#its like season 4 unleashed a lot of... opinions
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tategaminu · 9 months ago
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Rayla is such a sad girl, man. She gets misunderstood by 80% of the characters and by a lot of watchers. Some characters judging her in the show is understandable but the watchers?
The brutal antagonizing for not saying sorry to Callum (even tho they would also antagonize her if she said sorry as "sorry isn't enough" ahem)
Or ike watchers who describe Rayla as OOC in arc 2, which it's such an statement
like I guess getting kicked out of the place you called home without even asking for an explanation leading to a huge emotional scar, losing yourr parents without even knowing their status, getting obsessed with the same guy that took them away killing your partner to the point of abandoning him out of fear of losing the only loved one you have left because said former home made you believe you either complete the mission or you are a failure, spending alone two years hallucinating the guy you abandoned and chasing someone who doesn't even exist eventully leading you to notice leaving was a big mistake and you keep messing things up won't change as a person a sensitive and unstable teenager that was dumped by her parents at age nine and was forced to bury her feelings most of her life
yeah no. I'm sorry but her character core has never been about being an static girl boss, if everything she's been a changing girlfailure since season one.
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miraculouslbcnreactions · 9 months ago
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[Text: Tell me, what do you think of people actually liking the character development in season 4-5 and the show's treatment of mental health? [Redacted] thinks that and she's the mother of a teenager]
Re liking the show: I generally assume that they have poor taste and/or media literacy.
Re the mental health rep: I generally assume that they're incredibly privileged and/or ignorant.
I'm posting this as an image and not an ask response specifically because I will not participate in fandom drama or shaming. This blog exists specifically so that people can actively choose to engage in my content and so that I can post critical thoughts without dragging their source into some petty fight. So I'm not going to talk about the named individual. Instead, I'll replace them with the show's head writer and talk about him in a similar context.*
He's pretty famously denied that Chloe suffered any abuse, ignoring her obvious neglect, which came from both parents, just in different forms. When you pair that with how the show handles people like Gabe and Jagged Stone, we see a clear pattern of the show ignoring the devastating effects that abandonment and neglect can have on a person, especially if they're a child.
Now you could look at that and say, "The head writer condones abuse! He's a monster!" But I prefer to go the more likely route and assume that he's a privileged middle-class cis white man who has never had to deal with those issues or support someone who has, so he has no idea how to handle them properly or that they even need to be properly handled. There's every chance that he's a loving, kind man and a fantastic father who just happens to not be very good at writing a complex topic that he clearly has no understanding of or desire to learn about. I apply similar logic to fans who share his opinions. Never attribute to malice what can be explained by incompetence or ignorance.
And all of the above is assuming that we're talking about someone who thinks that the show is objectively good or that the mental health rep is good, which are big assumptions. It's fully possible to enjoy a piece of media that you know is objectively bad or even "problematic" in some way.
Personal confession time: is Loonatics Unleashed an objectively terrible show that you should never, ever watch? Absolutely. 100%. Are Rev Runner and Tech E. Coyote two of my favorite characters who will live rent free in my head until the day I die? Yep! I pulled up a YouTube highlight real as I was writing this and those dorks still make me smile even though the show is terrible on multiple levels and I know that I'm not alone in that sentiment. Those two clicked with a lot of people for some reason.
A piece of fiction need not be good for you to love it and you don't need to justify your love for a piece of fiction if you're not claiming that it's good. Similarly, people hating that piece of fiction or pointing out flaws in it is not a reflection on you in any way shape or form. You can even agree with their criticism and still love the piece of fiction. This approach to media - loving a thing in spite of its flaws - is normal and healthy and I'd really love to see it make a comeback in younger fandoms.
Like, I cannot emphasize this enough, most fandoms consider it perfectly normal to have lots of fans who are critical of the source or who have even lost interest in the source for one reason or another, but they still like some element of the source enough to want to create/consume fan content for it. These more critical fans arguably make some of the best fan content because looking at canon and saying "That's nice, let me show you how I'd do it" often leads to some of the most complex stories that you'll see in fandom spaces. Stories that can often blow canon out of the water for TV shows and movies since fanfic isn't limited by budgets or studio policies or marketability concerns. Fans who think that the source is perfect tend to just write fluff or romcom type fics, which is not a dig! I love bother of those genres! But woman does not live on fluff alone.
Obviously there's some complexity here because who decides if a show is bad? Saying "it's okay that you like a terrible thing" can certainly sound like an insult and prompt a feeling of needing to defend the thing, which is why I don't fight with fans who like the show. There's really no need to convince them that the thing they like is bad. Do I think it is? Yes. Does it matter if they disagree? No, not really. At worst, they create stories with similar issues and, well, they're not the only ones and fighting with them isn't going to stop them. You're much better off focusing on creating your own good media and trying to get that popular. Heck, even if you made the head writer see all of Miracuous' flaws, it wouldn't change anything. The show is already made.
So, yeah, I don't really assume anything bad about people who think that miraculous is good. I know lots of wonderful people who have terrible taste in media and I'm still friends with them. I just don't take recommendations from them.
It's important to remember that, when you're online in a fandom space, a person is condensed down to a very tiny snapshot of who they are and judging a person solely off of their thoughts regarding a poorly written kids show is a dangerous path to tread. Like, looking at this blog, you might assume that I spend all of my time thinking about miraculous and obsessing over its flaws, which is very much not the case. I actually have this blog specifically so that I don't obsess over miraculous' flaws because I've found that, when something is bothering me, writing it down or talking to someone about it is the best way to stop thinking about it. Even then, most of my posts are reblogs of stuff I come across while browsing my tumblr feed, which is not solely miraculous content. I mostly interact with the show by creating non-salty fanfic that I honestly enjoy writing and find to be a relaxing, positive outlet.
It's human nature to judge and it's totally normal to think that a person's an idiot because of something they post online, but be careful to not lean into those thoughts too hard. At the end of the day, Miraculous is just a stupid kids show that will fade from the popular consciousness a few years after it stops airing. If it and/or the fandom are negatively affecting your mental health, then it's okay to step away for a while or use the block button. It really is your best friend. I enjoy being critical about Miraculous specifically because it's not that important. While I do think that kids deserve better media, I don't think Miraculous is some terrible evil harming the youth. I'm not horrified when a kid watches it, it's just not a show that I'd encourage them to watch and, if the kids was close to me, we'd spend a lot of time talking about the bad things that the show showcases from time to time. There are lots of episodes that are fine and I can think of way worse kids shows. Shows that tell their horrifying morals really well, making a kid far more likely to pick up on them and internalize them.
*Note that I only feel comfortable talking about the head writer like this because he's a public figure with an active social media presence AND because I'm not @ing him. If he was a private person or if he was not a professional creator, then I would not talk about him like this and even in that context I try to avoid it whenever I can. You can think that he's a terrible writer, but he's still a human being and, as far as I'm aware, nothing he's done deserves people harassing him.
I absolutely understand how devastating it can be to see a story you love get ruined by the creative team. The first time that happened to me, the life lesson I came away with was, "I will no longer put my happiness in the hands of another creator. I will enjoy stories, but I will temper my expectations and remember that they're just another human being and it's completely possible that their vision for this seemingly awesome story may end up being terrible."
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deans-haunted-baby · 4 years ago
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Okay I see there are those who are confused as to why most of us are pissed about 15x19 I will gladly explain in depth:
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Let’s start off with our boys Adam Milligan & Michael. These characters have not been seen for 10 fucking years. During that time there were Adam stans like myself campaigning like mad to have him and the infamous archangel return for some much needed closure. We had to content ourselves with headcanons, fanfictions and metas based on what we briefly knew of Adam and Michael as people while they unfairly sat in Hell. You might have seen the “Adam’s Still in Hell” memes that circulated. WE WAITED OVER A DECADE FOR THIS. And finally SPN answers our prayers and returns these boys back into the story for the final season. None of us anticipated what their arc and dynamic would look like. Before we could only imagine who these two characters were/are after having been trapped in a cage so long; what their personalities would be like and if they’d be antagonistic to TFW. 15x08 was a surprise because not only were Adam and Michael likable right out of the gate but the writing for them and their dynamic was damn near flawless! And Jake fucking stole the show he killed it as these two. It’s a crime they were not featured in more episodes because the chemistry between these characters is amazing and they’re played by the same dude.
We were given so much background into both Adam and Michael’s psyches in just a short period of time. Their motivations, interests and how they viewed those that wronged them (like the Winchesters); how Hell affected/changed them both and how they viewed their families. We got to see them banter, cooperate with one another and most importantly their different personalities. With Jake Abel appearing in only a handful of SPN episodes, he still fleshed out Michael and Adam beautifully; giving them layers and complexities that most side-characters (who’ve appeared more times than they have) didn’t. The way Jake played Adam’s anger and resentment towards his brothers was brilliant because it’s more under the surface compared to his angsty teenage self in 5x18. He’d become somewhat restrained, laid-back, gentler and wiser which works because Adam displays traits similar to Sam and Dean. He’s kinder and has a sense of humor but none of that distracts from rational thought as he’s quick to analyze and dissect situations. Man, he would’ve made a great hunter/Men of Letters recruit. We know right off the bat Adam’s pissed at his brothers for abandoning him in a thousand-year-prison-sentence and didn’t lift a finger BUT that ironically doesn’t compromise his willingness to help them unlike his past self in 5x18. Jake gets the point across with this character without saying much and that’s what made him so compelling to watch in this episode.
Now Michael was even more of a mystery onion since he wasn’t onscreen as much as Adam had been in past episodes so Jake got to really build on top of this character. Going from the uptight, cold-blooded merciless celestial warrior/dutiful son of God we saw in 5x22 to someone whom despite his arrogance and regal princely demeanor was very human, intelligent, fair, mindful and compassionate. He trusted Adam and respected his opinions even if he didn’t agree 100%. Whereas most angels take over the vessel completely from their original occupant; Michael chooses to share his vessel with Adam as a mutual agreement which says a lot about who he is. He’s fascinated with humanity and wanted to explore it instead of returning to his throne in the clouds. We know that Michael was created specifically to be Humanity’s protector and guardian of Heaven and Earth so these quirks he’d demonstrated in 15x08 aren’t too far off. He holds a lot of pain inside from his abandonment issues with his father whom he loves to a fault and grief over the death of his brothers. On the surface there’s very much an abused child syndrome thing going on with him though he masks it with a domineering presence. And above all this we saw that he was capable of forgiveness. Whether or not Michael always had these traits inside to begin with, its very evident that his friendship with Adam influenced the person he became post-Hell. And that was someone who, like Castiel, chose to rebel for the sake of free will by aligning himself with the Winchesters after witnessing the evil his father had committed. He actually cared about saving the world. This is what we call character development.
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What does 15x19 do? It shits all over that. We don’t get to see Adam and Michael’s dynamic at all; and this was perhaps one of (if not the first) most healthy portrayal of a relationship between an angel and its original vessel occupant in the history of Supernatural. Adam is just killed off-screen Thanos style without so much as one last word and Michael barely reacts like he gives a crap. It was just established to us in 15x08 that he’d developed an emotional bond with Adam through years of inhabiting the same body. He protected Adam while they were trapped together in Hell. They were each other’s only friend and source of comfort. They’d developed a certain co-dependency on each other while respecting one another’s space. They’d both made peace with their joint situation. All they had was each other and the writing in 15x19 basically tells us their relationship meant absolutely NOTHING to Michael based on his OOC actions in this episode. He shows up much darker and shadier now that Adam is gone and its like all those years of friendship, things like that independence, newfound strength and humility he’d gained from living with a human for so long are erased. Michael just reverts back to Chuck’s 5x22 bitchboy persona in the most ridiculous 180 shift I’ve ever seen in my whole damn life. And all because his little brother called him mean names. Pitiful. Just when he lectures Lucifer about standing up for what’s right; he betrays his own words, his allies and the rest of humanity in T-minus 2 minutes. That is total character assassination. Nothing about this motivation makes any sense.
There’s no build up to it, no foreshadowing in 15x08 or throughout 15x19 until they get to the lake. He’s completely deconstructed as a character in this episode and rendered weak. It’s like 15x08 never happened. Stripped of all his development for lousy shock value. Instead utilizing all of what he’d learned through Adam and sticking it to Lucifer by proving he could be more than what Chuck tried to mold him into; Michael becomes just another NPC in the story forfeiting the hero he was. And his reasons for siding with Chuck are never specified. Was it about about saving Adam? Was it about proving something to Lucifer (whom he’d already killed in anti-climatic fashion)? Was it all an act that he was in on with the Winchesters; cause there’s absolutely NO FUCKING WAY they could’ve predicted he’d flip on them like that for their magical plan to work. Not after everything Chuck’s done, killing Adam and Jack and leaving Michael to rot in Hell for eternity. And why would he suddenly go along with destroying the Earth when defeating Chuck would probably get Adam back (if that was his goal) which IT DID not to mention its his sworn duty to freaking protect humanity, hello? So his betrayal meant jack shit in the end as it got him killed by his fucking dad!! He’s brought back into the show only to be ruined forever and killed off in the stupidest fashion.
Moving on.
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Jack Kline & Castiel. This iron-clad relationship has been in development for 4 in 1/2 years since before Jack was even born. And next to Adam & Michael its the other most healthy relationship on the show. Castiel, a million year old celestial being, spent the first 9 years of his arc on Supernatural following around the Winchesters, being torn between his loyalty to them and to Heaven. He rebelled when he was supposed to be a straight-by-the-book warrior of God. And he defied every rule in the process even when the odds were stacked against him. There was an endless rinse and repeat cycle of love, loss, betrayal and redemption when it came to his relationship with Sam and Dean. It made his character complex, interesting and layered but it still didn’t give him an arc that was his own. Castiel started out moreso being written as just the Winchester’s angel BFF/side-kick. Until Lucifer got Kelly Kline pregnant in 12x08 then things really took off. Before this, Castiel was a lost soul. His faith was broken, he was depressed, lonely, battered and rundown from years of being conflicted over the other angels and Sam & Dean. He felt he’d lost a sense of self and meaning in his life. And didn’t have a mission. Once he turned on Heaven’s orders, Castiel was a rebel angel without a cause so to speak. But like I said this changes the moment he meets Kelly.
