#like no time to put all stages in the episodes is already one thing- represent all your candidates equally. if u cant u got too many

[mikkouille]

like yeah I guess it's not easy for a network to keep track of 98 boys at once but maybe that's why they should reduce the contestant numbers no one cares about that many mfs + half will disappear without their names being even uttered once

[iam-lnt]

Hetamyu is great and here's sort of a......theatrical analysis pov of why

last time i ranted about "hetamyu being great" (👈this post right here) i'm not exactly being clear, and since the production itself has much that I can analyze (already written a 2k article abt the stage 💀) I figure I can do better

So I...analyzed all Hetamyu that I've seen (excluding the live mash-up versions since technically those are more like concerts than theatrical plays) from the following perspectives under cut

(warning: it's long as fuck. I'm not even kidding. I opened the cut myself after finishing it and I felt like I'm going to faint)

I've warned y'all.

Symbolic and innovative staging

Stage is something often overlooked as a regular audience, which, when doing analysis, should not be. Whatever happens in the play happens on the stage, and thus the stage, when being designed, will be closely linked with the play itself. The stage in hetamyu use the classical three-side proscenium stage, which is what one would imagine when saying "a stage".

The stage of hetamyu episodes holds meaning with respect to the historical period/symbolic, thus assisting in story/theme telling. Examples:

The great world: Round middle part of the stage with the spin-able plate in the middle; a callback to the time period (great exploration) and its ideal that the Earth is "round", like the stage. 

In the new world: The big book design in the background can 1) engross the audience in the story as if they’re reading a book themselves, 2) add to the historical sense of the play with the parchment-like material, 3) as the actor themselves move the page it feels like they're telling the story themselves, and also adding onto the fact that if actors flip to the page before, it's like someone's trying to turn back history

The world is wonderful: The high platform behind can be symbolic for its height representing the strength of a nation behind higher than others; it’s also a way to isolate the one on top with those on ground level to highlight a specific character via height

The general staging of hetamyu is progressively more creative. Examples:

The great world: movable stair pieces

In the new world: ngl that book design is pretty good

Fantastic world: use those tall iron rack/frame things to mimic a boat and the hang-down cloth to mimic the Fuji mountain.

That's really something bc often theater production will not choose a realistic display of everything, since all they have is a limited amount of stage (not like, for example, tv series where they have green screen or sth). Choosing a creative yet fitting method to narrate a wider perspective is soooo important and inspiring. Hetamyu, being stories of grand history stories, obviously cannot put a palace, a tank, a wall, or a mountain on stage. So they either 1) leave it blank and up to imagination accompanied by assisting dialogues/actions or 2) use shapes that are alike to the presented view. If done well, you wouldn't even notice that "things are not real", bc despite no realistic object is presented, the whole atmosphere allows your brain to fill the gap--all the reason why hetamyu exceeds expectations in this field.

The use of comedy

It's easy to notice that hetamyu is laughable as hell. Not joking, I cannot finish a play without shaking with laughter somewhere (although it tend to get serious and angst towards the end…will talk about it later), and I'm sure most have similar experiences. This means that comedy is well used in production of hetamyu. I'd like to divide the comedy parts in hetamyu into two components:

--Personality of characters-- This one is easier to understand. The wacky idiots we have in original hetalia manga/anime is basically the source of humor, including but not limited to 

Italy whipping out his white flag

America yelling "I'm number 1"

Which is working well, of course. But one thing that I’m glad is that hetamyu didn’t stop there with the characterization—it expanded on what should be "them being just dumb" and turned them into real and heart-felt characters, such as

Italy preferring peace over war (Grandpa Rome etc etc)

America actually being number 1 in the world and feeling "lonely" (in The world is wonderful. Ah I love that line sm)

Of course we can see that many of the said expansion on characterization is already done in original hetalia, and it’s true, hima already handled their characters well. But my point is that hetamyu did not use comedy solely for comedy, it did not use stupidity/egocentrism/bickering only for the laughter—it's a reflection of unique traits of characters, which in turn makes us love them even more.

--Improvisation-- The script itself purposefully leave out certain parts for the actors themselves to improvise. Now I'm not sure if it's a common thing generally in Japanese theater production of popular anime (I'm guessing it is), but I always love this design. Usually, one play will have multiple points for multiple characters' improvisation skits. 

The actors themselves (from what I've seen in BTS videos) will plan out jokes to tell during these improvisation parts. For one, these skits break the fourth wall well, bc actors would often use irl examples (eg commercials, quotes, songs, films, famous ppl) to mimic and/or cue; for another, it's a weird extension of the character themselves, so it's funny because the characters we know are being weird…either ooc or completely in character. Examples of there improvisation skits include

The great world: America drawing random stuff on a pull-out blackboard and explaining it to everyone when Japan asked. [The improvisation is what would be drawn and how he would explain.]

Fantastic world: How France and England would bicker and exit the stage. [The improvisation is how their arguments would turn to different topics and how France will end their conversation with a one-liner; and also an extended improvisation of the other one-liner Spain commenting on them two]

Expanding just a bit here, these improvisations remind me how Commedia dell'arte (an Italian theater tradition) will have "Lazzi", which is a set sequence of improvisation, in their play production. I think it follows certain steps to create a Lazzi but I…did not do my research on this one, sadly. Also I think it can correspond to "jig" in English. [Sprinkling in random theater knowledge even if this whole post is basically theater knowledge]

Themes, ideals, and conflicts

Typically, a theatrical production will have an "intention" of some sort, which would be what the producers want to tell by staging a play. From the intention derive possible themes and ideals. Conflicts, on the other hand, is used for pushing the plot forward and towards a climax, consequently telling a propelling story (see the classical plot diagram). A arguably successful play will most likely have insightful themes and perceptive ideals along with a well-set conflict to tell the themes and ideals. 

—Themes and ideals via the plot— Hetalia has little plot, or to say a hella lot of plot bc it's the whole freaking history. Thus, hetamyu chooses this approach: tell a story in a certain historical period (or as the show develops, multiple periods). We see hetamyu tell stories of the great exploration, the unification of Italy, the opening of Japan, and so much more. 

What's impressive is…it is hard enough to tell a good historical story, it is harder yet that hetamyu is dealing with nation personifications for god's sake. I commented once before that it's pretty amazing that although there's a decent amount of typical fandom fights in hetalia (just like others), during the course of my being in the fandom, never have I seen once that hetalia meddle with political arguments. It has so much potential for political fights but I’ve seen…none. Like literally how. Hetamyu handled some of the most dangerous topics (like world wars and colonization) and advocated peace over everything. Okay hetalia did that also, but that's another story. Also credits to @thecursedislander for pointing out a possible symbolism of peace = pasta since Italy's supposed "weakness" is actually a brave advocation for peace and cheerfulness, I think that realization broke me somehow.

You'd expect this "history story + peace and love" troupe to, ugh, fade in its usefulness if it's used too many times, and yes the producers of hetamyu noticed that. This is why, when I finished watching Fantastic world, my jaw dropped—hetamyu tackled a problem called "Japan's lack of culture due to recent history, and also it's relationship with his mentor China". Okay that’s impressive as hell bc consider the real world audience and um idk real world politics???? I'm impressed at the production teams' insightfulness in history as well as their dedication to bring a light-hearted and loved show on stage. Like I would often describe to my friend, the themes tackled in hetamyu made me believe that whoever wrote the script must have either a Philosophy or a History degree or sth, because the sort of "realization" brought forth by the telling of themes is just that brilliant and open-minded

—Setting up conflicts— Every hetamyu has a main conflict accompanied by sub-conflicts. Example:

The great world with the main England-America relationship

The world is wonderful with the main North/South Italy relationship, 

Fantastic world with the main Japan inner conflict and his relationship with China, along with sub-conflicts such as Japan-Netherlands or Japan-America. 

This approach is useful because it avoided the show being just a chaotic mess of idiots running around doing stuff. Now it's…a chaotic mess of idiots running around doing stuff and trying to fix their problems/the main conflict. Welp. You get the idea. Essentially conflict pairs help set up a reasonable plot for the 2 hour show to go on while showing all the drama. Also who is in the conflict tells a bit of the theme, like how Japan-China conflict can call back to the theme of culture integration etc. 

Other production elements

Just going over them quickly bc this is already too long…yeah.

Lighting: use of different colors of light to indicate shifting of atmosphere on stage; e.g. iconically the opening scene for The world is wonderful/flashing lights to add to tension on stage/blue to create an atmosphere of freezing cold during Russia's scenes

Music: Not much I can say other than the songs are getting progressively better. Compare those in Singin' in the world and the newest The glorious world and you'll see what I mean. I feel like the composers add more into the instruments, like strings, guitars, keyboards, and stringed their melodies together better. 

Props: Also getting better, and more creative. Like Chibi America's cradle, the HRE hand doll, and all the stuff lying around the stage in The glorious world. 

Actors and casts

This is not my strong point in analysis bc this is technically not included when analyzing a play. But I decided to add this in anyway, because if a play is good enough it can educate not only the audience but also the actors themselves. 

—Specific roles— I like the fact that actors have specific roles when it comes to producing a play; like Russia's actor specialize in telling the oldest corniest coldest jokes ever, Germany's actor being the only voice of reason and thus a good choice for ending improvisation skits, and Italy and America's actors being the absolute kings in chaotic improv. 

—Characterization— I ranted about it once before I think, but the actors of hetamyu giving the characters a new set of characteristics is something I dig so much for. The most obvious one got to be England; his actor Daisuke literally portrayed this supposed gentleman as his original sassy self, which is hella fun. Other actors do similar things, but I'd argue those are harder to spot bc they matched their characters' freak pretty damn well.

—Wholesome, encouragement, and growth— So this whole family of hetamyu cast is wholesome as hell. It's like that with many other shows, in which the cast bond over the experience. With hetamyu it’s better because they have a long time span—the first hetamyu Singin' in the world came in 2015, and the last hetamyu The glorious world just ended touring this year in 2024. 

Also, the break after the first three production (in which they started a live one, thinking that it's the end of hetamyu's production and they're not going to make new shows together…I'm not sure about the reasons tho) and the return afterwards are great opportunities for the cast to bond over.

We can see the growth of multiple cast members, e.g. Ryoki, Italy's actor, was only 16/17 when he first starred in 2015, and bro's now 26 and striving in his career as a singer, and Gaku, Prussia's actor, was a rather new member of the cast (starting from In the new world) and can be quite shy, but other members encouraged him and cheered him on and look at him now! Okay he's still like the bullied kid in the cast but at least he knows he's loved by the fam (/hj). 

One last thing, I like how the main casts won't forget to include the ensemble cast into their improv skits just for fun. Cuz like, without the ensemble the play wouldn't be complete, so even if they're just dancers for background aesthetic and props moving, they're still a crucial part of the play. And I adore the fact that main cast also keeps that in mind. Respect. 

I can go on about the cast dynamic for ages and start a new rant on their acting skills or sth but I'm afraid I've already run too far away from our topic. Point is, show so good the cast is in tears (literally)

Conclusion

I have no good conclusion for all these...(gesture helplessly above)...stuff. So in conclusion hetamyu is awesome and we love hetamyu 4ever.

Also feel free to spill any thoughts & suggestions !! Diverse pov/opinion needed for better analysis and my brain may or may not be deprived of braincells <3 in da hetamyu club we all fam

[alien-til-i-stage]

TBH ID LVOE TO SEE U. LIKE. DO A FULL ANALYSIS ON ROUND 3 FOR IVAN?? if not thats okay ur js so cool bro...

AHHH I LOVE THIS QUESTION ROUND 3 IS ONE OF TOP FAVORITES RIFHT BEHIND EOUND 6

and even better yet I already did a pretty in depth analysis that i will break down for you rn. I wont analyze the song this post but if you want id be willing to in a later post heheh

(Ok so, this wouldve been done like yesterday but when i finished this analysis i forgot to save it and went to do smth else and when i came back IT WAS ALL GONE soooo there thats…..)

