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monsoonblooms12 · 3 years

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Belamour (Ethan x f!MC)

Summary: Set after Book 3, Pooja finally gets Ethan to dance in the rain.

A/N: A silly something born out of my love for rains and my binge listening to 80s Bollywood classics (I have no idea what kinda mess this is tbh). Also, my first song based fic🤎

A/N 2: The song lyrics are indented (Translation in parenthesis)

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey X f!MC (Pooja Sharma)

Rating: General

Word Count: around 1.5K

Category: Total fluff

Warnings: None that I noticed

Song Inspiration: Aaj Kal Yaad Kuch by Mohammed Aziz

READ ON AO3

A pair of summery blue orbs insistently stare at the world beyond the glass windows.

A world that was now being washed by the consistent droplets that came down from the adobe of clouds to meet their origin.

Their drum was usually henotic, tranquil for him.

But at the moment, it only added to his irritation and deepened the void of disappointment that had formed in his chest.

In another room of the same house, a pair of amber orbs watched the magic of nature with a child-like wonder.

The pleasant, dewy petrichor spread around her, and the mellifluous tunes of Earth's own orchestra made her forget the fast turns her life went through in the past day.

In the faint light, she picked up her hand and let the jewel, the stone that was nothing less than a promise of forever, shine like the billion stars that dot the sky at nights that are devoid of clouds.

As the iridescent lights make her eyes sparkle, a vague idea forms in her brain.

Her thoughts float to reach the person who gifted her happiness, and a smile lit up on her face.

There was a mix of challenge and love in the quest she was about to partake and she was determined to succeed.

In slow, soundless steps, she made her way out of the room and out of the house.

A blur went past and his trained eyes were quick enough to catch the motion.

Shaking his head with realization, he followed behind.

As the steps took him down, and he stood under the shade of the multi-floored skyrise, she stayed yards away from it.

Her hair was wet, her skirt twirling, her face bright and beautiful.

He felt his heart race, whispering an urge to join with hers.

He restrained himself, but the scene in front of him was so spectacular that he doubted just how long his restraint would last.

After what felt like an eternity, she turned to him, half of her face golden under the street lights, the other half bearing the monotones of black and white.

She looked like the personification of their love.

Her life the golden, and his the black and white.

He could write sonnets to describe the picture-perfect scene that played before him like a film, but all he did was stand still, unable to tear his eyes away, unable to speak the words that hadn't already been spoken, his well-thumbed thesaurus gathering dust in the labyrinths of his mind.

She looked at him with a longing, a spoken call for him to join her as the rains continued to fall and purify the earth.

All he did was shake his head in silence.

She took it as a challenge, and he already knew how it was going to end.

For a minute he got lost in her memories, reminiscences from a time, from a moment that passed too quick, yet slow enough for him to remember every moment of it.

And suddenly, the faint tunes of a song brought him back to the present.

Every word of the foreign seeming language lucid clear, setting in a cascade of emotions and bringing pictures etched in past pages of the novel of life, making him go on a trip down the memory lane.

Aajkal Yad Kuch Aur Rehta Nahi

(Nowadays I don't seem to remember anything else)

Ek Bas Aapki Yad Aane Ke Bad

(Once your memories enchant me)

Yaad Aane Se Pehle Chale Aaiye

(Please come to me before the memories reach me)

Aur Phir Jaiye Jan Jane Ke Bad

(And then leave only after my breath leaves me)

The truth of the words came with an epiphany.

Every day of knowing her had been a way of painting the monotones of his life in colours he thought didn't belong to him.

Every moment she had ever spent away from him had made him yearn for her more than ever.

And yet he was foolish enough to think that miles of distance and hundreds of hours could make him forget her.

All the distress he felt could have been so easily ended if she had been with him then.

And now, as he dreams of an aeon with her, he promises to only let her go when his breath leaves him alone.

Apni Aankhon Me Mujhko Basa Lijiye

(Allow me to settle in the world of your eyes)

Apne Dil Me Mera Ghar Bana Dijiye

(Make a home for me in your heart)

Kya Karu Dil Kahi Aur Lagta Nahi

Pyar Me Aapse Dil Lagane Ke Bad

(What's the fault of mine if I can't concentrate on anything other than you, since our hearts connected by the string of love)

As the minutes pass by, melting into each other to form an hour, he loses all tracks of time.

And amidst the sweven he was living in right now, at a moment he could not pinpoint, she had taken his hand into hers and now he stood, lost in the amber of her eyes, forgetting all about the shower that now fell upon him.

As she continued to mutter the tunes in a harmony that went on in rhythm with the rain, he wished he could live in the world of her orbs.

To see the world as she saw it, to live the life from her perspective.

All he wanted was home in her heart, a tiny place on the lands of her soul.

Ishq Ke Maine Kitne Fasane Sune

(I have heard many tales of epic romances)

Husb Ke Kitne Kisse Purane Sune

(And stories about beautiful people from bygone eras)

Aisa Lagta Hai Phir Is Tarah Tut Kar

Pyar Hamne Kiya Ek Zamane Ke Bad

(But I feel I have been broken and got mended by love after centuries)

In muted harmonies, the two of them twirled, forgetting the world around them.

The way their eyes held onto each other, as if holding onto their lives, reminded him of the tales of love the folklores talk about.

The romances of princesses and maidens, and of beauties who earned their fairytale.

But as her palm stroked his cheek in a feather-light motion, he concluded that all those tales faint in front of the story of theirs.

There were no royals, no cruel witches setting up spells and no poisoned apples.

There were just two people, broken by the storms life made them navigate through, fitting perfectly as if parts of a whole.

He tried to remember if he had ever experienced anything as he did now, his lip tracing her ear as his hands wrapped around her waist.

It didn't even take him a second to know the answer.

He hadn't.

Aapka Naam Dil Se Nikalta Nahi

(Your name never leaves my heart)

Dillagi Me Koi Zor Chalta Nahi

(No force is strong enough to stop the meet of two hearts)

Aapko Bhul Jane Ki Koshish Bhi Ki

(I tried a hundred times to forget you)

Aur Tadpa Hun Main Bhool Jaane Ke Baad

(And suffered a suffering of pain and agony once I forgot you)

The rains accelerate and become a downpour. The mist envelops them but there was no care for the changing environment.

The distance between them ceases to exist as their hearts finally get the pleasure of beating in unison.

In the next moments, she whispers close to his ear, the last of the melody, and it's his story.

The story of how he couldn't get rid of the five-lettered name since the first time he ever came to know about it.

Of how no force in the world could stop two hearts from meeting if that's what destiny had in plan for them.

Who one loves and who loves them back determines so much in one life.

And for him, it was a chance, a risk he was scared to take, dreading the destruction it may cause.

After all when had anything ever-blossoming flowers in the city of his soul?

But this time not only did spring finally arrived with its flowery footsteps but also led to a discovery of himself, a part of him that was buried under layers of snow from the winter that reigned in his life for years.