Originally Castiel was suppose to kill Kelly in 12x19 because she was carrying the child of the devil and Nephilim are considered forbidden abominations. Told that if Lucifer’s kid was born he could unleash even more evil into the world. But instead of doing what he thought he should, Castiel decides to runaway with her. Choosing to protect her from all threats (Lucifer, demons, other angels, princes of Hell); this especially included the Winchesters. During this short time-frame the angel develops a strong, emotional bond with Kelly and her unborn son that stretches all the way to the S12 finale; to the point where it actually gave him a power-boost. From the womb, Jack appoints Castiel to be his father and protector and he’s given a glimpse into the child’s destiny that he’ll bring paradise to the world. A prophecy that the writers establish head on. This is an unusual circumstance because right here is where Castiel’s solo arc apart from the Sam & Dean takes shape. The journey of becoming a first time parent and guardian. Its a new kind of independence that for the first time has nothing to do with his friends or his family members/colleagues in the sky. Its his own personal mission that he willingly accepts, the second he connects with Jack from inside Kelly. Castiel immediately falls in love with him, before they even see each other; and adopts the boy devoting himself to keeping him safe. Making a promise to Kelly that would later become a vital plot-point in the seasons to come.  
Castiel literally risks everything (Heaven and Earth) to ensure Jack’s birth and ends up dead by 12x23′s startling conclusion. Leaving the newborn infant Nephilim alone in the care of the Winchesters going into season 13; scared, confused and aged into a seemingly 18 year old boy for his own protection. And Alexander Calvert who is a fantastic addition to the cast really brings something wonderful to this role; he’s like a breath of fresh air and a bright light in the middle of a dark room. Jack’s naïve, innocent and curious about his surroundings but also as Castiel once put it “remarkably intuitive”. Right when he’s introduced his arc is intentionally paralleled with Castiel’s. Their alien-fish-out-of-water beginning is practically identical as is their adorable stoic facial expressions. Like father like son. And this helps because while the angel is currently dead in the beginning of season 13, there’s an empty void he’s left behind. So Jack is kind of his temporary stand-in. Odd enough this type of switcharoo would’ve been considered very controversial but it’s handled quite well. Alex is so likable and charming I almost wish Supernatural had introduced him sooner. I mean I really thought I was looking at Castiel’s actual mini-me and not the son of Satan. But I digress Jack’s story in the first half of this season is pretty much about discovery and reuniting with Castiel. He’s a baby so everything is new to him but he’s also one of the most powerful beings in the universe destined for greatness which makes the Winchesters very nervous.
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Jack remembers choosing Castiel as his dad which is why he already feels strongly connected to him. Its a bond so powerful that it actually resurrects Castiel out of the Empty the first time. Something Chuck himself was unable to do (that was until the mess that is 15x19). When they’re finally reunited the payoff comes so naturally. Misha and Alex have such a phenomenal onscreen chemistry starting with that first hug; they really play off one another so well that it doesn’t feel like two angels interacting but a genuine father and son duo. So much of what makes Jack and Castiel’s relationship so relatable, deep and endearing is because of what the actors bring to it. But they’re not just a fascinating relationship, they’re compelling on their own too. Both trying to find their way in the world and within the Winchesters’ lives. Death is no stranger to either of them (tragic being that Jack is only a toddler). They’ve each experienced their own personal pain, traumas, life lessons, mistakes and decisions. The biggest for Castiel would be his deal with the Empty to save Jack in 14x08. While for Jack it was the consequences of said deal that would lose his soul causing him to accidently kill Sam and Dean’s mom in 14x18 as a result (something that Jack struggles with immensely to the brink of depression from so much guilt and regret that he’d rather die). Repercussions that would follow into the shows final season. What’s interesting about this deal though is that Castiel made it on parental instinct alone not as a promise to Kelly. He chose to sacrifice himself for the sake of his son as a selfless act of love and kept it a secret from Sam & Dean until his death in 15x18. That’s the extent how much this child meant to him. The other great thing about their family dynamic is that it parallels nicely with the Winchesters. Castiel and Jack share this unconditional love that can never be broken. its even greater than their ties to the Winchesters themselves just as Sam & Dean’s love for each other is greater than any of their other relationships. They would do anything for each other. Castiel would go to the ends of the earth for the little nougat baby because that’s his son.  
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Each time these characters were faced with danger or died, Castiel and Jack were overcome with extreme devastation and distress. That said its not just pain that binds these two its happiness. Jack is the best thing that ever happened to Castiel. Literally becoming a father to that child saved him. It brought him back to life, restored his faith and gave him a sense of self-worth and hope he’d long since abandoned. And for Jack, Castiel is the best dad he’ll ever have! He gave this baby comfort, wisdom, nurturing, strength. Was always there when he needed him whether it was to talk or to have his back. No other person in Jack’s life has ever made such an important impact nor made him feel more safe and loved than Castiel. Even when Jack had done such a horrible thing to Mary alienating himself from his family; it was Castiel’s unyielding devotion to Jack that ended up being his salvation. This was huge because once again he’d chosen over the Winchesters proving that no matter what (whether it be the world ending) his son comes first. So when Castiel’s pact with the Empty finally comes due in 15x18 you’d think it’d have an earth-shattering affect on Jack in 15x19. I mean for the first bit it does...until he becomes God. Then its like to hell with that relationship. Castiel is a complete afterthought to Jack and the rest of TFW in this episode. JACK DOESN’T EVEN GET TO GRIEVE HIM PROPERLY. And he just lost his dad because of a deal he’d made a year ago for him. A DEAL JACK HAS BEEN FUCKING DREADING WHILE HE WAS SOULLESS MIND YOU. And when he finally has the power to bring him back, he doesn’t? Jack just walks around with a conceited smirk on his face, bids Sam and Dean adieu and fucks off. I mean who gives a shit right, its only your dad that you love more than anything. This was extremely OOC given that time in 14x14 Jack nearly lost his shit when Castiel got infected with gorgon poison; the anti-venom wasn’t working so Jack resorts to using his powers putting his soul at risk.
I mean if he was so limited to helping Castiel in the Empty AT LEAST FREAKING CLARIFIY THIS TO THE AUDIENCE. This is not about shipping a certain pairing btw. Jack becoming God is not the issue its his characterization after the fact. His first instinct would’ve been to save his dad above getting in touch with the Earth. Yes we knew this transformation was coming it was foreshowed way back in Season 12. Does that justify bad writing or character assassination?? HELL NO.
This is what I’m talking about, episode 15x19 deliberately butchers these characters and their relationships. It shat all over them. No one is behaving like themselves. The pacing is wonky and inconstant. The script feels like it underwent several rewrites and I swear there were scenes cut out. The acting is off too and maybe the pandemic could be blamed for these things but it ultimately falls on the writer. Buckleming screwed up by showing us they don’t know who the hell these characters are, their motivations nor do they give a rat’s ass. And its noticeable on screen. I’ve known better fanfiction writers for SPN than these guys. It’s like they all came back to work but just didn’t care to put the effort into it. That’s why people like me are upset and we have every freaking right to be. Some of us have been with this series for the entire 15 year run. I at least expect these characters to be handled better and for things to make sense. 15x19 doesn’t and its not satisfying its just a cruel joke. The writers and Dabb should be embarrassed to have put this out there thinking we’d just swallow it and shut up. But far as I’m concerned the only thing this episode serves is to disrespect and ruin everybody while angering long-time fans.
MICHAEL. ADAM MILLIGAN. JACK KLINE AND CASTIEL DESERVED BETTER. And that’s the tea.
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beevean · 4 years ago
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Opinion: How could Sonamy progress in IDW?
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[note: the original article was written in Spanish by @latin-dr-robotnik​]
Today we’re going to discuss a recurring topic on my blog, with a more complete perspective.
Today’s article was inspired by an ask I got a few days ago about my possible perspective on the future of IDW Sonamy. I thought it would be interesting to revisit and expand this topic, because it’s still something of great interest for thousands of fans all around the world, and because SEGA has recently adopted a very peculiar position on the couple and their dynamic. As I detailed on my article SEGA and its most recent Sonamy side – more canon than ever, the dynamic has been going through a shift that can be distinguished into two main parts: 1) the commercial potential of Sonamy as a merchandising and marketing icon; 2) the stability of the interactions in the comics, in the short monthly stories on Sonic Channel, and so on.
That being said, there’s no need to mention that we’re going to focus entirely and nothing more than on this ship. I usually suggest other articles for those who prefer to read on other subjects, but today I will recommend our Discord server [translator’s note: the server is mainly Spanish-speaking], where discussions about ships are limited on their own canal that is separated from other themes: general discussions, music, fangames and mods, fanfics, fanart and even gaming in general. As you know, if you want to bring something else to our community, or just avoid talking about Sonamy, you’re more than welcome to join. Now, back on track.
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What’s going on with Sonamy in IDW?
To recap what’s happened in these last months: Sonic and his friends finally got through the nightmare that was the Metal Virus, he and Amy hugged a few times, and since very recently they’ve been involved in a short arc about Chao races in Twinkle Park Zone, with a sinister background. In these last months after the eradication of the virus, there have been much closer and warmer interactions between our two hedgehogs, and I suspect that part of this is what inspired that question in the first place: what’s going on?
As I commented in the article where I proposed that Sonamy is “more canon than ever” (I know that it’s an exaggeration, that was the point), SEGA is treading carefully and the main canon seems to be willing to negotiate a more open representation of the relationship between the two in their different continuities, from best friends to something more. What I did not expect to happen was reading an answer from Evan Stanley (artist and writer that replaces Ian Flynn) about their dynamic, summing it up with “they like each other”.
The redrawing of Sonic’s expression when Amy hugs him in a recent drawing of hers made people wonder if this was yet another example of SEGA’s “censoring” (comparison below), to which Evan answered that it was modified to keep Sonic in character: he’s a guy that does not show much emotional vulnerability or too many negative emotions, and this is why sometimes the artists have to adjust WIPs to keep in line with this official point of view. Evan assured that this is not any kind of confirmation that Sonic does not like Amy, and doubles down by highlighting that in the official material, in the wikis and on Sonic Channel they show that, and I quote: “They like each other, but Sonic just isn’t the kind of guy who is going to make goo-goo eyes at Amy or perform grand acts of romance. If you wanna see that, that’s what fan works are for.”
And Evan’s words are a great way to sum up what’s going on with IDW Sonic right now. When it comes to interactions, they’re working with two characters who deep down “like each other”, but both show it in their own way. Amy is much more proactive when it comes to express her feelings, while Sonic only sometimes shows a glimpse of his feelings, with a smile or a small gesture. But at the end of the day they’re still friends and, depending on the situation, the comic can focus more or less on these details.
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Comparison between the first sketch showed by Evan and the final product. The modification of the expression was minimal: Sonic’s slight blush was changed into a smile, maybe being a little overwhelmed by the gesture of affection.
The “progression” of the dynamic in the future
A good part of the answer to this question is based on my idea that right now, when it comes to Sonamy, we reached some kind of comfortable plateau. What am I referring to? To the fact that there have been a lot of varied interactions in these last 3 years of the comic, and they’re everything I could have asked for and then some. When we talk about Sonamy in canon, as Evan said, we don’t tend to hope for great romantic gestures from Sonic, we barely even ask for a look that hints that they understand each other beyond what it seems at first glance, so the fact that the IDW continuity is betting so much on this ship is basically a dream come true. For this reason, I don’t think things will change much in the future.
If I have to make a prediction on Sonamy’s future in IDW, I believe that there are still a lot of possibilities that our known writers (and maybe new writers!) could explore more, to see what makes this dynamic work so well. Actually, about 10 years ago, Ian Flynn wrote that if they could take advantage of the abilities and similarities between the two characters as adventurous spirits and with a strong moral sense, they would be “like poetry in motion”. This largely happens in IDW Sonic if you look carefully, but there are always new stories to tell and opportunities for them to work together and explore a bit more their strong bond, stronger than other friendships that they share. When the next major arc comes (which seems to be getting closer), they could explore aspects of their dynamic that are slightly more experimental, like being separated for extended periods of time and under dangerous situations… as long as they don’t turn it into a painful experience like the Metal Virus arc.
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What Ian Flynn wrote about Sonamy, what works and what doesn’t. This was written in 2011, when Archie Sonic was still the major comic continuity, and when, according to Ian, Sonic was still “tied” to Sally Acord, leaving little room to the writers’ opinions.
The reality is that I see a stable future for the dynamic in the IDW universe. Sonamy is not fit for a lot of drama (fights, breaking up, etc.) without feeling forced or completely out of place, and only fanfics and fanart could be capable of capitalizing on this kind of content. On the other hand, for reasons I detailed in past articles, SEGA would not dare to alter the established order of the dynamic, let alone new that they managed to recover and maintain control over the ways Sonamy is being portrayed everywhere. SEGA won’t pull a Dragon Prince, which ended up confirming the main ship and then they made them go through a crisis and break up in a heartwrenching way in the graphic novel that acts as a bridge between season 3 and 4.
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In short
The future of IDW Sonamy is looking bright and stable. I don’t think there will be serious changes to what we’re experiencing right now, and this is why both Evan Stanley and Ian Flynn agree that the dynamic is practically in the perfect place, keeping in line to how SEGA wants them to be represented together. This means we won’t see more affectionate gestures than what we’re seeing now (I doubt we’ll ever see again Sonic offering Amy a rose like in Sonic X), but it also means that we have now a solid basis for our expectations. In the now old IDW Sonic #2, Sonic and Amy had the chance of seriously talking a bit about what they thought of each other, with Sonic being determined to keep living life his own way (although he wouldn’t mind Amy to accompany him… or even suggesting himself that she could come), and Amy being determined to respect his way of life, because that’s what she loves about him, and she doesn’t want him to change. Since then, all we have seen and we’ll keep seeing in the comic is a consequence of this key moment; the two philosophies that they have and they share, in a constant back-and-forth with some tense moments and some cute moments.
