#just rewatched that episode and i thought it was pretty cool of stan

[kennytheworkingclasshero]

While there is a discussion to be had about how Stan doesn't seem to care for or treat Wendy the way he used to, and this can be largely attributed to his depression, addiction and cynicism, it is important to remember that he was a boyfriend who believed in her. I think the episode that shows this in a very subtle way is actually Breast Cancer Show Ever!

When Stan first hears about the fight that is scheduled to take place after school between Wendy and Cartman, he's shocked, replying to Butters with a "What?" There does seem to be a little worry in his expression but he doesn't question her or go up to her to try and stop her.

The goth kids actually call him out on this, suggesting Stan is going to "just let that guy... beat up on your woman? Doesn't that, like, go against your jockey man code or something?" and "Yeah, I don't ever remember AC/DC singing about letting dudes beat up on their girlfriends."

Because Stan fits the stereotype of being a "jockey" man and therefore, he should exhibit all the traits that come with that, especially towards his girlfriend. The goth kids even bring up other "typical man" archetypes such as AC/DC in order to make Stan feel bad and push him towards putting an end to this fight (despite the fact they also want to witness it).

In this moment, Stan had the potential to fall into masculine traits that are very toxic; overly protective, dominate over his girlfriend, controlling, having secondhand embarrassment because of her. But he doesn't do anything of the sort, instead he looks at them and asks the genuine question "What am I supposed to do about it?"

And later, when he is corned by a terrified Cartman, who is calling on his responsibility as a boyfriend to "do something" because Wendy is supposedly "stuck" in this situation and she really doesn't want to fight, Stan still insists that he "can't do anything; she really wants to fight you" and "Dude, there's nothing I can do about it." In his attempt at manipulation, Cartman is also calling on Stan to express his masculinity unhealthily and telling him "to be a fuckin' man and forbid her from fighting" and when he refuses he is called a "pussy" but Stan doesn't take the bait, he refuses to budge.

This isn't because Stan doesn't care about Wendy, it's because he knows her. He knows she's stubborn, he knows she's smart and he knows that she can hold her own. He has no place to tell her what to do, and if he does, he knows to expect backlash from her. On top of this, he knows his overly manipulative friend with no backbone and therefore he is confident in Wendy and her decision to take him on. When Wendy and Cartman finally throw down, you can see that Stan is shocked it is actually happening at first, but soon he is seen smiling at his girlfriend standing ten toes down in what she said she would do.

This isn't to say that this is all he can do, respecting his girlfriends wishes and not getting involved is the bare minimum, but when he could have easily been manipulated and pushed into being a toxic man, he trusted his girlfriend. He knew if it was really an issue she would come to him and he stayed out of her decision making.

[smalltowncryptidfucker]

I’m rewatching Gravity Falls, and seeing all the attempts Grunkle Stan made to get closer to the kids, while also pretending he doesn’t care makes me so sad 😭

Like episode one, Dipper was flipping through the Journal, and Stan asked him what he was reading to try and make conversation with him about his interests- not to mention the end of the episode, when he let the kids take something from the gift shop for free.

All of episode two he just wanted to go fishing with them, and have a bunch of fun with his family. And then now, in episode three, Mabel took the melted wax and built a statue that looked exactly like him, and he was so grateful and proud of her, that he reopened the wax museum, making sure to put her and her creation in the spotlight.

Yeah, he did come across as a vain asshole that’s so full of himself, he’d reopen an exhibit with himself as an attraction in it, but at the heart of it all, he just thought it was so cool that his great niece not only spent so much time building something with her bare hands for him, but the idea that she believed he was cool enough to base an entire art project off of him.

I’m pretty sure a gajillion people have noticed all this, and/or talked about it already, but I had to again for hyperfixation’s sake lol.

[applebuttercringe]

Episode 5 immediate thoughts

Spoilers ahead!

-Oh hey it's the big guy who used to be on Caitlyns strike team.

-Get em Vi

-Jinx is betting on Vi's fights

-Average lesbian breakup experience

-Did she dye her hair black? Or did she just cry enough eyeliner onto herself that it turned it black?

-THE SISTER REUNION

-Vi is reminded by the shimmer tear that Jinx isn't fully in control of herself.

-Proud of Jinx though for being able to be in Vi presence without a breakdown

-Last time they saw each other Vi was fully ready to kill Jinx. Most brutal fight in the series. Now they can work together? Thats kinda rushed.

-Caitlyn using her detective skills again!

-"Peacekeeping operations" Yeah right Caitlyn.

-Caitlyn is full on racist

-Full on fascist

-The Caitlyn stans are gonna be fighting for their LIVES trying to defend her.

-This is the first time we've seen Mel not collected, or at least put together and considerate.

-ELORA!!!

-Mels brother?

-Mels brother!

-Well Vi got over basically all the Jinx stuff pretty quick.

-I mean this is basically what both of them really wanted, to be a family again, and it was achieved with very little ceremony.

-Did Jinx find out the mushroom aren't toxic by eating them? Does she eat every new thing she finds just to check?

-If Vi thinks this is Jinx lying why would she follow her?

-"BITCHMITTENS"

-Typical sibling behavior

-Vi is a child hitter confirmed. Considering Jinx's lingering trauma from Vi's reaction to the explosion in S1 Ep3, I'de think she would have a worse reaction to Vi hitting Isha.

-Whaarwhick is more savage than any beast in Noxus? Knowing Noxus from league I find that hard to believe.

-Wait, did Silco kill Vi and Jinx's parents? Is that why they split? I need to rewatch this frame by frame.

-Singed holding his daughter

-Singed real name is Dr. Reveck

-If Mel and Kino are surprised Ambessa has a love child, were they her hatechilds?

-Mel herself is a magical maguffin for the cult running a foreign nation. I thought she was just a super cool girlboss.

-Jinx is a jacket sniffer.

-Was Vander in love with their mom? I thought he was their adopted dad, has he been their bio dad the whole time?

-Vi defending Jinx 🥺

-Is that Singed daughter on the record Felicity is playing.

-Oh no young Silco is hot

-Felicity sounds like Jinx when she says "working up the nerve"

-That one tweet was right, Arcane music is horrifically literal.

-I don't care if it's rushed. This scene is straight out of a feel good fix it fic and I love it. Happiness and family for the Zaun sisters!

-Is this Salo after being healed by Viktor?

-Knew it

-Jayce, where ya been buddy?

-Viktor broke Jayce out so he could come see him. I mean it is probably not Viktor, it's the hexcore taking people over, but still.

-And once again the dynamic is reversed

-Just leaving Ekko and Heimerdinger in their huh?

-JAYCE STRAIGHT UP MURDERED HIM! HOLY SHIT! WHAT!?

-I THOUGHT HE WAS JUST GONNA BONK HIM TO KNOCK HIM OUT!

-WTF HAPPENED TO HIM!

Overall: Ok, so this felt rushed. The last 4 acts have been tearing these sisters apart, entirely centering on the traumas and outside forces that keep them from being a family. Then Jinx shows up and it takes one sentence to get Vi back, granted Vander being alive is big news, but Vi thinks Jinx is lying to her. Why wouldn't she be mad at Jinx?

Jayce straight up murderred a guy, I wish we got to see more of how he got to this point.

Caitlyn is still as much of a dictator as she has been all, but she does get consistently worse.

Mel is in a totally different story now.

Things are only looking up for Jinx and Vi.

Even with it being rushed I do like Jinx and Vis story here, I want happiness for them , sue me. But I don't see how they could possibly meaningfully redeem all the other characters in the 4 episodes left. Which means I think Arcane season 2 might not be peak anymore, entertaining? Yes. Interesting? Yes. Exciting? Yes. Peak? Maybe not. I still love it, but the cracks are showing.

[skayafair]

Just watched some MVs and OH MY GODS Crystal is SO fucking cool.

In the beginning I thought she was crazy cool, but by the end of ep 1 that changed to "endearing" because she showed her vulnerable side - just a lost girl. Like. Somebody take care of her ASAP, with blankets and hot meals and lots and lots of kindness because this girl's been sucking it up all on her own for too long, she needs a break.

Now the endearing part has settled in and I'm back to the crazy cool because SHE IS. I admire everything about her post-amnesia personality (and have some compassion for the previous one).

Also I've seen some people saying Kassius' acting was bad or bland. I've considered it. Rewatched some clips. You know what, I'm falling more and more in love with the character and her portrayal.

Crystal may seem more "bland" compared to other characters because Edwin and Niko have very pronounced designs and I'm not only talking about the looks here, it's about the mannerisms and the lines delivery as well. They are pretty dramatic. Charles is sort of theatrical too, in a way. Basically all the characters look and act like they came straight from the comics, and I don't mean the DBD comics specifically but more in terms of how encapsulated and distinct comic characters images are usually in general.

Crystal though is the viewpoint chatacter. Despite being the psychic, driving the whole plot and having several plotlines she seems the most "normal" among them, the one we're supposed to associate with and see the events through, more or less. Her behavior is less dramatic and theatrical, more casual - I probably have low chances of coming across someone like Edwin or Jenny in real life, but I wouldn't be surprised to meet someone like Crystal. Not saying Kassius acting isn't expressive - it is, very much so, but it's still toned down compared to the others. I'm convinced it's intentional though.

And another possible reason is that Crystal is often angry or unhappy during the episodes, so to some it may seem like her whole character is limited to a few defining points, which affects the acting, too. Except it's NOT.

While rewatching I was blown by how alive and visceral Crystal felt. All the emotions were delivered the way I'd expect from an irl girl. The post was initially caused by the scene when Charles talks about their relationship and "being professional" to Niko and Edwin while Crystal is present and Kassius showed her character's discomfort SO masterfully. It's the microexpressions, it's the gesture of covering her face with her hands and the way it's done, it's her quiet remarks and intonation. Or the scene in ep 5 when Crystal tells Charles about David while sitting on the pavement in front of the butcher's shop and something in me breaks every time I see this scene because Crystal is breaking there, too. There are too many examples, basically all of her screen time. Yes I'm a fan of Crystal's why asking

So yeah. I don't like to deny other's points of view just because I don't like them, and Kassius' acting wasn't something I thought of while watching, so I took time to actually think about it. Hence why I have a full right to say: this opinion is a total bullshit 💖

And I didn't think of her acting while watching because it felt so natural that I DIDN'T have to think of it. Which tells a lot as is, I think.

So yeah. Stan Crystal everyone, she's a gem.

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: “Rise of the Old Masters“

Happy Father’s Day!  Rather appropriately we are talking about a keystone Kanan-Ezra episode today.  I swear I didn’t plan that, just how the timing worked out, lol.

Anyway...

I briefly mentioned this in my coverage of “Spark of Rebellion” but one of the reoccurring elements that tend to crop up in all my favorite characters (because I’m horribly predictable and have a Type) is:

“Has complicated yet ultimately heartwarming storgeic relationship with (surrogate) father figure.”

Soooooooo yeah, Kanan and Ezra pretty much hit me right in that particular button.

Poor Kanan fumbling with the lessons that came so instinctively to him. XD

“Actually that one always confused me too.”  Love that Kanan can admit it.

Kanan’s approach is almost adorable in how inept it is, he’s just kind of throwing things against the wall hoping something will stick.  In perhaps the worst environment to do any of this.

(Seriously Kanan, on top of the Ghost, while it’s in midair?!  Disaster was inevitable.)

Hhhngl, look how Ezra’s eyes light up when Kanan offers him the lightsaber, he’s so eager for this.

Another quick instance of Ezra flinching as if anticipating being hit, watch close and you can see he ducks his head as well as squeezes his eyes closed briefly.

Kanan forgot to teach good weapons safety lol.

