#last episode there was kabedon

[hopeheartfilia]

watching my deer friend nokotan is simply me going 'lesbians' every two minutes and occasionally cgi deer

[melting-morning-blues]

no thoughts head empty, just kamen rider zero one short anime : everyone’s daily life, episode 3 : “their secret game” featuring metsuboujinrai.net

[blacknedsoul-blog]

An unnecessarily detailed analysis of the (re)encounter between Annabel and "Leo" (part II)

Evil tongues say I've had this shit in the oven for several weeks because I bought the fast pass on episode 105 and smoked the whole season one afternoon when I was bored as a fucking oyster about to climb the walls. Don't listen to them, they're telling the truth.

So, yeah, people. We had a flashback. One that comes right after the last one we had. Aside from the fact that we finally know a little more about Theo, I want to focus on the direct sequel to a review I did a while back. So let's get started.

I'm still trying to decide if Annabel is complaining just because she had to get off her ass or because "Leo's" room being so far away from hers is, ahem, inconvenient. Another detail that someone mentioned on the discord, is that Annabel does this thing where she grabs her dress when she is trying to maintain the performance.

(later edit: someone commented to me that actually their rooms are ridiculously close to each other. So allow me to insert ridiculous jokes about how the first thing Ira will do when these two are engaged is take his precious daughter who is not to be touched before marriage somewhere else).

...Ah, they put... they put Annabel in Lenore's old room. Yeah, that must have been uncomfortable as shit. 

Okay. This is something I kind of suspected in her first stolen moment at the Arboreum, but I think this confirms it for me: yes, Lenore teasing Annabel is a way of expressing annoyance without being directly hurtful. 

Raise your hand if you enjoy seeing "Miss Proper Lady" lose her fucking temper. Bonus points if she deserves it. 

Lenore, I don't know if taking your clothes off is the best way to get Annabel to stay on topic. I do want to emphasize her face in that moment, though, like she knows Annabel cares about her, but she's still angry at her, and pressuring her to drop the mask is literally the only way she has to express it. I like it because it's consistent with her stolen moment in the Arboreum. 

"Admire this magnificent door made of door. Yes, an excellent door. Wonderful door. Eyes on the door, Annabel, eyes on the door and not on your crush taking off his jacket in front of you. Also, don't think too much about the fact that if anyone sees this, everything that is important to you will fall apart".  

Pause. Where did we see Annabel say that? Ah, yes. Well, if we had any doubts about posh besties, this confirms it. 

I want to linger on the faces of both of them in this scene because, for the love of Nyarlathotep, they are painful to watch knowing that this will end with both dead. 

Yes, Annabel, this "perhabs" was very VERY serious. 

I'm sure this is the second time in Annabel's life that someone has asked her if she wants something. And it's the same person. Ouch.

Does anyone else in the squad find it disturbing that ANNABEL is concerned about moral issues? 

That's not how Kabedons are made, missy. 

LENORE, LOOK AT THE FUCKING FACE SHE'S LOOKING AT YOU WITH, SHE WOULDN'T BE "PRETENDING TO BE IN LOVE WITH YOU", SHE'S EATING OUT OF YOUR FUCKING HAND RIGHT NOW. IF SHE WASN'T AFRAID OF JAIL AND WASN'T SO VICTORIAN, SHE'D BE ASKING IF SHE COULD GET IN YOUR PANTS.   

Okey, I need to know how this went from "pff, it's not a real marriage, we're both women!" to "I'm gonna fuckin' whore myself with Nyarlathotep Tumblrsexymen to come get you, baby. Shit, if these two die without having this conversation, I'm going to shoot myself in the mouth with a medieval arquebus. 

I like this moment because it tells you two interesting things: one is that Annabel must have a complicated relationship with her father, she cares for him and maybe feels he loves her in his own way, but at the same time Ira is her jailer, the main culprit of the golden cage she's trapped in. Another thing: we know Lenore used to care about her father, but come on, after everything that happened, I doubt she gives the man a second thought. 

...I wrote practically the exact same dialog in a fanfic. Actually, in the first Nevermore fanfic I ever wrote, when the fuck did my bullshit ever come true? 

I was racking my brain for a while about why Annabel keeps doing this. Like, look at this shit, even Ada or Morella would be able to see that this is bullshit. And I think I have an idea why. 

I think Annabel started to figure out how to make this work even before she came in. Maybe she's not all in, but at least the idea is tempting. The thing is, she's putting a lot on the line here: her life, her relationship with her father (the only family member we know of), what little freedom she has.

And that means she has to put her chips on the right person. She knows how the social game works, she knows how to manipulate the stakes of her hand, maybe she even thinks she knows how to get around those pesky legal snags when they come up. 

But she's not cunning, she's not quick-thinking, she lacks determination, and she's definitely not brave. Lenore can wrap herself in big dreams and beautiful words all she wants, but if she can't make up for Annabel's weaknesses, it's a losing bet from the start. On top of that, she has to be able to read her: in Victorian engagements, even your pet was into that shit, so sneaking away to plan things would be more of a rare privilege than a constant, her playmate has to be able to understand her perfectly, because they can't waste valuable time explaining minutiae. They have to be on the same page to the millimeter. 

Annabel is a player. And as such, she knows that in games where you have a partner, the key to winning isn't playing your own cards or chips well, it's being able to synchronize with your partner to give each other better plays until one of you manages to win. 

And if I had to bet, I think that is the Lenore that Annabel wants back: the Lenore who can read her, the Lenore who can get under her skin and know her true intentions even when Annabel is wearing the most perfect mask. The Lenore who can smile boldly and tell her that everything will be all right. 