She taps twice on his heart, indicating how he had tried to forget her, all those years ago. And how he broke himself in the process.

As she hummed the last lines, he bowed down in front of the forces that brought the two of them together.

He thanked the stars which aligned the way did to let him fall for her and agreed to hide, to let the rains fall, to let him have this night with her.

And looked in awe at the woman who brought about the sweetest catastrophe mankind has ever known.

And without uttering a word, he picks her and kisses her, saying all that was left unsaid with it.

PS: I actually have another version of the song, that I sung specifically to go with this, but Tumblr is giving me troubles to upload it. Do let me know if you would like to hear it someday.

Anyways, If you are reading this, I am very grateful for you. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day🤎

Tags🤎(Please let me know if you would like to be added or removed):

Perma: @gkittylove99 @neotericthemis @udishaman @aestheticartsx @twinkleallnight @schnitzelbutterfingers @sophxwithers @sweatyrysconnoisseur @nikki-2406 @choicesfanaf @trrfanaddict @starrystarrytrouble @gardeningourmet @parkbarks @mvalentine @lovablegranny @mercury84choices @izzyourresidentlawyer @phoenixrising308 @adiehardfan @quixoticdreamer16 @a-crepusculo @cordonianruby @gryffindordaughterofathena

Open Heart (All fics and edit): @lucy-268 @maurine07 @bellcat2010 @headoverheelsforramsey @estellaelysian @shanzay44

Ethan x Pooja: @aleynareads @choicesaddict5 @stygianflood @mysticaurathings @jamespotterthefirst @ilikemenbutonlyethanramsey @takemyopenheart @mm2305

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

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phati-sari · 3 years

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Hello Phati Sari. I asked the question about the suicide attempt. And I just saw the answers about Arnav’s abuse. That is what I am getting at. I feel like he reflected on his feelings for Khushi and realized her innocent or not didn’t matter because he loved her. But I’m not sure he ever reflected on how his actions drove her to the state of mind where she would carefully plan a suicide based on the reasons she gave. And jumping from a one story building could have caused multiple broken bones.

This continues my earlier ask. Couldn’t type anymore. Besides broken bones, head injuries and lacerations could occur. I am at a disadvantage because I don’t speak Hindi so depend on blogs for translation and analysis sometimes. He does say sorry on the way to remarriage but in the light of the real abuse he did I am not sure it showed effectively enough his understanding of that. I just discovered the rewinds where he reflects and I understand he does show it there sometimes but I can find no

To continue. Sorry so long. I can find no English translations for his dialogs in the rewinds. Is there a place you know where some might be available or can you throw some light on pieces of his dialog that shows some deeper understanding of how his actions were abusive and he takes ownership for that abuse aside from Khushi letting him off the hook because she knows he loves her and her tears hurt him too. Sorry that isn’t enough for understanding even in fiction. Please edit ask if need. Than

Hello!

Firstly, I have to say that I think I’ve answered your question already. I realise it was not to your satisfaction, but in my mind I’ve already given my answer. I’m going to answer using specific quotes from your ask to make this a little easier because I think you’re actually asking a different question entirely.

But I’m not sure he ever reflected on how his actions drove her to the state of mind where she would carefully plan a suicide based on the reasons she gave.

But explicitly on-screen, no.

And jumping from a one story building could have caused multiple broken bones. Besides broken bones, head injuries and lacerations could occur.

Well yeah, I wasn’t minimising what could’ve happened. Your earlier question, however, explicitly asked whether Arnav could chalk it up to drama, and I said he could.

That you didn’t like the answer doesn’t change my outlook -- yes the outcome could’ve been serious but a man who thinks he was duped by this woman’s faux innocence, that she was always trying to entrap or confuse him, could absolutely have come to the conclusion that she was faking her attempt at suicide because she wanted something from him.

To clarify, I’ve never thought her attempt was anything but serious, and have written essays about how much I disagreed with the track being given a comedic treatment.

I just discovered the rewinds where he reflects and I understand he does show it there sometimes

Does he though? I mean, Arnav spends most of his time spouting poetry in the Rewind, not genuinely reflecting on his behaviour. I’ll admit to my bias -- both EJ and Rewind strike me as out-of-character bullshit that I enjoy if the mood strikes me, but they’re not canon in my eyes.

Is there a place you know where some might be available or can you throw some light on pieces of his dialog that shows some deeper understanding of how his actions were abusive and he takes ownership for that abuse aside from Khushi letting him off the hook because she knows he loves her and her tears hurt him too

You’re not going to find this in the canon. I’m sorry, I understand why you’re looking for it, really I do. The closest we get are vague statements in EJ and in the Rewind.

(This turned into a bit of a live-blog on the Rewind.)

In Episode 1 of the Rewind, Arnav reflects on their first meeting. He says that he was angry at Khushi because his show was ruined. He says that he rained upon her like lava. (Lava?? That’s taken straight from fanfiction my God.)

Arnav: “Aaj yaad karta hoon toh lagta hai ki kitna bura bartaav kiya maine uske saath uss din.” -- When I think about it now, I think of how badly I behaved with her that day.

He admits to wrongdoing but as it immediately follows a justification, I’m not convinced it’s particularly reflective or deep. He always knew he was wrong -- the countless flashbacks to this meeting showed this in the canon.

In Episode 2, when he talks about the release of the video footage, Arnav smilingly tells the camera that he didn’t realise it would ~complicate~ Khushi’s life so much. This one action invited Shyam into her life and he smiles while he recalls it???

Ugh, this is the episode with the naaaaaavvvvvvv. Naaaaaaaavvvv. Fuck me dead I hate the Rewind so much, anon you’d better send me loads of virtual potatoes for this!

Episode 3, in which Arnav reduces his abuse of the employer-employee relationship with Khushi to a video game in which one has to defeat their opponent.

At least she apparently took the raksha bandhan seriously.

OH MY GOD THE MUG I’D FORGOTTEN THE MUG, BLISSFULLY WIPED IT FROM MY MEMORY. MY EYES. MY EEYYYEEESSS.

In Episode 6, Arnav admits he feels guilty when he thinks of the things he said and made Khushi do on the night of the photoshoot. His punishment is taking his wife to eat parathas -- a punishment Arnav admits is inadequate because he made so many mistakes.

In Episode 7, Arnav admits that regrets many of his decisions in his and Khushi’s story. But he hedges, saying that his mind wasn’t listening to his heart at the time. And then tries to justify his anger by bringing up that she told everyone about Lavanya.

In Episode 8, Arnav says that he gets goosebumps when he thinks about something happening to Khushi at the guesthouse. He says he still gets tears in his eyes when he thinks about how her arm was hurt. And yet, no examination of physical abuse.

In Episode 9, he admits that he’d crossed too many lines and Khushi’s anger was justified when she resigned. He admits that he made her life miserable, that he was “torturing” her. He says that he’d never send her where her life was in danger, though, and that she was wrong in saying that.

Ahh I’d totally spaced on him saying that he’d heard his dhak-dhak for the first time on Teej.