An interesting detail that wasn’t included in the ask and that makes me think is the possibility that all of this will feature in the games as well. This is a completely different matter for another day, but I like to think that there is the possibility that we’ll see SEGA being more interested in inserting more Sonamy in the games, even if in an indirect way like in Sonic Unleashed and its emotional support, especially if the rumors that we’re about to get a soft-reboot are true. Romance is not something Sonic games are famous for doing well… at all, but that doesn’t mean it would be a bad idea to add a little sprinkle of IDW Sonamy in the mix.
And finally, I think I’ve talked enough about this topic, As you know, we’re waiting for some news, and I hope we’ll see each other again here or on our Discord. We’ll see if on this 25th something interesting happens. In any case, see you next time!
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The moment that shaped the present and future of their entire relationship, 3 years ago.
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crusherthedoctor · 3 years ago
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Can you list anything you unironically like in the games (and cartoons and comics) that you don't like?
I won't bother mentioning music, since that goes without saying and is to be expected for a Sonic game... unless you're Chronicles.
Sonic Adventure 2 (mixed gameplay-wise, annoying story-wise) - While I prefer Sonic's SA1 levels for a number of reasons, I still think his and Shadow's gameplay in SA2 is fun on its own merit. I also don't mind the treasure hunting gameplay returning or how big the levels are this time around, since Knuckles and Rouge are still fast and not '06 levels of slow. It's mainly the gimped radar that creates the unfortunate domino effect of making them a problem.
- Introduced Rouge, one of my favourite characters for how playful she is and how she's a lot more nuanced and intelligent than you'd expect.
- Some genuinely good scenes, like Eggman's trap on the A.R.K and Sonic escaping from the G.U.N. helicopter.
- Had some good ideas going for it, like the Pyramid Base and the Biolizard as a scientific monster instead of an ancient one.
- Despite my thoughts on the backstory itself (or rather, its execution), Shadow has enough depth and subtle qualities and occasional unintended hilarity to stand out from the typical dark rival characters you see in media.
- The Last Scene's music in particular is one of my favourite cutscene tracks in the series.
Sonic Heroes (mixed gameplay-wise, loathed story-wise) - The gameplay is fun when you're not being screwed over by repetitive combat, overly long levels and/or ice physics.
- Boasts some of the most consistently Genesis-worthy environments in the 3D games, up there with SA1's and Colours'.
- The in-game dialogue that isn't the same tutorial drivel repeated ad nauseam can be interesting, funny, etc.
- Reintroduced the Chaotix, which provided me with another character I quite like in the form of Vector.
- Bringing Metal Sonic back in full force and front and center in the plot after a long absence (not counting cameos and the like) is a perfectly fine idea. Just... not like this.
Sonic Battle (decent yet repetitive gameplay, mixed story-wise) - Emerl's arc is compelling, and it earns the emotional weight of having to put him down at the end.
- While some characters are iffy (read: Amy), other characters are extremely well-handled. Shadow is probably the prime example.
- Gamma's belly dance healing animation is fucking hilarious.
- When I was young, and the game was first announced, I was really excited about being able to play as Chaos. This proved to be my downfall when it turned out he was arguably one of the worst characters in the game due to being slower than me during the writing process, but I still recall that excitement fondly.
Shadow the Hedgehog (comedy classic) - The sheer amount of legendary stupidity this game has going for it makes it practically impossible to actually hate. It helps that it's not quite as white-knighted on the same level as '06... usually. You know you're in for a unique experience when you hear a gunshot every time you click something in the menu.
- By extension, Black Doom never gained an unironic fanbase like Mephiles/Scourge/Eggman Nega did, which means I'm a lot more willing to take Doom's dumbass brand of villainy in stride. He even has a unique design... a terrible one that rips off Wizeman granted, but alas, even that is a step-up from Fridge Shadow and Bumblebee Eggman.
- Despite being... well, Shadow the Hedgehog, some of the environments would fit right in with any other Sonic game, like with Circus Park, Lava Shelter, and Digital Circuit. Even the Black Comet levels look pretty cool.
- This game understands amnesia better than IDW does.
Sonic '06 (what do you think?) - The obvious one: Shadow's character was handled pretty well, even if it came at the cost of everyone else being a dummy and being forced to interact with Mephiles.
- Like SA2, there are some good moments, like the Last Story ending sequence with Sonic and Elise.
- In the greatest form of irony ever, I like Solaris as a concept and design(s), and its backstory has potential to serve as a parallel with Chaos without being a complete ripoff. Iblis sucks, Mephiles sucks, but I'm fine with Solaris.
- Introduced legendary characters like Sonic Man, Pele the Beloved Dog, Hatsun the Pigeon, and Pacha from The Emperor's New Groove.
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The Rivals duology (apathetic outside of Nega-related grumbling) - There were some cool zone ideas in both games that were sadly let down by the restrictive and limiting gameplay. I particularly like Colosseum Highway for thus far being the only full-on Roman level in the series instead of merely having a couple minor hints of Roman, and Meteor Base for the unique scenario of the space station being built into an asteroid. These level concepts and others deserve a second chance IMO. (At least Frontier Canyon got a second chance in the form of Mirage Saloon, amirite?)
- Ifrit has a better design than Iblis. Not saying it's amazing, but the Firebird motif it has going on is a lot more interesting for a fire monster than the Not-Chaos schtick they had with Iblis.
Sonic and the Secret Rings (a very frustrating gaming experience) - Erazor Djinn, A.K.A. Qui-Gon Djinn, A.K.A. Dr. N. Djinn, A.K.A. I'll Take It On The Djinn, A.K.A. Not From The Hairs On My Djinny Djinn Djinn, is one of the best villains not associated with Eggman in the series. He's a Mephiles-type character done right, and there's actual weight and reason to his actions, however sinister or petty.
- I don't have strong opinions either way on Shahra as a character, but the Sonic/Shahra friendship is sweet and well-handled.
- The ending is one of Sonic's greatest moments. The sheer contrast between how ruthlessly he deals with Erazor and how comforting he is towards Shahra speaks volumes... Still gonna make fun of the mountain of handkerchiefs though. (Before anyone lectures me, I understand the significance of it and can even appreciate it from that angle... doesn't mean I'm not allowed to poke fun at it. :P)
- Another game with some redeeming environments. I love the aesthetic of Night Palace, and Sand Oasis looks gorgeous too.
Sonic Chronicles (my personal least favourite game in the series) - Uh...
- Um...
- Er...
- I like Shade's design?
Sonic Unleashed (overrated game and story IMO) - The obvious two: the opening sequence and the Egg Dragoon fight deserve all the praise they get.
- Seeing Eggmanland come to life was an impressive moment to be sure. While part of me does feel it didn't quite measure up to what I had in mind (ironically, the Interstellar Amusement Park ended up being closer to what I had in mind), it still looks badass and works well for what it is. I also don't mind the idea of it being a one-level gauntlet... key word being idea.
- Obviously, the game looks great. Not a fan of the real world focus (real world inspiration is fine, but copy-pasting the real world and shoving loops in it is just unimaginative), but it can't be denied that the environments look good.
- This game pulled off dialogue options a lot better than Chronicles did, since they didn't rely on making Sonic OoC.
Sonic and the Black Knight (just kind of boring all around) - Despite my gripes with the story (Merlina wasn't nearly as fleshed out as her unique anti-villain status deserved, which ends up severely undermining the ambition of the plot in more ways than one, and the other characters go from being useless yes men for King Arthur to being useless yes men for Sonic), I will admit it provides interesting insight into Sonic's character.
- Like '06 and Secret Rings, the ending is very nice... well, aside from Amy being an unreasonable bitch ala Sonic X at the very end.
Sonic the Hedgehog 4 (apathetic) - The admittedly few new concepts sprinkled within had promise. They may not have been as fleshed out as they could have been, but level concepts like Sylvania Castle and White Park, bosses like Egg Serpentleaf and the Egg Heart, and story beats like the Death Egg mk.II being powered by Little Planet, all could have been brilliant had they been better executed.
SatAM (apathetic outside of SatAM Robotnik-related grumbling) - I'm not a fan of the environments on the whole due to them looking too bland or samey, but there are some exceptions that look pleasant or interesting, like the Void.
Sonic Underground (apathetic) - The character designs make me feel better about myself.
- Does "large quantities of unintentional meme material" count as a positive?
Sonic X (mostly apathetic outside of Eggman's handling) - Helen was a better human character and audience surrogate in her one focus episode than Chris was throughout his entire runtime.
- Actually, most of the human characters not named Chris were legitimately likable. Including everyone in Chris' own family not named Chris. Hilarious.
- Despite arguably having the most Chris in it, I actually don't mind the first season that much, partly due to slight nostalgia from seeing it on TV when it was new, but mostly because Eggman actually acted like a villain for the most part, and certain other characters weren't quite as flanderized yet. It's season 2 and onwards where things started going off the rails IMO. (Incidentally, Helen's episode was part of season 1...)
The Boom franchise (apathetic) - Along with Chronicles, the games provide yet more proof that just because someone isn't SEGA/Sonic Team, that doesn't mean they're automatically more qualified to handle the series.
- The show had some good episodes here and there, and Tails' characterization was probably the most consistently on-point out of the cast.
- Despite not exactly being favourite portrayals for either character, even I'll admit that many of Knuckles and Eggman's lines in the show on their own were genuinely funny.
Archie Sonic (pre-reboot is mostly terrible, post-reboot is mostly... bland) - Whenever I doubt myself as a writer, I think back to Ken Penders, and suddenly I'm filled with a lot more confidence.
Sonic the Comic (apathetic) - Fleetway isn't a comic I tend to recall much of aside from how much of a loathesome cunt Sonic is, but IIRC, Robotnik's portrayal is pretty good. Different, but good.
IDW Sonic (stop pissing me off, comic) - Putting their handling aside (and being too obviously "inspired" by MGS in the latter's case), Tangle and Whisper are good characters IMO.
- Same goes for Starline, before he was killed off-screen and replaced with Toothpaste Snively.
- Execution aside (noticing a pattern?), the zombot virus was a fine concept on its own and an interesting new scheme for Eggman.
- I get to remind myself that I've never drawn scat edits and posted them publicly on Twitter.
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rainofaugustsith · 3 years ago
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SWTOR: What is it about Iokath?
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I think that if we did a poll on Most Hated Areas in SWTOR, Iokath would be a close front runner. Even I - who has tried to get the legendary status for every faction - have ignored Iokath's dailies. I go through once for the story, take whatever rep is given for the story quests, and then get out of there. It's only because I have a lot of toons that I've earned rep there.
Because Galactic Seasons includes Iokath dailies in its list of daily priority objectives, the planet's daily area is seeing more traffic. It's also getting some complaints. The big question: why?
On paper Iokath looks really cool. A killer techno planet that seems to have influence from the Rakata and Gree, with a legacy of unleashing superweapons on hapless worlds. A killer techno planet with technology that was at least in part co-opted by a murderous world-devouring supervillain who survives for a very long time and wreaks havoc across the galaxy. Dudes, that's intriguing.
And for those who have an interest in their toons switching factions, Iokath actually lets you do that. You can be a Republic character supporting the Empire and walking through the Imperial base, or vice versa. There's no sneaky saboteur stuff!
So why is Iokath maligned so much? It's one of those places like Makeb where it seems like it should be amazing, but it's not.
1. The story.
When I say story, I'm not referring to the Iokath chapters in KOTET, but to the traitor arc that follows.. In my opinion, the first time we visit Iokath in KOTET, it's not so bad. We get to stomp around as a giant Colossus droid, and it's one of the few "play as something else" moments in KOTET that seems to work well. It's really fun. We get to unravel some of the mysteries of the Eternal Fleet. It's a good couple of chapters, IMHO.
But then we go back for the beginning of the traitor arc. Both factions are trying to wipe the other out with a superweapon. Everyone's been led to Iokath by a traitor. The Commander gets fried on a throne again, as though that didn't just happen. The Commander is forced to side with one faction or another, instead of just saying "you are both being awful. GET OFF MY PLANET. WE'RE NOT DOING THIS AGAIN."
Instead we get a new galactic IMPS VS PUBS!!!! war (sigh), at least one major NPC death and a beloved character set up as a traitor.
2. The fact that the story cannot even be finished because they pulled an Oricon.
IMHO the one intriguing thing about the Iokath traitor arc is Tyth. We discover that Zakuul's pantheon of old gods are actually supernatural superweapon droids on Iokath. We meet one named Tyth. But then we never get to really battle it out with him - or five of the others - because that's all in an Op. The Op is the end of the story arc. Luckily, you can go on to Umbara and such without doing the Op. All the same, the question of the machine gods never really gets settled. You never really hear about them again, with the exception of Zildrog. Did you defeat them? Did they just go back to sleep? Did they rust in the Iokath toxic rain? The world may never know.
Leaving a storyline dangling this way - because the devs want to twist players' arms into doing Ops - is a nasty trick in a story-based, solo-based game. The devs tried the same stunt with Oricon's storyline. The result was that a lot of players left Oricon unfinished - and then didn't play that storyline at all on subsequent characters. No point if you can't finish it.
Iokath is unfortunately part of the main story. While you actually CAN skip it, you would miss out on a part of the main storyline - including the proposals for two companions that can be romanced - and have some decisions autocompleted for you. If you're trying to play the entire story, Iokath is a thing. You have to go through, you end up with an incomplete story and that Op sits in your log until you abandon it. FWIW, the Op couldn't even be abandoned for years, despite players requesting that again and again. I guess the devs thought that if it sat there, players would grit their teeth and jump in to clear their log?
