is a literal sex object, Minthe is nothing but Evil incarnate, etc). As a person of color myself and as a woman, I do not feel represented, I feel insulted and mocked, though I’m sure her lily white self thinks she’s a beacon of progress!

(2) Did you read today episode of Lore olympus? It was so creepy. Hades watched on a tape how few years earlier teenage (around 15-17 years) persephone was sitting NAKED on him when he was drunk. Then he rells demeter about amazing pink goodess and how he wants to ask zeus is she available. Demeter freaks out and wants to get him more drunk so he wont remember her. And he is mad about that demeter protect her teenage doughter from a wine addicted old man.

Oh and also fandom didn't see anything wrong with moment when persephone ended up naked in front of him (and at that time she was an teenager) and they were like oww so cute he acted like an gentelmam and i was like bitch were? And level of oversexualization persephone in this episode was highlike showing her butt when she run or many svenes when she was nacked and this wouldnt be bothering me if the fact that in this episode pernephone was teenager. It was sick

(3) I don't think anyone can deny LO made Webtoons a big platform in the West but at this point they're big enough to let LO fend for itself and start promoting other works to get more people reading, especially now as LO is getting more criticism that Rachel won't listen to and dropping numbers. It'd be like Netflix only promoting Stranger Things or Amazon only promoting Ms Maisel. It's rude to the other series that are better in views/numbers but also isn't a good business practice either.

(4) I’m so glad i found your blog and the anti lo tag, everyone seems to love this comic... granted i’m not overly familiar with greek mythology but i know a bad story when i read one. Persephone really gives Bella Swan a run for her money in stupidity. She’s just such a bad character.

(5) I don't agree with the WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS! take that video took since i don't think young women are just that dumb to be manipulated by a comic, but the rest was on point. Smythe can't take criticism, she openly lies about her storytelling, she botches what could be interesting elements, Hades is downright creepy, the relationship is horribly toxic/imbalanced and he's aware/seems to relish in it, the teenager is way too hypersexualized, etc. Wish Webtoons would promote other comics...

(6) OOOF that video was rough to watch but way too true. I really never noticed how damn near father/daughter-like Smythe made her version of HxP be (&the power imbalance) and framed it as the only healthy relationship in story & claims its "supposed to be uncomfortable". Why would you want your audience to be uncomfortable supporting the main relationship? Though it was funny that the commentator said she obviously has a fetish for older men. He must not know she's pushing 40.

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(1) As I said in another answer, I am not sure if she imagines them as poc? She had casted White and Black people for most and maybe they wants to say some of the characters have “Black vibes“??? (which is weird ngl) Honestly, I don’t know. Plus, you cannot make a person Black in a predominantly White area and not talk about their experience or their different culture. Persephone made it a big deal that she was from a different area (Sicily) but she never mentioned she looked different than the locals.

I think if anyone from the main cast, someone on our screens most of the time, was Black or generally not looking like the average Greek we would know it because of references. So maybe Smythe just wants the African American and/or Black vibes for her characters and not actual Blackness. Everyone is like “deities can be whatever race you like“ and they forget that many times being a specific race gives you unique experiences, as well as advantages and disadvantages.

Psyche has probably an African mother and, unfortunatelly, she wasn’t depicted very respectfully.

I am Greek and not even I feel represented by any of those characters even those who are clearly white and old deities of my culture. (That is because they are just “White” and not “Greek” culturally). Smythe doesn’t know how to write cultures...

As a PoC, do you feel like we have any indication that certain characters (except Psyche) are not White? Because I haven’t seen such a thing. As I mentioned, I don’t even think they even act like Greeks but that’s another story xD Because of the setting, I see them as charicatures of White Americans who don’t even have the white American culture.

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(2) Yesss I read it!! And I hadn’t thought that she was so young back then! Jeeeez!! Smythe sexualized her even in the episode where she was barely legal!

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(3) That’s probably a good idea. More works need to be advertised so everyone getst an equal chance. Betting only on one horse won’t give profit to Webtoons.

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(4) Welcome!! Here, take some tea with salt!

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(5) It’s true that young girls are not going to be influenced only by this comic and then go ruin their lives with abusive men. It’s just that there is this general culture of women having more value the younger and more innocent they are, while for the men it’s the opposite. This comic and other works are part of a bigger problem which tells girls it’s ok to meet this behavior in an older man and you should want to be with such a man when you are 19. Again, it’s not only about this specific comic. But we have to start fixing this culture by beginning from something, right?

I am glad that you agreed with the rest of the points. That means the youtuber says what most of us think and want to express - but we don’t dare because the LO fandom will eat us alive.

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(6) I wanted to hear someone else talk about the problems of LO but at the same time it made me uncomfortable because it talks about difficult issues. There are some dynamics appropriate for certain ages. You CAN write about unhealthy relationships and leave the reader decide for themselves but now when your audience also has teenagers and when the HxP relationship is presented as the GOOD relationship in the story. Smythe went as far as to have the storyline with Apollo so we can see how Good Hades is in comparison.

Ah yes, she just likes men her age! But I think he was kinda correct on the “Daddy and Little“ kink xD Especially after I took a glimpse of that NSFW picture from her patreon with the spanking.