Ezra actually gets a few cartons when he peeks. :)

Aaaaaand down he goes, certain unmentioned uncharitable portions of fandom will not let up on Kanan about this particular series of mistakes.

Is practicing on top of the Ghost irresponsible child endangerment?  Yes but... that’s literally the point?????  Kanan has no idea what he’s doing and makes horrible mistakes left and right?????  That’s why he’s so afraid and reluctant to teach Ezra?????  That’s his whole motivation for wanting to go get Luminara?????

Oh but if characters do not relate to each other absolutely perfectly without any friction or conflict or mistakes whatsoever that’s horrible and toxic.

Said at least one Maul stan without a hint of irony.

Okay, done salting, let’s enjoy this moment of Ezra trying to play it cool in front of Sabine despite being in eminent danger of falling to his death.

“What, no, this is nothing.  I’m fine.” XD

Fun fact: Pretty sure a gifset of this moment was one of the first Rebels-related posts I ever saw on my dashboard.

Hera looks very concerned here, lol.

And our first glimpse of what a Loth-cat looks like.  Cutest addition to the Star Wars menagerie ever.

Ezra’s theme is piping in here, fragmented and quiet.

*resists the urge to go into another ranting paragraph about how uncharitable parties in fandom use this scene to argue that the Ghost crew are actually terrible towards Ezra and don’t care about him properly*

Once again, everything in the eyes.  So much is unspoken but conveyed with just a look.

Friiiiiiick his expression here breaks my heart.

Casually referencing the events of last episode which should have been fandom’s first clue that it was more narratively tied into things than they thought and also introducing a new story element that plays out later.  I don’t remember what I thought about Gall Trayvis the first time around, I’m pretty sure I found it weird and fishy though.

Ha ha ha the casual Fridge Horror of the Imperial broadcaster talking about a “planetary liberation” via Base Delta Zero protocol.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MIGHT NOT KNOW: Base Delta Zero is basically code for “Have a bunch of Star Destroyers systematically incinerate everything on a planet’s surface from orbit.”

Soooooo yeah, there’s probably not much left of that particular “liberated” world.

Kind of interesting that Ezra chooses to confide in Chopper about his fears here.

I do like the nice cloud effects.

Kanan is in a very serious mood here, one we haven’t seen from him yet.  Speaks to the depths of how badly he wants this to succeed.

Badass Stormtrooper takedown immediately ruined by feral gremlin child. <3

Aaaaaand yet another instance of Ezra flinching like he expects Kanan to hit him.  Just what exactly caused such a pronounced startle effect, exactly?

Don’t think about bby Ezra growing up on the streets, don’t think about bby Ezra growing up on the streets--

Ezra looks so crestfallen here ow ow ow ow. :(

Hera shivers as if it’s cold, which could be taken straightforwardly but also I like to think she senses the bad vibes about the place.

Oh hey, now’s a good time to remind people of the horrible headcanon theory someone sent me about why Kanan can still sense Luminara even though she’s dead.

You’re welcome.

LOOK AT THIS TIRED FATHER AND HIS THREE HORRIBLE CHILDREN.  Love how Zeb and Sabine openly roast him while he’s right there, terrible influences on Ezra the both of you. XD

Snrk, the one Stormtrooper getting his helmet caught in the lift doors lololol.

The music has been periodically sparse throughout this episode, the quiet parts giving all focus to dialogue, but it’s picked up quite a bit here.

I hear the Force Theme strings prelude of course.

It is physically painful how much Ezra already hero-worships Kanan and looks up to him.  He didn’t want to learn how to be a Jedi from just anyone, he wanted to learn from Kanan specifically because thinks Kanan is so cool and amazing.  Ezra is constantly in awe of him this episode.

But, I mean, is it any wonder that an emotionally vulnerable teenage boy with deeply-seated abandonment issues would latch onto the first available and positive adult male influence in his life?

The Force theme coming in more fully here to trick us right before the horrible reveal, though the way it sours on the end note is a little five-second musical foreshadowing.

Hi Grand, bringing the Imperial March with you I see.

And then his theme breaks in after the commercial break cut and lemme just appreciate it again, it’s so nicely dark and foreboding.  That tiny little snatch of Force Theme on the trumpet can barely be heard through it, it’s too overpowering.

Grand refrains from going for an easy kill several times this fight.  He likes to play with his food, apparently.  Even toying with Kanan he’s waaaaaay outclassing him, very neat and precise fencing strokes here.

Kanan’s heavy flailing is actually very at odds with his supposed preferred form, Soresu, Form 3, a primarily reflective and defensive form, which makes Grand’s comment about him being a poor student sting a bit more.

Lololol my man doesn’t even flinch at Ezra’s slingshot bolts.

Hngl the smoke element is fantastic here.  Watch it waft around Kanan and Ezra as they run through it.  This is not the kind of effect work you usually get on CGI kids cartoon shows.

Kanan’s form actually improves a bit after the cutaway, his footing is more solid and he’s expending less effort, making his blocking stances more effective at turning back Grand’s blade.  So that jibe from Grand apparently kicked Kanan’s brain into focus.

Oh yep, all those troopers are dead, that is not a survivable explosion.

Kanan’s managing the spinny Jedi flips now; he’s untensing and likely falling back into muscle memory and connection to the Force.  I love how Star Wars tends to depict Jedi survivors getting back into practice after they haven’t picked up their sabers or connected to the Force in a long while, awkward at first but slowly getting the hang of it again, remembering their training, moving through basics into more complex moves until they’re comfortable again.  I know A New Dawn also depicts Kanan tapping into the Force as straining a muscle that hasn’t been used in a while, nice consistency across the board there.

“He is unfocused and undisciplined.”  “Well then we’re perfect for each other!”

And one of my favorite Papa Wolf Kanan moments right here when Kanan slams Grand up against the ceiling. :)

The Force Theme is finally louder and more confident here and Grand’s has taken a pause.

Buuuuuuut it’s soon back in force lol.

I dunno what it is but I really love the animation in Grand’s unflinching run through the closing doors here, even when he has to leap over them he doesn’t even break stride.

Ezra’s slicing and lockpicking skills kind of fall by the wayside as he focuses more on Jedi training, which is kind of a shame, I liked that he was a bit tech-savvy in ways Sabine wasn’t.

Why I like to include little moments here and there in my fics where he still gets to use his talents.

Can I appreciate this little moment of Sabine reaching for him in concern?

Of course I can, who’s going to stop me?

And one of my favorite master-padawan moments right here, Kanan finally giving some solid instruction (”Picture the locking mechanism in your mind.”), doing it with him, and it’s something easy that Ezra can already do albeit on a bigger scale.

A very victorious Force Theme to mark the occasion. :)

Something Rebels does when it needs to emphasize Kanan and Ezra’s connection is basically have them mirror each other’s pose, this is one of the first examples.  Ezra’s straining a little bit more in his expression but they’re perfectly in sync and mirror-matched limb for limb.

WHICH DOESN’T NECESSARILY MAKE THE PARALLELED IMAGERY IN THE FINALE HURT MORE BUT IT ADDS A LAYER.

Ohhhhhhh hang on, does anyone wonder if Hera leading the tibedees here was inspiration for the eventual purrgil surprise?

It’s on theme at least, lol.

I hear the “Rebels Shenanigans” leitmotif here, bit more dramatic than normal, lovely.

Ezra’s theme coming in as we return to Lothal and man, there’s really nothing I could say about this scene that hasn’t already been said, this is one of fandom’s favorites, we can all spill ink about Ezra’s fear of abandonment and Kanan’s sense of inadequacy and how the Force tends to bring together pairs that teach and grow each other.

How Kanan finally figures out and understands what Yoda’s “Do or do not” line means, how it’s all about your mental state, you can’t give up before you’ve started, you have to be all in and fully committed.

How he’s realizing he has to commit to this and not half-ass it and that leads him to adjust his strategy and go much slower and more meticulously in this lovely little last scene which has the distinct look and feel of a father and son playing catch in the yard. ^_^

Our first real “plot-heavy“ episode of the series, heavy on the drama and interpersonal character conflict.  Can see why it’s the episode that convinced a lot of people to stay on board.  It delves much more deeply into Kanan and Ezra’s master-padawan connection, the Found Family aspects of which are, of course, widely loved.  Their relationship was always one of the show’s strengths.  Like Ezra and Zeb’s friendship it starts off rocky but there’s an extra emotional and personal element in that Kanan is the teacher, the “parent”, and they’re both connected to the Force, something no one else can teach Ezra about.  Kanan has to be the one to guide Ezra through that learning process because he’s the only one who understands it, who can bring that aspect out of Ezra and make him truly who he is.

Kanan really starts to step up after this.  He’s still got a LOT of fears and worries and insecurities, as he’ll tell Yoda later, but he’s over his initial mental block now.  All the better for Ezra, for helping him feel wanted and safe. :)

Ahhhh I love this episode, the character growth from this point to the end is just *chef kiss*.  More worried spacedad Kanan up next week, hopefully I’ll have that post up quicker than this one.

Coming in last minute like my newborn last month oy.

[oh-cramity-its-amity]

Welcome To the Playground (Arcane Rewatch Sunday)

| Episode 1 |

This post involves spoilers to the episode and is entirely my commentary on watching it!!

To start this rewatch off we meet the first episode. The one that sets the stage of what's to come, and damn IS this an episode. I lied abit about watching this for the second time because I have seen this episode one twice. More so one scene being prominate but I didn't give enough of my attention to the opening scene.

Here we see the sisters. (A lot of these screenshots I took are of them being together because they actually make me want to SOB and throw myself onto the floor in shambles.)

Powder's song is almost haunting in a way, as we see moments later of Vander and the total fucking destruction (which I didn't remember this scene all that great so holy shit this was such an interesting way to set the stage and tone of things.)

Another photo of the sisters because like above. They make me want to sob. VI LOOKS SO BROKEN TOO. PLEASE SOMEONE GIVE HER A HUG FFS.

I really really appreciate the color. The way everything is shaded and just too, the way things are-- Vander. I'm guessing this is how they met and he took them in?? I'd assume. Might have missed some kind of subtext but it definitely is an emotional look combined with the utter emotion behind both of them. Too with Powder's singing.

AND HERE WE ARE! This scene I have the most familiarity with. I really do like how everything is colored as well. Mylo and Claggor alongside them <- I did not memorize their names before EITHER WHICH IS WRONG. They do seem like cool characters, but LOOK AT THIS SHOT. Topside really be having EVERYTHING.

I was going to entre a joke here about Powder almost falling off the building and Vi grabbing her arm and show a picture of Catadora from princess prom to say something but I forgot the punchline and I didn't take it. Not the same energy either, but my brain was trying to think up a silly joke.

I had to take a screenshot of the Kiramman place-thingy. It's so funny- I missed that detail last time. Imagine robbing the girl's families' place that's going to be your love interest. CANT RELATE LOL. But hey!! I thought it was really funny Mylo commenting about them locking their balcony alongside Vi just kicking the fucking door open. SUCH A SLAY move. We love, we stan!!!!

(Also to note, its such a cool frame to just pause and look at in finer detail. It's got so much stuff to look at. I know I didn't take more shots of Powder with the orb ball thing, but I really thought everything in the place was super unique and even through them robbing the place it was fascinating the part where Powder finds the sandwich and just ate ONE BITE of it and going oooo what's this thing. I CAN'T. Girl eat more of the sandwich, you're leaving too much behind!!!! AT LEAST TAKE IT WITH YOU.)

"That's a nose hair trimmer." <- I love you Powder.

I would say never change but uh... UH... ANYWAY.

The orb fucking EXPLODED. CRAZY.

Guess your clear Powder. Don't think they're gonna find that sandwich now. But I don't think that's.... leaving no traces.