Of course, Lenore passed the test. With a more than perfect score. 

The chapter ends with Lenore giving Annabel the final decision: if she sees no reason to stay, she won't, and she can assure her that she'll be fine. But if she's in, she'll do everything in her power to make it work. 

This was the moment that tore me up inside because it made me drop the shingle of sad, sad shit. 

Conclusions

And here's why I decided to post this analysis after the season.  

One thing this episode told me was that I was wrong about one thing: the relationship between these two isn't exactly what it used to be. What this episode also told me was that, despite everything, the two of them seemed to be able to communicate and find common ground, to make deals, to give each other choices. Shit we don't see anymore in their time in Nevermore. 

And with good reason.

In Nevermore Annabel and Lenore are adrift. No memories, no identity, no bonds. As if that weren't enough, both are terrified: Annabel has built all her means of survival around a context that she masters perfectly, and in Nevermore she doesn't know what's going on; on the other hand, Lenore's bravery and cunning are qualities that turn from virtues to flaws in a context where every single one of her decisions has repercussions for the people around her; she's willing to take anything, but not what happens to the people she loves. 

These two idiots know only one thing: that they love each other. And for Annabel and Lenore, loving means protecting. They have to try to protect each other because they really love each other. They love each other so much that they can't.

Because the only way for Annabel to protect Lenore is to be the queen of the board, to be the piece that everyone wants to get out of the way because her presence is too much of an inconvenience, because if she's good at anything,  it's dazzling so hard that no one is able to really see her. On the other hand, the only place Lenore can protect Annabel is by her side, she won't have a Spectre, but she's willing to do what it takes to take care of her if she stays where she can fight for her. 

But that won't happen because of the irreconcilable conflict caused by the memory (false or not, in practice it doesn't matter) that the Deans showed Annabel. She can't tell her that, she won't tell her that, how could she? It would tear Lenore apart and at worst alter her memories. But on the other hand, Lenore obviously wants to know, because she sees that Annabel is suffering, she wants to be there, she wants her to let her comfort her, to be by her side to help her sort this out, and all her pleas fall on deaf ears for reasons she can't even fathom.

But without realizing it, in all this devotion and accompanying fear, Annabel and Lenore are repeating the same controlling patterns of those who tried to save the other in life. 

Annabel is doing the same thing Thaddeus did when he got Lenore a fiancé, the same thing the doctors did when they kept her drugged 24/7 as a treatment even though she was sick, dare I say the same thing Theo did: assuming she knows better than she does what's good for her. "Protecting" her, even when that happens to be the agency Lenore is desperately trying to have over her life after being deprived of her freedom.

And on the other hand...this.

By taking full responsibility for what happened, Lenore is doing the same thing as Ira and all the people we meet in Annabel's life: denying her agency as an individual. Annabel is not a naive brat who was seduced by sweet words, she is a grown woman who was very, very clear about what the risks were. That they both ended up dead is partly her fault, but by turning this affair into "if I hadn't gone looking for you," Lenore completely invalidates Annabel's feelings, desires, and choices. 

A relationship that was once built on respect for choice and shared decision-making has now become a power game that neither can win, because one of the most important foundations of their relationship is that they are both equals. 

I'd like to end this on a more positive note, but...uh...well, the thing is, I don't. Like, that they're going to reconcile, they're going to reconcile, you know? But for that to happen, somebody's got to give them a massive punch like, something that tears them apart so they realize how fucking bad they are do-

You know what? Yeah, that might do it.

[romchat]

Fangs of Fortune (Ep. 25): Quick thoughts on the visuals

Pretty sure that last scene of Fangs of Fortune's Episode 25 made me feral and has not given me a moment of peace since I saw it (where's the fanfic, y'all???), but it did highlight for me something distinct about Director Guo Jingming's visual storytelling that isn't often discussed: his actor blocking.

Like in My Journey to You, Guo often uses how the actors are positioned in relation to the set and one another to reveal something about their characters, and he then shifts them like pieces on a chess board to signify changes in their mental state and/or relationships. This directing choice really gives his scenes a sense of movement and tension because the characters literally end up in different positions than where they started. We see the change on screen as much as we hear it in the script.

At the beginning of the scene, we see Li Lun looming over Zhuo Yichen, reveling in the latter's apparent defeat over being harassed for being a demon.

Even though Li Lun eventually kneels down, it is menacing and just as much a power move as when he was standing up.

But we instantly feel the switch in the flow of power within the conversation when the distance between the two actors gets smaller. It's like Li Lun is both compelled and repulsed by Yichen's defense of humans and his criticism of Li Lun's indiscriminate violence towards them.

So we know that Li Lun has lost control of the situation when he stands up again and leg kabedons Yichen, pinning him roughly against the wall. Unlike earlier in the conversation, he now has to resort to brute strength to repress Yichen, and we see that realization on Li Lun's anguished face.

SIDE NOTE: That little grunt and exhale of air from Yichen at that move? Sorry, my mind wandered. Moving on...

Up until this point, Yichen has been relatively calm, but when Li Lun goes too far by calling him a coward like Zhu Yan (big mistake to insult his man!), Yichen demonstrates his power and blasts him away from into the water.

Not only is Yichen now looming over Li Lun, they're literally not on the same level, the latter isolated and cast in darkness. His resentment and crimes have sunk him to such a level that Yichen can only see him as pitiful.