In Episode 14, Arnav reiterates that he regrets how he treated Khushi, and he wishes they knew what they know now: that they were falling in love.

And then Arnav disappears from the Rewind. His behaviour in the contract marriage and beyond is not reflected on.

I’m not seeing anything in the Rewind that constitutes Arnav showing a deeper understanding of his abusive behaviour and taking ownership of it and its influence on Khushi. I mean, it’s there in the edges of what he says, but it’s not actually what he says. And what he says was always in the serial -- in his monologues, in his flashbacks, in his moments of introspection. It should not be news to anyone.

When I say IPKKND is set in a fantasy world where Arnav’s behaviour is not coded as abusive, I don’t mean and so we shouldn’t examine it through that lense. I mean that the characters will not admit to it being abuse any more than Aragorn is going to comment on the lack of women in LOTR or Aslan is going to say “I’m actually Jesus.” The conclusion that his behaviour is abusive is external to the serial, internally he’s driven by the trauma of the Tragedy and has the blessing of Devi Maiyya.

And so, there is no examination -- internally -- of this behaviour. Even in Lavanya’s case, Arnav never mentions the gross power imbalance and her ready acceptance of his abuse as reasons for the breakup. The show is silent on the topic (though my recaps aren’t) and the audience is left with the genuinely absurd idea that it was about how he didn’t love her. It wasn’t -- he knew he didn’t love her when they first broke up lol. It was about their interaction at the poolside where she admitted he’d never been nice to her. Ever. And that she just accepted as it as a given in their dynamic. Even in the Rewind, Arnav emphasizes that he didn’t love Lavanya, that he only saw her as a friend, instead of admitting he was emotionally abusive.

Coming back to Arnav’s reflection -- Arnav always, always, will be able to justify his point of view. Everyone is the Hero in their own story -- the entire thrust of this blog is to show that.

Now, I don’t need Arnav to say he was abusive -- I know he was, but I also think the redemption he was offered in the serial was fine (I’m qhsahil in that exchange, but I reckon you will agree with the others). I think it was in keeping with the characters shown in the serial and I have absolutely no desire to see any come-upperance or vengeance on Khushi’s behalf.

In conclusion, I get where you’re coming from, and I even understand why you want to see him say and admit these things, but I disagree that we see (or ever will see) them in the canon, or that we even need them in general.

Thanks for asking!

#ipkknd #iss pyaar ko kya naam doon #arshi #arnav singh raizada #khushi kumari gupta #analysis #anon ask #answered

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dweemeister · 4 years

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2020 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song (final results)

TAGGING for the last time for 2020′s MOABOS: @addaellis; @birdsongvelvet; @cokwong; @emilylime5; @halfwaythruthedark; @idontknowmuchaboutmovies; @introspectivemeltdown; @maximiliani; @memetoilet; @monkeysmadeofcheese; @myluckyerror; @shootingstarvenator; @plus-low-overthrow; @themusicmoviesportsguy; @theybecomestories; @umgeschrieben; @underblackwings; @voicetalentbrendan; and @yellanimal! I know some of you did not complete the final round, but you have been tagged in appreciation anyways.

I post this in full realization of how dark this day has been. It’s been a painful several hours in a deeply wounded country - a country that, for the first time in in a long time, has failed to secure a peaceful transfer of power. May this day not be an indication of what this new year may bring.

And now to the subject of this post.

I expected this final round to be a complete blowout for a certain song, based on my own personal predictions before MOABOS began and from eyeballing the point totals (which no longer decide the winner and placements for the final). That song did win, but with a razor-thin margin, preventing what might have been the biggest upset in the Movie Odyssey for Best Original Song’s history. I would’ve preferred the upset to the actual winner, but I am nevertheless very happy with the result.

31 respondents chimed in, slightly down by two from last year (my fault... but what a turnout!). The first set of standings you see are based on the points-based system that the preliminary round is based on. The final was formerly decided this way until too many one choice-one vote respondents skewed the process.

STANDINGS ON POINTS (USED ONLY AS A SECONDARY TIEBREAKER... the actual final result is the list below this one). Using the old method, the count would’ve looked like this (“Song”, Film title (points) / #1 votes).:

"Can’t Help Falling in Love”, Blue Hawaii (163) / 8

“Theme from New York, New York”, New York, New York (149) / 2

“(Do You Know What It Means to Miss) New Orleans”, New Orleans (134) / 3

“Farewell to Storyville”, New Orleans (124.5) / 3

“Is There Still Anything That Love Can Do?”, Weathering with You (116) / 3

“Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari / Bichhde Sabhi Baari Baari”, Kaagaz Ke Phool (111.5) / 1

“Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”, Kaagaz Ke Phool (114.5) / 3

“Happy Endings”, New York, New York (104.5) / 1

“Blue Shadows on the Trail”, Melody Time (103.5)

“You Make Me Feel So Young”, Three Little Girls in Blue (103) / 1

“Angela”, Aaron Loves Angela (92) / 2

"Please Don’t Stop Loving Me”, Frankie and Johnny (92)

“Here They Come (From All Over the World)”, The T.A.M.I. Show (74) / 2

“Moonlight Swim”, Blue Hawaii (64) / 1

“Personality”, Road to Utopia (60.5)

"Exsultate Justi”, Empire of the Sun (49) / 1

That’s a sizeable lead on points AND in #1 votes for “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. What did the actual results yield?

THE OFFICIAL TABULATION FOLLOWS.

We used a single transferable vote (which is explained visually here). With 31 votes, a song needed 50% + 1 vote of all #1 and transferred votes to be declared a winner. Thus, a song needed 16 votes to win. One ballot was discarded midway through the count due to that person only voting for one song, but the magic number remained 16. The top ten songs became nominees; the bottom six are considered honorable mentions:

2020 Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song (FINAL STANDINGS)

"Can’t Help Falling in Love”, Blue Hawaii (1961)

“Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”, Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959, India)

“(Do You Know What It Means to Miss) New Orleans”, New Orleans (1947)

“Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari / Bichhde Sabhi Baari Baari”, Kaagaz Ke Phool

“Is There Still Anything That Love Can Do?”, Weathering with You (2019, Japan)

“Farewell to Storyville”, New Orleans

“Theme from New York, New York”, New York, New York (1977)

“Angela”, Aaron Loves Angela (1975)

“Here They Come (From All Over the World)”, The T.A.M.I. Show (1964)

“Happy Endings”, New York, New York

“You Make Me Feel So Young”, Three Little Girls in Blue (1946)

“Moonlight Swim”, Blue Hawaii

“Exsultate Justi”, Empire of the Sun (1987)

“Blue Shadows on the Trail”, Melody Time (1948)

“Please Don’t Stop Loving Me”, Frankie and Johnny (1966)

“Personality”, Road to Utopia (1945)

Composed by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss, your winner is “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. Ever since its debut in the film, it has been covered often by artists in various genres of music. And because of its ubiquity, it was also the song that perhaps came into this year’s MOABOS with the highest expectations of taking it all (aside from “Theme from New York, New York”). But spare a thought for “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam” (along with Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari”, they jointly become the . It is one of the most spellbinding moments in all of Hindi cinema, a lovelorn anthem of classic Bollywood that has transcended its origins.