I mean you left that building without a trace, sure... but like... where's the building???

(btw yeah I was watching with captions on. It helps with my comprehension of what I'm watching. I'm not gonna ramble about it NOW but damn people should not hate so hard on people who watch stuff with captions on.)

Mylo commenting about his new shirt and getting cut off by Vi kicking him down was so goofy. If you KNOW. But too-- This color pallet. I know I keep saying that but even the topside shitty parts are pretty. TOPSIDE REALLY BE HAVIN EVERYTHING.

UGH GOD I HATE THIS PART BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING SO GOOD. Mylo is such a stupid idiot. More of the sisters because I can't. I actually can't. Someone's gonna skin me if I say that when I first saw Powder I thought of 2-D from Gorillaz. It's the blue hair okay. I DON'T EVEN LISTEN TO THEM. Derailing this episode mb.

All this violence and then its Powder. I got so frustrated when they started chasing her with the stuff too. Was truly rooting for her. Every time I see the scene too I always wish she succeed.

SHE LOOKS SO FUCKING BADASS. LOVE HER. Love the buzzed fade thing so MUCH. The hair. It's everything. SHE is everything.

I always want her to win. I always do. She deserved so much better than how they treated her. Her inventions, she truly was so misunderstood. Never given a chance and written off. I really liked the writing but like holy fuck it was so infuriating because you just want the best for her with all that's happening. You want her to win...

He said it. He said the thing.

He should fuck off and die but HE SAID THE THING.

I cut out most of the part where we saw The Last Drop and Vander talking to those people about negotiating things. Dunno what to comment about that whole segment but Vander coming to chew out Vi once they all came back. I think the whole part where he coaches her about being a leader was a good message. About how she needs to be less reckless and more strategic because people look up to her- Especially Powder. And then not only that, but their health is also in her hands if she is being reckless.

Vander asking if she put that guy on his ass after chewing her out is such an Eda moment but also such a good parent moment. I love when we have that be a trope(?) with fictional parents. Chew the shit out of your kid and then be like "but you still kicked their ass, right?" Slay shit right there.

Ekko. I NOTICED THE FUCKING DETAIL ABOUT "LITTLE MAN."

HE GAVE THEM THE INFO. I DIDN'T NOTICE THAT LAST TIME OMFG. It's all coming together. The air fighting 💀.

More of the sisters because they deserve better. Vi being supportive of Powders inventions. It all makes me emotionally unstable /pos.

MORE OF THE SISTERS. PLEASE I NEED YOU TO KNOW I LOVE THEM. This moment. I can't. I can't. I can't.

The orb.

I am giving you screenshots of the sisters and I am not sorry.

Then there's this. The way the scene ended. I'm not sure how else to comment on it all but I really wanted to insert this photo because its such a nice shot of the lanes and then them in scale of it all. Kinda symbolic to an extent. (I hope I got that right? Undercity verses The Lanes was confusing me on the difference.)

I'm so mad about that cat.

But Silco.

We see him.

We still hate him though.

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

Anyway ahhh THIS EPISODE WAS SO GOOD. Sorry if I seemed dry at all in any of my parts. It's like- I dunno what else to say at times but I really really enjoyed it. I think seeing this show again is going to really inspire me in more ways than just "ooo show" but it's just SUCH a neat looking world. World building is such an important aspect of stories to me, it needs to have a good and interesting world for me to feel a good hard urge to invest into the content.

One of the reasons why I fell in love with TOH so hard was BECAUSE of its world. (among other things *cough cough* wlw)

The world is such a important piece in storytelling. Characters too, and sometimes they matter more because they can fall flat if they aren't written good. But everything that goes into the world is such an engaging thing.

With this episode it didn't feel like- Boring or anything at all. (I have a short attention span at times and sometimes my mind will just be like "ughhhh") WHICH IS AWESOME. These episodes are literally 45 minutes so like wtf. If a show can do that shit- Damn dude they're cooking SO hard.

I'm not even a LoL fan or like knowing of that lore, and I'm sure knowing of that stuff would make things even more interesting with lore (am a SUCKER for lore too) but even as it stands it's such an Indepth show. (I mean that as in it's not kid-ish. THERES MEAT TO IT.)

I'm so ready for episode two!!!

UNTIL NEXT SUNDAY!!

[stitching-in-time]

Voyager rewatch s1 ep1: Caretaker

I'm finally doing it- I'm re-watching all of Star Trek: Voyager from beginning to end, in order, for the first time since it originally aired!

I've watched re-runs many times in the intervening years, but never in a complete and methodical way (including episodes I hate and usually avoid- pray for me lol) and now I'll also be recording my observations on tumblr!

I have a love-hate relationship with Voyager, since I feel the writing was extremely uneven, but I'm definitely on the side of love for the show, overall. I'll critique it and be snarky about the bad stuff to high heavens, but it's still one of my formative childhood Trek shows, and I'll always be loyal to it.

First up: Caretaker (long post behind cut)

The two hour special pilot was an event back in the day, and you can tell they spent a ton of money on it, and it still looks good. (I had forgotten all about the little opening info text, lol, like it's Star Wars, and we're some general audience unaware of Star Trek lore. But they were still hoping to bring in a general audience beyond Trekkies back then- does anyone here remember how Voyager was the show that launched the UPN network? Or is that just obscure trivia to the baby Trekkies now??)

Voyager was the first Star Trek series I actually remember watching the premiere of, since I was too young to remember the premieres of Next Gen and DS9, though I was surely in the room while my mom watched them. But I was a proper Trekkie by the time Voyager came around, and as a little girl, having a woman captain on a Star Trek series for the first time was a big deal. And from the first moment Captain Janeway appeared on screen with her Katherine Hepburn voice and full-on Gibson Girl hairdo (in the 24 century no less, what an icon!), she commanded every scene, and I loved her instantly. I can never watch the first ep without remembering that first viewing. We were all crazy excited, and it lived up to the hype. It's a solid, exciting adventure story, and it sets up the characters and the series premise well. And it might not seem like it now, but I can't begin to describe how fresh and high tech and cool this show looked to us in 1995. The opening credits alone had us all oohing and ahhing like the Webb space telescope images do now. And tbh, it's still really pretty, almost 30 years later. It has more of a movie look to it than most 90s Trek eps, for one thing, the lighting looks different from most of the rest of the series, I should go back and see if it was different designer than they usually used. But the whole scale is just bigger. They were able to fit in lots more locations than a regular ep with the two hour timeslot, which gives it a grand adventure/quest sort of vibe. Wherever they filmed the Ocampa city scenes was huge and looked nicely futuristic, it really added to the big movie feel. (I'm suspecting part of it at least was a shopping mall, since there's a scene where Janeway and crew are literally riding on an actual escalator. Lolwut?) The matte paintings as well are just goregeous. I will forever and always stan old Trek's matte paintings of alien cites, they're so beautiful and atmospheric and so full of cool tiny details that usually get overlooked in CGI.

I'd forgotten how Tom Paris-centric that first ep was. Looking back, I can imagine the predominantly white male writer's room desperately clinging to their one white male character for dear life, since they were already stretching their little brains to figure out the whole 'woman captain' thing, and were probably having a hard time identifying with a woman lead character because patriarchy, so they had to fall back on Paris, who I think actually ended up being the character with the most POV scenes in the first ep. (Apparently Robbie McNeill was second on the call sheet for the pilot, according to Garrett Wang on their Delta Flyers podcast, so they apparently thought of Paris as the second lead going into the series.) I don't feel sorry for the writers at all though, and I don't forgive them for the weirdly racist lines they gave Paris in this one- I'm ignoring it and casting it out of canon in my mind the same way I do for the crazy sexist lines that get tossed out in the original series every other ep. Obviously they were trying to make Paris a bad boy in the beginning, but the stuff about 'can't Native Americans magically turn into animals if they want' (!!) was egregiously racist even in the 90s, and it's incredibly anachronistic for a story that's supposed to be set in a post-racism utopian future where no one would even think something like that, let alone say it, even as a joke.

Luckily Tom and Harry immediately adopting each other as new best buds is adorably sweet from the get go, and already undermining the Tom Paris bad boy narrative. Even in this first ep, half the time Tom is going out if his way to help people, even though at this point he barely knows them. What a rogue! So un-Starfleet! lol

I'd forgotten how creepy the alien abduction scenes were too. They were pretty brief, and that particular sub-plot wasn't well fleshed out, but they definitely ramped up the suspense for sure.

Also I'm now gonna always be a little bitter that the unamed chief medical officer who had one scene before getting killed off was played by Jeff McCarthy. As a huge musical theatre nerd, I've been a fan of his on several cast recordings, and would absolutely have loved to have him on a Star Trek show as a regular, if only! I'm not the hugest fan of the EMH, and Jeff McCarthy can sing too, and how! What we could have had!! (But then they'd have had a hard time selling whitebread little Tom Paris as a lothario next to Jeff and his devastatingly sexy baritone voice lol. Seriously, go listen to him on the Side Show album and swoon. And per Garrett Wang, Jeff was really nice in real life and gave him encouranging words on set during their scene, aww!)

All the main characters had really nice scenes that gave a nice essence of who they were. I think Harry and B'Elanna were good characters to throw together since they're such opposites, they played off each other really well, and I wish we'd have had more of them working together throughout the series. The only exception to the otherwise good charcter revealing scenes was Chakotay, who just had to make do with complaining about not liking Tom Paris. Unfortunately I think it foreshadowed a larger problem with the writers not really knowing who he is either, but that's a subject to be explored in subsequent episodes.

My biggest disappointment on re-watching is how they failed to make the reason for Voyager being stuck in the Delta quadrant actually make sense. I get that they tried to make it a moral dilemma, and show that Starfleet people are so noble that they'll chose harm to themselves before causing harm to others, but the particular setup here doesn't really work. There's no reason they couldn't have used the array to get home and like, left a bomb on a countdown to destroy the array right after they left, but they didn't even consider it, even though Starfleet officers totally would at least consider possible options. They didn't stay to protect the Ocampa anyway, and eventually when the Caretakers' gifts run out their society is probably going to collapse, so how much good did Voyager really do for them by destroying the array? It might have helped them temporarily, but eventually, and maybe not even that long after, the Ocampa were still gonna end up in a vulnerable position. It kind of makes the whole series seem a little frustrating, in that the main problem is something that didn't really even have to happen at all. (But on the other hand, no wonder Janeway spends the whole series wracked with guilt, yikes.) I truly wish they'd have come up with something that made destroying the array the only possible choice, with absolutely no loopholes, but sometimes in fiction we have to suspend our disbelief and go with it. This is one of those times, so I'll just savor Kate Mulgrew's impassioned closing speech, with her signature soap opera pathos (she's the only actor on the planet who can deliever a monologue and then look off into the distance with a pensive Soap Opera Stare, and I buy it completely. I love her and her face, ugh) and I'll try to ignore the parts of the story that don't work, and keep focused on the things that do. (Which is the mantra I use to get me through like half the episodes lol)

On to episode two!

