#just 10 more days and one of my biggest dreams will come true!

[pardonmydelays]

ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS NEW THEME!!! ❤️

AHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH! I CANT WAIT I CANT WAIT!

[sexlapis]

[◉°] … TOJI AND Y/N BEING A COUPLE FOR 10 MINUTES STRAIGHT (PART 5) … 899k views

꩜ : actor!toji x gn!reader

part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4 (they are actress!reader)

sfw for the most part, fluff, crack, peeping toms & perverts (toji deals w them <3), cute babies, use of y/n

⤷ the way tojiyn is just real at this point…

a/n: thank you so much for 3000 followers that is literally crazy! thank you all sm for enjoying and supporting my fanfics🩷🩷. as a gift u all get more actor toji. i just missed him <33

_____= your name

masterlists

from the actor![character] series:

actor!toji masterlist

actor!nanami & actress!yn being a couple

actor!levi & gn!reader being a couple

taglist: @okayiamkassandra | @tiredslepz | @hayatslife | @shxyxyxxxx | @snowprincesa1 | @laylasbunbunny | @mimiemie | @ncentic | @rosesored | @imover-18 | @gintokhi | @suzuperstarr | @lostgxrlblog | @jallie10 | @nnsav | @bunnyx-sakura | @bubbabobabubbles | @ladytamayolover | @keiva1000 | @morgyyyyyyy | @studiecoherence | @earth2fae | @ce-namonreads | @ib4ryuguji | @hisjaegerist | @basiloverthyme | @sweet-kiwi | @sayitowshi | @iovemytoru | @thecompletechaosmaster | @sugutoad | @inumakiiz | @uzxotic | @1meshugge1 | @kunikuzushisbeloved

*

꩜ first clip

posted on toji’s (mostly inactive) instagram, a clip of you with a little baby no more than a year old standing on your lap. you make funny, expressive faces as she giggles and mumbles in an adorable, pure manner. the pinnacle of innocence.

“look at that! who’s that, baby?” you ask the baby, referring to the person behind the camera.

you turn her around, making her look up. she points, her face beaming with a toothless smile.

“ahh!” she squeaks.

you giggle.“it’s toji!”

a huff is heard from behind the camera and a big hand comes and strokes the baby’s chubby cheeks. “hi princess.”

the clip ends there, but the reaction from the internet only begins.

-

@ynb11111gestfan

a baby??? wtf did i miss???!:!:!

@justalurkeracx0unt

YOU GUYS ADOPTED?????????

@gojosbl!ndfold

which one of you gave birth

@tojizbigfatbreederballzinmymouf

girldad toji? my biggest dreams have come true💕💕

⤷ @herbigdoeeyesss

YOUR NAME?????

-

it’s safe to say, everyone was confused about who this random baby was. so, you were the one to clear things up by posting a video on your story;

“i’m sorry for the confusion guys. yes, me and toji had a baby. toji had a very long labour and he worked so hard and gave birth to a little baby girl <3”

well, that cleared things up.

꩜ second clip

toji walks out of a elevator and is…carrying you in his arms. bridal style. with your bodyguards following close behind (not that you need bodyguards when toji is with you).

the man holding the camera asks toji, “why are you carrying them?”

instead, you respond with a shrug, “my feet hurt.”

toji doesn’t even react. he just walks down the corridor, carrying you like he does it every day.

꩜ third clip

shortly after you began filming for a minor role in a popular television series, there are rumours floating around of toji allegedly physically assaulting one of the members of staff on set.

of course, everyone has all kinds of theories of what happened, but many people are not surprised because, well…it’s toji. they are not shocked by this type of behaviour coming from him.

but then, all is revealed by TMZ in a short youtube video, being a oh so nosy individuals they are:

“we got leaked information about what happened on that set. apparently, the staff member had been secretly recording y/n in their caravan, even when they were getting dressed! disgusting, i know. it’s said that toji spotted them and ‘took’ matters into his own hands. and by that, i mean throwing hands. toji is now being accused of assault by said staff member. in my eyes,” the reporter throws his hands up, shrugging, “that freak got what was coming!”

after that, people are on toji’s side, praising him for what he did. but enough people believed his actions to be extreme and overly violent.

so he releases an apology for his actions in a video, in which it is very clear that he had just woken up and he was still in bed:

“hey everyone. i know just about everyone’s heard of what happened. i would just like everyone to know that…i don’t care,” he chuckles, “i really don’t give a shit. i would do it again if it had to. that piece of shit deserved what he got. i’m only sorry for not breaking his other arm.”

꩜ fourth clip

you and toji are on the red carpet in paris, being interviewed about an awards show and your time in the country.

“so, have you two seen any of the sights and attractions in paris?”

“uhhhmm, no not so much. we really wanted to but we’ve just been uhh, really, really-” you pause for a moment, a second too long as you look at toji, who is staring at you. even from this angle, toji is seen to be smirking and he winks at you.

you blink rapidly and turn back to the interviewer. “busy. yeah, we’ve been really busy.”

“that’s one way to put it.” toji chimes in.

a tojiyn truther favourite.

꩜ fifth clip

you and toji, wanting to raise money for charity, decided ti participate in the bake-off, a televised baking competition.

“okay!” you start, excited.

the excitement doesn’t last very long.

“what even is this [BLEEP]?”

“toji! don’t swear! they have to bleep that out!”

off you and toji go, baking in such a disorderly and chaotic fashion, even the other participants are looking at you sideways.

multiple bleeps are edited in due to toji’s creative language.

“phew!” you breathe out. “i think we’re making good time-”

“ten minutes left!” the host calls out.

“ten minutes!?” toji shouts.

“what? ten? we haven’t even started the buttercream yet! the cake hasn’t even cooled down! what!”

“move,” toji moves into your space, snatching the whisk and bowl of ingredients from you hands and begins stirring like an absolute mad man, “you cool off that [BLEEP] cake, i’ll make this! [BLEEP].”

you dash toward the window, plain cake in hand, and simply…stick the cake out of the window, hoping it will call down faster.

toji and you are stared at in complete and utter confusion.

after sloppily applying the buttercream to the cake, along with the toppings, you and toji are done just in time.

it is your time to present.

you and toji walk to the front, placing the cake in front of the hosts.

“hm,” the woman said, “presentation is messy.”

you and toji glance at each other.

they take a bite.

“oh,” the male judge hums, “not bad.”

“i think it’s quite tasty!” a judge with a british accent compliments. “well done to the both of you.

you and toji cheer silently and high five.

you both came in third place in that round.

go figure.

꩜ sixth clip

you and the cast members of “jujutsu kaisen” are at comic con for a fan Q&A. the place is packed full of fans!

“i…i have a ques-question for _____. I-” his voice cracks wildly and he clears his throat, causing a few giggles in the crowd.

he continues. “i-what-why-what-what do-how-” he sighs and covers his face with embarrassment.

a wave of laughter goes through the crowd, mocking the poor boy even further.

“it’s okay,” you coo to the fan, “i don’t bite.”

the audience laughs some more.

and the toji interrupts with his own comment of, “they sure do.”

you gasp. your head whips towards toji and the crowd erupts with laughter, whistles and hoots of teasing and encouragement.

the fan, now beet red, covers his face again. “oh my god.”

“great! toji look what you did!” you shout. “you broke him!”

*

a/n: new actor toji take it or leave it

[yourlittlettoy]

FIRST “NEST” HIGHLIGHTS ✨

Just for the sake of using this blog like an actual blogging space 💁🏻‍♀️✨ let me tell you about how my first NEST went!!

For those of you that aren’t familiar, NEST is one of the biggest fetish gatherings in North America for us t-word enthusiasts! I’ve known about it since forever ago, and this may it was my first time actually attending. It was: everything I’d hoped it would be (˘▽˘ʃƪ)・ﾟ✧♡ here are some highlights!

This gathering was probably one of the biggest I’ve ever been to in terms of the amount of friends I saw alone! There were pals from our Tumblr community, friends from Japan, everyone from my gathering friend groups, and lots of friends from my local community as well. It was really heaven to just be with all of my favourite people all at once and in one place (˘▽˘ʃƪ)・ﾟ✧♡

The events were REALLY COOL! Definitely a gathering with one of the most comprehensive schedules I’ve ever experienced! I participated in as much as I could, but notably the squid games, auctions, and t-word-theatre (which is a big public t-word show where someone get’s got in front of an audience in a very theatrical way!) was super cool! Having said that…

I GOT KIDNAPPED!! Well, “napped” 😅 don’t worry, no real felonies here hahaha. When I applied to be ‘napped like back in the beginning of the year, I didn’t hear anything back at all about the process of how that was going. Knowing not every applicant ends up getting chosen, I didn’t let myself keep my hopes up. Long story short.. after I excitedly went to the t-word theatre event all pumped to watch someone get got… to my great surprise, that person was gonna be me lmao ‼️😱 I was kinda *taken* from my seat and tied to a chair in front of everyone, then a game show-dating show scenario played out with 3 bachelors behind a curtain answering questions (really funny and witty answers, might I add) that the show host threw their way 😆. Of course, then the host eventually asks the question “our bachelorette loves to laugh, how would you make her laugh?” … and basically I watched as all of them came through the curtain to come get me 😱 one by one…. And then !!! OF COURSE ALL THREE HAD TO COME AT ONCE 😱💀😵!!! And I couldn’t take it right so I was yelling “help meeee” hahaha ya know cause pooOOooOoOor meeeee 🤪😇. And the host was like… “sure I’ll help them” AND JOINED IN ON THE LERS SIDE 💀💀💀! ANYWAYYYY despite how extremely evil that was ��🥺, it was 10/10 one of the coolest experiences of my life, I got an “I got napped” certificate AND it made me really happy when people approached me later saying they liked my scene (˘▽˘ʃƪ)・ﾟ✧♡ THANK U NEST FOR CHOOSING MEEEE! 🩷

This was the first gathering I been to with a partner and he was beyond lovely and supportive and we didn’t struggle with feeling any kind of restrictions due to each other .. and this means a lot because I intend on going to gatherings for as long as I can and the fact that that won’t interfere with my love life is truly a dream come true for me :)

Oh, and I experienced getting t-worded by one of my most sadistic gal pals in a fully nylon body suit and 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 I think my soul left my body that day lmaoooo RIP ME

Those are the highlights!!! This post really is a summary but happy to share more details if there are any questions 😁 thank you for reading and for following along this lil journey with me <3 I adore and appreciate all of you here with me right now! We’ve come a long way 🥰 maybe see some of you next year!!! 👀😙 that would be amazing!

[jokeroutsubs]

[ENG translation] Joker Out: Playing on the main stage of Sziget means the success with capital letters for us

An interview with Joker Out published in the August 2024 issue of Rockstar magazine. Original article written by Viki Erdős, photo by Viki Erdős. Translation and review by X ddrflctns and X brnbergeron, proofread by @flowerlotus8.

In the former Yugoslavia they have won the 'Artist of the Year' and the 'Song of the Year' awards several times. With two albums under their belt, they entered the Eurovision Song Contest with their song 'Carpe Diem' last year, which put them on the Spotify Viral Top 10 list and then on the Main Stage of Sziget. We met the Slovenian five-piece Joker Out before their first concert in Budapest, where they told us: their biggest dream came true by playing for us at the Island of Freedom on 8 August. Read more of our interview on rockstar.hu!

What's your first impression of the Sziget Festival, now that you've spent a few hours here?

Jan: Actually I already came here yesterday to see L'Impératice. It's definitely the biggest festival I've been to, yet it doesn't seem too crowded. I really like the atmosphere, somehow despite the noise it's calming, and the line-up is incredible!

Jure: It's going to be the biggest stage we've ever played on.

Bojan: I didn't even see you on the stage during the soundcheck, because there was so much smoke! I turned around and just blinked 'where is everyone'?

You posted concert photos from 2016 on Instagram just yesterday. Did you ever think you would play on the main stage of Sziget?

Bojan: Performing at Sziget was always our biggest dream, we somehow thought that playing here, on the main stage would mean success with capital letters. I think we always believed that it will happen one day.

Last year your Eurovision performance brought you international success. How to imagine this? Are you getting recognised on the street, for example?

Bojan: We're constantly being recognised in Slovenia, but there are other countries, for example the Balkans, or Finland and The Netherlands, where we have a big fanbase. So the bottom line is that it's all unbearable and we're huge rock stars. (they all laugh)

Kris: And to top it all off, we are doing an interview with Rockstar Magazine.

How do you handle fame?

Bojan: Oh, it's all terrible! I can't even have a cup of coffee without being surrounded by people! (laughs)

But seriously!

Bojan: No, it's super good, in my opinion, our fame at the moment is perfectly manageable. We’re not recognised by a crazy amount of people yet, and the people who do recognise us are usually very nice. Sometimes a few fans wait for us at the airport, weirdly specifically it always happens in Finland. They tell us about how our music helped them getting through tough times or how they found new friends thanks to us. Only at times like this, we realise that we're getting closer to our goals, that music is no longer just for our entertainment, but also for the pleasure of others.

You recently came out with an animated music video for your song 'Šta bih ja'. How did you come up with this idea and how did you find the right artist for the job?

Kris: It was quite liberating to make a music video without having to be in it. Jokes aside, I thought it was a great time for an animated video, which we've never done before. We had a lot of gigs and time was tight, so it was a perfect move. We've been working with a lot of our fans over the last six months, who are great artists, by the way. We keep an eye on what they post, and we're always completely blown away by it and try to collaborate with them whenever possible. For example, they've made merch and a cover for our single for streaming platforms. The new music video was also made by one of our fans.

