#like vol. 1 was episodes 1-3 and then vol.2 was 4-6 and they need to get on doing that again man last episodes music went so hard

[buckys-arm-and-rios-dagger]

The fact the Loki S2 soundtrack isn't on Spotify yet... Homophobic

[asm5129]

I know this is NOT a popular take in the RWBY FNDM but y’all…I love Jaune Arc. He’s such a refreshing, interesting male character.

He’s Ruby’s best friend, and the two of them parallel each other in such FASCINATING ways. I’m planning a full video essay on this but as some examples:

1) They both have hero complexes, obviously.

2) Ruby is a prodigy who earns her place at beacon two years early, while Jaune cheated his way in and needs to work constantly outside of his school training to be anywhere near capable of huntsmen level combat

3) Jaune’s pain is loud and disruptive, Ruby’s pain is quiet and suppressed (examining their respective expressions of pain through the lens of gender expectations is REALLY interesting)

4) Ruby inherits silver eyes, an invaluable tool in fighting Grimm. Jaune inherited a regular sword, heavily outclassed by most of his peers.

5) Ruby made her weapon but modeled it after her mentor, Jaune had a hand-me-down

6) Ruby leads by developing plans and taking action, Jaune leads by supporting his team and bolstering their strengths with his own.

I’m sure there’s more too but those parallels are why their conflicts in vol 9 work so well for me, they are partners in narrative from literally the second episode.

I also just adore the commentary on masculinity with Jaune. From day one he was deconstructing traditional ideas of masculinity and patriarchal concepts of heroism.

The way he has to learn to reject so many of the things that blockbusters with men at the center have been pushing for decades is fantastic. He tried to pursue revenge like John Wick or Iron Man and it went HORRIBLY.

He can fight when necessary but it’s not where his true strength lies and that’s SO COOL for a male character.

I dunno y’all I just think he doesn’t deserve the hate. He doesn’t butt in on other stories nearly as much as people claim—in terms of Ruby, he actually serves her story quite a bit—and he is a character worth following in and of himself.

[intrepid-fictioneer-7]

How to read the Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Light Novels

I was recently reminded that there is a lot of people who simply don’t know that they can read the Case Files light novels, and that there are people who do know but have no idea where to find them. This is especially a problem when these people have only watched the anime and want to know where they can find more of the story. Since it kind of requires you to go through some hoops (not a whole lot but still), I decided to take a page out of @humbertozero​‘s excellent Fate/strange Fake resource post and make one for my other favorite Type-Moon Fate spinoff, the dossiers of El-Melon.

Read the First Volume: Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Vol.1 (PDF) (EPUB)

Read the Second Volume: Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Vol.2 (PDF) (EPUB)

Read the Third Volume: Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Vol.3 (PDF) (EPUB)

Read the Fourth Volume: Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Vol.4 (PDF) (EPUB1) (EPUB2)

Read the Fifth Volume: Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Vol.5 (PDF) (EPUB)

Read the Sixth Volume: Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Vol.6 (PDF) (EPUB)

Read the Seventh Volume: Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Vol.7 (PDF) (EPUB)

Read the Eighth Volume: Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Vol.8 (PDF) (EPUB)

Read the Ninth Volume: Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Vol.9 (PDF) (EPUB)

Read the Tenth Volume: Lord El-Melloi II Case Files Vol.10 (PDF) (EPUB)

Important note!

It should be noted first that I am just the compiler here. I am neither the translator nor am I the files’ creator. So all credits go to...

Credits

Credits and thanks to TwilightsCall on the Beast Lair forums (from which the majority of the other creditors originally posted their contributions) for translating the first 4 volumes and some of volume 5, thus getting the ball rolling. Further thanks to azwhoisverybored for translating the rest of the series from volume 6 onwards, and thanks to Kneenaw for starting the translation for the rest of volume 5. Thanks to Dotelias for making EPUBs for volumes 1-3, thanks to  cereal_ for making EPUBs of volume 4, thanks to u/confusedkuratowski on Reddit for making EPUB of volume 6, and thanks to ProtoformX for making PDFs and EPUBs for volumes 5 to 10 as well as for Adventures volume 1 and 2!

And big thanks to Makoto Sanda for writing Case Files in the first place!

Further explanations

Anime

The anime adaptation of Case Files, with the mouthful of a title that is Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files: Rail Zeppelin Grace Note, is particular to use as an entry-point in the series, because it only partially adapts the series. See, the author, Makoto Sanda, said in interview that the two first arcs/cases in the series didn’t quite work as scripts for anime episodes, so the anime only adapted the third case/arc, Rail Zeppelin, which is more action oriented than the more mystery focused first arcs. But because they still needed to explain stuff like Gray, Reines, El-Melloi’s students, etc., many of whom are relevant characters to the arc, the first half/six episodes of the anime is about introducing them.

So to the question “where do I start reading after the anime?”, the answer is unironically to restart at volume 1. And then you may skip volumes 4-5 since they are the Rail Zeppelin arc and there are not much differences besides some characters not being present during that arc. This is why I think you can watch the anime first if that’s more your speed (I have my problems and criticisms of the anime but that’s irrelevant to this post).

And you can’t start with the anime and start reading with volume 6, the first 3 volumes have characters and plot points that come back for the final arc, so you’re gonna be incredibly lost if you think to consume the series this way.

Weirdly enough, despite being original episodes, the anime originals are most likely canon in some ways. Episode 0, the original OVA, is an expansion of an anecdote Gray mentions in the first volume’s prologue, and Episode 1 takes place during Waver’s travels before the story starts and is an actual story, one of the 3 incidents Sanda has in mind for Waver’s journey before he returned to London. Episodes 2 to 6 take place during the one month period between volume 3 and volume 4, and finally the special OVA take place on Christmas also in between arcs.

Manga

The manga’s translation used to be on hiatus for a long time, but it has fortunately been picked up by the team doing the UBW and HF mangas. As of the time of writing (14/10/24), it has been translated up to the Rail Zeppelin arc, meaning if LNs aren’t your thing, you can experience the first two arcs that weren’t adapted in the anime in manga form. It has really gorgeous art so definitely check it out.

The Adventures of El-Melloi II

The sequel series currently ongoing, started a year after the first Case Files ended in 2019. You might know it as “the (other) series where Rin shows up grown up and also a pirate” and, as of recent volumes, “that one series where Shirou comes back spending the entire time half-naked”. @call-me-noa has been compiling pretty thorough chapter-by-chapter summaries of the volumes by @kaibutsushidousha if you don’t mind being spoiled. Or you can be patient and wait for azwhoisverybored to finish translating them on Beast Lair in this thread.

At the time of writing (14/10/24), the first and second volume of Adventures have been completed and compiled into PDF and EPUB forms:

First Volume: The Man Who Devoured God (PDF)(EPUB)

Second Volume: The Demon of the Wandering Sea I (PDF)(EPUB)

Lord El-Melloi II Case Files material

This is absolutely not required reading in any shape or form, those lore books are usually of interest only to dumb nerds like me lol. A timeline of the Clock Tower? An explanation of its politics? Yes please. But it also has insights into the characters by the author that aren’t in the books proper, as well as behind-the-scenes explanations for some decisions (for example, why it’s Gray with the American spelling instead of Grey with the British spelling). Only the glossary/encyclopedia is translated, but give it a look...after you read the series, because it assumes you did and has some big spoilers.

Drama CD

What’s that? You heard something about a Buzzfeed quizz about the most handsome Clock Tower teachers and how it’s somehow a plot point? Look no further than one of my only posts that did numbers. Read the summary, it’s hilarious.

[a-mellowtea]

Interview: Lindsay Jones RWBY Archives: Remnant Promenade Volume 1-8

Q.1. Tell me how you became involved as a production staff member and cast member. Also, please share any general thoughts on it.

I voice the main character of this work, Ruby Rose, the leader of Team RWBY. It’s been a very rewarding and daunting challenge to voice her as a character and grow alongside her. To put it lightly, “RWBY” has changed my life.

Q.2. What was your impression when you first saw the finished version of “RWBY”?

Being a long-time anime fan, it was literally a dream come true to be a part of something with such a classic plot and story. Ruby has so much of my own personality in her. It was a hybrid combination of my career dreams coming true and a new version of myself. She’s way cooler than me, though.

Q.3. What do you think the appeal of "RWBY" is, and what are your favorite characters and episodes?

Compared to many production companies, we had fewer people involved at first but, in exchange, we were able to work more intimately, which is what makes "RWBY" so appealing. Fans and people in the industry say that it’s a little rougher than other anime, but it’s a very straightforward one. One of my favorite characters is Nora. I’ve always liked characters who appear cheerful on the surface, but who have a true nature to reveal underneath. As for episodes, I’d say Vol. 1 Episode 8, “Players and Pieces”. It’s the first episode where we see Team RWBY and JNPR working together in a situation that seems out of control.

Q.4. Please give a look back on production from the beginning to the present, when over 100 episodes have been produced, including Vol. 8.

I can’t say that nothing has changed. We’ve been swept up in a wave of support, not only domestically but worldwide. "RWBY" is in everything. Games, comics, manga, etc. Ruby has even become a VTuber. We've added more details to everything surrounding RWBY, we've seen the characters grow, we've been able to take the girls to different worlds, we’ve been able to add new weapons. It's gone from a small world to a universe called "RWBY".

Q.5. “RWBY” has become a long-running series, with numerous spin-offs and mixed media works in addition to the main story. What do you think is the reason it has grown this way, with so many fans around the world?

“RWBY” has a universal appeal and many people can identify with every character. There is a character for everyone. I personally identify with many of the characters, especially Ruby herself. I know that people turn to media as a source of solace and inspiration, and RWBY is one of those places.

Q.6. In addition to the Japanese dubbed version, there are various media properties, such as comics and goods. What are your impressions of the development in Japan, such as the production of the original work “Ice Queendom” by Japanese staff? Also, what kind of developments do you expect in the future?

I remember when I talked to Monty, he had a strong desire to enter the Japanese market, a medium that inspired him. Many studios such as Sanzigen, who produced “Black Rock Shooter”, inspired him. Now, we've been able to work with a Japanese partner to see his dream come true, and it feels like his spirit’s come full circle. It’s also great to see "RWBY" redone in the traditional 2D format, giving us a new look at the classic characters.

Q.7. What is the appeal of your character?

The appeal of Ruby’s character is that she is innocent, yet driven. There's triumph in her simple soul, she has an almost childlike purity and innocence, but she also needs to grow up. I think a lot of viewers, especially young viewers, can relate to that. It’s a formative time in life, a time when you’re discovering who you are and who you want to be.

Q.8. Please tell us about the points of your performance and story that you want people to pay attention to. Also, what episodes, scenes, or lines have left a particularly strong impression on you in the past 10 years of acting?

Episode 8 of Vol. 1 is the first time Ruby faces serious difficulties. Expression her core and innermost feelings through the battle was a big challenge for me, but at the same time it was meaningful. In Vol. 3, after Ruby picks up Penny’s sword, she says “Leave her alone!” and I had to convey a variety of emotions with just three words. If I’m hearing the audience right, I think I did a good job. That moment opened the door to the dark scenes of “RWBY” and helped set the tone for the rest of the leads.