[mytvd]

can they fly?? is there any other way she could have been yanked vertically like that??

the zooming of the credits sent me

"i predicted obama" "can we still say 'tr*nny mess'?"

the crow on the street signs. watching. observing. the video mentioned that the crow and fog get dropped right away which is already making me so sad.

kai confuses me -- is he really making fun of jeremy for wearing nail polish?? "pete wentz (derogatory)"?? offended at the mention of carson daly?? he and jeremy look equally threatening, is kai supposed to be scarier??

the dramatic sunglasses removal made me wonder if vampires can accidentally compel people by making eye contact. or was it just to look cool

the "chill yourself" clip has been stuck in my mind since i first watched that video and seeing it in context was just ...!

why is bonnie so menacing in that shot????

i'm uneasy seeing pretty much all of these people inside a high school. i have consumed ridiculous amounts of high school media but this is really pushing it

"HAWT-E" lmao

i haven't looked into anything about the production at all but this looks like a really high-budget episode for the first season of any show, especially a teen paranormal romance

that crow noise as she enters the cemetery LMAOOOOO

literally lol'd at [i assume damon] standing by that statue. whoever came up with that shot really ate that day

does elena think "hitchcock" is the movie title

the crow sounds keep startling my cat

there's no way she wouldn't have felt that injury lol

is this the same background music from pll??

matt looks old enough to be kai's dad at this restaurant. no offense to this actor irl -- he just looks tired and his skin looks very dehydrated (vs kai's v moisturized face). why didn't they oil up this man and try another take

"when's the last time you had sex with a puppy?"

i thought it was gonna turn out that elena was lying to jenna, she is dressed for a much different occasion than her friends are

"her mom and dad died" i wonder how many more times this will get stated in this episode (edit: even more than i thought)

it looks like stefan is on a date with all three of them

i had to rewatch this scene because of the background kate bush. i didn't want it to be a cover but wow. the hits!!!

i stan this wardrobe full of diaries!!!

why is this teacher such an asshole

i don't think i ever learned about this kind of hyperlocal town history in school at any point (i also went to a small town southern public high school). i realize it's there for our benefit but lol it seems weird. what actual class is this where on day 2 of school they are learning this information??

mr. tanner quickly became even more of an asshole jfc

why is the closeup of stefan's nose pores comforting to me? (it's bc everyone is airbrushed now)

i love how supportive elena is of bonnie's psychic abilities

elena is v committed to cradling that empty solo cup

where is this?? i know they said "the falls" and i assumed this pavilion in the woods was maybe someone's private property but the bridge with the lights?? where are they lol

holy shit vicki

this is a much fancier woods party spot than the woods party spot i went to in high school. or the cow pasture spot. there are so many coolers, cans, bottles, etc, but no visible litter. wild

how is nobody calling 911 lol like why are all these kids just standing around staring as if nothing has happened?? they would be, at the very least, milling about

the zooms are non-stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i have never seen so many zooms. slow zooms. fast zooms. credit zooms.

i know there are things like civil war flashbacks but i would love a 90s one of stefan in his "grunge look"

jenny called damon "an eyebrow heavy performance" and yeah

i can't believe jeremy is drinking a beer while there are cops in the frame???

i hope we find out more about the competition caroline believes she is in with elena

the fray. i'm time traveling

stefan wanted to "be someone new" so he returned to his small hometown, under his real name, to live in his family home??

i know that almost everyone in a movie/tv show playing a teen or young adult is older than their character but again this show is really pushing my suspension of disbelief re: damon making eye contact with caroline. in this shot just having him facing the camera instead of showing his profile and using less harsh lighting would have done wonders to not make me viscerally react to him flirting with a teenager.

elena in front of this giant un-curtained window in the dark on the cw is so pll

from the video i know the stefan is "seventeen" but i wonder if katherine was also seventeen?? or maybe katherine is older than the brothers, in apparrant age & actual age? i just had the thought, "if stefan is only here to check out elena, why couldn't he have waited until she graduated high school to meet her?" which made me think, "at what point in her physical development would it become clear that she is a doppleganger of katherine? like how young?" there is no enjoyment for me in trying to pick apart the age disparity ethics of vampire teens dating human teens so i am disregarding that for this entire show but the doppleganger thing is weird to me

just remembered from the vpd video that queen bianca lawson is on this show, just like she was on contemporary PLL and predecessor BTVS. the eternal teenager

i was committed to only watching one episode tonight but the next episode is called "the night of the comet." fuck

[giffingthingsss]

Enterprise rewatch order project.

Think of this as a streamlined first two seasons of Enterprise experience. Hits the major points, cuts out some of the more boring eps, puts things in an order in which I think they more or less flow. 

I'm aiming for something resembling a throughline. Obviously, I have put the episodes I like in here, with the exception of maybe two that are just too essential to the flow to take out. Your list might be slightly different.

Broken Bow Strange New World Fight or Flight The Andorian Incident Unexpected Sleeping Dogs Cold Front Silent Enemy Shuttlepod One Breaking the Ice Acquisition Shadows of P'Jem Vanishing Point Shockwave Carbon Creek Minefield Dead Stop Cease Fire Fusion Singularity The Catwalk Horizon The Crossing The Seventh Regeneration Stigma First Flight

Reasoning Breakdown:

Broken Bow Strange New World Fight or Flight

The one thing I insist on is that Strange New World is the second episode, not Fight or Flight. The only indication that there’s a switch is it’s been two weeks in Fight or Flight and six weeks in Strange New World. But I just say Trip meant it’s been two weeks since the last thing happened. 

In the Pilot you’ve got Archer going from ‘grrr Vulcans’ to ‘okay this particular Vulcan is pretty cool, I need to leave my prejudice behind.’ Strange New World is that confrontation for Trip and T’Pol. It needs to happen before things settle into a routine. I like the tone of it more as a follow up as well. In this ep Archer and T'Pol are pretty chill and work together which I think follows more. In the next ep there's a little tension but it's born of his own ethical struggle.

I took A Night in Sickbay out of the list and put the Hoshi eps back in. I still sort of stan A Night in Sickbay as ENT’s one real attempt at a whacky episode. But Archer again trying to get beyond prejudgments at that stage in the game seems like a little bit of a backslide. He will still have his frustrations with Vulcans, but for the most part I prefer to keep the development momentum going.

Plus there's some fun stuff in Fight or Flight relating to the wet behind the ears nature of this crew. And if Hoshi's arc is eventual captain, kinda need to see this build up.

The Andorian Incident Unexpected Sleeping Dogs

Keeping the excitement up we jump into a plotty episode that will play into a larger arc with the Andorian Incident. Then switch to something more fun in Unexpected.

Unexpected ends on Klingons threatening Archer, so I thought Sleeping Dogs flowed from that pretty nicely. Back to a more dangerous ep. 

Vox Sola has that nice T’Pol/Hoshi stuff and it’s got Malcolm figuring out an early version of a force field. But I don't have it because T’Pol and Hoshi haven’t really butted heads since the pilot. They have a nice meditation moment in Sleeping Dogs, so if you want Vox Sola I would put it before that. I haven't tried it to see if that would actually work, just sayin'.

In Cold Front we get back to the overarching temporal plot. It works better when it’s not so far removed from the pilot that you’ve kind of forgotten such a thing exists. 

Silent Enemy Shuttlepod One Breaking the Ice

Shuttlepod One flows from Silent Enemy nicely. The quest for Malcolm's favorite food followed by "Never got very close to my family either, for that matter, not that it's any business of yours. But with the crew of the Enterprise, it was different. I was really starting to feel comfortable with them.”

Shuttlepod One has Trip poo pooing T’Pol as a romantic prospect so I thought Breaking the Ice was a fun follow up where he acts as accidental relationship confidante. 

Acquisition Shadows of P'Jem Vanishing Point

The previous eps had a hefty dose of peril, so now we go to the fun in Acquisition.

Shadows of P’Jem is another plot episode with Vulcans and Andorians. Follow that up with a character ep that also highlights the discomfort with the transporter technology.

Shadows of P'Jem also had a brief moment of trepidation with the transporter, so Vanishing just kind of expounds on that fear. You could stick another ep in here though if you have a different preference. The basic point is breathing room between Shadows and Shockwave. 

Shockwave Carbon Creek Dear Doctor Minefield Dead Stop

Shockwave, big plotty episodes. Follow that up with a nice calm character piece with 1950′s Vulcans. Nothing needs to change there. 

I wanted Singularity next and for Minefield to follow, but Singularity mentions Travis' brain implants, so no dice.

Cease Fire Fusion Singularity The Catwalk Horizon

Cease Fire gets us back into the main story. Alliances and all that.

Fusion is put here rather than earlier to be closer to Stigma. I also feel like T'Pol has been on the ship long enough now to explore this.

Singularity is just a standalone ep I like a lot. Ditto for The Catwalk. The Catwalk flows into Horizon via T'Pol, Trip, and movies.

I originally did not have any Mayweather eps, but as you go along, it becomes conspicuous that he hasn't had one. Having just one cargo ship episode rather than two helps a lot. You're like, 'oh interesting things here' rather than 'another cargo ship ep?' So I think it works.

The Crossing The Seventh Regeneration Stigma First Flight

We've kind of run out of wider world plot episodes and are left with me trying to arrange standalones I like. Other things can be put here if people have different preferences.

Character ep in Horizon, then switch to an ensemble with The Crossing. Another character ep in The Seventh. My major problem is spacing out T’Pol episodes. Here we see some backstory and her kind of losing it. You buy that she trusts Archer. 

Excitement/action in Regeneration. Character ep in Stigma. I like the sort of build up in these episodes with T'Pol and Archer. When my 'next season' begins with The Expanse you buy her choosing the Enterprise over the Vulcans. You might even buy her glow up.

The only problem with putting Stigma closer to Fusion is you kind of remember that the whole 'forced' thing is a little questionable. Coercion, manipulation. At some point it became forced and that's what caused the brain damage, so maybe? But the main thing is they needed a way to get the Vulcans to let her off. So squint. I like this ep even if it does stray dangerously close to being too on the nose (okay it crosses that line a couple times, but T'Pol). And I like Stigma going into First Flight.

My ‘season’ end is First Flight. None of the characters look younger so it's a lil hard to suspend my disbelief and picture what I'm supposed to be looking at, but it’s a nice button on the overall thematic arc so far. Plus T’Pol insisting she go with because she knows he’s upset and she wants him to talk about it is just like... I’m an absolute sucker okay. I'm weak.

So this ep is a nice button on the arc and on a relationship that started out rocky. Wraps it all up more or less before we get into a new chapter and new dynamics with the Xindi.

So that's my streamlined 'season one' that hits the main themes and plot points and I think keeps a nice throughline of Archer and T'Pol's growing friendship without a lot of backsliding. I would then start 'season two' with The Expanse.

There might be a context thing or two missing since we didn't see episodes like Bounty, but oh well. The Klingon thing feels kinda shoehorned into the Xindi start up anyway, imho.

The eps that didn't make my cut might make someone else's. Most of them are fine or have some great stuff in them, just maybe didn't fit my flow or I found a bit boring. They're in a 'pull out and watch randomly if so desired' pile.

[parachutingkitten]

This is, in fact, very helpful. This makes a lot of sense. Not that there's any argument that could get me to like Skybound on its writing merits, but I do at least get where people are coming from a little more.

I think my mental barrier comes from the fact that they never really finished the arc? Like he starts out thinking that Nya is the end all be all, and by the end of the season... everything still revolves around her. Like he literally gives up the fight once she's gone, cuz what's the point? And of course, that does inadvertently end up solving things, but it's also kind of proof he hasn't learned his lesson? He never apologizes to her. He never finds a larger motivation outside of her. So, I guess for me it's just that they turned up the self pitying downer qualities of Jay up to ten for this season and then left it unresolved, leaving him as a self pitying downer in my mind. And I'm not in the ninjago game to feel like a downer, you know?

But, I do see how if you can read in a character arc, that would be awesome growth. I mean the "I am a selfish jerk with low self esteem tied to a woman" to "I am a self confident and determined member of the team who has inherent value" arc, is technically there. Even if I don't personally see any of that growth this season, at the very least the starting point is there, and there is plenty of fandom content to be extracted from that.

