#its not that the songs aren't good!!!! musically they're great!!! its just. why is the anarchy group releasing a grindset song yk?

[horanghaepower]

🏴🚩

[a-titty-ninja]

Hi. After following you for so long, I decided to give Senran Kagura a shot. The Video Game, I mean. So, I started with Burst Re:Newal

So I have to ask. How is this story so good? I get it's just Magical Ninja Girls, but how is this story so good?

Katsuragi, the lesbian pervert, has so much depth. She's an orphan who lost her parents. But not to a car accident like she thought. Her parents ran away because they were Ninja who failed a mission and had to commit sepaku. Now she seeks strength to become a leader of the light shinobi, all so she can pardon them herself.

Yomi, the destitute revolutionary, lost her parents in elementary school. They lived in the slums of Japan, unable to feed their daughter. So they sold themselves to slavery, so they could give her a better life. Instead of living lavishly, she takes her money and feeds the slums, working as a villain in the dark shinobi to do so.

I could go on and on with each character, but they're all awesome. (Except for Mirai. Wanting to slaughter your family and friends because you're a late bloomer is kinda stupid.)

And the overall morality comparison between the light shinobi vs. dark shinobi.

Light shinobi, secret warriors who work for the government of Japan and its public, accept only perfection. The only light shinobi are Elite shinobi, warriors that can take on hundreds of regular enemies. They have rigorous training, difficult testing, and high moral standards.

But this is also their downfall. For most people aren't perfect. For minor infractions, one can be excluded and banished from the ranks of the light. Which kinda makes them bad guys.

Dark shinobi, warriors who work for corporations and private entities, accept all who wish to join. For that's their saying.

"Where the light shines on the few, the darkness accepts all."

Which makes a scary amount of sense. All of these shinobi who didn't make the cut for the light, the dark accepts them wholeheartedly, flaws and all. And somehow, this makes them good guys too.

Which brings me to my ask. How does this game about Sexy Ninja Women come up with a comprehensive moral controversy that rivals mainstream media. And makes corruption arcs make sense.

Note: the scene with Hikari, the girl who lacks emotional responses, crying over the (fake) death of Mirai. It's just. Oh my. I was crying too. Like, she loves her friend enough that she just cries involuntary.

What is this game?

im glad you gave senran kagura a shot, its an incredible series that is often overlooked as just some generic ecchi! it was great reading your thoughts and it makes me want to go replay the games as its been a while although i resent you comment about mirai!. senran kagura is a whole package - the lore, the characters and their designs and animations, the style and the music is marvelous pun intended. i love the opening songs for all the games they live in my head and the anime has one of my favorite op/eds in general

i hope you play all the other games too, even the cooking rhythm game (bon appetit) is brilliant! its pretty cool that you can play the more recent games on PC these days and even peach beach splash supports VR! playing the original burst on 3ds with the slider turned to max though is an experience lol - the shinobi arts 🥵. i recommend the anime series too if you didn't check it out yet - the second season is top tier!!!

as for why the fuck this series bangs so hard its because of this genius who loves boobs and action games. this guy didnt want to just make a generic pervy game he fucked around and created a master piece. read his interviews too he is cool as shit. shinobi are cool as shit and senran kagura is just cool as shit.

[moonpie016]

Moon goes on a whole talking session.

*Walks in and realizes that this is becoming a frequent thing to post on here. And I'm happy about that, because I get to show what I make all the time. :]*

But now onto the drawings, and will eventually make a list on things I want to do next because that'll help me stay on track.

---

Positive stuff below the drawing.

---

It's the dudes inside my head, yay. Though they're all asleep, well two of em are. I drew this for whatever purpose it would serve, that being that my insides, while still a confused state and overall over reactive response to anything that needs rephrasing. Or just anything that happens, good, bad, whatever, that it has a way of comforting itself. It tries.

It tries to do the bare minimum of existing, even if it is tricky with having to always remember and think of more to do.

How to react appropriately, how to understand things to its full capability. How to understand others and everything more.

It's difficult, not in the way that doing things is difficult, but however that goes. These conceptualized beings of emotion have existed for some time, don't remember when but they have. But they always hadn't looked like this, obviously/lh.

But they all serve the same purpose combined or separate.

---

And, to go completely off topic, to go ramble.

Songs have whatever emotional attachment they can hold, whether important or not, it's just something that sticks. Helps.

And as you can see how much art I make, how many times I've probably listened to most of all the songs on repeat by now, what random pieces of dialogue I'll spew to write.

Chonny's music is comfort. Now it isn't just his, other artists as well. But those aren't important rn. His music in general, not just CCCC. Through whatever emotional moment months ago that made me feel lost and confused on what to do, what do I do now. I needed to find something to latch onto, if not, I'd feel..off. like I wasn't doing anything, because I wasn't doing anything. I tried to get into stuff but it wasn't working, like it needed to naturally happen instead of force myself.

The music has related to my state of mind (no pun) at certain points. And I find that comforting. Concerning? Maybe, but comforting.

Like, getting into what's popular, what new game, but that didn't work. And I'm kinda happy my brain decided to be now fixated on this man's music. Sure every time I'd like to explain or show someone, I need to specify and always show specific songs. Cus. Yeah. But now, I see people's work and stuff, and it's all so cool. And though the inconsistency of this blog is very apparent. I've enjoyed my time on here, very much. Even if I don't always actually speak to someone, because I don't really know what to say or start a conversation. (Seeds/social anxiety). I'm still happy for whatever interaction I get. I'm happy to feel included in this bizarre/pos and silly household. Idk why I'm calling it a household. Just go with it.

Even if I linger around or just post a drawing, I'm enjoying it. Some artwork may be more serious than silly. But yeah.

And to also just say whatever without rethinking is great, now I'm not going to say anything out of word. But just being silly in general with my wording. Y'know? Make odd jokes or talk excessively. (Wow).

Sum it up, I appreciate you all. Though you don't know me or I know you, it means a lot. I didn't think a joke about Heart beating up Mind would be turned into anything else, or that people would actually say anything.

This is just a happy little appreciation thing. I don't know how to end it! I just felt to write this.

So, uh yeah. :3

*Runs back into the hills*

Thanks for reading my ramble/pos.

---

[seventhedge]

Why Dubstep Drums Make FE3H Great

So, I wanna use this blog for something, and I figured what better than to yap about music, specifically video game music, which is about the only thing I'm passionate about these days. For this post I wanna talk about a game that is relevant right now, as it just had its 5th anniversary, Fire Emblem Three Houses.

MASSIVE SPOILER WARNING ahead

There are a million different things I could talk about such as the liberal use of motifs or the rain/thunder mixes, but I wanted to zero in on something I don't see too many people talk about, and that is the strange instrumention in the soundtrack, particularly the use of electronic instruments.

So, FE3H, as a medieval fantasy (sorta) style game, you'd expect the soundtrack to reflect that, and it definitely does with its heavy string usage and marching drums to represent the whole strategic army battle thing they got going on. This piece is a very good example of this:

But hold on a sec, what the hell is that at the 1:17 mark? Dubstep drums? And not just in this track, many of the pieces in this game feature similar drums and/or electronic synth sounds which would be very out of place in a traditional medieval fantasy soundtrack, and indeed this is an instrumentational quirk not found in any previous Fire Emblem game (to my knowledge, at least). Here are a few other examples from the OST which utilize electronic instruments:

This track doesn't so much use "dubstep" drums, but the drums are most certainly electronic, bordering on breakcore at times. Definitely more subtle though.

Once again, this one is more subtle, but note the drums again, most definitely electronic. Notable due to this not being a battle theme, but instead the main hub theme (pre-timeskip aka when everything was happy, more or less)

Okay, this one isn't subtle at all, it slaps you in the face with growling synths and hard hitting drums right from the get go.

Now, you're probably wondering why the composers decided to use these electronic instruments, especially considering how subtle their usage can be in some songs. Was it purely a stylistic choice? Not exactly.

Note the last song in the examples I provided - it is the main theme of the game, and is a song sung from Edelgard's perspective. Now, what group does Edelgard have ties to that completely flies in the face of the "medieval fantasy" theme that we established?

That's right, it's Those Who Slither In The Dark, or TWSITD because I'm not typing that out every time.

TWSITD formed from the remnants of the Argarthans, and utilize their highly advanced technology. We're talking missiles here, stuff that would be insanely out of place in any setting such as Fire Emblem, and it is! Throughout the game, Edelgard is quietly working with them in the shadows for her own gains, and the specifics of that aren't really important. However, have you caught on yet? The soundtrack represents TWSITD using these electronic instruments, quietly hiding in the music, subtle but in control. The fact that the drums are more often than not the electronic instrument of choice feels relevant, as drums are arguably the backbone of music (no bias. drummer here), and so using those to represent TWSITD further shows how they're manipulating events behind the scenes. So let's go back to The Edge of Dawn, a piece closely tied to Edelgard that bombards you with heavy synths and drums - it does this to show how connected she is to TWSITD, but cleverly this connection means absolutely nothing unless you know what the group is in the first place!