3. The maps.
You thought Taris, Balmorra, Corellia or Belsavis were confusing? Iokath has entered the chat. The Iokath map is a nightmare. There are paths around the area that aren't marked. Daily quest objectives aren't marked. Just better go through the winding corridors and see what you find, I guess.
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4. The bugs.
Years after being released Iokath still has numerous bugs, like your companions vanishing and your abilities bar unlocking.
5. You have to pay to play for some quests.
There are daily quests to play in a walker, play as a mouse droid, etc. You have to pay credits for them. Like, no joke. It costs credits to do the quests. Needless to say that does not seem to appeal to most players, and the devs have not tried this again.
6. The walker segment in the story.
Because everyone LOVED the walker quests in KOTET so much (yes that is sarcasm), here they are again! And you have to fight three giant robots in close quarters! The fight against the three sentinel droids is horrendous and a lot of players have complained about it.
With the exception of the faction switching, IMHO Iokath should be held up as an example of What Not To Do. The result is a really great concept that fell really flat in execution and pissed off a lot of players.
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poemistic · 4 years ago
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top 10 mlp musical numbers
since I’ve been rewatching the childhood tv show, i was like ‘well why not?’ the songs I’ve chosen to rate are all from my mlp songs playlist on spotify, so it is already personally biased. when i watched mlp as a kid, most of my memories are from seasons 1 - 5 and maybe a little bit of season 6? (i really lost interest when starlight came into the picture as a “redeemed villain” like are you for real??) so a lot of these songs i have an attached childhood nostalgia to. if you think i missed any...no i didn’t ❤️ 
so before we get to the good part, we first got some honorable mentions (that are not in any particular order) 
the spectacle 
the smile song
ballad of the crystal ponies 
EQ cafeteria song 
in our town 
the magic inside
CHS rally song 
ACADECA 
life is a runway 
my past is not today 
you’ll play your part
awesome as i wanna be (after this are the songs I want to be in top ten but don’t make the cut ;-;) 
apples to the core 
glass of water 
unleash the magic (im really sad about this one its Good) 
raise this barn (THIS ONE WAS SO CLOSE TO BEING TOP TEN SO CLOSE)
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omg those last two songs hurt to put on the honorable mentions. but now onto my top ten personal favorites! rated from least favorite to most. 
10.  What My Cutie Mark is Telling Me. (this song just scratches me right in my 9 yr old brain. I remember recording the episode this song was in and being so excited to see it. it was the season 3 finale. also rainbow dash, applejack, and rarity’s parts in this song Slapped period.) 
9. Flim Flam Brothers’ Super Speed Cider Squeezy 6000 (honestly 9 and 8 are tied but i like 8 just a liittttle bit better than this one. but like cmon.  the title? already fire. this song made me like capitalists HORSES for crying out loud. this one is a Bop and a half.) 
8. Hearts Strong as Horses (awkward title but the SNARES IN THIS SONG THO. this song gets me fucking pumped and not to mention this song is in the best cmc episode. just a really catchy upbeat tune. can’t go wrong.)  
7. Battle of the Bands (i have THREE DAZZLINGS SONGS IN A ROW for this. rainbow rocks really went off when making the dazzlings, adagio dazzle especially. All of their songs made onto the list because they’re just That Good. like Seriously. also me gay for adagio :P) 
6. Under Our Spell (ME BIG GAY FOR EVIL HYPNOTIZING WOMEN!!! the lyrics, the Vocals, the way you start to hypnotically sway unconsciously... its all so fantastic.)
5. Welcome to the Show (this song had me playing it on repeat and imaging that I was sunset singing along with twilight and the main six to defeat the dazzlings. i loved this song so much, so much serotonin. the dazzlings sound amazing and yea maybe the music in our hearts is a little cheesy but it still makes me pumped whenever i hear it 🥺RAINBOW ROCKS BEST EQ MOVIE)
4. Bats (im going to be totally honest here. Bats is objectively better than number three and will name you reasons why. Bats is those rare mlp duets where not only does it have really good dynamic exchanges between characters, but also drastic tonal changes with great visuals to go along with it.  Not to mention the duet is very confrontational, which you honestly can’t find much of in mlp. the song is definitely one of the best out there. Plus i also really love applejack’s angry singing voice. her yeehaw accent is just *chef’s kiss*) 
3. Babs Seed (the reason why bats is 4 and not 3 is well....it simply does not bop harder than babs seed. and babs seed is. A. BOP. this shit fucking BUMPS. SLAPS. HITS. A FUCKING BANGER. you put this on at a party i AM ON THE DANCE. FLOOR. PERIOD. just fucking listen to it alright. cause this is playing at my funeral.) 
2.  I’m The Friend You Need (listen this is song is soo good. you wanna know why? i didn’t watch the movie this song was in and it’s on my #2 spot in my Best Mlp Songs Ever list. Also just the trumpets, and how sleazy and slippery capper is and how his vocals exude that exact vibe. You never even meet characters like capper in mlp. everyone is either a friend or a villain who cackles with dramatic lightning in the back. capper is, refreshingly, neither. and the whole song in general just wants to make me samba or something i have no idea. just listen to the song!!) 
1. This Day Aria (i had to put this as number one. i had to. i am legally bound to do it. this song was the peak of the mlp fandom and my life. it was revolutionary. it changed fandom history. the season 2 finale was not advertised properly, but in a good way? they said nothing about the changelings and the queen At All. it was just “get ready for mlp’s season 2 finale! a canterlot wedding :D” and it lowered everyone’s expectations for it. and that was GREAT. when the twist happened it made EVERYONE FREAK OUT LIKE WHAATTTT!!! AND THE SONG?? UGHHH!!!! it was SO HYPE and the SCORE, THE VOCALS, THE DUET, THE SHOCK OF IT ALL!! disney was crying, they WISHED THEY HAD WHAT MLP HAD. This Day Aria has best villain song of mlp, as well as the best song of mlp Ever.) 
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and thats the end! thank you for reading this far! i started this because i saw the most trashiest ‘best songs of mlp’ list in my entire life and Had to fix it. BITCH PUT LET THE RAINBOW REMIND YOU AS #1??? one of the boringest songs in mlp ever. sorry not sorry but if let the rainbow remind you is your favorite song, please get some taste. 
anyways these are all just my own personal opinions! and if you like mlp and wanna talk about it more don’t be shy to tell me your thoughts! although, don’t expect a lot of mlp content from me. i’m still hyper-fixating on hxh. hope you guys appreciated my thoughts on mlp’s best songs! :DD have a nice day! 
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a-mellowtea · 4 years ago
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i know you post a lot about rwby music so! in hopes of cheering you up from the other anons youve been getting, i have questions! what's your favorite character theme? how do you keep track of them all/recognize them? is there a piece of music youve listened to most from last season?
Nonny, you are a blessing. Thank you so much for this ❤️
I’m gonna assume you mean leitmotifs, not songs, ‘cause I ramble about those more haha. Picking a favorite character theme/leitmotif for me is like picking a favorite child, but there are a handful that are higher on that list than others. 
The first one that comes to mind isn’t actually for a specific character, and that would be the Maiden melody: introduced in brief in Volume 3 Chapter 6 and then expanded upon hugely in the subsequent World of Remnant. It’s such a gorgeous fairytale-esque piece and has been used to fantastic effect in both action and drama scenes. My favorite instance of it to date is from the end of “And I Refuse To Starve”, when Fria unleashes her power.
I also, surprisingly, adore Neopolitan’s (the one that was introduced for her in Volume 2, not “One Thing”, by the by, though the song is also excellent). There’s a dangerous energy to its triplet structure that’s simply wonderful; an old friend of mine, who I used to discuss some of the earlier Volumes’ music with up until circa Volume 4, likened it to the silly Knife Game people play in terms of that sort of on-edge feeling. Alex Abraham also uses a waterphone for her and it is so unique and fun. The entirety of “The Timeline Has Changed” is phenomenal and I cannot say “go listen to it right now” with enough vigor.
Other than that, just to list a few off the top of my head, there’s: 
James' (pre-”Hero”, which is also the general (heh) Atlesian military leitmotif and ho boy; could I get into that);
Penny's amalgamation of previous themes into a new, beautiful melody from Volume 7 and into Volume 8;
Ozpin’s, which continues to break my heart just about every time I hear it;
Oscar’s, which was aptly labelled by someone, I can't recall who, “RWBY’s Binary Sunset” back in Volume 4 and yes;
Jaune’s, because it’s grown on me the most and if you need convincing of how beautiful this boy’s leitmotif sounds, just listen to the instance from “Mantle Overrun”; 
Tyrian’s, because it is just... so overly-dramatic and fun, but in a horror-movie killer clown way.
I also latched hard onto the melody Alex Abraham wrote for the Ace-Ops in Volume 7.
One of the greatest things about RWBY’s incidental score - in my opinion - however, is that every single character leitmotif has something to enjoy. They are all created with such love, in a way I don’t think a lot of modern visual media does anymore.
To answer your second question I do, much to my own pride and embarrassment, keep an Excel spreadsheet of established character leitmotifs and their instances for each Volume. As for how I actually recognize them, as far as I know, I just have an ear for it. Honestly, I’m still asking myself, ‘cause it’s a little weird sometimes.
And finally, the piece I’ve listened to most from Volume 7! That would be “And I Refuse To Starve”.
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It made the entire confrontation and yes, that is a hill I will gladly die on.
Hope that answers your questions! If you have any more, please don’t hesitate to ask - this is pretty much my lifeblood in regards to the show haha! 💖
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lifeattomsdiner · 5 years ago
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Seth’s grand unified ST4 theory
Posted at the urging of @maplestreet, who may as well have coauthored this post because we were bouncing ideas off of each other all this morning.
So at long last, the teaser for ST4 dropped this morning, and while it was only ~30 seconds long, the implications from it made a lot of pieces of information slot into place for me.  Not gonna say that I’ve cracked the code and figured the whole next season out, but it all fits together in a way that makes a lot of sense (to me, at least).
Long, involved analysis under the cut--be warned.
PREMISE: Hopper survived the end of ST3 by jumping through the gate into the Upside Down.
This is not a new theory--it basically popped up as soon as people finished bingeing the season--but I’m throwing it in here because it’s the premise on which I’m building everything else I write here.
So to go over the evidence really quickly (none of which I spotted myself to begin with, credit has to go to other theorizers for that)--Hopper gives the gate a significant look right before he gives Joyce the go-ahead to blow up the Russian’s key-machine in an act of apparent self-sacrifice.  He’s noticeably absent from the platform where he was a moment ago when we actually see it blow up.
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To top it off, we have what is potentially a sneaky little hint in an otherwise-unrelated quote from El earlier in the same episode.
EL: “There’s another way to get out.  Through the Gap.”
All this is enough that, completely independent of whether I’m right about anything else, I’d call myself about 95% convinced that Hopper did, indeed, jump through the gate right before the key-machine exploded.
What we learned today
The teaser dropped today seemingly has very little to go on; just a creepy, foreboding image of the Upside Down and the ST4 title.  Until you take a closer look at the building in the background.
Two things jump out: first, it’s an isolated, apparently wooden building somewhere in the woods.  The building that immediately jumps to mind from that description?  Hopper’s cabin.
Second, despite it being in the Upside Down, the porch light is on.
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(all the best conspiracy theories involve details from grainy photos!)
The implication I get from this?  Hopper was, or is, trapped in the Upside Down long-term.
Who is “the American”?
Obviously, one of the biggest points of speculation following ST3 was the identity of the unseen prisoner in the Kamchatka facility, identified only as “the American” by the guards.  Again obviously, Hopper is the most popular candidate for the identity of this mystery prisoner.  But let’s stop right quick and ask ourselves a question.
What has to be true in order for Hopper to be “the American”?
Well, going off of the assumption that Hopper escaped the exploding key-machine by jumping into the Upside Down, the Russians would’ve had to have fished him out of there at some point, somehow.  Furthermore, the key-machine exploding means that the gate under Starcourt would’ve shut immediately behind Hopper after he jumped through.  Ergo the Russians would have had to open another gate to the Upside Down, somewhere else, in order to pull him out.
Except that it’s all but explicitly stated that they can’t.
According to Alexei, that was the whole point of coming to Hawkins and building the facility beneath Starcourt: it was the only place where the barrier between our world and the Upside Down was weak enough for them to break through.
MURRAY: [translating for Alexei] “They’re using this key to break through a barrier [...] But it seems this key was only half the equation.  Location was the other half.  In Hawkins, this door had been opened once.  It was still healing.”
So if Hopper jumped through to the Upside Down, the gate closed behind him, and the Russians couldn’t have opened another gate to fish him out?  Well, that implies that Hopper’s still stuck in the Upside Down, doesn’t it?
After all, in ST1 we see Will survive for nearly a week being trapped in the Upside Down.  Hopper’s a grown man, is heavily implied to have army training, and is already somewhat familiar with the dangers of the Upside Down; it’s not inconceivable that he could last for longer, even significantly longer.
So if Hopper’s still trapped in the Upside Down...
Brenner is “the American”.
Brenner’s the other popular theory for the identity of “the American”, but I’m not picking him just because he’s the other choice.  Having him be that nameless prisoner actually makes a number of things make much more sense in retrospect.
To begin with, if Brenner was still alive following the events of ST1 (as ST2 heavily implied that he was), then why hasn’t he made a play to recapture Eleven in the over a year and a half that has elapsed in-universe since then?  Well, if he was taken into Russian custody shortly after ST1--either kidnapped by them, or fleeing to them knowing that the US government would disavow him for his actions--then he quite obviously couldn’t.
Furthermore, Brenner being in Russian hands easily explains why they knew about the Upside Down (bear in mind that the ST3 prologue takes place in June 1984, a solid 3-4 months before even the events of ST2), why they would know that the town of Hawkins exists in general, and why they would know that the walls between dimensions are weak there in particular.  After all, Brenner himself was inadvertently responsible for that initial breach.
Basically, if Brenner is “the American”, then a huge chunk of ST3 makes a hell of a lot more sense in retrospect.