And I do see people's point about the whole coping mechanism thing, and it is pretty cool that they directly address it in dialogue and stuff, but I'm not sure that Jay's actions for me this season really sold me on the idea that that's what the season is about. If anything, Jay's positivity streak in season 4 exemplifies the power of his jokey attitude and relentless determination more than this does. He's so bitter and annoyed all season long. And yeah, he's using humor to deflect, but in a much more sour, cynical way than usual. If this was about being nobly willing to stand up to adversity for your friends and being a selfless person, he would not be as whiny about it as he is. If you have a subplot about how humor can help carry you through hardship, could our protagonist not be a little more... positive?

idk, maybe I just don't like jay's delivery this season, and he's actually better than I'm making him out to be here, it's been at least half a year since I've rewatched it, but it defiantly feels like he's dragging his feet about having to do his job for most of the season every time I watch.

And while I do understand the appeal of torture angst, like... what's the point if he doesn't actually learn anything from it? I always think back to how episode 5 hammers in this "we need to punish you" angle SO hard, only to forgive him by the end of the episode before he's demonstrated any kind of growth. Like yeah, no one deserves physical torture, period, but just because you've endured some uncalled for hardship doesn't automatically make you a good person. And once cole comes to help him escape, he has realized that keeping vital mission information from the team was a bad thing to do, but we don't get any other kind of apology for being a dick or giving a girl who doesn't like you a hard time for not liking you, while you were being a dick. He hasn't even really gained any self confidence, because he's still throwing pity parties for himself up until he sees his parents.

I think ultimately, it just emanates a lot of "wow, we made our comic relief character do angst! It's so deep bro!" energy, which... is just not ever a vibe I want to live in.

Sorry, this has gotten very rambley. I get wordy when I talk about skybound, what can I say? Again, all of this is pretty subjective, there are an infinite number of valid interpretations of any piece of media, etc. etc.

What I'm getting from most of the responses is- It's a jay season. A lot of the Jay stans like it cuz it has some ideas about jay. Now, it hasn't really thought through any of these ideas, but the fandom is more than willing to do that work for it, because that's what fandom does. And I'm down with that. I mean, I have some very non-canon Pixal headcanons that make me like season 7 way more than I should, so I can relate...

Genuine question for all my Skybound people out there:

(If you know me) I obviously do not like the season very much, but I see a lot of people who do enjoy it saying they do so because of Jay's arc, and his great character development that season.

And as someone who has only ever hated Jay more after watching it, I am genuinely interested in what it is y'all are referring to specifically. Is it just that we got some more character background for him in terms of being adopted? Is it the stuff with him and cole? Is it just the fact that he gets a bunch of screen time? Is it the interactions with nya?

Again, nothing but curious intentions here, I'm just genuinely invested in the fandom perception of the season.

[chellyfishing]

I’m still kinda confined to bed so I’m gonna talk about some mobies I watched recently!!

dashcam: so the way this was described by reviewers that i follow was like “protagonist is awful, horror is great,” and yeah that about sums it up! but like I said in my post that kinda makes the horror work for me bc im like yes please bad things should happen to bad people. I would say im sure she’s very lovely in real life but like i think the point is that she is not. I would watch it again.

disenchanted: this movie was uhhh kinda bad!! bad writing, especially the song lyrics, I actually could do an autopsy of this bc I turned into That Bitch tm while watching it like 🤓 um actually these are plot holes but idk it didn’t, hmm how to put this, respect its audience I guess? I have large reserves of WSOD but there was no internal consistency to what we were working with. that aside it LOOKED gorgeous, the FITS in this my god, everybody was stunning at all times

falling for christmas aka the lindsay lohan christmas movie: like, I think most people going into this film know what they’re about to get and as long as you stand by those expectations you won’t be disappointed. except why was santa there, why was he real, and why was he so creepy, what was that all about, somebody needed to tell whoever thought that was a good idea that they were wrong about that and probably a lot of other things in life I have to believe!!!!! we stan tad tho. what a weird little twink.

the last broadcast: this was a movie Ryan hollinger was covering and it’s free on tubi so I was like all right heck yeah I’ll go watch that then come back and it’s a pretty wild ride! It’s a found footage that predates Blair witch by a couple years and I don’t think it’s as good as Blair witch but it’s not what you expect. like I very much appreciate what they were going for here and I think I’m gonna watch it again soon. kinda camp but with found footage production idk if that makes sense.

the McPherson tape/ufo abduction (the 1989 one): another found footage that Ryan covered that is free on pluto! pluto the app not pluto the dwarf planet you don’t have to go that far. the tension in this movie feels real!! this is real stressed family gathering energy. also I just like found footage i am an easy sell.

pearl: this movie is very different to x!! but I liked it a lot it is very very good. not super scary, the tension in that scene near the end is killer tho. more of a character study than a standard slasher like x was. also very stylized in a cool way like it really evokes of all things wizard of oz which is deliberate to my knowledge. just a good movie and mia goth is so incredibly talented. looking forward to maxine!!!

spy x family: not a movie but i did binge it over a couple days and i have no regrets. do people have good fic to hand, im going to go looking, I need for them to KISS ALRSADY GOD

cabinet of curiosities: not a movie either but do yourself a favor and just watch it. i know I like anthologies more than the average person but this is guillermo del toro-curated! and he introduces every episode and director so you get to see him! eight episodes. go do it.

I also did a rewatch of the happy death days with Phil those are such a delight im glad I could share them 🤗 and a rewatch of till death bc it slaps.

[mazojo]

Winter 2021 Anime Opinions

As always its that time of the year I pretend to be an anime connoisseur and leave my review on this seasons anime so take it with a grain of salt asdfgh from the one I enjoyed the least to the most.

Wave!!: Surfing Yappe!! (TV)

You are seeing currently the only probably best thing about Wave asdfghj Tanaka bby I am SO sorry you got stuck here,,,,, Its bad because I had so many expectations for Wave but it just...... isn’t very good? The characters feel 2 dimensional, animation is veeeery average and the plot is all over the place? Dont even get me started on the Shou situation plot device that they just brushed over and went on with and,,,,,big sigh

Urasekai Picnic

To be honest is not very fair to compare this one to the rest as ive only watched the first 2 eps but ill catch up eventually asdfghj its not bad just that the plot didnt capture me as much as I hoped but the two main characters cutiess the plot just confuses me asdfgh but I don't have much to say about it

Yakusoku no Neverland 2nd Season

So uh anyways Chile I don't wanna talk about it the only reason this is not dead last is because RayEmma cute moments but yeah don't watch this clown show go read the manga for self care ✨

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun

The only reason this is here is because she. The main girl I cant remember the name of sucks and main dude is very normal asdfgh the plot is basically “Want people to like you? change everything about yourself and become a normie robot!!!” ASDFGHJ Like its so over the top and cringe at times it becomes very confusing but hey I am not caught up either so I may change opinions (x doubt tho)

2.43: Seiin Koukou Danshi Volley-bu

From this point onwards I basically like everything. 2.43 Started suuuuper strong for me, definitely thought it would be one of my favs this season but as the eps went by I just.... kinda lost interest asdfgh? Like its not bad, but its a sort of mix between Stars Align and Haikyuu where I would have loved a more character based story with dark subplots like Stars Align but got the parts I always criticize about Haikyuu were there was a point I didn't really knew any of the characters? ASDFGH like the enemy team is super cool and Love their designs but if you ask me to tell you anything about them I already forgot rip. Its still cute and the animation is cool but yeah it kind of disappointed me in the end a bit ;w;

Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season

AOT Is so sexci because it keeps on hurting me and I come back every-time for it ASDFGHJ Not much to say that hasn't been said, characters are super interesting, plot is a bit confusing at times for me to follow but amazing and I just :))) could go on about certain characters :))))) but I wont :))))

Wonder Egg Priority

Wonder egg priority is very talked about right now so I wont get too much into it other than definitely give it a watch if you like the more philosophical and “makes you reflect on your life choices” sort of anime ASDFGHJ the visuals are stunning and the characters very well build, although I am very confused at times I am still enjoying it tons ^^ Trigger warning however for some heavy topics I recommend checking the warnings before watching it <3

Kemono Jihen

I LOVE THEM OKaY? asdfghjk Kemono Jihen gives me the found family topes and I eat them all right up, I love the characters , their designs, the plot, everything. To be fair tho, I did enjoy the manga more than the anime but maybe its a pacing thing? idk but I definitely recommend 100% taking on the manga and maybe after watch the anime but I am enjoying it tons!!

Kai Byoui Ramune

This one may come as a surprise lol?? Like I haven't seen a single soul talk about Ramune but like??? I am actually enjoying it a lot?? and look forward every week for the ep? asdfghj Like yes I will be the first to admit the animation isn't really the beeeeest out there but the plot is funny while also being serious, the characters are quirky and interesting to keep the flow going and I am liking the undertone heavy messages? the soundtrack also slaps imo and yeah I would definitely say to watch the first ep and if you like that sort of dynamic take it up on the rest!

I★Chu: Halfway Through the Idol

Okay I will be the first one to admit this is just me being trash for the idol shows but like?? its my list so I get to decide which found family I am screaming about next ASDFGHJ. As an avid A3 stan this gave me serious vibes of my boys (plus they were made form the same company so like not very surprised there loll) and like I think the characters are cute with adorable relationships and cute songs and its just a lighthearted show I sit down every Wednesday and smile through the 25 minutes so yes I Chu deserves a high spot and yes I recommend it even if it has like a 6.3 on myanimelist sksksks

Dr. Stone: Stone Wars

Look at Gen!!!! enough reasons to watch dr stone!!!! ASDFGH but in all seriousness I....... love them okAy? The plot is amazing and the characters are super entertaining (hiiii Ukyo Gen Senku and Chrome muak) and although it may seem a bit slower paced than first season the arc is gonna get better and better and the finale is gonna be great if they stick to the manga. Only sad that I dont get to see my pirate fuckboy but we better be getting a third season

Bungou Stray Dogs Wan!

when I say this is the happiness of all my Tuesdays I ain’t even exaggerating ASDFGHJ Does this have an important plot? no. Is it transcending to animation? not really. Is it BSD content I've been starving for? absolutely!!! Tbh I see my favorite anime characters in chibi version and I go feral, go watch BSD pogg!!

Horimiya

Me?? searching for that one gif of the side ship scene am obsessed over?? more likely than you think ASDFGH Horimiya holds a special place in my heart because it was the first manga I ever read and the nostalgia is stroNG,,,,,, The plot isn't anything really transcending but the way the characters are captured the feelings just,,,,,, stan!! Also Yuki x Tooru supremacy !

Skate-Leading☆Stars

Okaaaaay this is also me being a bitch for sports anime but like, again, are we surprised?? ASDFGHJ It may be my love for Hayato speaking but ive absolutely loves Skate Leading Stars, I love the group, the main characters, the ships, the routines and its so pretty and they are in love and like the competition and asdfgh its gOoD OKaY??? Watch it if anything for Hayato 👉🏻 👈🏻 My bastard bitch I love the gremlin.

Beastars 2nd Season

I think we are all sleeping on Beastars brushing it off as a furry show. I don’t speak enough about it and I am not one to go about poetic cinemaness on main but beastars is a very poetic cinema show and yall sleeping on it. Coming from someone who was uncomfortable at first with the whole animal relationships part at first, just know beastars is so much more than that, it has a complicated plot with critics about the society within the show with amazing characters, great soundtrack and animation plus banger plot. Pina, Jack, Juno and Legoshi best characters and every week I look forward for the next eps so I hope yall go give it some love.