The connection between TWSITD and electronic music isn't just speculation on my part either - the soundtrack outright screams it at you with a few pieces. First, let's take a look at Those Who Sow Darkness:

Right off the bat it's obvious this piece is an entirely different vibe to the rest of the soundtrack. It is entirely electronic, and also just has a much more sinister vibe to anything else I've shown. This is a track used in cutscenes heavily featuring TWSITD. Keep note of that melody by the way, it'll be relevant later :)

Next, we have this:

So, this one isn't exclusively used for TWSITD but it's closely tied to Hubert who is in turn closely tied to Edelgard so I'm counting it (its other usages are in the same vein as that one sidequest in Xenoblade that uses A Tragic Decision which is also probably the funniest thing in that game but we're not here to gush about Xenoblade or else I'd be here all day). Note the more subtle but still very obvious electronic....noises, as well as the bass. The piano takes the lead here as Hubert isn't exactly open about working with TWSITD but his close ties with them manifest as little electronic flourishes and notably the bass, a important and grounding part of any musical piece.

Okay, enough stalling. On the Verdant Wind route, the only route where you really directly confront TWSITD, you will eventually arrive at their base of operations, Shambhala. And uh, I'll just let this one speak for itself:

Same melody as before, just a tad more intense. Fitting that in the belly of the beast they ramp up the dubstep to 11.

I do also wanna mention the battle theme used for the stage directly after this, after TWSITD are taken care of. Nemesis, an old historical figure, has been revived, along with his 10 Elites that fought alongside him in the war against Seiros long ago. As TWSITD have been defeated, and since Nemesis is from the past, it is only fitting that the battle theme for this chapter, which is also the final chapter of this route, features no electronic instruments whatsoever. A stark contrast to the piece before it, but very fitting in the story. It's also incredible in general:

So yeah, that is my ramble on the electronic influence in Three Houses and why the funny dubstep track is actually fairly relevant to the theming of TWSITD and the game as a whole. I'm not an expert on VGM nor on FE3H by any means, this is just a silly little thing I noticed that I wanted to yap a bit about. Also, this is my first longwinded post on Tumblr, so if you have any feedback feel free to let me know, and don't be afraid to DM me if you wanna talk about video game music (especially Xenoblade Chronicles X, don't worry I'll get to you soon my baby)

Look out for more posts like this in the future, yapping about VGM is my calling

[childofhypno]

just some thoughts from sherlock and co. Mailbag episode

honestly I did this to myself and at 3am no less.

In an mailbag episode on the sherlock and co. patreon, answering a question on their favorite musicals, John answered Les Misèrables. And being the romantic we know our loveable doctor to be, I was perusing the songs from the 2013 movie album and came across On My Own.

Sung by Èpoine about her unrequited love for Marius. And that is sad in its own regard, there's a reason it's one of the musicals most popular songs and Samantha Barks does a great job of that crushing emotional weight of being so wrapped in someone, so ultimately dazzled by them and wanting to be near them. But knowing they will not look at you the same, will not place the same value on the time and proximity you share. And that is not their fault and it is hard to love someone and desire to be close and yet have them be the source of your greatest pain and rejection, even though they may wish you no harm.

It's been hinted at and out right stated (by Sherlock) that John wants to be liked. And given what we've heard about John's last relationship (the one whereby he gained ownership of Archie after the split) and perhaps some insecurities there, insecurities in his own capabilities, comparing himself to others, its understandable to read John as something of an insecure man. Not in a toxic manner but John definitely has a lot of self doubts about himself and his place in the world and what he can offer to others. Despite him so naturally being able to attune to people and their needs and being quite bloody smart and intuitive. All round just a decent person.

And John, as much as anyone, marvels at Sherlock Holmes. This almost mythical figure. John admires Sherlock and maybe envies him on some level. I think not in Sherlock's deduction skills or specific knowledge skillsets but maybe in Sherlock's apparent surety in himself and where he is in life and what he wants from it. Sherlock is plainly himself, even if it means not "fitting in " John often tries to mould himself to what others might like, and hey, as a people pleaser, oh boy do I understand that. Almost becomes like muscle memory.

Sherlock in turn, I think admires John's social prowess. His ability to express the complexity of emotions. Just because someone doesn't emote the typical way doesn't mean they don't feel the emotions. And that can be incredibly frustrating when you want to communicate with others. Sherlock cares about people. He's interested in people. And he can't always express or connect with them in the way he wants. Like a language barrier he mentioned in another mailbag episode. That is why Sherlock and John work. They draw out in each other and supplement for the qualities they lack or yearn to have more of. They're a balancing act. A good one. And I'm not the first to point that out.

All this to say, imagine when that act is separated. The Fall. Grown so comfortable to have the other's support, always by each others side and then, suddenly the other person isn't there. And you have to remember how you functioned without them before. But you can't go back. You're not the same person you were. But if they aren't there to remind you, to encourage you, it's easy to fall back into old habits.

And so the song. On My Own. From John's perspective, watching the man the myth the dazzling legend that is Sherlock Holmes, getting swept up in the adventures, feeling totally out of place but thrilled be along for the ride, participating, maybe growing in confidence all because of coincidental flat share with possibly the most brilliant and bizzare man he's ever met. The world is changing for John Watson. And Sherlock is seemingly at the center of it all. He's found purpose. Friends. A home. Maybe more. But John is as fallible in his assumptions as any of us are. And Sherlock appears to have no interest in such relationships and John, not confident enough to make the first move. So he can daydream. Of what it would be like to be with Sherlock. And what it would be like be without Sherlock.

And then the Fall. And he truly is without Sherlock and his world has dulled and greyed and blurred. The city has lost its glimmer. The flat is quiet. The words are meaningless. And John sits with his what ifs.

Don't think of John hearing this song. Of the heartbreak of knowing that you can ever be with the one you love. And knowing that taste of what brilliant technicolours the world is when you were with them, full of stimulating twinkling lights. And thinking it could never be that way again. Don't imagine John, sat in the flat, in the achingly quiet flat, as a woman sings for her never was love, head in his hands, Archie resting his head on John's knee. Don't think of John cursing himself for not being sure enough to tell Sherlock how he felt, for not being good enough again to save his friend. Don't think of John Watson, once again, on his own.

[johannestevans]

On the one hand the Grey's Anatomy musical episode is so far probs the best musical episode I've ever seen of anything, they obviously got a great musical director for this, they gave everyone songs that were in their range, it's very well mixed and edited

Unfortunately I'm distracted by the fact that Arizona Robbins was so distracted on her desire to control and coerce every moment of callie's life that she proposed marriage (to give her LEGAL control over her as well as emotional and psychological) and crashed her fucking car

've never been so viscerally disgusted by a depiction of abuse in television BC like. It's obvious that while the Grey's writers at this time got a great musical director, they were going through some very pro-abuse and pro- coercive control times for these episodes

This woman literally wants Callie dead so that she can either fob off or fully control her baby rather than Callie being alive and having her baby delivered prematurely

Because she's so threatened by Callie having ANY relationship that's not about obeying arizona

And I understand psychologically where this instinct for abuse and control comes from - it's no surprise given that she's a self-described army brat, many people from LE and army backgrounds don't even realise how normalised their abusive upbringings and worldviews are

Arizona is also a deeply insecure woman, she's terrified of her own interiority - it's part of why she's so threatened and angry when criticised even mildly, but also why she becomes so irrationally full of rage at mark's LACK of jealousy and own lack of desire to abude callie

After all, mark doesn't really love her if, unlike Arizona, he doesn't feel compelled to scream at her and control her and order her what to do and take away her choices.

Because that's what love is, right?

And she wants his lack of abuse to be because he's a man

And yet conversely, in her rage about her lack of control in the baby shower, the fact that Callie was enjoying something that Arizona doesn't (and therefore doesn't want to acknowledge people enjoy), she has to insult mark's masculinity

Arizona struggles hugely to empathise with others because to empathise with others you have to be able to think about how they're feeling and why, and she can't even do that process about her own feelings

I'm sure that's part of why she's so good with children

Children's emotions are much more simple, because they're often quite uncontrolled and, like her, they are suddenly overwhelming because they don't have the literacy to understand their own feelings and where they come from

It's why I maintain that Arizona, presented w the sort of child I was - or many autistic child trauma and rape victims, children who seem too complex and too "adult" - would probably be disgusted and, again, irrationally angry

She has to to some extent fetishise the "innocence" of the tiny humans that she specialises in helping, because if she focuses on their innocence as special and unique, to some extent that carries to the "purity" of her own eternally unexamined internal state

I'm not saying shes not well written because like. She is. I understand completely every facet of why she acts like this

But she needs to be like… Not in any relationships. Just because she doesn't hit Callie (although I wouldn't be surprised) doesn't mean it's not abuse

I think one reason it works so well as a musical episode is because it understands that many of its cast aren't strong singers and either doesn't make them sing, or includes them only in ensemble and group parts

Like that was such a good decision that many TV writers wouldn't make - giving Owen such a big role in this episode is smth a lot of ppl wouldn't do because he's bland as fuck and no one cares about him

But he IS an actual singer, so it makes sense

He's not a very interesting performer, but he is actually trained - frankly it's a shame Eli wasn't shoehorned in more given that he's so strong in comparison lmao

But yeah god. After so many bad musical episodes in so many shows, what a refreshing take

Anyway they shouldn't get married and it's horrifying lol

But mark apologising to Arizona for the "you're nothing" comment is wild BC you can see that she just. Isn't computing it. Why is he apologising? He's right, she thinks! He must have a motive!