Round three starts off with Ivan and an unnamed character going on stage, from this episode we can see Ivan’s character being displayed throughout the song.

Some things that are displayed clearly is Ivan’s love for Till and his lack of rebellious spirit. However even this has layers of complexity I think needs to be explored.

Above, we see Ivan hanging off the building by an alien, while the other kids walking away or turning their backs to them. While he hangs off the cliff he looks up at the sky, staring at the stars instead of the alien himself. Next we see a closeup of his face as a shadow passes over him, however the stars still reflecting in his eyes.

Because it seems like Ivan is the only kid being hung off the building, we can assume this is because he did something that the aliens considered wrong. Perhaps either disobeying them aggressively or just not listening, this results in him being punished.

We can also see the other kids standing away from Ivan, almost as if trying to seperate themselves and turning their backs to him. Perhaps out of the guilt that they cannot help him.

This all leads Ivan to the lesson he learns this day. Rebellion will get him punished, he will be hurt if he doesn’t listen. In fact, this is the only time we see him being punished in his youth, showing how Ivan was able to escape punishment and physical abuse by listening to what the aliens wanted of him.

Another detail to point out is the way the shadow falls over his face. We see him bruised and crying, most likely to previous physical abuse we did not see, implying that this isn’t the only time he’s been punished.

I believe the shadow falling over his face is supposed to represent the mask Ivan wears his entire life. After this scene we constantly see Ivan being “perfect” and up to the alien’s standards. The shadow represents the mask he put on and the lesson he learned, in order to survive he must obey.

However he continues to look at the stars, something that is correlated with freedom to Ivan. I believe this is supposed to represent Ivan’s inner desires of freedom. How, despite putting on the mask and valuing his life over desires, he still has the want for freedom. He doesn’t want to be chained and masked his entire life, the desire is never taken out of him, despite him losing his own person by putting on the mask, the desire to be free is never lost.

After this scene, we continue onto these four shots that happen right after the other. He stands in the same position in each scene and doesn’t move unless he must do something. I believe this isn’t literal but rather metaphorical, instead representing his mask. He stands there, dull, and adapting to whatever sitaution he’s in, sitting at the table if needed, holding a trophy when he must, singing with everyone else, this scene is supposed to show how he does not do anything other then what he must.

Its hard to read him because he stands there with the same look on his face, as if his face itself is the mask as it never changes. This would also go to show how well this mask is for Ivan, how good he is at masking himself. He does not express his inner thoughts, he does not do what he wants, he does not move however he desires, instead he only does what the aliens want, shown by his unmoving stance in all of scenes above, he does not make any unnecessary moves, standing in place instead.

It can also be noted that despite the location changing in each picture, Ivan still holds the same position no matter what. I believe this is supposed to represent how, again, he believes no matter what he cannot take off his mask. In the auction, after he’s been bought, after he’s in Anakt Garden, he has banned himself from taking off the mask, continuing to be the perfect person that is demanded of him in order to survive, even if he won’t be punished for simply living in Anakt Garden, seen by Mizi and Sua. This shows how deeply the scene of him hanging off the building has impacted him, it influenced his entire life.

Right after this, we see Ivan standing alone in Anakt Garden, he is standing in the same position as always and he is alone. Next the red flowers pass by his face and Till runs past him. Till continues to chase the flowers into the dark corridor and Ivan watches, before following Till into the corridor.

This scene can perfectly describe their relationship and dynamic. Ivan, as we can, is alone and standing still. As already stated, him standing still is symbolic of his mask. Him standing alone is also symbolic of how alone Ivan truly is. Because of his mask he is unable to make those connections, as there will always be a wall seperating him from that.

However the only to get close to Ivan is Till. He brushes past him and that’s when he suddenly moves. He only looks at him at first, standing from afar, before following him. This is most likely symbolic of how the only person that was able to get the mask off of Ivan was Till. We know this because it was stated before that he seems to become immature and childish around Till, showing how it’s only around Till that he is able to remove said mask. He moves from his position and follows Till, something he never had to do, but something he chose to do. A decision that was finally his. I also think Ivan first watching Till from afar, then following is supposed to mirror how, later, Ivan watches both Till and Mizi stand against the guard dog. How he just simply watches first.

We commonly see Till with red flowers. These red flowers are representative of Till’s love and admiration for Mizi. When we see Till brushing past Ivan and chasing the flowers, not even paying attention to Ivan, this represents how Till continues to follow and chase after Mizi, ignoring the others around him, even if they are right next to him.

Till following the flowers to the corridor, ignoring the darkness of the path, is symbolic of how far he is willing to go for Mizi. It’s similar to the scene of Till rejecting Ivan and running back to Anakt Garden, despite it being the darkest route he could go. He continues to follow Mizi no matter where she is, even if it’s dangerous. And while Till follows Mizi, Ivan will follow Till. He also follows Till down the hall, similar to how, despite not having to, he goes back to Anakt Garden.

Right after this scene, we cut to a room thats assumed to be where the hallway lead them to. We see Mizi and Till in front of what looks to be a massive guard dog like alien. Ivan stands far away, where he isn’t seen as he watches on. Mizi is scared, seen by how she holds herself and stands in shock and Till looks hurt. He’s sitting on the ground as if he was just struck and Ivan continues to watch on.

As Till stands up, we see flashes of falling stars suddenly appearing while Ivan continues to watch Till, and once he fully stands up we can see as Ivan’s pupils dilate.

We can see, in later offical art, that this alien might not be a guard dog but rather a pet or companion given to Ivan. While it isn’t clear, we commonly see pictures of Ivan getting close to the alien or even in its mouth. The relationship between Ivan and this alien is unclear, in fact the entire existence of this alien is unclear. Such as, why is the alien attacking or scaring both Mizi and Till? If it’s supposed to be something related to Ivan, why is it hurting other humans?

The existence of this alien dog cannot be disputed, because this is the moment Ivan fell in love with Till. But it is curious about the entire situation. So let me try and break it down.

I mentioned before that Ivan seems to have a relationship with the guard dog, but I don’t think it’s a literal relationship. The guard dog is most likely trying to keep the kids out of something, however it is unclear what. If thats the case, then it would be strange that Ivan is friendly with this guard dog. I think, instead, Ivan sees himself in this guard dog.

He sees Till fighting, or trying to at least, against the dog. Something that *does* happen between him and Till during this point. The two of them get into fights because Ivan instigates to grab Till’s attention to him. He sees Till being hostile with this alien, something he believes Till is with him. Not to mention, this alien must be alone often. It’s job is to guard something, meaning it must be kept seperate from other aliens and humans and it must keep it up. It’s job is to keep others away. Ivan can relate to this as to him, his job is surviving, which indirectly results in him being alone. I believe the art of Ivan with the alien is not to say he has a relationship with the alien, but because he sees himself in him.

I also think that this is also symbolic of their relationship. How Ivan is there watching and observing Till, just seeing him in general, however Till does not notice him. He doesn’t look back at where Ivan is, because he doesn’t know he’s there. Instead he’s focused on whats in front of him right now. An alien and Mizi, similar to him focusing on his hatred for aliens and his love for Mizi.

I believe after Ivan sees this with Till and falls in love with him, he recreates this scene in his mind. We can see this with the scene above where Ivan looks at whats happening, instead this time he looks different. Before he looked with a curious gaze and intrigue, not too worried or emotionally invested. However now he’s shown with a gripped hand on the wall, with the wall showing obvious signs of damage due to someone gripping it repeatedly. We also see the eyes of Ivan, how it’s focused and this looking much more crazed then last time.

While this could also be literal, showing Ivan might be leading Till here and watching him, replaying the scene in reality, but I believe this is more then likely a scene he replays in his head, for multiple reasons.

Till would stop believing what Ivan says after a while, in fact its most likely that it was Mizi who got him in that corridor. Perhaps he followed her in there and got in that situation. Unless it was about Mizi, its more then likely that Till wouldn’t have even listened to anything Ivan says. I think the change in looks, like the hand gripping the wall and his eyes are supposed to represent how much he repeats this scene in his mind.

And as always, for every Ivan analysis we must talk about this scene.

We see as Ivan takes Till out of his restrains, showing him out of Anakt Garden. The two of them are shown running away from the building, getting far away from Anakt Garden. Yet, Till stops. He lets go of Ivan’s hand and stops in his tracks, suddenly he is scared and realizing that by leaving, he is leaving Mizi. Ivan is hurt as he watches Till running back to Anakt Garden, and he smiles. His smile is full of hurt but he is still smiling. We cut back to the stage where we see Ivan, now he is taking off his mask and finally showing his true feelings, the memories are making him emotional. However he quickly put the mask back on and finishes his song.

This whole scene is very literal, but it’s still worth analysizing. This goes back to the idea Till would follow Mizi anywhere. Just as he follows the red flowers down a dark corridor, he follows Mizi in Anakt Garden. This is a very confliciting for Till to do, it’s not as easy as it seems for him. In that moment when he lets go of Ivan’s hands, thats when the realiziation of everything suddenly hits him. He realizes that by leaving Anakt Garden, he is leaving Mizi. He looks up at Ivan in fear and guilt as he turns around and leaves him, not looking back. This shows that Till is aware of the weight of the decision he made. He knows what he lost, you can see him debating and struggling with this as he stands away from Ivan.

In the scene above, we can see both Ivan and Till running away together, they are holding hands and laughing together. This shows that while Till did reject Ivan and being free with him, the problem was never being with Ivan, in fact it seems he was excited for it. But the problem was leaving Mizi.

Speaking of this, we can see as the two of them are leaving, it’s important to note what they are specifically doing. Till is watching the skys, rushing forward in order to reach freedom, while Ivan watches Till, he is not looking towards the skies but focusing on Till and his reaction, this shows their priorities.

Till would’ve loved to be free, if it was with Mizi and not Ivan. Ivan would’ve loved to be with Till, even if it meant to be enslaved.

We see this pan out as Till runs back to be with Mizi. He wanted freedom, just not with Ivan. This hurts Ivan, now fully knowing his love is unrequited and as he watches Till leave him, he continues back. He is fully aware at this point that he is not loved back, and most likely will never be. But that isn’t what matters to Ivan, what matters to him is Till. He would be willing to be enslaved if it meant to be with him.

[melonteee]

If nothing else, OPLA’s marketing campaign was downright diabolical. Because the community shift from skepticism to outright hostility towards that same skepticism really started when the show runner went onto that YouTube Reverie a couple years before the show came out. Not only was that the first time the showrunner began doing similar “interviews” with YouTubers (who are, generally speaking, The Worst interviewers), not only is it where many of the common talking points in defense of the show originated from (most notably “It can’t be a 1:1 adaptation” in response to any changes), but he told all these YouTubers that he was *such* a Big Fan of all of them - even the ones who were critical of the live action - and that he was using their videos as inspiration for writing the live action episodes.

Now, I’m not saying that the showrunner was lying when he said those things. But I do think that such a move meant there were no boundaries and a MASSIVE conflict of interest between someone who should be considered a representative for Netflix and creators and fans with huge reach in the fanbase. Because suddenly the OPLA was getting reframed not as another Netflix product, but as a really expensive fan film (that Netflix happened to be funding) - a fan film that Fans Like Them were having an indirect hand in helping create because the showrunner was also a fan of them. Combine that with how heavily it was pushed that Oda had to approve everything, and the whole thing started gaining this undercurrent of the live action adaptation almost being an endorsement of their interpretation of the source material… even as it became more obvious OPLA would deviate heavily from that same source material. But that sentiment only got more pronounced as those same YouTubers started getting opportunities to privately tour the sets and some even spoke to the writers that led to being labeled as unofficial-official consultants. Now, with another One Piece YouTuber from the same Reverie that the showrunner took part in a member of the season 2 writers room, there’s kinda this unspoken atmosphere surrounding that corner of the community that if you heap enough praise onto this adaptation, you too could be scouted for the next season and get endorsed (maybe even meet) Oda too!