SK8 The Infinity

If it wasnt clear from my spam every Saturday that I am absolutely in love with this show I dont know what to tell you ASDFGHJ. Sk8 has an amazing range of characters I find fascinating, specially Reki, very much so everything Reki asdfgh but yeah!! Its super entertaining with an interesting plot and its definetely becoming one of my favorite animes because the amount of times ive rewatched the episodes to cope is kind of embarrassing lmaooo, definetely give it a try although I understand its not for everyone but like,,,,, do it for Reki? 🤧👉🏻👈🏻

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About "Yesterday's Lie" from The Owl House

Salutations, random people on the internet who absolutely won’t read this! I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons!

Here it is! The midseason finale of The Owl House Season Two! An episode featuring Luz going back to the human realm, is hyped up to heaven about how painful it'll be for the audience, and features more anxiety by how Creepy Luz is a thing. And BOOOOOOOOY howdy were fans not ready for this. I'm sure as hell not ready for when I wrote this intro at *checks time* thirty minutes before watching the official premier. Yup, the words you're reading right now are from me in the past, when everything was still pure and simple. Whereas future me is still probably destroyed by the events that transpired. Isn't that right, future me?

Future Me: Actually, it wasn’t that bad. The ending hurt, sure, but other than that, it wasn’t too painful.

Wow, that is some neat input! At least, I think it was. I wouldn't know because I literally wrote that after watching the episode. With the words you're currently reading being written at *checks time* twenty-six minutes before the premier...this whole intro is confusing, isn't it, future me?

Future Me: Sure is.

Yeah, it's definitely confusing. In any case, let's dive into this spoiler-filled review as we find out together just how painful this episode was! Take it away, future me!

Future Me: Will do! Major spoilers ahead, folks!

Now, let’s review, shall we?

WHAT I LIKED

Luz’s Room: We only see it for a short time, but everything about it just screams Luz. The pile of weird-looking stuffed animals, the witch hat in the center of the floor, and the fact that she has bunk beds, a single child's dream (Or so I've heard). It's a small thing, but I love it.

Vee: Here she is! The character previously dubbed Creepy Luz who now turns out to be yet another new addition to the ever-growing list of characters that we, as a fandom, would give our lives for. Because holy s**t was Vee the best type of expectation subversion. Showing us all the ominous ways of how she basically took Luz's place made fans assume that Vee was an evil doppelganger. Turns out, she was just a tortured soul that was desperate to live a new and better life and lucked out in finding Luz's. What Vee does is...questionable at best, but seeing what she went through with the experiments Belos pulled on her, you understand why she would do it. And I personally love it's that same background information that makes Vee resentful of Luz of all people. Luz's life is a relative dream come true, and running away from that would be insane to someone who spent most of their existence through imprisonment and experimentation. It's an intriguing point of view, even though it's admittingly flawed given how it's mostly Camila that seemingly made Luz's life bearable. But the flaws don't matter. What matters is that you can see where Vee is coming from, and to me, personally, I think she's understandable enough to make me root for her to have some kind of happy ending. Whether as Luz or as herself, I'm hopeful to see Vee get some semblance of peace.

Camila: *Round of applause* Don't mind me! Just taking the time to love how all them sons of b**hes who thought Camila was a bad mom are now heavily invalidated. 'Cause, guess what? Camila is a fantastic mother, both to her daughter and her daughter's doppelganger! Allow me to walk you through the highlights:

How Camila looks like she’s not okay with the fact that "Luz" is clearing out her weird stuff, seemingly acting too different to the Luz she knows. Added to the fact that Camila doesn't like it.

How Camila drove Luz to camp whether than letting her take the bus

The fact that Camila takes that box of junk back in, not willing to part with the tin foil sculpture Luz made.

The way she was willing to play along with the game she thought Luz was doing, supporting her daughter's creative mind that Camila admits to being glad to see.

And, best of all, the willingness Camila had to help this poor creature, despite the lies it lived.

It's that last part I really want to touch upon, though. Because an action like that shows just how much Luz's heart comes from Camila. The kindness and generosity of helping this poor creature, who she has every right to run out on, proves how Luz learned to be everything she is today through Camila's own loving heart. Vee was scared and hurt, and the second Camila saw that she was then more than willing to help because of it. It's something that Luz would do, and it proves that even though Camila didn't exactly get everything right, she's still a great mom where it counts.

“A new life”: A perfect line.

Initially, it makes audiences think that it has everything to do with replacing Luz. It's only through future context that we know it's about escaping the s**t show Vee once lived through that it's clear she's talking about starting over. It hits us with intrigue on the first viewing, only to hit harder with the feels during a second. Really well-done.

Luz in the Mirror: A well-done surprise that makes fans curious about how this even happen in the first place. Kudos to you, writers.

The New Portal: I don't mind that they found a way to build this off-screen. Showing Luz and the gang slowly building a new portal would have been a little too tedious to watch, and it's so much better to just start this episode out with it. Besides, maybe we'll get the slow and steadier version now that we've seen how quickly building one might not have been the best way to go, given how fast that thing fell apart.

Luz Between Dimensions: I have no clue what the hell that place she was in is called, but it's awesome! The overall design of the realm is the correct type of unsettling, like it's oozing with mystery, but it's somewhere that you probably don't want to be in for too long. Whoever designed it deserves all of the credit because I don't want to even think about all the hard work that went into making this look as well-made as it was.

Luz Resisting to See Amity: What? Luz and Amity are adorable, and seeing Luz's immediate thought about seeing Amity makes my shipping heart scream with glee. Don't judge me!

Hiding Luz’s Dad’s Face: Well, that was a fun story while it lasted.

So, it turns out that Luz's dad really was a part of Luz's and Camila's life at some point, but not anymore. As for why remains to be seen, as we don't really know yet if we'll see him make an appearance. I'd say that the odds are high that he will, given how much of a point this episode made about keeping his face hidden. Shows don't usually do that unless the goal is to hype up some official reveal, and I can't wait to see what comes of it.

Luz Telling Herself to Count to Five: Hey, more evidence for how I relate to Luz! I know how it feels to be all panicky about a specific situation, and I only got better when I took the time to calm down for a bit. Sometimes, I even tried the "count to x" method that Luz used...it never worked, primarily because it made me feel worse when people told me to do it, but I still tried it! Plus, there's also some narrative foreshadowing when after Luz says five, the realm shows her Vee, or Number V, which is a pretty cool detail you'll notice on a rewatch.

Luz Helping Vee: I gave Camila praise for helping Vee in the end, but that doesn't abstain Luz from her own set of recognition. The second that Luz realized that Vee wasn't really a threat and is far from evil, our favorite human does what she can to help and even makes a deal where they're both happy. Because, of course, Luz is that perfect of a protagonist who is more than willing to help others in need. And it's why we love her so.

Looking for Magic that Eda Left Behind: A pretty cool idea that gives Luz and Vee a chance to bond and giving us an insight into Eda's past antics and misadventures in the human realm. Not much I can add to it, though.

Gravesfield: It's surprisingly not as jarring as I thought it would be to spend an episode in the human realm. I thought for sure, after all that time in the Boiling Isles, there would be something off about walking around a normal environment for a change. Turns out, it's almost easy to get used to. Or, for me, it is.

But I will say that there's this neat use of colors when comparing Gravesfield with the Boiling Isles. In Gravesfield, the coloring looks dulled down and standard, which is a stark contrast to the bright vibrancy of everything we've seen in the Boiling Isles. It's a subtle way of showing how things are different, aside from the major discrepancies we could come to expect. And I think that's why I appreciate it much more.

Eda’s Called Herself Marylynn in the Human Realm: Hang on...hang on...do you mean to tell me that the crack theory about Eda being Stan's ex-wife is actually true?

...

...What even is this show?!

Vee Making Friends with Camp Members: This shows the most apparent difference between Luz and Vee. Where we see Luz is already fearing the many ways that could go wrong with interacting with teens, Vee revealed that she adapted to her situation and had a chance to make friends. The implications of this are worth discussing another time, but for now, I'll say that it's pretty intriguing that we gain this much insight into both Luz and Vee through such a small thing.

Belos Wanting to Learn How Basilisks can Drain Magic: ...Didn't Raine say that Belos was taking away magic? If so, I think we can figure out how he's doing it. The question now is: Why?

Jacob (The Curator Guy): This guy was a riot. At first, Jacob seemed like a threat with the way he trapped Vee and was apparently stocking her, but the second he goes off about his conspiracy theories, it becomes clear what type of character he is. And was it a blast seeing how much of a crackpot this man is. It wasn't cool seeing him wanting to dissect the precious angel that is Vee, but I still chuckle about things like his "Flat Eather's Certificate." So while he's not that much of a threat, he's still fun to watch.

The Owl Beast was in the Human Realm: ...How did that happen? When did it happen? And how the hell did Eda get out of a situation like that?! Who knows, but it's still a shocking piece of news to learn.

Luz Telling Camila the Truth: Hey, she faced her fear after all! Although, the results aren't as pleasant as when Amity faced her fear two weeks ago.

Camila is a Veterinarian: ...One insignificant reveal...managed to destroy so many fanfics. I mean, we probably shouldn't have just assumed Camila was a nurse...but what the f**k else were we supposed to think?! Sorry for seeing the scrubs, and the first thing that came to my mind was "nurse" and not "vet."

By the way, that had to have been intentional, right? There's no way that Dana Terrace didn't think we'd assume Camila was a nurse. She'd had to have put off a reveal like that just to trip up her fans. And if that's the case, then that is a major d**k move...but that's why I mildly respect it.

Two Human Brothers went to the Demon Realm: Turns out we don't have to be in the Boiling Isles to learn more about it. Because now we have more information about how two humans were taken to the Isles with the help of a witch, thus setting up a grander reveal if it turns out that one of the humans was Philip and the witch was Belos. Because if that's true...then there's more of a history between those two than we thought.

Jacob has a Training Wand: This helps me believe that it's highly likely for Jacob to make a return and to have a power boost for when he does. After all, focussing all that attention on the training wand is way too convenient for it not to come up again in the future. Meaning we're most likely going to get more pain from Jacob if he shows up again.

Camila Beats the Crap out of Jacob for Vee: ...Writers, don't make me choose between Camila and Eda on who's the better cartoon mom. I know Eda's technically not a mom...BUT I STILL DON'T WANT TO CHOOSE DAMNIT!

Also, the sandal...just...

Why the f**k does Camila have a sandal in her purse? I don't know. Is it still funny that she does? Most certainly.

Camila and Luz’s Talk in the Rain: Ooooooooh, I was not ready for this...

I wasn't ready for the crying.

I wasn't ready for the hurt in Camila's eyes when she found out Luz chose to stay in the Boiling Isles.

I wasn't ready for Camila asking if Luz hates being with her that much.

I wasn't ready for Luz profusely stating how it was never Camila's fault.

I was not ready for Camila to tell Luz that she'll try to do better.

And I definitely was not ready for Luz to barely have enough time to promise that she'll come back.

This episode wasn't the twenty-two minutes of nonstop angst that I thought it was going to be...but this short scene more than make up for it.

Luz Tries to Stay Strong: Yet another thing she unwittingly learned from Camila. Camila tried to keep a brave face when Vee was with her and Luz, most likely not wanting to tear either of them down in the process. Luz does the same thing here as she avoids talking about the details of what went down in her sort-of journey back home. And seeing her clearly fake smile slowly droop into an uncertain frown, it uh...it definitely tore me up inside.

WHAT I DISLIKED

I want to say it's perfect, but there's one major issue that really bogs this episode down.

Continuity Error in How Vee Replaced Luz: Having Vee take Luz's place the same day Luz appeared in the Isles is a smart idea on paper...if it wasn't for the fact that it's impossible.

Because Eda closed the portal door the second that she saw Luz, meaning that there's no way for Vee to go to the human realm. It's a major plothole that makes no sense, and it might just be the first time ever that this series wasn't so closely knit with its story. Which ends up taking a dive in quality in the process.