I know that mark sloan doesn't fix her, and I know that being in a polyamorous relationship and seeing much healthier meta partnerships doesn't FORCE abusers to realise how cruel or controlling they are and actually make them stop

But like. It is a start?

Like. Mark for all his flaws genuinely is a very caring and self-sacrificing partner, and he doesn't do that by just being a pushover, he's surprisingly compassionate and he obviously cares a lot about filling others' needs

It's interesting to compare his focus on baby Sloan and now this baby, as well as his intimate partnerships with Callie and Little Grey but even with Arizona, and his care about maintaining them and serving others versus his early intro "id be a shit dad" thing

It's really interesting when you hear him complain with the other cis men in the show about being controlled by women BC like. He makes the same complaints as Owen and Derek do

But unlike them he's not like. Doing schemes to control anybody, or not listening when they talk?

Like I'm not saying that in defence of him

I'm saying it's a fascinating cognitive dissonance that he's actually invested in his partners and doesn't dehumanise them on the same misogynistic level

Whilst also being more misogynistic re: sexual objectification than most

I think BC he's just so cool about sex that it doesn't make him dehumanise the women around him in the same way, especially given his like. Blatant unaddressed bisexuality

Whereas Owen and Derek, like many cis men of their variety, basically don't see women as the same species of human as they are, and see them as inherently lesser and therefore worthy of control and coercion, on some subconscious level

[alatismeni-theitsa]

Theitsa its so incredibly sad to me that many Greeks feel embarrassed of our more balkan or "eastern" music and folklore. That is literally some of the best we have, like the really good stuff! Just how distinct and varied the music is across the different regions. You can instantly tell if a song is from Epirus or Thrakia, from Macedonia, from the islands or from Crete, for example. I used to think my Vlach/Thessalian ancestry was boring and kind of "hillbilly", because it isn´t like a Mamma Mia film or recognizable as Greek to foreigners who mainly see adverts about Santorini and the like. But now I really appreciate the uniqueness and beauty of it, even if foreigners don´t "get" it. I wish we could get out of the mindset that our culture after antiquity is somehow tainted or less than. But I guess those who get it, get it 🫤

I fully agree! As I said in another post many Greeks learn from a young age to only recognise and appreciate the elements of our culture that are palatable to Westerners. It is part of the "job" we have to do to be consider "civilised Europeans" by the European powers. How we look is our "saving grace" and affects our tourist marketability, so we adopted this behaviour as a survival mechanism.

Some Greeks are just not exposed to music from other Greek regions and rush to call it "eastern", as you said. I'm not talking about actual Greek Eastern music (from Asia Minor), or am I denying any influences in our music from Eastern nations ofc. I'm talking about the Greek instruments and rhythm that have been here since antiquity. Archaeological studies show that this "eastern-sounding" music is actually also Greek. Farya Faraji has an excellent YouTube video on ancient Greek music! (And you can find it in my #farya faraji tag)

I'm happy that through artists like Marina Satti people from all around Greece and around the world discover more Greek traditional (and ancient) instruments and tunes.

Also, indeed, the Vlach Greek communities aren't known to foreigners at all. My Macedonian Vlach ancestry is the most influential part of my family hands down! 😂 Resilient, witty, and great relatives throughout! For this reason, I never gave a shit about how foreigners would perceive it, and I was happy to explain some history to them.

Now, about Thessalians (with Vlach ancestry or not), they're also pretty cool! First of all, you got Centaurs and freaking Achilles in your history! Pelion, Phthia, Spercheios = Achilles, and too much ancient folklore! Nowadays things are a bit grim with the economy and natural disasters. Still, the Thessalians worked the land to the best of their ability and - rightfully - earned respectable money from it in the past. I think Thessaly has all the tools to thrive, and the people will, once again, work things to their advantage! It's clear to me how much Thessalians love their topos (be it their town or their village) and there are Thessalians distinguished personalities who pour an insane amount of work into creating great things!

And since we're at it, I know why "Vlach" became a synonym with "hillbilly" but I've observed (in North and Central Greece) that the Vlach mindset for security and growth is very much on par with the urban/capitalist approach. Like, I know its drawbacks, but it keeps you sharp and ensures that you make the necessary sacrifices or take the required risks to survive in The Economy and even thrive. Every Greek "tribe" was in villages at some point, so basically most Greeks descend from "hillbillies", but imho the Vlachs are the most "urban" of all. 😉

(Because of where I lived, such that "hillbilly" or "villager" are not even insults. Hopefully howI used them here doesn't sound condescending on my side.)

[thriveonanonymity]

Okay I have some thoughts about the vengence saga. Unfiltered through thoughts, just what I think about it after only a few listens (like less than a dozen.

This is going to be a long one.

The first half slaps quite a bit; The voice of Calypso is great, Troy is always a pleasure to hear and the writing fits them just as well as it did in wisdom and circe sagas respectfully.

Ballads like 'I'm not sorry for loving you' are songs that take me some time to get warm to, so i want say much about it.

Dangerous is a little slowed and burdened by the intro; if it were a musical and the albums we got were a soundtrack, I would cut the song to begin basically after the ody intro (though that would be just a bit difficult because it follows exactly into hermes' parts). It feels somewhat expositiony and isnt written as well as it could have been? I might be wrong here, thing is, it just doest sit with me well writing wise. Soon as Troy enters stage, Dangerous goes HARD. The back half of dangerous slaps incredibly, no notes. Big fan of ody's verse too. and oh my god the livestream animatic. ody fighting monsters and hermes is there just DANCIN, my boy

Now charybdis feels like a transitional song a lot, which is okay. One that is more exposition than anything. Shit you need to talk about and set up; youre gonna have those in a 40 song musical. For a transitional song its quite cool, though its kind of hard for me to say much else on it. The instrumental shift at the end just as posiedon arrives feels damn right.

Get in the water is amazing. I dont like how some limes are timed though, 'ruthlessness / is mercy upon / ourselves' is an obvious as a way to chop it, but i feel like the vocal riffs on it couldve been made a bit more interesting, it feels a bit disjointed, and that might be the point. I might be wrong here, im not much of a musician. Now why he timed the lines delivered by the dead like he did i do not know, i dont like it. It just doesnt fit the timescale of the instrumentation. I might be obviously incorrect to someone more musically aligned, but thats what i see. If i am correct, it might be so off to serve the narrative, monster and all. To show that these calls from the dead aren't here to help him, basically, they're here to haunt him, which would be my first interpretation if the lines were more coherent. If it was more coherent, i would read it the same way i read the baby tele flashback in god games. But that NOT being the message, the dead NOT giving him the resolve to go on, it just doesnt really work with the lyrics for the upcoming anime battle i feel. Im starting to ramble so ill move on.

Six hundred strike is very cool. Except for about a half second when he screams his attack name, that goody enough to take me out of the story, and that aint good, and the last lines post torture. Firstly, i love the fact that we come straight in with electric guitars, you can tell that cunning ody ain't fucking around. The battle itself is very epic, very grand, again, except for the 'six hundred strike'. Like. Horge. Mr. Jalapeño. What does that even fucking mean. I would get it if there was a line previously that was like "for every pain you caused" but like. Even then. It ought be plural. It just feels incredibly goofy and incongruous with the otherwise epic battle. Moving on. Torturing an immortal scene is always aweosme, and the execution is very good, ody's screams are very nice indeed. Vocals convey emotion quite well here, from both Jorge and Steven. The one thing i DO have a problem with is how they handled the last few lines. I understand what they are intended to do, and they do that, but they don't do the idea justice. It could have been made LESS like a piece of exposition, and i wish it was.

Generally i liked it??? I guess?????? Im not sure. Im not as dead hyped as i was after underworld or circe, but underowlrd is an act finale, and circe has me biased as it has some of my top songa from the musical so far. Vengance hits a little weak compared to wisdom, but that might be that i didnt have time to really proccess it. I felt similarly about underworld when it first released, to a lesser degree, but still. Maybe ill get around to it.