Li Lun's switch to Bai Jiu's form in the background as Yichen walks away reinforces this. As a child actor, Lester Lin is significantly smaller than Yan An, so the use of his body makes Li Lun look even weaker.

SIDE NOTE: What a devastating use of rack focus from Li Lun to Yichen, showing how his manipulation won't work on Yichen no matter how painful it must feel to see Xiao Jiu. The shallow depth of field weakens Li Lun's image (and therefore power) even further.

Finally, I love how this scene ends with Yichen walking past Li Lun who remains immobile in the water but eventually drags himself in the other direction. It's the perfect bookend to the start of the scene. Yichen moves beyond that barrier (Li Lun's body), looking forward into the future despite the challenges he will face, while Li Lun's stays behind, most likely choosing an even more self-destructive end to his tragic story.

God, I love this director even when his writing drives me up a wall.

[mofffun]

King-Ohger's 2nd Photobook

« A Bond Connected by Moffun. & Racles!? »

Release date: Nov 30, 2023

Price: ￥2,750 (tax incl.)

Publisher's summary:

From the front cover, Himeno, Rita, Morfonia; Read it backwards for Kaguragi, Suzume, Racles.

The theme of Himeno, Rita and Morfonia's photoshoot is "First Step". Wanting to become closer, Himeno came to Rita's side. With Rita's retainer, Morfonia, the three began to build up a friendship. They played the card game "old maid", enjoyed Himeno's piano recital, and took a walk in nature under the sunny sky.

The theme of Kaguragi, Suzume and Racles's photoshoot is "Ambivalence". Has it reached the trigger point between Kaguragi and Racles surrounding Suzume?! What will Suzume do? Between the complicated three, a heart-pounding, heart-racing, sometimes heartwarming (?) photoshoot, don't miss it!

Since the full-body gallery is well-received in the last photobook, on top of that for these six characters, an emotion gallery is added this time. Happiness, anger, sadness and joy. Whether with body language or just their gaze, the nuance in the emotions of these characters is a must-see.

Besides the photoshoots are two special trio interviews.

In the interview with Murakami Erica, Hirakawa Yuzuki and Hasegawa Kasumi, learn the secret behind Rita and Morfonia's kabedon scene, a comparison between when they first met and now, as well as their creative side leading to the title of this volume.

Examine the psyche of their indecipherable characters with Kaku So, Kamura Mami and Yano Masato. Kaguragi's state of mind, Suzume's love for Racles, and Racles's opinion of Suzume. From the private episodes of "the adult cast" of Team 30s, you can get a taste of their harmony throughout, in contrast to the show.

Pre-order bonus:

7-net 1 ✦ 7-net 2 ✦ Animate

Rakuten 1 ✦ Rakuten 2 ✦ Honto

[waitmyturtles]

High points and question points of 23.5, episode 7:

1) The mood is so much better. It's cute! Fon Kanittha does a wonderful job of focusing on elements of family and community in her pieces -- I love that she doesn't keep Ongsa's and Alpha's parents behind a curtain, that they're responsive to the nostalgic joys of watching a group of high schoolers commune and find each other.

2) Having Ongsa and Sun confirm their relationship while Ongsa was wearing a traditional outfit meant a lot. It's a visual bucking of an expectation of how a "woman should behave." Ongsa was of course gorgeous, but the shots of her holding Sun with those big gold bangles also meant that she was taking tradition to a new place, creating her own traditions -- all while we know that she was burdened with fear beforehand about publicly going out with Sun, and being afraid that Sun wouldn't feel comfortable being out with Ongsa (which clearly is not the case). (I also loved the move of having Ongsa get out of the first outfit, which was clearly indicative of a lower station than how Sun and Ton think about Ongsa. That was a nice little twist.)

3) @bengiyo mentioned in his Stray Thoughts on this episode that he wished that we could have sat a touch more in Ongsa's discomfort on the above, and I agree. This show is missing an exploration of emotional stuff that we've seen in other pieces by Fon Kanittha, especially, for me, as compared to 10 Years Ticket.

(On the recommendation of @dribs-and-drabbles, I'm giving My Precious a shot this weekend. MP is centered around a core romance, but in this piece, much of the first quarter of the piece is spent building the huge community around the main couple. And we get emotional nuances, wherever they might be, both from the individual characters, AND by learning more about them through each of their sets of parents, very similar to the structure of 10YT. In 23.5, we've rushed through this, or we didn't explore it in full.)

I have a theory: since this is GMMTV's first GL, I wonder if Fon is either intentionally, or being made to, give more attention to love tropes, either by reference to older ones, or creating new ones for GLs. We saw kabedon last week, for instance, and we're seeing a love interest make a turn for their courtier when it seems like their courtier may be straying, etc. (although the latter isn't necessarily specific to BLs). Since My Precious is also airing at the same time, I can't make a judgment as to Fon's takes on pure romance, as 10 Years Ticket was a community-focused lakorn of many stories. But in any case, it's weird that we're seeing these emotional skips. Just a couple more minutes spent, at this very moment, on WHY Ongsa has this (sometimes excruciating) hesitation of speaking and insecurity would be helpful to match what emotion we're seeing out of Sun. And seeing Sun nice and angry and jealous -- again, from my thoughts last week, I thought we'd see that a bit more after the catfishing reveal in holding Ongsa accountable.

I think this need for emotional clarity is dampening my overall embrace for this show, especially because I honestly didn't expect it from Fon Kanittha. But again, I thought the mood of this episode and the consistency of it made more sense than last week.