How much do they freak out when you contact them?

Kris: A lot, I feel like. But they try to be chill about it.

What is the story behind 'Šta bih ja'?

Bojan: We moved to London for two months to write new material, this was the first song that was written there. It was the first time we really felt what it was like to be away from home and miss our loved ones. In additional to how it feels to be a stranger in a new city, the song is also about what it's like being in love when you can only keep in touch with your partner over the phone.

I've noticed on your Instagram that you like lame photoshopped pictures. Is there an expert in the band responsible for these, or is it a team effort?

Jan: That would be me... (laughs) I don't even know how it started. I always use the same picture, it was taken for our Eurovision campaign, we all look hilarious on it. I noticed that our faces fit perfectly on any picture depicting people. It started as a joke, but now it's become our general marketing strategy.

Bojan: You've already extended the scope to foods, animals...

Jan: Yes, last time I photoshopped Nace onto a sausage.

Earlier this year, your concert film and it's accompanying live album was released. Was this a big dream come true?

Jan: The concert film and live album itself was not a dream, but playing in the arena where it was recorded was. It's nice to relive that experience.

Bojan: I haven't watched it at all. It's really about the fact that we had the opportunity to record and release it, and we took it. That's how the market works. We had to have something to spend our money on, so that we would have as little left as possible. (laughs)

Your festival season will be over soon. What's in store for the rest of the year?

Bojan: Before the tour we had already recorded most of our third album in Hamburg, but we knew that we would need to come back [to the studio] for a few more session. So we spend all of our day-offs in the studio, but now in Ljubljana.

How would you describe the new sound in three words?

Bojan: Makes. No. Sense. (laughs)

[thepersonnamedsam]

mornings spent well - cl16

pairing: charles leclrec x reader (gn)

summary: part two of mornings spent well. 

pt. 1 / pt. 3

word count: 1k

warnings: maybe some angst, mostly fluff tho

note: enjoy :) don’t be a ghost reader

masterlist / taglist

It’s been 10 months since you and Charles got married. You had some good days and some bad days. Like the day you had your first fight.

“How can you do that? I didn’t ask you to be there and you still showed up! Why?”, you were screaming at him. You had a big presentation at work, and you were so nervous. Changing your career soon after you met Charles made you especially nervous. Charles wanted to help you out so he asked if he should be there for you. You were still in the early stages of your marriage; it has been 1.5 months of learning to love and understand each other.

When Charles asked to be there you got even more nervous, you didn’t want him to see how you could fuck up the important presentation. You wanted him to think highly of you and he would see how bad it would go… the thought alone scared you. You just couldn’t have him there and risk him seeing you like this. So, you refused. You said no and Charles didn’t understand; he just wanted to help.

You knew that, but you also knew he would think less of you after the presentation. But you didn’t tell him your reasoning because he wouldn’t have understood why. That’s why he still came, without you knowing.

You were already so nervous; your boss and their boss were watching you. Clients and your fellow employees all had their eyes on you. You took a deep breath in and a deep breath out. Something you always do when your anxiety sparks up. You had closed your eyes earlier and as you opened them again you saw them; those piercing green eyes. His grin prominent on his face and two thumps up. Why was he here? You told him not to be here!

He saw your face drop as soon as your eyes landed on him. Did he do something wrong? He was just here to show you some support. He didn’t mean anything bad by it. He watched as you grew visibly more nervous as the seconds went by. But you managed to start your presentation and Charles would say, you aced it. That’s why he didn’t understand why you were screaming at him as soon as the door of their shared appartement opened.

“How? I wanted to support you and you’re the one screaming at me for that”, he tried to say it as calm as possible whilst his blood was boiling. He didn’t do anything wrong. “I just wanted to see you succeed! You watch my every race, and I can’t do the same for you? I can’t be there for you when you do something big and important?”

You should’ve just told him from the beginning why. This whole thing could’ve been avoided if you had just been honest the day before. That’s why you told him. You told him how you were nervous you would flunk it and he would see it.

This leads to your first make up. One of many.

But not only did you fight, no you loved. You loved one another like the world would go down any minute. It is a love that nothing can compare to it. Your love that you shared with him was special and unique. You knew his every move and his every twitch. And he knew every mood you could have and everything that came with it. You were his biggest supporter, and he was yours.

Watching him race brought you the biggest joy on this earth. Seeing him win was the highlight you could never have enough of. Seeing him on that podium was like watching your biggest dream come true. You could’ve cried at every podium that man has gotten since you were together.

And he felt the love. He felt you being there at every podium of his. He saw you in the crowd with the biggest smile on your face, tears-stained cheeks, and all he wanted to do was get off the podium and kiss you. He knew this was meant to be. This love had to happen. And he knew that this was a story that you would tell your kids over and over again.

Touch was his love language, that’s why you always felt him. A subtle touch to your shoulders as walks by. A quick kiss to your cheeks as he sees you. His head propped on your head as he is hugging you. And you loved it. You loved the passionate kisses, the light touches, and the cuddles he gave you.

You loved saying his name, every pet name you gave him just didn’t fit, it would always either be Charles or Charlie. Charles was for really passionate moments, like expressing love to him. He knew when you told him ‘I love you, Charles’ that you really meant it. You only called him Charlie in light and humorous moments. When he was tickling you and he had to stop, Charlie was his name, not Charles, Charlie.

And as time grew by faster you realized that this was the man of your past, present and future. He was your gift sent from heaven. You couldn’t have been happier. He made you so happy and content with yourself. It’s like he fixed all your insecurities and little wounds you had. You didn’t know that you had the same effect on him as well. You made him whole. You made it okay after a DNF. You made him feel loved, even if he placed out of the points. He was always enough. He was never not enough.

If you weren’t already married, he would propose again and again and again. He wanted you to know that he would marry you sober. That’s why he proposed a second time 6 months after he first married you. It felt like a fairytale. It didn’t feel real. You were crying, obviously, the man of your dreams before you on one knee asking you to marry him, again.

Of course, you said yes. You wouldn’t have it any other way. Watching the sunset at the beach, looking at your new engagement ring and knowing your love is right beside you and not going away anytime soon.

Your love for each other would never go away, it doesn’t matter how many times you would fight. Your love was strong.

°°°

previous part / next part

[itstheinktank]

Hey folks, Kuro here! It’s time for another update. Here’s everything you need to know about what we’ve been up to, and where we are going from here. 

DWAYNEMCDUFFIE.COM The biggest news of all is definitely Dwayne McDuffie’s website relaunching. A surplus of scripts, production information, and series bibles were posted, and it’s literally a dream come true for me. Reading through the forums was part of my daily routine for years growing up, and after his passing, losing the website really hit home. I’ve been waiting a decade for it to relaunch, but when it did, I had already planned to go out of town for a few days, so the timing was terrible on my end.

Let me tell ya, watching everyone dig through the website while I couldn’t participate in the madness was tough, but now that I’m back, I can’t wait to dig into it as well and see what I can find. We’ll definitely be doing at least one video on the subject. As for when that’s coming out, I couldn’t say. But please feel free to let us know if there’s anything specific you’d like us to address, and you can guarantee I’ll be taking notes! Thank you Dwayne for still keeping our world turning after all this time.

UPCOMING VIDEOS & COLLABS

In previous updates, I’ve announced another upload hiatus. This means that we won’t be posting weekly/ bi-weekly for the time being. We will be releasing videos irregularly, such as the recent MultiVersus video, and the previously-mentioned Dwayne McDuffie Website video, but we can’t make any promises as to when we’ll resume regular uploads. There’s just too much going on for us at the moment, which I will get into further into this thread. In the meantime, I’ve been making a lot of guest appearances on other channels, and still have a few more lined-up. So keep your eyes peeled! I’ll do my best to pop up around the fandom where I can. 

5 YEARS LATER & AND BEYOND

These are our two biggest projects, and thus, have the most updates already, so I’ll keep it brief. 5YL Episodes 10 and 11 will be releasing together, and are quickly escalating down the pipeline. Patrons and YouTube Members have frequent check-ins, and we’re thrilled that the series has come so far. Even if you’ve already seen the webcomic version, you’re not gonna believe what we’ve pulled off for this version of the series!

Unfortunately, Ash was hit with an illness that kept him out of commission for a few weeks. But the cogs are now turning again for AB Episode 13. We’re happy he’s back on his feet, and we’ll be on another extraterrestrial adventure before you know it!

BEN 10 BREAKDOWNS

Breakdown production has obviously halted due to our hiatus, but I still feel the need to address it again, as it’s one of the biggest hits and longest-running series of our channel. I may sound like a broken record to those that keep up with our posts, but for those that don’t, I want to reiterate my love for making the Breakdowns. These other projects taking priority does not conclude that I dislike making those video anymore, or that the Ben 10 Breakdowns are canceled. One way or another, I am determined to finish this series, and I’m looking forward to sharing more of my thoughts on Omniverse and the Reboot with the community.

STREAMING & COMMISSIONS

Recently, I have been streaming on multiple platforms during my Drawing with Kuro broadcasts. You can still find me every Tuesday on Twitch @ 2:00pm EST, but I am also broadcasting to Instagram and Facebook, too. For the time being, our second channel, The Rust Bucket, will be included in that line-up, with the goal to eventually move the streams right here on the main channel, too, but we still got some kinks to figure out before taking that plunge. 

You can commission me here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i_H7yM9I2oTmPkfSpWSUwhpm8YdZ0OhmzK-_nYNGXBA/edit?usp=sharing

THE FUTURE OF THE INK TANK

5 Years Later & And Beyond have been a huge part of our journey. Even after those projects are completed, I don’t see us ever dropping Ben 10 content as a whole. Though naturally, we will gravitate more towards other projects, including original works and IPs. I am happy to say that production has already begun after receiving some exciting news. 

My plan was to plant the seeds for our future as 5YL comes to the end, and then only prioritize it when the timing is right. But unexpectedly, we’ve been given an opportunity to enter a new avenue that would be detrimental to let fall through the cracks, and thus, we’ve spent the past few months curating a super secret project that will now be a part of our regular work schedule going forward. If this sounds vague, that’s intentional, but my hands are tied! I don’t know when I’ll be able to let everyone in on the secret. 

I’m not a fan of stretching ourselves further than necessary, especially if it keeps ya’ll waiting on the projects we already have in the pipeline. Though “What will you do when 5 Years Later is over?” has been a popular recurring question for years, and now I finally have an answer - I just can’t tell you yet! But it’s important for me to let you know that despite the large amount of content we’re working on that you’re aware of, there’s much more going on behind the scenes. So rest assured, we are ALWAYS working on something, whether or not we’re able to give updates. 

That’s all I got to say for now. Thank you for reading! Until next time, Keep it Fizzy!

[candycorncremator]

Unfortunately lower visual quality than I wanted be because Tumblr only allows 10 images so I smushed them into three canvases instead of two post. Anyway beta trolls Headcanon and some thoughts below the cut.

Aradia

Aradia is the design I probably have the most experience drawing of the beta trolls purely because of how many zines I’ve drawn her in the last year. I like thinking of her hair similar to Pinkie Pies’ in g4 of mlp, where it’s very curly bouncy in her alive and godtiered forms but straightens out more when she’s ghosting up the place and in Aradia-bot form. I didn’t realize until a recent zine I had been drawing her horns ways too low for comic accuracy but I am a creature of habit so I keep drawing them like that.

Tavros

I’ve grown to love this kid because of my recent reread but I do not like drawing them. Between the Mohawk and the long, straight horns, I don’t care to draw their most important traits so he unfortunately only gets drawn in these group drawings. As for the one ear being pierced, it’s kinda a reference to cow tags but also I think it just fits them.

Sollux

Sollux a pretty easy character to design. I just have to imagine a greasy nerd kid growing up too fast for him to put on weight, add his troll bits and voila. The snake bites are definitely a hold over from the humanstuck I made for him last year but I think it just kinda add to his whole vibe. The undershirt comes from someone who also sits in a hot-ass room most of my days and will wears a second layer so leaving the room won’t feel like stepping out into a frozen wasteland.

Karkat

Karkat for me has always been short and stout guy. Other than that most of his facial features are taken from me, being someone who also over exaggerates their faces and nearly always is squinting a little.

Nepeta

Between all my designs of Nepeta the only thing that ever changes with any consistency is her hair. Like giving her cleft lip scar because I gave it to my fan-descendent of her and it’s cute.

Kanaya

Like two months ago I saw a post on here saying give that girl a nose (in reference to Kanaya) and it was the single most true HC I have ever seen. I also like completely throw out any references I have of her when I draw her hair because I think she should have 1930’s waves and curls. I typically only have to draw the super simple eyes so the only thing I had to change was giving her actual eyes.

Terezi

Got pretty comic accurate but probably would erase some of the chin to imply she’s fat a little better if I wasn’t doing this more rigid style.

Vriska

Also pretty comic accurate with the exception of the snake bites which is probably because I don’t draw her a lot and I don’t think about her much enough looks wise to have any specific head canons.

Equius

Goodness his hair gave me a struggle, kept on looking like a balding metal head until I added the pushed back stuff. Also returned back to drawing pseudo animal ears by giving him horse ears only angle to better fit a humanoid head.

Gamzee

I hate their make-up but every thing else about drawing them is a dream; goat ears, not straight hair, simple horns, silly little guy. What more could I ask for.