Also not a single beloved character died horribly.

Im disappointed, captain.

[spaceorphan18]

Glee Musical Retrospective: What It Feels Like for a Girl (Power of Madonna)

Sung by: New Directions Boys Original Artist(s): Madonna

Glee is a little dubious when it comes to conversations about women - but I do think this episode handles it (possibly) better than most of the time. I still have slightly conflicting feelings about this one -- in that it is going to kick off an uncomfortable trend where the show tries to have men use women's music to explain women's issues -- but, this one is more so about teaching the boys a lesson, and I feel much better about it than, say, how they're going to just botch it up two seasons from now...

Story Analysis

At the beginning of this - Will gives this long speech about how the boys are treating all the girls like crap. A lot of the time - they do, but it's funny, other than the Artie/Tina story line - where he's just terrible to her, and Puck being his usual brand of misogynistic, the guys (as a group) didn't necessarily need the lesson. However - the show is going out of its way to support women and empowerment this episode, so sure, why not.

Girls can wear jeans And cut their hair short Wear shirts and boots 'Cause it's okay to be a boy But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading 'Cause you think that being a girl is degrading

Finn and Artie say these lines at the beginning. I do appreciate the sentiment the song is trying to share -- that there is a double standard and that even in a modern age, women are still considered second class citizens. I like that Artie seems to get it (as this lesson is main for him) and that he starts to understand as he sings.

Now, I really don't think this song is going to magically change any minds (the lyrics are just too thin) and while there's some attempt to put yourself in someone else's shoes - I think it takes more than singing a pop song once to really internalize the lesson. But Artie does walk away understanding that he's been a jerk at least. And Finn is at least trying when Puck throws a hissy fit after the song.

But secretly You'd love to know what it's like, wouldn't you? What it feels like for a girl?

These are the lines that Kurt speaks and, oof, do I have some thoughts. Ryan Murphy wrote this episode -- and he's admitted through interviews that Madonna was something sacred to him when he was growing up. This feels so, so much like something Murphy probably internalized -- and thus gave it Kurt to speak.

Because, honestly, I'm going to push back here -- and say that there's a difference between sexuality and gender. Sure, Kurt's more effeminate in his mannerisms (especially S1 Kurt) but as he's going to say in a few episodes - he's still a guy. Kurt doesn't really have any issues with gender.

I will concede though he does feel more at home with the girls, and wishes, like a girl, he could have a boy interested in him. I'll also say that sometimes sexuality and gender can blur a little bit -- and this is why I think this line is so Ryan Murphy - because I do think he's struggled with those lines.

So, yes, I get it, and get why Kurt says it, I still roll my eyes though...

Lastly, I'll at least give Will a little bit of credit for trying. I'm glad that he didn't try to fix the girls and their attitudes, but did try to help the boys. Will's not great, himself, when it comes to women. But at least he's attempting to be a better role model here.

Technical Thoughts

Not sure if anyone else notices these things but -- did you notice the drum beat and all the synth going on? In order to say that it wasn't coming from the ether, they put a black box on the piano and Brad Ellis is playing the mini synth/electric piano/whatever it - to simulate the sound as accompaniment. I'm curious as to when they're going to stop implying that there's 'real' music to accompany the singing.

So - the boys sound really good on this. Their voices mesh really well, and since there aren't any huge leaps, and the range of the song is pretty simple, they can focus on having some great harmonization. I don't know who is really singing - I can definitely here Will, Artie, Finn and Puck. I'm not sure if I hear Kurt or not, and I kind of doubt Mike and Matt are actually singing (but I could be totally wrong). But anyway, my point is the arrangement of this great and vocally they really kill this one.

I like a lot of the acting choices, too. Kurt's looking adoringly at Finn. Puck is just over it and does not care about the 'lesson'. Mike is just having the best time because he's just that guy. And Will just gets into it - nice to know he just gets taken away by all the music.

vs. The Studio Version: There's a second verse! Led by Artie! Poor Artie - so much of his singing gets relegated to the second verse of the studio version. We also get a reprise of the chorus. There's a good two minutes added on to the song. I also kind of wonder if they're doubling tracks again - it almost feels like there's a full choir added in there.

vs. The Original Version: When doing research for the song (yes - I do research for all of them!) I found that there were two different versions. The one I linked is the softer, radio edit, that's a lot more like the Glee version. Again, Glee keeps pretty close to the original -- only adding in harmonies since it was sung by multiple people. They also toned down the synth sound so it can feel more HS-ish (though I'd argue keeping the synth sound still makes it sound produced...).

Just as an fyi, I didn't link the official video -- which is more a techno, clubbing version. The video is dark and very violent. Kind of Madonna wanting to be edgy to say that girls can be hyper violent, too, I guess. Anyway, just wanted to throw on that TW in case you seek that one out.

[kitkatopinions]

New RWBY ep (for once not two days behind.) Criticisms and praise below the keep reading

Praise

The theme song is starting to grow on me. It's got a bit of Sonic-vibes? Like Adventure 1 and 2 Crush 40 stuff, which is my business. It's not as good and there's something off about the sound mixing and Casey's vocals could be better, but it's starting to grow on me.

Weiss's reactions to the Red Prince kind of make sense to me lol. She's dealt with pompous rich people her whole life and I feel like both her sense of superiority that we still see at times and her probably projecting Jacques (and to a lesser extent, Whitley) onto this little red prince but with none of the history makes her treating him like an annoying pest at the start very in character.

I'm digging the suspenseful music that plays during the 'describe the rules' and the start of the chess match. And I love the concept of Ruby being forced to play as chessmaster, with the lives of her friends on the line. I also like that a lot of Ruby's soldiers on the board are already beaten up and busted. It gets across that the game isn't necessarily fair early on (which is good because in war and in the war in Remnant, not everything is always going to be 'fair.')

I also like Ruby's worried and panicked expression as she sits at the chessboard. She's treating this seriously.

Weiss's little bow is so cute.

Yang's little Sonic the Hedgehog style grin is also cute.

The animators are doing what they can to carry this volume in terms of facial expressions and getting across emotion when they can. Some of the choices aren't so good, but moments like these are (as far as the animation goes.)

While there are elements of it I don't like just from this brief listen, the OK Goodnight song in this episode sounds like it's pretty good and the kind of song I'd willingly seek out to listen to. That's a great improvement from my complete disinterest and dislike in the majority of the music from the last two seasons where I didn't actually like a single track. Looking forward to hearing more.

I kind of... Dig the cat sometimes? Obviously it's uncreative in its concept and I wish it was more humanoid and just based off of the Chesire Cat instead of actually being a cat and some of its 'random' lines are annoying and stupid, but. There's an element of creepiness to it that I wish they'd done more of, but is nice to see. His "Promises are like birds. They taste great, but always escape." *Leans in super close to Ruby's ear.* "You should go. Before he changes his mind." The voice acting is good, and hopefully after the writers are done trying their hand at humor with the cat, it takes on more elements of the cat from Coraline.

The loud sound effects for things like Ruby landing on the wall are good, they add an element of suspense to an otherwise not very suspenseful moment.

Neo fell like a comet and it looked fucking radical. I don't think she meant to turn into Ruby and Cinder? Or for her semblance to change and provide her with doubles? But I think it's cool. A bit campy, but cool. And I think Neo expressing her rage at Cinder and Ruby both by transforming into them was cool and a good way to establish her current angry mindset.

Criticisms

Yang: "Are we sure we should do this?" Ruby: "The Red King helped Alyx." I sure wish there was a way for us to know the actual story of Alyx In Wonderland in canon because all I know is that Alyx defeated the Red King at a board game, so Ruby being like "he helped her" has me immediately kind of frustrated. I do not know what to anticipate because it's like they're making up the details of this rip off Wonderland book while they're writing each episode. Why couldn't they have said that Alyx 'got help from the red king after defeating him in a board game' last ep?

Immediately no on the Red Prince btw. I know he's meant to be annoying, but I thought I might have a chance to like this character (my history of liking flamboyant posh spoiled rich kids is vast,) and instead he's just another annoying character in a volume filled with annoying characters.

Blake is so... Weird this season. I feel like she's so far removed from who she was in this first five volumes that trying to compare her to Blake of the past is pointless at this time, but she's even more different than ever this season and the "happy birthday" moment really just drives that home. I feel like if I picture Velvet doing everything she does, it makes more sense to me.

Also I'm not saying that Yang and Weiss's attitudes don't make sense, but they really aren't helping anything and I'm getting kind of annoyed with their "I'm too tired for this, I'm pissed off at everything, I'm gonna act like all of this is just too lame for me" kind of behavior. It's not helpful and it's getting boring. Ruby and Blake are at least trying, and the other two can't even be bothered to put on a happy tone for two seconds if it means they might get to go home to help the refugees being attacked by Grimm after suddenly losing everything and getting launched into Vacuo, the place Salem is likely to attack next.