It would be funny that the whole thing was that such a painfully transparent move on the showrunner’s part (most blatant example being that he hosted an anime podcast that totally wasn’t made just to endorse the show guys! He just wanted to talk to all his friends about anime and just HAPPENED to make the last episode the same day the live action aired!) if it hadn’t been so effective.

Like I said: diabolical.

I can't speak on whether or not those YouTubers are good interviewers, because I literally cannot blame them for jumping at the opportunity since the early stages WERE exciting and I have no doubt they were barred from asking certain questions. But my opinion is...perhaps stick to journalists for interviews since that's their job hh.

But god the marketing was absolutely insane. Was having Iñaki meeting Oda and putting a hat on his head, AS WELL as Mayumi Tanaka, not insanely performative to anyone else? Does anyone seriously think Oda willingly asked to do this and 'pass down' the hat for a project we KNOW he was continuously not listened to for 😭 all I can see is Netflix doing the MOST to make One Piece fans side with them, and it WORKED!

When the live action came out it got INSANELY review bombed. It'd only been ten minutes since the episodes had come out and the final episode already had hundreds of reviews and hundreds of 10/10s. Netflix did all they could to make sure NO ONE cared to look at this critically, and it's so frustrating that it worked cause I can't even have a reasonable conversation about why this adaptation simply did not work as an adaptation without tons of people biting my head off.

I've said it before but I will never forget the shift of people questioning why the hell this live action was being made, and why the hell the Merry looked like that (la Merry had been leaked) because...guys she looked like shit!! There's no colour or personality in it and she just looks creepy as hell.

And that's what everyone was originally saying! But suddenly you have the show runner reaching out to YouTubers, you have the announcement that Oda's approving EVERYTHING (we know for a fact he didn't), and suddenly the public opinion shifted like THAT!

Honestly if anyone wants an a grade course in how you market to a loyal fandom, just look at what Netflix did! Because EVERYONE can have their own opinion and say they liked it, but as an ADAPTATION? I stand my ground in saying it failed miserably. Because the fact people who NEVER saw the animanga are coming out of the live action with DIFFERENT perceptions of the story and characters- to the point you are genuinely talking about two different characters - the adaptation has failed.

Because, yes, an adaptation can't be 1:1, Matt Owens is correct. But what he DIDN'T say, is when you adapt something, what you need to keep in mind is fidelity. If your goal for an adaptation IS to bring an existing property into a new medium, and WANTING to replicate the characters and EXPRESS the same story - which the producers said this would be MULTIPLE times! - you better damn well hope the non One Piece watchers can jump from the live action to the manga/anime and go "Oh! Yes this is the Luffy that was presented to me in the live action!"

And they don't, especially not with other characters. The amount of non One Piece fans who then picked up the anime and were SHOCKED at just how focused on Sanji and Usopp were in the original should speak volumes, should it not?

Again, you can like the live action! I think it did its job in essentially being an advertisement for the original One Piece. But as a story and an adaptation of One Piece, it just failed. And I simply hate being unable to bring anything into question because Netflix's insane marketing has made this environment of "it's good cause I said so and everything's fine, shut up" 😭😭

It's genuinely an insanely good example of anime to live action adaptation and why, in my opinion, it just doesn't work. But I can't go into any kind of depth about that in a long form video essay the way I'd like to because my anxiety would go off the charts - even if I speak reasonably about it, because of the air created from Netflix's insane marketing. I just think it's kinda sad hhh

[cherphadetseuk]

So I've been thinking about the latest Only Friends Episode. Yes, I'm watching it too, I just never talked about it in text form.

Anyway, I still haven't processed this episode because my heart is breaking in every episode when I see Sand's face. And that scene in the end was the icing on the cake and idk how to recover. When is it Sand happy hours, seriously. Every episode he gets dragged along and then pushed aside (sometimes literally *coughepisode6cough*).

Anyway, I've just been thinking about the preview of the next episode. Drama aside with the drugs and whatever happened to Mew there but I was thinking about the choice of dress up for that fancy dress party thing they attend.

First of all Mew and Ray. Mew with that shirt is clearly dressed up as Harley Quinn and after looking at the SandRay scene, Ray's outfit indicates the Joker if I'm correct. So they go as Joker and Harley, which in itself is already a doomed relationship. However, I don't know if the roles should have been reversed. Not because Mew is in his villain era (not that Harley isn't in theory also in a villain era at all times) but because Harley is the one who's always hung up by the Joker and follows him around at all times and tries to make him like her. So in theory Ray should have been Harley. But that's beside the point. What I was thinking is the choice. They chose a doomed relationship of two very f**ked up characters which kinda represents their current situation. Arguably I can understand Ray being the Joker given the origin story and his mental state. Mew is Harley Quinn because she isn't actually a villain but shit drove her the way she is and she's just gone crazy and with Mew starting his villain arc I feel like that fits perfectly.

Now Sand. As I realised after a second glance, and also not shocking, he's dressed as Freddie Mercury who we all know is a very troubled character if you know his life story. Freddie Mercury is a troubled soul who puts up this persona on stage for a little bit, to forget about the troubles in his life. Lady Gaga is the same kind of troubled character and so are a lot of musicians. Sand is also a musician with inner struggles who is a very different and happy person on stage. He smiles on stage and is genuinely carefree when he performs. As soon as he leaves the stage the troubles await. The only other times he smiles is when he's with his mum (who I absolutely ADORE) and his happy moments with Ray (before he gets kicked around and dragged through the mud). The fact that in the preview he is about to kiss another Freddie Mercury dress-up kinda plays on the "You should love yourself" line he said to Ray. I don't know if Sand actually fully loves himself. He doesn't indicate that he doesn't but I don't think he hates himself or the way he is. He is just broken hearted. We don't know all of his life story. We know his dad is not around but, as we found out in this episode as well, he doesn't care about that. His mum is nice and supportive and he has a dream to travel and see all the musicians and be a musician. He has been the most put together character so far in this show (aside of his multiple heartbreaks over Ray and his feud with Top over their ex (which I'm still curious about) and Boston's general assery).

I just find it interesting when you look at the characters they chose to dress up as and how it kinda correlates with their own person. I'm curious what the others are dressed up. I know Top is there but I forgot what he was wearing, if he was even at the party to begin with or just went there later because of drama.

I also find it interesting how Sand saw MewRay but didn't act on it (or at least I think he didn't because we don't know the aftereffect of that but given that he tells Ray he's no rebound and the multiple times he said that he didn't care...which he's lying about but that's why I said he's putting up that persona) but as soon as Sand even lays eyes on someone else (cue to next episodes preview) he gets all possessive and intervenes right away. Which, Ray, baby, I love you, but you're not very subtle about your crush on Sand. Also, the fact that he says, "I can love as many people as I want", yes, you can but don't string them all along. At least before you didn't act on your Mew crush but now you do while also stringing Sand along for your convenience on him being always there for you. They both have feelings, you can't just be selfish and think you can just have them both when you want it and not have one of them (or both) hurt in the process. Again, I love you but I wanna slap some sense into your brain so badly.

I don't know what the point was of this post but ah well.

[blizzardfluffykpop]

Hello, ‘tis I. As my primary resident The Boyz stan mutual, I am humbly asking for some suggestions about getting to know them since I’m seeing them at the end of July. I like, know their names but couldn’t put them to faces really. I know Ju Haknyeon because P101 s2, but he was like 16 or 17 at that point so I’m sure he’s pretty different now. Anyway, I’ve already gotten some info from others but I know that if anyone has lots of knowledge about The Boyz, it’s you.

Hello 🤭💖 good to know I earned that title~ I have many suggestions- But I think I'll do a thorough answer beneath this paragraph- and base them on content and things~ But omg you're seeing them at the end of July!? I'm seeing them in New York in the middle of July! That's so cool that we're both getting to see them this year! I absolutely understand- Oh heck yeah- I only have seen clips of that but I'm glad you already have a slight start~ I wonder what you've learned so far 👀 But it's so sweet to know that you turned to me for this 🥺💖(this is gonna get really long and it's just because I cannot shut up about them even if I tried- I really hope this helps).

For me I really like Idol Human Theaters and always enjoy them. And I think that's a good place to start they helped me get to know them- It really shows you how funny they are. I really suggest going in order and I'll link that here ~ Personally my favorites are their Athletic one (Killing both the stage & Cloth P.E. Students) and their drinking one (What Happens On Daytime Get-Together).

Now if you lean more into scary content I def suggest Wings of Escape ep 1, & Episode 2 (tbh as a person who really can't take scares- it's only scary for the 1st 5 minutes) I spend the rest laughing- it's so silly- I go back to watch it all the time. For me, I really like knowing who the cowards are- as a coward myself :) (how I ended up biasing 2 noncowards idk-at least I bias one that is) Like Q- man is giddy over the scares and is so excited to go in- (His team is my favorite) But Ju Haknyeon is the coolest- he's the type of friend you want if you're going somewhere scary. Sunwoo is my representative in that escape room.

Now if you love mafia content (they have several) but like "high quality" The Boyz (1): The Convoyz (2) is sososo good- You get to see how they lie and trick and figure each other out. (I've never seen a group with no sense for mafia before them 😭 I love them sm) And then in the second episode you see them play by teams against each other and it really shows their team efforts!

Now this will be a longer one but The Boyz Come On! God Saeng 😭🥺 holds such a big and special place in my heart- it made me fall for each of their personalities even harder. Like Jacob drives so much like me and has sm fun and takes care of "the kiddos" while Sangyeon's car- everyone falls asleep cause he drives so gently. And when they all went to go to bed how they each talked 😭😭 It's so gentle- they have sm fun- (there is a part I hate just because of the producers but tbz themselves... oh yeah that's my soft spot) I really could go on about each member- but the way Juyeon volunteers for dishes- and how they cheer on each other for bowling (even on opposite teams)... Oh yeah I bawled my eyes out :)

My favorite content is one of the first contents of their own that watched was Deobi University (1): Vacation (2) ! It's so funny, but it's one of those contents when you watch it again with more knowledge about them that it truly becomes hilarious, so that's why it's at the bottom of the list. But the way they play around in the water, and everyone enjoys themselves- and the game they play inside the house!? (These little weirdos 🥺💖)

Now for regular content that isn't "funny" I really suggest if you want to know more about their hard work and dedication- (other than their kingdom & all that) there is Off The Boyz their behinds- I have one that I always watch and it's 2023 SBS performance behind one. It really shows their talents and there is a vv funny moment with Kevin (he looks like humpty dumpty for a second). The performance from that: Intro + Watch It 2023 Gayodaejeon (am I little salty about Juyeon not getting the spotlight when he prepared so hard for his part of the intro dance... yes, but that's besides the point- it is still beyond amazing) But there's also their Zeneration preparation for their tour last year- and you'll see how much hard work they put into it- like seeing Hyunjae trust the rest of them to catch him- and nail the Only One move after not doing it for so long was just incredible. And then Younghoon is the thumbnail with the kitty~

If you wish to cry your eyes out, I got just the content for you it is very long but it really digs into their dynamics one on and one. Dear.THE BOYZ (which "Dear." also a song they produced for their fans that they all partook in 🥺) Here's the encore concert version of the song

[I have an older deobi friend from insta and if you'd like I can grab some of her suggestions (they're on my phone and she always makes me little playlists to catch up on haha) And she also has given me little introductory twitter threads of "The Boyz and their animals" and whatnot so if you'd like any of that kind of content pls lmk~]

I won't lie ik this is prolly a lot and if you want different suggestions- or more narrowed down suggestions pls lmk! I'll be happy to provide- say you want really cool stages Shine Shine + The Stealer or their solo stages feel free to ask again~ I wasn't too sure what kind of content would help you get to know them better- but I tried my best and I hope you enjoy at least one of these! (If you like interviews more so I do know a few good ones too)

And I also have live performances suggestions~ And if you figure out your bias I can prolly give you more personalized suggestions that way too~

One LAST thing: If you wish to talk about them/the concert and any of their content- I'm all ears~

[arbitrarygreay]

Gerit Deep Dive

The Gerit storyline is the only time that MFS appears to be a youth relationship drama like the Freeform shows that came before it. However, the fact that a storyline like it (a temporary love interest with DRAMZ) never happens ever again, combined with the prestige pedigree of the writers of the show, indicates that the Gerit storyline had a designed thematic and permanent character development purpose, nothing so simple as "a protagonist dates a jerkass."