Q.9. Please tell us about the character’s growth from her first appearance to the end of Vol. 8. Was there any change in your acting from her first scene to the end?

Yes, there’s more uncertainty behind her. She had to find her footing in Beacon, but there were people guiding her. As she's grown, those people have become neutral figures or are gone from her life. So she has to find her own compass within herself.

Q.10. What do you think are some similarities and differences between you and Ruby?

[laughs politely] Before Monty offered me the role, he literally said to me, “You’re not very social.” Yep! Socially awkward, but endlessly optimistic. I was eager to prove myself, and I definitely had my own struggles with finding myself, believing in myself over other people, and not letting anyone else speak for me.

Q.11. Please give us your thoughts on the future development of the character and your message to them.

I want Ruby to show more leadership. With so many obstacles in front of her and hope fading, she'll have to find her inner strength and support her team as much as she can. My message to Ruby is, “Choose yourself. Never stop choosing yourself. And no capes”.

Q.12. Please leave a message for your fans around the world.

First of all, I want to sincerely thank you for all your support over the years. Without you all, this work would not have been possible. My main message is to keep moving forward. As the team leader, I think that that’s the most appropriate thing to say to everyone.

— Translation by yours truly.

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Tuesday, October 15

Dawn: It's here. Just like he said. Spike: (looking into the hole) Well, at least we know the old coot isn't completely daft. Look, you better let me snatch this egg thing on my own. Dawn: No way. I'm going. Spike: No ... you are not. I've got no idea what's down there. Dawn: You need me, Spike. Somebody's gotta get the egg while you distract the ghora. Now come on.

~~Buffy Season 5 Episode #95: "Forever"~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Spike's Bad Time (Spike/Angel, Spike/OC, M) by Bloody_Willamina

A Verbal Battle (Buffy Summers, Roy Dukeshire, T) by KaibaSlaveGirl34

little fish, big fish (Darla/Drusilla, E) by evesock

Slayers Gotta Stick Together (Buffy/Faith, M) by darlingcarmilla

TAC 15 – Willow & Tara (Willow/Tara, T) by AngelicaR2

Nighthawk to Nite Owl (Xander, T, multiple xovers) by Heavyneos1

I might run out of time (Buffy/Spike, E) by latinadoll

Hanging on (Anya, Spike, T) by will_

[Chaptered Fiction]

I Shall Dress In Aeternum Ch. 11 (Ensemble, T, Highlander xover) by BlueStories

hit rewind Ch. 80 (Buffy/Spike, M) by untiljanuary

Oh My Goddess, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Maxine Eden

The Neighbor's Point of View, Chapter 139 (Buffy/Spike, T) by the_big_bad

reciprocity, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, E) by HappyWhenItRains

Scarab and Serpent, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Holly

A Sword in the Man, Chapter 10 (Buffy/Spike, T) by Desicat

Through The Keyhole, Chapter 4-7 (Buffy/Spike, G) by Claire, Geliot99

Exorcise, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, T) by Desicat

Going Home (to a place we’ve never been before) Ch. 22 (dawn, T, LotR xover) by curiouslywombat

Aegis Ch. 25 (Xander, T, DCU xover) by dogbertcarroll

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:Episodic art for BtVS 3x02 “Dead Man’s Party” () by revello-drive-1630

Artwork: Love’s bitch and man enough to admit it (Spike) by evermorelore

Artwork:Buffyverse episode sketch project, episodes 1-4 Season 2 () by bugscribbles

Video: Aimed to Kill - Villains (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) () by TheOverLookedOne

[Reviews & Recaps]

Video: Brought to TEARS!! Buffy S1 Finale **Reaction** () by Sibu's Watching

Video: CITY OF LONELY HEARTS - Angel | 1x1 + 1x2 | Group Reaction () by The Normies

PODCAST: BTVS 604 - Flooded by Another Buffy Podcast

[Community Announcements]

Tuesday Prompt: In Plain Sight by comment-fic

[Fandom Discussions]

What would you have done if you’d continued that one Spike-as-William fic? by thornfield13713

There are a couple of references to the events of the show’s previous Halloween episode – the creatively titled Halloween – in Season 4’s Fear Itself. by coraniaid

if Buffy were made today Adam wouldn’t have a disk drive in his chest. by aphony-cree

Double date scenarios for Spike/Buffy by silkspectred

I wish that Professor Maggie Walsh had been the true Big Bad of Season 4. by coraniaid

Absolute best part of season 4 by andyoullhearitagain

“You faced the monster inside of you, and you fought back.” by thequeenofsastiel

So interesting to me how Buffy refused to socialize with Spike in s5, but repeatedly trusted him enough to ask him for his help by thequeenofsastiel

Rank the big bads by burrunjor

Buffy getting into Northwestern by Joan the Vampire Slayer

Tara holding The Tower tarot card in Out of My Mind by AndHerSymbols

S2 E6 - How is principal Snyder illegally forcing student to sign up for charity events by ghostrider1938

Episodes that could've or should've been two-parters? by yeahitsme9

This Made Me Laugh by Equivalent-Room-7689

Explaining final death in Beauty and the Beasts by caminoeslameta

Giles in Season 3, Episode 6 by veganbethb

Angel + Buffy by Jonesybell

Buffy Season 6 by anthonycaruana

I just started rewatching Buffy for the first time in decades. by LizzieBathory420

Spike and Drusilla, Italy 1950’s by authenticriver

Do you think S3 Ep 12 allows Buffy to understand how the others in the scooby gang feel? by veganbethb

What is the worst thing this character has done (VOL. 6)- Joyce Summers by HereLiesMyFinalWor-

on season 5 now and noticing a pattern for the first episode villains by hatchbackkk

Am I crazy or is Buffy continuously punished by the narrative for being “a strong independent woman” by youknowjustsurviving

Garlic in Buffy the vampire slayer by TheFrostWolf7

Finally finished Buffy - My Thoughts by fenix4701

Buffy season 5- why does dracula not change into a monster form like the other vamps?? by hatchbackkk

Music of Passion by moses616

Favorite portrayal of Angelus by moses616

Older fanfics? Are their archives or sites where I can access them? by ghostrider1938

Xander f*+%#^g Harris by moses616

Demon with “wine” tab in the arm by Ziegenkoennenfliegen

Buffy season 5- listening to fear made me so unexpectedly emotional?? by hatchbackkk

An under rated but epic moment. by Reviewingremy

They treat death with a grain of salt in buffy by hatchbackkk

why does buffy have a fake sister by RedRxbin

i think it’s great Buffy had a more age accurate casting appearance wise by hatchbackkk

Where has The First appeared before? by bkv-hbl

What’s your least favorite season? by frimrussiawithlove85

\

why do so many people find Xander annoying? by hatchbackkk

on my first watch and Anya might just be best girl so far by hatchbackkk

Buffy got treated terribly during her break up with Riley and Xander’s speech felt pointless by hatchbackkk

Just seeing the red top sends chills down my spine by lonelyhedgehoh

i think it’s great how Buffy eases side characters into more recurring roles by hatchbackkk

WHY CAN’T BUFFY FIND A DECENT MAN by hatchbackkk

Season 1 Xander is so much more interesting than I remember by BlairThe3rd

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Join the editor team :)

[otakween]

Digimon Adventure (Manga) - Vol. 1

This is the manga (or manhua) adaptation of the original Digimon Adventure anime. I got my copy from the library and you can borrow it for free on Archive.org!

Manga adaptations of anime are typically cheap money grabs that just copy-paste from the anime, removing some of the soul of the original along the way. As such, I'm not expecting much from this.

Notes:

Ch. 1

-You can almost always tell when a manga isn't drawn by a Japanese artist, it's just a certain vibe (I know this is technically a manhua). That being said, the art is competent enough. Yuen Wong seems to struggle most when it comes to faces. A lot of the faces look really janky and off model for both the digimon and the digi-destined. The only other thing that's kind of off is that the text boxes are very heavily lined and take up a lot more space than I'm used to.

-When Sora is drawn in chibi-mode she has the straps of her hat up like a rabbit. At first the silhouette was so unfamiliar that I had no idea who it was lol.

-So they covered two episodes in one chapter (up until the Shellmon battle). Let's see if the pace stays that way...

Ch. 2

-This definitely has a similar vibe to most manga adapted from anime that I've read. I wonder if it will diverge from the original material at any point, too soon to judge.

-Tai says to Agumon "I'll do anything but a teeth buffing" and I have nooo idea what that means? (Is he saying "don't eat me?") Also in chapter one Izzy said "baby blue, how emasculating!" when talking about the digivice. I don't think Koushiro would ever say that tbh. I feel like spotting these weird dialogue choices is going to be the most entertaining part about reading this.

Ch. 3

-I guess we're now going at a pace of one episode per chapter, which is fine. Somehow the content still seems a little condensed with a lot of the emotional beats cut out. I feel like the setting changes every two seconds which is giving me whiplash.

-Some weird quirks: the digi-destined call their digimon by their rookie names, even when they're in champion form. Also, the artist really really likes drawing smiley faces as stand-ins for the actual characters. That's like a step below chibification lol

-I think manga like this is perfect for if you wanted to watch Digimon Adventure 02, but you didn't want to catch up on a 50+ episode anime. It's a lot faster to read than to watch. (Although probably not as satisfying overall).

Ch. 4

-More cheesy dialogue. Izzy says "don't mess with an elite hacker" to Tai lol. Koushiro is way more likeable in the original Japanese because localizations loved to make nerds insufferable in the 90s.

-It's funny, I've never thought of Tentomon as robot-like, but in this chapter he said his parts were "short circuiting" and I was like "oh yeahhh...I guess he does have metallic features"

-Did we really need that close-up crotch shot of Andromon?

-You would think that the plot point of there being editable code laying around in random areas of the digital world would have come up again, but I can't remember another time it was really used to the kids' advantage.

Ch. 5

-This panel made me laugh:

(something about this phrasing and the expressionless chibis is so funny).

-And then Izzy never manually triggered a digivolution again...for some reason? (I feel like this was definitely explained in the anime, but I can't remember what they said).

-They didn't censor the poop this time! As usual, you can get away with more in print than you can on the screen B)

-They confirm that you can repel Numemon with sunlight...and then immediately the kids get attacked by more Numemon in broad daylight. Quickest continuity error ever!

-Another chuckle worthy moment:

Ch. 6

-Okay, but this one had me die laughing. Just a really good dad joke:

-Going from Adventure 02 back to the early Adventure days the stakes really do feel lower. No existential conundrums or human/humanoid villains to contend with. Just rampaging digis that can be easily cured.

Ch. 7

-Maybe it's just a translation thing, but sometimes the digimon act like there's one of each digimon species. Like Gomamon says "Unimon's a nice guy!" as if there's one Unimon in the world. Pretty confusing for kids. I wish mon series would just use names (they do sometimes, but it's not the status quo).

Yep, that was pretty generic. I wish they had thrown some more personality in there to make this a unique experience. I would have loved to read some final thoughts from the mangaka or to have gotten an omake of some sort. Ohhh welll...