Eridan

And I’m almost done but unfortunately this doofus is next and requires the most detailed bust even in canon. Due to drawing them in this year’s 413 countdown I know how I like styling their hair and fins so I basically just chop the hair up since this is suppose to be during comic hcs and then follow their canon and Pesterquest designs with a few added features and boom. I was drawing everyone with the dark grey lips but I forgot for Eridan so I’ll just say they use concealer on their lips.

Feferi

Yippee! Back to ignoring canon and just giving her the biggest eyes on account of her glasses and cute piercings. I originally based her fins off of lion fish fins but they’re definitely more based off of betta ventral fin now.

[blippymilk]

Do You Have Something to Tell Me?

(Chapter 2)

Veneer x GN! Reader

Read chapter 1 here!

Summary: You’re a normal teen in Mount Rageous, and the biggest Veneer fan known to man. Everybody that knows you knows it too. Unfortunately it’s highly unlikely to date the celebrity of your dreams…unintentionally.

Warnings: Slight cursing, mentions of cheating

“Come on (____)…” Lili said as you readjusted your face in your pillow. “(____) still mad that they missed Velvet?” Romar said standing at your doorstep, bowl of cereal in hand. “What do you think?” Lili replied patting your back. Romar sat his bowl down on your desk and walked over to you. You could feel his shadow over you before he snatched the pillow from under your face. “Stopppp!” You said grabbing another pillow and putting it on top of your face now. “You don’t need to suffocate yourself though.” He said struggling to pull it off of you again.

Eventually he gave up when you weren’t budging and you all three sat in silence. “Is it true that Veneer wasn’t there?” You asked, you voice muffled through the pillow. “I promise Veneer was nowhere in sight, if he was we would’ve come to get you a long time ago.” Lili said. A couple seconds later you pulled the pillow off of you. “Besides I’m pretty sure she was only there because of her brother.” Romar said as you sat up straight. He ate from his bowl again as you shot him daggers. “What?” He said eating as your eye contact got more intense. “Oh uh yeah apparently he snuck away or something and she was trying to track him down.” “She said that?” You asked. “Well that’s what we could make out through her distressed screams.” Lili chuckled.

“She’s such a bratty diva, I bet Veneer is just the same.” Lili said but she was serious.

“Exactly that’s what makes her amazing. Aren’t all the best divas extremely talented?” Romar added on.

“It doesn’t make you anymore talented or attractive.”

“Not exactly true but ok.”

“That’s my opinion though so.”

“And that’s fine, you’re entitled to your wrong opinion.”

“Guys stop bickering,” you interrupted, “It’s a stupid argument we’re about to start here. And Veneer is definitely not a brat.” You made sure Lili heard that last comment.

________________________________________________________

After Lilli and Romar left your house the next day, you couldn’t find anything to do. I mean you had invitations to go places with some of your “friends”, but you weren’t really interested to be honest. You scrolled across the media, then Veneer’s page, then had a little dance break, then viewed Veneer’s page, then got a snack, then…you get the gist.

Finally you put your phone down and searched across your room with your eyes. There was litteraly nothing to do except maybe a couple chores. Why not? You got up an grabbed your jacket that had been laying on the floor for a day. You planned to wash, but before you did you had to check the pockets. One was empty, one contained a piece of paper. That’s when it struck you that you had Victor’s number in your possession. You quickly grabbed the note and threw your jacket back to the floor.

You dialed the number in your phone and quickly hesitated before texting him instead. You sent a simple ‘hi’ and waited for him to respond. Not even 10 seconds later the status changed from delivered to read. ‘Heyyy wsp?’ He responded.

You texted back, ‘Nothing much just a little bored yk.’

Typing… ‘Yeah I feel that. I’m surprised you actually texted me’

‘Yeah?’

‘Yeah. But I’m happy tho :)’

That made you smile a little. Was he actually wanting your time?

The conversation with him lasted all night. You were actually quite entertained by him. You guys played mini games and asked so many questions about each other. You actually got to learn quite a lot of about Victor and that he really was cool. You guys had even moved from talking over text to talking over the phone after not too long.

“Ok ok so any celebrity crushes?” You asked him as he thought. “I mean no not really, I never really thought about having one. I prefer my relationships to be 100% real and thoughtful.” He replied. “How do you know celebrities aren’t real and thoughtful?” You asked. “Umm I don’t? It was really just a guess. Anyways who’s your celebrity crush?” He asked as you started getting excited. “Veneer 100% he’s the hottest guy in Mount Rageous. Ever!” You said. Victor’s line had went silent and after you calmed down you had asked him why he was quiet so suddenly. “Uh no reason.” You were curious now, “Oh come on, I can basically here the smile in your voice,” you stated before your smile dropped, “You better not be crushing on my man Victor! I’ll find your location right now!” He chuckled, “Nope you can keep your man.”

It went quiet for a moment before you yawned. Victor chuckled a little, “Getting tired eh?” You yawned again, “Yeah I’m about to go to sleep soon.” You replied turning off the lights in your room. “Yeah me too. Um- is there like anyway at all we could meet up tomorrow? Possibly? If not it’s fine.” He said catching you by surprise. “I mean sure why not, like to do what?” Veneer hesitated, “Well what do you like to do?” You thought before smiling a bit, “Hmm I like…trampoline parks. Annnndddd I like eating?” You said. “Great! How about I pick you up at 1:00 pm tomorrow?” You agreed and ended the call, immediately climbing into your bed and falling asleep.

________________________________________________________

The next morning you woke up and checked your phone. 11:47. You yawned and suddenly remembered you that you had planned to hang out with Victor today. You turned on some music and began to get ready for your day. You went to your bathroom and began to shower. Maybe it was the hot water that woke you up when it hit you, but you suddenly thought about how Victor had technically asked you on a date. Which wouldn’t be a problem but, you did have a boyfriend (that hasn’t called you in a week). ‘Eh he’dunderstand’ you thought as you continued bathing.

You decided to dress casual since Victor would be taking you to a trampoline park.

(You can choose one of these or choose your own)

Eventually Victor picked you up and you both were headed to the trampoline park. To your surprise Victor’s car was nice, like really really nice. It was the closest you could get to a luxury car without it actually being a luxury car. It was a black vehicle with green rims.

You were left in awe as soon as you hopped in his car. As Victor drove he smiled at you still gaping, “What?” He laughed. “This car is amazing! And so expensive! How did you even afford this? You’re litteraly a teenager!!” You said piling on questions.

“Woah woah,” Victor said interrupting you, “I guess you just have to work hard.” He shrugged. It didn’t really answer you question, and Victor almost seemed unsure but you sat back and enjoyed the ride.

About 3 minutes in and Victor was offering you the aux cord. “Wanna play something?” He asked as your eyes lit up. You quickly hooked it up to your phone and played “Watch me Work”, one of Velvet and Veneer’s hottest songs. “I should’ve known.” Victor smirked. “Shh! Veneer’s part is coming up.” Victor quickly shut his mouth as …Veneer sang his quick line. “Ugh. I swear his sister doesn’t give him enough time on the microphone. I need a song with him leading and Velvet singing, or better yet just Veneer singing.” You said. “You think so?” Victor asked as you nodded, turning up the radio. Maybe if you weren’t so into the song you would’ve noticed how incredibly red Victor’s face was.

You had fun with Victor at the trampoline park and he honestly impressed you. He was very flexible and (you were too but like this man’s insane). He knew how to all sorts of flips. You’d seen him do tricks that you’d also seen Veneer attempt and succeed at on stage before.

After a couple hours at the trampoline park, Victor took you to a pizza restaurant. You both figured it’d be a great way to sit down and get to know each other better.

“So Victor, I don’t know if you recall me asking last time but I was wondering if you’d take your shades off?” You asked before sipping your drink. “Why do you wanna see my eyes so bad huh?” He asked smiling a bit. You shrugged, “I dunno, I mean we’re getting to know each other and I don’t even know the color of your eyes yet, please?” You asked giving him fake puppy eyes. Victor took his glasses off and you were met with…brown eyes. Brown eyes that seemed so familiar but you couldn’t put your finger on it. Almost like you’d seen them before, but something was off about them, as if the wrong color or something. “Happy now?” Victor asked. “Pleased.” You replied before opening your menu.

After going back and forth getting to know each other, you decided you really liked Victor’s company. You figured he liked you too, but in a more romantic type of way. You didn’t want to shoot him down, especially if you didn’t even know if he really liked you or not. After all you did have a…

“Jalen!” You said as you watched your boyfriend walk through the restaurant doors. “Who?” Victor asked you. “My boyfriend.” You replied as Victor cocked his eyebrow, “Your…boyfriend?” he almost sounded defeated, but your eyes were glued to your boyfriend who was standing at the door, looking around the restaurant. Was he here looking for you? Your location wasn’t even on. Was it a coincidence? Out of all the restaurants in the world and he just happened to end up here? However your fear quickly turned to confusion when a girl walked up to him and gave him a hug. The anger when she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Jalen!” You shouted loud enough for him to hear this time. You got up and walked over to your boyfriend who’s eyes widened. “Who is this woman and why is she kissing you?” You asked as he stuttered a bit. “She’s my c-cousin” he stammered. “Don’t hit me with that cousin sh*t Jalen. You’re a liar!” You pushed him a bit. That’s when Victor came up running behind you. “And who’s this?” Jalen’s worry quickly dropped and turned to almost a smug face. “A friend.” You replied crossing your arms. “How do I know you’re not lying to me.” Jalen said. “Stop trying to turn this around.” “Answer the question.”

“She’s not lying man, we’re cool. We’re literally just friends.” Victor spoked up. “No one was talking to you ‘man’” Jalen brushed past you, and met face to face with Victor. “He’s being honest.” You replied. “I don’t know that for sure or not.” Jalen said still glaring at Victor who stood his ground.

“You do this too often! You literally thought I was cheating on you with Romar!” You said. “And I still don’t know if you are or not.” He replied turning back around. “Romar is gay, stupid!” You shouted.

Jalen kept trying to bicker with you and eventually you were over it. “Victor can we just go? I don’t want to be here anymore.” You asked him. “Yeah let me unlock my car you can go wait.” Victor said as you walked out the restaurant. Jalen watched as Victor ran back to the table, and put the leftover pizza in a to-go box.

Once finished, Victor headed back over to the door of the restaurant, glaring at Jalen and the girl before leaving.

“As*holes.” And with that he was out the door.

Taglist: @cookiemunches @crowleysthings (for some reason I couldn’t tag some of you so I’ll just alert you that I posted a part 2)

(I alr have ideas for the next part 😋)

[nso-csi]

240820 ELLE KOREA D Edition September 2024

Q. We met you on your birthday on the 18th of July and time has passed this fast. T. It was even more meaningful to be meeting TASAKI on my birthday. I was able to feel the beauty that a pearl holds throughout the shoot.

Q. How would you have spent your birthday if there wasn't a shoot? Even though you went straight to dance practice on the shooting day T. I will probably do a commemoration birthday live with my fans like I always do yearly. Though I didn't have the time to do so on that day as I ended my practice a little over midnight, I will usually spend time with my family or my friends after I am done with the live

Q. New mini album released on the 19th of August, your solo world tour, and up till your survival program MC challenge! Are you spending your time busily on purpose? T. No, I'm a person who wants to go about my daily life being relaxed and slowly getting ready (laughs). I debuted at a young age, and it's also because I have come this far not being able to make any decision myself, without resting. However, right now, I just have lots of things that I need to do (laughs).

Q. How was KCON LA you went to at the end of July? You were the main person at the 'Dream Stage' where you did a stage with the fans. T. America holds the biggest music market, doesn't it? I garner a sense of anticipation and greed every time I go. I usually don't go and search for each and every reaction to my stages but for the stage this time, as it was also trending on SNS, I felt a sense of pride. I think that I will need to personally go and meet the fans that have supported me for so long. It's actually really not something easy for one to buy a plane ticket and fly over to another country to see the artist you like.

Q. You had your fan meeting mid July too. You did 4 shows altogether including the additionally added show. T. This is just my personal thoughts but I feel like I am especially close with my fans. I was really young when I made my debut so it was hard for me to say anything but at some point, the seal seemed to have just came off. 
 Q. Other than getting more comfortable, is there anything especially different as time passes? There was a stock of Pansy, which is also the title of your fan song, appearing in your 5th mini album's trailer and that really touched your fans. T. As much as Pansy is the birth flower of the very same date as SHINee's debut date, its flower language means 'the moment of debut' which holds the meaning of revealing oneself to the outside world for the very first time. I wanted to convey the meaning along with the birth flower that no matter where I belong, I will be working with the identity called Taemin and it would be nice if there would be no prejudice present at my start.

Q. Despite being in your 17th year since debut, do you know that you have lots of new fans coming in? T. If that’s true, it will be something I am very thankful for! I want to make it impossible for them to get out (laughs). Thinking that there aren’t a lot of teams that can promote for so long regardless if it’s as SHINee or as a solo artist, I want to be the real memories of others. The song released this time may be a memory to people 10 years later too.

Q. Your mini 5th album title means 'Eternal'. On the other hand, you are starting your world tour titled at the end of August. They both have a totally opposite meaning and that's interesting. T. You will remember the name, won't you. I chose the word 'Eternal' for the album name with the desire to leave a record like a proper noun despite the change in generation. I have lived a life where there's no guaranteed anonymity ever since a long time ago and I have thought a lot in regards to this. I know it's a thankful life but I wonder what will be a difference if I am not exposed to the public's view, when I think of the unnecessary misunderstandings that inevitably accompany me, I think about 'Gaze' itself. However, that gaze itself will be very different depending on each person and the one who recognizes the eyes that people have on will be me. If I don't recognize it, it will eventually be nothing. That's why, I decided on the tour title to show it on stage.