[lgcjin]

━━━   ❥ PROJECT ORIGIN CHARACTER PRESENTATION

the thought of creating a character idea from scratch obsessed jinyoung for days after they learned about it. for the whole month of april it often passed through his mind and he wondered... if a webtoon character could be inspired from him, what would this character look like? what would it sound like? how would it influence the story in a way that would be impactful for the readers? truth is, he had no concrete vision. jinyoung doesn't think that any aspect of his life is worthy of being written about. he's not interesting, he's not particularly handsome either, he's very smart but not a genius... it's hard for him to accept that he would be a 'knight' in this fictional universe where they need to save the world. why him? why him more than someone else?

the idea forms little by little but even when it's time to present it to the panel, jinyoung isn't confident in himself. he wishes he could be like these other trainees full of determination and pride. they have no problem believing in themselves and promoting themselves when he can't even manage to write an idealized version of himself for a work of fiction. when will he finally learn to be braver and stronger? "you can do this, choi jinyoung. be confident!" he whispers to himself right as he's about to go in. saying it is much easier than truly believing it, but he takes deep breaths hoping it will help. "you got this." he closes his eyes, bites his lower lip and enters.

what they see is his usual bright smile plastered on his face. he bows, seemingly happy even though he's a mess inside. "hello! i'm choi jinyoung," he introduces himself though of course, they know who he is otherwise he would not be in this very room right now. "truth is, coming up with a character was a bit difficult for me. i never thought of myself as someone who could be the inspiration behind a knight who's chosen to protect the rest of the world. i've always seen myself as more of a supporting role, someone who stays in the background and lets my friends take the spotlight instead." he was never jealous, or envious in a toxic way. but he can't say he's never wished he could be popular like jina, or have this raw, undeniable and noticed talent like jun. "but i ended up realizing that... in stories, the heroes are not always the most talented, or the geniuses, or the most powerful, or the most influential. regular people can also turn out to be heroes, or change things." he nods with a little smile, hoping they get the point he's trying to get across. "if i could, i would want others to feel inspired when they see me. because even if i'm just an average guy, i aspire to do great things and i think... i think i've taken steps to be able to do that. simply by being here before you today, i realize that i have more courage than i think i do." it's true, isn't it? he kept thinking negatively about himself and comparing his talent and personality with others. but in the end, not just anyone could have gotten to where he is today. "the character i envision is someone who is often underestimated, to the point where he starts to underestimate himself too. he doesn't have a lot of confidence and, at the beginning of the story, he tends to let others make decisions and follows orders without ever voicing out what he thinks. he's of short height, and skinny, so he appears a lot younger than he is and so a lot of the other knights don't take him seriously. but there comes a moment where he realizes that he can turn those weaknesses into strengths. he can use the fact that people disregard him and turn it into a weapon, because they'll never expect him to be able to beat them. of course he wouldn't be as amazing as some of the other knights, because he still has a lot of room to grow, but he has a sharp mind and a kind heart. he wants to help others in the best way he can and once he realizes that he also has a place in this group, that he belongs, he will start taking on a more active role. i could see him have a lot of knowledge about medicine, physics, history and culture because he reads a lot and has a great memory. sort of a scholar more than a fighter, who's learned more defensive skills to be able to protect the other knights and civilians in need. if he were to possess a power, i believe it would be one that leans towards healing wounds, but there might be another person who will come up with that also, so..." he wouldn't want to steal someone else's character, but that's something he could see his character do instead of being this super fighter with amazing combat skills, or shooting lazers through his eyes. once it's done jinyoung is at peace with himself. no matter what they decide to do with his character, he was at least able to share his thoughts with them and not chicken out.

[sylusmph]

Hey lovely! May I ask for a ship request please?. My name is Carolina, I’m 20 years old, and I’m 5’0. I have long curly dark brown hair and light brown eyes. I’m mixed Colombian and Puerto Rican descendant. I love reading mangas, webtoons, and astrology books. I love watching netflix tv shows, anime, and telenovelas. I’m very heartwarming, affectionate, and kind but when I’m mad it’s scary. I’m not a follower I am a leader. I don’t take nobody’s shit. I love listening to Rap and RNB music. 🧬

I'm totally thinking of.....

Yoonkook!!

Let's begin by saying that they would want to know your ancestory and the story of you

These boys would ask you so many questions to determine what you are

Above all these boys would think you are so cool when they found out your ancestory

Since you are Puerto Rican with a little mix of Columbian in you, these boys would want to learn more about your culture since you learned so much from their own culture

One way you learned from their culture was by reading magnas, Webtoons, and astrology books

Sometimes in their language as well

The boys would help you in case some words were difficult for you to understand

If you had books in a language they never heard of, you would help them out as well

And when you guys would read anything together, they would be super cuddly with you

Jungkook would see you on the opposite side of the couch/bed and pull you into his embrace

His arms would surround your waist as he listened to you read your favorite story and share your thoughts with him

Yoongi I think never really reads much, but he would listen to you read as well

He would ask to cuddle with you

Yoongi would let you lay on his stomach, looking at what you were reading

He would want to listen to you reading since it made him so happy that your happy

And he would probably fall asleep after awhile, hands around your hips or waist hearing him snore silently

You would feel the ghost of his breath calming you even more

Above all, you guys would all have a cuddle party when it comes to watching anything that entertains you

Would sometimes build a fort so that it can almost be like a date but not really

Everything you watch would almost always be on Netflix

Both would at least recommend one new show or movie to each other

Would eventually fall asleep after watching so much after a amount of time while you would be sandwiched between the guys

Better yet, another thing that would make them super surprised is that you love to listen to Rap (RNB)

Especially Yoongi, since he was the one to produce a ton of raps

Yoongi would let you listen to his music before anyone else

Not even the boys could listen to it first, even if they begged

He would want you to sit on his as you listened to his music

He would want honest feedback on what you thought of it, wanting Army to love the song as well as you

He would maybe want you to join him as a collaboration with his own album too

Jungkook would do the same thing with you as well, wanting to collab with you

But he never truly was a rapper, he was part of the vocal line

But that doesn't matter, at least he wanted to try it out once

Since he wasn't a rapper, he wanted to try to rap with you and would want you to give him feedback in his skills of his rapping

But what would happen if someone hated Jungkooks rapping?