[camplofi]

BSOTS 178 - Creative Commons Gems From Public Enemy And Nikki Giovanni

All comments, questions, and general feedback can be sent to radiobsots@gmail.com.  Record a voice message and send it my way or leave one at the Speakpipe page!

You can subscribe to Radio BSOTS via the following options: RSS feed ||| Apple Podcasts ||| Spotify ||| Google Podcasts Amazon Music ||| Stitcher ||| TuneIn ||| iHeartRadio

Connect with Camp Lo-Fi via social media: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

This episode's track list (title / artist / source / license):

1.  Old Futuro Blues by Yoko Absorbing [Free Music Archive] (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

2.  Zo0o0o0p​!​!​! feat. Oddisee by Kidkanevil [Bandcamp] (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

3.  All I Know (Featuring Big Remo and The Hamiltones) by Wals [blocSonic] (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

4.  Dance of Contradictions by Isak Gaines [Bandcamp] (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

5.  Ridiculous Love (wetSkin Hot Summer ReMix) by Niki J Crawford [Jamendo] (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)

6.  In The Spirit Of Martin by Nikki Giovanni [Free Music Archive] (CC-BY-NC-SA 3.0)

7.  Get Up Stand Up (Featuring Brother Ali) by Public Enemy [blocSonic] (CC-BY-NC 3.0)

Looking back over the last ten shows for the BSOTS podcast feed, eight of them featured at least one Creative Commons licensed tune.  Even after more than 15 years of podcasting, the CC music landscape still feels like largely uncharted territory for me, which is probably why I've felt the need to dig through the online crates to see what I can find.  In addition, I've been listening to prior BSOTS episodes from over a decade ago, revisiting the music that I have played on the show and taking note of the songs that still sound great to me so that I can reintroduce them on future episodes.  This show marks Camp Lo-Fi's long overdue return to the feed and is where my CC music appreciation agenda kicks into high gear.  The seven songs featured are a mix of tunes from prior BSOTS episodes alongside selections receiving their first spins, cutting across genre and released between 2009 and 2023.

The blocSonic netlabel opened my eyes and ears to the world of CC licensed music.  It was through their netBloc series of compilations that I was introduced to a network of artists and online labels, most of it (if not all) available to freely download and share.  The blocSonic offerings in this episode are courtesy of last year's album from Wals and a stellar cut from Public Enemy (as heard on netBloc vol. 44), featuring the always on-point lyricism of Chuck D and special guest Brother Ali.  Another notable hip-hop moment is "Zo0o0o0p​!​!​!," the brief but absolutely banging cut from Kidkanevil featuring Oddisee, a ridiculously talented emcee and producer whose music I've been championing on this show for well over a decade.  Isak Gaines moves us into the unpredictable and experimental side of jazz with "Dance Of Contradictions," a song that sonically lives up to its title.  A bouncy yet broken groove for the first half of the song gives way to a beatless abyss of sound effects and saxophone screeches before bringing the hammer down with a distorted bass line and a defiant horn section.

Niki J Crawford's "Ridiculous Love" was an unexpected surprise that I stumbled upon over on Jamendo, a sultry soul offering made all the more seductive with the wetSkin Hot Summer ReMix.  It's percussion heavy with a slight Brazilian influence and a breezy shuffle topped with acoustic guitar strums and Niki's powerhouse vocals.  Yoko Absorbing's "Old Futuro Blues" is a short, sweet, and somewhat off-kilter cut that lives in repeated moments of loops, locked grooves, and live instrumentation.  And there's probably no better example of the sonic treasures waiting to be discovered over at the Free Music Archive than live recordings of legendary poet Nikki Giovanni.  "In The Spirit Of Martin" is her ode to not only the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but to the struggle and perseverance of the Civil Rights movement as a whole.

If you're Creative Commons curious but have been unsure where to start looking, hopefully episodes like these can demystify this world of music one song at a time.  Thank you so much for listening.

Other key info: Theme music produced by Cy Tru and edited by Macedonia.  ID drop courtesy of DarrenKeith.

The content of this show has been released under a CC-BY-SA license.  All works within this show retain their original releases.  See the show notes at bsots.com for more information.

Another BSOTS podcast episode for the people...

[paulisded]

The Ledge #577: Swagger

A few weeks ago, Malibu Lou from Rum Bar Records sent me his latest free digital compilation. Accompanying the fabulous 35 tracks was this declaration:

"Swag·ger-ing: Rum Bar Records extended family and friends of artists and musicians performing, writing or otherwise making art inspired by Jagger, Dolls, Heartbreakers (Thunders & Petty), Stardust, Rebel Rousers, Barroom, Struttin' Glimmer & Glam anthems, with hints of Punk, power-pop, dashes of alt-country, out-of-the-garage riveting, soul shakin' rock n' roll. Tends to inhabit and play said music loudly in hole in the wall dive bars. Swaggering rock n' roll is general enjoyed best with your fist raised air guitar, a warm beer and cold shot in a corner at a neighborhood watering hole."

Sounds like a declaration of a typical episode of The Ledge, right? That's why Rum Bar's Swagger comp dominates this week's episode, with four sets of tunes representing the release. But there's plenty of "swagger" from other sources - one set is devoted to material from the all-girl power pop cop Heroes of the Night Vol. 2. Other compilations devoted to The Mosquitos and Helen Love are highlighted. And there's also great power pop and garage rock from current artists such as The Goods, The Far Outs, and The Liquorice Experiment.

As for this week's edition of "52 Weeks of Teenage Kicks", I discovered a version by a San Jose, California band called The Odd Numbers. They've been around for around 30 years, and the cover of "Teenage Kicks" is from a great tribute album called Here Comes the Summer - The Undertones Tribute Compilation. 

And like always, I must again plead with y'all for more versions of "Teenage Kicks". If you are a musician, or have any contact with artists that could record their own take on the classic, please contact me!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE SHOW!

1. Odd Numbers - Teenage Kicks

2. The Dogs w/ Frank Meyer - Under The Coast

3. Brad Marino - Ramones and Stones

4. JJ & The Real Jerks - Shaken Down

5. Thee Perfect Gentlemen - Transmission

6. Shelly Stevens - Secret Love

7. Brenda Prescott - I Want To Be You

8. Who's George - Who's George

9. Jackie - July Girl

10. Richard Duguay - Wasteland

11. The Phantoms - Baby Loves Her Rock & Roll

12. The Idolizers - Stranded (Again)

13. The Legendary Swagger - City

14. The Mosquitos - You Don't Give a Hang About Me

15. The Mosquitos - Hippy Hippy Shake

16. Helen Love - Debbie Loves Joey

17. Helen Love - Punk Boy (feat. Joey Ramone)

18. The Dirty Truckers - Water Me Down

19. The Peppermint Kicks - Johnny D's (Play It Again)

20. The Glimmer Stars - Pictures Of You

21. Indonesian Junk - City Lights

22. The Goods - David Jones Is Dead

23. The Far Outs - Keep Away

24. King Cornelius and the Silverbacks - Sheena (Queen of the Jungle)

25. The Liquorice Experiment - Man of Action

26. The Mochines - Post Pop Crash Depression

27. The Hi-End - I Need A Witness

28. The Amplifier Heads - Rock Rules

29. Freeloader - Fastest Gun In Town

30. Kevin Bowe & the Okemah Prophets - Not As Pretty As You Think You Are

31. Taxi Girls - Hands Off

32. Stef + The Sleeveens - Give My Regards To The Dancing Girls

33. Private Lives - Hit Record

34. Independent Country - Left Of The Dial

[sandflow]

So I just finished reading Golden Kamuy

 Oh boy I got lots of things to say about it.

Warning: spoilers from latest and final chapter 314 + rants that might anger people

[Edit] -  added new info from vol.30

So I’ll preface by saying that I first started reading Golden Kamuy because of  Skull-face Bookseller Honda-san which sort of advertised the series. And when I checked it out, I liked the combo of a grown ass man teaming up with a kid and hunting stuff. So it got me super hooked. 

I checked out the first season, and then I picked up the manga back when the latest chapter that around that time was 179. It was a super great experience.

Fast foward 5 years and it finally ended. Let’s start:

Pros:

1. The plot is simple and great, it starts off with a simple premise of finding the hidden ainu gold and then it slowly builds up with episodic criminals being killed off and skinned one by one. Sure it does go shonen tropey when it immediately followed with “you need to skin an x number of convicts to get to the gold treasure” but that problem is solved when they find out they didn’t really need all the skins.

2. The humor was mostly great, anime/manga doesn’t normally humor me but GK really delivered something more different than your average "main character gets slapped or yelled at because of a oh so funny misunderstanding har har”.

3. The overall positive and great portrayal of the indigenous group (ainu). The whole ainu theme really contributed to lore for the series. I admit there were times when I didn’t really pay attention to the trivia and cared more about the main conflict and characters but overall, or at least in the first half of the series - learning about the culture of ainu people and seeing the main characters + readers explore it was a nice breath of fresh air.

4. There are a lot of great characters. You just can NOT end up with a favourite by the end of the series. Every main and most secondary characters are likeable. Hell, the main character who is a child isn’t annoying as hell which already is a big + for me. While I did end up disliking some of them by the end of the series, they were still enjoyable at a certain point in the story.

5. Abashiri jail was the best arc in the series. Hands down. It got so well built up, the arc itself had amazing action, the factions blended in so well, and with a great shocking ending too. I may be biased though. Other amazing arcs were : the fake ainu village, Anehata, blind bandit, banya, circus, hospital rescue, and around half of the sapporo arc

6. Tsurumi ended up being a satisfying villain. Best mother hen for a bunch of normal and well adjusted soldiers. My only gripe was that he felt more of a gray to black area character in the first half of the series, while in the second half he fully became black, and that he didn’t get to kill off Sugimoto for good. But he was fine and didn’t drastically change his course.

7. I really liked the aspect of there being different factions having their own goals. It made it seem like there was no true villain. So when they were clashing you’d root for who you like rather than what the plot is trying to show how you should root for.

Cons:

1. The final arc was bad. Characters kept dying one by one and you just stop feeling any sadness or shock for them at some point. You’re just waiting for the next corpse. There’s also a ton of plot conveniences. Sugimoto being so exhausted, shot, stabbed etc etc only to still be able to lift an adult bear and let it hang unto him for at least 20 minutes, or Ogata who didn’t shoot Sugimoto directly in the head when he was pinned by the bear. Or Ushiyama who doesn’t one hit kill Tsukishima. Or Koito who easily killed Hijikata, and so on.

2. Goryokaku was boring. It was mostly filled with Wilk and Hijikata flashbacks. Wilk does have his importance in the plot since he was supposedly the initial “villain” in the series, but Hijikata ended up being a very boring character to me, so him getting around 3 separate flashbacks in the same arc really didn’t do it for me. Other than that, the arc spends a very big amount of time with characters killing off completely irrelevant background soldiers and criminals. 

It also had this style of advancing really slowly in the plot, but also rushing through it.

3. Sugimoto and Asirpa’s partnership was pretty cool and I liked their bond a lot. But after Asirpa rebounds with Sugimoto after Karafuto, their bond starts to feel very codependent. So codependent that Sugimoto turns from a soldier that had issues with PTSD, to a guy who at any time opens his mouth says “Asirpa”. If he’s not near her we see him monologue about “what’s Asirpa doing?”. That’s his whole character now. 