And this will make the shippers really mad, but when I really looked at the structure of it, Gerit is a preview of the same patterns of behavior that Alder will exhibit (and therefore is also setting the stage for Tally's reactions to that behavior).

To begin with, we have to look at the implications of the fact that as of the time that we first met Gerit in 1x3, he had already completed a "trial run last season" with Hilary Saint, a trial run that was so successful that a handfasting was approved based on it. That looms over the background of all of his interactions during Beltane. Next, the very first scene of 1x5 features Tally noting that Gerit's actions during Beltane were textbook from the Codices. Presumably, these actions worked just as well with Hilary. So, Gerit is good at his job, of being a High-Atlantic man who serves the desires of the women according to the traditions of their culture.

And what were those actions during Beltane? Besides the more obvious Codices things like dick pic Tweets, Gerit praises Tally's dedication to service in the museum. He also claims that hanging out with Tally alone (instead of mingling with other witches) is special, a sentiment he repeats in 1x5 that he wants to be with Tally alone because Tally is a contrast to High-Atlantic behaviors (per 1x3, "Try growing up around them. The appeal doesn't last.").

Meanwhile, though, Tally is told to "trust the dance." If we come back to treating this storyline with thematic purpose, Gerit in this time represents Fort Salem military witch culture, and Tally has been told to trust it.

So, Gerit Buttonwood, High-Atlantic himself, following High-Atlantic seduction procedures to a tee, is nonetheless intrigued by someone who doesn't come from that tradition, someone who still chose to serve even when she didn't have to. Then, at the wedding, he says that he wants to be exclusive with Tally, despite having already put the lie to that by agreeing to handfast with Hilary (which is following his role as a High-Atlantic man). And this after Tally has already told him "Don't mess with me, Gerit Buttonwood."

The responsibility isn't completely one-sided, though. Tally is bulldozing over his chances to come clean, and Gerit has been raised to be subservient to the women's desires and demands. Furthermore, he is raised in a non-monogamous culture, so when he says "I love you. And you have to believe me, no matter what happens," that doesn't have to be a lie in a non-monogamous framework. Too bad he did also say "But I want to be with only you." That is non-negotiably a lie.

Thematic parallel: Tally's first stated opinions on Alder, from her debate with Raelle in 1x1. Tally acknowledged that Alder was "controversial", but what is her defense? "Part of what she said is agenda-less and true." So, treating Gerit as a metaphor, Tally knows that military witch culture (as epitomized by High-Atlantics) has its issues, but she believes that enough of what Gerit said (his confession of love) is agenda-less and true.

Also, consider the nature of Gerit's lie, which is what made Tally fall for him: that he wanted to be with Tally alone, not just mingling with other witches, as would be expected of him. Throughout the Beltane episodes, Gerit/Tally was contrasted against Abigail/Clive/Augustin, who represented what an uncomplicated version of the High Atlantic dynamic should look like (with no moral issues associated with their behavior). Simply being charming wasn't the thing, it was the idea that Gerit wanted to break from the standard witch culture for her that captivated Tally. Abigail was continually telling her that Tally herself shouldn't be seeking monogamy in the first place. The applications of this as a metaphor to Tally's expectations of Alder are obvious. And they were said outright in 2x8, too, where Tally's fantasy was that her connection to Alder was something special, not content with being just another Biddy like all of the others.

So I reiterate that the responsibility isn't completely one-sided, because what happens from here to the end of the storyline is about Tally. She is indeed devastated by learning of Gerit's marriage, because this is the first lie that she's been confronted with the truth of in the show. However, the moment she sees Scylla, Gerit is shunted down to, like, less than tertiary priority. Gerit was seeking her out during the crisis, but in the aftermath, Tally sees him holding to his duty of being at Hilary's side. So, Tally gives up and commits to her sisters.

Except, now Tally is the one caught in a lie, because she is stuck between her orders from Anacostia and the ideals of unit sisterhood. In some respects, she should understand the situation Gerit is in. Not that she is thinking about him. In 1x6, the only mention of Gerit is by Glory. Like Tally bulldozed over Gerit in 1x5, now she comedically bulldozes over Glory, as well. But what is the subject of that ramble? Justifying to herself how she can continue to lie to Raelle, through her duty:

The whole point of being a soldier is to defend our nation with all of yourself, even the parts of you that are ambivalent. It isn't your fault, per se, if you can't tell the whole story. If you can't be completely honest due to circumstances beyond your control, simply don't focus on it. Focus on what you can do and not what you can't. And if you've already done everything you can do, if you're doing your duty, then you can just forget the rest and trust that it will all work out.

A speech that Gerit probably told himself, too! But it also sure sounds like a line of reasoning Alder herself would proudly spout, doesn't it? Can you imagine Tally saying this about Liberia? The sweet sweet ironic preview.

So, in 1x7, when the men make their return to Fort Salem, Tally is all in on trying to live up to her Alder-esque model of soldierly behavior (which Gerit is modeling, too). But she's also firm in her decision to dismiss Gerit. She's got the same confident smirk of defiance when Glory asks what she'll do about Gerit that she does when arguing with Alder in 1x10 and 2x8.

Gerit apologizes to her! (A thing that Alder never does before S3? I'm still making my way through transcripts, but that's one of the big things I'm checking on.) And what he says next is just the facts. (With Hilary watching the two of them from like six feet away, mind you! He mentions kissing at the wedding! Hilary totally knows at this point and she and Gerit probably already have their agreement! Nothing he says in this scene implies that Hilary doesn't know or disapproves!) We see Tally subtly waver for a second before Glory rescues her. One can easily parallel this moment to when Tally talked to Alder in the Tarim cave in 1x10, when Alder also swayed her by simply being sincere about her feelings. It's the same camera angle on Tally, certainly.

When Tally next meets Gerit, we get another scene where Tally rambles about her concerns that are not about Gerit, to his face. She muses that friends share secrets and burdens, words that she will also associate with Alder in S2. (Not to mention an implication that perhaps Tally was so swayed by Alder's 1x10 cave speech because it felt like Alder was sharing her dreams/secrets/burdens with Tally in that moment.) In this moment she is clearly talking about her own failure to be honest with Raelle (and also therefore not being able to relieve Raelle's burdens about Scylla being alive). Tally tried to justify it to herself in the previous episode, but is clearly not buying it anymore now.

And when Gerit cluelessly tries to claim that Tally can share with him, Tally again flashes that "I have written you off already" face at him that she used when pushing her protesting mom out of her room in 1x1. Gerit's next words are instructive. "You can tell me everything or nothing, it doesn't matter. I'm here for you." This is not about friends or love, it's a statement of fact about his role in military witch culture. The men are there at the service of the women. They are there for them, even if the women give them nothing. Clive and Augustin said the same to Abigail earlier. And so, Tally, trying to live up to the justifications of a High-Atlantic soldier (All Secrets Keep), reacts by treating this man like Abigail treats hers. She tells him nothing, and uses him for sex.

(Meanwhile, Abigail is unable to treat Adil the same way because Adil doesn't belong to that culture, and instead challenges Abigail back.)

Next, Tally is confronted with the fallout of her own being Gerit-like, when Raelle finds out about her reporting of Scylla during Citydrop. It is here that Tally regains her personal sense of justice. She concedes to both Raelle and Abigail that following Anacostia's orders to stay silent was something she regrets, but she is adamant that protecting her sisters was the right thing to do.

So, she has no bones about talking about how dishonorable their actions were in killing the hostages. She's not going to try to convince herself that it wasn't wrong. In 1x9, she stews in resentment about Alder lying, being used, about it not being why she joined the service, being "involved in something deeply unjust", contrasting it against doing good. Apparently, stopping the spread of Spree munitions doesn't count as doing good. In contrast to her words from 1x1, part of it being agenda-less and true is not enough.

In the wake of reconciling with Raelle and Abigail over her lying to them on Anacostia's orders, Tally has decided that she will never sit back again. If she has done something wrong, then "we have to do something. […] I can't hold on to any more secrets. No more secrets." To the point of breaking chain of command.

After talking to Petra, they're in a limbo of what will happen next. Tally has done something, but hasn't actually affected any real change. So she's still stuck in part of her rationalization from 1x6. "Focus on what you can do and not what you can't. And if you've already done everything you can do, if you're doing your duty, then you can just forget the rest and trust that it will all work out." And in this state of emotional conflict, what is Tally doing? Continuing to participate in what she believes is adultery, under the justification that "I need this." ("this" being "complicated") Going behind the back of another soldier for the sake of using an asset for her own purposes.

Tally is still trying to somewhat follow High-Atlantic military witch culture, despite having found her resolve in other areas. The next scene makes it clear that she never got her hopes back up after the wedding, because she reiterates to Gerit that "this is an all sex, no‐talking thing." Talking, of course, being the thing reserved for friends. So Tally has still mentally written Gerit off, objectifying him as a means for her to forget her actual woes. Tally was steaming about being used by Alder, but here she is, using Gerit herself. And since she didn't know that Hilary knew, in her own mind Tally was complicit in betraying Hilary, going behind her back. As well, being so frustrated that Gerit set up an encounter knowing that Hilary would be back early implies that Tally wanted to keep them a secret, indicating that Tally felt shame about it. Contrast all of this to how Abigail shamelessly had sex with Raf at the wedding even after he disclosed that he was there with someone else (which is not morally incorrect because of the non-secret nature of the non-monogamy, as confirmed by Charvel's description of her future handfasted life).

As we know, this "insatiable" encounter is then what pushes Gerit to work with Hilary on the threesome scheme. Which, honestly, I don't think Gerit did anything wrong there? Tally has written Gerit off. Gerit isn't a fool. He's recognized that the chance for romantic love (to be exclusive, against High-Atlantic custom) with Tally is dead. So, Gerit falls back on said High-Atlantic custom, which is for men to objectified in a non-monogamous framework. See again Raf and Abigail at the wedding. Tally has told him that they're not friends, they don't have talking privileges. Why wouldn't he think that therefore she is following the rest of the framework? Because Tally is kind of doing that, at this point.

Note that the end of the Gerit storyline comes before President Wade's address. Tally still thinks that she's committing adultery with Gerit. But upon being confronted with the reality of transparently participating in High-Atlantic non-monogamous custom, Tally finds that she can't go all of the way. She drags back up old resentments that were previously forgotten (if only ambiguously forgiven). She not only brings up Gerit's omission of his engagement, but also goes back to the first accusation around his following the Codices playbook of seduction, as if that was an inherently bad thing to do. Despite this appearing to be a chance for everything to be transparent and truthful, Tally instead decides that she is not compatible with "this way", and that Gerit should not have accepted her attempt to push herself into that mold. She acts as if Gerit should have pushed her to be true to herself instead of rationalizing herself into adultery. That is the final sin that she charges him with: not the lying, but not knowing her.

And so, in the wake of having re-discovered her moral core, that is the Tally that witnesses Alder Puppetting the president. A Tally that has decided that she won't bend to the High-Atlantic ideals of All Secrets Keep is the one that doesn't hesitate to throw her accusations at Alder's face in Tarim.

The implications of this for S2 are obvious. It is because of the Gerit ordeal that Tally so quickly flips on Alder, instead of spending more time waffling around in angst. She has already personally experienced lies of omission, being swayed by partially agenda-less and true appeals of sincerity, being the perpetrator of lies under orders and duty, being used, and doing the using. So now, Tally knows deep to her bones that it isn't her. That is why she can jump straight to taking the initiative in digging for the truth, and working to undermine the situation.