And Yoongis too?

Oh shit they would be going to hell

They would know not to mess with you when you were mad

They both thought Jimin would be the person who would be the most scariest when mad, but they were wrong

They would hear you cuss so much, that they don't really know how many times you have cussed with the same words over and over again

They would laugh at the person who insulted them, knowing that they should run away before they got hurt

They would always remember that you would always protect them

And they would protect you with all their heart

!SMUT AHEAD!

Jungkook would definitely be the dom during sex

Yoongi would be lazy on some days as well, whenever he's not feeling as horny as much

Yoongi would give you hickeys on your neck as you would moan silently

Jungkook would be behind you as he would remove you clothing as Yoongi was in front of you

As your clothing would be removed, Jungkook would be the one to push you on the bed, on top of you as he kissed you some more

Yoongi would lay beside you, clothes already off as he pumped his length, waiting for you to ride him

You would go on top of Yoongi positioning his length by your entrance

Jungkook would be behind you, as he pushed his length slowly inside your ass

You would slide down on Yoongis cock as he gripped onto you hips, thrusting upward

These boys would be the ones to thrust into you, while you just stay still as they pleased you

You would want to move, but Jungkook would grip your hips, making a rather obvious bruise where that would hurt for quite some time

Yoongi would reach up to play with your nipples as he thrusted harder

As they were close to coming, their thrusts would become sloppy

As they would come, Jungkook would bite your neck

Yoongi would kiss your lips roughly as he came

As they both pulled out of you, they would look at your sweating state

You would be sandwiched between them as you would fall into a deep sleep

The next morning you would only see Yoongi by your side, knowing that Jungkook was probably working out or doing something else

Yoongi would wake up, and tell you to stay in bed all day today, knowing that you would be hurting right now

As you relaxed down into bed, Yoongi would gently hold onto you, just talking random things

Later on, Jungkook would return with your favorite fast food, knowing that it would make you feel better

As Jungkook would lay down beside you in bed, tracing his fingers over you neck, over your hickeys that the boys have created, marking you as theirs

And you would trace your index finger over both the boys hickeys, reminiscing the time you had together

You wanted this moment to last forever, but knowing they have to go on tour soon

Yet, you didn't know this, but they would take you everywhere during tour

(There ya go! Sorry it took so long and I really hope you enjoy this because I really like writing this type of stuff, knowing that people like me doing this! Again thank you, love you so much, and I hope you love it! 😊)

[tgtahr]

Hey! I just found your comic on Webtoon, and I was wondering where you got the inspiration for it? It seems super intricately planned, I really like it!!