And Sugimoto kind of stopped having this active role in the story at some point. It’s mostly Asirpa who points the story forward, with Sugimoto burying the bodies left behind. Maybe it was like that even before Asirpa got kidnapped, but it’s a lot more obvious in the later half.

It also didn’t help how after Karafuto the plot kept hinting at Asirpa’s crush on Sugimoto even more. Boutarou full on shipping them like “oooh you care about him” and “take Sugimoto and have a family with him”. 

And in the end, Sugimoto chooses to live with Asirpa for an undetermined time as “partners”. 

I don’t ship Sugiripa and I don’t really care if other people do, but the ending was written intentionally ambiguous with slight shipping tones. I’d definitely think it would have been a purely comradery ending if Noda didn’t add in the numerous hints that Asirpa is crushing on him.

4. Koito was handled pretty badly by the end of the story. I was so invested in his character development. I was waiting in anticipation for his betrayal after he got bitchslapped by Ogata. And it was THIS }{ CLOSE to happen. 

But it didn’t....or....it sort of does? back when they’re in Goryokaku but it went like “Tsurumi you lied to me and dad but let’s say I’m fine with that now, but if nothing good comes out of all this then I gotta protect my men from you-” “oh ok Koito then kill me here and now” And Koito just looks down and leaves. Koito still keeps fighting for Tsurumi.

His character was severely limited to redeeming and saving his subordinate in distress Tsukishima.

[Edit] Since vol. 30 is out, Koito’s confrontation with Tsurumi has been altered slightly. Tsurumi instead of the line “kill me now” he now says “I have no intention of losing” and Koito feels sad that Tsurumi didn’t persuade him to being on his side. “W-why don’t you ask me to be by your s-side? FINE I’m leaving let’s go Tsukishima.” Lol. And Koito still fights for Tsurumi’s goals on the train. A strange and kind of useless addition if you ask me.

5. Tsukishima was frustrating to watch. I truly liked him up until chapter 210. But then he swears total loyalty to Tsurumi and threatens Koito’s life. But then he saves Koito from the Sugi stab. But then he actively hunts down Tanigaki and pregnant Inkarmat just to kill them. But then he’s saved by Koito who reminded him of his ex finacee! But then he gives death glares at Koito when he accidentally speaks normally to Tsurumi. But then joins in the Sofia interviewing thinking he’s finally seeing Tsurumi’s true colours! But then he’s loyal to him again and ends up (almost) killing Ariko (followed by sparkly eyes) and Kikuta.

 It’s like Noda wasn’t sure wether to keep him alive or die with Tsurumi. And Koito kept pushing his ass into redeeming him soooo so much that Tsukishima literally fainted.

Tsukishima got so exhausted of being constantly juggled around between Koito and Tsurumi that he ended up fainting in his moment of choosing any side. And in the end, he isn’t even taken out of his misery. He keeps searching for Tsurumi in the sea, and then Koito appears and asks him to forget Tsurumi and join the him as his right hand man. And Tsukishima is like "sure!”. Welp. That was fast.

6. Tsukishima and Koito end up not confronting Tsurumi at all. Which is honestly dissappointing. I was fully expecting them to have a final battle with him. Nope. Tsurumi fights the main characters. Not that he didn’t have to fight them too, but there was still unresolved tension between him and his subordinates. Tsukishima never finds out that Tsurumi played him again, and Koito still fought for his cause until he had to save Tsukishima from joining Tsurumi. 

7. Vasily was the most underused character in the series. He was put back into the plot just to keep Ogata away from sniping anyone from the Sugi group. He never got a backstory, he never got a proper character ending, he had an annoying language barrier with everyone around him which was lame because I really wanted to see him truly bond with ANYONE. But nope. He’s simply an extension to Ogata’s character. 

And his ending concerning his Ogata lynx painting is just....I mean...if he truly was obsessed with Ogata then why keep a painting of him dead rather than alive? Because it reminds him of how he failed to kill him? Oh wow that’s so romantic Vasilygirls please rejoyce.

I think what Noda truly wanted to do with Vasily is to portray him as the typical Ogata fan insert of the readers (who are also coincidentally creating a ton of Ogata fanart).  

8. Ogata was handled like garbage. He was a pretty complex character plus a total enigma. Lots of people wrote a ton of theories about him. Everyone was talking about him endlessly wether they loved him or hated him. 

But then chapter 304 dropped and it reveals that he just wanted to advance in rank because he wanted to see if a low life like him can reach such a high and esteemed position. Which was...huh? Ogata said he isn’t interested in ranks to Hijikata around the time they were about to attack Abashiri. Now he is. 

In chapter 310 he kills himself because he didn’t want to feel guilt. Because he killed his only chance at true love with Yuusaku. ?! He didn’t want to have anything to do with Yuusaku. He was unifying with the walls when Yuusaku was trying to approach him. But now he was his only chance at love?? What about his grandparents??

Oh and he also felt guilt because he was always born a blessed child just like Yuusaku. ???? Yuu was rich and had loving parents. Ogata was raised in poverty, with shitty parents and was being constantly ostrasized for his bloodline. By this logic, if your parents had sex once, had the child and then broke up, even if they did feel a little bit of true love in that moment, it fully justifies their child in being blessed from the very beginning and growing up just as blessed even if they’re raised in a shitty environment with a dysfunctional family. 

9. Sugimoto should have died. There were so many hints that he’d die in the last chapter. His name, his “going to hell” catchphrase, his numerous wounds in the final arc, the SWORD STABBED IN HIS HEART, his final line to Asirpa after he throws her off the train “I’m immortal you know?”, seeing him with closed eyes and being sunk deeper into the ocean.

Next chapter he’s okay and already found Umeko. He doesn’t even confront her directly, and he doesn’t even get emotional when he eats the persimmon. OK. So much for the pay off of that amazing emotional scene when he started crying inside the deer.

[Edit] 10. Sofia’s character was treated poorly. You start off with a really strong woman who can wrestle and ride a tiger with ease. But then she fights Tsukishima and overpowers him and she conveniently- I MEAN accidentally hits a pole thus now is Tsurumi’s hostage in the church. 

And afterwards, She kills a ton of 7th soldiers with utmost ease only to be killed by Tsurumi because she froze (initially) though in the volume version she tries to shoot him (even though she wasn’t able to even scratch him which makes me think she deviated her shot because of guilt).

Conclusions:

- don’t ever read an ongoing manga especially when you have no other series that you’re following. Noda was sometimes taking breaks in moments where he’d drop a chapter with a cliffhanger ending.  It’s paintful. Plus more and more expectations get built up the more you wait. So yeah, don’t touch anything that isn’t finished.

- the series was super great but then the quality dropped at around 65% progression of the story (around the beginning of the Sapporo arc). Maybe it was becoming a lot more serious and had less comical scenes. Or maybe I’m just hung up on Pre-Abashiri times lol.

[thatstheproblemwithnapkinman]

ok hi hello i recently (september 2023) fell down the fanfic -> wfa -> comic pipeline so here's my advice and some words of warning

this doesn't feel like wfa at all...

you aren't going to find a comic that feels exactly like wfa. i see wfa as a sort of bridge between fanon and canon. there's some really good stuff in there, i particularly like the 2-part episodes that delve into characters insecurities and issues, v good. but for the most part, wfa has a lot that you just won't see in comics. for example:

most of them don't live with bruce, it's only damian now

they are not all lovey dovey cutesy happy family

on that, jason and bruce (and everyone) has a very tumultuous relationship. they don't hate each other but they are not close. they would still take a bullet for each other but do not expect and head kisses or even good physical contact. jason has the best relationship with dick but that's mainly bc the most recent dick/jason content is from nightwing (2016) and includes them hanging out and beating people up

and more

and on what you will and won't fine in comics...

where the hell are the other bats?

if you've ever read batfam fanfiction, you will see the reoccurring character list of bruce, dick, jason, tim, and damian. and whilst that isn't a bad thing, there are a lot of characters that don't exactly make that list, and that actually does carry over to the current comics, so here's where you can find the bats if you were to walk into a comic shop today

bruce: batman, batman: the brave and the bold, batman/superman: world's finest, batman and robin, detective comics, and about a million mini series that i cannot be bothered to type out

dick: nightwing, batman/superman: world's finest (as robin)

jason: red hood: the hill (6 issue mini series)

damian: batman and robin

cass: birds of prey

kate: outsiders

luke: outsiders

babs: nightwing (sometimes)

and that isn't all the bats, but do you see how little they actually appear and how many just aren't on the list (i may have missed some books but i've tried to include everything). now obviously, tim has a large backlog of appearances, but that's the point. if it isn't one of those 4, you'll struggle to find them now if ever

ok but what comics should you read?

firstly, you mentioned in the tags you were looking at tom taylor's nightwing first (so nightwing 2016 #78-present) which, as a nightwing fan i have mixed feelings on, so let me give a bit of advice around that

you can absolutely start with taylor's run, but you need to keep this in mind. it is not a complete characterisation of dick grayson. i see taylor's run as a fun intro to dick, but it doesn't give you the full scope of his character. which is sad given he is one of the oldest dc characters and has been around since 1940 (which is longer than wonder woman btw). in fact dick grayson debuted on the 6th march 1940, less than a year after batman (30th march 1939), so there is a lot of history to this character. you do not need to go back to detective comics #38 and read from there BUT you just need to keep in mind how much history this character has

even his solo nightwing run, you have the 1995 4-issue mini series (vol. 1), the 1996-2009 1543 issue main run (vol. 2), the 2011 new-52 30 issue run (vol. 3) the 2014 20 issue spy thriller interlude (grayson), and finally the 2016-present, will be 117 issues long when tom taylor finishes run (vol. 4) there's so much that #113 (comes out in a few weeks as of the writing of this on 1st april) will be #300 of nightwing overall (not including grayson, vol. 2 #1/2 and #1,000,000)

i am not trying to scare you off comics or even dick specifically, but you need to read taylor's run with the idea of going back and reading more to actually get the full characterisation. my recommendation would be to start further back, a lot of people say to start with new-52 (nightwing 2011 aka nightwing vol.3) but you can also just start at the beginning of nightwing 2016, its 50 less issues to read. idk how you plan on reading it so here is the dc fandom page on vol. 4 with the list of issues and annuals. note, if you do read from the start of vol. 4, make sure to stop after #49 and go and read batman (2016) #55 before going back to nightwing #50. don't ask me why just trust me

also, dc are releasing a nightwing and a tim drake robin compendium later this year that go back to both characters debuts (dick as nightwing, not dick as robin). but they are like £50 each and hefty so if you fall down the comic hole they are things to aim for

that was a lot about dick, anyone else?

you can tell he's my favourite character

bruce and damian in batman and robin (2023) which is definitely more similar to wfa than most comics, but be warned, damian seems to have lost his melanin and there aren't that many issues yet as it only started in september 2023

batgirls (2022) which has unfortunately ended after only 19 issues BUT is really good and has steph, cass, and babs working together (mostly steph and cass tbf) and is a lot of fun. it follows after the fear state event that happened across a good few comics including batman, detective comics, nightwing, harley quinn, and catwoman. fear state is the 2nd part of tom taylor's nightwing run (#84-86) for reference of when it fits into the timeline. dick also appears for an issue or 2

honestly, if you want to read a certain character, reddit always has some good lists of where to start, especially for characters with fewer comic appearances.

my advice is to pick a character and start with them. don't try and read everyone all at once bc you will get lost and overwhelmed

so basically I just read wfa and really liked it but don’t really know much about batman, does anyone have any recommendations for what I should read next?