Q. Your resolution for your first solo world tour that starts at the end of August is… T. They say that SHINee is 2nd generation idol, right. However, as much as we are actively promoting right now, I want to be a symbolic existence and not be forgotten. Substitute someone, the industry likes to use the word 'Substitute'. I know that people can express it that way and it's not something said wrongly but because it made it sound like (we are) products, I don't like it. I want to continue to open up myself and my possibilities through an even wider market and stages abroad.

cr. iheartshinee_

[perfectsunlight]

𝐜𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐬 [𝟐]

𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀: 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲, mentions of racism, 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲

𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: 1,971

𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗶𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲

the shutters and camera flashes were both the bane of ning’s existence and the object of her desire. it was a constant reminder of her status, as well as the biggest downside that came with being a star.

because that’s what ningning was: a child star turned idol.

in all honesty, ningning didn’t care about anything other than being on the stage. even when she was a trainee, the only reason she stuck with it was because she knew that she had the talent. the idol life never was her dream.

truth be told, ning would have rather been a solo artist in america, that way she wouldn’t face so much hate from the koreans.

it used to mess with her a lot when she was younger. being a foreigner in a new country was already hard enough, but to come from a country that was hated by the entire republic of korea? it made everything much worse.

she felt aeri’s arm tug her forward, leading the way for the both of them as they made their way through the crowd of people surrounding them as they made their way towards the company car.

they had a busy day scheduled ahead of them, and the young idol was starting to regret her outing from the night prior.

actually she wasn’t regretting it. she was just upset that she had to deal with so many people shoving cameras in her face.

her younger self would’ve been bowing in every direction, making sure to wave at the cameras even though they were blinding her. she would’ve tried to look as nice and good as possible, because maybe then they would accept her.

but now? after realizing that no matter how hard she tried, she would only be seen as “bad?” ning couldn’t care less.

“ningning is it true you got into a fight last night?”

the idol rolled her eyes behind her designer shades. she may or may not have gotten into a bit of an argument, but the other girl definitely deserved the bottle of beer dumped on her head.

once they got into the car and the doors shut behind them, karina’s head whipped around from the front seat to look at the youngest member.

“ning, you got into a fight?” the leader hissed, disappointment lacing her voice.

the chinese woman turned her head away to face the window. she didn’t want to deal with jimin’s scolding right now.

minjeong turned to look at the younger girl and titled her head to the side. “ningie, is that why you asked for an ice pack last night?” she asked softly, countering karina's rough approach.

aeri’s head also turned her attention to get a look at their younger member. she didn’t say anything, only frowning at the sight of ning’s cold shoulder.

“ning yi zhou,” jimin called out to the vocalist once more. as a leader, it was her job to keep the group’s image from being tainted. however, ning didn’t exactly make that job the easiest. “what happened?”

their manager made their way to the front seat and started driving off. jimin’s eyes never left ningning’s figure. the ambience of the drive, as well as the soft music coming from the radio filled the otherwise empty silence that lingered between the aespa members.

maybe it was 10 minutes, maybe it was 20, or maybe it was 30. but after what felt like quite a while, ninging finally broke her silence.

“she told me to go back to my country.”

karina’s gaze softened, aeri’s heart broke, and minjeong’s body deflated at the revelation revealed unto them. they all knew how brutal the korean fans were when it came to chinese idols. either they were well loved, or extremely hated. ninging was one of the very few who experienced both.

giselle bit her bottom lip, recalling how the koreans had their opinions about her since debut as well, but she witnessed the waves of hate the youngest member received from even before debuting. even as a trainee, the chinese girl was bullied. aeri could not help but think that all those years of training in a country that hated her were catalysts into shaping the person her fellow member became today.

minjeong actually walked in on ning a few times when the youngest member was looking through all the hate comments. ning wasn’t one to care about anything anymore nowadays. except, winter couldn’t feel as if her friend was acting out this way because of her past.

in reality, no one knew what to say. because they all knew that ningning didn't want to get into a fight, but rather the fight was picked on her.

jimin felt guilty for immediately assuming that ning had done something ridiculous again, but as the leader stared at her youngest member, she could not help but feel bad for her.

it was in that moment that karina realized that no matter how much trouble ningning got herself into, it didn't always mean that she deserved it.

the remainder of the drive to the airport was silent, only the road ambience filling the void of space. however, ningning decided to focus on the only good part of this upcoming fansign in LA: the fact that she could party after.

the flight from seoul to los angeles was long, and quite boring. usually ning could sleep for hours on these types of flights, but this time she wasn’t tired at all. in fact, she wasn’t tired even when they landed and got to their hotel rooms.

thankfully each of the members had their own rooms, which mean the chinese woman could relax by smoking. she knew weed wasn’t illegal in california, but she also was not exactly in the mood for marijuana.

the gray smoke flowed from her lips as she exhaled before bringing the cigarette to her mouth once more. the youngest aespa member leaned over the balcony railing and stared at the bustling streets of LA. her room was on the 13th floor, making everything look so small.

thirteen. an unlucky number. was she an unlucky idol?

she had done everything, beat the odds and then some. so why did it feel like she wasn’t happy with the dream she once would’ve given everything for?

the chinese woman sighed as she breathed out the smoke from her cigarette before staring across at the streets. there was a bar directly across from the hotel. she could either stand up here and think about her feelings about her life….or she could grab a drink.

it was obvious which choice she went with.

ningning swirled the liquor in her glass, eyeing the whiskey as it danced in circles. this was her fourth shot of the night. except, she seemed rather tame at the moment. her head leaned against her palm as she held the glass in her other hand.

“rough day?”

her head slowly turned in the direction of whoever was speaking to her, only to be met with bright eyes and a gentle smile.

you took a seat next to her, motioning for the bartender to give you a shot of something.

the idol raised an eyebrow at you. did you not know who she was? aespa was known in the states too, but did you have any idea who you just sat next to?

“i’m sorry?” ning said slowly, confusion laced on her features.

“you looked really down, so i figured i’d come and see if you’re alright.” you smiled softly as the bartender slid a glass in your direction.

ningning stared at you for a few moments, blinking slowly before forming a sentence again. “do you know me?”

a soft chuckle escaped your lips as you downed the glass in your hand. grimacing at the taste of the burning liquid as it shot down your throat.

“i do.” you said, small smile ghosting your lips. “you’re ning yizhuo.”

so you did know who she was. interesting. except why were you acting so calm and casual with her? usually when she met fans, they’d either harass her like the paparazzi or try and flirt with her.

but you seemed to do none of those.

“why are you talking to me?” she asked slowly. “i mean, if you want a photo or something i’m not up for it right now. so what do you want?”

your gaze softened at the sight of her like this. you were a huge fan of aespa, and you knew everything regarding ning’s infamous reputation. but you somehow felt bad for her.

“i don’t want any of those things.” you reasoned quietly, eyes staying locked on hers. ning was your bias actually. you knew everything about her from pre debut all the way until now.

every single moment, every single scandal, you knew about it all. but right now, you wanted to know why your favorite person looked so upset.

“you just don’t look happy, that’s all.”

the idol’s eyebrows raised in response to your statement. “so what if i’m unhappy? what’s it to you?”

you smiled softly at her, already knowing this was part of her personality. maybe you could get her to open up? even just a little.

“you may just think i’m just a fan of your music, but i admire you as a person as well. i want you to be happy.” you explained, hoping she would understand.

admire. that was a word no one ever associated or used in the same sentence with ningning. to hear it from you for the first time in her life?

it felt good. really really good. maybe tonight she would make a friend.

a friend who admired her.

“want to go outside for a smoke?”

you two eventually made your way outside the back, and leaned against the wall smoking cigarettes with each other.

truth be told, this kind of domestic interaction felt nice. you were so easy to talk to, and for a moment ningning felt better than she had when she first landed in LA.

“are you from LA?” she asked genuinely.

you shook your head, smiling over at her. “i’m from seoul, but i’m just visiting for the week.”

the chinese woman raised her eyebrows. “what are you doing all the way over here?” she inquired as she brought the cigarette to her lips.

the smoke escaped through your mouth before you answered her, that bright smile still on your face. “i’m here for your fansign, duh.”

“oh,” the idol chuckled and nodded. “i forgot about that.” she sighed as she tapped her cigarette against her thumb.

“can’t believe i have to get up at 5 in the morning for that shit." she muttered under her breath.

you hummed in agreement. “yeah, hopefully you’re not too tired.”

“i’m always tired.” she scoffed lightly before turning her head to look at you. “what’s your name, stranger?”

“y/n.” you answered casually. “y/n park.”

ning hummed in acknowledgement, giving you the ghost of a smile. “it takes dedication to come halfway across the world for a group you like, you know.”

your smile widened as you took another deep breath from your cigarette. the smoke danced in the air as you replied.

“what can i say? i’m just a big fan.”

the chinese woman narrowed her eyes playfully. “what are you? a groupie or something?”

your eyes narrowed back at her, the tiniest smirk on your lips. “and what if i am?”

“touché.” she chuckled as she threw the rest of her cigarette on the ground before stomping it out with her shoe.

a few beats of silence passed. your eyes remained on hers as she turned and looked at you, pulling her cap tighter over her head.

“i’m going to head back. i’ve got to be up early.”

you nodded in understanding, fully knowing that waking up at 5 in the morning was a rough time for anyone, celebrity or not.

she quickly bowed her head slightly, indicating she was heading out now. the gravel beneath her footsteps gave you auditory confirmation of her walking away from you.

you turned your attention to the alley wall in front of you, putting the cigarette to your lips once more. your head leaned back against the wall behind you, as you closed your eyes.

then that’s when you heard it. the familiar raspy voice from a chinese idol that you adored, and oh you just couldn’t help but smile.

“i’ll see you tomorrow.”

-

𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧: @jiihu @silantryoo @rosiehrs @craftymasterlistcomicsprune @skisk1 @jisooftme @babycubchae @yunjinhart @pandamiswifey @jenoteamo

[rainofthetwilight]

LEVI I WANNA GIVE YOU TRAMUA ABOUT ARIN

So, we all know that Arin is struggling to improve his spinjitzu and he feels useless and just wants his parents back.

…He feels jealous. And we know that he doesn’t have an elemental power according to Doc Wyatt.

And he will *probably* fight Sora if he finds out that Sora “helped” his Object Spinjitzu.

What I see from Arin is that he is slowly getting traumatized..

And I have multiple questions from where Arin’s arc is going.

My biggest question is, is the ninja holding Arin him back or his parents holding him back? I think it both.

Not to mention that there is so much foreshadowing to Arin’s arc.

And why do I imagine Arin is just trapped in like, a cage full of insecurities, or trauma? And I can imagine that he can’t get out of that cage.

Ras said that Arin is not improving since the first time they met, Egalt said that Arin is useless, Sora is improving and might be able to learn spinjitzu, and most importantly, Lloyd’s and Arin’s relationship is slowly falling apart like Wu and Morro.

My poor Arin is just having one HECK of a trauma here. And I swear to the Fsm if the writers gives Arin has even more trauma in season 2 part 2 than part 1 I will throw a chair.

But who knows…? Someone said that it was a cannon event that every sunshine character has an angst arc.

Sorry for making you insane, Levi I just wanted to share this idea with you just for fun.

And also, do you think that Arin is going through 5 stages of grief or..? Idk, I wanted to ask you and tell me what’s your thoughts on this.

AHDHAJDBJAJDJAJSNANA YEAH I'M. I'M NOT OKAY RN 👍👍👍

also absolutely do NOT apologize for making me insane I am literally loving these asks so much bro SHDJAJDJW 😭 I love analysing silly lil lego characters w/ you all <333

the thing about the foreshadowing is that it actually feels very intentional, like obv I know foreshadowing is pretty much always intentional but like..you get what I mean?

they are constantly reminding us how much of a great person arin is, in s1 especially. he's a good friend, he's kind, he trusts people quickly, always has that hope in him and so much more. something is definitely going to happen, even if the whole sora helping him thing didn't happen, he is going to be put through the wringer whether if he actually gets an evil arc or not

plus, he already is traumatized. loosing your parents and neighborhood all in one day while navigating an entire new world with so many new places and people on your own (at first) , while only being atleast 10 years old, is pretty traumatizing all in itself. but even after all of these years, he still had hope, he still had hope that his parents and heros could come back. and guess what? his heros did come back, and what did he exactly say again?

''if I loose hope the ninja could come back, then I loose hope that my parents could come back."

even after the ninja came back, his parents didn't. all these years he relied on his hope for the ninja to come back to bring his parents back aswell, but their whereabouts are still unknown. add that to the extreme pressure of saving the world from ending and the amount of self doubt he has, that's when the shell of his hope finally began to crack

in s1, the return of the ninja gave him even more hope than he had before. he was still excited and animated, and finally got his dreams to come true (becoming a ninja). the thought of his parents holding him back didn't plague him as much as now, because that hope in him was still there and it only grew stronger each adventure. but now, even after a long while since the ninja had came back, his parents were nowhere to be found. and that just hurts

dude the insecurities part AGHDJS...the weight of being a ninja was finally becoming heavy on his shoulder and that only added to his frustration and anger of not being good enough. he sees his friends around him improve, and be useful in a way, unlike how he had failed time and time again without achieving results. and with egalt calling him useless and ras constantly reminding him how he still hadn't improved, and he feels jealous even tho he doesn't want to, and it just made everything worse.