Note that in 2x4, despite having started to dig into Liberia, Tally is still supportive of Alder's speech at the testing center. What actually happened to make Tally storm into Alder's office wasn't Liberia at all. It was that Alder lied to the public that it was the Spree that attacked the testing center, not the Camarilla. It was because Abigail said that part of why she was vulnerable to attack was because Alder told her to stand down on the matter in 2x1.

It's because Alder followed the same patterns of behavior as Gerit, and that Tally loathed herself for trying to follow: hiding behind established customs/procedure that praise a devotion to service, a habit of not telling people big things, going behind fellow soldiers' backs, using people as assets, putting Tally's sister at risk, justifying it all as needing to do things because the situation is complicated, doing her duty and forgetting the rest.

(And then, of course, in 2x5 Alder completes Gerit's final sin of not knowing Tally by impugning Tally's motive in asking for answers. After that, for basically the rest of S2 Tally faces Alder with that "I have written you off" face.)

[sketching-shark]

So since you’re The Person Anons Go To To Complain About Lego Monkey Kid; I figured I’d get this out of my system while also asking for your two cents.

I don’t think the LMK crew have read JTTW. Best case scenario I think they either got some word of mouth stories and read some wiki articles.

And a lot of this comes down to their characterization of SWK and the way the world treats him.

In the book, SWK has a kingdom of monkey, but they’re YAOGUAI monkeys who are capable of speech, making an army, are enslaved several times, and were straight up referred to as his family multiple times. Meanwhile, the show just… doesn’t acknowledge his subjects? They’re at best represented as regular monkeys who wander around the island, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen SWK or MK interact with them on screen. They’re essentially background dressing.

Then you’ve got the season three episode where SWK has stage fright, which… he never really had any fear of public speaking (even to Buddha himself), and straight up gets into a massive public competition and cuts out his own entrails just to prove another guy isn’t immortal. (Even in their own series, they have confirmed SWK starred in his own movie and did voice acting for a game)

Honestly, I get the vibe that the writers care more about the archetype boxes they can fit SWK into rather then who he really is. The rest of the JTTW crew should still be alive? Well no, we need SWK to be our Hermit Mentor. We’ll just imply they’re all dead (or abandoned him for no reason). Sun Wukong has a family of monkeys? Well we can’t have that! Make them regular monkeys so he’s Truly Alone (and also ignore that he can talk to animals).

Sun Wukong is a king, and has been shown to be incredibly comfortable in his public speaking? Well we can’t have that! Because Macaque is our resident theater kid, and we need them to be Literary Parallels! Nevermind the fact Sun Wukong barely interacted with him in the book, but deeply loved Demon Bull King, and DBK has an actual reason to feel betrayed by him.

I’m not bothered by the changes like Macaque having been his old friend at one point or dead characters being alive or even the choice to not acknowledge SWK’s buddha status (in fact, I enjoy some of these), but it’s… really disheartening to see my favorite character be relegated to Lonely Mentor and Macaque’s Sun. He deserves a lot better then the show is giving him, honestly.

SADFAWEGDFGAD anon that was something I said as a jest but haha wow I guess I'm starting to get a reputation (X_X).

But ANYWAY okay folks you know the drill I sometimes find it fun to be a hater so heads up for that and remember that "don't like, don't read" goes both ways <3.

---

But to get to your main gripe anon, now that you've said it I wouldn't be surprised at all if that was the case...like as it is there's already been a number of cases I'm aware of from twitter where members of the LMK crew have put their collective foot in their collective mouth & came across as pretty insulting to Chinese deities for it, & then doubled down with that whole "it's our interpretation uwu" mentality which is, to put it mildly, a kind of shitty thing to do. And in regards to the main monkey himself--and in full acknowledgement of the very blatant hints they've given that there's a lot more going on with lego show Sun Wukong then has been revealed so far, it does at times seem like they're making their version of the Monkey King more in line with the "dumbass monkey who breaks everything" western stereotype than the complex trickster figure you find in the og classic...like of course there are indications that this Sun Wukong may be the one of the more tragic Sun Wukongs out there in that he's been left after the journey with no friends, no companions, no kingdom in any real way, and everyone in the entire world who's met him in person, with a few exceptions, seems to hate his guts. And you could actually refer to Xiyouji itself for explanations on why a lot of that might be: the monkey yaoguai of Mt. Huaguoshan go through centuries of lethal trauma even before the Six Eared Macaque treated them as his personal tools while he was "Sun Wukong," which could have convinced the survivors that the real monkey king had become a wicked tyrant and thus they all ran away in fear; Sun Wukong may have ended up with a case of stage fright from the journey itself because of all the times that Tang Sanzang tortured him for speaking his mind; and Sun Wukong did enrage the entirely of heaven pre-journey before largely becoming an enemy of yaoguai during the journey itself...hell, in the og classic he even starts weeping because after he was banished from the pilgrim group he feels like he has no place he could go :(.

THAT SAID, during the events of Monkie Kid itself Sun Wukong often does come across as a doofus who's doofery gets everyone into serious trouble. Just to give a few examples: him joking around & not focusing during a high-stakes situation is the reason a 4th ring of samadhi was created which got embedded into Bai Longma & eventually into Long Xiaojiao; him lying to Qi Xiaotian & telling him he was going on "vacation" even though he was running around looking desperately for a way to stop the Lady Bone Demon is a major reason she became as powerful as she did; and his entire plan to stop the Lady Bone Demon, massive threat that she is, is presented even by him as flimsy and paper-thin, something made all the worse by the danger the monkie crew was put into in the effort to get the rings & by his refusal to share all the details of it with them until it's too late. And then of course there's the Six Eared Macaque's whole thing where he's violently obsessed with Sun Wukong because they apparently used to be the best of friends before the Monkey King got power hungry, betrayed everyone, and then killed him. So far we haven't gotten so much as a brief flashback that gives Sun Wukong's thoughts about of any of this, so you can see why even if it's not the overarching intent many people would take the message to be "Sun Wukong = sucks." And it's something you see reflected in a lot of the fanart and fanfic around Monkie Kid; practically the only person the Monkey King's ever depicted anymore as being in a good relationship with is Macaque (fandoms tend to hyperfocus on 2 dudes who despise each other but have a more friendly history), many AUs make him an irredeemable selfish asshole, and/or he's being depicted as someone who fully deserves to be yelled at & hated by everyone because of the bullshit he pulled that got everyone hurt. In many ways, LMK Sun Wukong does have numerous similarities to TLJ Luke Skywalker in the way these sequels to their stories made them fail-hermits.

Now of course it must be acknowledged that across the centuries that Sun Wukong has been a popular figure in Chinese culture's he's gone through a TON of different retellings and interpretations. The monkey king has been depicted as everything from a pious and devoted monk to a crude and lecherous yaoguai to a being that is simultaneously monkey, human, yaoguai, and buddha and who is defined above all else by the capacity for great violence, great restraint, and a powerful and active love for those he considers his family. Even so, it is kind of disappointing that even with allowing for the possibility of Monkie Kid still being able to give satisfying answers for why their Sun Wukong acts the way he does, a good part of his lego show portrayal so far has just been him acting like a careless jester with disastrous consequences and, even if he doesn't mean to, hurting one person after another to the point where his actions, even if inadvertently, even if largely against his will, played a big part in helping the Lady Bone Demon almost succeed in her attempt to destroy all of reality.

Like...how do you even try to atone for that?

[gloriesunsung]

Arcane Detail Dive: Shape in the Stone

I will do another long-ass episode analysis post, I promise, but in the meantime, here are some little details from the opening credits that I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time dwelling on.

Spoilers for season 1 of Arcane: League of Legends. Warning for Flashing GIFs below the cut

Edited to fix my stupid typos and added ALT text.

Bless the internet for allowing us to see the various cool alternative concepts for the Arcane opening credits. I will readily admit it took me a minute to love the one that we ended up with instead. A number of different ideas were put forward, but the essential focus in all of them remains the same: meeting our characters up close. Inside about a minute, we need to get a sense of who these people are.

For an animated show with such flash and fluidity of motion, the intro is surprisingly static. We are given these momentary snapshots of our characters in near-stillness, the “camera” doing the motion instead. It’s not totally clear what material these models are made of. At first it looks like it might be stone. But when the light shifts, we can see crosshatching and scrape marks as if someone has lovingly moulded them from clay. No one is immovable, unchangeable; and like any narrative worth its salt, everyone ends the season somewhere different than where they started.

The thing that struck me most — and I didn’t really connect the dots as to why until the end of season 1 — is how differently Powder and Viktor are represented compared to everyone else.

Powder stands back to back with her sister. She is this nebulous stone shape until the camera pans over Vi’s shoulder. Only when the light shifts from pink to blue and Vi’s face is cast in total shadow is Powder’s face rendered clearly, fading slowly into view. Though they are back to back, Powder’s gaze is aimed at Vi. Looking for guidance that never comes. We first meet Powder when she is still in the stages of becoming herself and it is only in the absence of Vi that her personality is formed and solidified, for better or worse. Powder becomes Jinx. Even though the sisters are physically joined, like they are carved from the same piece of whatever, already they are being set apart.

I also really love the little overlay flashes we see, a motif that repeats throughout the series when Jinx is dealing with her inner turmoil. Her relationship with Vi and its breakdown is the thing that most shapes her. One of the textures you can see (for like a whole 2 frames) is a film negative — and how fucking great a visual metaphor is that for Jinx’s maladaptive memory? The more you play a negative (or revisit a memory while in the throes of mental illness), the more distorted it becomes, and eventually it will degrade and become unwatchable. Or at the very least, nothing like it was before. Once the damage is done, it’s done, even if the underlying intent was positive.

Following the quiet stillness of Jayce studying the hex crystal, we next meet Viktor in more rapid fashion.

Like Powder, Viktor begins indistinct. In short, staggered bursts he is chiselled into detail; perhaps one for each arc of the season, each definitive change that shapes him. Discovering hextech, his death sentence and the resulting desperation, his glorious and awful transmutation. I think it’s interesting though that his feet remain part of the stone. The shape of him isn’t fully clear. Viktor undergoes vast changes in season 1, physically and mentally… but of course, he isn’t done yet.

Look at the way the light shifts and passes over him so quickly too. In seconds, we see him in so many different lights in a way no other character is portrayed here. I think it’s a brilliant representation of the speed at which his mind works, of the way he can at turns be both impulsive and considered.

We will come to know Viktor and Jayce as partners, but from the get-go they are painted in opposition. The stillness and blue hues of Jayce’s introduction are abruptly contrasted with the warmer coloured light and speed of Viktor’s. There are so many opposites in these brief glimpses alone. We’re so close up on Jayce we can’t even see his whole face, just his unwavering gaze on the crystal, whereas with Viktor we’re zoomed out and can see the whole picture. And what an indicator that is of the differing perspectives they have. Jayce deals with the thing that’s right in front of him at any given moment and probably dwells too long on the wrong thing; Viktor is a ruminator who thinks big-picture. And what he’s studying in this intro is Jayce’s notebook. Wherever their narratives end up, we know for sure that they will be in some way intertwined.

Unlike all the others in this sequence, Powder and Viktor begin formless. They are the characters who undergo the most significant changes, who have (I would argue) the most harrowing personal journeys to contend with in season 1. They don't arrive with the certainty of, say, Heimerdinger or Mel who both appear solid and sure.

Honourable shout-out to this shot of Caitlyn also. Shifting from the shadows of her privileged ignorance and literally being enlightened by the redness that is often coded with Vi. You love to see it. As with this fresco there is far more depth to Cait than first appears.

I'll be interested to see if and how the intro might change for season 2...

Other editions in this cursed post series: Story of Opposites

[babbushka]

hiya z! sorry to be a bother but do you mind explaining what the iatse thing is? --🎬

Hello my dear anon! This isn't a bother at all, thank you so much for asking, I'd love to clarify where I can!