[idrellegames]

Wayfarer: Frequently Asked Questions

Mobile-accessible FAQ for Wayfarer. Contains (in descending order):

I. General

II. Help Desk

III. Player Character

IV. Story Content & Gameplay Mechanics

V. Characters & Factions

VI. Romances

VII. Fan Art & Fanfiction

VIII. Other

Desktop version located here. If you’re on desktop, you can use the menu on the right-hand sidebar to jump around to a specific part of the FAQ.

Please read the Ask Guidelines before submitting an ask.

I. GENERAL

✦ When will the game be released?

The public version of the game is released episodically on itch.io. A full game release date is TBD. It’s a long game, it will take a while to develop!

✦ How much will it cost?

Wayfarer Act 1 (which encompasses the Prologue and Episodes 1-3) will be playable for free. Future pricing for early access to later episodes while the game is in development is TBD.

Wayfarer’s alpha content will continue be available to play through Patreon. Please note that patrons only have access to the alpha as long as they are pledged.

✦ Where can I play the game? Can I play it on my phone?

Wayfarer is an HTML5 game, which means it is played in your browser. The game is fully mobile accessible, so you can play it on desktop or your phone!

The game is formatted to open automatically in portrait mode. If you want to play in landscape mode on mobile, you will need to use a non-Chromium browser like Firefox or DuckDuckGo.

✦ Will there be a downloadable/offline/app version?

Non-browser versions of the game are TBD. While it is possible to turn Twine games into an executable file or an app, I will not be pursuing this option until the entire game is complete.

✦ What’s the difference between the public build and the alpha build?

The public build is the public version of the game. It is available for everyone to play for free on itch.io.

The alpha build is the early-access build. It contains in-development content and episodes that aren’t playable on the public build. It is only available to Patrons and playtesters and is accessible through a private link and password. The password changes on the first of each month, so if you are a Patron and unsubscribe, you will lose access to the alpha build when your Patreon access ends.

In the future, there will be three versions of the game:

Free (Episodes 1-3)

Early Access Build (completed episodes past Episode 3, stopping two episodes before the alpha build’s content)

Patreon/Alpha Build (the whole game to date, including in-development portions of the most recent episode)

✦ How many episodes are in the game?

Wayfarer is divided into three games (future titles are TBA).

Game 1

Prologue

Act 1: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3

Act 2: Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6,

Act 3: Episode 7

Epilogue

Game 2

Prologue

Act 1: Episode 8, Episode 9

Act 2: Episode 10

Act 3: Episode 11

Epilogue

Game 3

Prologue

Act 1: Episode 12

Act 2: Episode 13, Episode 14

Act 3: Episode 15

Epilogue

This list may change during development.

✦ How long is the game?

Long! Because of diverging paths and the emphasis on player choice, the full game will ultimately comprise millions of words. However, that doesn’t mean that a single playthrough will be that long. One playthrough will only see a portion of what the entire game includes.

There are three stats available with each update:

Average Playtime: the amount of time it will take to do a playthrough

Average Word Count Per Playthrough: the average amount of words the player will read during a single playthrough

Total Word Count: the total, cumulative word count of the game. This includes all paths, routes, outcomes, codex entries, tutorials, and notification text.

✦ How did you make your game?

Wayfarer is written and programmed in Twine 2, using the latest version of SugarCube. If you want to get started with your own Twine game, here are a few resources for beginners:

Download Twine

SugarCube Documentation

Twine Resources & Macros by Chapel

Twine Grimoire Vol. 1 by Grim Baccaris

Twine Grimoire Vol. 2 by Grim Baccaris

✦ How did you make your game look different from other SugarCube games?

You can strip the default UI and replace it with a custom one with the StoryInterface passage.

Wayfarer uses this template by @/cerberus-writes.

✦ How did you code [element in your game]? Can you show me?

In general, I am happy to help with basic Twine questions. My coding in Twine tag is a good place to start as I cover commonly requested mechanics and ideas for plotting and writing interactive fiction. There are also links to external resources, guides, and templates.

While I’m happy to help, I cannot give you Wayfarer’s files so you can see how I coded the game. I also cannot code your game for you.

The best way to learn is to try things yourself. Download the program and play around with it. Try making a character creator or a branching dialogue tree. I know it can seem daunting if you have no prior coding experience, but the only way you’ll get comfortable with it is if you try things out, make mistakes, and learn what works for you.

✦ I’m interested in helping out. Can I be a playtester? What’s required?

Thank you for your interest! I am not accepting new playtesters at this time.

Playtesters test new material before it is added to the public build. They hunt for bugs, typos, continuity errors, and other mistakes, and report those errors. To be a playtester, you must be a member of Wayfarer’s Discord server (17+ only). Selected playtesters are given the Playtester role, which allows access to the private playtester channels.

After you are selected, you must remain active in the private playtester channels and report the bugs you find. Playtesting is not free access to the alpha build. If you are not active, your playtester role will be removed and you will lose access to the alpha build.

Playtesters are credited in the game’s credits.

✦ Will your translate your game?

No. Even if I did have a team to translate the game into other languages, I do not have the ability to code translated text into the game. Unfortunately, Wayfarer will be an English-language game only.

✦ Can I translate your game?

No. Wayfarer will be several million words long by the time it is finished. Its length along makes it difficult to translate without funding or support (which is not something I can provide). Additionally, as mentioned above, I do not have the ability to code in translated text.

✦ I'm a writer/editor/coder. Can I work with you on your game?

No. I am a solo developer. I do not work with co-writers, I code the game myself, and I have an editor.

II. HELP DESK

✦ I tried to launch your game and received an error message / the game takes forever to load. What do I do?

If you encounter any errors with launching the game, check this post here! It includes common errors and their solutions.

Please try out the solutions before reaching out or making a bug report. Most of the time, errors with the game launching or assets failing to load have to do with your personal settings on your browser and not the game itself.

✦ I lost my saves!

Twine’s engine stores save data in your browser. If you clear your browser history/cache, your progress will be lost. You can use Save to Disk to download your saves directly to your device and Load to Disk to upload them.

Note: Using Save to Disk is like using an unlimited additional save slot. It cannot download your browser saves in bulk. If you want to backup all of your browser saves, you will have to load each save individually and back them up one-at-a-time with Save to Disk.

✦ I’m not clearing my cache and I'm still losing my saves. What do I do?

Some browsers and extensions clear your cache automatically or when you close your browser. iOS also occasionally checks your apps’ cache and purges it, so this could be the issue if you are using an iPhone or an iPad. If you are still losing your browser saves, this may be the reason.

Check your settings to see if you can disable that feature; if not, you may need to switch devices or rely on manual saves.

✦ When I go to the save the game, I get an error message but the autosave still works.

This is a known issue on the itch.io app. If you are playing on the app, you will only have access to the autosave and you will not be able to use the browser save slots. You can still make manual saves to your device with Save to Disk.

If you’d like to use the browser save slots, please play on a browser!

✦ The interactive map won’t load and I can’t proceed with the game. What do I do?

There are many reasons why a game image may not load (internet connection, your browser settings, issues with image hosting on itch.io, etc).

If you encounter a blank map or you cannot interact with the map, go to Settings and turn off the Interactive Map. This will give you a list of location links you can click on instead. If the change doesn't immediately register, make a save, close your browser, re-open your browser and the game, and load your save.

✦ I found a bug!

Thank you!

If you’re playing the public build: please report it to the form here.

If you’re playing the alpha build: please report it to the appropriate bug channels in Wayfarer's Patreon Discord server.

Please don’t post bugs to the game's comments on itch or send them via ask.

III. PLAYER CHARACTER

✦ Who is the player character? How customizable are they?

The player character is a member of an order of warriors called Wayfarers. Wayfarers are born with complete magical immunity. They cannot use magic or magical items, their physical touch suppresses magic, they cannot see illusions, and they can break enchantments, barriers, wards and curses.

You can customize the following:

Name (defaults and suggestions are provided)

Gender (male, female, and nonbinary options)

Pronouns (use a pre-set or make your own pronoun set)

Ancestry (choose from 5 fantasy species)

Origin (choose from 6 different backgrounds)

Appearance (complexion, hair, eye colour, height, tattoos & scars)

Aliases & Nickname

✦ How old is the player character?

The player character is canonically in their early 30s. They are a child/young teen during the Prologue. There is an 21 year time skip between the Prologue and Episode 1.

✦ How tall are the heights supposed to be?

Heights are left deliberately vague. Player’s interpretations of what counts as “short” and “tall” are going to vary, which is why I don’t have specifics heights or height ranges in the game. But in general, this is what I personally imagine for the heights:

Very short: 5 feet and under

Short: 5’1 to 5’4”

Average: 5’5” to 5’9”

Tall: 5’10” to 6’2”

Very Tall: 6’3” and over.

If you have a very short character, the game is going to treat them like they’re well below an average height, but still able to get around mostly unhindered.

✦ What are the ancestries?

Ancestry refers to the player character’s species. There are five species in the Wayfarer world. Ancestry choice grants the player a unique attribute and affects some dialogue and action choices.

Humans The original inhabitants of the continent of Rhesainia. They live between 80 and 100 years.

Attribute: Lost in the Crowd [allows the player to hide easily in crowds]

Dwarves The original inhabitants of the continent of Vergelnar. They closely resemble humans and live to be around 300 years.

Attribute: Poison Immunity [prevents the Poison status]

Elves Distant descendants of the Eleneids. With the exception of their pointed years, they closely resemble humans. They live between 180 and 200 years.

Attribute: Night Vision [allows the player to see at night and pass all perception checks]

Melusine Distant descendants of the Eleneids who reside in the world’s oceans, lakes, and rivers. They are often tall with bright skin tones, hair colours, and eyes. They also have pointed ears and fangs. Their lifespans are incredibly long and they live for many centuries.

Attribute: Aquatic Affinity [gives the player additional options when in water]

Aeda Distant descendants of the Eleneids who reside in isolated mountains and forests. They resemble elves, with a few notable exceptions: metallic and jewel-toned hair and eye colours, wings, and crests (natural markings that appear around the eyes and forehead). They live between 70 and 80 years.

Attribute: Superhearing [allows the player to overhear conversations that may otherwise go unheard]

Player characters who are Melusine and Aeda have a human parent and are not full-blooded Melusine or Aeda.

✦ What are the origins?

There are six potential origins for the player character. Origin affects the player character’s starting stats, as well as some unique dialogue and action choices.