Aw thank you, anon! I’m glad you liking what I’m putting out so far!The answer for this is going to be a bit long.  Bear with me, I really like babbling about my comic.It’s a weird source but the inspiration for my comic are topics that stood out too me in media I’ve consumed over the years.  When coming up with TGtaHR I wanted to sort of analyze or subvert a few tropes I always had a some beef with.  Mainly dealing with the gender/sex roles that are usually queer/LGBT+ characters in romantic fiction, the depiction of mental and physical illness, lastly relationships and abuse.Sorry about my grammar and spelling!Gender/Sex Roles - This one goes back when my character Julian was first created back in 2010, as the main character in a different comic called ‘WYIHN!’, who was meant to be in a romantic role with another character named Matthew. (Once getting the story down on paper the story was changed to something platonic because I’m not very good at working with romance)  This was going to be my depiction of sexuality and companionship from a more dreary standpoint given my recent criticisms with BL/Yaoi and the romance genre as a whole.I used to be a huuuunge, gross, fujoshi funny enough... until I realized how I fetishizing real people in the queer community, and how toxic most romance is.  WYIHN was going to be a romance with a much more melancholy ending with Matthew losing his home because of his sexuality, leading to him and Julian living in a small studio apartment, barely making ends meet as they’re both still kids. (Julian being just becoming old enough to leave the orphanage, and still figuring out how to live on their own)Of course the whole thing sorta flopped, losing direction after realizing their relationship was still toxic, and I didn’t have the experience or knowledge at the time to know how to fix it.  Ultimately Julian, a fight or flight type of character with an interest in science was extremely incompatible with Matthew, an entitled religious fanatic who is fine with using force to push their beliefs on others.Why am I bringing up all this? Well, Julian was meant to be a subversion of the heteronormative ‘uke’ stereotype.  Julian was original created as a cis-gendered, gay male, who was comfortable enjoying feminine things while still being more masculine.  Of course as I developed them as a person, and I myself grew mentally, they evolved from cis and gay to non-binary and pansexual.  Which fits much better with the extremely fluid or vague ideas they’ve had of gender to begin with. (being a child not raised by conventional means, Julian has no solid concept of gender, so it makes sense that their view on sexual attraction and their own gender identity would be just as vague)In turn when creating Apollo, who was literally just made so Julian can have a friend of some kind, he was also made to challenge stereotypical masculinity of a ‘seme’ type.  While he does display toxic masculine views, Apollo is not a masculine person himself, having some feminine mannerisms, finding himself in situations being lead or dominated by others, and later in TGtaHR enjoying a more subservient or domesticated role.  In a way Apollo himself is struggling with finding himself, sticking with a certain set of beliefs because he was raised to think that’s how things should be, and due to the pressure of his peers.In sort, I wanted to take the masculine vs. feminine gender roles, and pick them apart while observing how these characters with their very specific personalities work these social standards.  Especially as people in the queer/LGBT+ community.Mental and Physical Illness - This one has more of a personal spin with it, but I’ll bring that stuff up last.If you’ve watched a movie ever, read a book or comic, or played a video game, chances are you’ve seen some unnamed illness or something along the lines of cancer being used as a way to make the audience feel sympathy for a character.  Most of the time this is used as a lazy means to bring emotion to a character with little to no personality, and the illness is rather... romanticized, normally being magically cured or the person showing little to no physical signs of the illness outside of a bad cough and looking tired.On the subject of mental illness.  Growing up with the horror genre, and the occasional thrillers and dramas, I’ve seen a lot of negativity surrounding this topic.  In a way it’s very similar to how physical illness is used, but rather than being a tool for sympathy it’s normally used to villainize a character, sometimes using a mental illness as a reason why they murdered their family or something along those lines.  This particular trope is used A LOOOOOT in indie horror games, as well as a good number of horror movies and such.  It’s an easy way to make a character do something bad.To me both of these subjects are very misused and very misunderstood, so I wanted to make a story that focused on them.  Mainly centering around how to deal with these issues, how to live with them, and the importance of having help.  Many people live normal lives with chronic mental and physical illness, it’s not something that should be glamorized or demonized.  So I wanted make a story focused on characters fighting through this stuff, depicting these subjects in a very down-to-earth light.  Showing it’s just something that happens, and it doesn’t make you a victim or a monster.On the personal side I myself have always been a cynical person, dealing with a lot of mental turmoil.  Especially in the past 2-3 year.  Not gonna lie, I think about the benefits of death a lot, and see myself and everything I touch as the most worthless garbage to ever be dumped on the planet.  I’ve had this mindset for so long that it feels normal, I don’t know how to feel and act a different way.  Working on TGtaHR has been a way for me to put all this into perspective.  Dumping all my mental problems in a character or characters, reading up on these issues from a scholastic standpoint, then figuring out how they tackle the issues with their given personalities helps me recognize my own mental illness(es).If you’ve ever seen me talk about how I work TGtaHR 100% for myself, aside from the escapism that drawing gives me, this is the main reason.  In a way I’m doing a bit of “self help” with a comic. (But hey! There’s nothing wrong with that, everyone has their own way of working through things)Relationships and Abuse - This is also in relation to the romance genre.  For the longest time I thought that rape/abuse = love thing was normal.  It really messed up my views on my body autonomy and what abuse is, leading me into a relationship where I was guilted and scared into using my body for my partner’s benefit.When this sort of stuff is showed in movies and such it get’s a similar treatment as mental/physical illness.  It’s overly simplified, and used as a way to squeeze out sympathy for the victim while turning the abuser into some cardboard cutout villain.  While abusers are awful people, due to how little is know about emotional, verbal, and mental abuse an abuser could just as easily be someone totally uneducated on the subject.  Surprisingly enough I’ve spoken with a lot of people who think abuse is just all physical stuff, even my mom didn’t know that she was being abused when her ex would manipulate her emotionally with abusive language.  I wanted to play around with these subjects, give them a little more depth, along with playing around with what a relationship is in a general sense, and how do you make one healthy. (hence the title)Lol in a way my comic is an experiment playing with how different people handle difficult situations.  If Apollo were in Julian’s shoes he’d handle everything waaay differently, same with Julian in Apollo’s shoes.TL:DR: I guess my inspiration is my own experiences, and misused/misunderstood subjects that interest me.

[laurasfox]

In My (And He Tian’s) Defense

I find myself in the position where I have to say a few things, although this was a debate I was not willing to get involved in. I am talking here about the ‘forced’ kiss between He Tian and Mo Guan Shan.

First of all, I must make a short introduction. I’m writing a series called Damaged Goods featuring a female version of Mo Guan Shan, and, at some point, I am planning to introduce, let’s say, more torrid stuff. I must warn everyone that the respective interactions may fall in the same category as the ‘forced’ kiss.

Now let me take a deep, deep breath. From my point of view, He Tian did nothing wrong when he kissed Mo Guan Shan in the original story.

I will try to explain my point of view. No one has to agree with me, and I don’t pretend that I’m the bearer of absolute truth. Each person has different life experiences and is entitled to their own opinions. Whatever I write here is mine, and mine only.

Now, onto the argumentation.

Going back to the moment of the kiss, we see Mo Guan Shan following He Tian with his eyes as he plays basketball. All the time, Mo Guan Shan looks at He Tian, until the latter comes and asks quite bluntly why does Mo Guan Shan stare at him so much. So, through body language, Mo Guan Shan draws He Tian’s attention.

Then, as everyone knows, He Tian takes the bottle from Mo Guan Shan’s hand and jokes about the indirect kiss. Mo Guan Shan overreacts, like someone who just got red-handed, and tells the exact opposite of what he might think. (As you easily imagine, these are just my speculations.)

It can be difficult to tell, since the webtoon is practically a quick paced succession of panels, but I believe that at least a few seconds pass between the moment He Tian begins kissing Mo Guan Shan and the moment Mo Guan Shan pushes He Tian away.