IN CONCLUSION

I'd say that "Yesterday's Lie" is an A-. Everything about Luz, Vee, and Camila is incredible, combined into a story that ends in tragedy and uncertainty for the future. That plothole may drag things down a bit, but everything else is handled so well that I'm not lying when I say it's easy to forgive and forget.

(And that's ten episodes in a row without a single stinker. HOW THE F**K DOES THIS SEASON KEEP WINNING?!)

[meimae]

Look at me, not being on time for my April Immersion Overview as is the usual. (・w・;

First, little blog updates to get out of the way:

I reached 100 followers! Got an influx of people checking out my 1 year update post, and got plenty of nice compliments on my data collection.

For those of you wondering just why I keep up with so much data, it's mostly because it can get really hard to notice how much you're improving in a language especially with something like immersion learning that for people who don't get it feels like a waste of time or a time sink.

Graphs showing consistency, improvement in reading speed, increasing vocabulary counts, and generally just seeing numbers grow turns language learning more fun and motivating for me, and if as a bonus, it encourages someone to try immersion learning then that would be cool!

With that said, whether you're here as a fellow language learner, graphs enthusiast (笑), or just want some Japanese media recommendations, ようこそ! 

Also, made a tiny DP change - it’s チト from 少女週末旅行. Pretty sure it’s the first manga series I ever finished in Japanese (not the first one I started since ちはやふる is still ongoing), and I always felt a bit of a ☆connection☆ with  her - between her book-loving personality and being a no-nonsense kind of person, there was no way for me not to enjoy her character. Great beginner anime/manga if you’re not into most beginner recommendations.

-☆-

April has been a pretty good immersion month, as I was able to dip my toes in a variety of media. A bit competitive, too! The club I joined has been pulling all the stops to get to the Top 20 Immersion Leaderboard in it’s first month. I was able to snag the 9th spot among a bunch of people of different comprehension levels (the majority being N1+ since they’re able to comprehend much more and in turn stand longer immersion hours). Lots of tiny complaints though of potential “whitenoising” content (”listening” and “reading” but not comprehending very well just to get a large number to post), but really what can you do? People lie all the time on the internet. Besides, it’s internet points that doesn’t do anything beyond being a little shiny I guess.

Enough about that, let’s get into the nitty-gritty details you came here for!

ANIME

フルーツバスケット

Might need to rewatch this one. Felt like I didn’t connect with the characters the way the rest of its fandom has. I’m kinda sad about it, since I normally love Slice of Life and Fantasy, and I know this is one of my friend’s diehard shows.

ラブライブ! School Idol Project S2

A filler anime to watch tbh. Nice and easy enough to follow for beginners. Pretty good songs. With regards to it being a show about music and moe, I still 100% prefer K-On! if I’m going to be honest, but for a show about non-toxic idols, it’s good!

魔法少女まどか☆マギカ

First read this as English translated manga when I was 13 or something. Mistakes were made. Let’s all just agree to throw キュウベえ into a pit of fire and never talk about it again. Great ending and a show that really reworked the magical girl genre. But seriously, I was traumatized by マミ’s death then and now, help.

四月は君の嘘

Already knew what was going to happen even before watching this so I didn’t ugly cry like I was expecting. Still got that awful sinking feeling though. 10/10 would recommend for a good cry. Also, I’m planning to read the manga, might enjoy that more, because I’ve always liked it more than anime actually. *shocked pikachu face*

ホリミヤ

Watched before I even finished the manga which felt like a mistake at first until I realized that it perfectly stops where I stopped reading. Nice and comfy anime, the kind I would have loved as a teen. Fun animation too, making parts very dramatic even though it wasn’t really that deep of an issue even in the manga. Just teens feeling feelings. Still salty that we lose bad boy styled 宮村, but I get why it had to happen.

AUDIOBOOKS

氷菓

Second re-listen. I understand it fine, but it’s very easy to drift off when you can’t catch all the words so I had to replay often. Will have to mine more from the anime/book.

君の名は

I mined from the anime, and was really pleased to be able to follow all 6 hours of this audiobook perfectly fine. Will need to read the book, because I realized just how seamless reading it would be after listening to it with hardly any issue.

BOOKS

キッチェン

Completed! Read my thoughts about it and see my stats on this post.

君の膵臓を食べたい

Still trudging on with this one. It’s not a bad story, it’s pretty well written actually, I just made the mistake of watching both the anime and live adaptation first, so I know exactly what’s going to happen and it’s killing my motivation to keep reading. I guess reading the book first before watching the movie still applies in any language with me. Really need to 頑張れ and finish so I can move on. 

三日間の幸福

Started reading towards the end of the month, mostly because I realized that every chapter is only 5000-15000 characters long, and I was able to read up to 40k in a day with Island most days. Only two chapters read so far though because I got distracted by manga, but it’s shaping up to be a really good plot and potentially a really sad one, too, so I’m interested.

DRAMA

花ざかりの君たちへ イケメンパラダイス

Heard this was a classic so I gave it a try. Loved 生田 斗真’s character in this one the most especially all his internal dialogue acted out. Also, 小栗 旬 in anything is bound to be a good watch. Simple and fun watch. They dragged the ending so much though lmao 

ごくせん

Look, I see 松本 潤, I click. Definitely the kind of show you should watch for some great life advice. Planning to watch the 2nd and 3rd seasons even if there is a terrible lack of 松本 潤, because I love my strong female protagonists, and man, ヤンクミ is such a great character. Need to read the manga, too, if I can find it.

極主夫道

Oof, this was kind of hard. The yakuza talk was throwing me off, but the rest of it was enjoyable. Not really plot heavy as I thought it was going to be. The comedy side of it was fun and predictable after the first few episodes. Overall, pretty good slice of life, family story with a twist.

MANGA

Read a bunch of manga this month, mostly because I am struggling to find the next vn to read.

おやすみプンプン

Read a couple of volumes (6-7). This manga is so good, but it’s so depressing I need to stop to take a breather every once in a while. Please don’t leave any spoilers. The club has been reacting to me reading this, and it has mostly been a lot of crying emotes. It’s both been enjoyable to see and really worrying. 笑

チェンソーマン

Club recommendation. Only read the 1st volume so far. I really need to get into more 少年 anime/manga. That’s currently my 苦手 genre which is awful because literally all the top anime/manga is 少年 help. I just can’t enjoy it much still even though it’s comprehensible to me.

ちはやふる 中学生編

Read Vol. 1, chill read to me at this point after reading 45 volumes of the regular manga. Look, it’s my favorite 幼馴染 manga in baby format, of course I’m going to read this! 太一 has been a flake way before season 3 confirmed. Don’t come at me たいちはや stans bc I also like his character.

約束のネバーランド

Volume 7. I’m taking my sweet time with this one, because I heard the anime for season 2 sucked, so I’m avoiding it like the plague. This is 少年 how am I enjoying this and not everything else what.

ヲタクに恋は難しい

Enjoyed the anime hated the movie why did they make it a musical that sucked (ps i normally love musicals hated this one) 

The オタク jargon is kinda hard to read suprisingly but I do enjoy this ship very much. It’s a lighthearted take to otaku culture which is great because seriously it’s scary out there.

ツバサ -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE-

It’s my childhood ship, obviously I will read this again (read in English several years ago). Still as plot twisty as I remember it being (now at a bonus hard level reading it in Japanese 笑). Really enjoyed reading this one (I finished it this May).

-☆-

I’m starting to really dislike furigana in manga. It was a great help as a beginner, but now it’s like training wheels that you can’t take off. I feel like the gains I’m getting from manga is much lower than it was when I first started which makes me both proud of how far I’ve come, but also sad because I love manga. Sad that I might have to start choose VNs over it, because it’s not going to challenge me as much going forward. I mean it didn’t stop me from reading a lot of it this month, but you get the picture.

VISUAL NOVELS

ISLAND

Completed! See my stats and read my long spoiler filled post here.

ファタモルガーナの館

Picked up this VN and finished two doors (15 hours) before stopping. On the fence about it, because it has been kind of predictable so far, and I don’t particularly enjoy the horror genre. That said, this is more psychological than anything, so it’s probably not that that’s putting me off. The language is not exactly difficult, too - maybe some oddly specific words because it is after all historical fiction (which is one of my favorite genres, btw), and 敬語 is definitely interesting to read for once after encountering so many お嬢様 characters in anime/drama so far. 

I think maybe it’s the conversations that are kind of dull - dots (silence) every few clicks that keeps breaking the flow of reading. Probably judging it really harshly too early, because it’s rated so high everywhere, and I just have high expectations. Definitely not dropping it yet though, just taking a break and testing a couple of other VNs before I settle with whatever I end up choosing. It is, after all, going to be another 50+ hour read, and I just don’t want to not enjoy the process, because having fun with the process is a huge part of immersion learning.

Let me know if you’ve read Fata and if I should continue! 

-☆-

That’s it for this month!

If you have any suggestions on what to watch and read next, please send me a reply, especially for VNs because I’m struggling over here.

[derivativealigner]

Well I haven’t watched sp all the way through for about a decade now, so I thought it was time

Sometimes I wonder how accurate the fandom is when it comes to how we interpret the characters. Like, why is Stan a football star so often in fanfic and why’s Kyle always the smart one? So I thought I’d rewatch the show and make notes along the way to see where the source of all these interpretations is. I also wanted to see if I could get some fun info to analyze, but season 1 is pretty sparse in that regard so there’s not too much of that in this post, but I’ll make a post for all the other seasons too as I watch them

In summary, it’s established in season 1 already that Stan’s a star quarterback and an animal lover, Kyle’s an A+ student, and Kenny is poor and knows a lot about sex and doesn’t have many qualms about doing crazy shit. Cartman is a bit weird since he’s mostly just a naive brat in this season, but he and Kyle have a mildly antagonistic friendship already

I have all my notes under this cut. They include a bunch of small details and other observations. I also listed every Kenny death just because

Ike has freckles

Cartman says “Weak!” and “You guys” and “Seriously” a lot from the start, also “Kickass!” He doesn’t say weak or kickass much in the later seasons iirc

Stan says “Dude, this is pretty fucked up right here” three times in this season but they dropped that catchphrase pretty quickly

Bebe got named in episode 2

Stan’s been an animal lover since s01e03 Volcano since he won’t shoot a bunny or anything else. He does shoot Scuzzlebutt at the end though

Cartman’s a pathological liar but in a childish way

Randy got named in s01e03 Volcano (and it only got worse from there)

The mayor went to Princeton

South Park is next to Mt. Evanson

Kenny will literally drink gasoline

Stan’s a star quarterback in 3rd grade

Clyde’s voice is wrong as hell in S01E04 Big Gay Al’s Big Gay Boat Ride and he has a dog, Rex

Garrison says Kyle is an A+ kid

Shelly seriously abuses Stan, punching him, throwing him, maiming him with a lawnmower

Cartman had a pot-bellied pig called Fluffy

Cartman’s mom smokes crack and has sex with strange men

Dr. Mephesto is probably a Buddhist since he says “Thank Buddha” instead of “Thank God”

Clyde’s voice gets kind of fixed in S01E06

A guy called Mr. McCormick is killed in a protest, launched and splattered against a network building. He doesn’t look like Kenny’s dad though

Zombie Clyde attacks Bebe, rude

Wendy gave her costume contest prize (2 tons of candy) to hungry children in Nairobi

Cartman’s mom is on the cover of Crack Whore magazine. “Back do’ ho… Five on one action!” is the headline

Cartman genuinely cries at Kenny’s grave after the whole zombie thing but gets over it because of candy

Stan knows his mom’s credit card number and has no problem using it to adopt an Ethiopian child (the boys wanted a watch that came with the adoption, they weren’t doing it to be nice)