For those who may be unaware, the IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) is one of the most prominent labor unions for film, television, and live entertainment crews. I want to be clear, this is a labor that represents crew workers, those who are deemed "below the line" of production hierarchy (and if you're unsure of what that means, it is everyone aside from the producers, directors, actors, writers, and in some cases editors and cinematographers. Many of these fields have their own unions!).

You might be thinking that those professions I just listed sound like all of them, but they are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to set crews. Of course those people are important to a film's production, but so are the hundreds of other crew workers who are actually running the sets so that the project can get made, whether that's a tv show, a film, a play/musical, concert, etc.

People like grips, gaffers, best boys, key grips, PAs, set dressers, extras, supporting actors, stunt performers, SPFX artists, UPMs, 1st and 2nd ADs, craft services, animal services, location scouts, location managers, COVID TESTING COORDINATORS, the list goes on. The people who are actually setting up and taking down the physical logistics of running a production.

So, that's the IATSE, and that's who they represent these are the good guys. The other acronym you may have been hearing is the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers). These are the bad guys. The AMPTP is the company that negotiates contracts between producers and unioned crews.

As of about 2 weeks ago, the IATSE attempted one last time to negotiate new contract terms after nearly two years of endangering themselves during a plague to work on sets, and the AMPTP has said no. So as a result of that, the members of the IATSE (over 150,000 people nationwide) are organizing a strike against all AMPTP signed projects.

What are the IATSE asking for specifically? Here's a very quick breakdown:

An end to unsafe and harmful working hours (often crew members are expected to pull 12/14/16 hour shifts for weeks at a time)

An end to lack of reasonable rest during meal breaks, between workdays, and on weekends (several AMPTP contracts do not allow designated lunch breaks, and are expected to still report when off shift if needed)

An end to unlivable wages for the lowest-paid crafts (crew members often do not get paid overtime for these extreme hours, on top of already below minimum wage pay)

One of the key ways that the AMPTP has been allowed to get away with forcing 16-18 hour shifts with no lunch break and no overtime on already below livable wages is because many of these new AMPTP signed projects are for streaming services like Netflix, HBOMax, Hulu, and AppleTV. They claim that these projects for streaming services are too experimental, and can't conditions can't be held to the same standards as conditions in "traditional" projects like theatrically released projects.

Which, I don't know if you watched the Emmys the other night, but Netflix won 44 awards, the most by a mile. Streaming services are here to stay, and the people who work on those sets deserve to be treated like human beings.

TLDR: If you watched movies or binged your favorite shows to keep yourself sane over the pandemic, if you're going out to theaters or tuning in on Fridays for new episodes, you are consuming work that these crews have put together for you. It is an obligation to stand with them.

If you're a member of the IATSE vote YES for a strike mobilization. If you're not a member of the IATSE, be vocal in your support with the crews.

And if you're interested in keeping up with the news/showing support/reading first hand accounts of the harmful conditions that the AMPTP has put on workers, please follow @ia_stories on instagram.

[isobelleposts]

Growth and Acceptance with Na-Heedo and Baek Yijin

Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk as Na-Heedo and Baek Yijin

Released in early 2022 but set in 1998, ‘Twenty-Five Twenty-One’ quickly garnered an emotional audience whose hearts the cast and characters took away with every new episode. It was not only new for the audience to witness a special story like this, but was fairly new to the actors that played Na-Heedo and Baek Yijin as well.

Kim Tae-ri, popularly known for the critically acclaimed film, ‘The Handmaiden', showed a different side of her acting as Na-Heedo, a loud and expressive girl, compared to her past roles which are often associated with serious and sensitive topics. Nam Joo-hyuk, on the other hand, expressed more of his emotional side as he played the troubled adult Baek Yijin, who struggles with worldly affairs from finding a job and reuniting his family due to the effects of the IMF Crisis.

Baek Yijin and Na-Heedo in the early stages of their relationship

GROWTH

If you watch the first three episodes and then skip to the last three, you will immediately notice the significant contrast in how the characters behave with their surroundings and the vast difference in their maturity and priorities.

I tried my best to transfer here, but all of my plans failed. That is why I’ve come to show you my fencing skills. Please watch and decide whether or not you want to train me.

Episode 1 of ‘Twenty-Five Twenty-One’

Na-Heedo is what I’d consider an odd but idealistic character to look up to. It is obvious, if not exaggerated, how much passion Heedo has for her skills in fencing. And without her brazen character and confidence, no one else would have gotten the success she did if put in the exact same steps as the latter gold-medalist champion. While Na-Heedo works her way up to the national finals as a professional fencer, Baek Yijin scores for jobs to survive in the world and eventually lands the working title of a News Caster and Journalist. All throughout, we witness the dynamic duo’s friendship, and later relationship, unfold.

Neither of us is at fault here. And yet we’ve grown this much apart. It just happened. -- I’m not trying to say who is right or wrong. It’s just that…this love isn’t supporting me anymore.

Episode 16 of ‘Twenty-Five Twenty-One’

And finally, the time came. Na-Heedo and Baek Yijin have grown into the individuals they were always meant to become, only with the help of each other’s presence and support. Even with every episode, there were already significant changes and symbols which represented the characters’ growths, some of them being as little as the changes in the way Heedo wears her hair (from a scrunchie always tied halfway at the back of her head to loosely displaying her straight hair) and the way Yijin dresses (from sweaters and jeans to button-down shirts and slacks).

Na-Heedo and Baek Yijin's final embrace after falling apart in Episode 16

ACCEPTANCE

The main lesson I received from 'Twenty-Five Twenty-One' is that things happen because they’re supposed to. As a part of the audience, if you were asked the question – Would you rather witness the couple grow apart from each other or have them not experience their growth and love at all? –  would you really choose the latter option?

Even if we didn’t know each other, we would still be together like now. Because we have the same destination.

Episode 6 of ‘Twenty-Five Twenty-One’

That line, delivered by Nam Joo-hyuk, struck me and plainly summarizes my point. At some point in time, every one of us and the people we held special in our lives, had the same destination but different endings. Heedo and Yijin both had the same destination of success in their minds, and because of that shared destination, they were able to reach even farther although presently apart.

 ‘Twenty-Five Twenty-One’ was able to bring us the sad realities of life and romance while keeping the light-hearted and humorous feels of the early 2000s K-Dramas. A must-watch for those who crave love, pain, and truth.

(Click HERE for Writing Commissions)

by Isobelle Cruz, 27/05/2022

[likealittleheartbeat]

I deeply appreciate how ATLA depicts all the main characters responses to trauma. Aang’s, for me, however, stands out for its rareness in media. And we are not hammered over the head with the idea that Aang (or any other characters) repeatedly act certain ways because of a single traumatic event. Sure, there are key moments in our lives when a certain event comes to the forefront, but no one experiences the world as constant flashbacks. Rather, we see only in retrospect the way our sarcastic sense of humor or our heightened friendliness were protective responses to a deep emotional injury. Being able to understand Aang’s approach to loss is essential for the show. The structure of the series is founded on his arc (despite an incredible foil provided by Zuko). Our little air nomad initially confronts the loss of his people with a full-on meltdown in the episode “The Southern Air Temple,” where Katara’s offering of familial belonging soothes him. But this kind of outburst is not Aang’s primary response (and actually the literally out-of-character apocalyptic tantrums align with Aang’s overall process of grieving). Instead of constantly brooding (hey Zuko!), Aang leans heavily toward the monk’s pacifist teachings and toward his assumed destiny “to save the world.” He becomes overtly accommodating and joyful, constantly trying to see “the good” in everything with a perfectionist’s zeal. This is not to ascribe his bubbliness only to his trauma. Rather, he comes to emphasize this part of his personality for reasons related to the negative emotions he struggles to face.  Book 1: Water

In the first season, Aang is simply rediscovering his place in the world. “Water is the element of change. The people of the water tribe are capable of adapting to many things. They have a sense of community and love that holds them together.” This is vital to Aang as he initially faces his experience. He won’t get through this if he is not prepared for his life to change. Even if he hadn’t been frozen for 100 years, his world would never be the same. This fact involves eventually finding new people that he feels safe with. After such a massive loss, he’s learning who to trust, and also often making mistakes; not only does he find Sokka and Katara (and I’d argue he’s actually slow to truly open up to them), this is the season where he helps save a fire nation citizen who betrays him to soldiers, befriends the rebel extremist Jet, and attempts to befriend an actively belligerent Zuko (his moral complexity had only JUST! been revealed to the kid!). He’s constantly offering trust to others and seeking their approval in opposition to the deep well of shame and guilt he carries as a survivor of violence. This is also the season where Aang swears off firebending after burning Katara in an overeager attempt to master the element (one will note how fire throughout the series is aligned with, above all else, assertiveness and yang). Aang is so eager to be seen as morally good to others that he refuses to risk any possible harm to them.  And asserting himself carries a danger, in one sense, that he might make a mistake and lose someone’s positive regard, and, in another sense, that he is replicating the anger and violence he’s witnessed. He has no relationship to his anger at this stage of his grief, so it comes out uncontrollably, both in firebending and the Avatar State. It’s through the patience of his new family that he can begin to feel unashamed about his past and about the ways his shame is finding (sometimes violent) expression in the present. Book 2: Earth In the second season he begins to trust himself and stand his ground. Earth, after all, is the element of substance, persistence, and endurance. The “Bitter Work” episode encapsulates how Aang must come to a more sturdy sense of his values. First, there is the transition of pedagogical style. While Katara emphasized support and kindness, Toph insists on blunt and threatening instruction, not for a lack of care towards Aang. Instead, it’s so Aang learns how to stop placing the desires of others above his own--to stop accommodating everyone else above his own needs. Toph taunts Aang by stealing one of the few keepsakes from the monastery that he holds onto. This attachment to the lost airbending culture is echoed in the larger arc with Appa. And, by the end of this episode, it is Aang’s attachment to Sokka that allows him to stand firm. This foreshadows the capital T Tragic downfall in the “Crossroads of Destiny.” Aang gives up his attachment to the other member of his new found family, Katara, despite his moral qualms. Although he has access to all the power of the Avatar state, his sacrifice is not rewarded. Season 2 illustrates Aang coming to terms with his values. He is learning about what he stands for, what holds meaning to him. Understanding himself also includes integrating his grief, and there’s a lonely and dangerous aspect to that exploration. We see Aang’s anger and hopelessness over longer stretches rather than outbursts in this season. It’s hard to watch and hard to root for him. That depressive state leads to actions that counter his previous sense of morality, as he decisively kills an animal, treats his friends unkindly, and blames others for his loss. Letting these harsher feelings emerge is an experiment, and most people discover their boundaries by crossing them. Finding ways to hold compassion for himself, even the harm he causes others, is the other side of this process. Our past and our challenging emotions are a part of us, but they are only a part. Since Aang now has a strong sense of community and is learning to be himself rather than simply seeking validation, we also see him having more healthy boundaries with new people. He’s no longer befriending villains in the second season! He’s respectful and trusting enough, but he’s not putting himself in vulnerable situations nor blindly trusting everyone. Instead, he’s more likely to listen to his friends’ opinions or think about how the monks might’ve been critical towards something (they’re complaints about Ba Sing Se, for example). By knowing what he cares for, he can know himself, the powerful, loving, grief-struck monk. And he can trust that, though he might not be everyone’s favorite person, he does not need to feel ashamed or guilty for who he is or what he’s been through. Book 3: Fire However, despite a sense of self and a sense of belonging, Aang and the group still find themselves constantly asking for permission throughout their time in Ba Sing Se. It’s in the third season, Fire, that initiative and assertiveness become the focus. And who better to provide guidance in this than the official prince of “you never think these things through,” Zuko. It’s no longer a time for avoidance or sturdy defensiveness. It is the season of action. Fire is the element of power, desire, and will, all of which require us to impact others.  We see the motif of initiative throughout the season: the rebels attempt to storm the Firelord on the Day of the Black Sun; Aang attempts to share his feelings and kiss Katara; Katara bends Hama and a couple of fire nation soldiers to her will. In each of these examples, the initiators face disgrace. Positive intent does not bring forth success, by any means, only more consequences to be dealt with. This is perhaps Aang’s biggest challenge. He is afraid that his actions will fail, or worse, they will succeed but he will be wrong in what he has chosen. The sequencing in the series, here, is important. We have already seen how Aang has worked to care for (and appreciate) the well-being of others and how he has learned to care for his own needs. With this in mind, he should be able to trust that his actions will derive from these wells of compassion. But easier said than done. Compassion can also trap him into indecision, hearkening back to his avoidant mistake in the storm, in which the whole mess began. Aang’s internal conflict, here, becomes more pronounced as the finale draws nearer. I think it’s especially significant that we witness Aang disagreeing with his mentors and friends. He must act in a way that will contradict and even threaten his sources of support if he is to trust his own desires. Even the fandom disagrees about the choice Aang makes, which further highlights the fact that making a decisive choice is contentious. There is no point in believing it will grant you love or admiration or success. For someone who began (and spent much of) the series regularly sacrificing himself just to bring others peace, Aang’s decision to prioritize his own interests despite the very explicit possibility of failure is the ultimate growth his character can have and the ultimate representation of him processing his trauma. (This arc was echoed and made even more explicit in many ways with Adora in the She-ra finale.) The last significant time Aang followed his desire, in his mind, was when he escaped the Air Temple in the storm. To want something, to trust his desire and act on it, is an act of incredible courage for him, and whether it succeeded or failed, whether anyone agrees or disagrees with it, it offered Aang a sense of peace and resolution. Now I appreciate and love Zuko’s iconic redemption arc, but Aang’s subtler arc, which subverts the “chosen one” narrative and broke ground to represent a prevalent emotional experience, stands out to me as the foundation for the show I love so much.