Child of the Desert You are from a family of warriors who reside in the deserts of Sathir. You have spent most of your childhood travelling your native lands, training to fight and protect. Even at your young age you have mastered a diverse set of weapons and techniques. Though you were never ostracized by your family for your peculiar lack of magic, you were always treated with a sense of pity – an unfortunate soul unable to live out their potential.

Child of the Wilds You are from a clan of hunters in the Artanisian wilds. You have spent most of your childhood learning the ways of the hunt. Many in your clan thought your lack of magic to be a hindrance and at a young age you were branded the black sheep of the family. Though you worked twice as hard to prove yourself among those who wielded magic, you could never live up to the clan’s expectations.

Child of the Fields You are the child of farmers from the rich fields of Arsenia. You have never held a weapon in your life, but you are accustomed to hard work. You spent much of your childhood taking your family’s goods to the local market, where you nurtured a hidden talent for bartering. Though you’ve always felt relatively normal, your friends and peers have always seen you as a little strange, perhaps due to your lack of magic.

Child of the Streets You have never known parents or a family. All you have left of them is the name they gave you. You are one of the hundreds of children lost on the streets of Nesactium, the capital of Arsenia. Most don’t survive. Those without magic shouldn’t survive. But you did. Everything you know you’ve taught yourself.

Child of the Seas You were born in Tol Covere to a wealthy family whose mercantile empire spans the Rhesainian Ocean. As a child with no magic, you were often forgotten about, nothing more than a waste of resources in comparison to your magically talented siblings and cousins. Even so, you were taken on multiple journeys and have already seen your fair share of the world, from aristocrats to pirates.

Child of the City You were born in Vodena, into the Vestran aristocracy. Despite your lack of magic, you were given the education of a noble, studying history, mathematics, sciences, music, and multiple languages. However, you were always seen as an odd child, the disappointment of the family, and you were ostracized from your peers.

IV. STORY CONTENT & GAMEPLAY MECHANICS

✦ Why am I failing?

The idea of “failing forwards” is a core concept behind Wayfarer’s gameplay. The player character messes up and life continues on. Failure will never stop the game from progressing, it is simply another path. There is unique content behind every failure; some routes or paths can only be accessed through failure.

If this is your first time playing the game, I highly recommend seeing where the game takes you before you hit reload.

✦ How do skill checks work? Why do I suck at your game?

Skill checks are the dice roll number + the player’s level number. If the combined number is higher than the pass threshold, you will pass. If it is lower, you will fail.

Some checks have a higher or lower threshold to pass than usual, depending on the circumstances. For example, if you have a Persuasion check against a character who is very set in their ways and who already doesn’t like the player character, the threshold to pass will be much higher than normal.

There are some rare red herring skill checks that result in an automatic fail. In this case, you will get a Skill Ineffective notification (this is to prevent players from trying to save scum their way through a choice that always results in failure).Succeeding a skill check is not the same thing as winning and failing a skill check is not the same as losing. This is not a game that you can win or lose. Success and failure changes the story content you see and how your character’s journey progresses.

✦ How do I improve my skill level?

You will be allotted up to three skill points to level up at the end of each episode. How many skill points you receive depends on your health status and a dice roll. Full Health has the highest chance to receive 3 skill points. Injured has the lowest chance.

If you re-load your autosave to re-distribute your points, you will get a new dice roll and a new allotment of points.

It is possible to receive 0 skill points.

✦ How do I get Varyn, Cenric or Sero as my master?

See this ask here.

You can also select your master manually with the Quick Character Creator. The QCC skips the Prologue and proceeds straight to Episode 1.

✦ How to I get a specific result or story outcome?

Check the walkthroughs tag.

If your question is not answered there, ask in the Wayfarer Discord server. I will not be creating detailed walkthroughs that cover all choices, approval changes and outcomes at this time.

V. CHARACTERS & FACTIONS

✦ Who is the main cast?

There are seven characters in Wayfarer’s main cast, also known as companion characters. Companions join the player’s party and follow them throughout their journey. The MC can form relationships with them (sometimes romantic, sometimes strictly platonic) and the strength of their bonds will shape the course of the story.

While you cannot remove a companion from your party, you can decline to pursue their personal quests.

The companion characters include (a * denotes a companion with romance content):

Aeran Kellis*

Alexia Antonis*

Calla Tormond*

Felix Navorre

Melchior Larkspur*

Nelani an’Zoraia

Ren Varadon*

✦ What about other major characters?

Wayfarer has a lot of major characters. You can see a full list in the character roster here. Mobile users, you will have to open this link in a browser. Pages do not load on the app.

✦ What are factions?

Velantis is filled with organizations and institutions pursuing their own goals. The MC will become entangled with six of them throughout their journey. How they navigate their relationship with these factions will determine the course of the story.

The factions include:

The Order of Lethalis: a sect of Guild mages looking to re-establish control over the Guild

The Order of Solarath: a sect of Guild mages searching for the source and cause of magic

The Arathian Empire: the Imperials who govern Velantis and seek to maintain control of the city

The Velantian Loyalists: Velantians loyal to their former kingdom and are fighting for independence from the Empire

The Arcanists’ Lodge: a guild dedicated to magical engineering and technology

The Meissandium: the dominant religion in Rhesainia, headquartered in Velantis

Balancing faction approval is an essential part of the game. It is not possible to side amicably with all factions and keep high approval with your companions.

✦ What do the characters look like? What ancestry are they? How old are they?

Because the cast is so large and will eventually encompass hundreds of characters, not everyone will have official art. Please keep in mind that sometimes I make small changes to descriptions and I forget to update this page, so if something in the game contradicts the description here, the game is always correct.

Official character portraits can be found here.

Descriptions of all companions and major characters are available on the character page (desktop/browser only, this link will not open in the app). This includes physical descriptions, their ancestry, and their age.

A skin tone reference sheet for the companions is here. Please use this reference when drawing the characters. I will not endorse whitewashed or offensive art.

✦ When will everyone be introduced?

All major and romanceable characters will be introduced by the end of Act 1. Characters with romance content are marked with a *.

Prologue: Aeran Kellis*, Rindan Cenric, Brissa Varyn, Amali Sero, Sabien Quirinus

Episode 1: Zenaida Anaxas, Malsara Markal, Nova Markal, Rhodarth Nairan*

Episode 2: Sophia Anaxas, Sandro Anaxas, Melchior Larkspur*, Phaedra Amestris*, Umbria Bellaris, Allegra Arantir (conditional)

Episode 3: If the player did not meet Allegra in the previous episode, they will meet her here

Episode 4: Raven*, Alexia Antonis*, Ren Varadon* or Calla Tormond* (conditional)

Episode 5: Ves Sithia. If Alexia, Calla or Ren have not been encountered yet, they will be introduced in this episode

Episode 6: Hypatia Navorre, Athana Navorre, Lyrian Blushrose*, Nelani an’Zoraia

Episode 7: Kellan Osgar, Vara Helmi, Felix Navorre

VI. ROMANCES

✦ How many romances are there in the game?

There are four main romances and four secondary romances. These include:

Alexia Antonis [romanceable by everyone]

Ren Varadon [romanceable by everyone]

Calla Tormond [romanceable by everyone]

Melchior Larkspur [romanceable by everyone]

Rhodarth Nairan [gender-locked to male & nonbinary MCs]

Raven [gender-locked to male & nonbinary MCs]

Phaedra Amestris [gender-locked to female & nonbinary MCs]

Lyrian Blushrose [romanceable by everyone; only available on Melchior’s polyamorous route]

Romances are optional and the game can be enjoyed without romancing anyone.

You may encounter characters outside the ones listed here who have flirt prompts or romance flags. I highly recommend playing the game and seeing where things lead you, rather than pre-planning a specific course.

✦ What’s the difference between main romances and secondary romances?

Main romances are romances with companion characters. They are the most complex and their storylines are related to the main plot of the game and can be accessed by all players, regardless of gender. You will have to manage the companion’s approval stat as well as their romance stat.

Each romance will unlock at different rates and their content will play out in different ways.

Alexia is asexual and has no interest in a sexual relationship.

Ren is demisexual and requires a strong emotional bond (i.e. high approval and high romance) before his romance will unlock.

Calla is open to open relationships, but if you want to pursue more than one character while being in a relationship with her, you may need to have certain conversations with her.

Melchior is polyamorous. He has two romances—a polyamorous romance with Lyrian and the player character, and a monogamous romance with the player character. To unlock the monogamous romance, your approval must be high and you must have certain conversations with him.

Sexual and romantic compatibility is a major theme of all romance routes and it will be a discussion point between romanceable characters and the player character.

Secondary romances offer more streamlined content. These relationships range from one-night stands to friends-with-benefits to intimate relationships that are not dependent on the main plot. They are far less complex to manage as they only have one approval bar (rather than the romance/approval split the companion ROs have).

Some are locked by conditional story events. For example, if Rhodarth survives Episode 1 and leaves the Count’s service, he will be available later in the game. If he dies or does not leave, he will not appear.

With the exception of Lyrian, all secondary romances are gender-locked (meaning your player character needs to be a certain gender in order to pursue the romance).

✦ Why are there gender-locked romances?

While I’m all here for bisexual representation, I do think it’s easy to fall into the trap of “player sexuality” when you make every romanceable character bisexual. Wayfarer is a LGBTQIA+ game, which means some of my characters are gay and lesbian, and I need to stay true to that.

✦ Then why can nonbinary MCs romance everyone?

Because nonbinary is a complex identity that encompasses a diverse breadth of experiences. The distinctions between one nonbinary identity and another are far more than I can feasibly put into a game like this, which means it is nearly impossible to create numerous flags to control the way nonbinary gender identities intersect with sexual orientations.

Furthermore, a person’s sexual orientation doesn’t change when their partner is nonbinary. A gay man can have a nonbinary spouse and still be gay.

✦ Will there be asexual romance paths with characters besides Alexia?

Yes! All romance scenes will have allosexual and asexual choices. You can pursue one or the other, or flip between them as you wish.

Allosexual choices (marked with a filled-in heart) will lead to scenes that emphasize sexual desire and intimacy. These will sometimes lead to fade-to-black/implied sex scenes.

Asexual choices (marked with a heart outline) will lead to scenes that emphasize romantic attraction and intimacy. Your MC does not need to have sex to pursue a loving relationship.

See this post here for more information.

✦ Will there be smut in the romance scenes?

Steamy lead-up? Sure. Sexually explicit material? No.

✦ Can I romance more than one character?

You can try! Depends on the character(s). ;)

✦ Will there be a poly route?

There is one polyamorous route with Melchior and Lyrian.

Calla is open to open relationships, so you may be able to pursue multiple characters at the same time while romancing her.

✦ Will it be possible to have a queerplatonic relationship with the characters?

There are unique friendship scenes for high or maxed out approval that do not trigger if you are romancing that character. Friendships are just as important as romances in this game and one is not weighted more importantly than the other. Nelani and Felix do not have any romance content at all, but they may end up being the person your MC is closest with.

You can read more about that here!

✦ If I flirt with Aeran in Episode 1, will I be locked out of an RO’s romance?

Nope! Flirt to your heart's content—at your discretion. I am not responsible for any feelings that may occur as a result of flirting with Aeran.