I also wanted to give a final shout-out to both songs from New Orleans (1947). Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday - two giants of American jazz - should have been the stars in that movie, but, because of the limited opportunities for black actors at that time, they are not. Armstrong has been part of MOABOS before, and I imagine we haven’t see the last of him. But for Billie Holiday, New Orleans was her only credited appearance in a feature film. This year’s MOABOS richly benefitted from her unique voice and musicality.

“Can’t Help Falling in Love” joins these past winners:

2019: “I WIsh I Didn’t Love You So” from The Perils of Pauline (1947)

2018: “Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing” from Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955)

2017: “Remember Me (Recuérdame)” from Coco (2017)

2016: “Stayin’ Alive” from Saturday Night Fever (1977)

2015: “Amhrán Na Farraige” from Song of the Sea (2014)

2014: “Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie (1979)

2013: “The Gold Diggers’ Song (We’re In the Money)” from Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)

I thank all of you for participating in 2020′s Movie Odyssey Award for Best Original Song. In a year defined by disruption and disease, I was happy to continue this small (and yes, time-consuming for everyone) end-of-year tradition with all of you. It is a privilege to share my love of classic films and musical tastes here on tumblr and elsewhere, and I hope all of you found some new films or music that caught your attention. With the end of this pandemic closer than ever before, I hope all of you stay safe as we navigate this year together.

The 2021 Movie Odyssey began several days ago. Another year of cinematic discovery beckons, and perhaps many of you might share some of that joy of discovery with me. Hope to see you here for a 2021 edition of MOABOS. Tabulation details are beneath.

31 ballots were submitted; sixteen #1 votes and transferred votes needed to win

2ND COUNT: One vote for “Exsultate Justi” is transferred to “New Orleans”:

3RD COUNT: One vote for “Moonlight Swim” to “Can’t Help Falling in Love”:

4TH COUNT: One vote for “You Make Me Feel So Young” to “Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari”:

5TH COUNT: One vote for “Happy Endings” to “Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari”:

6TH COUNT: Two votes for “Here They Come (From All Over the World)” to “Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari”:

7TH COUNT: One ballot was discarded. One vote for “Angela” to “Is There Still Anything That Love Can Do?” 30 ballots remain; 16 to win.

8TH COUNT: One for for “New York, New York” to “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”. The other went to “Can’t Help Falling in Love”:

9TH COUNT: Three votes for “Farewell to Storyville” were transferred. One went to “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, another to “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”, and the last one to “New Orleans”:

10th COUNT: Four votes for “Is There Still Anything That Love Can Do?” were transferred. Three went to “Can’t Help Falling in Love. The fourth vote went to “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”.

11TH COUNT: Five votes for “Dekhi Zamaane Ki Yaari” were transferred. Four of those went to “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”; the other went to “New Orleans”:

12TH COUNT: Six votes for “New Orleans” were transferred. Four went to “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”. Two went to “Can’t Help Falling in Love”.

“Can’t Help Falling in Love” clinched victory on the 13th and final count by a margin of 16 votes to 14 for “Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam”.

#2020 Movie Odyssey Awards

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maverick-werewolf · 4 years

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Wulfgard: The Hunt Never Ends Preview - Story 6, “Troubled Waters”

Interior illustration from The Hunt Never Ends story, “Troubled Waters”

We’re almost there - the book releases one week from today!

I am a very special kind of stressed, lemme tell you.

This preview is of the final story in the story collection and my personal favorite: “Troubled Waters.” If you didn’t know, this is a preview for my upcoming story collection, Wulfgard: The Hunt Never Ends. It’s a book, but it’s something in-between a novel and a short story collection.

Each story in the book is individual and stands on its own, but they also go in order and build upon each other. So I’m not sure if one should really call it a novel, but it’s also different than just unrelated short stories. It bridges the gap between the two mediums.

Anyway, here’s another preview - enjoy!

For more info on the book itself, you can also check out this post. Also be sure to check out the Hunt Never Ends tag for a whole lot more book previews!

And remember - Wulfgard: The Hunt Never Ends is available for preorder (digital only; physical available on release date) on Amazon.com!

Pre-Order Link

Please note that, while the ebook is now available for preorder, Wulfgard: The Hunt Never Ends will also be available in paperback on October 30 from the same Amazon listing! Paperbacks cannot be preordered using Amazon’s system, however.

Be sure to check back October 30 for the physical (paperback) edition!

If you’re interested in purchasing the book digitally, you can now pre-order it right here and have it immediately on October 30!

(Paperback edition will be available on Amazon on October 30)

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There were a lot of things Caiden knew how to do. Clean a sword. Maintain a bow or a crossbow, even customize the latter almost beyond recognition. Make his own arrows or bolts. Investigate a crime scene. Bandage a wound, make a tourniquet, brew a potion, hunt, forage, track, forge his own tools or weapons, carve wood, build houses or fortifications, command an army, cook meals…

But one thing he didn’t know how to do was read. And it pissed him off.

The beds in Castle Greywatch weren’t much. Some straw, changed daily, for a mattress, and some sackcloth to cover it. Any Venatori better off liked to buy their own beds, but Caiden wasn’t exactly drowning in coin. Following the dullahan encounter on Samhain, Kiya had given him a feather pillow as thanks – he didn’t want to think it had belonged to Relgar, but it probably had – and that was the nicest part of his sleeping arrangement in the castle.

He shifted his back against that pillow, currently squashed between him and the shoddy headboard and struggling to retain any fluffiness as a result. He tried to focus. Focus, he tended to be good at, but staring at the book in his hand almost made him wonder. It was a much smaller bestiary than the one Gwen had been given by Illikon, with a likewise smaller amount of illustrations.

If he had any sense, he would have just asked Gwen for help with reading. But his dignity – or maybe his stubbornness, or both – had long since thrown that idea out. He had all day to struggle with this, unless something came up. So, he reached to the nightstand beside him for the bottle of whiskey there. If there was something Castle Greywatch did have, it was decent booze.

Not that it seemed to be helping right now. It made things a little fuzzier, maybe. Slightly dulled that deep, gnawing, empty pain inside him, but not enough.

After they left Illikon, that feeling had grown louder, rowdier – tried to make itself more known. Whatever it was found claws to dig into his spine, using them to reach his skull. There, it chewed into him, left seeds of growing frustration – restless anger he couldn’t seem to muzzle. Any unwanted feelings of loneliness, of being lost, only got worse. A pulling, a need, telling him to do something.

After a few nights spent at Greywatch, it had grown to take a shape he almost recognized: hunger. Impossibly deep hunger that absolutely nothing satisfied.

That was why he couldn’t think. Not the drink. Not the page in front of him, covered in small symbols supposedly forming words, all of which made no sense. It was the smoldering flame in him turning into an empty inferno, and he had no idea how to put it out – or how to give it more fuel to burn.