(Also Matthew Modine has teased that he’s returning in ST4, so there’s that.)
But if the Russians can’t open another gate, where did the Demogorgon in the stinger come from?
Glad you asked, hypothetical conversation partner that I made up for the purposes of writing up this post!
This one’s pretty straightforward--ST3 went out of its way to show us that the facility beneath Starcourt had Demogorgon-sized cages.
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ERICA: “How big did you say that Demogorgon was?” DUSTIN: “Big.  Nine feet or so.  Why?”
Basically, they fished out out of the Starcourt gate at some point during the couple of days that it was open, caged it, and sent it back to the Kamchatka facility.  How did they smuggle a live Demogorgon out of the US without anybody noticing?  I don’t know, how did they build an entire Death-Star-style facility beneath a mall in America’s heartland without anybody noticing?  Either you roll with it or you don’t.
So where does this leave us?
It leaves us with a solid premise for ST4.
If Hopper is trapped in the Upside Down, that presents a major moral dilemma for the main cast in general and for El in particular.  Do they reopen the gate to the Upside Down to save him and risk unleashing the Mind Flayer on our world again?  Or do they leave Hopper in there to protect everybody else?
Brenner being in Russian hands connects two dangling plot threads into one.  Furthermore, given that the Russians are holding him prisoner, he’s likely none too fond of them, meaning he could end up in a tense Enemy Mine situation with the main cast that I for one would be fascinated to watch.  His involvement also would give a reason for Kali to show up again, which (in my opinion, again) is long overdue.
Again, not gonna stand here claiming that I’ve figured out the secret and come up with the only logically possible plot for ST4.  Just that this particular sequence makes a lot of narrative sense to me, and I’d be pleased to see it all play out on the screen.
And hey--shameless plug here--if you like the way I spin a yarn, pop on over to my AO3 and have a look.  I don’t have to theorize about those stories, I know where they’re going.  (Er... more or less, anyway.)
Hope you enjoyed, and happy speculating!
46 notes · View notes
torunarigha · 5 years ago
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i made this the other night and honestly its not as cringe as i thought it would be! its a get to know the hertha players + my dumb commentary...
hertha squad smash or pass bc apparently i’m already too exhausted from school work to have a brain
1. Thomas Kraft:
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Legend against Frankfurt, sexy saves, but pass
12. Dennis Smarsch
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tall and large boi™, our future when he shapes up, pass bc he’s always posting cute shit with his gf (also gives off basic white boy vibes)
22. Rune Jarstein
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octopus KING, saves my life every game, along with sala my first favorite player, smash the saves, pass on the father of three daughters (me and his two actual ones)
13. Lukas Klünter
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squirrel man from köln that was the fastest runner in the bundesliga last year, was called most consistent man under covic and now is less so, i want him to SHINE but i also want him to stay with us forever bc i’m selfish, i cannot explain but smash 1000000%, e v e r y t h i n g . 
17. Maxi Mittelstädt
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square faced spandau berliner boy!!! i call him maxi n cie after the quebecois grocery store but that’s neither here nor there. he’s still got some work to do but he’s getting so much better and i’m SO proud of him. more my son than anything so pass for now (emphasis on for now...)
20. Dedryck Boyata
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honestly what a cute and beautiful man. killer defender (we miss you! get well soon!) if it wasn’t for man city comment and connection might be smash...but looking at this pic i just want to hug him...so pass (when he comes back with them sexy tackles that answer might change)
21. Marvin Plattenhardt
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poor marvin...only call up was for the world cup 2018 (why i’m putting germany jersey pic here). free kick skills through the roof when it happens and solid player...pass bc not my type. 
25. Jordan Torunarigha
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what a man WHAT A MAN! he is an INCREDIBLE defender, a MYSTERIOUS instagram caption maker, and a HEART that beats more blue and white than anyone in the world. i can’t wait to watch him flourish as an amazing german defenseman and yes that is of course a smash for my bae jordan ... 
4. Karim Rekik
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ah karim...i always had mixed feelings about him as a defender but now i miss him...as a person i always thought he was cool. he honestly has a gorgeous face and that could be a smash just for that...but i’m gonna say pass. frustration lingers.
5. Niklas Stark
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ah nik...the one hertha player everyone on this site knows and loves and my one pride on the NT <3 he made me VERY MAD at the beginning of the season and that tarnished my opinion of him. but he has an incredibly attractive face and seems chill ! i think i’d smash if the chance presented itself !
11. Mathew Leckie
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where on EARTH did this man go?? only Australian footy man i know...tbh completely forgot how he plays at all...the mustache ruins it for me, pass
15. Marko Grujić
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sexy soft doe who makes dumb tackles sometimes! brilliant footballer, drools over the PL a little bit too much but i do love his love of liverpool. gives off sweetest man in the world vibes when off the pitch (on the pitch, quite the opposite). smash smash and more smash
16. Javairô Dilrosun
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okayyyyyy this picture gives off different vibes than i normally associate with my always smiling super talented dutchboy but i’ll take it. literally would give the world for him. please stay at hertha. we love you. originally wrote smash but i cannot legally say that...too much sun/son vibes...pass my sweet legend
18. Santiago Asacibar
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uggggghhh my least favorite transfer of all time. he’s ok. he’s been solid so i can’t complain. but a hard pass.
23. Arne Maier
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the amount of love and affection i feel toward this berliner born in 1999 man for the amount of time he has actually played in the last while is...incredible. please don’t be a dumb bitch and move and that all the headlines were just made up. you’ve been injured !! be patient !! you’re too much homegrown talent for us to squander you i promise...not my normal type but smash...
3. Per Skjelbred
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norwegian that gets up early and looks confused all the time. he’s been solid for us but apparently we’re selling him according to...will miss this deer in the headlights...pass
30. Marius Wolf
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he just transferred sometime last season and he’s bffs with EVERYONE honestly respect but the guy freaks me out of bit...can’t explain it. super inconsistent but when he’s good he’s great. his instagram hashtag under every picture is #UNLEASHTHEWOLF ... when will he be unleashed ???? hard pass tho
6. Vladimír Darida
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plays one (albeit incredible) game. twitter: BEST MAN OF THE VORRUNDE (honestly though some people’s opinions make me feel like i don’t understand this sport). he is pretty great though, not denying that. pass but respect. lots of it
8. Salomon Kalou
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if this man doesn’t get a great send off i WILL riot. incredible presence on the team, nicest happiest funniest man alive. goals that he scores when he actually gets playing time ??? beautiful. couldn’t smash this man though, he’s the uncle i never had. i’ll pass him off to someone who loves him like he loves them.......
9. Alexander Esswein
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couldn’t tell you much about ole essy over here...he’s not done much. he’s one of my friend’s exact type so i’ll save him for her. pass.
14. Pascal Köpke
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the lad is TRYING! being the son of the NT goalkeeper coach is never easy. its hard to just be thrown on the pitch for the first time and be expected to create magic. hope he just gets better! solid pass bc his face looks like a prof of mine...yikes
19. Vedad Ibisevic
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*gently strokes picture* i didn’t know how good i had it. yes i get annoyed at his aggressive testosterone-yness but lordy does he love hertha and is a good captain. i miss seeing him on the pitch and scoring those goals, saving our asses. props, old man <3 definite pass though.
27. Davie Selke
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what CURSE has davie fallen victim to??? this man has no aim anymore and i miss his speedy legs and fancy goals !!!! absolute passion to sometimes ridiculous levels on the pitch but i love his heart. off the pitch, most down to earth nice sympatisch guy ever...hard smash 
28. Dodi Lukébakio
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oof...OOOF. i really really REALLY like him. he shuffles cards well, his voice is so soothing, his smile is INCREDIBLE. and yeah...incredible goal scored and weaver around defenders. and so chill !!!! i hope he stays with us for a long time. smash. marry. 
BONUS
(on loan at norwich) Ondrej Duda
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my heart grew three sizes when i saw this picture and now my eyes are all misty... he and sala have made my days so good when they were otherwise bad. his goalscoring last season incredible. he barely played this season at all. i don’t understand it. i hope and pray he comes back for us. duda...i love you (pass tho for the same reason as sala...)
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letstalksymphogear · 5 years ago
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Symphogear, EP. 6
Last Time on Grand Theft Auto:
Tsubasa recovers from the world’s gayest coma as Hibiki trains her mind while putting aside such silly concepts as “the love of my life” and “literally being with my girlfriend.” After cooling Miku’s paranoia with her brand new washboard abs, Genjuro prepares the team for a pizza run across the city to deliver a dangerously hot pizza pie named Durandal. Chaos emerges as the delivery is intercepted by a rival pizza gang, lead by the nefarious Gremlin known as Yukine Chris. But, before the pizza could be claimed, dedicated pizza deliverywoman Hibiki not only steals it back, but eats it, harnessing the power of the pizza and unleashing cheesy pasta based chaos around the location.
Ryoko is so into it that she taps into her superpowers and protects Hibiki after she passes out. The delivery is considered a failure, and no tip is given.
And so, the journey continues...
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Meanwhile, in this weird, tricked out mansion...
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Chris meditates on some water metaphors of her own.
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“that pacman colored freak took only touching it to activate a cheap ass french sword that gave her weird demon powers and its taken me YEARS to use this dumb stripper outfit and the funny cane that goes with it, what the FUCK man, what even is my life”
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“maybe... maybe honeybaked hams ARE that powerful...”
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“NO! turkey is the superior meat! it’s healthier, lower in fat, and way more tasty! fuck you! i’ll get my goddamned revenge!”
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Chris begins musing about Fine’s motivations to capture Hibiki; during these, we’re treated to some brief image flashbacks of Chris’s life.
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Suddenly, those jokes about food are a lot less funny.
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It doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together as to why this young woman is helping a strange nudist dominatrix spread alien terror across the city of mumblednoises, Japan. She doesn’t really have many an option on the table. It’s either help the weird kinkster with her plans, or die.
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Despite everything, she has a high opinion of Fine, for the same reasons someone might have a high opinion of a television show if it were the only show they were ever exposed to. She is deeply afraid of being alone again, because she has lived through such misery that the very thought of existing out in the cold again terrifies the shit out of her.
The Sun rises casually amidst Chris’s thoughts.
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“ah shit. it just hit me. i literally have spent the entire night standing here instead of actually going the fuck to sleep. goddamnit.”
On such a devious metaphorical twist, Fine stands behind her as the Sun rises.
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“yeah, jokes on you. i couldnt sleep for shit either. turns out, all nude, no blankets? in japan? real bad idea.”
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“thats why i decided to GO GOTH, babey! whattaya think? do i give those witchy vibes, huh? real ‘black magic woman’ santana hours? feeling cute, gonna head out with the girls and summon satan in the woods kinda aesthetic looking shit? come on, be real with me. does this not look baller?”
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“you look like morticia decided to go to the grocery store to buy some wonder bread, but other than that, its a step up from your usual pussy out attitude, so sure”
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“you know i decided to get some brain cells on loan from Brain Cells R Us, and ive been thinking this solomon cane stuff is solomon lame. i dont need this dumb oversized harry potter cosplay prop to get shit done. also, murder is... sorta bad? im still trying to get the brain cell stuff down.”
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“i can punch just as good as goody two shoes if not better.”
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“lol go do it then champ, im gonna go cut down a forest of trees now”
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And so, they both just kinda... stand there.
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“QUACK, NEXT SCENE, QUACK”
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Meanwhile, Tsubasa is rapidly trying to rehabilitate herself from her wounds like walking like a madman, her IV drip presumably filled with Taco Bell brand Doritos Locos Tacos super spicy nacho cheese. Taco Bell: Live Mas.
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“im gonna clear every fucking taco bell in your goddamned memory, kanade”
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“think outside the bun! wait, what? that was a taco bell slogan? ah fuck it, im dead. what nerd’s gonna try and correct me?”
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“i would, kanade. i am that nerd.”
Tsubasa is hell bent to try and understand Kanade’s simple philosophy of helping others selflessly. Unfortunately, when Kanade died, she took all the brain cells between them in the process, so coming to this epiphany is a work in progress.
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“listen its a fucking miracle you are 1. alive and 2. able to have your blood run on the garbage melted plastic taco bell tries to dupe people into believing is cheese so why dont you just lie down and think of better franchises to eat from”
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“no! you dont understand! taco bell is a franchise of the PEOPLE! their meals are cheap and filling and- and the chicken quesadillas are of good quality for their price! i promised kanade- my vow to the death. taco bell... ergh... now and forever... i-”
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“wait. my gay senses are tingling.”
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It’s Hibiki, probably running track with Miku.
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“oh yeah... her... i should probably apologize to her. about trying to kill her. and then letting her almost be kidnapped. and just giving her a general hard time about something that wasn’t explained to her in the slightest for months. she’s a good bean.”
Tsubasa proceeds to never canonically apologize to Hibiki throughout the entirety of all 4 seasons of Symphogear.
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Look at em run. See, it’s a metaphor, because they haven’t communicated yet and they’re running from their problems! But they’re running towards Tsubasa, who is part of the representative problem these two share! Clearly literary genius.
It’s like someone went halfway into writing an NTR plotline and went “maybe this isn’t a good idea to market our songs on.”
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Hibiki is still thinking about her Hellshake Yano moment with Durandal. Mainly how she nearly killed someone with it. Hibiki is very starkly in the “killing is bad, and wrong” camp of morality, a trait currently unique to her that she’ll wind up teaching literally everyone else she meets one way or another.
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Some could argue the L stands for Lydian, and they’re wrong. It stands for Lesbian.