✦ How do I get +60 romance points with Aeran by Episode 2? How do I unlock his high romance and his Episode 2 intimacy scene?

You have to select the #4 option when Aeran is introduced:

#4. You are friends and you are partners. You can’t imagine this life without him at your side. Though nothing romantic has happened between you, you can’t help but wonder…

This will flag his romance. It's not possible to gain romance points with him otherwise, the MC's feelings for him have to be established from the beginning (he is the only romanceable companion who works like this and it's because they've known each since childhood).

For his high romance content in Episode 2, you HAVE to net over 60 romance points in Episode 1, which is only possible if you:

Get knocked unconscious on any of the boss fights (Count fight, basilisk fight, town square riot, etc).

If you're leaving Rona conscious, then you're going to miss out on the only opportunity to get a head start on his romance. Because Aeran is a fool and he doesn't realize he's in love with the MC unless they almost die.

In Episode 2, you need to make sure that:

Your approval points don't drop below 60

Your romance points don't drop below 60

You cannot have personally killed Rhodarth or have ordered him to kill Rhodarth in Episode 1

Do not tell him about the letters (if you've read them) during the fight at the end of Episode 2

Do not go to Melchior's party

Do not accept Veyer's tryst (you can absolutely make out with them and then leave and go back to Aeran though, if your MC is that kind of messy)

✦ Why isn’t [this character I like] romanceable?

Because this isn’t a romance game. Romances are optional content and they are a lot of work to create. The available characters were chosen very carefully because they have stories I’m interested in telling.

VII. FAN ART & FAN FICTION

✦ Can I make fan art?

Yes! I love seeing different artists’ takes on the characters and story. If you’ve made something, feel free to tag me in it! I do my best to check the Wayfarer tags and reblog the lovely artworks artists have shared.

✦ Can I write fanfiction?

Of course! I love fanfiction. I wrote it for many years before jumping to professional writing. If you’re inspired, go for it! I’m honoured that my work has sparked someone else’s creativity.

However, I won’t be reading or reblogging any Wayfarer fanfic. Fanfiction gets messy when the original creator is involved. I would like to avoid being influenced, even subconsciously, by other people writing about my characters. Maybe when the game is finished I’ll be able to showcase fanfic on this blog, but until then, it won’t be shared here.

I would appreciate if you didn’t @ the blog directly in your written works for now. Thank you!

✦ What about commissions?

Private commissions are fine. Commercialized fan art (merch, prints, online store, etc) without my express permission is not.

As personalized short stories set in the Wayfarer world are a Patreon benefit, I would appreciate if fanfiction authors do not attempt to make money off my world or characters, even for private commissions.

VIII. OTHER

✦ Can I use Wayfarer to train AI?

No. Any use of Wayfarer’s text or images to train artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is expressly prohibited.

✦ Can I make a chatbot based on Wayfarer?

No. Any use of Wayfarer’s text, characters, and dialogue to create chatbots and interactive scenarios is expressly prohibited.

✦ How do you make your maps?

I use a program called Wonderdraft. It is not a free program, but it is well-priced for what it offers. It comes with hundreds of built-in assets, but you can also import custom-assets to suit your needs.

Other mapmaking resources:

Inkarnate

Medieval Fantasy City Generator by Watabou

Fantasy Map Generator by Azgaar

✦ How can I support you?

Sharing and talking about the game helps me out so much! But if you want to help financially, you can support me on Patreon. Patreon is the main way the Wayfarer’s development is funded and the game wouldn’t exist without my patrons.

Patrons receive a bunch of special benefits and perks, including access to the alpha build, bonus content, writing tutorials and more. You can find the full details here.

Just note that Patreon charges first when you sign up and then subsequently on the 1stof each month. If it’s near the end of the month, I would wait for the next month to roll around before pledging. Otherwise, you will be charged back-to-back.

[sienne-k]

Tag 9 people to get to know better

thank you to @halenhusky309 @jiangwanyinscatmom @kimalysong and @preludianstaves for the tag!

1. Three ships: Wangxian from MDZS is my number one!!! Then Aokise (Aomine x Kise) from Kuroko no Basuke, and then... uuuuh this is tough because i have more ships to include than just three... Kaishin (Kuroba Kaito x Kudou Shinichi) from Detective Conan/Magic Kaito i guess?

2. First ever ship: consciously? i think Lina x Gourry or Lina x Xellos from Slayers, i don't remember which one i shipped first

3. Last song: BOCA by Dreamcatcher! mostly because that was the last song as i arrived home and had to get out of the car lol

4. Last Movie: oh this one is easy!!! i spent my new year's at the movies with a friend, so we watched Shotgun Wedding, then had a break for champagne and to watch fireworks and call people to send wishes to, and then we watched Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre. and i have to say i enjoyed both of those movies a lot! thought perhaps by the end my mind was scrambling to catch up with the plot of Operation Fortune, since i was very tired lol

5. Currently Reading: MDZS vol 4! i am straggling because it is PainTM. also a book about cat feeding since i might start making my own cat food for Naomi due to her sensitive stomach. also Convenience Woman but in japanese. it is going slow and i am a week behind the bookclub but oh well.

6. Currently Watching: that old detective series from the 80s-90s, Poirot, based on Agatha Christie's books. each episode is one hour long. the main actor is fantastic. i love it. i do have subtitles on because the audio is not very good and also they mumble so much oh my god why can't you speak clearly. also they use words from last century so........ it is the perfect thing to watch while knitting. and there are like 13 seasons so i will not be running out of episodes to watch any time soon.

7. Currently Consuming: just finished lunch, potatoes, chicken breast in bread crumb coating and iceberg lettuce in vinegar-cream dressing. also coffee... i went to sleep at 4:30am....

8. Currently craving: sweets and also dim sum. sangsang tempted me by getting some and now i need to have them too

tagging: @the-last-d-boy @origami-penguin @cordialcrow @mathi-cql @fondofeveryprickle @bapha @ninjakk @chai-chahiye-yr @side-salami

[antiloreolympus]

10 Anti LO Asks

1. lo hades def looks like he's into crypto, you know what I mean? especially bc you cant be taxed on it, the richer the better!

2. This isnt even just LO but why do so many of the romance comics have such a desire to sexualize barly legal young women who are of COURSE naive virgins (but also super sexy and horny and know how to flirt out of the blue!) and try and make us root for them to get into relationships with their Christian Grey knock-off bosses?? like Let's Play (spoilers I guess) thought it'd be funny to have the MC be in physical PAIN after having sex, like why are you showing your teen audience this???

3. Nah I feel the same way as other anon. LO is way too confused on whether it's a light hearted YA story or a serious drama for Mature™️ readers. Like the SA and (one) therapy session was more or less handled perfectly fine, but everything from the AOW to the Trial is either incredible goofy or tries way too hard to be "serious" with RS and her team both not putting the writing nor art skill into it to hold any weight. It just comes across as melodramatic and try-hard over genuine and well planned

4. There's so many "quirks" in LO's art that are bad but WHY is it a thing where when a character is just standing there their arms and legs are just glued to the side of their bodies like🧍‍♂️🧍‍♀️🧍? that's not how even soliders at attention stand, there's still bones and muscles to account for but they end up with that end product? I just do not get how her and her team have probably 50+ years of art education and practice between them and yet they fail on such basic concepts every time.

5. I for one think that the differences between how characters slapping each other is depicted as either good or bad depending on who’s doing the slapping isn't hypocritical of RS: Hecate slaps Hades because she thinks he’s being predatory towards Persephone, this is a well-intentioned slap. Minthe’s slap on the other hand, is not justifiable because she was in the wrong in the context of that conflict: you don’t get to just stand your boyfriend up and hit him when he’s hurt by it.

6. it's just funny WT itself has a posting rule that your comic "cant show topics like incest or grooming" as if thats not the majority of the romance genre itself. yall ever read eggnoid? cmon now.

7. punderworld made a myth rec list and go figure some lo fans were in the comments saying "LO was all [they] needed" and its like how would you even know this episode happened unless you were subbed to punderworld, therefore proving they keep up with other myth comics? also the creator got upset at the lo fans being mad she didnt also rec LO as if its not the most advertised series on that whole site and she was promoting smaller creators. LO fans are so entitled even to other creators it's crazy.

8. I think the issue with the “let people like things” argument (and the fans do this so much) is that I’m All for that, I and every other critic isnt saying you can’t like, hell there’s parts of it I do like and wish there was more of! But if you go “just let people enjoy things!!” when it comes to legitimate criticism (ie misogyny, racism, classism, mishandling of trauma and assault to push a romance along, etc) you don’t care about others opinions, you just want them to like YOUR thing.

9. we already know rachel is a weeb but it's most obvious when it's a kissing scene because she does NOT draw lips but all of a sudden they get huge and glossy when theyre about to smooch but nothing else about the face adjusts with it and it's like what the hell is that 😭

10. i honestly dont blame lo fans for buying books of it even if the quality of it degrades rapidly after vol 1, once it ends (maybe in five years at this rate) webtoons will right away put it on daily pass which is notoriously a bad venue for rereads/new readers who missed when it was originally published and given how rachel has no sense of less is more, itll cost hundreds of dollars just to read the current 190+ episodes, much the many more shell milk out of it. might as well avoid that now 😵‍💫

[werkboileddown]

Bobby Explains... For all the people who have discovered me recently from the Never Get Ahead video currently posted on many blogs and on Youtube, here’s some facts you make be interested in: 

1.  The video is from an unrehearsed live appearance on Chic-a-go-go in 1997 or 1998 (ten years ago, shit!). Chic-a-go-go is a brilliant children’s dance show on cable access here in Chicago; it’s sort of like American Bandstand or Soul Train, but for little kids. Every week there is a random collection of kids and parents dancing to pre-recorded tracks and usually there is a special guest from the independant music scene. The guest can be local or touring acts, ranging from totally obscure noise bands to bigger acts. There is no budget and no rehearsal; they usually shoot two or three episodes in about two hours. The host is a punk rock rat puppet named Ratso and his lovely partner, currently Miss Mia Park. 

 2.  I was asked to do a tune, and as the song was Never Get Ahead, I re-cut the vocals to remove references to fellatio. It is a kids' show, after all. I recut the tune the night before and really didn’t have time to rehearse the lip sync. I figured my sync would be terrible, but didn’t care too much about fooling people into thinking it was live. 

 3.  The original version of the tune is on my album Bobby Conn, available through Atavistic/Truckstop Records.  I think it is on iTunes, Amazon, etc. It’s my first album; please buy a copy as I haven’t seen any royalties from those people for a long time.  There is also a live version on my album Live Classics, Vol. 1 released on Thrill Jockey Records. It is considerably more rocking than the original, which may or may not be an improvement. 

 4.  This video clip was voted Worst Video Ever in a VH1 contest and has been broadcast in the UK and Europe pretty consistently for the past ten years. 

5.  The video was shot at 10am on a Saturday morning; I was not “coked out of my brain” as many people have suggested. If my performance seems exaggerated, well, perhaps you need to enjoy life a bit more. 

6.  Micheal Jackson and motown are a huge inspiration for me, and I’m not embarassed to admit it. I’m not really ashamed of much, really. 