[skye-huntress]

RWBY Ice Queendom Reaction

Episode 6 “Do you have a Plan?”

The RT app must have recently updated and it caused me quite a number of headaches so I had to use the website.

Okay, I have to start with this because even Ruby seems to be obsessing over it, Weiss called Ruby “precious”. And we’re talking about Negative Weiss here, and she said the quiet part out loud. As a White Rose shipper, I love it.

Splitting up makes sense, Negative Weiss seems particularly obsessed with Blake which makes sense, especially with what Sun says later in the episode. Dream Blake’s role appears to be to constantly infiltrate Weiss’ city, to be forced out, only to keep coming back. Before Beacon, Weiss has always kept Faunus at a distance, not letting them get close to her so they can’t hurt her. Then there was one who slipped through the cracks without her even noticing and by the time she found out, it was too late, Weiss had already come to like having Blake around, which left her conflicted. That conflict is still represented in the dream.

I was actually starting to wonder recently if we would see Negative Weiss summon. In the dream, she has made herself powerful so she would be worthy of being the true Heiress to Nicholas Schnee’s legacy, and that would include mastering her Semblance. As for why Ursa, I guess just because Weiss thinks they are powerful and intimidating, not because she could actually summon one in real life. It does make me wonder if the Arma Gigas will make its appearance. Weiss’ battle with it had to have made enough of an impression on her for a number of reasons, so I guess it might be Negative Weiss’ trump card for when things really start to heat up.

Also, infinite dust? I’m calling hacks.

Wow, Weiss really did give Ruby the key to her heart… er, THE heart of her dream, I guess. Same difference, really.

By the Gods, Ruby and Yang just “killed” Grumpy Klein! How dare they?!

Random thought though, I wonder what would happen if Klein entered the Dream. Probably a moot point, since he’s not a fighter. But Winter though, she’s a licensed Huntress and were she around she probably would have been considered the ideal candidate. But she only exists as an image in a book, likely because she is never around. She left Weiss alone and all she has left is her “judgments”. I suppose if Winter were actually around she’d have a real presence in the dream, but she hasn’t been in Weiss’ life much for a long time. Honestly, it’d be her own fault if she tried to go into Weiss’ dream and turned into a book. I have gone way off track with this, back to the show!

Don’t touch the thorns, huh? Hearing that reminds me of another ominous warning I’ve heard before.

So they’ve found the Grimm in a theatre on the stage, and we see an outfit like the one we’ve seen Weiss perform in. When Weiss entered the dream it did seem like she was on a stage, so I suppose it all makes sense. Weiss puts her heart and her true feelings into her songs. When she sings she bares her heart, it’s her greatest method of expressing herself. It’s rather fitting when I think about it. It does remind me though, we know at least Jaune has heard her sing somewhere, but we don’t know if her teammates have or what they think of it. I want to know if Weiss has ever sung for them personally.

They really should have seen this coming, Negative Weiss is rather fast getting around. I wonder, her perception of everything is twisted so I wonder if she even sees the Grimm or can even acknowledge it for what it is. Perhaps it is not the Grimm itself she is protecting but that piece of herself. We’re talking about something deeply personal and precious to Weiss, something that has already been twisted and corrupted for profit by her father. I doubt Weiss is ready to be that open with her team yet and is driving them back on instinct to protect herself.

I kind of figured this part, Negative Weiss believes Ruby is childish, naive and spoiled and sees Yang as the one at fault for this. Weiss wouldn’t know anything about their parents or how they were raised so this is likely her comparing the sisters’ relationship to her own with Winter. And I think I’ve said it before, but Winter hasn’t been the best sister or role model to Weiss. I’m sure she thought she was doing what she thought was best for Weiss and maybe it was when Weiss was still living with her father. Still, Weiss’ iciness can largely be attributed to Winter’s influence, she’s basically the OG Ice Queen.

I’ve said this last reaction, but Negative Weiss is too OP to fight head on. And the Relic got destroyed in the fight. I don’t think it will be replaced, they’ll probably need its pair. I’m assuming the one in the… thing I don’t want to name anymore. Reaching it might be a problem.

After getting so close they’ve lost all the ground they’ve made, and they’ll only get one more shot at it. I suppose I should have guessed this would happen, so much time was spent trying to get as deep into the dream as possible as quickly as possible without really doing much with the things we saw along the way. Now the team has to think about all the different things they’ve seen and come up with an actual strategy.

So now we see their other friends contribute their thoughts. JNPR helps Ruby understand that in locking her friends up Weiss is actually trying to keep them safe within the dream. Sun helps Blake understand that as much as Weiss is pushing her away out of habit, she actually does want Blake to keep coming back.

Then there’s Penny. I feel like the writers were basing her more on her Chibi version than her Beacon arc version because I’m pretty sure Penny did try to hide the fact she was a robot. That aside, her analogy of dreams as a form of maintenance makes some sense, I think. I don’t really remember anything about my dreams if I dream at all, but I know that when we have a problem, even when we’re not actively thinking about it, our subconscious is still working through it, something I have experienced while awake.

So Yang’s idea is pretty much to help Weiss sort through her internal conflicts by making changes within the dream that Weiss will hopefully recognise as positive. There are a few possibilities of what I think they intend to do.

The first most obvious one will probably be to do something about the White Fang ambushing trains.

They also have to find a way to make Weiss properly welcome Blake into her heart as she is. Instead of her sneaking in as usual and catching Weiss off-guard, I think they actually need to convince Weiss to invite her inside.

Something will likely have to be done about the All-Seeing Jacques, Batley, and that bloody book.

On to Ruby’s idea though. I’m not to sure how I feel about Jaune entering Weiss’ dream, but it makes sense that he can pass as infected. I suppose it will be his role to infiltrate further into the dream and find a way to help RBY get in. He still won’t be much of fighter, yet, and even if he was he can’t get close to the Grimm anyway so he really will be just there as support while the girls do all the hard work, as usual.

These past two episodes seem to have been to establish the layout of the dream and Weiss’ state of mind

[theheroheart]

What ‘Ted Lasso’ gets right about resistance to therapy, according to a therapist

By Erin Qualey Sep. 10, 2021 6 AM PT

The following contains spoilers from Friday’s episode of “Ted Lasso,” “Man City.”    (Originally posted here.)

Wherever you go, there you are.

In my work as a therapist, this is a concept my clients and I often explore. No matter how far or fast you run from your troubles, the one thing you absolutely cannot escape is yourself. Wherever you go? There you are. It’s a saying that Ted Lasso himself would surely love.

In the first season of the Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso,” Ted (Jason Sudeikis) travels across an ocean to coach a professional football team with zero experience. He’s an aw-shucks Kansan with a can-do attitude, and his perpetual positivity proves infectious to almost everyone he meets. Although “Ted Lasso” is a comedy, Ted’s tortured inner life has been hinted at from the start — in the form of conflict with his ex-wife and a panic attack he experienced late in Season 1, triggered by a karaoke version of “Let It Go” from “Frozen.” For Ted, the song served as a crushing yet temporary reminder that he was putting off the inevitable. It’s only in Season 2, the adjustment to a new life and job complete, that Ted has been left to sit with his feelings — and realize he might not be able to outrun himself after all.

Enter Dr. Sharon Fieldstone (Sarah Niles), sports psychologist, whose presence clearly rattled Ted. Niles imbues Dr. Sharon with an even keel and disciplined temperament: Whether she’s engaging with a client or observing the team at practice, her active body language and ever-searching eye movements indicate that Dr. Sharon strives to treat each moment at her job with the utmost care and seriousness. She sets personal boundaries but also knows when to head out for a drink with the team after a particularly needed win.

It’s the addition of the enigmatic Dr. Sharon that catalyzes the central action of Season 2 — which, though it’s received criticism for a lack of dramatic momentum, has been laying a trail of biscuit crumbs to Friday’s game-changing “Man City.”

Ted’s insistence that life has infinite happy endings already bordered on toxic positivity, and it catapults over that line into maladaptive behavior in Season 2. As Ted starts to strain against the weight of the trauma he carries, he shifts into near-manic mode. The pressure to be himself — a man who consistently puts others’ needs above his own — finally becomes too great, and he experiences a debilitating panic attack in the middle of a crucial match. In a striking scene, Dr. Sharon finds Ted curled up in her darkened office, finally asking for help.

Therapy is all about sitting with and processing uncomfortable emotions in a safe space. Unfortunately, much of Ted’s ethos runs completely counter to this idea. His “be a goldfish” saying and his staunch belief in “rom-communism” both center on selective amnesia of the negative and overemphasis on the positive. But Ted has another mantra: “bird by bird.” Originating in the book of the same name by Anne Lamott, the term connotes perseverance and patience: It means to take things one step at a time until a daunting task is completed. So when Ted finally decides to engage in therapy with Dr. Sharon, he’s determined to not give up. And, wouldn’t you know, there’s a bird involved.

When Ted finally sits down for his first session with Dr. Sharon, he is a mess. He spies a bobbing drinking bird and taps it. The bird, much like Ted, can say only “yes.” But in a powerful moment, Ted begins to gently oppose the bird, shaking his head “no” as he watches the toy come to a stop. Shortly after, he pops out of his chair and leaves the session. Something similar happens during the second session, but this time he picks a fight with the good doctor before storming out.

The bird is an important visual illustration of the cognitive dissonance Ted is experiencing. He’s programmed himself to use relentless positivity as a coping mechanism, always saying yes to every experience and aiming to please in every interaction. Therapy is an unknown for him, and his fear of uncovering the truth is far greater than his fear of not being liked. So he bolts.

This scene could well have been lifted from many of my sessions over the years. There’s a bit of Ted in every therapy client I’ve ever worked with, and an instinctual pushback to therapy is understandable, given there are deeply entrenched societal stigmas associated with reaching out for help. Asking for help is an act of courage, as therapy can be scary and even at times unpleasant: As Dr. Sharon says, “The truth will set you free, but first it will p— you off.”

It takes a leap of faith to engage in therapy, as it’s a process often filled with challenging emotions. Ambivalence is normal and even expected. “Ted Lasso” delivers a raw and honest portrayal of how — with the right therapist — a person can overcome their fears and begin to pursue a more hopeful path. (It’s worth noting here that Ted represents the best-case scenario for someone seeking therapy. He has a quality therapist who has time for him, is conveniently located and is presumably free of charge. In real life, availability, location and cost are major barriers that can prevent people from even getting in the door.)