He is in shock. Yes. But not because he is disgusted. It happens because the kiss feels good, and it takes his brain some time to realize that he must protest. Which he does.

He Tian, frankly, looks pretty surprised and hurt when that happens. He read Mo Guan Shan’s body language as interest. I think in most cultures, following someone with your eyes, and making eye contact, is a sign of interest. So, from my point of view, He Tian read the signals right. Mo Guan Shan is not at peace with his attraction right now, and it will take him some time to come to terms with it. Hence the rejection.

At this point, I also have something to add. After Mo Guan Shan rejects him and even says that he’s disgusting, He Tian lets the boy go. If he had gone at the other with bad intentions, he would have continued, despite the protests. We all know he has the strength to keep Mo Guan Shan down for as long as he wants to. But, when he’s rejected in that manner, he doesn’t do that.

Now, following the story, I doubt He Tian is, in some way, chastised, by Mo Guan Shan’s reaction. He continues to tease the guy, showing off his tongue, pinning the other to the ground, and touching him. Also, if the She Li incident hadn’t taken place, I doubt He Tian would have continued to pursue Mo Guan Shan. Of course, the story demanded a twist, to bring them back together, and Old Xian delivered beautifully.

He Tian is interested in Mo Guan Shan and he is determined to push this until he gets a clear answer. And, to come around now to why I’m calling this post “In My Defense”, I’m going to talk a little about guys, and how they act when they’re interested in someone.

They put pressure. They do things like He Tian does. Some in a milder manner, others maybe even more aggressive. But these are the guys who are really interested. I’d say it’s a difference between carnivore and herbivore men.

Herbivore men will wait for women to make the first step. I don’t say that’s bad. But honestly, all the guys who kissed me in my life didn’t ask for my consent and that didn’t mean that I was forced. They kissed me like He Tian kissed Mo Guan Shan. And, if I pushed them away, they let me go. Just like He Tian does when he’s pushed away by Mo Guan Shan.

A carnivore man – as opposed to the term herbivore man – is a guy who will let their interest show. Can you imagine what would have happened if He Tian never kissed Mo Guan Shan? Let’s erase all these interactions. What do you think we will get?

We’ll get She Li ruining Mo Guan Shan’s life forever. Because a sexual assault accusation is something that will follow you all your life. And, big news! She Li doesn’t force Mo Guan Shan to do anything. How generous of him! (insert sarcasm here)

But I digress. He Tian goes after Mo Guan Shan because he’s interested. He will continue until Mo Guan Shan says ‘yes’, or a definite ‘no’. By the scene with the bathtub showed in Old Xian’s art book, it’s clear that the answer will be ‘yes’.

This post was very long and tiring. I just thought of making it, so no one is surprised when they read certain scenes in my fanfic stories. Again, it’s just my opinion. And, if you don’t like this sort of stuff, please don’t read my stories. I would hate to disappoint people because I failed to warn them.

Thank you for reading.

[books-on-the-brain]

So I used to read a whole bunch, but then I took a small break so that I could have an actual social life. Now I'm trying to get back into it but I've tried to... I just can't get into it. Do you have any suggestions of what I could do to get back into wanting to read more?

bI relate to this SO. MUCH. It’s always hard to find a good reading/life balance, since reading can often be a very isolating activity. It’s also really difficult around this time of year for younger readers, too, since a lot of us are getting back into the swing of it with school and such and find that we have much less time to be reading what we want. So without further ado…

How I cure “reader’s block”/being in a book rut!!!

1) First of all, there’s literally no shame in reading something because it’s short and you know you can get through it, or reading something you might consider a “beach read.” If it’s less daunting for you to pick up a 70-page romance novella than Tolstoy that is perfectly!!! okay!!! What matters is that you’re still reading and it’s making you happy, not that you have gained all the answers to the universe by reading a dry and endless classic.

2) Another good option is to reread something you know you really love/want to revisit. I find it’s typically easier to read something for the second or third time and if it’s been a while, then you’ll still be surprised by little things here and there and get the warm nostalgia fuzzies. For me, one of my old favorites to revisit is Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I always read it at the beginning of the summer when I’m switching from all academic reading to personal reading (f i n a l l y) because I’m familiar enough with the story that it goes pretty quickly, but I still really love it.

3) In a similar vein, I find it really fun when I don’t want to sit down and read seriously to go back to some of my old favorites from childhood! For example, I loved the Deltora books by Emily Rodda when I was a kid and had some fun the other day going back through some of them and reminiscing. It has the potential to remind you of your love for stories and also in my case, it reminded my why I fell in love with fantasy at a young age and why I’m still so passionate about it! Reading children’s/middle grade/YA books is always acceptable and so much fun at any age.

4) This Barnes and Noble Reader article also suggests reading about books if you can’t actually read a book. As they explain it, find book blogs (like those on tumblr!) that speak to your interests and get you excited about picking up books. Other people’s enthusiasm goes a long way in encouraging you to also pick up a book to read!

5) If you can, find other avid readers and friends who you feel comfortable sitting in silence with! One of my favorite memories ever is sitting on my friend’s back porch and trading the books of the KARE First Love manga series back and forth. We played peaceful music in the background and so we were spending time as friends AND getting reading done. This lead us to discuss our favorite scenes and how we felt about certain translations (literally just because we like how to guy asked the main girl out in the online scantalation better than the printed book rip). But we ended up really getting into this series that in all honesty is kind of silly (despite the soft spot I have in my heart for it) and we joke about it all the time. Reading and socializing in one!