Weiss: "Did I used to be this unbearably pompous?" Maybe not to that extent, Weiss, but you were horrible in other ways, soooo.....

Wait wait wait... So the toy block soldiers get hauled off into the bushes and beheaded, two seconds after them and the red prince were played for comedy by the way, and the reactions from Team RWBY are

There's no reason for us or Team RWBY to think these block guys aren't sentient feeling people, there's no reason for us to think that they aren't really dead, and Team RWBY just moves on immediately? No 'you can't do that?' No pulling out their weapons? No questioning whether or not they should fight this monster beheading his people for the crime of making something the wrong color (real creative of the rwby writers btw /s.) They just... Move on? No questions asked? God, when did these characters become so... Lifeless? Even if we say they're trying to stay on the red prince's good side, they don't talk about it? They don't have a moment of upset where the hot-headed Yang or the compassionate Ruby or the once-feisty-and-justice-driven Blake or even the so-done-she-can't-manage-a-smile Weiss so much as say "hey" or "what was that for?" Ruby literally said "How could you" when the red prince tossed aside green glass but barely reacts with anger, sadness, or surprise when he kills people? Yeah, I know she has an emotional attachment to that barely used in the show so far weapon because it was Penny's, but it's two people's lives she's pretty much ignoring here.

The Red Prince: *Smirking darkly while pointedly refusing to tell Ruby that no one will be hurt during his game, heavily implying that this game is to the death or at least to the injury.* The music: *Suspenseful and foreboding.* Ruby, in an uncertain and serious tone: "Uh, can you... Advance one space forward, please?" The little pawn on the board:

Soooo the pawns aren't taking this seriously, they're taking a swing and then relaxing as they get carried away in stretchers. The stakes for this got lowered by three hundred times and watching it, I no longer felt that much suspense. Sure Blake, Weiss, or Yang might get injured, but they're not going to die or get knocked out for the count in episode three, so I'm not that worried.

But wait, there's no reason to believe the Red Prince's red pawns are evil or non-sentient, and WBY are attacking them with a smile at Ruby's command? Bit weird, right? Why aren't Team RWBY trying to avoid needless harm or at least frowning when they're forced to harm things? Ruby seems to be the only person taking this seriously.

"We want to go home, and we believe the tree can get us there." The suspenseful music stops playing. Ruby's voice changes to a completely different tone as she says "Yang, you're up." Fun music starts up. Yang starts Wreck-It-Ralph-style punching Pawns. All in like two seconds flat. Guys, try to ease into your tone change! It's jarring!

"Blake is a faunus... And the rest of us are human." Guys, I seethe with rage every time the writers of this show act like Blake is a different species of creature than the others rather than a different race of human. Every time they refer to Blake or other Faunus as not human it is literally DEHUMANIZING. They literally will say "Blake is not human" and "Faunus aren't human!"

More angelic imagery with Weiss, which I don't like. How are Team RWBY even kind of struggling with these toy soldiers? By all accounts they seem very weak. And the combat... While it isn't Volume 5 levels of bad, it also just isn't isn't good. Combat in RWBY hasn't been that good since volume three, and it's a real shame. I want to like it, but I just can't. Also even when the pawns seem to be taking this slightly more seriously, I feel like it just isn't well done still.

The moving through the Red Prince's castle is so... No. It's like right out of Phineas and Ferb's Across the 2nd Dimension. I liked when Ruby hit the wall and reacted to that, I think they should've kept that without knocking it up to eleven immediately. And they didn't react to it? Ruby wasn't like "one minute I was on the floor, then I was on the ceiling I think, then it was this twisty ramp and the soldiers were right there but they were on other floors?! Upside down?!" Like, yeah, in the moment, she was just running, there wasn't time to ask questions while she was running, but then she stops running and is like "I didn't beat the chess game :(" When wacky stuff breaks all the rules of the universe they're used to, they should... You know. React to it.

Also

Ruby's flower petals had barely disappeared by the time the soldiers were walking over the trapdoor, and this looks like a long hall. How did they not see her jump into it?

Also also, why is it that the mice attacked Blake because specifically her ears and only her ears resembled a cat, but Little barely reacts at all to the presence of the Chesire Cat?

The Cat: "Times change, you know. And so do we when it's our time to change... Don't you?" *Ruby and the team get engulfed by a bright light and suddenly find themselves in a clearing outside.* Me: "Wow the cat just teleported them? They're going to take this time - the most obvious time - to ask about the cat's magic or react vocally to the fact that really freaky stuff like instant teleportation or gravity changes is going on or talk about how dangerous it is that WBY are small or ask the cat what the hell he's talking about, or say that all this wackiness being in the Alyx in Wonderland book is something they knew but it's all still really weird for them to go through in real life or something like that." Yang: "There was a Red King!" Blake: "But something's changed since then." That's what... We already knew that, guys! Didn't they already come to that conclusion earlier? Why - what - the dialogue in this season is so badly written.

Weiss: "Great, so we're not in the stupid story after all." Me: "They're going to take this moment - the most obvious moment - to talk about how they probably didn't just blue skadoo into the pages of a book and that this place might be an afterlife or another world and Alyx or the author must've gone through this and gotten back to Remnant and the fairy tale is just based on that story and that it isn't even like the story they know because everything is clearly different and also maybe express concern about the tyrant beheading people considering that there's no reason to think the world they're in is fake or that the stakes don't matter because it isn't just fiction (for them) and they're clearly in a real place where people have real feelings." Weiss: "We're in its stupid sequel." ... Close enough.

Could Little stop being annoying for three seconds? I want to kick this mouse into the sun like it's a little dog named Teacup

Weiss: "What is the deal with this cat? Can't anyone here be normal?" Blake: "That's not just any cat! When Alyx was lost, she met the Curious Cat who loved to ask questions!" Yang: "And the Curious Cat helped Alyx find the tree!" They're... They're only just now realizing that's the Curious Cat? Guys, if I had gotten transported into a book I'd read enough as a kid or was culturally well known enough that I could recall details about the plot as a nineteen year old, why would I not be able to recognize a character like that? Especially one so fucking iconic looking! This isn't getting transported into Narnia and meeting a little girl and because she looks like any old little girl not realizing right away that it's Lucy Pevensie. This is basically like getting to Narnia and seeing a big old lion breathing life into trees and telling you he's the real king of the whole wood and talking about the deep magic and then ten minutes later being like "Oh shit are you Aslan?" This is quite literally like getting transported into a world like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and seeing a grinning cat gradually disappearing while offering confusing conversation and then ten minutes later being like "Wait that wasn't just any cat, that was the Chesire Cat!" I am reeling.

All in all, this episode was better than the other two, but still really lacking imo. I give it a four out of seven. I didn't laugh once, didn't feel emotional once, but they got a couple of grins and a bit of suspense out of me.

[lobotoboy]

Today I ascended from this mortal plane and remembered why I love movies and want to pursue filmmaking.

For context, I watched Barbie, and the Miraculous Ladybug movie today.

So, I saw Barbie with my mom, in a theater full of women. The first five minutes, I was sat there like "Did the internet lie to me again?" cause I was genuinely confused about what the hell was happening onscreen. But once I managed to get into the groove of things, I really enjoyed myself. I didn't play with Barbies growing up, and it was still enjoyable to me. It was so campy and funny(thank you Kate McKinnon and Michael Cera for being a big source of that), but it had some pretty deep themes, such as criticism against both a patriarchy and a matriarchy, the struggles of women in society, existentialism, and mother-daughter relationships. Definitely a movie for the girlies, but I think it's enjoyable for everyone.

I think the music was great. My mom hates musicals, despises them with her whole heart, but she told me after the movie that she loved I'm Just Ken. And yeah, it was so much. My favorite bit was the fast paced "Can you feel the Kenergy" moments. I've been playing Identity V, and I use that to hype me up for matches. It gives 80s power ballad, and it's super fun to listen to over and over again. Ryan Gosling did a very good job with it. I can see I'm Just Ken and Peaces battling it out for Best Original Song. Push was great as well, despite being underused in the movie, the full version(which is a cover of an existing song) is very interesting, and lyrically fits the movie so well.

I'm not typically a fan of bright colors in movies, catch me watching The Batman any day, but Barbie is the exception, as it just made certain scenes feel so much more important. Mattel offices being cold and gray, really sold that corporate vibes, and the soft white at the ending with Ruth definitely made it feel like Barbie was reaching a life-changing conclusion. It's a wonderful use of color.