Still, though Ted is staying for the duration of his sessions with Dr. Sharon at this point, he’s not actually doing the work. So she tries a different angle: Following a traumatic accident on her bike in “Man City,” she worries she’ll be too scared to do one of her favorite activities going forward — and shares these feelings with Ted, using self-disclosure to model behavior for her client. When she’s vulnerable and honest about her emotions, it gives Ted the license to do the same.

A day later, Ted witnesses an altercation between Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) and his abusive father, and it triggers a reaction. It’s easy to imagine the old Ted swallowing his own feelings and trying to smooth the situation over, but that’s not what happens. Instead, he races outside, calls Dr. Sharon, and tearfully confesses to her that his father took his own life when Ted was 16. And Ted Lasso — both the character and the series — has fully earned this moment, as we’ve witnessed absolutely every step that has led up to his breakthrough.

For a show such as “Ted Lasso” to depict the initial stages of therapy with such care and nuance is an act of generosity. Just as Dr. Sharon modeled desirable behavior for Ted, the series successfully modeled a very real experience that can and does hold people back from finding the support they need. Perhaps Ted will eventually be the catalyst for many of the people in his orbit — looking at you, Nate, Rebecca and Jamie — to seek out time with the doctor as well.

Qualey is a licensed therapist specializing in addiction and trauma with more than a decade of experience in the field. She also works as a freelance writer, often focusing on the intersections among mental health, addiction and pop culture.

[rainbowsky]

Episode 6 of SDOC4, Episode 5 of Let’s Chat

Going to just dive right into the spoilers, so here's a cut.

Episode 6 of SDOC4

Ma Xiaolong and Zyko

WTAF. These two together are like magic. Wow. We already knew that Ma Xiaolong is an incredible choreographer (truly among the best I've ever seen and I watch a LOT of dance), but this was so over the top amazing even for him. The two really flow together amazingly well. I have no words.

There's no way anything they went up against stood a ghost of a chance, not even Huang Xiao and Kenken's strong performance.

Ibuki and AC

THANKS SDOC for putting those two together. Please let them go all the way because I really need more of them. Such a great duo and so entertaining together. Such a formidable force as well. Love them so much. Especially AC. He has so much personality, intensity and humor. And, of course, talent.

His cute funky locking performance was a real treat, particularly for someone like me who feels this style is vastly over-represented this season. More on that later...

Team Han Geng

They slayed, utterly slayed, every performance and completely dominated the team battles. Good for them. Strong team. Really strong team.

I absolutely love Han Geng and I'm glad for DD that he has someone like Geng ge around this season to support him.

50 Funky Lockers

I thought maybe I was being a bit harsh last week when I was expressing disappointment about the early elimination of a strong krumper, but really, a picture is worth a thousand words...

Xiao Ji and the B Boys

I am always heavily biased toward b boys because I've always had a thing for b boys, but I loved these guys and their performance was a highlight for me. Xiao Ji is fucking hilarious, really one of my favorite people in the entire show. I always look forward to his performances because they totally ooze originality and wit. And he's not just a goofball, the guy has genuine skill.

His banter between performances is also always entertaining. His comparison of Lil Kev to Conor McGregor killed me. LOL.

The Waachoreography Group

What more can I say - this performance stole the night. So well done. So exceptionally well choreographed and executed. They deserved their win.

I loved the way DD just rattled off the list of who led all the bits of choreography, and picked out Bunta as the lead. DD is a perceptive guy, and smart when it comes to dance. He knows his stuff.

BUNTA!!!!!!!!!

He's been one of my favorites from day one. The guy is so powerful, so beautiful and so talented. I want SOOOO badly for him to end up on Team Boom!. Not only is he amazing choreographer, he has a style that would really compliment DD's dance style and approach.

Please globs, just let me have this one thing!🙏🏻

The Poppers

Loved this group. They really did an excellent job. Jr Taco is another great personality with the skill to back it up. And MT-POP is another favorite of mine from the earlier episodes. The guy has so much talent and originality, and the way he moves is so unique and clean. His stage presence and ability to project a character are practically unmatched this season.

This group's performance was so strong, especially considering the level of difficulty they chose to put into the choreography. They nailed it with only a few minor glitches. So well done.

The Judges

Glad they did a little intro where we got to see them perform for a few seconds. That was a nice touch. Phillip Chbeeb and Tham were amazing - especially Tham, who stunned me with her acrobatics - but Eagle One completely blew me away. WTF bro...

The Cuts

Wow, what a savage cull they did this episode. Especially eliminating all but one from the Japanese team. Just such a shame the way it all fell out. I feel like we're distilling the group down to a narrower and narrower range of styles/dancers every episode. Not really happy with what they've been doing. I guess time will tell how that's all going to play out in the end.

Episode 5 of Let's Chat

It wasn't as exciting an episode this week. Nothing really captured me here. I didn't even get to see DD and his little lettuce garden. It was fun watching them eat and talk, but nothing to write home about.

But to be fair, last week's episode is a hard act to follow.

When Henry was talking about fans making music schools in his name, I thought of all the BXG projects that have been done for GGDD and felt sad DD couldn't talk about them as well. But at least they exist, and no doubt GGDD know about them and appreciate the good work being done in their names.

I also enjoyed seeing Han Geng giving DD some sour plums. As we know, DD loves his sour plums. There was even a fake rumor about it a while back.

I hate to say I've been finding Henry a bit annoying lately. I used to find his shtick really cute and endearing, but lately it's been getting a bit much. I feel bad about it though. He is a sweet guy. He's just coming across as fake lately. He could stand to dial it down a notch or two and just relax a bit.

Hopefully he'll snap out of it at some point.

Didn't DD look really fresh and youthful for this episode of hot pot? So cute cool.

Already looking forward to next week.

IMPORTANT: Please, when responding to these, remember not to post any spoilers. I want people (including myself) to be able to read the notes of these posts and not get spoiled. Thanks!

[blu-joons]

You Appear On Knowing Bros Together ~ BamBam

Your head shook yet again as BamBam continued to bounce around your dressing room in excitement. Your eyes turned between him and your outfit in the reflection of the mirror, straightening your tie so that it was perfect.

“I just want to get on with it,” he chuckled as his eyes met yours, quickly calming himself down. “I finally get to be on this show with you, it’s what I’ve wanted to happen all along.”

BamBam had spent the entire morning telling you all about his two previous experiences appearing on Knowing Bros, letting you know all the things you had to prepare for. You could only listen with a smile as BamBam seemingly forgot that you’d nearly watched every episode before.

Despite it being your first appearance on the show, you already felt like you knew the place pretty well. You knew all about the show, the segments, and all of the members of the classroom and who you’d want to target.

But most of all, you knew that BamBam was definitely going to be the star of the show. You were more than happy to stand back and let him do his thing, if you were honest, you much preferred for more of the attention to be on him anyway.

“Shall we head down to the classroom?” He asked as he glanced across at the clock.

You looked across too, nodding your head. “Let’s go and get it done,” you responded to him.

His hand reached out for yours, pulling you down the corridor until you reached the sliding door. “I’m so excited to do this with you.”

You smiled across at him, unable to find the time to speak before you were told to open the door and reveal yourselves. A sudden wave of fear hit you as you walked in and saw everyone looking across at the two of you, lagging behind BamBam who walked in confidently.

“I’m BamBam,” he immediately spoke up, “and I come from the school of I can definitely out sass all of you today, just wait and see.”

“And I’m Y/N, and I come from the school of, I’ll definitely be living in my boyfriend’s shadow for the class today.”

You were more than happy to stand back as BamBam quickly began to answer all of their questions, giving you plenty of time to settle into the new environment. As much as you didn’t want to show it, BamBam could definitely tell how nervous the two of you were.

“There’s a lot I want to find out about the two of you today,” Heechul spoke up, “but most of all, I want to know how on earth Y/N puts up with you all of the time BamBam?”

You chuckled gently, as BamBam waved him aside. “I’m the perfect boyfriend, I treat her nicely, buy her all the best things, it definitely helps.”

“I would still be with you without your money, thank you,” you quickly pointed out.

You nudged him to the side, resting your hands across the desk to start taking control. The whole room chuckled at the surprised expression on BamBam’s face as you moved him out of the way so that you could start talking too.

After Soogeun had read through your profiles together, you pushed BamBam away to go and sit down at the front desk, pulling out the queue cards that had been left out for you, reading through the first question, unable to hide the smile on your face.

“BamBam and I have been together for three years now, but what was the reason that I initially declined when he asked me out on a date?” You asked the group.

You sniggered as BamBam’s eyes widened as soon as he listened to what you read out, kicking his feet up on the desk, trying to play it as cool as he possibly could in front of all the others.

“Did he ask you to sleep with him on the first date?” Heechul asked immediately, much to your surprise. “I bet he bragged about himself a lot.”

“He does brag a lot,” you laughed, “but he didn’t ask me to sleep with him on the first date.”

“BamBam gave you a limit on how much he’d spend on you for your first date,” Youngcheol called out next, “he didn’t want to waste money on you.”

Your head shook with a giggle, “he actually didn’t care how much he spent, he spent a fortune on me.”

A couple more ideas were called out from around the group, but all of them missed the mark. The conversation reached a new low when Kyunghoon suggested that BamBam had shown you the digits in his bank, which you quickly dismissed, leaving BamBam red faced.

“It was like an initial stage before our date,” you spoke up, giving them a clue. “There was something that he wanted from me before he agreed to go on a date.”

“Was it like a questionnaire?” Hodong suggested, “did you have to get so many questions right before the two of you were able to go out on a date?”

You stopped for a moment, thinking before shaking your head. “It wasn’t a questionnaire, but it was a question, there was something that he wanted from me, which made me say no to a date with him.”

“Was it anything to do with money?” Janghoon asked, “I imagine it must have done.”

The moment of silence from you yet again let the group know that they were on the right tracks. “Did he make you pick something for your first date that he needed to spend his money on?” Sangmin asked.

“Yes!” You cheered, hitting the toy hammer on the desk. “He said that I had to help him do an online shop, so he had the perfect outfit for our date, and I found that so weird, so I said no.”

BamBam’s cheeks were bright red as you continued to exploit all of the things he’d done at the start of your relationship. The sound of you reading out the next question came as a great relief to him.

“Alright, what did BamBam buy for my last birthday?” You questioned, smirking yet again as his head shook across at you for answering such a shameful question.

“Did he buy you jewellery?” Heechul asked, starting off nice and basic, only for your head to shake straight away.

You could feel BamBam’s eyes on you as you went around the room and listened to a couple more guesses, only to call them all as wrong.

“Did he take you on holiday?” Sangmin asked, “that was the last thing I did for my ex-wife before she ended up divorcing me.”

BamBam spun around, quickly shaking his head straight away. “You’ve put some sort of curse on us now bro if I end up taking her away.”

You chuckled loudly as you returned to the front desk. “Think of something BamBam would do specifically.”

“Did he buy you something of him?” Janghoon asked, noticing how your eyes lit up. “Was it a photograph or something just of him.”

You moved across and sat on BamBam’s desk, hitting his head with the hammer. “This guy brought me a statue of him to keep so that I had something to represent him when he went on tour.”

“I thought it was a nice present,” he quickly protested, “anyone would miss this face if I went away, so I wanted to make sure that I was always on her mind, and that she didn’t forget just how good looking I was.”

For the rest of the episode, you happily exposed many of BamBam’s secrets, making sure he left the set red faced when the shoot was finally called to an end.

As soon as it was, his arms wrapped around you and began to tickle your sides. “I can’t believe you were the savage of the two of us today.”

“Someone had to steal your crown at some point,” you teased, “it’s fun being the one to constantly make fun of you for a change.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself, even at my expense.”

---

Masterlist