[bengiyo]

Tadaima, Okaeri Ep 10 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Hikari made his first friend his own age in the park. Michiru's dad recently moved here after the death of his wife, an omega, to give their child, also an omega, access to other families. The poor man is still grieving, and Masaki was sensitive to that, so Masaki offered to watch Michiru during the day. Michiru had been putting on a brave face for his dad that finally broke. Thankfully, Hikari, Hinata, and Masaki were there for him. We left at twins, probably older cousins, scaring the shit out of the boys.

Oh right, Matsuo did say he had brothers.

Hiromu has been so strong this show about not putting hands on people. Unsurprised he couldn't hold back on guys who are basically cousins.

Hikari thinks they're the enemy! My boy is so loyal!

I am so excited to see this plan backfire.

Failed step one.

Double kabedon!

Thank you, overeager little brothers, for stirring the pot on Matsuo and Yuki.

I love this car conversation. It's nice to know that Matsuo has been paying attention, but it's the age gap that's holding him back.

I am so curious what happens when Hiromu finally meets Michiru's dad.

Poor Yuki. I'm so glad his friends are gentle with him.

Yes, Yuki, take a peek for us. Our gay dads deserve some couple time.

Finally, Yuki and Matsuo are getting focus so we can work on them. I'm glad we had a quiet episode for Michiru, and that he and Hikari were able to extend their friendship. I love how protective Hikari is, and that he is so ready to fight alongside his dad. I love this show every single week.

[stankyler]

yeah they made him kabedon his best friend on south park last night. with the smirk and everything yeah you should have seen it. the same best friend who’s possessive of him and got flustered by his attention one episode prior? yeah that best friend. hand up on the locker with a gay little lean- yeah all their friends saw it and everything. yeah it was on south park

[mikuni14]

Jazz For Two - Ep 1-6

Tall, dark, tortured seme and sunshine, gullible, but also strong and confident uke - how could I not fall in love with Jazz For Two 💖

I like Jazz For Two for so many things, it also has a very similar vibe to The Eighth Sense, even seme characters have the same brooding, aloof and detached aura and the same gloomy eyes and they also stare in the same way 😍

The story is interesting and romantic, there are a lot of classically romantic scenes (there's even a kabedon! yay!), the main couple has a lot of scenes together, they touch each other a lot, they bump into each other, there is a lot of staring (yes!), both main characters are clearly very interested in each other.

I really like the character of Han Tae Yi, he is such a classic seme 😍 He is angry and jealous when he sees his crush in the company of another guy, he is protective and caring, he's helpful, but has terrible communication skills which makes him look like a dick. CLASSIC 👌 He feels remorse when he sees that he has physically hurt his crush (a very nice scene when he looks at Se Heon's bandaged hand). In addition, he has trouble sleeping (cured by the presence of his crush HELL YEAH) and a tragic event in his life, which affects him and his decisions in an interesting way (fortunately not in an annoying way, which is so common). Again - CLASSIC 👌

Yoon Se Heon is so wonderful: he is sweet, lovable, a little naive and gullible, but he has his dreams and goals and is determined to achieve them. I love how strong he is, how he fights with his handsome bully, and doesn't give up when he hears criticism from others or is abused by his father (I also like the fact that the series doesn't focus on this conflict and that Yoon Se Heon's life doesn't revolve around his dad and pleasing him). Like Ji Hyun in The Eight Sense, he too is more active and is the driving force in the relationship. I've always liked this kind of couple dynamic.

The second couple is also nice, but I must admit that I'm most interested in Seo Do Yoon, because he is both nice as a love interest and as a good friend. And he is cool and strong.

I like that the series shows characters' thoughts, that we have insight into their thought process.

I'm super happy watching Jazz For Two, because since the end of DFF I'm not particularly interested in anything airing now, I'm not thinking about any series. Now my thoughts keep coming back to my favorite scenes in this series. JFT also made me watch The Eight Sense again 🥺

Since last year, Korea has been giving me really interesting series and best couples, BUT I have to write about the distribution method, this is something I can't comprehend, how Korea works. There are two episodes of JFT on Gaga, there are 6 of them on IQIYI, I watched them normally yesterday, today they are no longer available in my location 🤷‍♀️ wtf Korea?

But other than that, I'm very pleased 🥰 Pleasant romanticism and music soothes my soul, and a hint of angst only adds to its charm 👌

[hellcatinnc]

The Reason Why Raeliana Ended up at the Duke's Mansion Anime Review

Includes Spoilers

I'm really glad I took the time to watch this honestly I did because I had seen someone do a sweet video on the duke and Raeliana however I had no clue what it was about until now. It took me less than a day to watch this I was all in the moment I started. So first off I love the idea of murder mysteries especially if you add romance to it. So this story is about a girl who in the real world is pushed off a building her death to be thrown in to a novel that she knows into a girls life called Raeliana. Come to find out who she is supposed to be engaged to he is trying to kill her so she turns to the duke to make a contract with him by blackmailing him into being her fiancé so that she can get away from her current fiancé so she can live another day.

What seemed like a cute cat and mouse game between Noah and Raeliana it wasn't hard to realize he was falling for her so hard and fast. Of course she spent the whole time trying to the main protagonist Beatrice with Noah yet she couldn't find her. She was to be with Noah after Raeliana was murdered but she shifted everything when she stayed alive. Instead of thinking about what she has in front of her she is too busy trying to fix the original story. She has yet to realize its too late his heart is hers. Even after the black mail fell through he still tells his brother he refuses to end their engagement. He even tells her at one point that he wants her to stay by his side forever he doesn't want to see life with out her. When she almost dies several times you can see how it effects him it shakes him up so bad.