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“that was one hell of a run, hibiki! im pooped! why dont we go to the locker room and call it a day, have a nice shower and just get some dinn-”
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“this is the last straw.
i clean your plates. i cook your food. we eat, shit, shower, and sleep in the same FUCKING area, and this is how you repay me? huh? you think being your wife is easy shit, hibiki? half the damn time you’re running off like clark kent having food poisoning and the other half ive gotta babysit you, the emotional equivalent of a preteen clown, to make sure your life doesn’t self destruct harder than Atlantis sinking into the ocean. im done! i am DONE. im reopening my tinder, im slamming my ass BACK into okcupid, and im gonna date some CUTE ACADEMY GIRLS that treat me BETTER than this ABSOLUTE BETRAYAL OF HEART AND IM NOT CRYING I SWEAR ITS JUST THE SWEAT IN MY EYES AND HIBIKI HOW COULD YOU-”
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“oh yeah, sure! hey, lemme just do a few more laps, ive just been feeling judgmental about myself and my figure, you know? gotta push myself further...”
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“o-oh yeah, sure. no worries, ill wait for you. love you too, hibiki...”
The girls bathe together, as good friends typically do.
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“hey you ever notice the showers here have like, weird psuedo-luxurious minipools to bathe in? like, how rich is this school?”
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“whoever made this place is either rich or a pervert. or both, probably!”
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Miku remarks that Hibiki has changed since she’s entered Lydian, in a manner most unheterosexual.
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“oh FUCK you really DO have washboard abs now! ohhh my god.”
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“damn, those abs were heavenly. let’s get pancakes later.”
I won’t screenshot it but something to note is that they actually wear each other’s corresponding underwear colors (or even, if you want to examine more closely, each other’s underwear). Here’s an equivalent scene to give you the mental image.
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This is the face of someone who knows what they want and already have it. Such is the power of Kohinata Miku.
Meanwhile, Genjuro comes back from the funeral of the guy the Americans filled violently and with impunity.
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“yo that all black look looks baller. i should borrow that look... id look pretty gothy in it.”
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“ryoko i sympathize with your sharp, fashionista eye but this was for a funeral, i was paying my respects to the dead. thats the usual dress code.”
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“didnt know they updated that. i remember back in my day, we just went in white garments and chanted in latin!”
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“shit was fire. literally. lots of funeral pyres.”
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“lmao ryoko buddy your larping sessions arent actual history”
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“hey dont shit on larping around me. i used to be a professional larper while i was majoring in acting. helped really sell my career when i had to pretend to slay the Dark Lord Jyarloen atop the mountain of skulls in Hargobor after my family was killed by the Dark Army. asshole.”
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“haha yeah, larping, thats cool yeah, i do that
i...
i larp.”
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“oh yeah? you wanna join my larping session sometime then? we’re gonna do an ancient babylon plot thats inspired by some anime, itll be fun”
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“.....................................im super into realism.”
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“i know im dressed for a funeral but id like to not part ways with my dignity yet. besides, we’ve got serious shit to talk about. basically, we’re on the verge of getting shitcanned.”
As it turns out, the death of this politician removed the last obstacle of opposition to maintain the 2nd Division, as the average criticism against the 2nd Division is “why are we funding this mystery division when we don’t know what they do”. Of course, the sensible idea for an organization that defeats the Noise is to declassify it, given people of different jobs and positions have physically seen the Symphogear in action, but you know. “Oh no, the other governments will come after us” stick gets shaken.
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“im in a union. i know my rights. you’re not taking my acting job here away from me.”
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“im not going back to be a preschool teacher. its been ten year. the bites on my ankles still havent healed...”
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“yeah man, shit sucks ass. i cant fund my adoption habits if im fired.”
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Look at these cinematic parallels. Symphogear truly is a franchise made by someone living in 3030.
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“worst part is the new minister is super into america. he’s a... westaboo.”
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“a westaboo?”
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“westaboo?”
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“did he just unironically say westaboo”
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“he said westaboo. oh my god. this is the hell timeline.”
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“i mean people kept calling me that for worshipping all these fighting flicks so i guess it fit? i dont see the problem here”
Meanwhile, in Lydian Academy...
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“so it hit me, right? we’re ALL girls. and we ALL sing. now, humor me a moment. what if... what if we’ve all been recruited to potentially be superheroes... through our singing? like, there’s no coincidence that all this shit happens around us, right? and a famous singer LIVES here? i saw the black cars outside! weird shit is happening here- im not even gonna eat the all you can eat bar anymore!”
“kathy there is literally no such thing as superheroes who sing. this place is more likely to be a organ harvesting op than whatever madness you’re saying”
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“what? you need me, a singing superhero, to go stop a problem happening underneath the school, a location meant to recruit young women into potentially becoming fellow crime fighting singers?”
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“yeah im too busy poppin’ caps in asses so go kick ass in my place”
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“sure!”
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“.....................................who ya talkin to, hibiki?”
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“the boss! gotta go do a thing again...”
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“hibiki, i dont like the fact that capitalism is tearing us apart.”
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“you’ve gotta join me in the revolution, hibiki. you. me. luxury automated gay space communism. aint it the dream? share my vision, hibiki. its glorious.”
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“n... no...? no gay space communism today? well, what about tomorrow? or the next day? or... maybe the next day? baby steps, you say? but, direction action, hibiki! we’ve gotta strike now!”
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“it’s okay hibiki. when i take over the world and destroy all first world government leaders, and unite the globe in my encompassing reign and love... ill make sure to spare you, and be my bride to be.”
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“thanks miku. im just not ready yet for the globe to burn in an unending ball of fire as the continents fuse into a new utopia composed of our combined wills. also, ive really gotta go, its genuinely an emergency.”
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“for the cause!”
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“yes hibiki... for the cause...”
Admittedly, you can see the stages of grief Miku goes through when she sees Hibiki say she can’t join her for pancakes. It’s sad. This side story sucks.
Meanwhile, as it turns out, the problem Hibiki needed to resolve was checking on Tsubasa to see if she hadn’t dissolved into Taco Bell brand hot n’ spicy Tabasco sauce.
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“god, cant believe taco bell was closed. now i gotta deliver these lame ass flowers”
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“cant wait to get threatened again. wonder what she’ll say. ‘hibiki, i should have killed you when i had the chance.’ or ‘you’re so goddamned weak. i could break your spine with my fingernail’, or some other stuff about metaphors. oh, my stops here”
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“HEY BITCH WHATS GOOD-”
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“HOLY SHIT”
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“you are already”
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“dead.”
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29 notes · View notes
batsfromwesteros · 6 years ago
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Get To Know Me Tag
I was tagged by @booptherat​, Thank you!
rules: post your simself and your traits and answer all the questions below I can’t make sims and I’m too lazy to create myself sorry haha
traits: geek, dog lover, History lover (Is that even a trait? lmao)
1. WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME?  Bálint
2. WHAT IS YOUR NICKNAME? Bats
3. BIRTHDAY? March 3rd
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK SERIES? oof idk
5. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ALIENS OR GHOSTS? Not Really?
6. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR? I don’t have one
7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RADIO STATION?  Probably Petőfi fm
8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLAVOR OF ANYTHING? Vanilla
9. WHAT WORD WOULD YOU USE OFTEN TO DESCRIBE SOMETHING GREAT OR WONDERFUL?  Cool
10. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT FAVORITE SONG? Bellyache - Billie Eilish
11. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WORD?  Betyárk*rva
12. WHAT WAS THE LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO? Bellyache - Billie Eilish
13. WHAT TV SHOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR EVERYBODY TO WATCH? The Crown or GoT tbh, they’re the best.
14. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE TO WATCH WHEN YOU’RE FEELING DOWN? Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
15. DO YOU PLAY VIDEO GAMES? Yes. A lot.
16. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR? Losing my loved ones.
17. WHAT IS YOUR BEST QUALITY, IN YOUR OPINION?  I’m really trustworthy 
18. WHAT IS YOUR WORST QUALITY, IN YOUR OPINION?  I’m too nice to everybody
19. DO YOU LIKE CATS OR DOGS BETTER? DOGS
20. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? Prob Winter, despite the cold lol 
21. ARE YOU IN A RELATIONSHIP? Nope
22. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU MISS FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD?  My lost family members.
23. WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND?  Who is not?
24. WHAT IS YOUR EYE COLOR?  Brown
25. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR?  Brown
26. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU LOVE? Emilia Clarke, Margot Robbie, Barbara Palvin and my family and friends
27. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU TRUST? My friends.
28. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU THINK ABOUT OFTEN? Myself
29. ARE YOU CURRENTLY EXCITED ABOUT/FOR SOMETHING? Christmas and New Year’s eve
30. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST OBSESSION? History and gingerbread 
31. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW AS A CHILD? Scooby-Doo and Ben 10
32. WHO OF THE OPPOSITE GENDER CAN YOU TELL ANYTHING TO, IF ANYONE?  Some of my friends
33. ARE YOU SUPERSTITIOUS? Maybe a lil bit
34. DO YOU HAVE ANY UNUSUAL PHOBIAS? I’m allergic to inaccurate historical films 
35. DO YOU PREFER TO BE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA OR BEHIND IT?  Mostly behind
36. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOBBY? Looking up stuff?
37. WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ?  Maria Theresa - Queen of Hungary
38. WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?  Maria Therese 2
39. WHAT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS DO YOU PLAY, IF ANY?  I used to play the flute
40. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL? Dogs
41. WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 5 FAVORITE TUMBLR BLOGS THAT YOU FOLLOW?   @cubersims @limoncell-o​ @tiptoptabi​ @isabeeelsims @ts4got​ @darlyssims​
42. WHAT SUPERPOWER DO YOU WISH YOU HAD? Mind reading
43. WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU FEEL MOST AT PEACE? in my bed
44. WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE? Basically everything.
45. WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY, IF ANY? I used to play handball and swim but due to my leg injury I’m not doing them rn
46. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DRINK?  Csokis mogyorós fütyülős... I mean Water
47. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WROTE A HAND-WRITTEN LETTER OR NOTE TO SOMEBODY? On Sunday
48. ARE YOU AFRAID OF HEIGHTS?  It depends
49. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE? I don’t really know
50. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A CONCERT?  Yeah
51. ARE YOU VEGAN/VEGETARIAN?  Nope
52. WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?  VET
53. WHAT FICTIONAL WORLD WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE IN?  Harry Potter
54. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WORRY ABOUT?  My future lol
55. ARE YOU SCARED OF THE DARK? Not really but I’d rather enjoy the presence of a lamp lol
56. DO YOU LIKE TO SING? Yeah but I cant
57. HAVE YOU EVER SKIPPED SCHOOL?  No
58. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE ON THE PLANET?  The Royal Palace of Gödöllő
59. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE? In Gödöllő
60. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?  One cute doggo
61. ARE YOU MORE OF AN EARLY BIRD OR A NIGHT OWL? Depends on when
62. DO YOU LIKE SUNRISES OR SUNSETS BETTER? Sunsets
63. DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DRIVE? Kinda
64. DO YOU PREFER EARBUDS OR HEADPHONES? Headphones
65. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES? oof yes I hated them
66. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GENRE OF MUSIC? I like mostly everything
67. WHO IS YOUR HERO?  Ohmmmm, Batman?
68. DO YOU READ COMIC BOOKS?  Yes
69. WHAT MAKES YOU THE MOST ANGRY?  I’m impatient so kinda everything lmao
70. DO YOU PREFER TO READ ON AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE OR WITH A REAL BOOK?  Real book
71. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL? History
72. DO YOU HAVE ANY SIBLINGS? Nope
73. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT? Xmas presents
74. HOW TALL ARE YOU?  Around 6″
75. CAN YOU COOK?  Hell no haha
76. WHAT ARE THREE THINGS THAT YOU LOVE? History, music and good films
77. WHAT ARE THREE THINGS THAT YOU HATE? Mornings, headaches and vomiting
78. DO YOU HAVE MORE FEMALE FRIENDS OR MORE MALE FRIENDS? same?  
79. WHAT IS YOUR SEXUAL ORIENTATION?  Straight
80. WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE?  Hungary
81. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TEXTED?  Class groupchat
82. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?  A few months ago
83. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE YOUTUBER?  I don’t have one!
84. DO YOU LIKE TO TAKE SELFIES?  No
85. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE APP?  Snapchat
86. WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR PARENT(S) LIKE?  Good I guess? :D
87. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOREIGN ACCENT? Russian
88. WHAT IS A PLACE THAT YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO, BUT YOU WANT TO VISIT? England
89. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NUMBER?  32
90. CAN YOU JUGGLE? No
91. ARE YOU RELIGIOUS?  Yeah but its difficult
92. DO YOU FIND OUTER SPACE OF THE DEEP OCEAN TO BE MORE INTERESTING?  Deep Ocean
93. DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A DAREDEVIL? No
94. ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO ANYTHING?  No
95. CAN YOU CURL YOUR TONGUE?  Yes
96. CAN YOU WIGGLE YOUR EARS?  Yes
97. HOW OFTEN DO YOU ADMIT THAT YOU WERE WRONG ABOUT SOMETHING? I don’t like to admit it but sometimes I have to lol
98. DO YOU PREFER THE FOREST OR THE BEACH? Both
99. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF ADVICE THAT ANYONE HAS EVER GIVEN YOU? Carpe Diem. I wish I could stay true to this
100. ARE YOU A GOOD LIAR? you have no idea
101. WHAT IS YOUR HOGWARTS HOUSE? Gryffindor
102. DO YOU TALK TO YOURSELF?  sometimes
103. ARE YOU AN INTROVERT OR AN EXTROVERT?  Both
104. DO YOU KEEP A JOURNAL/DIARY? No
105. DO YOU BELIEVE IN SECOND CHANCES? Not really but I’m trying to
106. IF YOU FOUND A WALLET FULL OF MONEY ON THE GROUND, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? I’d give it to the police
107. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE ARE CAPABLE OF CHANGE? Yes!