Cartman calls Stan a vas deference, Stan doesn’t know what that is so Kenny says “Dude, it’s a pipe for your peepee” (according to a transcript). Kenny sure knows male anatomy

Kyle sniffs Kenny after Cartman asks why poor people smell like sour milk and Garrison says “idk eric they just do”

Cartman thinks poor people should die and decrease the surplus population

When the boys get Starvin’ Marvin delivered to them, Cartman says “Hey mom, we found an Ethiopian, can we keep him?” and his mom says “Sure, hun.” She rarely says no to Cartman

Kenny’s dad is an alcoholic who drinks scotch according to Cartman. I mean, Mr. McCormick is seen drinking in multiple episodes and has a hat that says SCOTCH so it’s probably true

Kenny’s family says grace

Craig’s first appearance is S01E09. Also, S01E09 is the first time Kenny doesn’t die (Coincidence? I THINK yeah but it’s still fun)

Clyde got named in S01E10

Clyde and Bebe both spit on Pip’s face, friendship goals <3

Cartman and Kyle have their first fight at Cartman’s birthday party because Kyle didn’t give the right gift. Cartman slaps his face and  screams “I hate you! I want you to die! Die!” while on top of Kyle who’s not really fighting back

Satan throws a fight with Jesus after everyone except Satan bet that Jesus would lose, which leads to Satan winning everyone’s money. Mr. Garrison says “What a mean thing to do!” and Jimbo says “He is a jerk!” and I thought it was quite a laugh so I wrote it down

In S01E11 Tom’s Rhinoplasty Bebe and Wendy are sitting in the swings together and generally appear together throughout the episode, then Bebe gives Wendy a makeover so they’re bffs obviously <3

Craig first appears in the classroom, though not sitting down, in S01E11

Wendy’s not happy about Ms. Ellen taking Stan away from her, she says “Don’t fuck with me! Stay away from my man, bitch, or I’ll whoop your sorry ho ass back to last year!”

Kenny gives Ms. Ellen a scrumptious looking sausage as a valentine’s gift and giggles deviously. Wendy’s gift to Ms. Ellen is a dead animal

Even Kenny doesn’t know what a lesbian is

Wendy’s grandma died in S01E11

Wendy gets Ms. Ellen killed by hiring the Iraqi government (?) to put her in a rocket and shoot it into the sun, then she and Bebe have a pool party (very cool, they wear sunglasses 😎) and watch the rocket hit the sun

Cartman and Pip play a game of kicking each other in the nuts until someone falls. Cartman calls it “Roshambo”

Kenny has a sack of marbles

The boys aren’t fans of Barbra Streisand, but Stan is a fan of the Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway (he’s not a quarterback anymore, he’s an American football executive and the president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the NFL according to wikipedia.)

Officer Barbrady is a fan of Fiona Apple (who was 20 at the time and had only one album released called Tidal)

Ned knows how to pilot a helicopter

Kyle’s mom is a fan of Streisand unlike literally everyone else, she even gets an autograph from Mecha Streisand

The boys are fans of Robert Smith, the lead singer of The Cure. Stan says “Robert Smith is the greatest person that ever lived!” and Kyle says “Disintegration is the best album ever!” and Cartman says “Robert Smith kicks ass!” and Kenny’s dead so he doesn’t get to have an opinion

Cartman has tea parties with his toys: Polly Prissypants, Clyde frog, Peter Panda, and a dragon called Rumpertumskin

Kyle wants to make fun of Cartman for the tea party but Stan stops him because he’s concerned that Cartman needs help

Craig is in front of the school counselor’s office in S01E13

A young miss Cartman drinks like a motherfucker at the 12th annual drunken barn dance where Cartman was supposedly conceived

Stan lets Cartman borrow his bike like a good friend

Garrison wanted to have a threesome with Chef and Cartman’s mom. I don’t know why I’m making a note of this but uh… yeah.

Cartman’s mom has had sex with everyone at this bar that Garrison’s drinking at, including principle Victoria, the mayor, Father Maxi, and Jesus (and maybe Kenny’s dad since he’s at the bar but the camera doesn’t pan to him when Garrison says they’ve all slept with Liane). Later Gerald Broflovski is a possible father to Eric, so he fucked her too. Also Mr. Mephesto and his friend Kevin, that little guy, are candidates along with a lot of other people, including the 1989 Denver Broncos (and Mr. Tenorman is included in that later)

Cartman doesn’t make fun of Kyle for being Jewish much at all in this season even though the Christmas episode is all about Kyle not celebrating

Clyde and Token appear very early on and Clyde has always been in the classroom (along with Bebe, Red, Kevin Stoley, Wendy, and Pip and uhh DogPoo too I think). Craig appears later in the season and Tweek’s not in season 1 at all, so Craig’s gang isn’t really a thing yet

And here’s a list of the ways Kenny died in this season. He dies in every episode except episode 9, and he dies twice in episodes 2 and 3. Altogether he dies 14 times

S01E01 Killed after alien shoots him, cows stampede over him, then cop runs him over which finally actually kills him

S01E02 Killed in a play by a falling teepee, then a second time shot by Garrison which sends him in the air and he gets impaled on a flagpole on the way down

S01E03 Killed by a volcano rock that burns him then rolls on him but he’s alive again in the end but gets shot by Ned’s gun that he drops and it accidentally goes off

S01E04 Gets his arms and head torn off in an American football game

S01E05 Stan’s clone punches Kenny into a microwave where he gets cooked alive

S01E06 Death touches Kenny

S01E07 Kenny gets crushed by a Russian space station and turns into a zombie because he gets Worcestershire sauce in his veins, then Kyle chainsaws zombie Kenny in half, then zombie Kenny rises from his grave and is crushed by a statue and a plane

S01E08 Kenny is killed by a bunch of turkeys. His eye gets plucked out. It’s dark blue

S01E10 After Kenny gets turned into a duck-billed platypus, Jimbo and Ned shoot him

S01E11 Ms. Ellen throws a sword through Kenny’s face

S01E12 While Mecha Streisand and a giant robot Leonard Maltin fight, Kenny plays with a tetherball and gets the rope wrapped around his neck and it strangles him

S01E13 Kenny gets stuck on a go kart and it drags him around but stops and he’s still alive! Too bad the go kart stops on train tracks and a train runs him over. Stan’s grandpa sends a video of the event to America’s Stupidest Home Videos and wins $10,000

If you read all that, first of all hello. I’m not new to the fandom even though this is the first thing I’ve posted on this tumblr blog. I’ve been writing a fanfic called Caffetamine though so I’m not a complete non-entity. Anyway, I’ll watch season 2 soon and post my notes on that too probably.

[bourbon-ontherocks]

(Previously, on Season 4 (re)watch...)

Hey you know what? 4.13 is actually a cool episode to rewatch! Diane and Phoebe content, what else could I ask for?

Misogynist secret service guy is SO pining after Dave, I'd watch a spinoff of that, honestly...

Beth being like, "hey, if I'm on city council I'll have real leverage over a local gang leader" sounds like the most illogical thing she's ever said, but hey, it's Good Girls, so... Also why is Beth soaking in the hot tub in a sweater?? (that thing can't count as a bathing suit, come on)

BETH WE'RE THIRTY SECONDS IN THE EPISODE AND YOU'VE ALREADY SAID THAT YOU'RE A MOM, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU????

I love how Annie and Ruby are like, "brousin AND homeboy want to fuck you now" and Beth is in total denial about it

Oh my GOD, Nick having a flirty phone call with Beth in front of Rio and the ensuing dick contest is absolutely delicious!!! Rio being all smug like "I'd give her what she needs, hmmm", pahahaha, these roosters oh my gosh

I am absolutely feral over the fact that Beth has now been compared to a basket ball and a hamburger. This is simultaneously gross and hilarious

Ugh, I hate how needy Annie is! I mean, I understand that she's got anxiety after the kidnapping, but couldn't she go sleep at Beth's or something? I'm glad Kevin turned her down though

Rio making himself at home everywhere he goes is absolutely hilarious. Imagine him entering the starbucks in the morning and having his way with the expresso machine without asking anyone

I love how Annie is literally SNAPPING at Rio after he kidnapped her, like she’s literally defying him to hurt her again and I love it

DIANE!!!!!!!! I just love this character so so much, I think she has become my favourite. Spin-off when??

Before watching this episode, I had seen gifsets of Diane coming for all the former strippers, and I genuinely thought this was taken from some random movie Noureen had played in, but this is so much better, although I don't see why any of those girls would come back to the stripping business given that they all seem to have found pretty cool new jobs

I need more of this Dave x his oblivious wife dynamic

WHY IS STAN TEAMING UP WITH DEAN HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE BFF WITH RIO WTF??!! Also I love how these MRA/skincare guys are so sectarian and narcissistic that they're instantly ganging up on Stan when he says he's not interested in their gig, while he's the one who's bringing all the evidence to the table. Also Dean totally has an uncool-kid-who's-suddenly-made-friends-with-the-cool-kids vibe

This parenting conversation about bedtime is extremely weird (and also very passive-agressive and not at all about parenting lol)

Ugh, Annie trying to disgust Angela from Kevin is just gross. I'm glad she saw right through it though

I'm sorry but who brings their BABY to a stripclub??? Pretty sure that even the strippers have better options

Annie's "auditions are on Tuesday" to the bigot moms is an underrated line

I really really love how the blondie leader of the moms' association or whatever is literally a clone of Beth. Bigot!Beth. But they are the same and it fascinates me in how it reflects Beth's double-sided mask. Bigot!Beth is sneaky, entitled, all about outrage, and it's just so Beth... This episode could be about multiple personnalities disorder and I'd buy it.

Is the corkboard included in the hotel room price, or did Phoebe travel with it? Either way that's ridiculous

There are way too many gardening metaphors/references in this show, somebody has a problem. But I just love broke/single!Dave showing up and his dynamic with Phoebe.

Wait wait wait. Did Nick actually send Bigot!Beth and her crew after Beth to yank her metaphorical ponytail and incite her to run for city council??? Gee, how much hold has this guy??

I don’t know why, but i just LOVE the bit with the jewelry store manager, I feel like the actor has put so many thoughts on his character’s backstory just for those thirty seconds lol

Excuse me, the LENGHT OF RETRACTABLE DOG LEASH???? Is that what they talk about on city council permanences???

The suggestion that Stan does pole dancing with a fireman helmet on is actually one of the best things this show's ever come up with

WHO LET THIS WEIRD CULT LEADER INTERACT WITH CHILDREN????? AND HE ENCOURAGES THEM TO HIT EACH OTHER???

GO AWAY YOU LITTLE MANIPULATIVE CREATURE YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO FORCE YOUR SKINCARE SHIT ON MY STANIMAL FUCK OFF!!!!!

Oooooh, I didn’t notice on my first watch that Beth has Phoebe and Dave's corkboard now!! Is that the show's way of saying that she made a deal with them to take Nick down? (I've been on tumblr so I know the answer to that) Now I really understand better why she drops the fake smile as soon as she turns away from Nick

Once again I'm here for this super immature dick contest between Rio and Nick over Beth. They are all stupid hormonal pre-teens and I love that for them.

Bonus 1: Real question here, what is behind this door? There’s materially no room for a fire escape/stairs  between that door and Annie’s kitchen, I plead a decor misshap

Bonus 2: What else did you expect? At this point my Google image search history would give a heart attack to my NSA guy...

Bonus 3: This episode’s card. I was this close to actually check the “Beth and Nick make out” box because this is already foreplay lol. And Ruby couldn’t shed a tear this episode?? Even a small one?? I mean, I’m glad she was rather happy this ep, but will I ever make a bingo?