I love Noah he is a sweet man to her, and the love he shows in his eyes when he looks at her is unmistakable everyone sees it. He has never showed interest in any woman until her and she even on the last episode as she has been drinking she starts confessing how she feels for him then he kisses her. Honestly this needs another season or I'm gonna go insane, guess this will be a manga series I need to read. I did watch the English version because I loved the English actors voice that did Noah and OMG he is another one that says good girl after Raeliana is caught watching him sleep. Another sexy man that is Kabedon although he didn't per say hit the wall behind her he still leaned into her the same and omg my heart melted.

I literally watched this in less than a day I was hooked from the first episode and couldn't stop and OMG there is some other hotties in this show granted I still love me some Noah more though and their connection beats the rest but look at these hotties.

It really is worth the 12 episodes that are out and hope you give it a chance. Its full of mystery and love and watching them fall for each other. It just came out this summer hopefully we get a second season for this.

[tanenigiri]

Cherry Magic has pretty quickly cemented itself in my top 5 among BL series, so when I found out it was getting an anime version I was onboard immediately. I discovered the series through the original TV show and I've been following the manga ever since, so seeing what looks like an animated version of the manga is such a treat.

So in the same vein as what I did with the Our Dining Table adaptation last year, I wanted to put my ramblings about it here, starting with Episode 1.

- The first thing that immediately jumped out to me was how the comedic flair of the original TV series is slightly more downplayed. Sure, the first half of the episode still had those funny beats such as the kabedon and the mole in Adachi's neck, but the second half really doubles down on focusing on Adachi's thoughts and doubts. Even compared to the manga - Episode 1 is a pretty faithful adaptation of the manga's first three chapters, with the phone call with Tsuge also being the last scene of Chapter 3 - I feel like the animated series spends a bit more time with the serious beats and a bit less time with the comedic beats.

- On one hand, I'm slightly worried about how this would dictate the show's tone, since to me, Cherry Magic is a romcom at heart. But on the other hand, what really made me a fan of the series as a whole is Adachi's character development and how his mind-reading is just a catalyst for this development, and if the animated series is gonna make that the focus, I'm 100% all in. This episode already started the discussion on Adachi's troubles not only with socializing, but in making connections with other people in general, so seeing that slowly be withered down by the people around him will be such a treat to watch.

- There's something really sweet about how the very first time we see Adachi smile here is when he talks about the manga that he and Kurosawa both like. It goes back to what I said above about how Adachi finds himself a novice not just in romantic relationships, but in friendships in general, so finding a common thread with someone he sees as perfect is a huge deal for him.

- It's also why that last scene where Adachi runs away at the end hits pretty harshly. He's overwhelmed not only by what Kurosawa's thoughts actually mean, but his perceived inability to deal with them fairly, so he does the only thing he knows how to - avoid it. I think it's a great note to end the episode on since it establishes that the story isn't about them getting together, but about how Adachi is gonna overcome his own hang-ups about himself - getting a boyfriend is just the cherry (hah!) on top.

- I'm really excited on how they're gonna tackle Kurosawa's own inner turmoil here. We get a sneak peek of it here with that scene in his bedroom, and the manga itself does have a few chapters that takes Kurosawa's POV instead of Adachi's, so I'm guessing we will get some scenes from his POV here. There's also something to be said about how Kurosawa's fantasies here are amped up to 11 compared to the original TV show lmao.

Thanks for reading! It was also through going through the tag here that I found out that there's apparently a Thai version also running right now? Cherry Magic fans are eating good huh. As someone who absolutely loved the manga and the original series, should I check it out?

[allmyfriendsareheathens]

Part 1 here ⬆️

If 4Kids got Love Live(Part 2)

General

Yuri undertones would be removed obviously

Sad moments would be downplayed or turn more lighthearted

Any Japanese references would be Americanized

Japanese text would either be turned English or removed entirely

The songs would be replaced by generic pop songs(they would either be about the lesson of the episode, or about stereotypical "girly" things, like boys and shopping).

School Idol - School Popstar

Costumes would be altered(such as skirts being lengthened, girls being given digital tights/shorts, midriff/cleavage being covered, etc.)

All instances of slapping will be cut

Ellie, Diana, and Nella's actions would be downplayed prior to becoming School Popstars

Sad moments would be altered to be more lighthearted or downplayed

School Idol(Popstar) Project

Lynn and Hannah would be related(similar to Uranus and Neptune from the infamous Dic dub of Sailor Moon)

Episodes would be cut(like Rin's focus episode, or the diet episode, either that they'll change it to promote healthy eating instead)

The Washi Washi scenes will be removed, instead Nora is just going to love hugging people

A-Rise would be popular mean girls instead of friendly rivals

Speaking of A-rise:

Tsubasa Kira - Tiffany Keller

Erena Todo - Ellen Todd

Anju Yuki - Annie Logan

Nico Nico Nii - Nikki Nikki Lee

Otonokizawa - St. Olga Girls Academy

It will take place in New York instead of Tokyo(and I guess for the movie they instead go to London?, or perhaps Time Square?)

Sunshine

The drama between the third years(seniors) would be downplayed. Katie instead would have gotten genuine stage fright, and would still be embarrassed about it

Marie would be British

Scenes were the girls say "I love you" would be changed to sound more platonic, like "Thank you for being a good friend" and stuff

The show would take place in Miami, Florida instead of Numazu

Hazel would be given a Southern accent, and will not say "zura"

Joanne would be a "witch" instead of a "fallen angel". And all references to demons and stuff will be replaced by references to witchcraft and stuff

All kabedon scenes will be removed

Uranohoshi - St. Helena Girls School

Just like A-Rise, Saint Snow would have also been turned into popular mean girls. They would retain their first names, but their last name would be changed to Collins.