 7.  The woman in the blue dress is my friend Emily; you can see clips of her playing bass in another tune on YouTube, Passover. The woman in the plaid skirt is Monica BouBou; you can see her in most of my videos as she has played violin with me for over ten years and is my partner in crime. I can guarantee any dude that is interested in Emily or anyone else in the video that they are not interested a scumbag like you. Everyone else in the video, all the kids, etc, are just random people who showed up that day. Obviously, many of them were confused by my antics. 

8.  I am “for real.”  As in, I am a real person. Is my hair real in the video? Is that a measure of my integrity? These are all questions for you to think about, but frankly, I am amazed at how much people seem to care about these things. It’s a sign of progress that we have the time to debate such issues over the internet. I guess that means that the larger issues confronting humanity have been pretty much taken care of. Hallelujah! 

9.  I have noticed that Americans have a harder time with sarcasm and irony that other cultures. We find sarcasm threatening in some way. I, on the other hand, find the emphasis on the illusion of integrity to be more frightening. The lyrics to the song both celebrate and mock political songwriting. The concept of 'the man' is a juvenile simplification of oppression. But the impulse behind it is still valid. 

 10.  Finally, thanks for watching!  I am very proud of this video, as it captures almost everything I love in entertainment.  It is FUNNY, even ten years later!

[ectonurites]

What are your opinions on Teen titans

'Teen Titans' is very broad. lots of things that could refer to, so i'll give my opinions on all the possible ones i can think of:

Vol. 1 / Silver Age - i have read like 3 total comics from that era but love the vibes tbh

1967 Filmation shorts - THESE ARE SO FUNNY PLS WATCH THEM!!! they're like on youtube. theres so much going on

The New Teen Titans (80s) - i still need to actually read this run start to finish not just in random chunks when the mood strikes/i have a specific question im trying to answer but like, iconic

Vol. 2 (90s) - i forgot this one existed until i was just looking at all the different possible teen titans things to talk about. so. i think that says my thoughts about that

2003 Cartoon - i grew up on this one babey (like i remember watching it as new episodes came out and everything) its always gonna hold a special place in my heart and tbh was one of my first introductions to superhero stuff in general

New Teen Titans shorts - these were so cute. the who is red x one where gar insists its jason... iconic

Vol. 3 (2003) - Geoff Johns face my wrath for what you did to the core four. but um. a WILD ride from start to finish i can tell you that!!!! i shit talk this comic a lot but like it does definitely have its moments and there are some cool and interesting things it did, it just also showed a blatant disregard for previous characterization of four of its main characters which annoys the shit out of me and always will.

Tiny Titans - SHOWSTOPPING. LEGENDARY. THE ONLY COMIC EVER

Teen Titans Go! - im going to be so real with you i understand why so many ppl hate this show but its actually so fucking funny to me. i dont regularly watch it or anything but like. it is so amusing to me. every time i remember the urn marked 'Robin II' displayed next to a crowbar i lose MY MIND. or the 'NOBODY CARES ABOUT TIIIIM DRAKE'.

Vol. 4 (2011/New 52) - this comic caused me physical pain to read. nothing makes sense. none of the characters are themselves. shit is just a mess, an absolute mess. however Bunker? Miguel? I love him. best thing to come out of this damn comic.

Teen Titans Go! To The Movies - go watch this right fucking now if you haven't seen it. its literally so good even most ppl who hate ttg still will admit its good. my friend recently reminded me that when we saw it in theaters there was a part that made me laugh so hard i literally fell out of my chair

Vol. 5 (2014/Still New 52) - this one is also really bad but at least its kinda funny. definitely more pleasant to read than Vol. 4 but like its still not good or pleasant to read, i just mean that like, in comparison. the last two issues i actually genuinely like tbh (bc #23 is a standalone like, just nice team story, and then #24 is a memorial for Tim after he 'died' in Rebirth)

Justice League vs Teen Titans movie - the dcamu is a fucking fever dream but like the concept of max from wizards of waverly place voicing jaime while violet from american horror story voices raven amused me so much. also the FUCKIN UHHH MAGICAL GIRL-ESQUE TRANSFORMATION SCENE WITH DAMIAN THEN JUST TRYING TO BREAK INTO THE CAR FOR HIS SWORD IS SO FUCKING FUNNY

Teen Titans: Judas Contract movie - its the judas contract. it is what it is.

Vol. 6 (Rebirth) - i have not read too much of this one (like. ive read... chunks of it but not the whole thing) but eh. i've heard bad things about later parts of it especially and from what i've read that seems to... line up.

Titans TV show - a hot mess. superhero riverdale. i binged the first two seasons within 48 hours. very nice costumes and mostly very well cast but the writing makes me die

Tween Titans - in that one episode of dc superhero girls. im just obsessed with Dick having the thick jersey accent its so fucking funny

Teen Titans Academy - I really was not vibing with it early on but as we've actually gotten to focus on the new kids more i've liked it more, but overall its just way too bloated of a cast. having the new characters students, the previous team older students, and then the og titans as teachers is just... too much to focus on in one book. then also did not like the attempt at dick/babs/kory love triangle drama in like issue 2 get tht shit outta here

and if u meant more just the team overall like. i think the titans are cool

[pop-punklouis]

ok it’s rant time !! there are SO many things which are just so ?????

1. what was the point of eleven and nina ? like why did it have to be stretched out. they could’ve been done with it in like 4-5 eps max

2. everyone was so separated…. like it’s similar to the previous seasons where there are like 3-4 different storyline’s converging to form the bigger picture but this season was just so messy…. eleven had a completely different storyline, will + mike + jonathan had a sub plot within elevens plot and so irrelevant at that ???? (like hello will deserves sm better) then what was even going on w hopper + joyce ???? like they were doing a completely different show and had a cameo appearance on stranger things in the last 5 min of vol. 2….. OH AND elevens reaction to seeing hopper ALIVE AND IN FRONT OF HER AFTER MONTHSSS??? not it. like where is the drama, the emotion, the “i can’t believe you’re here and real and alive” it was like she was Expecting to see him. no shock. no surprise. no questions. even joyce for that matter but it was still better. and why was there so much focus on jason and the dudes? eddie and argyle deserved that focus tbh. i couldn’t connect with either of them. (eddie seems overhyped to me because you don’t really see much of him, other than being the nerd who witnessed the first death) the main characters were literally steve + robin + nancy (derogatory) + max (+ lucas + dustin and maybe eddie)

3. speaking of main characters, whatever happened to the og gang ?????? the 4 guys and eleven and max????? i miss all my children being together and doing this shit together!!! this was just so not it. also, where did the fun go???? s1-2 (and 3) were just FUN. there was good humour AND logic. the kids were just so adorable and likeable (except mike but yes)

4. they tried SO HARD to make new audience favourite characters in eddie and argyle but these 2 were just so so so so so so so so pointless and useless like ughhhhhh (eddie also died for NOTHING, like he literally just wanted to be the hErO) it was just stupid af. they also tried making eddie and dustins dynamic like steve and dustins ???? the never change exchange between the two of them?? so random tbh. idk whatever it was,,,, looked very very forced fit.

5. so many characters were just THERE it was so annoying like helloooo people, add to the plot !!!!!! the stupidest plot ever but pls contribute !!!!!!!!!!!!

6. when it was revealed that henry is vecna and vecna is one and one is the dude w eleven, i was just like woah ,,,,,,,, disappointing. marks for the effort but disappointing nonetheless. also this could’ve been such a good ending for the entire show??? that it’s been vecna all along but no vecna is somehow still fucking alive

7. why tf did eleven need mike to tell her he loves her for her to gain her powers? why did mike lose ALL personality once he got together with her? like his personality was annoying but he at least had some personality.

8. lucas my man is so under appreciated. dustin and mike were so mean to him actually in the beginning w the campaign and basketball thing. lucas deserves better friends.

9. vol 2 felt like a never ending epilogue tbh. it could’ve literally been done in like a 1hr episode max but no. they could’ve really ended the season at vol 1 finale.

10. jonathan is bleh but this season he’s BLEH. erica was annoying this time ngl.

11. oh yeah, what the fuck happened to owens?

hi hello grey! finally getting around to reading this x

1) i liked getting backstory on eleven’s origin and i do think nina could’ve had one (maybe two) episodes that dug into that, but they really did drag it on and on for a plot twist that had little pay off imo also i’m tired of not knowing what powers eleven can do anymore. it’s like they add new elements every season but never explain them— and she just instinctively knows? how to do them?

2) i don’t have a real issue with everyone being separated as long as it makes sense in the end and they all come back together per seasons past during the climax, but yeah it just seems like they have bloated the cast unnecessarily and given so many different subplots that either are incredibly boring/irrelevant or are completely left behind without an explanation. and yeah hopper and eleven’s reunion was so disappointing. i felt more for dustin and eddie’s uncles dialogue than hopper and el’s and eddie is a new character lmao the last 30 minutes of ep 9 felt super rushed and clunky overall tbh.

3) i think one of the worst decisions they made was to separate the entire group of kids this season. i know they wanted to expand on eleven’s backstory etc. but they threw the rest of the hawkins kids with four of the teens to try and repair that absence but it wasn’t the same at all. it felt like a corny scooby doo episode every time that group was exploring together lmao and having will and jonathan almost completely absent was such a bizarre choice. and yeah i miss max + eleven’s friendship. it was really special, and it was just ripped away like. after el left it was like the writers forgot her and max were close lmao

4) i like eddie’s character tbh, but i do think they pushed him to the forefronts of the group too quickly which didn’t make it feel organic. i don’t have anything against argyle either, but the entire california storyline didn’t need to happen at all, and it would’ve still been the same season so yeah just wasted content tbh

6) i just want to know why it was so easy to “defeat” vecna with fire and shotgun bullets like i know he was vulnerable during that time, but it was so underwhelming. the climax of episode 9 was SO underwhelming. legitimately no one but eleven really did much besides fuck around in the upside down and almost die

7) it’s the way eleven’s entire story arc this season was that she has the power within herself and doesn’t need validation or security from outside sources to tap into her strength and purpose and to water her down to like an accessory of mikes 🤢 where she can’t do anything without his love or approval 🤢 is insanity to me and gives off the worst message.

8) lucas deserves a better storyline altogether??? like they basically ignored the opportunity to flesh out his character for three seasons only to do it very uncomfortably in S4 he deserves so much more than what they gave him

9) no forreal vol 2 was def just a money grab to keep the excitement and engagement alive for netflix and the series, as a whole, since i was surprised myself to see so much attention back on the show after being gone since 2019 there was no reason why we needed OVER 60 minute episodes for vol. 2 especially when it was drug the way it did (like ep 9? i found myself on my phone scrolling through social media so often for the TWO AND A HALF HOUR RUNTIME)

10) i always love erica but yeah jonathan has always been bleh and he literally built his entire relationship with nancy off being a creep and taking photos of her without her permission on someone else’s property (all while treating her like shit nonetheless) yet they really gave this man maybe 45 minutes of screen time the entire season and it was unbearably noticeable

11) stranger things! where everything is made up and the points don’t matter ✨