Caiden’s eyes lost focus on the bestiary, staring at something inside rather than out. He pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand, his grip on the book loosening, letting it droop.

Some tentative excitement came creeping up the stairs just outside the room. Caiden snapped the book shut and shoved it under his pillow, folding his arms and feeling an awful lot like a five-year-old trying to hide something embarrassing.

Except the bottle of whiskey. Couldn’t really hide that. Not like it mattered, anyway; she already knew it.

Gwen rounded the corner, peering into the room past the partially ajar door. She gave a few tentative knocks, eyes on him.

Caiden grunted. Yeah. Come in. You already have.

When she stepped into the room, Caiden instantly noted she was fully suited up, wearing her leather jerkin, belt of potions, weapons… Which for her, unlike him, was unusual to see when they were around the castle. Something was up.

Gwen paused, looked at him, followed his gaze to the far wall obviously in search of something interesting there, then at him again.

He met her stare evenly. “What?”

She shot the whiskey bottle a glance. “It’s a little early to be drinking, isn’t it?”

Caiden shrugged. Did that actually matter right now?

“Sure… Okay.” Cool worry filled the room, emanating from her, lapping jittery and mildly annoying waves against him. Gwen fumbled with a letter she’d been holding halfway behind her back. “Well, everyone in the great hall was talking missions, and a new one just came in. I snatched it up – thought it might be interesting. It’s not really like anything we’ve done before…”

An unnatural urge to snap at her, tell her to get on with it, rose in his throat and forced him to swallow it. Barely. It settled in his stomach, uncomfortable and heavy, and he tried to tell himself not to be a half-drunk asshole.

“What is it?” he prompted, voice coming out too flat as he struggled to find his usual patience.

That made Gwen screw up her brow at him more than a little, but she said, “There’s a village in the mountains not far from here – secluded little place called Norhaven. It doesn’t seem very noteworthy, except it has its own freshwater spring coming out of a mountain. But now a monster’s attacking them over the water, or that’s what they’re claiming. They say it’s been burning people, of all things, and it only attacks in the dark.”

For half a second, Caiden’s mind stuttered and ground to a halt. The first time he met something that only attacked in the dark, it had been his first monster hunt. It wasn’t something he liked recalling.

But he nodded.

“They… want us there as soon as possible,” Gwen added, almost tentatively. No, not almost. Definitely. Her nerves were frayed. She was worried about something, and it only seemed to get worse the longer she looked at him.

Caiden didn’t much like people worrying about him. He never had.

So he huffed, trying to figure out how to give what she might consider a ‘normal’ response. He stood and popped his neck in a short shock of painful relief. Even if it didn’t help the pinching headache he’d gotten from being bent over a book and trying to read for so long, it felt slightly better.

“Maybe we should wait until tomorrow morning,” said Gwen, still eying him like he was sick.

He eyed her right back. “I’m fine.”

“Caiden, you’ve drunk way more than usual lately – and that’s already saying something – and way earlier in the day. You know how terrible that is for you, right? And besides that, you’re talking even less.”

Gwen frowned. Some kind of hurt came off her then, enough to make his insides almost start to shrivel.

“You can trust me,” she said at length. “If something’s wrong, talk to me about it. Wouldn’t you be the first one to tell me that you need to know if I have something going on, so it doesn’t jeopardize our mission?”

Caiden’s jaw tightened, hard, before he gave it permission. You know she’s right. Yeah, she was right, and he couldn’t tell her. Every word, every phrase that came to mind sounded dismissive. Uncaring, or at least untrusting.

But Gwen gave up fairly quickly, still wearing a frown. She nodded and said, “Okay. Want to leave in an hour or two? It isn’t far to ride. We’ll get there before sundown and we can find a place to sleep.”

Caiden nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll meet you by the stables.”

With that, Gwen turned and left – though not without throwing a quick, and decidedly worried, look back at him over her shoulder.

(More preview under the cut!)

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“These attacks,” said Gwen, “do they usually happen around the spring, under the trees?”

Asger nodded. “Mostly.”

“And has anyone been in that cave since it started?”

“Where the source is? Gods, no. Gotta have a deathwish to walk into the dark after this thing.”

“Yeah,” Caiden said, already walking around the trees and toward the cave. Behind him, Asger sputtered, while Gwen’s quiet footfalls and building, anxious excitement followed in his wake.

“Go on back to town and get some rest, Asger,” Gwen called back to him.

Caiden stopped before the mouth of the cave and squinted into it, reaching for a potion on his belt: one to enhance his senses. Beside him now, Gwen shifted, tension radiating from her like constant lightning.

“If you drink that and that thing burns you, it’ll really hurt,” she said. “I heard some Venatori pass out from pain if something catches them with one of those.”

Caiden huffed. “I didn’t last time. I won’t this time either.”

Just as he drained the potion bottle, Asger’s panting caught up with them again as he stopped by their side, drawing his bodkin dagger and holding it up in a shaking hand. Gwen blinked at him, and Caiden furrowed his brow.

Asger’s face slowly drained of color as he stared at Caiden’s eyes – a side-effect of the potion was his eyes glowing. Not much, just softly, but it tended to scare the hell out of the average person.

“You probably shouldn’t come with us,” Gwen offered slowly, like she was trying to calm Asger down from some fit of panic. “Especially since… your weapon there looks like something my partner might pick his teeth with.”

“This’s a finely-made dagger, I’ll have you know,” Asger blurted. “And I’m the watchman here, this is part of my job. Let’s go on then—”

He stepped forward, but Caiden snapped one hand out and got a firm grip on Asger’s arm, stopping him in his tracks.

“I’m on point,” he said. “You shouldn’t come, but if you’re following us, then stay behind me. Gwen…”

“On it. I’ll cover your rear— I mean, the rear.” A blush quickly rose in her cheeks. “Tom ruined me,” Caiden faintly heard her mutter under her breath.

Caiden grunted. Then he turned and led the way.

Didn’t take long for his eyes to adjust, then to adapt, thanks to that potion. Faint moonlight spilling in let him see limestone walls slick with condensation and a violently gushing spring, churning the water on the far end of the cavern at the base of the wall. Spitting it out straight into the reservoir, the flow of it turning gentle by the time it left the cave.

Heavy mist hung in the air here, maybe kicked up by the water. But something didn’t seem right.

Then he realized why.

Fear washed down upon them like frigid rain – so much fear that, for half a second, it froze every muscle in Caiden’s body. His nerves pulled taut, ready to break and snap down on him like a whip, hard enough to leave a few more scars on his back. Hand shooting to his sword hilt in a white-knuckle grip, he drew in a sharp breath and fought the chill that ran fast up his spine and forced him to be afraid.

This wasn’t natural. Gwen, from the way she was suddenly fumbling with her gear, seemed to know it.

Asger, on the other hand, didn’t. He bellowed out a hoarse shout, nearly fell spinning around to face the exit, and ran for the cave mouth.