Now the themes are the big draw of the movie. Regarding the patriarchy, matriarchy, and daily struggles of women, those themes are definitely hard to miss, but they do so much good with them. Showing Ken being essentially brainwashed by the idea of the patriarchy is interesting, and definitely rings home for anyone who grew up with boys as friends. I've seen a few guy friends of mine turn from sweet guys, into womanizers as they grew older. And it also shows that a matriarchy isn't good either, by showing how the Kens feel less than in BarbieLand. The Ken's situation is a muted version of women's situations in the real world. The Kens aren't sexualized or hated, but they're ignored. In the real world, both in the movie and real life, women have it worse than the Kens, and feel in a similar position. Makes it easy to enjoy both perspectives. Barbie focusing on thoughts of death and change as a whole hits with me on a personal level, as I have a lot of issues with existentialism, and any movie with death as a major theme usually brings me close to tears(such as Puss in Boots 2, curse you good movies). Seeing Barbie meet her creator in Ruth was so sweet, and was incredibly heartwarming.

Special mention to the line "We mother stand still so our daughters can look back to see how far they've come". It made me want to give my mom the biggest hug, and I'm in no way a hugger.

Then I went home, and watched the Miraculous Ladybug movie because I had nothing else to do. I've been with the show since 2020, which isn't as long as other fans, but the show still sticks in my brain the same. I knew the animation was going to be great, and that the art direction would make up for any shortcomings in the story. And while yes, the plot was rushed (duh, like, how many years has it taken to get to this point in the show? its gonna feel rushed) but the art was absolutely stunning. My favorite moment was from Hawkmoth's villain song, Chaos Will Reign(available on Spotify) when they pulled out the Disney Villain lime green color. I love that color, and seeing Hawkmoth with it made me ascend. I really love the ending battle as well, the use of colors, lightning effects, butterfly textures, was just perfect. The animation was also really smooth, down to the small details of hair movements, such as when Nino and Alya are on the roller coaster, or when Chat Noir's hair gets wet.

The music was probably my least favorite part, just because I think Cristina Vee could've slayed it, and that the songs sounded kind of generic. But Oh My God, Chaos Will Reign had me bopping and replaying it. In fact, I'm listening to Chaos Will Reign and I'm Just Ken while writing this. It definitely gave me old Disney villain song vibes, mixed with the slightest hint of a Danny Elfman soundtrack. It just sounded so evil, but in a way that I can get behind. Keith Silverstein can actually sing, and that note at the end was wonderful. The vibrato gave me life. I was lowkey hoping Nooroo would stop talking so I could hear more. The chanting was awesome, and gave Friends on the Other Side vibes. I was (and still am) a big fan of villain songs, and this is a throwback to my theater kid days when I exclusively played villains and enjoyed it. Definitely overthrew the Hawkmoth Rap as my favorite Miraculous Ladybug song, but the Hawkmoth Rap is like, second place still. The only crime this song had was being too short. Release the ten hour cut.

Finally, aside from the glory that is Chaos Will Reign, I want to say that the two identity reveal scenes were amazing. I'll start off with Adrien and Marinette's, just because I care about that one the least. I think it was a creative way to go about it, with the masquerade masks. Fanfiction wins again. But I have so much to squeal about when it comes to the Adrien and Gabriel reveal. This version of Gabriel was definitely way more sympathetic than his show counterpart, despite committing atrocious acts. I actually wanted this Gabriel to get some redemption, and I think that bit of forgiveness from Adrien is just that. Let them have a good bond, PLEASE! The whole battle scene was just amazing, the fact that Hawkmoth was willing to do literally anything, and very nearly came close to winning. I knew he wasn't going to win, it's a kid's movie, but I was still on the edge of my seat and biting my nails.

I need both of these movies injected into my bloodstream ASAP.

Do I recommend them? Depends on your preferences. For Barbie, I can see why people wouldn't like it, it's campy(in a fun way), and it's anti-patriarchy and anti-matriarchy, which would make the misogynists and misandrists mad. But I think if you're open to a goofy time that will make you appreciate the women in your life, then give it a watch. It's definitely worth it.

For Miraculous Ladybug, it's a kid's movie, based on a show with a big following spanning years. I think it's something to watch if you're a fan, former or current, of the show. If you're just starting to watch Miraculous, it'll be a better watch if you sit through the show. But, it's a good movie, and still enjoyable for novice Miraculers.

I'm definitely watching these over and over again.

[nikibogwater]

Niki Blethers: The Miraculous Ladybug & Cat Noir Movie, except I haven't seen the show

Okay, well, technically I've seen....maybe 7 or 8 episodes of it? But that was seven years ago, and all I remember about it is Fun Concept, Horrible Execution. That, and Marinette's a total creep. But I was intrigued when I heard the movie was going to be a soft reboot of sorts, and I had free time this afternoon, so I took the beating to my already-dead self-respect and sat down to watch the Miraculous Ladybug Movie.

Long story short: Movie good and fun, and also my heart goes out to all the long-time Miraculous Ladybug sufferers who had to wait almost a decade for the series to finally use its main premise effectively.

Spoilers below the cut!

This is, from what I can tell, a re-telling of Ladybug and Cat Noir's origin story, which is nice because that meant I didn't really need to watch more of the show than I already have in order to understand what's happening.

On that note, I actually kind of think my experience with the movie was improved by my own ignorance. Because sometimes Stuff would just Happen, and like, I could tell it was the kind of Stuff that's par for the course in the show, but it hit me out of left field and made everything 10 times funnier.

First laugh of the movie: Master Fu is so intense when he says the phrase "dark butterflies!!!" This was the moment I knew I was in for a good time.

Oh my goodness--okay, hang on, what is this dialogue between Marinette and her mom? Real people do not talk like that. This sounds like a conversation between the two ADHD braincells inside my skull, please tell me the whole movie isn't like this.

It isn't. Thank heavens. Shame that that's how the movie opens though.

I would die for Marinette's father.

And she's--oh, she's singing. Oh this is a musical. For some reason, I wasn't expecting that. Wait hang on, that is Marinette singing, right?? Why couldn't they find a singer who actually sounds like her usual voice actress?

Marinette honey, what are you doing at a café, aren't you supposed to be going to school? Is this a Paris thing, just stopping for coffee on your way to school?

Okay, already I can tell Marinette's character has undergone some major revisions. She's way more relatable here, being a creative who wants to share her art with the world, but is too anxious and socially awkward to know how to do so. Also she's no longer stalking Adrien like a total creep, so yeah. 10/10, good main protagonist.

Chloe is just a straight up psychopath. Like, I thought her abuse would be limited to the typical high-school popular girl gaslighting and insults. But she is ready to commit actual murder here. Marinette's gotta watch her back or else Chloe might literally put a knife in it.

We all need a friend like Aliya.

The scene where Marinette meets Adrien is actually pretty well-done. It's easy to see why she starts crushing on him right away, when their first interaction is him seeing her in distress and expressing genuine concern for her. They also don't spend a ton of time dwelling on Mari's crush, which makes it 100% less creepy.

Aww, Adrien's such a sweetheart. They do a great job of establishing who he is in a very short amount of time. 20 seconds into his first appearance, and I've already picked up that he is shy and socially anxious like Mari, but he's willing to overcome that to make sure she's okay. Also love the little detail of him always having earbuds in.

Marinette's song with Tiki was probably the best song in the entire movie. Coincidentally, it's also the only one that didn't feel horribly out of place to me.

I would also die for the Notre Dame security guy. I think the gargoyle has already killed him, but still. Second-best character in the movie.

I really enjoyed the contrast of Adrien and Marinette's individual reactions to getting superpowers. They're both equally incompetent here, but they express it in opposite ways (Adrien with zealous overconfidence, and Marinette with bewildered terror).

STOP FIGHTING INSIDE THE CATHEDRAL!!! THERE IS ALMOST 700 YEARS OF CATHOLIC HISTORY IN THERE!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

I'm surprised at how much I genuinely laughed with this movie. I was expecting the jokes to be a lot more juvenile and stale (I mean, there still IS a joke like that, thankfully it's only one).

Hey, Studio ZAG? Yeah, just a heads up, your action scene coordinators/animators deserve a raise. Like, a really big one.

*w h e e z e!* CARELESS WHISPER?! ADRIEN, NOOOOOOOOO!!!

I see Hawk Moth has never read/seen Fullmetal Alchemist.

Wait, why does this man just have a dungeon full of magical criminals in his back yard?? I thought he ran a dressmaking business.

Adrien wants a woman who can both kick and save his ass. I can respect that.

I like how Marinette takes such a long time to accept her role as Ladybug. Nothing about her first venture as a superhero sells the idea to her. In fact, it makes her even more desperate to get out of it.

That being said, it felt like her finally accepting the Miraculous came a bit out of left field. I think it would've worked better if she had seen Hawk Moth's attack on the carnival put someone dear to her in danger. Like her dad, or Aliya (technically Aliya IS there and IS in danger, but as far as I can tell, Marinette doesn't realize she's stuck on the roller coaster until AFTER she's accepted the Miraculous). As it is, it kind of looks like Mari just sort of changed her mind about it all after a good night's sleep.

I need a spinoff series about the Mime guy who can shoot people with his mind. Actual best character of the entire movie.