108. ARE YOU TICKLISH?  A little bit
109. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A PLANE?  No
110. DO YOU HAVE ANY PIERCINGS? No
111. WHAT FICTIONAL CHARACTER DO YOU WISH WAS REAL? Daenerys with her dragons would be really cool
112. DO YOU HAVE ANY TATTOOS?  no
113. WHAT IS THE BEST DECISION THAT YOU’VE MADE IN YOUR LIFE SO FAR? I’m not sure
114. DO YOU BELIEVE IN KARMA? Yes! Karma is a Bitch
115. DO YOU WEAR GLASSES OR CONTACTS? Glasses, but I always forget to wear them
116. DO YOU WANT CHILDREN?  Yeah
117. WHO IS THE SMARTEST PERSON YOU KNOW? My grandpa
118. WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MEMORY? Which is not?
119. HAVE YOU EVER PULLED AN ALL-NIGHTER? Yes.
120. WHAT COLOR ARE MOST OF YOUR CLOTHES? Black or grey
121. DO YOU LIKE ADVENTURES?  Yes
122. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON TV?  Yes
123. HOW OLD ARE YOU?  16, soon 17
124. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE?  I actually have 2: “The important thing is not what they think of me, but what I think of them” - Queen Victoria and "Hope is like the sun. If you only believe in it when you can see it, you'll never make it through the night." - Leia Organa.
125. DO YOU PREFER SWEET OR SAVORY FOODS?  BOTH!!
I tag: @ts4got @cubersims @darlyssims @isabeeelsims and anyone who’d like to do this tag!!
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burnouts3s3 · 6 years ago
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SoulCalibur VI, a review
(Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit unprofessional blog post written by an unprofessional blog poster. All purported facts and statement are little more than the subjective, biased opinion of said blog poster. In other words, don’t take anything I say too seriously. Just the facts 'Cause you're in a Hurry! Publisher: Bandai Namco Developer: Project Soul Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP): 59.99 USD How much I paid: 59.99 USD Rated: T for Teen due to Blood, Mild Language. Partial Nudity and Violence How long I played: 3 Hours switching between various gameplay modes such as Story and Libra of fates. Microtransactions: A Season Pass promising 4 additional characters priced at 29.99. Tira, a playable character from previous games, locked behind a paywall and requiring 4.99 USD to unlock both the character and her story mode. DRM: Denuvo, a Digital Rights Management that is known to lower game performance. Dual Audio: Yes. Both the Japanese and English Audio is available. Roster: 22 Characters What I played on: PC Controller Support: Yes. Both my fight stick and my Rock Candy Xbox 360 controller were compatible with the game. Performance Issues: While the game for the most part runs at 60 FPS, I was getting drops to 25 or 30 FPS whenever there was a cutscene or a loading screen. My Personal Biases: I haven’t played  SoulCalibur in a very long time. I came in around SoulCalibur 2 and stuck with it for a while until I skipped Soulcalibur V when I switched to a PC player. So, if there were features added into from previous titles, I wouldn’t know. My Verdict: SoulCalibur VI is a vast game with lots of game modes and customization to keep you playing for days, even weeks and months. It’s unfortunate that Bandai Namco has implemented its infamous anti-consumer policies and locked content behind a Season Pass and various paywalls. I enjoyed the game. I suspect I would enjoy it more if Tira wasn’t a Day 1 DLC. Get it on sale. SoulCalibur VI, a review
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SoulCalibur returns and finally makes an appearance on PC! With all the controversy surrounding the franchise, from the previous entry not meeting expectations, to the arrival of guest characters such as Geralt of Rivia from the Witcher franchise to the ongoing debate of whether or not Ivy’s breasts jiggling are good or bad, will this latest entry meet expectations. Let’s find out in this review of SoulCalibur VI! Set in 1583, an evil sword called the Soul Calibur is unleashed to the world. Each character, though the ages of time, has encountered this sword and each has a different tale to tell. As with other fighting games, your goal is to knock out or ring out the opponent before they knock you out. Each character wields a specific weapon which has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, Ivy’s chain whip sword has a long range and is better used for defense while Maxi’s nunchucks are great for delivering heavy offense but at close range. As you battle, your Soul Gauge will grow allowing you to either pull off a cinematic attack that will do a set amount of damage or buff your character to do extra damage for a set period of time. New to the series is the Reversal blade, a parrying attack that will send both players into a rock-paper-scissors mode where each of them guesses which character will attack. Right guesses will down your opponent while wrong guesses can punish you. The game’s story mode, Soul Chronicle, details and reboots the events of the 1st SoulCalibur and details each of the numerous characters and how their roles tied into the game. And it’s great to see individual characters get focus. (Including, yes, Geralt of Rivia, Witcher fans). Even after you’ve completed the game’s story, the variety of modes, such as Arcade mode where you fight 8 AI controlled opponents, Versus Mode to play a customized match against the AI or locally as well as online matches. But the main draw is Libra of Soul, wherein you create a customizable character and venture your own story, whether it’s for the sake of good… or evil. It’s part RGP as you collect items, new weapons and costumes and delve through branching paths facing off against new enemies or gaining new allies depending on your choices and alignment. The game’s Create a Character customization is extensive! Not only does it allow for a variety of faces and body types to be put in, but allowance to adjust your hair, your weapons, your clothing and your appearance will have you playing for days just to customize your character just right. Of course, if you don’t like your weapon of choice, you can always go back and swap it out for something more your speed. (Sorry to my friends in the furry community; no catgirls are available). Performance wise, the game runs rather well. I was rather shocked that the game had Denuvo as I received little to no drops in framerate and the general quality from the shadows to the backgrounds to the character’s assets were all beautifully rendered. Even the audio options allowing you to listen to the original Japanese voice actors or the English dub cast is well done. (It’s quite a trip to listen to Geralt in Japanese!) But all of that is spoiled thanks to the Publisher Bandai Namco and its insistence of DLC and hiding content behind a paywall. While 22 characters is nothing to scoff at, it’s clear that Bamco saw an opportunity to make more money and cut out characters for upcoming content. Even the overpriced ‘special editions’ are a rip off at 90 USD as money savvy consumers know to wait for a sale and the inevitable complete edition. Perhaps resulting in the most egregious of sins: Tira, a playable character from prior titles of SoulCalibur, locked as DLC and requiring more funds to purchase in order to play as her. CAVEAT: Whether you support Ivy looking like an S&M Character and her breasts jiggling like pudding or believe that scantily clad female characters are bad for society, you shouldn’t support anti-consumer practices Bandai Namco is implementing. The game is immense and impressive. The graphics are beautiful with a solid framerate. The developers put a lot of passion into this project. But Bandai Namco continues to be a scummy publisher by putting Denuvo for PC players, locking Tira and other mainstays behind a paywall and implementing DLC policies that are ridiculous. Fans are sure to love this entry, but for those patient enough, you’re better off waiting. Verdict: Rental
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flickwatches · 6 years ago
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Top 5 NA Contenders Teams
I’m a little biased on some of this.  Also this is probably the worst season of NA contenders we’ve ever had.  NA is currently the weakest if not at least one of the weakest regions currently in contenders. 
5. First Generation (Ex-Goats)
The old goats roster via Tensa.  Powered by the legend that is Robdab and ex-OWL Nomy.  This is probably a one meta contenders team like Stormquake in Korea. Stormquake is obviously better but bringing in a pro Rein into a triple triple Rein meta is big. 
4. Fusion University 
I feel like if you remove Elk from this team they don’t win anything.  Talent is here but a lot of teams have talent.  Love Na1st and Snillo but this team is being pulled forward by the IGL that is Elk.  Its crazy watching a Lucio player having high impact in semi pro environment.  He’s the best main support in all regions in my opinion. 
3. XL2 
This team is doing really well this meta considering.  Logix stepped right into a new roster and instantly started playing well.  For as much as he’s struggled mentally its crazy seeing how hard he is trying to prove that he is OWL worthy still.  He’s even dominating ladder play.  They could steal this season of Contenders but the first place team is seemingly unbeatable. 
2. Second Wind
I don’t know why I have them ranked this high.  There playing well within the meta and winning wherever they play this season. If its contenders there winning. If its T2 tournaments there winning.  My biggest bit of bias is from the Jayne tournament show match at the end.  They played all day, won, and played 1 more match with hero bans for fun.  Frill (formerly Sit) suddenly turned into a Doomfist god when the hero bans went in his favor.  To be able to play all day, play in a goats meta, and suddenly be able to play DPS and show up like he did.  It was fucking amazing. 
1.  ATL Academy (Last Night’s Leftovers)
Best Goats team NA without a single doubt.  Not sure how they would compare to other regions but they could be the best Goats team in all of contenders.  They are easily the favorite to win this season of contenders. Dogman and Ajax are still one of the most consistent support duos you can find.  Gator and Hawk are an OWL level tank duo.  In every single highlight Hawk gets Gator is somewhere in the background doing his best to enable the play.  Hawk and Gator have such great synergy and rarely miss timing together.  Sugarfree is waiting for a DPS meta to unleash the pain of a 1,000 years on Brig. 
Bonus list
Top 5 NA Contenders DPS players trapped in Goats meta
5. Dalton LA Legion- Hitscan
The tracer one trick.  The Horizon Lunar Colony Widow.  The guy who got dropped from his starting lineup only to play for another team in a tournament and beat his current team.  Been following his career for a long time.  He’s worth the wait and will one day be an OWL player.  Too much dedication for it to go unrewarded. 
4. Wub Kungarna- Projectile/flex
He’s just one of those Genji players.  The ones that get insane amounts of value when they shouldn’t (think agilities but without any org support).  He can play some hitscan while his Pharah isn’t the strongest. Wub is oozing mechanical skill and is a solid org away from becoming capable of being in the OWL.  
3. Sugarfree ATL Academy-projectile
He is like actually 14? Maybe 15.  Has so much more room to grow.  A lot of the younger contenders players seem to show up as projectile (Wub, even Zacharee) but have high levels of mechanical skill and transition over to hitscan really well.  Sugarfree is currently more projectile based but he could swap over one day before he’s 18. Zacharee on the old Renegades roster was basically a genji one trick.  I don’t if he great as a player or had to play alongside of Whoru.  But even Wub is showing signs of transitioning over to more hitscan heroes. 
2. Frill Second Wind- Flex
Formerly of original goats.  Frill (Sit) has grown his mechanical talent into a mental player of the game now.  He’s still young and could use this season to showcase himself as a talent to sign for later this year.  Second Wind could turn this season of contenders on its head by beat one of the best Goats teams (ATL Academy) by countering Goats.  If any NA team could take ATL Academy down I think it would be Second Wind.  And if they do it by countering Goats its going to be huge.
1. Asking Uprising Academy-Hitscan
WHY AREN’T YOU IN THE OVERWATCH LEAGUE?!?! Obviously an OWL level hitscan player.  Holy fuck he’s like a mini IDDQD.  As soon as Ashe enters the contenders meta or he’s able to play Widow he’s going to dominate the contenders scene.  The only reason this player isn’t in the OWL already is probably because he’s stuck underneath the management of Boston Uprising.  Easily one of the most talented players not in OWL right now.  Asking doesn’t deserve OWL because of hardwork or potential.  He deserves OWL because he’s that fucking good. 
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andrewuttaro · 5 years ago
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New Look Sabres: 2019 Prospect Tournament
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There is an uneasiness in the Buffalo Sabres air. It’s not just the seemingly impending Rasmus Ristolainen trade; it’s not even the Blue and Gold loyalty one might be feeling toward Jason Pominville as he inches closer to becoming a Montreal Canadien. No, there’s this faint dread that perhaps even with a hypothetical upgrade of the top six that this team is still 10-15 points not good enough for the playoffs this season. It would be very unlike a Buffalo Sports fan of me if I didn’t consider the worst-case scenario here. The Sabres finish with 83 points in 2019-2020, miss the playoffs and just as we think the 2020 offseason and all its salary cap flexibility will finally reboot this team into a perennial contender, BOOM: Lockout. A lost season for the whole league and we have to wait until 2021 for any hockey at all! Okay so that’s as dark as this gets. I have a bit more hope than that. I’ve openly posited on the rage machine that is twitter that without a real possibility to make the playoffs this season its hard to get excited for this team. I don’t think I’m alone in that opinion by a longshot. Being a Hockey-first kinda guy it’s really shocking to be sitting here preparing to summarize the prospect tournament while being more excited for… the Buffalo Bills season. Ugh, what’s happening to me? Nonetheless without Rasmus Dahlin being a participant at this edition of the tournament, it was still very good. It was straight up rejuvenating for me as a Sabres fan. I think I’m finally ready to get my head in the game again like teenage Zac Efron!  
I was out of town over the weekend giving summer one last hurrah in Delaware so the first two games of the tournament for the Sabres were highlights and tweets for me. My wife and I both took Monday off however, so I got to see the Tournament finale live. When we walked in my wife was shocked at the turnout on a Monday afternoon. She asked: “Do Hockey fans have jobs?” More on her comments later. First things first: in spite of his hand injury Dylan Cozens looks sharp. His two starts in this tournament served him well and seeing him win over the Jack Hughes led Devils prospects was a good feeling. I could have done with a few more puck battles won but he definitely has that hockey smarts that allows him to make good plays. When he inevitably goes back to juniors you have to imagine the priority for him will be essentials like winning puck battles and what not. The two main standouts of the tournament were Rasmus Asplund and Victor Olofsson. Olofsson scored a very nice goal in the tournament opener versus New Jersey along with a couple assists and got another tally against the Boston Prospects on Saturday. He continues to look ready to take a spot on the big club. Asplund on the other hand has looked ready for years. In podcast after podcast you hear about how it’s high time for Asplund to play on the Sabres. The hesitation you might feel reading that is well founded. Alex Nylander was rushed, and it definitely hurt his confidence and overall game. Rasmus Asplund is a far cry from Alex Nylander. We often forget he’s been playing against grown men since he was sixteen. He’s been playing professional hockey for six years now. These Prospect Tournaments are old hat for him. I echo that desire to see him make the Sabres out of camp but as we’ll talk about when Camp starts: there’s a couple weird commitments in the forward ranks slowing that down.