I'm also thinking abt how sora accidently reminded him of how he didn't imporve aswell, by saying "your spinjitzu is just as good as when I met you!". and even though she meant it in absolute good faith, that's just it to arin. that's it, he was still in the same level he was the first time, he didn't improve. and with how he got angry at her when she was only trying to cheer him up after what happened, I can't even imagine what would happen if the news of that spinjitzu throw help thing comes out

ALSO. ARIN GOING THROUGH THE FIVE STAGES OF GRIEF. DUDE NOW THAT I THINK ABT IT..

anon had also sent an ask abt this too!!!

so like, now that I actually think abt it, what if that hope was actually just a cover of his denial? the five stages as we all know are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance in that order. so like...what if that hope wasn't really hope, but instead a disguise for denial?

whenever the topic of his parents came up, especially in s1, he kept denying the fact they wouldn't come back. same with the ninja, he still believed they were out there

and now in s2, we see his self doubt and his trauma catch onto him. we saw how angry he was at himself, even to the point of shoving lloyd away when trying to comfort him and almost snapping at sora when she was trying to do the same. we don't see much of that 'hope' like in s1 anymore. it's much more..sadder, more angrier even

and with all this, he's most definitely going through them, now on the second stage. first in denial of his parents and the ninja not returning, and now anger at himself and the world for hating him like this

when I tell you I am so so excited to see what they do with arin's arc w/ all of this going on for his character I am not lying bro, I'm so insane AHDJSKDJJW 😭👍

[grigori77]

Movies of 2024 - My Summer Rundown (Part 2)

10.  BOY KILLS WORLD – Turns out this was a really GREAT SUMMER for action cinema, and the first genre entry here is EXACTLY what you’d expect from the true master of anarchic movie mayhem, Sam Raimi, here producing the feature debut of ambitious young German visual effects artist-turned writer-director Moritz Mohr.  The newcomer’s crazy PERFECTLY compliments our veteran’s crazy, because this is like if The Raid movies had been made by Don Coscarelli (see John Dies At the End for reference) – basically a geeky love letter to classic 90s 16-bit beat-‘em-up video games, it follows the bizarre misadventures of Bill Skarsgard’s “the Boy”, a traumatised deaf-mute orphan raised and trained to become a lethal living weapon by a mysterious (and genuinely WEIRD) jungle shaman (The Raid’s own Yayan Ruhian) in order to avenge his family’s brutal murder at the hands of the Van Der Kroys, the bloodthirsty organised crime family holding their dystopian city under a cruel thumb of violent oppression.  The film has been described as a “fever dream”, and honestly that’s a pretty accurate assessment – this is a COMPLETELY FUCKING MENTAL film, frequently spiralling off on surreal flights of fancy as its already pretty bonkers plot starts to unravel in truly WEIRD directions, but thankfully this adds to the unique charm a lot more than it ever threatens to alienate the viewer, sticking to JUST the right side of satirical parody while delivering a consistently winning line of jet black comedy.  Besides, the MAIN attraction here is EXACTLY what most viewers come to this kind of film for, and Mohr EASILY delivers in this venue – the action sequences are INCREDIBLE, flawlessly executed even as they frequently become as downright INSANE as every other aspect of the film, and without pulling ANY punches to deliver some of the year’s most gratuitously GRAPHIC blood-and-guts.  Skarsgard is, like always, thoroughly BRILLIANT throughout, effortlessly proving what an incredibly expressive physical actor he can be since he never speaks a word throughout the entire film … but that doesn’t mean the Boy doesn’t get his point across just fine, the film delivering a pretty ingenious conceit by having him speak to us through his “inner monologue”, using the announcer voice from his favourite arcade game when he was a child (voice actor extraordinaire H. Jon Benjamin, star of Archer, Bob’s Burgers and Dr Katz, Professional Therapist).  Then there’s the top-notch supporting cast, featuring the likes of Michelle Dockery, Stranger Things’ Brett Gelman, Sharlto Copley and Famke Jansen as the uniformly despicable Van Der Kroys, Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day and its sequel) as their lethal enforcer June 27, and Andrew Koji (Warrior, Snake Eyes, Bullet Train) as Basho, the affable oddball resistance fighter the Boy befriends and enlists into his crusade along with Benny (the Old Spice Man himself, Isaiah Mustafa), a mighty warrior with a thick beard and moustache who provides some of the film’s biggest belly-laughs (for reasons it’s best for you to find out for yourselves, trust me).  Relentlessly ridiculous, unflinchingly messy and frequently laugh-out-loud hilarious, this is definitely one of the year’s most unapologetically ODD films, but also definitely one of the most FUN too, as well as a spectacular showcase for the talents of a VERY fresh new filmmaking talent who is doubtless destined for great things in the future.  Just be forewarned, it definitely AIN’T one for the faint-of-heart or weak-of-stomach …

9.  THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE – Once again Hollywood is making it ABUNDANTLY clear they just DON’T LIKE Guy Ritchie any more, and I have NO IDEA WHY … despite 2020’s The Gentleman becoming a modest box office hit and signifying what many considered a triumphant return to form for the man who brought us the likes of Snatch, RocknRolla and the Sherlock Holmes movies (although personally I never thought he actually really fell off, despite what Swept Away and Aladdin might have made us think), his subsequent releases all got largely BURIED online – granted, some of it was down to COVID, but even after everything started to get back to normal the inexplicably disrespectful treatment continued, with Wrath of Man and The Covenant, both impressively well-executed and evocative cinematic features in their own rights, getting released straight to streaming with frustratingly little fanfare to drum up the attention they clearly deserved.  At least this one made it into theatres, but with a lacklustre advertising campaign and stiff competition from much more high profile fare it sank like a stone, almost like Lionsgate didn’t even WANT IT to succeed.  Even worse, for some unbelievably stupid reason it didn’t even RELEASE

in the UK, meaning I had to wait until it subsequently hit Amazon for me to finally get to check it out.  The most frustrating part, though, is that the critics CLEARLY feel the same as I do about the film we actually received – this is a TOP DRAWER piece of work, further proof that Ritchie never actually LOST a step, another genuine belter of a flick which takes a brilliant premise and crafts an offbeat and deliciously entertaining cinematic caper than really deserved to be seen by a really big audience on a proper big screen.  Taken from Winston Churchill’s declassified WWII files, it follows the true life exploits of special forces commando Gus March-Phillips (Henry Cavill) as he put together a covert team in order to execute a highly classified raid on a German U-boat outfitting operation in the hopes of crippling the subs long enough to help bring the Americans into the War.  The only problem?  March-Phillips was a disgraced loose-cannon, a fiercely independent troublemaker with a reputation for going off-mission and a major dislike of authority figures … he was also the original inspiration for James Bond, then mid-ranking SOE-officer Ian Fleming using him as the basis for the mercurial protagonist of his best-selling spy novels (and the rest, of course, is history).  Needless to say, it looks like this will be the closest Cavill’s ever gonna get to actually playing Bond, and he really sank his teeth into this opportunity, clearly having the time of his life investing the character with his trademark twinkle and roguish charm (as well as an amusing appreciation for fine men’s fashions); he’s the ironclad backbone of the film, driving the action and story with typical aplomb, and is ably supported by a winningly motley collection of misanthropes, the gang of miscreants March-Phillips put together to execute Operation Postmaster brought to life in pitch-perfect performances from Alan Ritchson (Reacher), Alex Pettyfer, Eiza Gonzalez, Henry Golding and more, while there’s an enjoyably NASTY turn from Inglourious Basterds’ Til Schweiger as the film’s dastardly big bad, SS Commandant Heinrich Luhr, and Ritchie regular Cary Elwes brings his classic stiff-upper-lip to bear as the operation’s top CO, Brigadier Colin Gubbins, while an all-but-unrecognisable Rory Kinnear portrays a suitably gruff Winston Churchill.  Ultimately, Ritchie delivers an enjoyably fiendish heist movie masquerading as a war flick, the plot snaking with crafty glee through a series of expertly executed set-pieces and ingenious little twists before finally landing a brilliantly cathartic climax which pays winning respect to the real life heroes that inspired the film, along with one of the greatest espionage thriller franchises OF ALL TIME.  That alone should have won this movie some respect, at least enough to raise its profile, and it’s a criminal shame it’s been treated with SUCH glaring disrespect.  Here’s hoping it earns the cult classic status it deserves, that might redress SOME of the balance …

8.  THE FALL GUY – Stuntman-turned-director David Leitch’s latest film (following on from well-deserved previous successes co-helming the first John Wick film before striking out on his own with Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Hobbs & Shaw and Bullet Train) is not only a genuinely EXTRAORDINARY big screen adaptation of one of the classic old school action adventure TV shows I grew up watching (alongside Knight Rider, The A-Team and Airwolf), but also raises one of the great unanswered questions of cinema – why isn’t there an Academy Award for stunts?  Anyway … turns out that Ken, in last-year’s runaway hit Barbie, wasn’t the only role that Ryan Gosling was born to play – he’s equally perfect for the role of Colt Seavers, the seasoned “unsung hero” who makes all those action hero movie stars look so awesome, at least until an on-set accident left him with a near career-ending back injury which forced him into semi-retirement.  He’s brought back into the game, however, when the action movie star he used to double for, Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), disappears midway through the production of the debut directorial feature of his former lover, camera-operator Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt).  On paper he’s here to fill in for Ryder, but he’s really been brought in to find the missing star before the studio gets wise and shuts down production, but as he delves into what turns out to be a pretty tangled mystery it becomes clear that Colt might not really be the right man for the job … unfortunately he’s all they got … Gosling may be a master of understated performance, but as I’ve learned over the years (particularly from the criminally underappreciated The Nice Guys) he’s ALSO a master of comedic acting, and he’s really firing on all cylinders for this one, frequently damn near stealing the show from a high class cast who are nonetheless all equal to the task.  Blunt is, as always, as flawlessly charming as she is STUNNINGLY beautiful, while Taylor-Johnson is clearly really enjoying playing a supreme douchebag of a preening self-promoting prima donna, Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddington frequently walks off with her scenes as supremely oily producer Gail Meyer, and Everything Everywhere All At Once’s Stephanie Hsu and the great Winston Duke both hold their own admirably as Ryder’s put-upon personal assistant Alma and Colt’s long-suffering best friend, stunt coordinator Dan Tucker.  Needless to say, Leitch has long since proven that he is a MASTER of on-screen mayhem, effortlessly ushering in some of the very best action sequences we’re going to see in the cinema this year, but he also once again proves he’s ALSO a master of big screen comedy, bringing the pitch perfect screenplay from Drew Pearce (who previously wrote Hobbs & Shaw, as well as Iron Man 3 and his own directorial debut Hotel Artemis) to effervescent primary-coloured life as a gleefully anarchic and thoroughly irreverent celebration of action cinema excess and the gruelling hard work that it takes to actually make it all possible, all done with barely ANY digital trickery at all.  All round, then, this was some of the most fun I’ve had at the cinema this year (so far), and once again, it really does raise that all-time great question – why isn’t there an Oscar for stunt work?  Gods know this one would definitely have been a shoe-in next Awards season …

7.  MARS EXPRESS – My animated feature of the summer is a pretty singular work which came out of leftfield and really took me by surprise, a science fiction murder mystery thriller of rare vision, inventiveness and beauty which is tempered with a fascinating and more than a little troubling thematic message which raises far more questions than it answers.  Marking the feature debut of French writer-director Jeremie Perin (Crisis Jung, Lastman), it chronicles the investigation of two very unusual private investigators – world weary former soldiers Aline Ruby (Lea Drucker of Fox’s War of the Worlds TV series) and Carlos Rivera (The Crimson Rivers’ Daniel Njo Lobe), the latter of whom is now a kind of simulant android whose recorded consciousness was uploaded into an robotic body after he was killed in action – on a colonised Mars as they hunt for the cause of a supposedly harmless robot’s sudden malfunction and subsequent violent rampage.  As they tumble deeper down an alarmingly perilous rabbit hole, they uncover a terrifying clandestine conspiracy involving corporate malfeasance which may include their sometimes employer, tech billionaire Chris Royjacker (the great Mathieu Almaric), rogue AI and a looming technological revolution which could spell disaster for the Red Planet … this is a genuinely INTRIGUING film, Perin and co-writer Laurent Sarfati (who previously worked with him on Lastman) weaving a seductively labyrinthine detective story which works magnificently well as an ingenious sci-fi take on the classic Noir formula, but also delivers an equally fascinating Philip K. Dick-esque treatise on the potential dangers of the unchecked development of artificial intelligence and far more fundamentally challenging questions about what it really means to be alive, and to be human.  It’s also genuinely THRILLING, propelling the story at a furious pace generously peppered with a string of intensely full-blooded action sequences, as well as a genuinely GORGEOUS work of animated art, the exquisite mixture of 2D and digital animation (looking like a slicker version of Titmouse’s work on Scavengers Reign) rivalling some of the best anime I’ve seen but nonetheless somehow carrying a conspicuously FRENCH vibe.  Altogether this is a magnificent achievement for an up-and-coming filmmaking talent whose work I will DEFINITELY be keeping an eye out for the future, as well as a BREATHTAKING masterpiece of this cinematic artform.  I highly recommend hunting it down.