6) And speaking of manga…it’s always a great bridge for getting back into reading when it’s been a while, as are graphic novels! If you haven’t ever tried manga or graphic novels and don’t think it’s your rap at least give them a chance! I thought I hated them until I read Fullmetal Alchemist and fell in l o v e! You’re getting a story and doing some reading, but the pictures really help to ease you in so that you’re not necessarily devoting the same attention that you would be with a novel that’s just pages of text. As such, each volume is pretty quick depending on how long you linger on the drawings. If you already do love manga/graphic novels, then try picking up a new series you’ve been interesting in or rereading a series you already know you like!

Here are some graphic novel recommendations!

Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (a story that does a fun take on the idea of the “bad guy” - it actually gave me way more feels than expected, and I loved the art style)

The new Ms. Marvel series written by G. Willow Wilson and illustrated by Adrian Alphona (so do not confuse this with the old Ms. Marvel, this one is better in my opinion because our hero is your average teenage Muslim girl living in Jersey City and it’s refreshing, amazing, adds diversity to the typically white/male dominated world of superheroes, and I am unabashedly in love with one of the main characters, Bruno)

Umbrella Academy written by Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Ba (this does another more twisted/dark take on the idea of the superhero story, if that’s something more up your alley. It’s the first book of a series I’ve really been loving lately, plus I trust Gerard Way’s taste in comics unequivocally and he wrote it so that’s a yes in my book!)

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang (the intertwining stories of an American-Chinese boy trying to figure out his place in the world and the Monkey King of Chinese fable)

I did not include a special section for manga recommendations because most of what I read is probably not the sort of stuff to dive into after having reader’s block. Overall, the realm of shoujo might be a good place to look (things like Skip Beat!, Blue Spring Ride, Fruits Basket, and Kimi ni Todoke. Ouran High School Host Club and Dengeki Daisy were ones I really enjoyed too.)I also recently read Orange which is a fairly short series and easy to read - I loved it but major depression/suicide/mental illness tws there.In terms of shonen, Hunter x Hunter would be a good one because not only is it amazing, but it’s broken up into shorter yet very distinct story arcs which I feel would be easier if you’re trying to get back into reading. If someone has some more recs tho, please add!

7) Another variation of manga/graphic novels is online webtoons, which are basically digitized comics. I have recently discovered them and think they’re the best. things. ever. If you’re like me and you have a horrible habit of lying in bed scrolling absently through your phone before going to bed and after waking up, this might be good for you. I have slowly been replacing my mindless Facebook scrolling with scrolling through webtoons, which has been so amazing for my mental health! My favorite app is literally just called Webtoon or maybe Line Webtoon (the icon in the app store is a green speech bubble that says “Webtoon”).

For most webtoons, chapters are generally pretty short so it doesn’t take a lot of focus but once again, you’re still reading, and you’re still getting a good story, all while laying fetal position like you might while scrolling through Facebook or texting people before bed. Not to mention you’re supporting amazingly talented artists/individuals who are oftentimes not published and doing this for fun or with the hopes of eventually being published, so you can say you followed them from the start! Also since they update only a few times a week, it gives you something to look forward to on random days.

Here are my favorite story-oriented webtoons currently:

Assassin Roommate by Monica Gallagher. Super cute and quirky romance with a great female lead, also really great in terms of body diversity, and LITERALLY THE ONLY REASON I LOOK FORWARD TO TUESDAYS, THE DREADFUL DAY AFTER MONDAY

My Dear Cold-Blooded King by limelight. Just started this but it seems pretty cool??? The author has paired up with a musician so all the chapters have music which is lit af if I do say so myself

Silk and Briar by paragoing-paragon. I think this is on hiatus but it’s shaping up to be a brilliantly-constructed fantasy story with some crazy twists and turns

instantmiso’s stuff is also really popular (Where Tangents Meet and Siren’s Lament). It’s not as much up my alley as it is pretty fluffy romance and I’m not crazy about the writing, but she is an incredibly talented artist and has great music with her chapters. Her stuff is super good for an easy read without a ton of brain power/commitment, but I say that with immense respect for her talent and abilities! 

Cheese in the Trap by soonkki. This was also made into a K-Drama so I read the series and threw a little watch-party with some of my friends from my Korean class! Super good series and another great way to enjoy reading AND be social!

Here are the webtoons that are more “Sunday newspaper funnies”               style, where each chapter is a mini story:

Bluechair by Shen (this is WILDLY popular and I totally see why!!! These are hilarious and have cheered me up on many a rough night!!!)

Sapphie: The One-Eyed Cat by joho (feel-good, cute comic about cats that’s also pretty funny. I shamelessly read like a hundred chapters in one sitting.)

If none of this is appealing to you, there is always the audio option! If the actual act of your eyes scanning the page is difficult because you can’t focus on anything, there are a lot of options in this realm!

8) Local libraries usually have an audiobook section that is deeply neglected, but holds some secret treasures! Whenever I go on roadtrips, I always pick up two or three before I head out. They’re also perfect for when you do mindless tasks like sorting/folding laundry, walking a dog if you have one, waiting in long lines, or on your commute to and from school or work or any other similar activities. 

What’s cool is you can search for audiobooks based both on books you actually want to read, and whoever is narrating it. I know Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz had a super popular audiobook because Lin Manuel Miranda narrated it. If you want to pay, Audible is one of the most popular paid platforms for audiobooks. I haven’t personally used it, but it seems to be quite successful. One way or another, audiobooks are a good way to get back into reading without having to budget extra time to sit down with a book.