Nijigasaki(Rainbow Academy)

The scene where Yuu(Lori) leaps onto Setsuna(Stella) would be cut

Episode 11 might be skipped?

It will take place in Queens, New York instead of Odaiba

Mia would be British instead of American, and would probably be aged up?

Stella would be obsessed with cartoons instead of anime

Emma would be given a Swiss accent, or her Swiss heritage would be removed entirely, and her family would instead live in a farm in another state

Superstar

The scene that looked like Sumire(Samantha) kissed Keke(Coco) would be removed

The episode where the girls through that Ren(Lena) and Mei(Mae) were dating would either be skipped or they'd be mistaken for something else(like spies or something)

Lena's mother would not be dead, instead she would have disappeared when Lena was very young

Cindy would be given a Southern accent

Natalie would want fame instead of money, and will be turned into a valley girl

Shirley and Mae's relationship would be more platonic

Wien Margarete would be a popular mean girl. She'd probably retain her name, but go by Margarete(but only change the spelling to "Margaret")

Sunny Passion:

Yuna Hijirisawa - Luna Hilton

Mao Hiiragi - Maya Hilton

They would be sisters for no apparent reason

Yuigaoka - Harolds Girls Academy

[tsuki-sennin]

Wow, Adventure Heaven! What a good movie I totally just saw! I liked the part where Moffun showed up and ate an entire box of Milk Duds, cardboard and all~! And the part where Racules spelled his name out in Romaji on a blackboard and it wasn't "Rcules" because goddammit that is fucking bullshit~!

Anyways, time for Episodes 24-26~!

Spoilers, I guess...

-I don't know why you seem so surprised about Dezzy blowing up the planet, Jimmy. I mean, have you met him?

-Gerojim! I missed you, yo!

-Ahhhh, so Tikyuu's already got its core science down.

-Oh!

-Okay, apparently bedrock just doesn't exist in this universe.

-"I will be king! And none will challenge me!"

-Spiders Jeremy comes to play the game!

-Grandpa putting you to bed.

-Jeremy hijacked the intro entirely for himself this time, okay!

-The king is boiling alive, and he hasn't even been coronated for a few days!

-Holy shit, 90%???

-Damn Yanma, do you not have liquid nitrogen lying around?

-...Rita, is there some secret stash of Moffun and Me merch hidden somehwere in this castle that Racules had? Are there Moffun Chunkopops?

-Three cities! For three baskets of crops!

-Oh, Gira...

-Boone...

-"How can you people party when we're all melting?"

-Matsuri, matsuri da~!

-...Tarou-san...

-"I know all about your stupid planetary genocide plan~!"

-Goddamn, Jeremy looks great in that torchlight.

-One of the best staples of any JRPG~! The festival sequence~!

-Gira-sama~!

-Have fun, my beloved peons~!

-Oh my god, the plushie's got his own Akracing (TM) Gaming Chair.

-

-AN ENTIRE SKYSCRAPER

-Oh you motherfuckers hjlkh

-Stupid carnies!

-Lunch time~! Lay it on us, K-Man.

-Utage ja Ohger Jumpscare

-Rita's so adorable in that outfit, holy crap

-"Get out there, boy."

-Dezzy's insight is rather surprising. Forced to answer for crimes he had no hand in while those who put his people there party above them...

-Ohhhh, those are simply lovely parallel effects...

-"I will be the pen that writes my tyrannical legend."

-"Ehh... idk, maybe this whole tyranny thing isn't working out for me."

-Th

-Awww, Douga :)

-Man, looking at the green screen for long is fuckin' with my sense of perspective.

-It's like if George Lucas directed a season of Power Rangers.

-"Oh, hey Jeremy :)"

-Jeremy...

-All this time...

-Big crawfish!

-Po boys for everyone!

-That boy can dig.

-"Anyone got any bright ideas?"

-Fishing!

-Okay, that is smart writing.

-Can't burn somebody already boiling alive.

-Now to plug all these holes.

-Oh Dezzy...

-Oh, goin' full King already.

-Holy shit, he tanked that.

-Idomonarak??

-Ohhhhhhhh

-Family...

-He's just shuffling on...

-And yet he hears nothing.

-OHHHH?

-Everybody!

-"The man who done fucked up."

-Go even further beyond.

-Oh

-Okay, that simple.

-Twenty guys.

-Ah don't worry, I saw the preview, you guys'll find 'em.

-GEROJIM

-DUDE

-"I'll handle this one."

-OHHHHH

-That is devious.

-:O

-Holy shit

-Testing a man's resolve so hard.

-"Serve your king. As the first of the Bugnarok."

-Chosen by the gods.

-Kofuki's unprepared.

-"...I'm starting to regret this idea now."

-King Nerd and his posse ride on!

-I see Himeno's retinue are quite resolute.

-Last meal.

-"My nasty-ass hands ask to be taken! Kuroda! Suzume! I beg of you!"

-Hello, Morphonia~!

-Kabedon

-Ohhhhhh the hug!!!

-"The will to succeed."

-Kuwagon...

-Thump!

-No more sacrifice plays! Only the finest perfect run here!

-Damn

-Boone didn't hesitate for a second.

-It's time for your advent, God King-Ohger!

-That is one huge son of a bitch.