6.  TWISTERS – Back in 1996, Jan de Bont’s man-against-nature action thriller Twister turned out to be one of the most undeniably enjoyable summer blockbusters of the 90s, and it’s one of those rare CGI-heavy features from the fledgling digital days that STILL holds up impressively well today.  It also DEFINITELY worked perfectly well on its own merits, with no need for a sequel and CERTAINLY not a remake … so when it was announced that there was going to be one after all, like many I was suitably dubious.  I mean the story was told perfectly well in the original, there’s nothing new that could really be said in a follow-up, right?  Turns out there actually IS, though, and I’m pleased to report that Minari director Lee Isaac Chung’s new film lives up to its predecessor in fine style, thanks in no small part to him and screenwriter Mark L Smith (The Revenant, Overlord and The Midnight Sky) clearly taking the lessons of the 1996 film very much to heart and bringing us a fresh serving of everything that worked so well last time round while carving impressive fresh ground for a genuinely rewarding original story moving forward.  That being said, the greatest strength of the original wasn’t the effects anyway – it was the wonderfully well-rounded, fully-realised characters we followed into the film’s myriad dangers, and this one definitely pulls off the same feat, introducing a new generation of tornado chasers out to pioneer new scientific tech and hopefully save the lives of people living in the strife-torn environs of America’s Tornado Alley.  Glen Powell (hot off major career-making turns in Top Gun: Maverick and Hit Man) may be the heavyweight star power in this particular cast, and he’s definitely great, scene-stealing fun as Tyler Owens, the self-proclaimed “Tornado Wrangler” of YouTube, but the true heart of the film is Daisy Edgar-Jones (Fresh, Where the Crawdads Sing, Normal People) as meteorologist Kate Carter, who’s looking for redemption for past mistakes which led to the deaths of most of her old storm-chasing team, while Anthony Ramos (Hamilton and In the Heights) is certainly the soul as Javi, Kate’s former colleague who’s looking to help her realise her goal through his new tech venture Storm Par; there’s also hefty support from the likes of Brandon Perea (Nope), Sasha Lane (American Honey, Daniel Isn’t Real), David Corenswet (soon to be the new Superman in James Gunn’s DCU reboot) and even my girl Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding, Z Nation, The Mandalorian)!  They’re all just as fleshed out as Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt’s crew were back in the day, a compelling collection of lovable misfits we’re happy to go on this crazy death-defying adventure with, which of course does SO MUCH of the heavy lifting with regards to the tension-building because we get so deeply invested in them all.  That being said, the film definitely doesn’t scrimp on spectacle, the visual effects work having improved SIGNIFICANTLY on what was already impressively high quality work back in ’96, leading to some truly TERRIFYING set-pieces that would definitely surprise anyone who only knows Chung for his critically acclaimed and award-winning dramatic work (but less for anyone familiar with his work on The Mandalorian), which means I am VERY curious to see what he’ll deliver this Christmas on the highly anticipated Star Wars-based Skeleton Crew TV series.  This is a far cry from just pure by-the-numbers summer blockbuster fare, then, a heavyweight event pic with a surprising amount of substance and a hefty dose of proper FEELS to go with all that adrenaline and eye candy, and it’s MORE THAN worthy successor to an already rightly beloved classic.

5.  FURIOSA – 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road was not only one of the greatest films of the last decade, but was also the undeniable MASTERPIECE of director George Miller’s career, even managing to (almost) eclipse his classic FIRST sequel, The Road Warrior.  It was a triumph of visual storytelling, two hours of furious all-action mayhem with barely any digital trickery in evidence, and brought us one of the greatest female protagonists of all time in the irrepressible warrior woman who managed to overshadow Max Rockatansky himself – Imperator Furiosa, perfectly brought to life by an ON FIRE Charlize Theron.  It was, quite simply, A PERFECT FILM.  So did it really NEED a prequel, chronicling the story of what led such a badass lady to undertake the gruelling crusade of that most exceptional of cinematic extravaganzas?  Honestly?  Not really.  But does that matter?  No, not at all.  As soon as Miller started touting this as a project those of us who flipped out SO HARD over Fury Road IMMEDIATELY started frothing at the mouth at the possibilities … it was just that the more pragmatic among us were also a little worried that he might not be able to capture lightning in a bottle all over again.  Well, we never should have doubted him, Miller was definitely equal to the task – Furiosa may not be QUITE as good as the film it chronologically precedes, but as an origin story it is MAGNIFICENT, a sprawling, gruelling, exhausting post-apocalyptic action epic that definitely does flawless justice to such an incredibly strong character.  I don’t want to give too much away plot-wise, it’s better to just jump in and ABSORB it all, suffice to say that this does indeed reveal how the child Furiosa was stolen from her seemingly idyllic life in an oasis in the middle of the radioactive Australian wasteland, dragged out into the middle of a brutally hostile desert filled with warfare, insanity and SERIOUSLY POWERFUL VEHICLES and forced to forge herself into an indomitable, merciless and uncompromising living weapon in order to survive, thrive and find her way back to her long lost Green Place.   Anya Taylor-Joy is a fine choice indeed for a more youthful Furiosa, subtly nuanced and filled with simmering intensity buried under a haughty mask of righteous untouchability,

but she doesn’t even TURN UP until the midway point of the film, the lion’s share of the work to establish her unbreakable character through her lost childhood ultimately going to The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart’s Ayla Browne (who previously performed for Miller on Three Thousand Years of Longing), and she is nothing less than a TOTAL FUCKING REVELATION in the role.  Chris Hemsworth frequently steals the film as the best villain the franchise has EVER HAD (and that says a lot in a series that includes Hugh Keys-Byrne’s Toecutter), self-aggrandising preening peacock Dementus, who gleefully tips from adorably camp to chillingly monstrous to pompously flamboyant at the drop of a hat, effortlessly holding court over the likes of Nathan Jones’ spectacularly ridiculous Rictus Erectus and Romper Stomper’s Lachy Hulme as a more youthful incarnation of his tyrannical father Immortan Joe, while The Musketeers’ Tom Burke is equal parts heroic and stoic as Praetorian Jack, the doughty War Rig commander who takes Furiosa on as his protégé, and model-turned actress Charlee Fraser (Anyone But You) rules over the opening scenes as her ferociously protective mother, Mary Jabassa.  Miller delivers in fine style on the action like always, the War Rig chase in particular sure to go down as the year’s most memorable action sequence, and once again there’s a pleasing reliance on physical stunt-work, practical sets and good old fashioned elbow grease over CGI throughout that does its predecessor proud.  That being said, this one is NOT a breakneck movie-long chase, its more leisurely, sometime quite introspective pace instead going a long way to let the story breathe and the peerless world-building develop, although there is still a characteristic relentlessness to the tale which means that, despite its two-and-a-half-hour runtime it never feels overlong or outstays its welcome.  Then again, it once again deploys Fury Road’s secret weapon – another throbbing, propulsively atmospheric score from Tom Holkenborg – to create another very pleasurable ride through the irradiated hellscape of Miller’s Outback.  I for one would be very pleased to return to it someday …

4.  KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES – Matt Reeves is a tough act to follow, even before The Batman he was already blowing us away with his star-making directorial breakthrough helming Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and its follow-up War For the Planet of the Apes.  The conclusion of that latter film put a very definitive exclamation point on the franchise as a whole, making ANY attempts to continue the saga a tough prospect indeed, and something that even a seasoned filmmaker might balk at.  But when I heard the proposed new trilogy, set hundreds of years after the events of War, would be directed by Wes Ball, I breathed a big sigh of relief – he did an INCREDIBLE job with the sci-fi trilogy adapting YA novelist James Dashner’s popular Maze Runner series, so I knew the saga was in very good hands indeed.  Having come up in visual effects, Ball’s always maintained a very strong balance between physical and digital filmmaking, so he was certainly up to the challenge of bringing a new generation of photorealistic, vitally ALIVE super-intelligent talking apes to the big screen, as well as putting his flesh-and-blood actors through their paces with similar skill and flair.  Most important, though, this film introduces a new lead protagonist who’s definitely got what it takes to succeed Andy Serkis’ mesmerizing Caesar in a new story, Owen Teague (It, I See You, Inherit the Viper, Black Mirror) thoroughly impressing in his first lead role as Noa, an uncertain young chimpanzee from an isolated tribal clan forced to grow up fast when his people are stolen in one terrifying night by masked ape raiders, leaving him to follow their trail with only intellectual orangutan Raka (The Orville’s Peter Macon) and an unusually smart “echo” (basically what humans have become since they lost their speech and intelligence) named Mae (The Witcher’s Freya Allan) to count as allies.  Macon is a thoroughly endearing presence throughout, while Allan delivers a fascinatingly complex performance that fuels many of the film’s most interesting twists (although I’m sure you can spot one or two coming ahead of time); and then there’s Kevin Durand, who’s clearly having a whale of a time getting his teeth into a rewardingly robust screen villain in the form of Proximus Caesar, an ambitious bonobo warlord who’s using a corrupted version of his namesake’s teachings to build a tyrannical empire of oppressed apes – he’s not quite as compelling an antagonist as Toby Kebbell’s Koba, but he serves most admirably indeed here.  Altogether, this film definitely had A LOT of heavy lifting to do to even APPROACH the heights of Reeves’ tenure on the franchise, and Ball and screenwriter Josh Friedman (War of the Wolds, Terminator: Dark Fate, Avatar: The Way of Water) have risen to the task in fine style, delivering a thrilling, affecting and inventive epic action adventure which skilfully builds on the framework provided by the previous trilogy while courageously forging ahead into the future, leaving room to venture forward into exciting further instalments.  Ultimately this isn’t QUITE as good as Dawn or even War, but with this the saga remains as rewarding, compelling and majestic as ever before, and I see great things indeed in its future.  I can’t wait for whatever comes next …

3.  A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE – It’s interesting, most of the time when you get a really great movie that becomes a big hit and spawns a franchise, THE LAST THING it needs is a prequel, and oftentimes when it DOES happen it feels like a shoehorned mess or even a total disrespectful retcon (they can’t ALL be Furiosa, after all).  A Quiet Place was never one of those – right from the start it was clear that how it all began was going to be JUST as interesting as where the original story was going, a fact which was DEFINITELY reinforced when Part Two dropped that TERRIFYING flashback cold open.  So when this finally arrived I was FIRST in my local queue, raring to go and so unswervingly excited that anything less than amazing was liable to be a disappointment.  Thankfully it turned out to be EVERYTHING I was hoping for – this is a super trim 99 minutes of knuckle-whitening terror with a (by now, not really all that) surprising amount of emotional power packed in, one of those films that brings you to tears when it’s not scaring the living bejeezuz out of you, just like the first two.  Lupita Nyong’o is a breath of fresh air as our new lead protagonist, Samira, a world-weary young New Yorker who’s been beaten down by a life of tragedy and chronic pain from the very same kind of advanced cancer that killed her beloved father, only to find a reason to stay alive (at least for a few more days) when the sound-seeking murder-beasts crash-land in the middle of the loudest city in the world and instantly go apeshit from all the noise.  Stranger Things’ Joseph Quinn, meanwhile, puts us through the emotional wringer right from his entrance as Eric, a timid Brit law student whose anxiety is going THROUGH THE ROOF as this all goes off around him, forced to find inner reserves of courage he never knew he had after he latches onto Sam as she makes her way across the city in search of the last slice she’ll ever be able to get from her favourite Harlem pizzeria.  There are equally heartfelt turns from Alex Wolff (Hereditary, Jumanji, Pig) as Reuben, Sam’s put-upon hospice nurse, and Djimon Hounsou, showing how his character started his own apocalyptic struggle as Part Two’s Henri, but perhaps the biggest stars of this film are, unsurprisingly, Nico and Schnitzel, a pair of tuxedo cats who perfectly portrayed the role of Frodo, Sam’s service cat, who’s probably THE MOST CHILLED-OUT feline I have EVER SEEN in a movie, and definitely one of the cutest.  Ultimately this is an absolute TRIUMPH for its breakout writer-director, Michael Sarnoski, whose INSANELY impressive feature debut Pig already made him one to watch back in 2021, and he definitely did the original property justice while carving his own equally impressive path in the franchise.  The end result, then, is a welcome addition to an already INCREDIBLE horror movie series, and definitely a strong contender for the genre’s movie of the year.