9) Podcasts can also help if you haven’t already explored those and are open to! Not all podcasts are TED talks, or political debates, or generally academic, or whatever they are stereotyped as. There are a ton that feel just like audiobooks, or at the very least like a play without any visuals. There’s a script and there’s a story and I know it’s helped me ease back into a mindset that preps me for reading because much like audiobooks you can listen to them all the time (I do so while cooking dinner and walking to classes) and it helps your mind switch from reality to the world of a story with relative ease if that makes sense. I’m pretty new to podcasts myself so don’t have a ton to recommend, but here’s what I’ve been enjoying….

Podcasts to look into:

Anything written by Mac Rogers. That includes The Message, Afterlife, and Steal the Stars. Personally, I like Steal the Stars and The Message more that Afterlife. They’re all sci-fi stories that are generally told from one perspective but you get to know amazing characters and I was not expecting the twists and turns. And Steal the Stars is still coming out so jump on the bandwagon now lol

The Adventure Zone from Justin, Travis and Griffin McElroy at My Brother, My Brother and Me (another podcast which I have not listened to). The Adventure Zone is actually them playing Dungeons and Dragons, but they’re funny as all get out (the last place I lived had a communal kitchen for dozens of people and I was always laughing like and idiot while listening to this and making dinner and I’m pretty sure everyone thought I was nuts). Eventually the Dungeon Master gets super into the story telling and they script some of it with cool music. It’s really amazing and has a nice balance between story/characters but also the element of “real people” as they’re a bunch of brothers and they’re dad all just having fun. It’s a good bridge to getting back into reading.

Welcome to Nightvale is always a classic. It’s a bit trippy for me but tons of people enjoy it. The same team also produced a podcast called Alice Isn’t Dead. I honestly know nothing about it but one of my friends always raves about it, so it has his vote!

10) And okay so here’s my last suggestion. It might feel like a bit of a cop-out because I guess it kind of is, but it often works for me. So here it is. Sometimes it just helps to sit down and remember why you like to read in the first place. The fact that you’re actively trying to get back into it isn’t meaningless. It’s a very willful decision. So what is driving you? Maybe it’s because…

reading is an escape or a way for you to cope with difficult things in your life. This can be anything from mental illness, to school/work stress, to relationship dissatisfaction, difficult family or economic situations. Maybe you just are bored of our planet earth. Sometimes you might just need to be transported into another world for whatever reason and that is totally okay.

or reading inspires you to live your best life. Maybe there’s some character in a book you love that you look up to and aspire to be. Remember that passion you had when you were first getting to know that character, and that sense of being understood or finding a role model. Maybe you want to go on an adventure as wild as that character went on and that’s your idea of living your best life. Whatever the reason is, this sort of inspiration is a powerful emotion that books make us feel and sometimes that’s also a good reason to reread a book that’s inspired you.

and I don’t know, maybe you’re a writer yourself and you draw inspiration from reading in that sense. The more you read, the more you learn about what sort of writing you like and don’t like, and you grow stronger in your craft. Good readers help make good writers (but also don’t take that to mean that if you happen to be a writer and you’ve been in a book rut for a long time that you own skills are waning. we all get in book ruts and that’s okay. maybe it’s time to seek out a new source of inspiration in a different genre or new writer)

or perhaps you simply love stories. Maybe you breathe stories like other people breathe air and you can’t imagine that side of you not existing. If you’re one of these people, that makes reader’s block twice as hard. But that doesn’t mean that if you’re not turning pages that you’re not absorbing stories. Take it slowly and ease back into it with things I already mentioned like podcasts and webtoons.

One way or another, you’ll find your way back. Maybe this post will spark something. Maybe it won’t, and it will take another few months for you to really feel gungho about reading again. That’s all okay. Take your time. Enjoy being with friends and other activities. Do what’s healthiest and what works best for you. And eventually you’ll get back to reading a ton. However it happens, I wish you the best of luck!

[sticky-notes-writes]

Things I’m most familiar with!

ALWAYS BEING UPDATED

Here is a list of things I’m most familiar with and am able to write about! I have certain sections that include fandoms etc., these are just some baseline ideas that you can go off of to send in a request. A lot of these can be used for story lines and the characters are interchangeable. Meaning, you can use DIFFERENT  characters for DIFFERENT story lines, and visa versa. :) One again, if you are confused about anything feel free to send in an ask! I’ll link all of my different stuff down bellow! 

Master List

Rules

Ask/Requests

FANDOMS = Movie/T.V show based!

MCU >  ☆ Not very familiar with the comics but I do have a soft spot for Loki and Peter Parker ☆

DC Universe >  ☆ I’m a bit rusty on this BUT I can always try!! I’m most familiar with Teen Titans and The Young Justice League☆

Honobono Log > ☆ One of the shortest and most wholesome animes I’ve ever see, recommend if you haven’t seen it!!  ☆

Miraculous Ladybug >  ☆ The characters are underage therefore I won’t be doing any nsfw for any of them. UNLESS YOU ASK TO AGE THEM UP, but it still makes me feel a bit weird lol.

Kiss Him not Me >  ☆ THIS SILLY ANIME changed my life. I’ve only seen the anime and not read the manga but the characters are quite silly and shippable so I can write for them!

Hotarubi no mori e >  ☆ Literally sobbed after watching this beautiful movie, recommend if you haven’t watched it. I’ll definitely be writing about this eventually, but if you have any specific requests of some sort feel free to ask!