-Long-ass jingle too.

-God descends, and they are a chimeric arthropod!

-Removed.

-Ikuzo!

-This is simply marvelous.

-"On your call, Ant Boy!"

-Ohsama Sentai! King-Ohger!

-Goodbye, Emperor Dethnarak.

-We saved the world~!

-...kinda!

-One last episode for this arc, of course.

-Ah yes, the best solution for racism. Genocide.

-"All the Bugnarok will die too, you moron."

-"Let's meet somewhere nicer. You can even borrow this if you want."

-Sweet prince Jeremy...

-Oh?

-"Hey, Arbiter! Can't arbit with goosebumps?"

-Ohhhhh

-I see...

-Oh crap, Himeno.

-OHHHHHH

-Those're the locusts!

-A pile of dead flies.

-Jesus Christ...

-Oh, already revolting.

-That is messed up, man.

-Emperor Dezzy's got a stummyache.

-Gerojim's a force ghost.

-Oh!

-It's a little guy!

-"Can you help him?"

-Dethnarak...

-I never expected much from him, and yet...

-Goddamn, this is some tragic-ass theming.

-"Get out of here! You stupid dumb animal!"

-They fightin'!

-"Look at how bright and beautiful the sun is!"

-Gira...

-Yep. We would've done the same goddamn thing.

-And we would've kept doing that same goddamn thing over and over again.

-Let it fall, buddy.

-We're doing it good!

-Oh

-Oh fuck you Kamejim.

-"Two thousand years of planning! Stoking the fires of prejudice, killing, stealing, lying, destroying. All down the drain!"

-What the hell is that

-"Be king. Let our people see the beautiful shining sun!"

-Dethnarak...

-Returned to nothing but cinders.

-Jeremy's fucking pissed.

-Time for everybody to play their part once more.

-"Now, what to do with you kids~?"

-Clocked

-Even at his last breath, Kamejim refused to get it.

-Goodbye, stinkbug man.

-The Bugnarok are heretofore recognized as their own domain.

-There's no need for hatred any more. Never there was.

-Man and bug. Hand in pincer, hand in wing, hand in leg.

-No cheer or joy. Just a message made clear.

-"Now, let's make a beautiful new story~!"

-Ohhhhhhhhh

-Ah, yep. Planet.

-I forgot.

-Alienses~!

-Galactinsects, they're called.

-Oh wow, a timeskip.

-WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH FINALLY!

-I'M CAUGHT UP!

-THE CURSE HAS BEEN LIFTED!

[megane-boys]

today's megane is: Thoth Caduceus from Kamigami no Asobi

[bengiyo]

Only Boo! Ep 8 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Moo got too excited the night before his audition and was late. Potae was off his game due to nerves, and he and Moo got into a fight about their mistakes. Jang, an idol, took a shine to Payos. Only Payos passed the audition. Kang rejected Shone, and has confirmed boyfriends with Moo.

If this show must contrive intimacy delays, I like the hand kissing as an indication that Kang wants to.

Episode 8: My Boo

I love that the date montage takes place over just a few days. Moo has been waiting and needs to get it in.

Oh ho, negotiating forms of address.

Kabedon!

I love Moo wanting to cook for Kang, and also that he's so serious about the tone they're using with each other.

This pre-separation anxiety feels very high school in a way that is landing solidly for me. I do like Moo a lot.

Oof, getting some Theory of Love flashbacks on Khai making Third deal with the girlfriends.

Once again glad that a confession was a fantasy because it felt so off. Another reminder to the audience.

Now which screenwriter is working out something in this script with this lament about who gets the opportunity versus who works for it the hardest?

I get that we don't have time to introduce more parents, by how is a minor signing this contract?

Okay, I like Moo glaring at Potae to speak nicely to Payos.

We're a bit late in the show, but I'm okay with Jang showing up as a complication for the side romance.

Moo's confidence about his attraction to Kang is so special.

I like Moo's song, but the tuning on the voices is strong.

I doubt Payos will confess this episode.

Are we back to wondering if the realities of public life will force Moo into the closet? I feel like I don't trust this show about this anymore.

This episode is so optimistic about the romantic future for our leads that I'm instinctively expecting a major crash at the end of this episode.

Did they intend to give Moo a graduation haircut??

I remain a fan of the teachers in this show. Reminding students that they are the ones who did the work to get through these challenges is the last lesson.

Not this teacher making me cry because he wanted to get his student's autograph.

Well well well, Payos managed to express it this episode.

This kiss feels like they worked hard on calibrating it for where the characters are and the experience level of the actors.

Interesting! We're progressing to cohabitation in college next week. That doesn't happen often. The only example that rushes to mind is Utsukushii Kare.

This was a fun episode that didn't end on a downer like I feared. I am never sure where this show wants to go, but I'm glad we got to see our leads transition into their sweet boyfriends era. I still don't know why Shone was in this show, because his absence meant nothing this week. I grow to love Moo more every week, and I wanna talk to this writing team about how they conceived Dynamite and Moo someday.