2.  DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE – Damn … if ever there was a movie that I really can’t say much of ANYTHING about for fear of dropping spoilers, even if most of the fandom has already gone to see it … this is an IMPORTANT MOVIE, maybe the most important of the year, because the MCU has been on the rocks of late, despite Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 going a long way to setting its fortunes back on the right track (but then that one has very much been considered a BLIP, really), and this one looks to have SINGLEHANDEDLY knocked the whole mess back on the right track while simultaneously mercilessly ripping the piss out of the whole debacle.  No, I mean IT REALLY DOES, there isn’t A SINGLE STONE that the Merc With a Mouth leaves unturned in his quest for meta-fuelled irreverence here (except maybe that dead Celestial poking out of the Pacific that nobody seems to be talking about after Eternals … or maybe I missed a joke somewhere).  Anyway, this is EVERY BIT as good as James Gunn’s third and final feature for the franchise, as well as another SUPER-solid entry in what was already Fox’s now expired X-Verse’s most popular series, but most importantly it’s also an EXTREMELY successful bridging film between that and the flagging Marvel Cinematic Universe, the perfect way to bring Mutantkind into the franchise with the least amount of fuss.  That being said, the BIG attraction here is, of course, getting to see two of Marvel’s biggest heavyweights going head-to-head in one movie, and of course beating seven shades of shit out of each other while they’re at it.  If you will … yeah, if you haven’t seen it yet and don’t want to get spoiled, you really should jump off at this point and just GO SEE IT while they’re still milking it for every cent they can in theatres, safe in the knowledge that it’s a fucking AWESOME movie and you won’t be disappointed.  Now SHOO!!!  Be off with you … okay, still here?  Right, then, watch me try to be as spoiler-light as I can moving forward … as much as Wade Wilson and Logan may be the very EPITOME of chalk-and-cheese onscreen, behind the scenes Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have got on like a house on fire for a while now, ever since the former started lovingly teasing the latter in the first Deadpool movie and started his long-running campaign to lure the original Marvel Movie superstar into a big screen team-up, so it comes as NO SURPRISE that they’re both clearly having the time of their lives working together now.  Their chemistry in this is OFF THE CHARTS, the pair trading razor sharp quips, dirty looks and well-deserved face-punches with gleeful abandon from their first scene together RIGHT to the end, while the incredibly strong screenplay from Reynolds, series regulars Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, Robot Chicken’s Zeb Wells and the film’s director Shawn Levy (who previously worked with Reynolds on Free Guy and The Adam Project, as well as Jackman on Real Steel) definitely gives them a really big Multiversal playground to let loose in, all while doing a really beautiful job of taking the baggage that the current condition of the MCU property’s left the franchise in and stuffing it all into what’s always been a much more stable if also far less RESPECTFUL cinematic sandbox.  There are easter eggs galore, both overt and a whole lot more subtle

throughout, especially during an extended sojourn into the Void (the TVA’s pruning dumping ground) which not only introduces a few fun new faces (including at least one X-Men franchise missed opportunity AS WELL as the VERY welcome return of my very favourite Marvel mutant of them all – so nice to see you back, Laura!  Sure hope you get to stick around for more) but also a bunch of fan favourites from across Fox’s Marvel pantheon, and as far as I’m concerned there ain’t a single bum note in the entire symphony here!  Certainly this is BY FAR the funniest Deadpool movie so far (which is saying something), but that’s not really surprising since Shawn Levy has consistently proven to be one of the VERY BEST cinematic comedy directors out there (especially with his consistently high quality Night At the Museum series), so this is just another day at the office for him, and he definitely delivered something TRULY SPECIAL here.  This is THE MOST I have laughed at the cinema so far this year, but thankfully like its predecessors it’s also got plenty of feels on offer too, meaning that it definitely fits in JUST FINE with the best that its new peers in the MCU have to offer.  Topping this off with a selection of genuinely BRILLIANT inspired soundtrack needle-drops (particularly in the thoroughly irreverent and MASSIVELY disrespectful opening title sequence which sees Wade mercilessly desecrating one of Marvel’s most sacred cows) and a genuinely moving closing credits farewell homage to Fox’s Marvel legacy, the filmmakers have done their material so very proud as well as opened the door to so much fresh possibility in the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward, and I for one hope this is a sign that things really are FINALLY back on the right track for the series.  Now if they could just get that Blade reboot out of Development Hell (wink wink) …

1.  ALIEN: ROMULUS – Ultimately landing JUST BEHIND a certain other major genre heavyweight entry on my list for the year so far, my (current) number TWO science-fiction film of the year is also easily one of the SCARIEST movies I’ve seen so far this year.  It’s also a very interesting and IMPORTANT film in that it goes A LONG WAY to knocking yet another major cinematic franchise back on track after spending a long while spiralling further and further out of true alignment.  Okay, I admit it, I LIKE Prometheus a whole lot as an actual FILM, but even I can admit that IN UNIVERSE its attempts to connect with Ridley Scott’s own original masterpiece and James Cameron’s (even better) follow-up were clunky at best and downright EMBARRASSING at worst (and in the end, the less said about Alien: Covenant the better, really).  So I guess it’s actually A GOOD THING that Scott took a step back into more of a producing role to allow somebody else to take the reins of this sort-of soft reboot, and it turns out that Fede Alvarez, writer-director of the first Evil Dead remake and Don’t Breathe (as well as the CRIMINALLY underrated The Girl In the Spider’s Web), was the PERFECT CHOICE for this job.  Fitting in somewhere between the events of Alien and Aliens, Romulus sees the dastardly Weyland Yutani Corporation find the blasted remains of the Nostromo floating in deep space, as well as traces of the original xenomorph itself, which they then transport to the film’s eponymous space station, in the orbit of the colony world of Jackson’s Star, in the hopes of exploiting the organism’s unique properties for their own gains.  Something clearly goes HORRIBLY WRONG in the interim, because when a gang of opportunistic young colonists, looking for a chance to jump ship to a freer life in another system outside of Corporate control, sneak onto the station in the hopes of scavenging some cryogenic resources for the journey, they find it derelict and ravaged by some kind of horrific disaster.  Then their poking around sets loose some of the fruits of the scientists’ biological labours, and before they know it they’re neck-deep in facehuggers and more than a few of their bigger brethren too …

Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla, Civil War, Bad Times At the El Royale) makes for a surprisingly robust action heroine in the classic Ripley mould as Rain, her diminutive size belying her character’s feisty determination and wily resourcefulness; Archie Renaux (Shadow & Bone) and Isabel Merced (Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Dora & the City of Gold, Turtles All the Way Down) are both extremely likeable as Tyler and Kay, respectively Rain’s ex-boyfriend and best friend, while Spike Fearn (Tell Me Everything) is kind of a prick as their cocky cousin Bjorn, and newcomer Aileen Wu is standoffish but precocious as talented young pilot Navarro.  The real breakout star of the piece, however, has to be Rye Lane’s David Jonsson, who delivers a spectacularly complex, multifaceted turn as Rain’s adopted brother Andy, a former Weyland-Yutani android dug out of a scrapheap and reprogrammed to protect her by her late father.  They’re all put through hell by the events that unfold within the faltering station, Alvarez turning the screws and fraying our nerves with his characteristic masterful skill as their situations progressively go from bad to worse to truly fucked, all while paying loving homage to the first two movies while also creating something new and fresh for the series if they do decide to move forward from here.  Best of all, though, as he’s always done in the past he largely eschews digital effects, preferring to do as much as he possibly can with physical effects, which makes the impressively icky creature work and seriously NASTY gore all the more delightfully gnarly throughout, with the film’s ONLY bum note being a particularly problematic “resurrection” choice which has already had a great deal made of it in the press, but which I, ultimately, found was actually handled surprisingly well in the end, so that it really didn’t detract very much from my personal enjoyment of the film as a whole.  Rounded off with an evocative and enjoyably old school score from Benjamin Wallfisch (who clearly had a great time channelling both Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner here), this is a rousing success for me, a phenomenal return to form for one of my very favourite sci-fi cinematic franchises and yet another standout offering from one of the very best fresh talents working in horror cinema today.  If he does indeed choose to stick with the property, I think Alvarez could well keep this series fresh and exciting for a fair few years yet.

[bringingtherain]

Hello everybody, I wanted to share a little (modern) Linked Universe AU that have been living rent free in my head for months. It’s based on a reddit story (that I don’t know if it’s true or not, but it still very interesting anyway).  If you have some time, please give it a little read <3

Also, I’m sorry for my English :’)

Legend and Ravio met at college. It was now the end of finals week, so of course they wanted to celebrate. Not only that, Legend was going to – finally-  ask Ravio out. Like, c’mon, he was not a coward, why had he hesitated so much?!

They are walking together on campus, passing by Twilight and Wild who were playing a game, Twilight waved but Legend was way to nervous to notice. Finally, he looks at Ravio and thinks “this is it”. He opens his mouth, feels a sudden intense pain in his head, and falls like a sack of potatoes.

He wakes up maybe 10 seconds later, with Ravio desperately calling his name. To his left, he sees Wild looking worried, and Twilight looking mortified. Before he can even think of saying anything, Twilight starts apologizing profusely. Turns out he and Wild were playing football, and he accidentally hit Legend right in the head with the ball. Legend sits, shakes his head, and comes to the conclusion that besides a strong headache, he is okay, despite Ravio’s protests that he should go to the campus nurse.  

He didn’t asked Ravio out that night. Legend is paranoiac at best, and that ball in the head felt maybe like a –literal- sign from above that confessing to Ravio wasn’t the best idea. Not only that, Hilda, Ravio’s sister, always looked at him like she was silently but strongly judging  if Legend deserved to be so close to her dear brother; and Shadow, Ravio’s best friend, looked like he had already left the judgment phase behind, and the sentence was that he hated Legend guts. Maybe they were right.

So Legend tried to move on. After another year and a half he finally finished college, and in a bout of luck, he won first prize at his favorite music store: a one month vacation to a isolated and beautiful paradisiacal island; Koholint. What better way to celebrate the conclusion of his college life? Ravio accompanied him to the ship, and looked sad to see him go. Legend calmed him, it’s only a month. He will be back soon. Ravio hugged him, and that hug lingered for perhaps more than it should, but no one really wanted to let it go. But then, way too soon for Legend’s tastes, it was time to board the ship. It’s okay, Legend thought.

It’s just a month.  

As he left the ship and looked around, Legend felt like he was walking right into a dream. Koholint island was way too perfect to be true. Even though he wasn’t the biggest fan of summer, the heat in his skin felt gentle, and he felt all the tension leave his shoulders.

And there, he met her. A beautiful singing voice called for him, and he couldn’t stop himself from talking to her.

Marin was beautiful. A long red hair that moved like sea waves around her shoulders, shiny brown eyes and a happy, gentle smile. Her voice was so surreal and sweet that Legend would often think that Marin was actually a mermaid who just got tired of living on the ocean. He called her attention by using his trusted ocarina to play the song she was singing, and she was overjoyed to have his company.

And just like that, one month passed. The ship was there, waiting for him. He didn’t want to go.

So he didn’t.

It didn’t take long for them to start officially dating. Also didn’t take long for Legend to ask for her hand. It was everything so perfect, why would he waste his time?  

As he kissed his now wife on their wedding day, he got himself thinking that if this was a dream then he never wanted to wake up.

Three years later, the world welcomed a little baby boy. His little baby boy. As Legend took his son in his arms for the first time, he asked himself in wonder how could he feel such intense love so quickly. He would die for this boy’s happiness if needed. The touch of Marin’s hand on his brought him back from his dazed state. He looked at her, his eyes full of tears. He never felt so complete in his whole life.

The years passed quickly, but the days extended for what seemed like years. Each precious memory burned forever in his brain. His little boy first steps. Marin’s delicious food after a long day of work. The days spent playing at the beach. The cold nights cuddling by the fireplace. The day his little baby boy –now a 19 year old man- left the island to pursue his college dreams. Every night falling to sleep to her smiling face, and everyday waking up to her gentle voice.

He was walking home, slow but steady. His walking cane on one hand and flowers for his wife on the other. Today was their 50 year anniversary , and his son was going to visit.  As he was walking, a seagull passed dangerously close to him, and he accompanied it with his eyes. When his eyes guided him to the top of Koholint’s tallest mountain, Legend stopped.

And he looked.

There was something wrong. He couldn’t for the life of him tell what, but there was something deeply wrong. He kept looking, hoping that this would somehow make the gears in his brains start to move, but it didn’t. He felt the answer at the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t translate it into words. So he looked.

When he felt a hand on his, he finally moved his eyes from the top of the mountain, and looked at his wife, worry visible in her eyes. She asked him what was wrong. Why was he taking so long to go back home. That’s when Legend discovered that apparently he stayed at the same place, looking at the top of the mountain for hours. 3 hours to be exact. It haven’t felt like more than five minutes to him. It must be his age, he thought after some time, so he went home with his beloved. The mountain stand taller behind him.

That night, after a long celebration and the news that he was going to be a grandad, Legend stayed lying down on his bed, unable to sleep. It was that damned mountain fault. He couldn’t stop thinking about it. Before Legend could notice, he was already up and out of the house. And soon he was at the same place of that afternoon, looking at the top of the mountain.

Time got a little blurry after that. His family came to see him, increasingly more worried about his well being. But he couldn’t leave. He needed to find out what was wrong.

One day, as he felt Marin desperately beg for him to go home, to just look at her, to please, please stop giving it attention, it finally hit him. He couldn’t understand how it took him so long to see something so surreal.

There, at the top of Koholint’s tallest mountain, sit a gigantic egg.

He turn his eyes to Marin, ready to ask if she was seeing the same thing he is. That couldn’t have been there this whole time, right? As he looks in Marin’s direction, he sees nothing.

Marin is gone.

Did she leave? He was sure he had listened to her voice right now, like white noise. He went home. There was no sign of his wife or his son. Worried, he decided to look around.

It wasn’t just his family, he found no one. The island was empty.

That’s when he heard a distant voice. Hope bloomed in his heart that maybe it was Marin, but as soon as he listened close, he realized it wasn’t. However, it was familiar. A voice he thought he had long forgotten.

“Ravio?”

And he woke up.

He had his head nested between Ravio’s tights, who desperately called his name. To his left, he sees Wild looking worried, and Twilight looking mortified. Panic arises at the sudden sensation of dejavu, but before he can even think of saying anything, Twilight starts apologizing profusely. Turns out he and Wild were playing football, and he accidentally hit Legend right in the head with the ball. No, he thinks. Nonononono. This already happened, this is already long in the past.