All around them, a shrill voice echoed, “Leave this place!”

It spoke the words very clearly – not the gibberish he’d been told about.

Everything happened at once. A rush of air ripped by him, trailing cold in its wake, like off the surface of the spring itself. Asger screamed, his heavy boots scuffing the stone as something made him stumble and fall. Caiden charged forward at a surging shadow, blade ready to swing.

And an arrow lodged itself in his upper arm with a hard lance of pain and a meaty thunk.

Caiden coughed out a grunt and staggered from the impact, the arrow locking up his sword arm and stopping him mid-strike. Whatever had come past him and attacked Asger seemed already gone, moving faster than he could even understand.

Gwen appeared beside him in an instant, hand on his uninjured left arm and sputtering apologies. “Caiden!? I – gods— I shouldn’t have tried to shoot it, it moved so fast—”

The cave around him was far from silent. Asger swore as he scrambled to his feet, Gwen kept on apologizing as she tried in vain to tug Caiden out of the cave until he, halfway in a stupor, finally staggered along after her.

Boots against stone. Grass under their feet, bright moonlight overhead. Plenty of pain in his right arm that twitched useless and limp at his side.

These sensations stayed, but something was missing.

He’d heard once that silence was golden. He had never understood what ‘silence’ entirely meant. This was the closest he’d ever come.

The whispers had stopped – the fleeting memories. All of it. The fear from the monster was gone – his, Asger’s, Gwen’s – he felt no terror from anyone, though they still looked afraid. Sounded afraid. Moved like it. But he couldn’t sense it. It didn’t invade his mind, twist into him, and try to make itself at home.

And he suddenly felt blind. Deaf. Neither of those things, yet both at once – because it was gone. A sense he had known for his entire life, something that was always there. Gone, no trace left. He felt dumb.

Caiden blinked. Furrowed his brow. His shoulders tensed, pulled against the arrow still biting deep into his arm, and made him wince.

What the hell was going on?

In the corner of his vision, he saw Gwen fumble for something in a pouch on her belt, only to draw out the shattered neck of a bottle. She swore and threw it aside, turning her attention to him instead as he stared straight ahead at nothing in particular.

“Caiden – Caiden, hey, look at me!” Gwen grabbed the harness around his shoulders and tugged on it hard enough for his eyes to snap to her and stare. Her face was pale. “That arrow was poisoned. Okay? You’re probably woozy right now; it’s very fast-acting…”

“Gwen—”

She sucked in a hard breath and blurted, “Caiden if you say ‘I’m fine’ I swear to Athena I will punch you in the stomach.”

He paused and cocked his head at her, his mouth ever so slightly ajar.

“Listen,” she said, voice quivering and straining to sound strong, “the bottle for the antidote I had on me broke – I have more of it, but it’s in my saddlebag. We have to get you to the inn so we can get that arrow out and I can give you the antidote. Okay?”

“Just pull it out,” Caiden mumbled, his words coming out slurred.

“I’m not doing that, you don’t just suddenly pull an arrow out – there are procedures for this!”

One sharp tug on his uninjured arm later, and he was following her back down the mountain path, both of them led by a stumbling Asger. The watchman looked at a deep welt on his forearm, his flesh twisted and reddened – what was left of it. Most of it had burned off entirely. Asger swore more colorfully than the average sailor, wearing a deep grimace.

He separated from them with a few hurried words to Gwen – words Caiden should’ve heeded, but paid no attention to – and disappeared into a nearby home. Gwen kept leading the way, up the stairs and into the inn, still tugging on Caiden’s uninjured arm.

“By Jove!” the innkeeper shouted, starting up in an instant from where he’d been sitting in his quiet tavern.

He quickly started throwing questions, which Gwen just as quickly deflected. She mostly did that by dumping a handful of coins on the counter and asking for two rooms. All the while, Caiden leaned his uninjured arm on the nearest table and pulled in one deep breath after another.

Pain quickly found its way across his body, tightening every muscle and settling heavily in his chest, like having molten lead poured into his lungs. It didn’t leave him any room to breathe, and that didn’t leave him much room to think.

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kainissoable · 4 years

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Since my edit/redesign of the Priestess cut from Soul Reaver actually went well, I thought I’d try another scantily clad side character who deserved better, Kiya.

I tried to balance aspects from the original with historical accuracy, but it’s not a bandage bikini, so it’s automatically better. I blame the weird arm lengths on the general PS1 model issues. Anyway, Sony remake MediEvil 2 and give Kiya the magic, agency and suitable clothes she deserves.

#kiya #medievil #medievil 2 #scantily clad side characters who deserved better #my terrible edits #my edits #becasue I am apparently getting better at this

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queriesinstereo · 6 years

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Character Creation Tag

Thanks @lemon-i-scream! This should be a lot of fun. So I’m going to be doing Kiya, the captain of the Second Star in my WIP of the same name.

1) What was the first element of your character that you remember considering?

Um... probably just the general idea of her? That she had once been a soldier and then had gotten pulled into this new life out of no real choice for herself.

2) Did you design them with any other characters from their universe in mind?

Hm... I’m not quite sure? I may have changed parts of her personality in order to have her mesh better with my other characters, but I can’t really think of anything in particular.

3) How did you choose their name?

I literally just looked up her name meaning just now because I can’t remember, and am not finding any results for particular meanings, so I probably just thought it sounded nice.

4) In developing their backstory, what elements of their world played the most influential part?

The constant war. A very important part of her story is that (spoiler - kinda) Kiya was drafted into it and didn’t really have a choice in the matter, and that theme just kinda pervaded everything else.

5) Is there any significance behind their hair color?

She has brown hair, and no. Part of it was that I wanted her to be plainer, but mostly it was just because.

6) Eye color?

Brown, and again no particular significance beyond going well with her hair.

7) Height?

Man, I have no idea, and I can’t even remember if I’ve written about it at all. I think she’s moderately tall, so maybe around 5′8 to 5′10? Enough that she’s vaguely imposing, but not really noticeable.

8) What do you relate to within their character/story?

Hm. Weirdly enough (considering that I tend to majorly relate to my characters) the only thing I can really think of here is that she has no idea why people like her? Like, she freaks out when she thinks about it, because it makes no sense to her.

9) Are they based off you in any way?

Not much, really. Which, again, is weird. Maybe just the fact that she’s internally screaming most of the time.

10) Did you know what your character’s sexuality would be at the time of their creation?

Yes. She’s gay, and I definitely knew that in regards to her backstory. I wasn’t actually expecting it to come up beyond that, but then she decided she was going to get involved with another character and I just rolled with it.

11) What have you found is the most difficult art form in creating your character?

Hmm... no idea. Maybe drawing, since I’m terrible at it.

12) How far past canon events that take place in their world have you extended their backstory?

About ten years? Maybe? There’s an instigating point about three years before canon events, but it’s ongoing before that.

13) If you had to narrow it down to 2 things you MUST keep in mind while working with this OC, what would they be?