[number1villainstan]

episode 15:

so was kozue just talking with that guy doing the kabedon to make miki jealous? and then the fckn. dude putting his hand on miki's ass, tf is up with that--how many sexual predators live in ohtori's halls-- and oh god is that protectiveness or jealousy on kozue's face. this episode is gonna be fun

damn touga's like...legit depressed. and nanami's wearing her dueling suit! she's got yellow as a main color and purple as a main accent...yellow is--happiness? pride? sunshine? gold? gold makes the most sense with purple, cuz purple's a royalty color

wdym "few people unable to freely use their hearts", that is such a strange line. is it referring to the constrictions of societal norms on true emotion inside or outside the person? both? neither? maybe it's about not truly understanding oneself instead? and including the "especially young people" line, damn--

so they're gonna seek out people who can "grasp [the student council members'] hearts" and that's why kozue is here, huh? does that mean no more weird zombie/mind-control shit?

miki walks into the room and immediately chu-chu finds itself extremely bothered with a fly that's flying around its head. if chu-chu is a representation of anthy's subconscious then that does not spell good things for how she views miki lmaoooooo--except right after chu-chu is looking up at him and nodding, which sends a very different message, hmmm---

"we have very similar tastes" you've only agreed about a name variant that's not grounds to claim "very similar tastes". at least he acknowledged it was weird tho

also i'm sure the wind-chime sound is marking Important Sentences with Double Meanings like the stopwatch did

hhhhh and the scene with kozue freaking the music teacher out. and implying that the teacher had hurt miki. is it protectiveness or does she actually mean something else besides 'hurt'--

blue and pink cups with the milkshake--gender roles? switched gender roles?

wait so what did utena see in kozue's face/ear/earring that i'm missing? is it like..vengefulness? i'm not good at reading faces, especially ones in side profile--

ELEVATOR SCENE CHANGE! different background music! more melancholy and also higher in pitch! "if it cannot break its eggs shell, a chick will die without being born. the chamber of freedom and the cage of freedom, without revealing the vastness of the sky, both care for the chick. smash the world's cage! for the revolution of the world!" the replacement of touga's shadow with nanami's, and the fact that someone else (not touga) is saying it--but who's saying it! not miki or juri, not nanami, definitely not saionji, i think it's a young boy or a girl saying it but i can't place the voice-- what does it all mean--

...okay so it was nanami saying this? did i just misremember her voice actor? did it change? idk man

and the fan changing with where nanami's facing, and the fact that both juri and miki are facing away from her, and the pinwheels behind juri--

"[the moon] doesn't serve any purpose" yes it DO it makes the TIDES happen! and it TAKES HITS FROM ASTEROIDS SO THAT EARTH DOESN'T! THE MOON ABSOLUTELY HAS A PURPOSE FUCK YOU AKIO

the way it switches to miki's stopwatch but he doesn't stop it this time--is it that he's missing something's significance?

also milkshakes and butterflies as symbolism. also tf did kozue do

oh nvm anthy's fine

OH WAIT THE BUTTERFLIES IN THE FLASHBACK WERE THE SAME AS IN THE ELEVATOR OMFG

this is like the third time mikage has said "your only choice is to revolutionize the world" to someone. tf. why is that your line. also the fact that the music sheets are scattered when kozue was holding them close--

also was it a cocoon instead of a leaf in the last part of the elevator scene? so did kozue not regress as far as others? that says something about her character

why the rose in the corner? nothing was happening in the hall, did they just reuse the shot?

i genuinely thought the shadow was gonna be revealed to look like anthy and not kozue, like i thought the similarity between their silhouettes was meant to like. point out how miki's projecting his view of his sister onto anthy. but nope it's legit kozue, who has apparently improved her piano playing by leaps and bounds within less than 10 episodes

oh and she's wearing the black rose ring...and making a weirdly strong move on miki...is she actually mind-controlled like kanae was? hooo boy that's gonna be fun

OH AND THE BUTTERFLIES ARE BACK. and oh man is miki the one getting mind-controlled?? or at least his body's getting controlled with the fuckin sword...jesus christ kozue (or mikage if she's being mind-controlled too)

hold on there's a rose on the ceiling of the tunnel to the dueling forest, i never noticed that, huh. oh wait actually multiple roses. a painted-on graphic or something that was carved into the ceiling? i wanna say painted on

shadow girl play is weird af, "so ignore her" and then the guy immediately stands up and orders coffee and a sandwich lmao. right after saying s/he didn't want anything to eat/drink

oh so it's milkshakes instead of lilies on the desks this time? (and kozue said she "couldn't drink something that sweet" about the milkshakes...what's the symbolism here...childhood nostalgia? the way memory holds onto the good parts and discards the mundanities or even annoyances? so it becomes saccharine and therefore unpleasant to someone like kozue--)

aaaand kozue said and did practically the exact same things as kanae did, so she's definitely being mind-controlled--except apparently her stance is the same as miki's so that's miki's influence there?

"Time machine! Back to when I was a precious young child" i WONDER how this could apply to kozue. such a mystery. such a mystery, really.

wait hold on the handle and guard of the sword are both black--

"anthy must die!" *anthy does not visibly react*

"miki and I are the only ones worth of existence" alright girl you need to back off the homicide. also anthy just picking up a milkshake and drinking it cuz no one's paying attention to her

...did none of the milkshakes spill when the desks were clanging together? that's kind of impressive. also is that not the same position kanae fell into when she was defeated?

the rose appearing when miki gets up to kiss his sister. mmm definitely not about weird incest vibes nope. although the 'hey will you make me a milkshake' line was kinda cute

aaaaand akio being creepy as always. gross. "i will comfort you" I DON'T THINK COMFORT IS THE RIGHT WORD HERE

oh god is that ending scene gonna be another Repeating Scene. oh god please no

Oh also, along with writing the December 2023 Monthly Short Piece today, I finally watched the first episode of Revolutionary Girl Utena after days of seeing a moot post about it and--

"I am the Rose Bride. From this day forward, I belong to you."

i am going to murder everyone in this damn school for anthy