Where’s Marin?

He tries to get up, but is hit by a wave of nausea and falls back into Ravio’s arms. Legend looks at him, despair thick in his voice.

“Where’s Marin?”

Ravio looks at him, worried, and asks “Who?”  Ravio then asks Twilight for help getting Legend up. He needs a doctor. It’s possible he have a concussion and might be delirious. Legend tries to stop them, but he is feeling way too sick and way too scared to do much. Twilight is too strong for him to be able to escape, so he just go limp, crying.

“Where’s Marin?” He asks again, but no one answers him.

“Where’s Marin?”

-----------

So yeah, Legend suffered a concussion that made he vividly fee like he lived his whole life in a place that doesn’t exist with people that aren’t real. I mean, the idea of living your whole life and then suddenly waking up in the past, in a body way to young for you, feels terrifying. Like, if this happened to you, could you just let it go? Would you be able to have a relationship without thinking that you’re cheating somehow? Are your feelings real if the person you have feelings for isn’t? Idk, I think it’s pretty fucked up. If you have any questions, ask away, because I really don’t know how this would end lol  

[blowflyfag]

WRESTLING ALL STARS: Heroes and Villains : February 1993 

“HITMAN” HART WINS WWF BELT!

“Sizzler in Saskatoon” leaves Flair sprawled!

[Bret proudly displays his WWF Worlds Heavyweight belt.

Nailz is no match for the Hitman in their title bout.

Hart has Nailz in an arm bar in their title clash.]

On October 12, 1992 history was made when the man known as “The Hitman” Bret Hart defeated Ric Flair in Saskatoon, Canada to win the WWF World Heavyweight title. For Hart, it was a big thrill to win the World title, but what made the victory even more rewarding for Hart was that he was able to capture the title in his beloved Canada.

[“When I wake up tomorrow, I hope this hasn’t been a dream!”--Bret Hart after winning belt.]

“Words cannot describe how I feel tonight,” Hart stated after his incredible victory. “I’ve always dreamed that someday I would win the World title and now it’s mine. Ric Flair is great. He has been the best there is for many years, but tonight I guess you can say I was just a little bit better. The thought that I’m really the World champion still hasn’t been a dream.”

Two days before the bout in Canada Bret Hart faced Ric Flair in Los Angeles with the belt on the line.

[Bret shows off his Intercontinental strap.

Piper hits the mat compliments of the Hitman during their Wrestlemania brawl.]

In that bout Hart seemingly pinned Ric Flair and even left the ting with the belt. But the following day when Mr. Perfect and Bobby Heenan protested that the referee who made the call was not the official referee, the WWF commission reversed the decision and the championship belt was returned to Ric Flair. Flair, however, didn’t have his precious “10 pounds of gold” too long. Just two days later, Hart pulled the upset of the year.

After his incredible victory, Bret Hart, speaking to Mean Gene Okerlund on the WWF Superstars of Wrestling TV program made his first appearance as champion and gave a rousing interview. 

[Hart is a true credit to his profession. He is more than worthy of the honor that has been bestowed upon him.]

“I can’t tell you how proud I am,” Hart told the TV audience. “This is the greatest moment in my whole life, and I dedicate it to all the people who believe that our biggest dreams can come true. Since I was a kid I’ve been involved in wrestling. My whole family has been involved in wrestling. My father trained me and took me on the mat. I listened and learned and dedicated myself to mastering technical wrestling. I followed up on all the little details, never thinking I knew it all because you just never know it all. I’ve had my share of wins. I’ve had my share of losses, but you just wait your whole life for that one single chance and fortunately I got that chance. I have to thank every wrestler that I ever wrestled against. I’ve wrestled the greatest wrestler in the world and I learned so much. In particular I have to thank Ric Flair for giving me this chance. I want to thank each and every one of my fans around the world who supported me all these years. I want to thank all my friends that backed me up through thick and thin. I want to thank my family who have been with me since I was a little baby, and most of all I want to thank God above. Thank you for the greatest moment in my life. I’m proud to be the WWF World champion.”

[Hart shows off his World Tag Team title strap.

Hart and Jim “the Anvil” Neidhart are former WWF Tag Team champions.]

With Hart’s victory he joins Pedro Morales as the only man to hold the WWF tag team belt, the Intercontinental title and now the World belt. The new champion, however, should have a tough time trying to hold on to his newly won crown. Ric Flair, Razor Ramon, Papa Shango, Nailz, the Berzerker, Shane Michaels and possibly even Mr.  Perfect are gunning for the new champ. With challenges like this, Bret Hart will have his work cut out for him, but if anyone can handle himself against the best in the sport it’s Bret Hart. 

It’s great to see someone like Hart wearing the WWF Heavyweight championship strap. He’s a true credit to the profession and more than worthy of the honor that has been bestowed upon him.  

[alexissara]

My Favorite Movies/TV/Anime of 2023

Going into 2023 I've done a lot more taking in art then in previous years and this section is all about the audio/visual/auditory art I've taken in this year and enjoyed. In fact it's a content and clickable top 10 list! Wow so engaging, much content, please enjoy. This is gonna be inclusive of movies, cartoons, anime, TV shows, etc because I don't engage any one of these mediums alone enough to make a nice little list, at least not this year.

These are roughly in an order by how much I enjoyed them but these are different pieces of art that hit you in different places for different reasons and no one piece of art here is like "Better" than the other. Ask me at a different hour let alone day and this list could be all scrambled.

Adolescence Of Utena

So I finally watched some Utena, I mean I watched a little but of Utena before, just a few episodes with some friends but I watched the full ass movie now so that counts for something. The anime is really artful and it's a very compelling queer coming of age story with all the messy trauma and feelings attached. It's a weird movie, a girl turns into a car, and that's amazing, 12/10, another girl can also turn into a car, we're really just living the dream here. Finally true lesbian representation is when a girl can turn into a car and I am here for it. It's a really great piece of art and I am glad to have finally got to take it in and enjoy it.

Glass Onion

So this is probably the biggest surprise on the list for folks who follow me but one of my girlfriends really loves mysteries and so a Glass Onion I did watch with her. It's super funny and fun, it's just good. The cast has good chemistry, the jokes land, the mystery has fun twists, and it's just a good experience overall.

One Piece Film Red

I am not a One Piece fan, I do not care for One Piece, It's like fine Shonen. However, this movie fucking slapped, it was a good fucking time. Uta is One Pieces best character and she should show up and take over the final arc of the manga because she is so good. The music was fucking killer with Ado slaying every single fucking song and it really just hit. Every song is so good on it's own and in it's context. It's what you want from a truly killer musical experience and every song being from "the villain" is just extra fun. The power of friendship and bounds is really great here, it's just good and well animated even if the women all have the same exact body.

Everything, Everywhere, All At Once

I finally watched this movie after all the hype had died down and well, it was worth the hype, it isn't my favorite movie of all time but it's a good movie. It's funny, amazingly acted, well shot, silly and just in general a good time. It touches on a lot of good themes of family, trauma, homophobia, expectations, and parental relationships. I think the queerness coulda been better in the movie and have complaints on how that is displayed here but I mean it was at least a little bit queer and that's more than most movies. As a former actor who really loves the craft I envy everyone involved too for getting to be in such a fun film, I can only imagine what a blast it was to see the final product of what I am sure was a ton of hard work to make something so fun.

Gundam The Witch From Mercury - Season 2 

Gundam ended on more of a whimper than a bang to me. Which is both not uncommon for a Gundam series to have a shitty ending but also not shocking given this series was given it had a much shorter run time. Regardless of me thinking this half of the anime is much weaker than the first half it still undeniably striking in it's animation, stunning visually, engaging to watch with a cast of very endearing characters to watch in the dramatic stakes of it all. The very end was not terrible but the time we spent to get to the final epilogue moments were questionable. Regardless, this show did not kill off Prospera, Chuchu, Secelia or Rouhi and they all were in a lot of these episodes so like an 8/10 cuz their all fucking brilliant and I really like Sulletta a ton too, I am just probably Mio's weakest solider among lesbians preferring my sweet little nervous lesbian settle down with a nice earthian girl or make use of her second hand to be polyamarous.

Kakegurui Twin

I never have and likely never will watch Kakegurui's main series but the twins series female focused cast and yuri energy captured my attention and so I turned it on. Wow, what a fucking ride. This over the top gambling game is Jojo's bizarre adventure, is sports anime, is card game anime, it's the raw spirit of these things radiating in the horny submissive lesbian factory and served back in animated form. The fucking faces these women get to make as they smugly battle in bounts of gambling is just so delicious and the tension they manage to put into each of these games of chance as the fucked up students try and cheat each other and win is just brilliant.

Harley Quinn 

HarIvy is a ship of all time for me, it's hard to have the concept of a show be "HarIvy comedy" and me not to at least kinda enjoy it and I enjoyed it a lot this new season. At the start of the season I wasn't click with it, it felt weird and forced for Harly and Ivy to be placed in these really binary hero and villain roles but in the end that's what it was really about. Neither of them are traditional heroes or villains and the show actually recognized that and let them trying to fit into the strict mold of the universe as an active issue for themself, their sense of self, their relationship, the world and more. From time to time they felt fairly out of character but I am just happy to see this arcs over all themes and the work they put into that.

I’m In Love With The Villainess 

While I would have rather had a tighter pace that went through the first two books of the series rather than one and some tiny jumps into the second book I'm In Love With The Villainess still managed to be one of my favorite things to watch this year with me viewing it multiple times. Rae's Isekai fantasy of being bullied by a hot rich woman and the eventual need to confront her own internalized homophobia and self pity as blocking her path to happiness are fun to see. Rae is really good in the anime adaptation and in it more than any other adaption it feels like everyone is friends and cares about each other which fits the light hearted comedy tone better than the light novels Rae will kill anyone for Clair, she has no friends mindset.

Scott Pilgrim: Takes Off

This was the biggest surprise of the year. I had grown out of Scott Pilgrim, while I was a fan of the comics before the movie was even a thing, I watched the movie before it even released, I even at some point was collecting the colored editions, I eventually soured on the series and sold everything I had of it. I wasn't excited about the anime and felt more like "let it go" then "OMG thing from when I was young" but hearing the good things I heard about it and about the Scott twist along with seeing the great animation in the OP I decided, fuck it why not give it a shot. So I did and wow, it's really good. It's a great take down, commentary, adaption, whatever it is of the original work. It is Scott Pilgrim having grown up alongside me, funnier than ever and a lot better about everything. I really loved all the changes and it still felt very true to the heart of Scott Pilgrim which is messy adults trying to fix their fucked up selves and relationships.

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady

This certainly sits among my favorite anime of all time and very highly if not number one. MagiRevo mastered a light novel adaptations tempo perfecting how to make one season of what would be a nothing slow burn with no pay off at the novel and mangas pace into an exciting action packed yuri with more gay kisses in it than the rest of the years anime put together. It's funny, charming, fun but it also captures some really hard emotions too, I'll never forget the scene with Anis being pressured by old men to have children and stuff and the utter disgust she has at being treated like a piece of meat as she attempts to fill her role to the kingdom. It is devastating and heart wrenching and it just makes all the joy feel so strong.

If you want to help me enjoy more art then consider checking out my Patreon or Ko-fi and giving me a little bit of cash so I can do more of this kind of writing but also like make lots of my own art, art is hard to make and costs money and like maintain my chronically ill and trans body also takes money so anything helps, thank you. If you want more details on any of these I do have reviews for many of the pieces of art above but you can also let me know you want more and maybe I'll write more.

[taylorcometobrazil]

10 days until I see Taylor Swift.

Although I dreamt about this day would come, I never really thought it would happen in my life.

All people talk about dreams coming true was something that I believe was true for everyone, except for me; Since I was born I have been used to the idea of loss: I lost my parents at a very young age (so young I wouldn’t remember their faces if not for the pictures I have); I lost my the right to be loved by them, to be raised by them and to be my true self as I wasn’t allowed to do as I pleased. Therefore I have too many dreams and seeing Taylor live became one of them a long time ago (over 14 years), but having life always denying my every bit of joy I was given (or at least thought of be given by the universe) made me become a person who believes happiness is not for me, I don’t deserve it and the fact that I got tickets for the lover concert and then everything happening afterwards made me believe in that more than ever.

I couldn’t have any of my dreams come true, this was (in my head) another way of my life telling me I wasn’t worth it, then I came to terms with it, seeing Taylor was/is one of my biggest dreams in the entire world, she is my inspiration, she’s been there for me when no one else was, through her music/poems/even quotes. She was/is the light in the darkness that gives me hope, she can turn my bad day into a good one, she can make me feel happier even though I had just been given an entire speech of how useless and unworthy I am.

She is still there saying people throw rocks at things that shine, or anything like that.

So being here right now, counting down in only two hands how many days I have until I get to see her is something I can’t believe it’s happening, in fact as much as I am excited I am scared, the universe has given me enough proof it can take my happiness away from me just as I am as close to it as I’d thought it’d be possible but once again I am here trying to believe once again that dreams do come true and that this time I can have one of my dreams becoming reality and I can only pray for everything to go well and ask you all to please send good vibes so I can see her.

It’s only ten days, I hope I can see you soon Taylor, until then I am wishing you the best of luck with the tour come back, you deserve all the success you have, I love and admire you very much, see you in 10 days ✨💜

Do I look good? No

But I look happy :)

@taylorswift @taylornation :)