Attack on Titan > VERY ACTION BASED AND DRAMATIC, right up my alley!! I haven’t read the manga but I’m caught up with the ongoing season 3 arc so feel free to ask!

Your Lie in April >  ☆Another heart breaking anime, I just can’t get enough of these! The characters are great and well-written! Send in any writing ideas!

Yuri! On Ice >  ☆Classic fan service in a good way, love these characters and their chemistry! ☆

The Vampire Diaries >  ☆I’ve seen it all up to season 6, and the last episode of season 8. I’ll be honest, I’m a Stelena stan SORRY BUT STELENA STOLE MY HEART FROM THE BEGINNING!! ☆

Harry Potter >  ☆I’ve only seen the movies, sorry guys! But I’ll definitely read the books soon!! Don’t think I don’t know about the character’s history, I’ve done my research! ☆

Death Note >  ☆Classic angsty sadish anime, characters are pretty good, have a soft spot for angsty anime ☆

Sweeney Todd >  ☆OKAY SO I CAN EXPLAIN>>>> Love the deception and music of this. This honestly isn’t really something I would write about but I have a few ideas! ☆

FANDOMS = Otome(ish) Mobile/Computer Games

Mystic Messenger  >  ☆THIS GAME MESSED UP MY SLEEP SCHEDULE REALLY BAD BUT I STILL LOVE IT VERY MUCH!! I’ve played all routes and secret endings, minus V’s and Saeran’s after endings.  ☆

The Arcana >  ☆I’ve played all routes so far and know quite a lot about the characters! Biggest softie for Juian & Lucio  ☆

Ikemen Sengoku >  ☆ It really has been awhile since I’ve played this game, BUT it’s still very good may be a bit cheesy but I’m a softy. Love Nobunaga ☆

Mr. Love: Queen’s Choice > ☆ Just started playing this and WOW it’s fun, love it!! I have a soft spot for all four boys but although Victor seems a bit of an ass sometimes, he melts my heart. OH AND LUCIEN IS HELLA SMOOTH MAKES ME BLUSH!! ☆

Monster Prom >  ☆OH BOY!! So many endings, so many characters, GOSH SO MUCH! Biggest softie for Liam and Damien, hipster vampire and rebellious demon, love them both! ☆

Dangerous Fellows >  ☆OKAY APOCALYPTIC LOVE STORIES ARE PROBLEMATIC IN THE REAL WORLD BUT WHEN IT COMES TO OTOME STYLE GAMES IT’S A CLASSIC WINNER! I have a soft spot for Lawrence. ☆

FANDOMS = WebToons

Days of Hana >  ☆Caught up with the unpaid chapters cause I can’t afford to pay and read ahead. BUT LOVE THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN HANA AND HARU!! Story line wise, it’s really good and I’m in love with both the artist and writer!! ☆

Eggnoid >  ☆BEAUTIFUL ART AND STORY LINE! The ships in this are just, WOW!! I love Eggy and Ran, however there are about three boys I ship Ran with! ☆

Bastard >  ☆INTENSE!! This WebToon is realllyyy good and dramatic and gory and just--WOW! Might as well be a movie! ☆

Orange Marmalade >  ☆Another comic from the writer of Days of Hana, BEAUTIFUL ONCE AGAIN AND THE MESSAGE BEHIND THIS IS JUST INCREDIBLE!!

Dragonork >  ☆More of an action-packed comic, with a pretty good intense and plot twists.

Sithrah >  ☆ CUTE AND BITTERSWEET WEBTOON!! Action packed but sweet with some good plot twists and likeable characters.

Nothing Special >  ☆ CUTEST COUPLE EVER!! They’re so dorky and magical together, they deserve the world ☆

STORY LINE IDEAS

Beauty and the Beast >  ☆ This is a classic story line, can be used for any ship or fandom if I’m being honest. ☆

Domestic story lines = Honobono Log >  ☆ I know I added this to my fandom list BUT THE WHOLESOMENESS IN EACH 2 MINUTE EPISODE IS ADORABLE AND JUST AHHH!!!!! They’re more domestic and cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ☆

Will Grayson, Will Grayson Story line > This is a pretty good book. It’s more of like,,,, two characters (with the same/similar names) spontaneously meet and give each other advice and kind of become friends. It’ a good book! ☆

Coming of Age = The Perks of Being a Wallflower >  ☆ Good book and movie with a growing of age story line! The Edge of 17 is really good too☆

Sad traumatic accident >  ☆ If you’ve read If I stay or watched the movie, you’ll get the gist of the sad and traumatic car accident type of story line. Recommend reading both books!

I also really like the whole “I’m a superhero, and I like someone who isn’t a hero!” combined with another person who is working with hero A, not knowing they both know each other in real life--- like Miraculous Ladybug, really creative story line.

Romeo and Juliet >  ☆CLASSIC SAD AND DRAMATIC STAR-CROSSED LOVERS STORY LINE, I’m a softy for this kind of stuff.

The Count of Monte Cristo >  ☆ A story of revenge and wealth--- ruining people’s lives and getting back at them for what they did to you years ago never felt so good! (Okay, but the book is amazing, movie SUCKED ASS IM SORRY BUT I HATED IT!) ☆

Harrison Bergeron/2081 >  ☆ Okay so,,,, explaining this is kind of difficult BUT basically, people are being brainwashed and only SOME CHARACTER becomes aware and tries to get others to become conscious of this to only have their plans kind of go to waste--- BE CREATIVE!! (It’s on YouTube btw)   ☆

BE CREATIVE AND DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK!!! I may have left some things out!