Ladybug and Cat have a really great dynamic, and there wasn't any point where I felt like one of them could win this without the other. Outside of battle, they also provide each other with a lot of emotional support, with Cat being the one to give Mari her confidence, and Ladybug giving Adrien someone to fight for.

Adrien is kind of pathetic, but I think I actually like that about him. When Ladybug rejects him, he desperately asks her to reconsider. It's not very mature, but feels pretty realistic, considering his age and what he's been going through. And I like that Marinette is actually torn between her crush on Adrien and her developing feelings for Cat. She's not dismissive of Cat Noir, but she feels like starting something with him would somehow be disloyal to Adrien.

Hawk Moth's voice actor put his EVERYTHING into the line "I hate you, Ladybug and Cat Noir!" and it is peak comedy.

Oh my gosh, not Careless Whisper again.

The climax was actually decently intense. It's pretty easy to figure out where it's all going to end up, but even so, I was on the edge of my seat for the whole thing.

That awkward moment when you almost commit infanticide. #JustHawkMothThings

So I'm gonna assume that the show does a better job of explaining why they aren't allowed to use the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses to bring Emilie back to life. Because I feel like if there wasn't a good reason to NOT do that, then Hawk Moth's first course of action should have been to just invite Ladybug and Cat over for tea and explain the situation to them.

I was happily surprised to see them actually resolve the whole Love Square thing. From what I know, dragging that aspect out has been the one thing that's kept the show alive this long. But I'm glad they went this route. The movie would've been infinitely less satisfying if they'd stuck to the status quo.

Aww, well that was a really cute mov--WHY IS EMILIE'S CORPSE IN THE BASEMENT

All in all, I had a good time with this movie. The animation was really nice, the character designs were good, I thought the English dub actors did a great job, and the relationship between the two main leads was pretty compelling. There were a lot of weird little quirks that I'm assuming came from the show, but overall, this feels like the MLB team finally using the show's core concept in a way that doesn't completely squander its potential. If they make a sequel (which it looks like they're planning to?), I'm totally on board to check it out. 7/10, great for when you just want something cute that doesn't need to be taken seriously to enjoy.

[cloama]

MMATA covered the song from Freaky Friday on their new album. It's cute. The lead, Edith Victoria always has lots of personality but she needs some harmony help in these verses. Why we gotta wait for the chorus to get harmony? ETA: Iwas listening to this on headphones that were about to die. The quality was terrible. This song sounds great upon a second listen. I heard lots of background work. Sorry, babes.

The whole album is really fun and cute. It is full of breakup songs. Wasn't expecting that.

Love the bridge of Say it(to my face). She sounds like a punky lil angel there. It's also fun to see them get back at haters with an undeniable hit song.

The chorus of Kool is so chaotic. Why are you saying it like that?????? But the song with its very obvious Brainstew influence is just fun. They're wild for that one. Also Edith showing yall that she actually a mf vocalist. Bc that chorus be taking my lungs out. Yes, by the end I was singing it too. Very fun. Very silly.

Tea plays her ass off but I'm not hearing the shredding as much in this project. She's really restrained here but the parts shes writing a good. So solid. I kind of want her to compose for others. Similarly, Ava's feet aren't as heavy on the pedals this go round. It seems they've made a choice. It's fine. They get to do that. But choosing to leave that calling card off an album that's 50% breakup songs is a choice. Tea used to be fucking it up in the background. Just shredding her way through the verses which worked because there aren't a lot of bg vocals. Not singing backup as strongly, her playing made up for that. I miss it. I also miss Ava's heavy ass drumming. It's all really different on here. I need to find some interviews about this project. Need to know what went into these choices. I still really like what theyre doing. Young adult audiences should be in love with them.

After all that fun up top the albums takes TMI and Same Language into what I call the Frustration Break. A couple songs about mfs working on your nerves. They're cute songs but feel like a lull. It works because the choruses are so good and you feel relieved by the end of that chunk of songs. Also a-capella handclap breaks are my weakness.

A Few Tomorrows is the bittersweet midtempo song about how it's not goodbye, only a "see you later" which is placed in the right order because literally the rest of the album after this track is backloaded with breakup up songs.

Need Me(my favorite track of this album) is an upbeat breakup bop. Cute. MMATA has a gift for making songs you want to sing along to. Lyrics tho. The simplicity is good but I've seen the pen push harder.

This is where I noticed their hardcore influence is not present at all in this album. Poof. Gone. Aww.

It's Over for Me is another breakup song. Track sequencing is winning big. Love when songs are in correct order. This track is not as strong as Need Me. I would have left this one off the project.

Thx for Nothing is the last breakup bop in this chunk of songs. This girl is going through it. Very 5sos. I say this as a 34 year old who barely knows what a 5sos is. Oh and that main guitar part sounds like what i can only describe as family reunion music. Real ones know.

Rocket science is another optimistic bop taking us to the end of this album but the song is full of phrases from those Hang In There posters. It's cute. It's giving Disney Knees. Edith who usually enunciates to a fault just stops doing that. "Everything is possible" turns into "ennythahggihhhpohhhiiiubbboool" and I cant state enough that I loved that. The Gerard of it all.

King of Everything: lament about life being so unnecessarily hard and wanting a do-over. Hard relate. Don't love the melody as much as the others. Not a happy ending to the album but a resolution for sure. I think the last two songs should have been switched but they said what they said.

3.5 out of 5 stars to Meet Me @ the Altar for their sophomore long playing album. The sequencing of tracks is so strong. A lost art these days. The tracks work together to take your through a bunch of highs and lows then sticks the landing with that final track. The album is good at exactly what it set out to do. That's all I ask. Miss that hard playing tho. I'm sure the live shows will fill that gap.

[papirouge]

Hi!! sorry for the late response, you answered my ask about jpop idols, thannk you so much for such a thoughtful answer!!!

Honestly when i was younger i was really into mostly hello!proyect, so i know that they had literally child groups with berryz and cute, whose younger member was 8 years old! It was pretty creepy how they would make those photobooks with them posing on bikinis as soon as they turned 13 or 14.

I also really loved perfume, it used to be my favorite group, but like you said nakata got lazy and started prioritizing other acts around the level 3 era, and it really got cemented with cosmic explorer, which is when i started to lose interest in them. Their costumes also used to be so good, creative, and designed thoughtfully for each girl, but now its always the same costume except achan gets the longer skirt, kashiyuka the shorter skirt, and nocchi gets the shorts. Even the fabric is visibly cheaper. I feel like the only one who still cares is mikiko as her choreographies are still good.

But i dont know who that artist you mentioned is, but i'm interested in hearing the story 🍵

Japan is EXTREMELY problematic when it comes to child sexualization and the fact that rightoids who are constantly blaming the left for entertaining sexuality degeneracy....have no problem sporting anime pfp/watch anime is everything you need to know about how much of clowns those people are 🥴 They don't care about child abuse, they just pretend they do to dunk of their political opponents.

They try to cope saying it's "cultural" but Japan is currently recording an increase of sexual crimes, so...why would they defend a culture suspected of increasing sexual assault coming from a country struggling to contain their own sexual predator? 🤔 Also why the "it's cultural" argument shouldn't be used for honor killing and child marriage then ? Oh my bad, it's Muslims so this time we can finally admit it's a problem 🤡

To be fair with Perfume, they've been around since ~20 years now, so it makes sense their concepts are starting to become more rehashed. Nakata is a VERY derivative artist (even when he tried something new after he discovered future bass, he shoved this sound in everything he made around that time, whether it was on his own album 'Digital Native' or Perfume song "If you Wanna" lol.

The concept of them having distinctive outfits (as you said, longer dress/skirt for A-chan it's said that's bc she has wider hips which aren't considered a good feature in Japan, shorter dress/skirt for Kashiyuka, and shorts for Nocchi) goes back to their debut, and I think it's incredible they sticked to it for so long (especially since they also have respective hairstyle code - Nocchi has never been able to have hair longer than her chin for most of her life.... 🥲), but yeah, after so many years.... it's starting to get old. But they're basically idols I don't think doing an イメチェン (= drastic change of style) would be well received...

In the era of streaming, the lowering of budget for music videos is global. Perfume last outstanding MV (great costume + set design + extras on set) was "Cling Cling"... which was released almost 10 years ago🥴 but other Japanese artists had a drastic drop in MV quality, included Ayu Hamasaki (the artist I talked about in my first reply).

She is Japan best selling artist of all times and her "Jewel" MV has been for a while listed in the most expensive music video of all times🥶💎

Ayu story is quite endearing because her dad abandoned her when she was a child and was edging on delinquency before being scouted in a karaoke. She's from an era when random girls were being scouted and producers propelled them into stardom, tho very few of them made it beyond one single (which was initiall the case of Ayu who started... making rap and flopped miserably LOL) but by an odd turn of events, she got another chance where this time she did pop and things eventually took off. What's interesting with Ayu is that despite being marketed as an idol when she debuted, she from the start decided to take control over her music/image/artistry : she wrote all her lyrics, displayed her own (very distinctive) personal style, etc. By her sophomore album, LOVEppears, she endorsed a more daring image and in the following one, Duty, she dropped the cutesy idol thing to become more diva like and confident ...