When you start talking about dark horses to make the Sabres after this Prospect Tournament things get dicey. Arttu Routsalainen looked very good and if he is actually very good he will be valuable center depth. There is an argument to be made he deserves a roster spot this season more than Tage Thompson. Thompson is a whole other wildcard I’ll talk about more during Training Camp, but Routsalainen is at least worth a prolonged look. In all likelihood he’s not even going to Rochester this season. Speaking of Rochester, the glut of tournament invites who earned themselves a shot on the Rochester Americans was encouraging. Among those guys is the awesomely named Shaw Boomhower and Brett Murray. The latter name brings me back to my wife’s comment. Now I may be getting Murray confused with Casey Fitzgerald so let me have it in the comments if you independently confirm it. No, my wife knows hockey fans have jobs. She let out an anti-fighting tie-raid after Brett Murray unleashed an absolute WWE cage match on a Penguins player in the game we were at. I agree in that fighting could disappear from the game tomorrow and I’d be overjoyed but there’s more there than just that conversation. Murray will likely be an AHLer if that, but I quipped Matej Pekar better watch out for his enforcer role getting stolen. A popular dark horse pick out of this Prospect Tournament was Pekar in some part because of his two goals in the Bruins game. What we have to watch out for here is overhyping the poor kid. So he gets angry. We all do. His long-term outlook is minor scoring talent for the 4th line and probably a decent penalty killer. He’s not our Brad Marchand. The guys at The Charging Buffalo Podcast had exactly this conversation. The way they defined Pekar is really on point I think: he’s like a more skilled Pat Kaleta. Kaleta was a fan favorite in large part because he was a tough grinder in a rather boring time in Sabres history. Kaleta was not a league best player and nor will Matej Pekar be. Pests are going to pester but if we want to talk about who’s really bringing something transformative to this Buffalo Sabres team let’s properly calibrate those expectations.
Get used to hearing this because I’m sure he’ll find his way into every New Look Sabres blog post until the seasons starts: Will Borgen is ready. However even with a Ristolainen trade, even with Marco Scandella somehow being moved off the roster, there still isn’t a great change Borgen makes the Sabres. Well I’m on defenseman, Jason Botterill came out after the Tournament finale to say Lawrence Pilut is progressing well and should be back in games by the middle of October. Lorde Lorde, we have a logjam to talk about on defense! Training Camp is going to be fun because Ralph Krueger also had something to say going on from this Prospect Tournament: The players will be deciding what positions they’re competing for. At first blush that’s kind of a “No duh” statement. Peeling back some of the hockey culture onion there the implication is that Krueger is going to start flexing his… uh… flexibility in roster construction we’ve heard so much about and make the players decide what they want to do. You think back to Training Camp last year and there are a couple situations where Phil Housley just didn’t give certain guys a chance as it went on just because…. Veterans? Don’t get me wrong, experience matters in this league but that unwillingness to experiment with young guns probably had something to do with the back half slide we were subjected to last season, never mind the Preseason. I’m getting a little ahead of myself now. Training Camp Opens tomorrow though several players arrived today and yesterday. On Friday we’re going to have a more in-depth look at these kind of roster issues in New Look Sabres: 2019 Training Camp Opens!
In the meantime share this blog around with your friends and family. Even if they’re not particularly huge hockey fans I hope they can find my blog insightful and humorous where others are becoming more expert dress-up. I know I’m not an expert! This is a fan blog which means I’m focusing much more on the experience of Sabres fans than actually trying to be insightful about hockey. I will try to say smart things every now and again but it’s the spice rather than the main ingredient here. Drop a like and comment while you’re recommending the blog. Hopefully these blogs ignite a real conversation more than just me posting lots of words. Either way, I’m just happy hockey is back. I’m no fan of Pumpkin Spice anything but it’s a sign of my favorite team and sport sputtering back to life and I can’t wait to see what this season has in store for us. Hey, we can’t suck forever, right? *Looks down at keyboard* Please, oh please.
Thanks for reading.
P.S. My opinion has once again changed on the Rasmus Ristolainen situation. Not only was there some buzz beyond Buffalo on his potential move during the Prospect Tournament, there were quotes from Jack Eichel that seemed… tired of that situation. Me thinks there is more going on behind the scenes than we’re seeing. Let’s see how/if he shows up to Camp.
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andrebearakovsky · 8 years ago
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The Caps Lost and You Want to Cry Remedy Masterpost
EDIT: Hi there! I managed to get this post functioning again, but I have an updated list! I tried to update this post but tumblr’s a dick and won’t let me have as many links as I want on a post. So, to see the updated list, go to my blog, and click on the tabs on top that say “Caps Masterpost Pt. 1″ and “Caps Masterpost Pt. 2″ (I had to do it in 2 parts because, again, tumblr won’t let me have pages with that many links). Enjoy! I promise there’s a lot more to like in the updates!
So the Caps just lost and you feel ready to cry. What can you do to help remedy that feeling of despair? I present to you my magnum opus, a masterpost of happy and funny Caps videos and posts to make you feel better and forget about any bad hockey you just watched. In this post is everything you could ever want to watch related to the Caps. Of course, I don’t have everything, I’m not nearly as extensive as RMNB, and there’s a lack of actual hockey highlights (as the point of this post is to highlight off-ice hilarity). So sit back, pick what you want to watch, and enjoy.
Official Team Events
Segway Tour 2017
Segway Tour 2015
Segway Tour 2007
Family Skate 2016
Caps visit MedStar Georgetown University Hospital 2016 
Emoji Sentences - Barry Trotz, Unleash the Fury, More Cowbell, Backstrom, Dump and Chase, Poke Check, Ovechkin, Rock the Red, Faceoff, Power Play Goal
Emoji Impressions
Casino Night 2016
Casino Night 2015
Capitals Bobblehead Election
Justin Williams Bobblehead Concession Speech
Tom Wilson Meets the Holtby Bobblehead
Burky/Willy and Schmidty/Chorns play videogames
Ovi and Kuzy talk about their hair
2017 Canine Calendar Shoot - pics plus a video of Kuzy giggling, a feature on Taylor Winnik, Ovi’s dog maintenance
2016 Canine Calendar Shoot
Willy, Latts, Beags, and Schmidty go golfing
Swedish Food Tasting
Dads Trip 2016
History of Caps Mentors’ Trips
Caps visit Joint Base Andrews
Jay Beagle skates with his son
Caps at Six Flags 2015
Caps at Six Flags 2011
Rowing on the Potomac
Crab Cake Cooking Competition
Team Silliness
The Russian Bros have fun in front of a giant Ovi ad
Team bonding dart competition - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Halloween Karaoke - Zach Sanford, Alex Ovechkin, Andre Burakovsky
Ovi’s Smelling Salts - Mojo, Kuzy
Nicky pranks Mojo and Burky
The late-night fire alarm incident
Shenanigans on a plane feat. Green & Brouwer
More Silliness
Why did they give Locker a t-shirt gun
Ovi, Kuzy, and Geno dress as Russian mascots
Ovi and Carly discuss their pregame routine
“Hockey at its best”
Andre Burakovsky, Tom Wilson, Michael Latta
Burky explains the Uber incident
Burky is the MPP of the Caps
5 seconds of Burky looking cute
Cruisin with Willy and Burky on the way to Casino Night
Burky shames the cameraman for being a Penguins fan - the whole interview is good but this happens 15 minutes in
Interview with Latts - dolphins and Valentine’s Day
Cruisin with Willy and Latts on the way to Casino Night
Willy and Latts feature for Washington Life Magazine
Willy and Latts voted best bromance
Burky spooks Latts
Interview with Latts - nicknames, playoff beards, and Caps Roomies
Burky and Willy sing dubsmash together
Willy and Latts fill out their 2015 March Madness bracket
Willy Sings (Badly)
A good brobeans post
I meant to include the video of Tom and Latts’s apartment from the Road to the Winter Classic episodes but I cannot for the life of me find it, so as consolation I’m going to include a link to the Road to the Winter Classic episodes which you can watch if you have Amazon Prime here
Alex Ovechkin
Ovi delivers pizza - Part 1, Part 2
The Alex Ovechkin song
Behind the scenes with Ovi at the 2017 All Star Game - Video 1, Video 2
Ovi escapes his own home
Ovi makes a noise
Ovi DJs
Steve Dangle talks about Ovi’s 500th goal
Ovi swings away in 2015 Breakaway Challenge
Ovi dons a cowboy hat in classic 2009 Breakaway Challenge
Alex Ovechkin Funny Moments
Top 10 Ovi Off Ice Moments
Post with links to many Ovi quotes and videos
Nicklas Backstrom
Nicky hat trick quote
Nicky singing (there’s also some behind the scenes but the singing is the important part)
Cruisin with Nicky
Ovi & Nicky
All Star Nicklas Backstrom
Ovi and Nicky complete each other
Braden Holtby
Holts wants to bring the Cup back to his hometown
Holts has strong opinions on socks
Fetus Holtby video
Karl Alzner, John Carlson
Alzner does “Canadian or Nah” and makes a loon call
Carlzner test drive - Part 1, Part 2
Carlzner roomies - Part 1, Part 2
Carlzner Q&A at Caps Con Kid Press Conference 2011 - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Carlson at 2011 Winter Classic (segment from 10:50-15:47)
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Kuzy’s daughter drives the car
“It’s rivalry night”
Kuzy tells the story about meeting Brad Pitt and Orly getting cut out of the photos
Kuzy trolls the refs (mushrooms, baked potatoes, and medium rare steak)
Kuzy at the All Star Game
Kuzy’s most Extra celly possibly ever (with links to more cellys in the article)
Nate Schmidt
Nate Schmidt’s mohawk misadventures - Bonus: Holts calls Schmidty the best player
Schmidty sings Taylor Swift
Schmidty’s Chewbacca impression
Schmidty’s Interview Sabotaged by Teammates 
Barry Trotz Mishaps
Oshie bulldozes Trotz
Trotz gets hit in the head with a puck
Dancing
Mojo busting moves (feat. Taylor Winnik)
Lars Johansson victory dances - dance 1, dance 2
Justin Williams Dances to Cotton Eye Joe
Shaving Cream
Vrana 1st NHL goal
Kuzy hat trick
Willy 1st NHL goal
Nicky pranks Ovi
Mustaches
Movember trophy ceremony 2015
Top 5 Caps mustaches
Who has the best mustache?
Christmas
Christmas elf dancing
2015 holiday card
2014 holiday card w/ Wizards
2013 holiday card
Commercials
2017 All Star Game Audition Commercial
Paisano’s Commercial
Paisano’s Commercial Bloopers
Ovi as Caps Interviewer (feat. Nicky, Greener, and Brooks Laich)
Ovi Eastern Motors Commercial
2007 All Star Game Road Trip Commercial
Global Heritage Series
Nicklas Backstrom - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Evgeny Kuznetsov - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Tributes
John Carlson 500 Games Played Tribute
Karl Alzner 500 Consecutive Games Played Tribute
Alex Ovechkin 1000 Points Ceremony
Alex Ovechkin 1000 Points Tribute
Nicklas Backstrom 500 Assists Tribute
Nicklas Backstrom 500 Assists Ceremony
Braden Holtby Vezina Ceremony
Alex Ovechkin 500 Goals Ceremony
Alex Ovechkin 500 Goals Tribute
Karl Alzner breaks Caps record for consecutive games played tribute
Drafts
Jakub Vrana (phone call with Ovi)
Zach Sanford (interview)
Andre Burakovsky
Tom Wilson
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Marcus Johansson
Alex Ovechkin
Reference
Every butt slash article RMNB has ever written
Player reaction gifs
On-Ice Moments
Oshie’s shootout goal that wasn’t actually in the shootout
Ovi’s 1000th point (John Walton call)
Nicky’s 500th assist
The epic Orlov hit on Duchene
Edits to Orlov’s hit
Ovi’s 500th career goal (all calls)
Huge save leads to Ovi’s OT gamewinner
TJ Oshie Olympic Shootout
Oshie shootout compilation
John Carlson scores OT winner in 2010 World Juniors
Empty Net Fails
Best 1 on 1 Embarrassing Moments - Part 1, Part 2
10 Minutes of Bad Goals
5 Minutes of Happy Goalies
Hat Tricks
Oshie 04/28/2016 vs PIT in the playoffs
Williams 01/17/2016 vs NYR (I can’t find his hat trick from ‘06 so this’ll have to do)
Kuznetsov 10/23/2015 @ EDM
Oshie 01/03/2015 @ SJS
Backstrom 12/13/2014 vs TBL
Oshie 03/27/2014 vs MIN (hats)
Ovechkin 12/10/2013 vs TBL
Eller 01/04/2012 vs WPG
Backstrom 4/17/2010 vs MTL in the playoffs
Ovechkin 05/04/2009 vs PIT in the playoffs
Ovechkin 12/15/2006 @ ATL (I’m only including 3/17 Ovi hat tricks else we’ll be here all day)
Non-Caps
Goal Horns
Connor McDavid Rap
Auston Matthews Rap
Carpool with Cam - Nick Foligno, Seth Jones
All Star DJ Snoop
Baby Leafs in Road to the Winter Classic
Get Vladi some snow
Jamie Benn and Tyler Segin Head to Head
PK Subban wins breakaway challenge
“Fruit Salad” by Dylan Strome feat. Mitch Marner
Crosby and MacKinnon work at Tim Horton’s
Full Games/Events
2017 All Star Game
2017 All Star Game Skills Competition - Part 1, Part 2
2016 Heritage Classic EDM vs WPG
2016 All Star Game - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
2016 All Star Game Skills Competition (playlist)
2015 All Star Fantasy Draft
2015 Caps Winter Classic
Still not satisfied? Go check out some of my posts! They’re funny I promise. Karlsson/Carlson flowchart, Caps Drinking Game, Why Carlson or Alzner Should Have the A, Caps True Nicknames, Top Golf RMNB Insta Photos, New Caps Lineup, Caps Top 10 (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), Caps Hat Tricks and 1st NHL Goals, Jay Beagle, Caps Family Tree, Caps Bromances, My Top Caps Moments of the Regular Season
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