She has no idea what she’s doing, and she cares way too much for her own comfort.

14) What is something about your OC that makes you laugh?

How oblivious she is to the fact loyalty goes two ways. Like, I love her, but she has no idea. (On second thought, that might actually be kinda sad. oops.)

15) What is something about your OC that makes you cry?

That is spoiler territory, and I’m not going there. Suffice it to say that it’s worth crying about.

16) Is there some element you regret adding to your OC or their story?

Not that I can think of? I’m still in first draft territory, so I’ve just edited anything like that out. And the one thing I can think of that I did wasn’t necessarily related to her, so...

17) What is the most recent thing that you’ve discovered about your OC?

She constantly walks a fine line between done with everyone’s shit and wanting to laugh hysterically at the world.

18) Favorite OC fact?

Um... She is 100% secretly a nerd, though what exactly she’s a fan of I haven’t figured out yet.

I can’t think of anyone to tag here, unfortunately, but if you want to do it go ahead (and tag me if you want - I’d love to check out your own ocs).

#tag games #ocs #the second star #kiya sonders #writeblr

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kunalkarankapoor · 4 years

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16 Years Of Kunal Karan Kapoor

February 2020 Kunal Karan Kapoor shoot and edited videos for Sisterhood Soiree Edition 2 - Goa 2020. Kunal Karan Kapoor has worked with Submerge in the past and shoot and edited videos for them.

April 2020 Kunal Karan Kapoor entered web space with Vootselect "The Raikar Case" as Mohit Naik Raikar. A layered and very complex character.

The way Kunal K Kapoor told Mohit's story, even though he had very limited screen time, through his eyes and body language, is commendable. Kunal Karan Kapoor once again, left a huge impact.

It unbelievable the variety of expressions and emotions he bring out in one single shot. He takes you by surprise. The control he has over his performance. Admirable and awe-inspiring!

He is beautiful and art in motion!

Here what Kunal K Kapoor's co-stars and content Creator On Voot Select Anup Kadam and director Aditya Sarpotdar has to say.

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“Kunal is a fab actor and I have known him since Naa bole tum.. days… He is very enthusiastic about his work and always looking to do more than what’s needed. He is very professional on set and a very pleasant personality to have around. We chose him for Mohit coz the character needed a multi faceted person to portray it as it is a very layered character and he fitted in perfectly.” - Anup Kadam (Content Creator On VootSelect and Web series The Raikar Case 2020)

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“Kunal is a brilliant actor, he is a great guy, fantastic human being. Very down to earth, very soft spoken and the best thing I like about him, he is very hardworking. Kunal must have asked the most questions on the show as an actor, because he character was really complex in the show. he doesn’t talk much. Kunal knew that he has limited screen place. ” Aditya Sarpotdar (Director on Web series The Raikar Case)

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“It was wonderful working with Kunal Kapoor, he is a wonderful guy, wonderful actor. hai. Bohot zyada apne character main ghus jaate hain toh aise logon ke saath kam karne main bohot hi maza aata hain.” - Rushad Rana (Co-star on web series The Raikar Case)

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“It was wonderful experience. Kunal and I developed a really nice friendship while shoot! :) “We’re very different kind of people, but we get along together like a novel with coffee.” - @kunalkarankapoor has mad selfie taking skills🐒 ” - Vaishnavi (Co-star on Web series The Raikar Case)

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"My experience with The Raikar Case was very good. One person who made it even more fun for me was Kunal. One of my funny and memorable moment was exploring Goas' streets with him. We had a lot of fun." - Palak Purswani (Co-star on web series The Raikar Case)

"How Much I miss shooting with this one. Actually irritating him in between the scenes!" - Palak Purswani

Diyar Kunal Karan Kapoor sar dhanyavaad aapaka, aapake saath kaam karake bahut achchha laga yah anubhav mere lie hamesha yaadagaar rahega . Aapake vyaktitv ne mujhe behad prabhaavit kiya hai main aabhaar vyakt karata hoon aapaka aur aapake ujjval bhavishy ke lie ishvar se praathana karata hoon dheron shubhakaamanaen meree aur se . ❤ - Ravi Singh Dear @kunalkarankapoor Sir Thank you, very nice working with you, this experience will always be memorable for me. Your personality has impressed me. I express my gratitude to you and God for your bright future. Many best wishes to me.

Kunal K Kapoor happy 16th anniversary and many many more to come. It’s just the beginning. Many more milestone to achieve and so much more to explore.

THANK YOU for being an inspiration in so many ways. Thank you...for being you. We love you a lot and we will always be here supporting you in every step of the way. Sending you lots of love, best wishes and a big tight hug. May God bless you and keep you and your love ones safe, happy and in peace. May you achieve everything which you aim for ❤️

PS: Waiting for your autobiography ❤️

#kunal karan kapoor #actor #artist #celebrations #aditya sarpotdar #anup kadam #rushad rana

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epickiya722 · 3 years

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👀 Shoji Mezo 👀

Tentacle Hero: Tentacole

(触手ヒーローテンタコル Shokushu Hīrō Tentakoru)

#happy birthday shoji #the literal baby brother of the class #bnha #mha #he is so underrated #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #shoji mezo #mezo shoji #kiyaedits #kiya actually edits #kiya edits #mezou shouji #shouji mezou

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recentanimenews · 7 years

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My Week in Manga: April 10-April 16, 2017

My News and Reviews

Last week at Experiments in Manga was relatively quiet, but I did post the Bookshelf Overload for March. As mentioned in that post (and I think sometime prior to that as well), I’m currently in the process of changing jobs, so I’ve been a bit preoccupied to say the least. (If you follow me on Twitter, this largely explains my sporadic appearances there.) This week is my last week in my current position, so I’m understandably pretty busy with meetings and tying up loose ends and such. I still plan on finishing up and posting my review of the first volume of Nagabe’s The Girl from the Other Side sometime this week, but it will probably be towards the end.

Over the last week, Seven sees announced a couple more new licenses: Yoshikazu Takeuchi’s Perfect Blue novels (which were the basis for Satoshi Kon’s anime film of the same name) as well as Jin and Sayuki’s manga series Nirvana. Yen Press also had a slew of announcements: Natsume Ono’s ACCA 13 (probably the one I’m most excited about), Kudan Naduka and Nakoto Sanada’s Angel of Slaughter, Matoba’s As Miss Beelzebub Likes, Rihito Takarai’s Graineliers, Afro’s Laid-Back Camp?, Mufirushi Shimazaki’s The Monster Tamer Girls, Koromo’s A Polar Bear in Love, Matcha Hazuki’s One Week Friends, Fuse’s Regarding Reincarnating as Slime light novel (Kodansha Comics has licensed the manga), both the light novel and manga of Carlo Zen’s The Saga of Evil Tanya, Okina Baba’s light novel So I’m a Spider, So What?, Keiichi Shigusawa and Tadadi Tamori’s Sword Art Online: Alternative Gun Gale Online, Abec’s Sword Art Online Artworks artbook, Reki Kawahara and Shii Kiya’s Sword Art Online: Calibur, Mai Tanaka’s Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School, Kakashi Oniyazu’s Though You May Burn to Ash, and Ryousuke Asakura’s Val X Love.