That's also around the time she started pulling out very disturbing music videos. There are A LOT of them, but I'd say "Ladies Night" is the one who stuck the most with me (which is weird bc the song is pretty positive : celebrating girlhood support)...but the MV is just unnecessary creepy and dark. It starts off cute & goofy...only to become more and more scary & nightmarish 😰 WHY??

Her '(miss) understood' album era is pretty dark tbh ALL the MV of this album have this dark, gloomy energy... Excellent album musically, but with a very dark energy

Thankfully there is "Fairyland" (which was also one of the most expensive MV of that time) to brighten up that energy (but even the MV ends up in some sort of downturn with the photo burning up?)

- Her 'Duty' and 'Party Queen' album booklet + SURREAL MV features full on sex kitten programming (it's interesting that "SURREAL" has subliminals about her -then- hidden relationship with Tomoya Nagase (another popular male entertainer/idol of that time) and has a frenetic vibe which is very reminiscent of hypnosis/trance state. I hate that it's one of my favorite MV of her 😓(the scenery is just soooo pretty). There's a LOT of symbolism here.

- dissociation in "RAINBOW" and "Don't look back" MV

- mind control in "Alterna" and "Marionette"

- "Free & Easy" MV is a gigantic nod to Joan of Arc and apostolic martydom

- transhumanism in "Real Me" MV

Now that music videos don't have the same budget as they did 15-20 years ago, Ayu's MV aren't anywhere near as elaborated as they were before (also her music has gone down to the toilets - she should've retire after her 10 years best of). But it's obvious she sold out to achieve this level of fame and success, therefore she had to shove all these twisted messages in her MV.

[hextechmaturgy]

i'm sorry but you and the person in your replies are stupid if you think "we all agree israel should be kicked from the show ❤️" is a good excuse to watch and fund by viewing a TV show that OPENLY supports israel and zionism, going as far as even having a ZIONIST SONG win one of the contests. what you're basically saying is, "Yeah, we all agree, amazon should treat its workers better ❤️" then ordering next day delivery. european or not, you're dismissing the struggles and suffering of palestinians and funding a show that openly supports israel and zionism. saying, "i disagree with israel and want them off the show," literally isn't enough. but honestly, this is the most european attitude to have towards the situation, so i honestly don't know why i'm surprised. also - some contestants holding a flag for palestine doesn't negate the support the show itself gives to israel. you need to remember that the people suffering in palestine are real and more important than a competition show for, historically, the most racist countries on earth with shit music on it. the fact that you stating "indeed!" and the user in your replies stating you're both aware of the situation is worse than being ignorant and unaware. i will block you just because you are clearly going to die on this hill because what does it matter to you, a white european person, if brown people die so long as you get to watch your silly little music show, which you know, is still openly supporting israel by not excluding them from the competition despite russia's removal. i suppose the white victims of russia are easier to empathise with than the brown lives lost in palestine. i'm embarrassed that i ever bought any of your art.

hello again :) first of all, i appreciate that you're passionate about this topic, it's a good cause to champion and i'm sure there are a lot of ignorant ESC fans that could use the reminders, lord knows you can't escape the zionists on twitter. alas, you don't know me personally, and i don't know you at all, so our back and forth here on tumblr dot com asks seems a bit pointless, especially if you're blocking me anyway? hence my brevity before, but maybe that came across as me generally not giving a damn about anything, and if so, i am sorry

eurovision's 'apolitical' stance (as if anything can be apolitical) is and always has been bullshit, whether it's about how hip europe pretends to be regarding queer issues, misogyny, and other major conflicts like the ones you brought up, such as the war with russia and, of course, israel and palestine. this really isn't a well kept secret, and neither is the response this incites in activists everywhere. there have been protests, petitions, boycotts, there's a heated discussion about eurovision every time we have eurovision, and rightly so, i fully encourage them. the sad truth in my eyes is that people people can only do so much to set things right. EBU is in this to make money and they're fucking great at it. nobody fixed russia by booing and banning them from the show, it was just more profitable to throw them out than keeping them in because 'communism bad', which is a trend among western countries

i've watched eurovision almost every year since i was a little kid, and it's pretty obvious that my stance on this whole thing is privileged. war has never been loud outside my door, i have a reliable supply of food and water every day, a sturdy roof over my head. i can spare myself some respite, and music is a big part of what constitutes my peace, always has been. i'm an enthusiast of foreign arts, of songs and languages that are difficult to get exposed to with how american-centric the music charts are nowadays

and so, the way i see it - and i understand if this is a line you're not comfortable drawing - the artists performing at eurovision aren't the EBU. i watch it for them. many of them who are just young singers looking for their big break, many others who are older and confident using their platform to say the uncomfortable things the organizers want to keep on the low. they're all gathered in one spot to represent a different culture, many singing in different languages, sharing traditional garb and dance. ethnic and LGBT minorities take to a huge stage that connects them to every point of the world, and i'm sorry if this all sounds quite silly in the grand scheme of things, but this is the one thing the show can do right in it's current state. europe is diverse, and sometimes it looks like even europe doesn't know that

i'm sad to see you go, but i respect that you've drawn this line, and i'm thankful to hear you've supported my art in the past. keep fighting the good fight, and may the world be a little less shitty sooner rather than later

[arasokanbina]

Long thought post.

Tldr: Good song and MV. Graphics are nice but somewhat disappointed at how safe it is.

Firstly I quite like the fact that the group is only four members because if it got bigger than that I don't think that it would have any good chance at lasting because of the costs of the cg.

I've only listened to the song once whilst I watched the MV and it is in my head already. That being said I'm a bit disappointed, let me elaborate.

So even from the promotional pictures, mainly the box of Pandora's box was very aespa-esque. Which is fine, kpop is notorious for 'heavy' inspiration to put it politely so it didn't bother me but it did set the tone of what to aexpect (yes lame pun lol). For example Aespa's ae versions look like cheaper LoL K/DA models, which is jarring at times but because they aren't all of aespa it doesn't have a negative impact. Btw not saying I hate ae's, I especially love Naevis, but as I've mentioned (I think) before, I wish they had a different art direction.

I will say MAVE'S models are a lot better in every way which is refreshing. Kind of like Saejin from SUPERKIND but though his model is good it's also quite static. Then again they are a smaller company so it's understandable but overall I'm happy with the graphics.

My personal taste wishes that they looked more fantastical. Maybe bigger eyes, coloured hair and that high fantasy goes into the music too which I'll get into later. The reason why I wish it was more OTT, is because I'm extra but mainly because it can come across as a gimmick. Like they're just non tired robots doing the same thing as real people can do but are limited by their coding. Like just do the same MV but with a green screen and it might even be cooler with real people.

Anyway I don't have an issue with AI. I know the waters are muddy but I'm a gamer, and every year graphics get closer to looking human. Which is fascinating and terrifying.

But for me as long as you can tell its not real like I guess with more anime styles and etc look I'm quite happy. I think if they also had a less human look it would give more immersion to them in the fact that in 5-10 years they could look dated and not in a good way. Like with any experimental media you either have aged well or poorly. Only media with a uniqueness or charm can both be aged well and poorly at the same time. Like cult and campy content.

Now onto the song. I do like it because well it's in my head after one listen and I've been typing this just after I watched the MV! But as I've said (in a way) it's just okay. Like when I hear 'New GG AI' my mind gets excited for the future. This MV was very much now future. So it's cool and pretty but yawningly safe.

Rather than an aespa, K/DA combo, I'd have loved a Dreamcatcher, LOONA, onlyoneof combo. Dystopian, high fantasy and allure.

Still for a debut it was good even though the down dance move was way too close to black mamba for my liking. And that's the only issue I have. Like yeah of course with everything art/dance moves are not only for one group or person but you can tell when it's ahem 'heavily inspired'.

I'd also love if they grow a stronger identity than just mix of aespa and K/DA. Like K/DA is great because its has Queen Soyeon and Miyeon with other great artists and a world already built to steer their vision and on Aespa's side they have a growing world with trained idols that bring that excitement to the real stage. Both have amazing music. Mave needs to get a signature visual and sound to push them into a truly innovate group.

Still if the company can keep up with the graphics, music and potential world building if any I'm interested. As long as its not we are being hacked by a giant spider or something and buy 'our bit coins for photocards' or some nonsense haha.

Lastly if they could keep the majority or merch online that would be awesome and hopefully they are paying the voices behind the members a good salary. The cg idols wouldn't be alive without their human voices after all.

🗒Notes: As usual I might add more later and there is probably some spelling and grammar mistakes.