As for crowdfunding efforts, Digital Manga will be launching its most recent Juné Kickstarter sometime later today in an effort to publish print editions of some of Psyche Delico’s manga which were previously only released digitally. (This is in addition to recently announced print licenses of Psyche Delico’s Even a Dog Won’t Eat It and Choco Strawberry Vanilla.) Another Kickstarter project to keep an eye on is Retrofit Comic’s Spring 2017 collection which includes Yuichi Yokoyama’s Iceland. (In general Retrofit Comics releases some great books, but this will be the publisher’s first manga to be translated.) Finally, the wonderful people behind Queer Japan are currently raising funds for the film’s post-production as well as some of the non-profit organizations featured in the documentary.

Quick Takes

Dawn of the Arcana, Volumes 7-13 by Rei Toma. I enjoyed the first part of Dawn of the Arcana a great deal and so was looking forward to reading the rest of the series. As the manga progresses it becomes less reliant on the standard fantasy tropes that form its base, although it never escapes them entirely. However, even considering this, Dawn of the Arcana is still a satisfying and enjoyable series. The story’s most dramatic plot twist I guessed at long before it was actually revealed, but there were still developments and directions that the story took that managed to surprise me. At times it felt like Dawn of the Arcana was only scratching the surface, as if the manga was only providing a summary version of a much more complicated narrative. The characters and story have depth to them, but not everything is thoroughly and completely explored, much of the more nuanced interpretations being left to the readers to form. I really liked Dawn of the Arcana. It can be heartbreaking–the characters’ struggling with circumstances that have no easy resolutions–but also thrilling as they find ways to take control of their own fates.

Murciélago, Volume 1 by Yoshimurakana. I was forewarned about the violence, gore, and otherwise explicit nature of Murciélago, so I was well aware of what I was getting myself into by picking up the manga. Murciélago is ridiculous, absurd, extreme, over-the-top, and a great deal of fun if someone doesn’t have a problem with the series’ aforementioned blood and brutality. Interestingly, the risqué lesbian sex scenes which both open and close the first volume, while being deliberately lewd, scandalous, and outrageous are also entirely consensual and in a way are bizarrely one of the more wholesome aspects of the manga. The lead of Murciélago is Kuroko Koumori, a dangerous, murderous, and lecherous woman who has been sentenced to death for her crimes. Kuroko is a monster and is portrayed as such. (She’s an awful person, but I really like her as a character.) The only reason that she’s still alive is that the police have indefinitely postponed her execution in order to take advantage of her impressive skills as an assassin. So, yeah, Murciélago definitely isn’t a series for everyone, but I certainly plan on reading more of it.

Triton of the Sea, Omnibus 2 (equivalent to Volumes 3-4) by Osamu Tezuka. It has been a very long time since I read the first half of Triton of the Sea. So long ago in fact that I had forgot that I hadn’t actually finished the series yet. Fortunately, the manga was pretty easy to pick up again. I seem to like Triton of the Sea best when the story centers its focus on family. In the first omnibus, it was Triton’s relationships with his human family that really captured my attention and in the second it was his experiences as a new father that most delighted me. (It probably didn’t hurt that the baby merfolk were super cute.) Triton of the Sea is also a story of revenge. Triton is determined destroy the Poseidon clan for the sake of his people who have been nearly driven to extinction, his desire for retribution blinding him from seeing other courses of action that might allow the two clans to establish a lasting peace. This of course only serves to continue the cycle of violence that puts him and his loved ones in danger. Triton of the Sea isn’t Tezuka’s strongest or most notable work, but I did appreciate the themes that Tezuka was exploring with the series.

Wandering Island, Volume 1 by Kenji Tsuruta. The premise of Wandering Island is fairly simple: Mikura Amelia is a pilot for an air delivery service based in the Izu Islands that she and her grandfather established together. When he unexpectedly passes away, she understandably takes it pretty hard. While in mourning she discovers package among her grandfather’s belongings with an address on it that shouldn’t exist, leading Mikura to become obsessed with a search for a mysterious, disappearing island. Although there are some wonderful scenes of Mikura in flight, there’s not really much action in Wandering Island. Instead, the manga is rather leisurely paced with a contemplative and melancholic feel to it. Wandering Island is also beautifully illustrated, Tsuruta’s artwork being one of the series’ highlights. I love how Tsuruta is able to capture a sense of place and the people who live there. I’m not sure when or if the second volume of Wandering Island will be published in English (the Japanese edition itself isn’t even scheduled to be released until next month), but I would definitely like to see it translated.

Horses, Horses, in the End the Light Remains Pure: A Tale That Begins with Fukushima by Hideo Furukawa. Fukushima has been on my mind lately which reminded me of the fact that I had yet to read Furukawa’s Horses, Horses, in the End the Light Remains Pure, one of the first major literary responses to the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters associated with March 11, 2011. The work is rather curious, but it’s also worthwhile and powerful. In part it’s a sequel of sorts to Furukawa’s novel Seikazoku (The Holy Family), which hasn’t actually been released in English. However, familiarity with that earlier work isn’t at all necessary. Horses, Horses, in the End the Light Remains Pure also delves into the history of Fukushima as a whole, both before and after 2011. But perhaps most importantly, it’s an incredibly personal memoir. Though he was away at the time, Furukawa was originally from Fukushima. Soon after the disasters struck, he traveled back to the area in order to witness the aftermath of the events himself. A fair amount of the volume is devoted to Furukawa’s profound experiences while on that trip, combining fiction, history, and biography in a compelling way.

By: Ash Brown

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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bollywoodpapa · 5 years

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Kareena Kapoor gets trolled for her latest photoshopped picture, trolls ask 'Where are her knees?'

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Kareena Kapoor gets trolled for her latest photoshopped picture, trolls ask 'Where are her knees?'

Kareena Kapoor is one of the famous actress in bollywood. The actress who is surely the hottest mom in the tinsel town, surely knows how to turn heads.

Recently, the actress graced the cover of Grazia India magazine. In the pic, the actress looks gorgeous in a pastel blue romper, but the users trolled the picture for her knees being extensively photoshopped.

Kareena Kapoor gets trolled for her latest photoshopped picture

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Monday mood 💁🏻‍♀️ ________________________________________________________ #KareenaKapoorKhan #MondayMood #CelebStyle #KareenaKapoor #Vibe #MajorMood #MondayBlues

A post shared by GRAZIA India (@graziaindia) on Jan 6, 2020 at 3:14am PST

While some called her legs “shiny plastic”, one user commented, “Where are your knees?”

One user wrote about Kareena’s picture, “Itna zyada retouch kiya hai ki knees gayab ho gaya.” Another one wrote, “You just photoshopped her legs to half the size of her actual legs! Are you guys for real?”